It's getting real

So as I warned, it has been a while since I posted anything on here.  This is in part due to the fact that I find it much easier to just post brief updates and pictures on facebook.  It is also because things have, as usual, been pretty busy.  In the past couple months we have completed my fellowship, gotten one course closer to finishing my masters degree, took a family vacation to the beach (finally!!) and transitioned to full time clinical work.  Having reached July, we now realize that we are quickly seeing our time in the U.S. disappear.  While it seemed like we had plenty of time here when we said "we don't leave until January", that phrase now seems to be taking on a new meaning.  We have now seen out last spring in Pennsylvania and will soon celebrate birthdays for Levi, myself and Jacob, knowing that the next time these dates roll around we won't have family and current friends nearby to join in the celebration.  Initial applications having been filed to obtain a Kenyan licensure (the forms are admittedly much MUCH shorter than the ones I have had to file in the states!!) and we are in the process of obtaining passports for the clan.  (The pictures really look like mug shots.)

While we have been working towards this transition for years, as our departure date approaches, it seems to be getting increasingly hard to imagine leaving everyone and everything that we know.  With every yard sale and facebook sale of household items, clothing, etc., it becomes more real that we are really doing this.  Trying to figure out what we want to keep, sell and store has become an increasingly difficult task (and I kind of doubt it will start getting any easier).  Soon Steph, Hannah and I will be flying to TN and NC to have orientation so we are hoping that will answer some of the questions that seem to continually arise.

We have tried to start taking the kids on mini-vacations (now that we actually can afford to do so) and day trips and we have several more planned.  I'm sure that this combined with holidays, trying to spend time with friends and family, my work schedule, packing/planning and trying to sell a house, these next six months will go even quicker than the last.  (By the way...anyone interested in buying a 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bathroom townhouse with a new deck, pond view, easy access to major highways in the Lehigh Valley and options for furniture to be included, let me know.  I may know of a place.)

For those of you wanting more frequent updates, Steph has been faithfully posting our progress as we transition to Kenya or you can check out my posts on facebook.  Anyone who has yet to get a support card, let me know.  We've handed out several hundred (with many hundred still left) and I have no idea who I've given them to anymore.

Well we received our support/prayer cards today.  This is starting to get a bit more real now!  We are beginning to make plans for the summer to raise support.  If you know of any churches or groups that would be willing to provide us with support during our time at Tenwek please let me know.  Thanks!!

Welcome

Well...here it is. Welcome to my blog. I have tried to set it up so that you can learn more about how we have gotten to this point (check out the "how we got here" tab). I also included links to the hospital I'll be working in and the organization that is sponsoring us. I probably won't be posting too often until we are closer to our departure date...sometime in January. I hope that through this blog (and Facebook and email) that you can share with us on this next step of our journey.