SO… you thought that we were done. An old afterthought, like that cranberry sauce and stuffing you took down two weeks ago, when you have already moved on to trees and lights and cookies. Well, we are done in a way and in some ways, we are just getting started.
When we left Swaziland, we were invited to formally join the board of African Leadership Partners, the stateside organization for New Life Homes. It is an honor to be part of a board which is composed of quality people with diverse skill sets. We met with the board in early August and extensively discussed the future of New Life Homes. Local staffing has already changed since we left two years ago, and there are other transitions that will be happening soon. Mindful of the changes in our family, including a new baby arriving soon, we asked God if this might be the right moment to return to Swaziland. We heard a resounding “yes” despite our personal trepidation around traveling with tots.
So, we are jumping on the plane (Avery and Paige included) and headed to Swaziland for a few weeks with these goals in mind:
1. For the children at New Life Homes who have all experienced some form of trauma in their life, consistency is paramount. They encounter many visitors that enrich their lives, but few visitors return. Our goal is to maintain our existing relationships with the children, while reinforcing their value as children of God.
2. The farm has seen several leadership changes over the past two years and they are anticipating more changes in the coming years. Our goal is to meet the new leaders and staff, encourage and challenge them in their roles, and identify ways we can support them in the future.
3. As Peter and Mary Jean continue to advance toward retirement, the need to fill the role of “project director” has been difficult. Our goal is to further develop a plan for this transition, and meet some folks interested in supporting this role.
With that, please pray. We are grateful to have employers who recognize the importance of this trip, and friends who celebrate this opportunity to reconnect with those we love dearly. The logistics are hectic and the plane ride with Paige is going to be hairy, but those details are all temporary. We return December 21st and we look forward to giving you a full (and concise) report of the trip. Hopefully it will provide you some entertainment while you take down more cookies and cider.
We are very grateful for all of you,
Tommy, Mandi, Avery, and Paige
