Latest and greatest

Yes, I have internet today.  I'm actually sitting at a missionary's home on the front porch (and I mean right on the porch, not on a chair) with a rubbermaid tub turned upside down as my desk and typing as fast as I can because the internet is good enough here to load photos.  So here's a little photo journal of what's been going on lately.  

TRIP TO LOME FOR VISAS:

We stayed at this great hotel on the beach and the kids got
to try coconut milk straight from the coconut.
Jack enjoyed it; Kylie was less than impressed.

Look at how we suffered in Lome.
This is the pool at our hotel.  Palm trees, sunny skies, and the beach
was just a few steps away....

The beach!  The waves were big and we had loads  of fun in the
salty Atlantic.

Adam drinking 2 coconuts at once.  Not only can he speak perfect French
and guide us through the crazy visa process, he knows how to have
a good time!

Togo is french culture and when in France, one MUST
eat pastry.  These were breakfast one morning...

Speaking of culture, we showed the missionaries ours!
Hockey Night in Togo.  Nate set up a "rink"
in the shop and we played for a couple of hours
one Sunday afternoon....

Gary and Ruth Benn and their two kids, Kristen and Andrew spent three weeks here in Mango and just went home yesterday.  We had so much fun with their family and much work was accomplished. Ruth jumped right in to working in the hospital and had several difficult shifts working in the hospital but we prayed and she prayed and God answered and she did a great job.  God placed them here at the exact right time -- the hospital was very short staffed in July and Ruth filled a big hole by being able to run the station and work in clinic as well.  She was a huge help!

Gary and Nate worked together every day on the houses and various other places on the compound.  Gary is so easy going and Nate thoroughly enjoyed working with him daily.  I could hear their laughter all over the grounds.  They also spent some quality time together riding motorcycles all over the country, touching the border of Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso.  They also did some fishing, some sports and a variety of other things.  Together we had movie nights, campfires, sports activities, motorcycle rides, a trip to Kara, a trip to Dapaong, just to name a few.  The kids had a blast together....I never knew what they were going to get up to from climbing the water tower, bike rides, swimming, games etc.  It was so much fun.

We went to the local convent because they sell really good sausage there.  The
sisters gave us a tour of their big chapel.

Kylie and Kristen spent some time watching surgeries together.  This photo was
taken after they watched a leg amputation together.
What could be more fun?????

I wish I could share more photos of our time together but there's only so much time to sit on a porch and load photos! We were so encouraged by their visit and how they just jumped right in to life and work here.  We're so grateful that they came. Now we anticipate the arrival of our family.  My parents, our son, Ethan, my sister and my nephew will be arriving in Lome in just four days.  And we are super excited.

In other news, House #1 is totally complete and the surgeon and his family arrive next week to be here as full-time missionaries.  House #2 is still under construction but it's going well.  Nate has begun the latrine for the hospital and just got approval to start on the guest house addition.  Yesterday he moved a bunch of trees from where the addition will be built.  So the construction keeps on going...

Sorry this is a bit of a rushed post, but it's time to head home and make supper....