Blessings amid the craziness!

It has been a month since we have written-the craziest month of our lives!  At first, we didn't write because there wasn't a lot to share.  Then, we didn't write because we didn't have a spare minute!  Now, we have arrived here in Kenya, and we want to update you on what has happened in our lives....
...since finishing at our wonderful, supportive jobs, we said goodbye to our sweet 16 year old dachshund Georgia,

 we packed up our home with the help of literally an army of people that showed up to help nonstop (thank you!!!).  One of the blessings of this move and one that has made our parting so much easier is seeing how many wonderful relationships we have with people!  I kept saying "we are surrounded by such wonderful people!" and the kids said "Maybe they really won't forget us!"  Ouch.  But we were all thinking it.  We got out of Raleigh on July 5th amid a wonderful sendoff...

and pulling a UHaul trailer with the bags that "made the cut"...and there was a lot of purging to make everything fit!  We spent the weekend at my (Sarah's) folks in South Carolina before heading to AIM's headquarters in Peachtree City, Georgia for the final 2-3 days of paperwork/orientation. 

On July 12th at 5:30am, we drove our car from the hotel to AIM's office to get the van to the airport, with Ted and Anna both literally hanging out of the back windows throwing up....no kidding.  It was like something out of a really bad movie and not the most auspicious beginning to our journey.  Note to self...make sure your kids eat a bigger meal before starting malaria meds!!  We paid for that, but the kids did not complain.  Amazing.  The rest of the trip was mercifully uneventful, albeit long, and we arrived in Nairobi at 6pm local time/11am EDT with ONE of our sixteen bags arriving with us.   Yes, that's right - 1/16=6.25%.  BUT, after talking to the lost luggage folks at the airport, we learned that they were left in Zurich on purpose because the plane was too heavy.  Ok, I guess that's a good reason.  They were delivered the next night, in pretty good shape, and nothing was lost.  Another blessing.  :)

At Nairobi Airport, with all of our carry-ons, one trunk, and weary smiles!

We are staying for the weekend at the Mayfield Guest House, which has safe food, a wonderful staff, wifi (sometimes), and hot water...

Our room.

View from our window-note the locked gate and guardhouse.

 - the kids have friends to hang out with that we will be with for the next 3 weeks at orientation, and it is a safe haven after a very hard and emotionally taxing month.  We have been truly amazed, touched, and grateful beyond words to so many people-family, friends, patients, and acquaintances-who have encouraged, supported, prayed with, helped pack/clean/take loads and loads of stuff to give away/move furniture/store things, loved on our kids and us, given parties or gifts or letters for the plane, etc, etc, etc!  Please know how much we love all of you and we will seek to communicate our experiences here and how God is working in Kenya!!
 Love, Sarah
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  I Chronicles 16:34