Choosing Thanksgiving

It's Ash Wednesday and I'm in a Chicago suburb instead of at a B&B in Tennessee. Winter air travel gets complicated when ice storms shut down multiple states! But always God gives more grace. Another day with my sweet, beautiful (inside and out) sister who I won't see for at least another year. And still enjoyable R&R at the Wong B&B in Naperville, IL! I hope the snapshots below reflect the many, sometimes unexpected, gifts of the last couple months in the US. Time is flying as I seek to enjoy the moments while looking ahead to my return to Burundi March 24.

 Dim Sum with my brother-in-law's sweet family

Chinese New Year party - I love learning about other cultures. And this is my year - the Year of the Goat/Sheep/Ram! I'm happy to be a sheep. :) Xin nian kuai le! 

 Gotta love Chicago! 

I think I'm getting enough winter memories to last me for a while. :) Took this picture to show my Burundian friends and colleagues. 

Added bonus of time in Chicago - getting to spend time with my awesome new teammates and introducing them to my sister Lauren. Caleb (water engineer), Krista (NP), and Liam will hopefully be joining us in Burundi soon! 

Meanwhile in Burundi:

 I'm so excited to see that the feeding program has begun at the hospital. No more patients hungry on the wards or mothers without enough milk for their newborn babies. Looking forward to seeing the difference this will make when I start back to work there in April. 

And a weekend in Colorado = more winter fun with family:

But a month in Birmingham provided some early spring green:

And lots of occasions to talk with folks interested in Burundi who care about me and pray for me. Also great educational opportunities to gain more experience with cardiac echos for kids with congenital heart disease, to talk with experts about medical education, to get help writing NICU protocols for Kibuye, & to network with others interested in global health.

 I continue to be so thankful for the Grant family who love the babies in Burundi so much and who God has used greatly to begin a NICU at Kibuye. I loved getting to meet their youngest son and to share pictures with the whole family of the NICU in honor of their two boys who are NICU survivors. 

 I've enjoyed connecting with American kids on many of my visits and hearing their hearts as they ask great questions and are interested in life in a far away place. 

Red Mountain Church. I'm so thankful for the chance to reconnect with folks there who love me and support me faithfully. And I appreciated the opportunity to be present to meet the new senior pastor and to also "happen" to be home at the same time as the other Red Mountain missionaries who live and work in Uganda and Ukraine - what a serendipitous blessing! I love my church! 

And speaking of churches, as I've enjoyed English church and Bible studies and community groups in Nashville, Birmingham, Naperville, and soon Charlotte, I've been encouraged to think of God's people around the world. I've been blessed to participate in church life in so many countries and love to remember on Sunday mornings folks worshipping - in joy, peace, sorrow, brokenness, & love - all around the world. Here are a few pictures from my archives of some of those places - a foretaste of "every tribe and tongue" worshipping in eternity. 

 Village church in Kenya above (love cute little Abi and Micah here pointing out the addition of animals in the service)

 Bethesda AGC church where I worshipped most Sundays in Kenya at Tenwek

 Ethiopian church above

 Painting at the Ethiopian church

 French church meeting above - loved learning to worship in French

 And our church in Burundi on Easter Sunday last year

OK, just a few more pictures of fun times in the last month. Probably should have divided up this post into several, but oh well. 

Pfister pfamily pfun at cousin Rachel's wedding

 More joyful reunions with sweet friends like the Johnson family

 Reading actual books - will go back to Kindle reading next month! Loving getting great reading suggestions from friends who know me...

…and from the Wheaton College & Mission Training International bookstores.

 A day hanging out at Wheaton remembering the joys and stresses and weather and learning of those intense college days - for Christ and His Kingdom!

 Discovering a new banner at the Billy Graham museum representing prayer for my part of the world. We especially pray for peace to reign in Burundi during the elections in May and June. 

 And finally, my travels have been greatly improved by Jack Lewis. Narnia audio CDs in the car,  remembering the wardrobe at Wheaton, and reading his biography. I owe a lot of my theology to C.S. Lewis - and especially to Aslan!

Thanks for reading to the end of this very long post!