Getting Ready to Go!

The countdown begins! We have about 10 weeks left to go, before returning to Tanzania as full time missionaries! We are getting more and more excited each day! The container full of our household belongings will leave August 18th and hopefully not sit in port too long before departure for the North-Eastern African coast! It can take anywhere from 3-6 months for it to get cleared on that end you just never know! We wont be leaving until mid-September but will end up living from suitcases on this end for a month and on that end for several months.

I've been reading blog entries with a smile from ear to ear from my dear friend Shasta for the past month now and decided what a great idea it was to keep everyone informed on a regular basis of what was going on in our daily lives, where we are in our efforts to raise the support, when we'll be headed that direction and then of course the day in and day out of life in Africa. Those of you who know me well, will know that I love to write and I love to take pictures and what better way to share them with you all than an online journal.

I kept a personal journal in 2002 while we were living there and experiencing Africa for the first time and looking back now, is a precious collection of memories that I love to re-read and look over, while laughing, crying and sharing our lives with our dear friends and brethren in Tanzania, missing and longing for family and friends back in the states, struggling with life and death as is arises, and the daily comedy of raising three small children in any country (but especially in a foreign one!) Ken Upchurch and his family were I guess about the only ones that I ever shared that journal with and they all seemed to enjoy reading through the random thoughts daily activities and adventures we had and I wish now that I had been able to share it with everyone, in hopes that it might encourage some of you to join us on a campaign, consider mission work for your family, or just to give a glimpse of what goes on in the daily lives of missionaries abroad. Life in Africa is a new adventure each and every day and I would love to be able to share it!

Right now we're in the process of gathering goods and items to box up for the container and that in and of itself can be a daunting task. What will you need for the next 3 years? What materials will best benifit the work as a whole, what size will my kids grow into before we return? all questions that arise as you begin to pack the "stuff" as we call it, which my husband tends to rather due without.... but I guarentee when he's had a long hard day in the dusty streets of arusha, he's going to love falling asleep on his nice soft cushy bedding and mattress!

The tickets have been purchased, the date has been set, we have a group from the church here at Northport traveling over with us to make sure that we arrive safely and get everything settled and in order on that end. Traveling with us will be: Greg Dixon, one of the elders from Northport, and our deacon of missions: Gary Box along with his daughter, Hannah Box, his father Cotton Box and then a few other members of the church here at Northport. All in all there will be 13 of us traveling together. This will make the trip over such a joy and an exciting time for us all. All 22 hours in the air of it (sorry Greg,He's not much for flying)

As far as fund-Raising goes we have picked up several new congregations and individuals to help but are still lacking some of the monthly support to reach our budgeted goal. And one time contributions For setting up house in a new country, paying several months rent up front to secure a house, getting appliances purchased once we arrive, and all of the Set-up costs of begining life again in a new country. We know that several of you have already done so much and are praying for us in this area and wanted to keep you up to date on our fundraising process as well.

I'll let that be all for now and continue to write as time draws near for our return to Tanzania!
In His Service and Love, Julie Richardson

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