Advertisement
Published: December 18th 2007
The Richardson Family
Taking family pictures while everyone was togetherAs we travel along the road:
A glimpse of life in the car with the kids...
Garrett ~ "What state are we in now?"
Gracie ~ "How far to the next bathroom?"
Emily ~ "Where are we going tomorrow?"
Kelly ~ "Zzzzzzzz"
While we've been home we've been blessed to share our time with some amazing friends and family! We've traveled a little over 12,000 miles so far, back and forth along I-20, fundraising and reporting on the work done this last year and we're not done just yet! So far we've been in 8 different states across the south, but we've spent most of our time in Texas and Alabama. So we thought we would share a few family pictures for you to enjoy. We celebrated Gracie's 6th birthday last week, once with family and then again going horseback riding with friends. We've made samosas with elders from Cottondale, watch the college kids from Northport play football, made ceramics with friends, went shopping the day after Thanksgiving with my sister in law and niece and a few sweet girls who came to join us (Hannah & Callie), visited at numerous holiday get togethers along
the way and so many other things, that if I tried to list them all, I would certainly be leaving something out. So you get the idea, we've been busy and on the go! We will be flying out on Jan. 7th and arriving back home on the 9th, so our time is coming to a close. We love you all, dearly and we've enjoyed the needed rest and visit with family, but we are so ready to get back to work and to our own home in Moshi!
We were able to go and have dinner with the two new missionary families, who are on their way to join us in Africa, as we helped to load the Samfords container in Maybank, Texas last week. We were blessed to have extra room available and were able to load a few things on there to ship over along with their things. We made that last minute run to Walmart and still had space to spare, but we ran short on time. Brent was excited to get some tools on the truck to be able to work with and I got some of the kids workbooks and school supplies on
Helping load the Samfords Container
Brent and the guys did most of the work... they had it all on pre-wrapped and stacked ready to go! there. We dumped the heavy stuff from the suitcases into a box and lightened our load considerably, which will make our trip home so much easier! It was so much fun seeing the new missionaries and we love the excitment and thrill of making the move! The last minute questions of what can and can't be found or bought in a third world country and what can be bought but may just happen to cost 4 times more than what it does here in the states.
The Hochdorfs and Samfords are both amazing families and will be great assets to the work, we will look forward to all getting there and working together side by side. The amazing story behind the Samfords is that they have been in our prayers for 5 years now and in God's time those prayers are being answered. We met them in 2004 when we were in Africa for the campaigns one summer, and we spent two great weeks together side by side and just fell in love with their shared zeal to spread the gospel and we all hit it off right from the start. We were out to eat at Stiggy's one
Visiting the New Missionaries
Sean & Anita Hochdorf & Carey & Bonnie Samford (all the kids were with grandparents) night and had said wouldnt it be amazing if we could all be working here in Africa again one day as missionaries together.... and here 5 years later after they went home sold it all, quit their jobs and went through preacher training school and add 2 little ones to their family and we went home continued to preach in the states for 3 years, added Kelly to our family and met up with the Norhtport Group, as God's plan fell into place.... and now, Here we are shipping off their goods for them to join us in Tanzania in January! God is so good! Keep these 2 sweet families in your prayers. The Samfords are due to leave Dec.31st and the Hochdorfs arrive in Africa on the 17th of January just a week after we get home. Both families are facing the end of the fund raising road and may still be in need of your help as they are getting ready to depart.
The kids have enjoyed their time home with family and friends so much, we all have. My brother was here in Texas for the week, with our new little neice and the kid's cousin,
Karis and they have now returned home to WI to the snow and cold. But we sure did enjoy holding the baby and playing games with uncle Steven while they were here. (I needed that!) Thank you for making that possible!
We have one last trip to Alabama planned for the week after Christmas, we have some sweet young friends, Luke & Brooke, getting married there at the end of the month and we wanted to be there for them as well as being able to say our goodbyes to the congregation there before we head home. Then we'll return to Texas to hug grandparents necks one last time and say our goodbyes to family here as we depart for London and then on to Nairobi, Kenya where we will make the short hop into Tanzania once again. Please keep our family in your prayers as we are still traveling and working our way back to Tz! It is very hard for the family that we leave here to say good bye to the kids, they grow so much over a year's time, as we turn and wave one last time in the airport and take off for a
Going to ride Horses at the Donaldsons
Phil & Elizabeth invited us over for lunch and let the kids ride their horses on Gracie's birthday! They had a ball! foreign land. We are thankful that they are all so supportive and encouraging in what we are doing and where we are serving. But we know it's a sacrifice for them too!
Hope you all have a wonderful time with your families during the holiday season!
Love in Christ,
Brent & Julie Richardson and family
Advertisement
Tot: 0.115s; Tpl: 0.044s; cc: 10; qc: 25; dbt: 0.0531s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
Betty Wedgeworth
non-member comment
Visit to Bama
It was a joy to meet you when you visited Whitson Place. I will continue to keep your messages in the binder so everyone can keep up with your work in Tz. It is evident that God is blessing you in your work. I look forward to learning of your adventures next year as you spread the Gospel to a wonderful people.