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Dear Family and Friends,
It is eighty degrees outside, palm trees are swaying in the breeze, the children are running around in shorts and, even though we have an adorned Christmas tree standing tall in our living room, there are very few reminders (at least to this Michigander) that we are at the tail end of yet another holiday season. To be honest, I was kind of dreading Christmas this year. It was our third Christmas away from home and I was convinced it was going to be sad and boring. But to my surprise, I will have very sweet memories of Christmas 2007. It has been a pleasing end to another year full of unforgettable moments.
2007 was a year complete with intense emotions as we experienced both death and birth. It is difficult to believe that it has been almost one year since the death of our dear friends Adam and Moses. It is still so fresh - their faces, their behaviors, their influence, the event of their death, the traumatic months following, and now their legacy. We were truly blessed by their lives and it's been amazing to witness God's blessing even in their death. God continues to fill the voids they left behind, and yet it will never be the same without them. Our teammates, Ben and Kym Langford delivered their second son just a month and a half after the accident and honored him with the name Noah Adam.
Following Adam's funeral in Oklahoma where we shared meaningful moments with nearly the entire Jinja mission team (past and present), our family spent four months in America. It was very special to connect with so many friends and family. In April we escaped the Michigan cold and traveled to Florida to be with Mark's family. Mark and the children had an extended visit while I traveled to California to attend two classes at Fuller Seminary. I have already completed four classes toward a unique ministry degree called the MAGL - Masters of Global Leadership. I have been very impressed with the program and look forward to the ways that God will continue to shape me through the teachings and experiences it offers.
Upon our arrival back to Africa in early June, we prepared ourselves for a busy summer of visitors and babies! Sadly, I missed the birth of my sister's son Drew by just two weeks. It was so difficult for me not to be with Julie during this time. Drew was born five weeks early, which made for a more complicated and emotional experience for her. Â I had witnessed the birth of Julie's first three children, and so it was sad to not be with her once again. However, I did get to witness our teammates, Spencer and Emily Bogle, welcome their first child in July - Adam Nile. Soon after, the Huey family from Rochester Church came to visit our team and participate in our work for almost five weeks. And then on August 18, Tessa Marie joined our family! Delivering a baby in Africa was quite the experience! God was gracious to provide a very safe and healthy delivery. Experiencing Tessa along with Luke, Connor and Lydia Jane has made her infancy so memorable. We delight in the fact that Tessa is a happy baby with such a sweet little demeanor.
Our team is indeed growing! In addition to our three sweet babies, in October, we welcomed new teammates, Jason and Jody King. We are very happy to have them here with us for two years. Just two days after their arrival, my mother, my brother John and his wife Bekka arrived in Uganda for their first visit. We shared some special memories together as they experienced the African culture and people. We took them to villages, fed them Ugandan food, introduced them to our friends, and explored with them the amazing wildlife in Murchison Park. After their two week visit, the children and I traveled back to Michigan with them for one month. I was able to share Tessa with everyone back home, including my mother-in-law who came up from Florida to spend a few nights with us. It seemed like old times to spend afternoons with Julie and the kids, except this time we were balancing eight children! Being home and experiencing all its changes is a stark reminder that I've been away for some time. This is a difficult reality for me. But overall, it was refreshing to be in my parent's home once again, and satisfying to see my nephew, Drew. Leaving home was different this time. For one, I was traveling alone with the four children! But knowing how much Drew and Tessa will change over this next year made leaving especially hard for me. It doesn't matter how many times I do it, leaving home will always be sad to me.
While we were away, Mark hiked up Mount Elgon with two Ugandan friends, Tom and Richard. He wrote a beautiful narrative of the experience, which you can read here. Though he stayed very busy, Mark gladly welcomed us back and said the house was much too quiet and lonely without us! So together again, we prepared for our first Christmas as a family of six. We are looking forward to the coming year and all that it will bring. We pray God's blessing on each of you. Though we are far away we hold you so close to our hearts.
Love,
Mark and Lori, Luke, Connor, Lydia Jane and Tessa
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Lori's Closet 
I can't tell you how much our trip to Jinja meant to me. It was so comforting to see your home, your surroundings and see you all happy there in Jinja. I feel blessed to have spent that time with you, Mark and the kids. Hopefully we will be blessed to meet again in Jinja this year!