He did it!

He did it! It took a lot of perseverance and hard work to do, but Joel finished his Masters in International Development at Eastern University. Graduation was last Saturday, miraculously the only nice day in the midst of rainy days. Over the past two years, he has cheerfully balanced working, internship, family, and church with his studies and he's gotten really good grades on top of it! This past year, he interned at a place called Alianzas, a place for immigrants to feel welcome and receive support. From the stories he told, it sounds like he developed good rapport with his co workers and the people they serve.  It was a good place for him to use what he was learning in class and to prepare for going to Honduras. He also got to use his Spanish and broaden his vocabulary. Even though it was an hour's drive away, he would come home excited about what he did and learned.

Updates

We accepted another term with Mennonite Central Committee. We will be the MCC Representatives in Honduras. We will live in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. In late March, Joel and I went, met the outgoing Reps, met with all the partner organizations and looked at schools for the kids. We will start our 5-year term in July.

MCC works with local organizations and gives them support in helping their communities through grants and service workers. As MCC Representatives (Reps for short), we will be maintaining relationships with the organizations, overseeing MCC service workers and being the representative for MCC with stakeholder churches (in Honduras that is the Evangelical Mennonite Church of Honduras and the Brethren in Christ).

We have spent almost seven years here in Pennsylvania. Joel is graduating (next Saturday!) with his Masters in International Development from Eastern University. He has done a fantastic job balancing on-line studies with home, work and church over the past two years. He has continued working as a Landscape Maintenance Foreman during his studies. I have worked at A Woman's Place as a Resident Counseling Advocate. A Woman's Place is the only domestic violence organization in Bucks County.

Our count down until we go has begun to intensify. Last night, was a going away party/baby shower/graduation celebration for various people at work. I am so blessed and thankful to work with these amazing women. We have a super supportive team who work hard at providing trauma informed services to people (mostly women) experiencing domestic violence. I am really going to miss my friends/co-workers.

Starting kindergarten

Tomorrow, Nadia starts kindergarten. She is super excited. We picked out her clothes and got her snack and water bottle ready. One minute she's practically dancing with excitement to go to school and then during our bedtime story she said she was nervous and then asked me to define nervous. I asked her how she felt and she said a little sad that neither Joel or I could go with her.

It feels incredulous that she's ready to go to school. It's half day kindergarten and (unlike her most of her friends from preschool who live in another school district) she gets to ride the bus one way. So at 8:37 am, we will be standing out on the corner waiting for the bus. At kindergarten orientation last week, they learned about the 'Danger Zone'- a 10 step area around the bus where the driver can't see. She wondered if she will have to go through it to get onto the bus.

Nadia on her 5th birthday in June