Life is Changing...

(Alicia Typing...)

Wow!  It has been a busy summer, that is for sure!  Over the next few weeks we have full intentions of giving you all the details, but for now....

We have had a lot of changes in the past 9 months.  Below is a summary (mostly in pictures) of all that has unfolded.  Smaller, detailed posts of the summer to follow (eventually)... :)

In December 2010:

We graduated from Central Michigan University

We got married!

In January 2011:

We moved to Libreville, Gabon, West Africa
to study French and develop programming for EnVision

In April 2011: 

We moved down to Lebamba, Gabon to work at Bongolo Hospital with visiting Doctors, Nurses, etc.

In May 2011:

Our first team came in from CMU

We traveled home to Michigan for my lovely sister's wedding

In June 2011:

We welcomed a team made up of 4 families + 2 interns (Tohnya and Faith) 

+ our beautiful co-worker Hannah

Faith stayed with us for a few weeks to work 

at the hospital and absorb the culture here

In July 2011:

We hosted all of the interns down in Bongolo (11 total)

5 interns stayed for a while to work at the hospital and help us
prepare for the next rush of teams coming in:
Melody, Scarlett...

...Vicki...

...and Nathalie and Adam

We received the Faith Alliance team from Ohio along with 3 other team members from a group up in Libreville

and 2 other interns:  David and Alyssa

We attended a Field Forum (a retreat for all the missionaries in Gabon) in Lamberene

Yes...we are a fun group!

In August 2011:

The Trinity Alliance Team from Pennsylvania + 4 interns [(Cara, Jake, Isaac, and Roberta (from Alberta)]
stayed with us for just over a week

We got a puppy named Benie

Yes....this is a model shot of her! ;)

We got another puppy that we are now 

trying to find a home for...

Phil and Amy Lewan came to visit!  (so great to have family here!)

Aaron Dorn came to visit too!  (so great to have a friend here!)

And for Now....

We have our house to ourselves....it's definitely a weird feeling.

We are transitioning into different roles.  Last week, I shadowed a nurse named Rafael at the hospital, because for the month of September, I will officially be filling in his role as a circulating nurse in the O.R. while he is on vacation.  I am very excited to help out in this new way and to learn lots of new thing!

Dan was busy jungle-tromping, cave-exploring, and doing odds and ends jobs with Aaron.  Now that Aaron has left, Dan has plans to help Paul (the maintenance director).

Of course, we are still helping out with all the visitors that will be coming out in the next few months.  Should be fun!

Please pray for us as we transition into new roles at Bongolo Hospital.  It is going to be a great time of learning.  Also, we are in need of prayer for finding our replacements as Site Directors for EnVision in Bongolo.  Dan and I will not be here forever (as I start Physician Assistant school in June 2012).  We want our time here to be useful, so we want to be able to train our replacements for at least a few weeks before we leave.  (We plan to leave here in March at the latest.)

Stay tuned for more posts soon :)

Alicia & Dan