Today's the day!

Well, after more than a year of praying, thinking, planning, hoping, missing, loving, longing, anticipating, packing, leaving, crying and seeking

the day has arrived...

our bags are packed...

we've slept our last sleep in America...

we are eager for our arrival in Uganda...

with a small stop in London, thrown in for fun... :)

Thank you for praying for us.

No, really hear that...I'm not just saying it...

Thank you for praying for us...

God has chosen to use the prayers of his saints and he has heard and used yours in a mighty way.  We have felt his arms around us...sustaining us...lifting us up.

Even yesterday...Katelyn blew a strong ear infection, but the doctors and pharmacies around here were closed.  We asked those of you on Facebook that God would somehow allow us to get a prescription last night so that she could have 24 hours on it before having to deal with cabin pressure on her ears.  God heard and answered.  A doctor friend in Salem, called a pharmacist friend here in North Carolina...who then went back to the pharmacy at 9 PM to fill it for us! 

So thank you to all!  To our friends and family...we will miss you very much and eagerly anticipate heaven where we will never have to say goodbye again.  God is good and is worthy of serving...even when he calls us to move very far away...we only have a short time to work for him.  Please continue to pray for us. 

North Carolina

We are nearing the end of our journey across the US.  We just finished up a week at a KOA campground in New Bern, NC visiting with Eric's family.  We have 2 more days in North Carolina in which we will finalize all our packing.  On Wednesday we will drive to DC, drop off our luggage at the airport, visit with the former missionary family that we are replacing, then drive back to the airport to leave.  We will have a red-eye flight to London, a day in London, and another red-eye flight to Uganda.

We managed to get ALL of Eric's family to the KOA for a week long reunion.  What a blessing to have a week of fellowship with your family when everyone loves the Lord and seeking him "not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." (I Thess. 1:5) 

Here are some things we did:

The little boys pushed their little siblings around...

William and Talitha with Edward and Abigail

 Got lots of lovin' from daddies, mommas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins...

Jeremy and Abigail

Ate...and ate...and ate...

Elizabeth and Joel

Played with Auntie Liss (Eric's youngest sister/world's greatest aunt for 11 years and running)

Elyssa and Rebecca

Snitched blueberries

Abigail

Had stroller to stroller visits...

Katherine and Talitha

Had Tessa, our missionary associate join us...

Tessa, Joshua, Moriah, and Daniel

Had a stomach flop when I glanced at my boy who, for a moment, looked more like a teenager and less like a boy...

Timothy

And did the Virginia Reel

Daniel and Rebecca

Lots of fun...

And hard work when there is a *slight* difference in size. :)

Lots of playing...

Jimmy and Edward

And did I mention eating?

Benaiah and Abigail

And discovered that little girls can get reeeeally messy...(yes...this is Hannah again...the one from the mud puddle incident...)

Messy Hannah

And still clean up quite nicely. :)

Pretty Hannah

The Twins...

Here are my nephews...

Judah and Micah...

yea... I can't really tell them apart either...

But their mommy can...

so she helped me out...

and

soooo cute...

especially when they fixate on the same item that they both very much want to grab and put in their mouth...

I'm in awe at how my sister-in-law takes all their twin busy-ness in stride...such grace. :)  They are number 5 and 6 in her family and her oldest is only 9.  She pours out God's love to her on her family and it is a blessing to watch.

And of course, I have to get my fill of baby holding too. :)

Tuininga Family Picture, 2012

The Tuininga clan...

Dad and Mom (Cal and Ellen)

Eric and I...with our 8

Janine and Jeremy...Moriah, Arianna, Edward, Abigail and little one due Dec. 1

Carla and Mark...Joshua, Josiah, Daniel, Hannah, and twins...Judah and Micah (pictures coming :)

Matt and Elizabeth...Joel and Kathrine

and

Elyssa (age 16)

20 grandchildren and one on the way...

Timothy (age 11) is the oldest...

Benaiah and Hannah

Benaiah and cousin Hannah were born just a few hours apart.  It just took one day and a mud puddle to become best friends.

I just love his expression on these ones...

Updated prayer requests...

We praise the Lord that our trip across the country has gone very well so far!  It has been our best trip ever in terms of health, strength, cheerfulness in the car, and quality of visits with family and friends.  Not once have we had a child crying for more than 10 minutes and nobody has been sick so far.  We only had mild car troubles once we hit Raleigh, NC.  Our lights on the van and trailer weren't cooperating and it was night time so we couldn't drive.  But we were close enough to Eric's family, that our brother-in-law graciously drove the 2 hours out to get us. 

We also praise the Lord that Tessa, our missionary associate is fully funded!  What a blessing this is for her and for us!  She will be flying to NC to join us this Friday.

Please continue to pray

::that we will draw close to the Lord during the coming weeks.  I'm so thankful that he is both all-powerful and all-loving.  Pray that we will lean fully into the arms of our loving, powerful God during this time of transition.

::for our flight on July 18...that's in 8 days!!  Pray that all the details will work out.  Pray that we and our kids will sleep on the flight.  We have a red-eye flight to London, then a day in London, then a red-eye flight down to Uganda.  We are praying for deep, restful sleep on the plane.  (God is fully capable! :)

::for Tessa...that God would bless her with good good-byes to her family and friends.  That she will have a good flight here to NC.  That the kids will get reacquainted quickly.  That she will not be homesick.

::all of the details of passports, visas and paperwork to be in good-order when we arrive in Entebbe.

::that our van and trailer will hold up for us. 

::for continued good health. 

::for our container as it journeys across the ocean...that the Lord will protect it and its contents.  That it will arrive in good time...even before Eric starts teaching, if that would glorify God. 

Thank you for praying!  We really have seen the blessing of having many people lift us up in prayer. 

Sweet Sleep

We are in North Carolina now...camping out in a KOA cabin for the week with Eric's family.

Enjoying good food, fellowship

and some very.sweet.sleep...