Let's try a video

Marcus, Scott, and Jeff playing their newly bought djembes (jimbay).

Porcupine, Antelope, Crocodile, Palm worm, and python

Oh to be back in the US!  You know it took less than 30 seconds to upload these two photos!!  Unbelievable!
You can order whatever is on the menu!!  And there are so many choices!!
Culture shock.
But you usually can't order python.

On Wednesday nights we usually had a English Bible study with Alace, Steve, Nesmi, and Andou.  Andou is a Gabonese who married a Malagasy woman (from Madagascar), Nesmi.  She speaks perfect English, and what he didn't understand she would tell him.  My last Wednesday night, I told them I was headed to the states and they asked if I had ever had snake or catfish.  When I replied "no", they insisted that I have some before I leave.  So wouldn't you know, they showed up the day before I left with a sampling of what we think was a python and some spicy catfish.

Not done yet...

Just so you know i am not done yet with this blog.  

I landed on US soil last week and will be trying to figure out the next step in my life.

But i have so many photos and things that i still want to share from my life in Gabon.  I am pretty sure that future blogs will not be in any kind of order, but really as memories occur to me or i scroll back through pictures.

So far i still feel a bit numb, especially since i have hit the ground running since i got back.  I miss Gabon and the people that i became attached to there.  But as one of our interns quoted Dr. Seuss "Don't cry because it is over, but smile because it happened". 

What?! Leanne posted a blog?

I know hard to believe, right?
I personally have been realing at the news of Envision closing in Gabon.  At this point I am numb.  I have gone through a wide range of emotions in the last few weeks and at this point I am exhausted.
We have finally sold all our stuff, not technically our things but things Envision has amassed over the years.  Yard sales are a little different here and a little more stressful.
Well I have my plane ticket home.  I am going to stop by and see Rose, before I head back to the states.
Sorry this is just a boring email.  I feel like there are probably a lot of emotions inside me, but too busy or too exhausted to process through them right now.

Realistic

So i did start off the summer believing that i would blog every friday, but i have since seen the light! I barely have time to go to the bathroom, and in fact the other day i was discussing plans with someone while using the toilet... Too much info? Anyway, i think it is time to be realistic. While teams are here i will not be blogging every friday, lets just come to that understanding. But every now and then i will try.

Olivia

Have I ever told you about Olivia?
Well she was our first intern when Hannah and I came out in Jan 2011, so she holds a special place in our hearts.  She was great and patient with us as we tried to take French and figure out this Envision thing out (we're still working on that!).
She came out again this year and we got to celebrate her birthday with her!

Just so you know for informational purposes... if you are three whities walking down the street, and one of you is blindfolded and another is filming with a video camera, people will stare at you.  Just so you know!

Olivia had to stand up and give a speech... whenever you have a group gathered someone usually stands up and makes a small speech... thank you all for coming, I'm honored, etc. etc.

We had a great time celebrating Olivia's life!

a straw

I want to go on record... I love each of the Straw kids equally.  They are each unique, but all of them fun to be around, and easy to love!

The Straw family is the other missionary family here in Libreville, Gabon.  Steve Straw flies for Bongolo hospital... see his blog here.  While Alace Straw (her blog) runs the guesthouse for Bongolo.

They have three awesome kids... Joe, Meg, and Sam.  This is Joe playing the ukulele that he got for Christmas in the back of the truck on the way back from the beach.  Can I tell you that there is nothing better than sitting on the beaches of Gabon with friends listening to a live ukulele.  Nothing.  

I just appreciate Joe - in general, because he is a great guy.  But more specifically because he has learned to play the ukulele!