We're married...

and ridiculously happy! It was wonderful to see everyone. Each of you added joy to our wedding and homecoming. As you can imagine, we are overflowing right now. God is so good!

A quick update for now: we are both living in Nairobi - together at last. (I said a bittersweet goodbye to my friends in Uganda before the wedding.) Phil is already back in the office, and working hard for his team and the people of South Sudan. I am learning Nairobi and seeking God for my place here.

In two things I am confident right now, I am blessed to be here with my two great loves (God and Phil) and I am enjoying them both very much!

We are working on a new "joint" blog so that we can share our photos and stories from one site. It is very much in the construction stage right now, but by next week we should have some fun stuff on there (wedding, honeymoon photos, etc...). Here is the new link: www.philandmel.wordpress.com.

Again - our sincere thanks to all of you for celebrating with us - God blessed us so much through you!

Happy Birthday, Love!!

Thanks for being my wonderful fiance. My best friend. THE man of God in my life.
I am head over heals crazy about you - so grateful to God!
I love you so much!!!

To the Sullivans and Co.

Hey Corbin!

We had some fun with your project. I'm sorry that I am not a better photographer, but here are some pictures of your monkey in Africa with me and my "family" in Buremba, (Southwest) Uganda. We felt so blessed that you thought of us.

Moses also LOVED the clothes and all of the toys that you and your friends sent us. Every time he wore a piece of your clothing, he would tell me that he looked "very smart" - with a big smile on his face! He means that he looks very handsome. You made him feel very special and so happy!

Know that I love you, Corbin. I hope to see you again someday soon. You are welcome to visit us in Kenya anytime - we'll take you out to see some wild safari animals.

I am passing your project on...

Take care and have some fun today!

(Mel and Moses in our village, Buremba)

(Our family: Mark, Moses, Mel, Akankwasa, Jane, Jackie, Sande)

(Moses LOVED your monkey - sorry it's going to be a bit dirty from him playing with it)

(My precious Moses again)

Your Gift

On behalf of my team, THANK YOU so much for the bibles that you so graciously provided. We trust that our Lord will use His Word mightily in each home and heart.

(Mark and Mom)

(Amos and Akankwasa: this was Amos' first bible)

As I prepare to leave, it is a blessing to know that every member of my team can now read and share God's word in their own language daily.

God is good! Your gift is evidence of that.

Mara and more...

We got up early each morning to go on game drives, take photos, and enjoy the fresh air. We had a really fun van whose top would open up so we could peak outside and feel closer to the animals.



Phil and I both agreed that this trip was extra fun with our parents. We loved sharing all of the excitement and awe together. It seemed like every 5 seconds someone was smiling and saying "woah - look at that!"

After a couple days at the Mara, we headed back to Nairobi to prep and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. We were so grateful to be together that it hardly mattered what we ate, but we still managed to pull off something traditional. Turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie...mmm...we loved that we were able to share it together.

The next day, my parents and I left for a little adventure in Uganda. I took them to my village, Buremba, to meet my team and Moses and to sleep in the "bush" for a few days. They did great!! And fortunately God spared my mom from seeing or hearing the mouse in the their room. Haha - Dad and I were a bit worried after we spotted it. ;)

My mom and dad poured out so much love to my team and to our community. Everyone loved them, and felt cared for by them. They even raised money to buy bibles in the local language to give to each member of my team. Many of them told me later that it was their first bible. God was good to use my parents and their church in such a power way. After giving away bibles to the team, we danced and sang and ate our goat. It was wonderful to see everyone so joyful!

After Buremba, my parents were able to spend a day with me in Kampala and then they returned to the States. It was a hard goodbye, but it was worth it to have them here with me for a little while. I do not think they will ever question again how much I miss them. And despite missing them, I think they have an even greater understanding of why I am here. It is simply for God - for His sake. I am here with God for now, as long as He desires. For His good purposes. And enjoying it!

Thanks for your patience as I posted these older stories. More recent posts to follow. ;)

Know that I'm missing you.

R&R at the Mara

This guy expressed how we felt once we hit the Mara. Ahhh...so nice...


Our place was spectacular! Phil did an awesome job booking it. We went with a christian company that we highly recommend called ACTS (African Christian Tours and Safari.)


So we kicked back out feet, relaxed, and enjoyed the view for a few days.

More photos on their way...

Warming them up...

Everyone was excited about going on a safari in Kenya, but we thought they could use a buffer between the States and the Wild so we took them on a little nature walk in Nairobi.


Apparently, they were more prepared for the wild than we thought because before we knew it, they were petting the cheetahs and loving it. Crazy ladies!!



We really did have so much fun! More to follow...