for monty-

and all of you other kind souls concerned about me and my future.

Thanksgiving and Christmas and being home with my family for the holiday's was wonderful. The kids greeted me at the door and wrestled each other up the stairs to see who would get to show me their presents first. I loved watching them open gifts from me and was touched when Catherine opened her envelope and said, "Uh. You don't have any money. You shouldn't have." Oh her sweet, sweet heart.

Around New Year's I moved things from the attic of my Atlanta house and plan to go back again tomorrow to finally move my furniture. Emma Grace came to help me move. The Fallin's came and we shot fireworks.

Jan. 9th I left for Austin, Texas and spent five days there visiting with my friends the Gaspard's, getting the last of my possessions from fellow missionaries, Jim and Twyla Taylor and meeting with Iris Ministries Director, Heidi Baker. The food was out of this world, the fellowship, beyond words. It felt so good to be among my extended family. It hurt to say goodbye to Jim and Twyla, knowing they would be going back to Pemba without me. The Gaspard's have close friends with an orphanage in Guatemala and they want me to go there. I am waiting to hear back from the ministry there to see if my skills will fit their needs.

Meanwhile, my close friend Sherri would like for me to come to Cameroon and work with orphan girls there, establishing another vocational training school. I am not sure exactly what it would look like but there are opportunities to help a local farm and train the girls in making and selling goat's milk products. Apparently Cameroon has a much stronger economy than Pemba and we would have a market to sell all sorts of items.

Galeria dos Sonhos once again is still open thanks to the generosity of strangers who continue to buy our goods. Apparently the mayor of Detroit bought one of our ties! I took all the goods to Texas and sold enough to buy fabric and pay salaries for almost two months!

I am still strongly considering the opportunity in South Africa, but want to try to fit in visits to Guatemala and Cameroon in the near future. Iris Ministries also has a base in Southern Sudan in dire need of help. I have also applied for a handful of "real" jobs. You know, the kind that pay money on a regular basis and offer health benefits. Only a few of them fit the bill for allowing me to be able to be in Africa more often than not. I am seeking them out because I do want some training in the area of global development. I love that I got thrown into the deep end and learned day by day and in total faith during the last two years. I also believe that some academic training would help equip me also. There are some great organizations out there making huge strides in eradicating poverty.

Yet, there are simply not enough days spent with my family and friends. I still have not been to visit many of you. I still delight in all home cooked meals, trips to the grocery store, kale smoothies, magazines, a good book and the world wide web.

So that's the not very exciting update. The current plan is to map out a few months and raise a few funds to be able to travel to Guatemala, South Africa and Cameroon on a three month trip to evaluate those choices. If other opportunities arise, I will add them to the list. Kenya and Congo are also on the long list. I am excited about the possibilities and the future. I am loving life and so so happy to be home but anxiously awaiting the next place that I know will capture my heart.

See you on the tennis court, Monty. Be afraid.