The Adventure Continues

I have definitely noticed coming back to a place you’ve been before eases any transition.  We had forgotten many little things, yet they have not surprised us as much upon re-experiencing them.  For example, all the staring from people we pass, restaurants being out of menu items, the heat, the bugs, and vocab!

It has been quite the first week back so far.  After getting mostly settled, we gave ourselves a little “return home” party on Sunday.  Learning from our farewell party, we rented a tarp and chairs in case it rained.  Well it did and turn out to be so muddy under the tent, we ended up using our neighbors' covered carport area anyway. 

We decided to serve snack like items instead of a full meal.  We ordered donuts and other pastries, while I made Mung Bean Pudding. 

Mung Bean Pudding

Doesn't look like much, but is quite tasty: consisting of

mung beans, brown sugar, white sugar, and coconut milk.

That morning while I was cooking, our tank water ran out.  The city water usually only comes on full force in the afternoons.  Later that day it came on as a small trickle, at which point we found out the full flow of water changed to only three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  So, that morning as I prepared for our party, which was to start at 9am, I just stacked up the dishes and did what I could.  I always forget how much I was my hands until I’m without water. 

Shredded Coconut

I decided to press my own coconut milk, which is pretty easy, just time consuming, when you have water.

Also as I was cooking, cockroaches started coming out of our broken floor.  Thankfully we had bug spray so I quickly sprayed them and the holes, which only made more come out.  I was afraid to continue standing in the kitchen, but pudding had to be made!  When I did finished cooking, we had enough water in a bucket to shower, though I’ve never showered with less water in my life. 

Our coffee table with pastries and water.

The actual party went well.  Neighbors and friends came, at staggered enough times that many of them we hosted inside our house.  By the time people stopped coming, a small trickle of water had returned so dishes could be washed and the floor mopped! 

   Since then, we are learning to manage without consistent water.  At last on Tuesday we were able to fill our water tank.  We have now figured out how to do multiple loads of laundry on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Our washing machine can handle multiple loads, as can the full flow of water on those days.  Trick is hanging them to dry with limited line space and sunlight as the water comes on in the afternoon. 

That has been our crazy transition back so far.  Though it has been quite stressful at times, it mostly is just annoying.  In spite of it all we really have been given incredible attitudes!  So all praise to Him!  And our electricity has been consistent, so we’ve had AC in our bedroom!!!

As for now we are trying crazily to find a new house to rent.  One which seems more structurally sound (no sink holes), has consistent water, and is in a neighborhood where more people speak the Barat language.   

The Adventure Begins

    After a week in California to obtain visas, we left the country to return to our overseas home.  We found a great deal on tickets, but the itinerary included two 18-20 hour layovers.  The jury is still out for me, Erin, whether that was a better way to travel or not.  On the one hand, we felt much more rested as we were able to sleep in beds at hotels during each of the long layovers.  On the other hand, I had a great deal of time to think about all we had just left and all we were traveling to.  The boys did really well.  The technology these days is amazing.  The immense selection of movies and shows to be selected individually, kept both Caedmon and Whitman occupied for most of the plane ride.  They only shed a few very tired tears as we traveled to the hotels during the layovers. 

We arrived in the big city of our host country on Saturday, the 16^th, along with all 8 pieces of luggage.  We checked into a hotel at the airport, grabbed some fried chicken and rice, and went straight to bed.  The following three days we stayed with our very first host family, in the big city, with whom we first lived with upon arriving in 2012.  It was really good to see them and we were treated like their own children.  It made for a much quicker transition back than I expected though as the four of us shared one room, one fan, ate local food on their schedule, all in a local home.  On the next few days we saw some friends in the big city, along with other co-workers. 

On Tuesday we took the night bus towards Barat.  John had the amazing idea to stop at a city an hour outside of Barat and stay in a hotel.  This enabled us to go straight to bed when we disembarked from the bus at 2 in the morning.  The we were able to travel to our house, in Barat, the next day during the day light, with all our luggage driven straight to our door.  When we arrived we found two large sink holes in our house, one in the kitchen and the other in John and my bedroom.  There was also a fair amount of cleaning to do.  Making our day time arrival a big blessing. 

Sink hole in the kitchen with a temporary patch.

The movement of the floor caused the main water pipe to break under the sink.  Thankfully water still comes into the house, but water no longer runs into the bathroom, hence the hose across the floor: our temporary fix to get water to the bathroom!

It's Official

On Friday we received our temporary visas, good for up to 6 months.  It was the smoothest and quickest process we have yet experienced!  Now after a crazy two days of packing, four days in San Francisco for the visas, we are ready to leave the States.  Our flight leaves Wednesday at 2pm. 

Oh Packing...What to take what to get rid of, and how to get it all to fit! In the end it did.

Amazing these where kept track of for 9 months!

(keys, money and adapters from overseas)

Exploring San Francisco - Alcatraz in the background.

We have had a wonderful nine months in the States!

We experienced Fall:

Selecting, then carving, Pumpkins

Halloween & School at Prospect Point

We experienced new sights:

Izzy the Camel

The Balloon Stampede

 We experienced Holidays with Family:

Thanksgiving with Erin's family

Christmas with cousins!

We experienced snow, both in Walla Walla and elsewhere:

Building snowmen in the front yard.

Whitman and his snowman

Covered by a snow blanket, in Tumalo.  

Snow Angels in Tumalo

Playing with Uncle Ryan at Mt. Hood.

And great time with friends and family:

Saying goodbye to friends around the corner!

Seeing Great-Granny Goose

Seeing friends from long ago;

this family watched Caedmon for us on the day of Whitman's birth!

Playing with friends pictured above December 1, 2010.

So, we now say goodbye to these wonderful experiences and blessings.  We are looking forward to going back overseas, but maybe all for different reasons.  Whitman is excited for cheese rolls sold at Pizza Hut overseas and watching English shows (we made him watch shows in our host country's language while in the states).  Caedmon is excited to see his friends.  John and I are excited to see what He will do next as we continue to work overseas. 

Thank you all for the support and encouragement we received while in the States, it was a rich time that was greatly appreciated!  We hope to see you all again in the years to come or sooner if you're up for a visit!