Ready...Set...

We are packing and arranging and packing some more. The day is set and we'll be leaving on June 29 for Angola. Barring circumstances we cannot predict, we will be there 2-3 years. It's been a lot of fun to see friends and family between storing books and packing our lives into luggage for the next several years. Keep praying for us. We don't have housing in Kalukembe and staff we knew  and respected from before have departed. If it didn't feel like a forest of unknowns before, our work in Angola certainly does now!

The health agents i followed around in Santa Rosa put on a surprise party for us at the end of our time. They made amazing munchies and doted on our kids. i learned quite a lot about the local culture and language with them. The New England Journal highlighted the community health agents program earlier in a June 4 article. You can read more by clicking here

Naomi and friend at the party

Eating so many munchies, Eliel's stomach suffered hyper-acute balloon expansion, so Opa took surgical matters into his own hands :) Zeke was surprised that Opa could pop a balloon with just a pencil

Saying good-bye to grandparents

Zeke with his friend, Marianna. 

Zeke with friends at preschool. His language grew over one month there

Difficult to see, but a double rainbow over the sitiu, where Pri's parents are growing their plants and dreams

Priscila with (L to R) Tia Filinha, Eliany, and Sandra Carvalho. The Carvalhos hosted us very generously while we were in Itajubá. Eliany amazingly tutored me multiple times until her dengue got the best of her

Back in Philly with Daniel's youngest brother, Luke, and his sweet girls.

Naomi with buddy Otis! 

Zeke and blood brother/mortal enemy Han sharing a rare tranquil moment with Tia Lisa

Eliel looking at the Atlantic from this side. Soon we'll be on the other side of the Atlantic!

The two jewels of the Cummings family

Eliel, already multi-tasking at 21 months: Computer, potty, Playstation, and (not seen in picture) cell phone