On the road back to Kalukembe

We are still about 6mo away from a reunion with our colleagues at Kalukembe - but we will soon be on the road again! Now with our new mission agency of Christian Health Service Corps! 

Welcome, Our Joy

Naomi, which means "my joy", "my bliss", or "pleasantness of Jehovah," was born after just a couple quick pushes from the amazing but "i'm so done with this labor!" Priscila at 11:43pm on November 6.

"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our natural lives."
--C.S. Lewis

What a joy she already is to us!

Tia Lisa, who cut the cord, also the first of the family to hold her. A very precious moment we're so glad she shared with us 

Naomi Jacira with Tia Ruth :)

Mamãe and the "bichinhos (little beasts)," unaware what the hospital visit was all about

Zeke the tiger, Naomi the neonate, Pri the postpartum princess, Eliel clueless, and the dorky dad

"It costs God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things: but to convert rebellious wills cost him crucifixion."
--C.S. Lewis

Tia Abby and the peanut

With Tia Vivian

Zeke and Avery, finding the traffic outside more eventful than what was happening inside the hospital room

With our neighbors and friends, Josephine and her mommy Bethany

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small

all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

He gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell

how great is God Almighty, who has made all things well.

--Cecil F. Alexander

Summer 2014 letter

Familia Ribeiro Reunião

Yeah! Not just one family reunion this summer, but we had a second! The Ribeiros and their 4 languages converged on 1217 Wharton St for a week of playing, eating, sleeping and conversing together. Thanks to Pai, Mãe, Ana, Valeshka, Alexandra, Matt, Adrita, Isabella, Benjamin, Liliana, Amelia, Ruth for enriching our lives with their presence. And thanks for all your help! We didn't run the dishwasher even once :)

Knights preparing to fight dragons!

Cooling off in the back yard with cousins

Taking a ride on the trolley to the zoo--first time for the Snead and Noel-Saint kids

Oma and our youngest of Ribeiros

Priscila showing the little ones how the ropes are done--@ 7 months pregnancy 

Family reunited in Japan, children alive

Sounds like a news headline :)
Posting a few pictures from our family reunion in Japan August 14-20 (too short, so we stayed till the 24th; still too short, but Daniel had work. . . ). This was probably our last time all together in Japan. Bittersweet is the best english word i can think of right now. . . . We are thankful to especially to 'Jichan' and 'Bachan' Cummings and to everyone else in the family who came to Nojiri. We love you!

the Stout kids and Han at the tennis courts

Luke and Ema at amazing ramen-ya; Luke had a daily diet of ramen that week. And he lives in Japan! Not fair!

Once i mentioned literature was discouraged for young children, Caleb was the first to start reading aloud

Eli and Gabriel at the beach. Pri thinks this shows why he's confused as a girl. i think this reinforces his Brazilian skin comparison

More discouraged practice in action. This time, Jichan is with Zeke and Paul

the 'Balea' and Bachan with Zeke

The responsible pair for all this fun and mayhem

the Clan. Calvin, Edie and a whole passel of others

Family picture 2014

Communal living in Philadelphia

Zeke/Eli's other "sister and brother" Naya and Han

The boys now and before

 Zeke at ~ 6mo

Eliel at ~ 8mo

Winter 2013 letter

Praying for our other home.

This is Zeke's corner in our study. Being surrounded by pictures remind him (and the rest of us) to pray for Kalukembe and our return there, Lord willing. There are pics of Zeke with friends, landscape, patients, us working, etc. We want him to remember and become excited about going... we want to (as our friend Laura Rhodes said) to give our children the vision.