Yolanda and I made it to the US (Chicago) this week and are very thankful for safety in travel! We were purposely vague on the blog about our arrival date, since we wanted to surprise my parents. We told them a date that was 3 days after our actual arrival date, so when we showed up on their doorstep and rang the bell, it was quite a surprise for them after not seeing us for more than 2 years! Then, my sister surprised us by coming to my parents' house for a couple days and we thought we wouldn't be able to see her for several more weeks. It's been great to be together!
We have been getting used to the time zone (a 6 hour difference from London and 7 hours from Zimbabwe). Yolanda always struggles with jetlag and so our bodies are adjusting. We are also readjusting back to life in the US. Yolanda has already experienced some reverse culture shock since being back. The first time we walked into a grocery store, she was hit, not so much with the quantity of food in the store, but rather the plethora of options, varieties, and choices, not to mention the lower prices. Things that aren't available in Zimbabwe and to which we just don't have access. She burst into tears because she felt so overwhelmed. Needless to say, we've had many of our favorites (in a short time) and crossed off some of our list of "must have food and restaurants" while stateside :-)
We have been getting used to the time zone (a 6 hour difference from London and 7 hours from Zimbabwe). Yolanda always struggles with jetlag and so our bodies are adjusting. We are also readjusting back to life in the US. Yolanda has already experienced some reverse culture shock since being back. The first time we walked into a grocery store, she was hit, not so much with the quantity of food in the store, but rather the plethora of options, varieties, and choices, not to mention the lower prices. Things that aren't available in Zimbabwe and to which we just don't have access. She burst into tears because she felt so overwhelmed. Needless to say, we've had many of our favorites (in a short time) and crossed off some of our list of "must have food and restaurants" while stateside :-)
We were able to cross Outback off our list and they even let us celebrate our birthdays (April and May) since it had been so long so we had eaten there :-)
Below is our Fall travel schedule for our visits to churches:
- 9/2 - Albion Evangelical Free Church (Cokato, MN)
- 9/9 - Lane Christian Church (Lane, IL)
- 9/16 - Barrington Community Church (Penn Yan, NY)
- 9/23 - Westview Christian Church (Shreveport, LA)
- 9/30 - Valley Christian Fellowship (ID)
- 10/7 - First Christian Church (Myrtle Point, OR)
- 10/14 - Santa Clara Church (Eugene, OR)
- 10/21 - Willows Christian Church (Willows, CA)
- 10/28 - Weiser Christian Church (Weiser, ID)
This list is only our church visits, we will be in other states like Wyoming and possibly others as well, but for now these are our dates set in stone. We will be in Chicago in December.
We will also attend the International Conference on Missions in Cincinnati in November. After that, we will be in Chicago for the most part through mid-January.
If you are near any of the places we are going and would like to see us, email us at [email protected] or text/call at 630-544-1291 (our new stateside cell number). Our Viber and WhatsApp numbers are still the same as they have been.
Two years ago, when we visited churches and individuals, many of you were very generous in blessing us with tangible donations, everything from supplies for VBS to items for women's programs, etc., etc. This time, however, we are unable to accept anything tangible. The space in our luggage will be extremely limited and we just won't have the means to transport anything back to Zimbabwe. We realize that for many people, it's more "fun" to give something tangible so you know exactly what your gift will be used for, but for those who want to bless the women and children JM2Z works with, a monetary gift would be much appreciated. We are able to stretch your dollar further in South Africa, which is where we will go to purchase supplies and we'll do that shortly after our return next year. We will do our best to let you know how it was used.
We look forward to visiting as many of you as possible. We are open for coffee dates, lunch or dinner invites, small groups or any other opportunities to visit. We do still have a couple Sundays available so if YOUR church is interested in having us visit please let us know and we'll send them a JM2Z Church Packet.
We will also attend the International Conference on Missions in Cincinnati in November. After that, we will be in Chicago for the most part through mid-January.
If you are near any of the places we are going and would like to see us, email us at [email protected] or text/call at 630-544-1291 (our new stateside cell number). Our Viber and WhatsApp numbers are still the same as they have been.
Two years ago, when we visited churches and individuals, many of you were very generous in blessing us with tangible donations, everything from supplies for VBS to items for women's programs, etc., etc. This time, however, we are unable to accept anything tangible. The space in our luggage will be extremely limited and we just won't have the means to transport anything back to Zimbabwe. We realize that for many people, it's more "fun" to give something tangible so you know exactly what your gift will be used for, but for those who want to bless the women and children JM2Z works with, a monetary gift would be much appreciated. We are able to stretch your dollar further in South Africa, which is where we will go to purchase supplies and we'll do that shortly after our return next year. We will do our best to let you know how it was used.
We look forward to visiting as many of you as possible. We are open for coffee dates, lunch or dinner invites, small groups or any other opportunities to visit. We do still have a couple Sundays available so if YOUR church is interested in having us visit please let us know and we'll send them a JM2Z Church Packet.
 With Yolanda's mom at the airport in London |  With my family, after my sister surprised us by coming to my parents' to see us |
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