Quebec, Ontario, England, UGANDA! and finally Chad!

Caravan in Chad that Phil will be piloting

In the next two months....we will 'live in' 4 different cities, 3 continents, will speak 2 languages and we will not have even made it to Chad yet! Yup....flexibility is the name of the game. This latest revision to our timetable will see us living in Kampala, Uganda for 3 months while Phil completes 50 hours of training on the Caravan (14 seater, turbine engine....and for those of you like me, and those words mean nothing to you.....he is learning how to fly a plane all over again....this is very different from the small 4 seaters he has been flying since day 1= big deal). Phil initially thought he was going to fly the small, 4 seater Cessna 182 and then, once gaining experience flying in Chad, he would begin to train on the Caravan, but MAF recently requested that he advance straight to the Caravan. This means delaying our departure to Chad and instead, living in Uganda for 3 months while phil receives training on the Caravan as there are not the same training opportunities in Chad. Some perks about this is we have good friends from Three Hills who are stationed in Kampala (working for MAF) to show us the ropes and hang out with while we are there. Which leads me to the next bit of news....after our first week in Uganda, Phil will be heading to South Africa where he will complete a 2 week course pertaining to the Caravan....which leaves me alone with the 2 kids after just 1 week! YIPES! My first thought was....who is going to smush all the bugs for me? haha Phil just laughed....I think you will be hearing a lot of screams coming from the Henderson girls during those weeks! :)
I'm so thankful that Karen and Dallas will be close....they'll be able to give me advice on dealing with power outages, driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, where to get food and what food is available, good techniques on squishing cockroaches and spiders the size of my head (haha--GULP!) and any other questions I have. I love a good adventure and understand why this is the best plan for Caravan training, but the concerns I have are not only for me but for Kaitlyn and Lily.....our friends have kids just a bit older than K and L and I know Kaitlyn is going to LOVE playing with the kids and having friends again....but what happens when we have to leave after 3 months....saying goodbye again to her good friends....I guess I just don't want to scar my kids....and I know this is the life of a missionary (that we signed up for)....and it's lots of hellos and goodbyes but just because it is a fact of life, doesn't mean it's easy. I wonder if I am going to like Chad after spending 3 months in lush, not as hot, more developed, english speaking Uganda.....I pray that God would help me, and help my family transition well. Change is good, but it's crazy hard too.

I'm leaving on a jet plane......

Well, we are here in Nampa, Idaho (yes.... potato central) for about 1 month while Phil spends most of his days in a plane, flying/landing/taking-off in all sorts of conditions and terrain in order to prepare him for the diversity he'll experience as a pilot in Chad, Africa. Kailtyn, Lily and myself are here to support Phil as he trains......we get to have a lot of fun, relax, meet new friends, soak up the sun and explore the city of Nampa. So far we've hit up the beyond massive WALMART (seriously, that store is a city in itself!!), and made our way across town to a dollar store to purchase some craft supplies.....all of which we would have never found had it not been for our trusty GPS. (okay, so phil would have found them.....but I would still be driving around if it weren't for the GPS!!!!)

The place we are staying in is super nice, comfortable and just the right size for our little family of 4. Our front door opens up into the sandpit/playground which is a dream come true for the girls....and there are a bunch of kids living here as well so instant friends!! 

I think we will enjoy our time here....on the menu for tomorrow is visiting the local library for a story time.....and if the weather is as good as today.....we'll hunt for a park with swings for sweet Lily who would live/eat/sleep on a swing if she had the chance too! :)

There are two other families with 3 kids each, and both are missionaries in the Congo.....we look forward to getting to know them a bit better during our stay here.

Here are a few pictures from Phil's point of view documenting our way down to Nampa.....oh and ps if you are wondering why i am looking less than impressed in every picture....it is because I was feeling so sick (coughing up a lung!!) and just wishing to be in my bed sleeping.....but I survived and made it here and now I am feeling a whole lot better!

** the pictures work sometimes, but not other times....argh!! sorry if you can't see the pics.....I'll try to get phil to look at it and fix it!!**

6am: Bright and early breakfast – hot waffles, omelettes, yogurt and fruit loops for Kaitlyn! 

7am: The girls loved the “big bus” shuttle and the fact that they didn’t have car seats for the short trip across to the airport.

So much to see. Shrieks of delight at 7:30am every time another plane…did anything. Other passengers already hoping our row numbers are far apart!

Kaitlyn ready to “go fast”.

Merilee…grinning and bearing it…haha. She was more prepared than the stewards. Made for a very smooth flight. The atlantic crossing is starting to look doable…perhaps enjoyable?

Handy colouring pages. These all in one colouring kits deserve a medal. They shone today!

Many books...

…and you can get a good 20 minutes out of the doomsday card if you spin the story right. Lily kept wanting me to tell the part about the baby’s life jacket and wondering where the Mommy was in the pictures. The built in slides were compelling as was the fact that you can float on your seat cushion. I’d love to know what’s going through their heads when I’m explaining these “cartoons” to them and end it with…but that probably won’t happen.

End of flight #1. Detroit to Denver. The crowning moment: meeting the pilots and seeing the cockpit…the girls enjoyed it too. That one was 3.5 hours.

The next flight was only 2 hours from push back to touch down…Franklin’s turn to baby sit.