Update in pictures

Sorry-o (in Liberian English) for neglecting this poor blog so much..... sometimes the mountain seems too big to start.... Anyway: I decided that I will not wait anymore for the "enough amount of time" to write these perfect articles for that never seem to come - but rather put something on the blog regularly like once every week or two weeks to keep those of you informed with pictures and little (imperfect :-)) stories who are interested and had to wait too long.... again, sorry-o!


The quickest way to update you that I can think of is WITH PICTURES - so enjoy some impressions of the last few month (it is a shock to realize it has really been that long....) - and there is more to come! I promise!!! More detailed information in our newsletter (on request).

I (Andrea) and the kids got the chance to go home to Munich this summer - a big blessing!
Here you see us with my parents and one of my brothers

What was one of the things we will not have in Africa? Strawberries - all you can eat here!


David and Amy enjoying icecream and a great time at our dear friends in Hockenheim



Dear God, thank you soooo much for your provision and the great time in Germany! Thanks sooo much to ALL of you who blessed us in so many ways during our stay there!


Middle of August we came back to the ship, reunited as family ( poor Wolfgang couldn´t come to Germany with us for he had to stay and work) and you can see that we all were very happy about that! And our family increased - yessss, we have a baby.......


.... and her name is Lilli! David and Amy are great parents - well, some of the time at least!


Here you can see them practising "adult life" by baking a great cake with our dear friend Esther for a special occasion...


for no one gets younger! This is on my 34th birthday - I celebrated it this time on the ship and not on our flight to our new season in life leaving Germany with many questions.... I am very grateful to look back on the last year, and I can truly say I see God that God has been with us during this last intense year of my life!

For another occasion I myself baked a cake:


The teenage of our teeny group at the orphanage "God´s childrens home" came to visit us on the ship! They all wore their nicest outfit - jeans and t-shirt, and were soooo excited!



They enjoyed our kids toys on deck 7 .... and a movie for the first time in their lives: we watched part of a movie on the gospel of John (what we are reading together at the moment).

Since the orphanage moved, we have to drive out 45 minutes to get to the new place - on roads that cannot really be called roads! Here we got stuck in a mud hole - and it took us 3 girls 30 minutes and lots of prayer to get out again!


Do you want to know what is happening now?


David and Amy are shouting: "Daddy needs VACATION!!!!!!"
After a very intense year of work without a break Wolfgang was more than ready to have a break now...


..... so we had the opportunity to go to Ghana for 10 days, one of the more developed countries in Liberias neighbourhood.

For a few days we stayed at Youth with a Mission Ghana...



and for 6 days at a beautiful little Pension at the beach!


Ghana is in many respects "nicer" than Liberia even though it is still a developing West African country.... only the ships seem so much smaller than ours! Smile....


Back to Liberia....
..... another "car story":


Just this last weekend ago a group of us (including David and Amy and myself) went to Gbarnga, usually about 4 hours drive from Monrovia. We rented a car that wasn´t as good as it looked from the outside - we had everything from flat tire (the spare tire was one that was not fitting), boiling motor, etc..... up to a complete breakdown on our way back so that we had to be towed back to the ship! Quite adventuresome - and David learned more about (not-so-good) cars!
Anyway, the weekend in Gbarnga was really worth everything (thanks, family Elser and Simon!)


David and his friend George from Gbarnga - and his new toy that actually is a weapon: George gave him his catapult as a special gift, and David gave him his favourite ball! (Oh boy, the ball was for sure less dangerous...)


Also Amy liked George alot (is the man of her dreams now African...?)
Or more like Juan from the Dominican Rebublic...?


To end this entry I show you this picture from some roads we took near Gbarnga - and promise to continue to take you on a trip through our experiences here in Africa! (As long as you don´t expect it to be "perfect"!
"See" you later!