Renewing

The past couple of days have been spent at WGM's home office for some time set apart to discuss rest and renewal.  It's required of any missionary coming home from the field to make sure we're all taking care of ourselves, body, mind and spirit.  It's been a joy to meet colleagues from other fields as well as reconnect with other missionaries and staff we've known over the years.  We may live in different places, but we 'get' each other.

While the grown ups have been processing during the days, the kids have been having their own activities.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful people who have known our kids and love them and help them process in their own, age-appropriate way (like going to see the movie "Inside 0ut"!).  Pretty cool, eh?

Really, the whole experience has been so refreshing because just stepping foot here on campus with our WGM family means we're at a place where we're "known."  We're not "the missionaries" who the church supports, we're not "the Americans" who live in the village.  Here we're Nathan, Cydil, Ellie and Reni.  That's it.  We don't have to say anything more.

And like home, you can even record your growth on the wall!

See how much the kids have grown since 2012??

Since Reni's birthday falls next week, the staff was so nice to surprise him today with a birthday cake.  He was so pleased, I couldn't believe it since he typically hates being the center of attention...