June 29, 2019

See You Soon!

Sanibonani! (Hello!) We greet you now as a family of four! Isabella was born almost 8 weeks ago in Nelspruit, SA. We are all doing well, just a little sleep-deprived. We are grateful that the c-section went smoothly for Melinda and we were able to easily come back across the border to Swaziland with a newborn.

We are excited to bring Isabella on her first trip to the States in just one week! Zach is also looking forward to the trip- he even drew a “map” of how to get to Salt Lake City. He has been such a trooper through all the change, between all the moving around to gaining a new little sister after being an only child for 4 years. Zach has been going to preschool since January, and we’re sure that that has helped him feel like there is a constant in his life.

We are so proud to see how Zach has been learning and growing. He’s reading, writing, and now goes around telling random strangers that he loves them and draws crosses to show them Jesus- he’s a better missionary than we are!

It’s been really nice to have Hom, Melinda’s mom, in town. She has been so helpful with everything from cooking to getting Zach ready for school. She’s even been helping some of our staff with some projects!

We’re also grateful that God has provided our ministry with some fresh, top-notch leaders who have been able to fill some of the work we’ve been doing. With a bit of extra time, we’re able to work harder on solidifying the foundational pieces of ministry work – policies, benefits, curriculum, reviews, and optimizations that make work happen more efficiently.

We had a really dark few weeks where there was nothing positive to think about. Life was so gloomy and painful. We decided, instead of giving up, to push harder. We’re so grateful that God was with us, pulled up our spirits and we’re happy to be above the water again.

We’re now in a place where we can see that:

  • We know we have made a difference
  • We see areas that need improvement
  • We believe that transformation is around the corner

We are excited to be able to commit another two years to love, serve, and encourage others for Christ’s kingdom to come on earth. Please consider continuing to join us through prayer, encouragement, and financial support.

We’re hoping to see as many of you as possible this summer! Our furlough will be until the October 11- we would love to see you! We will mostly be in Utah, but are planning one or two short trips to see family in other states. We will try to keep you updated on where we will be and when.

Much love to you all,
Brandon, Melinda, Zach and Isabella

Brandon and Isabella at Staff Meeting Zach helps with Baby Zach draws a travel map from Eswatini to Salt Lake City Zach helps us move to Manzini Melinda Baby Shower Zach is a pirate for dress up day at his new school Zach and gogo practice brushing teeth




1 Comment

Pat Riley

June 30, 2019 at 2:11 AM Oh my what a beautiful daughter to add to your already beautiful and deserving family, I hope you have a safe journey back to “Happy Valley” I think about you and all the wonderful work you do. We are so happy for you and wish you the very best I hope you enjoy your time here it will go by so fast and so much to do. We send you all our love. Pat and Shelley,

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