The Adventures of Sticky- Steven + Niki

Friday-Sunday: The convention Peek attendance was over 32,000. Never have we been in a crowd that large that moved  with such grace and joy. Of course every day many delegates came dressed in traditional outfits to represent their countries. We wished we had too, although what do we dress as? If we get to attend an international again we talked about dressing as witnesses from the 30's and 40's with canvas bags that say "Zion's Watchtower 5 cents." Friday I did dress in a floral dress and wore a Polish flower crown a sister gave me. Everyone thought I was Polish! We sure did blend in well! In Africa I could spot Steven in a crowd in seconds. In Poland I kept losing him because so many people looked like him. 🤣 Legia Stadium Warsaw It was a little warm in the sun but altogether the weather was very pleasant. Each day volunteers rose early to prepare the convention site and lunch for the delegates. They even had special lunch lines for gluten free and veg...

Sorry for my absence! Life has been jammed full of activity, not too much that's so interesting. Till now! After 3 weeks of being away we are finally back home. The international convention in Warsaw, Poland and all the events surrounding- just unforgettable. So much more than we could have ever dreamed. For this we feel forever changed. The hard work, joy, love, talent and sacrifice of the friends in Poland makes us want to work harder for Jehovah. Over 8,000 brothers and sisters volunteered to help with the convention and connected activities. Many took several days or weeks off from work, some even left their jobs, and others traveled hundreds of miles regularly up to 6 months before the convention began to plan, train and rehearse. They didn't miss a beat either. From the moment we arrived they showed unfailing love. We felt so taken care of. All we could need was given to us, detailed custom maps, a help desk at our hotel and 24 hour a day assistance. The branch even ar...

Wow! Did you know we are about to celebrate one year in our new congregation here in Jacksonville?! I'll admit my attitude about being in a big American congregation, was not very positive at first. We both were overwhelmed. So many times we wanted to run back to our little peaceful Ugandan group- a place where we felt safe and comfortable. I remember about February last year I had visited my sister Megan's huge congregation for a couple weeks as we lived with them in Palm Coast. During the student assignments one night I got really emotional. I was feeling the sharp fresh pain of leaving Uganda. Certain little things just made me contrast and compare what it was like to be there. Every meeting in Uganda was exciting because you were often seeing new ones participate. The students took their assignments so seriously and handled them with such care. I looked at Megan with the tears starting to roll. She grabbed my hand and I asked her, "Will I ever love a congregation ...

So we have been working hard to adjust back to life in the States. Our hearts are still tethered to Africa.   It will always will be such a huge part of our lives.We tried to watch the movie "Queen of Katwe" a few days ago, which is a Disney film set in Uganda. 3 minutes in my cheeks were soaked with tears. I balled. Steven said we'd better turn it off, just not ready for that yet. (But you should watch it! It's a very realistic portrayal of life in East Africa.) A huge part of us wants to be there so bad, and that was just a reminder. Here is where we are though, and here we want to thrive. Can't do that if we are always wishing we were elsewhere. We have to find a way to remember minus the great sadness.  Many lessons linger though. They're like distant echos beckoning us to live a better, simpler, more conscientious way of life.  People are probably really tired of hearing us talk about Uganda. I'm sorry if you've felt that way. (#sorrybutnotsorry ...

Stop-Think-Appreciate Today is full of blessings, so much to count Many are priceless, they're worth no amount Others are tiny but precious indeed People will fail to notice, but will we take heed? Let's stop and appreciate what we have right now Some self reflection is the key to how...  How to have joy, when things seem bleak We have so much more, if we would just think... Do you have a bed to sleep in, a place to rest your head? How about something to eat, even a little bread? Do you have safe water to drink and to clean?  Do you have the freedom to speak, and say what you mean? Some sleep in the dirt, cold and afraid Their empty bellies ache, tired bodies in pain They have no help, no one to provide In their despair, all their tears have been cried But still when they wake they find reasons for smiles There hearts are still beating through all of the trails And they can have joy because they know the key The key is ...

Transitioning to a first world country from a third world country after 2 years isn't as easy as it looks. Steven puts it well when he says "never have we had less". We came back with no congregation, no home, no car, no jobs, no furniture and very little possessions. When you haven't had a job that gives you a real paycheck in 2 years it's pretty challenging to get those things. It's been a rocky and slow start.  Just today I'm completely unpacking my suitcases for the first time in 3 months, because we have moved over 10 times between different people's homes. To say it's been a bit overwhelming, is to understate it. Where we thought we'd be by now is far away. I'll take just a few sentences to be competently realistic about this. Maybe it can help some who plan to serve where the need is great in a foreign country or are... To be frank, you will face tests upon coming back. We actually feel coming back is harder than it was to go to Ug...