Leaving Home/ Going Home

In the past 5 weeks I (Bruce) have visited 4 doctors and 1 nutritionist to find out what has been causing my hives. The final tally is in and the answer is.......... "idiopathic urticaria" which is a fancy name doctors have given my condition which means "we have no idea why you break out in hives". The great help in all this has been the new regimen of antihistamines that I take which do not make me drowsy or leave me in a fog all day. For that I am so thankful.  I am also thankful for all those who helped line up appointments for me and who helped in so many other ways.

gasoline anyone???

Getting used to life in America happened all too quickly.  One of the first pictures I took on the ride home from the airport was of a gas station completely full of gas with no one lining up to get some.  If only they allowed it in check-in luggage!!!  After our first couple trips to Target and a grocery store the familiarity came back and we found ourselves having to intentionally think back on life in Malawi in order to embrace the blessing.

"The Happiest Place on Earth" to Hanlon kids

We have had a wonderful time with friends and family during this Christmas break.  Christmas through the eyes of kids always makes for a great time.  Grace's number one stop was not Santa's lap but a face full of ice cream at her favorite spot on earth......Friendly's!  We went with "Mema" on our first trip through Midlothian, Virginia and both girls had macaroni and cheese and candy-laced sundaes for dessert.

The scene from the Fulton's front door

When we arrived at our home state of Massachusetts we were quickly reminded of what cold feels like.  The girls wanted to know where all the snow was.  There was no snow the entire winter before but "Pepa Fulton" said with all confidence, "the girls will have a snow storm while they're here ...... I guarantee it".  Sure enough, on the Sunday before New Years we woke up to 7 inches of beautiful snow.  Grace couldn't wait to get dressed up in many layers and Beth was also excited but she didn't know why.  Within minutes we were all outside where the girls made snow angels which is what Grace was waiting to do.  I picked up Beth after her angel was complete and said, "Was that fun?" to which she replied, "Inside now Dada".    That's my girl.

Sarah's "angel in the snow" feeling came when she walked in to Trader Joes.  It was fun to watch her wander the aisles just looking at all the items on the overflowing shelves.  Whenever my mother would come to visit us in Massachusetts she would ask the manager of Trader Joes if he would ask those above him to consider opening up a store near her in Virginia.  After about 8 years they relented and did.  I wonder how long we would have to petition for a Lilongwe franchise?  Still, the mangoes are much cheaper where we are!

Now we are in our final days before heading back to Malawi.  It's a strange mish-mash of mixed emotions.  We have a full semester of work ahead of us and for that we are grateful and expectant.  We have suitcases full of things impossible to get in Malawi and at least a couple suitcases full of things for other ABC missionaries.  We pray we can fit in all of Stauffie's beef jerky.  It has been wonderful seeing so many people on this trip home.  We were hoping for greater clarity on my hives but we trust that God, who knows the end from the beginning, saw this trip from afar and we pray that He was glorified in the time we spent.