The Modern Nomads

SURPRISE!!

2011-11-28T22:28:00.000-06:00

Chris' Version

Hey friends....well, we have some big news for you! Today is Makaylan's 7 month birthday.....and we were officially confirmed by our Doctor to be PREGNANT!! Again!!!.....yes, it is fast.....and yes, we are excited! And yes, it is planned! And yes, we know there will be some interesting months ahead! But we also know that the Lord would never give us more than we can handle! So....July 8th is the due date. Did I mention that both of us are in school full-time? And that Makaylan will be only 14 months old when Walker Baby #2 is born? What's been going on in your life, lately....hehehe!

This is Amanda's version :)

Over the last few weeks I noticed that I was becoming increasingly agitated and emotional. I told Chris that I was either pregnant or I was losing my mind. On October 30th, after a major cry session over something that should not make me cry, I decided I would discover if I really was losing my mind. :) You can imagine the relief (and then fear) that entered my heart when I saw the words "Pregnant!" Chris and I want several children, but I didn't know if I was ready to be mommy to two children only a year apart. Yet, after the initial fear came the overwhelming peace of our Father, and I knew it was going to be OK. I have an incredible husband, who is also an awesome father. And I knew we would tackle this new blessed challenge as a team.

I had my initial OB appointment November 9, but the baby was so small that we couldn't see much. There was a flicker of a heartbeat, but it wasn't strong. So we decided to wait until we knew he/she was growing well...so after a LONG month of keeping a secret...we are excited to share with you guys our news. God is blessing us with another little one, and we couldn't be more excited!!! It still amazes me that only 5 years ago I was sitting across from a doctor who told me that biological children were most likely not a possibility for me. I also love how our God doesn't seem to listen to what doctors say :) God has caused our cup to overflow with abundant blessings!!!

Please keep us, Makaylan, and Baby Walker in your prayers as we travel this new journey. Pray for Makaylan as she gets ready to share mommy and daddy with another sibling. She is going to be such an awesome big sister! Pray for a healthy and event free pregnancy, but more importantly, please pray that our God would be glorified through every step of this process. We love you guys and can't wait to introduce you guys to our little bundle of joy come late June or early July.

Here are a few pics...

I texted this picture to Chris to tell him about the baby. I love Makaylan's face :)

Baby Walker #2

Learning to Trust

2011-10-06T16:29:00.000-05:00

I think this day will forever be marked in my memory. It was a year ago that I was pregnant with our precious Makaylan, and Chris and I had just moved to Mozambique. I was right in the middle of my first trimester with serious nausea and intense fatigue. I was also dealing with either a form of culture shock or pregnancy shock. : ) I went to work every day praying that I would make it through the day without puking, and then I would go back home (the Lechner house) and sleep until it was time to make supper. (Told you I was tired.) On this day, a year ago, I experienced one of the worst pregnant days of my entire pregnancy, and it turned out to be the biggest blessing of my life.

Here’s the story:

It was Will Lechner’s 16th birthday, and Angie made him his favorite birthday meal. I remembered he got Dr. Pepper as his gift, but I don’t really remember the meal. Reason? I was experiencing a form of nausea and stomach pain that I had not ever experienced. I knew Makaylan wasn’t in danger, but I still had some intense nausea. I got online and tried to uncover a natural remedy for my intestinal pain, but the options in Mozambique were very limited. Finally, I looked at Chris and asked him to do something. This was a HUGE step in our marriage. We were both single until we were almost 31 years old, and I was not accustomed to “needing” anyone. I remember thinking that I had never felt this sense of need for another person. I didn’t know what to do, and I saw my husband as a source of comfort. This was also one of the first times he, as a new groom, saw his wife in need, and he immediately went into action. He asked Charlie to drive him to different pharmacies to ask if they had anything to help me. They drove all over Maputo and came back home with a “cure.” I remember the triumph in Chris’ eyes as he come home holding what I needed. I also remember looking at him and thinking that he was the most amazing man I knew. It was a glorious moment!

So why do I share this with you? First, I want to brag on the incredible man I have in my life, and secondly, because I am reminded how far I (we) have come in a year. This incident was the beginning of me realizing that God did not design for me to go through life alone. For this independent woman, it was “easy” to depend upon God, but I had conditioned myself to not trust individuals. The saying, “I can do it myself” was my mantra. But, here in this moment, I couldn’t do it myself. I needed someone, and God had given me that someone in Chris. Since that time, we have moved back to Louisiana, went through a pregnancy, experienced labor and sleepless nights, AND we have learned to depend upon each other. It has been amazing to watch how God has taken two VERY independent people and taught them how to trust and rely on each other. This lesson has been a blessing to our life, our ministry, and (more importantly) our family.

Me and my man :)

The "Inconvenience" of Parenthood

2011-09-29T20:14:00.000-05:00

Every now and again I get this burning within my spirit, and I know I need to write down what God is teaching me. Today is one of those days. Over the last several months people have sought to give Chris and me some “advice” regarding parenting. The advice normally sounds like this: “Enjoy this stage because it all goes downhill from here.” “This is when they are sweet, and then they grow up to be a three-year old, a pre-teen, and a teenager.” “I remember when mine were this little and now they are a pain.” Most of the time this “advice” is given right in front of their children and my heart breaks. What this precious child hears is that they were once valued, but now they are an inconvenience.
We live in a world where we despise being inconvenienced. We eat fast food; we drive fast cars; we talk on fast cell phones; and we live in the fast lane. We even DVR our TV shows to watch when it is more convenient for us. If something does not go our way, we throw a grown up temper tantrum by holding a grudge against someone, gossiping or seeking revenge. Over the last few months I think what I’ve seen more than anything is the “inconvenience” children cause in their parent’s lives, and once again, my heart breaks.

Motherhood is a new role for me. Makaylan is 5 months old, and I’ve learned a lot about being “inconvenienced” in the last 5 months. For example, I used to get 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, but now I count it a blessing when I get 4 hours of sleep. I’ve also learned that just because your food is ready to eat does not mean that you will be eating it anytime soon. I laughed with a friend of mine the other day when she said, “I think my little girl hears the “ding” of the microwave and decides it’s time for HER to eat.” Any way you look at it, motherhood (parenthood) is inconvenient…and that is exactly how God designed it!!

Did we really think our precious children would come into our lives and not change things? From the moment you hear those amazing words “You’re pregnant!” God begins to mold and shape you into the parent who resembles His fatherly love towards us. But this shaping can only happen as we give over our rights to ourselves and allow God the freedom to shape us. The problem I’ve noticed, in myself and others, is that, often times, we push against His molding. He wants to produce within us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23), and the tool He frequently uses to teach us these virtues is our children. But, when we see and treat our children as individuals who have interrupted our nice, cozy life, then we disrupt what God desires to do in us and in them. I am saddened when I see parents (especially professing Christian parents) handle their children with contempt. God has given us children in order to serve them, mold them, disciple them, and show them Christ’s love.
The Bible speaks over and over again about the blessing of children (Ps. 127:3-4, Ps 128, Ps 139:13-19). God calls us His children, and He delights over us (John 1:12). I am SO thankful that God does not see me, His child, as an inconvenience. Instead, while I was still a sinner He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for me (Romans 5:8). When I have come to Him in need, I have never felt Him roll His eyes at me. He delights in my need of Him, and encourages me to come to Him…with anything and at ANY time. He does not demand that I wait until morning, or that I grow up first, or that I get a grip. He offers Himself, and delights as we come to Him. My prayer is that my little girl (and any future children we are blessed to raise) will always know and feel that her parents prayed for her and still find her valuable…even when she is three years old!

Makaylan at 4 months :)

A Waterfall, a County Fair, and PIGS!!

2011-08-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

Day 6 of our Great Road Trip found us still in Steamboat Springs, with our cousins Winston, Cindy, and Luke Walker. After a relaxing morning and an incredible breakfast made by Cindy, the six of us took off to see the sites and sounds of the surrounding area. We started off with a short drive through Steamboat looking at houses and marveling at the beauty of the aspen trees, the lush valleys, and the high mountain peaks. We decided to go hiking at Fish Creek Falls to look at the incredible waterfall (which Amanda loves) and enjoy the cool morning. Unfortunately our pics are on the other camera and we can't show you how amazing the waterfall was crashing down onto the rocks near the bridge which crossed the river.

After lunch, Cindy, Amanda and MJ went to downtown Steamboat to walk around and check out all the little shops. They went into an art gallery and enjoyed seeing all the local paintings and bronze statues of "western life."

Around 3pm we all loaded up and headed west to Hayden, CO, to see Rolle's grandkids participate in the Routt County Fair. We met Brian and Kira Walker Ripley and their 3 boys (Tanner, Walker, and Landon). Tanner was participating in the pig showing competition with 90 others pigs! He walked away with "Reserve Grand Champion" which means that his pig won 2nd overall! We enjoyed seeing Colorado's ranch lifestyle. The drive to Hayden was beautiful....more flat ranch land with hay fields filled with cows and horses. The road was peppered with barns and small farm houses....much more rural than the ski resort town of Steamboat.

We came back home (Winston's and Cindy's house) sunburned, tired and ready for supper. Makaylan was a trooper all day! She does well in her carseat, and has been happy and "talkative" when we get her out to play.

MJ sleeping at the Routt County Fair (notice the pig in the background)

Silverthorne, CO, welcome sign

Kremmling, CO, welcome sign as we drove north on HWY 40.

One of the picturesque barns we passed on our drive.

Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 west as we drove from Denver to Steamboat.

This was the view from Chipotle's, as we ate lunch in Silverthorne on Tuesday.

Hittin' the Road

2011-08-16T22:17:00.000-05:00

Today is day 5 of the Great Road Trip! We have been weaving in and out of the mountains and it has been absolutely breathtaking!! In the last two days we have driven 586 miles. Makaylan has done incredible and is becoming quite the little traveler. She’s had only one rough night, but we also changed time zones. We are thankful that she does so well in her car seat, and the mountain elevation doesn’t seem to bother her too much. I (Amanda), on the other hand, have had some altitude headaches, but it’s nothing that some Advil can’t cure.

I’m going to let the pictures tell the story over the last few days.

We spent 3 days visiting the Richardsons in Amarillo, TX.

They were Amanda's youth ministers my senior year of high school,

and I babysat their boys. They are now 16 and 14.

Little Danny turned 16 this year...yikes

Danny and Josh holding Makaylan. They loved her :)

Yes, I used to babysit these "kids." Danny is 6'2" and Joshy is 6'5"

Kristie, Dan, Danny, Joshy and Makaylan...we had such a blast with them.

While we were in Amarillo, Mark and Kandy Persall came to visit.

They were Amanda's supervisors while in Taiwan. We had

an amazing time chatting and letting them meet MJ. (She wasn't too happy with

this picture.)

Yesterday (Monday) we finally made it to Colorado.

We stayed with Chris' cousin Rolle Walker. We

enjoyed our time with him and loved his hospitality.

Pike's Peak, Colorado Springs, CO.

Yes, those would be snow capped mountains...in the middle of August! Amanzing!!

Chirs, Rolle, and Makaylan...we had a wonderful time

Malaylan talking to her daddy :) SO cute!! (This is just bonus :) )

Wide Open Spaces

2011-08-13T15:46:00.000-05:00

This morning we left Jerry and Lacy Ritchie's house in Mansfield, TX and headed west. We had such a good time with them, and they enjoyed seeing Makaylan and loving on her. They had this cute dog named Amber who absolutely loved MJ. She wasn't too fond of Chris, but she loved our child...so that made her OK :) :) The Ritchies were incredibly hospitable to us, and we enjoyed our time with them.

Now, we are out in the wide spaces of West Texas heading towards Amarillo. We will stay with Danny and Kristie Richardson. Dan was Amanda's youth minister when I was a Senior. Their boys, "Little" Danny (who is now over 6 feet tall) and Josh, were my little shadows during that time. It's been amazing how close we (the Taylors) have stayed with this family, and it will be fun to spend the weekend with them. We will also get to see Kandy Persall, who was my supervisor while in Taiwan and now my mentor. She always has such amazing wisdom, so I'm looking forward to gleaming some motherly advice from her.

Here are some pics we have gotten so far...enjoy

MJ discovered a new noise...grunting :)

Amanda's Office

Wide open spaces

The lone building

Great Road Trip...2011

2011-08-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

Well...it's been 3 months since we were blessed with our little angel, Makaylan, so we decided we would introduce her to our nomadic lifestyle. Chris and I have had a VERY busy summer filled with school and studying, so we decided to reward ourself with a two week road trip out west. Chris has several aunts, uncles, and cousins in Colorado that I have never met, so we are headed out there to visit them. We plan to stop along the way to visit with friends of mine and introduce MJ to people along the way. We are excited to see how she will do...especially being in her car seat for 5-6 hours a day. So far...so good (as long as Chris keeps driving).

Tonight is our first stop in Mansfield, TX. We will stay with Jerry and Lacy Ritchie, who are Chris' uncle and aunt (his mom's brother). We are excited to introduce them to their new niece and spend some time with them. Tomorrow we will head on to Amarillo, TX.

We will give daily updates of our travels, so be looking for new posts. I'm sure there will be many memories to share as we head out to the wild blue yonder. Pray for Makaylan that she will feel safe and comfortable as we stop along the way. It's SO good to be back on the road again! :) :)

She loves the sites :)

Our fearless driver :)

Joys of Motherhood

2011-07-20T22:40:00.000-05:00

Yes...I DO realize that it's been two months since I last wrote a blog. Life has been a bit hectic for the Modern Nomads, but I hope to keep up with it a little more. So why has life been crazy? Well...I'm busy being Mommy to a precious little girl. She is almost three months old, and I can't get over how much she is changing. She can "talk," roll to one side, smile, play, poop :) , eat, and bring so much joy to her Daddy and me. I love that I get to stay home with her and watch her grow. She has gone from being a cute person who doesn't do much to an even cuter person who interacts with us. I love how her face lights up when I walk in after she wakes up. I love how she talks to me while we play. I love watching her talk and coo at her stuffed animals, especially Violet--her stuffed puppy dog. And most of all, I love just watching her figure me out. I never knew that I could experience so much joy, wonder, love, and excitement all in one day. Everything is new for her, so life seems new for me. For example, today she discovered herself in the mirror and talked to herself for ten minutes. It was precious watching her interact with herself. I think she cracks herself up :) :) I can't get over that God has allowed us to raise this little girl. Most days I feel the incredible responsibility of it, and my prayer is that we will raise this next generation to love and serve Him. So far, Makaylan seems to have a pretty feisty and fun little personality, and I can't wait for God to get ahold of that personality and use it for HIS glory. But until that time, I will enjoy all the coos, talks, playtimes, snuggles, and even poops :) :)

Enjoy some of the fun pictures from the past few months.

Makaylan and Landon--She was actually "smiling" and not crying :)

MJ with her favorite toy, Violet

Baby Dedication...Makaylan 1 month

Already cutting her eyes :) :) Girls!!

And there's a smile :)

Makaylan talking to her Daddy :)

Another Nomad is Born

2011-05-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know...it has been a couple of months since we last updated our blog. Life has been pretty crazy for us, and on April 28 it got alot more crazy. We are excited to announce that our little Makaylan Joy arrived on April 28th at 8:02 a.m. I can hear several of you wanting to hear the story (well...mainly the female readers) so here it is in bullet points.

Wednesday, April 27

-- Amanda goes for coffee with a friend. I'm feeling a little pressure and I hurt some, but nothing out of the ordinary. Chris goes to the doctor because he's fighting a sinus infection.

-- We both stay home from church because I don't feel like sitting in pews, and Chris is feeling crummy. He also has an accounting test the next day, so I help him study.

-- About 10:00 p.m. I have this urge to vacuum our house. Apparently, this should have been the tale-tale sign, but I'm clueless to all these signs.

Thursday, April 28

-- 12:00 a.m. Amanda encourages Chris to take a Tylenol PM so he will sleep. He really needed to do well on the accounting test, and he hadn't slept in a couple of night. So Chris takes the medicine, and we go to bed.

-- 1:30 a.m. Amanda wakes up for her normal potty break. I had some really bad "cramping," but thought it was other issues. I go back to bed.

-- 1:35 a.m. Amanda feels like something is about to "happen" so I get up again. The minute my feet hit the floor, my water broke, and I immediately have severe contractions. I call the on call doctor who tells me I need to go to the hospital. I decide to wait a bit because I didn't want to drive 30 minutes just to be sent home. I lasted 5 minutes, and told my "drug induced" husband that I thought I was in labor and my water had broke. You should see a man who's under the influence of Tylenol PM try to comprehend his wife's in labor...hilarious!!! :) :)

-- 1:50 a.m. We are on our way to the hospital. I was really praying that I was in labor because if I wasn't then something was terribly wrong. On the way we timed the contractions, and they were 2 minutes apart. I knew something HAD to be going on.

-- 2:30 a.m. We enter the hospital and were greeted by two very sweet but very skeptical nurses. They take their time processing me, told me to go to the bathroom, and then they would see if my water had indeed broken.

-- 2:45 a.m. The nurses "check" me, and I am 6 cm dilated and 90% effaced. They immediately go into high gear, call my doctor, grab an anesthesiologist leaving the hospital to put in my epidural, and I am whisked into a delivery room. Chris calls our parents and tells them I'm in labor. Cindy and Tommy (Chris' parents) were in Dallas, TX, and I think they go into extremely high gear. Marc (Amanda's dad) was in Pineville, LA at a meeting and couldn't come), and Buttons (Amanda's mom) got dressed in record time. Needless to say, this was a HUGE shock to all of us. Here it was April 28 and she wasn't supposed to arrive until mid May. :) :)

-- 4:00 a.m. Amanda gets the epidural, and I feel SOOO much better. I could actually relax and enjoy it.

-- 6:00 a.m. Amanda is ready to go, but the doctor is in the shower at home. Cindy and Tommy weren't there, so they continued with the drip so I wouldn't feel the urge to push.

-- 7:30 a.m. Amanda's doctor arrives, and I can officially begin the process of having our little girl. At some point Cindy and Tommy make it (YES, they drove 4 1/2 hours and made it!!). It was one of the hardest things I've done, yet the drugs made it great!! :) :)

-- 8:02 a.m. Makaylan Joy Walker makes her grand appearance!! She is SO beautiful, and we fell in love the minute we saw her.

This was one of the crazies but joyful days of our life. It's been amazing to have her here and love on her. Chris and I are learning a whole new concept of love, patience, and grace through this little girl. Most days we just stare at her in awe, wondering how we got SO blessed with the responsibility of raising her. The Modern Nomads have now added another nomad to the world :) :) Oh, the journey we have ahead of us...we can't WAIT!!!!

Enjoy some pics her Aunt Cara Beth took...

Family Photo

Isn't she precious?!!

The Top 10 of Pregnancy

2011-03-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

We have a friend, Angie Lechner, who has a monthly post on the tenth of each month. She calls it the 10 on the 10^th. Well…it’s not the tenth of the month, but I thought I would share the 10 most random (or not so random) and wonderful moments of my pregnancy.

10. Spending the first half of my pregnancy in another country.

9. Losing the ability to use your stomach muscles, so you twist and wobble trying to get off the couch.

8. Reaching a point where it is difficult (and some days impossible) to shave your legs and breathe.

7. Breaking out like a teenager. I haven’t had this many zits since I was in Jr. High.

6. Putting a child who has her father’s legs into her mother’s body. Just for a reference point…I’m 5’2” and Chris is 6’5”. Makaylan has quickly run out of room.

5. Hearing Makaylan’s heartbeat for the first time knowing that this is your child.

4. Having our 28 week sonogram and watching her suck her thumb, stick her hands and feet in her mouth, and seeing that beautiful face.

3. Listening to Chris talk to her every night, and then literally watching and feeling her move towards his voice. He sings to her, talks to her, teaches her math facts and best of all, prays over her.

2. Feeling her react to the outside environment. She squirms and jumps when she hears loud noises; she doesn’t like spicy food; she loves when I stretch out (see #6); and she “pushes” my hand out of the way when she wants HER spot.

1. Knowing that in 8 weeks or less we will be holding our precious little girl and have the awesome challenge and opportunity of raising a godly woman. We can’t wait to get our hands on her and give her the love she deserves. We pray God will receive glory through our family.

This is the latest picture of Makaylan (28 weeks)

Following the Historic Cane River Road (part 2)

2011-02-28T14:47:00.000-06:00

Here is the rest of the story from our day trip to Natchitoches.

228 Henry Blvd. - my great-grandparent's house where my grandmother (Frances Thomas Walker) grew up.

My Dad said he remembers staying here as a little boy when his family would visit for the weekend.

After driving around Natchitoches for a while, we decided it was time to hit the "Old Cane River Road" and see all the countryside and all the beautiful, old plantation homes that line the river. Here are a few of the sights we saw.

We never could figure out what the name of this place was....but it looked like it came straight from the history books.

One of several old church building we saw as we drove.

One of the slave's houses on the Oakland Plantation grounds. Over twenty-two original building still stand, some dating back to the early 1800's.

A side view of the Oakland Plantation main-house. It had an awesome wrap-around porch that was probably 12 feet deep and 10 feet off the ground and had rocking chairs!

Melrose Plantation, also known as "Yucca Plantation," was a mecca for visiting writers and artists in the early 1900's, including Clementine Hunter, who lived and worked at Melrose for most of her life. She died in 1988.

Another beautiful, smaller plantation home on the "Cane River Road." We're not sure of the name of this one either.

Looking up the driveway towards Magnolia Plantation, which was already "closed" for the day. Supposedly an elderly woman still lives here with a whole bunch of cats, and will only let people see her "clean" rooms.

Well....we drove south until we hit I-49 about 20 miles south of Natchitoches, so we figured it was time to turn towards home and find our way back to Ruston. I always enjoy taking the "back-roads," so we drove back through Ajax, Coushatta, Ringgold, Fryeburg, Bryceland, Arcadia, and finally made it to Ruston. All in all, we had a great day of seeing some of our beautiful home state, Louisiana! Hopefully we'll have a few more journeys to write about soon!

Following the Historic Cane River Road

2011-02-28T14:08:00.000-06:00

Well, our latest little road trip wasn't as exciting as Dorothy's following the "yellow brick road," but we definitely enjoyed last Friday's excursion to Natchitoches, LA, where we saw an old fort, ate Natchitoches meat pies, toured a plantation, and found a few Walker-family houses. The day was absolutely gorgeous with sunshine and a high around 75F. We left Ruston around 9:30am and headed south on HWY 167 to Winnfield, where we got on US 84 west to Natchitoches. We arrived a little after 11am, and made a quick drive thru beautiful, historic down town Natchitoches, with its brick paved streets, and French/New Orleans style architecture right on the banks of the Cane River. We decided to spend some time before lunch at the Fort St. Jean Baptiste museum and really loved the 15-minute video, the exhibits inside the building, and then walked around the rebuilt fort.

Me, in front of Fort St. Jean Baptiste....we were pretty sure an Indian would have had no trouble scaling that wall.

There was a short walk from the museum to the fort.

Amanda, posing in front of the prison...notice how cute she looks with her awesome baby bump!

Next, we went to find some local food. We had heard how good "The Landing" was, and we were not disappointed. We ordered some world-famous Natchitoches meat pies, a shrimp po-boy, and crab-cakes with fried green tomatoes! Yummy!! We even got to talk with our waiter, who is planning on attending Southern Seminary next fall in Louisville, KY. When we told him we were fellow seminarians and that we recently returned from Africa, he talked to us for a while about ministry and family and the future of missions. We enjoyed meeting him and left with a smile on our face from the good food and fellowship.

My beautiful wife, inside "The Landing" restaurant....trying to decide between the Shrimp Po-boy or the Blackened Catfish Opelousas.

Brick streets with the Cane River just below

traffic was a bit congested on the narrow streets, but we enjoyed walking around

A typical building front found on Front St. in downtown Natchitoches, LA

After lunch, and a little shopping in downtown, we decided to try to locate a few of my family's old houses, where my grandmother and great-grandmother grew up. My dad's mom (Frances Thomas Walker) grew up in Natchitoches, and we had the address of the house where she spent her childhood. We also had the street names of a few other houses where relatives lived and where my Dad remembers spending time as a kid. We used our handy-dandy GPS and in no time had located them. We took some pics, and enjoyed showing them to my Dad and hearing his stories of what things were like "back in the good ol' days." He wants to give us a personal tour of Natchitoches one day soon....that would be fun to hear all his old family stories.

(to be continued....in "part 2")

Moving Bridges

2011-02-17T16:11:00.000-06:00

Well...yet another LONG gap in updating our blog. But have no fear...these last couple of months have been quite unusual for the Modern Nomads. People kept asking us if we would change the name of our blog once we returned to the States, but I think we have been more nomadic in the last two months than we ever were in Africa. :) :) We are blessed to have parents who love us and allow us to stay in their home for a week or two at a time. We have affectionately deemed our moving times as "Moving Bridges." And we have had some fun along the way...

When we are at my (Amanda) parents' home, we get to wake up every morning to two little girls. My mother keeps my nieces while my sister is at work. There are days where we hear Taylor (the oldest) standing outside our door wondering if we are awake. It's all quite precious...sometimes! :) Then I normally go in and eat breakfast with her while she insists on having exactly what "Aunt Mimi" is having. She even drinks coffee on the mornings I drink coffee. If I eat cereal, she eats cereal. Then we say good morning to Makaylan, and I answer a million questions about how Makaylan is doing and why she won't "come out" and play :) :) I think God is giving us a little taste of what the future holds for us :) :)

Aunt Mimi with Emmalane and Taylor (about 6 months old)

Uncle Chris, Aunt Mimi, and Landon

When we are at Chris parents' home, it is quite different. The house is normally quieter, but we enjoy them just the same. I think my favorite thing about his parents is the "boyish" look his dad gets when we first arrive. He always looks at us and says: "It's way more fun having kids around." And of course, we are "the kids." :) :) Chris and my relationship was SO fast that I didn't get to REALLY know his family before we got married. These last two months have been such a blessing for me because it has allowed me the opportunity to sit and talk with them, hear their heart, and become just as comfortable with my new family as I am with my family of origin. Last week we even had a visit from Craig, Nicole, and Landon. We hadn't been around them in a long time, so it was a blessing all being under one roof for a few days.

Chris and I are SO blessed to have grown up in stable, Christian families with parents who model for us what a godly marriage looks like. We are forever thankful for their outpouring of love and support for us during our nomadic period. In years to come, we will definitely look upon these last few months with smiles and gratitude!! We love you guys!!!

Our Crazy Life...

2011-01-22T16:09:00.001-06:00

YES, we do realize that it has been well over a month since we have updated our blog. Life has been a bit crazy for us, but that seems to be normal for the Walker family. Since we last wrote we came back to America for the holidays, we went to Ft. Worth for Amanda's doctorate seminars in Ft. Worth, we were advised to stay in the States due to some minor pregnancy issues, Chris contracted pneumonia, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary, we found out we are having a girl (Makaylan Joy), we have gone back and forth between Minden and Ruston living with our parents, AND we have begun the long process of getting physically ready for Makaylan to enter the world. So...needless to say...the blog was one of the last things on our "to do" list. :) :)

God continues to remind us how little we are in control of our life, and I think we are beginning to learn to let go and allow HIM total access to our life. This first year of marriage certainly isn't how I always thought my first year of marriage would be (married, honeymoon, get pregnant, move to Africa, move back to the States), BUT I wouldn't change one second of it. Chris and I have learned things about each other and things about our God that we would never have learned without the journey HE has taken us on this year. We have enjoyed every second of the ride and SO look forward to what HE has for us this year. We definitely know that parenthood is in the plans, but even with that, it is still a mystery. I love how God has taken us all the way around the world and back again to show us how to love, depend on, trust, and revel in each moment together. I love how HE has drawn us to Himself and consequently to each other through every change. God is good, and we are blessed!!

Here are some pics from our time at home:

We arrived back in the States a few days before Christmas - tired, but excited to see our family!

Christmas 2010

Makaylan received TONS of gifts

Makaylan Joy Walker

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-16T10:07:00.000-06:00

So the last few weeks I've been thinking about Christmas traditions. Most families have them, and they are SO much fun and unique to each situation. This will me our first Christmas together, and, as usual, it will be a bit different. (We will be staying with the Walkers (Cindy & Tommy) Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and we are SO looking forward to it.) Chris and I laugh at the fact the we have yet to have a "normal" relationship and a "normal" marriage. Today we celebrate our 11 month "anniversary," and so much has happened in that 11 months. We got married, Chris graduated from seminary, I moved out of a church staff position, we found out we were pregnant, AND we moved to Africa. Yes...all in the 11 months of marriage. So my thoughts have been: What if this IS normal for the Walkers? We will bring a precious little one into the world in 5 months, so I've been thinking about traditions...especially holiday traditions.

I have some very creative family members and friends, so I figured I could ask you guys. What are some ideas for Christmas/holiday traditions that can be celebrated no matter where we are located? Next year we could be in our own home, at one of our parent's home, or we could be overseas. We've quit guessing what God will do with us from month to month. So if you have any ideas, PLEASE feel free to share them. I am open to whatever. I love the holiday season, and I'm excited to hear what you guys say! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

This is our home in Ruston.

My brother and sister-in-love are staying there while we are away, and I thought I would brag on Kim's creative ability!

Beautiful!!

We'll Be Home for Christmas...

2010-12-14T10:30:00.000-06:00

WOW!! It has been three of the craziest months of our married life (yes, we've only been married for 11 months...but still), and it has also been three of the most blessed months. We came to Mozambique about 6 weeks pregnant, and we will arrive in the States 20 weeks pregnant. SO much has happened and changed for us these past few months, and it blows our minds.

Here are some of the things God has taught us OR we have learned about each other:

Dependence: Nothing teaches you dependence upon God like being in another country, pregnant, and wondering how to get used to both of them at the same time. There were days here where I definitely wondered if I would make it. Then my amazing husband would remind me of God's faithfulness, His call on our life, and that I only had to make it through THAT day. I would go to sleep and wake up with such a peace that can only come from our Father. We also learned dependence upon each other. When everything around you seems strange (including the rapid changes going on in your body), you learn to depend upon each other. There were days where we couldn't find things that I needed (think morning sickness days), and my husband was there to encourage me, pray over me, and then make me laugh.

Trust: In many ways, the first two go hand in hand...the more you depend, the more you trust. We have come to know and trust our Heavenly Father in a way we wouldn't have if we hadn't experienced these last three months. I learned to trust Him with our baby's health, realizing that HE made him/her, and our baby was in HIS watchful care. We also learned to trust each other. Chris reminded me countless times that everything was OK, and I learned to trust in the truths he spoke over me.

Thankfulness: It is so easy to get caught up in the stress of life that you forget to be thankful for the incredible blessings that God has given you. God grew thankfulness in both of us, and HE taught us how to be even more thankful for the gift of marriage.

Love: Before I got married I heard people talking about loving their spouse more as the days passed. I didn't understand that until these past 11 months. We have watched our love for God deepen in incredible ways, and then we have seen our love for each other deepen as we've experienced life together. On top of that, God expanded our hearts to love a child that we have yet to meet. We were both overcome with the instant love and care we felt for this little one. It's amazing to see how God's love can teach you how to love another.

SO...during this Christmas season, think back through the year and see what God has given and taught you. HE came, lived the life we live, and died in order that we might experience life, REAL life, in HIM. For those who have prayed over us during these last few weeks, know you have NOT wasted a prayer on us. Each one of you have been part of this journey, and we love you dearly!! We are looking forward to being home for Christmas!!! See you in 5 days!!

Thanksgiving weekend spent with.....lions?

2010-11-29T12:22:00.000-06:00

   One of the interesting traditions that we have had over the last two Thanksgiving breaks is to be on the road! Last year, we were newly engaged and headed off to Texico, New Mexico, to celebrate the wedding of our friends Corrie and Grant. We spent Thanksgiving Day in Amarillo with the Richardson family...and then drove around Amarillo searching for a canyon just outside the city....but once we found it, the park was closed because it was too dark to see anything!
   Fast forward to this year....we are married and living in Maputo, Mozambique. We don't really have enough time to fly home for Thanksgiving, so we decided to drive to South Africa and spend our long weekend in Kruger National Park, one of the largest nature reserves in the world with over 7,330 square miles of protected land for the African animals to live on without the threat of poachers and "big game" hunters. www.krugerpark.co.za
   We stayed at a beautiful lodge called, "Tinga." We had a blast! We saw lots of incredible wildlife, birds, and landscape. Our daily schedule included an early morning "game drive" from 5:30am - 8:30am, then back to the lodge for breakfast. Usually from 10am or so until 4pm, we swam or napped or watched out new favorite TV series, "LOST," which somehow neither of us has ever watched! Then around 4:30pm we would head out again for another 3-hour "game drive" searching for wild animals. Supper was around 8pm, then we would head to bed around 10pm and try to get some sleep before our 4:45am alarm. It was a refreshing five days.....with lots of "down time" to read or watch movies or nap during the heat of the day.
   Here are a few of the hundreds and hundreds of pictures we took during our time inside Kruger National Park. Hope you enjoy!

We entered the park at the Paul Kruger Gate, which is in the southwest section of the park. There are 9 different gates to enter the park.

We took our game drives in a sweet-looking LandRover made specifically for looking at the animals. I need one of these trucks for back in the States!

Us, on a bridge over-looking the Sabie River, at sunset on Saturday night.

Our Saturday morning drive found us face-to-face with three lionesses (female lions) looking for food!

Lucky for us, they were looking for something with four legs and not two!

We saw wild dogs....very rare, as only 400 or so are known to live inside Kruger Park.

This elephant came very close to our truck...and hardly even looked at us. I don't think he has much to be afraid of.

Giraffe are abundant in the park, and always looked graceful as they walked around.

This baby baboon was the cutest thing we saw!

One of many beautiful sunsets in South Africa....we loved it there.

Are THESE Cinnamon Rolls?

2010-11-15T07:51:00.000-06:00

Chris and I have been in quite the baking and cooking mode the last few weeks. When you don't have the convenience of running out and getting Pizza Inn or Pasados (two of our most missed restaurants) then you learn how to cook. For you guys who know me well, you know that I haven't been known for my culinary skills. BUT...I have tried to turn over a new leaf here. Why not use another country and a new environment as a "test tube" of my ability to cook from scratch?!

This past weekend Chris and I were craving some southern favorites...peach cobbler and cinnamon rolls. We found some easy recipes online, so we decided to use them. Chris made our peach cobbler, but I noticed that it tasted a little funny. Chris was SO proud of it that I ate it without saying a word. I thought, maybe we need some more peaches in it. Then Sunday we decided to make cinnamon rolls. As he was putting the cinnamon on the dough I asked him what he was using. His response: "Cinnamon!" I noticed that the rolls had the same weird smell as the night before, but I couldn't figure out what it was. So we baked the rolls, and they came out looking amazing (except for this weird smell). I took a bite and was completely disappointed. I said: 'They taste like taco meat!!" Chris responded: "I think your taste buds are messed up." I was already feeling a little weepy, so the combo of the cinnamon rolls tasting horrible and my not understanding why EVERYTHING tasted like taco meat (the peach cobbler included) sent me over the edge. I cried and cried and cried...over cinnamon rolls. I was SO disappointed!!!

Last night we were making our shopping list for the week, and I decided I was going to buy some new flour. I was convinced the flour was the culprit for making everything taste like taco meat. So I smelled the flour, and it smelt fine. So I decided to smell the cinnamon to see if something was wrong with it. Well...one sniff told me that whatever we had been using to spice up our peach cobbler and cinnamon rolls was in fact NOT cinnamon. I told Chris, "This isn't cinnamon!!!" He assured me it was. I said, "Cinnamon doesn't smell like this! This smells like taco meat!" The writing was in Portuguese, so after a little investigative skills, we determined that what we had used to add some spice to the cobbler and make our cinnamon rolls was in fact CUMIN and NOT cinnamon!!! So...yesterday, instead of making cinnamon and sugar rolls, we had made cumin and sugar rolls!! :) :)

I don't think we have laughed SO hard in a long time. I felt a little redeemed that maybe I could in fact make cinnamon rolls that tasted good, and Chris is going to try the cobbler again. Moral of the story...if you live in a foreign country, make sure you smell your spices before you use them. You just might make cumin rolls instead of cinnamon rolls! :) :)

Catching Up

2010-11-12T09:22:00.000-06:00

Yes...I know...it's been a while since we have posted. Please forgive us for that. We've had alot of changes over the last few weeks, but they have all been good. First, we finally got moved into our new place, which will be home for the remainder of our time here. It was such a blessing staying with the Lechners when we first got here, and I loved every moment with them. Angie was such a blessing to us (especially Amanda) during our first few weeks of pregnancy. I don't think I felt good most of the time we were there (the bouts of morning sickness and food aversions were NOT fun), but she was SO kind and understanding during all of it. If I took a bite of her food and said: "Umm...I don't think I can eat this right now." She never got frustrated or hurt..she would just remind me that she has four children of her own, and I was not out of my mind. :) :) I don't know what I would have done if God hadn't allowed for us to have that "oasis" while we were getting used to a new country (at least for Amanda) and a new place in life. Chris and I will forever be grateful!!

But...we have adjusted well to our new place AND we have a vehicle which allows for a little more "freedom." We even took a trip this week to South Africa for a border run and some MUCH need American food, which came in the form of McDonalds. I don't think I have ever craved or loved that place more!! :) :) I was quite the cheap "date" during our little get-a-way...we ate McD's 3 times. You may think: "A little obsessive!" Well...this 14 week pregnant gal has been craving it for over 6 weeks now...so it was a little overdue!! :) :) We had a wonderfully relaxing time there, and we came back refreshed and ready to finish the week.

In a couple of weeks we will head back to South Africa for a trip into Kreuger Park, which is on of the largest game reserves in the world. So, though we don't have any recent pics, be looking for some in a few weeks. We will also post some pics of Amanda's growing belly :) I'm in the stage where you look at me and think: "IS she pregnant or has she just gained alot of weight in her tummy?" I'm officially "out" of my regular pants, and into the wonderful maternity pants. Since I'm a little vertically challenged, I'm sure I will be "popping" in a few short months :) So, as the baby pooch gets bigger, I will fill in everyone on what it looks like. :)

That's all for now...more to come soon!!

Mysterious reaction....

2010-10-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone....this is Chris writing today. I've got to tell you about the last several days and how I've been battling a skin "rash" on my face. I first noticed on Sunday, while eating lunch, that the corners of my lips were sore and the plastic cup I was drinking out of, was really irritating the crease of my mouth on both sides....and I mentioned to Amanda that I was going to drink only from glasses, not plastic anymore. Well, Monday I went to school and all morning my lips were still really sore, and then that afternoon my skin just below my bottom lip began to itch like crazy, and by the time I got home Monday night, my whole chin area had become red and irritated and itched like crazy. It was hard to notice at first because I have facial hair, but there is no doubt that I was itching all around my mouth and my lips were beginning to develop little "water blisters" around the edges and felt extremely dry and burned. Well, I took some Benadryl Monday night, and when I woke up Tuesday morning to get ready for school, I looked in the mirror and did a double-take....for the man looking back in the mirror looked like Will Smith from the movie, "Hitch." Ok....maybe not quite that bad....but I'm telling you....my right eye was almost swollen shut, and both eyes looked red and puffy and I had an abnormal amount of "sleep" in the corners of both eyes.

Amanda was not impressed with my new face....and told me that I probably should stay home from school since we didn't know what was going on with my skin. Well, I took some more Benadryl and stayed home, but by Tuesday evening, I had red bumps behind my left ear, on the back of my neck, and even in the crease of my left elbow, and my eyes were still badly swollen and my cheeks were both red and splotchy and itched like crazy. Angie and Amanda decided that I should probably go to the hospital and let a doctor check it out, since 24 hours of Benadryl had not seemed to stop the reaction in the least bit.

Well, after getting some blood tests run.....and having some "steroids" given to me in a nice "little" shot in my hand...and given some "cream" to rub all over my face and neck, the doctors sent me home for the night, and asked me to come back in the morning.

Here is what my face looked like this morning.....

This was actually much better than it was Tuesday afternoon/evening.....but I went back to the doctor this morning. He was pleased with how my face looked, and gave me a prescription of "Prednisonol" to take for 2 weeks or so....and advised me to continue the "cream" as long as my face was itching.

I am so ready to get back to school, as I have been extremely bored the last two days at home. Amanda has had to substitute for two of my classes, and I know she's ready for me to get back also. But she has been incredibly supportive, and even sat at the hospital with me last night for a few hours as we waited for doctors and blood work, etc.... I love her!!

Ok....I'll keep you updated on my "condition." until next time.....

Border Run, Steak, and Maternity Jeans

2010-10-23T06:14:00.000-05:00

This week has been quite the interesting week in the life of the Walker family (all 3 of us). This has actually been the first week that I have felt pretty good the entire week. I'm still a little tired and want a nap after coming home from school, but I'm not walking around with my nose half plugged just so I don't smell anything that sets off the nausea feeling. I can take the tiredness over the nausea ANY day of the week. Sleep cures the feeling of exhaustion :) :)

We also had to make a border run this week, and what the adventure we had!! We have a 3 month, multiple entry visa, but the government only lets you stay 30 days. We had to leave the country, enter another country, and then re-enter. We left right after school on Thursday, and I was a little nervous about traveling in an un-airconditioned car with a guy I didn't know. I took a Zofran before we left (preventative medicine :) ), and off we went. Raul, a Mozambican Believer, drove us, and he was completely precious. When he found out I was pregnant he went into protective mode, which Chris and I appreciated.

The "fun" began when we got to the border. Our plan was to go to the Swaziland border and then come back into Mozambique. We had NO problems leaving the country and then entering Swaziland, but we hit a little snag trying to get our 30 day visa back into this country. The customs agent said that we had to be out of the country for 1 day, and we were in violation of that rule. Raul talked with him, waited patiently, talked with him some more, and then waited some more. The entire time this was going on, I was having a dizzy spell and trying not to pass out. Chris and I went outside to get some air, and then a few minutes later Raul came holding our passports. God had answered our prayers, and we were free to return home!! PTL!!

Then to finish out our week, yesterday (October 22) was the year "anniversary" of our engagement. So my amazing husband took me out to a REALLY nice restaurant where we had amazing garlic bread, steak, veggies, french fries (my staple), and then finished it off with a chocolate dessert. I don't tend to eat much these days, so I enjoyed the added protein of the steak, and enjoyed the time with my husband even more. Last night was also a monumental point in our pregnancy in that I actually wore maternity clothes for the first time. I received a package from my parents and sis-in-law filled with comfortable clothing. My pants have gotten tighter with each passing week, and this week it's like I went over the top...literally :) :) The clothes came at just the right time!!! The shirts are still a bit big, but I praise God for pants that don't cut off my circulation :) :)

So...to sum up this week...it was been a great one full of adventure and new steps. I love how God is growing Chris and I closer as we go through all these changes! These have been some incredibly special times for us. More to come...

The Window Within

2010-10-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

Chris and I just got back from our doctor's visit, and it was quite the eventful and MOST exciting doctor's appointment I have ever experienced. We knew we were going to have an ultrasound, but we also hoped we would hear the baby's heartbeat. God was good in that we got to experience both. We are 9 weeks and 4 days, but the little guy (or gal) is measuring 10 weeks and 5 days. Chris thinks it's a boy, and he takes after him :) :) He's already wanting to sign those football scholarships :)

BUT the amazing part was when the doctor pushed on my stomach and the little one jumped (looked like a popcorn jump), and then he waved his hands and feet back and forth really fast. Whatever the doctor did, I guess he didn't like it, AND he let us know it. :) :) I think today it finally hit home that God is growing a life in me, and we are actually parents. I know he/she is still a little thing, but there is nothing like hearing your child's heartbeat and knowing that it's a little part of you and a little part of your husband. The miracle of life astounds me!!

We have another appointment set up for October 28, and she will do another ultrasound. There is nothing wrong (she said the baby is completely healthy), but she wants to measure his/her neck to check for any abnormalities, which she completely does NOT suspect! So, in two weeks, we will get to see the little one yet again. I think we will get "spoiled" to seeing him so often.

So until then...I'm sure we will continue to update you guys on ALL the interesting things that happen during pregnancy WHILE living in Africa.

Africa, Shakespeare, Prunes, and Pregnancy

2010-10-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

So what do all of these things have in common...they are things Amanda has never experienced before now!! I love how God takes you out of your comfort zone and gives you a crash course on dependency and trust. It's not always easy, and that is what I have experienced over the last two weeks.

I knew that one day I might be pregnant overseas, but I didn't think it would be with my first. BUT God has been faithful, and HE continues to give me exactly what I need. For example, HE has given me an amazing husband and a great host family who has been so kind and patient with me. HE has also given me a mom of four kids to talk to and remind me that I am "completely normal." (at least for a pregnant woman :) ) Then today HE allowed us to find some prunes...which I normally wouldn't be thankful for, but if you have ever been pregnant, then you know what I mean!! :) :) I know that I am far from over in learning what it means to "Cast ALL my cares upon HIM because HE cares for me." I'm also a far cry away from leaning on HIM for every minor or major issue in my life. But pregnancy seems to be teaching me some of the things that I lack in my spiritual life. My husband keeps reminding me that God is good, and we will be OK. And I love him for that!!

So, if you are in a place of discomfort and wondering what God is doing...keep pressing into HIM. Though it may seem like you are experiencing all of it on your own, I'm learning that in ALL things HE is present, and HE will see you (me) through. Do I think I won't cry anymore over the newness and discomfort in my present life? Ummm...I'm pregnant...that means I cry at everything. :) :) But my prayer is that I am at least learning a little of the truth that God knows my way, and HE has orchestrated it perfectly!!!

"Day of Peace" holiday in Mozambique

2010-10-05T13:41:00.000-05:00

On October 4th, the country of Mozambique celebrates its "Day of Peace and Reconciliation" to celebrate the resolution of the brutal civil wars which officially ended in 1992. October 4th fell on a Monday this year, so we had a day off from school at CAM. Our weekend was filled with plenty of rest as well as taking in some sights and sounds from around Maputo. We'd like to give you a glimpse of our life in Maputo.

Us, with the Indian Ocean (actually Maputo Bay) behind us.

Polo Doce (cheese, chicken, corn, and green peppers) Pizza at "Surf"

Mozambican lady ordering ice cream

Go-Kart track?!?

Saturday Market

Parliament building in Maputo

the "VIP Maputo" hotel

when the tide is out, people can walk a looooong way out on the "beach"

lots of street vendors push around this type of "wheel barrow" to sell their fruits and vegetables

Once we left the city, the streets lost their "paved" character and became much more sandy and rough

Look closely and you can see a soccer field and a goal (with no nets)

rural "country" living in Machava, just outside the capital city of Maputo

typical Mozambican "country" house...notice the "fence" around the front "yard"

local church building at Boa Nova compound in Machava

Blessed with a surprise!!

2010-10-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

   To say we've had a busy last year is an understatement. From Chris coming home from Mozambique in the summer of 2009; dating, engagement, and marriage between June 2009 & January 2010; honeymoon to Hawaii; buying and renovating our first home; Chris graduating from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in May 2010; mission trips to Turkey, Iraq, and New Mexico; Amanda continuing her second year of her doctoral studies at Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth while working as Director of Women's Ministry at Cook Baptist Church in Ruston; moving to Maputo, Mozambique to teach at the Christian Academy of Mozambique in September 2010.....whew!! It's been quite a year!

   Well, the Lord had another surprise for us...we found out a few weeks ago that Amanda is pregnant, and we are expecting our first baby in May 2011. WOW! We are so excited about being parents and can't wait to see if our little "peanut" is going to be a boy or girl!?

   We will be giving birth back in Louisiana, and will have to come home the first week of April because of travel restrictions while pregnant. Because we are living in the capital city of Maputo, there is actually very good medical care, and we have already met with a OB/GYN doctor this week. The medial clinic is a brand new trauma center which has a women's clinic inside. We were very impressed with the care we received on our first trip and look forward to having our monthly checkups until we come home for Christmas, and then again in April.

The week before we left for Mozambique....this is what our "Clearblue" pregnancy test showed! And yes, Amanda took it twice....just to make sure!

Please pray for us (especially Amanda) as pregnancy in Africa is a little more intimidating than back in the comforts of home, and that Amanda's strength will continue to be enough to teach while pregnant in a new unfamiliar (and hot!) environment. Please pray for our little one, that he/she will grow up healthy and not have any problems or complications.

Our first visit to our apartment in Maputo....

2010-09-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

Here's some pics from our first visit to our apartment in Maputo. We are excited about getting the place fixed up and ready to move in!

We will live on the first floor of this house! Luke, Abby, Charlie, and Angie came with us to show us around.

the street in front of our house.

Walking down the driveway to our back door....

Amanda unlocking our back door....

I'm excited about the air conditioner in our bedroom! A luxury in Mozambique!

comfy chairs in our TV room!

Angie, Luke, and Amanda went to check out the store on the corner .

We'll post more later! Bye for now....

Praying Over Bags

2010-09-25T08:03:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! This is Chris and I wanted to share a little story about how the Lord provided a blessing on our travels over to Mozambique.

When I was purchasing our tickets to go to Mozambique, I knew that we would have a very short "layover" in Johannesburg, South Africa. According to our flight itinerary, our flight from Atlanta would land at 4:45pm and our flight to Maputo would depart at 7:10pm. While normally a 2 hour and 25 minute layover would be plenty of time, I was a little nervous because our bags had not been checked all the way through to Maputo, and I knew that claiming our bags, going through passport control, security, and then checking back in at the L.A.M. (Mozambiquean airlines) desk and then going back through all the security and finding our gate would probably be more than the time would allow. Well, on top of all that, our flight didn't actually land until 5:05pm, and we didn't get off the plane until 5:30pm. YIKES!

We walked for about 10 minutes, and came to a "cross-roads" in the airport terminal....one arrow pointed to the left towards "Passport Control" and "Baggage Claim" while the arrow to the right pointed towards "Transit," which is where we would normally go if our bags had been checked all the way through to Maputo....but remember, our bags were not.

Providentially, underneath this cross-road stood a uniformed airport official with a badge that read, "iHelp." Well, knowing that we couldn't claim our baggage and still make it to check in on time, I humbly asked for help. After showing him our baggage claim tickets, and also our e-tickets for our LAM flight to Maputo, he quickly looked at his watch and said, "Follow me." He led us toward the "Transit" line, got us through passport control and then on to the L.A.M. desk to check in. What we didn't know was that the L.A.M. desk closes at 6pm, and by this time it was 5:50pm. Whew!!....we barely made it in time to get our boarding pass.

Our new airport helper friend, Hassan, told us that he needed to hurry off and find our 4 bags, and get them checked in with L.A.M. He looked me in the eyes and said, "I will not disappoint you, my friend. I will be back in 20 minutes." Wow....Amanda and I sat down and waited patiently....I have to admit, nervously knowing that the fate of our bags was in the hands of our new "friend."

Sure enough, Hassan came back in about 20 minutes.....with the tags off our bags, and new baggage claim tickets from L.A.M. YAY!!! Well, he then told us that our bags were too heavy for the L.A.M. flight and that according to flight regulations we would owe over $1,000 in fees. What?!?! Well, come to find out, each airline places their own weight restrictions on bags, and while Delta allows 2 bags at 70 lbs each....L.A.M. only allows 30kg (66 lbs) per person! Yikes! Well, after talking with Hassan for a few minutes, he told us that he would talk to the baggage claim people and try to get them to allow our bags on for free.....well, as Hassan walked away from us, I said a little prayer, knowing that their conversation would have a large impact on our wallet!

A few minutes later, Hassan came back with a big smile on his face....saying, "Your bags are taken care of. I owe the baggage lady a Coca-cola." WHAT?!?! haha.....I laughed and told Hassan thanks! He glanced down at his watch....6:20pm. Our flight would soon be boarding, and we still had a long walk to get to our gate. "Follow me".....he said. And he took off, weaving his way through the airport traffic, knowing when to take the elevator instead of the escalator, or when to cut through the corners of a restaurant instead of going around. Hassan pointed us down the hallway towards our gate, and said he had to run off to personally get our bags on the plane. He said that if they didn't make the plane, they would be on the first flight tomorrow morning.

We arrived at our gate at around 6:45pm....immediately boarded a bus which took us out to the plane. We sat down...buckled up....and the plane began taxiing down the runway. WHEW! We just made it.....

An hour later, we landed in Maputo, made it through passport control and nervously waited at the baggage claim belt.....and thankfully saw all 4 of our bags! YAY!! Hassan was true to his word. Amanda and I said a quick prayer, thanking the Lord for providing a blessing for us on our travels. I don't know if we would have made it to Maputo on time with our new friend Hassan.....Thank you Lord!

You Know You Teach in Africa When...

2010-09-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

Today we had our "orientation" at the school. We found out that we would begin Monday morning, which is good for us. But here are some of the things I learned about being a teacher in Africa. Here's the scenario...I came here thinking that I was going to teach Bible and then ESL. But...things are always open for change!

Yesterday was a sad day for the teachers and students at CAM in that one of the teachers lost her daughter. She taught the high school literature and the 4-5th grade history. So today, I (Amanda) went from a Bible teacher to a literature teacher and maybe a history teacher. Right now Chris will take over the history classes, and I might end up taking one of the classes later in the semester. Monday morning I have to be ready to administer the Silas Marner test for the 9-10th grade, and then Tuesday I begin Macbeth with the 11-12th graders. You may ask, when was the last time I studied these? Well...I was 15 and 18...so that was 16 and 13 years ago.

This should be quite the interesting year as I adjust to the ever changing life of teaching overseas. Needless to say...I DID have a moment where I became overwhelmed, but my precious husband calmed me and reminded me of the great theory: "You only have to stay one day ahead of them!" :) :) I love that man and the encouragement he gives. So...please be in prayer for us as we begin this new adventure of teaching. You never know what will happen...

We Made It!!

2010-09-23T04:35:00.000-05:00

Well...we have finally made it to Maputo, Mozambique, our home for the next nine months. We left Tuesday at 12:00 and arrived here on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. So...needless to say, it was a LONG day. We are actually up and moving about, but I don't know how long we will make it. My prayer is that only a short nap will help keep the eyes open. Crazy thing about jet lag is that if you don't stay up then you don't sleep at night. So please pray for us AND our worn out bodies. Pray that we adjust fast, and we will be ready to serve by Monday. I promise to post pics soon...when we actually get off the couch long enough to take some :) :)

Big Changes Ahead!

2010-09-06T12:18:00.000-05:00

Well...the Modern Nomads have some huge changes ahead, but we are completely excited about it!! Wait for it... :) Chris and I will be moving to Maputo, Mozambique at the end of this month!! We are so excited about this new adventure and opportunity God has given us. Chris graduated from seminary in May, and since that time, we have been seeking Him about what He had for us. It has been a long few months of prayer, different possible opportunities coming up, and then realizing it wasn't what He wanted for us. As most of you know, Chris and I have a heart and a passion to take the gospel to the nations. We always knew that serving internationally was going to be part of our life, but we had no idea just how fast God would move us in this direction.

Chris served in Maputo before we were married, so for him, it feels like he is returning home. I've never been to Africa, so this will be a new adventure for me. We will be teaching at an international school and working alongside some of our friends in the more rural church plants. We couldn't have engineered a "job" like the one God has for us. We ask that you guys please pray for us as we make this transition. We will have internet, so we will keep up using our blog and facebook to keep up with everyone. We have two more weeks left in America before we leave, so we ask that you pray we get everything done that needs to get done. We have a few things in our home that needs to be boxed up, AND I (Amanda) have to make the Wal-mart run (which will probably take several trips). :) :)

God has been so good to give us direction as we seek Him. So...more stories to come from the Modern Nomads :)

Our New Home

Maputo

Weekend of Walkers

2010-09-02T17:32:00.000-05:00

Well...we are back on the road! It seems like the only place I blog is when we are in the car driving somewhere. This weekend we are headed to Little Rock to spend time with Chris' siblings and our cute nephew. We will stay with Craig (Chris' brother) and Nicole and then see Cara Beth (Chris' sister) and Brent tomorrow. We are excited about a weekend away from "regular" life. It's always nice to change your scenery a little and slow down a little. We will head back Saturday and go straight to the LA TECH vs. Grambling game. It should be quite the football game with TECH beating Grambling in the football game, but Grambling dominating in the battle of the bands. :) :) At least it should prove to be quite entertaining. Hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!

Sunsets, whales, and big waves....

2010-09-02T13:34:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, this is Chris....and I am finally contributing to our blog! I thought it might be interesting to post some our beautiful pics we took while on our honeymoon at Maui, Hawaii, in January 2010. I know this is from a few months ago, but we hope you enjoy....

Quick stop while driving on the Highway to Hana.

looking down the 300ft cliff in our backyard!

This is the view from our back porch

the grocery store we shopped at while staying just outside Paia

We went searching for "JAWS"...the famous surf on the Northshore of Maui. We think we found it!

One of many beautiful waterfalls we spotted while on the Highway to Hana.

While driving in the "Upcountry," looking down at Wailea-Makena & Kihei.

Dinner at Mama's Fish House....Yummy!

Amanda wrote our names in the sand while waiting for the "Feast at Lele" to start.

Enjoying the picture perfect sunset at the Feast of Lele.

Whale watching with this great organization.

We saw at least 5 whales and got some great video, but this was the only picture that came out decent....a "pec slap."

On our whale watching expedition!

The entrance gate to where we stayed on Maui!

This flower was near our front door....big, bright, and beautiful!

Zumba Once...YAY, Zumba Twice...Umm...Zumba Three Times...

2010-08-26T20:43:00.000-05:00

This week I have embarked on a new adventure...ZUMBA. In case you don't know what Zumba is...it is a combination between aerobics and salsa dancing. Since I've never been good at either of those, I decided I would jump in (or dance in) feet first and see how it went.

The first night my friend and I laughed the entire time. We found it to be quite entertaining, and though I was sweating like nothing else, I was having fun. I don't think my hips have ever tried to move that fast. It was all this hip, feet, and arm motion AND it was hilarious. Sooo...we decided to go back. Tonight was round two...and for some reason it wasn't as fun. There was still hip action and feet action, but I couldn't keep a beat to save my life. I kept thinking: "I'm about to either twist my knee on this non-slick gym floor, or I'm going to throw a hip or shoulder out." :) :) So, after our two tries at Zumba, my friend and I have decided that walking, basic and boring as it is, might be more our style.

So for all of you Zumba lovers out there...Amanda Walker DID try. AND she realized that she is a Baptist, white, non-rhythmic, gal who just isn't cool enough for Latin aerobics :) :) Glad I figured it out before I threw that hip...

On the Road Again...

2010-08-19T17:48:00.000-05:00

Well...we are off on another adventure this weekend. As I type, Chris and I are in the car headed to Dallas for a Walker family getaway! (Only one missing will be Cara Beth and Brent...we will miss them!!) Craig, Chris' brother, turned 30 this week, and this was supposed to be a surprise for him...all the family meeting in Dallas. But he, like all the Walker men, is quite intelligent and figured it out. The guys (minus Landon...the 6 week old) are going to play golf Saturday, and the gals are going to go shopping. I'm not a big shopper, so I hope my job is making sure Landon is having fun :) I can do the baby watching thing :) :) But ya never know...I may just do a little shopping...

One great thing about Dallas is the incredible restaurants. Louisiana has some amazing food, but it has horrible Mexican food. I'm just excited to eat some good 'ol Mexican food...yummm!!! So...we're on the road again!!

Craig and Landon

Classes, Cowtown, and a Wedding

2010-08-07T21:16:00.000-05:00

This has been one whirlwind of a week, but most of our weeks are like that. Amanda is in her second year of doctorate work, so this week was the infamous week in Ft. Worth, Texas for classes. The fun part was that Chris got to come along and keep me company when class was over. He has several friends in the Metroplex, so he stayed pretty busy during the day...visiting friends, moving furniture in 106 degree weather, and then waiting for me to get out of class. Since our vacation was technically the first two weeks in January for our Honeymoon to Hawaii, we considered this a sort of vacation week...minus the classes, schoolwork in the evenings, and the mental brain exhaustion at the end of the day. (Side Note: Hawaii was beautiful, but be careful NOT to spend all your vacation time the first month of the year! Makes for a very long year :) ) Anyways...it was good to be around friends this week, and have the challenge that comes along with classes.

We also had a wedding in family. Cari Ritchie (Chris' cousin) was married this evening to a great guy named Jake. We had a blast hanging out with the Walker/Ritchie bunch and it was just good to be together. It's crazy that we live only 45 minutes down the road, and we still do not get to see them. His family is a pretty big family, and they are quite precious.

Blessings to Cari and Jake as they begin new life together...you are in for the ride of your life! Enjoy every moment!!!

Enjoy some pics from the week...

An amazing little restaurant in Grapevine.

The precious couple: Jake and Cari

The Ritchie Family (Lacy, Jena, Cari and Jerry)

Amanda watching Jerry line dance at the rehearsal dinner :)

Welcoming Emmalane Grace

2010-07-29T23:03:00.000-05:00

Today has been one of the craziest days I have experienced in a while. It started with a call from my mom around 8:15 this morning telling me that my sister was experiencing some cramping, and she was taking her to the hospital. Cherry was a month from her due date, so we were all quite scared. I ran to Cherry's house to take care of her other daughter, Taylor, until someone got there. In the meantime we called Jeremy, her husband, and told him he needed to get to the hospital ASAP.

At this point we didn't know if she was in "normal" labor or if the baby was in distress. (She had a scheduled C-section with Taylor, so she never experienced labor pains.) I got to the hospital around 9:40, and was greeted with a swarm of nurses and doctors running around like crazy. Cherry was definitely in labor, and she got to the hospital in just enough time. (For those who care to know...she was already 10 centimeters dilated and Emmalane was already "crowning.") Jeremy showed up about 15 minutes later, and all was set to have this little girl. At 10:05 a.m. Emmalane Grace Shaw made her grand appearance, weighing in at 5lb and 9 oz.

Yes...you read that correctly, from the time she entered the hospital to the time she had Emma was a whopping 30 minutes!! There was no time for pain meds or anything...just time for Emma to not be born on I-20. (I'm tired just re-telling that! :) )

She is absolutely precious, and she has already stolen all of our hearts! God is so good, and He reminds us that HIS timing in always perfect. Mommy and baby are doing great, and God has added to our family a blessing beyond blessings!

Enjoy some pics from the day...

Introducing Emmalane Grace

Taylor (Big Sister) and Aunt Mimi waiting to see Emmalane

Micah (my nephew) getting in on the action

What a blessed, surprising day for the Shaw/Taylor family!!

Birthdays and Baby Showers

2010-07-20T13:39:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a busy weekend, but it was filled with time with the family. We celebrated by little nephew's 1st Birthday...complete with cake and ice cream. He's not a big fan of cake (what in the world), but he does like any other type of food you hand his way. He is such a precious little guy, and it's SO hard to believe that he is already walking, "talking," and showing his "Taylor" side. He has his daddy's hilarious personality and his mommy's wit. I don't have any pictures of him with the cake, but I do have one that totally shows off his little personality.

I affectionately call this the "chill" picture, and it makes me smile every time I look at it.

Then Kim (my sis-in-law) and I hosted a baby shower for my sister. She will be having her second little girl, Emmalane Grace, in about a month. We had a blast getting things ready, and she learned that I have absolutely ZERO creativity. She made a diaper cake, lolly pops made out of wash rags, and painted this precious box. I am SO thankful for people like her...she made it look good.

Wreath made by Brandie

Food Table (I did help out with this)

The Walker's Week

2010-07-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you wish it would either end or you could start all over again?! Well that's how this week has been in the Walker household. Amanda has been sick most of the week with that lovely summer cold that seems to be making its way around Ruston. After 5,000 Kleenexes, 2 antibiotics, 2 shots, and an inhaler...I may be on the mend. I didn't know that a nose could blow that many times and still remain attached to your face. I think it has swollen to twice its size, but they tell me it WILL go down. :)

But in the midst of dealing with that (and as a result of the steroid shot) I did cook Chris one of the best meals of our married life this week. We had salmon, pasta, green beans, and rolls...be impressed...be very impressed!! Actually, Chris was so impressed with it that he took a picture :) Poor thing, I'm not much of a cook, but I think he likes it when I give it a shot.

Aren't you Amazed?! (I personally would have out it on the red plate for the picture :) )

So it's just now Wednesday...and this is where we are. I'm anxious to see what happens to the rest of the week. You never know around here...

Blessings of Family...

2010-07-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

This has been quite the busy week for the Walker clan, but it has been an incredible week. Monday our little nephew was born, and he is SO precious. I loved watching Chris be in awe of the little guy. Just a few minutes ago he commented that he missed Landon. I'm thinking regular trips to Little Rock will soon be on the agenda for us. Then last night our friends, Grant and Corrie, came back through Ruston, and we were able to spend more time with them. We played some hilarious board games and laughed til we cried...literally. And then today is our other nephew's (my brother and sis-in-law's son) FIRST birthday. Micah has been such a wonderful and blessed addition to our family. Kim (his mommy) put a wonderful tribute to him on it, so I will let you read it for yourself. (Click here) He is SO precious, and he makes me smile every time I am around him. Happy Birthday Little Man!

God has really blessed these Modern Nomads beyond what we could ever hope or imagine. He has been SO good to us!!! I can't wait to see what God has in store for us...

Enjoy the pics of the past week!

Craig, Nicole, and Landon

Uncle Biggs and Landon discussing football

Nap Time

The Weekend of Waiting

2010-07-01T17:09:00.000-05:00

We had such a fun time with Corrie and Grant. I think at one point I saw the boys' eyes glaze over and wish we would stop talking : ) It's always fun to hear what is going on in someone's life and then pray over them. They will be coming back through next week, so the boys might as well get ready!

This weekend is a BIG weekend for the Walker clan. The first grand baby should be born between now and Monday. This little guy (Landon Andrew) has been anxiously waited on for 9 solid months, and we are SO ready to see his precious face. Please be in prayer for Craig and Nicole...the parents of this little one. We will all gather Sunday for a Fourth of July Celebration at Brent and Cara Beth's house, and then make our way to the hospital Monday morning to wait for Landon's arrival. I love the miracle of seeing new life come into the world...and it makes it even sweeter when he/she is part of your family.

So the weekend of waiting begins...

House Guests

2010-06-30T17:08:00.000-05:00

We will have our second set of house guests today, and we are so excited! Grant and Corrie from Lubbock, TX will join us for a brief stay. Corrie and Amanda served overseas during the same years, and then went to graduate school together. It's been amazing to watch how God has worked in both of our lives, giving us a new status (that of wifehood), and brought new challenges in our lives...ALL within a year. It will be fun to sit and talk about what has happened in the last few months as both of us have adjusted to married life. I love when God gives us these little surprise blessings!

Now pray our husbands can handle the night full of talking and laughing...I think they will do OK! : ) Sadly...this picture tells ALL :)

Welcome to Our Blog

2010-06-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

We've thought alot about beginning a blog, and I've even started one a few times. But I've not stuck with it. So this is the Walker's attempt at blogging. It will be a record of our life...and you never know what we might decide to blog about. We hope it will be an encouragement to all who read. So...WELCOME to the Modern Nomads blog. Enjoy!!