Following the Historic Cane River Road

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

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...

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

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...

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?

     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?

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! :) :)