Are you taking the baby?!?

This is a question we get pretty often...no, I'm not kidding.  We mention we're moving to Madagascar and the next question is, "What are you doing with Ryleigh?".  It's gotten to where it's somewhat comical to us for people to ask.  We almost expect people to ask us instead of finding it surprising anymore.  So...for those of you who still may not know exactly where we're going and what all this packing/crating stuff is for - this post is for you! ** FYI - since this post is about things that are to come - I'll be filling in with adorable pictures of Ryleigh :) **

We're headed to VA on April 25th.  We'll be in training for 8 weeks.  This training will help us prepare for life and ministry overseas.  July 1st is our leave date for Madagascar.  That's right Madagascar...it is a real place and not just an animated children's movie :)  Mada is located off the southeast coast of Africa.  It is actually the 4th largest island in the world and its landmass is a little smaller than the state of Texas.  The population of the entire island is around 20 million.  There is a wide variety of geography on the island as well.  The eastern side of the island has rain forests, the central part has lots of hills and mountains, and the western side has deserts.

Upon arriving in Mada, we'll spend a couple of weeks adjusting to the time difference (8 hours) and making a few purchases in the capital.  We'll then move to the town of Antisaribe - this is where we'll be in language school.  Steve and I will be learning Malagasy (the language of the island).  We'll be in class about 4 hours a day for 4 days a week.  The afternoons will be spent immersing ourselves in the language - visting the market, sitting and conversing with others, etc.  This is the house we'll be in during our time at language school.

After language school, we'll move to Tulear.  This is the closest town to our people group - the Mahafaly.  Tulear is where we will live during the remainder of our 1st term (about 3 years).  There are no Walmarts or Mcdonalds - BUT we will have electricity and indoor plumbing :)  Yes, we'll need to filter all of our water and no there are no singing penguins (even though that might be fun!).  Honestly - how could you even ask if we're taking along this precious little girl?