I stumbled upon the following list of questions several years ago somewhere on the internet (for the life of me, I can't remember who deserves the credit!). They have served Danny and me as a great prompt for some thoughtful reflection and road-trip conversation during our recent Indiana visit, and I thought I'd pass them along... perhaps they can be of benefit to you as well! Happy New Year!

Bursting the Bubble: No One Has It All Together.

A single friend of mine recently confessed that although he had faithfully prayed for us while we were engaged, he assumed that Danny and I no longer needed his prayers now that we’re married.  “The hard part, after all, is the wedding.  Now that they’re married, they’ve got it made in the shade!”  I laughed out loud.  That couldn’t be farther from the truth, unless by “shade” he meant “darkness,” which is where Danny & I have found ourselves much of the past seven months since our wedding.

But, from the single perspective, it’s easy to think that married people have it all together.  From the married perspective, it’s easy to think that [the hip moms with the gorgeous blogs, the home-remodelers who can DIY everything, and the girl you follow on instagram with the better fashion, cooler life, and longer legs than you could dream of] have it all together.

And... if I’m honest, from this blog’s perspective, it’s easy to think that Danny and Amanda, with their safaris and beaches and exotic world travels, have it all together.

WRONG. 

NO ONE HAS IT ALL TOGETHER.

Friends, we are doing ourselves a grave disservice to paint such false pictures of reality that produce pride in our own hearts and discontentment and jealousy in the hearts of others looking on.  It is unhealthy, ungodly, and simply UNTRUE.

So, in an attempt to be honest--to be a different voice in the noise-- I present to you the real Danny and Amanda Seibert.

(We actually keep a folder of "FAIL" pictures to pull out from time to time for a good laugh and a much-needed dose of humility.  We are not nearly as cool as we sometimes like to think!) :-)

The truth is, real life is not picture-perfect.  For anyone.  It’s messy and complicated and often requires so many “instagram filters” that it no longer even resembles reality.  And I fear we are missing something really beautiful here.

We are broken people in a broken world in desperate need of a Savior.

We travel to exotic places and get amoebas and parasites.  We love and marry and struggle with depression.  We live a dream and are plagued with nightmares.  This is real life... even for married people.

We seek health and find no answers.  We seek God and feel His silence.  We lose what is dear to us and find ourselves clinging all the more to what can never be taken away from us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:35-39)

So we do not lost heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

And this is the beauty of brokenness... it's all reminding us just how "not together" we really are.  Suffering, not ease, is the means by which we discover our need for God, and we lift these shattered pieces of our lives and cry out for Him to put us back together again.  And when all is said and done, we find ourselves standing, immoveable, on the Rock of Ages.

Instagram that.

Home Sweet Home

From April to August...

In our short four months of marriage, I think we've slept in about 28 different places-- on trains, planes, and buses, tree houses and hotels, and in the homes of sweet friends (and gracious parents!), just to name a few. While this made for some amazing and unforgettable experiences, we are so thankful now to be settled into one place for a while!

Home sweet home on Morning Sun Drive.

And now for my mom and sisters who've asked for a tour...

Our landlady says she heated the whole house with just the fireplace in the winter!

Our gorgeous bed made by my father.

And my favorite part...

Last week I came home from babysitting to find this... twinkly vintage lights strung from the ceiling, fresh summer flowers, and a candle-lit dinner for two on our new patio table. MY HUSBAND IS AMAZING! :-)

We've already eaten most of our meals out here and plan to get lots of use out of this patio.

So, there ya have it... come and visit us soon!

Around the World in 90 Days

We're back in the USA! Arrived just in time for a beautiful wedding reception in my parents' home town (what a grand welcoming with so many dear friends and family!)...

...and a wonderful week with my family at a camp in northern Michigan (my grandparents met here in 1948, and I don't think the Lehmans have missed a week since!).

Tomorrow, we'll pack up our U-haul and head back to Birmingham, Alabama, for the foreseeable future... not totally sure what's ahead, but we are so thankful for these past four months and eagerly anticipating what's yet to come!

We put together this little highlights video for the reception, and I thought I'd share it on here as well... enjoy!

Happiness.

I can't imagine a more perfect way to end our trip! More to come later, but we're on our way back to the States tomorrow and have one last date night in Europe to enjoy. :-) Avoir!

Sipi Falls

Ever since the first time I visited Sipi Falls, I knew I had to bring my wife some day. It's no doubt one of my favorite places in the world... Quaint cottages are seated at the base of a series of massive waterfalls, and the tranquility of it all makes it like paradise. One friend here put it well, “It’s perfection.”

Amazing food...

... breathtaking scenery...

... ample hiking opportunities (and my we are out of shape!).

My favorite coffee is grown here, and I blame Sipi Falls for turning into a coffee snob!

With this, we complete the African leg of our journey. Our bags are packed and the taxi is waiting to take us to the airport. We're looking forward to a few days in Europe before heading home to see our families!

Arise Africa

Last week, Danny took me out to Arise Africa's orphanage in Bukaleba, where he helped install a water pump system back in 2009. We bounced along bumpy red dirt roads to a small village about 40 miles outside Jinja....

...and, after after several goat crossings and a traffic jam of sugarcane trucks, we arrived two hours later at this property, with a stunning view of Lake Victoria.

He then drug me through jungly paths, up a mountain and down the other side again, to the natural water source where the well was installed. Major "toughness points" for Danny for walking that path every day with pipes, bricks, and cement! My husband is amazing! :-)

Four years later, the pump now serves an orphanage and primary school for about 60 Ugandan children.

During our week in Jinja, we also met a few of his old co-workers...

...had our world-views rocked in the slums with our dear friends, the Boones...

...and enjoyed both the quiet waters...

 ...and the raging rapids of the Nile River.

As I experience more of Danny's life here in Africa, my admiration for him continues to grow and grow. We are so thankful for this trip and for all of the opportunities to share these experiences together!

Jinja, Uganda.

It’s so great to experience Danny’s life here in Africa, which so far has involved a LOT of coffee… I'm not complaining! :-)

Source Café.

Enjoyed a wonderful week of physical recovery and reconnecting with the Greenes in Kampala...

 (love this family!!!!)

...and a perfect weekend, together with both the Greenes and the Boones, on an exotic island in the middle of the Nile River. We had to take a canoe to get there. Is this real life?!

Lazy mornings and lingering breakfast conversations...

Danny's other girlfriend... how could I possibly compete with that cuteness?! ;-)

"Supermoon" over the Nile.

What a privilege to be initiated into this special family!

We have been so encouraged by these dear friends and so challenged by their example of surrender, sacrifice, and ultimate satisfaction in following Christ. They have counted the cost, and their lives scream, “HE IS WORTHY!” Truly it is an honor to know them.

On our last morning, Danny and I slipped away to a quiet corner of the island to pray together and, more specifically, to seek God's leading in the looming life decisions only three weeks from now when this trip ends. As we were sitting there, we noticed Jeremy and his daughter, Gloria, hand-in-hand on a great "father-daughter adventure" across the Nile. Danny commented that if 8-year-old Gloria were on her own, she would (and should!) be terrified-- the current is too strong and there are crocodiles lurking nearby. Indeed, how foolish and fearful it would be for Gloria to cross that river alone. And yet, she is safe in the hand of her father. She turns around to wave and flash us a huge smile, with all the confidence of a little girl enjoying a wild adventure with her dad.

We're still not exactly sure what our next step will look like-- where we will live or what we will do just three weeks from now-- but we cast off our anxieties, knowing that we are safe in the hand of our Father. He has led us to this point, and we trust that He will continue to lead us every step of the way. And what a wild adventure it has already been! :-)

Seiberts on Safari!

I’m ashamed to admit how much my view of Africa has been shaped by The Lion King, so that with every similarity I’m saying, “Oh, that’s just like The Lion King!” and with every difference I’m surprised.

Danny and I enjoyed a classic safari experience, greeted by Masai warriors…

 …who led us to our amazing honeymoon suite (probably the nicest place we have or ever will stay!).

Lunch with the hippos…

Game drives in the Masai Mara…

Unfortunately, the sickness of the last month wasn’t quite finished like we’d hoped, and once again we found ourselves plagued by those unwanted Indian “souvenirs.” Thankfully, there were a few kind doctors on our safari from Tenwek Mission Hospital (where Danny had helped with some engineering projects a few years ago). So, on our way out to Uganda, they escorted us to great medical care. We were so impressed by Tenwek’s heart and mission statement, “We treat, Jesus heals."

Four days (and one shared “newlywed” prescription of Flagyl) later, we are finally both feeling well and crossing our fingers that this time it will last.

We are now in Kampala, Uganda, loving our time with Danny’s dear friends, the Greenes. Their kids absolutely adore “Uncle Danny,” and they have all made us feel like part of the family. I am so thankful to finally meet this precious family I have heard so much about!