A letter from Nancy Dimmock in Lesotho
August, 2011
Dear Friends,
Ministry of Hope toddler cuddling with new dad.
We had intended to write in June, but time and events got away from us! We left Lesotho on the kids’ last day of school — July 1. It was a crisp, dry winter afternoon, and our eight-seater rental van had nine people in it plus luggage for a year away. It was reminiscent of the Beverly Hillbillies as we crossed the border into South Africa, headed to Johannesburg!
That morning, as we were finalizing our packing, the adoptive family of one of Ministry of Hope’s precious foster kids arrived for the “hand over,” which took place in our family room. Alifa had baked an apple cake for the occasion the night before. And son Nathan and his fiancée, Leah, who were visiting (one of God’s great gifts!) had cleaned and organized the room with a tea tray and a toy box. It was so special to witness the welcoming, unconditional love of this family for their new child, and her at-first-tentative, then dawning understanding of belonging. By the time they left, she was firmly established as “daddy’s girl.” What joy.
Katie's 21st birthday in London.
As they were just beginning their required two-week sojourn in Lesotho, we were leaving. We flew out of Johannesburg that weekend, and landed the next morning in London, England! I’m sure we were a spectacle—seven of us (Leah and Nathan had flown directly back to the United States) dragging our bedraggled selves with backpacks and roll-ons through the narrow village street to our hotel. We figured out the “tube” system and celebrated daughter Katie’s 21st birthday on July 5 with a cruise along the River Thames and a ride on the “London Eye,” which gave us a bird’s-eye view of the whole city. Wonderful.
That evening we flew over to Belfast to spend a few days with son Moses. He has been serving in Northern Ireland as a Young Adult Volunteer in reconciliation ministry, and it was great to see the sights and meet some of the people who have meant a lot to him this past year. We also had a wonderful reunion with longtime friends who had served with us in Malawi.
Moses at Carrickfergus castle, Northern Ireland.
We said “goodbye” to Moses and got on our fourth airplane to fly across the Atlantic to the U.S. of A. We all had a giggle over the immigration officer’s “Welcome back, ya’ll!” We knew that we had entered the South. Daughter Jesse (who now lives and works in Atlanta), a niece of Frank’s, my parents, and a close family friend were there to meet us. There were lots of hugs and exclamations over how much the kids have grown. Then, still dressed in long sleeves from wintertime Lesotho, we walked out of the airport into a sauna of an Atlanta summer evening. Wow, it was hot. But a quick visit to the missionary clothes closet the next morning outfitted us ALL in plenty of summer wear. What a blessing!
So we’re BACK and looking forward to seeing many of you during this year of interpretation assignment. We will be staying at Mission Haven in Decatur, Ga., again, to maintain some consistency for our kids. Let us know if you would like for us to come to speak at your church during the year. The best way to contact us is through email.
9/10ths of the Dimmock Family in the U.S. July 2011.
Exactly one month after finishing school in Lesotho, our four younger kids started back to school in Decatur ... They, and we, are still in that head-spinning, re-entry experience of multiple choices, sensory overload, different expectations, and overall cultural adjustment. Thank you for your prayers.
Sincerely,
Frank and Nancy Dimmock and family
167 Inman Drive, Decatur, GA 30030
The 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 73
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