Archives
I used to believe the phrase “death knell” meant “death nail,” thinking it came from the final nail hammered into a coffin during burial. It’s interesting to learn that a death knell is actually the bell rung to signify a death. I remember as a child, my church would ring the bell when a member passed away, which always felt so touching. Reflecting on my own experiences in 2025, there are multiple… Read More
Even though there are plenty of funny memes on Facebook showing people with black eyes after making it through 2024, I’ve got to say, we had a pretty great year! Sure, we faced our fair share of challenges, just like everyone else navigating the ups and downs of 2024. But I genuinely believe we came out stronger by the end of it all. Let’s look at some examples that show just how… Read More
As a child, my mom set up bulletin boards in the school hallway that changed every month, often reflecting a holiday or theme for the month. In March, she stuck to the same theme every year: “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” For those unfamiliar with this saying, it implies that if the weather is terrible at the start of March, it will improve by the… Read More
It has been eight months since we arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and we are ready for visitors! While we are still “settling” into our new home, we wanted everyone to know that we want visitors! “Settling in” hasn’t been easy as we are still waiting on our personal effects to arrive so we can be comfortable in our new home but that should not stop you from hoping on an… Read More
Moving is stressful! Anyone who has ever had to pack up their house and move to a new location knows how stressful moving can be! And moving between countries has its own level of stress and challenges. Sheila and I moved out of our apartment in South Africa on December 13, 2021, and we (or rather I) moved into our Tanzanian apartment on January 12, 2022. Now, in all honesty, there was… Read More
2021 was a very challenging year for the Barnes Family. We started the year in Mount Vernon, Alabama, eventually made our way to Kigali, Rwanda and finally returned to our home in South Africa in October. During this time, we made three trips to the US and took a much-needed vacation to Dubai. Sentell also had to travel to Tanzania for work twice. A baby dedication ceremony was held for Levi at… Read More
A FREDAY in AFRICA! 