"Our Story"

OK, OK, so it wasn't quite that storied. Anne and I actually met in an airport in Boston as part of a group hike going to Colorado. But we did make a lifelong connection amongst the rugged peaks that make up the backbone of the Continental Divide in Colorado.

Anne has a wonderful way with people, I could tell that right away. I was thrilled of course when she accepted my offer of going out on a date when we returned to New England. We had a common bond as Christians.......imagine finding someone that loved the Lord and loved to hike!

When we climbed to the 14,300 foot high Mt Lincoln it was the end of a great trip and the beginning of a journey.

Time passed, we dated and that summer we climbed to Maine's highest peak (Mt Katahdin.) I shared some favorite spots like West Quoddy Head lighthouse on the coast of Maine and she did too.

In May of 2002 Anne travelled to Kenya to spend five weeks with Kenya Evangelical Mission. "Hoyt and Lois Osborne" were her hosts in Kangundo and together they visited many churches. Anne hosted health seminars (she is an RN who is a diabetes educator.) From bustling Tala to tiny Mwala she saw and screened more than 500 people for diabetes and high blood pressure. She wrote a heartfelt letter about her experiences in Kenya, you can see it "Here".

Just weeks after Anne returned from Kenya we went on a short term missions trip to a village in Haiti. Danita Estrella's "Hope for Haiti" was building a new school so we went to help out. We spent allot of time in the orphanage and had a wonderful time with the children, during that trip I decided to propose to Anne.

And on September 2002 atop a wonderful place called the Zeacliffs in the heart of the Pemigewasset wilderness among New Hampshire's White Mountains, I did just that. She said yes and we completed a memorable 3 day hut to hut trip over many peaks.

During a blizzard on January 4th 2003 in front of many hardy souls we were married.

In August of 2004 we decided to return to Kenya on a short term missions trip to Kangundo. Anne would again serve in screening and educating people about the dangers of diabetes, high BP and HIV. My role was in the childrens ministry.

Thanks mostly to Lois and Eric (who translated faithfully each day) we brought a message of hope, love and grace. I was able to teach them some new games while teaching several "Sunday School" type lessons.

Anne was thrilled to see several old faces who had followed her guidelines and were living a more healthy lifestyle. She saw overwhelming numbers of people come to be tested at 8 different churches. She answered the questions she could and sent many to doctors for treatment. One lady who had very high BP was taken to Nairobi hospital and was doing much better when we left. Another woman at Bethany church with very high blood sugar is now being treated with medicine and is also feeling better. We feel so blessed to have been able to go and serve in Kenya.

We’ll carry the memories of this trip with us for a long time….Sunsets over Kilimanjaro, the sounds of a thousand zebras drifting over the quiet winds of the plain….. East African smiles….a huge baboon who invited himself to lunch and ran off with our cookies….teaching of Jesus love under the dusty shade of a Mango….. Showing Muia and Musau how American football is played and then later that day hearing Muia tell Anne, “Me I will miss you.” Africa gets into your heart and mind, it’s amazing how the way of life there affects you

We attend Bethany Church in Greenland NH near the coast. This is a bit of a ride from our home in Sandown but I wanted to introduce a niece and nephew (who live nearby) to a Christian church. Willow Creek association recommended Bethany highly. We've become members of the "church on the hill" and love it.

Our home is in the northern part of Sandown, a sleepy little town smack dab in the middle of Manchester and Portsmouth. Our beloved White Mountains are only two hours away. Want to come Hike with us?

Thanks, Anne and Jim Lombard.

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Brand new to this website are my Grandfather's Stories

Hiking | Kenya Evangelical Mission | The College