We have some exciting news!

Dear friends and family,

We have some exciting news—news that has been quietly growing in our hearts for a long time! After years of prayer, conversations, and careful preparation, we are stepping into a new chapter of life. Later this year, we will be moving from Arizona to Kenya, East Africa, where we will serve as teachers and dorm parents at Rift Valley Academy. Our hope is to be on a plane the first week of August, settle into our new home, and be ready to welcome students when the school term begins in September. Between now and then, however, there is a great deal to do as we begin the process of closing one chapter and preparing for another.

As many of you know, Nathan and I are both teachers in the Chandler Unified and Mesa Public School districts. For the past seven years, we have poured our time, energy, and hearts into the students and communities here in Arizona. Leaving our classrooms at the end of this school year in May will not be easy. The relationships we’ve built—with students, colleagues, and families—mean a great deal to us, and saying goodbye will be one of the hardest parts of this transition.

In many ways, this season feels like standing between two worlds. We are deeply excited about what lies ahead and the opportunity to serve in a place that means so much to us. At the same time, we feel the bittersweet weight of leaving behind a home filled with memories, routines we love, and the people who have shaped our lives here. Over the coming months, we will be packing up our house, stepping away from commitments, and slowly saying goodbye to friends and family. Starting a completely new life on another continent is both exhilarating and a little daunting—but we trust that this is the path God is leading us on.

So Why RVA?

RVA holds a special place in both of our stories. It is the school where Nathan and I spent our own childhood years. Rift Valley Academy serves missionary families across Africa by providing a place where their children can receive a strong education while their parents continue their work throughout the continent.

Because we lived this experience ourselves, we understand what it feels like to be a teenager at a boarding school far from home. We remember the excitement, the homesickness, the friendships, and the adults who stepped in to encourage, guide, and care for us during those formative years. Those memories have stayed with us, and they are a big part of why we feel called to return—this time not as students, but as the people who will walk alongside the next generation.

We are humbled and grateful for the opportunity to invest in these young lives, to create a place where students feel known and supported, and to be a steady presence for them while their parents serve in ministry throughout Africa. As we step into this unknown season, we are filled with anticipation for how God will work in ways we cannot yet see.

Join Us On This Adventure

Would you like to follow along on our journey? We would love to share it with you! Over the coming months, we will be posting updates on social media as we prepare for this transition—what it looks like to pack up a life, say goodbye to a community we love, and prepare for a new home across the world. Once we arrive in Kenya, we look forward to sharing glimpses of daily life, the students we’ll meet, and the experiences that will shape this new chapter.

Thank you for the love, encouragement, and prayers you have already given us. We are grateful to have so many people walking alongside us as we take this step of faith.

With gratitude,

Tina -for the Smiddy family