Welcome to our Crossing Over Africa blog! Part 2

Meet Darak and Zamaryah Batzalal - Our New Names

Welcome black! In this post, I’ll be sharing Part 2 of our Crossing Over Africa story. In my previous post, I shared how Darak and I experienced significant spiritual and personal transformations. In light of our transformative journey, we've adopted new names – Darak and Zamaryah Batzalal. These names hold deep meaning and signify our spiritual evolution. In the span of five years, The Most High has completely reshaped our marriage, our finances, our health, our diet, and most importantly our spiritual man. And the work is still happening. Having gone through such a life-changing experience, we were both compelled to reassess the very names we go by. We have changed so drastically from the people we used to be, that we thought it fitting to seek out new names. Names that are more in line with the path we're on. Darak (Daw-rak) means “road, path, way.” Batzalal means “in Yah’s shadow.” It’s also the name of the chief artisan and master craftsman in the Old Testament who helped construct the Ark of the Covenant and oversaw the building of the Tabernacle.  Zamar (Zaw-mar) is the Hebrew word for “to sing, sing praise, make music” and Yah is short for Yahuah (YHWH) — the name of the God of Abraham, Isaach, and Jacob. 

If you could choose a new name for yourself, what would it be, and what would it represent?

A Family Business Beckons

Amid all this spiritual and personal growth, we also began to experience growth in our professional lives. In 2021, I was contacted by my former employer in Chicago about a remote on-call position they wanted me to consider. I agreed to return to work part-time and I was able to work from Georgia since the company had adopted remote work policies post-pandemic. I believe this opportunity was The Most High’s way of easing me back into a “business working” mindset in preparation for the next step our family was embarking on. 

Now, here's where things get exciting. Darak has decided to fulfill a lifelong desire of his, to start a family business. After nearly two decades in the video gaming industry as an animation artist, Darak is following the professional path The Most High has set before him and walking in it. As a wife, I couldn’t be more proud. It’s such a big decision, but we’re both all in. As people of faith, it will come as no surprise that much prayer and consideration went into this decision. As a matter of fact, it’s through this process that our company name was birthed. PKYULYR. “What’s that say?!” you might be asking yourself.

Pronounced “peculiar.” That’s the name The Most High gave us for this company. We love everything about it! It’s such an accurate representation of who we are as a family as well as the desire we have for our company to provide unique and individualized services for our future clients.

What's your dream career or business venture? Have you ever taken a leap of faith to pursue it?

The Path to Tanzania - A Journey Beyond Comfort Zones

All these major life changes have brought with them a new way of life and an entirely new outlook on the world. Part of the renewing that’s taken place in our family, has manifested in the realization that The Most High wants more from us. He is taking us completely out of our comfort zone. We thought those five years of “reworking” us was the end goal. Little did we know, that was just the warm-up for the mighty task He's prepared for us. 

At the end of October 2023, our family will relocate to Tanzania, Africa!

We’re extremely excited to embark on this incredible journey. Much of our experiences leading up to our trip, and after we arrive, will be documented on this blog. We’ll be sharing stories and insights we’ve learned and are still learning. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest happenings and sign up for our e-newsletter to receive notifications on our latest blog posts. 

Also, drop by our YouTube channel Crossing Over Africa.

We’ll be sharing our journey through vlogs and interviews with all the beautiful people we encounter. There’ll be plenty of tips and advice on what life abroad can look like for families like ours. 

Have you ever felt called to pursue a mission or journey outside your comfort zone? What was it, and how did it impact you?

Thank you for joining us on this extraordinary journey of transformation, faith, and family. We can't wait to share our story with you, and we look forward to hearing yours as well. 

Thanks so much for reading.