Category Archives: Personal

Pleasant surprise!

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We received a care package from my mom recently which included several bags my mom made for the kids.  But it also included Frosted Flakes and Parmesan cheese (the kind in a shaker…not fresh!).  The Parmesan cheese was used that night on the pasta we had and we had cereal the next morning.  I felt like a kid again having Frosted Flakes with toast (a little cinnamon and sugar on top of course)!

It also included several other nice surprises….mac & cheese mix, coffee, stationary, hard candy and much more.  Most were items I wouldn’t have thought of asking for but enjoy having….that’s exactly what my mom sent!  Love my mom’s thought process :)

Now, one item I was certainly happy to see was the pepperoni, although one had blown a hole in the package…darn :(  Can you guess which one is bad!?

We’ve been out of electricity for 3 days now (which also means the water situation isn’t good either) but I’m hoping the electricity is on when we get home tonight to actually use the pepperoni on a pizza.  Love you mom and thanks for the yummy package and great bags for the kids!

I’m no camper

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It seems to be a running joke in our family that my idea of camping is Motel 6.  The whole idea of camping just never thrilled me, maybe because I lived in a trailer house my entire childhood and therefore vacationing in another camper trailer wasn’t my idea of vacationing…granted a few of the camper trailers were bigger than some of the trailers I grew up in!

Chuck’s family however did A LOT of camping and since Chuck and I were a serious item in high school I was granted access to this cult called “campers”!  What I enjoyed most though was the camaraderie, laughing with family around a campfire.  The other camping stuff was not my cup of tea….public showers (ewww), public toilets (even more ewww), washing dishes in a basin, no place to wash clothes.  This was in the early days until mom and dad (love you guys!!!) got with the program and their camper then had access to running water…yeah!.

Now I seem to be living a camping experience.  Granted I’m not in a cramped trailer but we are still out of running water after 4 weeks.  I wake up every morning in anticipation only to have my hopes dashed when I turn on the taps and nothing happens.  I guess I should have been grateful for those public showers and toilets with their precious running water!

We are making it though….we use cistern water for flushing the toilet (thanks to the house help we are never without water in our container) and purchased water for washing dishes and bathing (the cistern is open and therefore has items in it which I would rather not have on my dishes or body).  It’s just frustrating not to be able to go to the sink to wash my hands or rinse out a cup or take a shower.

Just this morning I put in my journal “You [God] continually give me strength to make it thru yet another day-to see tomorrow in hope.”  Sure it may just be the hope in having running water tomorrow, but I’m thankful for His strength and hope each and every day.

Tut, tut looks like rain!

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It has been so dry, hot and dusty around here that last nights threat of rain was a welcome sound…lots of very loud thunder and lightening.  However, there was only enough rain to keep the dust down for a day or so but better than nothing!  The entire time the thunder was cracking outside though I kept thinking…when will the electricity go out and for how long? Sure enough it went off for a few hours during the night.  Which wouldn’t be so bad if we could open the windows to let the cool night breeze come in – pesky, killer mosquitoes!  But since the windows stay closed we use a fan at night and without it sleeping gets very uncomfortable.  Needless to say, sleeping last night was uncomfortable.

BUT on the other hand, I love this time because it cools down, I love seeing the rain-like conditions in the sky, hearing the thunder and knowing the plants will be watered by God!  Plus it’s an excellent opportunity to have some Kenyan tea!

It may be a little hard to see the dark clouds in this photo but I love the change in weather from sunny to dark clouds!

Let it rain!

Plus as it cools down we get rid of some insects while others come out:

this is about as big as my hand!

 

As we drove to C4KK you could see people preparing their shamba (garden) for the rainy season, which by the looks of the clouds will soon be upon us.  Since many do not have the resource to either form an irrigation system or even get water to their shamba, they rely on God’s providence…He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside. (Job 5:10)

One of those days

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The day started out ok….went and did a few errands before heading up to C4kK but on the way there I started getting a headache.  For those who are familiar with headaches, as I am, I knew this one was going to be an irritating one.  Not necessarily one to put me to bed, but just nagging and putting me in a bad mood.

Got to C4KK, arranged my stuff, printed off a letter from a sponsor and organized paperwork.  Then the normal happened, Internet was extremely slow so I was unable to send out emails…until I turned off my phone (that’s what I use as a modem to get on the Internet) to reset it and electricity went out….thankfully only for a few minutes (so far!).  Those things happen quite often but when I have one of these headaches it just seems these things are a bigger issue than they actually are.

I wonder how my outlook would be if I looked at most of the issues I face with this same attitude….this isn’t as big an issue as I perceive, especially if I know God knows the issue.  I have to do something to move forward and not just wait for God to miraculously change things (which He can do).  Today I’m continuing to work through the slightly throbbing pain in my left temple, but I know He is watching my every move and even through this I’m praying that what I am doing is in His will.

 

 

Why?

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Why…

  • throw trash out the window?
  • steal from another?
  • justify greed?
  • rationalize selfishness?

Because we have a choice and we choose to be selfish, plain and simple.  It’s been this way since the fall of man when we felt there was more to be given than what God gave us.  I can (and do) get very, very upset when I see someone throwing trash on the ground like the Earth is their personal trash bin or when I read about a government who takes budget money set aside for teachers and emergency needs and gives it to their government officials in order for them to pay their taxes or a nation who gets angry over an injustice (rightly so) but then says we can do whatever it is we need to do to retaliate and create our own sense of justice or seeing pastors driving expensive cars yet starving the children they are supposed to be loving and taking care of.

Those make me angry but I need to turn the lens around and take a look at myself before sitting atop my pedestal and judging.  I’m guilty and God works on me alone and He works on you alone but if each of us would listen to His wisdom and guidance on how to live, the world could be a different place.  If we each “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22) these issues would be non-issues and I wouldn’t be asking “why?”

Bad apple (or galaxy)

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tablet sizes are NOT true to life

 

I’ve struggled with desiring techie stuff most of my adult life.  I freely admit I like the newest items in the technological field, whether that be phones, eReaders, computers, software or hardware.   You would think living in a developing country those things wouldn’t be an issue, but it is (for me).

When I’m tempted to covet another item of technology I ask myself “how selfish can I be?”  There are people literally dying all around me and I am drooling over the newest Galaxy Tab or iPad (leaning towards the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1).  Now here’s the raw, honest truth….sometimes I even think, I’m here and have given up so much to be here, why can’t I look at the newest tablet?  It’s the same with running water, I get frustrated (we’ve not had running water for about a week now) but I know firsthand there are people all over the world, our next door neighbor for one, who do not have running water and have to fetch water from various locations (some not so sanitary).  Lord forgive me those times and thank you for not striking me with lightening.  I know Christ has “given up” more than I can imagine for me and I’m not even as cool looking as a Galaxy Tab or iPad!

By no means am I finished fighting this selfishness but when I catch glimpses of a less selfish me from time to time it reminds me God hasn’t given up on me, He is still working in my life.  (I’m also not stupid….I would never refuse a generous gift!)

God knows my selfish nature and He knows I continue to struggle with it, but as I said before, He hasn’t given up on me.

 

What to do?

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I woke up this morning asking God (ok, first I thanked Him for the day and whatever comes from it) to use me however He needs me to work today.  Yes I am called, as we all are, to show God’s love to those around us.  But the place and way in which we do that will be different for each person.  Not only do I pray that I show God’s love to the kids at C4KK, but also that I am showing God’s love through my words on the blog.  Yea I know sometimes my blog posts are “menial” issues but even through the day to day menial issues that come up I can still pursue  His will for each and every decision, thought and action.

By no means have I perfected this.  Each day, for me, calls for a repentant heart for those times I don’t show His love and fail at being a Christ-like example to those around me.  Some days are better than others and only when I’m in Heaven will I be perfected.  So until that day I will continue to thank God for today, ask for His guidance and forgiveness, lean on the Holy Spirit for strength, and seek Him.

Variety

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Variety, oh how I miss you.  The variety I’m talking about today is food variety.  I readily admit I like food and I like a variety of food (unlike Chuck who could eat the same thing EVERY SINGLE DAY).  Every few months I get into a “food funk” and when I hear peeps on Facebook, TV or in a book talk about food I get a little bummed…Chinese, Italian, Mexican, seafood, etc.  Having the availability of food at the touch of a button is not an option here in Tala and even the ingredients to make a variety of food isn’t available.  Lately even the one ingredient we normally use, cheese, has become nonexistent in Tala.  It’s not like we can choose a different cheese either, there is (was) only cheddar cheese at the grocery store, now there’s nothing.

For variety we usually get some things from Nairobi but we can only purchase and stock up on so much and we run out long before our next trip to Nairobi.  Mozzarella cheese, ham and tuna fish are a few items not available in Tala but we can get in Nairobi.  Or as most of you know we enjoy receiving pepperoni from the US as this is something we have not found anywhere here.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for the food I have and I’m definitely not going without food but I have to be honest and say I’m in a “food funk” state of mind.

 

 

Joy vs happy

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Do you see a difference between joy and happy?  Are feeling joyful and feeling happy the same thing?  Can you be joyful in something yet not be happy?  These are questions I’ve asked myself several times over these past two years while living in Kenya.  Some days God blesses me with a clearer understanding yet other days satan really clouds the issue for me.

I do not believe being happy and being joyful are the same thing.  They can occur at the same time, but they don’t necessarily have to.  From my own personal experience I can say at times I’ve been unhappy with my current circumstances and when I begin to dwell on that unhappiness is when I ask God for clarification on joy vs happiness.  Over the past few days He has reminded me of my purpose, which can be found in my favorite verse Micah 6:8 “what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” And also through the commandment Jesus gave us, found in Matthew 22 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.“  I can do all those things, through God’s strength not my own, whether I am happy or not.

Am I happy being away from my family, friends, community?  No, but that doesn’t mean I stop seeking His will for my life.  It doesn’t mean that my day to day living is anything less than a chance to walk humbly with God, whether that be through expressing the ministry through the blog, giving the kids deworming medication or balancing the food budget for C4KK.  Those everyday, living life things give me joy because I know first and foremost I am serving the Almighty God and secondly, I’m serving in a way and place God wants me to.

If the joy I experience this side of Heaven (no matter how sporadic it is) is any indication of the joy I’ll experience in Heaven then for those days of clarity I am thankful and blessed.

 

Not the type of excitement I like

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It was quite an exciting morning at our home.  I walked into the kitchen and thought a worm was in the corner.  Then I noticed a pointed tail, unlike any worm I’ve seen.  Upon further examination, with a broom, I discovered it was a snake!  It was very aggressive too, striking at the broom and cup (which I eventually covered him with).  Wouldn’t you know it the one night Patches (our cat) decides to stay away at night and we get a snake!

Anyone have a clue as to what type it is?

Then I’m kind of in a mental state now because our daughter, Tarrin, is leaving for India in a few hours.  I’m excited for her and know she loves the Lord above all else and He has her covered in His grace, love and mercy but as a mom I’m a bit apprehensive about the whole trip too.  I know firsthand (as many of you do) the fight satan will put up to stop her from spreading God’s love to the people in India.  Yes God loves her more than I could ever imagine and I pray for God’s will to be done through her and on this trip, but I wasn’t there to help her prepare, pack, talk out jitters, etc…..but what a wonderful opportunity for her to rely on the lover of her soul!   Please keep Tarrin in your prayers as she begins this new adventure, walking the path God has laid out before her.