Doomed

Since I started this blog upon moving to Africa, I have tried to be open and honest about the ups and downs of life here. I have included blogs about illness, scary moments (like when I thought I would die in the midst of gunshots and riding in buses that nearly overturned), heart warming stories, encouragements and discouragements, work the Lord is doing and also, my most stupid moments. Remember when I tried to bring firecrackers on the plane? Or when I burned a giant hole in the kettle? Or when I had an "accident" (ok, accidents) in my bedroom? Well here is another "spacie" moment to add to the list. I doomed myself.

Let me explain.

Every night, we have to spray ourselves with mosquito repellant to help ward of malaria. Other than getting it twice in Sudan, I have managed to avoid it. I never forget to spray myself. I hate getting bitten. Last night, I was using my computer in bed and was about to turn it off to go to sleep when I realized, I hadn't sprayed myself yet. So, I stumbled out to the living room, grabbed the can and headed back to the bedroom. As I sprayed myself, I realized something was different. The spray was very airy. Normally it has a bit of moisture to it. I figured the can must be close to being empty so I pressed the button harder to try to get more of the spray, but it was still airy and a little smoky. Then I noticed the smell. It was not the smell of the repellant. I looked at the can that was in my hand and this is what I saw.

It was Doom! Doom is comparable to Raid in the US. We use it to kill the various creatures that wander in the house. Gross! I took a few baby wipes and did a quick clean up and then applied the correct stuff, OFF Mosquito Repellant.

Now, these cans look very different.

How could I have made such a dumb mistake? I don't know. I was tired, I didn't have my contacts or glasses on and I was drowsy from taking a benedryl. That is still no excuse. My mind must have been elsewhere and I wasn't paying attention. You would think with the double protection, I would be set, but somehow I still got three bites!

Checking In

Every day, I think... I need to blog, but I have been suffering from writer's block. I don't like to let more than a few days pass between blogs. However, not too much has been going on recently. Here is a quick update.

The weather has been COLD!!!! I had just done a blog about the heat returning and the rainy season leaving when a cold spell hit. My body must be adjusted to the weather here because I constantly had the chills... and I usually like cold weather. Everyone we talked to complained about the cold. I was in sweaters, warm socks, scarves and hats. I never checked the temperature, but I bet it wasn't colder than low 70's! We are so thankful for the warm clothes people sent for Eli. Usually he is in shorts, t-shirts and onesies, but for the last 10 days or so he has been wearing pants, long sleeves, sweatshirts and layers under his pajamas at night. Thank you for keeping our son warm!

Here he is wearing a jacket from his Uncle Bernard.



It fits much better than it did when he was one month old. What a difference 9 months makes!



Last Sunday was a quiet one for us. George was ready to teach on Sunday morning, but when we arrived a guest was there to speak so he got a break. In the afternoon, I didn't feel well, so Eli and I went home just as George started the discipleship class. They kept on plugging through James. The date was set for our youth camp. It will be the weekend of August 30th.

Eli is so fun lately. I don't know if I can say that he is walking, but he is taking steps on his own. He still mostly crawls, but he'll take several steps on his own before falling (or as Pastor Zac says... he didn't fall, he just wanted to sit down right there!). Yesterday, we went to pick up eggs from our neighbor's house (they have a chicken farm) and ended up staying for a while. Eli showed all his tricks and surprised us by walking from their couch to their table.

Poor George has had to travel a bit recently. Last week, he had to go to the US embassy in Nairobi to get some certified copies. Fortunately that appointment went well and he was only gone for a couple days. This week, he had to return to Kenya for a funeral. Both trips were quick and tiring. For the funeral, it took him 16 hours to get there by bus. It's exhausting, especially on fast trips like that where there is no time to rest. God has been good, though, and has kept the roads safe.

I feel like there should be more to blog about, but I can't think of anything. I'm sure there will be more soon. Just wanted to check in so you know we are ok!

Slowly, But Surely

I am still plodding along with Kiswahili lessons. Man, learning a language is hard! I am starting with the basics and, although I have been doing this for a while now, I still talk like a baby! I forgot how much there is to learn. I don’t remember Spanish being this hard, but it must have been. I think I would fail an English test if I were given one. There is so much to learn. We are working on present tenses. There are tons of present tenses…. Present perfect, present simple, etc. I am running verses I run. He is playing the guitar (now) verses he plays the guitar (generally speaking). It’s tough! I feel like I should be further along than I am. People talk to me in Kiswahili and I want to respond, but I have no idea how. Can’t they ask me if I am walking or running?

On a positive note, I am excited that I can count (and write) to one billion. My teacher said she can’t even do it! Here is an example. 1,234,567 = milioni moja laki mbili, elf thelathini na nne mia tano stini na saba. This is one of my favorites: 999,999 = laki tisa elf tisini na tisa, mia tisa tisini na tisa (say that three times fast!)

I get excited when I can actually use it. Wednesday evening, I was cooking a new African dish and needed a bigger pot. I had to ask our neighbor if they had one I could use. The only person home was the girl who helps in the house and she doesn’t speak English. Fortunately, I was able to use my “baby” Kiswahili and borrowed a big pot. Success! I also corrected someone on the street who was called Eli a mzungu (white person). “Yeye sia mzungu!” (He is not a white person!). He may be light, but we are proud to call him Kenyan.

I will keep at it… eventually I will speak it well if I keep going. Slowly, but surely.

Brief Encounter, Big Impact

Today I had an encounter with a woman that I have thought about all day. It was a short encounter, but one with a big impact. Eli and I left the house for a walk to get some groceries. I decided to take the trash to the dumpster on the way. We had forgotten to take it for a couple days so there was a lot to take – three big grocery bags full. I hooked them to a carabiner Al and George rigged up on the stroller handle and left the house. As I approached the dumpster, I saw the trash being burned inside and outside the dumpster. I wondered why because the trash is collected on Saturday. The dumpster is set on a large piece of land that is perhaps three acres. From behind the dumpster, stepped an old woman. I had seen this woman many times.

The first time I noticed her was before the rainy season began. The land was empty, but she began to cultivate it. I didn’t notice anyone helping her and thought, man, she’ll never be able to do the whole thing. But, little by little, she planted the entire field. Now that the rainy season is ending, it’s full of different crops.

Because we don’t have a car, we walk a lot. For a while now, she’ll wave and say hi to us as we pass. When George isn’t with me, she asks where he is. I have seen people digging through the dumpster, looking for anything to salvage. We have given her empty plastic bottles a couple times after she expressed an interest in them. There isn’t a recycling program here so she must have another use for them.

Back to today…when I saw she was burning trash in various piles, I didn’t know where to put mine. Do I just throw them in the dumpster or set them on a pile? I stopped in front and struggled to get all the bags off the carabiner. As I fumbled with the handles, she came over and said, “let me help you. You have the baby.” I managed to get the bags off and handed them to her. I felt bad doing so because, well, it’s trash and trash is stinky and dirty. No one should have to handle my trash.

She asked where George was and talked to Eli for a little. I thanked her again for her help and she said, “You are welcome. I will see you later if the Lord wills.” I said, yes, and then Eli and I continued on our way.

What really struck me was the joy she had. In the midst of sorting through trash and burning certain things, she cared enough to help me and seemed glad to do it. I was also struck by how well she spoke English. That indicated she is educated. I wondered why an educated woman was reduced to digging through trash and doing manual labor in the hot, Tanzanian sun. I know jobs are very hard to get here and people are willing to do whatever to survive and perhaps she has no other option. Maybe someday, I will learn her story. Whatever her story is, she has taught me a lesson. It is possible to be cheerful and content no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. It’s just a matter of perspective and having the peace of God shine through.

Here are a few photos of the area:

The land she cultivated...

The dumpster (Notice the corn growing right behind it)...

The pub right across the dirt road...

10 Months

This has been a big month for Eli. He is learning so much so quickly. It’s really fun to watch him develop. Here is what he has been up to:

He learned to clap! It’s so cute. I love when babies clap with their chubby little hands and short arms. I have been waiting for him to learn this trick and now he has. It’s adorable.

He now takes a bath in the bath tub. He has graduated from the basin and loves it. He has a blast splashing and sliding around. We only put about two inches of water in it, but it’s enough. We wash him first in his little bath chair and then let him play in the tub. The biggest challenge is keeping him from standing up in there. He tries to do it all the time and it scares me to death. It’s way too slippery.

Eli doesn’t have stranger anxiety at all. He is very friendly and will go to anyone. He is constantly waving at people when we are out.

He moved into his own bedroom! He had been sleeping in his crib in our room. When we began sleep training, we slept in the other room (that is now his room) and wanted to wait to move him. Now we moved the crib and he had no problems with the change.

He still loves to drive the little cars at the grocery store and our taxi driver/friend Said lets him drive his car too!

Eli has lots of new hair. It’s still short and thin in the front, but longer in the back (Can you say mullet?) and appears to be wavy. Maybe I will get my fro after all!

He is not walking on his own yet, but it’s not for lack of trying. He takes tentative steps and thinks he is more advanced than he is. He walks around holding onto furniture very well. He has a new push walker that was lent to us. He’ll use it with our help, but prefers to drag it around while sitting in his other walker!

Eli has learned the art of a tantrum. When we take something away from him that he isn’t supposed to have, he screams, arches his back and flails around. Hopefully he’ll soon learn that won’t get him the desired object back. It’s hard to be consistent with that here because people give babies whatever they want. Letting a baby cry is a crime! But, we know it’s best for him so we stay firm on that.

He has become a great sleeper. He sleeps through the night, usually from 7:00pm-6:40am. Then he also takes two 1-1/2 hour naps, usually around 10:00am and 2:00pm. He thrives in his routine. It’s not one that we were strict about establishing, he just formed it on his own. Whenever we aren’t home for his nap or are delayed, he gets fussy and is out of sorts the rest of the day.

Reading is a favorite activity for him. He loves it. Right now we have to stick with books that have hard pages because he loves to rip paper.

We took him for a vaccination and this was the first time he didn’t get sick from it. Praise the Lord. We also weighed him and he is 11.5 kg which is about 25 pounds. He’s still big for his age (in height and weight), but he hasn’t gained weight in two months. He is more active and his stretching out, I think. Plus, he is not waking to feed during the night.

He slowly is becoming a better eater. It just depends on his mood if he is interested in it or not. I don’t think we have found something he refused to eat or doesn’t like. He likes crackers, yogurt, beans, cheese, eggs, fish and pretty much anything we are eating.

Although he can’t talk, he is making a lot of word connections in his head. He for sure knows the words Nala, Doggie, Papa, Cheese, Water (for drinking) and Walker. Whenever we say any of these words, he will turn and look at the object.

Eli has learned to throw a ball. It ends up behind him more than in front of him, but that's ok!

Oh yeah… and the big one… he is crawling! He can now crawl on his knees instead of just dragging himself around. He can go far, but many times gives in and goes back to the belly drag.

What a fun month! Each one is better than the last.

Divine Shift

This last Sunday, I took inspiration from my Proverbs devotional and discussed with the women learning to change our point of view of burdens. We need to learn how to roll our problems from our back to the Lord’s strong shoulders. When we do that, it doesn’t mean they go away, but it does mean the Lord is there with us, carrying them for us while we walk through the trial. It’s much easier said than done, though. We have all heard a million times that God wants to carry our burdens. Actually believing it and practicing it is another thing. So, we tried to apply it. I had them each write a list of every little thing that is bothering them. For 10 minutes, we each sat quietly writing, filling our papers, front and back. Once we were done, I had them rip it up into tiny pieces and envision handing the pieces into God’s hands. When we can forget about worrying, we can live in peace and joy, each day; letting the worries of the future fall away. I hope it made an impact on them. I know how they suffer and struggle to have their most basic needs met.

In the morning, George taught kept teaching from James, now in chapter 4. He talked about the things we desire and also about division. Often, we pray for selfish desires instead of desires that would please God. Later, the discipleship class expanded on that topic and focus on how selfish desires and jealousy can cause division within the church. His class is really good. He is a tough teacher and gives them homework each time, including memory verses.

The whole day was a nice one. We had a great time with Pastor Zac and his family, laughing a lot. They are so kind to Eli and accommodating to us. In the living room, they put down blankets so he can roam around. There is never a lack of helping hands there.

Thank you Lord for Yesu Anaweza!

Trash

Ever wonder what we do with trash in Africa? Maybe not, but I will tell you anyway. There is no trash pick up at our house. Most people have a pit in their yard where they burn it. We actually are lucky and have a dumpster in our neighborhood. It’s down the road a bit, right across from a little pub. We call it the “dumpster pub.” George and Eli take our trash there usually every evening while I exercise. Unfortunately, they do not allow any grass, brush or clippings from the yard in there so we have to burn that. I always get nervous when George lights it up. What if it jumps and burn down the house? Fortunately it never does.

Don’t tell Smokey the Bear!

Cute Eli Photos

Ready for church!



Why are kids in adult glasses so cute?



Eating a lemon.... he liked the first few bites!

Integrity

This past Sunday, George kept on teaching from James. Now he is in chapter three and talking about wisdom. He talked about earthly wisdom vs Godly wisdom. Godly wisdom gives us discernment. When we are in the midst of a problem, we need to ask our self what is our role in it and use wisdom to deal with it. Later in the accountability class, they took a more in depth look at the verses and studied how to apply it to our lives.

This week, the ladies and I talked about integrity. We want to be women of integrity. What does that mean and what does that look like in our lives. Last week the ladies were very quiet. I felt a little discouraged and wondered if I am helping them and making a difference. I don't just want to talk to fill time. I want to make sure what we talk about really encourages them to become Godly women. To get them talking, I decided to break them up into groups. I asked them to define integrity, assigned them verses to look up to see what the Bible says about it and asked them for real life examples of living with integrity and without integrity. It seems with the group work I figured out the key to get them talking. This culture is very much focused on groups, not individuals. So, this seemed to work well.



They enjoyed sharing what they came up with as a group and we all had good laughs as we shared the stories of moments of integrity and moments where it was lacking. I shared about Eli stealing the candy from the store. I could have left without paying, but the right thing to do was pay for it. They cracked up when they heard Eli stole! I challenged them this week in moments when they are tempted to do wrong to remember to choose integrity - doing what is right even when no one is looking. After all, God sees all and that is what matters.

A Day at Church - Part 2

Pastor Zac lives on the church property and welcomes us to hang out until our afternoon classes. Our home is only a 15 minute drive away, but taxis are expensive so we choose to stay.

Sunday afternoons are a good time to talk to Zac about ministry stuff. Here are Zac and George on the front porch.



During the week, Zac's wife, Redemta runs a preschool, so there are swings in the yard!



Here is Zac's family: Zac, Esther, Daniel, Glory and Redemta.



They are so kind to prepare lunch for us every week. Here is George making himself at home....



And feeding Eli ugali. He loved it!






At 4:00, George leads the discipleship class.



Then at 5:00, I lead the women's Bible study/prayer group.



Then we head home around 6:00pm. It's a long day, but a good day!

A Day at Church - Part One

Here is a little photo diary of a typical Sunday for us

As soon as we get out of the taxi, we are greeted by the kids who have just finished Sunday School.





Church begins with a song and a time of prayer.



Then comes more singing. First hymns.



Then upbeat praise songs.



People here love to sing! Kids and adults alike.



During this part of the service, George usually handles Eli. He gets antsy (and noisy) so they sometimes have to go outside.



After 45 minutes to an hour, there are introductions of guests, a chance to give testimony about God's work in our lives followed by offering.



During this time, the choir performs...



Accompanied by the church's only instrument... a drum!



Next comes the sermon which is when I have to wrangle Eli. We are usually outside most of the time, but I still try to listen. George will be teaching most Sundays. Pastor Zac likes how he teaches through books of the Bible verse by verse. George preaches in English while Zac translates to Kiswahili.



After the sermon, there is time for prayer as needed.



Church ends with a song while everyone files out to shake hands.



Then some people leave while others stay to fellowship.

That is a typical church service. Next up is what we do the rest of the afternoon.

Making Friends

The longer we are here, the more we are able to settle. We are now starting to make friends. Yay! Although Moshi is a big town by Tanzania standards, it really is quite small. When there is one main grocery store, you are bound to see the same people over and over. As a result, we say hi to people even though we haven’t learned their name. With time, we get to learn their stories and what they are doing in Moshi. I like to meet people who have been here a while. I like hearing where they shop, what doctor they go to, where to find a dentist, etc.

Yesterday, Eli and I went over to a new friend’s house for a play date. We met her outside the grocery store (George did actually and introduced us) where she and her husband own a souvenir shop. She is British and her husband is from Tanzania. They have a sixteen month old named Skyler. Eli and I went over for a couple hours between his naps and had a great time. She is very nice and Eli liked playing at their house.

Haley, aka Mama Skyler, has been inviting us to a baby club for a while. Several Moshi moms meet on Tuesday mornings for two hours and different houses and let the kids play together. I have wanted to go, but Eli has been sick and the time they meet is during his nap time. If he doesn’t sleep, he is very fussy. We were planning to go today, but he woke early and had to take an early nap so we missed it. Maybe when he transitions to one nap instead of two, we can go. Haley lent us a push walker for Eli. He loves it! Its from England so the voice has a British accent!




George makes friends wherever he goes. He already knows many people here. The manager at Nakumatt (the big grocery store) said he will throw Eli a birthday party there! Amy…. Can you imagine a birthday party at Nakumatt? So fun!!!!

We have developed a friendship with a few of our neighbors. One of them invited us to their anniversary party last week. I had to leave early to put Eli to bed, but George stayed to eat. When he came home, he brought me a plate. Man was it good! He brought roasted meat. I devoured it. Much to my surprise, it was goat! I have never eaten goat that I enjoyed before. I thought it was beef, but it wasn’t. I never knew goat could be so delicious.

We love our neighborhood and feel welcome and safe here. Being a stranger in a strange land can be lonely and isolating at times. It helps to make friends. We are just beginning to and pray the Lord brings us more people who will encourage us and who will make us laugh as well.