Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! This is one of the days I really miss being at home with family. Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Obviously it's not celebrated here, but we can still thank God for our many blessings. There is actually a store in town selling turkeys, but they cost almost $200!!!!! Since that was not an option for us, we went to a local hostel to have dinner. They have really good roasted meat, so that was our Thanksgiving feast - with ugali, kachumbari (kind of like salsa) and fries on the side. It capped off a successful day where George viewed some potential land for the orphanage.

As we left, we passed two kids in the parking lot. Then George said, "hey, I know you!" Several months ago, George had told me about them. He was riding the bus to Kenya and sat next to them, a brother and sister ages 6 and 7, and their dad. They had fun playing with George's phone. Once they arrived in Nairobi, they all shared a taxi. He told me how cute they were and he was impressed they spoke English and Kiswahili. Their dad is American and their mom is Kenyan.

So, it was quite surprising to run into them at the hostel. They immediately remembered him and were so happy to see him. They were on their way to the little playground, but took us to see their mom and dad who were in their room. It was really nice to meet their parents. Their dad is from Escondido, originally! What a small world. We visited with them for a bit and exchanged numbers so we could visit them some time. They live about an hour and a half from us.

We left feeling so joyful. You can tell when meeting them how kind and genuine they are. It was nice to talk to a fellow American on Thanksgiving. Moments like these are not coincidental. It was a God thing. So many things could have happened and we would have missed seeing the kids: we could have eaten at home like we usually do, we could have left earlier or the kids could have stayed in the room instead of going to play. God orchestrated it and we were so thankful. We look forward to spending time with them in the future.

We hope you have a blessed day and have a chance to reflect on the miracles God has done in your life.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

More House Photos

As requested, here are a few more photos of the new house...

Eli's Room (The sun shines brightly on his room in the morning so it's not uncommon for him to wake up at 6:00am.)



Our Room (Amy see our "side tables?" They are action packers! They work great for storage and tables!)



The kitchen (I am so thankful for the shelves.)



The living room (Our previous house was furnished, but this one wasn't. We were blessed by a special donation for our bed and couches. We are so happy to be off the floor!)



Here is the front gate. We don't live in a fancy house or in a rich part of town. All houses around town have fences and gates like this for safety and security. Many people have gate/watchmen. We don't. We have Nala!



We have not one, but two mango trees! It's mango season and George had the first ripe mangos from the tree yesterday. We will have more mangoes than we could possibly eat so it will be fun to give them away.

15 Months

A couple days ago, Eli turned 15 months. The biggest growth we have seen this past month is with his speech. He is beginning to copy things we say. The first time I noticed it was when I told him not to get stuck (when he was playing with the door) and he said "geh guk." I looked at him and asked, did you say "get stuck?" And he said it again. Since then, he has repeated many more words. One of my favorites is "hallelujah." When we listen to "Your Love is Amazing" in the car, he says hallelujah (well, his version of it anyway.) Some of these things are just repetitions, but other words he is starting to use and understands the meaning. He loves to say "Nah-nah" which is Nala. He can't say the "L" sound yet. That is not to be confused with Na-nuh (different "a" sounds) for banana. Both of those words he uses on his own when referencing them. His new thing is "bye bye water." We say that to end his bath time. It comes out "ba ba wa wa" and he waves. Again, he was just repeating at first, but now he does it before we do. He says "Mama" all the time. Sometimes its for me, other times he points at other things and says it (like a Philistine soldier in his "Samson" book.) It's fun to see him learn. Here is what else he has been up to:

He gets into everything! Here he signed me up for a game of 208 card pick up.



One of this favorite things to do is play in the sprinklers. It's a nice relief to the scorching heat of late.



Here he was when he was sick. Poor fellow. We thank the Lord he is fine now.



While he was sick, he found comfort in his baby chair and in sitting with Nala on the porch in his stroller. (Notice the toy he is holding. It's his "puppy" that he sleeps with every nap and night. He loves it. "Puppy" is one of the words he says really well.)



We are in trouble... Eli climbs everything he can.



He also likes to do this. He'll stay like that until I tickle his tummy.



He loves Friday mornings when Mama Saida brings us vegetables. He always gets his own tomato to munch on.



Whenever he sees a lion or when we talk about one, this is what he does.



It's hard to tell from the front, but he's got a nice little curly fro growing. The sides have not grown at all so he is sporting quite the mullet/mohawk.



He has started dragging us to where he wants to go. If we don't give him our finger, he goes for our toes!



Nala is his best friend.



She puts up with him so well. Here he is giving Woody a ride on her back.



We have a book we read every day called "Tiny Bear Bible." In it are poems that tell Bible stories. One is about Zacchaeus. A line in that poem says "Jesus looked up and said 'maybe, I can come to your house for tea' " Whenever I read "maybe" I put my hand in the air. Then Eli began to do it too. Now when we turn to the page, he does it first. He also does it whenever I say "maybe."



Random Photos

Getting a Car

Getting a car here was so, so tough. I'm not complaining, because that's just how it is here, but I thought it would be interesting to read about the process.

First we had to raise money for a car. We prayed that God would provide the funds and He did! Through saving little by little and a few special donations over the past two years, we finally had enough to buy a cheap, used car.

About two months ago as we sensed we were getting close to being able to afford one, so we began looking for a car. We had originally hoped to have a Toyota Land Cruiser, because they are big for teams and strong on rough roads. But, the cost was way too high. So, we decided to set our sights on a smaller car. We were hoping for a four door, 5 seater (although we really wanted a seven seater) and most important 4 wheel drive. We were hoping to find one not too old or with too many kilometers in good running condition. As we began to look, it was clear we needed to be flexible. Cars that met all our needs were out of our price range.

We first had to research where to buy a car, in Tanzania or Kenya. If we bought it in Kenya, we would have to pay a high monthly fee at the border to keep our car in Tanzania as well as get extra insurance policies. Another option was ordering a car from Japan where they are cheap and have it imported to Tanzania. The big problem with that was dealing with customs at the port. We have heard horror stories of cars being held pretty much for ransom. You should be able to pay a set rate at the port, but it's not that easy. Corruption is rampant there so you never know how much you'll have to pay. That left us with buying a car in Tanzania.

Where does one go to find a car? Not to a used car lot, that's for sure. Why? There aren't any. Moshi is too small to have a car lot, new or used. There might be some in large cities, like Arusha or Dar es Salaam, but those are far. Plus, they tend to charge a lot. So, the only option is to buy from an individual. How do you find people selling cars? By word of mouth and by checking flyers posted at coffee shops and other places in town. Moshi is a small town so once we told a few people we were looking for a car, many were brought our way.

George probably saw over 30 cars. Some were just too old or in bad condition. Others were too expensive. Occasionally, George was shown the same car by different people. It's a small world here! We put an offer in on a few, but they fell through for a variety of reasons. One seller just disappeared and never followed through. Another car failed the mechanic inspection. One we really liked didn't have the taxes paid on it yet which would end up costing us a lot so it was a no go. George even went to Arusha a couple times to see some cars. He found a great one and agreed to return the next day to get it. On his way back to Moshi, the seller called and said he wanted $2000 more dollars! Needless to say, we couldn't afford that (and it was not right). It was devastating and frustrating. Another issue we ran in to is that some people wanted us to pay them when they showed us a car. What? Why would we do that? Some sellers hirer agents to sell the car and then they get a commission. Some tried to demand money from us too... after they brought the car. It was so discouraging at times. It felt like we would never find the right one.

And then we did! It's a 1999 Land Rover Discovery. It was everything we dreamed of: 4 wheel drive, 4 doors, strong, well kept, automatic,and there are two fold down seats in the back to make it a seven seater. One of the guys looking for a car for us called George one morning and brought it to our house. It looked good on first inspection so they talked price and quickly came to an agreement. Next George took it to a mechanic to make sure it was in good shape. Once we got the ok, George called a policeman friend to witness the transaction to make sure everything was done on the up and up. Then the deal was done! It was totally a God thing.

Before we could drive it, we had a few things to take care of: getting insurance, getting the registration up to date, transferring the title to our name and getting a general service done on it. As George worked on these things, a couple problems became apparent with the car. The brakes occasionally gave out and the car was overheating. That's the risk with buying a used car, especially here where many people can't afford to fix things the right way.

So, now we are in the process of getting it fixed. Moshi is too small to have a Land Rover mechanic. The mechanics here specialize in Toyotas which are the most common cars here. To find a Land Rover specialist, we have to go to Arusha which is two hours away. Lord willing, George will be able to go this week and get it all sorted out. We are praying it's an easy, cheap fix. Then we'll be able to maintain the car well and use it for many, many years to come.

So... that's how a person buys a car in Tanzania! We are so thankful for our new car. It will be a huge blessing to us as a family and as a ministry. Thank you to all who gave so this could happen. It's a miracle two years in the making.

AHOH Trip

Alan, the leader of Africa Harvest of Hope, is coming in a little over two weeks. We are so excited we can barely stand it. He is coming with Terry, who was with the July 2012 team. We are so happy to see him again. Last time he saw me, I was 9 months pregnant so it will be fun to introduce him to Eli. They are bringing, Gary, who is coming for the first time. While they are here, they will be working on the NGO paperwork, looking at potential orphanage sites, doing widow visitations, speaking at church and doing other special projects. Having people from home brings us so much joy.

Please be praying for their travels and that God would use this time to get a lot done.

Rationing

One of the biggest disadvantages of the hot season is electricity rationing. Recently there was an announcement on the radio that there will be severe rationing for the next eleven days. Yesterday the electricity was off beginning at 3:00pm and came back on in the middle of the night. I went to a friend's house across town today and she said her power has been off between 6:00am to 4:00pm. I think she is lucky, I would rather have it off during the day than the night. I don't know who decides what parts of town are blacked out and when. I picture someone sitting in a room, pushing buttons and laughing! Our computer batteries don't hold a charge anymore so without electricity, we can't use them. So, if there aren't many blogs or I haven't returned your emails its because of the rationing. Hopefully the power will be back on full time soon.

Social Sunday

Sunday was a really fun day. Tiring, but fun. In the morning, we went to church and had a nice time fellowshipping with everyone. George taught about living by faith, not sight. It was really good.

After church, we stopped by a friend's house. I thought we were just picking up something we left in his car, but we ended up hanging out at his house for a while and having lunch. He is Kenyan and there were a couple other Kenyans there too (besides George and Eli!). We had a nice lunch of chicken, beef, ugali, sakuma wiki and chips (aka fries, which they made for me because they knew I am not a huge fan of ugali. Thank you!). Then we just sat around and laughed at Eli. He was having a good time running around, chewing on chicken bones and dancing. There was Kenyan music in the background and at one point George taught Eli a certain style of Kenyan dancing. Here is George teaching him how to do it.



(Notice Eli clutching his chicken bone)

And here is Eli's attempt:



Apparently just pulling up his pant leg was all he could do! It was so cute.


From there, we went a couple more places before ending up at home in time to give Eli a bath and put him to bed. The whole day felt like a marathon, but it was a nice way to spend the day.

Bye Bye Strep

At last the strep is gone. By Saturday, I finally began to improve and so far there are no signs of George or Eli getting it. Hopefully this was the last of the sicknesses for a while! Thank you for praying!

PRAISE ALERT! PRAISE ALERT! PRAISE ALERT!

WE GOT A CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This has been a prayer request for a long time and now it's finally happened. It was a difficult journey to find a car, but we are thankful God brought us this one. I will write the whole story once I am feeling better, but I had to share the good news with you now!

Sick Again

Sorry for the silence again. I am not sure what is going on over here. I have come down with a bad case of strep throat. Maybe my immune system is low from all the sickness we have been experiencing lately. It feels like a time of testing or spiritual attack as we are hit again with illness. I am praying George and Eli don't get it. It's so painful. I started medicine yesterday so hopefully I will be better soon. Once again I ask for your prayers for healing and encouragement. They are much appreciated!

Sending Out an SOS

Well, things got worse before they got better. But the good news is, things are at last better!

Eli continued to be very sick over the weekend. He refused to eat and fought against drinking anything. He was fussy, lethargic and wanted to be held all the time. George had to go to Nairobi on Friday to help his sister. He didn't want to leave us and was really torn about going, but his sister had no one else to turn to so he had to go. Unfortunately, I got sick early Sunday morning. I began vomiting and vomiting.... and vomiting. It was so bad. I managed to get an hours sleep from 4:45am-5:45am. As I was awake the rest of the time, I begged God for healing and for help. I didn't know how I would take care of Eli while I was so sick.

Finally, I realized I had to ask for help. I could not do this on my own. After getting a panicked call from me at 3:30am, George decided to come home. He wasn't able to get a bus until the afternoon, meaning he wouldn't be home until late at night. So I sent a text message to Pastor Zac asking if Glory, his daughter could come and help. Glory does a lot at church on Sundays and I hated to ask her to miss it, but I was desperate. We have never left Eli in anyone else's care, but she has known Eli since he was two months old and I knew I could trust her with him. When Zac's wife Redemta texted me that Glory was on her way, I cried out of relief. I cried even more when Glory arrived.

Glory was truly an answer to prayer. She took care of Eli so I could rest. I got up to put him down for naps and spend a little time with him, but otherwise, she entertained him for me. Then while he was sleeping, she cleaned the house. I didn't know how Eli would do since he was still sick, but he did great. Glory was a good distraction from his illness. He even perked up enough to play outside with her.

Fortunately, George got home safe Sunday night and Monday morning found Eli and I feeling much better. Eli is slowly eating a little now and is drinking a lot more. His energy level is back and he is almost back to his active, independent, happy ways. I think I caught Eli's illness. It was the worst timing, but I am thankful for the family we have in Christ. I was able to send out an SOS and was blessed with Glory who saved the day.

Thank you all for praying. We got through the worst of this illness!

Rotavirus

We are pretty sure Eli has rotavirus. There is a vaccine for it, but it's not available here. We are on the 4th day of Eli's illness. Just when we think he is improving, he relapses. Fortunately, the vomiting has stopped and the fever, while still present, is lower than it was on Tuesday. Our biggest issue has been to keep him hydrated. He has refused to eat and we have struggled to get him to drink. He took a bit of milk today which is encouraging. It's hard to see Eli feeling so badly. He is usually constantly on the go and is very busy. For the past four days, he has hardly played and has mainly just wanted to be held by us. Eli has never been a cuddler, so we know he must be feeling bad.

Please continue to pray for him, that the fever would leave for good, the diarrhea would stop, and that he would be able to eat something.