Changing Blog

Hi faithful blog readers!

We have some security/privacy concerns so we need to change this blog from public to private. Unfortunately, that means you'll need to sign in each time to read the blog. I think if you save the sign in and password for that page, it won't be too bad. I am sorry for the inconvenience. I have to enter email address that we allow to read the blog, so if I have yours already, I will put it on the approved list. If I don't have your email or for some reason you can't access the blog, send me an email. I will wait a week or two to make the change to allow time for people to read about the change. Thanks so much for your patience!

Julia Update - 8 Months

Julia Mireya is 8 months old and she is doing fantastic, still exceeding expectations. She is quite a petite baby at fifteen and a half pounds, but healthy. At night she is a little angel, sleeping from 7:00pm to 6:30am, without waking up. During the day, she takes three to four short naps, usually 30-40 minutes each. She still is fussy during the day at times and prefers to be held. However, she is becoming more mobile and enjoys exploring. She likes her walker and playing on her stomach. She just learned to sit on her own, finally. Even though she can be fussy, that stops when she is being held and she smiles all the time. Whenever we are out with her, many people comment on her beauty (of course!) and how smiley she is. Julia has been slow to catch on with food. She still just plays with it and pushes it out of her mouth. I am hoping one of these days she'll get that it needs to be consumed! A couple weekends ago, a friend of ours who is a pediatrician was visiting Moshi and evaluated Julia. She was very impressed with how she is doing. She compared her to a six and a half or seven month old, so she isn't too far behind. Her reflexes and responses were perfect and she was given a clean bill of health. Praise God.

Happy Birthday Eli

Our little boy is three years old and more awesome than ever. I just love him more and more as he grows. Sure, there are frustrating times when dealing with a little one, but most of the time, he is just pure joy. His speech and vocabulary is incredible. He makes me laugh all the time with the things that come out of his mouth. I am constantly asking, "who taught you that?"

Birthdays aren't a big deal here. However, this was the first one he understood and could look forward to so we did a three day celebration. On Tuesday, we hosted playgroup, a weekly meeting of moms and their kids. Since Eli loves music and instruments, George found a couple local guys to play songs for the kids with a guitar and drum. Their first song... "Edelweiss" from "The Sound of Music." An odd choice for a kids party, but I was thrilled. That's my favorite movie. (Monica... I needed you there for that!). Other than the musicians, we had cake and snacks for the kids and they just ran around and had fun. Guess who didn't have fun... the birthday boy. He was pouting and grumpy the whole time. It was frustrating because we wanted him to enjoy his special day and he had been looking forward to it so much. I assumed he was overwhelmed by the attention, but it turns out he had a fever of 102, poor guy. I discovered that when everyone left and he asked to go to bed, which he never does. I am not sure what the problem was since he had no other symptoms and was fine the next day. On Wednesday we went a restaurant that offers a free piece of cake on your birthday. He had been looking forward to having his special cake. Then on Thursday, we went to the place he most wanted to go on his birthday.... Nakumatt, the big grocery store in town. That is his favorite place in the world to go. Overall, it was a fun, cheap birthday extravaganza.

I will end this post with a quote from Eli.

Me: "Eli, your birthday is coming soon and you'll be three!"
Eli: "And then I get married?... To Elsa?"

No Power/Internet

Hi! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. We have had major power and internet issues. Most nights our power goes off at 6:30pm and comes back on sometime after I have gone to bed. Some days there is no power as well. I am currently in town using the internet at a cafe to quickly check emails. So if you email me and I am slow to respond, that's why. I wanted to let you know that we are all ok. The kids are healthy and doing well. Julia is 7 months and Eli will be three in 10 days! As soon as the power and internet come back on at home, I will do some new posts.

The Faces of Julia's First Food

We were going to wait another month or so before giving her solid food, but she seemed ready and willing so we tried it out for the first time yesterday. We started with avocado. It was messy, but a lot of fun!

Thanksgiving in July

A couple weeks ago we were surprised with a gift from a Tanzanian friend of ours. A turkey!!!! Turkeys are a precious commodity here. They are not sold in stores or butcher shops, but around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have seen signs posted for turkeys for sale. And they are not cheap. One turkey is over $100. Needless to say, we have never bought one. A friend of ours has a few at high rural home and wanted to bless us with one. He is not rich, quite the opposite, actually. So, him giving us the turkey was a huge sacrifice for him and a big honor for us to receive. George drove about 30 minutes away to pick it up and brought it back in our house. Eli kept calling it a chicken. We kept it in the garage for one night before slaughtering it it. By "We" I mean George. Since we don't have an oven, we couldn't roast it whole, which I would have liked. Instead, George butchered it like a chicken and we stored the parts in the freezer. We do have a toaster oven and in case you ever wondered, can you cook a turkey in a toaster oven, the answer is yes you can! First we cooked the drum sticks, then the thighs and then the breasts. The breast was my favorite. We just did a simple butter, salt and pepper rub, placed in a dish on top of sliced potatoes and the results were heavenly. I wondered if Eli would have a problem eating the turkey or would be traumatized by the killing of it (He didn't watch it, but after seeing it alive we had to tell him it was for eating, not keeping). But he was fine... and he loved the turkey. Eating turkey was such a treat, especially knowing what a special gift it was. And we still have more in the freezer other days. Yum!

Proverbs

The weekly Bible Study I am doing with other moms and kids has been looking closely at the book of Proverbs. Specifically, we are looking at what it says about "words" and "wisdom." I have been reading Proverbs for many years and it's easy to read over them quickly, glossing over the verses. But, in studying these verses in particular, we have found a gold mine. Words mean so much and can lift someone up or crush them. When we think about the words we say before letting them fly out of our mouths, we can save ourselves and others from a lot of hurt and trouble. This study has been going through Proverbs chapter by chapter and it was helped me so much to weigh the value and results of my words. Below are some of the verses that have particularly stood out to me:

Proverbs 10:11 "The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain..." (Are my words going to be life giving or do I have malicious intent. The Bible doesn't say it's ok to hurt someone if they have hurt you back. We are always called to respond in love.)

Proverbs 10:19 "Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut."
Proverbs 11:13 "A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

(Never share information that is told to you in private. Resist the urge to gossip. It can be so damaging.)

Proverbs 10:21 "The words of the godly encourage many..."
Proverbs 12:18 Some people make cutting remarks,but the words of the wise bring healing.

(Will what I say be helpful or hurtful.)

It all comes back to love and showing others our love for them because of our love for Christ. The verses below are used many times in reference to marriage. But they are for every relationship.

1 Corinthians 13:3-7

"If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

If we are loving and wise, then we will be so careful about what we say. I am far from perfect in this area, but pondering on this point gives me something to aim for. As we seek to be better moms, wives, sisters, friends, neighbors,and ambassadors of Christ, I have a new appreciation for Proverbs and it's wisdom.

The Tooth Saga Continues...

Remember that pesky tooth issue.... well it came back! I was so relieved to have it taken care of. Unfortunately, that relief was short lived. A couple weeks after having the filling done, it came out while I was eating dinner. After I realized it was gone and there was a giant hole in my tooth, I braced myself for the pain to hit. Fortunately, it never came. Since there was no pain, I decided to wait to fix it until I could go to a better dentist. There was no way I was going back to that other guy. A couple weeks later, we headed up the mountain to a hospital that is known for good dental care. It was where I wanted to go originally, but there were no dentist there when I went (on a Saturday). It's a bit far from Moshi and such a random place to have a hospital. However, I was very impressed with their services. They had pretty decent equipment. There was even an x-ray machine. This dentist was nice and very good. He determined that I needed a root canal, which I was bummed about. It took two visits to get the treatment done, but it appears it has done the trick. He did a great job and even did the filling the right way (not just slabbing cement over two teeth). The best thing about this place...not only is it the best place to go... it's the cheapest! Most foreigners go to Arusha (an hour and a half from Moshi) and pay lots of money for dental work. They really should be going here. The total cost for my root canal... $75! Isn't it hundreds in the US? I am just so happy it's done.

Washing Machine!

We have a washing machine!!!!! This is a BIG event in our house. I have lived without one for four years and am so thrilled to have one. Our neighbors (and friends) moved away and gave us their washing machine. It's from Germany and is really old. I have never seen one like it before. When you open the lid, it has a round metal cage inside that tosses the clothes. Then it has a detached spinner. Since the instructions are in German, I don't really know if I am using it right, but the clothes are coming out clean so we must be doing something right. The spinner is awesome and gets so much water out of the clothes, they don't take long to dry on the line outside. I love doing laundry and am having a blast using it. Woo hoo!!!!

Julia is Better

Thanks for praying for Julia. She is finally feeling better. A day after we started antibiotics she started improving and each day she gets more back to normal. Her sleeping is still a bit off and she still isn't eating like she did, but she is on her way back to feeling 100%. Each day she is a little less fussy. Praise the Lord!

Julia Update - 6 Months

Julia is six months! Besides her recent illness, she is doing great! This past month has been her best one yet. Our little miracle preemie just amazes us. She is now thirteen pounds twelve ounces. She has quadrupled her size since birth. That's astounding growth in six months. Her growth rate has slowed a bit which I think is ok. Otherwise, we would have a massive one year old!

I think her reflux is decreasing. She is allowing us to put her down! Wow! I can do dishes and cook when she is awake! What a concept! She has transformed from a fussy baby to one who is smiling and happy most of the time. She is still sleeping wonderfully at night. From about 8:00pm to 5:00am. Then she wakes for a feed and goes right back to sleep until 7:00am or 8:00am. Then during the day, she is very predictable and easy to soothe. She wakes up, takes a bottle, plays for a while and then sleeps after two hours or so. Her naps aren't very long, forty minutes or so, but she takes four to five of them.

Some of the things she has learned this past month... sitting while propped up, using her hands to grasp toys, playing on her stomach, talking (aka screeching) and she even rolled over once. I feel like our lives are getting more balanced, in order, routine and predictable... which is a good thing with a baby! We still are figuring her adjusted age to be four months. So although, technically she is six months which is when solid food is often introduced, we are going to wait another couple months. We want her to be able to sit well and be past her reflux before giving her that challenge.

Bugs

During certain times of the year, we are hit with a bug invasion. It has something to do with the temperature and the slowing of the rainy season. It is horrendous. This is what we have going on...

1. Mosquitoes - they are everywhere. Hey Amy... mosquito bites are another thing that makes me irrationally angry!!!! I get so annoyed and frustrated by them... irrationally so!

2. Ants - big ones, little ones, medium size ones... they are everywhere! A few days ago they were all over the shower curtain.

3. Cockroaches - BIG ones. I never see the little ones. These I can't stand most of all. Tonight one sauntered out in the living room while we were there like he owned the place. He didn't even wait until it was dark to come out. He was promptly obliterated. Another one made an appearance in my closet. I was reaching for a pair of pants when I saw one scoot between clothes piles. Gross!!! How am I supposed to reach in there for something ever again?

4. Nairobi Flies - small ant-looking bugs that leave an awful burn if you smash one on yourself. It's hard not to smack a bug off you when you see it, but with these you don't want to do that. Toothpaste is a quick and easy antidote to their poison. However, if you don't know you have smashed one on you (like while you were sleeping), you'll end up with a huge, painful burn that takes weeks or months to go away.

5. Mango Flies - I saved the worst for last. These tiny bugs burrow into your skin and lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, you end up with a worm under the skin. A pimple/boil type thing develops and you have to squeeze the worm out. Horrible!!!!

Anyone up for a visit right now? Karibu!

Doctor Visit

We had a really nice time with the team of doctors that came in May. Two of them we had met before, but hadn't seen since Eli was seven weeks old. It was nice to show them how big Eli is now and to introduce them to Julia. Their visit was successful. They had several meetings with doctors and facilities in the area and also got to go on a little safari as well. They are hopeful it will work out to return to do surgeries here. We pray it works out for their organization to do so.

Julia - Approved!

Great news... Julia's US citizenship was approved and we are now in possession of her passport and documents. It took two and a half months to get it, but it's done! Thank you for praying! Praise the Lord!

Eli Update/ Julia Prayer Request

Thank you for your prayers. Eli is getting much better. He has a small lingering cough and is still a little cranky at times, but he is much improved. Unfortunately, now Julia has it. So far, it's just a high fever, trouble eating and sleeping and a lot of fussiness. We are hoping she can avoid the respiratory problems that many of the others kids are getting. We would be so grateful for your prayers for her.

6-23-15 Update - This is day 4 of high fevers for Julia. Tomorrow we'll have to start antibiotics if the fever is still present.
6-24-15 Update - She continues to be really sick. The high fever is still present and she is barely eating so we have started antibiotics.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Fathers Day to all you dads, brothers, uncles and anyone else who is like a dad to someone. It isn't a requirement to have a child to be appreciated today. Thanks for all you do for your loved ones. Keep up the good work!

To this handsome man...



Thank you for being an awesome father and husband. We love you. You are simply the best.

G-Lo

There is a sweet girl in our neighborhood, named Glory. Her nickname is G-lo, pronounced Gee (hard G) low. We have known her for two and a half years; since we first moved here. She came to our attention because she was often taking care of her little brother Joshua. She was four at the time and he was six months. We would see her daily carrying him on her back while their mom worked as well as carrying large bundles of firewood on her head.



Her life is so hard. Her family is very poor. Her mom has a vegetable stand and also works as a house help (maid). A few nights ago, she was walking home in the dark, carrying a massive bucket of tomatoes on her head. She stumbled on a rock, dropping the bucket and smashing many of the tomatoes. An act for which she was beaten. Despite all this, she is cheerful and friendly. She is happy to greet us each time we see her. We give her treats whenever we can. Yesterday, she asked George for milk and juice because Joshua was sick, which, of course, we were happy to give her.

When George went to Kenya for the medical camp, one of our friends we had worked with at a prior medical camp, gave George a bunch of dresses her friend made to give away. We were so excited to give a couple to G-lo this week. She looked so cute in them and was excited to receive them.



The dresses are adorable and are made from pillowcases. We can't wait to give out the rest!

API Medical Camp Follow-up

I never posted a blog about the medical camp George went to in Kenya in April. As usual, it was awesome. More than 1700 people were seen. I can write up a summary, but it's better for you to see it in pictures. Below is a link to a video from the past medical camp. Thanks API team! We love you and the work you do! Praise God!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT6CJ3XLSbw

The Things They Say Part 2

Eli has been a hoot lately...

During bedtime prayers...
Eli: "thank you for mama, thank you for papa, thank you for baby Julia, thank you for Flynn, thank you for my bed, thank you for Mickey's castle, thank you for beef.... (pause)... Mama, I prayed for beef!" He thought it was so funny that beef came out of his mouth. I did too. We both cracked up. His prayers are really funny. He is obsessed with the story of Moses and sometimes wants to pray for Pharaoh and baby Moses.


Eli: "Mama, you married Papa."
Me: "Yes."
Eli: "I want to marry you too."
Me: "You can't marry me, I am already married to papa."
Eli: "I just want to marry Elsa." (character from Frozen)

Eli was watching something on the computer. When he didn't do something I asked, I told him to turn off the show on the TV. He said "it's not a TV Mama." (When did Eli become a sarcastic teenager?!)

Eli: "Mama.. are you a lady?"
Me: "Yes, I am a lady."
Eli: "Don't be a lady ever again."

George and I were having a serious discussion and were getting ready to pray. We hadn't noticed Eli laying nearby and when he looked worried, I said "don't worry eli. You know that everything is ok right?" He sadly shook his head. I asked him "why not" and he pointed to a shelf that had a gaping hole where our TV used to sit. (It had caught on fire a few days prior). I am glad his biggest worry was the broken TV! It was nice to laugh in that serious moment.

Eli loves Mary Poppins. We often sing songs from the soundtrack. One day we were singing the "Perfect Nanny" song and I laughed when I heard him sing "we won't hide your spectacles so you can't see, put toots in your bed and pepper in your tea." The line actually says "put toads in your bed." I cracked up thinking about his two year old mind thinking the kids were tooting in the nanny's bed!

Eli: (Holding up his finger with a band aid that was wrinkled in one spot) "Mama....My band aid is crunkled!" I love that he said "crunkled" instead of "wrinkled", I didn't bother correcting him. That's one that can stay incorrect.

Speaking of "Actually," Eli loves to use it. It always makes me laugh when he throws it in a sentence.

After going #2 in the potty:
Me: "Good job Eli!"
Eli: "It's a sausage one!"

Prayers for Eli

Please pray for Eli. He has been quite sick since Saturday. For about two weeks, he has been complaining of stomach pain. We kept an eye on him to see if it would go away. We are hesitant to give him antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. When it lasted, we started antibiotics thinking he may have amoebas or parasites. The next day, he got a high fever and began vomiting. That lasted for three days. In addition, he had a runny nose. A few illnesses are going around and many kids are sick in our area. We think he got hit with a couple at once - a cold and stomach bug. Today, he was able to eat a tiny bit of food and keep it down. His appetite is non-existent and it's a battle to get him to eat or drink. It has been hard to see him like this. He got very dehydrated, was very lethargic, limp, glassy, dull eyes, dried lips and dark rings under his eyes. Although he started coughing today, we think the worst is behind us,. He had a little more energy today and hopefully will feel better tomorrow.

Dentist

On Mother's Day, I found myself in a dentist office, clutching the chair for dear life. What is more scary than giving birth in a third world country? Going to a dentist in a third world country. Ok... slight exaggeration, but it's right up there! I had been experiencing tooth pain for over a year. Weeks would go by with no pain and then "wham!"... I would get hit with terrible pain in one of my teeth. It caused pain to radiate though the whole right side of my face. It was terrible and medicine couldn't help it. I would just have to wait it out. It happened a couple time while Marli was here and the sweet girl she is massaged my face to help alleviate the pain. I have been hoping to wait until we go to the US go get treatment. I hate dental stuff in the US, so the thought of going here was terrifying. There is no routine dental check ups or cleanings. The only solution for pain is to pull the tooth.

On Mother's Day weekend, the pain was horrible and this time, it did not go away. Friday night, I told George I had to see someone. On Saturday, I asked a friend of mine where to go and she said "DO NOT see anyone in Moshi (town)." She recommended going to a hospital about thirty minutes away. Another friend of ours picked me up and we headed up towards Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was raining and the roads were terrible. Our little car (my friend's, not ours) was slipping and sliding all over the place. I can't believe we made it through the mud. When we arrived, I was devastated to learn there were no dentists there on weekends. I had to come back on Monday.

We headed back down the mountain and made it safely back to Moshi. There was no way to wait until Monday so our friend Margaret made an appointment for me to see a dentist... IN TOWN! No! Not one in town!!!! I was so scared, but there was no choice. I resigned myself to the fact I would be getting my tooth pulled. By then, a filling had fallen out and I didn't know if it could be repaired. The bad tooth was one of the side molars, one that is visible when I talk and smile. I wasn't looking forward to having a hole in my mouth, but I accepted the idea and tried not to be so vain.

Sunday Morning, Margaret picked me up and we went to the office. No x-rays were done. I just sat in the chair and the dentist got to work. He said he needed to fix the one with the missing filling and I had two other cavities to fill. He rubbed some gel on my gums and teeth, telling me that was lignocaine. What? No injection? I hate injections during dental work, but I prefer them to the pain. He started to drill and I gripped the chair so tightly, praying the whole time.

He worked on me for two hours! The procedure wasn't as bad as I expected. However, he wasn't as gentle as ones in the US and my face and gums were poked many times. When he finished, I felt pretty good! The pain was gone. Yay! As I began to feel around in my mouth, I noticed it appeared he patched two teeth together. I could no longer floss between the bad tooth and the good one next to it. Oh well... at least it wasn't hurting anymore. Unfortunately, that night the pain came back, although not as bad as it was. For a week and a half I had to take pain medicine, but a few days ago, it stopped hurting altogether. So, for now I am in the clear! I never thought I would be excited to see a dentist, but I want to run to one in the US when we come home!

April/May Newsletter

(Here is our latest newsletter that we emailed out. Please email me or leave a comment if you want to be added to the email list.)

Hi from Moshi!

It has been quite a while since we have been able to send a monthly update to you. Thank you for your patience with us. We sent out an end of the year update and birth announcement. However, if you didn't get one, that means we don't have your current address. If you would like to be on our mailing list, just send me an email with your information.

Our main ministry focus lately has been on finalizing the purchase of the orphanage land. It's so exciting to finally be near the end of that process. We are just waiting to receive the title deed. Once we have that, we can continue to clear the land of thick brush, put up a wall and begin ordering supplies for the building. We hope much of the supplies can be shipped from the US in a container. We want what we build to last a long time and unfortunately, the quality of the building materials isn't very good here.

Last month, George was blessed to work with API ministries in Kenya once again. They did a week long medical camp where George was able to put his medical skills to good use. It was a great week during which so many people were helped and came to know the Lord. We always love when we get a chance to minister in Kenya.

Next week a team of doctors is coming to check out the possibility of doing free cataract surgery in Tanzania. This is a relatively simple and quick surgery that can be life changing. We met a couple of the doctors when we first came to Moshi. They have set up meetings with various clinics to see if their services are most needed there and if their facilities would be suitable. We are just helping them with a few logistics during their stay and we pray their results are favorable. Tanzania could greatly benefit from their services.

At home, we have been busy taking care of the kids and watching in amazement as we see Julia grow. Since her birth (eight weeks premature) she has already quadrupled her birth weight. It hasn't been an easy time as she has been very fussy, but we have found much joy in her and gratitude for the miracle of her life. Eli continues to be wonderful. He is two and nine months now, talking so much and making us laugh all the time.

Please remember to read the blog for frequent updates, prayer requests, support information and photos. http://www.thisisstaciesblog.blogspot.com/

For now, here are some prayer requests we would love for you to remember:

1. Julia's health & healing from reflux issues.

2. Receiving the title deed for the land

3. Confirmation from the US Embassy of Julia's US citizenship and receipt of her documents (passport, birth certificate, etc.)

4. Furlough plans – we hope to come to the US at the end of the year for a visit. The first step will be to get George's visa approved.

5. Safe travel and a productive trip for the doctors coming.

Lots of love from Moshi,

George, Stacie, Eli and Julia Orwa

“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!" Jeremiah 32:17

#archiveModalDialog

Womens Ministry

Recently I met a dutch missionary, and we began to hang out a bit. We have a lot in common, including having two young kids each who enjoy playing together. We have been able to relate to the restlessness common to women once kids are in the picture. We both love being able to be stay at home moms, but it's easy to go a little stir crazy every now and then. We also miss being more involved in ministry. We also have both missed having a Bible study. So, we started one. Now we have eight moms that meet every Friday. It's also open to all of our kids. It's the only way some of us could participate. We all understand how kids are and don't mind if we have to interrupt the session to settle a tantrum or break up a fight. It has been a blessing to get together weekly to study the Word, pray and encourage each other. We are also thinking of planning a women's retreat, open not only to those in our group, but any woman in Moshi who wants to come. I am so thankful for this fellowship!

Team of Doctors Coming

We are really excited to meet a team of four doctors coming from the US next week. They include three eye surgeons and one ER doctor, as well as one of the doctors' wives. We have met Peter and Pam before when we first came to Moshi. Eli was only seven weeks old so it will be fun for them to see how much he has grown. They have been doing free cataract surgery in third world countries for many years and are thinking about doing them in Tanzania. During this visit, they will meet with different facilities to see if any will work out as a location for the surgery. They want to make sure there is a need for the surgeries and that no one else is already doing them here. They want to go where there is no one else helping out and the need for their services is the greatest. Before meeting them, I never knew how simple cataract surgery can be. Someone can go from being blinded by cataracts one day to being able to see the next. What a HUGE gift to give to someone. They are only here for a week and I know time will go so quickly. Please pray for their safety, good health and successful meetings.

Land Update

It's funny that during the hardest time of our lives (dealing with Julia's early delivery), we have seen the most progress in our ministry work. It shouldn't be surprising given the great God we serve. More has gotten done in the last four months than in the last two years, as far as the orphanage land goes. We are in the final stages of buying the land. All that we are waiting for is to get the title deed in our hands. George has been busy getting us to this point. Buying land here is not as easy as buying land in the US. You have to consult the village chief, have the land commissioners approve the sale, have the neighbors confirm you are not infringing on their boundaries, get surveyors to mark the property... and lots more. George has been back and forth a lot to the village getting documents completed and signed and meeting with many local people. He has also had to go to the land a few times to defend our borders when someone else has wanted to buy neighboring property. As far as we know, there is nothing else we need to do but wait for the title deed to be delivered to us. Meanwhile, George has been working on clearing the property. No easy task when there is 12 acres of thick brush! Due to the heavy rains this season, progress on that has been halted for a bit.

It has been refreshing to see God open doors after doors closing these past two years. Woo hoo!

Mom Update

Here is a photo of my beautiful Mom. As you can see, she looks great. It has been about two months since the accident and she is doing very well overall. The pressure she has felt on her face from all the hardware underneath is finally starting to decrease. Her dizziness is gone and much of the swelling is gone as well. She still doesn't have her sense of smell or taste back. Hopefully that will come back in time. For the amount of trauma she has been through, she is doing amazingly well. Thank the Lord. And thank you for your prayers. She heads back to work this week and will need prayers for that. Her body still tires easily, although it's slowly getting stronger and more energetic. Her job as a nurse is busy and demanding. Pray that she is able to ease back in slowly and keep up with it all. I will keep you updated on how she is doing.

I love you Mom!

Julia Update - 4 1/2 Months

Julia is four and a half months old now... that is crazy! I remember praying to get through one week at a time and now here we are. We have had a rough couple months with her. She was often very fussy, screaming if we put her down and struggling to eat. Because of the lack of good medical care here, we were left to guess what her problems were and pray God would heal her and help us out. The one good thing that helped us get through the hard days, were Julia's good nights. She is a great night sleeper. Eli was a nightmare, but Julia goes to bed around 8:00 or 8:30pm and sleeps until around 7:30am (although sometimes until 8:30 or 9:00!), waking only once for feeding. This past week, we were able to take her to a German pediatrician who has experience with preemies. She is looking to open a practice in Moshi, but was willing to see us in her home for free. It was so reassuring to see her. She had heard about Julia and was amazed at her progress and good health. She took measurements of Julia and Julia is right on track for a two and a half month old (as opposed to a four and a half month old) which is to be expected. She is in the 50th percentile for height, length and head circumference. Julia is twelve pounds six ounces now! The most helpful thing we learned from the appointment that answered many of our questions was that it looks like Julia has reflux, a common condition in preemies. It explains her pain while eating and fussiness when being put down. The good news is that it doesn't usually require treatment and goes away on its own with time. Already this past week, we are seeing a new Julia. She has less pain while eating and is tolerating being put in her chair or laying down on her own for a bit. She is happy most of the time, smiling and cooing a lot. I think we had turned a corner and perhaps have easier days ahead. Here are some recent pictures of our little cutie...

Sad Good Bye

One of the reasons I have had a hard time these past couple months is because our closest friends in Moshi moved away. Over a year ago, George was playing outside our house with Eli when he met Daniela, who was walking with her son, Flynn. George invited her in to meet me and from that point on, we all became friends. Our families were a good match for each other. Daniela and I became friends, Eli and Flynn became friends and Chris (Daniela's husband) and George became friends. We all enjoyed hanging out together. It had been a long time since I had a close friend. All of mine (with the exception of George's sister, Suzy, in Kenya) were back in the US. And the truth was... I was lonely. It's easy to feel lonely and secluded here. Our lives in Moshi got better when we met their family. They lived in our neighborhood, next to our old house, which was very close to our current house. So, it was easy for us to see each other. Daniela's friendship was a huge blessing to me. It made me feel normal, if that makes sense. I had someone to talk with and laugh with. We could confer about the kids, discussing their health and behavior. I could call them and ask if they had lettuce in their garden or any extra cilantro. One time, when we ran out of gas for our stove, Marli went down to cook our dinner at their house. I couldn't reach Daniela, but I knew she wouldn't mind. We often hung out in the evenings after work, sometimes staying for dinner if we didn't realize how late it had gotten. I thought, this is what it might be like if I was in the US, surrounded by people I know.

They became like family to us. George knew when he was out of town, Chris and Daniela were available to help me and Chris knew when he was out of town, we were there to support Daniela, day or night. This was not just in words, but in actions as I saw when my water broke while George was gone. I woke them up in the middle of the night, asking them to take Eli and they did, no questions asked. Even though this was Eli's first time away from us, I knew he would be ok because they loved him and he loved them. We were also blessed to meet various family members of theirs who came to visit... all as lovely as they are. When it came time for them to head back to Switzerland, we all were so sad. For two weeks after they left, I felt very down and melancholic. I just couldn't shake the sadness I felt. Since they left, I have met other people and made new friends, which has helped soften the blow, but no one will replace them. Eli was confused for a while after they left. He would ask to go to Flynn's house and I would have to explain again, with a heavy heart, that they moved away and we couldn't see them. Now he mostly understands and talks about things he remembers about them. Like "Mama Flynn said ...." or "this is from "Papa Chris" or "Flynn would like this..." They are amazing people and we were so fortunate they moved into our neighborhood and became our friends. We will keep in touch and hopefully see each other again. Until then, we will cherish the memories of the time we had with them in Moshi.

Posts Coming

Is anyone still checking this?! So sorry about the lack of posts. I have been overwhelmed and a little discouraged and anxious lately. Julia has been a hard baby and there isn't much time or energy to do things other than childcare. I am so behind on everything and am praying I can catch up soon. I will try to blog soon with more info. Just wanted you to know we are alive and ok.

Thanks for your patience and grace...

API Medical Camp

This week George is in Kenya working again with API (Agape Project International). They are doing another medical camp and George is blessed to be helping out. This is his fourth time joining them. They will being seeing patients this whole week. Already he has told me he has been busy in the lab area doing injections and wound care. I am so happy he has been able to go. It's so good for him to put his medical knowledge and training to work as well as seeing our API friends. We weren't sure if he could go, but Julia is stable and strong so I am holding down the fort at home. The kids and I are doing well. Kathy has been here to help which has been nice. Please pray for George and the whole API team. It's a busy, crazy week for them, but so helpful to the community and hopefully many people will be blessed spiritually as well as physically.

Quick Trip

George, Julia and I just got back from a quick trip to Dar. We had to go to the US Embassy to process Julia's citizenship and passport. We should know in a month or so if she was approved. Our trip was very short. We flew there Monday evening and left Tuesday evening after our appointment. We were lucky to find flights that were cheaper than taking the bus. We had some time to kill before our appointment and asked the taxi driver to take us somewhere for lunch. To my absolute delight, he brought us to a place right on the beach. It was so beautiful and filled me instantly with peace and joy. I miss the beach so much and didn't think we would be able to see it on this fast trip.





Meanwhile in Moshi, Eli was having a blast with Kathy, Glory and Dan. Dan and Glory are Pastor Zac's children and are amazing people. Eli loves them so much. He had so much fun with three of his favorite people there to play with.



We would appreciate prayers for Julia's paperwork. There is no question she qualifies, it just a matter of gathering all the right documents which is hard to do so far from home.

Mom Update - Home from the Hospital

After only a few days post op in the hospital, my mom is at home now and on the long road to recovery. She has to take it easy and let her new face heal. Her whole body is recovering from the severe impact of the crash. I have been able to email with my mom which makes being far away a little easier. It helps to know what she is going through. Thanks for all your prayers for my mom. Keep them coming!

(By the way... I am sure any of you who are friends with my mom on Facebook know all this already. You probably are more informed than I am!)

Eli Update - 2 Years 7 Months

Eli is now two years and seven months. His speech is incredible and amazing to see develop. He is constantly surprising us with the things he says. I often ask him... "who taught you that?" A few days ago we were reading books and he kept bringing me books and telling me he is the librarian. He has never been to a library (we don't have them here) and neither George nor I have ever said that word to him. It's fascinating.



Eli has been enjoying his new sister. He loves to hold her. He hasn't displayed any bad feelings or jealousy towards Julia, but he often tells me "Mama, I'm baby." Then he proceeds to act like a baby... or does the best impression he knows how which consists of not being able to walk and only talking gibberish. I now know acting is not in his future!



Eli has really gotten into make believe play. He likes to play with his "little people." Yesterday, he said the soldier was going to rescue the princess. The "princess" was actually an old little person who we usually call "Noah" so I told him to bring one of the girl little people over and he proudly came back with two pigs! I sent him back to try again and this time he got it right. He brought over a little girl, one we call "Ida".





(These guys are in prison. I am not sure what they did.)

Eli is still very friendly and loves to play with other kids and interact with people. He is now doing his own prayers. This is how a typical one goes "Dear God.... thank you for mama, thank you for papa....uh....... thank you for ..... Biba..... thank you for CeeCee.... uh......uh....... thank you for my net... thank you for Mickey's Castle..... uh..... AMEN!" I love hearing what comes to mind and I love that all he does is thank God as we often proceed with a bunch of requests.

Eli enjoys playing the drums and does it on any surface using anything for sticks as often as he can. He is really good at it. He also likes to sing, but I also know that professional singing isn't in his future. His friend, Flynn, is 9 months younger than Eli and a VERY good singer. I didn't know how bad Eli was until I heard Flynn!

Eli is doing great with potty training. He only wears diapers for naps and bedtime. Rarely does he have an accident during the day. Potty training him was way easier than I thought it would be. Overall Eli is just awesome. Occasionally he needs a time out, but he is pretty well behaved. He has his frustrating moments as most two year olds do, but it's not too bad. I just love him so much... more and more as he grows. He is special, smart and funny.

******** The day after writing this, Eli had an especially naughty day. Figures, after I wrote this glowing review! He did seven majorly naughty things. I won't reveal the extent of his naughtiness, but I will show you evidence of the most minor one.



Yep... his foot got stuck.

Before you feel sorry for this little stinker...



Don't. He is clearly not suffering.



He did this for the first time a few days prior and we had to grease his foot with soap. I knew he did it on purpose today after I came running to his cries for help and he said "Mama, I need the soap" so proudly.

Photos from Taryn

I have been meaning to post these from Taryn's camera for a while.

She was so great with both kids.



Taryn went with Kathy to the pre-school she is helping with. That day the kids were blessed with a visit not only by Taryn, but other missionaries as well. We have worked with them at the Playground Ministry and Medical Outreach. They had some school supplies to bring for the kids and played games with them as well. I thought how cool would it have been to show up at school and find out it's a day of fun!



Eli has been so blessed with extra attention from Marli, Kathy and Taryn. He is still adjusting to sharing Mom and Dad's attention so it has been wonderful for him to go swimming and do other fun things with them.



I love this one of George and Eli. They look so much alike. Like father like son. I thought maybe Julia would look like me, but nope... she looks like George too. She may have my hair though!