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The One Who Came to Love us All

Isn't it amazing how God uses the little things in life.. the seemingly unnoticed moments.. to impact us and make a lasting change within us? All around us life is screaming, fighting for our attention. Then there are those perfectly common moments. No screaming and no juxtapositioning for our attention. In fact, so quiet and unnoticed that they often can't be aesthetically measured. Yet on the decibel level of the heart they register off the charts. Like a tuning fork, their memories resonate, leaving us pensive and forever changed. Yesterday was one such moment.

My kids and I decided to spend the day sharing and playing with some orphan girls. I hate that word, "orphan." It's a poorly suited word to describe such beautifully fashioned girls. In fact, they are not orphaned at all. By the world's standards they may fit the criteria of being an orphan; no father, no mother, no close living relative. But thru the eyes of the One who formed them within their mother's womb and who designed them with a purpose...they are not orphans! They are daughters of destiny! They are lavishly loved by the One who will never leave them or forsake them. It was a perspective I gained when I allowed God to open my eyes and change the way I look at things.

It was a wonderful afternoon of sharing together. I read them the Christmas story, some hearing it for the first time. I tried to make it real and personal to them by explaining how Josesph was a carpenter, mary was his "wife." They didn't have much, just a few things..one of which was a donkey. ( I was leading up to how she rode on the donkey to Bethlehem). One of the girls spoke up, "I've seen one of those donkeys in a book once!" Another said, "I've seen them on the road!" Such wide eyed wonder over a simple donkey! I continued on with the story. When I came to the part about a special baby being born I asked, "Do you know who that special baby was?" One little girl meekly spoke up with a bit of a question in her statement, "He's the One who came to love us all."

Wow! Out of the mouth of babes. For a moment I was silent, transfixed on this simple statement with such profound truth. He is indeed the One who came to love us all... the "fatherless", the missionary, the teacher, the office manager, the corporate head, the preacher, the vet, the general practitioner, the policeman, the clerk,... ALL! The truth is, by God's standards there is no such word as "fatherless" if we simply let Him love us as He came to do. A lesson learned from a sweet, little 6 year old, "daughter of destiny."

After the story we all gathered round the table and made little angel ornaments to hang on their tree. Wes played Christmas carols on his violin while Savannah accompanied him on her flute. Memories were made as we sang along while Meghan and I helped in making those special angels. Yet the special memory that resonates on in my heart wasn't what "we" did but what that sweet little girls said, "He is the One who came to love us all."

So with that said.... Merry Christmas dear friends as we stop to remember the One who came to love us all!

Lord, Give Me Knew Eyes!

Spring has definitely sprung here and how wonderful it is. October is a beautiful month indeed. The downfall tho is all the dust it brings. Living at the center in the country is such a wonderful blessing tho dust can be oppressive at times. Rains are not too far off. For now we endure all the dust devils, horrendously dirty feet, and thick brownish clouds that hover over from time to time.

It’s so odd tho. Our mission center is located here on the west side of Arusha. It truly is oppressively dry and dusty on this side of town. It’s like hitting a wall of dirt twenty minutes drive outside of urban life. Perhaps it serves as a clear boundary marker differentiating rural from urban. At any rate, it’s DRY! Drive thirty minutes down the road in the other direction and it’s completely the opposite. It’s green, lush and bustling with life. People on that side of time seem so much lighter and perhaps happier. I would assume life is much easier for them. Water is everywhere. Rivers and streams flowing off of Mt Meru provide bountiful harvests and refreshing respites for any tired, thirsty cattle.

Things are entirely different on the west side here. Lush has been replaced with arid. Streams that once flowed during the rainy season are now dried up and barren housing only the memory of life and years of litter. Farmlands that flourish on the east side struggle incredulously to overcome the over pastoralized land here in the west. What nutrient sapped land can’t do to deprive the new seed, lack of rain comes in to finish off the job.

The question then lingers, “Whey did CMF choose to live here?” Answer, “We didn’t. God did!” He whose very Name means, “Life” loves these precious children of His and wants that not even one should perish. He has placed us here, not to complain, but to serve as a living testimony of who He is. In a dry and weary land He is “Living Water.” When the hopeless and desperate cry out, He is “Hope” and “Compassion.”

As much as I enjoy living in the country, especially the blessing of African countryside, I am not here for me. No, God has brought us here for a calling higher than our own comforts. He has called us to be Life to the Dying. Refreshment to the Weary. Hope to the Fatherless. Promise to the hopeless….

“Precious Lord, Father to the Nations… please forgive me for my short sidedness. When I seek only my comfort and allow the challenges to cause me to lose sight of why You have called us here., please forgive me. For the times that I have looked right in the eyes my neighbors and not seen the faces of your children, I am sorry. Dear Father, when I even dare to complain about the bad roads, dust, discomforts, etc, please help me to remember those who are suffering, struggling to even find food their hungry children. My discomforts can’t even compare to the pain of watching a sick child worsen from lack of nutrition and no money to afford help.Please forgive me as I cry out to you because I’m weary from having to home school my children. At least my children have a school. Most of the children around us have no hope of becoming anything but a cow hand or a servant girl.

Oh Lord, how childish and foolish I can be at times,; how selfish and self-preserving. Precious Father, You who is rich in mercy and love, fill me with Your love. Give me Your eyes to see deep into the hearts of your lost children. May my heart ache for them as Yours does. Put your mind on me that I may have Your hope, Your vision, Your passion for these precious, lost children of yours. Let Your kingdom come to earth and fill us with all love, power and passion. May you be glorified thru us!”

The Earth is Full of the Glory of God!

Roosters crowing, doves laughing, donkey braying, birds chirping, puppies whining, me wondering …”where did all this early morning cacophony come from and when did it start?” Suddenly and without warning it’s like dawning sun brings forth with it a bursting of life all around me from every direction.

A family of doves have made their home in the rafters outside my bedroom window. Every morning I awaken to a call and response of their bouncy, rhythmic calls. They seem to have replaced the squawky Ibis family who had come to settle in my front trees. Without any indication, the Ibis departed leaving behind a peaceful silence broken only by soft chirping of weaver and various other song birds. I like this much better than the abrupt and often abrasive screech of the Ibis.

Spring is in full motion here in the southern hemisphere. The barren Cassia trees are once again budding with the promise of bright yellow blooms soon to come. Winter and it’s cold, achy gloominess has passed leaving us bright eyed and full of anticipation of all spring’s sweet, new blessings. Bougainvillea in its vibrant hues of purple, pink and red. Jacaranda trees bursting into flamboyant purple . Jasmine’s pure, sweet aroma filling the air, ticking the back of my throat at times. It’s spring alright. And I love it!

A Not So Typical "Typical" Day

June 25, 2010

Only one more week of school left for the year! The kids are ready for a break as am I. I am thankful tho that we have been able to get as much done as we have with interruptions from furlough, visitors and just plain’ ol life here in Africa.

People often ask me, “What’s a typical day in your life there in Tanzania?” My answer? A “typical” day is always not “typical” and quite unpredictable. Take yesterday for instance. We woke up around 7 and eased our way into the morning with coffee and checking emails. Coffee was a “go” but email was not. Internet was down…again… Okay, that afforded me more time to get school organized for the day. Or so I thot. Then a knock came at the door. It was Loserian, our campus manager. He came to inform me that the tile man was here and waiting on me to get started before laying the tile in the guest house. I was elected overseer of that project. Unlike the States, you can’t just hire a skilled laborer to come in, get the job done, pay him with a smile and leave. No, here they have to be watched over like a hawk to make sure they truly are skilled and that they are following your specifications. Good thing I showed up. Instead of laying tiles in a vertical pattern beginning in the middle of the room like I requested, he was putting them on an angle and starting from the corner. Yikes! Got that problem solved and was back at home school. Then the phone rang. Problem with the tile guy..again.. He needs more tile. Perhaps not a big issue anywhere else but in a place like here where we live 30 min from any store and the tile man doesn’t own a car, we have to go get more of the tile. So, work is halted till Loserian runs to get more tile. Meanwhile, there’s Meg begging me, “Mom…can we PLEASE get back to school now?!” You know it’s bad when your child is begging you to get back to school! J

School eventually finished for the day but not without it’s fair share of drama. Meg’s tooth started hurting her. Upon inspection of her pearly whites I discovered something else “white” protruding from her gums. She had an abscess. Some food had apparently lodged itself between her teeth causing an infection in her gums. I raced her off to get to the dentist on time before he closed at 4:30. I contemplated not even taking her and just self treat at home. Again…not at all what I’d do in the States but here often self treating is better than any “official” medical care you would find her. To my surprise internet was up long enough for me to check what to do to self treat. Give her antibiotics and home remedy salve for the abscess. But all indications strongly supported visiting your dentist to have xrays done to look for any deeper infection. Okay..off to the dentist we go. Forty minutes later I’m pulling into the dentist. Ten minutes later I’m pulling out of the dentist office with … antibiotics and suggestions for home made salve. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! He didn’t even take any xrays at this point as we were too close to his closing time. Good news is the abscess is gone this morning thanks to amoxicillin, home made salve and lots of prayer! The best part of the story?? Getting home only to find out that the tile man now needs one more bag of grout…in where we just came from! And… internet was down again! Ugh!!! So, having shared all this I can honestly say a “typical” day sounds sounds soooooooooooooooo appealing right now! J

Ghost Town

All is quiet on the home front. The “mass exodus” of the students for their mid-term break was yesterday. Todd got up at 5 am to get them all to the bus stop for them to all begin their several hour ride home to their villages. You could feel the excitement in the air the day before. They were all ready for a much needed break, not to mention how ready they were to see their family and friends. They will be back in 3 weeks eager to begin their 2^nd phase of training. But, for now, it's like a ghost town. Even the other members of our team have gone to Kenya early to prepare for our annual conference. We leave in about an hour. Once we go...the only noise you'll here is the chatter of crickets and the occasional complaint from our neighbor's donkey.

It’s always so interesting to me to see how eager they are to get back home and how home sick they are when they are here. I’ve not seen their homes per se. However, they are not unlike those of our other students and Tanzanian friends. I would venture to say tho that most of them, if not all of them come from very simple, mud hut structures with dirt floors. Some may have concrete houses but usually only those more savvy and wealthy. They’re not big as they would have only one main room and a bedroom or two. One thing is for certain, they all have very little in the way of personal possessions. They may own a couple pots and pans and a tea kettle. I’d imagine they have beds. Most likely they are not beds like we know it. Their bed may be a cushion or mat placed on the floor. It may be sticks held together by rope in a waffle pattern covered in animal skin. And who knows, it could even be close to a bed like what we are used to. It’s highly unlikely they own much in the way of living room furniture. If they do it’s probably a few chairs and maybe a small table from which they use to serve food and tea. They cook all their meals outside over an open fire. Their bathrooms are all outhouses at best. Many may even have just a crude whole in the ground surrounded by a privacy fence of thatch. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of their houses didn’t even have a door but just a curtain hanging at the entrance to keep out bugs. Windows are a luxury for them, especially to have glass in them. Screens would be unheard of. If they have any window at all in their mud huts, it would be a crude shaped whole covered by a small, often dingy curtain suspended by a droopy wire. Again, this serves to keep the bugs at bay. I can’t say how many times a day they would eat. I would venture to say once in the morning..a light meal of maybe porridge or bread and tea. Then, once again in the evening they might have another small meal of their common starch called Ugali. Ugali is like a thick cream of wheat they ball up in their hands and dip in some kind of broth. The broth would commonly be made from greens fried in oil with onions and tomatoes. Meat is a commodity. Even tho many of them own cattle, they won’t butcher them except for very festive occasions. Occasionally they may have roasted goat..again , for a festive occasion.

In contrast, while here on our campus each family gets a lovely, warm, concrete room with comfy beds, desks and a small table and glass window with screens. They dine three times a day in a rather nice dining hall with what we consider to be quite tasteful and comfortable chairs and tables. We serve them carefully thought out healthy meals including meat twice a week. There’s even a t.v. with a video player in there. While in class they have similar comforts. Their bathroom facilities are like palaces compared to what they are used to. We have several acres of nice land for them to relax in. Cows give us fresh milk daily and our chickens provide with eggs. Their children have a lovely classroom for their school and really nice playground as well. I’m always amazed tho that even tho we provide all these nice “comforts” they never feel as home here as they would in their grass/mud huts, sitting on a dirt ground around a fire! Isn’t that interesting?!?

Home truly is where the heart is. I could stand to learn so much from our dear African friends. Like Jewish culture from the time of Jesus till now, African culture shares in the honor of hosting guests. When a guest arrives at an African’s home, one is treated as royalty. Tho the hosts may not splurge on a chicken meal themselves, they would certainly not think twice about butchering one to serve their guests. It’s always so strange to visit a village and see a goat or chicken wondering around. Then, a few hours later when the meal is served and we’re wondering what kind of meat we’re eating, it dawns on us. We haven’t seen that pesky goat or chicken in the past few hours. Ha! While in your host’s home, you are also considered “under their protection.” This means anything that you would need would be their honor to provide for you, especially in the area of safety. This is taken so much to the extreme that they will even walk you all the way to your car or even back to your home if you walked there. The host sees a guest as their responsibility as long as the guests are in their home. Isn’t that beautiful?!

Relationships and time spent building relationships are highly honored and cherished. They think nothing of spending hours sitting around a fire and talking, getting to know each other more and sharing stories. Of course, this mostly the men who do this. The women and young girls share stories and build relationships while gathering the firewood, cooking, cleaning, caring for children, building their stick/stone homes, etc. Most women don’t have a lot of time to just sit around and chat. There’s too much work to be done. Sitting around chatting is what the elders and young men do! J In any case, life is really pretty simple for the Tanzania..aside from the hard work. They wake and go off to their perspective duties; young men to shepherd their cattle and women and girls to their gardens. They work pretty much all day till sunset. They come home, gather around a fire and chat while the women prepare the food. They eat and talk. The women clean up and then all go to bed only to start it all over again the following day. Simple… Perhaps this is why they miss their homes so much while here at our training. Perhaps we westerners complicate life too much with all our “stuff?” It is something to ponder…

Early Morning Rambling...

1. Instant coffee seems to taste so much better when served from a decorative storing jar instead of the plain ‘ol can.
2. Sunrises are worth waking up for!
3. Red paint makes a room so inviting.
4. Smiles are contagious…especially when the one smiling has no teeth. J
5. If there is a white board sitting out with markers, it won’t stay white for long. People can’t pass it w/o fighting the urge to write something on it.
6. Birds can’t help but sing and neither can I. Which makes me wonder..are my songs as sweet?
7. Knowledge can be obtained anywhere at anytime. Character, however is developed in youth.
8. It is never better to gain the whole world and lose your soul in the process.
9. Busyness is not the same as success.
10. Just because we’re busy doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re getting stuff done.
11. Meg will always find the fun in everything…no matter what it is.
12. Good friends are like a nice cup of warm, hot chocolate with a cinnamon stick.
13. Hammock times are some of the best times.
14. Tickle someone. You can’t help but to feel tickled too.
15. Worn out furniture may hang around your home for a while but the little, dusty feet that dirtied them leave all too soon.
16. Wrinkles and bulges…call them what you want. I prefer laughter lines and more to hug!
17. Candles, floor rugs and throw pillows make a house warm.
18. A guest book does you no good if you never remember to have your guests sign it.
19. Porches are meant to be shared with snuggly kids.
20. Rainy day + dry porch + comfy couch + hot tea + cuddly kid + warm blanket = perfect day!
21. There no such thing as a mistakes. Their just opportunities to embellish.
22. It’s always good to take God “out” of our “box.” It’s even better to let Him “into” our every moment.
23. God’s hope NEVER disappoints.
24. A little light is better than no lights at all.
25. It’s worth the effort and energy to make good memories for my kids.
26. Counting your blessings is SO much better than grumbling and complaining.
27. A negative thot can not produce a positive outcome.
28. Quiet mornings by oneself can often do so much more for the extrovert than an evening of fun and people.
29. Different is not bad. It’s just different.
30. God loves variety. So should I.
31. Feet are so much prettier when toenails are painted.
32. It does a person good to experience hanging clothes on a line to dry.
33. Avoid the temptation to look at your feet when walking. There is so much to experience by looking around and ahead.
34. Learning Hebrew and Jewish culture is to understanding the Bible as Snorkeling is to appreciating the ocean. It comes alive and in full color!
35. People light up when you speak to them in their Mother tongue.
36. People are worth the investment.
37. Surround yourself with the things you love and it changes your whole outlook.
38. Good manners always pay off!
39. Joy is hearing your kids first recital, no matter how many notes were off key.
40. T.v., game boys, play stations, etc are never a good substitute for good, ‘ol fashioned family game night.
41. Something powerful happens when you give to others. They are blessed and you are changed.
42. If you can’t change what you’re seeing then perhaps you just need to change the way you look at it.
43. Perspective is everything.
44. Beauty for ashes, joy for tears, laughter for mourning, love for hate, adoption for rejection, life for death, prosperity for poverty, peace for calamity, hope for dispair…now THAT’s my God!
45. A quiet cuddle on the couch with my kids…nothing is worth more than that moment.
46. Stolen dates with your husband are often better than well planned ones.
47. If someone asks you for a minute of your time, give them an hour. We’re never really THAT busy.
48. Treasures can be found anywhere! Take the time to look.
49. Life always seems so much easier to tackle after a long bubble bath with candles and praise music.
50. Love others…it IS worth the risk!
51. Don’t be different just to be “be” different. Be different to make a difference.
52. Sometimes you just gotta lick the bowl! Do it! And, make sure people see you doing it! J
53. It’s SO good to sometimes break away from your intended schedule and just play.
54. If you wanna know how to have fun ask a kid and then follow his lead.
55. Donkeys, birds and roosters and sunlight help you to embrace the morning so much more joyfully than a buzzing alarm.
56. There is great blessing in being first to give others the benefit of the doubt.
57. Work is essential. But, taking time to play is what really pays off!
58. Good can be found in just about any place and in any situation. You just have to be willing to look for it!
59. A house made dirty by loud, playful kids is way better than a quiet, tidy one.
60. It’s rewarding to train yourself to drown out noise and just listen to the melodies of God’s creation.
61. Contentment is a choice. Happiness is a blessing. Endurance is a necessity.
62. Allow yourself to be uncomfortable sometimes.
63. Go a day without food to really understand what it means to be hungry.
64. Happiness is not determined by economic status. I’ve met joy-filled, “poorest of the poor” living in mud huts as well as embittered, disillusioned “richest of the rich” living in mansions.
65. The world be so much of a better place if everyone stopped waking up thinking about all the things we have to get done and started waking up thinking about all the people we get to love.
66. Build a fire, get some smore’s fixins and just watch what happens!
67. I’ve found that a meal alone at a restaurant with a good book can be just what this extrovert needs sometimes…even if it is hard to do!
68. Seeing your kids raise their hands and getting lost in worship is priceless.
69. Go ahead…be the first to make conversation in the elevator. There’s something twisted in enjoying watching those poor people squirm. Tee hee.
70. We’re never too old to learn. We just let ourselves think we are.
71. Dancing with your kids is so worth the sore muscles the next day.
72. There is freedom in surrender.
73. Be extravagant in your loving, generous in your laughter and quick in your forgivness.
74. Expending yourself on others returns priceless dividends.
75. It’s so fun to be creative. No wonder God does it!
76. Take time to ask God to show you your giftings. He loves seeing you use them to bless others.
77. The reward in diligently seeking God is finding Him!
78. Take the time to invest in what makes your kids “tick.”
79. Dog’s saliva may be the “cleanest” but it is still nasty, especially when you see where they’ve just finished licking.
80. Some people start the day running. I prefer to slowly embrace it. J
81. It’s so much more fun to be an “off the beaten path” kinda gal.
82. Getting lost just means finding new ways to get there.
83. Who needs instructions when you got pictures?!?
84. Taking something apart only to have to put it back together again means you get to be creative with what to do with all the leftover extra pieces. J
85. Actors are the stars that take center stage but it’s those behind the scenes that really make them shine.
86. Why cry over spilled milk? It’s so much more fun to grab a straw and start slurping!
87. The only good spider is a dead spider. (my apologies to all the spider lovers)
88. I’m quite certain God had kissing in mind when He created lips. I’m pretty sure He was smiling when he formed them. J
89. If arms are made for hugging, lips for kissing, feet for walking, teeth for chewing…what in the world is that hangy down thing in the back of our throat for?? I believe it’s called a uvula.
90. It is impossible to jump on a trampoline and not smile. Try it!
91. Never lose the the joy of learning.
92. It’s amazing how much fun there is playing nerf guns with your kids. (Am I a bad person that I enjoy ambushing them??)
93. Just for fun, don a great 80’s style hair-do and outfit and go to the mall. Watch people’s reactions to you. (Of course it’ll probably be the “new” style in a few years).
94. 80’s music contains great wisdom..Girls do just wanna have fun and Love is indeed a battlefield!
95. It’s kinda fun to embrace Meg’s sense of style. Perhaps plaids do go with stripes.
96. This may very well be a “small world” but there is still so much more I wanna see.
97. Every new friend has the potential of one day becoming a steady, ‘ol friend.
98. Everyone needs an Aunt Marcia in their life! Xoxo
99. Boredom should be embraced as an opportunity to create fun. (or get those things done around the house that you’ve been putting off for a long time).
100. “Today is a brand new day with no mistakes in it.” --Lucy Montgomery.