The sun is setting, and the kids are asleep after a perfectly glorious day.
In the morning we went to a park about 30 minutes away. Lakes, sailboats, swans/geese/ducks, lots of grass and trees and an amazing playground! But the best part was going there to meet up with three of Jack’s friends from school. They’ve only been on summer break for two weeks, but the boys were delighted with one another’s company, and it was sweet to watch them running, playing and talking to one another like old friends. And I had time to talk with their mums!
Then in the afternoon we had a nice, long visit with our Asian neighbors. Starting at our house and ending up at theirs, we talked about everything from gardens to chickens, children to church, curries to Baby Einstein -- it was all I could do to tear ourselves away to get Jack and Sophie home for supper/bath/bedtime.
A year ago we didn’t know anyone!
God answers prayer.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
The Hard Part of Saying Yes
For some reason, Jack has never liked Veggie Tales. (Or, I should say, not as much as I do.) But while we were away last week, one morning when it was really raining we put on the Veggie Tales JONAH movie my mom had given him at Christmas. And, voilà! Now he’s a huge fan. I guess it just took the retelling of a favorite Bible story to help him past the confusion of talking vegetables.
Ever since he was a baby, I’ve sung songs to Jack, and as soon as he was able to talk he started to ask for songs by name. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was the Star Song; the Alphabet was the ABC Song; Old MacDonald Had a Farm was the Farm Song, etc. I guess he thought there were songs about everything because he would ask me to sing about random things -- whatever he was thinking about or looking at right at that particular moment. It was the winter Sophie was born, and we were staying in a furnished apartment in Virginia. On the wall in Jack’s room was a print of a painting with lots of different creatures under the sea. So one night at bedtime he asked, “Mommy, sing me the Whale Song.”
The only thing I could think to sing about was Jonah and the whale! What to do? I had to make up a song that told the whole story. He asked for it again the next night and the next night and the next, and now it’s among the standard line-up of night-night songs at our house.
At the moment Jack’s at that stage of asking “Why?” about seemingly everything under the sun, so in answer to his questions about the meaning of the words in the Whale Song, we’ve ended up talking several times about how God asks us to do things for Him and about our choice to either say No, as Jonah did at first, or Yes, as he did after he had time in the belly of a whale to rethink his decision. We’ve talked about the fact that our willingness (or not) to obey God affects not only us but other people as well. And about how important it is to always say Yes, no matter what God asks us to do or where He asks us to go. Until now I’ve tried to leave it at that. I figured that explanation of Trust and Obey was heavy enough for a four year-old!
But over the weekend, our friend who lives in Afghanistan was here, and Jack fell in love with her all over again (which is really sweet because she was a favorite when he was little, but he can’t remember that). When it came time for her to leave, Jack got really quiet. He came up to me, put his head down and said softly, “Why does she have to go away?” Poor guy. We’ve had lots of people coming and going in the last year (London is on the way to everywhere!), as well as all the hellos/good-byes with our beloved families, and now Jack is starting to be able to articulate how he feels about it.
So I got down on my knees, held him in my arms and said, “Do you remember our talks about how important it is to say Yes to God? Saying Yes is always, always, always the best thing to do, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Sometimes it means we have to live far away from people that we love. When God asked (this friend) to go to Afghanistan, she said Yes. Right now we feel sad because she’s leaving us. We wish she could stay right here, but if she did that she wouldn’t be obeying God. And the people in Afghanistan wouldn’t have the blessing of having her there among them. We can pray for her while she’s gone, and we’ll look forward to seeing her again next time. But it hurts our hearts to see her go away. This is the hard part of saying Yes.”
I think I said this without crying, which is itself a minor miracle because the pain of being separated from loved ones due to following God is one of my biggest pet peeves with Him. (In addition to all the other times I've moaned on this very blog about this very thing, today is the birthday of my dearest friend from Asbury College. When I called the Bahamas and heard her voice on the other end of the line, I was suddenly both ecstatic to talk with her and devastated that we haven’t been living next door to one another every single day of the past 18 years. To think that she has only seen my children in pictures! I hate it!)
But then I picked up a book I recently borrowed from some friends at church. (We have a wonderful county library system here, but there aren’t many Christian titles.) Several friends in Cyprus had recommended it a few years ago -- it’s called The Heavenly Man. As I began to read the true story of Brother Yun’s persecution for the Name of Jesus in China, I realized that I haven’t even begun to understand how hard saying Yes to God can be!
I’m not sure at what point Jack’s questions will address the expected reality of suffering for our faith, but when they do I pray the Holy Spirit will give me wisdom in how I answer. Right now I need to get back to reading this book. I have a feeling I’ll have more to say tomorrow!
* * * * * * *
Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. (Jonah 2:8 NIV)
To obey is better than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22 NIV)
Ever since he was a baby, I’ve sung songs to Jack, and as soon as he was able to talk he started to ask for songs by name. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was the Star Song; the Alphabet was the ABC Song; Old MacDonald Had a Farm was the Farm Song, etc. I guess he thought there were songs about everything because he would ask me to sing about random things -- whatever he was thinking about or looking at right at that particular moment. It was the winter Sophie was born, and we were staying in a furnished apartment in Virginia. On the wall in Jack’s room was a print of a painting with lots of different creatures under the sea. So one night at bedtime he asked, “Mommy, sing me the Whale Song.”
The only thing I could think to sing about was Jonah and the whale! What to do? I had to make up a song that told the whole story. He asked for it again the next night and the next night and the next, and now it’s among the standard line-up of night-night songs at our house.
At the moment Jack’s at that stage of asking “Why?” about seemingly everything under the sun, so in answer to his questions about the meaning of the words in the Whale Song, we’ve ended up talking several times about how God asks us to do things for Him and about our choice to either say No, as Jonah did at first, or Yes, as he did after he had time in the belly of a whale to rethink his decision. We’ve talked about the fact that our willingness (or not) to obey God affects not only us but other people as well. And about how important it is to always say Yes, no matter what God asks us to do or where He asks us to go. Until now I’ve tried to leave it at that. I figured that explanation of Trust and Obey was heavy enough for a four year-old!
But over the weekend, our friend who lives in Afghanistan was here, and Jack fell in love with her all over again (which is really sweet because she was a favorite when he was little, but he can’t remember that). When it came time for her to leave, Jack got really quiet. He came up to me, put his head down and said softly, “Why does she have to go away?” Poor guy. We’ve had lots of people coming and going in the last year (London is on the way to everywhere!), as well as all the hellos/good-byes with our beloved families, and now Jack is starting to be able to articulate how he feels about it.
So I got down on my knees, held him in my arms and said, “Do you remember our talks about how important it is to say Yes to God? Saying Yes is always, always, always the best thing to do, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Sometimes it means we have to live far away from people that we love. When God asked (this friend) to go to Afghanistan, she said Yes. Right now we feel sad because she’s leaving us. We wish she could stay right here, but if she did that she wouldn’t be obeying God. And the people in Afghanistan wouldn’t have the blessing of having her there among them. We can pray for her while she’s gone, and we’ll look forward to seeing her again next time. But it hurts our hearts to see her go away. This is the hard part of saying Yes.”
I think I said this without crying, which is itself a minor miracle because the pain of being separated from loved ones due to following God is one of my biggest pet peeves with Him. (In addition to all the other times I've moaned on this very blog about this very thing, today is the birthday of my dearest friend from Asbury College. When I called the Bahamas and heard her voice on the other end of the line, I was suddenly both ecstatic to talk with her and devastated that we haven’t been living next door to one another every single day of the past 18 years. To think that she has only seen my children in pictures! I hate it!)
But then I picked up a book I recently borrowed from some friends at church. (We have a wonderful county library system here, but there aren’t many Christian titles.) Several friends in Cyprus had recommended it a few years ago -- it’s called The Heavenly Man. As I began to read the true story of Brother Yun’s persecution for the Name of Jesus in China, I realized that I haven’t even begun to understand how hard saying Yes to God can be!
I’m not sure at what point Jack’s questions will address the expected reality of suffering for our faith, but when they do I pray the Holy Spirit will give me wisdom in how I answer. Right now I need to get back to reading this book. I have a feeling I’ll have more to say tomorrow!
* * * * * * *
Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. (Jonah 2:8 NIV)
To obey is better than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22 NIV)
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Elijah Update (July 31)
For new readers to this blog, the following update is about a strong and brave little guy named Elijah, born February 6, 2007. His mom and I worked together at Rift Valley Academy in 1996-1999. Elijah has Hemophilia B, but more importantly, he has a worldwide prayer support team! Since my initial post about Elijah and his mom's initial update the very next day, posting updates from Elijah's parents on this blog is a small way I can give support from far away and generate much-needed prayer for Elijah's continued growth and healing. So please, join the praying!
Dear Elijah Warriors,
We wanted to start out our email to you with a reminder. Just three months ago our doctors were up against a wall. Just three months ago we were in the midst of a battle for Elijah's life. Last week Elijah went to see his Pediatric Surgeon, the one who was very worried and sad just three months ago. At first he cried when he heard her voice, but once he realized she was not going to do anything, he listened intently to her instructions and smiled. We are excited to start weaning Elijah off of his meds and his special formula. We have a three week plan, and so far Elijah is handling it well. Peas and green beans have been attempted, and I think that green beans must be better. :) Rejoice with us in the improvement in Elijah and his wonderful doctors visits.
Every night we line up all of his medicines for the night, make his formula with all the additions and get things in order for the night and next day. Pray with us that Elijah is able to come off of all these meds and special formula creations.
We are so sorry that we've taken so long to get back with everyone. We've had many people write us in "Elijah Withdrawal" wondering what is happening in his life. Our time at home has been great. He continues to get stronger and build up his muscle control. He is eating very well and gaining weight. Our neurosurgeon was very happy with the way Elijah's brain hemorrhage is healing and does not need to see him again for several months.
On the 4th of July when others were celebrating the freedoms we have in our nation, Joel and I were learning how to give Elijah his infusions. A nurse came to Ness City from the company we get our Factor IX from, and she gave us our lessons. We practiced on her and then practiced on each other. She kept telling us that we're going to be great giving Elijah his infusions. Confidence! That is exactly what we need! We felt 100% better after the meeting with her and our County Health Nurse. God keeps putting people into our path who share our faith and know the only way to explain Elijah being alive is the Power of God. What a blessing.
Judy's mom, dad, sister, niece and nephew drove all the way from the east coast to spend some time with us. Elijah had so much fun laughing and smiling at his cousins and his Mimi and Pop-Pop. It was a great week, but it went by too quickly for us. We also had visits from one of Judy's dorm girls and her family and some RVA staff members, Steve and Nancy Peiffer and family. Steve said that back in March when we asked for people to pray that God would take Elijah quickly and without much pain, he felt he could not pray that for us. He prayed that God would allow him to meet Elijah one day. There were tears as they looked at him and realized this was an answer to that prayer. They got to see Elijah.
During our journey there have been times that we have wanted to "get out". We no longer wanted to be a part of this "story". It has been wearing, tiring and just plain overwhelming. And we didn't know why God wasn't more visible to us.
Once again I'm reminded of a portion of CS Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. The four children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) have been called back to Narnia They've been traveling all day finding their own path, and they are just worn out. They don’t know how to get where they are going, they don’t know what they will find when they get there and they don’t understand why Aslan hasn’t appeared yet. At this point of the story only Lucy has seen Aslan, and the others don’t believe her. Finally Susan is the last to see Aslan, and this is where we pick up the story.
“Lucy,” said Susan in a very small voice.
“Yes!” said Lucy.
“I see him how. I’m sorry.”
“That’s all right.”
“But I’ve been far worse than you know. I really believed it was him – he, I mean – yesterday. When he warned us not to go down to the fir wood. And I really believed it was him tonight, when you woke us up. I mean, deep down inside. Or I could have, if I’d let myself. But I just wanted to get out of the woods and – Oh, I don’t know. And what ever am I going to say to him?”
Judy and I wanted to be out of the “woods” so badly, and we wanted to see God, not just believe He was present. But you know what? God was present. He was with Judy, Elijah and me all the way during this six month journey. Even people who weren’t interested in looking for God were able to see His hand in Elijah’s life.
When the children were willing to follow Lucy and Aslan (who they couldn’t see), Aslan led the children to safety. When we, Judy and I and everyone else reading this e-mail, are willing to follow God, He will lead us through our journey in life. We don’t know where He will lead us and we aren’t assured that the journey will be easy, but we know He is with us, and at the end of the journey we will still be with God.
We are so thankful that God is allowing us to continue our journey with Elijah. We pray that the journey will be a long one, and we pray that the rest of the journey will be easier than the last six months have been. But with God leading, we will accept whatever He leads us through. And we pray that God will give us the strength to accept everything with thanksgiving and joy.
In Christ,
Joel, Judy and Elijah
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Dear Elijah Warriors,
We wanted to start out our email to you with a reminder. Just three months ago our doctors were up against a wall. Just three months ago we were in the midst of a battle for Elijah's life. Last week Elijah went to see his Pediatric Surgeon, the one who was very worried and sad just three months ago. At first he cried when he heard her voice, but once he realized she was not going to do anything, he listened intently to her instructions and smiled. We are excited to start weaning Elijah off of his meds and his special formula. We have a three week plan, and so far Elijah is handling it well. Peas and green beans have been attempted, and I think that green beans must be better. :) Rejoice with us in the improvement in Elijah and his wonderful doctors visits.
Every night we line up all of his medicines for the night, make his formula with all the additions and get things in order for the night and next day. Pray with us that Elijah is able to come off of all these meds and special formula creations.
We are so sorry that we've taken so long to get back with everyone. We've had many people write us in "Elijah Withdrawal" wondering what is happening in his life. Our time at home has been great. He continues to get stronger and build up his muscle control. He is eating very well and gaining weight. Our neurosurgeon was very happy with the way Elijah's brain hemorrhage is healing and does not need to see him again for several months.
On the 4th of July when others were celebrating the freedoms we have in our nation, Joel and I were learning how to give Elijah his infusions. A nurse came to Ness City from the company we get our Factor IX from, and she gave us our lessons. We practiced on her and then practiced on each other. She kept telling us that we're going to be great giving Elijah his infusions. Confidence! That is exactly what we need! We felt 100% better after the meeting with her and our County Health Nurse. God keeps putting people into our path who share our faith and know the only way to explain Elijah being alive is the Power of God. What a blessing.
Judy's mom, dad, sister, niece and nephew drove all the way from the east coast to spend some time with us. Elijah had so much fun laughing and smiling at his cousins and his Mimi and Pop-Pop. It was a great week, but it went by too quickly for us. We also had visits from one of Judy's dorm girls and her family and some RVA staff members, Steve and Nancy Peiffer and family. Steve said that back in March when we asked for people to pray that God would take Elijah quickly and without much pain, he felt he could not pray that for us. He prayed that God would allow him to meet Elijah one day. There were tears as they looked at him and realized this was an answer to that prayer. They got to see Elijah.
During our journey there have been times that we have wanted to "get out". We no longer wanted to be a part of this "story". It has been wearing, tiring and just plain overwhelming. And we didn't know why God wasn't more visible to us.
Once again I'm reminded of a portion of CS Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. The four children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) have been called back to Narnia They've been traveling all day finding their own path, and they are just worn out. They don’t know how to get where they are going, they don’t know what they will find when they get there and they don’t understand why Aslan hasn’t appeared yet. At this point of the story only Lucy has seen Aslan, and the others don’t believe her. Finally Susan is the last to see Aslan, and this is where we pick up the story.
“Lucy,” said Susan in a very small voice.
“Yes!” said Lucy.
“I see him how. I’m sorry.”
“That’s all right.”
“But I’ve been far worse than you know. I really believed it was him – he, I mean – yesterday. When he warned us not to go down to the fir wood. And I really believed it was him tonight, when you woke us up. I mean, deep down inside. Or I could have, if I’d let myself. But I just wanted to get out of the woods and – Oh, I don’t know. And what ever am I going to say to him?”
Judy and I wanted to be out of the “woods” so badly, and we wanted to see God, not just believe He was present. But you know what? God was present. He was with Judy, Elijah and me all the way during this six month journey. Even people who weren’t interested in looking for God were able to see His hand in Elijah’s life.
When the children were willing to follow Lucy and Aslan (who they couldn’t see), Aslan led the children to safety. When we, Judy and I and everyone else reading this e-mail, are willing to follow God, He will lead us through our journey in life. We don’t know where He will lead us and we aren’t assured that the journey will be easy, but we know He is with us, and at the end of the journey we will still be with God.
We are so thankful that God is allowing us to continue our journey with Elijah. We pray that the journey will be a long one, and we pray that the rest of the journey will be easier than the last six months have been. But with God leading, we will accept whatever He leads us through. And we pray that God will give us the strength to accept everything with thanksgiving and joy.
In Christ,
Joel, Judy and Elijah
.jpg)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
I Want It All
Might as well face facts: I've never been one of those either/or types. I much prefer both/and. (This may explain why I often have a hard time making decisions.)
Yesterday I had one of those moments in which I was desperate to somehow make time stand still. There I was, caught by the sudden thought, This is exactly how it should be, and I didn’t want the moment to end.
I was sitting on the patio with two friends from our church in Cyprus. One of them still lives there, but the other one left about six months before we did. They were passing through town separately and ended up crossing paths at our house! Being together again felt so normal, just like we’d never been apart. How I love it when that happens!
It was wonderful to catch up face-to-face, hear news of mutual friends and see photos of recent events (Rhonda, you were a gorgeous bride!). The moment was doubly special for me because Jack and Sophie were playing in the garden at the time, so I had both the pleasure of being with Jude and Natalie again and the joy of sharing our sweet kiddos with them. (Jack and Sophie are really interactive now -- just so much fun!)
Right then it was like having the best of both worlds, yesterday and today. I could drink from that cup forever.
Yesterday I had one of those moments in which I was desperate to somehow make time stand still. There I was, caught by the sudden thought, This is exactly how it should be, and I didn’t want the moment to end.
I was sitting on the patio with two friends from our church in Cyprus. One of them still lives there, but the other one left about six months before we did. They were passing through town separately and ended up crossing paths at our house! Being together again felt so normal, just like we’d never been apart. How I love it when that happens!
It was wonderful to catch up face-to-face, hear news of mutual friends and see photos of recent events (Rhonda, you were a gorgeous bride!). The moment was doubly special for me because Jack and Sophie were playing in the garden at the time, so I had both the pleasure of being with Jude and Natalie again and the joy of sharing our sweet kiddos with them. (Jack and Sophie are really interactive now -- just so much fun!)
Right then it was like having the best of both worlds, yesterday and today. I could drink from that cup forever.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Our (Slightly Soggy) English Holiday
What is with the weather? Seriously. This time last year, England was boiling. This year our summer came in April and left in May. Yesterday people were walking around in long-sleeved, turtleneck sweaters. And as you’ve probably seen on the news, this week’s flooding in Gloustershire has left 130,000 people still without clean water in their homes. It's horrible, but thankfully the UK has the infrastructure to repair and rebuild.
I’m happy to say we had a lovely time in Shropshire. We even enjoyed a few glimpses of sunshine! The place we stayed was gorgeous -- built around 1595 (incidentally, that was the year Pocahontas was born, if you're wondering about an American parallel) and restored in the 1980s; surrounded by open sky, an apple orchard and four horses in a nearby field. Stunning! A few of the places we wanted to see were flooded, but we visited nearby Stokesay Castle, walked across the first iron bridge in the world and wandered along the medieval streets of Shrewsbury.
A surprising highlight was discovering the RAF museum and a one-of-its-kind, permanent exhibit on the Cold War. Matt and Jack were fascinated by the extensive collection of airplanes. I was amazed at how little I knew about world events that happened in my lifetime! If you’re ever in the Birmingham area, I highly recommend setting aside a day in Cosford.
Now we’re home, preparing to welcome an English friend we knew in Cyprus who’s currently living in Afghanistan. I finally read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini while we were away, so my mind has a fresh imprint ready for her stories and pictures.
Gosh, with the multiple cultural/historical lessons of the past week, it feels like we were gone a lot longer than seven days. And it definitely feels like we went further than just a few hours up the M40.
I’m happy to say we had a lovely time in Shropshire. We even enjoyed a few glimpses of sunshine! The place we stayed was gorgeous -- built around 1595 (incidentally, that was the year Pocahontas was born, if you're wondering about an American parallel) and restored in the 1980s; surrounded by open sky, an apple orchard and four horses in a nearby field. Stunning! A few of the places we wanted to see were flooded, but we visited nearby Stokesay Castle, walked across the first iron bridge in the world and wandered along the medieval streets of Shrewsbury.
A surprising highlight was discovering the RAF museum and a one-of-its-kind, permanent exhibit on the Cold War. Matt and Jack were fascinated by the extensive collection of airplanes. I was amazed at how little I knew about world events that happened in my lifetime! If you’re ever in the Birmingham area, I highly recommend setting aside a day in Cosford.
Now we’re home, preparing to welcome an English friend we knew in Cyprus who’s currently living in Afghanistan. I finally read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini while we were away, so my mind has a fresh imprint ready for her stories and pictures.
Gosh, with the multiple cultural/historical lessons of the past week, it feels like we were gone a lot longer than seven days. And it definitely feels like we went further than just a few hours up the M40.
Friday, July 20, 2007
A Few Thoughts Before We Go
The only thing better than having 35 hours with a bosom friend and mentor I haven’t seen in eight years is getting to know the lovely young woman her (then 10, now 18 year-old) daughter has become and finding in her a true friend as well.
Emily, I’m excited about all that God will do in and through you in your university years -- and in the years to come after that. You’ve got more depth, more insight and a better grasp on grace than most women twice your age. I’m really glad I knew you as a sweet, fun and joyful child, but I’m even more thankful for the chance to know you as a strong, kind and faith-filled young woman -- and I’m happy to say the sweetness, fun and joy are still there, too!
On another note, school's out so this afternoon we’re off for a week’s holiday to the midlands! As in, the middle of England. This is our first chance to spend time away from the urban sprawl that is greater London, and I’ve pictured gorgeous countryside awash in wildflowers and hedgerows, dotted with sheep and thatched-roof cottages, all beneath a cloudless sky. At the moment, however, it’s pouring outside -- and the weather report is calling for FLOOD warnings in Shropshire.
Raining or not, we’re excited to get away together and discover a new part of the country. And stay in a castle! Well, not exactly a castle. A banqueting tower (one room downstairs and one room upstairs, in the middle of a vineyard). But it’s old! And it looks very castle-like. This is my Happy-40th-Birthday present from my amazing husband. Yeah, baby, it's good to be queen!
Emily, I’m excited about all that God will do in and through you in your university years -- and in the years to come after that. You’ve got more depth, more insight and a better grasp on grace than most women twice your age. I’m really glad I knew you as a sweet, fun and joyful child, but I’m even more thankful for the chance to know you as a strong, kind and faith-filled young woman -- and I’m happy to say the sweetness, fun and joy are still there, too!
On another note, school's out so this afternoon we’re off for a week’s holiday to the midlands! As in, the middle of England. This is our first chance to spend time away from the urban sprawl that is greater London, and I’ve pictured gorgeous countryside awash in wildflowers and hedgerows, dotted with sheep and thatched-roof cottages, all beneath a cloudless sky. At the moment, however, it’s pouring outside -- and the weather report is calling for FLOOD warnings in Shropshire.
Raining or not, we’re excited to get away together and discover a new part of the country. And stay in a castle! Well, not exactly a castle. A banqueting tower (one room downstairs and one room upstairs, in the middle of a vineyard). But it’s old! And it looks very castle-like. This is my Happy-40th-Birthday present from my amazing husband. Yeah, baby, it's good to be queen!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
Being Booksmart
I've always been one of those people who knows better how to answer questions on a school exam than how to use common sense (which, it turns out, isn't all that common after all) in real life. Maybe that's one of the subconscious reasons I pursued the field of education, I don't know. I mean, given time to think through a situation, weigh the options and consider various outcomes before settling on my final answer, I’ll pass with flying colors. But if it’s a question of responding right away, verbal or otherwise, without the cushion of mental/emotional analysis or being able to change my mind and erase my first answer before going on, I’ll fail very nearly most of the time. Anyway, thanks mostly to a gracious God and partly to my sweet husband, for whom common sense seems as natural as breathing, this has been a focused area of growth over the years. (Still so far to go, but baby, we’ve come a long way!)
So yes, I did well in school. I’m a book lover and always have been. I can really, totally, utterly lose myself in a good story. So much so that, once I get into it, unless there’s a super-urgent need like a baby to be fed/changed/entertained or a boy to be fed/entertained/walked to school, I can let the world go by until I’ve read through to the very last page. Since my life is filled with said super-urgent needs most of every day, I don’t do as much reading as I used to, but I can’t go too long without it. I’m an early-to-bed type of person normally, except when I’ve got a good book going. Evenings are prime reading time.
When I lived in Nairobi there was this really fab second-hand bookshop in the YaYa Centre. All the books were in English, and since it was practically a library with rental fees because so many expats from so many agencies bought and sold their books there, I came across several interesting, international books that I wouldn’t have gravitated to otherwise. (Confession: I also became addicted to M.M. Kaye mystery novels for a spell, reading them one after another until I’d greedily devoured them all -- Death in Kenya; Death in Berlin; Death in Zanzibar; Death in Kashmir -- say the titles with the back of your hand to your forehead, in a dramatic swoon, and you get the picture.)
It was at that bookstore that I first picked up Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife, Betty Mahmoody’s Not Without My Daughter, Ursula Hegi’s Floating in My Mother’s Palm and Anita Desai’s Clear Light of Day. Because of the work I was involved in at the time, I also read Bilquis Sheikh’s absolute classic I Dared to Call Him Father. (Haven’t read it? Do yourself a favor and beg/borrow/buy a copy. Then pass it along to all your friends!)
And that was it, really. I’ve been drawn to novels and memoirs by and/or about non-Anglo women ever since. They aren’t exactly easy reading (well, except for the hilarious Mma Ramotswe tales by Alexander McCall Smith) -- but eye-opening, compelling and, at times, heart-breaking. Reading these stories has confirmed what I’ve experienced through my real-life friendships with international women: Underneath our different cultural customs, all women have the same needs and the same longings. As mothers, daughters, sisters and friends, we have a whole lot more in common with one another than we tend to think we do.
So a few weeks ago, when the kids and I had a nasty fever/cold, I snuggled down with a book I’d heard about from Maheesa, a Sri Lankan friend whose daughter is in Jack’s class. We were in the library together one day after dropping the kids off at school, and she was checking it out based on the recommendation of another friend. It’s called Aman: The Story of a Somali Girl.
I’d never read anything about Somali women, although I’d long been curious since one-third of the residents of South C, my neighborhood in Nairobi, were Somali when I lived there. As soon as Maheesa returned the book, I checked it out for myself, reading it cover-to-cover in several big gulps. I couldn’t help myself. Aman’s story was, by turns, fascinating and devastating. It gave me personal insight into articles like this one on CNN.com about the routine genital mutilation of countless innocent girls like Aman every year. (See what I mean? Absolutely NOT easy reading for you and me sitting here with our genitals intact, but a harsh and cruel reality for only-God-knows-how-many girls and women across Africa and living around the world.)
(I should also say that I recently finished Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone. While his story is obviously from the male perspective -- he was a child soldier in Sierra Leone -- it was great to read another memoir by someone from an oral, story-telling culture. They have an incredible capacity for remembering the tiniest details of something that happened years and years ago and can often recount the names of their ancestors up to fifteen generations. Amazing!)
I guess all this reading, all this immersing myself in the experiences of women from a variety of backgrounds and belief systems, has impacted the way I think and the way I act. You know how reading, rereading and studying the Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to its Truth, dramatically affects your inner life as well as (hopefully) the things you say and do? That’s what I’m talking about, in a way.
To be fair, I guess it has also come from living outside America -- interacting with international believers outside the American context and living as a guest in countries that are not my own -- but over time I’ve started to see myself and other people more as individuals with common hopes, fears, desires, frustrations, etc. rather than members of diverse ethnic groups, good guys/bad guys, us/them. I’ve started to consider things from the minority point of view rather than agreeing too easily with the majority (yes, even the so-called Christian majority). And I’ve started to understand that, as a Christian, how I act toward, think about and talk to/about people from other ethnic/religious/lifestyle/ideological backgrounds has the potential to show Christ’s love and joy, hope and peace, grace and mercy more clearly and more powerfully than anything else I may ever do or say.
At least, in the eyes of a watching world.
* * * * * * *
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9 NLT)
My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly -- living in God's reality. (1 John 3:18-19 The Message)
I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, and they know Me... I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to My voice, and there will be one flock with one Shepherd. (John 10:14-16 NLT)
So yes, I did well in school. I’m a book lover and always have been. I can really, totally, utterly lose myself in a good story. So much so that, once I get into it, unless there’s a super-urgent need like a baby to be fed/changed/entertained or a boy to be fed/entertained/walked to school, I can let the world go by until I’ve read through to the very last page. Since my life is filled with said super-urgent needs most of every day, I don’t do as much reading as I used to, but I can’t go too long without it. I’m an early-to-bed type of person normally, except when I’ve got a good book going. Evenings are prime reading time.
When I lived in Nairobi there was this really fab second-hand bookshop in the YaYa Centre. All the books were in English, and since it was practically a library with rental fees because so many expats from so many agencies bought and sold their books there, I came across several interesting, international books that I wouldn’t have gravitated to otherwise. (Confession: I also became addicted to M.M. Kaye mystery novels for a spell, reading them one after another until I’d greedily devoured them all -- Death in Kenya; Death in Berlin; Death in Zanzibar; Death in Kashmir -- say the titles with the back of your hand to your forehead, in a dramatic swoon, and you get the picture.)
It was at that bookstore that I first picked up Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife, Betty Mahmoody’s Not Without My Daughter, Ursula Hegi’s Floating in My Mother’s Palm and Anita Desai’s Clear Light of Day. Because of the work I was involved in at the time, I also read Bilquis Sheikh’s absolute classic I Dared to Call Him Father. (Haven’t read it? Do yourself a favor and beg/borrow/buy a copy. Then pass it along to all your friends!)
And that was it, really. I’ve been drawn to novels and memoirs by and/or about non-Anglo women ever since. They aren’t exactly easy reading (well, except for the hilarious Mma Ramotswe tales by Alexander McCall Smith) -- but eye-opening, compelling and, at times, heart-breaking. Reading these stories has confirmed what I’ve experienced through my real-life friendships with international women: Underneath our different cultural customs, all women have the same needs and the same longings. As mothers, daughters, sisters and friends, we have a whole lot more in common with one another than we tend to think we do.
So a few weeks ago, when the kids and I had a nasty fever/cold, I snuggled down with a book I’d heard about from Maheesa, a Sri Lankan friend whose daughter is in Jack’s class. We were in the library together one day after dropping the kids off at school, and she was checking it out based on the recommendation of another friend. It’s called Aman: The Story of a Somali Girl.
I’d never read anything about Somali women, although I’d long been curious since one-third of the residents of South C, my neighborhood in Nairobi, were Somali when I lived there. As soon as Maheesa returned the book, I checked it out for myself, reading it cover-to-cover in several big gulps. I couldn’t help myself. Aman’s story was, by turns, fascinating and devastating. It gave me personal insight into articles like this one on CNN.com about the routine genital mutilation of countless innocent girls like Aman every year. (See what I mean? Absolutely NOT easy reading for you and me sitting here with our genitals intact, but a harsh and cruel reality for only-God-knows-how-many girls and women across Africa and living around the world.)
(I should also say that I recently finished Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone. While his story is obviously from the male perspective -- he was a child soldier in Sierra Leone -- it was great to read another memoir by someone from an oral, story-telling culture. They have an incredible capacity for remembering the tiniest details of something that happened years and years ago and can often recount the names of their ancestors up to fifteen generations. Amazing!)
I guess all this reading, all this immersing myself in the experiences of women from a variety of backgrounds and belief systems, has impacted the way I think and the way I act. You know how reading, rereading and studying the Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to its Truth, dramatically affects your inner life as well as (hopefully) the things you say and do? That’s what I’m talking about, in a way.
To be fair, I guess it has also come from living outside America -- interacting with international believers outside the American context and living as a guest in countries that are not my own -- but over time I’ve started to see myself and other people more as individuals with common hopes, fears, desires, frustrations, etc. rather than members of diverse ethnic groups, good guys/bad guys, us/them. I’ve started to consider things from the minority point of view rather than agreeing too easily with the majority (yes, even the so-called Christian majority). And I’ve started to understand that, as a Christian, how I act toward, think about and talk to/about people from other ethnic/religious/lifestyle/ideological backgrounds has the potential to show Christ’s love and joy, hope and peace, grace and mercy more clearly and more powerfully than anything else I may ever do or say.
At least, in the eyes of a watching world.
* * * * * * *
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9 NLT)
My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly -- living in God's reality. (1 John 3:18-19 The Message)
I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, and they know Me... I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to My voice, and there will be one flock with one Shepherd. (John 10:14-16 NLT)
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Where Do Fish Go When They Die?
Matt and I would really like to know.
When we were between countries last spring, part of our helping Jack look forward to moving to a new house was promising him a pet fish for his room. So after most of the unpacking was done, Matt and Jack walked up to the local pet shop to pick his fish.
Chances are, if you’ve come to visit us, you’ve been introduced to Thomas, Dorothy and the Four Little Fish. Thomas is blue, just like Thomas the Tank Engine. Dorothy is orange, just like Elmo’s goldfish. And the Four Little Fish are tiny minnows that all look alike, so they just got lumped together.
Matt has taken full responsibility of periodically cleaning the fish tank. Today, as he was about to begin the process, he realized that Thomas wasn’t there. He called me in to ask if I knew what had happened, but I was as surprised as he was. The other fish were just swimming along as if nothing unusual had happened...
So now we’ve got to grapple with explaining, at a 4 year-old level, the theology of pet afterlife and the possibility of pet rapture as well.
When we were between countries last spring, part of our helping Jack look forward to moving to a new house was promising him a pet fish for his room. So after most of the unpacking was done, Matt and Jack walked up to the local pet shop to pick his fish.
Chances are, if you’ve come to visit us, you’ve been introduced to Thomas, Dorothy and the Four Little Fish. Thomas is blue, just like Thomas the Tank Engine. Dorothy is orange, just like Elmo’s goldfish. And the Four Little Fish are tiny minnows that all look alike, so they just got lumped together.
Matt has taken full responsibility of periodically cleaning the fish tank. Today, as he was about to begin the process, he realized that Thomas wasn’t there. He called me in to ask if I knew what had happened, but I was as surprised as he was. The other fish were just swimming along as if nothing unusual had happened...
So now we’ve got to grapple with explaining, at a 4 year-old level, the theology of pet afterlife and the possibility of pet rapture as well.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Boy Culture Meets Girl Culture
To hear it from Jack, who absolutely adores his nursery school, he doesn’t really do much there except ride bikes. Not so for the girls in his class! To celebrate the end of term (next Friday), ten of us mums met for dinner last night at a local high street restaurant. Eight of them have girls, and we spent the first part of the evening comparing notes about the differences between the boys’ version of What You Did in School Today (“Oh, nothing”) and the girls’ version (elaborate, fanciful stories). As I was chatting with one, she said, “Oh, you’re Jack’s mum! My daughter informs me that she’s married to Jack.” (Pardon me?) “Yes,” this woman continued, “She came home one day and said, ‘Mum, Jack and I are married. He’s the Handsome Prince.' ”
Sunday, July 8, 2007
I Feel Good (na na na na na na na)
We went to the beach yesterday. No, we didn’t jet away anywhere, but right here in England, we woke up to sunshine! (In case you heard something unusual out your window this weekend, that was me singing the Hallelujah Chorus from all the way over here.) After more than two weeks of rain-rain-rain, it was a very happy Saturday indeed. So we spent the morning doing some much-needed home and garden maintenance and the afternoon playing at the edge of a nearby reservoir. There’s no swimming allowed due to all the swans and ducks, but the beach has a fresh layer of brown-sugar sand this summer and it’s one of our favorite parks around. Jack got more practice riding his bike: “Let go of me, Daddy. I can do it by myself!” Sophie got used to putting her toes in… then sitting in… then walking on the sand. It really felt like summer!
Another highlight of our week was that Jack had his first school Sports Day on Thursday. Normally I try to maintain my composure and blend into my environment, but that day I was the Loud and Proud American Mom. Oh my goodness, the next 15 years flashed before my eyes as I stood cheering my boy on to victory in the beanbag toss and other relay games.
But our biggest news is that, as of this week, we passed the one-year mark of living here. That may not sound like a long time, but after putting down roots and being uprooted several times in our eight years together, finally being at this stage of settling into our present place just really feels good.
Another highlight of our week was that Jack had his first school Sports Day on Thursday. Normally I try to maintain my composure and blend into my environment, but that day I was the Loud and Proud American Mom. Oh my goodness, the next 15 years flashed before my eyes as I stood cheering my boy on to victory in the beanbag toss and other relay games.
But our biggest news is that, as of this week, we passed the one-year mark of living here. That may not sound like a long time, but after putting down roots and being uprooted several times in our eight years together, finally being at this stage of settling into our present place just really feels good.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Elijah Update (June 28)
Dear Friends,
Elijah has been home now for almost two weeks. What a great feeling to be sleeping in our own beds. (Sleeping when we can, that is...)
Every day we see improvements in Elijah's health. Elijah came home with a feeding tube and a nasal canula for his oxygen. Because of the dry oxygen you get in a home setting, Elijah developed an irritation with his feeding tube and oxygen. This resulted in a nose bleed. Now for any child, a nose bleed can be a problem to get stopped. For a little boy with Hemophilia B we had more of a problem. We took Elijah to Hays Medical Center to get an infusion of Factor IX. At that point we decided as well to remove his feeding tube. He has done very well with taking his medicines in a wee bit of milk and then drinking up most of the rest of his bottle. Driving to Hays to get his infusion was good practice for what we will be needing to do with him in the future. The entire process went very well. We got home and put Elijah back on oxygen through his nasal canula. A few days later his nose was still bleeding, so we thought we would try getting his infusion here in Ness City. After a few tries we went back to Hays and finally got home about 2:30 in the morning. Many people are trying to help make this easier on us, and we are praying for a neonatal nurse to live close to us and be able to help us. When we finally got home that morning we made the decision to remove the nasal canula to avoid any more nose bleeds. The Lord has allowed Elijah to improve and no longer need the oxygen. We praise the Lord for no further nose bleeds and no need for all the paraphernalia we came home with (his feeding pump, feeding tubes and oxygen). Thank you for praying with us.
We took Elijah out to the wheat fields for his first harvest. This was his first trip out of the house without oxygen, but he did great. We decided that he would have to wait a year before he could ride the combine. This year's harvest was a success for most of the farmers in Ness County. After many years of questionable harvests, this year is a gift from God.
We are so grateful to all of you who read our story and pray. We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love for us and for Elijah. We know that many think of Elijah as "their baby", and we are grateful for all who have held us up and continue to hold us up in prayer. People come up to us in tears and tell us how blessed they have been by Elijah. Please tell us your story. Has Elijah somehow touched your life? Send us a note at: jjfitz@gbta.net
We look forward to hearing from many of you as you share with us as we shared with you.
In Christ,
Joel, Judy and Elijah
Elijah has been home now for almost two weeks. What a great feeling to be sleeping in our own beds. (Sleeping when we can, that is...)
Every day we see improvements in Elijah's health. Elijah came home with a feeding tube and a nasal canula for his oxygen. Because of the dry oxygen you get in a home setting, Elijah developed an irritation with his feeding tube and oxygen. This resulted in a nose bleed. Now for any child, a nose bleed can be a problem to get stopped. For a little boy with Hemophilia B we had more of a problem. We took Elijah to Hays Medical Center to get an infusion of Factor IX. At that point we decided as well to remove his feeding tube. He has done very well with taking his medicines in a wee bit of milk and then drinking up most of the rest of his bottle. Driving to Hays to get his infusion was good practice for what we will be needing to do with him in the future. The entire process went very well. We got home and put Elijah back on oxygen through his nasal canula. A few days later his nose was still bleeding, so we thought we would try getting his infusion here in Ness City. After a few tries we went back to Hays and finally got home about 2:30 in the morning. Many people are trying to help make this easier on us, and we are praying for a neonatal nurse to live close to us and be able to help us. When we finally got home that morning we made the decision to remove the nasal canula to avoid any more nose bleeds. The Lord has allowed Elijah to improve and no longer need the oxygen. We praise the Lord for no further nose bleeds and no need for all the paraphernalia we came home with (his feeding pump, feeding tubes and oxygen). Thank you for praying with us.
We took Elijah out to the wheat fields for his first harvest. This was his first trip out of the house without oxygen, but he did great. We decided that he would have to wait a year before he could ride the combine. This year's harvest was a success for most of the farmers in Ness County. After many years of questionable harvests, this year is a gift from God.
We are so grateful to all of you who read our story and pray. We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love for us and for Elijah. We know that many think of Elijah as "their baby", and we are grateful for all who have held us up and continue to hold us up in prayer. People come up to us in tears and tell us how blessed they have been by Elijah. Please tell us your story. Has Elijah somehow touched your life? Send us a note at: jjfitz@gbta.net
We look forward to hearing from many of you as you share with us as we shared with you.
In Christ,
Joel, Judy and Elijah
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Gardening for Beginners
I’m a late bloomer when it comes to gardening -- no, really. I’ve tried-and-failed and tried-again-with-some-success to keep indoor potted plants alive, but this is my first real, outdoors tending-things-and-watching-them-grow experience. With my mom, mother-in-law and sister-in-law and their collective wealth of gardening know-how an ocean away, I've been poring over piles of gardening books from the library. It’s just lucky that I’ve taken up this hobby in such an extremely vegetation-friendly climate.
Our four year-old is my enthusiastic partner in this endeavor. Every morning after breakfast Jack pulls on his froggy rain boots, and we “take a turn about the garden” to examine the growth of the past 24 hours. It’s a lovely little ritual with tiny Sophie toddling behind, all three of us still in our pajamas and sporting wild hair, as we go along the beds examining the plants and getting excited about their progress each day.
Here’s Jack, proudly harvesting some lettuce.
And here’s our first raspberries of the season -- well, actually our third and fourth raspberries, as the first and second ones were gobbled up before I could grab the camera.
Our four year-old is my enthusiastic partner in this endeavor. Every morning after breakfast Jack pulls on his froggy rain boots, and we “take a turn about the garden” to examine the growth of the past 24 hours. It’s a lovely little ritual with tiny Sophie toddling behind, all three of us still in our pajamas and sporting wild hair, as we go along the beds examining the plants and getting excited about their progress each day.
Here’s Jack, proudly harvesting some lettuce.
And here’s our first raspberries of the season -- well, actually our third and fourth raspberries, as the first and second ones were gobbled up before I could grab the camera.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
How to Make the Most of a Rainy Day
A little trick I learned from my mom. Spontaneous tent-in-the-den made out of dining chairs and blankets: 100% satisfaction guaranteed, even (especially?) in the summertime!
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