2

I was looking back a my posts and realized I missed a huge occasion! Gus turned two on May 5th! My little baby is no longer such a little baby. Sigh. I'm the only one around here mourning that fact however. With a fun birthday like Cinco de Mayo there will always be a party on his birthday (that will include yummy Mexican food and perhaps eventually a margarita or two :) We invited a new family over to celebrate with us and it was a fun evening.



Making cakes is NOT my thing even though I went to huge effort to have a ball shaped cake pan brought over and everything. Oh well. Rhett was quick to point out that I did the basketball lines all wrong but I did in fact follow the directions when I should have just looked at a basketball. Once again oh well.



Three special days with one special boy.









Gus is fiesty and tough. He loves to snuggle and loves his Mommy (as evidenced by him saying Mommy approximately 7,421 times a day). The only thing he loves more is a basketball. He has "mad skills" as his Daddy describes and spends most of his days with a ball in his hands. He is starting to play with his big brother and sister more and more. He adores Claire and has a beautiful beginning to a special brother relationship with Ford (meaning they spend a lot of time wrestling and chasing each other while laughing hysterically).

Every night when Rhett gets home he is greeted by little Gus, ball in hand, saying "Daddy, let go play ball" and off they go - loving it. When we moved into this house we had no idea what a blessing it was that we have a small basketball court in our yard. It is one of the only flat and one of the only paved places around and the only way Gus found his passion in young life!

Happy 2nd birthday to my little baby (no more).

X is for X-ray

Ford has been fortunate enough to be included in the "3 year old" preschool this year even though he didn't turn 3 until October and is younger than all of the other kids. It has been great for him to have a "school" to go to one morning each week for a couple hours.

Today they were learning about the letter X and my new sweet new friend, Mardi, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif needed some help taking the kids on a little field trip to the hospital to learn all about X-rays. I was happy to come along so I could take pictures and see what they were learning.

Taking a group of three and four year olds anywhere is very much like herding cats. We made it the 100 yards from Mardi's house to the hospital and through the hospital to the x-ray department without too much of a scene.





The kids liked guessing at the different parts of the body in the x-rays as our missionary radiologist gave them a nice talk all about x-rays!





Not long ago we took Claire's class to the dentist on her class field trip.





The kids had fun although I think they were all a little nervous. Other field trips she has gone on this month during their "community helper" unit are to the RVA laundry facility, the RVA cafeteria, the local mechanic, the post office, the local shop/restaurant/vegetable market. The grand finale is on Monday when we all go to a nearby cheese factory to see how they make cheese and enjoy some pizza. Definitely a different preschool experience!

Meanwhile, Gus hangs out with our houseworker Esther. This is how I found him the other day . . . enjoying his morning chai!

Whew!

Once again time has gotten away from me on the ole blog. We have been alternating busy with sick for the past couple months and neither one is conducive to blogging unfortunately. I'll be back soon with a recap of our awesome visit with Rhett's sister and our trip to the coast and all the other goings on that have had us tied up.

Right now I'm trudging my way through Dietrich Bonhoffer's biography which I love but didn't realize was quite so "thick" since it is on my Kindle. But cool Kenyan June days are perfect for sitting in front of the fire and reading thankfully.

Back soon!

Easter and more

Good Friday we had a family picnic up at the RVA playground which is the closest thing we have to a park here in Kijabe. Since going to the park was one of our very favorite things to do in the US and is something my kids miss we make an effort to have "park" outings a often as we can.



The only problem is that I didn't have much in terms of picnic foods hanging around. I really wanted to swing by Subway and pick up a couple of 6 inches but since it was a holiday they were closed ;) so I made a random picnic lunch consisting of fruit salad, almonds and pretzels. Rhett thought I was kidding and asked me to pass a sandwich - sorry honey. We did stop at the duka to pick up some of our favorite Ole chips but it actually was closed for the holiday. We tracked down some cold cokes though.

We ate our lunch and had some fun on the playground and climbing trees









Then we started a new family tradition that I'm really excited about. I heard about this somewhere and loved it! The idea is called a "Christmas tree cross" where you take the trunk of your Christmas tree and save it to make into a cross at Easter. I love the idea of connecting the birth and death/resurrection of Christ in this very concrete way for the kids. Unfortunately, our Christmas tree is a 3 ft tall plastic version that came in a box the size of a shoebox from Nakumatt. So I settled for the thing we do have plenty of this time of year - fire wood - and made our cross. We sat out in our yard on a blanket and read the story of the crucifixion to our kids and put the cross in the grass. It was probably one of my favorite moments since coming to Africa . . . sitting out on our little piece of the escarpment overlooking the Great Rift Valley watching our kids faces as they stared at the cross and listened to the story really got it. We reminded them that Friday was the Sad Day but we could rejoice because we knew that Sunday, the Happy Day, was coming!



Then Sunday did come and we ran out into the yard and covered our cross in flowers (which are thankfully about $2 for 20 stems of roses here plus the amazing flowers that grow in our yard).













We also enjoyed a really beautiful sunrise service at RVA and an egg hunt later that day. It was a really fun day that felt like a celebration - as it should!

We are all broken

The other day I was reading the local newspaper and seeing the headlines around Africa of corruption, murder, revolutions, uprisings, famine, terrorists, suicide etc, etc. I caught myself thinking . . . "This place is SO broken". Images of the genocides, the child soldiers, disease, suffering and the ruthless hate and destruction that makes up a lot of recent history on this continent flashed before my eyes.

But then I had a moment of pause where I realized that in very general terms, yes, Africa is a very broken place. You don't have to visit here for very long to see that BUT I thought for a moment about my home in North American and I had flashes of all the brokeness there: materialism, pornography, Athesism, broken families, dying marriages, children abandoned to the streets or television-nannies, lost people clinging to pop culture for an identity and in turn loosing their own and it was very clear we are, in fact, just as broken - just in different ways.

Maybe at first thought you are saying "Really, Megan? Children stolen and made into killing machines comparable to the desire for $600 pairs of shoes?" and I hear you. I just think it is really easy to compare ourselves and our problems and our brokenness to others and make ours not seem so bad. It is easy to say "I realize we have problems but those folks over there in Timbuktu are REALLY messed up". Fair? No. True? Not really.

Life in North America is for the most part pretty. There are some gritty parts, I realize, but in general a lot of the brokenness of our world there is hidden behind a veneer of really pretty stuff. Here in Africa, not so much pretty stuff hiding the brokenness. It is all out there for the world to see.

The problem is where this feeling of "those Africans are really messed up and need my help" leads. It seems as though it brings really good intentioned people across oceans to bring their "resources" to help "fix" the problems here. Obviously I think there is high value in how one can help - I'll get to that - otherwise I wouldn't be here. However, it seems as though many people arrive to help not realizing that they too are or were very broken as well.

The idea that we have it all worked out and everything is great in America is deceiving for everyone. Mostly because it is not true but money does talk and for a long time we Americans have had a lot of it. We come with lots of money (aka "resources") and we try to shape things up a bit given our great knowledge of all things good. I'll stop there and refer you to an amazing book on this very subject "When Helping Hurts". We studied it last year and it really brought me through the trenches when it comes to how to think about helping the poor. I highly recommend it.

The power is in the idea that we are all broken - just in different ways. I can come along someone who is hurting, poor, needy (in any culture) and approach them with attitude of brokenness -

I, too, am broken in many ways and God has restored me and given me hope in these areas of my life but I continue to struggle in these other areas. I'm am seeking Him and asking for His provision and restoration in those areas.

Now I am a coming alongside them as a co-equal. We are in this struggle of life together. My testimony of faith and restoration can give strength and encourage someone who is suffering and in need of hope. No longer am I a superhero with lots of money who is coming to save the day - instead I am a friend and someone who cares and is willing to get in the filth of life to help my friend. This option is a lot messier and tougher than just throwing "resources" at the problem and running away.

So as I glanced at those headlines and had all of these thoughts and feelings I just kept thinking over and over again - we are all broken . . . just in different ways. That brings me so much comfort for some reason. Some days it feels like we are the only ones around who are broken but in truth our friends and everyone around us is just broken differently.

Thankfully, we have a Savior who knows all of our brokenness because He has walked with us and knows our pains and struggles. He is the one who offers restoration and healing for all of our brokenness. As this Holy Week continues my heart is grateful for the One who came not only to restore us but to love us. Our hope is in Him.

Excuses, excuses

Sorry. I haven't been able to keep up my end of the bargain. I have a great excuse though . . . we had a wonderful house guest this week - our dear friend Christina who is an OB/GYN at Kapsowar Hospital here in Kenya. We met Christina at our SP orientation back in August 2009. We hit it off and spent a lot of time together because we were the only non-McCropder and non-Ecuador bound people in the group. So we shared a lot of meals and got to know each other. We have been so thankful that over the last 18 months we have been able to have lots of fun visits with our friend on various occasions. Luckily, Kijabe is in a central location and not far from Nairobi so it is easy for people to "drop by" and see us. Anyway, Christina had a conference near by and stayed here and commuted each day. It was fun, as usual, to have her around. We've been especially grateful for a consistent person in our children's lives to look forward to seeing and visiting. She is a great "Nina" to our three and they love her!

So per Christina'a encouragement I am telling this story on the blog. I didn't tell it earlier because I wasn't too sure I wanted to put it out there but she assured me that it was, indeed, hilarious and needed to be a part of our family history on the blog. If nothing else it will provide a story with which to embarrass Ford in front of his first girlfriend one day.

It happened back in January when we went to pick up Jo Jo and Doc from the guest house upon their arrival to Kenya. We headed over to a shopping mall to have lunch and do some shopping before taking them out to Kijabe. We sat in an outdoor patio area of a local restaurant, Java House. All was going well as we waited for our food until I looked up and noticed Ford standing by a potted plant on the patio. At first glance it seemed normal but upon closer inspection . . . I realized that my sweet little boy was, um, taking a leak in the potted plant at Java House.

I'm sure that is exactly what Grandparents want to see as they arrive to visit their grandchildren who live in Africa. I think it could only reinforce what ever preconceptions they might have of what living in Africa might do to otherwise well-mannered children. Pee pee. In a restaurant. I couldn't believe it.

In my shock I cried out "Ford! What are you doing??". I realize now I should have just played it off or somehow blocked the view of the 50 or so other patrons of the restaurant. When I called out he turned and as you can imagine that increased the mess that was previously well contained in the potted plant and was now forming a nice puddle on the floor.

Luckily my mother in law has a good sense of humor and found it quite funny. I was really in shock and I hoped my reaction at least showed everyone else around that this wasn't normal or accepted behavior. Ford looked just as surprised and I was and clearly didn't understand what he was doing was wrong. He is used to finding a nice spot in the yard and didn't realize that a restaurant would be much different. Sigh. What can I say? We don't get out much.

Here's a sign for ya

Apparently turning your disobedient children over to the authorities is enough of a problem that a billboard was deemed necessary to address the problem. If only disobedience was taken this seriously in the U.S.!

We would like to invite Ford . . .

Ford has accumulated quite a fan club of locals especially among the guards at the hospital. To most of them I am "Mama Ford". Maybe it is the blonde hair or something but they just take to him. Rhett said he was walking through the hospital the other day and someone said "Hi Baba Ford" and he thought - man Ford knows more people than I do around here! This was perfectly displayed when Ford (and Ford's family) were invited to a wedding of one of the guards - Isaac. He befriended us early on during our time here and we have enjoyed talking with him and learning of his upcoming marriage. We were all excited to go to the wedding.

It was the first Kenyan wedding for me and the kids in a town nearby here. The wedding was on Sunday and was part of the normal Sunday services. We had a lovely time at the wedding. We were surprised when the photographer approached us with a list and said "Are you Ford's family? You are next." So we all went up and had our picture taken with the bride and the groom on the steps of the church. We felt so honored. Isaac came by with a print of that photo which is now on our fridge so I can't share it but the happy couple, Isaac and Elizabeth, pictured above.

It is a good reminder that God is working through our whole family here. Children are so often very gifted in the art of making friends - which is really what we are all here to do.

My New Year's Resolution

So my New Year's Resolution this year was to read as many books as possible with my goal being 52. There are so many books that I just haven't read that I should have so my focus is going to be adding a lot of classics to my list. However, I love non-fiction so I have to mix it up a bit. Here is what I've read so far . . .



1. Mornings on Horseback
2. The House at Pooh Corner*
3. Decision Points
4. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
5. The Hiding Place
6. The Pursuit of God
7. Dumbing Us Down
8. A Thomas Jefferson Education
9. The Case for Classical Christian Education
10. Repairing the Ruins
11. Disease Proof Your Child
12. Farmer Boy*
13. Oliver Twist
14. The Magicians Nephew
15. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
16. Nurture Shock
17. Mary on Horseback*


*These are read aloud to the kids but they are "real" books so they count! I only list them if I read all but a few chapters to them. We recently finished On the Banks of Plum Creek but I didn't list it because Rhett read more than a few chapter in it.


So there you have it. I've fallen off the wagon a bit recently but my new KINDLE is on it's way to Kenya from America as we speak so I will be slowly working down my wish list on Amazon and hitting up many of the free classics available for download. Wish I'd had it earlier - I would have saved a lot of money, time and effort moving books around the world in various people's suitcases.

I wish I had the time to talk about each book but, alas, I am but a novice blogger so I'm just going to give you my list. Happy Reading!

The Horn

A few weeks ago Rhett had the opportunity to travel to the "Horn" of Africa (sorry I'm being so cryptic but it is a sensitive area - check your map if you don't know where I'm talking about). Some physicians here have a wonderful relationship with the medical school in this country and make trips every few months to provide classroom teaching and clinical teaching on rounds in the hospital as well has perform many surgical cases. This is basically all the knowledge they receive outside of a book their entire medical education. This country and it neighbors have been ravaged by war for almost 20 years. They went for almost 13 years graduating no doctors in their country which has now left a generational gap in teaching the upcoming doctors not to mention an huge shortage of healthcare providers for a country still at war and constantly on the verge of crisis and famine.

Rhett was thankful to be able to be a part of this ministry to the people in this country. They are very welcoming and thankful for the doctors who come alongside them to help restore their country in many, many ways. There is a person working among these people on a full time basis and when Rhett asked him how many Christians were in this city he said "none that I know of". Rhett also asked him about the relationships he had made in the community and with his neighbors and if he felt like he had any genuine affection or loyalty from those people and he said no. Can you imagine working in a place like this? Rhett likened it to winter in Narnia. Just a wasteland with no hope. Thank God there is hope in Jesus Christ but this is the hope these people are living without. Instead they are oppressed religious laws and a country at tenuous peace as their neighbor (who they have declared themselves sovereign from but no international body will recognize) slips further and further into the abyss of anarchy, radicalism, starvation and brutality. We pray for the light of Christ to bring spring to the eternal winter in this part of the world.

Last Installment

Here is the last installment of our great trip around Kenya with Rhett's parents. After our fun time on the farm we headed over to Nakuru National Park for an overnight stay and a drive through the game park. We stayed at a very cool place that was much more rustic (think lantern light) but really great. It took quite a bit of effort to get there but it was worth it.



This was the amazing common area in the "lobby" of the hotel which was really a collection of thatched roof lava rock open air buildings. If this doesn't beckon you to come have a lounge I don't know what does.



Rudy agreed.

We sat for a while and sipped mango juice then headed to our cottage.



We had a huge family cottage that had a queen bed, two twins and a crib with plenty of room to spare. When traveling with 3 small kids rooms like this are not taken for granted. It was fabulous. We had another great porch where we sat and read aloud in the afternoon.



I know, you are thinking how romantic those mosquito nets are draped around the bed. I have to tell you they go from sexy to annoying in about 15 minutes when you have to sleep under one every night. However, they do allow you to sleep without interruption from mosquitoes buzzing in your ear (the worst). I digress . . .



This is a terrible picture but bear with me it was dark. This is where we ate dinner - all. by. ourselves. Another dream of parents traveling with young children - a private dining room! It was a really beautiful setting and was so intimate and fun to be alone and feel like we had the whole place to ourselves. Someone ran out to the car to get something at some point before dinner (but after dark) and a security guy quickly was by their side. Apparently it isn't uncommon for water buffalo (very dangerous) to wander inside the camp to find water. Sooo, everywhere you went there was a nice guy with a lantern and big stick following you around looking cautiously around for buffalo (and I'm assuming other critters too). After dinner we were escorted back to our cottage to find it aglow in beautiful lantern light, beds prepared (mosquito nets drawn and hot water bottles under the sheets) beckoning us.



The bathroom was amazing and I really don't care too much about bathrooms. It was all made of stone and had shower for two and was just very unique. While Ford and Claire took advantage of the double shower (sweet! Two at once and no one complaining they are cold!) Gus completely vetoed the shower and ended up in the sink. Which made for a cute picture so it was OK.

Predawn I was slightly awakened by a rumbling noise. I couldn't place it so I just went back to sleep. At breakfast our server asked us if we had heard the LIONS roaring early that morning! Now that is what I call a wake up call! We took off for the park that morning. Our final stop on the way home to Kijabe.

Here are some pictures of the park. It is a little different of an experience that going to the bigger game parks. You can drive your own vehicle around Nakuru and it has a system of roads. It basically surrounds Lake Nakuru which once was almost completely pink because of the thousands of flamingos that came to the lake but drought has sent many of them away although there were more this time than when we were here over a year ago. It was a fun way to end our trip!

Gus-a-boo

This little chicken wing only knows Africa as home. All of the crazy and sometime strange things that surround us are totally normal to him. Some things that seem "normal" to me aren't so much to him. Today we hired someone to cut our grass with a lawn mower. Up until today we have hired people with machete-like blades (these workers are called "Slashers" for lack of a better adjective). This was the first time Gus had every seen such a thing - and in his own yard! - can you imagine his excitement! He kept calling it a car because he didn't know what else to call it and sat by a window for about 15 minutes watching the grass get cut.

We call him Gus-a- boo or Gussy a lot - just for fun. He is extremely independent. If you reach out to hold his had he will hold it for a second and then it's as if he remembers "Oh, I forgot! I don't do that." and he makes a quick drop with a firm "NO!". But he is a cuddler and so so sweet too. He loves to give hugs and they usually come with a running start and outstretched arms. He keeps up with the big kids in the house (including the dangerous things like jumping off of the furniture and climbing the security bars). He loves books and I'll often find him in his room sitting in his rocking chair looking at a book by himself. He sings the "ABC" song and tries to count (especially before he jumps off of something so I at least have 3 seconds warning if I have my ears on!).

He's not a huge eater. His favorites are cereal and milk, yogurt, broccoli, green beans and raisins. He loves to wrestle with his brother but Ford usually ends up putting him in a choke hold at some point and he looses the match. He and Ford both love to get naked and run laps around the house while shouting "I'm noonie, I'm noonie, I'm noonie, noonie, noonie!". It's a pretty catchy tune. He sleeps from 7pm to 7am although he has been known to sleep as late as 8:30 (and I've been known to put him to sleep as early as 6:30 as needed). He naps from 1-3ish. Easiest kid you've every seen to put to bed. Thank you Lord.

But the thing that is most important to Gus is basketball. The people who lived here before us put in a concrete pad and basketball goal and that is where Gus spends most of his day. He gets right out there in the big group of 9-12 year old boys who congregate at the court and dribbles and shoots and feels like one of the boys. They have learned not to take the ball away from Gus because he wants to play too. He spends hours out there every day and just loves it.

This post was going to be mostly pictures of Gus but I got going and couldn't stop talking about my precious little thing that brings SO much joy to my life every. single. day. I'm excited to see what God does in his life and through him. He has created him for just those very purposes and it will be a pleasure and a blessing to walk beside him and watch his story unfold. Here are some fun pictures of our little boy who will be 2 next month!!



Everyone loves Nutella, right?





riding a tricycle at my parents' house (he is making motorcycle noises to narrate his experience).









He is smiling even though his Mommy puts him in cute lion outfits on safari :)



Real men have ball for lovies!



He couldn't even put it down to eat!





Testing the potty out. His face is usually about that dirty most of the time but the bathroom floor is quite clean it is just old and looks dirty all of the time!