A Good Weekend

Ok, this first picture has nothing to do with the weekend, but I've been meaning to post it mainly for my uncle since we've talked about the termites here before and he wanted to see a picture. So here you go, John, this is for you. :) We found this HUGE termite nest as they were digging up our pipes that were clogged. The termites are huge here. These are bigger than ants, maybe slightly smaller than the body of a bee. Yuck.

A lot of times we dread weekends. The kids seem to go crazy and the days are just long. You’ve been up for hours and tried everything you can think of to entertain them and then look at your watch and its 9 am. But this weekend was great and it reminds me that one day I won’t dread long periods alone with the kids. J They are growing up and are great boys. They play well together. I can see the light at the end of the little children tunnel. Kenan has used the same diaper for nighttime this whole week. He so rarely pees at night but it is really me who wants him in a diaper. Actually, he refuses to wear the diaper so he goes to sleep in underwear and I just put a diaper over that before I go to bed. I just don’t want to give them up yet because I don’t want to deal with a wet bed in the morning. But it hit me this week- I am almost down to just one kid in diapers. Wow. And in a year there will be no more pack-n-plays to lug around. The time is going by quickly. But I digress from my original purpose. So this weekend was special. Fun times being with the family. We had tacos for lunch on Saturday. We just received our “food container” which had various items from the States that we ordered. (the whole team can do this- people often get cereals, detergent, canned soups or whatever items you can’t get here or are ridiculously expensive. I never really paid attention until recently but laundry detergent here is around $30 for a box). I had gotten hard taco shells since Dawson fell in love with these while home last year. It is so fun to watch the boys eat them. I don’t know why it thrills my heart to see them eat, but it does. They went to town. Here’s a picture of them sharing the last taco (Dawson’s 5^th and Kenan’s 4^th).

Needless to say, they enjoyed themselves. Then last night we had (homemade) pizza which the boys also love. I feel like I’ve gotten the pattern down how to most quickly make it. We also got a bath tub last night! Woo hoo! We’ve been using buckets since we got here. I had asked about getting a tub but was told the plumbing would be too difficult. Well, recently we moved our washer to the back porch that has just been closed in. (love it, by the way, I can now wash anytime and leave out the clothes to dry which I never did before because the clothes were hanging outside so you couldn’t do a load at night or when it rained or was going to rain). Our friend, Saskia, had this stand up tub that has a drain and everything. It doesn’t have to be connected to anything, it just drains into the shower drain. She said she never used it so she let us have it. I’ve been meaning to pick it up for awhile and just haven’t. Well, we got it yesterday and the boys just loved it! So much fun!! Yeah for a tub! I feel like we are in America now. J So overall, it was a fantastic Saturday

Brett has been a little sick this weekend, though, nothing terrible but we decided not to do church this morning. I was able to go back to sleep once he got up (which is nice since we were up for over an hr in the night because the power went out- just ours, no one else’s so we had to work on that). Then I tried to be creative with the boys. Got out the paints and cut up some foam to make stamps. I always think the boys are going to like things like this but it always fails. It lasted a few minutes, though we got the story of Jonah painted. They just wanted to bubbles which were out for my second activity…which never happened. But alas, I tried. I try every once and awhile and then remember I have boys. But it was fun nonetheless.

As we were eating lunch, Kenan walked outside saying, “here is your cold water, Dawson.” This is how we found him. He enjoys being the big brother. J

Then they were off to play in the mud and in buckets (that we no longer need inside because we have a tub). They found a frog, chased him all over the yard and tormented him royally. They were throwing mud onto his face, trying to cover him in mud much like they spent Friday trying to cover up some crickets. Finally, I told Dawson to stop hurting him so he washed him off with the hose going full force. Sorry frog, I hope you are still living. But if not, at least you know you provided much joy to three little boys.

Now the boys are in rest time and I’m going to take a nap. Then we are off to the pool! Life is good. Thank you, Lord, for a great weekend!

Field Forum 2009

We spent the last week with our whole Mali team in Teriya Bugu. It was a time for business and meetings as well as spiritual refreshment. Though the boys didn't sleep well and the week was tiring, it was an overall good week. Dawson enjoyed getting to play with his friend Ella all week. Here is a picture of our whole team. We're a big group! (About half are in Koutiala working at the hospital and the others are elsewhere).

We took Jeremie with us. He was a lifesaver. Silas stayed with him all the time. It was great to have him there since often the boys all wanted to go different directions so there was an adult for each one.

And this is what happens in the mini hot season of October when the boys have to wear shirts. I actually stopped putting clothes on Silas by the end of the week because his heat rash was so bad. Poor boy was miserable- not to mention he also got another tooth while we were there. Again, YEAH for jeremie! :)

The two biggest things I came away with that the Pastor spoke about was that we will always have agitators in our lives. They are there to show us more of our sin and lead us to Jesus. So rather than get angry and frustrated by them, we need to see how that leads us to the cross. Also, he mentioned a quote from Chuck Swindoll "life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it." So I'm working on that one- trying to make sure my attitude is good regardless of the situation. Wish it were as easy to do as say. I guess another big thing for me was another reminder that my role as mother is my most important job and the way that I can most worship the Lord. A fellow missionary who works with prostitutes and in the prisons in Bamako said as she led worship that her role is no more important than mine and Becky's (another mom with kids) as we sit and watch our little ones crawl around on the floor. It was such a blessing to me. I so enjoy working at the hospital but I have been challenged over and over lately that my boys are my first calling. They are my first priority. It is more important that I care for them and love them and show them Christ than work at the hospital each morning. Since our friend mentioned her comment in the service, I've been quoting to myself "this is my spiritual act of worship" as I care for the boys. I want to see it as worship. To speak love and truth, to be slow to anger, to talk to them about the Lord, I want it to be my worship.

Dawson's first day of school

Today was Dawson's first day of school (yes, I know, it starts late) at the preschool. He was generally excited to go today. He did tell me, however, that he needed a shirt, shorts and underwear in his bag like he had when he went to his old school. I told him he didn't need it though because he was big now and wouldn't pee pee in his pants. He said he did need them because he said "maybe when I pee pee it might go up and get my shirt all wet and then if I go poopy it might go down and then up all over my clothes." Well, at least he is prepared for anything. :)

Here were a few shots before school.

Dawson took pictures with Kenan but was clear with him that he was too small to go to school.

A face trying to look happy.

Almost in the car. I laugh looking at these because he still doesn't have shoes on. We got those on in the car and they came off immediately as he was getting in the car to come home. The clothes at least stayed on until we got all the way home.

So he says his day was bad, but he is willing to go back and I think he had a good time. The teachers are really nice and he is in the same class as his friend Hannah who speaks english. Also, a girl from the Us is flying in today that will be in his class all year as an assistant so that should help a lot. Overall, I am encouraged how the first day went.

He just has to go this week and then we are off to Teriya Bugu for our field forum (where all the CMA missionaries get together for the week). So hopefully it will be a good week for him to get the feel of school but then he can also get a break. We shall see how it goes!

Hodge Podge pictures

Just wanted to post some pictures as of late. They are totally a hodge podge of pictures.

I read this blog nancyrayblog.com. She has this context she is doing to win a session with her and a $100 gift certificate to Target. I started thinking I'd like the photo session so I took some pictures. You had to take them with something of meaning to you so I used a necklace Brett gave me when I had Silas. It's three pearls in a "pod." So it's my three peas in my pod. I love it because it was given to me by my husband and it represents my three precious boys. I don't know that I'm going to even send in the pictures, but I had fun doing them nonetheless.

This was right outside our house the other day. Bad roads with a bad truck and bad driver equals a block in the road.

Just my boys. I was really just trying to get Silas but Dawson stepped in. :)

And this is my boy. Gotta love all the outfits he puts together. He just felt like Mr. Incredible needed a hat. I wish I could have taken a picture today (he wouldn't let me). He was in the Mr. Incredible suit with clothes over it (so he was Bob, not Mr. Incredible) with a bike helmet on because he rode up to the hospital on his bike. (or at least, he was ON his bike. I mostly pulled him on it as I pushed the stroller.)

I mean, if this doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what will.

Grandma sent a Bibleman cape. Pretty cool. Kenan got to use it first because Dawson was on a bike ride with Brett when we opened the box. K enjoyed his few moments with the cape. And I love his faithful sidekick beside him.

This boy is still crawling...but he DID take his first step the other day and took a couple today. We are getting there....

Enjoying Daddy's shaving cream.

And since I was looking back at pictures, this is Dawson and Brett in France. I guess Brett had already finished shaving in this picture. I kind of like him with the shaving cream beard too. :)

Ok, that's it. Like I said, random. By the way, I tend to post in groups so this is the last of 4 posts in the last two days in case you missed the others.

1st birthday pictures

I was comparing each of the boy's first birthday pictures. Thought I would share...

I think it is pretty obvious who is who, but it goes in order- Dawson, Kenan, and Silas.

More thoughts on the job of mom

I mentioned before about learning how to be content in my role as mom and just be patient in the here and now of it all. Just thought I'd add a few more thoughts on it that have challenged me lately.

James 1:3-8, 12

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

I have thought of this verse many times (who hasn't?) but never in the context of just persevering in the "trials" small as they may be in raising children. My kids really are showing me my sin each day and the areas that I must give over to the Lord. I've heard people say that their kids completed them. I don't know about completion, but they sure send me on the road toward sanctification. They are good boys, wonderful boys, but they are boys and little ones at that. They require time and energy. But they are sweet. It is me and my sin that often causes the problems. I do hope to persevere so that I won't be lacking, so I can be mature and complete.

Also, in this book, "Walk with me today, Lord" is a quote by Kenneth Kirk--

"Worship depends not upon our own activities, but upon the activities which God brings to bear upon us; to them we are forced to react as worshipers."

I love this and I know I've mentioned this idea before (that my worship to the Lord is in serving my kids and taking care of them even in the middle of the night) but I just wish I could really grasp it and live it out. What a beautiful idea. I want to serve my children in love. I want my role in caring for them to be my worship and I want my worship to be pleasing to Him.

Ok, I must be off to play with those boys that I'm writing about...

I don't have a title

I know that when I go the devotions in the morning with all the staff and half the missionaries aren't there that something bad is happening with a patient. Today was one of those days. I noticed that the A/C for the OR wasn't running so there wasn't a surgery going on, but Brett was sitting there so it wasn't a peds case either. It was in fact a lady in labor. She actually was an HIV lady who we followed (not one of "my" ladies but one that Dan followed because she started coming before I was working with them) at the hospital. She came to all 9 prenatal visits. She was healthy and doing well. Sure, she had HIV, but she was faithfully taking her medicine, she was doing well. But a moment of ignorance cost her her life. She started laboring last night but because it wasn't progressing as fast as she or her family wanted, she took traditional medicine. Whatever they use is potent. It's like pitocin/oxytocin but much stronger so the labor rapidly progresses, often too fast for the baby and mother. This time it was no different. She went from 3 cm to all of the sudden being 10 cm and shot the baby out and then apparently had a stroke. So that's what all our missionaries were working on this morning- trying to save a woman's life. One ignorant mistake. How sad to see a woman just lying lifeless on the delivery bed. That bed is for bringing life INTO the world, not to take it out. There's a baby, but no mother. No mother to care for 4 children. A healthy woman dead because of ignorance. One stupid choice. It's so frustrating. It doesn't have to be that way. Why couldn't she have just been patient? So I watched her family come and grieve over her and take the body away. I showed them the baby boy that was on oxygen but doing well, laying alone in his crib without a mother around. I watched family and friends cry over the baby and then other members take them away to stop the crying. I have to remind myself, as do all the other missionaries, that we do make a difference. Lives are saved each day because of the hospital. Like my first real resuscitation last week with Brett. The baby didn't breathe for 10 minutes. We did CPR and were about to give up but then he finally took a breath. He went home with no problems. And then just yesterday I watched a lady whose baby was breech and the foot had already delivered be saved through a c-section. (If it wasn't too graphic of a picture, I would have taken it, but I tell you it is the weirdest thing to see a foot just sticking out of a woman's body). She had lost her last two babies. But because she came to our hospital, we were able to help and save her life and her baby. Otherwise, they would have just died. But still, the sting of watching a lady die a senseless death is hard to take. And as if this wasn't enough, moments later another woman passed away. She had come in the day before with high blood pressure. I think she had a stroke as well. She was never right but this morning just stopped breathing. So I watched her family come and cover her and take care of her body. I was just drawn to these families and watched them. I kept looking at the little baby with no one around him. I didn't do my job well this morning. I just kind of walked around looking at these families. I was shocked. Not over these cases alone, but because a lady I had talked to yesterday whom we diagnosed with HIV died in the night. She was sick, I'm sure she already had AIDS, but she wasn't THAT sick. We talked to her husband yesterday and told him that she was positive. This was actually a christian family. Not sure how she got HIV, maybe from a needle at some point in life, who knows, but she had it. Her husband, thankfully, tested negative. So yesterday we tell him his wife (who has 4 kids 8 and under) has HIV, he should be tested because he might have it. I saw the fear in his eyes and the urgency to have the test. Then he was relieved to know it was negative. But then just hours later, learns that his wife is dead. She just spiked a fever and within hours died. She was going to go home yesterday. I mean, she was sick, but like I said, not that sick. But she died. At least she gave her husband the gift of being honest with him and letting him know what she had which 95% of the women don't do. Now he can get his kids checked as well. Now he knows he is negative. Now he knows why his wife really died. This family more than most is also really challenging my views of HIV. I'm not going to lie I'm not great in my attitude toward them. Not in my actions, but in my inner core, I often feel subconsciously that they did this to themselves. Or at least I used to. Like even though they say they didn't sleep around (or used needles), I think they must have in order to get HIV. At least I felt that way in the States. This thought has changed more with working with ladies here because so often they are the victim of promiscuous men. But this family, I believe, were both faithful. They were Christians. I don't know how she got it. It is thought that a lot of people get it from places reusing needles. Who knows. That's just unfair. And regardless of how they get it, they are shunned if people find out. I often get so frustrated with the women because they refuse to tell their husbands. I think, you are just spreading the disease- help a little and at least tell your partner! But then I watched this lady today whom I have followed since she was 28 weeks pregnant and now has a 2 month old baby. She is skinny and in the pastor's office crying because now that her husband knows of her illness and knows he is negative, he is neglecting her and the baby. He won't help, he won't support her. She is relying on family for food and everything. So sad. No wonder they don't want to tell people. I know I'm slightly in a ramble here but I want to add this since it's been on my mind. I've been convicted lately of my attitude toward all the poor, but especially these women, in reading James 2. "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?" I want to see them as God sees them. I want to see the dirty kids that come up to me and try to touch us the way the Lord does. I want to honor these people and lift them up. One missionary told me once as we were surrounded by dirty sick kids that you have the mixed emotions of having pity on them and disgust to having being around them. I so often feel that way. But I don't want to. I don't want to give special attention (or any attention) to those who are cleaner and better dressed. I want to lift them up. I don't know how this all really looks in reality because for the sanity of life you couldn't talk and interact with every poor person on the street. You'd have millions at your door everyday if you did. But I just want to have a better attitude I guess- what people can't see. My inner thoughts. I want to truly love them, not feel disgust for them. I want to want to touch them, or at least be ok with touching them. I don't know. Brett often talks about how when Jesus said "Let the little children come to me" it must have been a one time thing to show as an example because if kids in Bible times were like kids in Mali, it would be a huge sacrifice to let them come to you and you couldn't do it all the time or you'd be overwhelmed. So who knows what this will all look like but more than anything, I want a change of heart. I want to love on my HIV women well. I want to be kind to everyone. I want to show the love of Christ with whom I come in contact.