Thursday, February 03, 2011
Baby Shower!
The ladies of the congregation threw a baby shower for Katie and I in November. It was a really lovely time of sisterly fellowship, and Trish and Ligia really outdid themselves with the decorations (the 'safari cake' is made out of diapers, believe it or not!). And yes.... the blue decorations are mine this time!! We found out in early November that we are indeed having a boy!! The ladies really showered us with love and made it a memorable time with games and special treats.
End of the Year School Program
Schools in Bolivia get out at the end of November. So thankfully, we were able to celebrate the end of the school year with the girls' preschool friends. We have been so thankful for Rise and Shine. It has been an excellent preschool: bilingual, with great teachers and good cross-section of Bolivian and foreign friends. It has provided a great education and social outlet for our children. I cried during each of the girls parent/teacher conferences at the end of the year because I have been so thankful for each of their teachers and I am sad to leave the comfortable, safe atmosphere they have provided.
Their end of school program was full of songs and dances and even a little drama that the girls (and their teachers... who are we kidding?? I know who does the majority of the work in these things!) worked so hard to prepare. Michaela did a traditional Bolivian dance, called the tinku, with her class. She was also the mother cat in "The 3 little kittens who lost their mittens." Eliana sang 2 songs and did a Hindu dance (I about died when my 4 year old girl came out on stage dressed in a sari and doing a belly dance!), but she did a fantastic job. Jana sang 2 songs.... well, made it through one and then saw me and lost it and had to come sit with me. As a teacher, I always wondered if parents actually enjoyed school programs, or if they just endured them. Now as a parent, I can say.... I enjoy it, boring parts and all. It is a joy seeing my children perform and seeing them interact with their teachers and their friends. Thank you, Rise and Shine, for the wonderful part you played in our lives in Cochabamba!
Their end of school program was full of songs and dances and even a little drama that the girls (and their teachers... who are we kidding?? I know who does the majority of the work in these things!) worked so hard to prepare. Michaela did a traditional Bolivian dance, called the tinku, with her class. She was also the mother cat in "The 3 little kittens who lost their mittens." Eliana sang 2 songs and did a Hindu dance (I about died when my 4 year old girl came out on stage dressed in a sari and doing a belly dance!), but she did a fantastic job. Jana sang 2 songs.... well, made it through one and then saw me and lost it and had to come sit with me. As a teacher, I always wondered if parents actually enjoyed school programs, or if they just endured them. Now as a parent, I can say.... I enjoy it, boring parts and all. It is a joy seeing my children perform and seeing them interact with their teachers and their friends. Thank you, Rise and Shine, for the wonderful part you played in our lives in Cochabamba!
Farewells
One of the most useful tools I have ever received as one who has made many cross-cultural transitions is the idea of building your RAFT before you leave a place: Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, and Thinking ahead. Saying farewell has been an especially important part of closure for me. And so before I started dismantling our house to pack in the container, I took pictures of each room. We have lived longer and had more memories in this house than any other of our married life. As I walked through and around the house our last day in Cochabamba and plucked one last gardenia flower from the bush to press in my Bible, the walls practically echoed with all the memories. Laughter... tears... frustration... desperation... joy... birthdays... lazy family days... tea parties... sister fun... games... wrestling on the living room carpet... movies and popcorn... holidays and family visits... church and team fellowships... coffee and early morning Bible reading on the back porch... family meals... swinging... wading pools and sand boxes... sleep overs... barbecues... late night discussions in front of the heater... work and play... peace... and life. I thank God for this home and will always treasure the memories it holds.
Eliana's 4th Birthday
We celebrated Eliana's 4th birthday a little late this last year due to the craziness of family camp and the fact that we were saying goodbye to our teammates, the Bulls, right around that same time.
She chose to have a 'ballerina' party (she is really into ballerinas right now!) and wanted to invite all her little girlfriends from school. We kept it simple, with a few musical games and homemade tutus as party favors. But all the work in the midst of packing a container is SO worth it, when your little girl looks at you and tells you thank you for her cake and decorations! And the extra treat was that Jenny, Zion, and Mia got to celebrate with us :) Thanks to Jenny for the special birthday hair-do!
Happy Birthday, Eliana! I am so blessed to be your mommy! Blessed by your sweet, kind, and loving spirit... your nurturing attitude... your careful deliberateness... your love for God and for singing... your dainty way of being... your amazing way of entertaining and being happy with yourself. You are very special and I know He has great plans for your life!
She chose to have a 'ballerina' party (she is really into ballerinas right now!) and wanted to invite all her little girlfriends from school. We kept it simple, with a few musical games and homemade tutus as party favors. But all the work in the midst of packing a container is SO worth it, when your little girl looks at you and tells you thank you for her cake and decorations! And the extra treat was that Jenny, Zion, and Mia got to celebrate with us :) Thanks to Jenny for the special birthday hair-do!
Happy Birthday, Eliana! I am so blessed to be your mommy! Blessed by your sweet, kind, and loving spirit... your nurturing attitude... your careful deliberateness... your love for God and for singing... your dainty way of being... your amazing way of entertaining and being happy with yourself. You are very special and I know He has great plans for your life!
Family Camp 2010
Every last weekend of October or first weekend in November for the past 4 years, the Cochabamba Centro church has hosted a national family camp for the churches around Bolivia. This year was no different. Around 80 members from 4 different churches met together for a time of fellowship at a mountainous campsite near a lake about an hour from Cochabamba.
Josh and I and the girls drove up the night before the camp to help get things set up, and as we have done the last 2 years, we camped out in our tent instead of in a cabin. The difference this year is that it rained and was cold almost the whole time! And although our tent held up well, this 4 month pregnant woman was ready to get back to my bed and bathroom and stop traipsing through the rain to the potty.
Ken Hines, former missionary to Bolivia, was our guest speaker, and gave an excellent series of lessons on "How to bear with someone you just can't stand." There were some excellent thoughts on forgiveness and reconciliation that were very beneficial for many churches.
There was also the usual time of fellowship over meals, sports, games and ice-breakers, and singing.
We also had our usual Bible classes for the kids during the class sessions. Here are our children!
Josh and I and the girls drove up the night before the camp to help get things set up, and as we have done the last 2 years, we camped out in our tent instead of in a cabin. The difference this year is that it rained and was cold almost the whole time! And although our tent held up well, this 4 month pregnant woman was ready to get back to my bed and bathroom and stop traipsing through the rain to the potty.
Ken Hines, former missionary to Bolivia, was our guest speaker, and gave an excellent series of lessons on "How to bear with someone you just can't stand." There were some excellent thoughts on forgiveness and reconciliation that were very beneficial for many churches.
There was also the usual time of fellowship over meals, sports, games and ice-breakers, and singing.
We also had our usual Bible classes for the kids during the class sessions. Here are our children!
In Retrospect
I have not done a very good job of blogging over the last few months.
Honestly, it has been too difficult. There have been too many other things going on. But, in reality, it has been too difficult to find the initiative to sit down and write when there are so many different emotions and events to process through. Too much is fresh and raw. I haven't had the ability. I have felt like in some ways that I am in 'survival mode'.
These last few weeks at my parents' house have been what I have needed. A 'safe' space to rest and recuperate between lives so it seems. To be quite honest, although I have done some crying and some thinking... mostly I have just 'been'. I have done all the normal things that every mother does... Christmas preparations, laundry, cleaning, shopping, establishing routine for my children in another environment, some cooking... and some things that not every mother does... like homeschooling. I have also had time to do some things that I haven't had time to do in a long time. Like more consistency in my daily time with the Lord. Or reading a novel for enjoyment. Or watching Ladies Number One Detective Agency shows with my mother. Not that life has been boring... how can it be with 3 kids and with the daily drama of moving from one 3rd world country to another? But more on that later.
This last week I have decided to print the first 5 years of my blog as a book. It seems like a natural time. This has been a nostalgic process for me as I've been preparing and editing it. I have been more 'homesick' (if I even dare use that word, it has so many confusing connotations to me) for Bolivia in the past week than I have been since we left. It started when we were sitting in the Rainforest Cafe in Chicago last week and I heard a recording of a 'jungle' bird that sounded like one we heard frequently in Bolivia. Sounds silly, I know, but I miss hearing birds. And then sitting in the Ecuadorian consulate listening to the hum of Spanish speakers around me. And then as I look back over entries and pictures I have made over the last 5 years, the feeling has compounded. I miss friends and teammates, and church family, and yes, even life (although I will not be so dishonest as to say I miss all aspects of life!).
All of this is to say that I am going to be making some blog entries... in retrospect. Because of the lack of time before we left Cochabamba (as a result of all of the preparations to leave), it seems there are some important entries missing from the last few weeks of our life in Cochabamba. I would feel like I was cheating myself and my blog book if I didn't go back and post about them. And probably somewhere in midst of all these blogs, I will process a little bit on paper my feelings surrounding the drama of this international move.
So let the retrospection begin.
Honestly, it has been too difficult. There have been too many other things going on. But, in reality, it has been too difficult to find the initiative to sit down and write when there are so many different emotions and events to process through. Too much is fresh and raw. I haven't had the ability. I have felt like in some ways that I am in 'survival mode'.
These last few weeks at my parents' house have been what I have needed. A 'safe' space to rest and recuperate between lives so it seems. To be quite honest, although I have done some crying and some thinking... mostly I have just 'been'. I have done all the normal things that every mother does... Christmas preparations, laundry, cleaning, shopping, establishing routine for my children in another environment, some cooking... and some things that not every mother does... like homeschooling. I have also had time to do some things that I haven't had time to do in a long time. Like more consistency in my daily time with the Lord. Or reading a novel for enjoyment. Or watching Ladies Number One Detective Agency shows with my mother. Not that life has been boring... how can it be with 3 kids and with the daily drama of moving from one 3rd world country to another? But more on that later.
This last week I have decided to print the first 5 years of my blog as a book. It seems like a natural time. This has been a nostalgic process for me as I've been preparing and editing it. I have been more 'homesick' (if I even dare use that word, it has so many confusing connotations to me) for Bolivia in the past week than I have been since we left. It started when we were sitting in the Rainforest Cafe in Chicago last week and I heard a recording of a 'jungle' bird that sounded like one we heard frequently in Bolivia. Sounds silly, I know, but I miss hearing birds. And then sitting in the Ecuadorian consulate listening to the hum of Spanish speakers around me. And then as I look back over entries and pictures I have made over the last 5 years, the feeling has compounded. I miss friends and teammates, and church family, and yes, even life (although I will not be so dishonest as to say I miss all aspects of life!).
All of this is to say that I am going to be making some blog entries... in retrospect. Because of the lack of time before we left Cochabamba (as a result of all of the preparations to leave), it seems there are some important entries missing from the last few weeks of our life in Cochabamba. I would feel like I was cheating myself and my blog book if I didn't go back and post about them. And probably somewhere in midst of all these blogs, I will process a little bit on paper my feelings surrounding the drama of this international move.
So let the retrospection begin.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday, December 10, 2010
Heaven
I have lived a large portion of my life in 3 countries...
18 years in Kenya...
8 years in the USA...
5 years in Bolivia...
It's a good thing that God makes our hearts with a large capacity to love...
because I feel like I have left a part of my heart planted in each place.
Bolivia will always hold a special place in my heart...
Here is where 2 of my children have been born...
Where I will treasure the babyhood memories.
The only 'home' they have known.
Where we have developed our family.
We have experienced a lifetime with our brothers and sisters here.
As I sat in our farewell dinner last night and looked with love at the faces around the room...
It was a joy to see how far we have walked together.
We have overcome obstacles.... and stumbled.
We have grown in faith.... and learned lessons... sometimes the hard way.
We have loved and fellowshipped... and had to resolve conflict.
We have learned and studied the Word together.... encouraged and rebuked one another.
We have experienced births and baptisms, birthdays, holidays, retreats, graduations, farewells and hellos, sickness...
even deaths.
I have been honored to share these experiences with my beautiful Bolivian family.
When people think of heaven, different images come to mind.
Angels, a golden city, the throne of God...
When I think of heaven, I think of faces.
I see the faces of my beloved brothers and sisters that I have been privileged to know from around the world...
Together at last in one place...
Surrounding the throne of God...
Praising Him with one voice.
Where there will be no more tears...
No more death...
No more pain...
No more goodbyes.
Home at last.
18 years in Kenya...
8 years in the USA...
5 years in Bolivia...
It's a good thing that God makes our hearts with a large capacity to love...
because I feel like I have left a part of my heart planted in each place.
Bolivia will always hold a special place in my heart...
Here is where 2 of my children have been born...
Where I will treasure the babyhood memories.
The only 'home' they have known.
Where we have developed our family.
We have experienced a lifetime with our brothers and sisters here.
As I sat in our farewell dinner last night and looked with love at the faces around the room...
It was a joy to see how far we have walked together.
We have overcome obstacles.... and stumbled.
We have grown in faith.... and learned lessons... sometimes the hard way.
We have loved and fellowshipped... and had to resolve conflict.
We have learned and studied the Word together.... encouraged and rebuked one another.
We have experienced births and baptisms, birthdays, holidays, retreats, graduations, farewells and hellos, sickness...
even deaths.
I have been honored to share these experiences with my beautiful Bolivian family.
When people think of heaven, different images come to mind.
Angels, a golden city, the throne of God...
When I think of heaven, I think of faces.
I see the faces of my beloved brothers and sisters that I have been privileged to know from around the world...
Together at last in one place...
Surrounding the throne of God...
Praising Him with one voice.
Where there will be no more tears...
No more death...
No more pain...
No more goodbyes.
Home at last.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving
In Josh's family, they have the tradition of writing a Thanksgiving Day psalm and sharing it with the family. Here is mine...
I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Even though it seems everything is changing,
the very foundations of our lives uprooted...
Yet will I trust Him. I will praise Him for His faithfulness.
He holds the future in His hands.
Even though our family is shaken by the fragility of health,
the touch of cancer too close for comfort...
Yet will I trust Him. I will praise Him for His faithfulness.
He holds our lives and health in His hands.
Even though this baby came at an unexpected time of transition,
making this mother wonder and worry at the details...
Yet will I trust Him. I will praise Him for His faithfulness.
He holds the plan for this little life in His hands.
Even though leaving the future of these people, this place, this work
that we have come to love is so difficult...
Yet will I trust Him. I will praise Him for His faithfulness.
He holds this body of believers in His hands. He will complete it.
As the mountains surround [us]
So the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forevermore.
View from our backyard of the mountains on Thanksgiving morning 2010
I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Even though it seems everything is changing,
the very foundations of our lives uprooted...
Yet will I trust Him. I will praise Him for His faithfulness.
He holds the future in His hands.
Even though our family is shaken by the fragility of health,
the touch of cancer too close for comfort...
Yet will I trust Him. I will praise Him for His faithfulness.
He holds our lives and health in His hands.
Even though this baby came at an unexpected time of transition,
making this mother wonder and worry at the details...
Yet will I trust Him. I will praise Him for His faithfulness.
He holds the plan for this little life in His hands.
Even though leaving the future of these people, this place, this work
that we have come to love is so difficult...
Yet will I trust Him. I will praise Him for His faithfulness.
He holds this body of believers in His hands. He will complete it.
As the mountains surround [us]
So the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forevermore.
View from our backyard of the mountains on Thanksgiving morning 2010
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