Surprises

I tell people that I don't like surprises, but I really do. Let me explain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up. 

www.reusableart.com

I don't like when company shows up unexpectedly.











I don't like these kinds of surprises either.







I don't like having to make big decisions on the spur of the moment. Actually I don't like making decisions at all. 

Beth Moore said in one of her Bible study videos that she regularly asks God to delight her and He regularly answers in ways that only God can. Those are the kind of surprises I like. 

Ways God has recently surprised me:

Visitors who did not know I had been missing treats from home brought us m&m's candy. God knew!

While walking a friend's dog on the American school campus I found this fascinating critter. I thought he was a wasp at first but it turns out he is a "wasp moth" and his disguise is his defense. I'm weird, and easily entertained, but I really thought it was cool to see an insect with so many colors. Made me wonder what the caterpillar looks like.


You might not think this is a nice surprise or a good thing to give someone, but when our MAF friend David Francis brought this to us I was delighted. This was a part we needed to repair our water reservoir system. Without it, we had to keep city water turned off most of the time to keep the tank from overflowing and flooding the yard. When you live here, shutting off water supply just feels WRONG, because you never know when it will be available again. Now our tanks are full and our yard is dry.

Today we went to the orphanage in Kimbondo with armloads of soft knit hats and blankets for the babies and toddlers. Many of these kids are malnourished when they arrive and have little to no body fat or energy for keeping warm during the cool dry season. Several friends donated items and money to make this possible. 

Traffic is heavier than it used to be on the road there and construction projects add to the congestion, so it took about 90 minutes now to go 25 kilometers (about 16 miles) to the orphanage. By the time we got there I was tired and thinking about all the stuff I still had to do today so I decided I would just find Father Hugo, give him the stuff, and excuse myself to go home. After I talked to him and showed him the gifts from friends in the states, he excitedly told a nurse about it and next thing I knew she and another person had taken it all and told me to follow them. Turns out they wanted to distribute the hats and blankets right away and they were ordering inviting me to be a part of it. My five minute visit turned quickly into 45. Even though we had not been there in a year because of furlough and car issues, many of the kids and staff remembered us and greeted us warmly. Leaving the orphanage is always wrenching because the kids cry when we leave, but it was a real treat to see them again and give them hugs and hold them for a bit.

Cool Beans In My Luggage!

The other night Daniel and my nephew accidentally spilled popcorn in my open suitcase. Today it is filled with blessings instead of butter.

These are gifts for the orphanage and the Mitendi Women's Center. Some items are still yet to arrive! I have amazing, generous friends and I am grateful to all who donated to make this possible. You know who you are. Dry season is beginning, bringing cooler temperatures, so the blankets and caps will mean a lot to the little ones at the orphanage. The yarn and sewing supplies will help the girls at the Mitendi Center learn to sew and crochet to earn a living. There was even some money donated that will go into the scholarship fund to the Mitendi Women's Center! 

Daniel and I leave for Congo early Friday morning and will arrive late Saturday evening. I am still having problems with my ear infection and residual coughing from the bronchitis so would appreciate prayer for no ear pain and no coughing fits that cause anxiety for my neighbors on the plane, as well as safety and that all of our bags arrive on time, undamaged, and with nothing missing. Can't wait to see David. 

Sometimes Going With the Flow Feels Like Rapid Water Rafting on a Swimming Pool Floatie

Last night we attended a concert at TASOK, Emily's school. The concert was a benefit to collect funds and food for the orphanage in Kimbondo. It was a double blessing for me, getting a chance to help the orphanage and getting to see Emily perform. This year she sang in the high school choir AND played in the band. 

We recently visited another orphanage with a new friend, Jennifer McCullough. The man in this photo was introduced to us as the doctor at the orphanage but I heard him tell someone else he is a nurse. Jennifer is on the left, and on the far right is my friend and fellow MAFer, Sandy Francis. 

We passed out treats and had a belated Easter celebration with the kids.











Jennifer also had donations of toothpaste and brushes for the orphanage. A good follow-up to all those sweets we gave them!










Daniel with his new friend. Kids with red or blonde hair are conspicuous in Africa and get stared at. A lot. 

Unlike all of the other orphanages we have been to, this one had no fences or walls. This photo gives you a good idea of what housing is like in DRC. The "door" is a curtain. The building is  often concrete, with a tin roof and no windows. and no electricity. It's like living in an oven. A dark one.

When we arrived, kids and parents from the neighborhood showed up in droves. After we began passing out the treats, we quickly realized there were way more kids in line (I use the term line very loosely here) for goodies than there are in the orphanage. Moms from the neighborhood were overheard telling kids to go through the line and get something for them. I saw big teens stealing treats from the little kids and tried to help but couldn't stop them all. I caught at least one kid going through the line twice. They were crowding around and pressing in on us. It was mayhem. We ended up having to have the staff go through a list of names of their kids so that we could make sure the orphans got treats. Many times here in Congo I have had mixed feelings about all the walls, but that day my slightly OC mind was telling me "This place needs walls!"  Sort of a Congo version of the old saying "good fences make good neighbors." I am glad I went and got to be part of it but my American self felt conflicted, trying to just relax and go with the crazy haphazard flow instead of being overwhelmed by the lack of structure and order. 





We got stuck in the sand on our way out. You never have to worry about getting stuck in the sand in Congo as long as you have a little cash on you. Before we even had time to ask for help, people ran to push the van in exchange for a few francs.

Widows and Orphans

Nancy and Nancy, heh heh heh

My friends Jim and Nancy Smith returned from their mission station in Nkara and will soon be on their way back to the U.S. for a few months. I had sent a sack of yarn with Nancy to see if any of the ladies in the Literacy Center would be interested in making baby blankets for the orphanage (more about the literacy center HERE) (more about the blanket project HERE).

One lady, a widow named Ibo, crocheted these blankets. That's her front row left. She is a graduate of the literacy center and now teaches the other students to knit and crochet. She told Nancy Smith that when her husband died, she became very angry. Then she went to the literacy school and met Jesus and He changed her life. Ibo has no children to help care for her. Culturally and economically, life here is very difficult for widows and for people who have no children; I was very pleased to be able to give her an opportunity to earn a little extra money. Now I have soft, new blankets to take to the orphanage before the chilly dry season arrives. Mama Ibo lives a long way from the children at the orphanage in Kimbondo and neither of them has any knowledge of the other. We are admonished in James that pure religion is to look after orphans and widows in their distress. By paying Mama Ibo for her labors and donating the blankets to the orphanage, one project is helping both! I think that is so cool beans!

Tuesday was my birthday. My family spoiled me and did all the dishes all that day and all the following day. Of course it had NOTHING to do with the face that my thumb is still messed up. It is improving. An adopting family came through last week and I was able to buy a splint for my thumb for them to bring. That has enabled me to give it both protection and support, so now I have a lot less pain.






We are all looking forward to furlough this summer. Already our family is praying for a place to live and transportation and doing our best to search for both from here. We have lots to do during our time in the states: doctor and dentist visits, settle Emily into college and teach her how to drive, visit family, friends and ministry partners, raise ministry support, additional training, shopping for supplies for the next term, home schooling Daniel, etc, etc, etc. Somewhere in there we are supposed to take some R&R. We would love for you to pray with us.

Sunday Drive

You may have noticed I haven't posted in a while. I fell on our patio and got to go get xrays taken of my left hand. Those of you who know me well know that while I am fairly ambidextrous, I write with the left hand. Nothing was broken, but before I fell I already had a sore thumb from a softball injury and now that middle joint is just not doing well. 

While trying to rest my hand and let it heal as much as I can, I've discovered some cool things I can do without using my thumb: tie my shoes, brush my teeth, and even put in a pony tail. Things I can't do without hurting my thumb or at least without it getting in the way: wash dishes, open cans, sweep/mop, chop food, grate cheese. Apologies to my family.

Last week we went I got a chance to see a friend from the U.S. who came here on business, as well as meet some new friends who were here to adopt three  children. We planned for all of us and my friend Christine to go to a local church together, followed by visits to a couple of orphanages and lunch together. 

We didn't get to go to the church because it rained Sunday morning and the roads were too bad, even for Christine's big tough vehicle. None of us were really dressed for mudding or for pushing vehicles.









It was a long, slow drive. We tried several routes. Each time we had to turn around. I was pretty disappointed and hope to get to go another day.

 
We did make it to the orphanages. Both of these orphanages are managed by Christians, one by missionaries and one by a Congolese family. This was the first opportunity I had to visit other orphanages besides the one in Kimbondo that I am accustomed to. These were much smaller. One of them is specifically for boys who were street children. 

We were greeted with a welcome song, the second time I have had that pleasure since coming here. These kids were waiting to have their meal but they didn't object to having lollipops for their "appetizers."

the kitchen

Cooking is done outdoors. This is not unusual in Congolese homes. There isn't enough space indoors for a kitchen, nor enough light or ventilation. When we arrived they were preparing lunch of fufu - a starchy hard to describe food made from manioc, the main carbohydrate here. It's sort of like mashed potatoes that you can pick up and hold in your hand and tear pieces off to eat, but not really. 




All in all it was a day of many emotions: joy for seeing my friend again, heartbreak at seeing the poverty and need everywhere we went, excitement for meeting new friends and going new places, anguish and helplessness for the tears and sobs of a child who was heartbroken, and tiredness after a long day. After the day was done, one emotion still remains, hope. God has placed people here who deeply love Him and are dedicated to helping kids by giving them a place of refuge where their most basic physical needs are met but also where they can be loved, encounter Jesus, and find healing for their hearts.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Firsties

Here are ten of my most recent "firsties," things I did for the first time:

* met Rita Chapman, a missionary serving in Kikongo whom I've been hearing about since 2008. Very Cool Beans!
* washed myself with gasoline. Peeyou.
* "jumped" electrical phases in our breaker box. Needed to learn and now I have.
* went through a Congolese military checkpoint. Ok.
* led a group of high school girls in a Bible study. These girls are fantastic!
* made pickles that actually stayed crunchy. Too salty, but at least they stayed crunchy. (whisper: They taste like Claussens.)
* drove more than three miles one way from my house, and back. Survived. Barely.
* went to the consulate for the U.S. embassy to renew our kids' passports. Not fun.
* went to a parent/teacher conference for my daughter, a senior. Somehow when we were home schooling her it seemed way too odd, even for us, to have parent/teacher conferences. hee hee.
* took my new friend Hannah to the orphanage with me to play with the kids. This is Hannah.

There is just nothing like hearing a little kid giggle!

Obviously, God is not letting me stay in a rut or get too set in my ways. Living a Christian life takes "muscle," which brings me to the subject of my new post, "Move That Muscle" on the MAF blog. I hope you'll check it out.

Mussolini for Dinner: Ten Cool Gifts!

tortellini (Photo credit: scottfeldstein)

When I feel down in the dumps, I often turn to the Psalms and to my favorite praise music, making them prayers from my heart to God as I read and sing. This past week as I was feeling discouraged and asking God for help, encouragement and direction, the Giver of All Good Things responded lovingly and generously, beyond what I deserve.  Here are some of the gifts I received this past week, in order of my random thought patterns.

1. New friends – I met a lovely Christian woman, her father, and her new son this week and got to spend a couple of hours getting to know them. They are passionate about missions and it was a real treat to get to connect with them.

2. Generosity – This same family brought enough clothing, formula, and medicine for the orphanage to fill my trunk! My daughter’s school had a drive for the orphanage also and collected lots of food, clothing, and toys. There were many other instances where I was blessed by seeing people show generosity toward others.

3. Letters from home (well, emails, really)! And an email from my son!

4. Unexpected help – We literally had no clue how to look for a house here or what questions to ask a potential landlord before we made a decision on a house. In our prayers we told God, “we don’t know what we are doing or where to look.”  He sent a friend with experience in house hunting to help us!

5. Pumpkin! – Our new friends brought us a few gifts also, including REAL PUMPKIN! We are all very excited about having pumpkin pie with real pumpkin. We did a little happy dance in the kitchen!

6. Electricity – I don’t understand how our old cable keeps going other than God must be sustaining it. We’ve had more than the usual amount of electricity and it has been a nice break.

7. Prayers – Lots of people have let us know they are praying for us! We know God hears and answers, and knowing that folks are praying is encouraging to us.

8. Closeness – As the housing options have been narrowed down, our family has had to talk a lot about what is important in a home to each of us, what is not important, how we are all feeling about everything here, and we have grown closer. It is always a gift when your child desires to share their heart with you, especially as they grow older and more independent.

9. Possibilities! – We don’t have a house yet, but we have a couple of possibilities! Both have pros and cons and neither one is a sure thing yet, but we finally have found a couple of places that we know we could make work for our family.

10. Humor – Always a great gift! I wish I were better at making others laugh. I am sure it looked pretty amusing to our guard and my family when the parrot escaped, as I tried to catch her without getting bit. She actually chased me across the porch trying to bite my toes! Picture a grown woman feeing from a naked, running parrot! And if you want to know how the mind of a boy works, just give him a stack of cards from an Apples to Apples game and listen to him as he goes through them:

“I thought Mussolini was a kind of noodle.”

“If Dick Cheney was our vice president, then who was the bad guy in True Grit?” (That would be the character Tom Chaney.)

After being told that Al Gore was vice president with President Clinton: “you mean Hillary?”

Mundele, moi!

I’ve been visiting the orphanage for over a year, and I think that FINALLY, some of the kids have learned my name. Every time I go, the kids ask me my name and I tell them “Maman Nancy.” They always call me “mundele,” which sounds kind of like “moon-deh-lay.” Depending on the tone used, it can simply mean “foreigner,” or “white person,” or it can be derogatory. Friday, Daniel and I went to the orphanage and took our friend Roz along. I made a batch of bubbles and took them with us to entertain the kids. After a while, I stopped blowing bubbles and let the kids take turns blowing.

The kids do not take turns well. Pushing and shoving commenced, along with cries of “mundele moi!” That loosely translates to “hey white lady, pick me!” If I didn’t respond quickly enough, a couple of the kids in particular would yell it louder and slap or pinch my arm. Finally I got tired of that and I turned to one of them and said “pas mundele! Maman Nancy.”  It took them a few tries to get the pronunciation, but pretty soon about 15 kids were loudly and repeatedly chanting “Maman Nancy!” They were having so much fun with their chant that they forgot about shoving each other around so I went with it. The whole thing was pretty amusing.

My car overheated on the way home from the orphanage and blew a hole in the plastic water reservoir, so long distance driving is out for the time being. Between that and the fact that we have to be out of this house by the end of the month and still haven’t found a place to live, I am not sure when I can get back to the orphanage. I’m going to have to step up the packing and house hunting, but the realtor says he has no more places to show us within our price range. Please pray for our search for a home and for our search for what we need to repair the car. Also a matter of prayer, I suspect our cable is burnt again because once again we are without power while everyone around the corner from us who is on the same power line does have power. We just paid for repairs on that cable and the new electricity lasted about a week. 

Sometimes when a lot seems to go wrong at once, I want to act like the orphans and yell to God, “Hey, pick me! Pick me for your blessings!” I know He has blessed me, in amazing ways and in abundance. Sometimes, though, I am impatient like those kids and I want Him to answer my prayers in my timing, meaning immediately, instead of his timing. 

When life hands you weeds and lemons, make lunch!

Lemonade Picture (Photo credit: JenWaller)

You've heard the expression, "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Here's a new twist on that old adage in my latest post on the MAF Blog.

A nasty GI bug has come to our house. Everyone except David has succumbed to it. We've had the usual internet and power issues and all the rumors that go with them. My car broke down again on the way to the orphanage last week, which always makes me leery of going the next time. We still haven't found a new place to live and the clock is ticking.

Things aren't all weeds and lemons here. God has been very gracious in meeting our needs to communicate with others, do our tasks that require electricity, and get places. We know He has a house for us to rent and will lead us to it in his timing. We know our illness will pass and in fact the worst part is over. In spite of having already missed a day due to sickness, Emily and Daniel are both off to a good start with school. It is a huge blessing that David has not become ill because he is in the middle of a caravan inspection.

For those of you who, like me, don't understand all that is involved in an inspection, just know that the plane cannot be flown until the inspection is completed. All ministry with that particular plane is on hold, so everyone pitches in to get the plane back on the job asap. Some of our other team members have also been ill this week, so please keep the entire team in your prayers.

Toddler Olympics

I used to post at least once a week and sometimes twice, but for the last week or so, whenever I try to do anything on the internet that takes more than a minute, I get this:

“could not load the webpage because ____________.com took too long to respond. The website may be down or you may be experiencing issues with your internet connection.”  

I’ll keep doing my best. Obviously since I got this posted, persistence and patience pay off in the long run but the posts will definitely be less frequent for the time being. 

Here are the latest news and prayer requests. 

Last Monday my little man turned 11. We had a quiet family party and enjoyed an evening together. This coming Monday is the first day of school. Emily is a senior this year. Daniel is in 5th so he is now a middle schooler. Both of them are looking forward to new classes this year. Emily is happy about having both choir and drama. Daniel is happy about having medieval history. 

Sunday we had the privilege of meeting a couple of families who were coming through to adopt children. We picked them up and took them to church and then ate lunch together. 

We are still searching for a new place to live. I had hoped to find a place and be much further along in the packing and moving process before school starts because of the amount of time that home schooling requires. Please pray for us to be able to be flexible but also to be able to do the things that need to be done. 

Electricity has been pretty bad lately. While getting laundry done is a challenge, we are very grateful that the weather has not been too hot and that we have solar powered lights, gravity fed water, and a little gas stove to make life easier. The rumor is that power will continue to be sparse until rainy season arrives.

Friday, Daniel and I went to the orphanage. We arrived quite a bit earlier than usual and caught them eating their morning snack. All of the kids, who range in age from 2 to 6, were walking around with jars of baby food. It was the fruity stuff, not the nasty vegetable stuff, and they were eating it with their fingers and slurping it from the jars. It was also hair cut day. There were two stations set up for this. A worker would grab a kid, lather his/her head, and shave it with a straight razor. This happens once a month in order to prevent parasites and make it easier to treat ringworm, scabies and mango fly larva.

We have heard that our U.S. team is doing very well in the Olympics. These kids have never seen or even heard of the Olympics. But they do have their own Olympic-style competition on a regular basis. 

• Dot & Dash: A child dips his finger into his baby food, puts a dot onto the bald head of a randomly chosen neighbor, and then makes a run for it.

• Grab & Go: What happens when one child spills his food or drops a toy and other children happen to see it.

• Cling & Swing: A child grabs the leg of the nearest adult, usually me, and holds on tight in hopes of getting a free ride around the courtyard.

• Sit & Shove: A child sits on someone’s lap and shoves all other children off.

Sweet Feet and Baby Philippe

Between the car troubles and the travels, I had not been to the orphanage in several weeks but got to go back today. I had some toys and blankets with me. The workers got excited about the blankets, but the kids got excited about the toys (see above). We are in the dry season, which means no rain and cooler temps. It also means all the kids have runny noses and icy cold feet. I rubbed lots of little dirty feet today and went home with lots of bodily fluids on my arms and clothing. I also got lots of hugs and kisses. 

This little guy's shirt says "Aujourd'hui j'ai décidé d'être sage!" Translated that means "Today I have decided to be good!" As a matter of facts, he was being very good.

Many of the kids are possessive of the toys and refuse to share for fear of having them taken away by bullies. Dieu Merci had a ViewMaster toy and insisted on showing each picture to me, several times. He is one of the most cheerful and sweet natured kids at the orphanage.

I had to take this little man's picture because he is almost always throwing a tantrum and today we caught him smiling!

Originally, this little boy's name was Patrick but it was changed to Giles, with the French pronunciation. I am not sure why. Giles arrived at the orphanage as an infant and is a year old. He was born without arms and is already being encouraged to use his feet to do things for himself.





Today was an fun day because with school out there were lots more kids than usual and they were all playing well together and being very sweet and affectionate. I saw two babies that a month or so ago I wasn't sure would still be alive today and both are gaining weight and getting stronger. It is such a thrill to see a child that was once listless and feeble smile and wave her arms and coo.

It was a heartbreaking day also. A new baby arrived 8 days ago. His name is Philippe but we were told it will be changed to Jacob. Again I don't know the reason for the name change. Philippe is less than a month old. He has cleft palate and either cannot or will not eat. He has only two fingers on his right hand. His right ear is deformed. His right eye is missing. Both of his feet are horribly deformed, as though they are on backwards and upside down. A severe birth defect here is often thought to be a curse or brought on by magic and the babies are then abandoned, which is how Philippe came to be at the orphanage. I really don't know if he will live. I'm thankful he is at least in a place where he is being loved. Pray for Philippe and the staff at the hospital, and for his mama and papa, wherever they are.

Natalie, tired after a morning of playing hard.

One girl's scraps are another girl's cool beans!

If Jesus were once again in human form and visited the orphanage in Kimbondo, I wonder what He would do there.  Would He walk straight to the infirmary and begin healing all those kids with HIV, tuberculosis, ringworm, scabies, and malnutrition? Would He walk to the gardens and make them grow bigger and better vegetables? Would He send all the staff on a much needed vacation, saying "you go on and get some rest, I've got this covered?" Would  He teach in the chapel?


Would He play with the kids? Tickle their dirty little feet and kiss their ringworm laden heads? Pick up the crying ones and sing to the sleepy ones? I think He would!

We've been to the orphanage a few times since I last wrote about the kids there.  Yesterday while I was there, I mentioned to Nori, one of the volunteers, that the kids were unusually subdued.  She said it was partly because some of them had colds and partly because she had managed to get the key to the toy closet and they had toys to occupy them. They weren't subdued, they were calm.

That's Nori on the left, holding Emmanuel.  Emmanuel is almost always happy and easy going, but he was crying because Nori was trimming his fingernails, which he really dislikes.


That's Charmande sitting on my lap.  She peed on me that day. She peed on me  yesterday too. I still love you, Charmande.




People donate toys to the orphanage fairly often, but the toys are quickly loved to death.  It takes a tough toy to stand up to forty or so preschoolers.

Recently, someone gave to me a couple of big bags of scrap fabric.  Another friend brought me polyfill from the states a while back. Another friend (yep, I have lots of friends, lucky me!) found a pattern for me to make a plush ball. This morning I managed to whip out this prototype in half an hour, from printing the pattern and rounding up supplies to getting it all put away afterward. It's far from perfect, but the kids won't care, the ball is too soft to be made into a weapon (important) and it's washable. I probably won't take it to the orphanage until I've made several more so that there will be plenty to go around.


This is very cool beans!  Toys here are poorly constructed and cost a fortune. This cost me very little, just some thread and my time. I often have to take away tiny parts of broken toys, that I find in the toddlers' mouths. These should hold up pretty well and there are no buttons or anything for them to pull off and stick into their mouths.

Who's Stolen My Heart?

Friday we went to the orphanage in Kimbondo with my friend Myndii.  That's not us in the vehicle above, but that IS what the kids do when they see us coming.  We always get a great reception.  A few people have said to me that they think I am doing a good thing for the kids by going to the orphanage and playing with them.  The reality is that it is good for me on many levels and I am probably more blessed than the kids are by my visits.  Spending a day with them really puts any problems I am facing into a different perspective.    And the welcome I get from them each time I arrive is so fun!  It's a little like the old Cheers tv show where everyone hollered Norm's name each time he arrived.  They know I am there just to be with them and it's a big deal to them.  

Myndii knows some songs in Lingala and started singing to a few little ones.  Before long, a group of children had pulled chairs over and were sitting around her and singing along.  Every time she stopped they asked for more.  One boy caught my attention because he was singing with a big smile on his face and obviously having fun.  I asked him what his name was and he said "Dieu Merci (Thank you, God)."  Dieu Merci has a sweet spirit and tons of potential.  Pray for him!

Pray for this baby too.  I am not sure about gender but I call her a girl because I don't like to say "it." She's new at the orphanage.  The kids who have been here a while never look like this.  She tried to cry when she saw us and no sound even came out of her mouth, she is so weak.  I rubbed her chest and tummy and talked to her but was afraid to pick her up without asking the doctor and he wasn't around.  It is really heartbreaking to see kids in this condition.

Nori, one of the staff members, asked me to take a photo of her with some of the kids.  The staff and older kids put the little ones up on this wall all the time.  We always were amazed that none of them ever seemed to fall.  Right after I took this, the little guy third from the right face planted on the concrete below.  I picked him up and was really surprised not to find any chipped teeth or any blood.  He cried for a while and then fell asleep in my lap.



Remember the 52 Challenge?  The bad news is that I am not keeping up with the goal to memorize a verse each week.  The good news is that I am still plugging along.  I try not to beat myself up with guilt and instead remind myself that the spirit of the challenge is to motivate people to hide God's Word in their hearts.  It's all about knowing God, not about the tally marks.

My newest verse leapt out of the pages at me the other day and really bit me:

"How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" - John 5:44

Everyone likes to hear an occasional "well done!"  I'm no exception.  If praise from others had no effect on us, Satan would lose one of his most valuable tools for luring us down the wrong path.  I've been thinking about my motives a lot since God showed me this verse.  How much of what I say and do is carefully worded or planned to prompt others to praise and admire me, and even worse, to do so instead of praising the Father?  Am I trusting God to know when I need encouragement and provide it?  There is a song I like a lot by Leeland, in which he sings to God: "You've stolen my heart! Yes, You have!"  Am I so in love with God that his praise means more to me than the praises of people ever could?  

Six THOUSAND Words

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a recap in pictures of what we've been up to.  There are six photos, so I figure this is a 6,000 word essay.  The photo above was taken at the orphanage in Kimbondo by Daniel.  This week we had great power and terrible water.  As the days went by with still no city water we kept conserving, and the laundry piled up.  Then on Thursday we finally had water coming in again so by default it instantly became laundry day.  The goal was to finish as much as possible before the power or water shut off. We ended up losing both, but not before six loads of clothing were finished!  I am grateful not just for the clothing we have and the ability to get it washed, but also that I don't have as much laundry to do as you see in the photo.  Hundreds of kids means the laundry is NEVER done!

We found a home for one of our kittens (not the one pictured).  We still have four left and really can't keep them so please pray for good homes for the kitties.

Tuesday evening our ladies Bible study group had a potluck with a Mexican theme to celebrate having completed our latest book study.  Two in our group have furloughs this summer and others will be traveling so we are likely taking a break for a while.

We've been reading Henry Reed, Inc. in school together.  Daniel enjoys the author's sense of humor and relates well to the main character, Henry Reed, because in the story Henry is an expat who has spent most of his life abroad.  As a family we've been reading Monster in the Hollows out loud.  This is the third in a series by Andrew Peterson and we've thoroughly enjoyed them all.  They are full of adventure, humor, and virtue.  The author is the same Andrew Peterson who wrote my favorite Christmas album Behold the Lamb of God.

We went to the orphanage Friday and played with the kids! 

Since I couldn't do laundry, I took advantage of the electricity and worked on my quilt project.  I finished 64 4-patches, 16 9-patches, and 64 quarter square triangles.