Summer

A late Thursday post.

The emptiness.

So my sister is successfully moved into her first apartment and starts her job on Monday. I was able to drive down and help her move in. i was good up till the point good byes started then it was tears and crying. If you know me you know that I am not a huge crier. Although I do cry now more than in the past. The lord is working on my heart.

Anyways after getting back home from moving her there has been this emptiness. No longer do I have to "fight" over the good parking in the driveway. Every time I walk into our room I get sad. That resulted in me rearranging and stripping her bed. How long will have have this sadness in me?  Will I again feel complete.  I feel like half of me has been torn out. You live with someone for so long its just normal to have them there with you. But now its just me. My Partner-in-crime (as my cousins have referred to sisterhood) is no longer here. I know that the Lord will grow and stretch me thru this. That both of us will learn lots about ourselves from this. But ts not fun. My season is changing but its like a early snowstorm that is unwanted.

I have solved all of this by keeping myself busy and not thinking about her. Although I am not looking forward to going back to work on Tuesdays in will be a good distraction.

real missionaries.

 

So my first year in South Africa we spent two weeks over Easter in Swaziland. This is Kristy, Katie (in the back) and I doing laundry in our skirts (women don't wear pants). That metal building behind us is our shower/ a room where a bucket of water was. We slept on the floor in rondavels. This was the most intense I have been on the field until Uganda this summer. It got dark at 5pm and light at 4am.  Our sleeping habits changed. Our eating habits changed. We washed our hair out of our water bottles while standing up, leaning forward. Took skill. We spent alot of time with kids. We stayed on the grounds of a carepoint. Where the kids knew that they could come and eat and learn. We fed them, taught them, played with them, and held them. We also did hospital ministry. Our two weeks in Swaziland taught us a lot. We all left there with MANY memories.

Winter

Dung Beetle.

Sorry I missed last Thursday.  I had a busy week at work and it slipped my mind.

Now for tuesdays picture.

This picture is not about me. Its about the bug infront of me. It's a DUNG BEETLE. These bugs were put on this earth to eat dung. There were signs up in the Animal parks that stated to watch out for them. They were fun to spot. Of course we were interested in the larger cooler animals too.

Photo credit goes to Google.

Some facts according to Wikipedia.
Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. Many dung beetles, known as rollers, are noted for rolling dung into spherical balls, which are used as a food source or brooding chambers. Other dung beetles, known as tunnelers, bury the dung wherever they find it. A third group, the dwellers, neither roll nor burrow: they simply live in manure.

She's leaving me.

So my little sister is moving out. She got a job in Nebraska. Just a few states away. And I have only a few weeks to be okay with this. She starts her new job on the 2nd of January. So we have only 13 more days together. I have lived without her before but not at home. I always left her. And now she is leaving me. Its going to take a while for me to get use to this but there is always Skype and long phone calls.

I am PROUD of her. I am also sad. I will miss her a lot. There are so many things that will not be the same without her. Things like: Baking. Shopping. Dinners with the family. Church. Evenings watching the tv while on computers. Babysitting Soph and Dek. Early mornings. Saturdays. And pretty much the rest of everyday life.

Who will I get to laugh at when they speak in their sleep?
Who else will understand me when I talk while brushing my teeth?
Who's clothes can I steal now?
Who will I talk with about life?
Who will braid my hair or curl it or do anything with it besides a ponytail?
Who will drive me home when I am to tired to or don't want to?

Kt if you are reading this. You are awesome and will do GREAT in Nebraska. I hate that you are leaving and home will not be the same but I am proud of you and know that this is the right thing for you. Thanks for letting me move you.

Blue Speghetti

I thought I would choose a fun picture this week.

When living on the UCSA base in Jeffrey's Bay (fall of 2008) the South Africans cooked for us when Melissa (our chef (She did a great job. )) didn't. We never knew what we would be eating. This particular day was blue day. Blue spaghetti was on the menu. Not sure who's idea it was. I have to say it was the first and probably last time that I ate that. It was a fun and interesting mean to say the least. After we got over the fact that our pasta was blue it tasted normal. Mind over manner. Pictured with me are two of the ladies that I was blessed to lead- Kayla and Brittney (BP).

Hope

Normal in the DR.

While in the DR a few summers ago leading an Ambassador trip this was a normal scene during street VBS.  We taught in the shade across the street from the Green house where we lived. It was perfectly normal for a horse or donkey to stroll by. The girls (my team) did really great. Here is Sara not even batting an eye while explaining the days craft.


*Sorry this is late. Work has been busy.

A weekend of yummies.

So Saturday we hosted a Arbonne party. Which meant that there should be something good to eat. I did graduate from culinary school after all. It wouldn't be fair to invite people over and not cook something. This time I choose soup. Its one of my favorites to make.

The menu- Chicken noodle (a classic), Cheesy potato and broccoli, and French Onion.  All were fun to make. I had never made the French onion outside of school by myself. It was super easy. Except cutting the onions. I cried. They seem to always have that effect on me. I followed this recipe:

French Onion Soup

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6-8 (depending on size) yellow or Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2/3 cup sherry or vermouth
4 cups beef broth
2 cups chicken broth
Baguette slices
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded or sliced

Check out this site for the details.  

The potato one, I made up.  Checked out a few recipes online and then went for it. It turned out to be a favorite of many. And the Chicken Noodle is one that I have made many times. I started with a chicken that was farm-raised. I made stock. Cut up the carrots, potatoes, and celery. Later added peas and corn. This time I used moose pasta from IKEA. Everyone thought they made the soup. 

All three were really good. The family ate them again for Sunday lunch. And there is still some for my sister to take for lunch this week. 

This evening my sister and I did a little baking. Its the start to holiday baking. We did a batch of family caramel corn. Always a favorite in the family, especially with Grandma. I had some over ripe bananas so we did a loaf of banana bread. I will be surprised if it makes it through the week. And then we did some chocolate candy cane cookies. It was nice to bake with my sister again. She has been busy all semester with Student Teaching. 

She's famous.

I know her! I know her! Yeah my cousin made it on TV tonight at the MSU game. So proud of her. Not that she had anything to do with getting on TV but she went out for the band and made it and is really living it up at college. A talented beautiful young lady.

 

 So lucky, she made it again.

Peace

Las Chicas

These are the lovely ladies that I was able to lead in the Dominican Republic. We spent a month loving on and praying for the locals. We also spent a month sleeping on the cold tile floor of the "Green House" which was refreshing with the heat that we also got to experience. Bucket showers and rides in the back of trucks along with fresh tacos and nights of worship. This was my first leading experience. Lots learned.

Truely thanking HIM.

Tomorrow is the Monday after Thanksgiving. Which in my little town means the annual Christmas parade. Will I go? Probably not. I get off work at 7 and will be getting into town just as it starts. But, I do remember years of standing on the side of Main Street bundled up with snowflakes falling down. It was always fun and I got excited for it as it came around each year.

This year I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is over. This year is flying by. Thursday I promised a Thanksgiving blog. This is my attempt.

My mission trip to Uganda this summer (really all of my mission trips) have given me a greater appreciation for the things I have.

Right now today I am thankful for...

a house to live in with a family that loves me.
moments with my nephew like today in church.
a warm bed, especially as winter is coming.
a dog who will lay at/on my feet as I watch tv.
the blessing of relationships in my life. Like those who I have been with and led on trips.
the ability to cook something that makes someone happy.
hot showers.
hugs .
my computer that allows me to keep in contact with my numerous friends, family, siblings, and contacts all around the world.
my sister.
years that I had with my grandma, shopping for groceries, cooking in the kitchen, even road trips.
the small voice that guides me in life.
Christ sacrificing himself so that I and you can be free from sin.
the ability to make the quilt that right now keeps me warm on a cool evening.


I know that there is so much more that I am thankful for. This is just a small list. I think that Thanksgiving comes and goes for a lot of us without thinking about what we are thankful for. If that happened this year. Take a moment to make a little list of your own. We all have something to be thankful for no matter what our life looks like.

“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” ~ Harry Ironside

For the last 4 years I have been carrying around the same purse. I found it at Target the Summer before I returned to South Africa. It was perfect size to fit everything in at the same time. Unfortunately it was getting old and the fabric was falling apart. The really sad thing was Target no longer sells that style. I wasn't able to find it any where else either. So the only solution was to make one.

 

A few days ago I took my old trusty purse apart stitch by stitch. And proceeded to make a new one. It was sad to take it apart. But there was no going back. The new one is almost identical. It lacks an inside pocket (I didn't use it anyways.) and ties to close the purse (also not used much).

I am happy with the final product. I think that this one will last just as long if not longer than the last. Cant wait to take it out for a test drive. Too bad Im not leading a team and have to carry all of their half full water bottles.

Injustice

Tgiving prep.

This year we are doing a family reunion thanksgiving. Which means lots of people. 48 to be exact. I was assigned bread. So I flipped thru my Into to Baking log book and found a recipe. Scaled it down to fit our mixer. And started to mix it then my mixer died. Any resistance to the hook caused it to stop. Talk about frustrating. So I got to knead the dough. The first batch I got my sister to help.

After fermenting and bench resting and forming to the oven to proof they went. Filled up the oven.

Then baking and cooling.

I am not the happiest with these. They dried out and didn't rise as much as I would have liked. I miss our proofer, and deck oven at school. That really was a perfect situation. But they are edible and Im sure that everyone will like them.

I also did up some of Aunt Carols famous cinnamon bread to go with some pumpkin and apple that I had in the freezer. 


Thanksgiving blog to come.

The beauty.

Addo Elephant Park.

When living in South Africa I was never further than an hour drive from a large game park.  Thus I and my teams were able to go on safaris. It was always so exciting to be sitting in our car and have one of these giants walk up and pass us. One of my favorite moments was my first year and my first visit to the park we had a herd of elephants, about 10, come out of the bush right at our car and then proceed down the road. Of course blocking the road so all we could to was watch them and be in awe.

Another one.

I just finished my second quilt tonight. This one went to my sister. It was a bit more work then the first. But I like how it turned out. There is fabric in there from dresses that were made for us when we were three and five. Some fabric is from a skirt that Kt has. Other fabric was left from our blankets in our old fifth wheel. There is a lot of history in this quilt. Had to keep it in the family. 

It's kind of scary how much of a homemaker I am. I cook, and now I sew. Not sure about the cleaning. I like quilting because it's like a 3d art work. I like picking out the fabrics and the design. I believe that this one is called a yellow brick road quilt.

LOVE

Sarah Buller

I know I said I wasn't going to explain. But.  Sarah was love. It was in her smile. The way she talked about her family. It showed when she held the orphans and how she laughed. She taught me what 1Corinthians 13 really means.

At first sight.

So this picture was taken on my first visit to Tokyo Sexwale in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa.  The little guy in my arms in Koko. He stole my heart that year. And a year later when I went back. I can remember walking down the street and being shocked by the conditions. But the kids were so excited we were there and swamped us.  We all had kids holding our hands and climbing on us.  I know that part of it was because we were white. But part of me really hopes that they saw something different in us. For the next 8 months 4 days a week I got to teach, spend time with and love on these kids and many more. Many captured my heart.

The continuation.

So I have finished the 30 day blog challenge. It was really helpful in keeping me blogging. So i am going to start something new. Each Thursday I will be posting a picture. I have a good friend who has given me a list of topics. It will simply be the title and the picture. Just a little fun. 

Now on Tuesdays, I will be posting a picture from one of my past mission trips and a little about it. It will all be random choices. These will have explanations. So get excited.

I apologize now for posting late. I am not sure it I will always post on Tuesday and Thursday but I will try my best. Thanks.

A walk in the woods.

Yesterday snow came to visit us. It was still here when I woke up this morning. Not sure how I feel about this. This year has gone by so quick. It seems like just yesterday I was starting Restaurant class. But now I am a college graduate and have gone to Africa and back.

Today, my Sister, Sarah, Sophie. Deklan and I took a step out of the fast pace world. We went for a hike in the woods of Battle Creek. Sarah was gone all weekend so it had been awhile since we were together. She is one of those friends that we can get together and not talk but feel like we know everything. What a blessing. Her kids are awesome too. Kind of like a cherry on top.

There was a bit of snow left on the ground. Kt taught Soph about snowball fights. Everyone joined in.  It was a lot of fun. Can't wait to build a snowman with her.

Deklan is growing so fast. He is a walker now. Can't wait till he talks. But Im not wishing him to grow up any faster than he already is.

 A great walk ended with both kids being carried, a really dirty dog and red noses.

called vs commissioned

 call |kôl|
verb
1 [ trans. ] cry out to (someone) in order to summon them or attract their attention

commission |kəˈmi sh ən| (abbr.: comm.)
noun
1 the authority to perform a task or certain duties.
• an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people
verb
• bring (a warship) into readiness for active service

On Sunday, pastor stepped back and allowed someone else to speak. This man gave his testimony of the past 20 years or so. Something stuck to me. The difference between being called and being commissioned. You see I know I am called to Africa. I have no doubt. I use to think that meant that I was to go there now and start what I am suppose to. Now I don't believe that He has commissioned me yet. He has given me the heart, passion and love for the country, people, and way of life. But, He hasn't told me directly "Go, Now."(I don't believe)

I feel like that word NOW is important. I know He is telling me to Go. But if I were to go at any time other than the Lord's timing I wouldn't be in His will. And I don't want to be out of His will. If I were to go tomorrow to Africa I would be doing a great thing. I would be helping out, I may even be saving lives. But if I wait for His timing and His commissioning there may be(there is) something greater for me. Something greater for me to do.

So for now I will be secure in my calling to Africa and waiting for the commission. I will take this time to prepare and learn what I can for it may help me in my future mission.

Day 30

3 Wishes/Hopes. In no particular order.

Wawa, one of my boys, who captured my heart while living in Jbay.

1. That my boys in SA will grow up strong, stay out of trouble and know the Lord.

2.Watch baby sea turtles hatch and make the journey to the water. What a sight that would be.



3.That Aids will cease to exist. That there will come a time when it is no longer taking mothers from babies and causing entire countries to disappear.



I struggled with the word wish. Lets think of them more as hopes.

day off= time in the kitchen

My Aunt passed away a few weeks ago. Actually just over a month. My mom wanted to put together a thank you gift for the Cancer Office here in town where my Aunt went for treatment. Wanting to make it fall she called on me to make muffins. The choices Pumpkin and Apple Cinnamon. So what a better way to spend my day off then in the kitchen making yummy muffins.

The pumpkin muffins only took half of the pumpkin I had. So I made some bread with the rest. I have been making a lot of bread lately. This time I put a little twist on them. In one I added a bit of maple syrup and shredded apples. And to the other some sage. I chopped it up really small. I put these in the freezer for a later date since we have half a loaf sitting on our counter that we are currently enjoying. Sadly I didn't get any pictures of these. The camera battery was dead and on the charger when they came out and I put them away before I remembered I wanted a picture. I will try to get some when I take them out to enjoy.

The apple cinnamon muffins are one that I made up last week and took to cell group. All enjoyed them there so I thought that I should stick with a recipe that has been approved. They came out beautiful. I was impressed. The only thing that could make them better would be a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar on top.

day 29

A picture that can always make you smile.

This is the day I met my nephew. A long awaited day.  It was an answer to prayer too. I was home from school that particular weekend and his mom and I prayed that he would come while I was at home. And Sunday I woke up to a voice mail saying that I should come meet him.

Day 28

A picture of something you're afraid of

building blocks

Tonight I feel like this life of mine is coming out of balance. I have for so long balanced every little thing. But, tonight I feel everything falling. It reminds me of one Sunday morning when I was in the toddler room at church. I would make this really tall tower with blocks and the moment it was done the two toddlers in there would knock it over laughing.

That's how I feel. And, it sucks. I mean it was a really good tower. I had living with my parents balanced with a new early morning job that changes all the time, balanced with trying to figure out the Lords will for my life, with me time. with Jesus time, with meals with family, with finding community in my little time, with everything else that one would have to balance in this time we call life.

And its starting to fall. But who is knocking it over? Is it someone in my life? Is it me?  Is it Jesus?  If its Jesus then I guess its a good thing. If its me I don’t think so, better get it all balanced again.

day 27

A picture of you and someone from your family.

My second cousins/ little sisters Erika and Katelyn.

Day 26.

A picture of something that means a lot to you.

Day 25

So this day was a duplicate of a prior one so I made up my own. My family is slightly complicated not in the divorced and remarried way but in the exchange sibling way. My family has hosted many exchange students to which we call brother or sister still. This always makes the question "How may siblings do you have?" complicated.

This is Suni. She was our first. We graduated High School together. Picture taken when we visited her last summer in China.

This is Siewi/ C-way. Here he is planting grandma's corn. Also from China.

This is Mean. She is picking the corn Siewi planted. She was with us when Kt was a senior. She is from Thailand

On the two ends we have Tabrina from China (in pink) and Rie from Japan (in White.)

Here is the whole family when Joseph from Sierra Leone, Africa and Takumi from Japan were with us. 

Each student/ sibling taught us something about ourselves. Suni now lives in Chicago finishing school. And Joseph is working on moving back to go to college. Hopefully my parents will continue to host. So those are my siblings.