Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Envibum Diaper Giveaway
We are getting ready for Baby Wachob to arrive sometime in the next week or so... my actual due date us next Thursday, but I confess I am getting antsy as my first two arrived at 39 weeks. Trying to let the Lord teach me patience and be thankful for moments with my two big girls - who, by the way, are far more antsy than their mama. As we prepare, I thought I'd link you to a cloth diaper giveaway. I love my Bum Genius, but have been excited to replace a few with some new types -- Fuzzi Bunz was at the top of my list, but I also heard about this Christian company that makes simple, soft cloth diapers - called Envibum. Check out the giveaway here!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A Few Pictures
Erik returned from Kenya last Thursday night. A snowstorm in Dallas meant his flight was canceled, but I happened to check email that morning, see the update, and arrange an alternate flight for him before his incoming flight touched ground. He was able to get on a flight into Jackson instead, and it turned out to be one of only a handful of flights that actually took off that day - albeit after six hours on the runway waiting for de-icing! We were so thankful for God's provision. He landed here in JH at about 1 AM - having traveled for about 34 hours!
We will give many more details later -- and hope to make an album that others can access electronically. He has more than 600 photos, so we need to pare those down to the few best. He had a challenging and wonderful trip - and is very glad he went. He is covered in flea bites but seems to have managed to get away without any kind of gastroenteritis or other infection. Others on his team were less fortunate. The work went well, and he will continue to work here from home, compiling written recommendations for the villagers about how to work as a community to implement simple irrigation that will sustain them through the dry season. His observation of Western Kenya was that it is a land of great abundance in terms of rain and ability to produce... but also a land of extreme poverty and hunger. A land of hospitality and kindness, but in need of the Lord, as well. There are many missionaries and projects - but a dearth of discipleship that would allow the Kenyans to take over leadership roles and continue effective programs.
Enjoy the few photos!
Saturday church in the village of Nyangina
Giraffes at the Masai Mara
Early morning in the village
Water source: cattle wading, women washing clothes, others collecting water to drink and use - all in the same muddy spot
Outdoor kitchen - fire pit, dishwashing station, food preparation. All of their meals are essentially the same: a cornmeal mush called ugali, potato, steamed bananas, rice, possibly chicken cooked in salty broth, and fruit. Erik was wary of the fruit because a knife might be used to cut raw chicken, then laid on a cow pie, then picked up without washing to cut papaya or pineapple. He did eat the pineapple - hoping it was acidic enough that bacteria would not survive on the surface.
We will give many more details later -- and hope to make an album that others can access electronically. He has more than 600 photos, so we need to pare those down to the few best. He had a challenging and wonderful trip - and is very glad he went. He is covered in flea bites but seems to have managed to get away without any kind of gastroenteritis or other infection. Others on his team were less fortunate. The work went well, and he will continue to work here from home, compiling written recommendations for the villagers about how to work as a community to implement simple irrigation that will sustain them through the dry season. His observation of Western Kenya was that it is a land of great abundance in terms of rain and ability to produce... but also a land of extreme poverty and hunger. A land of hospitality and kindness, but in need of the Lord, as well. There are many missionaries and projects - but a dearth of discipleship that would allow the Kenyans to take over leadership roles and continue effective programs.
Enjoy the few photos!
Saturday church in the village of Nyangina
Giraffes at the Masai Mara
Early morning in the village
Water source: cattle wading, women washing clothes, others collecting water to drink and use - all in the same muddy spot
Outdoor kitchen - fire pit, dishwashing station, food preparation. All of their meals are essentially the same: a cornmeal mush called ugali, potato, steamed bananas, rice, possibly chicken cooked in salty broth, and fruit. Erik was wary of the fruit because a knife might be used to cut raw chicken, then laid on a cow pie, then picked up without washing to cut papaya or pineapple. He did eat the pineapple - hoping it was acidic enough that bacteria would not survive on the surface.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Gospel-Centered Parenting
I mentioned in my last post that while my awesome husband has been in Africa, I have been trying to be faithful and purposeful in each day... in how I manage my home in his absence, in how I minister to, discipline and love my girls, in quiet times and prayer, and in how I begin to mentally and spiritually prepare for this new little one who will join our family in the next few weeks! Usually if Erik is gone, I find myself filling the time with novels or movies that make the lonely evenings pass by, and this time I have prayed for God's grace to not lean on false sources of comfort or companionship, but to lean on the Lord instead.
Every night, I have cleaned the house and tried to complete all the chores I could (making mornings happier!:)), and then have settled in with pjs on to read. I feel like the Lord is showing me so much about how I have failed in my mothering (thankful for his forgiveness!) and how to follow after His pattern. I have been really blessed by reading through Sally Clarkson's "Mission of Motherhood" for the second time and thinking through how to serve, love, disciple, teach and, most importantly, display God's grace to my precious girls. One thing the Lord has shown me so clearly in these last two weeks is that I cannot expect my kids to stop sinning! They are, after all, sinners! Born in the flesh, full of selfishness and wickedness. They are in need of a Savior, just as their mom and dad are. And, they haven't called on His name yet! My children are not yet believers, though we pray every day for their salvation. They don't have the Holy Spirit. Elisa told me the other day that she likes to sin. After I got over my initial shock, I realized, "Of course you do. In my flesh, I like to sin, too!"
My neighbor Sera loaned me a set of CDs from a conference called "Women Discipling Women," and I have been listening to a couple of the talks as I fold laundry or do the dishes. Last night I spread scrapbooking supplies on the floor and listened to an hour-long talk on Gospel-Centered Parenting. It was phenomenal. The basic point is this: We don't show our kids the law in order to make them obey it. We don't discipline and train them so that we will be glorified as good parents, or even to establish peace in our homes (although that's a worthy goal!). We give our kids the law in order that they will see that they cannot live up to it. They will fail! They are law-breakers. All their good deeds are filthy rags because they are defiled by sin. But - thanks be to God - He sent a Savior who willingly took their sin and mine upon Himself and will impart His perfect, sinless record to us if we believe in Him! The central teaching of all my discipline and training should be, "You sinned. Your sin has separated from you from God. But God loves us! And He died for you. And if you believe in Him, He will give you His sinless record, and He will empower you by His Spirit to choose to walk in His ways. You can't choose what is right on your own. But by God's grace, He will help you choose what is right and what honors Him." I need to focus on the beauty of God's grace in the moments when my children fail to obey - not on demanding obedience from them or being shocked because they - again - sinned. Not that I shouldn't train them in obedience or discipline when they don't. But my heart and the way I approach them needs to be different.
This morning, I took my wayward, tired, grumpy four-year-old in my arms and told her that she was a sinner. And that mommy is a sinner. And that Jesus loves us and He took our sin on Himself at the cross. And isn't that amazing, that He loves us that much! She listened and we snuggled, and I stroked her fresh-from bed blonde hair, and something softened in her.
I don't know exactly how the moment by moment aspects of my parenting will change as God continues to show me His ways. But I do know I need His grace - and so do my little ones.
~
Erik is currently sleeping after a day of sightseeing in the Masai Mara. Tomorrow they will drive to Nairobi and catch a flight home. The girls and I are driving to Salt Lake to pick him up on Thursday night. I am so excited to plant a big kiss on my hubby's lips. :) I have been debating the wisdom of making the 5 hour drive, but unless something changes, I think we will head down. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and I am only 2 cm dilated, so the doctor felt I was safe to go.
The kids are so excited to see him. I am trying to think of fun, creative ways to welcome him. Any ideas?
Every night, I have cleaned the house and tried to complete all the chores I could (making mornings happier!:)), and then have settled in with pjs on to read. I feel like the Lord is showing me so much about how I have failed in my mothering (thankful for his forgiveness!) and how to follow after His pattern. I have been really blessed by reading through Sally Clarkson's "Mission of Motherhood" for the second time and thinking through how to serve, love, disciple, teach and, most importantly, display God's grace to my precious girls. One thing the Lord has shown me so clearly in these last two weeks is that I cannot expect my kids to stop sinning! They are, after all, sinners! Born in the flesh, full of selfishness and wickedness. They are in need of a Savior, just as their mom and dad are. And, they haven't called on His name yet! My children are not yet believers, though we pray every day for their salvation. They don't have the Holy Spirit. Elisa told me the other day that she likes to sin. After I got over my initial shock, I realized, "Of course you do. In my flesh, I like to sin, too!"
My neighbor Sera loaned me a set of CDs from a conference called "Women Discipling Women," and I have been listening to a couple of the talks as I fold laundry or do the dishes. Last night I spread scrapbooking supplies on the floor and listened to an hour-long talk on Gospel-Centered Parenting. It was phenomenal. The basic point is this: We don't show our kids the law in order to make them obey it. We don't discipline and train them so that we will be glorified as good parents, or even to establish peace in our homes (although that's a worthy goal!). We give our kids the law in order that they will see that they cannot live up to it. They will fail! They are law-breakers. All their good deeds are filthy rags because they are defiled by sin. But - thanks be to God - He sent a Savior who willingly took their sin and mine upon Himself and will impart His perfect, sinless record to us if we believe in Him! The central teaching of all my discipline and training should be, "You sinned. Your sin has separated from you from God. But God loves us! And He died for you. And if you believe in Him, He will give you His sinless record, and He will empower you by His Spirit to choose to walk in His ways. You can't choose what is right on your own. But by God's grace, He will help you choose what is right and what honors Him." I need to focus on the beauty of God's grace in the moments when my children fail to obey - not on demanding obedience from them or being shocked because they - again - sinned. Not that I shouldn't train them in obedience or discipline when they don't. But my heart and the way I approach them needs to be different.
This morning, I took my wayward, tired, grumpy four-year-old in my arms and told her that she was a sinner. And that mommy is a sinner. And that Jesus loves us and He took our sin on Himself at the cross. And isn't that amazing, that He loves us that much! She listened and we snuggled, and I stroked her fresh-from bed blonde hair, and something softened in her.
I don't know exactly how the moment by moment aspects of my parenting will change as God continues to show me His ways. But I do know I need His grace - and so do my little ones.
~
Erik is currently sleeping after a day of sightseeing in the Masai Mara. Tomorrow they will drive to Nairobi and catch a flight home. The girls and I are driving to Salt Lake to pick him up on Thursday night. I am so excited to plant a big kiss on my hubby's lips. :) I have been debating the wisdom of making the 5 hour drive, but unless something changes, I think we will head down. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and I am only 2 cm dilated, so the doctor felt I was safe to go.
The kids are so excited to see him. I am trying to think of fun, creative ways to welcome him. Any ideas?
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Erik in Kenya
I have been blessed to hear from Erik via email or text a few times since he has been gone - always very brief, but much more communication than either of us expected. The drive from Nairobi to Nyarut (village one) sounded long and a little hairy, but they did arrive a morning later than expected and were able to meet last Sunday afternoon with the village leaders to determine the work that needed to be done. They spent from Sunday until Wednesday in Nyarut, doing irrigation work for several small farms (which they call gardens.) On Wednesday, they headed out, stopping at a hotel along the way for showers and a night of sleep before beginning again in Nyangina. I have not heard from Erik since he arrived in Nyangina, other than a short text telling me he had no internet access - which we expected, since this second village is smaller and more rural. As far as I know they are still in Nyangina, but may be packing up this morning to head toward Nairobi. They are planning to travel through the Masai Mara preserve and see wildlife before their return trip on Wednesday. I'm not sure of the timing, as Erik's initial schedule was loose. Please pray they are able to efficiently finish the work and energetically pour Christ's love out on the villagers!
While Erik has been gone, I have been so thankful for God's provision and grace for the girls and I. I really have wanted to wisely use the time -- not just "getting through" his absence, but really using that time alone to faithfully minister to my children and draw near to God. We have been doing well! Some rough moments when I struggle with issues of behavior and really miss the wisdom and consistency of my hubby... but the girls are doing great. Elisa constantly wonders what time it is in Africa, and they love to pray for him when we cut off each days paper chain to count down the days. They also love the Kenya picture book given us by a dear lady in our church who was a missionary in Kenya about fifteen years ago.
Things we have done:
- shared dinner with three different families, and our small group
-played dozens of rounds of Memory
-gone to the pool
-gone to gymnastics (where my littlest one cracked the back of her head on the uneven bar's chain. Oops!)
-kept the house clean :)
-learned all about the letter F.
-prayed for Daddy
-read hundreds of stories
-snuggled
-gone for jogs and romps in the snow
-frozen two post-baby meals
-I have kept up with my Precepts Bible Study and read most of the "Mission of Motherhood."
- and, today, loaded kids in the car by myself, drove to the park, strapped the Chariot around my belly, and hauled 100 pounds of kiddos and Chariot for nearly two hours of cross-country skiing. Two hours sounds short, but it is fairly straining on my abdominal and pelvic muscles at this point in pregnancy. Erik and I have the prep for skiing together down to a science... definitely a bit more challenging solo. The biggest challenge: we had to park on the park road because the lot was full, which meant we were a long way from the potty. Our response: all three of peed crouched by the car instead of trekking to the outhouse. Yup. I have no shame. :)
While Erik has been gone, I have been so thankful for God's provision and grace for the girls and I. I really have wanted to wisely use the time -- not just "getting through" his absence, but really using that time alone to faithfully minister to my children and draw near to God. We have been doing well! Some rough moments when I struggle with issues of behavior and really miss the wisdom and consistency of my hubby... but the girls are doing great. Elisa constantly wonders what time it is in Africa, and they love to pray for him when we cut off each days paper chain to count down the days. They also love the Kenya picture book given us by a dear lady in our church who was a missionary in Kenya about fifteen years ago.
Things we have done:
- shared dinner with three different families, and our small group
-played dozens of rounds of Memory
-gone to the pool
-gone to gymnastics (where my littlest one cracked the back of her head on the uneven bar's chain. Oops!)
-kept the house clean :)
-learned all about the letter F.
-prayed for Daddy
-read hundreds of stories
-snuggled
-gone for jogs and romps in the snow
-frozen two post-baby meals
-I have kept up with my Precepts Bible Study and read most of the "Mission of Motherhood."
- and, today, loaded kids in the car by myself, drove to the park, strapped the Chariot around my belly, and hauled 100 pounds of kiddos and Chariot for nearly two hours of cross-country skiing. Two hours sounds short, but it is fairly straining on my abdominal and pelvic muscles at this point in pregnancy. Erik and I have the prep for skiing together down to a science... definitely a bit more challenging solo. The biggest challenge: we had to park on the park road because the lot was full, which meant we were a long way from the potty. Our response: all three of peed crouched by the car instead of trekking to the outhouse. Yup. I have no shame. :)
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