We've Arrived!

We've only been away from home and already we've had so many experiences. We've seen a slice of London. We've had 2 people get sick from dehydration. We are still waiting to get the rest of our luggage. We've learned that in America, we've gotten so use to many "luxury" items that are really just taken for grated.
Hot water is one.
Indoor heating is another.
Mexican food is apparently not popular in Africa.
Neither are pumpkins.

Robin and I stayed behind today while the rest of the group went off to BEAM today. We stayed back with Luke (who was sick), Isaac, Jack and Drew and I see it as a HUGE blessing to get the smaller boys more aquainted with our new environment. We had an opportunity to have a down day with the boys.

Otherwise, we're doing really well. Charlie made 3 new friends today. Isaac has finally pooped (since we left Louisville) as of TODAY. Luke has recovered very well.
We're all a little cold most of the time, but really, we're doing well. Robin, the boys and I get to experience BEAM tomorrow. Wow.

anne

We leave on Saturday

"Are you ready?"

Who knows if we're ready! We spent most of last week ramping up our parenting (read: Anne did) to help us prepare for thrusting our boys into a very different world.

What I can say is that God is teaching me so much from His Word. I was reading from the boys' bible story book the other night and read about King Saul. He was impatient for the prophet Samuel's arrival to prepare offerings for God before a great battle. He decided (and this can seem right to us as well) "well, I'll just do it. Offerings are good no matter who prepares them." Samuel rebuked him. After this, the Lord gave Saul another chance. He told Saul and his army to attack the Amalekites ("Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them."). Saul brought back the king and the best of their cattle and livestock for offerings to the Lord. God at that point rejected Saul as king and sent Samuel to annoint David as the next king. (1 sam 13, 15)

Why is this significant? God wants my obedience, not (necessarily) my offerings. So, how do I prepare for our trip? I surrender what I think I should be doing and be still. Still pack toiletries and toys for the boys but as far as preparation, I'm going as the hands and feet of God. I'm there to do the work He is already doing. He wants us to go to do what He wants us to do, not necessarily what we think we should be doing.

The other verse that has been significant in my "preparation" is Psalm 139. God loves those kids as much as He loves my own. He knows how many hairs are on each of their heads, He knows what hardship they've been through. They have not been forgotten. It's an opportunity to tell these kids how much they're loved.

Psalm 139

¹ O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

Thanks for praying for us.

Healthy? Paranoia

Isaac has this tendency to get lost in his own world. He'll go off on his own -- in his world -- and not know that he's wondered off from where we are.

This will NOT work in South Africa!

I'm trying to think of areas that I can train my boys to prepare for our trip.
...ie: don't wander off! Ask to go outside! Don't expect to get what you want all the time!

A lot of this training is for us, the parents.

Please help us pray for discipline in this area. Pray for safety over my precious boys. Pray pray pray.

As our trip gets closer, more of these "issues" are coming to the surface. I'm getting nervous!

Comparing the 2 Cultures

A few weekends ago, Robin, Jeanine and I went out and picked up craft materials that for activities for the kiddos in S Africa. Andy, Robin's husband, told us as gently as he could that unless we have ONE for each child (150? 200? who knows?), then we shouldn't bring anything at all.
Last year, some of the stories we heard are about some of the stations they had set up for the kiddos were ransacked because the kiddos grabbed things that were meant to be shared and kept them for themselves. This is not naughty behavior, this is reasonable considering these kids have nothing.
Here in the States, we like these neat and tidy. Everything in its place. We like to wait in lines and observe certain rules and regulations. I took this for granted until we went to China 8 years ago and learned about how other cultures work. In China, people walk right up to the counter when they're ready, they don't really stand in a line. It's rude to us, but to them, it's just how you get your turn.
In Africa, it's my understanding that everything is laid back. Time is relative. Relationships are of upmost importance, not being on time for this that or the other thing. Andy said that last year, the kids wouldn't leave. They wouldn't leave until the missionaries left. Andy and his team had to be careful to keep the kids from returning home in the dark.
I know this adjustment is going to be hard on the kids, especially Charlie. Charlie (and I) thrive in rule-based settings. We both like to know what's expected of us and have a set beginning and end-time. Please pray for me and Charlie, that we will be able to be flexible and available. Not having our own agenda, that we could think of others before ourselves.