Picture Post: Worth 1,000 Words

Brent driving through the big city market at "Hope"

Market Colors and Crowds

Claire found a nest!

Not thrilled with how our tiled bathroom turned out, but the mason was skilled at masonry not tiling, AND at least it's not a latrine!!

Claire's friend who lives near her Auntie Shelly & Auntie Brittany's house

Ethan and his soccer buddies near his aunties' house

Kids make incredible toys from tin cans

More friends

Water-totin' mama near the mango tree

At the pump - this is as close as we get to running water at our house

Smile like it's easy.  ;)

Hard work

Just love this pic

Trying to set up electric at the aunties' house

Our lil gull is a growin' - Happy 5th Claire

Such a card!

Almost got them all

Living room furniture thanks to some colleagues!

First successful from scratch cake & icing for our birthday girl

got the screens up in the windows, now we need a ceiling to close up the house.

Propane stove (European size) and some useful furniture we had made for our kitchen storage

Our front porch. Soon we hope to have a screen door to keep people from wandering into the house

Draw water from the pump, put into the 55 gal barrel, filter through the Katadyn filter to make it drinkable

African Sunset

Soccer field down the hill from our house

Laundry & Ponderings on "How"

Standing on the porch looking out at the clothes line.

Doing my part of the laundry while Claire "helps."

Ponderings on How...

I'm watching the clothes billow in the sun and breeze while they hang on the line. It's very peaceful. I'm thankful for calming visuals like this just when I need them. I've been thinking about our interactions with neighbors in this pre-language stage. It's made me contemplate how on earth we can reach these people who need to know Him. Then looking at laundry, I consider again – I can control nothing. Not the wind. Not the sun. Not the hearts of people who need to hear of His love. Not even the length of my own life. 

How do we keep from becoming discouraged while doing what we know God has called us to do? How can we possibly do what we have hoped to set out to do? Just like doing laundry, I need to do my part of washing and hanging the clothes & let God do the part of controlling the wind and sun to dry them. I do my part in ministering and He always does His... the sun and wind are there on days I don't do laundry too. He ministers to hearts in powerful words I do not have & will continue to minister even when I am not here.

Hmm. Plant the seed, it will get watered, it's God's job to grow it.

Lord, help me keep you in focus here – to know that You love us each one & You are doing a work in me as much as in those I hope to minister to. Help me with my faults and sins. Thank You for the daily reminders like laundry to lift my heart!

Good ole hymn:

Higher Ground

I m pressing on the upward way
New heights I'm gaining every day
Still praying as I onward bound
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

####Chorus:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand
By faith on heaven's table land
A higher plane than I have found
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay
Tho' some may dwell where these
abound
My prayer, my aim is higher ground.

####

I want to live above the world
Tho' satan's darts at me are hurled
For faith has caught the joyful sound
The song of saints on higher ground.

####

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright
But still I'll pray till heaven I've found
"Lord, lead me on to higher ground."
####