Beginnings in Africa - the big trip here

Beginnings

It's taken me 19 years that I know of to get to the mission field. So the three flights to get here seemed like a drop in a bucket when it comes to waiting. The kids did pretty well. Actually, great, considering Claire caught a cold & was sleepy on all flights and for days following (She's mostly over that now). I've asked for prayer for safety, health, and peace – well we got it. Previously, I had been, well, anxious to fly or even go to airports due to some previous rough trips. Pretty much since my dad's passing, I have dealt with some sort of anxiety - you begin to think about the brevity of life. No anxiety this trip though! Praise God for His peace!!! I have been asking for peace and receiving it in floods. We did wonderfully in all airports and on all flights. I was never scared nor even had an anxious moment. It's a wonderful feeling to be directly in the center of God's will. I am on the field in West Africa – finally. So thank you for your support in prayers and giving!!

I'm sitting in the guesthouse at night listening to African sounds through the screen windows as I am dripping with sweat. I feel gritty and hot, but very earthy, so for now I don't mind. I hear crickets. Women chatting loudly in a local language. I am not sure if they are arguing or very excited about something, but it sounds kinda angry (I've since been informed that they are not really angry). I don't mind the traffic noises. I like to hear my colleagues feet pounding the gravel trail around the compound when I wake up in the morning. I feel safe. It kinda feels like I'm at camp or something. My sentiments may change as we get out into the community tomorrow to go to the market. I'm sure there will be new sights and sounds and smells to get used to. It will be different when we arrive in the village. Right now we are with other missionaries in the capital, later we will be with just our two teammates in a sea of Africa faces. I am interested to see how I feel then, but for now, beginnings in Africa have been happy! I've been told that this country has no “honeymoon” phase as far as cultural adjustment goes. I think that it depends. For me, I have been walking towards this road for all my life & it just feels right. It's very weird, but I feel I'm home.

Below is the story of our recent hop over the pond for those of you who are interested in more details,feel free to read on.

We've arrived near the end of this rainy season. What a view as our plane descended upon the orange clay  contrasting against all the lush greenery! Walking off the plane onto the tarmack, we were hit by a wall of heat and humidity. I had been told about it, but thought it was an exaggeration until we walked smack into it. We were instantly offered help by men who wanted to get our luggage. I picked out one and directed him in French. All our bags and trunks made it. (Now we pray they get successfully toted up country.) The woman customs officer wanted to know if I spoke French or English. I told her English, hoping she would not know as much of my language. I was right. She asked for money outright & I told her I couldn't & that my man (the guy who I was paying to lug my cart of 6 bags) was walking away with our bags! Got out of paying that bribe & nothing was confiscated. Thank the Lord!

Our ride to the guesthouse from the airport here was so surreal! They drove us at night, with no street lights. There are no lanes for the traffic. You just have to carefully & quickly squeeze in. You might need to use your horn so someone sees your vehicle. There were scores of people carrying things in their arms and on there heads in large basins to sell to passers-by. People would come up to the window of the car to try to sell us apples, or bread, or flashlights. It was amazingly bumpy at times and other parts were very smooth (here in the paved capital). It was dirty and all the small buildings had rusty corrugated tin roofs on them. Unfortunately there is trash strewn everywhere across this beautiful city. We turned down one street and our colleague who was driving shouted out in French to let us through to the man (a local guy with no authority) who had blocked the road with a tree branch. The road block was for a marriage party. We finally turned around and found an alternate route. It was interesting to find out that that sort of arguing is expected here as part of the social game that people play. We got in and cried as we were reunited with other missionaries that we had not seen since they were in the States. It sure is good to be here, in the center of God's will for our lives. Thanks for helping us on our way!

Jan. 2012 Departure & Re-entry.

As promised... here is the story of our departure from France and our re-entry into live in the States as we used to know it a year ago. Enjoy!

OK, so after a year in France, we packed up our apartment. We knew this day might come.

I had a mondo sized checklist for keeping things straight.

We got rid of almost everything (except 11 bags that we brought with us - 11 sounds like a lot except when it's a years worth of stuff or all you own). It was a whirlwind sort of experience trying to empty an apartment that had been passed on from student family to student family (at least 4 that we've been told of). Imagine trying to close out internet accounts in another language when you are not the name on the account - the original person had just passed it on from one resident to the next to make payment easier. Hmmph! It was easier to pay but harder to close the account. It's still open, btw. We're far across the pond & the internet service provider told us to just close our bank account instead. OK?? It worked. It's done. Check. (Did you know you have to save French check stubs for 10 years for tax purposes?)

Another thing on the to-do list... AT. THE. SAME. TIME....We also were ordering supplies online in France to set up house in Africa and get them shipped to the container (in the Mid-West of the USA) so they could be shipped to West Africa. *sigh*
I'd like to get a button to push that speaks to me in that computer generated voice: "That WASN'T easy!" You know, similar to the one that STAPLES puts out that calmly tells you "That was easy." I don't need my button to yell or even strain it's voice. It just needs to calmly state: "That wasn't easy." and then I can move on. So yes, we packed for Africa across the continents. It's done-ish. *wink* Check. And just so you know, if you plan to make a lot of purchases online from another country on Black Friday, the credit card sompanies will put a hold on your account!

Oh, and another thing we did all at the same time as these other busy checklist items were being tended to, was to start scheduling speaking engagements and lodging and vehicle borrowing for our future (now current) time in the States.

For a while my conversations with Brent would go something like this:

Have a place to stay for the first few weeks in TX?
Check.
Do you know where it is?
No.
OK. Fine.
Have a place for the next month in FL?
Yes.
Know where that one is?
Yes.
Good.
How about the month of March?
No. Not set up yet. No idea what we're going to do in NY. 
Hmm. OK.

So none-the-less, our check list for departure from France was ticked off with these three main events getting checked off simultaneously:

1. Empty Apartment.
2. Pack for Africa.
3. Schedule for Stateside.

It really helped us learn to plan and organize things down to the tiniest detail. Not my forté, but I learned how to do it better than I ever had before.
Thank the Lord!

So then we had a great trip planned to get us back to the States: We'd leave our apt and stay with French friends for 2-3 days and then take a bus to Lyon, stay the night in a hotel, shuttle in the morning to the airport and just have one layover in London before arriving in Texas. Doesn't sound as stressful as our trip that brought us to France a year ago, does it?

Well, all went well except...
I started with some stomach bug while staying at our French friends' house. Not a gross kind, just a painful kind that won't let you sleep well. Not too bad. Then Ethan got it. He only puked once. Then we got to the hotel with no problem. I couldn't sleep. Since moving to France was rough on me, I've struggled with travel anxiety a bit. Only slept 2 hours before we got up at 4am to get to the airport. Flew to London fine. Started feeling weak in the airport. Got that really twirly feeling. Thought I'd pass out. Made sure to get my low-blood sugar back to normal by eating something. Still had to have Brent take me to the plane in a wheelchair. It was embarrassing. I'm an otherwise healthy woman who gets bouts of low-blood sugar, but this time I was worn down from a stomach bug and exhaustion. The flight was great. I was comfortably settled in and Brent had taken care of the kids, and bags and everything! Then he sat with the kids while I had my own seat by the bulk-head (leg room! for the tall sickie).

Can I just say here, Don't I have a great guy?!? Wow. Way to step it up, honey. Thank- you.

Claire threw up in the airplane bathroom. Then she slept the rest of the flight. Ethan & Brent watched movies and tried to sleep. (Brent got the stomach bug a few days after we got back to TX. Thought I'd have to preach for him that Sunday, but he was ok.)

Back to the plane. I normally get motion sick, but because of my stomach thing I was taking meds for my tummy and couldn't take dramamine. So the ride got bumpy at the end and I felt nauseous - didn't toss my cookies though - Score! Then because of the wind, our double-decker big plane slammed down. EEK! Everyone thought we had crashed. We were fine. Well. most of us. We were the last ones off the plane since I felt like I was going to pass out and vomit all at once. EMT people came to take care of me while the kids checked out the cockpit (since it's a bit scarey for the kids to see mommy in an oxygen mask). I was able to walk off the plane with help and then I got wheeled around the massive 100+ person line for customs (my family got to join me!). Thank you, Lord! Only to get stuck in the line for agriculture since we had to declare a French orange, of all things. Thankfully this line was only 5 people long since they scanned all our bags again. Then we had lovely PBT people waiting for us to pick us up. He didn't even ask why I was in a wheelchair. We told him, but it was nice not to be asked. Then we ate some dinner at the house here and went to bed by 7pm (2am France time- I think.) It really takes 24 hours for each time zone you've crossed to get adjusted and not have jet lag any more. I really think it's like working night shift, you can change your schedule but in the end you feel like years have been sucked off your life. Jet-lag stinks! But we survived that too. Our heavenly Father was really with us through it all.

Then the good part began. Getting to see friends we haven't seen in a year. Having to use a calendar to book times with people because so many wanted to see us, meet with us. Not to mention physicals and dental appointments too. Busy time! Note to self: Next time plan more time in the Texas area. Three weeks is not enough!

Oh, now for my favorite part of re-entry:
We got to go to church in ENGLISH for the first time in a year- yay!  We had the opportunity to share with churches about our time in France.

Here are some highlights we shared:

- Shared the "good news" with a friend from India. Told about our Father's power of healing and being led by dreams. My friend wants to get a copy of "The Good Book."
- Gave a Chinese copy of "The Good Book" to a follower so he could read in his own language. (He only had a few pages before).
- Shared with an Austrian atheist lady why "The Good Book" is alive & important to me.
- Talked to the Father about a French sister being plagued by nightmares for 2 years. She was delivered!
- Taught a French Sunday class of 7-11 year olds  about work on the field & fed them an African dish.

We were so blessed this past year & it was a blessing to share that with so many people in Texas. It's a little odd to be back to American ways and speaking in English. It feels good. It feels sad. We miss our friends and life in France. It wasn't a vacation. It was work and everyday life. It was good. We're so thankful for those who made it possible. Now just to raise funds for a vehicle so we can work in West Africa. In the mean time I'll be telling stories about what He's done & catching up on all the bowls of Cheerios with good milk & all the Mexican food we've missed.

Next stop: Florida for a month. Going to see family! Yay! Hang out with my dad who's fighting cancer (see first blog entries) and share at churches.  Not a bad re-entry. Weird and parts of it I would not like to repeat. All in all not bad.

Catching up - an explanation

I have not blogged since we left France.

It's time to begin the life journal once again. Plan to update you chronologically. :) Thanks for lending and ear - or in this case your eyes. *wink*

We just spent a year in France for language learning so that we can move to West Africa where French is the official language. This blog continues our family's journey as we follow the call to great adventures in trusting our Heavenly Father (because seriously, who would go to live in Africa with no running water or electricity without a higher calling drawing them there! *tongue in cheek*).

We're going to love it, even if I have to be convinced over and over again.

I've only been headed this direction since I was fourteen, and I'd say I have experienced every emotion regarding this route that one could have when entrusting my life and the lives of my family to the One who made us all.

 Lord, I love following you and I'll go where you want me to go, but please help me love it!

Mark 9: Help my unbelief!

So happy reading! You'll be getting a bunch of updates all at once... read on. Hope you enjoy!

Cherish the Magic Moments - Cleaning House Simplified

 Ok, I've been looking online for ways to de-clutter and to maximize my time. I'm not good at time management so I decided I had better start working on it. *sheepish grin* It's hard to keep a home running smoothly with two young kids when time management is not my forte.

#1. I found some great tips at Hannah Keeley's website http://hannahkeeley.com/
(Magic Moments in her mom's free 3 Day Boot Camp).

#2. I found more tips at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's website: http://beautyandbedlam.com/speed-cleaning-join-me/ . (Setting a timer for 10 or 15 mins of productivity = so effective!). 

#3. A pin I found on Pinterest (ok, I know what you're thinking. I already check FB and Blog & now I got sucked into another online time consumer! but pics online are less physical clutter in my home and I find joy in it. I just be sure to limit my time usually. I'm off from school this week so why not!) The pin had a pic of a list: 40 bags in 40 days. You can find it on my Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/
Or from Little Lucy Lu's website: http://www.littlelucylu.com/2011/03/40-bags-continued.html

#4. Also some great tips from the Fly Lady's site: http://flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_CrisisCleaning.asp
(How to clean quickly. I like a shiny sink. It really helps.)


So I borrowed a little from each of these sites and have been rockin' it in my own home (or at least it feels that way for me. *smile*).

Some of the links above are self-explanatory, but here's a description for the ones that might not be so clear.

So the Magic Moments from Hannah Keeley: I've been doing this tip. You basically try and do a little here and there and mentally count it as a Magic Moment. Her concept is to get rid of negative thoughts (about how I can never get this house clean and be a good mom). Replacing negative ones with positive ones is key. I liken this to taking every thought captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).  To put it into practice, for example, I would now think: I have just had a Mom's Magic Moment = I picked up those dirty socks I kicked off in the middle of the night and put them in the hamper on my way to do something else productive for my family. Yay for me! I add my own little theme song when I realize I am doing this and it helps me feel giddy (which is one of my cherished sentiments, btw). Theme song: This Magic Moment by the Drifters. *wink*

The pin of 40 bags in 40 days from Pinterest and Little Lucy Lu: is basically a list of spots where clutter collects in one's house and an idea to de-clutter in forty days. You pic a spot on the list and grab a bag and start filling. I adapted this a bit in my own home. (We have to get rid of everything including furniture by Jan. 2012 since our apt. is listed as unfurnished). I sat and made a list in like 15 minutes flat. I listed all the places that clutter collects and where I could find things to toss or recycle or donate. Then I picked a spot and started. Since we still need some things before we move out of France back to the States, my list will be gone over twice at least. I call this the double purge! I put a dash next to each of the items I've already de-cluttered. Next time through I will place a check on top of the dash to say that area is completed (or emptied in our case). This list idea works well for my family. My husband and I can pick some different areas to tackle and we feel less over-whelmed. My hubby loves organization and this is a simple way I can help fit that bill. Glad I didn't have to come up with it on my own. Not my area of creativity, but could begin to be. Hmmm. Art in organization and de-cluttering? I like it!

Our lovely French apt bldg that we have to leave in Jan. Time to De-clutter!

Anyway, I just thought why not share the wealth, right?
I love finding helpful hints for household management! Hope you enjoy & join our family in cleaning out the negative clutter in our minds and the clutter in our homes. Making Home Happy for all the people I Heart.

Settling In - Chambéry, France (Written by: Brent)

We’ve finally arrived in Chambéry and started “officially” learning French at the beginning of March. Although Laura began at the beginner level, Brent’s previous experience with French in high school allowed him to be placed in the intermediate level right away (where he sometimes feels over his head, especially in listening comprehension!). With our school over two miles away, we’ve rented a bicycle to ride back-and-forth to school. 

Our apartment building

Fortunately, most everything else—church, Ethan’s school, grocery stores—are all within walking distance. There is a wonderful missionary community here with about a dozen adults, which has been a great source of encouragement. In addition, it’s gorgeous here. The city is virtually ringed by real mountains, which are a sight to behold on clear days! Though it’s not home and there are many new things and others we miss, we feel really blessed here. 

Mountains in Chambéry, France

The Elephants Fountain - in the center of the town

Our Move to France (Previously posted on Facebook) 21 Jan 2011

WOW! We made it safely and only lost one bag (did not get picked up in Geneva - working on getting it delivered). After flying from FL to NJ to Geneva, Switzerland, we then rode on 3 trains and got picked up in Valence, France by our landlord, Harry. The kids did great considering we traveled for 2 days. We didn't get to sleep much on the plane so by the time we got to the trains we were exhausted. The first mini-transit train from the airport to the Gare (train station) was delayed because of a tree falling on the track. We only had an 80 min free transit ticket. We prayed for the track to be cleared or for the Lord to send an angel to help. He did both! 75 mins into our ticket, the track was cleared and a transit helper assisted us with our baggage and came on the train to help us at the next stop. Then another helper stored our baggage and helped us to the train and phoned ahead to send another helper! Wow! Thank you Lord for angels! I was sick for most of the train trips - stomach troubles - still have some - new diet and all, but nothing terrible now. Was feeling weak and dizzy and hot and cold as we ran from train to train, but I just would sit down and pray and feel better in just a few moments. =) At least it was me who was sick and not the kids or Brent. Brent did great with figuring out where we were and what to do. I had no clue. I am learning I can understand some French because of my Spanish training, but all in all it is quite overwhelming. Thank the Lord for polite people and for Rosetta Stone and French kid's shows. We got to go to church on Sunday, what an incredible experience. =) Even though I did not understand much of the French, I could feel God's presence. We visited a pentecostal church and I asked Brent if someone was speaking in tongues and he said yes. Even though I couldn't understand the language, I could feel it in my Spirit when that happened. So COOL! God moves in all languages among His people. Well, there is a lot more I could say, but for now this will do. We're safe here in France and are soaking in as much language as we can. We do self-study at home in the mornings and then go to the bread store, etc. to buy bread and talk with people, and then in the evenings we watch a French game show or something on TV. We're constantly discussing, what did that mean? or did you hear what they said? It's fun but also exhausting. We are learning to pace ourselves. God is so good to us! Thanks for all who are praying us through this language learning process! It really makes a difference.