Hello!
I recently spent time in the States. I was mainly in the heartlands - Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. I traveled and saw a lot of snow. For those of you who know me, I love snow and the winter months. Pretty much any of the seasons but summer are my favorites. So, I was happy to be able to see some snow while I was home.
I know that many of you may be tired of the stuff by now, but I really enjoyed it even when I was slipping and sliding in it. I was a bit scared, but I enjoyed it none the less. Anyway, since snow is not a common sight for me, I got to thinking about it. It brought to mind Isaiah 1:18. That says, "Come now and let us reason together says the Lord: though your sins be as Scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be white as wool."
Snow when it first falls and accumulates can make a winter wonderland. It is so pure and beautiful. Then people walk in it or drive in it and it gets dirty. If it snows again, then the pristine white comes back for a time. So, I was pondering this and thinking how glad I am that we have a Saviour who promises to make us white like snow. Not when it is old and dirty, but when it is in all its glorious whiteness. This thought kept coming back to me the whole time I was in the States seeing the snow. So, I thought I better share it so I can get on with things now that I am home in Turkana.
What are your thoughts on snow? Good, bad or indifferent? I'd love to hear from you!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The end of the year 2010
Okay, I know you are wondering what happened to me. So, here it is. I got behind in blogging and then I felt like I had too much to say. So, I will try to fill you in shortly and sweetly on what happened while I was home in the States.
Since last writing, I visited with friends from Blue Springs, MO. It was a fun filled evening and I wish it could have been longer. I just spent time updating folks on what is going on here in Kenya and didn't have time to really catch up with them on what they were doing. I guess I will have to do that in 2012 when I go for furlough.
The next night I spent with a group of folks I call my "Indy gang." That was so much fun! It is always good to just be in the presence of old friends who knew you "when." We had a great time just chatting, getting a little caught up and remembering old times. By this time my parents and I were in Indianapolis and spending time with my brother and niece as well. It was so good to be able to spend some quality and quantity time with them!
Family, fun, cards and friendly family jokes were part of the next weekend with my extended family. We traveled to Michigan to see my Dad's three brothers and many of their kids as well as cousins from my Grandma's sister. It was a great weekend and I wish it could have lasted longer, but it was something to cherish. I was given an assignment by my uncles, but I haven't started on it yet so they will have to be patient :).
I spent Christmas and Boxing Day back in Indianapolis with my family. It was even a white Christmas as it snowed on Christmas Eve and Christmas day a little bit. It was so nice to be wrapped in the love of family and to cherish it as something special. I think living away from family makes the times we get to spend with them that much sweeter!
Then it was back to Colorado to get ready to return to Kenya. I had 2 Sundays left out there. I spent January 2nd with my church family at Green Mountain Christian Church. It was good to see old friends there. The next weekend I spent with my church family in Colorado Springs at Academy Christian Church. It was a wonderful weekend spent with friends. Many of them even sat through a showing of multiple pictures from Turkana. I admire their tenacity and enthusiasm :).
After that visit to Colorado Springs I got to drive home in a snow storm. I might not have called it that before I moved to the desert, but I do now. The roads were slick and in a couple of places the wind was blowing the snow so hard I couldn't see much in front of me. Even so, I made it home safely and completed the process of packing and weighing bags for my return on Tuesday, January 11th.
So, that is a short synopsis of my holidays. I had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope the same is true for you! I even got to see snow and play in it a little bit. Even though my driving skills in snow and ice have been a bit forgotten, I still love it. I will try to add a little more later this week on some impressions while in the States.
In the meantime, I am happy to be "home" in Turkana and preparing for my next English class. We are talking about "the fall" this week in our movie of the Bible. I am trying to come up with discussion topics that beginning English students could talk about. I asked for suggestions on Facebook and would be glad for any here as well :). Have a good week!
Since last writing, I visited with friends from Blue Springs, MO. It was a fun filled evening and I wish it could have been longer. I just spent time updating folks on what is going on here in Kenya and didn't have time to really catch up with them on what they were doing. I guess I will have to do that in 2012 when I go for furlough.
The next night I spent with a group of folks I call my "Indy gang." That was so much fun! It is always good to just be in the presence of old friends who knew you "when." We had a great time just chatting, getting a little caught up and remembering old times. By this time my parents and I were in Indianapolis and spending time with my brother and niece as well. It was so good to be able to spend some quality and quantity time with them!
Family, fun, cards and friendly family jokes were part of the next weekend with my extended family. We traveled to Michigan to see my Dad's three brothers and many of their kids as well as cousins from my Grandma's sister. It was a great weekend and I wish it could have lasted longer, but it was something to cherish. I was given an assignment by my uncles, but I haven't started on it yet so they will have to be patient :).
I spent Christmas and Boxing Day back in Indianapolis with my family. It was even a white Christmas as it snowed on Christmas Eve and Christmas day a little bit. It was so nice to be wrapped in the love of family and to cherish it as something special. I think living away from family makes the times we get to spend with them that much sweeter!
Then it was back to Colorado to get ready to return to Kenya. I had 2 Sundays left out there. I spent January 2nd with my church family at Green Mountain Christian Church. It was good to see old friends there. The next weekend I spent with my church family in Colorado Springs at Academy Christian Church. It was a wonderful weekend spent with friends. Many of them even sat through a showing of multiple pictures from Turkana. I admire their tenacity and enthusiasm :).
After that visit to Colorado Springs I got to drive home in a snow storm. I might not have called it that before I moved to the desert, but I do now. The roads were slick and in a couple of places the wind was blowing the snow so hard I couldn't see much in front of me. Even so, I made it home safely and completed the process of packing and weighing bags for my return on Tuesday, January 11th.
So, that is a short synopsis of my holidays. I had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope the same is true for you! I even got to see snow and play in it a little bit. Even though my driving skills in snow and ice have been a bit forgotten, I still love it. I will try to add a little more later this week on some impressions while in the States.
In the meantime, I am happy to be "home" in Turkana and preparing for my next English class. We are talking about "the fall" this week in our movie of the Bible. I am trying to come up with discussion topics that beginning English students could talk about. I asked for suggestions on Facebook and would be glad for any here as well :). Have a good week!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Back Home again?
Hello!
I made it back to the States. For those of you who don't know, I came home for Christmas. I will be here about a month. So, here are a few first impressions - jet-lag fog and all.
Driving - what do I do with my left foot? There is no clutch. My windowshield has no dust on it. The wipers have gone several times when I meant to do the turn signal. RIGHT! Stay in the right lane - my mind thinks it is wrong, but it is amazing how annoyed other people get :). No, I have only been on the wrong side when there hasn't been other traffic around to give me clues - only my parents in the car with me get annoyed. People drive fast! I must be getting old as I drive slow - of course being jet-lagged probably has something to do with that. Give me a few days and I'll be back to normal.
Restaurants - Americans are noisy! Almost every restaurant I have been to has had loud music and lots of loud people. Chik-fil-a still has delicious Chicken biscuits, but now they take your name and you go sit down and wait for them to bring your food. I still have to read the menus to see what is on offer and people behind the counter get annoyed that I don't know what I want before I come in. So, I guess we are impatient too.
Shopping - I haven't tackled that one much. I did go to get a few toiletries at Target, but I have avoided malls and such. Maybe next week.
I head out with my parents tomorrow to meet some Pottengers that we don't know - yet. It should be fun trying to figure out how we are related. We got connected through facebook and a college friend. After that, we have lunch with the Mangels and then start our driving trip to Indianapolis. I will be seeing some folks in Blue Springs, MO who came to visit me in Turkana in 2009. It should be a fun evening. Then on to Indy to see family and another party with friends and supporters. I am looking forward to seeing everyone!
I guess that is all for now. I hope you are enjoying the season and have a chance to reflect on Christ's Advent in the past, the present and the future! Be blessed in this season of our Lord!
I made it back to the States. For those of you who don't know, I came home for Christmas. I will be here about a month. So, here are a few first impressions - jet-lag fog and all.
Driving - what do I do with my left foot? There is no clutch. My windowshield has no dust on it. The wipers have gone several times when I meant to do the turn signal. RIGHT! Stay in the right lane - my mind thinks it is wrong, but it is amazing how annoyed other people get :). No, I have only been on the wrong side when there hasn't been other traffic around to give me clues - only my parents in the car with me get annoyed. People drive fast! I must be getting old as I drive slow - of course being jet-lagged probably has something to do with that. Give me a few days and I'll be back to normal.
Restaurants - Americans are noisy! Almost every restaurant I have been to has had loud music and lots of loud people. Chik-fil-a still has delicious Chicken biscuits, but now they take your name and you go sit down and wait for them to bring your food. I still have to read the menus to see what is on offer and people behind the counter get annoyed that I don't know what I want before I come in. So, I guess we are impatient too.
Shopping - I haven't tackled that one much. I did go to get a few toiletries at Target, but I have avoided malls and such. Maybe next week.
I head out with my parents tomorrow to meet some Pottengers that we don't know - yet. It should be fun trying to figure out how we are related. We got connected through facebook and a college friend. After that, we have lunch with the Mangels and then start our driving trip to Indianapolis. I will be seeing some folks in Blue Springs, MO who came to visit me in Turkana in 2009. It should be a fun evening. Then on to Indy to see family and another party with friends and supporters. I am looking forward to seeing everyone!
I guess that is all for now. I hope you are enjoying the season and have a chance to reflect on Christ's Advent in the past, the present and the future! Be blessed in this season of our Lord!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
What's in a name?
Hello!
It is the start of Advent season. Well, actually, it started already I just haven't moved past the first day. I was reading Matthew 1 and kinda got stuck in all the names. Some of you don't know that played a Bible quiz game (called Bible Bowl) from 7th-12th grade. I enjoyed it and learned a lot of the Bible. I really liked the geneologies. If I memeorized all the names in order and my team was asked about it, it was like getting free points. I made up funny sentences, songs and rhymes to help me remember the first letters of the names. It was a challenge and it was fun.
I don't think they include geneologies in the current form of Bible Bowl. I could be wrong, as I am way out of the loop. I think they are missing out on something if they don't. "Why," you may say. Well, names are important to the people wearing them. The fact that they are included in the Bible tells me that they are also important to God. That gives me hope and a firm faith that my name is also important to him. He knows my name. He knows me. You and I may seem very insignificant to ourselves, but God knows our name. If we believe in his Son, Jesus, then our names are also written down in His book of life. He promises to give us eternal life. He has a new name for us that will describe us to a T.
So, I got stuck in the names. Some of them seem quite odd to our modern ears. Ram. Who is he? He is the father of Amminadab, the son of Hezron , the grandfather of Nashon. He is known by God! Who is Rahab? We know a little about her, but God knows even more. Who is Lynn? Who are you? We are the children of the living God and He knows our names and He loves us more than we could ever really comprehend. That's what's in a name!
I pray you have time this Advent to "chew" on Jesus' coming to this world, his second coming and his coming into our hearts daily as we allow him to do so. Have a blessed season!
It is the start of Advent season. Well, actually, it started already I just haven't moved past the first day. I was reading Matthew 1 and kinda got stuck in all the names. Some of you don't know that played a Bible quiz game (called Bible Bowl) from 7th-12th grade. I enjoyed it and learned a lot of the Bible. I really liked the geneologies. If I memeorized all the names in order and my team was asked about it, it was like getting free points. I made up funny sentences, songs and rhymes to help me remember the first letters of the names. It was a challenge and it was fun.
I don't think they include geneologies in the current form of Bible Bowl. I could be wrong, as I am way out of the loop. I think they are missing out on something if they don't. "Why," you may say. Well, names are important to the people wearing them. The fact that they are included in the Bible tells me that they are also important to God. That gives me hope and a firm faith that my name is also important to him. He knows my name. He knows me. You and I may seem very insignificant to ourselves, but God knows our name. If we believe in his Son, Jesus, then our names are also written down in His book of life. He promises to give us eternal life. He has a new name for us that will describe us to a T.
So, I got stuck in the names. Some of them seem quite odd to our modern ears. Ram. Who is he? He is the father of Amminadab, the son of Hezron , the grandfather of Nashon. He is known by God! Who is Rahab? We know a little about her, but God knows even more. Who is Lynn? Who are you? We are the children of the living God and He knows our names and He loves us more than we could ever really comprehend. That's what's in a name!
I pray you have time this Advent to "chew" on Jesus' coming to this world, his second coming and his coming into our hearts daily as we allow him to do so. Have a blessed season!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Schools out for Summer! :)
Hello!
Our local primary schools and the high schools are officailly out for the year. Today was the last day for many primary schools. I had a small party at my house for the kids that are sponsored by me or my friends. There were 14 kids here along with my guard, houseworker and me. We all had a good time. I fixed up a big batch of chili - Indiana style. That is with some spaghetti in it. It was the first time for most of them to have chili, but they seemed to like it. They were all part of the clean bowl club anyway. I didn't make it spicy hot as I don't like lots of hot spices and the very little kids would have complained.
The kids enjoyed playing on the swings and slide that are in the yard. I took pictures of each child and one group shot. Since this is a borrowed computer, I will have to wait to post one until I have my computer back. I only had one of my high school students here. The rest are not out of school yet or could not make it today. I measured all the kids and marked their heights on the back of my hall door. Now to find a tape measure to figure out exactly how tall they are :). I also wrote down their grades and class positions.
As I took them home, I handed out a small sack of goodies. They each got some lolipops, hard candy, bubble gum, a fig newton and a small cake thing with chocolate inside that I found at one of the shops. So, they were happy. They will all be promoted to the next grade in January. One student took her 8th grade test this year and will have to wait until the end of January to find out if she did well enough to get into high school. I am hoping that she did well and can get into a good school. Now to wait and see.
I hope you are having a great day!
Our local primary schools and the high schools are officailly out for the year. Today was the last day for many primary schools. I had a small party at my house for the kids that are sponsored by me or my friends. There were 14 kids here along with my guard, houseworker and me. We all had a good time. I fixed up a big batch of chili - Indiana style. That is with some spaghetti in it. It was the first time for most of them to have chili, but they seemed to like it. They were all part of the clean bowl club anyway. I didn't make it spicy hot as I don't like lots of hot spices and the very little kids would have complained.
The kids enjoyed playing on the swings and slide that are in the yard. I took pictures of each child and one group shot. Since this is a borrowed computer, I will have to wait to post one until I have my computer back. I only had one of my high school students here. The rest are not out of school yet or could not make it today. I measured all the kids and marked their heights on the back of my hall door. Now to find a tape measure to figure out exactly how tall they are :). I also wrote down their grades and class positions.
As I took them home, I handed out a small sack of goodies. They each got some lolipops, hard candy, bubble gum, a fig newton and a small cake thing with chocolate inside that I found at one of the shops. So, they were happy. They will all be promoted to the next grade in January. One student took her 8th grade test this year and will have to wait until the end of January to find out if she did well enough to get into high school. I am hoping that she did well and can get into a good school. Now to wait and see.
I hope you are having a great day!
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