Dancing with Grandma...

We headed to Sioux Falls yesterday p.m. I used to go up there just for shopping. But there's a bigger, better attraction there now! Grandsons! (oh and my son and daughter-in-law. They really do count, too) We haven't had a chance to be with them for awhile, so we enjoyed the afternoon and evening. Can I tell you how cute, bright, funny, handsome and smart they are? Why didn't I know that when you are three years old you can already know a great deal about the world? Like, all about camoflage or tractors, cultivators, and combines, or that learning letters was not such a tough thing to do, or that you could already know who made you and why! Of course, when you're only 16 mos. old, as Phin is already, some of your big things are all about that important belly button and doing exactly what your brother does! And Food. But only certain kinds. Among the other fun things: Dancing to country music and eating ice cream! Have I asked this before: Why didn't I know that being a grandparent could be so coool!

Can anyone say "I'm tired of snow." As of this evening we are again getting dumped on. This time in blizzard like conditions, and the weather man promised only flurries. Hmph. It figures. I am snow weary. Anxious for warmer weather, flowers and being able to again walk outside.

Electricity

When I was young there were several times while living down on the farm that we would lose electricity. It was an adventure in those days. Mom had a big old kerosene lamp and we would get it out and play games by its light. But then we didn't have to worry too much about the food in the refigerator spoiling. Perhaps we might get cold, because, invariably the electricty never went off in the summer time! Only one time do I ever remember that losing electrical power was a major inconvenience. Christmas Eve, 1973. I had a huge dinner cooking in the oven and we lost all our power. I don't remember what we ate that eve, it just wasn't my planned meal. I do recall being enormously unhappy about it, though. Even though our meal was a candle light supper.

Haiti was another story. In the year 2008 they still don't have electricity in the area that we were in. What's more, when it was dark, which was about 6:30 p.m., there were no kerosene lamps or even candles being lit in the little houses of the city. It was just plain dark. No street lights, no house lights, no glowing neon lights advertising the local market. We were out walking around in it on several occasions. Flashlights were called for, but we were even unprepared for that. Here I never even think about such things. The compound had a generator and it ran from dark until about 10 or so. It powered up my camera batteries. But it also meant that there were no cold drinks, no ice cream on those hot 90+ days, and no hot showers. Such a little thing, electricity! On the othe hand, we had beautiful star filled evenings! And a full moon while we were there!

Butler's

Can I tell you how much I appreciate getting to go out for coffee with friends?! I am only a recent coffee addict. For the first 40 years of my life I actually thought I hated the bitter stuff. It was in England several years ago (10 years now) where I discovered how good it could taste. I've been hooked ever since. I've even discovered that it is a Healthy drink! (don't remind me that I'm supposed to be giving up caffine please) But what makes it even more delightful is its social aspect. What could be better than sitting at a table with good friends and a warm cup in your hand! If it tastes good, that's even better. Like today. Sioux Center has a place that could (gasp) rival de Koffie Hoek or the Coffee Mill! It's Butler's. Great atmosphere. Warm. And their cinna-carmel Latte was excellent! So friend, lets make a trip over there for a latte. After all, it's snowing again, and I think coffee is the only thing that will cheer me up!

New Year's Resolution: Gratitude

March is already here and I have been thinking about my New Year's Resolution, to spend a whole month growing in and being changed by one single concept. I would like to concentrate on Thankfulness/Gratitude: "I will praise the name of God with a song;I will magnify him with thanksgiving" (ps 69:30) "rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" Col. 2:7

"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.”

"You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you."

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others" -cicero

Out of Control

My trip to Haiti was framed on both ends by tears. I worried and stewed at the beginning that I wouldn't have anything to offer once I got there. I'm the girl who wants to write the book about "Everything I learned about life, I learned on the back of a Jet Ski" Lesson 1: It's more fun to drive than ride. Be in control, in other words. Well, my first night I lay in bed and wept at the foolishiness of what I was doing. For me, this was an "out of control moment". Everything was unfamiliar, everything was wAAAy out of my comfort zone. I was very distressed. But as you can see from all my posts everything I found and did was covered over by incredible grace. From teaching through an interpreter, to prayer walks, serving children, to the food we ate and the people we dealt with, I learned I didn't need to be in control. God already has this place firmly in HIS grip. This trip was huge in terms of what I learned and of how my faith was strengthened. So that when the time came to come home, just 7 short days later I found myself weeping again. Crying on the plane from Florida to Iowa knowing that I have lived a very selfish, self centered, ungrateful life. It has been an "All about ME" theme. How could I fly back to smooth roads, warm a home, a full refigerator, elecricity, running water (and the list keeps going) and not somehow be changed by all this. I could never end the poverty in Haiti but at the very least I can become a grateful person. I might not ever change a single life in that country even by my one visit, but I can allow God to change me. I can through the power and control of God be different. I'm not sure yet, how that will look. But I'll keep you posted.

The Bus

I don't know how many more Haiti stories you all can stand, but there are so many swirling around in my head right now, I can hardly keep from talking about them.
One of the biggest things that happened while we were there related to "the bus". The bus story is in itself rather lengthy and if I actually got all the details right you might be impressed. But I'm bound to forget some important point, So I think I'm better off just giving you the gist. The bus, when it first arrived in Haiti about 2-3 years ago, was happily used for only a short period of time before it was driven into a river and ruined. Completely. As in, if it were in the U.S. it would have been junked out for parts. This was a major disappointment because it was such a widely used part of the ministry. And you'd agree since there's no one who has vehicles there except the missionaries and other aid workers. But instead, for 2 years running, a top notch mechanic (as seen in above photo) went down and worked on it. Scrounging for parts, working 12 hour days and above all, praying that it would be fixed. There were several funny stories that the guys who worked on this were all able to tell, about finding parts, running all over, having the Haitians help yada yada yada. The second to the last day of our visit, they were able to start the bus and actually run it back to the compound. They tinkered some more and It is officially fixed! The point to my story is, I was as excited about having this bus fixed as if I actually did something. When in reality, the only thing I really did was offer up some very half hearted prayers. I really didn't even pray too intelligently when it came to fixing this thing. I have no idea what I was praying about. i.e. "O Lord, help them get the manifold, transmission, transformed." You see what I mean. Good thing God can work in spite of me. Good thing God wasn't waiting for my prayers so He could work in the first place. His business is manifold transformation. I can go join in. God is indeed at work in Haiti!