That's Life

The biggest news these days is we have internet here at home! Its weird to be connected to everyone and everything. But also very helpful... I'm writing from the kitchen table, its a hot (102F) windy Saturday. The last few months have been hard for me, I've struggled with balancing homeschooling, keeping up with house, studying, making friends and in all that time management and routine. But the Lord has encouraged me through friends and just taking the time to figure out what works for me and our family. Its been quite the growing process, I don't have it all figured out but I'm learning flexibility and realizing that our routine will change with the time of year and that's okay.

So back in June we had a ton and I mean a ton of these caterpillars...it was nuts! They ate a lot of the trees and they covered everything! We then had lots of butterflies, some even got in the house and so we would wake to butterflies drying their wings in the morning.

Its been winter time and we did have some cold mornings of 55F in the house, so Saturday mornings looked like this.

Other mornings looked like this...Jonas went outside to work with Jon (pictured below).

Jon laying cement for the washing machine

We enjoyed a wonderful package from sweet friends, so many goodies!

 

I got a nasty rash on my wrist, it was actually getting better in this picture. I don't know what it was but it bubbled my skin and oozed and itched like crazy. I had tried just about everything on it (lotions, essential oils, apple cinder vinegar) and nothing was helping. Finally I showed my neighbor and she told me to scratch it open and rub garlic in it. So naturally I did it and it burned like crazy but its finally gone away. I'm guessing it was some kind of worm...yuck! 

I got that little guy stuck in my leg last weekend...people call them jumping cactus. Now I know why. I didn't even see it until it was stuck in my leg. Guess it was bound to happen sooner or later, they burn and itch even after they have been pulled out.

The kids and I did some exploring...the above tree is in bloom right now and its smells like jasmine 

Back in July we made a trip to the river, it was a fun family day! 

Jamen caught the smallest fish of the day 

Jade and Jonas found a shady spot to play. 

So that's a bit of life here the last few months! 

No Words

I have been at a loss for words the last two months. Even as I write I don't know what to share, except pictures...so here are a few...

Got some large mosquitoes flying around right now 

my favorite wild orchid is in bloom right now 

Lots of mushroom growth due to the cool weather and misty days 

awesome clouds  

my kids doing their favorite thing...playing in the dirt 

Fall in March

Fall has arrived here, the days are shorter and the weather was cooler this month. The hottest day was only 106 and the last two weeks this month have been very mild with temps in the 80s or 90s and dropping into the 60s or 70s at night. It's rained a lot more this month and the gardens in the village are growing well, that is when the caterpillars aren't eating everything and the ants are cutting everything down.

We have enjoyed a few watermelons. Our kittens have kept us entertained and they are a fun addition to the family. With the cold and rain brought new challenges. We have a good routine when it's hot, how much to drink, what foods to eat, how often to bath. But with the cold, rain and cloudy days, left us scrambling to do laundry sooner than later cause it would take two days to dry or to not do laundry cause it would run the water tank dry. On cloudy days the sun doesn't shine, which doesn't allow the solar panel to function which powers our water pump. I finally put buckets under the roof to catch water and emptied a big plastic barrel I use to store blankets and extra sheets and towels in and put that under the roof as well. The extra rain water went a long way that cloudy week and I felt very much like an 1900's pioneer woman. When the sun finally shone it was busy few days of doing laundry all day. The kids complained it was too cold and they were  putting on sweatshirts and pants when it was 80 in the house, but then again so was I. Other exciting things this month include seeing several new snakes, 3.5 foot rattle snake, two baby coral snakes, and me almost stepping on a 6 foot rainbow boa. 

Language has been coming slowly but I'm excited with the progress made and this next month has I'll have opportunity to lean to sew bags and I'm thankful a faithful friend who comes to visit me about three times a week, it's been very encouraging for me. 

The baby kittens

Butterfly... 

The rain... 

The whole month of Feb

By the time you read this we will have spent our first whole month out in the village. Currently I am writing this from our house (we have been out here for 3 weeks now). It rained last night, a cold south wind blew in and dropped the temp down to 68F this morning and its only been a high of 80F today. This might not seem such a big deal to most but after the last 2 weeks with the temps over 100F and for a week over 110F, its a welcomed break. I looked back on my journal and the highest temp was 112F and that night it had only cooled down to 110F in the house at 8:30pm. I had heard it said (and now I totally agree), "the heat is better as long as there is a breeze." There were days when the air was so still and not a sound could be heard and the sweat would just drip off of you, I have never experience that kind of sweating, all I was doing was sitting still.

That being said, we have done very well in the heat, we have fans in the house and having a no complaining attitude goes a long way. I will say though the heat it does have its positives, its been too hot and dry for bugs, I never have to dry my dishes and by the time I get all the laundry hung most of it is dry and I can take it back down again, I don't have to heat water for washing dishes or baths, we hardly eat  it's a perfect weight loss plan. Also it's been sunny so we are getting lots of vit D and finally after 5 months of being sick, we are healthy! The heat in a lot of ways makes life easier.

In other news, we have been working on some projects for the house, like getting it better sealed up so the opossum rat, large centipedes, lizards and huge spiders can't come inside. Jon built some storage shelves, I rearranged the furniture to make more space and thanks to pintrest converted an old dresser into a shelf. We brought out the deep freezer, which has been the most awesome thing of all. Being able to double a batch of muffins and freeze it, cook a big pot of strew and divide it into 3 meals to freeze, has freed me up in so many ways. Not to mention, the unlimited ice we can make which makes drinking so much better when the tap water comes out at 100F.

I started our new school year with the kids beginning of Feb. Jamen is in second grade this year and Jade is in kindergarten. I am using all new material this year and I was the most nervous the first day of school. But the kids are liking everything so far and so am I. Jon has dived head first into learning the language and he is loving it! He's been sharing all he's learning with me and our coworkers have also been a weather of information.

Among other things I am still learning how life works out here, between the power going out (it can be anywhere from 9 hours to 15 min) and dealing with limited water on cloudy days or knowing when is the best day to do laundry. Its been so dry and hot here, there hasn't been enough rain for the peoples crops to grow and the village cisterns have been dry for a while. People come asking for food, water and ice, I am learning that life can be very hard out here. But I am also learning that God has provided food that grows among the thorns (which seem to cover every inch of the land out here) and we have been able to help gather wild beans for our friends and they are able to hunt the wild animals.

I think too we have had our first bout of culture shock even though we are in the same country, life and the people are different here.

Also for fun I have planted an "herb garden", currently I have sunflowers, anise, moringa, yellow flowers, dill and aloe growing. It's something I enjoy and it's nice to have a hobbie.



So that's been our first month, looking forward to the adventure of this month!

Once Again

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 It has been so fun this month to enjoy all the fun traditions we hadn't experienced the last three years....

Decorating the tree in the cool of the house 

Frosting cookies with Pa

Wearing warm winter hats and mittens

 Then Jade turned 5! I can hardly believe its been 5 years!

It was so fun to throw her a themed party, it was a surprise and she loved it!

Frozen crafts 

Building a "snowman" 

Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing! 

Fun Frozen foods and ideas (thank you pinterest)

Both sets of Grandparents were able to be there and some of the cousins, it was a good party!

So this brings our furlough to a close, its been a full 7 months but a good time to catch our breath a bit, do fun things as a family, see all our family and visit with friends and churches. We are almost packed and ready to go back in three days! 

Emotionally Raw

There is no other way to say it October and November have left me emotionally raw. From Jamen fracturing his arm to our family being sick for the last 8 weeks and me feeling guilty for not being able to pour into other people around me. The hearing of the sudden and tragic death of a three year boy in our village and feeling the weight of why we are doing what we are doing. The high spring temperatures (118F) that have left people in the village with sleepless nights and walking to get water at night because its too hot during the day. And me feeling guilty for sleeping in and not having to leave the temperature controlled house for days. The planning of our return and yet needing to be present here and now. The reality that there will be hot and sleepless nights ahead...my list goes on as it slow strips away leaving me feeling beaten and raw.

I read a fellow missionary blog and she said it so well I have to quote her because I couldn't have said it any better. "I'm worried that my commentary on American life right now might come across more critical than I intend, so I just don't write about it. I don't feel critical, but I do feel a little lost and overwhelmed at times and I am not sure that I could explain those feelings well on this blog without it sounding like I am bashing everything around me. People constantly address the issue of Third Culture Kids  (children who were raised in a culture outside of their parents’ culture for a significant part of their development years and who don't feel like they are truly a part of their culture of origin or fully part of their host culture. They are a mixture of both and therefore represent a "third" culture) but nobody really talks about Third Culture Adults. And I think what I am feeling and experiencing should be labeled as that. Because even though I spent almost 30 years in North American culture, there are some parts I never experience that I am experiencing now."

          "But the real transition has been that I have tried my best to immerse myself in a completely different culture for the last three years, and jumping back into my own has been more complicated because of the new sights, sounds, and thoughts that I have been processing for three years. I can't un-see the things that I have seen that now make me view the entire world- not just these two separate and unique cultures- through different lenses. I have a whole new perspective, and as most of you know, perspective can make all the difference." 

She says it so well, doesn't she? I am so there and can totally relate and understand. I realized this month that my perspective has changed in so many ways. Since we came back to the states I knew how I saw things was different but I kinda pushed it away or shoved it down and blamed it on just being out of tune with things. But now I realize I view the entire world different now and that's OK. So in my times of feeling raw with the weight of a new perspective I have thrown my self into the word in the early quite of the morning, cried out to the Lord, been burly eyed with lack of sleep and hardly able to engage those around me. I pray for guidance and renewed excitement, I plan and organize and am thankful for this time of AC and indoor heating and rich foods to nourish our bodies. I talk with my husband and close friends who have been there and understand, not to have a pity party or brag about how our perspectives are different now but to be encouraged and/or come alongside. I'm not prepared for the things that are challenging and that shake me to my core but I don't have to be, I have be walking in truth and looking to the Lord to guide me and grow me in it.  

This month I've also been realizing that in just 7 1/2 short weeks we'll head back. So I have stopped buying luxury items like body wash and switched back over to bar soap. I'm letting the mouth wash run out. Some might think this ridiculous but I couldn't justify throwing out half used items, I don't want to leave them behind and I'm not taking half used items back (I need all the space I can). So here I am, reminding the kids to wash and rinse quickly while showering, don't leave the water running while brushing teeth, I've been writing down new recipes and menu planning for a whole month (breakfast, lunch and dinner) to save myself the time when we get back. Its a good thing too cause its taking me a long time. 

Then to top it off I've been reminded not to be so attached to our stuff. 

We lost our favorite backpack, the one we have had for 8 years and had been collecting national park passes on, it had all our memories! When Jon was on his way on a camping trip it flew out of the back of the truck, he lost everything (clothes, camera, flashlight, sleeping bag, ect.)! He called me and I spent over an hour driving around with the kids, looking and stopping on the interstate. I told the kids and we cried together. I actually got a little mad at God, thinking its just a backpack, can't you let us find it! But then He reminded me that I was being prideful and putting too much weight and identity in something like the backpack. I was playing the "woe is me" card and "pitiful poor missionary" card, thinking to my self, "we don't have much in this world and you take the back pack away?" Pathetic I know but I'm being real with you none the less and the Lord was good in reminding me my thinking was wrong and so was my attitude. And really in the grand scheme of things, I would rather loose all my stuff and still have my family, and that is where my focus should be, so I'm kinda thankful it took the loosing of the backpack to remind me and nothing more.

September Got Away

September has been full! We were in TN for 3 full weeks, getting to know people in a church out there and visiting the Smoky Mountains. My kids made friends and it broke my heart to have to move on, but I am so thankful for other kids accepting my kids and my kids jumping in and making friends. I'm thankful for people who included us and did fun things for our kids like take them to the county fair. It was fun for me too, I met new people, learned lots about canning (which will help me later back in PY), kept homeschooling and learned more about myself.

Rainbow falls in the smoky mountains.

It was beautiful! 

Baskins Creek Falls

Jonas was loving the orange (his favorite color) leaves

Jamen and Jade worked hard in their books to get their junior badges.

Finally we said goodbye to TN and we made our way to GA we stopped in a place called Cataloochee in NC for two days to camp. We got to see lots of elk and up close too!

We saw 30 elk one day and 20 more the next day 

Our last day the rain and sun created an amazing rainbow 

I even saw the end of the rainbow! I was pretty excited and a little disappointed there was no pot of gold at the end. 

This last part of September simply has gotten away from me. I had my birthday (this is my last year in my 20s, hard to believe) and after that we have been sick every weekend and then Jamen broke his arm. It hasn't been fun (just being honest) but I am so thankful for so many things through all this. Thankful doctors close by, fun sick foods, cool house to battle the fevers, freezer space for popsicles, a dryer to dry favorite blankets quickly and lots of kid movies!