Hello Africa Part 2

So, quite a few people have asked me,"What was your highlight of the whole trip"? I found the question hard to answer at first because I loved all of it. There is however one thing that I would never want to miss if I was spending the money on a plane ticket anyway and that is The Mara. The children think I am funny because I was the very one that said," I don't need to go to the Mara, its to expensive, I know what lions, giraffes, gazalles and monkeys look like. I don't need to spend my money to go see animals". Yes I really did say those things. But Jessica said it wasn't worth going if we didn't go to the Mara, or something like that. Sorry Tony's and Johnny's, I think we did come to see you too, but you know my children had to say something to get me to cooperate. So I said "OK" like wise mothers with even wiser children should do.

And I have never been sorry!The place was absolutely amazing. The 5 star Resort put us in luxury not common to this simple southerner. The beauty of the lawns and the hospitality of the hosts...The air was warm and dusty so upon arrival we were greeted with warm welcomes and cool wet washcloths to wipe our faces. Our luggage was put into our tents by eager workers. Yes, I said tents but they were not tents like you imagine. They were mini house tents complete with running water, showers,spacious rooms, coffee, rockers,soft sheets, warm blankets,and room service. Every morning hot coffee and cookies was delivered to my room 45 minutes before we left for the first game drive. Every night hot water bottles were hiding under the blankets to keep my feet from freezing when I crawled into bed. It was amazing!

We got into the Land Rovers at 6:30 still shivering in the cool morning air after having enjoyed the hot coffee and cookies, but also fully aware that it would be 2 hours before we would be able to use a bathroom. You know how that feels...coffee and drinks and feeling chilled=a bladder that is full. Well there is no way that anyone gets out of a vehicle in lion country, so we drank coffee with caution. They also gave us blankets to wrap up with since the rovers did not have any windows and it is cold in Africa early in the morning.

We split up in 2 separate rovers and always went into the same vehicle for every game drive. There was an early morning drive and afternoon one as well. The drivers were fun and could speak English and it was obvious that they were very alert to our conversations. They all had ways of communication to all the rovers that left the park so when one party spotted a nice animal they would radio the others and we would all end up gazing at the massive elephants, graceful giraffs or sneaking cheata. We had wonderful success at seeing the wild animals and were so happy to get good views of the Big 5 as they are called there. It includes the rhino, elephant, cape buffalo, lion and leapard.

One day we were so excited to see 2 male lions stalking a gazelle. We thought we might get to watch a kill, but no. These lions however were walking RIGHT BESIDE our rover, like 4 feet away. And remember we did not have windows either. This was not at a zoo where a zoo keeper would protect you, it was not a tame or trained animal putting on a show. This was real live lions that were looking for supper and they were doing what is natural for them to do. We were on their territory. The driver told us that the animals are used to the rovers but if we would make noise or children would move around very much then they would notice that, so of course we did our best at gazing in silence. Mckenzie was awe struck at the sight of those lions and kept exclaiming in loud baby jabbers! This grandma finally gave her a bag of Juice+ to eat so she stays quiet. I thought about Daniel in the lions den all night with those beasts, I thought about what it would feel like to be supper for them and I gazed in amazement and thought about the grandeur of me being in Africa in lion territory, and that I didn't want to go...not at all!

We also had some wonderful elephant sightings. Sitting in a windowless rig with 3 massive elephants 20 feet away gives you a spectacular view of just how huge those things really are. I remembered when my children were there in 2016 and a vehicle wouldn't start up and the elephant was charging at them... and I prayed our rig would start up when it needed to. To know that they are very able to flip a vehicle if they get mad and they would also crush it is not the most pleasant thought when you are watching them so very close. Its amazing how they pull grass with their trunks and then put it into their mouths.Their ears are huge and they look like a very strong and solid creature!

The leapard was very sly and shy. Carlin spotted him one evening on our way back to the park and it was getting dark. We saw him again the next day but he did his best to hide in the bush and we didn't get long views of him.

The giraffes towered high above the trees and could be seen miles in the distance. Imagine being so tall! Our driver told us that once a driver came around some trees and scared the giraffes and one kicked at the rover and hit the windshield breaking the window. No one was hurt thankfully.

We got out of the rover and walked to the rhinos. There are only 2 on the plains and they are guarded at all times from poachers. Two guards stay with them, one carries a stick and the other a gun. We were told the gun would be used on the poachers and the stick is to use on the animals. It was kind of cool taking selfies with the rhinos behind us. We were very close to them!

It rained several times when we were there so the plains were muddy some places. We drove through some incredible ruts and got stuck several times. I would always look around to make sure there was no animal stalking us . We were always able to roar and spin and back up and try again and jerk around until we got out of there. One time as we were entering one of those muddy ravines I braced myself for the speed and the jerk etc but I failed to grab hold of the bar. Suddenly I found myself ejected right out of my seat! The feeling was amazing and yet I could not do one thing to stop myself. I probably would have flown right out the window if the space would have been clear but instead I hit something or someone, I forget how that was.

Another animal that deserves mention is the monkey. They were so big and ugly and impressive in their own way but I am so thankful that they are not my ancestors! What a disgrace to suppose that we came from such undignified creatures. One day while we were out on a game drive a monkey got into Johnny and SueAnn's tent. He must have smelled the bananas and either the tent was not zipped properly or he figured out how to open it. He went into their room and made a mess, ate bananas and scattered trash etc. The room keeper found him and cleaned up the mess before we got back so we never got to see the mess. I never got to see any of the monkeys around our tents. I was told those were cute but I could not see any tho I walked up and down the walkway gazing into the trees.

The hippos were in the river below our tents but thankfully there was a fence separating us. They are for sure not gazed upon for their beauty. I am amazed and amused at the variety God used in the Creation. For sure He is a God of order but He must love to see what animal he can give a long snout or huge teeth or the roundest belly. Those for sure do not win any beauty contest! We could hear them honking in the early morning hours, or maybe it was snoring, I don't know but it was a loud noise!

The food and dining was another experience not common to me. The building was large and spacious with lots of tables. We could also eat outside if we wanted to, on the deck or in the shade close to the pool. The breakfast spread was elaborate and we were hungry by 10, since all we had was cookies and coffee. Breakfast was the only meal that was served buffet style. Every meal was quite satisfying and it was such a pleasure to be so pampered....no laundry, no dishes, no work at all just great service for everything we wanted!

We also went out to the Masai Village one day. That was an experience all its own. If you want to see people that live from the earth and all their needs are met by their simple surroundings, well go visit them. A group of them also came to the lodge one evening and danced for us. They are very strong young men with straight backs that can jump with a super good bounce! It was all very interesting! After spending 2 days and 3 nights at the Resort it was time to leave again and go back to real Africa where poverty is everywhere, where people live in little huts and animals share the same shelter the humans do. Back to busy highways where people drive like crazy and speed bumps are the only thing that forces anyone to slow down! And so we did just that. We did the long weary drive to Kisumu and spent the weekend with Waynes and Joes. I could not believe I was giving Clara a hug in Africa or seeing Wayne speak in a church with a gravel floor. I could not believe I had really gone to Africa without Jonathan...that was by far the hardest! Realizing over and over that I am not sharing this awesome experience with him! And so I smiled and I laughed and I felt a certain sense of satisfaction that I went to Africa, but I cried sometimes when nobody knew and nobody saw. And those tears cleared my jumbled head and the next day I smiled again and I knew that it was all going to be ok..and it was.

When I was in Africa I thought I would never be the same again, that I would look at life with a better view. I thought I would count my blessings more and never feel needy. When I compare my life to the life of a widow in Africa....well, there is simply no comparison! They have so many tribal rules that even a Christian widow can barely break free from. My heart pains for the needs they have! But the ones that find Jesus are so happy. It was such a joy to see them smile and sing. I thought I wouldn't need to go shopping for a long time, but guess what. I found myself at wal-mart the very next week! After all, I don't make my own butter or cheese and we need to buy eggs and the indoor septic works best if we use toilet paper. So, since I live in America I also live like an American. But I hope I never forget that so many things that I enjoy are actually undeserved blessings.

Several weeks ago we were showing our pictures to the Zook family and one little niece said that they would like to go to Africa but it costs to much money. Justin explained to her that we exchanged money for memories, that we don't have the money now but we have all these fun things to think about. I think that anyone that has the money really should go exchange it for memories...you will never regret it!!

In the meantime remember....You have so much to be thankful for!

Hello Africa

Justin and Jessica were the first ones to mention a family trip to Africa. I am all about doing family things together but this was different....a family trip to Africa is just a whole lot different then a trip to PA or OH. The expense, the getting ready, and just leaving all our stuff and the business...one can't just run off! This was a big deal! I had the feeling from the very first discussion that I was going to loose in this debate so I never really balked a whole lot. I kinda just didn't say anything. It didn't even help to ask advice from other friends because everyone thought we should go. So we bought tickets and went!

There was a lot of work! Lots of people wanted to send stuff for friends and family and our lists were scanned critically wondering if we could get it all in. Johnnies and Tony's needed stuff and we wanted to take foods that they can't get there or that are to expensive for them to buy. Jessica was the main person to get the totes packed. This was the 8th time she was flying to Africa and she was excited about going and she knew how to pack. We could each take 2 50lb checkins plus our carryons. We had lots of stuff!!So with 8 adults plus one 50 lb for Mckenzie we had 17 50 lb pieces.

Honestly I thought I would not be able to sleep at all the night before but thankfully I did. Noah and Arla took us to the airport and so began our journey......

The flights were full going over and the night was much longer then any night when I am tucked in the comforts of my bed. Trying to sleep in a mostly upright position is just not comfortable!  Obviously I had never done a trip like this before and I was extremely envious when I saw another passenger pull his toothbrush from his bags. My hair was greasy my clothes felt frumpy and my teeth Oh dear...they felt terrible! Taking walks down the aisle to the restroom both to bring bladder relief and get my stiff body a bit limbered was challenging with a head that felt really fuzzy.  And my gut already felt tight ....no excersize to keep things moving and the airplane food does not happen to be my favorite. Plus we were already so mixed up in our schedule . I was still dead tired from sleeping zero on the first flight and they wanted to give us breakfast. Ugh...it was like trying to eat in the middle of the night.

I was fascinated while landing in Zurich and seeing the Swiss Alps covered with snow with a sunrise glistening over them. The sight was breathtaking! I thought about Heidi and Grandfather and Peter as they lived in the Alps and suddenly I was sorry that I was not spending 2 days touring Switzerland. I remember reading Heidi when I was a little girl and for some reason Switzerland was in the top 5 of places I'd like to visit( tho I don't know where the other 4 places are). Switzerland sounds fascinating, I could understand a few words in the language and could read signs at the airport. Thanks to the Dutch/German in me. The chocolate looked rich and creamy and it was like daylight robbery to buy any. I love the accent when they talk. The little I know about the Swiss culture seems fascinating, things like yodeling and cheese making and I'm pretty sure that being a tourist there would be really fun! However we stayed inside the walls of the airport and Starbucks  was horribly expensive but the only place to eat. The airport was not really that neat and I was very tired.

After another 9 hours of flying we landed in Nairobi Africa. Going through customs was trying but it was mostly because we were hot and tired and nobody moved with any sense of the word "Hurry". It was absolutely delightful to find Tony's waiting for us! Our drive to the hotel was less then an hour and they bought pizza so we could eat before crawling into beds. Showers felt amazing and I dug around in my luggage trying to find my toothbrush, but Alas, it was not there! I was close to being mad! How on earth could I possibly go away for almost 3 weeks and not have packed my toothbrush? I grabbed my toothpaste and squirted some on my finger and viciously rubbed it over my teeth. The taste was refreshing but the feel was not! I sank into bed breathed a huge muscle releasing deep breath and Thanked God for safety on the flights. The thing that I had feared was now behind me...I was ready for the adventures of Africa.

The next morning we ate breakfast at Java House. They are the neatest coffee shops that serve more then coffee and our stomachs felt delightfully filled. I already forget exactly but I think our drive back to the Mission was 5 hours and we got to experience driving habits in an entirely new culture! Speed bumps are normal, seeing a vehicle come right toward you and then quick disappear in the line of traffic is nothing to fret about and sharing the roads with walkers, bikers, vendors, trucks, busses, cows and goats is just a way of life. I declare the angels have to be very busy with so much chaos everywhere. I tried hard to be a good guest and not make noises when I was scared but a few times my hand did some quick motions and I may have done a quiet little gasp but I mostly kept my feelings to myself. However a few times I was caught in the act of my hand jumping up...I tried to cover up  and  quickly adjust my glasses or rub my face but my children caught on and found it amusing.

Spending time with Johnnies and Tony's ( both being Jonathan's brothers) was so much fun! I realized like never before that compound life, the life they live, is a stretch on privacy, that shopping in America is a breeze compared to Africa and that missionaries are a group of human beings trying to live out God's command of telling the Good News of the Gospel just like we are called to do and that they don't have any extra credentials or magic potions to make them Holy other then the Power of God as they apply it to their lives.

When SueAnn packs a bag to go on a 2 hour run she needs to take water bottles and also enough for the children, she packs toilet paper because the "Choe" won't have any, she needs to take food because you can't swing by ChicFaLa. Her food will not be pretzels or chips or crackers and cheese or lunch meat either. She needs to plan ahead and make fiber balls, or cut up fruit or veggies. I am amazed at all the things we take for granted and the ease of getting our luxuries! GermX is also important in a handbag. When we went shopping the bargaining nearly drove me wacky! I either don't want something or I buy it when I shop here at home. Not there! If I made the grand mistake of picking up an item to look at it I instantly had the seller in my face wanting me to make an offer. I DO NOT LIKE THAT! But then again, Dave Ramsey says that America is the only country that does not bargain while shopping. Maybe we are just to polite! There were times when I felt rude in just walking off but ...can't buy from everyone! I relied heavily on Judith to get me through the bargaining deals.

We visited several native homes and ate meals with them. The food was always delicious! I was reminded in a way like never before that we live in 2 different worlds. Nothing we do is even slightly the same and our homes and way of life do not even compare. I loved visiting with several of the ladies as best as we could with a language barrier. I felt very rich and like I better never ever complain or be unthankful. They were so happy and highly honored that we visited their homes.

We packed parcels for orphans at the CAM warehouse one day, another day we cleaned the dorms and facilities that they were going to be using for Bible School. We visited Waynes and Joes in Kisumu. They took us to a local orphanage where we got to feed the babies. Of course, even tho we were on "vacation" there was always plenty of laundry to do and they do not have dryers. Now I do not mind at all hanging laundry on a wash line, I do that all the time in the summer and when the weather is decent. Well on a Sat in Kisumu I had done some laundry throughout the day and when I went to bed it was still not dry. The pants that Jeremy was going to wear for church were still a bit damp so I figured they could stay out overnight and I would iron them in the morning to get the dampness out of them....very bad choice!! I woke up during the night and listened to a heavy downpour and groaned inwardly knowing very well that those pants would never be dry now. I decided that as soon as it was daylight I would go get them and put them in front of the fan but if they were to wet he could wear others that were not very nice but....who cares...this is Africa. I woke up at daybreak when my fan stopped blowing air. Oh no! The electricity went off! I could not believe this was happening to me. Instantly I heard mosquitoes buzzing around me and that was the end of my sleep! We were supposed to keep the fans turned on us to keep mosquitoes away because there are lots of people getting malaria in Kisumu, and I didn't want to be one of them tho' I kind of figured it would be my luck...but it wasn't! So there I was thinking about wet pants no electricity and stupid msquitoes! I couldn't even make coffee! The electricity came back on after 15min or so and I went out for the pants. Thankfully they were hanging under a roof and were only damp instead of soaked and sure enough the fan and the iron did what I wanted it to do and Jeremy wore them for church.

We helped with the chicken butchering at the mission compound. That job is for sure not my favorite but it was interesting to do it with so many people and it was done very quickly and efficiently! Breakfast was enjoyed by everyone after the work was done. I think we started butchering at 5:30 am. It was not a "sleep in" morning.  Only one day did we just sit around and not have a plan. On that day we celebrated Thanksgiving day with Tony's and Johnnies. We had been at the Mara on Thanksgiving day and we wanted to do a traditional meal and relax. It was very good from the ham to the strawberry jam and the frozen corn and pumpkin pies most of which were all specialty foods that we took over for them. SueAnn made the pumpkin pies but I think the canned pumpkin went over with us.

Our stay at the Mara was absolutely awesome but that will be my next post  . Hello Africa Part 2 will be coming soon.

Happy New Year

Christmas Dinner

I woke up on Monday to a new day, but that is normal. Every day is new. But that morning was different because it was also a new year. In my lazy morning I pondered the NEW year thought. What makes a New Year special? What do I want from this next year? Did I do anything new last year?

I thought about a lot of things and I also considered this journey called widowhood. I'm aware that I have changed a bit in some of my earlier fears and insecurities. I remember the terror I felt in a crowd, at a fellowship dinner or just being in the public and I find a little bit of satisfaction in knowing that those fears are not as intense. I'm happy in knowing that I can smile easier, cry less and feel a certain degree of normal. I find comfort in the fact that I must be moving on in this grief process. There is a certain sense of satisfaction in being able to cry my eyes out privately and come away smiling knowing I didn't ruin the event for the people around me because of my tears.

Games

 In 2017 I saw my baby, my 5th son turn 13 and fast heading toward 16! When did that happen. how is it possible that my sons are all in their teens and older. My 4th son turned 18 and grew wings, going to new places and meeting new people. On Friday he left for 6 weeks of Bible School. The house is way to quiet without him! My 3rd son turned 20 and bought a car. Those big events are always stressful for me without their father's direction but thanks to uncle Jason he was under good instruction. The newest, biggest and happiest and most difficult event was Justin's wedding. Weddings have always been very important and special to us. We would sit in the pews and listen to the preacher as he instructed the young couple in practical ways to keep there love alive. It was fun to poke each other and whisper"did you get that"?It was fun to remember the feelings and the wonder of our own wedding day.

But to share the intense joy and happiness with a son in the absence of his father was a new degree of happiness. It was wonderful to gain a new daughter, to see them be so happy was awesome and yet .....that void was deep!

It was also a year of watching my oldest son put his fathering skills to good use. My little granddaughter is not always an angel and to see my own son be a daddy is quite amazing! He is also the son that revives my computer after 2 months of me complaining about the thing that won't do anything. I can never understand why my computer blinks at me and gives me blank screens and all I can do is try with sweaty hands to bring it back to life and it won't listen. Randall sits down and clicks here and shuts that down and restarts this and organizes my files and deletes  trash and backs up that and wow! Its just like new. That's why it was silent here for so long!Its nice to have a techy son!

Among several new things that I did, the biggest one was a trip to Africa in Nov. It really was the trip of a lifetime for me and once again I was reminded that my sons are now men. In fact, the caring rules have already reversed in some areas. On this trip they were the ones in charge, they were the ones looking out for me etc. It was very strange but also very beautiful! They would say," mom do you have your ticket ready, whats your seat number, are you ok there or should I switch with you?"I didn't worry a bit about getting on the next flight, I simply followed them to the next gate and all was well.

Mckenzie loves coffee and cookies

However, I have never enjoyed flying. Really in all honesty I hated flying! These flights were long and tested my endurance but with my family around me it was not so bad. I was actually amazed at the peace I felt through it all. I will tell you about that trip on a later post.

Having my 85 year old Mother here for a week over Christmas was very special. I hope that if I get old I will be as sweet as she is! We could talk about our lives and understand each other. I know Mothers and Daughters should be able to anyway but since we have both lost our husbands our bond is deeper. Mom and Dad were married 50 years. For us it was almost 24 years. Some things never change even with time and that one thing is the intense desire to be able to discuss issues, deep issues with your loved one. When our world and our churches and our families change that one person was a safe person to share with and when they are gone we feel like we cannot share with anyone that understands or even really hears us. And so that was special because we just "got it" with each other.

My children blessed me with some new things for Christmas. Randy's gave me new folding chairs. Some of my folding chairs we got for a wedding gift from his parents and they had done there share of work. The boys kept telling me they were worn out and I needed to get others ...I guess I waited long enough! Justin's got me new dishes also replacing old wedding gift corelle dishes. In my era it was the tradition that the youth girls from church would buy 2 sets of corelle dishes for the bride. It was a lovely gift...but after seeing all the pretty dishes that girls get now days I mentioned once that I wished mine would break. I don't even know if Justin and Jessica knew that but they sure did a great job of choosing pretty square plates. Its so much fun setting the table with them! My mother gave me a money gift and I intend to get new curtains for my bedroom windows replacing the ones that have been there for 15 years. Its so much fun getting new stuff at the new year!

More games

And so of course I wonder....what will come my way this year? Sometimes we face the New Year with dread, maybe a sense of fear too. The world is changing so quickly and we don't like all the changes we see. I find comfort in knowing that The mercies of the Lord are NEW every morning, not just every January 1st, but every single day His mercies are there for us as fresh as ever! And that His grace is never exhausted, there is always enough for whatever hard thing I face. Always and every day I can draw from His kind mercy and grace. Every day I can appreciate something New. Our God is just Awesome!