Friday, January 8, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Story
Yes, I am only caught up on blogging through Christmas Eve... please just deal with it. It would've been nice to share all this via my mobile blogging on my Blackberry or iPhone, but alas, don't own one and couldn't do it anyway from here, so you will just have to think back about 10 days to the holiday festivities...
On Christmas Eve the youth group held a service of their own, which was very cool, with various choirs:
As you can see the church was decorated extravagantly with balloons and even a Christmas tree with flashing lights. While I would never think to decorate my home this way (as I come from a totally different context), I do find it very pleasing in its own way. I don't view this as a shabby attempt at imitating Western decorations (and don't want you to either), but as a beautiful extravagance lavished on the God they love with the best they have.
And as we have seen in every Congolese rendition of this Story, Herod and his soldiers play a key role. This doesn't usually make it to an American church play. No one wants their preschooler dressing up as a tyrannical bad guy. But it IS a real part of the Story. Here, Herod sat in the background up on his throne, bodyguards pacing in front of him with weapons drawn (electrical tape over sticks), soldiers jumping at his every order. And this play ended with the soldiers marching home victoriously after Jesus' parents flee to Egypt and the innocent babies of Bethlehem are slaughtered. (They pretended on the unsuspecting front row of the audience, which illicited the necessary screaming sound effects!)
Overall I was really glad I went, and thankful for all the work the youth put into this 2-hr service!
(More Christmas pics coming soon)
On Christmas Eve the youth group held a service of their own, which was very cool, with various choirs:
As you can see the church was decorated extravagantly with balloons and even a Christmas tree with flashing lights. While I would never think to decorate my home this way (as I come from a totally different context), I do find it very pleasing in its own way. I don't view this as a shabby attempt at imitating Western decorations (and don't want you to either), but as a beautiful extravagance lavished on the God they love with the best they have.
The program included readings and of course, drama! There were actually several dramas, but the first and foremost was the Christmas Story set to instrumental Silent Night.
Here the shepherds come to worship Jesus (someone borrowed a baby brother, and he was silent the whole time!) No dolls here!
Then from the back of the church, the Magi wound around following the Star. Not sure if it was all part of the drama or not, but there was only one light bulb lit right over where Mary and Joseph sat...
And as we have seen in every Congolese rendition of this Story, Herod and his soldiers play a key role. This doesn't usually make it to an American church play. No one wants their preschooler dressing up as a tyrannical bad guy. But it IS a real part of the Story. Here, Herod sat in the background up on his throne, bodyguards pacing in front of him with weapons drawn (electrical tape over sticks), soldiers jumping at his every order. And this play ended with the soldiers marching home victoriously after Jesus' parents flee to Egypt and the innocent babies of Bethlehem are slaughtered. (They pretended on the unsuspecting front row of the audience, which illicited the necessary screaming sound effects!)
The drama of the Story we saw several years ago in a rural village ended with Herod's death, as that is the end of the direct threat on Jesus new life.
His freedom to return to his people.
The freedom he one day shares with us.
His freedom to return to his people.
The freedom he one day shares with us.
Overall I was really glad I went, and thankful for all the work the youth put into this 2-hr service!
(More Christmas pics coming soon)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Pineapple
Since I know many of you don't have pineapple growing in your backyard, and because I find them gorgeous and interesting as plants... I will share the little I know about the pineapples growing in our backyard. Now this is one tropical fruit I can't get enough of!
So a young plant looks like this. Kind of like teenagers: gangly, awkward and all legs. (And there's my fancy feet in garden shoes. And now is where I should do some really cool connection with our ten-foot-family having two feet in the garden, but I'd rather go eat breakfast than spend forever blogging this morning sorry. =) It's the thought that counts!)
Note that the older the plant gets, the more spiky the outer leaves become, and I'd venture to guess this is good protection for a fruit-bearing plant on the ground.
From the top down the baby pineapple that starts as a cluster of leaves in the center. Love the neatness and order of these leaves. Creative yet organized.
Then those little creatively organized leaves grow bigger. And bigger. Ever so slowly...
And you can start to see that fruit underneath at some point. You should probably know that having a border collie trying to catch his beloved frisbee doesn't work so well for growing pineapples and those spikey outer leaves may just get trampled and broken. And as any good horticulture major will tell you, no foliage means no food for the plant. Dead plant = dead fruit. And on the off chance that you are wondering as I was whether this above yellow one is already ripe at such a young age, it's not. I'm told this is a different variety of pineapple than the others, which is why it is more yellow in both fruit and leaf.
So in our own efforts to protect fruit and leaf:
...we tied the leaves up (leaving room for said border collie to run past without breaking off leaves) with the ribbing leftover from a worn-out shirt. Why not?
Whatever it takes to get luscious fruit! YUM! We eat it fresh, make sweet-n-sour sauce, skewer it, put it in fruit salad, etc. What's your favorite way to eat pineapple?
Whatever it takes to get luscious fruit! YUM! We eat it fresh, make sweet-n-sour sauce, skewer it, put it in fruit salad, etc. What's your favorite way to eat pineapple?
Friday, January 1, 2010
Candycane
You can probably guess that candycanes haven't really taken off in Europe.
And if they haven't taken off in Europe, they don't really make it to South Africa.
And if they don't make it in South Africa, we can't usually find it in East Africa.
So we were pretty excited when someone gave us their old candycanes (carefully kept frozen all year they crack, but taste good). This particular awesome friend also mailed us mini-marshmallows!! It's funny how I would never intentionally seek out these sugar-laden American traditions while living in the midst of them. They just sort of happen whether I buy them or not. But over here a candy cane and marshmallow turn my wimpy homemade cocoa into a faint memory of 'Mint Mochaccino' under Seattle skies. Candy canes were a whole new experience for Anna!
And if they haven't taken off in Europe, they don't really make it to South Africa.
And if they don't make it in South Africa, we can't usually find it in East Africa.
So we were pretty excited when someone gave us their old candycanes (carefully kept frozen all year they crack, but taste good). This particular awesome friend also mailed us mini-marshmallows!! It's funny how I would never intentionally seek out these sugar-laden American traditions while living in the midst of them. They just sort of happen whether I buy them or not. But over here a candy cane and marshmallow turn my wimpy homemade cocoa into a faint memory of 'Mint Mochaccino' under Seattle skies. Candy canes were a whole new experience for Anna!
...obviously requires intense concentration!
...finger-lickin' good! Wait...
James: Hey look at me! Do I look like a wookie?
Thank you friend for giving us a taste of home! Yummy!
Remembering 2009
What was 2009 for us?
The year God moved this ragamuffin family of 5 from the West Coast to the Eastern border, halfway around the world...
...without exaggerating.
Another year of learning as slow as molasses that there is nothing anywhere worth trusting other than Him.
A year to begin a new kind of life for us
- new culture, new languages, new foods, new customs, new clothes...
A year to see promises kept, prayers answered and faith strengthened.
A year to break ground.
A year to help give 3 language communities the gift of written communication.
A year to take a huge safari roadtrip and drove across more than 2 African countries.
A year to spot hippos for the first time.
The year we started homeschool 'for real'.
The year James started reading chapter books.
The year we found the key to our kinesthetic Joelie.
The year Anna became a 'big girl'.
The year we learned to speak Congo Swahili (not to imply we're close to done!).
The year to try solar power, plumbing, carpentry, and sewing.
The year we unpacked indefinitely for the first time in 8 years.
A year of transition.
A year of provision.
A year saturated with foreignness.
A year seasoned with laughter.
A year soaked with gratitude.
Another year privileged to walk this terrestial ball by faith.
Not easy.
Good.
He has withheld no good thing.
The year God moved this ragamuffin family of 5 from the West Coast to the Eastern border, halfway around the world...
...without exaggerating.
Another year of learning as slow as molasses that there is nothing anywhere worth trusting other than Him.
A year to begin a new kind of life for us
- new culture, new languages, new foods, new customs, new clothes...
A year to see promises kept, prayers answered and faith strengthened.
A year to break ground.
A year to help give 3 language communities the gift of written communication.
A year to take a huge safari roadtrip and drove across more than 2 African countries.
A year to spot hippos for the first time.
The year we started homeschool 'for real'.
The year James started reading chapter books.
The year we found the key to our kinesthetic Joelie.
The year Anna became a 'big girl'.
The year we learned to speak Congo Swahili (not to imply we're close to done!).
The year to try solar power, plumbing, carpentry, and sewing.
The year we unpacked indefinitely for the first time in 8 years.
A year of transition.
A year of provision.
A year saturated with foreignness.
A year seasoned with laughter.
A year soaked with gratitude.
Another year privileged to walk this terrestial ball by faith.
Not easy.
Good.
He has withheld no good thing.
Backyard Tour
Every month all our pictures go into a folder and categorized (or deleted!) and pile up until at the end of the year I burn a few DVDs of the pictures from the whole year to back up and start afresh. Looking back over December pictures, I didn't do a very thorough job sharing! I've always been more of a sprinter than a cross-country runner (not that I really do either one in real life!) but consistency and plodding along are not my strengths. I'll work on it...
A couple weeks ago we had a flat tire (somewhat common considering the roads we drive daily) and it became a family project to 'help' Kent change the tire. With every other member of the family roaming the driveway and backyard it seemed like a good time to come out of my shell and snap pictures. So this is the changing-of-the-tire backyard tour! (for those of you who are photographers, I apologize. I have a wonderful little water-proof shock-proof travel camera with a lens about 1/2" wide, so alas, for now, this IS as good as it gets... =))
My genius linguist, our fearless leader, who can figure out most anything...
Weird to me that Anna is as tall as these pineapple plants!
She's not 3 for a few more days and already 3' 3" tall.
So does this make her really tall? Or does this make the pineapple plant really tall?
I'll let you decide...
When we moved in June this sugarcane was shorter than I am, and now I think it's probably 10-12 feet tall! Guess we don't chew our sugarcane fast enough. Most of it was turned into Christmas presents for people here who love it. Not really our thing. It's life will likely be shortlived in this backyard.
The adorable, playful Moshi. Not so subtle dropping your beloved frisbee on our feet every 5 minutes buddy. Love to see him jump though! So when will they put that contraption down and play with me??
Love the color changes in the ripe sugarcane... such an extravagant Creator.
maboke or pumpkin-looking squash growing next to a baby banana start
nefla or loquat tree, which apparently is a distant cousin of the peach. They are ping-pong-ball-sized yellow fruits that taste almost like cherries if that were possible...
It's a great climbing tree for the boys too. The fruits ripen in May, so we only got a few of the last ones last year. Can't wait for May!
The back fence and future garden, with staked tomatoes and a few varieties of bananas.
...conveniently staked with leftover ceiling lattice wood - recycling in action! Gotta love year-round vine-ripened organic tomatoes...
I love the purity and simplicity of banana leaves. Love that clean green. Here I couldn't resist the contrast between the God-made and man-made, clean and dirty, smooth and rough, growing and decaying. Quite a contrast.
Next to that gorgeous banana tree is our favorite variety of mango. I say 'our' out of courtesy, it is Kent's favorite variety of mango - good flavor and not stringy.
We love having our own trees and being able to let them ripen a bit longer. Most fruit in the market is picked green (if someone doesn't knock it down and eat it first!). These mangoes are almost ready! Juice is dripping...
Just in case at this point your mouth is watering and you are starting to think we live in some kind of ever-producing garden of eden - STOP! This is a 100% real tour of the backyard. No holds barred. So back toward our mostly-finished house... the utility area with our beloved and faithful friend Faustin washing our clothes under the water tank as he does every morning:
I hope to build him a decent sink someday. Just envision a back patio here...
She might look like a giant next to the pineapple, but she still looks tiny next to this beast...
Joel: Hey! Check out my serious face!
Kali: Oh look! Time to lounge! zzz
Did I say 100% real?
Pineapples, holidays, Anna's gorgeous locks and more on the way...
A couple weeks ago we had a flat tire (somewhat common considering the roads we drive daily) and it became a family project to 'help' Kent change the tire. With every other member of the family roaming the driveway and backyard it seemed like a good time to come out of my shell and snap pictures. So this is the changing-of-the-tire backyard tour! (for those of you who are photographers, I apologize. I have a wonderful little water-proof shock-proof travel camera with a lens about 1/2" wide, so alas, for now, this IS as good as it gets... =))
My genius linguist, our fearless leader, who can figure out most anything...
Hey Mom, check out this silly face!
The boys pose in our pineapple patch. Did you have any idea that the leaves you whack off and throw away can be planted? (and actually grow new pineapples here!) The stump with or without some of the fruit stuck in the ground and fertilized and voila! More pineapple! I'll save all those pics for another post...
Weird to me that Anna is as tall as these pineapple plants!She's not 3 for a few more days and already 3' 3" tall.
So does this make her really tall? Or does this make the pineapple plant really tall?
I'll let you decide...
When we moved in June this sugarcane was shorter than I am, and now I think it's probably 10-12 feet tall! Guess we don't chew our sugarcane fast enough. Most of it was turned into Christmas presents for people here who love it. Not really our thing. It's life will likely be shortlived in this backyard.
The adorable, playful Moshi. Not so subtle dropping your beloved frisbee on our feet every 5 minutes buddy. Love to see him jump though! So when will they put that contraption down and play with me??
Love the color changes in the ripe sugarcane... such an extravagant Creator.
maboke or pumpkin-looking squash growing next to a baby banana start
nefla or loquat tree, which apparently is a distant cousin of the peach. They are ping-pong-ball-sized yellow fruits that taste almost like cherries if that were possible...
It's a great climbing tree for the boys too. The fruits ripen in May, so we only got a few of the last ones last year. Can't wait for May!
The back fence and future garden, with staked tomatoes and a few varieties of bananas.
...conveniently staked with leftover ceiling lattice wood - recycling in action! Gotta love year-round vine-ripened organic tomatoes...
I love the purity and simplicity of banana leaves. Love that clean green. Here I couldn't resist the contrast between the God-made and man-made, clean and dirty, smooth and rough, growing and decaying. Quite a contrast.
Next to that gorgeous banana tree is our favorite variety of mango. I say 'our' out of courtesy, it is Kent's favorite variety of mango - good flavor and not stringy.
We love having our own trees and being able to let them ripen a bit longer. Most fruit in the market is picked green (if someone doesn't knock it down and eat it first!). These mangoes are almost ready! Juice is dripping...Just in case at this point your mouth is watering and you are starting to think we live in some kind of ever-producing garden of eden - STOP! This is a 100% real tour of the backyard. No holds barred. So back toward our mostly-finished house... the utility area with our beloved and faithful friend Faustin washing our clothes under the water tank as he does every morning:
I hope to build him a decent sink someday. Just envision a back patio here...
She might look like a giant next to the pineapple, but she still looks tiny next to this beast...
Joel: Hey! Check out my serious face!
Kali: Oh look! Time to lounge! zzz
Did I say 100% real?
Pineapples, holidays, Anna's gorgeous locks and more on the way...
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