Goodbye America

It's our last morning in America. We leave in a few hours.
Today I'm enjoying with intent:
- the last glass of cranberry juice
- the last instantly hot shower with clean water
- the last bit of reliable electricity
- the last morning for the kids to watch PBS while I work
- the last use of unlimited internet
and
- the last time with my parents and aunt.

But I'm looking forward to:
- warm weather all year and the end of cold weather clothing
- a garden for us all to enjoy
- routine!! (Who knew one can be excited about the same old routine?)
- the end of traveling for a while
- a slow pace of live
- focusing more time on really enjoying my kids
and
- a home of our own!

Goodbye America; we've loved being with you!
Hello Uganda!

Counting

1 broken computer
2 exhausted adults
3 sick children
4 days till flights
5 bags still to pack

Counting is so stressful!

100% financial support
9 checked bag allotment
8 new books to read on our new gift: Kindle Fire
7 more days till a home of our own
6 months of luxuries in America
5 of us traveling together instead of 4 & 1 in the original plan
4 amazing grandparents
3 kid baths in clean water today
2 (only) flights to our new home town
1 functioning updated website

Counting blessings is so much better!

Facing the Unexpected

You might remember that we had a plan to return to Uganda. Dusty was to leave the 11th to get our home situated, purchase a vehicle, and spend some time with our friend who is currently serving as the Director in Entebbe so he could make a smooth transition into the position. I was to go later with the kids on the 21st.

Our timing apparently is not what the Lord has in mind, and although this has been a tough time, we want to do what is best in His plan. We have learned this over and over as missionaries - flexibility is critical in our lifestyle.

After two days of fever, we thought Cooper might need to go to the pediatrician. Instead, on the third morning we discovered he had cut his first tooth, and the fever went away. We were relieved till the next day I began to notice my back hurting. On the following day I became crippled by pain which escalated to the point that I went into shock. We had a presentation planned for Saturday that we canceled about 2 hours before it started as I could no longer get out of bed, was going into shock again, and was in excruciating pain and fear.

We went to the ER where I received a very strong shot and was put on high doses of a pain killer and muscle relaxant which are preventing me from nursing Cooper. For the most part, I am staying in bed. Our entire family has stepped in to take care of Cooper and me, for which we are so extremely humbled and grateful.

We are now in the process of changing our flights so that we can travel together as a family. While this brings peace of mind to all of us, we also are keenly aware that it will make things a bit more stressful once we arrive in Entebbe. I am very thankful that we can go through it together as a family though.

Transitions are always stressful for us, and this one has been even more stressful with a move, changing countries, my back problem, and a few other situations that have not yet resolved themselves. However, we know the Lord is taking care of us and has us firmly in his grip.

We appreciate your prayers through it all, and we truly look forward to the time when we can settle down in our own home in Uganda after moving in and jet lag are over.

The "What is Furlough Like?" Question

We get a lot of questions about furlough. What do you do? What is it like? Do you get any rest? Has it been fun? How are the kids adjusting? etc.

While there are no short answers to these questions, I can at least try to give you a glimpse into how our life has been since we got back in July. Here is how we've been spending our time.

1. Work - Dusty goes to the office at the church during the weekdays and works on linguistics, survey reports, getting acquainted with our work in Uganda, and finishing some work from Tanzania. I've been tackling our website issues which have made me enter a maddening cyber-chase.

2. Logistics - This includes trying to get our container full of our household items from Musoma to Entebbe (it's there now!), renewing passports and getting them to Uganda for visas (they're there, but now we need them back), submitting foreign medical receipts for insurance and then dickering over them with the insurance company.

3. PD (Partnership Development) - We're having several open-house events, giving presentations to multiple groups from 6 churches, meeting with supporters, and updating our address lists. How can this be so fun and so tiring at the same time?

4. Kids' education - Some time is spent taking care of the kids' schooling while they are here: Tessa is in public school 1st grade while Jack goes to a church preschool two mornings a week. Soon I will be wading the murky waters of home schooling curriculum and trying to figure out how to get it to Uganda in January. Anyone going to Uganda soon with luggage to spare?

5. Medical - All of us are in need of check-ups, shots, and some physical updates. Cooper had 4 shots this morning actually. These appointments inevitably lead to more insurance dramas.

6. Rest - Yes, it is part of our goal to get some rest from the stresses of living abroad. This is tricky since it seems we are just trading those stresses with American stresses, but nonetheless, we are enjoying some time with family and friends. We recently had two short vacations in the Colorado mountains and were very thankful to be back in our beloved Rockies again in spite of the kids' very serious croup episodes.

So, like you, our lives are a mixture of family, work, fun, stress, fellowship, and hassles. However, we never feel quite at home because we are traveling between 2 states and 2 countries, living in a home that is not ours and heading to an entirely new spot altogether.

That being said, we really are enjoying our time with our family, old and new friends, favorite restaurants, libraries, playgrounds, and the change in the seasons. Now, back to the glorious effort to clear out my inbox...

What It's All About

This past weekend, our team in Tanzania had the privilege of dedicating the first translated and printed book of Luke among the Ikoma (and Nata and Isenye) people in the Mugumu village. This is a huge milestone for our family and our entire team. Although we weren't there to celebrate, we are so thankful to have some of Michael Nicholls' photos of the celebration and wanted to share a few with you as well.

Long before the ceremony begins, the ladies of the church started preparing a meal for everyone who came. The food is usually ugali (boiled cornmeal), goat stew, rice, beans, and a bit of greens.


The children of the community curiously awaiting the dedication.


The participants joyfully line up to carry the box of Luke booklets into the church. The man on the left in the blue shirt is Mussa Karume Tobias.



Accompanied by singing, the Word is brought into the church in gift-wrapped boxes.


After unwrapping the box, Bishop Stephen Mageri holds up a booklet for everyone to see.


Celebration!!



Mwalimu Mtiro and a friend reading the very first book ever in their own language.


And this, folks, is what it's all about. This is why we first started thinking about becoming missionaries. This is what we have been striving toward since we moved to Tanzania in 2004, surveyed the people groups in 2005, and opened the cluster translation project in 2006. This is why you've been supporting us and praying for us and the Tanzanians around us - the Word of God in their mother tongue.

Thank you for going there with us in your hearts to make an eternal impact in the hearts of the Ikoma people and all the others both in the Mara region and around the world.

Praise God!

Early observations of life in America

Now that we've been here about two weeks, I'd like to share some observations about life in America. Some are things that I appreciate; others are simply things I notice.

1. There are lines on the roads indicating where you should drive, and where you can pass - and people follow them! When we have lines in East Africa they are considered mere suggestions. Driving here is so easy that we can almost safely zone out while at the wheel.

2. It's blazing hot in Texas, but everyone is surprised that it's never that hot in Musoma. Although we're so thankful for the A/C, we are surprised at how cold they keep the restaurants and other places. It feels quite odd to walk out into 105 degrees outside carrying a sweater so we can comfortably go out to eat!

3. CLEAN WATER! Oh, the luxury of clean water. I don't have to keep my mouth closed in the shower. I can rinse off my toothbrush from the tap in the sink. I can rinse a cup and then drink from it immediately afterward without worrying about amoeba. It's so nice!

4. The "bigness" of it all - at restaurants sodas and plates of pasta are huge. Along with this comes the "sweetness" of it all - sugar seems to be added to everything edible. And while on the topic of sugar - the sugar here is so nice and fine and white! Our sugar in TZ looks like what Americans call "Sugar in the Raw," big and brown, and we laugh that people consider that special!

5. Options are limitless. We can't get decent orange juice in TZ unless we squeeze it ourselves and add sugar (which due to the above reasons doesn't dissolve nicely). But here we have the choice of: pulp, no pulp, vitamins added, diet, healthy heart, antioxidants, fresh, frozen, from concentrate, from various types of oranges, from various brands, and then - which is the best price? And that's just juice! Now think about churches, entertainment choices, restaurants, clothing, friendships, music, books, and the list is as limitless as the options.

6. Green grass and beautifully manicured landscaping around homes and businesses in spite of lack of rain - and sprinkler systems!

7. Doctors' appointments are hard to get. In Nairobi we can get an appointment with a good doctor within 1 or 2 days pretty easily, even if we are a new patients.

8. It's light here from 6am - 8pm. In Musoma it's light from 6:30am - 6:30pm...year round. We can't seem to get the kids into bed at the right time since we're all internally confused.

9. In East Africa it seems to take us a lot of time and a lot of effort to get even small errands accomplished satisfactorily. Here, things are straightforward, traffic is easily navigable, and everything is open when we need it to be. American businesses have catered to the high value we place on efficiency, and customer service is standard instead of extremely rare.

10. We don't pay for internet by the megabyte - it just feels nice to view whatever we like without even thinking about its size.

So we're grateful to be back in the Land of Plenty, enjoying its riches and conveniences, but we also still appreciate life in Africa where things generally seem more simple and light.

African Anecdotes - Domestic Violence

Domestic violence - 12/6/2004

Last night, through the window, I heard a heated discussion between a man and a woman. In village living, the neighbor knows all. She was screaming and crying and he was talking loudly to her. I couldn’t understand, but it was clear that she was either accusing him or defending herself. Every now and then there was a thud, and her screams would heighten. A baby was wailing the whole time. It was just awful, and I prayed for them, but I barely knew what to pray for.

It has lead me to be thinking along these lines, “Why was I chosen to be born in a culture of education, where abuse is not acceptable and is illegal? Why was it me who was born in a family without fear of abuse? Why do I get to be a woman who doesn’t think about whether my husband will yell at me or hit me? Why me and not her?” I’m thankful, and so is Dusty, but our hearts are grieved for the women and the men here, who are raised believing that domestic abuse is not only normal, but to be expected.

And worse than that, we have heard that some women do not feel loved unless they are beaten! They have it so very backwards. Somehow they believe that if they are beaten every now and then, their husbands care about them and how they cook, where they have been, how they raise the kids, etc. If she cooks poorly for a few days without a comment from him or if he doesn’t eat at home for several meals, then she will assume he is eating from some other woman’s table, so his yelling at her or hitting her is an assurance that he’s not cheating, that he loves her.