Christmas in Chad ...

Well, another Christmas has come and passed.  I just wanted to share with you a little about what our week looked like.



Don't get fruit like this in America

Christmas eve we had a few families over for lunch.  There was talk of getting a pig, then chickens, and in the end we simply used beef in a rice dish and in a veggie stew.  We had fresh chapattis to go along with the meal as well.  It was a fun time with friends.  We also prepared little gift bags for all the children.  The kids chose a few of their toys and shirts to donate to the gifts and we purchased a little candy as well.  It was fun to be able to give the families something special for the holidays.  We also had a huge dessert platter with banana cake, pumpkin cake, and of course a variety of our Christmas cookies.  The best part, in my opinion, was our giant bowl of fruit salad: papaya, banana, watermelon, pineapple.  I admit that we were quite tired in the evening but we still managed to do a carol sing around a bonfire in our yard.  We looked at the stars, talked about why Christmas was special to us, and I got to snuggle with an Abdoulaye on my lap.  It was nice to spend a little bit of time with the guard's family.  It wasn't exactly a silent night, but it was very enjoyable.

For my family ...

Waiting to unwrap ...

Christmas morning I shared a tradition that my mom used to do when I was a kid.  I made cinnamon rolls in the shape of a Christmas tree for breakfast along with eggs.  After eating we read the Christmas story together and then the kids opened their gifts.  I am grateful that my mom has been sending me newspaper comics because they were turned into wrapping paper for Christmas.  The kids were pleased with their gifts and spent the rest of the morning playing.  Well, Jo and I played as well by helping the girls build their new Lego structures.  In the afternoon we were invited to visit one of the local pastor's houses.  We were provided with a delicious meal, though none of us were extremely hungry.  I excused myself after the meal because it had reached my scheduled time to chat with family.  I am sure that that was something that the pastor and his wife had never heard before, but when you have family in 4 different time zones, you've got to do what you've got to do.  Unfortunately the Internet decided not to work for me and I missed out on my family chat.  I am still awaiting my make up time.

The rest of the week has been a time of relaxing a bit and enjoying the break from school and preparing for one event or another.  Thursday we return to our usual schedule with school, but until then we shall enjoy our time relaxing.  I hope others enjoyed a crazy, enjoyable, and relaxing holiday!  Happy New Year from Chad! 

Cakes and Cookies oh my

 

Merry Christmas!

Our Wreath

Our Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas to all from here in Chad!  I hope it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas where you are.  It is sort of hard to believe that Christmas day is only a few days away.  We even have a chain to count down the days and it still just doesn't seem like it.  We certainly have tried to deck the halls here though.  We constructed a wreath for our door, not that many people here would know what it was.  We built ourselves a tree out of trays and milk tins and a green sheet.  Not quite the same effect as being able to turn off the lights and have your Christmas lights twinkle in the dark and the nice smell of pine.  Let's just say we won't be rocking around the Christmas tree, but we will have a place to put our gifts.

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Nothing says Christmas more than cookies!  So with no school on Thursday we spent our day baking dozens upon dozens of cookies.  Snicker doodle, sugar, chocolate shortbread, and gingerbread were our primary types.  Who knows?  It isn't Christmas yet, so more flavors might arise.  We baked a lot so that we can share our nice American tradition with our neighbors.  We will be delivering our gifts sometime early this week.
 

We also had each of the kids (with lots of assistance from adults) construct and decorate gingerbread houses.  This was a new experience for me.  It was fun and I tried my hardest to make the kids think outside the box …. like giving them a whale and a spaceship.  Joshua was the most creative and decided to do a pyramid with a sarcophagus and treasure box on the side.  He didn't decorate it quite the way I would have, but it was definitely outside the box.  For him I cut out some camels and palm trees since our evergreen cookie cutter didn't seem to fit with his theme.

So we have been going through all the motions, listening to music, preparing gifts, enjoying no school, but I am still missing being with my family.  I am missing sitting in my Christmas light PJ pants, with snow outside, playing games with my siblings.  I miss the smells of Christmas and the traditions that I grew up with.  Perhaps next year will be a normal Christmas, but until then we shall make the most of our fabric tree and paper snowflakes.  Merry Christmas to you all!

Simply Gingerbread

 

 

Yet another project ...

The Republic of Chad - Quilted

Close-up of Chad

Rag Doll Follow-up

On December 1, I wrote, "One Christmas project we are working on is creating rag dolls for the neighbor girls who come over to play.  JoAnna and I were in tears laughing at how ridiculous our first doll turned out.  Let's just say it looked more like a frog then a baby.  With some hair and a face it improved a little, but we have continually tweaked the pattern.  By the time we have enough dolls, we will have a proper pattern right!  Once the girls and I finish the dolls, I promise to post pictures of their progression."

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Break

Dear readers,

  I must apologize for my lack of posting recently.  We have been very busy although what we have been busy with has been with rather mundane activities.  Our mornings were consumed with school, cleaning, and laundry (we were doing an extra thorough job with the cleaning in preparation for guests - like washing walls and ceiling fans).  Once the electricity would go out our inspiration to be productive would cease.  The afternoons tended to be nap time, reading time, or Christmas card making/writing time.  Starting Saturday however began our Thanksgiving break. 

Glad to have the pool back!

  Saturday morning brought about a busy day.  Almost immediately after breakfast we began filling the swimming pool again.  Now, our pool is only a couple feet deep and about 10 feet diameter.  It is the variety that has an inflated ring around the top.  Last year we filled it with a balloon pump (the kind you use to make balloon animals).  This year however I returned with an exercise ball and so we used the foot pump that came with that.  After about an hour and a half of pumping the ring was inflated and the water was flowing in.  Then we decided to do some baking.  We made 4 loaves of oatmeal bread, pumpkin scones, and pumpkin pie.  We delivered some of our baked goods to the neighborhood missionaries and then continued with dinner and baths and really didn't sit until evening.  That was our first vacation day!

New bed to share my house

  We learned late Saturday that Moses would be returning with his sister on Sunday, so Sunday was made up of Sunday school with the kids (a lesson about being kind, apologizing, forgiving) and cleaning.  The fun part was that the kids still believed that their aunt and dad wouldn't be returning for a few days.  So the kids had just gone to bed when their surprise arrived.

The 2 JoAnnas….
Well, we can't expect them both to smile for a picture!

  Monday was a more relaxed day, allowing the travelers to get acquainted and rested.  I spent time working on Christmas presents and helping around the house.  The excitement of Monday was that it brought about the return of our guard's wife and new baby (well the baby is now around 3 months old).  The baby is looking strong and healthy and even a bit chunky which is truly a blessing since her mom was sick for quite a while after birth.


Though playing in different size pools,
they both get cold in the water


  Tuesday was a post office day and tortilla making.  The kids were a little less eager to get into the pool because they have decided it is cold (especially in the morning).  It has been reaching the frigid temperatures of around 70°F at night.

  Let's see, Wednesday brought about a day of relaxing.  We did do some baking like delicious rusks, but for the most part we spent our day reading and making Christmas projects.  One Christmas project we are working on is creating rag dolls for the neighbor girls who come over to play.  JoAnna and I were in tears laughing at how ridiculous our first doll turned out.  Let's just say it looked more like a frog then a baby.  With some hair and a face it improved a little, but we have continually tweaked the pattern.  By the time we have enough dolls, we will have a proper pattern right!  Once the girls and I finish the dolls, I promise to post pictures of their progression.

  Thanksgiving day, we celebrated Kenyan style.  We had a very traditional meal with an auntie to cook it for us.  Thursday again was a pretty relaxed day - what we really needed.


5 = 1 right…..thanksgiving feast gobble gobble

  Friday we had many great plans, but then the power people came and cut our electricity.  Our five chickens arrived (yup 5 chickens to replace maybe 1/3 of a turkey).  Without assurance that the fridge would eventually be turned on, we didn't want to butcher too soon.  We had also planned to bake the pumpkin pies, so we had cooked our pumpkin in the morning.  In an effort to use our pumpkin (because it also wouldn't last too long in this lovely Chadian fall weather) I made more pumpkin scones and we had pumpkin soup for dinner.  Luckily Moses was able to convince the electric company, yet again, that the problem was not with us but with a company that worked from our compound a few years ago, so around 5 pm the electricity was restored and we frantically trying to make up for lost time.  Something to be thankful for: a guard who is willing to pluck 5 chickens in the dark with only heads and feet as his rewards.  Oh that and getting to see a little boy run around the yard chasing the chickens.

  Saturday was feast day for us.  Straight away after breakfast we began preparing for our meal.  We decided to skip our craisin salad (you do what you can without cranberries) and just use guava sauce as an alternative.  For curious readers, guava sauce is what we get after processing guavas through a food mill, cooking, and adding sugar and cinnamon.  A Chadian equivalent to apple sauce.  We had been slicing and drying bread all week for our stuffing (although we suppose it would be called dressing because it was not actually stuffed inside our chickens).  We made mashed potatoes of course (and after mashing them I was simply dripping with sweat and had to excuse myself to get mopped off with a wash cloth).  The chicken was pressure cooked to begin with (because Chadian chickens are rather "rubbery" as the children say) and later was browned in the oven.  We made two large casserole dishes of what I call corn pudding but here they call baked corn.  We made delicious rolls and our guests brought a large green salad.  It was quite the feast and though it was a lot of work in a small hot kitchen, it was worth it for the good fellowship.  We had five guests and there was much laughter and we got to hear many interesting stories.  After pumpkin pie the kids went off to cool in the pool and the adults sat around chatting.  It was a good day over all though I did miss our family tradition of a rousing game of pit with my oldest brother's random friends coming over.  We also did not have turkey sandwiches for dinner that night as 5 Chadian chickens do not provide a lot of leftovers.

Chui gets jealous of the baby

  It was a great break with quite a lot of hustle and bustle, but it was rewarding as well.  Work is always worthwhile if it can ease or brighten someone else's day.  Tomorrow we return to our routine with school, but we look forward to the advent season.  Today however, without power and the very muggy and hot weather I was wishing for some of the snow I was hearing about in NE Ohio.  We are most certainly thankful for the fans when they work!

A season for giving thanks begins!

Life this past week has pretty much been more of our typical routines with school, laundry, meals, etc.  It was actually a slower paced week, partially due to our electricity situation.  It seems that Sarh is having difficulty obtaining the fuel required to operate the generators that provide power for the city (or something along those lines).  For us, that means that the power was going off at random times and staying off for the majority of the day.  They have now determined a schedule or planned power outages.  The electricity is typically on around 7:00am and then is turned off at 12:00pm.  Then power returns around 5:30pm and goes off again sometime between 1:00am (like last night) or 4:00am after morning prayer.  Having the scheduled times makes life a little easier, but nothing is really very exact.  Without power our days slow down a bit due to not wanting to make oneself too hot (know there is no fan to cool things off) as well as it being too dark to see in some rooms.  It is fun to hear everyone’s sighs of relief as the electricity returns.  The other fun part about the whole town not having electricity is that it also means the water stops coming.  We have all gotten pretty good at recognizing that as soon as the power goes out we must quickly fill up the dish washing buckets and buckets in the bathroom for flushing and hand washing.  Again predictability is very convenient for this added factor.

The other exciting thing to happen to us this week is that little miss Chui has become a huntress.  She caught two large field rats this week.  We are talking critters the size of a cat that have been seen on the top of our walls, up a tree, or scurrying amongst the pumpkin plants.  It certainly makes we think twice when I hear the dogs running outside my house at night and then hearing clumping or scurrying in my ceiling.  Speaking of hunting, cricket season has started (although nothing to the extent of last year thus far) and little miss Tigger has taken a liking to catching and sitting on these pests.  It is actually quite entertaining.

As November has started, the month of giving thanks, I have decided to write a few things I am thankful for each week.  So to start it all off, I am thankful for family and friends who have supported me during this adventure.  This week I am thankful for running water and electricity and a family who is flexible.  I am thankful for the protection that God has for each of us.  My petty thanks goes to the kindle my parents gave me which is backlit (meaning I can read it in the dark when the power is out!)

Fall break was good ...

Well, our wonderful break has come to a close and I can honestly say that last Saturday felt just like a fall day back home.  The wind was blowing and the leaves were rustling.  We were also enjoying the cooler temperatures that the winds blew in.  I felt as though I should be preparing to eat some fresh orchard apples and sit drinking cider after spending the afternoon raking a big pile of leaves.  Unfortunately no orchard apples but we were able to create some delicious pumpkin whoopie pies.  I must admit I am looking forward to seeing fall next year and that familiar change of the seasons.

As for our week it seemed to fly by!  We practiced some crocheting, made delicious food, squeezed lemons, canned a variety of things, organized/cleaned closets and the kitchen and played a few games.  Unfortunately part of the week was spent catering to a sick child, since Joshua's typhoid made a return.  One of our great kitchen successes was funnel cakes.  We also made some sweet potato chips.  I also have been spending my week reading the Harry Potter series again.  It was a good week, but it seemed like we had our days packed full.

Today we have started our school schedule which went pretty well.  We are looking forward to the possibility of visitors so we are trying to work ahead in the assignments.  I need to design a few projects for the kids to mix the schedule up a bit.  For now the children are busy creating a "beaver damn" and I will help them create a solar oven project.  I am certain that our time until Thanksgiving break will simply fly by….but hopefully I can also be very productive in my work!

Fall ...

Happy fall to one and all!  It is true that my fall is not the type of fall that brings breathtaking colors to the once green hills, but the leaves are starting to wither and die.  This coming week brings fall break for us in the Kariuki household.  The beauty of homeschool is we design our schedule and when to take breaks.  We shall see what sorts of projects actually get accomplished during this week of extra free time.  It seems like we worked so hard last week that there cannot possibly be more things to do, but projects have a tendency to walk though our gate (like bushels of guavas for example).  We will also have to keep the kids entertained so we shall see what sorts of shenanigans we can get ourselves into!  I am pretty sure a surprise attack on the kids with water balloons is in store.

Aside from the normal everyday activities I have been thinking recently about some of the similarities between the U.S. and Chad.  One similarity that keeps coming up is that many people I have met have college degrees and yet are taking jobs which they are over qualified for because there is a limit of employment possibilities.  It is not something I would have assumed to be true, but there it is folks…..college graduates working random jobs because we have to do something.

I have also been wondering quite a bit about what comes next in life for me.  It will be interesting to see how volunteering here in Chad for the last two years will affect my employment choices in the U.S. (well we shall see if I actually have any choices).  I am currently planning to try my luck in Portland again, but we shall see.  I am truly hoping that I won't simply settle into the way things were and be unaffected by my experience but instead I will be able to build upon it and share my new insights with others.  If anyone has any insights to share with me I would love to hear them (or suggestions for employment opportunities especially in the Portland area I would love to hear about those also!)

I do hope someone will hop into a pile of leaves for me and embrace the chilly winds this time of year brings.  Supposedly December here gets quite chilly (I am looking forward to what that actually means here!)

YWAM Base Visit and More ...

Well folks these past two weeks have brought about a little less rain, a little less rash, and a birthday party.  We also got the opportunity to visit the YWAM base that is currently under construction.

Clean water from a bore hole

Dining hall being built

The first student rooms are completed and ready for the electrician to come and install lights and outlets.  A dining hall is swiftly being built.  It is fun to see things being built and observing how people here in Chad build step by step.  It is also amazing to see how hard all these people work.  Much of the YWAM staff has been going nonstop running schools, working with builders to get supplies, and figuring out finances.  They are truly a faithful group.  A few thefts will not stop the progress! 

Next weekend I will have a more updated blog, but today my plans were thwarted by the lack of electricity and my poor planning of not charging my computer.  Also I just want to say that I got 3 letters in the mail this week and they made me smile.  I love getting updates on people's lives!  It is great to be connected despite the distance.



Proof I'm still alive and standing!

Rain, Shingles, and French

Hello one and all from Chad.  Well life here is continuing with school, cleaning, cooking, and of course rain.  Though rainy season is drawing to a close, it is still raining nearly every day and the mosquitos are still wreaking havoc on the people.  Sickness is a major part of lives these days.  There was a baby born to one of our neighbors and a few days later it died from malaria.  Sickness and death is a very common occurrence.  Our compound has not been exempt from sickness, although we are fortunate to be able to afford medication and mosquito preventative things (nets, bug repellant, coils).  I fortunately have been spared from the common sicknesses plaguing others, for who would want to be common.  Instead my body decided that now would be a good time to have shingles.  Fortunately the pain is minimal and sporadic but still uncomfortable.  For those of you who know me, I seem to come down with random sicknesses and often ignore them until they are no longer ignorable.  I am assured that medication would quicken the pace of my recovery but it is not necessary, and since I probably couldn't get it here anyway, I await until my blistery rash is gone.

On a positive note, we have been blessed to have a friend come and teach French to the kids and me.  It has been fun testing my knowledge and helping the kids add to theirs.  Unfortunately our tutor has gone back to university and we are left on our own to try and teach one another.  It was excellent while it lasted and has inspired me to continue introducing words to the kids (even if I don't pronounce them correctly) because it has been a great review for me.

 Happy October to one and all!  I hope that fall brings you lots of delicious apple and pumpkin foods along with great company!

Back in Chad!

Well folks I have finally made it back to Sarh!  We spent quite a bit of time in N'Djamena waiting for our Visas to be processed.  Unfortunately what could have taken 1 afternoon took three days.  I arrived in N'Djamena on Tuesday afternoon and we took the 13.5 hour bus ride Saturday.  We stayed with a Pastor's family.  They had a few guest rooms above their classroom (where they did run a Bible school and hope to resume soon). 

The kids in N'Djamena

There was no easing into the world of French.  It was immediate listening to French conversations.  My brain was rather tired, but my favorite thing to do was play with all the kids.  I realize that playing ball is not something adults here do, but that is the benefit to being obviously foreign.  It was so much easier to hang out with the kids because they didn't require conversation.  We could figure out games to play together without speaking.  Also the youngest daughter (of 7 plus friends coming and going all day long) who was 2 ½ years old would come and grab my hand and lead me places.  It is too hard to refuse a cute little girl who speaks my kind of French (1 word statements).  I must also admit that I am sorry my fellow Americans but I slightly embarrassed us in my inability to eat fish.  I have decided that eating fish off the bones (we are talking fish the size of my hand with lots of little bones) is an art form that I never learned.  My mouth is just not talented enough to separate bones and meat effectively.  I tried my hardest, but mom and dad just never taught me how to eat a fish head.  The other difficult part was that dinner was eaten after dark which makes picking out bones even more difficult.  Luckily I only swallowed one (not a very pleasant experiences).  Many people asked what the food was like so let me tell you what I ate with this Chadian family.  Breakfast was always baguette with chocolate spread and tea/coffee.  Lunch was typically tomato stew type dish with either the fish or beef in it.  This stew was placed over rice, pasta, or manioc boiled or in a sort of mush form called bol (not sure on the spelling).  Dinner was left over lunch (no refrigerator = no leftovers).  Also one night we had fried fish and veggies (looked like spinach).  We also got a lovely avocado with banana and salt with maybe a hint of lemon.  It was delicious!  Another cultural difference is that I never saw the children (except the youngest) eat food.  The parents and children ate separately.  I don't know if that was because we were guests, but interesting.

As for our bus ride, it felt like quite the luxury.  Our bus had air conditioning and even played strange movies.  Our ride went pretty quickly (I pretty much slept the whole way).  The trip would be much faster if we didn't have to make stops for the military to check ID's of men, but we made it before the kids went to bed.  My room needs lots of work and all my clothes need a nice washing (as they smell of mildew).  I look forward to getting things organized in my room as well as the school stuff.  The first few weeks of school will probably be winging it, but then I hope to do some true planning to make this school year spectacular!

Chui the shoe-loving pup.

Tigger the feisty kitten

So here are the changes I have noticed thus far…there is a feisty kitten named Tigger living in the house.  She is not really interested in human affection, but we will just have to change that.  Miss Chui the puppy is no longer a puppy.  In fact she is nearly the size of Simba the elder dog.  She is pretty funny however because she likes to lay down on feet which results in lots of tripping.  The biggest change here in Chad is that the world is green!  Plants are growing everywhere and they are full of life.  The mosquitos have also grown in large numbers.  So with repellent and eager children I start school tomorrow!

Off to make dreams come true (not just mine)

Well folks, time here in the U.S. has simply flown by!  I was hoping that while here in Ohio the days would slow down a bit and I would have the feeling of too much down time.  I can assure you, that was not the case.  Let me fill you in on what August has looked like for me.  My first week home in Ohio I assisted with Vacation Bible School at my church.  This is a time where we can share about God with some kids from the neighborhood.  It is always a lot of fun but also a lot of work as there are stories, crafts, songs/dances, snacks, and outdoor activities to plan.  It certainly kept my family busy.  After that week I began my preparations for returning (primarily shopping).  I had rather large lists of requests and gifts I wanted to return with.  I also was able to spend some quality time with my grandparents and got to help them around the house a bit.  Visiting with high school friends also consumed much of my time, but I simply love getting to catch up on people’s lives.  Though we are apart for months or even years, lots changes and often I have not idea how it affects other’s lives.  Thus running around town collecting items to pack and visiting with people made the time fly!

This last week of Aug. I had the great privilege to go to Chicago and meet up with some amazing college friends.  I had not been back to Chicago since graduating 3 years ago.  I must admit, I did not miss that city but the people I met there are missed.  I loved getting to see these friends and listen to their most recent stories.  I know that I have mentioned in earlier blog posts that I am blessed to have such amazing friends, but really I have met some pretty cool people in my life!

Today I got to attend the wedding of a high school friend.  It was wonderful to see such a kind and generous person commit to spending their life entwined with another.  I wish the both a magnitude of happiness.

As Monday morning quickly approaches and my bags become carefully packed, I have come to a few conclusions.  This summer was a wonderful time of rejuvenation through time spent with friends and family.  All the encouragement I have received and support I know will continue when I am in Chad makes me feel confident in my decision to return.  I do miss having friends close by but I have been reminded that though lives might change, friendships will continue.  I also am so grateful that I was able to speak in two churches sharing about my experience and that a 3^rd church has added me to the missionaries that they are supporting.  With all that prayer behind me I look forward to how God will use me.  Finally I am excited to go back and teach the wonderful Kariuki kids.  They truly are great students and I am so lucky that this is my first teaching position.

After an amazing summer of fun and connecting across the country, I am returning to Chad for another school year.  I will try to keep this blog updated to share about my continued experiences.  I will miss all my family and friends here in the US, but returning to Chad allows me to “make dreams come true” (a quote from Katelyn).

July

Well for those of you who were concerned, I have indeed made it back to the U.S.  In fact I have been in the land of plenty for over a month now.  I first got to have 2 weeks of wonderful family time, as my grandpa put it, “a family reunion from 4 countries: Mexico, South Korea, Chad, and the U.S.”  It is true we had that sign taped to the back of our 12-passenger van that my dad was maneuvering around the streets of San Francisco.  It was a wonderful time of catching up on each other’s lives, playing games, and of course celebrating with my Uncle as he married his amazing bride.  I also admit that I was a wimp when it came to the bay area weather….my body was just not used to those frigid temperatures!

From the bay area I travelled north to Portland…the home of my eldest brother and my home previous to departing for Chad.  It was an amazing time of catching up with friends, relaxing, and honestly simply enjoying being with people my age.  We even got to spend one extremely sandy, windy, and unforgettable night along the coast of Oregon.  I will always remember waking up in the morning and not really being able to see the bottom of my tent due to the amount of sand inside.  It was sad to say good-bye, but I left Portland this time knowing that I would be returning in about 8 months.  There is no way I would miss out on the first wedding in my immediate family!

Next stop on my U.S. tour was Redwood City, home of the amazing Sandquist family and Holly.  For the record, I think that since meeting Elle every visit to California has included a stay with her family.  My time there was busy catching up with friends, finding out how lives have changed, and really just being reminded of what Christian community in the U.S. can look like.  Without roll models like these lovely ladies, it is so easy to get sucked into the mainstream culture and simply put my faith on a shelf somewhere.  It is the inspiration that they provided that encourages me to be more intentional in my faith.

This is the brief synopsis of what life has looked like for me in the glorious month of July.  It has been wonderful spending time with people and eating delicious junk food like chips and ice cream.  It is strange to walk into the grocery store here and see all the new flavors or new products that exist, but also realizing the insane amount of choices we must make to create a simple meal like spaghetti.  Honestly though, keeping busy has allowed me to sort of ignore the fact that I do have some things to process from my previous year.  I think that it is easiest to go along with the fun and ignore the idea that my life has been altered over this last year.  Remember I am only just starting to really process what this last year has meant to me.  First I know that I get joy from serving others, making their lives easier, and of course hanging out with children.  There is nothing quite like getting a big old hug from a child to brighten up any day.  I realize how blessed we are to grow up with so many luxuries.  I have learned to appreciate all the little things and thank God for how much he provides for all our needs.  Listening during our family prayer time I’ve realized that probably 70% of the prayers are thanking God for things he has done, has provided, or trusting he will provide.  I am getting to experience first hand how God watches over us.  We could face so many trials or situations could escalate to a dangerous level, but they don’t.  It is amazing how God wakes us up at the right moment, provides us with the needed information, or really works through local government to keep us safe.  It is interesting to change to the mindset that God has us in Chad for a reason, thus he will deliver us safely away when the time comes, or if he calls us home we can rejoice also.  It is finding that happy balance of being smart (like not going out of the compound alone after dark) but not being afraid.

A big area in life is how God is challenging me.  My original intention for going to Chad was the selfish idea that I would finally be able to return to Africa.  I also went under the concept that this trip would be like one of those vegetables your parents tell you to eat because it will be good for you.  Honestly this trip has been more challenging that I could ever have imagined.  First of all I love to serve others, make their loads lighter, and brighten their day some how.  I on the other hand really struggle with asking for help or even admitting that I do need help.  Originally I was planning that I could pretty much cover my costs, for this last year, from my own bank account.  Well God had other plans.  My taxes ended up being way more than I had counted on, reducing my savings by half.  So I had to begin to ask for help.  I started small with family and friends and last year was able to raise all my support through this simple effort.  Simply asking family was uncomfortable, but much easier than asking complete strangers.  This year though I am trying to branch out and really involve a few other churches not because I need so much more money, but because I want to share about my experience, the church in Chad, and the concept of Mission Nannys.  I want to help inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and experience the good and the bad.  Another struggle of mine is learning how to wait and listen.  Travelling off to Africa by myself is not how I imagined my life looking when I was younger.  After college it seems like I am just going from one thing to the next, figuring out each year what to do with the next year.  It seems like I am listening and waiting for God’s timing…but it is very hard to not be in control.  I do not like not knowing what comes next and not knowing seems to be my reality.

But anyway what comes next at this point is VBS or vacation Bible school.  We are actually just wraping up our week, then I can finally start to focus again on my return to Chad.  It is that time again….also if any one has any questions I can answer please, send them my way!