For Christmas This Year

There is nothing like a children's christmas program to bring out the festiveness of the season.  One of the songs performed at the West Nairobi School on Friday was "For Christmas this year" by TobyMac.  It got me thinking what will Christmas bring this year?  

So far I was blessed with a trip to Kenya thanks to an early christmas gift from family.  I am not sure I coud have asked for a better gift as this includes rest, relaxation, adventures, and cooler weather.  The evening temperatures have been down in the 50's which is quite chilly when you are used to 80 degree weather and only brought clothes for the 80's.  It has also been rainy at night so great sleeping weather.

ADVENTURES.. Besides spending time at school with Stacey and meeting lots of new friends... we went to the baby elephant orphanage and got to play with baby elephants, see a gazelle as well as a family of warthogs.... then we went to feed giraffes... went to a Christmas craft fair yesterday and then to  the ballet where some of Stacey's students were performing.  Also went to the slums to assist in passing out christmas buckets.

RELAXATION...After living in the village for the past 3 months there are certain things that you start to miss... on Thursday we went to Junction where we had Subway for lunch before doing some window shopping and going to see Catching Fire... the new Hunger Games movie... picked up a few things at Nakumatt that they don't carry in Kampala then went to get frozen yogurt.  Have enjoyed the time to be on vacation!

REST...Living in the village in an apartment attached to the clinic it seems that unless I pull all the curtains and lock the door that I always have visitors...either staff coming to visit...or little brown eyed cuties calling "Mamma Angela" ...or teachers in need of supplies.  It has been realy nice to rest in quietness and peace for a week.  Stacey has quite a collection of movies so it has been fun to sit and watch some old favorites like miracle on 34th street and white Christmas.   It has also been nice to have no agenda and be able to help in the teachers classrooms.  Gleaning some new ideas to take back to the village.

This trip has been a blessing in so many ways... from hot showers to meeting new friends to God providing above and beyond what I could ask or imagine.  It seems like each time I travel I have the privilege of meeting new people and building friendships!

Baby elephants

Ballet in Nairobi

The "new" normal

What is normal?

As I had caffine at dinner tonight and cannot sleep... I have been pondering a couple of conversations over the past few days.  I have come to the conclusion that I do not fall into the category of normal... whatever that looks like! 

In the bible, to be a Christ follower means we should be a peculiar people and stand apart.  We are to take the road less travelled and do things that make little sense to a world desiring to follow their desires. 

For many years, I have desired to be a wife and a mother but my desire to serve Jesus has been the driving force behind the choices I have made...and I live with no regrets!  I have been looked down upon because I haven't picked a guy to marry...I have been questioned as to my job choices... I have been ridiculed for not taking a position with decent pay and benefits... and I have had to deal with the heart wrenching questions about why I don't have children....

To all of this I answer.... I am not normal!  God did not call me to live in a safe little box... I don't fit into expectations... assumptions... or the ideals of "normal" ...whatever that may be.  Sorry to burst anyones bubble that thinks this is just a short term whim that will eventually get tossed aside in order to live a normal life...

If normal is a decent paying job where I work so much that I never see my children... I don't want normal.

If normal is marrying a guy just so that my needs are met and to check the married box... I don't want normal.

If normal is a 9 to 5 job where I am unhappy... I don't want normal.

If normal is just having children as a status symbol to let the world raise... I don't want normal.

If normal is living in a 5000 square foot house with a mortgage bigger than I make in a month... I don't want normal.

So I challenge you with the question... are you striving to be normal?

Normal looks good from the worlds point of view but has no eternal value.  The Lord works differently in each of our lives but he does give us the choice to listen to what He calls us to do... we can listen and obey.... or we can tune Him out with the noise of the world and try to be "normal".

Funny things

I have heard it said numerous times... clothes shrink when put in the dryer.  I have on occasion put jeans in the dryer to shrink so they will fit but it only works for a little while then they stretch out and are baggy.

Living in the village my clothes are having an issue... based on the theory above I am going to blame it on the clothes line... the clothes line is  making my clothes grow!! 

(Ok... I know this theory  falls apart fast when I haven't had a clothes dryer since I lived with my parents and have dryed everything on the clothesline in Hawaii!  And my clothes continued to fit!)

Which brings me to the problem at hand... I wash my clothes... I hang them out to dry... I go to put them on a day or too later and they are bigger than when I wore them the time before.  Most of what I brought in the line of clothes are skirts with elastic and sleep pants with drawstrings.  The drawstrings are getting their use and the elastic banded skirts are now sitting on my hips rather than my waist.

I know what you are thinking... stop blaming it on the clothes line and own up.  To that I respond... I have nothing to own up to... I am honestly not trying to lose weight...been in that battle for more years than I care to admit to and I decided a few years ago that if my body is healthy then I am happy.  And I am ... so I stopped worrying about the number on the scale and started eating and exercising to keep my body happy!  Still eating 3 meals a day and moving as much as I have been over the past couple of months.  I think this is the first time in my life that I am really not trying to lose weight but yet it is coming off.  I have nothing to compare it to except for clothes that are growing. 

I do find one major problem with my clothes growing... clothes are hard to come by here and I have 6 more months before I return to the states.  May have to start tying grass around my waist to hold up my skirts!  TIA!

I'm leaving on a jetplane...

And I will be back to Uganda in 10 days!

Decided that since no one at immigration seems to know what to do about my VISA situation...I thought I would take matters into my own hands and leave the country to explore.  Praying that when I come back...they will give me 90 more days and another excuse to see East Africa.  Please be praying with me on this!

So I am off to Nairobi, Kenya for the next 10 days to explore and visit a friend  who is the adminstrator of West Nairobi School.  Looking forward to gleaning some knowledge!

Again I sit in the airport.... waiting...

Well, finally went by the post office this morning on the way to the airport.  Wow....there was quite a letter or maybe I should call it a book as it is 6 typed pages!.  I have sat here in Entebbe airport waiting area enjoy a snack and reading the letter.  Great way to wait!

Hannington came to pick me up at 7:30 this morning and it only took 3 hours to get to the airport from the village... with a stop by the post office.  So I was too early to check in and was told to go enjoy a cup of coffee and wait.  The joys of Africa!  Lots of waiting!  My flight is to leave at 2:50pm and I have been here since 10:45am... would rather be early that late.

Finally checked in and went through priority with my medallion status.  Oh the joys of flying a lot.  Met a nice lady at immigration who checked my passport and recommended going to Mombasa the next time I go to Kenya.  Just had lunch of a chicken meat pie and a sprite and some window shopping.  Things are so much more expensive in the airport than they are at African village... the only difference is there are no people trying to get you attention to buy their wares at the airport.  And everything here is priced in US dollars which makes it even more expensive.  I think I will choose to do my shopping at African Village.

Now time to play the waiting game until time to go through security and board the plane.  Because it is only a week trip... I checked one bag and am just carrying a purse... which makes me feel very light!  Most times going through airports I feel and look like a pack horse with a loaded backpack and "personal item" like a duffel bag!

An African Sunday afternoon!

A sleeping child in my arms throughout the church service!  

A monkey out behind the church/school building.
There were a couple of others that didn't get captured by the camera!

Mamma Vencencia pounding sweet bananas to make kabagalagala.  Yum Yum!!!