FULLER ADVENTURES

times are a changing!

2011-12-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

I confess that I have made a shift from posting on the blog to posting on facebook - somehow time is not always in abundance to do both but I think I should try again. It was not so long ago I did not know what facebook was!

Our last post was nine months ago! To summarize, Ron and I returned from Malawi in June. We were very privileged to serve there and it was hard to say goodbye to new friends and coworkers. On a personal note we went to Zambia on Easter weekend and had a wonderful safari experience. We had to leave Malawi for a few days to renew our visas so the combination worked well.

Eventually, the project was finished, reports were complete, and Vancouver Island was calling!!

Since our return home we

have reconnected with Casey, Jo-Lynn and family,
had a month long visit with Jen, Caleb and the 2 little ones form Australia,
have been kayaking (day trips from Hornby Island),
took a road trip to Alberta for a CRWRC workshop,
visited family (Clayton and Bill and Bill's family and and friends in the Edmonton area and spent some time with cousins Bonnie and John in Windermere BC,
and most recently, we went to New York for 2 1/2 weeks to meet up with Marty and Annika.

No wonder I was not thinking much about blogging! This list does not include our visit to Cambridge in January, and Marty and Annika's visit to Nanaimo this fall!!

Perhaps a few pictures are the best way to paint a picture of our experiences .....

Malawi

a sign that there will be dancing today!

always curious

One of our favourite views in Malawi

checkers anyone? What a great use for bottle caps.

.... now about those dancers!

Zambia - Easter long weekend was our only 'time off' and leaving the country was mandatory - here are a few snaps of the adventure ....

lilac breasted roller

baboons

Vancouver Island

Jen with Thomas and Jonny

Casey, Jo, Rudy and Cassidy

camping at Rathtrevor

Caleb, Jen and the boys at Lantzville Beach

Hornby Island

Eagle

Heron

Well this post is long enough ..... more pictures to come another day!

Uniform Kindness

2011-03-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

We were ‘out and about’ in Lilongwe today when we were pulled over by the Malawi police. This happens often. The officer saluted smartly and asked Ron for his driver’s license. No problem! Ron always has it in his pocket!

Mmmmm ….. problem. It had been soaked in rain yesterday and was laying on our bedside table drying out!

‘So sorry sir – it is at our house just around the corner. We will go back and get it.’

‘What kind of driver’s license is it? It is an offence in Malawi not to carry your license.’

‘We appreciate that and we are very sorry sir. We both have international driving licenses. Can Lauris show you her license?’

Surprisingly, he agreed. She pulled a photocopy of both of our licenses.

We asked ‘Would you like us to pay a fine?’

The officer reiterated – ‘It is my his job to enforce the law.’

And then he smiled broadly saying ‘Since you are so organized and wise to carry the copies, you may continue your journey.’

One more big warm Malawian smile and we were on our way.

Malawian kindness in uniform.

We did not ‘push our luck’ by asking him if we could take his photo!

The Shortcut Home

2011-03-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

According to our friend Larry, it’s always a good idea to check if there are tire tracks on the road less travelled… sometimes there is a good reason that you have the road to yourself!

Take Friday for example! We were on a shortcut in a remote area when we found the reason! There was a bit of a gap on the roadway…. only about 10 feet wide and 4 feet deep but enough to slow us down!

Backtracking was an option but it was not our choice. There was a ‘guy gang’ with hand tools attacking the cave-in…… not that they could possibly repair the hole any time soon but they were anxious to help us.

We analyzed the best was forward. The trail going of to our right seemed like a good start. Then it was a left turn through the bush .. then the challenging bit … how to get down the bank. This is where the work crew came in - they threw their energy into digging a ramp and throwing rocks in the ditch.

Through Ron’s masterful aiming, the Hilux slid down the bank and onto the road “on the other side” … no problem. Some cash for the workers was in order. Larry had them all laughing by offering to divide the bills by the rip and tear method. We left them to decide how to share the bounty.

$9 well spent!

More Snaps

2011-03-17T02:38:00.000-07:00

drying racks for sardines

the setting sun at Senga Bay

not exactly the big five but wildlife none the same

Mr Lizard in the sunshine!

Squirrel frozen hoping he could be invisible

fishing nets - Ron's wonderful photo.

good advice

the restaurant at the Red Zebra Guest House

Next to the Red Zebra is a tropical fish

business which sends fish from Lake Malawi all around the globe.

A large shipment had just been sent to China.

We hope to re-visit this spot when there see more varieties of stock.

Snaps of Malawi

2011-03-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

We have learned that pictures are called snaps by the locals. So here are some snaps of Malawi.

Our house is a very very fine house! We love it!

We have plumbing and hot water in the shower

which we carry to the kitchen to do dishes.

Correction - Ron carries it!

Senga Bay Beach

A typical boat which carries lanterns for night fishing

to direct the larger boats in finding sardines.

These boats go out again in the daylight to catch larger fish.

The Senga Bay Fishing Fleet.

Mr Ron

Sardines for eating and for bait.

local acrobat!

Beach football - the dust bowl?

The river at Mua is a busy place for locals to bath and do laundry.

women at work

There are lots of granite 'mountains' like this one - stunning,

enormous root systems

This fascinating tree loses leaves in the rainy season and

regains them in the dry season

offering protection from the harsh sun.

The trees also add nitrogen to the soil.

It is called a faidherbia albide or Msangu tree.

Once a tree is three years old it gives enough nitrogen to the soil that fertilizer is not needed for the crops.

A maize field using conservation farming - holding in moisture and keeping weeds at bay.

These fellows led the way to the highway!

Amazing balancing act!

Their bikes are not substantial and most have no brakes!

Do not try this at home!

Our silence from blogging is simply because we are busy!

We hope to write more soon!

Malawi for the Very First Time!

2011-02-12T06:03:00.001-08:00

We have arrived in the rainy season so everything is lush and green in the city of Lilongwe. We flew with Ethiopian Airlines which delivered us to Malawi uneventfully (just the way we like it). We passed through Addis Ababa airport where we chatted a couple of men bound for Cameroon - one from Egypt and the other from Thailand. We always enjoy the gathering of nations as we travel!

We have been impressed by the friendliness of Malawians, the peaceful streets, the wonderful CRWRC folks and their warm welcome, and the comforts of our accommodation. Lilongwe has an orderliness to it and groceries are easy to find as long as you are not too fussy. Best of all – fresh produce!

In a few first days we experienced, hot sun, draining high humidity, incredible downpours, a ‘pet’ lizard, cockroaches of all sizes, centipedes and millipedes and lots of mosquitoes. But it is all good – after all, everyone and everything has to be somewhere! We do like Malawi very much

We went to a church where we heard an excellent message and were made to feel welcome. We will also visit some other churches and are thankful for the opportunities.

Malawi is called Africa for Beginners according to The Lonely Planet. It is also called the Warm Heart of Africa. 20% of the area of Malawi is Lake Malawi which is roughly half in Mozambique as well. We live in the capital City – Lilongwe.

The 2 main languages are English and Chichewa. We drive on the left side of the road. One negotiates the prices for many things.

CRWRC is working through local partners in 5 centres responding to a drought with food, seeds and tools and with the teaching and implementation of conservation farming techniques. 3000 households (18,000 people) are involved. Long term solutions are thus incorporated in addressing the immediate needs.

The problem of weather is a tough here one because after months of drought, sudden heavy rain can wash away the seeds and plants and quickly destroy what progress was made. We have heard someone call these weather shocks – good term. Conservation farming techniques are more drought resistant. We personally have a lot to learn about the topic. Some centers are situated in rain shadows so relief from drought is more challenging there.

We have done a fair bit of travelling in the countryside and we are hoping we will be able to find our way on our own for the next distributions!!

One of the beach areas on Lake Malawi is called Senga Bay. We walked among the fishermen who had returned form the nights fishing and learned a little about how they fish etc. Real life in Malawi! We are thankful we have been given this opportunity!

Four Short Days

2011-02-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

Four Short Days of Great Things. Cambridge revisited. Jan 23 to 27, 2011

This was our second visit to Cambridge where it is impossible to miss the depth of history, the greatness of innovative thought, the roots of faith and the amazing scientific discoveries.

Grand colleges and chapels abound and the city bustles with locals and students – mostly on foot and on bicycles.

Better than all of that was spending time with Marty and Annika who were their usual amazing selves. The time flew past so quickly but we were grateful to be there together. They have a great little (big on little – maybe 16 sq metres) cottage behind a row house in an area of town where the railway workers lived. Just up the street, the sign for the public bath is still on the building although it is no longer functioning as a bath building. If you have ever been to a public bath in Britain, I expect you may be smiling. My experience was back in the 70’s – an enormous tub in the centre of a small room with plenty of hot water and a clean towel – bliss as I recall!

It feels rather odd to be writing this while watching a small lizard try to come inside the window in Malawi but that is another post! It is quite a contrast to sitting in Kings College for an amazing evening song!

Marty is working toward a PhD at Cambridge and Annika spends part of her time in Berlin continuing with her entrepreneurial ways and exhibitions. Marty has some work speaking and leading seminars in addition to his studies. The work load sounds heavy to me! They are great encouragers for each other and to those around them.

No luck posting photos yet! Sorry.

A NEW WAY OF BEING

2011-01-20T22:54:00.000-08:00

I am not entirely sure why …. but I feel strangely at peace not knowing what the next bits of life look like in many ways. Ron and I look forward to embracing a new culture and looking into the lives of others who are dedicated long term to the betterment of the nationals they serve.

We are excited to learn Malawian ways, to visit the ‘warm heart of Africa’ to study the faces of people whose history is so very different than our own. They will show us images of God and faith journeys outside of our personal experiences. What a privilege! We are grateful.

Our journey begins with a visit to friends who live on the mainland – a time to catch up and enjoy long lasting friendships. From there we will spend time with Martin and Annika, exploring Cambridge for a bit before we continue on to Africa.

But what about today ? it was a delight - visiting with neighbors and friends, talking on skype to Ontario and Hawaii, getting an email from Thailand. Technology was my friend …. for today anyway!

And the housework is almost done – Canadians are spoiled with ‘conveniences’ and we have them in spades. My oven is cleaning itself, the dishwasher has done it’s job and the washing machine will be next to kick in. I am not working hard at all!

The adventure continues!

One Year Haiti Earthquake Response Link!

2011-01-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Here is the report from CRWRC - received just moments ago!

http://www.crcna.org/site_uploads/uploads/crwrc/images/relief/HaitiEarthquake/HaitiEQ_1YearUpdate.pdf

A Time of Preparation

2011-01-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

It is a new calendar year full of hope and anticipation. We have lived long enough to know there will be bumps along the road but we do not need to live in fear.

40 years is a time of preparation biblically and I have been musing on that thought - it seems to me that all of our adult lives (experiences) have been punctuated with a huge AH-HA!! by volunteering with CRWRC (the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee), We are so very grateful!

With our eyes fixed on 2011, we see a visit with Marty and Annika in Cambridge, 4 months of opportunity in Malawi- managing a CRWRC project, the summer here in BC and possibly a visit from the Brownhills, some kayaking, learning and growing in faith, family times and whatever else God puts in our path.

In preparation for the conservation farming / food for work project in Malawi we have been following the blog of those who have been there setting up and implementing the project: There are many pictures on their blog for November / December / January. If you are interested , please check out http://www.hoyers.blogspot.com. Malawi looks beautiful and the work is fascinating!

We bagan the new year with special friends of about 25 years! January 1 we walked on the waterfront in the sunshine but for Nanaimo it was cold!! Here are a few pictures down at the harbour:

Today is just 5 days short of the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti - the beginning of a year of complicated, challenging and often fatal events. While many horrors remain in Haiti, there are pockets of hope and progress. The work of CRWRC is among them. Following in the footsteps of George and Toni Fernhout, we spent 4 months on the Leogane focussed project which continues to move forward. There are over 500 homes which are earthquake and hurricane resistant, 19 deep pure wells, 44 latrines, an enormous rubble removal project to name just a part of what has taken place. Cholera prevention education and psycho social care have been undertaken as well. Thanks you to all who have contributed to these outcomes through your prayers, encouragement, volunteering and finances.You are making a difference. I understand that new videos and articles are being posted for the one year anniversary - Ron and I participated in a few of the older videos. Here are some links if you want to watch / read more:

http://www.crcna.org/pages/crwrc_ir_haiti.cfm

http://www.crcna.org/pages/crwrc_haitieq_videos.cfm

Haiti needs a lot of prayer cover - there are so many problems with poverty, lack of infrastructure, trauma, homelessness, lack of opportunities, anger and suspicion to mention a few. I need also mention people of resilience and strength whose faces bless my memory. The people are very special! May 2011 bring good changes to Haiti.

May 2011 see you all growing, learning and becoming - enjoy the ride!

Mexico December 2010

2010-12-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

In pure self indulgence Ron and I took a vacation for 2 weeks to Mexico. Puerto Vallarta and surrounding area were delightful and the 2 weeks flew by! The photos say it all!

Beautiful Beaches:

Gorgeous sunsets:

Delights for the eye:

Wonderful food:

Sweet kids:

Beautiful sculptures:

Traditional celebrations:

Parents proud of their children:

Iguanas!

What a privilege! We are grateful.

Inputs and choices

2010-11-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Pondering the multitude of options for this day I am impacted by:

the gift of having options
the need for wisdom to choose
the blessing of relationships
the people I miss who influence my life and decisions even in their absence

I (Lauris) am thankful for:

Ron
waking up to live another day
the smallness of my problems and the greatness of the needs in the majority world
today's numerous opportunities to be kind and generous
light, water, warmth, a hot shower (OK and a good cup of hot tea!)
laughter

I celebrate:

God's gifts of His word, His Son, forgiveness, hope, a future, security in Christ Jesus
the opportunities to serve with the life and experiences we have been given!
family and friends

As we enter into advent, we wish you all joy and peace in the knowledge and presence of Christ Jesus!

He came with a purpose! from the manger to the cross to His resurrection ... He was and is and is to come!

Christmas is not about a bunch of stuff!! Worship Hm and celebrate your relationships!

I am learning - slowly! I have along way to go!

Photos of Haiti CRWRC

2010-11-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

CRWRC has put in 19 deep wells in Leogane communities

a beautiful woman - Mme George

Cement for families to use for the house foundation and anchors.

She was delighted to have a floor.

home under construction

44 latrines,

a grateful woman.

Sugar cane cart for transporting housing components to the villages,

Photos of Alaska

2010-11-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

Ron enjoying an early May view - stunning

photos of Kenya

2010-11-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

Turkana sunrise

Beautiful people

Ron takes a nap

She was very pleased to have this photo taken together.

A camp for displaced people. tough conditions.

road side scene - termite hotel and camel.

after a rain.

on lookers at a food distribution,

sharing the maize

Times flies when you're .......

2010-11-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

enjoying many wonderful guests and family,
travelling to Alaska,
serving in Haiti for 4 months,
visiting in Ontario,
reconnecting at home,
preparing for a vacation and
looking forward to going to Malawi in 2011 with CRWRC

That is a lot of 'water under the bridge' since we last blogged to the point where I had forgotten how to log in!

All along the way there are lessons to learn, opportunities to bless and be blessed, wonders of God and amazing people.

The more we learn and experience, the more we realize how much we do not know! The struggles along the way are just as important as the 'wow' moments! Maybe even more. We look forward to what lies ahead in the confidence that God is with us.

Our hearts are aching for the people of Haiti as they suffer with the aftermath of the earthquake, the hurricane and the cholera outbreak. In the midst of all this an election campaign is underway.
The press does not tell many important stories about Haiti - for example Haitians cannot cross the border into the Dominican Republic just now which shuts down the livelihoods of those who purchased goods for market in the DR.
On the plus side CRWRC is hard at work - if you want to learn more check out

http://www.crcna.org/pages/crwrc_reliefresources.cfm for newsletters and videos from our time in Haiti

http://www.crwrc.org/pages/crwrc.cfm for their wonderful work globally.

So - that's it for now - perhaps some photos will follow! Perhaps!

Advent is upon us and we are listening to some Chris Tomlin music on you tube. It was not so long ago that I did not know what you tube was! (thanks Caleb).

Christmas - it is so NOT about stuff!

Bless you all

goats for gold

2010-01-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.goatforgold.com/

Check it out ... and hey there USA - how about trying to out give Canadians in goats !!

Gifts of Life

2009-12-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

This year, more than ever, I am enjoying preparing gifts of life for giving - gifts of goats, mosquito nets, relief food, and even latrines. Call me a slow learner - but it has taken me this long (62 years!) to truly appreciate the opportunity to give in this way.

Merry Christmas world!

TIS THE SEASON

2009-12-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

What's it all about? Shopping? Getting? Eating?

Compassion? Relationships?

Here is a thought provoking video .....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkTyPzRzuwc

What if we all took it to heart? What if ?

Christmas blessings to you and may your Christmas be made fresh and new...

May I be changed.

Everyone can do something #1

2009-08-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

As I continue to try to grasp - at least in part - the circumstances and tragedy of global poverty I think a lot about old question "what we can do about it?"

As I pray and meditate further I sense that I might share some of what I am finding / learning ... not that we personally do all these things but simply for consideration .... because everyone can do something.

Speaking of simply, we are attempting to live more simply in order to have more to give and for the sake of this beautifully created world. There is a saying - Live simply that others may simply live. Rings true to my ears!

Here is the first little find for sharing - it is a micro finance site at www.kiva.org which facilitates funding from the general public which can be assigned to a designated individual for business start up.

One must use their own judgement of course but it seems that enabling an individual to have a livelihood is worth some consideration. We heard about this at the Leadership Summit we attended last week.

We are grateful to have had 2 past opportunities to serve some of the neediest of the needy in Africa in 07 and in 08/9. One cannot help but see not only neediness, sickness, hunger, and poverty but also the incredible strength, persistence and determination among these very capable, community oriented individuals and families. We have given some of ourselves but received and learned so much more. Such opportunities are to be deeply appreciated.

I hope the kiva site is of interest to you.

Blog Fever

2009-08-04T05:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget things - such as "I don't have to leave the country to blog"! Summer on the island is noteworthy in itself !

The simple things are often the best - a walk on the waterfront listening to an amazing youth choir, bumping into friends and breathing in the salty sea air.

I love this place ....... Nanaimo is home.

From here there is easy access to so much out doors - trails, beaches, kayaking spots, picnic places and so on...

The city's downtown core just keeps getting better and better and the waterfront holds fascination for us with its boat basin and sea planes and walkways, enough coffee shops to fill your boots!

Most of our needs are easily met within walking distance of home and there are many opportunities to serve others in both organized and serendipitous ways. And you meet lots of interesting people along the way ... I am so thankful.

To be honest however, I do tend to have "itchy feet" to head off again with CRWRC or Mission Builders .... to serve where needed .... I surely do miss Africa ! It gets into you somehow and it does not care to leave! But for now we are here We are blessed,

Nanaimo

2009-04-20T01:39:00.000-07:00

Pipers Lagoon

Ron, Annabel and Brigitte

The music conservatory just up the street from home

Casey, Cassidy, Jo and Rudy!

Cambridge photos

2009-04-20T01:28:00.001-07:00

The river runs alongside Marty's Dorm building!

Marty's dorm room window is the largest one.

Annika and Martin

RE-ENTRY

2009-04-20T01:23:00.000-07:00

We have been home for almost 2 weeks and are readjusting to what ‘normal’ daily life looks like. It is a bit of a wrestling match – like trying to fit the pieces of a jigsaw without the photograph of what the finished piece should look like. Perhaps we will never know the ‘answers’ for places like Kenya but we feel privileged to assist in some small way.

In the meantime we had an amazing time in Australia and then in Cambridge before arriving back home on the coast we love so dearly.

Backtracking to Australia – the day to leave came far too quickly with Jonathan just a week old. Pete and Shirl (Caleb’s amazing parents) joined Caleb, Jen, Thomas, Jonathan and Ron and I at the airport to see us off – to visit, bless, pray and say goodbye. You can probably imagine my complete melt down in tears going through security….. and the thanksgiving in my heart for such a precious visit.

We flew to Singapore and on to Heathrow. From there we took a bus to Cambridge which stopped a block from our B&B. Marty and Anni met us and we walked, wandered, listened, talked, photographed and soaked up the history and beauty of the area. M and A are great company anytime and anywhere! We ate in a couple of pubs, visited a botanical garden, browsed the book stores, museums, colleges etc. What a beautiful place! History enfolds you everywhere you turn and the weekend flew by all too quickly.

Before we knew it we were heading back to the airport for a Heathrow to Vancouver flight …and then onward to Nanaimo where Don and Joan graciously drove us home despite the time of day!! It was wonderful to see them and to start connecting with friends and family here…..

Adjusting to the comforts of home and the affluence of life in Nanaimo takes time but readjusting to people takes only micro seconds …. Just cannot get enough of them! As for sliding into routines like housework … well that is another story!!!! Some things I honestly don’t miss when I am away from home! But I am thankful to have a home to care for …. I just need to get a rhythm going!!

The most frequent question we hear is ‘what’s next?’. God knows the answer to that one and we will know in due time. Whatever and wherever the adventure continues.

photos and such

2009-03-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

We await the opportunity to work from our own computer so we can upload some more photos. In the meantime there are some at www.flickr.com/photos/laurzy.
We leave Perth in 24 hours and travel for 20 hours to Heathrow, then a bus ride to Camrbidge.... and reunite with Marty and Annika. We are truly blessed.

The Brownhill Connection

2009-03-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a joy to be here in Perth and sharing in the anticipation and arrival of Jonathan David. We have had the priviledge of reconnecting with Thomas and being blessed in many ways. We hope you enjoy the photos!

Visual Turkana

2009-03-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a wee taste of Turkana visially.

We are now in Perth with Jen, Caleb and Thomas awaiting Bubs #2. We spent the first 5 days here at the beach getting over jet lag while Ron battled a bug he picked up the day we left Kenya.

We are missing our team in Kenya very much but lovng the enfolding of the Brownhills and the YWAm group.

We are also enjoying a good internet connection on the base!!!

Our accomodation is in a house about 5 blocks from the YWAM campus with 2 couples who are doing a crossroads DTS. They are leaving for Papau New Guinea in a couple of weeks time. They have had an amzing expereince here in Perth and are looking ahead with great anticipation. Hopefully we can stay in touch with them and hear about their outreach.

Keep watch for some baby news! JEN IS READY!

ENDING A CHAPTER

2009-03-08T21:31:00.001-07:00

‘There is nothing like a good book’ ….however….. experiencing the ‘real thing’ is definitely richer.

When Ron and I married some 35 + years ago, we did not fully recognize our mutual love for adventure…. As that spirit grew over the years, it fortunately grew in both of us …..so here we are living some amazing adventures.

Beyond the sights and sounds of a new place there is a pulse …. a heartbeat. Becoming truly involved in the lives of locals in Kenya has brought us to the emotional heartbeat of this place. It has been an amazing blessing.

But back to good books – we read an ‘out of print’ book while we were here called My Kenya Days. We enjoyed it not for its literary brilliance but for its ability to engage us in Turkana back in the 1960s. It gave us a way to connect many things to the realities we experienced there in 2008/2009!

Still speaking of books, we purchased a Safari Guide to East African Wildlife after being on Masai Mara and were thus introduced to an amazing photographer - Jonathan Scott. The book we bought is not his best photographically speaking, but if any of you who like photography can find one of his books in the library – be sure to check it out! He has a web site which is worth finding and his wife, Angela, is also an excellent photographer.

Back to ending a chapter - a good chapter … it makes you want to go the next…. but that one of course is not yet written in the physical realm….. although God knows it well. We do not know if we will return to Kenya again but we are surely willing!

So, how to describe the chapter which has just closed? It was surely full of surprises, challenges, new sites, rough roads, hard paces, and some pretty uncomfortable beds. There were those poisonous spiders in our hotel room, a few unidentifiable meals and other inconveniences. But these are not the things we will remember. That which is clear in our minds eye is all amazing:

· Travelling to what initially felt like the end of the earth and finding there neediness ….but also perseverance, commitment, adaptability, determination, faith, and sharing.
· Wonders of creation including the most beautiful sunrises imaginable
· Opportunities to serve, connect with, mentor and work alongside some of Kenya’s finest individuals.
· The challenge to the heart and mind when there are far more needs than possibilities and to move forward without becoming discouraged
· Adapting to travelling with armed security escorts when our basic leaning is to not get close up and personal with guns of any kind!
· The privilege of sitting under an acacia tree with the Turkana women listening to them chatting and sharing womanly things without using words.
· Dancing with the locals and hearing their laughter (at us!)
· Listening to the people sing in their own language a song which declares –‘we don’t now the future but we know that God will guide us’.
· The inward ‘embarrassment’ of watching tiny women who eat only one small meal a day pick up a 50 kg sack and walk off with it on their heads when I cannot even lift it off the ground without help.
· Witnessing the Turkana people who sit and wait patiently for food for many hours in the blazing sun and blowing sand.
· Being humbled to be given Turkana names – Akal (Lauris) – meaning Place of Rest and Ewoi (Ron) (aye whoi) meaning Acacia Tree. This is an act of love and acceptance and we were indeed honored.
· The generosity of people who have little….. sharing their possessions in blessing to others, including ourselves.
· The blessing of being loved and respected while simultaneously agonizing over farewells to colleagues who will be forever in our hearts.

In the midst of one chapter now closed…. there is also anticipation of the next and the next and the next. God is good – He holds the future – He makes us willing. His grace is sufficient. He supplies our needs. Praise be to God and thank You for a great chapter!!

TIME OUT

2008-11-23T06:47:00.001-08:00

This blog is on hold until at least March 2009.
I have made a personal decision to commuincate only by email for now.
Hope to hear from you! Lauris

Life Kenyan Style

2008-11-11T21:58:00.001-08:00

Ordering from a Menu – the list may be long but, like travel in other parts of the majority world, only a few items might be available on any given day and the very tastiest item of the day may not be listed. So (Sa sa) it is best to ask for a recommendation and dialogue a little before you place an order. We have enjoyed some particularly tasty chicken stews. It is customary to eat with your hand – I must confess I still prefer a spoon or fork. This leads me to hand washing.

Hand Washing – In many restaurants and in private homes you are offered the opportunity to wash up … a jug of water and some soap or perhaps sliced lemon or lime appear and a basin held beneath your hands while the water is poured for your wash up. I like it! There is such a sweet attitude of servant hood that goes with this. After the meal, the same courtesy is offered.

Drinking chai – I have grown fond of drinking chai here – a thermos (usually very large) containing steaming hot milk arrives at the table along with tea bags and instant coffee. I stick to the tea. The Kenyan sugar is lovely and chai is usually consumed sweet. I may have to take this habit home with me! Sometimes the chai comes premade in the thermos … it is a real treat.

Greetings – Kenyans are very friendly people and there is plenty of time to shake hands and greet each other. I particularly love to offer my hand to the little ones who shake it and say ‘mzuri’ meaning fine. We were in church on Sunday and a very small boy (maybe 18 months old) came up to Ron to be held…. Very sweet. Some of the children are rather terrified by our white skin. Some cannot wait to get their fingers in our grey hair!

Time – there is North American time for some things, Kenyan time which is less definite and Swahili time which is totally different …. It keeps things interesting!

Courtesies – Kenyans ask about your well being and your family regularly and genuinely want to hear from you. Mothers are given a special place and to be introduced to an adult person’s mother is special. We have met some lovely mothers.

Age – I cannot do well guessing peoples age here - life is hard for many and a person of 50 might look so much older to me. I will not guess! Many women have their first child in their teens. The carry heavy bags on their heads, a baby on their back and other items in their hands. I cannot.

Driving – Drive on the left, right, or best side … drive beside the road or off on a track through the sand, through river beds ….. and in Turkana you will average about 35 Km/hour. We pray before we set out and give thanks when we arrive….. it is an adventure for sure!

Post Comments - sorry we have been unable to read your post comments but we will as soon as we have a good enough connection! We have posted a few photos on flickr if you care to look. Again not all have captions due to internet limits. But we HAVE internet!! Yeah!

DODGE BALL

2008-10-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

One of the few PE activities I was reasonably good at a young girl was dodge ball. If you don’t know the game, half the class stood in a circle throwing a large ball at other half of the class who were inside the circle trying to ‘dodge’ the ball. It was not rocket science to excel at the game but it was an achievement for me none the less.

I thought of that game as we were discussing prioritizing the tasks before us. Just as in doing business at home in Canada there are urgent tasks, important tasks, busy work tasks and curve balls ( I was never good at dodging those ones). We want to give our best to the relief work we came to help manage. We want to be wise in the use of our time. We want to invest in encouraging and mentoring the wonderful promising bright lights of Kenya – well at least a few of them.

Kenyans are a fascinating people and I have great fun trying to adapt my North American accent to be clearly understood. Many Kenyans speak at least 2 languages – often 3 and sometimes additional local dialects on top of that. I am not particularly good at picking up languages. I have to concentrate on my English pronunciation, realizing how I often run one word into the next and drop endings!! I am improving. I try to use a little Swahili.

I love how Kenyans take time to warmly greet each other – looking at you with an big smile and recalling the last time you met. I love the custom of stopping in somewhere just to greet a person you have previously met. I love how even very small children will come to shake your hand. I love being wished a ‘safe journey’ and ending a conversation with ‘sawa sawa’ which loosely translated is something like ‘OK’ or ‘it is all good’.

I love buying vegetables in the local market and often gladly pay the first price I am given because it is an OK price in my eyes and it helps out the vendor. Sometimes we barter seriously; sometimes we barter and they pay a higher price because we want to…it is all part of living in another culture.

I love coming back to the house where we are stay in Eldoret and looking at the photos of the coast of Vancouver Island which we left on the walls here last year in December …. I love thinking about our family, friends, neighbors and church .. I love connecting with people here too and knowing that a part of us will always belong to Kenya!

Blessed in Turkana Country

2008-10-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

We have been to greet the people of Turkana (many of whom are still pastoralists) in a dry arid region in northwest Kenya , and more specifically the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who call Turkana their ancestral home. They are amazing, adaptable and perseverant, welcoming us warmly and politely. They are ingenious at making a house out of the simplest of materials … they have many basic needs: food, irrigation, hope, schools….. hunger is an on-going serious problem and much of the land is unforgiving. Thousands live in camps.

We have travelled on long bumpy hot roads , seen an outstanding brilliantly colored rainbow, watched dik-diks and wart hogs scoot across the road, and observed the shepherds with their goats or camels. We have seen evidence of elephants and heard how they trample the crops.

We have met many of our local partner representatives and are getting to know some of them more personally. There are many stories among the IDPs – hard to fathom stories… as well as stories of the goodness of churches and well wishers.

The newspapers are still full of news relating to the post election violence, Keyans are still working through what happened and the evidence is widespread ….. here in Turkana we do not have to look far.

We are eagerly anticipating the beginning of food distributions – the lorries will be challenged by the road conditions…. very challenged! Please pray for safe passage!

We are happy to be here. We are blessed! Blessed in Turkana country!

Back in the Saddle Again!

2008-10-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

It is good to be back in Kenya – to renew friendships and to face new challenges.
Life is interesting and Africa makes it even more so! We are anticipating our responsibilities with lots of questions and excitement as well.

Regrets? Probably one -- I did not bring our digital SLR which we found attracted much attention and was somewhat cumbersome. So I need to adjust to using the small camera which we got using Aeroplan miles.

We are still in Nairobi – working out a plan for a quality vehicle to drive and delving into the details of the relief project. We should be in Turkana by Tuesday experiencing a whole new world.

Nairobi is cool with much needed nightly rains. Ron has been off to the Toyota dealership, the bank, & the Canadian embassy. I hope to experience a little more of the city on Saturday.

We will have the same house in Eldoret that we had last year which is very suitable for our purposes. Everything Turkana still feels like a mystery!

Tomorrow is a holiday in Kenya so getting all the needed work done before we head out looks a little questionable at the moment ….. time to prioritize.

In between times we are enjoying connecting with people at the guest house who serve in a multitude of ways.

Our National Relief Manager will head out for 2 weeks in Canada and the US as a speaker and attendee at the IRM conference in Michigan. It will be an amazing experience for him and dream come true,

Bless you all and stay tuned for some more descriptive colorful events!!

PRAYING PLANNING PACKING and PLAYING

2008-09-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

The phone rings and it is time to break out into overdrive – we leave home in 9 days! Destination Kenya after a brief stop in Ontario. What to do first??????
We need to pray.
We need to plan.
We need to pack.
We need to play!
Play? Spend time with friends and appreciate the things you can do at home that will not be part of your lives for some months – like exercising at the pool, tea time with friends, long safe walks any time of day, bible study with dear long time friends, racquetball with John and so on.

Will we miss these things? – yes. Are we happy to be going? – yes.

The project on which we will volunteer is in north western Kenya among the Turkana people who are living in harsh and unforgiving conditions. We will oversee food relief and will stay until the end of February …

As we plan, prepare and pack we begin to re-focus our mindset.

For example, We are driving along the highway following a vehicle with a unassembled Rubbermaid shed on the roof. We are reading the description on the box as we sit at a red light and simultaneously it strikes both of us how this mere shed suddenly looks like a sophisticated home !

Adventure and many challenges lie ahead. We are privileged to be able to participate. Old friends and new ones await – we’re coming - but first we pray, plan, pack and play!

ANTICIPATION

2008-09-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in our lives but posting blog entries has (sadly) not been a priority. We have had many wonderful visitors and adventures with family and dear friends. Thank you all for who you are and all you mean to us. You are truly amazing.

A new adventure is appaearing on the horizon. Details to follow if it comes into fullness!

Going to the Sun Road

2008-08-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Going- to- the- Sun Road, Glacier National Park Montana July 26, 2008.

Ron takes the opportunity to travel with 8 of the YWAM Montana TESOL class from Flathead Lake to Logan Pass on the Going-to-the Sun Road……for a taste of the mountain scenery of NW Montana.

The route followed by this legendary mountain road was identified in 1911, and construction was completed in 1932……and remains today much as it was in 1932. Vehicles longer than 21 feet (including bumpers) or wider than 8 feet (including mirrors) are prohibited. The dramatic (and narrow) 2 lane cliff-hanging climb to 2025 metre (6646 ft.) Logan Pass is breath-taking…….jagged peaks, waterfalls, lush valleys, lakes, inviting trails.

The weather is sunny and warm with light winds……more snow than usual following a severe winter and cool spring.

This is a perfect day for a short hike and we share the trail with tourists from around the world. From shorts and flip-flops, to full-on mountain gear…..a diverse bunch.

The short hike to Hidden Lake from the parking lot at Logan Pass involves a pastoral stroll on pavement and boardwalk, several traverses over slimy snowfields, scrambling over a narrow scree face, and an encounter with a family of mountain goats on the winding trail…….fulfilling one of Ron’s fantasies since childhood. Every direction is a photo-op….the ‘cathedral’ of rocky cliffs surrounding Hidden Lake……the marmots in the rocks…..the big-horned sheep on the horizon…..the ground squirrels looking for lunch……the mountain meadows. Wow. A place to contemplate, to reflect on God’s handiwork and to “be still and know that I am God”. A difficult place to leave.

We retrace our route…..realizing that there remains a lifetime of exploring and pondering available here.

A break for a Montana huckleberry shakes on the way, then home for supper.

Ron's new profession

2008-03-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

King of the Stir Fry!

Other Thoughts and happenings

Pete Brownhill arrives today (Mar 16th) and it is Shirl’s birthday tomorrow. (she is here now). Hopefully we will find time this week to squeeze in a 3 generation photo. Thomas (8 months) is crawling full speed but prefers walking. He can stand on his own for a few seconds and pushes himself to the standing position whenever possible. A fun stage.

Yesterday Lauris went on a photo shoot with Ashley (a school of photography leader) and friend Laura. Such fun! We went to a small town called Captain Cook - Ron went on a kayaking trip out of the same area to hang out with the dolphins and had an awesome time. He got in the right water with the dolphins and also went snorkeling. Good times.

Right now I have laryngitis – I suppose as a blessing to others! Ron has a plugged ear – so we are 2 funny old geezers trying to hear each other! It’s a bit exhausting!

This past week we were challenged to be reflectors of Christ’s love in the world and not to have a spirit of religion (i.e. governed by rules) – lots to think about….. it is so easy in all areas of life to judge others in light of your own ideas. So we are reminded to focus on the character of God, to seek out Jesus ways and to reflect Him back to the world. A tall order - especially if we try to do so in our own strength. Fortunately we don’t have to.

Kona weather – this is pretty perfect weather – I gather the temperatures don’t vary much from season to season but the humidity does… I relay enjoy being out in the evening in a tee shirt and shorts. Delightful. We have only 2 more weeks in the kitchen – the time to leave is coming too fast! But on the other hand we will see family and friends at home and have Thomas and Jen and Caleb for 2 weeks! Lots to look forward to. It will be fun to introduce the Nanaimo cousins.

Kenya – we follow the news in Mount Elgon where we served and where there is a big military operation underway. I shutter when I think of the trauma the innocents are experiencing. I can't get the picture out of my mind. Perhaps we will get to go back and help make a difference there.

Spring is coming soon to Nanaimo - I hope it is well established by April 1st!!

Sweet Moments

2008-02-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

Little Man on the Move
A little chopping never hurt anyone! Sheila from Washington State is next to me.

SWEET MOMENTS

Sweet Young Spirit
A young girl about 7 years old came into the kitchen while we were cleaning up after lunch and asked if she could pray for us. In appreciation for the work of the kitchen crew she quietly and confidently asked God’s blessing on us. What a sweet moment!

Cruise Ships
A number of cruise ships come regularly into port here in Kona. They usually depart but literally sailing off into the sunset. It is such a beautiful sight – one did so on a beautiful clear evening a few nights ago and me without my camera!. None the less - What a sweet moment!

DTS Outreach Returnees
We went last night to an informal evening with students who just returned from Cambodia, Columbia. Vietnam and China. We talked to them – mostly very young ones 18 / 19. They spoke with great excitement of all that saw and heard. A frequently used phrase was ‘life changing’. More sweet moments!

Tattoos and Piercings
I saw a young man approaching the kitchen area yesterday very ‘decked out’ with tattoos and piercings. He was singing and waving his arms. No - he was not on drugs – he was singing the doxology! Another sweet moment! God looks at the heart.

Your Sweet Moments.
I hope you are having sweet moments in your life too.

WHAT A RIDE!

2008-02-13T23:37:00.000-08:00

I can say that about a lot of things right now!! What a ride!!

Starting at the obvious – Harpuna Beach – watching whales on a perfect sunny day with waves big enough to knock me down (twice) but … once I was out past where they broke it was such fun to rise and fall on the swells in the warm salt water – what a ride!

Listening to Rya’s story – Rya is from Tajekestan – she told her story about how she came to be in Kona – amazing! Briefly she became a Christian as a young teen but this was not good in her family’s eyes. She was beaten beyond recognition and her life was threatened. A couple of years later, she was in her church when it was bombed. She survived but returned to help those whose clothes had been blown off when a second bomb went off burning her over 90% of her body and exposing the insides of her brain. She died and saw Jesus but asked to return to earth to serve Him. He agreed and she came back to the excruciating pain of her injuries. The doctors said she would not live but she did – she is now fully healed except for a small scar on her head.
She wanted to study at Oral Roberts University but had to get better English skills. She enquired about ESL in Kona. But instead she was allowed to enroll directly in a discipleship training program (this is not normative) …. She had the means to travel to Moscow and apply for a visa which she received. She borrowed some money from a friend and flew to LA. She tried to get a flight to Hawaii but was short of funds. As she was getting help on the internet to find a cheaper flight, someone heard of her plight and paid her way…. So here she is.. what a ride!

By the way – an offering was taken to pay off her debt and send her on outreach – that will be another amazing ride!

Day of prayer and fasting – There were many amazing speakers, testimonies and declarations - Caleb talked about how battles are won or lost in the heart . I had time to examine my heart and God spoke to me about many things. A number of scriptures came to mind about mercy, about feeding the hungry … like Isaiah 59 – one part reads “spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed’ …. I pray for more opportunities to do that very literally… what a ride!

Sitting on the shores of the ocean outside at a church service with waves crashing, praising God and being led through scripture at a seeker sensitive but not watered down examination of the word. What a ride!

Hearing about Mission Building opportunities all over the world - this is for both those who are adventuresome and for those who are less adventurous. www.missionbuilders.org. What a ride!!

It’s all good. Very good!

Lots of thoughts and directions

2008-01-30T21:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes my mind seems to go many ways at once – it has been that kind of a week :

Kenya – the country is at the tipping point – there is all the election and political inputs which have resulted in chaos and destruction – there is disease which takes hold especially of the weak and the young – there is hunger and homelessness – there are families torn apart – there is fear and hatred - there is also potential. Changes have to come from within the country. No matter how much money the world pours into Kenya – the real changes will have to come from within. Heart changes. Loving as Jesus loves.

Friends – Friends are a gift from God and we are so blessed.
Don and Joan took time out from their vacation in Honolulu to come and visit ….Drinking Kona Coffee by the sea and walking on a lovely beach….
Neil and Anita have been vacationing here on the Big Island and we have had the opportunity to visit and chat and sight see … always a joy
Dave and Laura are coming in a few days …. Lots of anticipation and excitement to see them and hear their stories of Brazil, South Africa, India, Thailand and more --- I am so thankful anticipating time together

Ukuleles – guess what – they really do play ukuleles in Hawaii – even in the kitchen at the U of N - Sam will sometimes pull out his ukulele as we are finishing up our work duties – got to love that. We enjoy the serving in the kitchen and the many people of all ages with whom we work or talk to – God is working here in so many people and preparing Christians everywhere to join together and complete the great commission.

Caleb Jen and Thomas – it is such a treat to be close by – walking about with Thomas is like having a celebrity in our midst. He is so smiley and relational that he has a following at age 6 months! His body is small but he is a ‘big’ man on campus! It is a blessing to talk to students in the Megacities DTS who re being challenged and inspired – I wonder how their lives will be changed by this experience.

Rain – it has rained twice since we have been here – as in sheets of rain and wild thunder …. Apparently it has not rained for months so the rain is much needed and s very dramatic! “When she rains, she pours!”.

Kona coffee – hand picked and very tasty – some coffee is 100% Kona coffee but much is blended … It is becoming my weekend treat. Harry, who runs the kitchen, grew up farming coffee - a coffee plant is about 16 feet high – the ones we saw at high elevation in Kenya were smaller – Maybe 10 feet. There are places here where you can tour and learn about coffee.

Weekends – we have had 2 weekends here and both have involved a breakfast out and beaches. Kona has a small swimming beach beside the pier but you have to drive to get to most – we have found one sandy beach but it is a long drive. Fortunately Mission Builders band together and head out regularly so we should get to enjoy a variety of locations. This is a popular spot for cruise ships which island hop – Kona is a petty quiet place but the shops are hopping when a couple of big boats unload 6000 people into the town!

Movie – we can get movies from the library here and we watched ‘I Am David’ this week – a very moving story – if you get a chance to watch it, let me know what you think of it. It is based on a novel. Anyone read it?

Challenges – I could hear a bit of the teaching on listening to God today as I was setting up buffet lines and washing tables. I am thinking about how I am so busy talking and doing instead of listening. There will be a time of fasting and praying here soon – I want to listen. You may hear soon of something called the Call to All. I will write about it as I learn more. Youth with A Mission is an exciting ministry and our experience at the Perth base has been a delight – we look forward to having the chance to sit on a DST class or two.

Emails – thanks so much for the emails – Keep them coming please – bless you for taking the time to write!

Kitchen-ing 101

2008-01-28T22:37:00.000-08:00

Kitchening 101

Hey – I’ve invited 700 for lunch – hope you can handle it – and by the way they’ll stay for dinner.

I have to admire these people who run the food side of life here at the University of the Nations. I think the kitchen was designed for about half the number now being fed – but somehow it all works out.

Besides it isn’t really about the food – it is about the people whom God is calling and teaching and the plans he has to use them in many ways around the world – it is about the stories of what He has done in the past and is doing today and will do in the future. It is about healing and breaking down and building up. Which brings me back to the lettuce.

A couple of cases of romaine to cut and clean and spin for 4 minutes in my new favorite toy, Get it well chilled and set it out to feed the people God wants to use I wonder where that nutrition will end up…. Asia? Africa? Europe? North America? South America? Who knows? Keep the people well nourished so they can concentrate on what they are learning.

Working in the kitchen can look like lots of different things … barbequing several hundred pounds of beef, racking up 179 pizzas for baking, or trying in vain to open the door of the large freezer and finally getting help form the ironman! Lots of people here are into the triathlon / ironman thing.

Now picture the dishes – plenty of dishes.

Some times it is slow in the kitchen and sometimes it is hard to keep up! At the end of the day I am always tired and I think dehydrated. This week I will try to consume much more water … speaking of water … I am thinking of the next blog it will be about weekends!

KONA 1

2008-01-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

Kona View
Thomas at 6 months!

What is bigger than a breadbox, smaller than a Volkswagen beetle, and is Lauris’ new favorite toy? It’s a bright green electric salad spinner the size of a cement mixer! Handy for preparing salad greens for 700!

Life in the kitchen from 6:30 AM to 2:30 PM is many things – like hard work and sore feet – but more so it is working together with people from all over the world to further God’s purposes …. Both Ron and I are enjoying the opportunity to serve and being part of the Mission Builders team who have come to give all they are – flat out and flying! Some are young and some are – well – not so young – but all are here willingly and enthusiastically and God has reasons for it all. One fellow was in Kona on a cruise a year ago and came to see the YWAM campus – returning this year on his vacation time from work to serve through Mission Builders. One lady has come for 13 years! Some of the Mission Builders are Korean students who took the ESL course and stayed on to serve.

We have the personal joy of being with Jen, Caleb and Thomas – what a treat to meet here while they are busily leading a Discipleship Training School…. seeing them ministering and hearing Caleb preach – playing with Thomas who is so full of sweet smiles and enjoys people just like his mom and dad. …Caleb’s father Pete was here last weekend and we all headed out to the beach and for supper at Bubba Gump’s. (M-m-m good shrimp!)

Our accommodation is comfortable and the meals on campus are generous, tasty and varied. Hale Ola is home to about 100 Mission Builders!

We find ourselves still praying for Kenya a lot – for the nation and for the people whom we hold dear. We cannot forget and would not want to forget.

Now about the Big Island – the weather in Kona is amazing – sunny and hot. There is much black lava on the beaches and rather strange looking black crabs … moonscape-ish! I always enjoy palm trees and beautiful floral. The aroma of Kona coffee is never far off ….

There is no public transport and things are a bit spread out so it will take some time to know the town. We have just been here 6 days and have a few favorite walks…. Mostly along the water front where there is a small swimming beach. We go back and forth to campus in YWAM vans.

Friends Neil and Anita from Vancouver are here and we had a nice day together exploring part of the island and finding a nice lava beach. Don and Joan will be here this weekend and Laura and Dave soon arrive for a month as Mission Builders! We are blessed!

Right now I am listening to some kids having a game of tether ball outside our window. The laundry is almost done and the ceiling fan has us comfortable and relaxed! It is good here in Kona. I am thinking on the worship service we just had and thankful to have come!

Kenya - Our Hearts Are There

2008-01-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

It is heartbreaking to hear about all that has happened in Kenya since our departure on Dec 19th …. How can anyone comprehend the turmoil and the suffering? …. a lack of integrity in the presidential election process is the trigger; the underling tribalism and corruption are so pervasive and are so much at the root of the problems….. impediments to true democracy.

Honesty, transparency, accountability…. these were the watch words of the CRWRC project we were privileged to serve on…. These were the characteristics we saw in our co-workers …. These are essential for justice and mercy to abound.

Now Kenya reels in pain……suffering from a deficiency in the building blocks for true democracy: honesty, transparency and accountability……. from the top down.

There is a quote that says: Peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice (Marin Luther King perhaps?). Such justice is more than stopping the demonstrations in Kenya…..much more.

There is another famous quote from the bible:
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.2 Chronicles 7:14

In a country where the Christian faith is very wide but not always very deep, we met many amazing authentic Kenyan Christians from who had much to teach us.

Please pray for Kenya in light of the above two quotes. The people need true peace, justice and mercy in an atmosphere of honesty, transparency and accountability.

We love the people of Kenya and God loves them even more.

A LOT

2008-01-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened since the last post - covering an enormous range of emotions

- saying good-bye to our project coordinators - amazing people who have blessed us greatly
-saying goodbye to some precious pastors

- visiting Lake Nakuru National Park where we saw white rhinos and tons of flamingos and buffalo

-saying goodbye to our friends in the Nairobi office whom we greatly respect
- saying goodbye to Chris and his family and to Ben whom we we would live to serve alongside again - they taught us so much
- saying goodbye to the gang at the guest house - what a rich variety of experience and involvement in making the world a better place. So many goodbyes. I am not too fond of goodbyes.

- flying over the desert , the Mediterranean and the Alps - a wonderful view of God's magnificent creation
- a couple of hours in old town Amsterdam in the cold winter air exploring the canals and the classic architecture

- flying back to Canada and being greeted by dear friends
- arriving a few days before Christmas to many welcome home blessings from loving people
- Christmas - the wonder of God's provision in the Christ child, dinner with family on Christmas eve and with other family on Christmas day - delicious abundant food

- sitting with the fire on and remembering Africa just a few days prior and connecting by phone with many loved ones

- hearing the news of election problems in Kenya and subsequent horrors and trying to find out if those we love in Kenya are OK
- celebrating the new year with a special Kenyan focus - what a blessing - and visiting my dear friend Nanci who amazes me daily

- anticipating going to serve with Mission Builders in Hawaii very soon

- emotions - a lot has happened this past month. Sometimes I just have to stop and try to re work it all in my mind and my heart - it seems a part of my heart is still there in Africa.

PHOTOS

2007-12-07T05:56:00.000-08:00

Naivasha Hippo walking across the lawn while we ate breakfast...

More photos can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/laurzy

Getting Closer to Reality

2007-12-07T05:50:00.000-08:00

We’re rookies …. first timers…. privileged to serve as International Relief Managers (IRMs) with CRWRC for 3 months in Kenya on a food distribution project in the Mount Elgon area.

But the real story is in the individual lives of the displaced households whom we serve.

Being displaced means abandoning your home and livelihood to escape violence – beating, killings, the burning of houses, and looting. The abuses come from militia groups, police and even the special forces sent to stop the violence. War breeds hunger. But let’s get closer to reality. Meet 30 year old Nelly Charotich.

She arrives at the distribution site in Kaboywo today along with 699 other beneficiaries who come monthly to collect 50 kg maize, 10 kg beans and 500 grams of iodized salt. She was met with tears from fellow IDPs because they know she gave birth only 5 days ago and that she had walked carrying her baby for 2 hours (downhill) in the dust. They know her story. They share her pain.

Imagine running from the police into the forest and giving birth to your child there. Imagine raids by militia men followed by beatings from the police who are looking for the militia men. Imagine the whole family huddled in their hut sleeping on 2 mats, having no belongings but a few dishes and some tattered clothes.

We walk down the mountain path to the cluster of thatched mud huts overlooking the valley.

There is a small cooking pit on one side of the 8 foot diameter mud hut where Nelly lives with her husband Geoffrey and their five children - 4 boys and one girl. We are invited inside. What an honor to have the opportunity to see their home. We have permission to take photographs. It is dark inside. We soon move back outside to talk and meet their neighbors. We ask questions and they share the stark reality of their existence.

The family had lived in Chebuke where they had a small farm and grew their own food but ran in fear in February 2007 when violence erupted. They fled to an abandoned house in another village where they stayed until September, living from the kindness of well wishers. Violence again forced them to move, this time to Kaboywo high up the mountain on the edge of the forest. The forest looks peaceful and serene. Geoffrey tells us that approximately 10,000 people are living in the open air in those trees… hiding from the violence.

We ask if they would go back to Chebuke if peace returns. He looks very disturbed and tells us ‘no’ – because of the bloodshed they witnessed – it would be too traumatic. Many who left because of the police actins do not want to go back.

Back to today – the family has no food and no money. The CRWRC relief food is keeping them alive. They are a very grateful to have been receiving food since October. They are good farmers but they cannot plant crops on land which does not belong to them. Geoffrey helps harvesting maize or weeding but does not get paid money – he is given a small amount of food in exchange for his labor. There is no work now. His shoes are unmatched and patched together by hand stitched pieces. Not much of the original shoes remain. This is a sign of deep poverty.

But Nelly is cheerful although she is very hungry and her children are sick with worms.

Their neighbour has an old maize grinder which is shared – it takes 1 hour to grind 1 kg maize. Then they will use their precious firewood to cook ugali. Tonight they eat.

One more thing – they asked us to name their newborn daughter. We named her Grace, Nema in Swahili, for we believe that it is only by God’s grace that mother and daughter are alive, and it will take the grace of God to keep them.

A few months form now it will be the rainy season. The hut will leak.

More Sights and Adventures

2007-11-21T02:06:00.000-08:00

Malaha
We head to Malaha - home of the Luiahs - perhaps as in Hallelujah!! We bump our way along and just when we think we have seen the last of the small side roads we find another and another and another … we cause a stir because a vehicle has come – and our national relief manager, Chris, is like a celebrity son – one who has done well but has not forgotten his home, his mother, his roots…. He is a humble man of great integrity and he is honoring us by taking us to meet his mother…
Some of the kids are nervous of the white people – most giggle a lot … they love the truck and want to climb all over it … we go into the house and we can hear them – very jolly … playing in the truck. We are happy the truck has four wheels all attached and functioning and they see it as an amazing vehicle …. Puts things in perspective.
We tour the village and hear the story of each home – who lives where and why … most want us to pray over their homes and pray into their lives… what an honor.
As if that was not enough – they have cooked for us and given us plenty from their meager resources …. And as if that were not enough some give us gifts!! A broom and a basket.
The farm land is very productive and we see the crops – pumpkins, amaranth, maize, sugar cane and he list goes on.
We visit Pastor Augustine whose family treats us like royalty. We see their home, their church, they share their dreams … build a new church building – send their eldest daughter to the USA to study medicine. We take photos of the family – photos are precious here - we must find a god place for prints … really nicely done to send to them as a gift. Photos are precious here.
It is interesting to go into a mud hut in the heat of the day and find it cool and comfortable… one begins owning a small round hut – additional huts or add ons come later ..
Chris’ mom is so lovely despite a hard life - she is truly a woman of grace. She was the first of 5 wives so Chris has 4 stepmothers. We talk about polygamy and its effects. Most old men have many wives – they encourage the younger men to have only one.
The people are voting today on nominees for local government and we stop to greet people – what a patient group waiting for 9 hours to vote – they are a peaceful people and it is s pleasure to meet them. 9 hours!!!

Goibei
This a place high in the hills where Carol and Betty taught some years back. We are pleasantly received and enjoy a tour of the facilities … No wonder they speak of it with such fondness. The road to get there is a crazy mix of humps and bumps punctuated with very short stretched of tarmac or the remains of tarmac. The students are completing exams and heading home for the month of December, we enjoy our visit and the beautiful grounds. In a God ordained moment - the very first person we speak with had been a student of both Betty and Carol! You just can’t plan such things! We visit the mission side extensively – what a beautiful place! We take lots of photos which we look forward to sharing with Betty and Carol.

Kisumu
Located on the shores of Lake Victoria – this is the second largest lake in the world (second to Lake Superior). Kisumu is a great place to eat fish so we eat tilapia for dinner – fresh and tasty! The highlight of our visit is yet to come – early next morning we take a boat onto the Lake for a hippo watching (Nile hippos), bird watching, fisherman watching extravaganza! The largest hippos weigh 4.5 tons!! That’s a lot of hippo!! We enjoy it all - the boats and fishing styles fascinate us and our guide Daniel does a good job of narrating, although all Lauris could hear was the motor!! This a good thing really because we have no oars. Only a stick but he lake is shallow. It is full of water hyacinths which float about with the wind. By the time we head back toward our starting point, we are hyacinth-ed out! We land rather precariously nearby
We head back for breakfast and depart for Eldoret through the tea growing areas on more crazy roads - tea as far as the eye could see in some areas…. We find a little spot where tea is for sale so we are now drink Nandi Hills Tea for breakfast.
Anyone for a picture show?? I so wish I could upload photos to this blog or even to Picassa web album but so far no luck. Come and see us for a picture show!!

JUST WONDERING

2007-11-21T00:07:00.000-08:00

Just wondering ….
If sleeping without a mosquito net will ever seem normal
If we will ever be able to throw out a twist tie again - we have wanted one so often in Africa
If we will ever be able to believe we have the much of the real story about world events when we watch BBC, CNN , CBC etc,,,,
If we will be able to handle the shift in driving habits – we have learned some new sides to drive on – the right side, the left side, the best side, the Beside, and one more - the Coke side – the Beside refers when the road is so bad that we bounce along on the ‘shoulder’ on the left, the oncoming traffic is similarly bouncing on the ‘shoulder’ on the right and the pedestrians are walking down the middle – and this is a the highway…. Crazzzzzzyyyyyy! The Coke side is an advertisement – luring us to the Coke side whatever that is supposed to mean … Coca-Cola is every where and to be honored is to receive a soda pop….
If we will wonder who is slacking off when our vehicle is not automatically washed while we are asleep at a hotel
What it will feel like to push the button on the parking lot gate instead of seeing the smiling face of the gatekeeper
Just wondering ……if we will be able to return to Kenya again one day
Just wondering
Just hoping

IRMing in Kenya

2007-11-21T00:05:00.000-08:00

Being past the midway point in our time as International Relief Managers in Kenya, perhaps it is a good time to write some thoughts about this opportunity.

We truly marvel at this chance to serve and to rub shoulders with so many amazing people both within CRWC, at the guest house where we stay and in the communities where we have worked and visited.

Add to that the absolute madness of killings, burning of homes and schools & lootings and then factor in 155,000 victims of the same.. so … put it together and what have you got?? Well you have a beautiful country full of resourceful people whose leaders could well model dishonesty and corruption and yet still you meet the most wonderful people… I can’t imagine anyone not learning to love these people …

Politics are brutal here to say the least and we in Canada do not always acknowledge just how blessed we are… the Kenyan people need to be empowered to manage their villages and regions, they are intelligent and capable … Unfortunately Aids and other diseases take a terrible toll and medical treatment is often not a option… it is a heartbreak to hear from a mom with a six month old hydrocephalic child or a mom whose baby is having trouble breathing…an old woman in pain …to see the extreme poverty of many , the traumatized, the fearful, ----- the problems are many but we have come to bring one thing – food!! …. And that matters very much. The 6000 households who receive the food are very grateful and it is the lifeline that many need to survive this time in history. We focus on the goal

Our distributions are well managed and people are treated with dignity – if you are on the list you get the food whether you are number 1 or number 800. The food comes monthly and reliably – we take no credit for this but have been blessed b the work hat was done before us through our competent team and the previous IRMs.

It is interesting to meet people who just want and need to be heard – sad to meet people who are afraid to talk (‘I might get shot’) – delightful to see the joy on the faces of people the fist time they get food – humbling to be welcomed into a simple home as an honored guest.

We hope this will not be our last opportunity to serve as IRM’s - working here with our excellent National Relief Manager, we have been mainly responsible for monitoring and evaluation of the project, finances and reporting back to the home office n Burlington and to the regional coordinator who is based in Uganda. There are other things to work on as well and one never knows what the day will bring. NEVER!

We have certainly grown closer to God through all of this and give thanks for His hand of grace and protection upon us… we will not forget our colleagues, our fabulous coordinators and facilitators, some dedicated pastors whose deep love for Jesus is so evident, the green hills and valleys of western Kenya, the crazy walks through the markets, drinking Stoney (a very gingery ginger ale), and the roads – the crazy roads!!!

But there is still time to enjoy all these things and more and there is still time to make sure that 600 households get food I December… focus on the goal!! God has written much about such things - and we are encouraged. God is good!!!

QUESTIONS

2007-11-11T04:51:00.000-08:00

Experiencing Kenya

What goes munch outside your cabin door at 4:30 AM? A hippo! An enormous hippo!

What do you do when you are walking on a beautiful savannah full of tons of gazelles, wildebeest, zebras and other amazing creatures? You take photographs – lots and lots of photographs!!

What do you say when you have a few chores to do and they take 10 hours? You say ‘this is Kenya’.

What happens when you have vehicle problems in Kenya? You get a swarm of people all very willing to help – not necessarily with any expertise but willing to work for a few shillings.

What do you say when you get a lukewarm shower in the morning? You say – wow I had a hot shower!

What do you say when your spouse decides to have a shower in the evening? You say good luck! Keep hoping!

What happens when you go to church in Kenya? You are very blessed.

HIPPOS ANYONE?

2007-11-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

Lake Naivasha in the beautiful Rift Valley

CRWRC had a staff retreat to Lake Naivasha. We were blessed to be invited for a time of connecting, spiritual refreshment and many delights to the eye and the stomach! We enjoyed the times of worship and prayer and devotions focusing on maturity and servant hood.

Getting there: an hour and a half drive on basically good roads with the exception of one short stretch. We were the last to leave the office due to vehicle complications.

Arrival: The ‘resort’ (Elesmere) belonged to the people whose story was partially documented in the film Born Free. It is now used as a resort conservation centre and teaching centre for students.

Food: wow – that about sums it up – the food was amazing. There was even tea time at 4 PM with a full selection of sweets. Ron was in his glory! Lauris was happy she could not eat wheat – that kept her consumption low!

Our room: very nice with 3 particularly notable features: an air horn (you can decide why!), a sign saying ‘Please be careful. There are hippos after dark. They can be dangerous.’, and an information booklet stating that after dark, you must be escorted at al times by a night watchman. The latter was strongly reinforced at an orientation meeting – ‘do not walk to or from the dining room or your car after dark unless accompanied by a night watchman. Never stand between a hippo and the water – NEVER…. The animals roam freely after dark. Never approach in the papyrus area around the lake shore – there are hippos hiding there’…. So as you can imagine we are excited to see a hippo!!

Sights sounds and smells – the grass is very short and clearly not mowed but rather it is pulled up by the roots by animals . Sitting on the front lawn there is an odor of animal droppings. Birds flash about with exotic sounds – we are drawn to the bright blue starlings with breasts like robins. They are everywhere. We hear monkeys. Any rustling bushes get your immediate attention. The whoo whoo whoo of the monkeys reminds me of teaching our kids animal sounds when they were young – there monkeys really did sound like that!

Nature walk – we head off on a nature walk with Anthony – our expert guide. He takes is to see the Colobus monkeys with their beautiful black and white coats and amazing tails. The alpha male seems quite happy to show off. As we are walking we hear from a neighbor that 20 minutes prior a waterbuck had passed by. There are numerous fresh droppings around….

Night time events: the first night we see an eland on the lawn – it is very dark and we can just make out his shape. After we have gone to bed, we look out our window about 10 times throughout the night hoping to see hippos. The night watchman awakens us at 5 – we think he sees a hippo since we have requested a wake up call should one pass by – he unfortunately misunderstood and thought we wanted a prayer time wake up call. We crawl back into bed (sorry Lord) and pray from between the sheets since we had been awake so many times throughout the night. Over breakfast we hear that a hippo had passed by and had been heard by Chris.
The second night, most of our party of 12 requested a wake up call to see a hippo should one pass by. The time is 4:40 Am and Ron pokes Lauris and says – ‘Listen – I think there is a hippo munching outside.’ Lauris hears it too - loud crunchy munch sounds like a small engine operating in spurts. We are up and outside in a flash. He is absolutely right! This is one hungry hippo. We stand on the porch the enormous hippo is there just in front of our room …. It moves over to the side and Lauris start thinking about how the grass is chewed short right up to our steps. The hippo keeps its distance and we hear others people coming out of their rooms and the guard escorts a group to the safety of our porch for a good view. Some of our party get nervous and go inside our room to watch.
The hippo eats and eats and eats – there is a small pond where it drinks noisily - a thought occurs – the ripped up grass is what we have seen the birds delighting in – building enormous soft nests. So Mr Hippo is also preparing the next days work for the starlings… This is a wow experience.…

Next morning: The light is firmly established and we move freely about the property. For the first time since our arrival I am not carrying my camera and wouldn’t you know it – a hippo – late on its return to the lake walks right across the law in front of the dining room. It looks even bigger in the daylight – I am wondering where the rest of the group is as some had gone to the lake to try and purchase fish – thankfully we see them in a safe spot.

Outing: We all went together to crescent Island which is actually a peninsula. We parked in the designated area, paid our fees and embarked on a two hour guided walk in the savannah. It was so amazing – God has created so much of wonder and variety. We saw many creatures – giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, waterbuck, gazelles, dik dik, and a python home (he was inside resting)….. I loved when the guide said – lets walk over there – and pointed to an area loaded with wildebeest. And so we did. This area was used for filing parts of Out of Africa (the main place was in Masai Mara) and there is an airstrip, a hut and a small rundown airplane hanger still remaining. The airstrip had been recently used. It was pretty crazy to stand on that airstrip. The animals are shy and many – the sky was beautiful with rays of sunlight shining through….

Movies we will watch ASAP – Born Free and Out of Africa! we have seen them both in eh past but will watch with renewed interst.

Weavers – we stopped at the local weavers shop (Elementitia Weavers) on our return – beautiful work – a treat to behold. AND they had a flush toilet – that was an unexpected treat!

We are constantly challenged by the internet server so I will sign this off and try to post it!

Anatomy of a distribution

2007-10-20T00:35:00.000-07:00

Our day begins at 7:30 AM when we pick up 3 - 90 Kg bags of maize, a case of cooking oil and 1 - 90 kg bag of beans from well wishers who are providing the food to the Toroso primary School for 6 months as a contribution to the school’s lunch program. The school is very primitive, has over 1200 students, approximately 300 of whom are IDP’s (internally displaced persons) as a result of the conflict in Mount Elgon. While this is not part of our CRWRC project, we are going to the school which is the site of today’s food relief distribution, so we will provide the transport.
Climbing into our 4x4 Toyota Prado we head for the site over challenging dirt roads ascending the mountain. We pass by one delivery truck which is returning from dropping off one of the loads. This is a good sign……we’ve heard that one of the trucks got stuck on the road. The weather is dry and overcast – blessings for the distribution.
As we approach, we first see donkeys – lots of them and then the throngs of people. They are mostly queued up tightly – chest to back waiting … today’s distribution is for 800 households …. There are many people lined up and others waiting to assist in transporting the loads home.
There is a police presence complete with camouflage clothing and impressive guns. They are important to keep order as there are always additional needy people who are not receiving food.
The queues are forming outside the school gate. Groups of about 25 are let in at a time to retrieve their beneficiary cards in order to get 50 kg maize, 4 kg beans and 500gm of iodized salt.
The lorries are being unloaded and the food stacked in piles in the school yard.
Once the beneficiaries are inside the school yard, lthey receive their cards and join the third queue – they then turn in their cards in groups of five – after picking up their maize and salt and one bag of beans to share they go outside the gate to begin splitting their beans – all have brought something in which to carry the beans and someone has a bucket with which to measure - if not they still find a way to split them fairly.
So how would you move a 50 kg bag of maze?? We are blown away by the women – some of whom are carrying a baby on their back, a bag for their salt and beans in one hand and still manage to put the maize on their heads and carry it all away.
Ron and I are invited to address the crowd of people waiting outside the gate – Chris Shiundu – our wonderful colleague (CWRC National Relief Manager) translates for us. We tell them a little about ourselves (that we are parents and grandparents like them and that we are honored to be in their country). We also tell them about the Canada Food Grains Bank, the many Christians who show Jesus love by donating money, fields and time ; we explain that the food is not from us but is a gift from God because he loves them … it is very emotional and we hear many Amen-s and Praise God-s both in English and Swahili . We thank them for their patience knowing that many would be waiting 6 hours or more ……
We now proceed to speak to and shake hands with as many people as possible --- there are many Asante-s and Asante sana-s (thank you very much)…….Kenyan handshakes – ‘shake grip shake’ … and exuberant slapping of hands before the shake. For those of you at Christ Community Church Carol and Betty can give you a great demo!
Beautiful people who have fallen on extremely difficult times - people made in the image of God.
We also hear some of the individual stories –
• Kaos – an articulate young famer whose family of 12 had their house burned down in the troubles on Mount Elgon – they moved to a second house only to be burned out again. Now the family is scattered – he and his younger brother and his parents are living with good Samaritans. They had to leave their crops rotting in the fields but he is very grateful that his family is still alive and that they now have food to share with their host family. Kaos now gets jobs weeding for local farmers.
• Mary – mother of six who has been out of her home since August when their house was burned. They were farmers as well but now depend on good Samaritans for shelter and food.
• Grace – a widow and mother of 8 – she is very relieved to get food today for the first time – up until now she has gone door to door asking for food. Grace looks so very weary and sad.
• Salome – age 31 and mother of 7 whose older brother was killed in the fighting. She had a baby just one month ago but still must work to feed the family and pay rent on the house they occupy. She weeds for farmers from 7 Am to 1 PM and makes 50 Kenyan Schillings (about 83 cents) for the day’s work. She feels blessed to have a landlord who allows her to pay off the rent as she is able. Her children are not going to school as all they clothes were burned in the fire.
We stop to talk to a man who is upset about not being on the beneficiary list. We sympathize and explain through the help of an interpreter that the food goes to the most needy of the displaced persons as chosen by the local village committee. We acknowledge that there are many more needy people but that we can only give to 800 households. He understands.
Back to the line ups… we watch a woman who had been in line for 5 hours skip barefoot with great joy as she held her beneficiary card in her hand …. We see a little handicapped girl whose prosthetic was literally a table leg…..and see many people with no shoes and worn clothes praising God for the gift of food. … time to visit the school …
The children are having their lunch break and the teachers are marking papers. Paper is obviously scarce as is everything else – there are no amenities or teaching tools of any sort. We are asked to sign the guest book in the headmasters office – two old tables – one with a ragged cloth on top in an empty stone room with faded old charts on the wall … there are 1227 students at least 300 of whom are IDP’s – they are easy to pick out as they either have no uniforms or wear a different uniform. The staff takes us to the ‘kitchen’ where the cooks are working and the children are lined up outside for a dish of boiled beans and maize. This will be the first meal of the day for most of the children and for many it will be the only meal…
The staff are enjoying some photos which the previous IRM’s had prepared for them - the staff and children alike ask that we take photos….silver hair is a great source of amusement … and definitely worth a touch. We all laugh a lot. They are very gracious.
We ask to go into a classroom – sparse……old……dark……austere.
We are introduced to a 12 year old girl who is a runner - #3 in Kenya for her age – running the 5000 an the 3000 meter races. She will be training here in Eldoret in November……perhaps we can visit her …. Many world titles are won by Kenyans from this area. She will have to train hard if she wants to compete.
Back to the line ups – we are marveling at these people still standing strong – the sun is out and the heat is full on and we go to the car for a banana and some water. Their endurance is amazing.
It is down to the last 50 bags – the beneficiaries are still smiling and lively waiting for their food. The children are all excited to look in the rear view mirror at their reflection and we play ‘making faces’ with the children. We visit two ladies from the village committee who are sitting on the remaining bags of maize - they are definitely pleased……we take photos. We did not understand each other’s words but we all understood each other’s hearts.
The lineups are gone and the soldiers are resting. There seems to be some confusion …there are 20 bags of maize and salt and 4 bags of beans remaining. Chris, the National Relief Manager and Moses, our capable coordinator for this distribution, are sorting things out…. we pray for peace and wisdom, and for those who are lingering … still waiting … still hoping.
A nearby group is carefully sharing their allotment of beans – some have spilled and each bean is carefully picked up – beans are precious….
The confusion is sorted out and the last five people pick up the last of the food…… Moses did an amazing job at managing the distribution …all 800 beneficiaries received the food allotted to them.
One more thing – about those donkeys… we watched as they were loaded – hold them by the ears – tie two bags together … two bags of maize per donkey …. they wander toward town …. Towards town? Why not distribute in town?...the school is safer.
We watch the donkey handlers who know just what to do to coax an uncooperative donkey to move in the right direction. Much of the food is transported on people’s heads, some on bicycles, one on a motorcycle (likely in exchange for a share of the food), but mostly it is all about the donkeys! The bags pass by us……CRWRC- Canadian Food Grains Bank….. donkey after donkey…..this is very emotional for us.
We drive back to Eldoret exhausted, thankful and amazed . It is raining heavily now and the muddy roads have rivers running down both sides… Chris is a good driver. God is good!. We heard those words many times today from grateful recipients. God Is indeed good!

KENYA IS

2007-10-20T00:31:00.000-07:00

Adorable children
Crossing the equator (and yes there are people selling souvenirs!)
Zebras grazing beside the highway
Compounds and security guards
An ongoing traffic derby with drivers jockeying for position
Hearing ‘Karibu” which means ‘welcome’ when we would say hello
Roadside car washers – wherever there is a source of water – not necessarily clean!
A constant stream of humanity along the roadside
Lots of enormous heavy loads carried on bus roofs, people’s heads, push carts, and bicycles
Dogs barking – a lot – especially at night
Big beautiful smiles and tons of hand shakes
A hand raised in the Canadian stop position which means pass by or hello/goodbye
A hand raised above the head palm out means stop
Adorable children
Maize spread out to dry
The Nakamatt store open 24 hours - this is new and has many people excited. Nakamatt is a shop with groceries and house wares
Parking chaos
Animals herded through residential areas
Safaricom outlets everywhere – sellers of cell phone cards
Used shoe vendors on the streets
School uniforms and small children walking alone
Fluid driving habits
Safari outback type vehicles with big roof racks - loaded to the max
Funky small planes from the safari companies with interesting paint jobs loading up on supplies
Adorable children
Lush green valleys and mountains in Western Kenya
Dramatic volcanic mountains
More fruits than vegetables
Someone selling something everywhere
Boda boda (bicycle taxies) waiting, transporting people, sheep – whatever, being washed in the ditch
Matatu drivers overtaking you only to stop right in front of you moments later
Carts pulled by people, donkeys, cows
And more adorable children

AFRICA IT IS

2007-09-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Nairobi Kenya

It feels a little like being 'beamed up' in that we went from 'anticipating a relaxing island autumn' to 'arriving in Kenya' is a matter of 2 weeks.
We will move to Eldoret next week sometime and settle int our home away from home.
We are blessed to use the CRWRC office Internet today. We hear that power outages are very common in Eldoret but will do our best to keep up the blog.
We find the Kenyan people to be very friendly and relational. There is an addition being made to our accommodation right next door using lots of man power and heavy labour.

Impressions of Nairobi:

chaotic traffic with lots of pot holes and abrupt edges to the roads
lots of interesting sites of people doing everything from driving Mercedes to selling firewood at the side of the road
friendly Kenyans with beautiful smiles
had our first taste of negotiating prices - we were not buying anyway
learning lots from experienced folks at CRWRC
adorable children
lots of ex pats in the area we visited today

We have been warmly welcomed and really appreciate the accommodation arranged for us.

Our 2 days in Burlington were wonderful - many great and passionate people sharing their knowledge and experience with us. One fun piece was watching a volunteer hanging up photos of Mali which Nanci B with CCC shared after her Discovery Tour.

Ron just spotted an enormous bird on the roof of the building next door - it looks like a cross between a pelican and a heron and it looks about 1 M tall.

Tomorrow we have made a plan to go to church with Henny and Hans whom we have just met. They are a lovely hospitable couple for Ottawa.

Cheers for now.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

2007-09-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

WHERE and WHAT is next ?!?!?!?

After an amazing month of kayaking, boating and camping, we have just celebrated the 25th anniversary of Christ Community Church with an amazing service at the Port Theatre. What a joy it was to have our three consecutive pastors there to celebrate what God has done and to look expectantly to what is next….. we do love our church family!

In the midst of all this we have been called to Kenya for 3 months of volunteering with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee as International Relief Managers. We leave on September 17th. We will be back early in the new year. The condo will have friends keeping it warm for or return in early January.

In the meantime we are enjoying a visit from Annika, Marty’s lovely wife. Marty has been in Athens with his work. Our friends Dave and Laura leave tomorrow for 10 months – see you in Kona!
On the sad side of life, we are very concerned for our dear Thomas’ health as he is hospitalized in Thailand with pneumonia. One day at a time … trusting for God’s healing touch. Stay tuned for good news very soon …..

RE-ENTRY

2007-08-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

40 hours of travel and ‘voila’ here we are back at home.
Caleb, Jen and Thomas saw us off and John, bless him, picked us up in Vancouver on his way back from the Okanagan.
The flights all went smoothly, the luggage all arrived, and the meals on Emirates Air were excellent. It was fun to see familiar faces on the ferry and to begin to see friends here again ….
We thought we would add a few last pictures of the Brownhills and then a few photos of Nanaimo – the first day back ….

Farewell Perth (15 hours ahead of VI so it is the 31st here)

2007-07-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Again it is difficult to leave …. But leave we must. Again we look forward to seeing family and friends back home, celebrating marriages, birthdays and just being together.

Before we leave here are a few tid-bits about Perth – As we have often said, it is rather like a park with a city set into it.

With the help of Wikipedia, here are a few facts:
Perth is the capital of Western Australia. With a population of 1,507,900 it is home to three-quarters of the state's residents. The city is also the fourth most populous urban area in Australia, and the fastest growing major city in Australia.
The metropolitan area is located in the south west of the continent between the Indian Ocean and a low coastal escarpment known as the Darling Range. The central business district and suburbs of Perth are banked by the Swan River.
Perth is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas on Earth. The nearest city to Perth with a population over 1 million is Adelaide in South Australia, which is 2,104 kilometres away as the crow flies. Perth is physically closer to East Timor and Jakarta, Indonesia, than it is to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

It is loaded with beautiful beaches but swimmers need to be mindful of currents, tides, sharks etc. That being said, it is a paradise and the beaches are enjoyed safely by throngs of people
especially in the very hot summers (Dec to Feb) … Spring brings a fabulous array of wild flowers. Winter is cool and ‘when she rains she pours’. This can also include very strong winds as well as balmy temperatures. The winter also includes fabulous sunny days when a T shirt and jeans will do! We have experienced all of the above! The ‘Perthites’ (not official lingo) take it all in stride and when caught in a downpour they just wait it out under cover or settle in for a flat white … part of WA meaning both Western Australia and ‘wait awhile’. Ron has been using his time well and practicing his flat white preparation skills.

The people are great, uniquely Aussie and very welcoming even if we do speak with a heavy duty Canuck accent! There are lots of great websites like http://www.westernasutralia.com/ for a little arm chair travel.

We have been blessed to worship at New Life City Church and at YWAM. Youth With A Mission Perth is a dynamic campus with people from all over the world. It is a great place from which to mobilize people to bless the nations. It has been a joy and a privilege to be here. For more info check out http://www.ywamperth.org.au/.

The time has come to say goodbye so, for the time being, Cheers Mate!
And how about those West Coast Eagles!

Jen, Thomas and More Great and Wondeful Kids

2007-07-27T04:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for these recent photos everyone!

This is Rudy and Cassidy - Cass just turned 4! See you soon!
Isaac with his new kitten.

Tegan in her Daddy's shades

Kyla in her uniform. she's lovin' it and Micky D's

MEMORY FLASHES

2007-07-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

New Tim Tam Packaging!

SOME MEMORY FLASHES OF THE LAST 10 WEEKS

Food:
· 4 course dinners on Via Rail
· Family feasts in Elliot Lake
· Deep fried elderberry blossoms in Bavaria
· Turkish falafel in Berlin
· Chili mussels in Freemantle
· Dim Sum in Perth

Sounds:
· Approaching trains in Berlin - U Bahn especially
· Salut … with eye contact!
· Bird chatter in Perth – very cheeky
· Cheers and tears when we received the text – it’s a boy!
· Thomas’ newborn cry
· Cheers and groans watching the Eagles (Perth’s aussie rules football team ) and the

Wallabies (Australia’s rugby team)

Sights
· Mount Robson from the dome car on the train
· Isaac and Tegan in Elliott Lake
· The social interaction of our multi ethnic community in Berlin
· First glimpse of newborn Thomas Nathan Brownhill
· Our homes away from home – 5th floor flat in Berlin, spacious south Perth bungalow
· Marty and Annika’s demolition/renovation

Smiles:
· From a train driver – WA stands for ‘wait awhile’
· Tim Tam (Aussie biscuits – read bikkees) words of endearment
· Feeding a wild ring neck parrot our apple
· Aussies trying to convince us that Vegimite is tasty

Moments:
· Being welcomed by Marty and Annika at the train station, in Berlin and Caleb and Jen in Perth at the airport
· Reconnecting with Klaudija and Hans-Martin and meeting David for the very first time.
· Riding fist class on the German ICE train
· Trying to find our departure gate in Frankfurt
· The emotion walking through the Jewish monument in Berlin and seeing the 10,000 coarsely made iron faces of agony in the Jewish museum
· The cross section of humanity in the Dubai airport
· Meeting Rosemary and Bill for the first time
· Making and visiting friends at YWAM and with other home exchangers
· First mornings in new places – walking on the water front in South Perth

People:

all the amazing people

South Perth

2007-07-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Getting up close and personal with a bird of paradise

Ron and our hosts Rosemary and Bill
heron by the river bank
"Palm Tree Island"

we have just moved from south to east Perth ... enjoying some extra time with Jen and Thomas....
It's all good...

Mr Magnificent!

2007-07-24T03:35:00.000-07:00

Thomas is thriving and settling into his routines. Jen and Caleb are great parents!
Thomas resting in his Grandpa's arms....
Today he went on an outing to Freemantle so his mom and grandparents could have some chili mussels! Thanks for sleeping though it all Thomas...

All on a Winter's Day

2007-07-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

A day at the beach and a seaside restaurant

Early morning mist over the City

The Lord Mayor's boat house

Fun in Oz

2007-07-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

Can you see the joey? It was trying to eat leaves like mom.....

Fun in Aus:
Eating at Wagamama – great food – a ‘fusion’ noodle place in Subiaco – a suburb where the King Edward (make that King Eddie) Hospital is located
People watching while having a flat white (coffee) in Forest Chase in the centre of downtown
Walking along the parks by the river’s edge in the sun in the WINTER!
Learning a little lingo Aussie style:
· Arvo = afternoon
· Onya – good on you – well done!
· Doona = quilt or duvet
· Fussed = worried
· Jumper = sweater or sweat shirt
· Lemon squash – lemonade
· Lemonade – pop like 7 up
· Lollies – candy
· Rice bubbles = rice krispies
Bird watching in Kings Park
Watching a greyhound which regularly runs in the park by the river
Being connected with YWAM and all that means
Making new friends via the house exchange sites – our amazing hosts and another wonderful couple who live opposite the cove where Jen and Caleb’s wedding photos were taken
Observing all the ‘winter’ blossoms and foliage and smelling the wonderful fragrances after a rain.
Seeing a play put on by an aboriginal theatre company
Reading in the garden at the back of the house
Visiting Caleb, Jen and Thomas and Caleb’s family
Watching the games - the Eagles (Aussie Rues Football/Footie) and the Wallabies (Australia’s National Rugby Team)
Just being here ….. riverside and beach walks, enjoying Aussie humor
Bike riding on the waterfront
Chatting with the locals – very friendly, humorous and open
Taking the ferry across the Swan River between downtown and South Perth
Super helpful, friendly bus drivers and courteous car drivers even if they all drive on the wrong side of the road!
Appreciating the good signage
Approachable kids with lots of charm
Shop keepers who call you ‘darling’!
Lots of small non-chain interesting shops
Intersections that have nice brickwork and many round-abouts
Unidentifiable (to us) fruit growing on trees in people’s yards
Lots of bird noises – especially the cheeky ones
Lots of freebies – guided tours, museum, art gallery etc.
Great bus system with Smart-rider cards available and free buses and trains in the downtown core.
Relaxed casual way of being…. You should come!

A few More

2007-07-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

A Grass Tree

Swan River Boats

A cooperative Ring Neck who just finished eating our apple! Very brave and very cheeky!

a little Aussie humour at this cafe - have not eaten there - at least not yet!

Photo Gallery

2007-07-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

a view of the Swan River

Thomas in Grandpa's arms

Claisebrook Cove from the spot where Jen and Caleb's wedding photos were taken.

Out and About

2007-07-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

Thomas makes his debut at church! What fun to be part of it all!
A Kookaburra posing for the Canucks - he didn't laugh for us but the pose was great!
The old train tunnel at John Forrest National Park
Typical topography - lots of texture and grass trees.

Thomas is home

2007-07-13T03:56:00.000-07:00

Happily Thomas and Jen were discharged on Thursday and are settling in with Dad in their apartment. All is well. Grandma and Grandpa have been on the hunt for a beanie small enough to stay on his little head. We are off to deliver our find after the Friday Night Worship Service.

Today we went for a bush walk with Rosemary and will post photos soon! We were in the John Forest National Park - the place where Jen had her hen's party bush walk before the wedding. The kookaburras and the ring necks were happy to pose for photographs! We were happy to snap them! Stay tuned for photos!

Thomas' First week

2007-07-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Week one has been somewhat dramatic for Thomas. He showed signs of infection and, since Jen had a dormant strep infection, she was on antibiotics during labour and he was put on antibiotics after birth. He has had some problems with chocking on mucous and is under the lamp for jaundice. That being said, there is another reason for a cautionary approach to his care.
This week in Perth three previously healthy children under the age of five have died of a combination of strep and influenza A. How very tragic. As you can imagine there are very busy emergency wards as parents are extremely concerned if their child becomes ill.
all this means that Thomas and Jen will remain in hospital a couple more days .
All that said, Thomas is absolutely adorable and we look forward to a healthy week two!
He has Jen's eyes and Caleb's chin. We are anticipating being able to have some nice long snuggles very soon!

2007-07-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

Thomas Nathan Brownhill

It's a boy

2007-07-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Baby Brownhill arrived July 5th at 8:30 PM. 7.5 pounds.
He is yet to be named! He is bright and alert and lovely!
We thank God for a safe delivery and a healthy baby!

Ready and Waiting

2007-06-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

Just a short post as we wait for the baby to make a appearance. Just 3 days until the due date.
I also wanted to let you know that Jen and Caleb do not have email in their home just now (the land line connection for the wireless moved) … so that complicates their communications …
We have been out and about quite a bit. Yesterday we went to Kings Park for a guided walkabout in the natural bush land. It was very well done and gave us a much needed long walk. We went to YWAM for a Friday night worship service. Caleb gave the message which was well done and really challenged our hearts.
Pete and Shirley are back from Indonesia and are here until July 10th so it is our prayer that both the baby’s birth and the baby shower can happen during that time.
We are looking to go on a cruise on the Swan River with Rosemary and Bill when the weather is fair and they are both off work. It will be a treat to spend some more time together and see some new areas especially from the boat. The Swan River is winery country and the Australians certainly know how to make great wine!
Cheers from Perth!

ZOO

2007-06-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

Today was a great wander through the zoo so here are two classic Aussie pictures - look closely for the roo!
The Koala was kind enough to be awake - the nutrition from the leaves is poor and they lack energy and sleep about 19 hours a day! m-m-m quite a life!

I am trying blogging and posting photos through picassa. I am also trying gmail. My shaw address works too - just attempting to make things work together a little better which is pretty much trial and error. Hopefully we will not disappear in the process.
Cheers!

Western Australia Aquarium

2007-06-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

They have REAL sharks in WA
Lauris likes the pretty things

An enormous turtle Snorkeling anyone?

Love those polka dots Here's looking at you, kid!

The lion fish a ray with a big smile on his belly

The WA aquarium is pretty amazing - showing all that is in the local waters, much of which we prefer to see at the aquarium! There is an area where the sharks, turtles, rays and fish swim over your head. The staff was friendly and informative and the kids (mostly school groups) were adorable - a great way to spend a few hours!

picture book

2007-06-21T07:23:00.001-07:00

Berlin river cruise with plenty of head room!

Mercedes Beauty

Hans-Martin, David and Klaudija

Owl Art in Holtzgalingen for their 1000th Birthday!

Caleb and Jen enjoying their blessings

Perth - beautiful flower in mid winter

a great place to bird watch - who is watching who?

ACROSS / UP AND OVER / DOWN UNDER

2007-06-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

After a quick hello to Annabel and saying farewell to Marty and Annika, we were off to Stuttgart and Holtzgalingen via the fast Inter City Express train travelling at speeds over 200 km/hr – relaxing on leather seats, playing cards and sipping our sparkling mineral water (mit gas).
Reconnecting with Klaudija and Hans Martin and their son David was wonderful – they have a lovely apartment and made us very comfortable. We slept on a most interesting sofa bed which was really comfy – I wonder if there is any equivalent in Canada? Klaudija and I had time to sit and enjoy our tea and conversation while Hans-Martin and Ron went go cart racing and to the Mercedes Benz museum. Wee David is a darling and charmed us even though he had a fever. He signs a lot and can communicate really well for a one year old. He is bright and charming and well parented. We love being with Hans-Martin and Klaudija – just kind of slid in to their world like we did with Marty and Annika and now with Jen and Caleb.
Emirates Air was a wonderful flying experience with delicious food and comfy seats. The leg from Dubai to Perth was made even better by being only half full! Ron and I both found space to have 2 seats each – wiggle room so to speak. The best bit of course was that Jen and Caleb were waiting at the airport. Jen is looking well and very round. Her hospital bag is packed and the baby space is ready. Caleb is geared up on the best route to the hospital too!
Caleb and Jen have made a wonderful home of their apartment and we are enjoying times of just hanging out together squeezed into their very busy schedule. They are great fun to be with – we even let Caleb win a game of cards!! One prayer request is that the baby will arrive when Caleb’s parents Pete and Shirley are here – they have travel commitments before and after the due date and I would hate for them to miss out on the initial excitement. More important of course is a safe delivery!
We have had the opportunity to spend some time at the YWAM campus, including a commissioning service last night. We will go to Friday night worship tomorrow. It is a place which is full of energy with lots of school teams arriving and leaving and staying!! The presence of the Lord is evident (the CCC gospel choir song “the Presence of the Lord is here” keeps popping into my head).
Our house exchange is all we could hope for. A lovely clean home with all the amenities and terrific hosts who are staying in a cottage on the back of the property. Rosemary and Bill are very hospitable, interesting folks and we hope to get to know them better while we are here. We drove their vehicle for the first time today and Ron did well driving on the left side of the road … We entertained ourselves by using the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal a couple of times!
We are sitting out in their garden having a relaxing day. Yesterday we walked for about 4 hours taking photos and enjoying the winter flora and fauna – the weather has been dry and sunny (fine is the term used here) but a change is expected tomorrow. I love seeing the palm trees, the various birds and of course the roos on Heirisson Island…

Photos will follow soon but right now I would like to go for a walk before preparing dinner for Cherine and Sharon from YWAM. Looking forward to their company and wishing you could be here with us!

Moments in Time

2007-06-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a few tidbits from our adventures:
1. Heading into the Haute Bon Hauf (Main Train Station) to find a row of police vans with many officers and riot gear near by along with 2 rows of officers on foot along each side of the main exit – as we wandered through, our excellent host for the evening, Reiner, (our friend Pia’s father) asked what was happening. Apparently they were expecting a train load full of G8 protestors. We decided not to stick around and watch!
2. Walking through the area near the parliament buildings, we had to stop and wait for an enormous police brigade with car loads of VIP’s to pass by – this was a group of secretaries of state form Africa, Brazil and other countries off to an evening’s activities. This event was running at the same time as the G8 which was in a smaller place not far from Berlin
3. Going to the Reitstag – parliament building – which has a huge dome on top - architecturally amazing and clever with excellent traffic flow and views of the City – one can also see though to the area where the parliament sits. The chairs are purple! The lineup to get in is always long but we were able to enter through a different door with our host. They do the airport scan thing and frisk you before entering. It was so beautiful and worth the scrutiny experience. I will post a photo…
4. Watching a police officer hanging his bag of take out Thai food on his revolver and cycling away.
5. Listening to Turkish music as we go to sleep
6. Trying to figure out the washing machine in the apartment
7. Helping Marty and Annika scrape old wallpaper off the walls of their apartment and envisioning the finished product down the road.
8. Wandering through the parks, taking the trains and feeling very safe
9. Wishing we could stay longer – always a good sign and a good time to leave!

More photos!

2007-06-08T00:13:00.000-07:00

A view near Solingen
A strnage little something on the table - any guesses?

These chairs with the don't walk / walk symbols are intersting. They are the symbols of teh former East Berlin traffic signs. after reunification, they were to be replaced with the West Berlin symbols, but due to many objections, they remain and are now well marketed!

Below (at least below on y screen!) is a sample of Potsdam Dutch quarter architecture!

2007-06-07T00:57:00.000-07:00

A river cruise boat One restored building and the other yet to be restored

Some of the remains of the Berlin wall

A Holocast memorial - very spiritual and emotional walk through here - it is very extensive and a real call to my spirit to pray.

The Brandenburg gate

a sculpure - each piece is a memorial to a politicain killed for speaking out

BERLIN IS

2007-06-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

Berlin is:

Wall art (grafitti embraced)
Bicycles, bicycles and more bicycles think tons and add some
Subway travel - fast and effiicient
River life and canals - sightseeing boats
Sidewalk cafes - more than we have seen elsewhere
Socializing - an important passtime

Young families and students
Multiethnic
Centuries of history: opulence to terror to reconciliation
Reminders of the divided city
Green spaces and courtyards

Cars parked every which way
Museums, galleries and monuments
Squats
Tour buses
Markets
Cobblestone streets
Architectural variety

Rental apartment living (88% of housing is rental), mostly walk up - ours is 120 stairs!
Variety of food, beer available everywhere – curry wurst is an option!

Many quiet spaces and singing birds
Ping pong tables in the park
Pretzels and bread ( a great time to discover that Lauris is likely allergic to wheat!)

Days begin and end ‘late’ – we are going to bed when many Berliners are getting started!
Inexpensive food and beverages available

Intersting note - when you rent an apartment you get the rooms and plumbing - you supply the rest including your kitchen cupboards - and remeber these are walk up flats!

Can you tell we are really enjoying Berlin? Photos will hopefully follow on the next post - they take time! We seem to be out for at least 15 hours a day! Got to love it!

Blessings to all of you!

Germany

2007-05-29T03:34:00.000-07:00

Guten Tag

Well I think that is the correct spelling! We are having an awesome time. We took the wonderful fast (ICE) trains to Solingen and had a wonderful time with Annika's family. Everyone was more than kind and we saw many amazing sites! Forests, rivers, cathedrals, castles,and the list goes on.

Then it was back on the train to Berlin where we were welcomed by Marty and Annika - a very sweet reunion. We are just getting aquainted with the area... Annika and Marty have gven us an overview of the city with it's many faces and we have plenty of time to explore in depth. Our accomodation is in a Turkish area - translate that as fabulous food! The first evening we were here we were sitting at a turkish restaurant when a huge storm came up - wind, thunder and lightening, rain, hail and a lady riding by on her bike in her bathing suit :)

The photos will speak volumes so I will post a few.
Inernet at our accomodation is not working so we are on-line at Marty and Annika's.
I am working of teh website which is in German - stressful for my limited knowledge!
Enjoy the photos!

Berlin - lots of great architecture and beach bars too!

Solingen - beautiful riverside walks and a fantastic one man knife caftsman / manufacturing shop.

Koln Dom Solingen sculpture

Solingen at the castle the and old town sqare - note the slate buliding with the green shutters - very common here. Very charming.

Berlin street scene and a photo from the festival of cultures parade.

The happy couple well posed!!

Cross Country Run

2007-05-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Let the games begin!
We are off and running – by van, foot, bus, ferry, sky train, sea bus, and train! The Via Rail trip was wonderful – we highly recommend it – especially travelling on the senior companion fare!

The train was a great way to see this fabulous country – the mountains, the valleys, the rivers and plains, & the Laurentian Shield with all the lakes and rock outcroppings – Wow after Wow!

We had a ‘section’ on our train car: translation – upper and lower berths with heavy curtains for privacy right across the aisle from an identical section and the bathroom just steps away. Getting dressed was rather like camping … There was a great hot shower on board!
Ken and Jackie had a ‘bedroom’ with upper and lower bunks and a private sink, toilet and small cupboard. It was there we met to sip the wine we had brought along …. But for the real views we enjoyed the dome cars – no problem getting a seat … There were also games tables which we used regularly to play a number of games including ‘golf’ which one of the stewards taught us.
The stainless steel rail cars were built in 1955 - check out the dining car photo where we were served excellent meals with plenty of choice. The train was 23 cars long plus 3 engines so it was realty fun to see it on the curvy bits.
We met up with cousins Marj and Bud at the Winnipeg station for a quick hello. How delightful that they came considering how late the train was running!
Our time in Elliot Lake has been great fun – nephews Eric and Dave and their families are here: Eric, Kim and Isaac; Dave, Jen and Tegan .. then a cousin Joan MacNeall and her husband Gordon arrived for visit. I haven’t seen Joan since I was a teenager (a few days ago!).
And the fun continues. Elliot Lake is a city of 13,000 with lots of lakes and hills and hiking trails. An afternoon walk is n the agenda to walk of Jackie’s amazing cooking!
Germany is calling in a few days . Tschuss (Bye!)

Contemplating Retirement

2007-04-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Retirement means time to travel and service opportunities. We are preparing to go away - tying up loose ends, & thinking about life and the importance of relationships ... This saying comes to mind :

We make a living by what we earn; we make a life by what we give.

I don't know who wrote that but I am glad they did. I know it's true.

Spring (my favorite season) is happening and we are looking forward to this trip which includes Ontario, Germany and Australia ... travelling by boat, bus, train, car and plane .... seeing new places and visiting with family, friends and soon-to-be friends.

But first we do birthdays! And first we do the Titanic Exhibit. Bring it on!

Count Down

2007-04-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Thinking -- dreaming -- anticipating .... trains, planes and automobiles ... family in far away places .... new opportunities ... exploring other continents ... looking ahead, enjoying the moment .. It isn't a dream but it feels like one! An attitude of gratitude.... the breath of the unknowns like spring blossoms .. full of wonder and freshness.... this is delightful!

STAND BY!

2007-04-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

Preparing for the next adventure ...