The 12 Days of Christmas (A Missionaries Christmas List)

I am so happy to be "Back Home Again in Indiana". For six weeks in October and November, I took 3 separate trips  and every few days I was back "On the Road Again" traveling through 15 different states. I attended 3 missionary conferences, 2 trainings, my CMF commissioning and visited another mission agency. I visited friends, family and even a few camels. So, before I go any farther let me say "Thank You for Being a Friend" to everyone who took me in, fed me, allowed me to share about the ministry in Kenya and helped me learn more about camels and missions.

It was fun to visit states that I had never been in before, especially "Oooooooklahoma" where the wind was "sweeping down the plain" as I drove through. I got to see the leaves "Turn, Turn, Turn" so many beautiful colors everywhere I went. Luckily, I started in Iowa and ended up in Texas, getting out of both of those states just before the snow and ice hit them. Last week the snow and ice caught up to me here and now "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" to tide me over for the next 3 years. It will be very different to experience Christmas next year in the sand and heat of the desert. 

I really do like seeing the snow when I am inside, warm and dry. In January I will be "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and heading to snowy Colorado for my last month of training (cultural adaptation and language acquisition). I will spend a lot of time inside studying, learning and sharing with other missionaries, but I will have some free time for visiting friends in the Colorado Springs area. If I haven't contacted you and you are in that area, let me know so we can make plans to get together while I am there.

Wait, I don't want to forget that "Christmas Time is Here" and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year".  I really love Christmas and "These are a Few of My Favorite Things" about the Christmas Season: lights, decorations, songs, caroling, friends, family, food, hot chocolate, sparkly things, sleighing, ice skating, warm sweaters and new pajamas. I have so many great "Memories" of past Christmases. I have been sorting the decorations I saved and have been deciding which ones I might take with me to Kenya to next year.

I have decided that my fuzzy, stretched out knitted red stocking needs to stay here as a part of our family stocking group. It was made for me by my aunt. It's perfect now after many years of use.

As I get ready to say "So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye" to America for 3 years,  I have been making lists, checking them twice, gathering supplies and shopping online.

I hope you enjoy my version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" (A Missionary Christmas List). We will just start at 12 and sing down. Are you ready?

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas I put this on my list

12 Instruments for Vetting
11 MP3 songs for singing
10 Sunscreens so no burning
9 Books for learning
8 Nets and bug sprays for no biting
7 Skirts for wearing
6 Diplomas and licenses for working
5 More vaccines
4 Calling, SIM and minute cards
3 Swahili, Turkana and driving lessons
2 Chocolate turtles, M&M's and dove bars
and More monthly partners to join me!

Please don't take this list literally, except for the last line. I now have 65% of my monthly budget pledged and I want to thank all my partners who have helped me get to this point. It has been so much fun sharing with you all and I appreciate your prayers for the ministry.

I need to have 100% of my monthly budget pledged before I can set a departure date and get my plane tickets. I would love for everyone one reading this to consider partnership and consider making a monthly investment in the ministry. I would love to share with you about the ministry and what it means to be a partner. I am happy to visit with you in person or by phone, Skype or FaceTime.

My CMF teammates in Kenya and the people of Turkana are excited to know that I am getting closer to reaching the field.

I am including the link to my CMF page where there is more information and pictures from my vision trip taken in January.

You can sign up to give online by clicking here or just let me know the amount you are pledging and I can send you the information.

As 2013 comes to a close and becomes "Auld Lang Syne" (days gone by) please remember the reason for this Christmas Season. I am so thankful for the gift of Jesus and I am thankful to be able to celebrate Jesus' birth freely and without persecution. This many not always be the case and I ask you to pray for those who don't have that freedom.

Merry Christmas

I'm Thankful For....

At this time of year it is good to reflect on things we are thankful for. This year my thoughts are a little different. I hope you will learn a little about how my life has changed and will change while preparing for and serving in Kenya.

Pensacola, Florida

Sand will be prevalent in Turkana, but no beach like this one where I will be. I am thankful that I was able to spend an hour at the beach in Florida, even though the wind was whipping and the water was cold.


I am thankful for family, friends and church family. I am thankful for everything being done to help me learn and prepare for reaching the field. I am thankful for partners that have seen the vision for the ministry in Turkana and for everyone who has allowed me to share with them.

Playing a game with my neice and nephew.

It will be hard to be separated from everyone, but thanks to technology (Skype, FaceTime, e-mail, cell phones, Face Book) it is so much easier for people all over the world to keep in touch. I am also thankful for technology that allows me to access my books and information on computers, my Kindle and phone. I will need to take some physical books and references with me, but thanks to technology I will have more room in my bags for other items. Technology also allows me to download music and listen to podcasts of sermons from here in the US. So different from what missionaries faced just 10 to 15 years ago.

So you may have deducted that I will have electricity and internet where I will live in Lodwar, Kenya.  It may not always be on, but the fact that it is there is a true blessing. I am thankful for that and also for the opportunity to have a generator to keep my refrigerator and freezer running when the electricity is off. Another praise for the fact that I will have a frig and freezer and be able to buy food to put in it.

Continuing on with that though I am thankful for the grocery store and vegetable / fruit market in Lodwar.

How many times a day do we stop to thank God for running water and flush toilets? I do every day now. I am also thankful that I will still have running water and a flushing toilet (not a "squatty potty") in my house in Lodwar. While I won't have hot water from the tap there, at least I will have electricity and a gas stove to heat the water when needed for doing dishes and cooking. Depending on the time of day the water may be warmer for a nicer shower.

Dining room looking into the kitchen.

I am thankful for a home in Lodwar that will have a tile floor and screens on the windows. Granted the sand will still blow in, but it will decrease mosquito and insect entry. The house is also large enough to host people who come to visit (hint, hint).

I am thankful for missionaries, mentors and others who share what they have learned. October and November have been and continue to be full of trainings, conferences, meetings, visits, my CMF commissioning and even some work in between all that. I am thankful for the opportunity to do all this.

I am thankful for God's networking for me. I am constantly amazed (although I shouldn't be) at all the connections He sends my way. Every person adds something to my life by sharing their experiences with me.

I am thankful for conferences like the GMHC (Global Missions Health Conference) held right here in Louisville at Southeast Christian Church. I am also thankful that they have started a GMHC Africa and I will hopefully be able to attend next year in September in Nairobi. What a blessing to have a small piece of something familiar right there in Kenya.

 Christian Veterinary Mission Friends

I am thankful for my veterinary friends who were at the GMHC as we all continue to educate people about how veterinary medicine can be used in missions and how it contributes to a holistic missions model.

Missions today is changing and more and more we strive to teach and work along side the people we are called to, rather than doing things for them. We want to empower them and show them their value in God's eyes, so they can share that with others. I am so thankful to be a part of missions in this new era of development.

I am ultimately thankful for my God and my Savior, Jesus, because without them I wouldn't be on this journey. It has been a crazy one at times and it is hard to believe it began with my first short term mission trip when I told God I would "Go" but "I wouldn't leave the country". That trip was a CVM trip to New Mexico, working on the Navajo reservation. It was like a different country, with their different language and culture. Now 10 years later it seems so natural to say I am moving to Kenya next year. I couldn't imagine not doing that.

I am still reminded each day that this won't be easy and I will never be "completely prepared" for what I will face. However, I want to take full advantage of the opportunities and people that God puts in my path. I am thankful for so many people and I simply couldn't name everyone who is helping or has helped me in the past 10 years and really my whole life to get me to this point.

I have so many wonderful partners that have helped me reach 60% of my monthly budget now and I know many more are at the point of joining what will be happening in Kenya. I am thankful that God has brought you all into my life, but remember, it really isn't about any of us. It is about God, his love for us and the sacrifice of Jesus. That is what I am most thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving. 

Sentimental Journey

Last week I went on a whirlwind tour through Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. I relived many memories with family, friends, vet school classmates,  former teachers, and even got to meet my cousin Ashlyn for the first time. I finished my trip by visiting two friends in different retirement homes and even got to join in a sing a long. So much got packed into those six days. Here are just a few of my memories with some old and new pictures mixed in.

Some of my earliest memories are visiting my grandma's in Iowa. They also came to Indiana to visit us some. You can see a picture of us all at my first Christmas in my "Memories" post. I remember my Grandma Littlejohn sitting in the window at her apartment waiting for us to arrive and I remember playing and running all around my Grandma Tucker's house, up and down the stairs, around the back yard and into the attic. It was fun to discuss this with cousins and share our memories.

This is me in front of my Grandma Tucker's house. The people who own it now were nice enough to let me have a tour and I am so thankful for that and for the fact that they are taking such good care of the house that holds so many memories for me. They even have a beautiful Iowa State flag flying in front. Go State! My grandma, grandpa, dad and I all went to Iowa State  (although it was called Iowa State College when my grandparents went there). When I went back to school to get my Masters it was a joint program from Iowa State and the University of Iowa. My Uncle John (dad's brother) who had gone to the Univ. of Iowa, said it was about time I went to the "right" Iowa school. That made me laugh, although I didn't agree!


Grandma Tucker's house was so much fun to run around in and there was a small landing with little chairs and books. I spent a lot of time sitting there reading and looking out those windows. It seems so much smaller now! Around that corner are the steps to the attic. The back yard was hilly and had little paths and when we were bored running around there we could run across the street to cousin Margaret's house to play.

This is my Grandma Littlejohn sitting by the window that I remember her looking out of as we drove up.  This apartment is the only place I ever remember her living. You can see her Danish flag on the TV and later she had a Danish flag suncatcher in her window also. She didn't have much room to play in like my other Grandma, but we would go outside and run up and down behind her apartment and walk to the Botanical Garden and a playground that was near there.

Thanks to cousin Margaret for arranging the tour of Grandma Tucker's house and for taking me out to Elk Horn to learn more about my Danish heritage. My Grandma Littlejohn emigrated from Denmark in 1913. This is a windmill that was brought from Denmark and reassembled in Iowa. It sits in Elk Horn near the Danish Museum. I had seen the windmill before, but this was my first visit to the museum. It was a great visit even though the wind was so cold that day. Glad I am moving to Africa!

You can see the wind blowing the flags out straight. It made for a good picture.  I had to ask what the flag on the right was! Remember I didn't grow up in Iowa. How many Iowan's could pick out the Indiana flag? 

 I did live in Iowa for four years while in veterinary school and it was great to finally live close to relatives. I remember finally getting to spend a lot of time with my Grandma Littlejohn going to Sunday evening concerts at the capital and spending the night with her before my boards. She lived a short walk from the capital and it saved me on parking and getting up earlier. Double bonus! I also remember my friend Erin came and parked there also and Grandma was so worried about us, she kept giving us fruit to take and eat.

Ames has changed a lot and I don't even recognize the East side anymore. I do remember how it looked when I was there, especially during the 1993 flood. This sign that says "Welcome to Ames" was not normally floating in the middle of a "lake".



Erin and I both worked in the Pathology Department, but the school closed down that day due to the flooding, so we got to go home. Since the sun was shining by that time, we decided to ride our bikes around and  assess the damage. This was the remaining piece of the College of Veterinary Medicine school sign. It was really sad to see that much water destroying such a beautiful area. At least the vet school was dry and so were our trailers. 

It was great to see the school again and I was able to visit with many professors, friends and colleagues. For four years I spent many hours there working, studying and making great friendships.

So as I sit here I am finishing my laundry and repacking as I prepare to leave again on Tuesday. This trip will include training, a visit to another mission agency and seeing more friends, relatives and veterinary school classmates, along with another new cousin who I haven't met yet. I am so thankful for all the blessings in my life and the wonderful friends and family who have given me so many great memories. I am also thankful for the chance to move to Kenya and make more great memories while spreading the love of God to the people of Turkana. I can't wait to begin making new memories there.

From the Kentucky Derby to Kenya's Camel Derby

Camels running around town practicing for the “Derby”..........what? 

A few weeks ago I was reading that comment in a newsletter from my missionary friends in Maralal, Kenya. I had to stop and ask myself is there really another Derby in the world? Once again before I even reach the mission field in Kenya, my world view has been challenged!

 Growing up in the Louisville area means that the Kentucky Derby is The Derby.  It is so much more than a 2 minute race. It has turned into a 2-week extravaganza with more events than you could even imagine. While I have never been to Churchill Downs on Derby day for the races, the festival has been a part of my life since I was a little kid.  I remember going to the balloon races early in the morning, watching the steamboats race on the Ohio River downtown, marching in the Pegasus Parade with my high school band and battling the crowds at Thunder Over Louisville, the massive fireworks event that now opens the festival each year.  

All of a sudden my idea of Derby changed. It went from graceful horses, ladies in large hats and hearing everyone join in singing "Weep no more my lady" to gangly camels (with lips and legs flailing), sand covered people with baseball hats and traditional tribal songs. 

                               

Kenya's Camel Derby actually is a relatively new Derby.  It began 23 years ago, much more recent than Kentucky's, running for the 140th time next year. While both Derby’s help the local economies and are big tourist events, Kenya’s also helps promote peace and environmental conservation. The Camel Derby is a great way to promote aspects of Kenyan culture that are very different from those in the safari areas, beach areas and the modern city life of Nairobi.

 I will be living and working in Lodwar, Turkana in the Northwest desert area of Kenya. The town of Maralal is not close to this area and in the pictures is much greener than Lodwar. However camels are very important to the people of all of Northern Kenya and this festival helps promote them and the way of life for the people there.

The festival includes many cultural elements like guessing the weight of a goat or sheep. Maybe I could win that one, but I must remember to answer in kilograms. There is also a race to climb a greased pole and ring a bell. I wonder how much sand gets stuck on that pole. Maybe you would like to try the Camel Triathlon, where you won’t have to swim, but instead ride a camel, then bike and run in the desert.  The event that I have added to my Kenyan Bucket List is participating in the Amateur Race, where I can hire a camel and guide and race to victory, if I can stay on for 10 km.

These things made me laugh at first, but as I said earlier I know that I need to check my “American Worldview” at the door. The Derby I have known my whole life became the norm and there is a big world out there with other Derbies to learn about and experience also. I love spring time in this area and the anticipation of the Derby and all the associated events. I am going to miss this, but it is so exciting to have the chance to learn about something new and the hope that I will get to experience it in the future. 

God is so good and I thank him for all he is teaching me and all the lessons I am learning right here each and every week. 

Philippians 2:4

Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Proverbs 18:15

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out. 

Watch a video about the Camel Derby

Click here to learn more

Fun Facts to compare the 2 Derbies 

(Can someone familiar with Blogger, please let me know how to insert a table, obviously I was unsuccessful!)

Kentucky Derby: 

• Louisville, Kentucky
• 1st Saturday in May
• Began in 1875
• 2 weeks of festivities
• Race length 1 1/4 miles (2 km)
• Other events:
• Running races
• Fireworks
• Chow wagon
• Balloon glow and race
• Steamboat race
• Bed races
• Parade
• Basketball, volleyball and golf events
• Parties and concerts

Kenya's Camel Derby:

• Maralal, Kenya
• Sometime in August
• Began in 1990
• 3 days of festivities
• Race length 42 miles (21 km)
• Other events:
• Running events
• Triathlon
• Camel polo
• Local food
• Arts and crafts for sale
• Climb a greasy pole
• Donkey rides
• Pin the tail on the camel
• Guess the weights of goats and sheep
• Cultural ceremonies and music     

Reality Sets In - The Plunge

I was getting more and more nervous with each step I took up to the platform for the green slide.  Up to this point I had been going down the blue slide. It curved and twisted at a "manageable" speed down to the pool. This was my idea of fun. The green slide on the left of the picture (that basically drops straight down) was not.

My 5 year old niece and 11 year old nephew had been happily going down the green slide all day without any fear, but here I was at the top looking down and about to faint. To me it looked like I would be going down something like this.

As I stood at the top I remembered the graph I had seen in the book Serving as Senders by Neal Pirolo. I realized that this green slide was a great illustration of what I would be experiencing on the field next year. This is a representation of a missionary's physical, emotional, spiritual and mental life time line as they prepare, reach the field and serve in the ministry.

The horizontal line is the "baseline" of where a missionary was before they felt "called." It seems great to have that steady rise of excitement about going to the field and serving the Lord, however, when you reach the top you take a plunge and "Reality Sets In."

Right now I am slowly climbing those steps and getting more and more excited about the journey that I am taking with God. I am learning and studying and making connections that will help me on the field and every day I am getting a little closer to being ready to leave.

"No matter how much you plan and how well conferences prepare you, this missionary stuff is going to take you for a ride!"

This quote is not from any missionary book or conference speaker, rather it was written by Cherie, my missionary friend, who has now been serving in Ethiopia for 6 months. I am so thankful for her insights and those of my other missionary friends already on the field and those who will soon reach the field. The "ride" will take a steep plunge for us all and when reality does set in we will need your prayers, love, and encouragement more than ever. You likely won't understand what we are going through, but please try to be compassionate and share kind words, while remembering that this is something we must go through to get back above our "baseline."

So, back to the water slides. What do you think I decided to do?

1. Move over to the blue slide, since just seeing the illustration in my mind was good enough. 
2. Take a peaceful walk back down the steps, since I really didn't even like the curvy blue slide. 
3. Sit down at the top of that green slide, push myself over the edge and scream like a girl the entire way down. 

If you were at the pool last Saturday you know that #3 is the correct answer and I thank you all for your cheering, applause and laughter as I came up out of the water after my plunge.  I am glad I was able to provide some comic relief. 

Since I  hope to reach the field by next March, it is likely that my plunge will be sometime next fall. I just hope that everyone who reads my blog and is partnering with me in the ministry will be as gracious as those people at the pool last Saturday and will be there to encourage, cheer, clap and laugh with me as I make my way back up and over the baseline once more.

"Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ - eternal and glorious plans they are! - will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does. 

1 Peter 5:8-11 (The Message)

Different, not right or wrong.

Driving, language, church, family, holidays, work......These are just a few of the things that will be very different for me when I reach in Kenya (hopefully by next March).

One key thing I have learned from other missionaries is that things are different, but not right or wrong. There will be times when I am in Kenya that everything seems so strange and unfamiliar and I will just want some "normal" in my life. I will need to remember that the Kenyan way is not wrong and the American way is not right. If I can always keep that thought in mind my transition will be much smoother and my frustration less.

Driving – Yes it is done on the right (literally) side of the road and yes I am the passenger here on the left side of the car. I need to learn to drive a stick shift on and off road, in the dessert, while missing the animals, people, bicycles, pici-pici’s (motorcycles), and other vehicles that will all be sharing the road with me! This picture doesn't even do justice to all the "traffic" on the roads and this stretch actually has more road than potholes. Bonus! Anyone want to help with driving lessons?

Language- This is just a sampling of what Turkana looks like (Jeremiah 29:11). There is no Rosetta Stone for Turkana, so my primary Turkana language learning will take place during the first year I live in Turkana. Until then I will study from the Bible, a Turkana dictionary and some recorded lessons my language helper made when I was there in January. I will also need to learn some Swahili, which will be the easy language and the one I can learn from CD's and on the computer. If you know anyone who speaks Swahili (the Kenyan version) please send them my way! At least English is one of the official languages in Kenya and all the road signs and labels on products are in English. What a blessing, although when spoken it is "British English”, therefore, I often needed a translator to help me understand the Kenyans and to help them understand my “Southern Indiana English”.

Church- I will worship at the Community Christian Churches. I enjoyed this so much when I visited in January and even taped some of the songs they sang. While it is great to worship with brothers and sisters in their language and with their cultural music and context, it isn’t mine. It is different. I will miss my church and style of worship and my favorite worship songs led by our worship team. To help with these differences I will be able to listen to sermons and music on the computer and I will have Bible studies with other missionaries in Turkana. After some time there I will be able to understand more and more during the services and as with other areas of "different" it may become such a "normal" that when I come back to the US I will have to remember that things here will be different but not right or wrong.

Family- I will miss mine terribly, but I know that God has a great family in Kenya just waiting for me and I can’t wait to get to know them and build relationships so that we can work together in the ministry.

Holidays- Next year there won’t be any fireworks on the forth of July for me and it is hard to imagine what Christmas in the dessert will be like. I do like the heat better than the cold and I did save a few Christmas ornaments to help remind me of home. These stars are actually from Africa and are made from rolled up paper beads. Making paper beads (from painted construction paper or magazines) is a typical craft that you see in many foreign countries and something I may have to try when I need some stress relief and a break from language learning. I have even been checking out homemade mod podge recipes on Pinterest and posting a lot of other paper crafts and projects that could be fun to do and share.

 

Work- Camels, sheep and goats...oh my. These are the primary animal species in the Turkana desert and camels were not on our syllabus at Iowa State! Luckily, God has allowed me to make connections with veterinarians who do know something about camels and are willing to help. Did you know that camels have very long eyelashes to help keep the sand out of their eyes? More fun facts and camel stories to come!

Memories

A few weeks ago I had a good feeling as I cleared out my storage unit, but at the same time I was rather sad. Last year my house sold, and I donated many items to Goodwill and other yard sales and packed the others and put them in storage. Over the past year, I didn't miss too many items that were already gone or sitting in the unit, but sorting through them now brought back a lot of memories. These were the items I hadn't been ready to part with a year earlier and now it was time to make some choices.

The week before the yard sale, I prayed that I wouldn't have a "melt down" and chase someone down the drive way just to retrieve an item that had no real value but brought back memories to me. Luckily everyone made it out unscathed.   

The past month, I have also been scanning and uploading old pictures to web based storage, so I will be able to view them no matter where I am. 

Going through the pictures has been so much fun and I even included my niece and nephew a few weeks ago as we looked at old pictures of them and then me and my brother (their daddy) as kids.  They laughed even harder than I did.

While the memories are always going to be with me whether I have the items or the pictures, it really is fun to look at these and share them. Enjoy :-)

My cousin Denise babysitting me.

Grandma Tucker, me, dad, Grandma Littlejohn and mom....Look at that hair and mom always claims I get my big wild hair from the Tucker side of the family. 

 

 

 

 

 

 I was so happy to have a brother. He cried a lot, but as he grew up he was a lot of fun.

We still have this rocking chair. It was my dads and we have an old picture of dad in it. We also have pictures of my niece and nephew in it and it still sits in the hallway and now holds the teddy bears. This picture made the kids laugh alot and comment that their daddy was "chubby".  I just love his curls. Mom waited a long time to cut them off.

Many of my favorite memories are from church and the plays and musicals we did as a youth choir. Thanks to Norma White and Sandy Martin for their dedication to us kids.

I hope these clothes never come in style again. Wait maybe they already have!

Yes the clothes did get worse! The stocking on the right is mine and I still use it, even though it is very stretched out. It was made by my Aunt Jackie and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. I decided it needs to stay here with all the family stockings even though I will be in Kenya. That will make me feel like I am still a part of Christmas here.

The "blankie" covering the table is mine and I still have it. Although it is now a little smaller and rather thread bare in the center. It served me well for many years and then became the cat "blankie" for every cat we had as a family and for Hershey and Sherlock. I found it when going through a bag of sheets and blankets. I did not sell it or throw it away.  Not yet sure if it will travel to Kenya with me. At least it won't take up much space or weight if I do take it!

Speaking of cats. Our first was "Punkin" and yes he is wearing a baby doll dress.  He was such a good little kitty.

And last but not least....the picture of my dad with that horrible mustache and side burns. Not that my hair is any better in this picture.