Did I ever tell you about that time when?

Here are a few fun things from the past year or so that you might or might not have heard about. I wrote this a few months ago and never got it posted, so there may be a part 2 for what has happened since all this. 

*.... when we went tried to show a visitor one of the "close" farms. It had rained and we couldn't make it to the farm, but when we tried to return one of the rivers just north of town was flowing and we had to wait 9 hours to cross it. We kept taking bets on how long we would wait. After 6 hours of waiting we began to bet in days, which didn't make our visitor happy, since he had a plane to catch the next afternoon. We made it home by 3 am, but crossing in the dark was scary. I was not driving, but prayed more that I do when I am driving. There was already a vehicle that washed over the previous day. you can't see it in these pictures, because the water rose up over it.  

Rivers can rise quickly here. This was 45 minutes after we initially crossed with little water on the road. 

The diocese hill, we had climbed it earlier that day, and we had noted this river was dry then.

Turkwell River after another big rain. We have only this one bridge separating the north and south parts of Lodwar. I still joke about leaving a place where we complained about traffic on the bridges constantly, only to come to a place where I complain about the traffic on the bridge alot. Sometimes you get lucky and can cross and sometimes there are reasons you can't, accidents, animals being unruly, riots, too much traffic coming the other way (its only one lane, so you have to take turns). 

*..... when we went to the new hoteli that has a pool open to the public in the desert of Turkana. They have grass and everything. It is a little crazy and out of place, one of my friends even asked me if it was a mirage. They have a well, so I don't feel as bad about going there to swim. Unfortunately there is no longer a free day. Still thankful for a pool to use.

*....when Ali helped me with my language learning, using demonstratives and locatives and so many other parts of speech that I never really learned about until I studied a second and then a third language.

*....when I got a bunch of cards for my birthday. We do not check our PO box every week and I was down country just after my birthday, so most of these I "received" about a month after my birthday. You also learn that things move slower here and so a month later to get all these was so fun and made it feel like my birthday was still going on. My teammate did make me a cake on my birthday. I asked for only 4 candles, didn't want to catch my hair on fire.

*....when my teammate found a little hand crank ice cream maker and I made vanilla ice cream to go with our brownies. YUM. Next was chocolate, which was even better. Ice cream is still what I crave the most and eat the most as my treats when I'm in Nairobi. Thanks to the previous missionaries who brought that ice cream maker and have  blessed others like me by leaving it behind. 

*......when I actually knew enough Turkana to make this little boy feel comfortable enough to sit by me and lay down on my lap to rest. He and his mama and younger sibling rode with us out to the bush community we were visiting that day. He was so interested in watching where we were going, but got very tired. He wouldn't talk to me, but he understood me.

*.....when we had a spa night in Turkana. Ice cold water, fans directly on us, candles for mood lighting, mud from the dead sea and peppermint smelling foot scrub that another sweet missionary had shared with me from the US. When I saw that missionary again at the guest house, she couldn't believe I still had it. We really learn to hoard and stretch what we have to enjoy it for as long as possible.

*....when the women all crammed into my truck after the women's meeting, which that week was held at the house of one of my male guards. Yeah, I tried and tried to figure that one out and it was made more confusing before the meeting, because they often mix up and change the pronouns, because in Swahili and Turkana there are no separate he and she, him or her pronouns.

One woman finally decided to walk to the first house and get in when we dropped the first lady. She wanted to make sure I knew where her house was. 

My house helper dressed with her beads, after returning from down country for the women's conference. She is in the picture above also, but I really like her smile here and she does not often wear all her beads. 

*....when the guard dogs killed another lizard. This was not the first. I was so proud of them, mostly they are bored when it is dead, but anything alive and moving is cause for extreme excitement. My guard made sure I knew that Batman really killed it and Robin just stood there and barked alot. Bless his heart. I love them both anyway. (Batman is gone now, this was his last great conquest!)

Batman sniffing his kill. 

Resting after the big kill.

Needing some praise and love. They are good dogs. 

*...when the desert rose tree near my kitchen window bloomed for months on end and grew seed pods. I was waiting and waiting for the pods to open and one day they were gone, well they were so light after drying and opening and the seeds were starting to come out, so the branches were no longer hanging down near the ground. Soon I saw the wind catch a seed and off it went. Then another and another. I had been told I could replant from the seeds and since my attempts to start new trees from cuttings hadn't worked I ran to get a container and collect the seeds. I planted a few in a container and a few days later wanted to plant some in the ground and save the rest. My guard who helps me with planting dug the hole and I put in 3 seeds, went to get some dry leaves for cover and water and when I came back, my container of seeds was totally empty. I asked if they blew away, but he said no they were all in the ground. He had planted about 20 seeds in that one hole. Oh the communication issues. I smiled and said ok, cause it really didn't matter. They I covered and prayed over my seeds and am hoping to see some growth when I return and hope there are still blooms for many more months. 

Aren't these seeds fascinating. They blow around like dandelions. We pulled the fluffy parts off before planting only the small seed in the middle. 

You can see the fluffy part of the seed emerging from the pod here, almost ready to blow away. 

*...when a sweet new friend bought me flowers in Nairobi. Flowers here are all around and I enjoy seeing them when down here and enjoyed having them in my room and sharing them with others at the guest house when I left. 

*...when I stay at my Nairobi home, the Mayfield Guest House. It is run by another mission agency and I have been blessed to meet so many of their missionaries over the time I have been here. The men who run it, take such good care of us all and I am thankful for the rest and peace I find here. God Bless them in their mission to serve other missionaries.

My Nairobi Home. 

*...when I finally read the book Dewey. I have a copy in America, but just never got around to reading it. While reading it I realized that Dewey was the library cat when I was in Iowa at veterinary school. I can't believe I never went to visit or meet him. Glad I finally had a chance to read the book. The guest house has alot of books, donated by missionaries and traded and shared over time. Its great to come and just pull one off the shelf and spend a day doing nothing but reading.

*...when I finally got to meet the new baby of the house helper at one of our bush houses. As he grew he was scared of me, but has finally come around.

*...when I got to see friends at one of the farms and they smiled and jumped and were happy to see me also. These are the ladies that first taught me to dance like the Turkana before I attended a traditional Turkana wedding. They still laugh at my attempts.

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*...when we discovered a new "phone booth" on the way back from the bush. We usually stop at this area to see the springs where the water comes up and grass grows. Its also a good bathroom stop as there are other large bushes around. This time we were all shocked when as we looked at the spring, one of the workers cell phones rang. Soon others all started checking their phones and calling people.

*....when they tarmaced more roads in Lodwar. Then they proceeded to put the typical large speed bumps but these they actually painted. That has been my complaint in Nairobi since I arrived, the speed bumps hide in shadows and make it awful for driving. Thankful for painted ones in Turkana!

Maximus, Batman Wawili, Batman 2

For no reason, other than maybe others need a break from US reality this Friday evening.

Checheria, Zebra and Max

Checheria and Max

It was sometime in June when Batman left. You can read about "My First Dog", by clicking here. Robin and I mourned. Robin is our brown guard dog who remained. He had never really been an only dog and I knew he did not like it. However, I did not know how sad he was until he had a new friend and I saw how happy he was again.

I had asked many people to watch for a puppy that would be a good guard dog. One of the water team workers had a pregnant dog. About a month later I went to deworm her 2 puppies and I knew I wanted the black one, that already reminded me of Batman. Funny thing was he thought his name was Zebra (pronounced here as Zeh-bra). The family had named the other pup Zebra, in honor of the doggie daddy who had recently died and was black and white just like the black and white pup they planned to keep. All they had to do was yell "Zebra" and both pups came running.

First puppy selfie (after his bath). 

We were back in that area a month later and my pup was old enough to leave his mom and brother. I don't have any pictures of him in the crate, because it broke my heart, how car sick he was. The roads (or lack there of) are so bad and we go over and through many dry river beds. I get car sick also when I ride, so I felt awful for ripping him from his family and the only home he had known and making him travel all that way in a crate, but there was no way he could be loose in the vehicle. Luckily he calmed down, got quiet and went with the flow. I think the Kenyans riding with me thought I was crazy as I talked to him as I drove and tried to turn to look and make sure he was ok. He was a trooper and after we arrived at the compound and he had a quick bath at the outside faucet, he seemed like nothing had happened and he was happy to be there.  

Spending time together, just like with Batman

I introduced him to Robin, who was less than happy, growling and snarling and acting terrible. We walked around the compound and houses. He got his first taste of his new food, which he loved. The guard on duty that night was happy and even laughed when I called him Batman Wawili (Batman 2), but said I had decided his name was Maximus, or Max.

After a few nights inside the house, to bond with me, being out was the way to go (staying up playing all night and pooping everywhere was not good (I said he liked that food, but it was an adjustment for his system)). He soon learned the guards were his people also and this was his new home and he seems to like it more each day.

Max sat in Robin's hole, so Robin sat on him and Max scooted out from under him. Made me laugh, but in the end both enjoyed the hole and the shade. 

You have to be tough to survive in Turkana and he has to prove himself. So far he is doing just that, barking, acting tough and doing things that remind the guards of Batman. I knew it was all ok, when on his third day at the compound, he really wanted Robin to be his friend and Robin finally gave in. They started running together from one end of the compound to the other, something Batman and Robin did almost every afternoon as the sun went down and the temperatures cooled. I knew it was all good then and it has been so great to see Robin happy again. 

Chewing on pieces of hide, left over from the drums one of the guards makes. Perfect for a teething puppy. 

Rafiki (Friends)

He likes toys and carries around sticks and old water bottles also. 

I was so sad to leave them both last week (along with the cats, who hated having a dog in the house and choose to live in the rafters of the veranda for the 2 nights he was in). As I left, I told Max to be good and stay alive and that he had to get used to me coming and going. Of course he looked at me not understanding and proceeded to poop right in front of my porch. We still need to work on that a little, but so far he is showing himself to be such a good guard dog that I will put up with the poop a little closer than I would like. 

An Honest Letter and Prayer Requests!

This will be different from other blogs/ newsletters, I have sent. I need to update some things and say lots of Thank Yous and share many prayer requests. There are many stories that go with all that has been happening and I still hope to get them written down and shared before I forget them, but for today this is what I need to share. It may not be eloquent and may also have typos, just read past them, and know that yes I was taught better, but I think this needs to be raw and from my heart and sent today, before something else will come up. I believe there is lots of spiritual warfare here on so many levels and the devil can even put trivial things in my path to distract me and keep me from sharing good news and important prayer requests.

• ·      Pray for the devils efforts to be thwarted at every step for me and others here and all over Kenya. That there be no confusion, good clear communication with understanding, that for all of us, we recognize the trivial things as such, and can stay on track with the kingdom work. Also pray for a leader going to an area where darkness is affecting our churches. His trip will take place on the 23^rd. It really bothered me to hear about this area, and I consider it like the lost sheep and we want it home, not out wandering in darkness. Please pray.

Thanks so much to everyone for the kind words about Batman. He did not return. That is ok. I laugh now as I write that, because someone in their kinds words said something about “batman returns”, but as I read it, it struck me that it sounded like a movie title. I don’t know if there was or wasn’t’ a “Batman Returns” movie but I laughed so hard. I can’t even remember who said it and I’m sure it wasn’t meant to be funny, but I was so glad it struck me as funny at that moment. Robin and I are doing well and the cats provide lots of love also, but just as American cats, they don’t show you that love as much as a dog does. The sheep continues to heal and I have a few more surgeries on dogs and cats scheduled.

• ·      Praises for the time I had with Batman, the dog and cats I still have, the recovering sheep and other patients I have been able to help here so far. Praises for connections with the humans that go with those animals also. Prayers for good chances to go forward with this work, without it being seen as a problem here.

Thank you also for the many, many, many cards and notes from my birthday til now. I have pictures, but am not sure I will be able to upload them today. I love just hearing about your lives and what you are doing. It keeps me grounded at times when things seem upside down over here. I can’t name everyone and would likely leave someone out, but THANK you so much for taking time to send your love through the mail and by email also. I will say a special thanks to Helen and Landon and Hanna. I have received pictures and special notes from the kids as well as cards monthly since being here from Helen. Big hugs to you all. I hope Landon and Hanna had a great time a camp and so appreciate them taking time to write to me. I got so many cards after not checking the box for awhile. I opened them all and looked at the pictures, but then decided to spread out reading them a few every week. They are so special to me and I love that all of you also take time out of your busy lives to write to me. Thanks.

• ·      Praise to all of you who are loving on me through cards, emails, messages and responses to my writing and ramblings. Thank you thank you thank you!

I am feeling more loved up here also. Things are getting busy in many areas, but especially with the women at the local church. I am teaching CHE women of the Bible lessons, we are all being more friendly with each other and I feel more accepted by them. We even had the Bible study at my house a few weeks ago. I was very nervous, but it all went well.

• ·      Praise for improved relations with people here, especially the women. Praise also for someone to help translate during the lessons and help with some continued language learning. Please also pray for my language learning. Now that I am getting busier, I find it hard to study. I feel the devil can also be using this to keep me from progressing with language. Pray for time for rest for me to process what I learn new in the language and for me to be better able to hear the words being spoken. That is most frustrating to me, Some I can understand well and they understand me, but others its like a total different language again. They have different dialects/accents just like we all do and it’s frustrating. God is able to fix this issue, I know he is, but it hasn’t happened yet, which means I still need to be patient and keep moving forward, not giving up. Pray for time and a peaceful mind for me to be able to continue progressing in my language learning.

I am also making friends with the kids more and really enjoyed being invited and called a special guest at the baby prayer/dedication of my first language helper’s new daughter. It was good to see her again, since it had been a few months and her baby is very sweet. I know you shouldn’t have favorites, but I do, Hellen was the first  Turkana as she helped on my vision trip.

I also have a favorite child, this sweet little thing just makes my heart melt. Today as I dropped the guest teacher at our training center I saw a child near the gate with adults. The child was waving. It was my sweet little girl and she actually smiled at me today and when I stopped and it was safe, she came to the car to shake my hand. She is the age when they kids are often very scared of the white skin, but she never has been, but until today she was always very serious. Today her smile was the best gift God could have given me.

• ·      Pray for the sweet children here and their mamas. It is hard for me to even tell you how different their lives are from you and your children and the childhood I had. Pray for them to know God and his love and to have something to smile about each day.

Two other things that made me smile. A few months ago seeing kids building sand castles, after a nice morning rain left the sand wet enough to pack into old blueband (like margarine) and kimbo (like Crisco) tubs. I had to travel on and didn’t get a picture, but its in my mind. Kids being kids in the most fun way in a place filled with sand, taking advantage of the rain making it wet enough to pack. The second was yesterday when picking up the teacher the kids had made a toy I hadn’t seen here before. A tied plastic bag (blown up with air and string tied to cardboard, so that when the wind blew the bag drifted along the sand and pulled the cardboard. I couldn’t get a good picture or video of that either, but they were having so much fun and it was so creative.

• ·      Pray for those creative little minds to keep being creative and do great things and remember these days as they grow to adult hood, to look at their resources and say it may look like trash to you, but look what I can make from it. Pray for them to have days to have fun and smile and be kids. Have your kids pray for these kids.

What a difference 2 years makes. Last week I went back to Nairobi then on to Kajiado for 3 days of meetings that were really good. I learned a lot and so did the Turkana that are now being included more and more in the national ministries. This was the same area that I had visited after only being in country for a few weeks in 2014 and I wrote a blog about it. I will share more about that trip and link that blog. I haven’t reread it yet, but know I will probably laugh at myself for things I said and did and for my reactions, compared to my reactions on this trip. Two years from now I may laugh at what I say about this trip.

• ·      Pray for our Community Christian Church (CCC) here in Kenya, for the leaders at all levels, all pastors, and for the churches. There are changes here that affect our churches, but I have been impressed by how the leaders are stepping up and moving forward. I am also impressed at how the Turkana are embracing these changes. Change isn’t easy for anyone, anywhere. Pray for all this and for the future of the CCC, not for themselves, not for the missionaries, not for anything earthly, like church buildings, but for actual building of the Kingdom to be our foundation block.

Looking back I might describe my first year as confusing, my second year as filled with change and complaining, I admit not just others, but my complaining also. I actually spent a lot of time both of those years complaining to God. I asked why I was even here? I asked if I had heard him wrong and this wasn’t really where he wanted me to be? How did I get it so wrong? What was I learning that I would take away from it all, if I left right then? Any many days I wanted to just get on a plane and leave.  I read so many books, to try to help with all my feelings, talked to other missionaries, who assured me I couldn’t actually be the worst missionary on the face of the earth, even though the people here like to tell us we are. I read and am still reading more books on communication and have learned a lot. I think back to times in practice with situations, when what I now know would have helped with clients and staff to have better understanding of hard situations. I do not know it all. I will keep reading. I will keep learning. I will keep striving to do better. I am just glad I have a Father in Heaven who loves me in my weaknesses and comforts me when I doubt it all and helps me when I fall. He forgives my sins and helps me learn and do better. He knows I am not perfect and loves me anyway.

I have been blessed to be on a launch team for a new online Bible study from Love God Greatly, called You are Forgiven. The book is great and the Bible study starts in August. If you want more information and you don’t see me post anything, please send me a message and I can connect you. It is nice to have a way to have a Bible study when I‘m in a place where everything is foreign. It feels normal and fun.

On a similar note, Thank you so much to my church for the wonderful App with sermons loaded in a timely fashion. I can’t even keep up listening to them. It is such a blessing to hear my pastor and reference to people I know, places I know, situations I understand.

• ·      Praises to God for getting me through 2 years and showing me why I am here, helping me see a future here, helping confirm that this is the place for me right now, so do everything I can with the opportunity He has given me here.
• ·      Praises for Love God Greatly and You are Forgiven #LoveGodGreatly #YouAreForgiven  
• ·      Praises for LHCC and helping me and others stay connected and sharing the word of God not just in Harrison Co.

Life is getting better. Being busy is good. It means things are happening. The trip last week was kind of extra/unplanned, but good. Taking care of the guest teacher this week is tiring, but good. Friends from another mission down country are coming through Lodwar next week and that is super exciting. New teammates are very close to coming and that’s a little scary. I am thankful God has started to give me a new perspective on all this and my life here.

• ·      Pray I find time to rest and take care of my work (CMF indy, I promise I’m working on reports).
• ·      Pray for visitors: the teacher traveling home today and tomorrow (he misses his family and they miss him), friends traveling up and the trainings they will do with their churches.
• ·      Pray for new teammates, that they have rest and peace as they make final preparations to leave and make a new home here in Turkana. Pray for their transitions, business and shopping that needs to be taken care of in Nairobi, the trip up here with their kids and belongings, for me to know when and how to help them and at the same time allow them to experience and learn new things and teach me also.
• ·      Pray for their little ones. Have your kids pray for their little ones (2 girls and a little boy will be joining us over the next months). Pray for the kids transitions, as little white children are not common here. Pray the Turkana children do not overwhelm them, rather see them as friends who look a little different, but still like to play in the sand and make fun things with trash.

There are so many stories and thoughts and pictures and fun stuff that goes along with all that has happened this year so far, but it has also been hard. Even with the good, there are frustrations, moments where I long for my old normal. I miss friends, barbeques and swimming, summer in the US, seeing the leaves bloom in spring, hearing the first birds, red, yellow and orange leaves falling to the ground in the fall, hugs from my niece and nephew and all of you as well, speaking fast all the time, and so many other things. However, I feel more and more that I did not misunderstand God. This is where he wants me for this stage of my life.

•       Pray for me to better handle the hard parts each and every day here. I know they will not disappear, but maybe a little bit of a break even one day a week would be nice and please pray for more smiles from my sweet little friend. Really, seriously, pray for those smiles for me. It made me rush home to write this and to share it with you all. The devil did not win today and he does not win in the end. 

Isnt' she sweet! Her smile was even sweeter!

Men at the meeting last week in Kajiado. 

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  The Bible study book, Sorry, cant get it to turn!

  
  

  

  Yes thats a goat in the front with 2 men. I kept saying Don't hurt its tail when you shut the door.  Make sure its breathing.  Is it ok? They assured me it slept most of the way. Will share the whole story later. Here's the abstract. One day 3 wazungu and 9 Maasai got in a Land Cruiser and went out for home visits and nyama choma (roast goat). On the way back there were 3 wazungu, 8 Maasai and a live goat. Then we stopped and switched a live girl goat for a live boy goat from the shepherd on the side of the road, (message was sent to him earlier). Everyone was very full and happy and no they are not canibals. The one less Maasai on the way back, was because his house was closer to where we were so he went from there. A good time was had by all. 

  
  

  

  A kuku (chicken) was donated for me, since goat isn't my favorite. It was good, probably the freshest chicken I have ever had. The guys took pictures eating the goat, so we did eating the chicken! 

My First Dog

Sitting on the porch talking with my friend Batman. 

One of our first meetings. 

You were my first dog.  You were probably not what I would have picked if I had had a choice. To be honest you probably would not have picked me either.  A veterinarian who wanted to teach you to sit and not jump, wanted to touch your paws, so I could remove thorns and see what was causing you to limp again, look in your ears and remove ticks. You really hated when I tried to remove ticks from anywhere on your body, but oh how you loved peanut butter. A dog’s love of peanut butter must be universal thing. You loved it from the first time I held out a spoon slathered with it.

You and your brother decided I was your new person. 

You weren’t sure why I was here the first day you met me, but after quite a lot of barking and me explaining that I was your new person, you stopped barking, sniffed me and let me know you would consider it all. By the next day, you accepted me as your person to guard and love and you knew I loved you already also.

You had been guard dog to many other people on this compound before me and you were getting old, when I met you. Some basic treatments helped you fill out a little and made your coat shine again. Maybe that’s what also made you want to get out more to chase the ladies. I threatened to neuter you, but I was concerned with surgery at your age and wanted to keep you a good guard dog.

Protecting me from the dangers of life here. 

I was mad at you when you treed a stray cat early in our relationship. Then I was even madder at you and the guard as he laughed and showed me the fur from the cats degloved tail, but I forgave you both, eventually. I knew he was your favorite guard of the human type. You and your brother followed him around as he patrolled the grounds and it warmed my heart to see you all do that.

I was mad at you for the 2-3 times you left for a few days and came back with wounds that I had to treat. I called you a bad dog in 3 languages and you still looked at me with love in your eyes and I accused you of only wanting more peanut butter, since you got that with your pills.

Digging holes and sleeping in them was part of the job! 

I was furious with you the time you ran right past us as we came home from our evening walk. The guard opened the gate when he heard us approaching and you decided to run. You came around the corner so fast that at first I didn’t realize it was you. As you ran past I screamed at you, but you did not stop or even look at me. That time I thought you were dead. You were gone for longer, but then the morning I was leaving to board a plane you were home again, with wounds and part of your left ear missing. I hurried to get your meds and peanut butter and give all the instructions to your favorite guard. When I returned the next week, you were still alive, home and your wounds had healed well. I was so thankful to see you.  

I am a cat person, have been since I was a child, but I have loved many dogs through the years. They were dogs who had other people, not me as their person. I loved that they had me as a friend, but I always knew someone else was their person. Now I know the love and pain of losing my own dog, a dog who knew at this time in his life I was his person.

Robin and Batman

My time with you was only a small portion of you lifetime, here in a harsh land. I have waited over a week and prayed and continuously asked the guards if you happened to come back the previous night, but the answer continues to be no. I am not sure if I am happy or not, to not have found your body somewhere by the road. I am not sure I would want to see or know what happened to you.

I am so sad as I write this, but need to be realistic about you. I pray that what ever happened to you it was quick and painless. Isn’t this what everyone wants for their loved ones. It unfortunately is not always the case, but I will keep my delusions for now.

Robin and I both miss you. 

You were my first dog. Now when I open the front door in the mornings, only your brother crawls out from under my truck to stretch and greet me. I think he is sleeping under there more because he is waiting for you to join him there again. Your spot at the front is still dug out and nice and cool and waiting for you.

You brother is grieving also and I just can’t explain it to him. He lived basically his whole life here with you. I love him also and he loves me. I have faith he will step up to the plate to be the best guard dog he can be. You taught him well and we will both miss you forever.

If by some chance you are still alive, please come home and I will once again give you peanut butter, treat your wounds and call you a bad dog in 3 languages, and as you look at me with love (for me and the peanut butter) I will also continue to love you forever. My first dog. RIP Batman.