life on the homestead.

Dear Diary,

The men-folk have been gone from the homestead today as have most of the women-folk. That left Sister Annabel and I, Sister Josephine, to hold down the fort for the day. We had plenty of things to keep us busy as it was just past harvest time and the kitchen was busy with food preparations and our lodgings were getting put back into shape. Directly following a hearty breakfast of mush and fresh milk from our cow, Soy, we got straight away to work. Sister Annabel had to hitch up the team of oxen to go into town to get our mail from the neighboring town of Fish Camp and I straight away got to work on sweeping and mopping up the floors where the vitals are eaten. I left open the door to let more warm sunshine in and soak up the warm autumn sun. The door was open for most of the morning. Right before Sister Annabel and I stopped for the mid-afternoon meal I heard a very loud commotion coming from near the door in our kitchen. Thinking perhaps it was the men-folk coming back I called out a warm greeting to them. However diary, it was not them, not wanting to get alarmed I looked over and what greeted my eyes was a squirrel, a little critter was trapped to a sticky varmint pad. Without wanting to raise to much alarm I called out to Sister Annabel using our new-fangled calling contraptions. Then I skedaddled out of there to see what we should do.

Sister Annabel and I both decided we could not be the ones to put it out of its misery. However we were left alone to fend for ourselves at the homestead! We put in a call to our nearest neighbor only to find out he was with our boss in the far away town of Fresno. That really did leave us to ourselves to defend the homestead, Sister Annabel and Sister Josephine would have to do it themselves. They would have to be the ones to remove the violator from the sticky mouse pad or die trying.

Many supplies were gotten to prevent ourselves from falling victim to an angry bite, long blue gloves, a towel, a gray plastic tub, a trash can, a plastic trash bag, a large broom, and an apple box. Without meaning to many tears of fear and sorrow were shed for the for the tiny critter, he was just so scart and sad looking.

Well, diary, eventually we covered him with the towel, scooted him over onto the floor mat, covered him with a trash can lid and pulled the mat outside. It's fair to note that Sister Annabel was only watching and encouraging but had nothing to do with the actual helping me, even though I was clearly distressed and had tears on my face from the fear and hurt of the poor little critter. Once the mess was outside we debated on what to do next. We tried covering the sticky parts with the towel and pushing him off with the broom but that was getting us no where. My heart was breaking, I didn't want to be the one doing this. For the first time in my life I truly wish the men-folk were near by to help me, in spite of that, they were no where near. The little squirrel was still fighting strong and attacking the innocent broom and we were getting no where with the whole situation. Eventually Sister Annabel decided to search out the book of google and see how others have dealt with a situation like this.

The answer was oil, cooking oil. I set off at once to find it and once I did I proceeded to pour it out on the hopeless situation and it instantly turned the situation for the better. He was free faster than you can say apple pie. He was now a free squirrel, covered in cooking oil.

My heart was racing and my mind was the same consistency of my breakfast mush and I needed a break. The morning had taught me several things, one never leave that dog-gone door open and never let all the men-folk leave us women-folk to tend to the homestead alone.

*for Sister Annabel's take on the whole situation with photo's click HERE

me.

An ENFP needs to focus on following through with their projects. This can be a problem area for some of these individuals. Unlike other Extraverted types, ENFPs need time alone to center themselves, and make sure they are moving in a direction which is in sync with their values. ENFPs who remain centered will usually be quite successful at their endeavors. Others may fall into the habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving. ~BSM Consulting, Inc

See I need quite alone time too.

All you need in the world is love and laughter. That's all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other.

~August Wilson

I love working with kids. I don't care in what area; school, camp, church or food service. Kids are great. They see the world through open eyes that believe and trust in everyone. They laugh when things are funny, they cry when their hurt. But best of all is the love they give. I want to give that kind of love back to those kids.

I think there is a reason that God makes the connection with adults needing to be like children to enter into heaven. We need to love, trust and laugh like they do.

hope

Hope is a funny thing.

I have hope.

I want my hope to come to pass and no longer be a hope but to be a reality.

Where does God fit in that?

Jesus asked his Father to take this cup of suffering from him.

Only if it's what God wanted.

I want my hope, but only if it's what God wants.

Only the hard part is, it's what I hope God wants.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12.2

I want to be thinking the way God thinks.

I do see a difference in His ways vs the worlds ways.

So this is how to hope?

I let go of this hope, and focus on God.

I'm giving this hope to God.

I'm learning to wait and hope in God.

"So be brave and courageous all you who put your hope in the Lord" Psalms 31.24

If He's working in me on this journey

I will find myself wanting the same goals.

Hoping for the same goals?

Hoping for the same hope?

A friend said it's because we wait that we can hope.

So I'll continue to wait.

I will live and obey and love and belive right here.

I'm not sure on the outcome.

I don't know.

I only know I hope.

I dream and I pray.

The woods.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

And sorry I could not travel both

and be one traveler

Long I stood

And stood

And stood.

Then looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth

Knowing how way leads on to way

I fear for both, uncertain of today

Both roads are grassy and wanting wear.

Both roads are having the better claim.

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I won't be coming back?

To choose another would be to

Deny the other

Both are grassy and wanting wear.

I stopped and paused at

Two roads that diverged in a yellow wood

And prayed for help to travel both

I looked above as long as I could

For today I had

Tomorrow I didn't

When I saw someone coming,

AH, a friend, then another and another.

Help had come as I knew it would.

To cheer for me on the path I took.

But for today-

But for today- a place to rest.

For though there are two roads in a yellow wood

I am in a spot made for waiting and living

Only to take the next path when needed.

And that will make all the difference.

Safari -- Swahili for trip.

We drove 3 hours to get to our lodge right outside the Ngorongoro crater where we stayed for two nights. On the way there we saw camels that had been imported fromthe north and we also saw TWIGAS (giraffes)!! Straight up WILD. No conservation, no park just pure wild animals!

Here at the lodge the stars are so easy to see. Again simply beautiful, bright new stars, except Juma says that you can see Orion here!! How wonderful and comforting to see a trusty star constellation in a new foreign place.

On our big day into the Ngorongoro crater we were basically stuck in the car for 11 hours driving around the crater floor. It was mainly over dirt roads with lots of stopping to just watch the animals. So many too! Zebras, gazelles of dif

ferent types, buffalo, hyenas, wildebeests, flamingos, all sorts of birds, ostriches, lions, hyenas, elephants, baboons, a lizard, hippos, and several other animals that I don't remember the names of. It was a beautiful trip and we were all covered in dirt by the end of it.

We also stopped at a Masai village before heading down into the crater. It was interesting to learn about how they live. It's been the same for so long. The young man who answered all my questions was very nice. He told me he was a Masai Warrior and had picked out a woman he wanted marry, he also told me she was going to cost 50 cows. I asked how old he was so I could get a concept of goals by what age and then he asked me how old I was. He first said WOW, when I told him 27, then he said a larger WOW when I told him I wasn't married. I told him I was 55 cattle and that American Warriors are hard to come by. He seemed satisfied with that answer. As we were leaving another guy came over to me and said if I would trade my watch for something, so I did.

The whole day was such a great experience and was so beautiful. I could never pick my favorite animal from the day. But I can tell you God is so wonderfully creative!

Church outside of Arusha, Tanzania

I loved church. I loved walking by myself to church, going through the village. It helped me proccess many things. I felt like I could belong and that perhaps one day see myself fitting in. I was able to practice local greetings, smile at children and explore the paths that lead to and from church.

God worked the timing out right so that I met up with Jordan and her kids right as they were leaving Sabbath School. The whole pack of us --something like 20 kids (two homes combined) trooped right in during the announcements and sat right in the front. The church was full for the most part. It's a fairly large church I guess since the University of Arush (the local Seventh-day Adventist Church) is right there. I'll be a little honest I was a bit sad that we didn't sing the doxology in Kiswahili. I have been practicing it since last November when I first started praying for Tanzania. We sang many songs in English and there were a few special musics, they were at least in Kiswahili. I have a few videos of that to post later. The sermon was in 2 langugaes. In fact all of it was in two languages-- Kiswahili and English. Afterwards Jordan and I walked back to the Havilla orphanage together.

On the way back to meeting the others it was so nice to be alone and just think and walk. I loved being on the path and soaking up all the sights and sounds. Once I arrived back with everyone else I had lunch and it was time to throw some things into my bag for our Ngorongoro Crater Safari!!!

September 3

Don't pretend that you love others.

Really love them.

Romans 12:9

Yesterday I didn't sleep well and I woke up at 2:30 AM. So my emotions were a bit streached out. We visited the Good Hope home for children in Arusha slums. They are a poorer home in the suburbs of Arusha. Yet I enjoyed the children very much. Their home was more lived in (dirty and paint pealing) the children were able to interact with us. They are in school yet they still had time to play with us :) We visited their new buildings that are going to be their new homes. I actually didn't look at the buildings because I was to busy playing with the kids. I could only take so much of the buisiness side/tours of buildings when there were so many eager children to play with. So I broke out the best currency in the world of children. . . balloons. I started passing them out and boy did I make friends fast. Then after they peeled me away we left to go shopping!

The shopping was fun. We got to see many things made by the Tanzanian people. We went to a cultural center were things were more expensive, but they were very nicely made. I looked at the beautiful Tanzanite stone. They were very expensive stones, but very beautiful. My favorite place we went shopping was a Massi market. I love to barter. It always makes me feel a little like the proverbs 31 woman (look it up if you don't know who that is).

I made a friend at one of the shops. He sold me some things and then all the rest of the group stopped by and bought things. A lot of things. So my new friend, Jon gave me a necklace as a thank you for all the business. They were very nice people.

Today (Saturday) I'm venturing out on my own. I'm going to church. I am so excited! Then at 2:30 we leave for Safari (meaning travel) to the Ngorongoro Crater. I can't wait to see all of God's creatures!

Photos

Here is a link to Jessica's blog. She has spectacular pictures and is capturing so many great emotions.

Jet lag is dumb.

Things are going well. We saw Havillah Village, a home for children. It’s where Jo-bob is. I learned quite a bit about how our home could be run. It was great to help get me in the mindset. I’m going to go back later to talk with Debbie the director there.

Then we went to see our property. Wow, what a morning. Seeing the location for SSC is serious business! It’s very long as aposed to a perfect square. Juma (the director of operations here) has planted lots of trees, banana, guava, mango, papaya and even a pine!!! It’s a good soil and it’s back off away from the main roads and houses and people.

In the afternoon we went to cradle of love. They have 50 infants and toddlers all between the ages of 0 to 3 years of age. They were all so precious. They would run up to you and throw there arms up in the air just asking to be held. If you are a personal contact type person that is the place to be, so many children just wanting to be touched, held, looked at and talked to. Just hold a baby for a day and your heart will never be the same again. They are doing a very good work there and the children are thriving. I’ll get the link for the place if you want to learn more about it. Here it is Cradle of Love

That’s about if for now . . .except it’s day two of traveling and I’ve been awake since 2:30 AM. Boo, on jet lag.

I think I live on an airplane

Currently I am sitting on a plane. I've been on a plane for what feels like DAYS. It may in fact be days. I boarded the plane in Orlando on the last day of August and will get off in Kilimanjaro on the first day of September which is coming to a fast end. I've seen movies galore, listened to music, brushed up on my French (Berlitz language game), reconnected with Tetris, read Health magazines, missed a sunrise, sunset and most everything in between. I've had meals and more meals. I've slept, thanks to Tylenol PM and I've dozed, thanks to staying up almost all night the night before I left.

All of our group has made it together safely. We have people from all over the US. Kathy from SoCal, Jessica from Utah, Shannin, Kaylene, Stanley, Enrico, and Charlene from Orlando and me from . . . well . . . I guess I'm from central Cali.

This is my first time to cross the Equator and it's one heck of a crossing.

The supper cart is making it's way by so I'll finish for now. I'll let you know how things go once we get there! I'm ready for anything.

Tanzania

When God’s children are in need, be the one to help them out

Romans 12:13

Amazing, I just read this for worship ->God is guiding us! Amen

Instantly when I stepped off the plane Wednesday night I could smell the warm night air and Iknew I was back in Africa. How it can small the same? I don’t know but it did, it has been a familiar sent that warmed my heart and touched a part of my soul.
The stars are all new down here! It’s as if to see the night sky for the first time, to disover God’s beauty anew. To be a small child just learning to open m yes. I’m reveling in the beauty. I’m allowing myself to be effected, to let the new things overwhelm me. I’m allowing God to shower my senses with delight. Today holds so many new thigns for me.
I’m sitting outside now and I hear many things in the early morning; a child humming, birds singing—all kinds too, a bycuicle going by, a truck, a far away chicken and a close by chicken too.
I get to see Jo-bob (Jordan Sager) today! I’m so excited. So many questions to ask.

I'm Here!

Msifu mungu wa neema
Enyi viumbe po pote;
Wa juu pia sifuni
Baba, mwana Nayeli Roho.
Amin