Another One for Our MKs-Timbuktu Will Have to Do

Timbuktu Will Have to Do

"Where are you from?" you glibly ask

Where am I from? I slightly frown....

that depends....

on how much you want to know

how long your attention span

on whether you care

or just need something to say...

It depends

also

on how I feel today

-sure of myself or hesitant

-competent or lonely

-cynical or wanting to belong

Should I say-

your eyes give me no clue-

the last place I lived?

or where I lived the longest?

or where my parents live now?

or where I was born?

Should I tell you all the places I've lived?

in order? and how long? and why?

Or shall I pick a name out of the blue

Timbuktu

and see how you respond?

I am from God's earth-just now

a sojourner and wanderer

and you cannot put what I know

or who I am

into a box

by thinking you know "where I am from."

The question poses an enormous problem for me

Yet it is understandable that you ask

It is not wrong of you to ask....

People ask it every day....

But you stand there awaiting my answer

Hesitancy forming in your eyes

And I should not be uncivil

After all, you asked...

I think, today, I will say

"Timbuktu"

and see what you do.

Poem about Missionary Kids

I Am Green

I grew up in Blue Country

My parents grew up in Yellow Country

They tell me I am Yellow

And sometimes we go and visit Yellow Country

When I am in Yellow Country

I go to school with the Yellow kids.

I dress like the Yellow kids

And I talk like the Yellow kids.

but when I am in Blue Country

I go to school with the Blue kids.

I dress like the Blue kids

And I talk like the Blue kids.

Sometimes when I am in Yellow Country

I really miss the Blue ways.

I guess that the things I do and say,

Are really rather Bluish in color

In the same way, when I am in blue Country

There are things I miss about Yellow Country.

And I am sure the things I do and say

Appear rather Yellowish in color.

All this changing around is so confusing

Blue or Yellow? Who am I really?

I wonder if there is a place where I could just be me,

Where the Blue and the Yellow could both run free.

Sometimes when I am flying between the two places

I want to stay up there in the middle of all the races.

If only I could stop some place in between

If only I could just be GREEN!

More pictures from the Botswana Safari

These pictures are also from Botswana. We were able to go on a boat safari and two land safaris. These are some of the animals that we saw from the land safari and the first pictures is, of course, from the boat safari.

One Year Anniversary at Victoria Falls-Livingstone, Zambia

Yesterday was our one year anniversary of being here in Zambia. We were able to go to Victoria Falls with the Allens. Here are some of the group, getting ready to get wet at Vic Falls. The second picture is a double rainbow over the falls and the last is the whole group (facing the sun-that's why the funny faces).

All 15 of us!

This is the crew that we have been hanging out with these past 3 weeks. Here, we are sitting on a fallen Baobab Tree in Namibia. We leave Botswana today and head back to Livingstone, Zambia. We will do another land safari and see Victoria Falls then we'll drive back to Lusaka on 25 June. These days have flown by as we have had a great time of ministry with The Allens. They have truly furthered the ministry in Mongu among the Lozi and have been a refreshment to our souls. We will dearly miss them when they leave on Monday!

On Safari in Botswana

Going on Safari!

We leave in about an hour and a half to head to Livingstone then over into Botswana for a safari vacation with our friends, The Allen Family. We have been so grateful for all the hard work that they have done these past two weeks. It has not been easy as more than one of us have been sick on any given day! We will be back in Lusaka on Friday, June 25. They leave on Monday, June 28 and we will stay another week for Levi's Speech Therapy and tons of errands as we prepare to move to Lukulu on July 26. I'll post some more pictures when we get back.

We are so ready for a vacation!!!

Mandanga Basic School in Mongu, Zambia

Levi, after a long day of ministry - he was exhausted!

Hadassah, running and playing at the school.

Below is Mandanga Basic School where we did our ministry. Looks a little different from our American schools, doesn't it?

Just to get an idea of how many kids were at the school.

Ministry is going very well. We have already located a teaching point in Kapulanga and this school in Mandanga has invited us to come back whenever we want. THIS is what volunteer teams are all about. We are so grateful for these 2 opportunities and we

still have another week to go!

More picture from today

Pictures from Mandanga

Below are 8 of our 11 kids squished into the back seat of one of the trucks. They were all ready to head back to the house a little early.

As we were waiting to leave, we had quite an audience. Ministry has been going really well. All the Allens are doing fantastic with the stories of Creation to Christ.

Below is Abigail telling one of the stories. Zoe is behind Michelle and Levi is playing in the sand.

Ministry with the Allen Family

Above is Zach Allen, surrounded by kids. He has enjoyed telling the stories and spending time with all the kids that flock around our 11 American kids.

Gabrielle is such a wonderful helper. Here, she is helping the 3 youngest stay busy while all the Zambian kids look into the truck. There were more Zambian kids than you can really see here.

Raising Homemakers

I hope that this becomes my new most super favorite-ist blog. So far, it looks wonderful! As we move to Lukulu and out of full time language study, I really want to incorporate many of these things into my training up of my girls. Not sure how I will do this but I hope to stay up with this blog to help me. Take a look at it!

Back from Joberg!

After a cancelled flight, Levi and I arrived back home in Zambia at about 8:30pm. Levi had 4 appointments, one of which included his admission into the hospital for a sedated hearing test. Anesthesia is never fun for the parents to deal with afterwards but thankfully,

the children don't remember it.

Levi began the week with a therapy appointment with a SLP (speech language therapist) who focused on assessing Levi's oral motor skills but also got a grasp on where he is with his speech delay. The next day was his hospital visit then on Wednesday, he saw the audiologist who did his procedure on Tuesday. Again, that afternoon, Levi saw the SLP who did his original evaluation in April. Through all of these appointments, it looks like Levi has a phonological processing disorder and not a hearing loss nor an oral motor deficiency. Out of the three, the one he has will be the easiest to work with.

Before we left Mongu on Saturday morning, I called someone who had been recommended by the American School in Lusaka. I called her and was amazed to find that she is a Speech Therapist and has a private practice in Lusaka. She has been working as a SLP for 14 years and is willing to work with Levi. Therefore, after a lot of consultation with many different people in the States and leadership in South Africa - it has been decided that we can work with the SLP in Lusaka every 2 months for a 5 day period as we continue to do home based therapy from Lukulu. Progress reports will be sent to Johannesburg after our 5 day therapy sessions in Lusaka. Please continue to pray for Levi's progress. If he is not able to progress through this plan of action, we will have to move to where he is able to get the help necessary.