Arkansas to Africa {Part 6}

I have had several people ask me, "how in the world did y'all wind up in Africa"?

Most of the time that ends with me stuttering around and giving some kind of a lame answer.

Not because there isn't a really good (non-lame) answer,
but because it is hard to know where to get started.

Sooo, I thought I would begin to share the story that God wrote for us.
It is a looonng story that spans many years.
But don't worry, no chapter book today!
 I will give it to you a bit at a time!

If you want to catch up to speed, you can find:
Part 1 {here}
Part 2 {here}
Part 3 {here}
Part 4 {here}
Part 5 {here}

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

We closed on the sale of our rental property and signed on the dotted line with our adoption agency the same day.

We announced to our friends and family that we would be adding 2 siblings to our crew!

It was a joyous day!

Let's just pause a minute and look at our BABIES!
Oh my goodness, they are itty bitty!
Ok, moving on......

The next few months were a frenzy of paperwork, notaries, fingerprints, background checks and excitement.
I tackled it like a boss, I might add!
The timeline from start to finish was estimated to take 18 months.
We read over the "foreign adoption risks contract" and chuckled.
I mean, God  had clearly called us to adopt and provided for it in every way.
I figured we were smooth sailing!

But almost immediately there were hiccups, changes in plans, timeline adjustments, and complete stand stills.

God taught me pretty quickly that just because He called us to something, didn't mean that it was going to be easy.

He brought me back to His Word and reminded me of Abraham, Sarah, Paul, Mary, and His own Son Jesus. People throughout history who were following Him as best they knew how and had trials, leeenggthy timelines, and frustrations. I learned during this season of my life that every time a "delay" in my timeline popped up, that it didn't necessarily mean a door was being shut and I should bail.
Following God meant I should keep following Him until He said stop or changed the game plan. Hardships do not equal being out of God's Will which I realized was part of my thinking.
During this time, God also taught me about His deep love for me. How He pursued me and sacrificed it all, in His adoption of me.

So we continued waiting and praying for 2 long years.
During this time, we had the opportunity to go on a trip, that would change the direction of our lives....

Stay tuned for Part 7 next week.....


Linking up today with Casey Wiegand and Oaks + Oats.

Simple {Microwave} Apple Crisp

Ok, so I admit it, we may have a little Fall envy going on right now.

Spending our whole lives in the States; 

Fall equaled football, sweater weather, vibrant leaves, bonfires, pumpkins and apple cider.

As we adjust to life "South of the Equator", we find ourselves gearing up to endure the hottest part of the year, although our internal clocks say we should be heading into Fall.

To remedy our slight Fall envy, we decided to bust out some Apple Crisp the other night.

The benefit for our family this time of year, when the sun is nice and hot, is that we have plenty of solar electricity....which means we can run our microwave almost as much as our little hearts desire!

This recipe {from my mother in law} is simple, yummy, and finished in the microwave in 8-10 minutes.

4c. apple slices

1 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. nutmeg

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. butter or margarine

1 t. lemon juice

Put apples in a 8" square microwaveable baking dish. 

Mix remaining ingredients together. For this recipe, we doubled the ingredients for the topping.

Crumble over top of apples.

Cover with waxed paper (we don't have, so we didn't cover).

Cook on High for 8-10 minutes.

We munched on this treat while we burnt our pumpkin candle and pretended like it was Fall for the evening.

Malawi Monday {Interview with an Intern}

{Malawi Mondays is an attempt to show glimpses into "how we see Malawi" as someone who has moved here from another passport country. Hope to give a little picture of how life here is beautiful, exciting, difficult at times, and full of learning experiences and hope!}

We were super blessed to have Azlee intern at Esther's House all Summer between her sophomore and junior year of college. 

She was a blessing to our ministry and to our team!

Azlee was a good sport and agreed to participate in a little Q&A about her experiences in Malawi.

>> What made you want to intern at Esther's House?

I want to do international missions once I finish school. At the University of Arkansas, I am majoring in Crop Science with a minor in Pest Management. Interning at Esther's House was the perfect opportunity for God to prepare my heart for living overseas in the future.

>> In 10 words or less, describe Malawi.

beautiful, dusty, loud, lively

>> What kind of things did you do at EH?

I did orphan and widow care while I was in Malawi. I even learned a few things: I grouted a tile flour, bargained in a market for food, jumped off a cliff, and most importantly, I grew in my relationship with Christ!

>> What was your favorite experience?

I  LOVED getting to play "wee shoo" with the kids! The only way I can describe it would be to say that it's the African version of kickball. The kids played it almost everyday and that is not an exaggeration. Another thing you need to actually experience yourself are the sunsets in Malawi, they would take my breath away everyday with just how beautiful they were.

>> What is something that God taught you?

Some nights when I was walking to my room and it was completely dark outside, I would click off my headlamps and sit in the middle of the courtyard just to look at the stars. It was incredible to look up and see the Milky Way without city lights or pollution interfering with my view. Those nights were a strong reminder to me of Isaiah 40:26, "Lift up your eyes on high and see! Who has created these? He Who brings out their host by number and calls them all by name; through the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything." God knows EVERY star by name. God knows me by name. While I was in Africa, I felt alone, I could only talk to my family and friends on the computer whenever they had time. So God and I had ALOT of time together. 

Thanks Azlee for your heart to serve and the sacrifices you made to be here!

>>We have had 3 interns that have come to Esther's House this year for varying amounts of time. We have a new intern, that just arrived Saturday,  that will be staying with us for a full year (intro to come)! Internships can be customized to fit your strengths and length of time you have to serve. Have a heart for international missions? orphans/widows? Want to see if long term missions is in your future? Shoot me an email and I can connect you with more info! ourmustardseedlife@gmail.com<<

Arkansas to Africa {Part 5-The Phone Call}

I have had several people ask me, "how in the world did you wind up in Africa"?

Most of the time that ends with me stuttering around and giving some kind of a lame answer.

Not because there isn't a really good (non-lame) answer,
but because it is hard to know where to get started.

Sooo, I thought I would begin to share the story that God wrote for us.
It is a looonng story that spans many years.
But don't worry, no chapter book today!
 I will give it to you a bit at a time!

If you want to catch up to speed, you can find:
Part 1 {here}
Part 2 {here}
Part 3 {here}
Part 4 {here}

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanksgiving passed; Christmas came and went, and we were still praying.

David took my request seriously and spent a lot of early mornings reading through the Bible and lots of time on his knees, having conversations with Jesus.
God started illuminating a bunch of Scripture to David about our responsibility as believers to care for orphans and widows.
As he was flipping through the thin pages of his Bible, he felt like he just kept being hit over and over about how caring for orphans wasn't really a suggestion, but his responsibility as a believer.
God made it really personal.

But, the finances were still a huge obstacle.

One night, after Christmas, my family was over and we were sitting around the kitchen table playing games. We were sharing a bit of our hearts and worries. David told my mom that if we were going to adopt, God was going to have to drop the money in his lap.

A few nights later, we received a random phone call. The man on the other end of the phone explained that he was a pastor. He had been looking through county records and saw that we owned some rental property at the University of Arkansas. He knew a family who was wanting to purchase some property on campus to house the church's student ministries and wanted to know if we were interested in selling.

{little side note- we had bought the rental property when we were in college. It was a great investment. It was located right off of campus, always rented. We filled up the yard every game day and had lots of fun vacations and extras just with the parking money. At the time, we saw it as our nest egg. Our retirement. Our earthly treasure}

So needless to say, when we got the call, we were a little surprised. The market had actually hit a low, no one was buying, not even the University. So it was a pretty strange time to get an offer. David politely declined the pastor and hung up the phone. As soon as he hit "end", our eyes met and we knew that this was God "dropping the money" in our laps.

We soon formed a relationship with the pastor and learned  of  a few more pieces to the big puzzle that God was orchestrating. A family, whose son had been involved in the college student ministries, had tragically been killed by a drunk driver. The family had decided to buy a house and give it to the campus ministry in their son's name. They had been looking for awhile for a place to buy near campus and had about given up on finding a spot since no one (including us, earlier) was interested in selling. In hearing the story, we could see how God was using suffering in 2 separate families (who had never met) and a church to be woven together to fund an adoption of 2 children, bring some healing to a family and put a college ministry on campus.
We were amazed and humbled that God would answer our prayer in such a big way.

The family and church were amazing to work with us and be flexible in the way we sold the property; to match up with our adoption needs.
Each time we got to a step that we would think was impossible, God totally made it a non-issue.
It was such a time of seeing God's faithfulness and love for our family.

We were able to attend the beautiful dedication of our former property, now known as Brad's House. It was totally gutted and remodeled to fit the needs of a growing college ministry. As we toured the house, we ran our eyes over framed photos of college students flooding the lawn with hands held high in worship. It was hard to keep a dry eye as we saw how God had turned our "earthly treasure" into a place where "eternal treasures" were being made.

Next week....{part 6}

Linking up today with Casey Wiegand's blog

Schoolin'

Well, I figured today was as good a day as any to put up our "first day of school" seventh week of school photos!

 

It feels SO good to type out those words (seven.weeks!)

Last year, I think we hit week 7 in December.

 

 

A few lessons I have learned (the hard way) last year that I am trying (imperfectly) to improve on this year....

 

> Don't let the clock dictate life. We'll get done when we get done!

> Relationship over work.

 A lesson can be done (or not) another day, maintaining my relationship with my kid is most important.

> Let them go! My oldest has always had a voracious reading appetite. He always is reading ahead. Last year I was afraid he would read out of order or not have anything left to do after Christmas. This year I am just letting him go and happy for his love of books. On the opposite, one of my children can't keep up with the reading. I am giving myself (and child) freedom to slow down and not stress over checking it all off, but doing what is best for each child.

> Momma must spend some face to face time with Jesus before spending it with kids.

> It's ok to go outside the lesson plan and tweak things to suit our interests!

> Don't compare child to child. They are each learning at their own pace and that is ok!

> deep breathes, choose joy, enjoy it

> some days, you may just need to close up the books and try again another day.

 

 

Some days teaching your own kids is tough, but I am trying to remind myself (sometimes hourly) that these days are passing by at warp speed. I can look at these pictures above and see all these permanent teeth growing in, and compare them to last year, and gasp at the changes that have occurred right under my nose in one quick year. I don't want to wish away any minutes, even the hard ones.

 

Any other homeschooling mommas out there? What are your favorite lessons you've learned the hard way?

Easy Cinnamon Rolls {no yeast}

Mondays are quickly becoming our most favorite day of the week!

Mondays are our day off work. 

It's "family day".

And all good family days start off with a big breakfast full of empty calories!

My boys have quickly become my biggest helpers in the kitchen. They love to try out new recipes and are gaining confidence in their cooking abilities. Today, my 10 year old made these cinnamon rolls by himself. They are really hard to mess up!

This is my mother-in-laws cinnamon roll recipe. 

We love to make it because it is fast and requires no prep the day before (aka, no yeast).

Ingredients (we double the recipe for our family of 6):

Dough

2 cups of flour

4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

2 t. sugar

Mix above ingredients, then criss cross in 1/2 c. shortening. 

We can't get Crisco in-country, but sometimes we have teams that leave some for us! 

I have also used butter as a substitute and it tastes great too! 

Next, mix in 2/3 c. of milk.

Then, roll dough out in an oblong shape about 8" x 12". 

As you can see below, we kinda did a circle, whatever works! 

Spread a thin coat of butter over all the dough.

Cover with brown sugar

Sprinkle with cinnamon and raisins (optional, we didn't have any)

Roll the dough forward into a long tube. Cut into 1" thick pieces.

Place on an un-greased pan 1/4" apart. 

Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes.

We like to add icing too!

Melt 2 T. of milk with 2 t. of butter

Add in Powdered sugar until thick. 

Pour over cinnamon rolls while they are hot!

There you have it! 

One of our favorite recipes we indulge on.

What is your favorite recipe you like to make on lazy days?

Arkansas to Africa {part 4- Not on the Same Page}

I have had several people ask me, "how in the world did y'all wind up in Africa"?

Most of the time that ends with me stuttering around and giving some kind of a lame answer.

Not because there isn't a really good (non-lame) answer,
but because it is hard to know where to get started.

Sooo, I thought I would begin to share the story that God wrote for us.
It is a looonng story that spans many years.
But don't worry, no chapter book today!
I will give it to you a bit at a time!

If you want to catch up to speed you can find: 
Part 1 {here}
Part 2 {here}
Part 3 {here}

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(print via pinterest www.instapray.com)

I had heard God clearly promise me more children, but the next year led me to wonder if I had heard wrong.

After a frustrating year of no "two pink little lines" and a taste of what my friends who have experienced difficulties getting pregnant had gone through, we decided to have a little exploratory surgery to see what was going on. I remember coming out of surgery expecting to hear that the problem had been fixed and that we would be adding to our family again, but that wasn't the news my doctor told me. Instead, I learned that my ruptured appendix had caused so much damage that having biological children was pretty much out of the question. 

This was a hard pill to swallow. I begged God to take away the desire for more children, but He didn't. I soon began to start looking into adoption. I had always worked with kids and knew I could love a child that didn't grow in my womb as my own. I remember going to bed at night and then sneaking back up once my husband was asleep and doing hours of research on the computer. I researched agencies, looked at domestic adoption, foster care, international adoption, crunched numbers and devoured blogs. God started to do something in my heart and resurrect my dreams of having more children. After a dark year, I began to feel excitement and hope!

I came to my husband with my new found information on adoption and was underwhelmed by his response. It was pretty much a no-go. Having children is pretty much a joint decision and requires you to be on the same page. In defense of my man, he is very practical and a big planner. I had been able to stay home with our 2 boys since they were born and the only way he saw us affording adoption was by me going back to work and finding full time childcare for our kids. That just didn't make sense to him. So, I asked him to pray. This was around November and we committed to not discuss the topic again, pray about it for a month, and come back together after Christmas to see where God was leading us. I hoped it was on the same page, but honestly doubted that we would line up on this one.......

Stay tuned next week for part 5!

Linking up with Casey Wiegand Blog today.

{I am excited to be guest posting on According to Laura Jean today! I feel like God has me in a season of reflection and wants me to look back, remember, and see how faithful He has been to us. Hop over and say "hi" and peruse through Laura's posts! Love her positive outlook on life and God glorifying family!}

Transportation {Malawi Mondays}

We have been enjoying hosting a team from the States this last week, so today's post will be short and sweet!

 

Transportation is a big problem in Malawi as most people can not afford a vehicle.

With gas hanging out right around $8 a gallon, it is expensive to travel period!

Doing anything besides walking is a luxury.

 

Out in the village, where we live, most people walk or take a bike taxi to get them out to a main road (M1). From the main road,  you can wait to hop on a mini-bus (what we call a mini-van), hitch a ride in the back of a truck (which is a tad bit cheaper) or hope someone will be generous and give you a free lift into town. Once you reach town, you can buy a ticket on a "big bus" to take you anywhere you want to go in Malawi.  One round trip on a "big bus" to the capital city can be as much as 4-6  months of average village wages.

 

A sturdy chintenje that fastens a baby to mom is considered a safe car seat and the best air conditioning is riding on top of a truck full of maize! Instead of road rage, most of the passengers can be heard singing as they drive by.  



Arkansas to Africa {Part 3-The Yellow Chair}

I have had several people ask me, "how in the world did y'all wind up in Africa"?

Most of the time that ends with me stuttering around and giving some kind of a lame answer.

Not because there isn't a really good (non-lame) answer,
but because it is hard to know where to get started.

Sooo, I thought I would begin to share the story that God wrote for us.
It is a looonng story that spans many years.
But don't worry, no chapter book today!
I will give it to you a bit at a time!

If you want to catch up to speed you can find: 
Part 1 {here}
Part 2 {here}

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So, the surgeon went in to do some exploring and discovered that my appendix had ruptured...
about 3 days prior.

After 2 weeks in the hospital, 3 surgeries, and the loss of baby #4; I made it back home to recover in my yellow velour chair (man, I miss that chair!). 

I spent a lot of time in that chair; sleeping, healing, and praying.
I was so thankful that God had spared my life...
that I had 2 healthy rambunctious boys...
a husband who was the best care taker ever...
but I also talked to God a lot about the trials going on in my life.

We had always wanted 4 kids and losing #3 and #4, in a few short months span, had brought me to a pretty low, low.

One day when I was praying, I felt the Holy Spirit completely overwhelm me. It is really hard to describe except I knew without a doubt that the LORD was speaking to me. It wasn't audible, but it was so loud, it might as well have been. HE told me that HE was going to bless me and multiply me and that HE would give me more children. I felt such an indescribable peace flow through me and such unbelievable encouragement. I immediately called my mom and my sister and told them what I felt God had told me. 

I know that this may sound strange to some and I admit that this "hearing from God" has only happened to me a handful of times in my life, although I would love it if it happened more! It was such a startling and strong promise from God....one that I would question, and cling to, over the next 5 years.

{picture via Pinterest}

Stay tuned for {part 4} next week........

Linking up with Casey this week.

A Day in the Life of a Missionary Mom

I thought it would be fun to give you all a peek inside our days here in Africa!

Sometimes when I talk to people, I get the impression they imagine our lives as jam packed full of adventure and exotic things. Maybe that is a little bit how I imagined our lives would be also?

Although we have seen some really cool things and gone on some exciting adventures, most of my days are pretty much like a "normal" day that any other mom has bringing up her kids. Most of my days are spent in the village surrounded by exotic animals such as chickens, goats, and the exact same breed of dog.

This is a typical day for me......

>>> In the mornings I try and get up before my kids and spend some time with the Lord. I am always, always frustrated at myself when I don't get up and do this because I can tell a major difference in how I handle our days when I don't fill up on the Word first.

{Bible, current study-Beth Moore's Life of Paul, tea with milk and brown sugar (like my Malawian friends) and my beloved mechanical pencils}

>>> I am also slowly, and might I add painfully, getting back into the routine of exercising in the mornings. Exercising has always been an important part of my daily routine and I hate that it has fallen by the wayside in the last year. I know it is so important for my mental and physical well being. 

Not to mention my mood, can anyone relate?!

>>>I try and get all the kids up by 8. My kids are like their momma and love to sleep. The girls, not as much as the boys, but we have worked hard to get them to sleep 'til 8 most mornings too!

>>> After breakfast and chores, we head over to our home school room and get to work. Z is in 4th grade, G in 3rd grade, E in first, and A is in preschool (which means I have activities for her to play quietly so I can work with the other 3). I am really enjoying homeschool this year (for the most part). We got in a groove much more quickly than last year and having our own space, that is not on our dining room table, has been a game changer for us!

>>> We usually finish up school by 12ish. I typically will set the timer for 30 minutes and let the kids play outside, draw, or watch a movie on the laptop. While they are vegging, I use this time to sit down and write out emails to sponsors, enroll a child on the PM site, work on my to-do list, or write my lesson plans for tutoring later in the afternoons.

>>> Next, we eat lunch. Typically roasted hyena or grilled black mamba PB&J or grilled cheese, etc. Quick clean up of lunch and do some dinner prep.

>>> In the afternoons, I tutor our youngest group at Esther's House (Standard 1-3) . My girls usually come with me to class and the boys help David with whatever he is working on or draw/play inside.

Some afternoons we will swap and David will take the kids while I go out and do interviews for our community program or visit a guardian.

>>> After tutoring, I usually spend some time passing out medicine and answering all the, "Catherine, I have wound!" kiddos. Lots of little ones who want some hugs and band-aids. I will make sure all of our Skills Classes are beginning, our teachers have everything they need, kids are in class, etc. and then I head in the house to make dinner.

>>> Cooking here was a little bit of a learning curve as "quick throw it together meals" aren't really an option. Dinner from scratch takes a lot of planning and preparation.
We've been doing some canning which has been helpful at cutting down prep time!

>>> After dinner, we play outside with the kids on campus, do some more "nursing" type duties, enjoy games, watch a movie; you know, all of the normal family stuff.

>>> My kids take a shower before bed every night because you can take the dirtiest kid you have ever seen and multiply that by 10 and you have my kids.
I read the girls a chapter of their read-aloud book for school (currently Box Car Children) and they have lights out by 8:15-8:30.
We spend some quality one-on-one time with the boys and then they go to bed around 9.

>>> In the evenings I will get some more to-do's done for my jobs at EH or we'll do exciting things like work on our budget.

David and I  try to make a couple nights a week a "no work" night and hang-out and watch a move or just visit. It has been hard for us, living on campus, to set aside time for "no work".
After living here 11 months, we feel like we are settling into a good routine/balance.

I am thankful that our director and Mission Board support me being a wife and mom first!
I do have responsibilities here that I love, but I never want those to become more important then my job as being "mom".
That is my most important job!

So there you have it! Typical day in my world!

What does your typical day look like? 

Warm Heart of Africa {Malawi Monday}

Out of 53 countries on the continent of Africa, Malawi is the only one dubbed 

"Warm Heart of Africa."

Today, I am going to give you the top 5 reasons why Malawi is deserving of this title!

1. No matter if you are invited or not or if the timing is convenient or not, when you show up at a Malawian's home, they will greet you warmly! They will hustle to pull out their grass mat (which also happens to be double as their bed) to allow you to sit in a clean spot. Even though Malawi is listed as one of the top 15 poorest countries in Africa, that does not affect their hospitality. Many times, I have left a house with a bag full of ground nuts (peanuts) that were generously given.

2. Malawi has never had a Civil War.

3. Wherever you go, people will always greet you! It goes something like this....

Wa Wa, Muli bwanji? (hello! how are you?)

Ndili bwino, kaya inu? (I am fine, and you?)

Ndili bwino! ( I am fine.)

zikomo! (thank you)

zikomo! (thank you!)

zikomo! (thank you! thanking can go on for quite awhile back and forth)

After the greeting, you are friends! Simple as that!

4. Whenever you visit a church unannounced, the pastor will usually invite you up and let you share a word with the congregation. Same rule follows at most functions. David was visiting the Ministry of Education the other day and they were having a teacher's inservice. They invited him in and and gave him the floor to speak to their teachers. They sang songs for him and let him video tape! We have always been welcome into the schools and classrooms of our kids here!

5. The Malawians have a saying, "a gift is a gift". Which to them means that you are always thankful for what you receive and no gift it considered "too little".

 

As I was thinking of all the ways that Malawians truly show their "warm heart" it was hard not to be convicted! They have definitely taught me that "more stuff" does not necessarily equal a generous heart. That a person can have so very little, but still make someone feel welcome and comfortable in their home. Isn't this an awesome thing?

 

If you come to visit Malawi, you are sure to feel "most welcome".





Arkansas to Africa {Part 2}

I have had several people ask me, "how in the world did y'all wind up in Africa"?

Most of the time that ends with me stuttering around and giving some kind of a lame answer.

Not because there isn't a really good (non-lame) answer,
but because it is hard to know where to get started.

Sooo, I thought I would begin to share the story that God wrote for us.
It is a looonng story that spans many years.
But don't worry, no chapter book today!
I will give it to you a bit at a time!

If you want to catch up to speed you can find: 
{Part 1 here}

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So, this is where I can look back and see where my theology was a bit off, because after the events I shared last week,  I found myself dialoguing with myself (do you ever do that?),
"surely God won't allow more hard things to happen to me, at least not for awhile."
"right?!"
"right, you're totally in the clear."

I guess I conveniently forgot the stories in the Bible of:

Job

Sarah

Paul

Stephen

the disciples...

.....and pretty much every other follower of Jesus

You know, the men and women who have gone before us who followed the Lord and had peachy keen lives full of gumdrops and butterflies [insert sarcasm].

Three short months later, we learned we were expecting again. 

I nervously and thankfully embraced this new life that God had allowed to grow inside me. 

Except one night, (a few short weeks into the pregnancy) I began to get sick, really sick.

Intense stomach pain coupled with not being able to keep anything down.

I was really nervous about losing this baby, so we didn't let the pain go on for too long before we loaded up and headed to the ER.

I spent the night in the ER, severe, violent, stomach pain; worst pain in my life.

Eventually by morning a Dr. saw me, ordered an ultrasound, verified I was pregnant, concluded I had food poisoning and sent me on my way with some pain meds. 

That was Monday morning.

By Wednesday, I couldn't get out of my bed. I had spent the last 3 days counting down minutes until I could pop a pain pill. I couldn't take care of the boys, so I called my mom to come over and watch our kids, and we headed  to the Women's Hospital [where my obgyn was] to see if they could figure out what was wrong with me.

Tests results came back that my white blood cell count was really high, something was going on, but we couldn't pinpoint what.

A surgeon was called to go in and do some exploring.....

{@graceforgrace on etsy, listing here}

Stay tuned for Part 3..............


{Linking up with Casey Wiegand Blog}

These are THE days

My 10 year old walked in the kitchen the other day and all the sudden he looked GIGANTOR!
 I took him to the door frame, where the recording of heights is taking place in our home, and discovered that he seemingly grew 3 inches over night.
Over.the.night!
He is currently coming up to my chin and I foresee him passing my 5'8" in the next couple of years.

My 8 year old is doing school more independently this year; needing me less. He tells jokes that make us all hold our sides and his dimple makes me want to say "yes" to everything he asks.

My 6 year old is learning to read. She has gained 15 pounds this last year and has grown half a foot. I can't keep her in clothes and her legs are as long as a jackrabbit. I think her growing incredibly fast is so bittersweet because I missed out on the first 5+ years of her life and I'm like, "slow down already!"

My 4 year old has grown with almost equal speed as her sister. She is joining us in school doing some  "pre-school" type activities. She is full of sass that would rival most pre-teens with drama and spunk.

And I am realizing, once again, that these days [right here] are fleeting.
They are growing up so fast!
I mean people tell you that it will happen, but you don't really get it until it happens with your own.
I want to soak every minute of them up.

This week, on our day off, we ventured out to try some new things.
A new town, a new place to eat lunch.
Watching the kids play in the grass.
Flying their paper planes.
Giggling, running, jumping, exploring.
A day just for the 6 of us, to pour back into our kids.
I treasure these days.

Having sweet days like this makes me want to try and be more intentional with my time with them.
I am with them 24/7, but I want to really be "in the moment" with them.
Look them in the eyes more.
Listen to their stories fully.
Manage my time better.
Because I know one day I'll look back and wish for more time with them.

I never want them to look back on our time here and feel like they were put on the back burner compared to our ministry.

Balancing family and ministry is a tricky one, but we are slowly finding our rhythm.

What do you do to spend intentional time with your kids? Love to hear your ideas/what works for your family!

{come back on Friday and I will tell you about part 2 of our Arkansas to Africa story}

Clothes Washing {Malawi Mondays}

Last week, Lacey and I showed you 20 different ways you could style your chintenje.

This week, I wanted to let you in on how those chintenje's (and other threads) get cleaned out here in the village!

First you need to gather your supplies:

 powdered soap, 

green washing tablets, 

 scrub brush,

and a couple of washing buckets

(we also like to add in some fabric softener so our clothes aren't so stiff and scratchy).

The clothes are first soaked in the soapy water.

Then, each article of clothing is rubbed all over with the green soap tablets.

Next, the clothing is scrubbed from top to bottom with the brush.

After that, the clothes are "pounded" on the concrete to push out all the stains and soapy water.

Lastly, the clothes are rinsed in clean water, wrung out and hung on the line.

I will say that hand washing will clean your clothes like no other.

I had a very favorite adoption T that I purchased from my friend Jennifer

It was so soft and comfy in all it's vintage-y goodness.

In true Catherine fashion, I dried it in the dryer back in the States with a blue and red crayon which totally ruined it.

I brought it here with me as a "sleep shirt" because it was just too soft to toss.

After a couple hand washings here in Africa, the stains are totally gone and I am back to wearing it too many times a week.

True Story!

Although your clothes will get super clean, this method over time totally wears your clothes out. They are faded, stretched and a little thread worn. 

{Just another reason why you don't find any gyms out here in the village; daily activities here are a workout!} 

>> Today, I am guest posting at The Vanilla Tulip Blog (squeal!). Hope you'll hop over there and check it out! <<

Arkansas to Africa {part 1}

I have had several people ask me, "how in the world did you wind up in Africa"?

Most of the time that ends with me stuttering around and giving some kind of a lame answer.

Not because there isn't a really good (non-lame) answer,
but because it is hard to know where to get started.

Sooo, I thought I would begin to share the story that God wrote for us.
It is a looonng story that spans many years.
But don't worry, no chapter book today!
 I will give it to you a bit at a time!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Part of why this story is so hard to write down is because it begins with one of the hardest times in our lives.
A time when I looked at my life and all I saw was ashes.
I wasn't sure God could bring much good of it.
But HE did!
It is fun to look back 6 years out and say, "God only YOU!"

On May 7, 2008, my husband and I loaded up our then 4 year old first born and headed up to the Women's Clinic to find out the gender of our 3rd baby!

We were 20 weeks pregnant and had no expectations of that appointment other than finding out "pink" or "blue".

The gown was put on, cold jell over bulging belly, and then silence.
The technician left the room to get the Dr.
We knew something wasn't right.
News was given that there was no life.
We left the room in a fog.
Why had I brought my 4 year old?
We went home to pack to head back to the hospital to induce labor.
Such a different experience than our previous 2 as we headed back to the hospital to deliver the baby we knew we wouldn't take home.

May 8 we held our teeny tiny baby boy who was perfectly formed and lovingly named Anker (anchor) by our 4 year old, who at the time, was into all things pirate.

Those were dark days.
Lots of grieving.
Lots of questioning.
Lots of hope for another baby someday soon.

My mom's church had a sermon that next week specifically on the word anchor. She shared several verses with me, including this one...

"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,"

Hebrews 6:19

We clung to the anchor of our soul (Jesus).

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It is crazy to think of how Anker's little life was the beginning of God turning our hearts toward saying, "yes" to moving our family to Africa,

Stay tuned for part 2........

{linking up today with on your heart on Casey's blog}