quote

"It's only in the uncomfortable places that we can experience the tenderness of the Comforter"

I read this today and can't get past it.

it makes me pray a common Rob Bell prayer:

"God may you comfort me where I am disturbed and disturb me where I am comfortable."

sugar cane

ask anyone...

i have a sweet tooth.

so you would think:

i'd love sugar cane.

right?

(forgive awkward picture. it was a picture-worthy moment according to the women in the shop who provided the cane)

i was wrong.

sick.

gross.

weird.

bite off a sliver, suck on it, spit it out.

no thank you.

therapy

lizzie is the precious oldest girl in the house who has cerebral palsy.

there are definitely parts of living with a disability in Kenya that are frustrating...but we finally found what we think is a HIGHLIGHT for lizzie in her THERAPY.

since we are not in a big town like Nairobi it is difficult to find a quality, "think outside the box", therapist that doesn't just give "typical cp" therapy. we have great tools such as her stander (below) but without a great therapist it is difficult to increase her abilities...

but we found a great one! his philosophy is to teach those who are regular caregivers in order to give the patient VERY regular/constant rather than 3 hours a week.

so we have a lot of intense therapy sessions.

with the staff learning different causes, techniques and proper massage therapy

and it seems to be working! (typically the hand on the right is closed and arm is tight to the body)

and she's finally getting SPLINTS! yessss! this is the traumatic experience (for lizzie) of her getting fit for the splits. yes a strange man putting casts on your feet is pretty intense.

(please focus on the whole picture rather than my CRAZILY shaped feet which here look like should be put in splints as well...)

overall we are very hopeful that Lizzie is getting good, quality care (kenya style)

and though it kills me that she wont be blobbing, or ziplining, or wheeling through a regular school in the future for the season that we have her in our care she has the opportunity to participate in every activity and be the happy, joyful, beautiful girl she is!

newsflash

family members, friends and future husband:

at some point in my life i WILL be adopting an African baby.

if the US gets their act together soon it will be a Kenyan baby.

it is a requirement.

sincerely,

sus

today we went to meet with a representative from our adoption agency. the social worker in me was very excited and giddy to see the adoption from this side of things. puts all of the pieces of the puzzle together so to speak.

while there we submitted Hopey and Eli for adoption and once they are officially "freed" (after March 8th) they will be set up with perspective families!

i love these babies and am excited to see the process take place!

Miah's day out

Today I had a great (very tiring but great) day out in town socializing and showing miah around!

first stop:

women's shop. he's one of their favorites. they gave him mandazi.

he took it happily

these ladies then prayed over him and julia and their future families (juju=trena). i cried (shocker). it was beautiful.

second stop: Guava for lunch!

Julia showing him her favorites on the menu. sausage and pajia

he loved the food and the restaurant...except this is the face you get when you give him ketchup for pajia and he puts a fork full in his mouth.

overall he loved the place!

third stop:

after nap pick up baby house friends and go down the road to the hotel playground!

this is miah, going on the VERY wobbly bridge. without fear. woah.

VERY steep slide. he started mid-slide. i did the whole thing and it was one of the scariest slides i've ever experienced...

happy walking home after a long, exciting day.

photo of the week

Eli learns to run. and LOVES it. this is his face every time!

yes i realize a lot of the weekly photos are about him...

..this kid is seriously funny. and i'm obsessed with him.

today...

today is a

teething baby,

fussy kids,

potty training,

potty failing,

poop on your arm,

sneak into my room for a breath and a spoonful of JIF pb,

spit-up,

water spilling,

potty failing again,

shower mid-day to get the stink off you,

feeling for jon & kate +8,

screaming so you can hear each other over the kids,

channeling-my-inner-camp-counselor-who-knows-how-to-grin-and-just-get-the-job-DONE-with-a-smile

kind of day.

whew. taking care of 8 babies is hard work.

captured joy

fearfully and wonderfully made.

in addition to the journey of simply living in Africa, even from before I arrived, God has taken my heart on a journey, calling me to make little changes, little sacrifices in order to teach me lessons that have taken me too long to learn...

learning to love the unique and special way God has made me and every one else who I interact with.

understanding a fraction of the depth of His love.

treating everyone I know as I should, knowing the depth of His love for them.

not only knowing in my head but believing in my heart that I am indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

leaving makeup, hairdryers etc. behind not only saved room in my suitcase, time in my day but God is using it to change the way I look at myself, and at others.

learning that we are indeed "fearfully and wonderfully made"

teaching me how to trust those words. and believe them when He speaks them.

that each person is unlike anyone else. that we uniquely mirror our Maker and He calls us to be wondrously, happily and perfectly who He made us to be

not being able to cover spots on my face or having tools to make my hair the way it "should be" with a curling iron for 4 months (not that these are bad. and not saying i won't use them when i return..) but removing them from my routine has has allowed me to rely on and really understand that God cherishes who i AMMM, not who i think i should be or what i want others to see me as. who He created created me to be. he rejoices over me no matter if my skin is "perfect" or if i am covered in dirt (or spit up these days). reflecting the fruit of the Spirit is more pleasing than presenting a "perfect" image.

these are Truths that my Father is gently and consistently reminding me. this journey, and His grace along the way is truly changing my life, bringing me closer to Him.

photo of the week

little david learns to crawl.

more

"now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! amen"

ephesians 3:20

this verse was before me 3 times in different ways today.

praying that God breaks down my preconceived ideas of how he will or could work in and through me.

praying for more than i can ask or imagine.

joys of shopping.

I brought quite a few clothes from my own closet and from closets of friends to give to the girls in the baby house…I unpacked in January, put them at the bottom of my closet and the few times I actually remembered them were inconvenient to bring out (aka: food or changing time) until tonight.

I brought out this pile of clothes and you would have thought that I set $1 million in front of the 3 girls who live here…cheering, shouting (in their African ways), “weweeee” and hugs were all around.

Clothes we didn’t want…that were thrown in the bottom of my closet….brought TRUE joy. I sat with a huge smile just watching them sort through the clothes and try on each item that they divided amongst themselves…they didn’t waste any time and just tried them all on ontop of each other..at one point Tracy had 4 shirts on at once (which can’t be a good judge of fit but I wasn’t going to stop them) and let me say..they “looked smart” :)

I wish I brought more.

Seeing this unfold and hearing them talk about them the rest of the night and seeing the pure joy of clothes I probably bought on a whim that I clearly didn’t need was something I will never forget. I sincerely love these women.

love.

love x8 this valentines day.

butter

yesterday i saw a tv commercial for butter.

and how healthy it is.

all of the vitamins and good nutrition it brings those who eat it.

...

watching paula dean tells me otherwise...

but whatever.

swim lessons.

we were in Nairobi and saw baby pools.

fun right?

hot african afternoon,

splashing babies,

lots of laughs.

FUN...

and some of them LOVED it.

Lizzie couldn't get enough!

but SOME of them....

some didn't love it.

and screamed.

while we praised them for being there in the first place.

and we held them there...to desensitize.

and see??

desensitizing WORKS!

and then it was TOWEL time. with animal towels from auntie jackie!

miah saying "HI AUNTIE JACKIE!" (jackie i have more/better ones i'll give you when i get home!)

its a hard concept..

many africans must think the US is very small...or that all of us who live there know each other..the following are often said to me:

african: "how do youfarm in america"

me: "i'm not a farmer so i dont really have good tips"

african: "well you must know many farmers because people farm in america."

or

"say hi to all of the people in America"

today it was:

"my neighbor went to America and she went to a museum about Aborigines when she was there. do all of your Aborigines friends that you know speak english?"

since they clearly don't get the concept that i dont know all americans, i just nodded and said "yes, yes they do"

watering mouth

this extended time away makes me realize how much i LOVE food.

this is the short list of things i want right now:

1. any sort of foamy starbucks drink

2. puppy chow

3. chuzzles

4. oranges

5. jelly. to put with my jar of pb

6. anything from marie catribs

7. cake

8. mac and cheese from the green well

9. string cheese and triscuit crackers

10. baked chips. (NOT french fries. which are called chips here)

who would have thought?

welp. off to eat my ugali..

photo(s) of the week

Eli loves popcorn....

and is not subtle about it.

not holding back.

and when questioned he responds "...eh?"

not just babies!

HCO have 6 boys who are living with one of the groundskeepers who we are sponsoring to go to school. they are all orphaned and have great aspirations and love and truly value the opportunity they have to go to school! They want to be lawyers, doctors, and one wants to be a neurosurgeon..and they CAN do it!

one boy really really wants a watch. we told him if he was in the top 10 of his class (70-80 kids) he would get one. motivation.

the boys in front of their school

right outside of their new home

me with some of the community kids

all the boys :)

showing their beds

this weekend we went and visited them at their home, they proudly showed us their school and we took them back to the baby house for some fun! we got pop and popcorn for everyone which everybody loved and it was a fantastic time of fellowship together.

These boys are truly grateful and it shows!

a normal day with the babies

pictures of a day at the baby house :)

julia's awkward smile. still adorable.

growing baby william

lou lou loving the adorable knit dog. (future knitting project!)

wonderful smile

baby girl

love her.

kenyan style ring-a-round-the-rosie with Eunice.

lizzie's new STANDER!

Hopey's precious laugh.

Hope being introduced to the flash. she LOVED it.