Saturday

First I want to thank everyone who posted a comment or sent me or James an email of encouragement this week. I do appreciate it, and it has been a blessing. Thak you for all your prayers for us as well, and for your interest in reading the blog and kowing how we are doing.


Saturday was the first day I just stayed at home, all day long. It was so nice to not be running around, and be in our own place. It was a good day overall, mixed with some sadness.

Emma asked me to play paper dolls with her, on the top of the bunkbed. So I climbed up there and we played for a while. It was so good to just stop and spend time with her and play. I think she had a lot of fun, because at one point she said she was smiling and laughing so much she had to hold her cheeks down to keep from her face hurting. So I then said something serious, in a funny way and she burst out laughing again. It was so good.
I remember reading in a book about moving as missionaries, and one practical thing I had read said to stop and take time to do something with your children. Even in the midst of boxes and packing and unpacking. So I am thankful for the practical piece of advice, and need grace to continue stopping and making that time. It was a blessing to me as well.

Sarah was the last to unload her duffle bag and she set about trying to make the room her own again. She cut the horse calendar she had back home and hung each page up on the wall, and set up a few pictures and her Indian sculpture. There is a running joke between Mrs. Hardy and Sarah and her best friend Lydia. Something about a peace pipe. So, when we were out west Sarah found an Indian sculpture and bought it for Mrs. Hardy. She gave it to her and a few months later Mrs. Hardy found 2 indian girls and gave one each to Sarah and Lydia. It was sweet Sarah has had it by her bed at home and every place we have stayed since we left home.




Ian had a harder day. He was really missing his friends. We wrote some emails, but he so much wanted to be back home playing with his friends. There are no boys his age that he has met yet, other than at school and church. But no one that we have gotten together to play with. Our friends the Allens had come by to see the house and bring us a meal that day and I think all the girls playing together and having fun actually made Ian miss his friends more. So we shed a few tears together, and then later James and him prayed that the Lord would provide a good friend for him. Please join us in that prayer.
He had asked me if I thought it was harder on him or his friends, because he lost all his friends and they just lost one friend. Good logic, I had to agree it was harder on him.

The last duffle bag I unloaded had a Ziploc with the stack of cards that we were given the last week at church, and by friends and neighbors, as well as a DVD that was made of people from church saying goodbye to us. I will just stop a moment and say thank you to all of you that gave us monetary gifts during that time. It was a great blessing to us, even though I have not had time to individually thank you.
THANK YOU!! ( you know who you are…  )

We have yet to watch the DVD, along with a video and pictures someone else gave us from our last Sunday. I looked at the bag and thought, “not now”. ( I had been having a better day) We had read the cards already, and I am not reading to go through them again. I really do want to see the 2 Dvd’s, but I want to wait a bit longer on that also, and then have my box of tissues ready.

James picked up all the chairs we had made for the dining room table. We are temporarily using a smaller one, but this was the first meal with all of us in a chair at a table in our new home. Today we went to church and then came home and took a nap. James tried to make tortilla chips last night and today. They sell potato chips and cheese puffs here but no tortilla chips.

Every Sunday night when we would come home from church we would get out the tortilla chips, sprinkle cheese on them melt them in the microwave for 23 seconds ( James had it down to a science, I would always burn the cheese at 30 seconds) then have nachos. Pretty much every Sunday night. Once in a while we would throw in ice cream floats for a special treat to go with the nachos. But no chips here. So he attempted to make some. Not too bad for a first try, but not exactly chip like either. I was going to ask if anyone has made homemade chips before (or crisps, chips are fries here) and had a good recipe? or if someone wanted to take on the project of having a test kitchen and send us the best recipe you find? Chips probably don’t ship well either, not like Red Vines licorice, Reese’s, or Slim Jim’s!

I found some slim jims in the bottom of a suitcase yesterday and I put them in my bag today for a snack for them. You would have thought it was some special candy treat that they have never had. They were so excited. Ian even said, “I didn’t know they had Slim Jim in Zambia!” I had to break the news to him that they didn’t, or at least I haven’t seen them yet.


The kids are home from school next week, and since we still don’t have Emma’s books we are not doing much schooling in that regard anyway.
I hope to look at internet options this week and get started on having that put in at the house. That’s my task James asked me to do, and I am eager to do it. Assuming everything goes on Africa schedule, maybe we’ll be set up with reliable working internet by the end of March, or early April?? ! And a hot shower. I am pulling for by the end of the week on that one, but we’ll see. I bathed the little boys last night. I tried to be quick and not fill it up much, but there is just something about washing your hair and the cold water running down your back, you just can’t not make a noise, or cry if you are 4 years old!






We got an email from our realtor that the house at home might be looked at on Monday.
I told James I have mixed emotions on that one. Yes, it would be good to be sold so we don’t have to be concerned about taking care of those things now from here, and the extra expenses, but I am missing my home! My house that was my home and still is my home!

So you all pray for us on that one. My heart is not in it right now to pray for it to sell.
The Lord has been very kind in blessing us with a good place here, plenty of space and even with a pool; but it is not home. Yet. I should add that. Better stop there, tears are coming.