Ode to a Silly Joy

Is it a tennis racket with a galactic twist?!

No, for those of you who can't buy one from a friendly vendor while waiting in a traffic jam... this lovely device is a mosquito vanquisher; with a casual flourish of the arm multiple mosquitoes can meet death by electrocution.

It's so hard to time a swat of the hands perfectly to catch a mosquito, hence the joy of wielding one of these. ...Buzzing, itching, possible malaria or dengue fever... all evaded by one swipe!

Prayer Board

• Please help us not to get worried.
• Thank you for sending your Spirit.
• Thank you for school.
• Help Braden get better soon. x3
• Thank you for my dream.
• Thank you for the crickets.
• Please help the Ica people to get the Bible in their own language.

Join us in our morning prayers! I have the joy of leading a prayer time with the older kids each morning. As the kids come in they write down praises, thanks, and requests. Then we read a devotional from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Then we pray. It's a refreshing way to start the day. I love to hear the kids' prayers... especially how they pray about things big and small.

My Joys are Like the Everlasting Hills

When I am with God 

my fear is gone;

in the great quiet of God

my troubles are as 

pebbles on the road,

my joys are like

the everlasting hills.

Walter Rauschenbusch

Encouragement comes in many forms and places. I've needed encouragement lately; it's been half a year since I was last in a place I'm really comfortable and feel known by friends (WA State). Since then I've lived in two towns for 3 months each... I'm settling in this place, but I don't have strong heart connections with people yet, naturally. So, when worries arise or the enemy sends lies that make me feel condemned, I don't have as many places to go. There have been some lonely and dark days.

I want to say that in these times I find all the comfort I need in God's Word and prayer... I feel like that's the "right way," the truly spiritual way. But, I think that God works in many ways. His Word does bring hope and truth that lightens my path, but sometimes it's hard to metabolize it on my own and sometimes praying by myself feels lonely.

Humorously, one of the lights of hope I saw this week was in a new friend's bathroom; she decorates with pretty cards and quotes. I copied the quote, which you see above, and later illustrated it. Drawing and coloring in connection to prayer and reflection has been another joy lately. And, I am most thankful for meaningful time with people here (unity in the Body of Christ): I was able to share some of my struggles and pray with a couple ladies at Bible study. One of them invited me to hang out soon. I went walking with two ladies the next day and over to one of their houses for ice cream and a movie the next day. God works in many ways.

Haiku @ 2:30 am

I was teaching about haiku the next day anyway, so I figured I'd write a few since I was up... The first shows why I was up... then there's one about our new shelf, one about the cool boulders on Lake Victoria, and one more... A poetic glimpse into my life of late.

Please don't bite me. Mister,                             Tall and full of nooks.       
you are not kind. I can't sleep.                           Now we have a place to put
My elbow itches.                                              all our bowls and plates.

Boulders like hundreds                                     Floating, restoring,
of ice cream scoops piled on                            oblivion of sleep is 
the edge of our lake.                                        where I want to be.

Zinza Celebration of Luke

Just a second, I thought of something even better. This is a video put together by our team leader and his wife. It shows the recent dedication of the gospel of Luke in the Zinza language which happened right before my arrival. It's a neat video. You'll see boxes of Luke carried in, the pastor speaking about the momentous event, and celebratory singing and dancing... Check out the missionaries trying out some new moves!

Beauty in a Basket

I'm a bit wiped-out right now, after a busy week... so maybe that's why I can't think of anything but a fruit basket to blog about. Or, maybe it's because simple blessings are a joy, be the day exhausting or energizing. Either way, I think a home needs a fruit basket to be complete... a dangling display of God's juicy sweet creations, within easy reach. It's almost like having a tree growing in one's kitchen, that bears three kinds of fruit, not to mention the garlic and onions.