As We Remember

  

Today is a day that will be forever branded on our memory. 

The shock and horror that ran through our minds eleven years ago was acute. 

We had not had an attack within our boreders since Pearl Harbor, 

sixty years earlier, 

something that for all but some was in the distance past.

I’m sure that everyone who remembers September 11, 2001 remembers exactly where they were when they heard the news. That two planes had been hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers, that the Pentagon had been hit, and that a plane had crashed into a field in Pennsylvania instead of the Capital.

I know I do.

 Even at the age of seven I knew something big had just happened, and that nothing was really going to be the same.

As we take a moment today to remember all who were lost that day, and all who have given their lives to the defending of our country against those who would try and attack again, 

I want to give them my utmost respect and gratitude. 

Because of them I can sit here and write, without fear of any retribution.

Because of them we still live in a free nation.

Not Enough, Not Enough

"Thank You" 

It seem so, not enough.

And it isn't, not in the slightest.

"My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" 

These were the words cried out by our Lord and Master

as he hung, dying in agony.

For us. 

For no other reason, 

but so that we wouldn't not have to endure it ourselves.

He loves us so entirely

so utterly,

that He would put himself through hell to get to us. 

 Tortured to the point of breaking,

joints pulled out of socket, 

He hung there, suffocating.

But all this physical torment was nothing,

compared to what happened next.

For the first time in eternity, 

the Son was separated from his Father.

The sin of the world, our sin

was so entirely horrific 

and real, 

that when it was on Christ, 

the Father turned His face,
and communion was broken.

The length that Jesus went

so that He could love us forever,
is incredible,

is beyond words. 

No words can capture  

how indebted to Him we are.

For there is no length that we could go to repay Him.

As the hymn writer says so well, 

"Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small.

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all."

One Hundred and Seventy-Seven

One hundred and Seventy-Seven. 

This is the total number of hours I have been in transit in the last month and a half. 

I have jumped two oceans, 

been in four countries 

on three continents. 

All of this has led to a very busy summer. 

From my home in Virginia Beach,

I flew to Pretoria, South Africa,

I then drove to Siabuwa, Zimbabwe

Back to South Africa 

Home to Virginia Beach

(and steak!!)

 Drove to Cleveland,

And finally, flew the 8,000 miles to our new home in 

Okinawa, Japan

 Needless to say, 

It has been a whirlwind!
Now, my summer travels draw to a close.
I am profoundly grateful for the opportunities I have been given,
and the places I have been able to see.
But I am ready to settle down again,
move out of my suitcase,
and stay in one place.
Let my island adventures begin!

My Beach

Home… where is home. 

If home is where my family is, 

then home at the moment is the middle of the Seattle Airport. 

It’s a strange realization, that Virginia Beach isn't home anymore. 

But yet, in a way, it always will be. 

The friends, the memories, the family that I left back at the beach will always be a part of me.
With my Bedouin lifestyle, ‘home’ always been relative. 

It still is, but this time it is different.

Who knows where my crazy, wonderful, insane life will take me, 

however, I’m pretty sure I shall always return to my beach.

With our suitcases surrounding us like walls, 

             we secloister ourselves into a corner of the airport. 

We sit and wait for the inevitable, 

the boarding of a flight that will eventually land us in Okinawa. 

My sister is curled up on the floor, 

my Father is on his iPad, probably doing something that involves linguistics. 

My Mama is reading her Kindle. 

And me, well, I sit here quietly writing.

Moving, the word still sounds weird.

I’ve moved plenti-o-times before, tons, and yet, 
it never feels like it happened. 

Yes you’re somewhere else, 
but it’s almost like life picks up exactly where you left it. 

Things are still uncertain, and surreal. 
But life is an adventure,
why not live like it is? 

             

Our Guide and Guard

At 3:30pm today, my family and I will be boarding a plane, destination: Okinawa, Japan. A small, semi-tropical island 900 miles south of Tokyo.

Our house was packed up four weeks ago, since then I have been living out of suitcases, visiting family here in Ohio. 

Taking a breather before craziness sets in again.

A 40-hour trip might sound like a long trip, 

but taking into considering that I’ve already been traveling for 132 hours this summer, 

this trip should be a flash… okay, maybe not quite. 

Okay, yes, this will be a very long trip.

With this huge change looming in front of me, 

a couple of thoughts pass through my contemplating. 

Actually, it seems like I have been figuring out very little in regards to this, 

because the knowledge of this move hasn’t become a reality. 

But I mean, how could it?  

How do you begin to comprehend moving 8,000 miles away, into a culture that you know nothing about? 

I guess I've been trying to figure out how to figure it out.

However,

with all the changes that will occur,

with all the stress that is sure to appear, 

through all the confusion, 

and through all the doubt, 

we have a Savior who will be with us. 

To guide us and to guard us. 

Psalm 48:14

'For this God is our God for ever and ever

He will be our guide even to the end.'

No Questions Asked.

Ever had that perfect steak? 

The steak that you take a bit of and it makes you think of butter? 

I have the privilege of being friends with the best, 

hear me out,

the BEST 

maker of steak... ever. 

(See above, it's perfect I tell you, PERFECT! 

It can't get much better than that)

Steak like this isn't something that you just walk away from saying,

"Oh, that was a good dinner."

This is the kind of steak that you daydream of for days, weeks, months,

 until you get more.

For, there must be more! 

Even if you're not an avid steak eater, 

this will win you over.

No questions asked. 

Now... when am I getting more steak? 

Worth Celebrating!

Happy Independence Day! 

I have never been so appreciative of being an American
 as I am this Fourth of July.

Yes, America has her flaws.

Yes, we're not perfect.

Yes, we've probably had better leaders in the past.

but 

I would rather live in America, than anywhere else.

To everyone who complains and riots and says
how horrible the U.S. is getting. 

Let me ask you, 

Have you ever been anywhere else? 

Seen how the majority of the world lives?

Do you have a roof over your head?

Do you have enough food to nourish you? 

Do you have good shoes that keep your feet warm? 

Try complaining to someone doesn't know where
their next meal is going to come from.

Try complaining to someone who doesn't have shoes.

We are indeed a privilege people.

To all our fallen Soldiers, Marines, and Airman.

Thank you. 

To all our Military Personal, 

Thank you. 

Thank you for giving America the freedom that we have.

You are true heros, and men worth celebrating! 

No Greater Reward

            One of the mornings in Zimbabwe we were working at the local elementary school, and this little girl found me, and slipped her boney little hand into mine.

 Her eyes broke my heart. The sadness that engulfed her was almost unbearable. I wanted to pick her up right then and there, and take her home with me (for the record she is still with her sister in Zimbabwe).

Little Samantha stayed with me all day. She never left my side the entire time we were at the school. And by the end of the day, well, I think I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

To think that maybe Jesus used me to show His love to this little girl, and that her life got even just a little bit happier because I was there.

 There is no greater reward than that,

 to see a child smile because of you, to see a child laugh, to see a child happy.

Two Kilometers Past Nowhere

Two kilometers past nowhere does not make you any closer to somewhere. Siabuwa is a village in a valley in northwest Zimbabwe. This is where people from Timbuktu send people to get rid of them. There is absolutely nothing there! A few mud hunts, a couple schools, but every kind of church you could think of. For what is traditionally a polygamist culture, the Tonga people have been very open to the gospel, and it is spreading like wild fire. There is a church every three kilometers it seems like, pastors are on fire for the Lord, and eager to learn everything they can. The dedication that these men have is incredible!

Last year two of the Tonga pastors were able to leave Zimbabwe for the first time and go to Zambia for the LOVE Africa conference. Getting there however was no small feat. They don’t have cars; they don’t have money for a bus. They hitchhiked; which once included riding on a shipment of frozen fish.  Sleeping under bushes, not eating for two days so that they’d be able to stretch their money as far as it would go. Oh, that we would be that dedicated for the gospel!

Much of our time was spent playing with the children of the village, and the surrounding area. 

(This boy is wearing a batman shirt, which makes him 10 times more adorable.

You can't help but smile at this picture!)

Celebrity status I think would be an appropriate description of how I felt. Everywhere we went the kids would flock to us. The girls were especially enamored by my long hair. They loved it! At one point I had about 10 girls around my headed all braiding different sections. And oh, let me tell you did it look cute ;) My hair was a puffball when I took it out and felt like straw, but it was completely worth it. Just to give girls something to smile about.

The stars were stunning in Siabuwa, with no electricity, and no stores lighting up the horizon. They were beautiful. You could see the Milky Way every night, the moon looked like a night-light. Looking up at the stars all night wouldn’t be long enough.

My time in Siabuwa was definitely an adventure, something so different from anything that I have ever experienced. It has left its imprint on me, one that will not easily pass away.

Why Me?

I have never felt such hunger,

I have never felt such cold. 

I drive through these townships, 

and see people living in tin sheds,

not knowing where more food is going to come from,

  and wonder, 

Why me?

"Lord, why did you give me such a life?

A life that some only dream about."

Why me?

Food has never been in short supply. 

I am never so cold at night that I can't feel my feet.

My parents have never gotten so mad at me that they

throw me out on the street.

Why me?

I can only thank my Jehovah Jireh for giving me the life that He has.

And wonder why He gave it to me. 

But why He did it, I will never know. 

He certainly didn't have to.

I wasn't entitled to anything. 

I don't have any right to any of it

I didn't do anything to attain it.

Based on my entitlement, I deserve pain and suffering.

And that He certainly hasn't given me. 

Maybe one day He will, 

My life could change in an instant. 

But would that mean He loves me any less? 

But by no means. 

So, why me?

The only answer to that my friends, 

is because He wanted to. 

Because for some strange reason, 

He picked me out of the dust and said, 

"You are mine. 

And this is where I want you." 

Plain and simple.

"May I Have Another One?"

While we might have given the world the propagation of a non-phonetic language and genetically modified farm crops, all of that must be forgiven when remembered that we, Americans, have also given the world 

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Dr. Pepper. 

The latter more than atones for the grievances of the former.

South Africa has many wonderful things that 

aren’t found in America, Rusks for example

 (a lovely addition to either tea or coffee, the chocolate ones are the best).

But one of the tragedies that is South Africa, 

is that chocolate chips are only myths, 

and chocolate chip cookies, things of legend.

After having a hankering for chocolate chip cookies for days, 

I was faced with the dilemma: There are no chocolate chips.

However, I would not let this obstacle bar my path, and prohibit me from accomplishing what I had set upon to do. Sugar, flour, even American brown sugar I had in my possession, I would make these cookies. 

This was not an option.

If you don’t have chocolate chips… you make them. 

A big chocolate bar can be nicely smashed into the perfect size chucks for cookies. As a close friend of mine once said, 

“‘Chocolate’ and ‘chunk,’ that combination of words has to be one of my favorite word combos of all time.”

Making the (above) cookies for non-Americans was probably the most enjoyable baking experience of my life. For them, not having grown up with chocolate chip cookies (if that isn’t heartbreaking I don’t know what is), they are still a novelty. The expression of sheer joy on their faces when they bite into the gooey center, and hearing the sentence made up of the five words 

“May I have another one?” 

is all a baker wants in life.

Another thing that is no small feat to acquire here in the lovely South Africa is only the best carbonated drink that has ever been created: Dr. Pepper. With this being the case, think of my surprise when a friend pulled out some.

That’s right, not knowing that it was my favorite drink of all time, I was handed a can of Dr. Pepper.

It is so incredible that God cares enough, to put things into our lives 

just to make us smile, 

just because He can. 

It just goes to show, that God is part of everything. 

He didn't just leave the world alone after He made it. 

He is still actively working in and loving it. 

Our African Princess

These pictures do not do her any justice! 

She is one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen! 

She is so gorgeous! 

She is passed around from one to another, 

and really is treated like royalty. 

This man, is completely in love with this child. 

It doesn't matter who has her, he'll come, and you won't have a choice to to give her up. 

I *just* missed getting a picture of her yawning. 

But isn't she one of the cutest things you've ever seen? 

She really is one of the most beautiful babies.

Little kids, I can't get enough of them! 

A Ray of Hope

These children's smiles are infections!  

This little boy is a character for sure!

So naughty, but so sweet! 

Futball, the sport of choice around here.

Living here for almost two years will make you a brother to these boys. 

Group self-pictures... not the easiest thing to do, but oh, so much fun :) 

The bakkie, which delivered food to over 21 families. 

The tin house to the left is where this woman calls home, 

her little daughter sick inside. 

Please pray that the little girl would get better, 

and they would be warm enough this winter.

 

 People were so grateful when we brought them their food.

They almost didn't know how to respond. 

 No matter where you are,

there is nothing like having a dog. 

Mamelodi is a little township just outside Pretoria, South Africa. 

Throughout Mamelodi are shacks and huts that people call home. Hunger and cold envelope these wonderful people. Meetse a Bophelo is a center which spreads a ray of hope and love for this town. Within the walls of this center there is a community, made up of at least six nationalities; working together to give these people as much as they can. They run an after school program, where children who need a little extra help can come, learn about Jesus, are helped with homework, and sent home fed and happy. The children who come range from the age of 7 to 16 (give or take a year or two). During the average day, the kids trickle in from about 1330-1400, play futball, are fed lunch, sing and hear a Bible Story, then go off to their respectful activity. Which will either be learning how to use a computer, coloring, exercising, or just having fun with one of the teachers. Following that, they are fed a snack and sent home. All to be repeated the next afternoon. 

Nick, one of the leaders here, 

slept all last week in a tent in almost freezing weather to raise enough money to buy food for the families of these children. His heart for these people is incredible and impossible to overlook. For the past two days we have been driving around the town in his bunkie (a pick- up truck) delivering the food. Not as easy at it looks; but the smiles and the tears of gratitude make it all worth while. With the food that was delivered theses families will be able to have good meals and full stomachs for the next couple days, and will have seen just what the love of Christ will do. 

The ministry that this center does is incredible, 

giving selflessly of themselves, of their time, in order to make these children's lives just that much better. It has been my privilege to be able to be part of this, be it even for just a few days. 

Hot Tea & Yoga Pants

You know it’s cold in the morning when you stay in bed 

for a full forty-five minutes after your alarm clock goes off 

to have an argument with yourself 

about whether or not you should brave the cold and take a shower. 

This was unfortunately my lot this morning.

Sweatshirt pulled over, yoga pants thrown on, 

scarf tied up, hot beverage of choice in hand; 

this is how you will find me at any given moment. 

Today, well at the moment, hot tea is the desired libation.

Several gallons to hot tea and coffee past through my mug during the day; 

I think the count is up to thirteen now.

(In the 5 days I've been here so far)

With no central heating, here in South Africa,

 being warm starts being an art. 

Wearing things not because they’re cute, 

but because you’ll freeze to death without them, 

is something that we, Virginia Beachians, don’t understand very well.

But I think that I'm starting to get the hang of it.

As far as I can tell I have frozen yet;

not all the way through anyhow. 

I need to go brew myself another cup o' tea, 

Cheers! 

Cuz this is Africa!

The clouds, I can't describe how amazing the clouds are here. 

Pictures will not do them justice. 

But I'll try and give y'all a little taste of it.

We were stopped for traffic: little photo op. 

A squatter park, right behind a huge 1st world church.

It's a strange thing, two worlds being so close. 

The lighting was so pretty! 

I have made it to the beautiful country of South Africa. 

And already feel like I will leave part of my heart here. 

The voyage to get here was no small feat however. 

20 hours all together, if you get the direct flight from JFK. 

Then you arrive at 0745 and have a full day to explore. 

Let me tell you, 60 hours with only 5 hours of sleep sporadically spread throughout

is not the easiest thing to do. 

Surprisingly I managed to stay quite energetic throughout. 

(well, except for those couple hours stuck inside a dark metal tube for 14 hours)

Here I am, and here I will live for the next month. 

Doing this, that and the other. 

Taking pictures wherever, whenever I can. 

Because when you leave a place, 

all you take back are memories and pictures.