Monday, August 31, 2009
recently
just a few sentences on everyone:
Ian: he is a pure joy to us. quickly smiles all the time...unless he is crying :D and rolling over and trying to scoot places...he is moving...just don't quite know how he does it! he loves loves loves his siblings and our ibu...can't say enough good stuff about the little guy...even when he is sick...it's been good here in indo for him. all the high schoolers at mountainview laugh at his tuft of dark hair on the back of his head. it's like a mullet??? but not really long enough...but his hair is coming in blonde all over except this longer newborn hair patch...it's his trademark...gotta have one.
Hazel: today she is sick. still wearing princess clothes...but a sick princess today...we all have this fever, cough, bellyache, painful headache thing going on. but besides that...has a new friend from kinder and wants to play with her 24/7 and her friend wanted to come over yesterday after kinder...but i told her hazel was home sick and her friend replied "oh...i'm sick too...i can still play with her then!" hazel is growing up too fast. giving us looks that only teenagers gave...or so i thought!
Paul: so far he is the healthy child in this second round of sickness. but he doesn't think it's fair that he is the only one who has to go to school (as gavin is home now for the 2nd day in a row). he likes school...thinks it's "easy peazy" and after greg had been walking with him to his class for 3 weeks, paul turned around the day after they got out of the car and said, "i don't need you anymore dad"...aw...poor dad...his heart sank and i am sure his sholders did too...it's hard when our kids are growing up...even though we like it :D
Gavin: he gets the most sick award. poor guy. indo just doesn't fit well with his body. i really do feel for the guy. he has spurts of greatness and is finally drawing again. back at the beginning of 1st grade one of his classmates told him "you can't draw!" and for some reason...Gavin believed him and would never try anymore...we loved Gavin's artwork...he had been so detailed and colorful and creative...so we were super sad that he was giving up at such a young age. but just this past week...we really prayed for him and talked with him on this and i think there has been a change...he is drawing again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and creating lego after lego after lego contraptions!!!
Greg: he is super busy...leaves the house at 7am and comes home at 6pm. he teaches all day and then coaches soccer. yesterday was their first game. greg loves soccer coaching and has 39 kids out for it...thankfully he has some assistance with it :D his classes are going well and of course the kids were sooo glad to have him back. he comes home and plays hard with everyone before we all go to bed...to do it all again the next day...he is loving it.
Martha: i am starting to feel somewhat better...i won't even complain cuz it's getting so old. my days are being consumed by lots of prayers for indo and what is being researched here on human trafficking...so much is happening. i feel confident we are here for such a time as this now. i love how God threads our lives...we don't see it until it's "more complete" but it's so great when we do! if you want to know more...let me know...
Ian: he is a pure joy to us. quickly smiles all the time...unless he is crying :D and rolling over and trying to scoot places...he is moving...just don't quite know how he does it! he loves loves loves his siblings and our ibu...can't say enough good stuff about the little guy...even when he is sick...it's been good here in indo for him. all the high schoolers at mountainview laugh at his tuft of dark hair on the back of his head. it's like a mullet??? but not really long enough...but his hair is coming in blonde all over except this longer newborn hair patch...it's his trademark...gotta have one.
Hazel: today she is sick. still wearing princess clothes...but a sick princess today...we all have this fever, cough, bellyache, painful headache thing going on. but besides that...has a new friend from kinder and wants to play with her 24/7 and her friend wanted to come over yesterday after kinder...but i told her hazel was home sick and her friend replied "oh...i'm sick too...i can still play with her then!" hazel is growing up too fast. giving us looks that only teenagers gave...or so i thought!
Paul: so far he is the healthy child in this second round of sickness. but he doesn't think it's fair that he is the only one who has to go to school (as gavin is home now for the 2nd day in a row). he likes school...thinks it's "easy peazy" and after greg had been walking with him to his class for 3 weeks, paul turned around the day after they got out of the car and said, "i don't need you anymore dad"...aw...poor dad...his heart sank and i am sure his sholders did too...it's hard when our kids are growing up...even though we like it :D
Gavin: he gets the most sick award. poor guy. indo just doesn't fit well with his body. i really do feel for the guy. he has spurts of greatness and is finally drawing again. back at the beginning of 1st grade one of his classmates told him "you can't draw!" and for some reason...Gavin believed him and would never try anymore...we loved Gavin's artwork...he had been so detailed and colorful and creative...so we were super sad that he was giving up at such a young age. but just this past week...we really prayed for him and talked with him on this and i think there has been a change...he is drawing again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and creating lego after lego after lego contraptions!!!
Greg: he is super busy...leaves the house at 7am and comes home at 6pm. he teaches all day and then coaches soccer. yesterday was their first game. greg loves soccer coaching and has 39 kids out for it...thankfully he has some assistance with it :D his classes are going well and of course the kids were sooo glad to have him back. he comes home and plays hard with everyone before we all go to bed...to do it all again the next day...he is loving it.
Martha: i am starting to feel somewhat better...i won't even complain cuz it's getting so old. my days are being consumed by lots of prayers for indo and what is being researched here on human trafficking...so much is happening. i feel confident we are here for such a time as this now. i love how God threads our lives...we don't see it until it's "more complete" but it's so great when we do! if you want to know more...let me know...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Ramadan
so we are a week into the fasting month. for us, this doesn't mean too much change, other than we have to move our bed from our bedroom (in the front of the house) to the boys room (in the back of the house). their room is able to be closed off and has AC so we don't hear the mosque across the street AS MUCH...at different times throughout the night. it's hard to watch movies at night because the mosque is going off pretty much the whole time so we fight to hear. last night we just turned up the tv so we could hear but then gavin came out and said he couldn't sleep for all the noise! ho hum...what to do?
as for the preferred religion here, they fast from sun-up till sun-down. i remember growing up in small town iowa and the supper bell would ring about 6pm. the same kind of bell rings here during ramadan so that all know it's OK to eat again. then all night long they are able to eat and drink and swallow their spit and brush their teeth and do all the things they can't during the day. work is slower because people are more tired. many are relaxing in the afternoons to try to save their energy. as the month goes on, people get a little more irritated and little less patient...but in the end, they believe this is what they have to do to have a clean slate...sins forgiven and debts forgiven or paid up. all is well for the next year. how sad to live under 'law' and not to have grace to carry them...
and now...alas...i am sick AGAIN...this is just indonesia for me...or is it? i don't know? today i tried to 'just buck up' and go out this morning with mr greg and get a few things from downtown. i must have a fever again cuz i was getting hot and cold and had to quick dash to the toilet. i thought it was just a cold...but i don't know? seems deeper in my lungs and deeper in my head...tuesday it will be 4 weeks of sickness....today marks 4 weeks in indo...but others have the same thing...it just lasts a long time...even with meds...
i know i have more to write about but those things will just have to wait. my heart is with so many different people who are struggling in these days. peace and blessings to you in your stretching times...
as for the preferred religion here, they fast from sun-up till sun-down. i remember growing up in small town iowa and the supper bell would ring about 6pm. the same kind of bell rings here during ramadan so that all know it's OK to eat again. then all night long they are able to eat and drink and swallow their spit and brush their teeth and do all the things they can't during the day. work is slower because people are more tired. many are relaxing in the afternoons to try to save their energy. as the month goes on, people get a little more irritated and little less patient...but in the end, they believe this is what they have to do to have a clean slate...sins forgiven and debts forgiven or paid up. all is well for the next year. how sad to live under 'law' and not to have grace to carry them...
and now...alas...i am sick AGAIN...this is just indonesia for me...or is it? i don't know? today i tried to 'just buck up' and go out this morning with mr greg and get a few things from downtown. i must have a fever again cuz i was getting hot and cold and had to quick dash to the toilet. i thought it was just a cold...but i don't know? seems deeper in my lungs and deeper in my head...tuesday it will be 4 weeks of sickness....today marks 4 weeks in indo...but others have the same thing...it just lasts a long time...even with meds...
i know i have more to write about but those things will just have to wait. my heart is with so many different people who are struggling in these days. peace and blessings to you in your stretching times...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
HELD by natalie grant
two months is too little
they let him go
they had no sudden healing
to think that providence would take a child
from his mother while she prays...is appauling
who told us we'd be rescued?
what has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
we're asking why this happens to us who have died to live?
it's unfair
this is what it means to be held
how it feels when the sacred is torn from life and you've survived
this is what it is to be loved
and to know that the promise was when everything felt would be held
this hand is bitterness, we want to taste it
let the hatred know our sorrow
the walls have opened slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow
if hope is born of suffering
if this is only the beginning
cannnot we not wait for one hour
watching for our Saviour?
this is what it means to be held
how it feels when the sacred is torn from life and you've survived
this is what it is to be loved and to know that
the promise was when everything felt would be held.
they let him go
they had no sudden healing
to think that providence would take a child
from his mother while she prays...is appauling
who told us we'd be rescued?
what has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
we're asking why this happens to us who have died to live?
it's unfair
this is what it means to be held
how it feels when the sacred is torn from life and you've survived
this is what it is to be loved
and to know that the promise was when everything felt would be held
this hand is bitterness, we want to taste it
let the hatred know our sorrow
the walls have opened slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow
if hope is born of suffering
if this is only the beginning
cannnot we not wait for one hour
watching for our Saviour?
this is what it means to be held
how it feels when the sacred is torn from life and you've survived
this is what it is to be loved and to know that
the promise was when everything felt would be held.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
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