The Choate Family

Safe and Sound

2012-01-17T20:28:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends of the Choates,

The email system that we use with teams in the village is no longer working. Both the regular and the backup modems are inoperable at the moment. That means that you should not expect to have regular contact with/from the Choate family until they return to Honiara in April. That being said, I will try to post updates for them so you can know how things are going for them.

If you would like to contact them, you can do so by writing directly to their email addresses. They have given me permission to pass along emails to them via the radio. You could also write to deputy_solomon-islands@sil.org and I will pass along your email to them via the radio.

Now, for the update:

The Choates traveled out to their village on the MV Kosko. It was their first time to travel to their village on this ship. A nice feature that this ship has, is that they own a warehouse so you can take your cargo down a couple of days before departure and the crew will load it on the boat. This means that you don't have to fight the crowds at the wharf as you try to load your cargo on the boat.

The day they left, they had smooth seas and a cloudy sky. Those are the best conditions for boat travel. When they arrived in their village a motor boat made several trips back and forth to the ship shuttling them and their cargo to the shore. They are settled in and unpacking.

sincerely,

Andy Pierce

Deputy Director

Time to go...

2012-01-14T00:40:00.001-06:00

Our ship should be leaving Honiara around 4 p.m. CST, Saturday afternoon and arrive in Marulaon about seven hours later. We would appreciate your prayers as we push hard through the next eleven and a half weeks to finish well in Marulaon. Village e-mail hasn't been working for the last month. SITAG's old system is gasping for its last breath. Even if the radio/e-mail system does get up and running, please keep e-mails to us "text only" and know that it may take days to get to us, if at all. We plan to be back around April 4, and we look forward to catching up! I'll update the blog when we return...

Anybody know...

2012-01-14T00:23:00.000-06:00

...what these are?

These little bugs have been making a home on one of my hanging plants for a couple of months now. They swarm and multiply on one little leaf, then after a while they have to expand to another leaf. When I bought a new hanging plant last week, the insects extended their apartment complex and added some leaves from the new plant. The leaves eventually shrivel up and die, so I'm not too happy about these bugs! My guess is that the leaves serve as an insect breeding ground and nursery. Any suggestions?

Proposal-versary

2012-01-13T00:25:00.001-06:00

My amazing husband has the knack and the stamina to be our packer-in-chief, and I'm so thankful! Today also happens to be our proposal-versary. Fifteen years ago, Aaron asked me to marry him. So, even though today has been a crazy busy day, I've heard "happy proposal-versary" at least a dozen times today as we pass (and smooch) each other in the hall. This is what the "packing room" looked like early this morning as the sun was streaming through the windows:

I took a break from packing just before lunch to walk up the hill and say goodbye to some friends from Marulaon. They are moving way out east in the Solomons because of a new job. It was good to see them one more time and hold their sweet baby girl who has the fattest cheeks you've ever seen! Wish I had taken the camera.

This afternoon, I drove Sarah and one of her friends to the hospital to deliver some blankets and a cap. I know, it seems crazy in this climate, but you ought to see how those mamas bundle up their babies! These two young ladies (along with a SITAG colleague) have been crocheting blankets for newborns.

The girls also took some of their own money and delivered everything to the nurse in charge of labor and delivery. I'm super proud of them!

When we returned to SITAG, it was time to load the truck with our boxes for the village.

One of the things I love about our SITAG family is that everybody works together. We really do feel like family.

And the truck just kept getting fuller and fuller...

...until finally they had everything strapped down and headed out to the warehouse. I think I really like this loading 36 hours ahead of time instead of only 12 hours.

As soon as Aaron returns, we'll head over to visit some more SITAG family for supper. Again, everybody has been so generous to help us through this transition. Because it's our proposal-versary, and Aaron proposed with a container of Rocky Road ice cream, we made some Rocky Road (with marshmallows that just came in a care package from our sending church) to share with our hosts tonight. It has been a great day!

Watermelon Break

2012-01-13T00:09:00.000-06:00

Enjoying a little break from packing with the help of a juicy watermelon and some music from Chris Tomlin.

"How can I keep from singing Your praise

How can I ever say enough

How amazing is Your love"

"How can I keep from shouting Your name

I know I am loved by the King

And it makes my heart want to sing"

Going to go get my piece before the kids eat it all...

2012-01-12T01:43:00.000-06:00

By ten this morning, we needed a second pot of coffee. Thankfully, my brother and sister-in-law sent us some from the Ogeechee River Coffee Company in Savannah. (If you are planning to be in the Savannah area, check out my sister-in-law's culinary blog, it makes me hungry!). Our newest SITAG colleague stopped by to visit and to help us drink coffee while we worked. She offered to help, too, but at this point her sweet company was the best thing she could offer!

Aaron is getting ready to go pick up the NguzuNguzu books from the printer, and the rest of us just keep on packing and chipping away. We always grieve with the packing, it's so hard to say goodbye to friends and places, but we're listening to some of our favorite music while we pack, and somehow it helps Aaron and me as we sing along with the cello part.

2012-01-12T01:00:00.001-06:00

About eight o'clock yesterday morning, we learned that Aaron's grandmother had died. We had been expecting the news, and we were so thankful that we had gotten to visit with her and see her on Skype video just a couple of weeks ago.

I left Aaron and the kids packing and went into town with our new SITAG colleague and an "old" SITAG colleague to help our new friend learn how things work in the Solomon Islands. We had so much fun introducing her to people, sharing stories of our time in the Solomons, and trying to help her get her bearings. The post office was full of Christmas cheer for our family - several Christmas boxes and Christmas cards arrived!

When I returned to the house, we opened boxes while we ate lunch, and it was Christmas morning and Benjamin's birthday all over again. One of the fun things about living here is that you never know when mail will arrive, so special days last a long time. Aaron left for a SITAG staff meeting, and in his absence I transplanted some of the flowers I bought last week (from my Lavukal friend, Mary) in preparation for their trip to Marulaon. I'm so excited about my ixora, which is a new plant to me, and my layered hibiscus. I also made some Oatmeal Scotchies and Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies (both with some of our newly arrived goodies) for one last care package for our friends out in the village and to share here at SITAG. The oven was already on to cook the quiche from the freezer, so I wanted to use the heat well. Any excuse to make cookies. Plus, Aaron was cleaning out to pantry to pack it up, so I had to hustle.

We learned that the Kosko has a warehouse, so instead of loading the boat at supper time the night before we leave, we'll be able to take our boxes down to the warehouse on Friday afternoon. Even though we lose some time for packing, I think it will make Saturday so much more relaxed as we clean and scrub our SITAG house. So, today includes packing, packing, and more packing! So back to work for me...

In Memory...

2012-01-10T15:28:00.000-06:00

of Sara Waggoner Yarnell

September 4, 1922-January 10, 2012

We are so thankful that you are no longer in pain and with Jesus now.

2012-01-10T00:49:00.002-06:00

Early this morning, our kids and their friends began to prepare for the five adults and three children that would be arriving at SITAG. They gathered frangipanni blossoms and began stringing them into necklaces to give to each of the arrivals.

We were so excited to welcome back some old SITAG friends,

as well as meet some new friends who will be serving in the Solomon Islands alongside us.

Right now, they are all settling in and telling their bodies what time it is, but tonight we'll all gather for a big potluck and lots of hugs!

Monday Morning

2012-01-09T00:04:00.004-06:00

"You have to eat oatmeal or you'll dry up. Anybody knows that." ~Kay Thompson

(oatmeal art found on Susan Branch's website)

Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? We are so thankful for the care packages that bring us yummy things like cranberries and pecans to add to our Camper's Oatmeal . Eating oatmeal is also one of the ways we pretend that it's cold outside!

-Camper's oatmeal, check

-coffee, check

Eight o'clock and time to get busy! Aaron has to change the flat tire on SITAG's big truck so he can go into town, refill our gas cylinders for Marulaon, buy our Kosko tickets, and take the Lavukaleve "easy readers" to the printers. That leaves me to read some more to the kids, finish the school schedule for Marulaon and pack. Gonna be a great Monday morning around here! How has your week begun?

Sweet Sabbath

2012-01-08T00:05:00.002-06:00

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold Thee as Thou art,

And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,

Satisfies my heart.

Satisfies its deepest longings,

Meets, supplies, its every need,

Compasseth me round with blessings

Thine is love indeed.

~Jean Sophia Pigott

Just a few of the blessings encompassing me today:

-strong legs and feet that run up and down the long hall in this house

-this daily organization help in the midst of my packing chaos

-almost empty shelves as we continue to pack

-friends who turn into "onion fairies" and snap up enough onions (at the only store in town that still has onions) for us to take out to the village

-sitting down as a family and listening to a great and much needed sermon sent by friends

-learning that the house we had hoped to be our home in May is no longer available, because it means that God is really going to have to work out the dilemma while we live in Marulaon without any means to communicate with this small town in Arkansas

-flowers from my Lavukal friend Mary reminding me of our blossoming friendship

-six days 'till we get to see Marulaon again!

-a love bouquet of broccoli from my husband, special indeed when it is rarer and more expensive than a bouquet of flowers

My heart's adoration

2012-01-06T12:58:00.001-06:00

from "Epiphany" by Reginald Heber

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,

Odors of Edom, and offerings diving --

Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean --

Myrrh from the forest, and gold from the mine?

Guess who found the hidden almond?

Vainly we offer each ample oblation,

Vainly with gold would His favor secure;

Richer by far is the heart's adoration,

Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

Rainy Day

2012-01-05T19:48:00.001-06:00

About midnight, a huge storm blew through our area. I was so thankful for the beans on the curtains! It rained the rest of the night, which meant our morning exercise got canceled, but it was a lovely morning to lie in bed a little longer than usual and listen to the rain and feel the coolish breeze. Great way to start the day, especially when I added a cup of tea and my chronological Bible that Sarah recently returned.

A SITAG colleague, who loves plants and knows so much about them, drove out to the plant nursery with me this morning in the rain. I found Mary, my friend from the Russells, in fact I got her out of bed! Mary is always good to practice Lavukaleve with me and help me out when I don't understand what she said. Mary kept saying thank you over and over, along with things like, "Oh, now my baby can have tea with breakfast because you bought something from me." She even fixed up a bouquet of cut flowers to take with me.

I wish I had brought the camera, but no pictures could capture the tropical rainforest that emerges on the edge of Honiara. The rain made everything extra shiny and pretty, too. After we bought lots of plants (and Mary threw in several for free), my SITAG friend, such a kindred spirit, accompanied me to the Rain Tree Cafe. This tiny restaurant is a gem. It sits on the edge of the ocean (in fact we got sprayed by a big wave) and serves amazing food. They make great pizzas, cooked in their wood burning ovens, but today we just stopped for a mocha and a cappuccino. Come visit me sometime, and I'll take you there!

So, despite the rain, now we are in full packing mode, getting ready to go back to Marulaon village next week for an intense stay.

While Aaron and the kids pack, I'm peeling umalau/kumara/sweet potato for quiche while listening to a new CD from my mom (and loving Tricia Brock's version of "Jesus, I am Resting"!), trying to get back into the swing of the Christian music scene in the States, and probably playing the music way too loud while I peel in time to the music and be-bop around the kitchen.

2012-01-03T21:39:00.000-06:00

WARNING!

Power outages and spotty internet ahead

Honiara's power and internet have been up and down the last few days, please be patient.

Curtains and Beans

2012-01-03T09:29:00.000-06:00

I really like the SITAG house in which we are staying. It's concrete block walls are cool, we get a great breeze and a great view, the house is big, and there are enough dishes to have company! But lately, I've endured some uncomfortable nights. This has been Aaron's solution:

You see the bed on the left? And the window on the right? Not much room between the two. Right now, we are in the beginning of rainy season, and we frequently get squalls blowing through in the middle of the night. The first indication of the coming wind and rain is when I wake up thinking, "Oh, there's a bug on my arm!". Then, after waking up a little bit more, I think, "No, it's just one of the kids at the side of the bed." And finally, I realize, it's the curtain blowing up and down over me. My sweet, handy-man husband fixed the problem with some clothes pins and bags of beans! And now I rest much better at night.

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2012-01-02T17:34:00.003-06:00

For today...Monday, January 2

Outside my window..."Sunny day, sweepin' the clouds away, on my way to where the air is sweet..." It's a gorgeous sunny day today and the air does smell good early in the morning when I walk.

I am thinking...about these beautiful crosses and candles

I am thankful...that Katherine ended up with only a scraped back and a bruised head after she fell out of a tree she was climbing this afternoon. She is quite the adventurer.

I am creating...or helping to create, a computer database for the books housed in SITAG's Educational Resource Center. Hoping to tackle more of the biography section soon. The hard part is not checking out every book that looks interesting.

I am going...to visit the plant nursery again! Maybe I'll find my Lavukal friend, Mary. One of my SITAG friends loves plants even more than I do, and she and I are planning a morning out (there may be coffee involved, too!)

I am reading..."5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter" by Vicki Courtney

I am remembering...New Year's Eve celebrations in Pine Bluff before we had kids, consisting of wild parties of Trivial Pursuit. The high school choir director and his wife were gems to invite us!

From the learning rooms...just enjoying our read aloud, "I, Juan de Pareja", a little piece of quiet in our packing frenzy

Danish fruit filled packets from
"The Great Scandinavian Baking Book"

From the kitchen...Danish fruit filled packets this morning, leftovers for lunch, and tonight pumpkin lasanga from "Sacred Feasts: From a Monastery Kitchen"

Around the house...a puzzle of the Magi and their camels with the edges complete

Something I want to remember for later...when I began singing on my way to the lunch table, "I love my kiddos!" and Katherine quickly responded, "I love my grownups!" as the rest of my children chimed in, too.

On my mind...praying for my children more specifically and more regularly

Noticing that...I really refill by staying in touch with family and friends. No wonder I get so bummed out when e-mail doesn't work in the village.

Pondering these words..."The man who has forgotten to be thankful has fallen asleep." ~Robert Louis Stevenson

One of my favorite things...a good night's sleep (and the difference it makes the next day)

A few plans for the rest of the week...packing up for Marulaon village, working on books at the ERC, company on Saturday night

A picture thought I am sharing with you...the cute little cape Sarah made for Katherine while I was reading out loud to the kids this morning. Sarah put aside her own work, that's just like her to do something sweet for somebody else.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T18:18:00.000-06:00

"Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow." ~Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros

Last night, we awoke at midnight to hear the ships blowing their horns, the churches ringing their bells, the neighbors banging their pots and pans, and the dogs howling along. A few fireworks popped in the night sky while the din continued for about fifteen minutes. Then, we enjoyed blessed peace.

My guys working towards their hundred pushup challenge

This morning we took some time to talk with the kids about the upcoming year while reading through Proverbs 16. 2012 will bring our family many moves, many hellos and goodbyes, many transitions and many miles logged on boats, airplanes, and vans. We made some lists individually of things we want to accomplish this year, here are a few of my favorites:

-I want to learn how to ride a two-wheeler bike (Olivia)

-I want to have my own dog. If I can't have a dog I would like to be a dogsitter (Olivia)

-Ride a rollar coaster (Benjamin)

-Start playing the viola (Benjamin)

-Enjoy having a dishwasher!!! (Sarah)

-Spend time with my great-grandparents (Sarah)

-Be cold (Sarah)

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T14:55:00.000-06:00

We're celebrating as befits our year - quietly and gratefully. Aaron and I enjoyed an in-house date this afternoon watching Miss Marple and munching on lime cookies. Tonight, we'll gather with our SITAG family still in Honiara (fourteen of us, nine of us thirteen years and younger) to play games and chat.

2011 has been a year of building relationships - with the Lavukal, with friends and family across the ocean, with our SITAG family, with each other, but most importantly with Jesus. Our goals for 2011 will be similar to our goals for 2012: to look more like Jesus today than we did yesterday, quietly and gratefully.

Lime Cookies (from an old BH&G magazine)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 TBSP finely shredded lime peel

2 TBSP lime juice

2 cups all-purpose flour

Sugar topping

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; beat till combined. Beat in lime peel and lime juice. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with the bottom of a glass dipped into Sugar Topping. Bake about 10 minutes or till edges are golden. Transfer to wire racks and cool. Makes about 48

Sugar Topping: Stir together 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 TBSP green decorating sugar, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (we found that leftover sugar topping is excellent on top of whipped cream in coffee!).

And the winners are...

2011-12-31T02:16:00.001-06:00

Gayly

Jolene

and

Noelle

(please e-mail me at joanna underscore choate at sil dot org)

My quality control team (my kids) make sure that all drawing of names is as scientifically accurate as possible!

Wearing many hats...

2011-12-30T00:32:00.003-06:00

My husband is the best! Not only does he work hard to learn Lavukaleve and serve as an advisor to the Lavukal translators, he has also been producing "picture books" that the translators prepared during our last trip to Marulaon. These books will be used in the Kindys around the Russell Islands, and our hope is that the books will also get people used to reading Lavukaleve in preparation for readng the Bible. Right now, the only reading material they have is portions of the Prayer Book.

One of the books is about a hungry giant, but it's also a counting book. This page says something like "I could eat three fat tuna"...

And this one says, "I could eat five big houses."

The other book is about a fly who meets his demise on the end of a coconut broom. I like this one because I can trace the same verb as it changes tenses throughout the book. When Aaron was deveoping these books, he told the translators that this "easy reading" level was exactly right for him! We're excited to take these books, along with some others, back to the Lavukal people in just a few weeks!

Giveaway!

2011-12-28T02:07:00.040-06:00

It's time to say thank you again for your prayers, packages, letters, financial support, and encouragment for our family. We have a multitude of people who make living here in the Solomon Islands possible.

I am so excited about my recent find! Not one, not two, but THREE beautiful handcarved bracelets. I was able to buy them at only 25% of the regular price because each one has tiny imperfections.

This bracelet's only flaw is a tiny hole on the inside - you can't even see the hole when you wear the bracelet.

Two of the bracelets have chips out of the wood next to the shell inlay. But, if you are willing to wear something beautiful, yet a little less than perfect (hmmm, like each of us!), leave a comment by midnight CST, Friday, December 30, and we will draw three winners.

2011-12-27T00:11:00.005-06:00

Just a normal Tuesday morning here in Honiara. When Aaron and I walked this morning, I felt like I was swimming through the cream of potato soup we had for supper last night. Now, I'm watching the line of rain come from the wharf toward us and hearing the pit pat of raindrops as they begin to fall.

I'm also listening to a recording of my friend Kiko telling me a story (got to get my fifteen minutes of Lavukaleve) while I work on updating the Lavukaleve Bible stories and creating our January prayer calendar. Drinking some toasted almond decaf coffee from "Wicks and Wax" accompanied by a tiny piece of fudge from a SITAG friend.

The kids are writing Christmas thank you notes, but when they finish, I have a flower scavenger hunt planned for them. I just found "Tropical Blossoms of the Pacific" in SITAG's Educational Resource Center (ERC), what a great little book!

Bougainvillea catching the sun's rays

In between bursts of rain, I went outside to snap some pictures of the flowers for which I had the kids hunting. God must have had fun when he made all of these gorgeous flowers!

Wish you could smell the frangipani - wow!

We call this one a "Christmas Tree", but it's really a delonix regia,
and the bees were loving the blossoms. The kids love the seed pods!

Can you see that a tiny spider got here before me?
It built it's web on this beautiful orchid.

The rain is pouring again, but I could bore you and post pictures of flowers all day.

Another SITAG mom and I worked in the ERC for several hours yesterday inputting only the A and B books from our tiny biography section into our new computer database. This job is going to be bigger than I realized, but when we're finished, it will be so easy to look up books. I think we might be meeting every afternoon for the next couple of weeks.

Time to get back to work...what are your plans for today? Hope you have a happy Tuesday!

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2011-12-26T02:32:00.008-06:00

For today...Monday, December 26

Outside my window...cloudy, hot and muggy; bright red lorikeets screaming in the tree tops

I am thinking...it's time for another blog giveaway. Any requests?

I am wearing...purple flowery pajamas. I do love slow days.

I am thankful...for bloggy friends who minister to my real life friends when I can't be there. Thanks, Lisa.

I am creating...the rest of Katherine's curriculum for this school year. Growth cycles of animals and plants, winter and spring books and crafts, honing those fine motor skills, sounding out easy words, rhymes - I love this age!

I am going...to try to listen to 15 minutes of Lavukaleve every day and study my notes more. Don't want to be embarrassed when we go back and I can't remember very much Lavukaleve.

I am reading..."Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God" by Noel Piper

I am remembering...my grandparents' 61st anniversary today. Thanks for sticking together through the ups and downs, Grandpa and Grandma!

From the learning rooms...no school until we return to Marulaon in three weeks.

From the kitchen...to start the day, pumpkin bread & cream cheese, along with some Cowboy coffee from my aunt and uncle's shop "Wicks and Wax", Christmas leftovers for lunch, and comforting potato soup tonight

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." ~Andy Rooney

Around the house...piles accumulating for Marulaon, candles still being added to our advent wreath as we count down to Epiphany, a little cleanup from presents yesterday

Something I want to remember for later...a little girl whispering secrets to her big brother

On my mind...our (Joanna, Sarah, Olivia, and maybe my sister, too) big hair donation day for Locks of Love in May. If you are going to be in Central Arkansas on Memorial Day Weekend, come join us as one of my former cello student's mom cuts our hair at her salon!

Noticing that...my kids do better with structure, which usually means they do better when school is in session. Meal plans on the fridge, scheduled days to wash each child's sheets, they are so very good to be flexible while we are packing and moving (again), though. I'm so proud of them!

Pondering these words..."Missionaries are very human folks just doing what they're asked. Simply a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody." ~Jim Elliot

One of my favorite things...yummy ginger orange soap from my sister sitting in my shell dish

A few plans for the rest of the week...rest and play today (watching "Amahl and the Night Vistors" & playing hearts) , working on the "card catalog" for the Educational Resource with another SITAG colleague, and kicking in the packing and planning for our time in Marulaon and continuing to prepare for furlough. Chipping away...

A picture thought I am sharing with you...Katherine has been enthralled with Mary and Baby Jesus lately. I hope her love for Jesus only grows.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:35:00.002-06:00

"A personal Jesus accepted means salvation; a personal Jesus obeyed is sanctification;

a personal Jesus followed is a life of brotherly kindness and true philanthropy;

a personal Jesus reigning in the heart is the fullness of peace and joy and power.

The bells of Bethlehem ring one note; the Christmas carols are all calling aloud the same note: Back to Christ! Back to Christ!"

~ T. L. Cuyler

Christmas Break Joys

2011-12-24T00:26:00.000-06:00

Inspired by the great ornaments posted by Wild Olive and the stash of felt and sequins in SITAG's Educational Resource Center...

the kids and I are certainly enjoying our Christmas Break!

This afternoon...

2011-12-23T00:03:00.000-06:00

Now that cyclone Fina has died out, we have hot, bright sunshine. Perfect timing to wash mattress pads and sheets! Here's the view from our current SITAG house this afternoon...isn't it lovely?

So this afternoon, I'm keeping the laundry going, Aaron is at another meeting, and the kids and I are playing hearts while drinking gingerbread spice tea and eating gingerbread friends. When Aaron comes home, we'll finish watching "It's a Wonderful Life" (I can't believe my kids have never seen this movie!) and eat supper. Looking forward to sleeping on clean, sunshiney sheets tonight!

Christmas Book Basket

2011-12-22T02:29:00.000-06:00

“When I discovered libraries, it was like having Christmas everyday.” --Jean Fritz

We've had to make our own Choate Family Library here, and one of our favorite Christmas traditions begins the first Sunday in Advent when we pull out the Christmas picture books. Each day, one more book goes into the book basket, and I'm as giddy as the kids as we rediscover our "old friends". I always save my favorite books for the last week before Christmas, with sweet stories and lucious illustrations, so here's what I'll be adding to the basket this week:

-The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston, pictures by Barbara Cooney (one of our favorite illustrators)

-Christmas Poems selected by Myra Cohn Livingston, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

-A Little House Christmas: Holiday Stories from the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams (Aaron gave this to me on the first Christmas after we married)

-Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck, illustrated by Mark Buehner

-Apple Tree Christmas written and illustrated by Trinka Hakes Noble

-Christmas Tapestry written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco

Around Town

2011-12-21T00:06:00.026-06:00

Our family drove into town to spread a little bit of Christmas joy this afternoon. First, we stopped by the hospital and walked down to Dr. Elizabeth's ward to drop off a big container of cookies (green Christmas tree shaped spritz and gingersnaps) to tell her and her staff thank you.

Then, we purchased some rice to send out to Marulaon for their Christmas feast since we won't be there. The Bikoi was leaving around six o'clock, and it was about four o'clock, so we figured we could find somebody we knew headed out to the Russells.

While Aaron looked for somebody, I found a smiley baby to play with. I wouldn't have minded bringing this cute one home!

Aaron never did find anybody from the Russells, so he found somebody else willing to make sure the rice got dropped off in Marulaon and went ahead and paid the freight charges. We were a little disappointed not to find any friends.

However, as we pulled from the wharf onto the main street, Aaron spotted Julie and Atkin walking. I hollered at him to pull up on the sidewalk, and I hopped out to visit for a few minutes. They are also staying in Honiara for Christmas and trying to finish their Christmas shopping to send gifts out on the Bikoi to their kids in Marulaon. What a gift to us to have a few minutes with friends from our village!

Know Your Lavukaleve Answers

2011-12-20T21:07:00.000-06:00

Here are the rough translations. Now you can practice and prepare for a trip out to Marulaon Village!

1) Your hair looks good.

2) Sun hot. I am sweating.

3) I am washing lots of clothes.

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!

2011-12-20T01:25:00.025-06:00

When my boy was five, he sure was a cute bundle of energy!

But today, my boy-quickly-turning-into-a-young-man finished his eleventh year and began another with breakfast in bed and opening presents.

We tried to watch Monday Night Football (Go Steelers!) in a hotel restaurant, but their satellite was down. And we tried to have a pool party at the same hotel, but the pool had been drained.

So, we came home and watched the colored lines move across the screen and happily shared caramel brownies and ice cream with our SITAG family instead.

Oh, my Benjamin. He's still a cute bundle of energy (how I love his dimples!), but he is growing into a mature and creative young man who loves Jesus and has music oozing from his pores like his daddy (that viola will have to wait until we get back to the States). Happy 11th birthday, son!

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2011-12-19T00:51:00.003-06:00

For Today...Monday, December 20

Outside my window...gray, cloudy skies following three days of rain; clothes hanging to dry on the porch because of all the rain

I am thinking...about being in labor during an ice storm in Little Rock eleven years ago

I am thankful for...a great link for ideas about how to pray for missionaries. I need to print this out and post it on the fridge.

I am praying for...a friend in Georgia who is going through one family tragedy after another and for Naomi as she adjusts to living in Australia again with her family.

I am creating...Christmas embroidery and Christmas cookies

I am going...to host a SITAG Christmas cookie exchange on Thursday afternoon. Just four ladies with Sarah and a friend, no fancy packaging, just sweet fellowship and sweet treats.

I am reading...Christmas picture books with the kids

I am hoping...that my back heals soon so I can start exercising again. Got to get ready for those races on furlough!

I am hearing...Olivia practicing her whistling, dogs barking outside, driving rain pounding the driveway

I am remembering...the last two Christmases out in Marulaon village: carefully monitoring the amount of gas we used to bake; carefully doling out the remaining eggs (and using the "float" test to see if they were still good); dropping everything if somebody came by the house, joyfully dancing, singing, and cooking with our sweet neighbors

From the learning rooms...no school this week, but that doesn't mean we're not learning

From the kitchen...aebelskiver (pancake balls) for breakfast (made by Olivia), leftovers for lunch, and sloppy joes for supper

Around the house...tomatoes ripening on the windowsill, the big beetle (yes, it stinks, but it's soooo cool) slowly being dismantled in a frisbee on the porch rail

Something I want to remember later...Benjamin's amazingly creative acrostic poems, he's been writing quite a few lately about Christmas

On my mind...still preparing for furlough.

Noticing that...Deborah was the only person to comment on the Lavukaleve phrases. Guess she gets her pick of Solomon Island goodies!

Pondering these words..."First ,have peace in thy own breast, then thou wilt be qualified to restore peace to others. Peacefulness is a more useful acquisition than learning." -- Thomas a Kempis

One of my favorite things...Envirosax

A few plans for the rest of the week...a slower week, full of book-reading, cookie baking, and carol singing. We are planning to take cookies down to the hospital (to Dr. Elizabeth's ward) and to host SITAG's cookie exchange on Thursday. Saturday evening, we'll celebrate Christmas Eve with our SITAG family and a few other guests from Honiara with a candles and carols service. Cultivating peace and focusing on Christ's birth - those are the goals.

Here's a picture thought I am sharing with you...my little wooden German man that burns incense and blows smoke. I bought him when Aaron and I went to Germany with our college choir, and this little guy is very much part of our Christmas traditions.

Sweet Sabbath

2011-12-18T01:12:00.017-06:00

"I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips....Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together....This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles....Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." from Psalm 34

From the NIV text notes: "Here, as often in the Psalms, poor characterizes not necessarily one who has no possessions, but one who is (and recognizes that he is) without resoureces to effect his own deliverance (or secure his own life, safety or well-being) -- and so is dependent on God."

Recognizing that I'm "poor", yet so very rich...

-real life science experiments as weaver ants take apart a huge dead beetle Olivia brought home a few days ago.

-Ghirardelli chocolate chips that finally arrived in a care package after seven long weeks (thanks, Ann!)

-an amazing husband who tells me things that are hard to hear and loves me more every day

-playing new games with my family

-new shower gel, just right to pretend it's winter (thanks, Oma!)

-God's grace, that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding (Eph. 1:8)

-trying new recipes (like cheese tartletts from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book)

-finding friends at the wharf to take a care package back to Marulaon with gingham and yarn

-a far-away friend who writes words that are hard for me to read, but much needed (thanks again, Ann)

Candy Canes (thanks, Mama)

2011-12-17T02:17:00.001-06:00

Candy Cane

by Valerie Worth

Hot wintry

Mint, striped

Round with

Fire and snow,

Sweet icicle

That melts

And burns

And chills,

And fills

The mouth with

Fumes of frost

And flame,

hot chocolate is much better when you drink it through your candy cane!

Crackling cold

On the tongue,

Like the word

Christmas.

More goodbyes

2011-12-16T00:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we said goodbye to Naomi. After more than four months, she has become quite the fixture in the Choate family and we are so sorry to see her go back home.

Even though the last several months didn't go exactly as we had planned, our lives have been impacted by this sweet young lady and her cheerful, creative heart. A big thank you to her family who allowed her to come to the Solomons Islands!

Know Your Lavukaleve

2011-12-15T00:38:00.006-06:00

Any guesses as to what these phrases mean? A prize to the person who guesses the closest by Saturday, December 17, midnight CST, (it's cheating if you've been here and taken notes!), and I will only include phrases that I can say without prompts:

1) Ngonu ele hobea.

2) Kui iaiam. Fegire fi alei.

3) Kiv vutiv vovaine. (The "v's" are really betas, a cross between v's and b's).

2011-12-14T17:32:00.000-06:00

We just learned that Aaron's maternal grandmother has been diagnosed with gastric carcinoma and given "three months or less" to live. We had hoped to celebrate her 90th birthday with her next year. Please pray for Aaron's family throughout this difficult time.

Gingerbread Friends

2011-12-14T00:37:00.002-06:00

Inspired by the book, Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett, the kids whipped up some of their own gingerbread friends.

I love watching my "three muskateers" work together!

decorating turned into a fine motor skills exercise

that's a grass skirt, in case you couldn't tell

the best part is eating your creation

St. Lucia's Day

2011-12-13T02:06:00.005-06:00

Happy St. Lucia's Day! Brought to us by Sarah, who woke up early to prepare fresh scones and honey butter for breakfast in bed this morning.

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2011-12-12T02:48:00.014-06:00

For today...Monday, December 12

Outside my window...morning sunshine about to overtake the clothesline

I am thankful for...my fridge. It is a luxury to have one, and I am so, very grateful.

I am praying for...a friend leaving PNG today and heading back to the States, as we say here "go finish"

I am going...to get some snail mail ready. I will make the time. I must!

I am reading..."Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling" by Ross King, some grownup reading to complement our studies in history

I am hoping...to put a major dent in village shopping this week. Honiara will begin to shut down next week for Christmas, and it will stay shut down until after New Year's Day.

I am hearing...the washing machine (what a glorious sound!), the morning birds, the funny way the bathroom sink drains quite loudly right by our bedroom window

I am remembering...my brother. He turns 30 today back in Georgia. And I used to change his diapers.

From the learning rooms...Christopher Columbus, Botticelli, Medici family, can you tell we are in the early Renaissance and LOVING it!

From the kitchen...breakfast burritos, leftovers, and stir fry (got to use up those green beans wilting in the fridge)

Around the house...coloring pages of great explorers adorn the walls, Christmas cookies are piling up on the cabinet and dough is accumulating in the fridge, including a fabulous new recipe we found in a ten year old magazine left in our Marulaon house by the previous owners

Something I want to remember...my kids singing Christmas carols as they work together to clean up the kitchen. Their voices blend together so well.

On my mind...four and a half months till furlough

Noticing that...my lower back, really, REALLY hurts. Time to call in the ibuprofen and a back massage from my husband.

Pondering these words...

"Arise, and shine with borrow'd rays,

Bright in reflected lustre shine,

Thy Light is come, the Sun of grace

Appears in majesty divine..."

--Charles Wesley

...we do not generate light from anything we are or do. In fact, we can neither arise nor shine apart from God's previous action on our behalf. Rather, we shine with the luster of "borrowed rays." Because the Light has come, we are able to glow with a glory that is not our own. We reflect back to God what God offers to us as a gift. --Paul Wesley Chilcote

One of my favorite things...snuggling with my kids early in the morning, especially if the ceiling fan is on and we can burrow underneath the covers

A few plans for the rest of the week...make lots of Christmas cookies to take to the hospital, send cargo out Tuesday to our friends who just went to the village, host a birthday supper Thursday night for a SITAG friend and her family

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...my little brother's birthday 27 years ago (I love that yellow checked wallpaper we had in the breakfast room!)

Motu Fun

2011-12-11T00:59:00.018-06:00

We were honored to celebrate with Naomi and her dad this weekend. His village brother's daughter graduated from Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE).

So, we helped them throw a party!

Aaron squeezed the milk from twelve coconuts. He has a reputation in Marulaon for producing the finest rumit (thick coconut cream).

We peeled the potatoes and layered the pumpkin leaves on top while the coconut cream was boiling.

Then I spooned the hot coconut cream on top.

And we settled in for some Skip-Bo while we waited for the food to cook.

My stomach was growling as we took off the stones and carried the food up to the house.

Now the potatoes and pumpkin greens had a nice crispy layer on top. This has to be one of my very favorite foods in the Solomons!

Remember the Russells' crabs we bought? They were yummy, too.

We had so much fun celebrating with our new friends. Thanks for inviting us!

Honiara's Central Market

2011-12-10T00:57:00.000-06:00

We love Honiara's Central Market! Bought a couple of gorgeous fish to motu...

while enjoying December's bounty of watermelon and pineapple.

I always look for people from the Russells in the shellfish section, and I wasn't disappointed today! This woman is from Malaita, but she married a Lavukalen and moved to Alokon in the Central Russells.

I bought a couple of coconut crabs from her, but I shied away from these fuzzy little critters.

Goodbyes

2011-12-09T07:35:00.000-06:00

Part of our life here is constant goodbyes. Either we are leaving or our friends are leaving.

Aaron went down with a couple of our friends to save seats on the boat at 5:30 this morning, and they got great seats (it helps when you are the first one on the boat!).

The rest of us came down a little bit later and hugged and cried. This time, our friends will have a 2 1/2 hour ride on the Express, then about three hours in a motor canoe before they get to their village. They usually have a long, overnight trip on a boat. We'll put more cargo (with some extra goodies) on a ship bound for their village Tuesday night.

As we watched the boat pull out, I asked a veteran missionary if it ever got easier to say goodbye. Her husband quickly answered, "You don't want it to get any easier." Wise words.

If you look closely, you can see them waving goodbye!

This morning...

2011-12-08T00:36:00.004-06:00

The house is quiet with the sounds of morning...the breeze changing the shadows as the sunlight filters through the leaves, the kids starting school early while the cinnamon rolls rise, the hum of the dehydrator, the thump of the dog scratching on the porch. I'm so thankful for "normal" days that line up like pearls, often alternating with busy days (or "adventures" as Sarah likes to call them). So far, today is not an adventure...

Last night, we enjoyed a new recipe from my all-time favorite cookbook, you guessed it, "The Great Scandinavian Baking Book". The Finnish Onion Pie was a big hit at our house!

Pineapples

2011-12-07T14:39:00.001-06:00

Once again, it's time to dehydrate for our next trip to Marulaon.

Our house smells so good right now! No candle could ever duplicate this fragrance.

S'mores

2011-12-06T14:06:00.010-06:00

A big thanks to my mom, who sent enough ingredients for all of SITAG to have a s'mores party!

Aaron got high marks for his fire building skills from Patson. We had so much fun introducing our national friends to the wonders of s'mores.

One of the girls compared s'mores to ice cream, the sweetest treat they know!

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2011-12-05T15:10:00.020-06:00

For Today...Monday, December 5

Outside my window...a dog on the porch waiting for me to go exercise and a glassy ocean, we've had a couple weeks of bright sunshine and calm seas, great for sea travel

I am thankful for...our friends and family who work so hard to stay in touch across the miles

I am praying for...friends going back to the village on Friday: calm seas and good transitions

I am going...to be writing lots of e-mails about furlough, scheduling churches and housing. If you or your church is interested, please let us know ASAP.

I am reading..."Re-Entry: Making the Transition from Missions to Life at Home" by Peter Jordan, it likens coming back on furlough to the re-entry of the space shuttle with all of the heat and stress involved

I am hoping...to make reservations at an Arkansas State Park for Aaron and me to have several days in May to review our time overseas and plan for our time in the States. Yay for grandparents!

I am hearing...kids practicing piano

I am remembering...going Christmas tree shopping as a child. The best trees were the ones we had to tie to the stair rail because they were so big!

From the learning rooms...a quick glance at Africa, India, and Southeast Asia in the Middle Ages; trucking steadily along in math, typing, etc.

From the kitchen...veggie beef stew in the slow cooker so it can cook while Aaron and I meet with the director and his wife. I love the way the house smells when the slow cooker is going!

Around the house...ten pineapples sitting on the school table waiting to be cut up for the dehydrator, Katherine's handy wreath on the front door

Something I want to remember...Katherine's sweet hands and fingers: making her Christmas "holly" wreath, stroking my face when we snuggle, helping me make cinnamon rolls

On my mind...finishing well and planning well for furlough. These two things are coloring everything we do right now. The colors just change - today, I think it's green.

Noticing that...the sun rises so VERY early here - by 5 o'clock the horizon is bright and the heat is building

Pondering these words..."Like the astronaut guiding his craft back into the earth's atmosphere, returning missionaries must negotitate many potential hazards. They too must cover dangerous territory; dangerous in terms of the emotional, spiritual, and relational damage that can occur if the process is not handled correctly." --Peter Jordan

One of my favorite things...Skype, I know I've said it before, but there's nothing like sitting down and typing in real time and occasionally seeing somebody you love who lives very far away

A few plans for the rest of the week...our village debrief this afternoon, a s'mores party tomorrow night, lots of AC meetings for Aaron, dehydrating lots of pinapple on Wednesday, company Thursday night, a motu on Friday with Naomi, and lots of work toward scheduling furlough

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...some "school pictures" (thanks, Naomi!)

Sweet Sabbath

2011-12-04T22:45:00.001-06:00

A Mom Moment, making me thankful, & brought to you by my four-year-old:

Overheard at lunch - "Mama, this soup smells like stinky underpits!" (It did have a lot of onions in it.)

At the supper table - "Mama, I'm sorry I was rude about the soup at lunch. Will you please forgive me?"

"Don't you see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy?" Psalm 127:3 (The Message)

SITAG Christmas Party

2011-12-04T03:41:00.001-06:00

We are so thankful for the many parts of our SITAG family that help make Bible translation possible in the Solomon Islands!

Saturday morning

2011-12-03T16:19:00.000-06:00

Several of the SITAG kids got special permission to participate in a Craft Show/Bake Sale in downtown Honiara this morning. Sarah, Benjamin, and Olivia all made food & crafts to contribute.

I think it was more work than they anticipated, but Sarah really interacted with the Solomon Islanders who came by. It was fun to see their faces when she engaged them in Pijin!

Sarah's amazing mocha fudge

Be Careful What You Pray For!

2011-12-01T15:30:00.027-06:00

Last night, we enjoyed eating and playing games with three of our Aussie colleagues. Among them, they have extensive experience in Bible translation in Australia, PNG, and the Philippines, and it's always fun to hear their stories. Plus, they make great adopted grandparents!

When today began, I knew I was going to be busy. In addition to teaching the kids, I needed to go shopping for Saturday's SITAG (Solomon Island Translation Advisory Group) Christmas party, wash some sheets, get the ingredients for supper into the slow cooker, and head to a meeting at 3 o'clock about securing some funding for the Sabers. I frequently tell the kids that God always gives us enough time to accomplish everything He has in store for us.

Just this morning, I had been praying that more Lavukal would come by SITAG so we could continue to build relationships with them and also continue to refine the Bible stories. As I was chopping pumpkin and thawing chicken belatedly in an attempt to get supper cooking before my meeting, a stranger approached the door and asked for Aaron. We visited on the porch, and I soon learned that he was from Losiolen (the village where Aaron most recently held a Translation Principles workshop) while I assured him that Aaron would be home any minute. I amazed him when I asked, "Laffi lomisa ngoliki?" (Do you want cold water?) The first time I meet anybody from the Russells, and they hear one of my very few memorized phrases, they are always flabergasted. It still makes me feel good, even though I know my Lavukaleve is incredibly limited.

Anyway, this man, whose name was also Aaron, showed GREAT interest in helping me revise the creation story. As the sun slowly sank and flooded the porch with light, he and I scooted farther and farther over to escape the heat, but he never wavered in tackling some of the hard issues. The Lavukal don't have a word for "animal", which created a problem when we were trying to craft the sixth day. So, Aaron from Losiolen came up with "mina tutula ovoloria la laketei ngoa" (which very roughly translates into all the things that God made that had life). Finally, my Aaron came home, and I went down to apologize for missing my meeting. When I came back up, the two Aarons were finishing their conversation, and I was shocked to hear Aaron from Losiolen ask me if he could finish the creation story! I was sure I had bored him to tears, but he really wanted to finish reading through the story. Whoohoo! He even expressed interest in coming and helping some more when we return to Marulaon.

Supper was very late tonight, but it has been a great day! I'm so thankful that God answers our prayers.

2011-11-30T14:51:00.002-06:00

We love our new t-shirts from Wild Olive Tees! Thanks a bunch, Gayly.

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2011-11-28T23:26:00.001-06:00

For Today...Monday, November 28

Outside my window...the valley behind SITAG slopes down steeply to my left and some of our neighbors are burning trash

I am thinking...about how to encourage our Lavukal friends to come by the house when we are in Honiara. I'll never get these stories completed and recorded if they won't come visit us!

I am thankful...for Naomi's camera since ours is having some battery issues

From the learning rooms...Prince Henry the Navigator, Queen Isabella & King Ferdinand of Spain; covalent compounds & valencies; Sarah - learning about propaganda & advertising, using X to decipher algebraic equations; Benjamin - writing a concrete poem using figurative language, math review, ; Olivia - attribute placement, comparing fractions; Katherine - gingerbread fun

Pondering these words..."The themes of this season impress upon the faithful follower of Christ the need to remain attentive, the expectancy of living in hope, the quest for peace in broken lives and a fragmented world, and the joy and wonder of God's love incarnate in Jesus Christ." Paul Wesley Chilcote

In the kitchen...Danish Pecan Snails for breakfast (oh, my, they were yummy!), refrito spread with roti for lunch, and tuna braid tonight for supper

Danish pecan snails from "The Great Scandanavian Baking Book"

I am creating...school schedules for our trip to Marulaon January through April, got to leave enough time to totally pack up the house before furlough

I am going...to tackle the revisions on the Lavukaleve creation story

I am reading..."The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith, it makes me want to read the rest of the series!

I am hoping...to clear out my e-mail inbox, soon

I am looking forward to...a SITAG Christmas cookie exchange

I am hearing...Sarah and Benjamin chatting while she cuts the pineapple and he sets the table for supper, the shower running as Katherine gets clean, the fan blowing on my while I type

Around the house...Christmas decorations are up, tuna braid is in the oven, clean clothes are dumped on my bed waiting to be put away

One of my favorite things...precious time with my amazing husband, what a gift he is!

A few plans for the rest of the week...company a couple of nights, shopping for the SITAG employees Christmas party with a colleague, and enjoying the party on Saturday, it all sounds deceptively simple and easy

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...Olivia has learned to crochet these simple bracelets with buttons. She just made one for me in turquoise, and I love it!

Sweet Sabbath

2011-11-27T00:30:00.000-06:00

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,

Born to set thy people free,

From our fears and sins release us,

Let us find our rest in thee:

Israel's strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth thour art,

Dear desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart.

Counting this weekend's joys:

-adding "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Advent and Christmas with Charles Wesley" by Paul Wesley Chilcote to our Advent

-the bittersweet moment of handing a still sick Naomi over to her dad, even though they will both be in Honiara for a few more weeks during the consultant check of Gela book of Romans and I Thessalonians, she has brought such joy to our family!

-cherry flavored hot chocolate

-Christmas music to fill the cello-sized gap in my soul

-a house that smells like a freshly cut tree, even when the tree is fake

-watching our lovely neighbors who live in leaf houses without electricity or running water, and consume the same two root crops every day, yet maintain a sweet spirit of contentment; may we also have hearts of contentment no matter where we live

-singing Christmas carols together as we begin the Advent season

-enjoying Baryshnikov dancing in "The Nutcracker" and seeing Katherine's fresh wonder and excitement

Thanksgiving (our fourth one overseas)

2011-11-25T13:44:00.000-06:00

the Choate chefs hard at work

Sarah made all of the desserts, carrot cake cupcakes, pecan pie, and two pumpkin pies, all by herself. No store bought crusts here!

I kept pulling out recipes for Thanksgiving, and they all belonged to my Mama. Oh, how I miss her.

Our thankful turkey - it's always fun to pull out the feathers from previous years and read the things for which we were thankful. Living in Honiara this year means we have feathers added by our SITAG family, too.

My kids' turkeys are growing way too fast!

We shared some of the carrot cake cupcakes with our amazing staff (pictured are Frieda and Betsy) to tell them thank you for keeping SITAG running smoothly.

I was so excited to find a real turkey in Honiara. Previous years we've eaten chicken, but this year we splurged and bought the turkey to feed the ten American colleagues and two adopted Aussies that would be joining us.

And when everyone finally arrived, I teared up looking around the room at the bounty before us and the people God has placed in our path. He knew we needed to be in Honiara for Thanksgiving this year, even though it wasn't in our plans.

We watched American football (some games recorded from January 2010) and gave instruction so Naomi would be able to follow the game. I'm sure our neighbors wondered about the cheering, but eating Sarah's pies (and the other yummy desserts) and watching football was the perfect way to end our day. I'm overwhelmed at God's gift of a "normal" Thanksgiving this year.

2011-11-23T00:02:00.001-06:00

I'm super excited about the possibilities of utilizing a "Saber" to play recordings of the Bible stories the Lavukal ladies have been crafting! Last week, I had a meeting with a vernacular media specialist who introduced me to several ways of getting these Bible stories into the hands, eyes, and ears of the Lavukal even before we leave on furlough. There's a good potential of some matching funding if we can raise half of the money that we need. Things always take longer here than you think they will here in the Solomons, but I'm hoping we can get some of our neighbors to record the Bible stories and get them on the Saber within the next few months. I'll keep you updated...

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2011-11-21T09:30:00.000-06:00

For Today...Monday, November 21

Outside my window...the last week has been incredibly hazy, we haven't even been able to see Savo Island. This morning dawned clear after rain last night, we could even see the contours of the hills. Now, clouds and rain have descended, but I got the laundry inside in time.

I am thinking...that I finally finished adding the pictures from our short time in Marulaon

I am thankful...that Katherine's appointment with the ENT this morning went well. Some more gunky ear wax floated out, and now she's all healthy!

From the learning rooms...it's a short week because of Thanksgiving: War of the Roses, Joan of Arc (with a couple of great picture books), Katherine - fun Thanksgiving games & crafts; math reviews for my "three muskateers"

Pondering these words..."But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never quit." Psalm 86:15 (The Message)

In the kitchen...baked French toast & pineapple for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, and green rice casserole, watermelon, & green beans for supper

I am creating...um, a clean desk? If I have time?

I am going...to go brew some of my precious decaf Starbucks stash. A rainy afternoon is the perfect time to enjoy a mug of coffee.

I am reading..."Almost 13: Shaping Your Child's Teenage Years Today" by Claudia Arp (thanks for suggesting the book, Cathy!)

I am hoping...some willing Marulaon friends will come in on the Kosko this Wednesday for the church's fundraiser. I'd love to be able to finish editing, print, and record the story of creation!

I am looking forward to...celebrating Thanksgiving in Honiara with our SITAG family for the first time

I am hearing...rain beating on the roof and rushing down the pipes into the rain tanks

Around the house...coloring sheets of Kings of England (Edward III through Henry VII) from Bellerophon's Kings & Queens of England, some Thanksgiving decorations just arrived from my mom

One of my favorite things...SITAG's generator, town power has been on and off frequently for the last three days

A few plans for the rest of the week...a trip to Honiara's central market in the morning & taking a friend to the doctor tomorrow afternoon, a "farewell" meal for Naomi (her dad comes to Honiara on Thursday) Wednesday night, SITAG Americans coming on Friday to celebrate Thanksgiving

Here's a picture thought I am sharing with you...Olivia teaching three giggling four-year-olds to play Uno on our huge front porch just a few minutes ago

2011-11-19T00:31:00.003-06:00

Enjoying a rainy Saturday afternoon, watching Cadfael with my hubby, and eating Apple Dumplings German Style from "Sacred Feasts: From a Monastery Kitchen" - a perfect combo!

Apple Dumplings German Style

6 servings (our family found it to be closer to 10 very generous servings, especially when we included vanilla ice cream)

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup milk

7 tart apples, peeled

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

3/4 cup brown sugar

6 TBSP butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 cups sugar

2 TBSP calvados liqueur (optional)

6 TBSP butter

1) In a deep bowl mix and sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening. Work mixture lightly with your fingertips.

2) Make a hole in the mixture's center and gradually add milk. Stir and mix. Knead lightly into a ball, then roll into a rectangular-shaped piece of dough about 1/4-inch thick. Cut dough into 6 pieces.

3) Slice apples and divide among the six squares of dough Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Add to apples.

4) Dot each square with 1 tablespoon of butter. Gather corners of each piece of dough. Pinch corners together to form a dumpling.

5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brown sugar, white sugar, water, calvados, and butter to make a syrup over low-medium heat. Mix and blend well. Butter a long baking dish. Carefully place dumplings in it, pour syrup evenly over the top, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until dumplings are done. Serve hot.

2011-11-18T05:58:00.064-06:00

My morning began with a wake up call in the form of an earthquake. Just before it was time to get up, the bed began shaking back and forth gently. Thankfully, the kids didn't wake up, and Aaron and I shuffled into the living area and started the coffee brewing. The sun was just coming up, and a nice breeze was blowing, so I decided that today would be a good day for washing all of the sheets from the village. I got a load of sheets going, grabbed my Bible and cup of coffee, and plopped down on the couch. I love early morning!

I heard the Angelus bells sing nine times down the hill, and the kids began to straggle into the living room a little before six o'clock, also grabbing their cups of coffee and Bibles. Our day got off to a peaceful start of unpacking, and the sunshine and breeze held up all morning, enabling me to finish five loads of laundry and making me extra grateful for the washing machine (with water that comes in and out without any help from me!). Benjamin made a birthday cake while I did a little bit of meal planning, found a new recipe for the slow cooker this weekend, and Sarah and I chopped up the veggies and grated cheese for yummy chillaquillas for supper.

After lunch, I headed out for a SITAG Children's Education (CHED) meeting. We got lots of planning done, but most of all, we encouraged each other and shared stories, successes and failures, too. I'm so thankful for these SITAG ladies! When I returned home, Sarah had iced the birthday cake, my capable kitchen crew had finished preparing supper, and we ate early to have time to get everything cleaned up before we went next door with the birthday cake to celebrate.

It's been a full, productive, busy, tiring kind of day, but having a "normal" kind of day feels so good after our family has been in bits and pieces so much in the last few months.

Honiara has quieted down, and we appreciate all of the prayers that have been offered up on behalf of the government in the Solomon Islands.

Safe and Sound

2011-11-16T15:01:00.002-06:00

Everybody is home safe and sound! The Kosko showed up early than ever in Marulaon (7:30 a.m.), but my capable husband got all of the boxes and all of the people on the boat safely. When the Kosko arrived, Honiara was in the middle of some political protest, so SITAG's director asked Katherine and me to stay home while he and a couple of other guys went down to pick up my precious cargo. Eating together as a family last night was a treat we haven't enjoyed very much the last couple of months.

Please don't worry...

2011-11-15T20:06:00.001-06:00

...but this just came through the e-mail:

"Election results just announced and Gordon Darcy Lilo was elected PM after only one round of voting. Lilo received 29 votes, Tozaka - 9, Sogavare - 9, and Manetoali - 2. The Malaita Maasina Forum has expressed an intention to hold a protest march if Lilo is elected PM. It remains to be seen what, if anything, that will mean."

Aaron and the kids should arrive on the Kosko in just a few hours, and the SITAG director has advised Katherine and me to stay home (gives me a little bit more time to unpack!) while he goes to the wharf. We can hear the helicopters flying overhead, so we know that RAMSI is working hard to keep the situation under control. Thanks for your prayers!

No more beads!

2011-11-14T18:09:00.000-06:00

The amazing ENT at Honiara's hospital dragged a bead out of each of Katherine's ears just a little bit ago. She used what looked like a very thin crochet hook, and she was wonderful with my scared little girl. The beads looked like they had been sitting in the shower drain for a year - yuck! Thanks for your prayers. We are honored that so many people care about our family.

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2011-11-14T00:34:00.033-06:00

For Today...Monday, November 14th

Outside my window...calm seas, bright sunshine, a great day for hopping a ship

I am thinking...about Marulaon village and that our stay was WAY too short this time, next time will be three months - whoohoo!

I am thankful...for the little girl on the couch singing like crazy

From the learning rooms...no school this week, it's time to move again!

In the kitchen...crazy days, so cornflakes for breakfast, lunch in town while we shop, and leftovers for supper tonight. I'm having a hard time just cooking for two people (one of them quite small) and look forward to cooking for seven again.

I am creating...plans for Thanksgiving next week. We were supposed to celebrate in Marulaon for the third year in a row, but now we find ourselves with so many more options for adopted family to invite and foods to serve.

I am going...to the Kosko office today to buy tickets for the rest of my family to come home.

I am reading.."Solomon Time" by Will Randall (rated PG-13 for language)

I am hoping...that Naomi is healthy again soon. She can't seem to shake this sinus junk.

I am looking forward to...my family coming home this week! They should leave sometime Wednesday on the Kosko and arrive in Honiara Wednesday night/early Thursday morning.

I am hearing...the water pump out behind the house, the ceiling fan, an occasional ship blowing its horn in the harbor

Around the house...boxes waiting to be unpacked. I'm trying to get as much as possible unpacked so my family doesn't have to do it when they come back.

I am pondering...furlough again, and trying to organize details

One of my favorite things...candles, especially this time of year. Funny, because the louvers are always open and the scents just float out the window, but there's just something about the gentle light of a candle that says home and cozy and nurture to me

A few plans for the rest of the week...this afternoon, a meeting with a Vernacular Media specialist to share some ideas about scripture use, taking Katherine to the hospital in the morning (8:30 our time) to have the surgeon and ENT look at her ears again, picking up my crew at the wharf (hopefully not in the dark) Wednesday, a SITAG Children's Education committee meeting on Friday (always accompanied by coffee)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...Katherine asleep in the bathtub last week in Marulaon. Before you think I'm negligent, there were three adults in the room, and as soon as Naomi snapped the picture, I whisked Katherine into a towel, slipped on pajamas, and put her to bed. My sleepy girl stayed in bed for thirteen hours!

Sweet Sabbath (photos by Naomi)

2011-11-13T00:34:00.000-06:00

There’s not a plant or flower below

But makes Thy glories known;

And clouds arise and tempests blow

By order from Thy throne,

While all that borrows life from Thee

Is ever in Thy care,

And everywhere that man can be,

Thou, God, art present there.

Finishing the story...

2011-11-12T13:53:00.037-06:00

Our last night in Marulaon, last Tuesday, we had just tucked the kids in bed, turned off the lights, and headed to get ourselves ready for bed when we heard a knock. I went to the door to find two of the ladies who had worked on the creation story, and one of them was really mad. She was upset with me for making changes to her story. I couldn't tell if she was angry because of the women I had chosen to help me with the back translation or if she was angry because I hadn't brought the updated version to her first. I'm sure that some of the blame was mine. In my haste to get ready for the trip to Honiara, I printed an edited version and gave it to one of the group who crafted the story. I asked her if the group could get together without me to look over the changes since I was headed into Honiara. Now, I've learned to do everything in person and abide by "Solomon Time" instead of trying to hurry things up! Anyway, after she and I talked, I think we restored our relationship and the story is on hold until we can sit down and work things out together. I would appreciate prayers for unity throughout this whole Bible story project. I don't want my zeal to create discord. From the beginning, I'm emphasized that the first draft of the stories will be changed and that it takes a lot of humility to be a part of this project and watch your work be torn apart by somebody else.

Our family woke up early Wednesday morning to prepare for the arrival of the Kosko. We never really know when it is going to arrive until we listen to the shipping report on the radio. Last week it arrived at 8:30 a.m., but sometimes it doesn't come until midnight! I went down to market and bought the few things available, then finished packing before I listened to the Maritime station at 9 a.m. when all of the ships call in their position. They all try to wait their turn, but sometimes they talk over each other, so listening and understanding over the static is somewhat of an acquired skill. We discovered the Kosko wasn't expecting to make it to Marulaon until around 4 p.m., so I enjoyed some extra time with the kids - listening to Olivia read her history and science too me, reading along with Sarah in her current reader, "Scarlet and Miniver", and after school we played some hand and foot. Quite a gift!

Sure enough, the ship pulled around the corner of the island a few minutes before 4:00, and Katherine, Aaron and I loaded into the motor canoe. Naris had cooked fish and lelenga and asked me to deliver a box of it to her brother and uncle in Honiara. I've met them before, but I knew they wouldn't have any trouble finding my face on the wharf at midnight! Aaron helped us climb up the rope ladder and carry the boxes on board. We found a great spot on the side of the deck where we would have a nice breeze and unfolded our mat. It was hard not to be able to kiss, hug, or even hold Aaron's hand in a goodbye, but Katherine and I watched him climb back down the ladder and into the boat. He hung around for a few minutes while others loaded, then we waved as he putted away back toward Marulaon.

Several canoes from Karumulun were loading the carved wooden super-sized "mortar and pestles" that my friends use to smash uvikola or havu to make culinary delicacies. I called down to them and tried to use a little bit of Lavukaleve to tell them that I wanted one. After about an hour, the boat moved off toward its next stop at Yandina, where it took on several huge ice chests of fish headed for Honiara's Central Market. We even watched one slide from the ropes mid-air and spill the huge freshly gutted fish all over the deck! After Yandina, Katherine and I munched on some trail mix and settled down for the night. She brought her lava-lava, but when I packed I thought we might be traveling during the day, so I forgot to bring one. When the sun went down, the breeze was cold! I ended pulling my night gown out of my back pack and wrapping it around my arms as I snuggled with Katherine to keep us both warm.

After tossing and turning (because on a hard deck isn't conducive to sleep), I finally sat up and finished reading my Cadfael book. We pulled into Honiara about midnight, and I called SITAG friends using Naomi's cell phone. I took Katherine and the first box onto the wharf and looked for a familiar face behind the gate swarming with people. Finally, the welcome sight of our SITAG director appeared, and I passed Katherine on to him to be passed to his wife (a favorite of Katherine's). Another SITAG friend joined us, and the three of us finished unloading, paid for the cargo charges, and elbowed our way through the gate. Thankfully, Komnis (Naris' brother) quickly found me in the throng, and I was able to give him the box after asking him, "Inu kea kim?" (Are you hungry?).

We gratefully arrived back at SITAG and tossed our bags and ourselves into the house where we stayed last June and July. Finally, we turned the lights off at 1 a.m., thankful for the safe trip and for the many people who prayed us safely into Honiara.

Solomon Time

2011-11-12T02:39:00.003-06:00

An excerpt from the book "Solomon Time" by Will Randall. As I read, I found myself nodding vehemently in agreement:

"Solomon Time, Solomon Time - how it was to dominate future events I then had no no idea. It is liquid, a fluid that cannot be contained, that has no master, that sloshes backwards and forwards and even from side to side. It has no symmetry or order. Solomon Time plays nobody's rules, yet it loosely dictates that something may happen a little late or perhaps a little early or days late or even days early; it may have happened already or it may never happen at all. Schedules and timetables become irrelevancies, arrangements, meetings, deadlines inconsequential.

Solomon Time trickles through every stream in every forest and pumps through the veins of every man or woman born of Solomon. Clocks stop ticking; wristwatches become mere ornaments. Time is governed by the sun and the the moon, by light and dark. Months slip by indistinguishable one from the next. December as hot as May, November as wet as June. Daily routine, apart from the two bookends of morning and evening prayer, is as higgledy-piggledy as a child's toy box. Mealtimes become moveable feasts. Work, rest and play are as confused as three scoops of ice cream melted in the tropical sun."

Update from Honiara

2011-11-11T00:23:00.003-06:00

Hope it's not confusing to be updating posts from earlier this week in the village and reporting real time events here in Honiara. Just wanted to say thanks for praying for Katherine and for the government in the Solomon Islands. The Prime Minister resigned this morning, and the day has been very peaceful. If you are interested, the best way to stay on top of the situation is to read the Solomon Star newspaper.

Katherine's appointment from yesterday was rescheduled for this morning. The doctor took one look at her ears and said that he couldn't do anything to get the beads out because they were so deep. He made an appointment for us to meet with a surgeon this afternoon, with the anticipation of sedating Katherine just so the surgeon could make a diagnosis. When we met with the surgeon, he said he would like to try some ear drops to loosen up the ear wax first. So, we are putting drops in her ears twice a day and we have an appointment for Tuesday morning with the hospital ENT. The surgeon will meet us there. Thankfully, I'm quite familiar with the ENT because of Naomi's sickness in September! Obviously, Katherine and I will be staying in Honiara instead of returning to Marulaon on Sunday. We are talking to Aaron and the kids on the radio twice a day since village e-mail is still not working very well. Our SITAG friends have been taking good care of us, but now I will start unpacking our boxes from storage, beginning with the pantry boxes.

2011-11-10T16:26:00.002-06:00

Monday, November 7
My desk: A Yankee candle making my work area smell good while I try to edit the story of creation and the story of Jesus's birth.

Tuesday, November 8
Whew! The last few days have been whirlwind crazy trying to get as much as possible finished on these Bible stories before Katherine and I leave for Honiara tomorrow. Sunday afternoon, I sat at Margaret and Rebekah's and hammered out the back-translation for creation days 1-3. Yesterday morning, Kiko came over to give me the latest revisions that Ezekiel Hasar made on the story of Jesus' birth. Then yesterday afternoon, I waited for Margaret to come and tell me that she had returned from the garden, but she was waiting for me! We only had a little bit of time together while we waited for the rain to stop, then we rescheduled for this morning. After three hours, we finally finished the back-translation, and I'm really pleased. I'm going to make a copy to test in Sunday School in Marulaon while I'm in Honiara.

Please do be praying for Katherine. Those beads she put in her ears (a pink bead on one side and a green bead on the other) just won't come out for us. So, as soon as the Kosko shows up tomorrow, we'll be on the way to Honiara to see a doctor. We're hoping it comes in the morning, since a trip with hundreds of our closest friends all crammed together on the deck of the ship is much easier during the day than at night when we are trying to sleep.

Last Weekend

2011-11-10T16:20:00.003-06:00

Friday, November 4
Today, I met with seven of the ten ladies who helped craft Bible stories last week. We finished checking my typing errors and looked for any other errors in word choice or spelling. Our meeting was short, but sweet (it helped that Sarah made gingersnaps!). The group that is working on the story of Jesus' birth decided to paddle over to Karumulun to enlist the other member of their group in correcting the story. Now, I've got to print a double spaced copy of each story to leave room for the back-translation.

Saturday, November 5
We made banana cake again today for the soccer tournament. It's fun to see people's faces light up when they see banana cake available!

One of the local "young boys" drew pictures for the creation story, so I spent most of the day scanning, cropping, and pasting the pictures into the text. Sunday afternoon is always a good time to find people at home, so I'm planning to go down to Margaret and Rebekah's and get them to back translate for me.

Moses came by this afternoon and asked Aaron to preach on the subject of wisdom in the morning. Aaron is just about the only preacher Marulaon ever hears, so I'm thankful he's a good one!

While waiting for Katherine's appointment...

2011-11-10T14:19:00.000-06:00

This just made its way into my inbox. Would you consider praying for the Solomon Islands today?

"U.S. Embassy Port Moresby advises U.S. citizens traveling to, or residing in Solomon Islands to exercise a high degree of caution due to ongoing threats of political violence, civil unrest, and protests. The Solomon Islands Parliament will sit this Friday, November 11 and a Motion of No Confidence in the Prime Minister may be tabled. Political tensions can rise with little notice."

Back in Honiara

2011-11-10T03:06:00.000-06:00

Katherine and I arrived in Honiara about midnight last night. She has a doctor's appointment in the morning. I hope to catch up on the blog soon!

Marulaon Woman’s Daybook

2011-11-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

For today...Wednesday, November 2

Outside my window...Nako and Foamela (two of Ofain's daughters) helping me clean up our yard so it will look nice tonight when Aaron comes back from Losiolen

I am thinking...about my grandfather, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery

From the learning rooms...the Black Death, Ivan III, Mohammed captures Constantinople; Sarah - equations with negative numbers, correlative conjunctions, & aphorisms; Benjamin - speed equations, sentence combining; Olivia - comparing fractions, sentence combining; Katherine - reading & writing numbers 1-10, letter W

I am thankful for...Naomi! It's so much less lonesome with Aaron gone.

From the kitchen...granola for breakfast, milked cooking bananas, milked pumpkin leaves, papaya, motued fish - nice yummy, fresh food for lunch, and to welcome Aaron home, we are opening a Macaroni Grill boxed meal along with lots of greens and fruits to make up for what he has missed during the last few days

I am reading...Ellis Peter's Cadfael series, how fun to find some great books set in the same period of history we are studying

I am hoping...that the doctor in Honiara can get the beads out of Katherine's ears next week

I am creating...not really creating, but compiling Bible stories in Lavukaleve

I am hearing...the inverter humming as a couple of our neighbor's cell phones charge on this sunny day

Around the house...lots of nice produce from market this morning, a freshly mopped floor, lemon bars cooling on the cabinet as a welcome home for Aaron

One of my favorite things...fresh, sweet pineapple

A few plans for the rest of the week...working on Friday with the ladies to complete another step of the Bible stories

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...no pics right now. Our radio/e-mail isn't sending and receiving very well. Next week in Honiara, I'll go back and catch up on posting pictures.

Tuesday, November 1

2011-11-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I spent some time walking around Marulaon and trying to carry on some limited conversations in Lavukaleve. I asked Kiko and her sister Daisy to help me by giving me a word - any word! They really struggled with choosing a word, so I finally gave them some suggestions like vivisa (flower) or the verb root -lai- (paddle). Kind of defeats the purpose for me to choose the words, but at least I got a word I knew! They helped me construct short sentences, making sure each word agreed. We were all mentally fatigued by the time we finished!

I passed Naris making a broom from a coconut leaves. I asked if I could video her while I talked to her. I can't post the video from Marulaon, but here's how our conversation went:

J: "Naris, man avolori ngome?" (Naris, what are you making?)
N: "Birum avolorine." (Making a broom)
"Fofoira rugi." (Big work)
and after a pause...
N: "Ngai lakun!" (I don't want to do it!)

Blessings and Learning

2011-11-04T12:32:00.002-05:00

Sweet Sabbath - Sunday, October 30

"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God."

Psalm 86:9, 10

-Aaron's impromptu opportunity to teach a short workshop last week

-baby pineapples growing from the tops we planted two years ago

-another portion of the Translation Principles workshop starting today in Losiolen

-kids learning and laughing

Monday, October 31

My desk today: I don't have a desk, but I do have a beautiful woven tray that I use when I'm in my "office" to study Lavukaleve. My kids know that I'm unavailable when I'm working on my tray. Maybe it will help me stay accountable if I take a picture of my desk from time to time. Today on my desk, I have a cup of coffee and my list of verbs that I'm trying to add to my vocabulary. I find verbs to be the hardest part of learning Lavukaleve. Verbs take prefix subject markers, prefix object markers, gender agreement (feminine, masculine, neuter), number agreement (singular, dual, plural), and suffix tense, aspect, & mode. Verbs make my head spin! I'm trying to add these verb roots to my speaking vocabulary:

-keuri-     carry (with repeated trips)
-tutuari-   carry (bearing the weight with your shoulder/body)
-kokosori- carry (on your head)
-kukui-     carry (on your back)
-hatari-    cut, divide (food, material, hair, hand)
-koroi-     cut (branch, uvikola)
-kea-       cut, chop (firewood)
-vu-        dig (umalau)
-fulu-      dig, pluck (uvikola, chinese cabbage, hair)

Last Week…

2011-11-04T12:28:00.002-05:00

Friday, October 28

V is for Volcano

Saturday, October 29

This morning, Eta went with Naomi, Sarah, Benjamin and me to the garden. We harvested a big bag of umalau (sweet potato) and a big bag of uvikola (cassava) to send with Aaron as our gift. We also dug up enough uvikola for our family to make lelenga today. It's fun to remember when and how we planted things, this uvikola we planted in December with the help of our friends Karen and Caroline. Now it's grown tall and blown over and makes great lelenga!

We've discovered that Marulaon holds a soccer tournament every Saturday, and villages from the West Russells come participate with Jr. and Sr. teams, men and women, too. It's been a good chance to mingle with people from other villages a little bit. The soccer field has been cleared off quite a bit, so now there are two small fields side by side. Several of the ladies bring food to sell, and we have been encouraged to bring banana cake. So, today I gave 90 banana muffins to Kiko and her niece, Julet, to sell for the Lavukal Bible translation fund. The cakes sold quickly! The money will go toward buying gasoline for the motor boat that Aaron will take tomorrow when he picks up the translators and holds another portion of Translation Principles in Losiolen.

I hung out at the soccer field for a couple of hours, cheering on different people and places, particularly the Marulaon women. One of the things I love about our neighbors here, they cheer for everybody! No matter who scores the goal or makes a great move, you always cheer.

Thursday, Oct 27

2011-11-02T08:13:00.001-05:00

This afternoon, Kiko came up to the house to work on transcribing the story of Jesus's birth that she recorded on Tuesday morning. We enjoyed coffee and fresh banana cake while she and I pressed our ears close to the speakers on the computer to listen attentively. We were both pleased with her story and with a few of the corrections that she made on paper. I thanked her for being willing and humble enough to tell and record a story, knowing that the whole point of the telling is to have others come behind and pick it to pieces.

Next Friday, November 4, all of the ladies will get together again to see the Bible stories on paper. The two groups will correct their own stories, then switch to correct each other's. We will also come up with some questions to ask for comprehension. After I make the corrections in the computer and add any pictures they draw, then I will go around the village reading the stories and asking the questions. Hopefully, we'll get some good responses and have these two stories in their hands soon!

Here's the rough draft of Kiko's story:
Sera Kiko – Jisas ta oi okomua (The story of Jesus's birth)
Felakoe ena Jisas mala osia fi. Ta roa fin ana Bethlehem lukariae rugi loge fi sia hi. Aka olang Josef ona Meri otum hona e Davit okun ena mem aesiage honala koi kini Bethlehem fi regista losiare olang lolangiov la foare ofoiga ena lukariae hoiga ena fi hoinala Bethlehem vela lomel. Velanun, velanun, olang okatuna esiage Meri ho vulava re muteteare aka okealeai ga ena oia otin kiu vela laimege vela laimege hano aunion sia aka malav suni lafa lafa ona meiva hano suni Bethlehem vere lov. Tailav suni Bethlehem toun ona meiva sere lov malava suni tailava maseriv vona sere lov. Aka oinala kini veore aunionun kini veore kini tail roge ena ali roa alokikiari Kola roa hoika lem aira ge kola roa tamu koi kini roa alokikiari ge kola roaru tamu Akari sianun sianun aka oina aka ore tail roge ru tamu esiale lafa vala lafa mea lena metairea la onam veremal foel “Olang ngai ngatua obui vofou elekire fi olei,” hide Josef na hide ore aire ge. Fi ana hide mare, “Otail telako fi hoika!
lei tail ga bulakau otail fi o ui eu otail fi. Aka hoika riom fi Josep na otua Meri la,” omare ove. Aka hoika riom fi Jisas na ota. Jisas Bethlehem bulakau otailan fi o ta.

October 25, Tuesday

2011-10-30T07:52:00.001-05:00

This morning, I met with ten women from two different villages to create some Bible stories in Lavukaleve. We were not translating, just retelling Bible stories. I'm excited that they chose creation and the birth of Jesus, because both of those stories lend themselves to adding more stories down the road to make complete story books of Genesis and the Life of Christ. We ate popcorn, laughed, and worked hard. One of the groups chose to craft the story on paper first, then record it orally. The other group chose to record it as they might tell it to their children, then transcribe it later. I'm looking forward to discovering which of the two methods provides the kind of Bible story that is easy to understand and sounds natural when read aloud. We plan to meet back together next week after Aaron returns from teaching the Translation Principles workshop in Losiolen.

Rain kicked in shortly after I returned to the house – a pouring, driving, tank filling, cooling rain. About three o'clock, we heard a knock on the door, and Grace Delight stood there dripping underneath an umbrella and asking for Naomi. On our last trip, Naomi had proved that she knew her way around a hand cranked sewing machine (there are perks to being an MK), so the ladies were requesting her again. The three of us waited for a break in the rain, then we slipped and slid our way down to Daisy and Hiva's house and spent some time visiting and helping out with the sewing machine.

Monday, October 24

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, during the announcements after church, we learned that one of the Sisters of the Church was arriving in Marulaon with a big ice chest. Sister Mary Faith is from Marulaon, and she is here to collect lots of fish and shellfish from the community to take back to Honiara. As part of the Marulaon community, Sarah, Katherine, Naomi and I went with Kiko and Grace to dive for kalimeta to send back.

I never get tired of looking at all of the amazing underwater creatures that God made: bright blue starfish, fish of every hue, and creatures that look like little flowers attached to the coral, until you get close and they disappear into the protection of the coral. And the variety of coral! The lightning coral is purple tipped to warn you that it stings, the brain coral makes a great home for lots of little animals. At one point, I pulled Sarah close and asked her if she could believe that we lived in such a gorgeous place.

We came back tired and waterlogged and with a full bag of kalimeta. Kiko is going to look after the bag and keep the critters fresh in the edge of the water just by her house until it is time to send them back to Honiara.

Saturday, October 22

2011-10-27T08:41:00.000-05:00

Market this morning felt like such a gift! Our neighbors were so generous with the produce from their gardens: slippery cabbage, pumpkin, green and dry coconuts, bush apples, pineapples, papayas, grape tomatoes, green beans, eggplant, cutnuts, ngali nuts, and the cutest little bell peppers. They've been asking me to make banana cake to bring to the big soccer tournament today, but no bananas have shown up at market since we got here. You can only bring food that is ripe!

After market, Benjamin, Olivia, Katherine and I walked to our bush garden to harvest uvikola for lelenga. We met Sylvester and her two youngest girls in her garden which borders mine. Our last heap of uvikola produced an abundance of deep fruit intertwined with each other, so Sylvester came over to help me get it out. Our uvikola are yellow, so Sylvester shared some of her white uvikola that was especially nice for boiling. Benjamin found a huge hermit crab (kokovan), big enough that it's claw could have made his finger really hurt. The crab even made it part of the way home. We ended up with more uvikola that I had anticipated, so my bag was HEAVY. I think my neck will be sore tomorrow from carrying the bag back to the house.

While we were in Honiara, Naris and Dawa did a great job of taking care of our yard and house. Our big munu shade tree was dropping dead leaves and flowers on top of our rain tank, so Dawa chopped off half the branches. Aaron finished the job today (with a little help from the kids). I spread the word to my friends that we would have lots of leaves for motuing lelenga, and several ladies came by for leaves.

Naomi and I prepared the fire for the lelenga. The whole family always works together to prepare our lelenga since it takes lots of work: scraping the coconuts, peeling the uvikola, scraping the uvikola, squeezing the juice out of the coconuts, boiling the juice, building the fire, heating the banana leaves, assembling the pudding, removing the hot stones, placing the pudding in its preheated place, replacing the stones, covering the pudding with munu leaves, and finally covering the whole thing with old copra sacks to seal in the heat. When I looked up on the shelf for my copra sacks, I could only see two of the three I expected. I started to grab one of the sacks to shake it out in case two were folded together, but I stopped short of grabbing the snake that camouflaged itself beautifully in the sack. Glad I looked before I grabbed the sack.

Friday, October 21

2011-10-26T13:37:00.002-05:00

I woke up feeling rotten with a cold this morning, so I canceled my language learning sessions with Margaret. We ended up enjoying heavy thunderstorms all day today, so Marulaon was quiet with everybody staying inside. While our family thinks the cool weather is refreshing, our neighbors are wearing long sleeves, complaining about the cold, and building fires underneath their leaf houses!

Katherine awoke earlier this week and announced she had stuck a green bead in one ear and a pink bead in the other. While I think that a four-year-old should know better, I'm also reminded that Olivia stuck googly-eyes in her ear when she was four. The beads are quite deep and big enough that no space exists in the ear canal to help dislodge the bead. We have tried irrigating, ear candles, coconut oil, sucking out the bead with a straw, and putting a dab of superglue on the end of a q-tip and trying to glue it to the bead to pull it out. We would appreciate your prayers for our little girl's ears and for our wisdom.

A little reading tip: Sometimes the pictures for certain posts get separated in the email process or are delayed for whatever reason. Because of this, they are sometimes uploaded as much as a week or so after the original post. So, be sure to scroll back a few days just to make sure you don’t miss any great pictures!

Back in Marulaon

2011-10-24T19:21:00.001-05:00

Monday, October 17
Our trip on the Bikoi was fabulous! The ship hadn't left Honiara for several weeks, so I think maybe everybody made other plans to travel. The ship was more empty than we had ever seen it! We had lots of room (for a Solomon Islands' ship) to spread out. Friends came to help us load everything on the ship and to wave goodbye until they were tiny specks on the end of the wharf - we are so thankful for our SITAG buddies!

Canoes were waiting for us, and we unloaded kids and boxes over the side of the Bikoi and into the hands of friends. Once on land, lots of smiles greeted us, and we visited with friends for a while before we turned to the task of settling in. We left quite a bit of food in Marulaon, knowing that our trip to Honiara would be short. So, unpacking and cleaning has gone really quickly today. Naomi's extra hands and encouragement have helped us make record time!

Thursday, October 20
The kids started back to school today, with Naomi taking a couple of hours so I can work on learning Lavukaleve. We have slipped right back into our (anything but) normal life here in beautiful Marulaon.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-10-17T00:54:00.010-05:00

We had to finish our Christmas shopping before we left Honiara. For those of you still shopping, would you consider giving Christmas presents using Wycliffe Bible Translator's Gift Catalog?

Back in Marulaon!

2011-10-16T21:44:00.001-05:00

As of right now, email communication is not working from the village. But, an email just came through from someone with radio contact with the Choates. The report is that “they had a wonderful, uncrowded, calm boat trip out to the village, they were warmly greeted by friends and chiefs when they got there, the rain tanks are FULL, and with Naomi's welcome and willing set of extra hands, they are getting settled in in record time. Many answered prayers!!”

Keep up the prayers, and thanks for being patient with the spotty email connection and blog updates!

~Ann Hibbard for the Choates

Here we go again...

2011-10-15T00:09:00.002-05:00

Last night, everybody got in bed early and we decided not to set an alarm. Turns out it was a good choice, two of our kids stayed in bed for twelve hours, and one of them slept for eleven hours. My early-bird Katherine slept in until 6 a.m. God gifted me with a quiet morning to sit in bed and read my Bible while I drank my coffee and watched the sun come up. The light filtered softly through the two big mango trees behind the house, and the shadows tiptoed on my walls. What a peaceful way to start a busy day!

I read words by Frances Ridley Havergal this morning, "The connection in Romans 12:1-2 between our sacrifice, which He so graciously calls acceptable to Himself, and our finding out that His will is acceptable to ourselves is very striking....love on both sides is at the bottom of the whole transaction and its results."

So, I'm once again asking the Lord to help me to submit contentedly to His transforming hand as I offer myself as a living sacrifice. I'm resting in His provision of friends who offer sweet fellowship and good food during our busy day, friends around the world who are praying for us, and the Choate family team who works hard and well together. Tomorrow, we'll be leaving around 8 a.m. our time/4 p.m. Saturday CST.

Thanks for your prayers!

2011-10-14T00:22:00.001-05:00

This morning, after lots of long distance phone calls, we finally got our airplane tickets! It's official - furlough begins May 1st (Lord willing, and the creek don't rise).

Hebrews Workshop

2011-10-13T13:54:00.010-05:00

Solomon Islands Bible Translation and Literacy Project (SIBTLP) is hosting a workshop covering the book of Hebrews from October 10 through October 21. These translators have come from all over the Solomon Islands to learn because they are in the process of drafting or revising the book of Hebrews.

Naomi's family works with the Gela language, and a couple of their translators are here at SITAG for the workshop. This evening, she was chatting with one them. He told her that often the teacher asks a question about the text and he can't understand the English Bible well enough to figure out the answer. So, he just turns to his Gela translation, and the answer immediately becomes clear!

Quick Prayer Request

2011-10-12T18:20:00.000-05:00

We have been trying to order plane tickets for furlough for more than three weeks, yet the credit card company still doesn't want to take the money we have been carefully saving for more than three years. Please pray for our wisdom because we would really like to have this completed before we leave for Marulaon on Sunday morning. Thanks!

Honiara Woman's Daybook

2011-10-11T00:57:00.003-05:00

For Today...Tuesday, October 11

Outside my window...gray skies, everything is really still.

I am thinking...about my sister who will be getting married this weekend. Wish I could be there, Liss.

From the learning rooms...yesterday was the last day of school, the kids have a break until we get settled in Marulaon next week.

I am thankful for...all the prayers offered up on behalf of Naomi. She is healthy enough to go run with me in the mornings! Her visa has been extended, and we are planning to leave for Marulaon on Sunday, October 16.

From the kitchen...baked French toast for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, Benjamin cooking cheesy bread pudding tonight for company.

I am reading..."Written by Mrs. Bach: The amazing discovery that shocked the music world" by Martin Jarvis, a gift Aaron brought back from his trip last week.

I am hoping...for calm seas on Sunday. Yay for Bonine in care packages (thanks, Mama!).

I am creating...lists. Got to get organized around here.

I am hearing...thunder, SITAG kids playing down on the basketball court, Palestrina's "Missa Papae Marcelli".

Around the house...boxes filling up, Katherine taking a nap, clean clothes on my bed just brought in to escape the coming rain.

One of my favorite things...checking off items on my to-do list.

Pondering these words..."Yes, I see only too clearly how bad people are. I wish I did not see it so. It is my own sins that give me so much clarity. If I did not bear the scars of so many sins to dim my sight and dull my capacity for love and joy, then I would see Christ more clearly in you all....My prayer from day to day is that God will so enlarge my heart that I will see you all, and live with you all, in His love." --Dorothy Day (and if she had been from the South, she would have said "y'all")

A few plans for the rest of the week...buying plane tickets for furlough, mailing Christmas presents, finishing the newsletter, just wrapping up everything in Honiara and hopping a boat on Sunday. Bikoi tickets are in hand!

Here's a picture thought I am sharing with you...oh, how I love my children.

Just because...

2011-10-10T11:04:00.005-05:00

"Married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking."

-- Chinese proverb

Sweet Sabbath

2011-10-09T17:58:00.003-05:00

"I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples." Psalm 108: 3

-bouncy curls

-glorious rain refreshing the ground and our spirits

-plum skillet cake, because one shipment a year we get plums in Honiara, and they are worth spending a little extra

-other people working toward Bible translation in the Pacific, we are only a small piece of the puzzle

And the winner is...

2011-10-08T00:01:00.008-05:00

Jolene! I'll be contacting a few more of you for "runner-up" prizes, too! Thanks to all of you who pray for our family and for the Lavukal. You encourage us so much!

Rainy days and Fridays...

2011-10-07T19:18:00.001-05:00

This was the view from my porch this morning:

Not your usual postcard perfect day on a tropical island, but it made me SO happy! Rainy days not only bring us drinking water in the raintanks, but they also bring cooler temperatures and their delicious sound and smell. At our house, rainy days also mean baking!

The rain lasted all day today, and we finished up the day with one of my favorite recipes from my mama, curried chicken and apples. Here in the Solomons, apples only come from overseas, so they are infrequent and expensive, meaning we hardly ever enjoy this dish. With the recent arrival of a shipment of fruit from across the ocean, and the cool day to make me think of fall, we shared our creamy treat with friends tonight.

Curried Chicken and Apples

(serves two generously)

1 onion chopped

2 chicken breasts (I usually chop the chicken to make it stretch)

1 clove garlic

1 tsp curry

1/4 tsp ginger

3 Tbsp raisins

1 cup chopped apple

Mix all ingredients and place into a slow cooker.

Stir together:

1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillion granules

1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour

1/3 cup water

Pour on top of the chicken mixture. Cook 3 1/2 to 4 hours on high. Just before serving stir in 1/2 tsp. cornstarch and 1/4 cup sour cream. Serve over rice.

Giveaway

2011-10-05T17:22:00.000-05:00

I found another gorgeous set of salad tongs while I was shopping in Honiara last week.

If you would like to own them, please leave a comment by midnight CST, Friday night, October 7, and we will draw a name out of the bowl to see who gets a care package from the Solomon Islands.

Honiara woman's daybook

2011-10-04T22:58:00.003-05:00

For today...Tuesday, October 4

Outside my window...very calm seas, muggy air, clouds gathering, come on rain...

I am thinking...that it was a good choice to delay our return to Marulaon. One extra week to get Naomi healthy and to buy and mail Christmas presents!

From the learning rooms...last week we enjoyed reading "Two Travelers" by Christopher Manson as we studied about Charlemagne. Now, we're looking at "The Bayeux Tapestry: The Norman Conquest 1066" by Norman Denny & Joshephine Filmer-Sankey as well as coloring through history with "Kings & Queens of England to Color" and "Knights and Armor Coloring Book". I'm learning so much right along with the kids.

I am thankful for...the boxes that finally arrived yesterday. I'm still amazed that after being gone three years, people still remember and love us enough to send boxes!

From the kitchen...eggplant parmesan (from "The New Laurel's Kitchen"), a big green salad, fresh pineapple, and my new favorite bread, Danish Country Egg Bread from "The Great Scandinavian Baking Book".

I am reading..."Dwelling: Living Fully from the Space You Call Home" by Mary Beth Lagerborg

I am hoping...to get a lot of furlough plans nailed down before we leave for Marulaon next week. Plane tickets, housing, vehicle, etc. God's got a lot of work cut out for him to provide all of these things for us!

I am creating...well, I'm not creating, but I bought lots of colorful gingham and yarn today for my friends in Marulaon to make table covers. They love color!

I am hearing...the new washing machine that SITAG just installed in this house. It's huge! And now I can do laundry in our house instead of walking next door to share a machine.

Around the house...a middle ages timeline on the wall, overripe pineapple in the kitchen waiting to be cut up, two 10 kilo bags of sugar under the bed waiting to go out to Marulaon

One of my favorite things...bags from this mama's shop

Pondering these words...

The fretting friction of our daily life,

Heart-weariness with loving patience born,

The meek endurance of the inward strife,

The painful crown of thorn,

Prepare the heart for God's own dwelling place,

Adorn with sacred loveliness His shrine,

And brighten every inconspicuous grace,

For God alone to shine.

-Mary E. Atkinson

A few plans for the rest of the week...to dig out of my inbox!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...Olivia (my aural learner) reading out loud to me from her perch in a frangipanni tree while I hang out laundry

Bench

2011-10-03T00:36:00.001-05:00

The theme over at Snapshots Around the World this week is "Bench". This bench is a coconut scraper, a vital piece of equipment in the Solomon Islands and something I hope to bring back to the States on furlough.

He's home!

2011-10-02T22:43:00.004-05:00

Airport Run

2011-09-30T01:25:00.001-05:00

This afternoon, we went to meet a friend at the airport. Honiara's Henderson Field allows you to go on top of the building and watch the people as they come off the airplane.

The noise was deafening as planes came and went, but honey joys made it a little bit easier to wait. Yum!

And you have to bring signs to accompany the cheers when your friend walks off the plane.

Since the plane was an hour and half late, we passed the time crocheting...

reading books ...

and perusing the plaques commemorating WWII.

But the wait was worth it!

SITAG this week

2011-09-28T18:52:00.000-05:00

Although SITAG is a tiny entity, lots is going on this week.

The volunteer team from Bundaberg leaves this week. They have been such a blessing to SITAG! Bundaberg was the home of Florence Young and the place where Solomon Islanders were "blackbirded" in the late 1800's to work on sugar cane plantations, so this group has a special connection to the Solomons.

A good friend of ours flew from the States to spend a few days in Honiara before he heads out to Munda. The whole Roviana Bible is almost completely translated!

Another friend from Australia will be flying in on Thursday to work with the Literacy Association of the Solomon Islands (LASI), and yet another friend will be flying in from PNG on Friday to return to her work with Scripture Use after attending the Pacific Orientation Course.

Our current SITAG house sits attached to another small apartment and on top of a conference room. In the conference room below, a friend works with Adapt-It to translate into the Fataleka language. He says:

"We finished the second part of the translation principles in a week and a half and now we have started to draft the book of Mark. Because the Fataleka language is so closely related to the Kwara’ae language that already has a New Testament, we are using a computer program that enables them to translate from the Kwara’ae New Testament."

Outside our house, Max helps keep SITAG in good shape while his new baby girl and wife rest at their house next door to the Translation Center. And on one side of our building, Patson works to install some window treatment for the small apartment,

while our SITAG director makes sure the internet is working on the other side of the apartment.

There is so much going on here, I don't even know half of it, but we are so thankful to play a small part in the work of Bible translation in the Solomon Islands.

Indulging a whim...

2011-09-26T00:32:00.002-05:00

"Of all modern notions, the worst is this: that domesticity is dull. Inside the home, they say, is dead decorum and routine; outside is adventure and variety.

But the truth is that the home is the only place of liberty, the only spot on earth where man can alter arrangements suddenly, make an experiment, or indulge in a whim.

The home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks." -- G.K. Chesterson

Our whim this morning was yogurt and granola parfaits for breakfast...outside. How did you indulge your whims today?

Happy Birthday, Katherine

2011-09-24T01:45:00.014-05:00

Oh, my girl turned four today! We celebrated by sharing cake, ice cream, popcorn, and peanuts with the other SITAG families.

Uncle Jan was part of the festivities last year in Brisbane, and he made it to the party this year as well.

Sarah did most of the work to give her little sister a great party. She painted faces, organized the games like the peanut roll,

and made the cupcakes (whose cute wrappers came in a care package from a friend) and birthday cake.

The highlight of the day was typing back and forth with Aaron who is still in Bangkok. Katherine truly delights us and continues to be a gift of joy to our family.

Update on Naomi

2011-09-23T02:00:00.015-05:00

Naomi and I spent all morning at the hospital yesterday. One of our SITAG "aunties" watched the kids for me and made sure they did their schoolwork, and Sarah made gingersnaps to share with the hospital staff. First we went to the ENT who performed a hearing test on Naomi and found that she has trouble hearing low registers in her left ear. Since her ear is still stopped up, the ENT thinks Naomi's hearing will return when her ear pops.

Then, amidst power outages, we waited almost an hour and a half for her ten o'clock appointment for her abdominal ultrasound. The doctor who did her scan (he is 'Are'Are, where some good friends of ours work), found nothing abnormal. We took the results of her appointments back to try and find Dr. Elizabeth at the other end of the hospital. She was busy in another ward, so we left a note asking her to call us at the house. Now, we're just waiting to see what she says.

Naomi and I grabbed a bite to eat, and tackled the grocery list. I was really hoping that somebody had come in on the Kosko and brought some fresh crab to Honiara's Central Market. I found some urio (coconut crab) and asked where they were from - SCORE! The were from the Russells, and I was able to practice a tiny bit of Lavukaleve, build a new relationship, and walk away with two nice crabs. The crabs found their way into some seafood gumbo that we enjoyed for supper (along with the auntie, and her husband, who ended up watching the kids a lot longer than we had anticipated). The day was super full, but good.