Worms

 I love the flexibility of homeschool. 

Kids of different ages and grades gathered in SITAG's Educational Resource Center yesterday, some came for credit in biology, and some came just out of curiosity.



For this very small window of less than two weeks, our family and the precious Gebauer family are both in Honiara.



So, we took advantage of our time to together to have a little fun while we learned.



 The four older kids who are fulfilling the requirements for biology followed instructions beautifully, cutting and pinning and drawing the details of the worms insides in detail.

Don't let that face fool you, he was hamming it up for the camera.  They really had a good time.



So thankful for friends with whom we get to share life and learning!



Proposal-versary

Eighteen years ago, this amazing man walked in my door carrying a container of Yarnell's Rocky Road ice cream, got down on one knee, asked me to marry him while Wheel of Fortune blared in the background. 

I had been waiting for that question for years, so I didn't even have to think about the "YES!" that flew out of my mouth.  Our kids helped us celebrate last night by making a lovely chicken pot pie with a pastry heart on top and, of course, rocky road ice cream.

Thanks, beloved, for leading me on the adventure of a lifetime.  I would say "yes" all over again!

Rain Tank Adventures

We had just said "amen" and let go of each other's hands around the table when we heard a sound like somebody tipping over a washing machine.



Six sets of feet pounded down the concrete floor of the hallway to peer at the rain tank, our source of drinking water, which had just crumbled to the ground and dumped hundreds of gallons of water on the ground.  Here at SITAG, we are connected to Honiara's water supply, which is great for bathing and cleaning, but not for drinking.  Thankfully, no children were refilling bottles of drinking water when the structure collapsed.

And SITAG has plenty of tanks dedicated to drinking water, so we are in no danger of being thirsty.  Especially with rain every day since last Friday.  I love the rainy season!



This little guy poked his head out to see what all of the fuss was about.  He didn't realize that the crumbling concrete blocks had just demolished his favorite habitation underneath the rain tank.

Looks like a new rain tank will be at the top of SITAG's shopping list soon.  And it looks like my heart is extra grateful for plenty of clean drinking water (if you don't count the occasional wiggler swimming around) and for healthy, safe children.



Super Heroes

 Usually, when the phone rings at 12:30 a.m., you expect the worst.  But we were giddily expecting this phone call.  Our friends, the Gebauers, had been on the ship for more than twelve hours and they were pulling into Honiara's wharf.  We got to be the ones to pick them up! 

So, we quickly woke up the kids and piled into the vehicles.  Driving on the empty streets in the middle of the night was kind of a nice change from the daytime bumper to bumper traffic.

Ships were piled up at the wharf, and the Baruku was fourth in line.  Our friends had to climb through three ships, carrying their bags, hopping over the wide gaps in between each ship, and leaping over the huge sleeping pig and its poop, all while severely sleep deprived. 

Who needs a phone booth to prove your superhero status when you can run this obstacle course in your sleep?!?





Weekend Wonders

This weekend has been rainy and cool as a low pressure system sits and spins over the Solomon Islands, trying to decide if it's going to grow up and become a cyclone.  The coolness in the air is a balm to my soul.

Another sweet gift I've recently received?  Our thoughtful director did a surprise photo shoot with our kids and gave us the pictures as a Christmas present.  I love how our colleagues are the "aunts and uncles" to fill in for the ones we've left back in the States.

And God always knows when a certain book will help fill in my tired places.  Gayly just sent "Bread and Wine:  A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes" by Shauna Niequist.  I relate to the author in so many ways - things like how she loves to nurture people with good food, how to embrace all of the good things that God gives us, and how she is raising her kids.  Here's a peek into her mind, which echoes my own:

"I want my kids to learn firsthand and up close that different isn't bad, but instead that different is exciting and wonderful and worth taking the time to understand.  I want them to see themselves as bit players in a huge, sweeping, beautiful play, not as the main characters in the drama of our living room.  I want my kids to taste and smell and experience the biggest possible world, because every bite of it, every taste and texture and flavor, is delicious."

From our most recent newsletter...

Sarah drew this and hung it on the wall in her room

What we do know

Several weeks ago, Sarah came to Joanna telling her about a strange racing she had experienced with her heart. The episode was sudden and lasted only a short time, then went suddenly back to normal again. There was no connection with the fast heart beat and any activity Sarah was doing. Sarah said this event had happened maybe three times before, starting in May 2014. Joanna immediately went to work investigating possibilities and we began praying for wisdom for the best way to proceed.

We are abundantly thankful for some good friends who are also good doctors that God has placed in our lives. We have been advised that identifying what is happening with Sarah's heart will take some time and likely many tests. We were told to think months, not weeks. So, we are preparing ourselves for an unexpected return to the States to investigate the situation and identify exactly what Sarah will need.

We know is very little at this time. We have been advised to have some tests done in the coming months to identify what is happening with Sarah's heart.

What we don't know

Pending Sarah's condition, which is under close observation by our doctors, we are planning to stay in Solomon Islands long enough to make good on a few commitments we have made in the Spring. There is also much work that needs to be done in the translation project to establish a good communication system so that we can keep the momentum of the translation work moving forward even while we are in the States.

We do not know, at this point, an exact time for our return. It is a decision we will need to make very soon so that tickets can be purchased. Since we do not own a vehicle, we will need something for our time in the States. The indefiniteness of the length of our stay will make arrangements like this more interesting. We look forward to seeing how God will provide! We also are not sure in what part of the States we will settle. The ability to find quality care for Sarah and closeness of family are strong points in our considerations.

Lots of questions about the future: how you can pray

1. For our growing faith and trust in God- Sarah and Aaron were reading C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle when Sarah told us of her racing heart. One recurring theme in the book is our necessity to take the adventures Aslan gives us head on, no matter what. We want to face this adventure head on.
2. Wisdom- We want to live in the reality of Isaiah 30:15, 20-21. Or as the song lyrics say, “Where you go, I'll go, when you stay I'll stay, When you move, I'll move, I will follow”
3. For God to act clearly in His Providence- He has marvelous ways of bringing just the right people, places and thing together at just the right time to make all things wonderful, and all to His glory and praise!
4. Provision- We are aware that all of the uncertainties for the coming year are certainly going to come at a price. We know He is already at work in these provisions. Pray that we will have eyes to see and hearts of expectation to rejoice in every gift He gives.
   
   

Epiphany

Sarah started looking at recipes for a "Three Kings'/Epiphany" cake as soon as we returned to Honiara.  I just knew I had seen a recipe for Twelfth Night Cake in our Great Scandinavian Baking Book.  We looked and looked and couldn't find the recipe, then Sarah said, "Mama, did you mean Othello cake?"  I guess I mixed up my Shakespeare plays.



She made the Othello cake, and we looked forward to sharing it with company as we watched "Amahl and the Night Visitors", one of our favorite operas.  However, when we began looking for the video, just before our guests arrived, it was clear that we had left our copy in the village.  Having homes in multiple places means we are forever saying, "Where is the...?"  Followed by, "Oh, it's at the other house."  It's not as glamorous as it sounds!

Olivia was excited that she got found the almond in the cake, and we enjoyed the time with our very gracious guests who stayed to eat supper, even if there was no video to watch. 

Honiara Woman's Daybook

Just for today...Monday, January 5

From the learning rooms...we started back to school last week.  Sarah, Benjamin, and Olivia are hard at work on research papers, and we only have a few weeks left with the internet available.
 

On my bookshelf..."Every Bitter Thing is Sweet" by Sara Hagerty.  Thanks, Gayly, for continuing to build my library of books here in the Solomon Islands!
 

Cooking in the kitchen...some Double Chocolate Peppermint Crunch cookies made with Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips (yay for care packages!).  We have two meetings this afternoon, and the cookies will help liven everything up.  Supper will be in the crockpot since Aaron and I will leave just after lunch.

  

One of my favorite things...books that special people have given me over the years.  I love it when people write in the front cover of a book, handwriting is such a personal thing.  These books are now on my shelf here in the Solomon Islands, and my kids are enjoying them.

Wearing out my knees in prayer...for our kids' visas to be renewed.  Aaron and I are finally approved!
 

Pondering these words..."Adoration makes walking with God more than just reacting to a series of externals.  Adoration calls the circumstances, no matter how high or low, into proper submission in our hearts.  Adoration roots us in a reality that no amount of pain and no amount of blessing can shake.  Adoration steadies us.  It repatterns our thinking.  It centers our lives around a God-man instead of forever trying to make sense of the God-man through the lenses of our circumstances.  Adoration aligns us under Him.  This is the place where life is found."  ~Sara Hagerty
 

A few plans for the rest of the week...a couple of meetings this afternoon, an Epiphany gathering to watch "Amahl and the Night Visitors" tomorrow night, beginning village shopping
 

 A peek into my corner of the world...Katherine found one of our favorite caterpillars and snapped a picture of it near our front porch.  We expect this little fellow to spin a beautiful golden home soon.



Weekend Wonders

 "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done.  The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare."  Psalm 40:5

SITAG's director called yesterday morning.  She asked if anybody wanted to accompany her family on a trip over to Savo Island.  I really waffled back and forth.  I longed for a day at home to catch up on my long to-do list, but at the same time, I wanted to be a "yes" mom who makes memories with her kids.  I only have two more years with all of them at home.

By last night, we decided that the kids and I would go on the trip, and Aaron would stay home to get some much needed introvert time.  This morning, we were at the top of the hill a little before 7:00, ready to hop in the truck that would take us out to the end of Guadalcanal.  Our SITAG group numbered five adults and five kids, so the tour provided two canoes for our 45-minute ride from Visale over to Sunset Lodge.

Here's a description of the hike we took, from the Welkam Solomons website:

"The second volcano tour is more intensive and is a three hour round trip in addition to the fifteen minute canoe ride to get there. Be prepared for a hike! The walk commences in wide dry riverbeds where lava once flowed, causing the edges to be lined with steep cliff faces.

As you move further up the volcano, the journey continues through untouched rainforest that is many centuries old. There are sections of the trek where you are required to clamber up slippery slopes with the sandy clay giving way underneath and also plenty of sloshing through rushing water.

To add to the adventure, you will also need to navigate rocky outcrops, which have falls a few metres into the hot water pools below. Take plenty of water, as the walk can be fairly humid due to the steam as you near the summit and stand in the crater of the volcano."

What you can't see in the picture of Olivia and the waterfall?  The handmade ladder with rickety rungs you have to climb if you want to keep going.  I told our guides, cousins named Joel and John, it was just like climbing the ladder on the Kosco.  The guides were absolutely fabulous.  If we had been in the States, we would have signed all sorts of waivers about heat stroke, boiling water, creepy-crawlies, etc.  But these cousins offered their knowledge and their helping hands to each one of us.  One time, we paused for a water break, and the guides were quick to point out some leaves that would make us itch if we touched them.



Another time, I saw one of the guides quickly pick Katherine up and move her from his right to his left.  When I glanced to his right, I discovered the other guide smashing an eight inch long centipede with a big rock.  Joel and John had their eyes wide open!  The water in the stream got warmer and warmer as we climbed.  At one point, Katherine slipped and her foot went into the surprisingly warm water, and the guides offered to piggy-back for her the rest of the trail. 

Although she told me that she wouldn't be "lively" anymore, she was a trooper and continued the hike on her own two feet after we poured some cold water on her foot and returned her sock and shoe to their rightful place.  As we neared the top, the ground became yellow and hot and the lush vegetation disappeared.  The stench of sulfur filled our nostrils, and the air became ever more hot and humid.

Katherine and Olivia decided they had enough after hiking for more than an hour and a half, so I stayed with them, just short of the end of the trail. 



You can't tell in this picture, but the water in this little hollow of rock is boiling.  Amazing.  God must have had so much fun when he made Savo!  The group turned around and made our long way down the trail.  Gratefully, we sat down in the canoes as we wove through the dolphin filled water on the way back to Sunset Lodge.  Our hosts had a late lunch waiting for us, and we happily refueled and rehydrated our bodies. 

 

After lunch, we lay around in the hammocks while we waited for the canoe to be ready for those going to swim with the dolphins.  This trip is the first time our family has ever played "tourist" in the Solomon Islands, so it felt a little bit weird.  But, my friend Mary Isabella from Marulaon is actually from Savo, and her sister runs the resort.  I enjoyed meeting new faces and hugging familiar necks, too, like Jenny, Mary Isabella's oldest daughter, who now works at the resort.  Benjamin and Olivia went with a few others to swim unsuccessfully with the dolphins, but they still had a great time.



I knew Katherine was tired because she fell asleep on the canoe ride across the ocean.  I watched her little head bob and slipped my hand underneath her face just before she came down on the side of the boat.  She lay in my lap and dozed on the truck ride from Visale to Honiara.  We finally got home around 6:30, and my sweet husband had supper ready and waiting for us.  He enjoyed his introvert recharging day, and the rest of us enjoyed some sweet time with colleagues as we played and reveled in God's creation.

Thanks, Ann!

Before I get back to "real time" posts, I have to thank my friend, Ann, who keeps the blog up and running while we are in the village. 

Two kindred spirits - December 2012

She waits for my tiny pictures to arrive, one by one, since each shrunken picture takes about twenty minutes to send through the village radio e-mail (on the days when the system is working!).  On top of her load as a home-schooling mother, pastor's wife, and Senior Editor of HEDUA (Home Educating Family Association), she takes the time to encourage and help me, especially when we are in Marulaon Village. 

Thursday, December 25



The shepherds behold

Him promised of old

By angles attended, by prophets foretold.

The wise men adore,

And bring him their store,

The rich are permitted to follow the poor.

To the inn they repair,

To see the young heir:

The inn is a palace; for Jesus is there.

Who now would be great

And not rather wait

On Jesus, their Lord, in his humble estate?



Like him would I be!

My Master I see

In a stable! -- a stable shall satisfy me.

With him I reside;

The manger shall hide

Mine honour:  the manger shall bury my pride.

~Charles Wesley

What a sweet Christmas morning!  Candy canes (what a treat!) provided by friends and family in the States, extra "family" to share, sing, worship and celebrate alongside us, secrets that a colleague had been keeping (with help from Edi and our children),

the gift of a good night's rest after an exhausting boat ride, our traditional waffles alongside the delicious cinnamon rolls provided by our director, Sarah's beautiful handmade gifts, Olivia's gift of baby doll clothes for the stuffed animal that was still in Katherine's backpack.





After our bellies, hearts, and spirits were full, we turned out attentions to finding the missing backpack and getting our friends on their plane.  We wouldn't have chosen for them to leave on Christmas Day (neither would they), but we trust that God's timing is always perfect, even when airlines are squabbling.



Aaron and the three younger kids drove down to the wharf to try and locate somebody on the ship.  On Christmas Day.  The rest of us stayed at the house and made sure that everything fit into the suitcases and didn't go over the allotted weight.  By the way that Aaron raced into the driveway just a little while later, we knew he had good news.  The bag was found - and everything was still inside!  Somebody had discovered Katherine's backpack and turned it into the clerk's office.  Thank you, Lord, for answering our prayers this way.  We will be making cookies as a thank you for the Kosco's crew!



Too soon, we were driving to the airport and checking in.  I love our little airport.  You can check in, give the employees your luggage, and walk right out the door. 

We walked over to a small memorial garden, planted for the many men and women from many countries who gave their time and energy, and sometimes their lives, to defend the Solomon Islands in WWII.



The garden was peaceful and cool in the heat of the day. 

Katherine found a little green friend that made her giggle as it walked on her hand.



One more picture, one more hug, one more "See you next time!"  We had no idea how God would knit our hearts together when we met more than twenty years ago in Stetson University's School of Music.



Our paths have certainly gone different directions, but we're so thankful He has allowed our paths to cross over and over again.