Back in the Solomon Islands Again - February 2024

Aaron returned with two weeks left to work with the Lavukaleve translation team. Katherine did a great job in his absence. She continued with cello practice and with school.

The team tackled more portions of Matthew, slowly and carefully combing through each verse.

We're thankful that our translation consultant, Taylor, is a dear friend.

The team worked long hours and included some younger members of the translation team who are training to pick up the mantle that Ezekiel and Simon currently carry.

Technology made staying in touch easier!

Katherine and Aaron took some time at the end of their stay for a quick trip to Marulaon Village.

Before we left in 2021, I had written a welcome message on the chalkboard for Aaron.

Aaron took some pictures of people he knew were special to me, like my friend, Ofoaen, and her family.

Katherine and Aaron made the trip in a motor boat, traveling three hours one way.

This has become the only way to travel, because cargo ships no longer go out to our area of the Russell Islands. For quick trips with little baggage, this is fairly simple and easy. But if we want to stay in the village for longer than just a few days, we need to take more boxes of supplies along.

 

Sweet Sabbath

"Sabbath is an invitation to receptivity, an acknowledgement that what is needed is given and need not be seized." ~Walter Brueggman 

"Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to a Culture of Now"

Two times in less than one week, my favorite farmer has shared a big bag of blemished peppers. For free. She knows we don't mind a few spots here and there. And I know that these organic peppers will be chopped and frozen to nourish my family all winter long. The peppers are also helping us stretch our grocery budget, and I'm so grateful.

Brunch of berry blinztes on our back patio. 
One of my favorite ways to slow down!

Brueggman's book is challenging me and the pace I'm trying to keep. My anemia continues to slow me down, and I continue to chafe at my exhaustion. The study guide at the back of the book has some prompts that our family is going to use as a springboard for discussion:

"What are some ways you can keep the Sabbath so that Sabbath-keeping is less anxiety driven? Make a list of the activities in which you and your family normally engage on a Sunday. Include activities at your church...list other routine activities, such as grocery shopping, cleaning, yard work, ...athletic activities in which your children are involved, and list media activities such as viewing sports events or other programming, social media and internet surfing. Underline those activities that you can identify as characterized by Sabbath restfulness. Now circle those that you can identify as anxiety-inducing.... Commit to eliminate as many activities that do not provide Sabbath restfulness as possible, or at least to reduce the time you spend doing them."

I'm curious about the different activities we each will underline as providing rest and refreshing and which ones we will circle as anxiety-inducing. Another activity at the end of the book encourages the reader to consider the implications of our Sabbath activities on our neighbors. And the neighbors closest to me are my daughter and husband. With wildly varying personalities under one roof, how we choose to spend our Sabbath needs to be considerate and thoughtful.

 

In memory of Robert Bruce Choate, 1949-2024

Aaron and his dad on our wedding day

Shortly after Aaron and Katherine hopped on a plane to return to the Solomon Islands, Aaron's dad began to decline quickly and died only a few days later. So, with much prayer and support from our SITAG family, Aaron turned around and flew across the Pacific Ocean again, leaving Katherine in the care of her adopted family.

I picked him up at the airport in the middle of the night. Hannah and Benjamin flew up from Houston, Olivia and Connor drove down from Siloam Springs.

And we joined the rest of the Choate family in remembering Bob Choate. Aaron played his cello while Olivia played the piano during the memorial service.

Aaron's nephew got leave from the navy to attend the funeral, I can't remember the last time the brothers and their sons were in the same room.

Although it we didn't anticipate the opportunity to spend time together, we relished every minute we got riding in the same vehicles as we traveled to and from the funeral.

Katherine was well cared for and thrived as she spent time with her long lost "cousin sisters" who shared her experiences of growing up in the Solomon Islands.

Within a few days, I put Aaron back on a plane to continue his time in the Solomon Islands. Although he had to miss the majority of SITAG's Conference, he still could work with the translation team as they trudged through the gospel of Matthew.

 

Off to the Solomon Islands

"Your life will contribute to a grand and wonderful story no matter what you do. You have been spoken. You are here, existing, choosing, living, shaping the future and carving the past."

~N.D. Wilson, "Death by Living"

As soon as Katherine's concert finished, we turned all of our attention to getting the last things packed in suitcases for Aaron and Katherine's return to the Solomon Islands. They were going to attend SITAG's Conference and to stick around for a couple of weeks afterward to work with the Lavukaleve translation team. Several other families would also be arriving, and two of Katherine's friends would also be coming with their families for the meetings.

The other big bonus on this trip was that Sarah was joining their flight path in Los Angeles and would be leading the kids' program in Honiara while the adults were in meetings. Sarah wouldn't stay the entire month because of work commitments, but she and her team brought extra joy to this trip.

One of my favorite things about SITAG's Conference is the team reports, when each family gives a brief update and then everyone gathers around to pray for the family. 

I joined via Zoom each day for the worship time. Watching my hubby lead the music from the future was a little bit surreal!

More January 2024

Katherine's hair was finally long enough to donate, 

so she got it cut, and we mailed the hair to Wigs for Kids. The envelope included the hair I had cut in July along with her lustrous braids.

We celebrated our traditional Epiphany by watching twelve-year-old Aaron sing Amahl. We also tried a new recipe, high protein cheesecake. We put ours in ramekins, which made it easier to find the ceramic Baby Jesus.

Aaron's mom found Baby Jesus, so she got the prize!

On January 13, our proposal-versary, Connor asked Olivia to marry him. He chose that date because of its significance to our family, annnnnd because they were already going to a concert that included a Brahms symphony.

We've had more snow this year than I remember having any other year!

Taking crunchy walks around the neighborhood quickly became one of my favorite things to do.

Snow added joy to a chemo treatment!

And gave us opportunities for mini-dates :)

Katherine continued to plug away with chemistry.

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Youth Ensembles held its "side by side" concert. Katherine got to play alongside my cello teacher, Rafael, and his wife, Susan. They opened their home to Aaron and me every Saturday morning. Early. Our lessons began at 7:30 and went until 9:30, when we drove to our youth orchestra rehearsal. They were formative in the shaping of our musicianship as well as how I run my home cello studio now.

Which leads to joy of watching some of my students participate in the youth orchestras. These guys are dedicated members of their orchestras, and it's so fun to watch them grow as musicians.

Hello, January 2024

 

We kicked off 2024 by meeting Connor and Olivia at the trailhead for Hawksbill Crag.

We took a thermos of hot chocolate and some chocolate chip cookies (my mama's recipe, of course!).

In January, I started washing my hair again, with real shampoo!

Chemo continued, thankfully, in its less caustic, shorter doses.

Also the first week in January, I finished my radiation treatments with the most wonderful and kind team at CARTI.

Between Christmas and New Year's

Hannah and Benjamin left to enjoy Christmas in Des Moines with her family, and the house got quieter,

but we kept soaking up every moment, knowing that life would go back to normal soon, as we scattered back to our various homes.

Aaron's dad had his leg amputated shortly before Christmas, so made a trip up to Fort Smith to spend some time with that side of the family.

We continued to make lots of music. Even with my neuropathy damaged fingers, I still love filling the house with song. 

We tried a fun, Star Wars themed coffee shop in North Little Rock: The Dark Side.

After the older girls left, we consoled ourselves with friends and climbed up Pinnacle Mountain.

The day was beautiful, and we enjoyed finishing 2024 strong in body as we climbed and strong in heart surrounded by community.