Saturday, December 19, 2009

Send off to Africa

I had the greatest college experience and it is mostly due to my wonderful roommates. We lived together for 2 years in the dorms then 2 years in an apt. They met in high school and we all met the first week of college. We were all 18 years old.

We had a couple other gals that lived with us for a while, but we three were a cord that has not broken. We have watched each other grow up in our faith, cry over break-ups, share our deepest hurts without condemnation and truly rejoice in blessings.
Here we are all youthful looking- atop of bad haircuts, bushy eyebrows, outdated clothes and as you can tell from Shannon on the right- she didn't learn how to smile in a picture until like yesterday. But that is just one of her quirks that we like.
The girls came over this weekend along with their husbands and children. We celebrated our last meal together as the Jones' are heading off to Africa for two years. (I also just noticed we are in the same order as the pic above.) Vanessa is in the middle and their family has committed their lives to God's service and to His people in other countries.
Kyle (top right) is a doctor and will be working at a hospital in Kenya. Vanessa and their 3 boys (all under four) will be doing school at home and ministering to the women of the village.
They also came bearing gifts...
They are all from Amani Ya Juu. All the items on their site are handmade by African women who are in need. The words Amani Ya Juu in Swahili means, "higher peace," which they are learning comes from the Lord. The women made our family an angel, a purse and a kickball. The ball is made of grain sacks from relief agencies. The refugee's in Kakuma make everything from curtains to roofing from these sacks.

We had a wonderful time eating delicious food, letting the kids play and spending time in prayer. Their family has been attacked in many ways, especially in forms of sicknesses, and it was time the enemy knew they have a whole army behind them sending them off to Africa. I look forward to the letters sharing how Kyle was able to pray for someones healing and they were healed and how Vanessa's househelper notices this home is just a little bit "different" because the Lord lives there... you will be missed, but are exactly where you are supposed to be!

RANDOM LANGUAGE THOUGHTS:
We talked about learning Swahili in Africa and I wanted to share a statistic I heard:
To become fluent in a foreign language requires 800 hours of conversation. OH My Word.

As you know we started Vietnamese lessons in August. I REALLY LOVE learning the language and can tell that I am actually learning something. I can say short sentences (like my name is..., hello friend or thank you very much), I know individual vocab, numbers and introductions.
My favorite website for basic instruction is everydayviet. Donna's tones are awesome and you can actually hear the slight tonal differences when she teaches! And of course we love our teachers at language school. We would not be where we are today without their kindness, patience and one-on-one instruction.
I did have my first dream in Vietnamese. I was buying a purse at the market in HCMC and I started talking to her in Vietnamese. "How much Dong is this purse Miss?" I woke up happy!
My next thing to figure out is how to write on our computer in Vietnamese. Like with the accents an everything. I can go to a language converter and do it word by word, then paste it, but yuck! Adam says they have Vietnamese keyboards. I don't know, I want to be able to type... we will see.
Mrs. Anna, Avi Joy's Vietnamese teacher, sent us a Christmas card this year. I loved what it said... "Wishing you a beautiful Christmas season. May your New Year be showered with blessings and steps closer to God's dream for you." Is that NOT precious!

"I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of You among the peoples." Psalm 57:9

Natasha

Friday, December 11, 2009

Spreading a little Christmas cheer...

Its was Christmas morning... in the early tween years.
I combed my Sun-In'ed hair, got dressed and went into the living room to open all my Christmas presents. Little did I know that it would be the BEST Christmas ever!
This was the year I LOVED every single gift I received...


I put on my new 1, 2, 3 sweater from my aunt and uncle.
My new watch-ring and locket necklace.
Put on my gold, black and white pearl dangle earrings.
Painted my nails with my new Streetwalker Red nailpolish.
Opened my new Estee Lauder make-up kit (which my grandma always got me) and bathed myself in Hot Pink Porsche lipstick and Sunset blush.
I posed next to my frilly lamp and my see through neon colored phone (remember those?)

I am sure I had to make sure that my bangs were just right, my non-plucked eyebrows were not hanging in my eyeballs and everything looked perfect for my Christmas night photo showing off all my new gifts!

Oh yes it was a grand Christmas.
NHP

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Advent Adventures Part Hai (2 in Vietnamese)

Please see previous post for Days 1-10.
I also have a friend who posted about her Advent box for 2009 and she posted her complete 25 day Advent from 2008 (it is SO awesome- check it out!)

We mostly use Avi Joy's "Read with Me Bible" for these stories. They have great pictures and the amount of text is age appropriate.

So on with the show:

Day 11. Heart: Psalm 119:11. I have hidden Your Word in my heart.
12. Nail: Unless the Lord builds the house- Psalm 127:1. Then build and decorate a gingerbread house. (Without nails of course... you may have thought it was for Jesus's hands- we are not ready for that yet!)
13. Candy: Psalm 34:8. "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him."
14. Map: Mark 16:15. "Go into all the world and preach the good news."
15. Bar of soap: Having a clean heart. Psalm 24:4-5 (she loves taking baths with actual bar-soap, so she will get to use it next bathtime.)
16. Key: Paul and Silas locked in prison and then released. Acts 13 and 16
17. Cotton ball: Psalm 100:3. We are like sheep.
18. Ring: Isaac and Rebekah get married. Genesis 24.
19. Torn piece of paper: Ecc 3. A time for everything. It is torn and she will get to mend it with tape.
20. Net: Matt 4. Called to be fishers of men. (I am using an avocado net)
21. Two silver coins: The good Samaritan gives 2 coins, Luke 10.
22. Little wash cloth: Jesus washes his disciples feet. John 13
23. Empty: the tomb is empty, so nothing will be inside. Matthew 28.
24. Sugar packet: Bake a cake for Jesus.
25. Star: The star of Bethlehem. Matthew/Luke's story of Jesus' birth on Christmas morning and we might even let them eat cake for breakfast- ahhhhhhh!

Again, hope these ideas spur you on in your parenting. I know many of my ideas come from watching and listening to others- the rest come straight from God!

Natasha
P.S. Our Advent box came from Target. I searched many places last year for the right one. Target had the most selection, so many beautiful ones. I leave mine up year round- I love it.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Advent Adventures...

We are counting down our Advent box this year. We started tonight, December 1st with the first door... Twenty five days until Christ's birth, Christmas Day.
I have seen this done by my friends in many ways...
Some put treats inside.
Some teach scriptures.
Some give their kiddos missions (like bake cookies and give to neighbors)

As I see it there really is no wrong or right in starting an Advent tradition. The goal is to focus more on Christ for Christmas other than shopping and Santa.

My goal (because I am cheap) was to find things around the house for free and tag them along with a story.

I have come up with half and will post the rest in a few days.
I hope you can take this and run with it!

1. Band-aid: Jesus is our healer. Read Jesus heals the 10 lepers in Luke ch. 17 (p.s. this went over really well since she got to put her band-aid on before bed!)
2. Pecan nut: God taking care of animals. Matthew 10 & we have a book with kids thanking God for nuts to feed the animals. (Then she will get to eat the pecan)
3. Leaf: Noah's ark. Dove went out and brought back the olive branch, new life.
4. Butterfly: Read story Hermie and Wormie. Transformation, we are like the caterpillar to the butterfly. (we have a butterfly hair clip)
5. Light bulb: God made the light/dark in Genesis and Jesus is the light of the world.
6. Rock: David and Goliath (her favorite story right now)
7. Hay: Jesus born in a manger. Story of His birth in Luke.
8. Cup: the wedding feast where Jesus turns water into wine for His first miracle.
9. Bread: Give us today our daily bread. Prayer in Matt 15.
10. Q-tip: Sit and listen to Jesus. Mary and Martha with Jesus in Luke 10.

Please share your traditions,
Natasha