Safe and Sound

I made it!

It was so easy, actually, I'm a bit embarrassed. Not much difficult about watching movies on a plane. When I finally made it through the line to get my Visa in Nairobi, sure enough, I was greeted by Taxi George who was holding a sign with my name on it!

He took me to the place I was staying, and I spent the night. I was up at 5:15 to be picked up by him, only this time it was his friend, Paul, who took me back to the airport, where I caught another flight to Eldoret. really short flight - about thirty minutes.

I was greeted by my dear friend, Renee, and Rachel - and also... Diana! The nine month old that has stolen the hearts of everyone here and that Renee is trying to adopt.

We went directly to The Village - which is the 52 acre area that Rachel and her husband have purchased through their ministry Open Arms International.

There are 25 children who live there in two homes with House Parents. Currently they do not have electricity there, but are working on it. The children go to school at a private school in town, but they are planning on starting their own school there at The Village.

I was greeted with "jumping hugs" by 4 year old Victor and 5 year old Gad. Precious little boys with beautiful smiles.

I am actually staying in town at the Guest House with Renee, Rachel, and Ruth. What wonderful women.

Some are wondering how this came about. I am here because I lost my job and needed to get away and clear my head, hear from God and get some emotional healing. I will be here until April 21st and then back to DC where I will do two tours and then home to Tulsa on May 9th. I have no idea what happens after that, but I am trusting that the One who does know will let me know when I need to know.

A Medical Missions Team arrives here on Monday with Rachel's husband, David, and I will be helping with that for the week. Also, they feed 100 street children 4 times a week, and I will be helping with that.

They are also going into a Women's Prison - I will be helping with that.

I WILL post pictures, I promise.

Much love to all of you - thanks for reading and checking on me.

Heading to Africa

Well, I have successfully landed in Baltimore, where my dear friend, Kimberly Bronte, picked me up from the airport. I head out to Kenya tomorrow evening.

I will arrive in Nairobi on Thursday evening, be picked up by Taxi George(!?!), stay the night somewhere and then fly to Eldoret on Friday. I don't know when my flight is, but I do know I need a crisp $50 bill to get my Visa.

I don't know exactly what I will be doing, but I know it will involve children to some extent. Maybe teaching music, maybe babysitting, maybe office work. It doesn't even matter to me, at all. I am just happy to be going there.

AND... most importantly, I just purchased a new camera - and it has a mini USB cord ( the one to my last camera got lost) so... there will be pictures.

Thanks for reading!

the toilet disaster

It all started with a running toilet. Fearful that this would jack my water bill up, I compared the "running" toilet with the toilet in the back bedroom. I could spot the problem, easily (i'm smart like that).

Not one to be daunted by household problems, I decided I would go to Home Depot and fix it myself. I can read, I can screw, I can assemble.

So, I decided to buy the ENTIRE inside toilet repair kit - I was feeling bold and adventurous - plus, at $20, I was feeling a little reckless.

I put on my latex gloves (no sense in getting icky water all over myself) and opened up the box. I turned off the water (step 1), and tried to figure out what the HECK the difference was between the shank washer and the cup washer (this stuff sound kinda nasty... course, it is generally a man's world, speak in their language, right?)

Step Four - take the toilet tank off. Unscrew the bolts. One on the right - easy as pie. One on the left...rusted on. Now after 45 minutes of using four different pairs of pliers and literally LAYING down under my toilet (squeezed in like no big man could possibly get) I realized that every time the nut moved, so did the screw. I collapsed in tears, frustrated and angry at the world and the fact that there is no ONE I could call to help me. PLUS - all I needed was ONE extra set of hands... not a brain. Definitely a job for a man.

So, I moved on to the pantry door that had fallen off it's slider. The slider has disappeared. And then I saw that the pantry door was actually cracked, which is why the slider thing had fallen out. Again, I can do this. I got my electric drill and started screwing a screw in. Which caused the door to come off the bottom hinge and fall on top of me...

sorry, no photos, broken camera.

First in War, first in Peace

George Washington... he's my FAVORITE! What a fella. I will try not to wax too eloquent (as in length, not eloquence - that is simply unstoppable)

His father died when he was thirteen. He knew there was not enough money for him to travel abroad and finish his education, so he dreamt of the Navy. That dream came crashing down at the age of 17 when his mama (a none-too-kind lady) told him to forget it, it was out of the question, and never mention it again.

He obeyed. A neighbor, Mr. Fairfax approached Mrs. Washington some time later, and asked her if George may accompany his son out into the back country to learn the skill of surveying. To this she agreed, and Geroge learned how to be a surveyor.

Thank GOD (literally) as when he was called upon to be an aide to General Braddock in the French and Indian War (we fought the Fench and the Indians, we were on the side of the British). Geroge KNEW the territory. Not only did he know the territory, he knew how the Indians fought, how they lived and how they thought. When General Braddock was killed in his bright Red COAT a top his horse, George literally saved the day and the battle. Because he was obedient to his mother, even though she was grouchy, and did what was set before him. This also came in very handy when he was asked to pick the actual location for the Federal City (D.C.) He chose where the Potomac and Anacostia rivers coincided, because they flowed into the Chesapeake which flowed into the Atlantic. Good for trade. (and it's ok to start a sentence with "because" ocassionally - look it up)

There's more, but this is where I will stop.

Except for one more thing: it was because of the HUGE expense of the French and Indian War that the British started taxing us so heavily. They had to re-fill the coffers - hence the outrageous taxes which led to the petitions, remonstrances and finally, the "rebellion" - the tea, the "massacre" and the shots at Lexington and Concord. Did you know the Declaration came 15 months after the first shots were fired?

ok - we will talk about the whole "slave deal" later - so don't get all uptight - there were many and varied and good thoughts going on, but as a nation we were too fragile to handle the issue - it was important that we actually make it as a tiny fledgling nation...

ALSO - have you ever heard of the bullet-proof George? it happened in the battle where General Braddock died and I'll tell you later.

(these are the stories I tell to my school children on tour)

Eight things

Karen tagged me to write eight things that are random or that others probably don't know about me. I have never been tagged before (I'm just not that popular in the blogging world, although as a child I was always tagged because I wasn't all that fast... does that count as a fact?)

The rules are the same basic ones. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

So, here we go.

1) When I was in the eighth grade I did a backbend on top of the upright piano in my Choir class. The teacher was there. He is the one who reminded me of this fact many years later. I wonder what the classroom management was in that room? As usual, I was accompanying the Choir (life story)

2) I was the accompanist for our Elementary School choir when I was nine. Considering I have only let five students EVER play the piano for any of my choirs, I guess I was pretty good.

3) I have been to 37 foreign countries. Favorite places: Calcutta, India; New Zealand, MOROCCO!!!!!, Israel, Turkey, Spain, Prague! Bolivia

4) I am REALLY bad at recognizing any kind of "pop" music - from the 70s, 80s, 90s or now. I never know "who sang that", and don't really care.

5) I consider myself an introvert although I love people deeply and love hearing their stories. I am GREAT at putting myself out there for others, therefore people think I am an extrovert, but I HATE the thought of going to a party with lots of people.

6) I HATE it when people say, "Can I just call you Sue?"

7) Carrying heavy luggage is one of the top three things I hate to do most in life (along with making my bed and folding clothes)

8) I didn't always hate football. Teaching Choir in Oklahoma and dealing with the "good Ole Boys Club" did that to me (Where football is God). I grew up avidly watching football and remember many a Sunday afternoon napping in front of the game, and impressing many fellows with my knowledge of the game and stats.

And now I get to tag people (can't remember who Karen tagged, sorry if I choose you again)... Corinne, Gayla, Renee, Ginger, Aisha, Beth

Thomas Jefferson

Now, a lot of people get bent out of shape about old TJ - "he's not a Christian, he was a deist..." or about his alleged children with Sally Hemings. BUT... I DO have some thoughts on that. First off, we are in GREAT DANGER when we put today's social/cultural standards on the past. For example... a deist today means God created the Universe and has left it to chance. Not so 200 years ago. And READ his writings. TJ said, "I tremble when I think that God is just and will not lie sleeping dormant forever." Also, he gave $50 to the American Bible Society with the following attached note: "It has just come to my attention taht there are families in this country who do not own a Bible. Please use this money to provide Bibles for them. Reading the Bible makes a man a better father, a better citizen and a better husband."

What about the Bible he "re-wrote", you say? SO glad you asked. What I have read and heard is that he did that for the Native Indians because he wanted them to only hear the words of Jesus, NOT because he didn't believe the miracles, but because he didn't want them to consider Jesus another "witch doctor".

Did he have a crisis of faith when his wife, the love of his life, died suddenly? Most certainly. AS many people have.

ANYhow - I actually just wanted to tell a couple of fun stories about him. But, now I'm worn out from defending him. But here's one:

President Kennedy had all of the Nobel Prize winners dining in the State Dining Room in the White House. He said to them, "This is perhaps the largest group of intelligence ever assembled to dine in this room. Except for when Thomas Jefferson dined here alone."

And - he and John Adams were quite the politcal rivals throughout their careers. However, they ended their lives GREAT friends. AND... they died on the same day: July 4, 1826(yes, exactly 50 years after the reading of the Declaration)

that's all for now. :)

stories from the road

I am on a respite - on Long Island. with the hochstedler fam. it's been really nice. although they roped me into painting - and seriously - they are SERIOUS about it.

I just finished three tours in a row - and i loved the second one. The first one of the three I liked because I liked the lady who organized it, although they had serious punctuality problems. The second one I LOVED because the Principal doesn't let the kids mess around. And then there was the third one... you KNOW you're in for it when the PRESIDENT of the company you work for says, "We're sorry. Really we are. Everyone has to do them once."

Generally, on a 7 day trip, I MAY call the office once - just to check in and let them know I'm ok. I called the office a MINIMUM of three times a day... everytime with another hassle... beyond exhausting. And the office was secretly LAUGHING... I KNOW they were... actually, they are what got me through it. Because they were fully sharing my pain - as best as can. But every morning I KNOW they were waiting for the heinous stories from the day before.

So, here's a VERY SMALL example of this trip. The teacher(s) have decided that their students CANNOT drink soda on the trip - so for every dinner the office was instructed to have the restaurants serve water or milk to our kids. Day Four this cute kid, Marcel, (and the kids were absolutely DARLING) is asked by someone else what's for dinner. He says, "Cheese. And butter. And milk." And I said, "Marcel, you like a nice big glass of MILK for dinner?" And he says, "Drinking milk straight makes me throw up."... poor thing...

And the really classy 55 year old female founder of the school walked up to me and YELLED in my face that "You and me are gonna get into it!" ... because I was walking her kids UP the gangplank away from the water before she TOLD me I could...

ok - deep breath... :)

I can't tell any more of the stories - there's no chiropractor near to take away the stress, and it's too early for a drink.