Clouds

NORTH AFRICA? Are you kidding me? I am so excited! I've been asked to lead a Bible Study at a retreat in a few months...in North Africa. Those of you who know our history know that this means I get to go back to our "old stompin' grounds," or at least close to it. I am endlessly thankful for the opportunity and am beside myself with excitement.

I had several ideas already for what I could do and was making little mental notes and trying not to get too invested in case it didn't work out. But a Skype call on Friday confirmed that all is a "go" and I can buy my tickets. Woohoo!

But also, after talking for over an hour with my friend, a cloud of doubt crept into my head.

What do I have to offer these ladies? Nothing!

I watched helplessly as the doubt monster flung all my ideas out the window. (Oops, I already described the doubt as a cloud and now it's a monster. I guess it was a cloudy monster...or a monstrous cloud. Either way, it stomped on my happiness.)

After the conversation, I drove to school to pick up the kids. I parked the car and walked across campus to sit on a bench overlooking the beach. Yes, you read that right, my kids go to school by the beach. Life is crazy.

The benches are at the edge of a drop-off that goes down to a second ledge and then the beach. From here, I had a beautiful view of the water and the mainland in the distance. On this day, the view took my breath away. A storm approached and dark clouds shaded the water, turning it to a beautiful turquoise, like a sparkling gem. I was overcome with peace.

God orchestrated that storm: the rain-filled clouds, the color of the water, the cool wind. He was completely in control of it. If He can do all of that--can create something so magnificent--He can guide me to prepare for this retreat.

"Remember to extol his work, which men have praised in song. All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar. How great is God--beyond our understanding!...He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds...God's voice thunders in marvelous ways he does great things beyond our understanding." (from Job 36 and 37)

To The Lady in the Pink Hat

We saw you at the edge of the water as we finished dinner at a seaside cafe.

A lady in a pink hat.

How could we miss it? 

You were covered in black from head to toe. 

You looked like the other covered ladies walking by.

But your pink hat caught our attention. 

A big floppy pink hat. 

With it you said,

"I am here! I am beautiful!"

And I know you are.

Not because I can see past the  black cloth that engulfs even your face.

But because I know your Creator.

And He makes all things beautiful.

We joined you at the edge of the water, after we finished dinner at the seaside cafe.

A lady in a pink hat.

"We love your hat!"

You were covered in black from head to toe.

You looked like the other covered ladies walking by.

But your eyes shone like sapphires.

Under the floppy hat.

Your husband said,

"She is too beautiful for others to see."

We chat for a few minutes.

It's tricky because of the black cloth that engulfs even your face.

But I know your Creator.

And I'm asking Him to make all things beautiful.

You won't be standing there on the beach the next time I'm at the seaside cafe.

Lady in the pink hat.

You'll be back home.

You'll be covered in black from head to toe.

Surrounded by covered ladies walking by.

But God has set eternity in your heart.

So I will pray for you.

The Lady in the Pink Hat.

Monkey Beach

One Monday not long ago, we took a trip to Monkey Beach. We parked our car at this beach (I still can't believe this is five minutes from our house) and hired a boat to take us around to another beach on the island. So we headed around to the other side of the buildings in this picture.

The boat dropped us off near the entrance to some hiking trails. We hiked for over an hour. It was a pretty good hike, one that was a bit too much for my Walmart tennis shoes that I'd purchased some 6 or so years ago. So I had to rip the sole off the bottom of one of them and hike another half hour without the sole. Does it give away the quality of my shoe when I say that the foot that did NOT have a sole was just as comfortable as the foot that DID have a sole? Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say both feet were equally UNcomfortable.


 This is Monkey Beach. I would guess that it acquired its name from all the curious gray monkeys that come out of the forest to check out the tourists. When we first arrived I threw my tennis shoes in the trash and one of the workers of the food stalls burned the trash while we were there. Well the monkeys found my shoes and rescued them from the pile of burning rubble. They enjoyed my shoes much more than I ever did. They kept fighting over them and sticking their heads inside. After such a long hike, I figure the fumes from the insides of my shoes would make the monkeys pass out when they stuck their heads in. But they never did. In addition to the gray monkeys we also saw two Malayan Giant Squirrels and a baby monitor lizard.

The above picture shows the rope swing that we found and took turns swinging on. For lunch we ate grilled shrimp, chicken, pork, and sausages with mango and pineapple for dessert.

Not a bad way to spend a Monday I'd say!

The Good News and The Bad News

Enjoying a beach on the island.

The good news is: I get to live on this beautiful island.
The bad news is: I have to get a visa to do it. Not the plastic card to go shopping with. The boring paperwork kind.

The good news is: I can get one that lasts one year!
The bad news is: my year is up...time to apply again.

The good news is: I know how to do it since I did it last year.
The bad news is: some of the rules have changed.

The good news is: I get all the passports and forms and documents together and I'm ready to go to immigration.
The bad news is: It takes all morning to drive to the mainland, sit at immigration, and wait for my turn to turn in my paperwork.

The good news is: I get to see/meet all sorts of interesting people in the waiting room. Saudis, Sikhs, monks, Indian, Asian, European, children, couples, families.
The bad news is: I have to wait for an hour for my turn and the whole time I have to go to the bathroom.

The good news is: once I turn in my paperwork, I'm done until next week when I come pick up the passports, AND, I know there's a bathroom downstairs.
The bad news is: The one western style toilet has a hose in it. I'm not going to pee on the hose and I'm not about to touch it to take it out just in case someone else DID.

The good news is: There are two Turkish toilets (otherwise known as squatty potties) so I can use one of them.
The bad news is: There is water all over the floor and I have long pants on and am carrying a purse and a large plastic expandable file.

The good news is: I can somehow manage to do my business in a wet bathroom with no shelves and when I slip I don't fall or do the splits...not entirely anyways.
The bad news is: I almost did and I pulled muscles in my leg while trying to save myself.

But the GOOD news is: my kids should get their visas in a week.
The bad news is: my visa will expire in the meantime.

The good news is: They will let me apply for an extension when I go next time.
The bad news is: there are three more next times because I'll have to do this all over again three more times before the process is complete.

The good news is: when it IS complete, I'll get to live on this beautiful island!

Happy Birthday Seth!

Today our middle son, Seth, is TWELVE YEARS OLD! It seems like just yesterday that we welcomed him into our family of three! We were living in Jordan back then, so Seth was our "Arab" baby, although he didn't look very Arab!

Seth was supposed to have his first birthday in Sudan. But because of 9/11 our plans were postponed and he had his first birthday in Jordan. Not long after that we moved to Sudan.

Just before Seth turned two we went back to Jordan because the next month Seth became a big brother! So Seth celebrated his birthday with a Blues Clues party in Amman, Jordan.

After spending Christmas in Jordan, we went back to our home in Sudan. 

The following summer we returned to Texas for a year. Seth turned three there and had a Clifford the Big Red Dog cake. He did NOT want to open presents and I had to take him to the other room during his party and tell him, "You WILL open these gifts and you WILL be happy about it!"  He was so happy when his brother Joel had his birthday the next month and I found Seth saying, "I don't have to open gifts this time."  Haha! It is funny now but it wasn't then!

When Seth turned four in Sudan, he handed out Alphabet Cupcakes to all his classmates in pre-school.

Then there was Seth's 5 year Spiderman birthday party. The infamous spider pinata  was my very first pinata to make and I did not know you should NOT make it tough, but rather easy to break. The kids tried and tried to break it and finally Kris had to beat the spider to smithereens with a broom handle while the mothers looked on in horror! Funny memory!

In spite of the spider fiasco, I love the picture of the party-goers. Seth is American. Behind him are an Afghani, Sudanese, Indian, Italian and two Dutch boys! 

When Seth turned six he wanted a computer cake! So that's what he got! Those of you who know Seth know that a computer cake is very "Seth"!

The following year Seth had a Batman cake for his seven year birthday.

Seth's class at Nile Valley Academy sang happy birthday to him before he handed out cupcakes.

 Seth turned eight with a party for all his friends with cake and games. Later that year we went to Switzerland. Here is Seth freezing in Wilderswill!

And speaking of freezing, we spent seven months in the States that year and Seth got to enjoy snow! He had a small family party in Texas when he turned nine.

By the time Seth turned 10, our family had moved to Bandung, Indonesia. He had a party for all his friends. But later in the summer  he had a special "Ten Year Old Camp Out" with friends from Sudan and he received his 10 Year Old Sword from Kris.

On the day Seth turned 10, he got his glasses! Also a trip to Dairy Queen. Yum!

And the very next year, when Seth turned 11, we had moved again. Seth loved the show "Wipeout" so that was his cake that year.

This year we are in Bali for Seth's birthday.

Happy 12th Birthday to Seth! He is such a blessing to our family!

Home Again!

We're back home again!  We went from the slopes of an active volcano to the shores of a beautiful tropical island.  We enjoyed yummy food, excellent friendships and received quality Bible teaching.  We survived ice cold splash baths, an almost broken arm (Aaron), very little sleep the first week, and no one got sick!  We camped out, roasted hot dogs, hiked, played capture the flag, did crazy relays, sang, flew on airplanes, walked on the beach, went to a water park, spent time with friends, spent time in prayer, hugged a lot, worshiped, posed for crazy pictures, watched a baptism in the swimming pool and paid a lot of money to eat some crazy good cheese cake.  It was a great 2 1/2 weeks.  

I didn't take very many pictures, which is unusual for me.  But I couldn't resist this picture in the airport.  There was an "unattended bag" in the waiting room...does it look suspicious to you?  LOL

And then we came home.  Our cat was so happy he meowed himself hoarse and didn't get his voice back until the next day.  Now it's time to get ready for summer guests!  My sister and her family arrive in 6 days and my parents arrive in 13 days...WOOHOO!  I am trying to clean the house up.  I was aiming for neat and clean, but I think my style for house decor is "Early 21st Century Clutter" so I'll just have to embrace the inevitable and put my efforts into things like laundry and keeping the dishes washed.  

So, if you rummage through items in your shelves that you haven't looked through in awhile, what do you find?  Dust?  Maybe a little bug like a cricket or silverfish?  Well, now, how about hatched lizard eggs?  That's what I found.  Awesome, lizards are setting up homes in my shelves.

Perhaps I need to say that my home is "Early 21st Century Clutter with a Jurassic Twist."

Adventure Trip to Bangka

 Here is the "Express Bahari" that the guys took to get from the river in our city, out to the ocean and over to Bangka island.  This took about 3 1/2 hours.

 This cool lighthouse was on Bangka.  From the port there they rode a hired car about 3 hours to another part of the island.

 Here is a big mosque.

 And a big Chinese temple.

 Two of these HUGE guys guarded the temple.

 Then they went to the Tin Factory.  Bangka is famous for it's tin.  They make beautiful things out of it...

 Like these vases with designs etched in the sides.

 Does this picture even need a caption?  Isn't it amazing!

 Kris takes pictures while the boys enjoy climbing on the rocks.  See the rough life TCKs lead? LOL

 Makes me relax just looking at this picture!

 This is a pretty cool picture Aaron got of a shipwreck.

 More beauty!

What a great trip the guys had!  I am so glad.  It looks so pretty and I can't wait to go.  Wanna come along?

My Life as a TCK

I ride my bike as fast as I can

Beside rice paddies full of green,

And feel the wind blow through my hair

And smile and sing.

I hide my treasures ‘hind the box

In the garage and there I write

Secrets on the cardboard walls

Out of sight.

I swing about on bamboo poles,

Constructed into jungle gym.

Pretending I’m a gymnast star

And that I win!

I eat delicious delicacies

Of rice and fruits; spicy and sweet.

And never have I since had food

So good to eat!

I swim in tropical waters blue,

Among sand dollars and jelly fish.

I am a mermaid, I am a pirate

Anything I wish!

At night I watch the lava red

Trickle down the sides of the volcano.

The only sound is its rumbling

The stars above glow.

Then for a visit we travel

To the land of my family, far away.

And life there seems, well, not so deep.

I’m glad we will not stay.

Others shake their heads and tisk,

“To live where you do must be burdensome!”

But I shake my head and inside I ask,

“When can I go home?”

Krabi, Thailand

Recently we went on a 10 day trip to this tropical paradise!

We got to stay in these great bungalows!

It's hard work being a Third Culture Kid!

Don't get any ideas. I will not do this at home!

Our porch overlooked a lagoon.

These guys always make life an adventure!

Cool places like this also add to the adventure!

Can you guess how old Seth turned while we were there?