Tuesday Topic: Homes

My question (since there aren't any others in the queue--hint! hint!): What are some of the standard features of homes where you are that might not be common in other parts of the world? Or--more generally--what is a average home like where you live? I recently posted photos of the new home that we'll be moving to soon, and some of the comments were really fun. Plus, I loved the series that Ashley did a while back, where we could "visit" each other's homes. Let's have a mini version of that in the comments here!

(If you have a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to me at fylliska@gmail.com. Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, or specify if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

We Wait

This is a guest post from Ingrid.

For many the call to the mission field is a call to sacrifice, isolation, hardship, blessing, faith, and patience. Some I know have prepared and waited years and years to go after they were called. Some wait for Government departments or visas for months, in our case for a pitiful 5 months and it feels like torture. December 2012, we were called. January 2013, we visited. February 2013, we were invited and said yes, and now we wait.

We live in a state of limbo. Drawn to a place we want to be, a place we believe God wants us to be, yet still having to live our lives in the country we call home. And still we wait. Our mission agency policy isn’t to pay bribes, they feel called to be counter cultural to the corruption that exist within this developing country. And I agree, in theory, but in practise, I just want to get there. I don’t want them to pay bribes either, but this waiting is hard.

As we started this year, we were so full of excitement at what this year would hold, and after months of not hearing anything, and knowing this tick we are wanting from the government is only the first of many, the excitement is waning. Our expectations went from 8 weeks to get there, to months and months of excruciating waiting. Our friends who have been there, smile and tell us this is good training for life in a developing country, learning patience, understanding corruption, knowing nothing happens in a hurry. This is our training ground.

With our call still fresh and our excitement waning, I searched in my concordance to seek what the Word of God said about the word ‘wait’. What I unearthed was food for a hungry soul and hydration for drying lips.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 38:15 But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

Psalm 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

Isaiah 40:31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Habakkuk 2:3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Our call is to obedience, and as the Word says, we wait for the appointed time, we can trust as the LORD is the author of time. Just because we are to ‘fret not’, be patient and hope in Him, doesn’t make it easy, it only makes it do-able.

What have you learned in times of waiting? What are you waiting for now?

Ingrid blogs at Jeans and Pink Jandals.

Kids on the Field: Toys

Once upon a time, I talked about how we dealt with toys when it came to moving across the world.   Well, we since have moved across the world, and while we did bring a fair amount of toys with us, there have been other things we've had to improvise.  And honestly, there is something so satisfying about creating something for your family.  And it can be a mama sanity saver.

Ok, so I wanted to show you some of my favorite toys we've made since we moved here.  I am trying to pick examples of things that don't need a lot of fancy craft supplies or specially items because I know we are all living in places where these sort of things can be hard to find.  So here we go, my favorite homemade toys...

We made Quinn's (our baby) swing just a couple of weeks after we got here.  He was about 4 months old when we made it and he still loves it 10 months later.  It was really quite simple to make (I only sew straight lines!) Here's a bit more description of the swing and a link to the tutorial I used within the story.

For Christmas we made the big boys traditional rope and board swings.  And they love them as well.  These are so straight forward, a board, some holes and some rope.

And don't judge me because my kids swing over cement.  About the only trees in our yard are banana trees and those are more like an overgrown stalks and so they wouldn't be able to hold up a little boy pretending he's superman.   

Ok, so you all being super missionary moms already know not to overlook things like delapaded jeeps as a great clubhouse!  This one was in a friend's garage here in Costa Rica and it was a favorite hang out for all the missionary kids...I have to say, it is my dream car and it makes the coolest clubhouse EVER!!

We had a despidida (a going away party) for a family at our house in June and there were 15 kids 10 and under at this part.  We had to have some sort of activity otherwise we were all going to lose our minds.  So we got creative and make some great outdoor games like slingshots with paper wads and tin cans, tarp toss with rice bags and an old tarp and ring toss.  And shhhh, don't tell anyone, but I pretty much made all of it out of garbage.

Ok, so how about you?  What awesome toys have you or your kids come up with?  Are there local toys that delight or dismay you?

More Kids on the Field Series

Tuesday Topic: MK expectations

Anonymous reader question: Have you ever dealt with extra pressure being put on your kids, just because they're MKs? What did you do? Talk to the person who was interacting with them? Or with your kids? Or what? Really, after quite a while of MK parenting, we've just come up against this for the first time, and I didn't know what to do. I don't like to see missionaries put on a pedestal, and it was even harder when it was our kids who weren't reaching the standards expected of them!

(If you have a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to me at fylliska@gmail.com. Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, or specify if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

The 12 Spies of Canaan...Which One Are You?

12 men went to spy on Canaan, 10 were bad, 2 were good...

 

Do you remember singing that song in Sunday School?  Well, I taught this lesson in Sunday School a few weeks ago, and as I was preparing for the lesson the Lord really showed me some things.  I thought I'd share them with you.
 

 

Image courtesy of Google

 

These 10 spies looked at the land of Canaan and were overwhelmed, they didn't see how they could possibly inherit this land.  Although it flowed with milk and honey and had delicious grapes, it also was surrounded by tall walls and scary giants lived inside.  They didn't think it was possible.  They were scared.  They were negative.  They didn't think their God was big enough.  They saw the glass as half-empty.  Actually they probably saw it empty!

 

The 2 spies, Caleb and Joshua, they knew that if it was the Lord's will, He will would help them.  Where God guides He provides.  They knew that Canaan had tall walls around the city and it was filled with giants, but they also knew their God was far bigger.  They were positive.  They saw the glass as half-full.

 

 

Do you know someone who is like those 10 spies?  They look at things and see the glass is half empty.  They see the negative in all situations.

 

Do you know someone who is like those 2 spies?  They look at the situations and think, "If God brought us to it, He will bring us through it."

 

Which one are you like?

 

Awhile back God brought some negative people into our life that was like those 10 spies.  They told us a particular situation was difficult, that if we didn't do this or that correctly we'd never last, they were the glass is empty kind of people.  Thankfully God surrounded us with positive people, reminding us that God called us to do this, and He would give us the power to do it.

So what kind of person are you.  Do you see the good in the situation or do you see the bad?  Do you see the glass as half full or half empty?

Mama Needs Time to Play Too

A few of my daughter's creative pursuits

The saying, “A Woman’s work is never done” perfectly describes our role as cross-cultural worker mamas. We care for children, cook and clean with few conveniences, home school, get involved with local schools, and study language on the side. We support our husbands’ ministry, invite people into our homes, and sometimes have ministries of our own outside of our families!

If you’re like me, you have so much on your plate that it’s hard to make time for yourself.  You know you need to rest and re-energize yourself in order to serve more effectively and joyfully, but free time is hard to come by.

Out of Steam

At the start of the summer I was deep down tired after my eleventh and most difficult homeschool year yet.  High school chemistry proved to be my nemesis, and helping my brilliant, dyslexic daughter to hunker down and learn from textbooks was trying. Throughout the year I participated in our weekly team prayer meetings and English club meetings. I hosted house church and women’s meetings in my home. My husband and I discipled a Turkish couple and reached out to non-believers. During the month of May I had one talk or message to prepare each week.  I loved all of these activities, but by June I was plumb out of steam.

Summer has been healing for me.

 I’ve had more time for things I enjoy, like meeting friends for coffee, reading, or going to the beach, but what really energizes me most is time to be creative.  I enjoy making cards, scrapbooking, framing photos, and writing.  I’m working on a new blog project.  I make time for my creative projects one 25 minute baby step at a time.

My Inspiration

My lovely 14 year old daughter inspires me.  She is writing a book, practicing piano, and starting a new blog. She does handcrafts, scrapbooking, doll restoration, and makes miniature food and furniture for American Girl dolls.

Many of you provide inspiration as well. You wield your pens (or computers) to chronicle your lives and ministries through blogging. One of my favorite blogs is Earthen Vessels from the Philippines.   Several of you, like Jen and Heather are photographers.  A friend in the Middle East posts on her creative pursuits using ordinary, everyday materials at her disposal.

Waste of Time?

For me as a cross-cultural worker, taking time to be creative can appear frivolous when there’s always so much to do in my home and ministry.  However, it’s an opportunity to get in touch with the “other me” that God created. Our creativity brings beauty into our homes. By taking time to be creative, we open ourselves up to new possibilities and talents, which God can use to bless others. 

 My question for all of you: What kind of creative hobbies do you have? How do you find time?

Benefits of Living in a Pressure Cooker

I've been whining again.  Yes, again.  We are a few days from a trip to the U.S. (first one in three years) where we'll travel like crazy and visit as many churches and friends and family as we can pack into these short two months.  This is a catch-all trip, to touch base and reconnect but also to raise funds for opening a youth center in the city where we live.  I should be giddy, and I am quite excited, but I'm finding a whole lot of ways to whine.

Why do we only get one suitcase this time?  How will I bring back homeschooling books and underwear and socks and supplies for two or three more years in ONE suitcase?  Are we ever going to get everything packed up and ready to roll?  Why can't I settle on some perfect "partnership" trinket to take back for those who've stuck with us?  How will we fit everyone in? Why can't we afford to take longer furloughs like the cool missionaries?  Can't you kids just get along and let me think straight?  

And I realize that my mouth is speaking from the abundance of my heart.

I have said a trillion times how uncomfortable it is to live in the pressure cooker here, where the goal is just survival at times.  To acutely feel the lack of extended family and friends and a support system to fall back on when the going gets rough.  But tonight as I listened to myself whine, I realized that life in the pressure cooker has its benefits.

In the US, I found it much easier to camouflage my flaws, those places inside that weren't quite lovely.  It was so easy to take on another responsibility at church and feel justified in my ugliness, or take a trip to the thrift store and fill my emptiness with a giant bag full of cheap but fashionable finds.  I could call up a girlfriend and "express my righteous indignation" to have her back me up in my position and then share what made her mad that day.  It was easy to hide what I didn't want to see.

Here, it seems what's inside is just gonna come out.  No way around it, it's coming out.  I remember reading a warning to that effect on some missionary-prep website way back when, and thinking how tough that would be for "certain other people" I know and happen to live with.  I was still living in Delusional World and sure that I was the person I had convinced everyone I was.

And for a long time on the field, I blamed my impatience in traffic or my frustration with my husband or my overwhelming urge to scream at those guys who insist on washing my windshield at stoplights and casing the contents of my front seat as they do, on being stressed to the breaking point.  I was sure that the offender just happened to be the straw that broke this camel's back.  Okay, maybe there is a bit of truth to that sometimes, but I'm coming to realize that I'm just not as adept at hiding.  The world is simpler here on the other side of the border.  So simple that what you see is what you get, without the candy-coating.  And I don't always like what I see.

I'm learning, still, that instead of taking my burdens to whomever might listen, I have to take them to the One who should have been my first choice all along.  That makes it sweeter to deal with the lack of an intimate friend or relative here.  

I'm learning, still, that instead of hiding behind my to-do list and accomplishments as the self-appointed Sister Do-It-All, I have to take a genuine look at my motivations and reactions.  That makes it a bit easier to swallow not having a church community that feels more like family here.

I'm learning, still, that instead of running for food or shopping or a movie or whatever my latest cure-all is, I have to dig in and let God refresh me, let Him inspire me, let Him heal me.  I'd like to tell you that makes it easier to live without Goodwill or Krispy Kreme, but I'm not there yet.

I do at least have a clearer picture of who I really am and who God really is, and I guess that's a start.

Do you know yourself better as a result of being a missionary?  Have you found that the ugly things you recognize within you are products of this lifestyle, or were they there all along and are only easier to see now?   Do you whine?

photo credit: mr.donb