Ezra had his second international flight this month. He loves crawling everywhere and standing up on everything that will hold his weight. He has done considerable well considering he has been battling jet leg, cutting two teeth, and being around people non-stop after spending so many months with just a few people in his daily life.
Ezra James: 8 Months
It was a big month for little man! He learned to crawl and his world has changed every since! He also learned that he can stand and hold on to things, and one day during nap time he decided to test out his new found strength and stand up in the pack-n-play. Now it's his favorite activity. Loving this little guy more and more everyday and can't wait to see what's in store next month!
Sunrise Service on the Beach
There's a stillness in the air that happens somewhere in the night—the wind stops, the waves die down, and the mosquitoes buzz. But it's there in the quiet when you realize just how big and vast the world really is.
On Easter weekend we traveled to a semi-secluded beach two hours outside the city, where your neighbors are foreign and local military, a couple of donkeys, and a camel. It’s a typical Horn of Africa scene, at least in our part, but it’s a safe spot where once a year the teams from our city come together and rest.
That evening as we warmed up chili over the fire, one by one we slowly sat in our folding camping chairs and watch the embers crack. A guitar started to strum and singing could be heard quietly over the roaring waves. “Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have mad. I see the stars. I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”
Never did those words ring more true than they did that night under the darkness, lit only from the fire, the night sky, and the occasional flashlight. And as seamlessly as the music had started, the stories began. Surrounded by both young and old, everyone had a story, so we sat and cried and laughed and offered thanks to God for his protection and love.
The next morning we had an Easter service on the shore, then we celebrated by swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. Reed, Ezra, and I also hiked across the little mountain and took photos of the sunset the day before. And while Ezra was sleeping peacefully in his pack-n-play (with adult supervision) we took the kayak out on the ocean and found a sandy beach around the mountain. And greeting us as we arrived was none other than a camel! Only in the Horn of Africa!
Meet Some Fearless Moms
It's my first mother's day as a mother. While last year I got to celebrate mother's day pregnant, this year I get to really understand the joys and struggles that come with being a mother. And I also understand how difficult this day can be for so many. So I'm not going to bombard with you photos my little guy (I'll save that for another day), but I am going to show you some of the mothers I've met over the past year here in Africa.
Last year I did a blog post showcasing mothers I've met in the past 10 years of my travels, I loved reading your messages and comments about it and so I've decided to share a few more stories. I hope that for those of you who look at today and feel pain and longing that you will somehow feel peace. I pray that you can know that you are loved and thought of and that just because you may not be celebrating today that you still have purpose and life!
Sadly, a month after visiting with these families we got word about one family who lost their son. He was the only child I didn't get a photo of that day and now I regret it so much. Their son was a teenager and suffered from brain damage, but was able to walk himself. However, he came down with diarrhea and died. It broke our heart to hear of child dying of something so easily prevented. So it's why we work here, training people about the dangers of dehydration, loving on them every chance we get, and giving them something to try and make their life just a little bit easier.
Our NGO works with a local school run by a woman who has returned to the Horn of Africa after living for years in Canada. She decided to return to her home country and open a school for street children. Many of these children do not have parents and are lacking the proper papers to attend public schools. During her time at the school she also came in contact with several families of handicap children. Many of these children suffer from epilepsy and have severe deformities. They do not have access to wheelchairs to the mothers will carry around their children so they do not have to sit in the dirt all day long.
Many times when we meet handicapped children in remote areas around the world they are not cared for or given much attention, but the amount of love that these moms (and some fathers) had for their kids was amazing. The moms would wipe of dried boogers or saliva before I took their photo and they would fix their hair and whisper in their ear to smile.
The lady in the middle received a new wheelchair and her daughter came along with her.
Here they are with my mom, who got to be a part of giving them their new wheelchair and meet all the mother's above.
This mother I met briefly in February at a clinic in town. At first I thought she was the grandmother of this 17 day old baby but it turns out she was mother who had just given birth to this little sweet girl. She was at the hospital because her newborn needed to undergo some test to see if she was HIV+.
The mother was already HIV+ and so now the long wait of finding out if you passed it on to your daughter. I couldn't imagine what she must feel, having a baby only a few weeks old and having to find out if she has a life-threatening disease.
She was sad, and it broke my heart, because usually women will at least smile for me or find pride in showing off their kids, but you could tell she was hurting, tired, and alone. So pray for mothers like her, pray for their children, and pray for the doctors that one day they will find a cure for these heart-breaking diseases.
Some mothers and their children I met back in February at a distribution where we gave out food, clothing, and blankets. You can read their stories here: Life in a Volcanic Desert
Ezra James: 7 Months
Is it just me or do the months seems to go faster and faster? Maybe it's because we aren't waking up every 3 hours like we were in the beginning, which I am so thankful for! But seriously, this kid blows our minds every time he does something new. This month he has become a pro at sleeping on his belly, laughing A LOT, walks around the room with his walker and pulls on things, can rotate his body around and so close to crawling it's scary. He also had is first campout under the starts and swim in the ocean. Not to mention he met the Easter bunny (in Africa!) and got to have two egg hunts, this kid is living the dream...
Refresh My Soul: Past Vacations
St. Augustine, Florida
I've been thinking a lot about vacation recently. Hot season has arrived and my already weary soul is so ready for some rest! It's actually been a long time since the hubby and I have planned a vacation. What I mean is that most of our trips have been tagged on to conferences or taken because we live in unique places. Even our honeymoon was decided based on the cheapest thing out there. But for the first time we have saved and saved so we could go somewhere new for our 5 year anniversary in September. When I floated the idea by my precious mother she decided it would be a great family vacation! So now all of us and little man will be heading on a 7 day Alaskan cruise in July! Say what?! Bucket list location for sure. Reed and I love cold weather and mountains and living in one of the hottest places on earth we are eager for some cooler weather.
I have often met people who don't take vacation. They throw around the phrase, "You can sleep when you're dead." Guys, don't be this person! Vacations are good and healthy! One of the best pieces of advice we got when we were preparing to move overseas was to "vacation" every day, every week, every month, and every year. What that look likes practically (for myself) is this:
Daily I spent time with God, reading, relaxing, praying, working out, and even napping at times!
Weekly we take a day where we don't do work, we sleep in, watch movies, laugh, explore new places.
Monthly we have a date night (or family night). We go to a nice restaurant, swim in a pool, take a trip out of town.
Yearly, we take a vacation. Visit somewhere, stay in a hotel, order room service, get a massage, and DO NOT feel guilty about it.
So for this month's refresh the soul I'm taking us back to some of my favorite vacations since being married. And if you have a vacation planned for this year, comment below, or share your favorite vacation you've been on. We are always looking for new places to explore!
Nice, France
Grand Cayman Island
Epcot Center, DisneyWorld
Amman, Jordan
Central Asia
New York City, New York
Daytona Beach, Florida
Fairhope, Alabama
RMNP, Colorado
Estes Park, Colorado
Verrana, Italy
Antalya, Turkey
Paris, France
Istanbul, Turkey
Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
Gulf Shores, Alabama
Grand Lake Lodge, Colorado
Marseille, France
St. Paul de Vence, France
Annency, France
Austin, Texas
Lyon, France
Amman, Jordan
Galveston, Texas
Monaco
Albertville, France
Murren, Switzerland
Ezra James: 6 Months
This past month has gone by so fast! I feel like I blinked and Ezra was 6 months already! He has been full of laughs and giggles as he wasn't having to deal with unpleasant teething, but that's about to change. He also is getting better at sitting up, had his first ride in the grocery cart seat (he wasn't a fan), no longer sleeps in the bassinet of the pack-n-play, and is LOVING solid food. Seriously, I can't give that kid enough, unless it's peas, not a big fan of peas. If you're interested in what we feed our little one then check out this book. It's based on the French food system and it's a great way to introduce real whole food and a variety of flavors to your little one. So far, Ezra is loving all the recipes, except the peas, but it's growing on him. :)
Life in a Volcanic Dessert
As we bumped along the dirt road to what looked like the middle of nowhere, we suddenly pulled in view of what appeared to be a brand new center. It’s off-white buildings perfectly constructed. Even the ground had been covered in rocks to give the compound a feeling of wealth—but that was just an illusion.
Now all that remained was an abandoned center, cut off from funds, full of women, children, and older men inhabiting the rooms, once meant for classrooms. We were hours outside the city and with a minority people group living there, the government overlooked the needs. Others had come to help, but they also had given up, as seen by the classrooms now used as makeshift homes.
When our trucks pulled up with food, clothes, and blankets for this small community, it didn’t take long for word to spread. Soon children and women swarmed the vehicles. We quickly realized that what we thought would be a small gathering of village elders, had turned into a community event. Later that day, we learned that another organization was also planning a distribution that day, which may have led to the community already on alert for distribution of aid.
Mira stood out in her bright blue hijab, the colors bouncing off the background of brown dust. She had a baby slung on her hip and one of her daughters following her around as small children often do. Though she had another child, he was out playing with his friends. Mira isn’t sure what age her children are, as age isn’t something often kept in their community. Instead, she was more concerned with what they would eat and if they are safe.
Asna appeared quiet and uncomfortable, she nestled her little girl in her lap, and after few questions began to smile. She was pregnant. Joy came across her face as she told us, and one could see that having children out here was no small feat. Later when we were eating with the village elders, we learned that many women do not have access to a hospital. If there is an emergency they will go by ambulance to a town several hours away, but for the majority, having a baby is something done at home.
Agnus reminded me of myself. She had a gold nose ring similar to mine, she was tall and sturdy like me, and even had a 4-month-old boy just as I did. It’s funny, seeing yourself in someone, yet living completely different lives. I can’t imagine the hardships that Agnus faces. While we were blessed with a beautiful windy day, there are many months out of the year that their home is considered one of the hottest habitable places on earth. Temperatures sore above 100 degrees, and when you only receive water once every 10 days, surviving becomes that much harder.
Several of the women who received rice and beans at the distribution
Asna pictured with her daughter
Agnus pictured with her children
Mira pictured with her daughter
We asked the elders how we could help relieve their strain for fresh water. Living in the middle of a volcanic desert doesn’t provide much access to clean water, or even dirty water for that matter. There is a water source 30 minutes away by foot, but it’s not much help, when there is no irrigation system for the water to reach the village. When asked what would happen if the water trucks do not come, Muhammed* replied matter of factly, “We would die.”
In our line of work there are often two things that help people get out of the poverty cycle—nutrition (provided through water and food) and education. But here, in a small village, of forgotten minorities, there is neither. The children do not have a school to go to, though they live in abandoned classrooms. Muhammed said that the older children are becoming restless and starting to cause trouble. The lack of basic needs is why these people feel helpless. Though they keep on having babies and caring for their young, they yearn for more—a place where they can send their children to school and not have to limit their intake of a water, a luxury we so often take for granted.
But since we now live in the country, we have the opportunity to keep helping, to keep loving, and to keep going to the hard and forgotten places. So it's our hope that we can soon send some teachers into this community and begin educating these kids, because we really believe that one of the biggest helps in getting out of the poverty trap is education.
We feasted on goat meat and more
The fed us enough for days
Ya know, when you get a flat, and it takes 5 gives and two goats to get it done...
Because it's not a trip unless you come back with a goat. Don't worry by the time we were done we had one more goat in the back. Yet, sadly these goats will be dinner soon. :)
I am still amazed at to how they get up there!
Baby toes and the most colorful meal I've ever seen!
The boys hanging out.
Ezra was not into this flat tire thing...
This beautiful girl and her father live in a hut on the side of the road that takes us to our destination. We stopped and gave them some of the food we had for our distribution.
goats on trees
Ezra James: 5 Months
Oh my goodness, is this little guy really 5 months! Well he has done so much this month, he now has two teeth, is almost sitting up on his own, sits in a high chair and eats solid food, and sits and plays in his walker. I really can't believe he did all that in one month, not sure if I should be scared or excited for this next month of growth. Anyways, here are a few photos from the past month with Ezra. He might just be my cutest valentine to date.
Refresh My Soul: Lac Assal
Back in December we took a family trip to the Salt Lake. It's the saltiest lake in the world and the lowest point in Africa. It's also one of the prettiest landscapes in our country. So enjoy this month's refreshment courtesy of the beautiful Lac Assal.
