A lot has happened and really not much of it has been all that easy! I know Mat said he sent out an update to a few people when he was in Kondoa, but I don't know who he sent it to or what he sent!
On our way to Busi for the first time, anticipating seeing "home" and getting settled at last we broke down and pretty much hung out in a village on the side of the road for six hours! Mat had to go back and forth bringing our team members in trips into Busi and then back to tow the car to Kondoa where they could get it fixed. So the first night I saw my house but slept in our team leaders' house with Ruthi (the wife) and Megan another team member while all of our husbands went back into Kondoa for the car.
After only two nights in our new home Mat had to leave (back to Kondoa) to rush a team member, Dawn to the hospital. She ended up having Malaria, bronchitis and tonsillitis. They said had they waited until morning she probably wouldn't have made it! It was a very crazy experience!
While he was gone, I felt like I was transported back in time! All I knew was that Dawn was sick (didn't know with what or how serious) and that they would be back when she was well. We had no communication the entire time. The few days we were home was a struggle, even the day He left. So in the morning I woke up and the girls and I started the day off with praise and a few songs. I sang "10,000 Reasons" (bless the Lord oh my soul) and cried really for a lot of reasons. The main one though was because I really meant the line that says, "Let me be singing when the evening comes..." After we prayed, my only goal for the day was that we ate! (which is actually more of a goal than you might think!) But God was so good to us and we not only ate, but we got out, met some neighbors, went for a walk to our national team members' home (The Mashauri's). They had us for Chai and then walked us home. In the afternoon, we had kids come play in the courtyard and even a few adults. After two of the ladies tried to communicate something to me, all the kids started packing up our stuff and they helped me lock up. I wasn't sure where we were going or what was happening but we just went with it! Turned out we had been invited for dinner! We sat for about and hour and people attempted to talk with me. They just laughed but continued to stick around just to see what we were all about! Then we were seated inside a separate room and were served Ugi (porridge) and some beans. Both were super good! We didn't just survive, we really enjoyed the day!
The next day I continued to wonder if Mat would be home that day or not. The Mashauri's came by and did a whole load of laundry for me and helped me start my beans for the evening. It was another good day. Mat ended up being gone for two nights and three days. God was with us!
During the time away, Nia had been seeming like she was coming down with something. I just prayed that it wouldn't turn and be an emergency with no way to get to a good hospital. (There is a hospital here in Busi but the Dr. is an alcoholic.) I just prayed and trusted God to give me wisdom. After a day or two of Mat being home Nia was continuing to get worse. Not sleeping, had a fever and would pretty much just cry all day. (which made cooking, laundry and unpacking near impossible and very frustrating!) We talked to Peter our team leader and they described malaria symptoms and all her symptoms fit. We had the medicine so we treated her with that and also an antibiotic. Within a few days she finally started to get better which was a huge relief! Towards the end of her sickness I started to get a cold as the weather is chilly here in the morning and evening and I was getting no sleep. Then within a few days Thai started coming down with it and a few days later Nia also. So even up until now, nobody has gotten much sleep and I am up 4-6 times each night with one or both of the girls. It has been very rough especially since the past week of it we have been in our home stay. There are nights I'm up with Nia for an hour or two and wonder how I can make it another night like this and then there are times where it is just fine. God is sustaining me and somehow we function! Please pray for health for us all and that Nia starts sleeping. One praise is that the last few nights Thailie has slept in her own bed (Mat had to make her rails because the bed is narrow and high. I was afraid she would fall out and drop onto the cement. So she has been in our bed.) Then last night for the first time she slept in her own bed ALL night! It was so cute in the morning to have her climb out of her bed, under the mosquito net, climb down using the stool, and greet us in her undies and pink bunny slippers! It was great!
Sorry this is really random but there has been so much I have wanted to share with you. Many times I find myself up with Nia composing emails in my head about all sorts of things that have been happening, that I have been learning and pondering, and although those emails will never be written, it has definitely been therapeutic for me to process all that is going on!
So, what else has been going on? Well, it's impossible at this point to convey, and I'm really bummed about that. Once things get a little more normal I am hoping to keep track of life a little better!
While we are home we are still working on unpacking and organizing. Oh yeah! Our house! It's huge! :) actually more space than I want! We have three bedrooms, an office, a kitchen, living room/dining room and the bathroom and shower house are both two separate rooms outside in our courtyard. (I hope to have pictures for y ou next time. Sorry for the delay, but just this week we got our devices charged and just found out today that tomoorow, they will be doing a supply run into Kondoa, where there is Internet.) The house is red mud brick with a tin roof. The walls on the inside are not finished all the way up to the ceiling so you can hear everyone in every room as if they are right next to you. Really funny when you are trying to find someone because you can't tell what room they are in.. not so funny at night when one of the kids is awake crying...
So, back to the days. We spend the day organizing, sweeping up all the dirt that blows in under our door, Mat has been grooming out courtyard, trying to catch up on laundry, but most of my efforts go to taking care of sick kids and cooking. Which, praise be to God has been going really well! It honestly is an answer to prayer because that was something I was most worried about and from what I can tell from others on the team, I think we are having the least struggles with it! Basically I have figured out that if you just put varying amounts of flour, water, sugar, salt, sometimes baking soda and maybe an egg, you can make all kinds or things. Also, I have found that varying amounts of oil, onion, tomato, and garlic paired with potatoes, rice, beans or noodles also makes all types of yummy filling foods!
Most mornings we eat French pressed coffee (which is amazing!) and either chapatis or pancakes with jelly/honey. Both I make from scratch every time which is still crazy to me!
We were supposed to start our home stay the week we got into Busi but the home we were supposed to stay in kinda didn't work out so we actually just finished ours on Monday. It was divided into two different homes next to each other. It was really a great experience. We had probably the best home stay set up of our whole team. Which after just getting over Nia with Malaria and then being sick with the girls starting up again and not sleeping, it was hard enough! I hope to add more once I share pictures on that.
So, I am very tired and should go to sleep but first I just thought I would give you a little update one each girl.
She loves the attention from the neighbors. The kids are constantly calling out, "Thailie, Thailie" honestly, a lot of times it feels like we are celebrities and we have to hide inside just to have any sort of privacy. But even then, they press against the windows and try to see in any window that isn't shut. When we let the kids in the courtyard Thai is hesitant to join them yet she likes to play in the hall leading up to our door so that they can see her. We scold her many times for being a show off and just attracting attention rather than making friends. We are trying to help her in this.
Once she gets comfortable she loves to go around pointing to things saying "ikine kintu che?" which is saying "What is this?" in Kilangi. And her friend will tell her the Kilangi words. It's great.
In times where she has had enough, like during our home stay or just long busy days she says she just wants to go back to our Forest Lake home and she misses her friends. It's hard sometimes and we miss people a lot and we miss a lot more things that we thought.
A marvelous work in Thailie's life is that she officially has repented of her sins and put her trust in Jesus! She has had a growing understanding of God, sin, Jesus, the Bible... But last night I asked her if she wanted to ask God for anything while I prayed and she said we should pray and ask God to go to heaven. Well, that led to a wonder conversation where we could talk over all the stuff we know about what the Bible says. Who can go to Heaven, why we deserve Hell, how Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me" etc. In the end she said that she wanted to go to Heaven like Daddy and Mommy and she wanted to be with Jesus. I reaffirmed with her what we believed and asked her if she did and told her what it takes to go to Heaven. She believed and prayed, repented of her sins, thanked Jesus for forgiveness and prayed the Holy Spirit would help her to obey God and glorify Him. Yes, this is all on a three year old level, and we will pray for her continued salvation and discipleship, but we are rejoicing in God's work in her heart and opening her eyes to spiritual things!
She is still the dramatic tornado you all remember her to be only now she is also constantly covered in dirt! Her vocabulary has regressed. She pretty much just says "Mamma" for everything. Every once in awhile we will catch a "Whoa!" or "Uh-oh" but not often. Up until this week everything was a shake of the head no, with a grunt-type "Uh-uh" but this week she just started nodding her head yes, which is really cute now because we can ask her all sorts of yes or no questions. (like "Do you love Daddy/Mommy/Thailie?" to which she'll nod her head yes!)
She also is a bully! She pushes and hits a lot! This is pretty frustrating to deal with especially because she is just so matter-of-fact about it! We have started to put her in a one minute time out when she hits. It's pretty cute because she hates it and then I tell her, "Nia, you are in time out because you hit Thai. Are you sorry?" She responds with a head nod. "Ok, then go give Thailie a hug" which she does. She gets it and its really sweet to watch them make up.
The two of them have been becoming buddies more and more. (Also partners in crime!) Nia is becoming more of a toddler in subtle ways. She takes a baby out and plays with it. The more she plays, the more she and Thai interact. She also is following in her sisters footsteps and loves to sing and dance! She will find a step, chair, table, really any elevated surface and put her hand way up in the air, start swaying, spinning and singing as loud as she can! I love it so much and HAVE to get it on video very soon!
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