Goodbye to Botswana

It's a strange thing - packing up our little house in Francistown. It seems like we just got here...and now it's time to leave. It's come to feel like home...

We are ready to live out of our suitcases again! We have two more weeks on the continent of Africa and we have a few plans laid out for that time. Of course, those plans include a certain niece and couple nephews of mine, so you know it will be lots of fun. :)

Two more weeks...and then I'm back in snowy PA.

Have Yourself a Merry (Little) Christmas

Christmas was a nice quiet event in Francistown.

I did laundry (always doing laundry...),

wore a new favorite skirt,

we grilled steaks outside,

made sweet potato casserole with white sweet potatoes

(an odd experience to be sure),

drank good coffee that came a long way to surprise us,

talked to my brother in PA,

opened up cards that came from the states,

played a couple hours of Fast Scrabble (also known as Take 2),

and three of our African friends came over for supper.

Sadly, I did not take a single nap, but I did read two books in their entirety - something that's been a bit rare around here.

All in all, a wonderful, refreshing day.

God With Me

As I read through the accounts Matthew and Luke give of the Christmas story again this morning, my eyes glided and skipped over the familiar words even as my mind recited them. It is a story that I memorized many times over in my childhood. It is a story that is often told, expounded upon, and thought about, especially at this time of year.

This story of the birth of Christ includes a grand cast of characters, and yet as I read that same old story again this morning, it struck me that there are really only two kinds of people.

First, there are those who believed, those who accepted, those who allowed the truth to change their lives. There is, of course, Mary. Simple, unassuming Mary – whose only response to the news of her unfathered child was, “Be it unto me according to thy word.” Did she know just how different her life would be with the acceptance of this task? How much she would be shunned and ridiculed? How much pain she would endure? How much blessing she would have? How miraculous and incomprehensible this Child’s birth would be?

There is also Joseph, a good, just man. He also did not question the angel, but simply accepted the truth that he was given. He became a patient protector of Mary and the Baby, aiding them in the necessary journey to Bethlehem and seeing to their safety from Herod.

There are the shepherds who were not content to sit in the fields with the news. They had to see for themselves, and then, they had to publish the news abroad.

There are the wise men who traveled for years, following a star which had an unknown destination. Some would call them foolish, others would call them daft, yet their final stopping place brought them to a King greater than all others.

There are Simeon and Anna, Elisabeth and Zechariah, and countless unnamed others who took the truth they were given and believed – allowing it to change their lives.

Then there are the second group of people – the unbelieving, the skeptical, the selfish...those whose unbelief had a negative impact on their lives. Of course, we think of Herod, who in his selfishness and cruelty killed all baby boys under the age of two.

I find it interesting that God records Herod as the only specific unbelieving character in this story. We know there were more – family members, friends, people in the villages. People were quick with their gossip and cruel with their tongues, but in the grand scheme of things, those people don’t matter. What we ought to rejoice in and pattern our lives after are those who believed and accepted, those who allowed God to change them and change the world.

The question comes down to this: Which one are you? Have you allowed the truth God has given you to change your life? Or are you holding back, skeptical and unwilling to put your faith in something unseen?

There are so many characters, so many facets in this story – and yet one overarching theme of “Emmanuel” – God with us. I thought for some time about this Emmanuel. I wondered again at the fact that God would deign to come be with us. To leave all, in order to save us. That He would come in the form of a baby – not in the form of a mighty ruler and king, not in the form of a lawgiver, but in the form of a child who was destined for the cross. I thought about the fact that even if I was the only one who needed saving, He would have gladly done it all for ME. He is God with me – He has been my God from the quiet town of Emmaus, Pennsylvania to the teeming city of Bangkok, Thailand, to the crime-ridden country of South Africa, and now through this faith-stretching time in Francistown, Botswana. I am humbled that this Jesus would seek me, and want to have a relationship with me.

“For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.” (Lk 1:49)

"The Lord hath done great things for (me); whereof (I) am glad." (Ps 126:3)

Christmas in Botswana

The whole feeling of Francistown has changed with this week of Christmas.

To me, it doesn't even feel like Christmas. I know in my head that it is December, but to me, Christmas is snow and lights, decorated trees and Christmas carols, family gatherings and a big church Christmas program. Here, there is none of that - except, of course, the occasional Christmas carol and the family gathering.

But to the people who live in Botswana, this is what Christmas is like for them. When the weather is in the stage between unbearably, stifling hot and the torrential downpours of rainy season, it is Christmas. When every store has a Christmas tree, it is Christmas. When the grocery stores stock up on butternut squash and chicken, it is Christmas. When everyone begins to go on holiday - sometimes for as long as a month - it is Christmas.

And one thing I've learned is that these people are all about Christmas. They may not have snow, and they may not understand a lot of the traditions that surround Christmas, but they love it anyway!

So the whole atmosphere of Francistown has changed. There were times when it was busy before. Traffic would back up. Special sales and end-of-the-month paychecks made things especially crazy. But now, the town is practically humming with excitement. People rush to and fro, carrying packages, boxes, and bags - full of food, clothing, and presents. Fireworks randomly go off in the streets. Everyone is too busy to meet, trying to get things ready, to cook their big meals and buy their gifts, traveling to their home villages near and far. People greet each other as they go down the street, "A Merry Christmas to you and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!"

It still startles me to hear songs in the stores like, "Just hear those sleigh bells ring-a-ling..." or "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas." It's almost comical to see the lone house in town with Christmas lights - red and green rope lights up the peak of their roof, and one poor tree with some white lights around its trunk.

I guess it's all what you are used to. I'm certainly not used to this!!!

Home again, but where is home again?

Another long car ride, a 3-hour border crossing, and one near-accident with a goat, and we are back in Francistown. We had no water when we left, and though assured it was turned on in the middle of the week, we had no water when we got back on Saturday. When we first lost our water, it wasn't too bad because we had stored up quite a bit of tap water. Everyone was able to brush their teeth and wash their hands, we cooked meals, boiled water on the stove to wash dishes, made coffee and iced tea, and still had enough to occasionally flush the toilet. Discovering the water still off on Saturday evening was rather alarming, because we were literally down to our last couple jugs of water. Knowing we wouldn't get anyone to work on it until Monday morning, we went down the street a couple blocks and booked a room at a lodge.

This actually worked out rather nicely. The lodge is within walking distance from the house, so my brother and I slept at the house, while my parents slept at the lodge. (They enjoyed having a real bed again!) We could all take showers there, there was a tiny kitchen in the room where we could cook and wash the dishes, the lodge served breakfast each day, AND there was a huge swimming pool which was empty most of the weekend.

So what seemed to be a bad situation, really turned out rather enjoyable. The only downside was the black cloud of no water hanging over our heads - and not knowing if we could get it back on again or not. If not, we were planning on heading back to South Africa on Tuesday, but if it did come on, plans could proceed as usual. Of course, how do you really prepare for something like that? With so much to be done and so many people to see, how do you even start getting ready - a week before you were planning on going?

We were surprised, and maybe a bit overwhelmed by the circumstances. But God knew all along what was going on, and He was not caught by surprise. We were grateful to rest in whatever He wanted us to do...we just were wondering exactly what that would be!

Down at the office on Monday morning to see what was going on, the landlord discovered that the water had been turned back on, but whoever put the meter in had not pulled the proper plug. Someone stopped by the house, and a few seconds later, we had water. Something so simple, yet it had big repercussions!

It really is nice having running water. It is nice to wash the dishes without having to boil water on the stove, then temper it, then do it all over again to rinse. It was nice to scrub the shower out before our next guest (the last one!) gets here tonight.

And it's nice to know that we don't have to leave Botswana on Tuesday, that plans can go forward as usual (yeah, whatever that means). As much as I will enjoy our time in South Africa once we get back there, I hated the thought of leaving this place without saying all my goodbyes and having my last few meetings with the ladies I've come to know.

I'm in Tzaneen, South Africa this week.

In many ways, it feels like coming back to civilization. There is running water (our water was still off when we left), there are real beds and chairs (instead of air mattresses and plastic lawn chairs), and probably best of all, there is a washing machine.

In other ways, it is still Africa. :)

But we've had a lovely couple of days with my brother and his family, as well as two other families that we know. Our friends are all leaving today, but we have two more days here to celebrate Christmas with family.

Then it is back to Francistown for our final 10 days - wrapping everything up, saying our goodbyes, and leaving everything in good order for the next people coming. I have a lot of mixed emotions about this and I have a lot of things to think about.

BUT for now, I'm determined to enjoy our Christmas in Africa. The food - oh my...you wouldn't believe the food we've been having! The kids are excited about everything, of course, and we are enjoying this time with them.

Deliberation over losing power or losing water

So today we lost our water.

Of course, it had to happen when I had a load of clothes soaking in soapy water in the bathtub. But whatever. We knew there was a possibility of it happening, so we had saved up a few 5-liter bottles of tap water, so I was able to finish my laundry.

I think the conclusion is that I would rather lose power than lose water. Of course, if we lose power we lose internet, and when it's really hot out, we also lose our air conditioning and our fans, so that throws another interesting wrench in things. In that light, I think I would rather go without water, as long as it was a short-term thing (like less than a day). Going without water for any longer could get a little interesting - no showers, no washing dishes. We could always eat out for all our meals and ask the neighbors to use their pool, but that would get old after a while.

I've spent a bit of time this morning thinking over the pros and cons of losing each, and I'm really not sure which I would rather lose. But in the end, we weren't given a choice in the matter, so I don't think they really care what I think about it. :)

Which would you rather lose?

Missing You

Do you know what I'm missing most of all today? Having a dog. A sweet puppy to follow me around the house. A dog to crawl up on my couch and put his head in my lap to try to get my attention. Whether or not Bandit misses me too is debatable. His life is pretty good right now! :)

I also miss wearing fuzzy socks, wool skirts, sweaters, and my hair down, but that isn't the point of this post.

This week, I'm going to visit another puppy.

She's a bit of a dork, but that's okay. I love Cocoa too. :)

Heavenly Vision

Copied from this month's Grace & Honor:

Heavenly Vision

December 2009
By Rachel Hammett

     What a miserable way for the Son of God to come to earth! Mary, a first-time mother, traveled with her husband into a faraway city, and gave birth to her firstborn son in a stable! This simply blows my mind…that the God of the universe, the Creator of all that is – including Mary – the One whom angels adore, the Ancient of Days, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, should come and be born so simply and “commonly.” Luke puts it like this:

“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:6-7  

     If the average person were to just read that part, they would think there was nothing out of the ordinary there…just a poor mother giving birth. They might think it was special that the mother gave the baby the best she had…even if they were in the stable. They might feel outraged that any innkeeper would make an expectant mother give birth in a barn. But they wouldn’t be awed by the splendor, the majesty, or the holiness of that birth. Only those with “Heavenly vision” could look above the rafters and see the angels rejoicing as God’s plan unfolded. Only those who knew the Father could sense His smile as His Son came in human form.

     So it is in many situations during the days of life. Some things happen and to the casual observer, there may be nothing out of the ordinary. Only those with their hearts in tune will know that great spiritual battles are being fought. There is another world out there…too often I think we forget about it. Is your Heavenly vision affecting the things you see today? 

Seasonally Dysfunctional

It’s been one of those strange, season-questioning days. What month is this? What season am I in?

It’s summer! I wore flip-flops and short sleeves today. Waiting for a study, a sudden Spring-like shower came up, making me shrug on a jacket, which I was glad I had brought along.

But it’s winter! I went shoe-shopping for a pair of closed-toe shoes, something to keep my toes warm on the way home to PA, because it is more than likely there will be snow on the ground when we arrive.

But it’s still summer! Coming back to the house, we left the air conditioners on because they filtered out the humidity from the rain. We had wonderful fresh fruit smoothies, compliments of the hot climate here, but then I got cold sitting under the air conditioner.

It’s winter! I put my jacket back on as well as a pair of socks, then snuggled up on my bed with a cup of tea, a book, and some Christmas music.

But it’s still summer! A trio of mosquitoes lazily flew near to me, reminding me that it really is still summer. Or is it really winter?