My experience with someone helping us in the house came from my childhood, as my parents were busy in ministry and language learning from the start and they always trained someone to clean and eventually prepare food for the family. Where we lived in Baramba, we were really "in the bush" - no big town nearby and you were allowed only one trip a month to your center to buy supplies. So living was very basic and the village was very dusty. So it was there my mom trained her first house help, which was only the beginning of a long list of house helpers she trained during their many years in Africa.
I remember one funny incident from those earlier years. Her helper was sweeping the floor, using one of those stiff-straw-put-together-and-tied native brooms You bent low when you used one. This fellow whom my mom had trained was sweeping the dust and dirt from the cement floor in our house and he came upon a small button that someone had dropped. He picked it up, looked it over, then swept underneath where he had found it - and carefully put the button back just as he had found it! Being from a bush village, he had probably seen stranger things than that in his white patron's house!!
Mother was a good trainer of house help. She herself made wonderful bread from scratch and that was one of the first things she taught her worker. There was no bakery in our village so no French bread available. Her helper taught other helpers through the years, and new missionaries often went to her help for their new house help to learn to make good bread. That is where Yusufu learned to make the good bread we had when you were children - from someone Mom had trained!
It is really amazing what these men (or girls) learned when they worked for one of us, coming as they did from a basic village lifestyle and had to learn our complicated tubabu ways! We were fortunate to have the same person (Yusufu) work for us for many many years. You kids all grew up with him. I could give him instructions in the early morning before I took off for class or the office and come home to a clean house, beautifully cooked meal and the wash on the line. What a treasure he was!
We had another house person who was not such a treasure. He was very much a tigi type - or "in charge person". He had worked for other people in the city of Ouagadougou and was actually listed as a cook. But he did agree to do housework as well. It was Christmas time that year and friends from Pennsylvania were visiting in Ouaga, so we invited them and the Luthers over for a big Christmas dinner. I had the table set, but no cook in sight. He was going to prepare the whole meal. One thing he starred in was preparing beautiful vegetable salad platters for a first course and I had planned to start with that. But no cook appeared! I finally hustled around in the kitchen and got the meal started while Dad went to the cook's house to see if he was sick or what had happened. He found him dead drunk! He was in no condition to even leave his room. let alone cook the Christmas day feast I had planned! That week Dad took him to the office in charge of house help in the city, but he turned around and insisted we had to pay back pay (which was all a lie - but we complied just to get rid of the guy)! A few weeks later we were robbed at night - a thief came in and stole all my lovely silver pieces on our buffet in the dining room, plus a hand painted lamp! What a loss when we got up that morning...we always suspected that he had something to do with that theft, but there was no way to prove it!
The man who replaced him was a Bobo, a Christian, and I never saw a more silent house worker. You never knew he was around. I spent hours in my office at the back of the house working on translation and lessons that year. I could never even hear him as he worked - he didn't bang, he didn't sing, he didn't have visiting friends to chat with. All was silence! But if he needed to ask me something, he would come quietly back to my office, and turn on the light switch - the light suddenly going on would distract me from my work, and there he was with his question! He was a faithful worker for us.
Some new missionaries did not want to have someone helping them in the house - they felt their privacy was being violated! I guess super private people ought to go somewhere else than West Africa. It is not a private life there! When we returned to Africa, the year after we retired, we went to San Pedro to work for a year in the Alliance guest house there. And we inherited someone else's house help. The inside helper was great and we worked very well together. he was a Christian, from the Alliance church, and he served us well our whole year there. The yard person was also a great guy - not a Christian and from a fisherman tribe down the coast, but he too was a great worker. We were blessed with good help that year.
The outside man was a real hero when a band of robbers came into the yard one night and proceeded to steal everything they could find. They jumped over the wall. When they tried to get into Dad's outside office, the guard prohibited them and so they beat him and tied him up while they broke into the office, took a large sum of money and also equipment and made off with it all. They also broke into the room of missionaries from another mission who were staying in our guest house. They wakened to these thugs entering their room, bright flashlights in their eyes! It was a terrible experience. They were new people from Togo and we later heard they just could not make it in Africa after that terrible start. Our car had been parked out back and the guard told the thieves we were not home so they did not even try to get into our room - we slept right through it all. Only to be wakened by the wounded guard after they had left. After that Dad had to build the surrounding wall higher on that Alliance guest compounr overlooking the ocean far below!
We always found that our house helpers allowed us to be fulltime in ministry and we tried to treat them all with courtesy and friendliness. We looked on them as "helpers" rather than "servants". And now we look forward to seeing some of those faithful people who worked for us on our Africa visit next week!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
MAKING LEMONADE OUT OF LEMONS..............................
Maybe you have heard the expression, "When life hands you lemons, make them into lemonade". In other words when bad things happen to you, things that might sour you on life, try to transform that sour exprerience into something sweet and refreshing. When I think of our family, I think of all of us as having had a good life, a profitable life. But when I stopped to think recently of each of your experiences in life until now, I realized there were many difficult things that happened - the lemons of life. And yet in each case you have been resilient and resourceful - you have turned the lemons of life into sweet, refreshing lemonade.
Cheryl and Darrell, in the beginning of your marriage you were so happy to be expecting a child - a little baby girl. But that child did not mature fully, she was born before her time. I think she might have lived a few hours even, but then with much sorrow you saw her life end and buried her there in New Jersey. This was one of those lemon experiences. But you did not allow it to sour you - you went on to finish your home service and went to Lebanon and started a new life there. Again you were expecting, a boy this time, and he was born amid the worst bombing session of the war in Beirut. You never gave up through that war season but moved to J'Bail in the north and even there the war found you. I well remember visiting the small, dark tunnel room that was your bunker when the bombs came there too. You had to leave the port there in an open boat, Cheryl with Rachel and later Darrell with the boys, amidst the shelling. You were all sent back to the States, and who would have blamed you for giving up at that point, but instead you persevered, and have become the pioneers and apostles for the Lord in the Middle East and now in North Africa. Your stories of hard and even dangerous situations could fill a couple of books, but you didn't give up - you made lemonade and have been a refreshing presence in the Arab world. We look forward to being with you soon in Tunis - another world for you to conquer!
Steve and Debbi, you too have had your share of lemon experiences. You were stationed in the most primitive situation of any worker in recent years in Burkina. But you made an oasis for your family and for others in that red stone house, complete with its insects and snakes, etc. And you pioneered the work among the large Dafing tribe, learning their unwritten language. Today there is a church and pastors in their area, thanks to your making a life and ministry out of a very difficult situation.
When Daniel was a teenager and needed his parents near him in the States, again you had to leave your work and make a new life for yourself. You had to drop your calling to Africa, take secular jobs of teaching and office work and make a life for your family in this country. That was a hard situation, but you endured and God rewarded you with a new and different ministry in Africa. You started out among an indigenous people in the bush country and now work among the very high classes in the capital city. God has given you both so many gifts, and through hard times and good times you have used those gifts and accepted the difficult situations - those lemons of life. You too have brought refreshing to many people in West Africa, in Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
Joel and Elin, after your up and down friendship and courtship in college and seminary, God led you to marry and begin ministry together in Côte d'Ivoire. In both Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, God has led you to break into the upper class of people in those countries with the Gospel. It always amazed us to visit you and to meet so many interesting people - your friends, many of whom eventually came to Christ. Then along came the "lemons"of your life, schogren's disease. This has been a disability often in your daily life, Elin, and you had to have special treatment in the US. But again you have persevered and learned to live with your disability and minister to the people God brings into your lives. We admire you for that. The contacts he has given you and continues to give to you as a couple are amazing. You continue to make lemonade out of the lemons of sickness that are a part of your life.
John, you started out as an amazing child with such a positive attitude. We knew God had something special for you in your journey. He brought Jennie into your life, and as you started life together you had some hard times. Not much money, the failure of the hotel in Puerto Rico. I remember you and Jennie returning to Georgia from PR and you were staying with us for a few days. You were in the bedroom and Jennie said, "Mom and Dad, please go and talk to John - he feels like he is a failure." And we reassured you and loved you both through that situation and rejoiced to see you come out of that whole diffcult period of your life - your lemons - and make a good life here. During those long weeks of cancer with Jennie, that was certainly a season of being handed lemons. And again God brought you - and all of us - through that time of sorrowing. We still miss Jennie, but rejoice that she is with Jesus. You have had other rough times as well, and yet through all of them you have brought joy and refreshing to many people. And continue to do so.
Mark, our shy little son has become a successful business man, a good husband and an outstanding father and we are proud of you too. You could not have done it all alone - God gave you Katy, our lovely resourceful daughter-in-law, whom we admire tremendously. Your worked your way through college, going to school nights and working days. And for a long time you worked in a Brazilian company. We remember your taking us to visit the company where you showed us where you began in the big warehouse....and then proudly took us to your own office, with your own desk. But it was not long before you realized that you would never advance further in that company as you were not Brazilian! And so you took the "lemons" of that experience and planned your way out. And you joined your current company, being promoted all the way to head office. What a journey! You had to move, even though you both loved Georgia. And again, you have adjusted and made a good life far from what you had always known as home in your married life. Again making lemons into lemonade!
Dad and I have had a happy, fulfilling life and still do. You children and your children and those children's children are all a delight to us. And yet we too have had some "lemon" experiences in our lives occasionally. Dad had several years of being field director in both Mali and Burkina and also in Burkina alone. The last year he was director in Bobo, when the vote came for the director, Dad could not get the majority he needed. Actually, Dad held that title lightly, but was willing to serve if he was voted in. Finally after a couple more rounds and no majority (I think it was two thirds) he withdrew his name. Some complained, but we both felt it the right way to go. (We later found out that the reason some would not vote for him is they did not like the young men who worked for him) Dad has always discipled young boys and men and continued to do this in the office and this was evidently not appreciated by some. But again this became a liberating experience for us. We no longer had the burdens of the office and the demands of everyone. We had more time for ministry among the people and that is what we really liked. We lived in Bobo one more year and then moved to Ouaga where we participated in the planting of that first Ouaga church. And so the "lemon experience" of the conference vote became a blessing in disguise and our lives were a refreshing drink for many.
It has been such a delight to us through the years to see you all developing in the right way and being a blessing to so many. Our prayer is that your lives - and ours - may be a refreshing drink to many around us who need it.
Cheryl and Darrell, in the beginning of your marriage you were so happy to be expecting a child - a little baby girl. But that child did not mature fully, she was born before her time. I think she might have lived a few hours even, but then with much sorrow you saw her life end and buried her there in New Jersey. This was one of those lemon experiences. But you did not allow it to sour you - you went on to finish your home service and went to Lebanon and started a new life there. Again you were expecting, a boy this time, and he was born amid the worst bombing session of the war in Beirut. You never gave up through that war season but moved to J'Bail in the north and even there the war found you. I well remember visiting the small, dark tunnel room that was your bunker when the bombs came there too. You had to leave the port there in an open boat, Cheryl with Rachel and later Darrell with the boys, amidst the shelling. You were all sent back to the States, and who would have blamed you for giving up at that point, but instead you persevered, and have become the pioneers and apostles for the Lord in the Middle East and now in North Africa. Your stories of hard and even dangerous situations could fill a couple of books, but you didn't give up - you made lemonade and have been a refreshing presence in the Arab world. We look forward to being with you soon in Tunis - another world for you to conquer!
Steve and Debbi, you too have had your share of lemon experiences. You were stationed in the most primitive situation of any worker in recent years in Burkina. But you made an oasis for your family and for others in that red stone house, complete with its insects and snakes, etc. And you pioneered the work among the large Dafing tribe, learning their unwritten language. Today there is a church and pastors in their area, thanks to your making a life and ministry out of a very difficult situation.
When Daniel was a teenager and needed his parents near him in the States, again you had to leave your work and make a new life for yourself. You had to drop your calling to Africa, take secular jobs of teaching and office work and make a life for your family in this country. That was a hard situation, but you endured and God rewarded you with a new and different ministry in Africa. You started out among an indigenous people in the bush country and now work among the very high classes in the capital city. God has given you both so many gifts, and through hard times and good times you have used those gifts and accepted the difficult situations - those lemons of life. You too have brought refreshing to many people in West Africa, in Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
Joel and Elin, after your up and down friendship and courtship in college and seminary, God led you to marry and begin ministry together in Côte d'Ivoire. In both Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, God has led you to break into the upper class of people in those countries with the Gospel. It always amazed us to visit you and to meet so many interesting people - your friends, many of whom eventually came to Christ. Then along came the "lemons"of your life, schogren's disease. This has been a disability often in your daily life, Elin, and you had to have special treatment in the US. But again you have persevered and learned to live with your disability and minister to the people God brings into your lives. We admire you for that. The contacts he has given you and continues to give to you as a couple are amazing. You continue to make lemonade out of the lemons of sickness that are a part of your life.
John, you started out as an amazing child with such a positive attitude. We knew God had something special for you in your journey. He brought Jennie into your life, and as you started life together you had some hard times. Not much money, the failure of the hotel in Puerto Rico. I remember you and Jennie returning to Georgia from PR and you were staying with us for a few days. You were in the bedroom and Jennie said, "Mom and Dad, please go and talk to John - he feels like he is a failure." And we reassured you and loved you both through that situation and rejoiced to see you come out of that whole diffcult period of your life - your lemons - and make a good life here. During those long weeks of cancer with Jennie, that was certainly a season of being handed lemons. And again God brought you - and all of us - through that time of sorrowing. We still miss Jennie, but rejoice that she is with Jesus. You have had other rough times as well, and yet through all of them you have brought joy and refreshing to many people. And continue to do so.
Mark, our shy little son has become a successful business man, a good husband and an outstanding father and we are proud of you too. You could not have done it all alone - God gave you Katy, our lovely resourceful daughter-in-law, whom we admire tremendously. Your worked your way through college, going to school nights and working days. And for a long time you worked in a Brazilian company. We remember your taking us to visit the company where you showed us where you began in the big warehouse....and then proudly took us to your own office, with your own desk. But it was not long before you realized that you would never advance further in that company as you were not Brazilian! And so you took the "lemons" of that experience and planned your way out. And you joined your current company, being promoted all the way to head office. What a journey! You had to move, even though you both loved Georgia. And again, you have adjusted and made a good life far from what you had always known as home in your married life. Again making lemons into lemonade!
Dad and I have had a happy, fulfilling life and still do. You children and your children and those children's children are all a delight to us. And yet we too have had some "lemon" experiences in our lives occasionally. Dad had several years of being field director in both Mali and Burkina and also in Burkina alone. The last year he was director in Bobo, when the vote came for the director, Dad could not get the majority he needed. Actually, Dad held that title lightly, but was willing to serve if he was voted in. Finally after a couple more rounds and no majority (I think it was two thirds) he withdrew his name. Some complained, but we both felt it the right way to go. (We later found out that the reason some would not vote for him is they did not like the young men who worked for him) Dad has always discipled young boys and men and continued to do this in the office and this was evidently not appreciated by some. But again this became a liberating experience for us. We no longer had the burdens of the office and the demands of everyone. We had more time for ministry among the people and that is what we really liked. We lived in Bobo one more year and then moved to Ouaga where we participated in the planting of that first Ouaga church. And so the "lemon experience" of the conference vote became a blessing in disguise and our lives were a refreshing drink for many.
It has been such a delight to us through the years to see you all developing in the right way and being a blessing to so many. Our prayer is that your lives - and ours - may be a refreshing drink to many around us who need it.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Staying in touch ...............................................................
Perhaps you sometimes get tired of my writing to you all so often, but I have lived my earlier life through a time when it was not possible to keep in touch with people. If we were living in the same place, we would be communicating, and so often I feel like just writing you a few lines in order to stay in touch.
Communications have changed so drastically during my lifetime. I know I have told you that my mother never heard of the death of her parents until weeks after they occured, and the news was brought by a note sent to Koutiala and carried by Malien runner who went to get our mail every couple of weeks. She mourned alone there in that Malien village of Baramba, no possiblility of trips to the States in those days! What a contrast to today when we have SKYPE and phone calls and quick mail delivery and email and Facebook! It is not hard to stay in touch, and yet I often talk to older folks in our community here, who really have very little contact with their kids who live overseas or even in this country. They are just not communicators. I am so thankful for every communication we receive from each of you, so keep them coming. It seems to me a tragedy when families grow so far apart from each other, simply through lack of communication of any kind.
Prayer has always been a kind of communication in our family also, and how thankful we are for that. Every morning Dad and I pray for every single member of our family by name, as we pray together. Often at night, if I am wakeful, I resort to praying for you - and sometimes fall asleep in the middle of the list! You learned to pray when you were very small, and this is a great link of communication for all of us.
My only communication with my parents during the years they were in Africa and I in College in the U.S., was a once a week air letter from them. I always knew that that letter would be in my mailbox one day each week. There was not a lot of news for them to write about and it was always a family joke with my brother and sister and me, that Mom would usually have a couple of menus of meals she had cooked for Dad that week. After all, she had to fill up that space with something! The letter was always just one thin air sheet, typed on one side - that was all that could be sent for the airmail rate. And it was the sum total of the news I had from them during four years - that weekly letter. I too wrote to them and I doubt if my news was much more interesting. My life was lived very much apart from my parents my four years at Houghton College, but we did have that once a week link between us which helped us to know each other a bit. Sometimes I wish I had kept some of those old letters - but what with moving so much in my lifetime, things like that never got saved.
Phone calls were few and far between when you kids were in the States and we overseas. Again, the cost was prohibitive. But when one of you did call, we basked in the good feeling of that phone call for days afterwards! Now that we are living here in the States - and you all are living all over the US and the world - we cherish every phone call, SKYPE call, email and FB entry. We appreciate all of you so much and love the way all of you are committed to "keeping in touch".
Amazing really, considering the many years we have lived apart from each other, how close we all are as a family. We know families here who seldom hear from their kids - even here in the US. And yet a week seldom goes by that we do not have some kind of communication from each of you. We try to keep up our end of that communication also. Communication is the cement that hold families together, it seems to me.
During these years as a family, some communications stand out over others: Cheryl' s unexpected appendectomy, the birth of a new grandchild, Nathan's birth in the midst of bursting bombs in Lebanon, Elin getting engaged to Joel, John's call in the night that Jennie had gone on ahead to Heaven, Mark calling to invite us for Christmas in CT, your conference call recently telling us about the trip you had together planned for us this month in Africa! You are all such thoughtful people and we love and appreciate you so much. Thanks to each of you for keeping in touch!
Communications have changed so drastically during my lifetime. I know I have told you that my mother never heard of the death of her parents until weeks after they occured, and the news was brought by a note sent to Koutiala and carried by Malien runner who went to get our mail every couple of weeks. She mourned alone there in that Malien village of Baramba, no possiblility of trips to the States in those days! What a contrast to today when we have SKYPE and phone calls and quick mail delivery and email and Facebook! It is not hard to stay in touch, and yet I often talk to older folks in our community here, who really have very little contact with their kids who live overseas or even in this country. They are just not communicators. I am so thankful for every communication we receive from each of you, so keep them coming. It seems to me a tragedy when families grow so far apart from each other, simply through lack of communication of any kind.
Prayer has always been a kind of communication in our family also, and how thankful we are for that. Every morning Dad and I pray for every single member of our family by name, as we pray together. Often at night, if I am wakeful, I resort to praying for you - and sometimes fall asleep in the middle of the list! You learned to pray when you were very small, and this is a great link of communication for all of us.
My only communication with my parents during the years they were in Africa and I in College in the U.S., was a once a week air letter from them. I always knew that that letter would be in my mailbox one day each week. There was not a lot of news for them to write about and it was always a family joke with my brother and sister and me, that Mom would usually have a couple of menus of meals she had cooked for Dad that week. After all, she had to fill up that space with something! The letter was always just one thin air sheet, typed on one side - that was all that could be sent for the airmail rate. And it was the sum total of the news I had from them during four years - that weekly letter. I too wrote to them and I doubt if my news was much more interesting. My life was lived very much apart from my parents my four years at Houghton College, but we did have that once a week link between us which helped us to know each other a bit. Sometimes I wish I had kept some of those old letters - but what with moving so much in my lifetime, things like that never got saved.
Phone calls were few and far between when you kids were in the States and we overseas. Again, the cost was prohibitive. But when one of you did call, we basked in the good feeling of that phone call for days afterwards! Now that we are living here in the States - and you all are living all over the US and the world - we cherish every phone call, SKYPE call, email and FB entry. We appreciate all of you so much and love the way all of you are committed to "keeping in touch".
Amazing really, considering the many years we have lived apart from each other, how close we all are as a family. We know families here who seldom hear from their kids - even here in the US. And yet a week seldom goes by that we do not have some kind of communication from each of you. We try to keep up our end of that communication also. Communication is the cement that hold families together, it seems to me.
During these years as a family, some communications stand out over others: Cheryl' s unexpected appendectomy, the birth of a new grandchild, Nathan's birth in the midst of bursting bombs in Lebanon, Elin getting engaged to Joel, John's call in the night that Jennie had gone on ahead to Heaven, Mark calling to invite us for Christmas in CT, your conference call recently telling us about the trip you had together planned for us this month in Africa! You are all such thoughtful people and we love and appreciate you so much. Thanks to each of you for keeping in touch!
Monday, January 9, 2012
ANTICIPATION................................................................................
Anticipation is one of the "spices of life" I think. If life gets a bit humdrum at times, it is good to have something to look forward to. At this point in our lives, we do not have time to feel like life is humdrum. Every day seems to bring its share of special things to do and sometimes excitement. What we look forward to is an occasional day when we do not have to follow anyone else's schedule and just do our own thing. We do not get bored - there is always someone to call or to receive calls, some errand to run, letters to write and receive, people stopping by, etc. Each week we look forward to jail ministry and to AWANA and church all day Sunday and Alliance Women and/or men's breakfasts, and the list goes on.... And of course we are always anticipating with joy a letter or phone call from any of you kids and our grandchildren. Someone just called and invited us over for breakfast tomorrow morning. We love having our small group each week, which begins again next Monday.
We often hear the comment from friends and observers, "You are the youngest (most involved, active, etc.) old people we have ever met! We have kind of gotten a reputation for that here in Toccoa among people who know us. People cannot believe Dad is actually 83 and still doing things like subbing at the high school - as he is today! Part of what has kept us happy and (usually) healthy is, I think, anticipating all the good things and situations God brings out way each week! Without anticipation in our lives, life might get dreary and boring.
From childhood, I have been part of a "moving" family. And we kids were full of anticipation ahead of time for each new thing that was happening in our lives. We were not "static" people, and no doubt you remember from your childhood all the things we looked forward to and talked about ahead of time when you were children. Anticipation in a child - or an adult - seems to give good emotional health, in my experience. If you never have anything to look forward to, your life can soon become dreary.
Remember how you used to look forward to the bush trips we took. You kids loved those more than I did. You loved having a new set of friends in each village where we visited. For me, those bush trips were necessary and I loved the people and meetings and classes - but could have done without the dirt and dust in those busy villages where we worked!
Remember how you looked forward to a day at the Guinguette? And it was really a memory when we went and camped out with other firends and family for a week or more. Holidays and birthdays were also full of anticipation beforehand. When you were away at boarding school, you were full of anticipation for the visits we made at the school to take you out for the weekend. Sometimes Albrights, Kennedys and we all went at the same time and had great times together as family. You looked forward to the fun things we did and the special foods we would make. I usually had brought a large tupperware full of Yusufu's homemade potato chips - which you all loved!
You also counted the days before coming home for vacation from ICA! And we were full of anticipation as we waited for the train to pull in to the station and you were all aboard. Going back to school again after vacation had the anticipation of seeing friends there again - but that was a bit overshadowed by the regimented life you faced.
We were all full of anticipation when furlough (Home Assignment) time was getting near. There was the plane trip to enjoy and a new home for a year, returning to the Nyack School system and furlough friends, the visits to relatives and Grandma Pierce's pretty house and swimming pool. The down side of furlough was Dad's being on tour for so many weeks, but we all survived! Dad wrote me every single day of tour, and I anticipated that letter being in the mailbox each afternoon! By the end of a year, we were anticipating getting back to Africa again, which was our real home.
Then as you grew and finished school, there was the anticipation of College and meeting your life mates. There were the weddings and later the births of our grandchildren - all giving us much anticipation beforehand and joy as they happened. Now the family is growing older and a new generation is bringing new anticipation in our lives! Mates for your children and our grandchildren have given us much delight. Now those grandchildren are beginning to produce a new generation as the family expands.
And even in our old age, we continue to have events which we anticipate with joy and expectancy. Each week we look forward to ministry in AWANA and the jail. We were blessed this past week with having missionary friends from Mexico in for a meal and tomorrow Uncle Dave and Aunt Margot are coming for his birthday. And above all, we have the special anticipation that is building as we make our wonderful trip back to Burkina and to Tunisia, thanks to all of you!
So instead of moaning about growing older, we accept life as it comes and enjoy every day, and of course at the end of our life, there is always the greatest anticipation of all - HEAVEN!
We often hear the comment from friends and observers, "You are the youngest (most involved, active, etc.) old people we have ever met! We have kind of gotten a reputation for that here in Toccoa among people who know us. People cannot believe Dad is actually 83 and still doing things like subbing at the high school - as he is today! Part of what has kept us happy and (usually) healthy is, I think, anticipating all the good things and situations God brings out way each week! Without anticipation in our lives, life might get dreary and boring.
From childhood, I have been part of a "moving" family. And we kids were full of anticipation ahead of time for each new thing that was happening in our lives. We were not "static" people, and no doubt you remember from your childhood all the things we looked forward to and talked about ahead of time when you were children. Anticipation in a child - or an adult - seems to give good emotional health, in my experience. If you never have anything to look forward to, your life can soon become dreary.
Remember how you used to look forward to the bush trips we took. You kids loved those more than I did. You loved having a new set of friends in each village where we visited. For me, those bush trips were necessary and I loved the people and meetings and classes - but could have done without the dirt and dust in those busy villages where we worked!
Remember how you looked forward to a day at the Guinguette? And it was really a memory when we went and camped out with other firends and family for a week or more. Holidays and birthdays were also full of anticipation beforehand. When you were away at boarding school, you were full of anticipation for the visits we made at the school to take you out for the weekend. Sometimes Albrights, Kennedys and we all went at the same time and had great times together as family. You looked forward to the fun things we did and the special foods we would make. I usually had brought a large tupperware full of Yusufu's homemade potato chips - which you all loved!
You also counted the days before coming home for vacation from ICA! And we were full of anticipation as we waited for the train to pull in to the station and you were all aboard. Going back to school again after vacation had the anticipation of seeing friends there again - but that was a bit overshadowed by the regimented life you faced.
We were all full of anticipation when furlough (Home Assignment) time was getting near. There was the plane trip to enjoy and a new home for a year, returning to the Nyack School system and furlough friends, the visits to relatives and Grandma Pierce's pretty house and swimming pool. The down side of furlough was Dad's being on tour for so many weeks, but we all survived! Dad wrote me every single day of tour, and I anticipated that letter being in the mailbox each afternoon! By the end of a year, we were anticipating getting back to Africa again, which was our real home.
Then as you grew and finished school, there was the anticipation of College and meeting your life mates. There were the weddings and later the births of our grandchildren - all giving us much anticipation beforehand and joy as they happened. Now the family is growing older and a new generation is bringing new anticipation in our lives! Mates for your children and our grandchildren have given us much delight. Now those grandchildren are beginning to produce a new generation as the family expands.
And even in our old age, we continue to have events which we anticipate with joy and expectancy. Each week we look forward to ministry in AWANA and the jail. We were blessed this past week with having missionary friends from Mexico in for a meal and tomorrow Uncle Dave and Aunt Margot are coming for his birthday. And above all, we have the special anticipation that is building as we make our wonderful trip back to Burkina and to Tunisia, thanks to all of you!
So instead of moaning about growing older, we accept life as it comes and enjoy every day, and of course at the end of our life, there is always the greatest anticipation of all - HEAVEN!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
THE BLESSINGS OF LIFE'S STAGES ....................................
We had a wonderful and very blessed Christmas week with Mark and Katy and family plus John. Elizabeth and Chris also came to visit which was so special. Since I was not involved in doing much but enjoy grandchildren and watch them in their activities, I had lots of time to reflect on the special blessings of family - our family.
I remembered when Milt and I were just the two of us on our first Christmas, and then what fun it was to have Cheryl as a baby of six months the next Christmas in our marriage. The baby stage of our children is one to be cherished - it lasts such a short time and is filled with such love and wonder on the part of both parents and children. By the third Christmas of our marriage, we had another baby and our toddler. This added to our family joy and Christmas fun. Christmas in Burkina was different from the States, but always enjoyable with large crowds of people in our mission yard for the annual Christmas conference. We all participated in that also.
And so it has gone through the Christmases of our marriage - first, as each of our children joined us and then as one by one those children grew and married and produced children of their own - who are also part of us. And now at this stage of our lives those children's children are producing more babies - our GREAT grandchildren!
Each stage is special - babyhood, childhood, young adulthood, courtship and marriage, new marriages which in turn produce children....and then the process continues. What a delight it was when Sarah came to visit in Toccoa bringing her precious Levi, our first great gransbaby. What a beautiful child! And how precious it was to hold him and hug him and watch his smile and hear his infectious giggle.
As I sat in that comfortable Pierce home in Connecticut, surrounded by our wonderful family, I reflected on each stage of family and how full of life each stage is: babyhood, toddler years, growing children, teenagers, college students, the choosing of lifetime mates, marriage, more children - a lifelong cycle which constantly is repeating itself in the world. And what a special privilege to be a part of this cycle within a Christian family like ours. We are indeed blessed.
Duriung our Christmas celebrations in Connecticut, we were a part of the many phases of family life - our grown sons, beautiful Katy, our daughter-in-law, growing children with their bursts of energy and fun, a visit from Elizabeth, our college graduate, with her friend, Chris, and phone calls from several parts of Africa from grown children! As I reflected on all of this abundance of family, I felt so blessed by God, who from the beginning established us in families.
It was a fun week together and now we are returned to our comfortable Georgia home, just Dad and me, with local friends and work to do here. But the blessing and fragrance of the presence of family lingers on from that wonderful visit in Connecticut. Thank you, Mark and Katy!!
I remembered when Milt and I were just the two of us on our first Christmas, and then what fun it was to have Cheryl as a baby of six months the next Christmas in our marriage. The baby stage of our children is one to be cherished - it lasts such a short time and is filled with such love and wonder on the part of both parents and children. By the third Christmas of our marriage, we had another baby and our toddler. This added to our family joy and Christmas fun. Christmas in Burkina was different from the States, but always enjoyable with large crowds of people in our mission yard for the annual Christmas conference. We all participated in that also.
And so it has gone through the Christmases of our marriage - first, as each of our children joined us and then as one by one those children grew and married and produced children of their own - who are also part of us. And now at this stage of our lives those children's children are producing more babies - our GREAT grandchildren!
Each stage is special - babyhood, childhood, young adulthood, courtship and marriage, new marriages which in turn produce children....and then the process continues. What a delight it was when Sarah came to visit in Toccoa bringing her precious Levi, our first great gransbaby. What a beautiful child! And how precious it was to hold him and hug him and watch his smile and hear his infectious giggle.
As I sat in that comfortable Pierce home in Connecticut, surrounded by our wonderful family, I reflected on each stage of family and how full of life each stage is: babyhood, toddler years, growing children, teenagers, college students, the choosing of lifetime mates, marriage, more children - a lifelong cycle which constantly is repeating itself in the world. And what a special privilege to be a part of this cycle within a Christian family like ours. We are indeed blessed.
Duriung our Christmas celebrations in Connecticut, we were a part of the many phases of family life - our grown sons, beautiful Katy, our daughter-in-law, growing children with their bursts of energy and fun, a visit from Elizabeth, our college graduate, with her friend, Chris, and phone calls from several parts of Africa from grown children! As I reflected on all of this abundance of family, I felt so blessed by God, who from the beginning established us in families.
It was a fun week together and now we are returned to our comfortable Georgia home, just Dad and me, with local friends and work to do here. But the blessing and fragrance of the presence of family lingers on from that wonderful visit in Connecticut. Thank you, Mark and Katy!!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
HAVE PASSPORT- WILL TRAVEL............................................
Travel has always been a part of me. I guess I came by it naturally, as my Dad loved to be on the go. Not my Mom, she loved to stay at home. But not Dad. Mention a trip to take, and he was the first to be there! And I am sort of like that too. Right now we have tickets for two trips - one to Connectivut for a family Christmas and another to Africa for a nostalgic visit to Burkina and a new country, Tunisia. If anticipation helps to keep you young, we will live forever! God has brought so many wonderful things into our lives already, and more are to come - as He allows us to remain on this earth.
I of course travelled extensively with my parents by car and train and ship, never by plane in those days. And my parents continued to be the reason for much of our travel right up to the time they went to be with the Lord. They moved so many times - Pennsylvania and various places in Florida and finally back to Pennsylvania and then to Colorado Springs. And of course visiting them in all those places was a priority for us when we were in the States.
Dad and I started out our life together travelling as we made that six weeks honeymoon tour through Europe and the Middle East! I think that was Dad's first passport, but I had travelled with my parents and had my own passport when I was young. I have written already about that memorable trip - not evereyone can have a six weeks honeymoon in Egypt and Paris and Switzerland and such places! We traveled by plane and bus and car and even by camel at the Pyramids in Egypt and a river boat on the Nile River. Such great memories!
We travelled for years on missionary tours here in the States, in Canada and in Puerto Rico. We went by air or by car and saw some amazing scenery and met many wonderful people as we travelled for Alliance missionary promotion. One of our fun tours was after we retired and just before I had my brain problems, Dad and I were sent to California. We flew out and started out in Los Angeles, then were sent by train down the coast to San Diego. That was such a fun trip sitting in a comfortable train seat and riding right alongside the Pacific Ocean all the way down the coast.
Twice we made the trip by car clear across the United States from New York to California. When Uncle Jim and Aunt Donna were living in San Francisco, we got on route 80 and drove right across the country on that route, ending up at a big bridge in California. When we were travelling through rugged and mountainous country sometimes, we would think back to those early pioneers in our country and all they went through traversing the States in their rickety wagons drawn by horses! We made that cross country trip twice by car.
Soon after we retired, we were asked by Bob Fetherlin to do a job for the Alliance at national office and so we flew out there and spent a couple weeks clearing out files for them. We were asked not to talk to anyone else about the content of any files we found - and there were some very interesting ones - and so it was an unusual job. Every morning we would leave Kennedys (where we stayed) and spend the entire day at the office. We had to clear out all the old files of missionaries, some of whom were long dead! There were travel papers and all medical records and copies of letters, etc. As I remember, we filled fifty six of those large garbage bags with paper that were taken to be burned! In some ways it was a tedious job but in other ways interesting and it made us think of many friends whom we had in Alliance missions all over the world.
The trip to Nyack College with the Mark and John Pierces, by plane, was also fun when we were asked to go to ATS to be honored with doctorates of divinity for our missionary work. That was a fun surprise. The Pierce children were small and such good travelers. We rented a van at the airport in NY and drove to Nyack where we joined the Phenicies at the College. More recently we were asked to go to Nyack College once again for Dad to be honored as alumnus of the year, and again Nyack picked up the tab for travel and place to stay. Again it was a family affair as we were joined by John and Mark and family. And had the added delight of seeing Elizabeth and meeting Chris. Just the year before we were all at Nyack for the dedication of the Cheryl Phenicie School of Nursing and then a memory lane trip up to the old Pierce family homes in Connecticut.
Carlisle was our destination for many trips, both to see Grandpa and Grandma when they lived there, and then later to visit Grandma Kennedy. Every three months or so we would head for PA. and Carlisle to see Grandma. We were so thankful for the good care she got there. Each time we would take her out to a restaurant to eat as a treat, and she loved that, We would have to take her wheelchair, but it was worth it to get her out in town and the fresh air. But that became harder for her, and since she did not live in the side of Carlisle where they have a nice dining room, we would take her there to eat. It gave her a chance to see old friends and also helped her to eat what she needed , as she had no teeth to chew by then. We got to know Carlisle well in those years. Our dear friends, Mac and Helen Sawyer, were such a blessing in those days as they had a lovely guest room and bath where we could stay with them and enjoy their company.
A year ago we took a long trip from here to Florida, stopping to see several friends along the way. Ending up down in Ft. Myers with Tim and Ruth. That was almost our last trip as Dad fell asleep at the wheel one morning (he has never done that before!) and I screamed and saved the day in wakening him and we got back on track, after a few shaken moments sitting by the road!!
They say anticipation prolongs life, and we should live a little longer with the anticipation of some fun trips in the next couple of months. First to Connecticut for Christmas with Mark and Katy and our four youngest darlings plus John. That is next week and we look forward to that, plus seeing Elizabeth and Chris for one day! And then our wonderful February-March trip to Africa is still ahead of us! How blessed we are, and how grateful we are to all you kids who take such great care of us - even from a distance!
So travel will no doubt continue to be part of our life. We are both glad to be well and able to continue a normal life - whether here in Toccoa or on the road or in the air!
I of course travelled extensively with my parents by car and train and ship, never by plane in those days. And my parents continued to be the reason for much of our travel right up to the time they went to be with the Lord. They moved so many times - Pennsylvania and various places in Florida and finally back to Pennsylvania and then to Colorado Springs. And of course visiting them in all those places was a priority for us when we were in the States.
Dad and I started out our life together travelling as we made that six weeks honeymoon tour through Europe and the Middle East! I think that was Dad's first passport, but I had travelled with my parents and had my own passport when I was young. I have written already about that memorable trip - not evereyone can have a six weeks honeymoon in Egypt and Paris and Switzerland and such places! We traveled by plane and bus and car and even by camel at the Pyramids in Egypt and a river boat on the Nile River. Such great memories!
We travelled for years on missionary tours here in the States, in Canada and in Puerto Rico. We went by air or by car and saw some amazing scenery and met many wonderful people as we travelled for Alliance missionary promotion. One of our fun tours was after we retired and just before I had my brain problems, Dad and I were sent to California. We flew out and started out in Los Angeles, then were sent by train down the coast to San Diego. That was such a fun trip sitting in a comfortable train seat and riding right alongside the Pacific Ocean all the way down the coast.
Twice we made the trip by car clear across the United States from New York to California. When Uncle Jim and Aunt Donna were living in San Francisco, we got on route 80 and drove right across the country on that route, ending up at a big bridge in California. When we were travelling through rugged and mountainous country sometimes, we would think back to those early pioneers in our country and all they went through traversing the States in their rickety wagons drawn by horses! We made that cross country trip twice by car.
Soon after we retired, we were asked by Bob Fetherlin to do a job for the Alliance at national office and so we flew out there and spent a couple weeks clearing out files for them. We were asked not to talk to anyone else about the content of any files we found - and there were some very interesting ones - and so it was an unusual job. Every morning we would leave Kennedys (where we stayed) and spend the entire day at the office. We had to clear out all the old files of missionaries, some of whom were long dead! There were travel papers and all medical records and copies of letters, etc. As I remember, we filled fifty six of those large garbage bags with paper that were taken to be burned! In some ways it was a tedious job but in other ways interesting and it made us think of many friends whom we had in Alliance missions all over the world.
The trip to Nyack College with the Mark and John Pierces, by plane, was also fun when we were asked to go to ATS to be honored with doctorates of divinity for our missionary work. That was a fun surprise. The Pierce children were small and such good travelers. We rented a van at the airport in NY and drove to Nyack where we joined the Phenicies at the College. More recently we were asked to go to Nyack College once again for Dad to be honored as alumnus of the year, and again Nyack picked up the tab for travel and place to stay. Again it was a family affair as we were joined by John and Mark and family. And had the added delight of seeing Elizabeth and meeting Chris. Just the year before we were all at Nyack for the dedication of the Cheryl Phenicie School of Nursing and then a memory lane trip up to the old Pierce family homes in Connecticut.
Carlisle was our destination for many trips, both to see Grandpa and Grandma when they lived there, and then later to visit Grandma Kennedy. Every three months or so we would head for PA. and Carlisle to see Grandma. We were so thankful for the good care she got there. Each time we would take her out to a restaurant to eat as a treat, and she loved that, We would have to take her wheelchair, but it was worth it to get her out in town and the fresh air. But that became harder for her, and since she did not live in the side of Carlisle where they have a nice dining room, we would take her there to eat. It gave her a chance to see old friends and also helped her to eat what she needed , as she had no teeth to chew by then. We got to know Carlisle well in those years. Our dear friends, Mac and Helen Sawyer, were such a blessing in those days as they had a lovely guest room and bath where we could stay with them and enjoy their company.
A year ago we took a long trip from here to Florida, stopping to see several friends along the way. Ending up down in Ft. Myers with Tim and Ruth. That was almost our last trip as Dad fell asleep at the wheel one morning (he has never done that before!) and I screamed and saved the day in wakening him and we got back on track, after a few shaken moments sitting by the road!!
They say anticipation prolongs life, and we should live a little longer with the anticipation of some fun trips in the next couple of months. First to Connecticut for Christmas with Mark and Katy and our four youngest darlings plus John. That is next week and we look forward to that, plus seeing Elizabeth and Chris for one day! And then our wonderful February-March trip to Africa is still ahead of us! How blessed we are, and how grateful we are to all you kids who take such great care of us - even from a distance!
So travel will no doubt continue to be part of our life. We are both glad to be well and able to continue a normal life - whether here in Toccoa or on the road or in the air!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
CULTURE SHOCK .....................................................
People have always talked about - and experienced - what they call "culture shock" when they go to live in another country. I never had that expeience going to Africa. Even though I had been living for some years of my education and early marriage in the United States before we went to Africa, once we got to our village in Africa, I was content as can be. Loved the little village, the scantily dressed people, the heavy rains and the sameness of the weather every season. I was not bothered by hearing another language, as everyone spoke Jula to me and I could do that..... I think often Dad must have wondered how on earth I could be so content in that small village with no mod cons, as everything was so strange to him! He knew no language , the people were so poor and lived in extremely extenuating circumstances (from his viewpoint) and he was supposed to live here and be happy for the rest of his life??? No way! But you know how quickly and well Dad adapted and loved his long life in Burkina Faso.
More recently here in the States I have been going through what I finally recognized as culture shock!! Not just the fact of coming back to live permanently here in the USA - although that too has been difficult! But in these past months being associated with a totally different people from any I ever knew in my lifetime. This group of people is those associated with our jail ministry. It almost seems to me like they come from a different planet. There are areas in Toccoa - and Dad seems to know them all! - where unshaven, unkempt people roam the streets or stumble through the piles of refuse to get into their houses. Years of abusing their bodies through drugs and improper eating habits has taken its toll on their looks. Their hair is brittle and stringy; they have few, stained teeth in their mouths; often their clothes are baggy and need to be washed.
If you visit in their homes, they are heavy with cigarette - or drugs - residue smoke, Dirty dishes abound in the kitchen sink. The chair cushions are not clean. It is difficult to walk through the yard to get to the side door as the refuse is so deep. There is an overlaying odor over everything in the house. And there is usually a very large screen TV blaring at any time you choose to visit. Which they seldom turn off, so you have to listen and talk above the noise!
Sometimes I say to Dad, "Why do they do this or that - or why can't they change their ways?" And his answer is, "They have always lived this way!" When we are invited to a block party by these people, they lavish money on expensive gifts and grill steaks and chops (which we can seldom afford). But this is part of their culture. They will borrow money for a big party, money that they will probably be unable to pay baack any time soon!
When you visit these people in jail - because so many of them seem to end up there - they are the nicest people. Of course, there they all wear the same garb - orange, yellow, green or black stripes, the color signifying the type of crime they have committed. But almost without exception they are just the sweetest people to talk to. They love to sing Gospel songs and to ask questions about the Bible. But some of them are charged with murder, theft, drugs, all kinds of crimes!
Just yesterday we went to court for a girl I have made friends with in jail. They brought the prisoners in first yesterday and there were many of them - only one female and this was my friend, Crystal. We were in court with her one other time recently - her husband wanted to divorce her and this happened right there before our eyes. She has custody of her ten year old daughter. They bring the prisoners in, dressed in their (mostly dirty and unkempt) prison outfits. They are brought in heavily guarded by officers with guns in their belts. They have a hard time walking correctly as they are heavily chained. Their wrists are chained together and they are chained around the waist with the long chain hanging down in back. We were sitting with another friend from our church and Crystal's mother, and Crystal smiled at us as she shuffled to her place beside her public defender, a very nice lady. She has been in jail for most of a year, and so after some admonitions, the judge pardoned her and she went out of the courtroom free!! She was jailed for passing an enormous amount in bad checks. So now she will live in town with her parents and her little girl but she has to find a job (in this bad economy) to pay back the money she stole through the bad checks. And somehow worm her way back into civilization again.
And so I am going through my culture shock a little late in life! But it is real nevertheless. Some days I feel like I am crying on the inside. Other days I can handle it all OK. But I finally realized that this for me is the first culture shock I have ever experienced in all of my long life! And it is not comfortable - yet!
More recently here in the States I have been going through what I finally recognized as culture shock!! Not just the fact of coming back to live permanently here in the USA - although that too has been difficult! But in these past months being associated with a totally different people from any I ever knew in my lifetime. This group of people is those associated with our jail ministry. It almost seems to me like they come from a different planet. There are areas in Toccoa - and Dad seems to know them all! - where unshaven, unkempt people roam the streets or stumble through the piles of refuse to get into their houses. Years of abusing their bodies through drugs and improper eating habits has taken its toll on their looks. Their hair is brittle and stringy; they have few, stained teeth in their mouths; often their clothes are baggy and need to be washed.
If you visit in their homes, they are heavy with cigarette - or drugs - residue smoke, Dirty dishes abound in the kitchen sink. The chair cushions are not clean. It is difficult to walk through the yard to get to the side door as the refuse is so deep. There is an overlaying odor over everything in the house. And there is usually a very large screen TV blaring at any time you choose to visit. Which they seldom turn off, so you have to listen and talk above the noise!
Sometimes I say to Dad, "Why do they do this or that - or why can't they change their ways?" And his answer is, "They have always lived this way!" When we are invited to a block party by these people, they lavish money on expensive gifts and grill steaks and chops (which we can seldom afford). But this is part of their culture. They will borrow money for a big party, money that they will probably be unable to pay baack any time soon!
When you visit these people in jail - because so many of them seem to end up there - they are the nicest people. Of course, there they all wear the same garb - orange, yellow, green or black stripes, the color signifying the type of crime they have committed. But almost without exception they are just the sweetest people to talk to. They love to sing Gospel songs and to ask questions about the Bible. But some of them are charged with murder, theft, drugs, all kinds of crimes!
Just yesterday we went to court for a girl I have made friends with in jail. They brought the prisoners in first yesterday and there were many of them - only one female and this was my friend, Crystal. We were in court with her one other time recently - her husband wanted to divorce her and this happened right there before our eyes. She has custody of her ten year old daughter. They bring the prisoners in, dressed in their (mostly dirty and unkempt) prison outfits. They are brought in heavily guarded by officers with guns in their belts. They have a hard time walking correctly as they are heavily chained. Their wrists are chained together and they are chained around the waist with the long chain hanging down in back. We were sitting with another friend from our church and Crystal's mother, and Crystal smiled at us as she shuffled to her place beside her public defender, a very nice lady. She has been in jail for most of a year, and so after some admonitions, the judge pardoned her and she went out of the courtroom free!! She was jailed for passing an enormous amount in bad checks. So now she will live in town with her parents and her little girl but she has to find a job (in this bad economy) to pay back the money she stole through the bad checks. And somehow worm her way back into civilization again.
And so I am going through my culture shock a little late in life! But it is real nevertheless. Some days I feel like I am crying on the inside. Other days I can handle it all OK. But I finally realized that this for me is the first culture shock I have ever experienced in all of my long life! And it is not comfortable - yet!
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