This is what i've been up to.

painting

catching up on important reading

hanging out with my childhood friend

Feeling the need to share

In January 1990, we got the shock of our lives.
We’d noticed changes in dad for a while. A personality change, headaches, and running into things.
“Why’d you do that dad? It’s right there?”
“I didn’t see it.”

The doctors diagnosed a cancerous brain tumor on the left side of his brain, which they thought had started in his lungs. On the vision center of his brain, it was quickly growing and causing dad to go blind. Dad explained some of what he was going through.
“I can’t see anything.”
He stood with his arms out to the side and began to swing them forward slowly. Finally when they were almost directly in front of him he stopped. “Here. I can see them here.”

As surgery was scheduled, family and friends began to pour into the house offering casseroles, kind words and promises of prayers.

One, my cousin Sherry, took it another step further. She wanted to pray with us. So even thought I thought it was “weird” (but at 13 everything adults do is “weird”) we stood together in a circle and held hands, while Sherry prayed a simple prayer for blessings, strength, healing, and guidance for the doctors.

Short, sweet, simple.

But that simple prayer caught the heart of God.

Later that afternoon I came down from my room and found my dad crying at the dining room table. At first I panicked.

“What’s wrong?!”

He looked up at me. “I can see.”

“What do you mean ‘I can see?’”

He put his arms out to the side again and began to swing them forward slowly. This time he stopped quickly, with his arms still out to the side.

“Here. Now I can see them here.”

I was 13, but that was the first time I understood that God interacted with us,- that prayer wasn’t just throwing up ideas, but someone was listening, and responding. And while I wouldn’t become a Christian for 4 more years, this was the beginning of my relationship with God. I knew the Lord as the God who Sees, and the God who Heals, way before I knew him as the God who Saves.

And while most patients with non-small cell lung cancer will die within 4 months of their diagnosis, my dad survived and lived well for 17 ½ more years.

I am so grateful for that gift of time that was given to my family. He was able to experience graduations, weddings, and grandchildren that the doctors said wouldn’t be seen.

I beleive this is what they call "reverse culture shock"

It's weird being here.
Like, drinking tap water is cool... but there are things that make me feel uneasy.
Like, when did Drew Cary become the host of The Price is Right? SO un-charismatic.
And why is it every motivation to do something fear? I can't turn on the tv or talk to someone with out getting hit with a scare tactic! Global warming, bad economy, war, soaring gas prices,fear, fear, fear! Do this or the earth will blow up! Do that or so-and-so will get elected!
Was it always that way and I just didn't notice it before? I've found myself turning off the television, just over the whole thing.
...And since when did Oprah become the authority on everything? Any question about Tom Cruise, the shape of poop, God, or morality can be answered by watching her show. The scary thing is she's so far out there and people don't even notice because she's a "nice person" and does "good things."
Wake up. She's misguided. I don't care how many schools she opens in Africa.
Ech...
And why do we need so much stuff? Walmart is huge, and all the aisles are filled with stuff! stuff for your house, stuff for you pets, stuff for your kids, and your kids' pets' houses. And if that's not enough, you can get all of that stuff in a variety of colors, so it will match your other stuff. Because God forbid your stuff doesn't match.
Im packing up my fathers house, and I find so much stuff! 2 George Forman grills, one small and one large. 4 crockpots. Yes 4. 3 sets of knives.2 tractors, 2 leaf blowers, 2 cans of tuna...and my dad hated tuna! but i'm sure there was a reason he felt he needed all of this stuff.
Someone probably used a scare tactic.

Some times you just need a good laugh

This week has been tough, but you know sometimes you get an unexpected chuckle. For example, my dad's dog, Bud, is on seizure medication. I have to give it to him twice a day. Now, the pharmacist knows it's for a dog, because the label clearly reads, "Give to dog-Bud 1 tablet twice a day..."
But the warning label is absurd! it reads:
May cause drowsiness. Alcohol may intensify this effect. Use care when operating a car or dangerous machinery.
I'm not making this up! I'm not that creative. Needless to say Bud is mad that I took away his whisky, and his keys to the tractor.

Also, if anything good can ever come out of losing a loved one, it's the ability to mess with those pesky telemarketers that call.
I got a call the other day from a woman, whose favorite line was "I apologize."
The conversation went like this
"Hello?"
"Yes, is this Mrs. Merrill?
"This is Miss Merrill."
"I apologize. I'm looking for Gar-net. Is she available?"
"Garnet is my father."
"Oh I apologize. Is he available?"
"No. May I ask who's calling?"
"I apologize, this is Maryanne with the American Lung association. Is there another time I can call and reach Garnet?"
"No. My father passed away about a week ago."
"...OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!!!!!! I'msorrypleasedisreguardthiscall!"
Click.
I just had to laugh. This poor woman is probably going to quit her job now. she couldn't get anything right!

This is how I choose to remember my dad

These were taken in Hawaii last summer before I left for Africa.
These were the last times I spent with my dad.
This is how I will choose to remember him
Happy, carefree, living life and loving life.
My dad never liked to travel, or spend money. But for his baby girl he pulled out all the stops. As you can tell he was having the time of his life on that cruise, and I will always be grateful that such an amazing gift.
I see now the gift was not in the trip itself, but in those wonderful memories I now have with my dad.

out of town

Dad passed away early sunday morning.
I got to say my goodbye over the phone and I have peace that he is with the lord.
I arrived in the us today until...?
The blog might be limited for a while

It's working Part II

"Your new hair looks nice."
"Ah Christy, You always say that." She said smiling bashfully. "You are the only one. No one else ever tells me I look nice. But you always say, 'Oh your shoes, oh your hair.'"
"What?!!!! You're husband never tells you?"
"Oh yes, my husband, and my children do. They say 'Oh mommy, you look so beautiful.' But no one else. Only you."

It's working!

"Come Auntie. Come and dish."
"I will. But the teachers have been working so hard. I will wait until they dish first."
"...that's what you do Christy." Teacher Lindiwe said. "You always let others go first. But that's not how blacks do it. They will always put themselves first,- even in front of children. They want to be first."
In education we would call this a "teachable moment."
"It's not because I'm white that I do this Lindiwe. I do it because Jesus says we must prefer others. We consider them and not just demand for ourselves. And I need to be a servant of those I lead. And to be honest, what harm does it do if I don't go first? Look how much food we have. We'll never run out, and I won't go hungry. So what difference does it make if I go after my teachers?"
She pondered that for a while.
Leading by example take a lot more time than lecturing, but the lessons will be well learned.

Fish bite when you got good bait!

I was driving up the Malagwane Hill today. Another truck pulled along side of me, and I noticed the passenger motioning to me out the window.
Was he flagging me to allow him to get over?
Nope.
He was tapping his ring finger.
Yes, he was wanting me to marry him.
Too funny! I didn't realize I was that irresistible.

I don't even want to hear it

I'm hearing a lot of waa-waa on the online news about the US economy and the gas prices.
Nope. I'm not even listening.
Want to do a little math with me?
okay, currently in Swaziland we pay $9.60Rand for a liter of petrol. Times that by 4 to make a gallon, that...$38.4Rand for one gallon.
Well how much is that you ask?
Today the dollar is at 7.8 for exchange into Rand, so divide $38.4R by 7.8 to find the us dollar price... and viola! our gas prices.
Don't beleive me? Try your own calculator. You'll find we are paying $4.92 US dollars for one gallon of Gas.
I better not hear you whining again.

I've found Jesus!

Yes, he was at the guys house...on a Giraffe.
I resucued him.... but not before they braided his hair.
He is now resting comfortably at the girls house (where I accidently left him)

For my team!

These pics won't make sence to the rest of you, but they will for the team coming from newhope church, my church, in June!
I'm so excited to see all of you,- Joey, Molly, Jennifer, Marissa, Sarah, and Tenea

Have you seen this man?

MISSING!!!!
Name: Jesus
Appoximately 18 inches tall
Brown hair
Brown eyes
Last seen at the guys' house riding a giraffe.

Inspired

Jordan, our interning missionary, is an amazing photographer. And looking over his pictures the other day made me want to go out and shoot some of my own. Some of you remember I use to do old-school photography. You know the kind with film and darkrooms, with stinky chemicals?
Well I shot these yesterday in Maphaveni, and then relived my darkroom days with a computer. You know editing just isn't as fun (albeit cheaper)without the smell, and the revolving door. Perhaps it was the high from the fumes that produced my creativity. But anyway, here are a few that I pulled out of my hat.

Why Children's Cup does what it does

Picking up hitch-hikers

I was driving to our Makholweni carepoint when I saw two children in our school uniforms.
They recognized my truck and immediately started flagging for a ride. I stopped and they excitedly climbed in.
“Goud morning Aun-tie!”
“Good morning. Are you on your way to school?”
“Yeas”
“You are late today. You should be there by now.”
They both got a fearful look.
“Are you late often?”
“Yeas… we done haf a woll watch.” (That’s a clock for the rest of us)
“You don’t have a wall watch? Then how do you know when to come to school?”
“We jees come!”
“Oh I see. What will teacher Zandile say when you come late?”
“She jees greet us. Then, we get de puneeshment.”
“Oh shame.” I was worried by the way they looked so worried. “What is the punishment for coming late?”
“We haf to peek up all de rubbish een de carepoint.”
How funny! Yes that would be torture to a child, picking up trash instead of playing. No wonder Makholweni has been looking so clean.
Ps- we made it there right at 8am, so the children did not have ‘de puneeshment’

Do you dunk or sprinkle?

I was doing an evaluation at Ka Khoza for teacher Ntombie when her baby, Blessings, started to cry. (In Swaziland, every day is bring-your-child-to-work-day.)
“Oh I’ll take him” I said, thinking Ntombie could keep teaching, and the older children wouldn’t have to hold him and work at the same time.
So I’m holding this beautiful baby, and got him quieted down, when I felt something warm on my leg. (I’m guessing he was feeling something warm on his leg as well.)
Yes, I was blessed by Blessings… by sprinkling.

Yea!

Our latest group of graduates is doing great!
Teachers at the government schools are taking notice.
“What school did you come from? “ They ask. “I want to see this school”
But it was Bobo that made me smile. He was in second grade, and acing his tests. 95%, 100%, 95%, 100%
His mother came with him to the carepoint the other day.
His latest test was 98%. She says they are moving him up to 3rd grade.
Awesome! My teachers must be doing something right!

Ketizwe

Khetizwe hadn’t been himself lately. He’d been coming to the carepoint looking tired, and worn.
“He’s just tired” One boy would say.
“Oh he’s sick today” another would say.
But I could tell it was more than that. He looked burdened.
Then Make Sukati told me what she knew.
“His house has fallen down. His mother is mentally disturbed. She’s nowhere to be found. So now he’s staying with his gogo.”
“What do you mean his house ‘fell down?’”
“During those rains. [Cyclone Jukwe] it made his house fall down. I’ve talked to Red Cross, and Unicef, but they can’t help. Can Children’s Cup help him?”
I wanted to see it for myself.
All I found there was the type of play fort children make in their living rooms. It was a few sheets of roofing metal, leaning against one another, held together by a blanket. Even though Make said he was staying with his gogo, it appeared that he was still trying to stay there.
Yes, we will help.
Make and I told him that we would set a date and the other teenage boys can come and help as well. “Start collecting sticks, and rocks there.” Make told him
His shoulders lifted, he lowered his eyes respectfully, and a small smile came to his face,- the first I’ve seen in weeks. “Thank you” he whispered.
So please pray for us on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd of April as we conquer that task of building a house for this teenage boy.
I’ll keep you updated.

Only in Africa part 1

African headlines this morning:
Racing car smashes shack!

Bus runs over 5 cows

Zinty's response was "Oh shame. I hope it wasn't the King's cows."

That is so Africa.