Hey everyone! I know you are all gearing up for fall in the States (I miss that, although not the winter that follows!), but here, Spring has sprung, quite enthusiastically. I've been enjoying the flowers that are everywhere, and this is just the beginning...jacaranda season will start next month and the entire city will turn purple.
There have been some pretty sunsets too!
The babies are growing so fast!
SweetP and Daisy are such smiley girls now.
Babybear is big enough to swing by himself now!
Tiny T is growing too, although he doesn't seem to want to sleep very much!
Little T turned four this month.
Just look at those chubby legs and feet!
We are continuing to enjoy science experiments. They're more fun if you set things on fire! (Under close supervision, of course.)
We did some broccoli/paint stamping to create our own jacaranda trees.
The kids also really enjoyed painting with toy cars!
We built and planted a bean teepee. Don't let Big T's face fool you...he was having fun. I hope it grows. It might not get enough sun in this spot...
We also brought home two new additions to MBH...I got the three kids some goldfish. Kids need pets! They named them Anna (from Frozen...not to be confused with Ana-the-bougainvillea-named-after-our-friend-from-church)...and...Lesego.
One exciting thing that happened at my house this month was that we had skylights installed!
It's so nice to have more light in the house.
We are still in lockdown here in South Africa, but we have been downgraded to level 1. A lot more things are allowed, but we still need to wear masks and follow a lot of regulations. We are finally allowed to have a single church service again instead of two smaller services, so that is exciting! We all can't wait for lockdown to be completely over, though, so please be praying for that.
So, Galatians 6:2 says to "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." This sounds amazing and wonderful, to be able to love each other in this way, but it's also confusing to know HOW to do it sometimes. I want to learn to be a better friend and burden-bearer. But, it isn't always simple. A lot of different things can happen. A lot of different things can go wrong! I was thinking through this a while back, and although my drawing skills aren't that great, I wanted to illustrate. (Do try your best to guess the right order for the speech bubbles...) Here are some ways that "bearing one another's burdens" can play out.
1. I think I know the best way to bear a burden, but the way looks different than I think it will. Or than I want it to.
2. They think they know the best way to be helped, but they are confused about what biblical help actually is. Or maybe they don't know the true nature of the problem.
3. Denial. Which often leads to #4...
4. ...which is, me not trusting God to work in them, and me hurting my friend when they are already under a heavy load.
5. My friend wants help but I don't have the right tools. We sit together on my couch, drinking tea or eating tacos and plowing through Kleenexes, staring at each other, wishing we could fix the problem.
6. They're struggling, but I don't notice because I really just want them to help ME.
7. I feel insecure in the friendship if I can't help or am not needed.
8. My friend is broken under such a huge burden, no one can get close enough to help. All I can do is pray.
9. We help each other grow. <3
(For those of you who don't speak South African, "shap" is basically all right, cool, sounds good.")
As a bonus, I thought you would enjoy this video!
I am so thankful that in Christ, there is hope for us to be able to love and help each other well.
Hey everyone! Hope you are doing well in all your corners of the world.
Although we are still in lockdown, things are starting to normalize a little more as time passes. Big T tells me "Coronavirus is not nice. It doesn't want to go away." But Little T likes to tell me "Coronavirus is going away a LEEETLE bit" (imagine her pinching her fingers together just so). The kids are still taking everything in stride. They don't really seem to care that they've barely left the property in five months, although I think the older ones have missed their friends.
Last week, we got the exciting news that we are allowed to visit friends and family again! We are limited to small groups, but we are all so thankful to be able to spend time with each other again. Video calls are no substitute for in-person relationships. Of course I filled up my week when I found out that I was allowed to have people on property again!
Meanwhile, we are still keeping busy. The kids enjoy doing art projects every week or so. This Lego stamping activity turned out pretty cool.
Everyone is learning to roller skate or ride a scooter, or in the case of Big T, do both simultaneously. No...just...no. Boys will be boys, I guess!
They always ask me to do "scienspirients" (science experiments). We're running out of ideas, so if you have any simple preschool science projects, please send ideas my way!
Our littlest guy went to his forever family this month, and we are so happy for him!
Lockie is growing fast and is basically a tank. A milk tank. A milk tank that sets off loud alarms whenever it's empty (or bored or lonely). Below is what happens when you ask the two year old to "play" with the baby.
He's such a sweetheart. He loves to smile and laugh.
Our girls are growing too! Sweet P is mostly serious, but is fast on her way to becoming as chubby as Lockie. She loves to snuggle into my neck.
Daisy is still small, but she is growing! She likes to smile more, even though she's younger than Sweet P.
Prayer requests for this month:
- For patience in working with toddlers and preschoolers!
- That I would be able to teach the older ones more and more about Jesus. The older they grow, the more I see how much they need Him. I love them and enjoy spending time with them, but also have to deal with manipulation, lying, tantrums, etc. Things are not all rosy and beautiful.
- That I can see my own heart and how much I need Christ too.
- For our babies to be able to be placed in loving, stable homes soon. This is especially a struggle as they get older. No matter how much we love them, half a dozen aunties can't replace consistent, firm, loving parents.
- For the lockdown to continue to lift and for us to return to normal life again.
- That I would be able to joyfully serve God and look to Him rather than my current frustrations. That I would be able to live to honor Him NOW rather than waiting until someday when things are less irritating or worrisome or frightening.
- That even while I'm looking to now, that I will also look to the reality of eternity.
At the beginning of the month, we welcomed sweet baby Tumishang (Tumi) into our houseparents' family! We now have Big T, Little T, and....hmm. Little T can't turn into Middle T, not now, that'd be too confusing. I guess he can be Tiny T for now, although I don't think he will be tiny for long! He's a chunky little newborn! His big brother and sister were excited, although to be honest, they were probably more excited about the helium balloons that accompanied his arrival. He is keeping his mama busy!
Not long after, we welcomed two pink bundles into the baby home. We were SOOOOOOO excited to have baby girls again for the first time in what feels like forever! "SweetP" is 7 weeks old and "Daisy" is 6 weeks. (I decided to go with the flower theme for the girls' aliases - I wanted to remain alliterative, but naming a baby "Scabiosa" or "Scented Geranium" is frowned upon, even if it isn't their real name. There just aren't very many good flower names that start with S!)
They are just too sweet for words.
Even Babybear is getting in on the snuggles.
Lockie and Birdie are growing! Lockie is a chubby, giggly little sausage, and Birdie has a double chin and a concerned expression. Neither of them are big fans of napping and would rather be held.
Babybear is growing and his language skills are going through the 2-2.5 year old explosion. He has very definite likes and dislikes and is not afraid to tell you. We're working on convincing him he can't live on bread, fresh chips, and snacks. (We're not really winning. At least he likes fruit?!) "I dooooooonnnnn waaaaaaannnn" (I don't want) is very frequently heard around MBH! But so are "Okay!" "I paint!" "Want hug!" "Thankyouyou'rewelcome!" He says thank you more than anyone I've ever known...and he'll say it over and over again until you tell him "you're welcome!"
I made a sensory bin with rainbow rice. The kids LOVE it. It keeps them busy for a good hour and a half.
He just loves arts and crafts! He has an entire gallery wall and he loves to sit and stare at it and tell you all about it.
SO proud.
And such a mess...
We also do a lot of science experiments! The kids enjoy them so much. They can't say "science experiment" to save their lives, though...it comes out so many different ways. Some weeks we do "sighin' spurrents"...some weeks we do "sciensperience."
Coronavirus is still alive and kicking. I'm working hard at trusting God, but I am so very tired of lockdown and it's hard to believe that someday we will have normal lives again. Please pray for us for endurance and joy and perseverance. The restrictions here are much stricter (and, seemingly, more mandatory, although not very well enforced) than most of the US. It's very hard not to cheat and break them, but as Christians, we do try to obey the government, even when things are confusing and don't seem to make sense sometimes. Why is it ok to fit 14-16 people in a taxi, but we're supposed to stay 2 meters away from everyone else? Why can I sit at a restaurant with someone, but I can't have people over to my house? Why can't we sing at church even while wearing masks? Why does the government keep telling people to wash their hands but doesn't fix the utilities promptly? Why is wearing a mask mandatory, but wearing it over your chin is considered generally acceptable? I don't have the answers to any of these questions...and I just need to trust that God knows, and even if I don't always agree with the government, I can rest assured that He is governing perfectly and nothing is outside of His control. Meanwhile, we try to abide by the regulations as best we can, and find creative ways to socialize, like grocery shopping together, something that sounded like a joke four months ago, but actually ended up being pretty fun.
I also was able to go on a nice hike the other day - the parks are open again, although technically, only for exercise.
I'm also grateful to be able to go to church again (with chairs carefully placed 2 meters apart, which is apparently designed to help me kick my "whisper to my neighbor in church" habit). Yes, it is THIS cold inside the building. I don't know why I even bother to dress up. I just need a fashionable blanket.
Anyway, I hope you are all doing well, and that wherever you are, your lives are beginning to go back to normal and you are enjoying a bit more freedom! Please do keep us in your prayers - and I love to hear from you!
In the last few blog posts, I shared some of the things I have been learning during lockdown. I have been using a large blank journal/sketchbook for various forms of journaling, such as mind maps and lists. I thought I'd share another one of my lists with you today - ways to show love to others.
Love is commanded and explained in many places in the Bible...no one can argue with that.
"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
I thought it was good to think about how we express it, because love (and lack thereof) is communicated in so many different ways, both verbal and nonverbal. It's so important to be able to communicate clearly and it helps so much in relationships if people know you care about them. And it's so easy to come across as if you don't!
And of course, love between believers brings glory to God...like in the old hymn, "they'll know we are Christians by our love." I love this version. (Except for that one verse...please don't save my pride. Help me kill it...)
Keep in mind that just because I write about these, doesn't mean I'm necessarily very good at doing them! But God is working in me to help me. I'm blessed to be in a church community where many people have done these things for ME.
Ways to Show Love to Others
Listen when they talk. Stop interrupting ideas as well as sentences. Ask questions but not too many. Try to really figure out what they want to convey.
Figure out what means the most to them and then do that. Listen hard for this and pay attention.
Ask for forgiveness when needed - and do it thoughtfully and not just to get them off my back.
Make it a point to encourage them and in general speak positively. Have less of a filter on good speech.
Keep my word.
Prioritize spending time with them.
Don't ask things of them that should only come from God. Being made into an idol is a heavy burden to bear. Making someone my everything is not love...it's a millstone.
Go out of the way to plan special things for them.
Find out what they dislike and don't do that, as much as reasonably possible.
Be patient with them. Love them over the long haul. Don't be forceful - but don't run away when things are hard or emotional.
Pray for them. Often and earnestly.
Love them even when it drains me and costs me. Love them even when it's terribly inconvenient. This doesn't mean I say "yes" to everything, but it does mean I say "yes" to some things I feel like saying "no" to. Love is not just doing what I want when I want to do it.
Believe the best about them. Don't assume the worst.
Be honest and clear when I communicate with them.
Be lighthearted and have fun sometimes - don't be heavy all the time.
Greet them like I am delighted to see them - and don't let it be fake. (This one is especially important in African culture! And it took me a long time to learn...I don't know HOW many people probably thought I was angry at them...)
Guard my tongue - from flippant, careless speech, from gossip, from complaining. Think about the consequences of my speech.
Remember to ask them about things that are important to them.
Make them food. (My friends know this is how I personally express love!)
Have them over (when we aren't on lockdown). Invite them into my life. It's probably crazy and maybe the toilet isn't clean and they'll need to help me cook and at least two people will come down to my house to ask for favors. It's worth it anyway. Having someone experience your real life with you is way more meaningful than perfect entertaining. And space doesn't need to be an issue. We've fit over 30 people in my two-bedroom house before, for Thanksgiving dinner. It was totally awesome.
Hug them, or don't, depending on what they like, and whether or not I'm supposed to stay 2 meters away from them, or 1 meter, or 1.2 meters, or 1.6 meters, or 6 feet, or...eish, I'm about ready to give up trying to figure this thing out. I miss hugging people more than just about anything else, during this lockdown.
Help them avoid sin. This may take some creativity, but it's good to have someone in your corner helping steer you away from temptation.
Think of creative ways to love them even when I'm limited (such as during lockdown). Use all means at hand.
This is just a start! I'm so thankful that as Christians we will have all of eternity to enjoy friendship with each other.
