I miss the smell of red dirt
I miss the steam when the rain wets the hot red dirt
I walk on red dirt to home to eat my lunch
I can smell the lunch - it's spicy!
I sit on the bench to eat my gray injera and red spicy shiro
I walk with my family on red road dirt to the church made of white painted rock and brick
The people inside and outside are dressed up all white
Outside the gate the needy plead for coins and food
Some sit on the rich red dirt
At the airport I do not see red dirt
Pavement covers my red friend
A long and uncomfortable ride to America and now I miss my red dirt.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
It's hard to believe how quickly time has flown, and how long it has been since I've written! I can blame this on many things, but perhaps it would be a healthy thing to pick up 'the pen, ' so to speak, and get back with this blog project.
All is well here. We're enjoying a beautiful Saturday afternoon ~ well, most of us are enjoying it. Some of the children are lamenting the fact that beautiful weather = more farm work! But it's good to see them getting muddy while accomplishing some important fall farm tasks.
Something I've been considering, and thought I'd copy over from another writing:
One strong feeling I have about international adoption: I deeply wish that we never would have been called to adopt... but not for the reasons which may first flood to a person's mind. Perhaps a more accurate statement would be, "I deeply wish there had been no need for us to be called to adopt."
You see, I love my Ethiopian children more deeply than they will ever understand. I have had the joy of watching God work to provide for their needs. My husband and I (along with our bio children) have experienced the unmistakable Hand and Voice of God in our call, and have watched His provision in bringing 4 more children into our family. The children have been a part of God's work in our family, stretching and changing us... and providing much joy.
However, in an ideal situation, our Ethiopian children would never have needed to know us. In an ideal life, they would be nestled securely and safely in the arms of their biological parents - free of disease and danger. In an ideal world, America would be for them a distant land of interesting stories... but home would be in a village full of immediate family and generational friendships. Instead, they have experienced the trauma of sickness and death... and now the separation from all that was once familiar.
But another truth is evident: God places the fatherless in families. He has a special plan already designed for each of our children, and it is our privilege to be part of it.
I'll continue chewing on that theme - at least when the demands of parenting settle for a moment to give me a brief, deep thought.
For now, back to the laundry mountain. I must take advantage of nature's clothes dryer in order to catch up!
All is well here. We're enjoying a beautiful Saturday afternoon ~ well, most of us are enjoying it. Some of the children are lamenting the fact that beautiful weather = more farm work! But it's good to see them getting muddy while accomplishing some important fall farm tasks.
Something I've been considering, and thought I'd copy over from another writing:
One strong feeling I have about international adoption: I deeply wish that we never would have been called to adopt... but not for the reasons which may first flood to a person's mind. Perhaps a more accurate statement would be, "I deeply wish there had been no need for us to be called to adopt."
You see, I love my Ethiopian children more deeply than they will ever understand. I have had the joy of watching God work to provide for their needs. My husband and I (along with our bio children) have experienced the unmistakable Hand and Voice of God in our call, and have watched His provision in bringing 4 more children into our family. The children have been a part of God's work in our family, stretching and changing us... and providing much joy.
However, in an ideal situation, our Ethiopian children would never have needed to know us. In an ideal life, they would be nestled securely and safely in the arms of their biological parents - free of disease and danger. In an ideal world, America would be for them a distant land of interesting stories... but home would be in a village full of immediate family and generational friendships. Instead, they have experienced the trauma of sickness and death... and now the separation from all that was once familiar.
But another truth is evident: God places the fatherless in families. He has a special plan already designed for each of our children, and it is our privilege to be part of it.
I'll continue chewing on that theme - at least when the demands of parenting settle for a moment to give me a brief, deep thought.
For now, back to the laundry mountain. I must take advantage of nature's clothes dryer in order to catch up!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Prayer requests
- It's been a loooong winter, and we're all tired of it... Patience with each other, and an early spring!
- Struggles with B's behaviour and school... wisdom and clear direction.
- Could really stand to sell a horse or two... buyers!
- Sherri's lower back is giving fits... healing.
- We're tired... endurance.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Our first Christmas as a family of 11 was delightful! The kids were enthralled with everything... even though we stay pretty low key and simple with celebrations and gifts. A highlight was watching the kids open gifts from each other on Christmas eve. After weeks of secrecy, the name exchange was finally revealed and the precious dollar store gifts were distributed. It was our best sibling bonding moment yet.
After a great Christmas break, it has been time to launch back into school. The following is an excerpt from an email I sent to sil Judy the first week back to reality (Jan. 7):
"We survived day 3 quite nicely - plowing on! It was a difficult day of teaching, however. We reached the chapter in history which I hate to teach... post civil war. It sounds so wonderful that slavery is abolished, and Lincoln wants to fully restore the South to the Union. But then there's that ugly piece of America called racism. When I had to read about the forming of the KKK, I cried ... both from sadness and anger. I had hoped to delay talking about this stuff with the girls, but here it was in the book... they need to know... and the time was right.
We had already talked yesterday about the fact that there were very good people in the South and very good people in the North; but also very bad people in the North and very bad people in the South. Today we talked about 'white' people and 'black' people (the girls still refer to themselves as either 'brown' or 'Ethiopian' - both far more accurate in my opinion). I explained that in America, people would refer to their skin color as black and my skin color as white. There is some hilarity to that notion - I'm actually more peach colored, and they're more chocolate. But it is what it is. Then we had to talk about how cruel some white people have been to black people... and about the evil and Godlessness of KKK people. With sorrow, I told them that there are some places in the South and North that people would be very mean to me because my skin is peach. And there are places in the South and North that people would be very mean to them because their skin is brown. I told them that it has nothing at all to do with the color that we are, and everything to do with the lack of knowledge and love on the part of those being mean. Racism and cruelty is a tool of Satan to keep people hating each other. We talked about loving people even when they hate us... even though it's not our fault that they hate us. We talked about how Jesus handled it when people were mean to Him.
It was a great lesson in the end, but rather gut wrenching for me. Another day we'll talk more about things like segregation and the civil rights movement. Interestingly, the assignment for G, E, and A this week is to memorize either Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream," or Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. I'm excited about both."
After a great Christmas break, it has been time to launch back into school. The following is an excerpt from an email I sent to sil Judy the first week back to reality (Jan. 7):
"We survived day 3 quite nicely - plowing on! It was a difficult day of teaching, however. We reached the chapter in history which I hate to teach... post civil war. It sounds so wonderful that slavery is abolished, and Lincoln wants to fully restore the South to the Union. But then there's that ugly piece of America called racism. When I had to read about the forming of the KKK, I cried ... both from sadness and anger. I had hoped to delay talking about this stuff with the girls, but here it was in the book... they need to know... and the time was right.
We had already talked yesterday about the fact that there were very good people in the South and very good people in the North; but also very bad people in the North and very bad people in the South. Today we talked about 'white' people and 'black' people (the girls still refer to themselves as either 'brown' or 'Ethiopian' - both far more accurate in my opinion). I explained that in America, people would refer to their skin color as black and my skin color as white. There is some hilarity to that notion - I'm actually more peach colored, and they're more chocolate. But it is what it is. Then we had to talk about how cruel some white people have been to black people... and about the evil and Godlessness of KKK people. With sorrow, I told them that there are some places in the South and North that people would be very mean to me because my skin is peach. And there are places in the South and North that people would be very mean to them because their skin is brown. I told them that it has nothing at all to do with the color that we are, and everything to do with the lack of knowledge and love on the part of those being mean. Racism and cruelty is a tool of Satan to keep people hating each other. We talked about loving people even when they hate us... even though it's not our fault that they hate us. We talked about how Jesus handled it when people were mean to Him.
It was a great lesson in the end, but rather gut wrenching for me. Another day we'll talk more about things like segregation and the civil rights movement. Interestingly, the assignment for G, E, and A this week is to memorize either Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream," or Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. I'm excited about both."
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
English practice
One of the joys of home educating is the freedom it gives the children to express an interest in a topic and explore it either in depth or at a leisurely pace.
Obviously, English as a Second Language has been the primary course of study for Me, L, and Ed. Ed has taken an interest in repeating phrases to practice her English speaking skills. Today's phrase (spoken slowly and deliberately with heavy accent, repeated dozens of times):
"She.. is.. peeking.. her.. nose."
Followed by lines from a Little House on the Prairie episode:
"Dat man loves me... And I am talking to de cat!"
Obviously, English as a Second Language has been the primary course of study for Me, L, and Ed. Ed has taken an interest in repeating phrases to practice her English speaking skills. Today's phrase (spoken slowly and deliberately with heavy accent, repeated dozens of times):
"She.. is.. peeking.. her.. nose."
Followed by lines from a Little House on the Prairie episode:
"Dat man loves me... And I am talking to de cat!"
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