Wonderful Heritage

A few weeks back, Richelle and her mom were chatting on Yahoo Messenger, and Mom mentioned that she had been working on Nana & Pop-pop's photo albums. She had also scanned several photos, which she has since passed along to us through Yahoo's photo sharing. It has been so much fun sharing these photos with our children and with our African friends. Honoring your parents and grandparents is an important part of the culture here; the fact that our parents and grandparents support us wholeheartedly in this ministry helps in building bridges.

We can't wait until we are home later this year- Everyone is looking forward to a trip to S. Illinois to visit Nana and Pop-pop... Unfortunately, it will probably be too cold to sit on the porch swing, drink coffee and visit, but we treasure each opportunity we have to see them and to let our children meet and/or get to know them better.

Enjoy the photos-

Nana with her sisters.

Nana as a young teen.

"Mama, she's beautiful!" was Rebekah's response.

Pop in uniform. Brendan found this photo very impressive.

Their wedding picture. Victoria says that Nana's hair looks long

just like hers, " 'cept not white."

Home after their honeymoon. This is Anna's and Richelle's favorite picture because they look so happy.

Jonathan liked this one of their growing family with

Mom and Aunt Donna.

It was the baby that caught his attention.

After several opportunities to go "bird huntin'" with Pop-pop,

this was Tim's perferred photo.

Any guesses who the baby is in this picture?

Nadia knew right away - it is Richelle.

Nana and Pop-pop are on either side;

Grandma Stewart is holding her.

Their 50th wedding anniversary.

What an example for the rest of us!

And Brendan was there - so was Rebekah, although she hadn't made her offical appearance yet.

This is Richelle's other favorite, taken Mother's Day, May 2004.

Pop-pop is so handsome and Nana is still beautiful as ever!

This is the most recent picture we have of them, taken with Nana's sister, Aunt Marge just this past April. We could never thank them enough for their faithful prayers and support. Even though we are so far away and can't get back to see them often, they are often in our thoughts and prayers, too.

What are you wearing today?

Colossians 3 is one of my new favorite chapters in the Bible - last Saturday I taught a Bible study on it to the ladies' group at church - and I still don't feel like I've begun to explore the depth of this chapter.

We studied vs 12-14, but I focused in particular on vs 12:

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

As women, we are often concerned with what we wear and pay significant attention to how we dress ourselves when we go out, especially if we are out on a date with our husbands, going to church, attending some sort of function, etc. The same is true for women here - most times when they leave the home, they are dressed to the hilt. They spend quite a bit of time preparing and clothing themselves... even if it is just to run to the post office, pick something up at the "grocery" store, stop in for a doctor's appointment. A single outfit might cost more than a week's wages. Yhey wear perfectly coordinated heels that would throw my back out for a week if I tried to walk in them, and a beautiful scarf/head covering that ties the whole ensemble together. I built off of this cultural bridge to give these mostly illiterate ladies a way to remember the verse and this prinicple: just as we pay much attention to our physical clothing and our physical appearance when we are out in public, God commands us to make our spiritual "clothing" a top priority.

An interesting note about the command to "clothe yourself" - it has a sense where in the beginning, just like an infant, we need someone to first clothe us, but as we grow, it is something we learn to do ourselves. First we need help physically/mechanically. Then we need help learning how to match things together in a pleasing combination. Finally, we need help selecting what is appropriate for the occasion. \one of the commentators I read said that in the original language this verb “clothe yourself” includes that same progression.

When I get dressed, the first thing that goes on are my undergarments... spiritually, the first thing I need to put on is patience. An underlying and predetermined attitude of long-suffering and forbearance, regardless of what others do and say, will go a long way in empowering Biblical reactions and responses to others and to the Lord throughout the day. Thus, that attitude needs to under-gird and support - all of the time.

Secondly, I put on my clothes. Clothing is the first thing others notice, especially from a distance and before getting close enough to really see details. Does it match? Is it pleasing to the eye? Is it neat? Is it loud? Is it expensive? Is it timeless and classy? Is it faddish?... etc. And, like it or not, we often make judgments based on this very first thing we see. If I'm walking down the street with a couple of my children and notice a group of guys dressed in their baggy, droopy pants with bandannas tied on their arms and shaved heads, I'm inclined to keep my distance. Spiritually, compassion is like our "outfit." Compassionate love and generosity demonstrated tangibly to people by being available to serve regardless of cost in time and effort, accepting of not typically welcomed, etc. - those are all things that people can see clearly from a distance and help them to decide if they want to approach more closely, or if they want to cross to the other side of the street.

After putting on my clothes, I tend to fix my hair. Here, women braid or pull up their hair and then put on a scarf or head covering. Wearing a head covering says many things - that you are submissive to your husband, that you respect the office and position of those around you, that you are concerned about the reputation of whom you serve, that you are modest, that you respect and appreciate the W. African culture... Spiritually, covering the head can be an outward sign of inward humility, recognizing our position relative to both God and others.

Right before I walk out the door, I put on my shoes. My shoes “carry” me when I approach other people or move near them to interact with them. And as I move into closer contact, I occasionally step on others' toes - most of the time on accident. Sometimes inevitable contact will occur. The shoes I'm wearing affect my walk, or how I approach - do they lead to a "strut" that says, "Hey, look at me?" Do they cause a swagger that indicates pride and self-centeredness? Are they big and clumsy, making it easier to smash someone else's foot (or the flowers in their garden)? Are they running shoes so that I can keep moving fast and never stop to give someone the time of day? Or could they be spike heels that painfully stab others when I'm not careful where I'm going? My spiritual shoes, I compared to kindness in all my dealings with others - regardless of how they interact with me. When I respond with kindness, I am recognizing the value God places on each life. I must determine to be kind if I want to serve as a channel of His kindness and grace in the lives of others. An attitude of kindness can also protect me when I respond to the actions and words of others towards me. Here, if I forget to put my shoes on and run out to the door, I end up with burnt feet because the sand gets so hot. It is easy to get burnt by others in this world in which we live. But when I remember those shoes of kindness, I see others similar to the way God looks at them - sinners, fallen people in need of grace, just like me.

Finally, the last thing that I must remember to put on as I leave my house is a smile. I can get preoccupied with my business and forget that as people near, a smile - or the lack thereof - encourages or discourages any final approach. That smile, I compared to the spiritual characteristic of gentleness. In French, this same word is translated "sweetness." It can also be "mildness" or "a desire to humble oneself and to serve so that others can be lifted up." It is a "lack of resistance while maintaining an attitude of confident trust" as God changes us and works in us. It is a teachable spirit that does not bristle at criticism (constructive or otherwise) but accepts and then seeks to change becoming more like the Savior in that change. I know when I look to initiate interaction with someone else, I look for the person (clerk at the grocery check out, line at the bank, taxi driver I flag down, person on the bench I might choose at church, etc.) with the smile that touches not just their mouth, but their eyes too. In a world where power and might are thought to be the only way to "achieve," gentleness is a sweet, cooling breeze that brings refreshment to all who feel it. Of all the characteristics described in vs 12, this is the one I find the most compelling... 

It is what "I want to be when I grow up."

When I remember that my true life is hidden with Christ (vs 3), that Christ in me is my hope, and that this world is fleeting - what is it, the extra effort needed to properly, spiritually, clothe myself, as God instructs me to? A proverb I recently heard for the very first time:

More flies are drawn to a single drop of honey than to an entire barrel full of vinegar.

It is easy to treat the people we brush shoulders with in life as "flies" - buzzing irritating nuisances interrupting the things that I have on my agenda. They are brushed away because as dirty disease carrying creatures, they might ruin my testimony or sully my image. Flies are to be avoided, swatted or ignored as they go about their business. Subconsciously, is that how I think of others? Even if it is not blatantly, how often does my choice (or lack) of action communicate that sort of disrespect where I treat people like flies? True, in some ways, compared to God’s holiness we are like flies. Any value in us comes only from the value that God has placed upon us and His image in us, certainly not on anything inherent within. 

The fact that God has placed a value on each person makes us infinitely more valuable than I can comprehend. God asks that I attract and draw others towards me, towards the Light he has placed within me, not that I avoid, ignore, brush away, repel or mortally injure. 

People's souls are His priority. 

In how I spiritually dress myself, have I made them my priority? 

Have I set my mind on things above, or am I focused on the things of this world?

(photo by Jan Thompson)

Here's NADIA -

Technically, she is Nadia Monique Wright. Born in Midland, MI - in the midst of a snowstorm (I was actually starting to panic that Grandma wasn't going to make it to the house to watch the others before Tim and I would really need to leave for the hospital...) I had to save her for last to introduce her, because keeping up with her social schedule requires about 6 calendars. 

Nadia demonstrates the truth of the proverb that if you want to have many friends, you must first show yourself friendly!

Nadia just seems to make friends everywhere we go. 

When we leave, people ask when Nadia can come back. 

Now, I understand that here, part of this is because Nadia is also a "local" name just like "Halima," "Aisha," and "Ibrahim," but there is more to it. It also happens when we are home in the States or visiting with expats. She gets more birthday invitations than any kid could possibly attend. Nadia loves people and people know that as soon as they meet her. She is interested in them and likes to talk with them and share about things that she loves. I've learned so much from

her - and it all seems to come so naturally to her.

She is also fabulous with little ones, chooses to walk away from an argument rather than insist on her own way (well, unless the argument is with one of her sisters), very responsible and often a perfectionist. She adores animals, in particular her kitty - Night. Now, if we could just get her to speak in an inside voice, especially in the car... She gets her loudness from her dad!

These pictures of Nadia were taken when she went to visit a friend of hers who lives out in the bush - and both girls had an awesome time playing with the kittens. They are now busy plotting and planning for a second trip, in which Nadia brings a few of her sisters along with her.

Introducing our very own "Jon-boy"

I remember when Brendan was just a little tyke - Jonathan looks a lot like him. People would always warn us, "Beware, those terrible twos - they are coming!"

 

With Brendan, however, we quickly renamed them "The Terribly Terrific Twos," as we found that a particularly delightful age. It wasn't until we started having little girls that we began to experience why others referred to that two-year old time as "terrible,..." although personally, I love that moment when a kid first actually says "NO!" because they finally realize they have a choice.

With our Jonathan, we are once again enjoying "The Terribly Terrific Twos." Now, that is not to say that Jonathan is a perfect child... but he is

soooooooo

much

fun

...as we are sure you can tell from these pictures.

He loves to play with cars and trucks. He also likes his dinosaurs - sometimes they are eating the girls' baby dolls... other times they are the mama and daddy dinosaur taking care of all the baby dinosaurs.

He also "tags along" at school and even though he mostly refuses to talk (although he does sing quite understandably in his sleep.... hmmmmm), he already has several of his phonics sounds down quite well.

 

He's a fish in the water and a dare-devil diver - putting on a show as he jumps and twirls from the diving board, amusing all who take a few minutes to watch.

But best of all, he is a sweet, affectionate and alert little boy who loves to be right there in the middle of whatever is going on around the house.

And just like almost every other little boy - he loves and lives to eat!

So yes, once again and with another little boy, we are finding the twos to be much more terrific than terrible. Maybe it is because our boys take after their daddy while the girls take after their mama??? 

Or maybe it is because it is just too easy to forget whatever was the problem as it is so easy to get lost in the mischevious smile and beautiful blue eyes of our young'un!

Hope you enjoy some of the many faces of our very own "Jon-boy!"