I was sitting on my bed reading my Bible the other morning. There was peace in the house. Noah and Callie were in their room building houses with blankets on their bunk bed and Lucy was... quiet somewhere. I wasn't too worried. It was one of those (all too often) moments where I was willing to trade 30 minutes to myself for time afterwards spent cleaning up whatever she was destroying. I did not care, I just wanted some time in the Word!! After a bit, Lucy runs by my doorway stark naked!! Noah and Callie go beserk laughing. I get her repampered and redressed. Life goes on.
About 30 minutes later Callie begins screaming at the top of her lungs, "Mommy, Lucy peed in my toy bin! Ahhhhh! There's REAL pee in here!" So I go to check it out, and sure enough, I had missed her lovely little deposit earlier. The child had stripped herself naked, emptied out Callie's toy bin, and peed in it (not even spilling a drop). Lord help me! She is potty training herself!!! And I used to tease my mom that I had to fill in my own baby book, at least I didn't have to potty train myself (I don't think!)!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
HELP!!
So, I need your help! Christmas is one week away, and I am struggling to come up with some traditions, food, and ways to make it special. Here, it is absolutely just a normal day for everyone else. They have no idea that it is such an important day to us. Of course, I do not want the world around me to stop and throw a Christmas parade. But, I would like some ideas on how to help my family focus on the what and why we celebrate and to have special fun together. PLEASE give me your ideas!!
Boobies # 2
I see a theme forming on this here little blog! Yesterday in my language class the teacher wrote:
Titiz değilim.
The first word is pronounced just like it is spelled. The other American girl and I met eyes and got the giggles. She was laughing so hard she was crying. So, of course everyone wanted to know what on earth we were laughing at. So I told the them that titties is a rude way to say boobs. The other word means I am not. So, our sweet little teacher was quite embarrassed that she had just written that she is not boobs. (In the language here it means she is not hard to please/ particular.)
Titiz değilim.
The first word is pronounced just like it is spelled. The other American girl and I met eyes and got the giggles. She was laughing so hard she was crying. So, of course everyone wanted to know what on earth we were laughing at. So I told the them that titties is a rude way to say boobs. The other word means I am not. So, our sweet little teacher was quite embarrassed that she had just written that she is not boobs. (In the language here it means she is not hard to please/ particular.)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Torn
The life we lead here is by our choice. The Lord most certainly called us here, but he did not force us. He is sweet and gentle and always waits patiently for our response to His calling. So we are here. To be perfectly honest, I try to keep myself upbeat and peppy on this blog with an occasional side order of kid pictures, funny stories, and bad attitude. But, really I try to keep it on the light side, for your sake and mine.
But today... today, I need to be completely real with you, just for a moment. Everyday, no... EVERY MOMENT I feel like I am teetering between hope and failure. When we came here, we were full of expectations and dreams, and so far things have not turned out like we had expected. No surprise, I am the queen of miss-expectations. That is not to say things are terrible or fantastic. They're just different.
It is impossible to begin to accurately imagine what life will really be like when you you are moving your family half way around the world. Can I just tell you, quite frankly, culture is a b%&^! Sorry to say that, but it is true. You cannot imagine how entrenched and engulfed you are in it until you are out of it, and then it's too late, and everything feels funny! Then you are grappling trying to understand and for goodness sakes sort of fit into the new culture, while being faced the reality of your culture- the good and the bad.
One of the things that I struggle with the most is our financial situation. In our old life, we had it good- we knew we did, and we appreciated every bit of it. By the time we were 30 we had the adorable kids, the cars, the dream house, Justin was a well respected engineer with a great firm, etc. The American Dream was in our hands, but our spiritual dream was not. You see, the Lord had been wooing and changing our hearts. He opened our eyes to an entire portion of the world that had never even heard the truth about Jesus. And after a whirlwind of slowly and scarily putting one foot in front of the other, we are here.
And we are poor.
The thing is, we're not really poor, but I just feel really poor. In our old life we were more than comfortable, we had everything we needed and most things that we wanted. It felt like we were in control of our money and therefore in control of our future. Here, we must rely completely on God which means giving up control. Before, life was good, but it was not God's best for us. Here, I truly believe that this is God's best for us, but it dang sure doesn't feel like it sometimes!! It is selfish and embarrassing to tell you this, but I am struggling with the choice to be poor. We are dependant on others and their generosity. More importantly, we are fully relying on God here. He has promised to provide and we know he will.
You see?!?!?
I am a swaying pendulum- going back and forth between gratefulness and selfishness! Who am I to think that I deserve one single thing? God Himself, in His extreme generosity and goodness has a plan especially written for us. Why do I struggle with it? You'd think after all the steps of faith we took to get here we wouldn't waver the way we do. Good grief... we're the Israelites!! Mercy, how I used to judge them!
The business that we work with here helps the urban poor. The stories that we experience on a regular basis will truly break your heart. So then, I swing back to the other side and feel guilty for what I do have. Why should I get to have a two bedroom flat when others cannot make rent on a two room flat? Why should I have to exercise to stay in shape when those that we work with are skinny because they are hungry.
So, maybe you can see.... we are poor, but we are rich. The kingdom of God is like that. Not everything is simple and neat, but it is better than anything I could do for myself.
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!" Ephesians 3: 20-21
“[Mary's Song] And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.”- Luke 1:46
But today... today, I need to be completely real with you, just for a moment. Everyday, no... EVERY MOMENT I feel like I am teetering between hope and failure. When we came here, we were full of expectations and dreams, and so far things have not turned out like we had expected. No surprise, I am the queen of miss-expectations. That is not to say things are terrible or fantastic. They're just different.
It is impossible to begin to accurately imagine what life will really be like when you you are moving your family half way around the world. Can I just tell you, quite frankly, culture is a b%&^! Sorry to say that, but it is true. You cannot imagine how entrenched and engulfed you are in it until you are out of it, and then it's too late, and everything feels funny! Then you are grappling trying to understand and for goodness sakes sort of fit into the new culture, while being faced the reality of your culture- the good and the bad.
One of the things that I struggle with the most is our financial situation. In our old life, we had it good- we knew we did, and we appreciated every bit of it. By the time we were 30 we had the adorable kids, the cars, the dream house, Justin was a well respected engineer with a great firm, etc. The American Dream was in our hands, but our spiritual dream was not. You see, the Lord had been wooing and changing our hearts. He opened our eyes to an entire portion of the world that had never even heard the truth about Jesus. And after a whirlwind of slowly and scarily putting one foot in front of the other, we are here.
And we are poor.
The thing is, we're not really poor, but I just feel really poor. In our old life we were more than comfortable, we had everything we needed and most things that we wanted. It felt like we were in control of our money and therefore in control of our future. Here, we must rely completely on God which means giving up control. Before, life was good, but it was not God's best for us. Here, I truly believe that this is God's best for us, but it dang sure doesn't feel like it sometimes!! It is selfish and embarrassing to tell you this, but I am struggling with the choice to be poor. We are dependant on others and their generosity. More importantly, we are fully relying on God here. He has promised to provide and we know he will.
You see?!?!?
I am a swaying pendulum- going back and forth between gratefulness and selfishness! Who am I to think that I deserve one single thing? God Himself, in His extreme generosity and goodness has a plan especially written for us. Why do I struggle with it? You'd think after all the steps of faith we took to get here we wouldn't waver the way we do. Good grief... we're the Israelites!! Mercy, how I used to judge them!
The business that we work with here helps the urban poor. The stories that we experience on a regular basis will truly break your heart. So then, I swing back to the other side and feel guilty for what I do have. Why should I get to have a two bedroom flat when others cannot make rent on a two room flat? Why should I have to exercise to stay in shape when those that we work with are skinny because they are hungry.
So, maybe you can see.... we are poor, but we are rich. The kingdom of God is like that. Not everything is simple and neat, but it is better than anything I could do for myself.
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!" Ephesians 3: 20-21
“[Mary's Song] And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.”- Luke 1:46
Monday, December 15, 2008
Random Goodness
So, in my typical fashion, here are some random tidbits from the last few days...
Here is our most recent family picture. It was taken by our friend at our company's regional Christmas party. Not the best picture ever, but maybe its better than nothing!
A few weeks ago we attended a prayer retreat. The hotel we stayed at had a great indoor pool. The night before we left, this is how I found Noah sleeping. Do you think he was excited to swim?
One of our friends gave the kids a little bit of pocket money for the holiday (a typical custom here). Callie was a woman on a mission at the bazar. She looks like "Little Miss Priss" with her wallet, purse, and fancy new sunglasses.
In my last post I wrote about our friends who had just had a baby. Finally, Callie and I got to go over and meet little Sami. Oh sweet mercy, I forgot how little new babies are (and the way their head smells). OUCH! My ovaries are aching! This picture does not do justice to the tiny-ness of this sweet little thing. So adorable!!
Saving the best for last...
Today was "tea club." As soon as we arrived at the host's flat and were seated, my friend pulled two little bottles out of her purse. It was something called "ant oil." YIKES! I didn't quite understand it all, but something about the oil is made from ant eggs- GAG. Anyhow, I grabbed one of the bottles for closer inspection. There was a ton of Arabic writing and a picture of a big 'ole ant eating hairs away at the folicle. Ok, double yikes. This stuff was some sort of hair removal?!?!? Um, no thanks! I'll pass!!
Here is our most recent family picture. It was taken by our friend at our company's regional Christmas party. Not the best picture ever, but maybe its better than nothing!
A few weeks ago we attended a prayer retreat. The hotel we stayed at had a great indoor pool. The night before we left, this is how I found Noah sleeping. Do you think he was excited to swim?
One of our friends gave the kids a little bit of pocket money for the holiday (a typical custom here). Callie was a woman on a mission at the bazar. She looks like "Little Miss Priss" with her wallet, purse, and fancy new sunglasses.
In my last post I wrote about our friends who had just had a baby. Finally, Callie and I got to go over and meet little Sami. Oh sweet mercy, I forgot how little new babies are (and the way their head smells). OUCH! My ovaries are aching! This picture does not do justice to the tiny-ness of this sweet little thing. So adorable!!
Saving the best for last...
Today was "tea club." As soon as we arrived at the host's flat and were seated, my friend pulled two little bottles out of her purse. It was something called "ant oil." YIKES! I didn't quite understand it all, but something about the oil is made from ant eggs- GAG. Anyhow, I grabbed one of the bottles for closer inspection. There was a ton of Arabic writing and a picture of a big 'ole ant eating hairs away at the folicle. Ok, double yikes. This stuff was some sort of hair removal?!?!? Um, no thanks! I'll pass!!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Betül
We went to our friend's birthday party the other day. We love this family! They just had baby number two a few days ago. I can't wait to get my hands on him! I'm gonna hold him all day!
They have a weird obsession with face paint here. They always paint the kids faces. Here are some pics from the party.
Painting faces
The girls showing off their faces. I'm not sure what they are supposed to be.
Callie is supposed to be a cat.
Opening presents
They have a weird obsession with face paint here. They always paint the kids faces. Here are some pics from the party.
Painting faces
The girls showing off their faces. I'm not sure what they are supposed to be.
Callie is supposed to be a cat.
Opening presents
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Boobies
I walked in to find Lucy playing, and I guess she went through puberty while I was out of the room. Check out her.... ahem, growth!
Oops, caught in the act. I knew those were falsies!
Oops, caught in the act. I knew those were falsies!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Blockbuster Video It's Not
Can I just tell you about our new video store? It opened a week ago right across the street. Justin went in the other day to check it out. When he asked how much it cost to rent a video, they laughed at him. It turns out, that you choose a video from the display shelves and take it to the counter. There they hand you a copy (and I do mean copy) of your video. It only cost 3 lira. Hmm... I guess that's not illegal here.
Playing Catch Up
About a week ago I promised pictures form the day I hosted tea club. Well, life got in the way. Sorry! Here are some pictures of my sweet friends. Unfortunately "Crazy Head" was not there. Maybe next time.
Nihal, the Sisters, and Dilek (my very first friend here)
Menekşe, Dilek, the Sisters, me, and Lucy. With the exception of Nihal and me, all of these women are usually covered (wear headscarves). But, they remove them when they are inside with just women. Once they get their scarves on and the trench coat-style thing they wear for modesty they look totally different. Sometimes when I am out and about, I do not recognize women that I (should) know! Whoops!
This is "the Sisters' " grandmother. I call her Yoda-ette. She is so cute and wrinkled and fragile. She loves to talk to me, and I can't hardly understand a word she says!
Fatma and Osman
İlaydah (Nihal's daughter), Lucy, Jelen, and Osman
This is my friend Nihal. She was wearing normal clothes, but was about to do her namaz (prayers) in my foyer, so she slipped on this skirt over her jeans and a headscarf over her head. Lucy was watching her, and then imitating her. I did not know what to do. I didn't want to disrupt Nihal's prayers by snatching Lucy up from beside her (as they were kneeling prostrate on the floor together). So, I just let it go. Nihal has a little girl, hopefully she is used to this sort of thing!
We are about to start a week long holiday. It is the sacrifice holiday- when they slaughter the animals. I wrote about it here and here. So, Hopefully I can use that time to get caught up on my blog. I have lots of pictures and stories I want to tell you!
Nihal, the Sisters, and Dilek (my very first friend here)
Menekşe, Dilek, the Sisters, me, and Lucy. With the exception of Nihal and me, all of these women are usually covered (wear headscarves). But, they remove them when they are inside with just women. Once they get their scarves on and the trench coat-style thing they wear for modesty they look totally different. Sometimes when I am out and about, I do not recognize women that I (should) know! Whoops!
This is "the Sisters' " grandmother. I call her Yoda-ette. She is so cute and wrinkled and fragile. She loves to talk to me, and I can't hardly understand a word she says!
Fatma and Osman
İlaydah (Nihal's daughter), Lucy, Jelen, and Osman
This is my friend Nihal. She was wearing normal clothes, but was about to do her namaz (prayers) in my foyer, so she slipped on this skirt over her jeans and a headscarf over her head. Lucy was watching her, and then imitating her. I did not know what to do. I didn't want to disrupt Nihal's prayers by snatching Lucy up from beside her (as they were kneeling prostrate on the floor together). So, I just let it go. Nihal has a little girl, hopefully she is used to this sort of thing!
We are about to start a week long holiday. It is the sacrifice holiday- when they slaughter the animals. I wrote about it here and here. So, Hopefully I can use that time to get caught up on my blog. I have lots of pictures and stories I want to tell you!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Got Bolts?
Today I found out a little too late that my seat on the bus was actually not attached to the bus. Made for an exciting ride!!
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