Something we're learning: Get on Sammy's level. Like... literally. On the floor, hands and knees. Doing this helped him crawl! I was on the floor, laying at eye-level with him, and I kept cheering for him to come closer to me. "Come on, buddy! You can do it!" And I had a music-making toy in my hands that he wanted. He reached. He was close. I scooted back. He pulled himself closer and reached. Close. I scooted back. Etc.
Being down at his level makes him see us, too. Usually he's so focused on his books or blocks, that when we call him, he glances, then goes back to "work." When we are down with him, he locks eyes with us, laughs with us, furrows his eyebrows and "explains" things to us... When we pop up on our two feet, he looks away and begins working busily again.
When we're down on his level we can see what he sees. Ahhh... Daddy left his socks under the chair. Ew. That's why Sammy kept trying to get under the chair. Or Hmmm... maybe I should sweep... AGAIN. Pine needles fell.
Makes sense, right?
Just thinking a little today about what it takes to be on others' levels before deciding how they do or should see the world... Also thinking about what it might be like for new believers to have someone who has known God for awhile to slow down and encourage them.... look them in the eye at eye-level for once.
And I'm also thinking about how CRAZY it is that the God of the universe thought it was important to get on eye-level with us. Rebellious, hateful people, his enemies. What possessed him?
I know the answer that that one: Love.
Love brought him down to our level, and it brings us into His presence. Because He came down where we could see Him, we can lock eyes with His, you know? His love compells us to talk to Him, explain with furrowed brow the things that concern us and busy us.
But how hurt He must feel when He's here--- at eye-level--- and we stay busy with our little blocks and books, and ignore Him calling us.
All this is so raw; I'm just now starting to think on it. :)
Monday, January 7, 2013
Friday, October 26, 2012
Life is Short
Several things in the past month have really helped me step back and think about the gift that life is. I sometimes take it so lightly, assuming with a sigh, sometimes, that tomorrow I'll have to do such-and-such because it's on the calendar, or that next week we'll see so-and-so, and I just continue on with my life, looking at my silly calendar and writing in it all the details that don't often take place (especially when I write "what I'll get done").
Today I learned that a college friend of ours has a serious form of cancer. He has two boys and a terrific wife. He's our age.
Reading Crazy Love, by Francis Chan with our small group reminded me that as Chan talks about doing unexpected funerals nearly every week, and looking at the shocked families... tomorrow is never promised.
We miscarried Sammy's baby brother or sister this month. We had "done everything right," receiving progesterone shots, just like with Sam, but the baby didn't survive. We had thought this time--- for the first time ever--- that the baby would really make it, since Samuel did. We were wrong.
Our time on earth is short, and it could be much shorter than we expect. Our loved ones' time here might be shorter than we expect. As Thanksgiving and Christmas are both approaching, I really want to weigh this fact in my heart, expressing gratitude to the Father for time with our friends and family, and also do a better job of showing loved ones how much they are treasured.
Today I learned that a college friend of ours has a serious form of cancer. He has two boys and a terrific wife. He's our age.
Reading Crazy Love, by Francis Chan with our small group reminded me that as Chan talks about doing unexpected funerals nearly every week, and looking at the shocked families... tomorrow is never promised.
We miscarried Sammy's baby brother or sister this month. We had "done everything right," receiving progesterone shots, just like with Sam, but the baby didn't survive. We had thought this time--- for the first time ever--- that the baby would really make it, since Samuel did. We were wrong.
Our time on earth is short, and it could be much shorter than we expect. Our loved ones' time here might be shorter than we expect. As Thanksgiving and Christmas are both approaching, I really want to weigh this fact in my heart, expressing gratitude to the Father for time with our friends and family, and also do a better job of showing loved ones how much they are treasured.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Sammy's Four Months Old!
Sammy wanted to make a video for you! He celebrated 4 months today! His mommy accidentally MISCOUNTED his days in the video. At least God has the right number! :D
Tonight Sammy had his first bite of banana mush. It was a birthday treat! Mmmmm...
Saturday, July 21, 2012
June Vacation
The Rughs
In June we were able to travel to Illinois to see our families. My mom and sisters in Elgin decided to do an early Father's Day surprise for my dad and invited my Minnesota sister (and family) as well as us to Elgin for the party. We all DID surprise him! It was a two-day adventure with 12 grandkids decorating the lawn and even doing a parade for the neighborhood. (When the Rugh Family gets together, costumes are almost always involved...) There was a talent show the second night, and just about all of the grandkids were involved in one form or another. We had a blast laughing at each other and ourselves and celebrating our dad! Matt, Sam and I stayed with my mom, where some of the festivities were, while the other activities were at my sister Jessica's house.
My dad and I (with Matt and Sam) had a very special opportunity to attend a friend and supporter's funeral the Monday we were in Elgin. She had battled cancer like a mighty warrior, been healed of it by the Lord, and then He saw it fit to take her Home quickly last month. When I found out she was heading Home, I yearned to visit her, but God let me, instead, celebrate her life with my dad, who was her friend. I'm grateful for the timing of our trip.
The Ackermans
Halfway through the week we got to visit the Ackerman family in Joliet! Grandma Christy was even able to come from Iowa to meet and play with Sammy! Sammy's Aunt Anji had the flowers ready to make wedding bouquets for her autumn wedding, and so we had a lot of fun doing that and other "wedding-ish" activities. With less children dangling from light fixtures and popping out of cupboards, the visits to Joliet usually have a different flavor than the Elgin visits, filled with quiet mornings and loose schedules. Dan, Matt's dad, did somethings totally bizarre. For Father's Day, he took all of US out. I couldn't quite figure that one out... aren't the kids supposed to treat the dad for Father's Day? I thought that was ONE opportunity specifically for that purpose! :) [As you can see from these photos, the family is very excited to have the first grand-baby around! Grandma Christy is now, for the first time, a great-grandma!!]
Also, when we pulled onto the road leading to the Ackermans' neighborhood, the "Check Engine" light came on. We were sensing something going awry under the hood, but we were hoping it would solve itself, or something. Anyway, Dan and Matt found out it was the spark plug and took care of it! Hooray! Dan and Matt also washed and waxed the car... We were riding in style!
Basically our trip to Illinois was casualty-free, and Sam was a trooper traveling all that way! We sure enjoyed staying with family and celebrating our dads and wished we had more time with them each. They are so special to us!
In June we were able to travel to Illinois to see our families. My mom and sisters in Elgin decided to do an early Father's Day surprise for my dad and invited my Minnesota sister (and family) as well as us to Elgin for the party. We all DID surprise him! It was a two-day adventure with 12 grandkids decorating the lawn and even doing a parade for the neighborhood. (When the Rugh Family gets together, costumes are almost always involved...) There was a talent show the second night, and just about all of the grandkids were involved in one form or another. We had a blast laughing at each other and ourselves and celebrating our dad! Matt, Sam and I stayed with my mom, where some of the festivities were, while the other activities were at my sister Jessica's house.
My dad and I (with Matt and Sam) had a very special opportunity to attend a friend and supporter's funeral the Monday we were in Elgin. She had battled cancer like a mighty warrior, been healed of it by the Lord, and then He saw it fit to take her Home quickly last month. When I found out she was heading Home, I yearned to visit her, but God let me, instead, celebrate her life with my dad, who was her friend. I'm grateful for the timing of our trip.
The Ackermans
Halfway through the week we got to visit the Ackerman family in Joliet! Grandma Christy was even able to come from Iowa to meet and play with Sammy! Sammy's Aunt Anji had the flowers ready to make wedding bouquets for her autumn wedding, and so we had a lot of fun doing that and other "wedding-ish" activities. With less children dangling from light fixtures and popping out of cupboards, the visits to Joliet usually have a different flavor than the Elgin visits, filled with quiet mornings and loose schedules. Dan, Matt's dad, did somethings totally bizarre. For Father's Day, he took all of US out. I couldn't quite figure that one out... aren't the kids supposed to treat the dad for Father's Day? I thought that was ONE opportunity specifically for that purpose! :) [As you can see from these photos, the family is very excited to have the first grand-baby around! Grandma Christy is now, for the first time, a great-grandma!!]
Also, when we pulled onto the road leading to the Ackermans' neighborhood, the "Check Engine" light came on. We were sensing something going awry under the hood, but we were hoping it would solve itself, or something. Anyway, Dan and Matt found out it was the spark plug and took care of it! Hooray! Dan and Matt also washed and waxed the car... We were riding in style!
Basically our trip to Illinois was casualty-free, and Sam was a trooper traveling all that way! We sure enjoyed staying with family and celebrating our dads and wished we had more time with them each. They are so special to us!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
An Afternoon with Sammy
This afternoon we got the internet hooked up at home (after a year and a half without it at the house! YAY!), and I thought to myself, "Boy, if I were a Sam-Fan, I would definitely like to get to know him better." I am a Sam-Fan, to be sure, and I decided to do an interview with him and share it here on our blog. The following is a result of pointed questions and close observations.*
Mom: Sammy, I have some questions for you. Let's start with: what is your favorite time of day?
Sam: That's an easy one. I can definitely say that I really like the morning. I feel strongest and I do a lot of my fancy moves and tricks then.
M: That's true! You do, don't you! What's one of your favorite tricks?
S: Hmmm... I suppose there are several I like, but lately I've really been doing this awesome tap dancing preparation.
M: You tap dance?
S: NO! I can't even walk! I just get READY for tap dancing by moving my legs as quickly as possible up and down, and up and down. Like this. See? I'm so fast. And my legs have really strong muscles. Well, you know that... I always like kicking you when I'm on the floor. Right?
M: For sure, kiddo. Now tell me what other tricks you like doing.
S: Well, I'm honestly kinda sick of you always making me roll over. At first it was cool to get all the fanfare and applause, but now it's a little old. I'm liking the dancing, and then there's the Veggie Tale Scoot.
M: ???
S: You know, when I'm all swaddled with no arms or legs to move around and I wiggle my way to the end of the bed? I love that. I just don't know what to do when I get there.
S: You know, when I'm all swaddled with no arms or legs to move around and I wiggle my way to the end of the bed? I love that. I just don't know what to do when I get there.
M: Hahaha! That's hilarious. I didn't know you liked that so much. Cool! So you like mornings and tricks. Talk to me about your dad.
S: He is so fun. He always says goodbye to me in the morning... and usually he leaves after my first breakfast and before my second breakfast. And he ALWAYS kisses me goodbye. His beard tickles. He sings me a song about one-little-two-little-three little naked babies when he changes my diaper. It makes me giggle. He's so great. He cuddles me a lot after work, too. When I cry, sometimes he takes me outside. Sometimes I cry hoping that he'll do just that!
M: He is pretty neat, huh?
S: Yep!
M: What is the best thing about Daddy?
S: Well, maybe that he's really patient with me.
M: Yeah. He is patient with ME, too...
S: You know my favorite thing about you, Mommy?
S: You know my favorite thing about you, Mommy?
M: No, what?
S: That you don't get mad when I scream at night. You just tell me you love me.
S: That you don't get mad when I scream at night. You just tell me you love me.
M: I've been meaning to talk to you about that screaming...
S: I know. I'll work on it.
M: Okay. And about screaming, tell me what the worst part of your day is.
S: I think the worst part of the day is when I wake up hungry and you put a pacifier in my mouth, hoping I'll fall asleep, and I'm too hungry to fall asleep.
M: Oh, yeah. At 4 AM?
S: Exactly. I mean, really... Mom, I'm starving.
M: Ok, I'll try to... wait a minute. We'll talk off the record about that one. Last question: Throughout the day, I see you gazing out the window. What are you thinking about?
S: I love the sunlight. I think it's really special and huge. I think the sunlight is exciting and it makes all the ivy and trees around our house bright green. It's pretty awesome. I think Heaven is like that. That's what I think about.
S: I love the sunlight. I think it's really special and huge. I think the sunlight is exciting and it makes all the ivy and trees around our house bright green. It's pretty awesome. I think Heaven is like that. That's what I think about.
M: You think about Heaven?
S: Don't you?
M: Sure... but you're a baby.
S: Well, you asked what I think about, didn't you? What were you expecting?
M: I guess that's a fair response. Alright, thanks for the interview. Time for your nap. Let's go swaddle you up.
S: Okay, then I'll practice the Veggie Tale Scoot. Thanks for asking all those questions!
*Artistic liberties taken and interpretations varied.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Sam Update
Sammy just turned 3 months a week ago, so we were hoping to do a quick update. We want to officially announce: he is brilliant--- quite ahead of the game! This week he moved a toy from his left hand to his right hand, he raises his head 90 degrees when on his tummy, and he "coos" along with music! Yup! Brilliant.
Life at home is good. Sammy and "Mommy" are getting into a routine, and enjoying spending time together. "Daddy" and Sam spend a lot of time on the weekends walking and playing outside while Mommy, well, does other mom-stuff.
Sammy has had his first baby-sitter! Gail (Molly's close friend) sat with him once for a few hours while Molly went out and also while she cleaned at home, and she has agreed to again while we go out for our anniversary. We are very excited for that date, but find that we are always excited to see Sammy again!
It MIGHT be that Sam is teething early (told you he was ahead of the game). He has been gnawing on his fingers and drooling all over everything. People keep asking if he is... so we say, "Maybe!" (We have no idea, but it sounds like Matt's siblings and he all teethed a little early).
Thanks for praying for Sam. There is sooooo much more going on to share, so we will do that soon. We are putting together our newsletter now, but will have more info about TECH interns and Northwood news! Also, we just looked at photos from out vacation to Illinois, and we are EXCITED to tell you about our reunion and seeing family.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
He's Here!
His name was chosen after we experienced several encounters with the Lord during the pregnancy. Both of us were brought to the conclusion that Samuel should be his name, and Leeland refers to a meadow, pasture land or valley. We chose this name because we felt it reflected our journey through some valleys to reach Samuel.
We are grateful for the many encouragements we received before and after Sammy was born. Also, your prayers for us have been answered in a sweet and wonderful way. Thank you for praying and encouraging!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Ackermans are ALL growing...
Not much to say, but Matt and I are attending some pretty neat leadership workshops at Missionary TECH Team. They are based around the book Leadership 101 by John C. Maxwell. We're learning a lot... and let me say that this weekly workshop plus all the books we're reading at home are packing our brains with great information and ideas! Not only that, but this new knowledge is going to help us more efficiently and effectively serve the Lord. Pretty cool stuff...
Some things we're learning that we should be: budgeting (via Dave Ramsey), prioritizing (John Maxwell), expressing thanks and love (Ken Blanchard), praying for our brothers and sisters around the world (Voice of the Martyrs), setting goals (John Maxwell), relying on the Holy Spirit's real power (Francis Chan), listening to what God is saying through the whole text of the Bible (Larry Crabbe), and Spanish (I have NO idea what Matt's curriculum is). All that to say, we're learning a lot now as we invest our time in reading and reflecting. (We decided that since we have some quiet before bed, we should take advantage of it while we can...)
So we're growing a bit.
And our little guy is growing, too. This is December's scanned ultrasound 4-D picture of our sweetie. He's quite a bit bigger and chubbier now. In FACT, we had an ultrasound at the beginning of this month (a month after the one shown), and the ultrasound tech said, "WHOA! He as chubby cheeks!" It cracked me up. He's gaining good weight. He's over 2 pounds now, and on his way up. At this week's appointment, my doctor said he's measuring perfectly, and all seems to be in place! Thank you for praying, guys. It appears we may carry him full-term and be parents! How strange to wrap my mind around that. Meet our little man:
So this is all I have for you today! Hopefully soon I'll have another newsletter to post!!! :)
Some things we're learning that we should be: budgeting (via Dave Ramsey), prioritizing (John Maxwell), expressing thanks and love (Ken Blanchard), praying for our brothers and sisters around the world (Voice of the Martyrs), setting goals (John Maxwell), relying on the Holy Spirit's real power (Francis Chan), listening to what God is saying through the whole text of the Bible (Larry Crabbe), and Spanish (I have NO idea what Matt's curriculum is). All that to say, we're learning a lot now as we invest our time in reading and reflecting. (We decided that since we have some quiet before bed, we should take advantage of it while we can...)
So we're growing a bit.
And our little guy is growing, too. This is December's scanned ultrasound 4-D picture of our sweetie. He's quite a bit bigger and chubbier now. In FACT, we had an ultrasound at the beginning of this month (a month after the one shown), and the ultrasound tech said, "WHOA! He as chubby cheeks!" It cracked me up. He's gaining good weight. He's over 2 pounds now, and on his way up. At this week's appointment, my doctor said he's measuring perfectly, and all seems to be in place! Thank you for praying, guys. It appears we may carry him full-term and be parents! How strange to wrap my mind around that. Meet our little man:
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| (You're looking at his profile, and his arm is bent with his hand near his ear. He kept trying to cover his face, and he finally let us see his eye and nose, so the tech quickly grabbed this pic.) |
So this is all I have for you today! Hopefully soon I'll have another newsletter to post!!! :)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Back to Business... and Busyness...
We are so delayed in updating our blog. There are a lot of excuses--- Goodness, maybe they're even legitimate! Hahaha! Here they go: I don't know if you know, but we don't have Internet at home, so we update our blog at our lunch break, usually, at Missionary TECH Team, or after hours now.
Another thing maybe you didn't know... we're pregnant. I was in my second month during the last post--- when Matt was in Cameroon. (He got home safely, by the way!) I began working half-days, so I could be sick at home instead of sick in the office. :) Half-days are the way of life for me, still, since my amazing manager is so flexible---as long as TECH isn't hurting for help. Several days I've stayed all day or late to help ministries, but if possible I cram as much work into my mornings and then head home for rest or to teach lessons.
So maybe those are the two main reasons why our blog was on hold... ? We're doing very well! We're excited for Christmas for sure!
We went on deputation last month. Deputation is a ministry update visit where a missionary runs around like crazy telling friends and family about what God is doing, and then they return to the ministry often without a moment to take a breath. FORTUNATELY, we got several moments to breathe before we got home because when we got back to Longview, things moved very quickly! Here's a look what's been going on:
- Unpack after trip (of course)
- Got home and found the fridge had been off due to a circuit thing during a power outage, and we had rotten food, including a rotten turkey in the freezer to take care of. And then that smell... oh, how it's lingering. Fortunately we were in great spirits & didn't really get bothered by it all! (Praise God for that miraculous work in our hearts!) So we scrubbed the fridge... twice.
- Doctor's appointment and ultrasound.
- TECH Women had a Christmas party, and I played music for it.
- Started private lessons (teaching) back up.
- Took care of Jones boys
- MTT Christmas social
- Northwood women Christmas banquet (I got to prepare the special tradition of the Good and Perfect Gift, the devotion, craft and a song! Matt was one of the servers--- boy, I wish I had a photo! He was quite handsome!)
- Northwood church Christmas Potluck (Matt and I got to do the special music: a fifteen-minute musical medley of the Christmas story, walking through all the Scripture on PowerPoint slides accompanied by illustrations. This took a lot of prep, but it was neat worship as a couple; Matt took care of coordinating the slides while I sang. I guess we were "the entertainment.")
- For chapel at MTT, Tom Brewington (our part-time, retired mechanic) and I did the entire chapel full of music with our stringed instruments. It was a blast!
- MEANWHILE while all of this is going on, Matt has been working extra hours most days to finalize the report for Mbingo Baptist Hospital in Cameroon. This week he has worked over 40 hours... and it's Thursday morning! (He hopes to be done this morning, so the hospital can receive the report in time to propose it for funding.)
- Tomorrow night we have an event that Rebecca Friedlander, Matt and I are putting on at her dad's cabin called The Patchwork Christmas. I'll share the flyer with you, so you can get a better idea. (See below)
- Christmas Eve we are hoping to pack our house with friends who are missing their families or wanna be together for supper! We're making a turkey and ham, along with all kinds of sides and snacks. I already started baking. :)
We are really excited for all God's let us do! Please pray that we are sustained and that our attitudes glorify God. We REALLY long to have opportunities to help bring people closer to Jesus through all we're doing... especially tomorrow and Saturday. Please pray that we, too, would have VERY intimate times with Christ. Someone once said that when you're busy, you're like a speedboat: the faster you go, the more shallow your bottom is in the water. We want deep times with God that bless Him... not shallow moments. :)
Another thing maybe you didn't know... we're pregnant. I was in my second month during the last post--- when Matt was in Cameroon. (He got home safely, by the way!) I began working half-days, so I could be sick at home instead of sick in the office. :) Half-days are the way of life for me, still, since my amazing manager is so flexible---as long as TECH isn't hurting for help. Several days I've stayed all day or late to help ministries, but if possible I cram as much work into my mornings and then head home for rest or to teach lessons.
So maybe those are the two main reasons why our blog was on hold... ? We're doing very well! We're excited for Christmas for sure!
We went on deputation last month. Deputation is a ministry update visit where a missionary runs around like crazy telling friends and family about what God is doing, and then they return to the ministry often without a moment to take a breath. FORTUNATELY, we got several moments to breathe before we got home because when we got back to Longview, things moved very quickly! Here's a look what's been going on:
- Unpack after trip (of course)
- Got home and found the fridge had been off due to a circuit thing during a power outage, and we had rotten food, including a rotten turkey in the freezer to take care of. And then that smell... oh, how it's lingering. Fortunately we were in great spirits & didn't really get bothered by it all! (Praise God for that miraculous work in our hearts!) So we scrubbed the fridge... twice.
- Doctor's appointment and ultrasound.
- TECH Women had a Christmas party, and I played music for it.
- Started private lessons (teaching) back up.
- Took care of Jones boys
- MTT Christmas social
- Northwood women Christmas banquet (I got to prepare the special tradition of the Good and Perfect Gift, the devotion, craft and a song! Matt was one of the servers--- boy, I wish I had a photo! He was quite handsome!)
- Northwood church Christmas Potluck (Matt and I got to do the special music: a fifteen-minute musical medley of the Christmas story, walking through all the Scripture on PowerPoint slides accompanied by illustrations. This took a lot of prep, but it was neat worship as a couple; Matt took care of coordinating the slides while I sang. I guess we were "the entertainment.")
- For chapel at MTT, Tom Brewington (our part-time, retired mechanic) and I did the entire chapel full of music with our stringed instruments. It was a blast!
- MEANWHILE while all of this is going on, Matt has been working extra hours most days to finalize the report for Mbingo Baptist Hospital in Cameroon. This week he has worked over 40 hours... and it's Thursday morning! (He hopes to be done this morning, so the hospital can receive the report in time to propose it for funding.)
- Tomorrow night we have an event that Rebecca Friedlander, Matt and I are putting on at her dad's cabin called The Patchwork Christmas. I'll share the flyer with you, so you can get a better idea. (See below)
- Christmas Eve we are hoping to pack our house with friends who are missing their families or wanna be together for supper! We're making a turkey and ham, along with all kinds of sides and snacks. I already started baking. :)
We are really excited for all God's let us do! Please pray that we are sustained and that our attitudes glorify God. We REALLY long to have opportunities to help bring people closer to Jesus through all we're doing... especially tomorrow and Saturday. Please pray that we, too, would have VERY intimate times with Christ. Someone once said that when you're busy, you're like a speedboat: the faster you go, the more shallow your bottom is in the water. We want deep times with God that bless Him... not shallow moments. :)
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| This is the Patchwork Christmas flyer we handed out. |
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
From Jan Schill
I received an e-mail from Jan, Bob's wife! She shared some great information, and she gave the go-ahead to pass it on to you as well. Here it is:
Monday evening, August 8, 2011
I finally made contact with Bob on Saturday morning. Matt, the architect who is with him, had SKYPE on. We couldn't talk, but could Instant Message. I found out they had arrived safely and were settled in at the Mbingo hospital.
Sunday morning Bob called me on SKYPE and we had a great connection for about 15 minutes.
He had attended the Mbingo Baptist Church that morning. He estimated there were about 300 people there. They preach in English and they give a summary in French.
In the afternoon, they took a jeep ride around the hospital property. He said it is a huge area. On the site are mountains, dams, waterfalls, a landing strip. They also have a helicopter. The hospital treats about 80,000 people a year with about 10,000 of those staying at the hospital.
They have never had a comprehensive Master Plan done or done any preplanning before building.. There are about 1,500 buildings on the site. I'm sure many are very small. They are needing to expand so Bob will begin the plan while there and finish it by the end of December. The hospital has received some grant money, so need to have a plan to show them.
Bob said there were quite a few American doctors around. He thought they stayed about one month and during that time work with and train the Cameroon doctors.
Bob said they have mostly western type food. It has rained almost everyday. He thought they would be working in another building, but decided it would be easier to set up in their rooms. He and Matt each have a fairly large room with 2 or 3 beds and a bathroom.
Bob said he was feeling good and enjoying being there.
Jan
Thank you for praying!!! Please keep it up! :)
Monday evening, August 8, 2011
I finally made contact with Bob on Saturday morning. Matt, the architect who is with him, had SKYPE on. We couldn't talk, but could Instant Message. I found out they had arrived safely and were settled in at the Mbingo hospital.
Sunday morning Bob called me on SKYPE and we had a great connection for about 15 minutes.
He had attended the Mbingo Baptist Church that morning. He estimated there were about 300 people there. They preach in English and they give a summary in French.
In the afternoon, they took a jeep ride around the hospital property. He said it is a huge area. On the site are mountains, dams, waterfalls, a landing strip. They also have a helicopter. The hospital treats about 80,000 people a year with about 10,000 of those staying at the hospital.
They have never had a comprehensive Master Plan done or done any preplanning before building.. There are about 1,500 buildings on the site. I'm sure many are very small. They are needing to expand so Bob will begin the plan while there and finish it by the end of December. The hospital has received some grant money, so need to have a plan to show them.
Bob said there were quite a few American doctors around. He thought they stayed about one month and during that time work with and train the Cameroon doctors.
Bob said they have mostly western type food. It has rained almost everyday. He thought they would be working in another building, but decided it would be easier to set up in their rooms. He and Matt each have a fairly large room with 2 or 3 beds and a bathroom.
Bob said he was feeling good and enjoying being there.
Jan
Thank you for praying!!! Please keep it up! :)
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| Bob and Matt at TECH working on a model of a church. |
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| Bob and Matt working |
Monday, August 8, 2011
I Got to Visit with Matt....
Hi, All! Yesterday, Sunday, I talked with Matt on Skype for about an hour and a half. It was really nice to catch up on everything... but of course I thought of more to say afterward, so it was great that he called me again today!
He is doing well. He seems very joyful, and he's doing a lot of hard work creating charts of the measurements and buildings' needs. (Soon he'll work on drawings.) He's met some really neat people--- all of the doctors are Americans, it seems. Indigenous people work at the hospital. He said many of them speak "Pidgin English." He said it's pretty hard to understand them even though it is a form of English.
He is staying in a motel-like building. He has his own room, so he didn't know the answer when I asked if Bob was sleeping enough. (Bob is notorious for working late into the nights...)
He is staying in a motel-like building. He has his own room, so he didn't know the answer when I asked if Bob was sleeping enough. (Bob is notorious for working late into the nights...)
He said the food is kind of like American food, and it's pretty good. Tonight he had home-made doughnuts at Dr. Sparks' house. He is the main doctor who organizes the volunteers, I gathered. He said he DOES miss my cooking, but that those doughnuts would be pretty hard to beat. :)
He said Bob is doing well and creating these amazing drawings. Matt is in awe, I perceived. I'm so thankful (as is Matt) that he has this great opportunity with Bob.
Please keep praying for their health, safety, and productiveness for The Kingdom! :) THANK YOU!!!!
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| This is Mbingo Baptist Hospital where Matt is at work right now! |
Monday, August 1, 2011
Matt's Haircut!
Just wanted to share a few pics with you! Matt convinced me to cut his hair, since he is about to go to a part of the world that is very conservative. So I have two motives for this post: 1. Show you his new hair. 2. Introduce you to some awesome guys he is grateful to know.
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| Matt with his full beard and growing hair on the left. His hair got about 2 inches longer than this. Next to him is Ron Peacock (our awesome friend and pastor at NorthWood Church) and Matt Freid (our friend from NW Church). |
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| Matt with longer hair and less beard next to his very good friend Rob White. |
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| HIS HAIR IS NOW CUT! Taken Sunday, July 31, 2011. (He's next to me! Oh, and when he saw this picture, he asked me why there was lightning coming out of his ears... ahem... it's just some pretty lights we have up at church on the walls... not lightning.) :) |
Monday, July 25, 2011
Some Updates
I've been weak at writing... I'll try to update y'all on the goings on!
Matt IS going to Africa in a week. He'll head to Atlanta where he'll meet Bob Schill; from there they'll fly to Paris, then into Cameroon, Africa. The work? They need to work on some designs for an existing HUGE hospital in the area. Western hospitals are rare, but needed. You can read the info in our last post, if interested in Cameroon. Please pray Matt will be effective as a teammate, and also come home safely to his waiting wife.
Our house is almost done! It has been 8 months since we bought the house, and we've had some wonderful help with fixing it up. We've gutted the entire thing and had the electric done, the walls insulated and rebuilt, we mudded, sanded, painted, put flooring down (in a couple rooms we had to put a FLOOR down...), built counters, cut cabinets from existing cabinets donated to us(!), cut trim for the rooms, doors, window, began sewing curtains... All of this in 6 rooms. We are GRATEFUL for this house. It is the cutest thing now... still quite quirky, as both of us had NEVER done any of this, really, before. But it's wonderful! Praise God for how He provides!
Some TECH Team responsibilities are changing. I'm a graphic designer at MTT, as you probably know, and in the last few months, my manager has started focusing me on advertising-like projects. PR kinds of things. I'm having a blast. Still doing the design work, but I've also started on our Facebook presence, e-mail ads, bulletin ads, and program ads. Pretty fun stuff!
What else? Feel free to leave a comment regarding anything I should blog about, as I've been feeling a little bit uncertain what to put up! Thanks!!! :)
Matt IS going to Africa in a week. He'll head to Atlanta where he'll meet Bob Schill; from there they'll fly to Paris, then into Cameroon, Africa. The work? They need to work on some designs for an existing HUGE hospital in the area. Western hospitals are rare, but needed. You can read the info in our last post, if interested in Cameroon. Please pray Matt will be effective as a teammate, and also come home safely to his waiting wife.
Our house is almost done! It has been 8 months since we bought the house, and we've had some wonderful help with fixing it up. We've gutted the entire thing and had the electric done, the walls insulated and rebuilt, we mudded, sanded, painted, put flooring down (in a couple rooms we had to put a FLOOR down...), built counters, cut cabinets from existing cabinets donated to us(!), cut trim for the rooms, doors, window, began sewing curtains... All of this in 6 rooms. We are GRATEFUL for this house. It is the cutest thing now... still quite quirky, as both of us had NEVER done any of this, really, before. But it's wonderful! Praise God for how He provides!
Some TECH Team responsibilities are changing. I'm a graphic designer at MTT, as you probably know, and in the last few months, my manager has started focusing me on advertising-like projects. PR kinds of things. I'm having a blast. Still doing the design work, but I've also started on our Facebook presence, e-mail ads, bulletin ads, and program ads. Pretty fun stuff!
What else? Feel free to leave a comment regarding anything I should blog about, as I've been feeling a little bit uncertain what to put up! Thanks!!! :)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Cameroon (also spelled Cameroun)
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon (French: République du Cameroun), is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Bonny, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. The country is called "Africa in miniature" for its geological and cultural diversity. Natural features include beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas. The highest point is Mount Cameroon in the southwest, and the largest cities are Douala, Yaoundé, and Garoua. Cameroon is home to over 200 different linguistic groups. The country is well known for its native styles of music, particularly makossa and bikutsi, and for its successful national football team. English and French are the official languages.
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| This is a pic I found on Wikipedia from Cameroon. |
The quality of health care is generally low. Outside the major cities, facilities are often dirty and poorly equipped. Endemic diseases include dengue fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis, malaria, meningitis, schistosomiasis, and sleeping sickness. The HIV/AIDS seroprevalence rate is estimated at 5.4% for those aged 15–49, although a strong stigma against the illness keeps the number of reported cases artificially low. Traditional healers remain a popular alternative to Western medicine.
... AND BOB SCHILL IS TAKING MATT THERE IN 3 WEEKS TO WORK ON A LARGE "Western" HOSPITAL!!!! (More to come!)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Becoming a Texan
It's been a HOT couple of weeks!
We have had high humidity and temps around 104 degrees F. Up until about 5 days ago we did not have air conditioning in the house, either! We were fixing up the house with fans on and hoping for great cross-breezes.
But, alas, it was a difficult feat... and we were defeated. :(
So we ran to Home Depot and picked up an air conditioner to put in the dining room, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE! WOW! We actually enjoyed working in that room!
Then Friday, after my lessons, I got a call from Gail asking if I was still at the church and would I come over for a second. I said okay, and ran over to her house. Ron stuck an air conditioning unit in our car!!! They happened to have a spare unit! They just handed it to us, free of charge!
So now we are sleeping a lot better, let me tell you!
Yesterday we came home from TECH Team, and when we got in the house it felt so nice! The dining room unit was on very low (to help the floor adhesive cure), and I went into the bedroom to plop down on the bed. The bedroom felt great, too, only the air was off!
I said, "Matt isn't it crazy how our house feels so nice, even though the air isn't even on in here?"
Matt reached over to turn on the unit, and noticed the temperature. "Yeah, especially since it's 92 degrees in here! You're becoming a Texan!"
I guess that's the latest news... I'm becoming a Texan!
We have had high humidity and temps around 104 degrees F. Up until about 5 days ago we did not have air conditioning in the house, either! We were fixing up the house with fans on and hoping for great cross-breezes.
But, alas, it was a difficult feat... and we were defeated. :(
So we ran to Home Depot and picked up an air conditioner to put in the dining room, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE! WOW! We actually enjoyed working in that room!
Then Friday, after my lessons, I got a call from Gail asking if I was still at the church and would I come over for a second. I said okay, and ran over to her house. Ron stuck an air conditioning unit in our car!!! They happened to have a spare unit! They just handed it to us, free of charge!
So now we are sleeping a lot better, let me tell you!
Yesterday we came home from TECH Team, and when we got in the house it felt so nice! The dining room unit was on very low (to help the floor adhesive cure), and I went into the bedroom to plop down on the bed. The bedroom felt great, too, only the air was off!
I said, "Matt isn't it crazy how our house feels so nice, even though the air isn't even on in here?"
Matt reached over to turn on the unit, and noticed the temperature. "Yeah, especially since it's 92 degrees in here! You're becoming a Texan!"
I guess that's the latest news... I'm becoming a Texan!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Coffee House
Matt and I are still helping put on coffee houses at NorthWood Church. Please pray for the First Fridays. We have a crowd, at times, that really needs to see people who know Jesus. We want to be a good witness as we put on the coffee houses. Thanks.
Here's the pic going with the invitation for this month. Thought I'd share it because the sweetest man in the whole world is in it.... :)
(As they say in my family... S.O.P.)
Here's the pic going with the invitation for this month. Thought I'd share it because the sweetest man in the whole world is in it.... :)
(As they say in my family... S.O.P.)
Black and White Ad
I don't know if it's official, or anything, but my manager has talked to me about changing my job description. He'd like me to be on top of "new media." This means keeping our website up-to-date, facebook, and advertising for TECH. It means keeping our displays current and literature accurate. I'm excited because this is my area of interest FOR SURE. Part of that being because I can be corny in the ads. :) I do "corny."
(Note: The 1/4" bleed is left on this image. It will actually be cropped, I guess you could say, for the ad.)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Praise God for Board Meetings!
This week/weekend the Missionary TECH Team Board is here! The week or two before the board arrives, there is a nervous tension in the air. Things start getting tidier, the rules get a little stricter, the refrigerator gets... bleach-e-er?
Anyway, all this happens, and it made me wonder if the Board was to be dreaded because people dreaded those last two weeks. (Side note: Matt and I were NOT here last year for board meeting. We went to Judson to represent TECH Team.)
Let me tell you that Board meeting week is anything BUT dreadful! The board members are SO loving! They've walked around and greeted all of us as their arrivals were sporadic. Several of them spoke in our chapel times this week, and the Team was more encouraged than we've been in a while! The Board is excited about TECH's ministry and where God is bringing us in the future, and sometimes that excitement slips away from those of us at the office. PRAISE GOD FOR BOARD MEETINGS!
A couple is staying with us at Stone House, and I got to meet them just this morning. They are the kind of couple you wish you were related to, you know what I mean? Their last name is Ellison. Please ask God to bless their stay with us and their time with TECH this week. They are a treasure!
Anyway, all this happens, and it made me wonder if the Board was to be dreaded because people dreaded those last two weeks. (Side note: Matt and I were NOT here last year for board meeting. We went to Judson to represent TECH Team.)
Let me tell you that Board meeting week is anything BUT dreadful! The board members are SO loving! They've walked around and greeted all of us as their arrivals were sporadic. Several of them spoke in our chapel times this week, and the Team was more encouraged than we've been in a while! The Board is excited about TECH's ministry and where God is bringing us in the future, and sometimes that excitement slips away from those of us at the office. PRAISE GOD FOR BOARD MEETINGS!
A couple is staying with us at Stone House, and I got to meet them just this morning. They are the kind of couple you wish you were related to, you know what I mean? Their last name is Ellison. Please ask God to bless their stay with us and their time with TECH this week. They are a treasure!
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| The Board... the only picture I have of them... :) |
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