weekly monuments

Just the other day I began jotting down everything I wanted to blog to you about- adding to a list of thoughts and events that had started the list last week, when I came accross this in my devotional the other day:

"The Lincoln Memorial. The Vietnam Memorial...Mermorials are places provided for us to stand and be quiet, to reflect, and to pass on to the next generation the roots of a nation's heritage. They give us presnt significance because they give the past perspective. My fear for our present rapid-paced lifestyle is that we have so few memorials, so few monuments, even mental monuments. Life is lived in the fast lane. Superficial decisions. Hurry up childhoods...So little time spent stopping and recording segments of our lives in a journal..." (Charles Swindoll)

Many people ask if I do and tell me that I will regret it if I won't. I have never enjoyed journalling- taking time to process everything and write it down...recording emotions that I know will change, but I am beginning to realize that my days and weeks, and this life goes too fast not to. This experience is changing me and I don't want to forget how. These children are growing and maturing and I don't want to forget those formative moments. Evenings pass with saying goodights and I wish I could hold on to them forever. I wish I could remember more quotes, I wish I had more time to talk with them. I don't want to loose the everyday, small joy details of my work.

Usually I share best and process by talking to people- but living on the road is stretching me to communicate in different ways, and I believe this to be one of them. Sometimes I log onto my blog and don't even know where to begin- time has brought about so many things to pass, and in the spanse of time I cannot remember and hold onto all the memories.

Charles Swindoll goes on to say " In order to have perspective we must have mounuments and memorials, places to return to and learn from and talk about and pass on."

I want this to be that place for me, and I want to make a better start by catching you up on this week and where I'm at...

At the beginning of the week one of my close friends and wonderful Auntie to the kids- Sarah, left us to join Choir 31 in their work. Like any family it is hard to loose someone and say goodbye, but we are all very proud of her confidence to go, put herself out there, and be with a choir that was short staffed and greatly needed her. We hosted a goodbye party for her, and the kids sung her a farewell. While the kids continued eating cake and having a dance party the team of us were able to have some last time with Sarah- pray over her, and encourage her as we sent her off.

Before Valentines day this past Saturday a good friend of mine mailed goodie bags for all the kids, and between goodies sent from Lindsey's parents, and valentines from Angela and the Music for life office our team filled the bags and were done tying the ribbons for valentines day with the kids. From the friday evening to Saturday morning the school that we performed in placed us in a hotel rather than host families. So Saturday we suprised the kids with their goodie and bags and all piled into a room together to watch Madagascar 2. I love watching movies with these kids- I think it is quite possibly more entertaining to watch them than the movie itself because they're laughing so hard and are so suprised by everything on screen. A the movie started and Junior, who is quite quiet spoken, opens his goodie bag I hear him say "The Aunties and Uncles- look at all they do for us and what they have given us this morning. I know they love us so much." There aren't any words for that so I just hugged him.

For the past 3 nights I've had the chance to stay with three of the boys from the choir which doesn't happen often! One of the boys, who had just received a sponsor this week, was so excited that he brough home his school bag so I could help him write his thank you letter. As the rest of the boys played pool and ping pong Mo and I worked away at making a final draft of his letter- I even found him later that evening as I came in the room to say goodnight, letter in hand trying to write by the light of a small flashlight. It was such a great stay- when Mo put away his letter I got tackled by the three boys with hugs- and finally after telling them to stop and go to sleep Mo sits up and says "Come back Auntie Laura- your hugs were plastic hugs- I want a real one!" haha

Right now we're back in Austin and I am staying with a young couple- the wife works at the church as a community missions coordinator. I talked to her last night about her work and the programs she has begun through the church. The vision and programs she has set up are incredible. She and her husband do a lot of work in Brazil and have taken part in many music for life summer missions trips to Africa. Her current work in the community focuses on establishing relationships with the homeless in Austin. She spoke a lot about how being relational with these people takes a lot of time and effort instead of just handing them something, or doing a favour and walking away. We talked a lot last night about the importance of a ministry that begins with being relational- I believe it's the only way that deep roots can be planted in any work. Since an end date for our tour was announced to be December 2009 I have thought a lot more about what I want to do after tour. With an end to this experience, life after tour begins to feel more real. I still don't have an answer for what I'd like to do- but more and more I am learning what's most important- who I want to be. I want to be like this family- I want to partner and work in communities- I don't believe I could work overseas but I would love to continue to travel there- and expand my relationships. For the first time I don't feel panicked by not knowing exactly what I want to do, but I think recognizing what is important to me and how I want to live my life must be the first step before making a career choice that can fit that- and I believe I am slowly gaining a better vision of what that looks like...

sunburns in February??

One of my first e-mails from our choir manager when our team had been chosen for this tour was about things to look forward to- among her top highlights being the generous spirit of Uncle Brother Doug and his church, and second to that her story of the beach of Corpus Christi.

" You will love it when you get to Corpus Christi! The team had a beach day where all the North American chaperones got burnt and the Africans all got tan lines"


And yes, now I sit writing to you- my shoulders, arms, and neck completely sunbaked. It continually takes me by suprise-this weather for Febuary. Even this morning the lady I am staying with picked oranges off her orange tree in the backyard to make myself and the girls freshly squeezed orange juice!...and for lunches Peace and Immaculate picked their own oranges off the tree before hopping in the car to head to church.

The other day we told the children they would have three suprises over the next two days to look forward to- the first being a visit from the local fire department. One of the host families is a firefighter and brought his team over with the truck for the kids to explore. After that Christopher, a hopeful future pilot, announces "I am going to be a fireman pilot- so I can fly planes, and when it catches on fire I can put it out." Probably the funniest moment was when Peace got all geared up in the fireman pants, boots, jacket, helmet- everything and then because it was so heavy on her stood up and then completely fell over!

The next day the kids took a walk down the beach and were treated to free burgers at a hamburger chain on the beach- and afterwards the church that's hosting us took the kids to the aquariam- the highlights being the dolphin show and the getting to touch the sting rays. Unfortunately it was my day off so I wasn't with them, but Mo at the end of the day rushes up to tell me that the suprise was "dancing fish that wanted to be a motorcycle."





My day off was spent with Ang, Patrick, and
Sarah- between the beach and a neat
restaurant/tea room we had a great day. I've been really lucky with having my days off in bigger cities lately- the last two being in Austin. I think that Austin and Chicago have been my two favourtie places on tour so far- I just love the culture of the city.

Over the past few weeks the kids have been working hard on studying for exams and in the next couple days the kids will be writing their first term exams since we've been on the road. The exams are really important so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers! An encouraging note from the Music For Life Primary school back in Uganda that the children will return home to...

...If our school was registered, of which we are working on the process we would be ranked 6th in Kampala and 13th in the country. For three years in a row we would have been in the top 20 in the country. Yes, I think that is exceptional when you consider where our children come from…

I can't believe the week is already half over now- hopefully this month won't disappear like the last one and I will try to be in closer touch before Febuary slips away from us.

Padre Island

Today found our tour in Corpus Cristi. Walking along the beach with Sarah we both realized that we hadn't blogged since Christmas- wasn't Christmas just last week? At least that's what it feels like. I honestly don't know where January has gone...It has come and gone in the laugh of a child, in a smile, in another day of learning, visits from supervisors, rehearsing, improving, and the temperature rising. This afternoon being the big superbowl game we didn't have a performance and got the afternoon off. The lady I'm staying with took the girls out to the nations largest natural seashore beach! It was beautiful- the girls eagerly ran to the water and splashing around it seemed they would never get enough of it. Since I was a kid just loving the sensation of playing in the water and catching waves has been one of my favourtie sensations so that sometimes I feel as though I just can't get enough of it. Peace, on one of her dives into the waves, comes running back to me to tell me that "wow wow don't drink the ocean Auntie Laura it does not taste good!" I asked her if it was very salty tasting- completely serious she replies "Yes! ...who poured all the salt on it?" I keep trying to take pictures of this place- frantically trying to take in by the snap of a camera lense what appears to only get more beautiful with every block I drive or walk here- but it just doesn't capture the panoramic views I have all around me. The setting sun and the cooling of the evening eventually brought us in to have a picnic snack on the sand before we took a leisurely drive through palm tres and over the ocean back home (not to run it in to you Canadians reading this!)...it was the perfect day.

L'arte d'arrangiarsi

Have you heard of the book "Eat, Pray, Love?" I love the pure honesty in the author's writing and wanted to share with you a quote from it that I read yesterday- it made me sit back and reflect on Christmas (and how I should get on blogging it too) but firstly here is what the author had written...

" Generally speaking though, Americans have an inability to relax into sheer pleasure. Ours is an entertainment seeking nation, but not necessarily a pleasure seeking one. Americans spend billions to keep themselves amused with everything from theme parks to malls, but that's not exactly the same thing as quiet enjoyment. Americans work harder and longer and more stressful hours than anyone in the world today, but we seem to like it. Alarming statistics back this observation up, showing that many Americans feel more happy and fulfilled in their offices than they do in their own homes. Of course, we all inevitably work too hard, then we get burned out and have to spend the whole weekend in our pajamas, eating cereal straight out of the box and staring at the TV in a mild coma (which is the opposite of working yes, but not exactly the same thing as pleasure). Americans don't really know how to do nothing. This is the cause of that great sad American stereotype-the overstressed executive who goes on vacation but who cannot relax."

...then the authour goes on to describe the Italian culture compared to that of American life. But I want to pull one quote in particular from this next section:

"L'arte d'arrangiarsi"- the art of making something out of nothing. The art of turning a few simple ingredients into a feast, or a few gathered friends into a festival. Anyone with a talent for happiness can do this, not only the rich.

This past Christmas I experienced that happiness. True happiness. The kind that comes from spending the whole morning outside running in a soccer game, or from watching your children pretend to make African meals from sticks and soil, or being busy in the kitchen with 8 other people cooking together- frantically grabbing utensils, flipping crepes, and sectioning fruits in busy preperation for Christmas day brunch but feeling a complete sense of togetherness in the small space and frantic pace of working together. It really does not take much. An afternoon of wagon riding, an evening of having Racheal make rounds of peppermint hot chocolate for all the chaperones, movie nights, hours of wrapping Christmas presents for the kids over eating appetizers. A small Christmas Eve service- probably the first one I ever attended that you didn't need to come half an hour early for just to get a seat. It was barely half full- but because of that it left room for our kids to lead out the Christmas carols they knew for the people there, and the intimate setting allowed for a lot of time of personal reflection on the holiday. The simplicity of it was wonderful. With all my usual Christmas traditions far away at home I spent a Christmas with the focus shifted from myself to blessing the children- but in return being equally as blessed by their reactions to finding their stockings and gifts.

They jumped up and down when they received sparkly gloves from Wal Mart and tried to wear them to bed that night with the excuse that their hands were always cold! They forgot about the second half of their stockings after finding pictures of their families taken in Uganda before leaving and being so excited to show us and remind us of their parents, Aunties, and Uncles whom we met last August.

All week long we enjoyed cooking and baking together- I got to share a few recipes from home and even make the Christmas turkey with help from Sarah, Andrew, and Martha Stewart. I attempted to make gravy like my Dad's which (to be expected) still needs perfecting on my part or just plain practice- and later that night ladies from Uncle brother Doug's church brought over an assortment of homemade pies to enjoy. A lot of time was spent in play, singing, dancing, devotions, cooking- but most of all, and most importantly just together. That is one of my most lasting impressions of this holiday- the time to be together, relaxed in pure simple pleasure as a tour family enjoying the simplicity of everyday as it came.

Christmas Time..

By the time it was dark outside last night we had arrived at our camp in Laguna Park Texas and had loaded in enough groceries for a weeks worth of meals for 32 people! The groceries were brought in by an assembly line of about 8 of us- with the two kids in hysterics the whole time as they tried to catch bulk supplies of everything while giggling over how much we have for our Christmas holiday!

Laguna Park is a one stoplight town with the most generous and hilarious man (Uncle Brother Doug- the pastor of the church we're singing at tonight) without a doubt. Yesterday he paid for all our groceries for the week explaining that this was about giving to us how he could, and how not just everyone got the opportunity to bless us uniquely! This morning we were invited to the breakfast Uncle Brother Dough cooks for his congregation week after week. So upon getting the breakfast room I am met with the best smell of homemade jumbo sized cinnamon buns, french toast, AND homemade raisin and berry mix english muffins- talk about a servants heart!

Today is our last day of concerts before the holidays- and it's been so fun to have the Christmas music added to the program after finishing it in rehearsals! Little Racheal (the girl who plays Mary) was so nervous to come out on stage to do her part in acting out the manger scene, but after doing it once comes beaming and running into my arms after the concert announcing "I am not shy anymore!". Just for that moment every hour of rehearsal was definately worth it.

After tonight's concert we have no set schedule except for trying to fit in gift wrapping, lots of playing, movie watching, and making sugar cookies with the kids into our days! Our last church that we stayed at donated us all Toms shoes to all the kids- have you heard of them before? I hadn't till tour- for every shoe that is bought one is given to a child that needs shoes in Africa and South America. After hoping to give all the kids new shoes for Christmas this was such a generous blessing to fulfill that wish! As a suprise for the kids I am going to paint the ACC logo and their name on each of their shoes and am pretty excited to do it.

With all of my personal family traditions gone for this Christmas and in being away from home and family my hope is that my focus may be redirected to what this season is really all about. To imagine a life without my faith and be truly thankful for why we're celebrating. And then to find true joy in these kids- in their smiles that I'm so excited for as they figure out what a stocking is, attend a Christmas eve service together, and relax on Christmas day opening gifts and all baking a brunch and dinner together. And so I leave you here- at just the start of it all and as I don't have wireless at the camp wish you wonderful wishes for Christmas now!!

From Nelson...

Now THIS is Texas weather- a day with no coat and 16 degree weather of sunshine watching the kids run around outside. Today has been filled with hours of english lessons- one of the boys in grade 4, Nelson, was assigned a journaling activity today and after writing my blog a couple days ago I had to share it with you- the same story of the first snow through the eyes of a child...

" When we were in Dallas we saw snow. At frist Uncle Andrew said it is snowing but I said no that's not true- please do not joke, so he said touch my arms. So I caught his arms then I felt his arms so so so so so cold. Then I believe that it is snowing outside. Then my friends came out from the shower than they found us talking about snow they my friends did not believe so Uncle Andrew said Let's go outisde. We all went outside shout yes yes! So we went outside to see snow but before seeing when Patrick was holding the door people push Patrick away because they wanted to see snow. Auntie Angela was taking video I opened my mouth very wide and I was eating snow. I will write other when this journal book comes back."

It's....snowing?!?!

Tonight is our final night staying at a college in Dallas- the kids sung yesterday morning for probably (well, not probably- they were on their feet the whole time) audience to date which was both exciting and encouraging to see after rehearsing so often and watching so many shows. This week marks the final week of preparing Christmas music so that we can add it into the program by the start of next week. I had my day off today and when I got back the kids were so excited to tell me that they had learned the verse to the song I taught them last (Silent Night) in their language. I have come to know the contagious effects of happiness- feeling it first hand through these kids and getting excited and energized to continue working hard for and with them.
Just as we finished showers tonight Rachel grabbed Peace and told her to put her coat over her short p.j's to run outside so she could see the hail- explaining it would be the closest thing to snow she would see on tour. Not 5 minutes later as all the kids are out of the shower does it start to snow! Really snow! Not just freezing rain or slush but huge flakes of snow that fell in clumps- dotting everyone's p.j's. The kids ran around screeming and hugging each other- trying frantically to catch it before the snow hit the ground or catch it on their tongue- it was so fun! I know I have said this whole time that I am so glad to spend Christmas without winter, but it was so exciting for me to see snow- for it to feel like a touch of home so far south and to see the kids eagerly trying to catch in, carry it inside, and then later to have them come running to you wanting hugs to try and warm up their shivering little bodies and cold toes!
But now- it is time to go back to the residence we're staying in to watch White Christmas (for my first time I might add!)- ready to brave the cold with my spring jacket and hot chocolate in hand.