Adventures in Driving

Most of you know that I've been driving here for some time.  But most of you don't know the full story from behind the wheel.  Let me start by giving you some of the basics of driving here.  First off, the wheel is on the right side of the vehichle which doesn't feel so weird odd here as traffic goes the opposite direction of what it does in the states.  In my city there are no traffic lights or stop signs.  Actually there are a few stop signs but those seem to be more for decoration as no one actually stops.  Intersections are just sort of a free-for-all with the biggest vehicle always having the right away.    I started learning how to drive here within three months of arrival.  I say learning to drive because the experience is so totally different from what I'm used to that I really did need lessons.  Not only is everything on the opposite side, but all the cars are manuals so I had to re-learn how to drive a stick shift.  Plus the roads here are crowded with bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, large trucks, buses, pedestrians (including small children running out into the road), and animals (mostly dogs, water buffalo, goats, and horse drawn carts, but we also get the occassional elephant and camel).  So clearly there is a lot to keep your eyes on.  I should also mention that your eyes aren't the only one of your senses that needs to be alert.  You see since there are no real stop signs the horn is used to alert other drivers when a vehicle is approaching an intersection.   This brings me to one of my favorite stories of Father's faithfulness and proctection from my first year.  My second time behind the wheel I was T-boned by a large bus.  Pretty scary stuff.  The car was pretty much damaged, but thankfully me and D were totally unharmed.  We could have been seriously injured.  For a long time after the accident I wondered if I would ever drive again, but these days I drive around town like the accident never happened.  Well that's not true.  The accident taught me a great lesson about the sovereignty of G and to always let buses go first at intersections . 

How did I not know this sooner?

So I'm standing in line today at the bank waiting to pay my electric bill, and there are about 15 men in front of me and at least 4 behind me.  Then I notice this one auntie march herself right up to the front.  Now in my head, I start to go off once again about how people are constantly cutting in line here, but then I just let it go.  I mean no point getting upset about it after all.  After about 20 minutes of standing in line and making only marginal progress toward the front, one of the uncles next to me says - you know, you don't  have to wait in line.  Thinking I have misunderstood due to some rusty language skills, I ask him to repeat what he said.  The next thing I know all these men are all telling me the same thing - I am a woman, and therefore I do not have to wait in line.  Awesome.  Best news ever.  I take back every bad thing I've ever said about this culture.  Now the only thing I'm upset about is why it took me practically a year to figure this out. 

Two Places At Once

Have you ever wanted to be two places at once?  I have.  Or at least I've wanted to be able to go back and forth between these two places with ease.  This week so much so that I spent a great deal of time looking into the feasibility of building my own teletransporter.  Let me describe the situation.  I know I am right where I am supposed to be, and I love it here.  It's not easy.  In fact, on the easiest of days, it is the hardest thing I have ever done.    This place is hot, complicated, and confusing.  I still struggle with the language and culture.   In spite of all this, or maybe even partly because of it, I find myself continually drawn to this place, these people.  And when I think about leaving here, I get uncomfortable in my spirit and try to think about something else as quickly as possible.  Yet there are times I find myself thinking about home and what everyone there must be doing, and I'm filled with a longing to be right there.  Don't misunderstand me.  Home is on my mind every day.  Maybe because I receive a letter from someone at club.  Or because I see that the Royals won.  But most of the time, the feelings are not accompanied by acute homesickness just a sweet gladness as I think about the places and people I love.  This week was a little different.  My friend of 23 years gave birth to her first baby, and I was/am really sad that I couldn't be there.   Johansen and I basically grew up at each other's houses so the way I see it I'm basically Eli's aunt on his mother's side.  (Hence the time wasted trying to build a teletransporter.  Because in my experience, a large part of my auntly duties are to spoil this kid rotten.  This is a little hard to do from a distance, but it is something that I have some practice with so it will be okay.)  Anyway.... this week was hard.  I was telling a good friend who is in the same business as me all about these crazy conflicting emotions I was having and she had some really encouraging things to say.  She said this was normal.  She said these conflicting emotions never really go away.  She said this doesn't mean I don't love it here or that I don't love my friends and family.  She said Father was going to use this in my life to teach me, mold me, draw me closer to him, and reveal his glory.  So as I have said over and over the past year -  Praise Him!  There is no sacrifice too small.  Nothing is lost.  He redeems everything.  It is my honor to serve him.  He is worthy! 

I love my city!!!!

Last weekend I discovered yet another reason to love my city.  It's a little thing I like to call the underground aquarium.  After months and months of hyping this place to others as a must-see destination, I finally went myself.  And let me just say the place totally lived up to its billing.  Even though the aquarium has only slightly more fish than your local PETCO, it does have something, a certain je nesais quoi, that I found irresistable.  To the untrained eye it might appear to just be 10 oversized fish tanks all lined up together, but in actuality it is a place where wonder abounds and the imagination is swept away to another world.  My city's aquarium is not content with simply entertaining, but it takes the next step of educating its patrons as well.  On the wall opposited the fish tanks are public service announcements about fish and underwater life.  As if that were not enough, the aquarium is attached to a "museum" in which various sea creatures live on forever suspended in a world of formaldehyde.  The best part of the whole experience was sharing the moment with people who were as charmed by the aquarium's quirkiness as I.  The aquarium sits in the middle of a nice park with a nice view of the city and was the perfect place to sit and debrief after the excitement of the aquarium.  It took me almost a full year of living year here to make it to the aquarium, but you can be sure that I won't wait another year before going back.  Now when I tell visitors to my city to visit the aquarium, I can encourage them to do so with firsthand knowledge that they will truly see some of the best my city has to offer!

The entrance is a fish head.  How great is that?  The exit is the tail.

See what I mean? Entertaining AND Educational!

See ya chickens.

So I moved last week.  That's right.  I no longer have chickens painted on my bedroom wall.  I still am living in the same city just in a different part of town.  Moving in any country is stressful but is especially difficult when you are living in a different culture.  The day was crazy.  At about 10 o'clock in the morning 3 movers showed up at the house. The movers brought a small tractor pulling a flatbed and commenced carrying all of our stuff out of the house and piling as much as possible in the back.  Nothing was tied down or wrapped up.  The movers rode in the flatbed to make sure nothing fell out.  I've only moved twice in my adult life, and I'm not really sure about the best strategy.  Imagine me trying to direct the movers in the local language but having no real clue myself about the best way to do things.  Thank goodness a local friend was there to help.  By the end of the day, all of our stuff was in our new place, and we were completely exhausted.  It's been almost two weeks since we moved, and I'm still exhausted from trying to get everything settled.   I'll try and post pictures of the new digs soon, but for now join me in saying a fond farewell to my two constant companions of the last 11 months.  If I'm totally honest, I kind of miss the little guys. 

I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  Never before has that psalm been more real to me than in the past 3 months.  I've been in a little bit of rough stretch lately, but I have no doubt where my hope lies.  As hard as it has been, I am grateful for the lessons He is teaching me.  Here are some of the things Father has reminded me the past few months. 

1. In Father's economy nothing is wasted.  He uses everything.  During the trials, Father is faithful to use everything for His glorification and my sanctification. 
2. His timing is perfect.
3. Only He is perfect.
4. He gives grace for the moment.
5. There is no substitution for time in pr@yer.
6. Only He is faithful.
7. My strength and joy are to come from Him alone.
8. All the shiny baubles of this world are nothing but white bread compared to the lavish feast of his goodness.
9. Our troubles are small.  They last only for a short time.  But they are earning for us a glory that will last forever.  It is greater than all our troubles. (2 Cor 4:17)
10. He repairs and mends what is broken.  He brings beauty from ashes.

100+ and Counting

Today I received 3 letters in the mail which brings my grand total for the last 11 months to over 100 letters.  The package total is over 30.  All I have to say is WOW!  I can't thank all of you enough.  Your continous outpouring of love and support is overwhelming.  I am so blessed. 

FYI: I'm moving this week so don't send any more letters or packages to my current address.  Don't worry though, I'll be sure to get all of you by new address so the gravy train can keep on coming!  :)