A Few New Photos

Love seeing these beautiful smiles!

Joyful Weariness

Joyful weariness.
I heard our pastor mention this phrase during one of his recent sermons. I think it is a phrase that best sums up my state of being right now. Joyful weariness.

I am beyond tired, but it is more than just a physical fatigue…
…it is mental…
…it is emotional…
…I’m given out.

But there is joy in the weariness, for I know it is not in vain. Reminds me of early motherhood. Tired beyond belief, but when I heard my little one cry, I woke instantly and joyfully took care of her needs.

Each morning I wake and look forward to teaching. Such joy!
We are having so much fun in class. My eighth grade class just finished a debate on embryonic stem cell research. As we researched this topic, many issues arose. They are learning to think with a Christian mind. One student voiced a basic truth that became real to her during class, “Mrs. Parker, being a Christian affects every decision you make.” Bingo! I love this class-they are passionate about everything. They add joy to my weariness!

“The joy of the Lord is my strength!”

A Lot of Goodbyes

More than half are children.
Almost all under the age of forty.

Names we recognize.
Families we love.

A neighbors’ teenage daughter.
The husband of the girls’ teacher.
A 4 year old little boy who slept where we sleep, only a year ago.
A friend’s two brothers.

We were here for over an hour.
An hour I will never forget.

At this graveyard for missionaries and their families, Naomi and I spoke of what it means to give your life for the sake of the call. We talked about whether it was worth this sacrifice. As we spoke about the loss, we also talked about the gain: the glorious place of being in God’s divine presence for eternity!

With no hesitation we say, “I will give my life for Christ!” But sometimes it is the little things that are difficult to include in the sacrifice: comforts, time, energy, entertainment, even foods. Then the “bigger” things: friends, family, home, security. What are we willing to give up for Him? As we walked around this solemn place, Naomi said, “Mom, I didn’t realize that sometimes you have to say a lot of goodbyes for Jesus.” Over the last six months, she has learned how hard it is to say ‘goodbye’ to most everything she knows and loves – she is counting the cost and knows it is high. May she also know that it is worth it all!

Sacrifice - an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy,

Rainy Season/Dry Season

During the rainy season, it rains every day. Every day. Every day. Sometimes it rains all night. Hard rains ALL night. I remember when we first arrived, we carried umbrellas. After about a week of that, we gave up. No way to stay dry here during rainy season. Put on our flip flops and know that we will dry out a bit when the sun comes out. Clothes rarely dry during the rainy season. Everything smells moldy (probably because it is!) but everything is so beautiful and green.

Then one day, the rains stop. Completely stop. Gradually things begin to dry up. Really dry up! We will be without rains for six months. The lush green grasses turn brown. Most everything turns brown. During harmattan season, the dusty sands of the Sahara blow in and block the sun's rays. It is like a dusty fog all the time. We must dust and mop every day. Clothes we hang out on the line come in dusty. Due to the sun's rays being blocked, it is also cold. Quite cold! We never seem to warm up.

However, in a few more weeks, harmattan will be gone. Temperatures will rise....and we will wish for this cool weather. Water is already becoming scarce. We are about out at our house, so we save all our excess water. We will never take turning on a faucet and getting water (or a switch for electricity) for granted again.

Which season do we like the most? We like them both! But we sure miss Tennessee's FOUR seasons!

Images around Jos

Just a few photos of scenes around Jos.



Gravel Business-we see women here pounding rock by hand to make gravel and selling it by the bags full. Jon is in awe of this work since he used to pick up loads of gravel in his landscaping business in the states.

Typical hut/house units

Cute girls!

We're Here..Just Busy and Adjusting

We'll update in a while. We have moved, gone to conference, and returned back to school over the last few weeks. Jon is feeling better. Naomi is on medicine and hopefully on the mend. We have lots of photos to share, so we'll upload them soon. The holidays brought on an epidemic of homesickness, so we are trying to stay as busy as possible!