The Great Country Switch

I have tried to write a blog about switching countries about the last 3 times that we've done it. The problem is, the actual switching always gets in the way of the writing.

I'll be honest, "country switching" with a family is not the easiest thing on the planet. It's character building, to say the least. When we come to the U.S., we're wrapping up responsibilities and projects in Zambia, turning over jobs and communicating everything. When we're leaving the U.S., we're doing all of the little errands that you do over the course of a year, desperately trying to sort out what we will need for the months to come (which somehow always looks different.) There are a few sure things you have to hold tight to until you have your feet on solid ground again. Here's the advice I give myself everytime I feel like I'm losing my mind:

1. I am NOT in control.
Of course, the trick is to try to BE as in control as possible. Make as many plans ahead of time (car rentals, accomodations, flight arrangements.) After planning carefully...GIVE IT UP. I'm really convinced that the most important thing is just putting yourself on the wave and letting it ride. People love to ask, "Soooo...are you all packed and ready to go?" Just so you know, until I get IN THE CAR to go to the airport, the answer to that question is: NO.

2. No time for sentiment.
This sounds terrible, of course. But our last weekend at home is not really the time for sentiment and tears. It will be hard not to see our family and friends for a year, impossibly hard sometimes. But it doesn't help you to get ready if that's all you're thinking about. And they're WITH you right now, so don't waste time being sad.

3. Sunda is #1.
Jake and I are okay with the country switch. And so is Sunda, really. But, it really helps to take the pressure off of my own emotions and focus them properly when I remember that she needs a lot of support in order to make it through the traveling and adjustment period unscathed. It's important for her to know that nothing is changing other than certain parts of her environment. Mommy and Daddy are still the same, our routines are still the same, our rules are still the same. We talk about how exciting it is that we're going back to either place. And we try to make the traveling process as much fun as possible for her (new toys to play with, special treats for the airplane, etc.)

4. Whatever can happen, will happen. (And it usually does.)
This morning, Sunda has chest congestion and a fever. She may need to see the doctor this afternoon. We're still not sure what's causing my major anemia. We're not sure if we'll be able to travel back to Zambia, or if we'll have to stay in South Africa because of the higher risk of delivering while anemic. There are questions and complications involving Sunda's citizenship that must get sorted before she can spend an extended period of time in South Africa. There will probably be a few other things that happen before we go that we will have to choose to deal with or not to deal with, based on importance. If I continually listed these things out in my head like I just did here, I would go crazy! It's so important to deal with what you can deal with and take one day at a time.

5. The job is usually smaller than you think it is.
Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by packing that I convince myself to procrastinate. But, I've found that if I just go ahead and spend an hour sorting and washing and packing, I've made it much farther than I could've imagined. And I feel so much better if I'm a couple of days ahead of schedule. When we leave the States, we just pack up everything in one big sweep. But when we leave Zambia, I usually make myself a schedule that fits in with our work schedule. I'll pick one thing to clean, organize, and pack a day. For example, one evening I'll sort through, clean, and pack up the things we need from the bathroom. The next night, I'll work on the kitchen.

The one major thing that has saved Jake and I's marriage during these times has been to have specific roles and jobs that we each work on separately. And we know who holds which job.

Jessi's Jobs
Manage clothes, personal and toiletry items for the family, and everything for Sunda.
Do required cleaning.
Handle the return of any borrowed items.
Shop for medicines, toiletries, clothes, etc. that we need before we go.
Arrange visits with family and friends.
Decide what needs to be thrown away, donated, or stored.
Arrange for any storage needed.
Put stuff into piles for Jake to pack.


Jake's Jobs
Handle all reservations including flight, car, and accomodations.
Acquire and keep track of all documents needed.
Shop for electronics, camping equipment, or outreach materials we need before we go.
Acquire all pieces of luggage.
Pack Jessi's piles.

It's nice after a few years to know who does what. We used to argue every time we packed and moved, because we couldn't agree on what needed to be done when. And that was before we had a kid! We knew it would just get worse if we didn't get ourselves sorted! Now, we function pretty smoothly because we know whose job is whose.

In the airport, Jake is in charge of all documents, tickets, and luggage. And I am in charge of Sunda and everything we need for the flight. So, we never question who has Sunda's blanket (I do). Or who has the passports (He does).

I'm sure you guys all have similar systems when it comes to going away for the weekend, cutting the grass, or handling the Christmas shopping or taxes. It saves us a lot of arguments and a lot of stress.

Showers of Love!

My amazing Mother-in-LOVE and my best friend Jenn threw me the most BEAUTIFUL baby shower this Saturday. It was such a lovely *surprise* and just blew me away. They worked so hard! I am so grateful to them and to all those who came and sent gifts. Amazing!

I'm not gonna lie...I'm getting more and more excited to have this baby. I mean, that's what opening newborn size sleepers with matching beanies will do to a girl!



Sunda with a "baby in her belly." The baby was born effortlessly about 30 seconds later. Complete with diaper and onesie. If it were only that easy...




Opening one of many amazing gifts.




Me at 30 weeks. I feel bigger even today. I'm just now at the stage where I'm imagining that this could get a leeeetle uncomfortable in 4 weeks or so. Baby stretched yesterday and I felt like I couldn't make enough room for him/her. I'm pretty sure this only gets exponentially stronger in the next 10 weeks. Suck it up, Mama!

We're having "Christmas in November" for Thanksgiving this week. Four more church visits and two more weeks...and we'll be back on a plane for South Africa. This time absolutely FLEW by. I don't think I've ever been so ready to get back to Africa, but so hesitant to leave the U.S. I feel unprepared and overwhelmed in terms of packing, shopping, and making plans. This is mostly due to the fact that most days I'd rather just take a nap. Aren't I supposed to feel energetic, fantastic, and like Wonder Woman in my 7th month?????

Really? Two MONTHS?

How did that go so fast? I'm telling you, I don't think about blogging for a week and it turns into a century.

Here's an update about what we've been up to since we've been home:

Gettin' smart at preschool.




Gettin' full from yummy American food!



Gettin' wet at the Children's Museum.



Gettin' a ride from Pappy George.



Gettin' pretty with Uncle C. at homecoming.



Gettin' friendly with our new pet bunny.



Gettin' more and more preggo. Me at 25 weeks...which is now!



In addition to that, we've been speaking at many area (and not so area!) churches and have enjoyed sharing our hearts and the heart and vision of Overland Missions with our supporters and others. We've had a great time so far with friends and family and are looking forward to our Florida trip next week. See ya soon Mom!

Yummy Recipe

I probably didn't really make up this recipe. But I tasted a similiar version once and tried to re-create it on Saturday since we have an abundance of tomatoes and basil in the garden at the moment. If tomatoes are still in season in the States (I have no idea any more!), you should try it!

Tomato-Basil Fettucini

1 pkg. fettucini
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small red onion, finely minced
1 handful fresh basic, finely chopped
1 cereal bowl full of chopped tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are the best)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup butter
salt and pepper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Boil water for pasta.

2. Chop up all the veggies.

3. Cook pasta.

4. Heat oil and butter in a skillet.

5. Cook garlic and onion in the skillet until tender. Cook on low heat and be careful not to let it burn.

6. When the garlic/onion mix is tender, take it off the heat and add tomatoes and basil to the hot pan. Let them sit for a minute while you spoon the butter/oil mixture over them.

7. When veggies are a bit wilted, dump everything into a big bowl and add the cooked pasta. Toss together. Add lots of salt and pepper.


P.S. I just want you to know that the fact that I was able to focus long enough to write down this recipe is a great testament to how yummy it was. I can't even remember where I put my glasses these days.

Just plain ol' MEAN

So, whether it's the fact that I'm pregnant, busy, tired of people, unbalanced, or just plain ol' mean: I have NOT been myself lately. I feel like I'm trying to teach lessons all over the show and make people understand their mistakes and why they're making them. All the while ignoring the things that I'm not doing in hopes no one will notice.

Maybe I haven't been walking around screaming at people. But in my head, I've been screaming. In my mind, I've been teaching lessons. In my thoughts, I've been judging people for the very things that I'm lacking in.

Quite a confession for a Friday morning. I know. The internet tends to listen pretty well. :)

So, I found a CD this morning (who listens to CDs anymore, right?) that I listened to constantly in college. (Beth and Jenn, you would recognize this RIGHT AWAY if you heard it...I probably tortured you with it for two years.) It struck me so sharply as I was working away at my computer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who gave you the right to judge me?

Did we not come from the same seed?

Was it you who gave the sea it's boundaries?

Is it your wrath that could expose me?

We are set apart by one thing only...unfailing love...and I accept it.

Those who thought they were sowing wheat will reap thorns. You've become rich and powerful, fat and sleek. You're gonna fall backwards.

"Shaken"
by: Unspoken

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God forbid that I ever become so "rich and powerful" in my knowledge and ideas of how things should be done on the mission field that I start to judge others and fall backwards.

Instead, let me not forsake my first love:

"Seeking Jesus, His steps I measure. My eyes on Jesus, no thoughts of turning. He's got me wasted, I'm drunk in love with You."

"Thinkin' of You"
by: Unspoken

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know if you've ever heard of Dr. Rodney Howard Browne. He's a pretty well known charismatic evangelist that is friends with our director Phil and the ministry. He came to visit the base this week and said (roughly) this about sharing the Gospel with people:

"We don't need discouraged people sharing the love of Christ. We don't need joyless, hopeless, pessimistic people sharing the love of Christ. We need joyful, free people. We need people who laugh and smile and who are not under a burden of religion."

How easy is it to get religious in our "service" for the kingdom. And how carefully we must guard against it!

Some old pictures:





Sunda when she was about 15 months old. Oh, how she has changed!




Me and the group of LIFE teachers that I work with and train on a regular basis.

Hope you have a lovely weekend!