Different Kind of Normal....

I love getting e-mails from my grand children. John Mark has been keeping a daily journal where he usually ends up describing his entire day. It's great fun for Grandpa and I to hear about his latest fishing trip, bird hunting expedition or what book he is reading.


 I had to smile this week when he said, 
"We dove for an hour catching fish while a pot of banana's boiled on the shore." 
Have you ever boiled a pot of bananas? 
Me either. 
I know that sometimes us long distant grandparents worry that our grand children don't have the same opportunities  they would if they lived here. We are anxious they may not be able to fit in  when they do eventually come back to the USA. 


I try to be thankful and  think of the many different things they DO get to experience by living in a different country. 
They know a different culture and a different language. 


When they came home on furlough I saw them fit in at school, play sports, make new friends . I saw them fit in emotionally and culturally. 


I guess I'm just saying that our missionary grandchildren can be well adjusted. They just live a different kind of normal than my grandchildren here. 


My e-mail today was about Sierra's day. I smiled when I read that she had made an avocado pie.
Have you ever made an avocado pie? 
Me either.  

Thankfulness Continued.....

I continue my thankful list. I'm  at  250. 
When I was young my mom used to tell me, "Karen, there is a silver lining in every cloud." 
She wanted me to look for the good in all situations, even the hard ones. 


With my kids I try to focus on the good in situations.  
While fishing, John Mark shot a wire completely through his index finger. He proceeded to pull out the wire  and continued fishing. When he did not get an infection,
  182. on my list read, I thank you Lord, that John Mark did not get an infection and that he has use of his finger. 
This happened with only two days of antibiotics and no doctors visit. A miracle especially in Vanuatu where one can get a serious infection very quickly even with a scrape.   


Or when Sierra, randomly sent me an e-mail and shared with me her favorite memory of me and her, instead of dwelling on the loss of my only grand daughter and our time together I chose,
214. Thank you Lord, that Sierra has memories of me, and we have a good relationship in spite of the distance between us. 


And instead of being sad I was thankful when I received an unexpected text...
"Pray for me mom, I'm preaching in a few minutes." 
Neither one of us can explain how I get some texts from Erik, yet I'm not able to send any back.
Number 228. Thank you Lord, that because of Erik's work, the Ni Vanuatu can hear Your word  in their own language. 
Our missionary kids face many obstacles and struggles in their far of lands. 
Us POM's can choose how we respond. 
Thankfulness is a choice. My list is helping me to recognize this. 

Packages

I sent out my first package to Vanuatu today.

I sent it in a medium flat rate box from post office.

A year has gone by since my last package to Vanuatu, and

Postage has gone up. Box was around $45.00.

Packages are so necessary, and helps me to feel better but that is crazy cost.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SIERRA!!!!

Today is my only granddaughters 11th birthday.
I got to sing happy birthday to her on the phone.
She laughed...
I laughed because I got to sing to her. Normally she is half a world away.

We are on our way to Chicago and a visit to leave our vehicle with them for furlough.
This will give them a second car.
We will fly home.

Funny how so many of us take two cars for granted.
They were given a car to use by a ministry that specializes in giving missionaries vehicles while they are on furlough. What a wonderful blessing this is. We were all thankful for it.

I couldn't help but think about the differences in transportation here and in Vanuatu.

USA: most people have at least one car, and more often two
VANUATU: Very few own their own cars. They take cabs, buses or walk in the city, in the village
no one has cars, but the cab drivers, and a few missionaries have vehicles.

USA: Gas is around $3.00 a gallon.
VANUATU: Gas is around $10.00 a gallon.

USA: We have laws about speed and seat belts.
VANUATU:No posted speed limits, and no seat belt laws. Many a time we have piled the kids on top of boxes in the back of the truck to get back to the village.

USA:Cars are affordable
VANUATU: Both used and new are very expensive.

We have much to be thankful for. We will be arriving tomorrow (Lord Willing), I'm looking forward to this time together.

THINGS TO DO ON FURLOUGH WITH GRANDCHILDREN.

The grand kids have been gone a week. I miss them.
They are in Georgia visiting their other grandparents.
Yesterday they called and we had this conversation:

S: Hi Grandma, How are you?
Guess what? I just found your house on Google earth.
I zeroed in and there was your house.

M:Wow, that is very cool.
Did you see me waving?

S: No, with a giggle.
guess what else we did?

M:Tell me.

S:We went to this place that we stayed in our car and we
saw all kinds of animals, and
we could feed them. It was fun.
We saw deer, and elk, giraffes, and buffalo.

M:That really sounds like fun.

S: We had fun at your house too, Grandma.

M:Yes we did, didn't we.

There are so many places and things that we can introduce our grand kids to while they are on furlough. I've come up with a list of some of the things we did and some we didn't have time to do.

THINGS TO DO ON FURLOUGH:

• Play games
  
• Swimming
  
• Bake together and have a tea party
  
• Take a hike
• Pretend you are at the store and count
  American money with them, give them each $5.00 of their own to spend
  
• Show them the city
  
• Discuss the difference in roads, and what kinds
  of vehicles travel on each
  
• Write a story together
  
• Go to the library
  
• Learn a new card game
  
• Take a bike ride
  
• Go to the zoo, aquarium, museum
• Meet and visit new family members
  
• Discuss the family tree with them
  

• Give them a toy that they could not have on the field
  
• Draw pictures together, frame them and hang them
  
• Play bubbles outside
  
• Show them old family photos of them and other family members
  
• Color a picture together
  
• Read them a story
  
• Take a nature walk and tell them the name of all the trees
  

• Take them fishing and teach them how to fillet a fish, fry and eat it together
• Go to a movie
• Play HORSE with the basketball
  
• Put together a puzzle
  
• Learn how to roller blade
  
• Give them a bubble bath
  
• Take them for Mexican food
  
• Tell them a funny story about their dad
• Take them for ice cream
  
• Go to an amusement park
  
• Wrestle with Grandpa
  
• Let them pick their favorite fruit and buy it regardless of price
  
• Fix their favorite meal
  
• Go camping
  
• Pray together
  
• Show them a map of USA, and show them where they will be traveling
  

Just a few ideas.
Do you have some?

Time Goes On....

Time together is over....
They were loaded and ready to travel across country, and
I was doing just fine until.....
I was getting ready to shut the door, when Joel started to cry,
"Grandma, I love you and I will miss you. I don't want to leave."

It was pretty hard to let them go at this point, but I did much better when 3 hours later he called and said,
"Grandma, are you still sad?"
"Just a little, how about you? Are you sad?"
"No I better, I not sad anymore."

What a blessing our time was together.

What ? Are you sure its been 2 whole weeks?

It is hard to believe that my family has been home two whole weeks. What a blessing to have them here. We babysat this weekend and took the kids to a pizza buffet, watching them make choices and then eat tons of pizza, all I could say to Art was " Don't you love having them here?"
Smiling he patted my arm and kept eating his pizza.
I thought I might make a list of some other things we did this week, and give you a taste of our time together.

This week I:
1.Have been to the library 2 more times.
2. went to Hobby Lobby and bought patterns for Mamma Ellen , would you believe they have no shorts patterns in Vanuatu.
3. Drew with JohnMark.
4. Read to Joel before bed.
5. Went to the pool a few times.
6. Baked 4 more loaves of Banana Bread that makes 6 now.
7. Played at least 20 games of Monopoly card game, and won only a handful.
It is a fun game, but they run circles around me.
8. Bought More gallons of milk than I can count. They enjoy non powdered cold milk.
9. Took the kids to Dairy Queen, they had never been there.
They all ordered sundaes, but only ate half because they were to sweet :)
10. Helped nurse 3 boils, one swollen finger, and a sty, but all is well and healed.
11. Went to Uncle Joe's for dinner.
12. Watched National Treasure 2 before bed.
13. Took the kids to my sisters veterinarian school to see all the animals...they loved it.
14.Curled Sierra's hair and showed her how to use a curling iron.
15.Taught David how to use the games on my phone.
16.Took lots of pictures.
17. Had cousins Cole and Sage to spend the night.
18.Watched T.V. with E and M after the kids went asleep.


These are the things that matter, not the stacks of shoes or clothes in the corners, not the cluttered counters, not the chaos of having 6 extra people in the house.

Furlough is good for grandma;)

A Time To Be Thankful.....

Art and I celebrated our 41st anniversary on February 1. Truly it seems like yesterday that we got engaged and then married. So much has happened in these years.

I'm 60 years old and if I live to be 80 I've already lived 3/4 of my life, and a good half of it has been with my sweetie...(my enduring term for Art when I'm writing about him or to him:)

41 years is a long time, it has been hard work, but what a joy it is to not only be married to a person that long, but to still be friends. We can't take all the credit, God in his great mercy and goodness has blessed us and given us time to get it right. He is good.

As I looked at the last posted picture of my grand children I was struck at how quickly time does goes by. The scripture teaches that there is a time for everything. sometimes it is good to be reminded.

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for everything under heaven....
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
a time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace."

I love that this scripture covers a lifetime of events, but there is one not here that pertains to long distance grandmas.
I would say that there is a time for the grand children to be born ,go to the mission field with mom and dad and grow up.
They will grow up whether I see it happening on a daily basis or not. It struck me looking at this picture how really big they are.

With each of my Vanuatu grandchildren, God has given me a snippets of time or a memory that just like Mary I treasure in my heart.

I remember the first born He has always been such a precocious child, eager to learn, eager to explore, and eager to talk about it. I would strap him in the stroller and we would walk the couple of blocks to the campus where his daddy and mommy were studying. We would look at the flags from the many countries flying over the visitors center. He was only 2, but I would point out each flag and tell him the names of the represented country. He seemed to love the information. Then we would head for the playground, taking the time to pick up rocks and stray feathers along the way.
One of those feathers still holds a permanent spot in the corner of my jewelry box.
Those walks were the best times...

The second child is my sweet girl. She is my only granddaughter.
I remember the day she was born. I had boarded the plane to be with my son and his family without knowing if we were having a boy or a girl.
I was met at the plane, "Mom its a girl," I can still feel the excitement and genuine joy I felt at the time.
I ran through that airport literally shouting praise and telling any who would listen that we had a GIRL a real girl...You have to understand that I have two sons, and 7 grandsons. She was the first and the last girl.
Two years ago, Sierra and I took a road trip together. I drove and she found every McDonald's within a two hundred mile radius. We had a great time getting to know one another over french fries and milkshakes.

The third born, how easy it is for them to get lost especially if he leaves for the field at two months old. I remember the morning they left. He was sleeping upstairs when I gathered him in my arms and prayed over him. His nursing mother had prepared a bottle so that this grieving grandma could feed him. She is thoughtful like that. I cried hard in Arts arms that day cause I knew next time I saw him he would be 3 or 4.
What a sensitive heart this little guy has. Last time I went to Vanuatua he made it his mission to get baby Grace to let me hold her. She would go to him but not me. She was terrified at the sight of me. It took days, but with a ball (all his idea ),and much coaxing she finally allowed me to hold her. He jumped up and down with delight as she held the ball I bribed her with, and let me snuggle her.

And then there is that last child... (He is not in this picture.) some say that
the youngest always has it easier , all I know for sure is that this one has all of us wrapped around his finger.
He also left with his mommy and daddy to the mission field at two months old( my daughter in law is amazing. can you imagine raising two babies turned toddlers in all that dirt with all those bugs ,diseases and villagers that want to spit on them if they cry to much. I digress. Suffice to say the girl is a treasure. )

I remember his first week. I wrapped him up tightly and we walked around and around the block so that I could kiss his soft baby head,while crying out to God because this one was also leaving in two months.
Three months ago God gave us time together.
We had so much fun getting to know one another. His little face and the sound of his voice is etched in my memory.
"Me love you Grandma. You be sad when I leave?"
Yes my baby boy, but I will always remember this time.

Its hard being a long distance grandma.
over the years, I've learned not dwell on the time NOT spent with them but to embrace and be thankful for the time spent WITH them. Writing this I realized how many memories I do have, more than a few snippets.
It's taken effort and time, but my long distant grandchildren know me and they love me, and that's enough.

Thank You Grandma Karen .....

I had to share these with you....
They were a surprise and a delight for me.
Thank you notes from the girls in the village
for their skirts.
I have to say that they made my day....




I will have to frame some of these works of art...beautiful...

I finished the 22 pairs of shorts yesterday, and they are on their way to the little boys in the village. It has blessed me to be a part of something that is so simple for me, but that means so much to someone else. Amazing how A pair of shorts or A skirt can make such a difference in someones life and heart.

Merry Christmas to You...

It's Christmas Eve in America.....
And Christmas Day in Vanuatu....

"Hi Grandma, I got my truck. Thank you for my trucks. Me like them. Me likes them alot."

How special is that?

First time in all these years that we were able to talk to the grand kids on Christmas Day.
Skype is awesome and God is good..

"For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior; who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11

May the savior who was born to bring salvation to all the world, bless you and yours this Christmas.
What joy to know that God is with us no matter where we are this holiday season.
This truth brings peace and comfort when we are so far apart.

"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom
He is pleased."Luke 2:14


Happy Birthday Jesus.....
Thank you for being the Savior of the world....John 4:42

Meet Bob....

One day Joel and I went to the grocery. We were all alone, it was early and he was fascinated by all the food.

"Can I have a chocolate donut grandma?"
"No problem of course you can. "

We went on to find chocolate milk, and" round colored balls" that really were cereal.
Traveling to the check out we came across the toy section.
We found a bear...with a soccer ball?
Joel was delighted because he knows what soccer is since they play it where he lives, and this bear was really special because he had a coat and hat.
"Can I have him grandma?"
Not willing to stop the joy I responded,
"Of course, but you have to name him. "
Without hesitating Joel said, " BOB".
The remainder of the week he hung out with Bob, and shared him with whoever would look, but in the end he had to leave Bob because there was no room in the suitcase.

I have been doing good since they left...
I washed the little white socks, and put them away
I cleaned up the crushed gold fish in my car...
and I put away the little blue coat....

But this morning...this morning I came across Nemo in my DVD player..I bought it just for him.
I found a little plastic dog in my brief case that we had played with at the hospital...and then...... I found BOB.

A wave of sorrow washed over me,and it paralyzed me for a minute or two.
I know that it is grief tugging at my heart, and I fell to my knees.

GOD.....then peace began to surround the sorrow that gripped my heart, and
as I let it in I found rest and comfort so that my grief was set aside while I begin to think of my
many blessings....

Thank You LORD, for the time we had together, and the memories made.
Thank You LORD, for the many blessings and the answered prayers.
Thank You LORD, for the finished book of Luke, this month.

Thank You LORD, that You understand this POM

Then I got up and continued on with my clean up...
God is Good

My Ways are not Your Ways...

Today I find a pair of tennis shoes
A tiny pair of socks in the hallway,
Two monster trucks on the table,
Red sweats and a shirt in the living room...

"Grandma, are you going to cry?" Joel asked me as he snuggled in my lap
two days before his departure.
"Why do you think I am going to cry?" I asked.
"Cause you love me and you will miss me when I go home," he responded innocently.

How can a 4 year old be that perceptive?

Well today, he is on his way home...probably arriving in Fiji as I write this, but
Truth be known that after two weeks of non stop doctors appointments,
shopping,
sight seeing,
eating, and packing.
I am to exhausted to cry, and at the same time my heart is to full and
happy to cry.

Twice, in two years God has allowed me to participate in helping
my son's family with medical issues. These times have allowed me the
opportunity to get to know them better and for them to know
me better. We laughed together, cried together, and prayed together.
I don't know why these things happen. It's expensive and stressful
to come all the way back to the USA for treatment.

Maybe it's the enemy. We all talk about that possibility, but
what I know for sure is that what the devil may mean for evil God can
use for good. We don't need to understand completely.
Instead, I am thankful because we are a blessed family.
I am reminded again that God's way is not my way...
So today, I will give Him my exhausted trust, and thanks.

They should be arriving back in Vanuatu very soon probably
very exhausted....

Skirt Update....

Working on skirts and I have 8 done.
I am making them in lots of different colors and trims.
Makes it more interesting.

Its Going To Cost Us...

One of the ways I can feel connected to my missionary family is by sending packages. I don't overdue it, but a package or two a month is usually in order.
I have always been very careful on my custom forms trying to never go over around $70.00 in total. Over all these years we have never had a problem with the kids getting their packages or with customs..

Things are changing..The new customs agent in town has decided that he will be able to make a buck or two if he adds the postage and the dollar amounts of the package contents together. This will pretty much assure that in order to get the packages they will have to pay customs to him. Yesterday it ended up costing a small fortune for them to get the packages that were waiting for pickup.

Erik and Michele are ready to say no more packages
That would mean no more,
hot sauce,
homemade fudge,
books,
lollies
hair bows
beef jerky
underwear
fig bars
pencils
crayons
Christmas....

CHRISTMAS?

can't cancel Christmas packages...we need to figure something out...what about all those Christmas skirts? And my grandchildren need something from grandma and grandpa for Christmas..

WAIT!

I know the one who already paid the price..the God who can make the impossible happen.
I am going to have to pray about this one...Meanwhile...
It's going to cost us.

Christmas In September and October...

It was our last day in the village.

"Take my picture with all my friends grandma."

One of the hardest things for me in the village is seeing the kids tattered clothes. One day I mentioned to Sierra that it might be nice to make skirts for all the little girls in the village for Christmas. Sierra was delighted. For the entire 2 weeks she measured each and every girl, giving me their waist sizes and skirt lengths.
Consequently,
I have 18 skirts to get done before the end of October.
I'm just a little overwhelmed. Would you pray that I get them done...

Not Feeling To Good....

Please pray for this little guy....Joel.
He has an intestinal problem.
I can just hear him now,
"Me sick Gama, me have bugs."
Joel is so cute I could just eat him.
Pray he feels better soon.

The Doll Has Arrived.....

Heard from Erik today, and the doll has arrived.
WaHOO...
Happy Birthday Sierra.
Thank You Lord....

It's Just a Doll

Okay, Okay, I'm trying not to rant be upset, but here I am on my way to aerobics in tears. The reason is that Sierra still has not received her birthday doll, and her birthday was a week ago.
In all the years that the kids have been in Vanuatu there has only been one package that has not arrived just one so this will be number two.

I keep reminding myself that it is just a doll, and an insured doll at that, but its not the doll it is what the doll represents. It has to do with relationship the relationship between me and my only granddaughter. This was something fun between us.
She wanted it and I have always wanted to give it to her. It's a girl thing.
As I write this it sounds so silly, but the doll helped to fill a void.

As a long distance missionary grandma I have learned to cope with the distance by prayer, using e-mail and making extra efforts to keep in touch with my grand children,but no matter what it still is not like being together. My only granddaughter lives 6000 miles away and I miss her. I miss that we can't do girl things together. Most of the time God meets that pain but sometimes something like a missing birthday doll reminds me of the loss and it hurts.

So there, now I'm done ranting being upset. I can't change this situation,and if it doesn't change next week I will start looking for the package from this end, but for now,
I pray, God could you get the doll there. I give the loss to You. Thank You that You understand, and I ask that You will fill the void for my sweet grand daughter and me. Give us relationship no matter the distance. Thank You Lord....Amen

Birthday Girl....

I love being a grandma. I have 8 grandchildren, 7 boys and 1 girl.
My granddaughter is a treasure and a touch of feminine sweetness among all that testosterone.


Today is Sierra Brianna's 10th birthday.
She is a special girl who lives in a special place.

She has a generous heart.
When In Port Vila we went on a grandma date. I gave each child 5 vatu to spend. The boys promptly spent theirs on pop, candy, and chips, but Sierra after buying a small purse for herself saved the rest for something special.
This month she finally saved enough for a bush knife a surprise for David.
He was delighted.

Sierra lives in a place where the women do most of the work.
She is a little worker bee...
This girl can pluck a chicken, do
a load of laundry by hand,
babysit her brother or a village baby,
or make lap lap with very little complaining.

One day I found laundry hung high in the rafters of the garage.
"How did that get up there?" I asked her.
"Oh, I climbed up there and hung it. I thought it would dry faster," she said.

Mama Ellen gave me a chicken, and Sierra agreed to pluck it with the help of her friends if they could have all the insides to cook and eat.
No problem I assured her. She got the gizzards and I got my plucked chicken ready to cook.

Sierra is a loyal friend. She likes to play ball with her village friends, and dolls with her missionary friends.
She does cross-stitch, knits, and can make a skirt on the sewing machine.
Sierra is home schooled and loves to read.

She is a good cook and likes to bake. My granddaughter is a wonderful blessing.


Happy birthday Sierra....We love you and miss you....




At the market....
shopping.....she saved her money instead of spending it....
Waiting for the bus Sierra is reading....
turtle farm.....
Sierra with baby Grace.....
Plucking my skinny chicken....
using sand to scrub the black off the pots.....

Sierra and her village friends.

A Grandma's Lament....

I'm upset...


I love dolls.... and I assumed that my one grand daughter would love them, but last year she informed me that dolls were not her favorite toy...

Hmmm... I was disappointed, but happy that she had told me. I gave up the dream of buying Sierra the American Girl doll that I wanted to get her.

Then...On this trip one of her friends came to me, "I know what Sierra wants for her birthday," she said.

Hmmm...."tell me," I responded.

" An American girl doll," said her friend.

Really...." Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes... just like the one I have but she wants one that looks like her."

Wha hoo..... I was excited, but I felt the need to confirm this with Sierra...

Smiling..."Yes," she said. then she showed me the catalog and asked which one I felt looked the most like her. We picked the perfect doll with light hair, no bangs, and brown eyes.

"Perfect".... she said.

Perfect....I thought.

During...the 3 weeks I was there, Sierra spent hours looking at that catalog.
" I can't wait for my birthday...I can't wait for my birthday," she would say with excitement.

When I got home, Grandpa said, " Get the doll." It took 2 weeks for it to arrive, but I had it in the mail by the beginning of July. Her birthday is July 28th.
shouldn't be a problem I assured myself.

Today...Michele wrote and said the box wasn't there yet and Sierra would have to be happy with the gifts that HAVE...arrived.
They probably would not be going back to town before her birthday.


What?....I am so sad.... Another one of those times that I cannot do anything to change the situation.
If I was there or she was here...she would have the doll for her birthday... It's never easy being a long-distance grandma.

I'm upset....