Caution: May Contain Nuts

After 3 ½ days on the road, we arrived in Pietersburg on Thursday.  Our trip was, for the most part, blessedly uneventful.  Some of the roads in Zambia and Botswana were in bad shape.  Timothy drove slowly over the worst sections of potholes and washouts, endeavoring to deliver mommy and baby safely to South Africa… without actually delivering the baby himself!  Monica proved that she is adjusting well to the missionary lifestyle with her easy going manner and acceptance of [almost all] that we asked of her.  We were again grateful for the portable dvd player that was given to Monica by her grandparents.  At first I felt like we were copping out of our parental duty, neglecting this 100 hour opportunity to teach our daughter patience and self-entertainment.  However, after an hour of blissful silence in the middle of Botswana, I decided that every toddler who travels a lot should have one of those nifty little machines (although, Timothy does insist that he can now quote the entire Milo & Otis movie and the ABC disc has simply been banned from his presence).

We were able to see a lot of wildlife along the road.  At one point, we pulled over so Monica could watch the baboons play in the ditch.  We had to quickly move on, however, when she decided to hurl her bread out the window and tempt the beasties toward her with shouts of, “Come!  Come!  Snacks!”  The baboons would have come all right.  And taken her snacks.  And possibly her fingers too!

We saw quite a few male elephants along the road in Botswana. This one was only about 10 meters from the car!

The journey was really pleasant.  We finished reading The Fellowship of the Ring and started The Two Towers (don’t worry, I didn’t let Timothy multi task his driving with reading).  We also discussed baby names at great length, but ended in the same place we started… nowhere.  Timothy has decided that he needs to see the little guy before he can make any final decisions.  Current names in the running are Frederick, Theodore, and Oliver. 

Now that we are installed in Pietersburg, I have been able to catch up on the admin side of ministry, not to mention putting everything together for tax time, and Timothy has been able to get some work done on his progressing “Teacher Training Manual for African Schools”.

I haven’t seen the doc yet, but baby seems to be wiggling around, so I think we’re doing well.  We would also like to take Monica to see a pediatrician soon in order to get a few tests done.  We are pretty sure that the strong antibiotic that was prescribed to her in Kabwe killed off whatever was causing her faints/seizes… but we want to make sure, as well as check that the little seizures didn’t harm anything inside her head.

Please continue to pray for us as we carry out our tasks here in South Africa and await the arrival of Keller Baby #2.

He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.

I never fully appreciated this verse until this recent trouble (what a mild word) with my hip.  As the pain daily grew worse, Timothy finally dragged me to the bed and said, “Lie down and don’t get up.”  With all the work and projects to be done around our home right now, not the least of which being a busy toddler, stacks of moving boxes to unpack, and ministry supplies to sort, this was an extremely difficult thing to do.  But do you know, the Lord sent me to a godly man who knew when to MAKE me lie down… who has continued to make me lie down when I most need it… and my hip is doing much better!!! Praise God for rest, and for the loved ones in our lives who make sure that we get it!

Rest is a blessed and holy gift that we so often forget.  It is easy in any field, especially ministry, to get lost in the many needs of those we serve.  The Lord has been teaching me that there is also a “time to rest”.

Timothy takes a few minutes to enjoy precious Father/Daughter playtime.

As we have made the transition to a permanent, settled life in Africa we have experienced a variety of, hmmm, challenges.  From Monica’s scary illness to the challenges of life in Africa to my immobility issues to the regular hurdles of ministry, we have had a bumpy few months.  However, the Lord’s presence has been with us so clearly and so graciously.  There have been times in my life that I’ve felt Him to be far away… but not now.  With all the challenges at hand, I feel His presence and provision more than ever.  I’ve found that in our most desperate moments, we can find His waters the most refreshing, His grace sufficient to calm our anxieties and worries.

I shall not want.

We have been so incredibly blessed with the Lord’s provision for our family. The container arrived with surprisingly, miraculously little red tape to negotiate (nothing short of God’s hand when this happens in Africa!) The items inside were safe and unmolested (although we are now fighting off the African termites). We have a home that is more than I ever could have hoped for and household items to fill it with (thanks , friends!!) We have a wonderful supply of Bibles and discipleship materials that will be used to spread the Gospel of His law and grace to the people of Africa. We are healthy and happy, doing the work to which we were called in a land filled with the wonders of His Hand. I can think of little for which to ask; I am overwhelmed by the graciousness and generosity of His hand. He is a good and generous Father, a gracious and loving God.

Monica rejoicing in the glory of God's creation: mud.