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| This is Rejoice! What a great Christmas name she has? |
I have been thinking about what to write in today’s blog for
about two hours. That is unusual for me
because I can usually sit down and write a story in about 20 minutes, get it
posted and be on my way. But not today.
I feel that I don’t really have anything else to say that
hasn’t been said already. And I wonder
if it’s time to stop writing this weekly blog.
I am not depressed or sad or anything, I just wonder if it is time? I have written 361 blogs that have been read 663,871 times in the past 7.5 years.
You, the reader, have read many times about babies dumped in
pit latrines, burned babies, HIV/AIDS, and the dreaded Tuberculosis. You have
read about drought, weather patterns, the joys, sorrows and frustrations of
living in Africa. You have read personal
things about our family and personal things about others, masked by a change of
name and a blocked out face.
How much more of this could you possibly want to read? How much more sadness and sorrow do you want
to experience from a million miles away?
How many more babies stories do you need to read before you stop reading
or start to get involved and help?
As we approach Christmas I see the season through a totally different
lens than I used to. In my marketing
days I would be out buying shopping for hundreds of gifts for clients, staff,
neighbors, friends and family. I would be planning a fun and crazy staff party
followed by a more formal party at our house.
Christmas day would be filled with food, family, presents and a table surrounded
by family and friends.
This year’s Christmas shopping comprised of going to another
country (South Africa) to buy vaccines that are not available in eSwatini (MMR,
Tetanus, Chicken Pox and Hepatitis A - it turns out that Hepatitis A will not
be available here until 2020!). We
bought probiotics, Children’s liquid iron and special diaper cream. We also bought sour cream and bacon, which
are almost never available in eSwatini during the month of December (random
right?). We shopped for pajamas for our
small babies and glow sticks for our big children for a Christmas party, and
snuck in a meal at McDonald’s since we don’t have one in the country we live in.
Bottom line – I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am thankful for the journey that the Lord
has us on, and wouldn’t want to change a thing, other than seeing Chloe and
Spencer more often, but God has a plan for their lives too, and I am grateful
for that knowledge and affirmation.
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| This is King - a child of the King of Kings. Just had to add a photo of his sweetness. |
Today Chloe arrives from Canada for Christmas and we can’t
wait to see her. She just called from
her layover in Ethiopia and will be home tonight. Spencer arrives on December 22nd from
Barcelona and my nest will be full again.
I am so proud of both of our children for not only surviving, but
thriving in the unknown world of their parents moving to Africa (and becoming
parents to 217 Swazi children). The road
has not been an easy one for them to travel, but they have done it with grace,
dignity and love, and today, they are our biggest supporters. I can’t thank them enough, because their love
and support help me through the darkest days.
If you think I should continue with this weekly blog, please
feel free to leave a note in the comments and tell me what you would like me to
write about, or what you would like to know more about.
Live from eSwatini … welcome home Chloe!
Janine
