Every day is ordinary, until it isn't!

Everyday is ordinary, until it isn't.  That kind of explains our life in Africa.  I was going to start a list of all the "strange and different" things about living in Africa.  Now we have been here 6 months (can you believe it has been 6 months already?!) and I can't remember what is strange or out of the ordinary anymore!  I thought about how aluminum foil doesn't come in boxes, just a roll you pick up off the shelves - even that isn't really weird anymore - or how milk only stays good for about 3 days - I guess the really weird thing is that things don't seem so weird at all anymore.  
I guess that means we are adjusting - I think??

Even purple trees aren't weird - just beautiful.  If a first grader in the States drew a purple tree the teacher would give them a bad grade - not here!

I used take about 10 photos per day of people carrying babies on their backs or carrying packages on their heads - now even that seems normal - although I'm not quite able to do either!

We went Christmas Tree shopping - we found this little branch and we put lights on.  Our little Charlie Brown Tree.  Very inexpensive!

That was especially nice after spending $45.00 on a 5 pound frozen turkey for Thanksgiving!  Many of the young Elders just bought chickens for Thanksgiving - only about $5.00 - I just couldn't bring myself to chop the head off and pluck the feathers - although we did get cooking advice on just how to do it from several of the African missionaries!

Another out-of-the-ordinary things we are getting used to is the names here.  I have been keeping a list of people we have met with strange names.  It is usually people from Zimbabwe - I have since learned that they were often given dictionaries as their only book to learn from.  They choose their names from the dictionary and its meaning,  Some of the names are: Knowledge, Disaster, Previous, Politeness, Wisdom, Blessing, Peacemaker, Patience, and even Disadvantage. What do you think your name would be here?

Sorry I was so slow at updating our blog this month - I had malaria.  Yes -  malaria!  What a way to end our trip from the "turned off Victoria Falls!"  That was a real experience!  Luckily they have what I call a "miracle drug" here - Coartem - after 4 days of misery they gave me these 24 little pills - 4 every 8 hours for 3 days - and voila - after about an hour of taking the first 4 pills - I was alive again!  I asked why these are not more readily available for everyone - I was told it was the cost.  $40.00!!  I think that is a lot less expensive than a hospital stay or a funeral!  About one million people die here per year from malaria.  It is transmitted by mosquitos.  Even though I was taking anti-malaria medicine, there are 4 different kinds.  The good news is I feel great - the bad news it stays in my body for about 2 years and can resurface any time.  I guess is why they say "Seize the Day!"

We also moved since our last blog.  We are in the same building - just another flat - we are on the 3rd floor now - so we don't have bars on every window (at least not the ones that face the street) and best of all we have a real bathroom!  We actually have a toilet, shower and sink - all in one room!!!! We feel like we have moved up to the celestial kingdom! Life's little blessings!  We have so much to thankful for this Thanksgiving day!!  We are so grateful to all of our friends and family for their support, love and little notes to let us know we are not forgotten!  You are such a blessing in our lives!


Our family is all doing well.  Terra and Jeremy are loving Hawaii.  Summer and Travis are great and are much appreciated for "holding down the fort" at home.  Mikelle and Matt are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new  little baby "Beckham."  TJ is loving his mission in Alaska and was just made district leader.  After 6 months in Canada he is back in Anchorage and doing great.  And now for the big news:  BreaAnne and Chris are engaged and getting married on May 1st in Hawaii!  We will both be able to attend and although it is a 40 hour flight we are excited to see her so happy.  

We hope you enjoy the holidays and remember to squeeze your 
kids a little harder and a little longer this holiday season.