David looked out the window at the deluge. A shifty looking man caught his eye. “Stop!” David yelled. He could see the guy taking off down the street with our laundry tubs. “Get back here with my tubs!”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I wanted water” the man said as he quickly put the tubs down and ran out the gate.

In shock that the thief left our tubs, David went to get the guard. I ran out the door in hot pursuit; skirt blowing behind me, rain soaking me to the skin, “Get back here you thief! Stop that thief! Thief! Thief! Thief!” I yelled. Down the street and around the corner I ran. {David and the guard weren’t very quick in catching up.} Surprisingly, the man stopped. He came back. I yelled at him until he took his hat off and was begging for forgiveness. “No, I’m not forgiving you!” I yelled. “You’re a thief and a liar. You stole our laundry tubs. You thief!” If I forgave him that also meant I would not seek retribution or restitution. I didn’t want to let him “off the hook” until David and the guard arrived. Besides, I wanted to shame him in front of the people who stopped to watch this bizarre scene unfold. {And, by-the-way, I would have paid good money to see myself running through the streets, yelling, in hot pursuit of a crazy man.}

David and the guard arrive. More yelling ensues. More requests for forgiveness. We threaten to take the man to the police. It is obvious he is drunk and our guard says he’s a known drug dealer; stealing and selling all of his families’ possessions to support his habit. David finally agrees to forgive the man and we walk home, soaking wet, in the cool afternoon rain.

The next time, skirt or no skirt, I think I’m going to beat the man with my shoe until he cries. {Which will take a very long time as I wear flip flops.} And then I’ll hog tie him and leave him in the street with a sign that says, “I’m a terrible thief.” And then I’ll take him to the police.

Or maybe not… because my husband is too gracious, and kind, and forgiving. No, probably not, because I doubt that’s what Christ would have done. And am I here to defend myself and my things, or am I here to promote Christ and His Word?

We have a portable Sawyer water filter. It mechanically filters out bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. It’s awesome. We love it. There’s just one problem. We haven’t found a good solution for the issue of not having a proper stand for it. At present, the water filter is rigged to an old Katadyn tub which is stationed on top of a cooler, where we put hand- drawn well water. The water is then gravity pulled through a tube and the hanging filtration device before it drops into a drinking bottle below the unit.

Because each water bottle takes about 8 minutes to fill, I continually overflow water bottles. Like, daily. I step away to change a diaper, put dishes away, build a “tall, tall, block tower,” or a million other things. And then I forget about the water being filtered. And then I end up with a small lake on the kitchen floor. After three bottles overflowed onto the floor today, I thought, “Sure wish my life overflowed with the presence of the Holy Spirit as often as I overflow these water bottles.”

And then I thought, “My whole life is overflowing lately. The dishes in the kitchen sink are overflowing, the garbage is overflowing, the laundry is overflowing, my schedule is overflowing, and my anger and impatience have been overflowing…” Uh huh. But the overflowing grace, mercy, and goodness of the Lord are also overflowing in my life. Yes. That’s deep theology for floor cleaning. Just what I needed to refocus to finish the day well.

How has your life overflowed lately? How has God met you despite your mess?

Mrs. B. has seven children, one boy and six girls. Her son is in his late teens and her youngest two children are twin girls the same age as Amelie and Annika. She and her five girls sleep together on the floor in one room of their multifamily home. None of them had blankets until two days ago when I gave them two lovely quilts made by women in my home church.

Mr. B chose a very American colored quilt made by the same ladies for his bed. He currently has two very old, tattered, and dry-rotted quilts that are in such disrepair it would have been futile for me to piece them back together. Mr. B told me this morning that he gave his quilt to his son who did not have a blanket. I am not entirely sure of Mr. B’s salvation, and I know his wife and children subscribe to the religious beliefs of the Fulbe people; but acts of love like this surely draw their hearts closer to knowing Christ.

Please pray with me this week as David and I give another quilt to a neighbor who does not have a blanket. David will also share the Good News with her.

Drew Hayes, a WorldVenture mid-term worker just spent several weeks in Guinea filming to produce three documentaries for our team. He spent two weeks in Kankan {among the Maninka people} with our colleagues and four days with us. Meet Drew:

Drew filming at the crest of Saala Falls {a 200+ ft drop}

And this clip shows our team leader talking a little about solar panels:

We will be sure to share our documentary with you when Drew is finished with it. Please pray for Drew as he is flying back to the US today.

Sometimes. Just sometimes.

I forget I’m in Guinea.

Because it almost feels like paradise.

The beginning of the month we escaped to Kassa, an island off the coast of Conakry for a prayer retreat.

Rumor has it that Kassa Island used to be a hideout for pirates.

Three days of fun in the sun and time to meditate on God’s Word with co-workers.

The girls overcame their fears of jumping in the pool and swimming in the Atlantic.

They made new friends.

We discovered weaver bird nests.

They didn’t want to leave. Neither did I.

It was wonderful.

{via}

As you read this, we are making our way to the capital, a 9+ hour drive south for a conference. The roads are a combination of dirt and pavement; pot holes, pedestrians, and livestock slow our progress considerably.

The 2012 OSAC Crime and Safety Reports were recently published. Here is what they have to say about road safety in Guinea:

Guinea’s road networks, both paved and unpaved, are underdeveloped and unsafe. Roads and vehicles are poorly maintained and there are few traffic signs. Livestock and pedestrians create constant road hazards.

Drivers are poorly trained and road safety rules are routinely ignored. Nighttime travel is not advisable because of the large number of animals and people on the roads. Further, most roadways have no street lights, and vehicles frequently operate without headlights.

Defensive driving is crucial, as drivers commonly pull in front of other vehicles or stop abruptly without warning. Equipment on many local vehicles and taxis do not function, such as turn signals, mirrors, headlights, tail lights. Be alert to motorcycles when changing lanes or when you are stopped in traffic. Drivers should pay attention to side streets, and honk the horn when approaching intersections during the day to avoid being hit from the side. When making cross-lane turns, always check rearview mirrors. It is not uncommon for traffic to pass on the side you are turning, even when you are using turn signals.

Public transportation vehicles are both unsafe and overcrowded. The embassy strongly discourages Americans from using public transportation. There are reports of passengers being attacked and robbed. Beware of taxis and mini-buses pulled over to the side of a road. Drivers often re-enter the roadway without looking.

We are particularly aware of the need to be defensive drivers. As the report states, a large number of animals and people are always on the roads, even the main thoroughfare that runs from our town to Conakry. David and I call it the “village mentality.” People and animals don’t look before running out into the road. In a small village with no vehicles present, why would they?

Just last month as we returned home from team meetings, we were driving through a village situated on the main road. The road was nicely paved at that point, so we were moving quickly {about 60 mph} and as we crested a hill, a young boy ran out in front of us without looking. It was the grace of God he didn’t die. Although it all happened so fast, I saw life in slow motion. The boy ran out, and then I looked at his father who threw his hands in the air with clenched fists before bringing them to his mouth. He stood there biting his knuckles while I looked back at the boy and said, “We’re gonna hit him.” David simultaneously slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn.  We missed him by an inch. God spared his life at the last minute by making him take a single step toward the shoulder of the road. It is the grace of God’s that he is still alive.

It seems as though we have countless stories about tractor trailers missing us by mere centimeters and the lives of people and livestock miraculously spared. I believe it is because of faithful supporters who cover us in prayer. Thank you for keeping us safe.

A runaway truck crashed into a home in Conakry.
There were no reported injuries.

My happiest daydreams and intentions don’t come until the end of a second or third cup of coffee, and no earlier than 10 am. I am not now, and never have been a morning person.

About two years ago I received the most wonderful email from a new mom and dear friend. She wrote, “I am feeling fairly well, but without a doubt best after my coffee… I’m curious if anyone else finds their happiest daydreams and intentions and cleaning energy floating in at about the half-cup-empty (or full) mark.”

Here is my favorite cold coffee recipe:

{Using Guinea Ingredients}
7 tablespoons of powdered milk
1 heaping tablespoon white sugar
1 scant tablespoon Nescafe instant coffee
1½ cups water
Just a note: I never really measure ingredients here. I just toss them into a glass and stir. You might have to work at it to find the proportions you like best. For this recipe, David likes almost twice as much milk.

{Using Western Ingredients}
25 ounces coffee
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups milk

This CD is currently in the CD drive and its music fills the house near daily:

After almost a year, apples recently reappeared in the market. I really like dipping them in caramel made from pressure cooked sweetened condensed milk. Here’s how:

Remove the label from the sweetened condensed milk can. Place the unopened can in a pressure cooker with water half way up the side of the can. See that?

Next, boil the can in the pressure cooker for a half an hour after the pressure gauge starts to rock. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, put the can in a regular cooking pot, cover with water and boil for 2½  hours. Let sit until completely cool.

The caramel will last for years, and (trust me) we’ll use it before it expires, but I like to label and date the cans:

For cream cheese lovers, you can layer the caramel with cream cheese for optimal apple dipping.

My favorite children’s book as of late is a birthday present the girls received from Grammy:

I just finished Sword and Scalpel by Lorry Lutz. What an inspiring read from a modern day hero of the faith. Do you read? If so, what’s in your nightstand stack?

I am a planner, a list maker, a project-kind-of-gal. Our current project is the kitchen. After years of living with no cupboards, a local cabinet maker is working on them. We should be able to pick up the first one next week. I’m also hoping David will tint the paint he bought at the market last week so I can paint the walls before the cabinets go up.

As for ministry, I am loving gathering educational resources for my girls. And I continue to visit with folks when I have the opportunity. Language study is still the primary goal outside of caring for Thing One and Thing Two; however, I have not put as much time as needed toward this crucial task. Will you please pray with me that I will be a better steward of my time?

I am also keen on doing the Scripture Calendars for next year. We have very talented artists in our home church who do a fabulous job of illustrating them. Giving the calendars to friends is exciting and it’s encouraging to see God’s Word being read and valued.

No, not “to buy a fat pig.” For religious reasons, the Fulbe do not eat pork. Yesterday we set off to the market to visit friends and pass out these newly printed 2012 Scripture calendars:

David carried Annika while Amelie enjoyed the view from my back. The girls really like being tied to my back when we go out, because they can pull their arms inside the carrier and put their heads down so people can’t easily touch them. I tucked a stack of calendars under my arm so people would take interest in them and off we went. (I discovered that people take great interest in partially hidden items. If they can see into my shopping bag, just a little, then they ask me what I bought. If they think I am trying to hide something, it becomes intriguing).

First, we greeted our milk man, then our good friend in the “hardware” aisle, and on we went to find a new friend, Al, who had tried to help David find screws.  Last week, sitting in a small, dark market stall, huddled over a basket of used screws looking for the size David needed, Al noted that David was speaking Pular. “Can you read Pular too?” Al asked.

“Yes,” David replied.

The young man reached over and unlocked the small drawer of his wooden desk. “Can you read this?” He pulled out an old, dirt-smudged copy of Genesis.

“Where did you get that?” David questioned, surprised by the book the man held in his hand.

“Oh, I worked very hard to find this book. I had to search a really long time,” Al replied, “It’s the only one I have.”

As he opened the slightly tattered pages, David noted Al’s name written on the outside cover, the inside cover and the back cover. Clearly, that this was a prized possession that wasn’t meant to leave his shop.

“When you finish this one,” David said, “I will give you the second part of this book.”

When we arrived at Al’s stall yesterday, we gave him a calendar and David handed him a copy of Exodus. Al’s surprise was evident. He wondered why we would not only give him a calendar for free but the second portion of the Old Testament for free, too. Before we left, the guys set a date and time to visit, read, and talk about these books some more.

With Annika leading the way, off we rambled through the open air market with life to give, free for the taking…

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100: 1-5

Math teachers, eat-your-heart-out! David used math (in real life!) to teach well workers how to calculate the amount of broken tile they needed to purchase to cover our well. Guineans waste very few resources, so even broken tile is sold and used to finish everything from showers to driveways. It was quite an exercise for the two men who probably never finished more than 8 years of elementary school (source).

For weeks, a few men worked by hand in the blazing sun to dig our well wider and deeper. Hand over hand they hauled up water, dirt, and rock in a bucket dumping it in front of our house to fill huge ruts the rainy season had carved into our road.

Finally, the well was ready to be capped, fitted with a hand pump, and tiled.

Everyone needs water to live, and toward the end of the dry season water can be especially hard to find. Fortunately, our well has never run dry and neighbors know they can come and draw from our well anytime. Just as we needed a well for water, the workers who dug the well needed living water.  During the weeks the men were in our courtyard, David shared the Good News with them under the shade of a banana plant although no decisions for Christ were made. I wonder how they will respond when God points not to the times they provided water through their hard work, but to the time they were freely offered living water.

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)