Sharing our good things.
Tell us something about your life in international development, faith, missions, cross-culturally…anything. Tell us something you have seen, heard about, done that is:
Good
Kind
Beautiful
Generous
Lovely
Praise-worthy
Honorable
You get the idea. Tell us something good.
Here’s mine:
Home again. The first night back, my husband and daughter and I ate “Djibouti Jones” sandwiches. These are fabulous and can’t be replicated in the USA because American baguettes just aren’t the same. We sat in our living room and “yummed” our way through deliciousness.
Quote about Wonder
Ross Gay writes in The Creative Independent: “Playing, exploring, attempting, and wondering is so important. It’s so important and it feels like a practice a sort of vocation—in all kinds of things, it just feels important not to necessarily make it beautiful or not to necessarily make it the best or not to have aspirations to be the best. But to have it be like what you said, a sort of play.”
What have played, explored, attempted, or wondered recently?
Training Suggestions
By yours truly, here is an essay in Velvet Ashes about the important of training women specifically, for longterm cross-cultural success.
Cookies
Cookie Brittle. What is this magical goodness? The best part of brownies is the corner. Cake - the edges. Pie - the crust. Cookies - the little burned bits. Cookie brittle is like only the crispy crunchy parts and it is too darn good. Yum yum yum.
Expat Tips
7 Ways to Enjoy Your Host Country, at A Life Overseas by Abigail Follows. Suggestions like be a tourist and be quick to forgive are important for success.
I need some help finding good stuff. I’ve used Feedly in the past to follow things but what do y’all use for curating lists and finding interesting information? What are you go-to sources for links that aren’t time wasters (or they are time wasters, but oh so fun time wasters)? Thanks!
What are you good things this week?
My husband and I have covid. Not such a good thing. But we have experienced the best of people in the midst of that. We’ve been brought local remedies that people want us to try, at some cost to those who have provided them. We’ve had daily visits (at a distance) and an abundance of messages, phone calls and emails. Meals have been provided. People across faiths have said they’re praying. And in the biggest gift of all, a friend has looked after 4 of our children (the youngest is only 2), for the week to keep them away from the virus and let us rest. I don’t remember the last time I didn’t have to change nappies, prepare food, clean, homeschool or adjudicate fights and could sleep when I wanted. So much goodness.
I am in the process of teaching a small group of people how to budget who have no money to budget. Several of them are completely illiterate, and we speak 3 different languages between us. Thankfully, I love challenges, and I love how God gives me ideas as I work with them. We are working to develop income generation projects for each family, but one wife was upset that they couldn’t build a bigger house before having an income. Did I say we have to work to avoid dependency issues too? As tiny and crowded as their house is, she has come to see they need an income worse. We are all making progress and people are beginning to see things like their do-nothing goats can actually be sold to create some capital. Raising other livestock can create a generous income if handled right. I feel in my heart this year is going to produce changed families in our ministries, and a lot less suffering.