Filed Under- "That's Different"

1. A 14 year old Haitian boy wearing a Kenny Rogers T-shirt

2. Running along minding your own business, looking up to see a goat spurting blood out of its neck and flailing around dying just two feet to your right ( and screaming out of shock)

3. Being told that your running shorts, that you wear to run in, are "offensive". (Because you should apparently run in heat and humidity wearing a shin length skirt and a bonnet. Or better yet, a Burqa.)



Also...

• Killed the 15 miles. Bam. Done. and Done.
• Have a great weekend!
  

Woodland Park Zoo

We live pretty close to a really great zoo, but we hardly ever go. My friend Valarie took us as her guest, with her season pass. They didn't stay long, they go all the time, but Jack and Bryce had a blast. We definitely need to go more!













You gotta see this drumming video!
Drumming

Link to News

In the News today:

Hopes dim for missing Haitian shipwreck victims

1. I cannot imagine being so desperate to take this kind of risk. Sad.

2. I cannot imagine writing an article where I thought this was a super important quote to include (or new information) - "the more time the human body spends in the water, the opportunity for survival grows less," said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Johnson. (Thank you Captain Obvious!)


In Other News:
Paige and Tina are in the air! Hurrah!
I am in my (late) middle thirties. :)

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

to believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen Amen Amen

Let it be true in our lives lord.

Bullets of Busy

• Troy is kissing the auto part that arrived just in time to save our buns with a team that arrives tomorrow. Working out transportation for teams is always an adventure (which is the nice way to say it is always a big hairy mess). We have a large truck on loan, we're using it while other missionaries are out of the country. We are paying them for the miles we put on it ... but Tipap dropped motor oil all over the air filter a few weeks ago and then NO replacement air filter could be located in the USA or Haiti. The clock ticked toward July 29 and Troy's nerves were beginning to show. We wondered if 12 people and 26 bags would fit into a six passenger car if we removed all the seats and stacked people like wood. We've seen crazier things packed into small vehciles. Then, like manna from Heaven, this glorious item arrived to the island - it matters not how it got here --- we're just happy it did. And now, the team that never knew how close we came to not having transportation -- once again has transportation.
  

• Today we hopped in that borrowed truck to go pick up the 20 chairs we ordered to go with Beth's new giant table. We headed north. A friend from out that way called to inform us that he had stopped to check on our chairs. It turns out the man who made them finished them last week, knew we would be coming, yet decided to sell them for a little quick cash in the last day or two. Even though we paid him in full six weeks ago. And he promised them to be finished by July 1st. So, no chairs for Beth. That kind of thing does not even give a rise in heart rate anymore - TIH - and that is how it works here. Deal with it or go slowly insane.

• Randy (World Wide Village) arrived with two Teen Challenge Board Members today. They are here until Monday. We're hoping their trip will be productive. They are two houses away and my kids will be raiding their rooms for candy/treats when they leave. Or, maybe before they leave.

• A team from Michigan arrives tomorrow (the team that once again has transportation) and Troy will be taking them south to Petit Goave on Thursday. They come back to Port next week to work with Heartline for a day before they head back home. Troy sort of needs to be in three places at once from Thursday until Sunday ... I will enjoy watching him figure out how to do that.

• Thursday the greatly anticipated arrival of a super star named Paige takes place ... along with my sister Tina. Isaac, Hope, and Noah have not stopped talking about it for two days. It happens to be my birthday and I find the timing of their arrival to be a perfect gift. The poll on the blog seems to indicate that I will now be in my late thirties. Bummer. I'm not suggesting anything. But your vote could change me back to my mid thirties, the way I prefer to think of myself.
  

• Friday we are going to complete a 15 mile training run. (Yes, scared.) My left hip hurts thinking about it ... but avek Jezi epi avek glace nou kapab (with Jesus and ice we can) ...I hope so anyway.

• Noah was our entertainment on our failed ride to go get the chairs today. He was waxing theological with all sorts of observations about God. The highlights were quickly written down before we forgot ... Here is what we learned: 1. When Noah gets to Heaven he is planning to bow down to God (he demonstrated for us in the truck). Seems so logical for this particular child, it warmed the cockles of our sweaty hearts. 2. He is hoping that God has both hot water and a swimming pool. But, if he had to guess he figures maybe hot water is realistic but not the swimming pool. He really liked that hot water at Britt's wedding. He thinks that Florida is really onto something offering that to its visitors. 3. He is very anxious to "see what cuh-whoa (color) God is". When I asked what color he *thinks* God is he said, "ye-woh" (yellow) in a matter of fact tone. Then we went on to other topics. A few minutes later he said, "The weason I say God is ye-woh is because He is a twezow (treasure) and a twezow is usuawy (usually) gode (gold) and gode is like the cuh-whoa (color) ye-woh." Who knew I had such a deep thinker on my hands? Also, any speech pathologists heading this way?

• Troy is mostly known as "Mr. Choy" here in Haiti. The "Tr" combination of letters is not an easy combination for native Creole speakers. Mr. Choy is going to start a reocurring column on the blog called "Mr. Choy's Texts" - in this column he will share some of the best (funniest, oddest, etc.) text messages he has received. I am hoping he will get to this in the next few days. They are truly wonderfully entertaining. Right now we get them from people we have never heard of ... his cell phone number seems to be making the rounds. Incidentally, I am Madame Choy. No one texts me.
  

• A pregnant lady showed up at my house late morning. She was looking for the Women's Program and ended up four blocks away at my house. I still don't get who directed her our way. I had her hop in the truck with me and we went over to the right house. I talked with her a bit and learned she is due at any moment (two days ago technically) and that she thinks it is a girl (but does not know that) and that she does not want to keep the baby. I wrangled John in and asked him to do his thing. Troy has shared with me some of what John says and I always thought it sounded great and was so important. But sitting and hearing John say it today - I felt deep sorrow for the 19 year old mom. John does not want people placing babies if he can help them find a different way. All of you who know John know he is one peculiar dude ... but when it comes time to be serious and deep --- he shows up. I love that about him. I listened as he explained to her that the baby would not see her, would not know her, would not speak Creole, might never come back to Haiti, etc. etc. Then he said "That's not good, right?" (Sa pa bon, no?) He tried to help her think of ways to keep the baby. She said she understood all of that but that she could not keep this baby. John told her to go get her papers and come back to talk again. Maybe something will change for her in the coming days. John asks them to come back a few times in order to keep them thinking things through for a longer period of time. Toward the end of our conversation she let it slip that her Mom does not know she is pregnant so getting the papers out in the countryside might not be so easy right now. So many here lead such heavy lives. Be praying this young mom makes the best decision for herself and her baby.
  

• Thank you THANK YOU for continuing to sponsor the Medika Mamba Marathon ... 66 days until race day. Things are looking really good for making the 26K goal. The Chiropractor is out of the country for four more weeks, I am praying I can stay injury free during this time without her help.

• That is all.
  

An Incongruent Picture

(Stealing this title from Carrie ... please see her post first.)

One of my least favorite things about traveling between two worlds is the way it stirs up things that make me feel slightly insane and angry. I love a chance to go see my family and enjoy the "perks" of "home" - don't get me wrong. It is just that every time I go, I end up feeling frustrated with what I see and hear.

I don't want to be the judgmental jerk that walks around ticked-off , I truly don't ... but sometimes I am that person anyway. :(

I overheard conversations in Dallas last week that totally annoyed me. It just happened to be Dallas, it could have been anywhere. I was in a Chiropractor's office where people in the waiting room groaned and moaned over how inconvenient their lives were and traded woeful tales of traffic and long waits to be seated for dinner along with other equally horrible trials.

They were generally clueless about the beautiful office they sat in while waiting for their late-morning massage before they stepped back into their $40,000 car and jetted off to lunch. Their lives are just *so* hard!See. There it is. The angry sarcasm.

I know I am unloving to be disgusted with these types - but I don't yet know how not to be.

Admittedly, I have a way to go before I love ALL my 'neighbors'. My love sort of stops short of reaching the spoiled and whiny. I mostly want to punch them in the head. Thankfully, I have much restraint and instead I just sit and stew silently and then write mean things about them on the internet later.

We all complain at times, I am guilty. I am talking about something different. I like nice things too. I enjoy convenience just as much as the next guy. It is the larger thing that I often observe that bothers me.

I have no problem with fancy lifestyles, people should be free to live large with their own money if they so choose .... but I have a problem with people who don't care about others, won't see suffering, don't ever consider giving to a cause other than their own, never offer to help the down-trodden and don't have an attitude of gratitude about their own abundant blessings.

It seems to me, that in general, people are spoiled and expect everything to be easy.

When I went into my appointment, we made small talk while the Doctor made me straight. She had no idea where Haiti was (she was big enough to admit that to me) and no idea what the challenges are here. I never offer much more than a shrug and a non-answer in those situations. How do you sum this up in 30 words or less? But I digress ...

The fact that I flew on an airplane to see my daughter and was even sitting in that 68 degree, beautifully appointed Dallas Chiropractic office, waiting for a much needed adjustment - made me more fortunate than about 90% of the world's population. I felt so blessed to be able to go get help with my pain. I *am* SO blessed. I have never been hungry, unable to get medical care, or without clothing and my basic needs met. I don't understand why I escaped so much hardship and pain and poverty - I just know I did.

But like Carrie said in her post ... I am mostly preaching to the choir. If you're here reading, it is likely that you're not looking the other way when it comes to the forgotten and hurting in the world.I want the "haves" to KNOW about the "have nots" - and more than that I want them to CARE ... and more than that I want them to ACT. I want them to desire to use their blessings to affect change for many desperate places and people. I want them to get it!

I guess I wonder- when will we as a society, be less concerned about the newest car, boat or toy and stop obsessing about looking young, vacation spots, trendy clothing, and great hair ... When will we stop buying into the lie of the marketing that tells us that we must have everything in order to be happy or successful or important.And when will we invest in and care about hurting people in a hurting world as our first priority?

3 Years Old

Dear Peanut,

I am writing this in the wee hours of the morning on your birthday. In just 3 1/2 hours (4:45 a.m.) you will officially turn 3 years old. You have been filled with excitement and anticipation for your birthday this year. It has been so fun to talk to you about your big day and see those wheels turning in your head. We have been able to "tease" you a bit about your birthday and have fun with it. We asked you all day today whose birthday was coming up...was it MeowMeow's, was it Daddy's and so on. You just grinned really big and kept saying, "No, it's Cora's birthday!"

How can it be 3 years already? I remember so vividly the moment I realized it was time for your birth. How filled with joy I was to finally meet this precious little life that I had been so blessed to carry within me for 9 months. Everything went so wonderfully and so perfectly. I look back and feel so blessed to be able to not just say that but mean it. Your birth was amazing and finally there you were...precious little you. How our hearts soared when we saw you and held you. You amazed us so much.

Three years later and our hearts still are soaring with love for you and you continue to amaze us. You are such a smart little girl. You have a very sensitive heart. You are filled with so much joy and kindness it could make my heart burst. We are so very proud of you for just being you. What a precious gift we have been entrusted with from the Lord. You are a perfect part of our little family.

And how could I not mention what an incredible big sister you are to Pumpkin. The love that you display to her on a daily basis is incredible. You always have a watchful eye on her and wonder where she is when she isn't around. You fill her face with kisses and her neck with hugs. She is so blessed to have you as her big sister.

Peanut...you are loved beyond measure by your Mama and Daddy but more importantly by Jesus. You are His princess and beloved one. It is our greatest hope and desire that you can wrap your heart around that and truly know how special, wonderful and amazing He created you to be. We love you so very much!

Love Always,
Mama and Daddy

Noah covers Cake

Noah performs a wide variety of musical stylings ... including songs released a full decade before his birth.

Enjoy his cover of Cake's "Rock N Roll Lifestyle" off of the Motorcade of Generosity album released in 1994.

Another Sign

It is inevitable. Kids grow up, but why does it keep surprising me? Jack's newest "big-boy" thing is showering. He doesn't want to take tubbies any more. He is a shower guy now. Sniff, sniff...

In the Midst of Chaos

Well, I am here. Most of you know the big changes that are coming to my family but I don't feel like writing about it on here yet...so I will share pictures with you. I have so many to share so I will just start slowly...just enough to wet your appetite. Ha. Really that is because my camera died when I was uploading pictures so I only got like a quarter of them on the computer.

Peanut is all about best friends lately. A few weeks ago Gigi, Peanut and I met up with a very sweet and funny friend (funny as in humorous not funny as in strange) and her family. Funny friend as I shall affectionately call her loves my Daddy-o. She was a room-mate of mine while in college and she got to know Dad and was missing him...so we set up a time for all of us to meet and have dinner. All that being said, it was the first time I had ever heard Peanut announce that she had a best friend. On the way to the restaurant she announced, "______ is my best friend." (Child's identity withheld for security...heehee.) Since that time she has announced that Gigi's really good friend is her best friend and the other night on the way home from Dobbie and Papa's she said, "Papa is my very best friend."

Here are some pictures from our time with Funny Friend and her family. (I like that title, don't you, Funny Friend?)




Here is Funny Friend getting her Pumpkin squeeze in.

I sure am blessed by this girl. She has been so constant in my life and a part of a strong network of friends that the Lord has blessed me with. We saw each other through quite a bit in our college days and have kept in touch over the years since. Love You, Funny Friend. Oh, if you ever run into her you definitely have to ask to see her personally choreographed version of the 1996 hit Christian song "Stand." You haven't lived until you've seen it!

Can I just add something? I have been working on getting Pumpkin to fall asleep by herself without being rocked especially for nap times and she is doing really well. Three times now she has only cried for up to 15 minutes and then falls asleep. I hope it continues like this.

Speaking of Pumpkin check out these cute pictures of her. I know you just want to crawl into the screen and squeeze her. It can't be helped. She is just that cute!


I'm thinking Cupcake would have been a cute nickname too. :)

We took in the local county fair with Gigi. We had a grand time...it is a small, old time fair. We watched the grand opening, went to a gospel sing, checked out the animals and rode on a ride which cost $6.00 for both Peanut and I. Can you believe that? Geesh..highway robbery! Peanut got to go back the next night with a very special friend of mine from church...she titled herself Peanut's Fairy Godmother after she was born. She took Peanut on the Merry-go-Round.


Last weekend we went to Ohio for Daddy's family reunion. We had alot of fun catching up with his many cousins, aunts, and uncles. It turned out to be a rather chilly day but a cute little Peanut begged her Daddy to take her swimming and he withstood the cool temps to swim with her. What a good Daddy! And we got to see Daddy's sister and her girls...always a hit with Peanut!

Pumpkin got alot of squeezes and love too.



So, that should quench your thirst for this fabulous blog. I do have more pics and news to share, so I will be back....but tomorrow is a sweet Peanut's birthday, so I will be busy taking care of birthday business. She is having a lion birthday in honor of her imaginary lion friend! Fun!\


-Mama

Sauna Suit Sunday

Some people pay good money to enhance their physique and boost their pectorals ... And even go so far as to wear a Sauna suit to bring about increased calorie burn.

And some people keep their money and just carry around loads of babies in 100 degree heat all day.Greatness *is* within. ;)

Portland

We made a quick trip to Portland. We wanted to meet baby Henry. Henry is Marty's cousin Chris and Casey's little boy. Henry is 3 months old. Though we only live about 3 and a half hours away, it took 3 months to find a weekend that would work for us all to get together. Henry is a sweet little boy and we're so glad we finally got to meet him!


Jack had the best time with his cousin Louisa, Chris and Casey's oldest child.



We owe Aunt Betsie and Uncle Jimmy a big THANK YOU for hosting us over-night on such short notice. We had a great weekend!

Marketplace

I'm not sure we'll ever love the process of purchasing fresh produce. The open-market is a proving ground. If you don't know what you're doing, it is best if you stay far away. Paige is the best negotiator in our family, and seems to be the only one who enjoys the game of bartering.

You must be in the right mood or you'll just end up ticked off and completely flummoxed. Even with a solid knowledge of the language the prices seem to vary widely- both day to day and vendor to vendor.

Our kids love fresh fruit, but some days Daddy just won't pay the price being quoted ... This photo was taken on a day he walked away empty handed.

Canned peaches in syrup kids?

The {dream} Team

When I finish a 13 mile training run tomorrow (Friday) morning, I will be done with 8 of the 18 weeks of training. I will have logged 160-some miles- and Lord only knows how many hours of sweating and smelling. It feels good to be so close to the half way point in the training.

I want to take a moment to introduce my marathon support team. There are four key players that daily help keep me moving in the right direction.

The Kids-
These kids are motivation. Early on, I wondered if it would motivate me when I was having "poor me" thoughts on the running path ... or on the days I wished I never hatched this plan ... but I found out it does. I hate that these kids suffer. Injustice is something we can all fight. Their eyes and their stories motivate us and we can do something. Thanks to each of you who has.

Troy-
Is the sweetest man on the face of the earth. Hands down. He is encouraging me every single day. He makes sure the kids are covered when I need to be running and says nice (and sometimes even untrue) things to me to keep me motivated. (I am a machine - Or so he says.) He nags me to get to bed early before the long runs, he nags me to get up and get going ... And he gives excellent calf rubs too. If Troy was indifferent or unhappy about this, I could not do it.

Beth-
As far as I know, she might be the only human being on the earth to have trained for a marathon in Port au Prince, Haiti. (6 times I think) Maybe there were native Haitian runners, but I don't know that for certain. Beth has trained for multiple marathons here in all seasons and is one person I know totally gets the mental and physical challenges of training in this city/country. She is doing as many runs with me as we can make work, often the long runs on Friday because the moral support is huge to me ... and she knows that. She is one of my closest friends in the world and I admire her endurance in running, in life, and in service to Haitians. She is a pro.

Tina-
My little sister started running the same time I did in 2004. We ran two marathons together in 2005. That ended my marathon career until now. She has just completed her 9th Marathon. She *is* a machine. (For real.) She would tell you that running became therapy for her.

It bonded us together in 2004 and 2005 and created a deeper connection as sisters and friends. With her blessing and permission I want to share an abbreviated version of her story.

We were both born in Nebraska, but spent most of our childhood years in Minnesota. It is just us two girls, our Mom and Dad. My sister Tina was assaulted at the age of 12. Like most victims of sexual crime she chose to keep it a secret and shame and confusion began to engulf her. She turned to alcohol and drugs to numb her pain. For years no one knew what she was suffering from and did not know how to help her. It led to years of pain and destructive behavior.

When she was 17 she had a baby with her high school boyfriend. After much wrestling and praying, her daughter was placed for adoption. It was not an easy decision at all, but one she felt a certain sense of peace about because she knew it was what was best for her daughter at the time. Tina knows grief and pain that most of us won't ever know.

The family that was blessed to adopt my niece stopped sending photos more than 10 years ago. That hurts. (This is the reason I will nag at and argue with almost anyone who refuses to send birth families photos - that is just selfish. It is easy to send photos anonymously and without birth families "finding" you.) A photo to reassure a mother with a hole in her heart is not too much to offer.

Tina and I were not very close during the years that followed the birth of her daughter. We were both running from pain and making bad choices and neither one of us knew how to relate to the other. Or, maybe we only knew how to deal with our own pain and not each others.

Troy and I introduced Tina to Troy's college roommate (Matt) and friend in 1998. In 1999 they married and have since added two gorgeous little boys to their loud family.

In 2007 I called Tina from Haiti to tell her that Isaac's birth mom was going to place the baby she was carrying and really wanted the baby to stay connected to Isaac. Tina and Matt were thrilled and eagerly agreed to adopt the baby due in November. Before we really knew - we knew it was a girl. It made the story come full circle. 15 years after placing a daughter, Tina (and Matt) felt peace about beginning the process of adopting a daughter. (And Matt is adopted as well.)

Eighteen months later, they are still waiting on their daughter ... we all want her to leave here and go to her family in MN. We wish she were not spending this time with her crazy cousins ... but instead that she could be with her silly big brothers.

Tina will be running with me on October 4th. By then, it will be her 11th Marathon. She has promised to carry me if need be, but guarantees that my bod will cross the finish line. Tina is running in honor of her daughters. The one she lovingly gave life to many years ago and does not know, and the one she hopes to start a new chapter of life with soon.

I cannot express how important her presence will be to me on the first Sunday in October. She is raising these funds too, because I would be too chicken to do it alone. I have Beth to get me through the training pain and Tina to get me through race-day woes.

Not to be forgotten:
Thank you to Dr. Cheryl for her help keeping me running as straight as I can.

Thank you- Jenny K of MN, Gail G & Shannon H of CA, Amy D of SD & Michelle C of IN for sending me gels, Gatorade, cross-training ideas and running gear. I am using the stuff every week and I thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness.

Tomorrow I run further than I ever have in Haiti and further than I ever have in heavy humid heat. Thank you- Troy, Beth, and Tina, and readers for the boost of love and support.

The 26K is going to happen!

Modern paraphrase of Matthew 25

"For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank BOTTLED water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me DEPORTED. I needed clothes, but you needed MORE clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the BEHAVIORS that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I DESERVED."

-Richard Stearns, The Hole in Our Gospel

From left to right: Dieuvlet, Peterly, Jonny, Gilderson

(These four boys are all living in the RHFH Rescue Center, receiving Medika Mamba, and trying to gain weight and recover.)