Day-to-day Week #3 ...

Wow, the third week already! Seems like it's been much longer ... as the "honeymoon" wears off, and the real day-to-day living begins! What does that look like right now?

Usually, Ethan and I wake up at 5:30/6 am ... not by choice, but hey, there is something beautiful about Lubango in the early morning. It's light already and quiet. I usually get in a workout while Ethan plays, and definitely get the coffee started. For breakfast, I tried my hand at homemade yogurt (so easy and so cheap, and DEFINITELY the missionary thing to do) and homemade granola, which has become our favourite breakfast staple.

Next week, Marcel will start work at the hangar full-time. Until then, we've been exploring our new world. Day-to-day this might mean grocery shopping, chatting with our guards, going to church with a new family each week, eating ice cream with our neighbours, walking downtown, going to pizza night, or just setting up our home. Things that don't sound particularly "missionary-ish" because they're not. They're the day-to-day items of "setting up a new life" and mentally/physically/and emotionally making Lubango HOME.

My work lately has been to push through some really important books and absorb as much knowledge as possible about the culture. The first book was African Friends and Money Matters by David Maranz. Such a key book to understanding and APPRECIATING life in Africa--emphasis on the appreciation part, because without some background knowledge, there are so many things that could drive a Westerner crazy!

My other reading project is When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. This book is meant to be done slowly and meticulously ... and I'm soaking it up like a sponge as fast as possible. Why? Because it's amazing ... and because we now live in the midst of poverty, I feel like I better learn as much as I can from this book about other people's mistakes while helping the poor BEFORE I make my own mistakes! Seriously, if you are moving to Africa, I highly recommend both of these books. They are GREAT! Anyone else have recommendations?

Between taking care of Ethan, who is happy to demand tons of attention, and reading/observing/taking care of the day-to-day essentials, it's not hard to put in a full work day. It's work ... but it's enjoyable. The people around us make it enjoyable. There's some amazing missionaries here, and not only that, but some amazing Angolans too. The view here doesn't hurt either. We have an impeccable view of Cristo Rei and the escarpment. We overlook much of the city. At any point during the day I can sit out on our front porch and watch kids playing, or on the steps out back and watch lizards scurry around. Every day is sunn, and most days end with a well-deserved rain in the afternoon/evening.

That being said, I have a lot to learn, and I'm learning lots. Just last week, I had a "learning hurdle day" (that's me using nice terms to describe a mentally and emotionally draining day). Apparently, there's a lot here that doesn't work the same way as it would in North America. Like walking places, and vaccinations, and making friends, and sharing food. Or the fact that Lubango, a city of thousands of people, HAS NO STOPLIGHTS! Basically, you just have to have an open mind, a prayerful heart, and a willingness to learn.

So, since I don't feel like I "naturally" take any of those stances, pray for me. Pray for us. Pray that we have humility. It's crazy to think how much pride we carry with us day to day, and how moving to another country helps reveal that--especially a less developed nation. Verses like Philippians 2:3-5 challenge me every day: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus ..." Every day, I am challenged by what it means to have the mind of Christ. Pray for us as we grow into our new lives and our new roles, as well as counter old habits and beliefs that may hinder us in this new country. Thank you so much!

And now to end with a few random shots from the last few weeks of our life ... Enjoy!

Marcel, Alex, and Marijn try their hand at biking in the African "outback" (or "mata").

While on a weekend trip to Hungaria Falls, we stopped by some women at the river. This one had a baby of her own,
but took some time to hold curious Ethan.

Does it get any better than this? Hungaria Falls, 2.5 hour drive from home.

Morning quiet time: Coffee, When Helping Hurts and African Friends and Money Matters.
Oh, and a great view of Lubango.

Just so cute ... and desperate to crawl and stand. He's growing so much!

More animated every day! He particularly enjoys time with daddy, tickling, and wearing his Hawaii shirt!

The view from the front of our house of the escarpment. 

Cristo Rei and the LUBANGO sign (like the Hollywood sign). View from the front of our house.

Never thought I would say this ... but the bread here rocks!
Portuguese buns, fresh from the oven ... and so cheap! No time to be gluten free! 

Marcel adventured to the "praca" or marketplace with Basilio to find some tools. It's like Trail's End Market ... on steroids!