Guys this is AWESOME!

So, two weeks ago, MAF folks went crazy posting this video ... and for a good reason! I confess, I just watched it now (I, being Kelly) ... and I wish I watched it sooner. What a great way to explain the importance of MAF's work--and how anyone can use their "super powers" (aka. money, time, energy, abilities, gifts, opportunities, etc.) for good. MAF pilots and mechanics are awesome, and they really truly do some incredible flying and fixing--but so are the people that fly with MAF. In my opinion, they are the REAL superheroes. One of the greatest pleasures of working for MAF has been meeting some of our friends here who daily use their "superpowers" for good. Over the next few blogs, I'd like to profile some of them, as well as some of our MAF Angola staff, so you can get to know our friends here.

In the meantime, enjoy this video. It does a GREAT job explaining the legacy of MAF, why our flights matter, and if this doesn't inspire some of you to want to become pilots (or mechanics, wink, wink), I don't know what will!

I still have a lot to learn ...

This blog might be a bit scattered ... it's a collection of thoughts I have had the last few weeks, and after some contemplation, the only common theme I could find for them was: "I still have a lot to learn ..."

Disclaimer: if you're looking for an update about our life over the past few weeks, that is not what this blog contains. But I will update Facebook with some of those details!

National Crisis
Angola is going through a crisis ... it's all over the news, it's all that's on anyone's minds. As a country with a primarily oil-dependent economy, Angola has taken a huge blow this year with the drop in oil prices. Sadly, this has made life more difficult for a lot of people, particularly the poor. I struggle with my role in all of this: what does a "rich" Canadian do? What on earth do I say? It's easy enough for me to say "God will provide ..." but it doesn't seem genuine considering the crisis hardly changes much in my lifestyle. What is a missionary's role in such a time?

I still have a lot to learn ...

The Hardest Part in Being a Mom ...
Probably your immediate response to the above question was: you can pray. I know I can. But I've discovered something that perhaps many others have discovered: being a mom is hard. In many ways, but in one of the most challenging and underestimated ways: it's desperately hard on my relationship with God. Do any other moms agree? Or am I the only one?

My life is so "busy"--changing diapers, feeding the baby, working at school, finding time for myself ... that it seems like a task to make time for God. The love and time and energy that I once only spent on Christ and Marcel seems to be split three ways now. I have lost my first love--how my heart was so enthralled with Christ for all He is and does.

I get so caught up in loving my son, but fail to acknowledge that "every good and perfect gift" is from God--especially my son. My prayer life is weak--at best. And I'm a missionary! Isn't that my job?

I still have a lot to learn ...

Gratitude
Mercifully, God has been working in my life to experience more gratitude. The life of a missionary is one of paradox: amongst those who are poor, it is so easy to be thankful for all that I have (especially in this time of crisis). Yet, when I hear from home, when I scan my social networks ... I feel like we have so little compared to others back at home.

Thankfully, God has truly filled my heart with peace about being here in Angola. And there is nothing like inner peace to make you grateful for all that you have. I am so grateful for life here: the big and the small things. That being said, please always pray for our hearts to be full of gratitude--because life is still quite easy here ... and it may not always be this way, as those well acquainted with the mission field know.

I still have a lot to learn ...

Prayer
This I can truly say has always been one of my biggest struggles in life--to take time and pray. To spend genuine time talking with God. Listening to God. Lifting up my petitions to God. Thanking God. Being still with God.

In a time and a place where I have no idea what to do about a national crisis, how to be a good mom and love God, how to fill my heart with gratitude ... I know prayer is the answer. I WANT to pray. I know the power of prayer. And yet ... and yet ... it's somehow so very difficult to make the time, to focus my attention. I know I'm not alone in this struggle ... can I hear an "Amen"?

So here's my plan of action for this week ... just one little step. It just occurred to me now. It wasn't preplanned, it just came to mind as I was typing. I'm going to commit half an hour each day to prayer until the next blog. I need the accountability and I need motivation--so there it is. A push in the right direction. And who knows how God will work in this ... what little miracles I might see, what changes in my life might occur. At the very least, one very, very good thing will come of it ... time with God.

I still have a lot to learn ...

The "Daily Grind" ... the double entendre of those words seems
to perfectly describe my life.

School! Waterfalls! Pictures!

Last week, I, Kelly, started a new and exciting chapter of my life: teaching at the Mitcha School! For those of you non-Lubangans (hmm ... not exactly sure what you call someone from Lubango) ... Mitcha is an area of Lubango where there is a missionary compound. We do not live on the compound, but several of the missionaries here do--MAF missionaries, SIM missionaries, CEML staff, and a few Angolan families. There is also a little school there, run by Ms Helena, wife of one of the MAF pilots. The school has about 20 kids, and is one of two English schools in town! And now there's a new (volunteer) teacher there ... me!

I was pretty pumped to see the school when we first arrived in Lubango with the thought that one day, I would help out there. It's five rooms in total (including the bathroom) and the kids study using the A Beka and University of Nebraska distance-learning curriculum (that's homeschooling curriculum, in case you were wondering.) All but two of the students speak Portuguese as their first language--so not only are they pushing through some pretty tough independent learning but they are doing it all in a second language! WOW!

Needless to say, they sometimes need help--especially when the kids are all different ages and all different grade levels. I've been helping out three times a week in the mornings, which is not a lot (I'd like to be there every day), but with Marcel working every day and Ethan still so young, it's a start. That being said, we are open to more teachers--so if you want to come teach short or long term on a volunteer basis, LET ME KNOW! We WANT YOU! Added bonus: you can learn a new language while you're here!!!!

While I'm at the school, Ethan hangs out with Siena (Helena's daughter) and Tia Bemvinda, our lovely Angolan caregiver! He has actually adapted super well to being away from Mom--better than I could have hoped. He naps and eats well, and doesn't cry when I leave him. Hooray for small victories!

Over the past months, we've had some awesome opportunities to see just how beautiful our little corner of Angola is. We've seen waterfalls, termite mounds, spectacular lookouts, sunsets, and even chased a zebra (not in the wild, but it was also not behind a fence!)--all within <100 km of Lubango! Angola is God's country--but don't just take our word, come see it!

Finally, Marcel has been very busy at the hangar! It's amazing just how much work is needed to keep three planes running! As Marcel likes to remind me, he's the plane doctor--just like our surgeon friends here, he's got a very difficult and specialized job--and sometimes he has to get right inside the plane! This week's scars and scratches prove his dedication to the job.

Here's a few recent(ish) pics to end off this post:

Our family at Cristo Rei, which overlooks the city of Lubango. 

Next to Cristo Rei, the LUBANGO sign--actually considerably larger than it appears!

There--now you can see the two icons that overlook the whole city.

Forgot to mention, but we've been loving our church. And our church
loves to love people. Sharing the gospel and a Christmas party
in a rural village where one member has formed a close relationship with the people.

Been loving the pomegranates from our front yard. This is Laurindo, one of the MAF staff here.

Great look going on there bud!

Waterfall!

Ethan sitting and picnicking behind the waterfall!

Moving around like crazy!

On a recent visit to a friend's place, we had the opportunity to briefly chat
with this family, of a Southern Angola tribe.

The Mitcha School where I am teaching!

Christmas in Africa and Other Happenings ...

Feliz Natal and Feliz Ano Novo! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!)

This Christmas was different ... our first Christmas as a family of three, our first Christmas away from home, our first Christmas in Africa!

Thankfully, it was actually NOT as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe it was because it was a green Christmas at home too, or maybe it was because wonderful people invited us in and made it feel like home. Or maybe ... it's because Christmas isn't about snow, or Santa Claus, or traditions, or even family anyway ... it's about Christ.

For to us a child is born,    7 
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,    
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace    
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,   
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness    
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

I can't admit that our minds were always on Christ this Christmas. In fact, at times they definitely wandered back to Canada, and al the lovely times we normally have with family gathered around the table, enjoying opening presents upon presents, even back to Christmas shopping ... something I don't normally enjoy, but with the lack of "Western" stores and malls here ... I admit I even missed that!

However, these last few weeks have brought a lot of glimpses of the true meaning of Christmas. For example, I (Kelly) had the opportunity to go out with a group from our church to deliver Christmas hampers to a rural village and preach the gospel. Wow ... it was so cool to be a part of a group so passionately about Jesus. Not only that, but I got a glimpse at how many Angolans live--rural, remote, and materially poor. Their Christmas was a far cry from the ones I've known--and much closer to that first Christmas than I'll probably ever know or experience.

We also had the opportunity shortly after Christmas to "get away for a few days" and camp on the beach with friends. Believe me, we felt so blessed to be able to do this and escape the city for some much needed fresh air and swimming! Though it's hard to say we're "tired" already, we have been told that recharging is a very important part of missionary life and long-term survival in a different culture. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the beach --Angola has some incredible coastline with a plethora of marine life, incredible landscapes, and virtually no other people! The highlight was definitely the snorkelling, spearfishing, and sunsets on the beach. Sigh ... but back to business now!

2016 is here, and though we don't even know half of what will come our way, there's a lot already to be excited for! A growing MAF ministry in Angola, a new teaching job, a maintenance conference in Kenya for Marcel in February, two weddings in July for Kelly, and a first birthday for Ethan!

Thank you to everyone who is consistently praying for us, or just checking in on us, saying hello via Facebook, Skype, or email! We appreciate it, and we think of you all often in our prayers and day-to-day life!

God bless your 2016, may it be a year rich with God-moments!

Trying to get Ethan and Siena to pose under the tree ... 

... but Ethan had other plans...

... and Siena wasn't thrilled!

Showing the kids his catch while spear fishing.

Beauty of a catch!

Found a scorpion, apparently they glow under a black light.

Our get up on the beach. 

Salome was being so sweet with Ethan (even if it doesn't look like it)!

Amazing sunsets! 

Finally using the toilet mug for coffee!

Moving, ministry, and manual transmissions

So we haven't blogged now in a few weeks ... sorry! But if you're wondering why, it's because we are busy! Busy, busy, busy! So we'll take this time to catch you up on some ministry updates and some personal updates before another week sneaks by without a blog!

Hanging out at the Hangar: a Ministry Update

Marcel has been super busy at the hangar, doing some necessary inspections on the 182, helping to build hangar doors, and doing general hangar organization. It's been quite a few long days, as Lowell is here from the Canadian office to do some training with the pilots and Marcel as well. Over the past couple months, the planes have seen quite a few hours in the air, mostly delivering doctors to various rural hospitals and clinics.

Last night, we (meaning three out of four of the MAF families) had our monthly team meeting--and this one was a special team meeting with Lowell here to share the MAF Canada report on the future work of MAF in Angola. It was encouraging to hear that the board and MAF Canada staff are behind the MAF Angola team, and have a vision to expand the program in the partners we serve, the hours the planes fly, and even adding new runways! I, Kelly, was also encouraged to hear that the board would like to encourage and promote short-term teachers to come to Angola to serve with the International school! (Wink, wink ... please come and live with us!)

Speaking of the school, last week, I had the opportunity to go in for the morning and see the International school and students. I'm looking forward to starting at the school in January part-time! Many of these students are the future leaders of Angola, and I look forward to being back in the classroom and helping these students to achieve their education goals and learn more about Christ.

Finally, on the ministry front, today was our first staff Bible study without Tammy and Gary here helping to lead both the Bible study and the English lesson after with the staff. Fortunately, the Bible study went very well, as we talked about the Christmas story, and Marcel even hijacked the English lesson away from me, taking on the role as "professor" and helping explain the difference between "see" and "look". We both love these weekly Bible studies and English lessons, as it a time of staff bonding and improving our Portuguese. The staff here truly are amazing!

Moving on up: a Personal Update

On a personal front, it's been a busy few weeks! First, our neighbours moved back to Canada. They were such an important part of our transition over here, and we are going to miss them a lot as our apartment complex feels kind of empty without them. The Goertzens served for several years here, and will be missed by many who knew them and experienced their kindness and genuine hearts! We also said goodbye to two other missionary families, one of the families being the Helmholdts, who were working on the runway project here. We are also sad to see them go, as their energetic family brought such life to Lubango! Between helping them move and then moving ourselves, it's been busy. We moved into the Goertzens' old apartment, directly beside ours, and we're happy to report we are loving the upgrades! Just to name a few: couches that don't scare us to sit on (let's just say our others had seen better days!), mosquito nets that don't hang in our faces, a TV (!!!!!!) and a screen door to let in some air!

Ethan is itching to move too ... crawling that is. He's not quite there yet, but he is definitely more mobile! He's got many new friends here as well, including a recently adopted little girl only a few months older than him! Ethan now sleeps through the night, but has a harder time falling asleep without cuddles from mommy! Having a little baby has been such a blessing for us in our transition to Africa, as he helps us meet new people who are curious about the big, white baby! It's been hilarious at times to hear people's reactions, or to see Ethan react to theirs!

Finally, on a personal front, I, Kelly, have learned to drive standard! This has opened up much more freedom for me, as I am now able to drive our vehicle around town for groceries, visits, or to pick up/drop off Marcel at work. Driving is still quite stressful here, as the roads contain many dangers like potholes, speedy motorcyclists, and crowds of mini-bus taxis, not to mention the fact that I still stall pretty frequently! However, it is impressive how smooth things can run with only two traffic lights in the whole city (yes, that's more than a month ago)!

With Christmas coming, but the weather outside sunny and warm, it's been a weird feeling to try and get in the Christmas spirit, but we're getting there, slowly. First, we put up our Christmas tree ... and no, it's not a GREEN Christmas tree, but a BLACK one! How weird is that? Then, I baked some Christmas cookies with the Hall girls, and I've been playing Christmas music almost non-stop. But the real thing that got me in the Christmas spirit was reading through Luke's account of the birth of Christ with our staff yesterday. What a great reminder of the true meaning of Christmas ... it's not about snow, decorations, or even FAMILY, but about God's Son and His saving grace!

Working late at the hangar on the doors

We were so excited that Ethan was actually awake for Tundavala!

Our little family in great big Angola!

The not so glamorous ...

Wow ... one month here already. It's passed quick ... and slow. A lot of you have already watched Marcel's awesome video documenting some of the unexpected aspects of our life here: eg. garbage everywhere, beautiful scenery, constant barking of dogs (in hindsight, the sound clip does NOT do this item justice), friendly guards ... a mix of AMAZING, weird, and  ... well, stinky ... things that characterize our life here. If you haven't watched the movie, here's your chance.



But I really want to use this blog post to talk about the not so glamorous parts of our life here--not that garbage and dogs are "glamorous", per se, but what I want to talk about is just some things I'm struggling with in our transition here. And they are not "glamorous missionary struggles" like drawing my water from a well and lugging it home, or eating strange insects and getting sick ... no, it's just kind of the "real life", semi-boring struggles.

So here it is ...

I'm struggling with being a stay-at-home mom. I'm not gonna lie ... it feels super weird here. In Canada ... it felt normal. I mean, a lot of my friends were doing it, it was expected, and there was a huge move to prepare for. Now that I'm here, I'm dealing with all these feelings I didn't expect to feel.

For example, the feeling of being REALLY stuck at home. In Canada, I could go places like the park, church, friend's houses, pool, etc. Here, we don't have a vehicle yet. There's not really any parks or pools or cool events for that matter (something I'm missing a lot, like when people post pics of Halloween or long adults retreats). I don't have my same friends, and none of my friends here have babies the same age as Ethan. I can't really go for a leisurely walk with Ethan. Our yard isn't exactly kid friendly ... it's mostly cement. And with Ethan being so young, we have to be careful with him around all the neighbourhood kids for health and hygiene reasons. Oh ... and I'm a foreigner. I'm always going to be "different" ... an outsider.

The other feeling I wasn't expecting to deal with is this feeling of helplessness. What I mean is, there are a lot of opportunities and need around me ... I mean, there's neighbourhood kids right in front of our compound who don't get a good, healthy meal every day. There's people on our street who are dealing with poverty. So many people want to learn English and get a better education, but don't have the money.

The "go getter" part of me is just dying to do something!!!! But I'm kind of restricted. I haven't really mastered the language yet. I don't know the culture (in fact, I'd still categorize myself as CLUELESS about the culture). There's security concerns. I have a baby who needs almost constant attention. And there's this HUGE warning sign going off in my head: don't just jump into something before you really think it out. The last thing you want to do is hurt people in an attempt to help them. Before you start anything, make sure you've really listened. Really looked. Really prayed, and studied, and considered.

And that requires patience. And reading books. And being willing to sit still, to move slowly. To do the boring background research. To ask questions. And to wait ... and if you've followed our blog for any amount of time, you know I hate waiting.

But waiting is super important. Experienced missionaries have even encouraged me to wait several months, even a year (!) before starting anything! It sounds like crazy talk. It sounds painful, and slow! But it also sounds very wise. Just ... difficult. And ... not so glamorous.

So, at last, I'm writing this post to share this frustration with you, and to ask you to pray for me. Pray for patience, and a willingness to wait on God's leading with timing. Pray that I will realize the wonderful gift of motherhood, and treasure it even when it's kind of boring. Pray that I will listen and learn, and be okay if God has different things in store for me than I had planned. Pray that I will embrace life here, and love life here.

Okay ... post over. Hope that this didn't come off as a complaining session, but more of a "heart sharing" session--maybe some of you moms or missionaries out there will relate. I am 100% confident that I won't always feel this way, and before I know it, life here will feel normal ... and dare I say it ... busy with so many cool things. Our God is good, and He's already at work here in my life and the city of Lubango. Praise God for His faithfulness, and His power through weak, clueless vessels like us. :)

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!