I love to read my friends' blogs. I guess most bloggers do. And since I'm still new to blogging, it's nice to read other blogs and be inspired to write more on mine. Saying that, I thought I'd tell you a little about my favorite blogs and recommend them to you.
Several of my favorites are friends of mine who serve overseas, such as Ukraine, Albania, and Japan. These are great blogs to read if you like reading about different cultures. And they each have wonderful things to share about what they are doing there.
Two of my friends, Anna and Kandice are internationally-minded and have excellent blogs about their lives. I am encouraged each time I read their blogs.
I've mentioned her before, but I'll tell you again about my friend Anna's blog. Her life as a mother, wife, and Godly woman are so inspirational to me. Last but not least, my friend Kelli has a wonderful blog about being a wife and mother and always gives me food for thought when I read her posts.
So if you are looking for some good blogs, enjoy reading these! Each of them have inspired and touched me, and I hope they will inspire you, too.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
It's All About Power
Some people think that it's easy to pack up and move overseas- you put some clothes, shoes, a few books, and a few other essentials in a box and you're set, right?
Wrong. I now think that one must be a natural mechanically-minded genious to move overseas. Moving to a place that has a different electrical system than the U.S. poses great challenges on those of us who are not mechanically-minded. And it makes me realize what I do and don't know about power and electricity.
Long before I moved to Africa the first time, I knew just a few things about power:
1. You must plug an electrical device into a socket in the wall for it to work.
2. Sometimes a power line goes out and the socket and lights and other things in the house don't work for a while.
3. I heard somewhere that the electricity is different in other countries.
Then I moved to Africa and learned some more things:
1. There's this curious thing called volts. In the U.S., 110 volts come out of the wall socket into your electrical device to make it work. In Africa and many other places, 220 volts come out of the socket.
2. Electrical devices from the U.S. are made to receive only 110 volts and no more. If you plug your precious 110 volt CD player into a 220 volt socket, a very bad thing will happen and your CD player will meet with an untimely death, complete with a small fireworks display.
3. The electricity in third world countries does not always work properly. Sometimes too little, sometimes too much, and sometimes not at all.
4. Missionaries that live in places with unreliable electricity sometimes hook up a battery system: you have a car or truck battery that is attached to a box with two sockets. There's another box that is also attached to the battery and it plugs into the wall. When the electricity goes out, you can plug something into box #1 and it works- WOW! (please don't ask me how this really works- it's still a mystery to me!)
Now I'm learning alot more things:
1. There's a box called a transformer that will change those 220 volts coming out of the African socket into 110 volts so your 110 CD player will not meet an untimely death. No more fireworks.
2. When planning to set up house, you have to take essential 110 electrical devices (lamps, computer, printer....kitchen aid- am I spoiled?) and those things require a transformer, power strip, plug converters, and stabilizer. And if you plan to use battery power when the electricity is off, it requires an inverter and battery charger. Now I'm confused.
3. And you have to know about wattage (say what?). If your devices have more wattage than your transformer or inverter, you once again will experience fireworks. I like them outdoors, but not in my house.
4. So before you move overseas, you have to make sure you've purchased the appropriate electrical things to make your devices work.
Moving overseas can be stressful... and quite educational! So much for education;now I have to go rest my poor little over-voltaged brain.
Wrong. I now think that one must be a natural mechanically-minded genious to move overseas. Moving to a place that has a different electrical system than the U.S. poses great challenges on those of us who are not mechanically-minded. And it makes me realize what I do and don't know about power and electricity.
Long before I moved to Africa the first time, I knew just a few things about power:
1. You must plug an electrical device into a socket in the wall for it to work.
2. Sometimes a power line goes out and the socket and lights and other things in the house don't work for a while.
3. I heard somewhere that the electricity is different in other countries.
Then I moved to Africa and learned some more things:
1. There's this curious thing called volts. In the U.S., 110 volts come out of the wall socket into your electrical device to make it work. In Africa and many other places, 220 volts come out of the socket.
2. Electrical devices from the U.S. are made to receive only 110 volts and no more. If you plug your precious 110 volt CD player into a 220 volt socket, a very bad thing will happen and your CD player will meet with an untimely death, complete with a small fireworks display.
3. The electricity in third world countries does not always work properly. Sometimes too little, sometimes too much, and sometimes not at all.
4. Missionaries that live in places with unreliable electricity sometimes hook up a battery system: you have a car or truck battery that is attached to a box with two sockets. There's another box that is also attached to the battery and it plugs into the wall. When the electricity goes out, you can plug something into box #1 and it works- WOW! (please don't ask me how this really works- it's still a mystery to me!)
Now I'm learning alot more things:
1. There's a box called a transformer that will change those 220 volts coming out of the African socket into 110 volts so your 110 CD player will not meet an untimely death. No more fireworks.
2. When planning to set up house, you have to take essential 110 electrical devices (lamps, computer, printer....kitchen aid- am I spoiled?) and those things require a transformer, power strip, plug converters, and stabilizer. And if you plan to use battery power when the electricity is off, it requires an inverter and battery charger. Now I'm confused.
3. And you have to know about wattage (say what?). If your devices have more wattage than your transformer or inverter, you once again will experience fireworks. I like them outdoors, but not in my house.
4. So before you move overseas, you have to make sure you've purchased the appropriate electrical things to make your devices work.
Moving overseas can be stressful... and quite educational! So much for education;now I have to go rest my poor little over-voltaged brain.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
In My Spare Time
The last couple of days I've gotten to kick back and relax from all the strenous planning and packing I've been doing. Okay, not really. I spent two days at the dentist office, but it sure felt relaxing sitting there in that nice comfy chair and not having to say anything or make any decisions!
But seriously, I've found alot of fun little projects that I can do to relax and I still feel like I'm getting something done that I can use overseas.
I crocheted then felted this pillow in the last few days. I love quick projects like this! I still have to put the buttons on the front, but it was fast enough that I think I'm going to make a few more to take with me. Hey, pillows also make good padding in packed boxes.
This is the project that I'll be working on for years: my tablecloth. It makes a pretty nice doily right now, and I actually turned it into the county fair as a doily and won a blue ribbon! Hopefully someday I can turn it in as a tablecloth!
This "painted" doily is actually something I did a year ago. It's crocheted with three strands of sewing thread, and the colors are changed periodically to give it the faded, painted look. It was really hard to do with those little tiny strands of thread. I kept dropping strands and had to do alot of stitches over again.
I crocheted the afghan on the couch in this picture, but I actually wanted to show off my mom's beautful crocheted curtains she made. The curtains are done in filet crochet, meaning that it's made up of tiny squares, either filled in or empty, to make a picture. I think filet crochet is one of my favorite things to do because it turns out so pretty. I just had to brag on my mom's crochet abilities for a moment!
So in between all the hurried stress of planning to move, I'm just enjoying my fun little projects. Hope you enjoyed seeing them, too!
But seriously, I've found alot of fun little projects that I can do to relax and I still feel like I'm getting something done that I can use overseas.
I crocheted then felted this pillow in the last few days. I love quick projects like this! I still have to put the buttons on the front, but it was fast enough that I think I'm going to make a few more to take with me. Hey, pillows also make good padding in packed boxes.
This is the project that I'll be working on for years: my tablecloth. It makes a pretty nice doily right now, and I actually turned it into the county fair as a doily and won a blue ribbon! Hopefully someday I can turn it in as a tablecloth!
This "painted" doily is actually something I did a year ago. It's crocheted with three strands of sewing thread, and the colors are changed periodically to give it the faded, painted look. It was really hard to do with those little tiny strands of thread. I kept dropping strands and had to do alot of stitches over again.
I crocheted the afghan on the couch in this picture, but I actually wanted to show off my mom's beautful crocheted curtains she made. The curtains are done in filet crochet, meaning that it's made up of tiny squares, either filled in or empty, to make a picture. I think filet crochet is one of my favorite things to do because it turns out so pretty. I just had to brag on my mom's crochet abilities for a moment!
So in between all the hurried stress of planning to move, I'm just enjoying my fun little projects. Hope you enjoyed seeing them, too!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Trust
Raising my support for the mission field has not been an easy task. When I went to Africa short-term, I had to raise one sum of money, but now I'm raising supporters who give monthly so that I can stay on the field. Sometimes I feel like I'm constantly talking about myself, hoping that someone will feel that God is calling them to support me monthly.
This last week I've felt completely burnt out from support raising. I told the Lord, "I feel so selfish! I'm always talking about me! Can't I just forget about me and just concentrate on life and other people?" That's when I realized that I had been slowly forgetting the one source of my support- the Lord. He is the one who provides for me, and it doesn't matter if everyone I talk to is interested in supporting me, or if no one is. He'll get me to the field when He wants me there!
So a week ago, as I drove up to a church I was visiting and stepped out of my car nearly in tears from frustration and burn-out from support raising, I knew what the Lord was asking of me that day- "Let Me raise the support for you!" I felt my hands clench like I was trying desperately to hang on to what I felt was my responsibility to do.
But it was His to do.
So I let Him. As soon as I stepped into the door of the church, some of my supporters came up and welcomed me, asked about me, and told me that they were talking to the church about raising more support for me! More was accomplished that Sunday than I had imagined. And I didn't do a thing. He did!
I found myself just a few days ago battling again with trying to raise support myself and stressing about the best tactics in support raising. Then I realized that I was doing His job. Trying to do the job of the One who is ultimately in charge of the end result.
What peace to know that He will accomplish this task much better than I could ever imagine it! All I have to do is trust. He is such a loving Father!
This last week I've felt completely burnt out from support raising. I told the Lord, "I feel so selfish! I'm always talking about me! Can't I just forget about me and just concentrate on life and other people?" That's when I realized that I had been slowly forgetting the one source of my support- the Lord. He is the one who provides for me, and it doesn't matter if everyone I talk to is interested in supporting me, or if no one is. He'll get me to the field when He wants me there!
So a week ago, as I drove up to a church I was visiting and stepped out of my car nearly in tears from frustration and burn-out from support raising, I knew what the Lord was asking of me that day- "Let Me raise the support for you!" I felt my hands clench like I was trying desperately to hang on to what I felt was my responsibility to do.
But it was His to do.
So I let Him. As soon as I stepped into the door of the church, some of my supporters came up and welcomed me, asked about me, and told me that they were talking to the church about raising more support for me! More was accomplished that Sunday than I had imagined. And I didn't do a thing. He did!
I found myself just a few days ago battling again with trying to raise support myself and stressing about the best tactics in support raising. Then I realized that I was doing His job. Trying to do the job of the One who is ultimately in charge of the end result.
What peace to know that He will accomplish this task much better than I could ever imagine it! All I have to do is trust. He is such a loving Father!
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