Our trip to Tanzania... in a nutshell

SO.... about our trip to Tanzania. I'm only like a week and a half late posting this. Becky beat me blogging about it. But I beat her with the pictures. Let's just say being a little less rural helps us in that department.

We were SO excited to finally get to lay our eyes on the ministry our friends, the Helsby's, are part of. Mavuno Village- 250 acres beautiful Lake Victoria front property.

The concept of Mavuno Village started as an attempt to help the growing number of children who have been orphaned by the AIDS pandemic. Mavuno Village's mission is to build a Christian, family-style village, supported in part by farming, which will teach the biblical values of family as well as equip the children with skills for their future. (If you have 18 minutes, watch "Planting Seeds of Hope" at the bottom of the Home page. If you only have 4 minutes, watch "Mavuno overview". This will give you a wonderful idea of what we got to see, the people we met, and what the Helsbys are a part of.)

Before we left, I just kept praying that God would use us as much as possible in whatever way possible while we were there for 10 days. What did we do? Well, we sewed curtains (more me than CT), waxed floors, moved a few heavy objects, washed dishes, played some games, and aided in minor construction-like projects. Oh and did I mention we got to play with some awesome kids?? SO MUCH FUN! We had a great time. And what a blessing it was to finally move our friends into their first real home of their own in Tanzania. The Helsby's have been missionary nomads for the past 4 years moving 11 times. Hannah, 13 and the oldest of the six, has her own bedroom for the first time in her life! She was so tickled. It just made my heart so happy getting to watch all of this take place.

We did work during the day, but they are such suckers for having fun too. So of course we played games at night and CT and I got to go on a little night time safari. We always learn so many nuggets of knowledge when we hang out with them.

What we learned:

1. We learned how to go chameleon spotlighting

2. I learned so much about making cheese, butter, milk, creams, yogurt etc out of fresh cow milk

3.How to graft an avocado tree

4.That catching snakes with a dish towel is perfectly acceptable

5.That you can't actually swim or touch the water in lake victoria b/c of Bilharzia

6.What wildebeest tastes like (DELICIOUS!!)

7.How to tenderize it and other meats with unripe papaya

8.How to cook in a solar oven

9.That a stink bug can really shoot his stank

10.There are only 7 species of fish for consumption due to the introduction of Perch to Lake Victoria, over-fishing, and corrupt lake governance. (at one time there were over 250)

...And how much we love the Helsbys!

Bible club!

Now THAT is a big dog. The Dad to our new security dog.


Wednesday mornings the kids come to the Helsby House for singing/ worship time.
Jake- Just thinkin'
Dinner on the shores of Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Jake and Carter


Story time with Uncle Chris. What a lap full!

Jake reading a bible story to Kate.
Meg was such a crack up walking around the house with her head covered! It looks like CT is witnessing to her with his bible in his lap.
The Helsby's finally in their OWN house after more than 4 years of being missionary nomads!

Check out those eyes...

I can never brag enough on the Helsbys. We just adore that family. They scream purity in a way we've never seen. Their walk is so parallel to the way they live and speak. Their kids have such a love for the Lord and we have learned so much about parenting from them. We feel blessed to be their friends and are SO thankful we finally got to see Mavuno first hand.

Oh to see... clearer

Shortly after Lindy and I were back in North Carolina last year, I remember asking a few of my closest friends an odd question. "Can you see past August of next year?" I explained to them that I was struggling to grasp God's vision for us, our family, or the ministry beyond August. I couldn't even come up with an idea as to what small things would be taking place. We had no major plans within the ministry beyond that. There weren't even dreams we had that stretched after August. I continued to waver between whether or not it was the Holy Spirit's promoting for some purpose yet-to-be-known, or just my own weird mind's way of entertaining itself. Eventually I dismissed the thought, but never came to any conclusion about it.

... until, possibly, now...

On August 31, 2010 the government of Rwanda will close all adoption processes until further notice. In an effort to bring themselves into compliance with the international community (under the Hague Convention), Rwanda will not accept any new dossiers for adoption until they have become certified as a Hague country. This process could (and will) take a long time. A long time. Therefore, the Thompson family is not able to continue the current process for adoption with Rwanda.

We discovered this news while waiting in an airport as we returned from Mwanza, Tanzania. I am still in shock. I've yet to fully wrap my mind around this news and what it means for my family. I am struggling to even articulate my thoughts to a sovereign God, who already knows them. This is the first communication (and probably the only one) I've made on the subject. I bear the responsibility of guiding this family, however small it is. Therefore, until my Father guides me with words, attitude, and direction for my family, I can't tell you what our plans are. Please bear with us (me particularly) if I don't reply or request your advice and comments, though I am sure it's well meaning. I would rather your silence be an indication of the fervency of your prayers for us and the the depth of love you have towards us. I would kindly request you share this news with the faithful who would bring it before God as a petition and not a phone call gossip session. (we've had enough of that garbage over the past few years).

Forgive me for my blunt-ness. I am simply a husband feeling inadequate for his wife and a leader empty of direction ...

... because I can't see past August...

Asante!

In nursing school I used to dress to the nine on exam days. Mom told me that she read a study about how people who dressed nice and felt good about themselves on exam/test days generally did better on their exams. It seemed to actually work a few times. So I wore my prom dress for my nursing boards and passed. just kidding!

Today, I wore and dress AND make up to go to them embassy. I heeded mom's advice once more. It benefited me once more!

CT and I had a great trip to the Embassy! ASANTE SANA to all of your who were up early and on your knees on behalf of the unknown members of Team Thompson. The Kenyan woman who talked to us was SUPER nice and answered our questions. She seemed very positive about our homestudy and doesn't think anything will need to be amended. But we will find out in 30-60 days. If all is well then we will receive the BIG FINAL paper to complete our dossier. In the meantime we can use this wait time to get papers authenticated and things put together. This is SUCH A HUGE RELIEF to me.

At first, CT had a meeting that he didn't think he was going to be able to get out of. He thought he'd have to send me to the embassy alone, but thankfully he got out of it. We delivered food this morning and while in Kawangware we saw and chatted with a few of the boys we tried to help out of the streets a while back. Unfortunately they CHOSE the streets over a different life. My heart was so sad after we saw them. Chris said "Lindy, they are considered adults in this country and there's nothing else we can do for them other than let them know we still love them." That got me thinking. If only someone had gotten to them at the age our boys are now, maybe they would be totally different people now. That is why our boys are at such a critical age. C

T and I talked about how Dennis was probably within weeks of passing the "point of no return".

Yet now, he is a happy, playful, AFFECTIONATE (if you knew him before you almost wouldn't believe it now), and hilarious little boy! He was probably within 3 years of dying b/c of the long term effects of sniffing glue. Now, slowly but surely his mind is learning and understanding more each day and his body is recuperating. And thankfully he has an adopted "mama" in America who intercedes for him on a daily basis. All of the boys have that thanks to a friend who has helped coordinate that through RIZPAH. Prayer is such a beautiful, wonderful blessing!

(Yea, this boy will do anything for a piggy back ride!) After seeing those boys in the streets my heart was heavy now with the thought of their empty futures and then being a bit apprehensive about the meeting at the embassy. I couldn't help but fumble my fingers and sit quietly. Chris was so good to me. He thanked me for being the mother of his children- "All of them."

Once we found the correct entrance (this is always a struggle- no one knows where you should go they just send you to the opposite gate). We played dumb games while waiting in line to keep us distracted. I noticed the lady in the seat ahead of us was looking at an i600A instruction sheet. I wasn't trying to be nosey. I broke mine out and sure enough they were the same. She then was called and went to the window and asked many questions. Most of which I already had an answer to. Not b/c I'm a genious, but b/c I've been around the block a few times as far as adoption goes. The first thing I heard her say was that she wasn't able to adopt from Kenya b/c f the restrictions so she was changing to Rwanda. Caught both mine and CT's attention. I really wanted to talk to her, but I didn't want her to think I was dropping eaves. There is just NO privacy in that place. Finally CT looked at me and said "Lindy, you need to talk to her." It was sounding like maybe she's going through this without an agency. Which is good and bad, but I knew i had to help her with the parts that I could. So I gave her my email and phone # and told her we needed to talk. She seemed very appreciative. So when we get back from TZ, hopefully I can help out a fellow adopting parent. I mean, do i have a choice? I'm not letting all we've been through go to waste! That's for sure.

Thanks again for your precious prayers my friends. We felt every one of them! It was so cool to sit there and look at my watch knowing I had family and friends on their knees. WOW. We are SO VERY BLESSED!

Need a favor...

Tomorrow at 1:30pm our time, 6:30am EST we are asking for your prayers. We have an appointment at the US embassy to take our Kenya resident visas and get part of our adoption "sorted out". We recently received an email from the US embassy here saying they were going to be "closing [our] 1-600A petition". This isn't great news, but we are hopeful that we can get things sorted out. We expect to get our passports from our lawyer today or early morning tomorrow with our work visas stamped inside.

Please, if you are able, lift this appointment up tomorrow morning at 6:30am. If we all join together in prayer, wherever we are in this world- we believe God will hear all of these prayers being lifted up on behalf of our Tiny Thompsons- and we believe HE will answer them according to His good and perfect will.

If we can get this resolved, then there is a good chance this adoption will get on the right track from here on. We do not ask for prayers flippantly. We beg of you to rise early and to get on your knees for this. Chris and I will also be in constant prayer. We believe that adoption is one of God's biggest passions as he adopted us as his own- to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

Just a "taste"...

As you know from the previous post, it was our turn to have the boys this weekend. We had costody of them from the streets of the slums.

It was...

amazing

stupendous

fun

hilarious

taxing

dirty

and VERY tiring...

Zippy recently borrowed a book from us that looked entirely too complicated for me to read. I asked her how she was liking it and what it was about. She told me that she had just read about how we way over use the word "love". I've been thinking about that for a while and have made a pitiful effort at correcting that. I say that I "love food" or I "love a shirt". It really kills the whole meaning of "love". So... this is it. I hope to be a changed woman.

So one last time; you know just to get it out of my system.

You know what I love? I love:

Njenga's huge "thank you" bear hug for the spaghetti. Getting red sauce stained on the front of my shirt.

hearing the boys singing songs in the office with Chris

hanging laundry outside and watching Chris play frizbee with them

watching Thomas and Noah lead devotions with them at night.

...watching the tiniest boys struggle to keep there little eyes open during the devotion

sleepy eyed James coming in the kitchen with his "good morning smile" curious about what smells so good.

watching them skype for the first time

seeing them run down a massive hill at Ngong hills with smiles almost as big as the hill itself (though my heart was in my throat b/c I thought someone was going to break something important)

I really LOVE every single one of these boys- i speak for CT also.

Below is just a TASTE of our weekend. (Before I got the camera out they weren't hamming up the song quite as much)

Skyping with Rusty 2 from Thomas Thompson on Vimeo.

Hakuna mungu koma wewe from Thomas Thompson on Vimeo.

They also helped us slaughter chickens, but I didn't figure some of you would like to see the video from that. If you aren't squeamish maybe I'll put it on the adoption blog just for fun. There's no actual slaughtering on the video, just Ct cleaning one and the boys cooking intestines. Zippy said "African boys really like chicken intestines". --um, yuck. They were so excited about those intestines, feet, and even the head.

Thuku and Masai

Cooking the goodness!

Cheng and his chicken foot. Delicious?

Snuggle buddies. You'd never know they weren't actual brothers.
David LOVES Carolina... and Ms. Jenny for the blanket! There is a lot of love in that blanket, my friend!

CT giving them a chicken lesson
i just think he is the CUTEST thing!
yea- you are so tough Chengi

Hot diggity Dogs. Yum! Yea- so I thought they would eat like 2 b/c they were so big and we had french fries, cookies, and soda. NOPE- try 4!!! Praise the Lord I went out that day to get extra "just in case".

The [Ngong] Hills are alive with the sound of boys...

Warning: PICTURE OVERLOAD!

CT showing them the land that we'd one day like to move them to.

This next sequence of pics may make you laugh harder if you have met the one running full speed down the hill.

We had a blast and still are. The boys asked to stay another night.

I mean, why not?

...so i can promise there are more pics to come!

The referendum vote went VERY well! Thank you for your prayers. Things were and are peaceful here. Praise the Lord. Kenya is taking some great steps forward.

A Brighter Light

Wednesday - August 4, 2010 will be a history making day in Kenya. On this day, Kenyans will finally vote on the much-anticipated and long-overdue proposed constitution. This has been talked about through 2 presidential campaigns and promised to be eminent for over 10 years!

I do not intend to offer my opinion either way with this post, nor do I wish to persuade decisions. I recognize that I am a guest in this country, yet I feel compelled to share this, my first political undertaking, due to the significance of Kenya's recent past. As many of you already know, it wasn't that long ago that Kenya suffered during a post-election explosion of anger and controversy. Over 1,000 Kenyans died in riots, fires, attacks, and violence as the results from the 2007 presidential election took a shocking and unexpected turn. As tribal lines were drawn, some Kenyans forgot that they were Kenyans first and chose their tribal bent. Those who were sure of eminent success for their side, were enraged at what they perceived to be false results for the other side.

I was here during the fallout of that experience. The whole world watched Kenya burn. News channels repeatedly showed fires burning, looting, and emotions unchecked. In fact, the world put Kenya back amongst all the other countries of the world who demonstrated behavior like that. Kenya wasn't supposed to be that way. Kenya was slowly becoming known as "The Light of East Africa". But in a moment, the light went out... and darkness took over.

Now Kenya has an opportunity to demonstrate a brighter light than before. Kenya, regardless of the outcome of the referendum vote on the proposed constitution, can show all the rest of Africa and the watching world, that it IS a place of hope. Kenya can shine with a democratic light which would be unparalleled among it's neighbors.

I want this for Kenya. I want this for what it will do within the psyche of it's proud citizens. However, I want them to want it for themselves first!

Therefore I am asking you, reader, to pray for Kenya. I have 3 very specific ways that I am asking everyone to pray for this special place:

1. Pray that the enemy finds no hearts in Kenya to enter and spread his lies of hate.

2. Pray for a peaceful voting day.

3. Pray for unity to be evident as the results are disclosed on Friday - August 6th.

There is a proverb in Kenya which say's, "A fully grown tree cannot be bent into a walking stick." May the pain of the past be buried; it is no longer needed as a crutch for the healed.

Their future can be brighter and longer than their past. I love Kenya very much.

you can follow the news about the referendum vote and it's outcome at: http://www.nation.co.ke/