Playmates

Yesterday, Kendi brought her children with her to our house to play with Seth.  They had such a great time together, and so did Kendi and I.  I took pictures of her precious little ones.  I am impressed with how Kendi and her husband are raising their children.  Their children obey very well, and it made for a fun day for all of us. 

They colored for a while, and played with play dough.

Collins was enamored with Seth's bike.  He rode it back and forth for almost four hours straight!

 

Blessing, Seth, and Brina

We are definitely going to do this more often, at least when Kendi's children are on school break.  Thanks to little James here who doesn't speak any English . . .

. . . I heard Seth out there speaking Swahili--short little sentences here and there.  "Let's play!"  "James, look!" and so on.  One day, my boy (and my girl) will be tri-lingual.  Mommy's working toward that end too.  Sign language is going in way easier than Swahili.  However, thanks to Kendi, I finally feel that I am making progress in Swahili too.  It is coming easier for me now. . . finally after two years!  (Yes, August 18th made two years for us in Kenya.)  I was super happy to be able to understand almost everything James said to me this time in that squeaky little voice of his.  Shhhhh!  Don't tell anyone, but he's my favorite!  :)

Of course, we had to have chai with sugar cookies at 4:00 p.m.  I gave the children their choice between chai or Kool-aid (which I called juice, so they would know what it kind of tastes like).  They all chose "juice" while Kendi and I enjoyed cups of chai. 

Today, Seth was getting things ready for the next time they come over.  He had a bag full of stuff, and I heard him say, "There, now that is ready for next Thursday."  I had to smile.

* Burritoes for supper tonight after BJ's sign language class

Cultural Clash

I try to be as open and honest as I can about my life on the mission field because I want you to know how to better pray for your missionaries.  Culture shock is a very real hurdle on any mission field.  It is a hurdle that you never completely overcome because you are constantly learning another culture.

 After living in New Guinea for ten years, my family thought we knew the culture there pretty well.  But one day, my dad said something to someone that nearly started a village fight!  It was something that would have been totally acceptable to say in America, but not in their culture.  It was something the whole village knew about but something no one talked about.  When the white man innocently said something about it, they just about started killing each other!  Talk about culture shock!

Culture shock comes and goes.  It is not just something that you go through when you first arrive on the field (although that is when it hits you the hardest), and then you never have to deal with it again.  It doesn't work like that, and again the reason is because you are continually learning that culture.  Then sometimes, you learn something of the culture, and your own culture clashes with it.  Oh, maybe not outwardly, but inside it can become an ugly monster of stress, fear, and misunderstanding.  I am right there right now again.

Remember after Brina was born I told you how Kenyans wrap their babies up in layer after layer of clothing and blankets to keep them from getting cold?  It is ingrained in their culture that feeling chilly brings on sickness.  Therefore they go all out to protect their children against the cold.

When Brina was born, they were amazed that I had a week-old baby in short sleeves, no hat, no socks, and no blankets around her!  But it was January, and it was stifling hot at church.  My poor baby sweated even in the lightest clothing I could find to put on her.  Back then it was a laughing matter . . . or so I thought.  We all laughed and joked about how our cultures are so different in this area.  Yet in the back of my mind, I wondered what they would say and think if Brina ever got sick.

The chillier months came (June--August), and things eased up a bit because she really did need a sweater and socks on.  But now it is getting warmer . . . and now she has a cough.  Seth, Brina, and I recently came down with the common cold, and now we are left with the remnants of a cough.  Hers sounds nasty, but the doctor said she is fine.  It is not in her lungs, not pneumonia, so Mommy is not worried about it.  However, the people at church who, I must say, love Brina so much are very worried about her.

My sunflowers in full bloom

I try hard to make them happy by putting on her as much clothes as I can, but I can't force her to sweat and be miserable just to make people happy.  That is not fair to her.  You see my dilemna?  And my personality is such that I try to make everyone happy because I HATE conflict. 

So sitting in church last night, I prayed, "Lord, please don't let her cough."  She had a long-sleeve shirt on, a cordoroy jumper, tights, and socks.  She did not need the jacket with its hood on too.  She coughed three times--not bad.  Then at the closing prayer, the little jacket and hood went on because by that time, it was dark, and there was the slightest draft coming through the church door.

My feelings inside over this cultural clash?  Stress?  Yep, it's there.  Anxiety?  Yep, I want to hide behind BJ at church and let him deal with all the advice.  If you know my husband, he has no problem at all dealing with issues!  However, I cannot do that.  I shook hands, greeted people, and spoke Swahili with a smile on my face--for that is what a missionary does when she's going through more culture shock.

Grub worms make happy boys too!

Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE being a missionary, and I LOVE being a missionary here.  I love the people; I love the language; and I love the food.  I have been a missionary since I was 9 years old.  It is about the only life I have known.  It is who I am.  But even I struggle with culture shock.

So all that to say, "PRAY FOR YOUR MISSIONARIES!"  The devil has all kinds of tools in his bag to discourage missionaries and knock them off the mission field, and one of his stoutest is Culture Shock. 

* For supper, box macaroni and cheese with "sukuma wiki" (in my Kenyan recipes)  Seth will enjoy the mac and cheese, and I will enjoy both.  :)

Brina Update

It's time to post a Brina update for our family.  She is growing like a weed and learning new things every day.  Within the last several weeks, she has learned to sit all by herself and to crawl.  She still crawls slowly, but even then while my back was turned, she succeeded in dumping over the trash can, digging in my basket of onions,

Standing is evidently next on her learn-to-do list

. . . and putting things in her mouth that ought not to go in there!  Thankfully no bugs yet!

Feeding is going well.  She likes carrots; yogurt is "okay".  She rejected bananas at first, but she likes them now.

Next on our list of things to try is pumpkin, then papaya.  Her reward for eating her food is getting to play with the bowl.

A couple of days ago, I found her first tooth coming in on the bottom.  She had not been fussy or even had a fever with it, so it took me completely by surprise.  Now I think I see a second tooth coming up right beside it, and now I KNOW she is teething.  Poor baby wants to be snuggled all day long 'cause it hurts.

From birth, she has been such an easy baby.  She hardly ever fusses or cries, almost always has a smile for us, and is so laid back that she will go to anybody at church.  The people here love it and love her!

She weighed 15 pounds on Thursday at her last doctor's checkup.  "Thank you, Lord, for a healthy baby."

Special Music in Sign Language

Today, Raymond is back in his village because school is out for a month.  However, during school breaks, David lives with his parents, so today he was in church with his mom and dad.  (When school is in session, David boards at the local deaf school even on the weekends.) 

It blessed my heart to see him signing some of the songs in Junior church as I interpreted for him, songs he has learned at the Bible club at his school. 

David signing a song in church.  His mother is beside him.

Then in church, about 12 of BJ's sign language students lined up and signed a couple of songs.  It was really a blessing, especially for David.  I told him they were going to sing in sign language, so he watched them instead of me.  In the picture above, he was copying them because they were signing songs they sing at his Bible club.  So precious. 

Please pray for this little deaf boy that he will someday know the love of Jesus and be saved.  And also pray for these KSL students as they sacrifice much of their time to learn this language.  What love and burden for the Deaf I see in them as they persevere!  Nothing speaks love to the Deaf more than when you learn their language. 

God Loves Me

Yesterday, we all made another trip to Nairobi together.  This time BJ had to go to Nyayo house, the government building, to see if they had Seth's and my dependent passes done for our work permit.  Unfortunately, the answer was once again, "No, come back in two weeks."  So instead, BJ asked them to renew my tourist visa AGAIN which was going to expire this coming Tuesday.  Ahhhh, red tape, red tape, and more red tape.  They did give me a two month extension on my visa, so hopefully, during that time, they will finalize everything for Seth and I to be on the work permit too. 

The trip in was pretty smooth, but BJ warned me that once we got downtown Nairobi, traffic would bottle up, and things would get interesting as cars, motorcyles, matatus, (public transportation vehicles who have the reputation the breaking every rule in the book!) and even semis all vie for position as 6 lanes narrow down to 3 lanes going into the heart of the city.

And sure enough, we rounded a corner, and saw all the break lights and the lines of traffic.

However, the traffic was moving a little bit, and it kept moving.  BJ eased in behind a tractor trailer truck, and then we couldn't see much of anything.  I asked him why he wanted to ride this guy's bumper, and his reasoning made perfect sense.  Other vehicles do not vie for position behind a semi, so we are safer there!  We followed that semi until he turned onto another road and then we were on our own.

BJ expected things to get hairy, but to his amazement, drivers stayed pretty calm and sensible.  After a few minutes, BJ glanced my way and stated emphatically, "God loves you!  It is never this easy downtown Nairobi."  Smile.

Nyayo House--BJ knows that building well!

God does love me, and he showed His love to me again when we went to Nakumatt.  My eyes got wide at the sight of cranberry sauce AND box macaroni and cheese.  We haven't seen those two things in a very long time.  

We ate lunch at KFC.  It was yummy.  After our meal, Seth found a huge grasshopper that had flown into the restaurant.

(Where we were sitting was sort of an open balcony.)  I firmly stated that the grasshopper was not going in the car with us, but at the look of grief on Seth's face, I grabbed the french fry container and continued my sentence, " . . . unless you put him in here and MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T GET OUT!"

After all of that, we drove to Karen for BJ's sign language class.  Seth (and Brina) played on the playground while we waited for BJ's students to show up.

"This little, red airplane sways so gently, and I am getting soooo sleepy."

* Spaghetti with garlic toast tonight

Traffic Jams in Kenya

Lately, I've been trying to post more on my blog different aspects of our lives here in Kenya for you all to see.  This week I want to show you the "traffic jams" we encounter here.  In Nairobi, real traffic jams are a daily occurrence,

but here in Nakuru with fewer cars on the road, we often face "traffic jams" of a different sort.

 

I took these pictures coming home from church one Sunday.  We were very near our house when we had to stop and wait for the herd of cows and sheep to move to the sides of the road.  

 

And they don't get in a hurry.  I love how laid back life is here!  There is a popular saying in Swahili that goes like this, "Haraka, haraka, haina baraka."  (Literally translated--Hurry, hurry has no blessing.)  :)  With the slower pace of life, there is time to stop and "smell the roses" and enjoy life! 

* Last night we had stirfry with fried rice and Mandarin sauce, and for tonight, we've got the hankerin' for Philly steak sandwiches again.  

  

Play Some More for Me, Daddy

Brina loves BJ's trombone!  On this day, she was fussing while I was cooking supper.  BJ was playing his trombone in his office, so he moved to the kitchen to serenade her.  The fussing stopped, and she was enthralled.  She sat there and hummed and chattered at him the whole time!

 

But then whenever he had to leave the room for a moment, her eyes followed that big, shiny thing out of the room, and she cried as if her heart was breaking.  

Daddy likes it that she likes his instrument.  I think he has dreams of teaching her (and Seth) to play it someday!  By the way, Seth is constantly finding something to use as a trombone--a toy, pencil, paper towel roll, etc.  

Growing way to fast

* Salad and baked potatoes for supper.  We are trying the baked potatoes on my charcoal oven this time.

My Charcoal Oven

Today, I want to show you my charcoal oven.  This is what the majority of Kenyans use to cook with.  In fact, our kitchen already had this fireplace area built into the house meant just for one of these little ovens. 

We use it mainly to cook beans so that we don't use as much propane on my gas stove.  Soon, however, we are planning to try baked potatoes on this little charcoal oven (under a "sufuria", the aluminum pot there) and someday, we want to try grilling meat on it too. 

You regulate the heat by how much charcoal you put in it, and also by opening or closing the door.  Sometimes with the little door open, I find my beans boiling over.  When I close the door, it brings it down to a slower boil or a simmer.  I am still learning how to work this thing.  BJ and Kendi help me a lot with it. 

Here is how I learned to make beans since coming to Kenya.  The coconut cream gives the beans amazing flavor.  

Coconut Beans

1 lb or 1/2 kilo dry pinto beans
1 medium onion, finely chopped 
8 oz (1/2 can) cream of coconut (comes in a can.  I found it at Wal-mart in the States, but you have to really look for it there.)  Or one coconut, grated and soaked in hot water to make the cream.
3 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons Mchuzi mix (Kenyan spice that might be equivalent to a couple of beef cubes?  Test to taste.)
2 cups of water

Instructions:
Cover beans with water in a large sauce pan, and boil until tender.  Drain.  Saute onion in 3 Tablespoons of oil in large saucepan.  Add beans again, and add the coconut cream.  Add 2 cups of water.  Let beans cook a few minutes.  Then add 1 teaspoon salt and 3 teaspoons Mchuzi mix.  Stir, and let cook until beans are soft.  


* Big macs again!  And I think I'll fry up some onion rings to go with them.  

A Promised Picture

A couple of weeks ago, I promised to get a picture of Brina sitting up for her grandparents.  So yesterday, as we were all dressed up waiting for our ride to church, I decided to redeem some time.

 

 

And sometimes she topples and bangs her nose.  Poor thing.

 

So pitiful, but so adorable when she cries.  When Seth hears her crying, he comes running to make sure she is okay.  He is her protector, and he takes his job seriously!  Many times, he runs in from playing outside to come ask me why Brina is crying and if she is alright.  Sweet little guy.

* Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas, and glazed carrots

An Opportunity for YOU to Minister Together with Us

Here is an excerpt from our most recent prayer letter--BJ writing . . . 

An exciting new ministry:
In the middle of May, we began conducting Bible clubs at the local Deaf school here in Nakuru.

Initially, we were only granted a one day "trial run" after having been denied permission by the school's Head Teacher.  However, the Lord worked in the hearts of the staff and leadership of the school, and we were granted permission to conduct Bible clubs the first and third Saturdays of each month when school is in session.  This ministry has been continuing well with an average of 130 students at the Primary school Bible club . . .

. . . and another 40 or more at the High School Bible club.

At each Bible club, my KSL students and I teach the deaf students songs, memory verses, and a lesson from the Word of God.

It has been a blessing to see the KSL students overcoming their fear of using sign language and reaching out to the Deaf.

 

The Deaf have responded wonderfully and have begun taking active part in the services.  We expect to see great things from this ministry in the future!
 
As part of this new ministry, we are preparing a small gift for each of the deaf students to help with some of the material needs they have.  This gift will include some basic school supplies and toiletries as well as Gospel literature and a note from the deaf ministries of Karen Baptist Church and of Grace Bible Baptist Church.  In addition, we would also like to be able to include a card or a letter from a similarly aged student in the States.

For these deaf students to receive a letter, much less a letter from America, is unheard of and would be a great blessing to them.  If your church, Sunday school class, or Christian school class would like to participate in this, please contact me via my e-mail address below:  bound_for_kenya@yahoo.com. 

Thank you all for your faithful prayers and support,
B.J., Jessi, Seth, and Sabrina Cormier

* Tonight gyros . . . pita bread . . . mmmmm . . . can't wait!

P.S.  By the way, those are underscores, not dashes in BJ's e-mail address.  

Toads Make Happy Boys

It rained during church last night.  So when we arrived home, our driveway was full of water.  Before I got out of the car, I saw a huge toad at the gate.  He was all spread out, and he looked as big as a man's hand.  I told BJ, and he went to try to catch that toad for Seth.  He didn't succeed last night; the toad found a hole to hide in. 

However, this morning, as BJ was leaving for Karen, he saw the toad again and put him in a box for Seth.  Then later, he called to tell me about it.  He advised me to go take a look in the box to make sure the toad was still alive before showing Seth.  No, we didn't need a broken-hearted little boy.  Well, I sure didn't want to do that!  I don't know why it scared me so much just to peek in that box.  I very timidly lifted one flap, and he wasn't there.  I lifted another flap, and I still didn't see him.  Why did that toad have to make this so difficult for me?  I turned the box a little and eased open another flap, and there he was!  Huge, lumpy, and gross!  But at least he looked to be still alive. 

I told Seth there was a toad for him in a box on the front verandah, and he wasted no time in getting out there to make his acquaintance.  I banned the toad from coming in the house, but, unfortunately, Seth forgot.  I turned around at one point and about jumped out of my skin.  This is what I saw.

After the two posed for a picture, Seth lovingly gave his toad a spin around the yard on his favorite car. 

 

Think there's any hope for my daughter with a big brother like that???

A Trip to the Embassy

Yesterday, we went to Nairobi to get Brina's American citizenship and passport paperwork started.  It meant a trip to the American Embassy.  BJ and I both had to be there in person to claim Brina as our own.  Things went so smoothly and efficiently there.  Her certificate of birth abroad and her American passport should be ready in two to three weeks.  Thank you all for praying about that.

Once we left the embassy, I got out my camera and took pictures of the rest of our day.  We ate lunch at Java and shopped in a couple of the stores nearby.  BJ wanted me to look at some woven, Kenyan-looking lampshades that he wants to get for me.  They are beautiful, and they will look very nice in our living room and bedroom.

At Java, there was a play place for the kids.  Seth played with some other kids while we ordered our food.

Then he could barely concentrate on his food long enough to eat!  His eyes kept going back to that play place!

After lunch, he joined them again for a little while before we had to make the trip back home.

Brina was sitting with BJ and being so cute while I snapped pictures of her.

This one turned out to be my favorite

And I like this one too.

Let's go home.

On the trip home, we saw zebras again, and this time we got to see a herd of cape buffalo as well.  The zebras were grazing just a few feet from the road.  It is fun living here.

* Burritos for supper tonight