Getting' Outta the Funk

This year has really been one for the books. Seriously. The amount of time and energy myself and my team have put into things that are not very rewarding has been the single most frustrating part of it all. I feel like I’m definitely stuck in a rut, in a funk.

We’ve spent a lot of time, energy and money fixing our car. We’ve focused a lot of time and attention on paperwork, procedures, and how to make sure we are doing alllll the things that will give our kids & communities that we work with the BEST of what we can offer.

Somehow, in all the planning, running around and pushing to make sure things run smoothly, the very essence of WHY I love working in this beautiful country gets pushed to the back burner or completely lost. And it breaks my heart.

I often see posts on social media about how it’s okay for us to grieve the life we THOUGHT would be, and then we have to get up, wipe away the tears, and jump back into the life we DO have. For me, that has really hit me hard this week.

 

The sweetest little reasons to slow down

Being a “director” is so unglamorous and nothing like I had thought many, many years ago. I never wanted a glamorous job but I simply want to do one thing: make a difference. I want the kids we serve and the communities where we work to be empowered, inspired and motivated to overcome even the most unthinkable challenges.

I know that difficulties and unforeseen junk can throw us off track, so I guess I’m glad it’s bothered me so much lately because I can now DO something to fix this. I wanna do homework with the kids, teach them how to wash dishes, play outside with them, and pour into them so they know how loved & valued they truly are.

I also know this isn’t a one man (or lady) show and I’ve got to rely on those around me that I trust. So I’m learning to loosen the reigns so that I can be able to take a break when needed, and I can train & give more responsibilities to my team.

I’m far from being a great director. I’m more like a zoo keeper who lost her monkeys but hey, I haven’t misplaced any kids so I think I’m doing okay?

Keep me in your thoughts & prayers as I learn to balance it all and get outta the funk!

Hugs,

Laura and the munchkins

A Day in the Life...

“5am alarm. But my eyes have been open for at least 20 minutes – planning, thinking, praying, preparing.

6am kids are out the door and I’m close behind. After a quick cup of coffee, running shoes and my water, it’s time to get going.

7am My run is winding down and the real work begins. Quick shower and grab something on the go – banana, hard boiled egg, or more often than not, just a 2^nd cup of coffee.

8am and I’m out the door again. Walking to the closest spot to grab a bus into town. After waiting way too long, cuz I’m really not as patient as I look, I just start walking.

8:30am and I’m already on round 2 of errands. The bank opens at 9:30am so instead of wasting that precious hour, I head out to the mechanic to find out what parts I need to get the car back up & running.

9am and the mechanic has me worried about parts…again. Now I’m walking, talking on the phone, and trying to catch a bus all at the same time. It’s taking too long so I end up taking a motor bike and heading back to the bank.

9:15am and the bank is getting ready to open and I’m calling & chatting with friends in the capital city and in South Africa to find out WHERE I can find these parts for the car.

9:45am and the bank manager calls me over and tells me not to wait in line – “Just come see me!” She takes my deposits and my check and takes care of everything. I’m in and out in about 15 minutes.

10:15am and the kids’ school is calling me saying Milenea isn’t feeling well, and I need to come get her. I’m lucky to see a bus coming right at me so I jump in and make it to the school in a record 20 minutes.

10:40am and I’ve got Milenea in my arms and she’s hot. Definitely not malaria but she’s coughing and saying her head hurts. We’ve been passing this nasty junk around for at least a month, so I’m almost positive that’s all it is.

Throw back to when the car was a beast & Jo was a teeny little thing!

11:30am and I’ve now got all the kids and we’re piling into a taxi to ride close to home so Milenea doesn’t have to walk.

12pm and we’re home, helping Tia Amina finish up lunch. Milenea goes to lay down and I bring her some water. The kids change out of their uniforms and the house is full of noise once again – laughing, playing, arguing – the best kind of noise!

By now, I have 2 options: the lunch hour closures are winding down so should I head back to town and try  to get a few more things finished, or should I take a quick power nap and do some office work and try again tomorrow?

It’s already Thursday by this time…I better get back to town so I can talk to a few people at different offices about paperwork, car parts, get a second or third opinion on the car, etc. It’s almost impossible to do it on a Friday so I better get it done today.

3pm and I’ve finished my few office-type of errands I needed to do and I grab some bread, eggs, and jump in a taxi so I can pass by the open market on the way home & buy some veggies for the house.

4pm and I’m finally done for the day. I carry everything down the back entrance to the house as taxis will charge an outrageous amount if I ask them to take me all the way home. With arms full, I make it in the back gate just in time. I almost drop the eggs but pin them up against the gate so I can drop everything else and catch them.

5:30pm Now homework, bath time, dinnertime, and evening cleanup & prayers takes over the rest of the day. By 8pm, I happily jump into bed until I remember I’m on day 10 of a grumpy JoJo who is cutting a billion teeth at once and she has a hard time if I put her to sleep.

I pass her off to Auntie Beth or Uncle Gildo and they get her to sleep. I am grateful for their help or she cries and carries on for so long that almost the whole neighbor can hear her! I feel for that sweet girl – being a baby is not easy.

I take Jo into bed with me and finally settle in for the night. The dogs bark through out the night and I get up at least once to see what they’re making noise about. When I climb back into bed it’s almost time to get up and do it all again.”

H.O.M.E.

First flight of vacation!

Five glorious weeks of vacation was what was promised. I’d been dreaming of vacation for a while but I didn’t think I “needed” it. I was happy working with my kiddos and being in Mozambique, solving the plethora of daily challenges and problems while getting to work with people I care for. But the Amalfi Coast and Rome and Florence and Pompeii and London were on the itinerary...need I say more?!

Phil has been working in the States since December so he afforded us this amazing opportunity to explore Europe for the first time, alongside my mom & dad. We also had a chance to spend a little time with Phil & his 2nd oldest brother in London. And while Italy blew our minds, quite literally, with all the history, beauty and the warmth of the beautiful people, there is still no place like HOME.

Tia Amina's baby & JoJo

Mozambique is our home. When I say to myself: “I just wanna go home,” I’m only thinking of one place, which is here. Some say home is where the ❤️ is, and while I think that’s true, it depends on what lives in your heart. For me, Jesus takes up most of the space in there, followed by my family - mainly my kids. 

Nothing better than coming home!

Home is where my kids are. Home is where I hear Mama, Mooooom, Mommy A.L.L. the time. Home is where little hands knock softly at my door at 2am and then say ‘I don’t feel good, Mama.’ Home is where tears are wiped, things get broken, mistakes are made, lessons are learned, and life happens. 

I feel tired at times, but I mostly just want more - more time with my kids, more lessons learned, more opportunities to teach them love, grace, mercy and that life is for living & giving to others. While Europe was truly a dream come true - and I’m so thankful for how hard Phil worked/is working so we could go - there’s truly no place like H.O.M.E.

Happy to be HOME,

Laura and the Munchkins 

The Secret to Getting Up Early...

The house is cool, and quiet. Both are rare finds, but I’ve come to enjoy 4:30am wakeups because I get a few minutes of each. A steaming mug of coffee, a to-do list a mile long, a few minutes with Jesus, and boom – the day has started.

First Day of School

I’ve never been much of a morning person. After high school, I took an incredible job in Alaska and I had to be up at 4am….EVERY.DAY. We also went to bed at like 7pm so it wasn’t THAT hard, but I never would’ve made it through a morning with out at least 2 strong cups of coffee.

Since my stint in Alaska over 13 years ago – oh LAWD! I’m getting old – I’ve never been able to keep up with the early a.m. routine.

Marieta's 11th birthday

I’m married to a SUPER early riser, an almost non-sleeper, really. He basically doesn’t need sleep. His super power would be “no sleep required.”

But I’m just not wired for mornings…until I had to be. Many people don’t know, but Phil is actually back in the U.S. right now. With him being Stateside, I’m the lone ranger doing his usual morning routine duties, and I have to admit: I’m actually enjoying being a morning person. I know – I said it. 

For the last 2 ½ months, I’ve been up BEFORE 5am…yes, ME, up before 5am. I’ve been making breakfast for the kids before school, making lunches, mapping out my day, praying, meal planning, and handling the daily junk before the sun comes blazing in my windows. 

Then I walk the kids to the bus stop & have a nice little morning run before I come home and get the rest of the day started. This all happens before 7am...so the secret to getting up early is...I HAD TO! 

Swim Outing

Some days have been a little rough, like this morning. I woke up with an incredible bought of: Am I gonna throw up or did I just eat something weird?

I’ve been feeling a little wonky in the mornings for a few days now, probably due to lack of sleep & a recent round of malaria for me. Jojo just finished up chicken pox and she’s been mostly quiet and cool about the whole debacle, but as her mama, I can’t help but check on her a million different times and make sure she’s not scratching anything. (They’re pretty much gone, except for one spot on her leg.)

Monday Morning Bible study

Even with the lack of sleep, the unexpected bouts of chicken pox & malaria, and the hot weather, I’m still digging the early mornings. I can actually say I can run 2 MILES without stopping every 5 seconds. It took me 8 weeks to work up to it, but I can run 2 miles. I’m as slow as a turtle but hey, it beats where I was.

And the ENERGY I have the rest of the day, as well as patience, is amazing. I can’t miss a run or I just feel off. I think my kids like it, too. We walk to their bus stop together at the local YWAM base, and then I run and they go to school.

When they come home, I have more energy to help break up fights (insert laughing/crying emoji here), help with homework and baths, and make a hearty dinner. I think the kids are enjoying it as much as I am.

Since the beginning of the year, the early mornings have been a great source of peace and calm for me. We’ve had a lot of little challenges health wise – Marieta had a nasty worm in her hands that caused a terrible infection, Fatima had some kind of infection as well, JoJo has been teething off and on & now has chicken pox – and some other small injuries & accidents have come up.

Even JoJo was listening!

But we’ve also celebrated 4 out of 9 birthdays since the beginning of the year! So we’re doing our fair share of doctor’s visits and cake eating. A good balance, I’d say…

I’m also trying to manage a few projects around the house & center in general. Our backyard area has needed some TLC for a long time and we’re finally doing it. Our bricklayer, Abdul, is a super awesome guy who was recommended by a friend I would trust with my life. He’s a great man of God AND a hard worker.

We’ve spent the first few days removing some big rocks and now they’re leveling and setting up the boundaries of where they will lay rocks and then cement. Abdul is also adding a table for us so we can eat outside AND it doubles as a ping-pong table. Best idea EVER.

So while we’re praying for less time at the doctor and more time enjoying the soon-to-come cool weather, I could use your prayers that we all stay healthy & safe. I’m determined not to call the pediatrician or the grown up doctor any time soon!

Thanks for your continued support and love. I can feel it and so can the kiddos. We love you all and miss so many of you!

More updates to come and maybe a snake story or two…

Lots of love,

Laura & the littles