Days 1 & 2: The Longest Drive
Yesterday we drove from Auburn, Washington to Nampa, ID – it is normally about an 8 hour trip with stops and kid issues. Yesterday was 13 hours. 13 hours for us. 13 hours for the kids. It was very, very long. But, we made it. At 2am.
We finished packing and cleaning and finally left the house just after 11am. See this picture from yesterday. The yellow truck is our personal moving truck (and it’s for sale, if anyone is interested!) and the white truck is our road trip vehicle (thanks, Dad!). The kids and I were in the white truck and Matthew drove the yellow truck, containing all of our worldly possessions from our storage unit – all the things we had left that didn’t go to Africa. We are moving it all to Idaho for a multitude of reasons – our home base is now here, since MAF is headquartered here, and the climate is far better for storage, since it’s dry.
As we hit the road, we started out well. The weather was fantastic! The kids fell asleep as we climbed the first mountain. The truck runs really well, but it slows a LOT on the hills. Nothing like seeing the mountains on I-90 at 20mph! However, we quickly realized this trip would not be pushed. And the kids were just going to have to deal with it. We have some friends at the halfway point who were ready and willing, should we want to stop for the night. But, as we got half way done, we just wanted to be all the way done and decided to just keep going.
Passed out and loving his monkey neck pillow
About an hour later, the oil in the truck got hot and we pulled over to gaze at the Oregon country side and let the truck cool. It was a fun break (though we were taking a break every two hours or so for the kids’ sake – and ours!) to play outside and admire the beauty.
Surveying the Oregon farmland at sunset
Cheeky monkey!
Levi and me (and baby bump)
Levi poses perched on a rock while Amelia decides she wants to hitchhike.
We got right back on the road and continued on. There really isn’t much to say. Sometimes it was really cute to hear Amelia and Levi playing. And sometimes it was super annoying to hear them whine about the stuff they dropped that I should have to retrieve…while driving. Yeah, right. But, overall, they did well.
Just before the sun went down we stopped in La Grande, OR for the last gas stop and to try and make an appearance of bedtime for the kiddos. They didn’t sleep well, but they were quieter…mostly.
We finally pulled in to my parents’ house in Nampa just before 2am and I think we were all in bed and asleep within twenty minutes.
Today we slept in. I am fighting a new cold but now that I actually feel pregnant it is taking its toll…ugh. Matthew got half of the truck unpacked into my parents’ garage, where it will stay until we’re back for training in October – and we’ll spend the four months or so going through it, sorting it with what we really need to keep, take to Africa, and store. Since our first term was just a year, we kept a few things we thought we’d need…but storing stuff for over three years? That makes the “get rid of” pile a bit bigger! Having less stuff is awesome!
This weekend will be full of getting things ready to be on the road. I feel like we’ve been getting ready for this trip almost as long as we’ll be on it. 🙂 Ah well, that’s the way it works! Hopefully, all for God’s glory!
This wooden climbing toy from my childhood is now on its second generation!
Road Trip – The Start
Here we go…all of our possessions in one and our trip will take place in the other. Next stop: Nampa, ID!
How Not to Make an Impression
Things could’ve been worse, really. I mean, BOTH kids could’ve been screaming. Or BOTH kids could’ve run up onto the stage. But, no, they each took a different route. Thus, today, we were sanctified a little more, humbled a lot, and learned a great deal about rolling with the punches, picking ourselves up, and trying again.
Today was a long church day for us. We were to meet the new pastor of my (Lisa) parents’ church – today was his first official day, actually – at 8 am at the church. After two late nights in a row, we knew we probably would have some cranky kids on our hands. We woke them, did the breakfast/dressing routine and it went well. After arriving at church, setting up our table, meeting and talking with the new pastor, the kids started to lose it.
We sat down for church and tried to keep them (and us) cool, not wanting to immediately give in to the nursery – we would be there for two services and hated the thought of leaving the crazies to someone else. Plus, we were to come up in front of the congregation and be (re)introduced and prayed for, as well as five minutes to share. Wouldn’t it be nice if the kids came up, too? Everyone could see them gazing curiously at the bring lights and large group of people. Seeing Grandpa in the sound booth might produce a friendly and adorable wave or even a “Hi Grandpa!” (Amelia says it like “gam-pur-ger” – rhymes with hamburger.) Awww, such sweet little MKs.
But, no. Ours kids were not cool with that. I was carrying Levi, based on his earlier state, and he immediately asked to be put down and proceeded to head up the three stairs to the stage. Amelia, held by Daddy, didn’t want him to talk into the mic and, once down on the ground, tried to run away and simultaneously began to cry. I grabbed her, scolded Levi as sweetly as possible, and then Amelia began the screaming. Matthew nodded that I should sit in the front row. Nope, louder screaming. So, I began the walk every parent in church has had to make – with the screaming child down the aisle…except my walk started from the very front. At this point, beyond any other emotion, I was laughing. What else is there to do? This is a family church and everyone has been there. And, really, isn’t it nice to NOT see perfection in other people’s children once in a while? Because, mine are very good at making other parents feel better about some of those days none of us like to talk about.
I later learned that Levi ran onto the stage during the prayer. Ugh. The rest of the service didn’t get much better. So, of course, nursery it was for the second service. And we enjoyed a church BBQ under the [hot!] sun to welcome the new pastor.
At the second service – kid-free and Matthew is cracking jokes with the pastor about caterpillars (eating them)…also, glimpse the almost-17 week baby bump!
Both kids were completely out just after we began the drive home at 3pm. They transferred well to their beds for nap (neither of them have a history of doing this, so we’re happy when it happens). Levi stayed home with Grandpa during evening service at our home church – our last chance to say goodbye – and Amelia did okay…once I took her to the nursery. You do what you have to do sometimes!
Now they are sleeping and we’ll all recover from this day. We had a great time at the church – they are so welcoming and friendly – and we are excited to have their prayers and support behind us!
Tomorrow is packing day…we hope to drive out Tuesday morning and not stop again until we’ve gone 13,000 miles and the leaves have begun to fall. I’m sure the kids will give us plenty more opportunities to be humbled, sanctified, and grow as parents…and maybe some of you will share with us in those moments this summer!
50%?
Happy June 1st everyone! Our interim goal was to be 50% supported toward our monthly goal of $7200 by today. Did we make it? Well, maybe…it takes MAF some time to process the things that come through online and in the mail and then let us know. So, we’ll let you know in a couple of weeks…but, if you meant to help us reach this BIG milestone, we won’t notice if you’re a day “late.” Just $10, $20, or $30 each month can help us make this goal, or the final one!
Thank you to the many of you who joined our team to help us go serve the people of Congo. It’s a monumental goal and dollar amount to send us and keep us in Africa, but we are so excited to see that God is providing people who love and support our ministry – true team members. Thank you!
Playing Catch Up: The Dentist
One thing I never thought of before coming back is playing “catch up.” I mean, obviously we get to catch up with all of the people we missed an kept us in their prayers while we were away, but there are other types of catch up. We have the enjoy of TV on demand on the internet now and can catch up on a few of our favorites. And we can catch up on world events that we didn’t make time to read about while we were gone.
But, it also means on catching up on other things not experienced in the third world, like good medical care. MAF provides a medical exam upon returning, which we did in early April in Idaho. We all got poked and prodded, all four of us – an we all came back in the same health as when we left (or even better!).
Last week the kids had their first ever dentist appointments. The dental clinic was amazing and there were no tears and they both checked out healthy. We had our appointments this week…those…did not go so well. Even though we were both given a fantastic bill of dental health before we left, my sugary coffee love (and NEED, ya’ll) and Matthew’s love of Congolese Coke took their tolls on our chompers. And today we took turns getting fillings. This was my very first cavity! I was not really pleased, and they saw a few more spots are troublesome to watch out for this fall, but I made it through.
Matthew went in first thing this morning and got four fillings – one had been hurting him since the end of our time on Congo, and as soon as the anesthetic wore off, he said the pain was gone – praise the Lord for good dental care! I was up this afternoon and, while it was not entirely pleasant, I am very grateful I got my first filling in 2013 and not any year earlier – the technology now is incredible and nearly pain-free!
So, this fall we still need to get our eyes checked and head back to the dentist and doctors again before leaving the country, but playing catch up, as I now know, is not all fun. But, I can also be grateful I have the opportunity for good, and even preventative, health care – something rare to our corner of the world!
Reverse Culture Shock
The most common question we get right now is “how is it being back in the states?” Another version is “how is the culture shock?” I, for both of us, can truthfully say that the culture shock is only just starting to hit, in small ways. We’ve spent the last two months in a honeymoon phase – loving the convenience and cleanliness of this culture.
The reverse culture shock back to America usually comes in the form of resentment, bitterness, and anger at materialism. My first wave of it came a few weeks ago at a mall – it was not anger or bitterness, but just this overwhelming feeling of confusion. Each store at the mall sold the same clothes, all expensively priced, to…who? I felt confused in the mall about this giant, climate controlled space, where the power is always on, it’s so clean and well lit and inviting…and yet, only a small portion of the world’s population can experience it. The feeling was so strange. It’s hard to describe.
One of the things people coming from overseas MUST be diligent about is NOT becoming angry or bitter. Paul wrote about this as he traveled from place to place and it is now a well-known verse: …”I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV) It is not easy, but being fluid in our own thinking and seeking the Lord in every moment of weakness or frustration is our only method of staying sane as we jump form culture to culture. Please be praying that we continue to enjoy our time here and not grow frustrated at the disappointing things in our culture – and that we don’t cling to what we have now in fear for what we’ll give up when we go back to DRC! Ha! What a balancing act!
Another thing that can happen when one returns to their home culture is not being prepared for people’s various reactions to what the missionary has been doing. Some friends and family don’t ask the questions the missionary expects or hopes. Some make jokes about them being world travelers and the luxury that the lifestyle encompasses (I don’t think we’ll ahve any of those jokes after serving in Congo…because Congo is not really known for luxury). Others only ask superficial questions, when the missionary wants to share about his or her heart, and the hearts of the people they served. But, we have been rightfully advised that it’s all about expectations, and understanding – and, for us personally, we have not experienced any of the above! What a blessing! We are excited to share IF you’re excited to listen. And if you’d rather talk about movies coming out this summer or your church’s latest project, we’ll get excited about that, too. This, because we are making the deliberate decision to be content WHERE we are. We had a fantastic year in Congo and can’t wait to go back…we’ll talk about it until the cows come home! We’re also being realistic – not everyone wants to hear stories or see pictures, and it won’t affect our relationship too much, we promise. That’s not to say we won’t bring it up from time to time, because it’s part of who we are, but we’ll try not to start every sentence with “When we were in Congo…” and get annoyed when you don’t respond with matched enthusiasm.
Reverse culture shock can be just that…shocking. But MAF does a great job preparing their missionaries for return. Most of my thoughts here are taken from a book called Re-Entry by Peter Jordan. It’s a fairly concise resource on the topic and I found it helpful for adjusting my own thinking, being reminded that our calling extends to mission work overseas AND a Christ-centered life back in the states, and how to handle different situations that may seem out of the ordinary when returning to our home culture.
Now, back to preparing for our giant road trip…we leave in less than a week!
Date in Seattle
Today Matthew and I took a few hours and went to downtown Seattle, under the Space Needle, for the Northwest Folklife Festival. While neither of us are very folksy, we went for one thing: the contra dancing. Contra dancing is best explained here, but in short, it’s an old folk style of dance that involves a lot of intermingling. It’s super fun and easy – they teach each dance before it is done and the steps are as simple as walking…really. The Folklife Festival brings together the greatest dancers and callers from around the Western US and usually has quite the group of experienced dancers. Today’s dances were a little ho-hum, but probably because it was the start of the weekend. By Sunday or Monday, I’m sure things will be hopping. We won’t be there, but after just a few hours my pregnant head was dizzy and my pregnant feet, crammed into my dance shoes, were swollen. Classy, right?
Contra dancing is special for us because we met at a contra dance in Tacoma, WA in 2004 and spent the first year getting to know each exclusively in that format! Matthew often called dances and I would go with him and often some friends to the various locations around Seattle and Tacoma. It was a great start to our relationship, and while we don’t have the opportunity anymore to dance, we are grateful for a brief trip down memory lane.
Today was sunny and almost warm the whole afternoon we were there, so we walked around a bit and enjoyed some people watching. We wondered what a Congolese person would think of such a mix of people…I cannot even begin to describe the various types present. It was fun, though, and a nice date afternoon sans our adorable kiddos. They were having a fun afternoon with grandpa back at home. And, in Seattle style, the rain started right back up once we got home. Classy strikes again.
Not the best picture, but the sun was too bright to see very well and, you know, the Needle is there…
Space Needle-ness
Welcome Back to WA!
We came back to a drizzly Seattle. We’re starting to think that cold weather is following us wherever we go and we’ll never be warm again until we’re back in Africa. Hopefully summer will kick in soon and this cold front won’t follow us across the US!
The flight went well, both kids actually slept! The 3.5 hours flight from Anchorage to Seattle seems short after those long cross-continental flights from a few months ago, but we’re happy to be avoiding airplanes for a while now.
Yesterday we slept in, started unpacking and dismantling, then Levi and I went grocery shopping for our two weeks here. Last night we had a great dinner with family friends of mine and got all caught up with them. The kids did really well, but the day after traveling is taxing on them and the parents!
One of my purchases at the store yesterday was a 20″ box fan for white noise. We had one at our hosts’ home in Anchorage and it helped so much! The kids were used to sleeping with fan noise in Congo, except that fan was essential for other reasons. With all of the different places we’ll be staying this summer, some constants will be nice for everyone’s sanity. So, if we show up at your house with a giant box fan and black-out curtains, never mind us…we’re preserving our sanity!
Another odd thing greeted us here in WA: a piece of mail. An unnamed person in Port Orchard, WA had mailed back Matthew’s MAF badge. That badge was last seen in our stolen bag. It looked like it had been run over by a car, so we imagine these good Samaritans saw it on the road and mailed it to MAF, who then forwarded it to us. It was a little eery, but it’s nice to know there are still some good people out there. We have already replaced everything that we needed, so there’s no use in being upset about it anymore!
Today is the kids’ first dentist appointment! Pray for us…if this goes anything like their post-Congo doctor appointment, we’re all in trouble! But, Levi seems almost excited about it, so let’s hope that continues…
Alaska: Days 12-14
Saturday morning we woke in Palmer, AK (about an hour’s drive north of Anchorage) to the snow still coming down (see photo from earlier today) and about five inches on the ground. We quickly decided, too, that both kids were too sick to go out for the morning and rest was more important. I changed our plans with the person we were meeting and headed out for lunch with her by myself. At a great little cafe, I met Tonya, who used to babysit me when I was quite small, just a little older than Levi. It was sad I couldn’t bring my family along, but we had a great time catching up and it was fun to get together – she also loved to hear about our lives in Congo and our ministry there, so I shared as much as possible. Thanks for the great lunch, Tonya!
That afternoon we headed out to Anchorage and, though our plans changed last minute, we ended up having a great family dinner with lots of focus on the kiddos, who were already showing signs of improvement. The drive to and from Anchorage is beautiful – all carved out between sky-high mountains covered in snow, though most of the snow from earlier in the day had already melted at sea level.
Sunday morning we went to church with our host family. The church they attend is small and meets in an office, but what a fantastic and fun group of families! We shared with them during the morning service and answered questions. After the service there was a potluck and we stayed for a long time to chat (and EAT) – and lots of kids for our kids to play with. It was a really great time! That afternoon Amelia and I crashed for a long Sunday afternoon nap and we had a great dinner with our hosts and their neighbors.
This morning Matthew and I headed out by ourselves to meet with an adopting family who live a few hours south of Anchorage and wanted to meet us in the middle. They haven’t traveled to Congo yet so we were able to answer questions and describe life and culture in DRC to the best of our ability. We shared pictures of Congo while they shared pictures of their boys over tasty breakfasts of reindeer sausage (Blitzen and eggs, as Matthew called it). We really enjoyed chatting with them about the fun similarities between life in Congo and life in Alaska (there are more than you’d think!).
This afternoon was some of that wonderful computer work as we continuously prepare for our giant road trip. Tomorrow we are on a plane back to western WA for two weeks before hitting the road for the next four months. This trip to AK has been a blast, though a bit chillier than we’d hoped, but we will miss our friends and church families here as we say goodbye for the next four years.
Please pray for our health – we cannot kick these colds and seem to be continuously in one stage or another of them – we’re hoping some warm weather will fix it! Please pray for safe travels tomorrow and that our plans in WA will be well laid out. Pray for our team in Kinshasa – about half of the families are preparing to leave on furlough, leaving short staff on the ground and lots of people traveling. Thank you all for your continued prayers and for those of you who have chosen to begin supporting us! If you haven’t recently, check out our updated support status page to see how we’re doing!
Just around the corner from our hosts’ house in Palmer. Beautiful!
Photo 20 May
This photo stitch represents three of our four days in Palmer, the bottom one taken just a second ago of our and our hosts’ kiddos enjoying a picnic. Perhaps spring is finally here to stay in Alaska…
The Lind Family 