What a journey...

The blog has been silent due to a whirlwind nightmare that began about 2 weeks ago... Feb 19th. Nya began with getting sick with a fever and throwing up. She began to dehydrate quickly. She was put here at ABC Clinic and put on a drip for malaria and antibiotics. It wasn't confirmed that she had malaria. But it was best to treat her if we could. The 2 doctors that were on Campus came and checked on her regularly. She continued to have kidney issues. It seemed to get better and then at 4 am on Thursday we had more throwing up and fever. So we decided in her condition that was not good she really needed to Medically Evacuated to South Africa. We were able to get same day tickets and were sent down south. It is about a 2 1/2 hour plane flight. She continued to throw up on the way down. We arrived in the Johannesburg airport , rented a car and drove to the Hospital and she was admitted that night. She was severely dehydrated and we were put in the pediatric ward for 7 days. She finally got better by the 6th day after been tested negative for everything under the sun and was released. Seriously due to major prayer warriors we have a healthy bouncing 6 almost 7 year old. They never found anything wrong. It is a mystery. So we are just thankful to be this side of it. That was a nightmare, but God was gracious to carry us through and we are so thankful to be back in Malawi living the simple life. The students at the college have come by continually so excited to have us back. We learned that we are apart of a big big family here and in the states. Nya was sad to leave South Africa because all she experienced was the hospital while Analise and I "had fun" ! But she came back here and was so excited to come and see her friends at school. We waited until the end of the day to go say hi. Below is the reception that she had... Truly loved and missed..... Here is a typical African tea party. Jordan Hulley , Analisey and Nya yesterday were loving life as I served tea to them. This is Nya's new buddy. They are are in the same class as you can see in the group shot... She was born in Zimbabwe, but her parents were kicked off their farm at gunpoint when this whole crisis with Mugabe began and they moved to Zambia. Due to lack of work, they have moved here to Malawi. These girls are 2 peas in a pod. It is so sweet to see them play all so great (even with a little Sister who ruins things)

So our the life marches on. We are back to being busy with students and teaching and pouring out our little lives here. We are so thankful for all your love and support as we had this going on. We really felt like God's arms were carrying us through. Please continue to pray for strength as we continue on. thank you again and so sorry it has been so long since I posted. I will definetly do more as we are back in malawi! love - amy louise

just in busyland...

Hi! We are just in life right now full on schedule of teaching and connecting. We have had such a busy last year we decided to just have a quiet month. Well- at least in the evenings. Nya has needed some one and one time with us to hang with just family and also get some quality in practicing reading. So here are some couple snaps of life... Below is some of the junior college students hanging out before class.

Nya holding a hedgehog that she caught. Bad picture of her but she wanted to show it.

Some of my ladies in my bible study that I teach. We are working through some videos and discussing them. So good to be stretched.

Here is Bob's high school Bible class. Students are studying Case for Faith and they say they are loving it. These students are from America, Canada, Taiwan, Egypt, Portugal, Zimbabwe, Germany, south Korea. It was valentines day at the school then! Hence the rose in one of the boy's mouth.

So i want to look at my friends blog if you have chance. She always is thinking the same way I do about life here. She is great at pictures and capturing life here in Malawi.

http://robbinsabroad.blogspot.com

She captured some of the main pictures that I wanted to get for you about the harvest of maize here. And the greenery of the rain.

Well- enjoy the blog and will update again. Amy Louise

Living a little bit of life with a whole lot of perspective...

At least 4 times a day I think of something that I should write about. The way life is here in daily life in Africa, how we are all the same but just a bit different, why does the world not just do everything the same, why Target is only in America and things of those nature. I think oh that would be great to write about and then about 15 minutes later I forget.

But one thing that keeps on coming back that I should write about is living in perspective. Right now I live in the perspective of hopefully coming back to visit San Diego and Spokane and all the in between places in about 4 months. Seriously after almost 2 years - Home has become a huge fantasy. I can just feel home in my brain, I can smell, I can taste it - oh need it and I so miss it. We need come home and see family and friends. Also for Nya and Analise to see grandparents and cousins and aunt and uncles and feel connected to our friends too.

But as I live here daily with those Home sensors always on... I can handle the no electricity, the leaking roof due to too much rain, being exposed to so much poverty that I can't help it all... and I can handle the small things that add up when you are not in your home country with the perspective that Home is close. When things are different than you are used to and you have to live everyday life in it you find yourself questioning everything? Why does blah, why does blah... It doesn't help you but you get a little bit more aggravated about it and you think you have the better way of handling it. But with the perspective that I am going home in a few months, I find myself going why ask why?... it is amazing with that perspective that i have patience for things that I didn't have earlier. With my eyes on the goal, (America) I can put up with the things that exhaust a foreigner. But i find myself living in the future than just rooting in and digging in the right here right now! I remind myself - right here - right now!

But funny when I think about this - it is deeper than just me. It is about me - looking forward to home- but really it should be me looking forward to Heaven my real home. It really is the same thing. My eyes are on the prize (Paul wrote about that in the bible) with Heaven being the prize.

It is different when an immigrant comes to a new land to make it home- really there is no looking back, there is just the promise of a new thing, a home that will be in home in that foreign land. But for me I always have the promise of the coming back to my home land as a missionary when I live in a foreign land, it is just the when am I coming back.

With that I need to be living with that same way - whose hope is in Heaven. And as a person who lives in the Shadow of eternity - the little things shouldn't bother me, shouldn't add up and wear on me. They do of course ( I haven't arrived at perfection) , but I still need to live in the here and now but with perspective of heaven right around the corner.

Anyways- just wanted to share deep thoughts with you... Lots of love- amy louise