how i do school...

english is way more fun outside:

scrap paper collages of sunsets and silhouettes:

a lunch made for champions: fried eggs... in pink, blue, and green. gross.

super fun day, but praise Jesus, tomorrow mom is back on duty. this one is tired

dogs...

they can make you feel safe, loved, annoyed, and sometimes downright terrified. here in zambia dogs are usually used as vicious guard dogs... and more than a few good people have been attacked/bitten by an overly territorial dog. call out, "imbwe!" and people are guaranteed to jump a little... sometimes even run away (which can also be kind of funny)

the point being... dogs here can be scary. backstory over

so yesterday we were picking up a vehicle at the mechanic's and i was standing outside for some fresh air and to talk to my friend, richard. suddenly kaytie grace, who was still inside the vehicle, called out,

"DOG-EEEE!!!! aunt leslie! it's a doggy! look out! it's comING!!!!!"

i turned to guard myself and saw it. i mean, this thing was fierce...

phew! thanks for the warning, kg! that was a close one

driving through the rain...

with these yahoos

seriously love them. 

day at the swimming hole

why yes. yes we did swim in water that looks like greenish tinted milk. when in zambia...

not to mention the fact that there could've been crocs under there! yeah. didn't know that till after the fact

abel decided to ride home on top of the car

 

 ezzie sat on the window to grab him if he started to fly off. ha! giggles all the way home... especially when the car would "accidentally" get a little too close to trees hanging over the road

man i love this country side. crappy dirt roads and all

back to the old norm

So my first full day back I successfully:

1. got my dance on during a 3 hour church service whew!

2. stood in awe of the weirdest/coolest rainbow I’ve ever seen. man, i love me some african sky

3. peeled a mango with my teeth

4. watched our dog get “fixed” in the back yard what the world? don't pass out! don't pass out!

5. traveled to the local gas station in the back of a flat bed truck to get a coke

6. hung out with this one:

practicing our volleyball:

bump

set

spike

7. was waved at, called after, and unabashedly stared at by perfect strangers

8. sported the socks in flip-flops look. oh. yeah.

9. fell asleep to the sound of heavy rain on a tin roof heaven

yep. i'm definitely in zambia. so good to be back

maybe she's russian

wow. it has been a while.

and now, after weeks of silence... a random story:

today i was walking downtown and wasn't particularly in the mood to be sociable. now. any musungu (particularly female) will tell you that not interacting with others in a crowded african city is not super realistic, considering the fact that you tend to draw a lot of attention simply by being there.

so i thought to myself, "i should just start responding to people in (what teensy bit i know of) russian, just to throw them off." i kind of laughed to myself at the thought and then promptly forgot the issue as my mind wandered to other super important topics like chitange patterns, downton abbey, agatha christie, easter plays, and spanish vacations (yep. cause i'm taking one)

about 5 minutes later i passed a group of zambians who started calling after me. completely forgetting my plan, i nodded and kept walking. 

they called after me again, "how are you?!"

"fine." kept walking.

they seemed slightly confused and pretty soon i heard one say, "maybe she's russian!"

haha! and i didn't even have to say a word.

drawing near

"well, like i always tell you; draw near to God and He'll draw near to you."

these were the last words my beautiful grandma spoke in my ear as she hugged me goodbye christmas night.

now, as i sit on my bed in africa while my family makes funeral arrangements back home, these are the words that keep coming to mind, bringing with them a myriad of emotions

honestly, there have been a few times over the past couple days that i've wanted to do just the opposite.  when i've had no desire to take the time to bring this before my Father, simply because i don't want to deal with it (i know.  super healthy way to deal with grief)

i don't want to be reminded that i'm still in africa while the rest of my family is grieving together.  i don't want to listen to my grandmother's funeral service online or talk on skype or blog about how her life was rich and meaningful and cherished because it all reminds me of how i'm still here... and not there.

and then i hear her voice in my head, "draw near..." and in my heart i know her words are true and full of wisdom.  i know that in spite of the pain of this sudden loss and the seemingly terrible timing He will draw near.  He will work this for good.  it's kind of His specialty.

so i'm still here.  the grief is still potent and oh so very real.  but my God is very near.

thank you, grandma b.  i love you.