Yay for Skype!

My cousin Savannah got married last Saturday. I hated that I missed it, but that is part of the "missionary sacrifice" -- missing out on events back home.

But Hallelujah! for Skype. My sweet cousin Kameron worked it out for her friend, Travis, to have his IPhone to skype me into the wedding.  Apparently, my parents and Travis tried for 20 minutes before the wedding to try to get the skype connection to work, but it wouldn't work at all. Then, suddenly, I got the call!

At first, I could only hear what was going on, but by the time Sav and her hubbie-to-be were in front of her dad, the pastor, Travis got the video to work! 

 

It was so amazing to get to see and hear the ceremony. It really made me feel I was a part of it. We tried to skype at the reception, but we could only get audio. What a blessing that I got to see the ceremony for an uninterrupted 20 mins!

I am so blessed to be a missionary in a time where I get to SEE my family when I talk to them. Thanks, Lord!

Learning How to Cook

When I lived back in my apartment, I was known as the "one who could cook." My poor roommate/best friend Michelle burned cheese once...in the crockpot. Don't ask, though it is a hilarious story.

But I prided myself on the fact that I could cook a supper from "scratch". Or so I thought.

Then, I moved to Africa. 

And I was humbled because I quickly realized I have no clue how to cook.

I'm ashamed to say this, but it actually dawned on my several months ago that you could make pudding and it doesn't have to come from a box. Shameful, I know.

But, I've come a long way. I still have so far to go, but I know my way around herbs, meat, and definitely the oven a whole lot better now.

Baking has become sort of therapy for me. I really started to enjoy the dessert side of it all. I've gotten pretty good at the sweets, so that's really helped my waistline (sarcasm).

Here's a couple of my favorite things I've made:

 

 This is my one and only batch of doughnuts I've made. It has mint chocolate icing on the top, and I made doughnut holes covered with cinnamon and sugar. They were quite yummy!

This is one of the many pie shells I've made. I've gotten pretty good at them, but not quite perfected. My recipe secret is Joy. She makes cooking fun.

 

 I made a birthday cake for Maggie, and since then she has asked me to make a few more. This one was for a friend's sister. Remember, no box mixes, no can's of icing...all from scratch. It sure is more time consuming.

 

This here is my favorite Saturday morning/late night meal: The Single Lady Pancake

Its a buttermilk pancake with bananas, pecans, chocolate chips, and maple syrup that I make myself. Its my comfort food. And it makes just enough for one giant pancake.

But I've tried cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, pumpkin pie, apple crisp, vanilla coconut pie, and so many others. I think the Laffoons like it because I'm always bringing over my newest recipe for them to try. 

Here are some things that are bit different than how Americans know them.

 

This is a lemon. When they get this big, they are actually yellow, but when they are smaller, they are green. Our oranges are green as well. But these crazy looking lemons these are just huge!

And here is a typical "head of lettuce." Its smaller than the lemons! You can only get lettuce seasonally of course, so a lot of the time you only find leaves...no heads of lettuce at all. I got pretty lucky with this one.


Cooking here has really just changed my perspective on so many things. I make most everything from scratch. Sometimes, its not that you can't get it here, its just so much cheaper to make it from scratch.

So listen up boys...I can actually do know how to cook now.
You know...just FYI.

Happy Birthday Sis!

I taught her how to read.
I taught her how to play the piano.
I taught her how to get out of bed and get me a cup of water at night with her thinking it was a fun game.
All by the time she was 4.

She was a pain in my rear end, but we played together constantly when we were younger.
I remember playing "school" in our playhouse in our backyard on many occasions.

How we have countless home videos of me being pretty much her "second" mom.
Then, we started to grow up, and we are pretty different people.
She got old enough to where she was way smarter than me. I was always asking her how to spell a word or what something meant. (and still do!)

She almost got better than me at playing Super Mario too.
I was the athlete and she was the cheerleader, but we both got to be leads in the school play.

She is short, blond and blue-eyed, and I'm tall with dark hair and eyes...but we have really similar humor.

I love teaching kiddies, but it makes her want to claw her eyes out.
I hate law, but she thrives when in a law office/in an argument.

And today, she turned 22.
Ahh...22...what a young age! :)

Sis, no matter how different we are, I'm so glad to call you sister.
I'm so sorry I can't be there for your college graduation, but I couldn't be more proud!
You are so incredibly smart and talented, and you have accomplished so much even with big obstacles in your way! I miss you so much and can't wait to laugh with you when I get back. See you soon!!!

I love you! Happy Birthday!

Mission Meeting in Pictures

 This is when our tire just fell off...

 This is the lovely family that we broke down in front of. They pretty much stood there and watch us for a good 4 hours before they went back and sat down.

 Proof we were in the middle of nowhere.

 Here's the house we were next too.

 All the kids running up the street yelling, Mzungu!! It was pretty funny.

 

For money, she sells termites for eating on the side of the road.

Now, for when we finally arrived! 

This is Sally, me, and Jessica. Sally and Jessica are partners working in University ministry.

 Yeah, we would just lay out on the dock and look at this beautiful scenery in the afternoons! How cool is that?

 Good friends! Jessica and Blake and Sally!

The camel one I should put up is the one right before this one. I was leaning so far forward I thought I was going to fall off. So I have a look of sheer terror. Its pretty awesome.

 

Doesn't everyone ride a camel when they go to the lake?

I also participated in the talent show...hopefully those pictures are coming soon.

March Update

In case you don't get my update emails, here is this month's.

Dear My Wonderful and Cherished Friends and Family,

Six months to go.

Six months left to share my life with the African people.

Six months left to tell someone else about Jesus here in Malawi.

Six months left to hold orphaned babies, eat nsima, & speak Tumbuka.

Six months until my life is turned upside-down again.

Please lift me up to the Father these last six months. I know they will be incredibly hard, rewarding, exciting, and tearful. 

Please lift up my gardener's family and night guard. It seems like they will never come to know the True Way, but I know I can keep Asking for them.

Please lift me up as I start to consider my life after Africa. What to do? Where to live? These are weighing heavy on my heart.

Please lift up the Ngoni people that we work with each Sunday. Ask that they will grow in their Walk with Him and that they will be a growing body of Followers.

Praise Him that I've gotten to talk more with Maureen.

Praise Him that I got to share the Good News with a lady at my gate. 

Praise Him I have recovered from another bout with Malaria.

Praise Him that I was allowed to fellowship with over 150 other M's last week...to hear all the AMAZING things HE is doing all across Africa! Praise Him!!

School continues on with the boys, and it so encouraging to see how much they've grown. Jeremy is now reading, Joel can write in beautiful cursive, and Nathanel is a multiplication whiz! 

Some of my dear, dear friends left this month. They were an older couple who helped run and manage the Crisis Nursery. They invited me over to their house when I first arrived for movies and cookies (made with chocolate chips and brown sugar!) but also to listen as I shared my fears and my triumphs. They were so incredibly encouraging. Darlene was a member of our tea group, so her presence will be sorely missed. They have gone back home to spend time with grandkids. You can be lifting them up during their time of transition: Paul and Darlene.

I have also found that you mark your time here by events...things to look forward to. The thing that we have been looking forward to for months now is Annual Cluster Meeting! (in other words, all of our company's "m's" from the surrounding countries get together for a week at the lake and talk about what He's doing). There were volunteers from the US there to lead us in worship and teach us the Word in ENGLISH! In fact, I can say that is the most I've been "fed"  since I've left the States. It was wonderful! The bummer part was that what should have taken us just a simple 8 hour drive turned into a 36 hour trip...it has Griswold written all over it. A case of Malaria, 3 breakdowns, lost keys, and so much more! Here's the blog about that one.

Lisa and I have started a Co-Op with the two South African families that live here. Once a month, we get together and do school-oriented activities with our students. We've had our very first one this month, and it went so well!

This month's snippets:

• I've been pursued by more men than I EVER care to...so I wear a fake engagement ring when I go out in public now.
• I rode a camel on the beach with the mountains of Mozambique in the background--AHHH-mazing!
• Drove 2 1/2 hours to get to church, met in an all-grass hut that was packed with Followers, and had one awesome chicken and nsima meal afterwards. I love Sundays like that!
• Drove 2 hours to try to find a church we heard was there, but found out they disbanded some time ago. So while the Laffoons went off in search of the old church leaders, I stayed back in the very small town and played with kids, talked with women, and just got to share time with them. An hour later, I had a lot of new friends, and hopefully brothers and sisters in Him in the future! I love Sundays like that!
• Pretty sure I was given the ribs? or something around where the chicken heart is...because I had to eat around some awfully large arteries or something. It was pretty interesting. I let Anna Marie have the heart. :)

Love you all incredibly much.

Love to hear from you and would love to know how to lift you up!

Live each day for Him.

See who you can show the Son to today.

Love,

Lauren

"Despite all the little problems it's fun isn't it?"

The Reeder family has always been a little "Griswoldly" as in Clark Griswold..and apparently I have brought that with me here to Africa.

People say to me a lot "only you Lauren, only you"...I'm not sure why "only me" but crazy things do happen to me a lot.

Anyway, let's start this story last Sunday...



I wasn't feeling well on Sunday, so I decided to stay in town and go to church with my South African friends. Eric had a speaking engagement in the village so he left early to go do that. Lisa also was not feeling well, so it was just Eric and the kids that headed out to the village. While I'm sitting in church with my friends, they get a call from Eric. (whoops, I didn't have my phone), saying that he has broken down and they need him to come and rescue him.

Problem with that: we HAVE to take this car on our 8 hour long awaited journey to our Annual Meeting at the lake the next day.  We have to pull our trailer behind us, etc...etc...

So, we get back and find out the AXLE has fallen down. Yes, axle. Apparently the bolts weren't tightened on some joint, and the entire Axle fell. So, we got it all fixed up and it seemed that this would just be a little blip on the radar, and that we were going to be ready to ride at 5am the next morning.

Later that night, I get worse. Pain, nausea, weakness, and finally fever starts overtaking me. In my delirium, I remember someone maybe weeks ago mentioning to me to check the lake shore road we were going to take the meeting...something about a bridge being out. I tell Eric that night around 7ish, and a hour later we find out yes...that road is out. We have to divert to the capital adding at least an hour to our drive. Well, at least we found out before hand...

Then, Eric comes into the room and says, "where are the keys to the car?" We have spare keys, but the original has the key to "The Club" (the steering wheel lock) and so we can't drive with that still on.

We decide we will find them at some point before 5 am, and the Laffoons have to drive me home and put me in bed because I'm so sick now.

I wake up at 4:30...and wait...and wait...5 o'clock rolls around...5:30...STILL NO KEYS! We are stuck in Mzuzu because we can't get the steering wheel lock off!

Around 8:00am, Lisa drives me to the hospital to get tested for Malaria. I get meds for it and we hear the decision that we are going to "saw-off" the club so we can get on the road.

So, by 10:00 we are on the road! We are dreaming of having supper at the lake with all of our friends...well, i was feeling so horrible I was just dreaming about not being in the car anymore.

Around 11:30, the car kind of slips on the road...
Hmm...
As we are looking for a place to pull over, we hear a big thud, and our car is scraping on cement.
And I look over and our TIRE is rolling past us...We all watch is just roll past us and in front of our car.

Oh gosh.

We are parked by a mud hut in the middle of nowhere...
Everyone we know is already at the lake, but crazy enough some of our colleagues were in a wreck the day before so they were still in town to arrange help for us.
-a car is being sent to pick the family up.
-a wrecker is being sent to get the car.
-our colleagues are coming to get Eric and the trailor
-they will be there in 4 hours.

About 3 hours into this, 2 mechanics stop by and help us get the wheel back on. They say its drivable to get to Lilongwe.

Two kilometers later, we have to pull back over because the brakes are rubbing and may start a fire.

One hour later, our van comes, gets our car drivable and we finally head to Lilongwe.

We have offically been on the side of the road for 6 hours.
I'm going to be honest; having Malaria while on the side of the road, missing out on being at the lake...probably ranks up there with one of my horrible days ever.

Finally we get to lilongwe 11 hours after we first left Mzuzu.

Our replacement car will be ready by 9am and then we will make our last 4 hour ride to the lake...

We find out at 10 our car has horribly bent tires and needs alignment.
Finally at 1 we get on the road to the lake.

No kidding here...1 hour into the trip we get a FLAT TIRE!
hahaha.

Well...what should have taken 8 hours...took 48, but we finally made it.

To add insult to injury, I had to be wheelchaired to my room because I was so sick when I got there, and the wheelchair got a flat tire. So I had to be driven the rest of the way.

I told you...it was like a Griswold family vacation!!
No one can ever say my life is boring.