By the Brook

Conference

2011-11-11T23:34:00.000-08:00

Brian was asked to be the guest speaker at a conference which was held near Mangochi this month. The folk who invited him were very happy to have us join Brian. So while he taught, the kids and I spent our days swimming and eating. We felt like kings.
We packed the land rover and headed out for a 3 and a half hour drive south. The drive was beautiful and we were so happy to get out of the city of Lilongwe for a bit.

Toilet stop on the way! It's a jungle out there.
Our very elegant dinners-and kiddos with no shoes...
What are Ami and Ben looking at?
A vervet monkey who was spying out our lunch. The waiters had catties (catapults) in their hands and evertime they raised their hands as though they were going to send a rock in the monkeys' direction, they scattered through the trees very quickly.

Ben soaking up the sun

Just exhausted on the way home!

Rainy days?

2011-11-04T01:20:00.001-07:00

We need to think up some more indoor activities for when the rains come. We haven't seen much rain yet and expect that it'll start in December. The kids REALLY enjoyed painting these cute pencil bags from Aunty Joanne.

Dead Pets

2011-10-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

A friend told me the other day that we should really consider getting a dog. Bradley, especially loves dogs and has asked for one for a long time. My theory is that until they can learn to pick up their clothes off their bedroom floor, we won't consider it. How will they learn to pick up the dog poop? They are pretty desperate though...they came in the other day with three dead creatures as options for pets. Funny thing is, they were convinced the creatures were still breathing and ready to take on their new role as the new Biedebach Boys' Pets.

Magical Makeover

2011-10-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the kids will get a hairbrush and brush my hair and transform my style into their idea of an amazing hairdo using hair goodies, clips and detangling spray. Today, the boys decided my face needed some transforming too. My make-up was slapped on rather thickly, thank goodness for good make-up remover :0)

Bradley's 6th Birthday

2011-10-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

In the past, we have combined Ami and Bradley's birthday parties because their actual birthdays are so close. This year, however, we went for the calmer, less stressful single celebration party. No donkeys, box castles or pigs, but rather a teddy bears' picnic with a few friends and two sisters:)
Bradley is a delightful boy. He is gentle in his nature, most of the time. His laugh is infectious and his smile melts my heart. Love you big 6 year old!

Reading Day

2011-10-07T10:09:00.001-07:00

Every year at the ABC Academy, the children dress up as a book character. We had a crazy morning getting everyone ready! Benjamin was Yertle the Turtle.
Ami was Marvin, the sheep who wanted more. Bradley was Mister Dog.

Ami in her class parade.
She won the prize for most original costume in her class. Bradleu won the most original cotume award in his class too:)

This costume, in my opinion, was the best! His mom said that her husband had been working on the costume for a couple of weeks. Who would've thought you could come up with something so brilliant here in Malawi

A day out

2011-10-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

While Joanne was here we decided to visit Lake Malawi so that she could see more of rural Malawi on the way down to Salima.

The kids enjoyed the kiddie pool. We had a great day

Ami holding "Baby Erin" as she was affectionately called.

The weather was gorgeous and it was so refreshing to take a dip.

On our trip to the lake we also stopped off in a village near Chipoka (where Brian used to live in 1997) and picked up a dug out canoe. It took a whole bunch of village men to load it onto our roof rack. We arrived home safely with it. Brian would like to convert it into a couch.

Bed birthdays

2011-10-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Mom turning 35! I wasn't exactly as excited to be woken up, especially because the birthday song rang in my ears at 5am!

Yip that's what I look like at 5am!

My cousin Joanne and her daughter Erin visited us here for a week and her birthday happens to be 6 days after mine, so she too was serenaded as our tradition demands. Hers however, was not at 5am but rather at 6:30am.

Madam Fluff's 8th Birthday

2011-09-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday big eight year old! Traditional singing and candle blowing.

Opening gifts in bed.

Ami decided she wanted a tea party for her birthday. Here are some fancy ladies putting on a royal tea pose.

Ami's teacher, the eight girls from her class, Alli Mae and brothers were invited.

Blowing out all 8 birthday candles.
Enjoying tea, cucumber sandwiches, watermelon slices, chicken rolls, chocolate cookie bars, strawberries covered in chocolate and birthday cake.

Teapot birthday cake.

The 'bubbling baptismal' doubling up as fun for Ami's tea party. Needless to say the pump has broken again and we haven't used it since then:(

Gingerbread Men

2011-09-11T06:50:00.001-07:00

Aunty Rachel Floreen made these yummy gingerbread men for the kids to decorate one afternoon after lunch.
See how good they were. Karen- Kondi and Patricia's 2 year old couldn't get enough.

Meticulous care taken when decorating.

Bradley and Warren getting quite good too.

Hot tub

2011-09-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

Someone donated this very non-working hot tub to our church to use as a baptismal. Brian is baptising Charles. What a great praise to hear the testimony of this man. He came to know Christ while in prison. He served there for eight years in what must be some of the worst living conditions. Two hundred guys and one loo to share!
Some folk from church who stayed after the service to witness the baptism.

This is the porch that two missions' teams helped to construct. It is so helpful to have the area covered, especially now as the temperatures begin to soar.

Veggies

2011-09-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

We are delighted that we have been able to eat vegetables from our garden. Ben has a big sweet carrot.
Lettuce for our salads.

These tomatoes are ripening in our kitchen window. We've-(not all of us) also enjoyed beetroot and gem squash:)

Handyman

2011-09-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

I have wanted two book shelves for the boys' room for a while. I have checked out the odd expat sale hoping to pick up something worthwhile. Bied said, after I had missed a book shelf at a friend's sale, that he would make me book shelves. I expected to wait really long for them, because he is so busy...but the handyman stood by his words and provided two perfectly functioning bookshelves for which I am very thankful!

Benjamin helped his daddy with the varnishing.

Bradley getting to help out too.

The end result. I suppose I should have straightened the books for the picture:)

First day of school

2011-08-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that three of our four babies are in school now.

Benjamin just turned four in May. I didn't go to big school till I was six. He looks so little.

Bradley with some new classmates.

Allison loved it that she got to join in with her brother on his first day of school.

Patience

2011-08-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here the kids are sitting with the World Cup Soccer mascot at the South African High Commission. We applied for passports almost 11 months ago and have still not received them. We are planning a Christmas visit down to South Africa and really need those passports. We have been back several times and taking all four kids helps them hurry things up, especailly when they're making a noise and doing crazy things.

Speaking of South Africa, our friends came up from Hartebeespoort for a visit. They lived in Malawi for four years and now are back in South Africa. I can't believe how much these two have grown. Anyone recognize them?

Hang it up

2011-08-13T11:16:00.001-07:00

Because the power has been out so much lately, I asked Brian to put up a wash line to dry our clothes instead of using the tumble dryer. I had always hung our clothes out to dry in South Africa, but had been using a dryer here in Malawi because of mputsi flies. These flies can lay their eggs in your laundry and then they burrow into your skin and live off your flesh!
Because Brian has experienced this flesh eating bug, we're a little extra cautious.

Because it's so warm here, it takes about 20 minutes for the clothes to dry. If the power is on then I quickly throw the clothes into the dryer to 'burn' away any possible eggs hidden in the folds of the clothing.

Last man down

2011-08-10T12:45:00.001-07:00

We finally zapped the last member of our 'soccer in the ceiling' team. Woohoo!

Guards

2011-08-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

The boys and their little princess came into the living room to show off their protection of her. They dressed her up themselves and it so happened that their gowns and light sabers matched! I wonder how protective they will be one day of their sisters?

I love the way she has her hands folded together.

Barefoot warriors:)

Mvuu

2011-08-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

We haven't been away for a while, just the six of us, and so we decided we would take a couple days to enjoy Liwonde National Park. Mvuu is the camp we stayed at and we had a GREAT time together admiring the awesomeness of God's creation.

I have seen many fish eagles, but I've never witnessed one grabbing lunch. It was amazing to watch him swoop down and catch a fish.

Mvuu means hippo. We saw so many of them. They can run very fast.

We saw many crocs too. Allison's favourite animal is the cock-a-dial.

Look how close these four precious kiddos got to be near elephants.

Sweetest Allison!

Kids in a dug out trunk which fisherman use as canoes.

This is the chalet we stayed in, right on the Shire River. At night the wild animals roam right outside your tent. There are no fences like at the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

On a game drive.

Our Benja!

Big girl Ami.

Precious Bradley.

Nothing like an African sunset.

Photo

2011-08-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

Ami asked if she may use my camera. I said she could knowing that she probably wouldn't throw it in the washing machine like I have done before. When scrolling through the numerous pictures she took, this one stood out. She's pretty good for an almost eight year old.

Tea time

2011-07-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

We like to go to this tea garden every now and then. It's not far from where we live and mom can enjoy a cup of tea while the kids play on the jungle gyms.

Soccer in our ceiling...

2011-07-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

That's what it sounds like, anyway. We have zapped 5 rats so far with the amazing Leboffe Rat Zapper. When they're up there scurrying around, it sounds like they're kicking a ball to each other. Fun for them, but not for us, keeps us awake and we don't know if they're carrying disease as well. We still have at least one of them up there, who we think is not taking the bait since he's seen all his buddies get electrocuted on the zap mat.

Chitenje

2011-07-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

A chitenje is the multi-purpose, can't do without, colourful piece of material every Malawian woman has got!

It's a rectangular piece of fabric about 2m by 3m. It is used as a wrap over a skirt, to carry children, as a shawl in the cold or rain, and as a head wrapping. All the village women wear them. They are less common in the city, as professional women wear uniforms or current western fashions.

Some of the girls on the Ahtanum team brought their own pieces of fabric from the US with them. Before they returned home they sorted through their things and decided to leave their US chitenjes behind. None of the locals claimed them and so some cute girls asked if they may have them and have worn them on more than one occasion already:)

Go Holland

2011-07-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

Bradley loves his hand-me downs matching Holland shorts and t-shirt. Maybe he'll play for Holland one day, you never know...

We still play tennis every Sat morning and the older two are getting better slowly.

Sand and sun

2011-07-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

We went with the Ahtanum team to the lake for their debrief. We had a super time. The food was great and the weather was gorgeous. You'd never say we were in the middle of winter.

Ben playing in the sand.

Allison's attempt at a sand angel.

Moping Bradley who has stitches in his toe! He was not supposed to be on the sand :( He split his toe open when a chair fell on top of it. Ouch!

Blue-eyed baby!

My beau on the beach.

Ahtanum

2011-07-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

The day after the high school team left we had another team arrive. They are from Ahtanum in Washington. They did a VBS for the children from our church and it went well in spite of the fact that the country was experiencing riots in all the major cities. The team was kept safe and even though they had to cancel some of their work with the village church they still managed to share the gospel with many folk. We enjoyed having them with us.

Having lunch together on the day before they left to go home.

The whole team from Ahtanum Pioneer Church.

Mice cream

2011-07-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

Remove one already prepared mouse for eating from his line of friends.

Place already prepared mouse in a cone and cover completely with vanilla ice cream so as to deceive the partaker aka the team leader.

Have partaker in a good position so all can see as he licks away.

When partaker realizes he is going for a mouse, everyone laughs uncontrollably.

Partaker passes on the challenge to a team member. Daniel ate the entire mice cream and was awarded a second helping at dinnertime and first in line to dish up.

The only daring damsel to eat a furry rodent.

A great try. I like Emily's expression in the background.

Jake peeled off the fur and managed a couple bites.

Taylor had some fur left on his tongue.

Those who eat an entire mouse are rewarded with another cone.

Team Work

2011-07-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

Cousin Jake and Matt painting beams for the roof.

Daniel, Ashlynn and Tanner working too.

Jessica washing my dishes.

Grant helping Ami with her piano practise.

July 4th

2011-07-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

We celebrated together with the high school team and the residents of ABC campus. The high school team especially enjoyed the fireworks. They bought some in town and were just thrilled at the thought of setting them off themselves. It is against the law in California to set off your own fireworks. Some fireworks pretty good and the team got a kick out of putting one or two little fires out which started as well...oops!

Uncle Sam's hats for dessert with ice cream

Fireworks and sparklers for the kids. They loved this.

Jenny, a high school team member with her very first sparkler. She was really happy:)

Our matching t-shirts sponsored by aunt Lisa.

GCC High School Team

2011-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Grace Community Church in Sun Valley sent a high school team of 22 kids with 4 leaders to support the ministry here in Lilongwe. For about two weeks, they worked on various projects like revamping bathrooms on the ABC campus, adding a roof onto the back porch of our house and church office and building a wall around the church plant in the Mtsiliza village. What a delightful group of young people! They were such an encouragement and a blessing. Our nephew, Jake Biedebach from Texas joined the team on their flights and stayed with us for the time they were here too. The kids don't really know their cousin and so it was great that he could spend time with us and get to see what life is like here in Malawi.

Jared, Sheller, Robert,Brooke, Katelynn and Erin.

Katelynn and Brooke. I watched both these girls work really hard!

The team singing at church during the offering. They sounded heavenly!

What's for sale?

2011-06-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

Remember me explaining how our kids have this desire to make money? We really need to work on this one...however, I was impressed with some of the ideas they came up with and their reasons why I should buy their recycled 'gems'.

Ami and Brad with a potential shopper

The designated money corner.

Beautiful hand-painted rocks aka rainbow rocks, that can be bought and used as display pieces on tables or mantles ;0)

Some really good dirt for sale, very good for growing plants and vegetables.

A gorgeous plant in a mangled bottle... to fill those spots in your home where some greenery would liven it all up.

The list of goods is endless...and the prices are reasonable:)

Out and About

2011-06-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

While nanny was here we went out to the Pretoriuses farm and had a delicious meal. We spent the day there and it was great to get out of Lilongwe for a bit.

Going for a ride with Boetie on the four wheeler.

Cooking up a storm

2011-06-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

Dave and Becky

Today I went to a cooking demonstration here on campus. Dave E organized it so that cooks as well as residents could join in. We made two Indian dishes (Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka Masala) All the folk on campus were invited for dinner. It was super! The food was fantastic. Wow, our fellow missionaries in India must have great meal times:)

Anand Peacock was our Indian cuisine instructor. Mwale, Kingsley and Yohan looking on.

Becca, Carson, Kelly, Maria, Davidson and Scharlie learning from Anand's wife, Sonia.

Sonia making chipatis. Yum!

Thanks Dave for an amazing evening. Such a great idea.

Allison turns 2!

2011-06-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

Opening presents early in the morning. Nanny brought up the motorbike from SA in her suitcase:) Allison woke up before we all did and so Bied had to go into her room and explain that we were all coming in to sing to her. She was so excited.

We had a very informal cake and ice cream in the backyard. Our neighbours and the college team showed up which was fun!

That's our BENJA!

Happy birthday to a very, very precious girl who is extremely lovable. She is strong and can do many things the others couldn't at this age. She loves to give kisses and when she gets out the bath at night, she always asks for her toes to be covered by the towel we're using. She talks a lot and bites every now and then too;) We often hear her telling the others, "Children obey, get a big hiding (spanking)." We love you sweet Allison Mae!

Happenings-lots of them

2011-06-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

Nanny is here! She came with a suitcase laden with goodies. Bradley is having a head massage with a 'thingamajig' that she bought at Irene.

During the last week of school, we had crazy day. Back to front, inside out, left on right etc. was the order of the day. Benjamin so desperately wanted to join in and came up with his outfit all on his own.
Sports day for the Reception through First graders was also held the last week of school. The kids had fun. We did too. Brian and I ran in the parents' races and fared well. Bied's knees didn't fare too well and he is still in a bit of pain:(

Bradley in the gumboot race. He had such a good stride going.

Ami in her 100m dash. She came third.

Testing balancing skills or waitressing ability?

A lady in our Bible Study is having a baby soon. Many of the ladies were away, but we still put together a small baby shower for her. It was a sweet time.

This team of seven pictured below, will be here in Malawi for a total of 5 weeks. We have enjoyed getting to know them and are thankful for their hard work here. They have visited 51 mercy ministry organisations here in Malawi and put together a report of which ones we as a church could partner with. That is a huge help, because there is so much of that type of work going on here in Malawi, but whether it is Biblical or not is often the question. They also helped Brian immensley with scanning in all his files onto his computer, a massive task that he doesn't have time for. They have been a real blessing.

Birthday Combo

2011-06-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Even though Benjamin's birthday was last month, we decided to wait to celebrate together with his friend, Sam.

Benjamin has asked for a snowman cake since his last birthday and so I made him one.

Sam's mom made him a boat cake. The afternoon before the party, we had fun decorating the cakes together.
The winter weather is still gorgeous here in Malawi and so we had their birthday bash outside.

The kids we invited all coloured in a letter the day before, to make up our "Happy 4th Birthday to Ben and Sam" sign!

Sam and Ben, our crowned kings for the day, opening their presents. We had such a good time and despite the craziness of this time of year it all went off very pleasantly.

Six smiles

2011-06-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

We went out for a meal with some friends of ours who happen to have two very cute blonde kids. Couldn't resist having them sit together like this. They could all be siblings.

Almost done

2011-06-09T01:51:00.000-07:00

The seniors here at ABC graduated on the 4th June. Brian is grateful to be able to teach these guys how to expose the Word of God and continues to hear good reports from former students who continue to use methods taught to them in order to correctly explain the Scriptures.

Our children, Ami and Bradley are almost done with school too. They both have done exceptionally well and received good reports from their teachers. Here, Ami was receiving an award for having memorized all her Bible verses throughout the school year. Brad received the same award, but mom was not quick enough with the camera. We are so pleased with them.

Winter?

2011-05-30T12:17:00.001-07:00

Down in South Africa it's really cold at this time of the year, but here in Malawi, it is still hot enough for a swim!

IBF on Sunday

2011-05-29T05:29:00.000-07:00

Today we had a number of folk from our church come to our house for a baptism after the church service. We did it in our backyard since the water in the ABC pool is so freezing cold now.

Brian chatting to some regular attendees, who are from Zimbabwe originally.

This is the back of the guy in blue who got baptized. He was born in SA, but has lived in Australia most of his life. He is touring Africa and became a believer about three weeks ago. Please pray that he would find a good church when he returns to Australia and that he would grow in his faith.

A new family who have been attending International Bible Fellowship Church. They are from Sri Lanka.

"Eating her curds and whey..."

2011-05-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

When I was cleaning our lettuce for salad today, this is what came crawling out! Ugh:(

Toothless

2011-05-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

Bradley lost two teeth in two days. The second one he just yanked out on his own.

YouTube Video

Visits

2011-05-14T11:34:00.001-07:00

Our friend Katie, stayed with us for ten days and the kids were sad when she had to go back to her home yesterday. But today, we had some more friends fly in from California. They are here for a week to check out possible ministry opportunities with the proposed seminary we hope to start. They came loaded with goodies for us:) With all the people we have had visit here from the US, it feels like we have a Costco down the road! It has been good to get to know Jim, Ben and Leah and it's exciting to see what the Lord will do here and in their lives.

Katie

Jim, Ben and Leah

How does your garden grow?

2011-05-13T13:36:00.001-07:00

The kids planted some seeds in their self-made vegetable garden. The 'soil' is hardy and so we'll be very surprised if the seeds actually grow. What has been fun to note is how diligent they are at watering their sandy mounds.

This is their scarecrow. It is the remains of a chewed up soft toy posted on the top of a long stick.

Here they are building a fence so that roaming dogs won't get in to trample their hard work.

They were quite pleased with themselves.

Baby no. 5

2011-05-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

Today we 'got a baby' to look after for one week. It's been such a joy to have this tiny little girl in our home. Her dad had to go on an overseas trip and her mom works, so we gladly took her in to help them out. She is so precious and the kids have fallen in love with her too.

Ben's Birthday

2011-05-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Benjamin turned four today and we celebrated early in the morning with our traditional wake up in your bed to a candle-lit cupcake, happy birthday song, hugs, kisses and presents.

He requested Mexican tortillas for his birthday supper. He's our Californian boy.

Birthday cake!

Pet

2011-05-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Bradley often finds pets and keeps them for a day, that's about as long as they last with all the manhandling. They are usually some type of bug or gogga, but today he found a little lizard.

A river...?

2011-05-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yes.. of mud, what else?

Camp Out

2011-05-02T01:32:00.000-07:00

What a night! There was great excitement when it was decided to camp in our back yard. Allison and I stayed inside, not because we didn't want to camp, but because it was a dad and older kids' thing. The night was quite eventful and Bied didn't get very much sleep. He was in and out the tent getting water for those who were thirsty and moving kids around too trying to get them to sleep. Ben proved not to be the camping type. Eventually, Bied brought him inside and he slept in his own bed. Ami and Brad were 'rained' on by condensation droplets. Still, they loved their experience and hope to do it one day for real.

Bob

2011-05-01T11:07:00.001-07:00

Ami has been wanting to cut her hair for the longest time. She eventually did it over the Easter holidays and loves her new bob. We also had a dear lady visit us for a couple days. She is the aunt of missionary friends of ours who serve in Germany. She was so kind to our children. When we dropped her off at the airport, Ben asked why she couldn't stay with us forever.

Sweet things

2011-04-28T21:43:00.001-07:00

I love seeing Ami read to the younger kids. So sweet to see the girls oohing and aahing over simple nursery rhymes. I do hope these two will be good friends!

Eating mangoes makes for a sticky mess, but who can resist the taste of that sweet, juicy flesh? Bradley loves mangoes and he gets quite sad when there aren't any around or when they are on the counter and cannot be eaten because they're unripe. He can easily eat two of the large ones in one sitting.

He is Risen

2011-04-24T11:07:00.001-07:00

Brian preached from John 20:1-10 today in our Easter service and I was so encouraged to have the truth of Christ's resurrection reaffirmed. Brian mentioned Charles Spurgeon having said that the resurrection of Christ is the keystone of Christianity and without it there is no reason for faith in God.

The kids had fun looking for eggs in the backyard. Last year we forgot where we had hidden them all and Felix found one in the plants while working, it was about four months after Easter.

Brown Eggs

2011-04-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Our friends in CA sent us these great egg dyeing kits and the children and some of their friends enjoyed colouring and decorating hard boiled eggs for Easter. The colours don't always come out that brilliantly because our eggs are brown. My neighbour did something even better. She made resurrection cookies. They talked about Christ's burial and resurrection while baking them and the end result is a hollow meringue to show that the tomb is empty. Indeed, He is risen.

Entrepeneur

2011-04-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

The fort soon became a shop to sell things to the neighbourhood kids. I don't know what it is, but our kids like making money. Bradley told Brian after he had to give some money back to a friend at school-(Brad hadn't taken the money-it seemed his friend was just being sweet), "Dad I don't know why I want money, but I just love it...Oops we need to work on that one. "For the love of money is a root af all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Tim 6:10.

Not long ago they made these twirly kites out of paper and string and sold them. And who knows why, but kids came and bought them. They also made telescopes out of empty toilet rolls and those went quickly too. A cardboard gun that shoots elastics, puppets out of paper and toothpicks and a sword made up of a bundle of sticks all taped up, were just some of their wares up for grabs. When next you're in Lilongwe be sure to stop by the "bp shop" for a purchase you'll never forget:)

Fort Final

2011-04-16T02:54:00.000-07:00

Bied helped quite a bit with the final finishes on the fort. The kids did carry the huge wooden door from where Wilbur's pen used to be all the way to the 'bee tree' (named so, because of the periodic visits from swarms of honey makers:)). I helped to bandage and mend the one toe that was crushed by the very heavy wooden door...So after some effort by all, we went from mud pool to mud hut. Did I mention two of our kids have some kind of fungal ringworm from playing in the dirt? I felt bad for letting them get all mucky. But then someone reminded me that playing outside is better than sitting cooped up in front of a computer or TV all day.

Yes and in case you were wondering, Wilbur's pen behind the water tower is no longer. To market, to market to buy a fat pig...we sold him. He was getting rather large and costing us quite a bit to keep him that size. Suprisingly, the kids haven't been too concerned of his whereabouts. What did concern us this week though, was Allison's very high fevers and listlessness. The doctor here has put her on a dose of malaria medication. Her fevers have come down, but we're still keeping a close eye on her. She and I were unable to join the rest of our family who joined the team on a mini safari and trip to Lake Malawi today.

Team is here

2011-04-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

After about 32 hours of travel the team of seven guys from the Master's Seminary have arrived safely here in Lilongwe. Kwacha Simwaka is leading the team. He however, continued with his travel another 6 hours north to Mzuzu, to visit his family who he has not seen for almost three years. He returns today! We had a good lunch time with the rest of the guys today and now they're off to the market area and Mtsiliza village. Our prayer is that at least three guys will make the decision to join the ministry here in Malawi. We know that God in His perfect plan will bring the right people to serve here. It's exciting!

Red

2011-04-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Looks like our hopeful redhead is losing the strawberry tinge she had.

Allison talks so much now and certainly handles her big brothers. Today Ben was running from her saying, "Mom help! Alli is trying to get me." She's quite feisty and sometimes gets away with too much cause she's so cute!

Wacky

2011-04-02T06:46:00.000-07:00

Wacky Wednesday in Bradley's class meant that you had to dress up all crazy-like. Socks mixed up, clothing back to front and inside out.

The rest of the Wacky Biedebachs.

Ami's class is learning about 'Then and Now'. The children had to dress up for "school long ago" They wrote with feathers dipped in paint and were put in stocks for punishment.

They have also begun transforming their hot mud tub into a fort.

Everyone got stuck in.

Hosting at home

2011-03-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday we host two IBF Church Bible studies (ladies at 9am and family study at 7pm) in our home and we love it! This week we've been hosting 16 students at 8am every day too, for a study on Biblical Love, which they are enjoying with Brian. There are no classes for the students-it's Spiritual Emphasis Week. They also get to hear a guest speaker in the mornings at chapel and in the evenings too. We do thank God for our home and that we are able to serve Him this way by opening it to share with others.

Brian teaches Homiletics to the senior men students only. It 's great to get to know some of the other students too.

We have begun a study on 'The Excellent Wife' by Martha Peace and the ladies are being challenged. We have 14 ladies attending.

We have some sweet baies who join in the study too.

My friend, Rachel Floreen teaches the study and we are so glad she does!

Walls

2011-03-28T01:56:00.000-07:00

Some who have lived in Malawi and are now in the US have been asking about whether the proposed mall next door to us, is a rumour or not. The progress is slow, probably due to the rains, but the walls are going up and it's definitely a reality. The red brick wall is ours and so you can see how close we really are. As I have said before, we're not that eager for the huge development and all that goes with it, but if it means being able to pop next door to get a litre of milk...well we may enjoy it very much.

Dirt and blood?

2011-03-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

We made two batches of mulberry popsicles. It looked as though the kids had injured themselves after being done with them. Boiling hot water poured directly onto the stains in their clothing did the job of removing the marks. Not too sure how soon we'll be making those ones again, even though they were voted the best. We visited friends yesterday. They live on a huge plot with lots of dirt and so that's where the kids ended up...I wonder when they'll stop enjoying sand piles and mud?

Happy

2011-03-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

After supper the children usually tidy up the kitchen with instruction and help from both mom and dad. I had to rush and bathe Allison because she needed it desperately! Bied was busy and the kids were finishing up their food. When I returned this is what I found. It did make my heart happy!

Malaria

2011-03-19T02:39:00.000-07:00

Please continue to pray for us especially with regard to malaria. A freshman student here at African Bible College died from malaria. He was at the ABC clinic and was unconscious for a day before passing away this morning. There have been several cases here on campus and so pray that we would be wise with regard to protecting ourselves from mosquitoes.

Brian Home!

2011-03-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, he was gone too...Brian left for California on March 6th and returned home yesterday -17th. He went to LA to attend the annual Shepherds' Conference and to make contact with possible professors to join the faculty for the seminary he hopes to begin here in Lilongwe in August of 2012. Right now there is no Masters Degree in Theology available at any institution in Malawi. Lord willing, this whole project will get underway soon and men will be able to be trained at a higher level here in their own country and possibly those from surrounding countries as well.

He also returned with a new power cord for my computer! My old one 'fried', probably due to power surges.

We missed him so much and are so glad that he is back safe and sound.

Brian asked the boys,"Who has been swinging on the towel rail in the bathroom while I've been away?" It's looking a little worse for wear. Bradley has broken it twice in the past...

Bradley points to Ben and says, "He usually does all the bad stuff!"

Glasses

2011-03-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

Ami has been complaining of headaches at school and so we took her to get her eyes tested. The optometrist we went to see is from Germany and eventhough he is a good salesman, he seemed very professional. Needless to say, we came home with glasses and we haven't heard too much complaining about headaches since then.

Great Expectations

2011-03-03T05:22:00.001-08:00

Hard work pays off! The great excavation took two afternoons to complete and by the third day, once the finishing touches were done, the kids were ready to experience their homemade mud-tub. We think their expectations were met! Some concerned neighbours came out to see what the kids were doing, because they had seen them using a Malawian hoe. That was all in order though and dad had said they could use it as long as their toes were not in the way!

Once the tub was filled they climbed in. It was cold and so they added boiling hot water. Yip, a hot mud tub! Next thing you know they are putting their faces in the water. After that they dried out in the sun and were left with a darker shade stained on their bodies.

Swim Demo

2011-03-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

Today all the children from Reception through First grade demonstrated what they have learned in swim lessons during PE. Bradley and Ami have both done well. It was fun to watch them interacting with their classmates.

It started to drizzle.

Brad with Mr. Owen helping to demonstrate floating.

Not even a minute

2011-02-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

We can't leave her for a minute. I was chatting to some ladies about baby stuff and then I heard screaming. The older kids were running away from Alli the Paint Monster. She gets into everything these days.

Traffic

2011-02-24T11:34:00.000-08:00

The most traffic I have ever experienced is in LA on the 405. Just unbelievable -a sea of cars at snails' pace for 3 hours! This week, we got stuck in traffic in Lilongwe during peak hour and it was quite something. In LA, you can always listen to the radio for traffic details or exit the freeway and use streets to get to your destination. But in Lilongwe, you have to just sit because there's just that one road that takes you to where you need to go. Perhaps we need to work hard at practicing patience.

Baseball Dad

2011-02-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

Brian did a fabulous job looking after and caring for our babies while I was away! In fact for the first two days Alli kept asking for him and not me. He's such a good dad! Today he took time out to show our 'third culture kids' how to play baseball. They got it eventually:)

Ben totally missed the ball, but his swing was pretty good.

We played in the dirt circle at the end of our driveway.

Our neighbour, Matt getting into it.

Time to pack away and head inside.

Here and there

2011-02-21T11:18:00.000-08:00

I ate this every morning while in CA!

Stephanie and me. Thanks Steph for doing all you did, even when you weren't well!

There were 927 people in our group and that was the third ceremony of the day.

Brian's very dear Dr. Uncle and Aunt Liz!.

Celebrating with the Taglieres!

Smiles all around.

A group of friends came out from Seal Beach to attend the ceremony too. (L-R) Renee and Darlene have both been to Malawi and were of those who helped hugely to get our house done before we moved in 2008. Sweet Velma prays for us very faithfully and her son Robert oversees Seal Beach's mission board.

Before arriving in Malawi I stopped over at my folks' and had dinner with some familiar ABC faces.

Boy, was I happy to see this face :) :)

To celebrate in Lilongwe, Rachel made this fantastic American Flag Cake!

Day Nine - She's Home!

2011-02-15T13:20:00.001-08:00

At noon today I (along with Benja and Alli) picked up both Ami and Brad from School and the 5 of us headed to the aiport to pick up Anita. I had to pull Ami out of school early and she was so excited to see her mom. As we were walking towards the car she said, "Daddy, this is the best day of my life!"

We are so grateful that Anita was able to go, get her citizenship, and then return safely. We had a little family celebration when she got home (complete with our 4th of July decorations).

There is no doubt that these last 9 days have given me a greater appreciation for mothers (and most especially, Anita). Also, there have been a number of times this week where I have thought about single parents - I think they are my new heroes.

A BIG "thank you" for those of you who have prayed for Anita (and me) during this little adventure.

Now that Anita's back, I plan to take a hiatus from blogging. But thanks for all who have commented. It has been fun sharing my pics and thoughts on her blog while she has been away, but it is much better to have her back - even if she is starting to speak with an American accent.

Day Eight - Valentine

2011-02-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

I spoke to Anita this evening in Johannesburg. Her flights have been fine and she is enjoying a night at her parents house. Since she is coming back tomorrow (Feb. 15), it gave the kids an extra day to work on some Valentine cards.

The kids didn't have school today because of a teacher training day. So it was kind of nice since my day off is also Monday. We enjoyed the 3-day weekend - but REALLY looking forward to mom getting back. Tomorrow it is off to school for the older two and then immediately after school we go to pick up Anita. - I think we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel :).

Day Seven - She's On Her Way

2011-02-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

We spoke to Anita today just before her flight from LA to DC and then again before her flight from DC to Johannesburg. Tomorrow night Anita will sleep at her parent's house and then she will be here on Tuesday. We are all so excited!

Day Six - The "Home Stretch"

2011-02-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

Only 3 more days until Anita gets back! But all in all, today was a good Saturday. Allison woke up at 6 AM and so Ami and I got up then too. The boys slept until 8:00! For those of you who are wondering how late last night went, let's just say that I wouldn't recommend promising an "all-nighter" to 4 kids when you are responsible to look after them the next day. As we were watching the third movie, I fell asleep at about 10:30 PM. At 11:15 PM Bradley woke me up and said, "Hey dad, can you put on the next movie?" I looked at him and said, "I know I said we could stay up as late as we want, but I (meaning “we”) want to go to sleep and I think you guys need to as well." They all seemed to be wide awake, but surprisingly (apart from a couple "awww's") they said, "Okay, dad." I think that they were ready for sleep and didn't complain about not staying up last night, today.

You could see that they were tired today. Ami, especially -- she actually rested during rest time. Ben, on the other hand, showed his tiredness another way - by his lack of good judgment. He snuck into Ami's room to wake her up during rest time (for which he was disciplined). Since the kids were quite tired today, they all went to bed at 6:00 PM and Ben was the first one out. Ben has been doing quite well while mom has been away. I have especially enjoyed spending time with him this week in the mornings while Alli is sleeping and the other two have been at school.

Speaking of "home" and "stretch," Is it just me, or does it look like Bradley (our home "fixer-upper") has grown this week. Perhaps we should start calling him "stretch."

And since we are talking about stretchy things. Today, some of our neighbors helped me by watching the kids at their house for a few hours while I studied in the office. Their gardener, Jamu, found 8 little snake eggs (one is missing from the photo). The shells were actually rubbery and you could stretch them. Jamu cut one open and found a little baby snake inside. The kids liked touching them and looking at them - it was sort of like playing with gummy worms. I liked it that Jamu found the snakes BEFORE they hatched. Go Jamu!

Bourne Identity

2011-02-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe the day has finally come. I was so excited and yes there were even tears shed during the National Anthem. It's taken about five years to get to this stage and that's without ever living in the U.S.A. The U.S. government also allows me to keep both my South African and Dutch passports and so I'm now "Bourne Identity".

Day Five - Celebration Day

2011-02-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

So today is the big day. Anita becomes a U.S. citizen today. The kids also have a little celebration - five full days with daddy! Before Anita even left for the U.S., I told the kids that one of the nights when she is away, we will have "no bed time." I said we could stay up and watch movies until we fall asleep. The kids just looked at me with big smiles, but were kind of puzzled like "is it even possible to have a night without a bed time?" Our Friday night started out with all four kids watching a movie at 5:30 PM.
Part way through the movie, I pushed pause and we took a break for dinner (popcorn, hot dogs, mac 'n cheese, and carrot sticks). The kids then bathed and Allison went to bed - she wasn't really aware of the "all-nighter." Then the rest of the kids finished the movie. I moved the kids into a "bug hut" (a free standing mosquito net) since it is still malaria season.

We are now watching movie number 2. These kids are surprising me. I might have bitten off more than I can chew here. I thought they would be out by the end of the second movie, but all three are still with us (and Ami said she wanted to stay up until 1:00 AM!). I am not so concerned about these three falling asleep in the bug hut - it's Allison who will be up tomorrow morning at 5:30. Only four more days until Anita gets back. It's all down hill from here - right?

Day Four - Amazing Ami

2011-02-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

I was talking to Anita on the phone tonight and I was telling her how amazed I am at Ami and the way she has really stepped up to be that helper that I wrote about a couple of days ago. I am sure Ami doesn't know how helpful she really is but knowing how "unhelpful" I was at that age, it really is quite ... amazing.

Yesterday the kids came up with a little game of building a house out of rocks.

I haven't been doing Ami's hair, although yesterday her teacher thought that I had done it because it kind of looked like something I could accomplish. She had 7 braids somewhat randomly done around her head. Ami had decided to do them herself before school. I thought it looked cute.

This morning I asked her if she would like me to do her hair and she was quite excited about it. I worked really hard to get that part down the middle and went for 2 braids instead of 7. It was a bit rainy on the way to school but I was able to snap this picture of her. The picture makes it look better than it was -- there is no way that I braid hair as well as Anita. But I think I could learn if it meant that Ami would know how grateful Anita and I are to God for blessing us with her.

Day Three - Swingin'

2011-02-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

Well, we are more than surviving today. It seems like we have found ourselves swinging through the day in a little routine. We have a Malawian lady named Cecelia who is helping to look after the younger two while I am working and then all four in the afternoon. Besides the early morning wake-up times, I spend a couple hours with the kids at lunch and then from 4:30 PM until bed time. Some church friends have been helping out with meals as well - yay!

Today, Ben and I went to pick up Ami and Brad from school. They have this hut thing for the kids to play on and it has a rope on one of the corners. Bradley and some of his kindergarden cohorts figured that if they climb up on the railing of the stairs to the hut and swing off the railing they could have a better swing. I watched it a couple of times and then decided to video it with my phone. The falling down didn't seem to deter them. They just kept on climbing back up. I am not sure if they are allowed to do this, but hey - when mom is not around :)...

Day Two - Still Surviving

2011-02-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

We are doing okay here while Anita is away, but I sure appreciate her a lot more. Mornings are tough! Benjamin is not so tough in the mornings. He is 3 - which means he prefers to get dressed all by himself and he doesn't need to go to school - so time is not really an issue.

Allison is also pretty easy in the mornings. She can feed herself and she likes cold cereal (even if it looks like cardboard in milk). I have to admit, though, yesterday was MUCH easier with her. This morning, she decided to take off her poopy diaper before she got out of bed. This means I had to bathe her and I think I should probably wash her sheets.

Speaking of laundry, each morning I am trying to get all the dirty clothes out into the hall way so that I can sort them and keep ahead of it. (Only 7 more days until Anita gets back - but who's counting?)

Bradley and Ami have to be at school by 7:10 AM. Yesterday, we couldn't find Bradley's belt (yes, Anita, the one you told me to make sure he doesn't lose because it was part of his "spy outfit" when he played "spy" on the weekend). Dad: "Bradley, where is your belt?" Bradley: "I don't know, dad?" Dad: "Think, my son, where did you have it last?" Ami: "Hmmmm, maybe it is still in the mango tree with your other spy stuff, Brad?"

Sure enough, it was more than 10 feet up in the tree. I had to lift Ami up there and she was able to get it down. Both yesterday and today we have been at school before 7:00 AM. Ami has been a super help! She is my "go-to girl." She is only 7 but she seems to know where everything in the house is and how it all works (she even knows the mango tree well). She can bathe Alli, help Brad with piano lessons, and helps out pretty much everywhere - usually with a great attitude! What a sweetie! But have I mentioned that it is only 7 more days until Anita gets back?

Day One

2011-02-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

So this is Anita's blog, but I (Brian) am doing double duty while Anita is in the U.S. so I thought I would try to keep up with her blog a bit while she is away. Today (Monday) was the first day without Anita. We dropped her off yesterday at Kamuzu International Airport at about noon so that she could finally take her oath in California and become a U.S. Citizen. We have been applying for this for several years, and are glad it is finally happening. Unfortunately for us who are left behind it means 9 days without her. Day one got off to an early start with ALL four kids up by 5:45 AM. But how bad can your day be when you wake up to a smile like Alli's?

Massive Moth

2011-01-29T04:06:00.000-08:00

When cousin Ethan was here he loved looking for bugs and goggas. We found this huge moth after school one day and thought Ethan would especially like it. It stayed in the same place for the afternoon. We were convinced it was injured. We came out later and then after much probing from pesky kiddos, he flew away to safety and clung onto a leaf in the tree above. No sooner had he done that and the kids were up the tree looking for him!

Rainy afternoons

2011-01-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

Our kids spend most of their playtime outside and so it's been fun to see what they have come up with when the rain pours down.

This one made me smile the most. Brian's mom used to read this exact book to him. It has travelled the oceans in its lifetime and now Yertle the Turtle is in the warm heart of Africa being read by dad to his bookworm.

Bradley playing army/war/attack/boy game.

Alli getting into the crayon tub

Ami and Bradley have learned how to play chess.
Ben sticks to his books.

A date!

2011-01-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

I have been "hereby notified to appear for a Naturalization Oath Ceremony on Feb 11th, 2011." Three weeks from today. We are trying to organize tickets and it looks like it'll be a real quick trip, but I am so excited. The kids are even more ecstatic that I'm finally going. Their darling dad has told them 'that while mom is away we're going to stay up late and watch movies in the livingroom until we fall asleep.'

Once I have my Naturalization Certificate I can apply for my US passport at the Embassy in Lilongwe. It hasn't been easy to naturalize since we've never lived in the US, but there is a provision made for missionaries which doesn't require any residential time in the US. The only catch is that I have to be there in person to take the oath. I am flying alone for the first time, without my favourite man and my sweet babies-please pray that all goes well.

Green?

2011-01-20T06:33:00.000-08:00

Frank, Richard and Felix took 20 minutes to kill a 4ft (1.3m) green mamba yesterday. He dropped down from the trees near the carport at our neighbour's house and slithered into the nearby bushes. Fortunately, the kids were all inside. They ride their bikes into that carport often. Some folk weren't sure it was a green mamba- we go with what the locals say- we reckon they know their snakes better than we do :)

Nan

2011-01-18T13:03:00.001-08:00

The doctor is happy with my mom's heart condition this week. It is enlarged on the left side and she has pulmonary hypertension, but nothing serious enough to warrant a hospital stay. We are so thankful for your prayers on her behalf. The doctor has said that she has to take it easy though! Also, in case you were wondering, we still have not heard back from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services about my oath taking date. They are aware that I did not attend the ceremony in December because they have sent us a letter explaining that because I was not there I have one more oath ceremony date that I will have to attend. If I fail to make this last ceremony date, then I have to start the whole process of applying for citizenship all over again. We are trusting that the letter will make it to us soon.

Rains are here

2011-01-15T01:18:00.000-08:00

Seems like the rains are finally here. We have had quite a few showers over the past days.

We have planted three new trees in our backyard. We really need shade for the hotter months. These trees are supposed to grow 3 meters a year. Allison was just a little taller than this one and so we'll see how they fare - the kids and the saplings :)

Cute kids

2011-01-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

Opa and Nanny have some really cute grandkids! My mom is still not doing that great. She will see her heart doctor again on Monday. Please pray that he is happier with her than he was last week so that she won't have to go to hospital.

Last days

2011-01-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

There were a few days after the trip to the Lake and before our cousins had to leave where we did some fun things.

One morning the boys painted, while the girls baked a carrot cake.

Ami and Julia greasing the cake pan.

Adding their decorative touch with our self-made ziploc piping bags :0

The girls had a tea with nanny and their aunties. They used Ami's birthday tea set.

We all got dressed up in fancy clothes. The theme was butterflies.

We tried to use our manners and speak with posh British accents, but nearly killed over in laughter when Julia picked up her cake and just shoved it into her mouth.

My sister and her precious girl.

The day before our cousins left, we had a candy store in our yard. The kids brought their hard earned money and enjoyed spending it on some of their favorite treats.

We called it Noonies Cash Store and we had an end of year sale- appropriately on 31st.

A couple of dips in the pool to round out our suntans.

Julia is holding the casing of some firework thing that my dad found in the market. We set them off and it wasn't Disneyland, but for MK200 - $1.10 that's what you would expect. It was fun.

Little Alli crept into her cousins hearts too.

Uncle Grant giving good-bye hugs. It's always so hard to say good-bye, especially when you don't know when next you'll see one another.

The lovely Russell family. We miss you!

Lake Malawi

2010-12-31T11:46:00.000-08:00

Soon after Christmas, we planned to spend a couple days at Lake Malawi. My mom was not feeling well and decided not to go along. My dad, Alli and I stayed with her in Lilongwe, while the rest of the gang had great fun in Salima.

Loading up the Freestate Ferrari - just for the record, the VW made it all the way to the Lake and back with no hiccups.

A zebra - there is not great game viewing in Malawi- still fun for the cousins to see though.

Uncle Grant getting a mud bath.

Cousins, Ethan and Ami.

The cottage looks out onto this!

Lake Malawi.

The swimming pool at the cottage where they stayed.

Cousins without Alli.

That's Ami near the top. A huge frangipani tree? I think- in the beautiful garden where they stayed.

Look! SuperBen in Boots with uncle Martin.

A craftsman polishing his wares for sale.

Lunch at Livingstonia Beach. The family enjoyed a meal out and the long wait was worth it. They ate chambo, which is a local fish.

Stores in Salima.

There still has not been much rain at all here in Lilongwe, however, near the lake it seems quite green.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

Blessings and love from the warm heart of Africa!

May the Lord bless you with a deep awareness of the Gift He gave us when we could not save ourselves.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

Today the cousins had fun slipping and sliding. The ground was a bit hard, but they seemed to enjoy themselves despite the odd hard knock here and there.

Just after we read from Luke 2 and prayed, the children got to open a few gifts. It's great to watch their excitement. I don't think Ben has ever been so thrilled about a colouring-in book before.

Good Food

2010-12-22T06:37:00.000-08:00

Pizza Picnics and Papaya Popsicles! Yum

All here

2010-12-16T04:14:00.000-08:00

Nieces and nephews writing on the chalk board. A welcome sign for uncle Martin.

Martin arrived today, so we are altogether now and loving every minute. Linda said that she wishes our family time could go on and on. We are especially grateful that our family relationships are solid and that we can share these special times together.

Opa and Grant

2010-12-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

One last dinner with the Taglieres and Vances before they returned to California.

Brother-in-law Grant with Julia

My dad made this great go-cart for the kids for Christmas. We had one very similar to it that he made for us when we were growing up.

Charge!

Opa also made a wooden wagon for his grand kids. We also had one like it while growing up.

Fun all the time

2010-12-11T12:14:00.001-08:00

Soon after our cousins arrived we put up the Christmas tree together. The kids had such fun decorating-the lower front half of the tree was especially beautiful-later aunt Linda and I had to fix up here and there:)

Sweet Allison, who enjoyed it all too.

Precious Julia

Outside on the jungle gym, enjoying the wonderfully warm weather

Julia and Ben in Opa and Nanny's bed

Six blessings!

Swimming Cousins

2010-12-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

Cousin Ethan swimming

Aunty Linda, cousin Julia, Ami and Brad

Aunty Linda brought these cool chips, called Hula Hoops and the kids had fun putting them on their fingers.

Bradley

Brad diving -Aunt Sharon we got your noodles to Malawi on our last trip and the kids have used them so much!

The lovely Linda trying to catch a tan on her very white legs!

Looks inviting, doesn't it? We are so blessed to have this gorgeous swimming pool facility here on ABC campus.

Cousin Ethan with a lizard who had lost his tail-his defense mechanism.

Christmas Play

2010-12-08T01:54:00.000-08:00

The play is done- it went well and our family arrived safely-fun days ahead

Getting the backdrop painted.

Almost done-just missing the stars

With some of the kids on stage.

Sweet Benjamin singing his little heart out. He was a cow, Brad was a sheep and Ami was an angel.

Ami-front left

Just one more sleep

2010-12-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

until we see your sweet faces! My sister, her kids and my mom all arrive tomorrow. We have waited so long for this. Next week Sunday, my dad and my brother-in-law arrive and then on the 16th my brother gets here. We're ecstatic! But where did our friends, the Taglieres go to? Well, the Floreens have graciously opened their home to them so that there is space for when our family gets here. Also, tomorrow is the children's Christmas play at church and so it's going to be an extra busy day. Thanks for praying for Danny, Laura and their family!

Taglieres

2010-12-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

We love these dear, dear friends and are so excited that they are with us here in Malawi. They are going through a major trail right now and we would covet your prayers on their behalf. You can read their story here at http://www.three-times-a-mom.blogspot.com/