Test Results

The blood test result to check my immunity against rubella came back today. It was negative. The doctor said that seemed strange because my last MMR vaccination was in June 2006. He also said that we need to remember that we are in REAL Africa and they could have made a mistake. Also, the test for one of the children who was diagnosed with rubella came back and no virus was found in her blood. So perhaps a mistake again? Who knows? GOD does and I have to trust Him and be wise at the same time. We have been a little reclusive the last couple of days and shall continue to do so, to be on the safe side. We do still really value your prayers on behalf of this precious Biedebach baby.


On a lighter note: I try and carry my camera wherever I go and just had to take a picture of the lab sign. Only in Africa :) Africa, we love you!

Rubella

Please pray for me. There is a possibility that I have been in contact with people who have the Rubella(German Measles) virus here in Malawi. That is not a good thing for any pregnant woman in her first trimester. Today, I went to have an IGG test done which will check my immunity. Please pray that the test comes back positive. Pray that I would consider this trial, pure joy and that I would trust wholly in the God Who is sovereign and in complete control of every detail of our lives and most certainly in the miraculous development of this tiny baby of mine. Your prayers are appreciated. I shall keep you posted.

Growing Grass...

This is our backyard. Some will remember previous pictures from earlier posts with what looked like a desert for a yard. Now it's desert with a touch of green. Stay tuned...God is so amazing-it's been exciting for us just to watch the grass grow.

Grass planting is quite a process in Malawi. First the ground has to be watered for weeks beforehand. The ground is very hard, because it's so hot and so the watering helps to moisten and soften the soil. Then little furrows have to be dug by hand and then the arduous task of planting grass runners begins. Brian hired some of his Homiletics' students for a couple of Saturdays to plant the grass. Once the rains start, usually November through March, then the grass will grow really fast!

At the Playground

The wooden thatched treehouse at the playground.

Benjamin climbing the wooden treehouse. Take note of the green fruit pod things on the ground near him. More to follow...

This is the playground at the African Bible College Christian Academy. They have some great playground equipment, probably the best in Malawi. Ami is on the new bike track which was poured before the school year started in September.

Dad pushing all three kids!

This is Ami in action trying to get her dad back with those green fruit pods things. At first, when these 'things' were hitting Ami and Bradley, they didn't know where they were coming from. "Must be raining green fruit pod things". Once they found out who the culprit was, the war was on.




Biedebach Boys




Benjamin likes to walk along this raised bench, but of course, Dad is nearby just in case.

That frangipani is in bloom

These are some of the beautiful frangipani trees that are on the campus that we live on.
Yellow golden colour.

Pink with orange centre.

Just a cute boy!

This is the tree Bradley likes to climb.

"En dan is daar vier"

On Monday, a friend and I went out to celebrate our recent birthdays. Brian watched the kids. We were gone for three hours. It was wonderful for us. The kids had fun playing with dad. Ami apparently learned how to swing a baseball bat and did really well.

While we were out, I also managed to organize a little birthday gift for Brian. I decided to give it to him early, because I couldn't wait to give it to him on November 7th.

He opened the gift bag and took out the candy bar and wasn't overly excited. I told him to look at the candy bar very closely. Taped to it was a skinny Malawian pregnancy test, that had two definite lines across it.

His face was priceless, shock and exuberance all in one! What fun to be able to share this awesome news with the kids too. Ami is over the moon. Bradley doesn't think it can be true, because Mommy doesn't have a big tummy (well there is a medium tummy, but that's because of having kiddos like him :) Benjamin just says, "Baby, baby!" and has no clue.

Praise the Lord for the blessing of another child. We shall see a doctor in South Africa over the holidays. We have planned to go down to SA for Christmas and to attend our friends' wedding(Beth and Sybrand).

Go ahead...translate the title.

Stacy Moore's RECIPE

Natalie, this is for you and all the other moms who need a great cake recipe for birthdays. Stacy, THANK YOU for your contribution. I received several compliments on the cake.

CAKE
3/4 cups butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (all purpose)
1/4 c. corn starch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Sift the dries in a separate bowl. Set aside.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, then sour cream, zest and vanilla (into the butter/sugar mixture).
4. Add the dries. Mix until just combined. Pour batter into 2-8" cake rounds, lined with parchment paper and sprayed with pan spray, and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 25 minutes, until the top of the cake is nice and golden and the middle is set. Check for done-ness by inserting a toothpick. The middle should come out clean.

I made a regular butter frosting with a little orange juice instead of milk and it was delish!