Packing my bags again

Although it seems as if I just got home from my last trip I am now getting set to take off again. In February I will be heading out to Bangladesh on a dental mission. Now let me just say I wasn't even sure where Bangladesh is knowing it only from the Beatles song but I was signing on anyway. I will be traveling as part of the dental team for Alliance for Smiles and am researching now to learn about the people of Bangladesh. Check out Alliance for Smiles web site and consider if there is any way you can help out. You can always support me by lifting me and the whole mission up in prayer. Stay tuned for more info as I learn it. The dates at this time are February 14th - the 28th.

( http://www.allianceforsmiles.org/ ) 

Visitor from Namibia

Last Thursday my family had the honor of hosting a visitor from Namibia. Pastor Paul Hatani Kisting is the deputy bishop for ELCRN a Lutheran synod in Namibia. I had met him briefly during my visit there in June and was happy to hear he was coming to the US and my church was asked to share our lives with him for a week. 

Jay and I rushed to get Kyle's bedroom set up as a guest room, something we had been talking about for over a year but never seemed to get around to. We have all decided that the now guest room is the best bedroom in the house (you can watch the waterfall while lying in bed,) and all are fighting over who will sleep there LOL

Thursday morning Pastor Nagle and I picked Pastor Kisting up at a church in Jersey City and set off to envelop him in our world for a week. We visited the Statue of Liberty, participated in various classes, walked at the celery farm, worshiped together and then had a pot luck dinner for him. He got a chance to play his trumpet with a friend of ours who plays one professionally. We went to a swing club in the city, shopped for his family and just spent a lot of time talking. 

Every time I have been to Africa I have come home and had trouble re-acclimating to life here. Spending this time last week with him was even harder. Seeing my community with a filter of someone from Namibia just made things even clearer. So many time I heard myself saying something or asking something and realized how spoiled I am. There are so many luxuries we have that I don't even notice. He couldn't get over all the cars on the road with only one person in them. That just doesn't happen in Africa. If someone is going somewhere the car will fill up with others needing to do something in that area too. I thought how many times my family are all going to the same place but our timing is a little different and so we all take our own cars. Can you say wasteful? So many things need to change.

But just as there were so many times when I died a little inside with embarrassment there were also times that he had me see something so wonderful that I also overlook. His amazement of self check out registers that talk to you and drive through bank windows.... you just don't see those things in Namibia either. 

Most of all I loved connecting with the quiet, faith-filled pastor. We have adopted him as a brother and I look forward to continuing to come to know more of him, his family as well as the beautiful country they live in. While some people would ask me why I would welcome a guest for a whole week with all the work it entails but I feel we were blessed every moment he was here and I will welcome him gladly at any time in the future.

From Namibia to Minnesota

I have been getting all kinds of grief from some friends about my neglect of my blog. All I have to say in defense of myself is between working more and trying to ward off carpal tunnel I have been staying away from things like typing on the computer. The wrist is feeling better so hopefully I will get a little more disciplined again. 

Anyway enough of that, this weekend I am in Minnesota with my daughter visiting at St Olaf College so I will take a break from my Namibia tales. All I can say is that this is the kind of school you dream of your child going to. Let's ignore the beauty of the school and it's setting. And let's ignore the friendliness of the students here. This school just exudes educational excitement. I want to be a student here.  I browsed through the course selection book while waiting on Shelby in her interview. The range of courses offered are thrilling. How I wish I knew of schools like this when I was graduating high school. The best thing was to see Shelby's excitement as the weekend went on. 

Our flight came in late and so it was dark out by the time we arrived in Northfield. Shelby and I grabbed a light snack and then met with her overnight host. The school had arranged for her to spend the night in one of the dorms. Everything went so fast that I left her feeling a little uneasy. I said a quick good bye and then headed to my hotel having left her the message call me if you need me. 

I didn't hear from her until the next morning when I received a text saying how great everyone in the dorm was and she was loving it. I met up with her after a biology class and met up with the Admissions officer, Angelique. I thought this would be stressful but she was really nice (IS everyone nice in Minnesota?) Anyway, Shelby attended 3 classes, took a tour, ate a couple of meals, spent the night, attended daily chapel and fell in love with the school. She loved the classes, thought the professors were brilliant, and admired all the tall gorgeous guys here (Apparently the guys are much better here in Minnesota.) 

Today we spent the day wandering around the town of Northfield, (We found 3 bookstores and a library - Shelby was happy.) This is the kind of little college town I have read of but never had a chance to visit - I just may have to move to Minnesota myself. We drove through the other school here in Northfield, Carlton. Shelby thought it was nice but nothing like St Olaf.

Tomorrow we will head back to Northfield for a visit to a church there for worship and then we will head back to the Twin Cities area. We are Mall of America bound. We will hit Archivers, a scrapbooking store to pick up a few things and then tomorrow night while at the hotel Shelby wants to make a little scrapbook about her visit to bring in to school. She needs to show the guidance counselor something to prove she really was on a college visit. 

Monday afternoon we head back home, both having fallen in love with this school and hoping that they recognize what a gift Shelby will be to whatever school she attends and that they invite her to join them next year.