Six months today since March 20, 2010

My Dear,

Today is the sixth month anniversary of your death. 

Man.  Six months...death.  Those words just don't seem right.  How can it be at the same time so unreal and yet so real?  How can it still feel like you are coming back and yet its been six months without hearing your voice or seeing your face?  And still it feels like these last six months have been an eternity.  Many people told me it would take three-six months before I felt somewhat normal.  And for the most part they are right.  Of course, they also add it won't ever really feel normal again, and that feels right as well.

When people ask how I'm doing, I'm not really sure what to say - especially because it ranges from day to day, sometimes hour to hour.  The range is from depression, to anger, to loneliness, to feeling overwhelmed, to feeling normal.  I have stopped trying to take care of you, which is good, and I now feel like I have to be in the business of surviving. That means putting some things away that are visual, painful reminders of your absence - like your toothbrush and your shoes.

I'm not having coffee outside as often as I did the first few months after your death.  I think I'm avoiding it.  I haven't really accepted "Jesus as my husband" yet.  I'm just not ready to, I guess.  It seems so serious - not playful or light at all.  When you and I had coffee every morning, the routine varied (one of the things I loved about you - you were anti-routine:-).  We would read the Bible, or pray, or talk about parenting, or debate poverty or other issues, or talk about the dogs, or talk about our days or whatever.  When I imagine having coffee with Jesus as my husband, I imagine the conversation to go like this:

 Renita:  So, Jesus, what does your day look like?

Jesus:  Well, today is like any other day:  millions or prayers to listen to, thousands of operations and accidents to attend, four births every second, two deaths every second......of the 146, 357 deaths today, only one-third will enter heaven.  Peter and John are covering a good portion of those but there are some I want to welcome personally.  

Suddenly my day looks pretty un-noteworthy.

I know - He would be focused on me and would care about my day and the issues...but I still miss you and want you as my husband.  I miss the dialogue, the banter, the audible responses, and the ability to process the oodles of issues that arise every day.

The kids and I miss you especially at night when we do our devotions and get into various debates.  Last night they were debating NeoMarxism versus Secular Humanism versus Cosmic Humanism and other 'isms' as well.  Noah was wishing that he was a Cosmic Humanist so that he wouldn't have to do homework as writing on paper would be injuring a god:-).  [That kid really has your mind and your sense of humor!]  You know me - by 10 pm I'm ready to sleep so getting into heavy debates at that time of evening is not my forte.  You loved those debates and the kids missing having those debates with you. 

Time moves on so slowly on a daily basis and so quickly when looking back.  Know that we miss you.  And we love you.

Eid ul-Fitr

Friday was a National Holiday in Ghana and in many countries around the world with a high Muslim population.  The Muslim population in Ghana is around 15%.  The name of the holiday is Eid ul-Fitr, which is Arabic for "festivity concluding the fast", and marks the end of Ramadan.  Ramadan is a thirty day fast from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn to sunset that Muslims partake in for the purpose of learning about patience, humility, and spirituality. During this time, Muslims ask for forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.  Charity and prayer are important parts of this time.

As Hannah and Noah did not have school on Friday, we decided to attend the Eid prayers at the Madina Central Mosque, not too far from our place.  [I use the term "we" loosely - if you remember in an earlier blog, I wanted this next year to be a year of learning more about Ghana.  The kids agreed, in theory.  Actually going out of our comfort zone is another issue.  But after some negotiation, they agreed to get up early on their day off from school to attend these prayers, and they were both good sports about it.]  We arrived at 8 am, when we were told the prayers were supposed to start, but only a handful of people were there.  We passed through a long line of people waiting to receive alms and then sat down to wait and do some people watching. After some time passed, people began to stream in - women were on the side of the building that we were on, while the men went to the other side.

Everyone was dressed in beautiful clothes and the women all wore a white head wrap.  The stream of people after a while was amazing and I was surprised how many Muslims were in this area of Greater Accra, especially when I found out that there was another Mosque, just down the road that was full also.  After a while it suddenly got very quiet and the prayers began.  The prayer time was actually quite short and immediately after that people began to break their fast.

It was a good experience, especially as we have been intentionally learning more about Islam over the last few weeks - a good number of students at Hannah and Noah's school are Muslim, as are business owners with whom I work.  I appreciate their discipline and desire to serve God.  There is very little I know about the Qur'an and I think it's important that we become knowledgeable about it.  John 10:16 says, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.  I must bring them also.  They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." 

Noah went on his own to the men's side, as he didn't want to stay with all the women - and then had to fight the flow of humans to make it back to us. 

Hannah and I both wore a head wrap (even though we didn't have white - thankfully there were some who also weren't wearing white) as a sign of respect for their beliefs.

 By the way, today is the 82nd birthday of Bob's mom, Lucille Mosher.  Happy Birthday!

The First Enterprise: The Garden of Eden

If I haven't told you before, I will tell you now: I have a great mom. I describe her as a saint but if I told you why, it would make her blush. She is one of the most gracious, loving, generous, and forgiving persons I know, who loves her Lord and Savior. My father has serious dementia now, with about a 30 second short-term memory and she is giving him full-time care, which is not an easy task.

Ever since I moved to Africa, our communication has actually improved. We talk every week for about an hour. When I'm in Michigan, we talk less. Weird. Anyway, she challenged me the other week to write more in the blog about the actual work that I do. She said that when we spent time at the cottage over the summer, I told her numerous stories that helped her learn more about the work and she thought it would be good for me to relate those stories in the blog. So, I'm being obedient to my wise mother and will tell some stories.

One of the things that I have done over the years is to teach and help create a curriculum for Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs). This twelve week class is designed to help SMEs create their business plan, a road map for growth, with the end goal being job creation for poverty reduction. As we go through the class, we break their business down into four components as shown in this image:We spend a few weeks discussing the foundation of their business, which relates to sound foundational business decisions that must be made regarding business operations. This includes Business as Mission (BAM), Cultural Worldview versus Biblical Worldview, Business Ethics, and their Mission and Goals. The next few weeks discuss the walls of their business, which has to do with separating themselves from their business, establishing boundaries with family and friends, and handling personnel and management issues. The following few weeks are spent making sure that the business is welcoming to customers by making the windows and doors attractive, which involves customer service, marketing and pricing. And last but not least, we deal with the roof, which if not secure or leaking in any way, can spoil the whole business, dealing specifically with book-keeping, income statements, and balance sheets.

Liberia has taught this class several dozen times to thousands of business owners. Ghana is in the process right now of teaching their second class to about 40 SMEs. Last week, I taught the class on Business as Mission and today I will share with you a story that I usually give.

A little background first: We predominantly work with Christian businesses, although the class is open to all. (We let people know that we are unapologetically Christian, with Biblically based materials, and they can chose to come or not. There are several Muslims in this current class, but most are Christian.) Many Christian business people around the world do not feel affirmed by the church in their calling. They are often viewed as having the ability to give financially, but not a lot of other gifts that can contribute to Kingdom work. We try to turn that idea upside down in a number of ways, and one of the ways that I start the dialogue is by re-framing the story of the Garden of Eden. Pastor Sam Reeves always encouraged us to put on our "spiritual imagination" which I do for this story - hopefully no one will take issue with some creative license. [It's interactive when I am teaching, so I will modify it a little for this context.]

Once upon a time, a long time ago, God decided to establish an enterprise. He called it the Garden of Eden. This enterprise had three purposes according to Genesis 1: 28-30, 2:15: 1. agriculture, both crop production and animal husbandry ("be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth; I give you every seed-bearing plant"), 2. environmental stewardship ("work it and take care of it"), and 3. a management firm ("subdue the earth; rule over it"). He then appointed Adam to be the manager of this enterprise; God was (is) the owner. He recognized that Adam needed a helper and, not wanting to burn out His only employee, Eve was created. This business was declared "good" by the Creator, and remember, this was before the fall. (Implication is that work is good; business is good; the new earth will have similar work for us!) As a responsible owner, He checked in very closely with his managers every evening to see how things were going.

Unfortunately, corruption entered in. (Side note: Many West Africans believe that African leaders are the only ones who are corrupt. Corruption goes back to the very beginning and has infiltrated all people groups - some are just better at hiding it than others.) As managers, Adam and Eve were allowed to have access to the entire company, except for one area. Being the "responsible" managers that they were, they thought that maybe they could help the Owner run it better if they had access to everything. So they put their hand where they shouldn't. Thankfully, the Owner was attentive and immediately knew that His managers had failed Him. Being a God of Justice, He couldn't allow these managers to remain and they suffered the consequences. Even though the management has changed, as has the original location, the business is still operating, although the consequences of those first corrupt managers are still felt to this day.

The moral of the story? There are several:

• God created business. God believes work and creativity and productivity and management is good! There are numerous business persons in the Bible whom God used to do His Kingdom work - not in spite of their business but often because of their business!
• Running a business is difficult - especially when you have human beings working for you. Owners must be diligent in their duties, both in protecting their employees from being overworked and also in checking in regularly to encourage and to make sure things are handled correctly.
• God is the Owner of all business and all work; we are at best the managers. How would this world look if businesses actually operated that way? Or even just the Christian businesses?
  

We do a BAM devotion every week - there are some great Bible passages about business that really seem to turn our current perception of business on its head. I love seeing the light-bulbs go off with these entrepreneurs as suddenly they recognize that their business can be a mission, a calling, something of and from God.

And now for your "awwwwww" moment, a brief video that Hannah shot of the puppies. Note Jack, the father, getting to know his children and appearing somewhat nervous about it.

Inviting Jesus into a Memory

It's been a while since I wrote about how I'm really doing in terms of the grieving process. In light of some recent events, I thought I would share a little with you.

The time this summer was an especially important time for a few reasons and I am so thankful for my friends and family who really pushed me to come home for a few weeks (even though I insisted I didn't need it:-). The time at the cottage was an emotional break for me because Bob had not been to those places and so I was not faced with the visual reminder of his absence 24/7. Spending time with family and friends, playing games, reading, and catching up on much needed sleep, was very healing. During those two weeks, I felt the fog begin to lift.

A couple days before we returned to Ghana, a very important event happened that had God's hand all over it.

In the morning, I had coffee with a friend from the LEAD Grand Rapids group, David Graf, who together with Judy King, another member of my church, had been actively praying with me twice a week over the phone since Bob died. I was shared with him about how I had been reliving Bob's death every night since he died. Dave's ears perked up and he said, "You are reliving that every night? You need prayer for that! We need to pray for you this Sunday after church." Since I was having lunch with our pastor and his wife that same day, he encouraged me to talk with them about this. I shared this with them, and Melanie (Pastor Dave's wife) asked if I had prayed for that nightly memory to be taken away. I sheepishly acknowledged that I hadn't - I just assume that when you go through a traumatic event, that is what happens for a period of time...plus I was still trying to solve what really happened with Bob each night when I relived it, so ending it would feel like I was abandoning him in some way. Pastor Dave then asked if I had ever heard of praying Jesus into a memory, which I hadn't, and he informed me that Judy King does that sort of healing prayer. Well, I just "happened" to have meeting with her later that afternoon.

Judy and I met later that afternoon and since she was not going to be in church that Sunday, she offered to pray for me right then and there. She took my hands, asked me to close my eyes, invited the Holy Spirit into our time, and then had me "go back" to that hospital room, describe where I was standing, what Bob was doing, and who else was in the room. I ended up reliving that last hour of Bob's life, but with Judy inviting Jesus and the Holy Spirit into that memory. At one point, she asked me to place a cross between myself and Bob, and I told her I didn't want to. The cross could be there, but not in-between us. This was an important realization for me, as releasing Bob to Jesus was something that I had not yet done. And so, with many tears, I did that.

I can't describe everything that happened during that prayer time, but to say that it was significant would be an understatement. I realized that I was still trying to take care of Bob through the reliving of his death, trying to figure out what really happened (since we still don't know and never will on this earth), trying to determine what those last minutes were really like for him. And ultimately, reliving those things were my attempts to hold on to him and not let him go.

The results of this prayer time? Several. First, whenever I picture that room now, I picture Bob, lying on his back, with his eyes closed, and the room is peaceful with a sense of Christ's presence; even the lighting is softer. Prior to that, I always pictured him lying on his left side, agitated and the room chaotic, with bright lights. Jesus has become part of that memory. Second, I have stopped reliving his death every night. I have begun sleeping again. Third, I feel like I have accepted his death. I am very thankful to God for this and for the body of Christ in the form of my church family.

I always thought I was a quick study but it appears that when it comes to grieving, I am not. It appears, with the benefit of hindsight, that I spent the first four months following Bob's death in the first stage of grief, denial. I did not realize what a stupor I had been in for those four months. Every email, every phone call, every conversation that was not about Bob took great effort and energy. I had no interest in anything except lying in my bed. I'm amazed that any work actually got done during that time and appreciate the patience of Partners Worldwide and the teams with whom I work as they allowed me to grieve.

The grieving process is not over yet though. To use an analogy, I would say that prior to this vacation, it was like being in a hurricane. The time at home was like coming into the eye of the hurricane which was a beautiful thing, and for about two weeks, I felt great and remembered what it was like to feel normal. I now feel like I'm entering the back side of the hurricane in terms of some new stages of grief to deal with, but at least the shock and stupor seem to be behind me.

Thanks to so many of you for your prayers, your encouraging emails and comments to these blogs, your calls, visits, and hugs!

One Year in Ghana

Weather in Accra: This is the weather that Bob loved - a pretty constant breeze, temperature ranging from the high 70sF to the mid-80sF. Humidity is still around 70% but it doesn't feel like it because of the breeze. The rainy season here has nothing on Liberia - it rains a few times a week, but without a large accumulation.

August marks our one year anniversary in Ghana. To say this has been a stressful year would be a gross understatement. On stress scales, death of a spouse rates as number one. Add to that moving to a new country, learning about a new culture, both of us starting new work, the kids starting a new school, new church, and the list can go on. According to stress tests, I am at the highest risk for stress related illness. Yet I have been relatively healthy and I thank God for that.

Here are some reflections on living in Ghana for year one:

Electricity and water have been a blessing, in comparison to Liberia, but not entirely smooth. The water is typically off from about Thursday-Sunday, and we live off our storage tank during those days, with very slow streams. By Sunday we are seriously conserving and hoping that the water will come back on Monday. The best shower day in our house is Tuesday - great water pressure. Electricity comes and goes - for example, this past Thursday the power was off from about 10 am - 6:30 pm; Friday, off from 8 pm - 10 pm; Saturday, off from 9 am - 11:30 am. It can be frustrating because you don't know when it will go off or when it will come back on. It's really bad when your computer is downloading updates and the power shuts off.

Getting to know Ghana, her people, and her culture has been more difficult than expected due to the predominant use of Twi by most people, which is the local language, instead of English which is the official language. Additionally, the independence that we admire in the Ghanaian people also makes them a little more reserved or less welcoming. So at the end of our first year, we know we have a lot to learn about Ghana and hope that this next year will allow that to happen.

Here are some pictures from this past year that hadn't made it to the blog yet.

On my way home from teaching class on Wednesday, we paused to let the cows pass. One of the things I love about living in West Africa. Unfortunately, this wasn't too much of a problem in Liberia, but we pray that animal husbandry may continue to grow in that country, providing more meat and protein for Liberians.

Getting used to dust was a big factor in Ghana. In Liberia we lived by the ocean and there was always sand in the house, but not the same level of red dust that we have in Accra. Every day, things are covered with a fine layer of red dust (because the windows are open 24/7 and we live on a dirt road). Paper can't be left out overnight, printers and computers need to be bagged, and a daily chore is wiping down tables and desks so as not to turn everything red. The amazing thing is how clean most cars are - people here are fastidious about keeping their vehicles clean and taxi drivers, when they aren't driving, are always wiping down their cars.

Hannah and Noah had the opportunity to participate in the Model United Nations (MUN) this past year at the Kofi Annan United Nations Building. Hannah represented Brazil, Noah represented Argentina. They had to research various topics and then debate them with other representatives from various countries. It was great to see these high school students get dressed up for those days and debate real issues.One of the last pictures taken of Bob, with the group in Nigeria. In the past year, he was able to go to Mali as well. I was able to travel four times to Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia.

Writing on the back of vehicles is a very common thing and we often get a kick out of what is written. One day we saw this truck and had a good chuckle over it saying "highly inflammable" as it was filled with gas. We were still chuckling over it later in the day and mentioned it to someone else who looked at us like we were idiots and told us it was completely okay. Sure enough, flammable and inflammable both mean the same thing. Go figure. There's your English tip for the day.

As much as Accra looks like a well developed city, you don't have to drive far to see areas where poverty is prevalent. In the distance you can see many fishing boats, which are more like canoes.

Hannah had the opportunity to join the worship team at Elim International Family Church and either sings or plays the flute. The youth group is leading worship in this picture and Hannah is on the left, playing the flute.

I have met many great business people in the greater Accra area. This is a picture of a man making those little rubber feet that you find on the bottom of steel tables or chairs. He's making them out of scraps of rubber. One main difference between Ghana and Liberia is that there are many more real SMEs (small and medium size enterprises) here, which we define as having five+ employees. There is an actual middle class in Ghana.

A shot of a classic village, found in between Accra and Cape Coast.

We had a chance to visit Bob's tree in July. It has grown significantly and looks very healthy. Last Friday marked five months since his death.

A number of you have asked about the pups - all seven are doing well. Three males, four females. Dusty (the mom) has also stopped attacking our other two dogs every few minutes (especially our other female, Faith), so we are all getting sleep again. Aren't they cute?

And then there were 7 dogs...I mean 9...oops 8...um 11...ok 10.

Sunday morning was an exciting morning at the Reed household. After waiting for four years, we finally are happy to announce the birth of new Reed puppies.

If you remember in Liberia, Bob eagerly prepared several times for Nikki to give birth, but she fooled us at least twice with false pregnancies. (To see those posts go to http://reedsinliberia.blogspot.com.) Earlier this year, in the beginning of March, Faith miscarried. Then when we came back just a couple of weeks ago, both Faith and Dusty were pregnant. Sunday morning, for whatever reason, they both gave birth.

When I went out to feed the dogs, I found Dusty in the garden with four pups. I moved them into a more comfortable home ( an old suitcase), got my coffee and sat down to watch. Four puppies plus three dogs - suddenly we had seven dogs in the yard. I then noticed that Faith was looking a little different. After doing some exploration, I found two puppies that she had given birth to but unfortunately both were dead. I buried those, then came back to my coffee and to watch Dusty, who suddenly had five puppies. Hannah and Noah began to get up, and by the time they came out to see the puppies, we counted seven (plus our three, now ten dogs in the yard). Noah noticed that Dusty seemed to be contracting again. Thirty minutes later, we watched Dusty give birth to another pup - the only black puppy with white feet and white-tipped tail. [Picture shows this birth.] Unfortunately, it was not breathing and did not survive. But we were still glad that we were able to watch one birth - even though it was a little gross. I did videotape it but we all decided it was not the kind of thing to post on the blog. It's amazing how instinctual it is for a mother dog to care for a new born puppy.

Here is Dusty with her seven pups - all of whom seem healthy and all of whom seem to look like Jack. Dusty seems to be a good mom, thus far. If you remember, she was the dog that almost died. Bob worked extra hard to keep her alive and would not give up on her. He would have loved to see her as a proud momma.

Ten dogs might be a little much for us to handle...Anyone want a puppy?

Getting back - reflections from Hannah

After two awesome, busy months in the States, the family and I are back home in Accra. It feels good to be back, good to put away the suitcase and use a closet and drawers again, good to be settled at home again. But I had a great time in the States and I miss it there, miss my friends, miss riding bikes, miss the changes in weather and the late sunsets. This summer was a blast. It was also too short, but then it always seems so. However despite the great time I had in the States, there is another big reason for my relief at being back. This relief is due to a condition called "America-itis", and being back helps me be rid of it. This condition is very serious and ridiculously easy to contract. My friend, Niecia and I, spend a lot of time together.

This is how I continually contract it. After a little time in the States, the excitement wears off past the initial happiness and thrill of being Stateside, and the fact that I am actually in America begins to sink in. I begin to notice all the things about America that I hate - the extreme convenience - not that convenience is bad, but we're talking about Extreme Convenience, everything at your fingertips - the materialism, the "America Bubble" and detachment from so many world problem (Disclaimer: this is not true of all America and all Americans, however these seem to be the general rules). This is Stage II. Stage I is the initial response, the rediscovery of all good things in America. Stage III of this disease is very dangerous, and it's the easiest to slip into: when I stop noticing these things. When I begin forgetting all that I learned in Liberia and Ghana. When I stop noticing how good we have it in the States. When the "me" problem begins. Out to eat with Jon and Niecia. Look at the size of those burgers!

The "me" problem is when I begin panicking when one little bit of a plan doesn't work out, forgetting that it is one day. Forgetting how much I have. And yes, there definitely is a time and place for focusing on yourself, a time and place for focusing on the small details, but when this becomes a daily habit, that is when Stage III has set in. [As a teenager, this case is much more acute. And yes, that can be an excuse, and a pretty good one. Teenagers as a rule are like this. But then I remember the verse in Jeremiah, my favorite Bible passage, "But the Lord said to me, "Do not say 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you to. Do not be afraid for I am with you and will rescue you.' declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 1:7-8). But the teen thing is a whole other problem...]My friends (from left to right), Dan, Curtis, Jon, and Niecia.

Stage IV is the most frustrating, but when I enter into it, then the end is in sight for this disease - either that or the cycle of this disease will begin again. Stage IV is when I discover how much I am into Stage III. It's when I realize how much my focus has been drawn off what I've learned, off the bigger perspective, off of God even, and back onto myself. The frustrating part is breaking out of the habits of Stage III. It is so easy to take your sights off the Bigger picture and begin to be consumed about the daily struggles, frustrations, and anxieties of life as a relatively privileged American - so easy to be so focused on the day and on yourself. It's a habit that's easy to slip into and hard to get out of ...and a key element to the sinful nature. As such, we as Americans have to realize this. As so many people say, "admitting you have a problem is half the battle." After that...it only gets harder. I don't think I, or anyone else, will ever be cured of "America-itis" or the "ME syndrome", but it is a disease that is treatable. It just takes a lot effort, faith and prayer.Jon and Dan acting goofy at mini-golf.

On a separate and sadder note, today is my dad's 56th birthday. As a family, we don't do much to celebrate the birthdays of the parents...I'd make dad a card, maybe bake a cake after I got older, make his favorite birthday meal, sang Happy Birthday, and occasionally got a present for him if I knew there was something he really wanted. And that was it. As many of you can imagine, he wasn't big on parties or making a big deal out of an annual day celebrating getting older. But still, it is a hard day. He would've been 56 years old. I like to picture him, up in heaven, getting a huge, way overdone birthday cake as a prank from some of the angels he befriended, some trickster humans who went before him, some well-meaning people. All standing around a cake, laughing and joking. And God in the midst of it all, overjoyed at the joy of His children. I like to picture this, because I believe Dad would love it. He hated any type of sentimental, store-bought card, which is part of the reason I always made him a card. But he didn't mind the cards with the joke in them. Getting a huge joke-cake from those who knew he didn't love to celebrate his birthday, who understood that birthdays didn't really matter anymore, but who also love my dad and knew they could get a good laugh out of this. I miss him a lot, love him a lot, think of him a lot. Can't wait to be with him again. I look forward to the hug he'll give me and hearing his voice.

Until then...Happy Birthday, Daddy. I love you.

Mid-week Reed Update

Hi folks,

We missed the last two Mondays and thought we'd do a mid-week post to catch up a bit. The three of us arrived back in Ghana yesterday (Tuesday, August 3). All of us expressed happiness at being back home and in our own space. Hannah commented on how it is strange that she is more comfortable in Africa than in America, although I think that has something to do with staying in our own house. All of us were glad to unpack our bags and put away suitcases for the first time in five-seven weeks.

Hannah and Noah will begin school on August 16, so they have a week and a half of some down time to resettle and catch up on sleep.

Below are some pictures that capture some of the fun, family, and friends that we feel so blessed to have experienced in the last few weeks.

No summer would be complete without an ice cream that is so big it makes you sick. Here is Hannah with her friend, Hannah.

Noah leaving on his service project in Holland, MI with his friends, Matt (left) and Sam (right).

Noah loved being able to drive a boat around Indian Lake.

Hannah and her friend, Dan, relaxing in a hammock.
Noah and a captured turtle, caught while fishing at the end of the dock at Big Star Lake.

My nephew, Peter, teases the open mouth bass he just caught. Or maybe the fish is teasing Peter?

My brother, Henry and his wife, Marnie were able to join us for a few days, which was a real treat!

My mom was able to join us for the full two weeks at the cottage, which was a great joy for both of us. She was able to get some rest as well from being full-time caretaker of my father who is suffering from Alzheimers.
Noah reflects thoughtfully at Michigan's Adventure with some sort of creature on his head.
My sister, Janette, who played host to many of us along with her husband, Dale, enjoys a cuddle with her dog, Brody.
Just arrived back in Ghana, Noah assumes the cool look, hiding behind his shades and long locks.
Every time we go on vacation, we come back to skinny dogs, despite the more than sufficient amount of food we leave behind. Note how skinny Jack looks. However, the other two dogs don't look skinny as they both are pregnant. Yikes.

Road Trip

As many of you are preparing for various road trips to enjoy some rest and relaxation, I thought I would take you on a different road trip from when I went to Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire. Many of you have told me that you would love to come to visit but haven't found the open doors, so I thought this time I would open a window, stick my camera out, and at least give you a couple of minutes of feeling like you are in West Africa.

Admittedly a kind of boring and brief video, it might give you a taste of the road, with all it's bumps and holes. I also taped a little of a funeral we attended in Cote d'Ivoire. If you look closely, you will see rebel soldiers helping to keep that funeral orderly. At the end, we pass by a group of women who are clearing some land for planting rice, using a "slash and burn" method that breaks Dea's heart each time he sees it, as it is not good for the land and ultimately for the farmers. We stopped and found out that none of the women in this group are Christian; Dea was able to get them to sign up for their next training.

road trip

And finally, a word from Noah

Noah is off for a service project this week in Holland, Michigan but before he left he sent me his blog entry, which is below. I think, if you read it closely, you may well hear Bob's sense of humor coming through....
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Hey all, I guess it's time I write this blog and get it off my back. I have struggled with what to write about for a while and I have decided to talk about this camping trip I went on last weekend. It was an awesome camping trip, although it was very tiring. The Steenwyks (the family with whom I am staying), their strange dog/who-knows-what, and I went up to Mackinaw. We camped in a site in the Upper Peninsula. On day one (Saturday), we traveled to Mackinaw City and walked around all day looking in shops and going through different historical places, like old lighthouses and forts. The next day (Sunday if you're not entirely sure) we went up to Tahquamenon Falls (thank goodness for google so I can check my spelling) and wandered around there the entire day. The waterfalls were stunning. It was an awesome place to be. By this time all of us, including the dog, were wiped out but there was one last place we wanted to go to on our last day. Mackinac Island. We got on a ferry at 8:30 am and drove? (dunno the word for being boated to different places...) to Mackinac Island. That place was awesome except there was tons of walking and dodging horse poop and climbing hills. But seeing the awesome old forts and rocks and what not definitely made up for it although the dog thing had a tough time with all the walking. But enough talk, here are some pictures I took. I would have more but the camera I have doesn't have much memory space left on it.

We finally arrived in Mackinaw after a four hour car trip.

Fort Michilimackinac, where we would spend the next few hours wandering around.

Matt Steenwyk, the oldest child, messing around in some uniforms we found in the fort.

A picture of Mackinac Bridge from the top of an outpost in the fort.

Out of the fort, we went to an old lighthouse and climbed up to the top of it.

The view from the top was spectacular.

On the ferry, traveling to Mackinac Island.

There it is! Land ho!

Mackinac Island, only horses and bikes.

Entrance to an old cemetery. Oooh spooky.

Arch Rock, a really cool rock in the shape of an...uh...arch.

Another awesome view of the fort, overlooking Mackinac Island this time.

In the fort, a view overlooking a beautiful area of Mackinac Island.
Tired from all the walking, it seems Ben, the youngest male child, has gone insane and is wearing...an octopus hat?

Back on the ferry, tired out from walking, we head back to our camp site.

The dog, named Daisy (huge misnomer here), extremely tired and did NOT want to be bothered. Well, that's just too bad, Daisy! Muahaha...

Bothering the dog, it seemed to have just died...

"Noahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, lemme alone..."

FUDGE!!! Mine...all mine!!! No...I wish.

Almost back...one last picture of the Bridge.

And so that was our camping trip. Lots of fun! Sorry, I did forget my camera when we went to Tahquamenon Falls so I have no pictures of that sadly...oops.