Steve and Beth

Left hospital

2011-06-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

We were released from the hospital yesterday and returned to Beth's parents' house.

Nadia Joy arrived

2011-06-13T11:06:00.001-07:00

We are pleased to announce the arrival of Nadia Joy. Mother and baby are healthy.

got to jfk

2010-02-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

After the unexpected night in Charlotte, including the challenge of tracking down car seats so the hotel shuttle could transport the kids, all three arrived at JFK. Two more long plane rides and they should be home.

Stranded in Charlotte

2010-02-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

The saga continues. Beth and kids got to Charlotte. Then the plane was taken out of service, so everyone had to get off. They made her get her luggage and she has been waiting in a long line trying to get re-booked ever since.

She'll surely miss her over-the-ocean connection again, so we'll just have to wait another day...assuming there are no other unexpected setbacks. Such is airline travel these days. But hey, at least it's faster than a boat.

Still in Texas

2010-02-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

We tried to fly out of DFW yesterday, to no avail. The 1-2 inches of snow that were predicted turned into nearly eight inches over the course of the day -- an all-time record for this area.

After multiple calls to the airline, who assured us each time that the flight looked fine, we drove to the airport at 5:30 Thursday morning through large flakes of snow. The agent who checked us in assured us again that the flight was still scheduled to leave on time. We believed them.

We boarded the plane -- a full flight in which we had to check one of our carryons and every seat was full. Tim was in the window seat, I was in the middle with Katie, and there was a man sitting in the aisle seat next to me.

Then began our wait on the plane. First, we taxied out to get in line for the de-icing machine. We were third in line. They told us it was a 10-minute process. After 30 minutes, they had finished one airplane, but we were suddenly fourth in line. We then had to go back to the gate to get more fuel. By the time we got back, we were eighth in line. We had been on the plane for five hours when we finally went back to the gate to give everyone a "break." They still hadn't canceled the flight. I was gathering up our things and trying to scurry off the plane (as much as you can with two kids and lots of stuff) when the alleged 10-minute break turned into "hurry up and get back in your seats! If we don't get back in the de-icing line we lose our place altogether!" We were already going to have to spend the night at a hotel in New York because we were already going to miss our overseas connection, so there was not much that was going to keep me from getting off that plane.

My first mission when I got off was to do everything I could to get at least our checked carryon off the plane. I was hoping to get the checked luggage off, as well, since letting it take off on that plane meant we may never see it again. The airline personnel were surprisingly helpful at that point. We had our carryon back in about 30 minutes and our checked luggage back within the hour. In the meantime, I called my parents to come pick us up (their second two-hour round trip through the snow to the airport that day -- bless them!).

So now we're back in Garland until Monday morning, at which point we're going to give the exact same itinerary another whirl. Hopefully by then the snow and ice will be gone and the backed up airport traffic will have cleared a bit.

We had a fun morning of playing in the snow! Here are a couple more pictures.

My dad holding Tim (left) and my mom holding Tim's cousin Candace (right):

Even Katie went outside for a few minutes!

3-month-old eyesight

2010-01-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

Katie had another appointment with the Retina Foundation this morning. They determined that, at five months old, she is now seeing at about the ability level of a three-month-old. So that's an encouraging improvement!

One of the ladies commented how much she has grown and how well she now seems to be "tracking" with her eyes. We've definitely noticed that, too. It's fun to watch her follow and reach for toys and faces that are moved around in her line of vision.

The nystagmus is still there. They said that it will likely settle into a pendulum-type movement rather than the random roving that we've seen over the last few months. This is predicted to improve slightly as she gets older and learns how to focus (i.e. reading).

We're planning to return home to Africa in mid-February, so we still have a couple of weeks at my parents' house in Texas.

We just enjoyed a visit from Steve's parents from Guatemala.

Here's a recent picture of Tim and Katie together.

Delayed Visual Maturation

2010-01-04T14:08:00.001-08:00

Katie's opthamologist called today with the good news that her MRI came back completely normal. Since Katie came back with "a clean bill of health," as the doctor put it, her current recommendation is for us to continue to watch her and hope (pray!) that her vision continues to improve. The nystagmus may continue, even if her vision is otherwise normal. So we may have to address the nystagmus again someday if it causes problems with her ability to visually function, but we'll cross that bridge later.

We've already seen an obvious improvement in her visual responsiveness since we arrived here December 9th, and we attribute it to God's hand. We know that He has it all under control, and we continue to ask that He will heal her in His time. We would love to see her complete healing. We trust that His plan is best.

Christmas in West Africa

2009-12-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

While Beth and kids were in Texas, Steve spent Christmas in West Africa several hours East of the capital. Highlights included singing carols for hospital patients Christmas Eve, then climbing the nearby "mountain" in the dark to watch the sunrise and sing more carols. It was cold enough Steve was actually glad to have his jacket! Thankfully, it warmed up enough before long to revert to a short-sleeve shirt. There was a nice view of the countryside from the top.

Later many of the foreigners got together for a good potluck dinner.

Steve also enjoyed hearing from his siblings, parents, and family...each in a different country.

Christmas in Texas

2009-12-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Tim and Katie. The other children in the second photo are my sister Ruth's twins.

The MRI: no news is good news

2009-12-24T08:58:00.001-08:00

Katie's MRI was yesterday. They sedated her, which could have been a little scary, but it went smoothly. The personnel who worked with her, including the anesthesiologist, said she did great, and she regained complete consciousness very quickly after the hour+ examination. The hardest part was having to go six hours without nursing her, though thankfully she wasn't suffering for the last hour or so.

They told us that the full results would be available by Monday, but they would call us the same day if there was anything of concern. We didn't receive a call yesterday, so we trust that the results were more or less normal. If I haven't heard anything by Monday, I plan to call her opthamologist on Tuesday to see what she recommends for the next step(s).

One-month-old eyesight

2009-12-22T18:21:00.000-08:00

After watching Katya's response to moving cards with varying-precision black-and-white lines, the Retina Foundation determined that she is indeed seeing, but at the level of a one-month-old rather than a four-month-old.

They also put her in a pair of special goggles to measure her nystagmus, then they stuck electrodes on her head and flashed more black and white lines on a computer screen while swinging jingling metal bracelets on a string in front of the computer screen to keep her attention.

Her retinas appear to be normal, so we'll see what the MRI shows tomorrow. In the meantime, she's smiling and responding more and more every day!

MRI

2009-12-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

Katie's opthamologist recommends she get an MRI, so we've scheduled it for Wednesday, December 23rd. This is to check for any neurological problems that might be affecting her vision.

The Retina Foundation

2009-12-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

I received a call today that the Retina Foundation is interested in Katya's case, so we have an appointment scheduled with them for next Tuesday, December 22nd.

Tim is feeling better

2009-12-15T18:43:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Tim, his cousin Candace, and his Aunt Ruth all came down with the stomach flu. Everyone seemed to be mostly over it after a day or two, but Tim's hung for a full three days.

The nurse at the pediatrician's office told us over the phone that it sounded like strep throat and that we needed to come in this morning if he wasn't better, but thankfully this morning he woke up feeling much better. He started eating and drinking again and seems to be regaining his energy.

Katie's ERG

2009-12-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

Katie had her ERG this afternoon. Aunt Lisa drove us there, and it took both of us to hold/calm her while they did the procedure. They stuck electrodes on her head, then on her face, and flashed a bunch of bright lights at her. The tech said that we have to wait a couple of weeks for the results -- the local doctor has to look at them before sending them to the opthamologist.

Doctor No. 2 -- the pediatric opthamologist

2009-12-13T03:53:00.000-08:00

The doctor agrees that Katie has very limited vision, that she sees only the brightest of lights. Upon examination of her eyes, the doctor says that the problem is not one that can be remedied by glasses, nor is it something like cataracts that can be corrected by a simple surgery. She suspects that the problem is in the area of the retina, so Katie is scheduled for an ERG (electroretinography) Monday afternoon at 3:00.

In the meantime, Beth, Tim, and Katya are at Beth's parents' house in Garland with her sister Ruth and her year-and-a-half old twins. Tim is having fun playing with his cousins and spending time with his grandparents and aunts and uncles. The Christmas tree went up Friday night, and Tim was in awe.

Doctor No. 1 -- the pediatrician

2009-12-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning they saw the primary care pediatrician, who agrees that there is a problem and that Katie needs to see a specialist, a pediatric opthamologist. Miraculously, she got an appointment in 15 minutes with the specialist!

Travel adventures of a mom, a two-year-old, and a 3-month-old

2009-12-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Beth, Tim, and Katya arrived in Texas Wednesday evening. The only notable delay was a 2-hour wait in the airplane at the gate in Paris while they replaced a part on the airplane. But when you already have an 11-hour flight, what difference does it really make if it becomes 13 hours?

Back to the beginning of the trip. Beth here. Here are a few more details for those of you who like such things.

When trying to work through this thing with the insurance company, they originally wanted to evacuate us to Paris. With the help of our organization's home office, we lobbied to be sent to Texas where we have the support of family and friends, a place to stay, transportation, Katie's peditrician, etc. Had we been sent to Paris, Steve would have, without question, needed to travel with me. Since we were headed straight for Texas, however, I felt prepared for this crazy international voyage alone with two small children.

At first, we thought we might have to hop on a plane with three hours notice Monday evening. When they were trying to get us out on the "next possible flight," they asked at 7:00 Monday evening if we could be ready to leave on the midnight flight. So we had exactly three hours to pack and get ourselves ready to go. After about 45 minutes of scurrying around, throwing things in suitcases, they told us there was no room on the flight. So they put us on another midnight flight, but the following day, Tuesday. So we had a whole day to prepare.

Normally an infant ticket requires a paper ticket, but there was not time to turn that around. So upon arrival at the airport Tuesday night, we had to hassle with Air France for awhile to get Katie on the flight. Thankfully Steve was there, 'cause I spent that time changing an astonishingly dirty diaper that Tim had made me -- one that made me wonder if the 20 diapers I had packed for the trip were going to be enough. That whole process took so long that we barely made it on the flight. We were the only ones on the bus out to the plane. When we got to the plane, one of the airport personnel grabbed Tim and rushed him up the stairs, which were empty by that point because everyone else was already on the plane. The plus was that we didn't have to wait too long for take-off. :)

No bassinets were available, but the flight was not too full, so they kindly gave us our own row of four seats! After Tim fell asleep in my lap, I laid him across two of the seats to my left. Then after Katie nursed, I laid her sideways on the seat to my right.

I thanked God so many times during this trip that she's such a good eater. That little girl didn't miss a beat: every two to three hours, then she was calm! And am I ever thankful to be nursing! That trip would have been decidedly impossible had I had to shuffle bottles of formula...

Amazingly the children slept 3 hours or so, and I think I may have gotten an hour or two myself. We got off the plane in Paris around 6 am. We had gate-checked the stroller, telling them that we really needed it in Paris. It was nowhere to be seen, and upon further investigation we realized that European regulations don't allow retrieval of strollers during layovers. Thankfully we had a six-hour layover, so I, with my 3-month-old strapped to the front of me, fell in step with my two-year-old.
We mosied our way over to get our boarding passes for the next leg, get on the train for a terminal on the other side of the airport, and go through security again. That only took a little over two hours, so we still had plenty of time to spare. We had some tuna for breakfast (thank goodness two-year-olds don't know the difference) and played on the little playground in the terminal. There was another mom traveling alone with her two small children: two boys, ages one and three, so Tim even had a playmate!

We had a direct flight from Paris to DFW, which was a huge blessing! Usually we have to go through another city in the US before arriving at DFW. It made for a slightly longer flight: 11 hours instead of 9 or 10, but it was wonderful to not have to shuffle everybody yet one more time. As I mentioned earlier, we sat at the gate for two hours before taking off. Tim slept the whole two hours, which sounds great, but the problem is that he didn't sleep again until the last hour of the flight! We did have a bassinet on this flight, but the arm rests in the bulkhead row didn't fold up, so Tim didn't sleep as well trying to curl up in the bucket-type seat. He actually did great -- was so well behaved considering everything. When we first sat down, there was a lady next to us who kept giving us dirty looks and whispering to the flight attendant before disappearing to another part of the plane. It turns out that the guys that were getting drunk across the aisle from us made more ruckus than we did. I take that back: We had a major melt-down/grand finale at the end when the plane was landing where both children were screaming, but I think everyone understood. The rest of the flight I think Tim and Katie did great.

The flight attendants were so nice to us. They kept asking if they could help. I pushed the call button every time I had to go to the bathroom to change Tim's diaper, and they came and kept an eye on Katie (I just changed Katie's diapers in my lap since she's so little). One of the times, I put the flight attendant to work fishing out Tim's plastic airplane that he had dropped down slot where the tray folds up in the armrest. I told him the airplane is not as important as their being able to fold up their tray. He got it out without bending it too much and was a great sport about it.

I don't even remember what happened after we arrived except somehow we got ourselves to immigration. In Europe, they rush everyone with small chidren to the front of the line. Not so in the US. The lady who was herding everyone through the line started to talk to me, and I thought she might just be planning to let me go through. Instead, she said gruffly, "Ma'am, don't take the escalator after you finish here. There's an elevator to your right that you should use." Then when I got to the front of the line, she reminded me, "Remember what I said about the elevator!"

I miraculously had enough hands for everything up to this point, but I had a little harder time after I retrieved our luggage. I put the large suitcase on a luggage cart and Tim in the stroller. Katie was still hanging on my front. I distributed the carryons between the stroller and the luggage cart, then couldn't quite figure out how to push both at the same time. One woman at the baggage info desk convinced me that she was going outside anyway, so she didn't mind helping, so she pushed the luggage to the customs desk. From the customs desk, one of the officials pushed it the 50 steps or so out the door where the transportation service guy was standing with a sign with our name on it. We were home-free! He took us home to 2109 where we got a wonderful welcome from my sweet family.

Off for further testing

2009-12-09T04:04:00.000-08:00

Since arriving back in West Africa in October, we have been busy getting re-settled and doing lots of exciting things in our work.

However, sometimes life brings unexpected events.

Last night Beth, Katya, and Timothy left West Africa for the United States. I am still in country for the time being, awaiting further news.

Last week, we realized that our 3-month old daughter Katya’s eyes were not developing normally. Although we think she can sense light, she does not appear to see anything else. We saw a doctor who recommended evacuation and further testing. If the problem can be diagnosed and dealt with in the next few weeks, it increases the chances that she might gain her sight. Not doing so could result in “irreversible visual loss or permanent impairment.”

We initiated the process Friday evening and are thankful:
- That the insurance company agreed it to have her go to the US instead of France
- That they were able to get direct flights
- That a doctor has agreed to see Thursday morning shortly after arrival
-For the supernatural peace Beth and I have both felt, peace about the situation as a whole, and about her traveling back alone with the children. 2 Cor 1:3-4

We'll try to keep this site updated, as we are able.

Peeking

2009-09-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Peeking at you.

Out of the hospital

2009-08-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Beth and Katya are doing well and were released today from the hospital. Beth was surprised when they asked her if she wanted a wheelchair to get to the car. "I'll happily walk to the next building," she said.

Katya has already managed to scratch her face, sleep most of the time, and is pretty good at nursing--sometimes.

Big brother Tim has been giving her lots of hugs, kisses, and pats on the head. He also likes to point out her eyes, nose, mouth, and feet.

Welcome Katie

2009-08-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

We’d like to introduce our daughter, Katya Elisa, born this week, weighing 6 lbs 6 oz. We plan to also call her “Katie” in English.

She is named after our two wonderful mothers: Kathy and Elisa.

Katya (like Kathy, Katie and other variants) means “pure” and Elisa means “God’s promise” or “consecrated to God”

Bumper walker

2008-08-02T05:09:00.001-07:00

Some friends lent us a walker a couple of weeks ago, and Tim is enjoying his new-found liberty -- until he gets tired of not being able to reach things on the floor. His favorite places to "crash" are the bathroom (into the row of buckets under the sink), and the toilet room. See him here on the right, just before reaching to unravel the roll of toilet paper.

Overnight

2008-07-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

We stayed overnight at the guesthouse. It wasn't too relaxing with all our hospital appointments, but it was nice to break the trip into two days. And Timothy enjoyed getting to explore another guesthouse.

Hospital

2008-07-27T04:41:00.000-07:00

After Timothy gave us quite a scare with his episode of cyanosis we stopped by the hospital on the way home to the capital to see a doctor and run some tests. He was very brave for his blood test, reasonably cooperative for his urine test, and fascinated by his X-ray. First photo: Tim on the X-ray table. Second photo: After they took the X-ray, they handed us the dripping wet film to carry over to the other side of the hospital.

Week in the East

2008-07-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

Steve had meetings in 10 hours East, so Tim and I went along for the ride. He and I enjoyed hanging out together in the guest house during the day, then spending time with Steve in the evenings. Here we are -- Tim is getting a real African "bucket bath" since our room didn't have a bathtub. The second photo is of Steve and Tim sitting at a table in a restaurant, waiting for our food to come.

Fangs and standing at the front door

2008-07-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

First photo: Teeth numbers three and four (the first two being the bottom center ones) look like fangs. Here he is showing them off, so pleased after having pulled himself up on his stroller, which we store in our living room.

Second photo: Tim also likes to pull himself up on the front screen door so he can stand and look outside. He's getting pretty good at pulling himself up and lowering himself down again carefully, after a few scary falls flat on his back on the tile floor.

Morning workout

2008-07-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

In the mornings, Timothy and I like to go exercise with our friend Murielle. Some mornings, we take the running stroller to the stadium. Other mornings we lift weights in her home gym, as you can see here... Well, actually Tim usually plays in his Pack-N-Play while we lift weights, but every once in awhile it's fun to pretend he's working out.

Getting around

2008-06-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

I'm finding that our little boy is more and more fun (and more and more work!) each day. He's starting to crawl around and explore everything, even starting to pull up on things like my chair when I'm working on the computer, like in the third photo.

Big boy in the mirror

2008-06-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

We came home to find that one of our friends had left a whole bag of hand-me-down clothes for Tim -- they look more like little boy clothes than baby clothes. Here he is smiling at himself in the mirror, wearing one of his new big boy outfits.

Pictures of Tim in Texas

2008-06-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

This trip we focused on spending time with family, knowing we wouldn't really have a chance to see all of our friends in Texas. We look forward to seeing everybody next year when the three of us are back for home assignment -- we plan to really make the rounds, visiting as many people as we can.

Here are some pictures of Tim with various family members at my parents' house in Garland.

- Checking out Grandma's necklace

- Laughing with Uncle Harvey

- Sitting with Uncle John and company (including cousins Clayton and Candace, Ruth's two-month-old twins)

- Dancing with Grandpa

- "Leaning on God's Word"

- Swimming with Aunt Sarsah and Aunt Ruth

Saying goodbye to Daddy

2008-04-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

Steve had to go back to West Africa in late April, then Timothy and Beth stayed in Texas until early June.

Tim and Evelyn

2008-04-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Kelly's daughter Evelyn is eleven weeks older than Tim. They enjoyed playing together several times while we were in Texas.

California

2008-04-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

Here we are with Grandpa and Grandma at Aunt Anna Marie's and Uncle Richard's house in California.

Guatemala

2008-04-14T02:18:00.000-07:00

We spent a week in Guatemala for Steve's brother Ben's wedding. Here's a photo of the whole family, including Ben's new wife Mari.

Trip to the Americas

2008-04-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

The three of us went to the Americas in early April: first to Texas, then Guatemala, then California, then Colorado, and back to Texas. It was Timothy's first overseas flight. He had the best seat on the airplane.

Quarterly visit to Tiembanga

2008-04-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

My quarterly story on the family in Tiembanga is due at the end of April, but we will be in the States all month, so I did the interview this week.

With Marie leaving in June, I needed to find another Zarma-to-French translator (I translate the last step to English in my own head). I had already invited Auntie to come along because it was her day to come anyway to watch Timothy when it occurred to me... Auntie's mother tongue is Hausa, but she speaks Zarma, too! She has now agreed to be our new translator for future interviews -- how convenient is that?

So here we are, doing the interview. Marie is in the back of the photo, sitting on my left. Auntie is on my right, holding Tim.

Feeding challenges

2008-04-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't think Tim was ready to sit in his high chair yet, so I've been feeding him using his "bouncy-chair." As you can see, he's about ready to climb out of it. So I transferred him to his infant/car seat. I guess his feet were too much of a temptation -- probably more so than the rice cereal I was trying to feed him. I think he's ready for his high chair.

Trip to Dakar, Senegal

2008-03-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

We had our West Africa team meetings in a hotel right next to the ocean. Palm trees and a balmy ocean breeze -- a nice change from the hot, dry weather that we're getting these days in the country where we live.

Visit from Grandpa and Grandma

2008-03-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of photos from Steve's parents' visit in January. While they were here, Tim started eating solid food. Here's grandma feeding him his "big boy rice cereal" (a.k.a. wallpaper paste). His recent favorite is avocado -- he likes it so much that he fusses between bites because we can't feed it to him quickly enough!

Life and Death--and Firsts

2008-02-25T23:13:00.000-08:00

Can it really be? I find it hard to believe that we have posted nothing on the blog since Christmas. Where did time go?

January brought visits from Steve's boss and Tim's Grandma and Grandpa from Guatemala. All had a wonderful time getting to know (see, hear, touch) Timothy and learning more about our work. We spent many hours in the car to "show off" the country.

February brought two weeks in Dakar, Senegal for work-related meetings. Dakar seemed like Europe compared to where we live, with good ice-cream, beautiful scenery, apartment buildings--and lots of traffic.

Tim got to experience his first plane ride, first sight of the ocean, first ferry ride (to Goree island), first taxi ride, first time in a hotel, first stamps in his newly obtained passport (we've been working on getting it since October). He turned out to be fantastic traveler, and (thankfully) a quiet participant in our team meetings.

We came back from Dakar Friday night. Saturday morning Beth developed a bad case of malaria and Giardia. We are hoping she will be released from the hospital on Wednesday.

Sunday morning a family friend passed away from surgery complications. Monday afternoon Steve's Grandmother Thomas went to heaven--just as we were talking over the Internet to Steve's mom who was sitting next to her.

In the midst of life's challenges we feel tremendous peace and contentment. We have so much for which to be thankful.

Family Christmas

2007-12-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

1st photo: (R to L) Steve, Beth, Tim, and Murielle gathered around the Christmas tree.

2nd and 3rd photos: We went out to some sand dunes for a Christmas Eve picnic. We only had one flat tire and got stuck once -- not bad.

Inspector Gadget

2007-12-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

Steve is forever thinking of ways to improve things around the house. For the last year or so, since we got our new water filter, we've had to separate the top reservoir from the base, then put it under the tap to refill it. Since it's a 10-liter capacity, it was almost impossible for Beth to refill it herself. She had to rely on Steve or Joseph (our cook) to do it. So Steve designed a hose-and-pulley system to open the lid, fill the reservoir, and replace the lid. It's like a game to try to balance the lid on the top again, using the pulley, but life is more fun with a game or two built in, right?

Growing up: 2 1/2 months

2007-12-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Timothy is starting to smile, and one day he's going to realize he can reach out and swat the toy we've suspended from the handle of his infant seat.

Manicure

2007-12-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

For the last several weeks, we've been getting our necks all scratched up by our little boy's attempt to climb out of our arms to who-knows-where. We tried to trim his little fingernails, to no avail -- they're just too tiny. So when "Aunt" Murielle, who happens to have owned a nail salon several years ago, came over for her weekly Saturday evening visit, we asked her to give Tim his first manicure. He loved it -- can't you tell?

A weekend of firsts

2007-11-25T11:53:00.001-08:00

This weekend Tim got his first on-the-grass diaper change during the Thanksgiving celebration. He also joined us for the Hash...the weekly Saturday afternoon hike. Okay, so he didn't hike, but he did sleep soundly while bouncing up and down along the trail. It was also his first visit to Sunday morning church.

Timothy at 6 weeks old

2007-11-20T20:39:00.000-08:00

Auntie

2007-11-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

I'm sure she has a real name, but everyone knows her as "Auntie." The full-time nanny of our teammates who are in the States until January, she is now available to come babysit Tim a few hours a week. She's obviously gifted with children, especially babies -- it's fun to watch her and Timothy enjoy one other's company. She even took time to teach Beth how to carry Tim on her back, African-style.

First (month) Birthday

2007-11-11T06:57:00.001-08:00

Several expat ladies in town got together to throw a shower for Beth. It coincided with Tim's first birthday. One of them even made a cake with a big "T" on it. We feel happy to part of this loving community.

Outdoor activities

2007-11-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

We enjoy our Saturday afternoon hikes with the "Hash House Harriers" Tim has not yet gone with us, but probably will soon. However, we won't be pushing the stroller our team mates are letting us use--sometimes the terrain is just too sandy--or rocky.

Bathtime

2007-10-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

Tim's umbilical cord stub fell off a few days ago, so now he gets a tub bath. He seems to enjoy being in the water. Maybe he'll be a swimmer like his mom.

Avoiding mosquitos

2007-10-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

We have lots of mosquitos, so we sleep under mosquito nets. According the Red Cross, "Malaria is a leading cause of death among children, where one child in four does not live to see his or her fifth birthday. Half of deaths among children under five are from malaria." A few months ago, we saw this collapsable baby mosquito net (probably imported from China) and thought it would work great for our little one. So far so good.

"Normal" has changed

2007-10-18T13:26:00.001-07:00

It's strange to think that just a week and half ago we were living as a childless couple. Suddenly "normal" life involves a very demanding third person who needs to be fed, changed, and taken care of. Of course we have to give proper attention to the dog too so she won't become too jealous. Dad's favorite outfit on Tim is the blue giraffe outfit, since giraffes are somewhat of a symbol here. Our son continues to make us laugh regularly with his funny expressions.

Getting even better

2007-10-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Tim is developing a voracious appetite. He seems to be an all or nothing kind of guy. Either he's fast asleep, crying hysterically, or thrusting himself toward food. There is not much in between. Today we celebrated his last antibiotic shot.

Talking to Grandma

2007-10-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

How do we communicate with grandparents and great-grandparents who live across the ocean? Thanks to modern technology, a portable web-cam helps Grandma and Grandpa in Guatemala see Tim in West Africa. Although the Internet speed is generally too slow to permit video and voice simultaneously, at least they get to see him. When family members just need to talk, a US number forwards to our cell phone. The wonders of technology.

He still sleeps more than he should, is lethargic, and is not eating normal quantities yet. Hopefully in this next week he will continue to improve. Thanks for keeping him in your prayers. His temperature is normal now and he is eating a bit more each day.

Karate Kid - huh?

2007-10-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Okay so we know there are a lot of Tim pictures on the blog these days. That's not only because we're proud parents...it's because the extended family has requested that we post pictures of him, since they are too far away to see him in person. So, today's photos show the Karate Kid pose and the "Huh?" look we often get when we talk to him. By the way, his fever is gone and he is beginning to eat more. We still have a ways to go though.

Feeling better

2007-10-12T01:47:00.000-07:00

We're turning a corner. His fever is starting to drop and he has finally begun eating some. He still cries and shakes his head from side to side, but then proceeds to eat for a few seconds. We're thankful.

Day 2: More firsts

2007-10-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Tim had a high fever today and refused to eat. After some long crying sessions we looked at the books, monitored his fever, and eventually took him back to the clinic. He will need regular shots for the next week and other medications. So, he's not always the calm, sweet one in other photos--especially when he is not feeling well. What else could one expect? This evening, however, he ate really well for the first time. If he keeps that up, he should be better in no time.

Does he look like his dad?

2007-10-10T03:49:00.000-07:00

The photo today is not of Tim, but of Steve the year he was born. What do you think? Does Tim look like his proud dad? : )

Day 1 - A Day of Firsts

2007-10-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Today was a day of firsts for Tim and us: first diaper change, first real bath, first meal, first ride in the car, first glimpse of his new home, first introduction to our dog, first time to sleep in his own Pack'nPlay. We hosted a steady stream of visitors and phone calls from morning until after 9:00pm. Our little guy is exhausted from all this commotion, as are his parents. And yet, we are all very satisfied and thankful too. Tim spends most of his time sleeping, as can be expected. But sometimes we catch glimpses of his intense gaze as he soaks in everything going on around him.

He is here!

2007-10-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

Timothy Stephen arrived this morning at 2:31 am local time. He weighed 3.2 kg / 7.05 pounds and was 49 cm / 19.2 inches long. From the time we woke up in bed to the time he was born was an hour. Mother and baby are fine and healthy.

Any day now

2007-10-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

We're waiting for the arrival of our first child. The doctor says he could be born in either a few hours or a few weeks. We'll see! (Beth hopes it's only a few hours).

Two-day visit to Burkina Faso

2007-09-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

We and three of our colleagues visited a school in Fada-N'Gourma where our cousins Jonathan and Ali live and work in agricultural research/education. Ali just happened to be teaching a class, complete with a field visit, the day we arrived, so we were able to tag along. They gave us another tour of the fields the following day, and we were able to see some of their newest projects.

Giraffes

2007-09-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Having visitors from out of town finally gave us a good excuse to go see the giraffes. It is the last remaining herd of wild giraffes in West Africa. They were very gentle and tame and let us get quite close to them.

Family photo at 33 weeks

2007-09-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been wondering what the three of us look like these days, here we are. We're looking forward to meeting our little guy in just about a month and a half!

Dust storm

2007-08-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

One of the interesting things about living in this country is dust storms. The sky can be clear blue one moment, then a brown cloud appears in the horizon. Before you know it, everything is dark, the wind is blowing, and dust is surrounding you. It's quite an experience!

We survived Internet withdrawal

2007-07-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

After some trying weeks in a village setting, we are back in the capital city. We did progress a little with our language learning, but still have a ways to go. Memorable moments included several village meetings, working in the fields, and "hira" long evening conversations with new friends.

Off the bush

2007-07-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

We're off again, this time to the East for language immersion. We'll see how it goes!

Work

2007-07-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

With the end of the fiscal year, there are many reports to compile. Beth has been helping significantly as well. But, we were still able to get away to a village visit this week, since Beth needed to interview a family for a work-related writing assignment. The villagers also tried to teach us how to weed their millet fields.

Back

2007-06-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

After a long trip, including an unexpected 3-day delay in France, we are back in Africa--with no luggage. Highlights of the trip to the US included seeing family and many friends, Niagara Falls, Yosemite, and Banff along the way, as well as participating in Beth's sister's wedding. We also met many new people and were able to share about the work. A big thank to so many of you who hosted us, fed us, encouraged us, and listened to us.

On the road

2007-05-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

From Africa to Paris to Texas to Michigan to Canada to Virginia to Texas to California to New Jersey...we have been on the road. Sorry for not keeping the blog up to date. Maybe someday we'll be able to catch up and actually show some pictures from the travels. For now, here is one of Niagara Falls.

2007-02-20T10:07:00.000-08:00

Beth is teaching a ballet class in our living-room-turned-dance-studio. Six girls, most of them ages 9-10, come to our home every Tuesday afternoon for an hour of basic ballet lessons. We're planning a recital for Sunday, April 1st, to show family and friends what we've been doing. Our main piece will be "Joyful, Joyful" from Sister Act II: ballet with a street gospel twist.

Back to Togo

2007-02-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

...after 7 1/2 years! I spent six weeks in Kara, Togo, in the summer of 1999. A dream come true, I finally got to show Steve all the places I went and some of the people I met when I was there.

Our first stop was at the SIL center in Kara where I spent most of my time that summer. It's changed some, but the "Bienvenue" (welcome) sign that I remember so well is still exactly where it was.

In addition to helping our friend Celeste pack up her home (and getting to keep lots of stuff ourselves!), we enjoyed seeing the front of the former cafe', "Chez Celeste," which she opened as part of her ministry in Togo. Here she is, posing for us out in front. It's now an electronics store, but the sign is still there...

I was also thrilled to track down my friend Rebecca, probably my best African friend during my time there in 1999. She was especially dear to me because she speaks English and my French was so bad at the time, so we spent lots of time talking. Now she's married and helping her husband run an English school in Kara.

Getting to know Tiembanga

2007-01-25T11:34:00.000-08:00

Tiembanga is one of the villages in which we have seen the most change for the good. Families who used to be hungry and thirsty are now eating daily, have access to a well right in their village, and are even able to buy clothes every once in awhile. Thanks to the intervention of one of our partner organizations, and Tiembanga's willing and faithful participation, their lives have improved.

We took advantage of a culmination of several events to pay an afternoon visit to Tiembanga. Beth had a looming deadline to send photos and information on a "model family" to home office. Of course, Steve was her designated photographer, and Marie did the translating from the local language, Zarma. It had to go from Zarma to French, then Beth had to take it the final step to report it in English. Sound like the telephone game?

On top of all of this, our boss Mary and her husband Scott were in town, and Mary had brought her video camera to get village footage for various video projects we'll be putting together in the next few months. So we spent a busy couple of hours out in Tiembanga, with their full permission to ask as many questions, take as many pictures, and film as many videos as we needed.

Above: Mary, Harouna, and Marie, having just arrived in Tiembanga, introducing us to the villagers. Thankfully they graciously allowed us to catch a glimpse into their daily lives.

Below: Marie and Beth, mid-interview with the Ali family.

Wildlife Park and Desert Excursion

2007-01-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

Right after Christmas we went to visit Park W, a wildlife reserve shared by three countries. Although we saw a few animals, most of "the biggies" (e.g. elephants) had disappeared with the horde of tourists that showed up for the holidays. We were happy some friends joined us at the last minute.

After a brief stay at home to unpack and re-pack, we headed north to the desert. The views were amazingly diverse and quite spectacular. Between the dust in some places that reminded us of snow blizzards, and the low temperatures each morning, we almost forgot we were in tropical Africa! Beth got to ride a camel for the first time.

O Christmas Tree

2006-12-28T23:47:00.000-08:00

Before we took it down (er, unraveled the lights, moved it back out into the sunlight, and hoped it would come back to life), we wanted to catch a picture of us sitting next to our first West African Christmas tree.

Family at Christmastime

2006-12-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve with our teammates Henry and Ardell and their family. They served us a wonderful Christmas feast, complete with turkey, then we all gathered around the Christmas tree to exchange gifts.

The next day, our friends Todd and Rebecca invited us over for a yummy Christmas morning brunch.

Our new friends are quickly starting to feel like family, especially around the holidays. We have so much for which to be thankful.

It's beginning to smell a lot like...

2006-12-16T11:55:00.000-08:00

... Christmas! Steve's baking Christmas cookies. We don't have any cookie cutters (that we know of), so he's using a knife to cut out shapes. I think he's doing a pretty good job: the trees look like trees, and you can't go wrong with a snowman.

... a barnyard! We had a pile of manure delivered to our house this week in order to start our garden. Now the house smells like a mixture of manure and compost, but it has to get worse before it gets better, right?

So Steve takes a break from his Christmas cookie preparations to give a gardening instruction or two to our guard, who's watering the garden like it's summertime. Who would have thought? Only in West Africa.

African clothes

2006-11-30T01:03:00.000-08:00

We went to our first "formal" event in Niamey this morning: a baptism/naming ceremony for an 8-day-old baby. This gave us an excuse to wear our new formal African outfits. We took advantage of the opportunity to take some pictures in our front yard when we got home.

Of course, Tajoua couldn't stand to be left out: she posed (well, maybe "posed" is not quite the right word) for this picture of her own initiative.

Ten days in Bodoli

2006-11-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

Our time in the village of Bodoli was wonderfully refreshing. Without electricity or Internet access, we were able to "unplug," spend some time alone and together, and do some reading that never seems to fit into our city schedule.

We were also thankful to be able to participate in village life a bit. Our host invited us to sit in on various village meetings, so we were able to meet lots of new people.

One day, Beth shadowed our host's family to learn what a day in the life of an African woman looks like. Wow, they work hard! Everything from hauling water from the well, pounding millet, washing clothes by hand, working in the fields, and, yes, plucking the chicken before it goes into the pot.

Off to the bush

2006-11-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks of work in the office, we are now heading out for our village stay. We'll be away from modern technology for a while. Stay tuned...

Tajoua

2006-10-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

It's my turn to do the weekly blog entry, so I'd like to introduce you our new dog, Tajoua. She's an African dog with an African name: "Tajoua" means red in the Tomashek language. Extremely affectionate and energetic, she's my buddy at home during the day -- she goes running with me, greets me on the front porch with her curly tail wagging, and when there's a storm, she pitter-patters to wherever I am in hopes for consolation and companionship.

Although this first picture of her is very flattering, fluffy fur and all, it doesn't quite show her personality, so I decided to try to get another picture of her. The first couple of tries were too direct for her shiny eyes, so I climbed down on the floor to try to get a different angle. Unfortunately she thought it was time to play, so she dove in, bumping the camera with her nose (and knocking me over backwards) while I was trying to take a picture of her. Here's what it turned into, as Steve rescued the camera from my hands that had gone limp from laughing so hard...

Busy lives

2006-10-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been filled with activity. That, along with our painfully slow and sometimes sporadic Internet connection (over an hour to upload this little message), is our excuse for missing a week on the blog. Our apologies to all.

Among the most significant events of the past few weeks are the following:

* The roadside vendors outside our office building were forced to leave one day. Big trucks hauled away the shacks that couldn't be torn down in time.

* Steve coordinated a major rearranging of the office furniture.

* Our colleage who's house we have been sharing, moved out and we are adding our own personality to our new home. Steve has especially enjoyed working a bit in the yard.

* Celebrations and goodbyes. A surprise birthday party for a team mate brightened up last weekend; sad farewells to the team mate who is leaving filled this weekend.

* Tajoua the dog seems to be adjusting to us.

* We visited another savings/credit group in a different low-income neighborhood this week. It is neat to see the impact our work is having.

* We have enjoyed some nice sunsets near our house--overlooking the river (and the only bridge in the region)

Trip East

2006-09-24T05:09:00.000-07:00

This week we traveled over 1500 Km to familiarize ourselves more with the country, see the countryside landscapes, and check up on some of the work our partner organization has been doing in that region.

The road was flooded in part, which necessited a long (over 40 Km) detour in the dirt. That was good preparation for the dirt roads that would take us to the villages we needed to visit.

The meetings we had in each village were quite fruitful. It was neat to see how the community is developing.

Although most of the millet and sorghum are still green, harvest is already beginning in some places. We hope it will be a good year--even though the rains started so late.

We didn't see in giraffes, but did see lots of camels.

6 years

2006-09-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

Six years ago today was a very special day: we joined our lives together in marriage. It's a decision we don't regret. We keep falling deeper and deeper in love and are so thankful to have each other.

Diverse work

2006-09-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Our work is diverse. Many days we go downtown to our office and provide consulting to our partners, or work on the overall adminstration of our programs.

Other days we get to go out to the field to see what is happening with the people we are here to serve.

This week we enjoyed seeing a loan repayment meeting for our urban savings and microcredit program.

In addition we traveled to another village to see several experimental fields where improved agricultural methods and millet varieties are being tested to combat the terrible parasitic weed called "striga."

The village also has bore-hole and water pump that provides clean water to many surrounding villages. Thankfully, this time we didn't get stuck in the mud--and we were able to enjoy a traditional meal with the villagers and admire the great termite mounds.

First countryside adventure

2006-09-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

Our plane out was delayed somewhat, but eventually we arrived back and got to bed shortly after midnight.

This morning we left bright and early for village visits. A funder needed to do a site visit so we decided to tag along. The "toll road" was quite nice and had very little traffic and no potholes. We picked up some of our partner's staff along the way and then headed into "the bush." (That's taken quite literally here as we were just driving through savanna between trees and bushes, hoping our guide really knew where he was going)

Before long the car was stuck in deceivingly dry-looking mud. The group walked into the village while some of us stayed to dig the car out. Once ours got out the other one got stuck. The team and local volunteers worked hard, and eventually we all got back home again.

Goat Gymnastics

2006-09-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Our time in this country is ending and we should soon be back "home." The last few days have been productive but we also enjoyed a slightly more relaxed schedule. Interesting things we saw in the countryside included the grass huts (yes, some people do actually still live in them) and the acrobatic goats. When we walked by the second time it was a different kid on the wall with mom. Now that's some talent!

Selingue

2006-09-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Our teammates picked us up in Bamako and we then began the journey out to Selingue, where our team meeting was being held. It was raining pretty hard at times and the road was filled with pot-holes. Suddenly the tire in one of the vehicles shreded to pieces. It was an adventure changing it in the dark while it was raining. The spare didn't have much air and the pump wouldn't work so we put a tire on from the second vehicle and arrived after 10:00pm--a day later than originally planned. Despite the unexpected events, the team meeting went very well and was productive. Meetings from 8 am to 10 pm kept us so busy that Steve didn't go through too much Internet withdrawal.

Unexpected vacation day in Senegal

2006-09-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

The plane started to descend but then took us to Senegal instead! We're not sure whether it was the lightning storm or the lack of jet fuel in our destination that caused it, but the airline took good care of us. Although we had to wait quite a while, they housed us in a nice hotel on the beach, and provided breakfast and lunch. We left the next afternoon to our original destination.

Off again

2006-08-28T02:30:00.000-07:00

Our short time of adjustment is over and it's time to actually getting some work done. The first thing on our plate is a team meeting in a neighboring country. We leave this evening. We're excited about seeing another new country.

Sounds and smells

2006-08-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Places have unique smells. Right after we landed, Beth mentioned that the air smelled like the air Togo, a country she visited several years ago. Other smells that stand out: humidity (if there is such a smell), trash someone is burning in the neighborhood burns, kerosine from the neighbors that are cooking, trash on the street, diesel fumes from vehicles. Sounds include the calls to prayer, singers and electric guitar at the nearby hotel that keeps us awake at night, bird chirps we've never heard before, the dog barking (or trying to get in the door, or sniffing her food pan), drums, and of course the beautiful (loud) singing at religious services.

Niamey

2006-08-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

The obstacles were conquered and we got on the plane. After a pretty smooth trip we finally arrived in Niamey. Even our luggage came too!

We were graciously greeted by office Steve's teammates and then went to what will be our new home. Activities have included unpacking the boxes, driving through the city, going for a long walk, and meeting people.

We are very glad to be here.

Things that caught our attention:

- camels
- groups of people kneeling along the roads at prayer time
- slow internet connection
- lots of goats
- man filling an iron-shaped piece of metal with coal. They heat up the coals and use it to iron, though sometimes sparks fly and burn holes in them
- beggars
- beatiful mixture of green and brown (it's rainy season)
- lots of Toyotas : )
- the monkey Beth saw doing gymnastics off the neighbors' wall
- "downtown" it seems there are only about three buildings taller than two stories in the whole city. Steve's office will be in one of them (on the third floor).
- people generally mind their own business and leave you alone though they are very friendly when you talk to them

Obstacles

2006-08-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Each step of our preparation for the move has been filled with obstacles. Yet, one by one things are getting checked off the "To do" list. Our visas arrived today and we should soon be on our way.

Mail stolen

2006-08-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Someone came down our street yesterday and emptied out several mailboxes--including ours. We're not sure at this point if we lost anything important or not, but have filed the proper reports. Life is always full of surprises.

Moving to West Africa

2006-07-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

In three weeks we will be moving to West Africa! As we prepare for the move, one of the tasks is to go through the boxes that have been in storage in the attic. We need to decide what to take with us, what to get rid of, and what to keep storing. Who would have thought it would take so much time?

At least we got our immunizations and visa applications out of the way!

Guatemala

2006-07-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

Steve traveled to Guatemala to pick up the rest of his belongings, sell his car, and say good-bye to friends. It was great seeing high-school classmates for the first time in several years.

Our motel in New Mexico

2006-07-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

On our drive back to Texas from Colorado we planned to camp. There were flash flood warnings and motels were quite expensive, so we decided to sleep in Pearl, our car. She was happy to serve as our motel for the night. (I'm glad it's not all the time!) It was a very desolate stretch of road somewhere in New Mexico, but offered a nice view of the vast expanse.

Michigan (again)

2006-07-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

We were invited for a second round of interviews in Grand Rapids, MI. This time we flew from Colorado instead of driving. Between testing and interviews we were able to escape to Saugatuck Dunes State Park.

Colorado

2006-06-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

We have returned to the USA and embarked on another travel adventure. After visiting Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, and Kansas, we are now enjoying time with family in Colorado.