A Boy, Bats, Buckets & Bubbles

Recently Blake had an opportunity to accompany his Dad and one of the USA teams that was here on a trip to a rural community 4 hours outside of Joburg.

It was a week of roughing it and being all boy he fared just fine. In fact, I received daily phone calls reporting just how cool the rugged conditions were in Blake’s opinion.

I love when kids attempt to explain events that you’ve not witnessed. They tend to share as if you were right there watching so imagination and piecing details together are required.

One of the first nights I received a call from Blake telling me all about the bats in the church where the group was staying. Of course this was a trip highlight (for Blake not the girls on the trip).

Another highlight was the “bucket showers”. There wasn’t proper bathing facilities so to maintain hygiene buckets, a bar of soap and some creativity were required. Blake thought this was so cool he asked me if we could adopt the idea as a home bathing technique. (Um, let me think about that….NO!)

My favorite call took some piecing together but when the picture became clear it brought tears to my eyes (and still does). Blake called all excited about how he “got to blow bubbles for the kids in wheelchairs”. After a follow-up conversation with Rich, he explained that the team spent time with kids in a Disability Center. The disabilities were endless and at first Blake was a bit overwhelmed at what he saw. One of the team members gave Blake some bubbles and led him to a number of children wheelchair bound. Rich recanted that it did not take long before Blake got lost in the joy expressed on the kid’s faces as he blew bubbles.


With bats, buckets and bubbles, it definitely was a week of memories for my 6 year old boy! Memories I pray he never forgets especially those involving bubbles!

Talk about being in the dog house......

hee-hee!

Uncle Ron

We spent the day with “Uncle Ron” (aka Ron Luce), my kiddos call him that, and Cameron his 13 year old son. After travels to Zambia and Uganda they had a 12 hour layover here in Joburg.

Rich gave them a quick tour of various aspects of our homeland and ministry (including a def. highlight- the lion park), we drank coffee, Ron tickled the kids, Cam & Skyler (with a broken toe) climbed the trees in our backyard and we supped an African meal.

Felt like old times, minus the African food, lions and big kids.

Great showing the man that inspired and encouraged our heart for missions the place and people that captured our heart.

Ron and Cam, thanks for taking the time to hang with us. We love you!

Happy Birthday Skyler Grace

You have added so much color and delight to the past 9 years!

I love you to the moon and back!

An Awake Over

9 years of elaborate birthday parties that require much thought, planning and even stress to finally figure out all I needed was puppies and play station!

Skyler decided for her 9th b-day party she wanted to have a sleep over. She invited 4 girls and they did everything but sleep. I think it would be more accurately called an “Awake Over”.

From playing with the puppies to.....

A Singing and Dance Competition (kudos to PS2 Sing Along)

To watching movies (this is as close to sleeping as they got)

Eating pizza, cake & hordes of other junk food

To an all time favorite- Twister

And a South African game, Pass the Parcel

Right down to girlie stuff galore

The party was a hit!

Now for a nap please!

Hard of Hearing or Hardly Hearing

Prior to getting to the point of my post let me give you a one-line description of my son, Blake.
Blake is an active, six year old kindergartner and he is definitely MALE.

Rich and I attended a parent/teacher conference for Blake this evening. The meeting was brief and we heard wonderful news regarding Blake’s academic and leadership progress. The part I found staggering occurred while reading through his report card. The little section under Language and Literacy titled, Listening.

Blake scored 4's on all 6 objectives under the Listening Category. 4 being the highest possible mark and by definition indicating “highly competent”.

Let me give you an example of one of the objectives; notably the most bewildering... “I am able to listen attentively to instructions and to respond appropriately.” Score=4…highly competent!

That is as far as I got and I was completely convinced Rich mistakenly grabbed another child's report card. I even asked his teacher if she perhaps made a mistake as the Blake I care for 24/7 would not receive such prestigious results in this particular category. After laughing hysterically his teacher shared that many parents had similar response to their child’s results in the listening category. She then assured me there was no mistake and went as far as to say, he is a wonderful listener.

So I must admit I am confused, how does the same child that listens so wonderfully to his teacher never seem to hear a word I say? Or is this one of the universal questions that bewilders mothers all across the globe?

Guess I can cancel the trip to the ear doctor to have his ears checked. He obviously is not hard of hearing just hardly hearing....me!

Wordless W-african Wednesday

A Weekend in Africa

People always ask me what a typical day is like in Africa (read my blog...hee). I wish I could fill their ears with stories of frontline, hands-on ministry each and every day. Where we do have amazing stories to tell and feel very fortunate to minister to the African people on a consistent basis many of my days revolve around 3 precious kiddos and seem quite ordinary. Let me give you a glimpse…

On Friday morning we awoke to a thud! We were in a dorm room of sorts with one of the USA teams at a game park. Soon cries of pain and a trail of blood followed. Skyler had a door slammed on her bare toe. After cleaning and bandaging it we decided to keep it under observation.

After a night of throbbing pain, Rich spent 3 hours in the emergency room, Saturday morning, with Skyler trying to obtain an X-ray. She ended up with a fractured big toe and Rich a headache due to the “African process”. They would not even prescribe crutches for reasons we can not conceive so Skyler hopped around the next 48 hours.

This morning (Monday) I took Sky to see the orthopedic surgeon. When we hopped in I noticed the power was out. Quizzical I said, “I thought they stopped the load shedding” The doctor who now was pulling a chair from the waiting room toward the door where light streamed through replied, “They did but the guy that pays the electric bills continues to forget.” How reassuring!

It is moments like this I wish I carried my camera. There Skyler sat in the dark waiting room, by the door with the doctor examining her foot. (so professional….so African!) As if this was not unexpected enough what followed took the cake (or could be phrased tossed the cake). Skyler had mentioned that morning that her stomach was bothering her. As the doctor sat close examining her foot my poor sweet 8 year old regurgitated last night’s supper all over him. I quickly shouted at the receptionist, “do you have any paper towels?” She pointed toward the hallway but never once stepped foot from behind the counter. I can’t blame her really as I don’t stomach the sight of acidic processed food very well either.

Skyler hobbled out of the office with an orthopedic boot to keep her toe straight and help her walk and the poor doctor….well I am sure he cleared his schedule so he could take a shower. I can’t wait for our 3 week follow-up to see what happens and I am sure they can’t either.

So there you have it, not just a day in Africa but a whole weekend. Not sure if it is typical but is anything involving a foreign country and children?

Common Sense Clouded by Cuteness

Rich spent the day with a team in the squatter camp yesterday while I took the kids to their school sport's day festival. This information is important to the story as you must realize Rich was by himself and the kids were with me.

Around 4:00 p.m I got a text from Rich stating, “he had a surprise for me”. I thought cool maybe he is bringing home Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. Is it weird that my first thought automatically was about baked goods?

Rich arrived home, asked me to come outside and then led me to the back of his truck. Quickly realizing I would not be eating cinnamon rolls for dessert I questioned, “Richard Thomas what did you do?” He got a silly grin on his face as he opened the back of the truck revealing these……


Struck by my dropped jaw and bewildered stare, he stammered…"They were abandoned in the squatter camp, I couldn’t just leave them there…aren’t they cute", as he handed me one of the pups.

I must admit I was quickly overcome by their cuteness and when the kids saw them well let’s just say there was no turning back. We now have an even ratio of kids to pets…3 kids/3 dogs.

Common sense was definitely clouded by cuteness on this one!

Interesting Art

I thought I would debut some of my children’s recent art as it is quite interesting.

Tori (3 years old) is learning about modes of transportation in school and here is her depiction of a sail boat….

It is made of edible objects one of which is a chocolate wafer. Okay so you tell me, if you hand a 3 year old a chocolate cookie what do you think they are going to do with it? If you look closely she did as anyone with experience in toddler-ville might expect…can you see the token bite?


When asked, “And who took a bite out of the boat?” She replied, “A shark”….of course! She may be 3 but she’s no dummy.

And now for my son’s artwork. He likes to draw and give me pictures depicting yours truly. I guess he figures there are never any photos of me (I am the one always taking the picture) so he better keep me well stocked with self-portraits so we don’t forget what I look like.

Most of the time the pictures are quite complimentary …my hair is always yellow, he doesn’t add brown roots, my hands aren’t bigger than my head and I’m usually adorned in a slim fitting outfit.

The other day he handed me this…..



Not sure what happened to the slim fitting outfit in this one….I am sporting a belly as round as Santa Claus. I’m hoping his view of the extra pounds on me are because of the layers of winter clothing worn due to the cold weather. After all the winter bulge can't be showing yet…the season has only just begun???

Let’s just say this is one drawing that won’t be displayed on the fridge! As for the first display of art...I think I'll go finish off the boat.

A Week In Pictures

Unfortunately this will not be a funny, light, happy post yet it is a reality happening on our door step and to those we care deeply about! I've attached some pictures and a recent prayer report sent to a network of friends, family, churches, and supporters regarding the uprisings taking place on our homefront. Please view, read and most importantly PRAY! Thank you!

South Africa made international headline news this week which I am sure you are aware. This time it wasn’t with regard to Bono, Oprah, Nelson Mandela or even the pandemic of HIV/AIDS that plagues this country and the continent. This time coverage is replete with the sordid methods of some of its very own and it is happening in our own backyard. Brutal uprisings from groups of xenophobic black South Africans have left 42 dead and estimates of more than 25,000 refugees from surrounding African countries homeless and very afraid.

What erupted on May 12 in the township of Alexandra (area portrayed in the movie, The Power of One) has spread to numerous poor communities around Johannesburg that have become home to many foreigners from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, etc.

It is in many of these type communities and it’s constituents that we focus ministry efforts. As a result, we have been in contact with all our leaders and churches in the communities assuring their safety and offering any assistance possible. The latter keeps us awake at nights pondering, while we lay safe and snug in our warm beds, how we can be of help to those we know and have ministered to in these areas that are now hiding out in fields at night (with temps in the low 40’s) for fear that they will become victims of these heinous crimes.

Recently there was a stand off in Kya Sands squatter camp, a community we are deeply involved with. Fortunately the police arrived in time to divert another tragic episode. Our Pastor in the community called with a need for blankets as many of his congregates were taking refuge in his church and in the surrounding fields. We purchased 400 blankets the next day allocating most to this community.

As missionaries so close in proximity and heart to this tragedy we ask for your prayers not on our behalf but for the very ones we were sent here to minister to. Here are some ways you can agree with us for this situation and the African people:

Pray that the uprisings would come to a halt and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Pray for the safety of those being targeted; the African foreigners.

Pray for wisdom for our government on how to stop further crimes and aid the thousands left homeless.

Pray that the assistance needed for all the refugees and those left homeless would be made available.

Pray that people would not be seized by fear, foremost for those living in these communities but also for the fortunate on the outskirts of this situation. May this be an opportunity to tangibly show Christ’s love, mercy, and healing to the African people not retreat in fear!

Currently we have a group from Monroe, Washington here ministering with us. For much of the trip the team was ministering in a rural area 4 hours southeast of Johannesburg. They are back in the city and we have rearranged their schedule to avoid any areas posing potential conflict. The team is going forth in boldness and are seeing powerful ministry take place! People’s hearts are tender, open and they are ready for some hope. Continue to pray for this group, for their safety but also that the timeliness of their trip here would yield great fruit!

We are so grateful to be surrounded by a community of intercessors. The glimpses of vehement hostility you are seeing on CNN for us have become an opportunity close to home and dear to our hearts! Esther resonates in the depths of our being as we believe that we are called to this Nation and these people for times such as this!

Thank you for being a part of our team and joining with us through prayer for the precious African people! We love you!

Funny Friday

I thought I'd end the week with some African animal humor...

Just lion around

I've got my eye on you

It's the age old question...is it a black horse with white stripes or a white horse with black stripes OR a horse in pajamas?

Why did the elephant cross the road......

.....to get to the otherside.

Gotta have tough skin in these parts

See ya later alligator

afterwhile crocodile

Water, Wine or Just Blonde?

I enjoy praying scripture during my prayers and teach my kids to do the same. One of my token scriptures especially during the dinner meal is Exodus 23:25 and for ages I’ve prayed “Lord we thank you that you bless our bread and our wine and take sickness from our midst”…

Then somewhere over time I guess I decided it should be phrased a bit more kid friendly and started inserting water in lieu of wine. That and typically we drink water at the dinner table so it seemed a bit more apropos.

Well I have been praying it the original way for so long that the following took place the other night at the dinner table. As I was praying this and came to the word “water” Blake immediately interrupted me and in an almost disgusted tone said, “WINE, Lord she means wine." As if I had been drinking it and in my debaucherous state was unable to recollect the correct wording.

The blonde part of the story: Well come to find out that it actually is water not wine. I could not find one translation of the scripture using the word wine. So the question remains why for so long did I say “wine”? Perhaps it happened when immersed in this British culture? Perhaps I was hoping for a re-enactment of Jesus’ first miracle? Or perhaps when I started coloring my hair blond? I am just not sure…okay the latter of the 3 is the most likely.

One thing I am sure of, my 6 year old son will be asking the Lord to bless his bread and wine….at least until he can read.

A Spoon Full of Sugar

Originally I was going to write a serious Mother's Day post (no that is not a joke...I can be serious once in a while) but after LOL reading Leigh Ann's MD post I decided to go the funny route. After all "laughter doeth good like a medicine". So to all the Moms reading here is your spoon full of sugar.....





Happy Mother's Day!

Celebrate Good Times....

...Come On!

It has been a big week on various fronts. So hectic I forgot to mention one of the biggies- my mother in-law’s birthday on Tuesday.

And today is my parent’s 49th Wedding Anniversary.
49 years…amazing eh?

Happy belated birthday Jackie.
You are such a wonderful mother, mother in-law, grandma and friend. My blog will always be vacant of horrible mother in-law stories! You are just wonderful and we all love you dearly!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad
Thank you for leaving a legacy of marriage; sticking with it no matter what! May you feel the blessings of 49 years together! And I hope you do something really special to celebrate because you daw-gone deserve it!!

Hip Hip Hooray for great families!! I will have a piece of cake in your honor….I guess technically that would be 2 pieces…sweet!

My Little Diva

I especially like the remains of ice-cream around her mouth.

An Adjective Recap

Can you imagine how boring life would be without adjectives to describe life around us? I’m thinking my little descriptive friends are pretty important so I’ve dedicated this post solely to them. Okay not really... it is just a sneaky way to show off some pictures of the Franzenfam this past week at the beach. I decided to spare you a LONG narrative and just give you a brief recap using my fun little adjective friends (and maybe an adverb or two)……

Warm

Goofy

Delicious

Wet

Adventurous

Majestic

Exhilarating

Sandy

Heavenly

Simply Wonderful!!!!

More Holidays?

South Africa has a ridiculous amount of holidays especially during the months of May and April. For example, next week- Monday, Thursday and Friday are all public holidays. The humorous thing (to me at least) is the reason Friday is a holiday is because Human Rights day fell on the same day as Good Friday. So to keep from dealing with disgruntled employees (because they "missed" a day off) the President declared this next Friday a public holiday. The kid’s school decided why even come back for 2 days so they gave students the whole week off. So un-American like eh? And they wonder why the economy is plummeting.

So with our week holiday we are heading to the coast. Thought might as well take advantage of it and hopefully soak up the last of the warm weather (praying there will be some).

My internet will be limited which equates to less blog time (boo-hoo) but I will try to check in on you all! To avoid Franzenfam withdrawals (ha!) I am inserting links to 2 of my top favorite posts.

To read Grasping Heaven, click here.
Ginger, if I am not mistaken this is the post we “met” on and I am so glad we did. Don’t worry I won’t link the post most of my other readers “started” on....but I guess I'll will give you a hint....

And to read a funny post about my Cool boy and his Cool perspective on the African culture click here.

Hope you enjoy! Be back in a week!

Can you guess...

what the temps might be on this side of the globe? Here’s a hint….

Yep…Cold, Cold & Cold!

I pulled out the winter garb and Tori let loose (nice outfit eh?). Apparently her feet are still in summer.

At least someone is happy about the frigid weather….



As for me...well I wish I could hibernate!

Meaningless Cartoons?

In another interesting conversation with my boy that must be logged for recollection….

Blake: "I know what happens when we die?"
Me: quite intrigued to hear the answer as you never know what will come out of this 6 year olds mouth. “Oh yeah, what?”
Blake: “Our spirit leaves our body and goes to heaven.”
Me: very impressed… “That is exactly right Blake!”
Blake: "You know where I learned that?"
Me: Curious yet hopeful…. "At church?”
Blake: "Nope, from Tom and Jerry"

I knew there was a catch! Apparently there is a scene where Tom’s “spirit” leaves his body and makes its way to heaven.

And I thought it was just a silly, meaningless cartoon!