How often do you think about the mercy of Christ? My guess is probably about as much as I do, which isn't often. Yes, I know all about His great mercy in His sacrifice for us; however, I do not give Him as much thanks on this issue as I should. Mercy came into my mind today as I learned, or just realized I had already learned, the word for Mercy in the language of Camel Land. It is a beautiful word both in English and in this language. However, it is sad how the Oth people of Camel Land use this word or think about it.
One of the things I often do during my language times is learn about cultural practices or traditions. One of the practices I have been trying to understand better and learn more about is that of the funeral. Today I learned for Oth people when a person dies if they do not receive the "special" pr from the prst then they will not receive Dad's mercy. His mercy is not available to them while they are alive, and if they are poor/destitute/just without enough money at the time, then they have no hope of having or experiencing any of His mercy even in death.
There were several things that struck me about this. The first issue was that according to the Oth (people who claim to be apart of the ch), one cannot experience His mercy in life! One can only experience mercy in death, and that mercy is only given by somehow being rescued out of the clutches of hell through the words of a corrupt prst's pr! The second issue was that if you are poor in this life you cannot expect to ever receive anything from Dad ever, not even in death because you can't pay the prst to pr that "magical" pr for you! The third was how sad and corrupt we are as men and women saying we know how to get the mercy of Dad, if you'll just pay me this money or feed me this food I'll pr this pr@y for you. Be careful to present His mercy, His gospel as free with no chains attached.....that is how He meant it.
Another heartbreaking fact is that most of the poor and destitute will spend most of the lives pleading/begging in the form of a pr that Dad would spare their loved one until they can get enough money to pay the prst for the pr@y.
So how often do you think about mercy? How often are you truly grateful and thankful for the mercy Christ has lavished upond us? In this time of thanksgiving think about being thankful for His mercy, and be willing to share the "secret" that His mercy is available to us now! You know this view of mercy only in death is not just a Oth view. I have encountered it in every country I've lived in, and that includes the US. Those of us already in the Body remember we have His mercy!!!!!!!!!! Trust Him at his word and work and live for the joy of giving Him thanks instead of trying to achieve what He has already given, something we could never achieve on our own. Thank Him for sending His son to the Mercy Seat.
Serving Him with You,
Rachel
Monday, November 5, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
A Special Request
Friends and Family,
I have hesitated in sharing this with you; however, just now after reading another friend's update, who is serving in another part of the world, I feel like I need to post this request. Many of you know that the past 15 months of my life in Camel Land have been anything but easy. You also may know that in the time I've been here He has been revealing a lot of things to me that unfortunately I wasn't ready to hear before I came or was just too stubborn and hard of heart.
Most of my close friends and my family know that since I was a sophmore in college the Father made it very clear to me that He had called me into teaching. I love teaching! I love the classroom, I love the sticky little hands, I love the "dumb" questions, I love the sweaty smells after recess/the b/o smells in overseas classrooms, everything about teaching I love.....even the things I complain about when I'm in the middle of it, when it's all said and done it's very clear to me and others around me that I'm a teacher. Some of you know my story, while I was in college I declared my major in Early Childhood Ed, and I proceeded to follow that degree plan until I reached a requirement called the Praxis test. Time and again I took that test and I kept missing by one or two points a passing score on one of the requirements of that test; so after a lot of painful pr and study over it I came to the conclusion that for whatever reason, Dad was closing the door on my getting that full degree at the time. It was one of the lowest points for me. Having to put down that degree was hard and I was very angry with Dad over it.
As a result of having to lay that degree down at the time, I had to declare another major. This major had to be one I could complete in 2 semesters, and it had to be one that I already had all the pre-reqs for, so I became a sociology major. At the time I hated that major, and it was with a lot of grumbling that I completed my degree in order to graduate in December 2003. It was after I was finished with college I realized my attitude and behaviour were not desirable to Dad, and I was not being a good witness or example of Him. In this period of repentenance He lead me into the journeyman program, and He also opened the door for me to teach! It was at that point that I started teaching ESL. It was also at this time I realized why he had lead me into sociology. Having a degree in sociology really helped me to be a better ESL teacher, and a better teacher altogether.
I was able to teach ESL for 3 years in Southeast Asia, and then I was able to continue teaching ESL for 3 more years in Fort Worth. However, in my steps coming here to Camel Land....it has been made apparent to me this time of my life teaching has been taken away, for a lot of reasons between me and the Father, which I won't go into right now. However, in the past 15 months He has been showing me teaching isn't gone forever, but it is now time for me to begin working towards that teaching degree again.
All of this is to say and to ask for your pr that I would hold to his Hand. These are difficult days. A person who is called to teach, yet who is not being allowed to teach is like someone who needs water but can't reach it. I read the stories and newsletters of other friends who are involved in ESL work around the world, and I literally sob because I want so badly to be doing that same kind of work. I am asking that you would join me in pr as I continue to walk this road of teachlessness, until He opens that door for me again. I also ask that you would join me in pr as I seek out the Father in knowing where, when, and how to pursue and get my full teaching license.
Thank you for your pr, and I pr you will join me in this special request.
Serving Him with You,
Rachel
I have hesitated in sharing this with you; however, just now after reading another friend's update, who is serving in another part of the world, I feel like I need to post this request. Many of you know that the past 15 months of my life in Camel Land have been anything but easy. You also may know that in the time I've been here He has been revealing a lot of things to me that unfortunately I wasn't ready to hear before I came or was just too stubborn and hard of heart.
Most of my close friends and my family know that since I was a sophmore in college the Father made it very clear to me that He had called me into teaching. I love teaching! I love the classroom, I love the sticky little hands, I love the "dumb" questions, I love the sweaty smells after recess/the b/o smells in overseas classrooms, everything about teaching I love.....even the things I complain about when I'm in the middle of it, when it's all said and done it's very clear to me and others around me that I'm a teacher. Some of you know my story, while I was in college I declared my major in Early Childhood Ed, and I proceeded to follow that degree plan until I reached a requirement called the Praxis test. Time and again I took that test and I kept missing by one or two points a passing score on one of the requirements of that test; so after a lot of painful pr and study over it I came to the conclusion that for whatever reason, Dad was closing the door on my getting that full degree at the time. It was one of the lowest points for me. Having to put down that degree was hard and I was very angry with Dad over it.
As a result of having to lay that degree down at the time, I had to declare another major. This major had to be one I could complete in 2 semesters, and it had to be one that I already had all the pre-reqs for, so I became a sociology major. At the time I hated that major, and it was with a lot of grumbling that I completed my degree in order to graduate in December 2003. It was after I was finished with college I realized my attitude and behaviour were not desirable to Dad, and I was not being a good witness or example of Him. In this period of repentenance He lead me into the journeyman program, and He also opened the door for me to teach! It was at that point that I started teaching ESL. It was also at this time I realized why he had lead me into sociology. Having a degree in sociology really helped me to be a better ESL teacher, and a better teacher altogether.
I was able to teach ESL for 3 years in Southeast Asia, and then I was able to continue teaching ESL for 3 more years in Fort Worth. However, in my steps coming here to Camel Land....it has been made apparent to me this time of my life teaching has been taken away, for a lot of reasons between me and the Father, which I won't go into right now. However, in the past 15 months He has been showing me teaching isn't gone forever, but it is now time for me to begin working towards that teaching degree again.
All of this is to say and to ask for your pr that I would hold to his Hand. These are difficult days. A person who is called to teach, yet who is not being allowed to teach is like someone who needs water but can't reach it. I read the stories and newsletters of other friends who are involved in ESL work around the world, and I literally sob because I want so badly to be doing that same kind of work. I am asking that you would join me in pr as I continue to walk this road of teachlessness, until He opens that door for me again. I also ask that you would join me in pr as I seek out the Father in knowing where, when, and how to pursue and get my full teaching license.
Thank you for your pr, and I pr you will join me in this special request.
Serving Him with You,
Rachel
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
November is Almost Here
Well it has been another 2 months almost 3 since I put an update on the blog. I hope this one finds you all well. Part of the reason I think I put off posting here is that I feel like to post I need to include pictures. Trying to take pictures here is a challenge in and of itself! However, I have some new pictures to share with you, so I thought I would go ahead and post again. Also I apologize to those that didn't receive my letter 2 months ago. I couldn't get my internet connection to cooperate in order to send a big group e-mail, so some got the letter and some didn't. I will try again this month.
Since the last post the biggest change that has occured is that I did not go on the language immersion trip. The plans and the timing for the trip changed several times and then fell through completely. So now it looks like I will be going on that trip, or something similar in January. For the time being I have still been working on language. My language schedule has changed somewhat in that I am now meeting only 3 days a week with a tutor for 2 hours each time. It was time for this change, but I must confess I am so burned out on language. Please be asking that I would soon be able to stop intentionally studying language like this, and that a role would be found for me to fill other than language student.
Although not doing this immersion trip did change plans a little bit, it was definitely in His plan because just a few weeks ago one of my guards had his father pass away. Both of my guards are O (the are members of the predominant ch here); therefore, the reality of them not being true Believers is very prevelent. With an O funeral, especially if it is taking place in the countryside, the funeral itself and the activites that go along with it take 14 days or longer. Currently my guard, his wife, and his brother are all in the countryside participating in the funeral for his father. This guard also has four little children; however, here it is not uncommon for parents to leave their children in the care of their neighbours for long periods of time. Please pr for my guard, his wife, and brother as they participate in the funeral, visiting with family, and especially as they travel back to AA at the end of the 14 days. Also lift up their kids, typically children left in the care of the neighbours do fine; however, sometimes things can happen. Please pr for the safety of these children, that they would be attending school as they are supposed to, and that they would have enough to eat while mom and dad are gone. Pr especially that my guard, his wife, and brother would be wise and discerning and have enough money to pay for the transport to get back to AA.
In the culture here money is seen as something you have from day to day. For example if I were to get paid today (even though that would be my whole salary for the month), I would think, "I have money! How can I spend it all today?" Yes, this is kind of a foolish thought, however, this is the thought process here. This kind of thinking has also caused some problems in the past months for the family that I do Story time with each week or every other week. The mother of this family has a job; however, minimum wage is not such a thing here (at least not the way we think of it). However, instead of saving part of her meager salary over the past several months, the mother of this family got to the point where it was time to pay dues for her daughter's school and she had nothing. I put off trying to help this family monetarily as long as I could and continued to pr that He would provide for them. Finally it got to the point where I gave them some money for the school fees. I explained that this money was not from me but a gift from the Father and was only to be used for school fees. My pr for this family is not that I would keep helping them like this, but that they would learn to depend upon Him for their needs and not the foreign face. Please pr like that for this family and for this entire country in that vein.
Rainy season has stopped, and we are now several weeks into dry season. This means that sunshine is 24/7, and the weather is warmer. However, AA's elevation is so high the temeprature is never unbearable. Although when rainy season stops everyone tends to have water problems. Pr that we would have enough water from day to day. Praise Him for the great rainy season this year, and ask that the people would be wise in the bounty of the harvest. I have also started running again. This doesn't mean I'm running outside that just isn't an option for me here although I dearly don't like that. However, I have started back to running on the treadmill again at the gym. Pr that I can keep it up, so I'll be road ready in December when I visit the States for vacation.
December is getting closer! Pr that it will come quickly, and that the weeks and days would be full until then. I am excited about getting to come home after a year and a half. Pr that this trip would go smoothly, and that He would give me clarity on things. I will have access to a car while I am in the US thanks for lifting that up! If you would like to contact me while I'm in the US you can e-mail me, I don't have a phone number there yet, or you can send a note to 5304 Glenn Cove Bryant, AR 72022. My e-mail is racfarmer@mailboxwiz.com
Thank you to those of you that have sent packages in the past few months. For whatever reason I have not received any packages in the past 2 months, and I know that some of you have sent some. I apologize for this. Hopefully the packages will be returned to you if they never reach me. Thank you for thinking of me. If you would like to encourage me in this way or help me in this way, I encourage you to send a small package/envelope to 5304 Glenn Cove Bryant, AR 72022. While I am in the US I will be restocking on supplies, so any help you could give would be appreciated.
Enjoy the pictures.
Serving Him with You wherever I am,
Rachel
Pictures: 1. This is in the house of the family I do Story time with. The little girl at the fire/stove is the daughter of the woman in the house, and the little girl with her back to us is the next door neighbour.
2. This little baby boy is the cousin of the little girl at the fire. He's about 2 or 3 months here.
3. Me and the little next door neighbour
4. This is the little next door neighbour, her mom, and her little brother (he is about 5 months).
5. Last picture is me in my house, at the end of rainy season.
Since the last post the biggest change that has occured is that I did not go on the language immersion trip. The plans and the timing for the trip changed several times and then fell through completely. So now it looks like I will be going on that trip, or something similar in January. For the time being I have still been working on language. My language schedule has changed somewhat in that I am now meeting only 3 days a week with a tutor for 2 hours each time. It was time for this change, but I must confess I am so burned out on language. Please be asking that I would soon be able to stop intentionally studying language like this, and that a role would be found for me to fill other than language student.Although not doing this immersion trip did change plans a little bit, it was definitely in His plan because just a few weeks ago one of my guards had his father pass away. Both of my guards are O (the are members of the predominant ch here); therefore, the reality of them not being true Believers is very prevelent. With an O funeral, especially if it is taking place in the countryside, the funeral itself and the activites that go along with it take 14 days or longer. Currently my guard, his wife, and his brother are all in the countryside participating in the funeral for his father. This guard also has four little children; however, here it is not uncommon for parents to leave their children in the care of their neighbours for long periods of time. Please pr for my guard, his wife, and brother as they participate in the funeral, visiting with family, and especially as they travel back to AA at the end of the 14 days. Also lift up their kids, typically children left in the care of the neighbours do fine; however, sometimes things can happen. Please pr for the safety of these children, that they would be attending school as they are supposed to, and that they would have enough to eat while mom and dad are gone. Pr especially that my guard, his wife, and brother would be wise and discerning and have enough money to pay for the transport to get back to AA.
In the culture here money is seen as something you have from day to day. For example if I were to get paid today (even though that would be my whole salary for the month), I would think, "I have money! How can I spend it all today?" Yes, this is kind of a foolish thought, however, this is the thought process here. This kind of thinking has also caused some problems in the past months for the family that I do Story time with each week or every other week. The mother of this family has a job; however, minimum wage is not such a thing here (at least not the way we think of it). However, instead of saving part of her meager salary over the past several months, the mother of this family got to the point where it was time to pay dues for her daughter's school and she had nothing. I put off trying to help this family monetarily as long as I could and continued to pr that He would provide for them. Finally it got to the point where I gave them some money for the school fees. I explained that this money was not from me but a gift from the Father and was only to be used for school fees. My pr for this family is not that I would keep helping them like this, but that they would learn to depend upon Him for their needs and not the foreign face. Please pr like that for this family and for this entire country in that vein.Rainy season has stopped, and we are now several weeks into dry season. This means that sunshine is 24/7, and the weather is warmer. However, AA's elevation is so high the temeprature is never unbearable. Although when rainy season stops everyone tends to have water problems. Pr that we would have enough water from day to day. Praise Him for the great rainy season this year, and ask that the people would be wise in the bounty of the harvest. I have also started running again. This doesn't mean I'm running outside that just isn't an option for me here although I dearly don't like that. However, I have started back to running on the treadmill again at the gym. Pr that I can keep it up, so I'll be road ready in December when I visit the States for vacation.
December is getting closer! Pr that it will come quickly, and that the weeks and days would be full until then. I am excited about getting to come home after a year and a half. Pr that this trip would go smoothly, and that He would give me clarity on things. I will have access to a car while I am in the US thanks for lifting that up! If you would like to contact me while I'm in the US you can e-mail me, I don't have a phone number there yet, or you can send a note to 5304 Glenn Cove Bryant, AR 72022. My e-mail is racfarmer@mailboxwiz.com Thank you to those of you that have sent packages in the past few months. For whatever reason I have not received any packages in the past 2 months, and I know that some of you have sent some. I apologize for this. Hopefully the packages will be returned to you if they never reach me. Thank you for thinking of me. If you would like to encourage me in this way or help me in this way, I encourage you to send a small package/envelope to 5304 Glenn Cove Bryant, AR 72022. While I am in the US I will be restocking on supplies, so any help you could give would be appreciated.
Enjoy the pictures.
Serving Him with You wherever I am,
Rachel
Pictures: 1. This is in the house of the family I do Story time with. The little girl at the fire/stove is the daughter of the woman in the house, and the little girl with her back to us is the next door neighbour.
2. This little baby boy is the cousin of the little girl at the fire. He's about 2 or 3 months here.
3. Me and the little next door neighbour
4. This is the little next door neighbour, her mom, and her little brother (he is about 5 months).
5. Last picture is me in my house, at the end of rainy season.
Friday, August 17, 2012
13 Months
I know it has been at least 2 or months since I have posted here. I apologize for that. The past couple of months have been interesting and difficult. However, it is a wonderful thing to know that I am down one year! Thank you for pr me through!
Since my last post I have been to Kenya and come back on organ less ...... I went to Kenya looking for answers to my dizziness and fainting. I came back without any real answers to that, but we did find out why I was having stabbing stomach pains, I had 2 marble size, calcititis gall stones (fun! fun!). The Father knew what He was doing in getting me to Nairobi for what I thought would originally be 2 weeks, and He sent me at a time that at first I thought was "bad" timing. Not so, not so. By the end of the first week the doctor had requested so much blood to be drawn for tests I wondered if I still had any left :), and on Friday of that week he suggested we also go ahead and do an ultrasound of my gall bladder and liver. However, by Thursday I had another lovely attack of stabbing pain, which kept me up all night. I had another appointment with the doctor on Monday, so that morning when he read the ultrasound he announced the presence of the stones. I told him of my cramps and pain, and he said I needed to go to the gastrinologist. The rest went very quickly. By the second Friday I was checking in for surgery at the hospital at 3:30pm that afternoon. Once the doctor got in he discovered that my gallbladder problem was acute and basically non-functioning, so it was NO coincidence that I was there when I was!
I remained another week in Nairobi, bringing my stay to 3 weeks, for recovery; then I returned to Camel Land on July 17. Today marks me being back for one month, and I guess it's the one month marker for surgery. I am now basically healed up and feeling better where the gall bladder is concerned! Thank you for pr-ing even though you may not have known what you were pr-ing for at the time, the Father always knows!
I have now finished phase 3 of language and will actively begin phase 4 mixed a little with phase 5 next week. This phase involves a lot of things that are uncomfortable and hard. I have to interview people, do a language immersion (which most likely means living with a national family for at least 3 days), having my first language evaluation (on Tuesday, August 21 at 8:00am), and having to learn how to break apart the pieces of this very difficult language. Please be lifting me up in this. It's not only that this phase is difficult and uncomfortable, but I have been learning language for 13 months now, and I am tired, sick and dry of learning language. Pr that I will press on in these next 3 to 4 months.
A huge praise and treat is coming up in December! I am going HOME! I will be taking some vacation in December and coming back to the US :). I will be arriving in the US on December 13 and staying until January 7. My parents are on STAS, so I will be with them, Lydia and her family, along with Julia and hers. My friends down in Fort Worth, I don't think I'll have car access, and since my time is so limited I will want to be with my family pretty much the whole time. However, if it is possible I would love to see you. I'll be in Texarkana for a big part of the time, which is not far from Fort Worth. If anyone would like to loan me a car or let me borrow one while I'm in the US for these 3 1/2 weeks that would be a great treat. Please write me at racfarmer@mailboxwiz.com if you are interested in that request.
Some of you will notice that Hannah's name isn't mentioned in the family I'll be with in December. This is because Hannah and her husband, Adam, will be coming to the States for some time at the end of August. We are sad they can't also be there in December. Continue to lift up Hannah and Adam, and please ask that their time in the US be good and refreshing.
Also if anyone is interested, one thing that would be a great gift whether you send it to me while I"m in the US in December, or while I'm here, are Beth Moore studies with the voice recordings of the weekly sessions. I am just now finishing the Esther study, so any other study is fair game! I know that most of you will just suggest I download, go to itunes etc etc. I do use that option here some, but with our internet set up downloading one thing that is about an hour long can take up to 3 days! I am not kidding! Also it is very expensive to try and use my internet to download things. This is why I am suggesting for the recordings of the weekly sessions they be put on CDs or on a thumb/flash drive.
Please continue to pr and lift up. Thank you for all of your pr.
Serving Him with You,
Rachel
Pictures:
1. The first picture is taken in my neighbourhood. If you turn right off the picture and go down another dirt road you would find my house. Of course right now it isn't dry and dusty like that right now it's wet, muddy, and green where grass is.
2. Me ( I think this was actually back in April)
3. This the front of one of the Othx ch in the city (it's actually the biggest one)
4. This is another view of the same O ch.
5. Me and one of my language teachers after we finished touring this huge ch. She doesn't normally cover her head only around the ch. (this was also back in April I think)
Since my last post I have been to Kenya and come back on organ less ...... I went to Kenya looking for answers to my dizziness and fainting. I came back without any real answers to that, but we did find out why I was having stabbing stomach pains, I had 2 marble size, calcititis gall stones (fun! fun!). The Father knew what He was doing in getting me to Nairobi for what I thought would originally be 2 weeks, and He sent me at a time that at first I thought was "bad" timing. Not so, not so. By the end of the first week the doctor had requested so much blood to be drawn for tests I wondered if I still had any left :), and on Friday of that week he suggested we also go ahead and do an ultrasound of my gall bladder and liver. However, by Thursday I had another lovely attack of stabbing pain, which kept me up all night. I had another appointment with the doctor on Monday, so that morning when he read the ultrasound he announced the presence of the stones. I told him of my cramps and pain, and he said I needed to go to the gastrinologist. The rest went very quickly. By the second Friday I was checking in for surgery at the hospital at 3:30pm that afternoon. Once the doctor got in he discovered that my gallbladder problem was acute and basically non-functioning, so it was NO coincidence that I was there when I was! 
I remained another week in Nairobi, bringing my stay to 3 weeks, for recovery; then I returned to Camel Land on July 17. Today marks me being back for one month, and I guess it's the one month marker for surgery. I am now basically healed up and feeling better where the gall bladder is concerned! Thank you for pr-ing even though you may not have known what you were pr-ing for at the time, the Father always knows!
I have now finished phase 3 of language and will actively begin phase 4 mixed a little with phase 5 next week. This phase involves a lot of things that are uncomfortable and hard. I have to interview people, do a language immersion (which most likely means living with a national family for at least 3 days), having my first language evaluation (on Tuesday, August 21 at 8:00am), and having to learn how to break apart the pieces of this very difficult language. Please be lifting me up in this. It's not only that this phase is difficult and uncomfortable, but I have been learning language for 13 months now, and I am tired, sick and dry of learning language. Pr that I will press on in these next 3 to 4 months.
A huge praise and treat is coming up in December! I am going HOME! I will be taking some vacation in December and coming back to the US :). I will be arriving in the US on December 13 and staying until January 7. My parents are on STAS, so I will be with them, Lydia and her family, along with Julia and hers. My friends down in Fort Worth, I don't think I'll have car access, and since my time is so limited I will want to be with my family pretty much the whole time. However, if it is possible I would love to see you. I'll be in Texarkana for a big part of the time, which is not far from Fort Worth. If anyone would like to loan me a car or let me borrow one while I'm in the US for these 3 1/2 weeks that would be a great treat. Please write me at racfarmer@mailboxwiz.com if you are interested in that request.Some of you will notice that Hannah's name isn't mentioned in the family I'll be with in December. This is because Hannah and her husband, Adam, will be coming to the States for some time at the end of August. We are sad they can't also be there in December. Continue to lift up Hannah and Adam, and please ask that their time in the US be good and refreshing.
Also if anyone is interested, one thing that would be a great gift whether you send it to me while I"m in the US in December, or while I'm here, are Beth Moore studies with the voice recordings of the weekly sessions. I am just now finishing the Esther study, so any other study is fair game! I know that most of you will just suggest I download, go to itunes etc etc. I do use that option here some, but with our internet set up downloading one thing that is about an hour long can take up to 3 days! I am not kidding! Also it is very expensive to try and use my internet to download things. This is why I am suggesting for the recordings of the weekly sessions they be put on CDs or on a thumb/flash drive.
Please continue to pr and lift up. Thank you for all of your pr.
Serving Him with You,
Rachel
Pictures:
1. The first picture is taken in my neighbourhood. If you turn right off the picture and go down another dirt road you would find my house. Of course right now it isn't dry and dusty like that right now it's wet, muddy, and green where grass is.
2. Me ( I think this was actually back in April)
3. This the front of one of the Othx ch in the city (it's actually the biggest one)
4. This is another view of the same O ch.
5. Me and one of my language teachers after we finished touring this huge ch. She doesn't normally cover her head only around the ch. (this was also back in April I think)
Friday, June 15, 2012
11 Months and Counting
It has now been 11 months since I came to Camel Land. To be completely honest it feels like at least 2 years since I came and not just a little less than a year! This past month has been full of learning language, other cultural experiences, learning how to lead a Story Time with two families, leading a Word study with a group of tck girls, and trying not to be sick.
Seems like these last two months I keep getting hit with unexplained and unpleasant physical ailments. A month ago I spent one night and two days throwing up and laying in bed, however, nothing was diagnosed as being an ameoba or anything else. A couple weeks later I had another fainting episode when I was out with my language teacher; however, I realized what was going on this time, and I was able to catch myself before I fully fainted away. I was able to grab her and drop to the floor in a sitting position and tell her to get me water before I completely blacked out. This required me to go to the doctor the next day, however, the check-up revealed nothing. And just the past two days I have been plauged with severe stomach cramps where I am forced to lay in bed until they subside. Please pr for me. None of this is meant to make you worry, I mean we get sick in the States too. Please pr that we can find out what is making me feel unwell, and that I wouldn't have anymore sickness like this.
This past month has also been a joy for my family as we welcome our newest family member, Bethany Gale Armstrong, my second niece and my sister Julia & brother-in-law Ben's second child. Please be in pr for their family as they adjust to being 4 instead of 3. Pr for Ben's health and Julia's continued recovery from the birth. Pr also for Bethany that she will gain weight, and meet all of her growth markers on time and in good fashion. Pr also for Elijah he is not quite sure what to make of this newest little person in his life. Pr that he will learn to love her unconditionally and cherish her compaionship.
This past month my greatest joy has been on Tuesday nights. I have been meeting with a group of four tck teenage girls for a Word study for the past 3 weeks. Doing this I am able to act on the gifts He has given me, and I am able to work with the PG that I know He wants me working with. Pr that this study would continue, and the girls would continue to grow and mature in Him.
In a few weeks I will be going for a 2 and 1/2 week trip to some other parts of Camel Land as an extension of language study. To be honest I am not looking forward to all of this travel in a car. Here when traveling in cars I often get sick and feel horrible for days after we reach our destination. Pr that I would not get sick and that this journey would be enjoyable.
Hope that you are all looking forward to this weekend as you prepare to celebrate and honour your fathers.
Serving Him with You where ever I am,
Rachel
Ps. I will post more pictures later. The two pictures posted I am sure you can guess who they are of....Bethany Gale (on the left 3 hours old here) and Elijah, my dad, and Bethany Gale (on the right).
Seems like these last two months I keep getting hit with unexplained and unpleasant physical ailments. A month ago I spent one night and two days throwing up and laying in bed, however, nothing was diagnosed as being an ameoba or anything else. A couple weeks later I had another fainting episode when I was out with my language teacher; however, I realized what was going on this time, and I was able to catch myself before I fully fainted away. I was able to grab her and drop to the floor in a sitting position and tell her to get me water before I completely blacked out. This required me to go to the doctor the next day, however, the check-up revealed nothing. And just the past two days I have been plauged with severe stomach cramps where I am forced to lay in bed until they subside. Please pr for me. None of this is meant to make you worry, I mean we get sick in the States too. Please pr that we can find out what is making me feel unwell, and that I wouldn't have anymore sickness like this.
This past month has also been a joy for my family as we welcome our newest family member, Bethany Gale Armstrong, my second niece and my sister Julia & brother-in-law Ben's second child. Please be in pr for their family as they adjust to being 4 instead of 3. Pr for Ben's health and Julia's continued recovery from the birth. Pr also for Bethany that she will gain weight, and meet all of her growth markers on time and in good fashion. Pr also for Elijah he is not quite sure what to make of this newest little person in his life. Pr that he will learn to love her unconditionally and cherish her compaionship. This past month my greatest joy has been on Tuesday nights. I have been meeting with a group of four tck teenage girls for a Word study for the past 3 weeks. Doing this I am able to act on the gifts He has given me, and I am able to work with the PG that I know He wants me working with. Pr that this study would continue, and the girls would continue to grow and mature in Him.
In a few weeks I will be going for a 2 and 1/2 week trip to some other parts of Camel Land as an extension of language study. To be honest I am not looking forward to all of this travel in a car. Here when traveling in cars I often get sick and feel horrible for days after we reach our destination. Pr that I would not get sick and that this journey would be enjoyable.
Hope that you are all looking forward to this weekend as you prepare to celebrate and honour your fathers.
Serving Him with You where ever I am,
Rachel
Ps. I will post more pictures later. The two pictures posted I am sure you can guess who they are of....Bethany Gale (on the left 3 hours old here) and Elijah, my dad, and Bethany Gale (on the right).
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Opportunities to be Salt and Light
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Since I have finished the second phase of language I now have opportunities to be active trying to use my language. One of the opportunities I had last month was to go to the clinic here that another team puts together every Saturday morning. For the most part this team works with another people group, who does not speak the national language because they are here as refugees. However, there are some people who come to this clinic that speak the national language. For the most part the team focusing on this minority people group have a hard time communicating with the national speakers because they don't speak the language. So I went one Saturday to try and help with language. One of the ladies I got to talk to had two children who were sick. One just had a cold, and the other one (asleep on her back the whole time) was suffering from a bad ear infection. At the end I took their picture and helped them get their meds at the pharmacy.
I also got to help with a couple other patients this was one of the little girls waiting in line at the pharmacy (in blue above). However, she didn't speak the national language, which is probably why she looks a little scared here.
The other opportunity I have had in the past couple of months to be Salt and Light is with a small family in a neighbourhood close to mine, yet worlds apart. This opportunity is on going. I went with another lady here partnering with us because she started this Storying Time with this family several months back. This group is made up of a family of women (two widows), one of the widows daughters, another neighbourhood family (a husband, their 4 year old daughter, & the very pregnant wife). This group is all in the national language, which is really stretching me! We sit and listen to a story, drink coffee, eat popcorn, and then talk a little bit. I have a national brother helping me with this. I was supposed to meet with them by myself for the first time this past Sunday, but I was sick. Please pr for them this next Sunday as we meet. Pr that I would have enough language and the right words and questions for this family. The picture above is of the two little girls who are a part of this story time. The little girl to the right belongs to the family in this community that helps us so much with these Story Groups. The parents and grandparents are all your Brothers and Sisters and they are a very strong family. Pr for them, and for their perserverence.
The final picture to this series of posts is of me in the head covering that the Othr ladies where here when they go to ch. This one was made by the mother of the national family that is helping me with the Story Time. This is pretty much how they wear it; however, if someone has died and they are at the funereal the colour on the bottom of the shawl/scarf goes around the face. These are often commonly used to keep warm during rainy season as well.
Since I have finished the second phase of language I now have opportunities to be active trying to use my language. One of the opportunities I had last month was to go to the clinic here that another team puts together every Saturday morning. For the most part this team works with another people group, who does not speak the national language because they are here as refugees. However, there are some people who come to this clinic that speak the national language. For the most part the team focusing on this minority people group have a hard time communicating with the national speakers because they don't speak the language. So I went one Saturday to try and help with language. One of the ladies I got to talk to had two children who were sick. One just had a cold, and the other one (asleep on her back the whole time) was suffering from a bad ear infection. At the end I took their picture and helped them get their meds at the pharmacy.
I also got to help with a couple other patients this was one of the little girls waiting in line at the pharmacy (in blue above). However, she didn't speak the national language, which is probably why she looks a little scared here.
The final picture to this series of posts is of me in the head covering that the Othr ladies where here when they go to ch. This one was made by the mother of the national family that is helping me with the Story Time. This is pretty much how they wear it; however, if someone has died and they are at the funereal the colour on the bottom of the shawl/scarf goes around the face. These are often commonly used to keep warm during rainy season as well.
Serving Him with You (where ever I am),
Rachel
Visiting In Homes
For the past couple of months I have also found myself in many peoples homes. One of these times I was invited to a baby Christianing celebration. My language teacher met me at a local taxi stop, and we went the rest of the way together. We arrived at her friend's house while everyone was still at the ch for the Christening. We stayed at the house and helped the grandmother and older kids clean the house, wash the coffee beans, set up chairs to sit in, and sprinkle grass on the floor. Grass is always spread on the floor for celebrations and for coffee ceremonies.
The picture above was taken on this special day from left goes as follows: me, my language helper, another sweet sister who often helps with language, another Helper with us here, and finally the mom of the baby who was Christened. This picture was taken at the end of the meal and coffee, which was late in the afternoon and rain clouds were rolling in.
For this time of celebration there is the "primary" crowd of close family friends, who have been specially invited. We eat together, talk, and drink coffee together. While we sit there slowly the whole neighbourhood comes in the house, sits and eats, drinks some coffee, blesses the family, and then goes home. This goes on all day long. Once school lets out all of the kiddos in the area come into the house and yard too. The mother of the baby, who was Christened has three other children. The third child is a 4 year old little girl, who is very much an extrovert. Because of the special day she didn't go to school (all four year olds here go to four year old KG), and once her friends all got out of school they came to see the "foreigners" and eat some food. Here are some pictures of the little ones.
The picture in the middle is the little socialite. She wanted to be in every picture when ever any camera was pulled out that day.
Pr for this family. The father is an O prst and is giving the rest of the family a difficult time. Pr that there would be peace in this house, and that the whole household would follow J.
Serving Him with You (where ever I am),
Rachel
So With Coffee Comes Celebration
Last month was the month of Estr! Here in Camel Land we celebrated this most important of hly days twice. Camel Land follows the Eastern calendar, so they celebrate the hly days about two weeks behind us. However, those of us living here from other areas of the world celebrated together during the Western calendar Estr and then again with our national friends according to the Eastern calendar.
The hly time begins here with everyone fasting for Lent for a month before hand. This mostly means that people don't eat meat, milk, eggs, chocolate, chicken, or any other dairy for a month. Everyone eats vegetables, lentils, and water for a month, so by the time Estr comes everyone is more than ready for meat. On Palm Sunday everyone goes to ch celebrating by taking palm fronds and branches and decorating the roads, themselves, and their houses in memory of the triumphal entry. Then on Good Friday you can feel the pallor in the air as everyone remembers this day. On Good Friday everyone wakes up, eats a special meal made of chick peas, hot pepper powder, onions, tomatoes, oil, and corn. That is the only food they will eat all day.
This Good Friday I went down to the tea shop I have been frequenting to wait for my language teacher to meet me there. While I was there I partook of this special meal with everyone there because they were all eating, and when you are eating and you have guests they must be served food too. Then later my language teacher/s arrived and we walked over to the orthdx ch in our neighbourhood. The Orthx people do not go into the building here. Typically the building is way too small to hold half the crowd, so the first ones to arrive will enter but everyone else is outside surrounding the ch. However, on Good Friday the people are outside with the prsts on the porch of the ch building.
Everyone in the courtyard is wearing white, and everyone is standing up. No one is allowed to sit down while the prst speaks, and everyone waits to hear the prst announce the time after he has recounted the Estr story orally. However, the story is told in a language no longer spoken, so most people have no idea what they are listening to. If the older folks get tired they have special canes to lean on to rest their muscles, but sitting down is out of the question. If you sit or squat you get wacked by the monks and nuns walking around with wooden "hitting" sticks.
As the time begins to tick down the priest begins to chant/sing and the people begin to pr. This means they make the sign of the cross and bow repeatedly. They cross their arms, touch their shoulders, bend at the waist or go all the way down to their knees, then stand back up, and repeat the process all over again. Once the priest announces the hour as that of J breathing his last, the "pr-ing" stops and everyone becomes still and quiet.
Once this is over everyone continues to listen to the prst, they go and make pennance for their "sins" during Lent by making the sign of the cross however many times the prst tells them to, and then once the day-long service is over everyone goes home. On Saturday pretty much everyone stays at home and sleeps, and then on Sunday the celebration begins. People get up at the crack of dawn go back to ch, and then back home to cook and clean and get ready for the Estr feast. Chicken, eggs, beef, lamb, goat are all consumed with abandon, and very little if any vegetables are eaten. After everyone is full to popping the days ends with coffee.
This meat eating feast continues the whole week from Sunday to Sunday until Maudy Monday when it is said that He ascended back to hvn. I was able to participate in this "2nd" Estr feast with one of my language teachers and her family. I ate way too much meat, had to drink 2 Cokes, and then 2 cups of coffee. I was very full to say the least after that day
The pictures are of Good Friday. I went with two my language teachers to watch the service on Friday at the Ortho ch in our neighbourhood.
Pr for the O people here to understand that it is important to understand the Word. Pr that He would begin to break down barriers of fear and suspicion when the G is presented.
Serving Him with You (where ever I am),
Rachel
The hly time begins here with everyone fasting for Lent for a month before hand. This mostly means that people don't eat meat, milk, eggs, chocolate, chicken, or any other dairy for a month. Everyone eats vegetables, lentils, and water for a month, so by the time Estr comes everyone is more than ready for meat. On Palm Sunday everyone goes to ch celebrating by taking palm fronds and branches and decorating the roads, themselves, and their houses in memory of the triumphal entry. Then on Good Friday you can feel the pallor in the air as everyone remembers this day. On Good Friday everyone wakes up, eats a special meal made of chick peas, hot pepper powder, onions, tomatoes, oil, and corn. That is the only food they will eat all day.
This Good Friday I went down to the tea shop I have been frequenting to wait for my language teacher to meet me there. While I was there I partook of this special meal with everyone there because they were all eating, and when you are eating and you have guests they must be served food too. Then later my language teacher/s arrived and we walked over to the orthdx ch in our neighbourhood. The Orthx people do not go into the building here. Typically the building is way too small to hold half the crowd, so the first ones to arrive will enter but everyone else is outside surrounding the ch. However, on Good Friday the people are outside with the prsts on the porch of the ch building.
As the time begins to tick down the priest begins to chant/sing and the people begin to pr. This means they make the sign of the cross and bow repeatedly. They cross their arms, touch their shoulders, bend at the waist or go all the way down to their knees, then stand back up, and repeat the process all over again. Once the priest announces the hour as that of J breathing his last, the "pr-ing" stops and everyone becomes still and quiet.
This meat eating feast continues the whole week from Sunday to Sunday until Maudy Monday when it is said that He ascended back to hvn. I was able to participate in this "2nd" Estr feast with one of my language teachers and her family. I ate way too much meat, had to drink 2 Cokes, and then 2 cups of coffee. I was very full to say the least after that dayThe pictures are of Good Friday. I went with two my language teachers to watch the service on Friday at the Ortho ch in our neighbourhood.
Pr for the O people here to understand that it is important to understand the Word. Pr that He would begin to break down barriers of fear and suspicion when the G is presented.
Serving Him with You (where ever I am),
Rachel
Some Pictures of the Past Couple of Months
In the past two months I have tried to take more pictures; however, I still feel like I haven't taken as many as I could! The culture here and the people doesn't lend itself to taking pictures that easily, and often when the camera comes out I'm either mobbed or told to put it away.....oh well, I have tried and I will continue to :). One of the things I have been doing a lot of in the past couple of months is hanging out at a local tea house . Here coffee shops are called tea houses even though their main beverage served is coffee not tea. They call them tea houses because when you call something a coffee shop you are usually talking about a place that is more akin to a brothel or strip club not a Starbucks! Crazy I know.....you say lets go to the tea house for coffee and to the coffee house for beer. I do not understand, but sometimes it is just better not to try!
The reason I've been hanging out in this tea house is for language purposes. In these tea houses you sit around and talk to the ladies making the coffee, and it is great practice for language and relationship building. Here the whole process for coffee goes something like this:
1. Buy the coffee while it's still green (yes, before roasting, coffee beans are green)
2. Pick through the beans for rocks, dirt, spoiled beans etc.
3. Wash the beans in water to get other dirt and rocks to cpme off or to come to the surface.
4. Pour the beans in a small metal pan, made especially for coffee roasting, and hold it over the fire, which you prepared and lit before you started cleaning the beans.
5. Some people use a metal stick to push the beans back and forth as they roast the beans over the fire; others just hold the pan over the fire and shake it occassionally to keep the beans from burning.
6. Once the beans are nice and dark brown, you pass the pan around to everyone sitting in the tea house and they waft the smell of the roasting beans to their faces and breathe deeply.
7. Then you pour the beans into what is the equivalent of a mortar.
8. You take a heavy metal stick and began pounding/grinding the beans by hand.
9. Once you have the achieved consistency of coffee powder......
10 You take the powder and pour it into the traditional coffee pot or jebina, you pour some water in there, and set it on the fire and let it brew.
11. Then you put two tiny teaspoons full of sugar into macchiato sized cups and pour the coffee into each cup until it's overflowing.
12. If you are truly national you began slurping while the coffee is burning hot.
Recently I had the opportunity to do this process on my own while my language helper looked on and helped or corrected my mistakes....apparently I am not strong enough to pound the coffee into a fine enough powder! The next week she took me to a market in her area of the city and she helped me buy a jebina, a pan for roasting, and a metal stick for pushing the beans back and forth while the beans roast.
In between all that you have great chances to talk and practice language.....believe it or not!
Coffee is a big part of life here in the birthplace of the worldwide popular beverage. Below you will see pictures of the different stages I talk about. The first three pictures are of the tea house I have been visiting. The lady pouring is a Sister, and she has a strainer in the cup to catch the larger grounds, but that is not typical....usually your third cup of coffee (because usually you drink 3 with each visit), you "eat" part of it too :). The second picture is of my language helper on the right and the tea shop owner's sister on the left. The third picture is me and the tea shop owner after we had a full on coffee ceremony with popcorn to eat, to celebrate me finishing the 2nd phase of language. The last three pictures are as follows: 1. Grinding coffee. 2. Brewing coffee. 3. And the finished roasted product in the pan before grinding or pounding.
So I guess this post is more about coffee than anything else! That means you'll get more posts this month!
Please pr for me as I go and visit this tea shop and meet more people. Pr also that I will be able to go and visit my neighbour across the street, who has invited me for tea/coffee. Pr that I would be able to speak and He would give me the right words.
The language helper/teacher you see in this picture is a strong Sister. Pr for her as she continues to share in many different venues and ways, and pr for our friendship to grow. She is no longer my teacher as there have been some new people arrive, and she is working with them right now.
Now I have two new language helpers, and I ask for you to pr for my patience and attitude with them. Pr especially for one of my teachers who has two sons who are currently suffering from typhoid.
Serving Him with You (where ever I am),
Rachel
The reason I've been hanging out in this tea house is for language purposes. In these tea houses you sit around and talk to the ladies making the coffee, and it is great practice for language and relationship building. Here the whole process for coffee goes something like this:
1. Buy the coffee while it's still green (yes, before roasting, coffee beans are green)
2. Pick through the beans for rocks, dirt, spoiled beans etc.
3. Wash the beans in water to get other dirt and rocks to cpme off or to come to the surface.
4. Pour the beans in a small metal pan, made especially for coffee roasting, and hold it over the fire, which you prepared and lit before you started cleaning the beans.
5. Some people use a metal stick to push the beans back and forth as they roast the beans over the fire; others just hold the pan over the fire and shake it occassionally to keep the beans from burning.
6. Once the beans are nice and dark brown, you pass the pan around to everyone sitting in the tea house and they waft the smell of the roasting beans to their faces and breathe deeply.
7. Then you pour the beans into what is the equivalent of a mortar.
8. You take a heavy metal stick and began pounding/grinding the beans by hand.
9. Once you have the achieved consistency of coffee powder......
10 You take the powder and pour it into the traditional coffee pot or jebina, you pour some water in there, and set it on the fire and let it brew.
11. Then you put two tiny teaspoons full of sugar into macchiato sized cups and pour the coffee into each cup until it's overflowing.
12. If you are truly national you began slurping while the coffee is burning hot.
Recently I had the opportunity to do this process on my own while my language helper looked on and helped or corrected my mistakes....apparently I am not strong enough to pound the coffee into a fine enough powder! The next week she took me to a market in her area of the city and she helped me buy a jebina, a pan for roasting, and a metal stick for pushing the beans back and forth while the beans roast.
In between all that you have great chances to talk and practice language.....believe it or not!
Coffee is a big part of life here in the birthplace of the worldwide popular beverage. Below you will see pictures of the different stages I talk about. The first three pictures are of the tea house I have been visiting. The lady pouring is a Sister, and she has a strainer in the cup to catch the larger grounds, but that is not typical....usually your third cup of coffee (because usually you drink 3 with each visit), you "eat" part of it too :). The second picture is of my language helper on the right and the tea shop owner's sister on the left. The third picture is me and the tea shop owner after we had a full on coffee ceremony with popcorn to eat, to celebrate me finishing the 2nd phase of language. The last three pictures are as follows: 1. Grinding coffee. 2. Brewing coffee. 3. And the finished roasted product in the pan before grinding or pounding.
So I guess this post is more about coffee than anything else! That means you'll get more posts this month! Please pr for me as I go and visit this tea shop and meet more people. Pr also that I will be able to go and visit my neighbour across the street, who has invited me for tea/coffee. Pr that I would be able to speak and He would give me the right words.
The language helper/teacher you see in this picture is a strong Sister. Pr for her as she continues to share in many different venues and ways, and pr for our friendship to grow. She is no longer my teacher as there have been some new people arrive, and she is working with them right now.
Now I have two new language helpers, and I ask for you to pr for my patience and attitude with them. Pr especially for one of my teachers who has two sons who are currently suffering from typhoid.
Serving Him with You (where ever I am),
Rachel
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Where did 9 go? Now we are at 10!
Well, I didn't ever post for month 9 and now I am well into month 10, and instead of telling people I've now been here so many months I can now say, "Well, in July it will be a year :)." Those words really thrill my heart let me tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for pr me through this first year it has been hard, and one where I have been grinded and sifted until I think I can take no more, yet I have a feeling there may be more coming. However, He is faithful and He never gives us more than we can handle; however, the part of that verse I often overlook is that word, "when". Paul gives us those wonderful words of, "He never gives us more than we can handle, but when He does....." How often do we all overlook that last part hoping beyond hope that He will not give us anything we cannot handle; EVER! However, we all know that He often does, and the reason He does (I am learning) is because He loves us, and He wants us to experience and know His love in a way most of us have never experienced any kind of love before. One of the greatest ways He shows us His love and teaches us how to truly experience it is through times of hardship, times of discouragement, times of feeling like we have failed, times of pain. When look at Him full in the face during those times, His face is full of unfathomable love and that is what He gives us to get through what we think we can't handle. He wraps His arm around our shoulders, helps us stand up, takes the burden we've been trying to carry, and walks along beside us with our burdens on His shoulders. As we walk together, if we are patient and listening, He teaches us about our burden why He gave it to us or why He allowed it. And as He talks and we walk along beside Him; we learn and we see His love for us.....greater than any love we have or can have in this life.
Although it is great love we often don't want it, because it is too hard. I have been guilty of not wanting it. Thinking that I want His love, and at the same time not wanting the difficulty that comes along with it. However, in His grace and patience I am learning the difficult and "hard" is worth it to know His love to know how much He loves us a little more every day. Thank you for helping me to keep walking beside Him, when I have been tempted to just throw the burden at the Father and run away. This post is not to say, "Yay! Everything is all better I'm good now!" That would not be the truth; however, it is to say thank you for shouldering all of this with me, and being part of that way the Father helps us carry our burdens never expecting us to carry them alone. Thank you so much for pr me through this year. Keep lifting me up I cannot do the next 2 years without you!
If you would like to respond to this post or any post please write me at racfarmer@mailboxwiz.com
Serving Him with You (where ever I am),
Rachel
Although it is great love we often don't want it, because it is too hard. I have been guilty of not wanting it. Thinking that I want His love, and at the same time not wanting the difficulty that comes along with it. However, in His grace and patience I am learning the difficult and "hard" is worth it to know His love to know how much He loves us a little more every day. Thank you for helping me to keep walking beside Him, when I have been tempted to just throw the burden at the Father and run away. This post is not to say, "Yay! Everything is all better I'm good now!" That would not be the truth; however, it is to say thank you for shouldering all of this with me, and being part of that way the Father helps us carry our burdens never expecting us to carry them alone. Thank you so much for pr me through this year. Keep lifting me up I cannot do the next 2 years without you!
If you would like to respond to this post or any post please write me at racfarmer@mailboxwiz.com
Serving Him with You (where ever I am),
Rachel
Monday, March 5, 2012
8 Months on March 2nd
The 8th month mark came on a day that I was thinking more of birthdays than being here for 8 months. March 2nd was my nephew, Elijah's, 2nd birthday, and it was difficult not being there for that. I still have not been able to contact him or my sister (his mom), so pray that this week we can connect over skype. However, even though it was hard to be away that day I did have a good day thanks to your pr. March 2nd was also the birthday of one of my closest friends. She and I have been friends since our 9th grade year of highschool, and in large part because of her husband and her there are days I have been able to make it through. They are some of my most faithful pr supporters, and I thank Dad for them. I also ask that you would lift them up.These two friends of mine, H & D are currently in process of raising support to go and serve with Cadence International as Workers serving military families specifically the youth of these families on base. They are currently on track to be working with base in Germany by May. Please be pr for them as they continue to trust Him to provide the support they need to get there. If you were to give them $5-$10 a month for 2 years you have already helped in a big way. If anyone is interested in helping to support them let me know at racfarmer@mailboxwiz.com
Finally, March 2nd was the official time marker of me being in Camel Land for 8 months. Hard to believe it's been 8 months. Please keep pr for me in the language area. I am almost finished with the 2nd part of the 2nd phase of this language program we use here. Once I finish the 3rd part I should be ready for my first evaluation. Please pr that I would be able to finish the 2nd part of phase 2 by the end of this week, and that I would be able to successfully come through the evaluation at the end of the 3rd part of the 2nd phase. It also looks like I will be running in a 5K on Sunday. This race is for Girls and Women only, and I have no idea what to expect for this kind of an event here in this country. I am also dealing with some pain when I run, and I have only been able to train on a treadmill. Pr that I can do this well. Pr also that I would know what He wants to be doing for Him here ( I know the obvious answer to that, just asking for a specific role to fill). Continue to lift up also that while I am here He would help me to make some national friends.Pictures: 1. These are my friends H & D and their son, Samuel. They are also expecting baby #2. Pr for H during this time, especially for her strength and health.
2. This is me at a point outside of the city, this was before Cmas.
3. The last picture is my sister, Julia, and her little boy Elijah....my nephew. He turned two on March 2nd. Julia is expecting baby girl in June. Pr for Julia, Ben, and Elijah as they get ready for little sister.
Rachel
Remember to become one in a million pr for the Horn in April go to http://www.prayforthehorn.com/ (this is a link so you can click on it and go directly there!)
Friday, February 17, 2012
A Tour of the House with the Wardrobe....Only I Don't Have Snow or a Lightpost
So if you read the previous post you would have noticed I said, " You have to go through the closet to get to the bathroom." That's right! In my room is a wardrobe, and there is another side to it! Ha! Only I don't have an enchanted, Christmasy land on the other side of my wardrobe....just a toilet, a bathtub, a sink, and some towels and a dirty clothes basket. So if you want to go "through the wardrobe" come visit me! Ha ha.
Here are more pictures of my house:
1& 2. These are the stairs. My bedroom and the other two bedrooms are upstairs, along with a hall bathroom.
3. This is the living room. It is a long room part of it is the living room and part is the dining room. This is the sofa that I had made here.
4. Here's my recliner.
5. Here's the dining room and yes that's the fridge. It doesn't fit in the kitchen because there isn't a place for it.
6. These are the brown curtains I had made for the living room/ dining room. These windows are floor to ceiling and open out onto a small porch.
7.The last 3 pictures are of the kitchen.
The final picture is of me on my birthday.....hope you enjoy the "tour". Keep pr and lifting up.
Rachel
A Day on My Back
Some of you may remember that when I was a Jman whenever a lot of stress would come into my life my neck and shoulders would seize up and I would be in pain for days. Often I would just carry on and feel like a stiff tin man trying to get around. Once I started running at sem a lot of that stopped as most of my stress was being pounded out on the trail or the pavement. However, since I have been in Camel Land some of this stress in my muscles has come back. Now that I am running again it is much less, however, it is not as little as it needs to be and I need your pr. Please pr that right now my muscles would relax in my right shoulder and arm, and I would be able to have full range of motion without pain. Right now I can't really hold my head up without it hurting a lot, so I have been at home and didn't go to language today. Pr that my muscles are relaxed enough tomorrow that I can go run, and hopefully a good run will loosen a lot of this up.
I also want to bring to mind that April 2012 is coming upon us. Some of you have received notes from me, and emails saying become 1 in a million and join with us in pr for the Horn in April. Please go to prayforthehorn.com if you have not already, and find out how you can specifically pr for this part of the world to not only see the light, but to walk in it. This part of the world has had His light present for centuries, yet for years the people of this corner of the world have turned the other way. Pr that they will turn around and run towards the Light. Please go to prayforthehorn.com to find out how you can be a part of this 1 in a million event as we seek to have 1 million people pr for the Horn in the month of April. During this month we are also having many groups coming to pr walk and work among the people as they pr. If you would like to physically be here please go to this site to find out how: prayforthehorn.com (although these are in blue they are not links, you must put this address in your browser to find it).
Being flat on my back today has also given me time to put together something of a vitural tour of my house for you....here are the pictures.
These pictures are of my bedroom. 1. The first one is of my bed.
2. The second one is of the closet that takes of up the whole left wall (left you're sitting on my bed).
3. Is the wall I see from the head of my bed....bookcase and small dressing table with mirror.
4. To get to the bathroom you have to go through the closet.
5. These are the curtains I had made for the floor to ceiling windows that are the right wall, which open to a balcony where I dry my clothes.
I'll have to put other pictures in another post.
Rachel
I also want to bring to mind that April 2012 is coming upon us. Some of you have received notes from me, and emails saying become 1 in a million and join with us in pr for the Horn in April. Please go to prayforthehorn.com if you have not already, and find out how you can specifically pr for this part of the world to not only see the light, but to walk in it. This part of the world has had His light present for centuries, yet for years the people of this corner of the world have turned the other way. Pr that they will turn around and run towards the Light. Please go to prayforthehorn.com to find out how you can be a part of this 1 in a million event as we seek to have 1 million people pr for the Horn in the month of April. During this month we are also having many groups coming to pr walk and work among the people as they pr. If you would like to physically be here please go to this site to find out how: prayforthehorn.com (although these are in blue they are not links, you must put this address in your browser to find it).
These pictures are of my bedroom. 1. The first one is of my bed.
2. The second one is of the closet that takes of up the whole left wall (left you're sitting on my bed).
3. Is the wall I see from the head of my bed....bookcase and small dressing table with mirror.
4. To get to the bathroom you have to go through the closet.
5. These are the curtains I had made for the floor to ceiling windows that are the right wall, which open to a balcony where I dry my clothes.
I'll have to put other pictures in another post.
Rachel
Saturday, February 4, 2012
7 Months
Well, it has now been 7 months, and that has only been possible by your pr. Thank you Lrd for helping me get this far. Continue to pr and lift me up in being here for this season. I have now moved into a house in the capital, and basically things are going ok. There is some rythmn to things now, and I basically have a schedule down. My house is coming together, and due to a lot of your pr the rest of my cargo was found this past week. It is a long story I would rather not share on the blog, but if you want to know it all I can send you an e-mail :). I had already decided I didn't need what was in the rest of the cargo and I didn't want it. But for whatever reason the Father wanted me to have it, so now my recliner is here along with my plates, bowls, silverware, waffle iron, crock pot, cutting boards, computer printer, and pots and pans. Hopefully this week the curtains for the living room and my bedroom will be finished and I will get them hung. According to the "plan", which is a very fluid concept here.....my other furniture will be finished. In my heart I know my time here is short, but I ask that you would pr all that I have, that He has supplied, He would use to bring Himself honour and glory. There is one kink with my house and that is, it is next to a new road project. When a new road is being built here all of the people in the community suffer until it is finished because our water and electricity is frequently if not always cut off. Please pr that my water supply would remain consistent and that electricity would be regular.
Language continues to plod along or rather I continue to plod along with it. One major goal was accomplished this week....I said the blessing in Am all by myself. I can't help but think that me and my 1 1/2 year old nephew are at the same point in our language skills :). On Friday I finished phase 2A in our language program and on Monday I being phase 2B. Lanugage continues to get harder, and I ask that you would pr I would be listening better and keeping up with the homework. Pr that the verbs and nouns would stick. This week I will be having a birthday.....please be pr for me on this day. I know that many of you will be pr without me having to ask and I thank you for that. This past week I received two packages for my birthday, and I know there are a few more on the way. Pr that He would bring the rest this week. Many of you may remember a post from my first 3 months here where I asked that you partner in pr for me for my future spouse and helpmate. I pr that on my birthday you would all do this specifically. For whatever reason He has really laid that upon my heart.
I hope that you all have a great week, and if you want to send me a longer letter, or you want my mailing address or you want to send a care package please write me at racfarmer@mailboxwiz.com Please also go to prayforthehorn.org to find out how you can be one in a million pr for the Horn in April 2012.Rachel
Photos: 1. Taken during the holiday Temket, where the O ch remembers the bapt of J by John the Bpt.
2. This picture on the right is of a guy who works for one of the little souks close to where I live. He saw me taking pictures and asked for one.
3. The third picture of of a water tank that is a lot like the tank I am currently getting my water from. Please be asking that our water situation would be worked out soon.
4. This is me in the house, with my lovely pink sheet for curtain. Hopefully that will be down by this week and the real curtains up.
I have started running again on a consistent basis.....my running toes are back! Pr I can keep it up. Here all my running has to be in a gym, but thanks to my ipod it's not so bad. Angela Q. Ward: The pictures of the fruits and vegetables from the previous post are actually olives and ginger :).
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