Mid-February Update

Hi there Friends! Just a quick update from our side. Upon return from Michigan, God was super gracious to me with some mild weather that even required the use of cardigans for a whole week, even though it tends to be much warmer this time of year! The rains have been pretty good this year- about the average of what is needed for every homestead that is growing their own maize crop to feed their families. For that we are so thankful. The bridge-dams are overflowing. Not quite as much as last year, but there is definitely enough water to go around in the communities.

As of writing this, we have not yet moved from our staff house at Ebenezer. It’s been a slow process getting the next home ready (waiting for the previous tenant to move out, putting up a wooden storage shed for some of our items, getting the space clean and ready for our family, etc), so we are grateful that Ebenezer is letting us stay in our current house until the next one is ready, even though we have finished our employment there. Brierly plans to start moving boxes this week, and we will see if we are permitted by the owner to slap a fresh coat of paint inside the rooms, and then we will make the transition to move up the road about 40km toward the city of Bulawayo.

This past week was a busy one. We spent Sunday and Monday in town, going to church and staying at the home of some friends to get town errands done. This time the errands list included the chiropractor because I have a rib that has been moving itself out of place for the past couple months (holding and nursing a newborn is not for the faint of heart!) as well as an exercise class for me. This was my first one since delivering Selma, and it was so good for me. I’ve had to take it very easy after the birth due to a small complication, but now that Selma is 4 months I’m beginning to move a bit more and I’m happy to begin gaining strength back. Normally, Brierly plays ultimate Frisbee on Monday evenings, but Selma was so fussy this past Monday afternoon that we missed the window to get him to the field.

Overall, we have learned that physical activity and recreation are key to balancing out a heavy work/ministry life, especially in a place like Zimbabwe where it’s easy to find obstacles in your path. I mean it sounds obvious, right? But only now are we more intentional about scheduling these types of activities on the calendar.

Charlotte doing her homeschool math activity

Anyways, that was Sunday and Monday. Then on Tuesday, Brierly took off at 6am for Harare. Why? Weren’t we just in Harare? Well, it turns out that the sizes of wood that we need for the chicken tractors that we plan to build isn’t available in Bulawayo. And it hasn’t been since September. But we can’t be waiting around to start our projects until it may or may not come back into stock in our city. These are the projects that will help generate employment for others and income for all of us. So Brierly made a few phone calls and the wood was available in both Harare (7 hours drive north) and South Africa (a plane ride south). We decided the Harare route was best. So off he went, visiting a farm on the way that feeds their dairy cows a different type of grass, and seeing family in Harare during his stay. He found the wood, and, knowing it was too much to transport on our Nissan Hardbody, but not wanting to hire private transport which is costly, he had been encouraged to put the wood on a public transport bus that was coming down to Bulawayo. Picture a Greyhound, a few years old, with the storage compartments in the belly of the bus. So that ended up costing $30 instead of hundreds for a private truck to haul the wood, which is fantastic. And the bus driver gets it safely to town, another truck is contacted to deliver the wood from the bus stop to the carpenter’s workshop, and Brierly meets the wood at the workshop to chat with the carpenter about the nuances of the chicken tractor design. He arrives back at our house Friday night in one piece.

Meanwhile, I am home with Charlotte and Selma. I knew going in to this that I’d need God’s strength and patience for being home alone with the little ones, and it went so well and we had a great time. We kept up Charlie’s homeschooling, went to visit the ostriches across the dam, made a trip into town for groceries and a play group, and I gave a message at Family Night for Ebenezer. Selma took great naps that helped us keep a good rhythm and we even walked to visit the dairy one late afternoon after the heat of the day had abated!

On our walk to visit the dairy.

While transitioning from one child to two has been manageable overall, I was a bit unsure how the week would go since it would be my first time with both girls and without Brierly home. However, I can truly say I enjoyed myself and my patience stretched further than it normally does with a high energy toddler! At the same time I will admit she did get to watch more episodes of her favorite shows than usual. What can I say? We made it through to daddy getting home. :)

Visiting the 2-month old ostriches with our neighbor.

Thursday night, the day before Brierly arrived, I was the guest speaker for Family Night at Ebenezer. The topic I was asked to speak on was “Dealing with Worry/Stress/Anxiety in Everyday life” The friend who organizes speakers assured me that she didn’t request me to speak on this topic because she views me as a “worried/stressed/anxious person…” but rather because I would have practical examples of how faith can help us during those times. I nodded my head with an, “Uh-huh, sure, Anna.” Regardless, I did my best to prepare a chat about what the Bible says about these feelings and emotions and tendencies. And I’m going to share that in my next post! But overall I pray that the message was received and that the Holy Spirit worked just as much in their hearts as He did in mine as I spoke. It was a true “preaching to myself” sort of evening, and I’m thankful for the timing of the lesson for myself as well as for the apprentices that were in attendance.

Charlotte joining in the praise and worship dancing at Ebenezer's Family Night.

We are back together again as a family, and are back in town as I write for Charlie’s friend’s birthday party and for church. Staying at a different friends’ house than last weekend, we are continually thankful for the hospitality we receive from friends in town/closer to town that let us crash at their places so we can have community with them and with our church family. I’m always on the receiving end of these deals, but pray with me that one day I can be on the hosting end, having a place that friends and family can come out to a farm where they can relax, soak in the peace, and we can share the joy that God gives us out in the rural areas. It’s a longing I have, a way to minister that I desire, and I have to surrender it to God. Maybe He’s teaching me something by having us stay at other peoples houses every weekend. I’m humbled by it for sure, and I trust His plans and His timing. Thanks for praying with me!

This might seem like a blog post full of unimportant events. And overall, I would agree with that statement. But I think the important aspect is to remember that these days are the journey. The journey of motherhood, the journey of starting a small business, the journey of doing day to day life living on mission for God. It’s not flashy, but it certainly isn’t mundane. It’s somewhere in the middle where we give the day to God and try to minister to our children in how we answer them. We are an example when we pay fair business wages, when we bless friends’ kids who are grieving their mother. These are things that you, the reader, do too. I know it, because I look up to you all and how you live your daily lives for the Lord too. Thanks for doing what you do, and letting me share a bit of what I do!

Have a lovely week everyone.

PS: I really do pray that for you. Whether you’re stressing about work that’s coming up, or you’ve just quit your job and don’t know what’s next, or you’re a mom to a little one and not getting sleep, I really do pray that you have a lovely week, that you get your joy and peace from the unshakable source of these things. God is with us. Take care, and take courage :)