I'm still processing concepts from our time at SPLICE. And I'm also doing that really lame thing where you think of what you should have said and it's always way better than what you actually said. I'm specifically thinking of our survey/comment card thingies we filled out on the last day. I wish I had recommended the word "bittersweet" to replace the concept of "paradox".
I like bittersweet. I especially like it in regards to food. Bittersweet chocolate, salted caramel, kettle corn, you know, all of those foods that taste good because they spark more than one taste on your tongue. The Grahams had a bag of candy corn mixed with dry roasted peanuts. Genius.
Paradox was ok. And that "pair of ducks" was pretty cute too. But just think about how great it would have been to discuss the concept while eating!
I must be really hungry right now. Sorry about that. But the point is, I appreciate the idea that you can't have one without the other. And in fact, one is better because you had the other in your life and vice versa. Let me unpack that:
When we drove away from MTI the kids were in the backseat, waving to everyone as we pulled out of the parking lot. But as we drove further away, their joy turned to grief and they began to wail. I don't remember a time when both of my kids were crying like that when it didn't involve injury or punishment. Their mourning was deep and powerful, it broke me and I wanted to fling myself over the seat to wrap my arms around them and shield them from the pain. In that moment as their hearts were breaking I realized that they felt this immense pain because they had opened up their hearts to love so deeply. They could not have the great sorrow without the great love.
Do you ever think about where you were the first time you heard a song? I do that a lot. The first time I heard the song "Blessed be your Name" was at a memorial service. For a baby. Let that sink in as you scan through the lyrics. I remember seeing the mother in the front row with her hands lifted up as she sang. The lyrics HAD to be true, otherwise she had no hope. We have to bless the name of the Lord when the sun is shining down on us and on the road marked with suffering. He has to be the God of both, otherwise we have no hope.
I appreciate the SPLICE paradox as we move into this season of holidays. We are doing our best to make this holiday season special for everyone because in a short time things will be different. I'm afraid though, that many of or friends and family will dwell on the sadness side of our departure and I want to encourage everyone to live on both sides of the paradox. Would you consider rejoicing with us?
We are rejoicing in the midst of leaving. We are rejoicing because God has asked us to do something different and we have no greater joy than walking down the road that He has prepared for us. We are rejoicing because we have the opportunity to fully appreciate the depth of our love for YOU as we experience the heartache of leaving YOU.
Sheesh, my keyboard is soggy.
It's the reason Darren needs a large cup of coffee to make it through a slice of cheesecake. You need both tastes to fully appreciate the dessert. This is our God. He gives and takes away. Blessed be His name.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
different is just different
(Jason and Cameron at the Denver Aquarium, near the tiger ?! exhibit)
Cameron is no longer allowed to use the word "weird". At SPLICE we learned that "different is just different", it is not weird, bad, unusual, strange, awful or any other word with a negative connotation. And so now, whenever our family encounters something that is different, we have a new mindset.
(Cam strikes a mermaid pose on one of the climbing rocks at the awesome MTI playground)
The problem is, WE are different.
(Jason soaked up every minute of the Air Force Academy tour)
I realized on the long drive home that we are now the ones who are different. We are the ones who are leaving the comfort of the known for the discomfort of the unknown. We are the ones whose hearts ache for new friends scattered across the globe. We are the ones who have been changed by our time away.
(The kids riding a buffalo, as all Coloradans do, at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center)
You at home are not weird, bad, unusual, strange or awful for not having this calling. You are different from us. We need you to be different. We need you to love us, support us and pray for us. We need you to be different.
(The girls were prepared for trick-or-treating and the SPLICE gang was ready and waiting at every door. Jason was out with his friend's family for a birthday party.)
From now on we will be different. We will be those strange missionaries who come "home" but feel awkward because this is no longer our home. Our kids will have cute accents. We will spell words incorrectly.
(Brian and Emily are Hayden's new best friends. They are serving with Kids Alive in the Dominican Republic.)
So the question is: are you ready for this? Are you ready for the difference? Will it change our relationships?
(Cam and her new friend Emma. Now when she says, "Mom, I wanna go to Uganda SO BAAAAAAD!" she has another very good reason.)
Or will you continue to check out this blog, send us emails, reply to our statuses on facebook, and love us from across the pond?
(We all froze at the Grand Canyon. Here Hayden does her best to keep her hood on.)
We promise we'll write back. We promise to love you back.
(The kids take a break from walking at the Hoover Dam. Insert dam joke here.)
Because really, difference can be a good thing. And different can just be different.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
What about the kids?
Are you wondering what the kids are doing while we are in class? Well, so am I! At the end of the day we get mini reports from the kids about what they learned that day. They are having a great time here, so I thought I'd share just a bit of what I know.
Hayden is in a 2's and 3's class. In her words, "there's 5 kids in my class, but Sadie Fletcher is not in my class.". Poor baby, she misses her best friend! She has a lovely teacher named Michelle. During the mornings the kids have a lesson, do a craft, sing and have snacks. She is learning a "Hayden-sized" version of what we are discussing in our classes. For instance, when we were discussing transition or stress she is learning "God cares for me". She is getting a solid foundation in who loves her and how she can be confident in that no matter where we go. In the afternoons the kids have to lay down for a nap time and that is NOT going well for Hayden. She hasn't had an official nap in nearly a year and she cannot understand why she must start now. They have all kids rest here because the altitude affects everyone and requires more rest than usual.
Cameron is thriving here, well, in class anyway. In the cafeteria she is struggling. I think she ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch for every meal the first 2 days we were here. I went to the store and bought here some Cam food, so she should have some balanced meals from now on. Anyway, in class, she is thriving. Cam is in a class with 2 other girls and she is loving her time with them. She marches into class every morning with no looking back so I am confident that she is comfortable here. Cam's lessons go a little deeper and she is learning to express her feelings better. I am grateful for this new vocabulary and the help in understanding how she is processing our transition time. Today both Cam and Jason's classes went on a surprise field trip. The excitement of the unknown was building for two days until today they realized that the unknown can contain really great things. The kids were taken to Garden of the Gods, a natural wonder of Colorado and they were able to learn, explore and climb.
Jason's class has three kids in it, one other boy and a girl. The three kids get along very well and they spend all of their spare time together. In fact right now they are in a fierce air hockey battle. He is learning so much about cultural differences and how to express himself. He will also be learning conflict resolution, friendship skills and many other skills that he can carry over to his new life abroad. I think Jason is a learning sponge and this time is fun for him. The kids will have two more field trips and they are very excited for them.
This time for the kids is invaluable. As a home school mom I constantly worry about how they will adapt to group situations, classroom dynamics or other authority figures. So far, so good. I am daily encouraged that our decision to home school didn't mess them up! I am also encouraged that our call to the mission field won't mess them up either. My home schooled, PK turned MKs will be all right!
Hayden is in a 2's and 3's class. In her words, "there's 5 kids in my class, but Sadie Fletcher is not in my class.". Poor baby, she misses her best friend! She has a lovely teacher named Michelle. During the mornings the kids have a lesson, do a craft, sing and have snacks. She is learning a "Hayden-sized" version of what we are discussing in our classes. For instance, when we were discussing transition or stress she is learning "God cares for me". She is getting a solid foundation in who loves her and how she can be confident in that no matter where we go. In the afternoons the kids have to lay down for a nap time and that is NOT going well for Hayden. She hasn't had an official nap in nearly a year and she cannot understand why she must start now. They have all kids rest here because the altitude affects everyone and requires more rest than usual.
Cameron is thriving here, well, in class anyway. In the cafeteria she is struggling. I think she ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch for every meal the first 2 days we were here. I went to the store and bought here some Cam food, so she should have some balanced meals from now on. Anyway, in class, she is thriving. Cam is in a class with 2 other girls and she is loving her time with them. She marches into class every morning with no looking back so I am confident that she is comfortable here. Cam's lessons go a little deeper and she is learning to express her feelings better. I am grateful for this new vocabulary and the help in understanding how she is processing our transition time. Today both Cam and Jason's classes went on a surprise field trip. The excitement of the unknown was building for two days until today they realized that the unknown can contain really great things. The kids were taken to Garden of the Gods, a natural wonder of Colorado and they were able to learn, explore and climb.
Jason's class has three kids in it, one other boy and a girl. The three kids get along very well and they spend all of their spare time together. In fact right now they are in a fierce air hockey battle. He is learning so much about cultural differences and how to express himself. He will also be learning conflict resolution, friendship skills and many other skills that he can carry over to his new life abroad. I think Jason is a learning sponge and this time is fun for him. The kids will have two more field trips and they are very excited for them.
This time for the kids is invaluable. As a home school mom I constantly worry about how they will adapt to group situations, classroom dynamics or other authority figures. So far, so good. I am daily encouraged that our decision to home school didn't mess them up! I am also encouraged that our call to the mission field won't mess them up either. My home schooled, PK turned MKs will be all right!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Splice @ MTI
Welcome to the wonderful world of missions acronyms! The title of my post is the name of the program we are attending (splice) and our location (Mission Training International). Most of you loyal readers know that we have gone to Colorado this month, but I'm sure not many of you could explain why! We are here for training on how to leave our home culture and enter a new one. It may seem excessive to do training when we are going to an English speaking, western culture, but already we can see that this time will be a great benefit to us and we are glad to be here.
We drove for three days to get here, and the kids have been great. Not every moment, but for the most part they have been good travelers. Our first leg of the journey was on Friday and we drove from home to Las Vegas. The kids loved the lights on the Strip. Cameron kept exclaiming,"I LOVE Las Vegas!". Hayden kept asking, "is this Disneyland?". Jason was impressed with the giant sphinx, the Eiffle Tower, and the Statue of Liberty.
The second day of our trip was from Vegas to Green River, Utah. The drive was beautiful at times and incredibly boring at other times. The kids were very disappointed because the town and hotel were not nearly as exciting as Vegas. The third day we drove to Denver. The drive over the Rocky Mountains was spectacular. We especially enjoyed the Eisenhower tunnel. We arrived at our hotel and were happy to celebrate our arrival with a dinner at Chili's. The next day we had some free time before our check in at MTI so we took the kids to the Denver Aquarium. We saw the Mermaid Show and I'm pretty sure that the girls are now aspiring to be mermaids when they grow up!
I am very sorry that I forgot to pack the cord that connects the camera to the computer. When we get home I'll do a post of all pictures from the trip. Until then Darren will have to post pictures to Facebook for all the grandparents to get their fixes :)
We drove for three days to get here, and the kids have been great. Not every moment, but for the most part they have been good travelers. Our first leg of the journey was on Friday and we drove from home to Las Vegas. The kids loved the lights on the Strip. Cameron kept exclaiming,"I LOVE Las Vegas!". Hayden kept asking, "is this Disneyland?". Jason was impressed with the giant sphinx, the Eiffle Tower, and the Statue of Liberty.
The second day of our trip was from Vegas to Green River, Utah. The drive was beautiful at times and incredibly boring at other times. The kids were very disappointed because the town and hotel were not nearly as exciting as Vegas. The third day we drove to Denver. The drive over the Rocky Mountains was spectacular. We especially enjoyed the Eisenhower tunnel. We arrived at our hotel and were happy to celebrate our arrival with a dinner at Chili's. The next day we had some free time before our check in at MTI so we took the kids to the Denver Aquarium. We saw the Mermaid Show and I'm pretty sure that the girls are now aspiring to be mermaids when they grow up!
I am very sorry that I forgot to pack the cord that connects the camera to the computer. When we get home I'll do a post of all pictures from the trip. Until then Darren will have to post pictures to Facebook for all the grandparents to get their fixes :)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
field trippin'
This week I declared a break from formal school work. We have completed 9 weeks of curriculum (one quarter) and the kids and I are zombies. I wanted to take some time to enjoy learning so this week we are taking a different approach.
Step one: Hit the library. No, not the San Miguel library, the one that's the size of my living room with all the same books that we have been reading for the past 3 years. We went to the big city and checked out books and movies about things that interest the kids. For Cameron, we found art, ballet and fashion design books. For Jason, we found books about how stuff works and history. Every morning this week we have spent a leisurely morning reading and enjoying our special interests.
Step two: Get out of the house! This is a big deal for me. With the recent death and resurrection of our car I had spent WAY too much time cooped up in the house with my lovely children. On Monday we went to Avila Valley Barn for some apple picking and today we strolled around the grounds of the San Miguel mission.
I think the kids and I need two kinds of field trips. We need trips that are fun. These trips like apple picking appear to be only for our enjoyment but they secretly open the kids eyes about where food comes from and how it takes a lot of work to get it from the orchard to their plate. The second kind of trip we need is one that makes connections. I need to express to my kids that the history in their books is real and actually happened. We can walk the grounds of historic places and talk about so many things. Today Jason and I discovered that the California mission system was developed during the late 1700's to early 1800's. Our mission was founded in 1776, the same year that the boys back in Philadelphia were literally sweating out our country's founding documents. We also made connections between the mission and the cathedral he had visited in Glasgow. We call our mission a "poor man's cathedral". It is the same design idea constructed with our local materials (clay and straw).
While Jason made a lot of connections today, I could see that Cameron was still in fact finding mode. She was creeped out while we sat in the sanctuary and talked about the pictures on the walls. She liked the idea of Bible stories in paintings so that illiterate people could understand, but she DID NOT like the all-seeing Eye of God staring down at her from the front of the sanctuary (picture a fluffy cloud with sunbeams bursting out from behind it--not bad, but then in the middle of the cloud is a gold triangle with a giant eyeball staring out into the room). She also had a big problem with the musty smells of the buildings :)
Tomorrow and Friday we will have more adventures. Until then we will enjoy our fresh homemade applesauce and plenty of good books!
Step one: Hit the library. No, not the San Miguel library, the one that's the size of my living room with all the same books that we have been reading for the past 3 years. We went to the big city and checked out books and movies about things that interest the kids. For Cameron, we found art, ballet and fashion design books. For Jason, we found books about how stuff works and history. Every morning this week we have spent a leisurely morning reading and enjoying our special interests.
Step two: Get out of the house! This is a big deal for me. With the recent death and resurrection of our car I had spent WAY too much time cooped up in the house with my lovely children. On Monday we went to Avila Valley Barn for some apple picking and today we strolled around the grounds of the San Miguel mission.
I think the kids and I need two kinds of field trips. We need trips that are fun. These trips like apple picking appear to be only for our enjoyment but they secretly open the kids eyes about where food comes from and how it takes a lot of work to get it from the orchard to their plate. The second kind of trip we need is one that makes connections. I need to express to my kids that the history in their books is real and actually happened. We can walk the grounds of historic places and talk about so many things. Today Jason and I discovered that the California mission system was developed during the late 1700's to early 1800's. Our mission was founded in 1776, the same year that the boys back in Philadelphia were literally sweating out our country's founding documents. We also made connections between the mission and the cathedral he had visited in Glasgow. We call our mission a "poor man's cathedral". It is the same design idea constructed with our local materials (clay and straw).
While Jason made a lot of connections today, I could see that Cameron was still in fact finding mode. She was creeped out while we sat in the sanctuary and talked about the pictures on the walls. She liked the idea of Bible stories in paintings so that illiterate people could understand, but she DID NOT like the all-seeing Eye of God staring down at her from the front of the sanctuary (picture a fluffy cloud with sunbeams bursting out from behind it--not bad, but then in the middle of the cloud is a gold triangle with a giant eyeball staring out into the room). She also had a big problem with the musty smells of the buildings :)
Tomorrow and Friday we will have more adventures. Until then we will enjoy our fresh homemade applesauce and plenty of good books!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
living in the in between...
Yesterday Darren texted me and suggested I put up a new blog post, it had been a month since the last one. All I could think was, where did this month go? And then I got to thinking...
1. We had a major yard sale. Well, not as major as I would have liked, but as I told people : "This time, I'm selling stuff I actually use!" If you've ever been to a yard sale you know exactly what I mean. The early birds swipe anything resembling a good deal and all that's left for the folks who enjoy sleeping in a bit are the castoffs of your garage or attic. As soon as I decided to let go of a lot of my extra serving dishes, storage containers and kitchen stuff that I only use once in a while, this happened:
2. We've been hosting friends and get-togethers like crazy! Yeah. I'm not really an impromptu kind of girl, but this past month we've had a lot of unexpected drop-in moments that have been quite fun. It's a good learning experience for me in creativity and scouring the pantry for ways to make food and drink stretch. Also, it's been humbling to be satisfied with a half-decorated house and a limited kitchen. As if that weren't humbling enough:
3. Hayden is potty-training. Yes, this is a humbling experience for me. Have you ever chased a 2 1/2 year old around, trying to convince her that dancing will not make the pee-pee feeling go away? Have you ever showed up to home group with a froggy potty seat? Have you ever just barely put your slip-covers back on after a fresh wash before company shows up at the door? Ha, ha! Maybe I just eliminated point #2!
She's doing a great job and I think she's finally got the hang of it. Although, I'm not sure we are ready to end the M&M rewards!
4. The Kia died and came back to life. I know, stop right there: we bought a Kia, therefore we should have expected a major mishap. But honestly, I don't think this was a coincidence. We have been experiencing lots of bumps along the road to Scotland. We are extremely grateful to all who have surrounded us with support as we went through this ordeal.
5. Despite the earlier remarks about the kitchen stuff, I am really enjoying giving stuff away. I just recently gave my desk to a friend. My dining table is promised to another friend, my couch is claimed and I'd really like to give my treadmill to another friend. As I look around my house I realize that the stuff we own is trivial. I have a husband who loves me, healthy children and most importantly a great God who has called us all to pick up and go. I'm so excited about the call that I could care less about the stuff in my house!
So that's what's up at the Rusco House. I've heard that it's fall, but nobody gave San Miguel the message, so we continue to bake in our 90 degree weather. We are preparing to drive to Colorado next month for some training. The kids will have a break from school, but I'll probably be a dorky home school mom and make the road trip a learning experience anyway! Hopefully, I'll blog about that journey :)
1. We had a major yard sale. Well, not as major as I would have liked, but as I told people : "This time, I'm selling stuff I actually use!" If you've ever been to a yard sale you know exactly what I mean. The early birds swipe anything resembling a good deal and all that's left for the folks who enjoy sleeping in a bit are the castoffs of your garage or attic. As soon as I decided to let go of a lot of my extra serving dishes, storage containers and kitchen stuff that I only use once in a while, this happened:
2. We've been hosting friends and get-togethers like crazy! Yeah. I'm not really an impromptu kind of girl, but this past month we've had a lot of unexpected drop-in moments that have been quite fun. It's a good learning experience for me in creativity and scouring the pantry for ways to make food and drink stretch. Also, it's been humbling to be satisfied with a half-decorated house and a limited kitchen. As if that weren't humbling enough:
3. Hayden is potty-training. Yes, this is a humbling experience for me. Have you ever chased a 2 1/2 year old around, trying to convince her that dancing will not make the pee-pee feeling go away? Have you ever showed up to home group with a froggy potty seat? Have you ever just barely put your slip-covers back on after a fresh wash before company shows up at the door? Ha, ha! Maybe I just eliminated point #2!
She's doing a great job and I think she's finally got the hang of it. Although, I'm not sure we are ready to end the M&M rewards!
4. The Kia died and came back to life. I know, stop right there: we bought a Kia, therefore we should have expected a major mishap. But honestly, I don't think this was a coincidence. We have been experiencing lots of bumps along the road to Scotland. We are extremely grateful to all who have surrounded us with support as we went through this ordeal.
5. Despite the earlier remarks about the kitchen stuff, I am really enjoying giving stuff away. I just recently gave my desk to a friend. My dining table is promised to another friend, my couch is claimed and I'd really like to give my treadmill to another friend. As I look around my house I realize that the stuff we own is trivial. I have a husband who loves me, healthy children and most importantly a great God who has called us all to pick up and go. I'm so excited about the call that I could care less about the stuff in my house!
So that's what's up at the Rusco House. I've heard that it's fall, but nobody gave San Miguel the message, so we continue to bake in our 90 degree weather. We are preparing to drive to Colorado next month for some training. The kids will have a break from school, but I'll probably be a dorky home school mom and make the road trip a learning experience anyway! Hopefully, I'll blog about that journey :)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
step by step...
And then there was Cameron. For a while now we had been impressed with Cameron's progress from turbulent toddler to fantastic five year old. Unfortunatley, the girl hit a major setback. This summer she has been in a phase where she refuses to have her picture taken, you may remember this:
Sweet, isn't it? So we have a whole summer of shots like this and my stealth attempts to take pictures while the little darling is unaware of me. And then it was time to take a passport photo. She had a meltdown the magnitude of which we have not seen in these parts for nearly 2 years.
Epic.
Horrific.
Laughable.
Because honestly, wouldn't you laugh if your kid refused to have a picture taken? Finally, in an eleventh hour attempt, Darren snagged THIS photo:
My little Lindsey Lohan. I am one proud mama. When she got her passport in the mail, I think Cameron was a little embarrassed at what she had done. So for the next 5 years Cam will travel the world with this little number, let's all pray that she is in a better phase the next time around!
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