Journal of Praises (Jan 13)

I really love to journal and get my thoughts on paper, but blogging uses so many of my thoughts, that I don’t get as much written down as I used to. When I started journaling the first morning in Africa, I thought about how much I would need to train myself to “give thanks in everything.”

So I began.

I start every sentence in my journal with the words “Thank You,” and then if I need to elaborate, I do with another sentence or two. This has kept me from complaining or wishing for things.

For example, here at Brackenhurst, I have written, “Thank you that when the shower flooded while Kylie and Caleb were in it, that the water just flooded the bathroom and didn’t reach the living room.

OR

“Thank you that Doug and I were able to spray Karis’ and Caleb’s sheets to kill whatever was biting them and they weren’t bitten last night.”

Normally, I would have written, “There are no mosquitoes here because it is too cold, but something has been biting Karis and Caleb each night in their bed. The bites are red with white heads and itch for a day. I talked to one of the missionaries who suggested it might be a spider or bed bug and that I should spray.”

One statement gives more information, but the other one surely stretches my brain in how to be thankful. I need that here.

I got a little down yesterday because my mind doesn't see anything or anyone familiar, and I don't feel like I have a place to "rest," especially my mind, because I'm always trying to figure out where I am, where my stuff is, or where I’m going. I know a lot of it has to do with not seeing my home yet, being unpacked, or feeling settled.

I feel your prayers, but please continue to lift our whole family up. The kids are adjusting here better than Virginia, which is crazy to me, but prayer is a part of that as well. Many of the missionary children already knew each other, so it was a little hard at first for Kylie to see where she fit in, but after her first art class she had already made friends. Karis just does her thing and plays with whomever, and has found another friend named Karis whom she really likes, and Caleb is going to class each day easily and playing with kids wherever he is.