Amy's Assorted Adventures

Samuel

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:14:00 +0000

Samuel is making great progress. I'm so happy! Below is a photo history with comments from Sarah.

March 31--Samuel is great. He is happy and loves to play life is full of interest for him and he is a real fighter. When he wakes up he lays there and waves his hands and feet around and scrunches up his face, then he pauses for a few moments and goes at it again until he finally opens his eyes.

March 31--Today for the first time he laughed out loud before that he would talk and coo a lot but never giggled out loud though he did grin a lot. He communicates his needs very well. Samuel wiggles a lot, all night long he wiggles if I put my hand on his chest and whisper it’s ok he will immediately stop wiggling and lay quiet for some time. If you lay your hand on Samuel when he is sleeping he will grin and flash smiles.


April 4

April 1-- Samuel's skin is awesome......He has shed all the icky stuff and now the coloration is blending, and he is becoming more and more one color every day.

April 2

April 3--Samuel's homemade Boppie chair, when I showed the Nannies they laughed and said baby Moses.

April 5--Yesterday Samuel weighed 3.548 Today he weighed 3.648.

Praise be to God for his everlasting mercies!

Exactly One Year Ago: Little Hunters
Exactly Two Years Ago: Look on the Bright Side of Life --it's happening again!
Exactly Three Years Ago: Easter Photos

Visitors and Parties

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:40:00 +0000

These past couple weeks we've had two OB nurses visiting our project along with a local Peace Corps volunteer. They have been speaking to TBAs-- traditional birth attendants (think lay midwives)-- on maternal health. If I can get a green light on it, I'll share some of their experiences with you. --The TBAs can be a bit private and so they may have only agreed to the classes if it would all be kept secret.

While staying at the orphanage, one of the visiting nurses celebrated a birthday. Michael also has an April birthday, so a party was organized and everyone had a lot of fun!

Tom said he made it very clear that birthday balloons are just for parties and have to be promptly cleaned up. We've had trouble with bits and pieces of balloons ending up in babies' mouths.

It looks like, though Jasmine is missed, that at least fun cupcakes can still be made. Sprinkles and all!! Yay!

Boy, do I miss the kids!

Did you see Samuel resting in the lap of our Peace Corps friend? I was shocked to see how tiny he was. His pictures until this one had been him on his own, so I didn't have context for just how small he really was.

Thankfully, he is doing much better. Photos soon.

Exactly Two Years Ago: Something's Bugging Me

Easter Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:54:00 +0000

This Easter presented a fun, and rare opportunity. Six of the eight Morrows in one place at one time!

We decided to work on coordinating our outfits for Easter Sunday so we could take pictures after church.

This was not as easy as it might sound. I chose a white dress and worked on accenting it with a colored scarf. This outfit was vetoed as being too Out of Africa--as in Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, not just crawled off a plane from Africa.

I vetoed a suit for one of my boys as it didn't fit him properly. That it was the same son that vetoed my white dress was purely coincidental, I promise.

Eventually we all chose outfits we were happy with. Very few tears had been shed in the process. I'm pretty sure all of them were mine.

After a wonderful church service we went to the field beside the building, and got a friend to help shoot some photos with Jen's new iPhone.

Hilarity ensued as we tried to get everyone adjusted in a line.

My heels kept sinking into the soft grass, robbing me of my much-needed height increase.

After the group shot there was some goofing off.

T.J insisted an umbrella was a necessary prop. I wondered how long it would all go on.

Timmy grabbed me for a silly hug.

A friend photo bombed us.

In the end, we were all very happy with our family photo*

How was your Easter?

*Troy and Tom were sorely missed.

Exactly One Year Ago: Facepalm Moments

Exactly Two Years Ago: Our Newest Babies

Exactly Three Years Ago: I'm Not Smarter than a Fifth Grader

Dude, Where's My Car?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

When we had our fun, family outing in Lusaka before flying out, we decided to rent a car from some missionaries so we wouldn't have to deal with a taxi. The night before our big day, Tom and I picked up the car and then drove to a grocery store for a few items. We were only in the store for a few minutes, but when we came out we realized we had no idea which car was ours.

We had rented a Toyota Corolla which is the most popular car in Lusaka since it can be gotten quite cheaply from Japan and is frequently used for taxis.

To further add to our difficulty in locating the car, it was a gray color--probably one of the most popular color choices as well.

We were well and truly stuck. Since we'd just picked up the car we hadn't put any items in it yet--no sweaters thrown in the back seat, or identifying pieces of trash. We did know which row we'd parked in, which was a relief--but we walked up and down it before deciding to try the key on the most promising looking gray Toyota Corolla. Thankfully it was the right one!

********

The next day we parked in the very small parking area of the lodge, next to a blue car, and headed inside for our day's activities. After our game drive Tom and Troy took off to see what else could be done. Because: Family. Fun. Day!

I sat down, with Jasmine, in one of the sitting rooms to take care of checking in online for our flight the next day. When we'd done that we started looking for Troy and Tom. I glanced down into the parking lot and saw the door to our car (or what I thought was our car) standing open. I thought perhaps Tom had decided to rest (though it seemed odd) and so Jasmine and I went down there. We couldn't see anyone though as we neared the car, so we made the appropriate scary movie sounds, and approached with caution.

The car was empty. It was weird. Why was the door open? We still weren't 100% it was our car, but it had the newspaper in it that Tom had bought on the way in that morning.

Not sure what to think I simply popped the trunk--stowed my laptop case in there--and locked everything up. Only after slamming the door shut did I worry a bit that perhaps Tom didn't have the key and that I'd just locked us all out of the car.

When we eventually met up with Tom and Troy, Tom was horrified that the door had been open. He insisted he had shut and locked all the doors. Now I began to truly worry. What if I'd just stuck my computer into someone else's car?

We sent Jasmine down to unlock the car and check on our things. She reported back that the car wasn't there anymore because there was no car with a newspaper in it, and the only gray car had an unlocked front door (remember I had locked all the doors).

I. Freaked!

Hurrying just as quickly as I could, I rushed to the parking lot. There was our car. Still sitting there next to the blue car. With a newspaper which had fallen to the floor. And, yes, an unlocked front door (I guess I didn't lock it properly).

Whew!

Thankfully, all our things were still safe in the trunk.

Next time I rent a car, I'm memorizing the license plate--or taking a picture of it.

********

Yesterday I said this was Dude Where's My Car--edition two. I thought I'd already titled a blog post with this name--turns out I'd simply named a bug that.

Exactly Two Years Ago: Nathan's Story

Exactly Three Years Ago: Sunday's in My City--London!

A Family Day to Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:56:00 +0000

Each time one (or two) of our kids leave us and head off into the horizon, away from us, to meet their destinies (sorry....feeling melancholy for a moment--ok, I'm done!), we try to make memories and create something that will lessen the feeling of loss.

For Jasmine we chose to visit a lodge just outside Lusaka that has a game drive to see animals, as well as horseback riding, a cheese factory, fishing, and more. While a bit pricey, it would give us a full day of fun.

The game drive wasn't as chock full of animals as it could have been because of the high grass--it's the end of rainy season in Zambia--but we still had a good time.

Our first stop was at the lion's enclosure. The lions have 20 acres of land to roam 'free' on. We weren't sure if they'd be near the viewing area, but we were rewarded with an upclose look at them.

This lion caught a look at a baby in our group and growled and roared, and yet behaved very much a large cat. It was fascinating.

Sadly, poor Jasmine didn't get to see much of the lions because as she stood near the fence taking pictures she was attacked by wildlife of a much smaller size.

Mposhi Ants!! They are wicked little fire ants that bite really hard.

You can read more about them here in the words of David Livingstone.

They ended up crawling all the way up Jasmine's back. She quickly ducked into a feed shed and removed her jeans. I took them outside and shook them off--having to pinch off the ants that held on with their incredible jaws--but even after this Jasmine kept finding them crawling up her legs. We think they may have been inside the folds of her socks.

After this we rode around for a couple hours looking for animals. As I said before, they were hard to spot. In the meantime we stayed entertained with a dragonfly

and a moth. Both insects landed on Troy and Jasmine's legs and stayed still until we'd gotten some good shots and then they flew away.--almost as if they'd posed.

Eventually we managed to see a waterbuck

some zebras and a wildebeest (not pictured--google it--they are so unusual)

a giraffe

a few ostriches

and some elephants.

Each and every time we came upon an animal, Troy and Tom jumped from the vehicle with their video cameras and tripods to capture footage. They're hoping to put together a collection of short clips to use as stock footage.

I understood it. But, it drove me crazy. I have a short attention span. Once I've seen the animal, I'm done. Unless it's entertaining me in some way, I have no interest in watching a giraffe chew its cud.

After many minutes of looking at the giraffe, I pulled out my Kindle for which Tom then teased me mercilessly.

These elephants are semi-tame. They have a handler and the baby was born at this game park. However, they are not pets. I first saw the baby when he was 1 year old. He's now 5 years old.

Which African animal would you most like to see?

Tomorrow: Dude, Where's My Car--episode two

Exactly Two Years Ago: Uno Attack --man, do I miss that kid!

(Almost) Exactly Two Years Ago: I Like a You! --more and more each year!

Happy News

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 22:20:00 +0000

Just after I posted the blog yesterday with the important prayer needs, Tom sent this photo:

I desperately needed to see that precious face.

This morning I spoke to Tom and he said all the children are doing better. They should be able to go home tomorrow. Peter still had a fever this morning, but the malaria medicines should kick in properly soon. He was already up and running around and asking Tom if he could go home. Thank God!!

Exactly Two Years Ago: God is Bigger than the Boogey Man

Exactly Three Years Ago: Prayer Updates

Urgent Prayers Needed

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:06:00 +0000

I was all set to tell you about our fun family day in Lusaka.

However, some things have come up that need more attention.

Friday Naomi was admitted to the clinic because she had a bad case of malaria and was not responding to the medicine so she needed to be switched to IV quinine. This has now been switched again to quinine tablets. Quinine can have serious side effects and so she needs prayer for full recovery and protection from the medicine. She's hanging in there, but is still quite sick.

Then Friday night at around 2 AM (9 AM in Zambia) I got a call from Tom that told me that five children had serious vomiting and diarrhea.He was on his way with all of them to the clinic to check if they too had malaria or just a stomach virus.

The word this morning was that they've all been admitted to the clinic. Only one of them had malaria, but all were kept at the clinic. This is mainly to protect the other children at the orphanage. If this is indeed a stomach virus, it will be good to keep those germs away from the rest of the kids.

Peter is the one with malaria. His fever was quite high this morning (evening in Zambia) and was being treated with malaria medicines and Tylenol. I encouraged them to wipe him down with cool cloths.

I wish more than ever that a transporter exists. It's hard to be here on this side of the Atlantic while so many of my babies are sick.

Tom and Sarah are doing a great job along with the nannies to care for all the kids. This is Tom's least favorite part of running the orphanage. Normally I do the medical side of things (not that I like it--but I can do it) and so I'm incredibly proud of how well Tom is handling it all. Sarah has been wonderful (and Brent too, I'm sure) in keeping an eye on all the kids and what needs to be done while caring for Samuel as well.

In order to combat this virus, Tom and the staff have overhauled the orphanage--cleaning and purifying the water tanks, scrubbing down the nursery, kitchen and pantry, and setting up disinfection centers. We're not sure that there is a specific point of contamination--most likely it's simply a wicked virus--but we're taking no chances.

Unfortunately, the clinic is not a very good set up for the kids. They are all in a dingy, dirty back room which has a hole in the ceiling complete with bats (and accompanying guano) and mosquitoes. Tom brought in bedding for all the beds, plastic to tack onto the ceiling, and completely cleaned it up.

He's also hired on a couple part time nannies so that two nannies can be with the children at the clinic all the time. He has also contracted a restaurant to deliver meals to the nannies 3 times a day. He meanwhile drives down with food for the kids three times a day.

It is quite a challenging situation. I wish I could be there to help. Please lend your prayers to mine that all the kids will recover fully and that no one else will be stricken with his virus or malaria. Pray for strength for all the caregivers. Pray also for protection for the children from side effects from the medicines and protection from other germs and bacteria present at the clinic.

Thank you!

As the World Turns

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:24:00 +0000

I seem to remember my mom singing a line or two from a song called Stop the World--I Wanna Get Off. Sometimes I feel this way.

Not that I want to leave the earth--just slow down the rotations a bit. Do you feel this way too?

Time is flying by.

So much has transpired since I last checked in with all of you here on my corner of the interwebs.

Two major events have happened in the last few weeks:

1. We have a new baby! Head over to our Facebook page to meet him!

2. Jasmine has flown the coop. She has taken a big step on the journey of her life. She is leaving my nest. Any cliches I'm missing?

Jasmine will turn 18 in September and is ready to get started on college. Of course there are many things to do between now and then--ID, job applications, placement tests, etc. etc.

Saying goodbye was hard for Jasmine. She has been in Africa since she was 6 years old. It is truly her home.

Our munchkins: Peter, Moriah, Denny and Nathan

She spent time hanging out with the kids and letting them know how much she loved them.

Henry took her leaving very hard. He has a sensitive soul, and he has been with us since he was 5 months old. Jasmine has been his big sister for 5 years. As we were leaving he sobbed his little heart out--which broke all of ours in two.

Jasmine with Catherine (L) and Majory (R)--nannies who have been with us for years

The orphanage will be very different without Jasmine helping with so many of the day to day details.

The biggest kids and Dorcas, Brenda and Peter saying goodbye to Jasmine

We do know though that she is on to bigger and better things. I can't wait to see what God has in store for her!

Before leaving Zambia, our family took a day to relax in Lusaka and build some more memories. More about that tomorrow. And then Jasmine and I flew out to a very exotic location on our way to Houston. More about that soon.

Looking for the Headless Horseman

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

I opened the door to our house at 6 AM the other day and got a big surprise.

It was if I had been plucked up and set down on a moor in England.

Or perhaps set on a hill in San Francisco.

This is so unusual that I just had to grab some shots.

I felt sure Tom would never believe me otherwise.

Sure enough he didn't.

Until he saw the pictures.

I guess the weather elements were just perfect for producing fog.

Aside from the spooky element, it was kinda beautiful.

(Almost) Exactly One Year Ago: In Everything Give Thanks --so relevant today (history does repeat itself)
Exactly Two Years Ago: Sundays in My City--Village Church

What Do You Take On A Journey?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:47:00 +0000

In 15 days Jasmine and I will land in Texas.

In 10 days we'll be getting started on our five day trip to Belgium.

In nine days we fly out of Zambia.

Our whole family will leave in five days for Lusaka.

In 2 days Tom and I will be doing our regular Mansa shopping trip and then the very next day getting on the bus for Lusaka.

But, I'm not freaking out at all!

Just kidding.

I'm totally freaking out!

Just kidding.

I'm mainly freaking out on the inside.

Just kidding.

Sometimes it totally spills over to the outside.

I have most of the clothes I'm taking piled on a trunk. That's nearly all that I own. I have to pack clothes that can cover end-of-winter in Europe and then work for beginning of summer in Texas.

I'll need professional clothes for my speaking engagements, travel clothes for travel (obviously), and casual clothes for down times.

Looking at what I have shows some gaps in my wardrobe. I'll be looking for some staples while in the U.S. I'll probably be asking for your help in best places to shop later.

I'm so excited to be able to wear winter clothes again. And dresses. And heels. So. Excited!

I'm packing my jewelry in a cigar box for the trip. I've taped my earrings to the lid. I probably won't leave them like this for the while two months, but this should work for the two weeks of travel.

Jasmine and I will be sharing one suitcase, plus a couple carry on items for our time in Belgium and London. It shouldn't be too tricky.

Now, hit me with your best packing tip!

Exactly Two Years Ago: Fab Friday Foto--wacky shop name

Snake Bites Can Be Good

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:07:00 +0000

...AKA Words you never thought you'd hear me say.

Earlier this month I asked you to pray for missionaries. One of my friends in Uganda had been bitten by a snake and needed prayer for complete healing. Later she wrote on her Facebook page that the bite was actually a blessing because she had been taking a lot of bus rides (her motorcycle was waiting for a new battery) and had developed DVT (deep vein thrombosis). Without the extra medical attention she was getting because of her toe, she may never have found out and it could have killed her. What a miracle!!

When I wrote my last post about taking things one at a time, I was actually in bed with yet another case of malaria. Being down at this time of year is tough. Browsing posts from this month in years past shows a clear pattern of me being behind in my work and/or being down with malaria.

I'm recovered now and back at work. I'm ready to press forward and get everything done.

What exactly must be done? Well, I leave for the U.S in two weeks so there's that....

We have to get all our promotional materials ready--video, brochures, posters, etc.

I need to leave the office in perfect order so Tom can find anything he needs while I'm away.

All of our paperwork has to be in order for taxes and filing and all the stuff that comes with running a charity.

Jasmine has to pack up her life and get ready for a big move to start college in the fall.

It's a lot to do in 2 weeks, but by God's grace it will all get done!

Exactly One Year Ago: Kittens and Babies
Exactly Two Years Ago: It's the Little Things that Make Me Smile
Exactly Three Years Ago: Keeper, Sleeper, Weeper

One Thing at a Time

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:14:00 +0000

Last week I had to go to Lusaka to take care of some business and errands. I didn't want to be away from the orphanage longer than necessary so I felt a bit of pressure to get everything done quickly.

One of the difficulties in running errands here in Zambia is that most offices open between 8 & 9:30 in the morning and if you don't get in the door right at the beginning of the day then lines and queues pile up and you may be standing in one of them all day long.

Sunday night I fell asleep with my long to-do list running through my head. I would line my errands out in a reasonable order, but then I'd wonder what would happen if one or another of them took longer than expected and I'd run through the list again.

Having just gotten off the 16 hour bus ride I was quite exhausted and needed desperately to get a good night sleep. Instead I tossed and turned, waking up frequently after anxiety-induced nightmares--including one in which I lost a briefcase full of cash.

Finally at dark-thirty in the morning I finally came to my senses and prayed for God to calm my mind. He spoke calmly and clearly, "Just do one thing at a time". Wasn't that amazing advice?? Blew my mind!

I fell asleep immediately with peace in my heart.

The next morning I left the house before 8, caught a mini-bus to town where I met up with my taxi for the day.

The first task at hand was photocopying a bunch of papers to turn in to various offices later. Then I did the next thing on the list--getting a manager's check (AKA a cashier's check). The bank experience is deserving of its own post so hopefully I'll share that soon.

After being told I could collect the check in two hours I moved on to the next possible item on my list. And so it went all morning. I simply did what I could and then moved on to the next item. Certifying papers, dropping off annual returns, standing in lines at every step, visiting government offices, submitting applications, and so on and so forth.

By 1 PM I had done every last errand on my list. It was nothing short of a miracle! Even though I had spent some time in lines, none of them was terribly long, and some places had no lines at all. There was a tiny monkey wrench thrown into one of the errands. A paper I was supposed to turn in to accompany an application was not in the file (because it wasn't on the list of required papers--go figure). I got hold of Tom, he scanned and emailed it and I walked across the street to a hotel's business center to print it out and was back in the government office within 30 minutes. Amazing!

I finished in plenty of time to meet up with Jasmine for a lovely and relaxed lunch at the mall before meeting up with a friend for just a bit more business.

It was very likely one of my easiest and least frustrating African days ever. And it was wholly due to God's grace. I listened to Him and just took each item one at a time (I couldn't have done more than that anyway, right?) and He gave me peace that if it didn't get done then it would be OK.

Don't you love learning life lessons like that?

Exactly One Year Ago: Where Has The Time Gone?

Exactly Two Years Ago: Carnival Fun

Authors are Frequently Influenced

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:56:00 +0000

Above is a story written by a few of the kids during school time with 'Uncle' Brent. He had them all contribute ideas and this is what came from that collaborative effort.

Because it's hard to see I'm typing it below. Can you guess what has been happening in their lives to influence their story writing?

A long time ago lived a man named Mr. Tumness. He had a monkey that carried presents and bananas. The monkey also eats bugs. One night the monkey named George was chasing fireflies. George feel down right when he had touched the firefly. He fell into a river. George burnt his finger from the fires on the firefly Then a hippo began to chase him. George ran back to Mr. Tumness where he was safe.

Translation: We're currently reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in preparation for watching the movie.--Mr. Tumness is their favorite character. They also recently watched the new Curious George movie and the firefly scene made them laugh and laugh. Tom recently hunted a hippo.

(Almost) Exactly One Year Ago: Kute Kids
Exactly One Year Ago: 30 Lessons for Living--book review

Exactly Three Years Ago: I Can't Believe We Did That

Keep Praying for Missionaries

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Some of you may have heard that there was a serious accident that happened in Zambia on Thursday. A bus traveling from Ndola to Lusaka collided with a semi-truck and more than 50 people died outright with several more dying later from their injuries. We still don't know the full extent of the tragedy.

This is a bus line that we have used in the past--though not since moving up here--and we would have considered it to be one of the safe ones.

It is a very sobering reminder of the dangers of road travel--especially in a country where the amount of vehicles has grown and the roads have not kept up with that growth.

I leave today to catch the bus down to Lusaka. I would cherish your prayers for my safety.

********

On Thursday I also got some sobering news about a good friend of mine in Uganda. She is a missionary that I greatly admire. Still going strong in her 60s she puts me to shame at times with her sense of adventure--riding a motorcycle all over, trusting God despite setbacks, keeping a positive outlook at all times. I love her! This week she was bitten by a snake. Thankfully it was just a night viper which, though it causes tissue damage, is not deadly. She is expected to have to have a skin graft on her toe. Please pray with me for her full recovery.

********

Things are going really well with our new missionaries here at the orphanage. Please keep them in your prayers--for their adjustment time, for their safety from illness and accidents, and for God's guidance in showing them His Will.

While you are at it, please say a prayer for missionaries the world over. Thanks!

Exactly Three Years Ago: My Week in Review --another reminder why we need your prayers always.

My Name is Amy......and I'm a Bookworm

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:44:00 +0000

I read nearly 90 books last year.* Before you get too impressed**, remember that I have long car rides every week or two down to Mansa, plus bus trips several times a year, plus I was on over 20 flights least year. I am so grateful that I don't get motion sickness. A couple years ago when my friend Debbie came to visit she told me she wouldn't be able to read on the dreadfully long bus ride because she gets car sick. When I remarked that that was a sad, sad story, she chuckled and said, "That's what you said last time I told you that." LOL

I also don't have a commute so my day has extra hours in it. We also don't have much of a social life outside of our home. Many evenings we'll have power cuts so we can't do much or get online. I also cannot fall asleep--no matter how exhausted--without reading for at least 15 minutes.

All of this adds up to lots of reading opportunities (well, that and sewing--but that's a topic for another time).

Last year I discovered sites like Book Bub and eReaderLove on Facebook. I downloaded a ton of free books--in fact I still have about 40 saved up for a rainy day. I found some great gems.

Many of the books I read were light reading. I enjoy books in all genres, but am drawn to lighter fare because life can be tough and when I get to reading I often want to just let my brain relax.

Below are some of my favorite books of the year:

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh is the story of a child in the U.S foster system. I was incredibly caught up in the story and absolutely loved it!

Kindness of Strangers by Mike McIntyre was one I got as a free Kindle book. I'm a huge fan of travel books (I wonder why? ha) and this was just right. Upon finishing it I immediately bought the story of Mike's journey around the world with his girlfriend. I didn't agree with every travel tip espoused in The Wander Year, but I enjoyed the journey vicariously.

I had no idea that Molly Ringwald was an author, and when I saw her book online at the library, I thought it was just a celebrity riding the wave. Not so! This collection of short stories was really well done.

A very quick and engaging read was James Patterson's The Quickie. From the first line I was drawn in and then there were twists along the way. A fun ride.

*I know all the books I've read because I keep track of them on Goodreads. Why not join up and become my friend? Amy M. (amyinafrica)

This year I've made one of my resolutions that I want to read at least 12 non-fiction books. So far on my list:

Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo. A look at the dangers of too much aid work in Africa.

When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert How can we as Christians avoid actually adding to the poverty issues.

Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster W. Cline, Jim Fay, Eugene H. Peterson. I'm a huge fan of logic. Combining this with parenting. Great!

Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick I've heard great things about this book. Can't wait!

Get Energy--Empower your Life by Denise Richards

This is just the beginning. Do you have any to add to my list?

Of course I won't only be reading non-fiction. In fact I've already read some great books. One of them: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Oh. My. Goodness! You must read this.

Have you read any great books that you can recommend? One of my favorite things to do is to search for a book from the digital library and putting it on hold. When an email lands in my box saying a book I've been waiting for is ready, it's like Christmas!

Exactly Three Years Ago: Are We a Normal Family?
Exactly Two Years Ago: Give the Gift of Life

I'm not an amazon affiliate. Sure wish I were, though.....

**I was just kidding.....feel free to be impressed. I love affirmation.

Wildlife Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:41:00 +0000

You'll be happy to know that we found the remaining python that was lost in the house. Thankfully Troy found it before I did. It was curled up behind our DVR and DVD players and all tangled up in the wires. He (or she) had gone up there to be warm and cozy while shedding his skin. So gross!

After Tom untangled the snake from the wires it was understandably quite annoyed. It kept striking at Troy's Bible which led me to quip, "Snakes are Satan--it's been proved!"

Tom has some great photos of the baby pythons. You can see them here: Pythons Galore!

Another day Tom took the snakes out to force feed them tiny bits of goat liver. A few of the boys gathered around to watch. Tom tried to put them (the snakes--not the boys) in a box, but they kept escaping. I overheard Johnny saying, "Hello mister, you're coming out of your cage because you're angry." I'm glad the kids get a chance to interact with all types of animals so they don't grow up with fear.

Speaking of fear.....I was reassuring Brent and Sarah that there aren't too many snakes around our house and that in the six years we've been living here I had never come upon a snake. Immediately after saying that I told them that now I would, of course.

Sure enough two nights ago as I was leaving the dining room, there curled up on the doorway was a baby snake--not a python, but a black, dangerous looking snake. I called Tom and Troy on their cell phones and begged them to come running. I didn't want to take my eyes off the snake, but I didn't want to be there anymore.

Tom caught the snake and later determined it wasn't a dangerous one, but it looked similar to the stiletto, which you can see by the sidebar has bitten him already so better safe than sorry.

I just hope that is it for the jinxing I gave myself.

Last weekend Tom was asked by the Wildlife Association to assist them in a hippo hunt. You can read all about his adventure here: The Great Hippo Hunt

As part of the fun he tested his new gun. See the interesting results on YouTube here.

Adventures Galore!

Exactly One Year Ago: Pests and Pestilences --one of my weirdest adventures
Exactly Three Years Ago: All the Children of the World

Introductions

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:38:00 +0000

Our latest volunteers finally arrived. I have been keeping everyone updated on their travel progress, either here or on our Facebook page, but hadn't wanted to use their full names until I had their permission.

They joked that perhaps I wanted them to earn their names.

So, without further ado,

here are our latest volunteers who will be teaching all our kids for the next few (several? many?) months:

Brent and Sarah!

I joked on Facebook that they have set a record for the longest journey to Kazembe (at least for those who set out to come directly here). It took them nearly 6 days. They were fairly well exhausted, but at least the long trip helped them get over jet lag.

Brent has been a special needs teacher for grades 1-6, and Sarah has worked in daycare centers and used Montessori-style methods.

Can you see why I'm so happy to have them here??

This morning I was hard at work on my computer as the sounds of teaching and learning drifted in through my window. It made me so happy!

I love teaching, but I also have a talent for admin work--which mainly means that typing infinite numbers into computer spread sheets and filling out the seemingly endless procession of government forms for our charities on both sides of 'the pond' doesn't make me want to gouge my eyes out--.

Now I can do what I need to do and not feel guilty about all that still needs to be done--because someone is helping to do it!

I'm grateful for those that come to stand with us in the care of the children.

Exactly Two Years Ago: London Fun
Exactly Three Years Ago: Be Prepared

The Goings-on

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:56:00 +0000

Or is it Going-Ons?

1. Our wonderful volunteer couple who is traveling here now, got stuck in London when snow shut down all flights out. They finally made it to Zambia, but their luggage did not. They are waiting in Lusaka until it arrives. Tom and Troy came back up to Kazembe, and B&S are being well cared for by some Peace Corps volunteers and a missionary. We look forward to them finally making it up here.

2. Tom's computer is completely repaired. Thankfully only the power supply had to be replaced and all his hard drives are fine. This is excellent news for his Skyrim game scores.

3. Maggie took her first steps on Saturday!! I had just walked up to the playground when she pushed herself to her feet and took her first solo steps. It was Family Day and there were a bunch of relatives watching. They all broke into applause. I'll try to get a picture of her walking up soon.

4. I almost didn't come home ten days ago. In fact, I told Tom I wouldn't. What had driven me to such a desperate statement?

Snakes. Plain and simple.

Tom was given a nest full of baby pythons after villagers ate the mother snake. He was so excited since he has always wanted one. He came close to owning one a couple years ago, but it didn't work out.

Now he had 10 baby pythons. He was happy!

However, the day before I came home he called to tell me that the snakes had all escaped.

In. Our. House!!!

He said he had found nearly all of them (one after it crawled up inside his shirt while he sat on the couch) but one was still missing.

I love my family, so I came home. The day after, another snake went missing. We've since found one of the snakes in our vegetable bed, but another is still at large. Say a little prayer for me.

When I get up to go to the bathroom at night (pythons are nocturnal), I stomp my feet to scare off any snakes around.

5. Jasmine is loving her time in Lusaka. She's learned bread making techniques, how to price a dish, and is now working in a restaurant part of the time. She enjoys the work and can definitely see herself making a career out of this. She'll probably be in Lusaka for another 4 weeks.


Working the dough

Working the counter

There is so much going on these days, I hardly find the time to sit.

I'll share the adventures as they come.

P.S. Please pray for B&S to get up here safely soon. Thanks.

Exactly One Year Ago: Checking In
Exactly Two Years Ago: Say What?

A Few More Reasons Why I Love My Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:24:00 +0000

Tom and Troy just left for Lusaka. Originally only Tom was going to go down to collect our visitors from the airport, but after watching Life of Pi, I felt it would be a treat for Troy to watch it. Since he'd love to have a future in movies and/or graphic design, I felt he could benefit from the amazing artistry of the movie.

This does mean that I am once again alone in the bush. Since I'm missing my kids a little, I'll share some stories with you:

One evening a couple weeks ago, Jasmine and I were discussing the disappearance of my favorite tweezers.

We’re fairly certain she was the last one with them, but I didn’t want her to feel too badly, so I told her that perhaps I had lost them.

She looked pointedly at my eyebrows and said, “Mom, you don’t use them much”.

“Sure I do,” I replied. “You see, I get these hairs on my chin….”

“Oh, Mom! You’re so gross!”

I firmly believe if you’re not thoroughly disgusting your teenager daughter from time to time, you’re not doing the parenting thing right.

********

Another night I was just drifting off to sleep, when I heard a rustling, crunching, crinkling, creeping sound. I was instantly awake, and just as instantly terrified. Tom was still in Lusaka, so I was alone in my bedroom.

Flipping on my bedside lamp, I picked up my cell phone and dialed for Troy. “Quick, come to my room”.

(Please tell me you also use your cell phone as an intercom system.....)

He came right away and looked around the place where I heard the noise. He moved my trash can, my shoes, looked under the little bookshelf. “There’s nothing there, Mom”.

He left, and I tried to get back to sleep. It wasn’t but a few moments before I heard it again. It sounded like it was crawling through plastic bags or papers. Perhaps it was a mouse making use of the winter wonderland that was stashed at the end of my bedroom. All the gifts for the little kids, all the wrapping paper and stockings were in boxes and heaps just 3 feet from my bed. I shuddered to think what could have made its home in there.

Troy came back quickly when I called him again on the phone.

As soon as he came in he spied a frog on the floor near the foot of my bed.

“It’s just a frog, Mom. A really weird, ugly one”.

I told him he’d have to get rid of it. It might be ‘just a frog’, but with my luck, it would be directly under my foot when I got up in the middle of the night (during a power cut, of course) for a bathroom break.

However I still wasn’t sure that that frog—no matter how ugly-- could have been responsible for all the noise. I asked Troy to look harder, so he sat at the end of my bed watching and listening. We sat quietly in the semi-darkness waiting.

Suddenly….the crackling, creeping, scratching sound was back!

“There! Did you hear it??”

“Mom, that was the frog. I was watching it. It hopped just then”.

Who knew that frogs were so noisy?

It took Troy several minutes of chasing the frog around the room—it was surprisingly quick—before he managed to finally trap it inside an old, empty jar.

As Troy began to leave my room, I told him how thankful I was that he was so brave, and that he was my hero.

He turned slowly in the doorway, still holding the sticky peanut butter jar with the captured amphibian in it.

“It was just a toad, Mom. A toad.”

I still say he’s a hero…..

P.S. Almost immediately after Troy left my room, I was attacked by mosquitoes. Perhaps that frog was one of the good guys.

(Almost) Exactly Three Years Ago: Invited to a Ball
(Almost) Exactly One Year Ago: Honey, Honey

Some Mother's Child

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 15:48:00 +0000

Years and years ago I met a missionary. He was a very talented musician and I enjoyed his songs.

Recently I bumped into him on Facebook and we struck up a conversation.

When he found out I run an orphanage now in Africa, he sent me the link to this video he made a few years ago after visiting Romania and seeing the plight of the street children there.

It is very touching and so good to keep in our minds. Every child that we come across is some Mother's child.

Keep tissues close.....

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!

Schedules and Ships

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:08:00 +0000

Next weekend something very exciting is happening!

A few weeks ago we were contacted by a couple in the U.S (B&S) who are looking for an orphanage where they can work. As in work—not just do a short term volunteer stint! Tom and I are understandably very excited. We have been praying for team members to join us.

Now, I’m trying desperately not to pin all my hopes on this possibility, while holding out Hope. Does that make sense?

Anyway, B&S are flying in next weekend for a 3-month scouting trip.

This put a bit of a wrinkle in our scheduling (not that we’re complaining), but it was something we needed to tackle. The day before B&S are due to fly in is when we would normally be in Mansa doing our shopping. Trying to figure out when we could do the shopping, with the added challenge of the ATMs not working, plus some business Tom would need to take care of in Lusaka if he were going to be there anyway, made a bit of a scheduling complication.

I was heading home on the bus on Thursday, and told Tom we could figure it all out when I got home.

Then, Tom was called unexpectedly to Mansa this Thursday for a meeting of the Police Reserves. When the meeting turned into an all-day affair I suggested that Tom just spend the night. I would get off the bus in Mansa, meet up with him and we could shop in the morning before heading back to Kazembe.

Tom was quick to agree to this plan because he had not been able to sleep on Wednesday night and then Thursday was spent driving 3 hours and then sitting through eight hours of meetings which were only mildly productive.

My bus pulled into a rainy and cold Mansa at 2AM. Once I located a taxi driver that wasn’t noticeably drunk, I loaded my bags and boxes and headed to the little ‘hotel’ where Tom had booked a room. Arriving there, I schlepped my luggage (which included 36 tins of formula, and a box with 300 eggs) through the lobby, down some stairs and to the door of the room. The walls were so thin I could hear Tom inhale with surprise at the sound of my knock. He let me in and stumbled back to the bed.

After hauling in the luggage I collapsed on the thin mattress for a few hours of sleep.

The next morning we did the shopping, completed some business with the police and then eventually got on the road. We still had to make another stop on the way home to discuss our (possibly) future land, and then we finally reached home at 4:30 PM.

Since I had gotten on the bus at 2 PM the day before, you can imagine I was fairly well exhausted.

Poor Tom too had not slept well for a few nights and had done all that driving.

We were both so glad to be in our bed last night.

This is only temporary though because by Tuesday or Wednesday Tom will be on the road again to Lusaka to take care of some business and also collect our new friends.

We're like ships in the night these days.

Update: The ATMs started working suddenly on Wednesday to my surprise and joy! Thank you for praying!

Update 2: Jasmine is still in Lusaka doing her bakery internship. She is staying with a nice missionary family. Since their two daughters are in college and boarding school, they are happy for a proxy daughter for a month. I’m so grateful for them! I’ll write more about Jasmine’s work and how she gets to and from work later.

Update 3: My eye is still purple. That is all.

Exactly Three Years Ago: I Used To Be Cool

Exactly Two Years Ago: Neither Here Nor There

(Almost) Exactly One Year Ago: A Look Back at 2011

A New Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 11:15:00 +0000

So, lightning isn't the only enemy of our computers. Our frequent power cuts also wreak havoc. Laptops don't suffer much because of their built-in batteries, but desk tops are constantly shutting down improperly when the electricity goes off unexpectedly.

Troy's computer was in the middle of shutting down a couple weeks ago when the power went off. This meant that the programs got stuck on some setting that meant it couldn't turn on anymore.

When our regular computer guy came out to replace the internet router (again!) he took Troy's computer in for repairs. We were able to collect it a few days later when we went to Mansa to do our shopping.

We had loaded all our groceries in, and the car was filled to the roof with supplies. Tom handed me the computer and asked me to load it into the small space behind his seat. As I lifted it up & over, the top half tipped over and whacked me in the eye. The pain took my breath away and I practiced my childbirth breathing for several seconds before I could trust myself not to shout. Then, I pulled out my mirror to see if I was bleeding.

I wasn't. But, I had a huge welt right next to my eye. It looked like I'd just been punched in the face. By a computer!

"I'm gonna have a black eye", I wailed to Tom. He was very helpful--in between laughing at me for getting into yet another predicament--and got a few chunks of ice from the gas station's water cooler that I could put into a plastic bag wrapped in a bandanna. Between that and some aspirin the swelling wasn't too bad.

The bruising however..... well, just see for yourself.....

I feel badly for Tom. I tell people that I'm here in Lusaka to fix his computer which I left plugged in and that then got struck by lightning and consequently Tom may lose all his gaming progress, and there I am sporting a black eye. It just doesn't look good for the poor guy--and he has been so understanding.

But, I tell you the truth.....computers are dangerous things!

(Almost) Exactly One Year Ago: Garden Glories

Exactly Two Years Ago: The Three Stooges

Tidbits and Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:14:00 +0000

Happy New Year to all!

Life has flown by this past week. I can't believe we're 8 days into 2013 already. Just so you know I haven't neglected this corner of the interwebs on purpose, I wanted to fill you in on some of the crazy.

First, some current events info on Zambia. The government here decided in January of 2012 that they were going to rebase the currency here. Things were costing thousands and millions of Kwacha so to make it easier for international transactions, Zambia decided to drop the last three zeroes. Where we would in 2012 receive @5000 Kwacha for each dollar, starting on January 1st we would receive 5. All prices are to be adjusted accordingly as well.

The crazy comes in when you realize that the majority of Zambians have never dealt with decimal numbers before. If I asked them how much 5000 would be in the new currency, they would easily answer with 5. However, if I asked them what 500 would be, they got a blank look. They had no idea how many Ngwee (coins) it took to make one kwacha.

It was troubling for us as we drew closer to the start of the new year and the change it would bring.

So far things have gone smoothly for the most part. I've been given the correct change at shops, and no one has stumbled over prices.

The only problem we've faced is a biggie!

ATMs don't work!

Hundreds of Americans and Europeans with Visa credit or debit cards are unable to access money from their home banks because the ATM computers or the Visa computers or the bank computers or some computer has not received the currency changeover information.

So, if I try to withdraw $400 from the ATM it apparently registers as me trying to take out 40 cents and I'm told that's an illegal transaction.

We heard that ATMs worked in Lusaka so I hurried down to the capital, but no dice. Since I was supposed to get money, I traveled with very little.

The really weird thing is that the problems are kinda random. Some Visa credit cards work, others insist that Visa debits do, or that one bank will work but not another, but some can't get anything to work.

Please pray that this banking situation is resolved quickly. Thanks to a dear friend we were able to get some money to tide us over, but other missionaries are getting quite desperate.

******

There is another reason I'm here in Lusaka:

A few days before the new year, while Tom was traveling home on the bus, we were hit by lightning again!

The air was weird that night and Jasmine and I were both awake late. It was just past midnight and we were still awake. I couldn't sleep at all. Hearing some rumbling of thunder in the distance, I unplugged the water pump and the internet. Still unable to sleep, I was writing in my journal when a horrific red blast burst out of my wall where the breakers are.

My heart was pounding as I thanked God that everything was unplugged. Then I got out of bed on shaky legs and rounded the corner into the office to see red lights flashing on Tom's desk. Horror of horror! His whole computer system had been left plugged in after Troy and I printed a document earlier that afternoon. I wanted to die!

As I write this Tom's computer is in the shop. We are hoping that only the power supply was affected and that it will be a quick fix. It won't be extremely quick because it's a special power supply that has to be ordered from the U.S.

Please pray this is the only thing wrong with the computer and that the hard drives were not affected. Thankfully Tom had backed everything up before leaving. The only thing not backed up was his Skyrim progress. (and there was a collective groan from all the gamers out there).

******

Yet another reason I'm in Lusaka right now is that Jasmine has been invited to do a bakery internship here. She'll be working at a commercial bakery to learn the fine art of bread baking, and then spending time at a mill to learn about flours and their composition, and then working at a coffee shop. It's going to be so good for her.

******

Our boys are nearly moved into their new house. I'll fill you in on those details soon and post pictures when I get back to Kazembe.

*****

Lastly, I has a somewhat unique experience a few days ago. It left a mark on me. I'll have to tell you about that soon.

Tell me how your year is shaping up so far.

A Christmas Story

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 17:42:00 +0000

On 'Christmas' morning the kids woke up to see presents piled under the tree and stockings hung above the buffet window. Their reactions were a bit low key. We got up early and lay in wait with cameras at the ready to catch their surprised and excited faces, but I don't think the kids have quite enough experience to know how excited they should be. In one way it's nice that they aren't all focused on the presents, but as parents (and big brother and sister) we would have loved a youtube worthy reaction. --Maybe next year.

While they ate breakfast I explained that Santa had delivered their presents, but would only be back in the afternoon for a party. They'd have to wait until after their afternoon rest to be able to open their presents.

Theresa

When the children came up after their naps, they found the dining room reorganized and set up for the party. First thing the kids got to do was choose a Christmas hat to wear.

We then served them cookies that they had helped to bake throughout the month. We had chocolate chip, almond shortbread, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, spiral bakes (or Dr. Suess cookies--as I like to call them), sugar cookies, cinnamon bun cookies, peanut butter balls, and snickerdoodles!

They got to choose any two that they wanted. I didn't want to give them more because SUGAR HIGH!
They had the rest of them the next day. I loved watching them carefully choose the cookie they wanted.

They even chose cookies and milk for Santa to have.

Finally Santa arrived! The kids were quick to tell him about the plate of cookies, and Santa played along by pretending to eat. (A beard that large makes gobbling cookies difficult, you know....)

Joseph

Then we started taking the individual pictures.

Some, like Naomi were very uncertain--if not downright scared.

Peter usually smiles for photos like a pro-- I think he was not quite sure what to do.

Michael almost unmasked the hero

Ana

Nathan

Janet surprised us all. She is normally quite shy, but she jumped right up on Santa's lap and flashed her gorgeous smile.

Johnny

By the time it got up to the big kids, Santa was getting really tired, as you can imagine.

Chola

You can see all the rest of the Santa photos at this link.

After picture time Santa passed out stockings for all the children.

All the kids were very grateful!

The babies enjoyed their new plastic cars.

The bubble kits we got were fun for everyone.

We're so grateful for the four ladies in Dallas who sent over a huge box filled with Christmas goodies including stockings for every child--even including Luke and Leah. We are also grateful for those who gave stuffed animals during the spring that we held onto and included in the kids' stockings. We had enough to make personal choices that would suit each child.

Christmas was made possible this year due to your generosity! You made 26 children very, very happy!

I think this smile says it all

A big thank you also to Jasmine and Troy who worked very hard helping to pull all the Christmas magic together. I'm so proud of them!

How was your Christmas? Tell me your favorite moment.

If you wrote about it online, leave me a link in your comment and I'll come visit.

With So Much Love.....

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Morrow) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 12:17:00 +0000

Download a larger size of this photo here

I'll be back on Sunday to share photos of our Christmas Day!

Have a wonderful day and enjoy your families and friends.