The Story of the Notecards

Here is another sales pitch for the notecards we're selling. In making my pitch, I thought it would be a good idea to tell the story of the notecards, so here it is:

We have taken two trips to Azerbaijan, working with and building relationships with psychiatric patients, orphans and students at a school. The physical conditions at the psychiatric hospital are not good. The humanitarian group we work with has made some improvements in the hospital and they continue to make improvements, but there is still SO much to be done. The group works mainly in the women's ward of the hospital since it is the part of the hospital that is most neglected. Most of these women don't actually have psychiatric problems, but they have been placed (dumped) there by husbands, parents, step-parents, children, or other family members. They are truly "throw-away" people in the eyes of many in this society. But we know that there are no throw-away people. Every person is created with purpose and every person is loved extravagantly. The humanitarian group has helped provide mattresses, a new roof, improvements to the bathrooms and other things that make this dark place more liveable for the women. In addition, they have begun a supplementary feeding program, a music class, an aerobics class and an art class. They want to give the patients hope, and a view of something beyond the dreary surroundings. They want them to know that life can be lived more abundantly even in the midst of the darkest places and situations.

In the winter, it gets very cold in the city where we work, and the windows in the hospital are very old and drafty. The women get sick. All the supplementary feedings, the new mattresses and other improvements are sometimes undermined by the fact that the winter can be a physically dangerous time for the women. They have to layer their clothes to sleep. The floor and walls are concrete, and so everything gets cold inside. As someone who is quite thin-blooded in the winter, I hate the thought of these women shivering in their sleep and trying desperately to keep themselves warm during the day by wrapping thin blankets over their clothing. No one should have to live like this. I believe it makes God sad.

So on the plane back from Azerbaijan this time, my friend Melanie and I decided to copy our friend's idea of making notecards from the artwork of the patients. Our friend who works with the humanitarian group has made notecards, but they cost a lot to print so he just doesn't make much money. We knew that we could probably get them printed for much cheaper, so we got right to work. In years past, groups that have traveled over there have purchased some of the patient's paintings, so we had quite a collection. We gathered them up and chose eight. Then I took photos of them and edited them just a little bit in Adobe Photoshop. The result is what you see in the photo below. The photo is not the best, but If you click on my Flick'r site (to your right) I have posted photos of each individual notecard. They really did turn out well, and they capture the beauty that these patients feel in their soul, even though there is not much beauty they are able to see with their eyes. When I look at these paintings, I also see hope.

We're selling these notecards for $8 for a set of eight. There are 38 windows that need to be replaced in the women's ward. Each window costs $340. We felt quite overhwhelmed at how much we needed to raise to replace all the windows, but we knew that we were only responsible to do what we could, even if it meant that we were only able to fund replacing a few of the windows. Last week, someone gave a challenge grant. They gave us $6,600, which will cover the replacement of half of the windows. We were awed and amazed. And so we have realized that perhaps we will be able to do this! The person who gave the grant wants to challege people to buy the notecards, so that these women can have ALL the windows replaced. Not just a few. The humanitarian group operates on a shoestring budget, and so they just don't have the funds to do this. But those of us who have been given so much DO have the resources to do this. I truly believe that people who have been so blessed must be willing to share some of the blessing with those who have so little. If that happens, it will make the world work so much better. Sorry if that sounds trite, but I think it's true.

If I didn't believe these notecards were really worth every penny of $8 then I wouldn't be selling them. But the purpose is so much bigger than just some notecards. So, if you are interested in helping with this endeavor, please email me: lisatresch@cox.net. I'll even throw in free shipping! You can see some photos of the patients below, and a "before and after" photo of the windows. So there is my big sales pitch. How did I do?

More California Photos

Studio 12 is where The Office is filmed!

She Left Fifteen and Came Home Sixteen

Well, I didn't post yesterday. So there goes my big prize money for NaBloPoMo. Oh well. I may be able to get an excused absence because it really wasn't my fault. Here's what happened:

After a morning at the Farmer's Market (I love this place, and could spend three days here just eating) we headed out to Beverly Hills. We drove through some of the residential neighborhoods looking for the Clampett's, then headed to Rodeo Drive where we tried to decide who were the tourists and who were the tourists trying NOT to look like tourists, and who were the real B.H. residents. We decided most of what we saw were the first two. Neither one of us was interested in getting out to shop, so we checked our map and found a museum a few streets over - Museum of Television and Radio. They have 144,000 television and radio shows archived in the upstairs library, so we headed up to find something interesting to watch. Now this sounds strange, but there were lots of people there searching for lost episodes of television shows, and watching shows that were groundbreaking. I however, decided that Erin needed to experience the era-driven, senseless, shameless humor of Laugh-In. So we accessed a 1968 episode and watched the whole thing. Erin thought it was sort of funny, but didn't get most of it. Funny thing is, neither did I. But here is what I realized: we talk a lot about how television has really become trashy, suggestive, all about sex and inappropriate for children. Well, it appears it was that way in 1968. How quickly we forget. After our "laugh-in", we ate dinner at an Indian restaurant and headed back toward Studio City. Unfortunately, we were blocked by the Hollywood parade, which runs the whole length of Hollywood Boulevard. So there was no getting home until the parade was over. We knocked around at Target for a while, then checked to see if the parade was over. It wasn't. Now it was getting late. So once again, I pulled out the map and told Erin that we would find a different route home. She groaned, sensing that this was going to be a very long evening so I launched into a little motivational speech. "When the way is blocked, and you can't seem to find a way through, you go a different direction and you don't look back." She groaned louder.

So that is what we did. We went a different direction (the freeway...ugh) and didn't look back. Mostly we didn't look back because we were driving through a very seedy part of town. Anyway, we made it back to the hotel, but it was too late to post. We were beat. I had been doing all of my posting from the lobby since it had free wi-fi, and the high speed internet in the room was 10 bucks a day. It just sounded like too much after our adventurous evening. I'm hoping this excuse works. It's all true.

By the way, Erin came home 16. I'm still amazed.

Erin's Birthday Day

Well - I've now typed two almost entire posts, only to have them erased by some strange PC thing where it highlights all your text and then it disappears. However, I will not resort to bad-mouthing PCs. I'll just add it to my list of why I don't like them. Anyway...let's give it one more try, shall we?

Today was an awesome day. We started out by meeting our friend Randy at the Good Neighbor Cafe, right up the road from our hotel in Studio City. It was a really neat place. Very quaint, but obviously very frequented by Hollywood types. Randy knew lots of people there. He's so Hollywood, and I mean that in the best possible way. He's so fun to be around. We talked about our OBU memories, and I caught him up on his 20th reunion last year, which he missed. We also marveled at how two people as young as us could be 20 years out of college. Just doesn't seem possible. He and his mom were leaving for Santa Barbara, but he took time out to come and treat us to breakfast. A true friend.

We changed our itinerary a bit and decided to do Beverly Hills tomorrow, so after breakfast Erin and I headed to Hollywood Boulevard. We went to the Wax Museum and the Guiness Book of Records Museum. Fortunately she was museumed-out so she didn't insist on Ripley's Believe it or Not (whew!). I used to beg to go to these kinds of museums when I was a kid, so I indulged her. It was really pretty fun, and I am sure we will fool all our friends with the pictures of the "stars" we saw. From there, we headed to Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and studied all the hand and footprints and took photos. I'm not sure why it's so fascinating and alluring to see these - the place was packed. Fame is funny. Put your hand in some cement and people will flock to see it. But there we were, right in the middle of the frenzy. We did some more walking and people-watching, then headed to Mulholland Drive where we cruised up the mountain and took a photo of the Hollywood sign. It was very smokey from the Malibu fires, so we didn't get good photos. By the way, 45 homes have been lost so far and several of the Canyon roads are closed. The humidity here is about 5 percent which makes it worse. People here are very keen to the damage that these fires can do, but they also have a very "go on and live life" attitude, which is to say that they are willing to take the risk of building these beautiful homes and perhaps losing them to fire. Of course, they do their best to keep it from happening, but they do understand the risk. Anyway, it's a sad thing but they hope to have it 50 percent contained by sunrise tomorrow.

After we left Hollywood Boulevard, we ate Mexican food (the second best tamales I've ever eaten) and headed back to the hotel. Erin is reading a book she bought on the history of Grauman's Theatre, and we have both vowed to watch more old movies. We're starting with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. A great movie. Erin hasn't seen it yet.

So Erin had a wonderful 16th birthday here in sunny California. More tomorrow! And I think I made it through this post so I will hit publish before anything strange happens...

California, Here We Are!

Well, we've done the touristy thing today at Universal Studios. It was fun. We took the studio tours, saw the campy Jaws shark that comes up out of the water and looks phony; Erin had her picture taken with Frankenstein (she was really excited about that); We paid $16 to split a chicken taco meal at the Pollo del Taco inside the park. But all in all, we had a great time. I always learn a lot about each of my kids when I spend time alone with them on a trip. For instance, Erin doesn't like to get lost...even though I told her you always see things when you're trying to find your way back onto the path that you wouldn't see otherwise. It still makes her nervous. And she is very careful how she spends her money when it's HER money. She got cash for her birthday from the grandparents, so that is her shopping money while she is here. So far, she's bought a pair of socks and a little American Graffiti poster. The socks were on sale, and the poster was $12. And she's worried that she's spending her money too fast. Ahhh, it's fun to watch your kid being a cheapskate.

Tomorrow she will be sixteen. I still remember the day she was born, and how I couldn't believe that I was going to be a mommy to a little girl after all I had known was this wild all-boy boy. On the way back from Universal in the shuttle, we watched a little boy, about 3, and his sister who was about 2 sitting side by side between their parents and holding hands. The little boy was subtly trying to wrench his hand free so he could play with his toy, but the little girl sat with the biggest smile on her face, swinging her short little legs and needing nothing more in life. There was my real life memory of my little boy and little girl. Colin the busybody, never wanting to get too close...Erin, content and smiling and happy to be along for the ride. Things have changed a bit over the years, but she is still a joy. Still ready to go anywhere at a moment's notice. And today in the House of Horrors she held my hand the whole way. What a great day.

We're meeting Randy tomorrow - Kyle's roommate from OBU and a good friend of both of ours who has lived out here for years. After that, I think we're going to cruise around Beverly Hills and see how .001 percent of the world lives. It will be fun to watch Erin pinch her pennies on Rodeo Drive, and I'll probably make a wrong turn somewhere and who knows where we'll end up. Maybe the beach.

My Dad, His Birthday and Raisin Pie

Today was Thanksgiving. And it was my Dad's birthday. This only happens every six or seven years; in fact the last time the two happy occasions converged was when we brought Alison home from China. We brought her home on the 22nd of November, 2001. I think my Dad thought she was his birthday present. He's been crazy in love with her since the moment he laid eyes on her. So today we celebrated his birthday along with Thanksgiving. It was wonderful. He got a t-shirt, a swimsuit (he likes our outdoor hot tub), a bottle of wine...and I made him a raisin pie. This is my Dad's favorite kind of pie. His mother used to make it for him when he was a kid, and I don't know how many years it's been since he's had one, but he couldn't have been more excited. He had two slices. So after we watched him lap it up, Colin and I decided to try it. I have to admit, a raisin pie sounded kind of gross. I like raisins, but not a whole glob at one time. But since I made it, and Dad was digging into it like he hadn't eaten in weeks I sliced a piece for myself and Colin. And we loved it! Who knew a raisin pie would taste so great. So, in honor of my Dad - and his sweet mother Pearl Jackson, here is a recipe for raisin pie. I highly recommend it, although we had some wimps at the table who wouldn't touch it...you know who you are.

2 C. raisins
2 C. water
1/2 C. brown sugar, packed
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. butter
Pastry for double-crust pie
Combine raisins and water in saucepan; boil 5 minutes. Blend sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add to raisins and cook, stirring until clear. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and butter. Cool slightly. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out half of pastry into a circle large enough to fit bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Place in pie pan. Turn slightly cooled raisin filling into pastry-lined pie pan. Roll remaining pastry, and cover pie with a solid circle, or lattice strips. Trim and crimp edges. If using solid top crust, cut slits into it. Bake 25 minutes, or until crust is brown and filling is bubbly. Cool pie completely before serving.

So if you are feeling brave, or feeling nostalgic for what Kyle refers to as "depression era food," give it a try.

By the way, I am hoping to keep up my November postings, but tomorrow Erin and I are leaving for L.A. This is her birthday present. She'll be sixteen on November 24. Can't even believe this. Anyway, I am having to take Kyle's PC (ick) and will leave him my Mac so he can do a slideshow presentation on Sunday. I told him to get a Mac, but he wouldn't listen. We're like the Apple commercials with the PC guy and the very cool Mac guy living under the same roof. I'm the cool Mac guy. Hopefully I will be able to post, but if not I will not defeated about not meeting my NaBloPoMo. I'll have a good excuse.

Let Us Be Thankful Boys and Girls

My Thankful List:

My husband - The one person who sees me in my worst moments and still loves me unconditionally. My best friend who allows me to ramble, and change my mind, and dream big dreams.

My children - They teach me what it means to have a precious gift entrusted to me. They can make me feel the greatest joy, or make me crazier than seems humanly possible, but they reveal in me the deepest love I thought I would never feel.

My parents - What would I do without the people who know me best? They are the emodiment of sacrificial giving. And they never, ever ask to be paid back.

My friends - Because they show me what it means to trust, to confide, to be there through thick and then. They laugh with me, cry with me and inspire me.

Good books - they allow me to get lost in a story, or be challenged by ideas. They also smell really good when newly purchased.

Autumn leaves - I love the changing seasons. It reminds me of fresh starts. I also remember what it was like to live in a place where the seasons don't change, so I don't take it for granted anymore.

A morning walk - it clears my mind, and gives me time to pray, something I never seem to find time for in the rush of the day.

My camera - because I would probably forget the people, the places, the events without it. When I look at a photo, I realize that I have captured and stopped time. I will have that moment forever.

Pens, paper and computer - If I didn't write, I'd probably be much more nuerotic than I already am. Writing puts me in very good space.

My fireplace - because I am cold-natured and it makes everything glow and feel homey.

My gray hairs and my creaky knee - it's good to be reminded that I am here on this earth for just a little while, and that I am not a kid anymore. I am aging, and with age I grow, and learn and am constantly humbled.

My house - it's quirky, and drafty, and messy most of the time. But the majority of people in the world live in substandard housing the size of my bedroom with dirt floors and corrugated tin roofs and no running water.

My Bible, my church and the freedom to talk to people about God - I know what it's like to not have any of this. I have friends who live in places where these things are illegal. They have to close the windows when they pray and sing. I long to know God, to worship Him, to talk to people about the journey I am on. I am free to do this and so I don't want to miss the opportunities.

This breath, and the next breath, and the one after that - Life is precious. Every moment is a gift. We choose how we spend it. We choose whether we will cherish it. I choose to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Learn New Words, Feed Hungry People

Last year, while I was doing last-minute Christmas shopping at Barnes and Noble I picked up several of the calendars where you tear a page off each day. Colin got a guitar calendar, Erin a Far Side calendar, Kyle a Bush-isms calendar, Alison a dog calendar. And I bought one for myself (they were on clearance, I promise), the "Word a Day" calendar. I know, it sounds really exciting. Actually, I thought it WAS exciting. For the first week in January I tore off a page each day and learned six new words. Then I got behind, and I had to learn three words in a row. Well that was a big hassle, and all for a tear-off calendar. Then I got so far behind that it was useless and so I donated my calendar to Alison for drawing paper. I bought the calendar because I thought it would it expand my vocabulary, which some might argue is a silly idea. I'm not usually at a loss for words, so who needs more of them? I still think it's a good idea. We get lazy when we communicate, and since there are so many rich words in the English language, why not expand the parameters?

So now I have discovered a site where you can enhance your vocabulary skills and feed hungry people. Click on the title of this post and you will be taken there. Warning: it's addictive. For the skeptical (I have lots of skeptical friends) be sure and click on the FAQ when you arrive at the site. You might also want to hop on to Poverty.com, which is the sister site of FreeRice.com. We think we know about poverty, but the truth is that the statistics are almost beyond belief.

So when we see each other, we'll swap fancy words. And if you are like me and you can't usually find a place to use the word in a sentence once you've learned it, at least you will know that you have given someone a meal (that is, IF you've played the game well).

The Play

I saw my friend Steffani at OBU Homecoming this past weekend. Colin and I toured the campus, and I shared with him about a play that Steffani directed for a class our senior year. She was responsible for the entire production. She asked me to be in the cast - it was a Sam Shepherd play with few actors, lots of dialogue and a sparse set. I agreed. She assured me it was no big deal, that she had done plays like this and memorized this many lines, etc. So I did it with much trepidation, but it went great. Only after did she tell me she had lied. She had never memorized this many lines in a play. Good girl. I would have run for the hills if she had told me that before we took the stage. She was an awesome director, which was made even more difficult because all of the cast were her good friends. We were quite a cast: John, John, Andrew and me. It was a great play, and at the end when the last line was said (I think I had the last line, didn't I? Or not...it's been 20 years) she chose the perfect song that started up as we held hands, bowed and the lights went out. Here it is. I think the explanation he gives sums up the point of the play perfectly. And yes, it has been 20 years and I can't remember the name of the play. But boy was it good. Thanks Steff. What a memory.

Hiking Machu Picchu and Chinese Baby Girls

Why do I always wait to post until late at night? If I want to upload photos, it takes forever, and usually I'm so tired I can't think of much to say. So I am going to start changing my blogging schedule. I am going to start blogging during the day. I am sure this is of great interest to almost no one, but I have to post tonight or I will blow my NaBloPoMo goal for November. Yes, I should have a better motivation for posting than just meeting this silly goal, but I have a tiny competitive streak. Other bloggers I know are also taking the challenge. Translated: if I don't post tonight I'll lose!!!

Okay, there are actually several things to mention in a post. The first, my friend Shannon is possibly making her way home from Peru tomorrow. OR, she will stay until Tuesday because she has this wild desire to hike Machu Picchu. Actually, she and I were going to do this together, so if she does stay to make this hike she is still obligated to go back with me and do the hike again. I hope you are reading this dear friend. Her trip was wonderful. Of course, she learned much about the Peruvian people, and about herself and about God while she was high in the mountains of this wonderful country. I can't wait to hear her voice. We talk on the phone every Sunday, and I have missed our conversations.

Also, my friend Dana just got back from China with a tiny little baby girl who is sleeping through the night. Caisy is her name, and she has two beautiful sisters who are also from China. What a blessing. Dana is a single mom, and is a remarkable person. Alison is begging for a baby sister from China, and this is probably is not going to happen (remember I have learned to never say never) so I am hoping we will get to visit Dana soon so that Alison can get her "baby fix". Of course, this will not work. After she sees this precious baby, she will only ramp up her efforts for a little sister. I will remind her that Dad and I are too old (we're really not, but the teenagers are making us feel old) and that it is fun to be the youngest (this is not true and she knows it) plus we are completely out of rooms (she has graciously offered to share her room, but the hamster lives there and runs noisily on his wheel all night so this probably wouldn't work). We will stay strong. No more babies.

So there is my post and I actually did have something to say. Maybe I will keep my late-night schedule.

Twinkles and Flick'r

This is the big birthday present. Alison has been begging for a hamster for months. We told her they're nocturnal, and that it would probably keep her up all night exercising on it's wheel. We told her sometimes they bite. We told her the cage has to be cleaned out or it will stink. We tried to disuade her in every way, but she would not be deterred. It was a hamster or nothing. So she got a hamster for her birthday and named her Twinkles. Alison sleeps through the all-night aerobics, Twinkles doesn't bite, and Alison will love cleaning out the cage, because she really loves to clean. So far, we are unable to say "told you so!" This kid loves animals. What will be next? I hate to imagine. We don't enough room for a horse, thank goodness.

Kyle's photos from Ethiopia (not all 500 of them) are on my Flickr site...the link is on the right. They are awesome photos. The Ethiopian people are beautiful, inside and out. Enjoy the photos!

More Ethiopia Photos

I'm planning on posting Kyle's photos on Flikr in the next few days, so you can see all of them there. Isn't he a good photographer?? Wow.

November 12, 2001 and November 12, 2007

Six years ago she was a sixteen pound baby who could fit in the crook of your arm (which is mostly where she wanted to be). She was born in China, and for the first year of her life was surrounded by other babies and loved by nannies. She was placed in our arms on the night before her first birthday, and she was scared and probably a little mad that somehow all the nannies and the babies had been replaced with this very strange-looking family who plopped her in a bathtub and spoke in gibberish. But she adapted more quickly than I would have thought - and suddenly she was laughing when we talked to her, and snuggling into our arms where she would fall asleep. Boy, was she a TIRED baby. We toted her around China, and somehow in that amazing country she became a part of our family.

She turned seven yesterday. Birth is a miracle, there is no doubt. Our family has been blessed by the arrival of two children by birth so I know this is true. But adoption is a miracle also. When I look at this seven year-old girl and look at the photo of her at age one, I see the miracle of a resilient little girl who traveled from a bridge, to an orphanage, to our arms where we carried her to the US where she became a Tresch - through and through. Sometimes I forget the miracle, and I take it for granted. But that is the way it is with miracles. It's easy for them to lose their luster in the grind of everyday life. I want to be able to look at all three of my children and be reminded that miracles are gifts. They are supposed to remind us that God is a loving father who desires to give good gifts to His children - and often those gifts, those miracles, come in the most surprising ways.

From Tulsa, to Peru, then to China

Perhaps I am taking this National Blog Posting Month thing a little too seriously. It's very late - Alison had her birthday party at the Little Gym tonight with eight girls who could make your hair stand on end with their banchee screaming. I haven't downloaded photos yet. I've been proofing the Tidings magazine, and I just really don't have anything to post...but I am determined not to blow my goal of posting every day in the month of November. So here I am. No photos, and nothing incredibly interesting to say.

Actually, I take that back. I got an email from my best friend, Shannon, who is in Peru on a mission trip. Here is an excerpt:

"Thanks so much for all your prayers. My health has been great--no problems at all. I feel very safe here as well. We have been busy each day meeting with people for Bible study, evangelism, training, and baptisms. Many people have accepted Christ and others continue to learn and grow in their house churches. It is pretty slow work though, I must say. For many reasons, the people are willing to say yes to most things asked, but then the follow-through is very slow. They work long and hard to make a living and maintain a household and it´s not like you can just shower up and drive up to church. Please pray that God will give them energy, encouragment, and passion for growing in their faith and knowledge of Him and for spreading it around to all these little villages scattered across these beautiful mountains. I guess that is the same prayer we should all have for ourselves, isn't it? Maybe not the beautiful mountains part, but wherever we are.
As always, God teaches me more about myself on these kind of trips and, even better, more about Him."

I so agree with the last sentence. We always think that we are going to change the lives of other people, but most of the time - we are the ones who are changed. We see the world differently, we see ourselves differently, we see God's purposes and His kingdom with a clearer focus. We are blessed to be moved out of our comfort zone, and into a place where we can see the face of God in amazing ways.

Tomorrow is my little girl's birthday. She will be seven. Six years ago tonight, I saw her for the first time in a hotel conference room in Nanning, Gaungxi Province, PRC. Tomorrow, I'll post photos of then and now. We are blessed, indeed.

Oklahoma Baptist University

Kyle, Colin and I traveled to Shawnee, OK on Friday. It was homecoming. This is always a very big deal at OBU because it is a small university, and coming back for a reunion means you see lots of people that you know. I don't know if it's this way at a large state school, but it's amazing how both Kyle and I have traded high school reunions for college reunions. This was my 20th reunion. It is absolutely impossible that I graduated college 20 years ago. Where did these years go? As Colin and I walked around the campus, I did a great job of biting my tongue, but finally I had to say it regardless of how old it made me sound: "These college students look so young!" Of course they do. They are only a few years older than my son. Colin is interested in attending OBU, which is funny in a way. I couldn't wait to leave and hoped that if I ever had kids, they would branch out a little more than I did. I mean, really...it's Shawnee, Oklahoma. But it seems to be the place that Colin is thinking about and it would be a good fit for him. I have come full circle. It's amazing how in life we do that, and before we realize it, the circle seems okay.

As Colin and I walked around the campus, I - like the old woman I am - began to think back on those college days, and the memories came fast and furious. Colin was gracious, and he listened to me as I ambled down memory lane. If I had a scanner that worked I would have scanned beautiful photos of Kyle and I in our glory days...matching Bruce Springsteen t-shirts and tan faces and smiles without wrinkles. But my scanner is on the blink so you will have to use your imagination. We loved U2's October, voted for Walter Mondale, believed that Dr. Joe Hall was on to something with all his talk of peace and constructive survival. We watched David Letterman late at night and griped about all the Baptist craziness. But we loved our school, despite the fact that we were often fish swimming up the stream.

I missed my 20th reunion, actually. We left last night, and didn't come back today for the luncheon because we had lots of other obligations and Kyle is tired from the Ethiopia trip. I saw my best OBU friend, Steffani, and relived all the great memories and shared them with my son, so I did all I needed to do in Shawnee. I waved goodbye and wondered if the next time I come back will I be bringing my son back to begin his own memories on Bison hill. It's a nice thought actually. I wonder if they still make them learn Ka-rip? I don't think I'll tell him about that.

The Faces of AIDS

Children with AIDS. Mothers with AIDS. Babies orphaned by AIDS. It's easier to let it pass quickly from our minds when we don't have faces to attach to this disease. But those who are affected by AIDS have faces, and smiles, and eyes that cry, and hearts that break for the loved ones they will leave behind and for the ones they have lost. Kyle was able to talk to mothers with AIDS, give crocs to children with AIDS and play with the babies of parents who have died with AIDS. The stories are incredible, but they are just people, like us. And they are dying by the ten of thousands every day. The numbers are hard to fathom, but when you look at the faces, suddenly the numbers take on a very different meaning. Every "number" is a person that God has created - knit together in the womb - with the love of a Father. He has created them for a purpose, and his heart breaks when their lives are affected, or stolen by AIDS. His heart is breaking and so should ours. The crazy thing is, we can do something about this. Antiretroviral medicines are cheap. Very cheap. And when an AIDS patient - even one who is in the latter stages of AIDS - begins taking these medicines there is something called the Lazarus effect. They literally come up off the deathbed and get better. If you've seen photos of people who have experienced the Lazarus effect you wouldn't believe it. And the medicine that literally could save millions of lives is, I repeat, cheap. In Ethiopia, the government provides antiretroviral medicine for free (It is NOT this way in many African countries) but they don't do a very good job of providing education about how to stop the spread of AIDS, and they don't do a very good job of educating about AIDS in general, so there is a great stigma attached to it. People don't want to admit they have it until it is too late. Paperwork must be filled out to get the medicine, and when you are on your deathbed with no one else around to help you but a seven year-old boy who can't get to town to get the paperwork, then it doesn't do much good if the medicine is free. The sad stories are endless, and I promise tomorrow I will do a cheerier post. But Kyle and I think about these things, and wonder what those of us, who have been given so much, can do.

Teshome, Kyle and Colin

Teshome is Kyle's Compassion child that he was able to visit the third day he was in Ethiopia. Teshome lives in Dukem with his mother and two little sisters. His father has died, and Teshome earns money to help support his mothers and sisters by driving a taxi after school every day. His taxi is a buggy and a horse named Colin. Kyle was given the honor of naming Teshome's horse, and so he named him after another 17 year-old boy, Colin. Tehsome was very shy, and only warmed up when he took Kyle out to see and name the horse. Then, Kyle was able to drive through the streets of Dukem in the buggy as Colin led the way. It was an awesome visit, and Kyle was able to see all that Compassion - through the funds of sponsors - is able to provide the children. He was able to connect the program with the child, and see how it all works together to make life a little better for the kids in Dukem.

Kyle gave Teshome a soccer ball, a watch, an OU t-shirt, and of course Crocs for everyone. Teshome's mother had set out popcorn, bread and other snacks for Kyle, and then they enjoyed the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. We thought Teshome, at age 17 was probably about to graduate, and exit the Compassion program. But unfortunately the education system in Ethiopia is quite awful, and since Teshome only entered the program a year ago, he is very behind in school. He is only in the seventh grade, so he will be in the program for at least six more years. He's a great kid, and works very hard to help support his family. Our prayers for Teshome will take on new meaning after Kyle's visit. It's amazing what a difference it makes to be face to face with a child who you have only known in letters and photos. I hope that someday all of our family will have the privilege to meet Teshome and his family...and Colin.

Where Did the Crocs Go?

The Crocs went lots of places, but here is just one. These kids are street kids in Addis. They have lost their parents to AIDS, disease or hunger. They have no home. They literally live on their own, beg during the day and spend what little money they get on something to eat. Most of the time, they don't each much. Che, the program that ministers to these kids, has a hard time keeping them because they like the freedom of living on the street. Che would like to be able to have 50 kids in the program, but they only have funding for seven. So seven kids received crocs at this particular place. When I try to think of what it must be like to be a child who has no home and no family and lives totally independently, I can't even imagine. Thank you to all who contributed crocs, or money for crocs. These children have so many needs, and shoes seem like such a small thing, but small things can make a difference. The children loved the crocs. And yes, one of boys ended up with pink crocs because that was the only size that fit him, but he didn't seem to mind. Pink is in this season for guys, right?

Kyle is Home

Since I don't want to blow my NaBloPoMo goal (National Blog Posting Month) of a post every day, I'm posting. It's late, and Kyle and I have scrolled through all his photos (lot and lots and lots of them!) and we are tired. By the way, his photos are phenomenal, and I am humbled to realize that I am not the only person in the family who can take photos - well, I already knew this, but now there are three of us. You really won't believe these photos. So, since I will be posting again tomorrow (NaBloPoMo!!), tune in tomorrow evening to see a little of what he saw in Ethiopia.

Dark Side of the Moon and Halloween

Kyle is on a place from Addis to Frankfurt, then from Frankfurt to Chicago. He characterized the next day and a half as "the dark side of the moon", where there will be no contact by email or phone until he lands in Chicago. So I trust that he is sleeping on the long Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. Of course, they will wake him up twice to feed him.

So shall we backtrack? Last Wednesday was Halloween, and I neglected to post photos of the most beautiful witch in the neighborhood. Actually, she was the most beautiful witch at the Aquarium, which is where she and I spent our evening. The teenagers were stationed as Asbury (Erin, working the Fall Festival) and home (Colin, handing out candy and watching a movie with Sean). So Alison headed up to the Aquarium to see how the sea creatures were costumed. It was really neat. They turned out the lights and lit up the fish tanks, and handed out candy. Alison was much more all about the fish than the candy, which is really remarkable. I had to keep reminding her that they were handing out candy..."you know, that sweet stuff you beg for most days." Anyway, she absolutely loved the Aquarium, as she always does. She is quite passionate about the sea creatures, and the girl who sort of stumbles over her words most of the time becomes very articulate when it comes to talking about fish, sharks, anemones...and beavers. She gave me a little lesson on the way home: "Are you aware that beavers tie their babies to them with seaweed so that their arms can be free to build the dams?" Wow. I was not aware of this. We had a fun evening. We missed Dad. It's hard to believe he's coming home tomorrow!

Stay tuned for photos. Kyle has over 500 that he took in Ethiopia, so I am charged with sifting through them, choosing the best ones and then editing them on Photoshop. So there should be photos showing up here, hopefully as soon as Wednesday. Thanks again for all your prayers. It has been an amazing three weeks, for all of us.

Day Seventeen - Preaching and Dodging Flies

From Kyle:

I hope that you enjoyed your extra hour of sleep. We are now separated by nine hours.
It's a little bit before 5p.m. here. It was a good day. John and I preached at a small church plant. While it was in Addis, it was down many backstreets, which, of course had no name. The sermons went well and were well received. I got some good pictures. The people were so appreciative. The tiny church is located in a heavily Muslim dominated community. Although the Muslims are not by any means radical, it has been difficult for the little church to find any kind of permanent meeting place. There is so much joy, so much devotion and so much love among people who have so little. While the flies buzzed around my head, I was thankful that when preaching I didn't swallow one.
I hope that you have a good day at church today. Please tell everyone I said hello and that I very much appreciate all of the prayers. I'll let you go so you can get yourself and everyone else rounded up for church. The Cowboys play the Eagles late tonight. They should win and I hope that they do.
Love you,
Kyle

I should be in front of the Cowboys game instead of blogging I suppose...

Watching Futbol with the Ethiopians

Kyle loves soccer...ever since I've known him he has been a huge soccer fan, so this was a real treat for him. I have actually been watching FSC (Fox Soccer Channel) at night because that is what he has on most evenings, and I don't watch TV anyway so I'm not missing anything else. And it makes me feel connected to him. My friend in Azerbaijan is a maniac Manchester United Fan. He is from England...no surprise. Boy can he talk Futbol! Not sure who Arsenol is, but I imagine it's the Ethiopian team.

From Kyle:

The day was good. The pace has slowed considerably.

This morning, I went with John and Ashrat to the bank to open a new account for the Ettu Oromo ministry. Then, John and I went to a leather goods shop, but neither of us purchased anything.

This afternoon Jose called and invited me to go watch the big Premier League Soccer match Arsenol vs. Manchester United. It was fun to experience the way Ethiopians enjoy their soccer. There were probably 150 of us watching together on a TV. We had to pay 10 bir (approximately 12 cents) to get in. The game ended in a draw 2 - 2, which was really a win for Arsenol as they stay atop the Premier League standings. I don't think Jose and the guys are used to seeing an American enjoy watching a futbol match. There was only one other white person in the place (looked to be 14 or 15).

Then, tonight John and I went to the Zebra club for dinner. It was good. I had peanut chicken and rice.

Just two more showers here and then I'm on my way home. Can't wait to see everyone.
I love you,
Kyle

Beautiful Artists

Kyle is winding down his trip. He has two days left. Saturday he will be just hanging out at the compound and resting. He will preach again on Sunday at the church of one of the Ethiopian friends he has met. Then Monday he gets on a plane to make the long trek home! Thanks for all the prayers and the thoughts you have sent our way. It has truly been an amazing trip. I expect to have a couple more posts from him. Tonight, they had the families of the Ethiopian team over - wives, fiances, children. They are hoping to come to Tulsa next September for a conference if they can get visas, so maybe we will get to return some of the hospitality they have shown Kyle. What a blessing!

Also, my friend Shannon made it safely to Peru on Thursday morning. I am hoping to hear more from her soon. Please continue prayers for her.

But you must be wondering about the photo, and how you can get your hands on a set of notecards as beautiful as these! Well, do I have a deal for you...

These notecards are reproductions of original paintings done by patients in two psychiatric hospitals in Azerbaijan. We work in one of these hospitals when we are in the country. The patients at the hospital are given art lessons during the week. The program is sponsored by the humanitarian organization we work with, and as you can see these patients are quite talented. Many of these patients are in the hospital, not because they have been diagonsed with a mental condition, but because their families have dumped them there for various reasons (if the women are thought to have a bad reputation, if a husband has found another woman he wants to marry, if a stepmother doesn't like her stepdaughter, etc.) Unfortunately, after being in the hospital for so many years the patient's mental condition does deteriorate. But as you look at the paintings you see that these patients have so much creativity in them. The conditions in the hospital are so horrible that it is hard to describe. The patients live in a dark world, yet these paintings are filled with beauty and light. But we would like to improve the physical conditions in the hospital, so we are selling these cards for $8 for a set of 8. These would make a great gift, also! If I sound like a commercial, that's okay. We want to sell enough sets to be able to replace the windows in the psychiatric hospital. Tomorrow I will post photos to show you the difference between the old windows and the new windows. It gets cold in the part of Azerbaijan where the hospital is located, and the old windows don't keep out the cold, so the patients get sick. This is the last thing they need - on top of the other health risks in the hospital. So, how many good reasons do you need to buy a set of these cards?...or two sets...or more! I will be peddling them around, and most of you know my email address, but IF you don't know how to find me, please comment and let me know and I will tell you how you can get the cards.

Day Fourteen - Man of Few Words Had a Good Day

Well, the emails from Kyle are getting shorter. Not sure what this means. Is he too tired to type? I think it's because he doesn't have as much computer time as he did at the hotel. So I'm taking what I get, and posting it. Oh, and my friend Shannon made it safely to Peru. No info., just a quick email to let me know she is there. What is it with these folks? - it's almost like they have more important things to do than email!!

From Kyle:

Just a quick note to let you know that today went great. We did more storytelling evangelism out in the country with the team. We also went and visited a large tree where one of the early church plants got started. There's an interesting story behind it which I will share when I get home.

Then, on the way home we stopped at a small church working with impoverished children; one of which had lost both parents to AIDS and was himself positive. We handed out crocs, toothbrushes, toothpaste and hugs.

After dropping everyone off, John and I enjoyed some Italian food. It was good. Thank you for your prayers. Today was a good day.
Love,
Kyle