this week (give or take) in the life of Schmanda

cookie baking. Colossians. thunder. lightning. the mountain. again. this time with 22 teenagers. poisonous spiders. "i'm afraid of heights" and "i want my momma" talk. success. fun. lots of fun. "Baby Don't Go" on MILLION TIMES. windhoek. goodbye sara. death by mosquito. bird-like moths. Sudoku. asparagus crepes and coffee. rain. rain. more rain. track and field. discus-into-foot injury. forgotten sunscreen = even worse Teva tan. jenniebobennie blog support. #3 peeing cricket ousting. ruben samuel. runny tummy talk. tuna. newsies. jax: killer dog in training. sunset everlasting.

it would be easy to make this a sunset blog...

surprise servanthood

On Tuesdays Kendall and I have invited the girls we are building relationships with to come to our house for a time of fellowship. Last week was our first one, and there were 19 girls piled into our tiny living room. We prepared a meal for them and spent time talking and sharing stories with each other. As Kendall and I discussed what we would do with the girls tonight, we talked about our desire for these young ladies to begin learning about being a servant. Many of them know the Lord and are excited about learning His Word. Our hope is that we can see these young ladies not only hear and learn the Word, but practice obedience to it. At 5 o’clock when the girls arrived (a smaller group than last week b/c many didn’t realize that this was to be an every week invitation) we gave them an assignment. We told them that we were taking a trip somewhere and they were responsible for putting together a short program consisting of a few games, songs and a Bible story. We told them not to worry about doing it in English, because where we were going English wouldn’t be understood anyway, and encouraged them to be creative with how they did their story. We gave them scripture from Luke 10:29-37 (the story of the Good Samaritain). They put together a short skit depicting the actions of the Good Samaritan and chose someone to explain the significance of the story. 30 minutes later we piled them into the bakkie (truck for all of you non-Namibians) and we drove them to our destination: Victory Camp. For those of you who don’t know, Victory Camp is the name we have given to the Okahandja trash dump. Many people live there collecting clothing, housing material, food, and all other essentials from the trash. It smells, the place and people are dirty, the ground is littered with broken glass and rotten food, and this is home for a great number of people. When we arrived, I looked at the faces of the girls. They were apprehensive, but willing. We prayed together and everyone got out of the bakkie. We sent them to go gather the people and ask them to come and listen to a story. Several girls walked along with me as I approached a group of men who called us over to them. We introduced ourselves and I began to invite them to come and listen. It was evident that although these men knew introductions and basic formalities in English, they did not understand my invitation. Praise the Lord: one of the girls jumped right in there and started speaking their language and told him what we were doing and asked them to join us. Then several of the girls began to talk with them. Another man called us over to his “house” and invited us to look inside. The girls again took initiative to ask him to come listen to the story. He followed us, as did one of them men in the first group. The men joined a small group of children that has also gathered and we gave the time over to our girls. They began by singing some songs, then they shared their skit about the Good Samaritan and explained that Jesus was saying through the parable. I was so proud of them! They did a great job, and they seemed to truly enjoy themselves. We talked t the girls afterward about how they felt about the night and their responses brought joy to my heart and a hope that God just might be stirring a heart of compassion for other in these young girls. I hope so. That is something sorely needed here. There are so many needs. Many of the girls who served tonight may not have much more then those we visited tonight in Victory Camp, but my hope is the God is showing them no matter how much or how little we have, we are all called to give out of the abundance of God’s love in each of us. He calls us to love each other just as we love ourselves. “Who then is my neighbor?” I pray that there are several girls in Okahandja who understand the Luke passage they acted out in a much more tangible way.


The girls leading some songs




The Good Samaritain helping the man who was robbed


The audience at Victory Camp

It was late and I was in Africa; I stand corrected

I had a very nice birthday. We celebrated by climbing the mountain, and saw about 15 baboons hanging out at the top. As we were getting closer to the top, one of them decided he wanted to come down, and fast, in my general direction, all the while squawking about something. (Perhaps he wasn’t too thrilled that we were interrupting his morning laziness on top of the rocks.) I’m thankful for a God that even hears prayers about baboons remaining happy and unaware of my close proximity. We did nearly experience calamity when a large rock Kendall was standing on came out from under her and began careening down the mountain towards Todd, Erin, and me. Erin was in the immediate path, but thanks be to God and a husband who both protected her! I jumped to my right and avoided collision. After descending we had to walk the river to get back to the road. I sank into the river mud up past my knee and got stuck. Severely STUCK. Todd had to pull me out, and it wasn’t easy! Refer to visual aids below:

Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:



Exhibit C:



Exhibit D:



(Yes, Buddy documented the whole episode) We were all very tired and we stopped in town at Café Spitz for lunch. Then there was a big rainstorm, we all got soaked and frozen. One we made it home, I got a shower and took a nap. After that we all went over to Todd and Erin’s house and made homemade pizzas. Erin also baked a cake and they sang happy birthday. I blew out imaginary candles, b/c we didn’t have any candles. I also got a small battery powered lantern from Jenny and Kendall, and Sammy had Jenny give me a banana (Team A might possibly understand the significance). Also, Buddy bought me lunch at Café Spitz after our mountain climbing excursion. Suffice it to say that when I play “2 Truths and a Lie”I have good ammunition. Who else can say, “On my 29th birthday I climbed a mountain in Africa, narrowly avoided an angry baboon, was nearly smashed by a tumbling boulder, got stuck in thigh-deep river mud and lived to tell about it.” Eat your heart out, Mike McSwegin. It starts with this.

more reasons to love Africa...

'nuff said.

in the eye of the storm

Today I went to the funeral of a little girl, just a week old. She did not have a name, and her tiny casket is something I will not soon be able to take out of my mind. I am reminded of this world we live in, where the wages of sin is death. Death is no respecter of persons, age, race, color, status. Our friends, Cristaan and Nelda, have been trying to have children for quite some time. They have been through several previous miscarriages and still births. This conception was going well, until two weeks ago. Nelda was due in April, but was admitted to the hospital due to complications. There was an emergency C-Section and the baby was delivered last Tuesday, January 24th. I was blessed to be present at the hospital just after the birth, where we talked and prayed with and for Christaan, Nelda, the baby and family, and we worshipped God through scripture and song. It was a beautiful time of being the Body of Christ. Here is a picture of Nelda's mother, friends (both named Melody), and Christaan and Nelda at the hospital after Nelda's surgery:



Nelda remained at the hospital with their baby. The baby was having some difficulty with rapid breathing, the next day she appeared to be doing better, but was battling jaundice. Later this yesterday, she passed away. Christaan called this morning with the news. My heart was so sad. Yet I know God is even in this time of sorrow. We prepared a meal for the family and joined them at Christaan and Nelda’s house to pray and sing. They brought the baby and there was a short “viewing” at the home, then we walked to the cemetery for the burial. Todd (one from our team) shared some scripture from Isaiah 40, and a short message explaining how this world we live in will always bring death, but Jesus offers life beyond death, through His payment on the cross. He exhorted those there to recognize our need for Christ’s payment for our sin. We worshipped. It has been so humbling and joyful to see Christaan’s heart through all of this. The cry of his heart is that God’s Name be glorified in whatever happens. Even while experiencing the complications last week, during a Bible study he began leading at his house, he presented the gospel to a young man there who put his trust in Jesus for salvation. Hearing Christaan’s joy over a brother being saved, even while feeling the uncertainty of his own situation, was such beautiful evidence of the work of God in his life.

This week has been full of ups and downs and I covet your prayers for the team. There is great evidence that the team itself is under attack and we need prayer that we stay steadfast and strong under His protection.

The Ascent

The Acsent Camp follow-up weekend happened this weekend. We planned a short weekend get-a-way held at Joan and Deiter’s farm for the students who attended camp and those who have been coming to the after-school Bible studies at both secondary schools. It was a time to connect with the students more outside of school time, and to review the teachings from Camp in December. One thing everyone enjoyed was seeing pictures from the December camp at Swakopomund. Another big hit was the tire swing.




Two highlights from the weekend: 1: The “question panel” we did on Saturday afternoon. The leaders sat in front of the students and explained that this was a time to ask any of the questions they wanted to ask us – anything from general questions about us, to questions about God and the Bible. From the very first question it was clear that these young people are hungry to know the things of God. Questions from, “Why do some churches heal people?” to “What is a false prophet and how can I tell the difference?” There were so many questions, so many honestly seeking answers. We searched through scripture and shared at every possible chance to show the students that the answers we gave were not of ourselves, but straight out of God’s mouth, through His Word. After over an hour of questions and answers, God discussion and the Word of God being shared, we were already running very late on our schedule, (even for African time!) and we told the students we would have time for only a few more, to which they replied, “Can’t we keep going??” It brought joy to my heart.
2: Later that day we watched the movie, “The Passion of the Christ”. For many students it was their first time seeing the movie. We planned time following the film for everyone to go off on their own to reflect, pray and be alone with God, then we came together in small groups to discuss the emotions, thoughts, and questions that everyone had. This was the second highlight of the weekend for me, seeing the girls in my group ask questions, and come to new realizations about Jesus and His sacrifice for us. One girl, Natalia, said, “I just…I feel like I don’t deserve what He did for me.” What a plain statement of the truth of GRACE.

january from my perspective

the Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood (aka the sight where Sam became famous. we're not sure why)



Nevsky at night (complete with furry Russian hats...yes, everyone really does wear them)



(Sam contemplating: "Can I walk on it yet?")



Veiw from the Hermitage window



(what we affectionately called, "The Fake Starbucks")



(I believe this is before I clobbered him at Dominos...for the third time)



The landing of the floor in the hostel where Sam lives (yes, I'm serious)



Sam's hall (or what I will forever be entitling, "Would You Want To Live Here For 6 Years?")



My new playground



The Heavens letting loose (yep, that's rain!)



Buddy disappearing into the riverbed (knee-deep and sinking fast)

more to come...

quit russian around

day five of the Russia experience and i thought i'd give a quick recap to get you up to speed. here's the update so far...

bags stolen on wednesday: 2
hours spent on thursday at St. Petersburg police station trying to file a police report: 5
miles walked on Nevsky Prospekt on friday: 10
russian words added to my vocabulary: 12
different countries from which i have met people thus far: 11
children hugged during our time at the orphanage on saturday: 15
unexpected free meals provided so far: 2
times sam's skin color attracted enough attention to warrant schoolchildren asking him to pose for photographs: 4
inches of ice permanently plastered to the sidewalks in St. Petersburg: 2
days of winter i have left to experience: 3

from russia with love,
amanda

a homecoming

in my mind's eye: "Hometown Boy" by Over the Rhine...









Sitting in Cafe Chocolate in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Santa Baby, Chocolate Fountain and a steaming hot Mocha, snow on the ground and small-town Christmas cheer. Life is good. This is the time to cherish, to enjoy that hometownishness that is Lititz, where i spent the first 18 years of my life. To relish and remember every bit of family and old friends and keep it fresh in my memory - the one thing i can take with me to Namibia that i don't have to find a space in my bags for. which reminds me...I BOUGHT LUGGAGE! its so real now i can feel it. Coffee with a dear from from high school last night was priceless - meeting her two little ones and reminiscing, sharing the years of life which we have spent miles from one another, and rekindling a kinship that seems never to have ended. joy is mixed with sadness, knowing that this week at home (the home that will always be referred to as home, even though it's not - it somehow still is) will be the last for quite some time. and the joyful moments sharing time and space with moments that don't hold much joy, like spending yesterday in the hospital with my grandpa. so small, in pain and bewildered, eyes that for the moment they were open, searced my face looking for the tiniest bit he could recognize. i left with a touch of melancholy traced with hope, the kind that is stirred up by seeing a marriage full of endurance, grace and love that is so rarely witnessed in this age and culture of divorce - the American equivalent of polygamy. but the legacy i see in my family is a dear gift. i hope that no matter where you are as you read this, you are enjoying every bit of this time of year, when the air fills with Christmas, and we actually recognize it. So thankful for the birth of my Savior today...and the song that i hear right now reinforces the joy of His world...

"the colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by. i see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do, they're really saying, 'i love you'..."

so often you hear this song in conjunction with images of destruction and devastation, to somehow forcefeed sarcasm and irony. but now today, as i sit here in hometown, USA, a child of the King Jesus, saved by His gift of grace, i don't think saracasm.

i think to myself, what a wonderful world.

Rejoice! Rejoice!

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
and ransom Captive Israel
that mourns in lowly exile here
until the Son of God appears...

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel!

independance day

t minus 3 and counting...

independance day is coming. lots of thoughts come to mind:
embarking on a new journey of faith. joining rank with my Church and becoming unemployed. having some things in my life finally off "hold". sleep. glorious sleep. packing and lots of it. Word of God engulf me. family Holiday time. amberpants wedding galore...black and white and smoochiemonkeyface. frequent flier miles and getting very aquainted with the skies. bring it.
sweet freedom.

coincidence...?

Your color personality is: Yellow

Like yellow's strongest symbol, the sun, you radiate warmth. Others love to be around you because you have a gift for always looking on the bright side, and your ready smile can be infectious. Chances are your calendar is packed -- yellow lovers tend to be always on the go!
Your signature color indicates someone imaginative and creative, so don't be afraid to express yourself through the way you dress and the way you decorate your home. Cheerful yellow is the ideal hue for a kitchen, laundry room, or any room that needs some extra brightness.

Autumnween 2005

i think i broke my bum...

don't laugh. ok, you can laugh, i would if it had happened to you. ok, for real i won't say that i broke my bum, but let's just say that i can't really sit right now...i'm like leaning to the side as i type and icing the other side. i think i'm gonna have the biggest bruise ever! are you intrigued or what? ok, so i was drving up my street this morning and as i was getting close to my house i saw two dogs wandering around the road and through the yards of the houses. now they looked like dogs that somebody owns and takes care of b/c the looked clean and well groomed and they both had collars with tags. so i decided that i was would be the conscientious neighbor and animal-lover that i am, and try to get these little guys back home where they belonged. so i get home, fill a bowl with some dog food and set off down the street. after a few attempts, one of the dogs (the younger one) sees that i have food and comes right up to me, and wolfs down the food. as he was eating i got the chance to read his registration tags. i called the animal shelter and gave them the registration number and they told me the phone number and address of the dog's owner, which ended up being just two houses down and on the other side of the street from me. so i start walking down the steps with the little dog tagging behind me...then all of the sudden the dog decided he wanted to bound down the steps right in front of me and directly under my foot as it was accelerating down towards the next step. needless to say, my foot did not connect with the next step (i didn't step on the dog either, and i'm not sure how he escaped that). the next thing i do know is that i was careening down the flight of stairs, narrowly missing a fresh pile of doggy doo right next to the last step. i got up and brushed my self off, wondering just how many early-risers in the neighborhood got the pleasure of seeing that stunt. i limped accross the street, delivered the pups back home, and limped back accross the street; along with: #1) the knowledge that i had fulfilled my neighborly duty, and #2) a freaking huge bruise on my bum.

Everything's Zen

Currently reading: Utopia by Thomas More

So, I’ve been horrible at posting lately, a trend a intend to remedy right now, as I actually have plenty to wax rhapsodic about, and it is now exactly 15 minutes into FALL, the best season ever! Autumn is one of those things treasured in the Creighton household. Simply hint at changing leaf colors and hot apple cider and any one of us ladies will be putty. What could possibly be better than a season filled with crisp, cool evenings - the air scented with wood smoke, a kaleidoscope countryside of treetops, bright orange pumpkins and prickly hay bales. The soft swish, swish of leaves underfoot, strolling along bundled in a cozy sweater, just the tip of the nose slightly chilly…anticipating a good old-fashioned bonfire with S’more’s and cider and the lull of guitars late into the night. Pure joy.



The newness I’m enjoying:

About three months away from Namibia.
Striving to be a godly girlfriend. Whoa! (It’s such a good “whoa”)
Downsizing and realizing that nothing I own embodies me.
Trusting God with a lot of unknowns, understanding He has to come through.
Thankful for God’s promises, having ridden out the storm at work.
Understanding, “Vengeance is MINE, says the LORD. It is mine to repay.”
Autumn. (Of course!)

surprise...

= )

car for sale!

2000 FORD Focus ZX3



Color: Yellow

Engine: 4-Cyl. 2.0 Liter 16V
Trans: 5 Speed Manual
Drive: FWD
Mileage: 90,000

Equipment:
Air ConditioningPower SteeringPower Door Locks
Tilt WheelCruise ControlAM/FM Stereo
Single Compact DiscDual Front Air BagsAlloy Wheels

Consumer Rated Condition: Good
"Good" condition means that the vehicle is free of any major defects. This vehicle has a clean title history
, the paint, body and interior have only minor (if any) blemishes, and there are no major mechanical problems. There should be little or no rust on this vehicle. The tires match and have substantial tread wear left. A "good" vehicle will need some reconditioning to be sold at retail. Most consumer owned vehicles fall into this category.

Price: $4,330

if anyone's interested, or knows someone who's interested, let me know!

the artist, God, said I will create...

i am in awe...

the wild wild world of amanda

things that make me smile these days:

unexpected heart to hearts with rarely seen roomates
indian food leftovers
stifling hot and still climbing at the gym
friends' engagements
plans to visit my parents
text messages from africa
a rediscovered mix cd long left in amber's car
random questions every day
pretend hide and seek with lila in my livingroom
wedding cake blunders and eating the outcome for breakfast
the phrase "for reals" and totally made-up words like "marryable" and "upsetness"
flat-out Spirit-led WORSHIP during what we call practice