Another Ferry Disaster

Last year at the end of Ramadan (the muslim holy month), thousands of people were traveling home or back to school.  Boats were overloaded.  One of the largest ones, carrying probably over 2000 people, sank to the depths, sending hundreds upon hundreds to their deaths.  The official "saved" count is somewhere around 600. 

It happened again.  A smaller ferry, most likely overcrowded and traveling just days before Ramadan commences (tonight) capsized on Wednesday.  The official passenger count was nearing 300.  We cannot be sure of it's reality.  Less than half that number were rescued. 

What is almost as maddening as the loss of life is the blatant and disgusting cover up of it all.  Reportedly, the ferry capsized due to the weather conditions...wind and waves.  It is hard for me to believe that with the weather we had that morning that it could FLIP A FERRY... unless it was grossly overloaded. 

Secondly, I can't speak yet to the reports on lives lost on this ferry, but I just looked up the Wikipedia results for last year's tragedy and they actually claim the ferry was only carrying the 800 passengers who would fit on the provided benches and seats, and since 600 were rescued, only 200 must have died.  Our teammates had taken that ferry many times.  They attest to the fact that the ferry wouldn't even leave port with less than double the approved number, and at that time of year (the day after "Christmas" here) it would easily have been pushed further until every available floor space was jam packed. 

Our hearts just break over those who have died, again, this year.  We pray that God would use these things to draw people to Himself. 

Below is a picture of a tent being used for "body identification".  Feel free to weep with us and cry out to God not to let these tragedies go on unanswered.  Lord, bring your flock in and return soon!

Midnight Rush

My friend Aziah (Omar's first wife) has been expecting her eighth child.  I've been very excited for her and telling her to call me when the baby comes.  I finally got the call!

Monday afternoon: deliver brownies with unknown labor inducing powers

Monday evening: she goes into labor

Monday midnight 12:50: they call me to come to the hospital

1am: arrive at clinic in town, it's closed at night, call Omar who says to come to the hospital half and hour away.

1:10: call him again to make sure he's already there, he says yes

1:20: arrive in half-hour-away-town, phone rings, Omar asks where I am.  

I say I'm almost at the hospital.  He says, "Ohhhhh, nooooo"

1:40: arrive back in our town and pick them up from their house

2am: arrive back at half-hour-away hospital.

 Aziah puts her things down on the bare mattress, no sheets provided apparently, and she heads into the delivery room to get checked in.  We are sent outside to wait.

 And wait we do.  3:15 rolls around and the sister goes to see what's going on.  There's no problem, but no baby either.  Maybe another hour or two.  Said sister has to work in the morning, so we head home.

 4am: crawl back in bed, exhausted but totally wired

5am: fall asleep

6am: woken by morning activity on road

7am: woken by Braelyn

8am: woken by Omar saying baby has arrived and can we go back?

(above picture is friend Mariam waiting with us outside)

 9am: head back to hospital (for the third time in 9 hours)

10am: see and hold and love this beautiful new life

 They said that if the baby was a girl, they were going to name it Sha-non!  What an honor!!!!  But alas, baby is a boy. Omar now wants Justin to pick out the name so feel free to offer any suggestions. It is tradition here to wait a week or two before naming a child.

 Omar was so funny, hesitant to hold it, then held it just in his outstretched hands, and only for half a minute!  This is his 10th child!  So funny.

 The girls all of course wanted their turns holding the little guy.

Thank you, Lord for this new life.  Bless and protect him as he grows and more than anything, let him know you one day!

The Rest of the Story

The Birthday picked up considerably when we dropped the big 2 off for an evening of fun and headed out for a beach picnic with sicky pants.

Lucky for ALL of us, her fever broke on the drive out and she was actually very pleasant company.

I'm making up for so few pics of me this year, can you tell?

Entertainment for children is pretty hard to come by around here. But we make due with what we have, hence the crab on a leash for Braelyn. See her fearful-yet-excited face peeping out?

Here's the little guy up close.  After Braelyn played with it for a little while, we managed to slip the string off and let him go.

 Brae found a hermit crab a bit later and was following it around, tossing sand on it.  Just then a boy ran past, swooped down and ran off with it!  She plopped down to sulk for quite a while cause he took "my twabby"!

Speaking of that boy... here's a small portion of the rest of the crowd.  I tried to talk to them and then encourage them to go.  It didn't work.  The going.  Oh well, that's life here.

 Low tide afforded us the very cool opportunity to walk out among the beached fishing boats.

 And the mangroves.

 Beautiful sunset to end a beautiful picnic to end a beautiful birthday.

One year ago today

I turned thirty.  That means that now I am Over Thirty. Strange, but true.

Here's my gift from Hunter

My gift from God (yes, the child and the rain)

And my gift from Braelyn.  She's sick, which makes her crankier than normal, but also sleepier than normal!  Thanks, Lord, for another wonderful year!

Graduation 2012

We know, we know, we're a month (or two) late.  But, better late than never, right?  We finally got around to "Graduation" today and it was a fun party.

 Power was out, so we dum, dum-dah-dah, duuum, duuum'ed our way through a version of Pomp and Circumstance.

 Then we had picture time with the 4 grads.  Griffen is now flying towards third grade, Hunter to second and Ian and Lilee to first.  Then comes Avery to Kindergarten with Max hot on her heels and Braelyn to bring up the caboose.  

 I'm not sure we could have made home-schooling 7 kids more complicated if we had tried.

 (un)Official diplomas were awarded along with a short and impromptu speech by the mom/teachers (well, mine was impromptu, yours was lovely, Sandy.)  

Of COURSE we did it up right with plenty of yummy snacks and desserts 'cause no celebration is complete if you leave hungry.  Or even less than stuffed.  

I love you my little Graduate.  You are amazing and smart and beautiful inside and out.  I thank God for our hours and hours and hours together this last year and look so forward to watching you this coming year.  I love you Hunter!

Happy Independence Day, America! We miss you!

We gathered all the Americans we could find (some Peace Corp workers included) plus some Europeans from a hotel and had ourselves a REAL cook-out on the beach!  It was awesome.  Charcoal "grill", shish-kabobs, cassava chips, some amazing cabbage salad and of course, plenty of dessert.

Miss Sandy's Sugar Cookie Flag

A family photo for your viewing pleasure

 Plenty of sass on a blanket

 And some on the beach

 After dinner bonfire

 How you know a real photographer...not afraid to get a bit dirty.  Or shall I say, unwilling to?

Getting darker

 Avery drawing in the sand in front of a gorgeous sunset

 Breathtaking, isn't it?

 Happy Birthday, America!

What I can't grow

Lettuce.  This sad pair is my only hope.

 Carrots.  Granted, look at my soil!

 Green Beans.  Yes, they are yellow and no, they never climbed their poles.

Corn.  These almost make me cry.

But I can grow:

Mchicha...tastes like spinach (yuck), I didn't plant it yet we have about 50 of these beauties chugging away.

"Ganja"  Yes, it is what you think it is and no we did NOT plant it.  It's growing wild.

 And smiles.  These make it all worth it!