need to go to Zambia!

so this morning on the way home from taking the kids to school there were 2 different motos that made me do a double take. the first one was carrying 3 kids. and the 2nd one was carrying about 300 eggs. sorry i didn't have my camera. they would have been great pics!

anyways so i had a dream last night that i was pregnant. wozers that was fast! in my dream i was at target and was able to by maternity clothes so that made it better.... okay every one it was just a dream!

somedays i dream of living near the water. i am looking forward to some how being close to the water during our home assignment. i can just smell the water, the fish and suntan oil. i say suntan instead of sun block because just because i live in africa doesn't mean i have a tan. i need a tan!

okay i know my thoughts are pretty random today. i guess because i am a little tired. tired from being the only source of Sy's nutrition (but wouldn't have it any other way) and tired from just life. Don't get me wrong everyone.... just being a little open here. being a missionary can be exhausting. you know going to 10 different place to get food and having to drive on roads that make my truck make all kinds of noises and move all over the place. we are looking forward to rest during our home assignment. although we will be traveling all over the place during our stay.
but even through all the tiredness i drive around looking at the people and love my job. yes sometimes it isn't fun but God didn't say ministry was gonna be easy. i can't believe we have lived in africa for almost 3 years.

today is half day for the kids. so i am thinking about going to the store and getting abby a bike. i just hate spending $50 on a bike that is junk but she has been begging for a long time. right now luke rides his bike and abby just chases him. well either she is chasing him or she is riding on the back of his bike.

spencer is going to DR of Congo next week. either 3 or 4 nights. i guess it all depends on when he is able to fly to where he needs to go. you never know about the airlines here!

in november we are going on our field retreat/meetings to Zambia. since it is coming to the end of our contract our funds are very limited. it is gonna cost a fortune for us to go and we are having to borrow from our personal funds in order to go. we don't want to not go so that is our only choice... unless there is a millionaire out there who wants to help us not borrow from ourselves!!! : ) you know i would love you forever... whoever you are.

okay need to get some work done before early release day.
love all yall and remember........... if your pizza doesn't rise... you may have old yeast!

april

Love

The things that I love... other than God and my family.

rain in the dry season, spicy foods, taco bell hot sauce packets, mail, laffy taffy (the big ones), the ocean, sleeping through the night, fish, finding american products in africa, thinking about all the fun stores i will get to go to soon, my avocado trees, clean floors, laughter, the sound of rain on metal roofs, skype, sound of africa, riding on motos, running with spencer, new mascara, cooking, my kitchen aid mixer, giving gifts, internet, prayer time with family, christmas music, easter baskets, sour candy, hard candy, pecans and almonds from a mixed nuts can, root beer with a straw and ice, hearing my kids speak in french or any other foreign language, a new tube of tooth paste, homemade chips, the smell of a clean baby, ugly betty, getting up in the morning and the coffee is already made, romans pizza (south africa), Senegalese food, hard tacos, flip flops, jeans and a t-shirt, music, hymns, smiles, open windows, my pampered chef baking stone, homemade lasagna, Rwandan tea, those red clearance stickers at target, work & witness teams, goat cheese, fresh clean sheets, traveling, finding money in my clothes, nursing, and life.

love all yall and remember.... when buying hot dogs. go for the beef. stay away from the chicken

april

crazy baggott girls

are you tossed around or are you anchored down?

... he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

why would I want to be like a wave of the sea being tossed by the wind? well actually i would like to be in the sea right now but that is not what James was writing about. He is saying to me: believing is not just it.. you should not doubt. doubting will get your blown around which would lead to testing your faith and your and condidence in our heavenly father.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (vs.12)

I realize that we can not really know the depth of our character until we see how we react to trials or temptation. During these times I pray that with the Lords help I can see opportunities for growth. I pray that I can see my character is pleasing to the Lord. It is easy to get discouraged and frustrated during times of... what ever life brings us each day.. but glory to God we are not in this journey alone.

Today I bow at his feet asking heaven to come down and rain on me. Take me and strength my faith so I am not blowing in the wind. Blessed be to God!

i love all yall and remember....we will be home in 3 1/2 months : )

april

squeak, squeak!

Church yesterday was great. Once again we were blessed by one of our Nazarene churches.

So we decided at the last minute to invite our guard and his family to join us for church since Spencer was preaching. They all came so we piled into the cruiser. On the way to church we found the pastor and his wife walking so they got in as well. We were so full that the truck started squeaking. okay so it squeaks with less than 12 too. luke and abby love it. they love being with people.
church is always different. we really like this one in particular. there seems to be a good spirit among the people there.
okay so after they introduced us (again, we have been there several times) spencer preached. the sermon was preached in french and then translated into kinyarwanda. the funny thing about this time was the guy on the keyboard made this funny sound when spencer would say certain things. you know... that sound you would hear when a comedian would say something funny. the sound that was made from a drum and symbols. anyways the first time it happened I laughed really loud. i didn't mean to. so to disguise my laughter i started coughing to cover it up. i think it worked. i guess i will never know... there were several people who turned around. oops!

kathleen (our guards wife) held Silas during most of the service. I was glad that she wrapped a cloth (that she gave silas) around him so everyone wouldn't feel the need to touch his hands etc... i remember thinking in the states why do people feel the need to touch baby's hands. they put them in their mouth. anyways it may just be a status thing but people didn't ask or even take silas. i say status because it seems as if everyone is put into a status level. i guess maybe this is related to your job and family. don't know!

after church we took the crew out for lunch. we decided on Chinese food. i think Gatari (our guard) and his family had a great time. they have never had Chinese food before. their son (who has become like a brother to luke) was so funny. he had several bowls of soup and just laughed every time we gave him more food. i am sure they have never been to a restaurant like that before. we feel blessed to be able to do this. God is good.

finally! i have house help again. she will be coming monday - friday 8-3. this will help free up my days so i can focus on other things and take care of silas :) i know house help to most of you might seem crazy but living here where everything is harder it is a tremendous help. Gutrude helps with cooking lunch as well as cleaning so it is actually helping us financially in that area because she cooks the local food which is cheaper than what i would prepare. everyone seems to have staff work for them. this provides nationals with work. this girl in particular is from a village and was brought in to Kigali by a christian organization. she is taught to be responsible and then attends school at night. part of her pay goes directly to help cover her school costs. it's a good thing!

okay i better go i am getting a skype call.
please pray for us... spencer will be doing a lot of travel before we head home. i think he will be going to 6 different countries from now until then.

love all yall and remember....going to bed with wet hair... makes you wild and crazy in the morning.

april

intentional surrendering

today i am thinking about the word surrender. what am i surrendering to today or tomorrow. being intentional about surrendering is difficult. surrendering in ministry is often hard when you are forced to see the outcome before it happens. sometimes you can't see the outcome but when you think about what might happen surrendering doesn't look so good. my life as a missionary is not only surrendering the... what I call normalcy of life but surrendering my families as well. today i ask for the Lord to carry me through what i need to surrender today. to help me surrender our future and our lives to Him.

Lord I do surrender all.... but sometimes I need help doing it!

i love all yall and remember...... expired yeast is no fun.

feet

So I have decided to try to blog more often. I know at the beginning I wrote more of the things I was going through and this crazy journey the Lord is leading our family on. So... I think i need to begin again. Writing is good. It helps me recognize what I am feeling and helps other know how to pray for us ( or just laugh- what ever you choose).

So we are coming up on being in Africa 3 years. When we said yes to the call we never thought we would live in 3 different African countries and experience the things we have been able to experience. God has revealed himself to us in so many wonderful ways. I also never knew how much we would love changes. Kinda weird. spencer and i just had our 13 year anniversary. when we were dating (the whole 6 months of that) he said we will never be rich but we will always have our needs meet... or something like that. Yes our needs have always been met and then some. we have been so blessed over the past 13 years. i used to think that people who were married for over 5 years were old. i'm not old.... right? anyways...

The Lord has also been speaking to me for a while now. About something I have been putting him off with. :) Don't we do that too often. Well.... as soon as I can get a grip on life... if that is possible especially with just having another baby I will begin the course of study for ordination. I do not feel a call to preach but I do feel a call to a lifetime of ministry. So... I will take the deacon road. I am a little nervous and intimidated about it but.... I will do it. I think actually writing this down makes me more accountable to you. who ever you are and where ever in the world you are. it makes me think we are all called to a lifetime of ministry. i guess what that ministry is and how it plays out in your life is up to you. God has called all of us to something. so..... anyways

to change the subject i will talk about another great gift we have been given. Silas is precious. I know every child is precious but Silas is soooooo precious. we are so thankful we are blessed with another child to love and care for. spencer wants another baby. i think he is crazy. that is all i am gonna say about that. lol

i was just thinking about feet. weird huh? well to me it is a part of the body that can show our journey. how hard life has been or how easy. right now i need a pedicure.. hehee. but what i was thinking is this. where has my feet gone. what kind of things have my feet been through. have they been scared (SP?) from the rocky journey or are they polished with a pedicure that hides our past. i say rocky because life is not easy. especially if you feel persecuted for your faith. our feet represent where we have walked and where we are going. I am not sure if God cares about where we have walked but where our feet are headed. unless He is pleased with your past and unless our feet have been representing Him. representing a persecuted life. I think about the men and women who have died for their faith. we have many nazarenes who have died here in Africa because their feet have walked through it. through the life we are called to. so what do your feet look like? i am asking myself the same question. I am not saying we are called to a life that gets us martered (sp). i am just saying to live is Christ to die is gain (the bible) :) today i choose to die (not literary). to die to myself and to give God my all. to let Him guide my feet and to let Him take away the past that wasn't guided by Him. anyways...

i am not a professional writer and remember i do not spell check or correct grammer or proof read : )

i am just being me and you get what you get.
well i better go get the baby...

i love all yall and remember............. it is sometimes easier to go ahead and mix the powered cheese with the milk before you mix it with the pasta.

april