Beach Day at Pulau Ahe

Today our family, along with 24 friends, went to a little island near Nabire called Ahe. It took us 20 minutes in the car and then 40 minutes on a boat to get there. It was so beautiful! Daniel tried out the fishing spear that I got him for Christmas and speared and cooked 3 (small) fish. I spent most of my time keeping Zoe from drowning and nursing Ariella...but I also got to go snorkeling and saw a lion fish and the wing of an airplane from World War II. Zoe loves swimming and said she would float home in her little floatie (why is she so completely unafraid of the water?). Ariella went "swimming" for her first time.

Here are some photos so that you can enjoy the beauty of the beach with us:

On My Birthday

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday.

I woke up and chose to be happy. We have been struggling with discouragement and feelings of burn out, so I decided that happiness on my birthday would be my choice. Daniel left for his first flight, and I cared for and enjoyed my little girls. I decided to take a day off from laundry, except for diapers. When I went out to hang the diapers I found a present on my porch--cookies and a balloon! Zoe and I enjoyed the cookies for breakfast and she danced and danced around the house with the balloon.

I skyped for an hour with my parents and one of my sisters. I even got to say goodnight to my little niece! It was nice to "see" family on my birthday. While we talked, Ariella took a nap and Zoe played happily all by herself.

At 10am we went to my friend/neighbor/coworker Anja's house. She and I have the same birthday! She made a really yummy cake with berries in it to celebrate! After we ate cake we learned that there had been an airplane accident earlier this morning and the pilot Bob Roberts, with the Adventist mission, died. This was surprising and shocking to me. I know Bob and Jan just a little bit...I buy whole wheat flour and brown rice from Jan and enjoy her beautiful piano playing at the concerts that she organizes. I have heard stories about Bob and the dental work that he did when he had extra time. They have served and blessed people here in Papua for a LONG time! And now, suddenly, Jan is a widow. Their airplane--a Quest Kodiak, the same kind that Daniel flies--is broken into pieces and partly burned.

I wondered...should I still choose to be happy today when there is such a good reason to be sad? I could not come up with an answer to that question. A birthday is when we celebrate the gift of life, the presence of a person. Life is a wonderful gift, even though it can be so suddenly snuffed out.

I felt very serious yesterday (still do). In the afternoon I baked cupcakes and made ice cream. We went for a family walk on the runway before eating a dinner of leftover pumpkin soup, cucumber slices (Zoe had ketchup on hers!) and cupcakes. And that was my birthday. I enjoyed the cuteness of my little people, hugged Daniel nice and tight, ate more sugar than I should have, and was grateful that God chose to create me and helped my mother give birth to me (via. emergency c-section) 33 years ago.

You can read more about Bob and Jan Roberts here. Please pray for Jan, their 3 adult children, and their many friends. Much love to you all!

Four Months

Ariella is 4 months old today! I am so grateful for my lovely, healthy baby! She smiles, coos, and laughs when she is held and talked to. I love watching Ariella admire her big sister Zoe. This morning Daniel took the two of them outside. He decided that Ariella would enjoy playing in the grass.

Happy 4 month birthday, Little Love!

Movement

A few nights ago I dreamed that Ariella was already walking and running. Maybe I dreamed this because she is rolling over a lot and squirming backwards on her tummy. 

this is not how I put Ariella down to play

When I was trying to make dinner I noticed that she was stuck under a chair. This little almost-4-month-old is very alert and moving around a lot! I guess I really need to keep an eye on her. How is it that babies change and grow so quickly?!

Baby Smiles

What is it about a baby's smile that is so amazingly wonderful? Ariella's little smiles light up her face and I cannot help smiling back. Perhaps these smiles are even a cure for sleep deprivation and general grumpiness?!

3 month old Ariella

Zoe and Ariella together

Zoe when she was Ariella's age

I remember feeling the exact same way about Zoe. What could be cuter than a big gummy smile? Of course, now I know that a smile full of teeth is really cute too. And the ability to talk makes my "big girl" even more fun. Still, I am very grateful for these precious smiles from my beautiful baby!

4 Sundays, 5 Churches

My dad summarized the almost-4-week trip that Zoe and I just took to the US as "4 Sundays, 4 churches." I need to add a 5th church since I was in a lovely Saturday wedding at another church during my visit. So here is my trip in short:

Almost Sunday #1: My sister Margaret graduated with her PHD from Purdue University in Indiana on Saturday! On Sunday we went to her church there.

Sunday #2: Being prayed for at Trinity Evangelical Church in Peterborough, NH.

My dear friend Jeni's wedding on a beautiful Saturday (at her church in PA).

Sunday #3: My niece Elisa was baptized at Park Street Church in Boston, MA.

Sunday #4: Zoe playing after the service at First Baptist Church in Amherst, MA. Zoe and I shared a brief update about our ministry in Indonesia during both services.

After church on Sunday #4: Ice cream! Yum!

 I can add that my trip of 4 Sundays and 5 churches also included 4 states! Wow! We got to do a lot in a short amount of time!

Comings and Goings

"The LORD watches over you--

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm;;

he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore."

Psalm 121:6-8

Psalm 121 has been very encouraging to me lately, because I feel like my life is full of "comings and goings". I am choosing to trust God to watch over me through all of these transitions.

Zoe and I just spent almost a month in the US visiting family and so that I could be the matron of honor in my friend's wedding. We arrived back in Indonesia on Wednesday, and are happy to be reunited with Daniel. Tomorrow (Monday) morning we will move to Nabire, a town that is about a 2 hour flight on a small airplane from where we have been living for the past 13 months. Most of our belongings have already been shipped there, and it will be fun to unpack and set up our home. Then sometime in October (perhaps the 19th?) we will come back to Sentani where we have been living to wait for our baby to come. I anticipate that we will live here for a month or longer.

When I look behind me and in front of me I see lots of changes! How will all the details of setting up our home, learning where to shop, and making new friends in Nabire come together? How will birthing my baby go, and what will it be like to go from a family of 3 to a family of 4? How will I teach Zoe to be kind to her little sister?

There is so much that I do not know. I am so glad that I know that the Lord is watching over me and He will help me with whatever comes in the days ahead!

30 weeks pregnant and moving tomorrow!