God is our safe place and our strength

 

Last month we were excited to be having guests coming to stay -  Andrews mum and dad. There was much excitement when the children found out a couple of their grandparents were coming, along with planning on what treats they may be able to request and books they could order.

As we counted down for many weeks until they arrived, the excitement built. For Zack he was eager to receive some books that they were bringing. Esther, she wanted to show them her and Zacks' new school and play some games. For Jacob, well, as Zack and Esther were excited, so was he.

Receiving guests here is a privilege and as the kids spent time with their grandparents, showing them their lives here in Liberia, got taken for ice cream amongst other things, had help with their home work and played games -  and Zack read his books! -  the relationships that the children have formed are so special. Their grandparents are just a handful of people who know Zack, Esther and Jacobs' lives here in Africa and back in the UK.  They are able to witness potential difficulties the children may have adapting to a new African country, arriving just 7 months ago, and then visiting back in the UK when they are constantly on the move wondering who they are going to have to talk to next and be polite to! Or trying to figure out what may be acceptable culturally in Africa but not when we are on home assignment. When back in the UK when the expectation is to play with children that they may remember vaguely but they aren't sure and as Andrew and I chat to friends they are expected to play well with their 'friends' or just by them selves, again. But the grandparents are also the ones that get to witness the amazing life that God has given them. The blessing that it can be to experience different cultures, languages, countries and travelling. They get to see how God is leading our family to serve Him in everyday life that I couldn't have imagined before we embarked on our journey with MAF, to Chad and now in Liberia. God is walking with us everyday and as the tough times come, as they do in everybodys life, we have the opportunity to talk with them, to let them see a different perspective that we would not have if we hadn't been obedient to God in letting Him lead us to where he wants us, and share the many blessings that he pours out on us daily.

Life for us all can feel tough in a new culture and environment, sometimes feeling we aren't in a safe place as we don't understand what is being said to us. (Coming to Liberia we were excited to be moving to an English speaking country but Liberian English is nothing like the English I know. If you take off at least the last constant of each word and cut out smaller words in sentences and double the speed of speaking, you may begin to understand Liberian English!) Perhaps we may be feeling tired as we try and process everyday situations and understand cultures. These situations have been true for me, but I am reminded of Psalm 46:1 God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our hope when we are in trouble. It is not always easy to put it into practice but as I walk through this life with Zack, Esther and Jacob, with the ups and the downs of missionary life and what that entails for my children as third culture kids, we have a hope and a safe place to turn to who gives us strength to get through each situation and who cares about every detail of our lives. It doesn't get much better than that!

The Liberian life

Hi.

So here is an update of the Mumfords life in  Liberia.

We have been here over two months now and are slowly getting settled. We are getting used to the culture- the accents and understanding how things work. I love it when Liberians  want a little bit of something or it is going to rain just a bit , they say ‘small small!’.  I even hear myself saying ‘small small’ when I want just a bit of milk in my coffee for example or to try a bit of food. 

Andrew is enjoying the flying and getting used to the differences here in terms of the operations compared to Chad. He finds him self hand writing many tickets at small airstrips for for next sector that day or taking their flight money. He is getting good at guessing baggage weights when he hasn’t got scales available  at remote airstrips and telling passengers they have way too much luggage weight and need to leave things behind, along with telling other passengers the flight is full and they can be on standby next time- and then remembering and writing down heir names to pass on when he is back at the office....... all of this has been done most often whilst standing in the pouring rain! And when it rains it rains..... not much of the glamorous pilot life here..the flights are so full and booked up it is wonderful to think that Maf have only been flying here for a few years and the need is so great. They are looking into expanding flying in to Sierra Leone and Guinea from here in Liberia so that is very exciting. We are blessed to be given the opportunity to serve here. 

So apart from it being wet here so far, and we are approaching the dry season apparently for the next six months ish, it is very hot and humid. By 7in the morning the house is at 29 degrees and 70percent humidity. But we are blessed to open the windows and doors and get the breeze from the sea- as well as hearing the waves and seeing them. 

We now have a car which is great and the traffic here is busy busy busy! It makes us realise how built up Liberia is compared to Chad. To get to school in  morning it takes us an hour just to go 8km..... Andrew tells the kids it would be quicker to walk but they aren’t so keen to try that out! The men for the airport  leave home at 6ambecause of the traffic otherwise it can take 1.5hours to get about 12km and a bit of a waste of time. For those that know Andrew well early mornings and him aren’t such a good mix but Chad prepared him well and  he is managing to get out of the house on time! The kids are slowly settling into the American International school and finding a whole new world for themselves in computers and different teachers for different subjects in different classrooms and the need to be organised! Not to mention homework..... and lots of it. Remember them in your prayers please, especially Zack , as they adapt to a very different environment and life.

We have a wonderful house help a few days a week who works for us called Fanny. She loves Jacob and he her, and is great round the house. She also cooks Liberian food for us once a week- palm oil sauce, potatoe greens with chicken, pumpkin sauce to name just a few. We are enjoying experiencing these Liberian traditional dishes.

Jacob remains at home with me but we have started to look for pre school for him. There isn’t much around and the only real  option is near the airport so travel time for me taking him and picking him up , around the other twos school would be long. Please pray for this decision for him and other factors we have to consider about him going to pre school. 

Zack and Andrew have started surfing lessons- before we even knew that  there was a vacancy in Liberia and God would call us here, God was preparing Andrews heart as Andrew said to me one day ‘wouldn’t Liberia be a good country for us as we know nothing about it but we could learn to surf!’ Andrew and Zack head off on public transport(which Andrew is very good at getting now as he uses it to run errands from the office into town) which is called a k-k here ( perhaps you know them as a tuc-tuc or rickshaw) and they go to a beach avkut 6km down the road with a restaurant and sun loungers on the beach and have their lessons- I believe they also sample a plate of chips and some coke too! 

The mission community is more spread out, smaller and we feel harder to get to know people here. Please pray for us as we make friends, especially for  the children. I attend a ladies bible study once a week and this is a blessing to get together with other Christian ladies and study the bible and pray together and share life in Liberia. 

Thank you for remembering us in your prayers. We have many things to be thankful for as we continue to settle into life in Liberia and serve God in our work here. What a privilege.

Blessings,

Andrée, Hannah, Zack, Esther and Jacob. 

New life in Liberia

So three weeks ago we began our journey to start our new life in Monrovia, Liberia. 

We left the UK on 15th August and we met another MAF family,who are also serving in Liberia, in Amsterdam, and took our last flight together here to Monrovia and now we are neighbours. They have been amazing helping us to settle in giving advice showing us around, along with the other MAF family that is here. We feel very welcomed. The kids are all enjoying playing together too- 10 children in total. 

Zack and Esther are now approaching the end of their third week at their school, AISM, (American International School of Monrovia), about 9km from home. It has been a rocky road as they try to adapt to a bigger secular school with different classes and teachers, making new friends and being at school for lunch and the afternoon. Yesterday was our first good day for both of them and we are thankful for many people here showing them grace and patience as they transition. There is a school tuck shop, a totally new concept for them, and they get so much to spend each week and they love choosing what snacks they want. It has been fun to see them so excited about that. 

Andrew is in the office learning how things work for MAF Liberia and supporting the pilot. He went for a flight a couple of weeks ago but with flights in high demand, and a waiting list, there often isn’t space for him to go to gain experience here. That will come! He heads off to Uganda on Sunday for some training and is looking forward to flying again. When he returns he will have a check out flight here at the end of September and then should be ready to go! He is looking forward to serving here at a pilot.

Monrovia has proved very wet!!!!! Some days it literally rains all day and all night! We make the most of it when the rain stops and head out to the beach. We are blessed to live on a compound, more like a private road with expats serving with Samaritans Purse and SIM and Liberians with a Liberian school here and a hospital-praise God we haven’t needed that yet except for when I donated blood for an expectant Mum. The compound has one side on the beach and we can see and hear the sea from the house making it about a three min walk to the sea! We brought body boards with us so the kids, and Andrew and I, enjoy those when weather and free time coincide. 

I attended a ladies bible study which will meet every Thursday morning and was it was a joy to meet with other Christian ladies. The mission community here is a lot more spread out over the city than Chad. 

We have started employing a house help, called Esther also. She needs a lot of instruction and although we both speak English, we find it hard to understand each other’s accent. Jacob and her seem to get in very well and she has a lovely serving heart.

Many of you know I didn’t like the driving in Chad. Here I still don’t like it as the police do lots of checks and ask for bribes, but it is more organised and generally less random than Chad, with fewer motorbikes,(as they aren’t allowed on the main roads), but more traffic.  It can take us anything from 20 mins to an hour to get to school. Andrew leaves at work at 6am to avoid the traffic too.......

Shopping here is more straightforward too. There is lots of choice for things, except for fruit and veg,and a few supermarkets to choose from but prices are very expensive. We have seen products shipped in from the UK with British pound amount on but they are sold here for two or three times that amount. Jacob has a real liking for Liberian donuts! We went with friends after attending a Liberian church on Sunday to a coffee shop with wonderful choice of donuts. The kids were very happy.

We have attending a couple of churches. A big one in the city but it is very loud but the teaching has been good. And it is lovely to understand an African church service! Also we have been to a smaller church, more like a house church, so there are options.

Thank you so much for you support and prayers. We have lots to be thankful for as we settle into life in Liberia and pray that God will use us here as he chooses and no doubt in ways we don’t expect. 

Praise and prayer points :

For the MAF team here serving so hard and yet finding time to welcome us so warmly and helping us settle in Liberia. 

Pray we find the right church for us as a family. 

Thankful for good schooling for Zack and Esther. Pray for them as they continue to transition to their school work and building friendships, and they can be a good witness. 

Pray for Andrew as he travels to Uganda on Sunday and for the three flight tests he has next week. 

We are thankful to be able to use a MAF car until we find one of our own. Pray we will find the right car for us.

Thankful for being able to enjoy  time with Jacob and for the ladies bible study that meets weekly. 

Praise God for good family time at the beach. 

God bless 

Andrew, Hannah, Zack, Esther and Jacob

 

 

Chad gets under my skin

I remember when we first arrived here nearly five years ago, and I remember  wondering when and if Chad would feel like home.  There was the language to get used to, the shopping , having to visit many shops to find what you wanted or to get the right price,  if they had it that was. The need to be  culturally aware and of course, for those that know me well, the driving to get used to.... during our first few months a family said to me there is something about Chad that gets under your skin. I remember thinking well I am not sure I will ever get to that point.... However, it occurred to me the other day that I have been there for a while now.. Chad has got under my skin. - totally under my skin. I guess a lot of it is that I am now used to many things and it becomes normal- my French has improved but still not so good, but I used to the frustrations of having to ask somebody to repeat themselves until I can understand , or admit defeat and apologise or ask Andrew. I am used to goiing shopping and  where last week one shop had something but this week it is gone and who knows when it will come back or you have to go to another shop and if they have it pay more. The  culture feels more comfortable, most days anyway, and driving, well I don't like it but it is necessary and I 'get' the madness- most of the time ! There are days it feels very hard and  I long to  have a day of living some  less Chad  ways  that I would find easier and less tiring. . But really God  has given me a love for this Chad life and I can say how special it is and what an amazing experience and privilege it is to serve here for MAF.  He has blessed us with so much and through the hard times remains Faithful. God certainly knew what He was up to when He brought us here and thankfully, even knowing what a tough task He had ahead to shape me here, He has walked this journey with me, and continues to walk with me. I am grateful that God has let Chad get under my skin.

One of the verses from the Bible that meant a lot to andrew and I before we left our home in Aberdeen to begin our MAF  adventure with God , and still gives me reassurance and hope on the difficult days is Jeremiah 29v11. It says 'for I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Happy Easter from Chad

After having to leave Chad for a few months back at the end of October last year due to MAF operations here having to be suspended  due to complex issues over tax with the Chadian government, we are now back, since the end of February and are getting back on our feet.

Leaving Chad at short notice was hard as we prepared  what belongings to take things back to the UK, not knowing if or when we would return, but we were blessed with being able to stay with family and friends during those months, and take a couple of much needed breaks.

One of my worst fears was having to home school Zack and Esther. They did amazingly well adapting to having to be home schooled for a couple of hours each day, often interrupted by their little brother Jacob. Not having a base was difficult as we moved every two weeks or so but they took it all in their stride. Of course, we were able to make the most of all the UK has to offer for the kids from parks ( even in the cold and the wet), swimming lessons, wooded walks, and Christmas activities. It was a special time in a difficult situation but God has taught us so much through it.

For me, I like to be in control of things. He has shown me the need to trust him in everything. Even when my days don't go as I had planned they would, I am trying to let that go, knowing that Gods plan that he has for me that day, are better than mine could be.  We left our home, our friends and a lot of our belongings, and I have been taught the value of those friends we left here in Chad for that time, that our belongings....... well, when it comes down to it, we don't need many things and are easy to replace.

Now we are back and ready to go and as the operations here open slowly as things get into place and the flying starts, we know we are here doing what God wants us to do in Chad again. We don't know what God has in store for us, even tomorrow, but we do know that even when things don't make sense at the time, His timing and plans are perfect.

Today, we remember what an amazing thing Jesus did dying on the cross and then on Sunday, when he rose again,  and how much of a gift that is for each and every one of us. During our family daily bible times we have been, just coincidently, reading about the Easter story, and I am still touched so much by everything Jesus has done for me.

As we carry on with life here in Chad, I feel thankful as we are able to enjoy our home, being a family together again, not moving every couple of weeks, for Esther and Zack to attend their missionary school again, and  as I am able to pick up with old friendships here and enjoy new ones,  I thank God for the many blessings he gives me every day.

28th August 2016..... A very important date

On the 28th August we were sitting down to do our family bible time. After a few minutes, zack asks Andrew and I what makes somebody a Christian and how does one become a Christian. We told him that they would need to accept that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and to have a relationship with him by praying to Jesus, reading the bible regularly and trusting in him as you go through life finding the right path that he wants you to take. I asked him if he meant he wanted to become a Christian and he did. I was so excited!...... Andrew prayed for him and it was such a special time.  since then we found out his cousin became a Christian on the same day. Gods timing! I was so excited I told family and his teachers at school. A few days later, he shared his news in class. It opened up another discussion about how the children need to commit their own lives to Jesus and being in a Christian family where your family has moved to Chad to serve Jesus here doesn't make you a Christian. It has to be an individual personal relationship for each person with Jesus.  Zack continues to want to learn so much about his Christian life and the bible it is a joy to see. We pray that this continues and god will help Andrew and I as his parents to help him in his Christian walk. His teachers are a massive inpact on his life and we are so very thankful for them and the small missionary school, wellspring he,and Esther, attend.

Other news from Chad doesn't really come close! We continue with our daily lives of schooling, Andrew either flying or in the office, and I am at home with Jacob and doing lots of hosting of maf visitors helping us in this programme from other maf programmes whilst we are short staffed.
Jacob is  now fully better and just loves toddling about the compound, sitting with the guards and being with Saratou. Each morning he comes with me in the car to drop Zack and Esther at school. As we return and turn into our little dirt road, he gets all excited to be back home. I open the window and as the guard opens the gate to let us drive into the compound, Jacob gets animated, and he shakes hand with the guard as we stop and they talk to him, in French! He smiles and after pulling up by our house and I get him out of the car, he now goes over to them to be with whoever it is is working.  He is so sociable and a real cheeky chappy with a love of people, food and being outside, not to mention totally adoring a doting big brother and a fun and caring big sister.

In John 1verse 12 we read "yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God ." I think that sums it up for Zack. I am reminded as I read a daily devotion based on this John 1verses 1-14  that faith is not just to merely believe but it needs to also include active trust. Something I am working on in my walk with the Lord and guiding Zack in his walk with the Lord too.

Home for month now.......

The kids and I returned to Chad four weeks ago now. It feels like we have never been away,except the lovely memories that we have of our recent time in the uk. It is hard to explain how when one returns back home to Chad, life in the uk seems all but a memory very quickly, but the feeling of missing family and friends is a few ache and hurt. A friend today, over a cup of tea, described it as life here in Chad gets put on pause when you return to the uk and when you come back to Chad, U.K life gets put on pause.

So when we returned to Chad,Andrew and Saratou had moved most of our belongings over to a new house on the compound from our old flat. We are now in a house enjoying having more space and a garden. This week we ate our first bananas off our banana tree,  the kids and I have been planting seeds so we will see how things go and one of the guards is helPing us to keep the garden nice. We feel very thankful to have this new bigger house, even though last night at midnight I spend an hour mopping up rain water from the bedroom. Although I didn't at the time have a totally thankful heart at my situation, God blessed me in only having one room to sort out unlike many Chadians here whose houses are destroyed with this rainy season.

Why you may ask did Andrew not help. well,last Sunday he flew the Ugandan caravan plane that we have been using here whilst our plane has been updated, back to Uganda. He remains there doing medicals and flight test and returns with our Chadian plane on Tuesday. It is hard him being used to do this and leaving me and the kids here again. However, at least it is not six weeks like last year. God has been my strength and comforter this week as just thirty minutes after Andrew left last week, I found blood in Jacobs nappy. They hadn't been the best for a few days before this,but the seeing the blood and owing that Andrew would be away for ten days sent me in a spin for a bit. But God gave me good friends and neighbours in my team and they got us to the clinic to see the dr who gave us medicine for Jacob.he has been so lethargic and tired this week and still poorly, but a bit better. It has been so hard to go through this without Andrew here, and we have had limited email communication as social medical is shut down for security reasons, but again, I find myself calling out to God to walk along side Jacob to heal him and help me look after him, and zack and Esther on my own. God has pleaced people in my path just when I have needed them and a trust in him that is needed with a sick child here in Chad. Jacob has improved but still has a way to go and perhaps another visit to the dr this week, when Andrew is home to be with us and help translate! The challenges of Chad!

This week I am reminded that God will put challenges in our way and it is how we deal with this in our attitude that counts. I have been trying to react with courage and confidence in Christ, growing my character and trusting in Gods faithfulness. it is hard and I rarely get it right at the time, but I have a loving and forgiving God who won't give up on me as I keep walking with him and seeking his ways in all things that he gives me everyday.

Tomorrow is Andrews 40th birthday. It is hard being apart for that, although maybe for me more than him as I am not so sure he is keen to be reminded he won't be in his 30s any more. But the kids and I look forward to celebrating with him later in the week and remembering the many blessings he has given to our family.