Home School Presentation Night

   As we have embarked on the journey of homeschooling, I'm very thankful for other families here that also home school.  We have started a co-op.  From time to time, the moms get together for coffee and just to chat.  We also have started putting together special activities for our children.  Some things we have done so far have been field trips, messy art day, and presentation night.  This last Thursday night was a presentation night with the theme of Social Studies. 

    We, as a family, chose to speak on China.  We are enjoying our Social Studies Curriculum called “Children Around the World” from Winter Promise.  They have so many different activities and interesting stories about China and was a great jumping off point.  I was so thankful that our internet was working well during part of the study as we were able to stream different education video allowing the kids to “visit” China.  We even had fun trying out some yummy Chinese food (my first attempt at trying to cook Chinese food) and trying to eat with chopsticks.  But we all turned in our chopsticks for “real silverware” very quickly. J

    Yes, the unit was fun.  Putting the presentation together took work, but it was so much fun to see it all come together.  I was able to buy the material used for the display board as well as the girls’ costumes, when we were in South Africa.  The kids worked hard on the display and went over and over their presentations.   The night of the program came.  Less than an hour before we needed to leave, I finished Kayla's costume.  In a whirlwind, we got everyone ready and out the door.  When it was Alissa and Justin's turn to present, they got up and did a great job of sharing the information they had learned.  

Alissa presenting her part called "Challenges" dealing with population, endangered animals, the Great Wall, and the church in China.

Justin presenting his part called "Meet China".  He talked about the location, tigers, the Forbidden City, the New Years Celebration, and some inventions.

Kayla "helping" her daddy with the powerpoint.

Their table display

The three "Chinese" kiddos

   As I look back on the evening, it was so worth all the stress and time.   Seeing the kids developing in their speaking skills, seeing them take ownership in what they had learned, and having others encourage them in their studies is such a valuable part of their education.  So we will look forward to the next presentation night.

Capturing the Teachable Moment

   When I was in college studying to become a teacher, the phrase I hear over and over again was “Capture the Teachable Moments”.  The idea is that if you can get kids interested and invested in a topic, they will learn more.  When things happen that are outside the lesson plan but can be used to promote learning, then deviate from the plan and capture the moment.  We were taught to consciously look for those moments in our classroom.

   While it seems like it’s only yesterday that I was in college, the years have come and gone.  I’ve gotten married.  I’ve lived in and visited a number of continents and countries.  I now have three kids that call me, Mom.  Those days of looking for the teachable moments in the classroom are gone.  But God has been touching my heart and reminding me that I have three precious little ones to care for daily.  Those teachable moments are in my own home and can be used to point my children towards Him.  He has been reminding me to look for the teachable moments and capture them.

   Last week, my children and I were in South Africa staying at a guesthouse for missionaries while my husband flew to Lesotho to do an engine change on one of our planes.  This was the first time that I had ever been in South Africa by myself with all three kids.  To say that I was a little nervous, would be an understatement.  We have visited South Africa as a family many times, but it’s so different when you are family verse a single parent.  But I knew it was for the best and I was thankful we were at a safe place in South Africa, so I put a brave face on and started the week. 

Looking down the driveway to the place we stayed.  There are a number of houses and guest rooms among the trees.

   South Africa is the land of plenty compared to Mozambique.  There are a number of things one can buy here that you can’t buy in Mozambique.  Since there were things we needed to buy to take back, shopping was on my “to do” list.  The kids and I had been out shopping for a couple of hours that afternoon.  We had decided that for supper we would stop at McDonalds (a very special treat we only get in South Africa).  We had finished shopping for the day and were getting ready to go for supper, when I realized that I didn’t have my phone.  I also realized that if we were to have supper in town and then drive back, I would be driving in the dark, in an unfamiliar country, without a phone to call for help if I needed it.  There was nothing about that which made me comfortable.  So I realized, we needed head directly back to where we were staying and skip McDonalds.

   You can well imagine how that was perceived by the three little ones in the back.  I tried to explain but to them, well… it seems as though I wasn’t being fair.  It seems that I was lying because we had a change of plans.  I firmly told them that for our safety, we needed to go home but we would do our best to visit McDonalds the next day.  We arrived home safely and I started supper while the kids raced outside to play.

   It wasn’t 30 minutes after we got home that a huge thunderstorm hit, complete with thunder, lightning, and lots of rain.  I started thanking God that we were at home and not out somewhere driving.  Then in that still small voice I heard, “Help my little children see how I’ve protected them today.”  I knew instantly that this was a “capture the teachable moment”.  So as the children looked out the window and watched the rain, saw the lightning, and heard the thunder, I reminded them of the fact that we were only home safe because Mommy had forgotten my phone.  God had protected us through me forgetting my phone.  

    When my son looked at me and declared, “Wow, God protected us by having you forget your phone. God is so good.”  I knew that I had gotten through.  What seemed like a hardship, missing McDonalds, was really God’s protection.  Since that day, the kids have chatted a number time about how they didn’t know that God was protecting us by a forgotten phone, but He was.  They are also very diligent at making sure I have my phone every time we go out now. J

  It’s been a good reminder to me to remember to always to be looking for the “teachable moments” for my kids to help the see that God is part of our daily lives.  He cares about us deeply and is with us all the time.  He is a God who takes time out of His busy schedule to care for each of us personally.  How about you?  What teachable moments have God given you in your life?

One of the sunsets, we enjoyed while in South Africa.  Reminding me again of God's love and creativity.

A Generator and A Bag of Charcoal

   The last three months have been challenging.  I once had a friend tell me, “Living in Mozambique is hard enough without the add stress of not being able to do what you came to do.”  These last three months, I have found the statement to be so true as we wait on documents that will allow us to once again take to the sky and help people through aviation.  As time stretches on, our hearts get heavier and heavier.  As we hang on and try to trust that our Heaven Father knows best, we start growing weary.  Another dear friend commented that it must feel like we are making laps inside the “fiery furnace of the old testament”.  I keep wondering how long until we will be called out of the fiery furnace and the storm will stop.  How much longer?

    Another challenge we have been facing is that our electric has got to the point that it was becoming obvious that we needed a generator.   Especially since I am now homeschooling and having electricity is critical to getting schoolwork done.  We had looked for cheaper options in South Africa, but nothing was working out.  So Conrad and a coworker went shopping in town and found a generator exactly like we were looking for at an ok price for Nampula.  We talked and prayed overnight and the next day Conrad went back to get the generator.  We were so excited to learn that we had been given the wrong price the day before and it was $300 less than what we had been told.  We were so thankful to God for the discount and planned to take the rest out of our savings, although to be honest I struggled with taking that amount out.  I came to the conclusion that the money is God’s anyway.  So if He provided for this need through our savings, then I must trust Him.

   A couple days ago, I was really struggling with “Why God can't you answer now and fix this problem with the documents?”, when I read Mark 4 in my devotions. Mark talks about how the storm was raging on the sea and the disciples in the boat were scare and tired but Jesus is calm and sleeping.  He does calm the storm at just the right minute, but the disciples did have to go through the storm for a while.  He comments on their little faith.  It got me wondering, as our faith grows, do our storms also grow?  Do I need to see this storm and fiery furnace and a blessing because my faith is strong enough to handle it?  Can’t say I liked the idea but I was reminded that God promises that He will never give us more than we can handle.  So maybe I need to be thanking God because He is growing my faith. 

    But, I still want a right now sign that I wasn’t in this alone.  Suddenly the bag of charcoal, I needed to buy for the MAF BBQ the next day, came into my mind.  Here in the city, you will see bikes riding around with large bags of “charcoal” that they have made out in the country.  They bring them into the city to sell.  If you can find someone with the charcoal still on the bike, you can usually get a better deal as well as they will even deliver it to your house if you want.  The trick is finding someone on a bike.  So I stopped and prayed, “Lord, I’m struggling right now and would love to see your hand of care in a very visible way.  You know that I’m going to pick up some kids around 2:30 for a kid’s group at my house this afternoon.  Could you please put a bike with charcoal in my path?  Because I have 16 kids coming to my house this afternoon and I have to finish homes schooling, I don’t have time to drive around and see if I could find a bike.  I know you could do this, please Lord.” 

  That afternoon, I exited my gate and looked up and down the street, no bike.  But as I turned the corner, there was a bike with charcoal.  I was so excited that I got my Portuguese all messed up and ended up asking the vender if he wanted to buy the bag of charcoal and not if I could buy the bag. To which he promptly replied “No, I am wanting to sell it.”   After getting it all sorted out, I bought the bag, put it in the back of the car, and continued on my way Praising God for His faithfulness.  But God wasn’t done.  Two days later, I was received word that an unexpected gift of money was coming that was more than enough to cover the generator.  Instantly, I knew that God was once again showing me His love in a very visible way. 

   So even though the fiery furnace with documents continue and we are still making laps, I know that I'm not in the fire alone.  Yes, the storm is still raging but I am confident that my Lord and Master,  Jesus, is in this boat with me.  And at the right moment, He will calm the storm and remove the furnace.  So I pray for strength, endurance, and wisdom.  And I know in my heart I can keep going because He showed me His love for me this week in a very visible way through a generator and a bag of charcoal.

June Photo Challenge

I have always enjoyed taking pictures.  It's something that has been a joy for as long as I can remember.  If you look at many of my family's vacations, I'm missing.  Why?  Because I was the one behind the camera. In college, I loved taking pictures for the yearbook.  Now that things are digital, my computer is full of pictures. 

    So when I found out there were some people on Facebook that were going to do a photo challenge in June, I got very excited.  Someone made a list and each day we took a picture representing that word.  I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures with their words from this year's challenge.  I hope you enjoy a small glimpse into our life here because as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

 Forced Perspective: Changing how things are perceived in a the photo by how items are placed

 Shopping:  This is a wood carver with a coaster holder with 6 coasters that I bought from him

Three of a Kind:  This is looking into our water filter

So then I made a photo journal of the process of cleaning our water filter and how it works, due to all the questions after the three of a kind picture

Glass/Windows

Black and White: This is taken at a small restaurant/camping area about 1 hour drive outside of town

Close Up: This picture was actually taken a number months before in South Africa. We were at a Game Park and came around the corner in our very little car and this is what we saw. We turned the car off and just waited until they had passed. 

Circles:  My youngest doing a favorite activity, twirling with a twirly dress

Womanhood:  Girls start very young here helping with their families.  They may walk a long way to get water which is probably what is being carried in the yellow container.

Hidden talents:  Got to love it when this talent shows itself at our house

Masculine:  My hubby heading off to work

Inspirational:  This is a picture of my neighbor through their "fence".  She is getting her "stove" ready to cook.  This picture inspires me to remember the many blessings I have and how I need to be thankful.  It also is a reminder that the love of Jesus is for everyone no matter how different their life and culture.

Negative Space:  This is a picture of our electric meter.  Here we have prepaid electric.  One goes into town to the electric shop and pays for a certain amount of electricity.  One is then given a receipt to take home and input the 16 digit code and you have electric.  When it gets low, you do the process all over again. Since we have been sick, ours was getting very low.

My Family

Kayla, My Baby is Growing Up

So today, I was looking through some pictures and came across these that I had taken of Kayla when my parents were here.   They express so much who she is, that I had to share them.    This little one keeps me hopping.  I hope you enjoy!

Often has a way of looking like she is ready to get into something,

(usually there is a reason for the look)

Always has an option about every topic 

(sign says attention crocodile and she doesn't like the fact she has to watch out for it)

Sticks, it's the favorite toy right now.  I find piles of sticks in the most unusual places.

Still working on getting the pictures together from my parents visit and Justin's birthday.  They will come. Between homeschooling, canning, painting the school room, and starting piano lessons, our life has been a little crazy.  Looking forward to things getting into a better schedule soon.

Art and Music Night

     Thursday night was one of those times when I remember now thankful I am for the internet.  It has changed so much about our lives of living overseas.   It’s still amazing to me how due to the internet, I can call and chat on skype at a very reasonable rate.   I greatly appreciate that it allows us to better be able to stay connected with family and friends on a different continent.  I feel the distance especially on nights like last Thursday.

    Last Thursday was a day full of excitement.  It started with Ladies' tea at my house, where 12 ladies and 4 kids enjoyed the morning of good food, tea/coffee (French vanilla flavored thanks to a friend from the USA who sent me the coffee), and good fellowship.  Then after lunch the kids and I were off to Portuguese class and to set up for the special home school night. 

    The families who are home school in our town have started getting together for field trips.  The mom’s have also started meeting as a support for each other.  At one meeting, it was decided to have an Arts and Music Presentation Night to give our kids a chance to perform in front of others.  Thursday night was the big night.

     The evening arrived and my kids were so excited.  They had practiced and practiced their song and made their display board with some of the drawing lessons learned this year.  As we arrived, the nerves were running high.  After a short period when guests and fellow home schoolers could look at the display boards, it was time for the presentations.  We were the second family on the list.  My kids got up and did a great job in my option. 

   It’s times like these that you start to feel the distance between you and your family.  You can’t call Grandpa and Grandma and Uncles and Aunts to come and join in.  Although, we are thankful for the many substitute Uncles and Aunts here who showed up to support the kids.  But this is where the internet has changed things.  Because now I can take a video, post it, and Grandpa and Grandma can see and hear the kids.  While it will happen later, friends and family far away can still be a part of the night.  So I’m thankful that although life looks different than mine did when family lived just a few miles away, due to the internet, relationships and milestone can still be celebrated together.

Alissa and Justin with their display

Some of Alissa's Drawings

Some of Justin's drawings

The part of the display that gave step by step directions on how to draw two pictures

Now for my favorite part of the evening.  Hearing my kids do a great job on their song.  They sang "Make a Joyful Noise" from Bullfrogs and Butterflies

A Little Silliness

This week has been a rough one at the Hertzler household.  The children and I (Heidi) all had the flu at some point during the week along with colds.  Conrad though had it the worse as he came down with malaria.  While he is still weak, he is on the mend.  The kids and I are doing better too.  
     This month I have been in a photo challenge where each day you take a picture around a theme.  The one for today forced perspective.  According to Wikipedia it's "a technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger, or smaller than it actually is."  Taking these photos gave us so some much needed silliness in a tough week.

   When we are feeling "bored" or "silly" in Mozambique, we...  

... kiss rhinos

...ride rhinos

... lean against the amazing shells found in the Indian Ocean and watch the world go by.

What do you do?

Children's Day

   June 1^st in Mozambique is Children’s Day. It’s a day where people give gifts, have parties, and celebrate the life of a child.

   Our kids have been asking for a while, when is our day.  We have Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, but what about having a Kid’s day.  So this year we decided to celebrate.  We decided to allow them to do fun things for the day that we normally limit.  So they spent the morning playing electronic games.  They ordered their favorite lunch, macaroni and cheese with hotdogs and Fanta (orange soda). Best of all, they didn’t have to have a nap/rest.  Then we headed off to English Fellowship.  There was a special surprise for my kids as there was Sunday School for them.  My kids were even kind enough to allow me to take a picture of them. J It was a fun day.

As I think about each of my children, I’m so thankful for who God has made them.  Alissa is growing up and learning to love the Lord and follow him.  Justin is quick to smile and loves playing jokes on people.  Kayla is full of personality and love to express her excitement about something with a jump and a cheer.  I’m so thankful that God has blessed us with these three precious children.

Unexpected Part of Being a Missionary

  This post has been on my heart for a while, but to be honest, it's something I don't wanted to really write about.  Why?  Because it seems that when you write about something, you get to experience it in at a “new” level.  But, since it wouldn't leave my head, I guess it’s time to put it on paper.

  It was the night before Mother’s Day.  Conrad had told me to sleep in and he would make a special breakfast in bed.  The idea sounded wonderful.  Some time to just rest, sounded amazing.  But at 6:00 am the morning of Mother’s Day, the electric went out.  I’ve lived in Mozambique long enough to know what that means.  It’s one of the “electric maintenance day”.  This means that the electric will be out all day and if things go well we will have it back by dark.  My heart sank.  Our house without electric gets very warm, very fast.  Gone was the morning of sleeping in, gone was the breakfast in bed (we don’t want to open up freezers or fridges because we don’t really know how long it will be off and we don’t want to lose food), gone was my plan.

   My heart cried out, “Not today.  I don’t want to be flexible today.”  But, I had no choice.   As I reflect over almost 13 years of marriage, I’m starting to see a pattern.  It’s a pattern of being flexible.  I realized the other day, that the current house we are living in, is the longest house we have ever lived in since being married.  We moved to this house 2 years and 4 months ago.  When we started this path on missions, I never dreamed how flexible one would need to be.  I can't count the number of times I have wished to be able to "settle" and put roots down.  But that isn't the life of a missionary.  There are days, when I feel like a rubber band about ready to break that can’t be any more flexible.  On those days, I’m learning to run to my Heavenly Father and find comfort in His arms.  But I’m also learning how to embrace the new plan that presents itself and enjoy the moment.

   So it was time for a new plan.  This plan included a trip out of town to a little reservoir.  It’s a place that I always enjoy once we arrive after spending an hour on a very bumpy road. It’s beautiful and refreshing.  It has flowers, birds, swings, and we always have fun there.  So off we went.  We enjoyed lunch and then we spread out our blanket under the shade of a palm tree.  I enjoyed the view and crochet as Conrad read “Treasures of the Snow” out loud.

  It was also fun watching my kids get involved in the story.  I'm so thankful for the family God has given me.

         As we relaxed, I enjoyed the breeze and the amazing creation God has made.

  So it wasn’t the original plan, but it was a good day.  A day to remember.  It serves as a reminder that whatever comes my way and when flexibility is involved, that God is still in charge.  As I learn to embrace the change and living in the moment, God brings along His love and care in unexpected ways.   I still can’t say that I just LOVE being flexible all the time, but I’m thankful for a God who gives the strength to continue on.  A God who gives the emotional strength to live in the moment and enjoy the ride.   

Hosanna, Hosanna

   “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest”

   These are words that we relate to Palm Sunday,  the day we remember Jesus riding in on a donkey with crowds of people shouting as He rode by.  Interesting enough Hosanna, meaning “oh save”, can only be found in this story of the Bible. We also remember the miracle of the unbroken donkey.  The donkey that had never been ridden before, yet under the control of the Master of the Universe, Jesus, was calm and performed beautifully even in an abnormal setting.  I have wondered what the owner of the donkey was thinking as he watched the whole parade, the shouting, the palm branches, and the excitement taking place.  I wonder if he was holding his breath, hoping for the best because we all know how unpredictable donkeys can be.  But under the control of Jesus, this donkey did exactly what it was suppose too.

   This last week on Palm Sunday, a couple of boys willing cut some branches that we used during our song service at the English fellowship.  

    For over 20 minutes the children, tirelessly waved the branches.  As I watched the excitement on their faces amidst the branches, my heart was touched.  Do I have that much excitement about  Jesus?  His death on the cross was enough to pay for the sins of the world but more importantly He paid the price for my sin.  He won the victory.  How excited am I?  Is the joy of Jesus overflowing my life?

   Today is Good Friday, a day when we remember the final hours of Jesus.  Normally, to me it’s a solemn day.  Yet this year, I just kept thinking “Hosanna in the Highest, Jesus has won the victory.”  In my mind, I keep seeing the kids waving their branches last Sunday.  And I rejoice because while Jesus did die, he also rose again.  He paid the price for my sins.  Hosanna.

Can you praise ME in the storm?

  The last two months have been a whirling of activity for the Hertzler family.  We have traveled over 22,000 miles.  The beginning of February found us in South Africa visiting an asthma/allergy specialist for Justin and Kayla.  We are encouraged by our interaction with the doctor and have started a few new approaches to helping the two kids deal better with their asthma and allergies.  While we waited for the medications to be filled (since we needed 6 months worth it took a number of days), we decided to visit a game reserve. 

   We have lived in Africa for over 4 years and have never been to a game reserve.  We have never seen the animals that Africa is famous for in the wild.  So we headed off to a small game park.  On the way, we were required to take a very long detour due to rioting and car burning.  Thankfully God went before us and kept us safe.  We greatly enjoyed our time visiting the park and seeing the amazing animals that God had created in their natural element.

    Then it was on to the USA, where Conrad headed to Head Quarters for 2 ½ weeks of training and the kids and I headed to Iowa to see family.   Our time was filled with doctor appointments, fun time with cousins, holding the brand new baby nephew, hanging with friends and family, and doing some shopping.  Then the kids and I packed up and travelled to Delaware, were we meet Conrad and spent the next week with family and friends there.  Then Conrad flew back west for another two weeks of training and the kids and I returned to Iowa to finish doctor appointments, pack, and say good-byes.

    It was during those last two weeks when our life took an interesting turn.  I had been to a dentist appointment and was on my way back home when the friend who was watching my kids called and said that Alissa hurt her foot.  When I arrived, Alissa refused to put any weight on it and just kept crying saying, “It hurts, it hurts.”   Since we were past office hours, I decided to wait until morning and see how it was. 

   Morning came and she still refused to put anyway weight on it.  So as I was on my way to another appointment, I called the doctor to see if they could get us in.  Right before I called, I thought, “Lord, you know 1:00 pm would be a good time for me”.  I placed the call to the doctor’s office and the first time the reception asked “Would 1:00 work for you to come in?”  I couldn’t believe my ears and the voice of the Lord whispered to my soul, “Trust me, I’ve got it covered.”

  Upon returning home, getting Alissa ready, and back on the road again, doubts began to creep in.  What if it was broken?  My mind already was calculating how much changing tickets was going to cost us as in 4 days we were suppose to be boarding a plane back to Africa.  What if it’s not something that would be wise to go back to Mozambique while it heals or what if we need to make another trip to South Africa just to make sure it’s healed correctly?  As I’m driving along the interstate, my mind is racing and my heart is keeping up, anxiety is fighting to gain control.  At the moment, the song “I Will Praise You in This Storm” by Casting Crowns came on the radio.  The soft voice on the Lord broke though my worried mind and spoke gently to my heart and said “Can you choose to praise Me in the storm?” 

   Instantly, I knew I had a choice.  I could choose to praise no matter what the results.  Or I could choose to allow anxiety to take over me.  As I drove along the interstate, I made my choice.  I responded, “God, I choose to praise You in the storm.  This makes no sense to me as my plate already feels fuller than I think I can handle but I CHOOSE to praise You for what You are doing.”

    The next 4 hours were full of doctor appointments, x-rays, phone calls, waiting, and finely a boot with crutches.  Yes, Alissa fractured/broke her foot in three places.  But the most amazing thing happened.  The location of the fracture couldn’t have been better, just slightly forward or slightly backwards, the foot would have had to been cast.  We would have needed to have follow-up x-rays and traveling would have been very difficult.  Instead, we were told, traveling is fine.  The Dr said that she was to wear the boot and when she is ready to try to put weight on it, she is welcome to walk on it.  When the six weeks is up, as long as there isn’t pain, she should be good to go.  Because of her age, where the break was, and the amazing goodness of God, we were able to travel back with no problems.  Now less than three weeks after the break, she is running around on the boot like nothing happened.

   God has such a sense of humor because of her injury, we were able to receive medical assistance through the airports.  It was the fastest trip through customs, immigration, passport control, and across airports that we have ever had.  The trip went so smoothly that I joked with the kids who wanted to break their foot next time so it would be an easy trip.  But more than that, I got to stand back and listen to my 8 year old tell someone how good God is because even though she had a broken foot, it was broken at just the right place that she was able to travel and God has been taking care of her. 

    For me the choice to praise God in the middle of the storm, was a hard one.  In this storm, I got the privilege to see right away how God had gone ahead and prepared the path.  I had the opportunity to see how when the situation didn’t make sense to me, God cares about the details of my life.  He had a plan and prepared the way.  But there are storms in my life that don’t seem to have quick answers.  There are storms that seem to go on forever.  The Lord has been speaking to my heart and saying “Heidi, can you praise me in these storms too?”  It’s a choice.  Sometimes praise is an easy outpouring but other times it’s a sacrifice.  It’s releasing the situation to God and saying “I don’t know what You’re doing but I choose to praise YOU for WHO You are.  I choose to praise You because I know You have the best in store for me.  I choose to praise You.” 

   So what storms in your life is God asking you to CHOOSE to praise Him.  He is the all-knowing, all-powerful God of the universe.  But more than that, He cares deeply for each person.  He desires that we would choose to praise Him in the storm and then stand back and see what He does to calm the storm.