Friday, December 5, 2014

Evening. Jioni. 저녁.

It's evening.
The sounds mingle.

Birds singing in the trees behind. 
Chickens crowing. 
People chatting as they walk along the road across the river. 
Grain mills humming from off in the village.
Crickets chirping.
Boys shouting along the hills as they herded their cows. 

The sun is going down. 
Slowly. 
Ever so slowly. 

It's rays change from fiery red to pale yellow and peach. 
The orange orb has dipped below the tree line on the hills far above the river. 

Above the sky is blue but for the patches of bright golden clouds that spray across the wide expanse. 


The dog turns his head to listen to the herd boys talking. 

A bird lands close and flits about. 

Everything is now bathed in a golden glow. 
The distance has become a hazy blue. 

A cool breeze makes bare skin chilly. 
The grasses barely move in its wake. 

The sky begins to turn a bright orange, its last vibrancy before becoming 
nothing but the blackness of night. 
The moon has yet to show its face above the tall pines. 

She shivers. 


The birds' songs lessen. 
Small children can now be heard playing. 

The cricket continues his repetitive tune and the sky darkens. 

Gone is the vibrancy.
Pale colours again remain. 

The crow is now the only bird still audible. 
A harbinger of darkness. 

The herd boys have covered impressive ground as their voices can be heard on the outskirts of the village. 
Almost home. 

The trees become nothing but silhouettes. 
Their leaves dangling limply. 

The first star can be seen, glittering above.
The sounds have lulled. 

Gone is the light.
Gone is the day. 

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Dry Season. Kiangazi. 건기.

The green shoots spring up among the black ashes.
And replace what was lost through the flames.
Flames that enveloped entire hillsides of dry grasses.


Purple flowers appear.
Adding some color to the monotony of the brown shades.


 The river is low.
And no water runs over the dam.

The pink soil scatters the path as the sunset highlights the pure colors.

Wind whips through the valleys and up along the edges of the hills.
The tall brown grasses bend and fold.

The roads are covered in layers and layers of silt.
Trucks are followed by clouds of dust.

It is the dry season.

Everything is brown.
Covered in a layer of dust.

The heat bears down.
Creating beads of sweat.

The soil is recently turned.
Preparing for the rains.

Hundreds of sacks of harvested corn lie waiting.
Waiting to be taken to the cities and sold.

The villagers are in a stalemate.
No income.
Waiting for the new crops.


The earth is parched.
And so are the people.

Cracked skin.
Sore throats.

Warm winds.
Water shortages.

The sun shines every day.
Long and steady.

There is no change in the weather.
Everyone is waiting for November the fifteenth, the day the rains come.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Death. Kifo. 죽음.

Death. 
The passing of a life. 
A life so fragile and delicate. 

Arriving at the Throne. 
To hear the sweet words, "Well done, My good and faithful servant."
Is the dream of every child of the King.

Life's work is over. 
Leaving this earthly world. 
Leaving it all behind. 
The tears, the sadness, the pain. 

Rejoicing. 
And praising the King. 

Left behind, the loved ones cry. 
They mourn.
They grieve.

Swathed in black cloths.
Red rimmed eyes.
They stare at the body of their loved one, who has already entered the gates of paradise. 

Their loss is searing.
Their hearts are forlorn. 
But comforted they are by the Everlasting Arms.
The Everlasting Arms.




Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Overwhelmed. Kuzidiwa. 압도.

Overwhelmed. 
Drowning, sinking. 
Over taken by the busyness of this world. 

Barely able to come up for breath. 
She's engulfed. 

This earth is so wrapped up in the now. 
The want of things. 
The want of moments. 

Constantly grabbing her attention.
These feelings of now. 

This need for 'me'. 
This need for 'my benefit'. 

She wants to let it all go. 
She wants it to fall to the side. 

Desiring a calm existence in a hectic world. 

Constant happenings and changes. 
Never ending, horrendous schedules. 

This is all very real. 
She is done with it. 

She is overwhelmed. 
Drowning, sinking. 

She needs air. 
She needs space. 

Let her go. 


Monday, June 16, 2014

Father. Baba. 아버지.

Father. 
A word that holds in its syllables the trust and love of his offspring.

Father.
Blessed are those who have one.
Who have a good man as one.

Her heart is saddened for those who are missing that piece of their heart.
That piece that allows fullness in life.
That piece that allows a feeling of acceptance.
That piece that allows a feeling of worth.

Father.
Almost losing hers has brought into her knowledge the searing pain of the absence of one.
Imagining life without that smiling face broke down her world.

Father.
But there is a greater One in heaven, who loves more.
One who cares for those who are missing their earthly father.


Father.
Thankful she still has hers to hold and laugh with.
To share memories and to make new ones with.
Thankful for him.

Father. 
Strong arms.
A kind gaze. 
Comfort and love. 

Wisdom procured through the years, 
kindly and gently bestowed upon his young ones. 

A treasure box full of fascinating stories.

Father. 
One who will always be accepting. 
One who will always love. 
No matter what.


Best friend and confidant. 
Greatest protector and biggest fan.

He gives her belonging and the ability to trust. 
He shows his love through a smile, a kiss goodnight, a morning hug. 
"Hey Punkin'" 

Father. 
Serving others first. 
Showing the love of Christ to his children. 

Helping them make their way in the world.
Helping them find their Savior. 
And wishing when he sees their searching, that he could have enough faith for even them. 
Wishing he could pick them up in his arms and carry them. 

Father. 
A trainer and mentor. 
Preparing his young ones for the harshness of this world. 

Never judgmental, only concerned with growth. 
Watching struggles with the pain of a parent, yet knowing not to interfere, to allow that growth to continue. 

Father. 
Whistler of old songs. 
Lover of his wife. 
Master sandwich maker. 

Father. 
"I love you morer." 




Saturday, May 24, 2014

Foreign. Kigeni. 외국의.

Foreign. 
Different. 
Constantly. 

Longing to be "normal". 
Always.

She rarely belongs. 
But oh, how she wishes she did. 
She is always an alien. 

A man once said to her in friendly joking, "What are you doing here? This isn't your country."
She smiled, but inside her heart sighed, "Where is my country?"
"Where do I call home?" 

Foreign. 
A love/hate relationship surrounds this word. 

A wish to be ordinary. 
But a longing for the exotic. 

Her ears perk up at the mention of faraway lands. 
Of accented tones. 
Of spicy foods. 
Of cultural music. 
Of differing skin colors. 

She bonds with those who also have no definite belonging. 
Those who also wish for the foreign. 

Bored with the typicalness of everyday life, she wishes for adventure on foreign soil.
For a dive into another's life.
For an experience different than her own.

Not to be foreign.
But to be in a foreign place.
Not to be the outsider.
But to be outside her own world.

Foreign.
Always. 

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Memories. Kumbukumbu. 기억력.


Memories.

Still pictures embedded in her mind.

Fond thoughts from long ago.
Visions of little cherubs,
Dripping wet, running into the house.
Climbing towering pine trees. 
Cuddling bunnies. 

She smiles and sighs. 
Wishing for those days. 
To be young and carefree. 
Far from this dark and depressing world. 

She picks up a photo sitting on the table. 
The innocent smiles of her playmates atop bicycles. 

The days. 
The good ole days.



Sitting by the wood stove.
Shivering. 

Dirt clod wars.
Covered in mud.

Long hours under the bright African sun.
Dancing in the African rain.

Wispy blond hair.
Bright green eyes. 

She remembers,  

Trips with Dad. 
Across countries. 

Staying home with Ma. 
Girl time. 
And baret days. 


Exploring with her brother. 
Building forts.

Goodnight kisses and brotherly hugs.

Bonding with her African family. 
Chai and mandazis at 11 o'clock. 



Sheer amazement at the wonders her African "brother" was capable of. 
So easily procured were the smiles of his white sister. 

Sticky fingers and dirty faces. 
Lego castles and ships.

Forts built in the forests. 
Hunting for doves and rats.

 
Face paint and climbing the tallest trees. 

Tree houses and secret hiding places.
Birthday parties and delicious cake.
Waterballoon contests and freeze tag. 

Long church hours.
Conference hours.
Eating tangerines from the inside out.
And mango after mango.

Sloshing in puddles. 
Swimming in the freezing river.

Catching frogs.

 Bicycle rides. 
Through the dirt trails and grassy hills.
Past herds of cows and gawking villagers.

She remembers all of those who she had said goodbye to all those years ago.
"What are they doing now?"

All of those with whom she shared what couldn't be taken away.
Memories.

Love. Upendo. 사랑.

Love.
Loving is the ultimate giving of herself.
Loving unconditionally is the greatest gift to another.
Loving should not regard herself but the benefit of another.

Opening her heart.
Allowing others the coveted access.
Fully vulnerable.

But unconditional love yields a fully protected warmth.
Secured forgiveness.
Loving acceptance.

Love shows itself in many different ways.
Through falling rain,
sparkling stars,
orange suns,
smiles.

Love, she loves it.
Though it sometimes slips away,
The truest love remains.
Unconditional.

Though others might disagree, she is loved unconditionally.
Even though she is different, she is loved by the preeminent Lover.

This is fact.
It warms her heart.

Never to ask why.
The answers are shown straight out of the empty sky.

"이것은 가장 큰 사랑."
She whispers as she stares into the broad expanse.

Love.
Acceptance.








Monday, January 27, 2014

Home. Nyumbani. 집.


Home.
Her home defines her.
She longs for it.

 

Her home gives her belonging.
Shown to others, her home unveils pieces of her heart.
Hidden deep inside.
Waiting to found and cherished.
 
Appreciated by so few.  
The countryside is like a painting.
Though it doesn't fade on parchment as though it had been brushed there.
Forever locked in the Artist's inspiration.
 
Untouched by human development.
The bush belongs to her.
Comfortingly quiet.
And peacefully rural.


The rains come.
Green blades shoot up through the dampened earth.
The misty clouds envelope the rolling hills in their cold embrace.

Land covered in forests and farms.
Of pine.
Of eucalyptus.
Of corn.
Of numbu.

Dried grass covers the brick huts.
Walls black from smoky fires.
Mud floors swept daily.

Little cherubs.
Dirty clothes and snotty noses.
Waving.

Endless land.
Uninhabited.
Pure.
Natural.


Dirt roads.
Raging rivers.
Green trees.
 Radiant sunsets.

Her home is etched into her heart.
The one place of belonging.
The one place of completeness.
Home.




 
 
 
 
 
 




 

Lonely. Upweke. 고독한.

Lonely.
The term depends on the user.
For some it can be the state of being far from people.
Others it can mean not being understood by the people around you.
Not being able to relate to them.

Alone.
One is never completely alone in a literal sense.
But in her heart she lonely more than she would like.

But.
Being alone generates in her a better understanding of self.
When surrounded by people daily, she finds herself longing for aloneness.
Oddly she longs for the familiarity of being lonely.

Contradicting.
Yet the two feelings are felt evenly.
To be alone and depressed.
To be alone and contented.

Lonely.

Left behind.
Forgotten.

Nostalgic.
Longing.

Waiting.
Always waiting for it to end.

The bleak grip.
The oppressive weight.
The welling tears.

Her heart can stand it.
It has before and will now.

God is on her side.
That's all she needs.