Responsibility

There is no current resolution in the peace process in Kenya. At this time, Kofi Annan has called off the talks until the both leaders can meet face to face so as to get beyond the name calling and accusations of dishonesty within the discussions. Please read this article from BBC News for more detail about the events this week.

The killing in Kenya has stopped for the time being, Praise God! However, the estimated number of refugees is now over 600,000. I can't fathom that many people on the run, it boggles the mind. The beginning of this battle in Kenya has been compared by some to the first days of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, a massive extermination of 800,000 Rwandans in 100 days at the hands of their brothers.

If you would like to know more about the Rwandan genocide, I highly recommend the 2005 Portuguese movie "Beyond the Gates", also known under the USA title "Shooting Dogs". It is the true story of a Catholic Technical school in Kigali that was a base for the UN peacekeeping forces in Rwanda and then became an emergency refugee camp. A BBC reporter has a line in the film that was chilling in its honesty.

"In Bosnia, it was the best stuff I've ever done. I cried every day. Strangely enough over here, not a tear. Anytime I saw a dead Bosnian woman, a white woman, I thought, that could be my mom. Over here, there just dead Africans. What a thing to say. We're all just selfish pieces of work in the end."

Although I knew the facts about the genocide in Rwanda, seeing this movie so well acted in graphic detail with personal characters was very difficult to watch but made it all the more real. On the verge of genocide in Africa again, what will we do right now... do we have a responsibility to people half a world away?

James 4:13-17
13 Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Christians can not sit idle and allow genocide to happen when we have been given the chance to intervene.

Deadline

After two months of severe violence in Kenya, there is still no end in sight. There had been some hope to end the unrest at the beginning of the month as peace talks were orchestrated by Kofi Annan, but peace has not materialized.

The number of displaced people is now at over 300,000 and the number of dead is over 1000.

We need to be on our knees right now and for the next 5 days for the men, women and children trapped in Nairobi and the Rift Valley of Kenya. As this Reuters video states, there is a deadline proposed by the opposition for an agreement to be reached in one week. You can also read this AP article for more information about the process thus far.

I have great fear that if there is no resolution reached in the time given by the Orange Democratic Movement, we may have to reconcile the horror of another genocide in Africa.

Peace Talks in Kenya

In this picture are Kofi Annan (orchestrating peace talks), President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

While there has been one small step toward ending the violence in Kenya, the killing is still going on. Please continue to pray for all those suffering during this difficult time, many of our brothers in Christ are being killed by tribal differences.

Here's another Reuters video from Saturday Feb 2 with a short update.

Battle in Kenya

In March of 2002, our family was blessed to travel to Kenya for two weeks while Dan did some work for the EPA and the Kenyan government assessing their air quality concerns. While we were there, we stayed in the Nairobi Holiday Inn. It's a large tropical compound in the city and is unlike any "hotel" in the U.S. with private patios on the rooms overlooking the pools. We went on two weekend safaris to see the African wildlife. The people were wonderful and I had great hopes to repeat the trip with all our children when they are in high school to see where their grandparents worked for so many years and where Dan went to high school at the Rift Valley Academy.

Currently, there is a situation in Kenya that requires our immediate attention and prayer. After the presidential election last month, there was some question from the Kenyans about the legitimacy of the outcome as the incumbent won after many voters supporting the opposition began to emerge. In the days afterward, the tempers of the government police were frayed and they began to disperse the protesters with tear gas. All this was happening in the Kenyan capitol of Nairobi. This week, the violence in Kenya has spread wide and there have been many killed in Kenya in the name of racial prejudice, some estimates are nearing 1000 dead in just over a month.

There are two main tribes in Kenya currently involved in the fighting. The largest and most wealthy is the Kikuyu, to which president Kibaki belongs. The second is the Luhya, the original protestors of the election. The police and army have been accused of unfair treatment of the Luhya protesters as the military is under the control of the president, a member of the Kikuyu. The result in the countryside has been a backlash of the Luhya against their Kikuyu neighbors. Unlike the wars waged in the west however, this violence is severe. Rivals attack with machete knives in brutal ambush with sweeping indiscrimination killing anyone within reach of their hand.

Kenya has been a haven in Africa for travel of tourists, missionaries and humanitarians for more than 30 years. It has become an example in the continent for other countries on how to successfully host the tourism industry. This coming war could very well end the economic freedom Kenyans have experienced during these past 3 decades. If the tourism industry collapses in Kenya, it will lead to an economic disaster for the country as a whole. Even people not directly involved in the industry will be effected as the entire economic stability of the nation is tied to tourism.

This current Reuters video report contains graphic pictures of dead and dying in Kenya. It is heartbreaking to see so much hatred on the streets I walked with my family only 6 years ago. I encourage you to watch and pray for ways that you can become involved in saving lives in Kenya. The religious demographic in Kenya is almost half Protestant and one quarter is Roman Catholic.

Our brothers in Africa need intercession through prayer now.

UPDATE Today, Jan 31, the U.S. has advised that Americans avoid travel to Kenya. Please read the Reuters article here.

Our New Kitty

After a lengthy search, we are pleased to announce the newest member of our family has arrived... Kindoa! I spent several weeks doing research on the web for a pet adoption agency. After the experience of having to find a home for our previous cat because she could not interact with our family after the children arrived, we were looking for an adult cat that would already be used to having kids around and love being part of a family.

Well, to make a long story somewhat short we adopted a four month old brown tabby kitten this week! She is so cute and loves us as much as we love her. She lets the kids pick her up and play with her, but when she's had enough she just goes under a chair or bed and lays low for a while. The kids love her and we're so happy she found a loving home.

If you are looking for a pet, (and you live in Phoenix) I recommend HALO pet rescue. Our agent, Nita, interviewed me on the phone to get specifically which cat would be the best fit for us and she was completely professional. When she met in person with our entire family, she had already found the perfect kitten just for us. We just had to meet the kitty to see if the chemistry was there!

We will love having Kindoa for a long time... thank you Nita!

8 Random Things About My Kitchen

I've been tagged. I haven't done one of these in a while, but this one is a little different and might be fun to see how long it takes me to think these up...

1. Our kitchen in our new house is eerily similar to our kitchen in California. I must have really liked the layout because is just like our other house, right down to the peninsula over the sink! The only differences between the two kitchens are the placement of the fridge and range/oven are switched and we now have a pass through door into the entry which makes the floor space here a little bigger. Other than that, they are almost exactly the same. Same angles, same cabinet placement, same pantry... weird.

2. I have three sets of dishes. I have formal Noritake China that was received as a wedding gift (it has only been used once), Mikasa dinner ware that I use for company, and our everyday dishes are a set of vintage mustard colored earthenware that belonged to Dan's grandparents in Zimbabwe. The mark on the dishes is Willsgrove Ware Pottery Made in Rhodesia. Based on the color, I would guess it's at least 40 years old. I cried when I broke one of the bowls.

3. I have an under-mount kitchen sink which I absolutely LOVE! I do most of my food prep on the counter next to the sink so I can just wipe the crumbs and mess right off and wash it away. It was way more expensive to install than it should have been, but I think it's a great invention and I would recommend it.

4. We have an eat-in kitchen. (That's just the fancy new way to say we have a breakfast nook.)

5. I almost always have fresh flowers on my kitchen counter. They make me happy.

6. I have a can of salmon in my pantry that we moved here from California in 2005. I don't eat fish, so I haven't felt the need to open it. Ever. I suppose I should toss it out, but it's really difficult for me to throw canned goods away. However, since I wouldn't eat it after storing it for this long and I won't feed it to anyone else, I think it's time to just let go.

7. We eat our big meal of the day at lunch. Dan has always preferred to have a big lunch and a very small dinner, so when he started working from home I changed the meals to fit his schedule. I make traditional dinners for lunch on weekdays (stroganoff with rice, meat-loaf with baked potatoes, chicken enchiladas, etc.), small dinners (chicken and biscuits, quesadillas, grilled cheese, etc.) and then we eat leftovers on Saturday.

8. I post the menu for the week on the inside of the pantry door so when it's time to start meal prep, I always know what I'm making for each meal that day. (I make my shopping list on the other side, so I have it with me at the store to see what ingredients I need to buy... it works really well for me!)


I tag Jesica, Davina and Amber... have fun! I finished this in just under an hour, how'd I do Sara?

Funeral for a Fish

Sunset, our beautiful amber Beta Fish, has passed on. Fortunately he wasn't acting right for a couple of days before he died, so I was able to prepare K for the impending loss of her pet. She cried when we noticed he was looking pale, a sure sign he wasn't getting enough oxygen. She stood at his bowl with big silent tears, watching him struggle to "breathe". She is such a tender child, she so easily empathizes with the emotions of others so it was very hard for mommy to see her precious little girl hurting (I can't imagine what it will be like when the first boyfriend breaks her heart!)

When he finally died, we decided to burry him in the yard rather than the more traditional "burial at sea" for goldfish. K was very composed during the excavation of the grave, but she began to sob when she placed his foil coffin in the ground. It was oh so precious and very touching.

Although it was a difficult time for her, I was able to use it to discuss the plan God has for life on this earth. How all living things must die and how we never know when anyone or anything might die. We spent time talking about how much God loves us and wants His children to be with Him forever, but we have to choose to go to heaven. It was another lesson on eternity for her, but I was glad I was able to use a tragedy in her life to share about the love of God and part of His plan for her.

Pediatric Cold Medicine

Today I found this article on children's' cold medicine very disturbing. Not so much that I went upstairs and threw out my Triaminic, but I will seriously consider every dose I give my children in the future. The most upsetting new information I found was that pediatric cold medicines have never been tested on children. That seems beyond irresponsible. It's like the FDA said, "Whoops... we forgot to make sure these products are safe for kids. They're ok for adults, so we just assumed smaller doses for children was the way to go. Sorry mom and dad." Now that the FDA has determined these medicines have no real effect on cold symptoms in children, it seems possible the pharmaceutical companies have been conducting tests all along, only it was on the public without our knowledge.

The timing of this article is not well received at our house as we are about to embark on the cold and flu season and with three kids under 8 years old, we have a lot of colds each year. It has also raised my uncertainty on flu shots again. I really disagree with giving my children live flu viruses, especially when the vaccine is based on the flu strains from last year. However, knowing that there won't be anything to alleviate their symptoms if they get the flu, I may just give in and have the family vaccinated.

Having children is an incredible responsibility and requires undivided attention. As I look at my precious babies right now, they are completely vulnerable and trust me for everything that is put in or on their bodies. I feel I may have failed them in not completely researching the over the counter medicines I've given them since birth. It's a scary thought, and one I might have to ask their forgiveness for if they suffer any adverse effects in their future.

Update:
Since reading this article (and calming down a bit) I've done some more thinking about the effectiveness of pediatric cold medicines. As a child, my brother had severe chronic sinusitis and my mom gave him Triaminic to alleviate his headaches. It worked. Fast forward about 30 years to my kids and a cold. The pediatrician recommends Triaminic as a decongestant and I remember, "Hey, my mom used that on us... I can't believe it's still around!" I went to Walmart and voila, there it was! So now I'm thinking, if some of these products have been around for decades and moms are still buying them, they must be doing something right!

Roadtrip, Beaches and Disneyland!

We're finally home after a wonderful week in Southern California. The weather was absolutely beautiful, the kids were amazing and no one had a melt down or was ill, which I had prayed fervently about. We spent an entire day at Disneyland from opening until they kicked us out an hour after closing! This picture is at the Small World ride with my mom, my cousin Cindy, her mom and Cindy's adorable kids.


Here's J, K and N in line to ride Dumbo.


We had a great day at Coronado Island playing in the sand and surf. J was taken down by the very first wave after we'd been on the beach for 5 minuets, but she didn't cry and she held hands with Grandma for the rest of the day!

Thank you to all who prayed for us to have a safe and fun trip. We were so blessed to get some time away with friends and family but next time we want Daddy to come too!

Infant Swimming Resource

While doing some 'catch-up' reading the other day, I went to the blog of a friend who lives in Colorado. Since their climate doesn't lend itself often to swimming pools, she had an entry about Infant Swimming Resource but she didn't elaborate much about their services.

However, I live in Phoenix where close to 50% of homes have a pool or some kind of backyard water feature. In the summer, rarely a day goes by where there isn't a news report of a child drowning somewhere in the valley. The frequency of drownings is incredibly heart wrenching and this summer our own Pastor attended a funeral for a friend who's toddler drown.

The video link above is amazing. To see a baby fall in a pool and not panic was incredible to watch. He remained calm, so much so that I noticed the water in the pool became almost still. He called for his daddy, but stopped himself from crying when he started to get water on his face. Children are born with the intelligence they will have as adults, and they can learn the techniques necessary to prevent them from drowning if they are taught.

The service is expensive, but how can you possibly compare it to the cost of losing a child, especially now that you know they can be safe around water by taking this course.