At Cape Kiwanda near Pacific City, Oregon on a sunny but cold windy day on the Oregon Coast.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
2010 Friess Christmas Picture
At Cape Kiwanda near Pacific City, Oregon on a sunny but cold windy day on the Oregon Coast.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The Many Faces of Goodbye
And now as our two year contract with Samaritan's Purse has come to an end in Kenya and it is time to say goodbye...
Goodbyes to the staff at the dental clinic and for Sara the maternity ward and Theatre. Friends gathered in a circle with me and one by one shared their thanks, tears, appreciation, prophesy (that God would bring us back again), and prayers of blessings for myself and my family as we go. It was moving and surprising in a reserved culture where thanks is not commonly used that an impact was made even in people when you least expected.
Goodbyes involve tears represented by chalk images drawn by Amelia. Her pictorial response of her feelings in saying goodbye to Mocha our dog the past 18 months. Mocha moved to the orthopedist house (even with many attempts to escape back to our house), Lucy the gold fish moved to a dorm at RVA, and Flower the Bunny escaped to the forest.
Goodbyes to CS Meredith's best friend. Their smiles and hugs say it all.
Goodbyes to close friends in the mission community like the Shirley's were too hard to verbalize...and just better left at "we'll see you later."
Goodbyes to "things" brought relief as couches, piano, and our car all sold within two weeks and the rest was given to those who needed...coming back with much less than we brought.
Goodbye to the beautiful sunsets of the Great Rift Valley and the moderate sunny climate in which the Meredith & Amelia wore sundresses every day.
Goodbyes to a kenyan culture that we have grown to love.
Kwaheri Kenya!
Goodbyes to the staff at the dental clinic and for Sara the maternity ward and Theatre. Friends gathered in a circle with me and one by one shared their thanks, tears, appreciation, prophesy (that God would bring us back again), and prayers of blessings for myself and my family as we go. It was moving and surprising in a reserved culture where thanks is not commonly used that an impact was made even in people when you least expected.
Goodbyes involve tears represented by chalk images drawn by Amelia. Her pictorial response of her feelings in saying goodbye to Mocha our dog the past 18 months. Mocha moved to the orthopedist house (even with many attempts to escape back to our house), Lucy the gold fish moved to a dorm at RVA, and Flower the Bunny escaped to the forest. 
Goodbyes to CS Meredith's best friend. Their smiles and hugs say it all.
Goodbyes to close friends in the mission community like the Shirley's were too hard to verbalize...and just better left at "we'll see you later."
Goodbyes to "things" brought relief as couches, piano, and our car all sold within two weeks and the rest was given to those who needed...coming back with much less than we brought.
Goodbye to the beautiful sunsets of the Great Rift Valley and the moderate sunny climate in which the Meredith & Amelia wore sundresses every day.
Goodbyes to a kenyan culture that we have grown to love.Kwaheri Kenya!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
10
The wisest decision I ever made was marrying Sara. The next smartest decision was marrying Sara in 2000 (easy way to keep track of anniversaries). I wish I could say this picture goes back to our wedding day; June 24, 2000, but it doesn't (no digital cameras for us back then). But I thought this snapshot (a little grainy) captures a joy we find in no one but each other; a joy that will extend for many anniversaries to come.Happy 10th Anniversary!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Meredith & Friend
This is really not her friend, but I figure I ought to write down a few of Meredith's funny phrases before she stops saying them and they are lost forever.
"How come when I get out of the shower, the air is all froggy out."
"Mommy, can we have chips and Brocomole?"
"I want to go to Naiwobi."
"When we go on Nafari, can we see the flamangoes."
she sings--
"Where is beautiful Mommy?
There she is.
God loves beautiful Mommy.
I do to. I do to."
Saturday, May 15, 2010
The best breakfast ever!
We were delighted to be invited to Giraffe Manor for breakfast.
Their exclusive accommodations are the only location in the world to come-up close and personnel with the Rothschild Giraffe. It was such a treat to enjoy this breakfast and then be near the giraffes. Particularly as this breakfast was a trial run of their new menu and therefore free of charge. It truly was a once in a lifetime event. Meredith and Amelia quickly overcame their fears and fed the giraffes for over 1 hour. While there were so many wonderful moments, the funniest moment was when I took Meredith to the restroom (keep in mind it is 880 dollars per night to stay here). She walked in and promptly said with genuine surprise, "Mommy it doesn't smell in here." I'm so glad she appreciates a clean toilet and restroom! And I'm not sure she would've learned this had we not lived in Kenya
Sunday, April 18, 2010
You Tube Video
Sara has put together some pictures and music of what is happening with our family in Kenya. With recently better internet service we have finally been able to link it to our blog in a functional form. I think you will enjoy it! The easiest way to view this 7 minute video is to double click on the video screen to the right (not the red play button) and you will automatically be linked to the you tube clip. Let us know if it works!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Spice Island
Jumping on the 540 plane on our way to the island of Zanzibar (just off the coast of Tanzania) with a not very direct route through Dar Es Salam and Mt. Kilimanjaro airports.
A nice view of the Mt. Kilimanjaro (highest peak in Africa at 19,340 feet). I was standing at the summit of Kilimanjaro a little over a year ago in pitch black and I was very very cold!
Our Spice Girls!
Dressed for the spice tour with hats, purses, and ties! (This may be the closest this family gets to Fancy Nancy)
Digging in the sand.
A needed nap is a sign of a great vacation for kids or adults!
Thanks Nana and Papa (Mom & Dad) for great time with you on Spice Island! As Meredith would say, "we will miss Nana and Papa when they are gone!"
Sunday, March 14, 2010
10 Things We Miss About Home
I like lists. I’ve written a list of 50 things I want to do before I turn 50. I’m currently reading a book about lists (Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gwande) and how lists insure things are done right (maintaining safety in take-off of a Boeing 757, building a 80 floor skyscraper so it won’t fall over during high winds, placing central lines with low infection rates). I put lists around our dental clinic to remind our staff where things go, when things are to happen, and who is coming.
But I hesitate to write a list about missing...because it quickly transforms from what I miss (family, church, etc) to a pity story and/or complaint machine (bad African roads, inferior medical instruments breaking down, developing nation infrastructure, etc). Woe is me! I also wanted to wait until we lived in Kenya a substantial length of time (now 17 months) to figure out what I really missed (family) and things I could live without (Cinnamon Toast Crunch). I hope this list will share what we miss (because they are important parts of our life) and not come across as critical to Kenya, its people, or culture (We are blessed to be here with these good people). So here are the 10 things we miss about home in no particular order.
10- We miss the freedom to travel at night. Roads are not marked and cars often have one working headlight...that single headlight approaching may not be a motorcycle but a Lori (I also saw a motorcycle driving by flashlight), and bandits are about... it’s just not safe to drive at night. Where would we go if we could? Maybe a movie, a coffee shop, a book store, or out to dinner..with the girls falling asleep in the back in the dark on the way home and Sara and I talking.
9- We miss the seasons. The weather is 50-75 degrees daily, usually sunny, probably a lot like San Diego. The sun rises EVERYDAY (along with Meredith) at 6:15 AM and sets EVERYDAY at 7:15 PM (we are within driving distance of the equator). I could not tell you when the best month to harvest corn or plant tomatoes is and they may be the same month for all I know! The weather is so regular around Kijabe it can get a bit monotononous! What seasons do I miss?
We miss the authentic Autumn of Ohio with school resuming, the excitement of College Football, pumpkins on the porches, piles of leaves blowing down our sidewalk, the reds, yellows and orange of the Cuyahooga Valley National Park blurring together.
We miss the winter of Central Oregon with white snow, x-country skiing to Tumalo Falls, Christmas Lights, a warm fire at home, nice turns on the Outback lift at Bachelor, and a Fir Christmas trees that smells everything like Christmas should.
We miss the Spring in Portland and Seattle as the Crocus peak through even in late February, the blooming house size Rhododendrums, the scent of NW coffee (even though I don’t drink coffee), hiking in the Old Growth Forests, and wearing a Gortex coat in lieu of a umbrella like any proud Northwestener would do.
We miss the summer of the Puget Sound as the Ferries are passing by, the lakes are prime for water skiing and swimming, the ocean is alive, the daylight that extends just when you need it most to get in that last bike ride, jump shot, or walk to get ice-cream with the girls.
8- We miss our country. I didn’t expect this at all until we were at a conference about reverse culture shock and it was suggested that when repatriating strong emotions, tears, and love for your home country can emerge; and I realized I hadn’t seen our flag or sang our national anthem in over 16 months (this also coincided with the Winter Olympics). I became sad and proud of the USA at the same time. I wanted to pledge allegiance, sing the star-spangled banner, and read the Declaration of Independence all at once. Without being ethnocentric, jingoistic, or any other ‘ic’ I have become even more aware that the United States is strong, generous, honest, free, and amazing country to call home. I’m more proud to be and American citizen living in Africa than I ever have been before. I’ll leave it at that.
7- We miss the American health care system. I know the system in America has faults. I know health insurance is expensive. I realize too many people that want to be insured are not. But once you have a condition that requires surgery in a third world setting...you will yearn for any City Hospital in America compared to the best hospitals here (no criticism intended) in Africa. We have missed the nursing care, specialization, privacy, competency, compassion, cleanliness, and excellence that the American Health care system provides.
6- We miss not being with family and friends when they need us. We are sorry! We feel helpless here when back home someone we know has open heart surgery, misses out on job sorely desired, is working things out in a new relationship, faces an unknown future of transition, has health problems, is in the hospital for pre-term labor, is redefining family, is fired from a job, has a big test, is being scrutinized, has lost their house, lost a family member, has problems with their children, isn’t being heard, wonders where God is right now. All of this and more has happened to family and friends since we have been gone. Skyping, e-mail, blogging, and mobile phones are great inventions but vastly poor substitutes for a hug, prayer, shared tear, a word of encouragement, or a cup of coffee together. We are still praying for you. Thankfully, there are no physical boundaries that prevent God’s ability to answer prayers.
5- We miss being with family and friends during the great times. The other day Meredith said, “Daddy I miss my cousins.” I wondered which cousins she was talking about as she now has 7 cousins (two new since we have left) and two other we have met just twice. The little ones (cousins and friends) are growing and we have missed countless birthdays, 2 Christmases, wedding, new births, Summer Reunions, graduations, and much more. I have heard of missionaries that have prayed that “God would take their longing for their families and friends away, to help them better serve without distraction.” Hey, we have been blessed with great friends at Kijabe and Tenwek...but our thinking is not in that camp! Our friends and family back home (YOU) are irreplaceable. And though we know the party must go on without us...we think it would be a much better party with the Friess Family present!
4- We miss being connected. They say a missionary is at best at least a season behind and at worst forever stuck in the year they went out on the mission field. That either means we are still living in 2008 (I think ‘W’ is no longer President) or at best somewhere in the spring of 2009. Occasionally I see Western visitors coming wearing rolled-up pants, big sunglasses, loafers, v-neck sweaters, collars up, and bigger hair than I am used to (is this the 80’s again)....and I wonder why are they dressed so differently? But it happened so consistently I finally realized no Malin...you are the one that is out of style (which is no big suprise). If I could just find my pegged pants, hairspray, and Izod shirts from 8th grade!
We missed celebrating together as Americans the Winter Olympics Gold Medals and Inauguration of our new President. Just the same coming together for the Relief in Haiti and even the downturn in the economy and just trying to understand the implications of the health care reform.
3- Can we each have a few superficial things we miss? Chipotle Burrito (black beans, cilantro, white rice, beef), a smooth road (for driving or cycling), street lights, pop tarts, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Cosco, March Madness, Borders Books, Nightly News, NBA Playoffs, and reliable internet.
2- And for Sara (a bit more refined)? Starbucks Coffee with friends, the convenience of Target, Panera Bread, a flat trail in which to run, NW Seafood, a great salad, and the Fine Arts (Broadway Musicals).
1- We miss our home churches? We miss worshiping with you through good music, engaging bible study, challenging sermons (Our home pastors are great and most any sermon they give could satisfy the 3AM phone call rule..Pastor what is your sermon about?...and they could give you the answer in one concise sentence!), and most of all your friendship. You are indeed glorifying God in how you worship. And also glorifying Him in your support of our family in Kenya.
Being called to be in Kenya now feels right, different, and far away from home all at once.
But I hesitate to write a list about missing...because it quickly transforms from what I miss (family, church, etc) to a pity story and/or complaint machine (bad African roads, inferior medical instruments breaking down, developing nation infrastructure, etc). Woe is me! I also wanted to wait until we lived in Kenya a substantial length of time (now 17 months) to figure out what I really missed (family) and things I could live without (Cinnamon Toast Crunch). I hope this list will share what we miss (because they are important parts of our life) and not come across as critical to Kenya, its people, or culture (We are blessed to be here with these good people). So here are the 10 things we miss about home in no particular order.
10- We miss the freedom to travel at night. Roads are not marked and cars often have one working headlight...that single headlight approaching may not be a motorcycle but a Lori (I also saw a motorcycle driving by flashlight), and bandits are about... it’s just not safe to drive at night. Where would we go if we could? Maybe a movie, a coffee shop, a book store, or out to dinner..with the girls falling asleep in the back in the dark on the way home and Sara and I talking.
9- We miss the seasons. The weather is 50-75 degrees daily, usually sunny, probably a lot like San Diego. The sun rises EVERYDAY (along with Meredith) at 6:15 AM and sets EVERYDAY at 7:15 PM (we are within driving distance of the equator). I could not tell you when the best month to harvest corn or plant tomatoes is and they may be the same month for all I know! The weather is so regular around Kijabe it can get a bit monotononous! What seasons do I miss?
We miss the authentic Autumn of Ohio with school resuming, the excitement of College Football, pumpkins on the porches, piles of leaves blowing down our sidewalk, the reds, yellows and orange of the Cuyahooga Valley National Park blurring together. We miss the winter of Central Oregon with white snow, x-country skiing to Tumalo Falls, Christmas Lights, a warm fire at home, nice turns on the Outback lift at Bachelor, and a Fir Christmas trees that smells everything like Christmas should.
We miss the Spring in Portland and Seattle as the Crocus peak through even in late February, the blooming house size Rhododendrums, the scent of NW coffee (even though I don’t drink coffee), hiking in the Old Growth Forests, and wearing a Gortex coat in lieu of a umbrella like any proud Northwestener would do.
We miss the summer of the Puget Sound as the Ferries are passing by, the lakes are prime for water skiing and swimming, the ocean is alive, the daylight that extends just when you need it most to get in that last bike ride, jump shot, or walk to get ice-cream with the girls.
8- We miss our country. I didn’t expect this at all until we were at a conference about reverse culture shock and it was suggested that when repatriating strong emotions, tears, and love for your home country can emerge; and I realized I hadn’t seen our flag or sang our national anthem in over 16 months (this also coincided with the Winter Olympics). I became sad and proud of the USA at the same time. I wanted to pledge allegiance, sing the star-spangled banner, and read the Declaration of Independence all at once. Without being ethnocentric, jingoistic, or any other ‘ic’ I have become even more aware that the United States is strong, generous, honest, free, and amazing country to call home. I’m more proud to be and American citizen living in Africa than I ever have been before. I’ll leave it at that.7- We miss the American health care system. I know the system in America has faults. I know health insurance is expensive. I realize too many people that want to be insured are not. But once you have a condition that requires surgery in a third world setting...you will yearn for any City Hospital in America compared to the best hospitals here (no criticism intended) in Africa. We have missed the nursing care, specialization, privacy, competency, compassion, cleanliness, and excellence that the American Health care system provides.
6- We miss not being with family and friends when they need us. We are sorry! We feel helpless here when back home someone we know has open heart surgery, misses out on job sorely desired, is working things out in a new relationship, faces an unknown future of transition, has health problems, is in the hospital for pre-term labor, is redefining family, is fired from a job, has a big test, is being scrutinized, has lost their house, lost a family member, has problems with their children, isn’t being heard, wonders where God is right now. All of this and more has happened to family and friends since we have been gone. Skyping, e-mail, blogging, and mobile phones are great inventions but vastly poor substitutes for a hug, prayer, shared tear, a word of encouragement, or a cup of coffee together. We are still praying for you. Thankfully, there are no physical boundaries that prevent God’s ability to answer prayers.
5- We miss being with family and friends during the great times. The other day Meredith said, “Daddy I miss my cousins.” I wondered which cousins she was talking about as she now has 7 cousins (two new since we have left) and two other we have met just twice. The little ones (cousins and friends) are growing and we have missed countless birthdays, 2 Christmases, wedding, new births, Summer Reunions, graduations, and much more. I have heard of missionaries that have prayed that “God would take their longing for their families and friends away, to help them better serve without distraction.” Hey, we have been blessed with great friends at Kijabe and Tenwek...but our thinking is not in that camp! Our friends and family back home (YOU) are irreplaceable. And though we know the party must go on without us...we think it would be a much better party with the Friess Family present!
4- We miss being connected. They say a missionary is at best at least a season behind and at worst forever stuck in the year they went out on the mission field. That either means we are still living in 2008 (I think ‘W’ is no longer President) or at best somewhere in the spring of 2009. Occasionally I see Western visitors coming wearing rolled-up pants, big sunglasses, loafers, v-neck sweaters, collars up, and bigger hair than I am used to (is this the 80’s again)....and I wonder why are they dressed so differently? But it happened so consistently I finally realized no Malin...you are the one that is out of style (which is no big suprise). If I could just find my pegged pants, hairspray, and Izod shirts from 8th grade!
We missed celebrating together as Americans the Winter Olympics Gold Medals and Inauguration of our new President. Just the same coming together for the Relief in Haiti and even the downturn in the economy and just trying to understand the implications of the health care reform.
3- Can we each have a few superficial things we miss? Chipotle Burrito (black beans, cilantro, white rice, beef), a smooth road (for driving or cycling), street lights, pop tarts, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Cosco, March Madness, Borders Books, Nightly News, NBA Playoffs, and reliable internet.
2- And for Sara (a bit more refined)? Starbucks Coffee with friends, the convenience of Target, Panera Bread, a flat trail in which to run, NW Seafood, a great salad, and the Fine Arts (Broadway Musicals).
1- We miss our home churches? We miss worshiping with you through good music, engaging bible study, challenging sermons (Our home pastors are great and most any sermon they give could satisfy the 3AM phone call rule..Pastor what is your sermon about?...and they could give you the answer in one concise sentence!), and most of all your friendship. You are indeed glorifying God in how you worship. And also glorifying Him in your support of our family in Kenya.
Being called to be in Kenya now feels right, different, and far away from home all at once.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tenwek Video Presentation
I couldn't download the bigger version of this video. So, the titles are not readable, but hopefully most of the pictures and video speaks for itself. It was created for my parents as they went back to Oak Harbor, WA to share with one of the 3 main churches that support us, First Reformed of Oak Harbor.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Empty Hands
Our hands are empty. Empty of the equipment we sent to Cameroon, empty of visas, empty of the sale of our house, empty of most of the stuff that used to be in our home, and empty from the goodbyes to most of our family and friends. In this emptiness it's easy to despair; we feel daily the Lord reminding us, "That a person plans their course, but the Lord directs their path." And in that we have hope. We believe God is sovereign and that God has a plan. We are confident God desires us to continue pursuing medical missions and are looking at opportunities while awaiting our visas. So for now we are asking: what does the Lord want to fill our hands with?
When God makes our path clear, we look forward to sharing that with you.
When God makes our path clear, we look forward to sharing that with you.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Grammie's Visit
Amelia and Meredith have been enjoying Grammie's visit for the past week. They've gone to the park, 
Nature realm, shopping, decorated cupcakes, gone to the library, read volumes of books and colored for hours. The girls will really miss her when she leaves tomorrow.
Nature realm, shopping, decorated cupcakes, gone to the library, read volumes of books and colored for hours. The girls will really miss her when she leaves tomorrow. Meredith is finally saying some new words, "book and ball." She is trying to walk down the stairs and is quick to escape the house if the door is left open.
Amelia recovered from her illness this weekend. She checked-out a book with Grammie called, "I lost my tooth in Africa." The girl places her tooth under a gourd and gets 2 chickens. Amelia is already planning what color her chickens should be when she loses her 1st tooth.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Auntie Kiersten's Wedding
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