blogging

liebster award

28.4.14


well, kate from dream sailor was sweet enough to tag me with the lobster award!  when i first started this blog i thought it would only be for family and a couple of family friends, i never imagined that i would find a whole community of awesome folks through the blog.  but anywho, kate has a super awesome blog that i really love,  her pictures are amazing!  so thanks for tagging me kate!  and the rest of y'all go check her out!
here's how this award works:
+ thank the amazing blogger that nominated you
+ answer the 11 questions the nominator provided
+ nominate a few other bloggers who have less than 200 followers
+ post 11 different questions for your nominees to answer
+ contact your nominees to let them know that you've nominated them

so here are my answers to her questions:
1. Favorite outdoor location?
well, here's where my nomadic-like life makes it difficult…  
-in mt (home), my favorite place would have to be lake como, a small, crystal blue lake nestled in a valley surrounded by gorgeous mountains, and it's only 15 minutes from where we're always lived.  
-in ca, it'd the beach, the ocean is absolutely marvelous!  as much as i love the mountains, the beach has always been one of my favorite things.
-in ga, probably stone mountain
-in france, there's a small village called Arcy-sur-cure, in the middle of absolutely no where that is absolutely amazing, and there is also a little island off the coast of france thats only inhabitants are seagulls and about 50 people working in restaurants. so if i go missing, look for me there... 
-here, the rocks are pretty amazing, if it weren't for the insane amount of bugs and critters i would love to spend the night out there sometime...

2. Best poem ever?
you know, i don't really know…  i don't really read poetry, it's probably something i should check though, i now have another thing to add to my mile long "to read" list :) 


3. Last song you listened to
beating heart by ellie goulding

4. One of the most inspiring blogs you've ever read
a holy experience, it's like a breathe of cool winter air

5. Favorite ocean animal?
i think it'd have to be a dolphin, they're pretty awesome.

6. Fictional crush?
hmm… caspian from narnia (as kate said) and probably laurie from little women.  as i often say, "laurie ruined my expectation for neighbor boys" :)

7. Something you want to change about the world
the amount of hunger and loss that i see everyday which is heartbreaking.  little ones running around in rags, jagged scars on their legs and such skinny little arms.  i know that the only One who can change any of this is Christ, but if it was in my power, this would be my something to change about the world.

8. Somewhere you would like to go on vacation to
i would love to go back to england and do a big ireland/scotland/england trip, i love london and i'm pretty sure i'd love the other also.  preferably i could wander around for a month or so...

9. What is your dream for your blog/writing?
my goal for writing and blogging is to glorify God,  encourage others toward Him and take others along with me on this amazing journey that is life.

10. Favorite character from the Princess Bride?
well, i knew i would like you kate, but you have officially sealed the deal now.  whenever i hear anyone make a reference  to or talk about the princess bride, i know i've found a true friend.  my favorite character, hmmm….  so many good options, but i think it would have to be either indigo montoya, miracle max or wesley...

11. Best bit of advice you've ever received? 
life's short, so eat dessert first…  
but seriously: write a blank check of your life to God and watch the amazing things that he does with you

i nominate:
rose from truly. madly. deeply.
s. from a free mind
mackenzie from think. eat. write. read.
kalin from modesty is my policy
kryn from garden of happiness
moriah from home on the erie canal
samantha s. from le chaim (on the right)
and my questions for y'all are:
1. perfect day?
2. favorite drink? 
3. best song?
4. favorite blog(s)?
5. favoritest superhero & why?
6. earliest memory?
7. weirdest thing you've ever done?
8. biggest fear?
9. signature lotion/scent?
10. best DQ blizzard?
11. best band in the world?

 okeedoke have fun ladies!
in christ,
jana

 btw, i got a super cool new design from rose, which means that i now have a button for y'all!  so if you want to swap buttons or something like that, just let me know!!
xoxo

everyday blessings

everyday blessings {2}

22.4.14


don't forget in the valley what He showed you on the mountain. 

learning to see the beauty through the pain, 
opening my eyes to how incredibly blessed i am:

-power and water being on all day today
-using my inner (french) computer geek to help someone with their computer
-communicating in french 
-the harsh beauty that is africa
-A+ on quarterly science test
-a family Skype call last night
-spending time with folks my age for the first time in a month and a half
-laying on the ground looking at the stars late into the night with said friends
-texting with friends on 2 different continents at the same time
-watching frozen for the first time (do you wanna build a snowman?)
-rain for the first time in weeks
-an impromptu frozen concert from a sweet little cousin over skype
-the delighted grins on woman's faces when i respond to their greeting in Jula 
-cleaning the kitchen with my ipod on shuffle
-awesome breakout acapella versions of what makes you beautiful
-new blog designs in the works (yeah!)
-blossoming relationships 

He is risen!


technical

how to comment 101

10.4.14

I hope everyone is having a lovely Thursday.  I am, mainly because that means tomorrow is Friday!!  Friday will always be my favorite day of the week, no matter where I am in the world… 
Anyway, the reason for this post is that I have heard from a couple people that they were either unable to leave a comment or didn't know how, so i thought that i would put a little tutorial up here for everyones benefit.  and hopefully to my future delight, because I love comments!
 So, the tutorial:

If someone has comments enabled on his or her blog, then you can usually find a "comments" link at the end of each post, my setup looks a little different that this but this should give you an idea of what is will look like:
View comments
If you click the comment link, you'll see the comments that other readers have left, and the option to leave your own.
>
Beneath the text field for your comment are the identity options. (The list might have some other options)
Options might include:
  • Google Account: If you choose this option, your comment will be attributed to your Google account, or if you use Google+ then the name used on your Google+ profile will show up next to the comment.
  • Anonymous: If you comment anonymously it will not show your Google account name.  If you choose this i just ask that you would put your name in the comment so I know who it is! 
If you guys have any more questions about commenting or any other part of navigating the blog, either leave a comment (if this tutorial helped) or email me.  

Burkina

black and white, the little things in life

8.4.14







black and white, the little things in life.  this is what has come out of a lot writing, erasing, deleting and rewriting.  i hope that it's clear and that my heart can be heard even through my mess of words... 

i think that somewhere along the way of my blogging journey, i don't know where, but somewhere i stopped looking at this blog as mine.  i saw it only as a ministry tool, a way for people to keep track of our traveling and ministry in the last year and a half.  

you've probably noticed, (being the observant bunch that you are), that i haven't been posting a lot lately.  that's for a couple of reason, one of them being that my writing has been changing so much, sometimes i don't even recognize it as my own.  but the main reason is that i've been having a hard time finding the motivation to post, mainly because i felt that it needed to be in a certain way.  i've been trying to make sure that i share the main ministry highlights, being positive and showing the parts that people want to see; working with our neighbors, spending time with the neighborhood kids and the insane capabilities burkinabe have for (over)loading trucks.  

i have been sharing the ministry parts of life, the highlights, but i haven't been sharing the life behind the ministry; the sleepless nights because of the heat or the exhaustion of always having to be "on", and ready for people.  the whole reason i started this blog was to bring other people along with me, to have an online journal that other people could peak into and see what the Lord does with my life, to share the good, the bad and the ugly.  this is my means of sharing how i feel and what i experience, it won't always be in a perfectly crafted post,  but (hopefully) i will always be able get the heart behind the words across. 

because i don't have much contact with kids my age here (the closest girl my age, who speaks english, being four hours away), i haven't  had someone i can get comfy on a couch with and spill my guts to in quite a while.  i always have my mom and dad (who have been amazing through this whole transition process, from the last few months in the states to coming here), but they're going though the same things i am, and more, they're trying to figure out how to raise a family, live life and do ministry here.  they are always there for me, but sometimes, just like anywhere else in the world, sometimes you need an outside ear to listen.  and this is the closest thing i have to a comfy couch and someone to talk about life with, this blog is my couch and y'all are my someones. 

even though i'm an introvert (and, no that doesn't mean i hate people), i need fellowship and community, which is kinda hard to come by when you're eight hours away from the majority of the small, english speaking community here in burkina.  some days are harder than others, but lately they've been harder.  the Lord has done an amazing thing through this little blog of mine, He has brought me a community of folks from around the world.  given me a little community all of my own, via the web.  it's pretty awesome how He can use people you don't even know, to encourage you and lift you up on the hard days. 

you guys don't know how much it means to know that there are people, whom i haven't even met before, lifting me up in prayer before the throne of grace.

i realize that no one really wants to see the ugly parts of life, i know i don't.  but life has a way of being just as ugly as it is beautiful at times, and it seems that over here the hard parts come a little faster.  most days i can take the hard parts as confirmation that we are supposed to be here, someone is pushing back our advances for the Kingdom.  so we press further into God and push forward a little harder.  but other days it's hard to see the reason behind the push-back when you're laid out, flat on your back.   

one of the reasons that i've shied away from writing about the hard parts of life is because of the effects it might have.  it's scary to talk about the hard parts of life for fear of people only seeing it as whining and complaining.  it's hard to risk what people may think of you all for the sake of being honest.
i've spent hours thinking, praying and writing, trying to find a way to not come across as just complaining about the hard parts of life.  and i've come to realize, that i can only do so much, i can do my best, and the rest it up to the Lord and the reader.  the spirit in which the writing is read, is just as important as the spirit in which it is written.

i think that most of you, who don't know me in person, have been around long enough that you have a pretty good idea of who i am, though i'm not sure if that's good or bad...  but you guys have stuck with me this far and i am trusting that you know my heart.  you guys can handle me being honest about the good, the bad and the ugly, you can be my willing ears, and i praise God for that.  

so here's to a sort of restart to this blog.  to a blog where i can share my heart and thoughts of life, the good, the bad and the ugly.  and all (hopefully) without making anyone feel like they've been smacked, well maybe occasionally a "wake-up and smell the coffee" smack, but not one that lays you flat.

i thank God for you every time i remember you. in all my prayers for all of you, i always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:3-6

this has been my prayer for you guys, my little web community that the Lord has used in huge ways.  

love in Christ,
jana

p.s. the photos have nothing to do with the post, except for the fact that i like them and they are little parts of my everyday life.  the windows in this house all have this weird reflective coating on them, so when the windows are open, i pretty much live in a house of mirrors.  which isn't too bad, except for the fact that most days, whether out of laziness or the simplicity of life here, i don't give a second thought to what i look like….

Africa

les yeux bruns

2.4.14


i dodge the ever present black bags blowing across path.  
as i turn the corner i am greeted by chants of "tubaboo!" and "le blanche!". 
i see a 3-year old girls, her bare tummy in the sun, running towards a courtyard with green, weathered gates, chattering all the while. 
we walk up to the green gate that is pulled wide to allow us into the crowded, dirt courtyard. 

as i pass through the entrance i smell the fermented corn drying in the sun, the dirt, wet from washing under my feet  and the gathered hot bodies. 
i duck underneath the clotheslines fluttering in the wind like flags.  
i sit in a plastic lawn chair, long ago turned red with african mud, their best being offered to their guests.  i feel eyes staring my way, i look to meet the dark brown eyes of a small boy with bare feet.  
i smile and white teeth flash across his dark skin.

the small, naked baby that had been playing in the dirt at my feet in the dirt, turns his big brown eyes to peer up at me.  
he blinks a couple times and stares, obviously torn between his curiosity and fear of these new people.  he gives into fear as big tears roll down his face leaving trails on his dirty face.  
the chattering 3-year old sister picks him up and hands him to his laughing mama. 
 we smile and laugh at the baby's fear and confusion of a person with white skin.  
he is comforted only to look up at our smiling faces, and start to cry again.

the mama kisses the baby's tear streaked face.
"you will learn, she says to us, we will teach you Jula."
this woman who has so many children and has surely lost many. 
this woman who's husband is gone, working in another country for 7 months every year. 
this woman who's husband has just taken a second wife. 
this woman who lives in spiritual fear, of an unloving god.
this woman who loves her babies and cares for her family.
this woman who is filled with joy and laughter. 
she smiles at us and nods as if decided, "yes, you will learn, we will teach you Jula."

~

on the walk home i marvel at the joy and peace around me.  
amidst the trash and rocks, children run around kicking a wad of plastic as they play football.  
chickens, goats and donkeys wander on the harsh ground looking for food. 
women walk for miles with buckets of water on their heads and a sleeping baby on their back.

these people, they are why we came, why i came.
to laugh with the children playing football and calling out my pale skin. 
 to wave at the little ones sitting in the dirt as we pass by.  
to struggle with the other kids my age in the neighborhood as I try to speak with them in my broken French.
to tell them of a love so great, that God Almighty sent His Son to die for us. 
to tell them of a peace and joy that passes all understanding.

 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

i'm afraid that was a little bit of a ramble, but that's what been going on and i haven't really been able to put together a clear thought lately.  so i guess that goes for blog posts also...