We're Alive Over Here!

I haven't been posting.  I wish I could blame the internet, but I would be lying.  It has actually been pretty decent the last few weeks.  I just haven't had it in me.  I've been trying to be self-disciplined with my language study and I'm going to be honest and tell you that I really hate it.  So, by the time I accomplish what needs to be done to keep our family up and running, then do what I need to do to make any progress in language, the last thing I want to do before I collapse into bed is try to make sense of it all in some sort of written form.

But this week, I've sort have had that blogging itch again.   I think maybe it's because I feel like everything else is spinning out of control and so I can go and blog in my happy place where everything is nice and orderly.  Now, before any of you panic, my reference to "spinning out of control" has nothing to do with anything serious or eternal.  My marriage isn't falling apart, my kids aren't terminally ill, and we're not hunkered down with security issues.  It's more the normal, every day spinning out of control.  You know, the electricity current hasn't been high enough to run the dryer or for that matter the fridge most of the week.  This means our house looks like Sanford and Son again with clothing in various stages of the laundry process.  We have a language evaluation next week that's looming large.  Ryan's had to make 2 runs to the embassy in Abuja in the last few weeks to renew Abby's passport so that we can go on vacation in a few weeks.

Yes, I said, VACATION.  Ask me if I'm going to be excited to board an airplane and go to a place that has semi-dependable electricity and where I can wear pants in public.  Go ahead, ask me!  The answer is yes!  A resounding "YES!"  We are thrilled to be heading to a conference in Kenya where we'll be tacking on two fun-filled weeks in Nairobi.  I'm hoping that getting away for a few weeks will be the exact renewal that we need to come back and hit it all again.

Speaking of language, I hate it.  Did I mention that?  I mean I don't really hate the language.  I really like seeing progress.  I have always enjoyed learning new things.  But, I hate how much time it's taking.  I hate how little flexibility it leaves in my life.  I hate the demands that language learning places on my family.  I don't like the fact that no matter what I'm doing I feel like I should probably be focusing on language tasks instead.  I think it's taking me ridiculous amounts of time for me to reach preschool level speech.  I really don't like that I have the pressure to reach a certain level by a certain time.  Then again, without a deadline I don't know that I'd push my sorry-self in any way.  

Staying motivated is hard, especially here where English is so widely spoken.  It's so tempting to use English when I could use Hausa.  Once in a while, I get a "maybe this is worth it" moment.  Like Monday.  Ryan was in Abuja with the van and we needed eggs.  (You need a lot of eggs when all of your food comes from scratch.)  Anyway, I was walking home from the nearest spot where I can purchase eggs and I passed an old, old lady carrying an insane amount of wood on her head.  So I greeted her with a Hausa 101 greeting as we passed.  That sweet (toothless) lady just grinned the biggest sweet (toothless) grin as she bowed a bit and began thanking me over and over again simply for greeting her.  I couldn't help but smile as I walked on listening to my Hausa phrases with my trusty Sony recorder and my earbuds.

I'm rambling.  All of that to say:
1.  Stay tuned, I'm in a blogging mood.
2.  We could use your prayers next Weds. and Thurs. as we attempt to demonstrate to our language evaluators that we've actually progressed in our language learning over the last 3 months.  Please pray for clarity, recall, and an ear that is tuned in to hearing Hausa that day.  Thanks friends!