| Hey faithful blog readers, Below is an adaption of the Christmas letter I sent out to my ministry email list. If you’re interested in news about my family, read on! If you’ve prayed for us in 2023, I am so grateful. God is good; all the time. Every year we’ve been back in the States has gotten a little better, a little easier. Raising three teenagers (and one almost-teenager) who are working through a variety of layers of loss and identity keeps Gil and I on our knees, but we are thankful for so much in 2023: Grace’s baptism, academic improvement in a couple of kids, lots of reunions with friends from Tanzania this year, and a number of wonderful adults who are pouring into our kids’ lives. Here’s some updates and pictures about all of us:    Grace had an amazing year! She went to Panama on a short-term service trip, starred as Ursula in “The Little Mermaid,” made it onto “All-League First Team” in varsity basketball, helped to choreograph the church musical, works a part-time job in child care, and is taking several AP classes. She brightens everyone’s day with her sunny personality. Grace is now a senior and would love to go to Biola next year but she’s thinking she will likely go to our local community college first to save money. She wants to be a middle school English/History teacher, and of course, we think that’s a great idea!  Josiah (now a sophomore) continues to excel in soccer, making “All-League First Team” on the Varsity team as a freshman — which is quite an accomplishment. He just turned 16 so his aspirations are now to learn to drive and get a job (so that we let him drive!). Josiah likes to pretend he’s tough but he still hugs his mom (and still greatly enjoys jumping out and scaring the living daylights out of her).   Lily graduated from 8th grade in May which means we have three high schoolers this year! She’s decided she is done with sports and is sticking with creating things. She took a sewing class and bought her own sewing machine this year. She also happily takes over the kitchen whenever I travel to Minnesota for work.    Johnny is now in 6th grade and is nurturing a love for music — he plays clarinet in the school band, but he also started piano lessons and is taking off. (His teacher says he is a natural at playing by ear!) He also joined the cross-country team and is pushing himself hard. He is especially proud of the fact that he broke his older brother’s 6th grade 1 mile time (under 6 minutes). This boy can run for days! He recently hit a growth spurt and is rapidly catching up to his siblings.  Gil continues to teach high school Bible full-time and was requested by the Class of 2023 to be their commencement speaker — a testimony to his impact and influence on his students. Gil’s favorite class to teach is “Worldviews,” where he challenges students to think deeply about what they believe.  And of course, we must acknowledge the happy presence of Mzungu the dog in our family, who can make even the grumpiest teenager smile. As a family, we continue to deepen our relationships at our church and in our community. The home group we host is thriving and has expanded this year. I joined the committee at church that plans short-term missions trips, and, in fact….we plan to lead one next year: Our family will be returning to Tanzania in June for three weeks (with a team from our church)!  I’m now in my fourth year serving with ReachGlobal (the organization that sent us to Tanzania). I am on the Engage Team, which means I help to interview, onboard, and train new cross-cultural workers. I was promoted to Associate Director this year and have enjoyed the challenge of new and different responsibilities. I work remotely most of the time but travel to Minnesota several times a year for interviewing and training events. I also have had several additional speaking events this year–to help train short-term teams in cross-cultural sensitivity, to train church missions leaders in creating a missions culture, and even to teach a weekend retreat on anxiety for teen girls. My job is a support-raising position, meaning I have to raise all the funds needed for my salary, benefits, and travel expenses. I haven’t yet met my fundraising goals for 2023, so if you would be interested in becoming a monthly partner or making an end-of-year gift, please click here to make a donation. It’s always tax deductible. If you are interested in joining my ministry email list, please let me know at contactamy@amy-medina.com. (This is different from subscribing to this blog by email.) Thank you for reading this post, and so many others! Your comments and emails in response to my articles are what keep me writing. I am so grateful to each of you! By grace, Amy |
Tag: Medina Life Page 1 of 7
I’ve been thinking that I would welcome a lock-down about now. It sounds lovely to imagine no soccer practice, no activities taking my teens in all different directions, and plenty of time for meandering family walks around the neighborhood. I wonder how different things would have been for us if the pandemic had hit in 2022 instead of 2020.
Of course, when I daydream, I only imagine the good parts. And I often fail to remember how the real-life bad parts have contributed to the real-life good parts I have today.
The pandemic, as awful as it was for us, is what brought us to Redlands. If we hadn’t left Tanzania early, Gil wouldn’t have been available to take the substitute job that led to his current job. I’m happy in 2022, but we wouldn’t have gotten here without 2020, even though I wish I could erase it.
Two years in, I can genuinely say that I love where God has planted me.
Walk beyond my neighborhood, and I find acres of orange groves. In the winter the brilliant oranges stand out against lush green leaves like California Christmas ornaments. Now that it’s spring, I open my windows, and in wafts the heady scent of orange blossoms.
This is always a complicated question. Let’s see if I can answer it in categories:
Kids:
They are the main reason we returned, so I’ll start here. Our kids are doing remarkably well, considering everything they’ve been through this past year. They all like their new school; they all have lots of friends. I can’t express what a huge relief this is.
Grace and Josiah started the year online, but working from school (Grace in the library, Josiah in the gym). We jumped on this option because it gave them a chance to make friends–and it worked. Since Grace was at school every day (as a staff kid), and the other students rotated days, for a while she had her Monday friends, her Tuesday friends….you get the idea. So when everyone came back on campus, her friend group was huge! She has been in friend heaven.
I was most concerned about Josiah, starting a new school and a new life as a seventh grade boy. But in God’s kindness, I think that starting the year off with just a few other kids in the gym was exactly what he needed. In fact, once all the kids were back in school full-time, Josiah told me, “Mom, I miss the gym. This was one of my best school years ever because of the months in the gym.” Well, what do you know? Thanks, COVID (and God’s providence), for that silver lining.
“Those who repatriate to their “home” country aren’t just moving from one state or province to another. They aren’t just losing a measurable number of people, places and ‘sacred objects.’ It’s the intangibles that exacerbate their grief and intensify their response to it. Missionaries’ Kids who are enduring transition have lost the languages, sounds, aromas, events, values, security, familiarity and belonging that have been their life—an integral part of who they are and how they view the world. When they leave their heart-home, it feels as if they’re surrendering their identity too.” (Michele Phoenix)
Here’s just a sample of those “languages, sounds, aromas, events, values, and familiarity” that my kids have lost in moving to America. I know that kids adapt. My kids are great at it. But I don’t want them to ever forget where they came from, and the many things that made their childhoods so special.
Azam Juices
Azam juice boxes are a Tanzanian icon; frozen Azam juice boxes are a Haven of Peace Academy icon. Slice off the top with a knife and you have an instant popsicle. The snack bar sells them daily; my kids have eaten probably thousands in their lifetime.
Hot Christmases
Living in the Southern Hemisphere means the seasons are reversed. Living at sea level near the equator means it never gets cold. The hottest time of the year is December and January, which means we never had a cold Christmas in Dar es Salaam. However, even in July, which is technically “winter,” never gets below the mid-70’s. Ever. Even when it’s raining. Which explains why my children are freezing in California air conditioning.
Piles of Pineapples
I always said that pineapple season, which starts in November and goes through February, is Tanzania’s apology for the stifling hot weather. Piles and piles of pineapples are sold on the roadside during pineapple season. During the height, our family would eat two a day.
“That Good Chicken Place”–our version of fast food
Street food was the only form of fast food in our area, and just about every Saturday night I would stop by this outdoor restaurant to buy grilled chicken, fries, or rice and vegetables. This chicken? To die for. Seriously. Service would take anywhere from 15-40 minutes, so I guess it wasn’t always ‘fast.’ But I didn’t have to cook it, so it was worth waiting for.
Chips Mayai and Beans and Rice
Beans and rice are like Tanzanian mac and cheese. When I knew I would have a lot of kids over at the house, beans and rice were on the menu. All kids love them, or they learn to. Chips mayai is French Fries cooked with eggs like an omelet. Everyone loves chips mayai. Not a breakfast food, though. This is lunch.
Bajajis
What is known as a “bajaji” is a three-wheeled rickshaw imported from India. We had a car, but just one, so that meant that part of the family often needed another form of transportation. Bajajis are cheaper than taxis and safer than motorbikes or buses, so we used them often.
Nets and Fans
Mosquito nets (soaked in Permethrin) and fans attached to their beds was how we kept out the bugs and kept the air moving. Josiah is so used to sleeping with a fan straight on his face that he has politely asked for a fan everywhere we’ve been visiting in the States–even if it’s not hot.
Market Shopping
Sometimes we would be driving along and someone would yell out “Hey, there’s the Croc guy!” We would quickly pull over because whenever you saw the Croc guy with his cart fulled of used Crocs for sale (shipped over from U.S. thrift stores), you knew that it was time to stock up on Crocs. Buying used clothes and shoes from open air markets was our normal. Picking out gorgeous Tanzanian fabric and having it tailor-made into dresses was a treat.
Playing in Unusual Places
So, playing Capture the Flag or Nerf Wars in the half-finished, abandoned hotel next door to their friends’ house was totally cool. You just had to be careful to avoid the bats, of course.
Last week was mid-term break (it’s not called “Fall Break” around here; we don’t have “Fall”) and we went to our favorite beach for four days with our friends Tim, Emily, Caleb, and Imani. For all six of us Medinas, they are some of our longest friends in Tanzania.
We met Tim and Emily in 2002, just a few months after Gil and I had arrived in Tanzania. But what really brought us together was that Tim and Emily adopted Caleb just months before we adopted Grace. Then, Tim and Emily adopted Imani just months before we adopted Josiah. Caleb and Imani were Grace and Josiah’s first friends, and now, their longest friends.
Tim and Emily don’t live in Dar es Salaam, so we don’t see them often–usually just a couple of times a year. They live in a remote part of Tanzania doing incredibly cool things. But for many years, whenever they were in town, they would stay with us, which meant that their kids and our kids did a lot of life together. In fact, for a few years, Caleb and Imani would join our kids at HOPAC whenever they visited.
Getting my children together with Caleb and Imani is always an amazing delight. Their personalities mesh perfectly; they enjoy each other; they bring out the best in each other. And their shared life stories make their relationships particularly special. And of course, Gil and I think their parents are pretty awesome too.
So last week was a magical four days with perfect weather, moonlit games of Capture the Flag, beach bonfires, giant succulent fish dinners, and laughter. Oh, so much laughter. It was Tim and Emily who first introduced us to this perfect beach many years ago, so it was fitting that we got to spend these days with them there–during what might be our last trip to this beach.
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| Reading Stronger Than Death |
And since I’m feeling pretty nostalgic these days, knowing that these kind of times are coming to an end for us, I’ll take you on a trip down Memory Lane with the Medina kids’ friendship with Caleb and Imani.
