Sunday, April 4, 2010

when life flips you on your head...learn how to do headstands!

Happy Easter! He is Risen!

It has been a long time. We have come and gone in Denver and spent some amazing time with friends and family. We have now been in Uganda for nearly 2 weeks…2 weeks the amount of time it take for the symptoms of malaria to set in. Yup! Looks like I have malaria. Think one little malaria mosquito bit me the night we landed in Kampala. Needless to say the last few days I have been hanging out in bed with a massive headache and ridiculously sore joints. My hips have just wanted to fall right off. The doctor told me yesterday malaria is Africa’s way of saying “Welcome to Africa.” What a welcome! (photo above from church today...you can hardly tell that I feel like junk!)

Judah has this crazy heat rash all over his body yet he still manages to bring just some gigantic smiles to everyone in and out of the house. He wore his little suit to church today. So stinkin’ cute! He just stole my heart. He is enjoying chasing butterflies, jumping in puddles and “coloring” in the dirt with his new little friends in the village….and of course greeting everyone we pass on the street.

Kimbal has been amazing. He has really been a strong rock for us weak folks, helping me to not feel so crazy when I feel so bad. We have all been running around trying to find a house that will work for all 7 of us. And he has been thinking of ways to design kitchens and beds that will be both cheap and a little fun. I am sure I’ll post pictures when we find the place and have taken residence. I know it is really a short update but it is one indeed…

…in the middle of all this chaos I have been thinking of something…

Back in New Haven (my how that seems forever away), during my last few weeks of yoga practice I decided I would just take a chance at doing headstand. I tried. I kicked up my legs and used all my gusto to get up. I didn’t get very far. “I’m just not strong enough yet,” I thought.

After class, I gathered my things and then Peg came to find me. She told me how I was coming into headstand wrong and tried to show me how to do it differently. I told her my thought that I must just not be strong enough, she smiled and said back, “Oh, no I think you are plenty strong. You just need to make a few conscious adjustments.”

After some long days with malaria and all of these other crazy adjustments our family is making—like the never-ending battle to try to keep Judah somewhat germ-clean-ish, living in a new place, little power, little water, battling to get Judah to sleep with out a fan in a crib that he just learned he can climb out of, I have broken down several times. Each time in the middle of it all I think to myself “This is hard and I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to do this.”

I feel as though as we sit on the other side of the world that our lives have been flipped on their heads. Literally, they have. Today I am remembering that day in class and wondering what conscious adjustments I could make to wind up stronger and in a beautiful headstand…


[insert photo of me on amazing African Grass with the sunset behind me doing a headstand....it doesn't exist yet because my head hurts WAY too much from the malaria and it take oh, 2 hours to upload a photo...so you only get one today! ]

4 comments:

Holly and Ben Porter said...

as soon as you feel better my dear friend, we'll take that photo! you are amazing and it is such a privilege to stand on my head next to you.

Carrie said...

I was actually thinking of you guys today while we were at church. Irony of ironies that I (of all people) was in church...I know. Anyway...in our pastor encouraged quiet prayer time I prayed for strength for you. I remember riding in a bus in Chile with you and Morgan and you two were talking about some character from the Bible (I assume) who just had it rough. There was a prayer that this unfortunate guy said or some lesson that God never gives us more than we can handle and that for all of the challenges we encounter, we ARE prepared with strength to handle them.

I was thinking about the huge challenge that Uganda will be for you and how difficult it must be to follow what you know is God's path for you and I just kept thinking of that conversation with you and Morgan in the bus. Headstand or not, I know you have the strength you need. Best yet you have the allies of friends and family and LOVE around you that will be strong when you are not and you, in turn, will return the favor. I love you!

Carrie

Jim Peterson said...

I have no doubt at all that the photo you describe will show up on this site one of these days. Remember, you don't have to be strong enough, you just need to consiously stay open and tap into the strength of the Spirit inside you, the strenght of our Lord who endured the cross, the strength of the Father maker of all that is...the strenght of God will carry you, the same God who has flipped you on your head will give you the strength to live there. Praying you feel better soon. Love to you, your family, your companions there now and the two still to come. I'll pray daily that you will be able to adjust to and fall in love with life upside down! - as always, jim

Unknown said...

The world looks a little different when standing on your head, no? Proud of you Kel!