Book Reviews

For those of you who know me even slightly, you probably know I am an avid reader. Actually, my husband claims it is more than that, he says I should join Books Anonymous! "Hello, my name is Beka, and I have a problem..." Usually my books of choice are fiction, especially when I had small children and reading was one of my only escapes. Perhaps it is because the kids are growing older and my brain feels slightly less fatigued and more able to cope with deeper thinking, but recently I have been attracted to several non fiction books; three in a row, in fact! I really enjoyed all of them. They were well written and thought provoking. To mark this momentous occasion, I thought I would share them with you...

The first book I read is a slim volume entitled Prayer Saturated Kids by Cheryl Sacks and Arlyn Lawrence. This book was an easy read and very practical. It had some great creative ideas for encouraging kids to pray as well as exposing them to different kinds of prayer. I was convicted that I often dismiss kids' prayers as trivial, but this book reminded me that God loves and wants to encourage their great faith! We should as well!
Parts of this book made me feel uncomfortable, but it wasn't because I strongly disagreed with the content as much as some of the authors' ideas were outside of my comfort zone, not necessarily a bad thing. While I was interested in trying some of their suggestions, there are other things that I just can't picture myself doing. I do wish they had spent more than two paragraphs in dealing with disappointment in prayer. The little that is said is sound, but the issue could have used further discussion. Throughout the entire book, the reader is encouraged to help kids grow in their life of faith through prayer, a good thing. But we know that sometimes God chooses not to answer a prayer how or when we would like. This can be a difficult thing for anyone, adult or child, to deal with and the topic deserved a more thorough response from the authors. I don't believe they offered a definition of faith either, which I think is crucial for a biblical understanding of prayer. Over all, I would recommend this book. It reminded me of my responsibility of teaching and modeling prayer for my children.

The second book loan I had was one entitled Sacred Marriage. The subtitle hooked me right away, "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?" Again, this was an easy book to read and digest, but very thought provoking. It was very practical too. I really enjoyed the way Gary Thomas intermingled centuries of Christian thought and a thorough knowledge of Scripture as the basis for his points. Thomas delves into the nitty gritty of relationships with very clear examples. While I wouldn't have said my goal in life was happiness, when presented with a picture of what it might look like to pursue holiness in relationships and the logical actions that would follow that decision, I realized I was more focused on my personal happiness than I had imagined. Pursuing holiness may also make me happy, but not necessarily, and that is ok. This book definitely changed the way I look at my relationship with Ian and started me thinking in a similar vein about other relationships... how does parenting, working inside and outside my home, being a neighbor, interacting with people from other cultures etc... make me more holy? Or am I settling for happy? If you are married at any stage, I would HIGHLY recommend this book!!

Foreign to Familiar is the third book I just finished reading. This book by Sarah Lanier is not very long, it could easily be read in one or two sittings, but it is very clear and presents ideas in ways that are easy to grasp. Lanier uses her background of living and working all around the world to share different ways that cultures relate. She compares and contrasts two different, generalized ways of seeing the world. I appreciated that she didn't say or even imply that one way was better than the other, rather she clearly shows the strengths and weaknesses of both styles of interaction and how the two styles can better understand the other. From her concrete examples, you can tell that she has a lot of experience in interacting with both "hot and cold" cultures (her labels). As I read I saw the multitude of ways I could unintentionally convey the wrong message to someone just by living and communicating as I have always done. This book heightened my awareness of possible misunderstandings people might have in interacting with me. I feel better prepared to look for red flags in my interpersonal communication. Because of the easy transportation available in our world today, almost anyone could benefit from this book whether you have students or neighbors, coworkers or fellow church members who grew up in a culture different from your own. Anyone that travels or interacts cross-culturally should read this book.

Now that I feel like the Reading Rainbow music should be coming on at any moment, I will wrap this up! Normally recommending books like this would be way too much effort, but I really did find all three of these books exceptionally helpful. I would be interested in your opinion if you have read or choose to read any of them. They've given me much food for thought over the past month. Now that my brain has feasted, I will head back to the fiction section... Don't want to over eat! :)

Sahel Spirit Week

Each year over Columbus Day weekend, the community here in Niger put on a softball tournament. They have both competitive and social teams competing for a trophy in each category. Since softball is a game that allows for both sexes, many ages, and varied ability levels, it is always a fun time for the whole family. This year, the tournament was especially fun as almost every game was a close one and there were several come from behind wins. Ian played, as he does every year. Their team lost by one run in the second overtime inning to the Competitive team from Sahel. It was such a great game, it was difficult to be too disappointed.Sahel Academy, where the kids attend, sponsored a total of 4 teams this year! One competitive and three social teams. As usual, leading up the the weekend and the following week of "fall" break, the school had Spirit week. Each day, the student council picks a new theme. At recess time, there is a costume parade. Finally to top off the week, Friday at the end of school, there is an all school pep rally where the each class presents a cheer, the Sahel teams are loudly cheered for and prayed for, and the costume winners for elementary and secondary are announced for each day. Here is Kay's class with their cheer.This year, the themes of the day included:
Hippie Day:
Tom was especially proud of his mustache, but I think it was the wig that insured him the prize!
Class Choice Day:
Grades 1/2 were cowboys and grades 3/4 were Indigenous Peoples... Not pictured is our 50's girl, Heidi Sports/Team Jersey Day:
Heidi and Kay proudly supported the Red Sox, and Tom wore his Romanian soccer jersey. Kay's sign reads, " I cheer for 2 teams, the Red Sox and whoever beats the Yankees!"Fairy Tale/Fantasy Day:
Tom's ultimate goal for this day was to wear a costume for which he could stuff a pillow up his shirt! As a result, he was the Princess and the Pea...Here is a second picture of the Pea with his sister the Gingerbread Man...And last, but not least, Puss in Boots! (This was rehearsal without the nose and whiskers.)and, as always, Friday was Sahel Suns Spirit Day, our colors are Yellow and Black!

As always, the kids were very creative and had lots of fun. Tom even came home with a free soda coupon for winning first prize for elementary Hippie Day! It was so fun seeing their excitement and imagination! Hope you enjoy the pictures! Unfortunately, some days Heidi had to go to school dressed for PE and change into her costume after-wards. To see the pictures of her on those days, and more of the kids, check out my face book account and see photos that other people took during the costume parades.

Kay's Teacher: Our Answer to Prayer

Over many months we have been praying for the special someone that would teach Kay's third and fourth grade class! Here she is!
When I think of Miss M, I think of 1 Corinthians 13 because above all, I know she loves the kids she teaches! We are praying for strength and creativity for her. For good communication with each child and family, and understanding of each child's needs and strengths. Without love, however, all the math and grammar she could teach would be empty and meaningless, so we are thankful for her good humor, her servant's heart, her dog, Lieta, and especially, her love for kids!

Vacation Highlights Part 2

The biggest highlight during our time at home was seeing our family!

My Mom and Dad were in town for the first two weeks of our time home. It was very special to be able to catch up with them face to face! The kids went on MacDonald's dates with Papa and were tutored in the art of wiffle ball. Grammy did some serious sewing to meet the demands of all the doll outfits required. They joined us for ball games and time in New Hampshire. Our kids love to spend time with Grammy and Papa, and being with your Mommy and Daddy never gets old no matter how old you are! I am so thankful for parents that aren't perfect and are willing to let me see the growth, changes, and challenges in their lives. You spur me on to the same in my own life by being real. We love you Mom and Dad! (And may I add... I am so thankful for parents that like to laugh!)Our one disappointment this summer was being unable to connect with my sister and her family. So close and yet, so far. :( Next time we will save our pennies for plane tickets.

All the Stateside Rideouts were able to gather in New Hampshire for a week. Can you say COUSINS??? (Keep in mind that the four cousins we left in West Africa were missing from this picture!) The houses were full of them! We had a week full of fun together with bike rides, hikes, swimming, games, soccer, bad-mitten, hours of outdoor play, much World Cup action, lots of laughing, and our traditional Mt Washington and Clarks' Trading Post visits. Just take a look at these big grins! :) Again, there is nothing like catching up face to face! We left New Hampshire feeling like we had heard the news and made some special memories (not to mention taken pictures!).

Ian's Aunt Wendy also made the long trip to come to visit us while we were back. We were so glad she was able to join us for our trip to the aquarium. The kids loved having such undivided attention and hearing lots of stories about their Grandma Rideout when she was a little girl! Very special.We were also able to have a lunch visit with my Grandpa and my Aunt Barb. Again, special times with special people. The kids left determined to try out Great Grandpa's artistic advice.
Not long before we left, we joined Dad and Grandma Rideout in making the trip down to Maryland where Ian's sister and her family live. Our kids were overjoyed to have some more time with their cousins. There is never enough of that! We are so thankful for the special friendships our kids have with their cousins. We know it takes effort on our family's side, and we are so thankful! While we were in the more southerly realms, we were also able to take in a family wedding in Virginia. There we saw several of Ian's cousins, aunts, and uncles. Being on another continent means we miss a lot of special occasions, so we were glad to be Stateside for this one even though we forgot to bring our camera! Oops.

As usual, throughout our entire visit we were able to spend time Dad and Grandma Rideout. In the many years that we have stayed with Dad and Mom and Grandma, and now Dad and Grandma, I always leave so thankful for family. God knew what he was doing when he put us in families. We are so privileged to have a family that loves God and loves us. To be able to share daily life with those who know us best and love us anyway is a special blessing. It was fun to have one last celebration for Grandma's 90th birthday while we were all together. A special highlight this time was the never-before-seen video footage of Grandma! There were shots from when she was a girl through her children's (Dad) teenage years. The kids thought it was lots of fun to see Great grandma with her doll and Grandpa jumping around like a jumping bean. Thank you, Dad & Grandma, for always welcoming us with open arms despite the noise and mess we bring! Thanks, Dad, for putting kids to bed and buying groceries and making trips to the dump. Your example of servant hood to us is a powerful one. We love you!
No pictures could ever contain how much we love each one of our family. We are so thankful for the special times we had together this summer. We miss you more than we can say. The last few times we have come home to Africa, Kay has unexpectedly summed up all our feelings at being apart. She will be talking excitedly until the automatic door closes at the airport, whereupon she abruptly breaks into sobs. Though we love coming "home" to Africa, we hate having to be so far away. We love you even though we are apart and far away. Thank you for letting us go.

Vacation Highlights Part 1

Many people have asked about our vacation. We had a fabulous time and came back rested, refreshed, and ready to invest in relationships and to tackle the projects on our plates during the next two years. Here are some highlights in no particular order:

...celebrating the Fourth of July in the US with a hometown parade, glowsticks, fireworks, and lots of friends!
...the kids first ever baseball game at Fenway Park... and their indoctrination into THE NATION (Go Sox! The Nation is everywhere... even West Africa!)... a visit to the Boston Aquarium complete with the train ride to and from the city.
... exploring Old Sturbridge Village and pretending to be a part of the 1800s
... delicious dinning at the Wayside Inn (a family favorite) among other restaurants ranging from McDonalds to the Cheesecake Factory. Nobody protested walks to the ice cream shop either!
I just wish I could post more pictures in one post, but if I can, I am sadly ignorant how to do that, so, you will just have to imagine trips to multiple parks, playdates with old friends, four bookaholics enjoying the wealth of the town library, shopping, numerous wiffle ball games, sidewalk chalk, learning to ride a two-wheeler (Kay), walks to the train bridge and so much more... but to be honest, as much fun as we had, none of these things were the true highlight. That is in the next post...

Art

The kids are excited to go back to school next week... back to a known schedule, back to friends both old and new to play with, back to new teachers to meet and learn from. Before the new school year starts though, I wanted to post one last thing from last school year: pictures from the Fine Arts Festival.
God has gifted my kids with a LOVE for creating art!! Since they were small they could each be entertained for hours with paper and crayons. They started out drawing me at the ripe old ages of about 4 or 5. None of their talent, such as it is could be traced back to their mother. Their dad's genes were definitely in on that and perhaps some Forsen genes that skipped a generation! They love to draw, paint, color, create, sew... mostly in an orderly fashion (that is where their mom's genes come into play). We have been SO thankful the past few years to have an art teacher at Sahel Academy that has challenged them to think wild, simple, colorful, detailed, classical, practical, yes, even (gasp!) messy and outside-the-lines thoughts in the art room. With her they used paints and pastels, they copied masterpieces and tried their hand at traditional Asian art. They illustrated books and pretended they were cavemen. She is the one that was the champion for the now annual fine arts festival. Hours upon hours of work are represented in the play performed, the music played, and the art of all types hung and displayed around the library for that special weekend. This year when the kids return, Mrs. P-H won't be there. They (and we!) will deeply miss the input she had into their lives. Though from a family that is stuctured from her they learned to be spontaneous. Though Mom cares more about words and books, from her they were encouraged in color and texture. We know that God will use Mrs. P-H elsewhere to challenge and grow more students. We are so thankful that someone new has come to challenge our elementary artists in different ways. But our thankfulness doesn't mean we won't miss Mrs. P-H and her family! Here are pictures of each of our artists at the fine arts festival this past May: Heidi with her art teacher, Mrs. P-H and her Best in Show for 5/6 line drawing. Kay followed by her colorful painted scarecrow. Tom pointing to his "cave drawing" that won an Honorable mention in the Kindergarten age group.

The "New"and Improved Office

Months ago, I mentioned that the office where I work was undergoing some much needed renovations. Previously we had quite a lot of peeling paint. Personnel and positions in the office have changed quite a bit in the years we have been here, and some of the offices needed to be shifted around to reflect these changes in job descriptions. Together, we suffered through months of smelly paint, shifting furniture, and the painful business of sorting piles from our desks, but have been amply rewarded by the much improved appearance of the office! Since I had posted some construction pictures, I thought I would include a few pictures of the end results. Amanda who volunteered to take on this enormous task, took some flack at first for her color choices aimed to hide the orange sand that is ever present here, but even initial doubters have admitted the colors have begun to grow on them. Everyone agrees that the office has a brighter and cleaner feel to it.

Here is the reception area. Goodbye, shredded cushions and faded curtains; hello, orange!The kitchen and mail room were moved to a smaller space allowing the large office they were occupying to be used as an office. Amanda's husband, Chad, built the cabinets himself.
This is my new office. I love the green curtains. Though it is not a color I used to be drawn too, since living in the desert, I have grown to love the color green! I used to have a large office way too big for what I needed. With some rearranging of doors, the director now has the bigger space which allows him to have small meetings in his office, something not possible before.
One of my favorite additions is in our treasurer's office. Perhaps this is to prove once and for all that money does NOT grow on trees? The art teacher at the kids' school was kind enough to paint this gorgeous mural for us!This deep blue definitely adds interest to this corner room! With the big windows and two white walls opposite, there is no chance of it seeming dark and dingy. We are all thankful for the many changes that help our working place be one an enjoyable one. We pray that as coworkers, pastors and leaders from around the country visit our headquarters, they would feel welcomed. We want our attitudes and actions to be even more beautiful than our new office!