Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 131
December 15, 2015
Tumaini Tuesday - need a big cat print?
Tumaini Volunteers met on Saturday for a productive meeting. We have four people (including repeat travelers Val and Denise) who are ready to make the trip back to Kenya next spring. My son Nick has been wanting to go and I think we have finally convinced him that he needs to do this. He went to Ghana Africa twice with Engineers Without Borders while he was in college, so he knows what a trip like this will entail. Our fourth volunteer is a friend’s son who has a degree in film production. He is volunteering his time to join us and film some of our activities. We are really excited to have him join us and produce a short documentary of not only the work of Tumaini Volunteers but of the great need in Kenya.
I know that I have shared many of the stories of our nonprofit organization and our experiences in Kenya. I have probably hinted at our need for funds and have also reminded you that we are tax exempt. I don’t think that I have blatantly asked for donations, but sometimes I need to throw subtlety out the window.
It is going to cost approximately $4000 to complete the chicken project we have planned. That cost includes $1000 for an incubator, $2000 for a generator, $500 for expanding the current chicken coop and buildings, and $500 additional start-up costs. The cost for our volunteers to make this trip, including airfare, room, board and transportation while in country will be about $2000 each. We have offered to pay the expenses of our videographer and hope to pay for the costs of our team leader. That means we need a total of $8000 in the bank within the next few months. Our current balance is just over $3000. We have a ways to go, but I am confident we can do it.
As already mentioned we are a tax-exempt charity, so any donations you make will be tax-deductible. Why don’t you make that tax-deductible donation today and claim it on your 2015 taxes. Make your check out to Tumaini Volunteers and mail it to PO Box 726, Wausau, WI 54402. Or make a donation via our website at tumainivolunteers.org.
If you make a $20 donation before the end of the year, I will send you an 8 x 10 print of any one of the following pictures of the gorgeous cats. Specify which one you want when you make your donation.
Thanks for all your support.
Adorable cheetah cub
Lion and wildebeests
Simba chillin'
Help us bring hope to East Africa.
I know that I have shared many of the stories of our nonprofit organization and our experiences in Kenya. I have probably hinted at our need for funds and have also reminded you that we are tax exempt. I don’t think that I have blatantly asked for donations, but sometimes I need to throw subtlety out the window.
It is going to cost approximately $4000 to complete the chicken project we have planned. That cost includes $1000 for an incubator, $2000 for a generator, $500 for expanding the current chicken coop and buildings, and $500 additional start-up costs. The cost for our volunteers to make this trip, including airfare, room, board and transportation while in country will be about $2000 each. We have offered to pay the expenses of our videographer and hope to pay for the costs of our team leader. That means we need a total of $8000 in the bank within the next few months. Our current balance is just over $3000. We have a ways to go, but I am confident we can do it.
As already mentioned we are a tax-exempt charity, so any donations you make will be tax-deductible. Why don’t you make that tax-deductible donation today and claim it on your 2015 taxes. Make your check out to Tumaini Volunteers and mail it to PO Box 726, Wausau, WI 54402. Or make a donation via our website at tumainivolunteers.org.
If you make a $20 donation before the end of the year, I will send you an 8 x 10 print of any one of the following pictures of the gorgeous cats. Specify which one you want when you make your donation.
Thanks for all your support.
Adorable cheetah cub
Lion and wildebeests
Simba chillin'Help us bring hope to East Africa.
December 13, 2015
It is Ridiculous
But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son. 3 God’s Son has all the brightness of God’s own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together. Hebrews 1:2-3 (Contemporary English Version)
Last Sunday I used one of the Bible passages from the Christmas program I’ve been working on at church and thought it would be easy to just use the rest of the verses from the program for the rest of December. This particular passage says a lot, but that doesn’t mean it has been inspiring me with wisdom as I try to write this blog post. So I’ve been sitting at the computer surfing the ‘net. And because I act like an old woman, I had to check the obituaries. I know, am I old or just morbid? Maybe nosy?
But I found out that my friend Kathy’s mom passed away Friday. I wrote about it when her dad died a few years ago. I pulled up that blog post and looked at the picture of us goof balls from high school. Of my four best friends, we only have two moms left – Sal’s and mine. I guess we are all old.
But God holds the universe together and He will hold us together when life gets us down and He will get us through each day. And the awesome thing is that because God the Father sent His Son to us, we know that we can all meet up again in Heaven someday. And then think of the party we can have.
Ok, but now it just got ridiculous.
I wanted to send Kathy a thinking-of-you email, but her address wasn't in my contact's list. So I looked back through all my emails to her last one, this past January. And she had posted this video.
Maybe we aren't getting old. Every day is a new day, day one, another day to do everything we want to do.
God is so good. It is ridiculous.
* * * * * * * * * *
Well, I wish I had a short term memory
Wish the only thing my eyes could see
Was the future burning bright right in front of me
But I can't stop looking back
. . . . .
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day One
(Lyrics by Matthew West
Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/matthew-wes...)
Last Sunday I used one of the Bible passages from the Christmas program I’ve been working on at church and thought it would be easy to just use the rest of the verses from the program for the rest of December. This particular passage says a lot, but that doesn’t mean it has been inspiring me with wisdom as I try to write this blog post. So I’ve been sitting at the computer surfing the ‘net. And because I act like an old woman, I had to check the obituaries. I know, am I old or just morbid? Maybe nosy?
But I found out that my friend Kathy’s mom passed away Friday. I wrote about it when her dad died a few years ago. I pulled up that blog post and looked at the picture of us goof balls from high school. Of my four best friends, we only have two moms left – Sal’s and mine. I guess we are all old.
But God holds the universe together and He will hold us together when life gets us down and He will get us through each day. And the awesome thing is that because God the Father sent His Son to us, we know that we can all meet up again in Heaven someday. And then think of the party we can have.
Ok, but now it just got ridiculous.
I wanted to send Kathy a thinking-of-you email, but her address wasn't in my contact's list. So I looked back through all my emails to her last one, this past January. And she had posted this video.
Maybe we aren't getting old. Every day is a new day, day one, another day to do everything we want to do.
God is so good. It is ridiculous.
* * * * * * * * * *
Well, I wish I had a short term memory
Wish the only thing my eyes could see
Was the future burning bright right in front of me
But I can't stop looking back
. . . . .
It's day one of the best of my life
I'm marching on to the beat of a brand new drum
Yeah, here I come
The future has begun
Day One
(Lyrics by Matthew West
Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/matthew-wes...)
December 8, 2015
Tumaini Tuesday - the flooded ravine
I've written about this ravine before.
It separates the school from the homes at the SIDP camp at Maai Mahiu.
When the school was built, the ravine was nominal, nothing that couldn't be crossed year-round.
And it still can be crossed ten or more months out of the year. But during the rainy season it becomes a raging torrent. Our friend who works at the school posted a video of the flood on Facebook. Sorry that I am not tech-savvy enough to post it here, but please click on this link to see it on our Facebook page.
The ravine is just on the other side of that fence, within yards of the school yard.
It separates the school from the homes at the SIDP camp at Maai Mahiu.
When the school was built, the ravine was nominal, nothing that couldn't be crossed year-round.
And it still can be crossed ten or more months out of the year. But during the rainy season it becomes a raging torrent. Our friend who works at the school posted a video of the flood on Facebook. Sorry that I am not tech-savvy enough to post it here, but please click on this link to see it on our Facebook page.
The ravine is just on the other side of that fence, within yards of the school yard.
December 6, 2015
Living in Darkness, waiting for the Light
Now those people live in darkness. But they will see a great light.They live in a place that is very dark. But a light will shine on them. God, you will cause the nation to grow. You will make the people happy.And they will show their happiness to you. It will be like the joy during harvest time.It will be like the joy of people taking what they have won in war. (Isaiah 9:2-3 International Children’s Bible)
Last night I finished putting together our children’s Christmas program for church. This is the fourth year I’ve written the program. But saying I “wrote” it is misleading, I just put together the Bible passages and the songs that fit (I get a lot of help with the songs from our organist). I don’t pull the Bible verses out of my head, I Goggle things like “verses for Christmas programs”. It’s really not so hard.
After printing out the program, I still wanted to write this blog post. It dawned on me, why reinvent the wheel? Just take the three Bible readings you already researched for the program and use them for the next three weeks leading up to Christmas.
I went to bed before getting that done.
This morning, eating breakfast while reading the news on the internet, I thought that maybe instead I should write about the crisis our world is in. Between terrorist attacks, gun control, Syrian refugees, and the whole clash over religion, society seems to be spiraling towards the End Times.
But because God is good, even though there are many out there who disagree, He gave me the Bible verse above which I pulled off the internet several weeks ago to use in our Christmas program because the program’s theme is “Jesus is the Light”, not even thinking it has any further implications than that.
The verse is prophesying the coming of Jesus on the first Christmas. But isn’t it foretelling much more? What do you think?
Lord God, Heavenly Father, be with us during these turbulent times. Give us the wisdom to make the right decisions and the strength to act on them. Amen
Last night I finished putting together our children’s Christmas program for church. This is the fourth year I’ve written the program. But saying I “wrote” it is misleading, I just put together the Bible passages and the songs that fit (I get a lot of help with the songs from our organist). I don’t pull the Bible verses out of my head, I Goggle things like “verses for Christmas programs”. It’s really not so hard.
After printing out the program, I still wanted to write this blog post. It dawned on me, why reinvent the wheel? Just take the three Bible readings you already researched for the program and use them for the next three weeks leading up to Christmas.
I went to bed before getting that done.
This morning, eating breakfast while reading the news on the internet, I thought that maybe instead I should write about the crisis our world is in. Between terrorist attacks, gun control, Syrian refugees, and the whole clash over religion, society seems to be spiraling towards the End Times.
But because God is good, even though there are many out there who disagree, He gave me the Bible verse above which I pulled off the internet several weeks ago to use in our Christmas program because the program’s theme is “Jesus is the Light”, not even thinking it has any further implications than that.
The verse is prophesying the coming of Jesus on the first Christmas. But isn’t it foretelling much more? What do you think?
Lord God, Heavenly Father, be with us during these turbulent times. Give us the wisdom to make the right decisions and the strength to act on them. Amen
December 4, 2015
Flashback Friday - Christmas Cookies
I first posted this five years ago. I'm trying to figure out when I will make my roll-outs this year. It's not looking good.
Every year, without fail, when I was a kid growing up at home, the Friday after Thanksgiving was the day to make roll-out Christmas cookies. In the afternoon, Mom would roll-out and bake double batch after double batch. Then in the evening, after a leftover turkey supper, we would get to work decorating them, assembly line style.
Mom would frost them, always and only with white butter frosting. Then my sister Pat and I would trade off sprinkling them with the proper colored sugar, green for trees, red for poinsettias, yellow for bells. Whoever was not sugaring, would put on the accessories. A few mulitcolored sprinkles on the trees, three (no more, no less) silver non-pareils in the center of the poinsettias, two red cinnamon beads for berries on the holly. They were all beautiful - and all exactly the same. It never even crossed our young minds to be creative and try something new. We were too afraid of throwing Mom off. (I think she was menopausal my entire childhood.)
As each cookie sheet was filled with cookies, Dad would take them to the deep freeze in the basement. Once they were frozen they would be carefully and categorically stacked in a huge round Tupperware container to be returned to the freezer until Christmas.
When Christmas rolled around, as the Christmas cookie platter emptied every other day or so, we ventured into the freezer to fill it with Spritz, Peanut Blossoms, Christmas balls, and our beloved roll-outs. There were so many cookies down there and Mom was so stingy on dispursing them, that sometimes the Tupperware container didn't empty until February.
Luckily, Pat and I kept an eye on the situation and whenever we were playing with our toys in the basement, we would snitch a cookie or two. Mom pretended that she didn't know, but now that I'm a mother, I know better.
Every year, without fail, when I was a kid growing up at home, the Friday after Thanksgiving was the day to make roll-out Christmas cookies. In the afternoon, Mom would roll-out and bake double batch after double batch. Then in the evening, after a leftover turkey supper, we would get to work decorating them, assembly line style.
Mom would frost them, always and only with white butter frosting. Then my sister Pat and I would trade off sprinkling them with the proper colored sugar, green for trees, red for poinsettias, yellow for bells. Whoever was not sugaring, would put on the accessories. A few mulitcolored sprinkles on the trees, three (no more, no less) silver non-pareils in the center of the poinsettias, two red cinnamon beads for berries on the holly. They were all beautiful - and all exactly the same. It never even crossed our young minds to be creative and try something new. We were too afraid of throwing Mom off. (I think she was menopausal my entire childhood.)
As each cookie sheet was filled with cookies, Dad would take them to the deep freeze in the basement. Once they were frozen they would be carefully and categorically stacked in a huge round Tupperware container to be returned to the freezer until Christmas.
When Christmas rolled around, as the Christmas cookie platter emptied every other day or so, we ventured into the freezer to fill it with Spritz, Peanut Blossoms, Christmas balls, and our beloved roll-outs. There were so many cookies down there and Mom was so stingy on dispursing them, that sometimes the Tupperware container didn't empty until February.
Luckily, Pat and I kept an eye on the situation and whenever we were playing with our toys in the basement, we would snitch a cookie or two. Mom pretended that she didn't know, but now that I'm a mother, I know better.
December 1, 2015
Tumaini Tuesday #1
After returning from Kenya the 18th of October, I spent a month blogging about that trip, and have been sporadic and wandering aimlessly on this blog ever since. I decided it was time to get back on a schedule and bring back my focus. Which means that today is the first Tumaini Tuesday. (How corny, right?)My plan is to spend just one night a week writing about Africa and promoting our nonprofit, Tumaini Volunteers. Even though I have so much to say on those topics, if I continue to share it all at one time, I may not only run out of material, I may bore you and lose your interest, if I haven’t already.
First, in case you have just stumbled upon this blog, or if you are a faithful reader who has forgotten some of what I ramble about, “tumaini” means hope in Swahili, the national language of Kenya. My daughter, Val, came up with the name after spending three months in Kenya in 2013 researching the logistics of starting her own nonprofit organization to bring hope to those living in dire situations.
It has been so much work and I cannot believe the hours she has spent on this. But this is where her passion lies and I couldn’t be more proud of her. I also never thought she would be hounding me this hard to keep up my end of the organization. I try not to let her down.
The mission of Tumaini Volunteers is to assist developing communities in Kenya to thrive by providing sustainable projects to help make them self-sufficient. We hope to achieve this by taking groups of volunteers to Kenya to implement these projects. In Val’s own words, many charities throw money at the problem instead of getting on the ground and really making a difference. It is like the story of giving a man a fish and you feed him for one day, or teach him to fish and you feed him for life. Right? The thing to know about that story is that many Kenyans don’t like fish. Which is why we have to do our research.
I hope this has helped you understand a little more about us. Come back next Tuesday to learn more about how we plan to get these projects going, or maybe I will just share a new story from previous trips. You never know where I will take you next.
November 29, 2015
Always Next Year
We had our annual Thanksgiving dinner, yesterday, Saturday, instead of Thursday, as Hubby had to work. I always enjoy getting everything ready, practicing my OCD, making sure the table is perfect. My daughter has inherited some of that disorder – lucky for me but not for her.
So there is a little bit of mismatch at the table. As long as it is organized mismatch I am happy.
I try telling myself that it just may be more important that my guests are happy – they get to sit where they want and if they grab the wrong glass so that now the mismatch glasses aren’t every other one around the table, who cares. I try to let it go, and it lasts for at least a little bit. And actually, by the time the meat goes on the table (one plate white meat, one plate dark, because even Hubby can’t help himself sometimes), I have almost given up.
Almost.
Maybe next year, I will learn to truly let go. Randomly place on the table whatever odd-ball glasses and plates and silverware I have. Let the tablecloths be crooked and uneven. And just be thankful for the things that matter like family and food. And at least having matched napkins.
So there is a little bit of mismatch at the table. As long as it is organized mismatch I am happy.
I try telling myself that it just may be more important that my guests are happy – they get to sit where they want and if they grab the wrong glass so that now the mismatch glasses aren’t every other one around the table, who cares. I try to let it go, and it lasts for at least a little bit. And actually, by the time the meat goes on the table (one plate white meat, one plate dark, because even Hubby can’t help himself sometimes), I have almost given up.
Almost.
Maybe next year, I will learn to truly let go. Randomly place on the table whatever odd-ball glasses and plates and silverware I have. Let the tablecloths be crooked and uneven. And just be thankful for the things that matter like family and food. And at least having matched napkins.
November 26, 2015
Have an Outstanding Day
I’ve been thinking all week of something original I could write about on Thanksgiving. Of course we should remember all the things that we are thankful for – our families, our homes, our jobs, our freedom, and of course, God. Or the specific things that I personally am thankful for – Dino the wonder dog (who had diarrhea for four days leaving me worried about his health), the beautiful backyard that I sometimes feel I don’t enjoy nearly enough, having had the chance to return to Kenya for the third time, and despite all of my worsening aches and pains, I still enjoy basically good health. Or the really obscure things we all take for granted such as the internet and our cellphones and GPS (which I still am not sold on).
Next I could extrapolate on that list. Or add more obscure items. Or take another tact all together and share the history of the first Thanksgiving (as if you have never heard that before). There is of course the history of making Thanksgiving a national holiday, which occurred during the height of the Civil War when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that all Americans should ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” That doesn’t sound like we were expected to be so thankful.
We also sometimes think that we Americans are the only ones to recognize a national day of Thanksgiving, but other countries have similar observances. Though our Thanksgiving is traced back to 1621, the Canadian Thanksgiving is believed to have its roots in 1578, when the explorer Martin Frobisher gave thanks for the safe journey from England.
Germany celebrates Erntedankfest or the Harvest Thanksgiving Festival and Japan has a Labor Thanksgiving Day which has its roots dating back thousands of years ago to a harvest festival but which was officially established following World War II and is not only for giving thanks but to commemorate the labor force. And there are many more such stories from around the world.
Which leaves me where? I’m not quite sure. But in addition to all of this, I am also thankful that I get to share these random thoughts with all of you, whether you are thankful back or not, however, is hard to tell.
In any case, have an outstanding day.
Lake Superior in Michigan's UP, one of the places I am most thankful for.
Next I could extrapolate on that list. Or add more obscure items. Or take another tact all together and share the history of the first Thanksgiving (as if you have never heard that before). There is of course the history of making Thanksgiving a national holiday, which occurred during the height of the Civil War when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that all Americans should ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” That doesn’t sound like we were expected to be so thankful.
We also sometimes think that we Americans are the only ones to recognize a national day of Thanksgiving, but other countries have similar observances. Though our Thanksgiving is traced back to 1621, the Canadian Thanksgiving is believed to have its roots in 1578, when the explorer Martin Frobisher gave thanks for the safe journey from England.
Germany celebrates Erntedankfest or the Harvest Thanksgiving Festival and Japan has a Labor Thanksgiving Day which has its roots dating back thousands of years ago to a harvest festival but which was officially established following World War II and is not only for giving thanks but to commemorate the labor force. And there are many more such stories from around the world.
Which leaves me where? I’m not quite sure. But in addition to all of this, I am also thankful that I get to share these random thoughts with all of you, whether you are thankful back or not, however, is hard to tell.
In any case, have an outstanding day.
Lake Superior in Michigan's UP, one of the places I am most thankful for. November 22, 2015
Have I Inspired Anyone?
Somehow I lost all of my Sunday devotions from the last year. Actually, they aren’t lost; I somehow deleted them. When I left for Kenya, I deleted most of my files off of my laptop so that there would be enough memory to hold all the pictures I was going to take. I thought my devotions were saved on that jump drive which was clearly marked “devotional blogs”, but I hadn’t updated that jump drive since August 2014. How is that even possible?
I got a little frustrated, but quickly remembered that all of those posts were on my blog, on the internet, where they say things will stay forever, or at least until they replace the internet with a newer technology (microchips in our brains?).
When I realized all that inspiration was at my fingertips, a light bulb went on in my head. I could copy them back into my computer. Luckily I quickly came to my senses. I am not copying them anywhere. Let the hackers and the thieves do that.
Maybe I’m being irresponsible, turning my written thoughts loose like that. Maybe someone will steal them, then shut down my blog site, then compile a book under their own name and sell many copies and get their own TV show. And some day I will run across that show while I am channel-surfing and I will think I am losing my mind because I can swear I have seen somewhere those words they are speaking. Coz, yea, sure that will happen.
Thanksgiving is a few days away and I want to thank God right now for giving me the inspirational words that I have shared here. And if anyone feels compelled to share those words with others, in any form, I would only ask that if I don’t get the credit, that God does. After all they were His words and not mine.
I got a little frustrated, but quickly remembered that all of those posts were on my blog, on the internet, where they say things will stay forever, or at least until they replace the internet with a newer technology (microchips in our brains?).
When I realized all that inspiration was at my fingertips, a light bulb went on in my head. I could copy them back into my computer. Luckily I quickly came to my senses. I am not copying them anywhere. Let the hackers and the thieves do that.
Maybe I’m being irresponsible, turning my written thoughts loose like that. Maybe someone will steal them, then shut down my blog site, then compile a book under their own name and sell many copies and get their own TV show. And some day I will run across that show while I am channel-surfing and I will think I am losing my mind because I can swear I have seen somewhere those words they are speaking. Coz, yea, sure that will happen.
Thanksgiving is a few days away and I want to thank God right now for giving me the inspirational words that I have shared here. And if anyone feels compelled to share those words with others, in any form, I would only ask that if I don’t get the credit, that God does. After all they were His words and not mine.
November 19, 2015
Peace on the African Plain
Shortly after I returned home from my trip to Kenya, I shared the dramatic life and death tale of scenes from safari. But I thought it was time to share some of the scenes of peace we witnessed as well, such as this adorable elephant family. Our wonderful guide, Tony, thinks the largest female on the right is the grandma, with her youngest next to her. The one of the left is her daughter with the tiny grandbaby.
Grazing giraffes, zebras and wildebeest.
A baby Topi with its mommy. And check out the wildebeest with an itch.
Even cape buffalo babies are cute.
Zebras and their stripes are always fascinating.
But the animal that I was in most awe of was the rhino. I've written about their plight in the past. This is the first time I had seen one in the wild (I had seen all of these animals on safari in 2006) and he captured my heart.
