“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
Growing up in Indonesia, I had a missionary uncle who often said, “You can live without the necessities if you have a few luxuries!” Immense appreciation for some of the luxuries in my life overwhelms me from time to time. What are luxuries in Cameroon?
October. A month between rainy season and dry season. A beautiful time to enjoy the beauty of Cameroon without mud or dust.
A hot shower. What a pleasure to wash away the grime and dust of dry season or the mud during rainy season, to have not only water, but hot running water.
My front porch. Solitude and quiet in the cool mornings as I take a few moments for meditation and to enjoy the roses, hibiscus, dahlias, and lilies growing in my newly established flower bed. This continues to be a lovely place to sit since here in Africa we won’t be seeing snow this year.
A cook. After almost a month without her due to her father’s illness and death, I realize that though we can get by without a cook, my life is far more manageable with her around. I can do the marketing and get simple meals on the table along with homeschooling and laundry. But without a cook I have time for nothing else except sleep. The month without her was exhausting. With our very lovely and skilled cook, my time is freed to enjoy my family, to correspond, to become involved in the lives of people around me, and my family enjoys meals I would never have time to prepare myself (like hamburgers and tacos – grinding all the meat, making your own buns or tortillas, etc).
Cheese and chocolate. At $40 for a ball of cheese, every pizza we enjoy is a luxury. Swiss chocolate is also available for a price; in my humble opinion, it is well worth every penny.
A haircut. Haven’t had one of these for awhile and really wish for one.
A mission vehicle. We have been blessed with the use of a Toyota Land Cruiser able to maneuver on the worst roads for the rest of our year here. We can make to the trip to the city now at half the cost of public transport and far more comfortably for our family. We have regained a taste of “independent” living, being able to come and go as we please and hope to make a few outings to enjoy some nearby cliffs, fields of rock, and waterfalls.
The internet. Our service is quite sporadic. Moments of communication, receiving news of the world, family, and friends, are precious luxuries after days of failure to connect.
Isn’t He a wonderful Father, providing so much more than we need, but providing food for our souls as well? Thank you, Father, for the luxuries we enjoy.
Growing up in Indonesia, I had a missionary uncle who often said, “You can live without the necessities if you have a few luxuries!” Immense appreciation for some of the luxuries in my life overwhelms me from time to time. What are luxuries in Cameroon?
October. A month between rainy season and dry season. A beautiful time to enjoy the beauty of Cameroon without mud or dust.
A hot shower. What a pleasure to wash away the grime and dust of dry season or the mud during rainy season, to have not only water, but hot running water.
My front porch. Solitude and quiet in the cool mornings as I take a few moments for meditation and to enjoy the roses, hibiscus, dahlias, and lilies growing in my newly established flower bed. This continues to be a lovely place to sit since here in Africa we won’t be seeing snow this year.
A cook. After almost a month without her due to her father’s illness and death, I realize that though we can get by without a cook, my life is far more manageable with her around. I can do the marketing and get simple meals on the table along with homeschooling and laundry. But without a cook I have time for nothing else except sleep. The month without her was exhausting. With our very lovely and skilled cook, my time is freed to enjoy my family, to correspond, to become involved in the lives of people around me, and my family enjoys meals I would never have time to prepare myself (like hamburgers and tacos – grinding all the meat, making your own buns or tortillas, etc).
Cheese and chocolate. At $40 for a ball of cheese, every pizza we enjoy is a luxury. Swiss chocolate is also available for a price; in my humble opinion, it is well worth every penny.
A haircut. Haven’t had one of these for awhile and really wish for one.
A mission vehicle. We have been blessed with the use of a Toyota Land Cruiser able to maneuver on the worst roads for the rest of our year here. We can make to the trip to the city now at half the cost of public transport and far more comfortably for our family. We have regained a taste of “independent” living, being able to come and go as we please and hope to make a few outings to enjoy some nearby cliffs, fields of rock, and waterfalls.
The internet. Our service is quite sporadic. Moments of communication, receiving news of the world, family, and friends, are precious luxuries after days of failure to connect.
Isn’t He a wonderful Father, providing so much more than we need, but providing food for our souls as well? Thank you, Father, for the luxuries we enjoy.
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2 comments:
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Stephanie.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hea on kuulda kuidas teil läheb!
Meil on lumi maas!
(I thought I would comment in Estonian just to add intrigue)
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