A Bit From Belgium - Week 4

~ Psalm 18:28-33 ~

Bonjour les amis et la famille!

Ca va? Je suis tres bien! Parlez-vous le français? Je ne parle pas le français!

Seriously, I still do not speak French, but I do enjoy using the few phrases I am learning, in case you can't tell! I have started keeping a notebook and am trying to keep a list of the new phrases and words I learn each day. It's amazing how much more fun it is to learn a language when you can use it all around you and not just in a classroom! :-)
I can't believe this is Week 4, which means I've been here 1/3 of my time already! In some ways it feels like I've lived here all my life and never had a different one, but in most ways it feels as if I've just arrived, and there's still so much to see and do and learn! Every day goes by so quickly and brings a new lesson, experience, or memory; some big, some small.
It's been a good week. Busy, tiring, and good. I continue to miss you and look forward to seeing you again upon my return. I occasionally see someone or hear something that makes me think of you, and that makes me both miss you more and be all the more thankful that I have you to miss! Thankfully, there are so many new things to experience and take in here that I thankfully do not have much time or interest to dwell on what I'm missing or don't have. I prefer to focus on the new things here that I've never seen or done or heard before and make the most out of learning from and enjoying them while I can! :-)
I hope you are all well, not TOO hot, and having a good week! I continue to THOROUGHLY enjoy and appreciate your e-mails and updates! Merci beacoup!

On to my Belgium Bits! ...
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Wednesday - August 1, 2007 - You heard some about my August 1 day last week, but I thought I should fill you in on the "later day" excitement! :-) The weather was just LOVELY! (70's, sunny, clear, dry...) I went to Lake Genval again for several hours and walked around it two times. It's so neat there! The weather was incredible and there were a lot of people (and dogs) walking around the lake, as well as people out in their sailboats. It's a funny thing now, because I have heard one or two people actually speaking English there, and when I hear it I stop and do a double take because it is so strange to actually hear English somewhere other than the house I'm in! :-) To me it's almost weird to hear somebody speaking my language now! That's just crazy! :-)
I also found it interesting that most of the people out in the little sailboats on the lake were children... by themelves! There were no parents in immediate view, but the kids were having a blast. Several of them appeared to be playing make-believe games with eachother on the lake with their sailboats... like my brothers and their friends would play cowboys and indians or something! Pretty cute! It's fun to hear the voices and see young children playing... I miss it. The little babies being pushed in strollers and carriages around the lake are adorable too and make me smile. :-) Another new thing on this visit to the lake were the artists that were lined up along the lake's edge painting, sketching, etc. It was SO "European" and very cool! I hope to get pictures of them if they're there on another visit. They were very good artists too!
The final excitement of the day came on my way home when I stopped by Champion (pronounced "Shomp-ee-on") to pick up some chocolates. This was the first time I had gone into a store to make a purchase on my own... and with Euros no less. :-) The store was nice and it was easy to find what I was looking for... except that the chocolate selection consisted of an entire aisle, and made it hard to decide! :-) I went to the check out with no problems and got checked out fine. Only glitch came when the cashier asked if I had a Champion card and I of course had no idea what he said! I meant to say "Como" (which means "what/excuse me?), but accidentally said the Spanish word for it, "Que?" He took one look at me and realized I had no clue and just brushed it aside and rang up my order. :-) Phew! As I walked out of there I felt like a little kid after her first purchase in a toy or candy store! I couldn't believe I'd done it! Hee-hee! 'Twas an adventure alright, but definitely made me more comfortable for future shopping excursions or transactions! I love how even the small and "simple" things here are such big, exciting events for me! :-) It's like growing up all over again! :-)
p.s. Rebecca's husband left for a week long trip today. We shall all miss him, and for most of the week it will be down to just the three of us plus a sweet girl from a neighboring town who is able to help out as well.

Thursday - August 2, 2007 - Rainy, cool day. Didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Watched a movie together in the evening.
--- For future reference, when there are days like this with nothing extraordinary to report, I'll probably just skip them and not even put the date down. Don't worry though, the day did still exist for me! :-) Just nothing of your interest for me to report. :-) (not that the above and below info is necesarily of your interest either...hmmmm...)

Friday - August 3, 2007 - Susannah's (another caregiver who was here before me) Dad arrived today. He will be taking her to visit some other European countries before heading home to Ohio later in August. We know this family through our church (they go to a "sister" church of ours). It has been fun getting to know Susannah better and spend time with her. She really helped me settle in here and get to know the routine and all. I'm so grateful for her presence and help! Susannah's dad brought with him my wrist brace from home and a few other thoughtful things from the family! Pretty amazing how you can talk to someone 4,000 miles away about something and have it in your hands a day later! Thanks guys! :-) We got Chinoise (Chinese) take out for dinner... DELICIOUS! Kind of funny to have Chinese take-out in Belgium... but why not?!

Saturday - August 4, 2007 - Just Rebecca, Annie, and I left at the house today. Pretty quiet. Biggest accomplishments of the day were getting Rebecca into her wheelchair from her bed with just the two of us (and the use of the sling and lift system). Up until now I had always needed another person to help me get Rebecca up and in, but today we did it ourselves and were so tickled and excited. :-) Rebecca's a great coach and help! Another big accomplishment came in the redeeming of a berry pie that had been off to a rough start. I've never actually made a pie before, but Susannah C. started it for us, but didn't have the ingredients to make it "normally". Annie and I were able to "get creative" and modify the berries and crust a bit and come out with an interesting, but delicious pie-ish thing! (check out the blog website for pictures :-) The crust ended up rather "heavy" for a pie, but we all decided it was well worth the effort and still edible. 'Twas beautiful weather as well!

Sunday - August 5, 2007 - Another absolutely gorgous day! Much warmer... almost like Ohio when I left, but not quite as hot or humid. Had a busy, but quiet day... if that makes sense? Nothing really out of the ordinary, but enough stuff to keep me busy throughout the day! I joined the "slug war" going on in the garden and learned how to feed the slugs their delicious poison food and pick up any visible slugs and bag them for the trash. Fun stuff! :-) The garden is gorgous, but it apparently doesn't just "get" that way... it requires some TLC! :-) I'm not much of one with plants, but as long as I'm told what to do and how to do it, the plants don't seem to mind too much! Melissa C. arrived today to help out until Paul gets back. She has grown up in Belgium and is a very fun, sweet girl and a big help! She'll be 18 years old the day after my birthday. I'm enjoying getting to know her and spend some time with her. A substitute little sis... yeah! :-)

Monday - August 6, 2007 - Pretty typical day. Quite warm (upper 70's) and sunny in the morning. I took a nice walk around the neighborhood in the morning. I have a few routes that I usually take, but try to modify my route every so often for variety and to see a bit more of Genval. It's such a pretty town with a bit of country on the outskirts. By afternoon the sun had left and it was cloudy and raining. Another good evening for a movie. We watched "Monk", a funny detective TV series on DVD. Rebecca was going to talk me through grilling some chicken sausages for dinner, but with the rain, I got lucky enough to just cook them on the stove! We had been joking that I'd been praying for rain so I wouldn't have to grill, and when it actually happened it was pretty funny! That was an adventure in itself, but we survived and ended up with the sausages on buns and fried zuchinni (like my Mommy does it!) for dinner! :-)

Tuesday - August 7, 2007 - I got to meet, hold, and give a bottle to a 2 month old baby of one of Rebecca's "kine"s (kee-nay) (physical therapists). SO adorable, even after she spit up all over me after drinking her bottle! :-) Also played a bith with the 4 year old twins and their 2 year old little brother. Imagine 4 kids in 4 years! Wow! The language barrier made my playing with them rather interesting, but it was still fun and the kids were adorable! Lots of energy! Miss my little sibs, but so glad there are opportunities to interact with some here! Their little kid French was SO cute! :-)
I also made a call to CCI, (the dog training organization I raise for in Ohio), to find out the news on one of the CCI pups I'd raised. This week is Team Training, when the dogs that have completed their advanced training meet the human candidates and work with them before getting placed and going home with them. This is the 7th time I've had a dog go through team training (2 dogs went through 2 team trainings before getting placed), but this was by far the "strangest" place and circumstance to be in with that going on! Naturally, my mind was on what was going on at CCI these past few days, but my time was always so confused since we're 6 hours ahead! It was finally the right time to call at 10:30 p.m. my time, and I got to talk to Steed's trainer and find out that he's made a preliminary placement and may graduate on August 18. I'm so excited for him and happy that he might graduate, but also a little sad that I won't be there to see him on his big day. Oh well, I did my little part to get him there, and that's what matters more than anything else. My being there wouldn't really change anything anyhow! :-) I am thankful that Steed's first puppy raiser (who started raising him) and some of my family may get to be there to see him and his new graduate... and get some pictures. :-) What a blessing!

Wednesday - August 8, 2007 -
That's today. Wow, it's August 8 already! Today is my day off again. Ahhhh.. It's currently cool and cloudy and just stopped drizzling. If it clears up in a bit you can imagine what I'll do and where I'll go... yeah, the lake. :-) If not, I'll probably stick around here catching up on e-mails and reading. Or maybe I'll do all of the above. We'll see! This day of rest is really nice and is such a great idea by the Petries. It's like re-charging my batteries. :-) I guess I'll update you next week on this day if I end up doing anything exciting or interesting! :-)

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Blessings in Belgium:
* The beautiful weather
* The smoothness and peace of this week, even with a change in "typical" schedule and all the people coming and going
* The wonderful people I'm getting to meet
* The example of love, life, joy, and living the journey with Rebecca
* The knowledge I am gaining here in areas so different from those I had at home
* The ability to communicate with "all ya'll" at home and throughout the U.S.!

Prayer Requests:
* My wrist would continue to heal so I can serve to the best of my capabilities (the pain has lessened over the last day or two... please pray that it would continue to do so)
* That I would be open and willing to submit to the molding, shaping, and stretching that the Lord is and will have in store for me
* That I can be humble and serve the way Jesus has taught and demonstrated
* That I might decrease so that He might increase
* That I can love, be a light, and bless by the Lord those I meet and interact with

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Thank you for your prayers! Thank you for your friendship! Thank you for your notes and e-mails! Thank you for at least attempting to read my e-mails! :-)

Au Revoir,

~ MB

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"As long as you think you are of value to Him, He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He will choose you to go with Him "to Jerusalem". And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you." - Oswald Chambers - "My Utmost for His Highest" (August 4)