kristiapplesauce

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Friend

I don't know much about much but I do know that I am a learner. We have been planning this weekend for a while now and as we continue down this path of conversation and stories of our "real" life, I am amazed of how amazing God really is. Cathi just got here from the airport and as she came into our line of sight, I was thrilled to see she looked just like I thought she would. With that black hair and super cute smile. As our conversations roll forward I am realizing that she is completely in the moment and has journeyed here to share her friendship. What a treat! Tam is all encompassing with her love and wisdom. She is fabulous with her life experience and concern for us. She is also lost in thought and when I asked her about it, she told me about her family and the depth that flowed out astounded me. I was lost in this woman's devotion for her children and husband. Mandy. Mandy is a blanket of concern and genuine sweetness for all of us. She is beauty beyond reason. She is tiny - tiny. Like her frame is so little when any of us stand next to her...but her hugs are tight and she transfers her warm and sincere sweetness to you whenever she talks or spends any amount of time with you. I am falling into serious friendship love with these girls. Not that I wasn't already before this meeting thing...but seriously. How great to learn and grow from people that I normally would never ever in a million years know or have a relationship with. Super cool.

skype call with mandy and tam

mttv skype call w/kristiapplesauce from Brent Hodge on Vimeo.

Crazy flooding

This past weekend in the KC area and then down into Wichita there was some crazy flooding due to all hurricanes and crazy weather patterns happening in the mid-west. When I drove down here - there were sheets and sheets of rain and people driving all crazy. Visibility was bad and there were several cars pulled off on the side of the road. The fields were starting to flood and the sides of highway were swelling with water. As I was watching the rain though, I thought about the downpour and all the individual drops...it was kind of cool to think about where they all were going and how the wind was causing the drops to go here and there. So then I started thinking about how many drops were actually falling and how the floods were effecting the drive and lives of all the people. It was phenomenal to observe. I was immediately made aware of my own life and how many people have flooded my life with love and encouragement. All the rain that has dropped down in the form of love and support. I have now been Stateside for almost 3 weeks and in that time I have been able to share or invited to share our story with countless people who are interested in us and in South Africa. It makes me uncomfortable a lot of the time to talk about myself and Daniel because I have lost my English words and I get all self-conscious about who I have become and what I have to say...but then I have to realize that God is God and He has placed these people in our lives for a purpose. I don't have to seek friends out. The people who are beside us are there for a reason; for HIS reason...not mine. When I discovered that truth, I felt so released.  None of us are truly alone. We all have a journey to live and if we honor and love those around us, it makes the trek a little easier. I am so thankful for the ride. Yay. I hope today you are too. 

Just enough

Yesterday I drove to the airport and sent off 42 people to South Africa from Kansas City, Kansas. Weird. This is totally weird for me because usually I am the one on the other side receiving the teams. We do all the prep work...organize their stay; where they will sleep, where they will eat, change out their cash, make sure they have transportation, decide what they will do everyday, make sure they meet and see who they need to...bla bla. We are just their contacts on that side so it was really weird to be on this side and experience what they see and do to get ready for the departure. To be included in the prayers and excitement of the grand adventure. It was such a privilege to be involved. I was amazed and honored. I guess I have taken those details for granted...or not thought about it because we only see the back half of the trips. But seeing the excitement and the packing and the hearing the conversations that I normally don't get to see or hear...it was phenomenal. What a gift.

So as we were walking out of the airport, we met up with two couples (wives who were dropping off their husbands) and I said "you guys better hurry up, they are getting ready to board." They then responded with something like "Well we are running late because of you"...I guess they had stopped by their dad's house to grab some books for us and vitamins for our hospice ministry. I was BLOWN AWAY.

So all that to say, I was immediately made aware that God has us all placed neatly in the puzzle. Every single one of us. We are all in it and have a roll to play. God has given us just what we need and those incredible people were loving us with just the right amount of Love and bringing it in a tightly packed suitcase. How amazing is that?

sleeping baby

I went and saw my friends new baby girl the other day and as I was getting ready to leave, she was falling asleep on me. I noticed her little perfect lips and feet and hands and hair...it was all telling me that she was loved and cared for. She was clean and tended to. Her diaper was clean and her belly was full. I am sure she had been to all of her doctors appointments and that her parents had spent countless hours making sure everything was perfect for her and that she has everything she needs. I know for certain that they would walk through fire to protect her. So as I was leaving and handing over this tiny pink baby, I was torn apart because I felt something that I never, ever, ever experience when I hand over a baby or kid in the townships or homes I go to in South Africa. I felt at peace. I felt safe to leave her with her mom. Usually when I am doing home visits with the kids Africa, there is no mom. There is no parent to speak of. They are gone. The kid is usually an orphan living with a relative...then the child is left to fend for themselves. They are dirty and hungry. There is no food in the house and usually there are several kids in the same condition living under the same roof. They are starving not only for food, but also for safety and for love. They alone in the plight to grow up. So when I see these kids, I have that unsettling feeling to scoop them up and hold them close. To bring them into my life in every way...to parent them with my husband. To give them a safe place to grow up. To give them nourishment and clothing. To wash their face and teach them all the things parents teach their kids. But no. That is not what I have been called to do. Not yet. So day in and day out, I walk away from the kids I see and have grown to love. I pray and squeeze them tight. I tell them I love them and try to bring some sort of hope into their lives; but every singe time, I take worry and fear with me...knowing that they are most likely having to face their lives all by themselves. At the age of 5, 6, 9, 14. However old they are when they were orphaned. Back to the baby I just got to meet...I don't know what God's plans are for her life, but I do know that she is wrapped up and protected. That God has placed her in an amazing safe and loving family. I am not worried or fearful or nervous about walking out that door. It is a strange feeling to experience both extremes. I wonder why I was chosen for such a task. I seriously hope I have what it takes. God, I hope so.

This perfect baby who is pictured was given to one of the children's villages we work with and his story and rights were written on the back an envelope...literally; a piece of trash.

sleeping baby

I went and saw my friends new baby girl the other day and as I was getting ready to leave, she was falling asleep on me. I noticed her little perfect lips and feet and hands and hair...it was all telling me that she was loved and cared for. She was clean and tended to. Her diaper was clean and her belly was full. I am sure she had been to all of her doctors appointments and that her parents had spent countless hours making sure everything was perfect for her and that she has everything she needs. I know for certain that they would walk through fire to protect her. So as I was leaving and handing over this tiny pink baby, I was torn apart because I felt something that I never, ever, ever experience when I hand over a baby or kid in the townships or homes I go to in South Africa. I felt at peace. I felt safe to leave her with her mom. Usually when I am doing home visits with the kids Africa, there is no mom. There is no parent to speak of. They are gone. The kid is usually an orphan living with a relative...then the child is left to fend for themselves. They are dirty and hungry. There is no food in the house and usually there are several kids in the same condition living under the same roof. They are starving not only for food, but also for safety and for love. They alone in the plight to grow up. So when I see these kids, I have that unsettling feeling to scoop them up and hold them close. To bring them into my life in every way...to parent them with my husband. To give them a safe place to grow up. To give them nourishment and clothing. To wash their face and teach them all the things parents teach their kids. But no. That is not what I have been called to do. Not yet. So day in and day out, I walk away from the kids I see and have grown to love. I pray and squeeze them tight. I tell them I love them and try to bring some sort of hope into their lives; but every singe time, I take worry and fear with me...knowing that they are most likely having to face their lives all by themselves. At the age of 5, 6, 9, 14. However old they are when they were orphaned. Back to the baby I just got to meet...I don't know what God's plans are for her life, but I do know that she is wrapped up and protected. That God has placed her in an amazing safe and loving family. I am not worried or fearful or nervous about walking out that door. It is a strange feeling to experience both extremes. I wonder why I was chosen for such a task. I seriously hope I have what it takes. God, I hope so.

This perfect baby who is pictured was given to one of the children's villages we work with and his story and rights were written on the back an envelope...litterally, a peice of trash.

Prayer Games

I pray all the time. I pray for you, I pray for me. I pray when I don't know what to do, I pray when I know exactly what to do. But I always always always pray when I tell people I will (okay, I really try hard to do this). To help me in this part of my adventure with God, I play games with myself. I have little reminders all over my life to help keep it fresh and out of the realm of routine [because I have often fallen into the trap of just mentioning peoples names when I read through the list]. So now I have stuff in my house to remind me of people who I need to pray for; I also have a flip index card thing that I scratch off and add prayer requests to for when I am on the go and have extra time here and there to talk to God.
So as we were packing up our house I realized that I somehow lost my flip prayer thing. DANG!! That thing was important. But really...no big deal because I know that God isn't worried or overwhelmed if I missed somebody or something along the way. I bought a new one today and I am excited to get started on it...filling it with people and love. My favorite part of the flip thing is the marks of crossed off requests...the marks and side notes of when God answered and added to the requests "off the cuff". God is so much bigger then a flip book. I am so happy about that fact. I am so honored to serve a God who cares about the details of our lives and how we are all connected. Even if it is across the big fat ocean.

U.S.A.

When I landed in Atlanta I was immediately overwhelmed with the sights, smells and sounds of familiar of my other home. One of the first familiar people I saw was the guy in uniform. The same uniform my dad wore every day of my life growing up. Crisp and sharp - with those strips and glorious letters I have read a million times; U.S.A. As I approached him and shook his hand - I explained that my New Years resolution (same for the last 5 years) has been to thank all the service people I see and what an honor it was to meet him. I then told him that he was the first for this year because I had been living abroad. He then said "oh, I just got back here too...I have been serving in Iraq." At that I hugged him and thanked him again for making us safe. He told me it was his pleasure and that he would go back again and again to defend and protect. What an awesome way to be welcomed back into this amazing country that I love. I know these two months are going to rock!

Being prepared/ Monday prayer

I am not usually a prepared person by nature but being here I have had to learn. As I have been packing and getting ready to fly back to America I am thinking through all of the stuff I have packed and all of the everythings I will be doing while there; I hope I am ready. I hope I am prepared. I hope that I have done the work and prepared myself for the task at hand because now is the time for that stage of the journey because it is here. I am facing the other side of the Ocean now and I have to do it alone. Daniel isn't accompanying me (for the first time) and so I will be visiting all those churches and seeing many of our supporters. I will try to acclimate back into American life and do whatever it takes to tell the story of South Africa so people will have the opportunity to join us. I love this part but it also scares me to the depths because it is the most important message I could be bringing across the Ocean. Hungry people need help and I hope that I don't loose my perspective or my focus. God has upped the ante and I hope I am ready for the task at hand. Please wont you join me in prayer for my safety as I travel today and also for Daniel as he will be here alone for a month until he comes over in October.

As always, this space is open and welcome for you to leave your prayer requests. You are an amazing part of this journey and I am so honored to pray for you as well.