I Like Big Books…

I like big books….I saw this on a bumper sticker last weekend.  It made me smile.  In my head (and out loud) I finished it with, “and I cannot lie, you other brothers can’t deny...”  I then proceeded to try and finish the song by changing the lyrics to fit “big books.”  Trent really appreciated it :)

The truth is, I have been obsessed with reading lately.  There have been years that I can tell you exactly how many books I have read by counting on one hand.  Most summers I make a summer reading list only to miserably fail at my goal.  It is so much easier to piddle my time away on useless, technology that does not challenge my brain.  I am a product of this modern technological era, but slowly, I am trying change that one book at a time.

I am not quite sure of how many books I have read since August, but somehow, it seems that each book has been better than the last.  I have been reading a variety if genres from memoirs, to non fiction, fiction and tween.

My current book is Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.  I bought it awhile back when I was putting in a book order for my students.  Its targeted audience is middle school, but I have heard it is a great book.  It takes place in a high school and celebrates nonconformity in a usually conforming environment.  I had to laugh out loud when I was reading it on the plane back to Omaha yesterday.  I was 81 pages into the book when I realized that the main character telling the story was a boy.  It made a lot of things make more sense.  For example, why the character’s name was Leo.  And why Leo collects porcupine neckties.  I don’t think it was a secret or even anything that was to be discovered later in the book.  I just missed something.  Big time.  For 81 pages.  I guess it teaches me a lesson in monitoring my own understanding.  I will have to share that with my first graders this week.  Even grown ups have to monitor their understanding when they are reading.  And sometimes they make mistakes!

Anyway, I am loving reading right now.  I read the most when I am traveling, but I have been finding lots of other time to read as well.  It is an escape from my ever crazy life.

Now, it is time to get ready to take on my Tuesday.  It is jeans day to celebrate the high school football team making it to the quarter finals of the state playoffs.  It is also going to be cold.  Single digit wind chills cold!  My goal is to not turn on the heat until December.  We will see how that goes after a chilly night tonight.  I will be back soon with an update on the last month and then some. 

{The Launes}

My Weekends…

Time is flying by and at a standstill all at the same time.  September is halfway over.  I have made the trip to Greenville six times since the beginning of August.  Most weeks start with a countdown for the weekend or when I get to see Trent again.  I have to really try hard not to focus on it and live in the moment or my weeks go slow.

This weekend will be the first time since school started that I won’t make the trip to Greenville.  My cousin is getting married and as much as I hate to miss Trent’s game, I am also looking forward to a weekend without traveling and a Sunday nap while watching NFL football.  Those are my favorite kind of naps!

I have discovered that I like flying to visit Trent much better than driving.  I am getting use to the 7.5 hour drive, but I also like relaxing and reading while I am in flight or hanging out and reading on my layovers.  With traveling and down time I have read four books in the last month.  I am more obsessed with reading than I have ever been and am knocking out books from my summer reading list left and right! 

Traveling, by plane or car comes along with its fair share of problems.  A couple of weeks ago I got stuck over night in Chicago because of weather delays and missed flights.  Thank goodness for Jamie and Brian and their Marriot rewards.  It was a nice refresher to shower and sleep (even if only a few hours) before I got back to the airport early the next morning.

Last weekend’s travel snafu was a flat tire.  I am very thankful that it happened fifteen minutes into the trip, that I did not blow the tire and that there was an auto shop across the highway from where I stopped to examine my tire.  Praise the Lord.  Sure enough there was a rusty old bolt in my tire.  After a twenty five minute delay I was back on my way and arrived safe and sound about 11:30.

Monica and Tyler also came down this weekend to visit Kirsten and check out the Panthers in action. (They are now 2-0 on the season!)  It was fun to hang out with them.  The five of us went bowling Saturday night and ate breakfast together Sunday morning.  I think Trent and Kirsten were both very happy that they came.

 

I have very happily spent the last two evening at home.  Sometimes I feel like I am always running around.  It has been nice to catch up on some cleaning and relaxing!  Tomorrow night is the annual Big Brother Finale party at Jamie’s.  Valentino’s Pizza and Fro Yo, here I come!

{The Launes}

9.11

9.11 is a day that sticks in every American’s mind who was alive in 2001.  There are countless Facebook posts recounting where people were when the first and second planes crashed into the World Trade Centers.  This past summer, by chance, I was able to visit the 9-11 memorial.  It was my first time in New York City and a very cool experience.  It was a chilly, rainy day and the mood was quite somber.  As I looked at the names around the memorial I tried to picture them.  Did they work in the World Trade Center?  Were they a firefighter?  Were they on the airplane?  It is an incredible memorial and wonderful tribute.

With each passing year, the memories remain very vivid to me.  As a teacher, I think it is important to commemorate the day, but it has become more difficult as my six and seven year old first graders were not even alive when this happened.  Part of me wants to protect them from all the scary things in the world, but at the same time, if we do not share it, then before too long it is just going to be another page in a history book.  I was excited to share some of my pictures from this summer with them today.  While they may not understand what happened on that day in 2001, I do want them to know about it.  I want them to be proud to be an American, thankful to live in this country and for the freedoms that they have.  Hopefully, with each passing year they will continue to learn about this and make our country a better place.

A new beginning…Looking up at the new One World Trade Center on a rainy New York Day.

I still love this State Farm commercial from the 10 year anniversary…

God Bless America…

{The Launes}

A New Chapter…

If I had to describe this past summer in one word it would be whirlwind.  It is actually hard for me to believe that I have been back to school for over a week.  There were definitely big changes in the Laune household this summer.  It all started about a week after we got back from Africa.  Trent got an interview for a coaching position at Greenville College in Illinois.  Illinois, as in 8 hours away.  As hard as it was for me to chew on I decided to be the supportive wife and accompany him on the interview.  In coaching it’s a big deal to get an interview when you don’t necessarily have connections.  This was a big deal, but a long shot.

Long story short, Trent was offered the job.  I couldn’t have been more proud of him, but at the same time, everything we would be leaving behind seemed like more than I could handle.  We have our families, our friends, and a job I love.  The thought of moving away was and starting something new was very scary to me. 

With a lot of praying, talking and support, we are entering a new chapter of our lives.  Trent has filled the role as defensive coordinator at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois.  With the timing of everything, I am teaching this year before making the big move myself.  I have become a “commuter,” traveling there on weekends and staying in Ashland during the week.

There are plenty more stories I could add or details I could share, but for now, that is all I have.   I don’t think there is anything about this year that will be easy, but I know it will be okay.

     Coach Laune hard at work…

photo courtesy of Avery Marie Photography

Until next time…Go Panthers!

{The Launes}

Oh What Fun…

Trent and I decided to take a little weekend trip to Kansas City a few weeks back.  We had our big trip to Africa this summer, but other than that we really hadn’t planned a vacation.  It was spur of the moment, but fun.  Trent wanted to go to Worlds of Fun despite knowing that I am absolutely no fun at an amusement park.  The thrill is just too much for me.  I did my best to be a trooper, but Trent was stuck riding the Mamba alone.  Three times.

This was my first trip to Worlds of Fun since 1990.  I liked amusement parks less in 1990.  I particularly dreaded the Fury of the Nile…don’t judge.  Getting splashed and soaked was not fun for my six year old self.  As a way to redeem myself 23 years later, I was bound and determined to ride the Fury of the Nile and this time, it was a success.

Post Fury of the Nile 1990…sheer terror.

Post Fury of the Nile 2013…all smiles.

It was a quick, but fun trip.  We explored Kansas City a little while doing some eating and shopping.

Union Station…

{The Launes}

6.16.13…Homeward Bound

All good things must come to an end.  Like Dr. Suess said, “Don’t cry because it’s over.  Smile because it happened.”  Yesterday was our last day in Sierra Leone.  As much as I expected to be homesick while we were there, I really wasn’t.  I forgot about my cellphone, Facebook and make-up.  I seldom thought about what I would be doing if I were at home.  I’m usually so focused on what I’m missing that sometimes I forget to enjoy where I am in the moment.  This trip was refreshingly different.

Saying goodbye was much harder than I thought it would be.  They had a farewell ceremony after breakfast on Saturday morning.  I still can’t believe how in such a short period of time you can bond and build relationships with the kids and caregivers.  Kandeh was quiet, but once we finally connected he was stuck to us like glue.  He didn’t show a lot of emotion when we were there so I was surprised to look over at him sitting on Trent’s lap during the farewell song with tears rolling down his cheeks.  Talk about ripping your heart right out of your chest.  I am guessing that this is the first time since he has been at the Raining Season that he has really connected with anyone.  I think when it was time to go Trent and I both wanted to take him and his sisters home.

Love them!

I don’t think I could love this picture any more!

Auntie Marie did all the cooking for us in the guesthouse.  My favorite was the night we had pizza and french fries!

Uncle Patrick helped us with building…

Osseh and John took us on our community outreach outings…

We spent the rest of the afternoon saying goodbye until it was time for us to leave and catch to ferry.  Throughout the week the kids were very interested in things that they noticed as different from them.  For example, Trent’s hairy arms, being able to see veins through our skin and my moles.  One of the older boys told me that if got any more “spots” I would turn into a cheetah!

Sierra Leone is a country full of beautiful people with kind hearts.  I am so thankful that God had it in His plans for us to visit.  Going into this journey was about 110% out of my comfort zone.  It was a risk that required a lot of trust and in the end, blessed me immensely.  We will have to wait and see what God has in store for us now. 

In the meantime, I am looking forward to a shower (I have not had a real one in 9 days), my own bed and sharing stories of our trip with everyone back home.  We are so very thankful for all of the love, financial support and prayers from everyone along the way.  Please continue to pray for the people of Sierra Leone and those at the Raining Season.  

You can check out The Raining Season’s website at http://www.therainingseason.org/ for more information about their organization.

Orphans won’t be orphans forever.  Psalm 10:14

{The Launes}

6.14.13…You’re the God of this City

It is hard to believe that tonight is our last night in Africa.  Tomorrow will be filled with goodbyes and the beginning of our adventure back home.  I am excited to be home and sleep in my own bed and take a hot shower, but it will be hard to leave the people.  The relationships that we have built in such a short period of time are greater than I ever could have imagined.  It will especially be hard to say goodbye to Kandeh (who we sponsor) and his sisters.  They have brought so much joy to us while we were here.

Today the kids were on a field trip to parliament for school so we really didn’t get to spend much time with them.  While there were gone, we rolled up our sleeves and got busy working on tables for each of the apartments.  Before, they were just eating on the floor.  Now they will have tables big enough for their whole apartment and create a family style dinner environment.  It included a lot of sanding and varnishing, but they look great!

Tonight we played, hung out, took pictures and attended our final group devotion.  In group devotion everyone comes together outside.  Singing is a big part of their worship.  They also have the most beautiful way of praying.  Over 100 people are praying aloud for the same thing.  Even the littlest ones have their heads bowed and eyes closed praying to Jesus.

Sierra Leone is a beautiful country with beautiful people.  It is more than the trash on the ground or it’s poverty.  I can’t help but think about Chris Tomlin’s song, God of this City.

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

{The Launes}

6.13.13…Beach Day!

Today was beach day!  It is the day when teams are visiting that all the kids get out of school and everyone packs into podas (like 28 kids in one poda) and drive down the coast to the beach.

The ocean in Sierra Leone is beautiful.  The beaches were white sand with clear, warm water.  Other than us, there was hardly anyone at the beach so it felt like our own tropical island.  It was a fun day, but exhausting.  Imagine taking 100+ kids to the beach who have never had swimming lessons.  They don’t venture too far and are completely okay with being covered from head to toe with sand.

Auntie Alice…She is the sweetest lady!  She made the rug that I brought home.

The worst part about the trip was the drive.  I have never been so scared in a car.  Freetown driving is crazy, but this was a new extreme.  We were on dirt and gravel roads like washboards.  They were bumpy and we were driving too fast and swerving.  I was debating between whether I should just trust that God would take care of me or if I was being stupid not to say something.  I decided that God was in control, but I was still going to say something.  We drove home slower (not much, but a little).

Tonight everyone was exhausted.  We played a little, but it was off to bed early for the little ones.  Tomorrow was suppose to be our last day here, but since we were delayed a day getting here, we are going to be able to stay an extra day.  One extra day to love on the kids!

{The Launes}

6.12.13…4 Years

If you had asked me four years ago where I would be today, I can guarantee you I would not have said Africa.  It’s funny how God’s plans often look nothing like our own, yet they are so very wonderful.  You see, four years ago today Trent and I were married.  Unlike four years ago, today wasn’t about us.  It was about the people of Sierra Leone.

Today we participated in community outreach.  We walked from the orphanage into the nearby community.  We visited two private schools bringing them books for their school and sweets for the kids while Pastor Daniel preached the gospel.  My idea of what the schools would be like was very different from what I witnessed.  I was expecting them to be more developed, when in reality, they were meeting in an unfinished building.  They want to provide a better education here, but it is difficult to do without any supplies.  One thing that was evident is the love the people have for these children.  They make the most of what they have.

We also stopped and visited with some people along the way.  We delivered rice, lotion and soap to some of the people. The pushing and shoving over the bags of rice as they were being distributed shows how desperate and in need these people are.  The things we were able to provide them with does not even make a dent in their poverty.  The real goal of this community outreach was to share the gospel and tell them about worship at the center.  Trent pointed out that no matter what we do, we will not eliminate poverty.  John 12:8 says, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”  Through a belief in Jesus, even the most poverty stricken people will prosper.  I continue to pray that even in poverty they are able to see the blessings bestowed upon them and become Kingdom laborers. 

This afternoon Osseh took us up the mountain.  On the way we got to see the U.S. Embassy. There were also piles of rock along the road with people working to crush the rock.  The crushed rock is used to make cement blocks for building.  When we got to our stopping point the clouds were so thick we couldn’t see anything, but within a few minutes, Freetown and the Atlantic ocean were visible.  The shape of Sierra Leone makes Freetown look like it is surrounded by ocean on three sides.  It was absolutely beautiful!

A mango tree…

Celebrating 4 years…

Tonight we hung out with the kids and had whole group devotion outside.  The hearts for Jesus in this center is amazing.  These children have been through some of the worst, most unimaginable things, yet through Christ they have found healing.  Jesus is real to them and it is powerful.  Listening to the children pray simultaneously makes the most beautiful sound. 

{The Launes}

6.11.13

The moon and stars govern the night, for his love endures forever.

Psalm 136:9

Without air conditioning it is always a nice treat to sit on the balcony before bed.  There is a nice ocean breeze that helps you to cool off after a long, hot day.  Tonight I was noticing how in this city of over 2 million people, you can see the stars in the sky at night.  That is nearly impossible in Omaha, let alone a city at least five times its size. 

This was our first day here that there was no rain.  It rained a lot during the night, but none today.  One of the most refreshing things is a shower in the rain.  It is clean water and if you stand under the downspout it is just like a shower.  The only alternative is a bucket bath, which does about as good as no bath at all.  We have decided tonight that we will hold out hope for rain.

Today we spent all of our time at the center.  I got to observe in the different classrooms here at the center.  I was really excited to see what school was like here and how it is the same and different as back home.  I spent most of the time in a prep 4 and prep 5 classroom.  One of the teachers had called in sick so the class had no teacher.  An older student was working to instruct the students.  Some of the students were doing a really good job, but there were definitely some little boys in the class.  I was most excited when the other class was reviewing science for their big exam that’s coming up.  They were studying the four seasons and the teacher asked me to share about what the four seasons, especially winter, look like in Nebraska.  I asked them who would like to see snow someday and every hand went up.  They were trying to convince me to bring them some snow in a freezer!

We spent the rest of the afternoon working on building bunk beds.  It was a slow process with one power saw and what Trent considered to be one and a half hammers.  We got a lot of the wood cut and need to start sanding and constructing tomorrow.  It will be a chance for me to finally put my carpentry skills to good use.

These are the mattresses and mosquito nets we purchased with some of the money we raised…

The rest of the day was spent hanging and playing with the kids.  Kandeh is warming up to me and his sisters, Zainab and Isha are as well.  We gave him some bubbles. crayons and a coloring book.  He loved them!  He was so thrilled with such a simple gift.  I am really looking forward to getting to know him more the rest of the week.

They also really carry things on their heads.  Trent even gave it a try.  A quote from Trent: “This is really hard!”

Trent’s heart for the people here continues to inspire me.  The children at the orphanage are very blessed and fortunate all things considered.  We exchanged some money when we got here and just split it up evenly between the two of us.  Throughout the day yesterday, he gave it all away to people in the community.  This is the same guy, who as a little boy was very disappointed to find out he would have to spend his souvenir money on vacation to buy underwear because he had neglected to pack any.  He has also been giving some of his snacks he packed for our trip to a little boy who lives in a tin shack right outside of the center’s gates.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Trent were to give the shirt off his back to someone before we leave.  I am so thankful to have married a man with a heart for the Lord and compassion for others.

{The Launes}