Great Room BEFORE
Great Room AFTER
New Kitchen (built where we once had a patio)
Front of house BEFORE
Front of house AFTER
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Our "new" house
We have now been home for exactly one week & have spent most of that week settling back into our newly renovated house. Before we moved in, I took these photos of the house. I've tried my best to pair the before & after photos to give you a sense of the changes. We have THOROUGHLY enjoyed catching up with our friends & family as well. We are actually off to Thailand for two weeks this Saturday & will do our best to post some messages while there as well. I also know K is working on a summary of our time in South Africa. mbj
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Homeward Bound
The time here in Stellenbosch South Africa has gone quickly as we prepare to start our journey home tomorrow morning. We leave tomorrow for Johannesburg where we will spend a day & a night with some friends. Then on Tuesday, we will make the trek back to Indy via Washington DC. It's been a good trip, one filled with some wonderful time with friends & and some great discussions.
And top off the whole trip, our beloved South African Springboks rugby team won the World Cup of Rugby last night against England!! We are THRILLED! So you might send a note to any & all of your South African friends congratulating them. This is a really big deal.
Thanks for all of your prayers & well-wishes while we've been here. We'll connect again when we get home.
Love MB&K
And top off the whole trip, our beloved South African Springboks rugby team won the World Cup of Rugby last night against England!! We are THRILLED! So you might send a note to any & all of your South African friends congratulating them. This is a really big deal.
Thanks for all of your prayers & well-wishes while we've been here. We'll connect again when we get home.
Love MB&K
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Inspiration
Part of my time here in South Africa has been devoted to going through my Outlook Inbox & organizing it. During this process, I found an email from earlier this year from a good friend. Part of his email was very relevant as it relates to our last post. He wrote: "I am also more aware that collectively we have an amazing platform to do something - to those whom much is given, much is expected. We have been given more than the vast vast majority of people in this world. What can we do together?" It's a good challenge. What CAN we do together? What do you think? We're game...
Thursday, October 11, 2007
55 Students - 35 Countries
Last week, we finished our combined partnership training for the sports school and for the community transformation school. There were 55 students from 35 countries. It was amazing to meet them all & hear some of their stories. The training was conducted by K, myself, and A.
We continue to be amazed at all God is doing in the world through people like these. These are the workers. These are the ones who are playing with & teaching the children, caring for the dying, creating better systems for their communities at a grass-roots level. These are the ones asking, “What is YOUR American church doing to address HIV/AIDS worldwide?”
I walk away inspired to get more hands-on in my own city. And I continue to be daunted by the great need around the world for resources, both people & money. What if the churches in every state adopted an African country, doubling up where necessary? (There are 52 African countries.) What are the churches of the world capable of if we put our time & energy into addressing HIV/AIDS more aggressively? (Because isn’t the church commanded to take care of the widows & orphans…the outcasts?) How do we take care of the needs in our own backyards, in our own cities, while pulling together to address these global needs?
So here’s where we’re at… K & I have had an ongoing conversation about what is required of us, as human beings, as Christians, as Americans...whatever defines us & distinguishes us from everyone else. It’s easy to forget that because we are American, we are richer than most of the world, regardless of how “rich” we are by American standards. In the eyes of the rest of the world, we are American & therefore we have more than they do & we should give without another thought. & most of the time we are the only Americans that they know. So then what is our responsibility, really? Is it as simple as when they ask, we give, regardless of what they ask because it is our duty, regardless of the accountability structures that may or may not be in place? We ask this question to all of you. What do you think? How do you handle requests such as these?
When can we expect first world standards & when do we accept third world standards? How do you respond when people justify certain behaviors or lack of responsibility because “this is Africa”? When is it okay to say “that’s not good enough”?
For instance, I get frustrated when we loan money to friends for a specific purpose & they take it & do something totally different with that money without telling us and therefore have no plan to pay us back because the situation changed. I expect more from them than this, less because of their access to first world opportunities but because they are our friends. And friends don’t do that, even if they come from third world situations…do they? What is the breaking point between helping out a friend & enabling certain behavior? When do we say, You’re my friend & I expect more from you”? And when do we say, “It’s okay…I have more resources than you & after all you’re from the third world so I don’t hold you to the same levels of expectation as I would other friends from more established nations”? Should we EVER say the latter? Should I expect less from my friend in Togo than I expect from my friend in Indiana? There should be no “us” & “them.” It should just be “us.” Right? So what does that mean in this conversation?
For today, we will continue doing what we know to do & not get hung up on those things that we don’t have answers to. We will both continue asking the questions & looking for answers.
We continue to be amazed at all God is doing in the world through people like these. These are the workers. These are the ones who are playing with & teaching the children, caring for the dying, creating better systems for their communities at a grass-roots level. These are the ones asking, “What is YOUR American church doing to address HIV/AIDS worldwide?”
I walk away inspired to get more hands-on in my own city. And I continue to be daunted by the great need around the world for resources, both people & money. What if the churches in every state adopted an African country, doubling up where necessary? (There are 52 African countries.) What are the churches of the world capable of if we put our time & energy into addressing HIV/AIDS more aggressively? (Because isn’t the church commanded to take care of the widows & orphans…the outcasts?) How do we take care of the needs in our own backyards, in our own cities, while pulling together to address these global needs?
So here’s where we’re at… K & I have had an ongoing conversation about what is required of us, as human beings, as Christians, as Americans...whatever defines us & distinguishes us from everyone else. It’s easy to forget that because we are American, we are richer than most of the world, regardless of how “rich” we are by American standards. In the eyes of the rest of the world, we are American & therefore we have more than they do & we should give without another thought. & most of the time we are the only Americans that they know. So then what is our responsibility, really? Is it as simple as when they ask, we give, regardless of what they ask because it is our duty, regardless of the accountability structures that may or may not be in place? We ask this question to all of you. What do you think? How do you handle requests such as these?
When can we expect first world standards & when do we accept third world standards? How do you respond when people justify certain behaviors or lack of responsibility because “this is Africa”? When is it okay to say “that’s not good enough”?
For instance, I get frustrated when we loan money to friends for a specific purpose & they take it & do something totally different with that money without telling us and therefore have no plan to pay us back because the situation changed. I expect more from them than this, less because of their access to first world opportunities but because they are our friends. And friends don’t do that, even if they come from third world situations…do they? What is the breaking point between helping out a friend & enabling certain behavior? When do we say, You’re my friend & I expect more from you”? And when do we say, “It’s okay…I have more resources than you & after all you’re from the third world so I don’t hold you to the same levels of expectation as I would other friends from more established nations”? Should we EVER say the latter? Should I expect less from my friend in Togo than I expect from my friend in Indiana? There should be no “us” & “them.” It should just be “us.” Right? So what does that mean in this conversation?
For today, we will continue doing what we know to do & not get hung up on those things that we don’t have answers to. We will both continue asking the questions & looking for answers.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Good stuff...
I don't know how many of you have read Anne Lamott's book "Traveling Mercies," but I loved it and actually should read it again. I've been on my computer this morning looking for a quote in my quote folder (yes, I have a quote folder) and came upon this quote from Traveling Mercies. I needed to hear it this morning:
"I don’t know why life isn’t constructed to be seamless and safe, why we make such glaring mistakes, things fall so short of our expectations, and our hearts get broken and our kids do scary things and our parents get old and don’t always remember to put pants on before they go out for a stroll. I don’t know why it’s not more like it is in the movies, why things don’t come out neatly and lessons can’t be learned when you’re in the mood for learning them, why love and grace often come in such motley packaging. But I was reminded of the lines of D.H. Lawrence that are taped to the wall of my office: “What is the knocking? / What is the knocking at the door in the night? / It is somebody wants to do us harm. / No, no, it is the three strange angels. / Admit them, admit them."
A few others from the same book...
"I was too young to die – or least, I was too upset to die. You don’t want to die when you’re this upset – you get a bad room in heaven with the other hysterics, the right-to-lifers, and the exercise compulsives. But thinking of heaven made me remember something: that I believe in God. And I smote my own forehead."
"Now we understand that the blanket really does protect Linus and that Schroeder really does play lovely music on a toy piano, because both of them keep at it. They believe."
"I think that is why the lipstick on [my mom's] teeth bothers me. It tells the whole world, I tried, I missed, I have no idea it’s there."
"It was amazing. I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. It can be received gladly or grudgingly, in big gulps or in tiny tastes, like a deer at the salt. I gobbled it, licked, held it down between my little hooves."
"You can often avoid the pain by trying to fix other people; shopping helps in a pinch, as does romantic obsession. Martyrdom can’t be beat. While too much exercise works for many people, it doesn’t work for me, but I have found that a stack of magazines can be numbing and even mood altering. But the bad news is that whatever you use to keep the pain at bay robs you of the flecks and nuggets of gold that feeling grief will give you."
Okay, that's enough.
"I don’t know why life isn’t constructed to be seamless and safe, why we make such glaring mistakes, things fall so short of our expectations, and our hearts get broken and our kids do scary things and our parents get old and don’t always remember to put pants on before they go out for a stroll. I don’t know why it’s not more like it is in the movies, why things don’t come out neatly and lessons can’t be learned when you’re in the mood for learning them, why love and grace often come in such motley packaging. But I was reminded of the lines of D.H. Lawrence that are taped to the wall of my office: “What is the knocking? / What is the knocking at the door in the night? / It is somebody wants to do us harm. / No, no, it is the three strange angels. / Admit them, admit them."
A few others from the same book...
"I was too young to die – or least, I was too upset to die. You don’t want to die when you’re this upset – you get a bad room in heaven with the other hysterics, the right-to-lifers, and the exercise compulsives. But thinking of heaven made me remember something: that I believe in God. And I smote my own forehead."
"Now we understand that the blanket really does protect Linus and that Schroeder really does play lovely music on a toy piano, because both of them keep at it. They believe."
"I think that is why the lipstick on [my mom's] teeth bothers me. It tells the whole world, I tried, I missed, I have no idea it’s there."
"It was amazing. I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. It can be received gladly or grudgingly, in big gulps or in tiny tastes, like a deer at the salt. I gobbled it, licked, held it down between my little hooves."
"You can often avoid the pain by trying to fix other people; shopping helps in a pinch, as does romantic obsession. Martyrdom can’t be beat. While too much exercise works for many people, it doesn’t work for me, but I have found that a stack of magazines can be numbing and even mood altering. But the bad news is that whatever you use to keep the pain at bay robs you of the flecks and nuggets of gold that feeling grief will give you."
Okay, that's enough.
Quote of the Day
Yesterday, we were at Boulder's Beach watching at the Jackass penguins and looking for whales when an older lady came up & started talking to me. She thought we were South African and when I said we were from the US, she asked which state. I said, "Indiana."
And she said, "That sounds so romantic! 'Inn-dee-awnaa.'"
Because this might be the first time in history when Indiana is thought of as "romantic," we left it at that.
And she said, "That sounds so romantic! 'Inn-dee-awnaa.'"
Because this might be the first time in history when Indiana is thought of as "romantic," we left it at that.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Cape Town, South Africa
We have arrived safe & sound in the Western Cape of South Africa! After what we estimated to be about 45 hours of travel (from the time we left our house in Indy to when we arrived at our place here in Stellenbosch), our bodies are finally finding rest in a different time zone.
We have enjoyed a nice jog, a beautiful hike up & around Lion’s Head (near Table Mountain), delicious food, and a wonderful evening with A & E, who many of you will remember spent two months with us in Indianapolis last spring along with their two daughters.
As most of you know, we are here in South Africa for our annual teaching commitment at the sports school and at community transformation school. We will have both groups together this year, about 60 students total, for 3 days of teaching on Partnership (the value of partnership, how to create partnerships in a city, how to overcome obstacles to partnership, and the like).
It feels like fall here even though it is springtime. The weather is refreshingly cool & sunny though incredibly windy. Cape Point must be gale force winds!
We’ll be sure to post more experiences, thoughts, and photos during our time here. In the meantime, we love hearing from you! So leave us a message here on the blog or send us an email!
Thanks for all of your prayers & well-wishes.
Until next time…
We have enjoyed a nice jog, a beautiful hike up & around Lion’s Head (near Table Mountain), delicious food, and a wonderful evening with A & E, who many of you will remember spent two months with us in Indianapolis last spring along with their two daughters.
As most of you know, we are here in South Africa for our annual teaching commitment at the sports school and at community transformation school. We will have both groups together this year, about 60 students total, for 3 days of teaching on Partnership (the value of partnership, how to create partnerships in a city, how to overcome obstacles to partnership, and the like).
It feels like fall here even though it is springtime. The weather is refreshingly cool & sunny though incredibly windy. Cape Point must be gale force winds!
We’ll be sure to post more experiences, thoughts, and photos during our time here. In the meantime, we love hearing from you! So leave us a message here on the blog or send us an email!
Thanks for all of your prayers & well-wishes.
Until next time…
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Terrible Blogger
I am a terrible blogger. I have realized more fully this morning that I do not use this blog to its potential, that none of you know me or K more fully as a result of this blog, or at least not in the ways we would want you to know us. You might know we are undergoing a huge house renovation but you would not know how much I am inspired by my friends. So I apologize. It seems I might end up highjacking this blog periodically to air my brain to any of you who may be listening.
What prompted this was me perusing my dear friend's blog this morning. She is incredibly busy with 1 husband and 3 kids, homeschooling, and all that life hands her on a daily basis (including falling over in the grocery store into a rack of balloons because she thought someone was sneaking up on her & needing two people & an army knife to free her). You should take a look at her blog. She is one of my oldest & dearest of friends & even though we don't get to see each other very often, she is an inspiration to me & I am grateful for her. http://rebeccasmith.wordpress.com/
mbj
What prompted this was me perusing my dear friend's blog this morning. She is incredibly busy with 1 husband and 3 kids, homeschooling, and all that life hands her on a daily basis (including falling over in the grocery store into a rack of balloons because she thought someone was sneaking up on her & needing two people & an army knife to free her). You should take a look at her blog. She is one of my oldest & dearest of friends & even though we don't get to see each other very often, she is an inspiration to me & I am grateful for her. http://rebeccasmith.wordpress.com/
mbj
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
New house pictures!
I finally took some new photos of the house renovation. We have come a long way since I last published any photos. Windows are in, electrical is in, insulation is is, drywall is up, the exterior has been painted, and the inerior walls have been primed for paint. We're getting there!!
1st Annual Andersen Family Crawfish Bowl
Over Memorial Day weekend, B & K Andersen hosted the most fabulous crawfish boil! Complete with something like 500 pounds of crawfish flown up that same morning from Louisiana. Amazing! Here are some photos from the event...
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Renovation Updates
It's been about 5 weeks since I last posted pictures. Quite a lot has happened in that time despite losing about 2 weeks due to the snow. I have put dates next to the photos so it's easier to track the progress for you. Enjoy!
February 2:
March 6:
(Does anyone recognize the big room or the former kitchen or office?)
(Does anyone recognize the big room or the former kitchen or office?)
March 8:
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
ColoradoNewYearsPalooza 2006-07 PICTURES
Finally, the long-awaited photos from our New Year's trip to Colorado. We had a blast with all of you who could join us & missed all of you who could not. Enjoy!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
House Renovation: Week 2
They seem to be moving quickly on the demolition of the interior/exterior. I think they start pouring foundation this next week. Crazy.
House Renovation: Week 1.5
Here are a few pics of our house renovation project from the first week and a half. You will see pictures of guys taking down the garage & a tree (sadly...but soon to replaced) as well as the remains of the "disco deck" and the house minus its sidewalks/steps. There are some interior pictures, namely the space where the kitchen used to be, the progress of the big family room, and a shot of the office (there are beautiful wood floors under that carpet!). Stay tuned.
mb
mb
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Christmas Card Disclaimer
For all of you who couldn't believe how incredibly huge our Christmas card photo was, please give me a moment to explain.
As you may know, we use Amazing Mail to send out our Christmas card every year. Usually, K is in charge of actually sending out the card. This year I, MB, did the honors.
We scrambled about a week before Christmas to find a photo we liked of ourselves and alas our sweet sister-in-law handed the photo in question to us just in the nick of time. I of course was not thinking about how our faces filled the entire frame b/c our usual card is the size of the average postcard or a 4x6-inch photo. No big deal.
So I am in the "formatting" section of Amazing Mail when I see different postcard shapes & options. I get very excited, thinking "Oh wow! I can add another small picture by the address line...perfect for the dogs." And, "Oh wow! I can include ALL my text!"
Alas, I am swept away by the joys of modern technology & the choices it offers. I end up choosing the card that gives me all of these options & more without taking time to note the SIZE of the card. It's huge. And our faces fill the frame. These two facts combined made for a shocking surprise in your mailbox come Christmas. And for that, I apologize.
Please know we were not trying to send you the biggest picture of all your friends & family. We were not trying to take up the most space on your refrigerator. And we were not trying to say, "Look at us! No really, LOOK at us!"
Thank you for your attention. And happy new year.
As you may know, we use Amazing Mail to send out our Christmas card every year. Usually, K is in charge of actually sending out the card. This year I, MB, did the honors.
We scrambled about a week before Christmas to find a photo we liked of ourselves and alas our sweet sister-in-law handed the photo in question to us just in the nick of time. I of course was not thinking about how our faces filled the entire frame b/c our usual card is the size of the average postcard or a 4x6-inch photo. No big deal.
So I am in the "formatting" section of Amazing Mail when I see different postcard shapes & options. I get very excited, thinking "Oh wow! I can add another small picture by the address line...perfect for the dogs." And, "Oh wow! I can include ALL my text!"
Alas, I am swept away by the joys of modern technology & the choices it offers. I end up choosing the card that gives me all of these options & more without taking time to note the SIZE of the card. It's huge. And our faces fill the frame. These two facts combined made for a shocking surprise in your mailbox come Christmas. And for that, I apologize.
Please know we were not trying to send you the biggest picture of all your friends & family. We were not trying to take up the most space on your refrigerator. And we were not trying to say, "Look at us! No really, LOOK at us!"
Thank you for your attention. And happy new year.
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