Time for recess! Why? Because the snack lady is here. She calls in the front door. “Cemil cemilan!” (pronounced chu-meel chu-meel-ahn) That’s Javanese for, “Snacks!” The snack lady walks the streets, balancing a large round double-decker basket on her head. Inside its woven walls lie treasures in the form of a variety of colorful snacks. Pink spongy cupcakes, brown sugary…
Bucky broke his neck. The sleek gray cockatiel with his yellow cone and his orange cheeks probably only had hours to live. Ando (pronounced AHN-doo), our night guard who had discovered the wounded bird, carefully separated him from the others. I got the aviary for the kids really. We filled it with parakeets and cockatiels, thinking it would be an…
I can hardly believe I’m going to college. COLLEGE! And with my best friend too. Life feels so perfect right now. My name is Kerrie May and my best friend in the whole world is Mary Kay. No, not the make-up variety. In fact, I don’t think the person who chose her name even knew that “Mary Kay” was a…
The scent of cloves fills the air and, combined with the cool dusk breeze, it serves as a “caffeine high” that makes the sleek horses giddy. The black mare rears up on her hind legs and the brown one trots around, her hooves clop loudly against the stone cliff on the mountain. The black one neighs and then the two…
For Good Friday, an excerpt from “Cottage in the Kampung” written around Easter a few years ago… Last night it was time for bed. It was past time for bed really. I was tired and ready to sleep. But I was restless too. I couldn’t put my finger on it at first: on why I felt so restless. But as…
Palm Sunday makes me miss Sudan. Yeah, that’s an unusual statement. I realize that. But it’s true. I mentioned it again last Sunday—Palm Sunday—as we pulled out of our driveway and headed to church. My son asked me why. I’m not sure why. Maybe because it was heart warming to watch the children walk the aisles with their palm branches.…
I don’t have training wheels on my bike anymore. Freedom! We’re cycling on the side of the road in our neighborhood. An occasional car rambles by, but mostly pedestrians, other bicycles, horse carts, and becaks. It’s not too busy though, or Mom wouldn’t have let me go. Today is special because Grandpa is riding with us. He and my big…
“Practice hospitality” Romans 12:13 NIV “Come to my house!” When I invite you to my home, I am inviting you to see a part of me. The house decor is my decor and each piece has a story. For me, most of the pictures on the walls and the curios on the bookshelf come from a variety of countries because…
I haven’t been allowed to leave the house in three weeks. But today Grandmother puts fifty cents in my hand and tells me to go buy the little green peppers that she puts in the noodles. I run out of the house before she can change her mind. I look at the shoes in the doorway then check that no…
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2 NIV) This is my theme verse for 2017. I’m not exactly sure why. I don’t usually have a theme verse for the whole year, but somehow this year I thought this would be the verse I wanted to focus on. I wrote it on an index card and taped it…
