Saturday, August 22, 2015

Wedding Day - August 1st




The Program

Pictures taken - Groom and his men


Prepping the flowers!



Proud parents, Peter & Tammy walking down the aisle


Father & Bride
Top left Skyler seeing his bride for first time....

Bride and her women!

Parents prayer blessing.
"Presenting Mr. & Mrs. Russell"

Dancing out through bubbles to "Signed, sealed, delivered I'M YOURS!"

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

August 8, 2015 Update



I've been in Tanzania for over five weeks! Time flies when you're busy prepping for a wedding and all the other celebrations going along with it. It's been good, full and this email has the potential to be quite long as much as has happened. I will try to condense as much as I can, but also want to be able to share the wonder of it all so grab a cup of whatever you like to drink and enjoy!

Last I typed to you I was helping prep for the Send Off on July 20th. The celebration on the Wild Hope land for the neighbors & others in the Arusha area. That went so well considering ALL the factors that needed to come together. The melding of so many different cultural ways of celebrating & feeding them all. Guesstimate of the number of people was 150. They were able to sit and talk or play games down the way as they waited for the program to begin. I would describe the first part of the Send Off as catering towards the expatriate (one not living in one’s native country) crowd - the music especially. Then after the crowd had been fed East African music was put on and the Tanzanian side came forth in colorful rhythm. I had so much fun watching the Wild Hope staff dance the bride & grooms cake to them, moving in only the way an African rhythm can get your body moving and playfully feign delivery before passing it back through the line behind them. Such downright fun. So, many came together to make this event go smooth with bellies filled! Skyler & Justine - the cause of the party - were bestowed with gifts and left knowing they were loved loved loved.

Post the Send Off we prepped to travel to Maasai Land for a precious time with these dear folks, who my brother’s family has been relating with for decades, to bless Skyler & Justine. 26 of us went out in 5 cars - a coming together of the two families for this occasion. The lead car pulled a trailer which set out pace. We lunched beside the dirt road sitting in chairs and using the hood as our buffet table. The ladies room was across the road :-). We landed at dusk to a camp already set up for us by Leighton (my 17 year old nephew) Noeli & Ezra (two of the Wild Hope staff). So nice to have hot water ready for showers and our tents ready to go! The last part of the road could almost be called a road and does its best to adjust your spine in ways it hasn’t moved recently :-). The distance is about 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) and took over 4 hours!

Friday, the next day, was the day of the blessing. Our camp woke up and prepped for anything as the different cultural styles made their self evident. Originally the blessing was scheduled for the morning, but ended up being mid afternoon. It was a wise blessing committee that had us go ahead with our lunch - we heated up what was meant for our supper - as it would have been quite a long time between breakfast & when we would have eaten. So, good to be able to go with the flow and enjoy Skyler, Chase (his brother), Justine & Celeste (her sister) dressed up & bejeweled by the Maasai. 

The ceremony started with Justine and the women being driven up the hill to be prepared for Skyler & his crew walking up the hill to come get his intended. Picture Justine and Celeste in a dark Maasai dwelling getting decked out for the occasion. Solar lights were used to illuminate. Skyler arrived and entered the dwelling with gifts for her 'parents' - an older Maasai couple acted like Justine's parents giving Skyler a hard time about not deserving her and why was he worthy of her. Once they had harangued him enough, in their playful manner, they moved on to giving advice. Best one that I heard was, "When she's carrying water don't call her a 'donkey', but help her." Sound advice for any couple starting their life together :-). They also said to both of them to have eyes only for each other.  They then came out of the hut and Skyler shared some tender words with Justine's parents. We then proceeded down the hill to the Wedding blessing location with a choir leading us. About half way down another choir met us coming up the hill and what seemed like 'battle of the choirs' began. It was great fun, lots of joy and laughter. At the end of the journey Skyler, Chase, Justine & Celeste made their way between the leading choir and to seats waiting for them under a shade tent. Solomon Kipi & Peter Kukan then proceeded to lead the ceremony with much shared by all parties. Then the cows came out and the Maasai shifted their focus to those lovely creatures. Chase pointed out the heifer that he was giving Skyler, Skyler pointed out the heifer that he was giving David Owens, Justine's dad, and then the cows took off in terror due to the extra attention given them. All in all Skyler & Justine came away very rich with 1 bull, 2 heifers & 7 goats! What a lovely time of celebrating with these dear people who are so joyful. I felt so privileged to be a part of this precious time. That evening we capped the day off with playing charades around the fire. There are numerous ways for families to bond and get to know each other!

The day after I got back, Sunday July  26th, from Maasai land I got hit with a stomach bug and had to lay low for a couple of days. I was very happy with the way my body was able to fight and bounce back from it. I was back up and running by Wednesday and so appreciative of feeling better. 

Thursday, July 30th, I headed out with the gang to the wedding location at a golf club on a sugar plantation near Moshi about 94 kilometers (58 miles) from Arusha and takes about 1.5 hours to drive as it is mostly on paved roads. Moshi is the town at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro. The bride and groom had planned for the families to be out there a couple days early to have some down & together time before the big event. It was nice to have that plan in place as it forced me to get ready earlier and then have some time to rest up. I stayed in a lovely room - felt quite pampered. It was nice to enjoy walks along the golf course in the mornings with vervet monkeys frolicking nearby. The structured man-made oasis quite a contrast to the locale a week before in Maasai land and yet each meant to be. Friday morning Skyler asked if I would be their wedding coordinator for the wedding day as illness rendered the one they had asked not able. I gladly said yes and donned my Strategic Event Coordinator hat I had worn while working for Wycliffe. The LORD has built me for times like that & I enjoyed myself thoroughly with it not feeling like work at all. What fun was had at the rehearsal dinner that was an Aussie BBQ. Good to have a taste, literally and figuratively, of that culture that flows through Justine's blood – she’s Australian / Canadian.

Saturday, August 1st, the day of the wedding, dawned with overcast skies & looking like it was going to rain. The wedding was scheduled for 2:30 that afternoon. My prayer was for overcast during the wedding - so the lighting would be sweet for the pictures- and then for the sun to come out as well as Mt Kilimanjaro afterward. It was overcast for the bits that needed overcast in the morning and then the sun came out, but not the big mountain. I share this weather report because it is special to serve a God that cares about those little details. The ceremony was precious and well planned by Skyler & Justine. Embedded in my mind is Skyler's joyous, tear-stained face as he watched his bride-to-be coming down the rose pedaled strewn path on her father's arm. I cried at many points during the ceremony. It was good to worship together, to hear words of wisdom from both fathers (very impressed and proud of the words my brother shared!), watch them take their first communion together, watch them weave three satin clothes together into a wedding braid representing the strength of a 3 corded strand: the two of them & Jesus, hear their parents blessing them in prayer and have them dance out as Mr. & Mrs. Russell to the song 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered - I'M YOURS' through bubbles blown by those in attendance. The rest of the evening consisted of 'Bitings' (local lingo for Hors D' Oeuvres  :-) for the guests while the family took pictures; convoy over to the reception site; lovely meal; lots of toasts; a flash mob of the bridal party & parents doing a dance; sending the bride & groom off through a somewhat successful tunnel of sparklers and then carrying on dancing after they left. I climbed into bed feeling very full of gratitude to my Maker for helping the day go so well. The next day as I journaled all that took place I was in awe again that it went so well! Thanks for your prayers.

The next day, Sunday, August 2nd, we had a leisurely leaving as only one of our party had to get out of their place by 11 am (thanks Aunt Dorothy for doing that gracefully :-).  Nice to pack up slow, journal, have a time of worship and eat slow before piling into the cars to head back to Arusha. I had a blast with my twin niece and nephew playing 'Hinky-Pinky' (fun rhyming game) & Mastermind (a word riddle game). The time went fast which is nice as so much time is spent in travel here as the roads are prone to give way to dirt & slow you down. 

On Monday, August 3rd, we said good-bye to 6 of our party! Skyler & Justine - the newlyweds - came by for lunch with us and then were on their way to the Seychelles for the rest of their honeymoon. Chase & Amanda (nephew & wife) & Jake left to go back to SoCal and Aunt Dorothy left for Ethiopia. That left six of us to enjoy a few more days with Tammy's dad, Larry. Tuesday I had a 'crash day' of resting while the rest of the gang went out to enjoy the Wild Hope land. Wednesday we took the day to go to Tarangire Game Park which is about 119 kilometers (74 miles) 1.5 hours southwest of Arusha. The animals came out for Larry -- giraffe greeted us just past the gate as well as zebra, wildebeest, impala, stein buck, waterbuck, eland, elephants, vervet monkeys, baboon and 5 lions! Tarangire boasts a wide variety of birds as well. Most unusual experiences of the day were 1) being surrounded by elephants - they came by the car and could have been touched by us! You never want to come between a mother and her young elephant child, but we had one mother choose to go on one side of us while her baby was on the other. Fortunately she didn't see us as a threat and continued to graze on the grass near our vehicle AND 2) a little bird pecking off insects as he clung to a giraffe's leg. I could sit for hours and watch the antics of these creatures God had fun creating. Each gifted in their own way to cope with the life before them. 

Thursday we had a tearful farewell as Larry departed and then went to have some Ethiopian food! All of us still here, my brother - Peter, his wife - Tammy, their daughter - Sianna and their son - Leighton AND I are in awe as to how these many events not just came together, but all met their intended purpose beyond our expectations. A weaving of the various parts of both Skyler and Justine’s lives. The Send Off - a celebration of those in Arusha – neighbors and friends. The Maasai Marriage Blessing - a celebration with those who Peter & Tammy have had relationship with for years and years able to bless the couple in their heart language and with their traditional pattern. It also was a blessing as those Maasai invited to the wedding were not able to attend due to August 1st being the voting day for the local election that James Kukan was running in. That date was set post the wedding date being set. They wanted to support James and support they did – HE WON! The wedding a celebration for the families near & far and friends to join Skyler & Justine as they 'tied the knot' of marriage. Thank You LORD.

Wow, I warned you this would be a long one. I have a feeling that my next update will not be as verbose and might be more towards what 'normal' life in Arusha, Tanzania is like. The twins are home from school until the end of August so there will be some vacationing as well.

I hope to get some pictures up on my blog which has been inactive for about 5 years! Keep a look out on the site below for pictures. Do be patient as it takes internet time to upload pictures and the internet tends to be sporadic. No need to sign up for anything though they will want you to if you want to leave a comment -- you can just email me your comments :-), Here's the site:


I'll end with the profound advice already mentioned above -- let's not call each other 'donkey' and help each other!!!!

July 17, 2015 Update



Hello from Tanzania, East Africa

I made it! Landed Thursday, July 2nd around 9:44 am local time & 11:45 pm Wed SoCal time. Left LAX at 5:30 pm Monday, June 29th! I'll let you calculate the hours of passage. It was broken up by an overnight in London & an overnight in Nairobi due to a missed flight! 

Landed & dove into helping host, for the weekend, a group of 16 from America here to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. My jetlag didn’t allow me to be 100%, but I helped as I could. The group is raising support for staff housing here on the Wild Hope land. Twelve of the 16 made it to the summit which is pretty amazing.

After saying farewell to them on Sunday last we had a bit of rest before diving into plans for the next big event = a 'Send Off', here on the land, for Skyler - my nephew & his fiancĂ©, Justine. That will be in the afternoon Monday, July 20th. This is a party for those not able to attend the wedding on Saturday, August 1st, which is in another city & has limited space. A lot of the local neighbors will be attending. A good mix of the formal Tanzanian way of celebrating & the casual gathering of expatriates. Thanks for your prayers as I understand how to help Tammy - my sister-in-love - who is doing the bulk of the planning. I feel a wee bit hobbled to help as I don't know the language well nor how to get about town. (The land is about 20 minutes from the Arusha town.) Being a sounding board & doing what I'm able has helped. 

Many thanks to those of you who used my 'Joy L. Russell At Your Service' services Monday, June 21st-Wed, June 23rd. Much money came in to cover some unexpected expenses...my car needing a new radiator being a big one! 

My living situation is pretty posh for being in a tent. I sleep in a twin bed, have a solar light, the wifi almost reaches my tent, wake up to such a variety of birds chatting away & am getting used to the cold. Must admit I'm enjoying staying in bed in the mornings & it's not just from jet lag. I'm hoping to get into a walking routine. One time around the land takes about 20 minutes. Would like to work up to three times around. The wide variety of fruit & vegetables here has helped me be able to stay pretty on target with my new way of eating. Have to get used to not having a microwave to heat things up quick. 

You’re wondering about power in the land, are you???? They are set up with a nice wind/solar system that runs the kitchen, restrooms, workshop & newly built Kibanda (meeting/ kitchen area). When that power runs out the gas powered generator is started. There is also a wifi system that gives sporadic access to the internet. Seems like there is less & less bandwidth as more neighbors use it - smile. 

I look forward to claiming back more of my understanding of Ki-Swahili & the 'lay of the land' as that will help enhance this time here. 

I look forward to family & friends arriving for the wedding. Kim MacDonald, gal from my home church who climbed Kilimanjaro landed on Tuesday, July 14th. She'll be here for a week & has been put right to work. Sianna & Leighton - Peter & Tammy's twins - will be arrived Wednesday, July 15th. It is good to see them. They are officially now high school seniors! Next to arrive will be Chase (Peter & Tammy's middle son) with his wife Amanda. They'll land on Tuesday, July 21st with Tammy's dad, Larry, arriving a couple hours later. Next day my Aunt Dorothy will arrive from Ethiopia. We'll all have the privilege of attending the Maasai Blessing Ceremony for Skyler & Justine, in Maasai Land on July 24th. (Thanks for prayers of logistics of getting 26 of us out to Maasia Land, two nights there & then back again. Think extreme camping where you have to carry everything in & everything out!) Last to arrive will be Jake Walker - Skyler's good friend from my home church - on Saturday, July 25th. We'll all head out to the wedding location on Thursday, July 30th & be there three nights. A lot to take in, I know, but it gives you a glimpse of my life right now.  

I'll end with a Ki-Swahili proverb: "Haraka haraka haina baraka" which means “hurry hurry has no blessing”. I'm enjoying the slower pace here in Tanzania & time to just sit and think. There are times when I’m forced to not hurry due to the power shutting off, etc, as well. Blessings to all of you as you enjoy your own times of non-hurry.

For those of you who haven’t heard from me in a long time I have recently traveled to Tanzania. The reason for my coming is my nephew, Skyler’s wedding – August 1st (as mentioned above). Since I was able to get here and because my life circumstances are in flux I decided to stay for three months. My brother, Peter, & his wife Tammy have a ministry called Wild Hope International (here’s their website if you’d like to know more: www.wildhopeinternational.org). My time will be spent 1) helping prep for the wedding events 2) hanging out with family & 3) seeking what the LORD has for me next.

June 19, 2015 Updated



Hello & Hello!

It's been a while since I've let you know what is happening with me. My life is 'hopping' so take a seat and let me get you caught up.

My temp job at Azusa Pacific University ended April 24th. Well beyond the December 19th date I thought. They gave me a lovely 'orange' send off. Such a blessing to be able to work there & with those people for over two years!

I just returned to SoCal from a trip to EaWash (Eastern Washington). Left May 11th & returned Sunday, June 14th. Trip to EaWash was a good combination of rest, work (Joy Russell AT YOUR SERVICE was up and running), building / deepening relationships and gaining more freedom in my own life. Huzzah! The end of my trip was topped off by a few days on the Oregon coast at Arch Cape and my nephew, Chase’s, graduation from Stanford. It’s nice to come back more rested and ready to face whatever is ahead.

WHATEVER IS AHEAD consists of 3 months in Tanzania! I'm staying at a friend's house in Monrovia - she's kind enough to let me 'crash' here before I leave on Monday, June 29th & have a return flight on September 29th. Yikes, that’s just 10 days away. I’m mainly going out for my nephew, Skyler’s, wedding August 1st and figured it would be a good time to clarify if the LORD has something for me to be doing in Tanzania. To find that out I am extending my trip on both sides of the wedding to 1) help with wedding prep 2) have special family time while the twins are off school in August and 3) get a good look at the work Peter & Tammy (my brother and sister-in-law) are doing with their ministry, Wild Hope International, to see if there might be a niche for me. Thanks for praying clarity for what the LORD has for me in the future. As I read my Bible it’s telling me He has it all planned out already and it’s an exciting adventure. Not always easy, but always with Him by my side!

For those of you in SoCal Joy L. Russell AT YOUR SERVICE will be up and running next Monday – Wed (June 22nd – 24th). I’m working on gathering funds for when I return as a couple has graciously offered to cover my expenses while I’m out there. So, if you need:

Weeding
Window washing
Cleaning closets
Organizing any "black holes" in your house
Painting
Basic Computer problem-solving
Gardening

Let me know I have a reasonable hourly rate. You know you want to get that task done - give me a call!

I'll try to send updates from Tanzania. Let me know:
    1) if you would rather not be on this list for updates
    2) if you have a different email address you’d prefer me to use