MOMBASA

I spent a few days in Mombasa (Kenya) last week for a World Relief Communications Summit. While most of the hours were spent in a conference room (and luckily, it rained, making the hours indoors more bearable), we did get a chance to explore Mombasa town. Beautiful! An exotic mix of white sand beaches, Indian spices, seafood, Arab architecture, and Swahili culture.

The highlight of my week was an evening exploration with Dan and Tambry Brose and colleague/friend Myal, from Rwanda. We piled into a Mutatu (small bus) and cruised into town, getting dropped off in Mombasa center. There, we walked and explored, checking out the waterfront, viewing Fort Jesus, and just taking in the sights and sounds. Tried our first sample of ginger tea (oooh... strong and sweet!) and then crowded into a little tuk-tuk (pictured here) to try to find a seafood restaurant. We settled on a little hole in the wall place, a bit reminiscent of a chinese restaurant in the US... complete with pinky/peach decor and chairs covered in plastic. We were the ONLY patrons in the place and were a bit sketched out, Myal saying that it could be a front for the mafia, ha! Our server / restaurant owner was an eager little Kenyan named Omare who asked me, "Do you know garlic?... It is like onion." I laughed out loud. Do I know garlic? Am I married to SETH CHASE? Those who have visited Seth and I know that, yes, WE KNOW GARLIC! I said yes, and proceeded to order shrimp with garlic sauce. I have to say the quantities of garlic that were in that garlic sauce surpassed my normal weekly consumption. YUM!

Overall, the meetings were interesting, Mombasa was fun, and now... it is good to be back home in Burundi and with Seth.

CHRISTI AND MILI VISIT

This last weekend, my sister Christi and her baby Mili braved THE BELVEDERE BUS... a 30-something-seater that cruises twice a day between Kigali and Bujumbura... to visit us here in Buj. Not a small feat for a newbie to Africa with a baby-- as it is a crowded and hot, the road is windy, and it is a LONG six hour ride! I was impressed. My sister is AMAZING.

The two arrived Thursday afternoon, and we had an incredible and relaxing weekend (a bit slower pace with the little one-year-old Milster). The weekend was full of lots of walks and jogs, sunset at the lakeside, playing in the sand, making yummy meals, meeting our friends, church, and chilling. The only thing missing was Tony and hippo viewing (though not for lack of trying... we went on several hippo safari attempts!).

It was so wonderful to be together... and they are back to Kigali today...

MALAWI

Near the end of September, I had the opportunity to visit Malawi with a few others from World Relief Burundi. We went there to learn about their integration of the local church there with their technical programs.

General observations:
* Dry! They have EIGHT MONTHS of dry season a year! It was beautiful, but not green like Burundi, and the importance of a good rainy season was incredibly evident!

* People were warm and hospitable. We could not leave a place without a full meal. Always meals consisted of "sima" (pronounced see-mah), a white dough type substance that you roll up and dip into heavy beef sauces. Mmmmm. It seemed that people there were more open and generally friendlier than here in Burundi. Malawi has not experienced war like Burundi has, and I am sure that is a significant factor.

* The church in Africa CAN be empowered to serve the poor themselves!! It is possible! Sometimes, the challenges we face here in Burundi are discouraging... and it was inspiring to see several churches in Malawi, with support from World Relief there, to be excited about and doing significant programs to help the poor in their communities.

* As English is spoken, I loved being able to talk to people in the community (as here, people upcountry only speak Kirundi... not even French!). This mama (pictured below) is a member of her church's ministry team and helps run a program that gives pigs to her community!! We enjoyed chatting and laughing together.

SHE'S BEAUTIFUL

Photographed on August 5th at Laurelhurst Park in Portland, Milina's first birthday.










































































Here, Christi is watching Mili eat her birthday cake.



I think being a mom has made my sister even more beautiful.

STATESIDE BESTS

It's late Tuesday night. My Dad, the ultimate packer, is helping me cram the last minute items in the duffle bags. Grandpa and Grandma and Tony and Christi and Mili just left after one last family meal together. You can see our ATTEMPT at a family photo there, to the right. Seth is now upstairs working on video and floats down to check-in on my progress, every so often. (He's hanging out here a couple more weeks to finish a project). And in a few hours, at a very uncomfortable hour (3h15am, argh), I'm waking up and heading to the airport. Back to the Buj.

Our time here in Oregon / Canada / Montana has been a whirlwind, but an incredible time of fun and connection.

As I look back over our month in the States, here are some of the highlights:

* Best meal: hands down, scallops at BISHOP'S, a swanky Vancouver restaurant, with Seth, Becky, and Jonathan. My mouth waters thinking about it.
* Best coffee: always Stumptown.
* Best dessert: I think I hit my favorite frozen yogurt place, TCBY, at least 5 times while here!
* Best drink: the created "trinitini" at Oba's. Mmmm... basil.
* Best re-connect: Starbucks with Terry Jackson, missionary in Slovenia and former youth leader, dreaming about future potential youth ministry ventures together.
* Best sporting event: toss up between roller-blading with Christi and Mili on the spring water trail and getting beat at ping pong by Holzer.
* Best Seth time: AMAZING meal to celebrate 6 years together at our favorite Portland restaurant, Oba's. Thanks Dan and Tam!
* Best Mili time: her birthday photo shoot at Laurelhurst park. That girl melts my heart.

* Best Portland moment: incredible timing... getting to see our fave band, STORYHILL, with some of our bestest Portland buddies. I seriously smiled all night, I was so pumped. And we are SUCH groupies, borderline stalkers... a traditional front row seat for yet another concert at Alberta Street Pub.
* Most memorable sleep: Seth, Cooper (Christi and Tony's LARGE dog), and I together on a floor mattress at my parents' house. Yeah, not so comfortable.
* Coolest moment: riding behind Bob (Seth's dad) on his incredibly cool Victory motorcycle through beautiful Montana canyons.

* Most random moment: Bob bringing the lost "Joey, the dog from Billings" to our bedroom so we could watch him until his owner showed up for him. Little RAT of a dog! We laughed so hard.

So many highlights, reunions, laughter, and memories created. It was good.

Thanks to all you friends and family who took the time to see us, encourage us, help us, pray for us, and be a part of it all with us. We are refreshed and encouraged by you. And now, back to it... back to Burundi, baby!

TAKE ME HOME

When I was young, we would go camping together for our yearly family vacation. “As a family,” Mom would always say. Dad and Mom in the front of the truck, Christi and I piled in the back with all the gear and our stack of allotted library books , our own radio, and a stash of snacks from Mom. Whenever we got back on the road and were headed in the direction of home, Dad would inevitably belt out the song “Take me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. Depending on how old we were, Christi and I would enthusiastically chime in or groan at his cheesiness.

And now, Seth and I are heading home… to Oregon and Montana. In a matter of hours (well, two days, I guess... the flight back is pretty brutal) we will get to see my little niece, Mili, who is now almost a year old!! We will go on yet another Newcomb family camping trip to the Oregon coast, reconnect with all of our family and friends, and get some spiritual, emotional, and physical rest.

We arrive in Portland July 14th and will be in the States for just over a month. Can’t wait!! Take me HOME!!

SAM

Morning remains my favorite time of day. I still love the cool morning air. The sun peaking over the Burundi mountains behind our home. Setting out for a run before the rest of Burundi wakes up.

And I have a new reason to enjoy my morning runs— my new running buddy, Sam. I asked my parents to send out a leash so I could train our new puppy, Pippin, to run with me. However, we are discovering that while he is sweet, he is a bit retarded. Doesn’t know how to bark. Is afraid to leave the yard. And is generally very annoying.

Sam, however, remains the greatest of dogs. He is a beautiful golden retriever. A good guard dog. Smart and chill. And even though he is a few years old, I thought I would try him on a leash. Just to see if he could learn and would like it.

Sam absolutely LOVES it!! I’ve now walked him many afternoons and taken him on two morning runs. He now hears the clang of the leash and comes running to the front porch. So excited. Tail wagging enthusiastically.

We head out of the compound, and at first, he is a bit hard to control. Him running ahead of me and me tripping over him— he is just so excited; although we soon settle into a rhythm. Then, he trots nicely alongside me. He often looks up for approval, bumps into me when people call out to him, and pulls at the leash to go after a goat or bird. He is a wonderful running partner, and in him, I have a found a new buddy.

And him, in me. After a run or walk, he drinks his water, and then comes immediately to the front porch to hang out with me. He stands there, panting and almost grinning (if a dog can grin, this is it!), looking in the house through our screen door as though he wants me to come out and play some more.

It’s another one of the simple pleasures of my life here. A new thing that is bringing me joy. I recently read a book called The Geography of Bliss— a light but fascinating read that looked at different places around the world and elements within cultures that would make a person say that he/she is happy. While the author found some contradictions (like some of the reportedly happiest places on earth have the highest suicide rates and some poor countries whose people claim to be very happy) and was hesitant to make any sweeping statements about the nature of happiness (which I appreciated), he did conclude that a person’s happiness centers around the ability to meet basic needs, strong relationships, and the ability to trust others. Interesting, as these are elements lacking here… we see poverty— the most basic of needs not met for others every day. It’s often a lonely place for us as “muzungus”. Living in a culture where lack of trust in each other is endemic. Maybe that’s why Burundi is often categorized as one of the saddest places in the world to live.

When we moved to Burundi, Seth said he was taking the happiest girl in the world to live in one of the saddest places on earth. While I’m not sure about that, I do recognize and am so grateful for the gifts of the small pleasures here that sustain and bring joy to this “happy girl”— my faith, the support and prayers of friends and family back home, Seth, tennis, morning runs, and now in a new way, Sam.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

> A chaotic Friday night youth party at our place. 20 kids expected. 40 came. Lessons learned... ALWAYS have more food than you think you will need! A little bit of a planning is better. Don't offer to drive EVERYONE home.
> Chasing down escape chickens and returning them to the coup.
> Getting my growing mullet properly trimmed. No more party in the back. Have had some interesting haircuts here.
> Successfully avoiding a painful singing experience at a karaoke fund-raising event for 2 orphanages here.
> Piling 14 kids in my WR landcruiser to hit the Bujumbura beach on Sunday afternoon.

TO GRANDPA AND GRANDMA

Today I had the opportunity to interview an elderly woman who received a roof and a goat from World Relief. I think it’s my favorite part of my work. To drive the long, bumpy, back-altering road to the field. To crouch down in the dirt. To sit side-by-side on a small wooden bench, my back-side getting sore after a bit, and to listen to the stories of the lives of people here.

I listen and then I write, primarily so those who support the work of World Relief can see that people ARE being helped. To help the church in America understand. The by-product for me, of course, is incredible— my heart stays soft. Even after more than two years and hearing multiple stories, I fought back a gulp of emotion today as I listened to their accounts.

This is Celine. She is 81 years old and still beautiful. A widow with eight children— five of whom are dead. Celine has no idea of how many grand-children or great-grandchildren she has. Twice a refugee.

She told me a story of how she, as a young wife in Burundi, fought off a lion with fiery embers from her cooking fire. While she was fortunate to escape, she learned the next day that the same lion killed and ate a drunkard near her home. She told me the story while waving her cane, making growling noises, and laughing. It was a great moment.

In Burundi, as an elderly person, she is given great respect. She is a “Mutama Kazi” (literally translated “old woman” but carrying within it an essence of deep esteem). And so I asked this Mutama Kazi to give me advice on life, as a young woman who wanted to learn from her. Her words were simple— “You are a creation of God. Trust in God and expect blessing from Him.” Yes.

Spending time with Celine today made me think of my own grandparents, who have a few years on Celine and who recently celebrated their 60^th wedding anniversary! Sixty years! Seth and I are going on six this August… just a few more to go.

I think my Grandpa and Grandma would give me similar words to those of Celine, so simple and profound. Although they may not have warded off any lions, they have been around a few years, married for a long time, and in ministry for most (if not all) of their years together. I have no doubt that their words would direct me to God. I will need to ask them in person when I am home next month.

They are both “Mutamas,” and I have incredible respect for them. To sustain a marriage for that amount of time is an amazing feat, and I can only hope and pray that Seth and I can follow in their footsteps. They raised two boys. My Grandpa fought in WWII. My Grandma lovingly cared for her ailing mother for years. They spent two years in Haiti as missionaries. They loved us four grandkids deeply— spending much time with us when we were young— taking us to fairs, having us over for sleepovers, telling us stories, and allowing us free reign to destroy their home.

When I reflect on the stories of service, compassion, and sacrifice I have heard of my grandparents before my time and consider what I have seen and experienced with them, I think of words like…

Imprint. Legacy. Heritage. And in Kirundi (a very complex and rich language) the fitting word would be UBUNTU— “I am because you are.” Thank you.

TENNIS IN THE BUJ

My Burundi-inspired tennis fanaticism continues.

Not to the same degree, but still intense. I’m taking fewer lessons with coach Gervais, but still playing frequently and a bit more competitively against friends and in small competitions. Thus far, I’ve played in three Bujumbura tournaments, two upcountry tourneys (one in Gitega and one in Ngozi), one “international” competition at the US Ambassador’s residence here in Buj, and may head up to Kigali for another tourney early next month. I recently attended my first “tennis banquet” in honor of my tennis friend, Gil- the elderly husband of the US Ambassador, who departs next week. Of course, that doesn’t include the NUMEROUS tennis banquets that always and necessarily accompany each and every tennis tournament (as celebrations involving food, drink, and long, predictable speeches are tradition here).

Seth can attest to the foreseeable “click” that happens in me each time I pull out my racket. The day could have been frustrating. I could have nearly died from one of the Coaster buses that plow through town without regard for life or limb. I could have been in a 10-hour management meeting and ready to pull out my hair after our team talked in circles about our pre-planning for our pre-strategy meetings. I could be exhausted, stomach rumbling from the amoebas within, and mentally ready to curse out the next human to cross my path. Some days, it does feel like that.

But then, after work, “click!” a change comes when I hit the courts. Just two of them where I play… Simple. Beautiful. Red clay. Cracked and difficult to see white lines. Spanking new nets. I plop myself down in the broken, plastic chairs next to the courts, wearing my culturally appropriate mid-calf sport pants and tank top. Hair, now just long enough, is pulled back in a pony-tail with three supporting barrettes. (Us gals understand the context… a three-barrette pull-up is mid-length hair, but not a true, true ponytail!). I lace-up my once-white sneakers that are stained red, just like my ankles and socks will be after a few minutes of play. I pull out the taxi-yellow and black DUNLOP racket I won in my first tennis competition here, and I give it a twirl.

I think I literally bounce onto the courts. I’m so excited to be there. I dribble a ball with the racket, do a couple of hip-twist-bounce type things to warm up my joints, and then hit some volleys at the net with my partner to warm-up.

I absolutely love it. The clean “twang” of the ball when I hit the sweet spot just right. The soft clay under my feet. Running down the ball and (if fortunate) hitting that beautiful down-the-line winner. Calling my opponent “umasuma” (thief!) when he makes a bad call. Seeing the ball boy (who secretly always cheers for me) quietly clapping his hands together to applaud my good shot when the other player isn’t looking. The pent-up aggression that exits my body when I hit that ball so hard. The complete and utter exhaustion after playing a solid three hours.

Perhaps I am a bit over the top. Granted, I play a lot of tennis and maybe use it to cope with the challenges of my life here. However, it has brought hours of good play and exercise, introduced unique and unforeseen friendships, brought moments of great hilarity, and taken me to new places. A crutch. An obsession. A gift? Whichever (or maybe a little of all), I am thankful for the opportunity to play here and the patience that my husband has with me, his somewhat compulsive, tennis-fanatic wife.

ADVENTURE

Last week, with World Relief HQ visitor (and new friend) Caroline, I jumped in the WR Landcruiser and headed out on a Thelma and Louise type adventure to show her World Relief Burundi programs. Our formula: HUGE vehicle + 2 white girls + Burundi = ADVENTURE.

As always, it was great to get out of the office and see the work that is actualized by our efforts in our respective Bujumbura / Baltimore offices. I absolutely LOVE getting to the field and after two years here, generally feel confident about taking guests on the WRB program tour... driving myself upcountry and meeting up with program staff along the way.

This trip seemed to have a few more hitches, however. Good thing Caroline was a sport! Without incident, we drove two hours from Bujumbura to the southern province of Makamba to see our work with refugees and internally displaced persons. We visited the family who gave me the chicken, saw families with goats (pictured above), and those in the process of rebuilding their homes. After several hours on the field... talking with beneficiaries, meeting with staff, and petting goats... we jumped back in the cruiser and headed another two and a half hours to Gitega, central Burundi.

That trip... and our time in Gitega... was where our adventures began. Honestly, it was nothing too crazy. Just classic- "this would only happen in Africa" type things. Things like not finding a place to use the restroom... so instead, we stopped at a random guest house to get a "tour"of the facility and then delicately asked at the end to use their toilettes. Caroline thought I was pretty smooth. We later sipped incredibly strong coffee at "Antonio's Cyber Cafe" in Gitega with fresh cow's milk that was a bit curdled, out of coffee cups that still had the lip marks of the former user. Generally NOT advisable. We weren't sure if it was the milk or the unclean cups that later gave us the diarrhea!

And the fun in Gitega continued... a walking tour of the town and market and then a late night, off-road drive to the orphanage of our friend where we got to join in some before bed-time singing and received good night hugs from all the kids. That was a treat!

The following morning we woke up refreshed (despite the pain and queasiness from the diahrrea from the coffee incident). And then, before 9am, we had QUITE the morning. We got a tour of the orphanage (complete with a beautiful health clinic and school, housing with a family style set-up, and randomly, several blind cows!), stopped along the road to buy some delicious avocadoes for 10 cents each, managed to fall through a rickety bridge in our landcruiser (paying 10+ Burundian guys to help haul us out), sideswiped a bicyclist who veered in front of us (he was just fine! no damage to person, vehicle, or bike, fortunately!), all before joining our Child Survival team just outside of Gitega. Whew! What a morning.

Our day visiting the Child Survival project went beautifully, and we returned the same day to Bujumbura without further incident, stopping (as we always do) in the town of Bugarame to buy fresh strawberries, lettuce, carrots, and green peppers from vendors who shove their goods in our car windows as we barter for the best price.

One thing I appreciate about Burundi: the adventure of daily life and that there is ALWAYS some story to tell.

BABY NAMIN'

Saturday afternoon, I piled a bunch of my youth group kids into a World Relief Landcruiser and drove up into the hills above Bujumbura for a baby naming ceremony. My first one here. And I was charged with giving the English name to the newborn girl.

What incredible pressure! But what an honor, really. I LOVED being a part of it. The family is from our church and the seventeen-year-old daughter had a baby before being married... so because I am a friend of the family and have been able to help them some with an unexpected life event like this, they wanted to thank me the best way they knew how, by having me name the little one. They wrote me a beautiful letter of thanks (pictured here) and stated within it that I was charged with naming her.

Her name in Kirundi means, "He knows us,"- a beautiful name, I think. Because of cultural expectation to name her after myself (as I asked around... it feels a bit weird, honestly), I went with that and decided that her second name would be "Trina Joy." Trina, after me. Joy because it is the middle name of both my sister and her daughter.












I also chose "Joy" because, as I told the young mother before we prayed for the family, my hope and prayer is that... though her arrival caused great pain and there will be difficult times ahead- especially here in Burundi culture... this daughter will bring great joy.

Because that is the nature of God, isn't it? That life is tough. He allows us to make choices that bring us pain. But inevitably, because He is so good... he DOES bring great joy and blessing in the end. I deeply hope that for this family and for little Trina Joy.

CHICKENS

We live on a farm. Well, practically. It's still "Big City" Bujumbura (I've heard around 600,000 now), but it still has that rural feel. It's just another one of those continual paradoxes or tensions I continually find myself in here in Burundi. Crowded busy streets... but then, sometimes, the cars have to maneuver around herds of long-horned cattle or goats. Buses whizz by, around women in African fabrics carrying huge stalks of green bananas on their heads.

And at our home, in the "suburb" of Bujumbura, I find myself surrounded by animals. Two dogs. One very loud cat. A coup of clucking chickens. And now, a rooster. Well, honestly, he didn't last long. I got him last week as a gift from a family in Makamba who Seth and I visit regularly to film / photograph, as we track their life progress as beneficiaries with World Relief. As I often work down there, I've gotten many opportunities to see them, have given them some things... and to thank me in return, they gave me a rooster.

It's the first time I've received a rooster as a gift! I was really excited and the picture here is of me holding him (the first time ever holding a chicken... they are surprisingly docile and I was quite pleased, as can be seen!). However, I ended up having to give him away as his ALL NIGHT CROWING proved to be a detriment to our sleep and his ALL DAY CROWING inhibited Seth's video work. I just couldn't bear to kill and eat the little guy.

SMOKING

I found this woman on a hillside in the remote areas of Burundi. We drove 2 hours off the main roads... bumpy, back-jarring terrain, but beautiful... to join our team in a goat distribution there. She was smoking this hand-rolled cigarette as she waited to receive her goat. I liked the lines on her face and hands. The wisp of the smoke. And the subtle gleam in her eyes.

JACK JACK

Lil' Jack Jack.
Attempted to be a guard dog... more of a licker and lover.
March 2007-March 2009.