Hey - new videos!

Well, we've been away from the blog for a long time, but I figured it's time to get some new videos of the two little guys up here...  So following are some video excerpts from life over the last few months.  Enjoy!


First is a sweet video of Caleb and Micah playing together.  These boys sure do love each other!  Caleb has taken on the role of "Big Brother" very well, and always helps point things out or demonstrate things for Micah.



Next comes Micah's first swim.  We went over to hang out with some friends Brendan and Joanna and play in the pool at their complex.  Micah loved it!  We're sure he'll be a little water lover like his big brother.



Next, a little from daily life: Micah gives Sierra some loving.  Micah enjoys petting Sierra and grabbing her collar.  Sierra is incredibly patient and often purposely sits down next to Micah.



During our second week of summer break we enjoyed a week at a beach house near Santa Barbara with Julie's parents.  It was a wonderful, relaxing, beach-filled week.  Here's Micah playing a new game with Mommy and showing off his famous huge four-toothed grin.



One day we went to the Santa Barbara Zoo and Caleb got to feed a giraffe.  He's fearless!



So this one's a few weeks old now and Micah is completely crawling now, but this video shows Micah practicing his crawling - and Caleb helping with some demonstration.



A couple weeks ago Caleb got a bit of a bug that gave him seemingly endless congestion.  It's the kind of yuck that can really be hard on a little guy, and this morning in particular he was taking it pretty hard.  Julie was trying to feed him breakfast and felt sad for Caleb, but after 15 or 20 minutes him of acting like this and telling her to "Just wash dishes"  she just had to record his pitiful cries.  I'm sure all you parents out there can empathize.



Caleb is normally a huge eater, but we don't give him many sweets - only on special occasions.  As a result, he gets positively giddy when he gets candy or a cookie.  Below was his reaction while eating a chocolate chip cookie.



Hope everybody out there is doing well, and greetings from Brian, Julie, Caleb, Micah, & Sierra!

Dancing seems to be a theme here

So, the latest batch of videos from the O'Neill household seems to have a high proportion of videos of Caleb dancing. He's got the music deep inside. If you watch just one video from this whole upload, watch the "Scout" video (the third one)... it's probably the cutest thing you've seen all week.  In chronological order (dating back to July 18th):

First is a scene from daily life...  Caleb DJ'ing our kitchen clean-up time.  Of course there's dancing.  Also includes an animal recognition game and a near disaster with the dishwasher rack.  This one's nearly 3 minutes long, so only watch this if you're a relative.  Otherwise, go ahead and skip on to the next couple videos.



Next we've got Caleb enjoying another of his favorite hobbies - tormenting Sierra.  This one was especially fun with a special dog-bothering toy that squeaks like a duck when it rolls.  You'll notice Julie's parents' dog Watson got in on the excitement a little bit too.  This is notable as the only video that does not feature dancing.



Way back in December, Caleb got a whole bunch of toys for his birthday and Christmas.  Being the resourceful parents that we are, we decided to put some of them away so he'd have new toys throughout the year.  One of the toys that just got put into rotation was "My Pay Scout" from Kristen and Dom - it's a green stuffed dog that talks, sings, and knows Caleb's name!  He's been LOVING this toy and even takes it to bed with him.  So here's a super cute video of Caleb enjoying some of Scout's songs.



Last week Julie and Caleb went to the brand-new music play time at Orange Public Library.  Caleb loves music and starts dancing any time he hears a beat.  If he hears drumming, he'll stop what he's doing and start drumming on his belly.  So we knew it would be a good time.  To start things off, they put out a bunch of drums and mallets.  Caleb scoped the scene and quickly made his decision - to the Big Drum.  He started dancing when the music came on and forgot to actually start drumming for a bit, but with a little reminder he started laying down some of his own beats.

After drum time was up and drums and mallets were cleaned up (not without protestation), it was rhythmic gymnastics time.  Caleb was surprised to see that none of the other kids figured out you could grab more than one scarf! After hoarding multiple scarves and throwing them in the air, he quickly succumbed to the beat when the music came on. The only thing that broke the spell was when Caleb spotted the stack of drums that had been put away.  

Thanks for watching, and we send greetings and blessings from all of us!  Drop us a line on facebook or email!

New videos - 18 months

Well, we've been busy this summer, moving to our brand new old house in Fullerton not even a month ago. The projects just don't seem to end, but through it all Caleb keeps sneaking up on us and getting bigger and cuter every day. Here are a couple highlight videos from the last few weeks.

Overdue for a nap:
 With Caleb outgrowing clothes and toys seemingly every day, we decided it was also time for him to outgrow the pacifier. The first night he went down to sleep without even a peep. We secretly congratulated ourselves on being such good parents and wondered why other kids have so much trouble breaking the habit. Day 2 we became a little concerned when he cried a little at nap time. By Day 3 nap time was a complete thirty-minute scream-fest. This video was taken around 5 PM after three failed nap attempts throughout the day.
 

Building a tower:
Caleb is really into organizing and stacking. One day he surprised us by breaking into the canned food cabinet (that part was not surprising) and building some impressive towers.

 

 First haircut:
Well, we put it off long enough, but eventually Caleb's long surfer locks had to go... Especially since the back was starting to look more like a bad comb-over. Julie took him to a special kids' hairdresser, and you can see they had quite the setup. After he came home I couldn't believe how much more grown-up it makes him look, what with all his 2T clothes and such...

 

 Hope you enjoy these videos! We'll post some pictures of the ongoing house projects one of these days, so stay tuned on facebook.

Springtime videos

Well it's been a long time since we've updated but lots is going on at the O'Neill household. First, a video from a trip to Huntington Beach with Caleb back in March. Caleb is our little surfer dude-in-training and loves all things water. At the beach he cannot be kept out of the water! He just walks out into the water until he gets deep enough that we lift him out. Rinse and repeat.

 

 One of our new favorite activities at home is dancing - Caleb loves music and when he hears the right song, he starts to move with the music. A couple of his favorite dance moves are the Clap, the Bob, the Spin, and Raise the Roof. Here's a video of him dancing with Grandpa Griffis - this was the debut of his signature Spin Move.

 

 Here's a cute little video of Caleb playing with one of his favorite toys. Thanks, Aunt Christy and family! This video is a nearly two months old, and now Caleb roars loudly along with Rex.



And last but not least, Caleb's first Easter Egg hunt! Grandma and Grandpa O'Neill were here for Easter and we set up a little hunt in the front yard. Caleb was pretty quick in figuring out how to open up the plastic eggs and loved the goldfish inside - and some had M&M's!

 

Caleb's dragon encounter

Today we went to Chinatown to celebrate the Lunar New Year and experience the Golden Dragon Parade. It was Caleb's first parade, and also his first dragon encounter - and boy did he encounter one! Fortunately he's a brave happy soul, and he just waved hi!

Reading his new favorite book

This video is especially dedicated to Caleb's Great Grandma McClure who bought him a very special book for his first birthday. The book is called Moo. Sometimes when he sees the book he says the title, which kind of sounds like "MMMMMMmmmmm." He also says this when we get to the cow page, though of course not here when being video-taped.
As you will see in the following video, he also enjoys the yellow squeaky duck on the duck page.



Thanks Great Grandma!

Caleb's Walking!

While visiting Grandma and Grandpa O'Neill in Michigan, Caleb took some of his first steps that we could catch on camera! He has taken a few before, but this is some of his best walking we've seen. He is just three days shy of his first birthday.

Birthday party!

Caleb enjoyed his 1st Birthday Party a little bit early in Visalia with Grammie and Grandpa Griffis. He also enjoyed his first taste of dessert - a whole piece of chocolate cake!




The "Doljabi" (돌잡이) ceremony for a child's first birthday is a Korean tradition. The child wears a traditional Hanbok and different objects are placed in front of him. The first two objects he chooses are thought to say something about his future. Typical objects to be placed in front of the child: a pencil and paper representing being a scholar; thread representing skill and dexterity; a noodle representing long life; and money representing financial success. In modern incarnations of this tradition families may add other objects representing similar skills or paths in life.
In our ceremony, Caleb wore a hanbok given to him by Julie's former teacher's aide from TCIS, Sunah Chong. We placed thread, a ball (representing athletic skill), a stuffed animal (representing a love of animals), money, a Bible (representing a life in ministry), and a pencil in a semicircle in front of him and let him go...

Which two do you think he chose?

Grandma and Grandpa O'Neill come to visit

Caleb keeps us busy and joyful, and here are a few new videos with the little guy.


One game Caleb likes to play with Daddy is "Daddy's Gonna Getcha" - a little chase around the living room.





When Grandma and Grandpa O'Neill came to visit they had a great time playing with Caleb, and Caleb really enjoyed this book sent by his Great Grandma McClure - it has little flaps that make noises when you open them, and Caleb really got the hang of it quickly!






Playing horsey with Grandpa.






Caleb loves to eat and this day he was particularly enjoying mealtime:





Thanks for enjoying our videos! We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Caleb is Crawling!

In the world of babies, everyday brings a new developmental feat. So, what is new one day is old news the next.  Caleb has been crawling for about a month now, so it's not so new for him any more, but we realize that most of you out there haven't gotten a chance to see him in action.  We thought we'd better post videos of him crawling before he starts walking! Here are a few short videos of him exploring the living room in our new home in Orange.

New home, new videos of Caleb

Hi everybody!

Here we are in Orange County, getting settled and ready for a new adventure!  We haven't been posting as much to the blog, and probably won't be, but we'll still use this as a place to share our precious Caleb videos.  He's growing so fast!

In July we traveled to Michigan for Peter's wedding and as a bonus, Caleb got to meet his cousin Timothy for the first time.  Timothy is just 15 days younger, and these guys had a ton of fun together.  Here's a video of their first moment meeting - Caleb was six months old here.




After we returned to California, Brian's mom came with us to help us get settled.  Caleb got a new high chair and started eating lots of different kinds of foods.  Here's a video of him enjoying the tart sweetness of applesauce.  Very cute!



Be sure to check our latest pictures on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.579739991043.2068253.179201877&l=6130010c34&type=1

More baby videos

Enjoy watching Caleb in action!

This first video is from a walk we took with Caleb and Sierra some time ago.  The video is from February but I forgot to share it.  This shows what life is like here in Mali outside of our mission compound.

Next is a video from Easter.  Grandma and Grandpa Griffis sent Caleb a little lamb as a present, and he took an immediate liking!  He tried to eat the lamb to the best of his abilities.  (18 weeks old)

On Easter Sunday we went to church at Bethel.  You'll notice Caleb and Brian wearing their matching Easter cloth outfits - see our facebook album for a family picture.  In this video Caleb enjoys the singing.  (18 weeks old)

Sometime in the last few weeks Caleb has really discovered he loves playing with Sierra.  When she comes close he puts his arms out and leans in.  He especially loves "petting" (ie grabbing) her ears.  She has been very sweet and patient, and usually reciprocates (or preempts) the pets with a big lick to the face!  (18 weeks old)

Caleb also loves singing, or at least loves it when Mom and Dad sing.  A couple of his favorites are the Alphabet Song and The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.  Here he gives some smiles during the song and also tries to eat the camera.  (19 weeks old)

Finally, be sure to check out our newest facebook album with plenty of Caleb pictures!

New videos

Happy Easter, everybody!  Here are a couple new videos of Caleb from the last couple weeks.  We have a couple more from Easter weekend, so stay tuned.

Caleb playing with his Spaceship toy at 16 weeks.

Caleb talking in the morning.  He usually wakes up a pretty happy baby, and this lasts anywhere from one to ten minutes, depending on how hungry he is.

Waking up in the morning.

At 15 weeks, Caleb discovered he could grab his feet!  He's 16 weeks now and changing so fast!

Paris

We just got back from our spring break, and we had a wonderful time!  Julie's parents decided they did not want to wait till June to meet their grandchild, so we planned to meet somewhere in the middle between Mali and California - but since the midpoint is in the Atlantic Ocean we settled on Paris.

It was a short trip - only four days to see the City of Light! - but it was well worth it.  Caleb loved getting to meet his Grandma and Grandpa Griffis, and they love him very much!  Highlights include:

Travel: Caleb did a great job with travel, and enjoyed his priority seating in the bassinet in bulkhead.  For those who haven't flown with a baby, shortly after takeoff they bring out a small bassinet that attaches to the wall in front of your seats.  We made the rookie mistake of traveling without a pacifier (we don't use them at home) but luckily a fellow missionary in Bamako came to our rescue (thanks Becky!).  I'm pretty sure some other travelers on the plane thank her too.  There was only a one hour time difference, so we'll have to wait till June to find out about baby jet lag.  :)

Caleb arrives at Charles de Gaulle Int'l Airport

Grandparents: Julie's parents were ecstatic, of course, to meet their little baby grandchild, and it was nice for Julie and me to have some help watching him.  They even gave us a night on the town alone - Caleb's first evening without Mom and Dad!  I think this picture says it all though - the very first meeting.

Caleb meets Grammie and Grandpa Griffis

Hotel fire: Yes, our hotel did catch on fire.  We came back from seeing the Eiffel Tower at around 5:30 PM.  We first noticed there was a lot of commotion going on up ahead in the street.  Then we saw lots of fire trucks and police, and noticed a fire ladder up against a building.  Hey, there was a fire pretty close to our hotel.  Wait, a minute - that IS our hotel!  The block was roped off so we could not even get near.  A few police officers told us in broken English that there'd been a fire.  When we told them we were staying at the Best Western they made a face like, "Ooh, too bad for you!"  It was looking bad and we couldn't get much information about how extensive the damage was.  Fast forward a few hours: Julie waited with her mom and Caleb in a different Best Western lobby down the street while her dad and I waited in line for an hour or so to be escorted inside and claim our belongings.  Turns out the sixth floor was wiped out - one guy lost everything but the clothes he had been wearing, including his passport - but the fifth floor was only affected by water.  The parents' stuff (fifth floor) got a little wet and smelled like smoke, and our stuff (fourth floor) was nearly unaffected.  By 9:30 or 10:00 PM we were settled in our new hotel, a Holiday Inn on the other side of the river.  Our new hotel was nicer, location not quite as great, but overall we were thankful not to have had any damage and thankful to have a place to stay.

The sights: We had a wonderful time touring around, though we've begun to see how having a baby changes the way you travel.  We toured around Notre Dame, the Champs de Elysee, climbed up the Arc de Triomphe, saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night, went up the Eiffel Tower in the daytime, and spent one afternoon at the Louvre.  Four days is nowhere near long enough, but we felt good about what we did get to see.  L'Open Tour buses allow you to hop on or off all day at any of their tourist destinations, and that provided a great way to get around to the places we wanted to go.

Be sure to check out our pictures from Paris in our facebook album (It's a public link; you don't need facebook to view these.)

Out-takes from Mali

Living in a foreign culture means that you are bound to run into some funny situations due to misunderstanding or cultural differences.  Add in travelling with a dog, being pregnant, and having a baby in a foreign country and it's a recipe for confusion and comedy.  The following are some of our fun memories from our time so far in Mali.

1. Setting - Bamako Airport, shortly after landing.
Julie: (after searching for an airport worker who spoke some English) Excuse me, I'm looking for my dog. Can you tell me where the oversized luggage is?
Airport worker: You want a dog to pull your luggage?
Julie: No, my dog is the luggage. She is in a crate.
Airport worker: You put your dog inside your luggage?!
Julie: ...Thank you for your help sir.

2. Setting - Our laundry room the first week after we've arrived.
As Brian and Julie begin taking down a load of whites from the laundry line they realize they've been welcomed to Mali.  Lizard poop down Julie's white shirt. Mental note - fix the screens.

3. Setting - Koutiala Hospital, EVERY prenatal check up from 8 months on - this same conversation.
Nurse: I see you are having twins.
Julie: No, just one baby.
Nurse: (Looking at Julie's belly) No, you're definitely having twins.
Julie: No, really, I'm pretty sure it's just one.
All Nurses in the room: (Looking at Julie's belly and nodding in agreement) Congratulations on your twins.

Disclaimer to the twins story - I wasn't THAT big... it's just that Malian women and their babies are much smaller on average than American women and their babies. :)

4. Setting - Mission compound, two days after Caleb's birth.
Woman from the church: (Rubbing Julie's belly) Congratulations! When is your baby due?
Julie - (Pointing to Brian holding Caleb) This is my baby.
Woman from church: (Covers mouth and walks away laughing embarrassedly).

5. Setting - Mission compound. Greeting a Malian female visitor who had arrived.
Woman: (To Brian) I' ka kene? (How are you?)
Brian: Toro te (No problem)
Woman: So mo go ka kene? (How is your family?)
Brian: Toro te (No problem)
Woman: Muso ka kene? (How is your wife?)
Brian: Toro to (No problem)
Brian (Using his new Bambara language skills, and cultural savvy regarding greetings) I' ka kene? (How are you?)
Woman: Toro te (No problem)
Brian: So mo go ka kene? (How is your family?)
Woman: Toro te (No problem)
Brian: Muso ka kene? (How is your wife?)
Woman: (...)
Brian: (D'oh!)


6.Setting - Koutiala Souvenir shop, 10 Days after Caleb's birth.
Souvenir Man: Is your baby 3 months old or 4?
Brian: 10 days.
Souvenir Man: French equivalent of "No Way!"

7. Setting - Streets of the outdoor market in Koutiala. (Background info: Malian women breastfeed their babies anytime, anywhere. It doesn't matter if you're walking through the streets, sitting in church, or riding on a moto.)
Julie and a friend are walking through the hot and dusty streets of the market while Julie is holding Caleb. When she stops to buy some cilantro, Caleb starts crying loudly.  Within 30 seconds of this crying, male and female vendors along with passersby begin yelling out in Bambara and French - "Feed the baby!" "Give the baby the breast!" "Put the baby to the breast!" Julie imagined Caleb smiling mischievously on the inside as he had found his biggest support group ever.

8. Setting - Mission Compound.
As Julie walks over to the school, she sees one of the guards, Dirisa, sitting in a chair. He picks up a bottle of Cheer Laundry Detergent, pours some into the lid and takes a sip. After the initial shock, Julie realizes that he is just drinking water from the detergent bottle. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... taken too far.

Loving life in Mali -
Brian, Julie, Caleb, and Sierra

     Seven weeks into parenthood and Brian and I find ourselves in the place that so many new parents must experience; feeling more and more confident each day as we learn the cries, smiles, and noises of Caleb...until he does something to completely surprise us and remind us that we are utterly inexperienced at this world of parenting. The time really has flown by and we love watching Caleb learn and grow so much each day.  He's able to pay attention to faces, smile at us, and hold his head up on his own.  Each day brings a new discovery of this great big world for Caleb.

     After two weeks at home with me, Brian returned to teaching and took on the job as the only teacher for the six students we have here.  That was enough to keep him busy; meanwhile I was staying at home being kept equally busy by my one little guy.  Last week I was able to come back into the classroom in the afternoons to help Brian out.  Caleb has been a good sport about it by sleeping through most of school.
     A few weekends ago we borrowed a car and took a 5 hour road trip to Bamako, the capital of Mali.  While we were excited to get out of Koutiala (we haven't done much travelling at all this year) this was not just a trip for fun - we were on a mission.  We had to go to the US embassy to apply for Caleb's citizenship and his passport.  Caleb slept the whole way there despite the frequent driving off the side of the road as we passed large semi-trucks that took up more than their share of the road.  It always makes me hold my breath in anxiety as we pass by these truck bursting forth with all sorts of cargo - crops, boxes, food goods, animals, and on top of it all- people- packed in, perched precariously, and clinging to whatever is beneath them as the monster truck sways and tilts in the wind. We spent one night in Bamako and enjoyed our first real hamburger in 6 months. Our mission at the embassy was successful and we hope to soon get back all of Caleb's paper work, including a passport with a picture of a 4-week-old, floppy headed baby, who is gazing off into the corner.  

Road trip to Bamako!

Going for a walk

     Our days now are a strange mix of constant business and the continuing refreshment of not having a lot to do.  That is to say there are always diapers to be changed, a baby to feed and cuddle, teaching to be done, planning for the next day. But there are no sports teams to coach, professional development meetings to attend, or restaurants and movie theaters to frequent.  We occasionally take walks around our neighborhood and always laugh at how a 10 year old child can maneuver a herd of 10 long horned cebu through a pasture using only a tiny stick, then yelp out in fear and run at the sight of our dog Sierra on a leash. Neither of us ever imagined going on a neighborhood stroll and passing donkies, chickens, pregnant dogs, groups of boys playing soccer barefoot in the dusty fields, and women walking while carrying huge bundles on their heads and often toting 2 year olds on their backs.
     I'll leave you with those images and wishes for a very happy Valentine's Day.  Brian and I decided to forgo the Valentine's Hallmark Cards and fancy restaurants and just enjoy the melted chocolates that made their way to us on an apparently difficulty journey from kind hearts in America. But don't fear - the romance is not lost.  Thanks to our frequent loss of electricity we've been enjoying more than our fair share of candle lit dinners this year.

Lots more pictures over here on facebook (public link):

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2062319&id=179201877&l=4167ee10fe

Our Christmas Gift

Our little Christmas package

   Christmas is always a very special day, but this Christmas will undoubtedly be my most memorable. This Christmas Brian and I received our much anticipated gift of our first son, Caleb Sama O'Neill. For those of you who would like more details about his birth here in Mali, here is the story...

   Caleb was in no hurry to come out and greet the world, and with me being 41 weeks pregnant, my Doctor, Dan, was beginning to have concerns about letting me go too far post term. There were some concerns regarding the baby's size as I've been on the borderline for having gestational diabetes, as well as added concerns about avoiding any post term complications since we live here in Mali and medical help is limited. Brian and I tried many natural induction methods including walking for hours around the villages here (which led to us being followed home by a herd of goats one day), but none were successful.

   I really wanted the labor and delivery to be as natural as possible, knowing that pain medications such as epidurals are not available here, and medical interventions such as inductions can make contractions stronger and more painful than natural ones. When it was finally decided that labor should be induced, Dan broke my waters and then let me and Brian walk around for about 3 hours hoping contractions would kick in on their own. We walked and walked the hospital compound, and I was having contractions, but no different from the ones I had been experiencing for weeks, and they were not progressing any further. Eventually I was induced with oxytocin and my contractions quickly became very powerful. I was monitored for about seven hours on oxytocin and was making progress, but the baby's head was not dropping down. After about seven and a half hours of hard labor my back began to give out on me. It became really difficult for me to stand or even move my legs and I wasn't able to push at all. On top of this, my IV came out and the nurses on duty were struggling to get a new one back in, which meant the oxytocin stopped, and unfortunately so did the contractions. My body and the baby seemed a bit stalled at this point and I was pretty exhausted.

   At this point I had a hard decision to make. I really wanted to continue on since I had come so far, but I also knew that the pain in my back was limiting my ability to do anything. My Doctor was not convinced that the baby was going to drop down, especially without me being able to push, so we decided to do a C-section.

   Thankfully the team of doctors that work at the hospital here quickly assembled (in the middle of their Christmas evening) to prep me and complete the C-section. Things are a little different here than in the States as I walked myself into the operating room and sat down on the OR table. Before beginning, Dan and all the other doctors stopped to say a prayer before operating, which helped to calm me and made me feel so much better. Even with the C-section, Caleb still fought coming out into the world. It seems he was quite stuck inside of me and had to be suctioned out – a rare occurrence according to my doctor. The surgery went quickly and smoothly and I was able to be awake for the whole thing and see Caleb as soon as he came out. He took his first breath at 7:38 PM on Christmas Day. Brian was a great support the whole time and gave me a play-by-play narrative of what was going on. Caleb was quickly toweled off and checked over by a pediatric nurse, and he weighed in at 9 lbs 5 oz. and was 22 inches long.

   After the surgery, we were taken to a recovery room that was shared with 3 other women, and Caleb was brought into the room with us. After a few hours of observation, I was walked down the hall to own room and we got to spend our first night together as a family. I was pretty sore and couldn't move much, but Brian helped me take care of Caleb, and really all three of us slept pretty soundly that first night as it had been a long day.

   Several of the hospital staff insisted that we name him Emmanuel because he was born on Christmas, but we had already chosen Caleb, and Sama seemed like the perfect middle name as it means “gift” in Bambara – the local language. It especially signifies a gift that is brought back after someone goes on a journey, so it is symbolic of our time here in Mali.

   We spent two nights at the hospital and were taken care of by a great staff. We are now enjoying our Christmas vacation at home adjusting to being a family of three and all the joys of new parenthood. Although the birth didn't go as we had originally hoped and planned, in the end we were simply thrilled to have a healthy, happy baby and mom.

Many more photos over here on facebook (public link; no need to sign in):

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2060570&id=179201877&l=528f676c11

New Pictures

Plenty of new pictures to see over here on facebook:
(No need to have a facebook account, just click the link!)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2059428&id=179201877&l=a6d26361c3

An eventful weekend

   This weekend brought more activity than we're used to, a welcome change from sitting around wondering what to do with a Saturday.  It started off early when Julie woke me at 7:15 on Saturday morning.  Truthfully, I don't think we've slept past 8:30 any weekend because it's so bright and noisy outside in the mornings.  The guards start raking the gravel around 7:00 and the goats, dogs, cows, zebu (yes, like in the Silly Songs with Larry song only spelled differently), roosters, and/or other creatures outside the compound get going right away too.  The sun rises and sets early here, and it's often bright by 6:30 and dark by 6:00 in the evenings.

Baby update

33 weeks

   We started the day with an early trip to the hospital to check Julie's fasting blood sugar.  It has to be tested before breakfast, so there's no waiting around.  Thanks to a family history of diabetes, the doctor wants to keep tabs on Julie's blood sugar - so far she's doing great and staying within the range the doctor wants.  Little Baby O'Neill is 34 weeks now, and growing fast!  He moves and responds to noises and likes to play jungle gym on Mom's ribs.  

   Julie has been healthy but is feeling the energy drain of the little guy.  We're thankful for a job situation that is very flexible and where she doesn't have to be on her feet the whole day.  

   The baby is yet unnamed, but we've gotten some pretty helpful suggestions from the students, including "Batman" or "Jedi."  

Hospital dedication

   After our quick morning run to the lab, we returned to the hospital at 10:30 to attend a dedication ceremony.  The brand new third building is nearing completion and there is a team visiting from Christ Community Church in Omaha, NE, which has nearly single-handedly financed the construction of the hospital from its inception.  The dedication was scheduled to allow those team members to participate, to the confusion of many Malians who only dedicate buildings after they're open.

Dignitaries in the front row

   It was quite a production, and many honored and distinguished guests made an appearance, including the Mayor of Koutiala and the Minister of Health of Mali.  A choir of women provided some lively music before the ceremony while we waited for all the dignitaries to arrive.  As word came of the Minister's arrival, we all lined up in a tunnel and he greeted down the line.  There were speeches and a ribbon-cutting, followed by a mass tour of the facilities and Malian-style lunch: a communal bowl of rice and meat shared amongst every five or six people.  After we'd eaten our fill people milled about and things slowed down.  We got home in time for a little rest before...

The soccer match


   Soccer is pretty big here in Mali and I have been playing with a team of staff members from the hospital.  Our local rivals -- the team from the other hospital, associated with Doctors Without Borders -- challenged us to a match.  It was scheduled to coincide with all the dedication festivities, and plenty of friends and coworkers came out to watch.  Unbelievably, there is an incredibly nice stadium with full stadium seating and a beautiful grass pitch!  Contrasted with the bumpy, weedy, anthill-covered field we play on at the hospital, this was sheer heaven.
   The guys on the team are incredible players, and it's my goal just not to screw up and embarrass myself.  It's hard not being able to communicate with them (French is the second language here, not English) but I'm glad they let me get involved and play, and they call me "Gerrard," which is half welcoming and half daunting.

Post-game team picture

Bethel


   Sunday morning we went to church up the road at Bethel, an evangelical seminary.  The pastor visiting from Christ Community Church (aforementioned) was preaching, so we jumped at the opportunity to go hear a sermon that's not in French or Bambara.  Usually Julie and I have home church, which is always conducted in English.  The service was a great mix of Malian and American singing, and Pastor Mark gave a very powerful message that was challenging and encouraging.

A Pastor shows us one classroom.  The tin roofs were
not galvanized properly and leak after only a few years.

   After church, we were given a tour of the facilities at Bethel.  There are currently twenty-three students in the seminary.  I was amazed and humbled at the simplicity and the physical needs of so many of their facilities.  Due to a lightning strike in June, all electricity was out for three months.  Their internet access has not yet been  repaired.  The library consists of four standing book racks half-full of books, of which more than half are English.

   We saw the dormitories where students live during the school year (usually with their wife and children), the "chicken project," which is currently feeding 400+ chickens that will soon begin laying eggs.

   After the tour at Bethel, we returned home and everybody gathered at the Mission (the compound where we live: there are three staff houses and a large guest house) for a potluck lunch with the two visiting teams.  There are actually lots of visitors currently in Koutiala: A visiting team from Christ Community Church has come to help lead Field Forum next week (Field Forum is a retreat for all Mali CMA missionaries.); a team cryptically known as "Jack's team" has come to do construction at the hospital; and most of the CMA missionaries from the capital city of Bamako came down for the dedication and are traveling with us to Field Forum tomorrow.

Our friends Jake and Jason enjoying the potluck
and November sunshine (it was 95 or so)

   Tomorrow afternoon we'll head off to the city of Sikasso for our Field Forum.  We are looking forward to a change of scenery and the opportunity to get to interact with some of our friends and coworkers in a non-professional context.

We'll post links to facebook photos anytime there's a new album.  For the time being, if you want to see some pictures of the baby bump, check out our most recent album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058569&id=179201877&l=37aad7a2ac


Blessings,
Brian and Julie

Temporary Permanence

Our apartment on the second floor

Ten months is not a long time. Depending on what you are doing for those ten months.  Before we decided to move to Mali, Brian and I both thought that ten months was really quite a short time to live somewhere, especially considering we'd already lived overseas for five years.  We considered this move a temporary living situation and told ourselves "We can do anything for ten months."
     But ten months is a long time.  Not in a "this is hard to live here" kind of long time, but in a "life changes a lot in ten months" sort of way.  We've been in Koutiala for two months now, and we are realizing how much impact can and should be made in ten short months.

School
     We first noticed it in our students. Working with a kindergarten student has to be one of the most rewarding positions in teaching, because not only do kindergartens make huge strides each month, but you can see the cognitive development daily.  Ten months in the life of a kindergartener is the difference between being illiterate and having your world opened up by the ability to read.  It's the difference between not being able to count past ten and being able to do computation problems involving addition and subtraction. The first ten months of school can shape how a child feels about school for the rest of his or her life.

Our seven wonderful students!

    The growth was not just limited to our kindergarten student either.  We've seen progress and development in all of our students and their ability to think critically, express themselves, and be problem solvers.  As we only have seven students, we get to spend a lot of one on one time with each kid, and it is awesome to see the progress that is being made.  It has given us a renewed sense of responsibility in our professions as teachers.  While ten months may not seem like a long time in the grand scheme of life, the events that happen can have lasting and very permanent effects on your life.

Out in the village
   But the realization that ten months can change you a lot really dawned on us in just one short afternoon experience here in Mali.  Shortly after we arrived, we were invited by Brett and Sheri, who work at the hospital here, to go out to a place called "The Pig Farm" with their family to play around in the waters that flow during rainy season.  (Despite the name, there are no pigs there, or a farm for that matter - just some lovely streams and small waterfalls).

At the Pig Farm

The little boy with malaria

    On the way home Sheri wanted to stop by a village to say hi to a friend she had made at the hospital. She assured us that it would only take ten or fifteen minutes.  Two hours later we were still sitting in that small village, surrounded by gawking children, roaming chickens, and goats that were climbing on all the farm equipment.  As it turned out, there just happened to be a sick little boy that had been brought to the village that day to see the local medicine man. Brett took one look at him and knew right away that the boy had malaria and probably had just a few days to live if he wasn't treated immediately.  We learned that this was the family's third child, and their first two had already died of malaria.  After much negotiation and convincing, Brett was able to persuade the father to let him take the little boy and the father to the hospital for a blood transfusion and other treatment.

Typical scene at a Malian housing compound

Silas (Brett & Sheri's youngest) looks a gift chicken in the mouth.

So the villagers tied two live roosters to the top of Brett and Sheri's SUV to say thank you for visiting, all ten of us piled into the car and we started our drive back across the rain decimated roads to the hospital.  The boy and his father were dropped off and a team of doctors were there waiting to treat him.  I asked Sheri about this little boy a few days later and she said he received treatment and was doing great.  Brian and I couldn't help but be amazed at the very permanent effects of such a short, temporary visit to a village - literally the difference between life and death.  Brett and Sheri commented casually that it was clear that God had brought them to the village on that particular day, at that particular time, while at the same time bringing this father and son to the same village seeking help. Two hours of our afternoon; a life changing day for this little boy.

The heart of the matter

The wing of the hospital where Julie has her prenatal check-ups.

    And so it is that we've come to see our ten months in Mali as not a temporary stay, but as a time to make a permanent impact on the lives of the people we serve here... and certainly to be permanently impacted by the people here who have generously opened their homes and lives to us and made us feel so welcome, and to witness the amazing work they do daily. We know the work that the missionaries are doing here in Koutiala, not matter how long each one serves here, and no matter what results they see daily, is reaping very lasting and permanent rewards for God's kingdom, and we feel honored to be able to serve them.  2 Corinthians 4:18 reminds us, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Brian and Julie