Esengo Art

Esengo means "joy" in Lingala. My shop contains mostly paintings, and I try to make my paintings joyful!

But there's more than just paintings and sketches there. There are some new things like handbags and little girl dresses, as well as wooden figures carved by one of our craft partners in Congo.

Visit my Etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EsengoArt?ref=hdr_user_menu-shop

Deuteronomy 2:7

For the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.

Recommends

A "recommends" blog post in the way of my cousin Sarah (www.lovesmelodies.blogspot.com)

1. Silicone baby dishes. Baby Molly is eating solids now and we are loving the silicone dishes which were a gift from Aunt Faith. They are fun colors, smooth, easy to clean and best of all, not breakable! Also, the little bowl suctions onto a smooth hard surface which makes feeding even easier and less messy. The spoons are soft and flexible; perfect for putting in a baby's mouth. They also make good teething toys and Molly likes to play with them even without the accompaniment of food. The bib that came with the set is great because it has a pocket that catches food and drips, and again, it's easy to clean!

Can be purchased on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Toddler-Feeding-Set-Adjustable/dp/B07NWB62B1/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=silicone+baby+feeding+set&qid=1587221772&sr=8-5

2. Bubbles. There are many good reasons for bubbles. Molly loves bubbles. I love bubbles. Most kids love bubbles. They are beautiful. I have one little bubble stick leftover from somebody's wedding that I happened to discover in a suitcase. It is easy to refill the little stick with liquid soap. Currently we have a big bottle of strawberry soap that someone gave us when Molly was born and it makes decent bubbles.

Again: Find at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Mos-Toys-Heart-Bubble/dp/B07611DGJX/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=wedding+favors+bubbles&qid=1587221988&sr=8-7

3. Metal skewers. This one sounds totally random but it's a great item for meals! We use these metal sticks for grilling meat and the occasional marshmallow. Just chop meat and veggies and put on the skewer, then grill over charcoal. A yummy dinner! The neighbors are also big fans so we have to keep a close watch on these when they're lent out.

...And of course S'MORES! They are good for roasting marshmallows; at least over our little charcoal stove. If you're going for the campfire style roasting, you might get roasted too, since these skewers are short (about 12 inches long).

Find here: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Donuts-Kabob-Skewers-Grilling/dp/B072BXVD7X/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1MQXG24Q4DLLI&dchild=1&keywords=metal+skewers+for+grilling&qid=1587222267&sprefix=metal+skewer%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-4

4. Podcasts and audiobooks. These are perfect for long days at home with a baby and no one else to talk to. Also, this helps me keep up my English vocabulary when I'm not otherwise hearing English in my daily life. (Okay, this is probably not a practical reason for most of you, except those readers who are expat spouses...which is probably none of you.) Anyways, a couple of my favorite podcasts are the Alliance sermons (from my home church) which can be found here: http://www.abfboone.com/sermon-archive/ and you can download new sermons each week as new ones come out. I also enjoy the 'What Have You' podcast, which can be found here: https://www.nsa.edu/what-have-you-podcast/.
As far as audiobooks, I won't attempt to list them here; there are too many! But I love Audible, and have found many favorites on there, as well as discovered new ones.

5. Hammocks. Particularly an ENO. A durable hammock is a nice outdoor/backyard accessory. It makes a good place for reading, taking naps and of course, playing with babies. We really enjoy our ENO hammock, especially Orcxance. It's easy to set up and is made of pretty tough material. Also, if it gets rained on, it won't be ruined. Just hang it out to dry.

Purchase from your local Mast General Store. If you have one. https://www.mastgeneralstore.com

Spring in the mountains

We are thankful to be safely in North Carolina enjoying some cool spring weather while we stay in my family’s cozy cabin. 

Goodbyes

Daddy Time

Grasping at Water

God has blessed us and provides for our needs, but we live very much one day at a time. The “extra” is nonexistent. We have little when it comes to possessions and money. 

Sometimes I think that because we have so little, my temptation to hold tightly to what we do have is stronger. 

I am going to share some examples of this, and you may laugh at the silliness of it. But that’s just the point. I’m writing this post because I’ve realized my problem. And I’m working on it. 

I like our dishes. Maybe a little too much. Unfortunately we have lost quite a few kitchen things like cups, Tupperware containers, spoons, and plates. Mostly because we gave someone a dish of food and the dish was never returned. This bothers me. I want us to keep our very useful kitchen items. Every time we lose one, if I sense anger or annoyance in my spirit, then I know that our dishes have become too important. 

You may think, “well you have a right to be angry about that.” Do I, though?

Another example is our chickens. Over the months we’ve had chickens our flock has expanded. My husband got them particularly for me and because of that (and the fact that I enjoy keeping animals) they are special to me. I hate the idea of them being stolen, or the chicks being killed by the neighbor’s cat. 

After a stressful chicken situation involving a mean-spirited neighbor, my husband had to remind me not to hold onto the chickens too hard, especially at the expense of peace with others. He could tell even before I could that my attitude needed adjusting.

The last example I will share here is about water bottles. We re-use plastic water bottles so we can have cold water in our fridge. Often neighbors come to ask for cold water, which we share whenever we have it. Sometimes they bring their own containers but other times I have to give them the bottle. I exhort them strongly to bring it back, which does not always happen. Other times people come for a visit and leave the house with a bottle without asking.  

One day, I realized I was grasping too tightly to the water bottles when a neighbor sent a child over to ask for water and I wouldn’t give him any because we only had one bottle left. The neighbor had actually called my husband (who was out) beforehand, asking for water. He’d said “sure” but then I’d said no (unaware of the call till later).

The next day, feeling repentant, I took the last bottle over to their house. They remembered to return the bottle. 

Recently my 5 month old discovered how fun our outdoor water faucet is. Every time we hold her in front of it, she tries to catch the water in her hands and bring it to her mouth. She thinks it’s something she can hold and keep. She doesn’t seem to get tired of trying. It reminds me of myself and how I try to hold onto things like dishes and chickens and our plastic water bottles. 

Grasping at these material objects is like trying to grasp at a running stream of water. It pours out of the faucet, through your hands, and is gone.  Enjoy the momentary coolness as it runs over your hands. Feel it refresh you. Drink some. But even if you try, you can’t hold it in your hands for more than a few seconds. It will disappear into the ground.  

So I’ll enjoy my dishes till they’re gone and the chickens until they’re gone and I hope that I’ll still be thankful for it all and live with a generous heart. 

My job is to be open-handed. 

Less selfish, less grasping... More loving, more generous, more giving. 

When you feel that you’ve lost something that you deserved, or had a right to, ask yourself if it really was your right, and what do you really deserve?

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.”