Picture Gallery |
Meet Anna and Vanessa  Meet Anna and Vanessa—the baby girl she found and brought to the Rainbow Centre's "Twizere" (Let's Have Hope) baby feeding Project. Though already breastfeeding her own son, she gladly chose to take Vanessa, also—rather unusual here in Burundi. So, we began to help her by giving "busoma", a powdered cereal (soya, corn, sorghum) she fed to her son, while she breastfed Vanessa—like having twins. Speaking of twins, malnourished mothers of twins at Kigobe Mission who can't make enough milk for both babies, are given powdered milk. We even have triplets! Thank you for helping feed our "baby boom"! | |
How Many Can Fit Inside A Grass Hat? Surprise! Actually we fit four in a hut. We were 16 people in four huts atthe annual Kumbya Missionary Retreat near Kibogora Mission in Rwanda-- a great time of spiritual and physical refreshing with missionary families from across Central Africa! The children had invited three friends to come with us along with Gioia Varenkamp, our volunteer from California. I was able to visit Kibogora again--where Africa started for me twenty years ago. It looks pretty much the same, but oh, what adventures I've had since then! Thanks to all our friends, family, and prayer partners, vitally encouraging and supporting us. --Melli  | |
See Our Little Alligator Even an alligator opens it's ruthlessly snapped tight jaws sometimes, as you can see from this photo Gioia took of the small alligator at Light and Life Park this week...but the door to fly on British Airways through London was certainly snapped shut for our six young children. That's okay, as God has made another way possible and it is all for the best. My friend in Bujumbura told me that with the elections going on there things have been somewhat tense (it's much better now) so we don't mind missing out on the reported grenade attacks. Better the 4th of July fireworks than "fireworks" in Bujumbura. Gioia with Angel and Andy  | |
Packing the Luggage in "Bigfoot" | |
 This
has been a delightful year for the children! What a positive
learning adventure for them! They are ambivalent about saying
goodbye to teachers and friends. James, who loves school here
says, "I don't want to leave." Cindy says, "I like it here, but I
miss my sisters!" Daniel says, "I can’t wait to get on the
airplane!" (He loves to fly.) So we say good-bye to our “furlough home” in Lakeland, Florida, this past year. How God has blessed us with love and caring from friends and family! It's been good. Thank you everyone! Next letter will be from Burundi, AFRICA! | |
My Name is Sammy and I am Six Years Old!”  Imagine not being able to say your name. As Samuel grows it is more and more frustrating for him to try to communicate and be like everyone else. The electronic ALT-CHAT talking machine, provided for his use by the public school, is giving him confidence. It has hundreds of possibilities for communicating with pictures that translate into a speaking voice to get his ideas across. He loves to push the button that speaks his name and tells his age. A friend wrote immediately after hearing about it asking if she could purchase one for Sam to take back to Burundi with him when we leave in June. What a wonderful answer to our need—even before we prayed about it! Thank you for your continuing prayers for Sammy and all the kids. | |
Showing Off Their New Sun Glasses We
thought you might enjoy a childhood moment with our three youngest
grandchildren “showing off” their new “cool” sun glasses.
Christopher (in the middle with the captivating smile)just turned four
last month; Angel (with the pink shades) was two last September; Andy
(flexing his muscles) turned two on New Year’s Day. These three
bundles of energy are dedicated to making sure Melli doesn’t get lonely
when Cindy, James, Danny & Sammy are in school—there is never a
dull moment when they are awake! | |
Bikes Hanging Like Bats.... What do you do to keep from stumbling over ten thrift store bicycles in various stages of “functioning decrepitude” ? Ken solved the problem(as you see in the photo) by hanging them on hooks (as Melli so aptly described) “like so many bats on a wall”. Ha! No problem directing people to their house—just look for the carport with all the hanging bikes! A neighbor gave them a basketball goal that needed only a net to make it complete (well, the plastic tank/base for holding water to stabilize the unit leaked—so Ken anchored it to a tree with ropes) and it serves as a magnet for other kids in the neighborhood after school. | |
Trophy Time at Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby  Front Row: Sammy, James & Danny Back Row: Ken & Cindy Melli
took this photo just after James and Danny were awarded trophies for
the second and third place performances of their hand-fashioned
pinewood race cars. Sammy is not yet a Cub Scout, but is
obviously happy to hold up one of the winning racers. None of the cars have "motors". The winners are the ones that respond best to the "pull" of gravity as the cars roll down a steeply inclined track. | |
“Studying At Home" while waiting… Lizzie (age 14) Sarah (age 15) Carly (age 13) Sarah
and Carly were supposed to return to school in Kenya on January 6, but
their flight was cancelled—so the airline booked them to return with
Lizzie on the 18th. Lizzie was unable to go with them on the 6th
as she and Cindy have to appear in person for final interview with US
Immigration in the process for U.S. Citizenship. So, they really
are studying at home to compensate for arriving two weeks late at Rift
Valley Academy. Thank you for remembering them in your prayers—along with the rest of the family while separated in the coming months. | |
Johnson Family Photo 2009 Left to right in photo (front row): Lizzie, James and Christopher, Samuel, Cindy, Carly, Daniel, Sarah (with Angel); (back row): Ken, Melli (with Andy). | |
Trick or Treaters WITH
A SPIRIT OF HIGH ADVENTURE Cindy & the older boys donned their
costumes ready to invade the neighborhood. Angel and Andy settled for
riding in the stroller as we set out Trick or Treating. When I
was a child, we didn’t go to such extremes... I think I colored a paper
bag and stuck it on my head with eye holes. My sister Vondria, the
artist of the family, won best costume prize when she put green oatmeal
on her face and wrapped herself in torn up sheets. My
kids asked, "Mama, what are you going as?" I replied, "I'm going as
your spacey, worn out looking mama! If costumes were being judged, I'd
probably win!" Actually, we all came back winners with lots of candy to
share with Lizzie who chose to stay at home to greet "Trick or
Treaters" coming to our home. | |
NOT THE “BEVERLY HILLBILLIES”…  Even though it may bring them to mind! Here are the “Burundi Johnsons” with the first load of household furnishings donated by friends at Light & Life Park for their rental house just two blocks from Padgett Elementary School where Cindy, James, Daniel & Samuel attend. Lizzie will walk Christopher about 3 blocks to Lake Gibson Church of the Nazarene Pre-school on the way to her middle school just across the street from the church. How about that for God’s Global Positioning System! Cindy’s arm is in a brace and sling as a result of a tumble off her bicycle—just a simple fracture that is healing nicely. Thank you for your continuing prayers! | |
| No Horsing Around at School for James This Year | |
Melli
mentioned his remarkable change of attitude, but it took the carefully
printed note written to me on the day of “Open House” to clinch it and
melt my heart: “DEAR GRANDPA, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO OPEN HOUSE! MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT 2ND GRADE IS GRAET (GREAT). I LOVE IT WHEN WE GO TO BOOK FAIRE. I HOPE YOU LIKE SITTING AT MY DESK. I CLEANED IT OUT JUST FOR YOU! I LOVE YOU! --LOVE FROM JAMES” (The photo on the merry-go-round was taken while visiting Aunt Carol and Uncle David Johnson this summer in Maryland.) | |
| The Johnson Family Parade | |
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| BELIEVE IT OR NOT—TWO ARE MISSING. . . This
photo of the “Johnson Family Parade” was taken without Lizzie (who is
joining the family in July at the end of her school term) and Sarah,
who was in town with a friend at deadline. It’s still quite a
“line-up”—and Hannah was taking the picture! In addition to bike
riding, there is swimming, miniature golf and tennis—plus the
oft-repeated question, “Grandpa, can I drive your golf cart?” And
they keep wondering when they will see an alligator! Oh, to have some of their seemingly boundless energy! | |
| WAITING FOR THE MILK… | |
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The Rainbow Centre and the Kigobe Mission are the only two places we know of that regularly distribute milk in Burundi. The Twizere program at the Rainbow Centre feeds 136 babies per month and the milk project at Kigobe Mission now feeds 140 babies per month. Yesterday I saw two tiny babies with malformation of the esophagus which hinders them from growing. I struggled with tears wondering if they would survive, and after that all my photos were blurry —I couldn’t focus my eyes or the camera. But as I was leaving, I took one last photo of a big sister waiting patiently for the milk distribution with her baby sister on her back. I’m so glad it turned out! --Melli | |
| HIP, HIP HOORAY FOR CARLY MAE! | |
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Here is Carly on her 13th birthday (May 1st), celebrating with girlfriends and her chocolate cake! Her Kirundi name, Ingabire (Inga-beer-ee), means "gift"! I remember as a young girl in South Dakota that kids made May Day baskets filled with candy and flowers. I'd take them around to my friends' houses, place the basket on the step, ring the doorbell and then run and hide. When my friend opened the door she'd look around, see me hiding and give chase. It was a fun tradition, but does anyone do this anymore? It seemed right to name our third baby girl "Carly Mae" and give her the birth date of May Day, since she was a newborn found naked, crying, and alone on the forest floor—waiting to be loved and cherished. Carly is a dear gift, and is a strong and loyal friend. | |
FIELD TRIP IN KENYA…   Not many seventh graders get to be “up close and personal” with giraffes, orphaned elephants and premature baby rhinos while on a “field trip” with their mother during midterm break. Of course, (unless you’re a “missionary kid”) not many attend boarding school fifteen hundred miles from home! Sarah and Carly have been home schooling diligently with their volunteer teacher, Christy Jones, and are excited about rejoining their classmates at RVA this fall. Not sure yet whether Cindy will be accepted, but she’s hoping! Thank you for keeping Ken, Melli and each of the children in your prayers! | |
DEDICATED YOUNG VOLUNTEERS…   Meet Wicke (Vicka) WoBner from Germany as she works in the classroom with Samuel, and Johan Andersson from Sweden who is back-packing” with Christopher. Vicka spent a year working in a girls’ school in Perth, Australia, but this is her first assignment in Africa. Johan loves Africa (his fourth time of volunteer service), enjoys learning different languages and came “hoping there is lots to do in Ken’s shop that I can help with! ”Melli’s comment, “Both of them fit into our family hullabaloo’ and are helping so much! We just love them!” | |
2008 Family Photo Left to right in family photo on other side (front row): Cindy, Sarah, Melli (with Angel), Ken (with Andy); back row): Lizzie, Carly, James, Daniel, Samuel, Christopher | |