Moth Magic!

Things are starting to wind down here for us, and I must say I am getting excited to head home. We have had the most amazing trip, so it will be sad to close this memorable chapter in our family’s adventure. However, it will also be good to be home with the family and friends we have missed so much.

One thing I will miss is seeing or hearing firsthand accounts of how God is working in Africa. Just this morning I had a great conversation with our friend from Ethiopia who is back staying here again after a 10-day trip to another country in East Africa. The stories she tells about people’s conditions, and courage, persecution, and faith…well, they are inspiring to say the least.

I will also miss the random things that seem to happen here in a place so unfamiliar to us. In AZ, people don’t just come up to you to talk about Obama, and I don’t feel a need to celebrate that people are getting more and more friendly with us on the streets (I guess it just took about two months to feel us out - we're kind of suspicious :) There will be fewer "new things" and family adventures at home (see pic above of B enjoying her first cup of Kenyan Tea). We will also need to work harder to stay in touch with God's heart for the poor. And, in AZ you definitely don’t have scenes like the one that went on in our house last night.

I had expected that we would come across some interesting bugs in Africa, however, other than supersized grasshoppers, safari ants, and swarms of fruit flies we really hadn’t encountered many. Until last night. We were calmly making dinner and minding our own business, when our kitchen was invaded by a moth. This was not just any moth but rather a moth the size of a small bird. I seriously thought it was a hummingbird at first glance. So, this giant insect is flying all around, darting through the room, and the kids are screaming and running around (and I may have been a little, too). This moth seemed like it was trying to dive bomb each of us. The funny thing was the kids were screaming with delight. They thought the mayhem of this giant bug was the best.

So, J in order to valiantly protect his family swatted at this thing with a kitchen towel for a while and ultimately got it out the door. However, this was not before two or three more had entered the house and were going wild. You should have seen him put plastic bags on his hands and then grab the moths out of the thin air. Then we look out on the patio and see at least thirty more! Luckily we figured out they were getting in under the door and we were able to block them, though a lot of them met their fate on our patio at some point last night.


One of the sweetest things that resulted from the moths was the celebration that ensued after we survived. The kids were hugging daddy and shouting about how he had saved the day as though he had grabbed them out of a burning building. The kids loved the chaos, and I think daddy thoroughly enjoyed it, too. The next day J's boss told us that in the tribe she comes from that infestation would have been seen as a sign of blessing. She also said traditionally they would have fried them to eat. While the frying thought makes me nauseous, I think the moths got it right in the other area...we are very blessed.