TIA Tuesday - Namibian Friends in America

Guess who's back?!

This girl!

TIA(merica) moments:
- not having to hitchhike to see each other
- Zaxby's and fresh veggies and Starbucks and southern barbecue and haircuts and 5 minute DMV trips
- warm & comfy beds, climate-controlled houses and cars, cuddly non-rabid dogs

TIA(frica) moments:
- realizing I'd only seen her parents once before...unexpectedly in the middle of the Namib Desert at Sossusvlei
- sandal tans and burning underwear and moldy Rainbows
- "small boys" and elephants "not being serious" and every other memory

So glad we can finally start being real American friends!

A Hundred Gifts

Last spring, I read the wildly popular book, A Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. She challenges readers to live fully right where they are. I was most challenged to start being visibly grateful - physically writing down ways that I am thankful. That has resulted in a really special tradition that I'll tell you about in a few weeks. But today, it spurred me on to begin this list. I knew I would not have the time to make it to 1,000, so I decided to start small with ten. But when I hit that, I couldn't stop. 

In no particular order, here are 100 things I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving. To you and yours, thanks for being a part of my joy.

1. Grace in all moments of life and the undeserved gift of a Savior.
2. My dad. My real life Bobby McGee.
3. My sister. Beautiful.
4. My job at Global Support Mission.
5. My coworkers. They like working hard just as much as they like coffeeshops, free food, field trips, and Arrested Development.
6. A safe, warm home.
7. The 12 South neighborhood.
8. My front porch swing.
9. Max the Matrix, who continues to persevere through all kinds of harrowing weather.
10. Sweet roommates.
11. Weekly coffee dates.
12. My community group.
13. Women's nights with my community group.
14. The kids in my community group who can't help but make me smile and love them more and more each day.
15. Text messaging.
16. Sundays at Grace Community Church. The music, the preaching, the fellowship.
17. Our post-grad blog.
18. Novel-long emails.
19. Skype, gchat, and every other form of communication that instantly connects us to friends around the world.
20. Those who have supported me financially through so many crazy endeavors.
21. Sunsets.
22. The days when God boots my butt out of bed to catch the sunrise.
23. The Namibian sky.
24. My Vanderbilt education.
25. My mother's legacy.
26. Airplanes.
27. Stargazing and nights when you can see the Milky Way.
28. Youth @ Grace and the ways they teach me to love and pursue Christ.
29. Prayer.
30. Books. Most importantly, the Good Reads listed on the right.
31. Our book club. And When Helping Hurts. And spending 3+ hours discussing single chapters.
32. Dreaming with friends about what the coming years will hold.
33. Friends getting engaged. And friends getting engaged to other friends.
34. Roadtrips. And not hitchhiking.
35. God's protection through all my Namibian hitchhiking adventures.
36. Laughter at family dinners.
37. Chips Ahoy, Kraft Mac & Cheese, M&Ms, and all other packaged American foods.
38. Snail mail.
39. Childhood memories in Glenview, IL.
40. My British grandmother who always makes us chuckle.
41. Free live music.
42. Hot chocolate.
43. Friends, kindred spirits, soulmates, and bosom buddies.
44. Warm blankets.
45. Thrift stores and garage sales.
46. Waking up in the morning.
47. Hard lessons.
48. Photo memories.
49. Hope.
50. The bassoon.
51. TV on DVD.
52. Comedies that actually make me laugh.
53. Doctors.
54. Opportunity to travel.
55. A warm, comfortable (free) bed.
56. The ginormous spruce tree in front of my childhood home.
57. Cheese.
58. The Body of Believers.
59. Microsoft Excel.
60. Flannel.
61. One-on-one, heart-to-heart conversations.
62. Knowing someone and being known.
63. Hiking.
64. Michigan.
65. Lazy days.
66. Time to knit.
67. The unconditional love of a dog.
68. Quotes. And the wise people who spoke them.
69. Freedom.
70. Michael's & Hobby Lobby.
71. Baby's smiles.
72. Fresh, too-hot, just-undercooked baked goods.
73. That moment when you first wake up and your whole day balances on the precipice of the unknown.
74. Walks.
75. A body that continues to function.
76. Hugs and snuggles.
77. Cooking together.
78. Concerts at the Ryman Auditorium.
79. Windows down, music up, heat on feet.
80. The depth and breadth of human emotion.
81. Good wine.
82. Apple products.
83. Ceiling fans.
84. Time to be.
85. Local Nashville eateries and coffeeshops.
86. The ties that bind.
87. Growing up at Glenview Community Church.
88. Parents who taught us how to love well by example.
89. Organizational tools and Staples.
90. Friendreunions.
91. Basking in the beauty of nature.
92. Journaling.
93. The college community that continues to be knit together so tightly.
94. Walking alongside friends in difficult seasons.
95. Christmastime allthetime.
96. Seasons.
97. Hot water, high-pressure showers.
98. Dishwashers and garbage disposals.
99. Reminders of home(s).
100. Coming home to my immediate and extended family.

TIA Tuesday: Success in Uganda

I have the humble privilege of working at an organization that partners with some incredible leaders in Uganda to bring hope and development to their rural community. The best part about having a hand in international development is that we're all striving to work ourselves out of our jobs. What a funny concept that is! Humbling, certainly. Joyful, even more so.

The Sasser's, our sweet family on the ground in Kaihura, Uganda, wrote an update over the weekend about the wells they've had a hand in building through donations on Know.Think.Act. over the last year or so.

They wrote the following on Global Support Mission's Blog Abroad:

On November 17th, Bringing Hope to the Family held a well handover ceremony in the village of Kisangwa to celebrate the completion of a new shallow well pump. Kisangwa is a small village on the outskirts of Katooke town. This well has provided clean water to over 160 people!

Over the last few well constructions, we at GSM have been transitioning out of the lead role where wells are concerned. In order to have this well program fully succeed, Bringing Hope has to own the project fully. We are still involved, but in a minor role. A young man, Peter, who works for Bringing Hope, has been doing a great job taking the lead. We are excited to continue to equip and train him in order to be the lead in our clean water and sanitation program. It is an exciting time as we empower more local leaders!

Check out this beautiful well dedication in Kisangwa!
Do you see any outside Americans there? No way, Jose.

Praise the Lord for raising up men and women like Peter who understand the problem of unsanitary water in their community and are passionate about effecting change. What an encouragement it is to see sustainable international development work carried to this point. TIA(frica): where God continues to raise local leaders to bring Glory to their communities. It sure ain't easy, but today, 160 more people in this world have access to clean water. Hallelujah.

Nashville Nugget No. 13.5: The Cocoa Tree:Revisited

My, oh my. Remember when I was told in September that it was not Hot Chocolate Season yet? And we had to order this crazy drink called a Frozen Cocoalato? And it was knock-your-socks-off amazing? And I vowed to return once Hot Chocolate Season hit?

Praise the sweet Lord - 'tis the Season (though I don't think I'll ever understand why some people don't celebrate year-round...kind of like Christmas. Shouldn't we celebrate the birth of our Savior and the creation of God's favorite drink every day? I digress...)! And praise His name for a sister who will venture out for some with me!

The lovely Sister

The Cocoa Tree website boasts in eleven mouth-watering flavors of award-winning hot chocolate: Classic, Americana, Mayan, Carmella, S'more, Passion, Cocoa Mocha, Pepperminty, Confetti, Lavender, and Simplicity. However, it appears that this season, they're only offering up two flavors: plain and Mayan. Lest you become disappointed and vow never to visit the Cocoa Tree, read on.

When we arrived at their humble shop in Germantown, they were just starting a fresh batch of cocoa. While we were waiting, we were handed homemade Graham cracker cookies dusted in sugar. "To dip in your hot chocolate - it's divine!" we were told. My word, it takes a lot of restraint to not gobble down a fresh cookie when it looks this tasty. But we were glad we exercised self-control because dipping fresh cookies in hot chocolate sure is divine.

The Cocoa Tree's hot chocolate is beyond decadent. Fresh whipped cream, whole milk, melted Cocoa Tree chocolate. They have cozy chocolate brown chairs by their front windows surrounded by fall decor, setting the scene for the perfect mid-afternoon break. I ordered the regular with whip while Jen ordered the Mayan sans whip. Their regular hot chocolate was thick and full of so much chocolatey flavor that I am unable to find the right words to describe it. The Mayan hot chocolate was surprisingly tasty, too - it added just enough extra heat, but not so much as to light your sinuses on fire.

This hot chocolate is by far the best hot chocolate in Nashville. Though I have to admit, it is so rich that I would not normally opt for it as my daily hot chocolate. But if I'm ever looking to indulge, this is the first place I'd go.

It is so worth a visit. Get over there while the Season is upon us to enjoy Nashville's (and America's?) best hot chocolate - and take me with you, please?

The Cocoa Tree is located in Germantown near 5th and Madison at 1200 5th Ave. N.

The Long Day Is Over

These days, my favorite bedtime routine is slipping into my favorite full-bodied winter pajamas, heating up an oversized mug of something warm, and snuggling under the covers to an episode of "The Wonder Years." But the highlight of it all is listening to this song while I get ready for bed. Be still, my soul, and unwind knowing that this long day is over.

Feeling tired by the fire;
The long day is over.


The wind is gone, asleep at dawn
The embers, they burn on.


With no reprise, the sun will rise.
The long day is over.

TIA Tuesday - Success Story

Ask any ex-pat in a developing country: will I lose weight while I'm living here? I bet you N$140 that they will tell you that all men lose weight while all women gain weight. While I did not find any scholarly articles on the topic in the five minutes that I tried, a simple search showed me that this is nearly a fact. At the very least, it's 100% observable. At our mid-service country, our guys had lost weight and many of our girls had gained. A friend in Kenya further confirmed this fact when in an email, he was woeful about how much weight he was losing, admitting that all the women were mad at him because they were gaining weight.

Hey, we get it. Guys win. 

Not only am I a woman, but I also easily succumb to stress eating. Namibia was...um...stressful. My diet was all over the place and pretty much on "survival mode."

It was challenging to return to America and officially see that I had gained 20 real pounds in only six months. Thus began the Summer of Loose Sundresses and Nike Shorts - no real pants or shorts for me, please. Fall turned into me admitting my problem and investing in jean that actually fit.

I'm proud to announce that today is the first day of the rest of my life: I busted out the pre-Nam jean and they fit! Glory hallelujah.

I probably could have lost it more quickly. I probably definitely could have exercised more ever. But it's on its way out. TIA(merica) - where you strangely lose weight while eating things like Kraft Mac & Cheese and Oreos.

Ode(s) to Burritos

I am an award-winning poet.

On Thursday, coworker Adam gasped as this was tweeted:

So began the great inter-office competition of the morning. Nashville-wide, really. We were up against a lot of avid Baja fans...all being judged by distinguished Rabbit Room author Jonathan Rogers. Naturally, I could think of nothing other than devoting my morning to writing as many burrito haikus as possible. When you combine my salary and my love for Baja burritos, I had to win.

Enjoy these twelve separately submitted haikus. Which is your favorite?

Deep fall's setting in

Chicken, beans, cheese, and veggies

Snuggling in a sack.

Return from abroad?

Baja B is all I need.

Cheese cheese cheese cheese cheese.

Wednesday lunch date's here

It's the hotbed of romance

Baja loves the love.

Cheese on cheese on cheese;

Vats of queso fill my soul.

Uh oh - more chips please?

My heart aches deeply

Without Baja in my tum

Please bring me back home.

I'm no wordsmith, but

For a sweet, free burrito

I'll pour out my soul.

Even Mexico

Smiles on your tasty delights.

You have won, Baja.

GSM loves food

Baja fills us every week

Soulmates til the end

A new corner sign?

"Will haiku for free Baja."

Send love to the streets

Queso hits the floor

Tears welling in my sad eyes

Cry over spilt cheese.

Six months in Namib

Black beans were not to be found

Baja's all I craved

The day's end is nigh

Poetic burritos are

Floating through my dreams.

Later that day, dreams came true:

Don't worry: Adam won a free burrito, too ("cover me in guac / wrap me in tortillas soft / home away from home"). Global Support Mission swept 1/5 of the burritos. Talk about winning.

A Tennessee Thanksgiving

Last Saturday night, this happened:

Eighteen dear friends from the Volunteer State gathered on Montrose to celebrate an early Thanksgiving feast - from Knoxville to Memphis, from old friends to new significant others, all bringing gifts of great joy for our potluck Thanksgiving feast. We indulged in such delicious dishes as corn casserole, famous sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cheesy cornbread, cranberry delight, pumpkin dip, a variety of pies, and a mouth-wateringly tasty brined turkey.

I value these friends from the bottom of my heart. I cherish the Nashville ones that I have the privilege of seeing weekly. I eagerly await weekend reunions of the ones who live in the far corners of the state. Most of all, I treasure the times we get to spend en masse and the conversations that ensue. Before diving into dinner, we snuggled into the living room and shared things that have been easy to be thankful for...and things that have been hard. What a great way to hear about the ways God has been moving in each others' lives throughout the past year.

We were reminded of the common saying that you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends. In reality, we were set in each others' lives at a particular time for a particular reason. We didn't choose to go to Vanderbilt so we could be friends with these people. We didn't choose our hallmates, sorority sisters, roadtrip buddies, or spouses. God set us here in this season for specific reasons...what a reminder of how He controls our steps and will continue to set us in right places in the future.

Bless my soul...these friends most certainly have.

TIA Tuesday - Where in the World is Matt Lauer? Edition

Yesterday morning, I was was greeted by a barrage of texts at work from various friends all asking the same question: "have you seen the Today Show?!"

In fact, I have been an avid "Today Show" watcher for the majority of my life, but yesterday morning in particular, I opted to watch DVR-ed shows with my roommate instead. TIA.

My favorite annual segment had just begun and for the tenth time, all of America was asking itself, "Where in the world is Matt Lauer?"

I still vividly remember Matt Lauer visiting Victoria Falls during this week-long segment in 2004. The majestic wall of water behind him is not something you'd soon forget, and I can't say I didn't think about that shot often as I rued not having the opportunity to visit Vic Falls while I was in southern Africa.

Well...guess where Matt was on Monday?? You guessed right: Namibia, Land of the Brave. Wow! Is Namibia really starting to become a household name?

While I did not have the opportunity to watch it live, the seven videos on the Today Show website are breath-taking to say the least. I don't think I'm remiss in saying that Namibia is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and strangest countries in the world.

But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a little - okay, very - strange to see these sights on American TV and hear such a well-known American host say the name "Namibia" and talk about my country. I realized that the only time I ever hear anyone say "Namibia," it's in a conversation that I've initiated.

Matt did a great job of displaying the great tourist and environmental attractions - and as my dad reminded me, this is a "fluff piece" - but I was disappointed at how Namibia was skewed. Having read other commentaries on his segment, everyone is touting the great environmental efforts, support for education, and happy relations within Namibia. But having lived there for six months - with many dear friends there even longer - I will aver that this is only the shiny exterior of Namibia. There is still a great deal of complacency, ambivalence, uneasiness, and isolation in Namibia. Race relations are still strained and the political surface is tender as it's such a young country. As Matt mentioned, there is a lack of rain in the country, but he failed to acknowledge the horrifying effects of what are soon becoming devastating yearly floods in the central north. He failed to mention the central north at all. Over half of the country's population lives there, for heaven's sake. I was only further tempted to roll my eyes when he solely mentioned the Himba - a people group already greatly recognized, photographed, and gawked at by the Western world. Oh wait, I think I spotted some Oshiwambo dresses among that group of women dancing behind him in the desert...

However, all that aside, it was heartwarming to see these magnificent sites from my country and fun to be able to identify them all from this side - something not many Americans have the privilege of doing. I loved seeing Bismarck St. in Luderitz, the bread factory in Kolmanskop, and the great Namib Desert. I giggled when Savannah Guthrie was drinking a Savanna Dry in the bush (oh, how I miss that). I giggled when the tour guide told them they would see the elephants "just now," only to arrive at their destination three hours later. And I was reminded of what a struggle it is for most people to say Namibia as Ann stumbled over its pronunciation every time.

Check out these videos from the "Today Show" - really, I'm serious. You won't be sorry.
(and if you're reading thru Google Reader, click open this post to view the videos)

Skeleton Coast, dunes

More Namibia overview

Dunes, shipwreck, NWR (yay!)

Himba Tribe

Animals (and as my dad said, "Okay, that baby elephant is cute!")

Diamonds, sights from Kolmanskop and Luderitz

Dunes and Namibia's extreme sports

Crazy creatures in the desert

I Bleed Blue & Gold

This is the coolest video I've seen in a while - well worth dedicating 11 minutes of your life to watching it. It comes straight from my alma mater, Glenbrook South High School, and was created as an intro to their overnight telethon to benefit Youth Services in Glenview, IL.

Love seeing neighborhood kids, kids I used to babysit, and friends' siblings in this. I can't believe the enormity of this project - they really pulled it off!

So proud to be a Titan!

We Need Each Other

Last night, I was having a heart to heart with a dear friend in the Matrix (because honestly, there are few better places to have those). As someone I've leaned on a lot, it was a blessing and sweet time to share in her struggles and offer encouragement.

Afterwards, I felt so keenly aware of how deep our need is for others. Can you imagine walking through life alone? Praise the Lord for His presence in our lives; we never are fully alone. But I've been so reminded in this past year of our deeply ingrained need for others. For companionship on earth. For people who can share our burdens.

Even more so, I praise God for knitting our paths in such a way that when one of us hits a difficult day or week or season, the others are able to hold us up and help us through, and vice versa. We are rarely all in our darkest hours at the same moment, even as we walk through similar seasons together.

This is what made my time in Namibia impossibly hard, and what makes my recuperative time in Nashville ever so sweet. Praise God for kindred spirits with whom we can shoulder each others' loads.

Vote for the Giving of Life Grant!

Guess what, y'all? Global Support Mission is currently in the running to win a Giving of Life grant! The Giving of Life grant will be going to organization that are giving life to people throughout the world - something that GSM embodies in everything it does. This year, they're giving away 20 grants ranging from $2,000-$50,000. In order to be eligible for the three biggest grants, you must be in the top 20 organizations in terms of votes on their website.


Today, we're at #31. We're dreaming big and planning on making it to the top 20 and winning a grant. It's your turn to help us get there!


Here are the simple eight steps to optimize your votes. Track with me - these are so simple:

1) Go to http://www.givingoflife.com2) In the top right corner, click on "Register for More Votes!"
3) Fill out the form, including your email address, and submit.
4) Go to your Inbox, find the email that Giving of Life sent you, and click the link in it to confirm your email.
5) Go back to Giving of Life and sign in.
6) Find Global Support Mission (or click directly here: http://www.givingoflife.com/browse/global_support_mission/ )
7) On the left panel, click "Vote!" three times (you get three votes when you register your email).
8) You can register your Twitter handle (or use mine: karenemcgee) to get two more votes! To do that, after you have voted 3 times for us, click on "get more votes" in the upper right corner. Enter your Twitter handle, go back to GSM's page, and vote two more times.

I checked my stats from the last month. Did you know that if every reader from...
- the United Arab Emirates voted, we'd get 15 votes
- Namibia voted, we'd get 35 votes
- Australia voted, we'd get 45 votes
- Germany voted, we'd get 45 votes
- Senegal voted, we'd get 10 votes
- the Czech Republic, Canada, Brazil, Israel, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, and Russia voted, we'd get 40 votes
- the UK voted, we'd get 70 votes
- the US voted, we'd get 2,755 votes


In case you lost count, that's 3,015 votes! Even more if you vote on every email address you have (let's face it: many of us have had more than one email address since the internet debuted 20 years ago).


Please go vote for us right now! Voting ends on FRIDAY. And then tell your family to vote...and your coworkers...roommates...friends...neighbors...fellow coffeeshoppers...the car next to you in rush hour...classmates...significant other...not-so-significant other...dog...

Behold the Lamb of God: An Advent Narrative

Guess what I just preordered for $12?

(I know what you're saying: "Karen, where did you find $12?!" I didn't. But this is important enough to forego $12 of groceries this month.)

My favorite holiday tradition is Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb of God" Concert at the Ryman Auditorium. In fact, I've made a personal vow to never miss this annual Christmas concert. There are not words to explain its magic on the first of November, but come mid-December, expect a thoroughly wordy blog post about why I love this so much. In a nutshell, Andrew Peterson wrote a conceptual album of (almost all) original music, detailing the birth of our Savior from the Old Testament through the Gospels. "Moving" simply doesn't adequately describe what it does to my soul.

This week, the Rabbit Room announced that Russ Ramsey is coming out with a book to complement Andrew's album. As this post describes it, "Russ was doing in prose what Andrew had done in music with his Behold the Lamb of God album." Russ is like a legend to me, mostly because he's associated with the Rabbit Room, but also because he's a pastor at Midtown Fellowship's 12 South location and officiated at Matt & Lauren's wedding.

Of all the things to make me giddy about the holiday season (beware readers: there are many), none get me quite so excited as Advent. I tend to keep 5+ different types of Advent calendars each year. Lucky enough for people like me, this book will have 25 chapters: one for each day leading up to Christmas, each one revealing a new take on the Christmas story.

I'm going to be bold and say that this will be my favorite thing about Christmas 2011...and if we're lucky enough, beyond.

And if you're starting to feel your veins pulsing with excitement, go here and pre-order it now so we can start reading together on December 1.

(I admit the irony of posting twice on November 1 with conflicting messages about my feelings towards talking about Christmas in November. I also admit that I may not really know how to use the word "irony.")

TIA Tuesday - November?!

I only have one thing to say this Tuesday.

America. Home of Christmas in November. Starbucks Christmas cups, Christmas commercials, and even 24/7 Christmas music starting November 1. Does Christmas start this early anywhere else in the world, or can we say TIA right now?

(although I will remind everyone that Ondangwa's Christmas decorations were still up in April this year...so maybe TIA(frica), too).