Here is a video of Mikayla being entertained by my slight of hand magic tricks.
She figures out early on that moving my hand makes a difference, but it takes her a bit to figure out exactly what is going on.
We have been back from Swaziland Africa for about a week. It feels like we are living between worlds as we look to transition from a comfortable life in the States to the unexpected. After two weeks on the ground researching options, Beth and I are absolutely confident we will be making the move in the next year (but we are still working out the specifics).
It is great to be back in Bowling Green and even better to be able to hold my daughter again. That being said, every time I snuggle with her I am hit with a wave of emotion. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful, well-behaved daughter; but at the same time, she is very lucky to have us. I don’t say that because I think we are exceptional parents, but because in our time our Swaziland we met so many kids who aren’t as fortunate.
In Swaziland, a country of about a million people, there are an estimated 100,000 orphans and over 15,000 child-headed homes. My mind cannot even comprehend that. Most of them lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS, a disease that currently infects up to 40% of the population. 40% – again, my mind can’t even comprehend that and we even saw it with our own eyes.
An entire generation has been laid to waste by a horrible disease; the current life expectancy lies around 30 years of age and the was just recognized as having the highest death rate in the world. For the most part grandparents (gogos) have stepped up to provide the care, but now many of those are dying of old age. Thinking about what the next decade will look like for the country is like looking into a blackhole (UN estimates the Swazis could be wiped out as a people group by 2050 if things don’t change).
The point of this blog is not to just give grim statistics, but to share a bit about what I am feeling (and if you know me, I am not a very emotional person and rarely share things like this).
Knowing the situation has made me realize my love for Mikayla all the more. Last night, before she went to bed, Beth and I gave her a group hug and she beamed up at us. It was so cute but it made me ache for those who will never experience the safe embrace of two parents. Every time she lays her head on my shoulder I have to fight back tears over those who cannot rest peacefully. Today she got her shots and I was overwhelmed with emotion at thinking how fortunate she was to not only have access to medical care, but also to have someone to comfort her when she hurt.
When Mikayla was first born, I felt many of these same things but as time has gone on, those feelings have faded – until now. What is worst is that I have no idea what to do. I don’t know what the answer is. In moving to Swaziland we can help some, but in the face of the current situation there, I still realize it is just a drop in the bucket.
Even though it hurts, I can’t say I desire the feelings of sadness to go away. I want to live life conscious of the way things are and hopefully in doing so find the strength and ability to be a part of the healing process.
[Homes in Bulembu, some of which have been renovated for Orphan Care]
Happy Mother’s Day to my mothers and grandmothers. Thank you for who you are and what you do.
A few days ago while reflecting on my daughter’s first birthday I wrote about things that at one time described me, but no longer apply. I wanted to flip that around and identify the things I have recently become. The last five years have been particularly transitional (and our future plans will only serve to continue that).
Just like the last list, these descriptors are varied. Some are the result of philosophical/theological shifts, some reflect major life transitions, and others have slowly developed based on changing life circumstances.
Here are things that I have become:
With my daughter turning 1 tomorrow, I have been mulling over ways my life has changed recently. It got me thinking about the things that at some point in my life served to define me, but no longer apply. Some of these represent transitions in life, others reflect philosophical shifts, and others are simply changes (formal and informal) brought about by time. Some of these I lament and others I am glad to have shed.
Here is a list (in no particular order) of things I no longer am:
Sunday was the perfect day to be outside. The sky was deep blue, the temperature was just right and the trees and wildflowers were in bloom. We decided to take advantage of it by hiking in Mammoth Cave with the whole family (dog included).
We wanted to stay away from the touristy areas since it was such a beautiful spring weekend so we decided to hike in the west side of the park to Mammoth Cave’s largest above ground body of water: First Creek Lake. The route we chose began at the Temple Hill trailhead and then included the loop around the lake before heading out the way we came. Since we were hiking with our 1 year old, we thought it would be a bit much to attempt the longer route coming in from from the First Creek trailhead, plus this gave us a few options if we needed an even shorter trip.
We came in through the Brownsville entrance and took the Houchins Ferry across the Green River (Check here for ferry hours). The road is gravel and well maintained. There is parking at the trailhead, but it is not well laid out
Beth and Mikayla at the Trail Head
The hike begins with a 1.9 mile segment that follows the ridge heading down to the Nolin River [NOTE: This trail has been recently rerouted. Old topo maps do not reflect the change. See links below.] The trail is well maintained, and even though horses are allowed on this section, degradation is minimal. Overall the slope is moderate, but there are two sections that are relatively steep as you drop down off the ridge and then down onto the flood plain. The trail provides good views of the river valley.
Beth looking across the valley before dropping down the ridge
Looking down towards the Nolin River
Once you reach the base of the lake, you can choose which route to take. The left (west) option is shorter (for through hikers) and flatter. It passes campsite #1 and a spur trail down to Nolin Lake. The right option follows the base of the ridge, passes campsite #2 and crosses the two creeks which feed the lake. If you do the entire loop it is 1.3 miles. The longer option (ridge route) is 1.0 miles to the junction while the shorter option is 0.3 miles. We took the left (west) segment first so if we needed to double back to shorten things we could.
Overall we were a bit disappointed with the destination. Despite spring rains, the lake was quite low and marshy. Even then, it was only visible for about 10% of the loop. The spur trail to the river was narrow as it followed a deep muddy trench where the lake drains. Once at the river, the options were minimal. There is little shade and even less flat ground. There is a fire pit near the river, but when we got there it was filled with trash.
View of First Creek “Lake” from campsite #2
We continued on the short leg of the loop hoping to find another option for eating lunch along the river, but didn’t find anything. Compared with the trail down, the loop is in much worse condition showing many muddy sections which have been chewed up by horse tracks. The longer segment of the loop is much worse with several extended sections of muddy pot holes. In relation to the whole trail, 90% was in great condition; but, the remaining 10% could be very unpleasant.
One of the not-so-good sections
Despite the mud on the trail, the creek beds along the longer segment were quite dry. Although, based on the debris, it was apparent there could be significant flow at times,
We ended up stopping for lunch just off the trail. We found a shady spot on the dried northeast section of the lake bed. At the time it was very pleasant, but I could imagine the bugs would be quite annoying later in the season.
Lunch along the trail
Campsite #2 is just a few hundred feet from the south trail junction. It my opinion, it is the better of the two sites. It does not have the easy access to the river, but it does have a better view of the lake and seems to be more secluded.
On the way back out we noticed the blooming wildflowers much more (that is probably because we were going much slower as we hiked up instead of down). There were plenty of may apples already sprouting up and several other flowers poking through last year’s leaves.
Plants and flowers along the way
Overall we had a great time and enjoyed the hike but I would not consider the lake to be a destination in and of itself. It was not a difficult hike, but it was not super easy either. You don’t have to be in great shape to do it, but you wouldn’t want to take a small child and expect them to walk it all on their own. It took us about 3 hours to complete the trip at a leisurely pace. While I have not hiked it, I have heard the north section of the First Creek trail is pretty tore up from the horse traffic. Something to consider if you are planning a trip of your own.
Mammoth Cave – First Creek Lake
Type: Point-to-point with loop
Length: 5.1 miles
Rating: Enjoyable
Difficulty: Moderate
Date: April 10, 2010
Weather: 77 and sunny
Duration: 3 hours
Helpful Links:
These are actually Mikayla’s second steps. She stumbled once on her own, then we stood her up and she took 3-4 steps. Beth and I went nuts. We were able to catch her second attempt on camera.
If you look closely on the left edge of the video you can see me jumping up and down in excitement.
Most of us have noticed the longer days, warmer temperatures and the insatiable desire to wear shorts and sandals. Not only does that mean spring is coming, it means we are getting ready for things like weekly disc golf, trips to the farmer’s market, barbeques, and picnics. It also means the gardening season is fast approaching.
Last night, we borrowed a friend’s tiller to prepare the garden (FYI – I have another trend going: for the past three years I have broken a belt on a tiller). As I was breaking up the soil, I realized just how much I love this part of the process; in fact, preparing the plot is probably my favorite part of gardening. There is just something about putting the sweat equity into a project after several months off. Plus you get the instant gratification of seeing your accomplishments. So much in gardening requires patience and persistence; it often takes months for your work to pay off. Tilling is the one time where brute force actually works in your favor.
[Garden half way through the second tiller pass.
Notice the asparagus patch in the back right.]
But, it’s not just the actual work of prep that I enjoy – it is also what it represents. In order to till you have to have had several days of sunny spring weather, so the process usually starts right when people are getting spring fever. Tilling also goes hand in hand with planning. It is exciting to begin deciding what crops are going to be planted where and what schedule you are going to follow. While I was tilling, the neighborhood kids were out playing, the birds were swooping into our bird feeder, and the sun was just dipping below the horizon. I could not ask for a better life.
For Beth and I, beginning the garden holds special significance as it reminds us of the birth of Mikayla. Last year as we were prepping the garden, we were also getting ready to welcome our daughter into the world. Three days before she was born, we were planning our crops. And, as we were nurturing her and working through the challenges of a newborn, the garden was our escape and place of renewal.
Depending on how our plans for Swaziland develop, this could be our last year to garden here for quite a while. That makes the start of the season even more poignant for us.
We have many hours of work ahead of us in the garden this year, but as anyone who does it knows, you do it because you love it. We are both looking forward to another year of playing in the dirt.
Technical Note:
For those of you who are interested, I thought I would quickly mention our plans for this year’s garden:
I am not a very sentimental person and rarely get caught up in traditions or holidays, but today represents a significant day of remembrance as we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This man was so influential in my life and my understanding of the world that we named our daughter after him (Mikayla Lillian Kickert). It was an honor this morning to march along side my brothers and sisters and to have my daughter join us. Here is a picture of me and little MLK from this morning and a shot from the march:
If you haven’t already done it, please take the time to listen to MLK’s prophetic “I have a dream” speech. I still cannot listen to it without tearing up. I have included it below for your convenience
Finally, I want to share with you a prayer that I wrote several years ago to commemorate the day. The following is an invocation written in 2008 for the annual MLK remembrance service in Bowling Green. It is inspired by the UMC Book of Worship prayer for such occasion.
God of all creation, we stand together today and acknowledge your presence among us as we seek to be your people united in love. As we worship today, we pray that you grant us a glimpse of your Kingdom. A kingdom where everything is made new and all nations walk together in the light of your Glory.
We thank you for your servant Martin Luther King Jr. who lived out the principles of your kingdom, and through his prophetic voice, offered the vision of what could be. May we be challenged by his courage, emboldened by his passion, and inspired by his actions. But heavenly father, may we not rest of the laurels of his godly work, but instead strive together to bring deeper love and greater unity as we all seek to live out your calling on our lives. May we, even today, experience the same divine discontent that spurred Dr. King to be a voice for justice and an advocate for love.
Today we remember the conviction of Dr. King, who said:
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
Therefore, let us pray for courage and determination for those who are oppressed. And at the same time, may we not be blind to the oppression we bring, nor deaf to the voices crying against it.
Today we remember Dr. King’s words that
True peace is not the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.
Therefore let us pray not only for relief from tensions and conflicts, but for a just and compassionate world. May those who work for peace in our world be those crying loudest for justice and may we find peace not in the comforts of life, but in the tension that comes from standing in the gap.
Today we remember Dr. King’s insight that:
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, because we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny,
Therefore, let us pray that we may see nothing in isolation, but instead find ourselves unified in love and perfected in peace. May we rejoice with those rejoicing, and mourn with those morning. And today father, may we join the struggles of those bothers and sisters throughout the world who are striving for peace and justice.
Today we remember Dr King’s lament that:
The contemporary church is often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound, often the arch-supporter of the status quo.
Therefore, let us pray that neither those gathered here today nor any congregation of Christ’s people may be silent in the face of wrong, but that we may be disturbers of the status quo when it comes into conflict with God’s Kingdom.
Finally, we remember Dr. King’s prophetic words that:
The dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.
Therefore, in faith, let us contend against evil and make no peace with oppression so that we join in the legacy of Dr. Martin King Jr. and work together to fulfill the vision he shared of your Kingdom come.
Lord, while we still hear jangling discords in our nations, may we be beautiful notes in the symphony of brotherhood.
In the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace we pray, Amen.
