Inspired by another writing friend, a coffee shop with a toasted almond tea latte, and the thought of traveling to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in December, made me finally write again!  So, this is a little snapshot of my interests and thoughts, tapped into a list of “top 10: where I’d still like to go and why” and “top 10: where I’ve been before but would love to return to again”. Yah, it’s long, sorry, you don’t have to finish reading it! I was going to do 5 but each but then I just got too excited and couldn’t narrow it down.

Top 10: Where I’d Still Like to Go and Why (in no particular order):

• Elwa, Liberia: This was the first place I remember talking about visiting. In 1989 my family was planning to move here. My parents were going to be missionaries, and my Dad was going to work at a printing press station. My memories of hearing what it would be like was that we were going to have a house on the beach and eat chicken, including the bones (not entirely sure why those are my memories but that’s what I remember being told we could do, and I was very excited about it!). Due to civil war, we never did end up going to Liberia, so I’ve always wanted to make it over there.
• Basra, Iraq (and other parts of Iraq): We recently hosted two guests from Iraq and grew interested in visiting the country after getting to know them and hearing stories from their country. I’d be very interested in visiting at some point. This particular city interests me because it is along the coast and has seafood, and I’d love to visit our friends.  
• Mexico City, Mexico: I like to visit big cities and since this is the largest (at least it has been at some point), I’d really love to go. I like the thought of seeing lots of crowds, a variety of colors and scenes, lots of noise and excitement. I have enjoyed every trip to Mexico I’ve been on and really been blessed by the people I meet. It also reminds me a little of places I grew up and has just always intrigued me that it is right next to the U.S.   
• New Orleans, Louisiana, USA: A few friends of ours are from here. I haven’t been to this part of the U.S. but really am excited to visit it one day. I want to see the people, the culture, the landscape, the history. Just really interested in it and though I don’t know much about it, I really think I will love it.
• Toronto, Canada: In addition to one of my really good friends living here (who I’ve always wanted to visit), I’ve just never been to that part of Canada. I’ve heard it is so beautiful and cold but nice!
• Victoria Falls, Zambia: The pictures are I’ve seen are just so unspeakably beautiful that I can’t help but want to go. God made this place! I really enjoy water scenes so much so would just be so excited to see it. I’ve lived relatively close to it in the past but have never made it that far south.
• Afghanistan: No particular city, but I would just love to visit. I’m intrigued after reading “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns” (2 of my favorite books) by Khaled Hosseini and since reading them I just want to see the actual scenes that he describes.
• Hong Kong: I’ve just heard some of the greatest stories about this place, the architecture, the character, the food. My mom and brother and cousin have gotten to visit and I’ve been wanting to go since then.
• Greece: Again, no particular city I want to go to, I just love every scene and picture I’ve ever seen of Greece, absolutely loved every single one. So why would I not want to go?
• Cairo, Egypt: This area of the world just fascinates me as it is part of Africa yet so different from where I have lived before. I am intrigued by the history, the culture, the scenes. I think it is a place where I’d really learn so much.
• Ephesus, Turkey: Ooops, this is #11, too bad. Again I’ve heard about it and just wanted to go since. Like Egypt, I think it is a place where I would just absolutely learn a ton. And because of its Biblical historical significance as well, it really is a place I’d like to go and see. 
• Jamaica: Just anywhere…=) yes, this is#12!

Top 10: Where I’ve Been Before But Would Love to Return to Again: (also in no particular order):

• Tokyo & Osaka, Japan: I just have seriously no bad memories of my past trip there and would love to return. I went with a dear friend who also grew up in Africa close to me and we went to visit a dear friend who grew up in Japan. We determined that growing up in Japan would be about completely opposite as growing up in Kenya or Tanzania as is possible. That’s one reason I loved Japan. I love Kenya and Tanzania, and I love to see differences between there and Japan. Just everything about Japan was fascinating as everything has a reason and a thought process behind it and is organized.  I enjoyed the tea (yes!) and miniatures (who wouldn’t be excited?) and history and people. I enjoyed the stories and the amazing church we were able to visit, and I pray God richly uses that church for His glory in a country where many do not know the Lord.
• Lamu, Kenya: Not going to lie, I’ve been on a number of trips (and yes, I do usually like them a lot!), but this is still my favorite one I’ve been on, so far as of November 13, 2010. Ask me again in a few years, maybe it will be different (but probably not!). I traveled to this town on a small island off the coast of Kenya in April of 2002.  It was just such a beautiful place (not clean but extremely nice and intriguing because there was so much depth). The food and landscape are incredible, we met people and heard their stories and I’m still blessed by them. We flew into a runway and men with carts came running out to pick up our bags and took them to “baggage claim” which was a little tent with tables set up in it. Then we immediately got on a boat that took us to another area. How could I not want to go back?! It was awesome.
• Vancouver, Canada I got to live outside of Vancouver for 4 years and this beautiful and diverse city simply just calls for more visits. I also did a couple of here, one at a family center on the “rougher” eastside and one in a women’s hospital working with moms and babies. I learned so much at these rotations and was incredibly privileged to work with the families and so I think it always remains a significant place to me. There’s also Stanley Park, enough said.
• Nairobi, Kenya: I have a hard time figuring out an exact place where I’m from, but I would definitely call this is the “motherland city”. Here is where I really grew up and here is where God truly showed me my sin and gave me a new heart in Him alone, and here is where I was baptized. Here is where I grew to love milky tea, cooking and spices, and making things from scratch. Here is where I met friends and saw poverty and pain at some of its hardest places. Here is where I saw people with unspeakable joy and heard laughter from the heart. Here is where I became a teenager and graduated from middle school and high school. Here is where I decided I had to be a nurse, at least for a while. Here is where I hold dearly even though I hardly know anyone there anymore. I am always excited to go back.
• Tandala, Zaire & Karawa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo): This is where my African roots started. As soon as we landed on the grass runway, kids surrounded us with cheers of excitement. I think I knew I would like it from that moment. And so we did. Here is where I went barefoot, where we butchered our own animals for meat and where we attended the incredible church services of people dancing and singing praises to the Lord. Away from the noises of the city, we enjoyed walking places, growing our own gardens, buying from small markets and trading items instead of using money. I went to boarding school at Karawa after begging and begging my parents to go! It was far away but I adored it. It was hard but I would choose it again. I missed my family but then when I did see them, I think I appreciated them more. But I think I really want to return because I know I can’t remember it all and I’d love to see it again.
• Albertville, France: We lived here for just a year. I attend 1^st grade in a French public school. I have memories, but they are just little snippets. So I really want to go back.
• Kigali, Rwanda: I was just here for a few weeks but it truly is the “Switzerland of Africa”. It is a lovely place and I learned many things from a people who has endured a lot. There is now a school in a building we laid bricks down in and I’d love to see it.
• Dar es Salaam, Tanzania & Zanzibar, Tanzania: This is the one place I am already actually planning a trip to go to. This is now my parents’ home and has been for several years so I partially call it mine as well =). It is always a joy to visit there and I love to walk around in Dar. Can’t wait for nyama choma soon! Zanzibar is just cool, that’s really all there is to say. I like it and don’t get bored of it.
• Geneva, Switzerland: I just barely remember it and so I so much want to go there again. The one thing I remember is stopping at McDonalds and there was an incredibly long line!
• Bangui, Central African Republic: I only was here for a just a couple of days at two different times even though it was my address for 3 years. And alas, I never had time for an amoeba shake, so I do definitely need to return!
• And #11 to match with the one above(!): Honolulu, Hawaii: a family place to go and see family so that always makes it special. There is hot pot. There is the beach and beauty. My hubby loved it here so we will definitely be back often.

2009 Look-Back from the Robinsons

As we come to the close of this year, we wanted to mostly write out something just to say thanks! We want to thank so many friends and family who have been praying for us throughout this year…praying for our wedding, the start of our marriage, Derek’s health, job and insurance challenges, and more. And we truly want to thank God for His provision through all things, good and bad, easier and harder. We know He is in control no matter what, and we praise Him most of all for redeeming us from our sin and giving us life anew. Though much of this year was not as we expected, we would truly not ask for it to be any other way.

We started this year as two single independent units and are now ending it as two-who-became-one and are completely unified in all things (okay, so we haven’t exactly figured everything out, but we thank God for allowing us the privilege of being united together. We love being married!). 

Pamela is a school nurse at an inner-city elementary school and really does love the job, although some days she thinks she might pull out her hair. Her formal job description says something like “coordinates health-care for the school” while her informal job duties include “applying ice packs extensively for all ailments, helping to calm often exaggerated situations, giving out not-just-bandages but applying a dose of loving care with it (of course!), assessing situations such as “I got punched in the heart” (and how did you know it was your heart exactly?), communicating extensively with families and trying to figure out community resources, and helping out with any emergency situations that come up at school. In her spare time, she loves to cook, plan out menus, look up/make-up recipes (seeing the trend?), run around doing random things, and spend time with others.

Derek works at University of Phoenix as an enrolment counselor, where he is known not simply for his excellent communication skills on the phone with potential students but also among colleagues for convincing them to buy “the best cookies in the world”, trying out different accents while chatting with students, and for sharing about Christ. He has really enjoyed the challenge and yet the joy of teaching 3-year-olds Sunday School and is quite excited about the growth/length of his beard (see picture below; some at church have taken to calling him “Moses”). He loves dialoguing and spending time with others, helping Pam stay entertained, and keeping up with sports updates. After an extensive illness (still semi-ongoing), he is thankful for overall increased energy as he adjusts back to a full-time work schedule.  

This next year we have lots of dreams of what we want to do and how we want to grow, and yet we pause a moment to acknowledge that we have no idea what will happen. We are sure it will be full of difficulty some pain, and yet by the grace of God, truly, truly, be full of hope and even joy amidst trials.