Home made vs. Store bought

One of the biggest changes for me while in the States is cooking. In Africa, everything is done from scratch. But while I'm here, I have to admit to doing things the easy way, throwing away the cookbook, and using mixes as much as possible. And not only is it easier, it tastes just as good. Right?

Maybe not.

The other night I made Sloppy Joes which is one of my kids favorites. But instead of gobbling it down like normal, Gabriel asked me what it was.

"What is it? Sloppy Joes of course," I told him.

"These don't taste like your Sloppy Joes," he said.

"That's because they aren't what I regularly fix. The sauce came from a package."

"But it taste like spaghetti sauce. . ."

Needless to say, he wasn't impressed. Which actually made me feel good. Because before long, we'll be back eating my home made Sloppy Joes. . .and Gabe will be happy.

Blessings,

Lisa

(ABOVE PHOTO: Jayden just hanging around at the Fall Festival)

Win a Taste of Africa!

I'm getting ready to hold another drawing for my yearly Taste of Africa contest, and this year, I've decided to choose three winners! I'll be drawing names from my newsletter list, so if you aren't signed up, it's simple. Just go here and follow the directions.

Each winner will receive a personalized box including some of the items you see here, like tea, chocolate, bookmarks, and spices, all from the heart of Africa, as well as a signed copy of my latest book, Final Deposit.

So sign up today!

Lisa

Finding Peace. . .

For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I've posted little lately due to the fact that there are simply not enough hours in the day while I'm back in the States with my mom. And while there are a number of things I'd like to post, one thing stood out to me tonight that I will post.

We live in turbulent times. People worry about the price of gas, the next president, and the balance in their checking account. We wonder who's influencing our children, and what the world will be like for our grand children. We worry about tomorrow, when we can hardly get through all that has to be done today.

Funny how even two thousand years ago, Jesus addressed this very issue. He told us not to worry about tomorrow and to seek him first.

Paul said the same thing. Do not be anxious about anything.

Anything?

Yes, anything.

So my encouragement today? It comes straight from Philippians 4

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, in prayer and petitions, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ."

Be blessed today,

Lisa

The great adventure. . .

The Internet is an amazing thing. I wanted to plan something special for the kids while we were back in the States, so while we were still in Mozambique, we ordered tickets to a Michael W. Smith/Steven Curtis Chapman concert and was able to simply print out the tickets.

How fast and easy is that!

Fast and easy, that was until I tried to actually get to the concert.

We met friends and family for dinner three miles from the concert so I'd be close. The doors opened at six, so I figured I could leave a little after six and have plenty of time to find a parking place and our seats before it started at seven.

Easy right?

Not.

As we head toward the concert, I realized quickly there was a serious problem. Traffic was moving slower than a snail. There were times when the light was green and we simply didn't move. I kept glancing at the clock on the dashboard. Six thirty. . .six forty five. . .at seven o'clock we still had another mile to go and no alternative route.

At seven thirty--thirty minutes late--we finally pulled into the parking lot, but wait a minute. . .it was the wrong parking lot.

It was dark now and poorly marked, but I quickly decided that I wasn't getting back out into all that traffic again and there was obviously a large number of people headed for the concert who were also parked in this adjacent lot. So we'd just walk. Simple? Ha. We followed the crowed and ended up having to scale down a wall behind a bar to get to the event.

But it was all well worth it. The concert was fantastic. Steven Curtis Chapman spoke of the loss of his daughter and how he'd had to question the truth behind the songs he sang if he were to ever perform again. It was personal, real, and moving as he sang about God and his faithfulness even in the midst of this deep tragedy.

I cried through half the songs, worshiped with the four thousand plus crowd, and felt a spiritual renewal I need.

They sang "The Great Adventure" which reminded me of the adventure God has called all of us on. For me, the past year hasn't been easy. We've lived in four countries (three continents), worked hard through language school, started home schooling, had to pack, move, write, help my mother transfer into her new place. On a very personal note, I've been tired, fatigued, spiritual empty at times, and fought to keep my creativity alive.

But I've also grown through this time in ways I'd never imagined. I've had to realize what is really important in life. Through it all God's grace and love has been what has sustained me. Even in the times when I haven't been sure I could do it, he's reminded me that it's His strength and not my own that has allowed me to "accomplish" things.

So saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure

Live the adventure for Him today!

Lisa

Moving Day. . .

It's been quite an exciting week as mom was able to leave rehab and move into her new apartment. Thank you all so much for all your prayers and emails during this time. There is still a lot of work ahead, but this is definitely a major step in the right direction and mom is enjoying more independence again as she continues to heal.

Another highlight of the week was a long chat with my new editor at Zondervan. It was exiting for me to learn how things work in this publishing house as well as to talk specifically about my manuscript, changes I will be making so the book will reach a broader audience, and marketing ideas. I'll be sharing glimpses into this process during the coming months.

More soon,

Lisa

And the winner is. . .

I know I'm way overdue to post a blog, but between sorting, packing, home schooling, writing deadlines. . .well, enough excuses, a very late congratulations to Erica who won a photo bookmark from Africa. Please contact me here with your mailing address, and I'll get it in the mail for you!

Here are the answers for any inquiring minds. My version is South African so there was one or two that were different, but thanks to those of you who participated did great!



Leopard- Leap
Warthog- Sounder
Giraffe- Tower
Rhino- Crash
Hippo- Raft
Croc- Bask
Butterfly- Flutter
Ant- Army
Elephant- Herd
Lion- Pride
Baboons- Troop
Wild Dogs- Pack

I'll be running another new contest in the next couple weeks for a "Taste of Africa" that will include all kinds of cool things, so stay tuned for details!

Blessings,

Lisa

Fiction vs. Fact

While leaving South Africa, an article in the newspaper caught my eye about a Japanese man who had flown to SA to learn more about an investment opportunity. He was kidnapped with ransom demands of $5 million. Thankfully, the man was tracked down by the country's crime unit and rescued three days later. The seven suspects involved in the situation were to appear in court the next day.

It's always intrigued me how someone could fall for a scam like this one, or one of the dozens of others making its rounds in the world wide web, which is why I decided to write a book using this scam as the back drop.

For those of you who haven't read Final Deposit, it deals with this 419 or Nigerian scam. And for those of you who think no one falls for scams like this. . .think again. It's become a growing problem worldwide, with people losing thousands of dollars every year.

For me, it's a good reminder. If something seems to good to be true. . .it more than likely is.

And for page-turning suspense where your own pocket book--and life--isn't at stake, you can find out more about Final Deposit here.

Blessings,

Lisa

A just-for-fun contest!

I've hit the ground running between helping my mom sort out her house, home schooling, and trying to keep up with my writing deadline. Today, I took the kids to my sister's school co-op where they participated in PE, art, history, and home ec. My kids had so much fun.

But before I go try to meet my word count for the day, I thought I'd post a fun contest. The winner will receive a very cool magnetic bookmark from Africa, so leave a comment, and I'll draw a winner from the correct answers.

I found this matching game while at Kruger and thought it was very interesting. Can you match the group of animals with the group name. For example a bunch of cows are called a herd of cattle. And yes, cheating is allowed. :-)

Here it goes. You can match the letter with the number in your comments.

A. Leopard
B. Warthog
C. Giraffe
D. Rhino
E. Hippo
F. Croc
G. Butterfly
H. Ants
I. Elephant
J. Lions
K. Baboons
L. Wild Dogs

1. Pack
2. Troop
3. Tower
4. Bask
5. Leep
6. Pride
7. Sounder
8. Herd
9. Crash
10.Raft
11.Army
12.Flutter

Have fun!

Lisa

First Impressions

We arrived in the States after a very long, 30+ hour flight that included three planes, three continents, and lots of airline food. When we sat down on the last one, after arriving in the States, Jayden turned to the man beside him and asked him if he was also going to America. I think he's finally figured out that yes, we're here.

I left my camera's battery charger in Mozambique, so I don't have a photo today, but I do have a few first impressions.

1. The friendliness of all the employees as I went through US customs. It was a nice welcome back.
2. Driving on the right hand side of the road (This can be as scary as an encounter with a lion at a game park)
3. The amount of products available at the stores
4. The number of channels on the television
5. Helping my kids learn how things are done here from "What water can we drink" to "How to fill your plate at a buffet"

I'm sure there will be many more things that will strike me in the coming weeks. For the next few days, I'm simply trying to get over jet lag--yes, it's three in the morning--unpack, and enjoy time with family.

Blessings,

Lisa

Safari

We are getting ready to fly back to the States, but before I leave I wanted to post a slide show from Kruger. Once things settle down a bit--and I have time--I'll put together one using some of the incredible video footage we got, but for now. . .enjoy!

Lions and tigers and bears. . .

On our way through South Africa, we stopped for two days at Kruger Game park to share one of our favorite places with Luis and Fernanda as well as some much needed rest for me.

We had an incredible time in the park. A lion walked past my open car window--close enough for me to touch. My heart pounded for at least thirty minutes afterward! We also saw two cheetahs, a couple dozen rhino, elephant, giraffe, buffalo. . .

I'll be putting a slide show together later, as well as the video of the pride of lions soon, but for now, here's a couple of our close encounters.





More later!

Lisa

Exciting news!!!

I'm extremely thrilled to announce that Zondervan has just offered me a two book contract for my international suspense series that begins with Blood Ransom, the story about a humanitarian worker who has seventy-two hours to stop an assassination.

While every book I've sold has been exciting, this series is extra special as it combines my love for suspense and romance with Africa as a setting!

Last night Scott took us all out to a restaurant along the beach to celebrate with fish and shrimp. I'll be sharing more about the book and its journey to publication in the future, but will probably have to pinch myself a few more times in the meantime.

Blessings!

Lisa

Sailing away

Part of the work we do here is across the bay from where we live. While we can see the town from my kitchen window, it's almost an hour drive by car. You can, though, take a motor boat across the bay in about 20 minutes or a sail boat which takes a bit longer, depending on the wind.

So yesterday, after an appointment across the bay, I took the kids, along with Fernando and Luis for a ride home across the bay on a sail boat. After being carried to the boat (note that there is no photo of me being carried) we sat back for the ride. The winds were strong, and it was a bit chilly, but as you can see from the photos, the view was beautiful.

The only time I started worrying was when one of our guides began bailing water. Made me wonder, even if just for a minute, how long I'd be able to swim in the choppy waters.




And then of course, because of the strong winds, Scott actually beat us home in the car!

But the best part was the sunset. Absolutely stunning.




Blessings,

Lisa

On the road again. . .

As many of you know, my mother blacked out and fell, breaking her leg in several places a few weeks ago. She recently decided, for health and safety reasons, that it is best for her to move into an assisted living situation.

In order to help her and my sister with this transition, I will be leaving Mozambique this weekend to go to South Africa, then on to the States. God's timing is so perfect as Scott was already scheduled to be gone for a month long discipleship training in the States.

I'll still plan to keep up my blog as much as I can, as I'm sure I'll have my own interesting transition stories as we spend the next two months in the States. Unfortunately, I won't be able to travel and see people during this time, but look forward to visiting with many of you next year during our regular furlough.

Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers!

Lisa

Guests from Brazil!

Some of you might recognize Luis and Fernanda from posts I made earlier in the year while we were in Brazil. Luis and Fernanda married three weeks ago and have come here for a visit to help in their decision on whether or not God is calling them to join our ministry here in Mozambique.

Both of them have a heart for ministry and serving God and we are really enjoying time to renew our friendship with them.

Because this year has been so crazy, Scott and I never celebrated our birthdays. Emily and Rosie missed out on having a birthday cake as well, so I finally made the promised chocolate birthday cake for all of us and we sang "Happy Birthday." Because of wedding plans, Fernanda missed celebrating her birthday as well, so here's a photo of all of us celebrating our birthdays this week No one minded the excuse for a bunch of chocolate! Especially Rosie.

Blessings,

Lisa

A brand new look. . .

I didn't actually plan to give my blog a makeover. All I'd planned to do was add a photo, but before I knew it I'd somehow agreed to a newer version that would make it easier for me to post.

Right.

Now I've become fairly proficient with HTML, but I ended up spending an entire day--and time I didn't have--figuring out how to drag and paste all the elements I lost in the changeover. To be honest,though, I really do like the new look.

It's been another busy week as always. We've had some power outages which led to the candlelight Monopoly game in this photo which turned out to be a lot of fun.

Our second round of guests arrive today. Luis and Fernanda from Brazil will be here for two and a half weeks as they decided if they want to join the work here full time. Please pray for them as we show them Mozambique and they pray about their decision.

More later,

Lisa

What would you do. . .

. . .with 24 wonderful cozy mysteries?


Here's a contest you've just got to enter. A chance for 24 cozy mysteries from Heartsong Presents: Mysteries.

Visit here for all the details

And speaking of winners. I just announced four more winners through my newsletter list. Remember, this newsletter list is separate from the blog you are reading now. To sign up for a chance to win more FREE books in the coming months as well as another great Taste of Africa gift package, be sure and sign up here!

Included inside this months newsletter was a blub on my first Love Inspired Suspense, Final Deposit, that just hit bookstore shelves. (It's already been seen at Walmart by a friend!)I've heard that copies sell very quickly, so if you can't find a copy, you can order it here.

Blessings,

Lisa

Mozambique

Someone recently asked me where we live, so I thought I'd share a bit about the town of Inhambane.

Inhambane is located on the coast in the southern part of Mozambique. (Left, and down slightly from where the map reads Mozambique Channel)

The climate is tropical with hot summer months and pleasant winter months. The town of Inhambane was settled first in the 10th century by the Arabs for slave trading. In 1498 it was claimed by the Portuguese who later set up a trading post.

The province of Inhambane is the second largest grower of cashews and also produces coconut and tangerines. The coast supports fishing, as well as a growing tourism industry with its beautiful beaches.






































These photos are snapshots I took recently in town.
Map Photo: "Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin."

The art of selling

Would you like to stand along the side of a busy roadway all day long, trying to flag down passing cars so they can see what you have for sale?

A number of sellers have come up with a far better solution. The stuffed coconut man in this photo is selling bags of coconuts. And what a deal. He never gets tired, never asks for a raise, and never eats the profits.

Busy days. . .

We continued to enjoy spending time with our visitors from Houston and South Africa and have had an encouraging time of fellowship. While most of the week was spent looking at the work, we also spent two days at the beach for a time of meetings, planning for the future, and discipleship training. Despite power and water outages at the rustic lodge we stayed at, I can't complain at all about the beauty!
























We had several baptisms this weekend and joined with the Christians again on Sunday for worship.















Blessings!

Lisa