Traditions as we cross-over into 2026

2025. Many of the holidays this year have been different: Valentines Day in India; Mother's Day in California;
Thanksgiving split up with one side of the family in a hospital conference room; Christmas in church-just the three of us. 

The 4th we spent at Miner Lake as we often did when I was a child with Dad's side of the family.

Been thinking of traditions and why they are important. Because of the memories of things past and hopes for sharing them in the future I think.

This is why this week I made 'Chex Mix' without any Chex or any other cereal. Because I remember the New Years celebrations with Mom's Chex Mix...and how many trips to Haiti or the one to Africa when she brought some of the treat for me. 

While I shared a bit with the kids, often most of the bag was for me, because I know she made it for me.

While the ingredients change each time, memories and the feelings of family and love remain.

Times when the ziplock bag contained many small crumbs by the time the travels in the suitcase were completed. Or the time we made our version in Fauche, northern Haiti but one batch burned to a crisp while Cory, Eli and Anna played computer games.

Traditions.. important. Often changed up throughout the years or over decades and generations of family.

One thing that remains is the faithfulness of our Lord and Savior and the importance of family. 

Not all family is connected by genetics and blood but important just the same.

Families change too over time with members passing and new ones being added.

We really don't know when a tradition is about to change or disappear. The same is true for family members and friends.

Therefore it is of great importance to appreciate the here and now.      Stay present!

Also very important to be intentional. To enjoy traditions with those we love. To forgive. Repair. Reach out to heal and strengthen bonds. Use the time we have now wisely because we don't know when things will change. 

So as we 'cross-over' to 2026 I wish you courage in the days to come. That you'll wisely know what traditions to keep, change, or start. To be an encouragement to those you cross paths with in the coming year. 

Merry Christmas !

 The last nine days involved cleaning, organizing, unpacking and settling into a new routine.

Campus remains quiet because most students left for the break and because occasional rains drive folks inside their homes.

Folks remain busy planting their fields. Many are waiting to use rented oxen as the owners plant their fields first before renting the animals. 

Much of the work therefore takes longer when done by hand, waiting for the oxen to be available, but to wait could mean that the rains will stop before the crops mature enough to be harvested.

Rains started early this year.

This past week almost daily we've enjoyed at least a sprinkle of rain and clouds.

Cory and a couple of the students worked on weeding the orchards and garden as well as planting some of the trees from the nursery.

Fritz and I restarted school which took some figuring out as not every subject in Allegan was taught in the same order. However we've transitioned very well and are making progress.

To renew truck paperwork that expired last week and to purchase needed supplies for the agricultural project Cory traveled both Wednesdays and added on needed shopping. 

He does not travel alone as often he gives rides to others or Patrick goes along to help out.

We also started up a new way to connect with folks by joining Epistle. I plan to use this to post short video's and posts throughout the week and continue to post longer ones here. 

We'd appreciate at if you would sign up for our Epistle team. Just click this link   = https://the-thede-family.epistle.org/subscribe 

Fill in the form with your name and email. Click confirm on the email that was sent to confirm your subscription. Then you'll be asked if you want to be notified daily, weekly, or monthly about new posts. 

Midweek Moments will be a weekly post focusing on prayer requests, plans for the week, and how the last week ended up being. 

We left Puff and two kittens in the spring. We returned to the 'kittens' now named Puma-the black male and Miss Kitty-the calico female. Two days after our return Miss Kitty became a mom of 3 tan kittens who are now sharing Fritz's room. 

Christmas for us will be a special church service with a meal following. We will also enjoy some special meals, watching Christmas videos, and connecting with family by video.

Made it!!!! Greetings from Zambia

Johannesburg

Our family time together went well, ending with those hard good-byes that come with not knowing when we'll be together again.

Tuesday morning, Eli [having graciously taken the day off of work] dropped us off at the airport. 

Thankfully the bags were all a bit underweight. 

The flight to Atlanta went without problems, as did the 6 hour layover.

Our flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, was full of guys who looked like farmers or hunters. 

Only a couple families on our flight with children.

Quite different than when we travel through the middle east.

The 15 hour flight was long....watch something, nap, eat and repeat. 

We arrived just in time to see the sunset Wednesday night.

While our bags had been tagged all the way to Lusaka we had been told we'd have to get them and go through customs in South Africa. We prayed that they would not be at the baggage claim area.

When they did not show up, we confirmed they would be waiting for us in Zambia. 

Happily we headed out the door, took a short 4 minute shuttle ride to the hotel, and checked in for the night.

The next morning we collected our sack breakfasts from the hotel, checked out and returned to the airport.

No problems, waited around, took the 2 hour flight to Lusaka, collected the bags, and got in the truck.

Because it was already 11 a.m. and the office would be closing at 12;30 we headed directly to get Cory's work permit card printed.

Rachel the church secretary went in with Cory while Fritz and I waited in the truck with Kalvin who drives.

After a long wait we rejoiced that Cory had his card. The folks in the office had worked into their lunch time and we didn't need to return.

Dropped off Kalvin and Rachel at the church office, talked to Rev. Benson, and headed out.

Got some food, a bit of shopping, naps, some soccer on TV and early bed.

Friday: Long wait at phone company office to get our internet router working again, shopping, food, rest.

Saturday: Bit of shopping - plants, and then groceries close to the end of the 5+ hour drive. Some cleaning and a bit of unpacking before bed.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 Happy Thanksgiving!

We celebrate countless blessings this year, not the least that the five of us slept together under one roof last night as Anna is visiting from California for a few days.

As a child we celebrated with my Dad's family for a HUGE Thanksgiving breakfast and then my Mom's side around 4 p.m. for more traditional Thanksgiving feast.

When I married Cory, lunch with his Mom's side made the pacing of eating even more important!

The breakfast meal faded out early in our marriage but the other two we've enjoyed every time we're Stateside in late November.

This year as tradition, we feasted with Cory's side.

The TerAvest side celebration moved to Friday to give my nephew Ty another day to adjust to moving from ICU on Wednesday and to hopefully allow his system to continue to heal so he can enjoy a bit of Thanksgiving food.

Thank you for all the prayers for Ty following his serious car accident on Nov. 17. He continues to do well and will soon transition to rehab for all his serious ortho injuries. 

We praise the Lord for being together. I'm especially thankful that I was able to be present for my brother Todd and Beth during the long days of Ty being in the ICU for ten days.

We are thankful for his rapid progress and healing.

Lord willing Anna heads back on Saturday afternoon and we will start our return trip to Zambia on Tuesday, December second.

We uncharacteristically started packing earlier than usual, which ended up fortunate with me spending most of last week at the hospital. 

Packing: lists, organization, change.....

November 10

 So this morning, to my dismay, I found that of the various copies of 'drafts' of our suitcase's contents, I some how saved an older version and not the one we finished on last week.

So I needed to go back, relist a lot of items and reweigh. 

Why do this...because the one trip we didn't our bags were delayed over a week and we needed to turn in the list of what they contained. Now I do it every trip.

The packing list includes a couple different colors of text. White is going items. Red includes items that can be removed the last minute if more important items need to find a space. Yellow is clothes, so can be located for our time in the capital before heading to Jembo. And to assure that each bag has a bit of clothing essentials. 

List to be printed once finalized so computer isn't needed to find things. 

Packing up 2/3 of Fritz's freshman year books and all of his 10th grade books is the biggest.

Because we use a literature-based curriculum, that means a lot of books, space, and weight in the checked bags.

Thankfully our tickets include two checked bags each and with second-hand clothing stores in Zambia whose proceeds support agricultural training for young people we don't need to pack much clothing...just things that bring joy. 

Thanks to a library card and now 14 partnering libraries around Michigan that we can borrow Kindle books from, we can save considerable space and weight. [Donation box weight of the books we can get electronicaly and a few others: 35  pounds]

This process included:   

1. Make a list of all the book titles
2. Cut and paste each one to the search list for the library [around 20 taps on the computer keys and pad.]
3. If found, write which library carries that book.
4. Remove from the list of books still being searched for. 
5. Repeat Steps 2-4 for the remaining books.
6. Remove the books available by Kindle from the packing pile. Place in box to be shared at church next week.
7. Spread remaining books among the 6 suitcases.
8. Pray that all suitcases arrive!