One night about a month ago, I received a phone call from a friend of mine. He said, "Ed, we have a snake in our house! Can you come over and get it out for us?" I responded, "Uh, sure." Jon heard the phone, saw me putting my jacket on, and asked, "Where are you going, Dad?" When I told him, he asked if he could come along, and I responded that he could. We arrived and our friends told us that the snake was in their bedroom. We went into the corner with the snake, and I asked my friend if he had any big leather gloves that he used with the wood stove. He gave me a thick pair. I put on the right glove, reached down under their dresser, and picked up this three-and-a-half-foot guy. I placed him in a five-gallon pail and began to head toward our car. Now whatever calm and cool composure I may have presented up to this point was immediately dissolved when my cell phone went off in my pocket. Do you know how unnerving it can be to be holding a snake in a bucket and have a sudden and unexpected vibration tickle your right hip? I am not sure, but I think I may have had an involuntary vertical jump of four inches. On the way home, we let the snake go in an open field. Jon and I looked the snake up on the internet, and we think that it was a nonvenomous northern water snake. Even in the States, we have encountered some fun "Pests of the Month". We love you all and appreciate you. Love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Saturday, May 07, 2011 2:08 PM Subject: Snow Fort Edition (Rothfus, May 2011)

Since the Rothfus family has been suffering from "Snow Deprivation" (We hadn't been in snow for eight years!), we took full advantage of the snow, the cold, the shivering, the... hmmm...Wonder why I missed it so much? But, anyway, we had a lot of fun building four different snow forts. Here are the different models: 1) This geometric masterpiece was design by Jonathan and Daniel. It was precisely engineered with 90-degree corners. Each block was pressed from an Igloo 9 quart (8 liter) ice chest (seen pictured here in the foreground). After the walls were meticulously crafted, a loose layer of snow was applied to the interior in order to duplicate a midwest stucco effect. The temperature was 31 degrees, ideal for this architectural undertaking (very symmetrical, I might add). 2) This country-Christmas-style living space, built on December 23 in the Adirondack Mountains in Uncle Teddie and Aunt Ivy's front yard, is a covered, three-room igloo. It features a living room, a den, and a family room which can hold eight people uncomfortably (ten if you get a running start). The special feature of this fort is the medieval turret positioned in the center of the roof so that the inhabitants may pop up at a moment's notice to pelt unsuspecting snow marauders and parents. This fort was constructed in 10 to 15-degree weather and required most of the snow in the front and side yards (and many hot chocolate breaks, with marshmallows :o) 3) This little beauty features an arched doorway (the Roman Aqueduct flavor including keystone), a feature never before seen in a Huntsville, Alabama, snow fort (and most likely, not to be seen again for another 20 to 25 years). This fort was constructed rather quickly in 34-degree weather using neighborhood cooperative efforts and talents. 4) This is our eclectic garbagecan-washtub-tupperware model, also constructed in 34-degree weather. An early Romanesque-style arch was used in the doorway, an excellent collapsing feature useful for hindering the enemy during the war (unfortunately it collapsed on the owner of the fort). 5) This was the big snowball war that led to the destruction of forts 3 and 4. With all this goofiness said, I was reading in Genesis this week. God says to Noah in chapter 8, verse 22, "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." I guess I had never really realized the depth of this wonderful promise of God until it was shown to me against the back drop of another country's seasons. You see, in Kenya, there are two seasons--dry season and rainy season. There is no snow to mark the winter, and the sun's difference between coming up and going down during the yearly cycle may be all of 25 minutes as we live so close to the equator. There are season's in Kenya, but they are different from what this "Northern Boy" has experienced for the majority of his life. Now that I have already walked two years into this fifth decade of my life, it has been a blast to come back to a very snowy "winter season". But, I must say, now that I am a little older, after a snowy winter, I think I am ready for "Spring" (actually, am I really ready :o) We love you all. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Wednesday, May 04, 2011 9:35 PM Subject: Pest of the Month (May 2011)

When we were traveling back up north from Texas, we stopped by a museum in Clarksville, TN, with Don and Sally Mosman. There we met this neat, big lizard named Tiggy. The lady at the museum let us get up close to Tiggy and touch her. We realized that Flat Cammie was in the car, so we explained that we were from Kenya and had this chameleon traveling with us. We explained the story to the people in the museum and they were amused. We asked if we could take a picture of flat Cammie with Tiggy and they said, "Sure." They thought that it would be fun. Here is Flat Cammie with his new friend Tiggy. If you listen closely, you can almost hear Flat Cammie saying, "When I grow up..." (just kidding). We have so enjoyed spending time with everyone this year. We are torn--we love being here with close friends and family, yet, we look forward to returning to Kenya in August. But the beauty of this life is that no matter where we go, we can always go there with Jesus. Love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jon & Jennie (& Flat Cammie)

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Thursday, April 14, 2011 7:51 PM Subject: Rothfus Scrapbook (April 2011)

Rothfus Scrapbook, April 2011(Captions) 1) Nine Rothfus cousins enjoyed Christmastime at Uncle Teddie and Aunt Ivy’s home in Lake Pleasant, NY. 2) Our nephew Blayne married Cari on January 8 in Wake Forest, NC. 3) We enjoyed a snowball war in the front yard… Wait a minute! This is not Buffalo, New York; this is Huntsville, Alabama! On our trip down to Texas, this snowstorm, the worst one in the last twenty years, dropped eight inches of snow on Huntsville. Needless to say, we were delayed a day, and we had a blast! 4) On our trip back up north, we were able to visit friends along the way. Here we are with the Mosmans at the Clarksville museum--a fun day made even better because of the chance to spend it with some special friends! 5 & 6) We visited with the Hoesels and had a lot of fun playing games like Settlers and Checkers. I think the Rothfus clan lost most of the games, but that just means we’ll have to get together again some time and have another go at it. 7) We visited with the Sharps, friends from Debbie’s high school days, and discovered that dear friends are still dear friends, even when you haven’t seen them for over twenty years! 8) We stopped by the Parthenon (in Nashville, not Greece), and the inspiring sight made us all feel very “Olympic.” 9) We enjoyed spending time with the Stoehrs. How good it is to be with friends who just draw us into their homes and lives. We walked away all the richer. 10) On the way up to Ohio, the Bray family met us at the Florence Mall on the border of Kentucky and Ohio. We only had forty-five minutes to visit (imagine the non-stop talking!), but it was so much fun to cross paths and build deeper relationships. 11) The Madisons, as always, made us feel so welcome. Have you ever noticed that no matter how much time you spend with good friends, it is just never long enough? 12) We spent two weeks in February with our church family at the Adirondack Bible Chapel Ministry Center. That was so much fun, and we left with some very special memories. As we wrote in our recent letter about “Chapter Two” of our home assignment (our trip down south and back up north), we realize that our time is the States has been busy, but enjoyable and meaningful. We are now well into Chapter Three and continually find new blessings and encouragement in Jesus. Thank you again for your friendship and for ALL your prayers. We so appreciate you! Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Monday, April 11, 2011 8:11 PM Subject: Rothfus Newsletter (April 2011)

As we walk through the pages of this year (this year being, “Home Assignment”), we see that the Lord has divided it up into three chapters. The first chapter was called “Arriving in the States and Adjusting.” Chapter Two was called “Blayne and Cari’s Wedding and Our Travels Down South.” We are now in chapter three, “Building Bridges and Preparing to Return to Kenya.” Chapter One began back in July when we arrived in Texas. We spent time with Debbie’s family; prepared for and settled Daniel into college at LeTourneau University; visited with family as we made our way up north, and settled into our home base in Cuba, NY, in mid-September. In November and December, Ed did some long-term subbing for the art teacher on maternity leave here at Cuba Rushford Central School. We were able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with Ed’s family here in New York. At the end of September through December, we were also visiting churches. Chapter One ended at end of 2010 and lasted a little over five months. Chapter Two began the first week of January as we traveled down to North Carolina for our nephew Blayne’s wedding to Cari on January 8. After the wedding, we headed southwest and met a major snowstorm in Huntsville, AL. It was the worst storm in Huntsville in over twenty years, and we had the blessing of being “snowed in” for a day with Debbie’s cousins, Mike and Leslee Chapman. The next day we were able to get Daniel back to LeTourneau (only one day late!) and traveled on to Fort Worth where we visited with Debbie’s family for almost three weeks. At the end of January, we wandered back up north through Alabama, Tennessee, and Ohio, and had a very special time visiting family and friends along the way. We then traveled up to the Adirondack Bible Chapel for a two-week stay at the Ministry Center. Again, we enjoyed memorable times with family and friends, and we were also able to experience quite a few types of winter sports. After being away from snow for eight years, we couldn’t have asked for a better, snowier winter. Wow...we have enjoyed the snow, but we’re kind of ready for spring :o) Chapter Two lasted just under two months. We are now in Chapter Three, which began on March 1. This chapter has a lot to do with spending time with our family, friends and church families. We have visited churches and helped with two missions conferences. We see this time as preparing ourselves for our return to Kenya. At this point, we are scheduled to leave for Africa on August 14. There is a lot to do between now and then. For instance, Debbie has done a lot of shopping at Good Will stores and has been able to find many great deals, but there is still a lot to purchase for the next two years in Kenya. I have been making purchases for the art department at RVA and purchases related to ministries with which we are involved. These are just some of the many facets of this chapter of “Building Bridges and Preparing to Return to Kenya”. While we were visiting Adirondack Bible Chapel, Pastor Ian Clark shared a sermon on the “Practice, Position and Promise in Christ”. In this sermon he spoke about King Jehoshaphat when Moab, Ammon, and Edom declared war on Judah (II Chronicles 20:1-30). Jehoshaphat was facing some very difficult circumstances, but at the end of verse 20:12, he said something that even now strikes a cord within our hearts. He said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” Jehoshaphat intentionally set his eyes and focus on the Lord and NOT on the approaching army. He sought God. The LORD responded, “For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 20:15). The people worshipped. In fact, they positioned their singers first, in front of the army, and God took care of the approaching conflict (the enemy). Our God is still the same great God today! He says to intentionally set our hearts and minds on things above, no matter what challenges and circumstances we’re facing. A very timely sermon! The Lord is so good! We have already found much comfort in resting in Jesus in spite of the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead as we move toward the end of our home assignment. Here is our itinerary for the next few months: April April 12-27: Debbie’s mom and niece will visit us here in Cuba, NY April 17: Share the pottery testimony and share about RVA in the morning service at West Clarkesville Baptist Church in West Clarkesville, NY April 20: Share the pottery testimony with the youth groups at Ridge Road Bible Church, Lockport, NY April 23 and 24: Tedd and Ivy and their family will visit us here in Cuba, NY May May 1: Share about RVA in the morning service at Gage Chapel in Smith Mills, NY May 6: Share about RVA and give the pottery testimony at the Senior Luncheon at Family Life Ministries in Bath, NY May 12: Travel to Vermont to spend time with the Williams family May13-16: Travel to Maine to spend time with the Titus family May 15: Share the pottery testimony and possibly about RVA at Kennebec Community Church, Augusta, ME (both services) May 16: Travel to New Hampshire to spend time with Hutton family May 17: Travel to Massachusetts to spend time with the Downs family May 18: Travel back to Cuba, NY May 22: Share the pottery testimony in the morning service at Yates Baptist Church, Lyndonville, NY June June 12: Share the pottery testimony in the morning services at Grace Bible Church, Newfane, NY June 24: Speak at Cuba Rushford’s Baccalaureate in the evening July July 4: Share the pottery testimony at Light House Christian Camp, Somerset, NY July 19: Begin traveling back down to Texas, visiting family and friends on the way August August 14: Fly out of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport for Nairobi, Kenya Please pray that the Rothfus family will keep our “eyes upon the Lord.” What a special family we have in each of you. Thank you again for all you do for us. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Monday, January 17, 2011 4:47 PM Subject: The Traveling Rothfi Family (January 17, 2011)

We are in Texas and have so enjoyed our time with family. Last Saturday, January 8, was Blayne (our nephew) and Cari's wedding. It was a beautiful, God- honoring service. The wedding was in Wake Forest, NC, and we had lots of fun being with Debbie's mom, Betsy and Waylan and their family, cousins, and friends we haven't seen for a long time. During the service, Waylan, who was performing the ceremony, said, "I know many of you were wishing for a White Christmas, but I didn't know that we would have a White Wedding." Everyone looked out the windows to see a passing snow squall, and we all chuckled. We have attached a family picture picture of the wedding (Blayne's side of the family). Well, to catch you up on our travels, we left Cuba, NY, early Monday morning, January 3. The trip went very well and we arrived in Raleigh, NC, at 8 pm. We helped that week with pre-wedding activities and family events before the Saturday wedding. On Sunday morning we left at 7:30 am to head down to Huntsville, AL, to stay one night with Debbie's cousins, the Chapmans. On the way down, we saw ahead these beautiful snow-covered mountains, and then it hit us that these are the Smokey Mountains and we would be going through them. As we approached them, we started seeing snow on the ground as we climbed to higher elevations. Eventually the two-lane interstate became a one-and-one-half-lane interstate as one lane was good and the passing lane was rather precarious and slick. Most of the traffic was moving half speed and stayed in the right lane. It was beautiful but treacherous. On the way down, the conditions kept improving until we were out of the mountains and the traffic was back to normal with no sign of snow. I share this because of what lay ahead. We had heard that there was a potential winter storm coming that would hit the south. Just after we had passed through Knoxville, TN, Mike Chapman (Debbie's cousin) called us and asked what our plans were. We told him that we were planning to continue on to Huntsville and take Daniel on to LeTourneau University in Texas the next day. Then he told us there was a big storm hitting and it was coming our way. We told him we could reroute and go up over the storm front and down through Memphis and Little Rock and just drive through the night, and he told us he would look check the internet reports and let us know. He called back a few minutes later to let us know that wouldn't work, since the storm was already hitting both those cities. He told us that if we decided to go on to Huntsville, we should make it in time before any bad weather hit. We decided to head for Huntsville, stay the night, and see what would come of this storm. We arrived at 8 pm and the roads were fine with no sign of sleet or snow. About an hour later, we heard sleet hitting the living room window, and an hour after that we looked outside to see the ground covered with a two-inch blanket of snow. Mike and Leslee said that if this storm was as bad as they were predicting, Huntsville would be closed down on Monday. Sure enough, we got up on Monday morning to see seven inches of snow on the ground. Leslee looked at Debbie and I said, "How fun! We get to have you all to ourselves!" What a blessing! We had a blast with Mike, Leslee and Drew Chapman! We put together a puzzle (well, tried to--it was a 1,000 piece puzzle), built snow forts, had a good northern snowball war, drank hot chocolate, and just had a great time together. Mike was telling us that there had not been a snowstorm like this in Huntsville for over 20 years. Daniel called Letourneau and let them know he was stranded in Alabama and their reply was, "We'll put you the list." They let him know that even though classes would still begin on Tuesday, they wanted everyone to use caution in their travels. Debbie and I decided to try to leave Tuesday morning because the weather report showed that as we travelled south, the weather would get better and warmer (upper 30's and low 40's, a real heat wave). The interstate report showed that the roads were open, but to use caution especially on the bridges. We started out and used a side road to get to the interstate since the overpasses were closed. We got to the the interstate (565) and traveled slowly, the right-hand lane was fair for the most part. Bridges were still hazardous so we we were careful, giving plenty of distance between us and other vehicles. Not a lot of people were out other than trucks and people braving the weather. As we traveled south, conditions kept improving. Around Birmingham, the roads were good, although the bridges were still a bit hazardous. In Jackson, Mississippi, the snow disappeared, but there were still signs of the storm on the sides of the bridges. Before we left Mississippi, the sun was breaking through and it was turning into a beautiful day. From then on we made good headway and arrived at LeTourneau at 8 pm. We arrived safely in Fort Worth at 11 pm, completing the fifteen-hour trip. When we began the trip, both Debbie and I started noticing cars along the side of the road, some from the day before, some from two days before, and some rather recent. We kept track of the cars from the beginning of the trip to the end, from Alabama to Texas, and there were 59 cars off the road. Praise the Lord, we didn't see any serious accidents where cars or trucks had rolled or overturned. They were cars that had slid into the middle sections, off the roads, or had just plain had gotten stuck. This started me thinking about Psalm 139:5, "You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me." How many times when traveling in Kenya or here in the States, do I think, "Oh, it is just a normal day with nothing out of the ordinary," when in actuality it is a blessing every time we arrive safely whether just going to the store or driving fifteen hours on treacherous roads. Our God is faithful and is the same Lord regardless of the conditions. He deserves my praise every time. I'm embarrassed to say that I can be so human, think that it is me keeping us safe, and take my Lord for granted. I need to continually find ways to give Him the praise and not overlook or withhold it. We serve an awesome God who is actively involved in our "everyday" lives. Next week, we will begin our travels back up north. Thank you for those of you who have been interceding on our behalf through prayer. We love you and so appreciate your involvement in our lives. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Tuesday, December 07, 2010 8:53 PM Subject: Rothfus Arrival and Itinerary (November 2010)

It has been very good to be in the States and just be able to spend time with family and friends, catching up on those relationships that we have so missed. Here’s a quick summary of the past few months since we arrived and also a listing of future plans and possibilities in the Lord: July & August July 23, Thursday, the Rothfus family arrived in Fort Worth, TX. We were able to slow down a bit and spend some time with Debbie's mom and family, Betsy & Waylan and their family. We did some fun things while we there like go for a weekend to the Alamo and take the Jen and Jon to Six Flags Over Texas. August 19, Thursday, we took Daniel to LeTourneau University in Longview, TX, for New Student Orientation and Parent's Weekend. We have skyped with him quite a few times since then, and he seems to really enjoy college life and is doing well there. September August 30 through September 4, we traveled from Texas to Ruffsdale, PA. Along the way we visited Debbie's cousins in Huntsville, AL (Mike, Leslee & Taylor Chapman, Doug & Rene Chapman) and our friends, John & Carol Saltsman in Ohio. September 4 through 7, we visited Debbie's brother, John & Sharon and family in Ruffsdale, PA. September 7 through 11, we traveled to Olcott, NY, and visited Ed's Aunt Esther. September 11 through 15, we traveled to the Adirondacks and visited Ed's family, Tedd & Ivy and family. September 15, we traveled to Cuba, NY, to our home church and settled in for a while. It was good to get here and unpack from all the travels. October October 3, Sunday evening, we shared at the Rushford Baptist Church (Rushford, NY) in their Missions Conference. October 10, Sunday morning, we shared at Grace Bible Church (Newfane, NY) in the morning services and then with the October youth gathering in the afternoon. October 13 through 26, Debbie's mom was able to fly up and spend some time with us. We made a lot of applesauce, something we really missed in Kenya. October 31, Sunday morning, we shared in the morning service at the Cuba United Methodist Church (Cuba, NY). November November 7, Sunday evening, we shared at the Adirondack Bible Chapel (Piseco, NY). November 14, Sunday morning, we shared in both the morning service and Sunday School at Ridge Road Bible Church (Lockport, NY). November 21, Sunday morning, Junior church and adult Sunday School class at Yates Bible Church (Lyndonville, NY). November 25 through 27, Thanksgiving, spent with Ed’s family, Aunt Esther, Tedd, Ivy & their family at the AMOC (Olcott, NY). November 29 through December 22, Ed is substitute teaching at Cuba-Rushford Central School in the high school art classes as the teacher is on maternity leave. December December 5, Sunday morning, pottery testimony at North Park Wesleyan Church (Cuba, NY). Ed is also helping to teach an adult Sunday School class for three weeks at NPWC. Here are our plans for the next few months: December 11, Saturday evening, Daniel arrives from Texas in Buffalo, NY, for his term break (yea!) December 23 through 28, we’ll travel to Adirondacks to spend Christmas with Ed's family, Aunt Esther, Tedd, Ivy & their family. January January 3 through 9, travel to Wake Forest, NC, for Blayne & Cari Owens wedding on January 8. January 9 & 10, travel from North Carolina through Huntsville, AL, to Fort Worth, Texas, to get Daniel to LeTourneau on the evening of January 10. January 10 through 28, we’ll be in Fort Worth, TX, spending time with Debbie's mom and family, Betsy & Waylan and their family. January 28 through 31, travel to Huntsville, AL, to visit Debbie's family in Alabama (Chapmans) and share the Pottery Testimony and about RVA with their church family. February February 1through 4, spend time in Nashville, TN, area with friends. February 5, travel back to Cuba, NY. February 14 through 28, travel up to the Adirondacks to be near Tedd & Ivy and their family and help at the Adirondack Bible Chapel's Ministry Center for two weeks. February 28, travel back to Cuba, NY. March March 3 through 7, travel to Carrollton, OH, to spend time with friends (John & Carol Saltsman) and share Pottery Testimony with the church family at First United Methodist church of Carrollton. March 7, Travel back to Cuba, NY. April April 1 through 3, help with the North Park Wesleyan Missions Conference. May May 6, Friday, share the Pottery Testimony and about Rift Valley Academy at the Family Life Ministry Center (Senior Luncheon) in Bath, NY. May 13 through 16, travel to Farmington, ME (Greg & Nancy Titus) to share with their church the Pottery Testimony and about Rift Valley Academy. May 22, Sunday, share the Pottery Testimony at Yates Baptist Church in Lyndonville, NY. June June 27 through July 3, possible missions trip for Ed and Jon to Haiti to help build church building. July July 18, begin traveling down to Texas to spend time with Debbie's family, visiting family and friends on the way. Aug Aug 14, scheduled departure for Kenya to return to RVA If you could pray Psalm 90:12 for us: that the LORD would "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (His wisdom for this year), and that if it be His Will, all would come together so that we may be able to return to RVA in August. Thank you. Thank you for all your encouragement. We so appreciate you in Jesus. Much love in Jesus, Your family, Ed, Debbie, Daniel, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Friday, November 19, 2010 6:50 PM Subject: Culture Shock (Rothfus Nov 10)

This is a good vantage point to write to you about this thing called culture shock, about four months after arriving in the States. I could have written to you right after we arrived and my comment would have been, "Oh, it's really not that bad!" (because we were all overrun and overwhelmed by the numbness and immensity of it). Where do I begin to put into concrete something that has been so abstract? I guess it is like trying to open the front door to a hurricane...?!? There is no front door, you just jump in and catch thoughts as they fly past. When all is said and done, we may have shared a few things, but only a few; there is so much more. Coming from Kenya to the United States, I could say, "Oh, I didn't do that (or did do that) because I was going through 'culture shock.'" The truth is that we are all going through it, especially in this society. Coming from Kenya to the USA is only one aspect. For instance there is a "technology culture shock", there is an "age culture shock", there is "relationship culture shock", there is a "food culture shock", and there is a "shopping culture shock", just to name a few. Even though some of these things may be a lot of fun or exciting, they are still an adjustment (culture shock/change), and it takes energy to readjust our thinking. Maybe it would be good to define culture shock. Here is the dictionary definition: "the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes." I am coming to realize that culture shock has two parts: "what is" and "what is my part", then we culturally adjust to the "what is". I am not sure if we could ever put a time line on the "what is" and fully adjust to our surroundings because our society is becoming more fluid and there is a type of continuos culture shock going on. For instance, once you master the computer programs on your computer and get a handle on them, there are a series of new ones to learn. I would term this "technology culture shock". As soon as you finish one chapter of your life and have begun to master the lessons to be learned there, you step into the next chapter. We took Daniel to college (he's a freshman), and our family identity has changed from five to four. We still set the table for five at times. It could be our other children graduating and a series of other family changes, not to mention that our (my) body is getting older and gravity stronger (it's harder to get out of bed and sit ups take more work!), but, these are related to "age culture shock". Then there is the time you are away from family, especially children, and you get back together. The children you use to wrestle with could now tie you up in a knot. Or the little children you would look down to, you are now looking up to as they get taller (and I get shorter as I get older, again that gravity thing). This is "relationship culture shock" and a lot of us face it especially during family gatherings at Christmas. Then there's food and shopping. It hit me about the volume of food there is to choose from and the size of Walmart; they are now almost all super stores. Wow! Debbie and I chuckle about "cereal culture shock", how we have gone down the cereal aisle and have literally spent fifteen minutes trying to figure out what type of Cheerios we were going to buy (I get distracted easily and that is a great place to get distracted). But you see that culture shock, is so much more than just going from Kenya to the USA; we all face it quite often. We as the Rothfus family are just facing it on a much broader and longer scale (and I can use it as an excuse for dumb things I would normally do.) One of the comical things was that we bought a cell phone that slides open. Whenever we get a phone call, we need to slide it open and begin talking (at least I think that is what I have figured out). I think I hung up on the first eleven people who tried to call me (if you're one of those people I hung up on, I am really sorry). I think my track record is improving, I think my average is now that I only hang up on two out of three people (please remember, it's not by choice, but cultural klutziness). Boy, what ever happened to the ring-ring and you picked up the receiver from a weighty dial box thingee? I always knew where the phone was and I didn't lose the receiver because it was connected with a phone cord. An interesting thing (and this is a Kenyan thing), was the time change. Not the eight hour difference from Kenya to the USA, but the time change of living near the equator to different daylight and nighttime in the States. For instance, in Kenya, we have basically twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of nighttime (give or take about twenty minutes throughout the year). Talk about consistent, you can really get on a system with this. We came to Texas in late July and after about two weeks, I realized I wasn't suffering from jet lag, but the fact that I hadn't thought through when the sun goes down and comes up. It wasn't setting at 6:45, but closer to 9 something, and without thinking about it, when it started getting darker, then I was thinking about starting to get ready to go to bed. I needed to think that through and force change some of my thoughts. Then two weeks ago, we changed our clocks back and now the sun begins setting at 5 pm! Another thing, my blood must have thinned out or something, because the other day I went for walk and I dressed (what I would term) warm. I had put on a t-shirt, sweat shirt and a fleece coat and I was ready to go with Jon for a walk to the top of the hill. I was feeling rather good (warm enough) and I was ready to brave the nordic outdoors. We walked down the street, and there was a kid delivering papers only wearing a t-shirt and the temperature was 50. Hmm,... Going back to... the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes (culture shock). I see this as becoming more a part of our lives no matter where we live in the world, but sometimes, it just takes flying from continent to continent for me to see it a little more clearly. I think this is why God is portrayed so often in scripture as the Rock. Psalm 61:2 says, "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." Lead me to the Rock that is higher than all the culture shocks I have faced and will ever face; lead me to the stability and consistency in life. Isn't so good to know that as the currents of our society (or societies) pick up, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). It's good to know that all these days ordained for me (culture shock included) were written in His book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). There is a real peace knowing that I can go to the Author of life and ask for guidance through all that is coming. "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). As I mentioned earlier, there is so much to this and these are only a few thoughts as so much flies by. I will try hard not to hang up on you when you call me, but please be patient, because not only is it culture shock at times, it is also age. :o) It is good to be in touch with you again; we appreciate you. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Wednesday, November 17, 2010 2:36 PM Change of Address (Rothfus)

My goodness, I apologize for the lack of communication, please forgive me (Ed), I am sorry. We have been changing over to a new computer and today is the day to get everything up and running. After you receive this short email, there will be more to follow updating you on what has been happening and our itinerary for the next few months. The main purpose of this email is let you know we have a new email, the Kijabe email no longer works, please change our email to: rothfusfamily5@gmail.com Thank you very much, Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus erothfus@kijabe.net Friday, September 03, 2010 10:51 PM Chamie at LeTourneau (Rothfus Sept 2010)

Last weekend, Debbie, Jonnie, Jennie and I went to LeTourneau to see Daniel after his first week of classes. We were able to visit with with him for two hours before he had to go to an afternoon seminar for Freshman. We walked around the campus and visited, and it's still hard to believe we have a son in college. At lunch, we joined Daniel and his roommate Terry PLUS Josiah and Noah (friends from Rift Valley Academy). While we were eating a young man came up and said, "Mr. Rothfus? Do you remember me? I'm Michael, I had you for art in 8th grade at RVA." He is now a senior at LeTourneau, and we hadn't seen him for years. My goodness, how good it was to see him again! (Pictured from left to right are Debbie, Jennie, Jonnie, Daniel, Noah, Michael, Terry, and Josiah.) We are thankful that Lord has opened the door for Daniel to be at LeTourneau. He is doing well, which makes it a lot easier, though we miss him a lot. We took a picture of flat Chamie in front of the LeTourneau sign; he went to visit, too. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Jonnie & Jennie P.S. Debbie told Daniel, after eating in the cafeteria, "We don't feel sorry for you at all!" Wow, was the food good and what a selection!

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

---

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus erothfus@kijabe.net Friday, August 27, 2010 11:41 AM (Former) Pest of the Month (Rothfus Aug 2010)

One evening at RVA we were walking home. This was our last month in Kenya before coming to the States. We looked down on the road and to our amazement, we saw a chameleon hiding on the road. We almost missed him. He was the same same color as the dirt road, motionless, and... flat, very flat (an excellent technique for blending into his environment, we thought). So before he could get away, we picked him up and took him home. Actually, we knew he wasn't alive, but we were amused that he had been caught mid-step while crossing the road (picture 1), and we chuckled at how he almost totally disappeared when viewed straight on (picture 2). He was so flat (and dried out) that we decided that it would be fun to bring him with us to the States. You may have heard of the children's book, Flat Stanley. It's the story of a boy whose bulletin board fell on him, leaving him so flat that he could be sent through the mail in an envelope. Now we know a bulletin board didn't fall on this little guy, but none the less he is flat. We have named him "Flat Chamie" (kam-ee) and thought that it would be fun (!?) to take him traveling with us this year; so we hope to send you some pictures of his adventures through the year. It is good to be here in the States and to be with family. What a blessing. We love you all. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Daniel, Jon & Jennie (oh, and Flat Chamie)

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

---

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus erothfus@kijabe.net Thursday, August 19, 2010 11:32 AM Rothfus Scrapbook (August 2010)

Rothfus Scrapbook, August 2010 1. Graduation Day: Here we are after Daniel's graduation from RVA on July 17th. It's hard to believe that today (August 21) we will take him to LeTourneau University for new student orientation! 2. JV Volleyball: Jonathan was a member of RVA's JV volleyball team last term. Here he is serving the ball during one of the tournaments. 3. Jennie's Big D but: Jennie played the part of Jane, a servant girl, in RVA's production of While Shakespeare Slept. 4. Diploma: Daniel received his diploma from Dr. Rich, Chairman of RVA's Board of Education. On a rather comical note, Dr. Rich is the head of the Kijabe Hospital?s dental clinic, and each senior chose their favorite sugary soda to give to him as they received their diplomas. He in turn gave them each a new toothbrush with Class of 2010 printed on it :o) 5. Traveling to the States: While traveling from Kenya to the USA, we knew we would be in Heathrow Airport in London the same time as Rebekah Frost, who was traveling from the States to Kenya. We were able to visit briefly with her before she boarded her flight to Nairobi. Rebekah, one of Ed's former RVA art students, recently graduated with an Art Education degree from Union University in Tennessee. She will teach art at RVA this year while we are in the States. 6. A Trip North: After landing in Dallas, Ed received news that his Uncle Bob had passed away. The next day, he flew to New York for two days to be with Aunt June and her family. Here he is with Aunt Esther, his brother Tedd, and Tedd's son Tyler. 7. Grad Cap Toss: After graduation, it is a tradition for the seniors to toss their caps into the air. 8. Potter's Wheel: Ed and Zed, the Kenyan potter who has helped at RVA, had a lot of fun designing and constructing this potter's wheel. The kick wheel was made from a spare tire. 9. Making Glass Beads: One Friday evening, we got together with some Advanced Art students and had a new and unusual art adventure making glass beads. It was a fun and creative evening! 10. Oil Burner: Zed is embarking on a new adventure in Jesus this year. He will be setting up a pottery business and ministry near Nairobi. Through this past year, we have been preparing for this move, making bricks for a kiln, designing a potter's wheel; and here we are testing out a burner we designed for a kiln he will be building. The burner pictured here is fueled by used car oil. We hope you enjoy these pictures. They represent a transition from one chapter of our lives to another as Jesus opens new doors. We so appreciate all of you! What a blessing you have been to us through these past four years! We hope to see many of you in the months ahead. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Daniel, Jonnie & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus erothfus@kijabe.net Saturday, July 31, 2010 11:17 PM Rothfus Newsletter (July 2010)

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus erothfus@kijabe.net Saturday, April 17, 2010 12:00 PM Rothfus Newsletter, April 2010

We took a family trip last week to one of our favorite places, Aberdares National Park. You might think that a national park in Kenya would be hot and dry, but the Aberdates is just the opposite. It is the mountain region of Kenya and is like a high altitude rain forest with several beautiful waterfalls. Kenya has received more rain than usual lately, so the waterfalls were flowing stronger than ever, the roads in the park were sometimes muddy and slippery, and the weather was cool. As usual, we had a great time. We are presently nearing the end of our second term break and realize again just how fast Daniel’s senior year is going! Daniel has had quite the busy term, taking two AP classes this year (AP Chemistry and AP Calculus) along with his other classes. Some significant things happened this term, including Junior Senior Banquet, his last Senior Store, Senior Re-entry Weekend, and a mountain biking interim trip. On top of this, he had the unique privilege of attending LeTourneau University’s “Heritage Weekend” in February along with about 90 other high school seniors. While he was not awarded one of the ten full scholarships, he did receive a STEM (Science/Technology/ Engineering/Math) Grant for which he interviewed during the Heritage Weekend. We are grateful for the good financial aid package which will allow him to attend LeTourneau in the Fall. Jon and Jennie have risen to the challenges of being freshmen in high school and have adjusted to the increased academic demands and workload. Both Jennie and Jon play in the high school Wind Ensemble, and Jennie also enjoyed playing on the JV soccer team as goalie. At the end of the term, Jon earned a spot on the JV volleyball team for term three. During first and second terms, I have had the special privilege of having both Jon and Jen in 9th grade art. I know my children probably think that they have to put up with dad’s great jokes :o) and stories again, but I really enjoy working with them in the classroom setting along with their classmates. Both Jon and Jen are planning on taking Art Survey next year, which I (their dad AND teacher) am excited about. Debbie and I are doing well. As usual, we have been involved with art classes, Titchie Library responsibilities, Sunday School, and various school activities. We have been active with the Senior Class, helping with three Senior Stores this past term, Senior Re- entry Weekend, and attending the Junior Senior Banquet. We lead the Aviation Interim again this year, and enjoyed our group of eight Juniors and Seniors during our week-long adventure in Northern Kenya. Next term during the week of mid-term, we will travel with the seniors to Mombassa for the long-awaited Senior Safari. We’ll also be busy at school and at home wrapping up these past four years here at RVA before returning to the USA for a one-year Home Assignment. Please pray for the relationships (with Jesus, family, staff, seniors, and students) to be built eternally strong, thank you. The Lord has been challenging me for some time now and I would like to share some of these thoughts with you. To begin with, suppose someone were to say to you, “I have a brand new car (like a Toyota Prado, for example) and I want to give it to you,” OR “If you are willing, I will let use MY car the rest of your life. If it wears out from age and normal wear and tear, I will replace it.” Which would you choose? I must admit, the first time the Lord challenged me with this thought, the idea of owning something, totally owning it, was appealing, and I would have chosen the keys to the car. Since then Jesus has been challenging me that life is really about “Stewardship” NOT “Ownership”. This is a really hard concept for me to grasp since my whole life I have learned to “own” the things that surround me, my home, my car, my job and even my family. But, recently (three years ago), it started become very real to me that someday I will leave this earth. Now I don’t want you to think this is too heavy a thought, because when I am talking with students about this, I chuckle and say, “Let’s keep things in perspective. You know about 200 years from now, someone will be throwing this body on the wheel.” The truth of the matter is that this body is rental space; heaven is home. Coming back to the concept of Stewardship not Ownership, if I am given the “keys to my Master’s vehicle” to use the whole time I am on this earth, how will that change how I live? If I own something, I believe it is mine, and I have certain rights that come with this ownership. But, if I am the steward of what I have been given, I have certain responsibilities to the True Owner and the things that come into my life are gifts, not givens. How can I be wise with what I am given? To go a step further, in my family Debbie is not a given, she is a gift. Jen, Jon, and Dan are gifts, and we have been given the gift of spending 18 or 19 years with them before they go to college. In my classroom, I don’t own that room or the students; they are a gift and I am a steward of these relationships that come into the art room. I find these thoughts very challenging, but at the same time very freeing. In the New Testament, Jesus talks so much about wise stewardship, and I think it is finally sinking in. With all this said, I believe Jesus is coming back very soon. It’s almost like the first drop on a roller coaster (Jonnie would like this analogy). It takes time for the chain lift to pull the coaster to the top, but once on top there is no time to think because everything has now been set in motion. I feel we are a lot closer to the peak than we realize. We will be sending a Rothfus Scrapbook for April soon and also an idea of the Rothfus itinerary for next year. We love you all and appreciate the gifts God has given us in each of you. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Daniel, Jon & Jennie

E-mailed Letter From Ed Rothfus erothfus@kijabe.net Sunday, February 28, 2010 2:51 PM Pest of the Month (March 2010)

This past week at Titchie (the elementary school), we had some excitement. One of our 6th grade boys reached for his backpack and, low and behold, there was a green snake taking a nap between the hanging backpack and the corner of the lockers. Well, if he wanted to catch some shut eye this place should not have been his first choice. I think it was something like throwing a match into a freshly emptied gas can. There would be a lot of excitement, and there was! I was teaching my high school art class and happened to be walking between the art room and the pottery room. I saw a bunch of grade schoolers running toward the lockers saying things like, "Snake", "Huge!", "Deadly", & "Hurry!" I thought that they had probably found an 8" grass snake. I found out later that the elementary principal and Mr. Charles (our grade school custodian) knocked down this 3 1/2 foot snake to the ground. The principal bravely pinned down the head with a "Snake Capturing Safety Device" (a street hockey stick) and Charles wisely sprinted away. It is smart to hold down the end that bites, but what do you do from there? Eventually, they were able to contain him in a vacant aquarium. They found out that they had captured a boomslang. We had a friend of ours, Rachel Holden, visit two years ago and she was telling us about the boomslang snake. We wish she could have been here for this exciting event. Here is a picture Debbie took of him. Much love in Jesus, Ed, Debbie, Daniel, Jon & Jennie

 

BOTTOM     TOP

 

---

 

We will be updating this page as we receive e-mails from the Rothfus Family