Chogoria Ladies

This is an appreciation post for our community, namely "Chogoria Ladies" which consists of all the ladies in our compound and beyond.  This is a group of women who encourage one another, look out for each other, and know how to dance and laugh until we cry!

I recently organized a Ladies Night in order to welcome a few new ladies to the community.  We played "get to know ya" games, ate marvelous food (as always), and danced.  It was such a good time that we had to force the night to end so people could go to bed because of work in the morning.

I have learned so much from living in this community - about being a good neighbor, about being present (which is still necessary even in a place like this where we live together, work together, worship together, etc), about pouring myself into other children besides my own, about rejoicing and grieving together well, and about showing grace (and hopefully receiving grace!) in measures I'd never had to exercise before because, as someone here once said rather well, "Compound living compounds living."

An important part of this community for me are these ladies.  They are life-giving, soul-encouraging, joy-building women!  I am so thankful for them.  Even though the faces have changed over the years (have I ever mentioned how many comings and goings there are in this place???), the foundation remains the same: community and connection.

This is a smattering of photos from the past 4+ years I've lived in Chogoria.  Movie nights, game nights, birthday parties, baby showers, dinner out... we never lack for ways to fellowship!

A couple ladies are particularly precious to me.  This is my dear friend, Anne, the pediatrician for the hospital and someone who has become a close confidante and fellow "momrade" as we boldly flounder our way through this season of raising young kids.  She is gloriously kind and patient, and I have benefited from her wisdom, her thoughtfulness, and her prayers.

This is Lauren.  She is my devoted friend and neighbor - the person I turn to when I need to vent or cry or laugh about something that no one else would appreciate.  She was the only other homeschooling mama here when we landed in Chogoria, and (unbeknownst to me) had been praying for over 3 years for another homeschooling family to come here.  The Lord really brought our families together.  Being a homeschooling mama in a medical community means our daily life looks very different than everyone else's, and we quickly became each other's anchor during the days while everyone else was down at the hospital.  Lauren knows and loves my kids like her own, and vice versa.  I am incredibly grateful for this woman who encourages me, challenges me, stands with me, and points me back to Jesus again and again.

I have been blessed beyond measure to live in this place and participate in this community.  My prayer is that the example set by our community will be learned and absorbed by our children so that they too can find, or perhaps create, such an intentional and loving community for themselves in the future.