So, the day started with the frustration of trying to get my Christmas plane tickets. The Internet has been down when I had the time and mental capacity to think through all the variables for buying a ticket. The challenge is magnified when US credit cards want 2-step authentication with my USA phone number, which is “on snooze.” I ended up having to buy it with Swedish kronor, because the Swedes have an app on a phone that isn’t dependent upon an active phone account.
I did get a ticket purchased. I will be spending a few days in the Seattle area before Christmas to reinstate my residency there with my permanent address at my house in Bellevue. Then, I will be able to vote without Herculean efforts. Iowa only allows Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians to vote in a primary. As an independent, I’m feeling disenfranchised. Even if I was affiliated with one of these parties, I would have to send by snail mail a registration to arrive not more than 70 days in advance of EACH election. Then, the ballot would be sent to me in the post, and I have no personal mailing address here but only c/o a neighbor teacher. Then, it has to be snail mailed back. Three international mailings within 70 days is dubious. I also found that the online information was more limited in Iowa. So, I will go back to being an absentee voter in Washington and vote by email, which is standard for military and expatriates. A friend here says voting by email is also standard in Vermont.
After Seattle, I fly to Boston to spend a Hanson Christmas hosted by my niece. Anya will arrive from Sweden. My father-in-law’s health is up and down, and we want to make the most of our time together.
I have been dealing with the challenges of Internet & WIFI. On Monday evening, there was no connectivity, so I tried resetting my WIFI router. It wasn’t the router, but rather the Ethernet cable had no Internet connection. However, I ended up discombobulating the WIFI router. I could get it reset, but then my laptop couldn’t connect. I had to have the Ethernet cable directly connected. So, Joseph was my answer to prayer, as he came by and had his IT friend here come to help. Between power outages and just the weird situation where I have connectivity at one moment but not the next, they were able to get the WIFI router reconfigured. Yes, the connectivity keeps dropping out rather frequently.
The other answer to prayer was that I was finally able to connect today with the dean of the theology faculty here at TUMA. She is a lovely woman and very personable and capable. We have been tasked by our superiors at VID and TUMA to prepare an academic seminar or guest lecture, as well as time for the Norwegians (including my doctor father/fellowship supervisor) coming from VID to talk about ways to collaborate. We now have a draft plan that will be run past the vice chancellor. Some opportunities will be easy and free to implement. Some may be seeds planted with hopes for germination, and perhaps even fruition.
The last “answer to prayer” was a WhatsApp text proposal. The Pentecostal preacher I met on the bus over a week ago wrote me this message:
“I was praying for a long time about asking God to choose and give me a good wife from him whose fearing God and God Choosen for me,Yesterday God showed me, it’s you, and he came with your really photo on my spiritual face when I was in dreams after praying and sleeping. So you are my God’s choosen wife. Very congratulation”
As my friend and former Bible college teacher, Jean, used to say, “Well, God has not confirmed that to me.” So, how shall I respond to the Pentecostal preacher? While I clearly am not going to respond in any positive inkling, shall I block the dude? Maybe this is a teaching opportunity. I am a Bible teacher!
There is a concept of sugar daddy and sugar mommy here. No doubt sugar mommy motivation was also behind the 20-something young man at Rebecca’s house that blurted out, while heading out the door. “I don’t know how old you are, but you are very beautiful!” No, this stuff will not go to my head, as my mirror keeps me grounded in reality! I’m actually rather content with being single! As I’ve told Anya many times, “It takes a really good man to be better than no man.” So, the final answer to prayer to mention is my contentment.
Mungu akubariki! (God bless you!)
Yup, if this was really from God, don’t you think God would have told us both?? Pole sana kwa shida ya wifi!!