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The epic and mudane of John and Clarissa Holtz
Browsing All Posts filed under »Clarissa«
Kenya round two: what is different this time
We know, mostly, what we are heading into. When we first went out to Kenya in 2012, there were so many unknowns. Where would we live, what would driving be like? What would it be like to have a baby in Kenya? What kind of church community would we be a part of? What would […]
On the anniversary of becoming a mama
September 21, 2016
(Also known as Valencia’s birthday) Four years ago Valencia made me a mama. My heart swelled to hold this little 5.5 lb bundle, and I started on a new journey. I remember clearly knowing that motherhood would change me. But to be quite honest, I think I assumed the change would be kinda a one […]
18 months
August 18, 2016
By Clarissa I am often disbelieving that we have been back in the US for 18 months. That’s a full 12 months longer than we originally planned when we left Kenya in March of 2015. But as my years of life add one to another, I have found that one thing that can be expected is the […]
reflecting on 7 years… the destination Orcas Island
August 7, 2015
Seven years ago we said, “I do” or “I will” or something like that. It was the beginning our our journey. Seven years ago we honeymooned on Orcas Island. A quaint community in the Puget Sound about 1.5 hours north of Seattle. 84 Lunaversaries later (yes, we celebrate our monthly anniversary) we headed back to […]
Contessa Rachel’s Birth Story + pics
September 19, 2014
September 11th 2014 When many people around the world were remembering what happened 13 years ago in New York, I woke up with the thought, “Today I will birth a baby.” Here is the story. It is short. Much shorter than I was expecting, but birth is one of those things comes in it’s own […]
Five things we would not have known 2 years ago
August 20, 2014
1. We will never stop being a spectacle While we’ve come to expect being stared at ALL THE TIME, it still makes us uncomfortable. Walking down the street, talking to a neighbor, standing in line at the grocery store. Everywhere. Pretty much if we are within eyesight of anyone, they are staring at us, and […]
Still
December 25, 2013
JB Phillips is dead now. I still read his paraphrase of the New Testament, though. This morning I read, “The light still shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out” (from John 1: 5). I have read that verse multiple times in more literal translations, but Philips chose to include one […]
Three (other) reasons why the recent terrorist attack saddens me
September 23, 2013
The recent horror (see here for explanation) that took place in a shopping mall here in Nairobi left me stumbling around in a bit of haze for the past few days. Even as I write this, my phone vibrates and I look over to see I’ve received another text alert, “Reports of increased gunfire…please continue […]
when you realize you’re a jerk
June 6, 2013
By Clarissa That moment. You know, when you realize you are a worse person than you thought you were. I just had one. It had been a long day. In the heat. In traffic. With a baby. I shuffle through people hoping to sell me stuff and me trying to convince them in as polite […]
Celebrating two years
April 24, 2013
by Clarissa A Life-changing Diagnosis Two years ago I sat in the waiting room of Inland Imaging. Willing my heart to beat at a slower pace, I was about to undergo my first MRIs. A bizarre onset of numbness had propelled me first to my GP, then to a kind neurologist with the bedside manner […]
Vegan Ice-cream in Africa
March 21, 2013
It doesn’t exist. At least not anywhere within probably a 2000 mile radius. I figure if it is not here in Nairobi (largest urban area in sub saharan Africa, apart from South Africa), then in all likelihood I have to get on a plane to find it. Going dairy free in the US didn’t rob […]
Observing Culture: Traveling
January 15, 2013
By Clarissa Yes, another post on culture. Why? Because I think about it a lot. I believe God loves the variety of culture on this planet. AND the more I am able to understand the people around me, the better I can be a good friend to them. I am learning more to read between […]
Fish and Fish Tanks, reflections on culture
December 27, 2012
Five months have passed. Five months of feeling like a fish out of water; or perhaps more accurately a fish that has been plopped into a foreign fish tank. Imagine an innocent carnival fair goldfish that has spent its entire life in a familiar little fish tank with other goldfish, complete with pink rocks, miniature […]
Joy in cold coffee and other such things
October 16, 2012
Hello, I am a new mother living in Africa, and I accomplish nothing daily. You don’t realize how much accomplishing things is your M.O. until you come to a season of life where you accomplish pretty much nothing on a daily basis. I recently did the math: 4.5 hours a day just of nursing Valencia […]
Valencia Rose has arrived: Birth Story
September 10, 2012
*If you are not into the details of birth and just want some pics from Valencia’s first few days, then scroll down to the bottom 🙂 Thursday, Aug 30th 9pm: Contractions Begin John and I are visiting with some friends in our neighborhood, watching the movie, What to Expect When You are Expecting. And that’s […]
34 weeks pregnant pics
August 17, 2012
It seems like each week that passes of this pregnancy we are more thankful for a healthy pregnancy and more excited for the arrival of Baby Girl. Our OB recently told us that it is likely she will come early, so we are trying to be ready for her to come anytime, but are praying […]
First impressions of our new home
July 28, 2012
By Clarissa Six months have passed since leaving Spokane, and now we are at Africa Based Orientation sitting on twin beds pushed together in a dorm room of a small college 60 miles outside Nairobi. Outside my window I hear people singing in a language that is foreign to me. I can’t see them, but […]
28 Weeks Pregnant Pics, etc.
July 11, 2012
Here are some pics of Claire at 27 weeks. Since we got to spend time with John’s family…here are a few pics of that as well.
Nesting revisioned
June 5, 2012
By Clarissa “Make a little birdhouse in your soul” is a line of an old They Might Be Giants song. The song is weird, like most of their music, but this one line came floating back to me from the vault of college music listening memories. It has become the theme music for the current chapter […]
Pregnancy Pics: 20-23 weeks
May 27, 2012
Single-Hearted Sojourners 
September 26, 2016
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