I wrote this piece when I was still in Africa shortly after The Language of the Heart and Listen to Your Heart. This was before I had any idea of the long journey that awaited us. The words that came to my heart then have stayed with me ever since.

THE CLAIM
You claim pain, and pain [...]

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For more wordless, click here!

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We are still in Sweden, preparing for a trip south. We are all eager to go back home (to West Africa), but while we are here, there are many beautiful places worth visiting and it’s nice enjoying snow, mist and cold for a change… There will be enough heat awaiting in Niger during hot season [...]

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Bimbo (2009)
Before I left Niger, I mentioned in an earlier post that my ten year old barb mare Arwen had been mated with the sire of our choice. Unlike the the “Hausa way”, I wrote, Arwen’s last mating was very gentle.

Arwen & DanMaffia (2007)
Blog reader Laurel asked what the difference was. Well, the traditional Hausa [...]

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Some days my heart breaks,
Even though the birds sing a song
Sometimes my heart is full of music
And then my soul sings along
Sometimes I feel like hugging;
Sometimes I need a hug
Sometimes I can’t stop loving,
Sometimes I need to be loved

Sometimes I’m fighting a battle
With a sword standing tall
Sometimes I need to rest,
With my heart close to [...]

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If you can turn a barren field in the heart of West Africa,

into a fruit-bearing Eden Garden,

you have invested in the future.

Your children will grow up eating nutritious fruit,

spending much of their leisure time in the field,

sowing, guarding and harvesting from the trees you have established.

Your Eden Garden will provide activity for every member [...]

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A few days before we left Taiwan, Anette contacted me to say that Malva had fallen ill with canine piroplasmosis (Babesia canis). Although this parasite-transmitted disease normally evolves during a number of days, Malva became acutely ill and quickly started vomiting blood. Despite immediate medical care, there was nothing Anette nor Madougou the vet could [...]

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Arne & Bettan’s cottage in Sweden, February 2010

Resting in Staffan & Inger’s livingroom

Falkenberg, March 2010

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Yesterday afternoon, we went bowling and had a wonderful time. A simple life quality moment full of laughter and togetherness. I could not ask for more.

After the past two months of pure surreal, every hour of normalcy is a luxurious treat.

Full recovery will take its time, but every day brings more ups than downs and [...]

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Every once in a while, we turn a chapter in our lives.

Although we always know where we came from, we won’t always know what’s ahead.

Will there be peace or stormy waters? I really can’t tell. What I do know however is that in the constant fight of good and evil, light always wins.

This may be [...]

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On Monday morning Taiwanese time, we took the plane to Seoul, then to Germany. Finally!!!
We are now be heading north to Sweden. Will update you as soon as I can!

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Two nights ago, Joy Tang sent us the following by email and text message:

To Miriam Garvi, Esther Garvi, Josef Garvi and Staffan Goranson,
.
At 6:46pm, March 12, 2010, you initiated a call from the number 0916741480 via a Chinese speaking person for a request to talk to me. I told the person that I do not [...]

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The past 60 hours have definitively been the most intense of this journey. On the evening the day before yesterday, we called our father (who had once again been taken into hiding, after we confronted Joy with the appearance of our mother’s wedding ring on her finger). He informed us that he was at the [...]

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