Where in the World is Sudie?

[The Niesens (sans Rachel) with our friend the elephant]

I am quite the lucky YAV . . . On December 30th my entire family arrived in Kerala (that includes my dad, mom, brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister). They were only here for one week (which felt entirely too short in the end), so we packed our time with a trip to Munnar, one night cruising Kerala’s backwaters and Vembanad Lake via houseboat, a visit to Fort Cochin, an afternoon with the elephants, and some time spent at my site. It was wonderful to introduce them to this place and these people; while I do my best to share my experience with them through blog posts and (attempted) weekly phone conversations, there is nothing like allowing them to experience India for themselves. As I struggle to explain this year once I return home, it will be a comfort to know that some of the most important people in my life were able to participate in it, even for a short time.

These photographs capture some of the highlights . . .

[Dad, Kate, and Me in Munnar with some random Malayalees . . . I've found that it is quite popular to take pictures with the white people. Just for the record: the only thing going through my head at this moment was 'venda!!!']

[Rachel in the paddy fields, with the houseboat in the background]

[The Niesen ladies on the elephant . . . ]

[ . . . and the Niesen men.]

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Well, ‘ready to go’ is a relative term. I just arrived in Louisville, Kentucky. My mom and I came over a day early to visit with my grandmother, aunt, and uncle before I report to orientation at Louisville Seminary tomorrow. I have had a wonderful last week at home; it was a little hectic with my attempts to check everything off my To-Do List (it didn’t happen), but it was also full of time well spent with those I care about. The official round of ‘goodbyes’ started Friday night; we had a lovely little farewell gathering where I had a chance to visit with family and friends. It wasn’t until I had to say, “See you next August” that my year-long absence even started to feel real. And, of course, this morning was full of tears as I sent Dad, Kate, and Mike off to work before Mom and I loaded the car and headed out. As excited as I always am for my next adventures, it never gets any easier to say goodbye.

Here is a visual journal of my last week in St. Louis:

The Saint Louis Zoo has 5 tiger cubs! They were born in April, and still only come out to play for a couple hours every morning. Mom, Dad, and I spent a lovely Saturday morning at the zoo, hanging out at the Tiger Exhibit and then riding the train.

On Saturday evening, Dad and I finally cashed in on one of his Christmas presents - a Hot Air Balloon ride. Neither of us has ever been in a balloon before, and we thoroughly enjoyed our first adventure. Thank you to his office staff for the treat!

There are no landing pads in Hot Air Ballooning! We dropped down in the middle of a subdivision, and were welcomed by the local bike-riding gang of elementary school kids. They were eager to help . . .

Tuesday was Mom and Dad’s 36th wedding anniversary. The five of us went to the Botanical Gardens and then out to dinner at Vin de Set to celebrate. Congratulations Mom and Dad!

Granddad turned 92 on August 22nd! We celebrated with brownies on Thursday night.

And, of course, a couple pictures from the goodbye party . . .

The Kanerva girls spent a chunk of the evening watching a movie with the rest of the ‘under 10′ crowd. They were pretty cute all curled up on the couch.

The Aftermath: I had to get a picture with Kumar - the elephant we found at Pier One and adopted to be our centerpiece for the party.

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photos by Andrew Niesen

My Grandmother, Joe Reneé Niesen, passed away on July 2, 2008 at the age of 88. Of course, I am deeply saddened by the loss of my grandmother. Yet, because of the kindness, generosity, and courage with which she lived, it is far easier to remember her life with joy and thanksgiving than with sadness. We celebrated her life today with a memorial service at our church. It was a beautiful service, full of wonderful stories about the amazing person she was. This was my contribution:

When we were discussing plans for Grandma’s memorial service, my sister said to me, “Sudie, you have to speak. She was your hero.” And Kate is right; my grandmother is my hero. The first thing you noticed about Grandma was her generosity of spirit; she lived her life with sincere kindness and grace that were obvious to everyone she met. These are traits that served her well in her service to others. But behind this gentleness were tremendous strength, courage, and determination.

Joe Reneé Niesen was a woman who refused to accept any limit or boundary that life placed before her. As a child she constantly carried her tennis racket on hot summer days because, for girls at that time, it was socially acceptable to wear shorts ONLY when playing tennis. As a teenager attending Little Rock’s Central High School, her talent for playing the cornet won her a spot in the school’s military marching band, even though they had never before accepted a woman into their ranks. She had to cut her hair short and dress in the men’s uniforms in order to join. After graduating high school in 1938, she received a bachelors and then a masters degree in an era when most women didn’t attend college. And through her career as a social worker, and in her everyday life, she responded to the inequities of the world by advocating for the marginalized. Grandma spent her life breaking down barriers, especially the ones that compromised the dignity of any human being.

It was Grandma’s hope that her children and grandchildren could also experience the fullness of life through every opportunity that presented itself. Through her relentless encouragement, she instilled in each one of us a belief that we could achieve, and she hoped we would all approach the world as if it truly was limitless. And while she was certainly aware of the challenges we would encounter, she also held unwavering confidence in our ability to face them with the same courage with which she lived her life. There was no greater cheerleader for her family than Joe Reneé Niesen. And it is Grandma’s spirit that continues to inspire me to push the boundaries, even when I don’t know yet exactly what lies ahead.

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