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| okay ash...you talked me into it...
my goals for christmas break this year:
-write/send out winter newsletter
-work on spanish reviews
-crocheting like crazy (baby blankets and scarves galore)
-practice working on people's hair
-wedding planning: get some more details worked out...dress shopping, tat shopping, etc. (and a shameless plug.....hopefully winning a FREE wedding! go to y107.com and vote for me and JR.!)
-watch the matrix trilogy
-watch love actually
-play GH (and actually get to a 90% on medium)
-teach Sunday school
-start planning Submerge
-figuring out some cool tattoo ideas
-stay in my pajamas all day at least once :)
-work out at LEAST 3 times a week
-get freebies from businesses for welcome packets
-spend some quality time with my boo (in CoMo, KC, STL, and Cali!) and his family (scott parsons, if you read this, referring to jr. as my "boo" is just for you)
-have some hard core roommate quality time
-play games (spades, nertz, munchkin, last word, etc)
-see yes man with ash (since she mentioned it first, and others of course!)
-hopefully watch more carnivale!
-finish watching the second season of heroes with storm
-baking
-cooking
okay, i think that is all for now. that is a ridiculous amount of crap. i dont know if it is all gonna happen. we shall see.
:)
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| if you guys hadn't figured it out, i am back from el sal and nicaragua. it was such a great experience, and totally different than i was expecting.
God taught me some really good things, and i have gotten to experience some fun culture shock for the thousandth time that i thought i might share....
-i don't know if i have mentioned this in my other posts, or just talked about it with several of you, but REST is such an amazing thing, a way to worship, and NECESSARY to live. to survive. to thrive. i know my motto is normally "you can sleep when you are dead" but dead might come quicker if you don't rest. candace is my prime example of that...so keep praying for her
-ministry is hard. (duh!) being in the "people" business involves lots of really cool things, but is also extremely stressful and hard to deal with. isn't it so cool (and frustrating) that we are all unique and are called to all (somehow) get along since we are all a part of the body? lots of personalities, priorities, attitudes, etc. it doesn't matter if you are in latin america or columbia, mo.
-ha, random things i forgot about the u.s. once i got here varied from the HUGE beverages we drink (and that we don't really use straws that often), that we flush the toilet paper (i had several moments where i forgot about that...), and that we are REALLY conservative drivers.
on another side note, life is about to get really busy (and FUN!) with all of the students getting back in town. i am really excited to see what is in store. i just can't wait to not be homeless and get settled in my new place.
that's all for now.
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| so we are for sure going to nicaragua on thursday morning at 5am. we will get back on sunday....we will be doing a teacher training, seeing the church there, having an "extreme day" for the kids, and just hanging out (if we have time).
last saturday we went to an orphanage for kids with special needs. it was so sad....some kids were really sick, others just in wheel chairs but totally with it mentally. it was sweet, and sad all at once....im sure the photos will help explain a little....
i cant believe i have been here since the fifth, and yet, it seems like such a short time....things always seem to happen that way, huh?
i just wanted to comment on a few fun things...we went to volcano on sunday which was really pretty except we couldnt see much of the view because it had been raining pretty hard early so the fog was thick. but it was fun...definitely good to spend time with the friends!
i also have gotten to see two movies so far since i have been here...the one with cameron diaz and ashton kutcher (i only know the name in spanish) and hancock. both fun, and definitely worth the $3.25 it is to get in. (thats right kids, it is $3.25 for people to get in to see a regular new movie...with spanish subtitles....awesome right?!?)
i had the best smoothie of my life last night....fresa, pina, and melocoton. (or for you non-spanish speakers, strawberry, pinapple, and peach)...the best! i hope to have at least one more before i go!
my view from my window in my bedroom is really pretty....i will have to post pictures.
i hate......loathe.......HATE.......mosquitoes. and they are EVERYWHERE.
i am people sick. not homesick, just people sick. i wish you all could come down and see me here...that would be awesome!
i think that is all for now....my completely random, non-connected post. hope you enjoy!
me and bery being silly in the office
michele feeding one of the orphans
the view from the volcano
luis, bery, and karla feeding one of the guys that LOVED to swordfight!
the girls with one of the other orphans who was blind...
titi, bery, nicole, and myself at the volcano! these girls are so cute!
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| this isn't to get sympathy, but just to let you all know how these past two days have gone...
-numerous people have made fun of my gringo accent
-i have tripped over more words than i can count
-two or more people have called me "grande" or "gordita"
-little kids don't understand me
-and when i speak sometimes people get this weird grimace on their face like i am speaking to them in chinese. its awesome.
its a good thing i am learning to love myself in a healthy way (not too much, and not too little).
note to self: experiencing fridays in el salvador at vida nueva is a personal look at the chaotic lifestyle that is possible if you live here. no te olvides!
in other exciting news....i get to go to NICARAGUA next week for a couple of days! isnt that exciting? it is about a 10 hour drive....so as far as birmingham is from columbia. we get to work with one of the churches there....and i am SUPER excited!
thats all for now!
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| soooo....
this might be a record for the longest time since i last blogged. i apologize for that. maybe this can be one of my creative outlets while i am down here in el salvador again. things have been good the past couple of days...i have really been enjoying myself and gotten to do some cool things and see some of my good friends. some things that i forgot about while i have been down here....
-how crazy the driving is
-how relational the people are (always talking and always spending time with each other)
-all of the caliche (street speak) that i forgot about
-how insanely crazy busy candace's life is (the missionary that has been down here for four years....hardly with a break...she is getting her master's in education, the head of children's ministry here in VidaNueva (there are over 100 kids and 50 leaders involved in that), the head of the AWANA program for the entire COUNTRY of el salvador, plus she has friends, a social life, and tons of other projects she is involved in. it stresses me out just thinking about her life. and makes me sad because she is such a hard worker and would do ANYTHING for anybody, but never gets to rest. and God calls us to rest. Commands us to rest. i am the same way, but sometimes life just wears you out. and if you dont rest, then you die early....
-how american-ized everything can be down here, and also how poor everything can be. (they have burger king, wendy's, kfc, papa john's, pizza hut, quiznos, subway, mcdonald's, bennigan's, tgi-fridays, TCBY, etc. etc.)
that is all i can think of for now. here are some songs lyrics i really enjoy and hope you do too!
I will run the streets and hostile lands
I will touch the rain with all I have
I will breathe the air, just scream it loud
My feet will never touch the ground
Because the days they feel like ancient clocks
Like when kids grow up and learn to walk
Because your life is full of pure desire
A place so gloriously wired
The lights and sounds
Oh God this is such a mess
And it's like our world
But we're the last ones left
And the hair it stands
On the back of our necks
And I swear it shows
Heaven must be just like this
Do you see the hills beneath the clouds?
The stars and its to lead you out
Can you sense the pain? It's everywhere
And if you try you'll never care
And the love you had
When you were young
Is right outside for all to come
Because your life is full of pure desire
A life so gloriously wired
The lights and sounds
Oh God this is such a mess
And it's like our world
But we're the last ones left
And the hair it stands
On the back of our necks
And I swear it shows
Heaven must be just like this
If you see the light break through the clouds
And fire up the distant towns
Now the world will be begin
Exactly how it ends
When you call for help when you are lost
For evermore or what ever it costs
And the world will begin
Exactly how it ends
Please stay
Don't go
I've got you now
Are you curious?
Please stay
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