Countdown

I figure it is time to tell the world (at least the parts of it that read this blog) that I have asked to be removed from my placement at David and Margaret. Because it is so close to the end of my term, I am not being placed at another site. I am starting to pack so I will be done by December 21. Peter is flying out and we are making the drive one more time, but this time I won't be drivng back to California.

This decision was probably the hardest I have ever had to make, but it was the best for me to make. I am ready to be back at home and church. I have already applied for some jobs in the area, so hopefully I will find something in the next month and a half.

All for now
grace and peace

I'm Safe

I know it has been a really long time since I last posted. But honestly, not much has happened. I drove from California to Corpus with my brother then did the return trip with my mom. I started my second year as a US-2.

I am really doing this blog to let people know about the fires in Southern California. I am safe. The closest fire is about 20 miles away, which in SoCal is fairly far away. The days are sort of eerie because of the ash and smoke. One day it looked like dusk the whole day. Even though the people I work with are safe, several of them have family and friends that were affected by the fires. Please pray for them.

That is all for now
grace and peace

The Big 5-0...Thank you

So this is my 50th blog since I started blogging and it coincides to almost a year since I wrote my first blog. A lot has happened this past year.

Today I am cleaning my apartment for the arrival of Peter in a few days so we can drive half way across the country, so I can spend two weeks at home before the start of the new school year. Summer school is almost over as is my first year as a US-2. In this year there have been near breakdowns, a lot of tears, but most of all a lot of time spent laughing. I have some great mentors here in California and some even better friends back home that have helped me through the year. Now comes the time to start looking to the future to what I am going to do when next June comes.

But first I want to thank every person who has sent me a card in the mail, they truly have lifted my spirits. As I was cleaning I was looking through the cards that I have gotten and I reread several from my two best friends from college (and practically my life). These two girls have been with me starting that first day on the 2nd floor of Kurth (at Southwestern). Now 5 years later I am living in California, one is living in Austin pursuing her Master's at St. Edwards, and one is moving to Boston to go to grad school. We have all experienced so many things that even living so far away from them they still influence me. THANK YOU!

My family back home also needs a big thanks -- with out the many phone calls, emails, cards, face to face conversations, I think this year would have been much harder that it actually was.

Another thanks to my US-2 classmates. Other than some friends from college and one before college, I have never felt closer to people than my classmates. I love the conversations we have on the phone, over email and even on facebook! We are now down to 6 people in our class and to the two who are no longer actually in the program, I know you are doing the right thing and still working toward your goal!

Also to the people who read my blog. I know it is really sporadic now, but day to day things are the same, so I don't want you to waste your time reading my blog.

A new development is that I am attending the Presbyterian church in La Verne. For so long I was against going to another church because I am a Methodist Missionary, so I should go to a Methodist church. But for someone who has never been forced to go to church and still goes, not going or not being spiritually fed is a big deal. That wasn't happening at the churches that I had tried, so I was invited to the Presbyterian church by the formal principal of Joan Macy and I am enjoying the service and am being fed again on Sunday mornings. I am a bit wary of Communion tomorrow morning, but hey it's Communion.

I am looking forward to the next few weeks because 1. I will be home for two weeks after a 1/2 cross country drive with my brother then on the way back my mom. 2. After that I am housesitting for this couple from church and I am looking forward to getting away from my apartment and the David and Margaret Campus. 3.A US-2 classmate will be in the area so I get to see her. 4. my best friend will be in the area for work, so I get to spend time with her!

I am also looking forward to see everyone at home and at church! See you on the 12th!

grace and peace

Wow! It's been a long time

Let's see since I last posted I have been to New York and back, to Texas and back, saw my first girls graduate.
New York was fabulous. I flew in with Adam, had lunch with Claire and got to spend a week with some of the most amazing people in the world. We participated in a session about race in the media and got to make up our own rap. We toured the UN. Debriefed our first year of the US2 program. We will be on the GBGM website under the missionary podcast. Four of us went to see Les Miserable and got possibly the best seats ever.

I came back to the last week of school and graduation. I am so proud of the seniors, they have worked so hard to graduate. The next morning I got up at 345 am and flew home for the week. I was an adult at Sea City Work Camp on a house. I think that this was the best team that ever existed. There was hardly any complaining and the kids worked hard the whole time. It was nice to go home, since I hadn't been there since Easter.

I came back to start summer school. I am teaching relationships and helping with water aerobics. I have to say that it is great getting to spend everyday at the pool.

I am planning on being in Phoenix for part of the 4th of July holiday because we are off the 4th, 5th, and 6th. Then a month later Peter is flying out so we can drive home for a couple weeks, then I am starting my second year as a US2.

Sorry for the long time between posts and for the shortness of this one.

grace and peace

Countdown!

So this is about the 10th countdown that I have had while living in California. I find that having these countdowns make the days go by much better. This certain countdown is the countdown until Midterm in New York. Midterm starts on June 3rd, which is just a week away. But here is what makes it even better.
Monday -- Memorial Day, ergo no school
Tuesday -- Disneyland, it is somewhat of a tradition to take the seniors to Disneyland before graduation and I was asked to help the senior advisor. I like this group of girls, as I had most of them in my relationships class or on leadership, so it should be fun, to say the least (probably more interesting).
Wednesday -- May Compact Day, on compact days the girls get out at 12:55 rather than 2, we still have to stay until the regular time, but the day is still short.
Thursday and Friday are not really anything special, but they are close to the end of the week, which leads us to...
Saturday -- My Supershuttle is picking me up at 7 am and my flight leave LAX at 11. I arrive sometime in Chicago and I am meeting up with Adam, since we are the two westerners and we get into La Guardia around 9.

This countdown actually entails two different events, the one listed above and the one listed below.
I get back from the East Coast on June 9th. The last week of school starts that Monday.
Monday -- normal 715-330 day
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday -- finals/minimum days, which means school goes from 8-12.
Friday -- Graduation/promotion. Graduation is at 11 and school gets out at 12.
Saturday -- another Supershuttle ride to LAX. This time the plane takes me to CORPUS CHRISTI!!! I am working Sea City Work Camp and get to spend time with family (much needed time).

Another countdown that I have is for July 13 and July 21. These are the days that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows come out, respectively. I am VERY excited about these two events.

Last week I saw Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean. Neither of these are as good as their predecessors, but they are well worth at least paying matinee prices at the movie theater. I even saw Pirates the night before it came out and honestly I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hopefully these countdown weeks don't go by too slowly...

See most everyone very soon!

grace and peace

My Birthday Weekend

Yes last week I celebrated my 23rd birthday. I am still getting used to saying I am 23 not 22. Man the years are just starting to fly by. Some of you may know that my past 2 birthdays have not been the best. This is probably because I am over dramatic and to most people they would have been fine. But seeing as that I am not most people...I spent this past weekend in Phoenix with my grandparents. It was a nice relaxing weekend. And I had a few firsts.

1. When we go see my mom's parents we usually go to this pretty good Italian food restaurant. With your entree, you get a salad with this really good dressing. The only problem with the salad is that it has beets on it. Usually I just pile them on my dad's plate, but seeing as he was not there, I decided to act my new age and be a big girl and eat the beets. Surprisingly, well maybe not since I pretty much like any food that is set in front of me, I liked the beets.

2. Number 2 also goes to food. We decided to cook at home for Saturday night. I went with Baba to the store that morning and he asked if I had ever had Brussell sprouts. I said no, but seeing that I had beets the night before, I was throwing caution to the wind. That night my uncle came over and had dinner with us. It was nice to catch up. Lo and behold, I ate a whole brussell sprout. I really liked it, it sort of tastes like an asparagus.

3. I drove in Phoenix by myself without getting lost once!! That is actually is a semi-big feat. My wonderful mother had some doubt, but I pulled through.

4. This is not really a first, but my grandmother let me choose a piece of her jewelry for part of my birthday present. I chose a turquoise bracelet that she wore when the family drove across the country and my dad had a pet raccoon. So it has great sentimental value.

All in all it was a wonderful birthday weekend. I have started the countdown until mid-term (18 days). The countdown until SCWC (32 days). I actually saw my last day of my US-2 placement. The last day of school for 2007-2008 is June 18. That I think is my last day at Joan Macy.

Lots of stuff to think about now!!

grace and peace

Results

I PASSED!!! I PASSED!!! Not that I am bragging. You know those cartoons where you can see the cartoons heart beating out of the chest? That is how I felt before I looked at my results. I think I even passed with semi-flying colors. I got a better grade on this test, I think since it is a scaled score test you can't really tell, but anyway my score was higher than my two tests that I went to school for. I just thought that I should let everyone know!

grace and peace