Love All... Serve All

"I want to be where you are.. I'm running into your arms...

2011-06-21T21:21:00.013-04:00

And I will never look back

So Jesus, here is my heart

When did love become unmoving?

When did love become unconsuming?

Forgetting what the world has told me

Father of love you can have me

You can have me."

Well a lot has happened since I last posted...

I was given a full-time teaching job at Jackson Christian, teaching middle school Social Studies, high school English, and a couple PE/weight training classes. It was a rough first year but I made it and I'm so blessed. I decided early in the year to be a leader on the JCS mission trip to Guatemala. I just got back and thought it fitting to write a blog to go along with my other adventures... so here we go!

I left my heart in Guatemala...

I was one of four leaders on the JCS 2011 Mission Trip to Guatemala and it was such a wonderful experience! Feeling God move in my own life and watching God work in the lives of my students/players was incredible. It will always amaze me how big God really is and how we can go from a tiny community at Jackson Christian and still connect with people in a totally different part of the world - different economically, different socially, different emotionally. But still under one commonality.. God.

I fell in love with the people we met in Guatemala. The kids, the people who came to watch us serving their communities, the staff of Global Soccer Ministries (Polo, Charlie, Denilo, Osmar), and the Bantas (John, Amy, Hope, Luke & Titus - the missionary family we worked with - they also are in charge of GSM in Guatemala City). I can't explain to you in words the impact this ministry and these people are having on Guatemala. It has really touched me and I can only hope that God would give me an opportunity to work along side them again. Here's an idea of how we helped when we were there...

When our team arrived we were taken to the Nazarene Seminary where we stayed for the week... they were lovely accommodations! Shout out to my roomies - Madeline and Tamry! :)

Each day our team would head out to one of the sites where GSM held soccer practices and devotionals for the neighborhood kids. Half the day would be spent working on field improvements and cleaning up the area. People would see the group of "gringos" walking through the neighborhood and all of a sudden we had everyone's attention. A little uncomfortable being an attraction but it's what we were hoping for! If those people saw us doing our work, hopefully it would raise questions and maybe even spark a converstation that would lead someone to Christ. Whatever it takes. I believe our group was of like minds when it came to this concept and we did our best to serve with Christ-like attitudes so that we could be a light in a dimmed neighborhood. The other half of the day was spent putting on a soccer themed carnival for the kids. Games that involved soccer throw-ins, shooting and ring tossing were set up and it was such a blessing to see the smiles on the kid's faces just because they were able to be a part of it.

We usually finished the work day with a little soccer match. Two of the days we actually played Guatemalans vs. Gringos. We tied the first day but won 3-1 the next time we played (I even got to play some offense and scored a goal... I don't get to do that too often anymore!). However, after playing on the dirt fields, I told myself that I would never complain about our field at JCS again. Other days, we went to a turf facility called Bremen and played against each other. It was really fun!

We would close out the day with our debriefing sessions and I'm so proud of all the students that shared about what God was teaching them while they were there. It takes courage to do that in front of your peers. I know I wasn't the first one in line to speak in front of people when I was in high school, so I was really excited to see their willingness to do so. God is definitely working in their lives and it is so exciting!

And lastly we couldn't go to bed without a "friendly" card game. Whether it was Euchre, Scum, or Phase 10... it got pretty intense. It was always good for a few good laughs though.

On our last day we had a chance to travel by bus, with our trusty driver Valentine, to Antigua. It is such a cute little city and it has a huge market! We did a little shopping, watched an entertaining mime in the park (who wanted to marry Emma), and even had some time to partake in some delicious ice cream from a shop down the street. All in all, a good day!

I know it's long but I have one more thing...

Global Soccer Ministries is growing! The events that are unfolding in Guatemala City are so exciting. A very generous donor gave money that has allowed GSM to purchase land to make their own site. Big plans are in store and God is going to use them to reach even more people throughout the country. I continue to pray that everything goes smoothly as they start to break ground. Like I said, God is doing some amazing things and I'm so grateful to have been able to witness even just a small part of it. I would love to be more involved and maybe even spend a summer there. We'll see what God has in store for me, either way, I hope that I can go back someday.

He must become greater; I must become less.

John 3:30

"I know that your love is the same because the sun came up today..."

2010-02-10T12:22:00.004-05:00

"Just as if we deserve it

Just as if any one of us fools is worth it

Truth is, that we'll never be perfect

But you love us just the same..

Isn't it love, isn't love, isn't it love."

Today I received a gift from God... it is a gift educators like to call a SNOW DAY!

It's been many moons since I've written and I figured what a perfect day to write an update.

Teaching..

This picture was taken on my very first day as a real teacher at JCS, September 1, 2009. I was really nervous but since then I think things are working out ok. Until now, it's been a routine of getting up at 5:30am and facing a day full of 6th graders with endless questions and stories of times past.. whether their accounts are true or not.. only the Lord knows. However, the smile and nod have become a staple of my everyday living (Shhh. That's a secret). They're a handful but I love them. My days of middle school mentality are briefly interrupted with my 9th grade English class. I love my 9th graders in a whole different way. I appreciate how they are more controlled and a little less inquisitive. Teaching them is challenging. We spend the majority of our time working on grammar and diagramming sentences. For someone who has never had this before in life (a.k.a. me) it can be a little stressful. I always hate it when I cannot answer my student's questions. I feel inadequate. I've gotten a pretty good handle on what I'm teaching but the confidence isn't there yet. So, when I'm feeling the confidence blues I just have to remember that I've been learning this from scratch. Plus, I'm finding out that teaching is more and more like an acting career anyway. Sometimes I even like to picture myself on a movie set starring in my own life. It takes a little of the pressure off and provides some much needed comic relief.

Not all of the teaching has been stressful. I had a blast teaching Romeo & Juliet. I had my class act it out in front of everyone and we even used EXPO dry erase markers as swords! I think the students enjoyed it... they wouldn't be caught admitting it though. I also get to teach writing and Great Expectations. I'll be looking forward to thinking up some creative ways to get the "I'm too cool for school'ers" interested.

"So happy to love..."

2009-08-31T10:17:00.009-04:00

"Yet so far to go

You lead me on to where I've never been before.

Sweet Jesus, You never let me go."

The Crazy Life of Kara Weitzel....

I have been on a non-stop train to crazyville since I've been back from India. It's crazy to think that this week it has been a month! And I still miss it so much...

Anyway here's an update of what has been happening...

I spent some time up north at the cottage with my family (and Diana - same thing). It was wonderful to be in northern Michigan. I absolutely love it there and I want to live there. Maybe someday...

When I got back from that little trip is was right back into things. My Rush premier team started and it was stressful getting reoriented and getting everything organized but we've had a few practices and have had 2 games in the past 2 weeks. We're 0-2, but I still see potential and I still have hope. Life would be sad without it. This past weekend we were up in Traverse City. I made a team bonding weekend out of the deal and I think the girls (and their parents) really enjoyed themselves. It was fun, but crazy.

Next news flash... I'm a teacher! The week after I got back from India, Jackson Christian called me and offered me a teaching job. Crazy! I will be teaching 6th and 9th grade English as well as serving as a teacher aid/individual tutor for the 6th grade class. School starts tomorrow and I feel so under prepared but I'm taking the advice of one of my professors... "Teaching is like acting. All you have to do is act like you know what you're talking about and you'll be fine." Ok, so I don't take this literally all the time but it will do for the first week of school.

I'm also the new Middle School Boys Soccer coach.... if that doesn't scream crazy, I don't know what does! Especially since I have 25 boys out for the team. Pray for me.

New Apartment!! Yay! I have a place to live! I had no plan for when I came back to the States and didn't really know where I was going to live. Thank you to Chris and Nikki for letting me crash at their house for a few nights... and to Korey and Jen and Kev for letting me stay with them for a night or two. I was quite the nomad for awhile. So in the midst of all this I checked out some apartements, was approved, and I've been gradually moving into my new apartment out at Trillium Pointe. I'm so excited that I'm not living out of a suitcase anymore... what a relief.

Needless to say it's been a crazy month...

P.S. I know I overused the word "crazy"... that was the point, sorry if it annoyed you.

"There must be complete reliance on the Lord, in other words, one must develop the discipline of surrender."

Charles Swindoll

"Your spirit falls on India and captured me in your embrace..."

2009-08-11T13:55:00.008-04:00

"Father God, you have shed your tears for Mother India

They have fallen to water ancient seeds

That will grow into hands that touch the untouchable

How blessed are the poor, the sick, the weak..."

-Caedmon's Call

more pictures coming...

2009-08-11T13:51:00.005-04:00

A Glimpse of Traveling in India...

Monkeys Everywhere!!

Entrance to the Taj Mahal

Jama Masjid - Inside the Mosque in Old Delhi

Entrance to the Agra Fort

The Taj with Aimee

(I still can't believe I was actually there! Weird.)

The Red Fort in Delhi

(it was closed the day we went so I didn't get to explore it)

Jama Masjid - Inside the Largest Mosque in Delhi

The Lotus Temple in Delhi

"I hear you whispering my name, you say, my love for you will never change..."

2009-08-11T13:49:00.004-04:00

"What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble, and what if I fall?"

I have only been abroad a few times but none as significant as my trip to India. My least favorite part is readjusting to life in the U.S. If I experience culture shock, it is always when I step foot on American soil again. I get so frustrated at myself and at the way society works here. Don't get me wrong, I am so blessed to live in such a well developed country, but why do I feel that everyone (including myself) takes everything for granted? Remembering India and the people that I met there is a good reminder of the blessings that I have here, but it is also a blessing to have those memories of how the Lord provides even in the smallest ways. Have you noticed... it is never through material things? It is through His love and the people that he places in your life. Things are not extravagant, He is.

So, I have returned and I have this renewed mindset, but what if I forget? What if I lose it again? I don't want to but I know there will be days I stumble and fall away. Does that hinder my ability to be a light for Christ? It is my hope that no matter what I am dealing with in my own life, whether it is a time of doubt or a time of praise, that the light of Christ will always shine through. In the end, it's not about me anyway.

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today

Is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips

Then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle.

That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."

DC Talk

"Hollywood, Bollywood, London and Chicago... Lord, all the places you have placed us..."

2009-08-04T09:48:00.008-04:00

"I was born in a small town, and I feel like a small man
Looking out the windows of this Bombay bus

The rain in Bombay falls on the righteous and the wrong
And there is no way for me to understand
Obscene idols, rickshaw cycles, cows on the highway
Honey, all the things that I have seen
But most amazing of them all is the grace that we believe in
That we are known and love, loved and known."

So here is the wrap up (It's a little long). I didn't have the internet my last few days so I just typed it on my computer and now that I am home I can post it.

Thrusday, July 30th... Last Day in Dharamsala

Up early, I went to McLeod to run a couple errands. I had to do an exchange, buy a couple last minute parting gifts and say goodbye to all my favorite shop keepers. After seeing them at least twice a week and numerous cups of tea, you really do become friends with them. I got back with a little time to spare and it was off to my last day with the women's group. The tears were flowing before class even started. Our youngest student, came up to me with her huge beautiful brown eyes and said... "Kara, please don't go." Rip my heart out! I picked her up, put her in my lap and started scheming how I could pack her in my suitcase. After everyone had arrived and the emotions had settled down a little bit we started teaching the day's lesson: a review of past tense and articles (a, an, & the). We made it through the majority of class when Jetenter stopped us and said that we were going to have another cooking lesson in honor of my last day. We learned how to make momos! (Mitchell, I'll have to make them for you sometime!) It was so fun and by the way, onions are potent over there. I usually don't have too much of a problem cutting onions but I thought I was going to die. It's also amazing how my mind set changed during the time I was over there. Normally, I would be really conservative about what I ate but by the end it really didn't matter anymore. We finished cooking and soon it was time to leave. I hugged everyone goodbye as it had become a tradition after every class... but this time it was for good and it was really sad. Ekta, Rita, Jetender, Inder, Madu, Auman, and Jessie all walked the the end of the drive way and stood there waving until our car was out of sight. Sad day.

Back to the house – 1 hour left. I walked in the door and went up to my room to finish packing. I couldn't stop crying. I was going to miss India so much! I fell in love when I was over there and I already long to go back. I spent my last few minutes talking with my friends before Jeetu and Mukesh finally came up to collect my luggage. More hugs, more goodbyes, more tears. What made it even worse was that I was leaving alone. I just had to make it to Delhi and wait for Aimee to arrive on the bus in the morning.

I arrived at the CCS base in Delhi with 5 other volunteers from Palampur. Pete was there! Yay, I had a friend! However, after a long day of traveling, being emotionally and mentally exhausted and fighting a cold, I was ready for bed soon after we arrived. I managed to make it through dinner and a movie but then I passed out as soon as I hit the pillow.

P.S. In Delhi we had air conditioning... I almost forgot what that sweet little invention was.

Friday, July 31^st (Jeetu’s Birthday)

Delhi. Aimee arrived just as we were heading down to breakfast. I was so excited to see her! She went right to bed as her bus ride was a little long and as she would put it.. she was knackered. After breakfast we had a feedback meeting with Bela and then it was off to sight see in the city. I know I have said it before but I am so thankful that I was in Dharamsala! However, it was good to do a little sightseeing in the city. We called our friend Jassie to take us around town. He picked us up around noon and we started our adventure by going to the Lotus temple (of the Baha'i faith), followed by the Red Fort, the India gate, a huge Mosque, and the streets of Old Delhi. In the temple and the mosque we were required to take off our shoes.. nothing new... but I thought my feet were going to blister it was so hot walking on the cement. Everything was very beautiful though and I'll explain more later with pictures.

That night we ate dinner and Pete and I went and played soccer in the little courtyard outside our flat. It felt so good! I don't think I've ever gone that long without playing soccer! Pete plays for Union College and it was fun to play a little one on one and get some exercise. The bad thing was that we both felt really out of shape and we were both drenched in sweat by the time we were finished. It was time to hit the showers and get to bed. We had a big day ahead of us... starting at 2am we would be on our way to the TAJ MAHAL!!

Saturday, August 1 - Let the Travels Begin

2:30am – Left for the Taj Mahal

4 hour drive in a taxi

No sleep, because you're always afraid that the next turn could be your last.

With all of that being said, seeing the sunrise at the Taj Mahal was worth every minute of not sleeping and the bumpy, crowded taxi ride. It was so pretty and the people-watching was phenomenal. Words can't describe the Taj Mahal and pictures will not do it justice but I will post the pictures in a picture blog later so you can all see it. It was wonderful! After we spent a couple hours walking around the mosque and the Taj, Jassie took us to breakfast. (Aimee did not feel well for the rest of the trip so she spent most of the time napping in the car. I felt so bad for her, especially since she had been looking forward to the trip for weeks.) The three of us enjoyed some breakfast and then it was off to explore the Agra Fort. I hung out with Pete most of the time because he was more adventurous and we went searching for hidden passageways and fun stuff like that. It was so huge! We spent nearly 2 1/2 hours there and we didn't even see everything! Crazy! The downside... there were bats. Yes, I screamed. And ran.

(Just in case you were wondering here is the brief story behind the fort and Taj Mahal... The emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of one of his wives who died in childbirth. It is a tomb of sorts. Anyway he built it across the river from the fort where he ruled.. the Agra Fort. The view is amazing. The bad part is, he was overthrown and locked up in his own house. His cell is in what is called the Octagon tower. So this magnificent structure that he spent all his money and time on to honor his dead wife was just outside of his prison cell which was located in a fort that he used to rule... talk about depressing. There were also two different parts of the fort that were not open when we were there. These were his daughter's living quarters... both of them were the size of multi-million dollar houses complete with something called the "hall of mirrors." No big deal. This was used as a dressing quarters I believe for his daughters or one of them. Anyway it was lined with diamonds, so says the guard that tried to make us pay for looking through the window (we could only look in the window since it was closed to the public). Also, there were huge beautiful courtyard gardens. I really wish I could have see it back in it's prime!)

It was a long buy very eventful day and the drive home took forever but we were able to catch up on some much needed sleep. I was super tired but I figured I had a long flight ahead of me so it might be a good thing. We were told to order pizza for dinner and nothing made us more excited than seeing a huge menu with a plethora of American style pizzas. Mmmm. It was amazing!

After dinner, I packed the remainder of my stuff and it was off to the airport. Everything went smoothly, once again no problems... good deal. I arrived at my gate and pulled out my book. I had a couple hours so I was in for the long hall. When I looked up I saw Pete sitting across from me. He had left for the airport a couple hours earlier than I had and he was still waiting for his flight. We talked a bit, but it wasn't long before he was called to board. Back to my book. I read "Christian the Lion." I don't know if you all are familiar with the YouTube hit of the guys being reunited with the lion cub that they raised in London, but that is what the book was about. It was so interesting... and sentimental. I finished the 200+ page book to give you an idea of how long I waited in the airport.

The time had come, 18 long hours and it was back to the USA.

"I'm going to let my heart defeat my mind..."

2009-07-26T00:26:00.018-04:00

"Let your love make me whole..

I don't want to go through the motions

I don't want to go one more day

Without your all consuming passion inside of me."

Happy Birthday Craig!!

It's been awhile...

The monsoons are here and the internet has been a little spotty. I've also been a little lazy when it comes to blogging. Sorry, please forgive me.

I have a week left in India and, truthfully, I do not want to leave. I absolutely love it here! I have good friends here now and it's going to be hard to say goodbye. At the same time... I do miss everyone at home and I am looking forward to being back in the States. Have you ever played the silly question game? You ask questions like, "If you could be any vegetable what would you be?" I remember always being asked the magic power question and I never had a reply. It hasn't been until recently that I have figured out what my answer would be. If I could have any magic power, I would choose teleportation. This revelation first occurred while Diana and I were on the couch watching TV late at night and we didn't want to walk up the stairs to go to bed. Pathetic, I know. However, I would love to have this power even more now so I could return to India anytime I pleased. Even though my ideas of magic powers are a little far-fetched, I really want to come back some day.

Since I last wrote...

I have said goodbye to one of my best friends, Beth. She left last week and it was a sad day. I've only known her for 4 weeks but I couldn't stop the tears as she hugged me farewell and drove away. It was really sad this week to wake up and see her empty bed beside me. I miss her a lot. Caitlin, Mahathi, Maura, Luana, and Melody all left with her.

And then there were five.

I've been working with my women's group, teaching English and learning more and more about the Indian culture. We drive about 20 minutes out into the country and actually teach in one of the woman's homes. I know I am looked upon as the one who is teaching and giving back to a community who would otherwise not have the opportunity, but I don't think these women realize what amazing people they are. I love them so much and I can only hope that one day I can achieve the compassion and sincerity that they have shown me as I work with them. Until then I will do my best...

Last week they dressed us up like Indian brides. I was a little nervous when they started painting my face and combing through my curly hair, but it was a fun experience. On another day they made us a picnic lunch and took us to the Kangra Fort. It was beautiful and amazing to see a piece of a culture that has been around for so long. The United States is just so young. It's hard to believe since it is all I've ever known but it's true. I have so much respect for the importance of tradition and preserving history here. On the schedule this week... they are going to teach us how to cook! I'm excited!! One of the things on the menu is Pakora. It is one of the best things I've had here. It's like french fries and onion rings put together in a bunch of delicious spices. I think of my father every time I have them, because he would love them.

I am shedding my skin like a snake. Literally. That sunburn I got on the hike was/is a doozie.

New volunteers arrived. Malcom, Ryan, Stephanie, Sarah, Angela, and Allie. Our original group of 14 is now outnumbered by the newbies. It's really weird and way too quiet. All the newbies are really nice but it's just not the same. I'm biased, but as a group we were way more fun.

This weekend has been kind of a lazy one. I've done some last minute shopping and quite a bit of reading. I just finished a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. (Thank you Brittany for recommending it!) It was challenging and a good reminder of the fact that it is most important to love and to reflect Christ through that love. I took out a part in the book and substituted "I" for "person/people." (I like to do this from time to time to challenge myself.) Here's what it said...

"I want to be characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being. I want to be known as a giver, not a taker. I want to be more concerned with my character than my comfort. I know that true joy does not depend on circumstances or environment; it is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God."

For today, I think we might head out to some old stone temples. Other than that I'm just trying to enjoy my last few days here.

I'm so thankful.

Love to all.

"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."

Galations 5:25

"There's something about the ocean, that makes me rise up and praise..."

2009-07-19T09:14:00.028-04:00

"There's something about the heavens

That makes me stand in awe again

There's something about the sunrise

Reminds me of your faithfulness

There's something about the ocean

And I'm lost in love again."

I have touched the snow line of the Himalayan Mountains.

This weekend was rigorous and exhausting, but it left us all with a great sense of accomplishment. Granted, we all thought we were going to die, whether it would have been from lack of oxygen or just sheer exhaustion. Plus, Beth and I woke up sick the day we were to leave for our little excursion. We pressed on.

Saturday morning we woke up a little less than 100% but we still called the cab to head up to McLeod Ganj where our guides told us they would meet us. K.B. and Katar (not how you spell them, I'm sure, but I didn't ask) were waiting for us. They called their company car since

we were going to drive the first kilometer and shortly thereafter we were officially on our way. Although surprised at the lift, we decided we were going to take all that we could get. It was going to be a long trip ahead of us. We were so naive...

The goal of the day was to make it to Triund, which is where we would spend the night before we trekked on to the snow line early the next morning. I think our guides were a little disappointed in the American girls (plus an English one) because we were struggling with the ascent and the slowly diminishing oxygen levels. We apologized for being lame and for having to stop for water breaks about every kilometer. A wave of the hand and a "No problem," was always their reply. They were gracious folk, but the looks on their faces were a little skeptical of us making it all the way to our destination. To tell you the truth, I was a little skeptical too.

After making friends with a baby poisonous snake, scaling boulders, seeing a full circle rainbow around the sun, twisting a couple ankles, dodging cow, donkey & goat droppings, 3 bottles of water, feeling like I've done the stair machine for 4 hours straight, 2 lemon lime gatorades, and documenting some of the most astonishing views that I have ever seen in my life, we made it to Triund. We had completed 9 kilometers and we were all exhausted. They showed us our little "house" that we would be staying in and we all passed out and took a nap for about an hour. The locals just laughed at us and I think they thought we were weird. On the other hand, like always, they were extremely inviting and they served us some great soup and curry for dinner. They just like to make fun of us while they show their kindness (it's how it works around here... no big deal). We talked a little with our guides. K.B. is a student in Dharamsala and he spoke English really well. He was so fun and saved our lives on numerous occasions. He simply said that it was his job. What a nice guy. Katar kept to himself. He's been guiding for 18 years and he is a little intimidating. He's not so good in the English department either. We gave up on him and we started talking to the shop owner, Lalu (he lived and ran a shop out of the same building that we were staying in). He started talking about his dog Linda. Yes, this dog is a male. Yes, you heard me right. HIS name is Linda. He then started telling us that since it was monsoon season it was also about the time when all the black bears come out to play. However, we were not to worry because "Linda very powerful and he fights off many black bear." I was reassured, I think, until I didn't get more than 4 hours of sleep that night due to the barking dogs outside our feeble bedroom door. I was sure that a bear was going to break it down and eat me. Good news... we all made it through the night.

Up at 7am! A little sore but not bad. Breakfast was delicious and consisted of fresh mango, bananas, and oatmeal with honey. We were fueled up and ready to conquer the next 7 kilometers to the snow line. We were all lacking confidence in our physical abilities to complete our goal but we all decided it was worth a try. The trekking was more of the same. We needed to stop often due to sickness and adjustments to altitude, but we kept going. We kept asking K.B. what the rest of the hike was like. Flashbacks of "Are we there yet?" moments in my childhood came to mind. I hope he didn't find us annoying. When he said that after the first 3 km there was a significant stretch that was flat, you should've seen the hope in our eyes. I never thought I would be so excited about flat land... coming from Huron County and all. I was ecstatic. We strolled along for awhile and we were all feeling great when we arrived at the Snowline Cafe. We took some pictures and had a little rest before K.B. pointed out the vertical incline that took us up to the glacier. Once again we were feeling a little defeated but we were too close to turn back. As we were leaving... I noticed a sign near the cafe that read... "This is the last cafe." I told the girls that it reminded me of the Splash Mountain ride at Disney World where you're about to go over the edge and there signs posted saying "This is your last chance."

Comforting...

After another hour of excruciating work, we made it to the snow line!! We spent about 45 minutes just taking in the incredible view and enjoying our accomplishment. K.B. and Katar surprised us with little juice boxes and Kit Kat bars and Beth even ate some snow! We made sure to document and after we felt rested we were on our way back down the mountain. It was 16 kilometers back home. We were hoping that the fact that it was downhill would make up for our already existing state of exhaustion. And it was a lot easier but let me tell you... I have been convinced for a number of years now that I will need knee replacement surgery at the age of 40, due to soccer. I think I just bumped that up a couple years.

Oh well, it's all been worth it...

We finally made it back home... wet, sunburnt, rank and tired. But as Aimee (What a cute little English girl she is...) would put it... we are all "so pleased" that we did it.

Now that I am done reporting... the experience was unforgettable. It is so humbling to be in the midst of something so great. In the heart of such a vast creation. Being away from the sounds of civilization and hearing either the stillness of the mountains or the vibrant clicks and chatters of the wildlife, was so serene. It may be the country girl in me... but all I can say is that I'm a big fan.

Faith can move mountains.

Matthew 17

"I'm so thankful that I'm incapable of doing any good on my own..."

2009-07-14T23:23:00.020-04:00

"It's by grace I have been saved

Through faith that's not my own

It is the gift of God and not by works

Lest anyone should boast"

Well yesterday was my last day at school. It was sad but I am so thankful for the time that I was given there. Those kids are simply amazing and I will never forget the experience I had with them. We had a celebration at the school for the one year anniversary. The kids put on a dance performance and they all did great! I was so proud of them! My friends even took the day off from their placements to come watch. It was great.

This is Abhinandan dancing at the 1 year anniversary party for the school (a.k.a. the last day of school before break). He was one of my students that I worked with one on one, and although he could be a real stinker some days, he was an awesome little man. Now, I say he was a stinker because I think he was the only one that eventually figured out that I didn't speak much Hindi and he took advantage of it. Grrr. Frustrating, but I couldn't help but laugh. You have to give the kid some credit for being so clever.

Now here are possibly the two cutest little boys I will ever meet. Pratiech and Ansul.

Pratiech's nickname was Shiva. This is the name of the Hindu god of destruction. I think that is explanation enough. It was his way or no way at all. And then when it's all done, he clapped just to rub it in. But once again, so irresistible. Ansul is a sweetheart through and through and I am convinced that he is going to be a professional break dancer when he grows up. He also loves to be tickled and to give you high fives. It's the coolest thing EVER. (Randi, Ansul has a broken wing too.. this may or may not be one of the reasons why I was partial to him.)

Bottom line, I've known them for only 3 weeks but I love these boys.

This is Anchal. She was also one of my students and possibly my favorite. She is so joyful... all the time. She loves to dance but she gets a little stage fright (there were tears shed). She loves to learn. Her smile is to die for.. not to mention her hugs and she loves the book "Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you See?" by Eric Carle, which automatically puts her on my good list. The words I use to describe her don't do any justice to who she is and how big her heart is. I really wish all of you could meet her.

Mission accomplished. We found the waterfall. Aimee, Beth, Hillela and I all went back up to McLeod Ganj to take the right road and complete what we had hoped to earlier this week. The hike was beautiful and the views left us speechless. We found another little shopping/cafe area that was fun to look around and apparently we were the source of entertainment for a group of old men who wanted pictures taken with the four white girls. We asked them to return the favor and take a picture of us... one of the men proceeded to take a picture with Beth's camera. All we saw was his enlarged eyeball in the viewing screen as he held the camera backward. It took everything in me not to start laughing hysterically at the poor guy. We decided that getting our picture at that point was a lost cause and continued on our hike. After about a 3k walk up the mountain we reached the waterfall, took some pictures, and spent some time with a few locals who ran a cafe at the water's edge. We did all of this just in time for it to start pouring. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed hiking down the mountain in the pouring rain. I was soaked but I loved every minute of it. It's always so great to come back home and get all cozy for the night too. Mmmm. Love it.

Today, I went with Beth to her daycare just to check it out. I don't know for sure where I am going to be working for the rest of my time here but I thought I would use some of the time to see what other people are doing. The kids at the day care were so cute and full of energy! I pulled out the claw and they went crazy! It was fabulous! I'm not sure who had more fun... the kids, the teacher watching us, or me. We made newspaper hats with them which were destroyed soon after and some were even used as mid-afternoon snacks. Kids...

We arrived back to Chamba Cottage and everyone was riled up about something. We asked what was going on and apparently somewhere in our front yard there was a 6 foot black snake that decided to drop in for a visit this afternoon. How kind, I know. Normally, I would be freaked out and go in the house, but I was feeling a tad adventurous and decided to go on a snake hunt today. To our disappointment we did not find the snake. Better luck next time.

This evening we went on another hike to "St. Johns in the Wilderness" and the Tibetan Children's village. The church was nice and I might try to attend a service on Sunday. I figured it might be kind of neat. Then there was the Tibetan Children's Village... we just kind of wandered in. I don't know if we were allowed but we did it anyway. This is a community and school that has been set up for Tibetan children that have fled Tibet without their parents. Basically, they are orphans. However, they have been provided a place to stay and an education in upper Dharamsala. The main focus here is to preserve the values and tradition of the Tibetan culture. It's a really cool idea but I feel bad for all the children that have no idea where their parents are or if they'll be able to see them again. I can't imagine going through what the Tibetan people have been going through over the past 50 years. Lastly, this was our third significant hike of the trip... the first 2 times it rained. We got soaked. This time wasn't any different. We were in the middle of the rainstorm up on top of the mountain and could see the cloud moving in to surround us. I was IN a cloud today!

Everyone went to a band performance tonight but a couple of us decided to hang back and chill at home tonight. I'll have to catch the band again some other night...

Love to all.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim

the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world."

Psalm 19: 1-4

"From wherever you are, wherever you've been, he's been there..."

2009-07-12T06:58:00.018-04:00

"Praise him under open skies

Everything breathing praising God

In the company, of all who love the King.

And it's so wonderful to be here now..."

And I'm back...

It was an eventful weekend. Some good. Some bad. Here's how it turned out...

We started out on our journey at about noon on Saturday afternoon. Beth, Aimee, Hillela and I shared one of the cabs, and let me tell you our taxi driver was quite the disc jockey. We had some spanish flare, some good ol' American rap, Hindi pop...we covered it all. My favorite was when Celine Dion came on... yes, Jen our girl is topping the charts over in India too. The scenery was also amazing and I've decided that I am going to try to harvest some rice while I'm over here. It looks fun. As we drove away from the Himalayan range, the foothills had a very different type of vegetation and the tree lines were odd-looking. Beth described them as being straight out of a Dr. Suess book. I liked this analogy and we agreed that all we needed was to find some hinkle-horn honkers and Horton the elephant. Then, life would be complete.

We were headed for the Pakistan border to watch the famous border ceremony. Now, I was told that it would be somewhat like the D.C. changing of the guards. Not quite. I got a message from Mitch and he said to expect it to be much more boisterous. I agree with his diction.

It was a little more accurate. It was awesome to see the pride that the Indian people take in their country. It was just a border closing ceremony but you'd think you were at the Olympics and India just won the 100 meter relay (or any other popular event for that matter). It's a big deal and people travel from all over to come see it. There was singing, dancing, chanting... it made me wish I spoke more Hindi so I could understand more of what was going on. However,

you didn't need to know the language to see the passion of the Indian citizens. The guards were also quite the sight and way more flexible than yours truly. They basically did the splits standing up. Crazy. The heat was also crazy... we got out of the mountain region where we are in Dharamsala and about died.

P.S. I was like 5o feet from Pakistan! Can we say awesome?!?

The Golden Temple. When we got to Amritsar after the border ceremony we went and got some Dominos pizza and went exploring. We decided to walk to the temple, even though the plan was to go at sunrise. Plus, going twice wouldn't be a bad deal. This is actually a Sikh temple which is still part of the Hindu religion but a smaller sect of it with different emphases in their beliefs. You know the people with the beards, strapped daggers, and turbans? Chances are they are probably Sikh.

Anyway... we decided to go in and I couldn't believe all the people. I believe most of them were pilgrims coming to see one of the five temples of religious authority in the Sikh faith. We took our shoes to the foot locker and proceeded. You walk through a shallow moat to cleanse your feet before entering and we all had scarfs to cover our heads. The temple was really beautiful and had numerous marble courtyards inside. The temple itself sat in the midst of a large pool which is considered to be holy water. People travel tremendous distances just to wade in the water and some come to bathe in it. It's amazing what you can learn and how you can be so moved by other people's faith, even if they don't share the same beliefs as your own.

The hotel had cockroaches in it. Once again, flashback to Cambodia and I laughed at my roommates that were freaking out. Then I laughed at myself for being OK with cockroaches in my room.

Last stop... Jallianwala Bagh Memorial.

This is a memorial dedicated to the approximately 2000 Indians who were shot and killed during a peaceful protest against British tyranny. It was a movement for independence and on April 13, 1919 the massacre occurred under General Dyer of the British-Indian Army. The open fire lasted for a total of 10-15 minutes and nearly 2000 lives of innocent men, women, and children were lost. These kind of things fascinate me but at the same time make me really sad in realizing the devastation that we, as humans, are capable of. What's even more disturbing is the mentality behind all of it and where it comes from.

Now the bad part... as we were touring the memorial a few of us had to deal with our first encounter of harassment. Caitlin, Beth and I were all approached by the same man and had to physically fight him off. It was a little terrifying. I think mostly because we were all taken off guard. Back home, I feel like I wouldn't hesitate to punch the guy in the face but when you're in a different culture you're always worried about being sensitive to their way of life. The worst thing about it is, that the majority of Indians are so hospitable, compassionate and truly respectful people... but there is always the exception that taints the good reputation and we just happened to run into him. Not to worry. We are all fine. Just a little shaken up. Plus, a group of guys nearby helped us out by putting the creeper in his place. They came to check on us after they had chased him out of the memorial park and we told them thank you for doing their part to protect us. We left soon after and were on our way back to home to Dharamsala.

So, don't freak out Mom & Dad. I'm home safe.

When we pulled into home base, we paid our taxi drivers. Beth and I marched right up stairs, and without stopping to do anything else, dropped all our bags at the foot of our beds and collapsed. We were out for a good three hour nap.

So now, here I sit, typing away and I think I will finish my book tonight. (By the way, I highly recommend Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski!) Yes, I am being anti-social. After traveling with seven people this weekend, I'm in need of some alone time.

"We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us,

and no one will find fault with our ministry.

In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God.

We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.

We have been beaten, been put in prison,

faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights,

and gone without food.

We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding,

our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.

We faithfully preach the truth.

God's power is working in us.

We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack

and the left hand for defense.

We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us.

We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known.

We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed.

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.

We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others.

WE OWN NOTHING, AND YET WE HAVE EVERYTHING."

2 Corinthians 6:3-10

(This is one of my favorites...)

"There's only one that never fails to beckon the morning light..."

2009-07-10T08:37:00.024-04:00

"There's only one

who sets loose the gales and ties the trees down tight

When all around my soul gives way

He is all my hope and stay

There's only one, only one

Holy One."

I've become a huge fan of getting up to see the sunrise. It's so peaceful and it's a wonderful way to start the day with a feeling of gratitude. I'm such a morning person now. I never used to be when I was younger except on Saturday mornings when I got up to watch Steve Irwin, Saved by the Bell and Hang Time. Now I can't get enough of the scenery and solitude.

Times have changed.

Well I've decided to add a few more pictures for y'all.

Today is Friday and the beginning of our free weekends. Beth, Aimee, and I all went for a hike this afternoon. We were aiming for a little trek to Bhagsu waterfall but unfortunately picked the wrong prong when we came to the fork in the road. We decided to keep going and made it to a little Israeli town, Dharamkot. Beth and Aimee did a little shopping, we took some pictures and played in the rain as it started to downpour. We also came across some giant slugs that were quite intriguing. It was fun and I enjoyed being adventurous... or taking the road less travelled, if you will.

A view from our hike up the mountain, Singing in the rain,

and Giant slugs!

This weekend it is off to Amristar which is near the India/Pakistan border. We are going to see the golden temple and the border closing ceremony. From what I've heard it could be compared to something like the changing of the guards in Washington D.C... only it is opening and closing the border between the two countries. If that makes any sense.... Anyway I'm excited to go traveling. So I'll fill you in when I get back.

I played some cricket for the first time last night with a bunch of the staff, mainly our cooks. They are so fun and so is cricket. I like to be the bowler, which would be the equivalent to the pitcher in baseball. Anyway... Lalu, Rakesh, and Mukesh explained the rules and we were off. I forget who was up first but their ball came right to me in the field. All the rules were racing through my mind... "if it bounces I can only catch it with one hand but if it doesn't bounce I can catch it with two"... I was focused but apparently a little overwhelmed because I went to catch it with two hands after a bounce. The ball was coming to me... Lalu saw what was happening and he went crazy. All of a sudden he starts running at me shouting, "ONE HAND! ONE HAND!" Oh my gosh, I thought I was going to have a heart attack! I was so scared. I screamed, jumped back, and missed the ball completely. Everyone started laughing hysterically, including myself. I must explain something about Lalu here... He is a small Indian man, I would say about 30-35 and about my height (maybe shorter, he's just a little guy). He is always scurrying around and has very, almost spastic mannerisms. He's so cute, but apparently he gets a little intense when it comes to a friendly game of cricket.

Good times at Chamba Cottage.

"The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the person that seeks him."

Lamentations 3:25

"Your will above all else, my purpose remains, the art of losing myself in bringing you praise..."

2009-07-07T22:13:00.006-04:00

"Everlasting, your light will shine when all else fades..

Never-ending, your glory goes beyond all fame

And the cry of my heart is to bring you praise

From the inside out..."

I can't get over how beautiful it is here. I'm sitting here on the balcony outside my room just taking in how big the world is and how big our God is. To create all of this... I can't even imagine but I love being a part of it.

I was thinking this week.. "Why am I here?" Not in a regretful sense but in more of a contemplative sense. Yes, I love to travel and see different parts of the world, meeting new people is always great too... but that's not it. I just want to give. I want to serve. I want to encourage. I want to be used. I pray that God uses me in whatever way he needs no matter how frustrating or challenging it may be for me. If just one person is changed or feels the love of Christ it is all worth it. Every morning I ask that God prepares my heart for the day ahead...

"Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me."

Psalm 51

(Thanks to Bri for this... :) )

On to the everyday happenings...

It's been pretty hot the past few days. Monsoon season was thinking about getting underway, but then retreated. Today is looking kind of hazy though so hopefully it will rain. I love it when it rains here. It's a warm refreshing rain and the kids go crazy! I taught them how to run their hand under the roof and fling water at each other last week. That may or may not have been a good idea.

A couple nights ago, a few of us went exploring at this "amusement park" down the mountain from our house. I was a little apprehensive but a couple of the guys bought a full package for all the rides. Beth and I stood on the side, like parents do at the fair when their children are on the carousel... and they wave every time you go around.. yeah, that was us. All the while fearing for their lives and planning what we would do if we had to rush them to the hospital. Everything turned out fine though... and Himalayan Wonder World was good for some really good laughs.

Last night we had a presentation from a traditional dancing instructor and her students. They are known world wide and are really amazing at what they do. I had no idea that every hand motion had a different meaning and the dance is a type of sign language telling a story. The two girls that performed for us have been training for 15 years and have all of the motions memorized. Just one hand position can have 42 different meanings depending on what motion they use... and that's just one position. Another group joined us for this presentation at the house. They are from Palampur. We ended up playing musical chairs (mostly to entertain the staff, I'm convinced) that turned into some bitter group rivalry. It was a tad uncomfortable and caused a lot of tension between some people. It was awkward and it has scarred the game of musical chairs for the rest of my life... all I could do was laugh.

Off to placement today.. the president of the school is going to be there. That's a little intimidating. I've been really frustrated with the whole placement thing, mostly because of the language barrier, but yesterday was a really good day and I hope that it just keeps getting better. I only have another week at this school before I change placements. I believe I am going to be working with college aged women when I am finished at Harmony school. But I guess we'll see where I end up...

That's all for now..

Good morning India, Good night America!

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else

is the greatest accomplishment."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"He's the remedy, Let us be the remedy, Let us bring the remedy..."

2009-07-05T12:38:00.015-04:00

Time for a picture blog...

Flying to Dharamsala from Delhi.

(Me, Beth, Aimee, Hillela, Melody)

This is my house. My room is on the very right hand side with the little balcony attached.

Dharamsala, India

(Mitchell, I totally understand why this was your favorite... I love it here!)

Hiking in flip flops down to the river by our house.

Some of our group in the river by the Hindu temple we went to see.

These are the people I hang out with (mostly).

Caitlin, Hillela, Mike, Aimee, Beth, & Luis

The staff put on a 4th of July party for us. It was so great! They grilled up some chicken, bought us a cake (above), and shot off some fireworks. It was a little terrifying since they were lighting them about 10 feet away, but very thoughtful and very fun. Here's a quote from my friend Aimee at the dinner table.. She's from Northern England...

Aimee: Wait so who did you get your independence from again?

Mike: Ummm... you.

Aimee: That was embarrassing.

Dressing up in Saris for our traditional dinner night. They are pretty complicated to get on!

Aimee and I walking the streets of McLeod Ganj

(Where the Dalai Lama lives)

Tibet in exile... 50 years (1959-2009)

This whole situation fascinates me... I want to learn more about it.

We were able to talk to a Tibetan lama who gave us a brief background and even described his family's experience fleeing from the Chinese into India. This banner was being hung outside the temple across from the Dalai lama's house.

"And I'll try, yes I'll try, to touch the world, like you've touched my life.."

2009-07-03T21:32:00.011-04:00

"You can have everything I am

and perfect everything I'm not

I am willing

I'm not afraid

You give me strength when I say

I want to be your hands

I want to be your feet

I'll go where you send me."

Happy 4th of July!

It's been a pretty good week so far... except for yesterday. India decided to initiate me along with 6 other people with what we have nicknamed "the locomotions". I was up all night with an upset stomach (we'll leave it at that) and I didn't leave my bed for more than 2 hours combined yesterday. It sucked, but hopefully the worst is over. I'm going to take a little break from the Indian cuisine though. The thought of it right now almost puts me in a relapse. The good news is that I woke up this morning feeling pretty good besides a minor headache. No big.

Work this week has gone well but it has also been very challenging. I have three students that I am assigned to work with.

1. Surbhi - (pronounced Soo bee) she is my most challenging. I'm working with her to recognize her name and identify colors. She has very limited speech, if any and it is difficult for her to concentrate. Not to mention she is very stubborn. The other day she coughed in my face and wiped a thick juicy booger on my shirt during our lesson time. It's frustrating but there's still hope.

2. Anchal - this little girl is adorable. I'm working with her on numbers and colors. She is eight years old and she loves to dance! Seriously the joy in this little girl's heart brings tears to my eyes. And her laugh... I love her.

3. Abhinandan - (I'm not even going to try to teach you how to say this on here) Abhinandan has Down Syndrome and he is so fun to work with. He is also a dancer and we were breaking it down during dance time the other day. He's got moves! I'm working with him on writing skills. I've only just started working with him so I do not have all the goals for him yet but I'm sure he'll do great.

The thing about the school here is that physical discipline is regularly used and it makes me really uncomfortable. It's hard for me to get used to and it's hard not to say anything. I have to remember that I'm in a totally different culture.. but still. It's hard to watch. I'm all about the positive reinforcement and I'm going to suggest a few ideas that will hopefully be taken into consideration.

Today we have a picnic with all the kids and their parents. It should be fun and they are putting on their dance for everyone. I can't wait. I don't really have a lesson planned for today since I was on a life hiatus yesterday so I'm hoping I don't have to teach today.

Moving on..

I am sooo hungry. I think I am going to compile a list of food that I crave while I am over here. I know it is only the 6th day but still I would do anything for a fresh salad. I also miss running! I feel so lazy without doing any type of exercise. I'm pretty sure that it has thrown my body for a loop too. I don't go too many days without a good run or playing soccer. I might have to join in a game of cricket with the staff one of these nights.

We also made a trip up to McLeod to meet with a Tibetan lama. It was supposed to be a lecture but we got there, he sat down and said "I don't know what to say, any questions?" I wasn't prepared for that but it turned out alright. He explained the situation of exile and even told of his own story when he fled to India with his parents when he was very young. It was quite interesting. We took a little time to explore and went to see the Dalai Lama lives. I think we're going to head back up there today to do a little more exploring since we were on limited time.

I really miss my family. It's family weekend up at the cottage right now and I'm so sad that I can't be there with them. It is the first year I've ever missed it and I wish I could teleport myself home for the weekend. Plus, most of you have heard me talk about the Young Americans. It's the dinner theater that we got to every year up there. It is seriously one of my favorite things ever. I hope they all have a great time though. I'll just have to wait until next year...

"Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you."

Psalm 143

In the morning when I rise...

2009-06-29T19:59:00.004-04:00

So I woke up at 5am because of jet lag and well I looked out the patio door and couldn't fall back asleep... here's why...

My friend Beth and I went on a picture escapade and watched the sunrise (we even heard the beckoning of the roosters) ... in the Himalayas...

I can't believe I live here!

(I took pictures with my real camera but I just used photobooth for a quick upload.. these don't do it justice but I'll add the other ones later.)

"Every next step is an extraordinary scene..."

2009-06-29T11:26:00.008-04:00

"I know that I’ve been,
Given more than beyond measure,
I come alive when,
I see beyond my fears
I know that I’ve been given more than earthly treasure,
I come alive when
I’ve broken down and given you control."

Namaste!

I made it to Dharamsala!... and oh what a journey it has been. I'm exhausted from traveling and our stay in Delhi was alright... but the moment I arrived this afternoon in Dharamsala, I fell in love! It is so beautiful here and I've only been here for a few hours. But, before I go into any of that let me catch you up to speed... you might need a helmet for this ride (I know I could've used one)...

First of all, I'm so confused on what day it is and what time it is but the best thing about India is that time means nothing... just my style. I love how everything is so laid back here.

So, my parents, brother and aunt and uncle dropped me off at the airport and I have to admit I was freaking out a little bit. International travel... alone? It's a little nerve-wreaking. The Amsterdam airport was pretty sweet.. no VIP lounge though. However, it was great to see the little kiosks in the airport selling bulbs of tulips in bulk! Awesome. After my second 8 hour flight, I arrived in New Delhi. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the flying process, then I got to customs. I was standing in line and I recognized two younger girls, who were sisters, that had been on my flight. They were traveling with their mom and were both between the ages of 8 and 13, I'd say. They were messing around like sisters do, but the younger one started backing up and getting closer to me. Encroachment! Before I knew it, she was swinging her little travel bag up in the air by her head and I took a blow right in the schnoz (this is where that helmet would've came in handy). Anyway, I passed customs with flying colors.. and a broken nose. Next stop: luggage. I sat at the baggage claim waiting for my luggage. I waited some more. The baggage stopped coming. I was convinced that I was stranded without any luggage. Then one of the attendants was nice enough to show me (I felt like I was playing charades) to where they had pulled bags off the belt when no one claimed them. I spotted mine...

Crisis evaded.

The CCS staff was waiting for me as I walked out of the airport. Come to find out one of the volunteers that I am working with was sitting in the same row as me on the flight only on the other side of the aisle. Weird. We gathered our stuff and we were on our way...

Wow, it was hot! It was 12am and I'm guessing it was around 80 degrees. I was extremely thankful when our driver carried my luggage up to my flat on the third story and turned on that glorious air conditioning. Time for bed!

The next couple days we attended lectures at the CCS offices and they were very informative. We had a professor come and talk to us about politics and religion. I was surprised at how interested I was. Usually it takes quite a bit to get me into that kind of thing but he and the info were fascinating. He was also very wise, at lease I thought so. He was brought in to sensitize us to the culture but a lot of the things that he said were so appropriate for everyone.. everywhere. One thing that stuck with me was, "Don't dismiss the unfamiliar as irrational." Think about it. That's a pretty powerful statement if you ask me.

The food has been great, besides the airplane food that I refuse to eat. The smell and my gag reflex is enough to turn me away. By far, my favorite thing so far is the chai tea. There is nothing like it and I am determined to learn how to make my own before I leave. I'll definitely be buying some authentic spices. Don't worry, I'll share with all of you too!

My group is simply amazing! I've already met some people that are going to be good friends, I can feel it. Here's a run down..

Mike from OH (Ohio State; he's a runner! yay!)

Beth from TN (Wake Forrest; reminds me SO much of you Bob)

Melody from NY (masters in Special Edu... hope to learn a lot from her)

Luis from VT (Middlebury; he plays quidditch)

Hillela from Seattle (goes to school in MA; going to be doing some trekking with her)

Aimee from England (studying fine art; has the coolest accent ever; going w/ to the Taj Mahal)

It's always a little awkward feeling people out at first but so far so good! I like everyone and we all seem to get along really well. Bonus!

The final destination...

We arrived in Dharmsala this afternoon. Don't get me wrong Delhi was cool but I'm a country girl and I was suffering from a bad case of the city blues. I needed to see green trees and wide open spaces. Plus, being in the mountain region, it is at least 20 degrees cooler with a breeze. Perfecto. When we landed and stepped off the plane, it smelled like fresh flowers instead of smog, it was green instead of brown, and there was just an overall sense of serenity instead of the constant bustle of the city. This is my kind of place and I'm so glad I chose Dharamsala (Thanks Mitchell!). I can't wait to go exploring!

Welp, I have my first day at Harmony school tomorrow and I need to get some rest. Hopefully this jet lag will have run its course by then. I can't wait to meet the kids!! :)

Love to all.

"To me, every hour of the day & night is an unspeakably perfect miracle."

- Walt Whitman

"I won't give up on giving you the chance to blow my mind."

2009-06-22T23:32:00.001-04:00

Over the past week... lots of things have been happening in the life of me.

I got my placement!! Officially, here is what I will be doing in India...

I will be working with an organization called Harmony Through Education. Here is the description that was sent to me... I'm so pumped!

Harmony Through Education seeks to establish schools in underserved developing rural communities to give impoverished children and young adults the education and life skills necessary to improve their lives and contribute to the well being of their communities. Education can be lifesaving and life-affirming., and allow young minds to better harmonize with the body and community. This integration helps to ensure a more purposeful life. The school in Dharamsala deals with special needs children.

I am SO EXCITED for this!!

And who knows this may help me decide if I want to get my masters in Special Education...

We'll see.

I was telling Shari the other day how while I was doing my undergrad I didn't want anything to do with the special education program. I had a few teammates tell me that I would be really good at it but I just didn't think I could handle it. It is a totally different story now. It's where my heart is. My favorite thing to do in teaching is to help students who are struggling. To give them hope and the belief that they can do it!

My wonderful friends and I went out to eat at an Indian restaurant in Ann Arbor as a last hurrah. It was soooo good and I loved sharing some of what I will be experiencing with some of my favorite people. We all ordered different dishes so we could pass them around and try a little bit of each. For those of you who are scared of Indian food because of the spice. Don't be. You can order any dish in mild spice and it is worth it!

I was able to meet with an Indian family for a few language and cultural tips. It was wonderful and I'm pretty sure she made the best chai tea I've ever tasted! It was homemade and delicious! I'll be drinking a lot of that in the next month for sure. Sangita is her name and her daughter's name is Mehr. They are so amazing and I've actually taught her daughter before. I am so grateful that they invited me into their house and shared with me! She even called her relatives in New Delhi to tell them I was coming and that if I needed anything I could contact them. I don't care what some people say... this world is full of some pretty great people.

Diana and I moved out of our apartment. The nightmare is over. Well, kind of. It just moved over to my Grandma Weitzel's house. I guess we'll just deal with that later. I have to say I was a little sad to leave the place. I really did like that apartment and I've lived with many good friends there... Jen, Amber, Shelby, Randi, and Di. I'm not totally sure what I will be doing once I get back from the other side of the world but I'm trusting that the Lord will take care of that plan. Plus worrying and stressing about what comes next is not my style.

I had my last violin lesson for the semester. Clyde made me promise to have fun in India but to come back. It made me laugh. He's great. I was actually thinking the other day while I was practicing that I've learned so much from him. He's a great teacher and I'm so glad that he has the patience to work with me. The violin definitely is not one of those instruments that you can pick up and start playing.. let's say... Nickel Creek bluegrass. I'll get there someday.

I've been home for the past few days but I will update about that another time. And I'll try to add some pictures later... as soon as I find my camera cord in this mess. :)

"...be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."

1 Corinthians 15:58

It's not about me...

"You said, Ask and I'll give the nations to you..."

2009-06-17T00:18:00.022-04:00

"Oh Lord, that's the cry of my heart...

Distant shores and the islands will see your light

as it rises on earth."

Back to my roots....

This is actually a blog that I have been wanting to write for awhile... but just could not find the right words. However, some great conversation with some really cool friends back home has inspired me. Thank you Bri and Korey.

Love as I have loved you.

I remind myself of this everyday, and there is no way I could ever do it on my own, but through Him there is only room for more love. There always will be. No matter what the circumstance. Of course it is hard living for the sake of the Lord and for the

sake of others. Maybe even one of the hardest things in life, but I cannot imagine living for

anything else.

To be an encouragement to others... to be devoted to one another... to love people... to see Him in every face I meet. I'm weak and I'm not very good at it, but I do my best. It's something to strive for. It's one of my biggest passions. It's something I want to take with me everywhere I go. To work, to practice with my girls, to the grocery store, to India!

They'll know we belong to Him by our love.

So, with that being said, I headed back to the thumb this past weekend and it was wonderful. I really do enjoy going home and I am so grateful that I grew up in the community that I did. Even if it was annoying to drive an hour to the nearest ANYTHING. But really, Pigeon is a great place. If you haven't been there, y'all should come visit sometime (eh hem...JEN MOL RANDI!! I mean, what kind of roommates are you!!) but make it in the summer. Winters are a little on the depressing side. Anyway.. I had a lovely dinner with the grandparents and family. I love my grandparents. They're so cool. It's so intriguing to listen to their stories.. I'm sure most of you have experienced the same with your own grandparents. I wonder what it would've been like to live back then.. sometimes I wish I could travel back in time and see what it was like during different time periods.

Wow. I am a little all over the place today. But moving on... I had the best time with Korey and Briana this weekend! Bri and I hopped in the car and drove to Korey's apt. in Bay City and had a little chat with some chocolate fondue and fresh strawberries. Mmmmm. It was some great conversation... from politics to pop rocks (we like to cover a wide range). On the way home Bri and I drove through Rose Island and took some great pictures. She's super fun and I love her and the infamous road trip conversations that we have. I also really like driving through Rose Island because of the bay and the old docks. It's really pretty especially at sunset. I highly

recommend it!

Then it was back to the homestead for dinner and to play a little fetch with Abigail. She's my baby and I love her. You would too... some of you probably have already fallen under her little spell.

P.S. I love my yard at home. My parents work really hard and it shows. It's beautiful! See above.

I may have put this in here before.. but it fits and it is always worth a second helping....

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."

-Mother Teresa

"Rain down, all around the world we're singing..."

2009-06-11T12:50:00.003-04:00

"Rain down, can you hear the Earth is singing

Rain down, my heart is dry but still I'm singing

Rain down, rain it down on me.

Back to the start, my heart is heavy

Feels like it's time, to dream again

I see the clouds and yes I'm ready

To dance upon this barren land

Hope in my hands."

It has been raining most of the day and I sit here on the couch listening to the padder on the canopy, looking out my patio window, watching the rain fall to the Earth. Personally I can't think of anything better. There is something so peaceful and refreshing about a summer rain. If I hadn't just showered I would be really tempted to splash around in the puddles like when I was a kid. Mom and Dad would always get so annoyed when we would come in after the rain and leave grass clippings on the kitchen floor... whoopsie! Sorry about that.

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all I have to do in the next couple weeks. That includes moving out of this apartment. Disaster. I know I mentioned this in my last blog but it is haunting me... I can't get away from it and yet I sit here.... listening to the rain.

"My sun sets to raise again."

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"This road that we travel..."

2009-06-08T15:51:00.013-04:00

"For God's mercy holds us and we are his own

This road that we travel

May it be the straight and narrow

God give us peace and strength from you

All the day through."

INDIA UPDATE....

I have my VISA!!!!

There is no turning back now. I'm 2 1/2 weeks away from my big adventure. India here I come!

Ok, with all that excitement out... I am also getting a little nervous. But that is perfectly normal right? At least that's what I keep telling myself. The unknown is a little invigorating though. Hearing about my brother's trip to Egypt and Mike's trip to Japan also gets me going. I'm so glad that they are both having a great experience and I can't wait to see what the Lord has for me when I arrive in Dharamsala. Just waiting on that placement... hopefully it will be emailed this week!

This past week we were all sent an email/survey to fill out for the people that we will be working with during the weeks that we will be in India, aka our housemates. Another thing that I am super excited about. I love meeting knew people and making new friends! It sounds like there will be a lot of people my age there too and most of them are up for some hiking in the himalayas! (I just had the lyric from that Ricky Martin song pop in my head...weird.) I will be working with people from ALL over... Canada, Australia, Europe, and various parts of the U.S. How sweet is that?!?

Still struggling with the whole Hindi thing... I need a private tutor.

On to other things...

My girls won the district championship this year! Woot woot! It was great and they deserved it. I was so proud of them. Regionals was a hard fought battle and it was sad to say goodbye to the 11 seniors on the team, but new journeys await them as they move on to the college years. I was so blessed to have been able to coach such a great group of girls though... I really was.

The flower shop is officially closed. BUT they are still doing fresh flowers... so if you ever need anything of the sort give J.Alexander's a call! The lines are open for business!

I was home over the weekend for a little while but it was so much fun. First of all, I got to see Tressa and Curt!! It was one of those days that seeing good friends was exactly what we all needed. THEN.. we were fortunate enough to see and experience the beginnings of the city slicker migration to the "north," as they call it.. when in reality we all know that the thumb is geographically along the midline of the state of Michigan.

I'm starting to pack up my stuff in the apartment. Can we say nightmare? I wish I had magic powers...

Rush tryouts are this week and next week.. I can't wait to see my girls. They're so great!

Tonight I'm going to Mongolian BBQ with Di Di!! SO, SO EXCITED! She just got home and told me that we have a tornado watch... maybe we can storm chase...

Welp, off we go!

I've decided to end each post with an inspirational quote for y'all... here's today's gift..

"Keep your face always towards the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you."

-Walt Whitman

P.S. As pointed out by Diana today... We graduated from high school 6 years ago today.. June 8th. Now, that's crazy.

"And that all I can think about is how long I've been waiting to feel you move me..."

2009-05-22T20:57:00.014-04:00

"Close my eyes and hold my heart
Cover me and make me something
Change this something normal
Into something beautiful"

It's finally summer in Michigan! The warm weather has arrived and I even got a little sun today! I sat outside of my apartment on my oversized purple blanket with my computer and my books and had a wonderful time! Diana even joined me for a little while after she got back from the store. After that it was off to coffee with Jen, Di, and Sophie at Jackson Coffee Company. It was my first experience. I had a Shamrock White Mocha (blended) and it was awesome. While we were standing in line, there was a sign that read... "Unattended Children will be given a shot of expresso and a puppy." Haha. Just a little amusement for the day...

After I got back from a beautiful day at practice, it was time for what seems to become an annual event... BBQ with Jen and Kev! We had sweet corn, brats, and hamburgs all fresh off the grill. It was delicious. Thank you Kevin for risking your life among the hot coals to grill us up some grub. Well done, champ. And yes, we checked, his eyebrows are in tact and accounted for.

I also got to read about Mike's adventure in Japan today! How exciting! AND I heard from my little brother in Egypt!! Also, very exciting!! YAY! It sounds like they are both having fun so far. I just get so excited for people traveling and experiencing other cultures. That is one of the things about Spring Arbor that I am extremely grateful for. The cross cultural program is such a great opportunity that you can not replace.

Finally, Eric Rudland called me yesterday and I have been struggling with decisions. He needs to know what I am planning on doing for next fall. Although I would really love to coach my girls again.. I just don't know what else I would do here. The AD at Jackson Christian has offered me the coaching job for the JV boys program as well but I just don't know if I can stay in Jackson for another season. It all depends. Right now I am not clear as to what I want or what I am supposed to do. So, I guess my plan of action would be to tell Eric to give the job to someone else and if I end up being around in the fall I can help out here and there. Does this sound plausible? I don't want to accept a job, not knowing what the next few months will bring and then having to back out and leave the girls without a coach. On the other hand, when I come back from India... so far I do not have a job... and I will not have a lot of money to relocate. So, the other option is to take the two coaching jobs, find a place to stay in Jackson for 3 months and then be on my merry way. This way I can earn some money when I come back to the States and look to move on from there... come November. Ahhh.. sometimes life decisions are annoying. I know the Lord will use me wherever I end up but what if I make the wrong decision? What if I am holding back? These "What If" questions are driving me crazy! So feel free to advise me... I would like to hear some opinions by those who know me best. :) As for now, all I know is that I am leaving for India on June 26th and returning in August. No plans after that but I am getting really excited!

Bonus Feature...

The other day I was working with Sam (my manager). We were packing up the back room and finding places in the store for all the hidden little trinkets. Anyway... enter boisterous middle aged woman. I knew she was trouble the moment I heard her start talking, because from that moment on she didn't stop. Talking about her beach house and heading to a wedding.. I didn't get all the details. Sam was the lucky one. So Sam starts helping her while I am stocking one of the shelves a few feet away. I tried to block out her obnoxiousness but I couldn't help but catch little parts of the conversation. Sam later told me the entirety of the encounter. Apparently the woman was a pastor and she was doing a wedding this weekend somewhere. When asked about the sale Sam told her that we were going out of business but Hope was still going to carry on the fresh flower part of the business.... "Well, let me get a business card because people are always asking me where to go for flowers and such for their weddings," was the woman's reply. Little did Sam know what she was getting into. Sam fished out a business card from the back room and the woman was ready with hers when Sam returned. She had not one but a bunch of cards fanned out in her hand like a magician ready to perform a card trick. She says..."Pick one. There's a gift on the other side." Sam was a little apprehensive at this point but did as the lady instructed. She slowly picked a card and turned it over to see what was waiting for her on the other side. Before she had the chance to read it the lady snatched the card out of her hand and her expression turned into that of concern. In a grim voice she revealed the gift.. "You got Owl Medicine. That means deception. Someone is deceiving you. Probably at night. Do you know any night owls?" Sam didn't know what to do. The lady proceeded to recite a poem and told Sam that only Sam knew what it meant, she was just the messenger. The woman finally left and when Sam looked at her card a little closer it said she was a pastor but a medium, fortune teller, etc. Wow. I'll just let you soak that all in. It was definitely a unique experience (and somewhat humorous).

"A father to the orphan, a healer to the broken... This is our God."

2009-05-18T21:51:00.013-04:00

Weekend update continued...

Saturday...

Work. Work. Work.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

If you haven't heard. J.Alexanders florist of Jackson is going out of business. That means huge sales, which in turn means we have more business in one day than we've had over the past year. So busy, in fact, that I was at work 45 minutes after closing as I was watching over a few stragglers. Gotta love the customers that come in 5 minutes before closing.. "just to look." Oh goodness...

After work, I called Angela. We decided to get together and go out for an Indian dinner in Ann Arbor. So, I hopped in the trusty Grand Am and headed East. I met Ang and Dave at their apartment and we headed downtown to Raja Rani. Let me just tell you the food was AWESOME! It was Dave's idea to get the dinner for three so we could try a bit of everything.. kudos to you Dave, that was a grand idea. Here's what we had...

Indian Spiced Tea... Excellent

Tandoori Chicken.. very good but the fluorescent red color is a little intimidating

Lamb Curry... my first experience with lamb, it went well.

Navrattan Korma... awesome veggie dish with a spicy sauce, Ang & I decided it was our favorite

Naan... the most amazing bread EVER!

Raita... I think this was the cole slaw type stuff but it had the worst after taste

Dessert.. Rice pudding or Mango ice cream. Ang & I had the ice cream... two thumbs up. Dave had rice pudding he let us try it... also very good.

It was such an awesome dinner! I was so excited and it was really fun to try and figure out what we were eating... because we really had no idea. For example, one of the appetizers I ate was fried but the breading was shaped a little like a goldfish... luckily it turned out to be some type of fritter. Whew! I told Ang and Dave I felt like we were food critics as we sat at our little corner table by the window and discussed what each bite tasted like. So fun.

After dinner we went to rent a movie. We decided on 7 pounds. Although it was a little depressing, it was very well written. It took awhile to develop but I thought it was pretty good. What a great night with some really great friends!

Sunday.

Once again.

Work. Work. Work.

Busy. Busy. Busy.

Lots of sales and lots of people staying past closing. Oh well. It doesn't bother me that much, just as long as they are polite. One lady came in and I helped her find what she was looking for and then had a little chat with her about her dog that she rescued from an abusive home. She was such a great lady. When I finished ringing her up, I told her to have a nice day and she told me "Oh I already have. You've just made my day!" I just stood there and thought for awhile. I didn't even do anything. All I did was take a little time to listen to her stories and talk to her. Funny how simple things like that can bless another person's life and you don't even realize it. All it takes is a little effort.

On to our soccer game at the Ella. Jen and I both scored and our team dominated. However, we didn't clinch the championship title this year. No free t-shirt... :( Oh well, it's always fun to get out and play even if it isn't the best competition. At least you get to meet some really interesting people.

That's it for the weekend update... until next time.

"And he brings peace to our madness and comfort to our sadness...This is our God"

2009-05-17T19:09:00.008-04:00

Friday.

The day started off early since I was called into sub at Jackson Christian. I was teaching Jr. High Science/Gym and had one class of high school gym. It actually ended up being an easy day because the 8th graders were gone for a field trip. That meant no first hour, third hour prep, no 4th hour and no 5th hour....so on to high school gym, second hour. Kickball was on the day's agenda. Ahhh.. takes me back to elementary school. Anyway... we were having a grand old time outside playing some good ol' American kickball and then one of the boys kicked a foul ball. Little did I know the events that were about to unfold...

Mr. Howdyshell, who serves as a math teacher/athletic event bus driver, was out getting the buses ready for the track meet and soccer game scheduled for later that evening. He stopped to watch the game for awhile. That's when things went foul... literally. As I was standing on the first base line I watched the ball go foul and made the appropriate call (I'm such a good umpire..:)) Then instead of someone going to fetch the ball to resume play, I heard someone kick it. I turned slightly only to see a blue rubber sphere taking up my entire line of sight.

Impact.

It nailed me right in the side of the face. I had to concentrate really hard not to fall over. The kids laughed and clapped and added that they wished they had a video camera so I could be published on Utube. Embarrassing, but what are you going to do. I just laughed. I laughed even harder when I found out it was Mr. Howdyshell that kicked the ball. The whole school knew by lunch time but it didn't turn out so bad... Mr. Howdyshell bought me pizza for lunch. Like I said.. never a dull moment at JCS.

After a long day of kickball and some battling with Jr. Highers, it was off to Washtenaw Christian for the girls soccer game. Let's just clarify that this is the field that we are going to play on for districts. We arrived after 2 detours.. gotta love Michigan construction, and the lines appeared to waiver because the ground was so bumpy.. AND half the field was mowed and half wasn't. Umm.. wonderful.

Then I want to just share a story to give you an idea of the refs we had. Our keeper got a yellow card for saving the ball and running into a player. She turned her back before she hit her so she wouldn't get kicked in the face and she was awarded a yellow card. If that isn't confusing enough... after the call he gave us a goal kick! WHAT?!? Clearly, he had no idea what he was doing. I hope he doesn't come back for districts.

On to the positives... We won 8-2 and one of my girls scored on a header! Yay!

It was back to the homeland to get ready to go see Mike and Korey at SAU Baccalaureate. Yay for graduating! It was great to see them and their families and other friends like Zuz, Stroh, and CJ. After it was over the Yoders invited me to pizza, where we met up with Shari, and a trip to Wal-mart. It was great fun. I love that family. They're great. After our adventures, Shari came back to stay at my apartment for some great conversation and a good night's rest.

More weekend update to come...

"On the wings of the morning, hope is rising..."

2009-05-10T14:45:00.008-04:00

"We will rise on the wings of the morning
Though we hide, hide in the shadows of the night
There is hope, hope in the hands that have made us
And are holding us tight."

So again... it's been awhile. I actually wrote this really long post earlier today and then my computer died. Talk about frustrating. I had to take a break before trying to complete it again.. so here we go.

Well let's start with early last week. I played secretary for Jackson Christian for a couple days. That was fun. It also happened to be staff appreciation week and I got free food. BONUS! It was delicious. I had to do a couple of announcements over the PA. Talk about anxiety attacks. I hate doing PA announcements. In fact most of the time I write down what I am going to say so I don't freeze in mid sentence and sound like a complete idiot. Other than that, I answered phones, dealt with a nose bleed and a few sickies, and wrote passes for all those late comers. It's always an interesting day at Jackson Christian.

My girls soccer team has been in a little slump lately. One of our games last week was against Springport. I had never been to Springport but as soon as I got off the exit and drove by the pig farm, I immediately thought I had been teleported back to Huron County. The school was in the middle of a field, the team's strategy was kick and run, AND the fans were yelling things like "Send her!" and "Boot it!" Oh the good ol' HC... it was quite nostalgic, actually. The girls were a little discouraged after losing that game so we had a re-focusing session at practice. I think it went pretty well and we did decent at our tournament on Saturday. We ended up coming in 2nd.

Thursday and Friday I spent working at the flower shop getting ready for Mother's Day. WOW. I thought Valentines Day was bad. I had no idea! Plus it is prom season so we had those orders on top of Mother's Day.

For our Mother's Day celebration, my parents came down to watch part of my tournament on Saturday and then we went out to eat at Olive Garden. Diana came with us too... after all she is basically part of our family. Anyway we had to wait quite awhile.. it being Mother's Day and Prom night. While we were waiting for our table some of our Rush players/my Western students walked in. We said hello and they seemed pretty excited to see us and then proceeded to demand a picture. So yes, Di and I were in a prom picture.

1. Weird.

2. Wow. We're old.

It was fun to see the girls though. I'm going to miss them.

After we finally were seated... dinner was great! I love Italian food.

At church we talked about Mother's Day and how it is a great day for some but also very hard for others. I immediately thought of my player Renee who was killed in a car accident in January. I felt for her mom and her family. Diana had also mentioned how her coworker Mickey was having a rough weekend since she had lost a son in the past year. I can't even imagine what it's like. I am blessed with a great family that I can celebrate with but I also need to remember those who aren't as fortunate and who are suffering.

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12:15

I had a soccer game this past weekend with the Ella Sharp Rec League. Apparently no one showed up this week and when I got there at half time (due to coaching at the tournament) we had been playing a player down. We were still winning 1-0. I got there and we were at full strength. Jen and I had a sweet connection going. There were a few times where we connected 2 or 3 one touch passes in a row and then Jen had a corner kick and I scored with a header! It was great! Took me back to high school when I would score off of Di's corner kicks. Not that we were playing against super competition but it was still awesome! My one complaint about the game was that I was playing on the outside against this 40 year old woman who would stiff arm me across the face when going for the ball. Oh, I was getting so mad! By the end of the game I had two big cuts on the inside of my bottom lip and my top lip was swollen from getting hit. Grrr. But in all honesty, after I scored that header I didn't care one bit.

My most recent news is that I found out my Grandpa was admitted to the hospital. About a month ago, he was scratched by a cat when he was giving it the anesthesia to spay it. Anyway he put disinfectant on it when it happened but it didn't quite do the trick. The infection spread and his whole arm swelled. I went home to visit him and he is doing much better. He isn't very happy about staying in the hospital until Friday though. He's not one to just sit around and he is getting a little bored. To help, I took him a Where's Waldo book. :)

I will write more often from now on... I promise.

"Your mercy reigns, your mercy comes, your mercy falls and rises with the sun..."

2009-04-27T21:34:00.019-04:00

"... it's new every morning, it's new every morning, it's good enough for me."

This song by Shane & Shane came on when I hit mile 6 and my quad felt like it was tearing in half. Needless to say, I was begging for mercy. And it came in the form of a water station where I grabbed a cup of orange gatorade from a happy volunteer

and sipped some of the magic which gave me the boost to push through the pain.

So it's a week overdue but here are the details from my experience running in the Charlottesville Half Marathon last Saturday (April 18th 2009). Enjoy.

#2166. I picked up my race packet from the Charlottesville Running Company in downtown Charlottesville the evening before the race. Downtown was swarming with people due to the marathon and apparently good ole Dave Matthews was in town for a concert at UVA. Korey Canfield and I used Mike's GPS to find a nearby seafood restaurant (I am convinced that seafood makes me run better... I've tested it) for my pre-race dinner. Bonefish Grill was the winner.. and delectable. I highly recommend the tilapia with the mango sauce and the jasmine herb rice. Anyway Korey and I had a room at a bed and breakfast near downtown which was sufficient for our one night stay. We got back to the cottage and I went straight to bed... except I couldn't sleep. I was too excited/nervous/anxious. I don't know what I was.. I just knew I was going to be running 13.1 miles at 6:30 the next morning. What was I thinking...

I beat my alarm and was up at 5:00am. I took a shower to make sure I was alert and ready for the morning's endeavor. I ventured into the kitchen to make myself a fuel filled breakfast which consisted of a peanut butter whole wheat bagel, a banana, a Nature Valley granola bar, and some sweet iced tea. I was feeling good. Six o'clock came around and Korey was up and ready to take me to my race. She dropped me off at the starting line and snapped some pictures as I took my place in the pack. There were so many people and I didn't know anyone. I didn't take much time to really talk to very many people either... I was too worried about what I had gotten myself into.

The sun was barely rising when the starting bell rang. Two thousand some people slowly funneled their way through the narrow street and the madness was officially underway. I plugged myself into my mom's iPod shuffle (which she let me borrow for the weekend) and there was no turning back. I spent the first couple miles taking it all in. Employees of the local businesses lined the streets and people leaned out their second story apartment windows to cheer for us as we ran by. It was great! Then, the hunt began. I needed to find a pace partner/running buddy (this was part of Mitch's advice when I saw him the night before at EMU). It took me awhile but by mile 3 I had spotted my victims. They were two girls who

looked about my age and were going about the same pace that I had been training at for the past couple months. They looked like they were pretty serious about the race too so I knew they would help keep me motivated, and they did. Pace partner(s)... check.

Dodging the sporadic puddles of saliva on the pavement, I ran past the university... I made my way over a bridge with the highway below

my feet... I ran into the countryside where white fences lined the country road... I ran past trickling streams,

fields full of freshly bailed hay, and pink blooming dogwood trees. It was a beautiful landscape to run through... it really was.

But then again.. at this particular time in my life... I did not see the beauty in the Virginian hills. Normally, I would. I love to see changes in elevation since I've been sheltered living in Michigan all my life. However, as I was running the race, a feeling of agony would be more appropriate. There were quite a few little hills throughout the course which were a decent challenge but nothing I couldn't handle. Then came Mount Saint Oh-My-Gosh-I'm-Going-to-Die. I had been running through a shaded area where there were streams and pretty trees that made a sort of canopy over the road. I had just finished mile 4. I was feeling great. My feelings of tranquility were abruptly interrupted when I emerged from the woods, turned the corner and saw the 3/4 mile hill staring back at me. I immediately had a flash back to my college preseasons in Traverse City and all I could do was laugh. Here we go.

I summited and this is the part where my quad was about to snap in half... but the magic orange gatorade saved the day and I was on my way to victory once again.

I made it to the turnaround mark and pitied the marathon runners who had a good 20 miles ahead of them. I was glad I only had 6 more to go. Making my way back through the country was probably the hardest part of the race. I had to make my way back down the mountain that I had climbed about a mile and a half earlier and I was struggling to keep my pace (even though I was still following my pace partners). I had to stop on mile 10 for a quick stretch. I told myself I would not stop for more than a minute. By 45 seconds, I was back on the move. A couple days before I left I was talking to Kevin and his advice was to "keep the pace." I kept telling myself this for the entirety of the race, especially the last 3 miles. Running is a mental battle for me so it helped me stay focused. Keep the pace... check.

The route changed course as I entered the city limits. To finish we were guided to run through the campus of UVA. They even had part of the marching band playing for us as we ran past the tennis courts. It made me smile. I was getting really excited... I was almost there! It was time to leave my pace partners behind. I didn't know where it was coming from but I had so much energy! Maybe I spoke too soon because there they were again... those darn hills! There was a volunteer at the bottom of the last hill on the course who was overly jubilant. I think this was strategic. Ma

ybe they thought if we saw how much energy he had we would forget that we had been running for 2 hours and not be irritated that there was a hill less than a mile from the finish line.

No matter. I was almost there and I was determined to finish hard. I sprinted the last half mile. It wasn't a full out sprint but it was as fast as I could go after running 12 miles. I couldn't feel my legs but I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face. I was in pain but I felt so good.

As I made my way past the finish, they collected my time chip off my shoe, handed me a bottle of water and Sobe vitamin water and awarded me my medal. YAY! Korey was there to document my finish and capture the exhaustion afterward. I was glad she was

there.

I did it.

2:17:40

I went. I ran. I conquered.

"Give me your eyes for just one second, give me your eyes so I can see.. everything that I keep missing.. give me your love for humanity."

2009-03-31T15:24:00.014-04:00

"Give me your arms for the broken hearted

the ones that are far beyond my reach.

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see."

Last night at approximately 9:15pm... I booked a flight to India.

Yup, It's official! I'm going overseas for a month and a half this summer. I am super scared... but also excited beyond words.

I will be doing some volunteer work while I'm there in Dharamsala which is located in northern India in the Himalayan region. Rumor has it, the home base where I will be staying is in the foothills and has a gorgeous view that I get to wake up to every morning. However, that is not why I am going. I am going to serve in the rural schools. Teaching English and working with special needs children. I have been informed that while I am working in the school setting I will be required to wear traditional dress. So, apparently when I arrive I will be taken shopping and my clothes will be custom made for me. Kind of exciting but it should be interesting... My trip is all through an organization called Cross Cultural Solutions, which is not necessarily a Christian organization so I am excited to meet and work with people from all over the world.

I have to admit pushing the "continue to purchase" button on nwa.com was a little nerve wreaking. I am spending a good amount of money to go over there and I will be leaving my family and friends to pursue this ambition alone. It's scary, but I know that this is something that the Lord has put on my heart for a long time so there must be a reason. He will get me through. I know that I will have time of adjustments and times that I will miss home, but the opportunity to serve those in need and to possibly show them the love of Christ far surpasses any anxiety that I feel.

So the details are...

I leave June 26th at 7:10pm from Detroit Metro Airport. I have a stop in Amsterdam and then arrive in New Dehli on June 27th at 10:50pm.

(I remember this type of flight from Cambodia.. ehhh..)

I will have orientation in the city for the first few days and then I will hop a flight up to Dharamsala where I will be working in the schools.

After about 5 weeks in Dharamsala, I will be flying back to New Dehli for a debriefing session that will last a couple days. I will fly out on August 2nd at 12:50am and return to the U.S. at 10:40am the morning of the 2nd. I'm going to have some major jet lag to recover from.

Well there's the big news for now. I have to start getting everything together such as my visa application and immunizations and so forth.

*******

Other tid bits for you..

I ran 8 miles the other day as part of my training for the half marathon (ahhh it's in 3 weeks!) and thought I was going to die. But I will not give up! NEVER!

I've started meeting with Ron again since things have still been a little rough. It helps to keep me focused and he really has such a great gift of compassion and reason. I really appreciate how he takes time to listen to me.

California in 2 days!! Complete with wonderful friends, 70 degree weather, hiking, a wild animal park, my first experience wine tasting, a visit to the mexican market, and maybe a beach run.

I went to an Invisible Children meeting on campus last week and was really inspired by their story. It's so amazing how God can work through people to change a nation and rally the world.

I cleaned my room! I'm usually a neat person but for the last couple months I've lacked in motivation entirely.

I've been really considering getting a masters in Special Education lately. Depending on how my experience in India turns out, this may be a possibility in the next year. Hopefully I can find a job (for next fall) first though.

**********

Teach me Lord, how to love as you loved. I can't do it on my own. I need your Spirit's presence in my life. You laid down your life and even forgave your enemies form the cross. I want to love in such a way that people see you in me.

Happy Palm Sunday this week...

**********

I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.

Mother Teresa

"Loss and love and fire and rain... never would've come this way, looking for redemption"

2009-03-26T11:11:00.008-04:00

Time to play catch up again.

So, I had a birthday. I'm 24 now. That's old.

I didn't really do anything for my birthday. I substituted at Jackson Christian (Jr. High) and had a soccer game with the JCS girls. The announcer at the game did make a point to announce me as "Coach Kara 'the birthday girl' Weitzel" and the girls sang to me during stretching. I was a little embarrassed. After I got home Di and I went to Olive Garden. Pretty low key but it was good. I guess birthdays just aren't as much of a big deal anymore. This is how I know I'm getting old. I did, however, get lots of messages that meant a lot to me... but no acknowledgment from the person I care for the most. That hurt. I know it's been months, but there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him and pray for him. I don't understand it. Any of it. But I guess I don't have to. I believe God is at work here... somehow, somewhere.

"Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."

Mark 14:36

Like I said I substituted for the Jr. High on my birthday but that turned into a job that lasted all week. I taught math and science for half the week and gym for the remainder of the week. It was an adventure. I had the mature girls (I am convinced that there is no such thing as a mature boy at this age.. there are a couple well behaved ones but they are usually the shy ones), the too cool for school boys, the screamers, the girly girls (which are most likely part of the screamer clan) and one little boy that kept sharing some not so fragrant gases. Oh, Junior High.

This past weekend I went dress shopping with my cousin Allyson for her wedding along with most of the other bridesmaids. It was a crazy day at the bridal shop, yikes! Too many women in one place... it kind of drives me crazy. It makes me think of that women's expo that they have across the street at Parkside Middle School in Jackson. I would probably choose to go through some sort of torture rather than being in that building... not to mention way to have a bunch of elderly women driving around the round about. That is the epitome of a near death experience. Anyway, after each of us trying on a few, we decided on a dress and I really like it. I think it will be really pretty. After dress shopping I met my parents for THE LION KING!! It is at the Wharton Center this month and I had never seen it before, whereas most of my family already had. Wow. It was amazing! I absolutely loved it. I remember talking to Jen about it before I went and I was a little confused on how she described some of the costumes but I totally understand now! They were incredible! Not to mention the music.... oh man! And still, Mufasa's death gets the tears flowing every time. I can't help it.

We met some family friends for dinner at Mitchell's Fish Market. I decided to squelch my fear of seafood and try some fresh grilled tilapia along with a bit of calamari for an appetizer. Seafood cuisine is a whole new world for me, and although very frightening, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

Well there is more that I would like to write about but this is getting a little long so I will update again soon. California is a week away! Randi, Ju, and Jordan.. here we come!

Ten thousand angels will light your pathway... they will surround you, and make your way straight"

2009-03-13T20:58:00.006-04:00

What a busy day.

I woke up and had a couple phone calls to make. I poured myself some OJ and got right to work.

First I called the cottage rental place in Virginia. This past week I realized that I had to make reservations for the night before the marathon. I totally forgot about getting a hotel room, however when I started calling this week, EVERYTHING was booked! I really didn't know what I was going to do but then I found this cottage rental service where people actually rent out rooms in their homes (like bed and breakfast style) or they have small cottages that they rent out for around $100 a night. I found one that was like a mile from the race site and booked it. The lady was so nice too, she even offered to let me use her membership at the local sports club to get cleaned up after the race. Gotta love that southern hospitality!

Next on the agenda was calling Midas. After I went to get my oil changed a couple days ago they found a leak in my tire and the cause of it was a crack in my left rear rim. They had to keep my tire overnight so they could work their magic with some special chemicals. I didn't get a call yesterday so I decided to call this morning to make sure everything was ok. Steve, my friendly mechanic, had actually lost my phone number in the computer so it was a good thing I called. I saved him the trouble of digging through all of the receipts from the past couple days. Anyway my tire was fixed and ready to go... I'm glad it didn't turn out to be more serious, otherwise they were going to have to send it out to a specialist and Lord knows how much that would've cost. I was going to escape with a mere $20 repair fee. Annoying... but a lot better than what it could have been. Later on I went to pick up my tire and there was another older couple being helped at the time.. so I just waited in the lobby for my turn. When they finally got everything situated I stepped up to the counter to pay for the repair. Steve looked at me and said that he would cover the charge and it would be complementary today. WHAT?? Who does that? I couldn't believe it. I asked him if he was sure... he said you've been very patient and not to worry about it. Steve, you're the best!

After my phone calls, I looked at my training schedule today and it was an easy 3 mile day. So I went for a little run in the park since it was such a beautiful day outside. I would just like to say that this training program that I'm on is amazing. I've never been able to run like this before. After a workout, I feel great!

I got back to the apartment and it was off to a quick shower to get ready to substitute teach. I cut it a little close but I was there before class started. I taught art today. So I basically just sat and watch students draw all hour. There were a lovely few that refused to do their work saying things like.. "It's not like this class even matters..." THEN WHY ARE YOU TAKING IT?? Bah!

Next, Soccer practice. I had defense today for about a half an hour. I had six players to work with and I've concluded high school girls do not focus, especially on Fridays. We worked on clearances but they are afraid to head the ball if it is coming at them with any kind of force. Ahh. This is going to be quite the project. I want to train a flat back this year but after today I left a little discouraged. We'll see though, it's only the first week.. and it was our first day outside.

Finally.. I came home and I was about to leave for Grand Rapids to visit my friend Deanna. I quickly cleaned up and packed so I could meet her for dinner. Before I left I checked my phone, that I had accidentally left at home today, I had a couple voicemails. I checked them and it was Jen... SHE HAD THE BABY!! Oh my goodness, I was so excited. I quickly called her back and she told me I was welcome to come up to the hospital! Oh boy! I mean.... Oh baby girl! I called Deanna and apologized that I couldn't make the trip because of the new arrival. She totally understood and we decided to get together another weekend. When I got to the hospital Grandma and Grandpa Moore were there along with Grandma Gienapp and Uncle Tom. So cute. And speaking of cute... there was Dad and Mom with the cutest little baby you ever did see! She's perfect. Good job God... (and you too, Kevin and Jen).

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..."

James 1:17

"Butterflies are free to fly, why do they fly away.. and I'm left to carry on and wonder why.. even through it all, I'm always on your side."

2009-03-09T18:24:00.006-04:00

What happened?

Where does this pain come from?

Why do people hurt the ones they love?

Why do people say things they don't mean; make promises they don't intend to keep?

Where is faith?

Why do people run away?

Is she the reason?

Was I foolish to believe?

"I want to give my life to you, for it's all I have to give... because you gave your life for me."

2009-03-08T19:27:00.005-04:00

So, it's been awhile.... let's catch up (in non-chronological order..)

As a brief overview.. in the past couple weeks I've made an overnight trip to Traverse City, wrapped up coaching my Rush team (which was bittersweet... I loved the girls but the organizing was just really frustrating at times), started conditioning and tryouts with the Jackson Christian girls, taught high school Biology for two days, babysat baby Shelby with Di, went to B & N with Jen and Di, outran the police, joined a gym to train for my half-marathon in April (SnapFitness to be exact... Randi, remember your experience there?), dealt with a doozy of a customer at work, and told my parents about my plans for India this summer. There is definitely a lot more than this but like I said it's a brief overview.

Now for story time...

1. My random trip to Traverse City was to join my dad for Farm Bureau's state convention at the Grand Traverse Resort. My mom couldn't go with him so he called me on Thursday and told me that he was up there by himself. I couldn't bare the thought, so at 8pm I decided to drive up north to stay with him for the night and be his date to the formal dinner the following night. Well I got to Kalkaska and low and behold northern Michigan was getting a snowstorm. It had been 40 degrees and sprinkling in Jackson when I left so I didn't pack a coat or expect to be driving 27 mph for over an hour. I should know better though, I've lived in Michigan my whole life. I guess I was blinded by the hope of spring. Anyway, getting to the point... I was approximately 2 miles from the hotel and my car spun out of control and slid into the ditch on the other side of the road. Let me remind you that I was just in the ditch on Bradleyville road (that's by Pigeon for those who aren't familiar with the name) a month ago. What the heck! I've never been in the ditch before and now it's 2 times in one month. I did find out that Traverse City has some great citizens. Three or four people stopped to check on me and a deputy that was off duty set up some flares around my car and waited with me until my dad arrived. He even gave me his card to prove who he was. When I read it, it said he was from the narcotic unit. Is there major drug trafficking in northern Michigan? Weird... Well everything turned out fine. No damage. Got a tow. And we're back in business...

2. Rush is over. Eric asked if I was going to be around to coach next year... I politely said that I needed to find a full time job and right now this area wasn't being very cooperative in providing me with one. We'll see though. I'm applying at a couple districts within an hour of here so it could be possible for me to commute. Highly unlikely that I will be staying though...

3. I did conditioning with the girls this week... due to training for my half marathon the mile run had nothing on me. I felt great! I was, however, pretty sore from doing hills and sprints.

4. I taught Bio at Jackson Christian this past week. I now know more than I ever wanted to know about the Bubonic plague, SARS, West Nile and a bunch of other disease causing bacteria.

5. Shelby is the cutest thing! And what an awesome baby... she hardly ever fusses and she didn't cry at all. She's pretty chill. Mach and Brent bought Di and me pizza and we spent the evening watching TV and playing with Shelby. Shelby spent the evening watching tv, crossing her eyes, starring at the light bulb, sleeping, and flatulating on me. Luckily, we did not have another explosion like Diana experienced a few weeks ago.

6. B & N and Chipotle with Di and Jen.. reading and mexican food topped with a carmel frap, mmm wonderful. It was fun, besides the constant badgering that I got from when I ran my car into a dumpster at the SAU apartment over 2 years ago (remember Mol? you were the only eyewitness to that feat).

7. I outran the Po Po when I was out on deliveries the other day. I passed one when I was going between 62 and 65. I didn't realize it until I saw him put on his brakes to turn around. Fortunately, I was right where Brooklyn road splits so I took the split and turned off so he couldn't find me. I win!

8. I am a member of Snap Fitness and I ran 4.5 miles the other day. I'm excited. A little over a month left and I'll be running in Charlottesville. Supporters are welcome!

9. Why are people so grumpy when all I want to do is give them flowers? I don't get it. Come on people, have a little joy and show a little gratitude.

10. Welp, looks like I'm going to India at the end of June! I'm still making final plans so I'll write more about this adventure later. It deserves its own post. And this one is getting way too long...

Until next time...

Oh great light of the world, fill up my soul... The light of your grace, to fill up my heart

2009-02-21T22:56:00.007-05:00

Another week...come and gone.

So I scored a goal on Tuesday! It was for my league in Canton. I was excited because my days of goal scoring have been a forgotten past time. I practically had to plow the keeper over to score but it counts all the same. We won 6-5. On Wednesday, I had Rush training with my girls. I didn't have anything planned but it ended up being one of the best sessions of the indoor season. I started the girls out with little instruction and waited for them to figure out the tricks of the drill on their own. That didn't happen. I wasn't that surprised. So, I stopped the drill and asked them what would help. They made some good points but not exactly what I was looking for. So I told them. I started the drill. They did what I told them. Success! It is so encouraging when you see improvement! Thursday was indoor in Lansing. We won 7-3. Friday was the Championship. My parents even came to watch (they are still super fans - even for indoor). We lost 5-4. Almost an undefeated season, but not quite. It was really dumb how we lost but that is a rant that I don't want to get into at the moment. Stupid Team Summit.

Jen and I made a mega batch of applesauce this week. Let's just say we are becoming experts and who knows maybe we'll be a household name someday. Look for us and our products in your local grocery store.

Let's see... for those of you who do not know. I am taking Violin lessons with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. My teacher's name is Clyde. He's a fun guy and he's very patient with my squeaks and imperfections. I feel so elementary sometimes because when I am packing up from my lesson, Clyde asks the student that comes in after me "So are we going to be playing Bach or Mozart today?" This week I am working on staccato music which is a lot harder on the violin than say the piano and trumpet which I have played before. Clyde is also teaching me a stroke called "stick on the hair" which when it is not done right can produce one of the most horrific sounds I've ever heard. But it's coming... Johann will have to wait for now but I have "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" down pat.

Two little boys came in with their dad this week to the flower shop. I would have to say around ages 5 and 3. Their mom had been away on a trip and it had been just the guys at home for the past few days. Well, mom was coming home and dad had brought the boys in to pick out some fresh flowers for her return. I walked over to the front coolers to help them. The dad kindly instructed the boys to tell "the nice lady" (I hate being called "lady") what flowers they wanted to get for mom. The youngest walked over to a nearby table and picked up a hideous bunch of purple and white silk flowers and proudly said, "I want this one!" Dad redirected and reminded him that the real flowers were in the refrigerators. The eldest pointed to the yellow mums sitting in the back corner and the youngest quickly followed the example of his older brother and said he wanted the same. I knelt down to their level and pointed out some pretty purple flowers to go with their choices. The oldest responded with "Ewww" but I won over the youngest so I figured 1 out of 2 ain't bad. I took the flowers to the front to wrap them up all pretty while the boys took off in the store like it was playland at McDonalds. The highlight of their trip was when they found the fish pond in the back. They came running up to tell their dad about their discovery. The youngest looked at me and asked what their names were. I said that they didn't have names and that he could name them. Oh man, it was like I gave the child a million dollars as he ran back to tell his brother that they were the ones who were in charge of naming the fish. When they finally returned to collect their flowers and head home, I asked what they had named the fish. Between the two of them they came up with Nemos (which could quite possibly be the Spanish version of Nemo), Dorthy, and Sharkface. There you have it... the famous fish of J.Alexander's florist in Jackson, Michigan. It's moments like these that make my job worth it.

"If I stand let me stand on the promise you'll pull me through..."

2009-02-15T20:43:00.005-05:00

I feel like today is a great day to start my blog. Yes I have been peer-pressured long enough and I have finally decided to give in.

First of all, this weekend was a crazy madhouse at work! I know that is a little redundant but the extra emphasis is needed. I was an order taking, bucket washing, rose wrapping, flower selling machine. With that, I have a new respect for florists everywhere. I am exhausted.

On Friday nights I am playing soccer with my awesome team in Lansing. I don't want to sound proud or anything but we dominate. Our name is team Sparbor, get it? Spring Arbor.. but all one word?? Clever, huh? (Here is a little side note.. Dear Paul Johnson, you are amazing at soccer. I love to watch you play. I wish I could be more like you.) Playoffs are next week and I'm really hoping, even though I highly doubt it, that the prize will be a free t-shirt this year.

My parents and Craig have come down to the past two games and they even brought us cookies! It was like I was back in college again. Eating the various treats from the buffet set up outside the clubhouse.... Leipprandt's cider and donuts, homemade cookies, chocolate cake, mmmm. Anyway, they stayed the night here in lovely Jackson at the Comfort Inn (my dad loves it there especially because of the SAU discount). They spent the afternoon shopping around town waiting for me to get out of work and then we went out to dinner at the Jumbo Buffet. They did this really cool thing for Valentines Day where they handed out a valentine to every table. Some were winners and some were not. Craig opened ours. We received a Barbie valentine with a message "Happy Valentines Day!" Losers. Even though we didn't hit the jackpot, it was really great to see my family. At the conclusion of our meal, the grand finale of all asian meals, we shared our fortunes. Craig's advised him to talk to relatives who were at a distance and encouraged him to "share his news." Dad's said his lucky number was 7 (really? they couldn't come up with anything better than that?). Eric's was really creepy and said someone was watching him from a distance. I forget what my mom's said and mine said that I would find success working in the medical field... whoops, missed that memo.

Finally, it is Sunday. My alarm went off and I quickly silenced it.... this was repeated 3 more times which made it 9:22am. I had to leave my apartment at 5 minutes to 10. No shower for me this morning! I see no problem with this because...

1. Customers on Sundays come as frequently as Haley's comet.

2. I spend most of the day cleaning the store.

3. Sleep is way more valuable than my appearance.

4. I lack motivation when getting ready for work on Sundays. I would much rather be getting ready for church. I've decided that whatever job I have after I leave here, I will ask for Sundays (at least mornings) off. It throws my whole week off.

I thought there would be a lot more to clean at work today but it wasn't all that bad. Even though I don't like working on Sundays, I do have to admit it is kind of nice to be at the shop by myself. I can clean at my own pace and I can listen to my iPod all day. I spend a lot of time thinking on days like this... which can be good and can be bad. Today was one of those bad days. So, I couldn't wait to get home because Di had asked me to go to Barnes and Noble with her AND we were going to eat at Chipotle! I was excited to get away. Little did I know...

I got home and I was a little emotional from the day and I was a little annoyed because all of the parking spots were taken in front of our apartment. Before I started my ascent up the stairs I hear Di calling to me saying that I needed to come upstairs because she needed to show me something. I was expecting a funny utube video, but when I went upstairs I found out that all those cars outside belonged to Ang, Karianne, Shari, & Jen! They all came over to surprise me for a Valentines treat. I was so excited, surprised, and overwhelmed that I started crying. I really love my friends and it really meant the world to see all of them. I felt so loved and taken care of. We all went out to Olive Garden for amazing food and some very entertaining conversation. It wouldn't be an outing if we didn't talk about bowel movements, Karianne's dad's unfortunate injuries or ridiculous high school memories. After dinner we crammed into Di's car and took a pit stop at Target before heading back to the apartment. We sat around and talked for the remainder of the evening and we even got a free speech lesson from Shari! Speech Pathology is so interesting!

Once again, I can't thank all of you enough for the support you have given me. You guys are awesome and I am truly blessed.

Di- Thanks for sneaking behind my back, lying to me and planning a wonderful day!

"I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you..." Romans 1:8