Hello from Arizona! I could make this post really long, but I don't have the time or the brains to right now. I'll tell some highlights.
I'm working with Minor League baseball players from the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians most weekdays, teaching them English. Most of them are from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Taiwan. It's fun and sometimes kind of crazy, and I've gotten a chance to witness to the Taiwanese translator! PLEASE pray for him - he and his wife have heard the whole gospel, are seeking to read the Bible, and need the Holy Spirit to regenerate them and enlighten the eyes of their heart. I have also gotten close with the Marquez family, and I will miss them a lot when I leave! It is hot here, and I'm not used to city life. At all. I did not realize what I country girl I was until I came here! I miss my green, scenic, peaceful home and life, and friends and church. But I love the people here, too! My Spanish is improving and I have made friends in the church.
It is time for me to go now, so adios!
Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arizona. Show all posts
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
A day in my life
I've had a wonderful day so far. This morning Mom, Dad, Zach, and I went to a favorite restaurant in town for breakfast out as a family, which we haven't done in many years. It ate so much I didn't eat lunch, and still haven't at 3:27 PM! After two enormous chocolate chip pancakes smothered with peanut butter and drenched in real maple syrup, accompanied by four satisfying sausage links and a glass of milk, who wants lunch anyway?
When we got home, mom and I had a nice talk in her bedroom, with no other distractions and no multitasking. Just... talking. I cherished it, knowing that we won't have another like it for a month. Soon she had to go off with my dad to get a vehicle checked, so I steeled on the couch with Anne of Green Gables (which I have been devouring for the past week or so), intending to read three chapters and leave the last four for tomorrow. But when you're only four chapters away from the end of such an enchanting book, it's awfully hard to put it down! I finished the whole book. The beginning of it is sweet, and it makes you laugh, but the end is truly beautiful. I cried, of course - I always do at those sort of things!
Finishing the book, I went outside to wander around and think and pray. I decided to pick some daisies and make a chain for my hair, and the closest place where the daisies are growing is in the ditch by the road. So, I stepped into the deep ditch beside our dirt road and started picking the nicest looking ones, and stringing them into a crown. As I did, though, I noticed some tiny, wild strawberries growing! Oh, there is nothing quite like wild strawberries. Cultivated ones are alright, but the wild ones are so much sweeter. And they look so much prettier, springing up here and there amid daisies and buttercups, instead of in unimaginative rows.
So I traversed the rocky ditch up and down, wearing a heavy denim skirt and a too-big t-shirt since all my other clothing is packed and a tiara of daisies which looks much less romantic than it sounds. But I didn't care if someone did drive by and think I looked silly, because it felt delightful. That's the nice thing about where we live though - people rarely do drive by! Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of deerflies, and two of them discovered my presence and would not leave me alone. When I had eaten all of the berries I could find, I came in here to write this post, and so I sit, filled with a delightful peace about life. To think that in 48 hours I will be boarding an airplane by myself and heading off across the nation... wow! It's thrilling.
When we got home, mom and I had a nice talk in her bedroom, with no other distractions and no multitasking. Just... talking. I cherished it, knowing that we won't have another like it for a month. Soon she had to go off with my dad to get a vehicle checked, so I steeled on the couch with Anne of Green Gables (which I have been devouring for the past week or so), intending to read three chapters and leave the last four for tomorrow. But when you're only four chapters away from the end of such an enchanting book, it's awfully hard to put it down! I finished the whole book. The beginning of it is sweet, and it makes you laugh, but the end is truly beautiful. I cried, of course - I always do at those sort of things!
Finishing the book, I went outside to wander around and think and pray. I decided to pick some daisies and make a chain for my hair, and the closest place where the daisies are growing is in the ditch by the road. So, I stepped into the deep ditch beside our dirt road and started picking the nicest looking ones, and stringing them into a crown. As I did, though, I noticed some tiny, wild strawberries growing! Oh, there is nothing quite like wild strawberries. Cultivated ones are alright, but the wild ones are so much sweeter. And they look so much prettier, springing up here and there amid daisies and buttercups, instead of in unimaginative rows.
So I traversed the rocky ditch up and down, wearing a heavy denim skirt and a too-big t-shirt since all my other clothing is packed and a tiara of daisies which looks much less romantic than it sounds. But I didn't care if someone did drive by and think I looked silly, because it felt delightful. That's the nice thing about where we live though - people rarely do drive by! Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of deerflies, and two of them discovered my presence and would not leave me alone. When I had eaten all of the berries I could find, I came in here to write this post, and so I sit, filled with a delightful peace about life. To think that in 48 hours I will be boarding an airplane by myself and heading off across the nation... wow! It's thrilling.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
I'm back
Hello, folks.
These past few days I have sort of freaked out and have gone back and forth as to whether or not I want to continue blogging. I delted my blog, then un-deleted it... twice. In the end I have finally decided that I will keep it and continue, because I do love blogging. But I also created a new, private blog to share my personal thoughts with my close friends. Good solution, I think.
As an update of what's been going on in my life the past few days: I have been very sick but God is helping me to get well incredibly quickly - just in time for my trip to AZ. I leave next Monday, so I have been packing and preparing as much as possible, along with going nuts because I want to be completely packed, but it is not practical or sensible for me to be yet. :P Tonight I am going to slice 3 quarts of strawberries and then read as much of Anne of Green Gables as I have time for. Oh, it is such a fabulous book!
So, that's everything I've been doing. Hope you all have had a lovely weekend! And by the way, during my freaking out time, I stopped following most of your blogs. So if you have a blog and I was following it (or I wasn't but you'd like me to check it out) would you drop me a comment and say so? Thanks!
These past few days I have sort of freaked out and have gone back and forth as to whether or not I want to continue blogging. I delted my blog, then un-deleted it... twice. In the end I have finally decided that I will keep it and continue, because I do love blogging. But I also created a new, private blog to share my personal thoughts with my close friends. Good solution, I think.
As an update of what's been going on in my life the past few days: I have been very sick but God is helping me to get well incredibly quickly - just in time for my trip to AZ. I leave next Monday, so I have been packing and preparing as much as possible, along with going nuts because I want to be completely packed, but it is not practical or sensible for me to be yet. :P Tonight I am going to slice 3 quarts of strawberries and then read as much of Anne of Green Gables as I have time for. Oh, it is such a fabulous book!
So, that's everything I've been doing. Hope you all have had a lovely weekend! And by the way, during my freaking out time, I stopped following most of your blogs. So if you have a blog and I was following it (or I wasn't but you'd like me to check it out) would you drop me a comment and say so? Thanks!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Missions trip!
Oh my, I really need to write a post! For the past week or so I keep thinking of things and saying, "I want to write a blog post about that!" But then, I haven't written any posts because in my last one I promised to show pictures from my fabulous trip to Florida, and I haven't been able to get them on the computer yet. So, I am just going to hold off on that and write about other things for now.
Something that I am SOOO excited about and want to tell you all is that I'M GOING TO ARIZONA THIS SUMMER! Lol. :) For the past 4 years I have been studying Spanish, which has been great for me. Also, as you know, I am very interested in missions and reaching the world for Christ. Last fall, a missionary family from Arizona visited our church. As they told about their Spanish-speaking church plant near Phoenix, I was intrigued and eager to know more. I had the opportunity to talk with them after the service, and they suggested that I should come visit them for a missions trip sometime. I was thrilled! In January I wrote them an email reminding them of my interest, and since then we have been corresponding through email and phone to plan a trip. Amazingly, the Lord has worked it out perfectly and provided for it every step of the way. I will be flying out on June 18th and returning July 14th. What I will do there is basically help with anything that's happening - VBS, church, work, visits, etc. I will be with the Pastor's family the whole time. Being immersed in Mexican culture for a month will be an amazing new experience for me. And a good chance to practice my Spanish! I am truly in awe of the way the Lord has blessed me and led me. Please keep me in your prayers as it is going to be a VERY new experience for me. Thanks! :)
Something that I am SOOO excited about and want to tell you all is that I'M GOING TO ARIZONA THIS SUMMER! Lol. :) For the past 4 years I have been studying Spanish, which has been great for me. Also, as you know, I am very interested in missions and reaching the world for Christ. Last fall, a missionary family from Arizona visited our church. As they told about their Spanish-speaking church plant near Phoenix, I was intrigued and eager to know more. I had the opportunity to talk with them after the service, and they suggested that I should come visit them for a missions trip sometime. I was thrilled! In January I wrote them an email reminding them of my interest, and since then we have been corresponding through email and phone to plan a trip. Amazingly, the Lord has worked it out perfectly and provided for it every step of the way. I will be flying out on June 18th and returning July 14th. What I will do there is basically help with anything that's happening - VBS, church, work, visits, etc. I will be with the Pastor's family the whole time. Being immersed in Mexican culture for a month will be an amazing new experience for me. And a good chance to practice my Spanish! I am truly in awe of the way the Lord has blessed me and led me. Please keep me in your prayers as it is going to be a VERY new experience for me. Thanks! :)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Adventures
Well, life is as busy as ever! The past week has been mostly just school and normal life, but tomorrow I leave for Florida! I am am So excited because 1) I have never been to Florida, seen the ocean, or even been on a plane before so it is a new adventure, and 2) My very dear friend Katy happens to be 10 minutes away from where I am going (my grandma's cabin) and she just had her first baby very early this morning so I cannot WAIT to see them both!
My life is a wonderful adventure these days and I am loving every minute of it. Here's a sampling of some of the wonderful things going on in my life these days:
1) Practicing Moonlight Sonata (3rd movement) for a recital on may 17th, and my part of an 8-hand arrangement for church in 2 weeks
2) Reading the book Radical and studying it with our youth group
3) Planning for a month long trip to Arizona this summer to intern with a missionary pastor's family in a Hispanic church plant (which happens to be only a few hours from the Grand Canyon - maybe I'll get to see it!)
4) Going on a plane for the first time this week
5) Looking into/praying about going to New Tribes Bible Institute after high school
6) Going to Florida, seeing the ocean, and maybe even swimming with manatees - how cool is that?!
7) Seeing a friend who is now married, in her own home, and a mother! I can hardly even comprehend it!
8) Going to a "Heart of Addiction" counseling conference next week at our church
9) Watching another brother move away and my last one preparing to be gone for the summer - yikes!
10) Experiencing my walk with Christ becoming more personal than ever in prayer
I am so blessed!
My life is a wonderful adventure these days and I am loving every minute of it. Here's a sampling of some of the wonderful things going on in my life these days:
1) Practicing Moonlight Sonata (3rd movement) for a recital on may 17th, and my part of an 8-hand arrangement for church in 2 weeks
2) Reading the book Radical and studying it with our youth group
3) Planning for a month long trip to Arizona this summer to intern with a missionary pastor's family in a Hispanic church plant (which happens to be only a few hours from the Grand Canyon - maybe I'll get to see it!)
4) Going on a plane for the first time this week
5) Looking into/praying about going to New Tribes Bible Institute after high school
6) Going to Florida, seeing the ocean, and maybe even swimming with manatees - how cool is that?!
7) Seeing a friend who is now married, in her own home, and a mother! I can hardly even comprehend it!
8) Going to a "Heart of Addiction" counseling conference next week at our church
9) Watching another brother move away and my last one preparing to be gone for the summer - yikes!
10) Experiencing my walk with Christ becoming more personal than ever in prayer
I am so blessed!
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