Another whirlwind weekend came to a close and left us exhausted. In fact, I was so exhausted that I slept nine hours, ate a late brunch, and then slept for another three, getting up a little after one only because of a phone call. Yes, exhausting to say the least.
Well, we left Friday and did the usual Friday night routine at camp: checkin, game room, staff meeting, chapel, root beer floats, bed. Saturday we got up, had breakfast, went to chapel, had lunch, had some free time, and then went to Ferris State University to use their recreation center. Around 8pm we went back to camp, had chapel, had some free time, and dropped into bed around 2:30am. Sunday morning came early and we packed, had breakfast, went to chapel, and then headed home.
Some highlights of the weekend were climbing an ice wall - complete with ice picks and crampons (those spikey things on your boots), volleyball, and a dodgeball tournament. The speaker was fantastic. His name is Trevor Heyde, and he's also from Michigan. He looked unlike any speaker I've ever seen, and came sporting a stocking hat, dark clothes, and skinny-ish jeans. He is a beatboxer, and a skateboarder. And he has an extreme passion for teenagers. He used fun and memorable analogies, and let me tell you, those high schoolers listened when he spoke. He may have used words like; "bro," "sis," "whaaa?!," "dude," and other slang/skateboarding language, but he knew how to relate to these students and that is more important than being grammatically correct. He was also very real with the students; he didn't sugar coat things, and he understood that they are well on their way to being adults. Here's a few short notes from his messages:
Message #1
1. We are all created to love (Genesis 2, Matthew 22:37)
2. God loves you (John 3:16 .."but whoever believes in Him.." = "whoever makes Him the center of their universe"
**What do you make the center of your universe?**
3. Believe.
Message #2 - Romans 14:13-23 - "Cut The Bull Crap"
(First he told a story about cow tipping and ending up covered in cow poop after tripping and running through it after the saw a bull face to face)
1. When it comes to sin, the question isn't "is this sin," but, "is this going to lead me to be more like God"
2. It's time to stomp that crap in your life that may be causing you or someone else to stumble
3. Mark 9:42-47
Message #3 - "Ducks Fly Together"
(After using analogy of ducks flying in a V formation, and one seeing other ducks in a pond, joining them in a pond, and getting shot)
-Matthew 1:23
1. It is not good to be alone (Genesis 2:18, Proverbs 27:17, Ephesians 4:3)
2. Fly in unity (Ephesians 4:11-16)
3. God is with us (Matthew 1:23)
It wasn't clear sailing for the whole weekend though, we had some hiccups. Due to behavior and other factors we actually had to send a student home. None of us were happy about having to do it, and it was not an easy decision. Please pray for the situation, it's not yet fully resolved, but we are working on it.
So that's that. After a crazy weekend I was crazy sore and crazy tired, but the students are great and it was a good weekend. Now we have about a month off before the Tween Retreat :) haha.. that will be fun too.
A house update is that appliances are on the way to our house as we speak! Our dishwasher, stove/oven, and fridge are being dropped off, and some of the finishing electical touches are getting done today. On top of that, last night I put a decent amount of things in our kitchen cupboards, and after my class was cancelled today, I took a two hour block to put a very large tote full of food in the cupboards also. Things are coming along quite well! Can't wait to be living there!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Timelines
For many of our students this is the long-awaited weekend: Winter High School Retreat. Staff and students alike are pumped about this retreat! We are taking seventeen students and have four leaders. We'll get there late tonight, have chapel, some root beer floats, and then crash. Tomorrow will bring more chapel, and an afternoon at the rec center of a nearby university. Sunday will bring even more chapel and then a drive home. Mixed throughout will be many new memories and opportunities - and we are excited to see whats in store. Please pray for both staff and students - that we will be receptive to each other and what God is going to do this weekend. I'm sure you'll hear about how it went next week!
Another ministry update is that our church has officially called a new senior pastor. We voted last Sunday in approval, called him, and he confirmed and accepted our invitation for the position. The limeline is something like: his last week at his current church will be the last Sunday in February, they will travel the first few days of March, get acclimated to this town, and then he will start the end of March. We are excited about this new chapter and transition at our church, and our prayer is that God's will will be carried out and He will pleased. As in most churches, there are a few people who aren't so keen on the process/decision, so please keep our church body in prayer too, as we transition during this time.
A house update is that we are getting closer and closer to moving in! The carpet and flooring is in, everythings painted, we're just waiting on getting our appliances and then the final plumbing hook-ups. Appliances will be here sometime next week, and the plumbing will be finished this weekend. Then all we'll have to do is move in! Woohoo! Caleb already situated our bedroom and the furniture in the living room. There's still some unpacking to do of stuff that we already have there, but Caleb has been working really hard while I've been at work, and the house is really starting to look like a home! And move-in inches closer.. We're slightly excited about this, if you can't tell ;)
See you next week!
Another ministry update is that our church has officially called a new senior pastor. We voted last Sunday in approval, called him, and he confirmed and accepted our invitation for the position. The limeline is something like: his last week at his current church will be the last Sunday in February, they will travel the first few days of March, get acclimated to this town, and then he will start the end of March. We are excited about this new chapter and transition at our church, and our prayer is that God's will will be carried out and He will pleased. As in most churches, there are a few people who aren't so keen on the process/decision, so please keep our church body in prayer too, as we transition during this time.
A house update is that we are getting closer and closer to moving in! The carpet and flooring is in, everythings painted, we're just waiting on getting our appliances and then the final plumbing hook-ups. Appliances will be here sometime next week, and the plumbing will be finished this weekend. Then all we'll have to do is move in! Woohoo! Caleb already situated our bedroom and the furniture in the living room. There's still some unpacking to do of stuff that we already have there, but Caleb has been working really hard while I've been at work, and the house is really starting to look like a home! And move-in inches closer.. We're slightly excited about this, if you can't tell ;)
See you next week!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
True Woman | Too Old to Connect with Teens?
True Woman Too Old to Connect with Teens?
I found this article on a blog I follow this morning. I understand that right now I too am the "older sister" and hope to glean more of the word from teachers like those mentioned here!
Its worth reading, so go ahead :)
I found this article on a blog I follow this morning. I understand that right now I too am the "older sister" and hope to glean more of the word from teachers like those mentioned here!
Its worth reading, so go ahead :)
Monday, January 23, 2012
Hands Of The Healer
Earlier today I was looking for songs to sing this Sunday during worship at youth group, and I came across this song. I had never heard it before, but really like the artist so I took a listen. It is such a beautiful song.
I found it especially fitting for my thoughts today as I have been dealing with a few situations that are just heart-wrenching. Please keep our students in your prayers; they are going through some crazy things. Sometimes as adults I think that we assume middle and high school students have it soo easy. They really don't. Some are facing family issues, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-image issues, etc., and we don't even realize it. What we, as staff, keep asking is; "what is the root issue" and time and time again find out more situations our students are enduring. Their lives aren't as simple as some people think, and they are champs for not giving up. These kids are tough, but their souls are screaming for help. That's why we're here, for them. My desire is to love on these kids and show them they not only matter, but that they have worth, and that worth is from redeeming hands where blood flowed down, from the hands of the Healer. My prayer is that they will find themselves in those very same hands, bask in love's embrace, surrender, and let Him take care of them.
Please join me in being a prayer warrior for these students.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Adventures
Hello bloggers! Ifeel like it has been forever since I've written in here, yet it's only be about a week and a half. A full week and a half though :) Since my last DC post, here are some of the things we've done:
Last weekend Caleb and I took twelve students on a retreat up at camp. It was a great weekend, to say the least. Good fun, good fellowship, good times, and a great speaker. The guy who spoke is Matt McCarty (http://2tim2two.com/page1, http://mattrmccarty.wordpress.com/) and he did a phenominal job. When he spoke, these students listened, and he didn't underestimate them. He spoke to them like they were equalls and told them that many people underestimate them, so they learn to underestimate themselves. He told them they can do big and hard things. And I'm glad to said that to them. When I was that age, I felt like people saw me as a baby and thought I couldn't do anything becuase I was young. I was discouraged and thought less of myself because of that. I'm so glad Matt told these students they can do so much more than anyone thinks they can. He understands that they really are aware of many things at their age, and are trying to grow up. He also told them they have some major decisions at their age regarding friends, actions, conduct, etc., and challenged them to live their faith. There were some great responses and feedback from the students, and we are thankful for that. I would recommend him to speak to any youth.
After we got home from the retreat on Sunday, we got to meet the candidate for senior pastor that night. I've been trying to be open minded about the whole search process, and I'll admit, it had been very hard. It adds a whole different aspect when one of the cadidates is the man who is currently the associate pastor, as is very much loved by a church body. But anyway, after listening to his sermons online and viewing his resume, I was curious to meet this man. We didn't get to meet or talk to him very long, but here are a few things I noticed: he made it a point to try and remember names he learned, he really seemed to be listening/observing when someone was speaking, he seemed genuine, he could relate to people. During a question and answer period, he answered questions to the best of his ability, and then asked if the person who had asked him the question understand his response. Another big thing was that his whole family was very personable. I wish I had gotten to talk to him a little bit more, a half hour worth of being only around someone is a very short time, and makes very hard to judge how they will lead a church body. It all comes down to prayer then. Please join me in praying for our church body as we vote to not bring or bring this family into ministry at our church. Pray that above all else, God's will be done, even if we don't understand, or agree fully with the conclusion at this time.
House update: flooring is in! I laid on the carpet yesterday, just because I could :) The carpet we chose is a chocolate brown color (aka "Beakskin") and I'm glad we chose that instead of a darker beige color we were thinking about. The brown looks great with the wood effects in the house, and the white paint makes the carpet pop. The linoleum we chose is like a beige color, and also looks great. We ordered stainless appliances, and Caleb tracked down a great deal on those! (I love deals and sales, did you know that?! Just saying.. ). So right now they're just working on getting the kitchen tile clean and free of all ground-in drywall dust, which is wayyy harder than it sounds. Hopefully this weekend will be even more productive in getting some of the plumbing finished so we can have running water! The simple joys in life...
Last but not least, I seem to have caught something, or its just allergies. My nose is runny and itchy and my eyes are watery and itchy (don't worry, it doesn't look like pink eye, I checked!). Last night at praise team practice a friend mentioned it might be allergies, which I hadn't yet thought of. So last night before bed I took some allergy medicine and slept like a champ - which I hadn't done the night before. Other than my nose and eyes, I'm a bit tired, but feel fine. I'm hoping hoping hoping its just allergies.
So what's on our plate for this weekend? Tonight we're having two other couples over for some dinner and a movie - the new movie Courageous, I'm super excited to see it! Saturday will be devoted to working at the house. Sunday we teach Jr. Church and I'm on praise team. Busy busy yet again! We'll see if I don't have time for a a nap sometime in the midst of all the stuff ;)
Well, that's all for now, I think. Have a good weekend!
- Started a new semester of college =/ (me)
- Taken some Middle School students on a retreat
- Met the candidate our church is interviewing for the position of senior pastor
- Got carpeting/linoleum in our house, AND ordered the applicances
- Been sick.. (oh wait.. thats just me. ha)
Last weekend Caleb and I took twelve students on a retreat up at camp. It was a great weekend, to say the least. Good fun, good fellowship, good times, and a great speaker. The guy who spoke is Matt McCarty (http://2tim2two.com/page1, http://mattrmccarty.wordpress.com/) and he did a phenominal job. When he spoke, these students listened, and he didn't underestimate them. He spoke to them like they were equalls and told them that many people underestimate them, so they learn to underestimate themselves. He told them they can do big and hard things. And I'm glad to said that to them. When I was that age, I felt like people saw me as a baby and thought I couldn't do anything becuase I was young. I was discouraged and thought less of myself because of that. I'm so glad Matt told these students they can do so much more than anyone thinks they can. He understands that they really are aware of many things at their age, and are trying to grow up. He also told them they have some major decisions at their age regarding friends, actions, conduct, etc., and challenged them to live their faith. There were some great responses and feedback from the students, and we are thankful for that. I would recommend him to speak to any youth.
After we got home from the retreat on Sunday, we got to meet the candidate for senior pastor that night. I've been trying to be open minded about the whole search process, and I'll admit, it had been very hard. It adds a whole different aspect when one of the cadidates is the man who is currently the associate pastor, as is very much loved by a church body. But anyway, after listening to his sermons online and viewing his resume, I was curious to meet this man. We didn't get to meet or talk to him very long, but here are a few things I noticed: he made it a point to try and remember names he learned, he really seemed to be listening/observing when someone was speaking, he seemed genuine, he could relate to people. During a question and answer period, he answered questions to the best of his ability, and then asked if the person who had asked him the question understand his response. Another big thing was that his whole family was very personable. I wish I had gotten to talk to him a little bit more, a half hour worth of being only around someone is a very short time, and makes very hard to judge how they will lead a church body. It all comes down to prayer then. Please join me in praying for our church body as we vote to not bring or bring this family into ministry at our church. Pray that above all else, God's will be done, even if we don't understand, or agree fully with the conclusion at this time.
House update: flooring is in! I laid on the carpet yesterday, just because I could :) The carpet we chose is a chocolate brown color (aka "Beakskin") and I'm glad we chose that instead of a darker beige color we were thinking about. The brown looks great with the wood effects in the house, and the white paint makes the carpet pop. The linoleum we chose is like a beige color, and also looks great. We ordered stainless appliances, and Caleb tracked down a great deal on those! (I love deals and sales, did you know that?! Just saying.. ). So right now they're just working on getting the kitchen tile clean and free of all ground-in drywall dust, which is wayyy harder than it sounds. Hopefully this weekend will be even more productive in getting some of the plumbing finished so we can have running water! The simple joys in life...
Last but not least, I seem to have caught something, or its just allergies. My nose is runny and itchy and my eyes are watery and itchy (don't worry, it doesn't look like pink eye, I checked!). Last night at praise team practice a friend mentioned it might be allergies, which I hadn't yet thought of. So last night before bed I took some allergy medicine and slept like a champ - which I hadn't done the night before. Other than my nose and eyes, I'm a bit tired, but feel fine. I'm hoping hoping hoping its just allergies.
So what's on our plate for this weekend? Tonight we're having two other couples over for some dinner and a movie - the new movie Courageous, I'm super excited to see it! Saturday will be devoted to working at the house. Sunday we teach Jr. Church and I'm on praise team. Busy busy yet again! We'll see if I don't have time for a a nap sometime in the midst of all the stuff ;)
Well, that's all for now, I think. Have a good weekend!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Trains, Planes, and Automobiles
Well sorry I missed you yesterday - as you can imagine it was quite an eventful day
Our alarms went off at 6am and we were up and rolling. We got ready, said our goodbyes and then were whisked to the... train station. That was a different experience for me. I've been on a train before, but it was when I was little and it went super slow; it was more of a scenic thing for kids in my hometown. Anyway, we were the fifth stop and then there was a shuttle to take us to the airport. As we were waiting for the shuttle, a lady turned to us and asked us if we were from Michigan (we were wearing Mackinaw sweaters). We were surprised but answered yes and had a great conversation with her both while waiting for the shuttle and while on it. She's from this side of the state, but further south. So we checked in and got in line for security, and guess who was behind us.. that lady (Beth). Once again we started talking and when she found out we both worked at a church and with kids her eyes lit up. "Really?!" she said.. and it went from there. It turns out that her daughter went to Cornerstone University and her son is a pastor at some church in Michigan. It was definitely a neat conversation. After we got through security, we grabbed something to eat and waited to board the plane. As we were sitting there Caleb joked about how funny it would be if Beth was sitting by us on the plane. Well.. guess what. She sat directly in front of Caleb.. haha.. we would've talked some more, but the drone of the plane was hard to hear over and she looked like she had work to do. So after the plane landed, we told her it was nice to meet her and went our separate ways. After running into a friend at the airport we got our bag and headed out.
After a stop at Target, we headed for Muskegon, made a few stops there and headed home. We got home to a painted house which looks awesome (thanks to Caleb's parents!) and then came back to where we're staying. We put our bags upstairs and sat down. And sat there. After a busy weekend it felt really good to just sit there (...and watch some NCIS, of course). We got to bed late and today was long. Up early, work, class, work, and then annual business meeting. To top it off, I woke up with a headache that never left. Soooo it was a long day after a long weekend and I'm just plain spent.
So, here's some pictures from the train ride and flight home.. I'm going to bed :)
Our alarms went off at 6am and we were up and rolling. We got ready, said our goodbyes and then were whisked to the... train station. That was a different experience for me. I've been on a train before, but it was when I was little and it went super slow; it was more of a scenic thing for kids in my hometown. Anyway, we were the fifth stop and then there was a shuttle to take us to the airport. As we were waiting for the shuttle, a lady turned to us and asked us if we were from Michigan (we were wearing Mackinaw sweaters). We were surprised but answered yes and had a great conversation with her both while waiting for the shuttle and while on it. She's from this side of the state, but further south. So we checked in and got in line for security, and guess who was behind us.. that lady (Beth). Once again we started talking and when she found out we both worked at a church and with kids her eyes lit up. "Really?!" she said.. and it went from there. It turns out that her daughter went to Cornerstone University and her son is a pastor at some church in Michigan. It was definitely a neat conversation. After we got through security, we grabbed something to eat and waited to board the plane. As we were sitting there Caleb joked about how funny it would be if Beth was sitting by us on the plane. Well.. guess what. She sat directly in front of Caleb.. haha.. we would've talked some more, but the drone of the plane was hard to hear over and she looked like she had work to do. So after the plane landed, we told her it was nice to meet her and went our separate ways. After running into a friend at the airport we got our bag and headed out.
After a stop at Target, we headed for Muskegon, made a few stops there and headed home. We got home to a painted house which looks awesome (thanks to Caleb's parents!) and then came back to where we're staying. We put our bags upstairs and sat down. And sat there. After a busy weekend it felt really good to just sit there (...and watch some NCIS, of course). We got to bed late and today was long. Up early, work, class, work, and then annual business meeting. To top it off, I woke up with a headache that never left. Soooo it was a long day after a long weekend and I'm just plain spent.
So, here's some pictures from the train ride and flight home.. I'm going to bed :)
While in the train
Gorgeous sunrise from the train
For most of the flight we could see four things out the window: the wing of the plane, the sun, white, and blue
You could see this river until the horizon
Some clouds just floating around as we hurry on our way..
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Birthdays, Baptisms, and Tourism
First of all, let me say Happy Birthday to my great grandma! Love you! And to our godson, who turned six today!
Well another great day, and our time here in VA is coming to an end.
This morning came early, and we were at the church by 8am. We had rehearsal and then the service started. The baptism went great and all the kids were adorable. Our godson did great and was super cute. In their church they don't have access to a baptismal, so instead of dunking the kids they poured spoonfuls of water on their heads. After the first spoonful of water was poured on his head, some dribbled down his forehead and into his closed eye. He twitched and winced and tried oh so hard not to wiggle! It made me want to laugh; so cute! After the baptisms they had a service which was very interesting to me. Their services contain a lot of getting up and down, and a lot of pre-written responses to what is said, which for some reason I always thought was a negative thing. But its not, and I really enjoyed the service. The sermon was on justice, and was very challenging. Although never spoken, the verse that kept running through my head was Micah 6:8 "He [God] has shown you, o mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" The sermon hit on "doing justice," just like the verse, and how we really need to enforce justice in our daily lives. It hit home and left me thinking.
After the service we came back to the house and had brunch with a bunch of other families who came over. Lots of laughs, shenanigans, tickling, and giggling later, a few of us went to the Museum of Natural History. It was very neat. We were pressed for time so we didn't look too closely at things, we had to be out by 5pm. After that we went to the Iwo Jima memorial for the marines who gave their lives in battle, the Vietnam Memorial wall, the Lincoln Memorial, and drove past Arlington Cemetary. All were really cool (and I got some great pictures). By then it was getting really cold and dark so we went home. There was dinner, gift opening and more playing, and then some dessert before some left and some were put to bed ;) All in all, it was a great day.
Tomorrow will be another adventure that I'll tell about at the airport maybe. It'll be an early start though, so I'm keeping this post short. Anyway, here are some pictures from the day. Enjoy :)
Well another great day, and our time here in VA is coming to an end.
This morning came early, and we were at the church by 8am. We had rehearsal and then the service started. The baptism went great and all the kids were adorable. Our godson did great and was super cute. In their church they don't have access to a baptismal, so instead of dunking the kids they poured spoonfuls of water on their heads. After the first spoonful of water was poured on his head, some dribbled down his forehead and into his closed eye. He twitched and winced and tried oh so hard not to wiggle! It made me want to laugh; so cute! After the baptisms they had a service which was very interesting to me. Their services contain a lot of getting up and down, and a lot of pre-written responses to what is said, which for some reason I always thought was a negative thing. But its not, and I really enjoyed the service. The sermon was on justice, and was very challenging. Although never spoken, the verse that kept running through my head was Micah 6:8 "He [God] has shown you, o mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" The sermon hit on "doing justice," just like the verse, and how we really need to enforce justice in our daily lives. It hit home and left me thinking.
After the service we came back to the house and had brunch with a bunch of other families who came over. Lots of laughs, shenanigans, tickling, and giggling later, a few of us went to the Museum of Natural History. It was very neat. We were pressed for time so we didn't look too closely at things, we had to be out by 5pm. After that we went to the Iwo Jima memorial for the marines who gave their lives in battle, the Vietnam Memorial wall, the Lincoln Memorial, and drove past Arlington Cemetary. All were really cool (and I got some great pictures). By then it was getting really cold and dark so we went home. There was dinner, gift opening and more playing, and then some dessert before some left and some were put to bed ;) All in all, it was a great day.
Tomorrow will be another adventure that I'll tell about at the airport maybe. It'll be an early start though, so I'm keeping this post short. Anyway, here are some pictures from the day. Enjoy :)
Museum of Natural History
Iwo Jima - Marines Memorial
Vietnam Memorial wall
Lincoln Memorial
Arlington Cemetery
And this is an extra treat. The same little girl who "stole" my camera last night really really enjoyed her ice cream cake. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she decided to lick her plate clean! :)
Saturday, January 7, 2012
"Jesus Loves Me.... Hallelujah!!"
This area is overwhelming. First, it's huge, and I'm a little country girl used to open spaces. Second, there's sooo many people. Third, although both of the previous statements are true; I love it.
Today was 60 degrees and sunny. We were playing with the kids outside in t-shirts, and loving it. There were pancakes, family, friends, a ninja themed birthday party, and a trip to Georgetown. Everything was great. I'm getting used to hearing people speak in Albanian, and loving being able to watch their exchanges. It gives me great joy to simply not understand the language and force myself to try and understand other things instead; body language, simple joys, and the way some of the family interacts. During the birthday party today, one of the men visiting came over, gestured toward me while speaking to someone else, and then that man turned to me and told me what had just been spoken in a language I didn't understand (besides the giant grin on the mans face); that man really liked me because every time he saw me I had a big smile, and he liked that. That made my heart happy. We couldn't understand each other verbally, but we did in a different way. For the record.. about the man who complimented my smile, his eyes light up when he smiles, and his smile gets bigger and his eyes get brighter when he is interacting with one of the kids. That makes me smile.
Things feel different here, and I am overwhelmed with a sense of family. There's family visiting, friends, and a college student who goes to the local university all here. It doesn't seem to matter where we all come from, or how different we are, everyone just carries on together. And in my opinion, that is how it should be. Not that I don't feel a sense of family with my family in Michigan, but this is somehow different, because of the different people.. ya know..?
Something else that overwhelms me is how I love being with the kids, and seeing how Caleb loves being with them too. It makes me anxious for one (or.. a few..) of our own, even though I know its not a good idea for us to have any right now. That's another waiting game. In His time.. it will happen, we know that :) But we also know that it's not a crime to look forward to it very much :)
Another highlight of the night was dinner, and the singing/performing of the youngest kid. This little girl was half naked, and kept running across the back of a few chairs (between a few people who were feeding her different things) singing her own rendition of Jesus Loves Me and the Hallelujah Chorus. It went something like "...Jesus loves me this I know... Hallelujah!!!!..." and on & on she went. It was hilarious and encouraging all at the same time. Seeing someone that small singing about Jesus loving them is so precious. Lets just say that it didn't help me being anxious at all. "In His time.."
Well, before I post pictures, I'll tell you what tomorrow may bring. As far as we know, our godson's baptism is in the morning, brunch after that, and then we might go to a museum. We'll see how the day goes, and I'll let you know.
Today was 60 degrees and sunny. We were playing with the kids outside in t-shirts, and loving it. There were pancakes, family, friends, a ninja themed birthday party, and a trip to Georgetown. Everything was great. I'm getting used to hearing people speak in Albanian, and loving being able to watch their exchanges. It gives me great joy to simply not understand the language and force myself to try and understand other things instead; body language, simple joys, and the way some of the family interacts. During the birthday party today, one of the men visiting came over, gestured toward me while speaking to someone else, and then that man turned to me and told me what had just been spoken in a language I didn't understand (besides the giant grin on the mans face); that man really liked me because every time he saw me I had a big smile, and he liked that. That made my heart happy. We couldn't understand each other verbally, but we did in a different way. For the record.. about the man who complimented my smile, his eyes light up when he smiles, and his smile gets bigger and his eyes get brighter when he is interacting with one of the kids. That makes me smile.
Things feel different here, and I am overwhelmed with a sense of family. There's family visiting, friends, and a college student who goes to the local university all here. It doesn't seem to matter where we all come from, or how different we are, everyone just carries on together. And in my opinion, that is how it should be. Not that I don't feel a sense of family with my family in Michigan, but this is somehow different, because of the different people.. ya know..?
Something else that overwhelms me is how I love being with the kids, and seeing how Caleb loves being with them too. It makes me anxious for one (or.. a few..) of our own, even though I know its not a good idea for us to have any right now. That's another waiting game. In His time.. it will happen, we know that :) But we also know that it's not a crime to look forward to it very much :)
Another highlight of the night was dinner, and the singing/performing of the youngest kid. This little girl was half naked, and kept running across the back of a few chairs (between a few people who were feeding her different things) singing her own rendition of Jesus Loves Me and the Hallelujah Chorus. It went something like "...Jesus loves me this I know... Hallelujah!!!!..." and on & on she went. It was hilarious and encouraging all at the same time. Seeing someone that small singing about Jesus loving them is so precious. Lets just say that it didn't help me being anxious at all. "In His time.."
Well, before I post pictures, I'll tell you what tomorrow may bring. As far as we know, our godson's baptism is in the morning, brunch after that, and then we might go to a museum. We'll see how the day goes, and I'll let you know.
I'm not sure who was having more fun, my husband or the kids ;)
Little ninjas.. all in a row
Georgetown :)
Someone stole my camera.. hm.. I have no idea who it was.. ;)
Friday, January 6, 2012
VA/D.C Day #1
Well our first full day was great. After being picked up at the airport last night, we got a small tour on the way to the house. We landed in Baltimore, MA, and drove to a town in VA where we are staying. Today we woke up early (after sleeping on an amazingly comfortable bed! No joke..) and went to the door to peek and see if anyone else was up yet. Well, someone was waiting outside our door just staring at it =) Caleb promptly grabbed him up in a hug and the fun began. Next, the two girls came down the stairs to greet us. We were forced to wake up quickly because the kids were talking super fast and in order for it to seem like we knew what they were talking about we had to listen really carefully. They were super excited to see us and we were excited to see them! After the two older ones were taken to school, we got ready, had some coffee (caffeine = a "must-have" of life), and were out the door on an adventure. D.C. is only a few miles away so it didn't take us too long to get there. We drove around for a while, getting the tour of the buildings from Caleb's cousin, and then got out to walk to a near by park that had a great view of the White House and Washington Monument. **Let me just add a note that it was 55 degrees and sunny here all day! It felt so amazing to not be freezing!** Next was lunch, and we ate at this neat Tex-Mex place. I got double stuffed Chorizo and Caleb got some burger with bacon, an egg, and the works. It was yummy. After that we went to the Jefferson Memorial, which was huge, and really really cool. The wee one who was with us especially loved the geese who were swimming and waddling around, and the chains being used as a fence - she was quite amusing to say the least.
When we went to get the kids from school, their energy levels were up and they were talking a mile a minute. We came back to the house, did some bowling on the wii (-the most competitive person being a five year old boy.. haha-), and got ready for dinner. Dinner was served at Caleb's-cousin's-husband's-parent's and was delicious. They also had more family fly in tonight, so it was cool to meet everyone and have dinner together. The most interesting part was listening to them speak to each other in Albanian. We were the only two there who don't know the language -yes, even the kids know it!- so we sat back at times just to take it in. I almost think sometimes its better not to understand the language around you, because then you're forced to pick up other language. The body language, facial expressions, and reactions in general were great to watch. And the exchanges between the kids and their grandparents when they spoke to each other in Albanian was astounding - joyous squeals, grins accompanied by giggles that made their eye squint together, and the laughs of the adults - all those things made it worth so much more than it may have been had I understood what was being said. Everyone was happy, everyone was having fun, and everyone knew that, regardless if we knew what was being verbally spoken.
Another interesting thing was how smart these three kids are. I've noticed every time I'm around them how just plain bright they are. On the way home tonight the two older kids and I got in a discussion about how American English is a hard language because things aren't spelled the way the sound. They then went on to give me words that they thought should be spelled differently, how they thought they should be spelled, and why. It was crazy. It was also very neat to hear what they're doing in school. And their reading levels - wow! This kindergartener can read so well. I observed in a kindergarten class last spring in Michigan and the kids there seem so much less advanced. I don't know if its because of the state they live in, private vs. public school, or the education of the parents, but there is definitely a difference.
Anyway, I'll post some pictures below of what we did today. Plan for tomorrow: most likely spend some energy in a nearby park, and then help with a ninja themed birthday party. Fun fun! This is a fast-paced place, good thing we're used to it!
When we went to get the kids from school, their energy levels were up and they were talking a mile a minute. We came back to the house, did some bowling on the wii (-the most competitive person being a five year old boy.. haha-), and got ready for dinner. Dinner was served at Caleb's-cousin's-husband's-parent's and was delicious. They also had more family fly in tonight, so it was cool to meet everyone and have dinner together. The most interesting part was listening to them speak to each other in Albanian. We were the only two there who don't know the language -yes, even the kids know it!- so we sat back at times just to take it in. I almost think sometimes its better not to understand the language around you, because then you're forced to pick up other language. The body language, facial expressions, and reactions in general were great to watch. And the exchanges between the kids and their grandparents when they spoke to each other in Albanian was astounding - joyous squeals, grins accompanied by giggles that made their eye squint together, and the laughs of the adults - all those things made it worth so much more than it may have been had I understood what was being said. Everyone was happy, everyone was having fun, and everyone knew that, regardless if we knew what was being verbally spoken.
Another interesting thing was how smart these three kids are. I've noticed every time I'm around them how just plain bright they are. On the way home tonight the two older kids and I got in a discussion about how American English is a hard language because things aren't spelled the way the sound. They then went on to give me words that they thought should be spelled differently, how they thought they should be spelled, and why. It was crazy. It was also very neat to hear what they're doing in school. And their reading levels - wow! This kindergartener can read so well. I observed in a kindergarten class last spring in Michigan and the kids there seem so much less advanced. I don't know if its because of the state they live in, private vs. public school, or the education of the parents, but there is definitely a difference.
Anyway, I'll post some pictures below of what we did today. Plan for tomorrow: most likely spend some energy in a nearby park, and then help with a ninja themed birthday party. Fun fun! This is a fast-paced place, good thing we're used to it!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Airport Security.. ;)
Here we sit in an airport, playing the waiting game. It's good to be early, but oh so boring =/
We made it here just fine and got through security without any major issues. I say major, because one carry-on did have to get searched. Come to find out, Bibles set the alarms off =) haha. In the email we received, Caleb's cousin gave us an idea of how our weekend will go. Tonight we'll get in and back to their house sometime around 9 ish, so we won't do much more. Tomorrow we'll do some sight seeing around D.C., Saturday is a birthday party for our godson and then Sunday is his baptism. Monday we have to be at the airport pretty early and will arrive back here, where I'm currently sitting, around noon. It sounds like it'll be a whirlwind of a weekend, and we can't wait!
So that's what we're up to, I hope you have a good weekend also. If you think about us during the weekend, please pray for traveling mercies and safety, we'd really appreciate that.
That was my short and sweet blurb, I'm sure you'll hear from me again soon =)
We made it here just fine and got through security without any major issues. I say major, because one carry-on did have to get searched. Come to find out, Bibles set the alarms off =) haha. In the email we received, Caleb's cousin gave us an idea of how our weekend will go. Tonight we'll get in and back to their house sometime around 9 ish, so we won't do much more. Tomorrow we'll do some sight seeing around D.C., Saturday is a birthday party for our godson and then Sunday is his baptism. Monday we have to be at the airport pretty early and will arrive back here, where I'm currently sitting, around noon. It sounds like it'll be a whirlwind of a weekend, and we can't wait!
So that's what we're up to, I hope you have a good weekend also. If you think about us during the weekend, please pray for traveling mercies and safety, we'd really appreciate that.
That was my short and sweet blurb, I'm sure you'll hear from me again soon =)
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Jumping In
What a busy morning! I've received more than my normal share of people coming and calling in with questions. It's been fun though :) I like to stay busy. And for the week before a brand new semester of classes start, it's not as busy as I'd expect.
So I'm back, like I said I would be last night. Here are some of our upcoming events:
Next, chaperoning the retreats will be fun, as always. Please pray that our students will be open and receptive to what God is going to teach them through these retreats, and that as leaders we will be able to be used for God's glory and helpful to our students.
Last but not least, we are looking forward to moving into our house more every day. I haven't been around much to work on it, but Caleb has, and we've been blessed to have people there working almost every day to help get the house ready. We're now down to the last few weeks before we move in, and mentally we are very much ready to get move in get settled. We just need to get appliances ordered and some other things finished up, and we'll be all set. Soo until then, its a waiting game.
That's all for now. If I don't write much more for a while, you'll know we're busy and have jumped into this new year at full throttle.
So I'm back, like I said I would be last night. Here are some of our upcoming events:
- Our trip to Maryland to take part in a baptism ceremony as godparents
- Chaperoning a Middle School retreat
- Finishing and moving into our house
- Chaperoning a High School retreat
Next, chaperoning the retreats will be fun, as always. Please pray that our students will be open and receptive to what God is going to teach them through these retreats, and that as leaders we will be able to be used for God's glory and helpful to our students.
Last but not least, we are looking forward to moving into our house more every day. I haven't been around much to work on it, but Caleb has, and we've been blessed to have people there working almost every day to help get the house ready. We're now down to the last few weeks before we move in, and mentally we are very much ready to get move in get settled. We just need to get appliances ordered and some other things finished up, and we'll be all set. Soo until then, its a waiting game.
That's all for now. If I don't write much more for a while, you'll know we're busy and have jumped into this new year at full throttle.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a good first two days of this new year. Caleb and I spent the first few moments of 2012 with my great-grandma in her living room, popping green grapes into our mouthes. For as long as I can remember my family has always done the same thing for the first few moments of each new year: eating 12 green grapes and thinking of resolutions. This year it was different to spend it with my husband and great-grandma, but it was a great experience.
New Years morning was quite eventful, and because of that, "breakfast" at my grandparent's didn't happen until 1pm. After that we bummed around for the day and didn't leave for home until 5:30pm. A drive that should've taken us just under three hours, took us four and a half... I guess thats just one of the perks to living in Michigan, winter. We haven't really had much bad weather up until now, and this was really the first batch of snow/ice/sleet/etc., that our (and the surrounding) town has gotten. But anyway, the roads were bad and traffic wasn't moving very fast. We had the classic experience of a first storm of the year; being behind people who seemed to have forgotten how to drive in winter weather. We had a car in front of us slam on their breaks and decide they didn't need to use a turn signal, a genius fly by us going way too fast, and we even saw a motor home with its rear end in the ditch and its front end sticking up into the air... yeah, it was a 'great' drive back. All in all, it was fine, we got back safely and without any issues. Praise God for that.
As of now, I'm sitting on the couch at my in-laws typing this. We're staying here for a few weeks until we move into our house. I'm sitting on the couch next to Caleb, remembering how convenient it was to have a working tv. At the other house there was a tv, but no cable or even five channels, just a tv. We watched a lot of dvds. Needless to say, there has been a lot of channel surfing since we sat down two hours ago :)
Well, I think that's all the updates I have for tonight, you'll probably hear from me tomorrow.
Night.
New Years morning was quite eventful, and because of that, "breakfast" at my grandparent's didn't happen until 1pm. After that we bummed around for the day and didn't leave for home until 5:30pm. A drive that should've taken us just under three hours, took us four and a half... I guess thats just one of the perks to living in Michigan, winter. We haven't really had much bad weather up until now, and this was really the first batch of snow/ice/sleet/etc., that our (and the surrounding) town has gotten. But anyway, the roads were bad and traffic wasn't moving very fast. We had the classic experience of a first storm of the year; being behind people who seemed to have forgotten how to drive in winter weather. We had a car in front of us slam on their breaks and decide they didn't need to use a turn signal, a genius fly by us going way too fast, and we even saw a motor home with its rear end in the ditch and its front end sticking up into the air... yeah, it was a 'great' drive back. All in all, it was fine, we got back safely and without any issues. Praise God for that.
As of now, I'm sitting on the couch at my in-laws typing this. We're staying here for a few weeks until we move into our house. I'm sitting on the couch next to Caleb, remembering how convenient it was to have a working tv. At the other house there was a tv, but no cable or even five channels, just a tv. We watched a lot of dvds. Needless to say, there has been a lot of channel surfing since we sat down two hours ago :)
Well, I think that's all the updates I have for tonight, you'll probably hear from me tomorrow.
Night.
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