Clothes might be nice...

5-10 more inches of snow are coming tomorrow morning...

Hopefully Mark Miller's Ubuntu Pan-African choir will have safe travels as they head north from NYC to Boston to perform tomorrow. Mom and I have invited the Kavales, a family from Nairobi, to attend a worship service where the choir will be performing. When I told Eric, a friend and singer in the choir, that I was bringing a Kenyan family, he quickly began making excuses, "It may be a contemporary, American pasteurized version of what they are used to." ;-)

At some point before Wednesday morning, I need to settle down and pack up more than just the pots and pans that are in a box. Clothes might be nice this spring... and necessary!

Just so happy

I don't intend to project the image that I'm going crazy with cabin fever here in New Hampshire as 5-10 more inches of snow fall this morning. Aside for occassionally feeling bored or lonely (totally my fault for losing touch with high school friends years ago), I am usually content reading, running errands and playing cards with Mom and watching football with Dad. I've been able to wear mismatched, comfortable clothes and skip the daily shower. Since I started about twelve books, I've got a lot of reading to finish up in the next week. I just hope this prolonged selah doesn't affect my level of productivity when I start classes.

Yesterday while I was watching some kids during a New Members' luncheon at church, I asked 3-year old Bryce if she knew how to say grace. Her immediate facial expression expressed that she didn't understand, but then her face lit up, "Yes. Grace." ;-)

After lunch on her way out the door, I said to Bryce, "I'll see you later." Bryce looked up at her dad and said, "She's gonna see me again! I'm just so happy." Sweet!

Nine days before I leave for seminary. I'm sure it'll fly faster than I expect.

Funk

Sometimes I can be a hypochondriac... But not when I'm surrounded by lots of kids counting on me and I don't notice that I've had hives for three weeks or athlete's foot for two months. So when an uneven blemish appeared way back at camp, I didn't do anything about it because I was heading off to France. When I got back in the states, I showed Mom and she suggested I show it to a doctor. He didn't recognize it, said not to ignore it and took a blood test last Friday. I had been cool joking about amputation, but for some reason last night, I freaked myself out thinking, "What if it's cancerous? Would I have to get treatment here, so far from my friends? Would I have to drop out of seminary before I started? What if I die?!" See how the hypochondriac comes out? Maybe that's why I was in a funk this morning, on the edge of tears with various thoughts about family members and desires for the future. Mom and Jamie tried to cheer me up with a Burger King's MochaJo (you've got to try that!) and offers to go shopping. I explained that I thought I needed exercise (after the MochaJo, of course). After an hour reading, I cancelled my afternoon social plans, walked the dogs and did a New Year's Evaluation (Download new_year_new_results.doc. ) as was suggested by Tom Davis. Admittedly, I then watched Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood (only admittedly because it was on TV; I do like that show) and talked to a college friend for an hour which brings me here. I've drank four cups of hot chocolate today, a MochaJo, ate one sandwich and a plate of nachos. Maybe my diet has something to do with the funk too, huh? Oh, and a glass of orange juice. A friend, Jessi, who just adopted a two-year old thinks that kids distract you from your own problems, which can be a good thing for people who stress out too much about themselves. Yeah, that might be me right now... Anyone in NH need a babysitter? Or if you're out of state, willing to pay the gas as a travel expense? ;-)

P.S. I did get the blood test results back this afternoon. I totally don't know what any of it means, but in handwriting it says at the bottom, "normal," so I guess I'm okay. If the bill were cheaper, I'd probably be better... I have a dermatologist's appointment before I go back to school, but since I only have catastrophe insurance, maybe I'll just hold out for a while trusting the blood test and avoiding amputation...

Let's cook-off! Bring it!

I woke up this morning with a wild curly fro hoping that it'd settle down during the hour drive before meeting with the district superintendent about possible opportunities concerning employment in the future. Ten minutes before the meeting, I exclaimed, "I need a haircut before I go back to school!" I went in with a barrette pulling most of it off my face, mentally pretending I was bald.

I managed to hold back tears discussing my cluenessness about the future which I consider a great success even if my voice was a little weak. Maybe today is just on my 2-week cry cycle.

Later, I bought kitchen supplies so I can host dinner guests at seminary and offer them proper silverware rather than chopsticks like I did last year. If I have to have it, it might as well be aesthetically pleasing. Everything from skillets to measuring cups are either black or red. I'm ready for a cook-off if anyone's interested. Can we pretend we're part of that chef competition?

Besides one last doctor's appointment, a one day women's retreat and an obligation to watch new members' kids after church on Sunday, I've got nothing left to do besides pack. Not a very good schedule for a work-a-holic... Like you, Amie, hopefully I can step away from the TV. I really do hate that box but it's so temptingly brainless. Maybe I should write a book list and pretend it's my fifth grade summer vacation again...

Kenya

For those of you who know one of my favorite topics of conversation, you'll appreciate the value of this situation.

Last summer, Ree suggested I stop in Africa on my way home from France next summer. I actually had an offer. There's a family who began attending our church this past year from Nairobi, Kenya. The father offered to connect me with church family members who could host me and that I would be welcome to stay for months. Needless to say, I came home and didn't contact the Kenyan family while I was in France because I was embarrassed to discuss the challenges of assimilating into another culture when they had done so well... Tonight I learned more about the family.

The father began attending Asbury in 1999 and his family followed a year later. After two years, the family moved to Ohio and then here to New Hampshire where the father is a chaplain at the local hospital. The oldest son and I are now becoming friends. It's a strange dream come true to discuss with an young African what he has seen concerning AIDS in Africa and his opinion about the best way to help. Jonathan suggests that other countries should help, not out of obligation but because it is the right thing to do. He also thinks that health care education and providing employment for Africans in their homeland are the best ways to aid them. Gotta love a friend who recommends books. Ben Carson's Gifted Hands and Nelson Mandela's autobiography are now on my required reading. :-)

Also, passing along a prayer request: The mass murders in Nairobi seem a lot more personal when it affects the family of a friend. As far as they know, Jonathan's relatives are safe but specifically the church burning is scary for them as a pastor's family. Here's the story: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/world/africa/07kenya.html?_r=1&oref=slogin If you want a comparison, consider this being a reaction to the Bush-Gore miscount in Florida three years ago. Initially the polls said the previous president was to remain in power, but Gore wanted a recount. Imagine if Bush were immediately sworn in, refusing to check the numbers. Killing the opponent's supporters was the reaction to this situation in Kenya. Of course, differences include the fact that instead of just being supporters, these Kenyans are related to their president via ethnicity in a tribe. Their connection to the leaders may be different, but the fear and pain of death is the same. Jonathan's hoping someone will help lead the countries leaders to peace via negotiations soon.

Who knows?

A year ago today, I handed in my first "I'm planning to quit" letter to the high school where I was working my first "real" job.

Today, I'm getting ready to go in debt by starting at seminary but reminding myself that God will provide.

A year ago today, I was back in North Carolina having spent New Year's Eve sleeping on the floor of a chapel in New Jersey because nearby hotels were much too expensive.

Today, I'm trying to settle back into my mom's house having spent New Year's Eve watching the ball drop by myself before sleeping in my own bed.

A year ago today, I was hoping to work full-time at Starbucks in Wake County, NC.

Today, I'm hoping to work part-time at Starbucks in Madison, NJ.

I've traveled to Iceland, Norway, France and Ireland this year.

I've slept in a tent on the NC beach, an apartment, a cabin, a Norwegian house and apartment, a monastery in Strasbourg, a chateaux in the Alps, an old French convent with 98 other girls, another chateaux in Lyon, a tiny Parisian hotel, my grandparents' house, a closet, and my own bedroom in the past year.

I swam in a Norwegian fjord, rock climbed in the Alps, rode a bike 25 km down from a village in the Alps, watched paragliders at the world's largest paragliding festival, ate chicken hearts, donkey and kangaroo, befriended young people from China, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, Spain and Estonia this fall.


Who knows what this next year will bring? May God lead...

Welcome to New Hampshire!

Happy New Year!

Two days ago, Mom, Katie and Jamie and I drove back to New Hampshire, literally outrunning a snowstorm which caught up to us in Mass. Today, we're getting dumped on again. Literally, we've been having a snow storm every two days here in New England this winter. I wish it were safer for people to visit because it is beautiful outside with snow weighing down birch trees and decorating the evergreens.

For those of you who've never been to New Hampshire, here's a little information. There are four seasons here: snow, mud, sun and leaves, which can also be described in colors: white, light green, dark green and red.

Looking straight at most houses, they look medium sized, but as you drive towards or past them, they are in fact a long conglomeration of extensions that often link the original house to the barn to avoid getting lost in a blizzard when the farmer needs to feed the cows.

In driver's ed. class, fifteen year olds learn about what to do if there is a moose in the road rather than deer [never hit a moose-- you'll die when the windshield hits his belly and he'll walk away].

The lakes region is a surprisingly fantastic inexpensive, athletic or relaxing vacation spot if one doesn't desire hot beaches. Instead we've got warm beaches and you probably wouldn't need air conditioning. Skiing, boating, hiking, fishing, swimming and snow mobiling are just some of the seasonal sports that can be enjoyed here. Surprisingly, there are many community theatre and music groups that often mix with professionals providing adequate entertainment throughout the year.

But don't expect the people to be exceptionally outgoing. They've lived here a long time and are buried for the winter months in their houses so they can be a private people.

There are my observations of New Hampshirites on this blizzardly afternoon when my family's not planning to leave the house again today after moving firewood to a house-bound church member's house all morning. I found it greatly enjoyable to work with nine others between ages 7 and 82 to accomplish the task and now we don't feel guilty about relaxing for the rest of the holiday. Maybe Mom and I will play a card game later. Welcome to New Hampshire.