4 Things.

1) We got an English White Cream Golden Retriever puppy!
Her name is Maya.  She will be 8 weeks old on Thursday.  She really is the cutest thing you have ever seen.  Ever.

2) I am starting my first official job tomorrow.  I am going to be a receptionist with City Bank Mortgage.  I am excited to have something to do that will be a new experience and be earning me some money.  Shall I say it?  Independence, whether I'm ready or not, here I slowly come.

3) Tomorrow is also September 1st.  The first day of the month that I am supposed to hear whether or not I get an interview for the Journeyman Program, a two-year mission program with International Mission Board.  Exciting...

4) I recently babysat three adorable and fun kids!  Here is a picture of the fruits of our labor, a Tower of DVDs:

Cool, huh?  :) 

Please notice the "Air Buddies" movies at the very top; 

those were the favorites, 

the ones deserving of a place of honor.

The whole thing was all their idea. 

That's the best part about it.

children's literature.

My favorite class that I took in college was, without a doubt, Classics of Children's Literature.

As Baylor classes start today, I am sad not to be present.  It is really weird when I consider the fact that Baylor goes on without me.  The beautiful campus became my home for the past four years, and it is strange not to be there and be in class.

Because I am not in class, I have to find other ways of learning and challenging myself.  One of those ways is through books.  If you know me, you know that I LOVE to read.  LOVE to read.  The busyness of this summer did not allow for zooming through 30 or so books (as I have done in past summers), so the reading has been slow.

But, I just finished my third book of this summer, C.S. Lewis' Letters to Children.  It is a collection of letters that Lewis wrote to children who wrote to him with questions, ideas, pictures, and random thoughts.  Over and over the book reminded me of things we learned in my favorite class.  Here are some quotes that made me smile (and next to which, of course, I pencilled in a smiley face):

"A good toenail is not an unsuccessful attempt at a hair; and if it were conscious it w[oul]d. delight in being simply a good toenail."

"If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you may always do so. I'm thankful that you realized [the] 'hidden story' in the Narnian books.  It is odd, children nearly always do, grown-ups hardly ever."

Lewis replies to a child's picture of Narnian characters:  "But what I like best of all is the 'spirit of a tree'.  It is so beautifully wavy and graceful and is moving so.  Bravo!"

"You see, I don't think age matters so much as people think.  Parts of me are still 12 and I think other parts were already 50 when I was 12: so I don't feel it v.[ery] odd that they grow up in Narnia while they are children in England."

"The first beginning of the winter always excites me; it makes me want adventures.

"If you become a writer you'll be trying to describe the thing all your life: and lucky if, out of dozens of books, one or two sentences, just for a moment, come near to getting it across." 

 "I enjoyed that imaginary world so much myself that I'm glad to find anyone who has been there and liked it as much as I did--just like meeting someone who has been to a place one knows and likes in the real world." 

Reading is delightful.  Dive into children's literature sometime, and rediscover the treasure trove there.

waiting. is. wonderful.

Never thought those words would come out of anyone's mouth.  Much less out of mine.

But as I stare at the fog, the vast unknown, that is currently my future, I can stand here today and say with confidence, "Waiting is wonderful."

Waiting is HARD.  It is hard not having a plan.  It is hard when you wait not even knowing what you wait for.  Or what you want to wait for.  It is hard when you talk to others at the same point in life as you who have a set plan, something seen and tactile.  It is hard, even after years of waiting, when the idea of waiting more seems to hit you and leads you still to tears.
But, Waiting gets EASIER. 

Waiting can be LONELY.  It is lonely when you wait by yourself.  When you rejoice in others who move forward, while you sit or stand or lie down and wait because of the absence of a light at the end of your tunnel.  It is lonely when all you can see is the small light just above the next step you are about to take.  Or the light that is above your head, meaning that each step you do take is blind or should not yet be taken.
But, Waiting can be ACCOMPANIED.


From my waiting experience, I now know that waiting is part of the plan.  I never planned on titling several chapters of my life book "Waiting," but waiting continues to be an interesting and fulfilling and wonderful experience.

Waiting is hard, but God makes it easier.  

"...All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."  

Psalm 139:16

My future is not unknown to Him; it is just unnamed to me.

Waiting is lonely sometimes, but God accompanies me as I wait.

"Be still, and know that I am God..."

Psalm 46:10

He is God, and He is here.

And I can say without a doubt that waiting. 

is. 

wonderful.

And that whenever I do find out 

whatever I am waiting for, 

I know that whatever it is 

will be well worth 

the wait.

no longer a chestnut bur.

Last night I finished Part II of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.  I had never read it before taking my Children's Literature course in my final semester.  It is so witty and beautiful and heartwarming and charming and clever and well-written and altogether delightful.  I know now why it remains a classic of children's literature.

One quote that caught my attention while reading last night was the following made by Meg to Jo:

You are like a chestnut bur, prickly outside, but silky-soft within, and a sweet kernel, if one can only get at it.  Love will make you show your heart some day, and then the rough bur will fall off. (397) 

 This short truth about love reminded me of what God says in Ezekiel 11: 19-20.

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.  Then they will follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.  They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Real love takes something worthless and gives it worth.  Real love finds the lost.  Real love rescues those who are without hope of being saved.  Love sees what no one else sees and dares to care when no one else can.

God is real love.  How often I forget that it was God who saw me as I was.  He reached out and removed the rough bur from my exterior; He cut out my heart of stone.  He saw me as me, who I am deep inside, when know one else did.  He found me where I was.  He rescued me from disobedience and darkness and emptiness and my selfish self.

He dared to love me.  He even went so far as to die in my place.  Why?  Because He loves me and desires for me to be with Him.

He saw me as a chestnut bur, and He loved me as a chestnut bur.  Even though my heart was of stone, His love was able to penetrate the walls that I put up around me.

Because of His love, His real and unfailing and unconditional love, I am no longer a chestnut bur.  I am a soft, sweet kernel with a heart of flesh.  Because of His love, my desire is for Him.  I am His.  And REAL LOVE is my God.

Africa Story #10: Summary in a Poem

Here is my final story from the trip.  And it is not a story.  It's a poem written throughout the trip of the moments and main events that happened here and there, all leading up to the end of the trip.  Thank you for praying for me while I was there, and thanks for reading these stories of all that God did while we were there!  Enjoy!

Travel was wild

'Cause part of the team

Stayed in Paris a while

Oh volcano, why'd you erupt

Problems you caused

So many people stuck.

Some went ahead

Set up the campsite

Made up the beds

Opening rally welcome

Food and early sleep and

Saw Vincent, our chum.

Got partnered up

Went to first mission point

Shared about God

Other team arrived

All showed "Jesus" film to Hadzabe

In Him alone we thrive.

Rocked the area

Outside Karatu and Lake Eyasi

No one with malaria

Here He told us to go

Sharing the cube, planting churches

That all may hear and know.

Witch doctors freed

31 churches started, 55 baptized

God met a need

His name made famous

While Americans and Tanzanians camped

Dirt on our epidermis.

A long ride in rain

Fishtailing vehicles, muddy shoes

As people pushed the van

Back in Karatu

Met up with Shanna and Justin

And what did we do?

As we debriefed

We shared all God did

And ate goat meat

A day of rest

Food, cards, talks, and shopping

As Obeja Inn guests.

Waited and waited

Vets, US team, and Keith arrived

We were elated

Final team meeting

Bag, car, and people separation

After eating.

Broke down on the road

After getting permission

Into Ngorongoro

God's at work

Many opened hearts to the gospel 

As we sat in the dirt.

Maasai on the hills

Called on His name and decided

Pray for them I will

Two days it took

Started the work of churches

Darkness shook.

Issues with transportation

God still shared and glorified

Despite miscommunication

Finally got chapati

Some to Jesus film, Col got sick

Not in the squatty potty.

Had the closing rally

After evangelizing close and having tea

For lunch? More wali!

4000 heard

And over 3000 accepted Jesus

God gave us words.

Another long drive

Out of the conservation

To Karatu we ride

Split up in hotels

We're finally all cleaned up

Col is doing well.

Another bus ride

To Arusha we go to stay

Many changed inside

Heard testimonies - God glorified

God made famous

That ain't no lie.

In these two weeks

Over 6000 entered the kingdom

And we are meek

God did it all

He moved and spoke in and through us

Though we're small.

To God be the glory

He alone deserves our praise

And we bend our knees

Tanzania changed

In May 2010, God moved again

And more call on His name!

May God richly bless you!

Love in Jesus Christ!

Africa Story #9: Forgiveness

On our last day of ministry, Tom, Ortha, our translators, Pastor Thaddeus, and I went to a village that was very far from our camp.  We drove about an hour and 45 minutes from camp on rough roads and then walked about 15 minutes to a school.  After talking to the headmaster and the staff, we were invited to talk to two classrooms (each of over 100) about Christ.  Tom and I tag-teamed it...I shared the reason we were there, he told the story of creation using the kids as characters in the story, I shared the gospel using the cube, he prayed the prayer with those who raised their hands and wanted to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. I trained kids in the evangecube and gave ones away to those who could recite it back to me, and he told the story of the possessed man who Jesus freed (again using kids as characters).  Many of the kids put their faith in Christ.

 

Then, we went to the houses just up on the hill behind the school.  I started sharing with a family, but they interrupted to tell me that they did not want to hear about Jesus.  I asked if I could pray with them; they said no.  So we left, and I prayed for them silently as we walked away.  Then, we walked for a long time.  It was gorgeous.  Hills of yellow and purple and green.  Grayish blue sky.  Slight breeze.  Small trails through the tall flowers and grasses.  Then, we walked past the school and back to the car.

 

From there we drove to where three of our team members (Keith, Kala, and Beth) spent the night.  They stayed with their village, sleeping in tents on the side of a hill, because of the long drive each day it was taking them to get there.  When we met up with them, Beth introduced me to Luca, his brother, and his cousin.  And then she told me this story...

 

Beth and Kala went to Luca's home on the first day of ministry in that village.  They were surprised when they began sharing with him and discovered that he could speak English very well.  They told him about Jesus in English, and he immediately wanted to put his faith in Christ.  He became their translator for the next three days, as it was easier to share with people directly from English to Maasai (instead of having the in between Swahili translation).

 

When Keith and Beth and Kala decided to camp out near these villages, they wanted to invite Luca, hi brother, and his cousin to stay with them in another tent.  Luca's village was over a large hill from the place they had chosen to camp for the night, and they thought it would be easier for Luca to stay the night instead of traveling such a long distance the next day to translate for them.  But a couple of the leaders from the church in the area were quick to say "no" to this idea.  They told the team that Luca was a thief, and that they were sure he would clean them out of everything they had brought to the campsite.  The team did not propose the idea to Luca.

 

The next day after sharing the gospel with another village, Beth and Kala turned around to see Luca, his brother, and his cousin.  They arrived around 2:00pm and had been walking since 8:00am that morning.  Again, one of the church leaders approached Keith and told him that this village, where they stayed the night, was one from which Luca had stolen.  Keith rushed to Beth and Kala and had to tell them that if something big happened, like a fight, they should just stand away and not interfere.

 

Forgiveness is not a concept for the Maasai.  The punishment for thieves is death.  There is no other option. 

 

Beth and Kala were nervous but tried not to show it.  No one knew what was going to happen. 

 

It was about this time that my team arrived for lunch.  Beth and Kala shared with me what was going on.  Kala, Tom, Ortha, and I walked away to take some pictures on top of a nearby hill.  When we returned, Beth had joyous news to share with us!

 

The head of the village, who also had recently become a Christian, walked up to Luca and stuck out his hand.  Instead of giving him what he deserved, he was welcoming him to the village!  They exchanged a few words, and the leader forgave Luca.  Can you believe it? 

 

And that's not the end!  After that happened, the church leaders who had prohibited Luca from camping for fear he would steal something, also walked up to Luca and asked his forgiveness for assuming he would steal.  He forgave them, telling them that he had changed because of Jesus.  He will never steal again.

 

Praise God for His grace!  Praise God for His forgiveness!

Love in Gracious God!

the little things.

One thing that I have learned about myself through the years is that I love memories.  Making them and then looking back years later and treasuring them again.  And the reason why I love memories is because they allow me to experience special moments over and over.

Like going through photos and videos from my freshman year of college.  The bathroom song will forever invoke feelings of anger and frustration and yet always remind me that the little things like clogged and overflowed toilets make for great bonding moments between suite mates and for lots of laughter.

Or like searching through my "under-the-bed" box and finding crazy and embarrassing items like my bright pink soccer goggles.  And remembering that the little things like being the only person on the undefeated team that never scored a goal on the Saturday before Mother's Day was still okay because at least I could see.

Or like spending this evening with my grandmother and my sister and my two cousins, Kels and Lina, and ending up singing songs we wrote in Puerto Rico nine years ago at the top of our lungs.  "My Little Girl," "Morning is Here," and "Because You're Special" are the little things that make me smile.

Don't be afraid to look back at memories.  I have learned that even bad ones make you a better person today.  Yes, we all have those pictures in extremely hideous outfits or ones where our smiles are just plain weird.  But, trust me, the laughter of looking back is so worth it.

The little things turn out being so much bigger when they are cherished.  I look back and come to this conclusion: it is the little things that make the best memories.