So....

...I am not going to be around for a few days. In the morning I am leaving to go to the mountain for the week. I promise to take lots of (mental) notes and (possibly) right a blog about it when I get back. But it should be grand. I am going to be a little Indian girl for a week....a dream I have always longed to fulfill!
Oh, and a group of Americans is here for the week. So I will be giving thanks to God with them this week.
Speaking of which....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

And Happy Birthday to a wonderful sister too!

Rings and Things

I got back to the house last night to find a big plastic black bag sitting on the couch in my room. (Yes! I have a couch in my room! A very nice feature.) I instantly satisfied my curiosity by opening it up. And what did I find? A package! For me! From my dad! I knew it was coming, but I have heard stories of horrible mail service, so I did not know if it would make it. But it did! It has full of homemade jewelry that Kim and some other ladies made for me to give to the women and girls in the mountains.

I plan on wearing the jewelry and giving it away over time.....here and there as I think the situation dictates. The women here love whatever jewelery I have worn, especially the ones with lots of color! I am excited!
Okay, so I must that I am excited for two reasons. The first is that I have all this to give to my friends and sisters here. The will love it. But the second is that I have a ton of jewelry to play with!

Two Months

Two months.

Two months ago I woke up next to my friend Asia in the house we had shared with four other girls for four months. It was early, but not terribly so. Only six. I got up, got dressed, gathered my things, and was out the door at six-thirty. When I got into the drivers seat, I took a minute to speak into the soft light to my God. A precious moment. Then as I started the car, I thought, "This is the end of this time of my life. Let's go!" I drove down the slowly awakening streets of Augusta, GA to my grandparents' house. With each turn brought two decades worth of memories and the question, "When will I see this again?" After the short drive to my grandparents' house, my grandpa and I moved my things from one car to the other, got in the car, and drove off. I was filled with both apprehension and excitement....a very strange feeling. I was unsure what to do or say. So I am pretty sure I laid my head back and did and said nothing. We were on our way to Atlanta. I had traveled the interstate between Augusta and Atlanta many times, but this time the trip seemed longer....and it was so different. This time the final destination was not my dad's house, or Michigan, or to spend time with a friend. This time the destination was Mexico. All my things were packed into three suitcases and I did not have a return ticket. I had no idea what awaited me....I was not just walking into the unknown, I flung myself into it.

While sitting at the airport, I wrote this in my journal:

You are a God who knows tomorrow better than I remember yesterday.

<

Oh the comfort this words brought to my soul as my Grandpa prayed them yesterday. I do believe they will be my prayer for today, for my time in Mexico, and the rest of my life.

Yes. Just two months ago. How different my life is today than what I expected. Well, the truth is, that I am not sure what I expected, but I know that much of what has happened I did not expect.at.all. And those things have not been bad. In fact they have been wonderful. God knows. I am so foolish to think that just because my height has not changed in five years means that other areas of my life do not need to grow. When I was younger, I often thought about what that day would be like....the day that I "arrived" spiritually. A day where, yes I would make mistakes, but within minutes I would be able to look back, see what the mistake was, and correct it. There would not be any more growing or learning or questions...just simply applying what I knew.
Intermission: *All of you older and wiser people, now would be the time to go to the bathroom from laughing so hard*
Maybe I missed my chance, but it seems like there is no "arriving". But there is a place to lay down...in the arms of my Savior. Two months ago I did not know what was going to happen. Shoot...I do not even know what I am going to be doing an hour from now. But my God knows. He knows how He is working in my life....where He is leading, what He is teaching...and let me tell you, He has proven to me over the past two months that His plan for me is much more marvelous than I could ever guess or desire for myself.
So do I plan on "arriving" any time soon? NO. But right now I am resting the the arms of the one who knows all. And guess what?! He loves me!! Is there any better place to be than in the arms of the One who knows all and loves me? uummmmm....NEGATIVE.

A Month Old

I do believe there is nothing quite as delightful and aw-inspiring as holding a new baby.

Rolling Fog

Money!

I have always been fascinated by concepts that you cannot fit into a box....the way things work. One of the highlights of my life right now is discovering how Spanish works and thus learning more about my own language English. And then there is just verbal communication in general. When I first came here, all this people where talking baby talk with an occasional "HOLA!" But they understood each other. How is that sounds, just random sounds, can take a thought from my head and but it into your head?!And what about writing?
My apologies. I have lots of thoughts on these things...I have had a lot of time one my hands recently to just think. (as a side note, I have hardly ever been bored....but again lots of thoughts on this one.) We will save my thoughts on these things for a later time.
Anyways, the point of the matter is that I also find economics intriguing. So I thought I would share what the currency here looks like. Yes, I wrote all of the above when I could have said the same thing with the title "Money" and the picture.

[note: sorry for the blue weirdness above. Don't know what happened or how to fix it....so it stays. ]

What to do....

...when you wake up with hair like this? Just add some baby braids, a head band, a bun, earings, and a scarf. Act like you designed for it to be that way.

Yeah, far from perfect. But I happen to like it.
Strange. I know.

Mimi