Saturday, September 15, 2012
Monday, June 14, 2010
What’s bringing me home
I’m going to update this a few times I think, don’t think these are the only things I miss lol.
*well obviously what I miss most about home is my family and friends, but there are lots and lots of little things I reaaaaally miss about Richmond and the States in general:
*Kitchen 64 & having Graham serve me just like old times :o)
*Mojo’s Cheese fries w/ ranch and Jessica!!!!
*choice. you have so many choices in America. 200 types of cereal, all readily available at all times, as with everything else in grocery stores. *You can even ask grocery stores to stock items for you personally!* 200 restaurants to visit in any given 20mile radius. Choices choices choices!
*my beautiful VW Passat!!!!! Taylor, I’ve longed for you so, so desperately :-) I can’t wait to drive you again!!
*my 2nd neice/nephew! due November 5th!!!
*the colemans, katie, scott, connor, brayden, cason and declan –>those little cuties better remember me and remember well! lol
*something in my heart is really calling me to Richmond’s children, maybe God has something in store for me
*beautifully paved roads (yep, even downtown’s Richmond’s roads)
*rules for the order and chaos that can happen in community living
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Dia das Criancas
This day is huge –or so I’ve heard. Every time it’s spoken of (in hushed tones of course, and with s-p-e-l-l-e-d words) it’s portrayed to be an equivalent to Christmas. And let me tell ya… Christmas was a huge day. Great day, lots of fun. New Years was –by far!– the most fun day yet, but Christmas was really close too. So… Children’s Day… wooosh, it’s gonna be something else :-) Well anyway, today Laura and I started prep for the gifts the boys will get. Together we went through all the big huge wooden boxes in the middle room of the dorm and pulled out all the toys we have stored. I should say that Iris runs completely on donations. It’s amazing. From missionaries to children to staff, all salaries and needs are met by donations :-) Ahhmazing! Well, we started organizing all the toys. All the many, many toys. Any child’s heaven, in fact. I love organizing, so I was in my zone, lol. We had little grocery bags filled for each type of toy: bouncy balls, slinkys, action figures, army men, match box cars (which will forever remind me of Josh & Jason), arts and crafts, pencils, notebooks, and on and on and on. It was really awesome, knowing we are able to give 30 boys a bag full of toys twice a year (Christmas & Children’s Day) and still even more throughout the year all thanks to visitors’ donations. So in the next couple days I’ll decorate bags for the boys and then Laura and I will organize what goes into each one. They’ll also get shoes and a whole outfit :-) It’s gonna be really cute.
I’ve posted up some pics of Christmas, one of the whole dorm and one with my uncle playing with their new toys. When I was looking back through my pictures for Christmas, I realized the Christmas card I sent home was of me, Laura and room 1. This is the room Naftal was in, he’s front and centre in that picture. With the best smile ever, he’s so beautiful. So strong and stoic, but he could have the greatest smile when he wanted to. I take great comfort in knowing I’ll see him again. Amazing comfort.. but I just wanted to let you guys know that –if you got a Christmas card, you also got a great picture of Naftal :-)
(or if you just got your Christmas card, in May… like Jessica’s lol)
Monday, May 17, 2010
the best memory ever
story time:
I had only been here about seven-ish weeks, Laura had been gone for only a week or two and I had my first new boy to greet. I didn’t know exactly how to welcome him, not sure what the tias had or didn’t have to give him and such. So I say hello to him and give him a hug then try to fit him for a shirt and pants, which was a bit challenging b/c he was really big and built. Well, about a week goes by, he’s starting to get his feel for the centre and understanding the ins & outs, of which I’m sure the boys’ explained to him. He’s come to the afternoon program, gone to church and maybe school –can’t remember if it was out by then?
One day, as I’m walking up to the dorm under the heat of that blazing afternoon sun, this little boy comes running up to me. As he’s speeding away from the dorm he looks up at me and smiles, grabs my hand and turns around to walk with me to the dorm. I about melted to the ground in a puddle. Up until that point the boys had held my hand often, but it was only because I was a new person not because I was me. Well this time, it was because I was me. It was Naftal. I loved that day. I wrote it down in my heart the moment it happened. I knew then how special it was and I know now how even more special it’s become.
it was the first great memory I made at the centre
Friday, May 14, 2010
Family Update (and Richmond/jobs plans)
huge, amazing, awesome, spectacular news: my sister is pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so stoked it’s crazy. This is my happy place when things get hard :-) She’s due November 5th. I’m back in Richmond August 5th, just in time to start her 3rd trimester. feels like everyone is preggo..? I’m so excited to have another neice/nephew it’s ridonkulous! I hope its a girl :-D
So, if God wants things to go as I’ve roughly got planned out…this is what the next year of my life looks like: Moz until August, then Richmond until early 2011, then finally head off to Nashville (or at least a city that is not Richmond, but this is only if I choose to lower my standards –I haven’t chosen this yet though lol). And then, lol (I realize it’s silly planning thiiiiis far in advance) after about 2 or 3 years in Nashville I’d really love to move to Australia, Melbourne-ish area.
So many people think I’m crazy. It’s nothing new. I’ve heard things along the lines of “crazy dreamer” since I was 12. I dream big :-) If you don’t dream big then what do you expect out of your life? Laura and I had a big conversation about this last week, when I was feeling a bit down about dreaming of Nashville. She’s so lovely :-) Anyhoo… I need to find a job to support me while I’m in Richmond and I need to find a job in Nashville. I love how these are just the sorts of things you can’t do on your own. I’ll only ever find a job with God’s grace and my community’s support. Life is beautiful :-)
I really want to work with Jen while I’m in Richmond. That would be amazingly perfect. She’s just started watching kids in her home so that she can stay home with Kayla and the new baby. I SO want to do this with her! I’d also really love to be a nanny. I know nanny jobs don’t really lead anywhere, they’re certainly not career-starters. But I’d still love to do to it in Richmond :-) I’ve got my eye on a place called Youth Villages in Nashville. I’ve really got a heart for residential care for children/older youth. Here at the centre we have tias who work 4 days on 3 days off and live here full-time when they’re “on.” I want to do this in the states. I feel like I can invest so fully and easily if I live where the kids live. Youth Villages seems to have this same mission. Please pray I’ll find something like this in Nashville :o)
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Nelspruit Pictures
for those who can’t see these pictures on Facebook, here are some pics from a weekend in South Africa with Emily & Heather as I bought a new visa
