get ready for an extra long blog.....:-)
We have now finished our first week of camp. This week was definitely a week of learning as the interns and new volunteers were figuring out how the weeks are going to work. The kids we had this week were from Turnaveni, Sarmas, Campenita, and some other group homes. I didn’t really come to RO with expectations of what the kids would be like, but I guess I was surprised at how many of the kids have disabilities. So many of the children we had were Autistic or have Ausburgers and so many other mental and social disabilities. While the kids love camp and we love the kids, all of these special needs put together can make for a trying experience as we try to play games. Oh yeah, and the interns don’t speak their language…but the Lord was so good.
Camp surrounds the theme of the Olympics this summer, so each team is a specific country. The kids had such a great time with this theme and really got into cheering on their country. We even had a medal ceremony the last night of camp. Germania took the gold this week, with Romania close in 2nd.
I was assigned to be a station leader this week, so I did not lead a team, but was in charge of some games and crafts and helping out with the extra things that needed to be done. I really liked seeing how camp works as a whole, seeing what supplies we needed for each activity and supervising games will help in the next weeks as the number of our interns decrease and there will be more to take care of. However, it will be great to have an actual team with specific kids that I can focus on in other weeks of camp.
I’m starting to pick up some of the language by being around the kids. They are great teachers and love to laugh at the funny ways we pronounce their words. I can definitely understand more when I listen to people speak as opposed to speaking Romaneste. There are just several sounds in the language that I can’t quite grasp and it’s hard to remember words that aren’t repeated very much. But I am understanding phrases that we say over and over again to the kids, like “sit down” or “throw the ball” or “very good.”
So here is an overview of our days at Tabara (Camp) Vetca:
Monday: We visited the kids at their group homes and played with them at a field. They were organized in their teams and had their first competitions as a team.
Tuesday: The kids arrived in Vetca in the afternoon. We had been setting up before that, getting their beds ready and such. When the kids arrived, we checked them in and had some “athletic training exercises.” They played some games of Wiffleball and had dinner before one of the main Olympic events, the Battle for the Rings. After that, we had club time which they sing and listen to a lesson that Paul presents. Of course, it wouldn’t be camp without a camp fire, so the kids enjoyed s’mores after club time.
Wednesday: Our first full day at camp begins about 7am, mainly just because you can’t sleep any later than that. The leaders have a meeting at 8 to talk and pray before we set up breakfast. Some of the highlights for the kids on Wednesday were the slip and slide in the afternoon and the messy games in the evening. It was kind of good to have the slip and slide in the middle of the week to get them a little cleaner than they were, haha. Of course, the free time before and after most of the meals allows for a good chance to hang out with the kids, we throw the ball, paint nails and watch the boys play basketball. I got some great manicures from some of the boys actually. Some of them love to paint the girls’ nails and play with their hair, it’s so funny. I think these particular boys just needed some quality time to chill with some of the leaders. It was great fun.
Thursday: This day pretty much looks the same as Wednesday, except for the evening with the medal ceremony and party. We have this huge dance party (“discoteca”) with balloons that they pop within 2 minutes. The kids love to dance to the techno songs and then American songs like the Macarena and Cotton Eye Joe. It so much fun to be crazy with them (and you girls know how I love a good dance party ☺). As I mentioned earlier, we have a medal ceremony for the teams. It was great to see how them so excited for each team. Thursday night is also special because we get a chance to pray over the kids and give them gift bags with things they need. One of the really cool things about this was the opportunity I had to share with one of the volunteer girls. Since this blog is already so long, I will make this a short story, but she says that she does not believe God exists, yet she found herself loving the kids. When we prayed, she did as well and was moved to tears because of how she loved the kids. Afterwards, another intern and I talked with her as she opened up about her beliefs (or rather, lack of belief). Anyways, it was so cool to talk with her and pray over her. I told her that there was a reason she was helping at camp this summer and that the love she has for the kids was from God. I really pray that she see the truth from all of this and believe. Please be praying for her, that the Lord continue moving her heart and that she comes back to volunteer at camp.
Friday: This day is pretty quick at camp as we are getting cleaned up to leave for The Weekend. We have breakfast and get the kids packed up. We then take them to a water park called The Weekend. Some people played this place up to be really gross, but it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It’s not super nice, but there is lots to do there and the kids really enjoy the pools and the water slides. We were in the water for maybe ten minutes when a huge storm came rolling in, so we had to quickly run and grab all of our stuff and get the kids warm. We were all soaking wet and had to sort through the piles of clothes to get the kids dressed. They were upset, but kept good attitudes. We said our goodbyes from the parking lot. Some of the kids cried and some were joking around, but it was evident that they really enjoyed their week at camp.
I’m so sorry for such a long post, but getting a good overview of camp will help you know how to pray. Please pray for the volunteers, the kids for next week, for the energy of the staff, and for the few interns that will be leaving next week. Also pray that we have good weather at camp next week. It was pretty hot this week, but we survived by getting in the shade or next to fans during our down times. Thank you so much for praying for me, the team, and the orphans here in Romania. Knowing that you are all going to the Lord on my behalf helps get me through the week. I could not do this without the Lord’s strength and grace. Have a blessed week!!
Ps. this is a major side note, but I feel like it has to be told. This weekend is a huge festival called Mures Days in TM. There are tons of concerts, street vendors and carnival rides in the town. Sarah and I were walking back from dinner last night and heard the very familiar tune of Sweet Home Alabama!! We were so shocked to hear Romanians singing this song and the crowd knowing all the words to it! This was such a surreal moment for me here in Romania that I will never forget. How funny is that?!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
A few links for you :-)
Some of you may be interested to see some other things about Livada:
1. this is the livada blog. kelly does a great job updating with pictures and all.
2. this is a video of the before and after pictures of some of the children in Livada's care. i can't remember if i have put this up yet. here it is anyways.
3. here is a list of the other interns' blogs.
hope you enjoy!
ps. please pray that the Lord heal my sore throat. i'm not feeling all that well and am trying to rest up for energy at camp. thank you. much love to all of you.
1. this is the livada blog. kelly does a great job updating with pictures and all.
2. this is a video of the before and after pictures of some of the children in Livada's care. i can't remember if i have put this up yet. here it is anyways.
3. here is a list of the other interns' blogs.
hope you enjoy!
ps. please pray that the Lord heal my sore throat. i'm not feeling all that well and am trying to rest up for energy at camp. thank you. much love to all of you.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The First Week....Getting Acclimated :-)
Hello everyone,
Well. I have been here for a week now and I love it! We have already been able to do so much, as the staff has been showing around the interns. Getting to know the city has been fun and intriguing.
Here are a few things we have done so far:
Ludus Baby Hospital—ok, this was a heart-breaker kind of place. The babies and toddlers are hardly played with outside of the time Livada goes to the hospital. I will tell the full stories about the children later, but let me just tell you that you could not dream of how awful these two year olds' lives have been already. I am amazed at how much the sense of touch can communicate love in an individual's life. There was a blind child in the hospital that has some other medical issues as well. She pretty much lies in the crib every day of her short life. But a smile lit her face up when I touched her even though she had no idea who I was. I really had to hold back tears as I prayed over her small body. Another child there was a joy to play with and loved to be held and tickled. I really enjoyed visiting this place and look forward to taking teams there over the summer.
Zau Girl’s Orphanage—this is a state-run institution that is in complete shambles. If you think of Annie the musical, this is what this place is like to me. While the girls make do with what they have, their conditions are still pretty crappy. What an amazing feeling it was to not even be up the hill to the orphanage and the children are running to your car, getting in with you and so elated that you are there. You feel like a rock star, no joke. I got out of the car and had tons of children hugging and kissing me, asking me what my name is (Cum te cheama?). One of the little girls, Miella, clung on to me the entire time we were there and would not share me or the ball we were playing with. Haha, she even got in a fight with another kid because she wanted to play with us. This is the culture in the state homes though, they fend for the themselves and have to fight for what is theirs. Two of the staff members said that they will bring new clothes to the younger kids, but when they come back they are still wearing their old (and small) clothes because the new things have been stolen by the other orphans. There is not much supervision in these homes, therefore there are many cases of abuse that are orphan to orphan. Very sad situation there.
Livada Group Homes—on Sunday, we visited three of the group homes that have children within Livada’s care. These were fun and we just hung out with the kids and got to know them. It is amazing the difference of these kids and the joy they have compared to the kids at the state orphanage. While not all of Livada’s children have committed their lives to the Lord and many have deep issues, they are living in a Christ-filled environment. If you look on the Livada website, you will see pictures of these kids and just notice how much light is in their eyes. The Lord really does shine through the people that know him here.
Work Week at Camp Vetca!—on Monday, we started working at camp. We have set up tents, cleaned, and gotten the place ready for camp next week. The team worked so incredibly hard for three days and only a few of us had to go today to tie up some loose ends. The rain held off until we were finished putting up tents, which is such an answer to prayer. One of the Romanian men that helps us, Imre, is such a hard worker and we don’t even pay him to do all of this stuff for us. He is out at camp before we get there and after we leave, making sure everything is perfect. Please pray that the Lord bless him and draw Imre to know Him.
A few things to pray for:
--Week 1 of camp! (Actually, what they say here is that every week is week 1, because we need to carry the same excitement of the first week even up til the last week!)—pray that the Lord give the interns, staff, volunteers and American team energy and strength. Pray for the children’s hearts to be open to love and the Lord’s sweet call for them as His children.
--My energy especially. This has been a physically tough week for my joints. I’m not a very strong person, but have done some hard work this week. Pray that the Lord grant me freedom from joint pain next week so that I can play with the kids with energy.
--that the Lord work through us to minister to the Romanian volunteers. there are volunteers from the local universities that will be translating for us at camp. many of these volunteers do not know the Lord and so this is a great way to love speak to them about the Lord as they are speaking for us to the children!
Ok, well that should be all for now. Thank you so much for reading and praying. It means so much for all of you to keep up with how the Lord is working here is Romania. I’m so excited and grateful that the Lord has brought me here for the summer. Until next time, La Revedere!
Currently listening to: the Euro Techno beat to American songs....i'm at a Romanian coffee shop :-)
Well. I have been here for a week now and I love it! We have already been able to do so much, as the staff has been showing around the interns. Getting to know the city has been fun and intriguing.
Here are a few things we have done so far:
Ludus Baby Hospital—ok, this was a heart-breaker kind of place. The babies and toddlers are hardly played with outside of the time Livada goes to the hospital. I will tell the full stories about the children later, but let me just tell you that you could not dream of how awful these two year olds' lives have been already. I am amazed at how much the sense of touch can communicate love in an individual's life. There was a blind child in the hospital that has some other medical issues as well. She pretty much lies in the crib every day of her short life. But a smile lit her face up when I touched her even though she had no idea who I was. I really had to hold back tears as I prayed over her small body. Another child there was a joy to play with and loved to be held and tickled. I really enjoyed visiting this place and look forward to taking teams there over the summer.
Zau Girl’s Orphanage—this is a state-run institution that is in complete shambles. If you think of Annie the musical, this is what this place is like to me. While the girls make do with what they have, their conditions are still pretty crappy. What an amazing feeling it was to not even be up the hill to the orphanage and the children are running to your car, getting in with you and so elated that you are there. You feel like a rock star, no joke. I got out of the car and had tons of children hugging and kissing me, asking me what my name is (Cum te cheama?). One of the little girls, Miella, clung on to me the entire time we were there and would not share me or the ball we were playing with. Haha, she even got in a fight with another kid because she wanted to play with us. This is the culture in the state homes though, they fend for the themselves and have to fight for what is theirs. Two of the staff members said that they will bring new clothes to the younger kids, but when they come back they are still wearing their old (and small) clothes because the new things have been stolen by the other orphans. There is not much supervision in these homes, therefore there are many cases of abuse that are orphan to orphan. Very sad situation there.
Livada Group Homes—on Sunday, we visited three of the group homes that have children within Livada’s care. These were fun and we just hung out with the kids and got to know them. It is amazing the difference of these kids and the joy they have compared to the kids at the state orphanage. While not all of Livada’s children have committed their lives to the Lord and many have deep issues, they are living in a Christ-filled environment. If you look on the Livada website, you will see pictures of these kids and just notice how much light is in their eyes. The Lord really does shine through the people that know him here.
Work Week at Camp Vetca!—on Monday, we started working at camp. We have set up tents, cleaned, and gotten the place ready for camp next week. The team worked so incredibly hard for three days and only a few of us had to go today to tie up some loose ends. The rain held off until we were finished putting up tents, which is such an answer to prayer. One of the Romanian men that helps us, Imre, is such a hard worker and we don’t even pay him to do all of this stuff for us. He is out at camp before we get there and after we leave, making sure everything is perfect. Please pray that the Lord bless him and draw Imre to know Him.
A few things to pray for:
--Week 1 of camp! (Actually, what they say here is that every week is week 1, because we need to carry the same excitement of the first week even up til the last week!)—pray that the Lord give the interns, staff, volunteers and American team energy and strength. Pray for the children’s hearts to be open to love and the Lord’s sweet call for them as His children.
--My energy especially. This has been a physically tough week for my joints. I’m not a very strong person, but have done some hard work this week. Pray that the Lord grant me freedom from joint pain next week so that I can play with the kids with energy.
--that the Lord work through us to minister to the Romanian volunteers. there are volunteers from the local universities that will be translating for us at camp. many of these volunteers do not know the Lord and so this is a great way to love speak to them about the Lord as they are speaking for us to the children!
Ok, well that should be all for now. Thank you so much for reading and praying. It means so much for all of you to keep up with how the Lord is working here is Romania. I’m so excited and grateful that the Lord has brought me here for the summer. Until next time, La Revedere!
Currently listening to: the Euro Techno beat to American songs....i'm at a Romanian coffee shop :-)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Salut!
I am now writing you from the beautiful country of Romania! After only 22 hours of travel, we arrived last night (Thursday) around 8:00. (Apparently, in previous years, it has taken them 30+ hours to get here, so I am very thankful.) There is a 6 or 7 hour time difference between here and Georgia. I can’t really figure out which it is. Our first flight left at 2:30 from Greenville. This was a short flight to DC. We arrived there and I had the perfect amount of time to make quick phone calls, grab a sandwich (which was awesome) to go and board the plane. From DC, we flew to Munich, Germany, which was about seven and a half hours. Those small seats get very uncomfortable very quick! The movie Vantage Point was on, so I watched that and then flipped around some other movies. Vantage Point was so intense! I had wanted to see it when it came out, but never found the time to do so. Pretty good movie, even though you see the same thing blow up about seven times. Anyway, after only sleeping on the plane to Munich for about an hour or so, we had a short layover in Munich. From Munich to Bucharesti was a small trip, but I slept the entire time. Really, I’ve never felt more dead. After that flight, we got our luggage, got our passports stamped, and loaded the bus. Our bus ride was another 7 hours! I was surprised that the bus was air-conditioned and much roomier than a plane seat, however still not a bed. We all were excited to see the countryside, which is so beautiful. We were also excited to see a McDonalds in Brasov, where we ate a lunch/dinner. Ordering was an adventure, and you have to pay for ketchup! But the food was just as good and just as greasy. ☺ Four hours later, we arrived in Targu Mures, the city of flowers. The architecture here is beautiful and I have already taken tons of pictures, especially for Dad.
A few of my first observations of Romania:
1) the rolling hills and fields sort of remind me of California (Hollister area, of course);
2) the cities are kind of dirty, but not too bad, it’s just that things are old;
3) people love to just sit around and watch the cars and people;
4) in Targu Mures, lots of people are carrying around flowers they have bought from the market.
5) gas was 4.44, but I guess that might be in lei. Which means our gas is much more expensive right now.
6) some exchange places charge a commission. How is it that people say they want to buy and sell money? Some of the interns were charged a 16% commission today, and lost about 16 dollars.
The intern house is so much nicer than I expected it to be. Of course, after living in conditions like the Panama Palms for ten weeks, my expectations were somewhat low. It’s very roomy, with a nice kitchen and living room area. It ends up that I am sharing a room with just one girl! Some people might move around, but for now, it’s nice to have some personal space. I think I’ve acclimated already, which is nice.
Something that I’m already loving about my team is how often we pray for things. We spent a good amount of time praying during orientation in SC and then again this morning during a team meeting. Also, we’ve prayed quickly for things such as a wreck that we saw that had many injuries. The prayers of the interns and the Brileys are so real and I am encouraged by their hearts already. The team is getting along very well. There is lots of laughter when the group is together. So, I’m enjoying just getting to know everyone.
Today we spent some time going over details of how to call for a taxi and then we took a walking tour from our house to the downtown area (centro). I’m so excited to get to the know the city even more. I feel very safe here and look forward to going out for coffee with some of the girls and the volunteers that serve as translators.
Tonight, we are having dinner at Kelly’s house, who is a staff member for Livada. Tomorrow, we are going to visit a baby hospital and maybe one of the group homes. Sunday, we will be visiting one of the state-run orphanages, so we can grasp what the children are coming from. It is going to be an emotional weekend, I can already tell.
Things to pray for:
--unity for the team
--that the rain would hold off next week so that we can get the tents set up
--good health as we get accustomed to the food in the next few days
--that the Lord would continue the work he is already doing in my heart
--that the Lord would prepare the hearts of the orphans, that they would be open to love
Thank you so much for reading. I don’t expect all posts to be this long, but I had some free time this afternoon. Much love to all of you.
Currently listening to: Five for Fighting (Thanks, Amanda sue) ☺
A few of my first observations of Romania:
1) the rolling hills and fields sort of remind me of California (Hollister area, of course);
2) the cities are kind of dirty, but not too bad, it’s just that things are old;
3) people love to just sit around and watch the cars and people;
4) in Targu Mures, lots of people are carrying around flowers they have bought from the market.
5) gas was 4.44, but I guess that might be in lei. Which means our gas is much more expensive right now.
6) some exchange places charge a commission. How is it that people say they want to buy and sell money? Some of the interns were charged a 16% commission today, and lost about 16 dollars.
The intern house is so much nicer than I expected it to be. Of course, after living in conditions like the Panama Palms for ten weeks, my expectations were somewhat low. It’s very roomy, with a nice kitchen and living room area. It ends up that I am sharing a room with just one girl! Some people might move around, but for now, it’s nice to have some personal space. I think I’ve acclimated already, which is nice.
Something that I’m already loving about my team is how often we pray for things. We spent a good amount of time praying during orientation in SC and then again this morning during a team meeting. Also, we’ve prayed quickly for things such as a wreck that we saw that had many injuries. The prayers of the interns and the Brileys are so real and I am encouraged by their hearts already. The team is getting along very well. There is lots of laughter when the group is together. So, I’m enjoying just getting to know everyone.
Today we spent some time going over details of how to call for a taxi and then we took a walking tour from our house to the downtown area (centro). I’m so excited to get to the know the city even more. I feel very safe here and look forward to going out for coffee with some of the girls and the volunteers that serve as translators.
Tonight, we are having dinner at Kelly’s house, who is a staff member for Livada. Tomorrow, we are going to visit a baby hospital and maybe one of the group homes. Sunday, we will be visiting one of the state-run orphanages, so we can grasp what the children are coming from. It is going to be an emotional weekend, I can already tell.
Things to pray for:
--unity for the team
--that the rain would hold off next week so that we can get the tents set up
--good health as we get accustomed to the food in the next few days
--that the Lord would continue the work he is already doing in my heart
--that the Lord would prepare the hearts of the orphans, that they would be open to love
Thank you so much for reading. I don’t expect all posts to be this long, but I had some free time this afternoon. Much love to all of you.
Currently listening to: Five for Fighting (Thanks, Amanda sue) ☺
Monday, June 9, 2008
time to go!
well, the time has come where i really have to say my goodbyes. said bye to leanna and tracy on friday, matt's family this weekend, frisbee yesterday, and my parents and matt tonight.
the bags are packed and i guess that i'm ready to go. not really sure if the suitcase is under 50 lbs. oops!
i have had such a wonderful few days. on friday, tracy, leanna, and frisbee came over to help me pack and stuff. it was great just hanging out with them. i must commend them on their packing abilities! also, frisbee and leanna helped me get ready for a hot date with matthew on friday night. matt and i went to the blue ridge grill! it was awesome. the restaurant is set up like an old home or lodge, but modernized a bit. matt and i got to sit in this semi-circle booth, so we kind of same-side sat....sorry, everyone. :-) matt got steak and i got the salmon, of course. it all tasted so good. matt was particularly excited about his sweet tea that he could sweeten with a sugar water concoction they give you. another interesting thing about this restaurant was the giant picture of a hare above the fireplace. i think if i thought about that thing before going to sleep, it would give me nightmares! after dinner (and a creme brulee dessert, yummy!), we drove to carrollton to visit with matt's family. hanging out with them all day saturday was so wonderful. we were busy getting the farm and house ready for family to come over that night. they had a big family get-together to celebrate the latest birthdays and graduations, which they included me in on too. they are such a wonderful family and so similar to mine that i feel very comfortable.
yesterday, matt and i came back to canton to be with my family. josh couldn't come home, since he had to work, but it's ok. going to miss my brother...
frisbee hung out with us yesterday as we all just sat around, had a steak dinner, and i finished packing. it just doesn't feel real that i am leaving. and it won't, i guess, until i'm on that plane, landing in RO.
my heart is so sad to say goodbye to my parents and matt today. they are all so excited for me and have provided so much strength for me in the last few years. you know, i've never described myself as a brave or courageous person. in fact, i've always thought of myself in the exact opposite terms, but my parents, matt, frisbee, trace, and so many others, have encouraged me so much lately by telling me how brave i am in doing this. i have dreamed about going overseas, really helping people, for so long, and now that is actually happening. here goes my journey......
not really sure when i will first be able to update when i arrive in RO, but will notify all of you as soon as i can. i love each of you dearly and thank you for the support that i could not live without. :-)
the bags are packed and i guess that i'm ready to go. not really sure if the suitcase is under 50 lbs. oops!
i have had such a wonderful few days. on friday, tracy, leanna, and frisbee came over to help me pack and stuff. it was great just hanging out with them. i must commend them on their packing abilities! also, frisbee and leanna helped me get ready for a hot date with matthew on friday night. matt and i went to the blue ridge grill! it was awesome. the restaurant is set up like an old home or lodge, but modernized a bit. matt and i got to sit in this semi-circle booth, so we kind of same-side sat....sorry, everyone. :-) matt got steak and i got the salmon, of course. it all tasted so good. matt was particularly excited about his sweet tea that he could sweeten with a sugar water concoction they give you. another interesting thing about this restaurant was the giant picture of a hare above the fireplace. i think if i thought about that thing before going to sleep, it would give me nightmares! after dinner (and a creme brulee dessert, yummy!), we drove to carrollton to visit with matt's family. hanging out with them all day saturday was so wonderful. we were busy getting the farm and house ready for family to come over that night. they had a big family get-together to celebrate the latest birthdays and graduations, which they included me in on too. they are such a wonderful family and so similar to mine that i feel very comfortable.
yesterday, matt and i came back to canton to be with my family. josh couldn't come home, since he had to work, but it's ok. going to miss my brother...
frisbee hung out with us yesterday as we all just sat around, had a steak dinner, and i finished packing. it just doesn't feel real that i am leaving. and it won't, i guess, until i'm on that plane, landing in RO.
my heart is so sad to say goodbye to my parents and matt today. they are all so excited for me and have provided so much strength for me in the last few years. you know, i've never described myself as a brave or courageous person. in fact, i've always thought of myself in the exact opposite terms, but my parents, matt, frisbee, trace, and so many others, have encouraged me so much lately by telling me how brave i am in doing this. i have dreamed about going overseas, really helping people, for so long, and now that is actually happening. here goes my journey......
not really sure when i will first be able to update when i arrive in RO, but will notify all of you as soon as i can. i love each of you dearly and thank you for the support that i could not live without. :-)
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
apparently it's time to post...:-)
i was so nicely told that i should write on my blog again. haha. so, here it is. (when i am in RO, i will be able to update weekly, but probably not any more than that.)
anyone who reads this should go look at this video. These children are absolutely beautiful and my heart is growing anxious to meet them. Brian, the intern director, called me today to confirm plans for next week. Another small piece of making this all so real.
lately, i've been getting things ready and saying my goodbyes to some very dear people. On Sunday, i hung out with a few people in Rome. Matt organized a dinner at Provinos (i love those rolls) and dessert at his apartment. It was such a chill, stress-free, drama-free time that i really needed with some of my best friends. Trace and Frisbee gave me this awesome photo album full of pictures from the last few years. I will cherish that so much, especially when I am in RO. I was especially glad that Jer, Caitlin and Joe could be there that day, as I will not have the chance to see them any this week before i leave. Jer and Caitlin are getting married at the end of this month and then moving to New York. I'm so excited for them and jealous of their courage. Saying bye to people is hard when you are not sure when you will see them again. I've always had a fear for the unknown. However, the Lord is slowly making me grow accustomed to it.
I've got a big date with Matt on Friday that I'm very excited about. It's kind of joint 6 month anniversary/going away date. The only clues I have are that Matt is wearing his khaki pants and the restaurant has valet parking. :-) of course, almost every restaurant aside from the Varsity has valet parking in the ATL. haha. We will then be spending some time with his family, celebrating birthdays and graduations. Matt's family is so welcoming and I love to spend time with them. Getting to know a person's family is such a great insight into a person.
ok, that's all for now. i will have a good update before my departure next week. can't believe it is so close. one week and i will be getting on a plane!
anyone who reads this should go look at this video. These children are absolutely beautiful and my heart is growing anxious to meet them. Brian, the intern director, called me today to confirm plans for next week. Another small piece of making this all so real.
lately, i've been getting things ready and saying my goodbyes to some very dear people. On Sunday, i hung out with a few people in Rome. Matt organized a dinner at Provinos (i love those rolls) and dessert at his apartment. It was such a chill, stress-free, drama-free time that i really needed with some of my best friends. Trace and Frisbee gave me this awesome photo album full of pictures from the last few years. I will cherish that so much, especially when I am in RO. I was especially glad that Jer, Caitlin and Joe could be there that day, as I will not have the chance to see them any this week before i leave. Jer and Caitlin are getting married at the end of this month and then moving to New York. I'm so excited for them and jealous of their courage. Saying bye to people is hard when you are not sure when you will see them again. I've always had a fear for the unknown. However, the Lord is slowly making me grow accustomed to it.
I've got a big date with Matt on Friday that I'm very excited about. It's kind of joint 6 month anniversary/going away date. The only clues I have are that Matt is wearing his khaki pants and the restaurant has valet parking. :-) of course, almost every restaurant aside from the Varsity has valet parking in the ATL. haha. We will then be spending some time with his family, celebrating birthdays and graduations. Matt's family is so welcoming and I love to spend time with them. Getting to know a person's family is such a great insight into a person.
ok, that's all for now. i will have a good update before my departure next week. can't believe it is so close. one week and i will be getting on a plane!
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