Lessons Learned

FPD #13: Blue

2012-02-13T21:07:00.003+02:00

This is the license plate on our car. I taught myself the numbers in Arabic by sitting in the front of the bus my first year here and saying (in my head. I'm not that crazy) the numbers in Arabic on all the car license plates. I have no idea what the letters are. I took Arabic my first year here and then started grad school and couldn't take last year. This year I knew was my last so I didn't take it.

Say it with me... Sebah (7- like a peace sign), teysah (9, like a 9), temanyah (8, upside-down peace sign). Love that it has 7 and 8 in it because I remember them by flashing them like a gang sign (peace up, then down- 7, then 8).

And according to my google image search the letters are (from l to r, even though that's backwards here): feh, waw, and alif.

FPD #12: Closet

2012-02-12T17:01:00.003+02:00

In Egypt we don't really have closets, just large wardrobes. My first year here I had an entire wall o' closet. It was amazing. I had color-coordinated my hangers based on the type of clothing, and had each type of clothing in a different "closet". LOVE.

Then we moved to Ma'adi and I have one teeny tiny wardrobe that I keep excessively neat and manage to cram quite a lot in. We also have a small actual closet under our stairs which houses our luggage, and I had a bar installed to hang jackets and dresses since this one is simply too short! Here ya go, a peek in my closet:

It just so happens that my one true love's "worst thing about him" (his words, not mine) is his closet. Looks like I'll take on that domestic responsibility or be still my little OCD heart, I may pass out and die.

FPD #11: Makes me happy

2012-02-11T16:53:00.000+02:00

Something that makes me really happy is living an out-of-the-ordinary life. This was on the drive home from the retreat. Please excuse the clarity, they were out the window of a moving bus.

First, a guy riding on the back of a truck of my very favorite kind of oranges, Egyptian clementines, or Yusuf Andi's. I love the strangeness in that he's riding on the back of this truck down a highway and through a toll booth. Oh Egypt.

And then, the extraordinariness of just driving along home and passing these babies:

Why hello there Mr. Pyramid. You're looking awfully small from this far away. Considering you're actually miles away, I'd say your size is playing a trick on me.

FPD #10: Self Portrait

2012-02-10T16:47:00.000+02:00

Please keep in mind this is after a busy school day!!

FPD #9: Front Door

2012-02-09T16:40:00.000+02:00

I'm backdating these because we were on a retreat this weekend with a group from the church studying the book The Good and Beautiful God. It was SO nice to get out of the busy of the city and just take some time to pull back and be with the Lord. This is the door of Dana and my's room for the weekend:

FPD #8: Sun

2012-02-08T23:23:00.003+02:00

Sadly, though it was sunny today (such a relief after the sandstorm that kept kids in my classroom from 8-2:15 with no break) I did not make it outside until after the sun was going down. So here are a few pics for you:

The lack of sun yesterday

The sun(shine) of my day! After a really horrible day yesterday, these guys just made this one great. They were excited to learn, well-mannered, and we took a day off of our reading groups and I just sat and read with different kids for an hour and a half. It was refreshing. Refilling. Great to see and truly remember how far they've come. Sunshine.

FPD #7: Buttons

2012-02-07T18:26:00.002+02:00

Our report cards were due today*, and for the last 3 weeks we have been testing our kids. One of the objectives is fine motor skills. This is one of the dressing boards we have that I used to see if they can button. 100% on that skill, plus tons of growth on the other objectives as well! :)

*Due to a sandstorm and basically no prep time which = no time away from children from the time I walked in the door till after school was over + just a really terrible day in general which in the end = I need an extra day to finish report cards...

FPD #6: Dinner

2012-02-06T20:35:00.003+02:00

When you are really tired after having to stay late at work for a meeting/report card work, you have a car available and thus don't have to depend on taxis, and you just weighed in for the week and know you'll eat really healthy this weekend, this is the kind of dinner you have:

Yes, we have Chili's in Egypt. And yes, we are from Texas and managed to go through 2 bowls of salsa for 1 basket of chips.

FPD #5: 10 a.m.

2012-02-05T10:11:00.004+02:00

At 10 am (about 10 minutes ago) we were working in our calendar binders, drawing the temperature onto our thermometers. It's 13 degrees C or 55 degrees F.

**Note, the weekend in Egypt is Friday/Saturday. Sunday is the first day of our work week.

FPD #4: Stranger

2012-02-04T19:48:00.005+02:00

So I'm cheating a little bit because this isn't from today. This is a stranger who was selling honey cakes for Ramadan next to us while at a restaurant just inside the Blue Gate in Fez, Morocco (that's quite the run-on sentence). But I have good reason for not having a photo of a stranger from today. I stayed in my house. All day. In my pajamas. Partially because those are the best kind of Saturdays and partially because we were hiding out from our landlord's creepy brother who wants us to pay some additional money and to show some doctors our apartment because it's "very important". They just want to see the "decorations". Um, no. We will be living here until June 30th. At that time you may see the decorations all you want. The decorations that belong to your family and the apartment, not that belong, and thus can be robbed from me (for a 3rd time).

It appears Emily accepted her little push back in to the blog world. But not cause I pushed her. Emily does things in her own time. She was ready. You should go to this blog entry and listen to the call to prayer from our living room window. Just do it. Then picture this at 5:00 in the morning. I expect sympathy.

SUYL Singles: Trena

2012-02-04T11:10:00.005+02:00

Kelly's Korner is continuing her Show Us Your Life series, and this month is singles. I immediately thought of Trena. My friend Trena is a stellar woman of God. Every morning she wakes up early and takes time to spend with the Lord. She spends her days caring for others and managing a growing organization God called her to start. Trena moved to Kenya several years ago as a result of God's direct call on her life. Her organization, His Cherished Ones, includes a baby house where they raise (primarily) orphaned babies and work to adopt them to loving families, a single-mom ministry giving the mom's a trade and income to support their families, and the caring and schooling of several teenage boys who live and learn to love with a family on her staff. Trena has continued to pursue the Lord with faithfulness, as he put upon her heart to pursue raising, mommying, and adopting one of the baby house's first babies, now a beautiful and thriving three year old named Julia. Julia is a ray of sunshine in anyone's life, and it is amazing how God has used this little-bit

already to further His ministry in Kenya. Trena is in her mid-30's and is from Midland, Texas and spends her time in Kenya, Midland, and Houston. She has a heart for family, serving, hospitality, and growing in the Lord. Trena was a kindergarten teacher in the States before she moved to Kenya, and has such a heart for the least of these.

If you don't have a heart for full-time missions, to continue reading is fruitless. But if you do, I encourage you to check out her blog at http://thelordprovides.blogspot.com/ .

FPD #3: Hands

2012-02-04T00:03:00.004+02:00

Today I found myself talking about time a lot. It seems like a theme in my life right now- watching the hands. Counting the days. Waiting. Wondering. Being unsure. On a timeline, but unsure of how long it is, or what the tick marks will actually say, actually mean. So my hands are marked by the hands of time. The hands of wait. The hands of trust. So as yesterday rolls into today, I place myself in the Hands that will carry me through.

FPD #2: Words

2012-02-02T22:15:00.004+02:00

If you didn't see yesterday's post, I'm doing the February Photo a Day Challenge at FatMumSlim. Today's theme is words.

I spent snack time today cleaning off my desk. It was certainly the best cleaning it had since December. I sorted the papers into piles, but I have to take this pile home to throw away so the kids don't know I throw away their precious notes to me. Shh!! I could wallpaper a home with the notes and drawings that I've received. I do save many of them. In fact, the wall next to my desk is covered. So here are the notes I've collected over the last month. (Note: The giant "Ho" is Santa Claus)

Then, this evening I was browsing through postcards to possibly use for our "Save the Date" cards. I came across this one and thought it would be just perfect! (This is obviously the keychain version) ;) So here are a few extra words of the day. I am a words person after all...

February photo a day challenge

2012-02-01T17:32:00.004+02:00

Since I could not only use some material, but I also need to take more pictures, I'm going to join FatMumSlim's photo challenge. I like having some direction in what to take a picture of. So here's today: "Your view today"

Originally I took a picture from my desk at my classroom. This was my view for most of the day. Well, not from my desk, but in my classroom. You'll notice the water bottle and math manipulatives on my desk, which are pretty much always there. You'll also notice that the ONLY mess is on my desk. And this is after school was over for the day. I've got the kindergarteners well trained to be just as OCD as me. :)

I fully intended on that being my photo of the day. But then as we were driving home we attempted to get rid of some unwanted attention. Getting waved at, cat-called, almost run in to, causing accidents because we are being stared at, kissed at, etc etc etc is a normal thing here. Especially now that we drive. Imagine how odd it would be in this male dominated country to see 4 women driving. Now make that 4 FOREIGN women. Quite the stir. It is ridiculous. I've never felt more in a fishbowl in my entire life. Normally we can make them mad by taking their picture. Hey, at least then they look away. But these men today...

These men were singing, clapping, cat-calling, waving, blowing kisses... doing anything they could to get our attention. My stoic self didn't even glance at them. I just kept looking straight ahead. I didn't even get a glance at these imbeciles until I saw the photo. Most get angry, these ones posed. Blech. My view for today.

Highway to the Dangerzone

2012-01-25T09:33:00.003+02:00

I've been avoiding its existence for a while. I didn't need it. I liked to click links. Visit blogs. It felt more authentic. Blogging the the raw.

But as of last weekend I have succumbed to the powers that are called Google Reader. Why did I not do this long ago? I am now able to easily follow hundreds of blogs without linking them on my own. Oh the glory. Oh the wonder. Oh the danger!

I feel like this is reminiscent of when I joined Pinterest and spent hours perusing the delights and wonders found within. Maybe the obsession will past? Unclear. But I'm going to head back now to joyous updates of Money Saving Mom, Joy the Baker (and numerous others in my folder entitled "I like to eat"), and friend bloggers whose words are now delivered right to my very own reader homepage. If I can pry myself away I'll be back. If you don't hear from me you may need to call Emily to rescue me from my black hole. Except that the last we heard of her was "Big mushroom what is it called" over a year ago. Yes Emily, I am calling you out. Time to regale the bloggy world with your curious tales from this crazy Egypt land!! However, maybe Dana would be a safer lifeline...

Cuteness amidst assessment crunch

2012-01-17T19:17:00.003+02:00

I've been testing my kids for report cards. I've wanted to put my head through a wall. I've been really proud. And I've just had to smile. Here are some reasons why:

-When I asked one of my extremely bright ones to give me a word that starts with F, he said Fahrenheit. I can't even spell that without spell check. We've been learning about temperature and writing it down each day in our calendar binders. Mind you, Egypt measures in Celsius, but I have them write both. Most kids said fish. This one, Fahrenheit.

-I asked another kid what begins with O. He said, "Oooh! You know, like when you see a really cool car!"

-One of my boys was doing the section where he had to write the alphabet. He prides himself in nice handwriting. After writing the capital B he remarked that his B was better than mine. A minute or two later I heard him say, speaking about himself in the 3rd person, "Mohamed doesn't write a good K, Mohamed writes a SUPER K." You gotta love when a 5 year old speaks in 3rd person!

Have I said before how much I love them?!!

Quotable

2012-01-05T07:00:00.002+02:00

Today at Walmart I was chatting with the checker as she rang up my strange (1/2 a year of supplies) purchases. To explain the randomness of the items in my cart I told her I lived in Egypt. She responded with, "Egypt. Wow. You can't drive from there!"...2-5 second pause, then..." I think...?"

She's here!

2011-12-22T23:38:00.012+02:00

So most of you know my trip to the States was extended to the very last minute in hopes that I could see my best friend's first baby, due January 6th (we have to be back at work on the 8th and it takes 2 days to get back).

Elle apparently had other plans. Beth picked me up last night at the airport (Looking smashing I must say! Girl had on heeled Cole Haan boots and a black dress). Her water broke sometime during the night, and she was admitted around 8:30 this morning. Elle made her appearance in the world at 2:43 pm this afternoon. I think she's the youngest baby I ever held at only about 15 minutes old. SO SWEET! What a precious gift to me that I got to be in the room the whole time, except for the pushing part (I'll wait for my own. There are some friendship lines that need not be crossed, even if you have known each other for 17 years). It has been truly a pleasure for Beth & I to share so many important parts of life... from high school & graduation, to college & graduation, major break-ups, beginning of relationships, the loss of a parent, 2 engagements, 1 wedding (the other one is coming!), med school graduation, cross-country and overseas moves... and now a baby! We have grown and changed together, been with each other through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and just enjoyed life and friendship. I am grateful that God gave me such a good and lasting friendship.

Welcome to the world Ellison! You are loved by a lot of great people!

The Thanksgiving post that never happened

2011-12-19T21:25:00.004+02:00

I had such a great Thanksgiving post that just never made it up here. Perhaps it could be that I've been running like a chicken with my head cut off ever since that week... regardless, I just discovered today that Dana wrote an entry. Since we shared a Thanksgiving meal, I thought I'd just go ahead and share her entry with you. Here it is for your viewing pleasure. It was great fun figuring out how to make everything from Cheese Whiz to cream of mushroom soup and fried onions all from scratch. And the company was stellar. I am so glad to have had Dana join us this year, and as my Cairo best friend moves away each year, I still believe that God sent her here to me to be my best friend (ONE of them, ok Emily?! :) ) this year. Like she said, I love sharing life with these girls. 2018, right ladies?!

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Shark Attack and mean spirited sisters

2011-12-18T23:24:00.002+02:00

I was looking for a Christmas gift for my almost 4 year old niece, and I recalled the fun my sisters and I used to have with a little pop up play tent. It was yellow and as I recall looked like a house, with a flap entry in the front "door".

Well, when I was around 11 and my littlest sister around 3, though she was my precious baby and I adored her, she also wouldn't leave me alone. One day a friend and I wanted some alone time. Probably to eat candy cigarettes (hidden from mom of course) and girl talk about Full House, Joey Lawrence, or perhaps have a troll doll wedding. So we stole Hannah's tent, took it into my room, and commenced girl talk. But that 3 year old pain in the behind just wouldn't leave us alone. So I did what all good and adoring big sisters would do.

I coaxed Hannah into her bedroom across the hall and placed the mechanical shark from "Shark Attack" in her doorway. Don't remember "Shark Attack"? Check out the commercial from 1991.

See, Hannah was terrified of that shark. I trapped the poor girl in her room using a plastic mechanical chomping ocean-water-swimming people killer. Such a sweet big sister, huh? Can't you see now clearly why Erin calls me the "perfect child"? Obviously I was. And obviously Hannah, 22 now and mother of the aforementioned niece, might still be in counseling. Maybe this is the reason why she only wants one kid... She figures Sophia to be just as mean, er I mean smart, as I was and doesn't want to do that to a poor unsuspecting younger sibling?

I ordered the tent, but when I see kid tents I will forever see "Shark Attack" and my poor traumatized sister. Sorry Hannah...

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The perfect holiday gift for your loved ones

2011-12-14T17:51:00.004+02:00

We were at the "mall" shopping the other day for small gifts to give to our adopt a preschool Sudanese refugee through church. Now please understand, if you had an 80's party to attend you would find the most unbelievable costume here. Stellar I tell you. So picture that kind of "mall". In the back of the toy store, just behind the cashier Dana spotted the most amazing

Christmas gift I have ever seen. Now, of course I had to purchase it to give at a (White Elephant) gift exchange coming up this weekend.

Behold the glory of "Mummy is Pregnant".

Now for those of you who want a closer look, I have also photographed, for your viewing pleasure, an up-close look at what exactly you get with the Mummy is Pregnant doll. Please keep in mind that this may not be appropriate for our younger viewers.

(I'll hit enter a few times so you can avert their eyes)

There you have it folks. If you need to explain where babies come from, simply show your little tikes the removable stomach exit and enough said. You have successfully avoided the birds and bees conversation for another few years.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

2011-12-10T22:19:00.005+02:00

Tonight I went to the church's annual Christmas pageant. This one did not disappoint! I loved that kids did most of the acting (and did a great job) and how multicultural it was. The stage was a mixture of Africans, Americans, Hispanics, Brits, South Africans, Asians... that is one thing i really appreciate about my church-- it's truly a picture of The Church. It's nice.

Anyway, at some point in my very random mind, I remember thinking, "I wonder if they put a reserved sign on the chairs for the family of the Baby Jesus?" My friend's baby played Jesus last year, and I remembered her sitting anxiously in the front row as her week old baby was cradled by someone else on a stage. So fast forward to Dana and I walking out. They had been furiously stacking all the chairs up to put away (my church meets outside under a tent). She tells me to look down and there, at my feet, was the very sign I had imagined. "Reserved for the family of the Baby Jesus". So of course we nabbed it and took it home. It has found a new home. Please keep in mind that we live on the ground floor of a very tall building. You walk in the lobby door and our door is immediately in front. But since the sign is true, we thought we'd share with all... or at least all who can read English.

1/2

2011-11-20T23:23:00.001+02:00

The day stopped being exciting to me I believe when I was 9.
Now I'm just halfway to being "in my 30's", which I suppose I'll have to admit once I'm 31. I'm also halfway to being 61. Ouch.

The lyrics have been ministering to me

2011-11-18T13:56:00.003+02:00

I think my best friends would agree. The chorus to this song has really been speaking to me lately:

"Ohio" (Come Back to Texas), Bowling for Soup

Chorus:

Come back to Texas, It's just not the same since you went away;

Before you lose your accent, and forget all about the Lonestar State.

There's a seat for you at the rodeo, And I've got every slow dance saved.

Besides the Mexican food sucks north of here anyway.

Ok, so I'm not arrogant enough to say Texas isn't the same since I left, and I think I let my besties keep their slow dances for their husbands, but I'm ready to go back! Yeah for Christmas break in 33 days! :)

How can you not love them?

2011-11-13T19:33:00.002+02:00

Today I came back from our week long break. It should say something about my class that I wasn't totally dreading the day. In fact, at 42 days into the year we have yet to have a day where I've come home talking about what a bad day it was. This must be some sort of record or something.
When I got back today I had a picture lovingly drawn for me over the break, a mug painted for me by another student who went to paint pottery over the break, and then we took a poll of who had a good vacation... 2/19 said no. Their reasoning? Because they wanted to come to school. I love these kids.

About Me

2011-11-12T18:12:00.003+02:00

I have been looking at my About Me section since I got my pretty new blog design (it is pretty, huh? Go visit Jennisa at Once Upon a Blog and check out the other fun stuff she can do!)... it is in serious need of update. But before I change it I HAD to draw your attention to the coolness of God. Cause the last time I updated the About Me section was a little over 2 years ago when I had just arrived in Egypt. Here's what it said:

Pay special attention to the future hopes: my favorite country in the Caribbean-- check. A husband-- check (soon at least!). Babies-- in the future hopefully, but more of a possibility now that they will have a daddy! Lots of Spanish-- did I mention I'm marrying a guy who comes from my favorite country in the Caribbean, which happens to be a Spanish speaking country? Yeah, God is pretty stinking awesome. Now time to go update that About Me...

Can you help my sweet Lizzie Lu?

2011-11-11T08:50:00.003+02:00

If you've been reading for a while you may remember my trips to Kenya to work with Trena at her baby house. Trena has a three-fold ministry in Kenya: babies, single moms, and teenage boys. Lizzie Lu is just the doll of the baby house. The oldest by far at around 5 years old, Lizzie is bright, happy, smart, silly, and loving. Lizzie also has CP. She has made miles and miles of improvement since first arriving at the baby house 2 years ago. Even since my first meeting with LuLu she has grown a ton. This sweet and precious girl has such potential, but needs your help. A program called Proloquo2go will help LuLu communicate with others around her. It will give her the communication and independence she so desires. But this program runs on the i-pad and i-touch. Do you know of someone who has one they might like to donate? Or would you like to donate to the ministry to help purchase a used one for LuLu to use?

For more information about sweet Lizzie and the ministry, please see Trena's blog at here. Or if you just want to go and directly donate, go here. Thanks for making a difference bloggy world!

Some numbers and countdowns

2011-11-09T16:13:00.003+02:00

I can hardly believe it. In 41 days I'll be in the U.S. for Christmas. In 141 days I'll be in the U.S. again for a friend's wedding. And to work on planning my own. And to work on getting a job in Houston again (pray that I already have one!!). In 227 days I'll be on a plane headed home. For good. Or at least for now.

And it's been 814 days since I left. Left my friends and my family, my life and my home, and moved halfway across the world. Across the ocean, across 1 1/2 continents. I left green, innocent, timid, with a merciless character, living and breathing my Bible belt upbringing.

And I'll come back 23 countries, 3 continents, and a lifetime later. I come back wiser, I hope. I come back with more mercy for others, I hope. I come back living and breathing a real life, real world God existence. I'm not the same.

So there's the then what... what will life be like? I left single. Maybe bitter. Probably bitter. Ok, bitter. I come back engaged, nearly married, to my best friend from my favorite country in the Caribbean. I left with a bachelors degree, never wanting to do anything but teach. Certainly not be a principal. EVER. I return with a masters degree, ready to be an administrator, be a leader, and yes, even a principal. I left one church, a church that I loved, that I "grew up" in, or at least learned how to be an adult in. I return, but the same church... I'm not sure that it will quite... fit anymore. And then there are the friends. The best friends. When I left Houston Beth was in Nashville, Becky was married to Chris, and Erin was single. When I return, Beth is back in Houston and BY THE WAY, having her first baby in January, Becky and Chris are now Becky and Chris and Karis, and Erin has a new last name. How life can change, before your eyes, without you even realizing it, flying by, when you feel like it's crawling.

I'm excited about the 41 days, and the 141 days, and the 227 days. And the 814 days have been precious, priceless gifts that have changed me in precious, priceless ways. I'm not sure what's next, but I'm pretty pumped! Pray that I enjoy the next 227 days, that I live in the here and now, but that the road ahead and all of the questions and stresses begin to melt into the happily ever after (which I understand, isn't always happy, and perfect, and amazing, but it IS the ever after and it will be totally worth it). The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades! ;)

The Great Hat of China

2011-11-07T11:06:00.009+02:00

This is me at the Great Wall of China. Cool, huh? Actually, this is me with my hat on at the Great Wall of China.

This is the toboggan slide track that goes down to the bottom of the mountain on which the Great Wall of China rests atop.

This is the first sign in the line to toboggan down to the bottom of the mountain on which the Great Wall of China rests atop.

Yes, "Tobogganing is so simple!" Love it.

This is the second sign in the line to toboggan down to the bottom of the mountain on which the Great Wall of China rests atop.

Nice addition to the first um, dotice?... "Toboggan is a very dangerous sport!"

(But it's so simple!?)

This is what the man looked like when I flew around a corner on the toboggan down to the bottom of the mountain on which the Great Wall of China rests atop. See, I'm a pro tobogganer. Thank you Breckenridge Alpine Slide. This is what the man looked like as he yelled, "SLOW DOWN!" as I tobogganed down to the bottom of the mountain on which the Great Wall of China rests atop. Except he was shorter. And thinner. And Asian. And wearing a bright orange construction workers vest. Pretend, will you?

And then-- tragedy struck! The hat, my souvenir of two summers in Spain, flew off my head behind me. I was that fast. And I'm cool like that. And alas, I remembered too late that my father always turned his backwards on the slide. And the hat was gone.

I sadly and awesomely related my story to my friend when I reached the bottom of the slide that goes down to the bottom of the mountain on which the Great Wall of China rests atop. A coworker of hers that we had run into at the Wall (yes, we just ran into her. This happens commonly at the Pyramids as well) just happened to be behind us on the slide. As we began to relate the story to her friend as she arrived at the bottom down to the bottom of the mountain on which the Great Wall of China rests atop, Lauren gasped. She then ran the few paces back to the slide, lifted up her friend's sled, and GLORY BE!, there was the hat! It took a ride down the second half of the slide underneath her sled. It actually slowed her down quite a bit. Oops. Sorry about that...

I kinda like my hat's new look. It makes me look dangerous. Or mysterious. Or both. But cooler either way.

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

2011-10-28T22:57:00.002+02:00

Love Casting Crowns' new album, "Come to the Well". One of my favorite songs, "Jesus, Friend of Sinners". Perhaps it's the message God needed me to get by living overseas. We had a debate in our Bible study several weeks ago about whether or not we should have close, intimate friendships with people of other faiths or no faith at all. I regret to say that many said the answer to that was no. Everything in me, all the learning I've done for nearly 2 1/2 years says to look in the gospels-- Jesus sought those people out to be friends with. If we refuse to be friends with them, then we are doing exactly what they expect us to. In the story behind the song Mark Hall says, "I think the world is fully aware of what we're against, but they have no idea what we're for." Plus, when it says Jesus is a friend of sinners we must remember that it includes you and me. Just cause I'm a Christian doesn't remove me from that category.

One of my very closest friends in the whole world has a very different set of beliefs than I do. Neither one of us shy away from speaking what we believe to each other. It hasn't made me a worse Christian, in fact, it's the opposite. I'm better for it. I'm better BECAUSE of her.

Why is it that non-Christians find it so difficult to be friends with us? Because of us. We are screaming loudly what we are against, what we hate, but we rarely cry so loudly about what we love, what we are for. So they look at us and see judgement, boredom, or unfriendliness. It's not a fair statement to apply to all Christians. But it's fair enough to apply to so many of us that it has become an assumption for all.

We must change that. Loving God= Loving people. And loving people if you love God doesn't always mean you're trying to convert them. Sometimes the best way to show them what a Christian looks like is just to love them for who they are. Am I saying you should never tell people about Jesus? Absolutely not. But I AM saying that sometimes you should keep your mouth shut and just be a friend.

I love this girl with all of my heart. I plan on being her friend for a long time. And we're different. And we believe different things. And I love her. Period.

This song is me. This song is you. Let's not forget that.

Strange American Cravings

2011-10-23T21:57:00.006+02:00

Frequently overseas you get strange cravings for random foods. Often these are foods you can't get. So when Pioneer Woman posted a recipe for homemade corn dogs (which just happen to be one of Emily's FAVORITE naughty foods), you know what we had to do...

Homemade corn dogs are actually really easy to do, and fun too! :) We split the responsibility, each making 2 or 3, just to get some good corn dog making experience under our belts. P-Dub calls her corn dogs "artisan" and I think I'd agree that they are slightly more... artistic... than store-bought corn dogs. Delicious nonetheless! Definitely a make again recipe! (It's actually really fast too- maybe 20 mins from start to finish!)

4 words

2011-10-22T13:26:00.003+02:00

...that make grading homework (only for 20 mins) on a Saturday worthwhile.

I know this will be even cuter when they're my own kids, but I could just eat up that kindergarten handwriting. It's one of the most precious things in the whole universe! This was a nice surprise to find as I was almost finished with the stack of homework from the week. :)

Me from A-Z (AKA: I'm tired.)

2011-10-11T18:58:00.003+02:00

After 2 days of presentations for 50+ parents my brain is mush. Therefore, I will use survey material for your reading pleasure this evening.

(And if you were wondering, we presented a workshop on how to best read with your 3-5 year old children, and it went really well. Though presenting (while teaching an hour short of a full day) is exhausting, for me it's also energizing! :) )

So here ya go- me from A-Z!

A. Age: 30

B. Bed size: Double. But it's just me, so I don't mind! :)
C. Chore that you hate: Dishes. HATE. Also cleaning bathtubs.
D. Dogs: He died just before I came to Egypt. It was such a sad day. Def. getting another one!
E. Essential start to your day: A shower- otherwise I have a headache all day!
F. Favorite color: Red, bright pink
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5' 7
I. Instruments you play: Flute/piccolo in HS, and I'm starting guitar lessons tomorrow!
J. Job title: Kindergarten teacher/grade leader
K. Kids: Not yet... soon! :)
L. Live: Cairo. Yes, the one in Egypt.
M. Mother’s name: Sherry Diane (well that doesn't scream 1956!)
N. Nicknames: Jen, Jenny (use at your own peril), lots of amazing Spanish terms of endearment, Bossy (from the staff kids who insist I tell the other teachers what to do), Sweet Cookie (one of the 4 year old staff kids calls me this, and he's my grilled cheese sandwich.)

O. Overnight hospital stays: No overnights, no days, nothing. I'm pretty safe apparently.
P. Pet peeves: Disorganization. Not doing your best if you aren't being forced to. Biting fingernails. Smacking gum. And to my dismay, my love has habits 1, 3, and 4. :)
Q. Quote from a movie: "Meat? HE DON'T EAT NO MEAT?! Ah, that's ok. I make lamb."

R. Right or left handed: right

S. Siblings: Erin & Hannah, 26 and 22

T. Truth or Dare: Depends on my mood and the crowd.
U. Ultimate Vacation: Just one?! Antarctica, New Zealand, all of South America, South Africa...
V. Vegetable you hate: Tomato (I know that botanically speaking, it is a fruit but everyone considers it a veggie). I must keep the previous survey respondent's answer because I wholeheartedly agree. YUCK. Fruit or veggie just, yuck.
W. What makes you run late: I like to sleep too much.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Not many. Chest x-rays when I get really bad coughs. Also, I broke my collar bone when I was 3 so I'm assuming they did one then.
Y. Yummy food that you make: I L-O-V-E baking! Hot chocolate cookies always get 2nd and 3rd requests.
Z. Zoo animal: The aquatic animals. Sea lions are just so cute. Otters too. And watch out of they have dolphins!
Monkeys too, when they aren't weird and scary!

Egyptian treasures

2011-10-06T14:28:00.005+02:00

It's been a while since I've posted any emails from co-workers or Facebook messages, so today you get a double whammy- one of each. I'll treasure these gems always.

The email:

Each year, you are all fine and good in our country Egypt, happiness and

prosperity

Holiday on the occasion of the Egyptian armed forces and I hope to remind

students martyrs in the battle of October Egypt who sacrificed their lives to

recover the dignity of the Egyptian

And the Facebook message:

If you can't read it it says: Who are you and what types of adoption, which is practiced in Egypt, I doubt you

Happy Sinai Liberation Day

(The day Egyptians "won" the battle against Israel to get the Sinai back, AKA The day the Egyptians received the Sinai back due to the signing of a peace treaty with Israel, and also a free holiday from school)

Freedom of choice and the American Christian

2011-09-30T12:12:00.004+02:00

When this happens it always seems to challenge and overwhelm me... You see, Friday is the Muslim holy day. It's also the first day of our weekend. So this means that almost every Friday I am at home taking it easy when the mosque sermon comes over the loud speakers. You have to hear it to understand what I'm talking about. I recorded this standing at my bedroom window. If you really listen you can hear that it's not just one sermon, but 2 going on at the same time. There are 3 mosques on my short street (probably about 1/2 a mile long), and 1 just behind us. This is normal life in Egypt for everyone: people from other countries, Egyptians, Muslims, and Christians. This is Egypt.

But like I said, this occasionally happens, and it always overwhelms me. Because sometimes I'm listening to a sermon myself. Like I was this morning.

And as I listened to Matt Chandler's voice wage battle over the sounds coming through my window I was struck again. As an American I am allowed to follow whatever religion pleases me. Nothing is streaming through my windows, no speaker volume ringing, reigning over my days, my nights. But why, at least for me, does that freedom lead to complacency? I have a choice to fill my ears with things that are honoring to the Lord. But more often that not, I don't. Instead I continue to walk through life as a "Christian", grateful for grace yet somehow unchanged. Which makes me think I'm not really truly grateful for grace.

I want to be changed. I want to be different. I want to want more of Him. I want to choose to fill my ears, my mind, and my heart with Him. But if I can't even do that in this place where the concept seems so obvious to me, how will I ever do it when I go back to America, and back to the land of freedom, of choice? I want to be changed. Let me fill my ears with Him. Lord I believe, help my unbelief.

"Just to think that You love me, a wretch like me, out loud I will rejoice."

Literal.

2011-09-25T17:26:00.003+02:00

We have been doing a new literacy program this year called the Daily 5. In the Daily 5 you IMPLICITLY teach the kids what to, and in turn, what not to do. So we have been modeling the proper way to read to self. You know, read quietly, pick and book and read the whole time, stay in one spot, yada, yada, yada. Here's what's happened the last 2 days when I've asked a child to model what not to do:

Hands raised. I call a kid. He or she turns out to be too angelic (as is my class this year) to muster up the ability to model incorrect behavior. Usually this happens 1-3 times. Then I get a kid who can do it. And it goes like this:

Kid picks book.

Kid opens book and quietly reads.

I whisper, "Read loudly!"

Kid screams fake words.

Then I whisper, "Now walk around."

Kid screams, "Now walk around!"

Love it.

Grateful

2011-09-19T20:56:00.001+02:00

Check out this post:

http://www.incourage.me/2011/05/please-dont-miss-it.html

And don't miss the video!

So now what? "After the final rose"

2011-09-18T18:22:00.002+02:00

I am thankful that I have a DELIGHTFUL class at school this year that are really making my last year in Egypt fun. Yes, you heard me right, my LAST year. Through a lot of prayers and asking God to make it obvious, He did. One of my first weeks in Quba I was reading Isaiah 30:18 and then I prayed that God would make it so clear where we were supposed to be. I then looked down at the heading for Isaiah 30, which said in bold letters "Do not go down to Egypt". I think my mouth hung open for a second and then I read the verses that followed, "Ah stubborn children," declares the Lord, "who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who set out to go down to Egypt without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!" (vs 1-2), and then later in vs 15, "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength." I realized that what I was trying to do, though the possibility of a future job in Egypt, was that I was trying to seek shelter in the monetary safety of the shadow of Egypt. And that was wrong. But by returning and quietness and TRUST, we shall be saved and strengthened. I shook my head in amazement at the voice of the Lord, and then shared it with Chile to get his opinion. He agreed that God was being pretty obvious, so Egypt was scratched off the list.

Then, Quba had to be removed from the picture. And in God's grace, it was, at least for now. I believe that one of my spiritual gifts is like when Paul talks in I Cor 9:19-22 about becoming all things for all people. I am grateful to the Lord that I have discovered this gift of flexibility in me. Because of this I hadn't removed living from Quba from the list, though Chile had. He never said anything though, because He knew God would reveal it to me. And ya'll, He did. I was so tired at the end of the month. I was ready for some western comfort. And though I COULD have continued on living like that, I feel like God was telling me, "Not now." When I talked to Chile about this he confirmed the same thing for him. So that answer for both of us is, "Not now."

So then the question was, where? When I think about the US there's only one place that makes sense without just randomly picking a place, and that's Houston. My parents have moved twice since I graduated high school, so their city is certainly not "home." But for me, Houston is. I have SO many great friends that are truly family for me. There are also good job opportunities for both of us. Houston just makes sense. So as of the end of June 2012, I will be heading back to Houston.

More to come on wedding plans, etc...

A Proposal, Take 1

2011-09-17T13:02:00.002+02:00

No more teasing, it's time for the real story now that I've got my feet back under me with school. :)

Let's just start at the beginning of August... Of course we were both a little nervous that seeing each other would be awkward but thankfully, right from the beginning it was just completely natural. The first week I spent there we were doing ministry at a high school camp for the ministry he works for. It was good to do something "normal" our first week together. That's what I always do when I go there. It was different though, with all the weepy romantic 15 year old girls simply mesmerized by our story. :) At one point while he was preaching he shared our story of being old and single and waiting on the Lord. Then he introduced me and I turned 10 shades of red. When I was a kid I loved being on the stage, but for some reason now I either turn red or quivery. But it was a good week.

The second week we spent visiting friends and having friends visit in Hav. It was amazing to share life with these people who have known us both for many, many years. Many of them even said to one or both of us in the past that we should just date each other. We always both responded with, "He/She's just my friend!" Fun to happily admit they were right. :) We both got sick this week, and all these little things made me grateful that the Lord let us see many seasons all in one month.

The third week we went to his family's town. It was good to see him with the whole fam, and to meet his mom and brother. I have known his sisters for a few years already, but to see everyone interacting together was good. I think I met 10 million people. He very much reminds me of my dad in that he knows the whole town and it's not possible to go ANYWHERE without running into someone he knows. It was an exhausting but good week. We had our first disagreement one day there... it was over something completely silly. Again though, I was grateful that the Lord was cramming these different emotions and events into one month.

The last week we went to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Crystal clear water and white sands, and finally some extended time alone. It was good planning on our part (even if it was maybe accidental) to have some time alone to talk and "finalize" things before I had to leave again. We spent our days and evenings just talking and sharing life, and just "being". It was nice to be ourselves. I remember I was reading a book and at one point tagged a line in it where the lady says, "That's what I love about you, Ghosh. You make me laugh harder than anyone else in the world." I understood that, because he does. We were so grateful for honest conversations and the ability to talk about anything. It was very open, honest, and real. We actually got into a huge disagreement this week over a miscommunication (mostly cultural). This was even good because we had to deal with it, talk through it, and begin to learn to solve problems together. Again, though it wasn't fun to go through, I'm grateful because it was another way God was showing us how to work together. And it certainly won't be the last time we don't communicate well or have a disagreement. I'm grateful for a man who considers the Lord in all situations.

So on to the good stuff.... :) I certainly knew the night was coming. For us, August was pretty much we get engaged or we break up. So at this point I certainly knew it was going to be the previous. So on my last Friday night there I put on his favorite dress and we walked out onto the beach. He led me to a bluff overlooking the ocean just as the sun was starting to set. In his nervousness he talked A LOT, but they were good things, and I'm glad I can actually remember most of the important ones. For him, since he's learned Hebrew and studied the Old Testament in its original text, the Sabbath is very important for him. We had talked before about truly having a day of rest, and trying to implement this in our family life one day. So he began by explaining that in the original language, the Sabbath was not only for rest, but also for looking back at your week and seeing ways/goals that you could become more holy. He said he had something he wanted to change about the next week. Then he began talking about creation and Genesis and how when it says that God created it and it was "good", good doesn't just mean that, but also that it is complete. Then he talked about how the first time God said something wasn't good was when the man was alone. He then looked at the part where the woman was created. He said he thought things had been so natural for us because we had been created together. We were truly a part of one another. He said now that he had found me he didn't want to be alone anymore, and he wanted me to be his wife. At this point I answered him, but he didn't hear it and later said something like, "You didnt' answer me, are you going to marry me?" And I answered again, that yes, I would marry him. It was a great night and I simply couldn't believe that God had picked this one out for me. I had listened to a few of Matt Chandler's sermons earlier in the month (my favorite series by him- Heart Matters) and the question Matt asks after giving many examples was that if biblically and historically men could love and want God as much as them, the question is WHY DON'T WE? And I remember thinking, with pride, that Chile does. He DOES love God like those men. And I remember being amazed that I get to marry him. What a gift!

Our theme song for the month was the Jesus Culture/David Crowder song, "How He Loves Us" because for the first few weeks one of the things we couldn't get over was that through each other we had a deeper understanding of just how much God loves us. It was like we saw a whole other side of God's love that we couldn't understand without loving each other. It was amazing.

So now I sit here, back in "real life" trying to convince myself that it wasn't a dream- it's a reality, and that someday soon enough he is going to step into my "real life" and out of his world, and we get to do life together. Amazing! I am so thankful!

A Proposal, Take 2

2011-09-16T22:38:00.002+02:00

Ha, you thought I was going to tell you how I got engaged, didn't you? Ok, ok, that's coming. I'll write it tomorrow. I promise. But this proposal happened on Thursday...

Last year one of my little girls drew me a picture of me getting married. It's up on a bulletin board by my desk, and a few of my kids noticed and asked about it. I told them it was what I was going to look like when I got married. One then asked, "Are you married now?" I said, "No, but I will be after you finish kindergarten." He said, "Oh. Will you marry me?"

SO sweet! I imagine it's even more precious when it's your own son or daughter. It just made me smile. Have I mentioned how much I love my class this year? I love them! :)

I promise, A Proposal, Take 1 tomorrow! :)

Smart kid.

2011-09-14T12:39:00.003+02:00

We have a rule that you don't build guns at school. I know the whole wild at heart thing for boys, but there's something about guns and schools that just doesn't settle well with me.

So yesterday one of my precious ones comes to show me a creation he built. I looked and said, "Well, that looks an awful lot like a gun and remember we don't build guns at school..."
"It's not a gun, it's a machine that shoots bullets."
Clever. Clever kid.

Just another day in mommy training

2011-09-12T18:13:00.002+02:00

(I am aware that there are a great many things I need to catch you up on, but due to the fact that my plane landed 32 hours before I had to be at work and I've been with little people almost since then, I'm a bit behind...)

So yesterday one of my students (we've had kids for 5 days now. My class is fantastic. LOVE them.) had to go to the bathroom. I asked him if he could wait or if it was an emergency because they were washing hands for lunch. He said yes. About 2 minutes later he got a panicked look in his eyes and told me he could no longer wait. We hurried across the hallway to use another teacher's bathroom. He couldn't get his pants unsnapped/zipped so I helped him, but then he couldn't get them pulled down. As I go to pull the pants down the "sprinkler" begins. He couldn't wait anymore.

And that is the story of when I got my hands peed all over by a 5 year old.

Kindergarten is definitely Mommy Training 201 (101 is babysitting).

Sometimes even crazy dreams come true...

2011-09-02T00:34:00.003+02:00

This song has been one of my theme songs for Quba for a long time. To me, just being there for a month was God making a crazy dream come true. It was me being a "firefly chaser", and it was important... that God could fulfill even our wildest imagination. And now He's done it again. Because this amazing man, the best man I know in the whole world (you too dad), asked me to marry him! :)

More to come, I'm exhausted and in Madrid (just back from the other H-town today) and tomorrow I go back to Cairo and start work on Sunday. But eventually I'll get you the details! What more do I have to say except THANK GOD EVEN CRAZY DREAMS COME TRUE!

Big week!

2011-08-01T03:34:00.003+02:00

This week I graduated with my G8 crew (though only 6 of us graduated this term):

...and now, in about an hour, I'm headed to one of my favorite places in the whole world to see one of my favorite people in the whole world! I'll be away for the whole month of August, so I'll catch up with you all once I'm back in the desert! Happy August!

Love that Beth Moore.

2011-07-28T17:49:00.000+02:00

A gong show day with a happy middle

2011-07-27T20:10:00.002+02:00

Last night the G8 said goodbye to our beloved John. He has decided to spread the masters program among 4 years rather than the typical 13 months, and therefore won't graduate with us. We had a lovely 3 1/2 hour dinner at a wonderful Greek restaurant and then went for a drink afterwards. Skyler and I drug ourselves out of bed at 7 after getting home at 1:30. She quickly realized the borrowed i-phone she had went completely haywire in the night- blank screen, alarm constantly ringing, etc. That's just the beginning... We left for class, reading our articles for the day as we walked in the Metro stations/rode the train. And the gong show continues... I almost take us out of the station at our transfer instead of to the next train. Thankfully we realized before exiting AKA having to pay again. Then we get to class 5 mins late because we've never been late and we NEED coffee this morning. So we get into class and our classmate, Ben, has gotten his toe eaten by an escalator. And Tobin is no where to be found. Around 10:00 Tobin drags his "forgot to set the alarm" butt into class. Then 11:00 comes, and I'm supposed to make an exit to go to the Quban embassy to get my visa. (By the way, Ben goes to the hospital at this time and returns with several stitches.) I get up and try to leave, REALLY needing the bathroom before I headed out, but the prof stops me. I scurry to the bathroom though and give her the 5 mins she asks for, then get in a cab and go to the embassy. When I get there everything is padlocked and dead quiet. I push a button on an intercom, and through my "Spanish" figure out that I have to get the visa at the consulate, not the embassy because it's holiday here. He rapidly tells me the address (in Spanish), but I can't remember so I go to text my friends in class with internet. But my phone is... IN CLASS. Instead I go back to the school to get the address (mind you the clock is tick tick ticking- in the holidays they close at 1 and by now it's 11:55), get it and jump in a cab. After telling the cabbie where to go I notice on the paper that while the embassy closes at 1 during holidays (allegedly!), the consul actually closes at 12. And it's 11:55. I get there right at noon and ride the elevator up only to see the consulate doors shut tight. Now this may be normal, but I didn't want to find out considering (insert angels singing) there is a Quba travel agency on the same floor. I walk in and out in about 3 minutes, visa in hand (that's the happy middle).

So then we come home and I'm relaxing after the crazy night/day when the power goes out. Thank goodness we have no work to do that needed the internet! But it happened last week so I dismiss it away for about 30 minutes. That's when I wander into my bedroom to get my book to read and step in something very wet. I look down and then up, first at the massive puddle of water on the floor and then at the water dripping from the apartment above through the light fixture. I grab my stuff off the floor (thank goodness it was clean so nothing was ruined!) and we go to call the apartment rental place but Skyler has no phone (remember) and mine has no minutes... SOOOOO we run down the street and get some minutes, then call the rental agency as we're at the grocery store buying a few items only to discover (through my "Spanish") that the apartment maintenance guy is on vacation and the lady speaks no English. I attempt to communicate the fact that water is leaking through the ceiling from the upstairs apartment, and get out the words to say water from the floor above... but I can't come up with a verb for leaking. Right at this moment we spot the dean of our college in the store, run over, hand him the phone and he translates for us. He says they'll be right there.

We go home and wait, and after 30 minutes check the phone to see a missed call. Oops. Call back, re-explain (this time in English) and they send the fix-it man. He looks up at the water and says, "OOOOH!" and promptly heads up to the upstairs neighbors to check it out. Next thing we know the fix-it man and both neighbors are wandering back and forth through our apartment. He makes her get a mop and clean the mess (hilarious). And he gets the power back on (WOOHOO!). So we laugh our way through the random apartment entrances, the fix-it man leaves with a promise to return tomorrow and finish (and a warning to make sure the bucket doesn't get full), I promptly burn a frozen pizza for dinner and enjoy my night.

Curtain.

Love is patient

2011-07-20T19:36:00.002+02:00

12. Many numbers are swirling around in my head right now, but the most prominent is 12. Because 12 days from today I'll be there. In that place I have always described as where my heart lives. But now- it's different now. My heart isn't just enveloped by love for a country and its people, it also has a face, it has a name, and it has a home. A resting place. My heart has been waiting for the contented sigh of homecoming and rest. I remember when the countdown was 177. And now it's 12. And there have been so many lessons in the165.

And with 12 left, another reminder.

"Why is patience the first qualifier in the biblical “love chapter” describing the characteristics of love?

I mean, why not first, “Love is gentle,” or “Love is tender?” Or, better yet (to my feeble mind), “Love is a flash of divine revelation, a supernatural infusing of the spirit of God.” Yes, all that....

And it strikes me, an epiphany over the fry of bubbling pancakes, “Love is only patient if it’s first grateful for what is.”

When I am not patient? My failure to love is first a failure to be grateful for who people are right now."

I must be grateful. Not just "God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food" grateful, but GRATEFUL. Only then can I be patient. And joyful. And humbled. Not for the gift of an amazing man, but for the enduring and wholeness of Him. Him choosing me. And Him choosing to bless me with a righteous, humble, God-honoring man. He didn't have to choose me, but He did. And as if that love wasn't enough, He chose to increase my faith through this man. Through struggling, through distance, through growing, and through loving. 12. I can be patient for 12. After all, if there are lessons and joy in the 177, then there must be lessons and joy in the 31. And I'm pretty ready to check 'em out for myself.

Quick & easy

2011-07-18T10:59:00.002+02:00

It's 11 am and I've already been proposed to. Why? These banana muffins. Easy & delicious- they only take about 30 minutes from start to finish. All you need other than normal baking items are 3 overripe bananas.

Banana ~~Crumb~~ Muffins (from allrecipes.com, I didn't like the crumb topping)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

~~1/3 cup packed brown sugar~~

~~2 tablespoons all-purpose flour~~

~~1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon~~

~~1 tablespoon butter~~

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
~~In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.~~
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Spots of tea in London

2011-07-12T20:56:00.011+02:00

Just before grad school started I went to London. I needed a week of break- just break- before I started grad school up again. Despite the fact that I'm studying in Spain, it is anything but a vacation! I met up with an old friend, Rachel. She was amazing, let me have her room for the week, gave me great itineraries for the days (while she had to work), and went to see The Wizard of Oz (her choice) and Wicked (my choice) with me. Her roommates, Nat and Chrissy, are great as well! Just heard about a great international school in London... I could live there... Maybe I'd even pick up the proper accent?!! :)

My future home with Prince Harry... Buckingham Palace.

Westminster Abbey

Big Ben

Houses of Parliament

The London Eye

Tower Bridge (London Bridge is a big let down :) )

St. Paul's Cathedral- see the very, very top?

Just under the gold shiny point? That's where these next pictures were taken. :)

Rach and I almost at the top.

View from the top

It was windy up there!

View from the side... somehow it got very blue skied in the time it took us to climb down.

The beginning of the Portobello Road Market (AKA Notting Hill)

In the middle of Notting Hill

The fruit market section

The Travel Bookshop from Notting Hill. We found the blue door as well, but MAJOR letdown- it's not blue anymore! Apparently the owners didn't enjoy all the attention they were receiving.

12 year old obsessions

2011-07-11T20:55:00.002+02:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I turned 30 7 weeks ago. But I'm still pretty super excited about this:

Also, this:

Also, I just finished reading this:

...which happens to be written for teens grade 7 and above, and which I also happened to really enjoy. I'm reading the 2nd one right now.

So I may be stuck in my teen years, but at least the acne has gone away! ;)

Living in the world and not of it.

2011-07-10T20:05:00.002+02:00

I've been struggling with this over the last 2 years. Before I moved out of the country I had no idea what that truly meant. I thought I lived in the world, but not of it. I truly did. I mean, I went to work with people who were very much unlike me. I talked to them about my trips and going to church and all that business. And I was in the world all the time! I mean, I went shopping, out to eat, I drove on the loop... I was in the world!

Or so I thought.

What I realized was that I was by no means IN the world. Sure, I worked with some non-Christians. And I went out to eat. With Christians. And I drove on the loop. With Christians or KSBJ. Sometimes both. And I went shopping. With Christians. I didn't live in the world, I lived in the bubble. And there I would have stayed, happily and unknowingly blinded were it not for this crazy adventure.

I sit here today a changed person. I'm not sure if all the changes have been good. But I certainly now know what it is like to live IN the world. Now I've got to get back to figuring out how to live not of the world. I've been struggling, friends. I've made choices I wished I hadn't made. I've turned my back on the Lord many more times than I wish I had. In many ways I've become complacent or numb. But I've also had relationships with people I never would have had relationships with. And although I wasn't "on fire" like good Christian teens would describe themselves, I think God has still used me. Because, thanks to His rescuing grace, He is still a part of my DNA, my make-up- who I am.

But now it's time. It's time to figure this out, this in and not of. Pray for me. For wisdom, grace, perseverance, and longevity. Pray that I figure this out. I'm tired of milk, it's time to go back to solid foods.

Hebrews 5:12b-14

You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Whew.

2011-07-08T00:37:00.002+02:00

The grad school exhaustion has begun, but week one (or at least the work for week one) is over! Tomorrow I present my project and I'm 9/12ths of the way done with grad school. I'll actually be sad when these next 3 weeks are over... I enjoy learning and I love my cohort. But MAN, I'm exhausted. So at 12:40, with broken a/c and a tummy not-so-full of popcorn for dinner I'm going to bed. If you wondered where I am, that's where. Buried in work and exhaustion and sangria. Cause it is Spain after all!

Hopefully this weekend I can get up some London pics, it was a blast! And get ready for me to go dark in August... but it'll be worth it. That precious man... totally worth it! 25 days!

Sometimes you forget

2011-07-04T23:11:00.004+02:00

Living overseas, at least for me, causes me to forget things that used to be important and meaningful. Holidays tend to be one of them. Thanksgiving is a workday, Easter generally equals traveling (though it's difficult to forget the meaning behind this one), Labor Day/Memorial Day are unknowns, Father's Day doesn't even exist (in Egypt, not in my mind, Daddy! :) )... I started my last round of masters classes today and I completely forgot that today is the 4th of July. And then, living outside the country as well, sometimes you forget why it's important.

Then I read this.

And then I remembered that it IS important. Because otherwise I couldn't be over here, forgetting why it IS important. So thank a soldier for me, watch some fireworks, and thank God that we live (or at least were raised in) a country that allows us opportunity. It could be a lot worse. And we should never forget to be grateful.

I've got 12 years.

2011-06-18T21:43:00.003+02:00

So my kids did this picture for the end of our slide show at KG graduation:

Yes folks, the kids of the graduating class of 2023 are starting first grade in the fall. But that's beside the point. When I was explaining why we made that number and what it signified for the kids one of my boys piped up with a sweet, precious, "Ms. Jen? Will you be married by then?"

I just replied, "I hope so sweetie. I hope so!"

10 day YOU challenge, 1

2011-06-17T22:36:00.003+02:00

I finally got a few new pictures of myself today at Em & Beck's birthday, so I'll finish this thing off. Here is Lauren (see previous post: WHY YOU WANT TO LEAVE ME!) and me on the boat on the Nile. Great night, great end of the year!

Why you want to LEAVE me? (Think My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

2011-06-11T23:45:00.002+02:00

"Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship with all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love and bring you love, well, that’s just fabulous."

-Sex and the City

As the year is drawing to a close and I am once again saying goodbye to the person I love the most in Egypt, this quote can't help but be meaningful. In just 12 days my expat life will once again change. My bestest Egypt friend will get on a plane headed for Beijing (after a month layover in Des Moines, "Just outside of the middle of nowhere", Iowa) and Cairo just won't be the same. But one thing that God has really been good at in my life (and no, I'm not bragging at how fabulous I am EK!) is bringing me people that love me at every turn. So I guess I just have to keep trusting that He'll take care of me, right? I'm gonna miss ya, Lauren Moore. I love you to pieces!

10 day YOU challenge, 2

2011-06-05T22:19:00.002+02:00

Two songs:

(Really?! For TWO they do songs?! This is too hard!)

Hmm... how about two songs for today? I can't just pick two songs for like, life. That's impossible.

1. Threadbare Gypsy Soul

2. Galleywinter

Pat Green came up on shuffle on my i-pod yesterday, so today while walking home/grocery shopping/making dinner I rocked out to an old fav, his Three Days album (AKA: Good Texas country BEFORE he sold out to Nashville). Some good memories there. Nostalgia and quality Texas country can do a gal good.

10 day YOU challenge, 3

2011-06-04T15:17:00.000+02:00

Three films:

1. Rent

2. Love Actually

3. Pride & Prejudice

10 day YOU challenge, 4

2011-06-03T17:12:00.000+02:00

Four books:

1. The Bible

2. Pride & Prejudice

3. The Great Divorce

4. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

10 day YOU challenge, 5

2011-06-02T16:57:00.000+02:00

Five foods:

1. Chuy's creamy jalapeño

2. Pomegranate (YES! I finally learned how to spell that one without spell check help!)

3. Chick-fil-a original sandwich

4. Sausage McGriddle

5. Cashew/Coconut Cadbury Chocolate

10 day YOU challenge, 6

2011-06-01T20:45:00.002+02:00

Six places:

1. Texas, our Texas, all hail the mighty state...

2. Quba, my heart's home.

3. Madrid, my love.

4. Kenya, my healer.

5. Ethiopia, my hope for the future & adoption.

6. Chick-fil-a, my soul mate.

10 day YOU challenge, 7

2011-05-31T17:30:00.002+02:00

Seven wants:

1. Chick-fil-a

2. Target

3. More Toms

4. Babies, especially adopted ones

5. More time and money to travel.

6. Less students, less boys.

7. To be able to snap my fingers and be anywhere in the world, at any time. Then friends that live far away or are moving far away won't be so, well, far away.

10 day YOU challenge, 8

2011-05-29T20:53:00.004+02:00

Eight fears:

1. Birds. They could peck your eyes out. Rats with wings.

2. Frisbees. They fly rapidly at your head.

3. Cockroaches. Not looking forward to these if I go back to Houston.

4. Being alone forever. But that fear is getting smaller.

5. Not being financially stable after working this hard to be.

6. Doing dishes. Nah, I just hate this one.

7. Birthing the antichrist. You laugh, but this was what scared me the most as a child. I'm good now, but it was too crazy not to include.

8. Living an average American life. Falling right back into old patterns and routines and not living life for what is important.

10 day YOU challenge, 9

2011-05-28T14:41:00.002+02:00

Nine Loves:

9. Baking

8. Target

7. Chocolate

6. Reading

5. Traveling

4. Teaching

3. Family and friends

2. That guy in Quba

1. God

10 day YOU challenge

2011-05-27T23:39:00.004+02:00

I'm stealing this from another blog I read cause I'm out of good material and I like this one.

Ten secrets:

1. I have this fear that I'm going to get to Quba this summer, he'll take one look at me and decide that I am absolutely NOT what he is looking for.

2. I started my masters program in administration because of the poor administrators I have had. I didn't think I'd really ever want to use it. I was wrong.

3. My Spanish accent masks how pathetic my "fluent" knowledge of Spanish actually is.

4. My first year in Egypt wasn't hard because nothing big happened with my friends that I had to miss. This one has been terribly hard with all the engagements/weddings/pregnancies/and babies.

5. Sometimes I hate being an American. But at the same time I long for Target, Chickfila, and orderly conduct.

6. My sisters and I have almost no relationship. I wish that could change, but I'm not sure where exactly to start. It's just been this way since I can remember.

7. Because I've been confronted by friends on some of my issues (and I'm grateful they loved me enough to tell me things) I always have a slight fear that I'll fall back into those issues or offend them by something I say. They are some of my best friends, but deep inside I'm overly sensitive to hurting their feelings. I second guess my words with them 10 million times. But even so, it's made me a better friend.

8. Though I believe a pretty hard line theology, I often wonder if we've got it all wrong. Not the theology I mean, but the lack of love we have for people and the need to confront and correct.

9. Sometimes, or a lot of the time, I feel like a Christian phony cause I'm not putting the time in that I should be. But I wonder how to not just check my "good Christian" box, but truly have a relationship with God, especially when I'm just not "feeling" it.

10. Living overseas has changed me in many ways. Not all of them have been good. I wonder sometimes if the good changes outweigh the bad or if it's vice versa.

A new number... 19

2011-05-25T21:21:00.002+02:00

19 more school days! While you folks in the States are finishing up we are just gearing up with our end of the year madness. Now is the time for end of year assessments, graduation prep, packing and cleaning, and the general mayhem involved in ending a school year. Not only that, but there are SO many goodbyes. That's the hardest thing about teaching overseas- you are constantly saying goodbye.

But I DO have a few things to look forward to, namely:

1. Getting a new class. Love em, but it's time to GO. Please Lord, not 15 boys again next year.

2. SPAIN. 1 month from tomorrow I will pass through Spain, go to London for almost a week, and then go back for my month in Espana.

3. Quba! Enough said.

Miah Miah

2011-05-24T21:53:00.002+02:00

Our sweet Miah met his mama and daddy from Italy today! Pop on over to Trena's blog and check it out! While you're there, the babies are in serious need of new nappies (cloth diapers) so if you have some cents to spare, donate some cash. A set of the diapers is about $200 and they have about 8 babies. The set will last the baby from birth to potty training. Thanks!

0

2011-05-21T17:41:00.002+02:00

Well, it came and went, that birthday. It's time to look forward.

Yesterday was spent laying in the sun by the Red Sea. Seriously, did I get to spend my birthday at the real Red Sea? Sometimes I'm still in awe of where I live. I was surrounded by sweet friends, and enjoyed myself. My favorite FB post of the day was from my precious mommy.

"Ok, my precious, darling, adorable little one. You've been taller than me since you were 14, you've been smarter than me since you were two, and you've been a better cook since you were 20 something. I guess it's time to say that you're an adult now. I'm glad you are having a blast for your birthday, but I sure wish I could give you a big hug! I love you, Jen. Happy, happy, happy birthday."

Love you too, Daddy! :)

So what's on the slate for this year? It's shaking up to be some exciting, and amazing, and BIG things, but y'all will just have to wait until they start happening. So stick with me. People keep saying that if you thought your first 30 years were great, wait for the next 30. I'm starting to believe them.

1

2011-05-19T16:03:00.001+02:00

Let me just tell you a little about 29. WHEW. WHAT a BIG year.

On my birthday last year I was just about to complete my first year of teaching overseas. I had been drastically changed as a person and was just starting to realize it. I celebrated with a huge table full of good friends, and really, people who had become family.

In June Emily and I moved to the expat suburb, Ma'adi. Life was good. We had an amazing new place, and life was certainly much more comfortable. School finished and I said my sad goodbyes to perhaps my very favorite class EVER. At least I knew I'd get to see them in 1st grade. Then I headed out to meet the 'rents in Italy. After a fantastic 10 days in Italy I flew to Spain to start grad school.

Spain should get it's own paragraph because I HAD.A.BLAST. But also, some things happened. By day 2 of school in Spain I was in love. In love with my cohort that is. Before the end of the first week we had named ourselves the G-8, and our overachieving, naughty, sarcastic, and competitive spirits quickly molded us together, but also made us the favorite among grad school groups. These 7 people were so different from me, but we simply had a blast, and we pushed each other to be the best in school. The 3rd week we got an addition to our G-8 with a student on the "slow track" (AKA taking his time) of the program. As much as we determined we would hate him, John was the perfect addition, and soon our group became the G-8 + 1. Whoever was on the out became the +1. The month ended with a kiss in the park (let's leave it at that), an unofficial awards ceremony, and the addition of some great new friends. One of those friends and I headed out to Morocco and Portugal at the beginning of August. We traveled together for a little over 2 weeks, exploring new territories and adding a kiss in a bar (oh the shame). Then I went back through Madrid (and added a kiss in an apartment. Shame and dismay), through Milan (prayerful remorse mixed in with sightseeing), and through Cairo for 12 hours before Kenya.

Kenya deserves its own paragraph too. I had a lot of things to work through and Kenya was the perfect time. It was quiet, there wasn't a lot to do, I had a kind and common soul to process through the mess with, and I can't forget the rain. The cleansing rain. Washing me clean, refreshing my soul. Some more soul cleansing- the precious orphan babies. Carving themselves deeply, whittling out a place in my heart. It was sitting on Trena's couch in Kenya that God started whispering to me... "Be patient. Just be patient. Your husband is in Quba." And for some odd reason a face, an image, a flash in my mind.

September meant back to Egypt, back to school, and back to real life. Ya'll, these kids have been ROUGH. Nothing like Houston rough, but still- 15 boys that are... full of life to put it nicely. Thankfully, it also meant pomegranate season! And then there was this one boy that I convinced myself for 6 weeks that it wasn't really God in Kenya, and this guy, he was here in Egypt, and not only was he here in Egypt but he was beautiful and he liked me. And in the middle of that there was Ethiopia. And after Ethiopia, but before Cyprus there was the break-up. The God ordained escape route, but also the beginning of something else. The fleshing out of that face, that image, that flash in my mind.

By December that face was no longer a flash in my mind, no longer a friend, but he was becoming a great love. December 15th... maybe the best day of 29. The day I became cherished by an earthly someone. And then I went home, but where is home? Either way, I went to visit my friends and family, to live, to laugh, to love, and to EAT. ;)

And then there was January. More specifically January 25th. The beginning of a revolution. And January 28th, the day of fear. And January 30th, the day of evacuation. Then February 6th, the day I decided I had to get out. And February 7th, the day my flight was cancelled and I had a meltdown on the phone with one of my student's parents. And then February 8th, when I actually DID get out of Egypt, bringing me to February 9th when I was back in Kenya. But by February 20th we were back in school. I have crazy love for my babies, crazy as they are, and within 2 weeks they all returned to me.

In March I had already planned a trip to Kenya, so I went back for a 3rd time. Wanna hear something funny? When I left in September, though I loved Trena, I told her I'd probably not be back. Too many places to see in the world. And then I went back twice. :)

April and May have flown by, incredibly busy. There were weeks where I wanted to cry out of sheer exhaustion. But now, now is the icing on the cake. Grad school is over for the semester. Sports Day is over (lots of planning on my part). We're 3 days down in our end of the year alphabet countdown, which means there are only 23 more kid days left of the school year. Now comes the fun part. And the birthday.

2

2011-05-18T22:38:00.002+02:00

I spent my 28th birthday enjoying my last few weeks in Houston. I had dinner at the Black Walnut Cafe and then we went and played Guitar Hero at my house.

The school year ended and I said goodbye to my babies in May instead of June because for the first time in 4 years I wasn't teaching summer school. The month of June I nannied the kids I had for several summers, worked at Vacation Bible School, moved my classroom into storage, sold my furniture, packed my house, and just enjoyed being with friends.

I actually didn't blog the entire month of July because I was literally gone the WHOLE time. In late June I flew to Seattle and ran the Rock & Roll Half Marathon with a bunch of Houston friends. I had gotten yellow fever, typhoid, and hepatitis shots 2 days before and didn't have the best marathon experience. Sooo wasn't thinking there. The trip was a blast though. I flew straight from there to Colorado for family vacation. I hadn't been in several years, and it was good because the whole family, including my sister, brother-in-law, and niece were there. From there I flew back to Houston and then drove my dog to Little Rock to take him to my sister's house, and his new home for 2 years. After spending a few days with them I drove back to Houston and left 2 days later for Washington, D.C. with my roommate Paula. As our plane landed in D.C. I checked my phone & listened to 2 urgent messages from my brother-in-law asking me to call immediately. He informed me that my dog had gotten run over that morning. What a terrible day. I spent most of our first day in D.C. just sobbing. :( After getting home from D.C. I left the next day to spend a few weeks in Quba. I had an amazing time, as usual, doing 2 camps in the center and eastern side of the island. I got home from Quba on the 1st of August, spent 1 more week in Houston, and then drove to Knoxville to spend the last 10 days with my family.

On August 19th my daddy and I drove to Atlanta. We grabbed my last meal, breakfast at Chickfila, and then he dropped me off at the airport. After a tearful goodbye I started my journey to Cairo. Too many hours later (after layovers in Chicago and Frankfurt) I landed in Egypt. How is it possible to summarize the ensuing craziness into a succinct blog entry?! I need to use bullets I think...

-Not that hard to get used to because in many ways it reminds me of Quba.

-School cancelled for the whole first month so we go on a trip through Eastern Europe. 21 days and 5 countries later we come back and eventually start school... maybe like October 3rd?

-MOST PHENOMENAL GROUP OF KIDS EVER!!!

-Visit home at Christmas.

-Turkey over Spring Break.

-"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other's gold."

Such an amazingly different year. I was changed in ways that I didn't even realize, so for the good and some not so good. What I didn't realize is what God was setting up for me for year number 29. Now that's been a doozy. Too bad you'll have to wait until tomorrow... ;)

Places I want to go: an update

2011-05-18T16:15:00.001+02:00

Just before I moved to Egypt I posted this list of places I wanted to go. I'm updating it and adding to it.

Africa:
Sudan
Kenya, August 2010, February & March 2011
Uganda
Rwanda
Tanzania

Morocco, August 2010

Ethiopia, November 2010

South Africa

Europe:
Greece
Spain, July 2010, July 2011
Italy, June 2010
Portugal, August 2010
France, August 2011
Germany
UK, June 2011
Austria, September 2010

Hungary, September 2010

Poland, September 2010

Croatia, September 2010

Czech Republic, September 2010

Cyprus, December 2010

The Netherlands, January 2011

Ireland

Denmark

Belguim

Romania

The Ukraine

Russia

Switzerland

Asia:
Israel
Turkey, March 2010
India
Thailand

Lebanon

China

Vietnam

Of course, there's South America too... plus the rest of the US and Canada. :) Aaah, I love traveling...

3

2011-05-17T21:39:00.003+02:00

I can't remember for the life of me what I did for my 27th birthday. What I DO remember is that it was an exceptionally huge year for me.

So let's finish that job story. I felt like I was supposed to leave MLK, but for some strange reason I couldn't seem to manage to find a transfer within HISD. I had settled into the fact that I would be staying for another year when I got an email (4 days before for the transfer period ended) requesting an interview. Honestly, I almost told them to forget about it. But I figured God could do whatever He wanted and that I should go. On Friday, the last day of the transfer period, I was offered the job. That fall I would begin teaching Pre-K at Longfellow Elementary School.

During the month of June I taught summer school and moved out of my first classroom. It was a nostalgic departure. I kept seeing the faces of the 85 lives that had come in and out of those doors. It was where I learned how to teach. It was a classroom that had only been mine. It was where I began my "real" life.

In July I spent 3 weeks in my heart's home, Quba. What a humbling, life changing trip this was. My luggage never made it there. I lived for 3 weeks in 3 shirts, 1 pair of shorts, 1 skirt, and 3 pairs of underwear. I fell in love with the high school ministry that I was finally working with for the first time. I lived like a Quban and traveled like one. I got to experience real life there. I was walked in on when I was in the bathroom, had a man wash my underwear, and got my monthly visitor with no supplies (and in the end on of the men had to go get me some). H-U-M-B-L-E-D. It was one of the most amazing times of my life though. I experienced God and saw His power, His heart, and His grace. I also think that this trip holds one of my very favorite memories with that guy who is so much more than a best friend now, but even then was an amazing brother, leader, and listener in Christ.

August brought Meredith's wedding and a new school year at a new school. I fell head over heels for Longfellow. I felt valued and adored by the administration. They believed in me and the job I was doing, and made that very obvious. It was amazing. Though I had an exceptionally difficult class (2 are now in special ed, I held 1 back in Pre-K, 1 is now on ADHD medicine, and I had about 9 that were holy terrors depending on the day), I was loving my life and teaching.

In November I was in a really bad car accident. My car was almost totaled, and the other guy was in bad shape. I'm grateful to be alive, especially because I was in the process of buckling my seat belt, but it wasn't snapped in yet (it was literally in the buckle). My head hit the windshield and cracked the glass in 3 places. My hand that was buckling my seatbelt was exceptionally sore. But that's it. It should have been so much worse.

The biggest news of the year (to both you and me!) came in January. Randomly an opportunity arose for me to move and teach in Cairo, Egypt. I heard about the job and accepted all within about 36 hours. If you want, you can read about it here. I never had a clue I would end up here, but I must say, it has changed me. It reminds me of a line from a song in Wicked, "Who can say if I've been changed for the better, because I knew you I have been changed for good." One of my favorite things about living here is that I encounter people I never would have met in the States. My best friend here is completely different than me in a lot of ways. I love her to pieces. Because I know her, I have been changed for good.

In March I went on my 6th trip to Quba. This was a different kind of trip because our camp got cancelled. I really value the time that we got to spend building relationships though, and God was really sweet to speak to me during that time as well.

What an absolutely life-changing, standards-shattering, blow me out of the water kind of year. I've always said that 27 was my favorite year so far... going back and remember the years I still agree. This year was an absolute blast!

Now I've really gotten it all...

2011-05-17T20:26:00.003+02:00

Longtime readers might remember when I got the email to join BlackSingles.com. Or the time I got the invite to the Asian singles site. Today I got this beauty:

Love how other sites advertise dates today or new interests today, but this one advertises marriage proposals today. Think I'll pass. Thanks though.

4

2011-05-16T21:52:00.003+02:00

Oh my. We're down to 4. Trying to continue breathing at a normal pace.

My 26th birthday was a blast. Becky threw me a party by the pool, Katie came into town, I had Jax Grill which is YUMMY, and Jonathan & I went to all the classes advertising the summer Quba trip. The only thing that could have made this birthday better was if my parents had remembered that it was my birthday and called. ;) You'll never live that one down Mom & Dad!

Just before my 26th birthday I met the most amazing family who has been so influential in my life. Right around my birthday I asked the wife it she would start mentoring me. This began a relationship that I hope and pray will continue forever. They are family to me, and I love them and their 4 kids to pieces.

That summer I worked summer school, went to Quba for the 3rd time, and visited Beth in Chicago while she was doing a traveling rotation w/ med school. Jaclyn got married and moved out, and Erin moved in. It was this summer that I decided I was done working with the university ministry in Quba and began to transition my heart toward the high school ministry. But still, that certain special boy (SPACE) friend was at the university camp helping out. He even introduced me to his little sister. When I got back from Quba, I had a message on my phone from Chris telling me that he was proposing to Becky the next day, and I was a part of it (Boys to Men "I'll make love to you, like Jen's parents do...").

In August we moved from Bayou Woods into a house. I loved that house! It had a real grown-up people back yard and everything. And how much fun was it to live with Erin, Becky (for 4 months more until she got married) and Paula?! It was a BLAST. Those girls are some of the most precious to me, and my memories of us together are wonderful. Becky got married in November, and my sister Hannah as well.

I started running the fall of this year, and really fell in love with running outside (too bad it's terrible here, because I miss it!). I ran my first 5K in January, my first 10K in March, and my first 15K in May.

I had a GREAT class. GREAT. I had 5 families from my 2nd year return with younger siblings. Now I still had some difficult ones (thanks Anthony and Deyshinna), but I loved em all, and no one punched me. This was my last year at MLK. It just became apparent what a different person I had become working there (some good things and some not so good things), and that it was time to move on.

March was probably the biggest month of my 26th year. I went on my 4th trip to Quba. It was an insane trip, but God really taught me a lot. It was on this trip where I felt like He was telling me that Quba would somehow be a part of me forever, and also that it was time to look for another school to work at. And while I was in Quba, my precious and brilliant niece, Sophia, was born.

Just before my 27th birthday (like that week literally) I was struggling through the fact that I really thought I was supposed to leave my school, but had found NOTHING. I had no idea what I was going to do. I kept saying that if I couldn't transfer or if I didn't like my new school, that I would go internationally after one more year. But you'll have to wait till tomorrow for the rest of that, because the rest of the story happened after I turned 27! :)

26 was another year of huge growth. I think by the end of 26 I was just starting to figure out a little better just who I really am, and to settle comfortably in my own skin. And it's funny to look at the fact that just a few short years ago I had absolutely no idea I'd be where I am now. But I'm so happy that, as the Dixie Chicks say, "Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else, maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down. If you ever want to find me I can still be found, taking the long way, taking the long way around." God's done some good things with the long way.

5

2011-05-15T21:31:00.002+02:00

5 years ago I was turning 25. I'd just had the most amazing and difficult year I had ever had. But things were looking up. I think for my 25th birthday I had dinner with a bunch of friends. Sadly, I don't remember this one either.

Beth & her husband moved at the beginning of summer to a house about 10 minutes away from me. I spent the summer teaching summer school, then taking care of the kids a bit. Just after my birthday I went to Quba for the 2nd time. It was official. I was in love. That country and its people completely captivated my heart. The fall of my 25th year I moved yet again (notice the trend? I moved all 3 years at Texas A&M, plus lived in 4 places in my 5 years in Houston! I moved 7 years in a row, lived in the house for 2 years, then moved to Egypt. Oh, and I moved after 9 months living in Egypt). This time I moved to Bayou Woods, just next door to First Baptist (my home away from home). I shared a room (literally) with a girl I was just getting to know, and one of my very best friends in the world now, Becky. That fall was amazing, heart-breaking, and growing. My class at school that year was sweet, a little difficult, and I loved 'em. This was the first school year I didn't get punched. :) Braylon gave my previous years difficult ones a run for their money though. Not to mention V'Lencia, the girl who brought a stray kitten to school in her backpack among other things.

I should call this the year of single awareness. In the spring I tanked into a singleness depression that was hard to get over. In December alone I attended 4 weddings in 5 weekends, and I was in 2 of them. Then in January our other roommate got engaged, and I knew Becky wasn't far behind. Though I was growing by leaps and bounds, I was struggling.

25 hurt. Growing pains are hard. But it was also a blast. I made some lifelong friends in Becky and Erin. And I started to grow up into the woman God wanted me to be. Which set me up for a pretty amazing 26 :)

6

2011-05-14T21:45:00.002+02:00

I was about to be 24. I was cringing as I approached my mid-20's. Ha. Hilarious.

Frankly, I have absolutely no idea what I did for my birthday. I'm thinking perhaps Beth and I went to Cheesecake Factory? She was my only Houston friend basically, because I had buried myself in work. Exactly one week after my birthday I finished my first year of teaching. I cried as I let my first babies go. Even that Cameron who punched me. That summer I nannied for the same family again. Beth & I moved into a 1 bedroom apartment where I roomed on the couch, watched TV with headphones on, and she finished her first year of med school and then got ready for her wedding in late July. She got married, and I moved next door. What a blast! It was the best of both worlds because I had a built-in borrowed bug killer in her husband, yet she could still run over and ask which shoe looked better (ladies, haven't we all done the flamingo foot with shoes & our girlfriends? This one or this one? :) ).

That summer I began to get very involved in a singles class at First Baptist. I plunged into the Lighthouse class headfirst. That fall I called the semester of my life. It was an amazing time of new friends, busyness, and fun. I made some new best friends, Amanda and Meredith. All of our best friends got married within a month of each other, and that sort of bonded us together. After 6 short months of loving life, I felt like I was supposed to switch classes to a newly formed night class. It was SO hard to leave, but I knew it's what I was supposed to do. I changed to the night class and became the women's coordinator, and it was terribly difficult for the next several years but I learned A LOT. And because of the switch I had this fabulous Sunday School teacher whom I loved tell me that I was going to go on a mission trip with him to Quba. Since it was over my spring break I agreed to go. Who knew how much that would influence my life and who I am today! In fact, it was on that first trip in March of my 24th year that I met this really fantastic guy...

School was much better that year, AFTER my one crazy got kicked out of school in early spring. He had punched me sometime in the early fall. I was 2 for 2. To this day, he might be the most difficult kid I've ever had. And one of the most heartbreaking. Other than that one, I had the absolute best kids and parents. This started my trend of odd years being extremely difficult, and even years being amazing. To this day, my 7th year of teaching the trend has remained the same... so here's looking forward to next year :) This ones, this second year class, they were special though. I still keep in contact with 4 or 5 of them today. They're now just finishing 4th grade.

24 was this amazing year of growing and changing. My world view changed from an inexperienced American Christian, to beginning to see that there was life outside of the United States. Life that was jaded. Where the problems were much more than not being married at 24 or owing too much money on my fantastic new SUV (which I purchased at the very end of my 24th year). I began to see that I wasn't the center of the universe, that the ultimate goal might not be to get married, have 2.5 babies, and live in the suburbs in a house with a white picket fence. (I'm not condemning anyone who has this life, it's just not for me.) I started to realize there might be more for me. 6 years ago my life was completely altered by a little island 90 miles off the coast of Miami. I'll be forever grateful for that.

7

2011-05-13T22:59:00.001+02:00

I have a big birthday a week from today so this week I just want to reflect a little bit on my 20's. I'll start with 7 years ago.

7 years ago tonight I was getting ready to graduate from Texas A&M (on May 15th) and move to Houston the following day. Wow. That was only 7 years ago? And wow, that was 7 years ago?! We had Pappadeaux for my 23rd birthday, mostly cause it was (is?) my dad's favorite and there wasn't a Pappadeaux in Arkansas (where they were currently living). That week they drove off and left me in a new city all by my lonesome, because my new roomie, my bestest friend in the world Beth, didn't arrive for about 2 weeks. I grew up a lot that year.

I struggled to make ends meet that summer because, being a teacher, I couldn't start my real job right after graduation, I had to wait until the fall. I ended up working a few hours a week at Baby Gap (where I'd worked for 4 years already) and nannying for a family from the church that ended up being such a part of my life. In late June I accepted my first job teaching Pre-K at a brand new school in Houston ISD. That was a tough year. It's a good thing that my life pretty much revolved around school and Beth's med school functions and friends, because I was just trying to survive. I was punched in the face by a 4 year old (he split my lip), and was asked out by his dad later in the year (a construction worker with a gold front tooth with a C in diamonds because his name is Camille). I taught, among others, Zavion, Trevion, Diovion, 2 Camerons, and 2 Zions (but one went by "Lucky"). I lamented my choice to become a teacher, and my mom had to talk me off the ledge more than once. I fell in love with Houston and with my new church, Houston's First Baptist. Beth got engaged at Christmas, with a wedding planned for the following summer. I felt like a real adult. Now, 7 years later, I'm not sure I am one yet. :)

Thanks, mom!

2011-05-06T23:40:00.002+02:00

How can one person be so like you and so different from you? I think my mom and I get along so well because I'm a carbon copy, female version of my daddy. And if she can put up with him for 35 years, she can put up with me too. Of course, it probably helps that I'm out of the house and far away so she only has to say, "MICHAEL!" instead of "JENNY!" when she is appalled by my behavior. (Yes, she gets to call me Jenny. Don't try it unless you knew me at 14.)

My mom loves people. She is encouraging. She loves to write. I loved those Cowboy Bob stories she made up for my sister Hannah. And because she loved to write she played along with my creative practical jokes. Like telling my sister that if she didn't go to school the Parole Safety Patrol Crossing Guard Officers would come get her. And that my aunt (a school janitor) really had that job secretly. Janitor was just her cover up. ;) Or when we told Hannah that she was actually born on February 26th at 11:59 and 59 seconds, so we just rounded up to the 27th. She always let me have my fun before we told her the truth. Sorry Hannah!

My mom got married at the ripe old age of 20, supported my dad through college and seminary, and started having babies at 25. When Hannah was around 3 she went back to school to become a teacher. Her first year of teaching was my junior year in high school, but she'd finally done it, she'd graduated. And she's a great teacher. I always knew she would be, cause she was great at teaching me. She taught me how to read when I was 4. Now I get to teach other kids that same thing, the thing both of us love almost more than anything- how to read. I love that about her too- when I'm excited about a kid starting to read, she GETS it. She understands that it's just magical. And thrilling. And one of the best things ever in life. My poor dad. He can only Skype with me for about 2 minutes. Then mom and I start talking school and he retreats upstairs to his man-cave.

I've watched my mom "grow up" all over again through surviving all of our teenage years. And I love now that she's back in a low income school, watching how fiercely she loves those kids. That's why this year for Mother's Day, when I saw this campaign, I knew she would love the gift. A gift that helps kids who desperately need it.

Almost 2 years ago when I was volunteering about MetroLive in Houston, I learned about an organization called As Our Own. As Our Own works to rescue children from becoming the future of the sex-trade industry in India. As I collected clothing for those children their tragically beautiful faces embedded themselves in my memory. Dark, smiling eyes. Hopeful eyes. So when I saw their "Thanks, mom!" campaign via a bloggy world friend, I knew that this was the perfect gift for my mom. Not flowers that will die, or something she doesn't really need. Instead something someone REALLY needs. And she unknowingly, yet willingly sacrifices to love others. It's so my mom.

Here's how you can get in on the action and spread some love for all the mom's you know. It's not too late!

Just follow the three simple steps outlined below.

STEP 1 :: GIVE TO OUR THANKS, MOM! CAMPAIGN TO HONOR YOUR MOM BY MOTHER’S DAY, MAY 8.

STEP 2 :: IN THE DONATION COMMENTS BOX, TELL US WHAT YOU APPRECIATE MOST ABOUT YOUR MOM.

STEP 3 :: DOWNLOAD A CERTIFICATE FOR YOUR MOM THAT EXPLAINS THE GIFT YOU’VE MADE IN HER NAME.

Thanks, mom! I love you and wish I could see you on Sunday!

Jen

And the conversation went like this...

2011-05-04T22:27:00.002+02:00

"Why don't you live in Heliopolis? It's nice. I have a flat. Well, its like a suite. You can live there. We will cook you good Syrian food every night. You know Syrian women are known for how they treat their husbands and families?"
Me: "Wow, really. Well, I like Ma'adi and I already have a lease for next year."

"This is no problem. Just pay a little bit of money. No problem."

Then her 12th grade daughter walks in. She tells her in Arabic and has her translate the same thing just to make sure I understand.

Me, smiling and nodding. "Well, thanks I'll think about it."

"Yes, come see it. We can show you."

Yes, one of my student's parents wants me to live with them next year. Thanks, but la shokran (no thanks). Of course, her daughter DID just drop over 800 euros ($1200) shopping while on a school trip to France. And if they'll give me the same kind of money... hmm... maybe I SHOULD think about it ;)

Current motto: Just keep swimming

2011-05-02T23:14:00.003+02:00

Sorry for the lack of chatter, but I'm just trying to keep my head above the water right now. One of our team members has been gone for almost 3 weeks to get some medical checks done in the States. I totally understand her going, I would have too, but it couldn't have come at a worse time. So here's been my last 2 weeks, plus this one:

1. 3 grad school papers: one 6 page case study, one 15 page research paper (notably worth 70% of my grade), and one 5-10 page research paper.

2. Individually assessing my 22 students for report cards.

3. With my team members, individually assessing our other teammate's 20 students for report cards.

4. Entering my 22 students grades into the computer. Printing/copying/signing all report cards.

5. Entering her 20 students grades into the computer. Signing her report cards for her.

6. Writing my lesson plans.

7. Writing her lesson plans. Getting all activities ready for the subs. Making sure her students, who are a bit behind, are on track to finish the curriculum in the next 8 weeks.

8. Scheduling my student-led conferences for parent conference day on Wednesday.

9. Scheduling her conferences as well.

10. Prepping both classes to lead the conference with their parents.

Her timing is impeccable... she returns on Sunday just in time for grad school to be over for the semester, report cards to have been finished, finalized, and signed by parents, and just after conferences have ended.

Conferences are on Wednesday. The last paper is due on Friday. I think I need to drink on Friday night. Or at least go into a chocolate coma...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T12:16:00.001+02:00

Follow from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

100

2011-04-23T21:51:00.003+02:00

100 days till I'm in my favorite place in the whole world with my favorite man in the whole world (well, tied with my daddy) (and second to Jesus, but he's not in the world).

But who's counting.

Happy Good Friday

2011-04-22T23:54:00.004+02:00

I think one thing I have been learning over the last several months is that most of our plans are just lofty ideas, great suggestions, or easy in theory/to say and hard in reality. Also, anything besides Christ that we think can fully satisfy us on Earth just can't. One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is "If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."

Yet at the same time, I have been learning that God's plan is so much better than our own. I couldn't have dreamed up what He has been working out for me! 2 years and 3 months ago I had no idea that I was going to move from Houston, and move to EGYPT. 5 years and 4 months ago I had no idea I'd go visit a little island in the Caribbean and fall madly in love (with the people, the island, everything). 6 months ago I had no idea that the Lord would give me the gift of dating the most amazing man I know, who happens to be from that little island in the Caribbean. And right now I have no idea what 'the end' of these stories will look like. But I do know a few things.

1. Acts 5:38b ...for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail;

2. Matthew 7:9-11 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for read, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

3. I Cor. 2:9 But, as it is written,

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him"

And something that I know to be true but am still learning:

"This world has nothing for me and this world has everything
All that I could want and nothing that I need "

-Caedmon's Call, "This World"

I have a lot to learn. Pride is a beast. Trying to use the things of this world, sometimes even good gifts from the Lord, to satisfy will always result in let down. And He loves me enough to have rescued me anyway. He loves me enough to have forgiven anyway. He loves me enough to be patient to teach His little child the way.

It may not have been happy that night over 2000 years ago, but now it is certainly a happy Good Friday. Because He is good and Sunday has come.

Happy Good Friday.

Imposing

2011-04-22T11:47:00.006+02:00

This is the Archbishop of Canterbury, whom I happened upon while reading an article in which Kate Middleton discloses that she will not promise to obey William in their wedding vows. The Archbishop will be performing the royal wedding a week from today.

Check out those phenomenal eyebrows! Homeboy can perform my wedding ceremony any day!

Now back the the article's subject- what about you? Are/were you fearful of using the "o" word in your vows? I, for one, would have no issue using it in my vows. I think it's simply a verbal profession that you plan to submit to your husband's authority as to the Lord's (or try at least!!). Of course, I'll be careful to marry a man that will love me as Christ loves the church :)

One stop shopping

2011-04-21T17:23:00.002+02:00

Last Friday I rode my bike to pick up some groceries. I left one store to go to the other store a block away and get my last 2 items. Unfortunately, when I went to get on my bike something had happened and the back tire wouldn't move at all. I drug the bike the block to the other store and locked it up outside. As I was about to pay for my last 2 items the store owner said, "Do you have a car?" Or that's what I heard. He actually asked if I had a card (a little stamp card to get a discount every 6th trip). We then joked about having a car in Cairo and how it's better to walk. I then told him that I had a bike, but sadly, it had just broken. He asked me if it was at the store and then offered to send it to be fixed where they have their delivery bikes (yes, they deliver groceries on bicycles) fixed. I agreed and he told me to return to pick up the bike in 2 days.

Fast forward to a few nights ago, 3 days later, when I went to pick up the bike. Once the right person (the one with the lock key) finally showed up I noticed they had added some super classy splash guards on the front and back tires and checked to make sure the tire was fixed. I then asked, "How much?"

"30."

"30? As in teleteen?" (Arabic for 30)

"Yes."

I gave him 40 as a thank you.

Bike fixed with snazzy new splash guards- $6.72 and 25% of that was a tip.

30 till 30

2011-04-20T16:35:00.000+02:00

I have 30 days till I turn the big 3-0.

Lots of thoughts floating around attached to that. Not sure where to go first.

Thinking happy thoughts. "30, flirty, and thriving." ;)

Priceless

2011-04-19T21:16:00.002+02:00

Today I was eating lunch and one of my cuties came inside to go to the bathroom. A minute later I hear, "Ms. Jen???"

"Yes, Ahmed?"

"Can you come here?"
"Ok..." I said this a little reluctantly because I thought he might need some bathroom assistance (for example, turning on the butt squirter to clean off) and I have gotten used to not having bathroom duty here. So I walk into the bathroom and look at this kid, standing in front of the sink, COVERED from head to toe in pink liquid soap.

All I could do was laugh. Thankfully he understood that the situation was funny and cracked up right along with me. I told him to hang on and stepped out of the bathroom to peek in his cubby and see if he had extra clothes.

"Umm... what am I gonna do?" he asked me.

"We're going to change your clothes, wait just a sec!" and I went to the playground to get my helper who found his extra clothes, shooed me off to finish my lunch, and changed him.

Those giggles made my day. Sometimes you need a little comedy in your life (especially when you don't have to clean it up!).

Hosanna!

2011-04-17T18:26:00.002+02:00

For the Greek & Hebrew meaning of the word, check this link out.

John Piper explains "Hosanna"

I hope you have an amazing Palm Sunday and Holy Week! Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Love, love this song!

2011-04-16T18:43:00.002+02:00

Song 6- How Emptiness Sings

Christa Wells

Brother, he’s suffered like a tree taken down
Wept as he witnessed his dreams carved out
And how can a man just keep walking around
With his heart full of holes

But ooh,
His bow is on the strings
And the tune resonates in the open space
To show us how emptiness sings:

Glory to God, Glory to God!
In fullness of wisdom,
He writes my story into his song,
My life for the glory of God.
Hmm, hmmm

Sister carries her loneliness
In a hidden hollow inside her chest
And sometimes all that she wants is an end
To the long, long night

But ooh,
Her bow is on the strings,
And the tune resonates in the open space
To show us how emptiness sings:

Glory to God, Glory to God!
In fullness of wisdom,
He writes my story into his song,
My life for the glory of God.
Hmm, hmmm

I haven’t been asked yet to walk the hard roads
Still there’s a sense of deep loss in my soul
In the middle of a party, I’ll just want to go
Home.

But ooh,
My bow is on the strings,
I’m beginning to learn where to find the words
To the song that emptiness sings
Ooh, bow is on the strings:

Glory to God! Glory to God!
This is how emptiness sings, oh,
This is how emptiness sings
Hmmm, hmmm

Song of the moment

2011-04-08T15:14:00.003+02:00

Chris Tomlin- I Need You

Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart

Chorus:
Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Yes where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay

1st grade words of wisdom

2011-04-06T20:02:00.002+02:00

"Best friends are way better than girlfriends."

"Yeah, but Omar Z. has a girlfriend."
"No I don't!"
"Yes you do, it's Mariam. But she doesn't know and she doesn't even like you."

Growing up

2011-04-05T21:49:00.002+02:00

10 ways you know you've grown as a person:

1. You cook for several hours, yet when you leave the kitchen it's clean. Miraculous.

2. You actually cook.

3. You make your bed (almost) every day.

4. A place for everything and everything in its place.

5. You no longer sleep with no sheets on the bed because you're too lazy to put them back on after washing them.

6. You actually wash your sheets.

7. You no longer sleep with piles of clean laundry at your feet (very often).

8. Lunch no longer involves prepackaged foods.

9. Lunch DOES involve things like vegetables.

10. You actually wash your face and take out your contacts at night (sometimes).

Rain, rain, don't go away!

2011-04-04T21:18:00.003+02:00

We have had more rain this year than I imagined was possible in Egypt. Seriously, a whole like 5 days all year! Yesterday it rained, and it rained hard. The kids were bewildered at the wet stuff falling from the sky and so I, being the advocate for playing in the rain that I am, told them to run out from under the awning and have some fun. My assistant was instantly afraid that they would get sick, but I assured her you can't get sick from playing in a little bit of rain, especially when it's 70 degrees outside.

It was fun that our science lesson was randomly about storms, and they could actually understand a thunderstorm now that they'd seen one! :) We looked out the window and even the high school kids were out in the thick of it, playing. I heard from a middle school teacher that they asked to open the windows so they could hear and smell it. It's just so rare.

When one of my kids looked out at the cement as school was about to end he exclaimed, "Look Ms. Jen, an ocean!" How funny that they've never seen puddles really! This morning they had the best time playing in the sand because the rain had blown in and made it wet. "Look at the sticky water!" they exclaimed (not exactly knowing what to call wet sand).

I love it when little moments like this help you to appreciate the ordinary. :) It's supposed to rain again on Thursday. I'd love a Thursday night snooze with some pitter patter on my windows. One can hope...

Kids are precious!

2011-04-02T19:24:00.002+02:00

So here's what a Facebook chat looks like between a 7 year old and an adult. I had this sweet girl in my class my 4th year of teaching and I stay in touch with her and her 4th grade sister (whom I taught my 2nd year teaching).

I love her response so much I almost can't stand it, "i miss u to and my birthday is in 34 days and im going to be 8 years old."

But then today's update came: "i mean now its like 2 weeks"

Precious! I wish I still counted down till birthdays (mine is in a mere 1 month and 18 days. So I guess I am counting down. But more like dreading down.). I miss this kid!

Camera fun

2011-03-31T20:52:00.005+02:00

I got myself a DSLR camera for Christmas and am just getting around to learning how to use it. Today I was playing with aperture and shutter speed. Here is my fav. This girl has mastered the jump- the perfect jumping picture is when the subject (one of my 22 available fast moving objects :) ) kicks herself in the butt every time she jumps!

Also, I know one of these is the same girl, but when kindergarteners read books on their own it just warms my heart, cause they couldn't do that 4 months ago...

And they're wearing orange with their school pants because it was Walk-a-thon day and the kinders had to wear orange :)

New recipes

2011-03-27T22:26:00.002+02:00

I've been perusing the web in search of new recipes. Here are some I've tried and liked this week:

Vegetable Moussaka

Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Peppery Chicken Curry (which is a little weird because it, in fact, has no curry in it. But it's tasty!)

Extra Easy Hummus- I did as someone commented and used sesame oil for the oil to get the flavor without having to go search for tahini. :) I also added a jalapeño and some cilantro to mimic my fav hummus from Central Market, but you def need more than one jalapeño and a lot of cilantro. Still tasty though.

OH- And those are all healthy!

And for the unhealthy:

Hot Chocolate Cookies (Yes, this is a repeat recipe post from a few weeks ago, but they are SO DARN GOOD!).

I also made my best friend's banana chocolate chip cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. Yum. But the recipe is on paper, so too bad for you. (Also Beth- because I was Skype baking I left out the buttermilk and chocolate chips. They're still good. And a bit healthier? :) )

Happy cooking!

This blog

2011-03-25T23:22:00.003+02:00

... was particularly good today. Go read it!

A Holy Experience

Also this article, though a tough read, was really good too.

Singled out by God for good

Kindergarten Excuses

2011-03-23T20:44:00.002+02:00

My assistant brought a child in from recess today and explained to me, "Ms. Jen, we had just told ___ not to throw the sand and one minute later he threw it on ____'s head. A lot. ____ (a usual suspect for hitting, etc) wasn't even doing anything, just sitting there!"

Boy breaking in: "Yes, yes he was! He was doing something! He was TALKING!!"

My teacher friend sitting and eating lunch with me cracks up, I struggle to maintain a straight face, and then punish him accordingly. My new form of discipline (stolen from our male kindergarten teacher) is the "baby square". It's a small square they have to stand in when they're acting like babies. Not nice maybe, but so necessary right now. In fact, for MY class I have to have TWO baby squares.

Such is life.

Somebody's in trouble...

2011-03-22T19:53:00.003+02:00

Yesterday was our Mothers Day tea (I think I've said it before, but MD here is the 1st day of spring). I talked to one of the mothers in my class about her son who frequently hits, pushes, and takes things from other students. As she left she told me goodbye and thank you, followed by "I'll punish you." Those darn pronouns are so easy to mix up in your 2nd language... or should I be nervous?! ;)

2011-03-21T15:59:00.000+02:00

So I'm working on labeling my old posts. This is taking a while cause I used to blog a lot! :) I've done 2006 and 2007. Tomorrow I'll work on 2008. What's been fun to see are my old entries. Some I remember well, some I'd forgotten about. It's nostalgic.

Tonight I came across an old survey I did. I thought it might be fun to update it with my answers from then and now. Here goes (1st answer, 2007; 2nd answer, 2011):

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

Hmm... in September of '97 I was just starting my junior year of high school. So I'm guessing that around this time of year mostly involved marching band practice and football games (where I began to understand the actual game :) ). I know, I was (was?) a nerd.

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In March of 2001 I was living in Arkansas, attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, working at the Gap (and loving it!), and getting ready to transfer to Texas A&M University in the fall. I was taking the rising junior exams required in Arkansas.

2. What were you doing 5 years ago?

In September 2002 I was in my first senior year at A&M. That meant Aggie football and... oh... 2002-2003 is actual a year I'd rather not think about. It was my "rebellious year". But I was also the acting store manager at Gymboree, and really starting to get into my field work in classrooms in College Station.
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What's crazy is that 4 years ago I was writing the previous entry! But 5 years ago was March, 2006. I was in my 2nd year of teaching and had just gone to Quba for the first time (and met the man that I might very possibly marry!).

3. What were you doing 1 year ago?

September of '06 meant 2 things: Aggie football and school. I was just figuring out how to battle Braylon around this time last year.

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March 2010 I was over halfway done with my first year teaching in Egypt and LOVING my class. I had just gotten back from Turkey which began an 8 month downhill slide, and thankfully ended in November.

4. What did you do yesterday?

Went to school and had a pretty good day with the kiddos, came home with a huge headache, did nothingish until Bible study at our house. Then I read some of the Bible and crashed.

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Baked banana muffins, got a pedicure, had lunch with my Egypt bestest (Lauren), organized, and did a bunch of nothing.

5. Snacks I enjoy ...

100 calorie almost anything. Popcorn and peanut M&M's. Yum.

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Same. But you can't get the 100 calorie things here. I miss that convenience!

6. Things I would do with $100 million dollars ...

Build a school like the former Harlem Globe Trotter did in NY (it was on Oprah, I wish I could remember his name!). You get those low income, high needs kids in for free, get their parents involved, and produce successful members of society. And you'd have all the materials you'd want or need. I'd also hop a plane to NY to see all the shows I want to see, and then to Chicago to chill and shop :) I'm not completely selfless.
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#1- get the man out of his country and get married :)

#2- save for the future

#3- Build my own school, but probably somewhere in South America instead of the US.

#4- I'd probably still travel, though I'm not sure that NYC and Chicago would be at the top of m list anymore. Probably more like do the Capetown to Cairo route, Thailand and some more of the far east, Israel, Russia, the Ukraine... I could go on...

7. Locations I would run to ...

Italy. I want to go SO badly! Also New York and Chicago. Man, I'm just a city girl.

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Been to all those places in the last 4 years! :) My first travel choice would be Capetown to Cairo, then maybe all of South America.

8. Bad habits I have ...

I never put away laundry. I wash and dry it, and then it sits in a basket in my room till I wear it again. Maybe whoever I marry will want that job?

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Making up excuses to not exercise.

9. Things I like to do:

read, watch movies, write, hang out with friends, read some more...

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That hasn't changed, but I'd add traveling!

10. Biggest joy of the moment:

My true identity is in Christ. And that this is only 10 questions, so now I can go to bed ;)

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For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil,to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 29:11-14

His timing has been perfect. He is always findable. And soon I may get to go back from the place where He sent me to exile. :)