The End is Near!

[Disclaimer: I haven't really proof-read this, and it's really late at night, so please don't judge any spelling/grammar errors as insults to my intelligence.]

Well, it's December 29 already...the end (of 2013) is near! It's been a crazy, awesome, adventurous, confusing, rewarding year. This year has been so full of LIFE that it makes me wonder what God has for next year. It seems this journey keeps exploding with more and more of the abundance He offers. I definitely have made mistakes this past year, but He has taught me from them. And I'm excited to keep learning and living and saying "YES" to wherever He calls me. And I pray the same for each of you reading this. 

Bear with me here, cuz this is gonna be a longer post...got three months to talk about here haha.

Since we last talked (my last post):

I went to a really cool worship night at U of M's campus with my friend Christine. However, before we actually went to it, I met her at her apartment complex. But before I went into her apartment, I was sitting in my car eating a taco (it was National Taco Day - thanks Dad for informing me). When I was done eating my taco, I noticed someone walking behind my car when I looked in the rear view mirror. She seemed unstable. When I looked at her closer, I noticed that her eyes kept closing. I thought she was about to pass out or was sleepwalking or something of that nature, so I got out of my car to see if I could help her. I asked her if everything was okay and told her why I was concerned. She nonchalantly told me with a smile that she was fine. Then I noticed she was smoking a joint. This was my first interaction with someone smoking pot, I realized, but I decided to take up the opportunity to talk to her because my friend was not going to be ready for a few minutes anyway. She told me her life in a nutshell, including the fact that her husband was about double her age and a professor at the university. She said she thought I was basically the same person as her and that I should come over and smoke pot with her and her husband and some other people sometime. I told her I wasn't into that kind of thing. She said she had just assumed I was because of the way I dressed. Evidently I dress like a pothead. Anyways, I gave her my number and told her about our church down the street that she seemed interested in. I still haven't heard from her, but I have prayed for her...seemed like she was going through a hard time. After that strange encounter, I went to the worship event with my friend and definitely felt God moving there. We had the humbling privilege of praying with a couple other girls who had just lost their friend that morning to brain cancer. It was for sure one of those "for such a time is this" kind of days. And one of my co-op friends (who I never would have expected to be into churchy kind of things) heard about the worship event from me. He didn't end up coming that night, but he came to church with me and a group of the other co-ops every week after that. And then God slapped me over the head and reminded me that he came for EVERYONE.

At work, I had a random encounter with a co-op friend who came by our facility to work on a project. I was talking to him during a lull in our work, and we got on the subject of exercising and being healthy. He said he drinks protein shakes. I told him that I, in general, thought those tasted nasty and that I tend to go for protein in chicken, quinoa, and beans. His surprised response was, "Oh, you eat meat? I thought you were nice." Then we had an interesting discussion about worldviews. He said all of the nice people he had met before me were vegetarians. However, his family is Muslim, so I think he's used to being around a different group of people. Funny thing though, I asked him if he was vegetarian, and he said no. I'm still planning on having a more faith-oriented discussion with him. He seemed really interested in my spirituality, so that's always encouraging when people notice that.

I also went on the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Ann Arbor. I heard that a group from Toyota was doing the walk, so my friend Netsanet and I signed up and Toyota sponsored us. We got sweet t-shirts and walked proudly for a great cause. My Mamaw had dementia (related to Alzheimer's) before she passed away, so it is an issue dear to me. Everyone we talked to at the walk had stories of a loved one with the disease. It definitely makes me look forward to the future though when there will be no more pain, suffering, disease. 

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." - Revelation 21:4

Photo op with my favorite animal during the Alzheimer's walk

By far the best movie I saw during the semester of Michigan shenanigans was GRAVITY. If you haven't seen it, please do. I can pretty much guarantee it will enhance your life. Although, some of the co-ops that don't enjoy thinking deeply about life would have rather watched Anchorman, but I think it still enhanced their life whether or not they realize it. You can't sit through that movie without thinking about the meaning of life and where you are going when you die. Sandra Bullock did a great job, I must say.

I finally started the Mark Bible study at work I had been planning on. We got into chapter 5 of the book of Mark by the end of my term. There were five of us women involved. It started out only three though, so I was encouraged by the growth. And they plan to continue the study even though I won't be there anymore. I was so honored to be used by God in that way, and I was definitely blessed by each of those women. I feel like I have gained several mothers, but no worries because I mean it in a wonderful loving way rather than an annoyingly nagging way. And now that I think about it, I should have gotten a picture together with them, but I didn't think of that. So you will have to take me word for it that they exist. 

I ran my first 10K this fall. It was called the RunScreamRun. Can you guess why? Because we were running and screaming and running. That's why haha. It was Halloween themed, so my friend Netsanet and I decided to dress up for the haunted race. We went to Goodwill and found kimonos. Diversity comes in handy! Seriously, Canton, MI is one of the most diverse place I have ever lived - love it! Our friend Dan was a ninny and didn't dress up, but at least he was fun to run with. 

Nets and I nearing the finish

Me, Dan, and Netsanet after the race

The creepiest creepy thing I've ever seen

I recommend doing a haunted run if you are trying to improve your speed.

Full body shot of the creepster.

The run was held at Wiard's Orchard in Ypsilanti, MI.

Beautiful shot of part of the path....photo cred to Netsanet's friend for all of these.

Yes, that kid ran in that large outfit the whole 6.2 miles.

I was going for the Mulan look - Mike, don't insert your anti-feminism comments here.

That same weekend, my friend Jacob was visiting. Funny thing, all the places I took him in Ann Arbor were places that I hadn't yet been to. So it was exploration for both of us. We went to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, which I highly recommend, and ate grapes that we plucked for ourselves and explored some cool trails. We ate lunch at the notorious Zingerman's deli - delicious bbq! Then we went to the farmer's market across the street and picked up ingredients to make homemade chipotle-style burritos. One of the ingredients that wasn't on the list however was a hot chili pepper. However, a guy offered one to Jake, so he ate it. I think really he was just trying to show that he was as hardcore as I was for eating the habenero back in August. After his tongue was no longer on fire, we proceeded with the day's events of cooking for my cousins and taking them to Sky Zone. However, by mid-day, I had developed quite the painful blister on my toe from the RunScreamRun, so I didn't participate much in the trampoline park of Sky Zone. I won't go into the details of my blister, but it was the worst one of my life. So I wasn't the happiest camper (well, for a number of reasons), but I was really glad Jake was there watching the kiddos with me, and I know my cousin Kyle enjoyed the World of Warcraft discussions. Thanks for the visit, Jake!

At Frita Batidos restaurant

Looking poised in the botanical gardens

We found the violin wolfman outside the farmer's market!

Also this term....there was a bit of an incident at work. It's kind of humorous right now but was not so humorous at the time. So what happened was, I needed a large order of parts to come in for me to take to the supplier. I had been waiting all day. They were supposed to be there by noon (well, really they were supposed to be there the week prior, but anyway...). Of course, they didn't show up till around 3:30. So right when the shipment comes in, I get the guys in the back to load it up in the back of the Tundra for me. Then I right away book it to the supplier. Once I get on the highway, I turn up the country tunes and have a wonderful jam session with myself. I cherish times like that because they don't happen that often during the busy work day. Periodically, I was looking out the rear view mirror to keep an eye on the goods. I noticed that the plastic wrap that was starting to get wind trapped underneath it. A few moments later, I had lost three boxes of prototype car parts on the highway. I immediately pulled over on the left side of the highway (and chanted "God help me" over and over). (There was too much traffic to get to the right side of the highway.) I watched as the boxes got ran over and decided it was better for me to reorder some pieces of plastic than to risk my life playing frogger on the highway. Plus, the Tundra is such a big honkin truck, that I wasn't entirely out of traffic. So I got back on the road and took the nearest exit, examined the goods at a gas station, and took the rest of the parts to the supplier. When I got off work that day, it was after 7pm, which is pretty late for me. The next day was interesting too when I had to explain what happened to my manager and everyone else involved with reordering the parts. But it all worked out, so I can laugh at it now. But that was probably my most stressful day of work this whole term. Then I had some store-bought, high-sodium pad thai and watched the Avengers with a friend to make it better. 

That weekend made up for the stressful week though. I went to Cedar Point with a few other co-ops for the Halloween jazz there. I actually really enjoy standing in line for hours because it makes for great conversation. However, it was about 40 degrees that day and raining and we were not prepared for that kind of nonsense. So we ended up buying gloves and ponchos from the gift shop. Definitely a memorable day! And the next day, I got to meet up with several of my favorite man friends at Culver's on their way back to Cedarville from their weekend of dirt-biking! (Thanks Mike for organizing that!) I'm so glad that worked out. I'm always encouraged just by being around them, even if we are just talking about not showering for several days or whatever the conversation may be. 

Cedar Point kiddos! (Me, Albert, Kristi, Jason)

I started helping out with the youth group (Catalyst) at Grace Bible Church in Ann Arbor in October. One of my first events with them was a scavenger hunt ("Amazing Race") through the city of Ann Arbor. It was a really cool way to get to know them as well as the town. Plus it was just random and hilarious, so I enjoyed it. My favorite thing we had to do was Christmas carol at a random house...keep in mind, this is October.

For Halloween, we were allowed to dress up at work. Most people didn't take advantage of this, but.....you guys know me. I took the opportunity to wear the kimono again. Keep in mind that I work at a Japanese company (Toyota)....so it was a risk, but it was a risk I was willing to take despite jeopardizing political correctness. I didn't realize this meant I had to get my picture taken and sent out to the entire Toyota Technical Center. Word to the wise, that's what happens. 

Flaunting the kimono...and steel toes.

Theresa, me, and Kevin (aka Indiana Jones with a crystal skull)

Halloween night in Canton was a rainy mess. But you would be surprised how many children were willing to brave the rain in costumes for some free candy. I helped hand out the candy at the Belveal house with a friend of mine, which was so much fun! The best idea was to throw on a clear trash bag over the princess dresses and such so that the outfits were visible and the rain wasn't such a problem. 

[I'm realizing that this post is going to take a long time to read. But it also took a long time to write it, so please continue trucking along. It also took a long time to live it, so consider that.]

My friend Jaret found a groupon for a scuba certification course, so I jumped on that with him. The only setback was less time to train for my half marathon, but it was worth it. So for the first three weeks of November, I had scuba class every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 10pm. We got to go scuba diving at a local indoor pool, and we got to listen to a really funny man lecture about the Benz and such. I passed the final exam, so now I just have to actually do my open water dive to be certified. I decided it was better to not do that in the frigid November waters in Michigan, so I'm planning on spring break. Although, Jaret and I are both planning on coming back to Ann Arbor for a summer co-op term, so we will probs scuba together in the great lakes this summer. 

I also took a couple homeless guys to dinner. Now, before you get your panties in a wad being all concerned for my safety, I will let you know that I took at least one other trusted co-op guy with me on both of these instances. And God was so in it! I am actually itching to do it again. The biggest thing I noticed is that homeless guys can TALK. I think they don't have people that sit down and actually listen to them often, so it was a blessing to be able to give that attention to them, as well as a warm meal. The one guy said it had been years since he had been in a restaurant. The conversations were definitely interesting. And I was humbled by the biblical knowledge and faith of one of the men, John. Everyone has a story, and you can learn something from every person. Just many times we don't listen. [Note to my male Cedarville friends....I will probably try to persuade you to do this with me next semester.]

Toyota hosted a "Lunch & Learn" lunch meeting called Managing Difficult Conversations. It sounded like a helpful session, so I went to it. Basically, what I heard was "how to manipulate people and conversations so things go your way." And most of what they said to do were things that are natural to do anyway if you have Love in your heart...just with a different (selfish) mentality. The Bible is definitely the best life coach out there (although, pastors and wonderful Jesus-loving counselor friends are helpful as well). 

This semester was full of many firsts.......some I wish didn't happen (read on), but nevertheless. One of my first-time experiences was going to CANADA! I went on this epic trip with several other co-op students. First, we went to Niagara Falls. Then we went to Toronto and shopped around the St. Lawrence Market and went to the top of the CN Tower. On the way back to Michigan, however, we got caught in a snow storm. This was not just any snow storm. This was an unexpected snow storm. One minute the roads were clear with a chance of flurries, and the next minute, the highway was covered in a solid layer of snow, causing me to spin out. I was driving three of us, and I was in the left lane when I started spinning. At first, we did a 180.......we were facing oncoming traffic with headlights coming right at us. I thought for sure it was the end of my life. I was at peace about it, but I still tried to get us to safety. We kept spinning, and I kept using my brakes. Miraculously - and I do not use that term lightly - we ended up on the right shoulder of the highway, facing the correct direction to drive, totally stopped, and totally safe. Netsanet was in the front with me, and we just kept saying over and over "THANK YOU GOD!" After my hands stopped trembling and I didn't feel the need to continue vomiting apologies to Nets and Cleveland, I got SLOWLY back on the highway. I was only going 40mph then, but the snow got worse and worse until literally it was a blizzard. I could only go 20mph at that point. It was practically zero visibility. One minute, we would be in the right-most lane, then ten seconds later I see the barrier wall 5 feet to my left. So we took the first exit we came to, and there was one hotel off that exit. We made it to the hotel and got one of the last spots in the parking lot. We used the computer inside to look up the weather. The snow was supposed to continue overnight without letting up. And there was NO way I was going back out on the roads in those conditions. So we asked for a room. They were booked because of the wedding going on in the hotel. But they let us sleep in the lobby on couches. When we woke up in the morning, there were about thirty people who had slept in the hotel lobby due to the storm. And then I realized that Canadians can be quite hospitable. They gave us free coffee AND helped shovel out my car from the two feet of snow it was buried under. Eventually, we made it home safe and sound. Stupid lake effect snow......no more driving through Canada in winter, especially with my front-wheel drive car.

Having fun with the light display near Niagara Falls

Me and the rest of the gang at the falls. I look like I don't belong, but I really do.
Scout's honor....even though I'm not a scout.

Good thing I remembered where I parked!

For Thanksgiving, I didn't have to travel as far as I usually do. My grandma always hosts Thanksgiving, and she only lives an hour-ish from my aunt and uncle's house...much better than the trip up from Kentucky. In the morning, my mom, Laurel, aunt, uncle, Kyle, Emma, and I ran the Turkey Trot 5K in Canton, then we went over to Grandma's for the rest of the day. It was a whirlwind after that. The Detroit Lions won the Thanksgiving Day football game for the first time in ten years! I played catch-up with the relatives - much "What Does the Fox Say?" talk with the Fox side of the family. Black Friday shopping in the morning was fun as usual, my favorite part being the breakfast afterwards with my mom's old high school friends and their daughters. From there, we drove down to Berlin, OH to explore Amish Country before my half marathon there. Leah and Eric met up with us for dinner at Pizza Hut (sorry Leah, yes, I did NEED pasta).

My Half Marathon was a fantastic, hilly, 30 degree mess. It definitely lived up to the hype. I finished in 2:18, which I thought was great for having all of those seemingly endless, steep hills. And I kept my goal of not walking! And the commemorative block of cheese they gave me at the end was lactose free, so I could eat it! My favorite part of the event was having my sister, mom, and grandma there supporting me. They even made signs! In fact, one of my Christmas presents from my mom is a frame with several pictures from the event.

After running 13.1 miles! (And raising $100 for ActiveWater)

Laurel, Grandma, Me, and Mom after the race

The next weekend, I went on a ski trip with the Belveals and my grandma up to Shanty Creek, MI. It was my first time skiing this year, and it was definitely a blast. It was great chill time too.....talking, eating, playing games with the cousins. Their cabin is a great retreat.

The view from the cabin

The next weekend, I desperately needed to see Layla. Layla is a wonderful friend I made of the summer when I went to the UP with Mike and the gang. She is a family friend of the Brittans. So I figured I could kill two birds with one stone by visiting the Brittans and Layla the same weekend in Kalamazoo. So we planned out a weekend visit. However, the roads were awful with snow everywhere. If it weren't my last chance to visit this semester, and I didn't so desperately with to talk to Layla, I probably wouldn't have gone. Plus, Mike wasn't even going to be there because he was out in Arizona doing mission work at a Native American reservation. But I went anyway (probably against my better judgment, with the roads as bad as they were), and had a wonderful and much-needed visit with Layla and the Brittans. We went to dinner and saw the Peter Pan play in downtown Kalamazoo. And Layla showed me the glassblowing shop. We had life-giving conversation. I enjoyed Layla's church on Sunday and lunch. Then I headed back to Canton that afternoon, so it was a short visit but definitely worth it. Although, hopefully the next time I hang with Mike's family, he can join in on the party.

Layla and me waiting for Peter Pan to start

Frolicking downtown in the snow and decorations before dinner

My final week of in Michigan went exceptionally well. In fact, I don't think I could have imagined it going any better. I got such a fantastic evaluation that even the co-op coordinator was impressed. Evidently, nobody usually ever get's 5's on the evaluations at Toyota. I accepted an offer to come back for the summer in chassis design. I gave my final presentation to the vice president of TTC nearly flawlessly. And the Belveals took me out for dinner on my last night! We went to Antonio's, which is a wonderful Italian place with great bread. And when we got home, they gave me a super sweet gift: a leather-bound 2014 planner with my name embossed and scripture for each day! I couldn't have thought of anything better - it was so perfect!

Then I came home for the break! My friend Albert lives in Florida, so he stayed at the house for a couple days on his way down and got to meet my family and bff Mary Kate! It was a great weekend of shopping, exercise, Mexican food, church, going to the Bengals game, and visiting with grandma.  

This year, for the Christmas Eve service, I got to serve communion, which was such an honor. Really, what Christmas is all about is symbolized perfectly in communion! And that way, I got to go to two services and see that many more people who I have missed during my escapades across the country (and the world) this year. We did our traditional Christmas stuff with mom at the house then my sisters and I went to dad's place in Lexington for the afternoon. We had a glorious feast, exchanged old stories, gave gifts, and watched a movie.

Leah, Dad, Me, and Laurel cheesin

The enthusiastic passengers, Leah and Eric

And......here's some random, fun stuff:

Mustache Day at Toyota for Mustache Movember!

Getting excited for next semester (Tuesdays and Thursdays will be a party)!!!!

This is adorable, so I had to share.

I also took a road trip with my mom and Laurel the past couple days! We went down to Paducah, KY to visit Aunt Lucy and the rest of the Quimby side of the family. Friday was my Great-Aunt Lucy's 89th birthday! She is such a sweet woman, and I definitely can see why my dad reveres her so much. Then for part dos of the road trip, we went to Nashville (original plan was Knoxville, but that was further than we thought)! I watched the UK vs. UofL game in a hotel gym while I got my workout in. Then we went to the Wildhorse Saloon for dinner, billiards, and plenty of country line dancing! I was glad I had gone there with Mary Kate before and knew that my mom and Laurel needed that experience. This morning, we went to church at Cross Point in Nashville, and it was so perfectly what I needed. My favorite part of the message was that we didn't need to be afraid to do what God is calling us to do because if He wants us to do it, He will enable it!

Inspiration for the everyday

FUTURE:

- After my mom comes back from skiing tomorrow, we plan to get pedicures (much needed after all of the running I've been doing). 

- My mom's bday is New Year's Eve! (Happy 49th, Mommy!)

- Planning on doing whatever New Year's stuff Laurel wants to do

- Going on a trip to Virginia with Laurel to visit Uncle George, Aunt Kim, and Grace

- Coming back to Cedarville (on my birthday) then classes start the following day. But I can sing Taylor Swift's 22 song all the time, so that will make any of my frustrations in the next year much better. 

Other things to look forward to: 

- Rooming with Katelynne - another engineering gal who will be in all of my classes :)

- Reuniting with friends at the ville!

- Figuring out summer plans (I know I said Toyota, but the Dominican Republic is a possibility)

- Spring break - visiting Susan in Mississippi, visiting Grace at Pensacola, Scuba certification in the Keys!

- Crying when some friends graduate in May

- BOLIVIA! Installing a well and sharing Jesus for a week this summer!

Hoping to:

- Join up with jail ministry again

- Take homeless people to dinner like I did in Ann Arbor (with a couple other dudes, no worries)

- Get back into Zumba

- Fall in love all over again with Jesus in a new way

- Stay in touch with family, Grace, Mary Kate, and co-op connections better

- Join a Bible study of friends (Lindsay?)

Mantra of 2014: Duck Feathers......In the words of my wise friend's mother, "Let it roll off like water on duck feathers."

Cruisin' and Bruisin'

Oh. My. Word. Time flies. So much to talk about! (With some pics this time)

Things are in general going really well. I've only had a couple emotional break-downs so far in the adjustment process, but I feel pretty leveled out now. And work was getting boring, but it's picking up and I keep gaining more responsibilities that make it interesting. I have to make an extra effort to keep things hush hush now though because I'm working in prototype development for Toyota and living with a Ford employee (my uncle).

Just to prepare your brain, here's the order of discussion points: ultimate frisbee, UK update, Emma's soccer game, She's the Man, church, middle eastern food, welcome lunch, barn party, hiking, sermon, art institute, software training, being sick, Ekiden run, pizza pasta, kayaking, half marathon training update, painting, church, Emma's birthday, and future plans.

Ok. Ready?

So this cat Jaret emailed all the co-ops, yes all 60 of us, and organized an ultimate frisbee gathering on a Tuesday after work. The only people that showed up were me and him. It was all the way out in Ann Arbor, about a half hour drive for me. But I like to go do fun things and run around. I enjoy ultimate even though I need to work on my catching/throwing frisbee abilities. So when we were waiting around for the other people that never came, we started off throwing frisbee. Then when I realized it was more like me playing fetch with him because I couldn't aim straight, we switched to football. We had a good time of fellowship and such, talking about church and living out our faith in the co-op scene. And after about half an hour when we decided nobody else was going to come, we left. Cool story, now go make me a sandwich? Sorry for the anticlimacticity (yes, I make up words) - remember, this is real life, not Hollywood.

I talked with this nice lady, Amy, from UK, and she gave me some more insight about transferring (still not finalized, but I still feel called to go). So now I'm in the process of getting syllabi from all of my engineering professors to see how my credits will transfer. Dr. Brown and Dr. Norman are the ones I'm still waiting on if anyone wants to go pressure them, much appreciated. On the upside, my Cedarville friend Joe Franklin's new girlfriend (woot woot!) goes to UK and will gladly hook me up with the scene in Lexington.

I went to one of my cousin Emma's soccer games a couple weeks ago. Turns out it's the only loss they've had so far this whole season. Perhaps I'm the opposite of a rabbit's foot when it comes to luck, because that's what it seems like lately. But it was great to be there and cheer her on as well as to have some chill time talking with my aunt on the sidelines and meeting a super nice soccer mom, my cousin's best friend Grace's mom.

I had Christine and Thomas over for dinner. They are fellow co-ops. It was my first solo attempt at grilling, and I was pleasantly surprised. Except I evidently burnt the table with part of a kabob....oops. We decided to watch a movie after dinner. And Thomas had never seen She's the Man, so Christine and I took that as a golden opportunity to get him to watch the beloved chick flick. Then Thomas left and Christine and I went hot tubbing and she stayed the night so we could carpool to church in the morning. Thomas has expressed interest in coming to church with us but he hasn't yet.

The church we went to that week was called North Ridge Church, which is the first megachurch I've ever been to. It was literally like a concert inside with the seating. And they had overflow parking across the street that people took shuttles to. Great service, and God is definitely moving there. But for a regular basis, Christine and I decided we would stick with Grace Bible Church in Ann Arbor.

After going to North Ridge, Christine and I checked out this cool Mediterranean food place called La Pita. It was absolutely delicious. I came home and was telling my aunt about it, and my aunt said that they stopped going there when it had closed down. Evidently it has new owners and a new name now, but it used to be run by a guy who was funding terrorists with the money from the restaurant, and he's currently running from the feds. But hey it was good food.

I had a "welcome lunch" at work a couple Fridays ago. All the engineers in my prototype development team and I went to Izakaya Sanpei in Canton. It's a really cute Japanese restaurant with delicious food. Thanks Toyota! And it was a good way to get to know the engineers away from their desks.

That night, I went to a barn party at Chelsea Fairgrounds, hosted by U of M Cru. The other co-ops that went were Jaret, Netsanet, and Christine. It "was a hot time in the old town" that night. Lots of square dancing and line dancing. I have never held that many guys hands in my entire life. And I carved a pumpkin with Netsanet's face in it. Sometimes I call her "Nets," whatever I feel like in the moment.

The next day, we went on a hike. But most people got lost trying to find the park we were going to hike at. So we waited around for quite a while for everyone to get there. In the mean time, we went in the nature center and looked at the turtles. And the guy working there came out and let us hold the turtles (Dad, I know you're reading this....set your phone down so you don't drop it) and the snakes. And he showed us the hawk they keep outside. It was a great day of nature. The hike was really good too. Not much compares to hiking, fresh air, and talking with new friends. Then we all played ninja (thanks to Camp Loucon I'm moderately skilled at this). I'm sure all the people that came to the park that day thought we were crazy, but it was great fun.

Then we went out to dinner at this Egyptian restaurant called the Blue Nile in Ann Arbor. They don't use utensils to eat there. You scoop up the veggies and meat with the tortilla-like bread. So yummy. And then I drove K'Ehleyr home because she needed a ride. She's a cool girl, but I didn't really know her before that day, so it was a cool time to chat and get to know her better.

Church that weekend was great. It was a sermon about John the Baptist. They are in a series about doubts, so this sermon was aimed at the doubt people have of "If God is good and powerful, then why doesn't he save us from all the suffering in the world?" And we dove into the passage about when John the Baptist was in prison. Even though he had spent most of his life preaching about Jesus, he doubted when he was in prison. He sent his followers to Jesus to ask him if he was "the one that was to come" AKA the Messiah or if there was someone else. Jesus told them to go back and tell John about everything they saw and heard....the dead rising, the lame walking, the blind seeing. In essence, Jesus was saying, "I'm the Messiah. Look around you. And I'm doing great things here, totally capable of saving you." But then Jesus didn't save him. In fact, John the Baptist was beheaded. Evidently, it wasn't about John the Baptist. Jesus was involved in a greater plan. And it's not about us. Sometimes he does save us from suffering. But sometimes he doesn't. But he did something greater when he saved us on Calvary! So even when he doesn't send the cavalry, he still saves through Calvary. Boom. Good stuff. I needed a reminder that it's not about me.

Then Nets and Christine and this guy Josh and I went to the DIA (Detoit Institute of Art). Detroit recently went bankrupt, so there's rumor that the DIA might be selling off some of its pieces, so I'm glad we got to see it when we did. It's so huge and so fantastic. We were there for a few hours and we only made it about halfway through the place. I think my favorite area was the modern art area. I like to figure out what all the meanings are too, so the religious artwork was especially interesting and powerful to me. All day long, though, I sounded like a cartoon character because I barely had a voice. I was getting over my cold, and I had lost my voice the night before when I drove K'Ehleyr home.

Then I had software training from Monday to Thursday for four hours each morning out at the Saline location. And I work in Livonia, so it was a lot of cruisin around town last week. I definitely learned a lot in the training and hope I get to use what I learned. It was cool too because I got to eat lunch with the other co-ops that work out there, which is the majority of the other co-ops.

I babysat the kiddos last week while my aunt and uncle were at a banquet shindig. So I took Emma to her soccer practice and decided to stay and help out. Probably due to my experience at Camp Loucon, I was able to learn all the names of the girls on her team in the first five minutes that I was there. And it was a lot of fun. Those kids are so full of energy. And of course, soccer is the bomb diggity. I'm thinking someday I want to be a soccer coach for sure. It would have to be with young-ish kids though because I'm not incredibly skilled at soccer. But I know enough to coach and I think I would be good at it.

Friday was the Ekiden in Ann Arbor, which is a race based off of the one they have in Japan every year. We had 48 teams, at least one from each department. I was the anchor of our team. It's a relay race, and the first and last people run 1.4 miles, and the middle 6 run 0.7 miles. It was great fun. We definitely didn't lose and we definitely didn't win (dang five minute milers - no offense Dubie). It was cool to be on the same running team as our VP too. He was very encouraging and thanked us for running. It was also in partnership with an outreach called S.O.S., based in Ypsilanti. We donated 5,000 items, and Toyota donated an additional $5000. I'm trying to plan a volunteer outing for the co-ops to go there and help out. I saw on their website that they have tutoring programs for homeless children among other things, so I think it would be a good thing for us to do instead of our typical fun-hunting, money-wasting excursions.

Then for dinner that night, I made pizza pasta for the fam. Basically, baked pasta with pizza sauce, pepperoni, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and cheese. It was surprisingly really good, especially for not using a recipe. So I think I'm on my way to being a chef. Not sure what I will make this week, but I've set the bar high.

Saturday, I went kayaking with a bunch of the co-ops. We did double-kayaks because there had to be one person per kayak with rowing experience. Near the beginning of our route, there were a bunch of man-made rapids. On the fourth one, my kayak and another kayak were about to enter the rapid at the same time; so, in an effort to avoid a crash, Netsanet (my friend riding in the front of our kayak) and I paddled backwards to let them go first. But we ended up hitting some rocks and going down the rapid backwards, hitting more rocks on the way down, and capsizing out kayak. We weren't wearing helmets, but we were wearing life jackets. The water was shallow enough to stand in luckily though because my friend Nets is not confident in her swimming abilities. We ended up scraped and bruised, but it was memorable. And nothing serious. We got back in and were fine after that. We learned our lesson and tried not to be too close to other kayaks near the rapids.

Then we went to Chipotle. Fortunately, I brought spare clothes to change into. Netsanet was not as wise though, so she was a bit uncomfortable. I was so glad people wanted to go to Chipotle when I suggested it because I had been craving it for a while. I've never had a burrito there that I didn't like.

Then I came home and ran 8 miles. Half marathon training, for the win. Remember you can help my fundraising for Active water: https://activewater.myetap.org/fundraiser/Africa/individual.do?participationRef=3357.0.255731741

Then I came home and finished the painting I gave to my cousin for her 9th birthday. She's a figure skater. So I painted a girl figure skating on our Grandma's pond. It was the first picture I've completed for about 6 years. I'm hoping there's more where that came from.

Church was incredible again this past weekend. The fantastic usual pastor was out of town. So they had the director of the U of M Cru step in. God definitely spoke through him. And now I want to go read the book unChristian that he referenced in the sermon. One of the main things he said is that we are clay pots. We are cracked and fragile. But we need to be open about our cracks, because then our treasure inside our clay pots (God) shines through more brightly. His power is made perfect in weakness. We know we don't have our act perfectly together and never will, so we shouldn't try to fake it. We need to be real with each other.

Then we had the family birthday party for Emma. It was good stuff. Got to see the grandparents and catch up. And good times re-meeting my aunt and uncle's friends. But among all of the adults talking, I saw Emma being bored. I thought that wasn't cool since it was her birthday party. So I sat down with her and we played Guess Who :)

Yesterday, I had lunch with a coworker named Kristin. We went out to Thai Bistro. I had red curry, and it was the perfect amount of spiciness for me. And I think that was my first time eating eggplant and bamboo. And she had a really good apple salad. I have been so blessed with the people I have met up here. Kristin is definitely one I am thankful for. She is so kind and encouraging. It was great to sit down and connect with her and see pictures of her kids and talk about real life stuff instead of just work.

This morning, my Aunt Jen threw out her back. It usually gets better after a day when this has happened in the past. But instead, today I just got worse throughout the day. So please pray for her.

Stay posted.....here's a sneak peak of future plans: get involved with the church youth group, go to co-op soccer gathering (with my old mentor John's old co-op / now full-time engineer Laura), dinner with Rachael and Andy from Cedarville (Toyota connection with Andy working for a supplier up here), Walk to End Alzheimer's, Cedar Point trip with co-ops, RunScreamRun Halloween 10k, starting a Bible study at work

New Term, New Town, New Adventure with Jesus

Sorry I don't have pictures yet......but it's still good stuff!

Once I wasn't going on trips every week, I was able to be home for a couple weeks before moving to Michigan.

I was able to be there for my dad's heart surgery a week and a half ago. I was glad I hadn't moved to Michigan yet because I was the one that took him to the surgery and drove him home. He had ablation surgery for his arhythmia, which seems to have helped him a lot. His heart rate went from 150 to 85 and is back in rhythm. We had a scare the other day where we thought he was going to have a heart attack because his arm went numb, but evidently everything is okay. Still quite a bit of healing to do though before going back to work in a week.

On my way up to Michigan, I visited Cedarville for the weekend. Prepare yourself for this epic run-on sentence: I got to go to a powerful SGA chapel, got some great one-on-one time with Lindsay at lunch in the hive, went to Purple Pizza Eater's for the fall kickoff event, went longboarding with Sarah and Mike and Joe and Luke and a new friend Andrew that we met in a parking lot, climbed a tree in a cemetery and had an epic chat about life and God and living out faith, did a fail-of-a cartwheel, decided that I'm probably transferring schools to UK, went to the firehouse breakfast, stayed with Sarah and Ashley in McKinney, played sand volleyball with Joe Parker and Philip and friends, made pizzas with Dubie and Sarah and Ashley, ate a habenero then promptly followed that with a half-gallon of raw milk, watched the second half of the Cedarville soccer scrimmage, went to the Cedarville community church gathering and had some epic worship with Heartsong, went to lunch at Chuck's, had some chill time in the Maddox courtyard with Ella, and said my goodbyes.

Then I drove 3.5 hrs to Canton, MI where I am currently residing.

My first week of work was great. The first two days were orientation with about 60 other co-op students. On Tuesday, about twelve of us co-ops went out for Japanese food at a cool place in Ann Arbor where I had duck ramen, which was my first time eating duck. I probably won't order it ever again, but it wasn't bad. I also found out that I'm the only co-op of the sixty of us working at the Livonia location for prototype development. It's pretty much the sweetest job that I could imagine, because I get to work where the first car of each Toyota model are made. Crazy interesting fact/coincidence: my manager's name is Steve and my mentor's name is John - which is the same as when I was in Indiana! I have also been recruited to run the Ekiden race that they do up here at TTC (Toyota Technical Center) to collect non-perishables for an organization called SOS. So that race will be at the end of the month. On Friday night, about 15 of us co-ops went out for pizza......in downtown Ann Arbor the weekend of the UofM/Notre Dame game, so everything was a zoo. It took us three hours to get dinner. Saturday morning I went on a 5.5 mile run with Kevin, one of the guys I'm training for my half-marathon with. Then I went to my cousin Emma's figure skating competition, which was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. Then I visited my grandma and started a drawing. Today I went to church with Christine and Jaret (co-ops) and Alex (a guy from Jaret's group at work) and Hannah (Alex's fiance) and went to a unique little Mexican place for lunch. In general, I've been the recipient of many home-cooked meals from the hospitality of my aunt and uncle. But I plan to make dinner this Tuesday, so hopefully that goes well!

Here are the links for my half marathon! The first one is an info link about the Amish Country race. The second one is a link to the ActiveWater website that I'm fundraising for. Check it out (and support me if you so desire)!

http://amishcountryevents.com/berlin-amish-country-half-marathon/

https://activewater.myetap.org/fundraiser/Africa/individual.do?participationRef=3357.0.255731741


Stay tuned for pictures, soccer stories, and more....sorry I will have to leave out Toyota secrets. 

Post-DR Summer Summary

It was quite a whirlwind of a summer! I took a different trip just about every week for two months straight.

After going on the mission trip to the Dominican (see previous blog post), I continued on many adventures. Lots of other things happened, but here's the highlights.

I went down to Camp Loucon, which is definitely one of my favorite places on earth - though I feel like a nomad without a home with favorite places all over the globe - and counselled for Senior High Assembly 1. It was a definite blessing to me. I hadn't even considered how the campers that I had the previous two summers would be in that camp that week! It was great because I already had established relationships with a lot of them, so we could hit the ground running. I co-counselled with a very sweet and encouraging girl that I had seen around camp before but hadn't ever gotten to know until then. We did everything to the extreme that week - from the typical camp activities (ziplining, rock climbing, games) to worship to cabin devo times (a rowdy girl named Pegasus was a tough one to keep focused, but I hope she still got something out of the week) to the dance party to sharing testimonies to giving hugs. It was yet another time of great memories that remind me why I cherish Loucon so much - God is definitely using that place and the incredible staff for His glory.

I also went to Michigan to spend time with family for the week of the fourth of July. We went out on the lake in my aunt and uncle's boat for tubing (and some of the more adventurous people went skiing). And we had fire pit nights, grilling out, and lots of chilling. It was my main quality time with my beloved sister Laurel for the summer, as the rest of the time she was out wandering the country to teach cheer camps. I borrowed her book Not a Fan that week and devoured it - so challenging and good. I don't want to just be a "Christian" - I want to be a disciple, a key player in what God is doing in the world, not just a fan of what I see going on. It was also good quality time with my aunt, uncle, and cousins (who I am now living with until December). My friend Mike from the ville came to visit on his route back to Kalamazoo from the UP. He owned everyone at water skiing and it was great to see him again. I also had some good chats with my mom and grandma, and we celebrated my cousin Kyle's 12th birthday....time sure does fly by.

Then I took a road trip with my bff Mary Kate. We hiked in Red River Gorge, went to MK's bday dinner in Knoxville with Kaelin and Laurel (who just happened to be in town for her cheerleading jazz), got to meet Kaelin's beloved puppy and she let us crash at her place for the night. The next morning, MK and I went to North Carolina, hitting up the Ashville farmer's market on our way to our camp site. I had the best peach of my life, and we climbed a tree. My other bff Grace met up with us in NC at our camp site and we pitched the tent in the rain. We would have stayed at that campsite longer because it was in a cool forest, but there weren't showers, so that wasn't about to happen. One lady spotted a bear less than a mile from where we were camping, but we sadly didn't get to see a bear that entire trip. We also hit up a palace, an estruarium (don't know what that is? neither did we), a cute little church, the beach, a campsite that was so sketchy I couldn't sleep (knives sticking out of trees, a guy living out of a camper in the middle of the woods, and the screaming sound of...an animal dying?) - just to name a few. One of my favorite memories of the trip is when MK led us in worship music in the middle of the woods. It's so beautiful to see God in nature and in each other.

Then I went as a counselor for our youth group mission trip to Louisville. I love those kids so much! Mission trip round two with Elley, Nate, and Abby. Our Louisville friends from the DR came and met up with us for dinner one night! My personal favorite place we went to was an apartment village for refugees. We did a lot of yard work there, and we had some cool interactions. I met a guy from Haiti and some kids from the middle east. One of the kids, when I asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up, told me he wanted to kill people. I was startled and asked him if he meant he wanted to be in the military or what, and he said he wanted to be a cop. And I asked him why he was so intent on wanting to kill people, and he said it was because then he would be able to kill people like me...........that was a little unnerving and sad. Then he ran away and I didn't see him again. It just goes to show what these people have been through. That kid can't even trust people anymore and feels the need to protect himself through violence I suppose. It was eye-opening. Oh and I ate a worm...and inspired all the kids in my group to eat worms - yay for team bonding. And got to lead low-ropes, which reminded me of Loucon :)

Then I went to the UP (upper peninsula of Michigan) for the first time with Mike, Luke, Josiah, and MK. We stayed at Mike's cabin with his family and wonderful family friend Layla who is now also my friend. It was a trip of a lot of firsts, including sailing and dirt-biking. Mike's family is spectacular, and it was a blessing to get to meet them. I hope to see them again sometime soon. We went fishing once too but I didn't catch anything. And I helped Mike and Josiah train for their air force marathon by going on a run with them, though I probably just slowed them down to be honest. God has blessed me so much with relationships with friends and family. I was just talking with Dubie today about how awful it would be if nobody else was in the world. I'm so grateful for other people, especially the people that are as awesome as the people in my life are.

Then I went to Chicago and had a much-needed visit with Tori. We hit up downtown, went to the zoo, spent some beautiful time at Lake Michigan, and played with her cute chihuahua. I carpooled up there with two of her friends that I hadn't met before, but they were welcoming and I'm better off having known them. I also got to know Tori's mom better, which was a blessing. And got some work on my tan. And I got to experience Tori's new Chicago church, which was definitely anointed by the Lord.

Then I spent some time in NKY and then moved to Michigan......more on that next!

Recent Happenings, Including (drum-roll please..) Dominican Republic Trip!

Flashback to May 25 - Mandy and Jake's wedding day(!) AKA Loucon Ladies Reunion!

Hey y'all. It's been a while, I know. Lots has happened. I'm no longer out in Indiana! And newsflash, if you didn't know I was out of the country but now I'm back. Here's what's been going on in my life since my last post.......

At the end of my co-op term, I was dealing with some rough times emotionally. My first instinct to escape by eating a lot and distracting myself. I realized though that I need to rely on God instead and channel my feelings into helping others. My pain helps me to empathize with others that are struggling. I came home the weekend before my co-op term ended, and on my way back to Indiana, I called Kaelin and had a much needed catch-up time with her. She encouraged me so much, and I realized that I need other people more in my life instead of trying to do things so much on my own. She also gave me some really good advice to keep me strong.

That weekend, we also found out that Pastor Kelly's back went out and he couldn't go on the mission trip with us anymore. So Holly joined the team to take his place, which worked out really well because she had just taught high school Spanish for two years, and, seeing how the trip has affected her, it was definitely a God thing for her to be able to go. But hopefully Pastor Kelly's back will heal soon.

Then I returned to Indiana for my final week of working at TMMI. It was a whirlwind. I could hardly believe that my time was already up there. I put in some long hours, particularly with working on my final A3 presentation, and definitely finished strong. On my second-to-last day, I gave my presentation in the morning. I was surprised at how many people came to my presentation. Some of them were legitimately interested in what I was talking about, but most of them were really just there to show their support for me, which really meant a lot. About 20 people showed up in person and a few managers and other people called into the meeting. I went way overtime because it was supposed to only last for 30 minutes and ended up going for 55. But it was fine. At the end, it was hard to get out the words to thank everyone for their support for me during my term because I was choking back tears. I didn't think I would cry. It kind of reminded me of high school graduation......I was happy to leave but it was a meaningful experience and I ended up crying anyway. The next day, my last day, I cleaned out my desk. Then John said he had a going-away present for me, that I get to use a drill to move a light curtain. I was pretty stoked. So we all got our PPE (personal protective equipment) on and went down to the floor. John said we needed to stop in the pilot office to talk to Patrick and get the drill from him. But when we walked in there, they brought me into a room with all of the pilot guys and a big cake for me. It was a surprise going-away party for me. I hugged all of them and we sat and talked for a while. They had a card for me, which was really sweet. I read it out loud, and it was from Dr. Seuss about "the places you'll go." They had all signed it and written little notes of encouragement to me. And they had a desk ornament for me too - a little flower pot with a purple electronic flower with a center that changes color and a butterfly. And it just so happens that purple is my favorite color and butterflies are special to me and remind me of Chrysalis! Nancy told me to put it on my desk at my next job, so I will be taking it up to Michigan with me in the fall. They are so sweet. CJ is on his third co-op term now, and he says he has never seen anyone get all this going-away stuff that I did. They must really love me or something. I'm going to miss them. They told me that I was like glue for the TMMI / TEMA groups and held everyone together. And Nathan said, "I know that you've done skydiving already, so what's next on the list?" which was a great segue for me to talk about the mission trip to the DR! Nathan said that it was really honorable and that I was doing what most people feel in their hearts they should do yet don't.

Surprise going-away party for me - they are so sweet!

That afternoon, the underbody team and Terrance and I went out for my final lunch in Princeton, IN at my favorite place, the Farmer's Daughter. So good, as usual.

I moved home that night. It took me forever to pack up my car. I think one of the hardest engineering tasks I've done is fitting everything from my apartment into my car. But I eventually made it home. And the next day, we had our final mission trip meeting / potluck before the trip.

That Sunday at church, they prayed over all of us going on the mission trip. And suddenly I was even more excited about the trip than I already had been! So ready to do God's work!

That evening I went on a motorcycle ride with a dude I had never met named Derek. It was exhilarating but I'm not sure if I ever need to do that again.

On Hawkins' bike, which is now smashed. My bucket list is shrinking...

Monday I mostly spent the day packing. Then Tuesday, it was off to the DR! Our group was hosted by a missionary family: Tim, Samira, Tony, Zoey, and Lilly. We only got to be with them for a week, but I already love all of them and hope to see them again.

Here are some journal excerpts from the trip.....

Day 1: [Jeremiah 29:11] God, here we are on the plane to Miami! I'm cold and tired and have a stomach ache, but I'm hopefully awaiting what you will do on this trip. You are the reason I am on this plane right now, and I am so grateful! You have a perfect plan for my life. And because I trust in that, I can live with confidence in the present with full surrender to You. You know exactly what I need all the time. Thank You for this opportunity to be a part of Your work in the world. Amen.

We made it!

Day 2: [2 Cor. 2:14-17] God, You are so good! You are the reason we made it here safely last night, the reason these people are so awesome and full of love, and the reason I'm so excited to sweat all day as we build a medical clinic. I pray that Your name be praised today and that You bring people to a saving knowledge of you this week. Teach us to serve...like you.Thank you for this beautiful place, that you have brought us here for a reason, and that you are going to use us in big ways. Fill us with your love so that we can pour it out to others. Amen.

I'm holding a baby lizard....be jealous.

June 12. Day 1 of actual mission work today! Yesterday was just travel...well not JUST travel...travel at 6AM. I woke up wide awake at 3AM, ate breakfast, got ready, packed up the car, and headed over with Mom to pick up Chad (fellow mission team member) at 4AM, then met up with our group at the airport at 5AM. The plane left at 6:10AM. It was my first time using my passport (which does NOT have a glamorous or even decent picture because I was not aware they would be taking my picture that day.) We got to the Miami airport at 8:45-ish then spent the next 8 hours there for our super layover. We got out of the airport for a while and went to a nearby outdoor mall to go on a walk, enjoy the weather, and find some lunch. For lunch, I ended up going to "Hamberguesa" with Elley (the youth pastor of Immanuel and leader of our trip) and we split a chicken burger and a bison burger. The bison burger was really interesting because it is such lean meat that it had no fat and was only 114 calories. It cost 16 bucks but it was an interesting experience. When we left though, I noticed a sign that said the steak burgers were on sale for 4 bucks and I wished I had done that instead but it was too late. We went back to the airport around 3PM via taxi-van. Then we spent a few hours there, napping and playing banana-grams. Then we went to the DR! We got here at 8PM at the airport, went through customs, and met up with the G.O. Ministries staff. They have been incredible! They are so well-organized, welcoming, loving, and sacrificial. We are basically living in their house. They are sharing their space, their time, and their family with us. And they host people just like this year-round. It amazes me - this lifestyle. I'm really drawn to it...which both scares me and thrills me. This summer alone, the DR GO Ministries Team is hosting 49 groups (with three different locations).

Yep that's the house we stayed in!

Tim's car

By the way, the food is GREAT! This is my kind of food...rice, beans, chicken, fruit, bread, peanut butter.

And the weather has been very conducive to our work here. It just started sprinkling, and we are about to have dinner and worship and are done with our work for the day. For our mission work today, we did construction for a new medical clinic a block from the team house we are staying at. Personally, I pulled nails out of planks of wood, lifted the planks out of the basement pit, helped unload the wood at the storage shed, and also shoveled a trench around the outside of the basement for piping. I drenched my clothes in sweat. I think it's okay for me to not do my INSANITY workouts this week. When we got back from our day of work, we showered (in cold, refreshing water), talked to Zoey (amazing, social butterfly, 5-yr-old who is the daughter of Tim and Samira - the missionaries hosting us). It is impossible to talk to her without a smile on your face because hers is just so contagious. She is missing an arm because she was born without it. She is so cool about it though and fully embraces her nub. In fact, when she had gone to a restaurant with her mom, she prayed for the dinner...well, she asked if her nub could pray and then used a high-pitched voice for her prayer as if the nub was talking. SO ADORABLE! She told me this morning, with a smile on her face, that a lot of kids are mean to her and make fun of her - but she chooses to focus on the fact that she has one good friend who invited her over to her birthday party. That's the perspective I need to have - not the pity party that I often throw myself. Then, today after we got back from working, Zoey was there to greet us, shaking each of our hands and welcoming us with emphatic, smiley "hello"s.

Sweet little Zoey - and Paige :)

Day 3: [Phil. 4:13] God, through You, nothing is impossible for me. Because of You, Paul was able to say that he could honestly be content in any situation. Make me new. Make me more like You, full of Your love. From this trip, bring blessings to the Dominicans - and Lisa, Liz, Elley, Abby, Adam, Deb, Jim, Chris, Bob, Mary Beth, Nate, Frank, Holly, Chad, and Karleigh. Give me Your strength which makes all things possible. Amen.

June 13. It's a beautiful morning. I just woke up an hour ago at 6:15AM - wide awake and well-rested, ready for another great day. I am grateful that we never have had to change time-zones on this trip. It looks overcast this morning but hopefully the weather will be conducive to our activities.

My hair looks great this morning, thanks to that fantastic shower yesterday. Minus the spider on the curtain and the water never getting warm, it was great. In fact, I don't think I've ever been so grateful for a shower in my life - except maybe after that pick-a-date with Micah when we had the cupcake fight...such a mess.

Yesterday for dinner, we had spaghetti, fried bananas (which taste pretty much like french fries), and fruit salad. The fruit salad has been consistent at every meal, and it's delicious with the papaya, pineapple, and cantelope.

Wade is one of the interns working with us. Yesterday was his 23 birthday. There was a big cake. He was pretty chill about it all. He is from Lexington and just graduated form WKU in December. He has been here since January. He is pretty-looking, but I was glad to find out he has a girlfriend. Though, that's got to be hard for them...being away this long. It's a beautiful thing though if their relationship can be maintained during such a trial. He didn't think it was that bad though when Liz mentioned that it would be hard. Good for him if he doesn't find it hard. But then again, if I was dating someone and had to be away for 7 months, I would hope he would miss me so much that it would be painfully difficult for him.

Bug bite total so far: 8. I'm going to need to borrow that cortizone cream from Lisa again.

Last night, we went to La Sirena ("the mermaid") which is basically the DR equivalent of Walmart. It was a cool, cultural experience. Most American things are available here, just usually the packaging is in Spanish. So I was very grateful for my years of Spanish - and have been grateful for that several times per day. At La Sirena, I bought coffee for mom (supposedly very good DR coffee), habenero hot sauce for dad (manufactured in Santo Domingo - the capital), Laurel leaves for Laurel, some weird spice for Leah's growing spice inventory, and some DR raisins and crackers for me to snack on for the plane trip back...if I hold out that long.

Driving down here is crazy. Everyone drives like a madman, going over the double yellow like it's not there, pulling out into traffic like it's normal - because it is...I'm pretty sure I would crash every day if I drove here. One girl who works for G.O. said she tried driving once and almost hit a motorcycle and said never again. So now her fiance (who also works here) just drives. There are a lot of motorcycles here...it reminds me of my crazy escapade with Sarah, Hawkins, and that dude Derek on Sunday...I probably should not make that a habit....riding a motorcycle that fast with a stranger. But it was fun.

Crazy traffic, everyone cutting each other off

When we got back from La Sirena, we had worship time. Too bad Pastor Kelly is not here to do the worship he had been practicing with Nate. But Nate did a good job. Then Deb gave her testimony about how God called her to be a teacher and how so many people have helped push her to the next steps in her faith journey. (Afterwards, I went up to talk to her and to tell her that she has been one of those people for my mom, but, before I could open my mouth, she told me that my mom was also one of those people for her. I told her it went the other way as well.) We also had a time to share and reflect on the experience so far. About half of the people shared. I talked about how fulfilling it has been for me to work the construction because I know it is for God's glory and I am working unto Him. That is something I need to work harder at implementing in my life...no matter if I'm working at Toyota or doing dishes at home, it should be this fulfilling because I should be working unto God.

"Taking dumps" over the side of the basement

The church in the upstairs of the nutrition center. Such a cool story! We got to talk with the pastor. The  building used to be where everyone went to drink, gambol, and get prostitutes. And now it's the house of God and the place that children get free food every day!

Some of the children we gave food to at the nutrition center

All the kids lined the streets to say "hola" to us as we came home from construction work

Yesterday before dinner, I had a great heart-to-heart with Mary Beth. I love that woman. She is one of the sweetest, most sincere people I have ever met. We talked about a lot of things. She comforted me and told me she has always wanted a daughter. She will be the best mother-in-law the world has ever seen. After that heart-to-heart, I felt more like loving everyone around me - answer to prayer. Should be a good day. Breakfast is calling!

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Dinner is on its way but I found a few minutes to myself to write. It's been a GREAT day. The construction work is a lot of fun. Our trench is almost finished being dug. And after our afternoon construction session, we got to go check out the baseball ministry and the church, which had a bunch of kids around playing and teenage boys shooting hoops. Holly and Karleigh and I did piggy-back races with kids on our backs. The kids loved hanging all over us and getting pictures with us. One girl, Edith, talked with me for a while. She barely knew any English, making me wish I had studied harder in AP Spanish but super grateful for the Spanish I do know. When she would say words I didn't know, I would tell her I didn't understand, and she would explain it in a different way to me. She is such a sweetheart, and I hope to get to know her better in heaven someday.

The baseball ministry - over 200 Dominicans are involved with the sports ministry!

I let Edith take this picture

Me with Edith - we became friends despite the language barrier...with a little bit of Spanish and a lot of love.

Day 4: [Luke 12:35-48] God, You are so good. You have done great things with us here so far. I see how You have brought me here for a purpose. I feel like this might be where I belong. Show me Your will for my life. I don't want to make up something I plan for my life because it sounds cool. I only want to do something if it's Your plan and You are driving the whole thing. But I don't know if I've ever felt this alive before. God, bless our team today with the courage and enthusiasm to be good stewards and watchmen here. Not everyone knows You here, but everyone needs You. Thank You for this incredible journey so far. To You be the glory! Amen.

June 14. We went to get empanadas yesterday! (Basically, fried pockets of meat/cheese). I got a chicken empanada just for the cultural experience. It was only 40 pesos (about a dollar). Yum!
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It's now time for siesta (every day after lunch from 1-2...then we go back to work). I never take siesta though. I always talk or journal instead.

For breakfast this morning, we had a cornmeal mixture that was the texture of pudding. I want to see a recipe for that. It was really good. Today at lunch, we had rice, beans, beef, a yellow yummy mixture, potato strips, and the papaya/pineapple fruit salad. I'm feeling like I'm in a food coma right now. They also gave us this drink for restoring electrolytes that was basically like salty lemonade.

This morning, before we went to the construction work-site for the medical clinic we are helping build, we stopped at the G.O. Ministries school and the current medical clinic. In a couple years, when the clinic is finished being constructed, perhaps they can expand the school from K-8 to K-12.

Just this morning, I was crying and praying about coming back as a missionary. Then, when Dolores was talking to us at the clinic, she said that they are so in need of more missionaries, here and all around the world and that we should all really consider it, especially those of us who are young and wondering what to do with our lives. Did God mean for her to say that to me? Or is it just a coincidence that I was praying about that this morning? I'm glad I have time to figure this out though...I'm definitely really looking forward to missions conference next January though.

When we were at the school this morning, a lady told us all about the school, and we got to meet the current principal, who was a member of the first graduating class. It used to be K-12, but now it's just K-8. It is mainly funded by G.O. Ministries, but there are a lot of private sponsors for student tuition. And now they are doing a partnership with the parents and having the parents who can afford it pay for a small portion of the tuition. She said that electricity is more expensive in the DR than anywhere else in the world.

Since sitting here, I have seen two people walking with umbrellas, to protect them from the sun I guess.

I really want to learn more Spanish. I want to be able to really get to know the locals, but language is a barrier with many.

Our trench is almost complete! We have made so much progress, and it is really fulfilling. I definitely have more compassion for construction workers now. I'm really glad I was doing those INSANITY push-ups before this trip.

I took a picture of a sign that I saw at the clinic. It was covered in pictures of trash, sewage, and a person pooping. Dolores said they use those boards to go to the outskirts to teach them to dig a hole to poop in so that it's not in the road and such. What a life.

Posters used to inform about disease

Abby, Mary Beth, and Dolores as Dolores explains the medical ministry in the DR

I'm pumped for VBS tomorrow because I get to crawl around and act like a sheep like a crazy person for a skit, and I enjoy doing things like that.

Eventually, we are supposed to go to "the hole," which Dolores says is a big dump that used to be used as a garbage dump, but now about 600 families life there. I'm in a place in life where I feel I will never have to worry about being homeless or in extreme poverty...but I feel really compelled to support and help people that do struggle in that way. It is not because of anything about me that makes me worthy of money. I could have been born with extreme mental diabilities. But praise God that's not the case! So I should do all I can to help those in those situations. It could be me.

It's crazy to think that we have been here since Tuesday and it's already Friday. I definitely feel exhausted, though that might just be form the food coma. One more session of construction to crank out for a few hours after this "siesta" then hopfully hang out with some kids, shower, definitely shave, and eat a glorious dinner.

There's still so much I want to learn about this culture. Last night, we went to "the Monument," which is a huge, marble structure that used to be the home of Sanchez, the evil dictator. There were a bunch of vendors there selling water and beer and horse-drawn carriage rides. But Matt told us to just tell them "no, gracias" and that it was "not the place to make friends." Onto more construction!

Being a rebel child at "The Monument" - good thing the security guard was around the corner or I would have gotten in trouble.

Day 5: [2 Cor. 9:7,12] God, all I can say is wow. God, You amaze me. This trip has been absolutely incredible. You are so good! I do not deserve any of these experiences, but they are total blessings from You. You have definitely called me here on purpose. You are a pleasure to serve. Thank You for allowing me to share about Your overwhelming actions in my life which hopefully encouraged others. I pray that You bless all of our efforts today. Use us to reach these kids. Help us to stay focused on You and Your purposes for us. Amen.

June 15. I gave my testimony last night. It was a blessing to be able to talk about God's work in my life. It reminded me of being at camp. I left out a lot of what I had planned to say and also expanded on certain things, like my friendship with Tou at work.

It's almost time for breakfast. I realize that at home/Indiana/school, I would wake up then eat breakfast then read my Bible. But here, we are go-go-go after breakfast, so I get up early for my devos. And I sit here feeling hungry until breakfast. And I like it more and feel it's more of what I should do on a regular basis. I shouldn't feed my body until I first feed my soul.

Yesterday was the day to get prayer partner letters. Mary Beth hadn't collected on from my mom, so she wrote me one herself. She is seriously one of the sweetest women I have ever met. She has been like a mother to me on this trip.

Last night, we went out to a different La Sirena for ice cream. I got frozen yogurt, which was healthy with no sugar added and SO delicious! I got a 12 oz vanilla with strawberries, bananas, and pineapple mixed in, and it was only $100 pesos, so about $2.50 dollars.

It feels so weird that it's already Saturday. It kind of makes me sad becaause I wish this trip could go on forever...kind of how I feel when camp ends for the summer. But we did what we set out to do here, which feels good; we finished digging out the trench to put piping in. And we got all of the wood out of the pit. Such an accomplishment!

Yesterday, I met another cute little kid: Landon, Mike's son. He was so sweet. They know how to raise kids around here. I was talking to him, and Zoey came up and started talking to him, and he told her, "Excuse me, I'm in a conversation." Adorable.
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Today has been incredible, such a blessing. For breakfast, I had eggs, bacon, fruit salad, and bread with hot sauce. Then we went to the outskirts for VBS. In their village, most people make their living by rummaging the nearby garbage dump for trash to sell. The VBS was totally chaotic. But the kids were super cute. Most of them did not know how to spell their names for the name tags. One kid peed on the floor. I'm so glad I know Spanish! I'm so glad I came here! I got to hold four different kids while I was at the VBS. A lot of the boys got in fights with each other. The puppet-making craft was chaotic, and the little girl next to me wanted to cry. When I was blowing bubbles with the kids, they were all up in my grill and I had to keep moving around.

Those kids love bubbles!

They were so anxious for VBS to start!

I found a dog that looks like my dog Pokey!

The chaos of VBS - so much fun though

The skit went well of the sheep and the shepherd. We also served them lunch of "arroz con leche" (rice with milk). It looked like oatmeal though. But the kids liked it. But when we came back here for lunch, I felt like we should be eating the arroz con leche like they did. But instead, we got chicken, rice and beans, fried plantains, and pineapple/papaya fruit salad.

Then we had a siesta, as every day. Today, though, I actually slept during the siesta because I really needed it. Karleigh, Holly, and Elley are my roommates, and we stayed up late talking last night about really good stuff like prayer, fasting, and  how to determine God's will for your life.

Then we went and played a game of softball with the nationals. It was so much fun! We split up into 2 teams, both with a mixture of Americans and Dominicans. Jimmy, a 19-yr-old Dominican, is in the process of probably joining the Santiago team, which often gets recruited from for AAA and the Big Leagues in the states. So that's exciting!

Warming up for the softball game

irunforlove.blogspot.com - I might be joining them soon!

Day 6: [James 1:27] God, this trip has been a whirlwind. We are already done with the "mission" part of the trip, but we still need to keep that focus, here and for the rest of our lives. You have called us to be more than what the world pushes on us. You have called us to love unconditionally, putting others' needs ahead of our own. You have called us to visit and care for orphans and widows.....personally, I have never done that, but I have a strong desire to. Show me Your will for my life - where You want me to serve. Thank You for this day! Thank You that we get to worship You with the Dominicans this morning. Teach us to love, and show us what You want us to learn from this trip. I love you! Amen.

June 16. I pray that these last couple days of the trip are a great ending.

Last night, we had taco salad and fruit salad for dinner. In the tortilla chips, there were a bunch of ants crawling around that we had to avoid. But it was good stuff.

Then we went over to the church and got to hang out with the youth group for some bilingual charades, which was a lot of fun. Then after we played, we got to chat with them - so grateful for my Spanish! I talked to 3 guys, and the one guy said my Spanish was good. A couple of them spoke English really well and translated for me when I couldn't understand, which was really appreciated.

Explaining bilingual charades

I wonder if I will see Edith at church...she said she would be there Saturday playing piano, but I wonder if she will be there today too.

I bought IG's Christo Urbano CD and am super excited about it. We have been listening to it in the car rides, and it's great. Plus, it's in Spanish, so it will help me get better with my Spanish.

Breakfast is in about 20 minutes. IG's fiance Lanae is coming over this morning before church to talk to us about her life and her missionary calling. I'm looking forward to talking with her because I think I could come back here or some other country someday, and it will be interesting to hear about her call to this kind of ministry. Before I would come back here full time, though, I would definitely want to be fluent in Spanish.
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We are at the resort now, and the only thing currently reminding me that we are on a mission trip are the itchy bug bites all over my legs. I'm going to count them now...61 was what I counted, but there's probably been even more than that.

Yep, 61 bug bites. I even put bug spray on twice per day!

I feel so weird being here. I prefer mission work to vacation time, but I suppose this is a good way for us to get acclimated to our homes better before we get back to the US. One thing that I do enjoy about the resort is personal space and being able to take my time getting ready and stuff. I could do the missionary life though. I'm fine with cold showers, throwing away my toilet paper, and not being able to drive. As long as I could have time with God and time to exercise and opportunities to communicate with people in the States, I would be fine.

But, like I told Lanae, I only want to do international missions if I am certain that is what God wants me to do. And I have at least a couple years to pray about it before having to make that kind of decision. Things I would want to do before coming back as a full-time missionary: become fluent in Spanish, study my Bible a LOT more, pay off school loans, become an experienced engineer, and maybe learn guitar.

Church this morning was awesome. Again, I'm so glad I know what little Spanish I know. Edith was there! She brought me in the church to sit by her during the service. The service was fantastic. One of the youth group boys led worship with a contemporary band. IG gave the sermon about forgiveness, which I really needed to hear. He focused on the scripture that said, "You must forgive others their sins against you if you want God to forgive you of your sins against him." When we took communion, Edith didn't get up to take it, which means she has not accepted Christ / been baptized yet. She wrote her name out for me in my little pink Bible, and I told her I would remember her and pray for her. I should get Tim and Samira's contact information though because it just occurred to me that I could keep in touch with them through emails, and they could forward messages to Edith for me!
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I'm about to go to bed, but I'm just chillin in my room for now. Elley is my roommate at the resort, but she went out walking on the beach with Karleigh and Holly. Elley understand that I'm an introvert and would rather be in the room at 11:30 at night rather than walking the beach because we had a discussion earlier. But I hope Karleigh doesn't take it personally that I didn't go.

I will be honest about dinner. I had two plates of a wide variety of foods. None of it was exceptional. In fact, there wasn't a single dish I liked more than the Dominican food we had at the house. I ate way too much and felt gross after, and I didn't really enjoy any of the food. The "Mexican burrito" was much more like an egg roll than anything else.

After dinner, we had a debriefing time to process the trip with IG (Isias) and Mike. I cried once again, talking about how I am trying to determine God's will for my life and how blessed I have been from this trip and about my interaction with Edith and how God has been calling me to love better regardless of what country I'm in.

After the debriefing, I had a really good chat with Mike about my experiences this week and how I'm not sure what God's will is. He gave me really good advice that I should go through doors until God closes them instead of sitting and waiting for a lightning bolt to strike.

Then we went to Karaoke. Us girls did "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Old Time Rock and Roll." It was a lot of fun. It's already past midnight now though so I'm going to sleep and hopfully tomorrow Nate will feel better, the weather will be nice and sunny, and we will go sailing and snorkeling. It's been a great day.

Day 7: [Micah 6:6-8] You are so good! You healed Nathan from his sickness! And You still used Pastor Kelly on this trip through his devotional even though he couldn't be here. You continue to surprise me and work in amazing ways we don't deserve. I feel like I need to go sacrifice a calf or something in return for these huge blessings. But what do You require? "To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with [You]." Basically, pass it on. Thank You for the beauty of Your creation and this time of Sabbath. Thank You for Your presence here on this island. And thank You that we got the AC to work again. I pray that You bless this final day of the trip and grant us safe travels tomorrow. Teach us what You want to teach us. And give us joy to embrace each moment of each day. And provide reminders of what we have seen this week. Thank You for being my perfect Heavenly Father. Amen.

Day 8: [Isaiah 25:1] God, You have done great things. Everything You do is good. You deserve all of the praise for this trip. Like Wade said last night, You are very moving and active, restoring Your creation. And it's a blessing for us to be a part of it. I want the things I do to have an eternal impact! I don''t want to just selfishly live for today. I want to go with You. God, show me Your will for my life. Thank You for the surreal, amazing experience this trip has been and everything You have taught me. Thank You that this trip is opening up so many doors to share about You and how You are moving. Thank You for showing up in big and small ways. Show all of us what You want us to do as a result of this trip. Thank You for healing my stomach. Bless G.O. and use their new projects for Your glory. Amen.

June 18. We are on the plane back to Miami now. This has been such an amazing, surreal experience. It's hard to believe it's over.

Yesterday, we got great weather at the beach. A bunch of us went kayaking in the beautiful, blue ocean. And I didn't have my sunscreen very smooth, so now I have some patchy sunburn. There were a lot of vendors at the beach. I got a good deal on a bunch of jewelry. And i had a couple non-alcoholic, fruity drinks. When when we were hanging out at the pool, Gabrielle, Breanna, and Paige showed up and surprised us! We chatted, swam, and ate lunch together. Name missed a lot of the happenings at the resort though because he got really sick with a high fever. He's much better now. But he never ate any food at the resort. I told him he wasn't missing out though because the food wasn't that great.

The beach at the resort

Before coming all the way back right away after leaving the resort, we stopped and went shopping for a bit at a nearby strip mall. I bought some coffee, a shirt for Dad's bday, a deck of cards, and a photo album for me to document the trip.

There was this cool face-in-a-hole thing there, so I got Jim to take my picture.

We are flying over another island now, but I don't know what it is.

After shopping, we got back to the house, took a nap, and ate our last Dominican meal: potatoes, beef/veggie mixture, tortilla chips, and fruit salad.

I think the salt water helped my bug bites heal some, but I still look diseased.

After dinner, we came inside, and Tim showed us our group video, which was a really cool way to remember bits and pieces of the week.

Then we had our final worship time. Wade led us in worship, then we all took time sharing about what we've learned from the trip and what we are going to tell people back home.

I'm really looking forward to seeing my mom again. I hope she feels the same way. And I hope everyone likes the souvenirs.

When I woke up this morning, I went to the bathroom first thing. Then I came out and got my toothbrush and clothes to change into and went back in. I suddenly was overcome by a sick feeling in my stomach. I sat on the pot for a good ten minutes with diarrhea and gagging. I thought it was going to be like when I was at Cheryl's and threw up on the rug because it was coming out both ends. But then I was feeling okay, still a little queasy though and sweating a lot.

The night before, Lisa had given everyone pills for in case we picked up a parasite. Then after my morning issues, she gave me an antibiotic and a smooth muscle relaxer. I still felt queasy at the airport though. It was torture to stand in line for 30 minutes to check our bags. It took so long because there were issues with our tickets. We were all fine to get to Miami, but the tickets from there to Cincinnati weren't there for everyone. So a bunch of people are flying through Dallas on the way back.

When we got to the gate, some people got food. For me, the thought of food made me nauseated.

I asked how much longer we had until we would board the plane, and it was still over an hour, so I curled up in a couple chairs with my pillow and blanket and took a really good nap. When I got up, about 10 minutes before boarding the plane, I felt so refreshed, and my stomach didn't feel funky anymore. So I ate the last four crackers from my cracker package (from La Sirena) and drank some water. We got on the plane and geared up for the flight. That's where I am now, sitting next to a woman who was also on a G.O. mission trip this week with the group from Vegas.

It's amazing thinking about all that was accomplished this week.

Last night after dinner, I got to talk to the 2 newest missionaries on the team. Sunday was their first day here. The husband is an engineer. He was an executive for a big company in America. His wife is in design, very skilled with AutoCAD. They are working with the project to build the LDC (Learning Development Center - complete with a huge sports complex). They said I should keep in touch. They have a couple kids and were living a life of luxury in the States, but it was not fulfilling for them because God was calling them to the DR. So they sold everything and came down. Sounds like an amazing act of obedience. And it's encouraging to me that I could use my engineering skills to help people in that way. But for now, I just keep praying, "God, show me Your will for my life."

Gabrielle and Breanna and Paige are going to come visit from Louisville in a few weeks and stay at my house!

It was honestly great to be away from my phone and computer for a week. I feel so free. I should do media fasts more often.

*About to land in Miami! Oh.....America.

BACK HOME! My mom was my prayer partner for the trip, and she wrote prayers and updates for me every day. They were sitting on my bed for me to read when I got home. It really means a lot, and I love her dearly. I'm still processing everything from the trip, and it still feels like a surreal experience. I definitely want to go back though, whether for another trip like this one or perhaps the rest of my life.

Tomorrow, I'm heading down to Camp Loucon after church to counsel for the week for Senior High Assembly 1. SO STOKED! Then heading north to Michigan with family! And I will get to see Mike on his way down from the UP! So blessed with great friends and family and opportunities in my life - to God be the glory!