Please click the pictures to visit my other blogs:
Jewel in Cambodia Scarves for Cambodia Journals for the Journey

Sunday, February 22, 2009

A quiet week to come...

I really don't have much to say, but I did want to squeeze a post in tonight because I will again be surrendering my computer to IT tomorrow morning.  I'm not sure why, except that they asked for it back.  It has been working well, except for the battery.
I'm embarrassed to admit this, but not until yesterday evening did I realize that next week is Spring Break.  I have had so many things on my mind, that I hadn't stopped to turn the page on my schedule.  Wowie!  This also means that I will receive a letter on Thursday in regards to be an RA for next year.  I feel like I really accurately portrayed myself on my application and during my interviews, and I have prayed so much about it, that (though I will be very disappointed and discouraged) if I am rejected,  I will know that it isn't right, and I am not ready.
For Spring Break, Jessie, Mom, and I are wanting to visit the Creation Museum in Cincinnati and stay 1 night in a hotel.  Have you been there?  There is also a large aquarium nearby, and aquariums are one of my very favorite things, so we will probably stop there as well.  I also intend to:
Make lunch and dinner plans with friends,
Read a book for pleasure,
Catch up on some much-needed sleep,
Watch 4 episodes of LOST,
Visit Jayden,
Read my Bible,
and journal,
Do lots of research on Cambodia, (which conveniently doubles for my internship and a group project for Intercultural Relationships)...
and did I mention rest?

Friday, February 20, 2009

A woman missed her flight at the boarding gate HKIA..

Why do you think she is so panicked?  I understand some flights are very important, and if our team misses a flight, I'll be honest, I won't even know what to do.  Whatever the reason, this woman is a little over dramatic I think.  I cannot even believe this is real!  I would like to know what she is saying...  So if anyone speaks Korean!!  haha

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Quads!

If you're interested in following a pretty interesting blog THIS might be it.  My friend Glenda's cousin had quadruplets on Christmas Eve.  Here the four cuties are::

Clockwise from top: Dahlia, Isaac, Lucia, and Jude 


Who can agree that babies are always cuter as multiples?

Jessie & I

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

"Tentative" design

This is the tentative design for our Cambodia t-shirts. I would never claim to be artistic, but I'm pretty darn proud of it! I say tentative, because nearly everything in missions appears to be tentative, even if it's written in stone! It's tentative..

It's been an interesting ride..

I haven't blogged for a week! Last week was missions emphasis on campus at IWU.  Chris Heuertz (Word Made Flesh) was on campus for 3 days.  Monday, I went to the Globe (our campus' theatre) to watch Born Into Brothels, is a documentary which follows of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer, gives each of the children a camera and teaches them to look at the world with new eyes.  It deeply portrayed the hopelessness of a life in the brothels -- very sad.  This week two student organizations, Doulous and World Christian Fellowship, are highlighting specifically human trafficking.  T-shirts, bags, and journals are being sold to support anti-trafficking organizations, and special chapel speakers have been brought for Wednesday and Thursday.  Saturday night I went to the theatre with my friends Phillip and Jay to watch Taken:: The seventeen year-old Kim is the pride and joy of her father, the retired agent Bryan Mills that left the secret service to stay near Kim in California. Kim lives with her mother Lenore and her wealthy stepfather Stuart; she convinces the reluctant Bryan to sign an authorization to travel to Paris with her friend Amanda. When they arrive, they share a cab with the stranger Peter and Amanda tells to him that they are alone in Paris. When Bryan succeeds in contacting his daughter, she tells that criminals have just break in the spot and they are kidnapped by an Albanese gang of human trafficking. Bryan promises in the phone to kill the kidnapper of his daughter and immediately travels to Paris to find Kim and chase the criminals.  As opposed to Born Into Brothels, Taken really showed the evil of human-trafficking, and both really showed a dark evil.  Taken made it look very scary.  Very unfortunately for India, female tourists are not safe from abduction and forced sex slavery, while in Cambodia, though trafficking is very prevalent, there is little-to-no risk for "tourists" such as myself.
Also on Saturday [Valentine's Day], my friend Josh Koontz was married to the beautiful Susan Adams.  It was a wedding unlike any I have been to, because it was in the IN Capitol Building, but it was very nice.  Josh, Jessie, and I have only been good friends for maybe 4 years, but we have done a lot together.  We met at camp, when he was a district youth pastor.  Somehow, Jessie and I never managed to have youth pastors at camp so we connected with Josh and a few others.  We had his youth group convinced or an entire weekend that we were triplets.  RIDICULOUS. 
After the wedding, Jessie and I joined Mom & Dad we visited Joni and Leah.  That baby is growing so fast, I cannot believe it.  She will be crawling so soon!  We left Joni's before 7 and stopped for dinner at Chick-fil-A (yum yum!)  The whole restaurant was covered in  red, pink, and white balloons.  There were 2 waiters in suits to seat us after we placed our orders, and they gave every girl a carnation.  The tables had red table cloths, and there were roses in vases on each table, and doilies and little paper hearts.  It was so cute!  As we were finishing up, another waitor brought out free dessert!  Meanwhile, the "eat mor chikin" cow was roaming around in a suit as well, taking pictures with children.  It was hilarious!
This week we have mid-terms, which means tomorrow is my last day of badminton class!  I intend to continue going to the gym each Tuesday and Thursday morning, but it will be hard to not stay in bed, because I won't have class until 12:05.  I'm pretty busy, but not too stressed yet.  I'm realizing that I am halfway through my second year of college, which means I am almost halfway through college!  Wowie.
Yesterday, I had lunch with my friend Bonaventure.  He is a funny guy!  He is so interesting too.  He is a refugee from Rwanda, and I believe he spent most of his youth fleeing for safety, from whatever and whomever.  After dinner we were both headed to the library, and Bonaventure showed me "his office" - a desk and end table he has claimed in the corner of the 24-hour study lounge.  He leaves his books, laptop, and study material on this desk 24/7, haha!  He is a nursing major, and keeps very busy, studying very hard.  I laughed and said, "Bona, all you need is a coffee pot!"  Well lo-and-behold, he scattered a pile of books, and uncovered a coffee warmer!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

A Wednesday morning started right..

Every Wednesday morning at 5:40 I pull myself out of bed to go on a prayer walk with Umfundisi. Each Wednesday 20+ students gather below the Dean of the Chapel's Office at 6:30 to commence our time of prayer. Due to the unfortunate seasonal weather, we have been confined inside the buildings for quite some time. This morning was warm enough to travel the side walks and footpaths, praying over the buildings and residencies, and for the community -- but alas, it was pouring rain. We broke off individually or in pairs this morning for 30 minutes to pray over a list of specific requests - one being a series of 1000+ interviews conducted today, on our campus, for Meijer's. The needs in Marion are huge, and I wish everyone could have the opportunity for a job and a salary, but alas (word officially used twice in this blog, and three times in my life).. this cannot be. Among other things, we also prayed over the Offices of Life Calling and Leadership, who are collecting gently used Bibles to send to Zambia, where maybe 8 or 10 (??) IWU students are studying abroad, and have expressed concern for a need of Bibles in the area. (You can follow the IWU Zambia blog here). 5:40am arrives so early, but I have realized that it is the best way to start a day, and I'm praying for the motivation and commitment to do this on my own each day, as I began to do last semester -- and DID do for a incredible 4 weeks! Waking up at 6am to spend 90 minutes in prayer, worship, Bible reading, and journaling.
Anyways.. it's time for class! More to follow...

Do you see this abuse?


Do you like my new pink lip stud?


No.. these are not posed!

Ok.. maybe they are slightly posed. ;D

Monday, February 09, 2009

Love is in the air! लव इस इन थे एयर!

Saturday was beautiful and today has been absolutely gorgeous! I love it. The snow has been very pretty, but I am ready for the warmth and colors that come with Spring. I love walking across campus and seeing everyone outside studying, playing frisbee, or walking the slack line! I haven't seen it yet this semester, but this weekend has given me hope that I WILL live to see it!

This post in Hindi (for all my international readers ;D ): सतुरदय वास बेऔतिफुल एंड टुडे हस बीन अब्सोलुतेल्य गोर्गेओउस! इ लव आईटी! थे स्नो हस बीन वैरी प्रेत्टी, बुत इ ऍम रेडी फॉर थे वार्मथ एंड कोलोर्स ठाट काम विथ स्प्रिंग। इ लव वाल्किंग आक्रोस कैम्पस एंड सींग एवेय्रोने ओउत्सिदे रीडिंग, और प्लेयिंग फ्रिस्बी, और वाल्किंग थे स्लैक लाइन। इ हवें'टी सीन आईटी येत थिस सेमेस्टर, बुत थिस वीकएंड हस गिवें में होप ठाट इ विल लाइव तो सी आईटी सून!