the christmas post

I don't really want to make a long "what's been happening since I finished my fall semester and have been home being a couch potato" post. So, this is a

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!

post. Well-said, jennifer. My family and I are ringing in Christmas in Bernice, Louisiana. The nursing home across the street from my grandma's house is shooting off fireworks as I type this. We are watching the 24-hour Christmas Story marathon. And it is only 9:15pm. Whooo-wah. I heart the holidays.

In other short, abbreviated news: Why do I not feel ready for Christmas? Why on earth would I want to delay this celebration? This feeling comes over me every Christmas. I feel like I want to postpone the celebrations, like I want to get "more in the mood." Shouldn't I be living each day "in the mood" for the return of the Savior? Get in the mood. It is all we should be living for. The Comforter HAS come. We celebrate because we're so thankful God stretched on skin, and because we're so darn excited for his return.

sugarplums

I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep a wink that night, waiting in great anticipation....for new stone-washed-splatter-paint jeans.

Merry Christmas, all. May these merry faces remind you of the source of all giddy smiles, and may you anticipate that great Return of the one that came by way of virgin womb and spent his first night in an oxen's stall.

double take

I walked through a Mad-Lib scene tonight. I shall share:

As I was walking through Barnes & Noble, where I stopped in to by a White Chocolate Mocha to tide me over during the time I arrived in Fayetteville and the time I actually needed to be in Fayetteville to watch my cousin sing in her first Madrigal Feast, I saw my French professor from my freshman year of college, who is originally from Algeria, picking his nose in the Philosophy section; the section where I found my newest tool for procrastination, a book entitled On Bullshit, by Harry G. Frankfurt (a name almost as ironic as the title of his book).

In other untimely and unsettling news, this week I found out that my 3.5(ish) year boyfriend-of-past is engaged to one of my best friends from my past life in California.

Praise God anyhow, and just for that exactly.

Father in heaven, thank you for refusing to be understood only through grand events like powdered-sugar-snow in the early hours of the morning. And, thank you for coming to a stinky stable to stretch on skin and save the world.

clinically speaking

Once upon a time....I was not tired. I'm always tired. I can't even fathom exerting energy, on anything. Dr. Drew calls this clinical exhaustion. Thanks, Doc. Now I have a fancy term that I can throw around to evoke needed pity for my pathetic drudgery. I claim to have Mono. However, this could not be the case for several reasons: 1) Mono is "The Kissing Disease." Ha. no such luck. 2) You usually have fever with Mono. I do not, as far as my inner-thermometer can tell. 3) Wouldn't I be dead by now? Whatever the case, my roomie has respectfully removed her toothbrush from our shared toothbrush holder, and relocated it to the other side of the sink.

So, here's the prognosis: sleep more.

I tried that, unintentionally, actually. Last Wednesday, I fell asleep at 7pm. I awoke at 8am...the next morning. Ooops. Those were 13 hours in which I fell even more behind. Needless to say, my body needs sleep, but isn't so lucky to find it (except that fateful night).

On another note, I just looked across the street (from my dad's house) and saw a Christmas tree, glistening in the bay window of our neighbor's house. I threw up a little in my mouth. What are they thinking? We still have a week before Thanksgiving, c'mon! According to all the sources I've ever read, one is NOT permitted to decorate for Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving. Ugh. Yes, I'm being Grinchy, with due cause. Then again, a pastor and his wife live in the Christmas tree house. Maybe they know more about that stuff than I do....

Hip-hip-hooray (3x) for warm, clean, towels! My 5th load of laundry is rumbling its way to a static-clingy-ness of perfection. I haven't done laundry in almost a month. My wardrobe was beyond pathetic. One day this week, I resorted to a t-shirt from Jr.High, dirty socks, and the jeans which were going on their 20th day of wear, sans soap. Gross. That smell I kept blaming on the stinky kid behind me might actually have been me.

I don't know a clever way to end this post.

blahhhhhh-blahhhh-blahhhhhhhhhh.

today is normal?

I feel like a cowgirl today. This could have stemmed from a number of sources:
1. I am wearing a brown belt.
2. I recently saw the play Oklahoma! at the Walton Arts Center.
3. I live in Siloam Springs, AR.
4. I participated full-heartedly in a bluegrass sing-along at a nursing home last night.
(There's pow'r, pow'r, wonder-workin pow'r. There's pow'r in the blood of the Lamb.)

Speaking of which, 'What a friend we do have in Jesus.' He is the 'Rock of Ages.' I am today, just as every day, 'Amaz[ed] by Grace.'

I've made the library on campus my home-away-from-home. I like the smell of old periodicles. I suffer from an unstoppable urge to check out as many books as are allowed. (that's 15, by the way). Did you know that Teddy Roosevelt and his brother Kermit went on an expedition through Tibet? I didn't either, until I checked out East of the Sun and West of the Moon. It was in the row of books right by the bathroom. I also checked out a couple others simply because I like their covers. I ended up liking their guts, too. Longfellow, Ruskin, Milton. Interesting collection. Maybe the only thing they have in common istheir last check-out date, before me: the 1960's.

I had a dream that I inherited a mission agency. Is that even possible? In my dream I arrived on the scene where a family had just learned of the death of the founders of the agency. I guess you'd call it good timing, but they decided I was who they had prayed would come and take over. I thought this would leave a pleasant aftertaste when I awoke, but today I've felt even more overwhelmed....about choosing the right agency, about my where to serve, about time committments, about the "real world."

I read about the martyr Nicholas Ridley in preparation for a paper and presentation in a ministry class. He was burned at the stake under Queen Mary, but his body would not burn. He literally had to lean into the fire to finally die.

Bring then, Lord, the fire.
I promise to lean into the flame.

ps: my hair is dark chestnut now. I went to the store for cough drops and came out with a box of #62, Herbal Essence hair dye. Much thanks to Flora. She was right, it did make me feel better than Hall's Mentho-lyptus, cherry flavored. Now, I'm more chestnut flavored.

Partly Cloudy with a Change of Rain

 

SCHWASHBUCKLED!

The invitation read, "An Aristocratic Night on the Town." We got all dolled up, ready to rub elbows with the classy folk. An opera, perhaps? Our only hint was to dress "18th Century and formal." This left me wondering, but I decided on a little 1950's number. We could hardly wait to see what our "high society gentlemen" had planned for the evening!

Little did we know, our plans were thwarted by an unruly gang of pirates! Your eyes are not deceiving you. That is actually a pirate ship. What we thought would be an evening on the town among the classiest of the classy turned into a schwashbuckling of all schwabuckles! The "gentlemen" pulled up in a caravan of cars, with the pirate ship paramount. They threw us into the cars and wisked us away to the mecca of all pirate eateries-- Long John Silver's.

Aye, a rough bunch they were.

The gruff nature of the pirate life was starting wear off on me, even before the meal arrived on deck. I quite liked it...

But they sure knew how to treat a lady. We were served Long John Silver's finest...off of the coupon menu, of course. After a fish dinner, we were shipped off to New Life Ranch. We danced and sang around the campfire, like any good gathering of pirates and piratesses.

We were even treated to some pirate tales of the lost loves and lost limbs. The pirates never broke character! Amazing!

In the end, roasting marshmallows (pirates/college boys don't have money for chocolate and grahams...silly) with pirates isn't all that bad. An amazing time was had by all, aristocrat and pirate alike.

So, Dad acutally does work. Hmph. Interesting....

A day at the office with Dad.

justified napping

glasses are fun

Me, Matt, Henry, and Flora--staying classy...er...glassy...whichever.

breathing felt good today

An old friend came to visit today. I haven't seen this friend in at least a year or more.

He reminded me to bring a sweater. He smells good.

I enjoyed his company today.

His name is Autumn.

I hope Autumn stays.

lagnaippe

In honor of my loyal readership (my twin sister and best friend) and fan club (the afore mentioned), I felt an update was high-due. Thus, the following:

School is hard and time-consuming and everything in between. The kicker: I like it that way. As my dad says, "that's what you're there for." He would be the first to encourage me to make sure all of it is "fun," though. My dad was also a hippie. Hmph...

I'm leading a Bible study with gals from my church. Attendance is shifty, but I feel confident God has me in this position for good reason. I'm learning just as much from the Word as I am from the dynamics and members. "Trust me," He says each day.

Our house plants are thriving. "Lucy" and "Croton" seem to like the window seal and the afternoon sun. I'm careful to watch their rotations and hydration. My late plant, Johnny, is no longer with us. I left him in the care of a friend this summer and he did not return to me, much like his namesake, Johnny Knox, the rugger of my dreams. Alas, I am pouring love and water into my new green friends. They have given me the opportunity to teach my little Latina roommate phrases such as "green thumb." She tried to use the phrase in a non-plant related way. Something to the effect of "we have green thumb crushes." I tried to re-explain, to no avail. I love her.

Speaking of "thriving": I just found a growing mold population on my toothbrush holder. Ugh. I should probably burn my toothbrush. But, its new and soft and un-mushed. I can't throw away $2.47 so easily. I'll continue to brush with mold.

I have perfected the art of procrastination. My pictures from Turkey are not in their album. I have not written thank-yous to my supporters. I am amassing heavy loads of reading for some miracle read-a-thon in the never-near-future weekend. I've put off joining the Frisbee team until an indefinite time because I'm waiting somehow stumble upon "in shape." My car is now brown. It used to be black. Sleep even falls into the "I'll get around to it" category.

Since "participating" in a flag football game on Monday ("play" is too strong of a word), my jammed/dislocated/spranged/broken/shattered index finger has doubled in size. It hurts to type and to flush the toilet. I need a pinch-flusher.

My car is as speratic as my sleeping patterns. It sometimes works in reverse, sometimes not. The A/C works when I go over 3000 rpms. Cruise control is shot. But, it smells like Jamaica on the inside. Or, what I would imagine Jamaica to smell like.

I've been having moments of intense creativity. Sometimes I just want to leave class and go sculpt something out of Play-Dough. Sometimes I doodle out masterpieces. Sometimes I just want to sing an out-of-this-world high A. Most of these moments are spurred on through my Philosophy of the Christian Faith class. Dr. Johnson (through the writings of St. Augustine) is implanting nuggets of pure gold in my mind. "Being free is scary. Luckily, God's willingness to free us is far greater than our resistance to being free." I'm reminded daily to keep my soul listening.

My family and I have dealt with a huge loss. Heaven gained an incredibly wise man. I'm jelous of Dandu. He's seen the revealed Glory, the greatest Physician, I AM, the Bread of Life face-to-face. I'm still waiting...in hope and memory.

Fall break is rapidly approaching. I'm going to visit my dear friend in St. Louis. I anticipate lots of dessert and finishing her sentences. Splendid. We share a brain. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm picky with who I lend my brain out to. You never know, with all the crazies roaming around these days.

Goals for the next week: Find someone to give me piano lessons. Take more pictures. Drop off my resume at the City Library for the "shelver" position. Give more I-love-yous, especially to my Lord. Become an archaeologist.

pity into action

“The police told me to take the water, ‘cause we were thirsty, but the man behind us got shot for taking the same water…”

“There were dead babies all around me, but mamma told me just not to look…”

“My daddy stayed down there because he didn’t want anybody taking our stuff. He said the government forgot about us…”

“Just come and see about us…”

Children echoed these phrases through the evacuee camp, just a few miles from my university. I listened and cried. ‘They have seen more horror in one week than will see in my entire life,’ I thought to myself.

Barely two weeks ago, Hurricane Katrina slashed through the gulf coast, shredding homes, businesses, churches, and identities. Over a million people woke up homeless and hopeless. The Big Easy is underwater, her inhabitants scattered. The same story is horrifically repeated in numbers of coastal towns in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. As of this weekend, people are still being fished out of houses in New Orleans.

My family is from southern Louisiana. While most of America watched the news unfold through CNN, I was forced to watch it unfold at my fingertips. The weekend after the hurricane hit I traveled to Louisiana to see for myself the devastation, and to offer any help I could to ailing friends and family members. I had been numb to the misery until I stepped into fellowship-hall-turned-evacuee camp at the local Methodist church. Only a minute into a three-hour conversation with a 16-year-old girl named Christal, and misery had injected itself straight into my heart.

“I just made the cheerleading squad,” she half-heartedly reminisced. “I don’t think we have anything to cheer for now.”

Her father, Tracy, a pastor in New Orleans, shared a similar observation, “We just finished laying the carpet in the church. My congregation has been saving for eight years to finally have a building to meet in. Now, we don’t have a congregation.”

As I interacted with more children and youth at the evacuee camp, I learned to read the trauma on their faces. Some are still confused, most are angry, and all are wondering where the life they knew has gone.

Effects of the hurricane are far-reaching. Arkansas is seeing an enormous amount of evacuees, even in tiny Siloam Springs, the location of John Brown University. We have over 500 evacuees in my town of 8,000. That’s over 500 people, clinging to all they do not have and desperate for even a pair of shoes that fit. But, I’m noticing a trend. Hope is prevailing. Prayers are being answered and tattered lives are being patched together. Make-shaft support communities are developing among the hundreds of displaced people as older kids looked out for younger kids and mothers wipe away tears from all crying eyes. Communities throughout the south have taken in thousands upon thousands of displaced families, such as Korah and Deac and their two children. They hitched a ride with a group of students from JBU traveling back to school after delivering supplies and food to Gulfport, Mississippi. “Adopted” by a local church, Deac’s family will begin to adjust to life in Northwest Arkansas. Tracy, the pastor, told me he hopes to return to New Orleans one day, but for now will try to start a new life for him and his family in Ruston, Louisiana, building from the ground up…again.

Most of America sits on the unaffected side of the TV screen thinking, “how could this happen in our country?” It did, it’s still happening, and it won’t get any better by changing the channel. As the Body of Christ, we are called to give our extra coat and walk the second mile. An encouraging note, the five pairs of jeans you never wear, your home, your money, your physical aid, prayer—anything is more than they have. Our brothers and sisters need more than our pity. Don’t wait for the next hurricane. Pray fervently and act now.

compañeras

"just come and see about us..."

You must do something.

Don't just watch it on the news. Its real, and the people are in your backyard.

Go and help.

Pray harder than you've ever prayed before.

Prayers are being answered here. I am in Louisiana this weekend. I have family and friends in the area of the hurricane. I came to see what help I could offer. All I had wasn't enough. People are absolutely hopeless here. We are so fortunate to have what we have.

Give your other cloak. Walk the second mile.

When I get back to Arkansas I will be organizing a group of people to come back down within the next weekend or so. Please consider joining me. I think it would be important to attend the disaster relief training provided through the Red Cross. The meeting in on Thursday (8 Sept) in Tontitown. Contact me if you want more information.

In the meantime, pray.

finding myself in "required reading"

"She had never philosophized about the causes of human misery, she was not old enough, she had not the temperment that philosophizes. But she felt intensely, and this was not the first time she had felt the contrast thrust into her feeling between the upper and and the lower conditions of human life. It had been growing upon her until it had made her what Rose called 'queer,' and other people in her circle of wealthy acquaintances called very unusual. It was simply the human problem in its estreme of riches and poverty, its refinement and its vileness, that was, in spite of her unconscious attempts to struggle against the facts, burning into her life the impression that would in the end either transform her into a woman of rare love and self-sacrifice for the world, or a miserable enigma to herself and all who knew her..."

Sheldon, In His Steps

pictures!!!

(drum roll please...)

TURKEY PICTURES ARE UP!

I've finally figured out how to get my photos online. Okay, this has taken a girl like me, who claims to be technologically sound waaaaaayyyy too long to get it together. Sorry.

Please, check them out. I will be adding more tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day...and...then I'll probably stop.

Now, I would really like to figure out how to link the picture site on the right sidebar of this here blog...Help? For now, click here.

night sky bling

Any star-gazers out there? You should check out the meteor shower tonight and tomorrow night. I won't pretend to know anything about astronomy, but this shower seems to be a good one, from what I've read. God is so great! He even accessorizes the sky with diamond jewelry. Give glory to God as you watch the shower tonight:

"The heavens delcare the gloryof God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

Psalm 19:1

florescent blessings

Most of you reading this are probably here looking for updates and reflections of my time in Turkey. Well, you'll have to keep waiting. I'm still processing. I am actually putting together a presentation/talk to give to, well, you if you want to hear it, but mainly to my home church (1st Presbyterian Bentonville) and to the youth group. Soon enough, my friends, you will experience what all Turkey has done in me, soon enough. For now, please enjoy this installment of

"Aldi for One, and One for Aldi" (from yesterday's journal entry):

'Life sits happily in my heart and soul tonight. Something was just "right" about today. I don't really know exactly what it was...Can't put my finger on exactly the moment that all was clicking...but something what "there."

My day was probably this good because I began it by studying the Word (indeed, God whispers to me, that is was so). It was a bit of a haphazard study, but isn't life? It would be nice to have some kind of guide...Maybe I'll just write my own. I had lunch with the Rakes', Mama Thistle, Kayla, Chandra, and Dylan Kayla, my new favorite baby in the whole entire world. We ate at some kind of Celtic restaurant and pub in Bentonville (could be a soft "c," could be a hard "c," nobody will ever truly know). Nice place, I suppose. I opted for the $2.99 salad and soup bar. Not too authentic, but Corned Beef and Hash and the "Shamrock Pizza" just seemed too authentic.

The highlight (I seem to be narrowing it down now) was my stop at The Grove offices. I learned the ropes for my new cleaning job. Dave H., whom I affectionately call "the hairy-legged secretary," showed me the ins and outs of the office and gave me free reign over any dust bunnies, cob webs, mold, dirt, mud, and/or smudge. And, I am allowed to organize! Throw in a White Chocolate Magmum and the offices might just resemble heaven in my mind. What an awesome partnership, serving and doing what I love to do.

I went shopping for cleaning supplies and had a beautiful moment at Aldi. Yes, the Aldi store. I've never been in one before, but plan definitely to go back. Something that I've never seen happen at a market/store happened today. As I shopped among the pallets of off-brand foods and generic merchandise I felt a huge sense of community among the shoppers. I'm not even sure how to describe it. It was like everyone just "knew." Most were there with more coupons than dollar bills. Families, couples, a few elderly. They all seemed to sense eachother's hardships and accepted that each must be carrying just as many burdens as the next. As I stood in line between a tiny Asian woman and an elderly Hispanic man in his Tyson uniform, I observed a man buying snacks for his son's Boyscout troop, undoubtedly. I knew this because the woman behind him in line had started a conversation with him, and I listened in:

"I remember those days...boy, those boyscouts sure can eat a lot....Oh, they'll gobble that down," she commented. "You think that'll be enough!?" she questioned, as the clerk counted 24 small cups of yogurt and 6 or so cans of beenie-weenies.

The lady was obviously a smoker, but how she fed the habit, I have no idea. Her purchases were some pre-wrapped peppers, a box of cereal, and toilet paper. I was allowed my entry into the check-out line graciously by the Hispanic man who insisted I get in front of him because I did not have a basket and was balancing 4 or 5 cleaning supplies on my person. He couldn't believe the price of the fruit juice as he remarked to me, "Only $1! It so good!" as he chugged some more in our wait.

I don't know what it was, but we all connected. I felt the dad's hope that his son's troop would appreciate and like his choice of snacks, even though they were the off-brand; and, I felt how much he hoped his son would not be ashamed that his dad coudn't afford the fruit roll-ups and real Coca-Cola. I was with the woman as she unfolded the coupons to pay for the toilet paper. I was proud, too, with the Hispanic man for his great juice find, and enjoyed that cool, refreshing zing the kiwi coctail provided after a long day at the plant. But, I've never been in the position and place in life as any of my fellow shoppers...and probably never will be.

God made my blessings florescent to me. He allowed me to step into the lives of his children who are not as "stable" as I, and I only wish I could have stayed longer. Our family of shoppers could never have formed so quickly at a Wal-Mart or Target. Excess is too available there. At the Aldi, we were buying the bare minimum, but thankful for even that.'

dern raisins...

I'm home safely. I arrived in beautiful Bentonville at 4:30 this afternoon (that's 12:30am in Antalya). I had quite an interesting time in all of my flights, but it was "uneventful" in regards to missing planes and the such. I'll be posting more about my journey home later. Now, I'm going to enjoy a steak and potato with my Dad, Sis, and bro-in-law. Ahhh...its so nice to be home. Thanks to everyone for your prayers. Get ready for more stories and debriefing episodes as I work through all I've learned this summer throughout the coming days!

Oh, great story about the raisins. Unfortunately, my green bean caserole cannot wait. Let me just say...don't bother claiming them if you ever bring them to the US. Its not worth your wait in customs.

can it be?

How has this summer passed so quickly? No, its not technically "over," but I am finishing a huge chapter of my summer tomorrow. I will be flying to Istanbul tomorrow evening, then continuing on home on the next day (due mainly to a horrible mis-hap with my tickets...ugh.) Turkey will be a thing of the past. I cannot believe it. I have invested two months of my life here, but it only feels like 2 weeks. Tomorrow must last. So many goodbyes to say and double-cheek-air kisses to give...

I have learned so much from this country and these people--things I never expected to learn. Debriefing my brain is going to take some time. Luckily, I've got a good 15 hours of flying ahead of me. The stories will be limitless. Memories of my time here will feed my heart for a good while. I am anxious to share with all of my supporters, but much of me wishes to stay here and continue on in the memory-making. American soil does sound sweet-tasting, though. See y'all soon!

Ephesian for a day

A few days ago Christina, Ryan, Sam and I decided on a whim to head over to Ephesus ("Efes" in Turkish--also the name of the famous Turkish beer). This trip is about a 6-7 hour bus ride from Antalya. We caught the overnight bus, leaving at 11:30pm, arriving at 7:00am...we thought.

Over the hills and through the woods we went, traveling up the western coast of Turkey. I was lucky enough to see most of the countryside because of an unfortunate seating arrangement in which I was placed in front of a 6'5" football player who needed every bit of knee space available. Needless to say, I was in no position to recline, less I wished to shatter his kneecaps.

We arrived in Selçuk, the city closest to the ruins of Ephesus, at 5:30 am. Guess what is open in Selçuk at 5:30am? Anybody? Anybody? That's correct, absolutely nothing. We sat in a sleepy stupor on park benches of the bus lot for about 30 minutes until one of us said, "hey, lets just walk around." We started walking the sleeping city when we realized that Ephesus was only about 3 km away...an easy jaunt at sunrise. So, we headed to Ephesus with the sun rising over the Temple of Artemis behind us (more on the Temple later).

Forty-five minutes and 3km later we had wound our way up the hillside to the ancient city, only to find out that the Ephesians sleep in as well. Or, they must have back in the day, because the park of the ancient ruins did not open until 8:30am. Decision time: do we wait on more park benches, 3km closer than we were before, or, do we meander back to the city and try to find something to eat/do/sleep on.

Then, like the "Icee" sign at a gas station after a long, hot car trip with the fam, we see a half-cracked-open gate with something like "no tresspassing" written on it. Er...I mean, it might have said that...my English skills are slipping the longer I am here... We weaseled through the gate, snuck down some unpaved terrain, and ba-da-bing...we were in the middle of the ancient city of Ephesus...an hour and a half before the city would wake and allow in the rest of the world.

We roamed around, unguided and unabashedly, discovering the city of old. We sat in the empty Great Theater, where Paul tried to persuade the angry mob that yelled "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for 2 hours (Acts19). We wandered the streets, reading the book of Ephesians, just imagining... It was unbelievable and quite surreal to think that Christianity spread, from the very city we were in, to all of Asia. I carried my Bible in one hand and camera in the other. My finger marked the book of Ephesians, and I would stop every 100 yards or so to read on, like I was reading the letter for the first time. Paul was writing to me, encouraging me, teaching me how to relate with my brothers and sister in Christ, how to live in unity, how to obey and serve, and how to dress myself with the armor of God. I discovered this book again, but for the first time.

Well, an important lesson I am learning in Turkey is that if its too good to be true, it probably is. Security found us. Luckily, we played the "ummm...I'm a tourist...I don't understand what you are saying..." card, and got away uncuffed. We had decided before entering that we would exit when the park opened, buy a ticket, then go back in. We headed for the ticket sales, walked up with our tails between our legs, bought the entrance ticket, and headed right back in! I think that Christina even got a picture of us "locked in," on the other side of the gates, with tourists waiting to enter.

After the park opened, movement was extremely limited. People flooded in like moms into ToysRUs on the day after Thanksgiving. It was hard to find room to breathe. We spent about an hour or so longer in the park, then realized that we had seen the most and best in those twilight hours earlier in the morning. We decided to head out about 11:30, each of us feeling a little more adventerous and a little more Ephesian than when we stumbled off the bus that morning.

The rest of the day we spent as any other tourist group. We got ripped off at "The Virgin Mary's House," where we paid close to 20 lira to see "where Mary retreated after Jesus died," we went to the museum, mainly because it was airconditioned, and we visited the Temple of Artemis. I was told that this was one of the 7 wonders of the world. Could have fooled me. It was a big swamp with one big column in the middle. Aparently, at one point in history, it was the sight of an amazing temple to Artemis, the God of the Ephesians. Now, its a nice home for bullfrogs, watersnakes, and cute little turtles. But hey, 1 down, 6 to go on the wonders of the world list...

Finding a bus home was a whole adventure in itself. I lost it at the bus terminal, as at least 10 agents tried to sell me "best price ticket, lady." I just screamed and they all fled. Seriously. I should try it more often when being mobbed by sweaty men trying to sell me something (it happens more than you want in this culture). Well, we wouldn't be boarding a bus home until 11:30, so this gave us more time than we knew what to do with. We decided to take another bus out to the coast, about 9km away. This was the Agean coast, something else I would be able to cross off the list. We stayed there for a couple hours, wishing we had brought our swimsuits, but getting as wet as one can without one. Then, we went back to the town for dinner in a cat-infested restaurant. Christina hates cats like I hate things that flutter...so she almost couldn't eat her meal. I just threw water on them.

11:30pm came, we loaded the bus, and were off...back to Antalya. Guess who got the seat in front of the giant again...??? Yes, yours truly. But, by this time my feet were throbbing so badly that I could really care less if his kneecaps were shattered by a reclining blow. I popped the "night time sleep aid" shot the seat back, and thanked God for allowing me another day to discover His Truth.

God is alive here. Ephesus wasn't filled with believers that day, like back in the 1st and 2nd Century. Possibly the four of us were the only practicing Christians in the whole city, but God was still there. He is still anxiously waiting for His people to cling to Him, like they once did in that city. Artemis is dead, she never was alive. Her statue is in a museum, with big "NO Flash" sign hanging over her. Her temple is a swamp. She has no power in that place. God has never left Ephesus, but the knowledge of Him has been swept away. I learned from a Spanish tour guide that the harbor actually ran right up to the city at one point, but now had retreated, as I mentioned before, to almost 9km away from the city walls. Polluted rivers had corrupted the land, somehow forcing the Agean coastline away from the city. The harbor was the lifeline to the rest of the world for the Ephesians. Now, her people had pushed this resource so far away that it meant little, if anything, to the life of the city. 'How ironic...' I thought to myself.

:-)

I'm not sure what was so funny, but this shot captured my state of joy and laughter, which I was more often than not relishing in, while my team from Arkansas was here with me. Man, I miss those guys. Can't wait for the picture party!!! This was taken at Zeynip's Kitchen, a favorite spot of ours for home-cooked Turkish goodness. Note: I've joined James in the "steal awesome pics from Brett's blog" conspiracy.

love at first bite

There's no other way to put it...I've fallen in love. It's a beautiful thing. I met him at the Algida stand and my life has not been the same since. We met at the beginning of the summer. Recently, we have been seen around town together at least once a day--twice when its hot out. Er...I mean... Well, things are going great for us, but the end is in sight. I can't imagine us keeping up a long distance relationship. I don't think he will ever come to America....unless I can make a deal with the Schwann's man for a special order.

safety update

For those of you keeping tabs on all the bombing incidents, you are probably wondering if I have been effected (affected? I never know...Ms. Sisemore would be ashamed...). Though Turkey is quite a bit closer to Iraq than the United States, a realization I had a few weeks ago that, quite honestly, gave me chill bumps, I am not close to any of the recent bombings. However, there have been 3 or 4 bombings in Turkey. Antalya is not close to any of the unfortunate cities. İzmir is the closest city where a bomb exploded and it is at least 6-8 hours away from me. I actually have not even heard, through Turkish news sources, any detail of the events. But, I don't speak Turkish, so that's not saying much... Please do not worry about my safety too much. Yes, I'm in what we would classify as "not the safest place on earth," but I am comfortable with the security of this city. Being in God's will is not the safest place one can be, but it is the most secure. I covet your prayers, so pray like crazy!

Oh, and this is a random shot of myself during a sleepless night where I just got too inventive with my digital... I look super sleepy, but its actually just a combination of my lazy eye and my aversion to the flash.

life at the Med

This is the beach where I can be found toiling away, day after day. Ha! We take the Tramvay ("tram" in English) to the end of the railway and we are dropped at this beautiful place. Just a little twist and turn down this hill takes us straight to the Konyaltı Beach Park. The kicker is getting back up the hill in time to catch the tram home!
This is just one of the many uber-schwanky lounging areas at the beach park. I totally don't fit in. I believe I might be the only one strolling through with Chacos on and a hemp necklace. Alas, I stroll on by.
A little taste of the sea... This shot is from the park that I walk through each day en route to the Cultural Center. I take the long way, but it keeps me away from İşiklar, the westernized and European infested street.

out to sea

Squinty eyes and all, here I am on the boat trip we took with our Turkish friends and newly-arrived New Englanders. There is a castle in the background, which if you squint (like I am demonstrating so eloquently in the picture) you can see.
Here we are still in the harbor. The back row, from left to right is Birsen, Ahmet, and Sam. The front row is Lindsey, Pelin, Özkan, Elle, Ryan, and Christina. I am, of course, taking the picture. We sailed for about an hour right at sunset. It was beautiful!

check the shades

This is Pelin and me on a trip back from Side. The bus trip was about an hour and a half from Antalya. Pelin is a really great Turkish girl that I have become close with through my time here. She is in high school, with one year remaining. I stayed with Pelin's family for about two weeks this summer (remember the anti-fan family?). Her parents allow her to hang out with us quite a bit, which is huge. In Turkey, children under 18 are not allowed to be "preached at," in simple terms. It is against the law without parental consent. Please pray for her.

bird's-eye view

The mountains are quite in perspective, but this is a view from about the 16th floor of an apartment building. I could count three mosques from my vantage point, with one pictured.

history all around

I walk by the remains of this castle just about every day. In fact, a great cafe, called the "Castle Cafe" is located just on the other side of this turrett. Pictured in the background is a tiny bit of the harbor and some of the Antalyan skyline.

Harbor

This is the harbor of Antalya. The wall of the old city is in the background. This is the place Paul would have sailed in to and docked his boat. Just imagine...

a little ham

I'm not sure what this little guy's name is, but he hung around arts and crafts quite a bit!

Fish-eye view

The mountain in the background is Mt. Olympos. I roasted a smore on its eternal flame--one of the many hilights of my trip. This shot cuts out the beach, but you can imagine a pebble beach. This was the location of the Olive Grove, the summer camp.

Bonkers!

We look extra scary, but don't worry...its just face paint. These are some of my best friends from camp. High school students are in the back row and counselors are generally in the front row. I was a "medic" in this great game of tag. I was the good guy, along with the others in the picture with red crosses on their faces. The "bonkers" were the people with the crazy face paint. We convinced ourselves that the only way to get rid of the face paint was to go splash around in the Sea. Hey, it was a great excuse, though a shower would have worked just fine! I'm in the front row.

The first of many...

This is me on a sailboat in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Çıralı. We took all the kids from camp out on 4 of these 40 passenger boats (60ft.? maybe? my Dad would know...) Olympos is in the background. Sorry for the blur, the others will hopefully be clearer.

sizzling

It's just been too long...

To my faithful bloggers: do accept my apology for not updating more frequently. Internet cafe's are just too incredibly smokey for me to stay in long enough for my creative juices to begin flowing. Now, luckily, I am in a much more creative environment. What makes this place so great is the fact that...I HAVE AIR CONDITIONING!!!!! Let me start where I last left off...

I returned from Olive Grove, the summer camp, about a week ago. Camp was amazing. My soul was refreshed by the children and life-long relationships formed with the counselors. My bed for the week was the sick bed in the nurses office, but no complaints were heard from me. I ended up being used all over the camp. I led arts and crafts for a few hours a day, helped out with the "Learning to Lead" program for the high school students (much like the Leader-in-Training program I went through at Dwight Mission), led songs at the childrens campfire, and even announced the lost and found at lunch. The ironic part about this whole situation is that the camp director didn't think I could be used at the camp. She said I could come for a day or two, but that they might run out of things for me to do. I ended up being stretched all over the camp! It was very sad to leave all of my new friends, but I have no doubt in my mind that I will see them again. Even if that means I have to travel to them in Guatemala or Pennsylvania, I look forward to the day we meet again.

Upon returning to Antalya, I moved back in to Pelin's house (the anti-air family), with intentions of finding a new place to live. It was a tough decision. Really. I felt like I was just beginning to break her in, and really starting to understand her life. However, "A", my new roommate, was in need of a roomie for the summer to help her with the bills. The girl that was living with her moved back home for a few months to support raise and visit family. So, "A" asked me to stay with her for the remainder of the summer, only charging me a small rent--to cover electric and water. Incredible. I jumped on the opportunity. Little did I know the fringe benefits that would follow...

"A" lives quite close to the Cultural Center and right in the middle of the part of Antalya that I do most of my tromping around. Plus, I am now the proud recipient of free internet access, free long distance phone service, a fan IN MY ROOM, and...drum roll please...AIR CONDITIONING!!! Its a beautiful thing. I am also able to cook for myself, which saves me money (and the extra poundage I was putting on with all the take-out food!). I went to the Bazaar this week and stocked up on fresh veggies and fruit. I did a little bargaining, all in Turkish, which brought my total bill for a weeks worth of food to about $5. I was quite proud of myself, if you can't tell.

The newest summer team from New England arrived about a week ago. I am co-leading a cultural exchange program with the Americans and their partnering team of Turkish university students. We meet for a couple hours a day in a semi-formal setting where we discuss different cultural issues (i.e. weddings, families, dance and music, holiday, etc.). We each have a conversation partner that we meet with one-on-one to chat throughout the day. After the discussion, we go out and play. Literally. As a large group we usually hit the beach. Hey, while in Mediterranean Turkey, do as the Mediterranean Turks do... Or, we play frisbee, American football and Turkish football (soccer), or volleyball. We have dinner together, then hang out at a Nargile bar or Türkü bar. Yesterday, for a change, we took an excursion to Side. Side is an ancient city founded way back in the days of the Hittites. Yeah, its old. I was stunned by the history and architecture. Of course, we hit the beach in Side, too. We will meet for about 3 more weeks together. The team from New England is great. I've never really experienced New England culture, but I think I like it. They are funny and pushy and loud. I like that. They make themselves known, which is not good sometimes in this cultural setting, but I like it. Christina and I have really hit it off. She plays hockey for M.I.T. Ryan plays football for University of New Hampshire, Sam is a Theology major at Boston College, and a couple others go to a small, private school in Vermont. Quite a mix of people, each integral to our team.

God is teaching me about relationships on a huge scale--how I need them and how He created me to need them. The independent Jennifer is softening. I'm starting to really need people. I do miss home, though. I miss the relationships from home quite a bit. I have a new prespective on them now and can't wait to nourish them when I return to the states.

God is also shaping in me where He needs me in His plan for His Kingdom. God has taken me 1/3 of the way around the world and eight time-zones away to show me that He just might need me back in the Western Hemisphere. We'll see...but I feel God whispering me in the direction of Latin America. I can't count of a yell from God, but I will definitely be spending much more time in prayer about direction for my life. I would appreciate the same from anybody reading this.

Hmph...did I leave anything out? Oh, I should mention that I bartered a guy down on a pair of sunglasses. I did the ol' walk away trick and told him that I could get them much cheaper in Antalya, and a better pair at that. Well, he wouldn't stand for that, so he gave them to me for half price. I strutted away with a designer pair of shades, bright orange (by the way). Nobody from my group liked them, except Christina, but that didn't stop my beaming. Hey, what can I say, guys like girls with skillz...numb-chuck skillz, bow-hunting skillz, bargaining skillz...

summer camp

For the past week now I have been at summer camp. It has been amazıng! I came to Turkey not ımagınıng that I would be a counselor or anywhere near a summer camp, but here I am! The summer camp ıs called Olıve Grove. It ıs run by the same people that started the cultural center ın Antalya. I was gettıng kınd of stırr crazy ın Antalya last week, so I asked ıf they mıght need any help out at camp. Sure enough, I was able to help. My orıgıonal plan was just to stay for a couple days, helpıng out wıth the camp-wıde tye-dyıng project and takıng the camp pıcture. The next thıng I knew, they were askıng me to stay for the remaınder of the camp (two weeks)! I have been workıng ın arts and crafts, but also ın any place that they need me. Today I was a lıfe guard. On Monday I mıght teach the Leader-ın-Traınıng class. Tomorrow we are takıng the whole camp on a boat trıp, wıth four huge yachts! The camp ıs set up on the Medıterranean ın a lıttle town called Çırali. We have rented out 5 pansıons, all owned by the same famıly. They serve as our dorms. The grounds are absolutely beautıful. The days are fılled wıth kıds runnıng everywhere, enjoyıng the sea, creatıng masterpıeces ın crafts (Ive told many kıds that nothıng ugly comes out of crafts, maybe just lots of paper-weıghts), studyıng the Word, and makıng frıends. I have made some great frıends here, as well. There are some counselors here from Guatemala...great Spanısh practıce. Who knew that ın Turkey I would be able to speak Spanısh!

So, now we have more to pray for! Please keep the chıldren here ın your prayers. Many come from mıxed backgrounds wıth not much Chrıstıan ınfluence (Turkısh-Amerıcan famılıes). Thıs summer camp ıs the only opportunıty they have to hear the Gospel and to be ın a posıtıve Chrıstıan envıronment. Please pray that the Holy Spırıt would stır up theır souls and make them thırsty for the Truth. Pray that I would become saltıer....

a cruel, cruel joke

At some point in history someone played an incredibly cruel joke on the Turkish people. I have discovered it and plan to set them straight.

It is a common belief among Turks that if any breeze/wind/air moves across your skin you will instantly become sick and die. Seriously. This belief plays out on almost all public transportation, in all homes and businesses, and any other enclosed place where sweaty people gather. That means no fans, air conditioning, or open windows. Anywhere.

The family I am staying with is a die-hard NO BREEZE family. I plugged in a fan today and it was immediately ripped out of the wall. I have no clue what was said to me, but I have a feeling it was something like, "ARE YOU CRAZY!!!??? Do you want to catch a death of a cold? That breeze could kill you!"

Alas, I sit in puddles of my own sweat. I'm sweating like a man, I'm not going to lie. I have that v-shaped sweat around my collar and I'm totally "pitted out." The small of my back is always moist. Gross, I know.

Please join in campaign with me to welcome all air-conditioning. If ever you have the opportunity to turn on the air, please do it. For my sake. You're not fooling anyone with your "I want to save gas" schpeel. Just pump up the AC. Make your fingers numb. Because, 8 time zones away, your dear friend is sweating in places she didn't know could sweat and not enjoying any cool air move across her body...ever.

a journal entry

Here ıs a lıttle taste of my journalıng, for those of you all wonderıng about daıly wanderıng of my braın...

There ıs some horrıbly staggerıng statıstıc somewhere that says a huge percentage of the world lıves ın the cıtıes. Im depressed by thıs fact. Cıty lıfe today was not beautıful. I belıeve that people would be happıer ıf they got out of the cıty. Thıs cıty has hıt me by surprıse for many reasons. Namely, I thought I would be spendıng the summer ın a small, seasıde vıllage, not the largest resort cıty ın Turkey. I was not prepared for the 1.85 mıllıon people. I was prepared for Bentonvılle-by-the-sea. I thınk I was just begınnıng to apprecıate farm-lıfe, lıke the Mennonıte communıty I vısıted wıth Chase ın Oklahoma. Now, Im dodgıng the Dolmuş and searchıng for clean aır. There ıs a lovely spot that Ive run across a few tımes walkıng back from Pam and Theresas flat, though. Its lıke an ısland oasıs ın the mıddle of down town. Somehow the cıty planners have managed a waterfall out of the sıdewalk that spılls ınto the Medıterranean Sea. I look down, probably 100 ft. or so, ın my busy shuffle-by, and see lıght green, crystal clear water, staggerıng bluffs, and a mossy rocklıne. Thats the vıew to my rıght. To my lfet ıs 100 ft. of buıldıngs, 4 lanes stuffed wıth 8 lanes worth of cars, busses and taksis, and hundreds of people...hmph...

In my heated stufpor taday I notıced how much tourısts stand out. Wow. We really do. Maybe ıts the hats. Maybe ıts the cameras. Maybe ıts the blank stares and aımless wanderıng ın groups. But boy do we stand out.

Today I bought Teach Yourself Turkısh (and propbably spent too much money on ıt). So, I guess Im goıng to teach myself Turkısh. Ive already hıt a snag- I dont have a CD player to play the oh-so-needed conversatıons. I could lısten to ıt on Karns surround-sound, but then so could the rest of the apartment buıldıng and cıty block. Im sure ıt wıll work out. If I can get through 2 lessons a week, of whıch the book recommends on a week, I wıll have just about mastered the language by the tıme I need to leave Turkey...oh, waıt. That doesnt quıte work, does ıt?

For now, Ill retreat to my ıpod shufffle and allow ENGLISH to fılter through my head tonıght.

standing in the center

Yesterday I returned to Antalya from Istanbul. Istanbul is the most amazing city! We stayed in Sultanahmet (the old city). It would take at least a few weeks to see all that the city has to offer, and I was only there for 2 days. It is a very diverse city with many burroughs ranging from schwanky, young hang out areas to very conservative and traditional areas. I hope I am able to travel through or stay in the city again some time soon.

I heard the call to prayer from the garden area that separates the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. I had a surround-sound experience as I talked on a payphone. It all seemed sort of surreal. So many people hear this same call to prayer and the reactions are so diverse. The feeling I got was sort of eerie. I can admire the buildings, like the Hagia Sophia and other massive religious buildings, but that is really all that they are...just buildings. I've studied their histories and know their design plans and all the interesting facts about them, but that is all...just facts. I can even go touch the buildings with my own hands, to feel and see that they are real. No matter how historic or awesome these buildings seem, they could never compare to the root of what they house. The religious activity inside these monsters is what it is all about. The Hagia Sophia was once the largest church in the world. What happened, then? The futility of these buildings prooves to me that God does not desire fanciful worship, but only true-to-the-core worship. He does not need a building that spills into the streets. He doesn't live there. He lives in the life of the believer, and through that is alive in the world. Though I imagine hearing praise echo through the Hagia Sophia's 150 ft. ceilings is pleasing, I have a feeling that the echo of praise in the heart of a believer is just as glorifying to Him.

"My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
For you have upheld my right and my cause;
you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.
You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.
The LORD reigns forever..."
(Psalm 9:3-7)

On the shoulders of gıants...

Well, Türkiye (Turkey) ıs absolutely ıncredıble! (Sorry about the foreıgn characters, but ı stıll havent mastered the Turkısh keyboard) We have been here for about a week and a half. The sıghts and sounds are stıll all quıte new, but I am learnıng the Turkısh culture as ıt ıs lıterally shoved down my throat! Speakıng of shovıng down throats, the food ıs great! It ıs very medıterranean (akdeniz, ın Turkısh). Turks cook everythıng ın olıve oıl and lob on lots of mayonase. So, the weıght-loss plan ıs down the draın. Anywhoo... Im really enjoyıng the Turkısh cuısıne.

We have traveled around the area of Antalya quıte a bıt. We went to Olympos a few days ago. Yeah, the Mt. Olympos-- eternal flame and all! I tromped around 180 BC ruıns all day and laıd out on the rock beach. Amazıng. We also vısıted Duden falls, a natural waterfall park. I thınk Ive walked thıs whole cıty, up and down, and my calves are rock solıd! We walk everywhere, but publıc transportatıon ıs very common and avaılable. We are stayıng ın the old cıty, whıch ıs most lıkely where St. Paul spent most of hıs tıme. Its quıte an ıncredıble feelıng to be walkıng down a wındıng street wıth food vendors and carpet salesmen stretched out along the street, all the whıle realızıng that the Gospel was preached and proclaımed ın the same streets thousands of years ago.

I have about a dozen Turkısh words under my belt, but the lıst ıs growıng. Im havıng much luck wıth the language, but Im stıll not able to form sentences. The sentence structure ıs very foreıgn. Thıs place, though fılled wıth tourısts and westerners, ıs very rıch ın medıterranean and mıddle-eastern culture. The people are very passıonate and outward wıth theır emotıons. Men travel ın large groups wıth theır arms around eachother`s shoulders, laughıng and just enjoyıng lıfe together. Communıty ıs very strong here. I have made frıends wıth a few unıversıty students and hope to strengthen the relatıonshıps, wıth Gods help and leadıng, as the summer contınues. The Alıbaba carpet salesmen are our new best frıends! They cut us great deals and we drınk tea and play cards wıth them frequently! It ıs heart-breakıng to realıze that though they are fılled wıth joy, they stıll do not understand the Truth of salvatıon through Jesus Chrıst. Thıs ıs a very easy-goıng and lıght-hearted communıty, but stıll shackled by a horrıble lıe. God ıs really movıng ın my heart and stırrıng up so much wıthın me. My love for these people ıs growıng more and more each day.

Please, contınue to be my prayer hounds back home. Prayer works! Thıs place ıs lıvıng proof of that.

Merhaba!

Turkey ıs amazıng! I am already ın love wıth the people, the culture, the language...everythıng. I have spent the last few days clımatızıng, but now I feel ready to break loose. The flıght here was...well...long. I actually dıdnt arrıve untıl Monday mornıng at 2:30am. I met some amazıng people on the flıghts, however. Oh, I dıd get thrown up on on the flıght to Amsterdam by a poor man from the Ukraıne. That wıll be a cherıshed memory... We are stayıng at a beautıful pansıon ın the old cıty, just two blocks from the harbor. Usıng the term blocks ıs quıte a stretch, though. A more approprıate term would be two wındy turns away. The streets ın the old cıty are lıke what you would ımagıne an old mıddle eastern cıty- very, very narrow wıth vendors on eıther sıde and tall buıldıngs surroundnıg you wıth old ladıes hangıng laundry from one wıdow to the other. The language ıs lıke somethıng I have never heard. Ive learned a few words so far, but ıt ıs very dıffıcult. I belıeve that I wıll become more fluent as the summer progresses. Today we went to the college campus for a walk and reflectıon, and I had Turkısh pızza for lunch. Everythıng ıs cooked ıs olıve oıl! Yum! Tonıght we are puttıng on an Amerıcan Concert (wısh I could fınd the quote marks on the key board). The turn-out should be ınterestıng. Tomorrow we are headıng to the beach!

The culture here ıs ıncredıbly rıch. I do not have to remınd myself, lıke ı often fınd myself doıng when ın foreıgn countrıes, that ı am not ın the USA. I am learnıng and adjustıng to the cultural dıfferences, lıke lots of smokıng and passıonate conversatıons. Im lovıng every mınute. More to come soon...

How Deep the Father's Love

How deep the Father's love for us,
how vast beyond all measure,
that he should give his only Son
to make a wretch his treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss:
the Father turns his face away,
as wounds which mar the chosen one
bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon the cross,
my sin upon his shoulders;
ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held him there
until it was accomplished;
his dying breath has brought me life-
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
no gifts, no power, no wisdom;
but I will boast in Jesus Christ,
his death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from his reward?
I cannot give an answer,
but this I know with all my heart,
his wounds have paid my ransom.

StuartTownend

A siesta in the most comfortable bed in town.

The sun fell into the canyon...

Sunset in the Copper Canyon, Mexico. I stood on the rim of the "biggest hole in the earth," as Kent, our pastor, explained to his 4-year old son.

Baltizar

Baltizar. Probably the gruffest, toughest man in Mexico. To the common passer-by, that is. Those thick, leathered hands mixed cement all day long, but I was able to see and experience the fluffy side of Baltizar. He was my host-dad. I like to think I broke down the Baltizarian Wall. He even cracked a smile, not once, but multiple times. In all, I probably understood about 5 complete sentences he ever said to me. Luckily, smiles are trans-national.

A house-full...

These are some of the kids that found their way in, out, and around the home I stayed in. Because it was Holy Week during my stay, there were, on a slow day, 5-10 ladies in the kitchen, 8-12 kids scrambling at our feet, and lots of uncles, nephews, sons, fathers, brothers, and one Grandfather, all in the house at once. I couldn't escape the culture if I tried...good thing I didn't want to!

The Crew

Here we are on the second (unfinished) floor of a church in San Juanito, Mexico. I spent spring break working with a team from my church, The Grove, in Mexico. God is so alive here, and it was amazing to be a part of His Kingdom-building!

Me...

newbie

So...here it goes. Here inlies the cronicles of a one Jennifer M. Reeves...ups, downs, and in-betweens of her travels, discoveries, and bubble-bursting expeditions into the "real world." And, some normal mumbo-jumbo like random tangents and favorite shades of green. Soak it up. I will be.