Look, Americano...

We often here the word "Americano" these days. As we are just walking through the mall, down the road, on a jeepney. Anywhere. People are always talking about us. Not nesecerally talking to us (although they do that too) but About us. Look Americano!!! Yeah almost everyday I see a little kid pull on his mother's clothes and point towards us.
On Saturday we were taken to the Bankerohan Market where it was no different. Talk about a fish out of water. Yeah, we were definatelty the only Americans at the market! Although the surrounding were so new and so foreign, I absolutely loved it! We get talked about all the time, stared at, and pointed at, but we are also smiled at! The people here are so nice! That is one of the things I realized on Saturday at the market! I really love the people here! First of all there were these two little boys who found us at the very beginning of our trip through the market (pictured above)! They were trying to sell us calamansi which is what they use instead of lemon or lime. Well, of course I had my camera out the whole time taking pictures and they wanted me to take pictures of them! I have a digital camera so I would show them the picture afterwards and they just loved it! They followed us around the entire time we were at the market. They were so cute! Well, we were not planning on buying calamasi at the market, but after these two boys followed us the entire time, I could not help myself. We came home with a big bag of calamansi!
These little boys were not the only ones that wanted me to take their picture. There were several people calling out to me to take their picture, like these lovely ladies! They stopped me as I was walking past! So nice! Although it is still a little weird to be stared at all the time, I love the people here! They are so friendly!

So, since we went to the market of course I have to tell you about it! It was so much fun (and cheap!) There was fruit and vegetables EVERYWHERE! Not to meantion pork, chicken, fish, spices, baskets, and just about anything else you could imagine! Yeah, there was a whole meat section and let me tell you, not a drop of ice! It smelled so bad. I don't think I will be buying meat at the market. In fact, I think I am going to avoid that section altogether. Oh the smell. I'm sure you could just imagine.
So, as you know, we are in Asia! And what do Asians LOVE to eat! Yep, you guessed it rice! Tons and tons of rice. There is hardly a day that goes by where we don't have rice. If you eat out at any restaurant you better believe you will have rice! And yes folks, even McDonalds serves rice here. You know you are in Asia when... So, can you guess what all those piles of white stuff is?? So smart! Rice! I bet you never knew there were so many different kinds of rice! Oh no, it's not just white rice and brown rice here, in fact there really isn't a lot of brown rice here, it's just tons of different varieties of white rice. Amazing.
Well, that's all for now. Sometimes I wish that I could just pull all of you through the computer and have you right here with me so that you could experience all this too. It's one thing to blog about it, but it is a whole other thing to experience it. It's so hard to put an experience into words. I'm trying...

Student Council Advisor

Well, one of the duties I took on here at MICA is the Student Council Advisor. It's one of the many things God has set before me that I have no experience in. I was never even in Student Council in high school. I think I was maybe in elementary, I think... But I was really involved in our youth group. There are about 39 students that go to MICA, so it is definately youth group size (at least the youth group I am use to!) And the group does feel similar to the youth group I knew back in high school. They really are a great group of kids! So, I want you to meet our 2007-2008 Student Council here at MICA. From left to right: Tieg (Secretary), Andrea (Chapel coordinator), Michael (President), Susi (Freshman Class Rep), Ethan (Tresurer), Joyce (Student Store Manager), and Tomoko (Social Coordinator).

Well, about two weeks ago, we went on a Student Council retreat to a ropes course that is here in Davao, Philippines! Rob and I were the two leaders on the trip so it really gave us the opportunity to get to know these kids a little better. They truly are a really neat group of kids whose hearts are in the right place. Not only do they love God, but they love their fellow students. They have planned so many events for the student body this year. I have never seen a student council plan so many events. I think there is something every other weekend through out the entire school year. Yeah, these kids are going to keep me really busy! Well, if you ever think about it, we would appreciate your prayers for the MICA Student Council. That they would learn to love God more and that they would learn what it truly means to serve God through serving people.

Well, I thought you all might enjoy some pictures of our retreat:

Durian

One of the funnest things about living here is all the interesting foods we get to try. One of the things I was looking forward to trying was all of the different fruits they have here. We came right in the middle of the "harvest" season where some of their fruits are particularly plentiful and very good. Although there are some fruits that we have truly enjoyed, there have been some that we haven't really liked.... at all!!! One of those fruits is called durian. Durian is native to Davao, Philippines. All of the locals always ask foreigners if they have tasted durian, and it usually takes foreigners quite awhile before they will taste it. In fact, there are people who have lived here for years and have never even tasted durian. And here's why: You can smell durian from a mile away. It smells kind-of like dirty feet. It's truly one of the nastiest smells. And it being "durian season" here, it smells like durian everywhere! But, they have this saying here "Durian: It smells like hell, but tastes like heaven." Rob and I want to experience as much of the culture as we can, so, of course, the first time someone offered us durian, we accepted the invitation.

First of all, it kind-of looks like a fruit from another planet. As you can see it is green with this huge spikes all around it. When you open it, it kind-of looks like chicken. But there are these "pods" where the "meat" is. The meat is around each of the seeds. (I think there are about 6 or so seeds.) Well, here we are, with the awful smell surrounding us about to try this "fruit." Of course I make Rob go first, because I want to capture every moment with our camera. And, as you can see, he did not have a very pleasant look on his face.

Then comes my turn to try durian. Oh, can I tell you, that was one of the nastiest things I have ever tasted in my entire life. First of all, whoever calls it a "fruit" is crazy. Durian is so far from a fruit it's ridiculous. I guess it should be called a vegetable. Well, really, it should just be in a category of it's own. It tastes like garlic and dirty feet. The worst part is the texture. It's like this mushy slimy stringy texture. Oh, I am making a face as I even think about it. (Kind-of like the one in the picture) Yeah, I can really react pretty dramatically and let me tell you I was pretty dramatic. I could not get that look off of my face for hours! Everyone we were with was laughing at me. I would have tried to restrain my dramatic faces if we were with locals. Fortunately we were with other Americans who just thought I was funny. Oh yeah, and you taste it for the rest of the day. It's like this garlic after taste. Oh it was bad. Well, we were with this one missionary who loves it! And she said that you have to have it 3 times before you start to love it. It's like an acquired taste. My question is who would want to acquire that taste?? Yeah, so durian is VERY popular here. You can get durian flavored milk, you can get durian ice cream. There is even durian flavored cheesecake! So, family, you might want to look out for some of the candy we send home! Since we can't send a whole durian to you, we might want to share this whole experience with you through candy flavored durian!

Our solution...

Here's our solution to the whole "Mary in the middle of out living room" problem:

You won't believe what's in our living room...

So, a few weeks ago we found a place to live. It is a 3 bedroom (well, 2 bedrooms are extremely small) 2 CR (yeah, bathrooms are called CRs here. It stands for "comfort room." Pretty funny huh?) apartment. It is not a huge place, but it is the perfect size for the 2 of us. Well, we love the place. It has a great location (only 2 blocks from the school!!!), it is right on a jeepney route (their public transportation, I will post pictures later), and it is on a very safe lot (there have been quite a few problems with theift around here). Anyway, the place is perfect for us, excpet for one small, well... actually huge thing. Let's see if I can explain this. Ummm... We have this wall in our living room that has rocks running down the wall, and it is enclosed in this glass case with sliding glass doors. Well, the top of this rock stucture (where the ceiling is, it is open to the sky, and there is only a screen. So, when it rains, it rains into our house, well kind-of. It rains down on the rocks and then falls into this pool at the bottom, so it's kind-of this natural waterfall effect. Well, there are two problems with this. One is that there is no drain or pump to get the water out. So, the water collects in this pool in the living room with no way to get it out except for a person using a bucket. I'm just a little worried about having a huge storm in the middle of the night and it starts overflowing into our living room. That would be quite interesting. Well, I know this all sounds strange and well, it's about to get a little stranger. Ya see, not only is there this weird fountain thing in our living room, but the centerpeice of this fountain is this huge statue of Mary. Yes, you read that right. There is a huge fountain in our living room with a big statue of Mary. It's kind-of like we have a third person living with us! Well, I couldn't just blog about this and not show you pictures! So, here goes....

Yeah, can you see how Rob is studying right in front of Mary. Ok, there is no denying it, we are definately living in another country! Well, despite my brother's encouragement that our house just be a little "retro," we have decided to cover up Mary. Last night we bought some plants and black garbage bags. With a little creativity, our Mary shrine has now been replaced with a fountain full of plants. I will try to take pictures tonight of our new creation so you can see the difference!!! Anyway, just thought you could all use a little humor in your life! Stay tuned... you never know what's going to happen next! We love you all and miss you a lot!

Beach Trip

So, we just got back from a beach trip with the high schoolers we will be working with this school year. It is an annual trip taken every year as a "get to know you" event. It was really fun. There are about 48 students at MICA (name of the high school) and almost all of them attended. It was really fun getting to know the students, especially for me. I am teaching yearbook, which only has 3 students in the class and I am teaching 2 students math, so I have not had the opportunity to even meet a lot of the students. It has been a joy getting to know them. There are some really neat kids who truly love God and have amazing hearts! I am so excited to get to know them even more!

We left on Sunday afternoon and stayed until Tuesday afternoon. We played a lot of games, had sessions where different teachers spoke, had free time, and played volleyball! It was really fun. It reminded me of youth group retreats. The kids really love each other and seek to serve one another. Some of them have grown up going to school together and some have just joined the group. There are many Korean students that come to the school, which offers quite the challenge. Of course English is their second language and some of them really have a hard time conversing and understanding english, which makes building relationships with them very difficult.

When you spend time with any group of people, it is easy to recognize who the "leaders" are. It was really fun getting to know those students who have leadership gifts. I am the Student Council Advisor this year and I am so excited about the group of kids who have the potential of being on it. Nominations began today and our elections will be next Tuesday. I have a good idea of who is going to do what position and I am excited to work with a great group of leaders!

Well, no crazy stories this time. No injuries, accidents, or comical events this trip! But stay tuned, I'm sure something crazy will happen soon.

By the way, the last picture is of our raft making contest! The high schoolers made some pretty creative rafts!

Top Chef

So, remember in my last blog when I said I was going to make chicken alfredo that night? I was so excited to finally be able to cook my first meal in our new place and we were pretty excited to eat American food! Well, do I have quite the story for you. Rob and I had decided that we would buy some inexpensive pans, which we thought would last for at least 10 months. Boy were we wrong....

So, we have a gas stove at our new apartment but the landlord needs to get it hooked up for us (which is happening today!!!!) and in the mean time she bought us this electric single burner that we could use. Well, here I am trying to cook some chicken in our brand new frying pan on this little electric burner. I was letting it cook for a little bit and all of a sudden there was this loud popping sound. Then these sparks started flying from underneath the pan, and I mean flying. So, I ran screaming (I know, such a girly reaction) and left Rob to take care of the situation! So, he runs over, unplugs the burner and it finally stops. After it cooled down, we inspected the damage and here is what we saw:

Yeah, it takes a very talented chef to burn a hole through a frying pan! Who knew I was so talented!!! Wow, maybe we shouldn't have bought the cheap pots and pans! Well, I'm not sure who to blame it on, the pan or the cook. Probably a little bit of both. Well, needless to say, we have been eating out since the "burn a hole through the pan" incident. Hopefully we will get our stove hooked up soon so I can start cooking again.

Oh yeah, one more thing (I tell ya, everyday is a new adventure here. You never know what's going to happen). We got to school today only to find out that the school "pet" python got out of his cage and is no where to be seen. Yeah, talk about freaky. I am constantly looking and listen because I just know that this snake is going to show it's pretty little head in my office! Oh, another day, another adventure. I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow...

First Day of School

Remember the first day of school? How you were probably a little nervous, anxious, excited, and overwhelmed all at the same time? Yeah, well the feelings were about the same for me today, only I am a teacher, not a student. Today was our first day of school! We had quite the day. It was great getting to know some of the students, but quite overwhelming knowing that I am responsible for part of their education for the next school year. It didn't help that I have never taught before. I have to figure out grading, lessons, and tests. I am teaching a girl (her name is Bible) math and tutoring her in her other subjects . It's a one on one class which is quite nice. I am really excited about getting to know her! But having to remember some of the math is going to be a challenge. Having gone to Bible College, we really didn't have to take a math class, so it's been since high school, which I know was not that long ago, but when you haven't done something for 7 years, it's really quite hard to remember. I was also asked (yesterday) to teach the yearbook class. Luckily I was on yearbook staff in high school, but then again, that was 7 years ago too. Anyway, if you think about it I would appreciate your prayers.
On a more exciting note, Rob and I found a place to live. We have an apartment that is only 2 blocks from the school! Yeah! I have never lived so close to the place I work. I'll have to take pictures and post them. It is a great place but has a few little quirks that are quite interesting. Well, everything has been going great with our new place until we had to go shopping. Rob and I attempted to go to the grocery store by ourselves. That was quite the experience. Everything was just so different. From the bread to the fruits to the place where you put your grocery basket. We had quite the experience trying to figure things out. At one point I just got so overwhelmed that we just ended our trip and left. So, we came home with out much food. The next day, one of the missionaries took me grocery shopping at a place where most of the missionaries do their shopping and I had a much better experience! I was never happier to see Jiff peanut butter in my life. This grocery store actually had quite a few thing that I recognized!!! I was so happy! We even found barbecue sauce (and if you know Daspits that is quite important!) We won't starve now!!! Anyway, I know what grocery store I will be shopping at. Tonight's dinner: chicken broccoli alfredo with wheat pasta! Yeah! our first American meal since we got here! The food is good here, I think we just need a little taste of home! Anyway I better go. Love you all!

We're Here...

I can't believe it. We are here in Davao, Philippines. We arrived on Sunday August 5th at 9am Philippine time which would be 8pm on Saturday August 4th central time. We arrived with quite the culture shock. We ended up on a flight with another couple who are going to be teachers here as well. The principal of the school picked all of us up at the airport and thus began our crazy adventure. Even just driving down the street there where tons of motorcycles who don't understand staying in your own lane, tin roofs, people staring at the "white people," dirt roads, women walking with huge bundles of branches on their heads, open markets, cows and goats walking in the road, and much more. It was one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had. We felt like we were in a movie.
After our culture shocking car ride, we arrived at the guesthouse which is where we will be staying until we can find an apartment or house to rent. The guest house is on the campus of the elementary and high school. The campus is really beautiful! It's so green! There are plants trees and grass everywhere. I will have to take pictures and post them!
After getting settled into our rooms, we went over to the Principal's house for lunch, where we tried some of the local fruit!! I think I am going to really like trying so many new fruits! They're so different, but really good.
The rest of our day was filled with getting a tour of the school and neighborhood, and we even made it to a local mall! That was quite the experience! I have never felt so out of place. The mall was crowded, and everyone was staring at us! That's just one of the many things we are going to have to get use to. I knew it before we got here, but it is quite a different actuallyliving it. We will get stared at all the time.
We made it back to the guesthouse at about 6pm and we were exhausted. We fell asleep at about 7pm. I slept pretty good, but I did wake up at about 1:30am and could not get back to sleep for about an hour. My goal was to sleep until 5 am and I woke up at 5:15am! Not bad!
Well, I will keep trying to blog our experience here and will even try to take some pictures so you can get a little taste of what it's like here!

11 days to go...

I can't believe it. We only have 11 days until we step on a plane headed for Davao, Philippines. This whole process has just been so fast, it is hard to know how to feel. I don't think I truly realize that my life is about to change so dramatically. The things that we do, the people we see, the places we go, the food we eat, the way we cook, the culture we live in, even the way we wash our clothes is about to change. I feel like it all comes with a bag of mixed emotions. I know that I am feeling excited, a little apprehensive, curious, nervious, encouraged, and overwhelmed, but most of all I am feeling very content and peaceful, knowing that the Lord has His hand upon this next step in our lives. He has done so much to confirm that this is where He wants us.
At this moment, and it could change any second, I think I am mostly curious. We have seen pictures, video, and even Google earth of the school campus and surrounding areas. You know how when you are about to embark on a new journey, you kind-of imagine what it will be like and you even picture the place you will live and the people you will meet. Well, maybe you don't do that, but I sure do. So, I have found myself imagining what our lives will look like in the Philippines so much lately. But you know how every time you imagine a place, and then you go there, and it never looks like what you imagined. Yeah, so here I am picturing our lives there, knowing that all these pictures in my head are not going to be reality. Even though I know that, I still can't help but picturing what it would be like. Weird, I know. So I end up just plain curious about what it will be like. Ok, I should go busy myself with the 80 million things we have on our to do list before we leave so that I can stop this cycle of imagining and then convincing myself that that picture won't be reality. Off I go...

My Health

So, I just realized that I have not given an update on my health. I am doing much better these days. I have a few things going on in my body, nothing major, but must of my symptoms were probably caused by stress. Yeah, who knew that stress could cause your body to freak out on you! I had some really bad problems for about 2 weeks and then it gradually got better. I am doing really well now.
Ya know, its kind-of strange. I almost felt like we were dealing with some spiritual warfare. There was a time when so many things for our trip to the Philippines just wasn't working out and then they finally did(at the last possible second). Soon after, I started having all these health issues and we weren't even sure if we were still going to be able to go! We felt that either God might be telling us that this is not the time to go, or Satan might be trying to discourage us! Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world!! Looking back on it now, it just prepared us even more to leave. God taught us so much about Him and about each other. God has continued to confirm to us that this is what He wants for us! It's amazing to see how God uses things in our lives to draw us closer to Him. What Satan meant for evil, God meant for good. I love how God works!
Thank you all so much for all your prayers! I am so blessed to have amazing people in my life who will pray for me and walk along side of me even in my darkest times. You all mean so much to me! Thanks.

What a Mighty God we Serve

Yeah, so I know that I have not posted about this, but I think most of you know. Life has been so crazy lately, I almost forgot I even had a blog! Rob and I are moving to Davao, Philippines to teach at a missionary kids school for about 10 months. We recently bought our tickets! and will be flying out of New Orleans on August 3, and arriving in the Philippines August 5. I guess August 4 just won't really exist for us considering we will only be traveling for 24 hours! Needless to say we have been extremely busy preparing to move overseas. The crazy part is that we were accepted at the beginning of May and needed to be there at the beginning of Aug. Yeah, I know, do the math, that's only 3 months to prepare! Talk about a God-sized task. The last 3 months have been some of the hardest times in my life and some of the sweetest times in my life, where I could sense the Lord gradually leading me along each step of the way. God is just working everything out. It is the most amazing thing to see. I NEVER dreamed that we would raise the amount of money we needed in the 3 months that we hadto raise it. Rob and I assumed that we would have to save money, sell his truck, etc. in order for us to be able to have enough money to go. In the last few weeks, GOD (only God could do this!) has blessed us by giving us almost 100%! Yeah, a couple of weeks ago we were only at about 35%. our God is so amazing! God is so much bigger than I think He is! I am still blown away at how He is taking care of all the details! It is so amazing to see. I wish that I could convey to you in words how much God has provided and taught us through this process, but it just seems that words do not do justice! All I feel like I can do lately is thank the Lord for all He is doing in our lives! Davao, Philippines here we come! 15 days and counting! We are so convinced that this is the next step in our journey of life and we can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do in us and through us as we serve Him overseas!! Praise the Lord!

My Health

I'm sure a lot of you know by now, but I have been having quite a few physical problems lately. I'm not realy sure what is going on with my body right now. All I know is that I am ready for it to stop and to feel like a normal human being again. I have been having lightheadedness, shaking, nausea, heart palpations and cold sweats for about a week and a half now(and no I'm not pregnant, that was the first thing they wanted to check). I have been to the hospital twice, the doctor, had a 24 hr. heart monitor, and gone to see a cardiologist all in the last 9 days. And tomorrow I am going to have a stress test and ecocardiogram (sp?). The cardiologist just wants to make sure nothing is wrong with my heart, which of course I welcome and then we will have to go from there. The last two days have been pretty good. Last night was bad. It's like I have these 2 to 3 hour "attacks" where by body just starts doing some crazy things.
Ya know, all this has really made me wonder about people who go through physical pain for long periods of time. I have only been dealing with this for 10 days and I know people who have had to suffer a lot longer and more intensely than I have. It's hard.It's amazing how your health can play with your emotions and state of mind. Although this has been one of the hardest things I have had to deal with physically, this is also one of those times when I know that God is trying to teach me something. I know that He has a purpose for me to have to go through this trial in my life. I just know deep down inside that this circumstance will be used for His glory. I'm not so sure how right now, but I do know that He is in control, no matter what happens is life. I feel like in all the difficult circumstances that come my way in life, God brings me back to the same lesson: My life is for God!!! Every breath that I take, every step, every word, He will use for His glory, no matter what! So, I don't know what is going to happen tommorow, tonight, or even in the next hour, but I do know that God is in control of my life. My life is for Him!!!

D.C.

Although this blog is coming a little late, I just want to share some pictures with you of Rob and I's trip to Washington DC in May. We went with Rob's family for a whole week and it was a blast. Although it is always really amazing to be in downtown DC, visiting museums and monuments, by far my favorite part of the trip was spending time with the Johnsons. They truly are amazing people. I am so proud to be called a Johnson. Here are some pics:

Here we are at Mt. Vernon!

Here are the Johnson kids in front of the White House!

The Johnson brothers!

Here's the house we stayed at! Although it was pretty far from downtown DC, the beautiful surrounds and lake made it worth the travel!

And we all fit in a 12 passenger van (well, just barely...)

Mom Update

Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged. There has been so much going on in my life. I would love to blog about it all, but I don't have a whole lot of time. I just wanted to let you know what has been going on with my mom. After her first surgery, they discovered that they had not gotten all of the cancer out. Unfortunately, she ended up having to have a mastectomy. So, on May 7th she had surgery and now she is recovering. She is doing really well. She has been staying with my granmother just resting. She said that the recovery is taking longer than she had anticipated, but she is ok. The next quesion to answer is if she will need chemo or not. She is still waiting to speak with the doctor on what they recomend for her to do next. Thank you all for your prayers and concern!

More Sugery

Well, mom got the results and found out that they did not get all of the cancer out. But the good news is that it did not spread to her lymph nodes! Needless to say she has to have more surgery. She went to the doctor yesterday and the soonest they could do it is May 8th. So, please keep her in your prayers. Unfortunately, Rob and I will not be able to be there because we are going on vacation that week. But, we know that there are plenty of people here who love my mom and will take good care of her. Most of all I know that she is in the BEST hands of all, those of our Lord and Savior.

Mom's surgery (contin..)

Well, like Rob posted yesterday, mom seems to be doing great. I spend the night with her last night and she is doing a lot better than anyone expected. She really has not had any problems with nausea and she says she really isn't in too much pain. She's walking around, just being herself. Praise God!
The only thing is that we now have to wait for the results. We are hoping that the surgeon got all of the cancer out, but we won't know for sure until tomorrow afternoon. If they have not gotten all of it out, then it could mean a mastectomy. Also we will know if it has spread to her lymp nodes or not, which will determine the stage of cancer she has. Depending on the results, we will know if the doctor recommends chemo or radiation. As it stands now, she will definitely have radiation. Please just pray that no matter what the results are tomorrow, we will continue to trust God. He is the one in control of all of life and His ways are far greater than anything I would even imagine. Thank you so much for all of your prayers! My mom has truly been overwhelmed by the love and support so many are giving her through this difficult time. Thank you all!

Mom's surgery

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and notes of encouragement. They mean a lot to us!! She had her surgery this afternoon from about 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. The Dr. removed a large tissue mass and 5 lymph nodes. She will find out tests results this Wed. to determine if there will be any further surgery needed. She will be undergoing radiation in the coming weeks. This is actually Rob writing this because my wife (who is the normal blogger) is staying at Eileen's house (well FEMA trailer) for the night just to make sure everything is ok. So also pray for me as I try and survive a night of bachlorhood :) (jk - I haven't been married that long....) But she seems to be doing fine. And we are looking forward to seeing what the results are. Anyway thanks once again for all your prayers and support

Deo Volente

Easter

So, I have family that lives "in the country" on a plantation surrounded by sugar cane farms in Bayou Goula, LA. Ever Easter and Thanksging our family would drive to the country and spend the holiday on the plantation. Well, I have not been able to go for a few years. And this Easter, well, it was really Good friday, Rob and I went to the country. Rob, being from NE, loved being out surrounded by farms. We even got the chance to shoot Rob's new gun that I got him for Christmas (yeah, it was the first time he had the chance to shoot it. Living here in NO, there's not really much opportunity to go shooting.) By the way, I'm actually getting pretty good at shooting a gun. I actually learned how to aim. Anyway, here are some pictures of our trip....

Here we are at the smallest church in the world. Yep, it's actually in Ripley's Believe It or Not! Who knew that was in LA??!!

This is Nottaway Plantation (not the plantation my family lives at). This is one of the most famous plantations in LA. On Saturday, we decided to go take a tour!

Here's Rob sitting in the dinning room at Nottaway Plantation! Doesn't he look excited to be there?

Men and women use to have to go up different staircases. Women on the left, men on the right!

We need prayer...

Well, my mom went for a biopsy last week and it was a little scary, although we thought nothing would come of it. Well, my mom called me the other day to tell me that her biopsy came back positive for breast cancer. So, she will be having surgery on Monday April 16th. Please pray for her and our family. We won't know what stage of cancer until she has the surgery, which means we don't know if she will need chemo or radiation treatment.
It's all be kind-of scary and completely shocking. We don't have any family history of breast cancer in the family, and well, my mom has never really been anything but healthy. So, I guess I'm still not so sure how to react. I guess I really have not been thinking about it. Anyway. I just ask that you would please all pray that everything would go smoothly on Monday and in her recovery. My mom and I were talking last night about how this gives us an incredible opportunity to be a good witness to our unsaved family members. We know that God is in control and that His ways are higher and greater than our own. Please pray that we would exemplify God's peace to our unsaved family through this time. Thanks.

Routine

Yeah, so March went by rather quickly. I'm not so sure where March went, but it came and went without much adventure. Just working, doing things at church, spending time with my family and more importantly spending time with my husband, but mostly just working.
So, I distinctly remember visiting my brother and sister-in-law in Virginia a few years ago, when I was still in college. I visited them for about a week. And well, I just realized how routine their lives had become. Of course in my college-student mind I remember thinking, "Does life really get that routine?" And well, I guess it does. After having moved 5 times within our first year of marriage, we have been living in the same place for well, I guess 7 months now (yeah, a record for us!!!) and we have been working for the same company for over a year now. ( I know know, I know, it doesn't sound all that long, but I guess it just seems long) And well, I hate to admit it, or even say it, but our lives have become, well a bit routine. I can almost go through every day of the week and tell you exactly where Rob and I will be and what we will be doing, with a few exceptions on Saturdays. I'm not so sure if that's bad, good, or just the way life is. Probably just the way life is.
I guess all this thinking and writing about routine just gets me wondering about how it effects my walk with the Lord. Am I just letting God be a part of my routine, fitting Him where He goes in my schedule? Or is my life completely for Him, seeking to know Him through whatever comes my way, desiring to know Him more through the seasons of life? I don't want a routine relationship with the Love of my life. I don't just want God to fit in my schedule, I want Him to be what my life is about! Living step by step, day by day, seeking God in all circumstances in life, whether it be in a frustrating phone call with a customer, or driving home from work in traffic learning patience. I want to seek God and what He is teaching me. My prayer is that no matter what tomorrow brings, it will be another day to learn more about my God, and learning to love Him more every step of the way. And that is anything but routine!

Questions...

You know, how there are some birthdays that really make you think about your life, well this sure is one of them. So, I'm 25 now, married, no kids, living here in New Orleans, and working for a contractor, feeling like I don't have much time or energy to do anything besides work and take care of my household and husband. But, what am I doing with my life? I mean, I graduated from college almost 3 years ago. I have my bachelors in Bible and Theology and I'm working for a contractor? What I am doing today, does it really matter? I mean, I still feel like I am trying to get off my feet from college. How long does it take to get out of this "transition" stage from college to life. I know that I am living life, but I don't really know what I am doing with life. Does that make sense? I mean, we are paying the bills, doing the "adult" thing, and in the eyes of American culture we are doing really well. But, Rob and I both know that where we are at in life right now is not the place we want to settle.
What does God have for us? Should we go overseas? Should we stay here and pursue working full time in a ministry down here in New Orleans? Or does God just want us to wait right where we are at? The older I get, the more God gives me a heart for overseas missions. But what does that mean? Does that mean that God wants us to be missionaries? Does that mean that God just wants us to promote awareness of what in going on in the global church to the American church? Or is God just working on my heart to mentally get me out of this American complacency I've been sitting in for the last 25 years? Does it mean that Rob and I need to make as much money and possible here so that we can send it overseas? The only answer I have right now: I don't know. I genuinely don't know. I have no clue where Rob and I will be in the next year. We very well could be doing the same exact thing we are doing right now, or we could be half-way around the world doing something completely different. I don't know. Questions. I have so many questions in my head right now, and not one answer. How's that for my 25th Birthday?

In terms of Centuries...

So, my birthday is coming up in a few days, and well, I'm going to be 25. So, my dad called me and said, "So, the other day I realized that my baby girl is going to be a quarter of a century old." Yeah, I know. Just think of your age in terms of centuries. Not really a pleasant thought is it. I must say 25 sounds a lot younger to me than a quarter of a century old. Thanks dad!

Lazy Dayz

Last Saturday Rob and I decided to enjoy the uniqueness of living in Louisiana. So, we went to Jean Lafitte Park, where they have a trail for you to walk along the swamp. Of course Rob was looking for alligators the whole time. Unfortunatelty no alligators revealed themselves to us, but nonetheless we had a very pleasant afternoon. Here are some pictures of our time:

Invisible Children

So, we took the college group from Berean to this college gathering in New Orleans called HimNI. Anyway, they had people connected with Invisible Children come and show a documentary about the children in Uganda. In case you have not heard about the Invisible Children in Uganda, there is this war going on in Uganda. There are rebels who are stealing children 6-13 years old and forcing them to see horrific things all with the purpose to desensitize them to be soldiers in their "army." There are thousands of children who cannot spend the night with their families because they fear being kidnapped. So, they have to travel into the city to spend the night in hospitals and parks where it is safer.
This documentary was filmed by 3 guys who went on a trip to Africa and stumbled upon this story during their trip. They decided to make a documentary out of the footage from their trip.
I can recall a friend of mine from college talking about his friends' trip to Uganda and what they had found out about the children there, speaking with him only months after his friends' trip. Now, 3 years later, they have come up with this documentary and an incredible ministry to the children of Uganda. They have started schools and mentoring programs. It is incredible to see all that God has gone in this country over the past 3 years and how God has used 3 college aged students with a video camera to shed light on this crisis.
Here is the website, please read about what is happening. Rob and I ordered a copy of the documentary, so if any of you would like to borrow it (well, those of you who live close to us), we would love to lend it to you.
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/

Next Year...

Well, better luck next year. Those Saints are a young team, next year will be even better. I got so into this Saints stuff (mostly at the end of the season), but I think I'll watch quite a few games next year (my husband will love that!) I guess I'll have to go for the Colts. I know, I know, I lived in Chicago for a while and I love the city, but I'm not so sure about those Bears. They beat our Saints. And the Colts have Payton. A least we have one New Orleans boy in the Superbowl.

Saints Fever

Ok, so a part of my job is to go to city halls to pull permits for jobs we are getting ready to start. Can I tell you that this city is going crazy over the Saints, especially today! I went to Jefferson Parish and everyone was wearing Saints clothing. There were people who had even painted fluer de lis on their faces. They had the building and all the offices decorated with black and gold streamers and Saints decorations. While I was there talking to a plan reviewer about a permit, this lady who worked there started yelling "Saints go all the way." It is really crazy down here. I have never seen a city so excited about something.
Well, I got back to my office and we started talking about this Saints fever going around and decided to join the crowd. There was only one problem, none of us have any Saints stuff. So, a co-worker and I left and bought Saints shirts for everyone in the office. We had to go to 4 places looking for shirts and finally ended up at Academy Sports. As we walked in the front door, we saw this huge crowd around racks of black and gold jerseys and tshirts, and we knew we had come to the right place. So, now we are all proud owners of Saints shirts and jerseys, that we will be modeling on Sunday! (Go Saints!) And Monday at our office is going to be black and gold day where we will either be mourning or celebrating.

Life Lessons

I had to take a little road trip the other day for work. Getting a little tired of the radio I popped in a CD that Rob had made a while back of some of the songs we really like. The song "Praise You in this Storm" came on by Casting Crowns. It's a song I know well, and have really liked for a while. As I began really thinking about the words, I could not help but think about people in my life who have been really going through "storms" recently. I have been so encouraged by these people in how they have reacted in the midst of their challenging time. They have been such women of faith, strongly professing that God is in control and they are going to trust Him no matter what the circumstance. You know, you never really know how a you are going to respond to life's challenges until you have to face them.
I feel like Rob and I have really had it easy. There really has not been anything in our lives in the past few years that we would classify as a "storm" in our lives. So, I can't help but wonder what my response would be if I lost someone I loved, or someone I love was diagnosed with cancer, etc. Will I really praise God no matter what? Will I have the faith like a child and know with all my heart that God is in control? Will I really believe that God has a greater plan for everything? That He is sovereign over all things? These are all things that I know and believe now, and I hope that faith will continue no matter what happens in my life.

Praise You in This Storm
words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms

I was sure by now, God You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"and as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus: And I'll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried You hold in your hand
You never left my side and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"and as Your mercy falls I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes unto the hills where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes unto the hills where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

Who Dat?

"Who dat... who dat... who dat say dey gonna beat de'm Saints?" It's a line from a song I can remember hearing as a child (and thinking, yeah right! Every team in the NFL, that's who). BUT... It's the first year we can actually sing that song with pride. I must admit, I'm not the biggest football fan, but there is just something about this year, the excitement in the city, I have never cared so much about football in my life. I even find myself excited to see the game on Sunday. Who would have thought? Me, excited about a football game! Of all years for the Saints to win the Superbowl, this is the year (Hopefully)! The year when the city is in the misdt of rebuilding from complete devastation. Amazing! And even if they don't win, it's been an exciting football season for so many Saints fans! So, I ask with pride "Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?!!!!" ( And I know deep down inside, you are all pulling for them, no matter where you're from!)

Spontaneous New Years

Well, Rob and I decided to be a little spontaneous, so we packed our bags and drove 3 hours to Penscaola, FL. We stayed there from Saturday to Monday. It was a blast. Although the weather wasn't perfect, we still got to enjoy the beach. I have been to Florida many times, but I have never gone in the winter. Although the water was too cold to swim in, it was so much fun to just walk along the beach. The waves were huge! And there were a lot of people surfing (another thing you don't really see during the summer. I guess winter is the best time to go surfing in Florida, who knew?!)
My favorite part was on New Year's Eve, we went and bought fireworks. We found a part of the beach where there was hardly anyone and we got to shoot fireworks right there on the shore! It was so much fun. Rob put on a good fireworks show for me, although most of them were the same exact thing (Yeah, don't buy fireworks at Walmart, they might all look different, but they are really the same exact firework, just in different packaging.) The rest of our time was filled with putt-putt, fishing, bowling, walking on the longest pier into the gulf, and just enjoying to beach! I think we are seeing the benefits of being DINKS right now (Double Income No Kids)!