I will preface my weekend story by this little bit of info. I played hard core devils advocate today with my language teacher....getting him ALL up in a tizzy as I rebutted his statement of "America MUST convert to the metric system and that the only reason why we have not so far is because we do not want to spend the 300 million dollars it will take to replace all the signs we have in our country".  Why did I find joy in un nerving this man...I don't know but I enjoyed every minute of it .

TK. Now to the weekend:

My trip to Mysore was fun times. Any trip that begins with a race across town in an auto has got to be good. So the story; my friends and I are sitting at the train station...this is where we bought the tickets so it only makes sense right? And the two fellas on the way in told us to go wait on track two for our train. After further inquiry it was discovered that our train actually was leaving from the station across town, and mega traffic, in twenty minutes. So we take an auto, jump out at the train station, run through the traffic, through the station, (as different men call out to us what track to head for), under ground through a tunnel, and past EVERY car on the train because ours was at the front...I managed to make it to our car as the train was departing...but alas, I look back and my counter parts have only made it to the car right before ours...So, I lean out and yell for my friend as I have NO idea what seat I am in, and well, have no ticket. Some nice fella leaned out and told me that they would raise the barrier and that my friends were coming. There are some really nice people in this country.

So after our reunion, and many laughs of relief, we settled down in our seats for the journey. Here is a pic of Rumpita, me, and Rebekah. I was scolded by Rumpita as she said I was looking "proper" in this pic???

We spent the weekend exploring. It was a whirl wind but a good time. We visited palaces, a museum, where I found my favorite painting of all time...(I hope I can find a copy here to buy) It is called the "Glow of Hope"...I can not explain why, but I was enthralled by the painting...We frolicked in a pretty cool zoo (the healthy animals made me happy as the last zoo I went to here, while plastered with funny signs, had pathetic, not well taken care of animals). Tigers are just plain cool animals...and peacocks are pretty nifty too. The peacock is the national bird here and we saw a few cool ones and one who decided he did not like the people staring at him...

We, of course, went to a temple. It was 2,000 years old and on top of a mountain. I was almost run over by a cow, but thankfully I managed to fall out of my picture taking squat in order to miss being in his direct path as he sauntered by as if I had never been there at all. Any time you go to a temple, there are TONS of people, and beggars are a large percent of that crowd. A little girl was dressed up as Hunuman, the monkey god, and was begging us for money.

I will include a picture of the three of us at the Palace. That morning Rumpita stated how she felt "out of place" as the Indian in western clothes while the Americans were in our Hindustan clothes. I don't think I ever post any pics of me in the clothes I wear, so I thought this one would give you some what of an idea. As a majority culture rule, your rear must be covered by lose material, and usually you would wear baggy pants underneath. You can only partly see my salwars. The outfit is called a salwar kameez. Most of the time I will wear a kurta(long shirt that comes past your rear...a lot of times coming close to the knee) with a pair of jeans. I will post some of those another time.

So here ends my trip log. I will say that we ALMOST over slept on the way home, we were on the sleeper car snuggled nicely under our wool blankets. Thankfully a man woke us up minutes from our stop so that we did not end up in some unknown city . How great would that have been...running for our train in the beginning and failing to get off at the end.

OOOOOOOOOOOO. Bit of coolness to report. I unexpectedly saw my landlord this past week and he asked me if I had the music ready for him yet! Rock on! I am making the cds this week and told him I would deliver the goods this Saturday. Please be in prayer that God would open his, and his family's hearts, to the Truth. For He is the one who draws them...Thanks!

What I learned at my first turkey lacking Thanksgiving Dinner:

Afore mentioned weed eater man actually replaced the dudes who used to cut the grass last year...Replaced...that word means something was put in the place of something else...what piece of equipment was replaced??   SCISSORS!!!! HA!

Best Thanksgiving Dinner edible:
Mrs. G's Banana cream pie with blue berries on top. Yum Yum!!
Interesting factoid heard while sitting at the "kids" table:
Canadians call Indians Aboriginals
Movies recommended through out the day:
Dodge Ball & Starsky and Hutch...laughter possibility supposedly high...I will find out later tonight.
Thanksgiving quiz question and answer I found interesting:
Thanksgiving was not declared a National Holiday until 1941??? Is this true?? The Thanksgiving quiz giver said it was...hmmm.
Interesting numbers from the "my husband snores" convo:
-1 out of the 4 husbands of the wives participating was reported to snore
-1 mother was reported, by her son, as snoring so loud she could be heard from the other side of the house
My inquiry/request that was met with laughter:
Since it is Thanksgiving this is a four day weekend right?
Best punch line to a true story told today but too long to retell on here:
"we're baaaaack"
My weakest moment:
Little Zech throwing up on me due to too much bouncing after his bottle.
Best plan making phone call:
My friend Rumpita calling to say "we are going to take the train to Mysore on Saturday and come back sometime on Sunday, is that fine"?
As a side bar: "road trips" become "train trips" here...and I am going on my first "spur of the moment train trip" with friends this weekend! Woooo who! I miss those good old days when you could jump in a car with your friends and decide you are going some where and take off not too much later to make memories that you will not soon forget...Maybe train trippin will be just as great! I hope so!
Cool thing that I have never done on Thanksgiving before:
Sang a praise and worship song to God, on a roof, with the group gathered for dinner, to thank Him for His love and faithfulness.
TK. Time to go watch a funny (I hope) movie! I love you guys and I hope you all have/had a GREAT Thanksgiving! 

I have been watching writing emerge in the dust on the sill outside my front door for a while now. Today after class I came home to find someone had written suggestive profanity there. It makes me sad.  There is no reason for anyone to go near my door unless they are specifically making an effort to do so, so I know it is not a random or easy to come by act. For some reason I was able to take the profanity with a grain of salt, but when it moves on to sayings that involve me in a physical sense it effects me. I honestly don't know what to think about it all. Things are different when you live in a culture you know...but here...I am not sure exactly how to handle some thing like this...

Imagine cutting ten acres of grass with a weed eater? So is the life of the man working away outside of my office window. Growing up, my brother and I were in charge of mowing the lawn and taking care of the other yard work. And you know...I don't remember hating it. Seeing this man weed eating out there for hours does make me thankful for the use of a push mower :)

Profile pic: Imagine having to wear that EVERYTIME you went outside? I spent an afternoon "covered" and that was enough for me to know that the women of these cultures are way more submissive than I think I could ever be...

Since I just mentioned my bro I will post some pics I have on my computer:

Bobby and me at his wedding this past summer. He got married on the beach at sunset...

Here is me(the card holder), my bro,and my sis, when I think I was maybe 6, my bro 7, and my sis 11? Guessing as it has been SO long since this pic was taken!

I had a good, but busy, weekend. One that left me wishing I could stay home in my newly arranged living room, in my big comfy chair, decked out in sleep pants and a shirt, reading a good book, as the gentle breezes, that come with the fall in India, waft through my flat.  

I will report that my driving skills have not diminished as greatly as I thought they would have by this point  . I met some fun girls this weekend.  After teaching them how to bake cookies (this is the first thing the girls had EVER baked) we headed to this private club nestled in their neighborhood. Oh yeah, Go Karts here we come! My friend Diva, at 22, had never driven before so we joined up and took a two person kart. Her cousin Nittia took a single kart. I was geared up for a good race. Man, our two person kart could totally haul tail! I was stoked! The course was the most curvy one I have ever seen...but that did not stop me from putting the peddle to the metal as we approached a turn on the back stretch...I just barely mis-judged the turn and managed to take out part of the tire wall, which granted me a fantastic scowl from a worker, who then told me to "slow down". Amidst my laughter, I did "slow down"...for a few seconds...until this boy decided to over take us on the straight away...bring it man, bring it! I do believe that American go karts are made with a governor, NOT SO here folks! That boy lost his smile as we flew past him on the same curve where I had taken out the wall . Diva giggled the whole time with delight. I will admit I thought it was out of fear while we were racing, but later she could do nothing but brag on my driving skills while we were playing a friendly match of tennis.  Good times, good times.

I would like to announce the assimilation of my Sis,

Me and my sis in our bridesmaid dresses, at my bro's wedding 

and my friend Mandy, to Xanga  

Mandy and I goofing off outside of a red truck in Thailand.

I am studying Acts and today I was reading chapter 17 about the "very religious poeple" and plethora of idols and temples...sounds SO familar...back then people were worshipping in ignorance...why is it that so many years later these verses are still a reality?

"and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;" Interesting...seeing how the happenings of the world all play out according to His plans...What I wouldn't give to be able to see this existance of life from His view point...from His mind...

*EDIT* I have been studying Kannada for the past two hours, so getting on here to add the "missing" pictures has been my study break. I don't think I have studied this much since college! OK, this was fun but back to studying I must go...or my language guru is not going to be happy with me...He told me "TO KNOW MY STUFF WHEN I CAME BACK TO CLASS". It is all good...I tend to need strong expectations/accountability at times. END EDIT*

Pink in honor of my friend, who just so happens to love this color...and I admit that I fancy it quite a bit myself...

Imagine having to evacuate your home with only a back pack on your back due to war ravaging your country...leaving all behind, never to know if you will ever return...and even if you did, most of your stuff will probably have been looted by the rebels...this is the life of my good friend who has been living in the Ivory Coast this year...Please be in prayer for her and all the others with her that God would continue to bring them His joy amidst the worldly chaos...Also that God grant them wisdom as to the next step as their lives/plans have been dramatically changed by the war/evacuation...

As for me, God has been challenging me with a call to deeper discipleship...who knew how much meaning that old cliche "WWJD" could really have...

I am out of town. I will post when I get home...but today I went to the largest Mosque in this country..built to hold 20,000 people on any given Friday...it was the most unreal thing I think I have ever seen....standing among thousands, I was trying to guess-ta-mate how many I personally saw today, and I would say in the time period I was there I had to have seen 10,000 people, streaming up all streets leading into the mosque, then ascending the steps to enter in to bow down to Allah...I have yet to get all my thoughts in order about it...

And as I sit here, there is music playing outside and fireworks going off to celebrate probably one of the biggest
 Hindu festivals of the year...

Thanks to all of you who shared with me your fav worship songs :) I will write more when I get home....
As the HUGE explosion goes off outside the window and the band plays it's oh so Hindi music I must go...

God is SO interesting to me...the way He chooses to speak to different people...one fellow here puts a lot of emphasis on listening to and singing songs of worship to the gods...This week as his family was visiting me, (I always have my music on) he again made a comment about how "nice" my music was. I asked him if he would be able to listen to some cds if I made them for him. He got REALLY excited! How cool! I want you guys to help me with some suggestions of what songs I should put on a cd for him and the fam...

You know you are having a struggle with the culture when you find yourself coming up with a strategic plan for taking out the trash...I mean, maybe this is totally silly of me, but it goes against any OK feeling I have, knowing that when I toss my trash into the sort of trash cement thingy, that first the people in the neighborhood are going to dig through it, then the cows and the dogs to follow...and as a result the people will take some of my trash home, then the rest will be strewn across the ground surrounding the almost trash cement thingy....

Should I have a personal attatchment to my trash?? NO, but I do! I don't want people digging through my trash...nor do I want to feel as though I have to be aware of EVERYTHING I throw away b/c not only will people be digging through it and seeing it, it will soon be strewn along the road for every passer by to see...UGH!

So tonight I decided would be "covert take the trash out night". I planned that if I took it out at night, not as many people would see me, and thusly less of my trash would be touched, eaten, spread all over the neighborhood....

Was my covert plan a success? Check out this photo (I know it is kind of dark) that I took just moments after I got back to my flat from the supposed to be a trash bin cement thingy....

I am disturbed by having to take my trash out...I think I need to call member care....

Gosh. I just got an invitation to sign up for a debriefing conference... For those of you who know what I am talking about, does that put things into perspective or what?

I had a very humbling experience today. I wrote about it earlier but the server went down and my post went along with it...so instead of re-typing it, I will just say that God is very good to me...He is amazing how He speaks through His Word, the Holy Spirit, as well as through the lives of those whose hearts He dwells in...I can not tell you what a blessing the national believers have been to me here...

Do you ever have one of those days where you become so incredibly aware of how your heart feels? A day when you are so amazingly aware of God and know that He is the only one who can speak to the longing in your heart? A day when your desire for sweet fellowship, where you can sit outside and ponder God’s greatness with another heart in tune with His, is almost over-whelming? Or a day in which you are so aware of the fact that you live where you live?

I have this feeling from deep within tonight that I can not explain. A feeling that once I reached home made me want to climb up onto the highest point of my building to sit down and reflect, and write out my thoughts…

I decided to walk part of the way home tonight…on my walk I was reminded of the fact that I live here…in this third world country…so far removed from the land from which I was born and raised...

What was it that made me so aware of this fact? Was it the boys playing cricket? Walking by a line of men reliving themselves on the side of the road? The man sitting in the shadows, who started yelling at me in a tongue I do not understand, as I took notice of him? Was it the crazy traffic? Or maybe it was the ladies selling flowers in abundance at the market? The hand basket weaver I pass almost every day? Was it the cow hanging out at the fruit stand? The ladies all in their flowing sarees? What about the dark faces that watched me with curiosity, often craning their necks out windows, as they drove past me in buses, cars, and autos? Or the plethora of homeless dogs running the streets, or hanging out on the dirt piles in my neighborhood? Or the Ambassadors that people still drive here? The mosquito bites that remind me of the Dengue fever in town? Or the shacks and the huge homes that I walk by, in co-existence? The little shack kid and her smile as I stopped to say hi to her? Or the eyes of the women who are not quite able to meet mine until they hear my greeting uttered in their own tongue? I am not sure…but for some reason, today, I am greatly aware...  

Later that night:
~Rightly. I just became very aware of the fact that I am a doofus who has yet to adjust with full mental capacity that I live HERE. The other day whilst visiting with my neighbors across the street, I offered to help them move in if they wanted. The daughter just looked at me with a goofy look and did not really respond...
Yeahly, so I justly got back from walking to the store to get some bread. (by the way I only paid 11 rupees for the loaf, that is about 33 cents) On the way down the stairs, I saw the moving guys unloading this moving contraption, with the afore mentioned neighbor's boxes and such. I aptly thought, "I should stop and see if they could use assistance". Thusly, I realized why the daughter looked at me through eyes that portrayed ideas of my alienescness. This is the land of servants and CHEAPly labor. They would not even fathom needing my hands to help move their things because they had boys who were doing it for them, for probably like 5 bucks.
Geeshly. I mean, what was I thinking? Or, I guess just proof of my lack of thinking. Everyone here has a servant...except the servants. And no one does manual labor, except the manual labor class...Will my mind ever be able to manage the differences between this culture and my own? The likely hood of that is not looking so hot today...but there is always tomorrow.  

A.C. this posts for you ;) Part-ly...b/c I tortured words just for respect...and dang it, I would do it again! No matter how far reachingly poor the attempt may be...

I got this e-mail today from a friend/brother in Pak. How many of us know what it feels like to have to ask for PR for such things? And how many of us would respond to it in the same manner? Keep in mind that English is his 3 or 4th language...I can't remember which now. I wanted to leave his letter as is...
Salam

hello Sister,

I hope you are fine and enjoing in better health.I
have been tring to write you but i could not write you becouse internet cafes
remain close due to Ramadan and it is only one way i have internet
access to keep in touch with Brothers and Sisters.Brother L is enjoing the
snow falling in Gil.He is quite well.Ohh he sends his regards.Now a days i
am going through a little trouble.My Uncles and brothers have become
stern.They are saying to me to leave Christ and abondon His preach otherwise they
will kick me off from the aria where i am living.You know i am living in a
rented house.Now a days niether can i translate the books nor i can meet my
spirtual friends.Ramdas has put me in a trouble.I just want you to pray
for me becouse i really need your prayer.I am not afraid of anything because
He is with me.

Please pray for me as much as you can.

                In Him
                 Nat

A cricket has moved into my bedroom...and while I normally enjoy the sounds of nature, this dude is SO loud I can barely think. The question is: Which would I rather have? Him or the YELLING walla outside of my house? Hmmm.

*Right. Well, it is now time for me to go to bed and has been a few hours since I wrote this first part of the post in regard to the visiting cricket in my bedroom. I decided I would rather have the walla as at least after his yelling down the street he goes away. There was about a 20 second time period tonight when the cricket ceased to make, what do we call it chirping, noises...other wise he/she has been going solid for the last 4 hours or so. And I tell you, those 20 seconds of non-chirpage were almost unbelievable to me...I knew it wouldn't last however, and it didn't...it now seems even louder...I even kind of have a head ache...I guess this will be night 4 of wearing ear plugs to bed. I wish I could get a hold of this blasted creature and oh so lovingly move it OUTSIDE where it belongs! Or annihilate it, that would work too...

OK. So at 12:00AM I could hear bells and pooja chants begin...so I ventured outside. When people build houses here, before they move in, they have these big ceremonies and family will travel from all over the country to come dedicate the house to the gods here. This is the new house across the street from my place decorated for the pooja worship.

They do the pooja worship in order to keep evil away from their homes. My presence was readily accepted by my new neighbors and I got to take in the Indian custom. I asked why it was taking place at this time of night...they said it was the best time for this worship. Here are some pictures...

Hindu priests setting up offering area at the front steps of the house.











Their feet among the offerings...









                                                  
        
  Inside the house, and Hindu priest watches as the owner pours dahe on the fire...

The smoke is supposed to chase off evil things...so they burn this fire and previously the Hindu priests were sitting around it chanting and throwing things into it...Everyone moved inside and participated in bowing down to the gods around the fire...they showed me around the house and the smoke was so thick my eyes were burning so we had to go up out on the terrace...












So, everyone left the house at 1:30 AM to "take their dinner" and I was told I could go for the evening since I had already "taken my dinner". I was invited to come back for the morning pooja at 6:30AM...I think I will drag myself out of bed to attend this pooja to see what takes place. We talked about what Americans did when they built a house. I told them "we just move in". They thought that was interesting.

If salvation is by anything other than grace alone...then wouldn't God owe 'us' something? Could God ever be in debt to any human? A question raised at work this week...

It seems as though I should have some things to say...but lately it seems as though I am dry. I have been having some cultural issues lately...but mostly I am hung up on the arranged marriage aspect of life here...today I watched a very popular Hindi movie about how because a man married a woman he fell in love with, he was out cast from his family. She was not "good enough" for his family.

I have been seeking to understand and respect this aspect of the culture here, but it is so hard for me to fathom. I respect my friends when they marry, out of obedience to their parents, someone they do not love...much less have met more than once...many have only seen a picture...but I also hear the pain in their voices which comes from deep in their hearts as they tell me of "being in love once, but I was not allowed to marry because of wrong caste". Or, "be glad you are free, fly like a bird". 

Could I do it? Could I obey my parents and marry someone I had never met? Can you come to love someone because they are who you are married to? Could I handle being an add in a newspaper and hope that my statistics were good enough to get me married? Could I imagine going to school and earning a degree, knowing that I would never use it, as I would be married right after graduation and expected to stay in the home for the rest of my life?  Could I handle living in a society were girls are considered a burden to the family instead of a joy? A society where if a girl is not married by 21, some places you get till 24, you are considered undesirable.  A society where sex testing on pregnant ladies is illegal because parents try to abort the female babies? A society where in the paper you read about poor men killing their daughters because they can not afford their future dowry. A society where the men hold the female responsible for not having a male child and consider them cursed because of it. A society where poor girls get married as early as 13 to older men because it is the only way they will be married. A society that claims the people are better off when I have yet to meet a woman whom I can see hope in their heart? I take that back...I have met 3...and they all have hope because of Jesus...

Sometimes I feel so hopeless here, that there no way I can help to make their lives better...I suppose that is why my hope is in the Lord...I alone can do nothing...but His Holy Spirit...can change things...His Word, can change things. Prayer, can change things. His love can change things. His salvation, can change things. Circumstances, sometimes, may not change...but hearts....those can change...I want to see this place changed...maybe not physically right now, but eternally...

A M worker friend of mine, who lives in the North, just sent me this pic of his new Royal Enfield. Pretty sweet I must say....not only the bike but his surroundings as well...

Ah, I admit it, I love "Top Gun"...This song always fires me up...so I thought I would let you all enjoy for the day...And NO it is not because of the volleyball scene!!

Hello Auntie! The greeting I received upon the accent to my apartment this evening, by the little girl who lives down stairs. Any elder woman/girl here is called Auntie as a sign of respect. I do find it satisfying this little girl finally called me Auntie, as before she was always SO shy and would never talk to me other than formalities in answering when I would ask her a question.

The little boy she is holding is her nephew. He turned one this week and I was invited to his Birthday party. It was an interesting event, I was photographed and even put on video. I took the opportunity to give the little boy two gifts. One being the best gift anyone ever gave me, the Word of God. I do like those verses in Deuteronomy that talk about talking of the Lord with your kids. So, in a land where Jesus is not thought of, or pushed aside in worship of other gods, I hope his mother will read to him the stories of Jesus/God . I hope that in looking through these Words she herself will be drawn to the Truth they put forth.

The Word has been so great this week. God has continued to show Himself to me by adding depth to His Words I had read so many times before. The Word of God truely is living and active. How great is it that since Jesus Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered,  He is able to come to our aid when we are tempted? How do we forget what He went through in this world? God has been slowly changing my perspective on life these past few weeks, and while at times it has hurt, or taken patience, it is so worth it. He has allowed me to see what it is like to trust Him, even for little things, like transportation, and see Him come through in such great ways. It is awesome to know that He is all over my big things as well as my little things.

It has also been awesome to see the verses become real that talk about how the things we go through can give us compassion and help us help those who will go through similar things. I have seen how God has used the hardship of my last few months SO many times in these past two weeks to reach out in understanding to those going through similar heart ache or tough situations. Praise God for the hard times as well as the good times. While I have hurt more this year than maybe ever in my life, all of it has been worth it, because of the opportunities I have gotten to minister to those around me.

I got a fish last week...and his name is Blue Fish. Funny how that "will not cloud water" fish food clouds the water. Funny also, that the man here told me I had to put him in filtered water b/c the water from the tap would kill him. Hmm...


I also acquired a bike this week! Yipee! I had just said one day how I wanted a bike, the next day, a lady who is moving told me she needed someone to give her bike to. So, I am now the owner of a green BSA bike, with no gears...Bikes with gears are for sissys anyways! Right. Yeah. They sure do make those hills a little nicer...I will miss them, but will enjoy this step back in time to my younger days when bikes rarely had gears, you had bananna seats, and by pushing the peddals backwards the breaks were applied.  

Geesh. I also got a plant this week. I guess it was the week of acquiring things. Funny enough, again, I was talking of how I wanted a plant, and there you go, someone tells me I can have theirs, and it was the exact type of plant I wanted. Somehow, this lady had managed to kill most of the plant, but I am going to see if I can revive it...we shall see how that goes.

I guess I finally feel like in these last two weeks I have begun to settle here. It is about time I suppose since this is my 13th month in country.

I can only find one of my hiking boots...

All right. I have had enough for one post. I am out.

Road Rage? India will work it out of you...it is so pointless...a road rager would most likely commit suicide in this culture...determined on my way to work today...

The verse that I have read hundreds of times...but it reaches my heart right now in a way that only God could make it...
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. James 1:2-5
Don't worry, road rage is NOT one of my trials (becuase if it was I would have killed myself by now)...but there ARE many right now...and my faith IS being tested...and I WILL persevere  Well, "we" God and me, will persevere...that has been my problem...too much "I" in my life...sometimes I manage to forget that I am no longer an "I" but I carry Him around with me as well...making this temple "we".

Ben shared his Kilifi photos with me today...here is one of my favs...

The Sunset from my roof tonight...

I was in the need of some of God's beauty tonight and I found it on my roof...It is normally SO loud here all the time that to be able to sit in peace and enjoy His creation is rare. I climbed to the highest point of my building, up a bamboo ladder, and sat there...It was as if somehow God had made that moment for me...sitting alone up there in a land of 1 billion people, being able to look out over my neighborhood and feel as though He was meeting me there...I miss the sunset...I miss nature...I miss meeting Him at times like that...
At the same time a gentle reminder of the spiritual condition of this place...the shadow in the sunset is something the houses have on them here to keep away evil spirits...when they build a house they dedicate it to one of their gods for blessing and protection...an idol that can not speak, can not hear, that holds no power and leads them astray...

This land is so dark...

What I have been realizing lately is that for the first time in my life God has me at a point where everything is uncertian...everything but Him. I am learning to trust Him in ways that I never knew I needed to...
Mad props to Ben for slowly teaching me how to take pictures! Who knew what all those settings were for!

F L O R I D A S T A T E, Florida State, Florida State, Florida State, Wooo! FSU won this morning...Yes, I said this morning. If you want to catch FSU games from here you gots to get up all kinds of early to listen to them...this morning it was only 4:45...not so bad...ha!

It did occur to me this morning...FSU's fight song says "For FSU is on the war path now and at the battle's end She is great". Well, if we had to classify the games according to the wars of our past...which one would this one be? One that we had to fight hard, did not play offensively as well as we could have, almost lost, but somehow managed to play enough defense to take the win...?? Oh, and just a little more complication...it was non-conference and played on their territory...Anyone have any suggestions? Bring em on...

~EDIT~

Crud-yun! I just got bit by two mosquitos and it is Dengue Fever season around here...
God is pretty awesome. He and I had some serious convos while I was in Africa about how true strength is being able to admit my weaknesses, or even allowing them in a way, while weaknesses is thinking I am stronger than I am. I just went to a friend's site and her most recent blog was about weakness and strength.. I am going to put my journal entry about this here and what she had below that:

I am realizing His abundant grace for me, while longing for it not to be in vain…For when I deny my weaknesses, and therefore my need, that is when His grace for me is in vain…I can honestly admit it is not easy for me to live in that freedom that grace provides. It is a struggle of mine, that I see more clearly now, to not take on the yoke of slavery from which Christ has set me free.

Sitting in my taxi, driving by pineapple fields with Baobab trees creating shadows

on the Kenyan hills, against the setting sun, it hits me that I have fought the idea of being weak.  I have been taught that I need to be strong always, that I need not ask for help, that I need to stay between the lines, that I can do anything if I work hard enough, that less than the best is not acceptable, that being robust is what people value, and weakness causes doubt or maintenance, that tears are not ok, and that struggle is not ok.

God whispers to me that admitting my weaknesses is true strength and that denying them is weakness.  Denying my weakness is rejecting grace, it is rejecting my need of Him. He has told us that in our weaknesses that is when He is strong.

Why is it that in what should be the safest place on earth, gathered together with fellow believers, we are taught judgment instead of grace? Why is it that I expect judgment instead of grace? Why is it that I remove the power He has granted us in each other’s lives through love and unity? Where is true love exemplified? It is exemplified when one is willing to walk into the life of one ridden with decay and disease, their stench so overwhelming, unable to walk due to their condition, to doctor the wounds, encouraging them and battling alongside them, to bring them to healing and life from the One that waits for them with unending love and grace.  

 I find freedom, as the wind blows the few stray curls across my face that have managed to escape their confinement in the clasp that sits at the base of my neck. I find myself accepting and embracing my weaknesses, dependent upon grace. I find myself feeling free like those few stray curls…

2 Corinthians 12:9 My grace is sufficent for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

An exerpt from Blackaby from Patty's site: Human strength is a strong deterrent to trusting in Christ. When we rely on our own strength, resources, and knowledge, we assume we can handle situations without help from God. We tend to divide problems into two categories: problems that we know require God's help and problems we think we can handle on our own. (Paul had a tenacious personality and an exceptionally strong will. Paul/Barb...peas in a pod I think...) He courageously faced angry mobs as he traveled far and wide to promote the cause of Christ. He had spent the first half of his life serving God in his own strength. However, once God gained his attention, Paul had to learn to rely on God's strength and not his own. Paul was afflicted with a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7). Whatever this was, it humbled him. He had performed incredible miracles, even raising the dead, but he could not remove the affliction that God had given him, an affliction that made him depend on God. The world had seen what Paul could do in his own strength, and it was horrifying! Now God wanted to exercise His power through Paul's life. When Paul thought he was strong, he neglected to rely upon God's strength. Only in his weakness did Paul trust implicitly in God. If you feel strong in an area of your life, beware! Often your strength, rather than your weakness, hinders you from trusting God. God will bring you to a point of weakness if that is what it takes to bring you to trust in Him. Do not despise your weakness, for it leads you to trust in God's strength.

I just really like it when timing of truth is so perfect. God rocks! Have a good one yall...

My random end of the day thoughts...
The Rock as we so fondly called it...

I calculated at work today...the birthday phone call I made to my mom from Africa...5 minutes for 20 bucks...not bad, not bad...

Strawberry Twizzlers...they don't seem to ruin in India like other edibles...

Crazy that a bomb went off killing at least 40 people in the exact place I was in Pak less than 3 weeks ago...Why is there so much unrest in the world where people feel like they need to kill each other over stuff? I hope the friends I made while there are ok...time will tell

Why did I get that pain in my heart today when a friend mentioned going to Turkey next week...

In India Dean is spelled Din and Evan is pronounced Even

Arranged Marriage???

Ever have one of those moments when someone makes a comment to you and you just laugh at the seeming obsurdity of it? I had one of those moments when a co-worker told me she thought I was SuperWoman...
So, sitting at breakfast in Africa one morning I felt something bite my belly, I look down, see nothing, wonder at my sanity, and finish my tea...I go to put my swimsuit on for the beach and a centipede falls out of my pants...now if I was SuperWoman would I have done my little "jig" half dressed while yelling "Marcy, Marcy, Marcy!!!"....hmmm. Maybe not...it feels good to fall from superherodom ya know....?

Is Steve really "admiring my world famous blue pottery from Pakistan" or has he spied the peppermint patties I have stashed in there...

We watched Gone with the Wind tonight...Scarlet, I mean REALLY!

During the flick:

Me: hmmm, I am kind of annoyed that for the past 20 minutes Scarlet just does not get it...I mean, she likes him right? She has that smile, does he not see her smile, why can't she just not get mad and tell him she loves him? Does she not see he loves her?

The boys(uh hum, excuse me, the men)Ben and Steve: try for the last 2 hours...

Me: Is love really that complicted?

Steve: It is life...

Me internally: I sure hope Scarlet is not my life...but you know...maybe it is part of all of our lives to at least some degree...Pride standing in the way of something that could be totally amazing...sad

Ben: I really thought Ashley got sawed up at the lumber mill...there should have been more killing in this movie...

Ah the weekend...

UGH....Computer wigging out on me  So, I just called work and they seem to think I have a worm...ah the joy...so maybe I will update a little more today as I spend the rest of my afternoon backing up my computer and hope it will let me get it done instead of shutting down on me and refusing to restart...On a happy note,I did just catch a glimpse and see that FSU won their two games while I was gone...Yipee! and have moved back up the ranks slightly...Go Noles!

Update..my computer has been fine since the incident before...however I am running scans at the present moment to see what I can find...so in the mean time...a few more photos and hopefully the story of my journey...

So, the trip starts off with Ben and I getting to Niarobi, and Ben's bag is MIA...Diana TOTALLY used the terminology and thought of you! So, ends up Niarobi is to be our place of stay for the next few days while we wait upon Ben's bag to be found...and we work on making arrangements for the rest of our trip...Third World living...really changes how you approach life...

Not so much is memorable about Niarobi in particular...Oh, well let's not forget the place called Carnivores...yeah, serve you all kinds of meat...don't get that where we live...I had osterich, gazelle, croc...and some other stuff I don't really remember at the moment...worth a visit should you hit Niarobi...ANYWAY...

I did have an encounter with a boy whom I think I will not forget any time soon...Here is his story: So, we stay in a Bpst guest house, so tons of M's from all over are in and out all the time...one night while watching Sports Center, yes, you got that right, we got to watch some American sportish stuff, a man came in and asked if we wanted to go bowling. I was game, Ben and Marcy, whom have not seen each other in over a year are not, so I leave them to themselves. I head off with my pizza in hand, with an M from Kenya, to meet his son and a group of others for a night of bowling. At dinner, before meeting up with the rest of the crew, John, David, and I enjoy pizza and John tells me stories about God directing him that give me chills all over my body. God is awesome you know...works in ways that can not be mistaken for anyone else...
So, after some COOL stories from John, I take it upon myself to teach David, a young Kenyan boy of 9, how to shoot the paper off his straw across the room...The kid has amazing aim! After some play David sits back down to finish his pizza...he has stripped all the meat off his meat pizza, which he totally ordered, b/c he says it hurts his mouth...John, his adopted dad, leans over to me and tells me it is because David has sores in his mouth that are a result of AIDS. A boy of 9 dying in Kenya as a result of being born with HIV...his sister joy, 5, had died 3 months earlier after losing her fight...The feelings of immense sadness brought tears to my eyes...I hope my heart never forgets David...In light of his truth new perspective was drawn from my heart...David, 9, dying of AIDS, told me at dinner without one complaint..."Jesus is strong and good". He complained not and trusted much...how much should this be my own reality? I hope I never forget how David grabbed my hand and we swung him up the flights of stairs as he laughed with glee, I hope he continues to give high fives and tens when people do well at something just like I taught him, I hope he turns ten, I hope he lives long enough to bowl for the second time in his life..I hope his trust in Christ will remain with me when I go to open my mouth about a present condition in my life that I don't agree with, understand, or think I deserve...knowing that above all else Jesus is strong and good...

The night came to a close in the 10th frame...Peter, whom we fondly called Petra, had just finished strong and was the only one with a higher score as I stepped up to finish out the game as the last bowler...dispite my impressive 3 strikes in the 10th...Petra still finished 1 point ahead of me...ah...I enjoyed the challenge and the cheering of our group all the same...and David was there to give me high ten every strike I made...
So, the rest of the trip. We had planned on the beach and a safari. It all seemed to be going to well...until about 2 hours before our train was to leave for the coast we find out the train has been cancelled. Yep, I guess you can do that there...So, we end up taking the ALL night bus across the country of Kenya...HA! You don't even want to know....don't even want to know...

Lets just say when we finally did arrive at our beach resort...this was a VERY welcome sight...

My computer just shut down on me, AGAIN...oh how I wish I had some good computer know it all friends :) I will leave the Kenya story telling for another time...when I will tell you of the centipede in my pants and the little "jig" as Marcy likes to call it...that resulted from such...

Jombo!!
Kenya was AWESOME! Here is a pic of me and Marcy on our Safari through Tsavo...Have you seen "Ghost in the Darkness" with the man eating lions? Yep, that is Tsavo...unfortunately the lions I saw, while MASSIVE, did not instill fear into my girly heart...they were too busy panting from the lack of water...they were even right among a heard of zebra and did not even give chase for our enjoyment! Drat! But, I guess, when I think about it, I never even like to watch those shows on tv where the animals hunt and kill things, so I am sure while it would have been exciting, I would have felt bad for the zebra had my hope for a good chase come to fruition...
So, I feel as though I have SO many stories and pics, so it might take me a while to get them up on here...
I will finish this entry with a recount of the convo I had with my safari driver upon me innocently asking him what his favorite animal was...
Me: So, what is your favorite animal out here?
D: What do you think?
Me: The lion?
D: The King! (While pumping right fist in the air)
Me: You know, Jesus is called the Lion...(Marcy from behind me "Lion of Judah")
Me: Why is the lion your favorite?
D: Because he is representative of how "man" and life should be...BEGIN LONG DISsERTATION of how the male lion is representative of how men should live their life on earth and how the lioness should serve and do everything for him...Continue dissertation on how independent westerners (females like me) have ruined the way females want to live life in Africa...continue dissertation on how African women have been ruined by thinking that they have a right to share their view point about anything...If he had not gone on for about 15 WHOLE minutes on this subject, without catching a breath, I would probably be able to fill you in more...but I can not recall all of what he had to say about the evils of western independent women...geesh, fella, I just wanted to know what your favorite animal was...for the rest of the safari he would only address the guy in our group...and would wait for him to respond in order to do anything...I guess I at least walked away from that day knowing how D felt about women like me?
Some interesting things I played with on my trip...
The lizards were cool...
Margaret the 50 year old turtle was heavy as junk!

OK, so I look like a total whimp...and I am ok with that...having a constricting snake around your neck is not my most favored position to be in...

There was an awesome reef at the beach and we went exploring and found tons of star fish...
I met a Kenyan who had been diving for fish and things out past the reef, and so I got to play with a live octopus...it was pretty cool too...I had no idea the suction those bad boys had on those tenticles...it was fun...until the Kenyan man decided he would show us how the octopus produced ink and pretty much tore its head off!

And yes, since moving to India, the center part has become a part of my life...will it stay or will it go...only time will tell...

Leavin on a jet plane for Africa in about two hours...see you peeps when I get back from Vaca!

Yah, so this morning on my way to work, I was in my auto, minding my own business. Of course traffic is traffic here, it is crazy, you are used to it...Well, let me tell you HOW used to the craziness I am, and well, my auto driver is...We are sitting waiting to make our right turn onto my street...A BUS drives by, how close by you ask? IT is SO close that it hit our mirror and made it bend back tword the auto...DID the driver flinch? Heck No! He just sat there calmly and then made the turn, pushed the mirror back to where it was supposed to be, and drove on like it was a regular day...I guess it is a regular day here in India.

My hands have that OH SO dried out feeling like I just mopped/dusted every square inch of my apartment...probably b/c I did and boy was it NASTY! Got to love dirt/dust...you know, in America you could dust/sweep the floor maybe once a month and barely be able to tell it had been that long....here, you let a few days go by and your floors are SO covered your feet get ALL nasty by walking on them! UGH! It is ok though...at least now I am in wonder when I go to other countries at how clean they are. This summer when in Thailand I remember being amazed at how clean it was...then I heard an American girl who had just arrived from the States make a comment about how DIRTY it was in Thailand...hmmm....amazing what a little change in perspective can do for a person...

OK. I just lugged my 2 liter water bottle over here to the computer so I can work on UGH...the water is boiling over on the stove...don't worry folks, all is under control...really....curious, the tree in my back yard is snapped in half...makes me think of my friends and family in FL as Frances approaches...I did just see they downgraded her to a 2 though so that is good!

Right. So, I just got back from Bangkok and I had a GREAT time! My friend Ben and I explored the city, ate a TON (I think I gained quite a few pounds while there, ok, no thinking, the scale at the hospital said I did ) sat front row ring side for some Thai boxing(do I need any more reasons for Ben to say that I am like a guy? No, but the fact that I LOVED Thai boxing is not going to help my case any!), had Thai massages...wow is all I can say,and watched SO many American movies. Have you all seen Bourne Supremacy? That part in the beinning in India? Yeah, pretty accurate except I don't see women that scantily clad around these parts. Also, would you know that before the movie starts, you have to get out of your oh so cushy assigned seat, to listen to the national anthem and pay tribute to the King. Now that is different.

As far as things here go India is India. I am just glad to be able to sleep in my own bed for the next 10 nights. Then I am off again...hmm. I need to go shopping for some more conservative clothes for my next trip...

I got an e-mail from a friend of my who just visited India not too long ago. I thought her commentary on her experience was interesting so I think I will share with you all
"I can't believe you have lived in India so long! I really didn't get on with
it too well! Loved the food, but it didn't love me (ill for a few days
unfortunately). We found the continual harassment to be a pain to the point
that we lost our patience a couple of times. We were ripped off a number of
times and loads of people tried to scam us. All very frustrating and didn't
leave a great impression. The Taj was amazing and we liked alot of Jaipur.
It was too hot. That's what I think anyway! I am so impressed that you put
up with it, but I guess it is easier to be working and I bet you are more
clued in on how to make it work.It was great that India was the last place that we went to as it made us want to come home, and previously we had no desire to stop the holiday!"

Can you say YIKES! I guess when you know you are going to live in a place it is different...even though her experiences were real and a daily part of our lives here we have come to learn to deal with it and as she said "make it work"  Have I become more patient? Have I had a choice?! He he he! I think knowing someone here probably would have helped my friend have a better experience, maybe I should have prepared her so her experience was not so bad... Really, India is not so bad a place...just have some things to get used to is all...When you get to know the people it really makes a HUGE difference...

So, due to Frances they have rescheduled the FSU v. Miami game to Friday night...I am excited! I am going to listen to it even though it means I get to get up at 6AM to do so : ) F L O R I D A S T A T E, FLORIDA STATE, FLORIDA STATE, FLORIDA STATE WOOO!

Well, my house is a mess so I had probably go and clean it or something...