now i'm living in the basement at farhan and roohi's (the coolest room in the house) where i get to eat all the paki food my heart desires and i can walk across the street to erin and brians in my pj's. it's awesome. another benefit is i can make fun of farhan more often. like the other night when he learned that the 12 days of christmas song does not include a partridge in a pantry. go figure.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
lau the nomad
my life as a nomad has begun. eric, adam and andy all helped me clear out my house on sunday (thanks guys!) and dad drove it all home to virginia.
now i'm living in the basement at farhan and roohi's (the coolest room in the house) where i get to eat all the paki food my heart desires and i can walk across the street to erin and brians in my pj's. it's awesome. another benefit is i can make fun of farhan more often. like the other night when he learned that the 12 days of christmas song does not include a partridge in a pantry. go figure.
now i'm living in the basement at farhan and roohi's (the coolest room in the house) where i get to eat all the paki food my heart desires and i can walk across the street to erin and brians in my pj's. it's awesome. another benefit is i can make fun of farhan more often. like the other night when he learned that the 12 days of christmas song does not include a partridge in a pantry. go figure.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
89%
that's how close i am to being fully funded for the field! ahhh! i got the news just as "share the well" by caedmon's call started playing on my computer. this song actually helped inform my decision to enter missions. here are the lyrics:
click the "feed me" link to the right if you want to share with me in benin... only $266 a month more to go!
Share the well, share with your brother
Share the well my friend
It takes a deeper well to love one another
Share the well my friend
Do you think the water knows
Flowing down the mountain thaw
Finally to find repose
For any soul who cares to draw
Some kindred keepers of this Earth
On their way to join the flow
Are cast aside and left to thirst
Tell me now it is not so
Share the well, share with your brother
Share the well my friend
It takes a deeper well to love one another
Share the well my friend
All God's creatures share the water hole
The blessed day the monsoon comes
And in His image we are woven
Every likeness every one
From Kashmir to Karala
Under every banyan tree
Mothers for their children cry
With empty jar and bended knee
Share the well, share with your brother
Share the well my friend
It takes a deeper well to love one another
Share the well my friend
You know I've heard good people say
There's nothing I can do
That's half a world away
Well maybe you've got money
Maybe you've got time
Maybe you've got the Living Well
That ain't ever running dry
Share the well, share with your brother
Share the well my friend
It takes a deeper well to love one another
Share the well my friend
click the "feed me" link to the right if you want to share with me in benin... only $266 a month more to go!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
como se dice... ?
maybe you've felt this way before. you leave the country or just get out of your comfort zone for several weeks... at least a month... and you return unable to articulate how you are and what you've seen and experienced. it's a frustrating feeling. i've had it several times before.
but i'm surprised to find that's how i feel now too. i was gone just less than a month, and only 1.5 weeks of that was spent out of the country. the other two weeks were in sleepy-town, indiana. nothing that uncomfortable, right? i didn't have to learn a new language. i hardly used the public transportation systems. i didn't eat any outrageous food.
and yet i've grown a lot the past month. growing is good, but it makes the return a little awkward. in australia, i had some much needed down-time to process and feel. that was good. in indiana, i made several new close friends and strengthened a few older relationships. now i'm finding that in some ways, those friends know me better than my friends at home. at least parts of me... the parts that grew while i was away.
and it's not like i want to sit my friends down and say, "okay, this is what's changed about me." i just want to be. and i can be. i mean, friends do grow and change and that's all fine and good.
anyway, it just took me by surprise.
the pictures above are of the yfc world outreach crew (missionaries and staffers too), acting crazy as usual... and the girls of our crew, who are so super cool.
but i'm surprised to find that's how i feel now too. i was gone just less than a month, and only 1.5 weeks of that was spent out of the country. the other two weeks were in sleepy-town, indiana. nothing that uncomfortable, right? i didn't have to learn a new language. i hardly used the public transportation systems. i didn't eat any outrageous food.
and yet i've grown a lot the past month. growing is good, but it makes the return a little awkward. in australia, i had some much needed down-time to process and feel. that was good. in indiana, i made several new close friends and strengthened a few older relationships. now i'm finding that in some ways, those friends know me better than my friends at home. at least parts of me... the parts that grew while i was away. and it's not like i want to sit my friends down and say, "okay, this is what's changed about me." i just want to be. and i can be. i mean, friends do grow and change and that's all fine and good. anyway, it just took me by surprise.
the pictures above are of the yfc world outreach crew (missionaries and staffers too), acting crazy as usual... and the girls of our crew, who are so super cool.
Monday, June 18, 2007
minus one
my great grandmother, doris (dorie) hamilton, died friday at the age of 101. she is survived by two kids, 6 grandkids, and too many great grandkids to count (all of whom are really very cool). i wrote about dorie back in march during my visit to texas. the time i spent with her was very intentional and meaningful. i knew that particular goodbye was a bit weightier than past partings. still, it's sad to know i won't get to listen to her tell her stories anymore. i'll miss writing her letters. i sent her a kangaroo postcard from australia, which my granddad took to the hospital last week and read to her. she thought the picture was funny. i'll miss her reassuring reminders that she prays for me by name every night. 
prayer was really important to my great grandmother. and i believe she's probably still talking to Jesus about me. and i think they probably laugh together too. here's a pic of dorie at her 100th birthday last year... if you know her, you can tell by her expression she's about to say something she thinks is pretty funny.
prayer was really important to my great grandmother. and i believe she's probably still talking to Jesus about me. and i think they probably laugh together too. here's a pic of dorie at her 100th birthday last year... if you know her, you can tell by her expression she's about to say something she thinks is pretty funny.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
a whale of an explosion
how to dispose of a dead beached whale? dynamite is NOT the answer. take 3 minutes to watch this. with sound. you will not be disappointed...
this was used in a seminar at yfc training to discuss how not everything always goes according to plan. classic.
this was used in a seminar at yfc training to discuss how not everything always goes according to plan. classic.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
indy is windy
i'm training with yfc this week in indiana at huntington university. it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. great place to learn as much info as possible in 10 days, though.
here's a pic of leslie, me and megan. leslie is a new friend. she just graduated from uva and is headed to geneva, switzerland in august to do sports ministry with the international school there. she'll basically be snow boarding 3 days a week with children of some of the most influential families in the world. fun? yes. but also extremely important, i think... this is probably part of what her boss josh would call "plotting goodness." megan is the first person i ever talked to at yfc. she is the missionary recruiter and processor and works at yfc headquarters in denver. we totally hit it off back in september, so it's great to have time with her this week. she's also my roommate in the oh-so-lovely huntington dorms. bleh dorms. bleh dining hall. but YAY friends.
here's a pic of leslie, me and megan. leslie is a new friend. she just graduated from uva and is headed to geneva, switzerland in august to do sports ministry with the international school there. she'll basically be snow boarding 3 days a week with children of some of the most influential families in the world. fun? yes. but also extremely important, i think... this is probably part of what her boss josh would call "plotting goodness." megan is the first person i ever talked to at yfc. she is the missionary recruiter and processor and works at yfc headquarters in denver. we totally hit it off back in september, so it's great to have time with her this week. she's also my roommate in the oh-so-lovely huntington dorms. bleh dorms. bleh dining hall. but YAY friends.
Monday, June 11, 2007
in love in oz
so i really did fall in love in australia. for one, the country and its people are absolutely lovely. so considerate. instead of signs saying, "keep off grass," australians are more likely to put up signs saying, "please respect the grass." and we call baltimore the charm city? some more pictures...
here's a pic of simon, jase, meg, anna and me after a night of merrymaking. meg is one of anna's girlfriends from school. i'm glad anna has girlfriends, and meg is super cool.
here's me and anna chillin' out on a tree limb. the start of a crazy night.
here's simon, me and jase at hungry jacks (aka burger king) later that same night. i was disgusted by the sandwich. i also developed a huge (secret) crush on simon, who not only lives in australia, but also has a girlfriend. i can say this because i know he won't read my blog. don't tell him!
here's a pic of simon, jase, meg, anna and me after a night of merrymaking. meg is one of anna's girlfriends from school. i'm glad anna has girlfriends, and meg is super cool. here's me and anna chillin' out on a tree limb. the start of a crazy night.here's simon, me and jase at hungry jacks (aka burger king) later that same night. i was disgusted by the sandwich. i also developed a huge (secret) crush on simon, who not only lives in australia, but also has a girlfriend. i can say this because i know he won't read my blog. don't tell him!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)