Step toward Kenya : : First Shots

Well, I figure it's about time I wrote something on here before anyone I sent a support letter to thinks that whole "I'll update on my blog" spiel is bogus.

Today I went to see a travel doctor for the first time.  I got a yellow fever shot and some typhoid meds to take over the course of the next week.  From here I need to get shots for meningitis, polio, flu, and also malaria meds before and during the trip.  It's so exciting that things are finally in motion!  I'll be turning in my official application and first deposit early next week, and am looking forward to hearing more from Project 82 and my team leader about what we'll be doing exactly while in Kenya.

Please continue to pray for me and the others who'll be going on this trip with me!  Let me know if you'd like a copy of my support letter, if only to know what I'll be doing and know how to pray--I'd be happy to send one your way!

life lately

Apparently all my blog posts will now just consist of life updates and be about two months apart from each other.

Haha, hopefully not.  But I did want to just give you all an update of what's been happening lately in my life.

This semester is much busier than last in that I'm taking 6 classes (4 online), and I'll also be starting a new job next week.  It's nice to be busy, though, after a pretty boring fall semester.

As many of you know by now (hopefully most of you that I know personally will be getting a letter in the mail soon if you haven't already), I'm going to Kenya in July!  After learning about Project 82 from the campus minister of RUF here at NMSU, I decided to go for it and see if everything would work out for me to go on a mission trip this summer.  As it turns out, everything seems to be falling into place, so I am pursuing this opportunity!  It's pretty terrifying if I'm honest, but I'm so excited as well. I'll be going July 21-31, and I'll update more on here as I learn more.

At the beginning of this semester I finally found a church home in Las Cruces through Grace Bible Church.  I've really enjoyed getting to know the members there through a college Bible study and just hanging out.  Unfortunately, the pastor of Grace, Josh Allen, passed away Monday night.  He was killed in a car crash and leaves behind his wife, Shelley, and their nine-month-old son, Josiah.

Even though I didn't know Josh very well, I looked forward to knowing him better because he really was such a great man.  When I first started attending the church I emailed him with a bunch of questions about their fundamental doctrine and he replied in great detail, making sure he answered each question thoroughly.  I really appreciated his taking the time to do that, and over the next few weeks I enjoyed seeing him every Sunday and getting to know him better.

Please pray for Grace Bible Church as we grieve the loss of our pastor and try to figure out where to go from here.  Josh's death came as a huge shock and I think we're all still reeling, but we know God has a greater plan and purpose than we can ever know here on earth.

Death is swallowed up in victory.

O Death, where is your victory?  O Death, where is your sting?

thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55, 57

Chloe's 8th birthday

 Happy 8th birthday, Clovie!

2014 River of Lights

Thursday night my family and I went to the River of Lights as an early birthday present for Chloe.  It was so much fun!  I always go there expecting to be bored, but it's really beautiful and I always enjoy it.  Enjoy the pics. :)

 Getting ready to go

new year's resolutions '14

And here we are, on the first day of 2014!  Happy New Year, everyone. :)

Here are my resolutions for 2014.  Some of these are kind of repeats from last year, seeing as they're easily transferable throughout life.

1. Treat my body and mind in a way that honors the Lord.

2. Plant seeds in the soil of my soul through memorization of Scripture--sowing to please the Spirit.

Some Christians sow to the flesh every day,

and wonder why they do not reap holiness.

-- John Stott

3. Read one good, edifying book every month.

4. Write to my Compassion kids more often.  I didn't do very well on this in 2013, and since these kids are some of the most important people in my life, I want to be more faithful to them.

5. Be more consistent in making time for the Lord every single day, through reading His word and prayer.

6. Make a radical plan.  For instance, I have a very tentative plan for going to Kenya this summer.  Whether or not it'll actually happen, this is a very radical plan for me, and I can't wait to see what the Lord will do!  This year I want to be more open to the scarier things the Lord may call me to do. 

7. Serve.  Whether this occurs through volunteering somewhere, getting involved in my church, etc., I want to serve more.

Let us not lose heart in doing good,

for in due time we will reap

if we do not grow weary.

Galatians 6:9

13 in '13

So this was my mini bucket list for 2013 and how I did.

1. Go back to Mexico.  Even if it's just for a weekend like last time, I'd love to spend some more time there!

2. Write more.  Maybe even write a novel?  That means a 50,000 word document according to my friends at Nanowrimo.  That's just kinda my goal.  Who knows if anyone will ever see it, but I think it'd be cool to have written something that long.  I have something now that's at about 38,000 words, and I honestly cannot imagine writing anything longer than that since that took just about everything I had in me!  So the goal's to write more, but it'd be nice if I could conquer 50,000 words.  As of December, I haven't really completed anything, but I have been writing more.  So at least it's getting out.  Every once in awhile I have a sudden strike of inspiration and have some word vomit for about two days...and then it's gone.  Lol. ;)

3. Run a mile.  Rachel has this app called Zombie Run that might help inspire me.  The zombies are right behind you--runnnnnn!

4. Go to a wedding.  I'm not sure if this'll happen since no one I know seems very close to marriage...  Maybe I'll just crash a stranger's wedding. ;D 7/20/13 and 11/23/13.  Turned out to actually be someone I know!

5. Figure out where the heck I'm transferring to!  Check...let's go to Las Cruces!  Moving to NMSU--8/18/13.

6. Contribute to my church more through preludes, participating in leading worship, helping with the little kids' Sunday school, maybe even youth group? Started joint-leading a Sunday school class for 4th and 5th graders with Rachel in February.

7. Get a job. 4/6/13.

8. Share the gospel with someone.

9. Reach 60 followers on this leetle blog.  3/16/13!

10. Have at least three or four sister dates with Chloe.  We both love those times together. #1: 3/14/13.

11. Start a savings account...and actually keep money in that thing.

12. Live to be 20.  See?  Easily attainable.  Also...I'm having a really hard time thinking of these goals. Check, 8/24/13.

13. Do something reckless and unexpected.  I am not a spontaneous person--totally stresses me out--but I'd like to try and branch out from that this year.  Maybe I'll go skydiving.  Or bungee jumping.  Or get a tattoo.  Or...not any of those.  But I'm sure I can think of something. :) 11/16/13.

this is: 2013

1 // At the beginning of the year I attempted a 365 photography project.  It didn't last very long, but I like looking back at some of the pics I took.
2 // Chloe had a big party for her 7th birthday!
3 // I battled my way through my second class on teaching math.  And in February my dog died. :(
4 // In March I figured out how to make my own candles.
5 // Rachel, Ellie, Chloe, and I spent the day at the zoo together.
6 // In April Rachel and I went to San Francisco to visit Jorge.  It was the first time either of us had ever flown before!
7 // We walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, visited the beach, Alcatraz, and Chinatown, and had an adventure.
8 // We explored a lot of downtown SF.
9 // During the summer Jorge came to visit us for a month.  We rode the tram up to the top of the Sandias.  And in July I got two cartilage piercings in my right ear!
10 // Toward the end of Jorge's visit he, Rachel, Ellie, and I drove up to Carlsbad Caverns for the day.
11 // At the end of August I moved to Las Cruces to go to NMSU!
12 // September 14, I bought my first car.
13 // I also went to my first football game!
14 // In October I went to a conference in Colorado with RUF (Reformed University Fellowship), the large Bible study group I've joined at NMSU.
15 // That month I also went to Angel Fire for a weekend with my family, and also pierced my nose.
16 // In November I hiked Tortugas Mountain in Las Cruces!
17 // I also went to the ABQ aquarium.
18 // And Jorge visited us for Thanksgiving.
19 // December 12th I finished up my classes for my first semester at NMSU and came home for a whole month!
20 // One of the things I did on my break was go with Rachel to the graduation of one of our closest friends.

At the end of 2012, I honestly had no idea all this would have happened in the span of just 12 months.  I visited NMSU for the first time in March, with the sole purpose of waiting to transfer til Spring 2014, and somehow got everything together in order to transfer Fall 2013 instead.  It's been an incredible journey!  God is so good.

Here's to 2014!

Christmas break

Though I promised myself I would meticulously document my 10 days of Thanksgiving break, these are the only pics I managed to take.

 Aww.  They're just so cute. :)

And now...I am finally on break!!!!!

Everyone just join with me for a moment of enthusiastic rejoicing.  After having 10 days off for Thanksgiving, the last thing in the entire world I wanted to do was go back for 10 measly days, take finals, and then come home again.  But I decided maybe taking my finals would be a good idea and headed back to NMSU.

Those 10 days honestly felt like the longest of my entire life.  Anticipation is really horrible because it makes time drag by.  Plus my finals weren't really that hard so I was bored out of my mind.  Here's some of what happened.

 

I took a bunch of selfies, and my hair sort of went crazy.  Seriously, where did all this curl come from all of a sudden?

I painted my nails a lot.  And then made myself sick off the fumes because the ventilation in my dorm room is not great.

 

I read a lot.

Some actual studying did happen in the middle of all that.  I also went out to lunch with my aunt, uncle, and cousins, who I haven't seen in awhile.  It was great to spend time with them!  Then I went to dinner with my grandparents.  And finally, I took care of finals, packed up, and came home.

Yesterday Rachel and I went to the graduation of a close friend of ours that we've known for eleven years now.  And today I reread a book that I used to love when I was about ten.

It was still just as good. :)

And now I'm so glad to be home for an entire month!  I'm going to try and get a ton done--hopefully lots of reading, I have an insane idea to try and teach myself to knit (again), and also enjoying Christmas, New Year's, and Chloe's 8th birthday (how did she get so old?!).  It's so nice to be home, both with my family and church family.  I forget how awesome they all are until I go away for awhile. :)

There will possibly be more updating on this dusty old blog while I'm on break, but I'm not promising anything.  At the very least I'll put up my resolutions for 2014 and maybe go over some of my favorite books that I read this year. :)

Merry Christmas!

the day I climbed a mountain

Today I woke up with nothing to do for the day and decided I'd check something off my bucket list.  Number 13 on my 13 in '13 is "do something reckless and unexpected".

Cue a huge gulp.  I hate spontaneity.  Spontaneity sucks.  General lack of spontaneity = happy life.

So obviously the thought of actually being spontaneous was cringe-worthy.

But still, I decided I wanted to do something like that today.  So I looked at my bucket list and there it was: #68: climb a mountain.

And since one of the gentlest, easiest mountains ever is here in Las Cruces, I decided to go for it.

Tortugas Mountain, also known as 'A' Mountain, is pretty much a giant hill.  But to me, who's never climbed a mountain before, it was rather daunting.  I almost drove away when I got there (this might also have been due to the fact that the only other person there was a creepy man just sitting in his car in the parking lot, but thankfully he left).

But I decided to just go for it.  And here is the story.

Starting out.  Here we go!

The Organ Mountains.

So many cactus. :(

Right around the "I am dying" part.

I made it to the top!  Wait...it's a lie.

At this point I almost turned around, but decided I wanted to go and see what exactly was at the top.  Besides, the hardest part was definitely behind me.

I feel like this probably has some sort of meaning...

It's the A!

At this point I spotted someone who could potentially have been a creepy murderer, so in an attempt to head in the opposite direction while still going towards the top I somehow got off the trail.  So then I fought with a bunch of cactus and spiky underbrush until I finally found the path again.

Made it! :D

It's an observatory!  Thanks to my astronomy class, I'll definitely be visiting this place if it's ever open to the public.

 A Clockwork Orange, anyone?

I spot my grandparents' house!

I should mention the wind at this point.  I don't think I have ever, in my entire life, experienced wind like there was on that mountain.  It wasn't too terrible right at the top, but coming down I literally felt like I was about to be blown off the mountain.  It was incredible.  But I was really thankful for it because my annual dose of spontaneity hit me at a very inconvenient time so it was pretty much high noon when I started out and I would have been dying of heat without the wind.

 Back at the bottom!

 I think I pretty much followed the path with the dotted line, although I might have deviated from it a bit at the beginning.

I'd love to hike A Mountain again soon!  Or maybe the Organ Mountains; that would be awesome! Who knows. :)