STRONGWORDS

Futebol and hippies

2012-01-31T08:49:00.000-05:00

Here's another batch of new, authentic, uniquely Brazilian experiences. Went to my first "futebol" game. It was Ponte Preta versus . . . someone else, it doesn't matter, I would get kicked out of town if I even thought about another team. Adoring Ponte is a must. And I do. Mostly because of one beautiful goal right in front of my face during the last few seconds of the game. The pontepretanos are extremely devoted and passionate, and they even taught me some inappropriate new vocab words.

Then there's the "hippie fair" which is a whole other kind of fun. Every weekend we have this huge outdoor market in the city center with all kinds of crazy foods, arts & crafts, and of course some hippies. Oh wow, I'm liking this place. [fotos aqui]

O cidade interessante

2012-01-29T15:48:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I ventured into São Paulo with some friends. This city is GI-normous. I'm sure we barely scratched the surface, but we did see some impressive museums, churches, malls and cafés amidst the hustle & bustle. Basically it was a great day of exploring and experiencing one of the craziest cities on the planet.

Brazil at last

2012-01-15T16:53:00.002-05:00

My first week in Brazil . . . what a whirlwind of awesomeness! This country is quickly climbing to the top of my favorite places list. I'm already overwhelmed by how many beautiful people I've met, so welcoming and helpful, always making sure I have kisses on the cheek and coffee in my hand. My host Tia Zezé is especially wonderful. She's teaching me to cook, and yesterday we went to the feira to check out the exotic fruits and veg. We strolled around town, snacked and dodged rain all day. So far my Portuguese classes have been intense but so good. I'm the only student in my classes, so no spacing out for me. Especially with Maria, who speaks zero English. There are quite a few other missionaries around who are fun to hang with. Last week we ventured out to the circus, and soon we'll get in some road trips! [more pictures here]

The next adventure

2012-01-01T22:52:00.000-05:00

Finally enough news to warrant a newsletter! Here's a copy of what I sent out to all the fabulous people on my mailing list . . .

Dear Friends and Family, thank you so much to all of you who have already joined the “Get Kelly to Brazil” campaign. Your prayers and financial help have been essential in getting me to this point. As I write this letter I am only days away from a departure. I decided to stick around home a little longer than originally planned, mainly for the chance to meet my brand new baby niece! And spending the holidays with my fam isn’t so bad either. The timing of my exit could not have been better. These past few months I’ve been able to see everyone, do everything and wrap up this chapter of my life exactly as I wanted to before beginning the next adventure. I’ve been willing to go for a while; now it’s really exciting to ﬁnally be ready and able too.

I will leave Florida after the ﬁrst of the year and begin language school in Campinas, Brazil on January 9th. I will be living with an amazing local woman, Tia Zezé, who opens up her home to missionaries studying Portuguese. She knows very little English, so it will be an intense language and cultural immersion experience for me, no doubt! In June I will move out to Chapada dos Guimarães to assist a local organization that’s coordinating and hosting a huge meeting of indigenous Christian leaders from all across the Amazon Basin. They’ll be strategizing about how to reach out to their own people, and Bible translation will deﬁnitely be a big part of that. Following the conference I will continue working in CdG as a volunteer coordinator. I’ll be hosting short term mission teams and helping long term volunteers get to Brazil and get acclimated once they do. Our work in Brazil will not only focus on the indigenous people of the Amazon, but also empowering Brazilians to get involved with Bible translation in other Portuguese speaking countries, like Angola and Mozambique in Africa.

Thank you again for your support, encouragement, standing with me and just believing in me. I couldn’t do any of this without you. Don’t forget to check my website, and please keep me in your prayers. You are appreciated! Love, Kelly

www.wycliffeassociates.org/links/donatenow

Joy to the world

2011-12-30T13:58:00.003-05:00

Unto us a niece is born. And she is A-DOR-A-BLE!! Welcome to the family, baby Alexis. We're gonna be best friends. [more pictures!]

Casa futura

2011-11-09T02:50:00.000-05:00

My boss took some pictures of the house I'll probably be living in next summer when I go to CdG after language school. The place is literally calling my name. And I'm really looking forward to this front porch. Only thing missing is me in a hammock.

Last hurrah

2011-10-10T21:49:00.001-04:00

It's been a super busy couple months. Mostly because I've been trying to squeeze in lots of family, fun, road trip, America time before I leave the country. Last month I spent a couple weeks in Idaho and Washington with my grandparents and extended fam. It was so great because I hadn't been back to the homeland in 11 years and hadn't seen some of my cousins in even longer than that. One day we all got together for a big wonderful bonfire and four-wheelin' day. Also did some exploring in Spokane and visited a lot of the old favorite places with my folks. It's kind of amazing how many random tidbits I remember from when I was little. Came back to O-town for a couple weeks then hit the road to visit my awesome almost family in Alabama. As always I had a blast with the kiddos and love every second I get to be around my best bud. Next stop: Brazil! [more pictures here]

Twice as nice

2011-09-05T15:58:00.003-04:00

For a few months now I've been completely consumed with packing, sorting, tossing and donating all of my earthly possessions. Moving day(s) finally finished last weekend. In the midst of all the sorting I ran across quite a few treasures that I hadn't seen in a couple moves. Like a stack of reject slides from my parents which contained this picture of my li'l sis and I. When you flip it upside down you can see it's a double exposure and there's me again, mega shades, band-aid knees and all. I thought it was cool too because right now I'm visiting family up in Idaho - just a few miles from our old favorite camp spot - where this picture was taken. A lot of fun memories have been rediscovered lately, and that, to me, is a lot of fun.

20 Floridian years

2011-07-24T00:30:00.004-04:00

This summer marks my family's 20th year of living in the great state of Florida. Overall it's been a pretty outstanding growing up. There's no place on earth quite like Florida, and I'm very pleased to call this strange, awesome place home.

Uno, dos, tres, catorce!

2011-07-02T22:10:00.008-04:00

This week I finally got to see U2! I thought the day would never come; been staring at my tickets since last January. But it was definitely worth the wait. People had been telling me for years how it's like a "spiritual" experience. And yep, they were pretty much right. The music made the entire stadium shake, and the visuals were simply mind blowing. It was an extra great day because my parents were able to come too. We drove through three beastly T-storms between Orlando and Miami, but once we got into the stadium, not a drop! Another bonus: Florence [+ The Machine] + a huge flowy yellow dress + running laps around the 360 stage. WOW was about the only thing I could say at the end of the day.

Bringing the word to the world

2011-06-30T13:51:00.009-04:00

I recently sent out my first Brazil-related newsletter. If you want to be on my mailing list, let me know. Or you can just stalk my blog, whatev! Here's what the letter said:

Of the more than 6800 language groups in the world, nearly one third don’t have a single verse of scripture in their language. In the Brazilian Amazon there are over 80 different indigenous groups waiting to receive the Bible in their native tongue. Volunteers around the world are on a mission to make God’s word available to everyone in this generation . . .

Dear Friends and Family, it’s my pleasure to tell you that I have been invited to join Wycliffe Associates in this great endeavor. I will be working in the Amazon Basin as a site volunteer coordinator. My role will be to plan and oversee all the details of getting volunteers to Brazil and, once they get there, making sure they have everything they need to be effective and have a really awesome cross-cultural missions experience!

My parents ﬁrst told me about this position a few years ago. I wasn’t interested at the time; I wanted to stay home for a while and try to make my own way. But after carrying Bibles across the ******* border last summer, I realized what a treasure that book is. (Not to mention how fundamental it is to our faith and every other kind of missionary work out there!) And I remembered how much I love and long to be a part of what God is doing in the world. It didn’t take long for my heart to catch up with the idea of going back into full time missionary work.

Now I am really looking forward to stepping into something completely new and foreign. Rather than relying entirely on myself, as I have been lately, I’m moving into a season where I have no choice but to rely fully on God. That’s a little scary at times. Because I don’t exactly know what I’m getting into, or IF I can do it, or HOW I will do it. However I am conﬁdent that this is where I’m meant to be, and I believe amazing things will happen . . . to me and through me. Part of the deal with going on this journey with God is that I must also rely on a back-at-home support base. I literally can not do anything without the ﬁnancial and prayer support of friends and family. Would you consider supporting me on a monthly basis? You can help make the Bible available to someone in Brazil. Let me be your representative, and we’ll go on this adventure together!

I’m hoping to begin language school in September, providing I’m able to obtain a Visa and raise enough support for Wycliffe to let me go! In my next letter I’ll talk more about language school, what my job will entail and where in Brazil I may be headed. Please contact me with any questions or comments. Lots of love and thanks . . . Kelly

www.wycliffeassociates.org/links/donatenow

Curiosity & the cat

2011-05-29T22:39:00.010-04:00

Cheesy cat person alert!

I just have to take a moment to honor the memory of my beloved Gus. Yesterday was his last day of roaming the streets and charming the neighbors. Gus was infinitely mischievous, a fearless adventurer and a friend to every dog, cat and human he met. But not lizards; he was a ruthless lizard hunter. This cat had more personality and attitude than most people I know. And he could sit on his rear just like a real person too. He had an immense squirrelly tail which was usually decorated with leaves, twigs and other souvenirs. Gus was simply one of the sweetest and funniest animals in creation, and he blessed my family with years of love and laughs. We'll miss you, little Gus-a-roo!

Under construction

2011-05-18T23:26:00.004-04:00

Working at my old/new S-bux tonight, I was thinking about renovation and redemption, and how her path to newness kind of resembles my own. I think I'm still in the "getting gutted" phase though.

"Behold, I am making all things new." -Rev. 21:5

Not planning ahead

2011-05-06T00:33:00.012-04:00

Sooo, in the near future I might be living somewhere near here. It's Chapada dos Guimarães in the Brazilian highlands, at the "geodesic center" of South America (a.k.a. their Kansas). It seems to be disgustingly gorgeous.

Oh, and people keep asking me how long I'm staying for. I feel like I should probably stay at least until 2014. I mean, World Cup . . . in Brazil . . . I don't know, but I think that could be pretty epic. Then there's the olympics in 2016. It might be God's will for me to go to that too!

But seriously, I never plan that far ahead. And just the possibility of getting to see those rocks in real life someday is more than a little thrilling to me.

A change is coming

2011-04-13T10:33:00.004-04:00

Since I've moaned a few times about nothing working out for me and having no direction in life, it's a huge relief that I can finally finish that story and start a new one. Things are happening. Life is changing. I guess it started last summer. I applied for another job that I absolutely knew I could do. I had total confidence in myself. Honestly my heart wasn't really in it anymore, but I decided I'd give it one more shot. It was more of a test than anything. So when I didn't get the job I took it as a sign straight from God that it was time to move in a completely different direction. "OK, let's try something that I don't know I can do, something I've never done before, so I'll have to rely on God instead of myself."

And guess what. It worked. Shocker.

So later this year I'm moving to BRAZIL!

First I learn Portuguese, then I'll be a volunteer coordinator for anybody who wants to go help out some Bible translators in the Amazon. I joined up with Wycliffe Associates, the same org that my dad does architecting for. Speaking of the parents, it's amazing how they still have this weird ability to speak wisdom into my life. They heard about this position a few years ago and said "Kelly you'd be good at that" and I was like "Nah I'm gonna get a real job and make money." It's like when I was 20 and all "I'm a missionary in Africa" and they're like "You should really finish college." It was a bummer, but I did it, and it actually turned out to be the most un-hated time of my educational career. And obviously the right thing to do in the long run. So I'm hoping that listening to my parents again will bode well for me. I basically have no idea what I'm getting into, but I'm grateful and optimistic and pretty darn excited.

If you like pictures

2011-03-10T22:45:00.008-05:00

Finally! Last batch of 2010 pictures uploaded. Have another look.
Finally! First batch of 2011 pictures uploaded. There will be more, many more.

My birthday campaign

2011-01-12T00:49:00.006-05:00

This year all I want for my birthday is to build a well in Africa. A billion people in the world don't have access to something I take for granted everyday, clean and safe water. We can do something about it! Join me. http://mycharitywater.org/kellystrong

A very beachy Christmas

2010-12-31T13:04:00.004-05:00

My family rented a condo at the beach this Christmas for our gift to each other. We went bundled-up beach-bumming, did some home-cooking and movie-marathoning, and had some major relaxing. And that was quite enough presents for me.

Christmas past

2010-12-22T21:18:00.007-05:00

I love old photos. Strong family 1953 . . . What were they thinking? What were they drinking? What is up with that tree? So many possibilities.

Some things never change

2010-11-03T16:03:00.007-04:00

My grandma found some old embarrassing pictures of me. I'd never seen them before, but there was something very familiar about one of them. Then I remembered this beauty that a friend posted on Facebook a few years ago. Woww. Ladder? I don't need no stupid ladder! Ima do it all bah mahself.

Above & beyond

2010-10-30T18:33:00.009-04:00

I'm not sure how or why this happened, but oddly enough it reminded me of this Bible verse, which I needed to remember...

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3)

Plan D

2010-10-22T00:47:00.006-04:00

I rode my bike 14 miles today, to work and back. I have to do random spontaneous stuff like that sometimes just to smack myself around. I've been in a rut lately, a big deep rut. Usually I can hide my frustrations pretty well, but it wasn't happening today. So I took it all out on my bike and legs instead of customers and coworkers. It worked a little, for today. But the rut's still there, and I'm still in it. I've tried to make things happen. I've waited and not tried to make things happen. Neither method has done much for me. I wonder if I made a wrong turn somewhere. Or else I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. God, I hope that's the case. All I know is, I had a plan A and a B and a C, and they all failed. So I've been living plan D for three years now. I put my heart and soul into plan D and embraced every mundane bit of it. Because maybe this really is where I'm supposed to be right now. It's definitely been a time of getting stretched and shaped and tested and refined. I'm OK with that. But it's still plan D! How long can I make the most of plan D? Am I supposed to be satisfied with plan D? I don't think so. There's more. There's gotta be more. I'm too young and free and full of potential to be stuck in this rut. C'mon life, let's get with it.

Buried treasures

2010-08-24T23:26:00.017-04:00

My friend Nathan recently unearthed a long lost SD card and sent me his pictures from the golf cart incident of 2006. I have some vague recollections of that night when Carolina suddenly declared "Let's paint the golf cart." But this brought back so many amazing memories in stunning detail. Like how horrible the golf cart looked before, how long we spent creating the perfect lightning bolts, how meticulously we covered our tracks in the barn then raced to get the E-Z-GO hidden in the gym before the neighbors woke up. But not before taking it on a little indoor joyride. Oh, the things you do when you're delirious and rebellious and in East Texas. Thanks Nathan and Carolina for one of the most ridiculous nights of my life and the laughter it still causes me.

Greater things

2010-08-03T00:04:00.003-04:00

We sang this song the last night we were in Hong Kong, and it's been swimming in my head ever since. There are certain highlights from my trip that I won't share here, for many reasons. But this song pretty completely illustrates what my hopes and prayers look like and how I feel about the whole experience.

"You're the God of this city, you're the King of these people, you're the Lord of this nation, you are. You're the Light in this darkness, you're the Hope to the hopeless, you're the Peace to the restless, you are. There is no one like our God. There is no one like our God. For greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city. Greater thing have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here."

Ch!na

2010-07-26T00:54:00.012-04:00

I can't quite find the words to sum it all up yet. I can't quite wrap my brain around the fact that I was in Ch!na a few days ago. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done in my life. One day I'll tell you about it. For now, there's pictures.

Welcome home

2010-07-06T23:19:00.004-04:00

We're very pleased and proud to have our soldier back. No one's happier than Lynz and Nick of course! Finally a family again. [Palm Beach Post]

June in bloom

2010-06-21T16:53:00.005-04:00

My parents planted this crape myrtle in the backyard a few years ago. It's in honor of my cousin who departed this earth on June 19, 2007. And every year at this time Bill's tree blooms like crazy!

Divine appointments

2010-06-08T22:49:00.007-04:00

I got to see my good buddy Mike last week. He rode down from Michigan with his Christian motorcycle club. (I want a motorcycle bad!!!) Anyways, it was awesome because I was originally supposed to work that night, but someone got canned, and my manager shuffled everyone's schedules around. It was totally one of those God-orchestrated situations. Kind of like how I met Mike in the first place. We were at a restaurant on a roof in Monrovia in 2007 having the typical "where are you from" conversation. "Oh I was in Michigan a few years ago... a wedding... a tall Norwegian girl named Marit." Come to find out Mike was there too. He happened to be an old friend of Mark, who I met on the ship in 2000, and who married my roommate Marit a few years later. That's how Mike knew about the ship, and that's how we wound up on a roof in Monrovia. Actually I'm pretty sure we met at the wedding, but neither of us remember that. I just love when stuff like that happens. It feels like God is winking at me.

All this has happened before

2010-05-13T23:18:00.009-04:00

...and all this will happen again.

Two things about me: I used to work on that ship, and I currently work at this Starbucks.

When the Anastasis went to meet her scrapper in 2007 she was way past her prime. She'd served well and was dearly loved. She valiantly hung in there until her replacement arrived. But it was so time. People who lived onboard used words like "homey" and "lived in" as a way of dealing with the constant state of everything falling to crap. Floods, fires and various sewage mishaps contributed to the charming personality of the ship. She really was a beauty, and I usually choose to remember the many good times we had. Now I feel like I'm living in history repeating. My Starbucks desperately needs to get bulldozed and just started all over. But we hang on, the elusive remodel date looming somewhere on the horizon. With each new crack and leak we just throw up our hands and laugh. What're ya gonna do? ...when you're fighting a losing battle. Even though it's being held together mostly by tape and velcro, it's got character and we love it. We'll miss it when it's gone. But just like the new ship did, I'm sure our new Starbucks will eventually feel like home too.

Quote of the day

2010-05-04T21:17:00.002-04:00

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." -Martin Luther King Jr.

...except not really the quote of the day, more like the mission statement of my whole life right now. Thanks MLKJ. Message received.

What's in a name?

2010-04-30T00:10:00.009-04:00

I got to thinking about names today. I realized the two people I had a job interview with last week were named Stark and Freeze. That just made me laugh. (I don't think I even need to say how the interview went or how I feel about it.) But it also made me remember how much I like my name. It's pretty amazing how people tend to grow into their names and become what their name means. It's like destiny. And my last name is especially awesome. I think I've grown into that one too. Thankfully.

A week in the country

2010-04-26T23:48:00.003-04:00

I finally took some vacation time, which was long long long overdue, and went to visit my people in Bama. I had so much fun playing with the kids outside, picking strawberries and watching little league baseball. We did some minor lumber-jacking and major movie-watching. And I managed to confuse everyone I met because apparently I look exactly like my best friend, or her twin sister. Anyways, it was a fantastic week in the country. I'm so blessed to know this family, and even more happy that they let me be a part of it. [More pictures here]

Photo Booth

2010-04-01T01:34:00.006-04:00

So great to see my BFF and all my 2nd family last week. Had a blast watching the kids discover the wonders of Photo Booth...

Hannah got creative with me.

Lena liked all the pretty colors.

And Ben thought the whole thing was just plain silly.

Tea time

2010-03-09T23:01:00.007-05:00

Those Brits knew what they were doing when they came up with afternoon tea. Mom, sisters and I took Grandma out to the Grand Floridian tea room for her birthday. This is a tradition I would like to incorporate into my daily life. Jolly good!

One in a million

2010-02-15T16:22:00.006-05:00

I started this Bible study at church a few weeks ago...

...then I got this card from my coworkers last week. Coincidence? I hope not.

Have a little look see

2010-01-29T23:51:00.004-05:00

Finally got my Christmas and rest of 2009 pictures loaded up on the interweb. [CLICK HERE SEE PICTURES] This one represents two great accomplishments of 2009. First, On Christmas eve Jill and I cooked two crock pots full of crazy stew and had the fam over. It was delicious. Second, I actually got Jill AND Grandpa to play two whole board games! Was quite the event. Get ready for some awesome pictures coming up in 2010.

There's a hole in my sidewalk

2010-01-27T00:04:00.004-05:00

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson

Chapter One: I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two: I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend that I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in this same place. But, it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in... it's a habit. But, my eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.

Chapter Four: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.

Chapter Five: I walk down another street.

The secret to life

2009-12-28T20:01:00.012-05:00

I think one of the secrets to life is doing something you care about, or at least caring about what you're doing. For some reason right now I really care about steaming perfect foam and being the best floor mopper ever. I'm extremely grateful for my job at Starbucks. Grateful to have a job, period. I've been trying to find a new job, or second job, for a while now. I have skills and qualifications, and I even thought I heard from God a couple times. But nothing has happened yet. Closed doors; enough already. Open windows; more please. I believe in stuff like "whatever you do work at it with all your heart" and the "being faithful in the little things" principle. I've never really had to put those ideas into action on a regular basis though. But in my current penniless position I think I would be a miserable wreck if I didn't. I always knew I would like working at Starbucks, but I never thought it would be the job that made me a better person. Some of my previous jobs and adventures kind of ruined the ordinary for me. So most days feel like I'm in a rut. But that's where I am, and I'm okay with it. I'm determined to live fully where I am instead of always waiting for what's next. At the same time I'm trying to believe that God does have more in store for me, and that someday all this being faithful and working with my heart business will pay off. Oh wait, I suppose it already has.

Happy(?) Halloween

2009-10-31T00:20:00.005-04:00

Nick's getting good at facial expressions, especially sad fat lip, scowly eyebrows and sometimes big cheesy grin.

A good long life

2009-10-27T00:43:00.008-04:00

I made this slideshow for my grandmother's memorial service. She was a Strong woman and I'm honored to have known her.

Bestemor

2009-10-11T22:57:00.003-04:00

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

Signe "Bestemor" Strong: October 6, 1919 - October 11, 2009

Won't you be my neighbor?

2009-09-22T01:01:00.003-04:00

I see this guy more than any of my other new neighbors.

Power power wonderworking power

2009-09-19T23:03:00.012-04:00

I love old hymns and new hymns. We sang this one at Deeper Still this weekend. Pretty powerful words, especially when you believe them.

"...and as he stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost its grip on me. For I am his and he is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ. No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me. From life’s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hand. ‘Til he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand..."

Disney On Ice

2009-09-14T00:58:00.004-04:00

We went to see Disney On Ice last night. Even though the villains made my nephew cry, it was all pretty magical! I think the cotton candy was Nick's favorite part of the show.

Everyday ordinary

2009-09-10T03:03:00.004-04:00

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out." Romans 12 The Msg. I just like the way it says things sometimes.

I stand corrected

2009-07-30T23:59:00.004-04:00

Whenever I see a Smart car I think about my day in Paris. I was on my way to Liberia, got stranded in Brussels for a few days and took a train to Paris. It was one of the single most coolest days of my life, no doubt. Anyways I think that was the first time I saw the little tiny cars in person. And I thought they were so funny looking and so very European (that I had to take a picture of them) and I was so sure they would never catch on in America. What the heck America? I'm still pretty sure they won't catch on in Texas, but go ahead Texas, prove me wrong. I do enjoy seeing them around though. They make me laugh, and they remind me of Paris.

10 years later

2009-07-15T13:28:00.009-04:00

10 years ago 34 strangers met on a ship in South Africa and spent five adventurous, strenuous and hilarious months together. 10 years later 10 of us (plus two husbands, four kids and a dog) reconvened in the mountains of Kentucky. And we had a blast. We stayed in a country cabin, cooked over fire, rode horses, sailed on a riverboat and spent an appropriate amount of time doing nothing. We relived some of our best and worst memories, brought back the dogpile and stayed up all night playing mafia. It's hard to believe 10 years have gone by already. Especially when we can just pick up where we left off, like no time has passed at all. There's something special about this group of friends. Something about surviving each other and everything else we experienced that will always tie us together. To quote a cheesy song, "Friends are friends forever if the Lord's the lord of them." Very true. I thank God for the old memories and for these friendships that keep on creating new memories. [More pictures here]

With a vengeance

2009-06-27T19:55:00.007-04:00

Nick showed this cupcake who's boss. Click for party PIX and VID.

What I'll remember

2009-06-26T01:41:00.005-04:00

When I was little one of my neighbors had not just a swimming pool and every single MASK toy, but he had a jukebox full of Michael Jackson. I thought the kid was a little nuts when he showed me his moves, but whatever, he had a pool and awesome toys, so we were friends. Then when I was eight I went to Disneyland and saw Captain EO. I had to get a Captain EO sweatshirt, it was that cool. In recent years Michael Jackson turned into... something... else... I don't know, but I think I'll choose to remember the "king of pop" from those earlier memories. And Farrah Fawcett, she just kicked ass. I still want to be one of Charlie's Angels.

The front yard

2009-06-12T02:06:00.007-04:00

It's a lovely little patch of suburban paradise. We like it here.

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T23:57:00.013-04:00

"Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting, but rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived." -General George S. Patton

Almost

2009-05-18T00:09:00.004-04:00

My dad sent me this picture of Starbacks Coffee in Ethiopia. My favorite Starbucks coffee is Ethiopian, but I have a feeling the stuff these guys are drinking is even more delicious. It's funny that they chose to almost imitate a huge coffee mega-chain, considering that Starbucks wouldn't even exist if coffee hadn't been discovered in Ethiopia. Oh well, coffee and signage, two of the things I love most about Africa.

SLOTD

2009-05-14T01:48:00.004-04:00

Song lyrics of the day: "Don't write yourself off yet. It's only in your head you feel left out, or looked down on. Just try your best, try everything you can. And don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away. You know they're all the same. You know you're doing better on your own, so don't buy in. Live right now. Just be yourself. It doesn't matter if that's good enough for someone else. It just takes some time. Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. Everything will be just fine. Everything will be alright." -Jimmy Eat World

Can't help but smile

2009-05-09T00:47:00.011-04:00

Spent the day at Blizzard Beach with this little rascal, my sis and bro-in-law. Had dinner at Chef Mickey's and caught a few rides at Magic Kingdom. That's a ridiculously fun day. [More pictures here]

BVOTD

2009-04-16T01:17:00.003-04:00

Bible verse of the day: "How well God must like you— you don't hang out at Sin Saloon, you don't slink along Dead-End Road, you don't go to Smart-Mouth College." Psalms 1.1 The Message

Why I love Florida

2009-03-31T20:29:00.006-04:00

Florida is unlike any other state I know. It's nothing but a big flat sandbar that's mostly water. Hurricanes barely recognize it as a land mass. Everything is made out of cement. There's Disney, palm trees, sharks, manatees, citrus and sinkholes. Go north and you're in the deep south. Go south and you may as well be in Cuba. It's a diverse mix of rednecks, retired people, foreigners and transplanted northerners. You never know where you'll find an alligator. Election scandals and other stupid things. Tropical rain bursts that remind me of Costa Rica. Suffocating humidity that reminds me of West Africa. Native Americans who made up words like Withlacoochee, Okeechobee and Ichitucknee. Early pioneers were called Crackers. Miles and miles of coastline. These are just a few of the things that make Florida unique, and that's why I love it.

At last

2009-03-14T02:27:00.003-04:00

My love...I mean, my Mac...has come along.

Be mine

2009-02-03T17:06:00.005-05:00

It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine.

Travel addiction strikes again

2009-01-26T23:16:00.006-05:00

Thought I'd start the year off with a trip to California. Got to visit a bunch of good friends in LA and San Diego. Plus I saw the Getty Museum, Universal Studios, Jay Leno and lots of uniquely SoCal sights. Great vacation, I recommend it! [Pictures here]

Lots & lots of pictures

2009-01-05T18:26:00.003-05:00

The 2008 photo album is complete. Click HERE to see an amazing year's worth of amazing pictures. 2009 photo album: coming soon.

Traditions

2008-12-30T00:00:00.006-05:00

My family's Christmas tree is out of control. The year before I was born my parents started giving me ornaments. And every year since, my family has added new ornaments to the tree. We never leave off the old ones though. And all the ones that were gifts or travel souvenirs or Sunday school art projects, they're all there too. They all have a story and it's fun remembering. This is another one of my favorite family traditions.

Traditions

2008-12-22T23:08:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite family traditions is the Thanksgiving picnic at Blue Springs. Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday anyways, just because of the food. And because it reminds me to be thankful. Add picnic tables, manatees and some old friends, and it's an extra special day. My favorite part this year was playing with my siblings, even though we failed all attempts at any real sports. We're technically all adults, but it was fun to see that we could still play together.

I love how

2008-12-11T01:31:00.004-05:00

My dad just got back from a trip to Kenya and Tanzania, where he took this picture of black Jesus. I love how people make Jesus one of their own wherever you go in the world. And I love how God always provides for my family in unusual and unexpected ways. Like my dad's new job at Wycliffe that took him to Africa. But I'll let him tell that story someday on his own blog.

Pumpkin eater

2008-11-01T16:59:00.005-04:00

Jill and I won the pumpkin carving contest with this beauty. The trick-or-treaters voted, and kids prefer violence.

Battleground state

2008-10-27T01:08:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure about the rest of Florida, but on my street the Pubs are winning six yard signs to one. Just an observation.

Stuck like family

2008-09-21T19:51:00.009-04:00

A couple weeks ago I took a trip to Pennsylvania and Connecticut. I went to a good friend's wedding and got to catch up with lots of friends from my Mercy Shipping days. My buddy Sarah and I were talking about the little community we had in Texas. The great thing about it was that it was little, and we got to be around all kinds of different people. Basically we didn't have a choice of who we wanted to be friends with. We were stuck with eachother. Now even though we're all scattered, it feels like family when we get back together. That's really what family is though. They're just the people God sticks you with, and that's not a bad thing. I like how it works. [Click here for PA & CT pictures]

My floating home

2008-08-20T17:30:00.005-04:00

Click on this link to watch a video tour of the Africa Mercy, the ship I lived on for five months last year. I shot the video. It was one of those spur of the last moment urgently needed videos that always made my life interesting. I agreed to shoot the video but not edit it. Which is why I didn't find out until recently that someone actually did edit it and put it on the alumni site. The lighting was very tricky (the lab isn't blue in real life). But otherwise, not bad.

Hello

2008-08-13T18:15:00.001-04:00

Goodbye

2008-08-03T14:10:00.003-04:00

After seven years, across seven states and 70,000 miles, through countless adventures and misadventures we have come. And now it is time for us to part ways. We had some hard times, but now that you're gone I only remember the good times we shared. Farewell, dear Probe. Sorry about that dent.

Vicious cycles

2008-07-14T09:13:00.003-04:00

My car is broken. I need to get it fixed. So I can go to work. So I can pay to get it fixed, so that I can get to work, so that I can keep getting it fixed, so I can go to work... OR I could dump the old car and get a newer one that's not going to break so much. So that I have a way to get to work. So I can make payments on the car. So I can go to work, so I can pay for the car, so I can go to work... *sigh* If only having no car and no job were an option.

That's life

2008-06-19T22:31:00.013-04:00

One year ago I found out that my cousin Bill died in Iraq. A road-side bomb hit his humvee. I was in Africa when it happened. It was strange to be so removed from everything that was going on back home. But I was thankful in a way because it forced me to just keep moving. I couldn't dwell on emotions for very long. Life was going on and I had to keep up with it. Tonight my family got together and went out to honor our soldier. We toasted some beverages and reminisced. A gentleman from our church was sitting at the next table over. He and his wife had been regular supporters of mine during my volunteer days. But his wife wasn't there. She passed away yesterday.

When I got in my car to leave, the Coldplay song "The Scientist" was on. "Nobody said it was easy, it's such a shame for us to part..." But that's just part of life I guess. Whether it's painful or amazing or ordinary, that's life. I'm trying to embrace it. All of it, because it's all a gift.

My handiwork out of my hands

2008-06-10T13:08:00.004-04:00

I was innocently reading about this nutty "Christian" group that's boycotting Starbucks, and I got to watching a video on their website. Then at 2 minutes 19 seconds I saw something very familiar...a surgery in the Africa Mercy operating room. Two shots that I actually shot. Immediately preceded by the text "They plan to wire the internet directly into our brains." The weirdness, the irony, I found it hilarious and disturbing at the same time. My bosses used to make a big deal about branding a.k.a. having the logo present in every single shot. This is one instance where I think we're all happy to remain anonymous. Maybe "no press is bad press" isn't always true. I don't want to give these loons free publicity, but if you can find humor in extreme absurdity, click here and watch the video.

No time

2008-05-22T01:11:00.005-04:00

I went to Texas last week for my friends Dallas and Janine's wedding. I didn't think I'd be back so soon when I left in November. But thankfully things hardly ever work out how I think they will. It felt so normal to be back there. Like coming home. Like no time had passed at all. Spring in East Texas is one of the best things in the world. I took a long walk in the woods, checked on my waterfall and took some rides on the four-wheeler. The best part of the trip of course was hanging around good friends again. The friendships I made in Mercy Ships are so unique and special. Doesn't seem to matter how long it's been, we can pick up right where we left off. Like no time has passed at all. I got to help out with lots of wedding stuff too. So it was really awesome to see the wedding and everything about that day turn out so amazingly beautiful! I'm so happy I could go. [Click here for pictures]

Class is now in session

2008-05-05T15:46:00.009-04:00

This is what I think about the graphy of photo and video. Black and white isn't always better. Using a wide angle lens doesn't automatically make it cool. Covering it up with music doesn't really cover it up. Photoshopping the heck out of something or using effects just because you can doesn't necessarily make it artsy. And letterboxing for no apparent reason...why? I call it the coffeeshop principle. First you gotta just make a good cup of coffee. That's what I think, and I think I know something.

Obviously

2008-04-30T01:33:00.005-04:00

I get told that I'm quiet a lot. I really love when people state the obvious. But growing up I used to hear stupid stuff like "why are you so shy?" and something about coming out of my "shell" all the time. It was so annoying, and I started to get a complex about it. It wasn't until I was 20 years old that I realized God made me the way I am, and he doesn't make mistakes. Duh. So I tend to be on the quieter side more often than not. What's so weird about that? I don't take it to heart anymore, I just find it amusing when people feel the need to point it out. And I usually feel the need to give a sarcastic reply.

People are a problem

2008-03-30T17:36:00.004-04:00

I don't talk politics. But I thought this chapter from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was really funny.

"The major problem--one of the major problems, for there are several--one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem."

Happy retirement

2008-03-19T19:43:00.015-04:00

My dear trusty travel companion. I will never forget the four years we spent together. You've seen the world with me. We've gone on roadtrips and rollercoasters, sailed oceans and hiked mountains. You've even been some places I haven't been. You performed countless photo shoots and provided endless hours of entertainment. You had to start wearing that rubber band after being dropped a few too many times. But through it all you persevered. Thank you for helping me capture so many priceless memories. Cheers!

Making the world a better place

2008-03-15T21:10:00.007-04:00

I guess I've come to terms with the fact that I'll probably never be filthy rich. It's alright though. There's some things that are more important to me than making loads of money. Being immersed in charity work for the past few years really got me hooked on the idea of doing my part to make the world a better place. I think there's millions of ways to do that. It's all a matter of perspective. So I got a job at Starbucks. Think about it. It's impossible to walk out of that place cranky. Making the world a better place, or at least a happier place, one frappuccino at a time. Maybe. I'm just happy to be back in a cafe creating my art. And I suppose I'll just have to marry rich if I'm ever gonna get that private jet.

The rest is just details

2008-02-25T23:38:00.010-05:00

"When I was at the end of my rope, he saved me. I said to myself, 'Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you've been rescued from death; Eye, you've been rescued from tears; And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.' I'm striding in the presence of God, alive in the land of the living!" -David, Psalm 116

Every minute was worth it

2008-02-21T01:38:00.001-05:00

Last August I spent a week following five people around Liberia with a video camera for the Rotary International Video Magazine. They were there to inspect the results of their huge donations to the Africa Mercy. Rotary was going to send a video crew themselves, but couldn't make the trip. Lucky for them I was there and willing to work for free! It was hard work and I missed a four day weekend, but seeing it all come together like this I can agree with the title. (And it doesn't hurt to see my name in the credits either!) "Every minute was worth it" part 1 & 2...

What to do

2008-02-16T13:51:00.005-05:00

What do you do when you don't know what to do and you have to make a decision like right now? I've got Option A. I've got Option B. They're both good. I want to do both, but I have to pick one. There's no right answer. There's no wrong answer. Well maybe there is, but I don't know. Story of my life.

Give it to me straight

2008-02-14T23:50:00.003-05:00

Just tell me the truth. I'll take painful honest truth anyday over fluffy insincere crap. I can tell the difference.

Oh, the places you'll go! (and people you'll see)

2008-02-03T15:49:00.000-05:00

"You'll get mixed up, of course, as you know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go..." Dr. Seuss

The land of snow and ice

2008-01-28T22:59:00.000-05:00

...and CARS! I just spent a week in Michigan visiting Marit and Mark (old DTS and Anastasis friends) and Mike (Africa Mercy friend). I had the complete Michigan experience. First we went to the Henry Ford museum and saw everything from horse drawn carriages to the Wienermobile. Then we went to the Detroit auto show and saw what happens when car designers run wild with their imaginations. It was cool! I also experienced lots of snow and freezing temps. One day Marit and I drove to the other side of the state to meet up with Emily and Katie (more Africa Mercy pals). We rented snowshoes and actually walked out onto Lake Michigan on some frozen wave mountains. Another day Mike and I drove over to Canada to meet up with Marrissa (we were in Texas together) and we had a blast all over Ontario. It was a great trip and totally worth the freezing just to hang out with these awesome people again! [Pictures please.]

Happy new year of more random adventures

2008-01-10T01:10:00.000-05:00

Hey click here to see all the premium new photos in my Photobucket! There's Christmas pictures, going to Universal Studios with my old roomie pictures, and mega whirlwind new years roadtrip reunion pictures. Yes my new years totally rocked because I got to reunite with some awesome friends and see and do so much cool stuff. Like skydiving! Which was absolutely amazing. I brought in the new year in a rustic cabin in the Shenandoah Mountains. I saw New York and Philadelphia for the first time. And I visited my wonderful cousins in Georgia. I was treated like royalty everywhere I went and was overwhelmed by the outrageous generosity of strangers. I had to wear six layers of clothing and still froze my face off. But I loved being with good friends and having more random adventures. Many more to come in 2008.

Vacation is the answer

2007-12-23T02:36:00.002-05:00

What are you doing? What are your plans? These are the questions people have been asking me for over three months now. The answer is always the same: vacation. I need it, I earned it, and I'm loving it. I do plan to find a meaningful purpose for my life sometime soon, but for now vacation is the answer.

One of my favorite vacation activities is the roadtrip. I went down to Miami for a few days to hang out with my BFF and two of the funnest kids ever, Bennyboy and Hannahbanana.

Then I set off on an amazing five day cruise with my bro, sis, ma & pa. Our luxury liner sailed to Grand Cayman and Mexico. We snorkeled, shopped, ate way too much and relaxed just enough. It was quite a different ship experience for me. But I totally loved being out to sea again, especially gazing at the stars with the wind in my face. It was pretty fun impressing everyone with my vast nautical knowledge too. [Click here for more pictures.]

I'm on BBC

2007-11-26T23:09:00.002-05:00

Or at least some video I shot is. Click HERE to see. Yeah, I totally just freelanced for the freakin BBC! (emphasis on free) I did the interview and shot the footage of Dr. Leo in the ward and operating room all on my last day of work. Not a relaxing day. But I'm so happy it paid off. Side note: That skeleton in the background of the interview travels around the ship and sometimes scares people. Like on my roommate's birthday when someone dressed it up and put it outside our door and I almost had a heart attack.

34 months

2007-11-13T19:14:00.000-05:00

Some of the best memories from my time with Mercy Ships:

The grass is always greener

2007-11-04T18:13:00.003-05:00

I started thinking about this phrase a few months ago when I was in Liberia. I was looking forward to getting off the ship and going back to certain freedoms and luxuries I'd been missing. But I knew once I left the ship part of me would soon be wishing I was back there. The grass is always greener on the other side. What I got to thinking about was that the saying doesn't go "The grass is always green..." It says "The grass is always greener..." which means it could quite possibly be green on both sides. Though it may seem greener on the other side, the challenge is recognizing the green on the side I'm on. So I made a point of appreciating my [symbolic] green grass while I was still in Liberia and on the ship. And while I was in Texas for a few weeks I determined to enjoy the green grass that was there. And now that I'm back in Florida I'm definietly missing certain parts of my life on the ship and in Texas, but the grass is green here too. Rather than romanticize where I've been or where I'm going, I'm making an effort to be thankful for today wherever I am and whatever my situation, because there's always something good.

That doesn't happen to me

2007-10-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

Before I left for the ship in April I pulled a lump sum of money out of my savings account. I wanted to always have cash on hand and hopefully never have to worry about hunting down an ATM. Unfortunately plastic cards aren't of much use in some parts of the world. I withdrew more money than I needed. Even after staying two months longer than I thought I would, it was still more than enough. When I got back to Texas and was unpacking I threw the envelope of cash in my junk drawer and forgot about it. Last week my car wouldn't start. The timing could have been worse, since I'll be driving it 1066 miles next week. But the price hurt and caused me to despair a bit. I decided it was time to finally go through all the bank statements I'd been avoiding. I opened my junk drawer to grab my checkbook and found the envelope of cash. Just curious, so I counted it. It was exactly $8.45 more than the bill for my car. I counted it a few more times. Stuff like that doesn't happen to me, other people, but not me. I don't know why I was so surprised though. God has provided for me over and over again in ways that I can't explain. But this time it was tangible. I could hold it in my hands. It was humbling. Why does God who created the whole universe care about the boring details of my life? I don't know, but he does, right down to the number of little pieces of paper in an envelope. Matthew 6:25-34

New place same great blog

2007-10-19T01:59:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new STRONGWORDS. I migrated all my old blog posts and links and everything from my other site over to this one. The only thing I couldn't move over was my newsletters, so let me know if you'd like to be added to my mailing list. I gotta say a huge THANK YOU to Josh for helping me get my old site going and fixing any problems I encountered or created over the past two years. And thanks also to Dan for hosting the site on his server. I'm in a "season of change" right now. So, I don't know why but I thought what the heck I'll try something different and maybe even simplify my life a little.

[10/11/07] God time is best time

2007-10-16T00:24:00.002-04:00

Liberian taxis are decorated with some really great slogans. Some are strange, some are true words of wisdom. "God time is best time" has been on my mind latley. There's been a lot of changes going on within my department. Actually I'm not even sure if I'm in a department. I think my job has become obsolete. I was in a meeting today listening to all these changes and plans, and I couldn't stop thinking, "Wow I'm so glad I won't be here for that...this is the perfect time for me to leave...God time IS best time." It's the end of an era. Video Production as we have known it is no more. It's hard to let it go. But it has to die in order to come back to life as something new, maybe even something better. It's been an honor to carry on the legacy of Steve, David, Nathan and Ben, great men who were a part of, what I refer to as, "The Golden Age of Video Production." I wish it didn't have to end with me. But God time is best time. [Click here for more taxi wisdom.]

[10/07/07] Baby got back

2007-10-16T00:24:00.001-04:00

...to Texas on Thursday night after 35 hours of traveling! I was totally wasted and still haven't gotten over the jetlag. Culture shock hasn't been too shocking but I have some adjusting yet to do. So many things are so extremely opposite to where I've come from, like the deafening silence, the sweetest smelling fresh air ever, the absolute solitude and the freedom to go anywhere I want whenever I want by myself. I've gone through this transition several times before, and I feel like it takes me a little less time to feel normal again with each trip. The hardest part is still leaving friends or having friends leave me. I've gotten used to it a little, but it never gets easier. I have three more weeks in Texas to process and reflect and adjust before I go home.

[10/01/07] Theme song for my departure

2007-10-16T00:23:00.002-04:00

"Should I stay or should I go now? Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble. An if I stay it will be double. So come on and let me know. Should I stay or should I go?" -The Clash

[09/27/07] The white parade

2007-10-16T00:23:00.001-04:00

I'm not used to being the center of attention. But it's impossible to blend in here. Everywhere I go I feel like I'm on parade. When I ride through the villages I wave out the window and little kids run towards me waving and screaming. It's the same when I ride the train, but that feels even more like a parade float. Why are people who don't know me so excited to see me? It's strange, but I don't mind. What does get old is the constant staring. The constant feeling that I'm constantly being watched. It's hard to ignore sometimes. People don't just glance, they stop in their tracks and follow me with their eyes until I'm gone. OK I know I'm different, but geez. Where I come from different is normal and most people don't give it any thought. Well I don't anyways. So it's very strange for me to be the subject of peoples' fascination. Even stranger when they say things like 'white girl white girl you my friend' or 'fine woman fine fine woman' or 'I love you I marry you.' I gotta laugh about it. It's just so weird to me.

[09/18/07] When the president looked at me

2007-10-16T00:22:00.000-04:00

Some people asked me if I was going to shoot video of the opening ceremony for the new clinic on Sunday. They asked in a way that said 'You should.' I had to convince myself that I wanted to go because otherwise I would have done it, but not with a good attitude. I knew I should. It's just better to want to. Anyways, I'm really happy I went now. We arrived about a half hour late. But the ceremony didn't start for another hour because we were waiting for the president to arrive. I didn't even know she was coming. But her name was on all the banners, programs, even the plaque on the new building. First the police came along with some UN troops and secret service guys. Soon the big black Benz with red, white and blue flapping flags swung around the corner. This was my second time shooting video of the president. It was much less hectic than when she visited the ship in May. After she gave a speech and cut the ribbon she toured the clinic. She was always surrounded by security and dignitaries, but at one point she walked within about two feet of me. And we made eye contact. Or at least she looked into my camera. Wow, it was one of those moments where my life flashed before my eyes and I wondered 'How in the world did I ever get here?' Not that I'm someone to get starstruck, but I am kind of in awe of this person just because of all the history she represents. It was surreal. [Click here to watch the video.]

[09/07/07] One of those days

2007-10-16T00:21:00.002-04:00

Today was one of those Twilight Zone days where nothing makes any sense. I had a plan to go shoot video this afternoon at a class in Bomi county. It was all planned out. So I'm waiting in reception for my driver, it's 1:10 and I'm still waiting. I check a few places, make some calls, nothing. I then go look at the sign out sheet only to find that he's signed out. Off the ship. So I find another vehicle and another driver and I sign out. Then I notice that the person I'm going out to shoot video of is not signed out. Still on the ship. I try to find her, but I can't. I'm so confused. Then I check the vehicles and find that her vehicle is gone. So maybe she just forgot to sign out. I find a vehicle and driver again and we leave the ship. By now it's 2:00 and I was supposed to be there at 2:00 and it takes an hour to get there and the class ends at 3:00. By God's grace I get there and she's there and I still have about ten minutes to shoot the video I need. *Sigh* of relief.

When I get back to the ship I decide to check my e-mail. There's a message from someone saying 'Hi I'm the new video person at the IOC.' Uhhhhh...OK. I thought I was in charge of that department. But, sure. Why would I need to know that there's a new person in my office doing my job working on a project that I've adamantly been saying NO to for two plus years? I guess I'm as good as gone. Ugh. Friday afternoons are not supposed to be like this.

[08/31/07] Time for change

2007-10-16T00:21:00.001-04:00

The time has come. Time for me to make some changes. I went to Texas more than two years ago to work as a volunteer video producer. I signed up for one year, but then I thought "Aw what the heck, I got nothing else to do, I'll stay til God tells me to leave." So I stayed. I adjusted to living in the country. I made friends and I traveled. I learned a lot of things the hard way. I had FUN. But now it's time for me to go. Time to move on. Time to see what else God has in store for me. I'm so humbled by the opportunites given to me. It's been quite a ride. It hasn't always been easy. It's been extremely difficult at times. But I'm a better person for it. My life has been enriched. I don't have a what's next plan. I'm going home. I'll figure the rest out later. For once I'm not afraid of the vast unknown future. Right now I just want to finish what I'm doing and finish strong. One more month in Liberia. Then one more month in Texas. And then...

[08/07/07] Random acts of kindness

2007-10-16T00:20:00.000-04:00

I went out to eat African food tonight on Jamaica Road, about a 15 minute walk from the ship. The road was extremely muddy, but I managed to keep nine of my toes clean. We ate at one of the "food is ready" places (referring to the sign they put outside when the food is ready). Tonight we had a choice between spicy red rice and meat or even spicier fufu and potato leaves. We chose rice. On the way back I stepped out onto what I thought was a solid piece of ground but was actually a very wet hole that swallowed most of my foot. I almost lost my shoe in there. Some guys had a good laugh at this silly white girl. A few squishy steps later I found a firm path to walk on, but it was practically in the middle of the road so I got splattered by some oncoming traffic. I didn't care anymore, I just kept moving. I stopped for a minute to wait for my friend and marveled at how ridiculous I looked. Far from inconspicuous. Then a lady across the street started "ssst ssst"-ing at me from inside her shop. I thought she wanted to sell me something. But then her daughter came out with a little pitcher of water and they waved me over and gave me the water so I could rinse my feet off. I offered her 5 Liberian dollars because who knows what they had to do to get that water. But she said no, so I just thanked her and went on my way. I wanted to say thanks for seeing me as a person. Not a white person or a rich person. Just a person with dirty feet who needed a wash. Thanks for empathizing and reminding me that it's the little things that count. A "small small" bit of thoughtfulness and generosity can go a long way. I needed reminding.

[08/01/07] Quote of the day

2007-10-16T00:19:00.002-04:00

"This world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. It is a revolutionary world we live in..." -Robert F. Kennedy