It's been a while...

So I realize that I haven't posted since before Christmas...sorry! For the month of January I got to go and visit my sister in Yemen and now I have moved...yes again. But hopefully this time I will not have to move again for a while. I am hoping that the pictures I am trying to post will actually work...The one to the left is of me eating at Pizza Hut...I have now eated at Pizza Hut in three different countries.

To the right is a picture of some authentic Yemeni food that I got to enjoy while I was there. I ate so much the entire time I was there because the

food was amazing!

This picture is at Elephant Bay...named after the huge rock in the picture that looks like an elephant...I thought that was pretty cool.

This picture is me eating snow cream...the ice cream chain there. It was actually really good!

Well, that's all the pictures I am going to post for now! For everyone who is around Jackson, I have a new number and you can email me to get it! The picture down here is one of the big laughs we had while I was visiting Yemen...there is a great big sign for this drink in the airport in Sana'a...seriously, fizzy wizzy!

'Tis the season...

I dread this time of year. I used to look forward to Christmas a lot more, it was really different back in the day. A friend of mine was asking me about the thing that was ‘the most’ different about life here and life in Kenya. I said, ‘Christmas is a lot more fun there.’ Maybe that isn’t true for everyone but for me, Christmas was a time of fun and celebration and family. One of my favorite memories from Christmas growing up was putting together Christmas ‘baskets’ with my dad and then delivering them to families we knew. The ‘baskets’ were filled with great stuff like, whole chickens, bags of flour, bags of maize, and little toys for the kids. I remember delivering the ‘baskets’ and the families would be so excited and so grateful, the kids would be thrilled because of the little matchbox cars, dolls and candy. It was really a treat for them and they were always full of gratitude, and we always left them all grinning and waving at their doorsteps.
Christmas to America is about stuff and shopping and spending too much money. At least that’s the way it seems. I don’t like it here. I hate going to get groceries this time of year, people are walking through the isles with frowns and in such a rush you would think a natural disaster were about to take place…but nothing is coming, except for Christmas. I don’t really enjoy going to work either, so many people have come in these last few days in such bad moods, I am serving adults but I feel like I am serving children! They are super impatient and throw temper tantrums if everything doesn’t go their way. (Side note: Next time you are in a restaurant and they are out of what you want, keep in mind that your server is doing his or her job…it’s the kitchen’s job to keep the food stocked…so don’t yell at the server, it’s not their fault.)
Anyhow, with all of the negativity around me it has been hard to get into the ‘Christmas spirit’. A few weeks ago, my roommates made me participate in putting the tree up…I still don’t see the point. Just last week, I rode around in the car with some other friends and we looked at Christmas lights…again…the point? I guess the point of Christmas for many people isn’t to focus on celebrating the greatest gift ever given to man. Maybe it is to spend lots of money on everyone you know, to rush through the month of December and hopefully remember at the end of it all how to use the muscles in their face that make them smile. I hope I never become that kind of an American. I pray that my focus will stay on Christ…not only but especially at Christmas time. I hope that when I have a family of my own, I will portray to them the importance of loving those around me and remember the true reason we celebrate at Christmas.

Is this Bible written in English?

I keep meaning to sit down and write a blog...like last week and the week before that. I don't know why I don't have much to write about lately, I feel like I have a ton of stuff going on! Work is crazy busy since everyone is wanting to have holiday parties and holiday parties need lots of good food...therefore they call me! (not everybody but lots of people) Anyhow, all that to say work is busy and for that I am grateful but it does leave me tired at the end of the day so my social interactions are limited (to say the least).
Here is the struggle that is on my mind...if anyone has some words of wisdom, by all means, share! Lately I have been frustrated when I read the Word. I read some chapters and find encouragement, rebuke, and more understanding of who God is. Then I read other chapters and find myself skimming over words that seem to crash into my brain and shatter into misunderstanding before I can digest them into making any sense at all! Yesterday I was talking with a friend of mine who is catholic, we were having a conversation about the differences between our beliefs when I asked him where the papacy originated from. So he gave me a reference from Matthew, when Jesus tells Peter he is the Rock and appoints him the leader over the apostles. Later I read the passage and felt like I was reading a book in a language I don't understand. I don't understand where others find greater meanings from passages. When I asked a friend with an doctorate of ministry, he quickly new the reference I was talking about and what my catholic friend was referring to. I left the conversation praying...'ok God, why is this so hard? Do I have to get a seminary degree to understand more about you because it feels like I have hit the place where I can't grasp any more on my own!" Keeping in mind of course that I trust God to show Himself to me as He sees fit but why do I find the Word, the very basis of my faith, the thing I cling to when nothing else makes sense...so hard to comprehend!?
Anyway, there is my heart for today.

Someone stole my cell phone...

On Saturday I had a garage sale, I had a bunch of people from church give me their old junk so I could sell it in attempts to save up money to see my sister in January. It was a great garage sale, free coffee, hot chocolate and doughnuts, great prices, it was practically a party on my lawn. I have to say this too, if it wasn't for the fact that garage sales start at the crack of dawn, I would love to host them more often. It really is fun! (Side note to anyone planning on doing a garage sale, if you want people to start coming at six-thirty they will come at six...those people are crazy!) Anyhow, during the second hour of my garage party I realized a very important part of my world had gone missing...someone had stolen my cell phone! What is that about!? Funny thing is my first response was the same as my parents..."that is something I expect to happen in Kenya but not here!" So, my regular contact with others has crashed to a screeching halt. I do have a home number but it has no answering machine and I even have a new cell phone now but no one is allowed to talk to me on it for more than 59 seconds at a time...it's a pre-paid-per-minute-rip-off-phone but it faithfully takes my messages and keeps me sane.
So there you have it, that's about as exciting as my life gets right now...
p.s. Some have asked how my parents are doing...they came through Jackson on a quick trip so I got to see them recently. It was good to have them back even if it was for a short time, they are already back in TZ and planning trips to see my other two sisters abroad soon!

Hi everyone

So, it's been a while. I just haven't had the inspiration to write on here lately....so this is just a quick blog to say hi to all my die-hard fans. (yah right) I will get back into this soon!

My jobs...

At my last job I got to hang out with a bunch of kids and then tell stories about the funny things they said on my blog. Now I work with adults for the most part and I have to say it is much more difficult to be patient with adults...it just seems like they should know better.
Here are a couple funny things I have heard/conversations I have had at my new place of employment:

A nice lady at a table I am serving asks: Are you from Texas?
I answer (with some question in my voice and on my face): No.
She asks: Then why are you wearing that pendant of Texas around your neck?
(the pendant is of Africa)
I answer: Oh, this is actually Africa.
She looked at me real funny and says: Oh, okay dear.

A man comes up to the counter and asks for our catering menu...
One of the other ladies goes to get it and I say: She will be right back with that in a second.
He replies: Oh, It's been a second!
I laughed (yes it was a fake laugh) and said: She will be right back with that in a moment.
He askes: How many seconds is in a moment?
I reply: Ninety.
(some people are impossible)

Two ladies occupied one of my tables and everything they ordered was low-fat or fat-free...they were obviously trying to watch everything they ate...respectively.
Well, I went up to the table to see if they needed anything and asked if they would like some more rolls. One of the ladies replied, 'yes, but could you get us the lightest ones you can find?" I thought for sure that by 'light' she ment 'not as well done' 'not crispy' not brown'...no, I brought some back and she looked at them funny. I asked her if everything was okay and she said (pointing at the rolls), 'those look the same as the ones before'. I said, 'yes well they are all baked about the same.' She said, 'no I ment I need ones with less fat'. I said, "we don't have low fat rolls." She was a little put out...but seriously 'light rolls', you have got to be kidding!

That's all for now!

Just to clarify...

This is an outline of Africa...
This is an outline of Texas..