I dedicate this to my bestie!

I do not normally write birthday posts. However, today is the birthday of my closest and dearest friend Kirsten Richards, and since I cannot be with her to celebrate today, I felt she deserved a special birthday post!

Kirsten and I have been friends for a looooonnnnnnnnngggggggggg time. As in, forever. She is exactly one week older than I am, and I cannot remember a time in my existence when she was not a part of my life. I do not remember the act of becoming friends with her. I just remember always having my best friend. Most people when they say they've been friends with someone for twenty years have a friend that they met in high school of college that they're still close with years later. They usually aren't about to turn twenty. But that's how our friendship is! As we've always said, "Ours is a friendship of fairy-tales!"

This is Kirsten and I on our very first soccer team. Aren't we stinking cute?! We were CLEARLY dedicated soccer players. There are several things I would like to point out about this picture. 1) I do not know if this was a game or not. But the fact that we are wearing uniforms would lead me to believe we are in fact playing a game. Like I said, clearly dedicated to the beautiful game. ;) 2) Kirsten is wearing tennis shoes. Another sign that we were for sure there to play soccer, and not just enjoy each other's company. 3) Growing up, Kirsten's hair was always perfect. I never quite knew how Kim did it, but she always had all five of her girls dressed with beautiful hair. And when I would stay the night, I got the same deal! Six girls, hair all done, I'm still impressed. 4) I think this says a lot about our friendship- skipping around without a care in the world, oblivious to the things around us. :) It was always Kirsten and I, and we never had any worries of anything else!

Those of you who have known us for a long time will remember the matching days. Yes, we could go for days on end wearing the exact same clothes. And yes, we frequently did just that. And yes, as seen above, we had matching pjs. And yes, we really did think we were the coolest people ever. It was fun while it lasted, but thankfully those days are gone. And in case you're wondering, we didn't normally wear our hair this way. I think it was stunt night at camp...

Kirsten and I first went to South Africa together as wide-eyed sixteen year olds. Those two weeks were some of the most incredible, and life-changing two weeks of my life, and I'm so glad we had the chance to make that trip together. Things that stick out in my mind from that trip: 1) trying to synchronize our in-flight TVs to watch a movie at the same time. 2) First day of ministry, dancing with the girls in Wedela (pictured above). 3) Washing our hair in the sink and finding out our brain stems are VERY ticklish! 4) Cutting up hundreds and hundreds of oranges to distribute to the kids that came to the VBS. 5) Cleaning out the shed with the Pinelands team. 5) Getting a chance to serve the amaZioni people, and work alongside our wonderful missions partners. 6) Seeing real giraffes!
Kirsten is now on her third trip to South Africa, this time for a six month stay. I'm so proud of her and the heart she has for helping and working with the people of South Africa. I can't wait to hear stories of how God has used her during her stay there! Maybe someday we can go back again together. :)

I could go on for pages and pages about the 20 years we've spent together. But instead, I'll put up some of my favorite pictures of the two of us and let you see for yourself the memories we've made! I've been richly blessed by this beautiful girl's friendship. I can't wait to see where the next twenty years (and beyond!) will take us.

Kirsten, thanks for sticking with me for this long. Happy Birthday, love!

Lead Me

I've been listening to Sanctus Real's album Pieces of a Real Heart a lot lately, and I love it! I just got it not too long ago, and so far I haven't found a song on the album that I don't like. Their lyrics are so very powerful (this is me telling you to go listen to their album! Any of their albums really. They're all really good!) and their song Lead Me really struck me today. So I thought I would share it with you.

Lead Me
I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames, I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling, but on the inside, oh, I can hear her saying

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love, chasing dreams
But what about us
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself, "They'll be fine; they're independent"
But on the inside, oh, I can here them saying...

Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love, chasing dreams
But what about us
Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone

So Father, give me the strength to be everything I'm called to be
Oh Father, show me the way to lead them
Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love
Chasing things that I could give up
I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
 So we can call this a home
Lea me, 'cause I can't do this alone
Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone.

I love that last verse. And the pre-last verse (maybe there's a technical name for it? Like maybe a bridge? Maybe not.).
Father, give me the strength to be everything I'm called to be. Maybe what God is calling you to be isn't going to be easy. We need His strength to lead us. So many times I try to do things on my own, and it never works out. Only when I give it to Him do things fall into place. It's still not always easy, but by His strength we can get through. And by His strength we can be strong the the seemingly impossible tasks he calls us to do.
To lead them with strong hands, to stand up when they can't, don't want to leave them hungry for love. We live in a hurting world. That much is obvious. Who will speak for those who can't speak for themselves? Who will show love to a child who is seeking it in all the wrong places? Who will defend those who have no one else to defend them? You don't have to go overseas. Look around you. There are people hurting everywhere.
I'll show them I'm willing to fight...so we can call this a home. So we can call this a home. So that we can make this earth a safer, better place to live. Are you willing to fight? To show someone God's love? To make their lives better? To make it better for our children after us?

I don't want you to feel like I keep writing things to guilt you into doing something. I know several of my posts lately have probably done just that. Honestly, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. But then again, maybe we all need to feel guilty about some of these things. And more importantly, maybe we need to start acting on these things. Maybe we do need to start treating our husbands, or wives, or children, or roommates better. Maybe we do need to start pleading the cause of the fatherless. Maybe we do need to defend those who would otherwise be defenseless. And maybe we need to show someone that they don't have to keep being hungry for love. I know I need to start doing these things. How many times do I turn a blind eye to the hurting in our world? More times than I would like to count. Or how many times do I give once, or help once and think I've somehow reached my quota as if there isn't a whole world of suffering around me? Yeah well I donated to charity once. Yeah well I went to a homeless shelter once. What more do you expect of me? Yes, helping once is good. But so is helping more than that. So is making a commitment to ease the suffering we see every day in our world. And actually following through. So we can call this a home. I don't want you to feel guilty. I want you, and me to do something. But I know for sure we can't do this on our own. I can't do it on my own. So Father, won't you lead us? With strong hands? To fight for those who no one else fights for? Lead us, Lord. So we can call this a home.

Not 4 Sale

Not too long ago (as in last week) I was sitting in chapel listening to a representative from the Not 4 Sale campaign, an organization dedicated to the abolition of modern slavery. I tried to walk out of chapel that day and not think about there still being slaves in the world today. But this is something that kind of sticks with you. If you think slavery ended with the Civil War, you are horribly mistaken. Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar operation, and there are some 27 million people enslaved in the world. Today. And no, that is not a typo. 27 million people (probably more, as it is hard to get an accurate count of enslaved peoples). Most are children. They will be beaten, sold into prostitution, forced to make your cheap tennis shoes, and a whole host of other horrific things. Some were kidnapped, and forced into slavery. For life. Others were sold by family members. By their parents. Slavery is real. And it is happening in our backyards. Even here, in the Land of the Free. Slavery is very real. We cannot turn a blind eye any more.

Please, take some time to read through this website. This organization is working in countries all over the world, and yes, even in our own country to end modern slavery in our life times. And we can help. Read through their information, download the App that allows you to see what companies are using slaves to produce their products, or make a pledge to help this campaign. March 13th is Freedom Sunday, and churches all over the world are rising up to help put an end to slavery. We can help. You can help. Each one of us is capable of making a major difference in the lives of people being held in slavery. This website can show you how. Will you help? Will you attempt to make a change someone's life? To donate money? To make a point to purchase things that were made without the use of slave labor? I'm not asking you to radically change the way you live. Maybe some of you will do that anyways. But you can start small. Maybe you will start buying chocolate that is made with free labor. Or maybe you'll stop buying a certain brand that is known for using slaves. (Don't know which companies are good and which are bad? The Not 4 Sale iPad/iPhone/iWhatever else app can help! It gives a grade to several big-name companies and can help you see which companies are not using slave labor) You don't have to do something drastic to make a difference. But you can make a difference.

Now you know. We can't pretend it doesn't exist any longer. Please help take a stand against the injustice of modern slavery.

Homework break post!

I'm taking a homework break. (Which, if you would like the literal translation of that statement means: I'm over studying for this test tomorrow! I can only take so much review of Second Language Acquisition!!) So instead of studying and making flash cards (I also have a Spanish vocab quiz this week. AND an Anthropology quiz! Sheesh! Three quizzes in one week!) I am wasting time on the internet. Story of my life....always seems to work out in the end for me though! And since I don't have anything horribly exciting to write about...you get random updates from my life right now! Yay! :D You don't have to read them. I'm just tired of homework. So here goes....

1) Today it rained. But since I recently caved (I resisted for a long time. I couldn't decide if I liked them or not) and requested/received rain boots for Christmas I was good to go! I actually enjoyed splashing through the puddles with my rain boots and rain coat. My roommate always laughs because it seems like every time I put my rain coat on it stops raining, or I get caught without it in a downpour, but today I successfully wore it in the rain! I was pleased. (Don't judge. You know you love splashing through the puddles.)
2) Due to a recent start in our off season workouts (lifting and such) I have sore muscles that I forgot even existed! You don't use all your muscles every day, and every time I start again with a sport or new work out regimen, I hurt all over!! At least this time, it's the whole girl's team that is having trouble getting out of bed and up and down stairs, and not just me. I suppose I don't really mind too horribly much. I just have to keep reminding myself of the end results!
3) I finished Don Quixote! I started the 982 page book over break. It was on my list to read and I figured I would have plenty of time to read it during my long winter break, right? WRONG! I just now finished it, and while I wasn't able to read it as much once school started, I read every chance I could. And it still took me forever! It was good, but honestly! How many adventures can one hidalgo get himself into???
4) I spent the day Saturday playing in our indoor soccer tournament. Long day. But fun. Greenville had two teams- Orange and Black. I was on orange, and we beat Prin! But that was about it. It's ok though. We fought hard all day! AND I scored. :D Black ended up going on to the semi-finals and winning the tournament for the second year in a row! Hooray!! Good job girls.
5) Though I'm really quite terrible, I've been playing my guitar lots lately! And even though I fumble over the notes and chords, I get excited every time I do make something work the way it was intended to! Someday I'll be able to actually play. But for now I'll keep stumbling my way through, and be pleased with the small victories I have. It's a work in progress...

Anyways. I should probably get back to my homework now...So... later gators!

Guatemala 2012!

My dear friends and family,

I have exciting news to share with you all! Decisions have been made!

Since I declared a Spanish major during my first semester here at Greenville, I knew that I was going to have to do a semester abroad. I had thought, at that time, that I wanted to do said semester in Spain. The chance of being able to spend a semester in Europe, going to Barcelona, seeing some of the European soccer teams play, and everything else that Europe entails just seemed like an opportunity I couldn't pass up. For various reasons, I was sure that going in the fall to Sevilla, Spain was clearly the option for me. Once I got over the initial excitement at the prospect of spending a semester in Spain, I began to have doubts. It costs a lot money, it's a long way from home, I'd miss a season of soccer, it costs a lot of money...etc. But I also kept having doubts that maybe this isn't where I was supposed to go. One big issue that I kept trying to push to the back of my mind was that I knew that if I intend to work with the Hispanic population in the United States (which I do) Spain Spanish was not going to be as beneficial as learning Spanish in a Latin or South American country. I tried to justify it in my mind that I would still be learning Spanish, and I would be able to pick up the different feel when I was back in the States. This is probably true. I would still learn Spanish in Spain. And I would probably be able to communicate just fine with people from Latin/South America. But I knew that it would be a completely different Spanish than I would probably be working with in the States. Despite these doubts, I told myself I was excited to go and I started telling everyone that that was my plan (Don't get me wrong. I was excited about going to Spain. There was just this lingering feeling that maybe I should look into different options). I told my coaches that I was going to have to miss my junior year of soccer (something I was willing to do to go to Spain), my parents and I started figuring out financial issues, and when people asked me I told them that I was going to study in Spain. I had it all figured out. So I thought.

As is usually the case, God had a far different plan that anything I could come up with. I had been praying and praying that he would show me for certain if I should go to Spain or not, and there kept being this little thought that No. I was not supposed to go to Spain. But where then, God? Where? And when? (Because I kept finding out things that would need me here in the fall over the spring, classes and such.) Well. I went to talk to my advisor about some scheduling stuff and we started talking about the semester abroad and about the different programs available and the classes being offered in the fall that would be more beneficial than those in the spring...I started to see that spring was obviously going to be a better option than the fall. He also mentioned a semester abroad program in Guatemala that included studying half the semester, and working with Student's International for half. Student's International is the group I went to the Dominican with last January, and as soon as he mentioned this program I started to get excited. I researched the program and began to see that Guatemala was going to be a much better fit for me. I prayed a lot about it, talked to my parents, talked with several good friends, talked with my coaches, prayed some more and decided that the deciding factor would be if my second advisor thought it would work with my second major (which also needs a semester abroad). So I went to talk with her yesterday and she loved it! She was excited about the classes I would get to take, and how the whole program would fit into the International and Cross Cultural Studies major. I didn't need any further conformation!

So, my dear friends and family, I am going to Guatemala. In the spring of 2012. I will be spending half the semester living with a family while I study in Antigua. The studying portion will include intensive language training, cultural classes and history classes. I will also spend half of the semester living and working in a different city with Student's International. I am so excited to be able to spend time serving as well as learning, and this was really the deciding factor. I now get a chance to do something I LOVE while I learn the Spanish language (and a Spanish dialect that I hope will be much more beneficial to whatever I end up doing after college). Since I heard about the Guatemala program I just knew that was where God wanted me, and after praying about it and talking with my advisors, I really feel that God placed this on my heart. I prayed that he would make it obvious to me if this was the right decision, and everything fell right into place! God is so cool! This is going to be an amazing opportunity, and I'm so excited to see how God will use me and how I will be changed as well. I still want to go back to Spain someday, but for now I am sure about this! Guatemala 2012 here I come!! Thanks everyone for your prayers as I made this decision.

PS. The whole time I was thinking about going to Spain I was super terrified of the idea of being in a different country for a whole semester. I kept thinking "I don't speak enough Spanish, I won't know what's going on, I'm not going to like my host family, this scares me, that scares me, etc." But since I heard about Guatemala and made my decision, I haven't felt any of those fears. I'll still be in a different country for the semester, but I'm not scared about it at all! I'm not scared about my speaking abilities, the schooling, the host families, none of it! I think it's because I know this is part of God's plan for my life. He's in control now. Not me. :D YAY!

Dame tus ojos

One of the beautiful things about learning another language is that you get to experience worship in that language. Sometimes I get caught up in the "Englishness" of being a Christian. I read the Bible in English, I pray in English, I sing in English, I do all the Christian things in English. And I sometimes forget that God's love is for everyone, and his words are available to everyone (well almost. I know that WYCLIFFE Bible translators are hoping to have the Bible into every language by 2025. There are still people without the Bible in their own language, but that number gets smaller every day.). Revelations says over and over "To every nation, tribe, language and people." The Bible was not written in English, nor are it's words only for speakers of English. I'm saying this as much as a reminder to myself as to everyone else.

Anyways. So in learning Spanish I've had the amazing opportunity to experience worship in Spanish. The Truth is the same. The words are just slightly different. One of our Spanish professors has been leading Spanish church Sunday mornings before regular church, and it's been a really cool time of worshipping and learning to worship in another language. One of the things I like best about this time is every week Profe says "God doesn't care about the grammar. He knows what you are trying to say, even if you end up saying it wrong." Praying and singing in another language is hard! It's a completely different set of words that you don't ever use in normal speak, so it can be kind of intimidating. But Profe's right. God knows what's on our hearts. So what if it comes out poorly as far as grammar is concerned?!

The other thing I really enjoy about Spanish church is our music worship time. We usually just find some songs on Youtube and use those as the base of our worship. It's been cool for me to see my personal growth in learning Spanish as I begin to understand the songs and not have to mentally translate all the time. If you've never tried learning a different language, this might not make sense to you. But when you learn you go through stages where you mentally translate, and then at some point there's a breakthrough and you suddenly understand the language in that language. It's hard to explain. It becomes more than words, and more...natural? I don't really know what I'm saying....Anywho. So I've been able to see my Spanish capabilities grow as I am able to worship easier. I actually understand the words I'm saying, and how the language works in a musical, worship sense. Again, it's hard to explain. I wanted to share two of the songs we sang today with you. And since I know that most, maybe all of you don't speak Spanish, I'll try to make a translation of them. It'll be a loose translation, because somethings just don't translate well. But I'll give it a go.

Dame tus ojos                                  Give Me Your Eyes
Dame tus ojos , quiero ver               Give me your eyes, I want to see
Dame tus palabras, quiero hablar    Give me your words, I want to speak
Dame tu parecer                              Give me your essence (being? Self?)

Dame tus pies, yo quiero ir             Give me your feet, I want to go
Dame tus deseos para sentir            Give me your desires so that I can feel
Dame tu parecer                              Give me your self (not sure how to properly convey this.)

Dame lo que necesito                      Give me everything I need
Para ser como tu                              So that I can be like you

Dame tu voz, dame tu aliento         Give me your voice, give me your breath
Toma mi tiempo es para ti              Take my time, it is for you
Dame el camino que debo seguir   Show me the way so I can follow (loosely translated...)
Dame tus sueños, tus anhelos         Give me your dreams, your desires
Tus pensamientos, tu sentir             Your thoughts, your feeling (opinion? view?)
Dame tu vida para vivir                  Give me your life so that I can live


Déjame ver lo que tu vez                Let me see what you see
Dame de tu gracia, tu poder            Give me your grace, your power
Dame tu corazón                             Give me your heart
Déjame ver en tu interior                 Let me see inside you (kind of...)
Para ser cambiado por tu amor        So that I can be changed by your love
Dame tu corazón                             Give me your love.

Powerful words. ¿No? Here's the other one:

La niña de tus ojos                     The Apple of Your Eye (The Child of your Eye)
Me viste a mi                              You saw me
Cuando nadie me vio                  When no one else saw me
Me amaste a mi                           You loved me
Cuando nadie me amó                 When no one else loved me

Y me diste nombre                     And you gave me name (You named me)
Yo soy tu niña                            I am your child (literally daughter)
La niña de tus ojos                     The child of your eye (apple of your eye)
Porque me amaste a mi               Because you loved me

Me amaste a mi                           You loved me

Te amo mas que a mi vida          I love you more than my own life.

*La niña de tus ojos literally translates to the daughter of your eyes. It's similar to the English phrase 'the apple of your eyes.' I really like the picture of being the child of God's eyes. I think there is a special love between a father and his children, and it's powerful to think of us being the children in God's eyes. And he does love his children!

I'd encourage you to look up some worship in other languages. Find the translation and follow along. You may not understand the words, but that doesn't mean they aren't still words of praise to our Lord. En cualquier idioma, podemos dar las alabanzas al Señor. A Él, no le importa el idioma. Y eso es todo para ahora.

An exciting adventure!

It was a cold and snowy night, and the five lovely girls were beginning to get quite bored. A nasty mixture of snow and sleet had been coming down all day, and the girls had had quite enough of staying inside doing nothing.
"Whatever can we do?" they asked themselves. "We're so very bored, and can't possibly sit through another movie without doing something first."
"I know!" said one. "Let's go on an adventure!!"

They all agreed that this was a fantastic idea. And so an adventure was planned. It was off to Moto Mart. On foot. (For what else is there to do when you're bored, and hungry and can't drive because it's dangerous?!) The girls bundled up in their winter warmest, and off they went on the long trek to Moto Mart.

It was a long hike to their destination. Some of the girls couldn't wait for the delicious treats they were sure to encounter when they reached said destination. So that they didn't starve before arriving at Moto Mart, they had to resort to desperate measures: turning ice-coated sticks into popsicles.
"If you close your eyes, you can't even taste the difference!" said B.

The girls continued their journey. They trudged through numerous snow drifts well over their heads and cautiously made their way over slick, ice-covered roads (slight exaggeration...). All was quiet in snowy Greenville, and aside from the snowplows, the five girls were the only ones on the roads. Well...at least the only ones walking on the roads.

After a long and quite dangerous hike, the girls finally reached their destination. Luckily for them, Moto Mart was open despite the treacherous conditions (they maybe should have checked this before beginning their journey...). After purchasing their delightful treats, the five friends set out for home and movies. With their tummies full of goodies they knew that they would be quite content for the rest of the evening. And so we conclude the adventures of these girls...at least until the next time they get bored in Greenville! (Which, if I had to guess, would probably be tonight!) Stay tuned for more exciting adventures! :D

The End.