Miango Meditations

Early Feb update

2008-02-10T19:07:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged in so long. I did get a new haircut but am too lazy to get up and find my camera to download the pics.

Oh and I did get hired on permently with the medical supply company that I am working for and it is in the billing department too! I'm going to wait another month and make sure that my calculations are correct but I will start the apartment hunt soon! It will be so fun to have my own place to decorate and just veg.

I can't think of anything else that is going on. Hope you are having a nice weekend!

New

2008-01-19T13:47:00.000-06:00

Well I have had and will be having some new experiences this month. Earlier this week, I was officially moved to the billing department for the medical company I have been with since October. No I haven't been hired yet and am still a temp but I'll be out of my temp contract soon. When I started with the company I wanted to be in the billing department, so three jobs and three desks later, I'm back where I started.

On Thursday evening I went to Sushi Neko with my friend Amanda. It was the first time that I had sushi and I'm a big fan of it now. I had cooked eel, cooked shimp, some California rolls, triple delight (veggie sushi) and something I'm still not sure of. I also had green tea ice cream (so yummy!). The whole meal calorie (and point wise for you WW freaks like me) was equal to a piece of pizza!

Next weekend, I am going to a new hairdresser's. My other hairdresser (and a family friend) decided it was time for her to retire which is weird since she's younger than my parents. What really happened was her husband got a great job out of state and she is closing her shop to be with him. I actually know my new hairdresser. Her mom babysat David and I when we were young sprouts and we went to church togehter so I feel like I grew up with her. I'm also thinking of trying out a new hairstyle. I'll need to think about it this week.

I'm sure there is something else I was going to write about but it is not coming to my mind. Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T20:27:00.000-06:00

Happy 2008!

I have about 10 resolutions/goals from my 100 things to do list that I want to accomplish this year. I've already accomplished one today at 12:01am!

The list will be coming soon.

For now, I am watching Season 3 of Lost. I will finally be caught up when Season 4 is on the air in Feb.

Here are the things that I thought would be accomplish-able this year from my 100 things to do list.

#6: Meet my Weight Watchers goal
#20: Eat a five course meal
#36: Have a day at the spa
#43: Drink a glass of wine (Done! I had some sparkling wine at my friend's new year's celebration)
#44: Get some upper body strength- accomplish 20 pull ups
#45: Take yoga
#64: Try champagne
#70: Move out of the parents' house
#103: Learn how to arrange flowers

If anyone is up to joining me in accomplishing these goals: the five course meal or a day at the spa, just let me know.

December, where have you gone?

2007-12-29T22:13:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading through this last year's posts. I noticed that I blogged at least twice a month, so I had to write something for this month. Quite a bit has happened. Here is a bulleted list.

I met my new "nephew" Cedar. He is my good friend Kristen's baby. He's so cute!
Went off the wagon of Weight Watchers but I plan on getting back on it tomorrow. Seriously, I'll be starting it tomorrow.
Got a new sister-in-law, Ashley. Yup! my brother got married.
Had pretty good Christmas get-togethers with my family.
Helped my mom finish my grandma's 90th birthday scrapbook. It looks wonderful!
Started yet another job with 180 Medical. I'm now helping out in the billing department. This is my third job in three months with this company. The kicker is that I am still a temp.
Found a co-worker that is on WW too and we are going to work out together at lunch.
Had Thai food. I haven't had that in forever and it was delicious. Thanks Amanda!

Thanks for reading my list! Have fun at your respective New Year's celebrations.

End of November already?!

2007-11-25T16:56:00.000-06:00

Again I find myself at the end of the month and needing to write another post. The strange thing about this month is that I've actually been busy and have a few things to talk about.

Two weeks ago, I was celebrating my grandma's 90th birthday with about 170 other people. The small church basement/fellowship hall was packed that afternoon. I helped serve cake, cookies and punch, and made sure that my grandma had what she needed. Grandma had the best time and saw so many of her friends.

Last week, I met my friend Abbey's new baby Lilith Jade. Lily, as she will be called, is beautiful, chubby, and has a head full of dark, rock star hair. Abbey's little buddy, Braden told me when I entered the hospital room "We have a new baby." He later asked me if I liked Lily and I told him that I loved her. He seemed satisfied by the answer.

I am currently waiting on the birth of Cedar whose mommy is a good friend of mine; we've actually known each other since we were ten years old. I'm excited to see what kind of mommy she will be.

This past week, I spent Thanksgiving with my family- mom, dad, brother, and brother's girlfriend. We had a fun day of eating and hanging out. Friday we all split and shopped our hearts out. I got another pair of jeans and a very cute red sweater jacket. It's adorable- ask me to dinner and I'll show it off. Did I mention I got all of that for 50% off?! We also visited my other grandparents, ate out, and put together a puzzle.

I am currently starting a new book called The Paradise War by Stephen Lawhead. It came highly recommended and is pretty good so far. I also read Blink by Ted Decker. It is Sci-fish and dealt with the idea of knowing the future and the choice of changing it.

Really I think this post is long enough and I will bore you no further. Have a cool day.

Where has the time gone?

2007-11-02T22:08:00.000-06:00

Well here is what I have been doing in the last week. Last Friday I had dinner with my OSU roommate Beth. On Saturday, Mom and I were involved in a major scrap booking project. My grandmother is turning 90 in just a week and we are throwing her a party. Mom decided that she would make a scrap book and display the pages at the party. Then we are going to add pictures from the party to the book.

Here is a picture of two pages that we finished. The dresses in the pics are from the 1940s and made by my grandmother. During WW II, my grandmother wrote a letter everyday to my grandpa as he was serving in the South Pacific. Grandma would make these dresses, take a picture and send it with a scrap of the material.

On Saturday evening, I went to my friend Abbey's baby shower. Abbey and I worked together at the youth shelter. Our co-worker Amanda was also there. Now that I've quit, us three ladies try to get together for lunch or dinner. Aren't we cute?!

Sunday was my last day of teaching preschool at church. Tuesday we had our Halloword event at church where the kids got a hand full of candy after playing games and winning candy. And finally, on Wednesday I dressed up for work and we had a lot of fun. I went in my pjs and fun monkey slippers so I could be comfortable. It was great.

Whew. that is it for the update. This weekend I am resting up!

My Nashville Weekend

2007-10-15T19:00:00.000-06:00

Well I've told four people already that I would have this post up tonight so I guess I should get to it.

Mom and I went to Nashville for an extended weekend for my friend Ann Dee's wedding. Mom had a good time seeing the sites of N-ville and were happy to see Ann Dee marrying a great guy, Clint. Some of the places we went were the Wild Horse Saloon (rehearsal dinner), Belle Meade plantation, the Parthenon, and the Hermitage. We also stopped by the hotel where Ann Dee and Clint work, the Gaylord Hotel, and Mom was impressed by the whole operation. Here are a few pictures of the sites we saw.

The wedding and reception on a whole were wonderful. Ann Dee, her family and friends did such a wonderful job decorating the fellowship hall - I should know because I helped tear everything down afterwards. Mom and I were in charge of serving punch and I think we did a bang up job. No one went thirsty on our watch.

Everyone hears or knows of some mishap that occurs during the wedding. Well, Ann Dee's was a doozie. During her friend's song, I heard and saw a few people out of the corner of my eye, walking out of the church. I was really offended especially since they were walking out during the sermon. A few minutes later we hear siren and see flashing lights outside of the church. While Ann Dee is reading her vows to Clint, there is a loud pounding on the side door, one that is close to the stage. Come to find out after the ceremony, a guy was having a diabetic seizure and was a guest of the groom's dad therefore Clint's dad saw half of the ceremony. The guy ended up being fine. The pastor and church wedding planner said it was a first for them. Here is the most surprising thing of the whole night: Ann Dee never noticed and didn't say one word to her bridesmaids! As far as I know, no one has told her either. She never reads this blog so don't worry about her finding out from me!

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures with the bride in her beautiful gown. I was in a family picture with her so I'll just have to wait to order my copy from the photographer. But here is a pictures of me looking cute!

Have a great week.

New Job

2007-10-08T21:00:00.000-06:00

Well about the 2nd day of my unemployment, I was offered a job through the staffing agency I've been working with for the past few weeks. At the same time that I got the call about the job offer, I was accepting an interview with a company in Irving, TX. So within 24 hours I was packed, in TX, having lunch with my friend and interviewing.

Not expecting a job offer immediately from the TX company, I started my temp job on Thursday. I am working with 180 Medical in OKC. So far I've been in training for the last three days and everything is going well so far. In about a month, I will be covering maternity leave in the billing department.

What I'm really excited about this week, is my best friend Ann Dee's wedding that is on Friday. Mom and I are heading to Nashville on Thursday morning and will get back late Saturday night. I will be reading scripture at the wedding and serving punch with Mom. I've got a great dress for the ceremony and really, who wouldn't be excited about that?!

I'll have pictures up hopefully by next week of all of us looking cute and happy.

Career change and the stress it brings

2007-09-28T14:39:00.000-06:00

Well I finally made the decision to quit my job at the youth shelter. I realized that my personality wasn't the best fit for me or the children either. Hanging out with teenagers really isn't my cup of tea. I feel very privileged to know that the shelter is doing a good job for children that need a safe and clean place to stay while they are waiting for their next home. My last day is on Sunday (the 30th).

Now the search begins for a new job (and the stress of not having health insurance). I am looking more for accounting/finance jobs so I can restart my business career. I have been sending out my resume' to companies in Dallas since the beginning of August and after I had only one phone interview then I started looking in the OKC/Norman area. I signed up with a staffing agency and have had one interview with a company they represent (it's a crafty store that is based in OKC, closed on Sundays, and their owner is a billionaire- figured it out yet?). I also interviewed yesterday with the shelter's umbrella company. I think both interviews went well and should hear back from the next week for the second interview process.

So when I find out more I'll put up another update! Have a terrific weekend!

Birthday Report

2007-09-05T13:34:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, I turned 26 years old. Ah, now I'm on the down hill slide of my 20s. Not sure how I really feel about that, but I will tell you about my fun weekend.

On Saturday, I slept in! It was great. Then my mom, brother, and brother's girlfriend, and I went dress shopping. My brother did a lot of sitting and lots of staring into space. I am going to participate in a friends wedding in Oct. so it is nice to have some dresses picked out for the ceremony. We came home to Dad smoking ribs for dinner and they were yummy. Mom also made me a low-fat cream cheese pie which was worth ll of the points that I had saved up for the week.

Sunday, I had my weigh in and have lost a total of 30.2 lbs. :o (that is my shocked face). I'm so close now to my goal and it is great. Oh and we went to church, visited the grandparents, and then I went to my friend Abbey's cookout.

It was just a jam packed weekend, but so good to pend time with my parents, brother, and my brother's girlfriend.

A Challenge

2007-08-23T14:09:00.000-06:00

My friend Emily has posted on her blog http://me-mleosu.blogspot.com/ a lits tof 100 things to do before she dies. She has now given me the challenge of listing 100 things as well. Bring it on sister!
(Oh yes, in no particular order here is a list. It will probably be incomplete at this moment but I'm sure I will finish my list before Emily gets her's done.) (The * are either dittos, stolen, or modified things from Emily, she's good inspiration).

1. Cruise around Italy and Spain
2. Eat sushi
3. Visit Dubia (sp?)
4. Visit Japan
5. Have tea in a proper English resturant
6. Meet my Weight Watchers goal
7. Own my own space on this big old planet
8. Visit Hawaii again
9. Go to a Broadway show in NYC
10. Eat Indian food
11. Learn how to cook really good french and sour dough bread
12. Be a bridesmaid but never a bride!
13. Sky dive
14. Visit India and look good in a sari!
15. Eat creme' brule (I'll figure out how to spell it).
16. Go on my WW victory cruise to the Caribbean
17. Buy a bathing suit and wear it in public
18. Find a career path I truly enjoy
19. Have a total makeover
20. Eat a five course meal
21. See the groundbreaking of Susan's AIDS Hospice in Africa
22. Visit the land of my people (Ireland and England)
23. Visit N. Africa (Morocco and Tunisia)
24. Visit E. Africa (Ethiopia and Kenya)
25. Visit South Africa
26. Travel to South Korea (yea for veggie pancakes)
27. Live in Africa again
28. Live in Asia
29. Learn another language (Spanish?)
30. Pay off my car
31. Live debt free
32. Ride in a hot air balloon
33. Meet an elephant
34. Go on a tourist-trap safari
35. Touch a giraffee
36. Day at the spa (*)
37. Visit one of the seven wonders of the world
38. See New England in the fall
39. Learn how to dance
40. Watch all of AFI's 100 all time top movies- heck i'll go through both lists.
41. Get a facial
42. Walk a 5k
43. Drink a glass of wine (*)
44. Get some upper body strength- accomplish 20 pull ups
45. Take yoga
46. Name a child
47. Legally drive 100 mph
48. Remodel a house
49. Have a millon $ saved for retirement (I did think of this on the way to work Em)
50. Ride a motorcycle
51. Go to a White Stripes concert
52. Here's a shocker, maybe date a nice guy
53. Hold Emily's hand as she gets her last tatoo
54. Go to Disney World again
55. Take candy from a baby
56. Learn how to juggle
57. Own my own French Banded cow
58. Hear a major symphony play
59. See the Nutcracker by a professional ballet company
60. Finish this list before Em finishes her's (* sort of)
61. Own some farm land
62. Rent said farm land out to my brother
63. Get the heck out of Oklahoma
64. Try champaign (does that look like it is spelled right?)
65. Find a job where I can work from home
66. Finally make a decision about getting a tattoo.
67. Research the family tree and visit their homes of yore
68. Learn the tango (*)
69. Have a house with a whirl pool tub
70. Move out of the parents' house
71. Go to a costume party
72. Go to the state fair- any one will do
73. Visit Turkey
74. Visit Rome
75. Tour Israel and the steps of Jesus
76. Visit the areas of Italy that Paul was in
77. Visit every continent
78. Meet an astronaut
79. Swim with a dolphin.
80. Attend my friend Clayton's wedding
81. Forever be a good friend
82. Find peace in all situations thrown at me
83. Watch how a TV show is made
84. Have a star named after me.
85. Give some more kick-butt surprise parties.
86. Give awesome, thoughtfully prepared kick-butt gifts.
87. Eat fish and chips in London.
88. See the running of the bulls.
89. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
90. Attend a glamous New Year Eve's party.
91. Keep off all of this weight I have lost.
92. Sing karoke
93. Take voice lessons and try to become a soprano
94. Visit the Statue of Liberty
95. Ride in a helicopter.
96. Loan out money to a friend and not expect it back (if you know me that is a BIG deal)
97. Stand on the Great Wall of China (did see that online and thought it was a really good idea)
98. Be a better listener with my grandparents and tell them things more often.
99. Take care of my parents in their old age.
100. To be a wonderful auntie and love any child that my brother and best friends bring into my life.
101. Own a 'green' car
102. Live in a 'green' house
103. Learn how to arrange flowers
104. Try to remember the other thing I wanted to add to this list but have forgotten. :(
105. Fly first class
106. Learn how to walk in high heels.

Dang this is harder than I thought. I have done some things that were on the list like visiting W. Africa, being a missionary, and living in Africa!

Woo hoo, I am done, now I'm techinally down to 99 things because I finished this list before Emily but I'm not adding anything to this list any time soon.

Woo hoo, I thought of some more things.

WW update

2007-08-12T21:10:00.000-06:00

Here is an update on my Weight Watchers progress.

Last week, I had lost a total of twenty-five pounds. I didn't post about it then because I thought I would just gain it back. I didn't though! I lost another pound this week! Isn't that cool?

I have about twelve more pounds to lose until I'm at my goal weight. I think this will be the part where it will get very difficult. But when I get the weight off I'm going to focus on building some muscles.

Oh and this weekend, I was painting our guest bathroom in a lattace work pattern. I think it will look very cool when I am done.

It's 2am

2007-08-02T02:21:00.000-06:00

It's 2am and instead of sleeping, I'm eating (really dumb on my part) and blogging. I noticed that I haven't blogged in a few weeks so here is a little run down of my life.

1) Read Harry Potter 7.

2) Torn down wall paper in my (okay my parents' guest) bathroom. Picked out paint and a painting technique for it.

3) Lost probably a pound.

4) Bought a smaller pair of jeans - very cool.

5) Decided that I'm moving out of my parents' house. Hopefully soon (and possibly with a new job?) like Sept- Oct soon. So sue me, I'm a restless soul/wandering spirit.

6) Joined facebook.com

Family Reunion

2007-07-18T01:02:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, my family (and by family I mean my mom and aunt) hosted our family reunion. Actually it is my grandma's father's family. It's complicated so don't ask too many questions but it is something we do every two years. This time it was my family's turn to plan and host. Everyone seemed to have a great time. I slept most of the time since I'm on such a weird schedule and then during my waking hours I was cheating on WW.

I posted a picture of two of the most important people in my life: my brother and my grandmother.

Go about your daily life now. :)

July

2007-07-05T00:09:00.001-06:00

It is July. I have no idea what to talk about that is going on in my life. But if you have time and want some great recipes check out http://chefblyth.blogspot.com . The recipes and stories are from Barb Blyth. I tutored her son Luke while I lived in Nigeria and she blessed me with her cooking when I visited them. Barb is amazing and I say that if the situation arised she could have made her own foil. You have to be creative when you are a missionary!

Hope you had a nice 4th!

Weight Loss

2007-06-24T13:40:00.000-06:00

I promised another post for today and I'm here to deliver.

Like I said last month I started Weight Watchers and I've lost more weight. Woo hoo, woo hoo.

So here is a little bit how Weight Watchers online works and I'm guessing how the meetings work as well. They give you a first goal of 10% to encourage you. Ten percent being they want you to lose 10% of your starting weight. (I also set rewards for every ten pounds of weight lose).

Sundays are my 'weigh in days' and today I lost 5.5 pounds. Yeah I don't know how it happened either. I'm sure for the next few weeks I'll lose nothing and that's just have my body works. So now I've lost 19.5 pounds, I've reached my 10% weight lose and now I'm 1/2 way to my goal weight!

I'm sure I'll think of something else to write about here but I can't think right now. I just want to get outside and walk. :)

Ann Dee's engagement

2007-06-24T08:23:00.000-06:00

(Please forgive me, I should have posted this story weeks ago!)

As most of you know, this is a picture of Ann Dee and me. I've known Ann Dee since 1st grade but we've been friends since the 5th. She's one of those long-time friends when you can start off a sentence like "My dad was singing the fight song at Quicky Lube ...." and she knows exactly how embarressed you are. (PS that is an example of Ann Dee's dad embarrising her, my dad doesn't sing, he finds better ways to be annoying ;)).

Anyways..... We took this picture during Memorial Day weekend at church where we had Ann Dee and Clint's wedding shower. Okay so the reason for this post. I'm publically saying how proud I am of Ann Dee for finding such a quality guy. I've met Clint and he's a nice guy. Very nice. Let me tell you, I've prayed for a long time that Ann Dee would find a great guy to marry and now she has and now I feel like I'm finally done raising her.

Ann Dee still has her work cut out for her, as I can't write a proper paragraph and still have no idea how to pull together an outfit so I know we will be friends for a good time still. Hey, only one of us can improve at a time.

Look for another post later today.

Dog and House sitting

2007-06-12T09:59:00.000-06:00

This week and part of next week, I am house and dog sitting for my cousin Meg and her family. So far so good. Their house is awesome! It's sooo pretty and very organized. Meg at one point in her life sold Pampered Chef so now I'm playing with all of her fun kitchen tools.

However, I'm also taking care of the dogs. One dog lives outside and she's totally chill. The other is a house dog. I seriously think he's depressed because his family is missing. He sits on the couch with me most of the day and looks out the window.

That's it. Just trying to give everyone an update about me so now you guys can update your blogs.

Weight Watchers

2007-05-27T15:41:00.000-06:00

For the last few weeks, it has been hard for me to think of what is new in my life that I should blog about. I wasn't going to discuss it here but I just couldn't wait any longer to brag on myself. The first week of April, I joined Weight Watchers online. The first week was difficult but now it is getting easier. I've even lost 13 lbs so far! :) When I see how much I've lost, it makes walking and eating smaller portions so much easier. I want to lose about 40 lbs (which seems soooo difficult) but I'm already 1/4 of the way there so be encouraged if any of you are working on exercising and eating better.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend.

2007-05-16T12:04:00.000-06:00

Just for the few of you who still read this blog.

I will be in Norman house sitting for the next few weeks. I will still be able to check my e-mail but won't have messenger. Hope to hear from you soon.

:)

My new car

2007-05-06T14:43:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I bought a car! It is the first car that I've ever bought so I feel very grown up and very in debt now. Sometimes I don't know what the allure is about being an adult.

So my new car is a silver (as you can see) 2006 Grand Prix. I think I got a good deal on it and it doesn't have too many miles on it.

Pray for Nigeria

2007-04-12T12:40:00.000-06:00

This month elections are going on in Nigeria. This weekend, all 36 states are electing a governor and then next weekend they will be electing their new president. Pray for the Nigerians going to vote and the missionaries that are currently living there. The elections could stir up a lot of trouble in the country but it could also be a great example on how the democratic process can work.

I'll give more info when I hear how the weekend progressed.

*Update on April 24th. I hear from my friends in Nigeria that election day was quiet in Jos. No major problems are going on in the city after the announcement of the winner of the presidental election. An update about me will be coming up later this week basically when I figure out what to write about.

My new job

2007-04-07T16:39:00.000-06:00

Great news. I got a job!

A few days after returning from Mexico, I started my new job as a shelter counselor in Norman. The shelter houses kids, ages 0-17 that are taken out of their parents' home or are between foster homes. On my shift with another staff member, we play with the kids, fix dinner, get kids into baths and beds, monitor volunteers, and do paperwork on the kids. I have an unusual work schedule, but I do work forty hours a week, have health insurance, have weekends free and wear jeans to work! I'm so glad I have a job now but even happier that I really enjoy it.

At times it's really difficult to deal with the kids. The first night at the shelter is hard for the new little ones. Just think of all the new rules, new people, and new bed time routine. It's hard to deal with the teenagers when they miss their friends and family or are just being typical, brooding teens. But right now it is really rewarding and I'm working with fun people.

Happy Easter!

Mexico

2007-03-28T12:40:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures from Mexico. We went to 3 different villages to set up our medical clinic. I played with the children and had fun.

On our third day we saw these cute little girls. They were dressed up because it was the first day of spring.

Kids at a differnt town. I think they were playing hangman. The kids in each town loved to write and draw on the marker board.

See this house? Yeah it's a house it was also our dental clinic!

Here are some cute kids waiting to see the doctors. We gave the kids stickers (and usually some candy) when we played with them.

2007-03-28T12:15:00.000-06:00

People, hold your horses on the Mexico post. I'm resizing my pictures and I should have them up tomorrow.

Oh and my new job is going well. Details about that next week when I feel more settled.

2007-03-16T19:47:00.000-06:00

Hey guys,

This week I am in Mexico on a medical mission trip. I have a few hours left to pack my suitcase.

I know it sounds weird that I would go on a medical mission trip. My cousin who is a RN is going and called me a few weeks ago and said "Since you aren't doing anything, go to Mexico with me." While we are having clinic, I'll be playing with the children who will be waiting and counting pills. I haven't been to Mexico in a long time so it will be fun to go back.

Hopefully good stories and pictures will follow next week.

Going ons

2007-03-12T22:05:00.000-06:00

Here is what I've been up to the last two weeks.

Worked at church organizing a craft cabinet. It only took me five hours.

Babysat Benjamin, Levi, and Jude twice in the past week. They are such sweet and energetic little boys.

Visited my friend Emily in Dallas. We went shopping and had a great time.

I'm preparing for my mission trip to Mexico. We leave on Saturday and I think it will be so much fun and hopefully we will be able to see a lot of people at the clinic.

I have a job interview on Thursday morning. Worst case senario I don't get the job but at least I can improve my interviewing skills.

How has your week been?

My busy weekend

2007-02-27T20:17:00.000-06:00

So here is a little run down of my busy weekend.

On Friday, I went to the Vacation Bible School training for the different associations around the state. I was there as the Grady Association missions rep. In April I will train anyone who comes to the Grady Association meeting about the missions portion of VBS. I hope my experiences and love for missions will be a great encouragment to those who come.

Saturday was a fun day with my mom in Dallas. We attened SIM's 10th annual fellowship for the south central region (TX, OK, NM, and LA). We heard all these great reports from many of the missionaries that are on furlough. Furlough is a lot of work for missionaries especially those who raise their own support. They come home, visit with their families, raise up their support, and encourage others to pursue missions. I was able to see my friend Gay Lynn who lived next door to me in Jos. It was a great time of refreshment and encouragment for my love of missions.

Lastly on Sunday, I went to church and had a great Bible study on the word "work" and heard a great lesson from our pastor about how our mouth/words can impact others. Later that night, I went to a missions meeting with my cousin's church. A few weeks ago, my cousin called and said "Well since you're not doing anything, do you want to go to Mexico with us for our medical mission trip." I said yes and the coolest part of the offer was she was going to fund my way! Megan's the coolest and now we'll get into trouble in a foreign country! The trip is mid-March and I'll have more details later. This post is too long as it is.

Feel caught up now? :)

Debriefing and such

2007-02-12T13:43:00.000-06:00

Hi guys,

Well I guess I'm not a missionary anymore. I had my US debriefing in Charlotte, NC at the end of Jan. Then last week, I had a Skype international call to complete my end of term review for Nigeria. It's one of those weird feelings that I can't get over that I'm not a missionary anymore. It's almost like saying "Well, because your nephew died then you aren't an aunt." It's a job that you can't go back on like I can't stop being an aunt, I can't stop being a missionary because I still love the job I had and the people I worked with even if I can't be around them or in the country I was serving in.

My last newsletter will be sent out tomorrow (hopefully if I can stuff and address 100 letters before the mailman comes)! So look for it in your mailbox.

Later~

Culture Shock

2007-01-09T19:35:00.000-06:00

For those of you who are not missionaries or haven't lived abroad there is this thing that happens when you return to your home country after living in a different culutre. It's called reverse culture shock. I don't have a concrete definition for it but basically once you return to your home country, the customs/laws/language is a shock to you.

Here are some things that are typical to the American life but have thrown me for a loop since I’ve returned:

Pumping gas,

Going to the Norman library (almost too many selections),

Consistent electricity (obviously if you’re not on a farm during a blizzard),

Buying fruits and vegetables inside a store instead of on the street,

Picking out a movie at Blockbuster,

Drinking the water out of the tap,

Throwing away perfectly good food.

Any one out there who can think of some other things that you thought was particularly difficult, list them in the comment section.

2007

2007-01-02T11:16:00.000-06:00

Hello!

I thought I should give an update on where I'm at. When we were at my grandma's house, we heard that it might be three weeks until the power was back on. So... we escaped. Currently we are enjoying the electricity and that fact that we don't have to melt and boil snow for water.

So it's a new year. A time to make resolutions and focus on goals for the year or is that just me? I really think 2007 will be a year of new life experiences for me which is exciting and scary all at the same time.

Hope you have a nice day!

Blizzard '06

2006-12-31T11:22:00.000-06:00

If any of you are wondering and haven't seen my online, I'm stuck in the Oklahoma panhandle during a blizzard. Luckily we have natural gas so we are able to cook and heat the house to a nice temp. The elecricity went off on Friday afternoon so no internet (*gasp) and no water. We are on a well so when there is no electricity, no pump, therefore no water. So one of my jobs has been melting snow for washing dishes, taking pan baths, and flushing toilets. It's a big job when you have six people in the house.

We are currently on the farm's welding generator powing up the freezers, making coffee, running computers and the internet. We didn't know how isolated we were until we were able to read the news online. Instead of leaving the farm on Monday, it might be leaving on Wednesday. Mom will miss work but it's okay since she has a very bad cold.

I, luckily, have been able to stay inside reading books and playing games with my grandma. My brother and uncle (the farmers) have been chasing thier money (heifers) into TX and bringing them back home. Currently, they are using the tractor to clear the roads for the county and the electric company.

Have a wonderful New Year!

2006-12-15T15:47:00.000-06:00

Here is a picture of my cute nephew Matthew when he was about 13 months old, I think.

We are doing okay with the passing of Laura (sis-in-law) and Matthew (nephew). Thanks for the prayers.

He loved talking on the phone! My brother says that Matthew's hair was always curly after his nap.

Pictures

2006-11-20T12:14:00.000-06:00

I went to a wedding on Saturday. My student's older sister got married. She looked beautiful and I had a good time. It was a my first wedding experience in Nigeria. The first picture is of (l to r) me, Stephanie, and Susan. Susan is my neighbor; she's a good kid. Stephanie and Susan both work at a HIV/AIDS counseling center. They do some great work here in Jos and for the Kingdom.

(Yes, I know my head tie doesn't match my outfit that doesn't matter here.)

Here is a picture of Luke and I. He has his eyes open so I thought it was a good picture. He is wearing a traditional Nigerian outfit for his sister's wedding. Because he was good during the ceremony, I gave him a car. Not a real car, a toy car, and he was happy.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

A Good Idea

2006-11-15T13:28:00.000-06:00

A friend recently said to me: "Oh, I wish my blog had more post like your's. It has so much about daily life and mine is very spiritual." So I thought, 'okay, now I have an idea. I will post some big indepth revelation that I have learned from God.' It is a good idea, I just haven't thought of anything that has been a big spiritual thing this week.

So my daily life: I'm taking an arobics class three days a week. My abs hurt.

That's it.

A new watch

2006-11-04T11:56:00.000-06:00

I bought a new watch today because the battery on my other died. It difficult to find batteries here and someone that will do a good job. So I went to a guy on the street and bought a Cugge watch. No, I've never heard of that brand either. It only cost N300 or $2.30. We will see if this battery lasts 6-8 months like the guy promised.

What else.... It's November, that's exciting. School is going well. Every first friday of each month, we, the SIMers here, meet for a big potluck dinner and worship/prayer time. It is a great time and we usually average about 40-50 without the kids.

I made Snickerdoodle cookies and a Chocolate Chess pie and the pie was gone by the time I got through the line. I'm taking that as a good sign. This is a big thing that I know how to make pie. If you know my family you know my grandma, aunts, cousins, uncle, mom, and brother are awesome pie makers. However, all of us are excellent pie eaters. It's a small shame that I carry that I can't make a pie but not anymore!

Have a nice weekend.

A little about Luke

2006-10-21T07:13:00.000-06:00

Here is Luke, the boy I teach, working on an activity page. He looks happy because he just finished recess and I believe we were on our way to P.E.

The second picture is of Luke pointing to his Titanic picture. He loves the Titanic. An anchor, an iceburg and a captain that will go down with the ship is always included in his pictures. The rescure boat is generally following close behind. Luke's dad said, on their blog (Blyth's blog link is on the left), "it’s (the Titanic's destruction) the main event of human history as far as he’s concerned."

From our numerous discussions about the Titanic I have at least convinced Luke to write the word 'boat' and why ships shouldn't hit iceburgs. He also doesn't quite get that it's history and that no matter how much he wants to help the people on the ship, they still die. I don't know why he is so facinated with this event or who told him about it, but he is and it has stuck. A good teacher would just dive right into the history of the Titanic and even the constructions of boats. But I'm not a good teacher, I'm inexperienced and I just want the kid to learn how to read. Pray for us!

Random photos

2006-10-11T12:16:00.000-06:00

Becky's store. This is a shop that is just around the corner from my apartment. I go here to get the essentials: toilet paper and minerals (soda pop, soft drinks). Good times!

Here is a catipiller and he's got fuzzy, spiky hair.
Do you see the 'dust bunny' at the front, I believe that is from the back of my fridge. He was one and a half inchs long, by the way. I threw him outside when I was done with this photo shoot.

Have a pleasant day.

It's October

2006-10-07T11:50:00.000-06:00

It's October, so for those of you in the States it is fall and for us in Nigeria it is the end of rainy season. Raining season starts in April here and in the hight of it, it rains about twice a day. And when rainy season ends, it ends. Maybe one more fluke shower between now and April. a few sprinkles maybe.

Oh and for you Okies. It is not windy here, so I could be standing outside and not able to fly a kite or need to fix my hair and even could have it out of a ponytail. I knew it was possible to live in a place without constant wind but didn't know it would be days on end. Just odd.

Sorry if you are bored but I knew I needed to give an update.

7 Days

2006-09-26T08:43:00.000-06:00

Today is Tuesday 26 September 2006. We are going on 7 DAYS without power. It's not cool. I'm using our HQ generator to charge up the good old laptop and check e-mail. Ah, Nigeria...

**Update: We got our power back on Wednesday. It was so nice to take a hot shower! This weekend will be full of food shopping to replace all of the stuff that went bad. :)

A Small Update

2006-09-14T09:16:00.000-06:00

Hi Guys,

I wanted to give you a heads up and let you know that I'm still kickin' it. (My Grandpa used to ask me, how's it kickin'? so you know why I'm using this description.)

Luke and I have settled into a routine at school and hopefully he is learning something new everyday. I just have to realize that it will be a gradual process. Luke usually has his eyes open just not for this picture but the smile is always on his face.

Sara and Luke,
3 September 2006.

An Investment

2006-08-31T10:32:00.000-06:00

Yes "IT" has finally happened. I made the plunge and have joined the 'normal' way of life.

That's right I invested my money (okay, my supporter's hard earned money) into....

(wait for it)....

Crisco! Yeah, it is exciting. I'm sure you are confused and waiting for an explaination. As you can imagine imported items are expensive here and you really have to decide "can I live without this?" like cake mixes around $8, last time I checked, or boxed cereal $ 4 or 5. I can live without cake mixes and cereal. However, I have to make everything like granola, cakes, cookies and any kind of baked item. No little Keebler Elf waiting on the shelf here. When reciepes call for shortening I have been using melted butter. This is tiresome for several reasons. 1) I have to melt the butter without a microwave. 2) The butter is usually in my freezer, which is currently doing it's job so well that it typically freezes the door shut. 3) Butter is expensive.

Okay so I bought a 3lb container of Crisco today (yes the big bucket) not any of that great shortening in a stick with the measurements on the side. The bucket cost N1950, which is $15. Yes, you may gasp now in your shocked horror. (I am too.) But in myself defense, I just couldn't take it anymore! I made cookies when I came home with my new shortening and they are terrific. Oh and if anyone can find out what 3 lbs of Crisco costs in the US I would like to know. Just 'cause.

Have a great day.

Food preparation

2006-08-16T10:16:00.000-06:00

I thought it would be a good idea to let you know some of the things I have to do with my food and water to make it safe for me and to keep healthy.

One thing that I do everyday is filter the tap water. My water filter has two parts (see the picture below). In the top half are two tall filters and this is where I put the tap water. It takes about 8 hours for the water to drip into the lower half. I then fill used water bottles up so that I can have clean water on hand. The filtered water is used for drinking (obviously), cooking, brushing my teeth, and cleaning my toothbrush. The water here, although it is safe for Nigerians, is terrible for my stomach. There are many "bugs" that can be in it that my weak American stomach cannot handle. (It is not fun being sick here.)

Something else that I do each week is buy fruits and vegetables. We have many open air markets here in the city. I walk about two blocks to the vegetable stand. I make my choices and then spend some time haggling the price with the seller. (If you want to hear more about haggling, leave a note, maybe that should be my next post). Once I arrive home, I soak everything in filtered water with a little bleach for 20 minutes. After that I cut and store all of the food to help with easy snacks for the rest of the week.

Once you get used to the process it isn't too bad. One of the hardest things about moving here was all of the time that is involved in having clean water, food preparation, and cooking. I don't have a microwave so that proved to be a big learning curve in just doing without it. I can't imagine doing this for a big family each day or each week. Many moms work less than 40 hours a week at their ministry because of the time and energy that is required at home to just fulfill the basic needs of the family.

I hope this helps with understanding a little bit more about my life here.
Have a good day.

Accomplishment

2006-07-28T12:43:00.000-06:00

Hi Folks,

I have been reading Charles R. Swindoll's book The Mystery of God's Will. You should check it out, it's good. This is my second time to read it and I thought now was a good time since I'm in a minsitry transition at the moment. One quote that Swindoll has in here is:

"Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing." John Henry Jowett.

This is how I relate the quote to my life, the fact that I'm giving up family time (miss them like crazy), building a career, saving for a house (a big dream of mine), and missing out on my friends' lives is all relative to the work that God is doing in my life and ministry. I don't expect to become the greatest missionary because I'm extremly homesick, but I do expect to see God work in a mighty way during this next year.

I hope that you find this quote inspiring too for a ministry that you are involved in or thinking about joining. What can you give to God so that His will, His work can be accomplished?

Sara

Moving

2006-07-14T07:55:00.000-06:00

Hi guys,

For those of you who read this, I will be moving on Monday the 17th to a different compound. That will mean setting up my new apartment and hooking up internet and such. I'm sure many of you have moved so you will know what packing, cleaning, and unpacking all means. So if I don't answer e-mail for a few days, don't worry. I'm still around and I'll be excited to see your messages.

Have a great weekend!

July update

2006-07-08T08:14:00.000-06:00

Hello.

I thought I should give a little update about me.

1) I have been reading a lot this summer. Stuff like the Naria books, some reader digest stuff, and The Testement by J. Grishom. All good stuff.

2) I have been making and eating a lot of cookies. So I think my jeans won't be so loose in awhile.

3) My new ministry has been decided. I will be tutoring a MK (missionary kid), Luke B., from Aug to May. We'll see how well I do. Pray for Luke!

4) Because of my new ministry I will be moving so now I am packing and cleaning. Not the funnest activity.

Let me know how you will be spending your July.

Love!

End of school year

2006-06-17T10:12:00.000-06:00

Hi guys. I had my last family service last night and not only had my 5 kids but Christine's 5 too. They are good kids though. We walked to the north east corner of the compound and they have this new hut built there so here is a picture of the kids.

They wanted to explore so I don't them "okay, just don't throw anything" and the next time I look up they are throwing things over the fence but not at each other so I counted it as a positive.

School ended on June 16 so the school side of the compound is really quiet. I was able to sleep in this morning which was so nice. However, today was a little sad because 4 missionaries left for furlough or the end of their term so it's me and the Porters left. I think they will get tired of me soon.

Have a nice week!

Happy June

2006-06-01T04:39:00.000-06:00

Happy June.

I can't think of anything to say. Training my replacement for the school is going well and I think Sam will do a great job as the accountant here. So I'm now researching other ministries that I can do here. I would like to come home but I know God brought me here for a reason.

So my plans for summer are:

Training Sam,
finding a new ministry,
moving,
saying good-bye to 4 missionaries that I've worked within the last year (that will be sad),
taking a vacation,
reading!

What are your plans for the summer?

Thanks

2006-05-11T10:35:00.000-06:00

Hi again.

First let me say, thanks for the prayers. I think all of the devotions and chapel times went well. I presented my two reports at the board meeting. There were quite a few questions for me, but I survived and am recovering at the moment.

Secondly, all of you need to update your blogs. If you are not going to e-mail me then you need to have updated blogs. How else am I going to stay in touch with you?! Hmm? Hmm!

Have a nice day.

Thirdly, does anyone have ideas on what I should post about next week?

2006-05-06T06:30:00.000-06:00

Hi. Pray for me this week. Tomorrow, I have Sunday School and cooking dinner with Christine for the Porters. All next week, I'm leading devotions for the staff, Monday night devotions for the missy ladies, and then on Thursday leading chapel for the kids. I will also have a board meeting on Thursday where I will be presenting the quarterly board report and next year's financial budget. It will be a long week, so hopefully I can get prepared this weekend. I know God will get me through it all, I just hope I have time to sleep, eat and e-mail.

Leave me a nice message.

2006-04-28T10:30:00.000-06:00

Hey guys, I woke up last week and found this lovely sight in my sink. I always figure if support is getting low, I can cook up this tasty little treat since they are free and just crawl right up the drain and into the pot. Sounds delicious right?

You can see nine, but there really are ELEVEN cockroaches.

Yes, I'm alive

2006-04-14T07:02:00.000-06:00

Hi guys, (which is actually like two of you but at least you are concerned).

I am still alive and thanks for putting up the comments. Our internet has been down since 4 April so that is why i haven't been online or posting or e-mailing. I'm having withdrawl problems.

We found out that our internet got cut off because we had an outstanding balance, but we didn't pay the whole balance because we were without service for the last two weeks of Feb. So we switched to a different internet agent.

Now, I'm able to read ppl's blogs but can't open my e-mail. Pray for me. Oh and the rest of us since we are now sharing one line instead of the four. Being a missionary is about sharing!

I don't know how to fix my e-mail problem. Maybe i should have some one check for me and then chat with me on AIM, that wouldn't be complicated right?

:)

Honestly people

2006-03-20T11:19:00.000-06:00

Honestly people, everyone needs to update their blogs. See I just did, it's easy, jump off the cliff with me. :)

Already?!

2006-03-04T08:36:00.000-06:00

Whoops! It's March and I still don't have my Jan or Feb newsletters out. I'll have to make March's newsletter awesome! KA is having it's 60th Anniversary celebration this weekend so we have a lot of guests and activities going on. My main job is to make sure we don't spend too much money!

Here are some random pics of me and Christine shopping in Catico (think of a big garage sale that's open Monday - Saturday).

Do you notice the pink tutu in the left hand corner? No one needs a tutu in Nigeria!

This is me holding Rue-baby's hand. (No that is not her real name, it's my nickname for her). Her name is Ruhama, I think it means "strong woman".

Here is Christine with a 70's flashback on in Jan. I snapped the pic fast and now it's online. I'm a good friend.

I bought the dress for her as a late Christmas gift for 200 Naira (about $1.50). I know, I know. I really splurged. I can't help it but lavish my friends with expensive clothing. What more can I say for myself other than- generous.

February

2006-02-04T07:52:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's February already. I'm trying to complete my latest newsletter but it's going very slow. I can't think of much to say. No big spiritual revelations going on with me. Just taking the Daily Walk, day by day and step by step.

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Finally!

2006-01-17T11:46:00.000-06:00

Hi Guys!

Good news. The mouse that is living under my fridge is dead. I was able to put a bucket over it and then Uncle Jerry (one of my neighbor's) came over and killed it. Ah, it's so nice to have it gone. Below is a gross picture of it, dead.

:)

A little problem

2006-01-14T07:36:00.000-06:00

Okay, kiddos, here's another random post from your Nigerian missionary.

Around November, before I returned to the States, I thought I heard a mouse in my house. I notified maintance that there could be a problem. When I returned last week, the mouse had eaten through soy and ketchup packets, sugar packets, an air mattress and God only knows what else. Obviously if it has been in my house for a good 6 weeks, you can imagine the mess.

So I left out poision (for 3 days) and it's still alive. When I got up this morning, it was on top of my kitchen counter eating my pineapple. It ran from left to right (and I mean fast!) and flew behind my fridge. I'm not happy. I set a trap this morning and have caught nothing so far.

I was having a short quiet time at lunch and was scheduled to read these verses:
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 70: 1 O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help!

Because of my trouble, I have now named my house 'guest' the very state I wish it to be in: Dead.

December update

2005-12-31T16:44:00.000-06:00

December is almost over so that means I am heading back to Nigeria on January 2. (Yes, I will be missing Clayton's birthday). Let's see. My brother David and his new wife, Laura, had a wonderful wedding earlier this month and I've enjoyed my time at Ridgecrest and spending time with the family at Christmas. I can't think of much else to say.

Have a nice day!

At long last

2005-12-13T08:22:00.000-06:00

I have no idea what I should be posting here. I'm back in America. Just for a visit, went to my brother's wedding and I'll be able to be home for Christmas too!

Check out Clayton's blog and his Dec 12 post. Excellent! (that's in a "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" type of excellent).

Here is a random picture to your left. The sign says "Hurricane International: Provisions, Cosmetics"

KA fire

2005-11-17T13:49:00.000-06:00

So on Sunday morning, one of our staff houses was on fire. Yeah, fire. Big flames. Not cool.

No fire department, just us putting out the fire with buckets and water. They lost everything in the house. However, they are staying super positive and are grateful that no one was hurt. I've included one picture of the damage (the flames were above the roof peaks by the time I arrived). Aren't we lucky that in the States, we have a fire department that will respond to our cries for help?!

Aren't we blessed to have a God who will answer our repeated calls for help?!

Writing club pictures

2005-10-29T08:25:00.000-06:00

Here are most of my writing club kids. (L to R) Jennifer, Dogara, Yakong, and Hosanna. (Afa was sick that day). I really had to push the kids to stand closer together but Jennifer told me later, "Aunty, I don't like boys and I'm not going to." I said, "Okay, stay that way until you are thirty."

We are having a lot of fun with the writing club and I think the children are really seeing their creativity in action.

Family Group

2005-10-23T14:42:00.000-06:00

Here is a picture of my family group. As you can tell I'm really, really white. We meet with our family groups about once every 2 months. Today we heard a Bible story and then we drew pictures; they are such sweet kids!

Random

2005-10-21T13:05:00.000-06:00

I know I will have more random sighting in Nigeria but here is one of the first.

I saw two live crocodiles in the back of a car in Jos. They were probably about 3 feet long and yes they were alive because they were blinking. Ppl they were in the back of a car in a city with small children standing around them with no adult supervision!

Crazy.

Just a list

2005-10-21T12:57:00.000-06:00

So to stave off the thoughts of home and to make two years not seem so long, I've come up with a list of events or small projects that I can do or mark off while I'm in Nigeria. Don't get me wrong, I feel so priviledged and honored that I'm able to be here and serving as a missionary. However, I do miss my family and looking at two years away from them is a little scary. So here is a little of the list (in no particular order).

Read all of Psalms and Proverbs
Finish studying the minor prophets
Christmas 2005
Start of the 2006-2007 school year
July 22nd, 2006 (1 year anniversary of being in Nigeria and my nephew's 1st birthday!)
MRH under new control (the current missionaries are going home for furlough)
Easter 2007
Completing my Revelation 2 study
Writing the KA 2006-2007 budget

So I hope that list doesn't bore you but gives you some idea of things that I'm working on and looking forward to.

Have a nice day.

Fun Fair

2005-10-14T13:20:00.000-06:00

Today at KA: Fun Fair. Fun was had by all. We had donuts that cost 60 naira a piece; I was a little weary of the price but they were good, jelly filled.

I took a few pics until my batteries died. I would recharge them but cannot because I put 220 volts through my 110 charger (for those of you that don't know (like me) that's too much juice for our wimpy American chargers). I'll have to wait for the Crouches to return from Yankari before I can download (upload?) the pics.

Have a great day.

I'll try to think of something else to post that is more interesting I promise (to try that is; I'm not promising to have an interesting life).

(update: (on behalf of Emily mathy pants who wants perspective- I'll give you perspective- clean your glasses!)
so $1= 133 N. I pay my househelp Jummi 50N for one hour of help; I also give her 50N for lunch. Here are some other things that I can buy for 50N: one green apple, 1/3 of a Snickers bar, 1 mineral (at the tuck shop), some Nigerian made candies, a Nasco package (Nigerian made cookies). I can't think of much else.)

Hosea

2005-10-08T08:58:00.000-06:00

*Warning, below is a long post but I hope worthy reading.*

During my quiet time today, I read Hosea chapters 4-6. Chapter 6:1-3, 6 struck me. I don't really know why but they did.

Let me type them for you: "1 Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. 2 He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the thrid day, That we may live before Him. 3 So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." (God speaking through Hosea): "6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

I had to ask myself: how often do I think "well I'm a missionary, I don't need to work on my relationship with God after all I'm living in a foreign country all for His name"? Are these thoughts burnt offerings? But that attitude can't be good enough. I want to be a better Christian when I return to the States; I want to be a better Christian each day that I'm in Nigeria, to be better in this learning process. At times of God convicting us, it seems that He is ripping us apart and being convicted hurts, because it means we must change. He's changing us to be better, to be better for Him.

A reference to Hosea 6:6 was Isaiah 1:11 which talks about the many sacrifices of the Israelites and how God takes no pleasure in them. Then Isaiah 1:16-17 states, " ' Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.' "

I asked God to help me live out and learn Isaiah 11:17. I also realized I had no idea what "reprove" means! [www.dictionary.com says reprove: to voice or convey disapproval of; rebuke.] Okay, I feel educated now.

So that's it. Leave your comments. I'm interested to see what you think of the verses.

*Go back to what you were doing.*

Tuition payments

2005-10-06T13:12:00.000-06:00

So Monday, I know I'm late on the post, get a life, was the day that parents were suppose to finish the 1st semester's payments. I gave sufficent warning, they signed in August and given a reminder slip a week before that they would need to pay and guess what happened? Lots of parents saying "i can't pay," or "the bank was closed today". *Sigh. I realize life is hard in Nigeria (that's what the non-paying parents tell me) and that at times employers don't pay on time or at all (ask the public school teachers why they quit or don't show up for class).

I thought I would have no trouble telling parents "no, you're child cannot come back to school, you must pay", but I am because a child's education is at stake. However, with all of the promises that I hear, I can't feed my teachers and staff with promises and IOUs.

Sorry, not meaning to have a depressing post. Just letting you know that sometimes the job is rough.

On a lighter note, I bought some apples and a pineapple in Jos on Wed. Today my house help came and she cleaned the house! It's wonderful to come home and see the dishes done.

Have a nice day!

It's all in a name ... or is it?

2005-09-28T13:34:00.000-06:00

One of the aspects of Nigerian life that I have noticed is peoples' names. A common practice is naming your child after the day of the week that they were born. The woman's name is in Hausa and the man's name is in English. Common names for women are Ladi and Jummi, which are Sunday and Friday. The men, obviously are called Sunday or Friday. Last names are not very common like Smith or Jones. Generally a last name is the father's or the husband's first name. So one of our ladies staff is named Ladi Sunday because her husband's name is Sunday. We have about 4 Ladis on staff and 3 Sundays on staff, so that's a good two months of Sundays. I haven't heard of any Saturdays so we couldn't form a three day weekend yet.

Another common form of girls' names are adjectives (for the lack of a better word). Names that are common at KA are Joy and Grace(not that uncommon in the States I realize), Comfort, Blessing, and Happy. (update: Goodness and Lucky are two other names I found)

Aren't you glad your name isn't Self-control Tuesday.

Hello for Tuesday

2005-09-27T09:12:00.000-06:00

I know it's a weak title, but deal. So this week is indepence break for KA and the children and some of the staff are gone. The campus is so quiet and peaceful. I miss the kids but I know they will be back and refreshed on Monday.

Today I've worked on my blog (see the pics below) and have e-mailed and such. The schedule for the rest of the week is relaxing, eating, cooking, relaxing, reading a book, watching a movie, and relaxing. I hope I can fit it all in.

As you can see from the pictures, I'm in the moutains and surrounded by trees and flowers. At the moment we have all of these little white butterflies flying around and touching everything. It's like a dream to see so many fluttering bodies. They are touching flowers but not landing, it's probably some butterfly contest of "touch everything" that we are not aware of. Today is also a beautiful day. A few clouds in the sky, probably around 80F, and a low humidity. Wonderful and I'm inside blogging....

Let me know some questions you have so I can have a blog worth reading.

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View of the mountains from my backyard.

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Mt. Sanderson (more like a hill) that is behind my house. It is covered with yellow wild flowers.

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View of the swing from the front porch; doesn't it look relaxing?

Dive Bomber

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This is Dive Bomber and he sits in the mango tree outside my front porch.

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My house

My first post!

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Hi!

I'm new to this blogging business so be kind when judging my first blog. Yikes! Now everyone can see what a bad speller I am.
As you can see from my title I'm in Miango, Nigeria, West Africa. Originally from OK but here I am serving in missions with oddly enough, Serving In Mission (SIM) at Kent Academy. I've lived here for two months of my two year term. The main purpose of this blog is to keep family and friends up to date on my thoughts on missions and Miango. Hope you enjoy it!