This is Hannah's mom. Hannah is having internet problems, so I'm posting the following pictures for her from her first two days in Clarkston. The pictures are from making samosas, a birthday celebration for an 11-year-old Colombian girl, and her first visitors in their apartment. Her housemates (Amy, Brandi, and LeeAnn) and a another friend are in the picture of 4 women on the floor: left to right: Amy, Susma, Brandi, and LeeAnn.

QUICK update...

I got to invite my friends in Clarkston into my home! I got to invite my friends in Clarkston into my home and serve them drinks and snacks, welcome them, sit and talk... it makes me want to laugh and smile and jump up and go get some other people to come in!

may our homes be filled with dancing
may our streets be filled with joy

Upcoming happenings:
*SUN - church at Intown, picnic afterwards, praying our cars will be full with friends :)
*MON - "open house" in our apartment :D
We're inviting the neighborhood from 4-6 to come visit, eat some American food, and take note that we're around and ready for visitors!
*TUES - start with World Relief
Not quite as exciting, but still pretty exciting - I get my FREE spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A. :)

Pictures as soon as my computer is able to connect to the wireless here. Jay is working on that... :) In the meantime, this was a short update because computer time for me is almost non-existent.

No picture :(

Well, we didn't get any pictures from today, so no picture. :(

We moved in the majority of the apartment -stuff- today. I was so thankful to have Mommy, Emily Rose, and Mary helping, plus Richard from World Relief and a volunteer - John Lane.

Some funs of the day:

*Almost not getting to get in the apartment because not all the interns were there.

*Locking us out of the apartment. (Me? I would never! How did that happen?)

*Someone else (not me!) forgetting the key to the trailer load of stuff for the other apartment we set up.

*Eating at The Original Pancake House and finishing off other people's plates. :D

*Getting a cool spice rack to complete our kitchen! Dream come true!

NOT so fun...

*On our way out passing by untouched pancakes that other clients had just left. Emily Rose and mom wouldn't allow me to take them!

The whole thing took a good bit longer than I thought it would (we got side-tracked by helping set up a 7-person family apartment for a family from Somalia coming in), and I didn't get to lovingly arrange my kitchen! I was pretty bummed. That is saved for tomorrow, hopefully. *sigh*

I have to admit that it's really been hard for me to not know much at all of what is being schemed for us interns to be doing this summer. What are my days going to look like? I fear having a full schedule and not having enough time to just visit with people and deepen relationships. I truly do. It's been a good exercise in trust and faith.

As a random side note... has anyone else felt the need for a mirror while on the computer (to study your face in great detail) and thought it simply wrong that there is no website that provides emergency mirror services? This happens to me quite frequently.

The next time I post - it'll be from Clarkston! :)

This'll be me tomorrow... all packed up and ready to go! Hat on and all. ;)

My Room

...that really is room-less right now. I have to jump around to get places and clear a little spot to sleep on the bed at night.

So, just to make you feel more orderly, I give you:

Let's get this first post up here! Hopefully not too rambly.

Well, since I've now officially shared my blog url with friends and family, I figured I better put something up here! A blank blog does not usually draw readers.

I'm very visual. I learn best by pictures, so my goal (my goal mind you) is to fill this blog mainly with pictures. Feel free to comment, ask questions, etc if you want more words. And maybe I will get wordier than expected... who knows!

As I write I may be random. Just as a warning. For instance, a rather inspired idea just came to me... I should also journal lessons that I'm learning as well, as a way for me to remember them and hopefully to encourage you as well. That is, if I'm able to communicate them well. I'm not always the best at communication. Susan took most of the communication genes from Ben and me. What can I say?

A newly-married friend's example today made me really stop and think about how often I tend to look at the negative side, taking the positives for granted and pushing them aside. For some reason, I feel that negatives are more worthy of my attention and thoughts!

To set up the situation, there were a lot of food, plates, cups, napkins, etc left over after the wedding of my friend. Their wedding was a week and a half ago.

My reaction:

"Oh dear, look at all the money they spent unnecessarily. They're starting a new life, the budget is already tight, and I bet they're really regretting this financial blunder to start off married life. Maybe we can return some things; I can probably help redeem this problem and buy some supplies off of them and use them."

Her reaction when I talked to her this afternoon:

"We were so happy to hear that all the food was taken to a shelter to feed a large number of homeless people after the wedding! What a blessing. I heard that my brothers really had a blast packaging up the food together. And I talked to (husband), and we want to donate the leftover plates and forks to the work in Clarkston."

Wow. I just couldn't stop thinking about her response all the way driving to visit them this evening.

It is God who redeems our actions... the "good" and the "bad".

Every cloud truly does have a silver lining shining brightly.

Enjoy the silver linings!

And I leave you with a few pictures... the main picture I wanted to post I actually can't find. It gives you just a glimpse of the chaos that is my life right now... moving down to Clarkston and moving rooms at school. My room is overflowing with... stuff. Things. For the apartment, granted. Agh, why are things such a "necessity"? My room is knee-deep or higher in... yep, you guessed it - things. The garage has a good bit too. Gotta love 'em. Anyway, maybe I'll post that later.

#1 - Mary Legg COWAN!

#2 - ...and me

#3 & 4 - Sarah, Mary, Susan, and Kathy Zeglen and me with food for Emily Rose's bridal shower!

Thank you for your help!!!!!! I'm so glad you were able to visit.

#5 - Emily Rose and me at her shower. It was very fun!

#6 - the food spread

Oh dear, I still have this picture posting thing to figure out... I think I finally got these post-able in a very round-about, old-fashioned, time-consuming way. Help?