stupid selfish americans!

This is purely a vent. I almost got on here last night to vent, but I was so angry then, that I decided to wait until today.

I've been preparing a presentation for my church this upcoming Sunday about Mercy Ships and what I will be doing in Africa. I have a powerpoint accompanying this presentation. As I've put together this powerpoint, I have been infuriated, because there are a lot of pictures that I cannot include. These are pictures of real life. Pictures of adults in Africa with tumors, infections, even an untreated cleft lip - pictures of real life! And you know why I can't include these?

Because they would upset some of the people in my church. People would be UPSET by reality. I'm sorry that we live in a cushy little bubble, but this is real life! These are the same people who would rather write a check to support a homeless shelter than go with the rest of the church to serve dinner at that homeless shelter in downtown KC. Grrr! I mean, the Bible does not say "Send money to the widows and orphans". It says "Take care of the widows and orphans. Change the oil in their cars. Fix their pipes when they burst. Shovel the snow off their driveways. And when you get a two-week vacation from your job, take your blessings to people in need. Go to Mexico or China or Africa and build an orphanage. Paint the walls of the church. Patch the roofs of their homes. And you know what? Soon people will start asking you about the God you believe in, because you are doing so many nice things for them." (Ok, so I paraphrased a bit. But I think I got the general idea.)

I am always reminded that they'll face their own judgement before God. But it's frustrating to see others live their lives like that, and deceive themselves into believing that they are doing God's will. And there's not a single thing I can do about it.

organized chaos

What a day it has been - so busy! I bought my plane ticket today. I had to drive all over the place to get some forms filled out and fax them to my travel agent. Due to the public-ness of this blog, and all the terrorism and junk lately, I'm not going to tell you the date I am moving. My email address is in the right column. If you're curious, email me, and if I decide I like you, I'll write back. ;)

I'm waiting for a package today. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting. It's really annoying, because I have to stay home and just wait for it.

I'm down to packing for my journey. It's not too bad but it's a lot of work, and I honestly hope I can get it done soon!

Updates to come soon!

new template

This is my new 'going to Africa' template. It's still in progress - I think there's still a few more things I'd like to add to it, and a few more 'finishing touches'. If the music is annoying you, you can click on the big red "x" (the stop button) on the menu bar at the top of your browser. (you know- the button you push to get websites to stop loading.) Anyway, this is definitely not a temporary template - I'm hoping to keep it up here for at least a couple of months - but it might change a bit more in the next couple of days.

it's so hard on her

My poor momma. I'm the baby of the family, and I'm moving to Africa. My big sis, her only other daughter, is in the process of moving to Boston. And I think she's finally, really getting "empty nest syndrome". I wish it wasn't so hard on her. She already works so hard. It pains me to see her hurting so much.

the bare truth

Yes, I'm sorry I haven't updated in several days. But you would not believe everything that has happened in my life. Even after I tell you... you still might not believe everything that has happened.

I got the shoes I needed on ebay. And I got a whole lot of other stuff. I got a yellow fever immunization and a meningitis immunization. I wrote my support letter (though I still need to send it). I began to make plans to join the Africa Mercy in Newcastle in November or December. I applied to substitute at one school district and one private school for the first semester.

Then, on Aug. 18/19 (can you believe that? just four days ago!) I got an email from my principal on the ships. Since the Africa Mercy will not be finished as soon as it was scheduled, the Anastasis is filling in for the Africa Mercy in Ghana. And the Academy has opened on the Anastasis. Furthermore, they need a high school English teacher. Soon.

So now? I am going to be leaving in the 3rd or 4th week of September. I'm still a little awed by it all. For eight months, so little happened in my life. I mean, stuff happened - but it all seemed to be at a standstill. And now, in four days, God has done more than He did in eight whole months. Whoa.

For awhile, my posts on this blog will be pretty minimal. No more mood faces for awhile. Sorry about the lack of photos but - shucks, that's how it's going to be. I have a lot of work to do in a very short amount of time. I'd also like to finish another template for this blog before I leave. But I will be back at least once before I leave. Blessings, all, and thank you for your prayers!

oh, shoes, I'm losing it!

mood:mildly insane

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I need to get a new pair of river sandals. I spent quite a bit of time today online, searching for those sandals. They really should not be so hard to find!

Let me explain. I am looking for a sandal that looks something like this:



The shoes in the picture above are Teva brand. I have owned several shoes in this style before, although none of them were Teva brand. All of them were along the lines of "cheap Walmart knockoff" brand. This is because the Teva brand happens to be rather expensive - somewhere in the neighborhood of $75 and up for a pair of shoes. They can be found on Ebay, where if I am LUCKY I will be able to get a new pair of Teva brand shoes for $30 plus shipping.

Now, I am very happy with the cheap knockoff brands, especially when it comes to flip-flops and sandals. My experience has shown me that they tend to hold up just as long as the expensive brands. More importantly, they are CHEAP. Teva claims to put all kinds of "fungus killing" and "odor controlling" stuff in their shoes, and I don't need that. If I need fungus-killing, odor-controlling stuff, I can do it myself for much cheaper.

The only problem, though - and this is a HUGE problem - is that I cannot find ANYONE, knockoff or not, who makes Teva-style shoes. I can't afford to buy Teva shoes, but I need that style. I'm going to live on a boat, for heaven's sake! So I am turning to my friends on the internet. If anyone knows anywhere that MIGHT have this style of shoes, online or in-person, preferably for a fairly low price, PLEASE leave a comment!