happy birthday lisa!

today is my pal lisa's birthday. she told me when i called to wish her a "happy birthday" that she misses going. this is her first birthday at home in five years.

this is a "gift" to her.

lisa: here is a memory game from our time in senegal. look at the pics, see which ones make you miss yoff more and which ones don't...it'll be fun.

the luxuries are definitely not what you miss and that is why i love you so much. thanks for always being you, living for Him.


last year's birthday celebration

you and awa (aka diaw fala)..do you recall how her clothing ended up on me then you??

hours of connect four

a sheep or a goat?

knowing they're learning

taxi ride: no fresh air, herds of cattle, etc

precious angels

fish market

remember the soothing effects of alcohol?

this one def makes you miss the sandbar less

again HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

some recent pics

got some pics developed today and thought i would share some.



christina and i in the ocean - His great creation

sunset from my apartment - a beautiful wonder

skiing on the beautiful lake martin

my last outing on the lake for awhile; that's mom

Aita, baby Khoudia, and me

keep up

keep up with what is going on in the world. be informed.

as you all know i am all about africa. well check out what is going on in Zimbabwe. read the article from BBC News @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4101228.stm. President Mugabe's Operation: Drive out rubbish has demolished thousands and thousands of homes in the city. You can read about the supposed reasonings and draw your own conclusions. Below I have copied the pics comparing a before and after of one of the locations where the operation has occured. What do you think?


can you see the difference?

this happened the first time i was in senegal as well. on a much smaller scale though. still very dramatic. the reasoning was very different as well. if you're curious...the reason i was told is b/c of the US President's visit to senegal. quite fascinating.

Mugabe is an interesting individual. find out more about him.

step out

"Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates in order to make his people holy by shedding his own blood. So let us go out to him outside the camp and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come."
Hebrews 13:12-14

step out
don't isolate
be set apart, not completely separate
have courage
be Him to the world
live...

this time last summer

lately i have been reminiscing about last summer in senegal (of course!) looking through my old journal and posts, i was reminded of a horrifying, yet awesome experience that took place a year ago. late that night, lisa and i came home to a very sick Papa. he was barely breathing and lisa and i both thought that he was going to die at any moment. but he didn't. I know my God kept him alive. all praise!

here is a portion of what lisa wrote about it:
"we were holding a dying boy and trying not to freak out. we told them that we were going to pray in the name of Jesus...and boy did we pray!!! i was so scared that as he was passing out and going to sleep that his tiny body would give up on trying to fight for air. his whole body was struggling to get oxygen into his lungs and it was the worst sound!...we were so scared that he was not going to make it through the night...but in Jesus name, he was healed!!!"

God is the ultimate Provider, Healer, and Savior - the One and Only!
That experience taught me much. I have never before prayed so intensely for a sick person as i did that night. God showed more of his power to me.

"Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well." James 5:14-15




little Papa

my alabama summer

as we all know this is my first summer for a while to be in alabama. (boo-hoo) so how am i spending it? well not on the lake since mom and dad are moving. i am working full-time weekdays (a place called Nutech Medical) and taking two evening courses. Art History and Intro to comparative politics. both are extremely boring! only four more after these and i am finished. diploma will be received on december 17!

one of the best things thus far about my summer: i am living by myself. i absolutely LOVE living alone. oh you have no idea!

i do like my new job, it is just so different from the daycare.

my fav mexican restaurant burned down. very upset.

no more lake!

in the last post I mentioned the fact that i wanted to spend the weekends of the summer on the lake. well for those of you who don't already know...that won't be happening. my parents are moving. yes, i never thought they would actually move from lake martin either...but they definitely are. where to? Louisville, Kentucky.

dad got a great job offer with some company up there and they could not turn it down. so their house is on the market. already made two trips up there looking for a new house. dad starts working there sometime this week. i guess he'll be traveling to dville on the weekends or mom up there. mom is staying in dville til the house sells. it's exciting that they are moving and all. just weird. i always thought i would be the one moving away from them, not them away from me. nick says he is going to move with them...but who really knows about that. ...its all interesting.

one weekend i drove mom and dad to louisville to check out the city and all. well the nashville police also checked me out. yep i got a speeding ticket. $155.50!!! donations anyone??? no, i figured.