Meanderings with Gracie

School Nonstop

2011-06-16T15:48:00.010-04:00

After an intense week of studying non-stop from dawn til' dusk, I at last took a long dreaded math test this afternoon. And now that that is over, for a brief moment between math and Anatomy, I have the opportunity to do something I have not felt the freedom to do in a very long time - blog. I have a lot of catching up to do!

This past May, both me and my mother graduated from college. Mom decided to go back to school and complete her degree from 25 years ago. She did online courses with Indiana Wesleyan and finished this spring with a BA in liberal arts and a certificate in Criminal Justice. After Two years of college in Cincinnati, I graduated from God's Bible School and College with an AA in Intercultural Studies and World Missions. It was such an awesome feeling of accomplishment! I am thankful for all of the experiences I had in Cincinnati, and all the things that I learned at GBS, but I am very glad to be done.

Mom and I at her graduation

Me and my parents (and Daniel:) at my graduation. I couldn't have done it without them!

I was privileged to have several of my Kentucky friends, as well as most of my family (except Elijah) up for my graduation. We all had a good time cooking out afterward.

My break was short lived - in fact I was back in school before I even walked the aisle at GBS! I signed up for summer classes at Jefferson Community College in downtown Louisville, KY. They started the week before I graduated at GBS so I was doing a lot of running back and forth between Cincinnati and Louisville there for a few days.

So far my summer has been extremely busy. Summer courses are much more intense than normal semesters because everything is crammed into a few weeks. So my days involve getting up very early, driving an hour to Louisville, studying for about four hours, going to Psychology at noon, Math after that, then a little break, then Anatomy in the late afternoon, and Anatomy Lab from 7-9:25, then an hour drive home, collapse into bed, and repeat four days a week. (Then stand for 17 hours at Kroger over Friday and Saturday!) But despite the incredible amount of pressure, I am so excited to at last be on my way to nursing! I will be so relieved when this summer is over though! I will never view a regular semester the same after this.

I am in the midst of the registration process for Pensacola Christian College in Florida (the same school my brother goes to). I plan to go there for nursing school. I am really looking forward to it.

Other than academia, well, not much else has happened! God has been so good to me and has blessed me in many ways. I am thankful for His leading in my life, and the motivation He gives me to try to excel in everything I do. Hopefully I can blog on here some more before the summer is out. We shall see!

Worship

2011-02-07T16:30:00.007-05:00

I am seated by a large window overlooking a very bleak and gray Ohio River. The tall gray skyscrapers of Cincinnati seemingly blend into the sky. Snow is beginning to collect on the icy shores of the river as the daylight rapidly diminishes. I am listening to the mournful strains of Hynryk Gorecki’s famous third symphony which I have grown to love. The setting could suggest a rather depressed state of mind, but in sharp contrast to the bitter outdoors, I am comfortably ensconced in a cozy coffee shop with a steaming cup of peppermint tea surrounded by the books that I love so well. Life could not be better.

I was recently contemplating the subject of worship. I have been around in my day, and have experienced many modes and methods of worship. People argue and fuss about what is right and what is wrong. I know people who say that musical instruments used in worship are wrong, and others that say worship is hardly worship without them. People fuss and fume, and go on and on. I am young and for the most part inexperienced, but I have drawn my own conclusions on the subject. In my humble opinion (anyone that wishes to is entitled to disagree with me :) I have concluded that in all of this argument and conjecture, people are missing the true meaning of worship. Worship is not about any particular method, or lack thereof. Worship is about adoring our Creator and our Savior in whatever way we feel we can do that best. For some that may be the beautiful yet solemn hymns written centuries ago. For others it may be the upbeat joyous music written more recently. I think God frowns on neither; I think God looks at the heart of the people doing the worshiping. Here is an example from my typical Sunday worship experience…

The music is loud – close to earsplitting. The singing is led by a tiny Korean girl and a not so tiny Mexican boy, both of whom are college students. In fact, the entire worship band is led and performed by students. Several acoustic guitars, an electric guitar, a keyboard, and a violin provide the main musical aspect. Sometimes a little African drum is enthusiastically pounded by one of the local children.

The vast majority of the congregation sways and claps to the beat of the music. A fifteen year old mother cradles her infant baby in one corner while her numerous younger siblings run around tripping over feet and electric cords, and sowing general discord wherever they go. A large black man slouches in his seat. He wears one of the over-sized caps so popular in the rap culture, and a large diamond earring in one ear. The waist of his pants hangs to his crotch and his two pairs of underwear are clearly visible to those seated behind him. An older Korean woman stands with her arms spread wide, her head tilted heavenward, and her eyes shut tight as she loses herself in worship. Several girls in tight jeans and leather jackets giggle as they dance to the beat, their large hoop earrings bouncing and swaying. A row of students, most of whom are Korean, stand in the rear participating in the worship, though not quite as euphorically as the majority of the congregation. I am standing in the midst of it all – more distracted, I fear, by the activity surrounding me then concentrating on the worship as I should be. I am also somewhat distracted by the not-so-pleasant odor emanating from the gaunt, hungry looking homeless man standing beside me. I try to ignore the cries of protest from my nasal passages and concentrate my attention back on the worship service.

I love how the little girls' hair is done! All those beads

The songs are mostly contemporary choruses which are easy to learn and easy to clap to. The words are projected on a screen at the front of the room. The screen and sound equipment stand in sharp contrast to the otherwise somewhat primitive interior of the room. The service is held in the basement of an ancient Methodist church. The floors are made of scratched and creaking hardwood, and the ceilings consist of the stamped metal that was so common in the Victorian era. The chairs mostly consist of the folding metal variety, though there are a few large padded chairs scattered hither and yon throughout the room.

The congregation is a portrait of diversity. The leaders of the church originate from South Korea. They came to America as missionaries and the church is one of the many fruits of their tireless efforts. Korean students from the large university nearby, as well as a few sent here from as far away as California on mission internships, provide help as Sunday School teachers and worship leaders. There are also several musically minded Mexicans from the college I attend who provide most of the musical talent. Occasionally students will visit who hail from such diverse locations as Iran, Japan, and Belize. The rest of the congregation is made up of local people, most of whom live within walking distance of the church. And then there is one lone little conservative white girl – me.

Eating the meal served after the service

The church is situated in the midst of the notorious Over-the-Rhine which, according to FBI reports, is the most dangerous place in the USA. Hardly a day goes by without numerous shootings, rapes, and burglaries. Violence and crime is an everyday occurrence. Some of the Korean missionaries themselves have been held up right outside the church building.

I saw this sign painted on the side of a building in Over-the-Rhine

But to them, that is a small price to pay in comparison to the rewards of seeing people from such a dark place as this brought to and transformed by the light of Jesus. For, despite the almost humorous variety represented by the congregation, there is truly a spirit of worship in this place like I have rarely felt elsewhere. A black mother, whose face bears testament to the many hardships she has experienced, raises her hands in worship as she belts out the lines to the song. Despite the scars left by years of toil and pain, her face glows with the peace and joy that only Jesus can provide. And though her clothes may be stained and torn, her body sagging and worn, and her voice rough and cracked, I am sure God is smiling down on her, for her heart is so clearly overflowing with the one thing He loves the most, Worship.

Life

2011-02-02T21:54:00.006-05:00

The early morning view out my bedroom window. I love to watch the sunrise!

The older I get, the more I realize that life will never be perfect. If our number one desire is to serve God, or even if it is to serve ourselves, there is no escaping the inevitable difficulties that life presents. If we are serving God, the devil is sure to throw whatever snares in our path he is capable of. If we are serving ourselves, we just naturally make our own problems (with the assistance of the devil of course.) The difference between serving ourselves and serving God is that when difficulties arise, if we are serving God, we have the most powerful, most awesome, and most amazing Being on our side who is more than willing to help us fight the battle. What a wonderful assurance those of us who have given ourselves over to God have! What confidence we can possess with that knowledge. God is on our side and He will never leave us nor forsake us.

This assurance has been a source of great comfort and help to me in the recent past, as I have had to face some of the most trying experiences of my life. Jesus has been my help and my comfort, and God has been my strength and my shield through the trials and difficulties that have recently crossed my path. I praise Him for being constantly by my side, and for delivering me from the snares of the devil.

I had been feeling a great deal of concern for Isaiah spiritually. Apparently my concerns were valid, for he made some very wrong choices that wounded me and caused a great deal of pain and sorrow to me and to my family. Because of his actions, I had no choice but to say goodbye to him and to our relationship. It was definitely the most painful decision I have had to face in my life, but the answer was made very clear to me. The devil certainly has a way of trying to ensnare us and pull us down in our weakest areas. However, God revealed very clearly to me and my family what the wise choice was.

I believe that this experience has caused me to mature a great deal, and has also drawn me much closer to God. I believe He has also used this experience to strengthen me in areas of my life in which I have always been weak. I pray that Isaiah has learned as well and will repent.

My heart has been broken, but Jesus is with me. He is my comfort. My family has been so kind and have helped me through this whole difficult and painful time. I was wounded deeply in this relationship by actions that were committed and words that were spoken, but God is my refuge, my strength, and my healer.

I am back at school after an all too brief Christmas break. I have already been back a month, though it certainly does not seem that long. This is my last semester at this college. I will graduate in May. And then, Lord willing, I will go on to nursing school at last!

I spend my mornings in class and at work in the library. My afternoons and evenings are filled with babysitting, library work, study, study, and more study. I have a heavy work load, and I love it. I just hope I can do well in everything. I am certainly trying my best.

We'll see how I do in keeping up with my blog. No promises. But I will try to write a periodical update if I ever find something of interest to write about. I would definitely appreciate any of your prayers. I have been learning a lot of lessons the hard way. Pray that I would continue to put God first in my life, even if that means I have to make some very painful decisions.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-12T11:16:00.005-04:00

I had a great Labor Day weekend this year. My sister, Joy, and I drove up to visit Isaiah in Akron, OH. I had to go and get a cold, but, I must admit, I never had as much fun while being sick at the same time. While the circumstances were not necessarily ideal, I was with people who made me forget all about how miserable my body was. Isaiah gave us a tour of the enormous University of Akron campus. That place is huge! I was totally turned around. I would be totally lost if I went there!

The first evening of our visit, we went to a dinner for international students sponsored by a church there on campus. We sat at a table with a bunch of Isaiah's friends including a guy from Thailand, a guy from S. Korea, and a guy from England. For some reason, there was this bowl of habenero peppers sitting at the food table. None of the international students knew what they were other than peppers. The British guy brought some over and handed them out to all the guys at our table. I tried to say something but before I got the words out of my mouth, both Isaiah and the British guy had popped the whole thing in their mouths and were chowing down. I knew what was coming. Within seconds, the British guy had turned a very vibrant hue of red, and both guys were sweating. Isaiah's eyes turned red and the British guy was crying. The Asian guys were pretty worried for their buddies, but then decided to prove their manhood or something... and they popped some habeneros! So it ended up with Joy and I sitting at a table surrounded by weeping men of every hue and color. They were like that for about a half hour. It made for some memories, that's for sure!

The next day we drove down to Alliance where Isaiah spent the summer. We spent the evening with our friends there. Sunday afternoon, after church, Jerry and Darylene took us to a fall festival held in the area. The festival was way out in the woods. It was so pretty. There were all sorts of booths set up. Everything from wood carving with chainsaws, to alpacas, to clogging, to gunsmiths.

Joy with the kegs. I tried birch beer and decided I didn't like it very much. Tasted like cold medicine.

And of course, food! Lots and lots of food. Of the unhealthy variety. I got to eat an elephant ear for the first time. Something that is very fried and covered with lots of sugar. I wasn't able to finish it so Isaiah ate both his and the remainders of me and Joy's. Nice to have a boyfriend with a large appetite to eat all my leftovers... won't have to feel guilty about wasted food anymore.

Joy and Darylene with ice cream. I had to decline, much to my chagrin, due to my cold

Joy enjoys her ice cream!

The whole trip was very enjoyable despite my being sick. We had a wonderful time. We left to head back to Cincinnati on Monday evening. Joy spent the night and the next day she went classes with me. I hope she wasn't too bored...

She and I then went and met Dad and the children at Chipotle. after that, we drove to the Creation Museum and went to a Buddy Davis concert. Then we went through the museum and ran around outside in the beautiful gardens. I really enjoyed spending time with my family. Especially talking with Dad. It's funny how the older you get, the more enjoyable and interesting conversations can be.

We had fun with this poor creature....

I told Isaiah he should send this picture to PNG and tell them it was his girlfriend with one of our American creatures

And then I headed back to school. I have had so much free time, I have just been studying. I am already to October in most of my reading (which is a lot) and I have a couple of big assignments done. I feel pretty good about myself right now :) I have found a really big, nice, safe Starbucks that I spend a lot of time at.

I also got another job. Not only am I librarian, I am now a nanny. I love children so I am pretty excited about this job. I will be caring for an eight year old boy and his six year old sister after school. I am so grateful that I was able to get these jobs.

I also went to jail for the first time today. It was a very good experience. I think I did ok. I just handed out tracts and led in a chorus and participated in the service. I was amazed at how very attentive the men were. They really seemed to hang off of every word Bro. Hyatt said.

God has been good to me! He has provided me with two very good jobs that I enjoy. He has given me the opportunity to serve him in ministry to other people. I asked Him to use me, and He is! I am so blessed.

Back in Cincy

2010-09-01T14:27:00.011-04:00

Yes, the summer is 'ore, and I am back to the fast paced life of a college student living in the middle of a big city. While moving here hasn't been nearly the adjustment it was last year, I am still getting back into the swing of things. Maneuvering all the one way streets, finding legal free parking (virtually impossible), getting accosted in the streets, being begged from, hearing gunshots... the list goes on. Not to mention getting back into the life of papers, reading, study, and even debating (yikes!). However, I am really enjoying my classes thus far.

I've finally graduated from the boring freshman classes and am getting into the stuff I came here for. Philosophy, evangelism, missions, hermeneutics, etc. Very fascinating stuff. And subjects that involve more then paper and computer work! I have so many interviews and debates and other such scary things I have to do. We are going up to the huge 45,000 student university up the road, and we are going to discuss, debate, and evangelize. And I am scared to death. As those of you who know me personally know, I am one of the most introverted, shy people around. And I absolutely hate to argue and debate. However, I am thankful for this opportunity to (hopefully) overcome some of my fears and reservations. With the Lord's help, I know I can do it.

Summer was great. It wasn't ideal, but it was great. While most days it felt like I practically lived at Kroger, I did get a break occasionally and got to do some of the things I love so much. I couldn't resist posting a few more pictures from my summer.

Me and Danny with one of the abandoned puppies that showed up on our doorstep one morning

Holding my beloved baby brother. I miss him so much!

Joy and I went to our favorite ice cream parlor one evening after work. As you can see from the following pictures, we have two very different personalities...

insane

and sane :)

I got to spend several days working with Joy at her babysitting job.

Where I am happiest - surrounded by babies!

We also got to spend an enjoyable evening with our friends. They came up to our place and we took them to our ice cream parlor. We then went swimming at the Elkhorn dam.

Nothing like being pounded by great quantities of falling water. Feels like a massage.

The following pictures will probably bore the vast majority of people, but there are a few of you who wonder what my room looks like. I have the exceeding blessing of having a room of my own this year. I love it! I can go to bed as early as I want, sleep as soundly as I want, get up in the early morning, make my own messes, clean up after myself and myself alone, and the list goes on.

I love my window! I am one of those people that loves a pretty view. I'm also the type that likes to watch the sunrise. I get both out of my window.

And last but not least, my little work area, where I am sitting as I write this.

My room is small, but perfect for me. I spend a lot of time studying in here. However, I have gone out to the park down the road from here several times to study. I also enjoy studying at some of the coffee shops up at the university. However, that's where the parking problems and getting accosted come in, so I limit my time there.

I am back working in the library this year. I like it because I know how to do everything. And if there aren't any big projects, I can just study. I am also back at the Korean church. I enjoy their fellowship so much. We had a very nice time last Sunday eating Korean food and catching up over our summers. I am also all set to go to jail next week. I am looking forward to it, though it is slightly nerve-wracking.

So, there it is folks. Please remember me in your prayers. I really need them more then ever at this time in my life.

Summertime

2010-07-28T22:29:00.010-04:00

It seems like summer has barely begun and I am already making preparations to head back to school for the fall semester! The older people in my life were very correct when they informed me that time seems to speed up the older you get.

Well, pretty much all I did this summer was work my cashier job at Kroger. Though I do not enjoy it very much, I was able to make a little bit of money and make new friends from all levels of society. However, there were a few days of fun in my busy summer.

Before I even started back at work, Isaiah came for a week long visit before moving to northern Ohio for work. We had a wonderful time.

We spent a day in Liberty visiting friends. We had an enjoyable game of volleyball in a barn.

We went to the Kentucky capital with the younger children one day.

Unfortunately, I had to miss out on some of the family fun and outings over the summer because of work. One thing that I missed was the annual Louisville Bats baseball game that we get free tickets for from Downs Syndrome of Louisville. The rest of the family had a great time. Danny and Zeke especially.

Frankfort holds an Expo every June. It has been years since we have attended the event, but we have always enjoyed coming for the fireworks Saturday night. Our friend, Jonathon, bought a house on the Riverfront a little while ago, and he invited us to come down the night of the fireworks. So we got a front seat view all to ourselves. It was the most enjoyable fireworks display I have been at because I hate crowds.

Jonathan's house all lit up

Relaxed

Watching from the front yard

Anna Joy went out of the country for the first time this summer. She went with a group from our church to Haiti on a missions trip. She had a wonderful time. She was not able to take many pictures, but from the few she did take it seems that, despite its poverty, Haiti is a beautiful place! I wish I could go!

One of the biggest highlights of my summer was the wedding of our good friends, Jonathan and Sarah. The wedding was beautiful.

Cutting the cake

Joy and Jarrette

Us girls at the reception

I went up to Ohio to visit Isaiah last month. We had a good time hanging out and touring Amish country. He came down for a visit last weekend.

I have also spent some time helping my sister at her babysitting job this summer. I love children and babies, but don't get very much time around any other then Daniel. So I have really enjoyed the few hours I spend at her job each week.

I am heading back to school in three weeks. I think I am ready, but this summer sped by way too fast! It was good though.

In Christ Alone

2010-05-12T21:05:00.003-04:00

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Done!!!

2010-05-07T12:41:00.010-04:00

I have finally successfully completed my first year of college. I worked hard and I finished well. I am so thankful for the support of my family and friends throughout the past nine months of school. I couldn't have done it without them! I had a great time though probably experienced the most stress I have had in my entire lifetime. I learned so much and I know that I have matured quite a bit since I went to school. I also made some pretty awesome friends. I am so thankful for them as well. I have put some pictures up of some of the highlights of my first year of college...

I did more traveling then I have ever done in such a short amount of time thanks to my missions professor, Dr. Glick. Not one month into the school year, and I found myself in the largest city I have ever been in in my entire life; none other then New York City itself.

Times Square. I have never seen so many people crammed together in such a place. You basically had to push and shove your way through. It was hectic to say the least, and certainly a new experience for a girl who has lived in the country her whole life.

Got to ride the subway for the first time. Again, it was an experience like none I have ever experienced before. The underground stations are some of the loudest, smelliest, hottest, scariest places I have ever been in.

I got to trek across the Brooklyn Bridge

And walk through Saks on Fifth. It was a shock to see a big ugly purse on sale for $3000. I have never seen such outlandish prices in my life

And I got to have a real live snake draped about my neck. It felt weird!

My NYC experience was definitely a new one for me. I enjoyed it but came to the conclusion that it would definitely be very difficult for me to survive for more then a week in that place. That is an overstatement but still...

I agreed to go to a meeting in Columbus with my best friend Freda one day. However, due to a rather strange series of events, went and got lost (still don't know where we ended up), found ourselves again, and then walked over the Purple People Bridge late one night with a good friend of Freda's from rural Kentucky. Little did I know...

On the Purple People Bridge

I joined two inner city ministry churches, one of which was a Korean church. They welcomed me and I have had a wonderful time these past months working alongside them. They are wonderful people and I am so glad to have had them as spiritual examples in my life. I am going to miss them over this summer. I had so many new and interesting experiences working in Over the Rhine. I know that these experiences will help me as I prepare for ministry. I learned so much

I spent Christmas with my Papua New Guinean friends. I had a wonderful time with them. I am so glad to have them in my life as examples as well.

Visits from the family were always most welcome. Dad and Mom came up the beginning of second semester to see me and also to meet Isaiah, with whom I had become fast friends over the past months.

And they approved 100%:)

Freda and I enjoyed a visit to West Virgina to visit some of our PNG friends over a slow period early in the semester. This is me and Willamina, my sweet little friend

Danny and Mom came up for Danny's surgery. Due to heavy snowfall, classes were canceled and I was able to be there. He was so sweet but I cannot describe the feeling when I got to watch them anesthetize him. He was such a doll!

They got to stay longer then they had intended to because of the snow, so I took them to the Krohn Conservatory.

Freda and I at the annual GBS spring picnic

Our missions professor took us on a retreat to Tennessee. I loved every moment of it. The mountains were so beautiful. I never tired of looking at them. We had a great time of fellowship together. I also enjoyed hiking all over the place. It was awesome

My PNG friends with some former missionaries to PNG at IHC

This past month, me and several of my friends from GBS went to down to KMBC to visit Isaiah and friends down there. We had a great time hiking up Natural Bridge

Me and my little friend from the Korean church. I am going to miss her!

And so concludes my very edited version of the past school year. I by no means covered everything. It has definitely been one of the most eventful years of my life. I am thankful for all that I have accomplished this year, and I look forward to all that God has in store for me.

Wonderful Weekend with Friends

2010-04-27T20:29:00.009-04:00

I had an awesome time this weekend visiting my boyfriend, Isaiah, down in Eastern KY where he attends Kentucky Mountain Bible College. I went with some of my PNG friends from GBS. We spent the weekend with them as well as a bunch of Isaiah's friends from his school. I made several new friends. It was an absolutely awesome and relaxing weekend.

We drove down late Friday evening and arrived at around 11:30 pm. The next morning after breakfast a group of us drove the 20 miles to Natural Bridge. I have heard of it but have never been there. We set out hiking despite the threat of rain. The hike was beautiful and the view when we reached the bridge was breathtaking. We sat up there for quite awhile just soaking it in until someone warned us of a severe thunderstorm approaching.

Relaxing before the hike

He doesn't seem to mind the fact that he is held hostage by three mean looking (well actually we look pretty gleeful) girls

One of the many dangers of being the only male amongst a pack of females (besides the photographer). Poor Daniel never had a chance

Atop Natural Bridge

Lovely view

We went down alot faster then we came up. However, the storm took its time arriving and we were able to hang out for a little while at the bottom of the mountain. Just as we got in the car, the rain began to pour.

I wonder how many over weight people have gotten stuck in here? It is the only way I saw to get from one place to another without turning back and I can only imagine the numbers of desperate hikers who have gotten wedged

We enjoyed terrifying each other by jumping up and down on this swinging bridge

Isaiah and I did some shopping in preparation for supper. A little white gal and a big black guy together are an odd sight in the mountains of Eastern KY and we got some looks. We just smiled back at the wide eyed fellow customers and went on with our shopping.

We then all went to one of Isaiah's friend's house and began to cook a nice big PNG meal. We had an enjoyable time sitting around and looking at all our pictures and helping in the kitchen while the rain came down by the buckets outside.

The next morning we were up early for the long drive into the middle of nowhere to Isaiah's very country church. As one of the PNG girls put it "we drove way out into the bush". His church is way out in the midst of the mountains of KY. It was definitely a new experience for me but I love new experiences. The congregation was small and every one of them new exactly who I was. Isaiah got alot of ribbing but they were very nice to me. I loved the service and the people.

After church we winded our way back to the school. We ate lunch and then Isaiah and I toured the campus on foot while the others went a couple miles down the road to the high school to visit friends. We were planning to get some talking done but the president of the schools little boy trailed us around teasing us and making all sorts of nosy little inquiries and suggestions. I would have been slightly irritated had it not been so humorous.

And then it was time to say goodbye. We had all had such a wonderful weekend and made such wonderful new friends. We all felt like crying and it was really quite a sad time. As soon as we left, we all agreed that we wanted to turn right around and go back. However, we have a semester of school to finish so that was not possible. We are eagerly awaiting the end of the school year and our next visit, whenever that may be. God has blessed me with some awesome friends and the most amazing boyfriend. I am so thankful!

IHC

2010-04-22T15:57:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I went to the first Inter-Church Holiness Convention I have ever been to. I am not from a holiness background so I had not even heard of this conference until I came to GBS. Everyone was so shocked that I had never been and insisted that I ought to go. I said I only would of someone gave me a ride. Someone offered me one forty minutes before she was about to leave while I was still in bed. So I leapt up and got dressed. We left pretty early in the morning. I went with my roommate, and two other students from GBS.

The conference was in Dayton, OH. I have never been to Dayton before. So I got to see me yet another big city. I wanna go back to the Smokies!

The convention is a huge deal in the holiness movement. There were about three thousand people there.

The GBS choir and orchestra. They were the best.

We were too late to attend the first service so we walked around downtown Dayton. That was probably my most enjoyable time there. We took pictures and admired all the beautiful landscaping.

Do you notice anything unusual about this picture?

The services were ok. I enjoyed just sitting there and watching people of every size and stripe walk by. It was definitely a new experience for me! I did enjoy seeing some of my PNG friends. We also got to meet some former missionaries to PNG.

Freda with little Abby who is one little bundle of energy

We didn't leave until well after ten o'clock that night and didn't get back to GBS until almost midnight. It was definitely and interesting experience. However, I have never enjoyed the company of crowds of people. Like I said, I am ready to go back to the mountains!

Tennessee!!!

2010-04-22T14:49:00.009-04:00

The missions department left Saturday afternoon, after the GBS picnic, for a stay in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. We drove all afternoon and didn't arrive until about 9 in the evening. We had to take seven vehicles and I was one of the drivers. It was a bit harrowing at first trying to dodge in and out of traffic to keep up with with the lead car. I eventually got the hang of keeping up and we all made it without anyone getting lost.

The lodge that we stayed at is located in a very secluded part of Tennessee. It is an absolutely lovely building in a simply spectacular location. I never tired of gazing out at the view from the back porch.

We had a wonderful time of fellowship together. Dr. Glick and Mr. Keep and their wives did a great job with their talks. I really enjoyed learning from them and listening to all their wild stories from their years in ministry.

Jordan and Brennen did a good job leading the singing and worship

I think this trip was exactly what I needed to give me that final boost to finish this semester. Like I told Mom, I was just at the breaking point and I think the trip saved me :) Not really, but I know it helped me a great deal.

Angela in the kitchen. It was so great to cook and clean in a kitchen again

I had a wonderful time hiking barefoot up the mountain behind the cabin. The trail only went about half way up and the rest of the way was dense underbrush and thorns. The boys said there was no way possible I could make it up the mountain barefoot, and even if I did, it would take me hours and hours. Never tell me I can't do something cause I'll just about kill myself to get it done. I set off with one other girl, barefoot, and we plowed our way through the thorns and underbrush all the way to the top. I took a picture of my bleeding ankles (my feet were fine except for a thorn or two), and we took a picture of the amazing view, and then we proceeded to fight our way back down the mountainside. We made it in well under an hour. It was quite fun actually. And I got some scratches and thorns in my feet for the first time in months and months. It made me feel normal again:)

My feet- more tough then any guys feet that I know of. They might not be pretty, but I am proud of them. jk- well maybe not

We drove way out into the national park and went hiking on some really nice trails. We also drove up to the top of a mountain and hiked along a portion of the Appalachian Trail. It has been my dream since I was a little girl to hike the Appalachian. It is unlikely that I will ever get to fulfill that dream, but at least I finally got to experience some of the trial.

We came to a little grave yard. It was sad cause most of the graves were those of little children who had died over a hundred years ago. Many of them were from the same family. There must have been an epidemic because alot of them were from the same year as well.

The view from the Appalachian Trail. It was alot cooler this high up and the trees did not have nearly as many leaves as they did farther down the mountain.

A portion of the Appalachian Trial

We also went to Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg is a nice little touristy town, but after being in those refreshing mountains, I was ready to go back. I don't like towns or crowds of tourists very much either. However, I enjoyed walking around and talking with my friends.

While driving through the national park, we noticed crowds of people had pulled over to the side of the road. We stopped to see what the fuss was all about and I got to see bears in the wild for the first time. We saw six bears in all. Two of them came to within several yards of us.

On our last evening, we had a cook out together. It was very pleasant roasting marshmallows and hot dogs and eating them under the stars. Brennen got out his guitar and we spent the rest of the evening singing.

On our last morning, we woke up to find that animals (it's debatable whether or not bears) got into the garbage. There was trash strewn every where. So I spent some of my last morning picking up rotting garbage in the rain. It was fun...

We left late that morning and headed back to the big city :( It rained the entire way back but we made it without any major problems.

I enjoyed just about every moment of the trip. I am so glad I went. I feel refreshed and revived both mentally and physically. I think I just might make it through the last few weeks of school after all!

GBS Spring Picnic

2010-04-17T13:30:00.004-04:00

Today was the annual GBS spring picnic. I came with my roommate, Freda. We had a great time walking all over the wildlife preserve beside the park. It was slightly chilly today but, other then that, the weather was absolutely beautiful. We had fun walking, talking, and taking pictures before we ate a good meal of hamburgers and hot dogs cooked by none other then the president himself (of the school that is).

We heard the sound of running water from the road and went plowing through the woods (probably illegally) and found this beautiful creek. Makes me miss home soooo much!

Freda

Best Friends

I had to leave early to come back to the school and pack. Our missions professor is taking about twenty of the missions students with him to a retreat. We will be staying in a cabin in the lovely Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. I can hardly wait! I have to be one of the drivers so I am slightly nervous about that. We are leaving in 45 minutes. Can't wait!!!!

Homeschool Convention 2010

2010-04-10T18:19:00.009-04:00

GBSers were invited to volunteer at the annual Midwest Home-school Convention. We get our required work hours for the school in for it so I decided to go. It was very hectic with almost five thousand applicants, each of which had an average of three people with them. So in all, there were almost fifteen thousand people there this year. I was in charge of registering the people who had not pre-registered. Because I worked over six hours for them, I got a free pass to the whole convention and a lady gave me her pass so I got another one. A pass for an individual is fifty dollars so I didn't want to waste all of that. So I found a good excuse to get mom to come visit me.

She came up last night and brought Zeke along. I asked my Korean friend, Chaehun, if Zeke could stay with him in the guys dorm. He was ok with that. Zeke and him hit it off and had a good time looking at Chaehun's pictures from all of his travels. They also went jogging early this morning.

We left for the convention at around eight. Mom wanted to go listen to one of the speakers. Zeke and I weren't very interested in that, so while she was in there, we went and walked to the two baseball stadiums and took pictures. Then we walked all the way down to the Ohio river and took some more pictures and had fun trying to hit starlings with rocks. We made sure to only do that in places where there weren't any people around though.

I thought this was just hilarious

Some sort of work of modern art down at the river. It shoots out steam and makes all these creepy noises.

We walked for well over an hour and then made our way back to the convention center. We spent the next several hours walking through out the exhibition hall. There were so many people and so much stuff. It was quite overwhelming.

After we were finished there, we went to the Carew tower, the tallest building in Cincinnati and took the elevator fifty stories to the top. The view was spectacular and it was very pleasant up there.

The first 45 stories up, the elevator was very new fangled and fancy. The last five stories' elevator was very third world- cramped and slow with peeling paint.

We drove around downtown some and I showed them the places I frequent. We also drove through Over The Rhine and I pointed out my church.

This is Vine Street Chapel where I go Sunday mornings. It is very small. I think people live in the upper stories.

After that we went to Graeters ice cream and each got a milk shake. Then we went over to Eden Park and walked for awhile. We walked down to the conservatory and looked at all the beautiful plants and flowers. Then we walked over to Mirror Lake and the fountain. It is so beautiful now that spring is here. I love spring!

My lovely mom with one of the bonsai trees.

The fountain at Mirror Lake.

Then they left me :( I had an awesome time with them. I don't think I have laughed so much in a long time! Zeke was so funny.

My roommate also left for the weekend so I am very alone. I don't know what it is about these last few months, but I think I am more homesick then I was when I first came to school! Five more weeks to go!

Spring Break

2010-04-07T20:14:00.009-04:00

I had a wonderful spring break this past week. Isaiah came up for the weekend and we had a wonderful time cooking out, hiking, spreading manure over the fields, watching movies, sightseeing, walking, and lots of talking together and with the family.

Isaiah and I walking through the Salato Wildlife Education Center.

Cooking out at the Salato Center.

Zeke petting a bear in the Salato Center

We went on a three mile hike on the Pea Ridge trail.
Danny got it easy up on Isaiah's shoulder.

Us young folks drove down to Liberty for church. Afterward we all went to Pulaski County Park and had a cook out and played games. It was lots of fun.

I worked all week but was so happy to be able to do things like wash dishes, shower without flip flops, run around the farm with bare feet, go for drives through the country side, wear my hair down, spread manure (believe it or not, spreading manure is sooo much fun!) and all the other wonderful things I never thought I would miss so much.

Bonding time with Zeke. We went out for a movie and ice cream.

We also bought a little watermelon and ate it up at the capitol overlook on Louisville Hill.

On Sunday afternoon Mom and some of us children went to Frankfort and walked the Riverfront and up Fort Hill. We had a wonderful time and got some very nice pictures. I am just loving this spring weather!

Sisters. I didn't put a picture of us standing on because I came home to discover my youngest sister now towers several inches taller then me. I have now been exceeded in height by all but my very youngest sibling (who is five). And I'm the second oldest! No fair!

Love the fresh green grass!

Mom's mean photography skills.

Looking down on the Kentucky River.

I am so thankful that God has given me all of these wonderful blessings to miss and to enjoy. He has blessed me with a wonderful family, an amazing boyfriend, a home in the country, health, a good education,and the list goes on and on. I am so thankful!

I am now back to the grind of school but I am looking forward to only a month and a week before I finish my freshman year and come home for a full three months. I have a power point presentation to do tomorrow and then I get to go work at the Home school Convention. We have gone there many times in the past. It is certainly going to be different working there. I am looking forward to it.

An Update on my Life

2010-03-13T19:34:00.005-05:00

My days have been very full with my studies and my job at the library. I have had the opportunity to go home once this semester over our late-winter break which just happened to begin on my 18th birthday. So I was able to spend at least part of my birthday with my family. I was so glad to see them and to be with them.

Some of my friends took me out to eat before I went home for break

My biggest news is that Isaiah (Izzy) Wop William Topex Tepai Ame Songo Oro and I started courting. We have known each other for about six months and have had the opportunity to spend some time with each other. I really liked him but never imagined that we would ever be anything more then just friends. However, I am very happy to say, things turned out very differently. And after prayer and the blessing of our parents, we are now courting. I know that I am very blessed with a very upstanding and honorable young man as my special friend. We are really looking forward to all that God has in store for us.

Me hanging out with my friends. The one in the red is Isaiah.

Isaiah is from Papua New Guinea and is currently studying communications at Kentucky Mountain Bible College. He is planning to go into engineering school after this. He is a very dedicated young man and is a joy to be with.

We had record breaking snow here in Cincinnati. However, we are having a very early spring it seems. The sun finally broke through last week and we have enjoyed some very beautiful weather the last few days. Last night the spring rains began in earnest. I am so happy that winter is over! I hope we don't have any relapses. I am not a cold weather girl at all!

Chicago!!!

2010-02-10T09:35:00.011-05:00

This past weekend, our missions professor, Dr. Glick, took a group of us students up to Chicago for the weekend. He almost canceled the trip because of blizzard predictions, but he figured if we skipped his fourth period class and we skipped chapel, we could leave early enough to outrun the blizzard. So that is what we did. We ran into quite a bit of snow but made it to Chicago before the roads got bad.

We had a great time. Chicago was freezing and there is a reason it is called the "windy city". It is also quite a crime ridden place. Our first evening there, we parked the van downtown in a parking area, and went out walking and sightseeing for a couple of hours. When we got back, someone had already stolen the spare tire out from under the van!

The next morning we were up early and headed to the Sears tower. We went all the way to the top. The view was really neat. They also had these glass boxes suspended out over nothingness that you can go in. It was kinda creepy when you stepped out and then looked down to see the street 103 stories below you.

The Sears Tower

It took three elevators to get to the top. This one was the biggest. I've probably never spent that much time in any one elevator before. It was old and clunky and slow. Pretty creepy- especially when you are going up 99 stories in it.

The Sears Tower is 283 Obama's tall! Whodathunkit. I did find out that Obama is no exception to people who make me feel really short.

The braver ones of our group.

I'm a brave one

I much prefer nature, but the view was pretty spectacular.

After that, we went to Navy Pier. It was so cold out on the pier so we didn't stay out there for very long. Inside, it was kind of like a mall with all sorts of little shops. We had a good time looking around. There was a very neat conservatory in there as well. It was nice to go into that tropical environment after being out in the frigid outdoors.

Later on in the afternoon, after eating at Chipotle, we went to the Pacific Garden Mission. We used to listen to their radio program, Unshackled, so I was familiar with the name. It is a very big place that cares for the homeless of Chicago. They have more then a thousand people who sleep and eat there every night. They also have a very excellent discipleing program and have transformed the lives of many people.

We went on a tour and then got to watch a taping of the Unshackled program. It was neat to see how it was done. Then we got to eat in their enormous dining hall.

Little Becky Glick being cute as always.

We left to head back to Cincinnati that night. We had a really good time. We made it back in the wee hours Sunday morning. I'm afraid I had a little too much exposure and now have a cold. However, its not too bad and it was definitely worth it.

Whats Been Going on While I've Been Neglecting this Blog

2010-01-05T13:30:00.024-05:00

Well, the most life changing and eventful year of my life has just been completed and a new one has begun. I wonder what these next months will hold?

Sorry to all my regular readers for neglecting this blog so. I'm afraid I kinda forgot about it and didn't really feel like blogging when I was thinking about it. My friend Katie gave me a gentle reminder to keep up so here I am.

Well, where to start? For Thanksgiving I went with my family and two of my Korean friends from school down to Alabama where my grandmother lives. We had a good time with her and it was lots of fun having the girls along. We took them out to Noccolula Falls and hiked up behind the falls. The view is spectacular back there.

GBS had their annual Christmas program. I didn't participate this year but after seeing it, I hope to this coming Christmas. They did a very good job and it was lots of fun to watch- especially since I knew everybody.

I finally finished my first semester on the 16th. I surprised myself and did very well. I am very thankful for my teachers who were a great help to me.

I left for home the next day. It was great seeing everybody again. I went to work almost immediately and worked pretty much the whole break except over Christmas weekend. My workmates were happy to see me for the most part. It was nice seeing everyone again but I must admit, I don't think I could stand being a cashier the rest of my life! I checked out the entire city of Frankfort's Christmas dinners and then some (or so it seemed). However, I did get some good exercise out of it.

The Saturday before Christmas, Rosemary got really sick. Dad took her to the ER in the evening and she was diagnosed with appendicitis in the wee hours sometime. Mom and Dad went to the hospital to be with her through surgery so I suddenly found my hands full with two hyper little boys to get to church. Joy was a big help and we made it though we did forget diapers, a change of clothes, Danny's coat and all those other little necessities we should have remembered. Zeke was playing Joseph in the Christmas play. He did a good job though he was the most solemn looking Joseph I have ever seen. After church, they graciously invited us out to a church dinner for free.

Rosie came through surgery fine. She spent one night at the hospital and then came home the next day. She recovered well though is still a little sore.

I worked most of the day on Christmas eve. We had a nice big meal together and then went to the Christmas eve service at church. It went well and was enjoyable.

The next day I drove up to Cincinnati and picked up my roommate Freda, who is from Papua New Guinea, and then we drove to Indianapolis to a PNG get-together. The next few days were full of food, v-ball, good services, and singing. I had a wonderful time with my friends and I believe I improved my Pidgin somewhat though I still have a long ways to go.

Then I came back to KY and work. On Saturday, I went to Midway with my KY friends and Joy. We shopped at all the little tourist trap places and then drove to Frankfort and looked at pictures from my friends' trip to Africa in a the coziest little cafe with warm cups of coffee. It was a very enjoyable time with my friends. I miss them so much!

On Sunday we spent the day with them again. In the evening us young people went to a hospital and sang for the people there. It was a very blessed time and we were able to minister to some people who really needed encouragement at that time. There was one man who had just gotten word that he was not going to make it. They were able to pray with, and I hope encourage him.

Then the next day, I packed my bags and took the now-familiar journey up to Cincinnati. They have reassigned me to work in the library now so I spent the afternoon rearranging and cleaning my new room and then worked six to ten last night.

Our cozy room...

there are only two of us but we got a three person room so we have a "guest bed"

And this morning was first day of classes! I am trying not to allow myself to feel overwhelmed. I made it through the first semester and I'm sure I can do it again even with a heavier load. However, I would really appreciate your prayers!

I am so glad to be back and see my friends again. The problem with establishing residency in a new location is, when I'm here, I miss my family and friends back home, but when I'm home, I miss my friends here. I guess that's just life.

Well, those are the happenings as far as I can remember. I will try to keep up a little more faithfully but there's no promise.

I hope everyone had a a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Lotsa Blessings!

2009-10-26T16:51:00.012-04:00

Sorry folks! I just realized it has been a month since I last posted. Life has been overwhelmingly busy. We are in that time of the semester when everything seems to pile up at once. I am enjoying college life for the most part. I like everything except analytical writing in my English class. I am having a difficult time understanding it. As you can probably tell from this blog, I am not exactly the best writer in the world. Oh well, we learn from our mistakes. I'll be great at analytical writing by the time this is all over!

I am slowly but surely making some friends. I have always been pretty quiet and shy so I usually make friends more slowly than other people. Most of my friends are international students. I really enjoy being around them and they can practice their English on me.

Me and Caroline, one of my friends. We are also neighbors in the dorm.

I have started going to a Korean church ministry in Over the Rhine. I love the people at the church and the work that they are doing. They are making me more Korean every time I visit their house. They fed me fish head soup (and yes, there was an actual fish head floating around in my bowl) they challenged me to eat the eye. I love a challenge, so I dug it out of the head, hesitated for a second or two, and popped it in. It really wasn't all that bad... just kinda chewy.

Kimchi!! they love it... I am trying to learn to love it...

There are several Papua New Guineans here who I have made friends with. I just love them! One girl, Freda, wants to take me to PNG with her next summer. Ever since I was old enough to read the Don Richardson books, I have longed to go to PNG. Soooo, I have been praying about it as a real possibility. It would be great missionary training to actually go with a national and live among the people as the only foreigner. Anyways...

I have finally picked my churches. We are required to go to church twice on Sundays. My morning church is a ministry church in the heart of Over the Rhine which is, according to the FBI, the most dangerous neighborhood in the USA. It is a tiny little chapel surrounded by apartments and stores with metal bars and grating over all of the windows and doors.

Every Sunday morning, we gather for singing and a short devotional before splitting up into groups of about three or four, and going out into the streets to invite people to church. I have had so many strange and exciting experiences while out on these excursions. Some of these include blatant racist remarks aimed toward me (I was with two Koreans and therefore the only "white" person around), an encounter with a transvestite -that has quite the story in itself but probably not appropriate for public consumption-, we've witnessed drug deals and once even invited them to church as they were making the exchange (they ignored us), heard gunshots, and the list goes on. And I've only been going there abut a month and a half! I believe this is about as good missionary experience as I can get!

After we have completed our routes, we head back to church where we have singing, testimonys, and then a relatively short sermon. Everything is run by students, even the preaching. After the sermon is over, we feed all of the visitors from off the streets a nice, hot meal. and then, after clean-up, we are pretty much finished.

I really like it there. I like the fact that there can't really be any "tension amongst the parishioners" over theological or doctrinal issues. While that sort of thing has its time and place, I am at a point in my life where I don't really want to worry about such things, especially on the Lord's day. I learn about those things all week so it is a joy for me to just be able to serve others on Sunday.

In the evenings, as I mentioned earlier, I go to a Korean church. This is also in the heart of Over the Rhine, just a couple of streets over from the chapel. This has probably been the best church I ever remember going to when it comes to personal spiritual gain. I have never met such kind, self-sacrificing, giving people as the Korean pastor and his wife. They welcomed me and the Korean students I go with with open arms.

Singing together around the dinner table.

Me and some of my friends. I love them all so much!

They have a very good ministry among the people of Over the Rhine. They even live in the "hood" as Pastor Johann says. My friends and I agree that they are a wonderful influence on us.

God has truly blessed me with the people I have met and the churches I am going to. I was a little worried at first, but I left it up to Him and He has provided!

I have been working once a week at a Catholic pro-life clinic. I really enjoy it and I love the people there. They seem to be very sincere.

I also began as a tract secretary for the GBS jail ministry. As of now, I am too young to go into the prisons, so until then, I keep all the tracts sorted and in order. I will get to go to jail in February after my birthday. I am looking forward to it. It will be great training and life experience.

I work in the elementary school every evening cleaning up after the students have left. I mainly do things like sweep, vacuum, disinfect, and put everything back in order. It's only an hour of work so it doesn't cut into my study time too much and also gives me a little exercise.

The more I am away from home the more homesick I get! It's funny because everyone told me it would work in the opposite way. I find myself dreaming about cleaning the house, going for walks in the woods, eating chicken and dumplings, and all number of such things. I miss my family sooo much! I am trying to convince my brother to move up here and join me at GBS. We'll see.

I know for sure that I am right where God wants me to be right now. The future beyond college may be a bit unclear, but I am resting in the fact that God's way is always best. We just need to continually put our trust in Him!

Happenings

2009-09-10T18:48:00.003-04:00

I'm going through long and hard process of trying to get acclimated to college life and city life at the same time. I did learn to be a little more thankful for Cincinnati after going on a trip to New York City this past week.

My missions professor likes to take his students on trips. He had about thirty people signed up from last spring and had three slots left for freshmen. I jumped at the chance to see NYC (something I've always wanted to do) and before I knew it, I was headed up to NYC in a great big bus full of upperclassmen. I got to know more of them well and I took tons of pictures . I don't have a means to upload the pics here but I am sending them home for my sister to up load.
I had a blast but am convinced, to the bottom of my soul, that I could never survive in a city like that. Cincinnati is bad enough! I will try to get a nice long post on here as soon as I get the pictures on.

Life has been busy back on campus. I am trying to be disciplined but it can be a difficult thing when its not the "in" thing. I came back from NYC with a cold and am miserable for the time being.

Transplanted

2009-08-19T15:43:00.002-04:00

Well here I am! Sorry I wasn't able to post anything sooner. Please understand, I have been very busy!
I drove up along with Mom and Dad yesterday afternoon. It was quite a hassle getting all unpacked and figuring out what we needed to go buy, but it was pretty fun... except for the heat! I am on the fourth floor and there is no AC. It is suffocating!
It was kind of sad saying goodbye but I was more scared then anything. I can get pretty nervous in new surrounding sometimes!
So far its just been mostly orientation sessions. I don't start classes till Monday. Well I've got another session coming up soon so I'd better head on out.

Paddling the Elkhorn

2009-08-12T22:09:00.020-04:00

Because Katie is turning nineteen and I am leaving for college next week, Katie decided to do something for all of us girls. She planned a party and then a canoe trip down Elkhorn Creek which is not too many miles from where I live.

I drove down with Joy and Rose Sunday morning for church. In the afternoon, several of us girls went over to Katie's family's cabin and cooked up a nice meal which we really enjoyed eating.

It was terribly hot in the cabin and us girls worked up quite a sweat doing all that cooking, so Katie got permission for us to go swimming in a neighbor's big pool. It was great fun and cooled us down.

After dark, we played some fun games and then got ready for bed because we planned to be up bright and early the next day.

We were up at 5:00 and out the door at 6:00 Monday morning. Katie invited quite a few people on the canoe trip and there ended up being fourteen of us in all.

Since I live here and know where the Elkhorn is, I led the other vanload up here. That was quite a new experience. I've never really had the responsibility of leading someone across the state. There's quite a bit of pressure involved! :)

We arrived safe and sound and ahead of time (!) and got all checked in. We had to watch a little safety video that told us, among other things, "no hitting each other with your paddles," and "no drinking." Then we had to be fitted for life jackets and paddles. After that, we piled onto a bus and a guy hauled us out to the starting point.

Preparing to launch.

The creek was higher than usual because of recent heavy rains. Us novices were a little worried about that at first, but it turned out to have more good effects than bad.

Joy and Lucy

My paddlin' buddy, Julia.

We had lots of fun. At first it was a little tricky, but we all got the hang of it at one point or other. That's not to say we didn't have our share of wrecks. Surprisingly, no one ever tipped the entire trip. The scenery was beautiful and there was enough white water to keep things exciting.

They claim they got stuck in the weeds on purpose.

We were supposed to do only the six mile trip but when we arrived back in record time, the lady said we could go on another six miles - free of charge!! If you ever want to go canoeing, go to Canoe Kentucky just outside of Frankfort. They are great people. We accepted their offer without hesitation. We had been in the water just long enough to whet our appetites and I, for one, was certainly not ready to get out of the water!

The next six miles was even more fun than the first now that we knew what we were doing. We saw lots of great blue herons and turtles as well as other flora and fauna. I love nature so I loved every moment of it.

Isn't it beautiful?

Getting their feet wet.

It was a very warm day and all that welcoming water was just inches away, so after we had worked up a good sweat, we parked our canoes and dove in. Nothing is more refreshing than a dive into cool water on a hot day after you have been working hard. It felt so good.

I was very sad for our trip to come to an end. I think I am a canoeing addict now. Katie and I agree we want to do white water rafting next!

After we had canoed all morning, we were ravenous. We drove over to a Frankfort park and had a nice relaxing picnic.

We showed the girls some of the sights of Frankfort including Fountain Place.

It was a great day and I loved every minute of it. I am so glad I have had this opportunity to make memories with my friends before I head off to college...

Ice Cream, Airsoft, and Some Great Scenery

2009-07-31T23:57:00.003-04:00

Right before we moved to Kentucky, we lived in town for a couple of months just down the street from the Mayfield Dairy. We have only been there once before and we all wanted to see it again. Dad used to be a milkman at a dairy farm for them.

We all had to wear red hairnets that looked quite ridiculous. The tour was interesting. It's always neat to see how things are made. It was pretty short, though. After we were finished with the tour, all of us girls ordered ice cream. Lige said he was too full from breakfast and Joe agreed with him, and then all the other little boys chimed in that they didn't want any, though they were looking on the ice cream with longing in their eyes . One guy even came up and offered to buy them some. It was pretty unusual seeing the boys being the ones to refuse the ice cream!

The same guy that offered to buy the boys ice cream, offered to take us girls' picture.

After we were done at Mayfield, us girls drove to a church family's house and swam in their giant pool. It was a lot of fun.

While we were doing that, the boys drove up to Starr Mountain and got some neat pictures. I love scenery like this.

My handsome bro.

Joe

We had lunch with our friends and then bade them goodbye. I hope we can visit again soon.

We decided we had nothing to lose by taking our time on the way home, so we stopped at a giant Gander Mountain store in Knoxville. While us girls perused the clothes and pepper spray sections (Dad wants me to buy some as a means of self-defense in the inner city where I'll be at school), the boys were in the airsoft section picking out guns. They became addicted to airsoft while staying with Lige's friends. So we walked out with two brand new guns. We had a good time passing them around and all took turns shooting the floor of Mom's car. I wouldn't recommend the car as the best place to try out your new airsoft gun, but we managed to keep from hurting each other. It was lots of fun and us girls decided if we ever have a few spare bucks, we just might invest in one. That probably won't happen anytime soon, though.

We had great conversations and the miles flew by. We made it home with just enough daylight left for Lige and Joe to have them a quick battle.

Don't worry, they would never shoot (at least I hope not!) at this close range.

Don't they look mean?

Some friendly target practice.

The whole trip was great and we had a blast. I think we're all about ready to move to Tennessee! :)

A Sunday with Friends

2009-07-31T22:48:00.001-04:00

It was neat going to church and seeing everyone again after almost a decade. The service was good.

We relaxed all afternoon and then went to a singing at the church in the evening. All the guys from Miracle Lake were there which was interesting.

All of us girls.

Lige and Joe had been spending the night at other friend's house but planned to spend the last night at the Yoder's. We spent a very enjoyable evening playing some new games. It was a lot of fun.

After we were finished playing, we went upstairs and watched old videos from a Christmas program us children did ten years ago. It was really neat to see myself as a little girl. We have a few pictures but I've never seen video footage of myself. We were all so little back then!

Us girls decided to make a night of it and do face masques. We had a lot fun doing it. We all looked pretty awful. The good thing about it is it's hard to tell who's who.

Hike to the Bluffs

2009-07-30T23:23:00.002-04:00

Later on in the evening, we met up with the boys at the foot of the bluffs. I have hiked up them once before but did not remember how steep they are in some places. It was great. I love hiking and the more rigorous the trail the better.

We found a travelers log in a tupperware container beneath a rock. It was signed by people from as long ago as 2005. We filled up a page with our names.

Needless to say, by the time we had reached the top, we were more then ready to plunge into the Hawassee without hesitation. It was out of reach by then, however.

The view from the top is absolutely breathtaking. I love beautiful views so I loved every moment of it.

The boys amused themselves by throwing rocks over the edge of the cliff and watching them shatter on the rocks below.

We ate the cookies we had packed along and talked for quite awhile. We played a game and then us girls sang a song before tearing ourselves away and heading back down the steep hill.

Zac

There are plenty of great photo ops up there. However, none of us were exactly dressed for the occasion.

Heading back down the mountain.

We were very hot and sweaty by the time we got to the bottom so we decided to meet at sonic for something cold and sweet. It was a great evening and I loved every moment of it. Can't wait to do it again sometime.

Swimming in the Hawassee

2009-07-30T22:54:00.012-04:00

The girls elected me driver for the weekend. I wasn't to thrilled with that idea at first - especially driving the Yoder's van. However, I got used to it pretty fast and all was well.

We left relatively early because they let the dam out so the Hawassee rises in the early afternoon. The Hawassee is deep, wide, and very clear. The water is also cold. We had quite a time getting used to it. It was a major shock plunging in but it didn't take too long to get used to it and then we had a great time. I've never swam in such clear natural water. Kentucky rivers and creeks are always so muddy. We had quite a time swimming to the other side and then back again.

They are standing on a large rock in the middle of the river. The water is way over our heads not far from the shore and way, way over our heads out there.

Katie stepped on a snake and we saw another one. None of us are big fans of snakes so it put a slight damper on things and we tried to watch our steps after that.

We had brought a watermelon down to the river and we enjoyed eating it by the water.

Shanna and I.

After we were done in the river, we drove over to a creek not far away. There was an interesting rock, water slide. It was slick from scum and so we would shoot right down it. I stubbed my toe on a rock at the bottom but besides that I had a blast.

After a late lunch, we drove in to the town of Etowah and went shopping in some of the little places along the street. We had a lot of fun

Miracle Lake

2009-07-29T14:23:00.014-04:00

We arrived at the Yoder's earlier than anticipated. It was great seeing my friends again. I saw them a month ago when we were on our way back from Florida but that visit just wasn't long enough. We played a game of spoons and they showed us around their farm.

Their church was having a picnic at a place called Miracle Lake that evening. Miracle Lake is sort of a half-way house for ex-convicts and addicts. It is a very beautiful place on a big lake. They grilled hot dogs and had all the side dishes that come with that as well as fresh watermelon. It was very good.

There were a couple of canoes and all of us girls loaded into them and headed out onto the lake. It was lots of fun. I think I'll have to add canoeing to one of my favorite things to do. We managed to get through the evening without tipping over though we did have couple of scares.

They also had a big volley ball game. I chickened out when I saw all the people playing. I'm not the best volleyball player in the world. Katie, Heather, and I went on another relaxing canoe ride instead.

One of the joys of playing volleyball right by a lake.
One of the Miracle Lake men swam out to rescue the ball.

It was a very enjoyable, relaxing evening. We all had a great time.