Op! Knew I Should Have Waited...

Here are some pictures from the 5K that some friends posted on facebook, but I will also share here :)

Glad they thought to bring their cameras!!! :)

 Getting ready to begin!

Another shot of anticipation!

My WONDERFUL friends and helpful volunteers, Natalie and Sarah!

I think this girl was dared to wear this - hilarious!

 Most of the group that showed up to run this morning :)  Some people had left at this point, but this is a pretty good indicator :)  Can you spot me??

Some of my fellow board members: Jessie, Sarah, Stephanie, me, Natalie and Erin.

Poor Natalie and Sarah - we were all so gross!!!

 All the SO's who came out to run!  Love that there was a group of girls so spirited! :)

 There may be more that I will post later, but these are some for now :)  Don't want to get too behind again!!!

5Ks & baptisms, photographs & paintings.

Well today has already been so eventful! I organized and ran my first 5K EVER and besides stopping for some water, and for about 10 feet up the end of a hill, I ran the WHOLE time and came in at 32:43 with a friend of mine:)  Not bad for a person who just started running this term, huh??  I guess the Lord knew I should start running when the SOs weren't allowed in the gym last term and it was my only option for working out :)  I've gotta say - I'm pretty surprised at what my body can do now - there was a time when running two minutes was enough to get me wheezing!!!  And the Lord also provided GREAT running weather today - it has started to get pretty hot again, even in the mornings and at night, but today was perfect!  Of course, I got sweaty, but I was also running for a half hour, so its kind of unavoidable :)  My friend and accountability partner from Bible Study ran with me the whole way, and I was very grateful to have the company - and running accountability, too!  I'm sure I would have stopped running a few other times had I not had her there with me to spur me on - I can see why the Christian life is compared to a race, and how it emphasizes fellowship - its so much easier to keep pressing on when others are around you to encourage you to do so! :)

I also wanted to share some pictures of last weekend on Easter Sunday of most of the girls in our Bible Study.  Our sweet Stacy got baptized along with 4 other people in the ocean on Black Sand Beach.  It was beautiful and glorious, and I am so blessed to have these women in my life here in Grenada :)  It is a JOY to teach them and interact with them throughout the week :) 

 From left to right: Andrea, Stacey, Yunah, Angela [my running buddy!], me, Becca [who designed all the fabulous fundraising posters this term!], Marieke, and Christina.  We were missing about 3 more girls, but I still love this picture :)

And again, a little goofier :) You can also see Ryan in the ocean in the background, ha!

And now FINALLY, I present the Photo Auction pictures :)

 Some of the crowd that came by to check things out throughout the night...

 See someone you know?? :)  He was very supportive and helpful to me when I was somewhat flustered with everything going on...

 J really liked this picture...and he kept bidding until I told him that he could let someone else have it, since Marieke took it...ha!

 SUNDAES!!!

 Enjoying the AMAZING sundaes that really were quite a hit :) I think Mark is making a funny face on purpose - I told them to be "candid"...hmmmm....

 The really cool map of Grenada that one of the SO's painted!

This next picture is also from the photo auction, but I wanted to put it down here because I used it to draw a picture at a social event called "Painting with a Twist" - every 2-3 people who came together brought a bottle of wine and some snacks and proceeded to paint the sunset from a great view point [minus some power lines].  It was a ton of fun and very relaxing and I think they are going to do one more before the end of the term :) 

So I still had this picture on my camera when I decided I didn't want to paint another painting [after I had painted my sunset...which you will see below], but I still wanted to draw.  I tried to draw Natalie, but she was moving around too much, so I decided to draw the daughter of one of the Social Coordinators :)  She is so precious!!!  So here she is at the photo auction...

 And here she is on paper...

 And here she is in real life and with her picture :)  The minute she saw it she said, "Look! That's Abby! That's me!!!"  She was sooo cute about it - she recognized herself right away! :)

And now here are the rest of the photos from the painting night...

Such a fun idea!!

The sunset we were supposed to paint...I debated adding the beautiful powerlines...

 Sorry you have to turn your head sideways to see this one - I didn't have time to edit any of these pictures, including rotating :)  But this was my sunset...haha

Well, that's about all folks.  Oh!  We DID go see The Hunger Games last night with a big group of friends - someone petitioned to have it released here [usually it takes months and months for "New Releases" to get here!] and it was fun to feel a bit American again - AND see a NEW movie for about $3US a person!!! Can't beat that :)  So far it's been a great weekend, but we are still so ready to be home and see everyone!  

Much love from Grenada.

well, this is embarassing...

I think I will keep apologizing about my lack of blog posts until the cows come home...or more likely, til I get home to the states and there will really be no need to document the life I am living with the friends and family who read this blog ;)  But I DO want to summarize what has been happening on the Grenada side of things for the past two weeks or so...

The Photo Auction turned out well.  Not as well as I had hoped, but we still raised almost $2,000EC, and those who came said they had a really great time.  I will post pictures later because I am currently using the sketchy computer that can choose to shut down on me at any point in time...but I am hoping that if we continue to do the Photo Auction every term that it will become a bigger and better fundraiser eventually :)  Now all we have is the 5K run [next Saturday] and possibly one last bake sale... :)

Some of you know that I also started babysitting a little kiddo down here, and so that has been taking at least 5 hours of my day every day since last week.  However, his mom decided to send him home, and so he is leaving Saturday.  It was a great blessing to have a bit of income for a while, and he was/is a cute kid...

I also attended one of the bi-weekly "Breakfast Clubs" hosted by the Social Coordinators of the SO Board. It was at a little hotel called Le Paplillion [spelling??] and I LOVED it.  It was a perfect, quaint little venue and they had REAL tea cups [Mom - gold lined! Just like the chocolate place in Amstelveen!] for serving tea and specialty coffee drinks [very cute] and some great breakfast dishes.  I ended up getting a Morning Glory muffin, but Natalie got a chocolate croissant and let me try a few bites - it was AWESOME!!! Made me wish my roomies were here and we could venture over there together for our old "breakfast club" get-togethers...ah well...I can imagine ;)  And we can find something similar state-side [or I can bake some muffins for us!!!] and have eachother's company anyway - which is better than any location ;)

I have also been to the doctor's office twice since my last post.  The doc suggested I go on a low dose of hypothyroid meds since my blood levels showed up a little low.  She thought this might help my body release the right amount of hormones again and might sort things out...either way, she suggested trying it for 2 months and then to "let her know, because it's a good clinical test" - ha!!!  Anyway, I am currently finishing up the oral anti-fungal meds since the cream wasn't doing it completely afterall...but alas, I am still itchy.  So I've made an appointment with a dermatologist when I get home in the states.  *Sigh*  I am really wondering if the US will just "fix" all my health problems?? I feel quite ridiculous...

If any of you remember me talking about the art auction for the orphanages here last term, they had another one last night.  I bid on a couple things, but was eventually out-bid, but it was still fun.  I think last semester was better attended, but it was still a good time and I was glad to see a lot of the art work of kids I know from Bel Air :)  I have actually missed the last two Tuesdays of tutoring and going there since I had doctor appointments, and she was only available on Tuesdays, so hopefully all will be well next Tuesday and back to normal...

Two of our sisters [Anna and J's sister, Victoria] turned the big 2-1 this week, one day apart :)  HAPPY BIRTHDAY again, ladies!!! We hope it was great, and miss you all tons! :)

The countdown has officially begun and I have 33 days to go until I am boarding a plane and heading back home!  

Well, this seems to be a rather spastic recount of the two weeks, but I wanted to catch everyone up.  If you could all be praying for me - health wise and mentally-wise [word??] since I feel very antsy and disoriented [maybe disorganized is a better word? Mix the two...] at times...unable to sit down and focus on much at all, and just anxious, I guess.  I don't necessarily feel stressed, but I am still discouraged that the fungus isn't going away, and nervous about the thyroid stuff.  I also feel like I have been lacking good, edifying time in the Word, as well as deep fellowship.  I know that part of this is my own doing as I have been more of a home body this term, and I also feel a bit apathetic since I am coming home so soon...I don't know.  Hopefully that makes sense, but please be praying for us! J is still doing well, but he only has about 5 weeks until finals, too, so he will be busy til the end, and as always, he is in need of just as much encouragement as I am, too.  We are eager to be home and at Immanuel for a bit of a breather - what a blessing our church family is to us!  We are so grateful to know what good, solid teaching looks like, as well as what relationships should be like that spur us on towards godliness.  Pray that I can be an example of that here, and I wouldn't be lazy about it - even though we are leaving soon. 

We have a long weekend this weekend, so J is planning on spending today and tomorrow studying and then having Sunday/Monday to chill out a bit.  We are hoping to have one of our friends over for dinner on Easter as well [it seems weird that it is Easter - again, nothing changes to "mark" it for us, really, haha...] and then I don't really know what he has in mind to do.  He gets to choose, usually...since he is the one with the most limited time :)  

May your Easter Sunday be one that encourages you...

...to see God as holy and perfectly righteous

...to recognize the sin you have committed within and without, and the standing it gives you before Him

...to run to Christ, the perfect Savior who was sent to make propitiation for YOUR sin

...to recognize your need for the forgiveness He has provided through His death on the cross and resurrection three days later

...to turn to Him for full forgiveness, repenting and trusting in His work alone

...to long for His return

This is truth, and it requires a response from each and every one of us - God has provided a way...will you see your need and honor Him as Lord of your life?  

May this be true of us DAILY, and especially a gracious reminder for us this Easter!
Much love to everyone from Grenada! 

finally...some updates!

Again, sorry its taken so long to get another blog post up!!! This one will be complete with [finally!] the Grensave International Food Festival pictures, some photos of our new place [for next term], and some updates on the Photo Auction I am holding on campus on Thursday [also going to Grensave, ironically]...so buckle up...its a picture-ladden ride :)

 The amazing Becca setting up her American creation - our booth!  [She is also the mastermind behind the posters at the end of this slide show of sorts :)]

She made these out of cereal boxes!!!

 Finished product!!!

 One side of the boards that Marieke and Natalie worked so hard on...I helped put it on in the end :)

 The ladies and their Grensave video playing on the wall in the background :)

The amazing Korean table with amazing food...much better than anything we could whip up [aka hot dogs?? Mmmmm, yum...not.]

 My sweaty, happy husband...who literally ran through the rain to get to the event...and be rewarded with Korean and Grenadian foods :)

 "Do you have any brownies??"

 PACKED.

 I don't know if I should technically put these up seeing as it isn't our stuff and all, but I wanted everyone to see our new place for next term!  It's VERY small, but I am so excited none the less...

 And the bathroom is actually quite big, so that's nice...

 And I will make do with this kitchen ;)

 But look!!!! We have our own pool!!!! :):):)  And FREE laundry!!! PTL :):):)

And now - coming soon to a campus near you [if you happen to live on a Caribbean Isle...]

And our last [maybe...we might also try one more bake sale] fundraiser event will be... :) 

So there you have it, folks.  It has been another great weekend with the hus - he has had to study, but not quite as much as usual so we have had some fun time together and right now he is finishing one of "leisure reading" books, so you know HE is feeling good :)

This week will be jammed packed for me as I sort out all the Photo Auction details/pull it off on Thursday :) Please pray that it goes well and we are able to help Grensave a lot as well - they really are a huge resource in the local community, and I am anxious to be able to help them as much as we can!  I will [of course] post a summary after that is over - I will even try to take pictures amidst the chaos that I'm sure will be going on :)  About 7 weeks and I will be state-side.  Can't wait.

Love to all!

midterms are OVER!

SO sorry its been such a long time since I have blogged!  As my dad said, he felt "disconnected"...so I'm sorry for the rest of you who have also been let down!
It's been a pretty long time since I reported on the goings-on in Grenada...but I am MOST glad to report that midterms are OVER! and J has already found out that he made two A's :)  [He will most likely find out the rest of his grades on Monday].  Currently, I am making Dutch Babies for lunch [super easy, google it :) ] and we just got back from campus.  It's been so wonderful to have my husband for the weekend after a week of "good-morning," "good-night" [if I was lucky] interactions :):)
Friday we went snorkeling with Ryan [Marieke got home from the states that night - bringing beer, peanut butter and cheesecake!!! She is awesome!] and wore ourselves out.  We went to dinner at a new restaurant just across the street called Le Chateau.  I had pumpkin soup and curried Thai chicken, and J had a fish stew and fish burger.  We then had our routine celebration splurge...yep, you guessed it...ice cream :)  I got a scoop of coffee, and J got a rum and raisin milkshake.  Both were excellent :)  We slept well that night!! Poor J has been soooo tired!

Yesterday we lounged around all day until we went to Port Louis [a rich yacht area] and walked around and looked at little shops and such.  We were out for only an hour or so, but I got burnt again.  I even wore sunscreen.  I give up.  Anyway, we came home after that to listen to our home church's sermon from the week before, talked about it a little, and then we started watching Downton Abbey, the recent PBS/BBC series phenomena.  I had been watching it all week while J was studying and I was left all alone [cue: "Awwwww!"] so this was the first time J had seen any of it.  I've really enjoyed the show, although some of the plot lines aren't the best - I don't think the plots are glorified...you always have the feeling that you are meant to feel disappointed. Anyway, I can share a post on that later if anyone wants to comment on it :)  We watched the third Star Wars movie last night with Ryan and Marieke [actually, I ended up going to bed] and then this morning was CSA.  We are going to eat lunch now and hang out here for a bit before we head to the beach for a little standing in the water.  J clarified that he didn't want to swim around...just stand. He is still tired ;) 

ANYWAY, this was a super quick update since I want to spend time with him, but also wanted everyone to know we didn't fall into the ocean or anything...since it could happen :)

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow, this has been a wonderful, relaxing weekend and a lot of fun with my boo :)

Love from Grenada.

overflowing.

Wow, this has been one crazy week!
I didn't want to save an entire post for the weekend, although I will probably post again then, but just to fill you in on some recent events that have blessed me incredibly:

Tuesday - I went shopping with two other SO ladies to get supplies [diapers/lotion/soap/toothpaste] for the local disabled home with the money we raised from the bakesale.  We were able to get SO much stuff, it was amazing! We then drove to the home to drop it off, and on the way there, I kept thinking, "I feel like this is an answer to prayer."  I kid you not  - we walked in the door and one of the women comes up to us and says, "I was just talking to my co-worker about all the things we were going to be needing and worrying about how we were going to get it.  She said to me, 'Don't worry, God will provide' and here He has!"  I was so overwhelmed by the way the LORD used so many things to bring us to them at the very perfect time.  It was such a joy and humbling blessing to ME to be able to see them blessed in that way - the Lord gives so much more BEYOND what we could hope for or imagine - and He is ALWAYS perfectly ordaining EVERYTHING.  The home itself was quite heartbreaking - they brought out two little ones in wheelchairs to take pictures with us, and I asked if their parents ever come to visit - I was met with a saddened face.  "No, they don't want them.  They just leave them here."  It broke my heart, and the boys were so sweet.  One has clubbed feet, and they said a doctor was going to be coming soon to see what could be done.  We then took a mini tour of the building, which was actually very nice - much nicer than the elderly home that we painted with HSO.  The only thing that was a little bothersome was that they had all the residents sequestered in the basement area in one large room...just sitting/lying around.  Many were muttering or wailing incoherent things, while others just appeared blank.  Many had physical deformities, but some just seemed to have mental disorders. And there were people of every age - very young to very old. To know that most if not all of these people were abandoned because they were not deemed worthy enough to be wanted broke my heart.  I also thought of how the Lord views these people: made in His own image, and just as much in need of love and comfort as any of us.  It also reminded me of the time where Jesus was confronted about a man's blindness in the book of John, chapter 9:
 "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Basically, all things are done for God's glory - even when we don't understand it fully.  And when Christ returns, all will be revealed, and we will know fully when we behold Him.  

Tuesday continued with our weekly tutoring session at Bel Air.  Next week, we are having the girls over to cook dinner and hang out at the house instead.  Hopefully this will better facilitate good conversation and a fun time for the girls :)

Last night was Bible study and I was just reminded again what a joy it is to KNOW truth, to talk about truth, to share truth, and to learn more of truth.  The Word is so deep, and I hardly think one hour a week is enough for Marieke and I to get through 1 Peter in one term, but it is a blessing as we try the most we can into our weekly meetings.   It just never ceases to amaze me that I can know, understand, and love the Word of God, and it's only by His mercy through Christ - nothing that I have done, not because I am a "good person" - ALL by His grace...that cannot even be described as a "blessing" - it's so much greater than that...inexpressible!!!

Marieke left this morning for a week to go home to be with her sister who just had a baby, and spend some time with her family, too.  It's going to be weird with her gone, and since the guys have their midterms next week, its going to be a very lonely house :(  It's ok though - I am glad she was able to go home and serve her sister any way she can - and next week is a busy one for me, anyway :)

Well, I am typing on J's computer - which has turned off on me three times since starting to write this entry.  I just wanted to share the amazing ways the Lord has been working here, and the thankfulness welling up in my heart for all these things.  Please keep J in your prayers - for good sleep/rest in the Lord, good studying, good test-taking...all for His glory.  We love and miss you all.
Love from Grenada. 

grensave food festival and other notes.

I'm sorry that it seems as if I can only write blog posts on the weekends...but currently, that seems to be the trend.  It's probably a good thing too, since I feel as if I am running out of new things to say.

This weekend, the organization that Marieke volunteers with [Grensave] hosted its annual International Food Festival.  I was recruited [along with other friends] to take photos, work the US table, and be there for any extra help needed.  It was a lot of fun, but it was also a looonnng day and I was so happy to sit down at the end of it.  The brain child behind our table decor was Becca, and another SO named Scott was the point man for recruiting the baked goods for the table.  I just made some brownies [Grenadians LOVE brownies, by the way!] and helped sell the goods from 12-5:30pm or so.  

The event covered three areas: an outdoor pavilion, and two large convention center-like rooms.  One room had the "opening ceremonies," some dancing, the Children's Village and arts and crafts for sale.

The outdoor pavilion had a bunch of different food vendors from places including: India, Grenada, Trinidad, Belize, and many others that I have now forgotten....meanwhile, China, Brazil, South Korea, the US and some others had the only air conditioned building for our tables :)  The Lord knew we would need it ;)

It was a huge event, and I took a bunch of pictures, but since I don't have my camera handy at the moment, I am posting some pictures one of our friends took and I will post mine later.

The main crew [minus Becca, who had left at this point], from L to R: Jon [a Peace Corp member], Natalie, Marieke, me, Scott.  

Scott and I suffer from the same photo-face malfunction disease...or we're both just hams...whatever.  By the way...this table had been FULL before...this was at the very end, when all of us just wanted to get home :)  But you can also still see some of Becca's awesome decorations!

 This was my Miss America pose.   I had to represent our culture, you know??

They thought we were crazy ;)

Our table was able to raise a little over $660EC for Grensave! It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends and support a great local organization that works for clean water and bath house projects, builds preschools, and organizes and sponsors after-school programs and camps for children and youth around Grenada.  

In other news, I had to go to the doctor on Friday to have some blood work done because the topical cream that they gave me to "cure" my fungus backfired and made it worse.  They then said that I would definitely need an oral medication, but needed to check to make sure my liver functions well enough to handle it - sounds great, right?  Well, of course my blood work was a bummer, as it always is [I cried...a little, but still...stupid natural reaction] ...but I was also given some advice from a local to try one more cream before I decided to take the oral med [which sounds scary anyway, if they needed blood work] so I took the advice [couldn't hurt, right? and this was a local lady who said she had often had this issue/used this cream] and bought the cream.  Within one day, my arms started to clear up and stop itching quite so much.  Three days in: significantly better, diminished, and significantly less itchy.  PRAISE THE LORD!!! Hopefully this means that I can avoid the scary oral pill, and keep this cream in mind for the future.  I'm just praying that this is the end of this FOR GOOD!

We are still feeling quite starved spiritually here - especially J, who doesn't have the same amounts of time that I have to read/listen to additional sermons/study, etc.  Please be praying for him, but it is a constant reminder of our desire/need for refreshment this summer, and we are so ready for it!

Midterm studying is in full-swing, which means J doesn't get home from school until about 11pm every night.  Please be praying for him [and us] in all these things, but mostly that we will keep our eyes fixed on the Lord and the glory of the gospel [although the Lord is pleased to hear all things...we just know He is so much more abundant in grace than simply answering the "please help me pass this test" prayers - and for THAT we are eternally thankful, and desire to know Him more fully! :) ]

I can say without shame that there have been many tears shed as I think of all the blessings we have in you, our friends and family, and the blessings of "home" that far surpass Target, Starbucks, and all the conveniences we can miss here on the island [I'm kidding a little about missing all those things, but you know what I mean ;) ] and we can't wait to be back face-to-face with all of you!!!!  

Much love from Grenada.