Finding a Special Friend

I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine...this is Calsile

Calsile and I met in Swaziland, and she wrapped my heart around her finger. At Capital, we are the official sponsors of the Mkhombokati Care Point in Swaziland. The kids who come to this Carepoint do so every day and receive community, fellowship, and food from the mages and gogos. Calsile is one of the younger kids who come to the carepoint.

She doesn't speak any English, but is plenty vocal in siSwati, the local language. Many times she'd say something to me in siSwati, and then just keep on talking. She talked to the other children a lot too, though from what I understand, she is pretty new at the carepoint.

She and I spent a lot of time together while at the carepoint. She would usually come and find me when I arrived or when she did. Then she'd grab on to my hands and not let go until it was time for her to leave with her sister. She absolutely captured my heart.

Calsile is one of the kids at Mkhombokati carepoint without a sponsor. I do not know if she is on the updated sponsorship list that we'll be receiving from Children's HopeChest soon, but regardless of her sponsorship status, Calsile will be my special friend, and one of my most treasured memories of Swaziland.


UPDATE:
Two weeks ago, our church received the new "batch" of kids to sponsor from the Carepoint...and guess who was one of the new kids?!?! My little girl! Calsile is OFFICIALLY my special friend! I was so happy that I was telling anyone who would listen about her and our connection in Swaziland!

World Travels...Ayi!

Alright, I've just done the math. And it's been a crazy month. In the last 30 days, I have done the following:

Black: driving to Oregon for Grandma Wilson | Blue: driving back to Utah | Burgundy: Flying to Africa | Gray: Flying home from Africa | Light Green: flying to see Britni

Driven through 6 states [Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho]
Spent time in 7 airports [SLC, Detroit, JFK, Amsterdam, Johannesberg, Midway, Indianapolis]
Passed through 4 countries [USA, Netherlands, South Africa, Swaziland]
Spent the night in 7 different cities [SLC, Tualatin, Salem, Johannesberg, Manzini, Nelspruit, Urbana]
Spent approximately 30 hours in various airports
Driven for approximately 58 hours [as a driver and passenger]
Spent 54 hours flying in planes

Was located in:
Oregon for 9 days
Utah for 8 days
Africa for 12 days
Illinois for 3 days [yes, this one is March - but it's still part of the travelling]

Goodness. Travel is exhausting! I hope that wherever you are, you are well, not jet-lagged, and enjoying the comforts of your own space. :-) Happy first weekend of March!

Bubbles and Nail Polish

Yesterday (Thursday) at the carepoint was an absolute blast. The day can really be summed up by the words "bubbles" and "nail polish". To see the joy on the kids faces when they experience bubbles in their faces, and run around screaming to catch and pop them was so wonderful. Bubbles are universal for children. They always bring a smile to kids, no matter what age, or country they are from. One little girl, I think it was her first time experiencing bubbles, and she stood with a very confused face while I blew bubbles around her and the other children. After a few minutes, she understood what was happening, and took part in the crazy running and popping extravaganza.

We brought out bags of nail polish and painted the nails of the children during both the morning (just toddlers) and the afternoon (school-age children/teens). The kids loved it so much that they would take the nails you just painted, wipe off the polish, and come back for more. Many times I'd be painting someone's nails bright blue who already had rings of green and orange around their nails. It made me smile to see how something we deem so simple can be so exciting to these children.

On Wednesday, one of the boys said to me "I wish you could speak our language." and I totally agreed with him. It would be a wonderful, wonderful thing to be able to communicate with these kids in siSwati, even though they love English, they like to help us learn words in their first language.

I love talking and spending time with these kids. The more time I spend with them, the more I want to come back and be with them here.

Lessons in Humility

Our second day at the carepoint was probably one of the hottest days I think I've ever experienced. But that was not the biggest thing to take away from the day.

Today we had the opportunity to give new shoes & socks to the kids. For the younger kids, we had a pair of shoes that will keep thorns out and dirt off. For the older kids there were shoes for school. Before we gave the kids their shoes and socks...we washed their feet.

What an amazing experience to serve these kids in that way. Several moments during that time I found tears in my eyes. It was incredible to find that the washing of feet, no matter where they are, still have the power to show love to others.

I don't really have the words to say tonight to let you know exactly what is happening here. After some time to journal tonight and tomorrow there should be more to say. Just know that we are all so honored and completely moved by these children.

Please pray for members of our team who are feeling under the weather. Pray that there is time to do all the things we want to do for the children and the mages at the carepoint. Pray that we would be able to show love to all the kids - the ones who are shy and outcast too.

Johannesburg!!!

We finally made it! All the way to Africa!!! It's about 11:30pm here, and we have breakfast tomorrow morning between 6:30-8am. Our bus leaves a little after 8am to drive to Swaziland.

Tomorrow is all about orientation and getting ready to be with the kids at the carepoint. We leave at 8am, drive 5 hours, and then get orientated to what we're about to do for the next week and a half.

It's raining here in Johannesburg, and there is some lightning and thunder going on. We're so ready to be with the kids. It's so exciting knowing that it's almost time for us to meet them and be with them at the carepoint.

Love you all!!!

SLC - DTW - AMS - JHB

We're out of the USA! As I write this, our team is sitting outside our gate in the Amsterdam airport. We've got two more hours before we board and take off to Johannesburg - where we will stay overnight before traveling to Swaziland tomorrow morning.

The whole team is pretty tired, and some members were already battling illness before we left...so please pray that we will all stay (or get) healthy. After we board the plane in Amsterdam, our flight to Johannesburg will be about 11 hours [insert enthusiastic "woo-hoo" here].

There are 25 of us, and each team member has two bags weighing 50 lbs. each. Except for one woman, who has an extra - we packed 51 bags total to bring with us. Praise the Lord that we had wonderful Delta concierges who passed bags through if they were over weight or more than the two we should have per person.

The internet here in Amsterdam is on a 30 minute free session, of which I have 10 minutes left, and it's running kind of slowly, so I should not go on much more for fear of this post not publishing once finished.

Know that we are all safe and sound, and that our journey into the continent of Africa is about to begin. We will arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa at about 10pm.

Looking forward to keeping you all up to date with what is happening with our team in Swaziland.

--Jackie

On your mark...

Get set...
Go!

That's right! Tomorrow I leave for Swaziland! I can't believe the time has actually come! It seems like this last year we've been planning and planning and we'd never actually be getting on a plane, but here we are getting ready to leave on a plane at 8:30 in the morning on Saturday!

As we're on our journey, I don't know what internet access will be like, so I don't know for sure if I'll be able to communicate with everyone about what's happening. However, each day, our team will be doing a devotional together, and I have scheduled a post with that devotional to come up each day we're traveling or in-country. Please do read them and pray along with us.

While our team is in Africa, please pray for:
safe travel - we'll be going by plane and bus, through Malaria zones, and in a country with high rates of HIV
the kids we'll be ministering to - that their hearts would be open, and their needs met
the team members - that we would mesh well and be blessed by the kids and carepoint staff
our families and friends at home - that they would provide the necessary support so the team can come back knowing there is not chaos at home.

Specifically for me:
pray that my professors would be patient with me as I work to catch up after returning from Swaziland
pray that I would be receptive to everything God wants to speak to me while we're there
pray that I'll wake up on time! :-)
that I would be able to minister to these kids in a way that they will understand and receive - and that they will do the same for me.

Thank you all for your incredible support as I've prepared to leave with our team. The time is finally here, and I can't wait to share everything we do with you - either as it happens, or upon returning to the U.S.

Saying Goodbye

My Grandma Loene went to be with Jesus today. I will miss her so much. She always brought people together, and even as she passed in the hospital this morning, she was with people she loved and who loved her. She was an amazing, amazing woman who genuinely loved others. She never missed a birthday or special occasion if she could help it. I always got a card on my birthday, at Valentine's Day, Easter, sometimes even on St. Patrick's Day and Thanksgiving. She just loved to connect. And she did it well.

I love you so much, Grandma. I'll see you when I get to Heaven.

Africa is Happening.

Yesterday, at our first team meeting of 2012, I was informed by the team leader that we officially have 40 days and 40 nights before we depart for Swaziland. WHAT?!?! 40 days and nights. Oh. My. Goodness.

Sometimes, I think about it and wonder, "is this REALLY happening? Am I REALLY going to Africa?" And then I remember: "Oh yeah...God IS Faithful...and he likes to prove it."

That's really what Swaziland is about for me. It's about God showing me just how faithful he is to bring me through anything in order to fulfill his promises. Now, there are a few things that I know without a shadow of a doubt that God has promised he would do for me. But going to Africa was never one of them. Sure, it has been on my heart for years and years, but it was never something that I KNEW God was saying "Jackie, you're going to do this".  Until May.

Each and every moment I've spent getting ready for Swaziland has been another moment for me to realize how incredibly loving and faithful God is. It's another moment for me to recognize His hand of blessing on my life and how amazing it is when I decide to give everything and be led, rather than trying to lead blindly. Each obstacle to going has been just another obstacle that He's held me tightly and bounded over to arrive at this place where I am truly in awe of the wonderful, wonderful love of Jesus.

At first, I thought "oh, they're going in the middle of the school year". But then I checked the dates: It's during my spring break. The next issue was "how could I ever raise $3,000? I don't know that many people who are financially able to help." And I won't lie, this one was hard. I called a good friend after the initial interest meeting in May, and she told me that she would find a way to commit to supporting me each month from June through February. I was floored. The amount she had pledged was enough to lower the total significantly, but I still worried about being able to find friends and family willing to give the rest. In fact, I had received a call from my team leader wondering if I would get the money necessary in by the deadlines set for us (read about that here). Within three days of that phone call, God came through and more than made up the difference between where we were asked to be and where I was.

I was fully funded approximately a month before our final due date for funds...which is completely amazing...everyone I talk to about the experience is totally in awe at how quickly and faithfully the funds to go arrived. All I can do is smile and remember God's faithfulness.

Look for more posts in the coming weeks about the Faithfulness of God and how it relates to Africa. I won't make any promises, but I'm going to try to post more often between now and when the team leaves.

2011 In Review

What a year 2011 has been! It has contained so many new experiences, new friends, and wonderful adventures, and just remembering them has been quite fun! Let's revisit the best parts of 2011!!!

Firsts:

Visiting St. George (January)

Visiting Las Vegas (March)

Date (February)

Ice Skating (January)

Marriages/Engagements:

Kirsten, Married (July)

Jessica, Married (July)

Melissa, Married (August)

Brittany, Married (December)

Amie, Engaged (November)

Britni, Engaged (December)

Shawn, Engaged (July)

Time with Friends:

Holi Festival in Spanish Fork (March)

Movies on the Capitol Green (July)

Music Goodness:

Aaron Gillespie, AJ Cheek & The City Harmonic (October)

Steven Curtis Chapman, Andrew Peterson & Josh Wilson (November)
Final Chamber Singers Holiday Concert (December)

Travel:

Road Trip to Las Vegas/ Disneyland (March)

UTA/UMEA in St. George (February)

Phoenix, AZ for NCHC (October)

Corbett, OR for SDS (August)

Ketchum, ID (October)

Fun Stuff:

Stage Managing (February)

2011 Walk MS Utah (April)

My 21st Birthday! (April)

Biggest Fan: Amie

Today, I would like to introduce you to a member of the "Three Musketeers", a fabulous woman of God, and a great friend.

This. Is the beautiful, talented, and completely wonderful Amie.

Don't be alarmed by the gun and busted CD in the picture...she's really quite tame.

This gal is one of the most awesome, amazing, sweet, caring individuals I have ever met. 

Seriously. I don't think there are enough adjectives in the world to describe just how wonderful and amazing this woman is.

We met at the beginning of my freshman year of college, and together with her now fiance, became the Three Musketeers. She encouraged me to audition for Chamber Singers again in the spring, and we had the privilege to sing together during her last semester at Westminster. She loves music so very much and it's not uncommon to hear her bouncing around the house humming a tune, singing a song, or otherwise having a crazy dance party on her own (oh, did I mention she's also my roommate?!).

I can't tell you the number of nights I've spent sitting on the floor with her, both of us a weepy mess, and still attempting to converse. Or even standing in the kitchen, doubled over and unable to breathe because of something that probably won't be funny in two years, but certainly was in the moment. She is a strong prayer warrior and loves Jesus with all her heart, and she shares that love with everyone around her. All she has to do is say hello, and suddenly your day feels a little bit brighter because Amie has sent some of her sunshine your way. She is engaged to one great guy, and I am so excited to see how they continue to grow together as an engaged, and then married couple. Sometimes she doesn't know what she's doing with her life, if she's going the right direction or if she is really up to the challenge of being a Navy wife. Amie, you totally are. You are so strong and you bring comfort in times of heartache, I know you are going to be a huge blessing to everyone on base when you arrive.

It's such a great thing to have amazing friends in - Amie is one who I'm going to keep around, whether she likes it or not! :-)

My dear Miss Amie, you are an incredible blessing in my life and I cannot wait for our friendship to blossom and grow even deeper as we get older! (You know we're probably going to be those old ladies in the nursing home laughing at something completely stupid). I LOVE YOU!

umusa nekuthula

 

As the time to go to Swaziland gets closer, and the months move more quickly, I am continually reminded of the purpose for this journey. Ten years I've been ready to go, and ten years I've waited for an open door to go to the continent of Africa to minister to the children who have been abandoned by a disease that was not their fault. 

I am saddened by the circumstances of these children, but at the same time, I cannot wait to go and show them hope and love. I received a note from a friend today that said "As you will soon learn, Swaziland is a beautiful country full of beautiful people who are in desperate need of God's love and His mercy." Her note truly encouraged me and reminded me of the reason I desire so strongly to go.

 One way I keep feeling the blessing of God on this endeavor is through the support He continues to bring in. I received an update today, and there were donations sent on my behalf that I was not aware of - combining these new donations with another just received today, I am $135 from the total support that I need to go to Swaziland in February!!!!!  There are not sufficient words to express the joy in my heart knowing that I really do get to go and touch the lives of the kids at the Mkhombokati carepoint.

Now as I write, a song is running through my head, the first part seems especially pertinent:

How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give his only son

To make a wretch his treasure

Wretched. This is what I am. Without Him, I cannot love, I cannot live. Yet, he places desires deep within my heart, and asks me to wait on his timing. He asks me to trust that when his plan comes through, that it will be better than I ever could have imagined. And it is. He takes me in my mess, my wretchedness, and blesses me beyond words. He places joy and passion in my heart to do what He has called me to do, and walks with me through open doors. I am still struggling to comprehend his love for me, and that He would choose to use me to bless the children in Swaziland. I'm humbled and honored by this opportunity.

If you'd like to keep up to date with what's happening with our team, check out the website for our mission at www.swazilandmission.com/. Your continued prayers and support are highly valued.

Umusa Nekuthula (Grace and Peace)

 

I Hear (Wedding) Bells

Amie and Josh at the Josh Wilson concert last week

These two lovebirds, Amie and Josh, are two of my best friends in Utah. Seriously. You'll be hearing more about both of them in the coming months because....GUESS WHO'S GETTING MARRIED?!?!?! They are!

Josh had me in on the whole plot for the ring and the proposal, and I got to be sneaky with Amie, who is not only one of my best friends, but also happens to be my roommate! Josh would tell me things about plans he was making, and then I'd hear from Amie about how she was freaking out because Josh had just pushed dates back again...and all I could do was smile, laugh inside, and attempt to convince her to keep appointments, or stop crying. :-)

I am so honored to be part of their special day, and was so excited when shortly after being proposed to, Amie took me downstairs, knelt (proposal style), and asked me to be her Maid of Honor! What a great honor to walk the wedding road with a pair of great friends, and one fabulous roommate. Next weekend, you'll hear about our adventures in dress shopping, wedding talk, and venue appointments!  Get ready to hear about wedding stuff non-stop for the next 6 months! Hooray!

And if you're interested in the proposal story, you can read about it here, on Amie's blog!

Phoenix Wrap-Up

This weekend was very interesting. I experienced a new place, and new people, great food, good conversation, and differing opinions. Though Phoenix was full of great buildings with stories to tell, the city itself felt very deserted. I expected that it would be a little more bustling, especially since it's the home of ASU. But whenever we'd go out on the streets, it would be fairly empty. In Salt Lake, there are people and cars moving from place to place. Buses and TRAX are transporting people, and everyone is going somewhere. In Phoenix, I didn't even see many cars unless I was on one of the streets farther from my hotel.

NCHC was a great experience, I learned new things, and had great conversations with my peers. Our session on newsletters went really well, and I feel that it was helpful for colleges looking to improve their newsletter program or to start a newsletter. I felt really good knowing that things I had to say could help these programs communicate more effectively to their audiences of students, faculty, alumni, donors, and college/university leadership.

Phoenix was not what I was expecting. It was much more quiet, and afforded much more personal time than I had anticipated. Sessions I attended were well done, but that is not the case for many of the sessions attended by my peers - some were awkward and poorly done, while others were very thought-provoking and had us talking for hours afterward.

Moral of the story: Phoenix is bad, NCHC is good. :)

Phoenix - Day 3 - in Photos

There are a lot of these in the city

Water features are everywhere...in the desert

The beautiful Fransiscan church I mentioned yesterday

Mosaic mural on the walls of the Convention Center.
You can see the skirt I wore today in one of the mirrored tiles. :-)

These "Phoenix Point of Pride" signs are all over

statues outside the Herberger Theatre Building

Our hotel (and conference location) from 2 blocks away

See the mist coming from the overhang?

Listening intently to the questions and comments at our newsletter session

We spent the evening inside the Arizona Science Center (like OMSI or Clark)

Elizabeth sorting blood platelets inside the heart

0 of 173 people are like me! :-)

Phoenix - Day 2

See, I told you I'd blog every day. :)

Well, technically right now I'm supposed to be wandering around the "Arts District" of Phoenix to read the city. It's 93 degrees, dry, and not a cloud to be seen. So - I'm sitting in my hotel room with my roommates blogging about the day so far.

City as text turned out to not be what we expected, and we didn't understand how to look at our environment in the way they wanted us to. The so-called "Arts District" wasn't really "artsy" - in fact, there are far more artsy things around the hotel than in that part of town. just across the street from us there is a beautiful Fransiscan church, a theater, Arizona Symphony/Opera building, and some public art.

One thing that has really struck me about Phoenix is the architecture. All the buildings have something different to say, and they say it in a completely individual way. Even the buildings that look alike because they're part of the business sector have different materials and styles crafted into the building. There are so many places here with a look of old history - like they have seen much and could tell great stories. I wonder if that's what is supposed to be happening this afternoon with the City as Text experience - to find the stories and the history of this place. Honestly, I feel that I've gotten more out of the experience just by observing and snapping pictures than I did with explicit instructions about how to go about reading the city.

First impressions of Phoenix: Full of history, Mixture of old and new architecture, HOT.

Tonight we went to the opening Plenary. The topic was the current debate about the Arizona Immigration Law (SB 1070?). The panel of speakers came from many different realms - Business/Law, Law/Journalism, Hispanic/Chicano Education, Education/Activism, and Medicine. I didn't know much about the Arizona immigration law, so the discussion fostered a lot of new questions and knowledge for me. I was impressed by the level of understanding each of the panel members possessed, and most of them were great speakers (one in particular had a hard time reading from his notes, but spoke great when allowed to think on his feet). The interactions between each of the panel members was also amusing to watch. One woman made her dislike for another panel member quite obvious in her body language each time he spoke. At the end of the night, it was agreed upon by all of the panel members that there must be some kind of immigration reform in this country - though not all agreed on the purpose or method of that reform.

Following the plenary was dinner and then the student party. The contingent from Westminster went to the party, and  then decided that we would be better served hanging out on our own, and headed back to our rooms (there was dancing in a circle, and I detest dancing in a circle...gross). I went to check out the fitness center and work out, while my roommates crashed on our beds.

The first full day in Phoenix, general day 2, was full of interesting experiences and new ideas. I'm looking forward to what the rest of the conference will bring.

Phoenix - Day 1

I'm going to try to blog about NCHC each day. There isn't a whole lot to talk about today other than the plane ride and hotel.

We arrived in Phoenix tonight at 9:30pm, where even late at night it managed to be 89 degrees outside. The forecast for the whole weekend is low 90s through Sunday. Eew. I'm not cut out for hot weather...
Our taxi ride to the hotel was ridiculously expensive. We were at $8 before even leaving the airport grounds!

By Sunday morning maybe I'll have a good enough feel of the city to get a bus/lite rail to the airport. Seriously.
Since Arizona doesn't observe daylight savings, I'm back on the same time as you Oregonians! Tomorrow morning will come quickly so that's all for tonight.

Check back tomorrow for observations about the "City as Text" workshop!

Pull Me Through

I write to you tonight completely humbled and in awe.

Please check out This verse, which was posted today by one of the blogs I follow. It perfectly describes what I have experienced in the last two days.

On Wednesday, I received a phone call from my team leader of our trip to Swaziland. She was checking in to see how I was doing with fundraising. If you'd noticed, the status bar to the left had been under 50% for a while, and looked pretty likely to stay there for a while. She left me with a goal to reach the next fundraising deadline at the end of October, which meant I needed $905 in a month.

I'll admit, I was a little bit concerned about how I'd reach that goal. I'd sent out letters to friends and family, though most people who were able had given, I still was behind. It was discouraging to see that I was behind by two deadlines and didn't know where the funds would come from...but I also knew that the funds would come...somehow.

THEN...

I met with a friend to catch up and chat about how things were going since she'd graduated and I started my final year, and she explained that she partly wanted to meet up so she could support me. Hallelujah!

Then, yesterday, I came home from class feeling a little rough around the edges. Decided I'd check the mail just to see if anything fun had arrived. An envelope from my friend who attends college in another state had arrived. I was excited to open it, since we maintain a fairly regular correspondence...and it was more support for Africa! I was surprised since she'd told me that she did not have any funds (which I totally understand, being a college student myself). The note attached said "For Swaziland - God is Good! - I Love You!"

And Today - God continued to blow my mind with his provision. I seem to be the resident mail-checker in our house, so when I got the mail today, I saw a letter for two of my roommates and one for me. Looking at the address, I realized it was someone who'd already given me support, and I thought maybe they were sending an update or something to me. When I opened the envelope, a check was enclosed with a note that said "To warm up your Swaziland themometer" - the amount was staggering. At first, I felt as if I would cry, then all I could do was laugh. None of my roommates were home, so I walked around the house laughing and speechless.

God came through and provided exactly the amount that I needed to be caught up to the deadlines from August and September.

Still...I am speechless and in complete awe at this amazing, amazing God who provides in perfect timing.

Biggest Fan: My Roommates

Clockwise from top left corner: 2am Wendy's run, Temple Square Christmas Lights, Sing-a-ma-jigs, St. George, Disneyland, After Morgan's play "Civil War", at Matt's work party, in Las Vegas, St. George, UMEA conference

I adore my roommates. So very much. It has been my great pleasure to live with two amazing girls for the last year, and I'm so excited to get another year off and running. In case you didn't know, we live in a two-story duplex, two rooms on the ground level and two in the basement. Sometimes the bottom dwellers have to come upstairs to socialize, but we do a lot of our social activity in the kitchen or main basement room.

The Top 10 Reasons Why I Love My Roommates (in no particular order):

1. They Inspire Me.
          These are two women who are doing what they love. They have ideas and hopes to make the world a better place in whatever way they can, and they share those ideas with anyone who will listen. 

2. They are Beautiful.
          My roommates are beautiful, beautiful people. Not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. They are kind souls who deeply care about others. They are not ones for excessive primping, but they care for themselves. They stay healthy (though we're not beyond runs to Wendy's and for ice cream), and take care of their bodies.

3. They are Hilarious.
          I cannot tell you how much we laugh at our house. We have a board of quotes in the kitchen, and it's constantly being updated with new phrases that someone said and we just had to write down. These quotes all come from the roommates or our close friends/family, and it's so fun to look back and remember the times we were crying from laughing so hard. You know that show "Kids Say the Darndest Things"? Well, you could make a television show out of the ridiculous antics that happen in our house, both verbal and behavioral. 

4. They are Spontaneous.
          This December, we randomly decided that it would be fun to go to Disneyland over Spring Break. So we did. Many nights, we find ourselves out in the boonies on an abandoned road just driving in the moonlight (this is mostly thanks to an unemployed and bored friend who needs something to do). We've gone searching for the most extravagant homes in the area, It's not uncommon to find us searching Sugarhouse for food at 2am, or deciding to taste test the two 'best' Thai restaurants in SLC.  

5. They are Meaningful.
          Both of these fabulous women have been a part of some of the deepest and most meaningful conversations that I've ever had. Late at night you can hear Morgan and I discussing some theological difference between our religious beliefs, or talking about a psychological concept that affects our thought processes. So many nights we've congregated on Anna's queen-size bed to talk about relationships, family, friends, school, and how we relate to one another, other people, and ourselves. In each of these conversations and discussions, I'm challenged to think and respond to very specific topics. It's so amazing what the trust of each other can do to open up meaningful conversation among those who are much together.

6. They are Helpful.
          Whenever you need something, or you're stressed, it's roommates to the rescue. Last year, when I stage managed, it was such a blessing to have one of my roommates ask "Do you need anything?" when they could see I was in over my head. They're always willing to contribute their expertise to whatever you're studying or writing about. It's like a constant informational swap meet, where education is synthesized with psychology and literature. Need to study for a test? There's a good chance that one of these awesome ladies will be around and willing to drill you about the elements of Old English grammar. ;-) (*cough* Help me! *cough*)

7. They are Creative.
          One of my roommates is an artist who has also written a piano piece, and the other is an actress and singer. Both these women are singers, actually; that's how we met, in Chamber Singers. Music is always a presence in our house, in many different genres and periods. The art and artistic pursuits of my roommates is a fun thing to be a part of. When rehearsals are going on for a show, we get to hear about them, and when a new drawing or painting is done, we get to see it hung up in the room. One of these days I'm sure we'll be having a crafty day to celebrate the onset of fall. 

8. They are Supportive.
          I know I mentioned their helpfulness two points ago, but this one is a little different. When someone decides to audition for a show, the roommates are the first to offer support and encouragement. They're ready to hear you sing your 16 bars or recite your monologue. But their support doesn't end there. When I'm behind on homework or have to write a paper, they are ready to offer encouraging words and advice for how to begin. When you're ill, they are ready to help make you feel better. If you're having a breakdown, they're the first ones to let you know that people are there who love and support you. They don't judge your shortcomings, and offer suggestions to help you find solutions to problems (both personal and academic).

9. They are Happy.
          Not to say that the lives of my roommates are sunshine-daisies-and-unicorns, but they are positive and upbeat. When life just isn't handing them a good situation, they seek the positive elements, the learning experience from that negativity. For me, happiness/joy are not fleeting emotions, but rather states of being, and these women live in a state of joy most of the time. They are excited to find small things in life that are exciting, and look for ways to have fun. They smile so much, and their smiles spread to others. They are not afraid to be silly and indulge their childish sides. They live happy and make others that way too. 

10. They are Passionate.
          This one kind of ties in with #1, being inspiring, but this one deals more with their personal attitudes rather than the effect of those attitudes on me. Both of these women are pursuing what they love and are good at. One is an aspiring neuropsychologist, channeling her love for the brain and experiments into a diagnostic field, and the other is living out her love for children as an elementary school teacher. They know what they like, what they love, and what they're good at, and they want to use those skills and passions to help others to learn and recover. This is an inspiring passion.

We may not always do the dishes or vacuum the stairs, we have dance parties and murder mystery parties, we keep Christmas trees up until after Valentine's Day, and we can't seem to keep the TV in one room, but we like it that way. To my dear Morgan and Anna, thank you for letting me be part of your lives this last year. I am looking forward to our continued friendship and adventures together. You are lovely and amazing.

Love, Me.

P.S. - Be on the lookout for posts about these individual roommates later in the year.

Biggest Fan: Britni

 I would like to introduce you to my amazing and wonderful friend Britni. The photos you see are: with her boyfriend, diving, and with her sister. Britni and I met in the 6th grade during a play, I remember she was always smiling. We got to be better friends as middle school progressed, singing together in choir and taking classes together. We wrote a newspaper and distributed it to our friends (we were soooo cool, can you tell?), and even developed our own system of rating boys we thought were cute.We once decided we were going to open our own candy store and started hashing out ideas. Currently, our projects are the following: Creating our own school, Writing a book of our email correspondence, and eventually having a gigantic communal backyard somewhere in Oregon...at which time we'll be living near one another and working together, of course. :)

 

One thing Britni has always been is full of life. She's excited about living and there's never a dull moment when you're with her. Whether it's jamming out to Elvis or 80s music, kneeboarding behind a boat, or participating in a hula-hoop contest, for Brit, life is about participation. There's no sitting on the sidelines for this amazing woman. Recently, I was asked to think about someone who I hold in great respect (that was not a family member) and why. One of the first people who came to mind was Brit. As the group I was in started naming the people and traits we admired most, I was so excited to be able to say Britni because she is full of life. The word I would use to describe her is a Greek word: ζωή (zoe). It means: life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ (New Testament Greek Lexicon).

It has been my privilege to be a friend to Britni, and to know her as she pursues the path laid before her. Watching her faith grow and develop has been a great honor. I love being able to talk with her and know that she will give me a Godly perspective and friendly encouragement. Our friendship has been strengthened by distance, even though we see each other rarely, we communicate regularly. So much so that at any given moment, one of us probably has a really good idea of what's going on in the life of the other. She tolerates my nerdy jokes and geekiness about language and literature. She encourages me with her prayers and words of strength. She challenges me to step outside my comfort zone. She keeps me accountable when I'm feeling like a jellybean. 

It is very rare that such a friend may be found, and this beautiful, beautiful woman is a very treasured friend. She has always been incredibly beautiful and magnetic. People are drawn to her, and she energizes the places and people she interacts with. Britni shines so brightly, and others can't help but notice that something amazing is going on in her life...and they want to be a part of it.

Britni, Thank you for letting me be a part of your life. I am so honored to be your friend, and look forward to our continued journey through life together!

I love you immensely!