Rain

It's raining. Again. I still cannot comprehend how the sky has so much water. It has rained off and on for the be past week and it has rained approximately 75% of the time since Saturday evening. I love rain, but this is a bit excessive.

I miss the sun.
I've come undone.
This rain makes me want a cinnabon.
The sky, you see, has won.

That's how I feel about rain. Well at least at this present moment. I think rain should be enjoyed, but I am bound to the confines of homework. And I don't have an umbrella to walk back with...

Pack it Up

Well, here I go again. I think all I do is pack these days...or think about packing...or travel with a pack. You know, I think I'd like to be able to fit everything I own in a suitcase. Packing would be so easy! Why am I so materialistic? Things are just...things. They don't really matter. I may say that now, but if you asked me to pick 10 shirts and give the rest away I'd run around my room like a chicken with its head cut off.

After spending almost one full month back in America, I miss traveling. I miss feeling like I can simply go out and offer a helping hand without having to worry about lawsuits and technicalities. Europe was a nice escape from the "real" world and yet, I experienced more of the "real" world than I ever had before. I'm swarmed with decisions here and it's overwhelming. I KNOW that God provides and He delivers. I've experienced both, but it just seems so much more real when He's the only one I have to communicate with. I miss being alone. I miss being able to simply walk wherever I needed to go. I miss those days when I sat next to the Vltava River and watched the sun set just beyond the castle. I miss feeling God. I knew that He was with me. I knew that regardless of what happened, my travel plans would be just as He wanted them. Yes, I know the same concept applies here, but it was far more tangible when foreign languages surrounded me.

I suppose as I prepare to venture off the Puerto Rico, I find comfort in the fact that there will be a language barrier, a place willing to let me help, people who may be lost and in need of something I can give them. Maybe I just need to accept being that weird person. Maybe I really need to simply take a stand and not grow comfortable at work or at school. I should ALWAYS be a witness. After living in the "world" for a while, I think I am better able to see how to live amongst people, but not of them. So why do I not do that in my own country?
Well, as I ponder, I pack. I pray God will bless this trip and this experience.

Prayer Requests:

1. Travel Safety-I think I'm more afraid to travel in America than I was in Europe...
2. Smooth training camp-all the plans and what not will go smoothly
3. Team Unity-most of the people on the trip already know each other or have met, so hopefully I can just come in and we'll all be a happy family
4. Effectiveness-our construction, friendly discussions, and camp activities will truly spread the gospel
5. This will be the beginning-That each member will continue to serve in the years to come, that this will be the start of a new passion in each member to share and serve in whatever way God calls

The End...At least of this trip

Now don't go blowing your nose and getting all teary eyed on me. I still haven't told you anything about sister adventures that took place...that will be my plane-ride-busy-work.

It's over. I honestly don't know how to explain this terrible feeling. I feel so full of memories and stories and relationships, and yet I feel so empty. It's like I'm being cut off. I have a life here and I see so many ways that I can help, but I'm leaving. These transitions are simply hard. I hate saying good-bye to so many over a long period of time. It hurts to have friends fade away one by one as people leave and schedules clash. God blessed me with wonderful friends and a few relationships that developed to more than just a surface level buddy, but I've said good-bye. Not even "see you later," but good-bye. Such a strange concept!

I have learned so much on this trip and I hope I never forget where I have been, what I have seen, and the companion who traveled along side me. This trip created a new passion for and a new understanding of the world. People are lost and have questions, so I need to have answers.

I fear going back to English overload and forgetting how to process the world and truly concentrate on what God is doing. It will be a fight to make time and continue in this relationship with the Father.

My favorite saying of "God provides" has been expanded to "God provides and deliverers!" He is my rock and has truly delivered me from the pit I lived in for so long and has set me on a path. And so I end this journey to begin another. Farewell Europe....until we meet again.

They're Here!!

Sarah and Elise made it safely to the Czech Republic! With a 9 hour time difference and far too many hours sitting, the girls were exhausted. Elise was hit with jet-lag right away, so Sarah and I ventured out to the city for a little exploring while Elise slept. We walked to the castle (I can not begin to express how much I will miss being able to say that) and then wandered over to Petrin Hill. It was the most beautiful day Prague has seen in at least two weeks! The sun was shining and so were all the travelers meandering around the park. What a refreshing sight! People were smiling and laughing.

Sarah and I grabbed some bread and cheese on our way out, so we found a little playground that overlooked Prague and sat down for a chat. It was wonderful to catch up and watch all the bugs and birds fly around. Oh! And we saw a squirrel! It was my first Czech squirrel and it pretty much looked the same as American squirrels...except that it had pointy ears.

We watched a movie and made dinner last night, so it was a calm evening. And this morning we went to church and I was able to introduce the girls to most everyone who has been waiting to meet them. The International Church of Prague has been such a huge blessing to me and I am so sad to be leaving my friends here.

The girls have about two more minutes of their nap before we head out for church again and then possibly down to Wenceslas Square for a showing of the Czech hockey game tonight.

Coming to an End

My last week in Prague as a student has come and gone. So many experiences, so many fun times, but I think I'm ready. I feel stuck in some strange medium. Everyone is leaving and things just seem odd now that I've said good-bye to so many.

Sunday afternoon my good friend, Timea, and I were finally able to get together for a picnic after lunch. We walked up Petrin Hill and talked for a few hours during the humid, but beautiful day. We sat on a bench and hung out and then rolled down a hill....what a wonderful day.

Yesterday, I finished my last day helping out at the school and then met up with Donny and Devon to walk around town for a little bit of last time sight seeing. I found a cow...
Such a beautiful city.
This morning Kirby left to finish her travels in Spain and Berlin. Now it's starting to seem real. Her bags are gone, the walls are bare, and it's just me sitting here now. So many memories swim around in my head. I've made so many new relationships that I want to continue and pray will grow. So here I am, stuck in limbo. Ready to go, but wishing I could stay.

Zoo

Last Saturday I took my last solo trip. The zoo. This may seem silly to count it as a trip, but

#1 The Prague zoo is huge!

#2 Have you ever been to a zoo alone? It's quite the experience. It was...different.

I spent the morning with the Miller's. We ate cinnamon rolls, talked, and played floor-ball (the greatest game ever) and then I made my way to the zoo. Prague Zoo is probably the happiest zoo I've ever been to. It was lively and such a contrast from the day to day Czech atmosphere. The city just seems so cold and everyone feels so unfriendly. But the zoo...wow! Everyone was smiling, kids were running around, grown men were making animal sounds, it was so happy! This is when I realized why boys are so talented in the sound effects department. I think that they are partly born with some gene that automatically allows them/forces them to make strange sounds when interacting with anything in life. The other part, however, is a special training that older men pass on to younger men. I can't tell you how many men I saw growling near the lions, or yelping near the seals. I suppose some people never grow out of some things.

My trip to the zoo felt like closure to my long journey. It was my last solo trip with God as my only companion and what a wonderful place to spend it-amongst all His creatures that he made for my enjoyment.

Drip Drip Drop Little April (well May) Showers

Yesterday I realized I am blessed. Ok, I've realized that before, but on May 11, 2010 I concluded that the English language may be the best tool I have to evangelize. Upon arriving in Europe I clung to the English language as my comfort, all the while wishing that I knew many other languages that sound "cooler" or that are more difficult to pronounce. I used to view English as a curse. Since I know English and everyone else works hard to learn English, I really don't need to learn any other languages to get the bare necessities of life (please catch the song title) and so I have neglected delving into foreign languages. As of yesterday, I have a new appreciation for this gift. People cling to English! My good friend Rachel asked if I wanted to come hang out with some students at Starbucks and when I stopped by, I learned that she randomly started speaking English with them and now they are interested in hanging out more often to practice their English. What a blessing! While we were sitting there, a woman turned to us and asked if we would be interested in babysitting her two boys in order to speak English with them. So, because of this "former curse," people walk right up to me instead of running. They make evangelism easy. All I have to do is use my voice. What a gift. So thank you Lord for the blessing of English.

Mother's Day

I love my mom.

I think that mother's are not appreciated as they should be. Honestly, they have to change diapers....enough said. Ok, all joking aside, mothers are put through an awful lot and we might bring them flowers or buy them a card, but think back for a second. Remember when you were little and Mother's Day rolled around. We used to wake up early and make breakfast and sign a card "in secret" and parade into mom's room with her water and syrupy pancakes ecstatic to celebrate our mother. That's the thing though, my mom hates breakfast. So even when we were trying to give a gift, she was still being the loving mom she is and made sure to clean her plate. But that attitude seems to have subsided. We get excited about the day, but do we stop to truly think about the sacrifices mothers make? Or the effort they exert to raise us crappy kids? On this day, far away, I am thankful for my mother. And for my adopted mothers :)

Happy Mother's Day

Řip on May Day

Last Saturday some of my church friends met up for a hiking trip to Řip. No, not RIP like my dad suggested. This is essentially the founding place of the Czech Republic according to legend. We took a bus to a random stop, walked through the tiny town, and then up the mountain. While walking passed a dairy farm, one of the ladies noticed a milk machine. Yep, that's right. You set your bottle underneath the little spigot, drop in your coins, and receive FRESH milk. Vimbai, our Zimbabwe friend, pushed the call button to ask the farmer a question and he showed up with a huge water bottle. We bought the bottle from him and then filled it up with milk. It was....fresh.

We made it to the top, had a little picnic and then made our way down the other side to another little town. Zannah, Chloe, Anne, and I had a great time playing "two truths and a lie" while making our way back. We stopped for ice cream in the little town and watched a nice spring parade with flowers and music-I love these cultural traditions!

When we boarded the train home, it was pretty full. We tried to get a little cabin to ourselves, but had a hard time finding an empty one. After a small search, we squished into an almost empty cabin and laughed like little girls as we continued our game of "two truths and a lie" the whole way home. Thank you Lord for my wonderful church friends!

An Opportunity

Do you ever have those weeks where you just feel flighty? Where you can fully focus on anything, and yet you are always thinking? Well, it's been one of those weeks. But just because my brain has been away doesn't mean that life stops. In fact, it moves all the more quickly when we're trying to catch up with it. So let me attempt to focus for a few minutes and tell about my week.

On Monday night, I had the opportunity to talk with a fellow student about God. This was my first experience actually trying to explain justice and Christ's love and let me also tell you that it's much easier said than done. It was a great discussion and I'm excited to have the opportunity to talk about God. I think this is the difference between the "world" and the "bubble." In the "bubble," I can talk around answers and discuss these basic topics, because we all have the basic understanding and thus we, in reality, are often just looking to sound important or impressive in our answers. In the "world," people want answers, not theological mumbo jumbo. I'm not trying to discredit theological discussions. In fact, I think they are extremely important so that we have a better understanding of our faith. What I question, is the motive. So, my new goal is to have an answer...

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15

After my discussion with my friend, the next time I saw him was in class...where our professor explained to us that Abraham was not a monotheist as Christians claim-clearly, they have been misled. Well...this world sure is full of interesting assumptions.

I was able to catch up with Daniel (my good friend traveling in Peru this semester) earlier this week as well and we discussed the concept of missions. We came to the conclusion that our concept of missions has been tainted. In general, we see it as something that has to be organized. It's that two week trip in the summer that we plan for and set aside time for. But why? Why don't we simply live that way? Why don't we view every day as being time set aside for missions? There is always someone who needs help-a smile, a babysitter, a listening ear-and we should be overjoyed to have the ability to help. So that is my other new goal. I'm on a mission. Always.

Dress Up

Tonight Kirby and I were given a great gift. Possibly one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. The lady with the apartment we used to stay in had boxes of clothes left from the previous apartment owner that she was going to get rid of, so she said we could have a look at them. I took over my empty suitcase and filled it up with all sorts of clothes and other goodies (cassette tapes-the Bee Gee's, Beatles, and Queen-purses, etc.). When Kirby and I arrived back home, we had a nice little dress up party in our new European clothes. I quite liked the peacock decorated jean capris and the jeans that don't zip up, but zip to the side. After raiding the suitcase, we picked out the most comfy pieces and decided they were our favorite. I found a pair of pink surf shorts and a white fleece lined rain jacket, while Kirby flaunted her nice man shirt with a funny logo.

And the masks. Kirby bought a very fresh face mask while she was in Germany, so we decided to try it out last week...aren't we just beautiful?!

A Catastrophe

So last Monday morning I (by the grace of God) woke up on time to get out the door by 4:30am. I threw on my clothes and went to zip up my boots when a terrible thing happened...I was wearing extra layers, because my backpack was full and apparently my pants were too think, because when I went to zip my boot up it wouldn't fit. I rearranged the way I folded up my pants underneath the boot and tried a few times, but then all of a sudden the zipper came off the track again. Great. I was so tempted to just abandon the boots in a nearby trashcan, but felt too attached and certain that they can be permanently fixed with a little more effort than the quick fix I got before I left for Scotland. My only problem was that I still needed to get the airport bus (which was about a twenty minute walk) and my boot was only half zipped. Being the calm, cool, and collected being that I am, I decided to start a new fashion trend and go for the "half zipped boot" look. This worked great for about three steps down the stairs, but then the entire boot just flopped over and I nearly tripped down the stairs. But hey, God provides. I reached into my backpack and contemplated to solutions.

1) the bright turquoise duct tape dad sent with me

2) a couple of hair ties

I chose the latter and slipped two hair ties around my boot leg to bind my boots around my socks, leggings, and jeans. What a fashionable being I am at 4:30 in the morning! It worked though.

Pleased with my great feat, I started out for the airport. Residential areas are great, but then I started getting into an area with a warehouse looking thing and some construction, so naturally I thought I was in danger...but I was perfectly fine. I found the bus stop and made it through security (after undoing my boot contraption...yep, I was the weird kid in the airport). I made it back. Broken boots and all.

Becca vs. Wild a la Scotland 2

Ok, so I decided to go in search of the Loch Ness Monster.

For those of you who have hiked in Catalina State Park, you know that big hill at the very beginning of the trail? And for those of you who have hiked that trail with me, the one I ALWAYS run down? For those of you who don't know what I am referring to, it is a big hill that has a turn at the bottom so you can't see the wash around the corner. Well that was the basic format of the trail leading down to the loch, except it was too steep to run down. So I turned the corner to take the trail next to the loch and practically ran into a giant sheep! So I nonchalantly snuck by the monstrosity of a beast and headed for a rock to write a little bit. My writing consumed my thoughts, which is why I almost had a heart attack when I heard a relatively loud

"Rustle rustle"

coming closer. I turned my head quick enough to bring on whiplash and there he was. My nemesis. THE SHEEP. Now Scottish sheep aren't simple little "baah" sheep. They are huge, wooly, have horns, and huge eyeballs that shoot lasers at you...ok, well not lasers, but they certainly do glare at you. I jumped up and moved to the side, praying that this sheep wouldn't attack me. Luckily, he was more afraid of my stunning good looks and hustled up the hill a bit and around me off to find more of his furry little friends. Phew! That was a close one.

I ventured on around the loch and found a huge hill to climb. I followed a random path that led me around the hill, but not up it. So I decided that since I was all alone in the wilderness and wasn't exactly sure where I was, I should "baja" up the hill to figure out where I was. I turned and started my trek uphill when I heard a crow caw like a sheep (yes, the crow sounded like a sheep) which scared me half to death! Then my mind started to wander...

Hmm, crows, big birds, big birds eat dead things, the only thing that would be dead out here is a sheep, dead sheep, what kills sheep, wolves kill sheep, wolves, WOLVES! Yes, there I was hiking around Scotland fearing the presence of a wolf. Fortunately there were no wolves and I did figure out where I was and how to get back to the path-God provides.

I hiked down the mountain and found the bus stop where I discovered the bus was about a half hour late. Perfect! I would make it back on the early bus! When the bus arrived however, I learned that it was heading to Glasgow and not Edinburgh....bummer. I asked the bus driver if I could make it somewhere closer to Edinburgh and pick up an earlier bus there. He said yes and welcomed me on board. Well, he dropped me off at a random "park n ride" place...awesome. The attendant there was less than please with the driver's intentions, but by the time I figured out what exactly was going on, the bus was gone and I was stuck at a random bus stop for half an hour...

I eventually did make it back to Edinburgh and was exhausted from my day and had achy feet, so I settled in for some dinner, a good book, and an early bed time. What a wonderful day.

Becca vs. Wild a la Scotland

Saturday morning I woke up, ate a crumpet, grabbed an apple, and hit the wad. That's when I realized I was in paradise. Everyone was running! One of my favorite aspects of Scotland was how active the people were. Walking, cycling, running, hiking-such an active place!

Anyway, I found the bus station and was off to Pitlochry.Scotland is lush with color and rich in architecture. Upon arriving at my destination, I went straight to the information center and asked for directions to Ben Vrackie and then I was off. Over the river, and through the woods, to the Scottish wilderness you go!

Hiking alone was quite an adventure. My mother would kill me if I tried to hike Pusch Ridge alone (that is if the snakes didn't get me first) and there I was alone in Scotland of all places. It was stunning. The woods came and went, and then there were rolling hills with sheep bleating in the distance. I found a loch (a Scottish lake), but no monster, and had a great time gawking at how beautiful it was.

To be honest, it was not green. And while I normally would have been terribly disappointed, this was just perfect for my soul. It was brown. And home is VERY brown. So, while it was in actuality an entirely different landscape, I felt more at home than I have in months.

The lady at the information place said that I needed to go past the loch and then I started actually climbing up...naturally, to climb a mountain, you have to go up. "Up" turned out to be a giant rock staircase of switchbacks! There's nothing like having your age brought out by nature...Phew! I took plenty of "photo breaks" to take it all in (and of course to catch my breath). I made it all the way to the top of the Corbett (class of a Scottish hill) and sat down to journal a bit and eat a snack. It was breath-taking. The sun poked around the clouds every once in a while and then it hailed...a rather odd mix, but hey, it's Scotland! I took my time hiking down and decided that since I still had about 4 hours before my bus, I would hike around the loch in search of a monster...

And I'm exhausted, so I'll "edit" this post another time...I'll be helping out at the school again tomorrow! So I better catch a bit of "beauty rest."