back at it

so here I am - back in my place on the couch in the living room, reflecting on the past couple weeks where sometimes time seemed to be standing still, but now I can't believe it's already over. I'm trying to catch up with life here at home - everything I missed while I was away, while trying to process everything that now seems to have gone by in a blur.

Overall I just find myself feeling ridiculously blessed beyond words. For the first time in my life I am actually really excited to be home. My life is overflowing with love from all directions. so much that I find myself at times not even knowing what to do with myself because I am so overwhelmed with it. It is the most incredible feeling ever. and as cliche as this all sounds, I have no other way to describe it.

My last night in Pemba was seriously one of the most amazing nights of my entire life, thus far. I got to hang out up at my friend Rosa's house for the whole night, and at the end she ended up gathering up all the girls in her room and sitting me in the middle of the floor and getting them to sing and pray over me. that is a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. holding little 2 year old Christina on my lap, the sound of those girls singing. their perfect harmonies, and tiny voices just telling God how much they love him. them all around me praying for me and my family in Portuguese, and then Rosa and Chantel continuing to just soak me love spoken directly from God through them... it is a moment completely beyond words.

Leaving the next day was hearder than I remember it being the last time. Knowing it may be years before I get to go back. not knowing where certain friends will be at that point.

The few days we had in South Africa after leaving Pemba were good, but pretty difficult for me. I wanted to either be with my friends in Pemba, or back with my friends here at home. being stuck in transition was really hard. but while we were there I met an amazing south african couple, who I hope to go back and work with the next time I go to africa. and we went on a pretty amazing safari. Saw lots of amazing animals up close and personal - very personal in some cases.... sarah and I definitely got attacked by some monkeys...! aaahahaha.

So now I'm home. happy, and overflowing. job hunting, missing far away friends but thankful for the ones here, and praying that I won't lose anything I learned or experienced there.

*sigh*

life is good, my friends.

Closing time

My last few days here in Pemba are coming at me at ridiculous speed. I can't believe we only have 2 more days here! that's insanity..... I've definitely been feeling the urgency of that the past few days, andhave just spent as much time as possible hanging out with friends here.

This trip has been different for me - less spiritual (although there's been plenty of that as well) and more relational stuff. I've spent a lot of time just building up the friendships I had here from the last trip. there are a couple people here who I've gotten pretty close to this trip, and my heart is already really sad to be leaving them in a couple days. but ... that said - I still have a couple more days to hang out with them, so I'm going to take advantage of that as much as possible, so this will probably be my last post from Pemba.

South Africa in a couple days. should be fun. life here is good. it only continues to get hotter, and I don't seem to have enough minutes in the day for everything I want to do and everyone I want to see!!

Speaking of which - I gotta get going! See you in South Africa! See you for real in about a week.

hearts

The past few days here have been amazing. I can't even begin to try to remember it all, and even if I could what I write here wouldn't do it justice.
My friend Heather finally arrived - I don't remember if I mentioned that or not yet.. so it's been so great spending time with her. I've gotten to play lots of music in the past few days. My friend Rosa and I spent some time up in one of the gazibos the other night and she taught me some portuguese songs, and we worshiped and talked. It was so great. Last night we had a (brace yourself....!! haha) techno dance party!!! bahahahaha!! up in one of the gazibos, one of the long term missionaries here organized this worship/rave/amazing dance party thing that was fricking amazing!! hahaha. God was sooooo tangible during the mellower worshipy times, and then it was just SO much fun dancing and jumping around toghether. haha. I loved it. that's something I've wanted to organize at home for a long time, so it gave me the extra excitement I need to hopefully do something about it this time when I get back. hehe.
This morning I think I realized that I just have less than a week left here in Pemba, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. I'm excited to go home - I miss it (weird!) - but the past couple days have been so amazing. I finally am getting into the rhythm of life here, building some amazing friendships with people from the last time I was here, spending time with old friends, and meeting some great new people. As usual, it's going to be pretty bitter/sweet when I have to leave here.
but! now it's time for church, so I gotta get going!! yay carnival style piano and crazy dancing! hehehe. then the church team is headed to this crazy beautiful beach about 20 minutes from here. *ahhhh, the hard life of a mssionary* hehe.
tcheu!

One week down

Not a lot has happened since I last updated this blog.
We went on our outreach to the bush - that was pretty great. definitely redeemed all my negative experiences with outreaches from the last time I was here, haha. We got to sing a ton of songs with the kids, and dance, and play games with them. then when they were showing the jesus movie, I just cuddled with a couple kids (whyyyyy didn't I think of that before?!! it TOTALLY made the movie way less annoying to sit through! haha) and then after the movie we prayed for a ton of people, and the majority of them got healed!! we didn't have a translator, so every person who came for prayer just showed us what was wrong on their bodies - touching their ear, or their head or their stomach.. Sarah, our friend rachel and I prayed for a woman who told us something was wrong with her eye, and when we were done, she started dancing around, and looked SOOO happy (mozambican women rarely show emotion, so that was huge!) and ran right up to the mic and told her story to teh whole village in makua. so something pretty cool must've happened! haha. a lot of the other kids we prayed for too said they were better, and went up to the microphone to tell everyone about it! super cool.

other than that, I've just been spending lots of time with the kids here. the kids over at Noviana (the community in the village just outside the Iris base, where our church raised money to build them a community area and stuff) are SOO beautiful! so timid and quiet and happy. I love hanging out with them. as soon as we're done on the internet we're going over to see them for a while, so that's exciting.

I've also been able to spend LOTS of time with Namuna, and get to know some more of the village kids. some of the older Iris kids are teaching sarah and I more portuguese, which is GREAT because I've been frustrated at myself for not spending more time learning it when I was at home for the past 2 years. but I like learning it from them so much better. :)

alright - as usual I'm out of time. life is great here in pemba. I'm getting back into life here, and it's wonderful. you don't realize how much you get used to living as a "westerner" again, so I've been working on getting back to Pemba-Jen, because that is definitely when I am at my best, hehe. I love the way life is here, and how relaxed, and un-stressed and carefree it is. *smile*

hope you're all stayig warm back at home!!

can I just start this blog by saying that I think it is absolutely hilarious that I don't even have to sign in to blogger on these computers?? I'm STILL signed in from 2 years ago!! hahaha. I just type in the website, and it goes right to my account. haha. and also that Rhianna is blasting in here right now. bahaha. I love it.

ok. so, as usual I've spent too much time reading emails (I love it! keep em coming!!) and haven't left enough for writing in this blog. so I'll just write a bit about what's been going on.

This trip is pretty different for me than last time. as a student I had stuff to do and places to be every day, and hardely had time to get to a computer, or even to catch a moment by myself. but this time I have nothing but time! I have to go in search of things to do, and that's a little different for me. stretching. but still good, I suppose.

the most exciting news of the trip so far is that just after I updated this blog the other day telling you that I hadn't seen Namuna yet, we were heading out to lunch and just as we were leaving the iris compound I saw her running towards me!! she collapsed into my arms and cried, and I just held her for SO long, trying to keep myself together. it was by FAR the best moment of the trip so far. I love that girl SO much, and she has occupied so many of my thoughts in the 2 years since I was away from here. it was SO great to see her, and that she remembered me. we've hung out every day since, and hopefully I'll get to see her a little later today.

I'm using every single bit of Portuguese I can remember from the last time here, and trying desperately to learn more so I can communicate with the kids better. I definitely wish now I had spent more time learning it when I was home. but what I remember can get me by.

I've lost all but 1 of my nose rings already, haha. so my plans of still having my favourite piercing when I come home may not be as realiztic as I was hoping. ahh well... I can always get it repierced a 4th time... haha.

I've had a couple nights where I could just go away with some friends and play music, or listen in on a worship practice.. nigths that remind me just how much I LOVE this place for what it is. the music, the beautiful people, amazing harmonies, distinctive african rhythm... *sigh* it's so good.

and so warm! haha.

I think we're going out on an outreach to the bush this afternoon - that's where people usually see the blind eyes being opened, and the deaf people hearing. all that good stuff. so as you guys are just waking up (it's just quarter to 6am there!) be praying that that goes well, and leave me lots of comments!

*love!*

WE'RE HERE

So here I am! Back in this cute little internet cafe - which unfortunately it seems like the AC isn't working today, so we're sweating like pigs. haha. mmm, wonderful. haha.

We arrived yesterday afternoon, and spent the day getting organized, and rested. It was a long trip here - I forgot how much that initial travel takes out of you! I'm just a little bit jet-lagged this morning, but the excitement of being here makes it ok. I've seen a ton of kids I know so far - most remember me, and a couple don't. I haven't found Namuna yet, or my friends from the HG school - they're all away in Beira on an outreach, and will be back sometime next week. So in the meantime I'll be busy trying to adjust to the heat, and making NEW friends!

It's definitely different being here as a visitor and not a student. Unfortunately I don't have time to get into it right now - we just have 1/2 an hour before we have to head back to the base for a meeting about Mieze (where hopefully we'll be headed later this week to visit the goats our church bought last christmas, and all the kids there!).

So for now - Bom dia! We all made it alive and well. I'm adjusting - it's different.. I forgot that it's not all easy, but it's just day 2. No complaints here!! Just wishing I could see friends, mostly. :)

Peace & love!

Back To Africa

It's almost that time again! In 24 short days a small team from my church (my dad, my little sister Sarah, a man from our church named Marcus and I) will be heading back to my beloved Pembatown. A place that has been consistantly in my dreams and my thoughts every single day for almost 2 years. It will actually almost be 2 years to the DAY when we land back on African soil.

We head out on October 19th with the intention of helping Iris in any way needed while we're there. Sarah and I are pretty good at the hugging kids thing, so you'll probably be hearing lots of stories from us about hanging out with the kiddies at the orphan homes. Dad and Marcus will be scouting out materials and locations for dad to start his windmill project (for his blog and more info check out http://greenskyenergy.blogspot.com/). We'll be returning on November 14th (not nearly a long enough visit in my mind, but I'll take what I can get! hehe) with lots of stories, and hopefully lots of vision and excitement to bring back to share with everyone.

I never thought in my life this would happen, but as I leave Saint John this time I'll do it with a little sadness in my heart. God is doing so much here these days that I just want to be a part of, and not miss out on. The youth group I've been leading since just a month before going to Africa last time just makes my heart so happy, and I'll miss all my youthies terribly. But, thankfully with the wonders of the internet I'll only ever be an email (and a ride to town in the back of someone's pick-up) away.

I think today I had my first moment when I actually realized I was going, and how soon it was... and got REALLY excited! So I thought I'd get on this blog again, and let you know that I'll be keeping you posted as often as possible while we're away. It'll be a different experience being there as a "short-termer" and not a student, but two of my closest friends I made while I was there last time will be back again while I'm there, and I'll get to see Namuna again - the little village girl that completely stole my heart. so I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!! hehehe.

*oh excitement*

Prayers would be much appreciated in this time before we leave, and also while we're away. There's tons of prep still to do, and believe it or not, it's not all sunshine and happiness living there either - you know... little things like malaria... weird bacterial things... too many mangos... (read blogs from my last trip for probably more detail on that than you need, hehe)