i have a new favorite niece.  a new wonderful, beautiful, darling niece. go here for pictures, details, and specific ways that you can pray for her.

tonight was a “i’m home” kind of night. the kind where i walked home from church, waved at little people and a daddy in the yard of a yellow house, came home and helped with cutting tomatoes and getting dinner started. the kind where everyone ended up sitting at the kitchen table and laughing louder… Continue reading . . .

my busy schedule ever since arriving home tuesday morning at 2:00 am has finally caught up to me. this morning i slept through my alarm (how like me) and was woken by a sister yelling up to my room letting me know that i had half an hour before church started. i promptly burst into… Continue reading

there’s a sign hanging on the dining room door with colorful words welcoming me home. i’ve not been here for twenty-four hours and i’ve already had my hair cut (i love my sister) and saw a newly decorated salon. i’ve stood in my kitchen and laughed with younger sisters and a friend while brownies were… Continue reading back to reality

it smells like fall.  it feels like fall.  it feels the way it felt when i was preparing to come here.  and now i’m preparing to leave. yesterday was my official last day of work.  my bags are packed and are in my freshly cleaned room.  my ticket is at the top of my pile… Continue reading getting ready

sometimes my life sounds so very romantic (strictly speaking in terms of the Anne of Green Gables definition of that word).  yesterday we packed sleeping bags, sweatshirts, and food, and drove off to a distant town on the Bodensee.  if only i had known that the small “walk” to get to our final destination would… Continue reading a european adventure

nine days.  strange to think that i arrived here almost one year ago.  it was hot then too, although i wasn’t prepared for warm weather since september 19th at home is a bit cooler than here on the Bodensee.  i’ve started packing again.  this packing is different.  it’s exciting — i’m moving on again — but it’s… Continue reading packing

two weeks.  fourteen days.  thirteen sleeps. ladies and gentlemen, the countdown has begun.

two and a half weeks left. that’s always in the back of my head.  generally this is a reason for rejoicing but at the same time reason for me to try to cram as much as i can into my schedule for this last little bit.  i only have Germany for a few weeks more… Continue reading day tripping it

sometimes, well, days like today, i find myself asking why i can’t be perfect. i’m tired of always doing the wrong things.  i’m tired of the sin cycles i’m in.  i’m tired of never having the right perspective.  i’m tired of being so selfish.  i’m tired of myself. so i try to right myself.  i… Continue reading untitled