Why I have not written in forever....

So I was going to write story after story on here over Fall Break but then my Fall Break did not go as planned. My mother explains it well in her weekly update that she sends to the grandmothers.....

Lara's RA meeting for Wednesday night was cancelled, so she was able to leave NC State for her fall break around 2 p.m. Wednesday, meet her Grandmother and C.P. in Hickory at J & S Cafeteria for dinner around 5 p.m., and arrive home around 6:30. Lara went out to eat and dancing with friends Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, Lara took Ellie the dog to run on the Parkway trails. She parked just off the entrance ramp up onto the Parkway where four other cars were parked. When she returned to her car, the front passenger window had been completely broken out (Brent and I returned to clean up all the glass yesterday) and her purse had been stolen. It contained her cell phone, camera, driver's license, Visa card, SECU debit card, $25 cash, school RA keys, Social Security card that she was returning to me to put back in the safe deposit box after filling out papers for her job, Geico car insurance card, Cigna health insurance card, AAA card, and as Lara reminded me, a brand new pack of chewing gum I had just given her. She was in tears as she and Brent called the police and Park Rangers and returned to the scene to file a report and check to see if her purse might have been thrown out somewhere nearby. I began calling to cancel the credit card, debit card, and cell phone service.

To make a long story short, Lara got a new driver's license Thursday afternoon, and went to the Social Security Administration to order a new card on Friday afternoon. I called Geico, Cigna, and AAA to replace the cards. Brent immediately called to order a new window for Lara's car, which won't arrive until next Thursday. Lara has been driving my car and will get a ride back to school tomorrow. She then plans to ride back to Asheville with Zach and Amy next weekend to pick up her car, which hopefully will be repaired in time for her to take it back next Saturday or Sunday.

Lara has borrowed Brent's digital camera for a project in her education class that is due on Monday. Of course, she lost all the pictures she had on her camera and all the photos she had in her wallet. Her purse was a gift from her friend Caroline from Indonesia. Her wallet was a gift from a missionary friend in the Philippines. I had an extra cell phone because I had just renewed my contract, so Lara is re-programmed on a new phone with the same cell number. One of the hardest things for Lara is she will have to pay about $168 for NC State to re-key the master keys for her dorm and all the other RAs. The residence hall staff waved her room key fee (~$80 I think) and the emergency lock core change fee ($150) because she e-mailed them the police report. Even though there was nothing in her purse that identified her dorm name, the information could be gotten off the internet because all Lara's other personal info was stolen. Lara was very upset about having to pay the $168 on top of everything else, but we are just thankful that no one was hurt and that all this is just "sad stuff" that happens in this world. We encouraged her to learn important life lessons and move on.

AKA: NO PICTURES FOR A WHILE.

Christ the King

Christ the King is the church I attend while in Raleigh. I visited this church both my freshman and sophomore year, but in the end regularly attended different churches. This year, however, Christ the King feels like home, really meets me where I am, and I can see Jesus living in multi-colored members of the church. Let me give you a glimpse...

Tuesday evening Shannon Dod, a young mom to her two adopted boys (one Chinese with down syndrome and another little boy from India), died after fighting cancer for 14 months. Her memorial service was yesterday and today in church the pastor preached on 2 Corinthians 1: 3-7, which talks about how suffering brings God's comfort and then how anyone who has experienced suffering and God's comfort is now equipped to comfort others.

After the service we sang the song "It is Well with My Soul", and as we sang I watched Shannon's husband in the mist of his grief. He was sitting with their little boy who has down syndrome in his lap helping him to follow along with the words of the song, as any normal parent would do, and as her husband sang, though he was also crying, he was proclaiming the words "It is Well with My Soul...". Despite his suffering, he has found hope and comfort in the Lord.

This is evidence of Jesus. And this is why I go to Christ the King.

"It is Well with My Soul" Horatio Spafford, 1873

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Next Summer

Yes, I know it seems like I am getting ahead of myself...but time flies like an arrow and fruit flies like a banana (I LOVE puns)!

I just got off the phone with MTW (mission to the world) doing my phone interview to be an intern in summer 2009. The interview went well and they will be sending my information to my three field teams of interest this week! My top three choices are Quito/Guayaquil, Ecuador (http://teamecuador.mtwla.org/), Mexico City, Mexico (www.mtwmexicocity.org), and Lima, Peru (http://limanewcity.mtwla.org). Both Ecuador and Peru are church plants that have ESL, Youth, and Children's ministries. The Mexico team does RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) and ESL for college students. I honestly like the ministry work in Mexico best (I really want to do ESL and I would fit in with the college "stuff"); but I would like to visit South America (and my mom wants me to go there too!).

Another option I am considering is staying in Asheville...

I would love your prayer as I pursue different options.

On another note: Today is my Grandma's Birthday! Isla Ruth Mills Stowe was born 80 years ago! I called her this morning to wish her a happy birthday and she told me about her big birthday lunch she was having with all her friends. The food they were all bring sounded so good, I considered skipping class and making the hour and a half drive to her house!....(but I decided not to skip class...)

I went to the State vs. South Florida football game on Saturday night. We lost and it rained....HARD!

Jeremy (co-RA) and me. I had a plastic bag on my shoulders to repel some of the water.

I was able to ring lots of water out of my hoodie by the end of it all and it rained so long that even my underwear was wet when I got back to my dorm.

I sit next to the quarterback!

Well for those of you who did not know....NC State upset ECU in football on Saturday!!! John Berger (friend from Asheville, who now attends ECU) was at the game with me. It was nice to beat his team. I have a ticket for the game on Saturday and I'm excited because it will be my first evening college game and night games remind me of high school!! The game starts at 7:30pm and we are playing South Florida. The only negative is that I do not have my winter clothes yet (I will get them when I go home for Fall Break) and the weather here has been a little chilly....



This morning in my communications class I went about my normal business making small-talk with the boy next to me, (I don't even know his name), which is our regular routine every Tuesday and Thursday. While we were making our usual small-talk another boy came over and said "I heard you weren't playing in the game this weekend. What happened?" My nameless friend replied "I have a hurt shoulder." I then proceed to ask what game he had to play in,... just to continue our small-talk. He replied by telling me "a football game". I then asked him if it was intramurals and he said "no, I play for the school."....All this time I have been making small-talk with Russell Wilson, the Wolfpack quarterback!!! (fyi- I take better notes than he does!)


Also this week we (the RAs) had a police engraving valuables/voter registration program. Heidi, Grace, and I made lots of yummy cookies for the event. I also ironically burnt myself right next to a previously existing burn scar from this summer...my left forearm now looks really horrible!


I have had an extremely busy week academically (3 exams, and a paper) and now that it has all come to a close I am going out to eat Sushi with some friends ("2 for the price of 1 night" at Sushi Blues!!!).

Thanks for reading!

I can't believe I ever complained about not being busy!!!

This week has been a whirlwind of fun! Let me try to recap in as few words as possible for y'alls sake...

~Wednesday night I went to the first Campus Outreach program of the year. I really enjoyed it. The CO leader and his wife are a young couple that go to Christ the King (the same church I attend) and there are like 8 other interns working with them! CO is a ministry that just started on State's campus last semester (although, has been worldwide for quite some time) and it is just really chill and laid back.

~During the day on Thursday we had a booth set up in the Brick Yard (campus "commons" area) to promote Destino. We had candy, drinks, information, and upcoming events calendars. It was fun to get to talk about the group to people stopping by.

~I had my first exam on Thursday in my RA class. It was no fun. But, at the end of the exam I got back my first paper in the class (1 of 3) and I got and A+!!! I also had to turn in my first Spanish Literature paper on Thursday afternoon...I'm GLAD it is done and turned in!

~All day today (Friday) I was in training with the NC State's Women's Center so that I can be an Advocate for survivors (aka: victims) of sexual assault and rape. As advocates, we will be working shifts throughout the year on the "Molly Hays Glander Survivors of Sexual Assault and Rape Response Line" which is basically a 24 resource hot-line for victims. The training was great and very informative, and I am excited to officially be a trained Advocate. The training also might come in handy as an RA (but hopefully I won't need to use it!).

~Friday night I attended Alpha Omega Chinese Christian Fellowship. (YES...I am still studying SPANISH!!). Two of my new good friends and co-RA's here at State are both Asian and involved in AO. I also invited one of my Chinese residents to join us, and she did. I had a great time!!! AO is a mix of State, Chapel-Hill, and Duke students and each week the meeting location rotates between the schools. After the meeting we played volleyball and ultimate frisbee until midnight! ...I did however stand out at the meeting!...A LOT!

~Saturday I am going to the NC State vs. ECU football game!...and then to Virginia for the night. My mom and aunt will be in Virginia at my grandparents and I am going to join them.

....I'm sure I forgot something, but I sure what I did remember was more than any of you wanted to hear! Thanks for reading!

Margaritas!!!

Today is a rainy day!!! I LOVE rainy days. I am always so productive because I feel good about being inside (as there is nothing to do outside!).

Sunday night I played in my first Intramural Soccer game. We lost, but it was really fun! The games are 7 v 7 (7 players on each team) and only 6 people showed up for my team, so we played a man down. There were some Africans (who are really, really good at soccer) watching us play and after our game one of them asked to be added to our team...of course we happily agreed. He is a grad-student at State and ended up being from Jamaica...he has a really cool accent.

Because Monday was the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month; and the Independence Day of Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador; three other RA's and myself had planned a special program (event). We had virgin Margaritas and then were planning on attending Salsabor (a combination of "salsa" referring to a form of Latin dance and "sabor" meaning flavor). The problem was all of NC State's campus was power-less for about 3 hours and Salsabor was canceled; we still had a good time drinking Margaritas!


Sarah, Jeremy, Me, and Allison (RA's)Some of my Residents!