I'm engaged, 21 and I'm tan...

Jesse came to visit me from 3/24-3/29 and it was absolutely amazing to get to show him this wonderful place and of course he approved and everyone loved him. I'm sure almost everyone knows but I'M ENGAGED! He proposed at a restaurant called Poop Deck not the greatest name but it's not about the name it's about who I'm with :)  3/27/11, Greatest birthday present ever! so now I actually have a reason to plan a wedding. and no, we don't have an exact day set. but I am so happy :) and on my birthday Hannah was a good sport and took some pictures for  us and they'll be on facebook soon! I'm so blessed and I never want to take that for granted! Thank you everyone for the prayers and support you've all given me! I'm so sorry I'm not better about updating this blog!

He Has Finally Arrived!

JESSE'S HERE!!! Ahh! I feel like I don't even remember who he is! (but I do of course!) And I'm so happy he's down here! Everyone loves him and now he's getting to share in this new love I've found! He also brought down tons of goodies from my mom, Allie, Grandmas, Suzie&Bob and the Pyes! It's like Christmas when I get new stuff brought to me! It always reminds me of home :) I'm so blessed that he's here and I and just so thrilled that he is getting to see when I'm doing and what I love! I want to make it a goal of mine to have the ALC be one of my life passions! I just love it so much here! I really want to shine Gods light here for all the world to see! I want to do it for God and not for me. That is the prayer request of the day. I want this life to be lived for The Lord! I would never leave here if money wasn't an issue. But, God willing this will NOT be my only visit here! I love it too much to make it a one or even two time thing! Thank you everyone for all your prayers and love flowing my way! You all mean so much to me and don't worry, I really do miss all of you! :)

Video blog fail!!!

I tried uploading a video but it didn't work. I just think it's my computer. I just got out of church and it was good but they just really know how to draw stuff out down here. YIKES!!! I'm getting ready to feed the animals (it is our job on Sundays to feed all the animals in the farm) I always enjoy it just because you get to be so close to them unlike during classes where you just look at them in the cages. But anyways I just wanted to update a little so everyone could see that I'm still down here! I also could use some prayers for being a bold christian. It's not hard to be bold down here (everyone is) but it's hard to shine for Christ and sometimes i just get really down on myself wondering if I'm even working for him. But I need to have faith, and have hope in God, that's a good start... right?

on 3/17/09...

I met one of the most important people in my life and I wouldn't be where I was today without him...

 Jesse Tober: {jeh-see toe-bur} proper noun 

My boyfriend, the love of my life, my partner in crime, my comedian, my punching bag, the ears that hear me, the arms that hold me, the one who gets me, the one who loves me, Goldy, strong, dedicated, loving, smart, hilarious and down right wonderful!

I couldn't imagine my life without him! God blessed me to such an extent with this man and I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world! So even though it's not exactly 2 years on the button I felt this was necessary to share this! Happy (almost) anniversary baby! You're the greatest thing that has ever happened to me! Thanks for being you, I never want you to change! I can't wait to see you in 12 days :) (btw our anniversary is exactly a week until I see you!!!)

sometimes your heart just needs to hurt.

I'VE BEEN HERE A MONTH! That's sooo scary! It's going too fast! I wish I could live here. I still feel it's for the wrong reasons sometimes but I know something has to give. yesterday we went to All Saints (AIDs camp) its was an amazing experience. I instantly had a little girl attached to my side (Sasha) and we were buddies the whole time.It really hit me being there more like "wow I'm SO selfish" there is a woman there named Ms. Moxie and she is so sick but she's still so happy and full of God's love. I'm jealous that's how awesome she is. and it just makes you think of how much we have and what complainers we are. Tomorrow is a new day though so we can always get better. Having Judson here has been amazing. it hasn't been quite so lonely and they are all so wonderful! we're going to have a bonfire again (third night in a row) it's so wonderful! I finally got to experience the WHOLE planetarium experience tonight. It's so hard to believe people could actually not believe in God, like at all. I mean look at all this around us! Everyday I'm still so thankful having Hannah here with me :) (hope she can say the same!) just keep praying for me please and of course I'm always thinking about you too! :)

I really have to get better about updating this thing...

This week has been pretty easy. We trained yesterday for 4th grade, we'll see how that goes because we had to walk through the forest and learn about different types of trees. For anyone that knows me, I'm not a plant person. I don't know types of plants unless it's super obvious, but, I'm trying.We're almost done painting the goats pen and I'll admit it does look better. The only reason it looks a lot better is because I'm really random when i paint things so you can see for a distance where I've painted and here I haven't. But that's the ONLY reason I'm saying it looks better. Because I'm stubborn. It's okay though. It is kind of relaxing aside from always wondering if I'm going to be getting a billion more flea bites. 

Also this week I've come to the conclusion that little creatures love to come to our house, and two out of three have died... we had Ernie (I guess we brought him here) and a little lizard died on our front stoop. Kind of sad because he looked so cute and just looked like he was sleeping and now it's this freaking solider crab (who I have named Oscar) that is  determined to get into the house. I trip over him every time I walk out the door. I mean I'd feed him if I knew what he ate! Anyways, I was reading my devotional (given to me by the amazing and beautiful Kate Beeman) and came across my favorite Bible story yet! Acts 16:25-34 about Paul and Silas in prison and the guard about to kill him self and then he was saved. It's so powerful! I think I got more out of that then I did the devotional itself. (and for me that's good!)By the way sorry my last entry seemed super depressing. I'm doing a lot better now thanks to all the prayers!

  Last night I finally tried conch salad mostly so everyone would get off my back about trying it! And it tasted just like I thought it would... HORRIBLE!! If anyone doesn't know what that is, it's conch (obviously) cut in tiny pieces with tomato, cucumber, possibly celery, raw onion (which I don't like),  raw green peppers (which I like less), and a little but of red pepper (which I HATE!) and (there is no lettuce which always bothers me... don't call it a salad if there isn't lettuce!) and it was all brought together in harmony with waaay too much lime juice... NOT! Pardon my dramatic side but I think a little part of me died after I ate that nastiness. I won't even begin to tell you how bad my breath was. I've washed my hands about six times and showered and my hands still smell like onion! I DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH THE ONION!!! While I watched the guy as he was making it, I was saying to myself "Ya, I'm not going to like this." But that's my rant on Conch Salad.  My first and last time ever eating it!

 Stacie comes back today! YAY! she's bringing her Judson group and that hopefully means that I'll get to go to All Saints (AIDs camp) I've been wanting to go for since I got here! She's also bringing me care packages from my mom and Jesse! And I'm going to be a Blondie again! I'm so excited! Seriously, that was the last time I'm going brunette! And they did a study, blondes DO have more fun! ;) Also on that topic, with words like blonde I'm still never sure of how to spell it! Spell check is telling me I'm wrong. PSSH! 

My birthday is in less than a month and honestly before I came here I had a countdown going but I really don't care anymore. only two things I care about are 1. Jesse is going to be here and 2. I'll be able to legally drive. (yes they changed it again to where I have to actually be 21 again. Oh and I don't think I wrote about this yet but, last weekend when Hannah and I had the truck (which I am now changing it's name to Meanie) we were coming  back from Flipper beach and the breaks went out. (of course this would happen it's us driving) I literally said on the way to the beach "Wow these breaks are really good!" yea... funny. But we got home safe and it wasn't our fault so that's all that matters. It was just a belt (everything gets really rusty and corroded because of the salt and whatnot which I knew and was very proud of myself) Being Mr. Fix-it Tom had it up and running on Monday.

So, today Hannah, Ryan and I are working a birthday party that is taking place at the centre. We basically are just babysitting. So we don't have to do much! But I think I wrote more than enough for now! I'm glad people actually read this because I'd  be feeling like this is a total waste of time! Love and miss you all!

Something has got to give...

This week has been a bit of a challenge in the way of my faith. I feel like I haven't grown at all in faith. I need all the prayer I can get. I know that's a crappy way to start a blog but that's how I'm feeling. One of the other missionaries left this morning (His name is Blaise) he is from Switzerland and can fluently speak French, English and Spanish. He is an amazing person and I just know God has big plans for him! So tomorrow I'm being trained on working with 4-6 graders, I'm very excited! sorry this isn't going to be a very long blog entry but I'm just giving a bit of an update! Love and miss you all! as selfish as this may sound please don't stop praying for me. I'm just going through a low point right now. Thanks everyone!