I received an email from Barb today. She is a missionary who has been in Burundi for a long time. She has been a wealth of information and a great source of letting me know what is happening at HAU right now.
I'm so excited because I do have a place to stay!!!
Here is her email:
There is an improvised apt on the ground floor that you and Stephanie will
be in until Kirkpatricks (a couple working on the radio station) leave. It is tiny, but there is a nice 'sitting' room across the hall; there is a small dining room as you enter; a kitchen with fridge,stove,shelves and a table, but the water is carried from the nearby bathroom. There is also a small bedroom with shelving and a rod for
storing/hanging clothing.
PTL I have somewhere to sleep the night I get there!!!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Crying and Laughing
4 days to go...
I'm ready to get off the roller coaster of my emotion! At any moment I will break down and cry. Mainly at a point in time when I'm leaving friends and won't see them again. But sometimes, such as last night, I left some very good friends house and cried on my way to choir. I will see them on Sunday but I was overcome by the sorrow of leaving them. I will miss them and all my friends and family very much.
If I focus on going and not on leaving it's much better. I'm excited beyond belief about going and doing what I have been called to do, but leaving my world is hard.
It's been a huge comfort having Stephanie and Javier planning together. Stephanie will call me just as I begin to cry, she doesn't know but the timing is perfect. We will laugh like school girls about packing hassles, how much we have to do in the next few days, and what we are taking (peanut butter, chocolate chips, Oreo cookies to name a few). It's good just to laugh.
I'm ready to get off the roller coaster of my emotion! At any moment I will break down and cry. Mainly at a point in time when I'm leaving friends and won't see them again. But sometimes, such as last night, I left some very good friends house and cried on my way to choir. I will see them on Sunday but I was overcome by the sorrow of leaving them. I will miss them and all my friends and family very much.
If I focus on going and not on leaving it's much better. I'm excited beyond belief about going and doing what I have been called to do, but leaving my world is hard.
It's been a huge comfort having Stephanie and Javier planning together. Stephanie will call me just as I begin to cry, she doesn't know but the timing is perfect. We will laugh like school girls about packing hassles, how much we have to do in the next few days, and what we are taking (peanut butter, chocolate chips, Oreo cookies to name a few). It's good just to laugh.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Playing with layout
I've changed the blog background!!! More sunny and fun. Just avoiding packing :) for now at least
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Hair Cut
So I can add "cutting my own hair" to the things I've done in my lifetime.
I just successfully gave myself a pretty bad haircut! It took forever and now that it is all said and done I'm sure I will be cutting on it fixing little bits that are too long for the next 3 months.
Here it is nice and short for the hot weather.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Luggage Request
Random request but I was wondering if anyone had some full sized luggage that they would like to donate for my trip?
I hear that international travel is hard on luggage so it doesn't have to be amazing.
Just thought I would ask before I go out to buy some.
Thanks
12 Days to go
I hear that international travel is hard on luggage so it doesn't have to be amazing.
Just thought I would ask before I go out to buy some.
Thanks
12 Days to go
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
13 Days to Go
So time is getting closer.
The first week of Jan. I went to Arizona by way of Bellingham. I visited very good friends in Bellingham for a few days then flew out of the smallest airport I have ever seen. The Bellingham Airport literally has only 2 gates! I was shocked too.
Down in Arizona I flew into a huge airport comparatively, it had 4 gates.
I spent a week with one of my professors and her family and then time with my aunt and uncle and cousins. My professor gave me all sorts of advice on teaching university students and setting up a course. My aunt took me to Hot Yoga where I was "trapped" (willingly stayed) in a room that was heated to 105 degrees. I actually didn't mind it that much, although I was dripping wet.
Both experiences were training for Africa, I'm sure.
Leaving Arizona was hard and going back to friends in Bellingham was wonderful, until I had to leave them. The drive home was very sad.
It was a sad few weeks for a while.
Yesterday I visited my aunt and uncle and the day before I hung out with my cousin. Leaving both of them was sad but I was not gloomy as I was before.
I feel that I'm past the gloomy stage and on to hope, hope for a good year. A year of new experiences.
The first week of Jan. I went to Arizona by way of Bellingham. I visited very good friends in Bellingham for a few days then flew out of the smallest airport I have ever seen. The Bellingham Airport literally has only 2 gates! I was shocked too.
Down in Arizona I flew into a huge airport comparatively, it had 4 gates.
I spent a week with one of my professors and her family and then time with my aunt and uncle and cousins. My professor gave me all sorts of advice on teaching university students and setting up a course. My aunt took me to Hot Yoga where I was "trapped" (willingly stayed) in a room that was heated to 105 degrees. I actually didn't mind it that much, although I was dripping wet.
Both experiences were training for Africa, I'm sure.
Leaving Arizona was hard and going back to friends in Bellingham was wonderful, until I had to leave them. The drive home was very sad.
It was a sad few weeks for a while.
Yesterday I visited my aunt and uncle and the day before I hung out with my cousin. Leaving both of them was sad but I was not gloomy as I was before.
I feel that I'm past the gloomy stage and on to hope, hope for a good year. A year of new experiences.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
12/25 Journal Entry
I'm very tired, I can't sleep and this is the third night of this, I feel like a little child waiting for Santa to come. I lay in bed excitedly thinking about Burundi. It all started 2 days ago with an email from the treasurer at Ballard FM. She told me my total on fundraising. I calculated in a few guaranteed pledge donors and realized that 50% of fundraising was done. $10,000 has been raised. PTL He is good. I had trouble falling sleep that was night 1.
Night 2 started with a trip to visit some Burundians who attend my church. A friend invited me. She helped them out when they first came to Washington. When we entered their apt. there were 2 other men there. The one I knew said, "You going to Africa right?" I said yes. He smiled. I was so glad that there were 3 Burundian men there. They were chatting with each other in Kurundi the whole time. The son of the man who's apt. we were at translated conversation that was specifically directed at us. I found it difficult to follow Grace and my conversation in English with the smaller children because I was listening to the Kurundi conversation/ As I was listening I heard them say inzu (house in english). I said. "house". He said, "house, inzu, right?" The men seemed scared that I understood what they were saying. I reassured them I wasn't secretly eves dropping. I had no idea what they were saying. Through the course of the 2 hours we were there I picked 4 Kurundi words out of their conversation.
I was so encouraged by this. I haven't even been to Burundi yet and I can pick out words I've been working on. Pray for more language growth.
I loved being with them because I also picked up on cultural things. Eating, family dynamics, clothing and house keeping. They had a video of a choir singing playing as the sound track. I'm seen youtube videos of this choir but now I got to ask questions. Why do they do that, is that common and my all time favorite question, What is that.
Night 2 was just so exciting. I lay in bed replaying the evening. Tonight I'm having lots of fun replaying these two nights in my head but today there is a twist to the excitement, I'm thinking about me in Burundi. Me going to the market buying fresh fruit, visiting friends nearby, visiting and singing with the students of HAU. Being able to meet my American friends that are in Buja but have never seen or talked to in person. I think alot about Stephanie. I miss hanging out with her. I miss working side by side with her and debriefing our days frustrations and joys. That will be one of my favorite parts about being in Burundi, my roommate.
To um it up I'm excited beyond belief. I don't understand why I was so scared. This is going to be great fun. I don't want to have to wait I want to go now. 38 days is too long. Lord give me patience and let me sleep tonight.
Night 2 started with a trip to visit some Burundians who attend my church. A friend invited me. She helped them out when they first came to Washington. When we entered their apt. there were 2 other men there. The one I knew said, "You going to Africa right?" I said yes. He smiled. I was so glad that there were 3 Burundian men there. They were chatting with each other in Kurundi the whole time. The son of the man who's apt. we were at translated conversation that was specifically directed at us. I found it difficult to follow Grace and my conversation in English with the smaller children because I was listening to the Kurundi conversation/ As I was listening I heard them say inzu (house in english). I said. "house". He said, "house, inzu, right?" The men seemed scared that I understood what they were saying. I reassured them I wasn't secretly eves dropping. I had no idea what they were saying. Through the course of the 2 hours we were there I picked 4 Kurundi words out of their conversation.
I was so encouraged by this. I haven't even been to Burundi yet and I can pick out words I've been working on. Pray for more language growth.
I loved being with them because I also picked up on cultural things. Eating, family dynamics, clothing and house keeping. They had a video of a choir singing playing as the sound track. I'm seen youtube videos of this choir but now I got to ask questions. Why do they do that, is that common and my all time favorite question, What is that.
Night 2 was just so exciting. I lay in bed replaying the evening. Tonight I'm having lots of fun replaying these two nights in my head but today there is a twist to the excitement, I'm thinking about me in Burundi. Me going to the market buying fresh fruit, visiting friends nearby, visiting and singing with the students of HAU. Being able to meet my American friends that are in Buja but have never seen or talked to in person. I think alot about Stephanie. I miss hanging out with her. I miss working side by side with her and debriefing our days frustrations and joys. That will be one of my favorite parts about being in Burundi, my roommate.
To um it up I'm excited beyond belief. I don't understand why I was so scared. This is going to be great fun. I don't want to have to wait I want to go now. 38 days is too long. Lord give me patience and let me sleep tonight.
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