summer!!!

I'm loving the fact that I can go outside without wearing a jacket and scarf! Since I stepped foot in Quebec I've been showered with blessing after blessing. I got to see all my family and closest friends in one night, also I was able to see "my" kids the next day! I got bombarded with hugs and kisses, every one of which I loved (of course). I also began job training at Capernwray and I am proud to say that by the end of November I have great chances of being at one with Apple computers - something I never thought possible. It's been a wild week and I'm so happy to be home.
Next week will be busy as I prepare everything to move to Capernwray, update my wardrobe (yay!!!) and help my parents begin to rebuild our barn that burned down earlier this week (there was an arsonist having fun lighting 13 different "things" on fire in our area, that night).
Lots going on, warm weather to enjoy and camp fires to take advantage of!

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Hola!! Estoy en la casa de mis padres en Canada, y es una bendecion de estar con mi familia y mis amigos! Estoy muy ocupada porque trabajé bastante esta semana, preparandome por mi nuevo trabajo que empeza el 10 de septiembre. Vi a todos mis "niños" (hijos de mis amigos) y recibi un monton de abrazos y besos de ellos. Estoy muy feliz de estar con "mi gente" (: La semana que viene, voy a estar muy ocupada otra vez y despues arranque el trabajo! Así es mi vida aca, nunca paro!!
Perdón que no los escribo cada uno un email, pero la verdad es que no tengo mucho tiempo entre toda las cosas para sentarme y escribir emails! Estoy orando que capaz mi vida va a tranquilizar en los meses que viene, pero nosé. Por ahora, estoy re emocionada para empezar mi trabajo en la oficina y a ver como Díos va a trabajar en mi vida a traves de mi debilidad (porque es un trabajo con la compu y nosé nada de las compus!!!).
Sonrie, porque Díos nos ha dado ese día tan hermoso!! besos.

seriously?

So, tonight was my last kids' club in Uruguay. I'm thinking this is pretty crazy. It seems like I've been here my whole life and that I just arrived yesterday and that Monday morning seems oh-so-far away all at the same time. Today I was telling a friend that it doesn't seem real that I'm leaving yet because at that point, I still had "one more" of everything.

Tomorrow is my last day at the school, and the 3 year-olds are putting on a goodbye party for me. I don't think anyone has ever had THIS many goodbye parties. I've had seven in six days; that's a whole lot of goodbye-ing and kissing to do in six days. However, it's well worth being dead tired (so tired I've been going to bed before midnight - which is practically unheard of for me). Anyways, it's late (11:45pm) and I'm going to finish Lost (oh yes.) and crash. Here are some highlights or "effects", if you will, from tonights abundance of cake (with sprinkles, thank you) and orange Tang juice tonight at kids' club...

(check out the intense face-grab!)

halfsies

I was asked by a couple of people here to write some blogs in Spanish for them - apparently Google translator has a hard time with sarcasm. So, there will be a few blogs in Spanish because they want to see how the Lord is working in Canada, much like you enjoy seeing how the Lord is working in Uruguay.

Last night was the first of six goodbye parties. Yes, six. It will be an emotional week, but I know the Lord will help me put one foot in front of another and continue to walk forward. I really enjoyed spending time with the friends I've made here this year, they are such a blessing to me! Although Uruguayans are a very warm people, they're not a very open people. It sometimes takes two or three years to build up enough confidence with someone to have a profound friendship. That being said, the way the youth in the church opened up their lives to me this past year is incredible and I am so thankful for them because they made this year so amazing!

Bueno... aca está el blog en español para mis amigos de Uruguay. Ves, que amable que soy! jajaja. Seguro que voy a tener muchos errores en mi escritura, pero así soy yo. No soy perfecta todavia! Quiero decir a la gente que esta en esa foto que ustedes fue un regalo de Díos para mi este año y me da mucha tristeza que no puedo traer a ustedes conmigo como recuerdos. Cuando, por lo menos, vuelvo a visitar Uruguay un día, ¡espero que puedo ver a todos! Muchas gracias por la linda despedida anoche. ¡Fue una gran bendecion! Besos para todos!!!

vanity alert.

I'm a hair person. I notice people's hair... if it's straight I'm a little jealous and if it's curly I wish we could trade. I long to be one of the people that wake-up and go! Alas, I have been blessed with a full head of bright blond hair that goes in any direction it so desires no matter how hot the straightening iron is. I've been thinking about doing something different with my hair for a while now.

If you've seen my hair you'll notice it's short; which, is the result of a random trip to the Wal-Mart hair salon last summer. Oh yes - I chopped it all off on a whim and I loved it. I'm not sure if I like the shocked looks from unexpecting friends or the way the stylist washes your hair/massages your head more. But all in all, I'm a fan of the whole experience.

ANYways, I'm thinking something new: something ground breaking. Since drastic cutting is NOT an option, I have the option of 'dying' left. I've been almost every color and brand under the sun. Really - I was very familiar with the dye isle in Wal-Mart (are you seeing a trend here?) The color I've never dared to go was black. So I've decided to dye my hair black.

I'm totally joking. There is no way I would do that to myself.

Dark brown is a viable option. Something other than blond!! Though, it does give me a viable excuse for the *occasional* blond moment.

I said occasional.

12 days.

It's a beautiful day here in Uruguay. While I was biking around looking for a store that sells candy in bulk (to my surprise, the butcher is the only one that does. Odd? Yes.) I was constantly reminded by the bright sun that I own sunglasses for a reason. As I squinted through the town, fighting against the wind (is it me, or is the wind ALWAYS against you when you're riding a bike uphill?), I was thinking about my year here in Uruguay.

What did I learn? What was the highlight? The lowlight? The parts I wanted to pause and absorb? The times I wish I could fast-forward? Most memorable night at kids club? Favorite place to travel? - you get the point.

I was trying to find a way to take a year of my life and summarize it in one phrase. All the good times and trying times and package them together, preferably with a bow. The only thing I could come up with is a song lyric that I cannot stop singing (my apologies to Alejandra): Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging, Your love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet.

I've learned so much about unconditional love and faithfulness this year that I don't even know where to begin to share. The Lord took me from my comfort zone to a place where I have to rely completely on Him - which is much easier said than done. In that place of sometimes utter helplessness, I found myself crying out to God. There, I found His love and faithfulness.

downwards

It's hard to believe that I have 17 more days in Uruguay before I board the plane bright and early on August 25th. A little too early for my liking - 6:30 am in the airport. I have two weeks left to fully enjoy the beautiful country and wonderful people I've met. It's a little hard to believe.

I was sad when I thought that I wouldn't see Katy, a girl I've been working with all year before I left. Her oldest brother sent her away to live with her grandmother in another town and a month had passed without any word from her. Last Tuesday she was there, she came running up the street and jumped into my arms and it was the best gift ever. She told me she missed me, which doesn't help my "never going to happen" plan of smuggling her back with me.

This week has flown by, I came back from La Paz Monday morning for Silvina's birthday, Alejandra and I went to visit a friend who's down from Paysandú, I taught the super funny kids in grade 3 and today I'm off to Bible study with American women, then kids club later on. Tomorrow, I have the blessing of going back to Colonia until Monday morning to visit a good friend that I want to smuggle back with me too.

I have a feeling my suitcase will be heavier than I expected...

love big.

Love big. I guess never really understood what it meant. To love someone is to open your heart, your life to someone else. Most people expect the same thing in return and are hurt when it doesn't happen. Which is why we are to "love big, ask for little in return". It may sound a little cynical, but I can come across that way sometimes.

Some people stop loving when they don't get anything back, but should we? Is it fair to throw in the towel, so to speak, and stop loving everyone altogether? No.

I've been struggling with this idea, because it's so draining to love and love and give and give, but we're not called to anything less. What? Did she say "we're"? Yes, I did. If we love the Lord Jesus with our hearts and lives, then we are called to love unconditionally. To love when it hurts.
John 3:16 (just because it's used alllllll the time, doesn't make of less value!) says that God so loved the world. The WORLD. Do we forget where we live? In a world that regularly pushes God out and blames every problem on Him, in a world that spits and curses at His very name. In a world that looks at all the beauty around them and gives the credit to floating molecules that magically collided to create the amazing sunsets I love. God still loves... He willingly gave of Himself to this world that hates Him.

Are we to stop loving because we don't get love in return? Who knows how our love can change the day for one person, can put a smile on a bitter face or make one person know they are worth the effort. In my opinion, that's a price I'm willing to pay. It doesn't come easy and sometimes, it's hard to tell if it's even worth it. But then, someone smiles back at you, someone returns your love and suddenly, you have the desire to love again.