Bucket List

In middle school I started this list of things I wanted to do before I die. Without having much "life-experience" I had basic things like finish high school, go to college, graduate from both, fly in an airplane, go out of the country, etc... you know, all of the basic ones. Now those have come and gone and after returning from Asia I started making a new list. A few months ago I started watching the (documentary) TV show "The Buried Life" about 4 guys that made a list of 100 things to do before they "kick the bucket" and whenever they cross one thing off, they help a stranger do the same. It isn't the most moral show or whatever but the overall idea of it is fantastic!

After watching a few episodes of this show I started remembering times I've said, "I've always wanted to do that" and started making a more serious list. Over the past few weeks I've checked off 3 items which has really got me pumped so I'm going to share with you this list in hopes that maybe you could help me cross something off! Here we go:

*help deliver a baby

*surf in Indonesia

*live in a camper for a month

*sky dive

*go to Yellowstone Park

*go deep-sea fishing

*see a boxing match

*attend a Celtic festival (done- Winston Salem NC, 2013)
*be in a movie

*eat monkey

*dance in the park

*run a race (done- New Bern 2010) 
*jump off a bridge

*check someone's ears in the doctors office

*run through the airport

*use an Epi. pen

*kiss in the rain (don't hate on me, its my list) (done- Greg Fry 2012) 
*see the Northern Lights

*drive a stick-shift with no problems

*attend a ball

*see a step/stomp competition

*visit: Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska, & Maine

*swim with sharks

*get hitched (done- with Greg Fry Sept 1, 2012)
*go to: Africa, New Zealand, Greece, Brazil, Chile, Tahiti

*find $5

*change oil in a car (done- Winter 2012, taught by Greg Fry) 
*change a flat tire

*drive a riding lawnmower (done- at the Wright house in Winchester, VA 2009)

Bucket List items I've CROSSED OFF!!!

*ride an elephant (08')

*see all the oceans (07'-08')

*visit the West coast (08')

*see the Grand Canyon (08')

*graduate from high school & college (03' & 09')

*fly (07')

*go to another country (07')

*eat something crazy (07'- eaten: worms, rat, pig intestine, live shrimp, alligator)

*change a life (85')

*fall in love

*learn another language (99')

*make it rain (95'?)

*baptize someone (Caroline- RCSC 11')

*go to a drive-in movie (with Rachel Thayer, summer 11')

*shoot a gun (w/ Mr.Thomas, 12g sawed-off shot gun, Summer 11')

*learn a dance (95')

*go to NYC (05'?)

*first kiss

*swim in the ocean during a hurricane (06')

*drive all night/day (from the NMC, Nov. 09')

*learn to surf (02')

*run in the rain

"Advocates of Change"

This evening I'm reading "Anthropology for Christian Witness" by Charles Kraft and these things stood out to me on advocating change. Maybe you can apply some of these things to your life : ) Note: This is straight from the book.

* Persons from outside a society cannot implement change within that society.

* Outsiders can only recommend. They may, however, recommend persuasively. We call such recommenders advocates.

* Those who respond positively to the recommendations of outsiders are called acceptors.

*Acceptors, as soon as they put the change into practice, become implementors or innovators (Barnett).

* Implementors who get excited about a change and recommend it to others (either by word or deed) become advocates within their societies.

Who/What are you an advocate for?

Prayer

(Picture: Taken in the beautiful and free Fort Worth Botanical Gardens.)

Crazy to think but the end of the quarter has come! The pressure is on and new classes will begin on Monday.

If you are close with me then you know that I start doing things at the last minute when the pressure is higher and then I can whip through it. Since its the end of the quarter, I see in my syllabus' that I have 14 assignments to complete along with 5.5 books to read. Yeah. It's slightly intense. As I type, I'm procrastinating while at the same time glad that I've completed 17 assignments and have read 5 or 6 books.

Praise: Friends, family and churches have began partnering with me in prayer, encouragement and financially. Wow! What a blessing it has been! Thank you all for your continuous love that you show! Also, a praise is meeting so many new people from all over that are focused in having a hand in Bible translation. Its been a praise to have housemates and friends that that have vehicles so that I can groceries, see TX and go to church. Thank God for amazing classes that have taught me so much and continue to broaden my understanding.

Prayer Requests: Pray for more people to become aware about the people groups around the world who do not have the Bible. The past few weeks I have become aware of many friends that are dealing with some major things in their lives that have become pressing, pray for healing and strength. Pray for more partners. Pray for steadfastness and understanding as I complete the remaining 14 assignments. Pray for my teammates as some are pregnant, in language school, back in Asia from being here to welcome their first grandchild and working on building relationships and the future direction of the team.

Welcome to Texas! Into Week 3

Actually I've been in Dallas for two weeks now! The first week was filled with picking up a load of books, getting a key card, setting up the house, meeting new people at various house parties, grocery shopping, and catching up with friends. My very first day of classes were cancelled due to snow (as you can see on the right) and the fear of more which turned out to melt throughout the day but now we're in the full swing of things!

Right now I'm currently taking Anthropology and Biblical Reflection on Mission which together we have 12 books and 2 sets of copied material to read. I'm not one that loves to read a ton and I haven't been in school for a while so its been a little odd trying to get back into the routine

. Nonetheless, I've already learned a lot and have been reminded of many things which were forgotten.

On Thursday I sent out my first prayer letter/card!!! It's been in the works for a very long time but I was waiting for certain things to be ready before I sent it out. The letters and cards were sent to everyone that I had addresses for and/or signed up at Two Rivers Church to be on the mailing list. If you are reading this and would like to receive a prayer card and/or receive updates, please send me your info., I'd be happy to send you one! As I was walking to the mail box I started just getting knots of excitement in my stomach! Two of my housemates prayed with me and I dropped them off into the USPS system! So far I haven't heard if anyone has received them yet.

God has definitely blessed me with an amazing house of ladies and a wonderful/very affordable home which has been named "The House of Awesome"(which is the house in the picture above) We've had a few guests to visit our new home but we actually had an "moving on the block" party on Saturday where we were blown away by the company, food, games and conversations! Each of us that live here are uniquely different but get along extremely well and we each represent Guinea, W Africa; Papua New Guinea, Thailand, SE Asia and undecided.! Our home decor represents these countries; for example, there is a sword with 7 different daggers in its case in the center of the room!

Moving Update

I have yet to finish the Wedding Part II. It's on the to-do list for tomorrow.

On Saturday I will be moving to TX! I'm extremely excited to get to meet new people and be so involved with those that are like-minded. There's some winter weather stuff going on down there right now so let's hope that I can get there as planned! My housemates have started to move in one by one and the thought of hanging out with an amazing group of ladies is fun to think about!

This week I have spent my time in Elizabeth City and in the Hampton Rds. area hanging out with family and friends that I might not get to see for a while. So far it's been extremely relaxed, rewarding, easy, fun and has brought back so many college memories. MACU is like home to me; even if most of your friends have come and gone, its so refreshing to be here with the small handful that I do know. Thanks to Andrea, Ryan, Rachel and Emilie for letting me stay in your house and dorm rooms; you have been such a blessing to me.

New Bern friends, I do miss you already. I especially miss my Turbo Kick class and my children at the various places I worked. Thank you for a great two years and letting me be a part of your families.

A Wedding Pt. 1

While in Asia I had the opportunity to go to a traditional Javanese wedding. A typical wedding hosts between 300-500 guests; a small wedding is 100 and a large wedding party is 1,000. Talk about a party, right? Music fills the area throughout the night and there's always something cooking.

Of course, the details that I will give below are from memory the day after; also, every wedding is probably different so I might be totally inaccurate in what the tradition is/stands for.

At the actual ceremony there were around 30-40 people there and then some 250 came for the food and fellowship time. Just like any-other wedding, its all about fellowship, eating, shaking hands, signing the guest book, giving a gift an going home. What is different about a Javanese wedding is that there are several other special traditions and rituals that take place, many of which I don't understand but maybe will know one day!

On day #1 there is a pre-ceremony where there is a ceremonial washing and the boxed food invites are prepared and sent out to the neighbors. (See the picture above) They were nice enough to let me help snip some greens and chat a little about the traditions and what they were cooking.

(a) The parents of the bride come out with a palm-woven banner that they put above then entrance to the ceremonial area. Then they hung on both sides of the entrance, 2 coconuts, rice, & bananas which all symbolized different things.

(b)The bride and her parents come out and are announced (in the Javanese language there are 3 levels, and this announcer speaks the highest and talks during everything). The bride has a seat.

(c) There are 7 jars of water from 7 different springs throughout the area and they are combined into a basin with flower petals and 10 family members and neighbors pour 3 individual spoon full's of water on the bride's head, shoulders, hands, and feel. After the 3rd person, the bride is drenched and the water tries to slip into her eyes and mouth... bless her heart.

(d) The parents take a clay tea pot and break it.

(e) Parents pick up the bride.

(f) Parents feed a bite of everything off of a plate and give her a drink.

(g) Then the parents take a bowel filled with some of the same water and petals and bury it in the dirt by the side of their house.

(h) Many of the guests receive a clay coin which they use to pay for a drink given by the parents that you receive once giving the coin to the mother and shaking the father's hand. The drink that they gave was definitely coconuty and had some sore of wormy-jelly-like things in the bottom; it was amazing but super sweet.

(i) Following all of those rituals is food... of course!

My friends that I stayed with are neighbors/good friends with the mother-of-the-bride (MOB) so I had the privilege of seeing the bridal party getting ready and getting some up-close shots of everything! Tomorrow I'll write about the actual wedding. Here's a picture of the lovely bride!

Getting Closer

After many changes concerning the means of travel to TX... flying is the cheapest/wisest choice and the ticket has just been purchased for February 5th!

The "see you later's" are beginning:

*Winchester, VA: Dec 30 & Jan 2nd

*DE for New Years Eve/1st

*This Monday friends from Washington, NC are coming to NewBern

*ElizabethCity and HamptonRoads on 14th-16th possibly

*21st-22rd Two Rivers Church in New Bern

*23rd @ Stoneybrook Church of Christ in Wilson, NC, Lord willing.

*30th-3rd Hilton Head, SC

*ElizabethCity, NC Feb. 3-4th

I hope to get to hang out with many of you before I go so please get in touch with me if you are near the places mentioned above! New Bern friends, lets set some hang outs soon! : )

If you want to partner with Pioneer Bible Translators in prayer, updates, support, etc. please contact me via here, Facebook or email! Mail within the next week!

Huge thank you's to my Mom-Donna, sister-Andrea, the Neiweik's, and my good friend Linda for transporting me and/or letting me borrow your vehicles the last 6 months and in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for sharing your blessings; you have blessed me immensely!

Show me your ways, O'Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5