Salaam Alekeuym, friends!  I realized as I looked at my xanga that I had last updated in a previous life.  Really.  Since pictures are worth a thousand words (and I will, Insh Allah, be in Kenya for New Years :) ), here are several thousands words about my life.

I live here (middle floor, shared with 3 other women)

With these people (there are more people, but we're the ones who live in the office/apartment area):

I teach these kids, and several more, actually:

Aren't they cute??

One of my students lives in cardboard and tarps, here:

And this is what I look like when I go out in public (only, I'm supposed to probably cover my head a little more and not show my hair):

Ma9a Salaama!

Shark

This, friends, is my shark.  It was a special gift from God.  Well, at least that's the way I see it. 

Each year when I would go to the beach, I would ask God to help me find a special shell.  Normally, I wanted to find whole sand dollars.  After several times of coming home with sand dollars that eventually crumbled into nothingness as they dried out, I decided that I wanted something different.  I asked God for a special "find"--something that no one else would get and that would be really cool.

I think I got it.

Normally, I don't go running on Thursdays, but I decided to stay up late on Tues. and skip my Wed. run.  I went last Thursday anyway.  Something weird happened during my run, so I changed the route and ended up farther down shore.  Because of all that, I just "happened" to be walking back along the shore around 7:15 on Thursday morning when I saw this thing that had just washed up on the shore.  I realized it was a baby hammerhead shark.  Talk about something different!  As soon as I picked it up (it was dead), I realized that this was God's answer to my prayer.  He had provided something fun and interesting for me to take home. 

Oh, yeah, the most fun was surprising my little brother and then taking it into my parents' room and showing it to them.  What a way to wake up!  :)

(If you think I look tired and sweaty in this picture...you're correct.  But, hey, when you get up before 6, jog for almost and hour, then walk the beach, you have legitimate excuses...right? ;) )

Twenty-One

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good: for His mercies endureth forever."

Ps. 107:1

Life seems to become more complicated and more simple at the same time.  Decisions, waiting, uncertainty, people, expectations--stuff that just won't go away.  Yep, complicated.

A year ago I was in Kansas on the senior class trip, considering the future.  I thought I knew what the next 12 months would hold.  I was wrong.  This year, I honestly don't know what will happen.  I'm waiting for God to answer and a mission board to get back to me. 

Things are more simple, too.  God is in control, of this much I am certain.  I don't need to know my whole future (sounds nice sometimes, though...:) because I know the One who orchestrates my path. He orders my steps. He is my rock and my refuge. 

I don't know what I'll be doing this time next year, but I do know this: God is good and He is in control.

"Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men."

Ps. 107:8

 It's been almost a week since the pictures were taken, but considering that I neglect updates for so long...

How about some pics from the wedding and such?  :)

John and I decided that 3 1/2 hours was not too bad of a drive...

to see two friends get married (sorry, no really good pics of the happy couple turned up on my camera, so this will have to do)

Kathleen and Rebecca flew in near our home, so we drove them down with us.  (No group pictures from the drive, so this is the best I can do.  It was also fun to see Cameron, JOlson, and Blocki again.)

We also picked up this crazy friend in Charlotte.  Good times!

Jeanne, as usual, looked great and seemed to be having tons of fun.

Mr. & Mrs. Krause were also there!  Yay for catching up with old friends :)

Of course, there were lots of current Verity staffers there, but I only got pictures of a few of them (what can I say--I was enjoying myself!)

Anybody remember the thing about cell phones?  (I'm with you, Jen!)

Our group (poor John--he was alone with three girls for 3 hours) headed back to my house so we could be at Church for this:

My little brother's baptism :)

And, since pictures are worth 1,000 words, I've made up for all the times I didn't (or won't) post.  Hope it doesn't take forever to load!