Students are Back

The students are back and we're getting back in the swing of things...slowly, but surely which is usual around here. I've been able to meet with quite a few of my friends and it has been great to see what the Lord did in them over the break. When they left I was struggling with the apathy that I felt they lived in so I prayed for them and also for me, that the Lord would give me discernment in how to approach this semester. I believe He has spoken to me on a few things, but mainly to just focus in on a few girls and live life with them. But as I have noticed over the last week, my few was a bit of a different number than His few. It has been a blessing to see how the Lord grew them and gave them a passion to know Him more. It seems that they have all gone from a let me fill my schedule with God activities to living their life in God. I met with one girl today and it was a great encouragement. She isn't someone that I studied with last semester, but a roommate. I've talked about her before. She was there at some of the studies and she always asked a lot of questions. So today I got to spend some time with her and see how her break was. She told me all about how she realized a need for the Lord and since has changed. She desires to know more of Him and she seeks to fulfill that desire. She still has a lot of questions but she gets it now when I answer them. It's such a reminder of how "the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one." (1 Cor 3:14, 15)

In other recent news...

Whit and I ate a mouse when we got back from our respective vacations.

Then we actually had a mouse eat through one of our packages. The package was actually a box inside of a box so he ate through two boxes and ate all of our Reese's. Chewed right on through the bag and ate every individually wrapped Reese's there were, the only evidence that was left was the bag, not another wrapper in sight. Thankfully he didn't get to our tortillas and Velveeta cheese. (For pictures and a much funnier story check out Whitney's blog)

And lastly, I found out the other day that my left leg is more muscular than my right leg (well that at least sounds better than saying that it's bigger!). Why? That's the question I have been asking myself for days...if anyone can think of an answer just let me know. Just another reminder that I'm not perfect. :-)

New Year's Day

Sorry it took so long to get this last post about my trip to Egypt up here, I know you have been on the edge of your seats dying to know what else I did...

My New Year's Day was maybe one of the best days there. Why you ask? Well you know how I told you that we were bummed about Starbucks not being open in Alexandria when we went (if you don't you should read the post before this one)? It did open in Cairo, right before we left for Alexandria actually. So as my last hoorah we took a little trip out to the new Starbucks! It was amazing! The place was pretty huge with all the comfy couches and coffee beans and mugs and yea just like it is in America. I ordered my vanilla, hazelnut latte (my favorite, due to an incredible friend who introduced me to it, thanks kid) and it was so good. And yes, I did buy some coffee while we there so now I can enjoy some while sitting in the heat of my house. You really do get over drinking a hot drink when it's hotter than hot outside after you realize it will hardly ever get cooler than hotter than hot. So we sat there and enjoyed our coffee and each other.

Yes, that's the beautiful building! Looks like I'm in America doesn't it? I'm not, I guess the Arabic writing of Starbucks Coffee gives it away though huh?

And oh yea, we did a little dance outside...I know, people probably stared but we really didn't care. Most of us haven't been to an amazing coffee shop since we moved and that's been 7 months (yup, I've been here for 7 months...no I still can't believe it).

Mmmmm...white chocolate mochas, vanilla, hazelnut lattes...who could ask for a better ending to an already amazing trip with my girls!

The Museum, the Khan and "Track Trip" to Alexandria

There was more to our trip...mostly it was just a lot of hanging out and catching up and AMERICAN FOOD!!! You know we do have a lot of different foods to eat here in TZ, it's quite comfortable if you like the different ethnic foods, but a lot of things were just convenient there and I guess it was just different when you go with the intention of going out every meal. It could be convenient here if I decided to go out for every meal but then I would be broke. Other than American food, we went to the mall there and I bought some clothes, we went to the Egyptian Museum where we saw some artifacts and mummies (wish I could have seen my Mummy or Mommy...hehe) and then we went to the Khan, it is basically a big place where they have millions of shops to buy souvenirs. We went walking or well it felt more like racing around there because we were trying to avoid all of the guys. I believe the four of us were called the Spice Girls 8 times while we were there. So we decided to choose which one we were...hey that's who they were telling us we were so we might as well become them right?!? I was Baby Spice...I think it was more due to the fact that we both have blond hair than anything else. One of the girls left to return home the next day and it was the three of us until I left. We took a little trip to Alexandria, we called it our "Track Trip" because we rode a train to get there. We really didn't see much, one it was insanely cold and two most things were closed due to a holiday. So there we got to see King Farouk's Palace, see the Mediterranean, go in the catacombs and see the outside of the Bibliotheca. We went to the mall there too and saw another movie, You, Me and Dupree and we tried to go to the new Starbucks there but it wasn't open yet, we were pretty bummed. Then we went back to Cairo and relaxed quite a bit until we headed out for New Year's Eve. Nothing too crazy to report for New Year's Eve. We went and ate at Johnny Carino's which is located on a boat on the Nile. It was pretty cool and it was amazing food! Then we went to some friends and watched some football...Titans vs Patriots...said Happy New Year and then went home. New Year's Day was much better...so good that it needs a separate post...but you might have to wait a day or so depending on when you actually read this. There has to be a little suspense.

That's the Egyptian Museum. It was cool to see what all they put in their tombs...also a little sad when you think about how they put what they wanted to take with them to the afterlife. Worldly treasures will pass away so focus on what is eternal...our Lord!

This was the start of our lovely "Track Trip". These are the tracks we took. We hoped they would carry us to Alexandria but who knows at this point.

This is us hoping that the tracks would take us to where we wanted to go that day.

It was absolutely, positively freezing on the train! I did not bring enough warm clothes to TZ to be on trip like this!

King Farouk's Palace...it's the one in the center of the picture. And that's the Mediterranean Sea.

This is us in the catacombs...I know, I know you're really not supposed to take pictures inside things like this because it may destroy the artifacts, but it was just too cool not to do it!

That's part of the Bibliotheca behind us. Most of the walls have this style of writing carved on them. Sad we didn't actually get to go in and see anything.

Happy New Year! This was on the ship that housed Johnny Carino's as well as other American greats like Chili's. We decided Italian and I think we made an awesome choice.

We took a picture of all of us on the boat. You can't tell but the Nile is in the background.

I received two kisses that night and these were them...although they never really touched me, if you couldn't tell in the picture. Oh well...guess if you can't date, you probably shouldn't be kissing anyone either.

Christmas in Egypt

Last week I had the opportunity to meet up with some friends and spend some time seeing the sights in Egypt. It was great to be there during this time and to be encouraged by them. So for Christmas Eve we got up and headed to the pyramids. We stopped by the Nile for a moment and captured a few shots, then went to a Papyrus Museum and learned all about how to make a sheet of papyrus, went to the pyramids and rode a camel. It was quite a different Christmas Eve of course, and didn't feel like Christmas at all, but maybe living so far from my family and not being able to be with them that may have been a good thing. Nonetheless it was a bit strange because I wasn't with my family and then I wasn't around the things that have been familiar to me for the last 7 months of my life. But it was incredible to be with some girls that have been a huge part of my life since deciding to move to Africa. Then Christmas Day we woke up and opened the gifts that we brought for each other and had dinner with a group of friends, then headed to the movies and saw The Holiday. All in all it was a pretty good Christmas even though it didn't feel like Christmas, at least it's one that I can write down in the books.

This is our reunion at the airport. It was so nice to see these beautiful faces again!

That's the Nile River behind us. We had to stop and take a picture in front of it.

This is at the Papyrus Museum we went to...and yes that's a sheet made of papyrus that we are holding. We learned all the ends and outs of making it...too bad we don't have papyrus in TZ.

Crazy to think that I went and saw these massive things. We are pretty far away from them.

And yes I did ride a camel...who goes to Egypt and doesn't ride a camel to the pyramids?!? Granted I could ride a camel here in TZ but this is classic. hehe...I like to make funny faces

On our way to the pyramids...camel ride not so bad but I wouldn't want it to be my mode of transportation.

The classic pose in front of the Sphinx and pyramids. I'm really here! Never in a million years did I think I would travel to Egypt and see this stuff.

Christmas morning we brought out the gifts...you always take a family picture on Christmas morning.

And this was Christmas Day where we had our dinner...nothing like home, but still good!