SuperBowl XLI

As you all know, the SuperBowl took place a week ago. Well a couple on our team has cable here and gets ESPN so they are able to watch a few games live if they want to stay up in the middle of the night or they wait until it is rebroadcast the next afternoon. Most of the time we watch the rebroadcast...it can be very difficult though because we don't want to know what happens before we watch it, but when you get online you see all the headlines. Well for the SuperBowl we decided to watch it live...yes LIVE!!! That means we had our party at 2 in the morning instead of at 5 or 6 in the evening. But we got to watch the SuperBowl! We didn't really care. Unfortunately we missed all the amazing commercials...the whole reason you watch the game in the first place. Also unfortunately we didn't miss the halftime show with Prince. Who choose the performer for this year in the first place?!? It did keep us awake with laughter. And way to go Colts for finally getting past the Patriots and winning the Bowl. After the game was over we ate. No we didn't have all the foods you would normally enjoy throughout the game...no hot dogs or hamburgers or chips and dip...we didn't eat anything until the game was over. And we ate pancakes and eggs and toast when it was over. It was 630 in the morning after all. Then we went home and went back to bed. I was exhausted that whole day, but it was worth it...would've been better if we were able to see the commercials, but we got our dose of Amazing Games instead.

Bagamoyo

Shortly after I got back from my trip to Egypt, Whit and I decided to go on a little road trip. So we hopped in the car one morning and drove northwest to Bagamoyo. We wanted to check out their beaches and we heard it had a bit of history that we wanted to know about so we just went. Really we wanted to see if it was worth using the two nights we get off a month to go there and stay. If you want a beach, it's not...if you want to spend time at each historical site then it would be. We looked at a couple of the hotels and they were nice but the beach just wasn't. Then we drove through town not really knowing where we were going. We had a map but you never know if you are really where it says you are. And so we went down this road that on the map looked like it should be a major road...yea it wasn't. We just hoped that it would end up at Kaole Ruins where we wanted to go. After a while we began to question whether it was. But then we saw a sign and headed into the site. We found the guide and he showed us around. The site is the ruins of the first mosque in East Africa. The building was completely made out of coral, it was pretty neat. There were some tombs as well...one that had a story. It was called the Lovers Tomb. The couple had drowned in the ocean and when they were found they were still holding onto each other. Today many couples will go there to make a promise to each other. Whit promised she would never let me drown alone...so if you find that I have drowned and she's not there holding onto me, hunt her down.

This is the mosque. You walk in the door on the left and that's where the men pray. And then inside you pass through another door and the women pray there.

This is me and Whit in front of the Lovers Tomb.

This was our guide Eric. We had a lot of fun with him. He's standing in front of the door at the Old Arab Fort. This was in Stonetown, an area in Bagamoyo. We went and saw more of the town but it was quick so it wasn't as good as the Kaole Ruins.

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!

And the Thunder Rolls...

If anyone out there is questioning the power of prayer, I would say you probably shouldn't. I know there are probably many times when we feel like the Lord isn't answering but have you ever thought, maybe He's just telling us what we don't want to hear so our ears are closed off? Anyway...that's not really the point of this blog. The point is that after 7 months of living here it has finally thundered for much of the day. Yes, it rains here and it has been much of the last month and never has it thundered. Then the day before my birthday and even on my birthday there was a moment of thunder...one of those where you think it may be, but question the possibility and say it could have been a plane. But I missed thunder so much that I say it was definitely thunder. Plus, I had been praying for it and I trust that the Lord will provide even in the things some may think are silly. I continued to pray for it and guess what?!? He provided! And today it's unquestionable...it was definitely thunder because it happened more than once and it was normal, God is bowling thunder. So thank you Father for giving me thunder! I missed it greatly, You knew that and You provided! :^)

We Hosted a Christmas Party...Can You Believe It?

Last night we had about 25 of our friends over for a Christmas party. Yup, 25 people, it was pretty crazy but if everyone we had invited had come we would have had almost 50, so 25 was nothing. We had a lot of fun! Whitney and I spent the day getting things ready for it. We went to the store and bought some cellophane and ribbon to put some gifts together. We came up with some games to play. We made pizzas and brownies and then we set everything out and got ourselves ready. Our first guests arrived exactly at 5 pm, which was the time we had said it would start so we were actually pretty surprised. I mean, time doesn't really mean anything, I hardly even wear a watch and if you recall the last time I had guests over they were almost 2 hours late. The people trickled in until about 630 and we ate and laughed and everyone talked to everyone which was awesome. Then we played our first game...pictionary. Whit and I came up with some Christmas things for them to draw. We did our very best to make them things we thought they would know, but we failed on a couple of things so we turned it into a learning about American culture and what we think of when we hear Christmas. But then they really didn't know how to play pictionary either, but we managed. We finished that game, ate some more and then played another game...hehe, this one was great. We had 6 people volunteer not knowing what they were getting into and then we told them what they would have to do. We were going to put peanut butter on their faces and they would have to stick their face into a bowl of cotton balls to make Santa's beard. They all went and sat back down but we got them to do it. It was hilarious! I don't think the girls we made do it were too happy with us but they were good sports. After that, Whitney read part of the Christmas story to them and we talked about why we celebrate Christmas and what it means for us. Then they all left. We had a good time and after a really hard week with no one being in touch with me and having no Bible studies, much needed. As Whitney reminded me this morning, it's why we do what we do. To be able to bring girls together from all walks of life and they all enjoy each other is incredible. To be able to share each of our lives in a group setting is awesome. It was great to have them over too because it caused me to remember how much I do love them. Yes, they cancel on me, yes they are inconsistent and some just don't get it, but I love them.