In case you haven't noticed...

As I was leaving the YMCA the other day, I passed a grandmother holding the hand of a small child. The duo paused in front of a sign and the grandmother read it aloud in heavily accented English: “Oh, there’s a fahzr-dawtah dance tomorrow. Do you sink you vill go wis your fahzr?”

The child tugged at her hand and matter-of-factly responded, “I can’t go. I’m a booooy.”

It's a Sweet Fight

I come from a family of history buffs. The historical facts we discuss are the kind only a select few are privy to. I bet you didn't know that about the scandal in the 1400s regarding the alternator chips in computer carburetors that kept breaking. Apple, Inc. nearly went under as a result! There's a lot more that's not in your history textbooks--how Napoleon's men tobogganed over the French Alps, all the way across the Mediterranean and conquered Morrocco; how Emperor Hirohito disguised himself as a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War and used poisoned cottonballs from Southern plantations to help the North win; how Alexander the Great and Jimmy Carter actually worked together to bring peace to the war-torn island of Alcatraz...

Most recently, we discussed the famous war between the two Indian tribes that took up residence in Massachusetts--the Skittlians (from whom we now enjoy small, fruit-flavored candies) and the Emanemanites (from whom we now enjoy small, chocolate candies).

This afternoon, one of my ambitious brothers wrote a brief summary of our discussion in essay form. I've included it below, in case you had any interest in delving deeper into this fascinating portion of U.S. history:

The Clash of the Candies

If you have found yourself in the 1780s looking at a field strewn with smashed candy, then you would have witnessed the aftermath of a giant battle between two rival tribes, the Skittlians and the Emanemanites (abbreviated M&M-anites). These two nomadic tribes fought constantly for reasons that historians have not figured out yet. We do know, however, that their great war started right after Sacagawea killed John Smith again. The M&M-anites attacked first, and the Skittlians broke all treaties with them. They did not smoke the peace pipe until many years after that fateful day.

One person that had lived at that time said that the tribes even tortured each other: for example, if the Skittlians captured an M&M-anite, they would stuff him with Skittles until his belly grew too big for him to see his toes, and eventually he would grow accustomes to Skittles and join the Skittlians. For some unfortunate people, that happened several times on both sides of the war, so they might end up switching sides ten, or even eleven times.

Columbus saved the day when he showed up on the scene with his alternator chip. Somehow they used it to make peace; no one knows how or why yet, but they did make a peace treaty with one another. The Skittlians got the worse end of the treaty, but they still thrive in today's society, which is why most candy machines include Skittles and M&Ms. Today these once-savage tribes live peacefully together. Once in awhile an old skirmish will flare its head, but people these days know so little history that they don't ever know what causes these skirmishes. In conclusion, the Skittlians once fought large-scale battles with the M&M-anites, but now, thanks to Barney and Columbus, we all live as one big, happy family.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Yesterday, I had the privilege of "Beatysitting" some of my favoritest little punkins. And we fell to talking about Jesus.

Me: Who is Jesus?
A (age 4): He's that guy in the Bible who died.
Me: What makes Jesus so special?
A: Well, He almost saved us and He can walk on water.

...yep, that's about it.

Memories of Mexico

Yeah, it was 75 degrees on Thanksgiving Day. And these lovely ladies decided it was an occasion for some bright colors. (L to R: Natalie, Alicia, Kelley)

Mexico. Churros (long stick donuts) and hot chocolate. Mariachi bands in the evenings. Cops on horseback wearing period costumes. A beggar playing a three-stringed out of tune guitar. Scorpions in my laundry bag. Soaking in the hot springs. Sipping a chai tea latte. Oh, Mexico!

Cristina, a native of San Miguel. This sweet girl has a lovely, lovely heart for the Lord and she's an incredibly talented vocalist, actress, and servant. Not to mention the fact that she's just a good dose of plain old fun. We spent some good times together--praying, talking, and keeping several small children entertained/in line for an entire afternoon. How do you keep Mexican children out of trouble for hours? Soccer. Enter Cristina and her mad soccer skills. Let's just say she's handy to have around...

The trip itself was fabulous. I believe our whole team learned a lot about what it looks like to serve as a team, and what it means to give of yourself even when you're feeling crabby/sad/angry/sick/insert adjective here. Most of the team got food poisoning one night...the sad thing was, it was our own food. We never did exactly pin down the culprit, but for now the leftover Thanksgiving turkey is highly suspect.

The Catholic church (cathedral?), a main fixture in town. It sits at the top of the city square and serves as a gathering place/point of reference for pretty much everything.

Several thoughtful people have asked me what the Lord taught me on the trip, and I'd have to say that one of the primary lessons was that He's sufficient. I don't have to sweat it, cause He really is in control. Even little stuff like starting conversations--when I was too scared to just talk to people, the Lord would do it for me and they'd talk to me. Surprise, surprise, Michelle, He can handle that too.

Rockaway Beach, OR

kelley and i have sort of matching shirts. yup, i stole hers.

jeff and val enjoy the sunset and the low tide...

sunset on the pacific at rockaway beach. spectacular.

driftwood cross.

caitlin caught the sun just before it went down and held it there awhile.

first time i touched a jellyfish. ever.

"L" is for the way you look at me . . .

Meet The Ridge. The one behind the dorm that I can see from my window.

And The Wagon. The one that every ACTS session takes pictures of.

Love. A couple of weeks ago now (maybe several, if I'm honest), we had the privilege of being taught by one Michael Turay of Sierra Leone. We talked about foundational principles of Christianity--who is God, who is man, and therefore, what is our response?

apple orchard against the ridge on a clear day. photo by kelley.

In the discussion of who God is, we discussed 10 attributes of God, and one in particular--love--stood out to me in a profound way. In 1 Corinthians 13, the famed "Love Chapter," 16 aspects of God's love are mentioned just in verses 4-8.

sunset jumping pictures against the ridge. photo by kelley.

(L to R: Hannah, Kara, Hanna, Caitlin, Shana, Michelle)

Love has no pride. True love, godly love, does not act out of a desire to please itself or to further itself--ever. It's primary goal in every situation, every relationship is the furthering, the bettering, of love's object. A bit abstract on paper, perhaps, but so profound in real life. When I'm in conversation, am I really listening because I care about you and I want to know? Or am I just waiting for a point that I can connect with so I can take over and talk about myself some more? Am I really serving because I want to please the Lord? Or am I just helping out so someone will notice what a servant's heart I have?

Hanna goes to the fair in town. Boys stack everything she owns on her bed. Bingo.

Love never fails. God's love succeeds in its intended purpose every single time. Is that not blow-your-mind awesome?! Think about it this way: Love is stronger than death. None of us can really resist death. But love is stronger than that. God, who is Love, conquered death itself.

And through Him, we, too, can conquer.

ACTS X, Cont.

ACTS X ladies: (back) Shana, Kelley, yours truly, (front L to R) Caitlin, Hanna (RA), Kara, and Hannah

Erin drove down and spent a very brief night with us. SOO good to see her!

Trevor and Christina!! Greg (Erin's brother) adds a little excitement in the background.

Week One: Team Building

Can't believe it's almost September! The first week of my time here in Tieton (Tye-uh-tun), Washington has been fantabulous. ACTS team ten is made up of 11 young people coming from Washington state to Virginia and everywhere in-between.

For the first week of our time here, we focused on building relationships among the team members with some fun stuff like an overnight camping trip, a low ROPES course, and tubing down the Yakima River...

During our river trip, Val (director's wife), Hanna (girls' RA), and Kara jumped out of the rafts to swim at some point along the way. They were enjoying themselves in the water until we got to a rock that jutted out into the river, creating some strong current. Val and Hanna were hanging onto the boat and made it through okay, but Kara got caught in the current and pulled under the water. The current was too strong for her, but she managed to put up her head and calmly say, "Guys, I need help."

Keith (guys' RA) jumped in and pulled Kara out of the current and managed to get her to the side...somehow in the excitement, we lost a paddle and Val swam after it, but got caught in the same current that had captured Kara. Jeff (Val's husband) jumped in after Val, and Keith grabbed the boats as they floated down the current and held them until everyone could get back inside. Hanna jumped out to help Keith hold the boats and one of her toes got crushed between two rocks. All in all, it was a great bonding time for the team, and we're really thankful that Kara is still with us. :P

Highlights:

--> being reunited with Trevor and Christina, my dear friends from Romania

--> awesome scavenger hunt on a mountain = lots of great new ideas for future treasure hunts

--> being surrounded by 10 likeminded young people who are seeking the Lord with their whole hearts

changes...

can sometimes be good. But hard, too. It was wonderful to be reunited with Michelle for a few weeks, but all good times eventually come to an end...at least here on earth. :)

in case anyone's interested, I've started a new blog: www.keepyourpearls.blogspot.com. I know how frustrating it is to find help dressing oneself when all the world's gone mad...so I've been researching tips, tricks and other various secrets...in fashion, beauty and most importantly, inner beauty; that "hidden man of the heart, which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (1 Peter 3:4)

Michelle Beaty...

...is home again! And I've eaten so much junk food in my first 24 hours here it's really not funny. But I'm glad to be back and look forward to catching up with you guys!!

Text received at approximately 10:30 a.m.: "What are you doing today? -Liz"

"Nothing. What did you have in mind? -Michelle"

"Oh just maybe sitting somewhere reading or movie and dinner? -Liz"

"Sounds good. See you at 3. -Michelle"

Yep, that's how we socialize. Our Romanian friend was slightly surprised to walk into Liz's apartment and find her in the armchair engrossed in Dracula (you might as well read the story if you live 4 hours from his castle, right?) while I browsed ravenously devoured The Pilgrim's Regress.

"What are you guys doing?"

"We're hanging out. We're reading together."

I love low-pressure get-togethers.

Budapest

Buda and Pest, divided by the Danube, united by a bridge. heh.

The steeper streets--like this one--are quite an ordeal for vehicular traffic.

The opera house, about two blocks from the apartment where Liz and I stayed

The apartment. Vaulted ceilings. Unfortunately, I hadn't thought to bring a volleyball.... Here's the story: this apartment is actually the headquarters for a music ministry called Crescendo. On Tuesday night, I had gone to a Crescendo concert in Iasi, and on Friday night, I stayed in their mission headquarters in Budapest, and I had no idea until I got there that they were remotely connected.

The Parliament building shortly before the storm cloud broke.

Liz and I at Heroes' Square...at this particular moment in history, Liz had a pounding headache, there was a street-dance troupe practicing behind us, a sound check for a huge concert on my left (hence the headache?), and my fingers were stickier than they had been since I was two. Fun times.

This would be why my fingers were sticky. Hungarian yumminess, that right there. Bring your own napkins.

The airline that Liz and I flew had excellent service.

Life: The Six-Month Plan

Tonight: Christian classical music concert at the Eminescu Library. If I can find the entrance, we're in business!

This week: 3-day trip to Budapest with Liz. Bring it on!

This month: wrap things up here in Iasi and arrive back in the good ol' US of A on July 22nd.

Exactly two months from today: (Lord willing) Begin ACTS discipleship training in Yakima, WA.

And four months later, it's home again, home again!

I came across an inspiring article in No Greater Joy this morning. It has to do with a rather difficultish topic: what to do with your life as a single person. It's something I've wrestled with (a lot) and I know I'm not the only one. *grins*
I still have so much to learn!

What I want in a guy!


By: A Young Woman, June 2009 www.nogreaterjoy.org

"I am a 22-year-old girl who has met and seen my fair share of couples. I’ve traveled a good bit and lived with/helped out different families doing mission work.

These experiences have helped me figure out who I am today, and have been instrumental in showing me what I need in a husband.When I was 17, my cousins and friends, who are a few years older than I, all started getting married. So I naturally thought, “Well, I guess I should get married, too, because it seems to be the next step in life.” But the guy I would have married then and the guy I would marry now are two completely different types of men. I didn’t even know myself yet, much less what I should look for in a man.


I think, as homeschoolers, we are raised with the idea that marriage is the next important step in the school of life. I believe that attitude limits a person. I want to do something significant with my life, including learning all I have a capacity to comprehend, all for the purpose of making an eternal difference. I encourage girls to think: What are your dreams, what do you want to do, what do you want to know? Get out and do something, whether it’s starting a business, (which could include homemaking skills) or buying a piece of land. Go help out a missionary for six months. It will give you a whole new outlook on life and an appreciation for missionaries! It will grow you, give you more confidence, and help you figure out what you need in a husband. Every man is attracted to a woman who’s busy with abundant life, someone who is on the front side of making things happen.

Years ago I was chatting with a married couple who are good friends of mine, and who know me well. They helped me to figure out what I personally needed in a man. I wrote a list that day of five things I most need in a man!


1. I know that I need a Strong Leader who’s not going to let me shove him around. I want someone who is going to stand up and be the man!

2. Yet I need someone who is Open-minded, who will listen to all my crazy theories about life!

3. He needs to be Passionate, so that whatever he does, he does it with a fire under his boots!

4. I want him to be Spontaneous, full of zeal about life, and not afraid to jump into an adventure. I am a very enthusiastic person, and I love to do things on the spur of the moment. I want to marry someone I can jump on board with!

5. And I must have a man who Loves and Honors God and is already actively serving the Lord and has a deep-seated vision for life. "




We girls all have our lists, of course. I do! We should know what we want, for heaven's sake, otherwise how are we going to know it's Prince Charming or just another froggie when someone tall, dark and handsome pops in?


But I really wanted to share this article because I think she's right on. Come on, girls! Let's do something with this precious time! There's a big world out there; let's walk in the grace given to us by God. Let's be daughters of Sarah, the woman who wasn't afraid. Who can harm us, if we are followers of that which is good?

~Kirsten

Thank You....for annoying-but-good internet filters that no longer block Blogger! (thanks, Dad.)

Warning: She Waxeth Wordy

I kind of prefer pictures to words. Maybe you've noticed. But my camera is currently on loan to a dear friend, so words will have to suffice for now.

May.

My sister arrived in Iasi (Thea, in case you were wondering which sister) on May 5th and we spent some 2 to 2.5 weeks together. I actually have no idea how long it was. She left way too soon, yet it seemed like she was here forever because there is no way that all of the things we did could possibly have fit into 17 days. Highlights of her visit included laughing so hard we cried at Little Texas with Lilian, singing all of our old songs together in Spanish and Swahili and English, roaming the streets of Iasi every day, all day.

In her earnest endeavor to get Romanians to smile at her, we encountered one rather creepy gentleman who tried to get us to go for a ride to a museum (???) with him at something like 11:00 p.m. Nah...let's play the old "I don't speak Romanian" trick and whip out the old cell phone. Magic.

The first couple of days of her visit we spent largely with an extremely friendly feller called Iulian. They're a dime a dozen in these parts, but this one is special. He's a real estate dude and I was scouting out some apartments for no good reason. He speaks Romanian ridiculously fast, and the first day I couldn't catch where he said we were to meet him. So Thea and I showed up at the office at the appointed time and asked the guy there where the dude we were supposed to meet was.

"You have an appointment with an agent? What's his name?"

Thea and I just stared at each other. We had no idea. But then Mr. Remax himself called my phone...so I put his boss on the line and Mr. Boss explained where Mr. Remax was and we lived happily ever after. I think at every apartment we looked at he introduced us to the owner as "the tall, beautiful, athletic American girls." Nothing like letting people form their own first opinions. :P Once, when the four of us (realtor, owner, Thea, and I) were crammed into a tiny elevator that was most definitely meant for maximum of 3 people, the owner, a man of some 65 years of age somehow decided that Thea definitely spoke Romanian quite fluently and began excitedly narrating his sportive background (volleyball coach, I think) some four inches from her face (personal space means something different in an over-crowded "lift") in his slightly accented Romanian. Poor Thea just smiled and nodded and he never knew that she wasn't just as excited about his monologue as he was.

May was a month of firsts, as well. First time my parents visited me away from home. First time my Dad and my sister celebrated their respective birthdays on this side of the ocean. First time I've ridden a metro in a foreign country. First time on a train by myself. I daresay it was the first time most of my friends had met a girl taller than *gasp* 180 cm!

I am being sorely tempted right now to eat my last chocolate bar. But...then what will I do tomorrow when I'm tempted again?

The last couple of days (yes, I do know that it's June now. Well into June.) we've opened the house to studiers who have no place to study. It's been fun watching the green gate creak open and waiting to see which hardworking medical students will pop by today. I love making food for them--they're rather an exceptionally agreeable crowd, and it's a lovely opportunity to practice my basically nonexistent cooking skills. Tonight after dinner, Femi sat down at the piano and began playing worship songs. Within minutes, he was surrounded/joined by Issa on the shakers, Uche on the drum, Trevor on the guitar, Anita on the tambourine, and Christina on some other random instrument, and yours truly just filling in.
African worship songs + hyperactive, overstudied med students + random assortment of instruments = a truly memorable worship experience.

It's been a sweet time for ministry as well. The students are right in the thick of exam season, and we don't see them around as much, so Christina and I went to see some of them yesterday and we had a lovely time praying with them and delivering some goodies we found somewhere.

My tickets are booked! I'll be back in the good ol' US of A on July 22nd.

Prayer Requests:

*Wisdom in discerning God's will for the future/life post-July 22nd.
*That I would finish strongly here and be all here until I'm physically no longer here
*That the believers would set a good example during this high-stress exam season

Picnic at the Kosobuckis with Rovina and Kim

Brasov and Bucharest

..Actually, Brasov. My camera died the first day of the trip, and I'd inconveniently forgotten to bring my charger. Nevertheless, I managed to snap a few photos of Brasov, a large city (300,000) in the Carpathian mountains, built by the Germans and near the home of the legendary Vlad Tepes, known colloquially as Dracula. Quite a safe place most of the time, apparently, but as our tour guide repeatedly warned us, vampires come down from the mountains at night to prey on American tourists.

Dedicated tourist seeks to understand secret treasure map

Those of you who have seen Iasi will appreciate this a bit more--in Brasov the old men play chess in the park in the rain because they have a fancy-schmansy roof.

This one is for you, Trevor. It's not a castle. Not really sure what it is, actually, but it's a cool building. There are a lot of these. Reason #2 why you should come to Romania. Reason #1 being of course that I'm here.

Orthodox church--somehow cleaner/whiter/brighter looking than Iasi orthodox churches.

Brasov is a city with a wannabe ego--they think they're the best city in the world, but they're really not sure, so they're gonna say "probably." I thought these two umbrellas were a contradiction until our tourguide enlightened us as to the fact that Kronstadt (Crown City) is the German name for Brasov.

Street in the German section of town

The sidewalks, oh, the sidewalks! Look at how wide! How smooth! And particularly note that there are no cars parked on the sidewalks! Oh novelty.

Getting to know Liz, one of the American team members here, at Ginger Ale, a British/Romanian restaurant that incidentally does not sell ginger ale.

Entrance to The Metropolitan, the biggest and most important Romanian Orthodox church in the region. No tours today. Under construction. As was every other major tourist attraction in the city.

When looking into a cannon, always make sure you're wearing eye protection.

Guess who! Bonus points if you get them all right.

The remains of a picnic with Kim from Malaysia

Thea was instantly surrounded by adoring fans, including Nirvana, our token New Zealander.

Erin and the kids skipped the country before we could get a decent photo, but we managed to catch Dave. Dave is the pastor/elder of the international church here.

With Trevor and Christina (and baby!)

Baptism. Delighted to see these three identify with Christ in this way.
L to R: Idy, Uche, Lilian

Medical students release their pre-exam frustration on an asphalt soccer field.

Oh, the Fun...

Picnicking on the hillside overlooking the city...okay, so it was a pretty relaxed picnic.

Ellie with a sampling of wild mountain (okay, big hill) flowers...

Deep discussions over KitKats and Hershey bars...

Dad checks out the Romanian grass to see how the flavor compares to American grass. I think Romanian grass is more nutritious.

Lilian, long-time friend and sister in Christ. She sweetly joined us at Little Texas (Iasi's only tex mex restaurant) for an evening. Oh, the laughter...

Indian boys just have soccer in their veins. These guys found a miniature ball, rolled up their jeans, and had at 'er. The rosebushes in the border garden suffered a tad--we're hoping they're more resilient than they look.

Yeah, EJ. Just stomp on it!

We ladies have our hobbies, too. Coffee-drinking and back-scratching after Bible study.