Today Jonathon left for his weekly job down in Eastern Kentucky. He has worked down there off and on all summer but his full-time orders went through this morning which was an answered prayer for this newlywed couple. As with any job, the more you work, the more you make and we have a life to start building....
BUT I don't like being away from him. The last two weeks, I've been home on the weekends while I was traveling around. Now he'll be home on the weekends and traveling around through the week. It will be like this until October when he'll be gone for seven weeks straight. I know things could be worse....He could be in Iraq...At least he gets to come home on the weekends and I'm thankful for that.
So anyway, I praise God for the answered prayer of full time work and I also pray to Him to help us so we don't miss each other too much. I've got plenty to do....I just miss him already....
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
100,000
My car hit 100, 000 miles this week. Yes, I took the picture while I was driving. I know that was really stupid, but it turned out well, don't you think?! Anyway, I have had my car for six years. My friend, Jami, said her car just hit 7, 500 miles and she has had hers for a year. That makes my car look very overused!! I know other people who put way more miles on their vehicles than I do so I don't think it's too bad. Anyway, it was fun to hit 100,000. Go Honda!
Updates
Bowling Green Visit
Gracie cheered for "Grandad's" walking...
More entertainment by Gracie...
I had a great time with my family this week. I love going down to visit because I have no stress at all while I am there. My cousins were all working this week so I spent a lot more time with my aunt and uncle and I loved hanging out with them! We had a dinner Thursday night at Kelli's house. I am amazed at how many words my little cousin Gracie has learned. She is a super smart and adorable little thing!
I got to see my uncle Jimmy walk....
Gracie cheered for "Grandad's" walking...More entertainment by Gracie...Friday
I missed Jonathon!!! I couldn't wait to get home and see him. Friday night I played in the first round of the Charlestown Founder's Day softball tournament at Pleasant Ridge Babtist. It was so much fun. The mud on the field was very thick which made it hard to play. I got two hits! Our team name was the Charlestown Clowns. Yeah, GO CLOWNS!.....So, we lost but we played pretty well!
I missed Jonathon!!! I couldn't wait to get home and see him. Friday night I played in the first round of the Charlestown Founder's Day softball tournament at Pleasant Ridge Babtist. It was so much fun. The mud on the field was very thick which made it hard to play. I got two hits! Our team name was the Charlestown Clowns. Yeah, GO CLOWNS!.....So, we lost but we played pretty well!Saturday
We kicked off the morning with our weekly weigh-in. The biggest loser was -1.8 pounds again. We've had a different "biggest loser" each week. I actually lost a little this week too. Yeah! After the weigh-in we were all heading out to different events for Founder's Day. Jonathon, Jesse and I ran in the 5K race. It felt really good to run a road race. I get so excited! After the race we were supposed to have round two of the softball tournament but the rain from last night made the field impossible today. So, we ran home, showered headed back into town for the big parade followed by some carnival food for lunch. The parade was so much fun. I loved seeing so many people celebrating our little home town. Jonathon said he couldn't believe that I could find someone I knew to wave at on just about every parade entry....That's small town for you!
Now we are home and relaxing. Jonathon got some really weird horror movie on netflicks and I'm baking a cake (low-fat, low sugar). Ah, it's good times at the Wesely's!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Hanging Out in Bowling Green...
Those of you who are close to me know that I have family in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They actually live in a small town outside of BG called Brownsville. I affectionately call it "Sticeville" named after my family. I'm down here visiting this week. This place always feels like "going home" if you know what I mean.
I'm staying at my cousin Kelli's house but I'm spending my days at Evonia and Jimmy's. Today we went driving all over the area looking at neighborhoods being developed....my uncle Jimmy's favorite thing to do. It's actually a lot of fun looking at all the changes happening around "Sticeville."
I spoke to Jonathon and he's been a busy bee since I left. He's done a little tinkering on the bike but he spent the entire day working on shrubs at the church. I'm so proud of my man!! I feel very bad that I'm away from him for a second week in a row but I have to have at least one long family visit every summer. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?!?!
I hope everyone is having a great week so far...
I'm staying at my cousin Kelli's house but I'm spending my days at Evonia and Jimmy's. Today we went driving all over the area looking at neighborhoods being developed....my uncle Jimmy's favorite thing to do. It's actually a lot of fun looking at all the changes happening around "Sticeville."
I spoke to Jonathon and he's been a busy bee since I left. He's done a little tinkering on the bike but he spent the entire day working on shrubs at the church. I'm so proud of my man!! I feel very bad that I'm away from him for a second week in a row but I have to have at least one long family visit every summer. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?!?!
I hope everyone is having a great week so far...
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Ashley and Josh's Wedding
Wedding season continues with Ashley's turn down the aisle. She had her wedding and reception at Safe Harbor in Memphis. It was neat to sit at the table for the ceremony where you would also sit and eat. No travel time! I got to hang out with Rachel, Shannon, Laura, and catch up with my Jay C pal, Katie. It was a fun time!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
In Case You Haven't Heard....
I'm going to be an aunt again!! Kristen and Chris are expecting their third baby in December. Don't let the blue in the clip art give you an ideas. A boy would be a fun addition for the family but they won't know until August so we'll wait patiently to find out.
Congrats to Kristen and Chris!!
Another Weigh-In
Well, it's was the fourth weigh-in and three of the five lost weight. (I'll admit it-one of the gainers was me....the camp food was really good last week! Oh...I'll be back on the wagon this week.) Our biggest loser lost 1.2 pounds. Way to go!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Back Home Again In Indiana....
We're back from the trip! It was a good experience although not exactly what I was expecting. We spent the mornings participating in different worship activities. After lunch each day we would go to a service project, come back, have dinner, then back out another service project in the evening. We would return to base around 9:00 each night and debrief. Our team would then spend the rest of the evening resting or relaxing. I usually hung out in the cafeteria with the Euchre playing group. Good times were had in there!
The place where we stayed was an old school building that was really being let run down. We slept in bunk beds and fought with the poor plumbing in the restrooms and showers. It reminded me very much of the old camps I've been to when I was a kid. It seemed really rough at first, but by the end of the week wasn't too bad...for me at least.
The best thing that came out of our trip was the bonding between all the group members. I really got to know everyone so much better on this trip and I enjoy doing things with all the group members at church or outside of church in the future!
The place where we stayed was an old school building that was really being let run down. We slept in bunk beds and fought with the poor plumbing in the restrooms and showers. It reminded me very much of the old camps I've been to when I was a kid. It seemed really rough at first, but by the end of the week wasn't too bad...for me at least.
The best thing that came out of our trip was the bonding between all the group members. I really got to know everyone so much better on this trip and I enjoy doing things with all the group members at church or outside of church in the future!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Saturday...
First-The Weigh-In
Week three proved to be another success. Our biggest loser this week lost 2.8 pounds. Yeah!
Second-The Mission Trip
A group of fifteen will be leaving this morning from the CIC parking lot headed for Harlan County, Kentucky. We have signed up for a week of construction projects, sports ministry, VBS, and nursing home visitations. We will spend the next two days traveling there and being trained. Then Monday-Thursday will be a whirlwind of serving the needs of their community. I’m excited about our first domestic mission trip. Please pray that we all have a safe week and that we are able to make a difference somehow.
Everyone have a great week!
Week three proved to be another success. Our biggest loser this week lost 2.8 pounds. Yeah!
Second-The Mission Trip
A group of fifteen will be leaving this morning from the CIC parking lot headed for Harlan County, Kentucky. We have signed up for a week of construction projects, sports ministry, VBS, and nursing home visitations. We will spend the next two days traveling there and being trained. Then Monday-Thursday will be a whirlwind of serving the needs of their community. I’m excited about our first domestic mission trip. Please pray that we all have a safe week and that we are able to make a difference somehow.
Everyone have a great week!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Girls' Day Update
It's nearly 3:30 and we've had a great day. Jonathon introduced the girls to some of his army gear and the garage. I walked out in the garage to find Madison using Jonathon's clamps and Callie using the infrared thermometer. They liked the tool time! He was so good with them too...way more patient than I am!
Here's a picture of Callie in Jonathon's flight helmet. With all of her hair it actually fit pretty well!
Here's a picture of Callie in Jonathon's flight helmet. With all of her hair it actually fit pretty well!
In case you were wondering how the toes turned out....we took a feet pic. Three different shades of pink!
And now it's nap time....maybe not for the girls. They are going to play on Polly Pocket.com. I need a nap!!
Happy Friday!
Jonathon is Now a Blogger!
One of Jonathon's passions is his Ducati motorcycle. Some of his friends have been asking him for information on his big project so he has decided to start a blog about it. It will only be dedicated to the Ducati....there will be no ramblings about our crazy life. So, check out the second love of his life.....
http://www.oldducati.blogspot.com/
http://www.oldducati.blogspot.com/
Girls' Night and Day
Yesterday I picked up Callie and Madison in the afternoon and we ran errands together. We met Kristen and our hairdresser/friend Emily at the Walmart nail center and all had our toes painted. The girls were so cute!
After the pampering session we went up to Kristen's house with some food and chowed down. It was my "cheat day" on the diet so the Mark's Feed store was so yummy. It was a great night.
Today the I'm watching the girls all day. We have Veggie Tales, coloring, the park and a dollar movie in store today. I'm sure the girls will want some popcorn at the theater. No, it's not another cheat day. I'll pray for the temptation to be mild so we can walk past the food counter. It should be fun!
After the pampering session we went up to Kristen's house with some food and chowed down. It was my "cheat day" on the diet so the Mark's Feed store was so yummy. It was a great night.
Today the I'm watching the girls all day. We have Veggie Tales, coloring, the park and a dollar movie in store today. I'm sure the girls will want some popcorn at the theater. No, it's not another cheat day. I'll pray for the temptation to be mild so we can walk past the food counter. It should be fun!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A Year Ago..
Jonathon and I had dinner with my friend Adam and my stepsister Jill tonight. It was awesome to catch up with both of them. Jill brought a gift for me. It was a copy of all of her journals she kept on the Malawi trip. Exactly a year ago we had been there for just over a week. She has written in journals consistantly for a long time, but this is the first time she has ever let anyone else read them. She typed her journal entries and had them bound for me. I began reading them on the way home and couldn't bring myself to stop until I had finished the entire month's worth. It's amazing all the little things I had forgotten about. I giggled wildly at the remembrance of some things. I also had tears in my eyes at her recollections of others. It is definitely one of the best gifts I've ever been given.
I tried to keep a journal while we were there, but I'm not as observant as Jill. The closest thing I have is a bulleted list I made on my computer of what we did each day. While I was there, I did keep in touch with a lot of people here through email messages. I thought maybe some of you might like to read them so here they are....I hope you enjoy them or get something out of them. I just feel the timing is right since it's been a year. If you want to know more about the place I visited, be sure to check out the Heart 4 Malawi link on the Blogs I Read list.
June 5, 2007
Hello to my friends and family! (Kathy says hello to the people she had me add to this list!) We found our way here through many obstacles. Paul Loy, a member of our team, had his passport/money/credit cards stolen at the airport in London! After an afternoon at the US embassy he was back on the plane and headed to Africa with the rest of us. Yay! We were exhausted when we arrived but we managed to have our first meal at a restaurant in Blantyre. It was pretty good. You just have to be sure the water in the bottles they give you are sealed. Nothing scary! The past three days have been amazing in so many ways. We are all feeling a range of emotions at once. The church service on Sunday was powerful. The people are so hungry to hear about Jesus. I couldn't even count how many people went up to the alter at the end of the service. If you can imagine all the pictures you've seen of villages on television, I can only tell you that you have no idea until they have come to life for you in person. The people just kept thanking us for coming. I keep thinking it's crazy for them to thank me because I didn't feel like I had done anything. We just visited the village. They are such humble people. The orphanage and school have touched our hearts. It's truly amazing what the staff there gets accomplished without any resources. My classroom only has one light and the kids have little paper. They share one reading book per 4-5 students. I will never complain about a "lack of resources" in my teaching in the US EVER! That's all for now. Other members of our team are waiting to use the computer. It's VERY slow here! Thanks for the prayers you are sending out. I love you guys!! :) Karen
P.S. Thanks to those who have sent messages to me. It helps with the homesickness....but there's not enough time to answer right now. Thanks so much!
June 13, 2007
The past week has been AMAZING! I don't know where to begn! Last week the orphanage had their monthly day of fasting where they stop and have a four-five hour prayer service. (Talk about dedication to God!) We attened the service and got to see how wholehearted their prayers were. They asked us to share some music of our own so I played them some Third Day and Casting Crowns. We also sang a chorus of Thank You from our church. At the end they put our mission team in the center of a circle and prayed for God to bless us. Can you believe that? We need nothing and they need everything and they prayed for US to be blessed. We all cried! It was wonderful. We got to visit Mount Malanje and climb part of the way up to a beautiful waterfall. So beautiful! Did I say that already? Tandy (The orphanage director) and Lloyd (Our faithful driver) both enjoyed showing us the beauty of Malawi. They were so proud. I have pictures. (By the way they won't let you hook anythng up to the computers here so you'll have to wait.) We have spent some time here visiting different types of schools to compare them to the orphanage. We went to a private school where the average class size was 60 kids per room. They were all squeezed into classrooms about one fourth of the size of mine. ALL the kids were well behaved and ALL showed a desire to learn, learn, learn. They use a lot of rote memorization in their methods, but with the lack of resources and the number of kids it seems to be working for them. By the way...I sat in on a French lesson. I got to have a conversation in French with an African man. How cool!!! We went to a national park a couple hours from where we are stayng to take a safari. There were lots of elephants.....and other animals.....but the elephants were the coolest. One got angry at us and charged a little....don't worry we were totally safe....then he would turn away and charge a little more. He was so cute!! Oh, I have so much more to tell.....but time is so short. Just know that I can't wait to share everything with you when I get home. Tomorrow we are going to the orphanage to play with the kids all day. They are having a holiday so there will not be school. It should be so fun! Love you all, Karen
P.S. Small prayer request....I have tonsilitis. Yeah, I know! I'm totally okay, but just say a little prayer that the medicine works fast!! The good news is that when they tested me at the hospital they automatically test for malaria as well. Two weeks in Africa and I'm Malaria free! (Kristen-they totally used clean materials....quit worrying....you too Chelli and Jill....there were no germs, seriously!) Thanks to Kathy for being my mommy on this trip!! I'm 29 years old but I still like for someone to hold my hand at the doctor!
June 18, 2007
Hello Friends and Family! I miss my other mission friends.....five members of our team went home no Saturday. They should be back safe and sound. I hope you guys are all getting some sleep! This week has been full of fun. First of all I stayed in and rested for a couple days and I'm feel 99% better. Yay! On Friday, we showed Finding Nemo to the kids and gave them popcorn. They seemed to really like it. Well, some of the teenaged boys left after a while, but who can blame them? The others were totally into it. You should have heard the room when Nemo was finally reunited with his father. It was touching! On Saturday, we drove our friends to the airport and said our goodbyes. Jill is still crying....JUST KIDDING! My step sister has a soft side. He he! We do miss them though. It's been quiet in the Gentry house. After the airport trip, Jill and I took two of the guards at the Gentry house to see the "football" game in Blantyre. That's soccer for all you american football fans. For $9 we got to sit in the VIP section behind the Minister of Sports in Malawi. When will we ever be able to afford VIP again in our lives???? It was so fun. Malawi lost....better luck next time. On the way home from the game we had to walk a little through the Malawian crowds. We got our first taste of that cultural experience. Until then, we've been driving around in cars. It was only a little scary, but mostly fun!!! Sunday was fun because the church we attended was local to the house and it's the church all the guards attend. They were very handsome in their Sunday clothes! It was neat to be there in the worship service with so many of our new friends. This morning, Brother Gentry's car was not running so Rodney from the orphanage came to get us. The van also broke down on the way. Jill and I sat in the van by ourselves for about fifteen minutes. I wasn't scared though....Jill is pretty tough! We finally got to school and taught all day. It is sooooo challenging. NO books, little paper, the language barrier....but they soak it up. It's very rewarding as well. Well, I better go. I'm taking up a lot of time. I love you guys!! I"ll be home soon!!
:) Karen
June 27, 2007
I just tried to send an email and I don't think it went through....there's no way to be sure....so I'm going to do this again....If it's a repeat...just hit delete....
School- The lessons have gone well this week. I've been working on the concept of the "Family Tree" with one grade level. Try explainging that to a group of orphans who call all the women workers "mother" and all the male workers "uncle." It was hard to say the least but they finally got it!! I also had a girl make me sad this week when we were working on the word-hungry. I asked, "What do I want if I'm hungry?" She said, "to die"....wow....that's all I have to say.
On a happy note, Jill and I taught all the toddlers the Hokie Pokie and The Chicken Dance. They were adorable. We also had a Billy Blanks/Jazzercise inspired workout session with all the girls. It was so fun!
Malaria has been an issue this week. Mrs. Gentry came down with Malaria but she recovered in time to fly back to the states this afternoon. Also a teacher had it this week...and sadly, one of the teacher's 6month old baby died of Malaria last week. We attended the funeral services in a nearby villiage. It was very powerful. They watch and sing while the men completely bury the casket.
I had a bad blunder this week....I left a faucet turned on when the water was not in service. The water came back on in the middle of the night and we woke up to two inches of standing water in the living room and kitchen. Jill and I spent the day cleaning it up along with three other workers and Mrs. Gentry. The Gentrys were so nice about it. Apparently it's happened twice before. I felt HORRIBLE!! You can still smell the mildew in the house now. It's going to take a while to clear up...
Here are some Malawian ways of life that I've learned here: -Never make plans....it won't happen they way you want it to. NO BODY is in a hurry here....seriously...-The malawians have amazing strength in the neck and back. They carry HEAVY loads on their heads across miles and miles...with a baby or two attached to their bodies. It takes five men to dig a ditch....one to do the digging and four to sit and watch. It's pretty funny. Okay, I better go now. Time is running short again. I love you guys and I'll be home on Sunday. I can't wait to see everyone again.
:) Karen
July 2, 2007
Good Morning, Everyone! Well, I made it home around 9:00 Sunday evening. Every single one of our four planes to get home was delayed in some way partly due to the London terrorist stuff going on. Jill and I were like walking zombies at the airport. When I got home last night I crashed into my bed.....but for some reason I was up at 6:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep....I can see a long mid-morning nap coming this afternoon!! Thanks to everyone who has read and responded to my messages. I couldn't respond to all of them due to time.......but I enjoyed reading them very much. It kept me from getting homesick. This is my last update email on the Africa trip, but I wanted to pass along some of the things I learned....
1. You can't out give God: From the moment I arrived in Africa I realized that no matter how hard I would try working or caring or loving those kids and the people I met....it would never be "enough" because God blessed me far more than I feel that I helped them in any way. I really mean that. There is absolutely no way that I could repay God or the people of Malawi for the blessings I gained in my heart. In my "good-bye" speech to the kids, (which was in a little dancing and singing ceremony we had on our last day that was "rockin' awesome" and made me cry) I told them that my intention was to come all the way to Africa "to help the kids" but that they have helped me so much more.....
2. Take More Time for Life: One of the things I was most frustrated about in Malawi was the slower pace. They don't worry or hurry about anything. I NEEDED A DOSE OF THAT! Those that know me best know that I live my life going 100mph without stopping. I need to slow down and not worry or hurry so much.....we all do.
3. Trust in God More: When you look in the face of poverty and see joy coming from their eyes because "Jesus will supply their every need," you realize that with so little, He is all they have. Sometimes, American life makes it so easy to rely on yourself to get through your problems......It makes it easier to overlook how God is in everything.......They can see it so much easier than any of us.....
4. Kids are Kids Everywhere- I knew going into this that the kids were well behaved and really appreciative of any time you could give to them. I almost started to think that they were going to be so different from our "spoiled" American kids. (No offense to any parents out there....I'm just comparing our kids here to kids in third world countries.) BUT.....kids are going to be kids.....that goes across all cultural boundaries. They like to play and cut up, they had great imaginations, they were sneaky when adults weren't looking, they like playing rough and getting dirty.....kids are kids!! They were also very appreciative like I thought they would be.....It was so GREAT to be around them.
5. Don't Stop Giving- At one point in my trip I began to have this overwhelming feeling of "There's so much that has to be done to make a difference here....I'm only one person and I can't change the world....How on Earth can this change?".....Well, after long talks with Jill (my step-sister who went on the trip in case some of you were wondering who she is), we decided that anything you can do no matter how small can change the world to the people you are able to help. So, if there's anything you've been thinking about doing for any worthy cause....just do it. Don't ever think "what could that small thing do?" It might change one person's world.....the person it would help. Besides, remember important lesson #1-You can't outgive God.
Okay, that's it for my African adventure. I may send out some pictures or try putting them on one of those online albums or something. Thanks again for the prayers that were coming my way. I love you guys and gals so much!!!
:) Karen
I tried to keep a journal while we were there, but I'm not as observant as Jill. The closest thing I have is a bulleted list I made on my computer of what we did each day. While I was there, I did keep in touch with a lot of people here through email messages. I thought maybe some of you might like to read them so here they are....I hope you enjoy them or get something out of them. I just feel the timing is right since it's been a year. If you want to know more about the place I visited, be sure to check out the Heart 4 Malawi link on the Blogs I Read list.
June 5, 2007
Hello to my friends and family! (Kathy says hello to the people she had me add to this list!) We found our way here through many obstacles. Paul Loy, a member of our team, had his passport/money/credit cards stolen at the airport in London! After an afternoon at the US embassy he was back on the plane and headed to Africa with the rest of us. Yay! We were exhausted when we arrived but we managed to have our first meal at a restaurant in Blantyre. It was pretty good. You just have to be sure the water in the bottles they give you are sealed. Nothing scary! The past three days have been amazing in so many ways. We are all feeling a range of emotions at once. The church service on Sunday was powerful. The people are so hungry to hear about Jesus. I couldn't even count how many people went up to the alter at the end of the service. If you can imagine all the pictures you've seen of villages on television, I can only tell you that you have no idea until they have come to life for you in person. The people just kept thanking us for coming. I keep thinking it's crazy for them to thank me because I didn't feel like I had done anything. We just visited the village. They are such humble people. The orphanage and school have touched our hearts. It's truly amazing what the staff there gets accomplished without any resources. My classroom only has one light and the kids have little paper. They share one reading book per 4-5 students. I will never complain about a "lack of resources" in my teaching in the US EVER! That's all for now. Other members of our team are waiting to use the computer. It's VERY slow here! Thanks for the prayers you are sending out. I love you guys!! :) Karen
P.S. Thanks to those who have sent messages to me. It helps with the homesickness....but there's not enough time to answer right now. Thanks so much!
June 13, 2007
The past week has been AMAZING! I don't know where to begn! Last week the orphanage had their monthly day of fasting where they stop and have a four-five hour prayer service. (Talk about dedication to God!) We attened the service and got to see how wholehearted their prayers were. They asked us to share some music of our own so I played them some Third Day and Casting Crowns. We also sang a chorus of Thank You from our church. At the end they put our mission team in the center of a circle and prayed for God to bless us. Can you believe that? We need nothing and they need everything and they prayed for US to be blessed. We all cried! It was wonderful. We got to visit Mount Malanje and climb part of the way up to a beautiful waterfall. So beautiful! Did I say that already? Tandy (The orphanage director) and Lloyd (Our faithful driver) both enjoyed showing us the beauty of Malawi. They were so proud. I have pictures. (By the way they won't let you hook anythng up to the computers here so you'll have to wait.) We have spent some time here visiting different types of schools to compare them to the orphanage. We went to a private school where the average class size was 60 kids per room. They were all squeezed into classrooms about one fourth of the size of mine. ALL the kids were well behaved and ALL showed a desire to learn, learn, learn. They use a lot of rote memorization in their methods, but with the lack of resources and the number of kids it seems to be working for them. By the way...I sat in on a French lesson. I got to have a conversation in French with an African man. How cool!!! We went to a national park a couple hours from where we are stayng to take a safari. There were lots of elephants.....and other animals.....but the elephants were the coolest. One got angry at us and charged a little....don't worry we were totally safe....then he would turn away and charge a little more. He was so cute!! Oh, I have so much more to tell.....but time is so short. Just know that I can't wait to share everything with you when I get home. Tomorrow we are going to the orphanage to play with the kids all day. They are having a holiday so there will not be school. It should be so fun! Love you all, Karen
P.S. Small prayer request....I have tonsilitis. Yeah, I know! I'm totally okay, but just say a little prayer that the medicine works fast!! The good news is that when they tested me at the hospital they automatically test for malaria as well. Two weeks in Africa and I'm Malaria free! (Kristen-they totally used clean materials....quit worrying....you too Chelli and Jill....there were no germs, seriously!) Thanks to Kathy for being my mommy on this trip!! I'm 29 years old but I still like for someone to hold my hand at the doctor!
June 18, 2007
Hello Friends and Family! I miss my other mission friends.....five members of our team went home no Saturday. They should be back safe and sound. I hope you guys are all getting some sleep! This week has been full of fun. First of all I stayed in and rested for a couple days and I'm feel 99% better. Yay! On Friday, we showed Finding Nemo to the kids and gave them popcorn. They seemed to really like it. Well, some of the teenaged boys left after a while, but who can blame them? The others were totally into it. You should have heard the room when Nemo was finally reunited with his father. It was touching! On Saturday, we drove our friends to the airport and said our goodbyes. Jill is still crying....JUST KIDDING! My step sister has a soft side. He he! We do miss them though. It's been quiet in the Gentry house. After the airport trip, Jill and I took two of the guards at the Gentry house to see the "football" game in Blantyre. That's soccer for all you american football fans. For $9 we got to sit in the VIP section behind the Minister of Sports in Malawi. When will we ever be able to afford VIP again in our lives???? It was so fun. Malawi lost....better luck next time. On the way home from the game we had to walk a little through the Malawian crowds. We got our first taste of that cultural experience. Until then, we've been driving around in cars. It was only a little scary, but mostly fun!!! Sunday was fun because the church we attended was local to the house and it's the church all the guards attend. They were very handsome in their Sunday clothes! It was neat to be there in the worship service with so many of our new friends. This morning, Brother Gentry's car was not running so Rodney from the orphanage came to get us. The van also broke down on the way. Jill and I sat in the van by ourselves for about fifteen minutes. I wasn't scared though....Jill is pretty tough! We finally got to school and taught all day. It is sooooo challenging. NO books, little paper, the language barrier....but they soak it up. It's very rewarding as well. Well, I better go. I'm taking up a lot of time. I love you guys!! I"ll be home soon!!
:) Karen
June 27, 2007
I just tried to send an email and I don't think it went through....there's no way to be sure....so I'm going to do this again....If it's a repeat...just hit delete....
School- The lessons have gone well this week. I've been working on the concept of the "Family Tree" with one grade level. Try explainging that to a group of orphans who call all the women workers "mother" and all the male workers "uncle." It was hard to say the least but they finally got it!! I also had a girl make me sad this week when we were working on the word-hungry. I asked, "What do I want if I'm hungry?" She said, "to die"....wow....that's all I have to say.
On a happy note, Jill and I taught all the toddlers the Hokie Pokie and The Chicken Dance. They were adorable. We also had a Billy Blanks/Jazzercise inspired workout session with all the girls. It was so fun!
Malaria has been an issue this week. Mrs. Gentry came down with Malaria but she recovered in time to fly back to the states this afternoon. Also a teacher had it this week...and sadly, one of the teacher's 6month old baby died of Malaria last week. We attended the funeral services in a nearby villiage. It was very powerful. They watch and sing while the men completely bury the casket.
I had a bad blunder this week....I left a faucet turned on when the water was not in service. The water came back on in the middle of the night and we woke up to two inches of standing water in the living room and kitchen. Jill and I spent the day cleaning it up along with three other workers and Mrs. Gentry. The Gentrys were so nice about it. Apparently it's happened twice before. I felt HORRIBLE!! You can still smell the mildew in the house now. It's going to take a while to clear up...
Here are some Malawian ways of life that I've learned here: -Never make plans....it won't happen they way you want it to. NO BODY is in a hurry here....seriously...-The malawians have amazing strength in the neck and back. They carry HEAVY loads on their heads across miles and miles...with a baby or two attached to their bodies. It takes five men to dig a ditch....one to do the digging and four to sit and watch. It's pretty funny. Okay, I better go now. Time is running short again. I love you guys and I'll be home on Sunday. I can't wait to see everyone again.
:) Karen
July 2, 2007
Good Morning, Everyone! Well, I made it home around 9:00 Sunday evening. Every single one of our four planes to get home was delayed in some way partly due to the London terrorist stuff going on. Jill and I were like walking zombies at the airport. When I got home last night I crashed into my bed.....but for some reason I was up at 6:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep....I can see a long mid-morning nap coming this afternoon!! Thanks to everyone who has read and responded to my messages. I couldn't respond to all of them due to time.......but I enjoyed reading them very much. It kept me from getting homesick. This is my last update email on the Africa trip, but I wanted to pass along some of the things I learned....
1. You can't out give God: From the moment I arrived in Africa I realized that no matter how hard I would try working or caring or loving those kids and the people I met....it would never be "enough" because God blessed me far more than I feel that I helped them in any way. I really mean that. There is absolutely no way that I could repay God or the people of Malawi for the blessings I gained in my heart. In my "good-bye" speech to the kids, (which was in a little dancing and singing ceremony we had on our last day that was "rockin' awesome" and made me cry) I told them that my intention was to come all the way to Africa "to help the kids" but that they have helped me so much more.....
2. Take More Time for Life: One of the things I was most frustrated about in Malawi was the slower pace. They don't worry or hurry about anything. I NEEDED A DOSE OF THAT! Those that know me best know that I live my life going 100mph without stopping. I need to slow down and not worry or hurry so much.....we all do.
3. Trust in God More: When you look in the face of poverty and see joy coming from their eyes because "Jesus will supply their every need," you realize that with so little, He is all they have. Sometimes, American life makes it so easy to rely on yourself to get through your problems......It makes it easier to overlook how God is in everything.......They can see it so much easier than any of us.....
4. Kids are Kids Everywhere- I knew going into this that the kids were well behaved and really appreciative of any time you could give to them. I almost started to think that they were going to be so different from our "spoiled" American kids. (No offense to any parents out there....I'm just comparing our kids here to kids in third world countries.) BUT.....kids are going to be kids.....that goes across all cultural boundaries. They like to play and cut up, they had great imaginations, they were sneaky when adults weren't looking, they like playing rough and getting dirty.....kids are kids!! They were also very appreciative like I thought they would be.....It was so GREAT to be around them.
5. Don't Stop Giving- At one point in my trip I began to have this overwhelming feeling of "There's so much that has to be done to make a difference here....I'm only one person and I can't change the world....How on Earth can this change?".....Well, after long talks with Jill (my step-sister who went on the trip in case some of you were wondering who she is), we decided that anything you can do no matter how small can change the world to the people you are able to help. So, if there's anything you've been thinking about doing for any worthy cause....just do it. Don't ever think "what could that small thing do?" It might change one person's world.....the person it would help. Besides, remember important lesson #1-You can't outgive God.
Okay, that's it for my African adventure. I may send out some pictures or try putting them on one of those online albums or something. Thanks again for the prayers that were coming my way. I love you guys and gals so much!!!
:) Karen
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Weight Buddies-Week 2
We had our second weigh in this morning. Sulayne joined us and we had fun even though it was a quick session. We all had to get in and get out this morning. Good news-everyone lost something. I won't give names because I didn't ask permission but our "biggest loser" this week lost over three pounds. Yeah! We are all working well toward our goal!
My loss was very marginal but it was still a loss! Yesterday I weighed as a preview was very happy with my result and then this morning it was as if yesterday never happened.....It's amazing how much your weight can fluctuate in 24 hours! It just goes to show that you can't be ONLY concerned about what the scale says. You have to feel the difference in your clothes and everyday activities.
Go us! We had a great week.
My loss was very marginal but it was still a loss! Yesterday I weighed as a preview was very happy with my result and then this morning it was as if yesterday never happened.....It's amazing how much your weight can fluctuate in 24 hours! It just goes to show that you can't be ONLY concerned about what the scale says. You have to feel the difference in your clothes and everyday activities.
Go us! We had a great week.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Thank You Notes...
So I'm FINALLY working on all the thank you notes for our wonderful wedding gifts. I heard you have a year to thank everyone and I was very thankful to hear that because I just didn't have time the last month of school. I have a small problem though. In the shuffle of the wedding presents, there were a few that got separated from cards so we have no idea who gave them to us. So, here goes:
Whoever gave us the wonderful vanilla scented candles in three sizes, THANK YOU!
Whoever gave us the set of new drinking glasses, THANK YOU!
Whoever gave us the tan bathroom rugs, THANK YOU!
Aw, now I feel better. I hated thinking those gifts would go unappreciated.
Happy Tuesday!
Whoever gave us the wonderful vanilla scented candles in three sizes, THANK YOU!
Whoever gave us the set of new drinking glasses, THANK YOU!
Whoever gave us the tan bathroom rugs, THANK YOU!
Aw, now I feel better. I hated thinking those gifts would go unappreciated.
Happy Tuesday!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Jonathon in the Sky...
Jonathon sent me a text message telling me he would be close to the house at a certain time today. This is a RARE thing since he flies in Kentucky but they were coming back from a long trip so I guess his flight path was a little different. He's never been able to do it before. I was so excited!!!!
The pictures don't show how close he got to the house. The helicopter looks so tiny in the pics but he was pretty close. Isn't that the coolest thing ever????? I LOVED seeing him up in the air!!!
The pictures don't show how close he got to the house. The helicopter looks so tiny in the pics but he was pretty close. Isn't that the coolest thing ever????? I LOVED seeing him up in the air!!!
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