I took a stroll around Downtown Boise tonight.

I realized that I am ready to leave. 

I still think it is a beautiful place. 

Someday maybe I would like to come back, but for now I'm ready.

My heart beats for You.

That ever familiar heart break!
That constant stirring in your soul!
The restless heart that will not slow.
When all you can do is take a moment and close your eyes as you thank Jesus for simply being bigger than everything.
When you remember how he created things to be.
When you remember that He asks us to have an adventure with Him.

Remembering the barefoot walks in the cool grass.
The breeze,
The birds,
the sun,
the tears.
How He taught you,
how He encouraged you,
how He lead you.

He simply said, "step out; Be brave, and trust me to protect you."

 The colors in this photo are kind of amazing!!! 

An instant mood-boost= a yellow shirt and tying as many things around your wrists as you can.

It took a number of phone calls, A few drives to the other side of Meridian and some prayers to have better perspective on life and not be so selfish.
In the end of it I find myself sitting at a book store sipping a giant sized Van. Chai tea and reading.

Not sure I want to talk about it...

Got a bunch of vaccines, had a terrible headache from it.
Can't track down my anti-malarials and don't know how much I care about it right now.
My must-be-refrigerated  Typhoid Fever vaccine got removed from the fridge for over 12 hours before i noticed. Thought
I would have to repurchase them.
Turns out they are still fine as long as it was under 24 hours.
Had dinner with my closest friend here. Laughed. :]

bringing back the fringe.

This is different than the sketches I typically do. 

It is much more harsh and dark. I thought it could be a fun thing to try. 

So I tried it.

I cannot seem to track down my perscription for my Malaria prophalxis no matter how I try.
I keep calling the clinic and they keep sending me to different locations in search of my Doxycyclin .
It was a bit scary for me to go zooming down State st on my little scooter while cars buzzed around me. I felt like I was flying down the road only to realize that I was going 45 in a 55.
That is why I avoid that street all together, ALL THE TIME!

Travel clinic appointment was a success.
It turns out I am 5'7 after all!
I KNEW I WASN'T 5'6! haha

Tomorrow I am going to the travel clinic.
I am anticipating that this is going to be a very expensive visit. Maybe close to the cost of my airplane ticket to Ecuador.
Pray that my insurance covers some of the cost.

Lucky Peak

last day house-sitting

for now that is.
tengo una semana de libre, entonces yo vivo aqui para otra semana.
(my Spanish is very bad I know, but I must practice.)
I have one week back at Brenda's house, then I am here again for one more week.
I love house sitting here because she is closer to downtown, but that means that I am farther from work and have to drive close to a half-hour to get there instead of 10 minutes.

Today was a crazy day.
I got up early to go to first service at church.
In all my brilliance, I convinced myself that the service started at 9:30.
I arrived at the church a few minutes after 9:30and found myself walking into the sermon. I missed worship because service actually started at 9am. AH!

Then I came home to eat and rest and hopefully talk to Andres for a little.
We only got to talk for a few minutes before it was my time to leave for work.
It was supposed to be day off, but I have CBTs (Computer based training) that need re-doing.
I spent almost 3 hours sitting in front of a computer going over company policies and such (even though many of these policies are no longer in effect.). After 3 hours, I was only 1/4 of the way done.
My manager then pages me in the office and asks if I can work 6 to close at the store in Nampa.
I told her I could not work that late because I am house sitting and need to feed the pups, not to mention I have no car and cannot take my scooter on the free-way, AND I was wearing jeans and sandals.
I then was asked to just cover Happy Hour, and I could drive my Manager's car there.
I agreed to it and headed out.
Good thing I had forced the girls at the other store to teach me how to use their espresso machine.
I ended up covering the other barista's break which meant working alone in that foreign cafe, and even running drive thru which meant using a crazy head-set thing.

I rushed back to my Cafe right after, and then rushed back to my present home even faster.

Tomorrow I work and have a few other important things to get sorted.
Tuesday I go to the Travel Dr. to get things all sorted for Ecuador and Ethiopia. :D
Hooray!!!
I can handle being a human pin-cushion again if it means adventure is in my near future.


I am also very sorry about my lack of photos lately. My camera just broke a few days ago. The screen is a goner, so I need to keep my eyes open for a new one. I had a feeling my camera would be dying soon. That dear camera and I have seen some great things and places together. :/

:D

Y ahora necesito ir. Porque yo estoy cansada!
 

Watching the Wedding Date en Espanol! :{D

You can tell that something is going on with me when I don't write.
ha!

Today I climbed a mountain, and sat there awhile looking down over the valley.
 I do not mean figuratively, I mean literally.

I just found this post from back in November.

I remember walking with Jessica when I was visiting the Mid-west in December and I said "I think I need to move abroad......By abroad I mean to another country, not move a broad." 

hahahaha

Oh man!

Praying that God bring in the finances for me to go out and love people.

Ethiopia is still happening. Probably this January/February.

I have to tell you more about what has happened.
Ok, so I had just had a crazy Sunday where all this stuff just happened almost to me as I just took care of the things I had here in Boise.
A few days later I call and talk to my mom.
This took a bit of time to coordinate with the 11  hour time difference between us.
I talk to her about all that had happened and how much I wished to be back in Ecuador.
I told her that I was thinking I would move to Ecuador in the near future.
If you know my mom, you can imagine what came next!
I expected some shock and a bit of a freak out......right?
To my surprise she was just like "ok".
Then she had some questions, but no shock, or really even any surprise.
WHY IS NO ONE SURPRISED BY ME BEING CRAZY THESE DAYS!?!?!
A few days later I talked to Bennie about this all.
Bennie is a Vineyard missionary pastor in Ecuador.
I wanted to talk to him and hear his thoughts.
He had really great things for me to think about and consider.
It was a really good thing to talk with him about it.
I ended my talk with him feeling really good.
It was the sort of good feeling you get when someone gives you realistic things to think about and consider and work toward, but yet did not say it in a discouraging way.
He also presented the possibility of me working with his church in Quito.

The Pastor in Nigeria also started thinking of what sort of work he would have for me.
Remember when I was in Nigeria and I asked him if he would have work for me if I found myself in Ecuador again?
Well I am holding him to his word. :D


All this while Alyee and I are looking for apartments, but are having a hard time agreeing on locations and needs.
Driving a scooter may have its perks, but it can also be a huge pain.
Finding a place with parking for a scooter is hard. Not to mention the locations that were ideal for her were not very good for me.
We kept looking though and hoping for the best.
After a few weeks of this I began feeling that this may not be the best idea, but I had given my word, and I would stand by that.
I would trust God to take care of it.
Then one afternoon I get a call from Alyee explaining to me why this may not be the best idea to get an apartment together after all.
(It was a friendly conversation and she had great reasons just like I did.)
I was relieved that she had called me and told me, and she was relieved that I was not at all upset or surprised.
So Brenda told me that I could stay here for as long as I need.
I also went into my  former work place "H", and talked to my manager who immediately told me that I could have my job back.
The convo went something like this.
Me "Hey, I am back in Boise for a while now."
Her, "Great because I need a barista, and I wouldn't have to train you."
Me,"Great, I will work for you."
Her, "Great go online and fill out the app again."

That was that.
So now I have 1 job, and am looking for a second.
That is a summary of the major happenings in the weeks upon returning to the states.
Sorry it was so vague. There was SOOOO much more that happened but those are just logistics details.

I'm so ready for another adventure

Sorry about the lack of pictures these days.

How pathetic am I?
Here I am wishing for more adventure when I have experienced more adventure in the last year of my life than some people live in years of theirs.

I started working at H again (apparently we are not supposed to utter the actual identity of "H" online).
Last Friday I went in for  a few hours and worked with my manager just to reaquant myself.
It felt like I had never left. I still remember how to make the drinks and do all that good stuff.
Then on Sunday I worked the closing shift by myself.
That meant working Happy Hour by myself. Thankfully it was not a super busy Happy hour.
I get a little bit nervous and shaky when making the drinks though.


Other than that, life has not been terribly exciting.

What have I been doing with myself?
Well I have been reading....learning Spanish....... and worrying though I try to justify it by calling it "planning".
 I am spending time at the house of my friend Kara.
Her family has been really great about inviting me in to their family and sharing life with me.
It is nice to have a sort of family again.
They cook for me, and just care.
Not to sound dramatic but It is really hard not having a sort of stand in family especially now that I am not busy. When I am busy it is easier, but right now, not so much.

I am also looking for  a 2nd job.
The funny thing is how hard it is for me to find work now.
Before I left the Country in May, I was being offered jobs left and right, but now....nada!
It is as though I cannot get life to work for me in Boise at all.
I am trying though.


I am getting curious as to what people are thinking about my last post.
It is alot to take in.
Granted a lot of my friends already knew the story, but not all of them.
What do you think??

I am leaving Idaho in December and just trusting in God to direct me from there.
I am pretty excited.
Am I going to give up on furthering my education?
NO WAY!
I am just going to take a bit of time off to be young and crazy.
Though I don't doubt that I will still be crazy once I am in school and once I graduate, and age has done a terrible job of maturing me and taking away my crazies.

Today I was walking with Brooklynn to the store and about embarrassed myself by some of the silly things I was doing and saying. i was hopping and skipping alot the sidewalk, and scatting like a little child.
Then I remembered I am 20. I am supposed to be kind of grown up. People my age get married and have babies don't they? 



I am going to post another post out of my journal soon. It will talk about what else has been happening toward me being in Ecuador.

Please let me know what you are thinking!! I am really curious!

Ok, it is time.

It is time for me to update you on what is going on now. I have been really hesitant to type this because I have been talking about it with people face to face, but that is not always an option.

So the flight home from Ecuador was very tough. We ran into problems right away while still in Ecuador. Then at the LAX stop we missed our flight because our bags did not get checked from Ecuador all the way to Boise and we were late checking them back in. We were supposed to be on stand-by, but after multiple times walking into the plane and then back out we finally got a set answer that there was only space for one of us on the flight.
Jen made me get on the plane and go to Boise. 
She knew that it was not the best idea to leave me in an airport to wait by myself.
I had an "emergency" credit card with me, and did not care if I had any luggage with me anymore. I could have flown back, and explained the credit card charges to my parents once I was there.

Alas, I find myself in the Boise airport again greeting Jen's parents and grabbing the ridiculously heavy suitcases off the baggage claim carousel.


I arrived home to a house that was completely empty of people and dogs.
I went to my room and much of my stuff was packed up so that I could move out and into an apartment with Alyee. 
I lost it at this point. I began crying so hard that it was almost debilitating.
I hadn't been able to cry since leaving, but now I was finally alone, for the first time in 3 weeks I was completely alone.
I began asking people to pray for me.
Anyone who IMed me to check up on me, was just asked to pray for me.
I didn't know what to do.
I thought I had my next few steps at least some what planed out, but this didn't feel how it felt to return from any of my other trips.

I went to bed feeling completely heartbroken and lost. I had dreams about Ecuador, only to wake up here. I woke up feeling numb to everything.
I got ready and went to church.
As I drove there I prayed.
I prayed for Ecuador, I prayed for Andres, I prayed for me.
I asked that God give me very clear direction on what He wanted me to do.
I asked that He give me VERY clear signs.
Once I got to church God totally met me there.
I was reminded of how BIG He really is, and how GOOD He is.
I was reminded of how blessed I truly was.

I sat with Jen during the service. She had just gotten in from her overnight stay in LA.
It was so good to see her again.
During the sermon Pastor Tri was talking about what he would say if he had to give his last sermon.
He was addressing every age group individually at one point.
When he got to my age and began telling us to live our dreams, try new things, follow our passions, "Go to Ecuador" he then adds. (Big sign #1)
 Jen told me after that she about burst into laughter when he said that.
Jen then asked me to have lunch at the church with her after service.
 We sit down with some people that I did not know and she introduces me to them and tells them that I was in the Medic program and just returned from Ecuador, which is then followed with telling them that I will probably be moving to Ecuador.  (big sign #2)
I was a bit shocked at hearing Jen say this. Jen is not the type to make drastic emotional remarks, or spontaneous decisions. She thinks things through and really prays about things.
I also did not even mention the thought of it. I had hardly said two words to her since being separated at LAX.
As soon as it is just she and I, she begins walking me through things I should be thinking about in order to make a move to Ecuador possible.
She begins telling me that she can see me doing really great things there. That she could really see this working.
 I honestly had not woken up thinking that I would move to Ecuador.
I thought that I would take a few days, maybe a week and move into an apartment, start working and get over Ecuador and the whole thing. 
I have to get an apartment with Alyee for at least one year. That was what she and I had agreed to.
I would hold to that commitment.

I set up a time to meet up at Starbucks with Alyee later that day to talk about apartment stuff.
I got to Starbucks a bit early and skyped with Andres while i waited. I began telling him about the crazy things that had happened that day.
He asked me what I was thinking about the day, and I told him "I think I may move to Ecuador."
I was not sure when though because I am getting an apartment with Alyee and we agreed on one year.
I was planning on visiting Ecuador in December just for fun, but I couldn't move there then because that is only 6 months away. I would be half way through my lease. I was not going to decide on anything or set anything in stone. (thus I am telling this story almost 6 weeks later.)
He also had some good news to tell me about the last 24hours of his life, but that is more his story and not mine to tell.

Alyee then got there and she and I started talking.
I asked her about the apartment plans,
If she still wanted to find a one year lease or what she was thinking.
She then says that it would be ideal for her if we could get a 6 month lease because she may be leaving for a bit in December.
(crazy sign #3)
I then said "Great! Because I am moving to Ecuador in 6 months then!"

I then had dinner with Jen's family.
We watched a movie in Spanish, and Jen lent me a program to learn Spanish.
I could not believe how the day had gone!
I finished the day thinking "I don't know what more proof a person would need to believe in prayer."

This makes me so upset!!

I know this is different than what you usually see on people's blogs, but this is what breaks my heart.
This is what I care about.
I hate that I live in a country where Statesmen make as much as they do, and we pay our professional athletes and actors as much as we do, but all the while people starve in other countries. Something needs to change here, and soon.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/07/horn_of_africa_on_the_brink_of.html

who do you think would win in a fight?

                                                          This just got ridiculous very fast!!!