Monday, November 22, 2010

I'm Home!

Seattle at last! Snow at last! Family and Friends at last! I am so thankful to be home. I love this place. I love these people.

I am sorry for abandoning this here blog for the duration of mom and dad being with me, but things got really hectic really fast and with finals my life just got crazy!

It it over. My African Adventure is done. I may no longer live there, but a part of me will forever be left there with the people and the school. I have learned so much about myself, my attitude, my goals and my God. I am so grateful to God and to my parents for seeing that this whole year took place. I don't know where i would be today if i had not gone on this adventure.

Thank you to all my friends that have helped me get through this last year. I needed you just as much as my family. You have all be wonderful and i am blessed to say you are a part of my life.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for giving me the opportunities that you have. I love you and all you have done for me and that fact that i have goals in you now for my future. I have a long road ahead of me but i am happy to know that you will guide and be with me every step of it.

Thank you.

Heidi

Sunday, October 31, 2010

November 1st is my favorite!

MOM AND DAD WILL BE HERE IN 24 HOURS!!!!!!!!

November 1st is the day they arrive. The glorious day that all my saved up mommy and daddy hugs can be released!

Sitting here, playing games on my computer at midnight because i am WIDE awake (long story there for another time) i am thinking about the last time i picked them up from the airport. Last March. Remember? That time i said MOM AND DAD ARE HERE...then didn't talk to you all for two weeks?!?!? I promise to be nicer this time.

While thinking back i recalled a story that i am not sure i shared with you all when it happend and i find it funny and feel the need to share.

Last March, i go with two of the guys from school here (teachers, missionaries, friends) to pick up mom and dad from the airport. They arrive, hugs go around and the whole group (all 8 of them) are stading around. There are a lot of people at the airport and while we are standing there waiting for everyone, a lady that was next to me asked about my t-shirt as i was wearing a shrit that said Issaquah Basketball or something...i don't remember. She asked if it was the Issaquah by Bellevue and i said yes and we got to talking. She said she was from Kirkland, right next to bellevue and so we were talking all about the area and what we did and where we were from. I thought it was going to be nice to get to know her on this trip as there are lots of people that come on the trips that i didn't know and going on missions trips is always fun. I thought she was new to the church or something. So we are talking and then mid sentence, my mom comes up to me and says we are leaving. I bend down pick up my bag and am pulled away by mom. I didn't even think anything of it, just that this girl and i would continue our conversation in the van on the way to the school. I talk to my mom while we walk in the front of the group and we get to the vans and i am looking around for this girl.

She is not there.

I ask mom where that girl was that i was talking to and that i had not caught her name and she said "what girl,there are no other ladies on this trip".

Hold up....huh?

I said i was talking to the girl that they came with all about home and i was in the middle of a conversation when she interuppted me...didn't she remember that girl??

mom said "yeah, i remember seeing her, i have no idea who she is though".

Oh gosh...so that means i was talking to someone and turned and left MID- SENTENCE!!!!! Try that...try talking to someone and then mid way through getting your thought out just turn and walk away. Then tell me that you don't feel INCREDIBLY stupid and guilty!

I did! This poor lady most likley thinks that i am a twat and rude and was most likely a little offended.

TO MY NEW FOUND FRIEND AT THE AIRPORT IN MARCH...i am sorry! I truly am sorry for being rude.

I have felt guilty about this all year.

I will never be able to apologize to her and that is sad.




So, acutally...this story was not as funny as i thought it was going to be...


it's late. I need to go to bed. Buuuuuttt...my game of free cell is not going to finish itself! Priorities!



Dear Lord,

Keep mom and dad safe on their flights here. Protect them and everyone with them. Thank you for allowing them the ability to come and do your work here. I pray all the projects are able to be finished in the time alloted and that we come under budget!

Love you!
Heidi

Saturday, October 30, 2010

I am done!

PRAISE THE LORD i am done with classes!

I finished up yesterday with all my school work and my classes and i am just loving it! 17 days till i am home again! Love it!

Thank you all for helping me get through this year with your support. I really do appreciate all the emails and cards. You really did do a huge part by keeping me sane.

I will update about the party we had and my weekend when it is over!

Have a great weekend!

Heidi

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

UPDATE!

GOD IS SO GOOD TO ME!


I went to the library and there was chocolate....LOTS of. more then they have ever had.

God answers prayers!

I bouhgt 9 of them.

Epic Post of Nothingness

First of all, i would like you to know that i have nothing to say today. However, with that said, i will now write a whole post about all the things i think about putting on here but just can not seem to figure out how to make a good post about them.

In a very random order...

1.) My fingers are shrinking.

Therefore....my rings are not fitting their proper fingers. Why is it that i am losing weight in my fingers...but not my tummy. And who even knew i had weight IN my fingers! I have small pudgy hands. Always have. No matter what size i was wearing in jeans...my fingers stayed the same. I have had a ring on one of my fingers for the last 5 years...and in 5 years, i have been a lot of different weights, trust me!! So why now does it stop fitting? Why do i have to move it to the bigger finger just to stay on? I am so frustrated by this. I'm not saying i want fat fingers so my rings fit...but...change is hard.

2.) Snacking helps....NONE!

I am in the middle of writing my last 6 papers as i have said before, and i was sitting in my room today thinking about food...cause i'm hungry..obviously. I decided that since i have to suffer in my dorm room like a real student, i might as well eat like a real student! I gathered my bag, empty, and walked to the library. Carrying an empty bag to the library, where the tuk shop is, is a bad sign...meaning i plan on buying more then my little pudgy fingers can carry back to my room. I arrived and grabed 3 cokes, 3 bags of lays, 2 bags of Doritos, 2 suckers and a packet of Meboss. (Meboss is a candy here that i love...like...extra super hard fruit leather that you suck on...sort of.) i fill up my bag and head back to my room. Sit down, turn my computer back on and pop open a coke.

I hate coke.

I do love the sugar high though!

I had a bag of lays and a bag of doritos and then started working! I got through a paragraph and was over it. I was done. I was full...frustrated....and frankly, just sick of working and sick of school and sick of this dorm room.

I think snack food is making me way cranky. Well...actually i think its the school work, but if blame it on the snacks, maybe i won't go there again!

3.) I had a case of the "terrible two's" the other day! I was acting like a little child. I was at the After School Program that i help out with and the kids were doing a word search and coloring a picture. They were all done with their word search and were calm and coloring so i sat down and started to color as well. So fun! However, i colored this little part of the paper that was a fire and the kids started to copy me and my coloring ideas...i got upset. I took another piece of paper and covered it so the kids couldn't copy me.I would sneak my hand under the page and color whit my head tilted to the side in order to see. Then...i remembered i am 28. I realized i don't actually care. I just had a "moment" and needed to exhort my independence. I finished coloring my page and the kids finished shortly after me...having the same exact page that looked exactly like mine. I was happy. They took my paper and started to show it around tot the other kids...then the other tables of kids started to copy mine. I'm glad i could teach them coloring technic. Even if they are copy cats!

4.) I'm brokeish. I have money...in the bank...just no bank. I am trapped like a rat here on this campus and even though i have money i could get if i ever could get out of here, i just have no way to get to the bank. no car...and those with cars are always busy. There is a petrol station just down the road but their ATM machines are corrupt and peoples cards get stolen there...so i'm not doing that.

Now being brokeish, i knew i was running on limited funds. I have a cup with change in it on my nightstand and usually a little something in the bottom of my purse. I was working on a paper last week and printed it in the library. Remember, there is only one printer on campus and it is in the library and you have to pay for your papers by the page and the library is as far away from my room as physically possible. So...i printed. Then i went to my change jar to get R1.20 to pay for the paper as it was 4 pages at R0.40 each. My jar was empty. I went to my purse. No cash. No change in the coin purse part. I looked to the bottom of the purse and whoo hoo! coins! I pulled them out only to find they were quarters. Quarters do me NO GOOD here. I was able to find R1.15 in my jacket pockets but that is it. I was short. I had to leave my paper in the library for three days until i was able to get the courage to ask someone to borow 5 cents. Ugh. I was embarresed and didn't want to. but...the paper was due.

I finally made it to the bank...and now the library is out of ink, so these next few papers are going to have to be emailed to the teachers...I CAN EMAIL THEM?!?!?!?!!?!? oh gosh...what a waste of money! and stress.

5.) I did decide (mostly from the encouragement i recieved) to start a new blog once i get home...so be on the lookout for that one. I might keep the same address but just change everything up on here...i don't know yet. I have no idea what i will talk about but that is fine. I will figure it out.

I am going to start training with my brother Jake and figuring out how to be skinny again so mabye i will use this place as my moaning board about how bad i hurt and how much i hate him for being a drill sargent...that could be fun!

6.) In a discussion about random things with my mom, Costco was mentioned which brought back fond memories of cheap hot dogs and diet cokes. them mom said something about their berry sundaes which i have never tried. I am so looking forward to these small little things about America! God did good with Costco!

7.) Black friday is coming! I'm so excited! New found family tradition is to go to the parade that day! We went last year and had a blast...well..just a few of us went, but we did have a great time. This year, the whole family is going to go and spend the whole day in Seattle! Parade, Starbucks, popcorn, Starbucks, PF Changs, Tully's, Pike Place Market, HOT NUTS, Starbucks, Christmas Tree lighting, Macy's star lighting, Starbucks! Such a wonderful day! Will you be at the parade? Wanna have coffee together? Cause i do!

8.) Did you know that last Monday was the two month mark for Christmas? Who is done with their shopping? Who is the over-achiever that thinks they are cool for getting it done early? Your not cool! Your WEIRD! It's tradition and FUN to be in all the hussle and bustle and yelling and screaming and grabbing and laughing at the mall the week before Christmas! Don't avoid it...embrace it!

9.) I get to have Taco's on friday. Over the top excited.

10.) Mom and Dad will be here in 6 days.

11.) Just recently realized i have enough underware to last me for two full months without doing laundry. Kinda cool...mostly gross.

The End.

I feel that this has qualified as the worst way to avoid writing my paper.

I have so many issues.

Dear Lord,

Today is a great day for studying...except that you made is sunny out...and warm...and you gave me this uncanny ability to find things that need to be done rather then working on my paper. I have no classes today and yet i still seem to think i should do something else rather then study. Why am i like that? What was your purpose for that? Or did i create and let grow that ability. I think i need to focus more. Help me do that. Help me to get this dang (can i say dang to you?)paper done and get it handed in. I don't care what grade i get on it, i just want to be able to say that i completed it. If i do my best, then that is the best grade i could get. Let's get to it!

I have two days of classes left. Help me to finish strong and stay in a good mood. People are starting to get ultra crabby around here and it's getting annoying. Work on/in/with them, k?

Thank you for providing for my needs...except just as a reminder, the library tuk shop ran out of chocolate...do your thing there! I'll go check in a little while! Thanks!

Love you bunches!

Your daughter,
Heidi

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

This is the last one...

...i hear that all the time now! This is the last class here, the last chapel, the last test, the last lecture, the last time waking up at 6am and the last of the cookies!

I'm not so sure how i am feeling about it. Maybe if i was further along in my paper writing, i would feel a bit better, but since it is tuesday and i have 6 papers to still write, i am a little freaking out. I am not ready for "the last" anything yet...unless it's "the last PAPER i'll EVER write again!"

Friday is my last day of classes. I have one 8-10 page paper for Hebrews due yesterday that i am only part way done with. I have a re write of two New Testament papers, i have three Psychology papers to write. I have Boost Africa after classes today, i have a dinner with the Missions Team tomorrow night, i have dinner plans with a friend on thursday and a party on Friday with all the dorm girls. That equals to no nights to work on this stuff.

Some of these silly students are staying up all night long. I am not that cool. I used to be...but this whole turning 28 thing and getting old has really gotten to me. I just can't sustain anymore. I NEED my sleep. I'm cranky with it sometimes, so can you imagine me withOUT it?

I wish i knew magic. I could just wave my wand (yes i would have a wand if i knew magic) and say "Hocus Pocus Paper be DONE!" and it would totally work. I'm sure of it.

After friday, i have to prepare for finals. I have 4 finals to take. One next Thursday, one Friday, one the next Monday and one the next Wednesday. Then it's over. I am free. I can say I DID IT! but....for now. I still have 6 papers to write in around 4 hours of free time. I'm smart though...i will figure it out. I'm sure of it.

Dear Lord,

...help.

Heidi

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Adult Face

At what point in life do you finally look like you are going to look as an adult? When do i stop looking like a teenager and look like a grown up? I think i am almost there. When i look at myself in the mirror, i say "ok, nearly done. You can stop aging anytime." But honestly....how do you know? Does your face stop growing? Am i to the point where stuff starts to shrink and go south? Surley 28 is too young for that! I really hope so! Especially when people don't believe that i am over 22!

At what point did you think you looked like an adult? I am very curious.


Friends, IT IS HOT HERE! I am longing to wear my shorts and tank tops, but they are packed away and i am lazy...so i wear jeans and sweat all day. The sweatshirts have gone un-worn for the last week and i am loving it! With less then a month till i am home, i have little precious time to become a colored person! I need as much sun as i can get if i 'm going to apprear as if i left Seattle at all! I can't come home more white then when i left! That just would be wrong in my head! Not so much excited about only getting a month of summer and then heading back into winter, but i am sure i will survive. If the rumors are right, this winter just might be exciting! Snow for EVERYONE!

I have started packing my things. Sad really. Yet, oh so thrilling at the same time! I am going through my clothes and deciding what i want to leave here and what i want to take with me. If i did not wear the clothes all year while i am here, there is no point in lugging them back to the states to not wear there! I am givng away a whole box of things! Books, papers, cards, clothes, jewlery, junk! It feels good! New start when i get home!

My friend Jenny, dear dear Jenny, oh i love thee! She has been the most faithful of my friends since i have been here! Out of everyone she WINS! She has sent me a card nearly every monday! I get random sweetness from here all the time and i love it. It has made me feel so connected to home and missed. She periodically slips in some Starbucks VIA's or some crystal light or Viamin-C things. Love her for that! This past week, however, she out-did herself! She sent me the new Starbucks VANILLA VIA! Oh my goodness! It's like gold in my mouth! I made the cup of coffee and then retreated to my room to enjoy it in peace! It was the most lovely thing anyone could do for me! Thank you Jenny for being such a great and faithful friend. I am sorry that i will miss you by 3 weeks as you are moving far far away. We will reconnect somehow once i am home! You are a treasure from God to me and i cherish you. I hope you know that.


Yesterday in class, i noticed and had to laugh at this little ....uumm...thing. Our teacher writes on the board usually, but sometime she will just say something that we have to write down. Most student have computers in class but i found that i would be too distracted by other things on my computer to pay attention so i stopped bringing mine. So i hand write everything. My teacher said something yesterday that we all had to write down and so i wrote it down and then was ready for what was next and the teacher asked, "ok, all ready to move on?" and the people with computers were NOT READY! How is it that a person can hand write faster then another person can type. These people are not new to computers. I don't even understand how they get their homework done. If a paper takes me 30 minutes to write, i'm sure it takes them 3 hours. So sad. I laughed, but now that i think about it i guess it's not really that funny.

hhhmmm...


12 days till mom and dad are here! YAY!!! 28 days till i am HOME! So awesome!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have such great experiences. I pray that i will be able to finish this semester well. I am not liking doing all these papers, but i know that it will soon be over.

I love you!

Heidi


Questions:

Do you think God has nicknames for us? What is yours?
When did you get your adult face?
Do you have a good recipe for salsa? (and not that mango junk either!)

Monday, October 18, 2010

Africa Arise

This weekend was just down right exhausting!

We had an event planned as a scholarship fundraiser and it was to be a semi-formal event. Catered dinner for 160 people, a well know singer to perform and a speech telling about the school. So fun. I spent all of Friday afternoon/night (till 11pm) helping get things set up and then saterday morning, we went into the hall where it was to be to discover that the school had been broken into that night and someone stole our whole sound system. So sad. It appears to be done by someone that has been on the campus before because they go the security code somehow so that he did not have to 'break' anything. They just walked in, took the stuff and walked out. Not a great way to start off the day of the event.

After many tears and stress, we were granted permission to borrow the sound system of the guy singing so it worked out in the end, but investigators had to be brought in to go over the burglery and it is a big mess.

The even went great and we were able to get several people to pledge money for scholarships. It was such a great success. There were little to no complints from the attendees and the workers! How often does that happen?!

After the event, which i attended rathen then helped at, i changed and volunteered to help take everything down and clean up. The place we got the dishes from was coming the next morning to pick everything up and they require it all to be washed and cleaned. We had 7 people washing and drying and then i was counting and boxing it all up. I had to count 160 dinner plates, 160 salad plates, 160 soup bowls, 160 desert bowls, 160 tea cups, 160 soup spoons, 160 regular spoons, 160 tea spoons, 160 forks and 160 knives. But everything was not getting washed at the same time, or in order so it was HECTIC! I finally was able to get a little help and we managed to finish up around 1:00am. I was SO TIRED! It has been such a long day. With helping out before the event i had to change my "getting ready" time from 3 hours to 45 minutes. Not cool, but thankfully i'm wonder-woman, otherwise it might have been disasterous!

I went to be at 2:00am finally and just collapsed. It felt so great to be in bed, no matter how uncomfortable my bed is, i didn't care at that moment. I hit the pillow and was out.

Unfortunatly ih ad forgotten to turn my alarm off, so it went off at 9:00am (yes, that is when my alarm is set for...9:00am is early! pretty much) I turned it off and rolled back over and went back to sleep. Friends! I woke up at 2:30PM! That would be IN THE AFTERNOON!!!! Gosh it felt great! I got out of bed, slugged over to the lounge and put in a movie. Then i proceeded to watch two more movies and then go back to bed. What a great day.

Today, Monday, i woke up so rested! It was great! I need more days like that!

Here are a few pictures of me and some friends at the event. I unfortunatly forgot i had my camera on me until the event was nearly over, and one of them is upside down but i didn't realize it until it was already uploaded to the blog and you all know my internet, i'm not going to try to fix it and upload again. You can turn your self or your computer upside down. I don't really care.


Dear Lord,

Thank you for being faithful, when we are doing something so great as to help students attended Bible school by raising scholarships, the devil had to come and steal our equipment, but despite his efforts, you have once again come through for us and provided. Thank you for blessing those that follow your call.

Love you!

Heidi




Wednesday, October 13, 2010

SNOT on me once, shame on me..SNOT on my twice...shame on me again!

Tonight i babysat.

You mothers out there, do you have that one thing that just grosses you out? Most people/mothers have that thing. My mom's is throw up. She can deal with most anything else, but throw up... that is where dad pops into the picture!

Throughout most of my 18 year babysitting career, i have noticed that my "thing" is snot. I hate snot. I hate looking at kids with snot, and i hate touching kids with snot. Even worse, i hate the age where the kid has not learned how to "blow" yet and just lets you wipe the never ended sting of snot of their face until a minute later when you thow away the tissue it comes back again, a whole new string, neverending. LEARN TO BLOW KID! THEN WIPE IT YOURSELF!

But since mostly my choices are to look at it, or deal with it, i usually chose to deal with it.

Tonight, while babysitting, the one year old had A LOT of snot. It was disgusting! I gagged several times just looking at him across the room. It was that bad people!

Dripping down from his nose into his mouth, him not even noticing enough to wipe it with his hand, and thankgoodness for that, cause if there is anyting worse then snot coming out of a kids nose, it's snot that is coming out of a kids nose with a snotty line hanging to his hand and then attached to his shirt and you can see it dangling there. All green and white and slimy.

I am gagging while i write this.

Anyway, i was giving the kids a bath, and the one year old, all of a sudden learned how to wipe his nose! With his hand! And then proceded to shove it in my face! I FREAKED! I jumped up, not haveing noticed it coming and grabbed a towel off the side of the bath tub and just threw it on him. It got all wet but a big person bath towel was needed for this kid's nose...it's not too big, i swear!

After totally wiping the whole kid down, i got back down on the floor keeping my eyes on him and started playing again with the toys and the other little boy that was in there as well.

Silly me, forgetting about the neverending snot. I was not paying attention and i had turned my head to do something and when i turned back around, little man was right up against my face, with him finger full of snot, and promptly swiped it across my eye. I now was adorned with green snot eye shadow. Thankfully i had closed my eyes, bracing for the trama as a retreat was not avaliable.

He laughed.

I cried.

I threw up.

He still laughed.

I cleaned myself up, and decided bath time was over. This kid needed to go to bed. Or at least go somewhere else. Away from me.

UGH.

Out of the bath, his nose stopped running and i was able to again, hold him and cuddle, but belive me, i kept a good eye on that nose and those fingers. I learned my lesson!


On another note, I went to the OB/GYN yesterday. Wait...which letters are the baby part? I didn't go for that. I went for the girly part..is that the GYN part or the OB part? So confusing.

I got a papsmear. I'm not ashamed to tell you about it either.

That is two pap's this year!!!! I'm pretty sure i deserve some sort of award or somthing. Or...well...at lease a condolence card would be nice.

I will find out in a week if i am normal or not. Last time they found something "unusual" and wanted me to come back in 6 monts rather then a year.

She said it was really no big deal, and not to worry. I said ok! And i left. The whole appointment was 10 minutes long. 6 of those minutes was the dressing/undressing part. I'm not one to linger around and chat it up with the lady that just did that to me. I need time after these things people!



I am feeling much better from my last post. I don't know what that silly little tummy bug was about, but it got me good! I didn't eat from Tuesday till Saturday! And i wasnt' even hungry. Then Saturday and Sunday, i totally made up for the rest of the week! Like a champt i stuffed myself.

Now, this week, appatite has left me again. I don't know what is it. I just don't want to put this food in my body. Is it more healthy to eat nothing, or to put CRAP into your body? Cause those are my options. Without having cooking facilities, i am not able to prepare anything for myself and you can only eat so many oranges and apples and carrots and ramen noodles.


Wanna hear a cool story?!?!? So, this is totally a God thing! Now you remember when i told you that i was about out of coffee (VIA) and i was not sure what i was going to do? Well, two peole came to my rescue!!! One, my mom. For my birthday last month she sent me a package on August 27th stuffed with VIA's so that i would get it by my birthday! So awesome of her! She didn't tell me what she sent me, but i kinda had a feeling, cause nearly every converstation ended with me whining about what i was going to do about my coffee situation. My birthday came and went, and saw no package.

Now, this other person, my dear friend Mona, also said she would hook me up with some VIA! How great is it to have friends that like you! I mean seriously!Don't burn a bridge...you may need coffee someday! So on or around September 10th, mona sent me her lovely package full of little VIA packets! Bless your soul! That arrived three weeks later. Wonderful day, and guess what....it arrived on the day that i only had one VIA left from my previous stash! God is so good!

But that is not the cool part...well, it's cool, but not the point of my story.

Another week went by and i still had not recieved my mom's package of coffee, which also contained my birthday card. I finally had her get me the tracking number so that i could do some investigating. While looking for this information, she noticed that in her busyness of a life, she had forgotten to put the PO BOX # on the address. She accidentally left the whole line out. It just said Heidi Fields c/o CTS Bloubergrant, 7443. Not good enough for the mail system my friends.

I wrote down what the package had as an address and found someone to give me a ride to the post office. I waited in a HUGE line with my little sticky note and got the window and they guy said "sorry, we need the tracking number" I looked at the note and OHMYGOSH! i had forgotten to write the tracking number down. So frustrating. If i had of driven myself and been able to run back and get the tracking number i would have found this to me annoying but not REALLY annoying. My ride was not the type of person i could just aske to run me back to school and then back to the post office, especially since it was nearly 4:30 and traffic was about to get bad.

So i went back, wrote a new sticky note and put it in my purse, thinking of when and how i was going to get back to the post office. This had been a Monday. Tuesday is when i got that silly tummy bug and as out all day in my room that afternoon and all day wednesday, not even going downstairs or out of my dorm.

I go downstairs on Thursday and as i am walking to class i pass tthe student boxes and i notice that i have a package in mine. YAY, i love mail. I had no idea who it could have been from though unelss someone was surprising me with something. I pulled it out and as you guess, i'm sure, it was from my mom.

I turned my patootie around and went straight to the office. I asked the guy that gets the mail, where it came from. He said that it was just shoved into the PO BOX on wednesday when he got the mail.

FRIENDS....this is totally GOD! See, here, they don't do that. If there is a package, a padded envelope or even an oversized envelope, something small or just something other then a bill basically, they put a card in the box and make you wait in line to retieve it. They had never had a package in there before.

There was not unual making on the package. Just the stamps and address. Still no PO BOX number. It didn't have a note saying where to put it. Nobody had written the PO BOX on it. Just blank.

And i know what you are thinking.."it said CTS, so they just put it with the rest of the CTS mail tha comes in" but no my friends....there at 3 CTS's around this here town. There is no way they would have know which box to put it in.

God is so good! I not only got my coffee from Mona, but i got my coffee from mommy as well, even though it took a month and a half to get here! God's timing is always perfect!

Thank you JESUS!

I am down to two and half weeks of classes. I have 11 papers to write (actually 6 of them are re-submits). I am getting so excited to be done with all this. I have a lot to do in a little amount of time, but there is not point in worrying about any of it. I will do it, i will get a good grade and i will be happy! End of story! If you think like there is no other option, then it becomes true.

Thank you for all your prayers! I appreciate you all!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for my coffe, and for my mommy and for mona and for everyone else that slips a VIA in their cards when they send me mail. I love each of my friends! You have place the people in my life that i needed for this time. Thank you for being all knowing and looking ahead to what i will need.

Please help my test come back from the Dr. as fine and healthy. Thanks.

I am starting to buckle down and get things done, please be with me as i try and concentrate and get these remaining papers done. I know i will need your help.

I love you!

Heidi

Friday, October 8, 2010

my tummy hurts...

Friends, please keep me in your prayers. I have a very odd and painful tummy ache. I got sick after dinner on tuesday night and have not been able to keep anything down since. I slept through the whole day on wednesday, made it through most of thursday and slept through all but two classes today (friday). I have no plans tomorrow except paper writing, so i can take it easy which will be good. But not eating anything i'm sure is not helping. I am hungry, but the thought of eating makes me feel even more sick.

Please pray that i will feel better soon. I have too much to do to be sick right now.

Dear Lord,

Please help me to fell better. I don't like being sick.

Thanks,

Heidi

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

for the love!

I did it. I finished my paper! Thank you Mona for the wonderful pep talk. I knoocked most of it out in an hour and a half. After that time, my brain shut off. I could literally feel it going PPPHHHhhhheeeeewwwwww... and then nothing. So i crawled into bed and let the paper and myself rest till morning.

This afternoon i finished it up and turned it. What a great feeling. However, i feel as though i did a bad job just to get it done and i didn't actually follow ALL the rules set out for it. Oh well. I know i won't fail and that is all i really care about.

After it was turned in, i flipped open my calendar with all my homework assignments on it and realized with alarm, that i had another paper due for the same teacher yesterday! I didn't even know about it! And it was due yesterday! I am swimming in papers!

I went to the library after classes, got a few books and came back to my room to work. This paper was only a 4pg-er so i knocked it out in about 2 hours. I was supposed to use like 4 resources and quotes scripture and stuff....i didn't. I used two resources and didn't even mention the Bible. Oh well. We get to re-write thos anyways.

I am dead tired and am going to go to bed early tonight. Like at 7:30pm. Sound wonderful!

What time are YOU going to bed tonight? Are you jealous of me right now?

Dear Lord,

Give me the strenght to get through the last 6 papers that are due this month. I know i can do it even if i don't want to. Thanks for your encouragement!

Heidi

Monday, October 4, 2010

Lessons

Is it more productive to know of a lesson you are supposed to learn and thus eliminating the need to actually go through the process of learning it, or to actually go through the stress of life and learn the darn lesson?

I have this paper you see. It seems to not be going away. I seem to be leaving it all the time, and yet…it stays there, waiting for some attention from me.
This is the conclusion that I have come to.

99.9% of the people here at CTS are here in order to get some sort of degree in order to work in the ministry at a church as a pastor or missionary or something. They are called by God to learn more about His word and to prepare themselves for the work He has laid out for them.

I am here to get away from my life in Seattle for a while.

See the difference? Nobody else used this as a runaway location. Nobody else chose to move across the world to go to school in order to NOT get a degree. Nobody else spent thousands of dollars just to say “well, that was fun, what should I do next with my life?”

I know God has a plan for my life and I know that I don’t know what that plan is, however, I highly feel that I am NOT called into the ministry in a normal way that would require me to analyze the in-depth features of every book of the Bible. I feel at most, I would work with kids. And I can tell you, if I can hardly pronounce the stuff I am learning, I will not be teaching it to kids. Does any 5 yr old you know understand words like ‘exegesis’ and ‘soteriology’ and christology’ and ‘pauline authorship’ and a better question, are they like me and NOT CARE?!?!?! (you should know my spell check doesn’t even recognize those words, that should tell you something!)

So back to my paper. I have this paper that I have to write for Hebrew class. It’s all about finding the verses in the book that lead a person to exhort faithfulness (I had to look up exhort…not a good start) then I have to say why I think that these exhortations are needed for the people that the letter was written to. And then I have to tell how I think the exhortations apply to life today. However, I not only have to decide on my own what this is, but I have to consult 8 other resources and find out what they think and then compare and contrast my thoughts with theirs. This paper is to be 10 pages long.

I know that the lesson I am to learn is to persevere even when I don’t see a point. Even though I am not going after a Bible degree, and I don’t really NEED to know this information, I am supposed to know what it is like to take a challenge head on and see it through to the end. Go through the storm and learn the lesson on the other side. Keep the faith!

My question is, though, my friends, if I already know that I am going to learn a lesson, isn’t’ that in a way saying that I have already learned it? So, why go through a storm for something I already know? Right?

Probably wrong.

I am not the best at giving myself pep talks. I am REALLY GOOD at talking myself OUT of things. Not into them! (Except when it comes to buying shoes!...or…well…anything)

I know that I need to finish this stinkin paper. It was due today and I only have 700 words so far. It needs to be 2500 words. I have a very long ways to go and no motivation to get it done. I keep telling myself that I have better things to do with my life then write this stupid paper. When really, I live in a semi-prison of a place and honestly DON’T have anything better to do. Except maybe take a nap. Which, as we all know are just as important as anything else in this life.

This paper WILL get turned in today. This paper WILL be 2500 words or more. And. This paper WILL be awesome.
Believe it. See it. Grab it. Claim it. Own it.


Dear Lord,

Please oh Please let me figure this out. Give me what I need in order to get through this paper. I have a long ways to go and don’t even want to open the document or any of the books. I want a nap.
Thank you for allowing me to be in a good mood all day till now. I will do better with my attitude towards these lessons you are teaching me. No matter how stupid I think they are.

I love you.

Heidi

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Neglect - and what follows

Neglect v. To ignore; to pay no attention to; to fail to perform.

I have neglected my blog. And in a sense, it means i have neglected you, my friends and family.

I have had the most time this last week that i have had all semester to blog, and i chose not to. Notice that i did not say i forgot to, i CHOSE not to. Pretty sure i am the definition of neglectful.

I have ignored you, i have paid you no attention and i have failed to perform.

However....i have had the most wonderful time doing it!

Last Thursday, after classes, we started our spring break! Friday was a holiday, not sure which one, and then we had the weekend and all this week and we don't go back to classes until the 4th. So great!

I have 11 papers to write. Not so great.

Friday i did nothing. absolutely nothing.

Saturday i got up and went over to Greg and Emily's. We hung out all day and had a relaxing night. We had a braai and watched a movie and just enjoyed our quiet time. I started to write a paper that night. Then on Sunday we went to church (where Greg spoke) and then went out to lunch and THE WORLD'S BEST CHINESE FOOD! and then we did a few errands and then went home for an afternoon of whatever we wanted. Naps, movies, writing of papers. It all happened! I spend the night again, seeing as i did not have classes the next day and Greg took me back to campus in the morning. I then went to my room and sat at my desk and watched the full first season of House. I had borrowed it intending to watch it after i was done with my break and all my homework. I couldn't wait. I got through nearly all of it before it was 1am and i had to sleep or else i would miss quality information and i would have to watch the episode again.

Tuesday i woke up at noon. I grabbed my computer and finished the last two episodes while still sitting in bed. Then i got up and cleaned my room, took a shower and and started a paper at 3:00pm. I finished that paper as well as 3 others by time the night was over. Yay! 4 papers down! 7 to go!

Wednesday morning came and i woke up at 8:00, got into some scrubby clothes and headed downstairs. Today was the day that the girls were going to do some manual labor. See, last semester the we were bought a fridge for the girls dorm but we had to pay for it by working the hours doing work for the school. This was our big project. We were removing tile from a few hallways and entryways so that when the missions team comes they can lay the new stuff. It is just helpful for them to already have the tile up and they can get started right away on the new stuff.

For the most part, it was pretty easy. After about 45 minutes, we were about done. We just had a few hard spots where the tiles were being picky. I let the girls finish up the cleaning and i started in on the hard spots. Oh boy, i had no idea how hard they were when i got there. I was on my hands and knees, along with the other girls for the next 3 hours. It was a small section in a back hallway and an entryway and it was so HARD! The tile just did NOT want to come up. Not sure if it was the type of glue or type of tile, but it was horrible. The guy that set us all up with the project said that he did not have gloves, so we are all doing this without gloves. One of the girls was in her curlers and several of them had slippers on, which was funny, but not harmful like no gloves. Such a lack of communication and planning on their part. Or do i have to do EVERYTHING around here.

At 1:30 we finally get all the time up and clean up the floor and are in so much that we all collapse into our beds. There is NO noise in the hallways upstairs for the next several hours. Everyone was OUT!

At 5:00pm i woke up and went into the lounge and watched a movie. After that i wrote another paper and am now writing this blog.

I have skimmed down my list of papers to write as i was trying to get them all done for the rest of the semester, but seeing as i have plans for all of tomorrow and Friday, that only leaves me with Saturday and Sunday to do the rest of them and the one that is really due on Monday, is 10-15 pages long, so i think i will focus on that one. the next paper is not due until two weeks after school starts anyways.

I am not sure why it was that i did not want to write. I guess i am starting to feel like this life is so boring and I'm over it and i am ready to come home so if i am bored with it, why would i want to tell anyone about it.

This blog needs a facelift and an attitude adjustment i believe. I will be pondering this thought. I have also considered just stopping it as i find it boring to read.

Please let me know if you would like me to keep it going or just stop while I'm ahead (if this is what you can call ahead).

Dear Lord,

Please help me to be productive in the days to come before classes. I need focus and motivation. Tomorrow i am going with some friends to see the whales, please keep us safe in our travels and let us see lots of whales and get good photo's!
Thank you for teaching me some much needed lessons lately. I am aware of the things you are changing in me and i thank you for it. I pray that with time, and practice, my attitude will reflect what you have planned for me.

Love,

Heidi


i had pictures to upload, but i am afraid that is just too much for this internet to handle...sorry! Maybe next time.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

MOM, I NEED A COUNSELOR!




Last night, I was utterly frustrated. I had 5 papers to write and was not able to get to my room until 8pm. Normally, that would not be a problem, however, this day, I did not get a nap.

I sat down at my computer, opened up the appropriate files and started to write paper number one. I got one page into it and had said everything there was to say and all that I wanted to get across. However, the paper needed to be no less than two pages. What to do. I tried staring at my computer screen while tears slowly crept to my eyes, because FOR THE LOVE this is too many essays on stupid subjects. But that had no effect.

I shut my computer off. Crawled into bed and let myself relax a bit. Found that I was mostly tired and should just give into the South African in me and not care if my paper is late. I'm the only person in the school that turns anything in on time anyway, and really..who am I trying to impress?!?

I changed into my pj's, slipped into bed and set my alarm for two hours. I figured a nice cat nap would do me good and then I could wake up, finish my papers and then get back to bed about 2am. It was a good plan in my head.

I laid my head down on my pillow, closed my eyes and tried to will myself to sleep.

Nothing came.

I was WIDE awake friends! I was sleepy, yet not about to fall asleep at 8pm. My second wind had hit, yet had not sent the message to the rest of my body. Just my eyes and half my brain.

I sit up in my bed, staring about, looking around thinking of something that I could do that just might make me fall asleep and homework quickly came to mind. I simply put that aside as a crazy thought and moved on. Then I noticed that I had my tweezers on my night stand. Hhhmm...i picked them up and looked at my eyebrows in the mirror. They were fine.

That is when it came to me. If I can pluck my eyebrows and the hair stays away for two weeks, can't I do that to my legs too?

Seemed logical at the time.

I flipped my leg out from under the covers, pulled up my sweat-pants leg and started right in the middle of the side of my left calf. Thinking this might hurt a little, I prepped my breath by holding it so that I would not scream...

PLUCK!

...not so bad. I continued with a few other hairs and made a nice hairless hole right in the middle of my leg. Maybe not the best place to start. I then decided that I would start at my ankle and move my way up. This couldn't take that long, right?

WRONG! Did you know I have like a bajillion hairs on my legs? I got about 30 hairs into it and realized that just because each pluck was not so painful, the action of plucking as a whole, made my toes numb. They started to tingle. I stretched out my leg and gave it a rest. I now have a wibbly shape of hairlessness starting from my ankle and ending in a big open hole on my calf.

Maybe this was not the best idea.

Again tears came to my eyes, because, really, is this what I have come to? An overly exhausted 28yr old holed up in a cement dorm room with no heat that decided the best possible option of things to do at 8pm on a Wednesday night is to pluck her leg hairs?

I'm pretty sure this is not what I signed up for.

“Invest in a good razor”...I'm pretty sure that is what my counselor is going to tell me once I get admitted into a home after this year here in this crazy place. And to be honest, I will take that as sound advice.

Dear Lord,

OH DEAR LORD! WHY ME?!?!?!? WHAT IS GOING ON????

S.A.V.E. M.E.

Sane or not, I love you.

Heidi

Sunday, September 19, 2010

update

I have the first three essays completed!

YAY!

I'm going to bed!

a little busy here

Don't feel neglected. I do remember that you are here and i have been thinking about what i should update you all on, however, i have nine papers due this week and i just have not had the time to think in an abstract enough way to write on here. Here is a list of my papers.


2pgs - Cause and Effect Essay
2pgs - Description of a person (i chose my grandpa)
2pgs - Narration of a party (i chose my own)
2pgs - Exposition - how to take an objective test
2pgs - Argument - why is it wrong to plagerize
3-4pgs - The book of 1 Timothy - who what where when and why
3-4pgs - The book of Matthew - who what where when and why
3-4 pgs - The book of 1 Corinthians - who what where when and why
10-15pgs - Book review and how the book of Hebrews effects, reflects and changes my faith

This week will be hectic and full of late nights. I will do my best to keep you posted on what i am up to, but it might be sparatic at best.

After this Thursday, i am on break for a week and a half so i might be able to get some more blog post done at that time.

Thanks for all your prayers and support! Love you!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for stretching my brain with all this work. Even if i think some of it is stupid. I trust you will use it for your glory. Even if it's just in my attitude about doing things i don't want to do. I need to stay awake tonight for a very long time, so help me with that please.

You are wonderful!

Love, Heidi




PS...have you stopped by Levi's coffee stand yet?

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Want my Birthday? You can HAVE IT!






I'm too old for birthday parties!

I do love ATTENDING birthday parties, as long as they are for someone else. This whole attention thing has got me all emotional...and not in a good way. I get crabby!

I have a dear sister, whom i love but that is of the total opposite brains that i am. She LOVES her birthday! She loves the gifts, the attention and the love that comes with having family and friends around that loves you and wants to share the special day. Perfectly fine, and frankly, pretty darn normal!

I on the other hand, am ok if you don't remember. I don't take it as offensive that you just forgot that it was the day i was born. It hinders our friendship not one bit. I will love you despite that fact.

My favorite birthday up to date, has been the one a few years ago when i was at work and people kept coming up to me to say Happy Birthday and so after lunch (which i was too busy to eat because of people talking to me) and the cake and all that singing, i just couldn't take it anymore, so i told my boss i was "OUT OF THERE"! I left for the day. I took the afternoon off and went straight to taco time. I got food, drove home, dragged my tv and dvd player into my room and sat in my bed, eating my yummy food and watching a movie. At 1pm. Then, i promptly took a nap.

Of all the parties ta ht i have had, all the fun times and going outs and family dinners. That is the one i remember the most. It was what i WANTED to do. It was all by myself and i was being rebellious by eating in my bed, in the middle of the day, when i should have been at work being productive.

Low key is the key!

Now we get to this year.

I have no car to flee from this place. I have to option of NOT going to classes. I had to endure the day filled with well wishes and hugs above and beyond what normally are given out.

I got a phone call from daddy at 5:30am. Bittersweet phone call. I'm sure if it was daylight out, i might have remembered something about it. I promptly fell back to sleep.

I awoke later in the morning to the sound of the other girls singing happy birthday to me in the hallway. Nice thought, but please, do me a favor and let me sleep. Just cause you are up doesn't mean the rest of us have to be! (i start the day out crabby!)

I shower and get ready and head down for breakfast. I meet up with a few people that say happy birthday and i gracefully accept and say thanks and eat my breakfast. I then head to class.

First period. The whole class sings Happy Birthday to me. I smile, and wait for it to be over and for these crazy people to stop looking at me.

Second Period. The whole class sings to me. again. same people.

Chapel. The whole school sings to me. Make me stand up. I am totally uncomfortable with it.

Tea Time. I am in the hallway talking to a teacher as i was not interested in eating anything or having coffee. Simon comes up to me and tells me that i need to come to the cafeteria because people are starting to get restless and they need me there. I don't know what he is talking about but am not done with my chat so the teacher walks with me as i let Simon lead me to the cafe. I walk in, still talking to my teacher friend and everyone starts to sing Happy Birthday to me. There are 5 cakes on a tray that Simon had bought to share. I was totally surprised and stunned and was so happy when the song stopped. I said my shy Thank You and walked over to the tray. I was told that because it was my birthday i had to have a piece of each of the 5 cakes. I am not a big fan of the cakes there, but i wanted to be polite. I was able to get Simon to just let me have two, and said that i would try the others if there was some left. He seemed ok with that. They were actually alright.

Everyone finished up and left for classes. I had a free period for Third period so that was nice. I was able to stay in my room and get some things caught up. Wrote some emails and got responded to facebook notes.

Fourth Period. They whole class sang to me again. At this point, i was getting annoyed. I smiled, said thank you and asked if we could continue with class. TOO MUCH SINGING!

Lunch came and i was escorted to the front of the line to get my food. So nice of them. That is did appreciate! I was hungry! I sat down and started eating when i got a phone call from a friend calling to tell me that he can't talk now but that he would call me later. Very confusing on my part, but i just said ok and let it be. I never heard from him again. Some people are weird.


After lunch i had another free period, so i used the time to lock myself in my room and get some work done. Knowing that my evening was busy i needed to get some homework accomplished. I came out around 4:30pm and started to get my evening set up.

See...i was having a party. The girls like to have birthday parties here, But they are not able to afford any sort of party, and they way it works here is you throw your own party for the other people. It's a chance for other to come say Happy Birthday to you. I had agreed to do it and got permission to have it downstairs in the staff lounge. This was a big deal. It had to get approved by the Board of Administrators and everything! The party was planned for 6pm so i started to do the set up at 4:30. I had been shopping the weekend before and bought items needed to make taco's and fruit salad. Something that i miss dearly! I LOVE TACOS!

A friend and i were able to get everything set up in time and people arrived on time and it started out wonderful. It was actually nice to have the people there. It was a girls only party most because i could not afford to feed the guys! We had dinner and a movie planned. We ate dinner, listened to music, took silly pictures and danced for two hours. Then, we decided to cut the cake. More singing.

I blew out my one candle and they started to dish while everyone sat around me and started going around the circle telling me why they appreciated me. It's a tradition they do here at every party that i have been to. People are given the chance to speak into the birthday persons life and give them any advice they want or to just say thank you for being a friend. It really is a nice tradition. I was very uncomfortable as they went around the room, but what they had to say was very nice and very uplifting and it made me feel good. Basically, they like me. I am accepted and they are all really sad i am leaving.

After the speeches...yes, i had to give one as well...everyone stood around me and we had a time of prayer. It was so powerful to feel the prayers of my friends. Speaking into my life and giving me the confidence to be myself and become whoever God wants me to be.

After that it was nearly 9pm so a few people had to leave as it was a school night and several had big papers due the next day. The rest of us that stayed, just 6 of us, sat down and watched Grease. We sang along as loud as we could and laughed the rest of the time. I think that was my favorite part. Just enjoying a few friends and making memories by laughing and having a good time.

In the end, i had a good birthday. As relieved as i was to get it over, i must admit being around my friends all day long did make it a happy day. I may sound cynical about a lot of it, but i do enjoy hanging out with friends and allowing them to show me if they appreciate me or not.

One day a year is definitely enough for a birthday!








Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for allowing me to have a good birthday! I love all my friends here and appreciate the friendship they give me. I will remember them forever from this time in my life. I pray that you will be with each of them this next year and guide us all into the will you have for us.

I love you!

Heidi

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

I have been avoiding this post with great effort. Do you realise that i have a lot to tell you...but i'm too ashamed?

I have not worked out in 4 days.

I only worked out for 3 day.

3 days seems to be my limit. I wish that i could have had a different way of self-disciplin seeing as this way obviously did not work.


BLECH!


I will do an update about my birthday as soon as i can.

Friday, September 3, 2010

updates and fun facts!

* Delilah died today. Poor fish. It was just too much of an exciting life i guess. But i'm perfectly fine. Cause this just renewed my knowledge that i am not the 'pet owner' type. Fish are hard work.

* I have completed 3 days of my work out. Sitting on the toilet is dreaded as it pains me in regions of my thighs i did not know existed.

* I have completed another week here at this silly school.

* My birthday is Monday

* It is so HOT today. I am sweating in my t-shirt. but then again, Wednesday WAS the first day of spring...so BRING ON THE HEAT WAVES!

* Too much Crystal Light makes me sick and gives me funny dreams.

* The psychology test that i took today messed with my head. I am not sure that i did too well on it. Yet somehow i have become the person that people come to wth questions on that topic. Oh i do love it, i just am not a fan of being tested on what i know.

* I have mailed 10 cards in the last 2 days. But it cost me $10. So i think i might just double up the return address lables instead of speding $175 on them. If you recieve a get well card from me and you are in fact NOT sick. Don't worry, i'm not prophetic. I just ran out of good cards.

* I'm moody today. blech!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

i did it!



I am trying video uploads.

It is not flattering of me. No video looking from the underside of your chin up is flattering. I don't care who you are.

Hopefully this works!

Dear Lord,

Please don't let the school geeks find out that i uploaded video and used up most of their bandwidth doing so.

Thanks!

Heidi

letters!

Hey All,

So, last semester my dear friend Laura sent me a very nice gift of address labels with my name and the college address and little high heels on them. Super cute. Super me. However, after November, when i move home, i will no longer be needing them. So my goal is to use them up while i'm here.

I counted them and i have 175 labels left. That is 3 cards a day! Tonight, i have written 6, so i have a good start. Gives me slack days.

I also have a bajillion cards that my mom brought me. So i would like to use them as well.

I have several addresses, but i don't have everyones. I know there are sneaky people that read this that don't like to be identified.

So, instead of sending 175 lettters to the 20 people i have addresses for, how about you send me any old address! Does your mom want a card? I will send her one! Does your child want a card? I will send them one! Does your neighbor or a friend of a dude in the army that you know of want one? Give me the address! I gotta use these up!

Email me the address please! heidijoymichelle@gmail.com

Thanks y'all!

Dear Lord,

Please MAKE these people give me addresses! I want to write to someone! I know they know people that could use a cheer up in the form of a card that just says hello and have a nice day! Get them to give me the info!

Thanks buddy!

Heidi

Let's be honest here...

You remember how last semester i didn't eat for like two months and lost 30lb's and that was cool yet a really hungry time in my life?

well...i'm not going to do that again.

I have been eating the food here. Like, everyday. True, i might not eat every meal, but once a day is good for me! With this plan, however, i have not seemed to be able to lose any weight. Maybe it's cause i like to eat junk food before bed, while i sit and watch a movie. So when all you have had for the day is toast in the morning and a cholate bar in the evening, i suppose weight loss is not the first thing to arrive.

Note: Despite the increase in jusnk food, i still have not broken out in any pimples. Awesome huh! I actaully have not had one since i have arrived here in July. Kind of cool. Kind of the norm. Just wanted you all to know i recognize the blessing!

Now, since this eating habit of mine doesn't seem to want to change, i figured something else will have to. Meaning my routine. I am going to from yesterday on, start doing my workout dvd i brought with me.

I do believe i have tried doing this before but failed after day 3. This time, i will try to get further.

Here is how it started. Last night, i was waiting for a friend to get up to the dorms so that we culd watch a movie. (Road to Bali, with bob hope and bing crosby) She was taking a really long time. So i changed into my pj's and the pants that i had pulled out of the closet without looking, happened to be my yoga pants! So i put them on and it felt good! It felt like i was skinnier already!

I then decided that i should work out, cuase, what's the point of having the pants if you don't use them to their full potential!

I got my pink work out mat out, and my weights. (yes, i had had those things the whole time that just stare at me everyday getting dusty)

I turned on the dvd which is Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. We did a warm up, then some jumping jacks, then some push ups and then more jumping jacks and then ten minutes had passed. I was exhausted! But, i'm strong, i told myself that i could keep going no matter what i thought about myself. Then...

someone knocked on my door. It was a girl that wanted to borrow a cd. So i paused my dvd, get the cd's and noticed my movie friend there in the hall! I hey...perfect timeing, cause i would about to pass out...let's watch a movie! YAY!

I unpaused the dvd, and just full on shut it off. 10 minutes was a great start!

We sat down and started the movie. About halfway through it, the power went out, which it does nealry once a night. We had to grab the flashlight and go downstairs and flip the switch back on. These darn girls are always blowing the fuses!

People, let me tell you! MY LEGS HURT! I mean 10 minutes...that was all i did. And i was in so much pain. I used the hand rail down and back up the stiars. Poor little fat girl...is what i thought. Good grief!

We sat and finished our movie and i then went to bed. I was so tired!

But tonight! It's on again. I got my workout clothes on, i got my mat out, i got the weights in place and then...i checked my email.

Then i decided that i should update this here blog about all this and now, i'm sitting here freezing cold in my tank top wishing i had a swetshirt within reach. When what i need to do..is get up, turn off this blog and turn on the dvd.

Like i said before, i made it 3 days before. Root me on as i try to make it to 30! YAY!

And don't let me fool you. I have the time. I have the space and i have ability. I just don't have the UMPH! But it will come, i'm sure of it.


On another note...my pants are not fitting well again. I bought 6 new pairs of jeans to bring back here with me as my other jeans had gotten too big. And i had given them away. Why keep around what you don't intend on using again. So now, these jeans that fit at home in the states, are not fitting so nice here. A) i have a flat butt. No matter how much weight i put on, it gets no bigger. Wider yes, shapley, no. B) i thought i had a love of levi's...come to find out, i don't. they fit funny if you wear them too long. C) The one pair of jeans that i bought a size too small so that i would have something for later, are now a bit big. I washed them and DRIED them, and put them on and could pull them off without undoing the button, zipper AND BELT!

But yet, i don't see a differece. Strange thing this body of mine. Some day i will get the hang of it.



Ok, time to WORK OUT! YAY! (note, that is a sarcastic YAY...i don't actually have those feelings in me)

Dear Lord,

I am trying this whole work out thing once again. Only you can count as high as i have tried this. Each time i have high hopes. Each time i justify my way out of continuing. Please help me to be real with myself and keep going. Don't let me give up and don't let me get discouraged because of lack of vision. I want this and i need this.

LOVE YOU DUDE!

Heidi


another side note: I left my flat iron on again all day. Stupid. I made another big flat mark right on top of the other one. When will i LEARN!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Camp is OVER!


Tamsyn and I

I'm back. I'm healthier. I'm tired. I'm frustrated without reason.

I have a very interesting time at camp. And by interesting, i mean, well, not totally fulfilling, yet not a lose of a week either. When you think camp, (or church camp i guess) you think of hanging out with friends, eatting BBQ and listenitng to a good preacher try and change your life for the good. Which ususally happens!

This camp was different. We did have lots of time to hang out with friends, and we did BBQ once. And the speaker...well...he neeeds some more training before he does anymore camps i think. He was not a preacher. He walked in on our first session and said "I'm not a preacher, i'm not going to preach to you. So, what questions do you have for me?" and that was it. I as well as most of my friends, were a little stumped as to what he was talking about. The speaking never really got much better then that. He told us his testimony and then just wanted us to ask him questions, which usually, he deflected and turned into questions back to us. He was an odd bird i tell you.

We arrived at camp on tuesday evening aroun 5:00. We were able to get settled in and had dinner at 6:30. It was beautiful there. It was a game reserve that had Springbok, Zebra, Ostrich and Elk type animals on it. It also had an Eagle bird sanctuary which was pretty cool.

Wedneday we had breakfast, then the session, then we had free time till the evening session after dinner. So a few friends and i walked around the property to see if we could see any animals. We did not see anything except a few Springbok and a few Ostriches far off. And we saw the birds, of course.

It was a nice hour and half long walk. Then we got back to our campsite and lunch was about ready. So we ate and then i got my blanket and brought it out in the grass and layed out and read my book. It was delightful. The sun was warm there was nobody around so it was nice and quiet. It was great! Eventually Simon came over with his guitar and started playing and then a few other started to gather around and sit on my blanket. My reading had to stop. We soon i had a good group of about 10 people sitting on the grass and my blanket chatting. It was nice, although, i must i admit, i was a little pertubed by the fact that i could not ready my book anymore.

We dicided that we wanted to play a game so we went indoors where the table was. We had again, picked up UNO and were playing it nearly once every few hours. I played most likely 50 games of UNO over 3 days. And i am the fastest shuffler and dealer, so they don't like to try, they just make me do it. My hands actually hurt after the week was over.

It was soon time for dinner and then the night session. Which, really was even more dissapointing. People were falling asleep, walking out, just not paying attention. It was ridiculous!

That night we all hung around our rooms. The building we slept in was a square building with a wood burning fire place in the middle and then rooms surrounding it. Each room had 3-6 beds in it and had it's own bathroom per room. The girls were split up into two girls a room and the guys had 4 to a room. So at night, we would light a fire and all sit around it and just talk and hang out and have fun. This night, Wednesday, we brought out the music and some started dancing. It was hilarious and fun. Then i brought out the two fake snakes that i hhad brought and that started a whole other round of hilarity. We had so much fun with those. We would just start throwing them on people and then wathcing them scatter. At midnight, most people went to bed, but a few of us (5) decided that we were going to take a walk. the moon was out so we could be able to see pretty well. We walked down to the field where the animals usually are and were able to see all the zebra and springbok and elk like animals. It was awesome. However, a bit scary. I did not like being there in the dark so much, but it was two girls and three guys, so that was fine, i guess. We came right up to one of the Zebra's and i was shaking. The guys kept telling me that if i was too noisy the zebra would charge me. Now that i am in my right mind, i know that is not true, but in the dark, surrounded by the animals, i believed them. I about cut the circulation of one of the guys arm from squeezing it so hard.

The next day, Thursday, it rained all day. It had started raining about 2am and didn't stiop until late in the evening on thursday. Despite the rain though, it was a nice day. A lot of UNO playing and just haning out. I really didn't do much. Towards the end of the day, around 5pm i layed down to take an hour nap before dinner at 6pm. I was still trying to get ove my cold and the medicine was helping but i just was not getting much rest,so i neede a nap. However, instead of waking up at 6 for dinner, i woke up at 9:30, when people came back to "the village" as we called it to start the fire. I had missed dinner AND the session. I was mostly upset about dinner. I ate two cookies and my weight in marshmallow's and was fine though. =) God provided!

So that evening, again we were all hanging out around the fire. At midnight, they decided to bring out the projector we had with us and we all watched a movie. It's a south african comedian movie. It's about this guy that does stupid things and makes a fool of himself and other. Kind of like candid camera is, where they surprise people, but this guy is the host of it, sort of. Whatever, i had already seen it but stayed up just to hang out with my friends. At 1:30 we all went to bed. I got up at 6am to get a hot shower and pack and then was able to go over to the dining hall and have my devotions outside witht he peacocks. Oh! The Peacocks! There were about 15 of them runing around the whole camp. One of them opened up it's feathers twice, but that is all. They are so pretty. AND LOUD!

I had my devotions, and was soon joined by a few people. We had a nice chat waiting for breakfast. Then we after breakfast we had our last session and then loaded up the buses and drove back to campus. It was good.

We arrived back at campus about 1:30 and unloaded our luggage and all went to have lunch.

Later that night Emily came and picked me up, as i was going to spend the nigth at her house and get my laundry done and just relax quietly, away from these school people!

It was nice. We went and picked up dinner and then went back to her house to watch movies and eat and just enjoy relxing.

The next morning i didn't really do much except watch two movies and finish my laundry. I had made dinner plans so around 4:45 i was dropped back off at school, where i unpacked, got ready and was picked up about 5:30 for dinner. I went out with some friends and didn't end up coming back to campus until 11:00pm. It was great to be out and feel like a normal person again.

Sunday i woke up at 9:30, went downstairs for some toast and then came back to bed and read my book for a while. At 10:15 Chantel came and got me and we watched a movie. Ten i went back to bed and read some more. Around 1:00 after lunch Chantel and i watched another movie. Then i got back in bed and read the rest of the night. I also took a nap, so that broke things up a bit. ;)

This morning i awoke at 7:20, got in teh shower, got ready and went to class. I have two classes on monday, then a free period and then two classes to finish off the day. I have two papers due tomorrow but i needed the library to work on them so i was not able to do it over the weekend. So that is what my afternoon will consist of.

I got my essays back for english that i had done. Remember i had 6 essays to turn in? Well 4 of them were for english. I got A's on two of them and then the other two she wants me to clarify some things and then resubmit them. She said they were good, but could be better. We shall see what i get on those. I will have to do that tonight as well. Oh formy essays, i had taken a few of my blog posts from here and turned them in so that i could see what she had to say about my writing. I know i am not the best at grammer and things like that, but i think that i did pretty well.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. I will upload more when i have time.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the time at camp. I appreciate you showing me your glory through nature and frienship. I had a great time. And this weekend was wonderful. Very relaxing and enjoyable. Thank you for being here with me and giving me the strength to care.

Help me get through this week and all the assignments that i have to do.

I love you,

Heidi



Van


Mini bus seats


Packing


Emir packing the trailer


Johan and Shawn trying to zip the pink suitcase they shared. LOL!



Tamsyn and I


Emir and I


Lucien and I


Garth and I


Peacocks!


Outside dining hall


Peacock


Peacock


blanket where i read


Blanket where i read


Simon


Lesiba - Gertian - Josh


Megan


Adrian


Llwelyn


Posh


Josh


Lesiba


Donovan



Like i said, more pictures to come later...i am tired of waiting for them to upload. This here blog has taken two hours.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

no more monkey's jumping on the bed!

So i saw the Dr, and the Dr. said....

i am sick.

He said that i have a bad cold and then he gave me some med's. I had walked in and told him i was sick and had a cold. Why is that i have to pay money to a guy to just have him write on a paper some scribbles and i still don't even get the medication, i have to go somewhere else to get it.

frustrating when you are super sick.

Thankfully i was escorted adn chauffered around by my wonderful friend Tamsyn. She is awesome and i really appreciate her! I don't know how i would have gotten all that done without her.

This morning my voice is back by a little. Not a lot. It still goes out around every 3rd or 4th workd i say, but it's getting better.

I have graduated into a new hacking cough from my chest, which is not good.

I leave for Camp in 2 hours and i don't know that i will be up for anything camp like. Hopefully i don't go there and just lay in bed the whole time, cause i could have done that here in my dorm room.

I will update when i am back from camp either friday or saturday. i'm not even sure.

I have no idea where we are going, what we are doing or when we are coming back. But trust me, i packed enough! My bag so far is the biggest out of everyones!

Proud? YES!

Monday, August 23, 2010

drugs! Yay for drugs!

Last night, around 8pm i got a call from mom and dad which was such a lessing. You know how when you are not feeling well, all you need is ahug from mom and sometimes that is as good as medecine, well, in my case i have to be ok with just hearing her voice. It worked! I felt better the rest of the evening! While on the phone, they said that i didn't even sound like myself. So, you know that's a bad cold.

Although, i did try something else. I drank a cup of coffee. I know i should have done tea, but i just could not get past the thought of it. Sometimes tea is just disgusting to me, and other times it is all that i could want or crave. Last night was a coffee night. I had one cup and realized how much better i felt. So a while later i had another cup. Sadley, after drinking that cup, i realized that it was midnight and i needed to go to bed. So i popped in my nyquill gel tabs and tried to sleep.

Nothing.

I am nearly sure that sleeping pills and a cup of coffee negate each other. I was wide awake yet totally sleepy at the same time.

If i lay on my side, my nose is too clogged to breath out of so i have to leave my mouth open, which means i droool. If i stand up and blow my nose, i can't get it to stop dripping. Better to just let it sit there. I finally was able to figure out that by laying on my back with my hear straight up i was able to breath out my nose. It was horrible. It took me about an hour to fall asleep. But once i was out, i was OUT!

I got a full 7 hours and then had to get up for classes. I took a shower and got ready and walked to my classess all without seeing anyone. They were just starting class when i got there so i didn't talk to anyone. Half way through class i had to leave and take a coughing break. It was horrible!

After class ended i walked over to my room to get the number of my Dr to see if he could get me in today and i saw someone in the hall that i could ask for a ride to get me there if i got an appointment so i went up to her and opened my mouth to talk and...nothing. I had NO voice. I tried to talk, but ended up just having to mouth the words. It was horrible. Not haveing talked before then, i didn't realize that i had no voice.

I was able to make an appointment and i have a friend taking me. I am skipping one of my classes but honestly, the first two i had a hard time concentrating anyways. The teacher excused me and i found someone to take notes for me.

It's now 11:30 and my voice is still not back. I am currently drinking a cup of peppermint/spearmint tea so hopefully that will help.

I leave for camp tomorrow and need to know that i am not going to be sick the whole time. That would be miserable!

Thanks for all your prayers. I'm sure they will kick in soon!

Dear Lord,

I have no voice and i have no desire to pay attention to anything. Thank you for having the Dr. avaliable for me today. I really appreciate it. You know that today is the only time i could go and you made it so the appointment lined up with my ride. You are so smart!

Thank you for letting me see another day, now lets work on letting me smell!

Love you!

Heidi

Sunday, August 22, 2010

still sick.

It's now 8pm on Sunday night. I just got off the phone with my dear auntie and here sister, also my dear auntie. Lovely conversation and a much needed one. I needed a little "home" pick me up! My head feels as though it needs to drain a lot more before we are going to be over this head cold and i am not looking forward to it.

I have gone through one whole bax of tissues. And now, i'm onto a roll of TP. Not the normal TP you find in the states, this if you do recall, is the awesome BUTTSOFT. We refer to it at the "magical toilet paper" cause as soon as it hits liquid, it disappears! If you think that through...it's gross, i know! So with my nose, i am contantly feeling as though i could just use my palm and get a better cleaning effect. Thankfully i have not gone that far. I did try to use a baby wipe instead of the TP and do you how hard it is to blow you nose into something that is already wet? It's like...disgusting, yet, not. blech...it was too hard to do.

Now i have a red undernose aka my Philtrum, as wikipedia told me.

On the good side of things, i found out that i don't have 6 essays due tuesday. I only have 5! I was mistaken on the date of one of them! YAY! And i have completed 4 of them already so that is awesome! Well, actually i have completed one that is not due till next week, when really i should have been working on the one due tuesday. I just was in a goove and wanted to keep it going! Silly, i know.

I watched the movie Notting HIll today. I love that movie. So funny! So sappy! Nearly made me cry, but i think is because i'm sick...cuse i don't cry at movies. Or at least that is what i tell people.

i really have nothing else to say. If i don't get off now, i will start rambling and you all know how long i can ramble!

Oh, but i did want to say, has anyone read the Ted Dekker trilogy Black, Red and White? I read the Black book this last week, then this afternoon i read the Red one. I don't know. I can't say that it really has me sucked in, as in i could put them down at any time, i am curious to know how it ends. What fasinates me more is how much can be written and how far along the story is NOT. It's like all these little details. i don't know...what are your thoughts on it?

I did read his book called Blink and that wa awesome, i loved it. I will bring White with me to camp and see if i can get through it there.

Dear Lord,

I am still sick. I am still not liking it. The meds seem to be working, but only for the few hours they are supposed to. I need to get better, for real!

I have class tomorrow and i am not looking forward to it. Please help me to have a good attitude wether i'm sick or not. I need to choose to be happy. I sometimes i can only do that through you.

Camp is this week. I'm not sure what to expect but i pray that i will see you in that place touching the lives of my friends and fellow students as well as myself. Help me to focus on you and what your will is for my time there. It will be an experience to remember. I just know it.

Sick or not, i will do my best to consentrate on you and get out of the time there what you will have for me.

I love you!

Heidi