A Christmas Past

After a sweet prompting from my dear friend Carly I thought I would update my blog! Carly, thanks for the shopping trip in your closet here's to you... incase you dont know my dear friend, here we are pre-cameron on her back patio while Noah and Macy played together.

I hope you all had a great Christmas! Im currently in Sac soaking up time with family and getting to work with my mom! So fun! I've been working in "the field" (of social work) for a few years now on my own but for the first time Im working with my mom! Its kind of wierd but awesome at the same time! We find ourselves telling the girls the same exact thing, responding to something the same and just enjoying our time together. I love my mom.

Before I left San D my precious roomies had a Christmas party at our house! It was so fun! We love love love having friends over and enjoying eachother. Aaaaaand we got to do it with Christmas trees, lights, cocoa, and Christmas carols!

Here's a nice shot of some of us belting out some Christmas carols. Brittni found a sweet feature on our far too expensive cable that has Christmas kareoke. You bet we took full advantage of that!

This is an unrelated but fun picture none the less. It was at Flood's college tacky tinsel Christmas party. Party of the classic san diego tacky Christmas sweater party tradition. My "babies" or bible study girls and I had a blast. Here some of them are looking oh-so-tacky. Love you babies!

My home home church has a rad family Christmas eve service every year. My mom and I went and got to see old friends, sang good carols and partook in one amazingly interactive retelling of the birth of Jesus. Good work Children's Ministries- it was so fun! The was complete with the little ones collecting the offering... or "Jesus' birthday present" if you will. My favorite kid was the one going from pew to pew asking with hands outstretched "do YOU have anything to go to JESUS?" ... scratch that. My favorite kid was the one wandering the isles yelling "SPARE CHANGE... ANYONE HAVE ANY SPARE CHANGE" good job fpc... you're raising those future bell ringers well. I also got to hear Abby Battenfield sing in a little quintent. She did a great job and made this babysitter quite proud. Good job Abs!

I am LOVE LOVE LOVING getting to spend time with Noah! Hes growing SO fast (as they all do... right?) And melts my heart when he calls me "P" and more often than not... "Di di P" We'll see where those names take us. He is a happy, silly boy who is rather adventurous. I cant wait to see him grow up! I love that kid!

Here's a horrible shot of me but a great one of Noah enjoying his Christmas present from yours truely... a sit n spin. He'll probably break something on it... a bone... a table. those are the best toys- arent they?

I just cant resist more Noah shots... here he is getting ready for Christmas eve at Nonnies. So cute.

That's all for now, Carly, Ill try to keep up better! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fire update

An answered prayer... the fire didn't move too much last night!

The fires have grown and a few more have started but today aircrafts dropping water and retardant have been allowed up today. There is still no end in sight.

The is still breathable but schools are cancled all week... too bad that doesn't benefit me any more haha

They are allowing some of the 5130,000 evacuees back to their houses but hundreds and hundreds of them are demolished.

My church Flood has set up a make shift call center today. They are calling affected members and linking them to the help they need. We will hopefully put our huge house to use. We offered up to 4 people to stay for up to three days. We'll see who we get!

Thanks for your concern! Ill keep you updated if anything changes!

San Diego Fires

Hi friends and fam!

I just wanted to update you all on what's going on in San Diego and how I and my loved ones down here are doing. Thanks for your concern and prayers...

If you're checking this you've probably already heard and are wondering how I'm doing (thanks!). I won't bore you with the details but basically 1/4 to 1/2 million people have been evacuated with about the same number of acres burned in San Diego county. For more details go ahead and check the website I've been checking http://www.sandiego.gov/ohs/reverse911/index.shtml

My house is fine and idealy placed considering the locations of the multiple fires. I live at the junction of the 5 and the 8 (for you nor cal'ers... 5 and 8) at the boarder of "Linda Vista" and "Bay Park". The fires are however kind of closing in around us. To be quite honest if we ge evacuated there are not too many places left to go.

The closest evacuations are in Del Mar which is probably less than 10 miles up the 5. The fire is not in Del Mar as of now but they are excpecting it to be. Between Del Mar and my house is mostly houses and businesses, not a ton of brush and vegitation, which is good. We're praying it doesn't move through La Jolla and Pacific Beach because we'd be the next area.

The air isn't that bad yet either. We'll see in the morning. Today it was just obviously smokey with some ashes around. The highways aren't clogged either.

Rest assured- we have bags packed with overnight stuff and important papers (passports, birth certificates, social security cards ext) and i have a sleeping bag, blow up mattress (thank you mexico trips) and a small pillow. We're ready to go if we need to go- hopefully we won't.

My church and friends are taking care of eachother and everything will be fine. It just might be a freaky few days. If you'd like to call, you may but we're not really supposed to use our phones that much to avoid clogging the systems. Buuuut if you're like my mom and will feel a million times better having talked to me just call.

Thanks for your concern! I'll keep you updated as I can!

Amanda

Pictures... finally!

Here we are! Better late than never, right?!

This is me holding baby Grace and sitting with Beatrice (Grace's big sister) and her friend. I took Grace from Beatrice's back so she could go play net ball with the other girls. She was stoked and her team even won! This was a typical afternoon for our team (only for the first half of the summer for me). We would go into the outer villages with our kids to run little mini day camps for the kids.

This is the feeding program... actually just the kids washing their hands... in Mtsiliza. I spent most of my summer in this village working with the widows, doing evangelism and working on sponsorship. There are almost 400 kids receiving aid in this village.

Gift is the son of one of the widows. He would spend the mornings with us bouncing from lap to lap. He's a precious one... well they all are. Ruby took a picture because Gift and I matched that day... green and green...

Flood interns doing what we do best at the lake. We had a midsummer retreat at Lake Malawi where we recharged, spent time with the Lord on the beach, snorkled and just relaxed! Oh! And we toured a crocodile farm and saw the fish aqaurium- 85% of the worlds aquarium fish come from Lake Malawi! fun fact.

We're not supposed to have favorites. If I happened to have favorite this little spitfire, Thoko would be at the top of my list :) As we found out at the end of our time in Malawi is one of the widows kids. He is super crazy, energetic and has a hard time following directions (which is an ever bigger deal in Africa than in the US). We spent the summer loving on this boy like crazy and saw a huge change in his behavior! He spent hours on our laps just cuddling and playing little games like how dirty can I get Amandas sunglasses.

Okay... Im having problems adding pictures now so Im going to stop. Ill try to add more later... if you want I have more up on my myspace and facebook.

home sweet, northern hemisphere

Im home! Although Africa was amazing and my summer was divinely appointed it is so good to be home! The travel was smooth- long but smooth. I thought my jet lag wasnt too bad but I ended up awake last night until 3am. I'm feeling fine however. We arrived in what seemed to be the most humid place on the planet, sunny Southern California at about 1:30 pm yesterday. All our luggage went through and we met our rides promptly after we all sailed through customs. My teammates date drove us to North County where two of my fantastic roommates and best friends, Kara and Brittni, met me. I was appalled at their completely normal summer San Diego attire and felt completely embarrassed looking at them. None the less I was stoked to see them. They received me well and we started our short trek home. It was so good to be with them again. They told me stories about the two of them and our third roommate, Sarah, moving into our new house. They laughed at me saying, "you're like a foreigner", as I got excited to hear really old songs on the radio and stared out the window like I'd never been to San Diego. Kara had been preparing for me all day she said... she got my car washed, made welcome home amanda cupcakes and bought me a selection of cereal and fat free milk (the milk and cereal was upon request... my most missed food item). What good friends I have!
Our new house is just as beautiful as I remembered! The only sad news is our spa doesnt work yet but an electrician is coming... don't you worry ;) haha. My roommates promptly showed me "our Mexican place", Niko's... you can see it from my bedroom window. It's maybe two blocks away. Wonderful! For dinner I had half of a Niko's bean cheese and rice burrito and a bowl of lucky charms... mmmm. I was home. hahaha. Then I got to work unpacking my room- one of my favorite activities. The girls have lived here for over a month but my stuff was never unpacked from the move. My room is a bright, cheery, light blue almost aqua. It looks like water... one of the things I missed in Malawi, the ocean. I cant wait to finish decorating, doing laundry and having everything clean and in its place. Oh how I have missed order and cleanliness in my life haha.
After multipule phone calls and emailing I fell asleep at about 3 am. I awoke to a lazy morning at about 9 am and here I am 20 minutes later... still in bed, blogging. Ill start my day soon I have tons of laundry to do and errands to run. Oh! Good news! My mom said I got 100% and 90% on my RCW2 and Social Worker 2 applications and that Im on the hire list for both of them. I think Ill call the county later today to get those balls rolling. Keep your fingers crossed for the Social Work position but we'll see where God leads me.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support! Ill keep blogging as I process the experiences God has given me this summer.

Coming Home!!

This is it! Goodbye Malawi. This day snuck up on me while at the same time I thought it would never come. Safari was AMAZING! I took some video and my friends got great pictures! We saw everything from lions to baboons! We saw a leopard hunting, lions eating a kill, hippos, elephants, birds and heard hyenas laughing. It was a blast! The food was good and a welcome change. I woke up one morning to the sound of an elephant trumpeting outside my window. We would sit and have lemonade as we watched hippos float in the river right next to our lodge. How awesome is Gods creation! We got in some much needed afternoon naps and enjoyed the time together on the drives. We just finished debriefing which is a much needed but boring process. There is a lot of introspection which is much too introverted for me. We discuss our experiences, process things and prepare for "reemmersion" back into our native culture. They say we've been here long enough that going back home will be just as hard and overwhelming as coming to Malawi was in the first place… we'll see! I can't wait to be home!
We just had lunch (pizza in town… yummm) with George and Chimwemwe from Flood Malawi! What a blessing! They are such amazing men of the Lord! They are hospitable, welcoming, wise, fun, faithful and encouraging. I feel so blessed to have spent time with them here! Working with Flood Malawi has been one of the highlights of my summer! I love hearing their passion for their own nation and people! Their vision for Flood Malawi is thrilling and encouraging. I am so stoked to see how God blesses that ministry. I have full confidence in the church here.
I have loved my time here, learned important lessons, met amazing people and have been challenged in new ways. I don't know where God will take me after this place… which is exciting and anxiety provoking but I trust in His plan! Thank you for helping me get here- I am sure it was Gods will for me. I can't wait to see you all and if you would like to hear to tell you about my time in Malawi. I love you guys! Keep us in your prayers as we travel home… you are in mine!

Going on Safari

Ziquienda! (the chichewa whats up)

Hi friends! This will probably be my last update but go ahead and check next Saturday just in case!

Yesterday was our last official day of ministry. It was hard for sure but they were all good, healthy goodbyes! We had a little party with the widows in the morning at Mtsiliza. We made cookies for all of the ladies. We had a blast making them, it was a little taste of home. Despite all the African cookie making setbacks they were actually really good! Oatmeal raisen and chocolate chip with no chocolate chips... mmmm! The women worked on our projects for a while, ate a ton of cookies and then we sang and danced together! They asked us to sing for them and taught us some sweet african moves. The goodbyes were happy filled with kisses, hugs and thank yous... and some other things in chichewa that we didnt understand but were clearly good wishes!
In the afternoon we had a goodbye party in the village called Mguyie which is behind our compound. After word got around that there were going to be treats hundreds of kids showed up. We played some games and split them into smaller groups. From there they received half an orange, some buiscits and sobo (kind of like tang... i hope that makes you smile jon pray). The kids were obviously stoked and quite greatful. They met me bowing or received their sobo on their knees to show respect. Precious. Precious I tell you. After a few more games and lots of hugs we were back to the compound which is about a 3 minute walk away.
Last night about ten of the oldest girls from Chitipi, one of COTN residential care homes, came to Njewa (our compound) for a sleep over. It was SO fun! We bought them soda, cookies and chocolate (our goal was clearly to make them sick) and watched the cronicles of narnia while we colored and painted nails. Yep, African teenage girls love the same stuff we did! And of course... in true African style and Flood tradition... there was dancing.
Speaking of dancing! Last sunday night we had a brii (a fat malawian bbq) with the Flood Malawi crew! That might have possibly been the highlight of my summer! The food was AMAZING! Beyond amazing... there was the most tender meat I have ever tasted! mmmmm mmmm mmmm Really good potato salad, fruit salad soda (a treat here)... ugh... it was just such a good meal. But even better than the food was the company! George, Sean and the rest of the crew were there! It was strange at first how comfortable and Flood like the atmosphere felt. Honestly, I think I had a little culture shock at first. It took some time to let loose and feel comfortable but in no time we were dancing with the Malawians, chatting and shoving our faces. It was a side of Malawi we dont see with COTN. We sang worship together, shared in Floods vision in Malawi and laughed and laughed. It felt like home. God is good!
Monday we leave for safari! I cant wait! Weve heard the raves from the short term teams about safari. Apparently you wake up before sunset, board the jeeps and take off. Thats when the most action happens, watch animals and stop for tea. The afternoons are time to relax and sleep because before sunset you take off again... stop for tea and return to the lodge for dinner at about 9pm. Im so excited!
After safari we start debreifing. It will be a time of individual and group reflection and prep for home. They assure us returning home will take a lot of adjusting and that we've acclimated here. Even things as simple as wearing jeans or seeing girls in shorts throws us for a little loop... we'll see what it's like returning to sunny san diego at the height of beach season! haha.
I have learned a lot this summer... most of which I probably wont realize until Ive been home for a while. Something huge Ive seen first hand is the reality of spiritual warfare... I know I sound crazy but it's true. We have nothing but halloween to compare it to but you see and experience the reality of evil spirits here. They are engrained in the culture and passed down in family lines. There is a lot behind this... Id love to talk to you about it some time and I might blog about it when Im home but its for sure something huge Ive learned. The devil is real... as real as our God. Good thing God has already won the battle and is ultimatly stronger! But we shouldnt underestimate the devils power... that's how he fools us is making us think he's not real... just a though. God's big! Horray!

Malawi is called the warm heart of Africa. Come here for a day and you'll see why. They are by far the most welcoming, tender hearted people I have ever encountered. I have learned hospitality and selflessness from the interns I work with, the people we encounter and mostly the women in the widows ministry. The widows have also taught me what it means to work hard, fight for your family and perservere. I love those ladies.
I am also greatful for the exposure I have had to the realities of long term missions work. I have seen the impact of short term teams and experiences many of them. Ive done the work of longer term missions and understand more what that looks like. I am not sure if that's where I am called but if I am I will have a better understanding of what I would get myself into.

We fly home a week from this sunday, the 19th in the morning. We will arrive in LA monday the 20th at about 1pm. It will take forever to get out of the airport but our first stop will be in & out. Ill get a number two, no onion with pickle, barqs rootbeer and a neopolitin milkshake. Ill meet my sweet roommates (whom i miss like CRAZY) in north county san diego and they will humbly drive my sick butt (from in & out overload) home to our new house! YAY! My phone has been off over the summer but it will be on again the morning of the 20th. feel free to call... if im sleeping or dont want to talk I just wont answer or ill turn it on silent :) I cherish my time in Malawi but I cant wait to be home! To be clean, to have quiet, to drive myself places, to eat what i want when i want, to be with people who know me deeply and to talk to my family... finally!

Im praying for a safe, easy journey home and that I will have time to rest and a job upon my return. There are some good possibilities but I'm praying God will open doors for me where He wants me. Also I'm praying for an easy transition back into American culture and little culture shock.

Thank you guys for your support, love and prayers! You're the best! Im done here and headed back! I love you guys!

BIG PS! Congrats Carly and Jon! I saw little Cameron! He's precious! Tell Mac P says hi and I love her! I cant wait to see you guys and meet Cameron!

Update Number two!

Hello dear friends! I'm sorry my updates are so few and far between. We only have one day a week that we can get into town and that is often interupted. Alas- I'm in town right now! Horray! Here's what has been going on in warm, sunny Malawi...
We spent a very long very challenging week in the COTN village of Chiwengo last week. It was by far the most stretching time we've had here in Malawi. There is a group of interns that are spending their whole summer in Chiwengo, they are all girls and very sweet and domestic girls. They have spent their summer helping in the long term care homes in Chiwengo. They do chores, lead devotions with the kids, color, bake, cook, clean, carry water... very precious, valueable, domestic things. God is working everywhere and in Chiwengo the work is calm and slow. They spent the summer in their routine when along came 14 Lilongwe interns (me and my team) to mess with their lives for a week. Our team has 5 boys and we are just louder, crazier and have way more energy. We were able to releive the Chiwengo girls of some of their chores giving them free time but in the mean time we just created a lot of choas. Choas that we are used to, thrive off of and need to survive in Lilongwe. Needless to say- there was drama. It was clear God's hand was in dividing which interns would be in Chiwengo and which would be in Lilongwe. After many many meetings to discuss problems, plenty of irritation, and prayers for gentle hearts it was finally time to go to the lake! YES!
After the choas and drama that was our week in Chiwengo all the interns were off to our weekend midsummer retreat at Lake Malawi! The lake is huge and rather ocean like! The water is beautiful, the waves reminded me of San Diego and the sun was great! We spent our time in devotions on the beach. chatting, napping and relaxing. One afternoon we paid some locals to boat us out to a near by island! SO FUN! The boat ride was so pretty and reminded me of mornings on Folsom lake with my dad and andrew... but prettier... with clearer water... and african... At the island my teammates cliff jumped (don't worry mom... I didnt) and we all got to snorkel! it was fun to watch everyone try and many fail horrible freaking out and inhaling water. The fish were cool- mostly brown and blue. Lake Malawi is the 2nd most diverse lake in the world and 85% of the worlds aquarium fish come from it. No mom... I didnt see the cool fish that saves the little fish from danger by letting them swim into it's mouth. Bummer. Alas- we had a blast! We also took a walk down the beach and toured a crocidille farm! COOL! There were thousands of them! It was amazing to see... and a little frightening becuase they're feet from you and separated only by a chain link fence. I won't discuss how they'll end us as purses in London... but it was fun! We also got to see an "aquarium" It wasnt what I expected but it was neat to see how they farm the lake, package and send them all over the world. The lake was relaxing, reenergizing and got me all pumped up to finish this internship strong!
The widows program is going great and it's getting harder and harder to think about leaving them. They are so precious and exemplify such beauty and strength. We are working on creating patterns for them, teaching them basic business stuff, teaching them how to make new products and leading bible studies. We will spend this month preparing them to run their business without any interns to help them and writting proposals for ideals that new interns can take and run with later.
The Flood short term team is here! What a blessing! They are a little taste of home! And as you all well know... people just get me all excited. Tamra, their team leader brought us letters from the Flood staff and some of our friends. They were so encouraging! Just what we needed after such a hard week in Chiwengo! Thanks Adam, Maile and Breanne! You can't even imagine how much they meant! Go figure... I cried. Oh yes... and they brought a ton of american snacks... that made my night!
Right before be left for the lake we ran into Sean, one of the men on staff at Flood Malawi. My church in san Diego, Flood is helping a group here in Malawi who are starting a Flood Malawi! It was SO awesome to see him! It was obvious he was just as excited to see us as we were to see him! Next saturday night the flood interns and the flood short term team will meet up with the Flood malawi team for a brii... a giant malawian bqq with music and dancing! I cant wait!
Well... that's about all... I am loving getting to know the girls Im living with, ministry is great, God is here and He is good! I miss you guys like crazy and I cant wait to see you again!
If you'd like to see some pictures go ahead and check the links on this page (they are on the left) to my friend Dan's Blog and Jeremiahs (they link is called don't join the village) they were able to post pictures. I am also having my friend dan send andrew a mystery picture of me... he says its good... i havent seen it. andrew* will post it with this post. so you guys can see what it looks like over here!
Thank you for your prayers and thoughts... I really can't explain how vital they are to me... it's one of the things that keeps me going over here. I love you guys!
Amanda

*Note from Andrew: I didn't get the picture, so it will remain a mystery.

My first post from Africa!

Greetings from chilly Lilongwe, Malawi! Things are going great! God
blessed us with a simple, easy trip over here- there were no problems!
After a week of acclimation and orientation we started our ministries!
I have to make this email quick because we have little time in town
today- not the mention the internet is wicked slow. So here's a run
down of what my weeks look like here in beautiful Malawi...
Four mornings a week I work with a few other interns in a the widows
ministry in a village called Mtsiliza. The ministry was formed a year
ago to help the 30+ widows who care for their own children and orphans
(most of them at least 6 to 8 kids total) create an income for their
families. They pray, study the bible, sing, knit, crochet, and sew
together. The other interns and I lead Bible studies, teach business
techniques, create patterns and run a store at the COTN camp where we
sell their things to the American short term teams! We also spend one
morning a week in the homes with the widows which has turned into a
super rewarding and really fun time! Yesterday morning I learned how
to mud the floors in their houses (its how they clean-weird but true),
how to make the Malawian staple food, Nsima and a relish with cabbage,
onion and tomato. We also washed dishes. And get this mom- they kept
saying "wow, you know how to cook!" haha... little do they know... we
ate it though- the kids said it was good! So fun!
In the afternoons we either go to Mtsaliza or one of the other COTN
villages and accompany the children as they venture to another village
to do evangelism. Its so fun to watch the kids who are effected by
COTN teach other kids about their God. It's always a fun time to see a
new village, meet some new faces and learn crazy Malawian games!
We are the chosen interns to venture into the village behind our camp,
Njewa for the first time! How fun! Most of the kids there had never
seen white people- or as they affectionately call us "AZUNGU"! It was
an awkward experience at first but but now they know us and are stoked
when we come. Most of the children in the village are pretty severly
malnourished with big bloated bellies. They are probably the poorest
people I have ever seen. They also have a drinking problem in th
village. Frackson, a Malawian who works with us said it one of the
saddest villages he's ever seen. Because there are enough parents there
COTN won't start a feeding program or a home there but will teach
parenting techniques. In fact, the widows from Mtsaliza will come to
Mgui (the village behind Njewa) and teach the women their skills to
create extra income! How exciting! We do regular programs with the
kids- games, songs, bible stories ext. and are in the planning stages
of implementing programs like parent ed. and substance abuse ed.! How
exciting! Keep them in your prayers!
Wed morning and Saturdays are our days off where we can do loads of
hand washed (horray) laundry, rest, go into town and do whatever. The
other widows girls and I end up running the store a lot during that
time.
I have been in pretty good health minus a little bacterial infection
that has now hit every American intern. It knocks you eight off your
butt hard. Buuuut God is good... so is cipro- the antibiotic that
saved us! Alas- I am good now and praying for good health!
We leave Saturday for another village about 2 hours away called
Chiwengo- we'll be there for a week. After that we go to Lake Malawi
for our mid summer retreat. So exciting! That means though no email
for two weeks- sorry friends!
I LOVE knowing you guys are all back home thinking about me and
praying for me! I love it here but I miss you guys! Thank you SO much
for your love and support! Keep the Malawians and the work here in
your prayers please! I'll try to email as much as possible it's just
such a process! Love you guys!
Amanda

I made it!

I've made it! I'm safe! The place I'll be staying in even has flush toilets! One of my roomies is from Folsom, CA! Only like 20 minutes from my hometown. How crazy is that?

This has been posted by Andrew. Amanda should be able to start making her own posts in a couple of weeks.

Tomorrow is the day!

It's my last night in the states for two months! Tomorrow morning I'm meeting most of my closest friends for breakfast in PB at the Broken Yoke. I have a stop to make at the closet in PB and then to my house for last minute details. We're meeting half the team at my place at 2:30 and hopefully on the road by 3. Thanks to our friends Ryan and Tyrone for driving us up to LA. We'll check in our baggage and grab some dinner before our first of three flights. We head to London, then South Africa and into Lilongwe, Malawi.
Tonight has been hard. I'm not feeling fully one emotion or another I think I'm just fully overwhelmed and feeling a total release at the same time... if that's possible. There has been so much planning and preparation that is finally over. Some loose ends may not have tied up but at 2:30 tomorrow things will have to work out without me. I wish I could just fast forward to when we will be in country. Too bad it doesn't work that way! I know though that God is using each step of this process to mold me into a woman of strong character and that it is all a part of the journey He intends for me. God is good.
This will be my last post for 2-4 like I said before. Again, thanks so much for all your prayers and support. You are precious to me and I value your support tremendously!

the countdown begins!

Yesterday was spent entirely on preparing 6 50lb boxes full of supplies for our team to take over to Malawi! It was crazy but a good day spent with my teammate Dan and really helped me feel the reality of the trip!
We leave San Diego about 3pm on friday and our plane leaves from LA to London at 9pm! My roommate and good friend's mom is here right now and she helped me roll my clothes last night for packing. Im so stoked to see what God is going to do in Malawi but at the same time totally overwhelmed by it! He IS good and that's the bottom line so we'll see what comes!
Amy (my sister in law) got back from Sierra Leone, Africa on saturday. She posted all her pictures online! I looked at every one and they got me all excited to go! My way is fully paid (thank you a million times to you guys who sacrificed to make this happen!) our house is secure for when I return and I have all of you guys, a great team and our HUGE God on my side! What else could a girl traveling across the world ask for?!
When I arrive safely in Malawi (possibly before) I will be able to make one phone call. I will call my mom who will call my brother who will post on this blog for me. He will be my contact for the rest of my trip. I will email him and he will post the email on here for all of you to read! This is the way COTN wants us to communicate with home. Please continue checking and lifting us up in prayer!
Here are some things on my prayer list...
Safe travel and ease with customs and what not (we'd like to keep all of our bags and supplies)
That our hearts would be prepared for what is to come
For the hearts of the people we will encounter in Malawi- that they will be soft and drawn to God's heart
Physical safety and healthy bodies
For you guys and my family (general safety, health and well being but that my family especially doesn't feel anxious but can trust fully in the Lord's provisions... easier said than done, yea?)
Thanks again for all your love, support, and prayers! They are very precious to me! It makes it a million times easier to go knowing I have so many people praying for me here!

a great end and a better beginning

As is the story of my life- I moved... again. Sarah and I are staying at our good friend Mailes for the end of June and the beginning of July. Sarah, Kara, Brittni and I start renting at our new house July 15th! Horray! Two GREAT friends Mark and Tyrone will move my stuff while I'm in Africa so I can come home to my own house! Thanks boys! ... er big strong men.
Tomorrow is my last day of work at Polinsky as a student worker (an important distinction because I applied to work the same job in a different position when I get back from Africa). I turned in my uniform and my key. The women in my cottage (and Mr. Steve) threw me a pot luck during our monthly staff meeting today. There are some of the most inclusive and loving women I've ever met. I have absolutely loved working with them and I will miss them greatly! Because the women are all from different countries we had quite the collection of food! It just geared me up for new African foods! From the pot luck I brought home a sticky rice/seafood (i think...)/chicken/sweet raisin dish thing miss melen made (she's from the Phillipines), a Philippino fruit dessert/coconut milk thing miss loida made, a tamale from miss consuelo and a homemade dessert tamale (pineapple) from miss myrna, an overnight staff. So fun! Polinsky has given awesome experience in the system, gave me a more realistic view of the world, given me endless people skills and allowed me to give my heart to countless children. I totally appreciate my time there!
The countdown for africa is t minus one week... or something like that. I leave a week from today on June 22nd at 11pm out of LA. After I finish at Polinsky I have 5 days to get ready (packing, planning, errands, prayer and thought). I'm stoked to have a little down time!
Amy, my sister in law gets back in the states tomorrow! I'm excited to hear about her trip!
I'm headed to bed (a common activity after blogging) because we have a support breakfast for the team in the morning and then I work from 2-10. I'm enjoying living with Maile, trying to see as many people as I can and attempting to prepare for who knows what!
OH! And... great news! I have reached my support goal! My friend Curt called to see if he could help me out with my trip and his contribution will complete my payments! Thanks for all your support! I love you guys!

The Calm Before the Storm

Last weekend was my party! So fun! What a blessing to have so many people that love me and support me! It was a blast seeing everyone- I wish I could have spent more time talking with each of you! Thanks for coming and for helping with the last bit I need to raise! I'm only a few hundred dollars short now! Score! Here are some pictures from the party...
Paul, Chrissy, April and Laura chatting in the sun room.

These are my beloved Battenfields +1 -2. Josh and Julie we missed you! I have LOVED watching the Batts grow... ew... I sound old... but it's true! Josh and Ben are taller than me and quite the gentlemen (but mostly cool). Abby (blue suit) got old instantly with her deceiving bangs and I think might be more mature than me. I didn't think it was possible but Anna (pink suit) is getting sweeter and more gentle as she grows up. Ellie (purple) is as pure, transparently beautiful and just as fun as ever! Scott and Julie thanks for being great models of a Christ-like family and for treating me as one of your own. I love you guys!

My cousin Julia stayed for most of the party and for a while after! So good! I miss her like crazy when I'm in SD and can't wait to spend time with her! She's such an encouragement and just so much fun! Love you J!

As my sister in law Amy is in Sierra Leone, Africa with COTN I get to be in Sac with my brother and nephew! We're missing Amy a lot but I'm loving the time with Noah and Andrew! It's been a slow week- what a change! It's nice to just relax, nap with Noah and visit with nor cal friends and family.

This is Noahs response when you ask him, "How big is Noah?" After he puts his arms up every adult in the room squeels, "SO BIG!" and claps. It's more like Noahs trick to get the adults to look silly...

He's just cute. It's hard to get a picture of him without a finger in the way. He likes to poke the camera.

Here's a praise! Brittni, Kara, Sarah and I have a house for next year in San Diego! It's perfect for us! It's in our price range, a bike ride from Mission Bay, 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, practically brand new, has a spa and is just beautiful! Some friends in San Diego will move us into the house in mid July while I'm in Malawi. I'm stoked that I'll a place to come home to when I return from Africa! Here's the house!

Speaking of Africa... our departure date- June 22nd (I checked) is fast approaching! We're getting final emails and wrapping up lose ends! Crazy! I'm starting to freak out a little considering what it would be like if I died there or decided I never wanted to come back to the states but I every day I'm feeling more ready to go. I think by the time we leave I'll be more than ready and antsy. I have no idea what to expect but I can't wait to embrace what God has in store for me, my teammates, and the nationals.

After Noah wakes up we're going on a La Bou run. I miss La Bou. Thanks everyone for reading this! I really doubted that people did but you all told me you did at the party! Woo!

Remember this is where I will post in Africa so check here for updates! I can start posting two weeks after I arrive.

$641.46

This morning I felt motivated to check the mail even though checks have stopped coming in and a still have quite a bit of money to raise. In the mail I found a random check from the county (what seems to be a pay check) from last month. weird. How did I survive on my tight college kid budget while not picking up a pay check? The check is for $640 something dollars- more than a regular check because that pay period was Spring Break! The $20 bill is from one of my favorite coworkers whose husband got laid off. He is still looking for work, have two kids and they still managed to give. What selflessness! Miss Emily- thanks for being such a rad example of a giving heart! Mr. County pay man... thanks for mailing me a check that should have just sat in the Polinsky safe until I realized I was missing a paycheck!





This is my crazy room. I'm totally ashamed of it but it fully describes my life right now. Dawn (our roommate that owns our condo) is putting it up on the market. For every day this last week we have had to move in and out of our room and move our furniture around so she could have new floorboards and carpet installed- chaos. I've been dealing with that on top working 8 consecutive 10 hr shifts. LOVE IT! Craziness but Sarah (my roommate/best friend) has been amazing doing all the grunt work while I'm at work. Thanks Sar!




Speaking of how precious Sarah is- i found this note and these movies on my computer after work tonight! She rented some movies for us to watch together! I love her. I also enjoy that right now as I'm writing this blog Sarah peeked out the window (at 11:15pm) and said, "hi stan!" apparently she named the critter (raccoon or whatever) that lives outside our window. That's why we're friends.



Last but not least here is my Africa bag! I'm beginning to pack! Mom took me shopping last weekend and we got almost all my clothes and the stuff I need at Walmart! Moms are the best! I have a huge stash of snacks, all the toiletries and fun things medicines I'll hopefully never use! So fun! It's for real! I'm going to Africa!

I'm off to watch the movie with Sarah! Love you guys!

It happened!

Finally! I graduated from college on Saturday! It was so fun! I had an awesome weekend with my family! We spent time at the beach, ate good food, hung out with friends and celebrated! Mom and I went shopping and got TONS of stuff for Africa! I have most of the things I'll need over there! How exciting! I'm actually going to go wash it all... I just wanted to post the only pictures (from Andrew's phone) that I have so far because I haven't posted in a while... sorry!


Remember! My party is in a week and a half! Hooray! See you guys June 2nd!

Look at that! A pretty folder with a nice letter in it... don't be fooled. My diploma is in the mail. How anti-climactic.


This is me and my super favorite professor Dr. Hokoda!

mostly pictures

Tonight I scheduled my last hours working at Polinsky before I leave for Africa. It was exciting but actually pretty sad. I've loved working there. I'm applying for permanent positions there and a social worker position for when I get back. Pray that it all goes smoothly would be GREAT!
My supervisor Miss Edma gave me lots of pointers about applying and the whole county process is general. It was super helpful and so encouraging to know that she's doing her best to help me get hired. She's an awesome supervisor and is totally supportive of my trip! She even sponsored me! Two of my other coworkers have too and they were actually insulted they didn't get their letters sooner. Polinsky has been such a blessing! People ask me about africa every day I'm at work. Residents and staff. I love being able to share the little I know about what's going on there. Half the battle is awareness. Plus (actually not plus... the most exciting thing) is it gives me an opportunity to share about how God lead me there! I get to tell them that I'm not just going to do a good thing but because God loves the people of africa! Don't you love when God comes up in every day conversation. It's like He's totally relevant or something! LOVE IT!

Here are some pictures from Bryan house warming party (he bought it... in san diego... nuts) and our last growth group dinner!


Me, Britt, Dan (africa friend) and bryan... not sure why this was funny... we're ninjas.

Here are Kendra Stacey and I at BJ's for our last dinner. Each of us made one of these to kind of wrap up what God has been teaching us this year. They turned out crazy creative and were a lot of fun to make. It was awesome to listen to each girl describe how they saw God in their lives all year.

Me, Erica, Jill and creepy Kendra outside BJ's waiting for our table.

This the whole group! erica, edge, me, sarah, nsh ("nicole" or whatever her parents named her), jaime, jill, kendra, stacy and sarah in neither row. this is the only picture of all of us we have. these girls have been so encouraging! I've loved being stretched and challenged by them! They are awesome women of the Lord and I'm so stoked to see how they continue to grow!

Brittni and I have been practicing making mean faces since we went to the haunted trail at balboa park. curt showed us up without even trying. dang.

party anyone? hair cut? death by otter pop?

In case you haven't heard from the million other ways I've been trying to get the word out...

I'm having a graduation/africa party! Here's the info...

Saturday June 2nd

Open House 11-4pm

We will be BBQing and swimming (among other exciting things)

It's at my moms house (that's in Sac San Diego kids)

6800 Lonicera dr.

Orangevale, Ca. 95662

R.S.V.P. to my mommy (Nancy) or the grama (myrtle) at 916 721 8035

... but let's be honest if you don't r.s.v.p. it's no big deal just don't eat ;)

Come! I'd love to see you all! Some of my wonderful Growth Group girls are coming from the bay area, old friends, old Bible study leaders (can't wait to see you Amy!), family... it's gonna be insane!

On to more pressing news... i got my hairs cut (yes dad, all of them). i know... thrilling.

These are some pictures from our last community group :( We just hung out and ate otter pops and cookie dough. Everyone wrote in rad journals that Kelly made us and then prayed for us. It was an awesome time to see everyone before they all leave for the summer (um... sad). I've been so encouraged and blessed by being a part of this college ministry. I've learned the meaning of community like never before! This group is seriously my little (or 65 member) San Diego family. Without further blabbing here are the pictures...

This is Jill, me, Erica and EJ at community group "africa night". They are some of my "babies" as we've dubbed them. That means they're in my growth group I lead- they call me momma. sometimes momma man p. I love em. Erica will spend the summer in Chicago doing urban missions and EJ will be in Costa Rica on summer project! They make a momma proud. We had a fantastic end of the year dinner tonight... pictures to come.

I just like this picture of me and EJ "edge"... mostly i like the otter pop. mmm. blue.

Here we have Matt, Brittni, Jeremiah, Mark, Justin, me and Kelly in the front. This is the our community group leadership team. "The Fam" as we affectionately refer to ourselves. Brittni is one of my best friends down here and a future rommie. Mark is... well... they're all great friends and Jeremiah will sit next to me on a plane for 36 hours. Yes ladies and gentlemen... we're going to africa together... again, thank you uncle roger for the mp3 player!

This is my journal! Love it!

Kelly brought us (J-my, Dave who is going to uganda for 3 weeks and me) up to talk about our trips. This is a regular face of Jeremiahs and I was choking on my otter pop (the second or third one... i lost count) promise I wasn't moved to tears although that is not unusual for me.

Brittni voted the seniors (brittni me and mark) make a wow face. mark didn't get it at first and i had problems not laughing.

Last thing I have to say is I'm about $900-1,000 away from my goal still. I'm still praying God will provide like He has in CRAZY ways already!

I love you guys!

I've never seen a U-haul behind a hearse

Last night at Flood Matt gave a sweet sermon called "Turn or Burn: Is Hell Real?" *hint: blog title* We're in a series called (Know) Doubt. We've been tackling intense issues that are important but rarely talked about it the church. If you're interested check out the mp3s on our website!
The message titles are...
"Buddha to Jesus: Aren't All Religions the Same?"
"Good God!: Does God Cause Pain?"
"Fact or Fiction: Can I Trust the Bible?"
and in a few weeks we have, "Wars and Women: Is Christianity Oppressive?"
"Straight and Narrow: Is Jesus the Only Way?"
I love it! I can't wait! I have really enjoyed the message series... just wanted to share! What hit me most last night was when Matt was explaining how Hell is an example of God's love for us. Sounds weird, right? Some people say if God was such a loving God He would make everyone go to heaven. But here's Matt question... how much does love mean if there's no cost? If God paid no price for us to spend eternity with Him then cool, whatever, everything is hunky dory. BUT! I love this part! He didn't! He paid hell for us! How do you know love it true? When it has been tested and proved true. God paid Hell for us because He longs for us to be with Him that much! Love it! Fear of fire doesn't bring about the kind of heart change that God's all about- experiencing His immense love does! I want to be a person moved by His love!

Woo... I get all excited thinking about that but I'll try to calm down and give you an update...
We had an Africa meeting last night. We talked about our strengths and reviewed a couple devotionals about servant hood. Next week we're washing each others feet- intense servant hood! I'm stoked! I've never done it before! (I give lots of baths at work but this is quite different)
Checks have pretty much stopped coming in and I still need a little over $1,000. That's not a lot compared to what I've been blessed with already but daunting considering how much I have in my bank account. Provisions will come! He's been faithful so far!
That's about all for now... I'm going to go do a little work on my huge 590 paper (a research paper on autism and sensory integration... sounds like a blast huh?) before I have lunch shop for a graduation dress with maile... ill let you know how things turn out ;)

5 days of college left!

It's true! Finals start a week from wednesday! Class is canceled monday which means only five days of classes! Horray! I have two finals on thurday the 10th, an in class memo and an exam in Intro to Counseling. Could be worse! I'm in the midst of two papers- one is pretty short and insignificant but it's taking some time becuase it's research based and the other is supposed to be 20-15 pages and also researched based. Regardless... I'll get there and each day the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter!

Also! An old old family friend just found me on myspace! It was so fun to look at her pictures and some what catch up with her.
I got the first big batch of thank you letters and graduation party announcements out! Horray! What a relief!

This our community groups last meeting together for the semester and it's really sad! I have loved serving in the group and watching God bless the ministry!

We're getting a little stressed about the living situation for the summer and next year. We have girls to live with but Dawn (our current roomie) is selling the place we live in and the other girls we want to live with are stuck in their leave til August. It's just silly logistics that God will work out and we'll look back and laugh at how stressed we were about it. Still though some prayer that that works out and that we are calm and smart about it would be great!

I'm going to get to bed so I can be rested for tomorrow!

I love you guys!

These are two of the girls I'll be living with next year! Just so you can put some faces to prayers... this is Brittni and Kara. They've been a huge blessing in my life! They're awesome friends and awesome women of the Lord! Brittni is going to grad school next year at SDSU in speech language pathology and Kara has another semester at State in Statistics. She works for the Padres right now and wants to do stats for baseball! Love them!

Strengths... found!

One of our homework assignments from last week's Africa meeting was to take the Gallop's Strength Finders Test. Drum roll please... here are the results...

1. Woo "Winning others over"
I love meeting new people, finding common ground and engaging in conversation. As the book defines this strength, "There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met yet- lots of them." Can I get an amen?

2. Strategic

This one means that I like to make sense out of confusion. I like to take chaos, create a strategy and go for it. "Select and Strike" as the book calls it.

3. Beleif

Apparently I have core beleifs that are "eduring". These beleifs make me family-oriented, altruistic, responsible and mean I hold high ethics. My work must mesh with my values and it must be meaningful and matter to me. hm... looks like I'm in the right field!

4. Arranger

I am a multi-tasker and a conductor. I "jump into the confusion, devising new options, hunting for new paths of least resistance, and figuring out new partnerships- becuase, after all, there might just be a better way". Sounds like it compliments strategic well.

5. Communication

My "word pictures pique people's interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act" eep. big shoes to fill, huh? It means I love public speaking, hosting, explaining and describing. accurate.

And my friends... as promised... a picture of the team! It's not a good picture but at least my camera took the picture before one of it's spasms.

Left to right- back row: Dan, Kelsey, me, Mawi, Kelly, Jeremiah

Left to right- front row: Angie and Ruby

google maps

Some of my team memebers suggested checking this out... I thought you guys might enjoy it!
It's a google satalite map of Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. It doesn't look much like a capital though. Apparently Lilongwe is more like a region not a city. The area Ill be living and working in is like a sub section of Lilongwe.
Enjoy the map!

cheap tickets... score!

Last night we had our culture night for the Malawi and Uganda teams! We did an activity where we examined our own background and learned that we can't really make an assumptions about where people come from. We also talked about how each person has a unique story and how ridiculous it is to assume we are all the same. This is all a common theme in my major so I hear it often but it's so sweet to talk about it in a spiritual context!
We ate a bunch of Malawian and Ugandan food to prepare ourselves. I think I'll survive. Ruby says the first couple weeks will the hardest in regards to food becuase every new person we meet will want to cook for us. Corrie Klekowski says all the food made by the locals will have "bone chips" in it. lovely. There was a pretty good peanut soup thing that i mixed rice and black beans into. It turned out pretty good! I was very happy to see that cheese sandwiches (white bread and a kraft single) and fruit salad (mangos, bananas, and apples) were Malawian! Apparently though the interns generally cook for themselves.... this is good news for my digestive system! I am a little worried about continual headaches from the amount of onion and pepper that was in each dish but that's survivable!
My team dropped from 12 members to 9. The size feels more managable and actually I'm stoked becuase that means more intimate friendships! Woo! Ruby is doing an awesome job with keeping all the logistic stuff in line. I'm so glad she'll be there with us!
Oh! Cheap tickets... go figure I got distracted... focus amanda... Flood was able to get our plane tickets for about 600 or 700 less than expected which means the total amount I need to raise is lower! Ruby will get us a more accurate number but Im guessing I only need to raise about 1500 more! Awesome! Thanks again to everyone who has already given! I'll keep you updated and I'm be working on those thank you's!
I'm sitting at our condo waiting for my new computer to come! Horray! I'm going to go and work on graduation announcments, party invitations and thank you notes!
Thanks again for being such a blessing in my life and for your support! I can feel it!

2,000 to go!

I am OH SO HAPPY to report that I almost to my goal!
I just totaled everything including what FPC is sending and I have a total of 3,250! That means just about 2,000 left! God is good!
I am in the middle of catching up on a bunch of Africa homework that I missed while I was in Mexico! I have a bio to write, some study of culture and some other stuff to get done. Hopefully I'll have some time tomorrow to work on it too.
Next week I have it in my calander to work on thank you notes and graduation announcments! Excpet those in the mail in a few weeks!
I am off to continue my Africa homework and to get ready for Bible study! My girls will be here soon!
As soon as my new computer comes Ill be able to upload pictures and I promise to get some your way!
Amanda

The No Computer Woes

Sorry friends! I know it's been a while since I've posted but I have been without a computer for quite some time. Good news though! A computer is in the mail on the way to San Diego for me to post my little heart out on. Don't you worry Nina... the posts will continue! Okay... here are the updates!
I just spent an amazing week with my students from Roseville back in my second home, Ensenada Mexico. My team spent the week working and ministering at a childrens mission called Mision Las Lomitas. It's a small mission from a large church in Ensenada. I got to see a ton of kids I had met last year, that's one of the best feelings in the world. I was an official translator which was super crazy. I was pretty positive I was completely incapable but as always God provided. He gave me the words and the childrens program went just great! The last day of our program I had an awsome time helping the kids understand the concept of the Holy Spirit. By the end the were practically yelling to me precious answers like, "He is with us! He helps us! He guides us!" We were able to repaint a mural for the mission, paint over some graffiti, let the children help put a person touch on the site and build a retaining wall to make the mision a safer place for the kids to play. The students were responsive, the adults were selfless. I love this trip.
Before I left for Mexico I you guys made it possible for me to meet my first financial goal on my way to Africa! Flood needed at least $1500 to purchase our plane ticket. I am happy to report I turned in a total of over $2000! I am a little over a third of the way to the total! I haven't been home in over a week so I look forward to seeing what arrived while I have been out of the country.
Let me tell you that fundraising for this trip has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I understand the this is the Biblical method of missionary and I love giving to others who are going but manis it hard to be on the receiving end! Every letter I open I think to myself, "you shouldn't have" or "this was too much". I am loving the somewhat painful experience of remember that giving is joyful and that the money isn't ours to begin with and that it's not going to me it's going to the children and to furthering the Kingdom. Regardless, thank you a million times for your faithfulness. You guys mean the world to me.
I'll post again when I return to San Diego and get everything sorted out.
My mom and I watched this video on the COTN website. It's awesome! It talks about Malawi and the work COTN does there. Check it out!
http://cotni.org/29-malawi

It's happening!

It's real! Within the last two days I've recieved 11 letters back with a total of over $600! It's so exciting! I'm stoked- it's feeling more and more like the trip is actually happening! (It is happening... it's just hard to feel connected with the reality of it because Africa and our departure date are so far away). I am preparing to help lead the Mexico mission trip with First Pres. Roseville! I can't wait to see all of the students and get back into that Mexican dirt! God has been opening doors... actually flinging them open and pushing me through with this trip so I'm so excited to see what happens! We leave March 31, I'll let you know after Easter!
I off for a late late dinner and bed early! Tuesdays are long ones for me and wednesdays are awesome but even longer!
Thanks again so much for your support! God is really showing me through the humbling experience of raising support how much He has blessed me with a rad support system! I really appriciate you!
Amanda

letters letters letters

Hi friends! I'm working hard on my support letters so this will be short! Thanks so much for being faithful friends!
We had our meeting last night and it was great! Super legistical but great none the less! We got the number... $5,300. Seriously it freaks me out but I trust in God and His ability to provide! If He wants me to go He will provide the means, right? There are twleve rad college kids on my team. Im stoked to get to know them better! Ill try to post a picture of all of us for you guys to see. I know a handful of them already but most of the team is new to me! Horray! I love new friends! Everyone was pretty shy and a little hesitant but I'm sure we'll be comfortable with everyone in no time!
Our mission became more clear last night although we will always be flexable. We will be helping COTN expand their ministry into a neighboring villiage. To do this they need to identify enough orphans to justify their expansion... thats where we come in! As of now we will be living in straw huts and scouring the villiages to meet orphans! Meeting people... nothing makes me more excited! In the middle of our two month trip a team from Flood will come and they will be our man power to put on a week long camp for the orphans we have met!
Ill keep you guys updated... thanks for reading this and for investing in me, this trip and the orphans of Malawi.
P.S. The pictures on my support letter are actually children in COTN villiages... precious huh?!
Thanks again!
I love you guys!

Welcome!

Hi everyone! Thanks for joining me in my new adventure in blogging! Props to the Pray's, Kate, and Jeremiah for the inspiration. This is how I will keep my friends and family (that's you!) updated on my life... more specifically- my trip to AFRICA this summer! I'll let you know about the plans, the process, fundraising, pictures, meetings, prayer requests, praises, my feelings... well everything! So here we gooooo!
Latest News:
Our first team meeting with Children of the Nations is March 4th
After much prayer and agony my talk with my supervisor at Polinsky (work) went GREAT! I can "flex" and work fridays instead of Sundays on the days we have meetings! Awesome! God has yet again provided!
I will start working on support letters soon and they'll be on your way in no time!