China or Bust!

2010-03-11T01:20:00.001-06:00

Not going to China this time...but to HAITI! Come on over to my other blog to read about it. :D

2009-08-12T09:47:00.001-06:00

just another quick reminder that i'm now over here.

2009-07-21T21:43:00.002-06:00

Because I don't post very often to my blog(s) anymore, I just wanted to put a little note on here that I am in the process of a 3 part post about my trip to Portland last weekend. Go on over to this blog for the updates. It's the one that I will use most often. :D I hope this finds all of you doing well. I would love to hear how you are doing!!

2009-04-13T21:43:00.000-06:00

Just posted again over here!

2009-01-24T19:34:00.002-06:00

Howdy!

Surprised to see me posting....me too! I just stopped in to say that I started a different blog. So, if you are interested, head on over to Wherever He Leads and follow me there. I started the new blog in hopes of posting more frequently. Since I'm not in China/posting about China, it felt weird posting here at China or Bust.

HSM3

2008-10-28T13:40:00.003-06:00

Here's my favorite pic from the weekend...more to come about High School Musical 3 soon!

Things I've Learned

2008-10-22T16:06:00.006-06:00

So...it's been about a month since I have posted. Does that surprise anyone? Well, it shouldn't because I am REALLY bad at keeping up with my blog these days. Here's a little bit of what's been going on.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED:

1. Studying isn't ALWAYS the most important thing (shhh....don't tell my instructors). I still study....just not as excessively as I once did. I'm learning a lot and having a lot of fun too. We had a little too much fun one night at the beginning of this semester with all of our fun, new nursing equipment. I enjoy moments like these much more than studying!

2. You are never too old for "1st day of school" breakfast. It's a tradition in the Tankersley family to go out to breakfast on the first day of school. We've done this my entire life, and I wasn't planning on stopping just because I am in nursing school. Cassidy and Joan went with me this year. So fun!

3. 6:30 am clinicals are WAY WAY WAY too early! Having a 6:30 am clinical means that I have to get up super early on Tuesday mornings....like 5:00 am. That shouldn't be allowed. I'm never a happy camper when that alarm goes off at 5! I do have a great clinical group though. I don't have a pic of all of us together...I'll work on that. Here's Joan and me on the way to clinical one morning.

4. Friday Skills Lab has allowed me to get to know this wonderful chica really well. Friday is our "Physical Assessment" lab. Julie is my partner, and we take turns being patient and nurse each week. Kinda fun. It reminds me of playing doctor/nurse as a little kid; except now I get a grade for it. Kinda cool!

5. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and best friends are REALLY FUN! Several weeks ago, I made a trip to Houston to visit my best friend and my brother. It was such a great weekend. I drove spent the night with Christi Friday night...we ended up staying up till 3 am catching up. Then Saturday morning, we went to the zoo! I love going to the zoo, but I love hanging out with this great girl anymore. As I left that weekend, I realized I never knew how good I had it at A&M. It's much nicer to have your best friend 5 minutes away rather than 3 hours. Love you Christi! (My mom drove up to Houston and surprised me that weekend too. It was so great to see her. I don't have a picture though. Bummer! )

My Roomie!

2008-09-23T20:39:00.004-06:00

Here you have it, guys! The World's Greatest San Antonio roomie!

Joan and I met during our interview for nursing school in the Spring semester. Through our conversation, we realized that not only were we both AGGIES, but we also went to the same church. Crazy that we had never met before...oh ya, I think we may have even been in the same Sunday school class too. God knew what He was doing when He put this incredible girl in my life...she is a portion of my inheritance (like we learned about at the Beth Moore conference).

We found out during our orientation that we were in the same clinical group (which is just 10 students out of our class of 120). We thought it was pretty crazy that we ended up together for that. Then we went on to find out that BOTH of our Skills Labs were together as well. That means that we have EVERYTHING (school wise) together. From the beginning we decided that this could either be REALLY good or REALLY bad...and I am pleased to say that it has turned out to be REALLY good.

Love you, Joanie!

My First Weekend in SA! [a little late]

2008-09-21T20:31:00.000-06:00

The weekend before I left for San Antonio and Jenn left for College Station, we decided to make it a "see-ster weekend". We drove to College Station, loaded up some of my stuff, and then spent the rest of the weekend in San Antonio.

Most of the time Jenn and I spent just hanging out...Riverwalk, shopping, etc.

Being goofy in the car!

Saturday night, my best friend, Christi, came in town for our friend Brittany's wedding. It was a blast getting to hang out with her one last time before we were separated :(. We have been besties since freshman year at A&M. She is now in Houston for medical school, and I am in San Antonio for nursing school. I'm not a fan of the separation!

Christi, Brittany (the beautiful bride), and me. We were all such good friends at A&M through FCA. These two girls were two of the biggest blessings to come out of my time at A&M. I love them so so so much!

It was a great weekend of seeing old friends and getting to have quality time with Jenn. So much fun!

Catching up....The Apartment

2008-09-12T19:57:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the apartment....well, my room! It's been a month (almost) since I moved in, and I absolutely love it! Not much else to say...just some pictures. :)

Catching Up...T bar M!

2008-09-02T20:58:00.009-06:00

I'm back! I'm so sorry about the ridiculously long blogging break. So many times I would sit down to post, and then simply not even know where to start. I'm not even sure if anyone still reads this anymore, but I decided that I would post anyways.

At the end of June, I headed to New Braunfels to spend the last part of my summer working at T bar M! I had an incredible time. I was excited to find out that I would be back in my old cabin of Cut-n-Shoot. The last summer I worked at T bar M (summer 2005) I was also in Cut-n-Shoot. It brought back so many fun memories!

"SESSION 6...Get your kicks!"
The session 6 Cut-n-Shoot Cuties were L.O.C.'s. L.O.C.'s are "leaders of camp". They are the oldest kiddos at camp and are challenged to lead by example. Our girls lived up to the challenge very well. It was so neat to see the Lord begin to develop in them a heart of service and leadership. These girls were so funny...and LOUD! There was rarely a moment where we weren't laughing. We won "Cabin of the Week", but the thing that I will remember the most from Session 6 is that 4 of our girls became believers. What a blessing!!!

"Session 7...Slice of Heaven!"
I agree with our little catch phrase for the week. Session 7 really was a little slice of heaven. We had 8 and 9 year olds, which was a HUGE change from the week before. I spent so much of my time this week saying, "Hey, where's your cabin?" and "Hey, don't you think you need to wear some shoes to specialty?" I was constantly counting heads to make sure we had all of our girls, and I was pooped at the end of every day. But seriously, I am NOT complaining. These girls were so sweet and just loved being with us. I never had to look too hard to find a hug or a sweet smile. I loved it!!

I had a really sweet moment with one of the girls in my cabin during this session. "B" came on the first day and didn't want to wear her glasses. She really needed to wear them, but she was so concerned about looking different from everyone else. I told her how much I loved her glasses, and that I would wear my glasses all week with her if she would wear hers. She agreed and looked totally adorable in them. That gave us an instant bond, and I was sad to see her leave at the end of the session.

"We love the OCHO...muy muy much-o!"
I had such a special connection with ALL of my girls this week. I got so close to my sesion 8 girls. These girls were 10 and 11 year olds, and man, we had an INCREDIBLE time together. Everything from singing "Popular" from Wicked....to Hannah Montana....to getting soaked in the rain and making tons of necklaces....to our "mandatory 'snuggle' sessions" everytime we walked to the Chuckwagon. As a whole, these girls were servants. They were always looking for ways to serve us (their coaches), other cabins, and even each other. It doesn't get any better than that!

What an UNDENIABLE summer! God taught me an even deeper dependence on Him. I learned how to love even when its hard and how to surrender even when it hurts. God is so faithful, and I am so thankful for the good and the hard times that I experienced during my time at camp. My prayer each week was that my campers would leave camp changed. I wanted them to walk out of the camp gates on Saturday morning as a different person than when they arrived. I can honestly say that I did that...I left T bar M as a different person than I was at the beginning of July. God does big things through camp...not only in the campers, but in the coaches as well. I am proof of that!

T bar M

2008-06-29T22:31:00.002-06:00

I'm off to T bar M for the rest of the summer! There's a pretty good chance I won't be posting regularly, but I will at least try to get a couple in here and there. I love TbarM, and I am so excited to be there!!

GA Camp

2008-06-23T21:34:00.005-06:00

Last week was GA Camp. WHOOP! I think this was either my 5th or 6th summer to take these girls to camp. I love it! Here's a few pics of the week. Aren't they just precious?!?! You want to know the best part of the week? One of our 6th graders accepted Christ as her Savior! Praise the Lord!!

These three girls came to visit on Thursday. What a treat that was!! We hung out at the Snack Shack and ate snowcones for most of the afternoon!

The little girl in the brown is Ellie. She isn't from my church, but I have been looking forward to camp all year so that I could see her again. I met Ellie last summer at GA Camp. I was just drawn to her and she was drawn to me as well. We were big buddies all during camp. I wondered why we had such an instant bond most of the week. On the last night of camp last year, one of her sponsors came up and told me her story. Ellie was adopted from Russia not too long before she came to camp. It was interesting to hear that Ellie usually doesn't get attached to people like she did to me. That was a special moment for me....and she is such a special girl in my life.

Locks of Love

2008-06-23T20:52:00.007-06:00

Last Thursday I cut my 10 inch ponytails (2 of them!) to donate to Locks of Love. Hannah, a sweet girl from church, and I have been planning on this for over a year. This is the short version of the "why" for donating.

My sophomore year in college, I donated my hair for the first time. It was such a neat experience for me, I knew I wanted to eventually donate again. When I came home after donating to LOL, Hannah was full of questions about why I chose to donate my long hair. We talked about what they do with the ponytails and who will end up getting them. It wasn't long after that that her mom told me that Hannah decided to donate her hair too. So a couple of months later, I went with Hannah to donate her hair to LOL.

A little over a year passed and I didn't think much of donating my hair again. When I returned home after my first summer in China, I cut my hair short again (but not for LOL). Hannah asked me if we could grow our hair out and donate it together. Of course I told her "Yes!" So began the process for the second time except this time I wasn't doing it alone which made it much more fun.

Several months into growing out my hair, I came across the Bramblett family blog. One of their sweet daughters, Ayla, was dealing with childhood cancer. Each time I would brush or fix my hair, I found myself thinking about and praying for this sweet girl who was battling cancer. Ayla's smile always brings joy to my heart each time I see her picture. I continued to pray for her as the months passed and my hair was growing. Hannah soon began reading their blog and praying for Ayla too.

So this time, Hannah and I donated our hair in honor of Ayla. At times when I would get frustrated with the inconvenience of long hair, I would think back to Ayla knowing that someone like her would benefit from my ponytails. It's a crazy thought!

Before

Cutting my ponytailsTada! They're gone!!

Hannah's long hairBeautiful Hannah

We took Ayla's picture with us when we donated...since it was in honor of her! She is such a beauty and I love this picture of Ayla!

Halle (Hannah's sister) helping us hold Ayla's picture!
The fun didn't stop there. Jenny and my friend Megan came to watch me donate my hair, and they BOTH ended up donating theirs as well!!

VBS Competition

2008-06-20T21:59:00.001-06:00

I wanted to post the outcome of the VBS competition before I left for camp on Monday, but I just ran out of time. So here it is.

We had a great week at VBS. Twenty boys and girls accepted Christ as their Savior. What could be any better than that?!?! I mentioned before that we had a competition going on between the girls and the boys and that I was going to represent the girls team. Well, the outcome wasn't what I wanted. We tied...so both Brian and I had to swallow a fish. From the very beginning of the week, the kids were introduced to Outrigger, the Beta fish. The competition was whether the boys or girls brought the most offering (determined by weight). Monday the boys won...Tuesday the girls DOMINATED...Wednesday it was a little closer, but the girls one again...Thursday was very close but the boys won. It all came down to Friday's offering since we were tied 2-2.

All week the kids thought that one of us would have to swallow Outrigger, but we really only had to swallow a goldfish (thank goodness!!). I knew I was in trouble when I saw not 1 but 2 goldfish on the stage before closing ceremonies....

The following videos are how the event unfolded...

Katie Swallows a Goldfish Part 1

2008-06-20T21:57:00.003-06:00

The white buckets are full of the offering for the day. Obviously, the girls beat the guys (by a lot) which meant that the girls won the competition!!

Katie Swallows a Goldfish Part 2

2008-06-20T21:57:00.001-06:00

Just as Brian was getting ready to swallow the goldfish, Bro. Kevin reminded us of the "friend" factor that I completely forgot about. Once again, my fate of eating the fish was up in the air....

Katie Swallows a Goldfish Part 3

2008-06-20T21:56:00.001-06:00

It's a little difficult to tell, but the fiesty little goldfish decided to swim to the bottom of the cup. Once all of the water was in my mouth, I realized that the goldfish was still in the cup...SICK!! So I had so swallow it without water.

So there you have it...I swallowed a goldfish! As far as offering is concerned, the girls WON the competition. Supposedly, the "friend" factor evened it out....but I'm not so sure about that!! I don't have a final total for VBS offering, but it is all going to a team from our church that will be traveling to Ecuador this summer. I am glad I was able to be a part of it...even if it was in this way.

Swallowing the fish was gross, but knowing that people will hear the name of Jesus (maybe for the first time) made it competely worth it.

Out for the week.

2008-06-16T06:27:00.001-06:00

I'm leaving in a few minutes to take the little girls from church to camp. I have a couple of posts I want to do, but they will have to wait until I get back. You guys have a great week, and I will be back soon!!!

Locks of Love Tomorrow!!

2008-06-11T19:54:00.003-06:00

See my long hair??? Tomorrow at 1:30 it will all be gone. It's finally time to donate it to Locks of Love. Right now, I'm not sure if I am ready to part with it. :(

VBS starts tomorrow!

2008-06-08T21:20:00.006-06:00

VBS has always been one of my favorite parts of the summer. This summer is no different. All of the hard work of decorating pays off when I see the kiddos learning truths from God's Word. I've helped in many different ways throughout the years (every year since 7th grade). This year I will be teaching the music class. I love music because I get to be around all of the kids instead of being with one specific age group.

This year at VBS holds a new experience for me that could be good or very, very bad! Each year there is a competition between the girls and the guys. I am representing the girls this year. What's the prize, you ask?!? If the girls win, I don't have to swallow a live fish. But if the girls lose, I'll be SWALLOWING A LIVE FISH on Friday afternoon....SICK!! Oh the things I will do for the kiddos at church. I'm hoping....and PRAYING that the girls win our friendly competition!!

It's gonna be a great week at Outrigger Island learning about God's unshakeable Truth!

All About Jenn

2008-06-08T21:00:00.006-06:00

First off....graduation! It was long and hot, but I guess that's to be expected at an outside graduation at the end of May. Meme and Peeps came in to visit and stayed all weekend with us.

The whole family at graduation

The traditional "SEE-ster pic"
Second...and much more exciting news...Jenn got accepted to A&M! Her acceptance letter to Blinn Team came in the mail yesterday. She will take classes at both A&M and Blinn for her freshman year and then automatically transfer into A&M as a full-time student! CONGRATS AGGIE GIRL!

Apple Goes to Thailand

2008-06-07T07:28:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow, tonight at 9:20 our time, Apple leaves for Thailand. I'm so proud of her and all she has accomplished. Apple is studying abroad for two years in Bangkok, Thailand. I called her last night to see how she is doing, and she told me her next stop was to "fry" to America. Boy, I can't wait for the day when she is able to "fry" to America for a visit! I know that our Father has GREAT things in store for this sweet girl, and I know that she loves Him with everything. All I have to say is, "Watch out, Bangkok! Apple's coming!" I'm not sure if Thailand is going to be ready for her!!

Lazy Days of Summer....Not Quite!

2008-06-06T16:18:00.008-06:00

***Updated with pictures***

It's more like the BUSY days of summer! Last Friday was my last day of teaching :(. It was sad saying goodbye the kiddos. Although it was sad to leave, I was thankful for an early dismissal day; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get all my "stuff" home before Jenny graduated. Trent came down and met me at the house when I got out of school. We enjoyed McAlister's (one of my favorites) for one last time before leaving College Station before loading down his truck with my stuff. Amazing how much "stuff" accumulates over 5 years. There was no way it was all going to fit in my bug. Thanks for coming to help, Trent!

We drove in town at 6:50 and had to leave for graduation at 7:15....it was the quickest I think I have every gotten ready in my life. Graduation was long....and HOT! You gotta hate having graduation outside sitting in stadium bleachers even though there was a breeze. Meme and Peeps came in town for graduation and ended up staying until Monday morning. It was fun having them around for a few days. I'm not sure they would agree seeing as we put them both to work all weekend on VBS stuff at the church. Graduation pics to come soon...they are on mom's camera.

Peeps

Vacation Bible School has kept us busy from Saturday until well, tonight....we are hoping to finish up decorating the gym tonight. Let's rephrase that...I am hoping to finish up the gym tonight because I don't think I can handle being up there until midnight many more nights!! I love decorating for VBS but it's tiring. This year I ended up with most of the painting, and last night I had 4 AMAZING painting helpers! These kiddos are so much fun, and I can honestly say our surf boards wouldn't have turned out nearly as cute if it wasn't for their abstract art....I don't do "abstract"....I need lines and structure! Once again....more pics of the finished product are on mom's camera; so I will finish this up later!

My Hayden, Hannah, Xiao Katie, and Halle

Handprint SurfboardHalle wanted to be my special helper all night. She helped the others paint, but then she wanted to help me clean the brushes afterwards. She is most definitely the cutest (and my favorite) almost 5 year old I know! After the hard work, we (Halle and me) baked cookies using the "Big Oven" for everyone.

More to come soon....Hopefully I will be posting more often (but no promises). Next week is VBS and the following week is GA Camp.

Oh ya....the "quoteable" for the week....
I spent the day with Hannah (9), Hayden (7), and Halle (almost 5) yesterday. While we were in the car, this conversation with Hannah and her mom took place.

Mom (to Hayden): "Ms. Tammy has to go see the doctor next week."
Hannah: "Ya, she is going to get her thorax removed!"
Mom (to Hannah): "Umm...I'm pretty sure it's her thyroid, not thorax."
Hannah: "Oh ya. Isn't a thorax part of a bug?"

Packing to Move

2008-05-27T21:29:00.003-06:00

I'm sorry for my lack of blogging lately. The past couple of weeks have flown by so quickly and have been incredibly busy. I've been juggling saying "goodbye" to friends, packing up to move, and stressful situations at work since the beginning of May. As of yesterday, all of my friends in College Station are gone and the walls in my room are looking really bare. That doesn't make for a very fun time this week. :( I'm not complaining though because I love having the extra weeks to hang out with my kiddos at school.

So....Friday I move. I say goodbye to my home for the past 5 years. I love Aggieland, and I am almost positive that I will never find another place like it. Leaving is hard (because I don't like change), but I have so much to look forward to in the coming summer/fall.

Going home for JUNE!! I am pretty pumped about spending a month at home with the family. I know that come fall I won't be able to go as often, and so I plan on enjoying every minute of being there this summer.
Hanging out with the coolest 2nd-6th grade girls at GA Camp. I honestly don't even know how many years I have gone to GA camp. I went as a camper as many years as I could, and then I have been a sponsor for SEVERAL years. It's great fun!
T bar M Sports Camp. I'm still shocked that I get to go back for the second half of the summer!! I started working at T bar M the summer after I graduated from high school. I haven't worked the past two summers (because I was in China) which makes it even more exciting to be back. God is at work at camp, and I can't wait to jump in and be a part.
San Antonio. I'll be there in August! Enough said!

Friday closes one chapter in life, but it opens another. What's in store? Who knows...well God knows! I can't wait to see what happens next.

Apartment

2008-05-19T20:46:00.003-06:00

Today, Joan (my SA roomie) and I went to San Antonio to look for apartments. Our search ended up being pretty successful. Top reasons why we liked it so much...

SUPER close to campus (0.5 miles)! This means we don't have to drive to campus with gas at almost $4/gallon.

Our friends from A&M are also living in the same complex. What could be more fun than that?!

Lots of room...and BIG CLOSETS!!! (That was one of my favorite parts!)

My personal favorite reason....it reminds me of China. I know, I know...weird! But seriously, as soon as we drove in the gate I had a flashback of standing in the courtyard of the Middle School Attached to the Guangxi University for Nationalities. I have a couple of pictures to prove it, but I have to find them so it could take a couple of days!

Right now we are at the top of a waiting list for the apartment; that's why I said our trip was "pretty successful". It's still not a done deal...but we are hoping one opens REALLY soon!

I'll leave you with the first (of many!) roommate pics!

Sorry Dad...I know you were looking for more pics on here. I'll show you this weekend. :) I'm just too tired to post them now.

Jenny, Jenny

2008-05-05T16:48:00.005-06:00

Before I came back to CS yesterday, Mom and I took some senior pictures of Jenny. I can't believe that she graduates at the end of May!

She's adorable...I know!

Thinking of China

2008-05-01T21:37:00.005-06:00

HAPPY EVERYDAY!
I love you forever!
front row: Ann, Eva, Helen, Luck (Lucy), Kiki
back row: Haylin, Jade, Ville, Sally, me, Hannah, Song, Flora

"Happy Everyday!" and "I love you forever!" were two of the most common phrases I heard the past two summers. Oh how I wish I could hear them again...

San Antonio, Here I Come!

2008-04-30T19:07:00.004-06:00

My letter from UTHSCSA came today! I got accepted to their nursing program which means that I'll be moving to San Antonio in the fall. Crazy...I never thought it would happen.

I left school around noon today to go pick up lunch for everyone and decided to stop by and check the mail. Sure enough...my letter was there! As I opened my letter, the Chris Tomlin song "God of This City" started playing on my iPod. Let me back-track for a second....back in February I went to the Passion Conference in Dallas. During one of the worship services, "God of This City" was played over us as we prayed for our campuses. I did pray for A&M and College Station, but my heart and mind kept wandering to San Antonio and the ministry with the Somalis there. I couldn't get them off of my heart and mind. Then throughout the semester, I went to SA for various reasons, and "God of This City" always played on my iPod. It became my prayer for the city, and it got me excited to be a part of what God is doing there. Having that song play as I opened my acceptance letter was just a sweet moment for me and the Lord knowing that I am walking in obedience to Him and am following His lead.

Does everything make sense right now?...no, absolutely not! Am I scared to move that far away? Yes, I am. Do I know and trust that God provides if I follow Him in obedience? YES, YES, YES! I can't wait to be a part of what God is doing in San Antonio!

Lots of emotions, but overall I am excited!

Waiting...

2008-04-29T15:00:00.004-06:00

I called UTHSC-San Antonio again today. I'm pretty sure the lady is sick and tired of hearing my voice. She said the letters were mailed yesterday. So, I guess that means....SOON I should know. Tomorrow maybe?!?

Reunited...at LAST!

2008-04-27T20:28:00.005-06:00

Delightful! That's the best word I can use to describe Thursday evening....although it still doesn't say it all. Brynn and I went to dinner and just had fun catching up on the last two years of each other's lives. Three hours was definitely not enough time to completely catch up, but it was totally worth every minute of it. I just love this girl! One of my favorite things about Brynn is her heart to serve the Lord. It is so evident in everything she says and does. Because of that, I really enjoyed getting to hear how the Lord is impacting the nations through her.

Another one of my favorite things about Brynn is her fun-loving spirit! I laughed more during those three hours than I have in a long time. When I picked Brynn up, I asked her what she wanted to do. We decided on dinner and then sweet tea at Chick-fil-a. Does that surprise anyone?!?! The whole time in China I talked about craving sweet tea, and she had never had any before. I would have been a horrible friend/Texan if I didn't take her to get some good 'ole sweet tea! So...this is a classic Brynn/Katie picture. Sorry it's so blurry. It was one of the many "car pictures" we took driving around Houston trying to find a Chick-fil-a. [I'm pretty sure it was right before our N*Sync jam session!!] We FINALLY found a Chick-fil-a...in Atascocita! A little bit out of the way, but it was totally worth it! The before sweet tea pic....oh the anticipation!
And she finally tries it...SUCCESS! Brynn loved it!

This is me (obviously)...really excited that she loves sweet tea now...just like me! She finally understood why I kept talking about it in China! This is just a sampling of the pics we took. The people in Chick-fil-A thought we were crazy! Oh but it was fun!

Brynn- thanks for letting me come and hang out with you. It was so so so much fun....just DELIGHTFUL! You are one amazing friend, and I am so thankful for your friendship. Love you!

Update on Nursing School

2008-04-23T20:08:00.002-06:00

I found out today that San Antonio has made their decision and should be sending letters out at the end of the week...too bad they wouldn't tell me over the phone if I was accepted. Oh well, I guess I just have to keep waiting.

Miss Brynn!

2008-04-23T15:42:00.007-06:00

Tomorrow is going to be one exciting day! I have been looking forward to it all week. I'm leaving work early and driving to Houston to see Brynn. Brynn was one of my teammates to China in the summer of 2006. We had an instant bond that grew into an incredible friendship during our time in China.

I got a text from Brynn bright and early last Thursday morning saying she was in "my state". Side note: Everyone from my team that summer really enjoyed picking on me because I was a "typical southern belle" (so they say!) and the only one on my team from Texas. They started calling me Texas, and it caught on with the kids. So to some of my students the first summer, I was known as "Miss Texas". Anyways...Brynn was flying to Nicaragua to lead a missions team, and she is flying back into Houston tomorrow. Amazingly enough, she has almost a 5 HOUR LAYOVER before flying back to Oregon!! I decided to take off work early and meet up with her since I haven't seen her since our time together in China.

I can't wait...infact, I'm so excited I probably won't be able to sleep. Who knows what we will do during that time, but I am hoping to take her around and give her a little taste of "my state".

Miss Brynn...I'm coming to see ya!! Love you!

Missing China

2008-04-21T19:57:00.003-06:00

Missing China today...

...and wishing I was there!

Gotta love eating Old Friend Noodles with old friends!

1st day back in China---Summer 2007

The Beginning of the End

2008-04-20T19:40:00.003-06:00

Today began "the beginning of the end". I don't like to refer to it as that, but there just doesn't seem to be any other way to say it. The semester is coming to a close so quickly. I'm not exactly sure when it is over, but I do know that it is soon. Normally, I am excited about this time of year because it brings about a break from the ordinary. This time its different because at the end of the summer, I won't be returning to Aggieland. As this semester comes to a close, so does my time here in Aggieland....I'm excited about the change, but I am also sad that I have to leave. I decided today that I am going to make the most out of these last few weeks....savor every moment and enjoy every friendship.

"The Beginning of the End" started with our last bible study. When we started meeting back in September, I was completely unaware of all the blessings that it would bring. I began looking forward to 5pm on Sunday nights more than I ever have before. We opened the Word together...we fellowshiped together...we broke bread together...we prayed together. Does it get any better than that? Oh ya....we sure did laugh a lot too! I know that I walked away from this bible study with friendships and memories that will last for a long time! Each of these girls encouraged me and challenged me in my faith. I am going to miss them like crazy!

I love you girls! Thanks so much for the blessing that you have been this year!

Summer Plans

2008-04-15T22:50:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a lot this week about my summer plans...or rather the lack thereof. It's weird (and hard) that I won't be going back to the place I love so much. Summer 2006 and 2007 were two of the best summers of my life. I felt so at home in China...like I really belonged there. My heart is in China, and it aches to go back. But even more than I want to be in China, I want to be where the Lord is leading me. Eventhough it would be easy to jump on a plane and head back, my heart knows that God has different plans for this summer. Do I know what those are? Nope. Am I anxious not knowing what this summer holds for me? Yep. But do I know and trust that my Jesus has it all under control? Most definitely!

My prayer and hope is that someone...even just one person will go to China in my place this summer. I pray that they will go with the mindset of showing Christ to a people who are dying to know HIM! Their hearts are ready...God is already at work.

The Lord put a sweet girl in my bible study this year who also has a heart for China. This is her summer to go...and I am so excited! I am praying that she will pick up where I left off (hopefully with the same kiddos!). What a blessing to be able to send her!!

I am not physically going to China this summer, but my heart is there! I wait anxiously for the day I get to return. The wait literally makes my heart ache...but I know that what God is doing is completely worth the wait. The simple fact that God isn't sending me to China this summer lets me rest in knowing that He has something DIFFERENT in store. Who knows what it is, but I sure am excited to find out!

Summer Plans (cont.)

2008-04-15T22:41:00.001-06:00

I made this slideshow shortly after I returned from China last summer. Until this week, I hadn't watched it in several months. This is what got me really thinking about this summer.

Just Because...

2008-04-11T22:01:00.003-06:00

....this pic makes me smile!

I hope it made you smile today, too! Have an incredible weekend.

Accepted!

2008-04-10T20:48:00.002-06:00

Tuesday afternoon I came home to a letter in the mail from UT Houston School of Nursing. I got accepted into their accelerated program that starts in the middle of May. There were over 600 applicants and 40 were selected for this particular program. Now, UT Houston isn't my first choice...I am still waiting to hear from San Antonio. I called the nursing school at San Antonio today, and our letters should be out in two weeks. I told them that I needed to know fairly quickly so I know whether or not to accept my spot in Houston. The lady from San Antonio told me that I could call next week and find out about my acceptance from them. So sometime next week (or the following week at the latest), I should know where I will be going to nursing school. Although UT Houston isn't my first choice, acceptance to that program is still a blessing because it means I will be going to nursing school SOMEWHERE! Keep praying for San Antonio!

Help Me Believe

2008-04-06T19:19:00.003-06:00

I usually don't put posts like this on my blog, but for some reason I just felt like I needed to post this one. This past week or so has been difficult. I am learning to trust and lean on my Jesus like I never have before.

Last Tuesday was All Women's Breakaway. I look forward to this specific Breakaway every year, but for some reason I was debating on going. I had a softball game that was over 15 minutes before Breakaway started which would give me a perfect excuse (so I thought) not to go. As I debated whether or not I should go, I felt a tug in my heart that I needed to go. So somewhat grudgingly (and stinky!), I went. During worship, the Lord started dealing with my heart over some recurring issues and decisions that need to be made. I began praying over these things and trying to make sense of everything that was being brought to light. Then...just like God likes to do with me, He spoke to me through this song that Donna Stuart (the worship leader for the evening/wife to Breakaway director) wrote a few months back. It's called "Help Me Believe". Here are the lyrics...I wanted to put the song on here too, but I couldn't figure that one out.

All that I've done and all that's been done to me
Drove nails through Your hands hard and fast to the tree
and the lies that I live and the shame in my story
You covered with blood for Your name and Your glory, Lord

CHORUS:
Jesus help me believe
Jesus help me receive
This girl You've created You have redeemed
Lord help me believe this Lord help me receive
This daughter You rescued
You have washed her clean

So I raise outstretched arms with my knees to the earth
and I bow low my heart for in You is my worth
and I SHOUT from this mountain great joy in my soul
HALLELUJAH KING JESUS in You I am whole

CHORUS

And when I am tempted to believe something less
I run to Your Word... embracing forgiveness
Thank You for loving and thank You for healing me

CHORUS

I love the 2nd verse when it says, "I bow low my heart for in YOU is my worth" and "HALLEUJAH KING JESUS in YOU I am whole". Praise Him for those truths! Now my prayer is just like this song, "Jesus, help me believe/Jesus, help me receive" the truth...not the lies that are thrown at me!

Just thought I would share...

Special Olympics

2008-04-06T13:29:00.003-06:00

o-o-0-0-O-O-O-O-OOOOOOLYMPICS!!! That is our cheer to get all of the Chinese kids excited about the Olympic games. Did it work?!? Sometimes, but thats beside the point. The point is....I had that cheer stuck in my head all day yesterday!! Why you ask?!? Well, it's because I spent my Saturday helping out at Special Olympics. I have volunteered before, but this year was so much more fun. It makes it about 100X better when you actually KNOW the kids competing. I only had one of my kiddos compete, but he did AWESOME....one gold medal and one ribbon! Way to go! I didn't take many pics yesterday, but I am getting more on a CD sometime soon. So for now, enjoy this one!

PS...Can I just say that I love, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job and the people I work with?!?!? I am going to miss them all so much next year!

A Snapshot of My Week

2008-04-04T19:52:00.006-06:00

What a week!! I have been more busy this week than I have been in such a long time, but for the most part it was a good week.

First highlight of the week:

My brother called on Monday and made a somewhat "surprise" visit to CS. He came to show me his new dog, Luke. Well, actually his registered name is Lucas Spindletop Geyser....which is why I will stick to calling him Luke! Luke is a 2 year old Black Lab. Welcome to the family, Luke!

Isn't he a doll?!? I sure think so!!

Second highlight of my week:

Babysitting these two precious girls! For the past two years, I have gotten to hang out with these two girls while their mom and dad were busy. So much fun!!! I went out there on Wednesday night and we played hard. I'm so sad that they are moving to Florida at the end of the summer. :( I sure am going to miss them.

Another highlight (but no pictures):
I help coach a 14 & under girls softball team, and they won their first game on Tuesday night.
Way to go, Racers! Hopefully we will have many more this season.

My Student...

2008-04-04T19:38:00.003-06:00

Right before school was out this afternoon, we took one of my students to the ER. I went with him and sat in the ER with him for a few hours to help keep him calm. Please be lifting him up in prayer tonight. I can't disclose a name or what happened, but this guy needs more prayers than you know! He has a really rough life. Tomorrow he is scheduled for surgery at 8am. I will be praying...will you join me?!?

21 Hrs. Camping at Chick-fil-a = Free Chick-fil-A for a YEAR

2008-03-27T19:26:00.005-06:00

Wednesday morning was a day I had been looking forward to literally for WEEKS...I patiently drove down Texas Ave. several times a week waiting for the announcement of the opening. And Wednesday morning was THE DAY that I had been wating for!

From the moment my friend, Hannah, told me about camping out for the Grand Opening, I was in it 100%. Sad news though....the date of the Grand Opening (today) was right smack dab in the middle of her trip to Norway. Oh but don't you worry...it didn't stop me. Hannah's roommate (and also a great friend of mine), Audra, joined me for this little adventure.

I took the day off work on Wednesday just so I could get to Chick-fil-A early enough to guarantee that I was one of the first 100 customers. At 9am Wednesday morning, I drove by and noticed that there were already tents set up and what appeared to be a crowd already forming. I got on my phone IMMEDIATELY and called Audra to tell her we were going to need to be there earlier than expected. I ran home, grabbed a sleeping bag, some blankets, food, and random other items that I though I might need and hurried back to get in line. But seriously....how do you know what you REALLY need for camping out in the middle of a parking lot?!?! I arrived at Chick-fil-A, unloaded my car, and registered at 9:37 am. SUCCESS...I was #39 (I even have the wrist band to prove it!). Now I just had to stick it out until morning....

Audra came around 10:30, and in the mean time, I met some pretty cool people that we set up camp around. They were lots of fun. The day involved lining up at meal times for role call, and then walking through the drive thru to get our food....random role calls throughout the afternoon (we weren't allowed to leave or even go back to our cars)....games (you know...fun games like hot potato with a stuffed Chick-fil-A cow and a musical chairs/scavenger hunt combination kind of game)....a DJ that evening....4 huge plasma TV's with Guitar Hero, RockBand, and Wii...Icecream Sundaes at midnight...and lots of fun and fellowship.....oh ya, I can't forget my FAVORITE PART---FREE SWEET TEA ALL DAY LONG! There were also random visits throughout the day from the Chick-fil-a Cow which was awesome! Finally around midnight, they shut things down and quit doing role calls so that we could get some sleep (although by all the noise I heard outside the tent, I am pretty sure I was one of the only ones sleeping)! 5 am came early for us...that was our wake up call to start packing up our stuff. 6 am they lined us up for a final role call and gave us a tshirt and hat to wear as we received the "Grand Prize"! They marched us through the store around 6:15 with balloons everywhere and cowbells ringing in our ears....it felt like a graduation ceremony walking through because the owner "presented" our free coupons to us in a nugget box with a big bow tied on top "diploma style"....which made me laugh!

Super fun day/night....except for the sunburn and the fact that I had to go in to work this morning....other than that, it was MAGNIFICENT! You should check it out...they do this at all the openings for Chick-fil-a, and I am not lying...its LEGIT. Who knows, I might see you there because I plan on making this a frequent thing!

Audra and I before we set up the tent!

My favorite pic of the ENTIRE event!!

They threw these parachuting cows off the roof. I caught 4, but I gave one away to Audra! I'm such a good friend. jk!

Random guy, me, and Kimberly

San Antonio...I love it!!

2008-03-24T15:56:00.004-06:00

My interview was Thursday at UTHSCSA Nursing School, and it couldn't have been a better day. The actual interview went off without a hitch. She asked me a few basic questions, but we spent most of our time together just talking...and you know I LOVE TO TALK!! (some of you might be interested to know that I was PAINFULLY shy until I got to college...seriously! Most people wouldn't believe that one now.) After the interview, I had about an hour and a half for a lunch break which I got to spend with my friend Jacky. She is in her 1st year of medical school at UTHSCSA...it was so great to catch up with her and look around the school. The final part of the application/interview process was some standardized testing....BOOOOOO!!!! I think that I despise standardized testing more than anything in this entire world. But like I said before, the day (including the testing) couldn't have gone any better. The test was easy, and I was particularly excited that it was self-paced. I get super anxious when I have extra time to sit around and debate my answers, and so I was glad to see that when I was finished...I was finished and didn't have to wait on other people. Another plus to that is I did really well....a very unusual accomplishment for me when it comes to standardized testing!

So at this point, all I can do is wait. I can honestly say that after spending time on the campus and talking with the faculty and students, I have a complete PEACE about moving to San Antonio. I wont know "for sure" that I will be there until the middle of April, but in my heart I feel like its right. San Antonio is where I want to be. So I am resting in the promise of Psalm 37:4 that says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." I believe that the desire to attend UTHSCSA is from the Lord, and I am super excited about it!!

That's all!!

Letter from a Dear Friend

2008-03-24T15:39:00.004-06:00

I received this email today from one of my dear friends in China. Because I can't be 100% sure who will be reading this post, I am not able to share who it is or her story...although it would bring great joy to me to be able to do so. I have seen the Father work MIGHTILY in and through this dear sister....who also is one of my dearest friends! So often her life is an encouragement to me through her love for our Father and her boldness to share Him with others.

my dear friend ,today is a special day right __ easter day !and i am so happy today ,and also ,our father give me a lot of grace ,and also our lord -js give me a lot of joy ,and he show me his great love ,deep love for us !so i want to share my joy with you ,hhope all of you will have a good day ,and today is sunnday ,and i got up early ,and go to church and study with some sisters and brothers ,and we learn about J ohn [ 19;1--31] john [20:1-31]and also mark[ 14:32--42] we should remember the crucifixion of JS ,and the resurrcetion of JS ,and also when he face the death ,he also afraid of that ,so when we face the hard ness ,we should follow our father ,we should praise for everything !and we also remember we FELLOW JS steps ,and we should remember that MATTHEW[28:18--20] AND the JS CAME AND SAID TO THEM ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEB AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME ,GO THEREFOR AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS,BAPTING THEN IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND TEACHING THEN TO OBEY EVERYTHING ,THAT I HAVE COMMANED YOU ,AND REMEMBER ,IAM WITH YOU ALWAYS ,TO THE END OF THE AGE !I THINK WE SHOULD BRING PEACE AND JOY ,LOVE TO OTHERS ,no matter where you are ,and what kinds of job you take and share that with the people around you !right !come on !my dear friend ,and i really thanks that G BRING YOU COME TO MY LIFE ,AND LET ME SEE THE PEACE BE WITH YOU WITH HIM and then now i am be your sisters !thank you so much !and i think with he my life will be amazing ! how are you ?my dear friend ,you know ,even though we are not contect very often ,but we are so closed in christ !i miss all of you and now my school seems busy !but i love that ,and so when i ahve time ,i try to share bible words with others ,but ,that is all come from our father 's graces ! everyday i seem to be peace ,and joy ,so thank you all of your pray ,and i wil also pray for you !yestoday ,i have run 4000 meters ,and ican not believe ! and what are you doing ?hope all of you will send your love to me !

I hope that this brings encouragement and a challenge to you. For me, the encouragament was that we serve a mighty God who is at work and doing GREAT things among the nations!! Praise and glory to HIM alone! It was challenging for me to be reminded that I am to be sensitive to the Lord's call. Whatever He asks, whenever He asks...my answer is "Send me!" Lift up this sister in prayer when you think about it. I know she would appreciate it! Thanks so much!

San Antonio Interview

2008-03-18T19:01:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that I forgot to post about this, but somehow it slipped my mind! I got an interview at UT San Antonio's nursing school!! This is my first choice of schools to go to, and so I am pretty pumped about it.

The interview is on Thursday (3/20) at 11:30. Following the interview I have testing from 1-5pm. It is going to make for a long day, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end!! I would appreciate your prayers. Thanks so much!

Please pray...

2008-03-12T19:29:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to post and ask you guys to be praying for my grandmother. We had to put Granny in the nursing home in August-the week after I returned from China (August 2007). Her health has gone down hill since then...especially since the beginning of this year. In February, she had to have neck surgery and right now she is battling a virus that just won't seem to go away. It's hard on me because I am not able to be there very often, and it worries me that I might be missing some of her last days. I would appreciate prayers for her, for my mom (who is the one who takes care of her), and for the rest of my family. This has affected all of my family in different ways, but I think it is safe to say that it HAS affected all of us. Thanks so much!

Granny and me at church after I shared about my trip to China (Fall 2006)

Pass the muffins....like a lady!

2008-03-03T20:28:00.006-06:00

Thanks so much for your prayers this weekend. The Disciple Now in Kingwood was great. My fear of leading senior girls was quickly erased when I met these girls on Thursday night at the banquet. One of my favorite things in LIFE is getting to meet people in person that I have been praying for....there is just something so sweet about that initial meeting that I just love! We had a blast hanging out together, talking in our small group discussions, painting ceramics at Mud Pie Co., snacking, telling embarrasing stories...you know, all of the things that girls just have fun doing!! I don't think that I have ever belly laughed so much in my entire life....these girls were stinkin' hilarious! Enjoy a couple (I didn't take many) pics from the weekend.

12th grade ladies!

Mud Pie Co. It totally made my day to run into the BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING Kristen Clark!! I love her!

I think that each of us walked away with a deeper understanding of what it means for God to be the ultimate story writer of our lives....His story is unchanging, and our story is EVER-changing. Praise Jesus that He is so consistent! I love Him for that!

Kingwood Disciple Now

2008-02-27T22:06:00.007-06:00

Just a quick post about this weekend...

Tomorrow I am going to Kingwood to lead a Disciple Now. I have been a leader for several Disciple Nows in the past, and I loved every one of them. The difference in this weekend is that I will be leading the senior girls. On one hand, I am excited about the chance to pour into the lives of these seniors. The flipside to that is I am nervous because I have never led senior girls before....I am always with the middle school girls. So, I guess its just "unknown territory" to me.

I am praying that the Lord would begin even now to prepare their hearts to receive whatever Word He has specifically for each of them this weekend. I am also praying for openness and honesty among our group, and that the Lord would be magnified and glorified in each and every conversation that takes place. For myself specifically, I am praying that I would hide behind the cross of Jesus Christ and be sensitive to the Lord's direction for our small group times together. I would love it if you would join in these prayers for these girls this weekend.

God is so good!

San Antonio and Other Weekend Fun!

2008-02-27T20:22:00.008-06:00

Last weekend was SUPER BUSY, but it was so much fun! It started off on Thursday and so it was a long weekend, too.

I took Thursday and Friday off of work and went to San Antonio. On Thursday, I met up with the wonderful Brittany Bauerlein for lunch. It was so great to see her again. She and I graduated from Texas A&M together and were really close friends especially during our senior year. This sweet girl has such a heart for the Lord and she is one of the most faithful, loyal friends. It would take several hours to catch up completely, but we didn't have that much time. I am so thankful for the hour chat that we got to have over lunch at Pei Wei. I didn't get a pic of us this weekend, but here is one from our senior year.

Britt and Me at Elephant Walk, November 2006

The next stop for the day was UT Health Science Center-San Antonio. I am hoping and praying that the Lord allows me to be here in the fall for Nursing School. I spent the afternoon attending an open house at the nursing school and asking questions about their program. I found out in December that another dear friend of mine from A&M, Alicia, was starting nursing school in San Antonio this spring. Knowing that she was in school there, I was secretly was hoping that I would run into her. I looked around for her as we toured the campus, but I never saw her. Then just as I was leaving, Alicia saw me! It was SO great to see her again as well, and it was also extremely helpful to ask her questions about the San Antonio Nursing Program. Thanks so much Alicia! You are amazing, and I hope that we get to hang out a lot next year (we are just going to make the assumption that I AM coming)!!

Although the entire weekend was fun, the remainder of my Thursday and Friday was BY FAR the highlight of my weekend. After the Open House, I spent the night with the amazing Martine fam! I was incredibly blessed by the kindness of this family. Thanks to sweet Dakota, I have tons of pictures from the night....but I am only going to post a couple of them. (Cristie, I told you that I would be nice and wouldn't put the "other ones" on here)!

Didn't Dakota do an amazing job fixing my hair in pigtails?Playing princess with DakotaSweet Maliah getting in on the fun!

Friday morning I met up with the Foote fam. This is another family that has been a huge blessing in my life. We played hard all day long....I had forgotten how much fun it is to play with a two year old!! When I led a Disciple Now back in January, my girls made some "princess packages" for the Somali girls, whom I heard about through Cindy. It was so much fun to be able to finally bring the packages to Cindy so that she could deliver them.

Isn't Miss Libby a doll? I sure think so!

Do you want a quick God story?? I sure do want to tell! I came across the Martine & Foote blogs toward the beginning of their journeys to their Chinese princesses. The Lord has really given me a heart for China, and so I was immediately drawn to the stories of these two families. It was through the journeys of Maliah and Libby that the Lord really deepened my heart for China and Chinese adoption. The biggest blessing of the weekend was getting to meet these two precious girls whom I have prayed for since before they were born. I'm not sure why the Lord decided to bless me so much by building friendships with these two familes, but I am forever thankful for it. They mean the world to me, and I am ecstatic that there is the possibility of living close to them next year. Martine and Foote families...I love you guys! Thanks for letting me hang out for the weekend and for letting the Lord use you in the ways that He is!

The weekend didn't stop there....(although I'll try to make this portion a little bit shorter)!! Saturday evening, my ROOMMATE GOT ENGAGED!!!! Yay Dee and Justin!! You guys are a beautiful couple, and I know that the Lord is going to be glorified in and through your marriage. Keep seeking Him and serving Him. I love you!! I just have to say that my roomate, Dee, is great. Our friendship goes WAY WAY WAY back....we grew up in church together. When we were little, it was pretty much a given that every Sunday after church, she would either come to my house or I would go to hers. I got lucky enough to have her live with me when she moved to College Station in the fall, and we have had tons of fun and made lots of memories!
Justin and Dee, February 23, 2008

Good job on the ring Justin!

We finished the weekend on Sunday with a birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese for Dee's nephew who turned 3 in February.
Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Dee and I at Chuck-E-Cheese!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY "A"!!

2008-02-20T20:25:00.005-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, A!!!!

"A" was one of the first people I met in China. It didn't take me long to realize that what we shared was much more than a teacher/student relationship. She has become one of my dearest friends. Her birthday was earlier in the week, but I haven't gotten a chance to post lately. Sorry about that "A"! I love you! Here are pics of some of my favorite times in China with "A".

"A" took me to shop at the Bird and Flower Market in Nanning. It was such a crazy experience. She is incredible at bartering. Thanks to her, I was able to come home with some amazing gifts!! One purchase that sticks out in my mind is when she helped me buy a jade necklace. The vendor was asking 360元, and she was able to talk it down to 40元!! That's only $5!

Chase, A, and I at Closing Ceremonies of Camp China 2006.

This pic was taken during our Fairy Tales culture night. I was teaching Cinderella, and A was acting out the part of Cinderella. She was hilarious!!

If I had to pick one of my favorite moments in LIFE, this would def. be on the TOP of my list. One rainy afternoon, A and I spent some incredible time eating apples and peanut butter. We talked about Father for about 2 hours this afternoon. I walked away from this conversation so encouraged. It's a great story....ask me about it sometime!

My first night back in Nanning in 2007. "A" and I were both in tears!! We were so excited to see each other again!! She is my beautiful sister!

Apples and peanut butter with "A" in 2007. The occasion was so significant the year before, we talked about having it again when I got back. We looked forward to this moment all year long!

My last day in Nanning with A, Y, and C. These girls are amazing!

Dear A, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I miss you like crazy, and I love you so much. I hope that you had a lot of fun celebrating your birthday! I wish that I could have been there to celebrate with you. Who knows, maybe one of these days we can celebrate our birthdays together since they are so close together. How fun would that be?!? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it! You are a precious sister, and I thank our Father for our friendship. Keep loving and learning about HIM, and never stop reading our favorite book. Love you sister!! ~katie

UT Houston Interview

2008-02-20T20:13:00.002-06:00

Ok...so I just realized that I never posted again about my Nursing School interview at UT Houston....and it has 2 weeks! I'm awful; I know!

The interview went as well as to be expected. I wouldn't say that I "enjoyed" it, but I think it went well. They told us that the process would be about 4 hours from start to finish, but I was completely finished in less than 2 hours. It was good to hear from current students and ask them questions about the program. I was thankful for their honesty in both the good and bad things about the school/program.

If I am accepted into this program, it would be great. UT Houston is a great school, and it is in Houston's medical center...it doesn't get much better than that. As much as I liked it, I am still holding out for San Antonio. So we will see what happens....

Oh...with either school I end up going to, there is one MAJOR drawback for me. They are both affliated with t.u. As an Aggie, I cringe at the thought of having to sing "The Eyes of Texas..." or whatever it's called. I am still convinced that they are singing "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad"!

That's all!

Interview Today

2008-02-06T08:23:00.000-06:00

Today at noon is my interview for UT Houston's Nursing School. I'm not sure exactly what all it will entail since this is really the first interview I have ever had. All I know is that it starts at noon, and the whole process will last 3-4 hours. So, if you read this and think about it between 12pm and 4 pm, would you say a little prayer? I'm not too nervous, but I guess that may change in a little while. Thanks so much!

Big Bird in China

2008-02-02T16:43:00.001-06:00

I just watched the Big Bird in China dvd, and it made me remember this video. Because it made me smile, I wanted to put it on here so that you would smile too!!

Camp China 2007

2008-01-30T22:24:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure if I ever posted this slideshow on my blog, so I decided to put it on again.

These are pictures from Camp China 2007. I can honestly say I grew more this summer than ever before. I had to rely on Father more than EVER before. If you don't know the story of my summer and are interested, feel free to ask. Father did some amazing things in some very unexpected ways. These kids have my heart, and I miss them so much.

Interview

2008-01-29T14:17:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to say that I got an interview at UT Houston Nursing School! I am still waiting to hear from UT San Antonio for an interview.

Dear Brazil...

2008-01-27T21:33:00.001-06:00

Hello Camp China Class 6!

I put this video together to remind you of our time at Camp China. This is the song I played for you on the last day before I left. If you still want the words to the song, email me or leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! I miss you so much more than you know. You each have a very special place in my heart, and I will not forget you. I love you forever!

Love,
Miss Katie

Update on Kevin

2008-01-24T21:07:00.001-06:00

Brittany and I loaded up my bug and headed to Lufkin at 3:30 Thursday morning. Let me tell you after the 2:35 am phone call saying Kevin had a liver, there was no way I could sleep. So I was glad to drive Britt home. I got her dropped off at 6 and as I was driving home, an anouncement came on the radio saying they found a liver for Kevin. I thanked our Father again for hearing our cries and answering.

He went into surgery today at 1:45, and we just got word about 8pm that the surgery went well. Tana, Britt, and Brian will get to go in and see him in a little while. I still can't believe he has a liver!!!

On another note...Tomorrow is the day my wisdom teeth are being removed...10:30 am. Needless to say, I am not excited about that. :( Kevin getting a liver is MUCH more exciting!!

KEVIN GOT A LIVER!!!

2008-01-23T23:03:00.000-06:00

Kevin got a liver!
Kevin got a LIVER!
KEVIN GOT A LIVER!!!!!!

The Associate Pastor at my church has been in bad health for a few monthes. He was put on the transplant list, but they thought a transplant could be a litle while down the road. Earlier in January while visiting his doctors in Shreveport, his health declined rapidly, and he moved to #1 on the national liver transplant list. As he was waiting in the hospital, a liver came, but Kevin was too weak to receive it; so they gave the liver to someone else. His body continued to get stronger and stronger, and Kevin still waited for a liver match. I got the phone call just now that HE GOT A LIVER!!!!

Now I am on my way back to Lufkin from College Station. I am taking his daughter, Brittany, home so that she can catch a ride to Shreveport for the surgery. Brittany was my roommate for my junior and senior years at A&M. She is a precious friend, and I love her [and her family] dearly!!

Please be lifting up this family!!
I will keep you updated!!!

Disciple Now 2008

2008-01-23T22:11:00.000-06:00

This weekend was great...except that I came home with the flu. I got to hang out and lead 11 of the most amazing 7th graders in the world. We laughed...we decorated t-shirts...we wore tiaras...we sang...but most of all we learned about what it means to have an unashamed, living passion for our Father! I saw so many specific things that I asked Father for concerning the weekend come to be. I am always humbled by His faithfulness.

I like to have a "mini-theme" in our 7th grade home every year since it is the girl's first Disciple Now. This year we were princesses! It came from the passage in our favorite book that says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God". We talked about how our most important job as "princesses" is to bring other people to our Father so that they can be "princesses" too. With that in mind, we had a M-project where we put together "Princess Packs" for some Somalian girls who don't know our Father. The girls loved learning about the Somalis and put the "Princess Packs" together with love!

I was blessed to lead and learn from my 7th grade Princesses this weekend. They are precious girls with pure, sweet hearts.

DNow is quickly approaching...

2008-01-13T22:11:00.000-06:00

Each January I am blessed to lead a Disciple Now at my home church. This will be my 11th Disciple Now...I was a student at 6, a co-host in 2004, and I have led the 7th grade girls 2005-2008. The girls are amazing and we have so much fun.

I am especially excited about this year because our mission project is something that has become so close to my heart this past semester. I will post more about that after the weekend. Our Father always does such incredible things in the hearts and lives of the students, and I am so honored to be someone He chooses to use! Lift us up this weekend (Jan. 18-20) if you think about it. Thanks so much!
DNOW 2006. 7th grade girls...SHINE LIKE STARS!

DNOW 2007. 7th grade girls...BEAUTIFUL FEET!

Hong Kong

2008-01-12T19:39:00.001-06:00

Although my week in Hong Kong was unexpected, it certainly was fun! I stayed with the other Hong Kong teams at Hong Kong Baptist University. During my stay, the Ning Po teams adopted me. I was so thankful for them. Now I'm usually not one to have a difficult time making friends, but I was a little worried on my flight to Hong Kong. I knew I would be around the other teams, but I also knew they would be extremely busy with preparations for their students. My worry was that I would be in Hong Kong for an indefinite period of time and not know anyone. As soon as I got to the university, my worries were relieved by the wonderful Ning Po teams.

My stay in Hong Kong went something like this....I arrived on Friday evening fairly late and went straight to the University. Early Saturday morning, we made the first visit to the Emergency Room. This Emergency Room was more "western-ized" (if that's even a word). The nurses could speak English, there were no patients on IV drips in the waiting room, and my temperature was taken in a normal, sanitary way (unlike in Nanning). You know, those are all things we take for granted here in the States. I saw the Emergency Room doc that morning and he was not much help. He sent me for xrays, but he wouldn't look at my arm. He told me that I had to come back and see the orthopod on Monday. Because he (along with everyone else) was worried about the massive bruises on my arms and legs, he sent me for blood work. I had the blood work done (although it really wasn't needed), and I was told that the results would be back in a week...I was so frustrated because at this point I wanted to be at home. I stayed and went to the doctor on Monday where I was told yet again that my arm wasn't broken.

When I wasn't at a hospital, I enjoyed sight seeing in Hong Kong! So much fun!!! Although I must say, I wasn't a big fan of the food. It is so much different than food in the mainland. By Wednesday I was so ready to be at home! The problem was that I had to fly out of mainland China. My visa was only a 1 entry visa and I used that when I left mainland to go to Hong Kong. Wednesday and Thursday were spent trying to get a new visa, changing over my plane tickets, and getting things finalized for me to return to the States. It was all finalized Thursday afternoon in just enough time to run back to the university, grab my bags, take a 3 hour bus ride to Guangzhou, and find a cab to take us to the airport. It was a crazy day. Joyce helped, well a more acurate statement would be she did all of this for me! She got my bags checked in and then it was time to say goodbye. At this point I was on my own in China....SCARY! It was difficult to fill out all my papers with my right hand (I'm left handed) and get through security. I made it to my gate in just enough time to grab a bite to eat and board the plane! My trip home went well...I slept at least 8 of the 12 hour flight.

Thanks to Joyce (I don't have a picture with her) and both of the Ning Po teams who made my time in Hong Kong amazing! I love you guys! By the way....Joyce if you read this, please know that I am so grateful for you. There is no way I could have done all of that on my own.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HONG KONG!

*driving on the wrong side of the road

*going to church on Sunday

*top level, front row of the double decker buses (it felt like a roller coaster)

*Octopus Cards

*MTR

*Egg Tarts

*Joyce

*Ning Po

*Avenue of Stars

*Fireworks show

*oh the list could go on and on....!!!

Enjoy some pics!

Merry Christmas from China!

2008-01-09T20:36:00.000-06:00

I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me when I got home from school today....a package from China! I talked to A on Friday, and she said that she was sending Christmas gifts to her American family. To my surprise, it came today....much sooner than I ever expected!

She sent two scarves (one black, one maroon), a small handbag, and a stuffed monkey similar to the "Get Well Soon" cat she gave me this summer when I broke my arm. I am supposed to give them to my family members, but deciding which one to keep for myself is a difficult task! When I opened the package, I also got another unexpected gift that left me in tears....the SMELL of China!! Crazy, I know, but it brought back so many memories from my time there....the markets of Nanning....outings with my students....bartering/bargaining...long walks and quality talks....the overwhelming sense of Dad working in the lives of my friends...EVERYTHING! That was the first time I have gotten to SMELL China since July 26, 2007. I am so thankful for this unexpected gift today! Here are a few pics....

Chinese BBQ!

2008-01-07T21:33:00.000-06:00

As I was looking through my facebook pics, I came across these pictures from our Chinese BBQ. I was bummed when I got home this summer and realized that I neglected to capture the moment. So, I am grateful to my teammates who didn't let me down....this was one of my most favorite nights!

Chinese BBQ is unlike any BBQ in the US. I must admit though, the food was pretty good. We had BBQ tofu, BBQ fish, spicy noodles, boiled peanuts, and spicy veggies. Even better than the food was the atmosphere. "Nanning Nights" are perfect to me...maybe not to anyone else, but to me, they are PERFECT! Usually a cool breeze...stars...less humidity than I am used to in Texas...what could be better than that?!? Leave it to the students to take you to the best spots...local places that tourists never venture into. Such a fun night!!

S, A, Ange, and me enjoying "Nanning Nights" and BBQ Tofu! YUM!

I'm not sure why, but BBQ Tofu was def. a hit amongst Team Nanning!

I love Skype!

2008-01-05T22:20:00.000-06:00

Skype has become one of my new favorite things in the world. I say this because it has opened up doors for me to talk to some of my students and friends in China. Last night, I called A and talked to her for about 10 minutes. The conversation wasn't long, but it was so good to hear her voice!

A and I became very close friends during Camp China 2006. I knew when I left that summer that our Dad had big plans for our friendship and that it would continue....our friendship has not only continued, but it has GROWN! We were both pretty emotional when I left the first summer because Dad had done so many things in both of our lives. As I boarded the train, A gave me a huge hug and said, "Don't worry Katie. It is only lots of Wahaha that separates us!" Wahaha is the brand of bottled water that we drank while in Nanning. If you look back there is a post about an interesting experience with Wahaha. That lighthearted comment made the distance from Nanning, China to Texas seem much smaller.

I was also blessed to be able to travel back to the same city and teach last summer (2007). I was so excited because I knew that A would be there. An unfortunate accident the first night I was in China left me with a broken arm and a short stay in China. I left after two weeks because of my arm. The news of having to leave early was a shock and I hardly had time to say my goodbyes. I wanted to video all of my kids so that I could hear their voices when I missed them, but I didn't have time to do it. Now with Skype, they are only a phone call away....and I love it!!

Here are a few pics of me with A in 2006 and 2007. She is my SISTER, and I love her so much!

A and I eating her new favorite snack...PEANUT BUTTER! (2006)

A and me hanging out after closing ceremonies of Camp China (2006)

First night in Nanning. We were so glad to see each other again! (2007)

Saying goodbye to my girls: A, Y, and C (2007)

A recent pic of A (in the pink hat) with some friends on a visit to Kun Ming (2008)

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

2007-12-28T17:15:00.001-06:00

A Long Overdue Update...

2007-12-05T22:02:00.000-06:00

Wow...its been a long time since I have posted anything on this blog. Sorry about that. I guess a combination of a lack of time and a lack of anything interesting to update about could be to blame. I am also limited on the things that I can really say on this blog because of the location of some of my readers. Since I am here now, I will give you a brief update on life....

First of all, I made the decision to quit pursuing Medical School and have started thinking in the direction of Nursing. If you know me well, you will know that I have talked of going to Med School for a long time, but I just don't feel like that is the direction that Dad is leading me anymore. I am excited about Nursing School though, and I can't wait to see what He has in store for me in that area.

This semester has been full of new experiences for me. I am no longer a student (which is really crazy in itself) and am in the "real world". I miss being a student, but I love the season of life I am currently in. My job is so much fun. I work in a Special Ed/Life Skills classroom, and I adore the students. Each of them has captured my heart in their own unique way. I love them dearly. Here are some of the precious students I work with.

My computer is not cooperating with me right now, and so I will finish the semester update soon. Enjoy these pics for now!

China Slideshow!

2007-10-15T16:25:00.000-06:00

I finally finished....well, actually I finally had time to sit down and work on a slideshow. I had Monday off from work, and so I decided to put this slideshow together so that you could have a better idea of what my summer was like. Thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement throughout this difficult summer. I never imagined that my summer would turn out the way that it did. Eventhough it wasn't under the ideal circumstances, I had a blast in China for the two weeks I was teaching in Nanning. I also had a blast in Hong Kong for a week, but I really don't have many pictures of that. Enjoy the slideshow. I hope that, if nothing else, it gives you a glimpse of why I love these people and China so much. Please feel free to leave comments. I love to hear what you think. Have an amazing day!

I tried several times to upload the video to my blog, but blogger wasn't working. So I am

putting a link on here to the slideshow. Here it is...ENJOY!!

(The quality of the pictures is much better if you click on the down arrow at the bottom of the video and change the view to "original view". It makes the pictures smaller, but they are better quality.)

So I've Been Thinking...

2007-10-11T21:55:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I have updated this blog. Thanks to all of you who continue to check back to see if I have updated. Life has gotten a little crazy, and I am having a hard time finding time to post.

What I have been thinking about is taking a different approach to my blog. I will still post about China, but I also want to use this blog to keep people updated on everything else that is going on as well. Continue to check back for China stories and pictures (I will do better about posting), and you will also see other postings that don't have to do with China. For now I have decided to keep the name of the blog and everything else the same.

Thanks for reading!!!

Carnival/Circus

2007-10-11T21:52:00.001-06:00

As part of the Camp China program, the "Foreign Teachers" would put on Culture Nights for the students as a fun way to teach them about American culture. Culture Nights were usually a favorite part of the Camp for many of the students. This Culture Night was the carnival/circus.

We had many guest appearances including "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World", monkeys and a monkey trainer, Strong Man, and clowns. And what carnival/circus is complete without games and dancing?...no carnival is complete without games! The students loved the water balloon games and the three-legged race. "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World" also introduced the Chinese students to the Conga Dance. It was pretty amazing to see that many chinese kids dancing around in the courtyard.

Good times were shared by all and laughing could be heard echoing in the courtyard! Good times....great memories!

Opening Ceremonies

2007-09-09T22:10:00.000-06:00

The place I love so much!

Opening ceremonies is always exciting for me. I love it because it is the first time to get to see all of the students together. We arrived at the school on Friday night, and the students arrived at different times throughout the weekend. Camp China kicks off on Monday morning with opening ceremonies followed by an all-camp picture and testing (to put the students in the appropriate class according to their English level).

Here is a brief rundown of opening ceremonies activities....There are many speeches given by various school officials and students at opening ceremonies. We listen intently to 3 or 4 speeches that are completely in Chinese as if we understand every word that is being spoken. Then, although completely clueless about what was just said, we clap and smile. One of the top English students in Camp China will usually give a speech telling the foreign teachers how excited they are for us to be there. All of those speeches are followed by a speech from the team leader that talks about "building bridges of friendship and cooperation". The favorite part, however, is the performances. This summer the students performed a song for us (see the video at the end of this entry). We "foreign teachers" performed a wonderful rendition of Aladdin's "I Can Show You the World". The kids love to hear you sing....anything...anywhere...at any time. It's always makes me feel good to hear them say, "Miss Katie, you have a beautiful voice!" especially when I know that I don't sing very well at all.

I love opening ceremonies because it is the start of something new....something amazing...something life-changing. It is the start of new friendships that will last a lifetime. It's the start of 4 (or in my case 2) of the most challenging weeks of teaching of your life. It's the start of many interesting stories and memories. But most importantly, it's the start of being "ruined for the ordinary" and making an eternal impact on Chinese middle school and high school students. I love it....

A quick post...

2007-08-27T21:43:00.001-06:00

I don't have any pictures to post for today...and no China story either. I am moving back to College Station tomorrow to paint and get moved in. Hopefully by Wednesday things at the trailer will be back in order. It may be a few days before I get another post with pics about China up, but I will get to it as soon as I can. So keep checking back!

There's a spirit can ne'er be told....It's the Spirit of AGGIELAND!

2007-08-24T10:37:00.000-06:00

"Howdy ya'll"! This is the greeting from the students that I loved to hear the most. Reason #1: it reminds me of Texas. Reason #2: I passed on the love for Texas A&M to my Chinese students with "Howdy". Reason #3: There is nothing more adorable than hearing Chinese students try their hardest to mimic a "country" accent. My students would greet me every morning with a friendly "Howdy". It's always fun to take my love for A&M to China, and this year I didn't have to do it alone. Arie (my teammate) and I made sure that our students and fellow teammates knew everything about A&M.

During one of our breaks at training, Arie and I did all of the yells and sang the War Hymn and Spirit of Aggieland for our team. They were a little worried about us at first, but then they began to appreciate it. Infact, our team cheer was a modified version of an A&M yell. Hao Hao WHOOP!

I have to pass on the "Spirit of Aggieland" to everyone that I come in contact with....even in China! So...friends in China and teammates....here are a couple of videos that tell you a little bit more about "The Spirit of Aggieland!" Enjoy!

Here is an ESPN commercial that I couldn't add to my blog! It's pretty funny!

We Bleed Maroon - Final OGS Version

2007-08-24T09:57:00.001-06:00

I love this. WHOOP!

My wonderful class...BRAZIL!

2007-08-22T12:53:00.000-06:00

BRAZIL!! Class #6!

I absolutely loved my class this year. Camp China 2007 was bigger than ever. There were about 180 students involved this year (give or take a few). My class had 21 amazing students. It was definitely a change from last summer because there were less students with more teachers this year. In Camp China '06, my team teacher (Aaron) and I had 15 students. In Camp China '07, I had 21 students by myself. I loved every minute of it....infact, classroom time in the morning was the time of day that I looked forward to the most.

Each class represented a country, and my class was Brazil. We had a great time each day and were all great friends by the time I left. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings we would have curriculum for 3 hours with our class. Wednesday mornings were different because it was Olympic Day. The different countries (classes) loved to compete against each other during the Olympics. Three afternoons a week we would have afternoon activities, and then three nights a week we would have culture nights. Afternoon activities and culture nights were with the entire camp. In afternoon activities the teachers would rotate through the classes and play different games with the students. Culture nights were usually a hit because the teachers would give the students a taste of American culture.

Here are some pictures of my class. I love them so much!

I'm finally back to posting!

2007-08-21T13:13:00.000-06:00

After being back in the states for about 3 weeks, I am finally back to posting on my blog. This is probably going to be the best way for me to show you my pictures as well as tell you some stories about the summer.

My summer in Nanning was cut short because of a broken arm and bruises. I was able to teach my class for two weeks before having to leave Nanning. After those two weeks, I flew to Hong Kong to visit more doctors before returning home. I am not going to lie...I love my unexpected week in Hong Kong.

"Expect the unexpected"...I didn't think that I would forced to live by this anymore than what had happened last summer, but boy was I wrong. Here's the story...

My team arrived in Nanning on Friday July 6. The next evening I was on my way to decorate my classroom when I fell down some wet stairs and landed on my arm. I went to the hospital in Nanning where the doctor there told me that nothing was wrong with my arm, and he gave me a spray to put on it. I was a little concerned about putting a spray on my arm even more so because it said "Key Ingredients: kept confidential." I didn't use that at all. Apple (my friend that I met last summer) had some Chinese medicine made for me the next day that took almost all of the swelling out of my arm. AMAZING! Later that week (the following Friday) I got the splint material, sling, and painkillers in the mail. I was so thankful for them and for how quickly they made it from Texas to Nanning, China because I until then I only had a piece of cloth that we had made into a sling on my arm.

I thought everything was going to be fine, but on the second Thursday of teaching, they decided that I needed to go back to the hospital and see another doctor. I went...but I def. wasn't excited about it. This doctor told me that my arm wasn't broken, but I needed to keep it in the splint and not move it at all. My team leader and our site visitor decided after that hospital visit that I should go to Hong Kong to see some of the doctors there. So that began my journey home...

I left Nanning the next day and spend the next week in Hong Kong. The first doctor I went to in Hong Kong wouldn't take a look at my arm and gave me an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon for later that week. So I went to the doctor again, and he gave a completely different opinion on my arm than either of the other doctors. At this point, I was just ready to come home. I came home and we xrayed my arm yet again....and I found out that it was indeed broken. AHHHH....

I am adding a couple of pictures of my arm throughout the time I was there...you may see some of these pics again in posts to come. Thanks for all of your support and prayers during my time there. I couldn't have gotten through it without you!

Candy and me! This is one of the few pics before my broken arm...after this meal, I had to learn to eat with chopsticks with my right hand. It was a little bit difficult!

The sling Chris made out of a piece of cloth while we waited for the real stuff to arrive!

My arm and its pretty bruise a week after the fall.
Chris and me with my new splint and sling!

Isn't my splint a beauty? I sure was happy to have it because it made life much less painful!

I leave tomorrow!

2007-06-29T20:48:00.000-06:00

There are no pictures today. I have had the hardest time trying to find time to post pics and stories this summer. As you probably already know, tomorrow is the day. I travel to LA for training, and then sometime next week, I will leave for Nanning. I am not sure how often I will post on here while I am in China, but I will try to get some pics up at some point. If you are interested in what Father is doing in China while I am there, send me an email to katie2china@yahoo.com and I will get you on my update list. Zai jian!

hey China friends...I'm on my way! I will see you VERY VERY SOON! I AM SO EXCITED! Apple, Candy, and the rest of you guys, I can't wait to see you! Love you! ~miss texas

Another favorite!

2007-06-18T15:51:00.000-06:00

I love this pic....I took it in Guilin. These are the infamous split-bottom pants that the babies wear!

Guilin

2007-06-18T15:31:00.000-06:00

I just love this pic...and I love these girls too!

I was trying to think of a "story" to post with the Guilin pictures, but I just couldn't narrow it down to one. I will let the pictures speak for themselves of how beautiful it was. My words can't do it justice. So when I think of Guilin, no story comes to mind, but I do think of how beautiful our Father's creation is and how fun it was to see a whole new side of the students on this trip! Enjoy...

Having fun with the kids on the river boat in Guilin

GUILIN IS GORGEOUS!!!

Closing Ceremonies

2007-06-17T19:59:00.000-06:00

Me with one of my sweet friends!

Another sweet friend that I miss dearly!

(Dont even worry...I will bring the peanut butter this summer :)!!)
Beautiful dancers!

Closing ceremonies dance with some of the teachers!

So much fun!

My class at closing ceremonies!

The day of Closing Ceremonies of Camp China is a day that I will not soon forget. It was our last full day in China/day of teaching/hanging out with our students who had become friends over the four weeks we taught them. Needless to say, it was a sad day because it was the beginning of the goodbyes. I HATE goodbyes.

Not only was Closing Ceremonies the beginning of the end of my time in China last summer, but it was also that the one day that EVERYTHING went wrong that possibly could. First of all, my camera was stolen. I was so thankful I had just changed memory cards that morning, and so the only pics I lost were ones of that morning. I was even more thankful that my team teacher, Aaron, was a big picture taker as well, and so I was able to get many of the pics that I lost. Then I was locked in my dorm room and nearly missed closing ceremonies. Someone finally came and let me out. Once I made it to Closing Ceremonies, the music to "As Long As You Love Me" wouldn't work for our performance. We nearly had to perform acapella...I was NOT excited about that one bit!

Despite all that went wrong during the day, it was one of the most memorable days of camp. The kids loved performing, and we had so much fun just hanging out with them one last time. Afterwards, some of the teachers and students went out and had 0ne of my favorite things to eat in China...Old Friend Noodles. I am counting down the days until I get to eat some more of those! We ended up the day by packing and getting ready to leave that next morning. I love China, and looking at these pictures makes me so excited to go back. I can't begin to even to tell you how wonderful the people are. You would have to go and visit yourself to be able to really see it. I have been waiting all year to go back and see my friends.

To my friends in China....only a couple more weeks. I think Camp China starts July 9th. I will be there soon, and I am counting down the days until I get to see you!! I love you guys!

Wo Ai Ni

2007-06-03T13:51:00.001-06:00

I just have to post something this cute!

One more thing...

2007-06-03T13:40:00.000-06:00

I am putting together my email update list for while I am in China. If you want updates, leave me a comment with your email or send me an email to katie2china@yahoo.com I am going to try and post on my blog while I am there, but sometimes Blogger isn't always working.

I just had to post this pic!

2007-06-03T13:30:00.000-06:00

This sweet girl makes me smile!

Saying goodbye

2007-06-03T13:22:00.000-06:00

Saying goodbye to the students and teachers at the school was incredibly hard. I don't think that these pictures even do it justice. We said our goodbyes to some of the kids at the school while the rest of them helped us with our luggage to the train station. I sat with one of my students on the way to the train station and we listened to Backstreet Boys on my iPod the whole way. Those students loved the Backstreet Boys. Then as we were getting off of the bus, she came up to me, looked me straight in the eyes, and started singing, "I don't care who you are, where you're from, what you did...as long as you love me!"

As the train pulled out of the station and I had to leave those kids behind, I was so upset because I wasn't sure when or even if I would be back to Nanning. It makes me so excited to know that I get to go back in less than a month and see their beautiful faces again! I love Nanning!

A little background info about Nanning!

2007-06-02T20:58:00.000-06:00

WHERE IS NANNING?

Nanning is the capital of Guangxi –Zhuang Autonomous Region (AR) in southwest China. Nanning is surrounded by mountains with an average elevation of 300 feet. The population is 3 million and the main nationalities are Han, Zhuang, Miao, Yao, Dong, Mulao, and Maonan. The average temperature in the summer is 88 degrees. Local highlights include the dragon boat races.

THE SCHOOL

The school was founded in 1952 and is located on the beautiful campus of Guangxi University for Nationalities. The college campus is gorgeous, with a lake at the center, lots of trees and shrubs and winding paths and roads. The middle school is on the edge of the campus and shares the university’s facilities when required. They have standard Chinese classes, with windows on both sides, blackboards front and back, ceiling fans, and a TV set in each room. Most of the students have never had a foreign teacher or even met a foreigner before.

This is the amazing place where I get to spend the last half of my summer! I am so excited!

WAHAHA competition!

2007-05-23T20:22:00.000-06:00

If you know me well at all, you probably are aware that I am a wee bit competitive. Ok, ok...I am VERY competitive. In an effort to keep our team hydrated, our team leaders decided to have a competition to see who could drink the most bottles of Wahaha in one day. I was so pumped about it because I LOVE LOVE LOVE competing. At the end of the day, I knew that it was going to come down to Brynn and I, but I wasn't sure how many bottles of water she had consumed during the day. Not knowing how much water I needed to drink before midnight, I decided to sit by the WC (water closet/restroom) and drink as many bottles as possible. At 11pm, my stomach could take no more...I called it quits at 27 bottles of WAHAHA! I still didn't know how much water Brynn drank, but it was impossible for me to drink any more. The next morning I found out that I was indeed the winner, but Brynn came in a very close 2nd place. Shortly after, I found out that I what I did wasn't the smartest thing in the world because you can die from drinking too much water. So children, adults...do not try this at home!

Incase, you are having a hard time wrapping your mind around 27 bottles of water in 16 hours, here are a couple of pics of me with the empty bottles....yes, I saved them to take a picture. Enjoy!

As a Part II to this post, I have to make mention that I was a frequent visitor to the WC that day...and every hour that night. How many times did I have to visit the WC that day? Oh....33 times. It was pretty awful! Way too much H2O.

For those of you who have never been to China or have never gotten to experience the "squatty potty" as it is affectionately known, these next few pics are for you....

On the flip side....to all my friends in China who are reading this, I'm sure you are wondering why I am posting pictures of your restrooms. They are just so different from our toilets in America. Many people are just curious....

This is how you "flush"!

Jamaica!

2007-05-22T14:10:00.000-06:00

One day Miss Brynn was sick and so I substituted for the Jamaica class. We had a lot of fun. Instead of doing curriculum the whole time, we decided to make cards and take them to Miss Brynn to cheer her up!

Working hard on the cards for Miss Brynn

Fun with fun foam!

One of the songs we sang to her.

The finished products! They had so much fun making the cards and giving them to their teacher.

I'm sorry!

2007-05-21T21:55:00.000-06:00

To all of my faithful blog readers, I am so sorry for the lack of posting things about China lately. Now that I am home from school, it's more difficult to get the pics since I don't have either of my computers. I am going to post tomorrow! HOPEFULLY soon (sometime this week) I will know where I will be traveling this summer. I will let you know as soon as I find out. It's getting harder and harder to wait because I am so anxious to go back to China. Thanks for all your patience with the posting. You guys are amazing!

Graduation Party

2007-05-15T10:36:00.000-06:00

Because my graduation ceremony was at 7pm on Friday night and was expected to last about 3 hours, there were a lot of people who weren't able to make the trip to College Station. My mom decided to have a Graduation Party at home on Saturday evening so that friends and family at home could celebrate too! The cook-out was tons of fun, and it meant so much to me for everyone to be there. Thank you so much to everyone who came!

Granny wasn't able to come to graduation, but she made it to the cook-out!

My uncle, aunt, and cousins from Dallas were at the cook-out as well!

Umm...no words but SPECIAL! My see-ster is "special"!

Graduation Day

2007-05-15T09:32:00.000-06:00

Graduation Day!

May 11, 2007

Sorry it has taken a while to post; things have been CRAZY around here with graduation. I am also without my computer which makes posting even more difficult. SEE-ster...thanks for letting me use your computer :) !

I was so glad to have so many people come to College Station to watch me graduate! Thanks Dad, Mom, Trent, Jenny, Mei Mei, Christi, Pawpaw, Meme, PePaw, Amy, and the Roy family for sitting through the EXTREMLY long ceremony. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. Graduation for me was made very entertaining (to say the least) by the guy sitting next to me...there wasn't a dull moment with him around!

Here are some graduation pics. I can't believe my four years at A&M is already over. Enjoy!

My beautiful graduation present!

My fam at graduation

The whole group! Thanks for coming!

Love these girls!

Our super-secret BFF handshake!

Bring Me Hope

2007-05-15T08:14:00.001-06:00

Here's another precious adoption video from China.

These are a few of my favorite things....

2007-05-11T09:27:00.000-06:00

Today is GRADUATION DAY in Aggieland! WHOOP! I decided to make a Top 10 List of my favorite things/people at A&M. I love EVERYTHING about A&M, but here are a few favorites!

10. Upstream

Group 2...my freshman year! (above)

Group 5....I was a leader my junior year! (below)

9. The Last Corps Trip by Philo H. DuVal, Jr. '51!

8. Fightin' Texas Aggie Bonfire!

because of the Bonfire trajedy in 1999, I was never able to attend an on campus bonfire....but it still is one of my favorite things about Texas A&M!

7. Fightin' Texas Aggie Muster!

6. Fightin' Texas Aggie Football AND B.T.H.O the t-sips in Austin this season!

5. Fightin' Texas Aggie Elephant Walk!

4. Fightin' Texas Aggie RING DAY!

3. Dinner with my Chinese friends!

2. FCA

1. The BFF...Christi!

man...this girl is amazing and SUCH a blessing!

No other word but....PRECIOUS!

2007-05-10T23:02:00.000-06:00

I miss these precious girls!

BEAUTIFUL girls, BEAUTIFUL smiles!

This picture shows 6 BIG reasons why I want to go back to China!

My Team...

2007-05-10T22:44:00.000-06:00

My team from last summer was amazing...SIMPLY AMAZING! This summer is going to be so different without them, but I know that Father will do amazing things through a new team as well! It should be getting close to finding out our specific school assignments, and so I will let you know as soon as I know. Today I found out our departure/arrival times so that I can book my domestic flights to California. Going back to China is beginning to feel more real!

For today, here are a couple of pictures of my team from last summer. I just can't tell you how thankful I am that through some crazy circumstances, Father put us all together. Team Wahaha, Team BuDong....you guys are such a blessing!

Jiaozi Day!

2007-05-02T18:22:00.000-06:00

Hmmm...in deciding which story to write about today, I realized that MOST of my stories from China involve or are centered around food. This story is no exception. While I was in China, I had two different groups of girls I would hang out with. I posted a few days ago about the older girls I got to hang out with, and so I decided to make this post about the younger girls.

After class one day, one of my sweet students came to me and asked if I would come to her house for dinner one night for jiaozi (I always told the students how much I loved it!) . I was a little bit reluctant to accept the invitation at first because I wasn't sure how to communicate with her parents, but I agreed and we made plans to go the next evening for dinner. The next day during class she was so excited about us going and told me to meet her to walk to her house about 4pm. In my mind I was thinking that it was pretty early to be going for dinner, but I didn't question her. It ended up being so much fun because she also invited some of her classmates as well as another teacher.

I was in for a big surprise though. She told me that we needed to go to the market to pick up a few things for supper. So, we got into rickshaws and went to the market. I had assumed that we just needed to pick up a couple of items, but we ended up having to by everything to make jiaozi...FROM SCRATCH!! At this point I was still pretty excited about it because it was (like everything else) a brand new experience. All of the girls we were with started discussing and arguing over the different ingredients needed, but about an HOUR later we headed back to make dinner. I made one very big assumption though....I was under the impression that there were going to be parents eating with us. On the way home I was informed that my students parents were at work. It was at this point that I began to put the pieces together. We (as in four 12 year olds and two American teachers) were going to be making dinner by ourselves. I was in for an even bigger surprise when I found out that these girls had NEVER made jiaozi before on their own. One thought went through my mind, "this could be VERY interesting!"

We tried to help them prepare it, but they all insisted that Rachel and I just sit because they wanted to fix and serve us. We agreed and just enjoyed the conversation. I went to check on the girls to see how dinner was coming along and one of them (the crazy one) was chopping veggies with a butcher knife that was almost the same size as her. All I could do was hope that there would be no fingers chopped off in the process. After they prepared all of the ingredients, the students brought it to the table so that we could help put them together. I started laughing uncontrollably when my student said asked ME how to make the jiaozi....I was assuming (once again) that she KNEW what she was doing. And yet once again, my assumption was incorrect!

We made the jiaozi and then had a great time talking for the rest of the evening. These girls were so cute and so much fun to hang out with. One thing that I love about the Chinese students (all of them!!) is that they are so interested in getting to know all about us and what we enjoy doing.

Look what I made!! See guys...you just thought I couldn't cook!

Yi, Er, San...QIEZI! (1, 2, 3...EGGPLANT!)

That's what they say instead of 1, 2, 3...CHEESE!

The finished product! YUM!

APPLEs and peanut butter!

2007-04-27T14:11:00.000-06:00

PEANUT BUTTER... PEANUT BUTTER! That's the word of the day! HUH!

Despite the strict weight limit we were supposed to abide by in packing for China, I made sure that I did NOT leave home without a big jar of Peter Pan Peanut Butter. Having never been to China before, I had no idea what to expect when it came to the food I would be eating. I guess I figured that if worse came to worse, I would be able to live off of that peanut butter for a month. I was SO glad I brought it with me. Don't get me wrong though, I LOVED the food (for the most part) while I was there. One of my FAVORITE snacks is apples and peanut butter, and so I introduced it to one of my good friends in China. She LOVED it! Here are some pictures of the most amazing afternoon I had in China....and of course, apples and peanut butter were on the menu!

My sweet friend and me eating apples and peanut butter!

She loved it ALMOST as much as me!

I love peanut butter, yes I do! I love peanut butter, how 'bout you?

I just love this girl!

Fun times!

We didn't only have apples and peanut butter...I also taught her how to make PB&J. Pictures of that to come later!

Our team would make frequent trips to the Super Walmart in downtown...and everytime we stocked up on more peanut butter! It was fun!

My peanut butter became a quick conversation starter while I was in China. I had so many AMAZING conversations with students over peanut butter. One of my favorite stories from my whole time in China comes from the pictures in this post! If you haven't heard it and would like to, PLEASE let me know! I would LOVE to tell you! It's amazing what Father can do through something like peanut butter!

Hidden Treasures

2007-04-24T23:10:00.001-06:00

Hidden Treasures

2007-04-24T23:05:00.001-06:00

This precious video sums up my heart! All of the orphans in China (and everywhere else too :)!) truly are hidden treasures.

Reveille

2007-04-22T22:36:00.000-06:00

You're right...this post has NOTHING to do with China, but I just had to post this pic of Christi and me with the First Lady of Texas A&M. We love you Reveille! Gig 'em Ags!