and so it goes

Time is seriously flying. Just to update:

*the Pentateuch paper went well and was turned in on time.
*kFORCE bowling was perfect [minus april and jeannine being sick - we missed you!!!] it was pj's vs. gangsters vs. christmas. philip and i dominated on the pj team, duh ;) we had a blast and I just LOVE my k-group :]
*the Bible book and memory verse exam went REALLY well [thank you, Jesus!] and I eagerly await my score
*travel weekend was a very nice, much-needed break from the routine of life here at the Bode. the weather and scenery were beautiful, the hut was quaint, and the memories I have now of people I spent my time with will forever make me smile :]
*the Missionary Biography paper is due tonight by lock-up. Mine's already turned in and I thoroughly enjoyed the book I chose: God's Smuggler, the story of Brother Andrew. SUCH a great book - I highly recommend it for those both called and not called into the field of missions.
*we have 9 days left to pull The Crossing together. Things are going supurbly on that front, thanks once again to Jesus :] We have thus far figured out the theme, the message, the drama, the testimony, the decorations, and are almost done choosing songs and performers for the music portion of the evening. This weekend will be full of preparations and rehearsals, and then we'll STILL have a whole week to work out the bugs. What a relief :) Please be in prayer for The Crossing, for the hearts and minds of the local guests coming to see the program, for the speaker to use only the words God's given him, for the testimony to speak to those God's trying to reach that night, and for the smoothness of the evening as a whole. Thanks, friends.
*Yes, the Bible Study Project due date is quickly approaching. Still due December 1st, the 15-page paper on a book of our choice [off the list of pre-determined options in our student manual] will be a project indeed. I'm excited for the knowledge I gain by doing it. Maybe I should go pick my book now....
*Sing Teams still have outreach shortly thereafter - [IN] Dependence, the sing team I'm a part of, has a Sunday morning outreach on December 5th. Pray for our preparation please?

Geez.. time is flying. Just yesterday, it seems, sunny October was just getting underway and all of these assignments and activities were just a bunch of overwhelming words on paper. I'm so grateful for the development of friendships and the progress in my own faith and knowledge. I'm learning so much, both by reading and conversing; spending time in the Word and in fellowship is the story of my life these days. And I couldn't be more like a sponge, soaking it all up. Laura has grown ever so close to my heart; we spent a lot of time together at the hut, and before that we just marveled together at how AWESOME our k-group is. Today we went on a 45 minute walking after working on our own papers for the Missionary Biography [which we read together out loud and was one of the more enjoyable book experiences as a result]. I love you, Laura. I just LOVE BEING HERE. Just.. LOVE it ;)

Philip, you're awesome :P
Kendra, I miss you.
Laura, thank you for rubbing my feet.
Kirsten and Rosiland.. you MADE the Hut. Thank you :)
McKenzie, thank you for braiding my hair and rubbing my back.
Roommates, thank you for listening.
Jon, thanks for opening up and sharing. it was really, really great :)
Dylan, good > 50%
fam-bam, I can't WAIT for Mexico!! only 27 days till I fly home to you all!
and Joel, i love you :)

Everyone else, thanks for following! My experiences are far too frequent to put into words here, so I'll just let the Lord show them through my life next time you and I have a conversation. Life here simply gets better with each passing day. I'm discovering who I am, learning to forgive myself and love me for me. I'm talking through struggles I never knew I struggled with. I'm leaning on friends who have my back for all the right reasons, and will never forget me, never stop loving me.
I'm messing up, I'm failing, I'm forgetting.
I'm learning, I'm growing, I'm loving.
I'm laughing, I'm crying, I'm talking.
I'm listening, I'm letting go, I'm giving up control.

Ps. the speakers are spectacular. my notebook is getting uber worn out :]

life: consumed.

mkayyyy so.. God is good. I'm feeling much better lately, both physically and emotionally, so thank you to all who have been praying. My roommates and i are getting even closer, and students here are finally becoming friends. like... REAL friends. which is great :) Philip and i talk and pray together a lot now, and it's nothing shy of wonderful. he reminds me a ridiculous amount of Joel. [ps joel I LOVE YOU]. so it's kind of nice; engaging in conversation with someone who reminds me of the one person i want most :) last weekend we had a K-Group photo shoot and right after that room 124 went out for a photo shoot as well [thank you, Kendra!!!!] and both were very fun. i love pictures!!!! :D

but recently, life just got VERY stressful.

let me just paint the picture of november for you all:
*The Pentateuch paper due tonight by 10:30 [first five books of the Bible]
*3 days later, Sunday K-Group social event [bowling!!!!]
*2 days later, Tuesday Bible Book and memory verse exam [hm. studying would be good]
*2 days later, Travel Weekend begins [Austria hut for the win!!]
*4 days after we get back, Missionary Biography paper due [i should probably start that book...]
* 9 days later, THE CROSSING [production led by Kyle, Christa, Philip, and myself]
*4 days later, Bible Study Project due [15-page paper that i'll have ...no time for? perfect].
*2 days later, more sing teams leave for outreach [15 fully prepared songs needed. hmmm]


great. there goes any chance of having free time or a social life for the next month. but it's all good. we're learning and growing and serving the Lord all the while :) and i love it. keeping myself busy will ALSO make time fly. which means i'll be home in no time. home to you, joel ;)

life here is absolutely great. Jesus is with me and my thoughts and my conversations and i'm praying now more than ever. alone and with people, both. I LOVE IT! :)