Hi again!

Hello visitors,
Thanks for the comment Rachel :) I am now posting b/c of you. So I updated my blog so I could stick those cool links on the side (look to the right and you can jump to people's blogs!!) and I think I must have accidently changed my password so I couldn't get in very well. Anyway I ended up changing my password so now I am happily writing again.
So last week was Valentine's day - hooray! I wore red socks with colorful hearts on them, a pink shirt, red sweater, and mailed some Valentine's. I also got valentine's. Just while I was working in the library I got a box of those candy hearts with writing on them (from the library staff), a bag of chocolates and other stuff from Mom (someone from church back home was in town), and AMAZING chocolate truffles, a note and hoody from Jason. Yup it was a good day.
This weekend I worked at a Kids carnival during Alumni weekend - I did the coloring table and the beanbag toss. I also got some homework done, and spent sometime with an 8 year old so I could get started on my case study.
Last week was also great b/c I got my bookorders! Thus, I now have 3 books on tape - well CD - some Max Lucado books and a few otehrs - happy am I :)
After a cold spell, we have warm weather finally. I'm loving it. Karlynn and I walked to church and Sunday school yesterday and it was so warm (33'F) that I took off my hat, gloves and coat - I love it when Spring is coming (though it is over a month away yet...). And today it's 39'F so Lynnea and I are walking to the grocery store together after class.
Speaking of class, I should be heading to mine soon. (Chorale). Normally I'm in Diagnosis and Remediation right now but the prof is evaluating Jason at student - teaching right now. Match that with Friday's Ed dept. meeting and I miss three classes this week - hopefully I can get some time in at the Christian School's reading room. (By the way I'm starting a practicum there this week).
Love to all and I'm off!
Michelle

Back in Iowa for almost 2 weeks now

Here's the school we worked at most of the 2 weeks we were there. Actually this is the sign outside the gate of the school we worked at...nice street though eh? (Barb's missing from the picture)
Now I'm back into the mode of school. Not too busy but I'm enjoying my classes so far. Sadly coming back from the D.R. means I have to wait a year til I can donate blood again - I got so excited b/c I actually knew when blood donor people were on campus but then I realised I have to wait a year. Weird to think that a year from now I'll be student-teaching - aaah!
This semester I'm trying something new - Chorale and I'm also in Step Aerobics (which I'm finding out is alot more than just stepping up and down - the stepping is the least painful but more confusing part) Our room is also down to 5 people. Sad. We miss Cassie. Today three roommates got pictures back from WalMart so we had some of the night before Cassie left - pretty fun pictures. Some of them are on our quote wall now.
It's vonderful to be able to go to chapel again and church in English. Not to mention flushing our toilet paper and having warmer showers. This Sunday Karlynn and I get to start teaching Sunday school again - yay! We had snow here and it's beautiful. I definitely appreciate it more now that it's much warmer. After being in class for 8 days I'm usually getting busy, I guess I start some of the group projects on Saturday and then Tuesday so the busyness will begin - I've never gone so far in the semester w/out much homework though. Thankfully I've been reading "Safely Home" which I reccommend to any and all of you.
Anyway, I can't seem to remember what kind of update I was going to give. I'm happy to see all my family and friends around here again. I can't believe it's only 11 months til Christmas ;-)

Trip Summary...

Ok, so my comments on the last blog were to write about my trip. This is something I wrote for the Faculty / Staff online newsletter at Dordt. It was supposed to be only 250 words (it's actually 500) so it's a rather broad overview but that'll keep it shorter for those of you who don't want to read as much. Hopefully also gives you a bit of a picture. I really am planning to send out a mass letter or e-mail at some point but that will likely be longer and take awhile to write. So here's some stuff:

“Sorry, your flight to Dallas has been cancelled.” And so began our trip to the Dominican Republic. Brian and Barb rebooked flights, ran between airlines, and all twenty of us ended up in Santo Domingo in less within twenty-four hours of each other.

We were immediately immersed in city driving – Dominican style. Honking horns were not necessarily rude, nor a friendly greeting, they were an essential merging signal. Although only one line was drawn down the middle of the road, four cars could be side by side.

Our second lesson in Dominican culture came through work. In the morning we bought our supplies for the day, began work, and bought more supplies as they were needed. And at the end of the day, all the workers were paid. The people worked to work and enjoy themselves rather than simply working to get the job done. “This is the day that the Lord has made!”

The first two days of work were in the Batays: a poor Haitian village in the country. At the school we dug, weeded, moved sand, mixed cement with shovels and pickaxes, nailed boards in place and then formed a bucket brigade to pour concrete pillars. We were also able to play tag with the children who laughed at our ‘Spanish’, walked around on their hands, and grinned while they showed us their village.

The rest of our work days brought us to Renacer Collegio Cristiano in the city of Santo Domingo. We learned trust, patience and gratitude at this job site. The scaffolding was made of two by fours and nails, and though hesitant to walk under it at the beginning of the week, many had climbed over it numerous times by the end. We learned patience when the jobs were not all planned for and so the supplies were not right there when we needed them. We quickly realized how precious water is, when we ran out and had to wait for the trickle from the hose to fill our barrels.

We pulled nails, carried buckets of sand, rocks and water up three flights of stairs, and formed bucket lines to send the cement up the rest of the way. By the end of our time we had leveled and cleaned up the area around the school (I felt like an archeologist as we dug up layer after layer of garbage), sealed two and a half sides of the three story school, painted the bars on the first floor windows, knocked down a wall (and emptied the pieces out the window so we could pick them up again), and laid two classroom floors. We also sang “Down By the Bay” a few too many times, started a lunch hour English class for the workers (led by Jessi Rieken and Megan Haan), and played ball and jump rope with the students during their break.

I went on this trip planning to work but we did a lot more than just work. Several times, Barb reminded me that this was a Missions trip. We worked, but we also got to know some people, walked the beaches, towns and markets to get to know the culture, and go to church to worship one God in Creole, Spanish, and English.

DR

Hi all!
I'm in Republica Dominican right now. On the plane ride I had my first 'spanish' conversation with a man from Dominican Republic. He knew small words of English and I had my cheat sheet of spanish phrases so I tried and he tried and we used motions and simple phrases. Lots of smiling. It was fun, sure would be nice to have some knowledge fo the Spanish language though! What a difference from the ol' USA. I've seen whole pigs for sale - roasted and still on their spits. I found out the horn is essential to driving. I've watched a cockroach and gecko scramble across our bedroom floor. The food I've eaten has been pretty Americanish so far. We went to church in Creole (Haitian - a mix of Spanish and French - but all I understood was 'merci beaucoup') It was very small, so they had someone translate every once in awhile. They also wanted us to come up and talk. I was relieved when we could clap along b/c I sure couldn't sing along and dancing to the music...not so much.
We just got in this morning to the Mission Center at 2:30 am after 24 hours of traveling. Half of the group is here so far and the other half who were delayed are supposed to get into the country right about now. Hopefully they're going through customs already at the airport. You'll have to ask me if you want more details about our extended travel.
Tomorrow we start getting to work. We're moving out of the city to the countryside. Filling some walls in to stablize them with cement and then we'll go onto the next project - probably after 2 days there. We don't do work on the weekend and our last Friday is also a free day. I was kind of disappointed about that - hoping to get more done but that's me now - before I've done any work. Anyway, you can pray that we are efficient and effective.
Hasta luego! See you later.
Michelle

8 days!

Til I see my brother and sister - HOORAY! This is my official dead week. However it is neither dead in the sense of no homework, nor dead in the sense that my homework is killing me. In other words, I'm busy, but not too busy. I have to only write 3 things yet, I have an exam tomorrow in Advanced Expos (which will hopefully not be too difficult - probably not), a take-home for Consulataion & Collaboration, then only 2 in class exams next week. Rather nice eh?
Yesterday I went to a Sign Language Christmas party and All-Campus SAC party - both were fun and I left feeling too full of junk food but it was yummy! I enjoy all the Christmas food but I'm glad that I don't have any (or hardly any) in my apartment - it definitely helps. Actually tonight is our last meal together as a room in 2006. :-( We're trying to go through food so it doesn't sit here over break thus we're not buying more food and therefore there's not much food to pick from ;-)
I got mail today too! From my mom and dad - so exciting!!!
Ok, dinner will be soon (but that's just an excuse - really I'm just uninspired / not remembering what happened in my life recently). Tomorrow's the Christmas banquet - 'twill be fun.
How are you all doing? (You all being whoever actually knows my blog and visits it.)

SNOW!!

Today it is snowing! All that waiting and finally losing hope of any snow this year, we've gotten some! We have about 1 cm but it stuck and it snowed for several hours :)
Tonight I'm creating a Communications Handbook for an Educ. class - it's interesting information that I"m finding but right now - formating / putting together is monotonous. But it'll all be worth it right?
Our building had a Christmas party. Our RA made goodies (fudge, pig in a blanket, cheese and crackers, hot cider, hot chocolate, Christmas cookies etc) and each room had some so we got to visit people to get them. Quite fun. So since it was my night to cook and we eat at 6 normally (our party was 6-7) we decided to have leftovers - hence I had more homework time.
I also went for a walk in the snow - short but sweet. And today decided to go to the Christmas banquet (borrowing a dress from Kirbee likely). Hopefully we can get a nice size group of people to go to it with us - more fun. And I e-mailed back and forth with Cassie - rhymes. We've been rhyming words and phrases all afternoon - very good time for procrastination.
Ummm - I went to Michael W. Smith Christmastime concert in Sioux City on Friday - for free!!! (Sat in $70 seats!) Went to Huisman's Saturday and came back with goodies - yum! Went visiting people Sunday night...yup. Life is pretty much good. I am blessed beyond belief.
Now, I'm returning to my homework.
Sorry twas so long since I last posted!
Mic

Thanksgiving

Last night we had Thanksgiving dinner in our apartment. There were at least (I think exactly but I'm not sure) 20 people here. I spent about 5 hours straight in the kitchen and was completely exhausted afterwards but it was worth it! We made turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce (from a can), glazed carrots, biscuits...and of course we made pie (apple, pumpkin & cherry & someone brought pecan). It was a full out dinner and lots of fun. Thankfully I didn't have any homework today so I could just enjoy those hours with people and not be stressed. We also had some lovely guests help with dishes and clearing the table. (We all crammed into the living room to eat so the table wasn't so crowded) Full from piled plates, we did dishes, cut up turkey, stocked the fridge with leftovers and put the dishes away and then took out and served the pie so we had slightly more room in our stomaches. It was a wonderful time - I'm so glad Kirbee thought of it and for Koinonia (the club that paid for us to build campus community by contributing up to $60 for food). College is such a fun time and it was so neat to get together with some people I knew and some I didn't know so well. Plus the food was delicious... the company delightful... the apartment rather warm but worth it definitely! I'm thankful for that meal, I'm thankful for safety of my friends and family, I'm thankful for my roommates and for college experiences and much more but that'll be later.

Pizza

I just ate pizza with my darling roommate Kirbee. You should all know her if you don't already - come visit to meet her (and see me) I also did homework today and worked (they actually paid me to work today - it was a busy day in the library lots of Theology 101 freshman scrambling to finish their essay for Monday). But this morning I woke up and lay in bed for 10 minutes and it felt like Winter holiday. Then I got up and had a nice slow morning reading and journaling. At 10 I went to WalMart with Jason and Karlynn. We shopped for Christmas boxes and had so much fun! I love doing it! Found some cute things for a little girl and fun stuff for older kids too. We just had an amazing time and tomorrow we will put them together in the afternoon in Karlynn's room with Christmas music playing boldly in the background. Twill be fantastique!! After we had all of our purchases we went to Centre mall for some samples from Casey's bakery. Turned out to be a whole shebang. They were selling recipe books and so there was pizza, garlic bread, soups, chilis, dips, party mixes, pies, cheese cakes. All tiny samples that we could have. Thus, I didn't need anything more for lunch when I skedaddled off to work.
K gotta go pray now. More later.

Hiya!

So yup. S'a weekend and a'm happy. Tanite a'm go'in to SCCS for dinner - s'gonna be yummy. Betcha'll wish you were here. Then a'm goin' swing dancin'. S'gonna be sweet. Tamorow a'm gonna work, do homework, hear Mark Schultz sing in the Beej, and then have ice cream at my place. Yum.
Hmm, felt like I should post but don't got much to say. So long mes amis.

Iowa Weather

So this morning I went for a walk for 20 min in shorts and a t-shirt and didn't get cold. This afternoon I biked to Kinsey in pants and sweatshirt and wished for gloves. Brr. Good strong wind inspired me to write a poem but alas and alack my creative thoughts are being smushed by the pressure to study pages of info which I likely will not remember in several years when I need it. And the whole world suffers b/c rather than my becoming a fabulous poet I am wasting my time reading pages of notes. Ach vell. such is life and life shall go on. Perhaps I will even write my poem down somewhere if I remember it. oh ya, 63 ish when i walked and 36 ish when I biked today. Good wind chill factor hurled leaves into our faces with incredible sting. Fabulous day. Well i'm not getting much studying done for this test. I'm working til 10:30, have a cousin date then and will go to bed shortly after so I should study...after I check to see if any of you folks have updated your blogs.
Love to all.
michelle

Another lovely weekend

Happy Sunday to all! What a lovely morning - cold cheeks and chilled ears from a sunny morning in the Fall. I went to Bridge of Hope this morning (which meets in the theatre). It had a nice Arsenic and Old Lace house setting. I really enjoyed the service and there were lots of people there - hooray for parents weekend!
Yes Parents weekend was this weekend. Uncle Bill came to visit and so I got to spend some time with him at Mahaffy's, showing him my apartment, at the music festival and an ice cream social. It was SOOOOOOOO wonderful seeing him. Family is such a blessing! And Grandpa and Grandma showed up as well. I saw them after the music festival Friday - that was fun. They met Jason...you can ask Grandpa for details ;-)
So yes I have been busy with fun this weekend (I also ushered for the play - see earlier writing to guess which play Dordt is doing right now) and I will be busy this week again. I get to do a science experiment among other school related things - life tastes good.
Along with Uncle Bill came a rather large assortment of chocolate from my dear parents (aren't they sweet?). My room is quite sweet right now - who knew that Mr. Big's came in extra-large size chocolate bars? If any of you feel the need for chocolate - swing by before it disappears and you can have some!
This afternoon I get to go to Mahaffy's for dinner - yay for Sunday soup! And I get to see RUTH!!!!!! She's HERE!!!! Please understand that the exclamation marks are to display my excitement which may not be evident in my writing.
Anyway, I think I'll be heading over there soon - so long!

Awesome weekend!

This weekend was crazy but amazing! My wonderful cousin Janice was / is here (leaving tomorrow morning at 6am) so I got to see her - I can't believe how good it was. Tonight I went to Price is Trite (Dordty version of Price is Right) Most everyone dresses up - there were people dressed like loofas, 60's, a plug and outlet (who lit up a jack-o-lantern), and many more. Jason and I dressed up as a pair - I was Peace (hippy) and he was Quiet (mime) - get it - Peace and Quiet?? Hahaha. It was so fun. Hopefully pics turn out. After that, a bunch of us (20ish) went out to Le Mars to eat icecream at Blue Bunny. Jan and her friend ordered a goliath - 6 scoops of ice cream but considering their size it's more like 10 scoops of icecream - no they did not finish it but they got about half way and it was finished by the table next to us.
So now I'm tired and am going to bed. I'm looking forward to tomorrow - church. It's been a tiring, long week. But I am so thankful to God for giving me another week.

Yay!

Cousin Janice is visiting, it's the weekend, I'm going to make money by working tonight and then I'm going to have fun watching the last of the made-in-48 hours films! Perhaps a donut run will even ensue. My mom sent me scrapbook paper so I have oodles and oodles, and I have pencils that say my name on them in case I forget. Mom must remember that my memory's not so hot.
Well I have no idea what this font will look like but hopefully I'll like it and you guys can read it.
Today in Science class, our teacher lit a piece of paper towel on fire, dropped it in a jar, and let a water balloon sink into the jar. It was cool. You should all try this at home. One of the best things about it was that it smelled like fire - mmmm! Miss that smell when we don't get candles in our rooms.
Oh, I made a gymnastics routine. Now I just have to actually try doing it. Practice practice practice!! And next week is the end of first semester classes - crazy that we've gotten so far so quickly.
Hope this was colorful enough for y'all.

Let's start at the very beginning...

21 years ago...never mind.
Okay, here is my first posting on my second blog (the other one I deleted 5 minutes after I started it up). It is snowing here in the NorthWest corner of IA. I passed on this information with great excitement to someone in this here library and she looked outside and said she didn't believe me. So I told her that if she went outside and stood really still and stared at something dark, she would see snow. She said I needed help, that the snow was all in my head. When I told her of three witness I knew, she said they were in my head too. Alas, perhaps I have gone mad. But I can give you contact info for those witnesses...really!!
Anyway, today is my busy day that was made less busy by a half hour class, a half our meeting, and no softball (from the snow that obviously exists). So my next engagement is teaching a lesson on the food pyramid in a 2nd grade class. Should be fun!
Tonight I'm cooking dinner - 1/2 the ingredients in the recipe are not in our kitchen. I will use the substitution method and elimination method. Hope it works! Aah, here comes the work rush - the 1/4 of my shift in which I am actually paid to work rather than paid to sit or post on my blog.
Well that's enough for now. Let me know if you visited me.