This is my 100th Post!

If you've been reading my blogs since I started. I want to thank you. ha.

secondly I had a small thought I wanted to post.

Tonight, prahbu was outside playing with hannah, so I decided to join in. Normally at night we aren't outside with Hannah, but it wasn't that hot, and it was just one of the random evenings.

So I ran out and surprised Hannah, and we all walked around, and played some ball. I came inside with two mosquito bites. When I realized I got them from being outside, I thought, " I knew it, the mozzies are out after sunset...". Then again I had such a fun time, and it felt like I was doing the right thing. Just being outside, and being happy, and playing. Its good to do that.

I just think sometimes I stop myself from doing some stuff while I'm here in India, because I know what will happen. Example: If I ride on the bike to school, I will smell like exhaust & rotten banana's, and my hair will be all tangled. Its just how it is. So in this case, I don't ride on a bike, if I have a car option. Then again riding the bike is way more fun, and you remember it. I love how happy I am on the back of a bike, I feel like I'm "safely" apart of India for a little while.

When it comes to outside time, I love it, and I am happy playing with Hannah and just being in the sun shine, and even the night sky. Then I think in my head, I'll get mosquito bites after sunset. So I just don't go out. What is the saying, the better of the lesser evil???? I'm choosing my secondary happy spot, so then later I don't have mosquito bites. Though in the end I would have had a great time outside.

all that to say. I need to be a bit more brave, and trusting. God wants me to have a wonderful time, and also have no mosquito bites. thanks God.

upla ( swiss ) equals opps (english)

So I posted all those photos, and never put descriptions. let me explain why.
Reason #1: I have been trying for a while to put photos up, though are connection at the house is like a little snail. Therefore to upload two photos, it could take 15 minutes.
Reason #2: The time I have open during the day for photo uploading is around 9:30pm, so I could upload maybe two photos, and then it would be nearer my bed time. Then I get tired of waiting...and quit.
Reason #3: When I finally got the BRILLIANT idea to upload the photos at the school, which has fast connection, I uploaded photos while doing office work, so...
Reason #4: I ran out of time to put descriptions to the pictures below.

I hope those are enough reasons to support my lack of help. : )

Pretty much the photos are pictures of life. Peoples lives that I may or may not know much about. Though when I took the picture, I felt like I captured it for a moment.

Currently I am sitting on my bed, in my pj's and typing away. I can hear the movie in the other room, Judith and David are relaxing, and re watching Run away jury ( thanks dad). Love that movie, but I was in the mood to blog. I have come to the conclusion that Judiths mom being here has produced 98% greatness into my day. You may ask what the other 2% is...I would say extra weight.ha. She is this amazing swiss bread maker, and cook. She knows how to make every meal so good, you can't wait for the next one. I have decided while she is hear to FULLY enjoy each time she cooks. I'm gonna be honest, I think that maybe its beginning to show. Is that something you share on a blog. I don't know. I just think its a bit silly.

So if you are wanting a great cook, baker, cleaner, and baby watcher ( that happens to be swiss) I've got the lady for you! What a blessing, I should interview her, and then post it on here. Don't get your hopes up, cause we try to talk everyday and its a challenge for the both of us. I am learning more swiss, and she is learning more English. Though I could get Judith to do some translating for the "interview".

All that to sum up that life is going wonderful. anddddd get excited. This Saturday we have a school gathering. Last year I was here for this as well, but they called it " The Retreat". This year they are calling is something else...can't remember. Its strange thinking to go to it this year, but have different students. Makes me miss all the old students from last year, wish they were joining in on the fun. I am looking forward to it, cause its a great idea to have all the students out of the building and bonding.

So all is well here, hoping all is well there!

some photos...

The blog post below this is new as well : )

I have been in India for ( almost ) 50 days.

So I am still here, and still doing normal every day things.
Except one exciting thing is, I found out my juice guy friends name...money. how great is that?
Every time I see him now, I get to say " MONEY" which I usually say it like a gansta, " Monaaaaaaay".
I don't know if he knows that I'm a little bit american with my crazy like ness. Either way, we are sorta fruit friends. I've never been fruit friends with anyone, so its sorta new. You know when you go to a coffee shop every now and again, and you are friends with the barista? Though if you went every day, they would think that maybe you didn't have any friends. So you have to make sure you don't go all the time, or else they will no long be your friend. OK. example made. so. I have to go to the fruit shop very often, and so now I've try to play it cool, and sometimes I run fast into the shop, and run fast out. I pretend that I never came. Though Monaaaay probably see's me. I just have to keep my cool status at the fruit market.

Other then money, I've just been doing normal life. Wake up, eat, school, hannah, eat, sleep. In the midst of normal life some times I get little surprises. not good ones. well some good ones. but mostly smelly ones. I wore my cool hiking sandals, that make me look like a "real" missionary, to school. I forgot that wild animals run a muck here in India, and there is no designated bathroom area for them. So they use the roads and sidewalks. great planning. In the middle of the day I really wanted to get some ice cream, so my friend Vijay took me to Baskin Robins ( yes..they have it, and yes its delicious). When we jumped off the bike, I must not have been looking, and then later still must not have smelt anything. So on my sweet missionary sandals, was a very large amount of Cow poop. GROSS. Thanks India. Thats one of those " thanks India" moments. ha. I cleaned it up, don't worry.

Also.
I need to attach a photo of Bryanni on here. Its my favorite meal, well actually one of them. sooooooo good. Spicy rice, with tomatoes and chicken and a hard boiled egg. You eat it all with your hands, and brake up the chicken and egg. Its pretty spicy so they also give you onions in curd ( like yogurt) to mix in it. Here is a picture of my friend Juno and Me from last year eating it. yummm I would send you all some, but that wouldn't work out quite well.



So yesterday I ate some bryanni for lunch, and afterwards its like this immediate " I need ice cream" feeling. Hints the, Vijay taking me to Baskin Robins, cow poop on sandal story.

P.S. Judith had her baby! September 21, 2010 at 3:30am and she is beauitful. Its fun having another "person" in the house, and all is going well. Oh her name is, Joy Sophia : ) I'm learning a ton about Infants. They are so small. When I first held it I cried for a second, cause I was just so amazed by such a little thing, that was so important! Life.

In Hope...BELIEVE.

I have just began to read Romans, and think about what I'm reading. I want to learned more...
As I was reading I came across this verse
" who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, " so shall your descendants be." ( to be continued...) Romans 4:18

When I read that I thought of two things.
one.
I've heard people say, " I don't want to pray ' God thank you that I am healthy' before I am...what if it doesn't happen?". Abraham instead of waiting for his promise to come, and hoping that it would happen, he just believed it would. By choosing to in hope, believe God, this happened
" And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead ( since he was about 100 years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did NOT waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being FULLY CONVINCED that what He had promised He was also able to perform."
"AND THEREFORE ' it was accounted to him for righteousness'".

Not only did he receive the promise of God, but he also was accounted for righteousness ( right standing with God). This was pre-jesus, so for Abraham to be account as righteous, I see it as a miracle in itself. It was by faith, in hope, he believed God! The only way we can be righteous today is by faith in Jesus, Jesus now can make each one of us righteous, through faith.

two.
when I read that verse about Abraham doing something contrary, I thought of me. Before I leave for a trip overseas, I usually don't have the money, but IN hope I believe God to figure it all out. That may be a bit "contrary to popular belief", you'd probably wait tell the money comes, to say your going somewhere. I do the oppisite.

I guess reading that made me feel like, Abraham's got my back! ha Been there, done that. God's great at reveling His truth through His word! love it.

Whistling

I want to first say " Happy Elephant god day" to you. incase you were wondering what is happening in India today. Everyone ( who worships the elephant god) has gone out and bought tons of fruit, and new saris, and are going to worship ( they say poocha) their god. This also includes a huge home cooked meal, and lots of probably really weird activities ( that I am happy to not be participating in). When I got up this morning, and went to the restroom, I could hear all the music outside. Its pretty crazy.

speak of crazy I have some more photos I took, and will post them soon.

Other then that, a quick short story.

When I first arrived here in India, we pulled into our "neighbor hood" (which I think I mentioned earlier), thats guarded by security guards, that are about 60, and blow whistles all night long as they walk around "guarding and protecting". At first I wonder how I was going to sleep with the whistling, and ended up sleeping fine. OH YES on a sidenote: I've been here a month now...CRAZZYYAA. So I've become quite comfortable with the area, and the whistle, and Hannah, and ... India. The other evening it was pouring rain, and when it rains...it rains all through the night. When I went to get into bed and read, it was so quiet, I was kinda like...what's going on?? I then realized I couldn't hear any whistling. Then I SERIOUSLY thought, what if our neighbor has been taken over, cause the whistle wasn't there. I then came to the conclusion that 1. I really love the whistling security guards, and now find it a comforting noise in the evening. and 2. It was pouring rain, so they weren't walking around... and 3. that meant our neighborhood was fine, and not being taken over. 4. praise God

Its so funny how life becomes life wherever you are. I remember my sister telling me once, that you can never escape life wherever you go, it will find you. The world is full of people, and once you arrive somewhere, you will eventually make friends, get a job, and then get frustrated at your friends, and get tired of your job. Its not a place you are trying to get to, or away from. Its really people. ha. Then again we all want people in our lives. There it is. Life. Not that I am tired of my job or friends here...but. I now feel like this is life here, like this is home. I like the neighborhood, the school, my friends, and the sounds at night. See India in the eyes of some people would be an adventure...which it is, and I agree too. Though somehow it also becomes so normal at the same time. I was driving home the other night, and had that feeling of " oh I can't wait to get into my bed..." I forgot about how crazy the roads were, and the people, and the lights, it was just a normal drive home.

very bizzard.

so I guess if you are somewhere, and you feel like you are tired of life. IF you go somewhere else, you will run into it again. Enjoy right where God has you...its all worth it, and He loves you.

you are all blessings to me!

Pen and Ink

So I was having this facebook chat with my dad, which...
Thanks God for facebook. I love that I can talk to my dad, and the rest of my family on there. as I was saying...
I was talking with my dad, and we got to talking about how getting mail is so personal. My mom sent me a package, and more then what was inside, I loved seeing her handwriting on top. I could see her with a pen in her hand, and piece of paper in the other, copying my street address down of my home here in India. It meant so much. I actually was going to take the sticker off the top, and keep it in my travel journal, but realized I could keep the box with me instead.

That's when it hit me, Facebook makes staying in contact so easy, but it's not as personal as seeing someone's handwriting. In that very moment, I thought..." Everyone of us has our own hand writing..." Its like our finger prints. So in a way my handwriting is a part of me. No one else in the whole world writes like me ( or you )!!

So for me to send someone a letter, is to send them a little piece of myself, that traveled across the sea to them! How sweet is that xo I want to be a bit more personal then only blogging. I just need to get myself a little address book, and bring it with me whenever I travel. Then I can send you all little post cards and such! what ya think?

I guess I'll have to get in contact with you guys, and then keep a record of your address's, and then surprise you with a little bit of me, on a random day wherever you may be.

So with that, I wish I could sign my name at the end of this post, but instead I will leave you with a Bloggers signature...
Loving your love,
Laura


P.S. This blog was inspired by my wonderful father. He gave me the thought about how truly important it is to be personal with the people you love, and show them you care.