1. I decided to publish some pictures of some of my latest art projects! My mom told me today that she has reserved a booth for me at a craft fair coming up so I can sell some of my artwork.  I’m thinking about selling some of these there, well, atleast selling the crayon ones. :)

    P.S. I always feel like I need to copyright my art that I publish on the Internet because I actually have had people steal my pictures before, so COPYRIGHT the artwork and photos. They are indeed mine.  :)

  2. Road trip convos:

    • Robbie: I'm gonna be #5 in baseball, 30 in football, and 23 in basketball.
    • Jackson: What are you gonna put on your letter jacket? All three? It's gonna look like a phone number.
  3. [Flash 10 is required to watch video]

    @lurbanurban @mattburkhead

  4. Agra. Monsoons. Life in Delhi.

    Two weekends ago the team headed to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.  Fun fact: The palace in Aladdin is based off of the Taj Mahal.  What city is Aladdin set in? AGRAba. So all of us pile into our charter bus we rented for the weekend and embarked on the 5 hour trip.  One funny moment on the bus was when all of us were engaged in a discussion about dating.  We brough up many different scenarios and I think both the girls and the guys learned a lot.  It was entertaining for sure. 

    Once in Agra, we freshen up as best we can and head to the Taj Mahal.  We had a blast walking around taking all sorts of funny pictures.  It wasn’t long before people started coming up to us to ask if they could get their picture taken with us.  They are amazed by whiteys.  At first it seems weird, until you notice yourself staring at the other whiteys.  We just stand out.  To draw even more attention to ourselves, we decided to swing dance.  At the Taj.  At sunset.  Yah, that was pretty much amazing!

    A few days after being back in Delhi, we experienced our first rain storm.  We were told that it was “just a heat storm.”  But then it started raining harder and harder and the street began to flood.  We decided it would be fun to go play in the rain, so we ran down the stairs and were almost instantaneously soaked. We ran around the neighborhood for about an hour, laughing and trying not to think about what was in the water we were running through.  (Indian roads are not the cleanest)  At one point it was raining so hard that we couldn’t see in front of us.  It was actually hailing, but by the time it reached us it had melted.  We returned to the flat, drenched and laughing.  Then reality set in and became paranoid that we were going to get parasites.  Thankfully no one has….yet.

    We are now at the point in the summer where we have transitioned from contact-making to having appointments with people.  It’s been so exciting.  I have met with some really cool girls and started some friendships that I hope will last a lifetime.  It is SO exciting to see their hearts be changed and their eyes opened right before my eyes.  Ah, I love it!

    Last night we had a date night. Man, oh man, did we have fun!  I seriously think we could do just about anything as a team and have a good time.  So the guys planned the whole night out for us.  We started out with dinner at a nice restaurant in the Ambience mall.  Then, we went to the mall next door to enjoy some Cinnabon.  We hung out there for a long time just chatting and bonding.  As we got up to leave, Matt decided he would try to jump from one square of marble to another.  He wiped out.  It was probably one of the funniest things that night.  From there, we went to try to find a club so we could go dancing.  We finally found one that we could get into with no cover charge.  We had an absolute blast dancing the night away to some American and Indian music.  And yes, they played Amplifier by Imran Khan.  At about 2am, we left.  Some people might call it a night after 2am, but we all decided to head back to the flat to watch a few episodes of Modern Family.  #bonding #weareamodernfamily

    That brings us to today.  We got to sleep in, which was so refreshing after a long night.  We spent the afternoon in the park enjoying frisbee, soccer, football, and mehndi (henna).    It’s beautiful.  What’s in store for the rest of the night? Finishing Season 1 of Modern Family and then maybe watching Star Wars. 

    Time flies.  Too quickly.

  5. Adventures in India

    Day 1:  We get to the airport and find out that Will hasn’t left for his flight yet and that we were going to be on the same flight.  Things were really backed up in Chicago because of a fog threat and then a thunderstorm, so there were really 3 or 4 different flights were on the flight we left on.  We finally roll out at 1:20 and head for Chicago.  It was a relatively short flight, but once we landed there was no terminal open for our plane to park in, so we made a lap around the airport.  By that time the penalty box was open (a place for planes to wait) so we waited.  Later we find out that there were planes waiting in the terminal for crew members so that they could leave, but those crew members were on our plane and the other planes in the penalty box so no one was able to go anywhere.  We finally got to a spot and then find out that no one is there to work the bridge.  Some of my teammates towards the front of the plane said they could see it from the plane and were debating just jumping the 6 ft gap to get off the plane.  An hour and a half later we got off our plane.  During that delay, we had been rebooking our flight to London.  We knew as soon as we got off the plane and stepped foot into Ohare, we had to book it.  Once the whole team was off the plane, we literally sprinted through the airport.  Everyone stared as we frantically ran by.  We got there just in time.  The check-in for the flight came with some bad news, though.  We found out that our bags would get to Delhi three days after we did.  Woof. 

    Thankful to be on a bigger plane, we sink into our seats and let out a sigh of relief after our run through the airport.  Jeffery and I got to sit next to an Indian couple.  We find out that Sanil Gupta is on the supreme court of India.  He, his wife, and his children began to teach us some Hindi.  They also gave us some suggestions for markets to visit while we were here.  Not to mention, they want us to come to visit them while we are in Delhi. 

    From a note I kept on my phone: “Man, today has just been so funny with everything that has happened to us.  What an adventure already! I am just so excited to land in India.  I keep looking at the map on this plane and it seems to take a long time to fly over Canada.  We just passed the Labrador Sea so I guess we are officially flying over the Atlantic right now.  So weird.”

    Day 2: We finally made it to London….with a 9 hour layover.  It’s ironic because just the day before we had joked that we should pray that we would get stuck in London for a while so we could explore the town.  Unfortunately we didn’t get to leave the airport, but our terminal in itself was HUGE! It was practically a mall.  At this point, we were told that our luggage would be in Delhi by the time we got there because we had such a long layover. 

    Lunch time in Heathro:  Tessy and I decide to go get smoothies.  Little did we know that they don’t use ice in their smoothies.  I can’t believe I just paid $7 for fruit juice.  Also, it’s so confusing walking around.  Do we walk on the right or the left?  There doesn’t seem to be a system like in America.  It’s funny.

    “For security purposes, all luggage left along will be destroyed.”

    It’s getting close to time for us to board our plane.  We are all so delerious at this point.  Lurban was still feeling the Ambien from the previous flight and had earlier slept on the floor of the terminal.  I feel like no matter what someone said, we all just laughed hysterically. 

    Day 3:  We just landed in India.  We just landed in INDIA!!! I can’t believe we are finally here! I cried as we flew in.  I want to treasure every moment of these next six weeks!

    Filling out a baggage claim because we really don’t know where our luggage is or when we will get it.  Also, we have no way of reaching Will. We finally find him and it was such a relief.  Now we are waiting to get our Indian phones. 

    We step outside the airport.  It was totally not what I was expecting..in a great way.  I was told that I would not be able to breathe because the air was so thick, that I would gag from some of the smells, that it would be so miserably hot, and lots of other extremes.  I walked outside and it felt awesome, of course it was only about 8 am at this point.  Heather came to pick us up.  So all 11 of us pile into this Indian SUV. This was our first time to experience Delhi traffic.  Let me tell you, it is kind of scary.  People don’t really follow the lines or use the lanes.  They do what they want.  Also, it’s been hard getting used to them driving on the left side. 

    We’ve had so many adventures over the past few days.  I would love to write a really detailed post, but I would much rather tell you all the stories in person.  I’m trying to keep a journal so that I remember things. 

    P.S. Today we got our luggage.  We just didn’t even know what to do with all of the outfit options we had.  It was definitely a humbling experience only having one outfit for 5 days.  We are so glad to finally have our own clothes.  Clean, fresh clothes.

    Audi like a roadster.

    Hogue

  6. The Empty Suitcase

    So I’m sitting in my room, staring at an empty suitcase.  My least favorite part of travelling. 

    Packing.

    Ugh. What a daunting task.  How do I pack for 6 weeks in a country that I’ve never been to? How do I pack for 6 weeks going ANYWHERE? I’m bound to forget something.  Will it be socks? Or deodorant? Oh, please don’t be deodorant.  Do I really only need to pack 5 nice tops?  I have to be prepared to look “hip and trendy”? Take a deep breath.  Look back at the empty suitcase.  Can’t you just pack yourself?

    I seriously think at this point that packing is the scariest thing about this whole trip right now.  Ok, ok. I know I don’t need to worry about what I will wear, but it’s a fine line between staying cool and looking hip…and remaining modest.  Not to mention the even finer line of packing what you need and over packing.  I always over pack.  Always. I blame being a Girl Scout…Always Be Prepared, right? I just hate that feeling of arriving to your destination and the first thing you think is “Oh, man. I forgot my…” 

    Well, I’m determined not to let that happen.  I’ve already made about 5 extensive lists of what I need to pack.  The only problem is, my suitcase still sits on my floor completely empty. 

    But how can I think about packing when I’m about to spend the next 6 weeks with 9 incredible people in INDIA? Oh, boy.  So many things rush through my mind when I say that.  Spicy food. Riding elephants. Henna. Cricket. Bollywood. Bright colors. And so much more.  But I’m told not to have any expectations.  I know it’s not going to be anything like I expect it to be….and I’m excited about that.  It’s been so awesome to watch God work through all of us as we prepare to go.  I’m just so excited to see what He’s going to do once we actually get there! It’s going to be one amazing adventure. 

    I leave in 5 days.  5 DAYS? I can count that on 1 hand.  Wowie.  Time flies.

    In other news, Celeste and Justin get married in 4 days and I’m so excited to get to celebrate with them before I leave!! :)

    And now I guess it is time for me to face the empty suitcase…

  7. RAIN. THUNDER. FLOODS.

    Yesterday I drove home (well, to Fayetteville) in the storms.  For a good 30 minutes it was raining so hard I could see nothing but the two red tail lights in front of me.  These 30 minutes seemed like hours.  I could barely see the lines on the road and I definitely couldn’t see the side of the road to pull over.  Plus, I feared that other drives might not know I was stopped and rear end me.  I can usually stay pretty calm when driving in rain, but this was just too much.  My hands clenched the steering wheel, my shoulders were up to my ears tensed, I held my breath, my eyes were glued on the road, and I could feel my heart beating out of my chest.  I thought I was going to have a panic attack.  The only thing I could do was pray.  “Lord, help me to see the road because I just can’t.”  Eventually the rain let up and we made it back to Fayetteville.  Thank you, Lord!

    Today, more rain hit.  And while I really do not prefer driving in severe rain, I actually love rainy days.  No.  What I really love is thunderstorms.  There’s just something about how God can display his power through a storm that captivates me.  I love the rumbling sounds of thunder and then the big clashes that just make you jump in surprise.  And the flashes of lightning that just light up the sky? Fascinating.  Also, I think walking around the rain..more like running.. makes me feel like I’m on some kind of adventure.  And then once everyone is indoors, we all just look like wet dogs.  It’s just so funny to me. 

    Conversation about driving in the rain:

    Me: Yah, Jesus got me home cause I couldn’t do it on my own.  Man, that could be a song.

    Sarah: Yah, it could.  (Starts singing Jesus Take The Wheel)

    Me: Oh, I guess it already is a song.

    #Idon’tlistentocountrymusic

    On a completely different note:

    My dad is just funny.  One day he told me that Apple was the mark of the beast because their symbol (apple with a bite out of it) was the original sin.  So, Sunday at church he decides to tell this to my pastor.  My pastor tops him with this one.  In Hebrew, the number 6 looks like a “w” with a squiggle over it.  So when you put together 666 in Hebrew it looks like “www.” 

    Follow @Glenn_isms for other funny quotes about my diddy. (He likes to be called G-Diddy).

    Thanks for reading my ramblings :)

  8. Spiritual Warfare

    “For I am convinced that niether death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 8:38-39

    Demons are real. 

    In our culture I think we tend to lump them with fairies, wizards, mermaids and other sorts of fairytale nonsense.  That’s a lie.  They exist.  But God is more powerful.  He gave US a spirit of power.  We shouldn’t live in fear.  When we live in fear, the devil and his demons have power over us.  They shouldn’t get that victory. Not when we serve the God of the universe!

    These are just some of my thoughts after Pam shared her story about Tibet at discovery group tonight.  It made spiritual warfare that more real to me.  Just something to think about.

  9. LOL. So glad I’m re-reading this series.  Chronological this time. HOLLA!

    LOL. So glad I’m re-reading this series.  Chronological this time. HOLLA!

  10. Em. Barassing.

    So whenever people used to ask me what my most embarassing moment was, I never really had an answer. I mean, sure, I’d had some embarassing things happen like tripping in front of a bunch of people, but nothing too crazy. That was all true up until this past Tuesday…..

    As most of you know, all of the RA applicants have to be drug tested.  So on Tuesday, Sarah, Michael and I decide to go to HR to grab the form.  (Side note: This was the first time I’d ever really met Michael.) After we grab the forms we decide to just go ahead and head over to LabCorp to get tested.  I was faced with a slight problem.  I had barely had anything to drink that day.  Sarah graciously offered me the rest of her Vitamin water to help me get some fluids in my system.

    We make it to the lab and turn in our paper work and then wait in the lobby.  Sarah goes first.  Success.  Then it was my turn.  I took a deep breath as my friends jokingly wished me luck.  Little did they know, I needed more than luck.  I just couldn’t do it.  The woman (nurse?) gave me a set of RULES to follow when I failed to “complete the test.” I was told I couldn’t leave until I could complete the test. I could only drink 10 cups of water and couldn’t drink more than 40 oz. 

    So I returned to the lobby, face red in embarassment.  I told Sarah (and reluctantly Michael) that we had to stay until I could complete the drug test.  I immediately started chugging water.  After my 10th cup, I still wasn’t feeling the urge to go.  So what do we do?  We start trying every trick in the book to try to get me to have to go. 

    Sarah and Michael were very encouraging.  (And they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the fact that I couldn’t go.) They began to paint verbal pictures of various water scenes, telling me all about Niagra falls, babbling brooks, trickling fountains, and vast oceans. 

    It then progressed to listening to this on my phone:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDEn9P9_S-s

    Then, Michael and Sarah had the idea to revert to those good ole slumber party days and try putting my hand in a cup of water.  We tried this simultaneously with me listening to the water sounds. 

    By this time, there were many other RA applicants in the waiting room.  Everyone was laughing at our attempts to put me in the mental state of needing to go to the restroom. 

    What seemed to work best, though, was other people talking about how bad they needed to go.  I tried it myself, forcing myself to believe that I actually needed to go.  Finally, I was called back to try again.  I filled the woman in on all of our tactics and she added one more. She turned the sink on while I did my test.  When I finished, she told me “that must be you’re biggest accomplishment today.”  I was glad I could make her laugh because she seemed a little overwhelmed by the amount of people waiting to be tested.  She also told me I should do a victory dance in the lobby.

    When I opened that door, every one congratulated me and I even got a few applauds.  I certainly made an impression on that waiting room.  I still haven’t decided if it was a good or bad one.

    Yah. I’d say that’s definitely my most embarassing moment. And I can’t believe I’m about to post this for everyone to read.  But if I can’t laugh at myself then who can I laugh at?

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