Hey guys,
So this is the closest thing to free time that I can foresee so I'll just talk about the important things and then I will fill in the gap at some stage when I can.
Okay so we have started classes, in fact we just finished our second week. So the people are so fantastic, I have made so many new friends (never forgetting my old ones of course).To start with, the two girls I have in my apartment, Katey and Megan. I laughed so hard this week I chocked twice within the time span of about twenty minutes. Katey is in a room by herself, she is so sarcastic and it is hilarious because only like four people get her, I think she fantastic. And then there is Megan, what to say about her?? She's my roommate, she's so sweet and funny and the more you get to know her the crazier she gets. She allows me to play music right before we sleep and will set her alarm even she's not the one who has to get up. Then everybody else, we have 45 students this year, one from South Africa, one from Austria, one from Scotland, two from Mexico and two fantastic girls from NZ ;P We've only know each other two weeks but it already feels like years. The environment is wonderful, so many like minded kids all together. We're a singing class, so I'm stoked.
Then there is the classes, which I am loving. This term I have New Testament with Gibby, he's really funny in a quiet sort of way, then Historical Christian Evidences with a teacher who talks a mile a minute, it's all really good stuff. That's Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday and Thursday I have Katey's dad in the mornings teaching Old Testament. He has his daughter's sense of humour. In the afternoons we have Pat, whose mission in life is to get us all (mostly but not always girls) to cry in every class and he teaches The Life of Christ. About that, I cried his first class because he was all "home is really far away isn't it?" staring straight into my eyes, it's okay though, he told Megan it wasn't about her. His classes have so many emotions in them, one second he's telling a joke and then he's making us sad, we're exhausted by the end of the day. Friday's we have Kris Smith, who is teaching us stuff, I'm not a hundred percent sure, we've only had him twice. The first week he talked about Philippians and this last week there wasn't enough time for his class because at the moment he is sharing that half day with Chris Jo, the counselor. Kris does all like the speeches and stuff. He talks about keeping our attitudes in check and giving second chances ( we haven't had any problems but some of the houses have), he's really funny too. He'll be talking and add in something really crazy into what he's saying but he'll do it in a very discrete way, he uses "poof" a lot and something dramatic will happen. It's funny. I am really loving all these classes, because you can tell the teachers really care and have a passion for what they are teaching. It's so refreshing and they all care about us too. I am however struggling with the thought of having them in more than one concept, because when I was five, I decided all teachers were robots so it just doesn't fit my mold.
So today there was a youth rally for the church of Christ kids all around Texas and a few from New Mexico. I have never seen so many church of Christ teenagers in one room in my life. It was fantastic. The room was so big that there were like two different timings for the song and exciting, Duran the Acapella group preformed tonight. However today on the way to the conference a kid who got into a car crash and died, his name was Caleb, so can you please pray for comfort for his family at this time.
So on that rather sad note, I had better hop off to bed because electronic curfew is almost upon us and I have to wake up at six in the morning to go to my area church, we'll talk about that later. And while you have that on your mind, I thought I should tell you I have been renamed Suzanna, those two things fit in together.
Good Night
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Hey guys,
Don't know how long I have so if it stops suddenly that's me going to school. So to start with the night of the day that I wrote you last, that night we went to a martial arts class and met some more of the people of Liz's church and then they took us to a firestation! To meet one of the class mates who couldn't come. He le us stand on the top of his truck, wear his fireman outfit and I feel like I never used Zenia's volunteer fire fighting to good use after that.
Told you it would be short I will finish this soon
bye :P
Don't know how long I have so if it stops suddenly that's me going to school. So to start with the night of the day that I wrote you last, that night we went to a martial arts class and met some more of the people of Liz's church and then they took us to a firestation! To meet one of the class mates who couldn't come. He le us stand on the top of his truck, wear his fireman outfit and I feel like I never used Zenia's volunteer fire fighting to good use after that.
Told you it would be short I will finish this soon
bye :P
Tuesday, 6 August 2013
Hi guys,
I have been so full on, I think this is my first down time to write. I am now in Lubbock staying with Liz, one of the interns from DC. Her family has been so lovely and wonderful, nicer and more generous than I thought was possible.In fact I have only met nice people out here. Oh, something exciting, I met Melinda from Tauranga's brother on Sunday and he had like a handle bar mustache like Roger, if you know him. So that was exciting. It's a small world. Liz has been so excited and determined to have every American experience with me, so I've already been camping, eaten at Chick-fil-a, The Cast Iron Pot, I've eaten lunch in a food court in supermarket, I've had soft pretzels. I got a meal for $1.70 which was insane. Mostly eating things, suffice to say I think I good for at least a week.
So on Tuesday we left at 9.30 in the evening, it was very emotional. By 2.30 on Tuesday we made it to L.A and then by 10.30 the same evening we landed in Dallas. LONGEST TUESDAY OF MY LIFE! When we go to Dallas it was ridiculously hot and we stayed up until like 2.30 in the morning maybe later, the next day we slept in until like 2.30 in the afternoon because in New Zealand that would have been 7.30 Thursday morning. I'm confused already. Donna and I found out that between maybe 4 and 6 it is the hottest it will get by taking a short walk down to a park.It was 31 degrees Celsius at 3.30 in the morning so I had to find a fan and sadly woke up Donna. on Thursday we drove to Lubbock, John did a fantastic job and did not drive on the road once on that trip and that evening we had dinner with Louis Neill (Allan from Morningside's mother). On Friday I went camping with the Greenlawn Church of Christ youth, well a few of them. We went to a canyon and saw bison, prairie dogs, fire ants, even a scorpion. It was a fantastic experience and the lessons given by a boy called Matthew were very good. It was however SO HOT, that the nail polish ON MY FINGERS, MELTED! I will get a picture next time I go outside and I will put it up.On Sunday I went to Greenlawn in the morning and the evening, they were all such nice people, as I said, I haven't met a mean person yet. The lessons over there were really good too. On Monday I got almost everything sorted, so I thing I am all goods now pretty much. Tomorrow I will David and Debbie Horn's house in a small town, which I am super excited about. And then of course the orientation for AIM is on Saturday which I am really excited about so that I can finally get down to work and also, the added bonus of not having to live out of a suitcase also appeals.
Today I had another epiphany like I did right before I left, I don't know if talked about it so I'll recap just in case. Before I left, I was packing away my room and I was really worried about my fragile things being broken and having to leave behind the majority of my stuff, I got upset about these things. So I went off for the day and saw a fire across the harbour on my way to West Auckland. Then later that night I was worrying again about my stuff and a verse popped into my head,
Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I went to sleep that night with that thought and I had a dream that my bedroom was on fire and there were little kids in the room (because in my dreams, I'm a super hero) and all my stuff was burning and melting, And I got all the children out and left myself and in my dream all my stuff was being destroyed before me and it was okay because everyone was out of the house and was fine. I woke up with a lesson learned and the realization that when we all got very serious it didn't matter at all what happens to my things. So that was the other week. Today I was having a bit of an emotional moment because I was tired and I was worried and I started in my head thinking of the song, of which I don't know what the name is or who wrote it. It goes
"It's all about you, Jesus. And all of this is for you, for your glory and your fame. It's not about me as if you should do things my way. You alone are God and I surrender."
And you know what, it's right, it's not about me, it's about God and doing His work and glorifying Him. So you all know that I am already growing as a person while I am here and I haven't even started AIM yet.
On that note I have not left this room for two hours so I will go now.
God Bless,
Jenna
I have been so full on, I think this is my first down time to write. I am now in Lubbock staying with Liz, one of the interns from DC. Her family has been so lovely and wonderful, nicer and more generous than I thought was possible.In fact I have only met nice people out here. Oh, something exciting, I met Melinda from Tauranga's brother on Sunday and he had like a handle bar mustache like Roger, if you know him. So that was exciting. It's a small world. Liz has been so excited and determined to have every American experience with me, so I've already been camping, eaten at Chick-fil-a, The Cast Iron Pot, I've eaten lunch in a food court in supermarket, I've had soft pretzels. I got a meal for $1.70 which was insane. Mostly eating things, suffice to say I think I good for at least a week.
So on Tuesday we left at 9.30 in the evening, it was very emotional. By 2.30 on Tuesday we made it to L.A and then by 10.30 the same evening we landed in Dallas. LONGEST TUESDAY OF MY LIFE! When we go to Dallas it was ridiculously hot and we stayed up until like 2.30 in the morning maybe later, the next day we slept in until like 2.30 in the afternoon because in New Zealand that would have been 7.30 Thursday morning. I'm confused already. Donna and I found out that between maybe 4 and 6 it is the hottest it will get by taking a short walk down to a park.It was 31 degrees Celsius at 3.30 in the morning so I had to find a fan and sadly woke up Donna. on Thursday we drove to Lubbock, John did a fantastic job and did not drive on the road once on that trip and that evening we had dinner with Louis Neill (Allan from Morningside's mother). On Friday I went camping with the Greenlawn Church of Christ youth, well a few of them. We went to a canyon and saw bison, prairie dogs, fire ants, even a scorpion. It was a fantastic experience and the lessons given by a boy called Matthew were very good. It was however SO HOT, that the nail polish ON MY FINGERS, MELTED! I will get a picture next time I go outside and I will put it up.On Sunday I went to Greenlawn in the morning and the evening, they were all such nice people, as I said, I haven't met a mean person yet. The lessons over there were really good too. On Monday I got almost everything sorted, so I thing I am all goods now pretty much. Tomorrow I will David and Debbie Horn's house in a small town, which I am super excited about. And then of course the orientation for AIM is on Saturday which I am really excited about so that I can finally get down to work and also, the added bonus of not having to live out of a suitcase also appeals.
Today I had another epiphany like I did right before I left, I don't know if talked about it so I'll recap just in case. Before I left, I was packing away my room and I was really worried about my fragile things being broken and having to leave behind the majority of my stuff, I got upset about these things. So I went off for the day and saw a fire across the harbour on my way to West Auckland. Then later that night I was worrying again about my stuff and a verse popped into my head,
Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I went to sleep that night with that thought and I had a dream that my bedroom was on fire and there were little kids in the room (because in my dreams, I'm a super hero) and all my stuff was burning and melting, And I got all the children out and left myself and in my dream all my stuff was being destroyed before me and it was okay because everyone was out of the house and was fine. I woke up with a lesson learned and the realization that when we all got very serious it didn't matter at all what happens to my things. So that was the other week. Today I was having a bit of an emotional moment because I was tired and I was worried and I started in my head thinking of the song, of which I don't know what the name is or who wrote it. It goes
"It's all about you, Jesus. And all of this is for you, for your glory and your fame. It's not about me as if you should do things my way. You alone are God and I surrender."
And you know what, it's right, it's not about me, it's about God and doing His work and glorifying Him. So you all know that I am already growing as a person while I am here and I haven't even started AIM yet.
On that note I have not left this room for two hours so I will go now.
God Bless,
Jenna
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