No longer 19 and crazy...

“God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love”

(Ephesians 4:15 MSG)

hey everyone! Thanks for all the emails, snail-mail & care-packages! I have been blessed by your thoughtfulness and prayers.

Update on life Honduras:

Classes: M, W, F: we have a grammar & culture class

T, TH: we have an international development & literature class

[all of are in Spanish – and my favorite is our development class!]

Outside of classes..

• I love to spend time with my family here – they have been an unexpected blessing!

• Building relationships with the Calvin girls, our Honduran friends & the VerBeek family

• traveling – we have gone to many places: Santa Lucia, La Esperanza, Monte Verde, La Isla del Tigre

• visiting our favorite café on the corner of our street for a cappuccino at “Más que sabor”

• reading – freedom of simplicity by richard j foster & traveling mercies by anne lamott

• running at 'el campo' whenever it's not too hot & still light enough outside to run!

• taking photos & keeping up with everyone back at home :)

birthday story:

I'm twenty, no longer nine-teen & crazy! It was a great day. Started with a birthday card from a great friend, cake at my 8:00 class, and lots of candy (marshmallows are a new thing for me). Lunch was a challenge – we ended up walking all over Tegucigalpa searching high and low for somewhere with hamburgers (not the easiest thing to do in cowgirl boots). Finally, we ended up in a food court of a mall – trying quiz-nos & pizza hut. Mmmmm

we had a birthday party at my house with my family including yummy home-made dinner, a coffee flavored cake (they know me well), and dancing.

Today, we are celebrating even more! I just got back from pedicures & lunch at our favorite café. It was relaxing & fun to be pampered. looks like tonight we will be eating pizza & going out.

Thanks for all the care-packages, cards, videos, and photos – it made my day! If you haven't gotten a personal thank-you yet...it's probably because the mail is still arriving :)

news:

We have interim practicum at the end of this trip and it looks like I will be shadowing a doctor in Tegucigalpa for a week, and then going with Krystal to live in a rural community (Monte Verde) up in the mountains & assist in a hospital with births!

p.s y'all should check out our Calvin Sem Pond jump video on Facebook!