A Visitor

Hey All,

The school year has been crazy busy, and has flown by. I am so excited to graduate from college, for the second time, but am regretting a little killing myself taking 18 credits this semester. It will all be worth it when I graduate in May though, and am finally free from school and homework and group projects and tests. What a wonderful life that will be.

So, I had a visitor here in Missoula about a week ago. My boyfriend, Tobias, finally came to visit after the almost two months we've been apart now. It was his first time in Montana and we had a great time hiking and sightseeing and just hanging out, and let me tell you, a week was not enough. He'll be back in December though, and I can't wait.

It's been a while

It has been a little while since I have blogged. I'm sure we can all relate to how fast life seems to go sometimes. My internship is one week from over, and as some of the other interns get ready to leave tomorrow, I can hardly believe it's almost over. I have learned so much not only about microfinance, but also about how a Christian organization should be run, with a sincere heart for people and a devotion to excellence in business combined. Some may think this is difficult or that compromises have to be made, but HOPE has taught me that this is simply not true.

Maybe another reason this summer has flown by is that I have started dating someone. This is another reason I haven't given much attention to keeping up with this blog. I met him at the international house I am living at this summer and he is from Germany. I will be going back to Montana in a week and he will be staying here, so if you think of it you can pray for me (and Tobias). Life is funny, all I can say is that God knows why he has the timing he does, even if I don't.

Pennsylvania is beautiful!

Hhhhmmm...Do I have any good stories to share? Well, last Thursday a couple that works with one of HOPE's partner organizations in Afghanistan came into the office. They have been in Afghanistan for something like 18 years. I have to tell you that I have been very interested in Afghanistan lately, I picked up Inside Afghanistan, by John Weaver, at Jessica and Ian's and loved reading about his experiences there. That country has been in turmoil for so long. I have no idea what it would be like to live in a place where there is war and uncertainty all the time. This couple had done that. They seemed filled with so much quiet strength, I was very impressed. If the Lord allows me to have served like them someday, I will be happy.

I'm going to Boston and Montreal this next weekend, so hopefully I will have some great stories to share then.

I have been here in Lancaster for a month now. The time has gone by so fast, but it also feels like I have been here forever and this is almost home. I am missing the outdoor activities of a Montana summer (although we did float a local river last Sunday). Living at the Millersville International House (MIH) I feel like I am living in a dorm again. We get home from work and there are always people to talk to and hang out with. There are good things about dorm style living and there are bad things, but being new in this area it is great to have people around and to be able to make friends quickly and easily.

As far a work goes, most of the programs team has been at a conference for the last two weeks. I will be very excited next week when they get back, but I have had plenty to do while they have been away. I have been learning about all kinds of practicle stuff in the field of microfinance that is so interesting to me, but I don't think would interest most of you, so I won't go into detail. Let me just say that I have been very impressed with how intentional HOPE is in trying to help people in the most effective way possible and in being responsible with what they have been give. Most Christians feel called to help people, to give to the poor, but few put the effort into making sure that the way they are helping is a way that maintains dignity for the poor, does not foster dependency, and makes the gospel an integral part of it all.

My Birthday

So last Tuesday was my 25th birthday, that's right, I am a quarter century old now. It is hard to believe sometimes, it seems like such a short time ago that I was turning 21. I don't really mind getting older though, in fact, I enjoy having the added experiences and knowledge that come along with turning another year older.

This year was a good birthday. The other interns that live in the Millersville International House with me, Caleb & Rashawna, went out of their way to make sure I had a good birthday. They, along with the help of another intern, suprised me by decorating my desk at work. We went out for vietnamese food at this cute little, very authentic vietnamese restaurant near where I work. You all know that I love asian food. Then we went out for dessert at a little cafe where I, of course, had cheesecake. At MIH they also made a cake for me which we ended up eating the next day because of the cheesecake, so my birthday got to last for another day.

On Friday Caleb, Rashawna, and I went to NYC for the day. It is only about three hours away from here. We bought day passes for the subway and did a little exploring. For lunch we had some awesome chinese food in china town. We stopped by time square, central park, grand central station, the UN, and a few other places. NY is a cool place to go and visit, but I think this Montana girl would have a very hard time living in a place so massive and crowded.

Farmer's Market (Amish co-workers)

On Saturday one of the other interns, Caleb, and I went to work at an indoor farmer's market about an hour from Lancaster. Apparently indoor farmers markets are all the rage in Lancaster County. We worked at a produce stand in the market and sold fresh produce. It was a long day, we had to leave the house at 6:30am and didn't get back until about 9pm, but it was kinda fun. Sometimes it was very busy, with lines of people waiting to tell you what they wanted and sometimes there was time to stand around and chat with the co-workers. There is an elderly amish lady that works in the back preparing produce. She is one hard working woman, and so sweet.

The amish lifestyle is mysterious in a way, and oddly appealing. I struggle to think of what life would be like without the internet and cell phones and vehicles, yet there was a time when these things did not even exist and people still thrived. Wanting a simpler, less complicated life is something I believe many of us want, but does getting rid of material things bring the kind of simplicity we are looking for? I do wonder if my priorities and values would change if I lived my life as the amish do. Something to think about.