sisters living together in unity

The turtles are now keeping their peace, thanks to a piece of plastic canvas held in place by 20 suction cups and some ribbon. Kibo has her floating island on one side, and Shin has her suspended cork bark on the other, and the light has to be switched back and forth. How nice to not clean the plastic tub on the floor where Shin was abiding, and how nice to have that little bit of space.... aah.

This is the second trial with the canvas barrier. So far, Shin tries to climb over and Kibo tries to squeeze under. Such sillies.

Baseball, Arizona style

Last night the Arizona Diamondbacks played the Houston Astros and stomped them a whopping nine to nothing. There were a few good plays but for the most part the game was not that exciting because of the apparent gap in skill level. But it was my first D-backs game and I enjoyed it. I loved Chase Field. It was 111 degrees yesterday, but Chase Field is air conditioned. I found the concept a little strange, but not un-American at all. Yes, we love baseball, but we sure love comfort too. I know I do. And they still had hot dogs, so it was good. Then, after the game (and a loud country music concert) they opened up the ceiling


and there was a super-great fireworks show! YAHOO. I rode the light rail there and back with Jessica M, Nikki, Naomi, and Christian. What a party!

(I have a video of fireworks but for some reason it won't upload! grr)

I woke up this morning with a super-sore throat. Actually it has hurt all day. I was scared that I was getting sick. What if it was strep? Oh me, oh my... I did not want to call out of work.

But then I remembered my loud singing in the car last night on the way home. I was jamming to Nada Fue Error, Se Me Olvido Otra Vez, and A Puro Dolor.....singing at the top of my lungs. It was great. Quite a great release after a week of too many night shifts as cashier.

But since I didn't warm up my voice first, and don't sing "properly" in general, I am left with an achy throat. But I do have popsicles:)

"Beware Identity Theft"

Ben forwarded this to me and I love it.

remembering Peru & its lessons

I just spent the greater part of the evening endeavoring to scrapbook. I first had to organize to make space in my cluttered room, and then search for papers mute enough to accompany the Peruvian landscape. I ended up completing only two layouts. I also realized how far behind in scrapbooking I am... I went to Peru over two years ago!

But what fun it was to revisit the experience. I remembered Jean-Pierre and David, two of my "favorite" children we worked with through the YMCA children's programs. I remembered Sarvia, our host missionary, and her tireless and selfless service to those children, her family, her church, and to us. I remembered Sandy, the beautiful then-13-year-old in my host family in the community who was full of great dreams for her future, like following in her mentor's footsteps and serving at La Guay (The Y).

In my searching under my bed tonight, I found my journal from the Trek as well... I was reading from the part during "debriefing." We spent a lot of time looking back on the trip, thinking and reflecting on it, and many people shared testimonies of Great Big Things that had happened-- how God had used them, or what God had called them to through their experience. I think this atmosphere was a great deal of the reason, but I tell you... I was so frustrated! So frustrated that it overflowed within me during a group meeting. I didn't have a grand story of the work God had done while we were there. I didn't even have a neat take-home lesson from the experience. I couldn't express how my outlook had changed, and I hadn't uncovered a grand calling on my life. It sounds so silly now, but I was wondering if the whole trip hadn't been a waste. There was nothing I could "set on the shelf" and say, "This is what happened. This is what the trip was for."

Of course it sounds silly now, because I can see a little better now. All the ways that my Trek to Peru were good and worthwhile could make for another blog another time, and it should be enough to suffice anyway that it was what I believed God had for me that Summer, and I believe it was honoring to him for me to obey. But ONE of the reasons that Peru was worthwhile was this lesson that I came to understand, at least a little bit, during debriefing after pouting about the trip being a waste of time... even saying those words during that meeting came as a shock to me, but after I said them and they was able to talk, think, and pray about them, I wrote in my journal:

"This trip isn't a perfect package, an clearly defined "episode" in my life with God. I don't want to receive something profound, complete, and perfect now, and then live on it and tell others about it for awhile and then move onto the next big thing. Yet again, God, you are showing me that my walk with You is daily, always growing, always changing. And hopefully not feeling full of a well-organized, sorted-through take-home message might help me seek you more every day. Let it be."

I do not mean to belittle receiving lessons thatGod teaches us through various circumstances. As humans, we need those! How we need to be able to remember, "This happened, and God taught me this." It is good to think and pray about what those lessons might be...... but sometimes there isn't one. (And even more often, you don't see it the very next day!) And we shouldn't be discouraged and think that God is not at work just because it is not clear what the point is.

SO I guess I'm saying that one of the reasons I'm grateful I went to Peru two summers ago is that it prepared me for this "season of life," where I'm not exactly sure what the point is of my current situation. Surely it could be endured if I knew I was going to learn some bit of wisdom I could share with others, or that God was going to work some miracle. But I'm just not sure what the purpose is. And while I'm not exactly thrilled about it most of the time, it is okay. In fact, it is good because God is still at work, refining my character, teaching me to trust Him (and only Him).... and because of his presence, life is truly good.

weather thoughts

Starting over a year ago, every person that I told I was going to move to Arizona, and indeed every person I told in Arizona that I had moved here from Colorado, seemed to react the same way-- telling me how "horrid," "awful," or "unbearable" the weather is in the Phoenix area. Now that I've lived here for over 8 months and have even survived the better part of a summer, I feel I have earned the right to write an entire blog on the weather.

The much-awaited monsoon season has arrived in Arizona. On the flight into Phoenix last night, it appeared quite like we were going to land in foggy San Fransisco, looking out the window. But then I realized the truth- it was just dust. Maybe it was just my imagination, but after awhile, I felt that the dust had made it in through the ventilation system. Even in the plane, I felt like I was breathing it. And as soon as I walked outside, I was worried about how a few more dust storms were going to cause respiratory problems in the future.

Today felt and also smelled like Florida. It was warm and humid. But the sun was hidden for the entire morning, and it rained (really RAINED) for a good couple hours, which was nice. After that it was still humid, but at least it was only moisture in the air and not so much dust.

I like this variety in weather. I also like that this means that cooler days are coming very close. They tell me that August, which is almost half over, is the worst but last awful month.

It turns out Arizonans aren't really the crazies I thought they were. Sure, there are some that really do go running in the afternoon when it's 115 degrees (at least), and there are some that see no problem with hiking up a mountain in August (because if it's early enough, it's only 95 degrees!) but for the most part, Arizonans rely on their air conditioning and hate the heat. They are so adamant about their dislike for it, in fact, that I was expecting a far more uncomfortable summer. It apparently was a relatively warm July, and while I will not say it was always pleasant, I didn't seem to have a harder time than many natives. It seems they still haven't gotten used to the heat. And you don't stay here because you're used to the heat, you stay here because October-April, and sometimes September and May, are the most pleasant times you can imagine.

back from Colorado!

I'm back from Colorado after a very full week!!! I spent the first couple days in Colorado Springs for Bethany's wedding. What a beautiful bride! Then I got to spend a little bit of time in Denver and Greeley with friends and visiting Christ Community! And THEN I got to spend a couple days with my wonderful family in Winter Park, doing such things as horseback riding and alpine sliding. The trip was a whirlwind, busy and with too many altitude changes for me. Now, I admit, I seem quite unwilling to return to "daily life," and I'm also quite tired.