The Downside of Being an Extrovert

So, we've been in Charlotte just about a week now, and I've slept about half as much here as I normally do. It's weird. Being in Peoria, we get home from work, eat dinner, and then go basically straight to bed. Here at our Candidate Orientation, there are 21 people staying on our floor, meaning I am around people basically all the time.

Now, keep in mind that when I take personality inventories I score almost off the charts in the extroversion category.

And when I met with the staff psychologist in January, he told me that he has never seen an introversion score so low (i.e., he's never seen a score indicating such extreme extroversion).

With that in mind, put me around people and I go crazy. I can't stand being in another room if I hear somebody's voice out in the kitchen or in the great room. I'd rather be sitting there talking to them. It kills me to think of going to bed when other people are up having fun. Or even if they're just up. So I stay up.

Which means I don't sleep.

And then I'm still on waking up early to go open the pool mode, so I get up crazy early after going to bed much later than I am used to, ultimately meaning that I'm sleeping basically not at all. So as the weekend approaches, I find myself almost unable to function. I have a hard time focusing in the sessions during the day because my eyelids are getting heavy. I don't really see a break in the near future, as we are planning a big group outing to a state park on Saturday, and Tiffany and Bruce Johnson (the incoming US Director) are trying to convince me to bike there. And I'm like "What!?!"

So, basically, as much as I like being an extrovert, sometimes it gets in the way of sleeping.

And sleeping is a good thing.

it's really real

In just four days Luke and I will pack up the car and drive to Charlotte for three weeks of missions training with SIM. We'll get our official placement, figure out the finances and logistics, and prepare our materials to start our RDM (resource development ministry - i.e. support raising).

Oh my goodness - it's really happening. The past four years have pointed this direction, and now it's no longer a distant horizon but the next exit! So exciting, yet so unbelievable. And right now - so overwhelming. Just 3 1/2 months ago we were returning to Dallas from our trip to Zambia, and within two days I lost my job and our world was kind of turned upside down. Two months later, we had a loaded moving truck, a lot of sad good-byes with friends and our brothers and sisters at church, and a new apartment in Peoria. Our summer has consisted of lifeguarding, lifeguarding, lifeguarding and sleep when possible (plus a few shifts on the beverage cart for me). Not to mention, I just spent a week in Dallas for Kappa Phi followed by two days in Chicago for a wedding. And now, in just a few days, we're once again driving across the country for a new adventure.

Please pray for us in this time. Pray for clear direction and vision. Pray for good health and energy. Pray that we will not rush through the process but truly do what we need to do to prepare for long-term service. Pray for safe travels. Pray that we remember to breathe. :)

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Walking Safari Video

So, we brought our video camera with us to Zambia, but we rarely got it out so we don't have much video from our trip.  However, since that's the only camera we came back with (woops!) all I can share from the trip picture-wise are these few videos.  I already posted the first one - the flight over Victoria Falls.  This is the other one - clips from our walking safari while we were staying in Livingstone.  Not the greatest camera work, and I got lazy with the editing so the transitions are pretty non-existent and don't really line up with the song, but the animals were pretty sweet...except for that nasty spider you'll see at the end (which, by the way, is bigger than the palm of my hand).  Enjoy!  

Victoria Falls Video

So, it's been quite a while since our last post, and I have been playing on his new computer trying to get acquainted with all of my new toys.  I decided to try my hand at editing what little video we have from our Zambia trip, and so I've put together a little clip of our flight over Victoria Falls.  It's not great, and the music doesn't really fit except that it's pretty much the song that I sing whenever I watch the video, so I found it appropriate... Anyway, enjoy.  And I apologize for the poor camera work.  I was trying to not throw up while filming.

Where has the time gone?

God is indeed good.  And He provides for His own.  Sometimes it's hard to believe all this.

But lately, it's been really easy.

With all that has gone on in our lives in the past two months (basically since our trip to Zambia), we cannot possibly deny the goodness of God, nor could we deny His provision.  Doors have flown open for us in Peoria, and now we are just days away from traveling half way across the country to a new (old) hometown.  But more than that, God has provided discounts on our rent here in Dallas, a new computer for Luke (woohoo!) and provision in more ways than we can imagine.  We have seen His love expressed in very real, very tangible ways, through people we have come to know during our time in Dallas.  Some of these people we have come to know quite well, and others we only barely know, but so many have stepped up and shared with us a love that can only come from the Lord.

I realize that this isn't necessarily the most interesting post, but it's been over a month since our last post, and so much has happened.  Too much to even mention.  And all of it has come from the Lord, who blesses those who pursue Him.  Now, I'm not saying that everything has been nice and easy.  It's been stressful, and it is incredibly hard to be leaving all those here in Dallas who we have come to love.  But we know that God is guiding us in these next steps, and everything we do are growing us and preparing us for what He has planned.

It's just....weird.  I feel like we just got back from Zambia, and that Tiffany just lost her job, and that we were just beginning to talk about moving to St. Louis in June.  And now here we are in May, preparing to Move to Peoria in just a few days.  So much has gone on.  So much has changed.  I don't even know what's going on anymore, and all I can do is trust in Him.  Trust that His plans are good and perfect.  Trust that He will always be there.  Trust that He will continue to guide us.  Trust that, even when the times are hard, He is blessing us.

After all, God is good.  Really, really good.