A few more pictures from Washington

 Walk around Lake Sacajawea

Day at the beach!

Birthday

Mexican Food

Visiting with Grandma

Cannot get over all the options in every store

Treasures in the Attic

Doctor Appointment

Dark Chocolate Smoothie Drinks

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Enjoying being back at the house in the woods

Time has passed quickly since I got back to Washington.  A few highlights have been time with family and friends, driving my Honda again, Taco Bell, ham, rain and the amazing green!

Baby Shower - Oh, the places you'll go!

Best Christmas Surprise Ever!

Christmas with the DeLaughter's!

Christmas Party!

I was so happy to finally be able to host a party for my old neighbors in my new apartment.  We had fun putting together Christmas puzzles, eating snacks and fazulia and decorating sugar cookies.  Everyone left with gifts in hand.

I am copying and pasting this post off of a facebook message to a friend of mine so I don't know who to give credit to, but I read every word twice and wanted to share - I don't think I could write anything better to describe the last few years of my life and what I have been working through in my thoughts this last week.  Hope it encourages another as much as it has encouraged me today.  In Joy Letha

October 17: Learning To "Wait" On The Lord

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." (Psalm 130:5, 6) (See Psalm 5:3; 130:5-7; 17:14; 37:7, 34; 38:15; 119:84)

"WAIT" (Author Unknown)
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried: Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied. I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate, and the Master who gently said, "Child, you must wait."
"Wait?" You say, wait!," my indignant reply. "Lord, I need answers, I need to know why! Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard? By faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.
"My future and all to which I can relate hangs in the balance, and You tell me to wait? I'm needing a 'yes' a go-ahead sign, or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
"And Lord, You promised that if we believe we need but to ask, and we shall receive. Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, as my Master replied once again, "You must wait." So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut, and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting… for what?"
He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine, and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign. I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun. I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
"All you ask me I could give, and pleased you would be. You would have what you want – but, you wouldn't know Me. You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint: You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
"You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair: You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there; you'd not know the joy of resting in Me when darkness and silence were all you can see.
"You'd never experience that fullness of love, as the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove; you'd know that I live and I save… (for a start), but you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
"The glow of My comfort late into the night. The faith that I give when you walk without sight. The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked of an infinite God, who make what you have last.
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee, what it means that 'My grace is sufficient for Thee.' Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true. But, Oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see that the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me. And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late. My most precious answer of all is still, 'wait.'"
Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals.

My New Apartment

I few pictures from my new apartment.  I am in a great location to get to school and small groceries by foot.  I am missing my old neighbors but slowing getting to know my new neighborhood.  You can see we are trying to remember it is Fall and so are decorating and baking fall goodies - even if the weather won't stay below 100 :).  It will cool off by Thanksgiving.

"Love Will Thaw a Frozen Heart"

Frozen Theme Birthday party happened this afternoon at my house!  When I found out 4 of the girls in my neighborhood had a birthday this month I knew we had to have a party, I never imagined it would turn out to be this much fun.  Olaf made a grand appearance - we helped him find his nose...while eating carrots, sandwiches and cupcakes.

WEEK TWO = FAMILY TIME

WEEK ONE - ARTS CAMP

Fun times together :)

Visitors!

Easter Parties - collection of pictures from Egg dying party, cookie party and Easter Sunday dinner party...

Beginnings of Easter Advent 2014
Rough Rough Draft #1

Day 1: The 3 Gifts for a King
Day 2: Jesus as a Boy visits the Temple
Day 3: Jesus' Baptism
Day 4: Jesus' Calls his Disciples - "Follow Me"
Day 5: Nicodemus Visits in the Night
Day 6: Woman at the Well - Living Water
Day 7: Jesus Calms the Storm
You can see my Christmas Advent was a bit more developed

The Party's getting started!

Part 3

How adorable is this little girl ?! Look at that smile.

Henna Hands

Fancy hair for the party

We had a bit of a photo shoot, I was letting some of the girls take pictures with my camera.  My camera is a bit more complicated then they are used to but a got a couple fun pictures for the effort.

And the table, after we had devoured the first round of snacks - salad, humus, bread and cakes...

Beautiful details on an abaya

And the dinner served to our table - rice and meat

Sorry I don't have more pictures!  Most women don't like for there picture to be taken.  Normally I would never bring my camera to a wedding for that reason, but I had the opportunity since I know the family.

Wedding!

Village - Part 2

We got to the village and immediately joined a group of ladies getting ready for the party!  I was so excited to re-connect with family member I had met in the past and meet more of the sisters.  I think I finally figured out more of the connections.  Though I did think the Mom of the group was an older sister until about halfway through the night, and that some of ladies I thought were nieces were actually the younger of the many sisters in the room.  One can never assume.  Here is just part of the many piles of clothes and make up around the room.  I got one of the sisters to help me with some eye makeup.  And my friend caught me with my own camera while I was putting on eyeliner.

On the way to the wedding tent I walked by one of the areas set up for the men to sit outside.

And I had to take another picture of the mountains!  About here we met up with a group of little girls who took us to the tent.

Party Tent

Stage and royal chair for the bride when she arrives much later in the night.

We ate a full meal, danced to loud music and then most of the room left to go get the bride from her family home.  The slowly returned making a long parade like procession honking car horns, yelling and shooting off gunfire.  I stayed back with some of my friends in the tent knowing I would have more opportunity to chat and get to know them better there.

Trip to a Village

On the Road

I was so excited to be able to get out of my little town yesterday and see more of this beautiful country and visit my neighbors in their home village.  Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of all the water.  Yes, it rained the night before our trip and I was so worried my friends (who have a car and are my source of transport) were going to cancel the trip.  Because you see this country was not build for rain - I think we counted 6 crossings on the way where water was flowing down through the valleys and creating rivers over the roads which we had to drive through.  But we made it there and I was so thankful.

Henna Hands

I love henna, and I love that for engagement and wedding parties all the women and girls get henna.  It is hard to take a picture of your own hands, so these are the hands of my good friend who studies Arabic with me.  She is also wearing a traditional house dress and I just love the mixture of colors and design in this picture!

I found something green!

It was so wonderful to arrive in the village and be in the beautiful outdoors.

Last Weekend

Last weekend I was so excited to be invited to my neighbors Engagement Party!

You can see the tent - ready for the party!  This was set up in the small empty plot beside my building I was so excited to see it put together! When we arrived at the party music was playing and guest had begun to sit around the edge.  I was thrilled that several ladies came over to meet me and chat.  It is so fun to be at parties with friends and meet new ladies.  There was lots of food involved such as fruit, tea,  coffee and a meal of meat and rice.  Then the bride came in and sat on the platform.  Special gifts from her fiancee (clothes and gold) were shown to all the guest.  We also were given more cookies and perfume and incense was passed around the room.  Then the groom finally arrived and excitement was in the air!  Lots of family pictures and then cake.  Cause it's not a party until there is cake.

 My tour guides - these girls know everything about me and would spend every afternoon in my apartment playing games, teaching me Arabic and drinking tea.  Love them so much! (There is a third but she wasn't there when we took these pictures - sad.)

A couple days before the party I was able to go with the girls and get henna done in a salon.  These beautiful hands belong to one of my neighbors  - we got the same design done.

Did I mention how much tea and coffee I consumed in approximately 5 hours?  It was great!  This picture was snapped by one of the neighbor boys.  He is much calmer than his sisters and so I let him take my camera for a bit (I am not usually so trusting with my camera).