Quick update . . .

I am at the Lima airport, waiting to board the plane that will take me to my new home. I am excited.

Today started at 5:15 AM, with me trying to finish packing. Somehow over the last 8 months, I have acquired more stuff . . . so it was a challenge getting everything stuffed into my trunk and duffle bags. And then loading all that junk on a motocarro . . . it was a sight! But I made it with plenty of time to spare.

I was blessed today with the company of 2 new friends, who met me for lunch and hung out with me during my layover. We got to talk about our ministries here in Perù and all God is teaching us. My heart is refreshed and ready to go!

Tuesday, I will be leaving for my first trip. Please pray for safety and an opportunity to share a story. I am both excited and a tad nervous. I look forward to learning a lot. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

Here is the link to the newest facebook photo album: Training & Graduation Pictures

Things I Have Learned

1. Money does not grow on trees, but toilet paper does
2. Camping so overrated
3. Coffee in the jungle with new friends, who speak a different language is just as good as coffee in the States with old friends, who speak my language
4. Snail mail is so much better than email
5. There is more than one way to eat a banana
6. You should not talk about all the foods you miss from the States . . . it is like a slow death
7. Always make sure there are no holes in your mosquito net
8. Always learn your Bible stories on time to avoid the wrath of Jeremy!
9. Never forget to hide your machete . . . or it disappears!!
10. Always have a sufficient amount of firewood cut, or you end up having to keep a fire going for 24 hours
11. Never forget to check your pants before putting them on . . . ants tend to find their way in easily
12. My hands were not made tough enough for a machete
13. Going to bed at 7:00 PM makes for a really, really long night!
14. After the first week, you quit swatting at the bugs swarming around your head (it is useless)
15. That having my time alone with Jesus is the only that that has kept me sane
16. Bug repellent has no effect on jungle bugs
17. Santa Rosa Hospital is a joke!
18. Indoor plumbing is a gift from God
19. That in the midst of 3 1/2 months of solid Spanish, the occassional English conversation is priceless!
20. My hammock has been my best purchase
21. Spanish 1 and 2 in high school and college is really useless
22. A wasp in your pants NEVER ends well
23. A machete is a multi-function tool . . . you can: clear paths, dig holes, cut food, cut grass and fight fires with it! Simply amazing.
24. Just how much I miss everything that goes along with being Volleyball Operations Manager (believe me, it is a lot of things!)
25. That when you hammock breaks, it is a day of mourning
26. So much about how the Body of Christ should/does function
27. God hears the prayers of His people
28. His grace is enough . . . he is oh so faithful, and He supplies all of my needs!!!!

Added some pictures . . . here's the link: http://uta.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2053671&l=5240d&id=25300658

Cuzco

I am in Cuzco right now, about to take a bus to Tacna to begin working on visa and residency stuff. Here are a couple pictures. I will post more when I have more patience to upload them. It is cold and my fingers are numb!

This was my lunch yesterday. Cuy al horno. Baked guinea pig. It does not taste like chicken, no matter what you might hear. It was different. But good.

Me and Graham in Cuzco. He didn't really want to take this picture, but I made him!!

The Latest Rat Update

It has been a while since I wrote about the rat in my kitchen . . . so I figured I would give you the latest. If you have already looked at my Facebook pictures, you will know how it ends.

(The rodent will only be referred to as “rat” . . . he deserved no personalization!)

Since I first discovered the rat, he only got more and more annoying. My Dad sent me this device; I believe it is called . . . The Pestinator 2000! Sounds like it should do the job. The magnetic wave it sends out is supposed to discourage the rodents from coming around. Peruvian rats are obviously not discouraged very easily. He began making more and more noise. I would wake up in the morning to stuff all over my kitchen. Despite all the noise, I was beginning to deal with it. My food was now safe in a drawer.

One night things took an ugly turn. It was the night of July 2nd and I had returned home to see my loaf of bread half-eaten, sitting on my bed. What did that mean? The rat had made it into my bedroom. Not good. He can mess in the kitchen, because I don’t live in the kitchen. Now he was in my territory . . . on my turf!! He was causing quite a ruckus that night and I had about had it. However, I was able to fall asleep around 11:30 pm. At 2:00 AM, I awoke to the subconscious act of flinging something off the top of my sheets. Yes, it was the rat. Slightly disgusted, I grabbed my machete and went looking for the creature, only to see it crawl through an opening in the corner of my ceiling. There was no going back to sleep. I read from 2:00-4:00 AM. I drifted off to sleep and at 4:30 AM, I awoke to the feeling of a critter under my sheets, at my feet. Needless to say, I flew out of bed, instantaneously had my machete in hand, and turned on the lights. Now, if my roommate had woken up, the sight of me wielding a machete at 4:30 in the morning could very well have given her a heart attack . . . luckily, she remained asleep through the whole fiasco. The rat got away and succeeded in pushing me closer to culture shock.

Morning of July 4th. Again I was woken up early . . . but this time to the scream of my roommate, Maria. I crawled out of bed and lazily walked to the kitchen to see what the fuss was. At the entrance to the kitchen was none other than the rat. He had breathed his last. My face lit up. I ran and grabbed my camera (this was most definitely getting captured on film!). It was going to be a good day.

The death of the rat did not occur at the end of my machete. Did the Pestinator 2000 work and fry his brains? I do not know. Or did the sight of me, in the wee hours of the morning holding a machete, send him to an early grave? I have no clue. Nevertheless, his time on earth was done. A prayer was answered. And on the day that we celebrate the independence of our country, God smiled on me.

My Dad said I need a shirt that says, “God Loves Me . . . Rats Fear Me!”

pictures: http://uta.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2053671&l=5240d&id=25300658

The More the Merrier!!

I believe this is the Peruvian motto . . . when it comes to people and modes of transportation! Why carry only what the van or car can hold when you can cram so many more?

I was riding in the combi (a van slightly smaller than a 15 passenger) the other day and counted 27 people. Yes, that’s right! 27 PEOPLE! My mom said I should have taken a picture . . . but with that many bodies in one vehicle, movement is pretty limited.

Claudia and I caught a taxi to Colorado, along with 6 other people. She showed great kindness by allowing me to ride shotgun and saving me the enjoyment of being crammed in the middle of the Peruvians. Upon arrival in Santa Rosa, we boarded a peki-peki and crossed the river to Puerto Carlos. We spotted the taxi that would take us to Colorado (only trucks go to CO, we would soon find out why), and asked what time it would be heading out – no time was given. Welcome to the culture where they only view watches as an accessory and not something that binds them to a schedule! After an almost 2 hour wait on the playa (beach), we took off. This taxi was the final one of the day, so I believe there were 11 of us. Claudia and I volunteered to ride in the bed. For 3 hours I was sitting with my knees to my chin, as we rocked and rolled and slid through more mud than you can imagine (knee-deep in several places)! At one point, the road got so bad we had to make a detour . . . THROUGH THE JUNGLE! By the time we arrived in Colorado, all my joints were out of whack and my back was bruised from being thrashed against the side of the truck bed. It was an experience. Together, we found a hostal and finally got to just sit still. I received a lot of stares while in town . . . apparently not many gringos frequent the area. As we were walking to Carmen’s house, this one little girl shouted, “Mira! Mira! Gringa! Gringa!” It was the highlight of her day. Another little group of kids followed me a ways and asked what I was doing. Oh kids. Our trip home was just as rough, but I was able to sit in the cab and talk to this one man seated next to me, it was much more enjoyable.

My conversation skills are increasing!! My conversations with my friends in town are getting longer and longer. I always walk away smiling.

Check out the newest pictures (still not a lot . . . I know, sorry).
Link for pictures: http://uta.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2053671&l=5240d&id=25300658

To those friends who were hoping for an anaconda story . . . maybe next time!!

Rats in My Kitchen

I awoke early yesterday morning, around 2:00 AM, to the sound of rodents in my kitchen. Yes, rats in my kitchen. Luckily, the odd layout of my house did not permit them to wander into my room, but the way the ceiling of the kitchen is built they can come and go as they please. Great. Just what I want to deal with. If they had done their business quietly, I might not have been so peeved. They attacked my bread, so that meant no peanut butter and jelly sandwiches until I can get back to the store. That may have been the cause of the anger! I think there is a whole family living in the ceiling above my room. They scurry around like nobody’s business. Today’s task: find and buy rat poison.

Things have been pretty slow here. I haven’t updated, because there really hasn’t been much to update you on. I have been learning Spanish and knocking around the exciting town of Puerto Maldonado. My understanding of Spanish is getting much better, I am still awfully slow in responding to questions – but it will come.

My partner should be arriving soon, and soon after that we should head out into a community. I am ready to get out and get going! My training starts August 20th and lasts through November 20th. I think it will be hard going through training after already being out in the communities . . . but the Father is good and His grace will abound – as it has since the day I arrived here.

I have been learning patience and how to love, regardless of how a person may treat me or react to me. That is easier said then done. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. It is a learning process. The Father is faithful. Leaning on Him is a daily thing. It is all I know how to do.

I have a new nickname. And no, it isn’t any form of Brock. Teresa is now calling me: Scrub. Why? Because I was the manager for the volleyball team and did laundry and was a mere scrub (so she says!). So, for once in my life, I will be called by something other than: Brocky, Brockly, Brockster, Brock-a-lock, Brocketteer, etc.

Next time I update will most likely be after I return from being in the communities. Thank you for lifting me up and for your support of my ministry here.

Mac ´n Cheese

It´s the simple things.

Last night I cooked dinner for the first time in my new house. All we have is a stove top with 2 burners, so that narrows down what can be prepared. I made macarroni and cheese. It was pretty much amazing. It almost didn´t happen, because I couldn´t get the burner to stay lit. I was sure I was going to blow up our incredibly small kitchen. The smell of gas was overwhelming at one point, so I held of on lighting another match. Finally, it happened, and I enjoyed one of the greatest foods ever created. Made my night.

I am all moved in. Finally, no more living out of a trunk. I have a bed. My house is kind of weird. It is 2 rooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. The rooms open up to the outside, so it has a sort of motel look. The bathroom is in my room, so my roommate has to walk outside, unlock my door and then procede to the bathroom. Crazy. Our bathroom is so small, that if you sneeze - you could get hurt. Same for the kitchen. But, it has a roof and a bed . . . so I am happy.

Things are good still. I sent out my update, so check your email. It explains what the future holds.

Well, I must go. I think I may go to the market and attempt to buy some eggs. This could get interesting.

I´m back!

I have spent the last two weeks trying to do this thing called ¨Jungle Living¨. It was hard, but it got better. There were days I wanted to throw in the towel and then there were days I seemed to have a grasp on things. But every day, it was God´s grace that got me through. Probably 90% of my time was full of humbling moments. The Spanish language still is somewhat of a barrier. One night I put the fire out. Yup, Spanish language one-ups Amanda again!!

We ran out of drinking water one day, so me and my tent buddy had to go get some more. On the way back, while carrying a 20 liter bottle of water on my shoulder, my shin connected (with full force) with a fallen tree . . . it felt great. As if that wasn´t exciting enough, we had to cross the log bridge. You may be thinking ¨A log bridge? No big deal¨. This is by no means a smooth, bump free log. Oh and it I had fallen off, it is about a 1 story drop into ankle deep water. That just translates into imminent death. Just picture it. Well, we made it back and my bottle had almost the same amount of water I had put in it, so I was pleased. It´s the little things!! haha

So, now I´m back in Puerto, moving into my ¨house¨, and still learning Creation. The 7 days of Creation have taken us abou 2 weeks to learn . . . and we are still on day 6! It will come together.

I hope to post pictures soon. Just haven´t had the time yet. But it will happen.

To Mr. Larry Michael - Graham is still alive and well. His Spanish is progressing and he hasn´t done anything super crazy yet. Just thought I´d fill you in, since he doesn´t make it to email as often.

Back from the Jungle

Well, I survived my first 3 nights in the jungle. It was a very humbling experience. I know how to do nothing. The whole hygiene thing is something I am still learning. I seem to fall every 10 steps. Me and mud just aren´t friends. My Spanish is getting better day by day. Two of the girls sat down with me for an hour one night and just pointed to thing and said their Spanish name. It was beneficial. I had to get used to the sleeping as well. We go to bed around 7:00 PM. Yes, you read right. So, around midnight, I am wide awake. It is crazy. Tuesday night, I think I was in bed at 6. Never in my life have I gotten this much sleep!! Slowly I am picking up how to do things.

I provide the entertainment for the 3 girls in training. It seems I am always doing something worth a good laugh. The other day we had to cross the log bridge (about 10 ft above the extremely shallow water) and my shoes were carrying an excessive amount of mud. There was no way on earth I was getting across without falling . . . so what did I do? Yup, crawled across on all fours. They thought that was the funniest thing they had seen yet! Man, it is crazy.

I am now back in the city for a few days. I think Graham and I go back to camp on Sunday. Whew. I will never again take for granted indoor plumbing. Things are still good though. Some days are harder than others. But the Father is greater than those ´off´days.

I will be taking my camera with me this time, so hopefully next time I post, I can put up some pictures on my living arrangements!!!

Thanks for the prayers. They are appreciated.

Welcome to the Jungle!!

I am here . . . and have spent my first full day living in the jungle . . . minus the camping out part.

I was dropped off and had to hike to camp. This trek was downhill, muddy, and required crossing a good ol´ log bridge about 10 feet over the water. It was crazy, but I made it. Upon arriving at the camp, I met up with the only Spanish-speaking xtremers and we hiked back over the log bridge to go find food. Yes, my first experience in the jungle and I had to catch my food!! As we got to this piece of land, it began to rain (of course it would!) and we were left to chase a chicken through the mud and the muck. When I use the term ¨we¨ , I use it rather loosely. I watched. They asked me to wring its neck . . . I passed this time. Next, we had to go fetch some water . . . and of course it was down a muddy hill. Needless to say, I wiped out and decided to go down the rest of the way on my right knee. It was a sight to behold. I began to realize that I was the source of entertainment for these 3 girls. If you go down, you have to go back up. I slipped and slided all over, but arrived back at the little house we were cooking in. I was dripping wet (remember it was raining?) and covered in mud. One of the girls looks at me and says, ¨Ah, Xtremo!¨ It was funny. They helped me learn a few new things in Spanish and all was well. Later this afternoon, we chopped down a tree and then cut it into firewood. I tell you, they weren´t joking when they gave this team the name Xtreme. No sir.

My first experience was good. I am tired. I stink. And I think I still have bugs in my pants. But all is well. It is still hard. But His Grace is sufficient (thanks friend, for the reminder).

Until next time . . .

I miss this kid like crazy!!!!!

Flu, shots, a concussion, sushi, and more!

Well, this week started off with me fighting off flu symptoms. Luckily, I never got really sick. I have good friends who made sure I got my rest and felt better. Tuesday was the third and final round of immunizations!! Whoop! My arm hurt afterwards (and still does!). I was able to throw around the softball with Sara for a little bit. There is nothing better than throwing around the ball on the first day of spring! It was great.

Later on - me, Jamie, Sue, Sarah, Johnny and Maria played Nubball. What is Nubball you may ask? Well, place your hands behind your neck - and there ya go! You are ready. I would say this game is a cross between soccer and rugby. It's great!! You can't use your hands . . . you have to use your elbows (aka: nubs) and your knees. So, here is how it would work: you begin with a jumpball, and if you catch it, you then pass to another team member by batting the ball with your nub. If the ball hits the ground, you must dive on it and pick it up with knees or nubs! We began the game with Jamie, me, and Maria vs. Johnny, Sue and Sarah. Probably 5-10 minutes into the game there was a loose ball and Sue and I were headed full-force for it. As we dove, the side of my head connected with her knee. I was down. But, happy to say I walked away with just a headache. Don't let the danger deter you!! It's an extremely fun game.

I experienced sushi for the first time this week. It was actually not too bad. My friend Justin ordered for me, and he didn't go easy. For my first time, he didn't order the sushi rolls . . . with the rice and other junk and very little raw meat. Nope, he went full force sushi! I ate a large hunk of raw salmon with very little rice. All cameras were pointed on me. I got it down and kept it down. Who knows? Maybe I'll be up for it again soon!

This past week also included Washington D.C. (my group walked almost to Maryland!), dinner out at Red Robin (made me think of home), a Friday night movie, an awesome 2-hour talk with a friend, and my first Mexican meal in almost 2 months!!!!!!

Only a week and a half left here. I'm going to miss the farm. I dread the day I have to say good-bye to some amazing friend for 2 years. God has blessed my heart in my time here.

Voices of the Faithful

So I'm reading Voices of the Faithful. For those of you who don't know, it is a devotional book compiled of stories from M's all over the world, serving with my company. I love it. Beth Moore (author of the book) states this: "Before I clearly knew who Jesus was, I knew there were people willing to go anywhere and do anything to tell people about Him. Jesus must be something, I mused. And He was."

How about you? Does your life make others think He's something special? Do you have the courage, the faith, the fire to tell people about Christ no matter what? Is your devotion so extreme that others can't wait to know your God?

Wow. Those questions got me. I only pray that my life shows others that He is something special. And I pray that in the midst of adapting to a new culture, I have that courage and faith and fire to share - regardless of the language barrier. What about you?
______________________________________________________

Things are going well out in Rockville. We go to D.C. this week. Pray that we take advantage of the opportunities God hands us to share the Gospel. It should be an amazing time.

Finally have my testimony translated. It was a goal to have in memorized in Spanish by the end of FPO. I'm down to two weeks! Pray I pick it up quickly.

Low-key week . . .

So, this week was a nice change of pace. There was no tension, there was quite a bit of down-time and there was a lot of good fellowship. Our sessions this week were going over vision, principles and what is going on in the company today. Our VP spoke for a couple of sessions - and he was awesome. He's an Aggie and a Texan . . . so he was great!! He can sure bring the Word. He challenged us to really think about what we are called to do. Gordon said he prayed that this FPO group would be the group that would have a 100% return. I pray the same thing.

Sunday night and Tuesday night I got to spend some good time with my small group from conference. Man, I love those 3! We chilled at Starbucks, made a pit-stop at Wal-Mart and then continued talking at my Quad until midnight. These three girls mean the world to me. I am so blessed to have them in my life. They are the kind of friends whose walks challenge you daily. It's awesome. I don't quite know what I'm going to do without them for two years!!! Can't wait to spend Christmas with them!!!

Yesterday me and 2 friends had a scare. We were planning on taking their prayer card pictures out by the creek. Well . . . while crossing the rocks, friend #1 slipped and fell . . . and on the way down, slammed her head against a rock - all while friend #2 and I were watching. It was definitely one of those slow-motion times of life. Needless to say, we were scared to death. On the way back home, the three of us made a stop at the clinic and they said things looked good and no ER trip was needed. PTL! Things are good. Friend #1 is just a little stiff today. Could have been so much worse. So, next time we go out to take pictures, it will be on dry land!

God and I had some good time this week. He continues to show me that I can't do this on my own . . . and I'm thankful for that. There have been times recently that I think I was smoking something when I made the decision to live in the jungle for two years. But no matter how hard it may be, I am encouraged by 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." I'm going in His power and in His power only. I can ask for nothing more and I need nothing more.

Finally able to relax . . .

After a stressful and intense week, I was finally able to relax Thursday, Friday & Saturday. Thursday night I went to step-aerobics (don't laugh) and it wore me out! So what do most people do after having a great work-out? You guessed it . . . gather 10 good friends, pile into a van and head to Cheesecake Factory!! It was so much fun. Friday night I ran some errands with S & M and then we crocheted and watched White Christmas. It was great. We had started the movie while babysitting on Valentine's . . . so it was fun to finally finish it! These two friends are such a blessing to my life. Saturday we had to get up and go to class (bah!). However, it was class with Deen . . . so it turned out to be quite entertaining. We were going over our MBTI results. According the the test, I am an ESFP (extrovert, sensing, feeling, perceiving). The test nailed me. The results stirred up some interesting conversations throughout the day.

Following lunch, about 15 of us Journeymen packed up and headed out to S's house for the rest of the day. Her parents hosted us and grilled burgers and just let us chill. It was awesome and much needed. We rowed around the pond in the backyard and some of them got in the sailboat. It was quality time with each other, away from MLC. And a trip just isn't a trip without a little bit of a dance party!!

I hate the spring. I hate it solely because we do the whole "spring forward" business. I am so not a fan of losing an hour of sleep. But it happens. Peru doesn't observe Daylight Savings . . . PTL! Where I'm going, they probably don't really observe a clock! Things just happen when they happen. Awesome.

Well, I think that's about it. I'll throw some pictures up soon.

What a week!

Since the last time I posted, a lot has happened.

Last Saturday, I babysat 3 kids, since the parents had an ESL class all day. Me and a friend that was also babysitting decided to take the kids to the Science Museum of Virginia. Tons of fun. Although, it was probably funnier to see us carting around all the children! We had 5 kids, 3 strollers, and 3 adults! I have a new respect for moms in regards to getting everyone in and out of carseats! After the museum, we took the kids to McDonald's. Holy moly! We were a sight to behold! We were all zapped when we got back. It was good times. We took lots of pictures.

This week has been crazy stressful. Monday through Wednesday my half of FPO participated in safety training. Wow. It was amazing preparation. I feel fully prepared if some sort of crisis occurred overseas. It was probably the best "worst 3-days" ever. During the training you don't like it, but afterwards you realize just how beneficial it really was. So all that to say: don't worry about me!! Oh, one thing I learned this week: I love Bob . . . A LOT!

Today started an intro into Chronological Bible Storying. It was some good info . . . a lot . . . but good. This is what I will be using when I travel to the different communities in the jungle.

Last night I had a hilarious discussion w/ two of my good friends here. You will never guess what is was about . . . . completely blind-siding or form-tackling someone and the fact that it is so stinking hilarious! That makes us sound terrible - but really, it is funny. Just think about it. Some unsuspecting person . . . straggling behind the group . . . all the sudden taken out by a good friend of theirs. It's funny. Just admit it.

Well, I'm off to eat more cafeteria food. Yeehaw!

Finally . . . some pictures!

This is where I live:
My room
The Great Room

Some Friends:
Birthday Party
Goofing off!
Journeyman night on the town - in Richmond @ Buffalo Wild Wings!
The South America Journeymen!!
My buddy Easton
Me & Lily
Graham & Easton


The Trek to the Journeyman Room:


A view of the room
This is posted on the door, as you enter
We made it!!
I left my mark in the room
Just hanging out in the ceiling
On our way back down
This is me before I lept out of the ceiling!!

Shot Day #2

Be forewarned that the following hurt and make you feel "blah":

* Typhoid
* Yellow Fever
* Rabies
* TB

So, after 8 shots, I still have 2 or 3 left! Can you believe it? NOT cool.

Other than that, the day was great.

I was arrested during church . . .

So you may be wondering what exactly I am talking about. Well . . . let me tell you.

Last night was cultural worship. For that part I was in there for, it was awesome. East Asia was our focus. I've never sung in Chinese before. Way cool!! The auditorium was completely cleared of chairs and we were to enter without our shoes. There were papers on the floor to mark different provences. You were to sit in groups of 10-12 to simulate a Chinese house church. At one point, we were on our knees praying for the persecuted church. All of the sudden there is a bunch of yelling (some in Chinese and some in English). Before I knew it, my house church had been broken up and forced to leave the room. Once outside we were interrogated (asked what our purpose was, why we were there, etc). Wow . . . what an eye-opening experience. It gave you a whole new view on persecution and the church . . . a new respect. We weren't allowed to go back into the room because in China, you would never see them again after interrogation. But in China, as an American, you don't have to fear physical persecution. They will just kick you out of the country. One guy made the statement - "I am more safe in a security level 3 country like China than you will be in a level 1 country like Peru". Wow. That made me think. Contingency training will be good for me. Start praying . . . it's next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Apparently it will drain us all mentally and physically.

Tonight me and some of my fellow Journeymen got to visit with the president and VP of the IMB. It was a good time getting to know them, and a good time getting off campus.

This is a heavy week. Pray for focus. Jerry Rankin will be speaking on Spiritual Warfare. It should be an amazing time.

Life on the Farm

Wow . . . today was long. I was fighting to stay awake in the sessions. So, my good friend Suz drew a maze for me to complete. Gotta love friends. She even made it an Xtreme Team theme. The title was: "Help Amanda Get to Her Food".

This afternoon was Regional Office time. It was good. Got to ask some questions and we went over our regional team and some other cultural stuff. Apparently, I'll be the only person, besides the leader, on the women's team. No one new signed up at the last screening conference. It's all good though. My thinking is, it's better to be paired with someone that knows the jungle!

Steph, Suz & Sarah made dinner tonight. We had breakfast! It was awesome. Definitely reminded me of those Sunday nights growing up where Dad made breakfast for dinner, after Sunday night church. Suz even got me grits!!!! It was quite a spread. I'll post pictures some other time. It takes way too long to upload them to here.

Me, Graham, Sharon, and Matt may be going hiking this weekend. David (regional leader) told us about part of the Appalachia Trail that is 2 hours from here. It is supposed to be awesome. It is a 6 hour hike . . . 7-8 miles long, with a 1 mile rock scramble! I'm excited. The only hold up is finding a car to use for the day.

Everything is going great. My arm is starting to feel better . . . just in time for a 2nd round on Tuesday!!!

I'm off to bed. Thank you for your prayers.

Shot Day #1

So today was immunization day. I think that is a sugar-coated title. It's just shot day! I am not a fan of the shots. I would rather give blood than have a shot. That's how much of a sissy I am. But, I'm okay with that. I'll admit it. Not only did I have to get a shot . . . I had to get FOUR! Don't worry, I didn't cry and no one had to hold my hand! We have our 2nd clinic day next Tuesday . . . I'll probably get at least 3 more. Yay.

Things are still going well. Staying really busy and some days are longer than others. I enjoy the evenings when we all just get ot hang out and check email and such. It's quality fellowship. I've also been running every morning at 6:30 with my friend Sara. I think we are semi-crazy . . . because it is EXTREMELY cold. Like, "I can't feel my face" cold.

Pictures to come soon. The connection is slow tonight, so I'll try later.

If you care to send me "snail-mail", the address is (it would be much appreciated!!!!!):

Amanda Brock
MLC
16492 MLC Lane
Rockville, VA 23146

The Helgren kids have my heart! I love them!!!

What a night last night was!! Since it was Valentine’s Day, a lot of the Journeymen volunteered to help watch kids so that the parents could go out. If only you could have been a fly on the wall!! It was great.

A friend and I watched the two kids from next door, Lily & Easton (a two year old and a 6 month old) and were in charge of getting two little boys fed and to the children’s activity. What an experience. It took quite a bit of effort to even get to the cafeteria for dinner. Once there, we enlisted another fellow Journeyman to watch the little ones, while we got dinner for the two boys and ourselves!

• Side note: dinner was amazing. We had filet mignon, purple potatoes, asparagus, lobster bisque, and a choice of: chocolate cake, carrot cake or cheesecake, for dessert. It was a nice evening.

Back to the excitement . . . we finally get seated, only to remember I had forgotten Lily’s food, my drink and silverware. So back in line I went! The boys were settled in, my friend was attempting to feed Easton and I was cutting my steak with a butter knife and feeding it to Lily. While finally getting to eat my food, I glance over to the next table to notice one of the boys entrusted to my care was lifting the table off the floor . . . while everyone on the other side was still eating! I stopped that just short of disaster.

When dinner was finally complete, our table was a disaster area. Food/crumbs/baby supplies/etc was scattered all across the table. When you walked around, the sound of croutons being crushed was heard. It was great. It was a team effort to get things picked up and the kids back out the door! As we are dumping the trash, Lily is throwing her milk carton in the trash . . . before we can stop it, she has turned it upside down over her head. Yup, she was covered in milk. Just lovely. Thirty minutes later, we were headed out the door and back home.

Our next task was bath time. Easton had fallen asleep on the walk back to the Quad, so we left him in the stroller and gave Lily a bath. Holy moly! Tonight was the night she didn’t want to take a bath. If you had walked by our quad, you would have heard blood-curdling cries. I was doing anything in my power to get her to quit crying and laugh . . . I resorted to having a splashing contest. Needless to say, she stopped crying and I was covered in water. Fun stuff. We set Lily up to watch White Christmas (a favorite of hers) and washed Easton. Piece of cake.

Don’t ever tell a mother you think being a stay-at-home mom isn’t a real job. She has every right to hit you for that comment. I have the utmost admiration for you moms.

So that was my Valentines . . . how was yours?

Exciting Times at "The Farm"!

This weekend has been quite relaxing. I’ve had coffee with friends, borrowed a car and made a Wal-Mart run, and learned a new board game. This board game was awesome. It is actually from Europe and beats any American game hands-down! It was called - Ticket to Ride. I play with strategy, so often I was called the "speed-bump". So, needless to say, it got a little competitive . . . but all in good fun! Games are always a nice stress reliever and give your mind a much needed break.

Today was another “Day of Rest”. Many people may assume that we go to church somewhere . . . we don’t. We participate in “House Church”. Each small group is like its own church. Honestly, I was a little skeptical as to how it would function, but it was amazing. We opened by reading a Psalm, had a time for testimonies, sang and read from Isaiah 6 and followed that up by SPECKA questions (A Sin to confess? A Promise to claim? An Example to follow? A Command to obey? Knowledge to understand? An Application to my life? – I would recommend these when studying the Word). I recently read a book about church planting movements, and that’s how they flourish . . . through new believers meeting in homes. It’s a pretty awesome concept. If you have a free moment, read Church Planting Movements by David Garrison. You won’t be disappointed!

Tonight we have our Mapping Ceremony. Each of us will introduce ourselves, share where we are going, a prayer request and then place our picture on the country where we are headed to serve. I’m excited about it.

Oh, one more thing. To anyone that I normally communicate with through Facebook . . . the site has been blocked. So please, comment on http://amandabrock.blogspot.com, rather than on the note in Facebook. And if you have written on my wall or sent a message or poked – don’t think I’m avoiding you! Write on my blog or email me!!

1st Report from Rockville!!

FPO is in full swing now. So far, we have covered Servant Leadership, Personalization and Connecting (mobilizing churches), Personal Evangelism and Accountability, Deepening Our Spiritual Walk and an amazing Personal Spiritual Retreat! It all has been amazing! The FPO director is really passionate about what he talks about, and it is awesome.

It is really hard to sum up what it’s like here. Everyone here is so genuine. It is slightly overwhelming. It is cold. You are always greeted with a smile. I guess I can sum it all up like this: it feels like home. I know beyond all doubts that this is where God wants me, and there is no greater feeling. It has been a blast reconnecting with friends from the screening conference.

My quad-mate is really cool and going to my same region. So, we are going to study Spanish together in the coming weeks. Our next-door neighbors are a Godsend. They are actually from Texas and have two little kids: a 2-year-old girl and a 6-month-old boy. God knew I was going to need a baby fix, since I won’t be around my nieces for a while. I have so much fun with them. They are also a Godsend because they graciously allowed me the use of their car! Made my first (probably of many!) Wal-Mart runs last night. But honestly, I have already been encouraged by K & J.

Next week I get to meet with our regional director and probably receive a few more assignments to work on. So far, things haven’t been too overwhelming.

To everyone back at home . . . I love you and miss you all. Thank you for your prayers . . . they mean the world and are most definitely felt!!

If you don’t receive my prayer updates by email . . . please leave a comment or send me an email at: amandabrock24@gmail.com. Thanks!