Addendum

In my attempt to scan through the activities of this seemingly elongated week, I entirely forgot aboutTuesday! It was Tuesday that made the rest of the week worthwhile: my mother and sisters and two of theirfriends (Acteens) drove all the way to Knoxville to spend a "day in the life of a missionary!" They ledthe childrens Bible Study mostly by themselves (and did marvelously for their first time in that role),and helped out wherever they could all day. That night they were all exhausted (welcome to my world,Ladies!), but kept the good spirits and made my night rather enjoyable. Oh, and Mom made this fabulousSouthern meal of rice, chicken-raspberry salad (YUM!), grilled vegetables, and bannana splits... Loved it.

And, now that I think about it (thanks to the reminder outside my window), Wednesday gave us an amazinglightning show. The rain was a warm, lazy drizzle, but the lightening was spectacular. Today the rain istaking its revenge on the upstaging lightning. :)

Anyways, I didn't want you to mistake my exhaustion for the duldrums. (It kind of helps that I slept in alittle yesterday and today...)

All my love, and thank you for your kind notes and prayers!

Monster...

My dear friend Eva had this link on her website, and I cannot resist adding it to mine: have you ever read the Monster at the End of This Book? It is one of my all-time favorites; it makes for a wonderful babysitting book! The link is an online version of this adorable book. You can click the title of this post for the link, or copy/paste it: http://smollin.com/book/mikes/tmonstr/mon001.html

Dragging...

It has finally gotten to the point in the summer where I am not even sure what to write about. Things are becoming routinely unpredictable, and commonly crazy. This past week was slow for some reason, and it seemed that I woke up tired every day---even though I'm not staying up any later or getting up any earlier than normal. I come home so worn that I completely forget that I even have a blog that people like to read every so often. I just make dinner, finish whatever my various deadlines demand, and go to bed. And now that it is time for my weekly email, I'm not even sure what to say.

I am glad to say that God has taught me how to be assertive and authoritative when I need to be. He has also given me an inexplainable patience with the children and an ability to teach and understand them. I've learned alot, and the most that I've learned is how much I don't know. I do enjoy working as a missionary even though I do kind of miss acadamia... But in all things--even in exhaustion--I'm learning therewith to be content.

To avoid littering your screen with more of my non-sequitor ramblings, I'm going to stop while I'm ahead. :)

A good week to you!

Time is a curious thing.

Can you believe that I only have 25 days left in Knoxville? Somehow it seems that just last week I was wondering how 66 days could seem so long and so short...and yet it also seems I've been here a year!

We lost two of our key players this week--one expectedly, the other quite unexpectedly--and Dr. Joe and I had to figure out how to do many things on our own. Angela (the janitor) went on a mission trip, and will be back Monday. I told Dr. Joe yesterday that when she sees what all we have and have not done with her job, she's going to fire us both. *grin* It's a very good thing she's very forgiving!

Because we lost our two key players (the other was Mrs. Sheila), I had to take charge of whatever knowledge I had and put it to work. I found a new authority, assertiveness, and confidence that I've relished for the last few days. I found out what fun it is to delegate and to have people ask me how to do things. I also found a way to work with the children so that I can (within the boundries set by the ministry) actually get through to them, and help them behave...mostly. :)

And it only took me seven weeks to figure this out. Ha!

Well, since this is the first Saturday that I've spent in Knoxville since sometime in mid June, I think I'm going to go enjoy a few hours of sunshine while I weed the garden or wash my car...or both. Can't lose a single minute of my Saturday!

Pictures!

Last week was rather busy, and this is the responsible group. :) This is First Baptist Church, Hendersonville (Tennessee). The front row is trying to "represent" Montgomery Village with M's and V's... Yeah, they were a little, erm, crazy. All joking aside, this church has been coming to the Baptist Center for over 8 years now (I can't remember if it's 8 or 12..it was a long time) and there are several generations of Montgomery Village VBS veterans... and this is only OUR half of the team that came to Knoxville: the other half was at Western Heights! They are a "well-oiled machine," they're experienced, they're ENERGETIC, they're willing, they're servants, they're legendary.

Group Prayer

They were a very well organized group, very Christ-focused. I miss them already.

Sierra

That week, the teenagers talked to ten children about salvation or baptism. This is Sierra, needing assurance of salvation.

Tyreese (the short one) and Friend

They started every day with worship in the big room. Miss Christina took this picture for me.

Slip-n-Slide!

On Thursday (the last day), and the end of VBS, they had Slip-n-Slide. Somehow, I know not how, I managed to stay dry.

The line......

Yeah, this is the line for the Slip-n-Slide. It goes waaaayy back there. *grin*

Splash!

Those kids LOVE the Slip-n-Slide!

Block Party

The biggest event of the week, hype-wise, was the block party on Tuesday. That was one long, exciting night. The other half of the Henderson group came in to help set up, run, and tear down. All I can say about that group is that... well, they're amazing!

many, many peoples

Another shot of the block party. The closest tent is the "concession stand."

concession stand

Gotta love cotton candy, popcorn, and hotdogs! The lady to the right of the table is Ms. Pansy. She is a regular at the Baptist Center, and we adore her!

montana

This is little Montana playing a game where they played the music while she stepped on those little pictures, stopping it randomly.. the boy she's pointing at then closed his eyes and "guesses" which picture she's on.

basketball

A basketball game. I would have played, except that these little kids can aim a lot better than me.... Let's just say that, for safety's sake, I didn't play. *grin*

bounce!

These were the most-talked-about part of the yearly block party... I snagged this shot before everyone came: 20 minutes later they were crawling with little kids! :)

family photos

A family picture booth: they took poleroids and put them in little plastic frames. Cute idea!

??

Erm, yeah. I'd like to say that this is what happens when you hang out with crazy teenagers all week, but, um, he's normally like this. And you can't joke with him by saying "Take me to your leader" because he IS the leader. Yeah. ;)

Allison

This is the beautiful, talented, energetic, Christ-Minded, amazing Allison. She is the lucky one who led the precious Hunter to Christ! Bravo, Allison, for all that you did that week: you're still my hero!!

help! the melons are taking over the yard!

One last picture: Mrs. Shirley's garden... taking over our yard. :)

Absolutely Not.

Please read this article from Apathy Online, and tell me what you think:

"Civic Duty to Read Latest Harry Potter- At Least Before Saturday"

By Frederick Meekins July 12th, 2005

Normally, I would be reluctant in encouraging someone to read an occult-laced tract like Harry Potter, as one has to judge for themselves whether such material might be harmful to their spiritual walk. However, in a case where a Cananadian supermarket inadvertently released the text ahead of its debut date, those getting their hands on it now have a civic duty to read the manuscript in order to take a stand against government intrusion into our minds and homes.

A Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia has ruled that those acquiring the book ahead of time must not speak about the book, copy it, or even read it. Furthermore, the lucky customers must also surrender the book they purchased in good faith to the publisher until 12:01 AM, Saturday, July 16^th when the Dark Lords of the New World Order have decreed their obedient minions among the ranks of mere mortals may finally gaze upon this work of juvenile necromancy.

Apart from its glorification of Satanic rituals, numerous Christian thinkers have warned of the Potter series because of Harry’s tendency to break the rules when it suits his purpose. Since this is the worldview J.K. Rowlings and her publisher wish to promote among the young, shouldn’t they applaud those refusing to comply with the ruling?

Since outfits such as the ACLU and the like go into more spasms than a werewolf having its belly rubbed whenever the specter of government threatens to interfere with what goes on in the privacy of one’s bedroom or when authorities exert control over what one is permitted to read, you’d think this would be a case right up their alley. Furthermore, especially among those that bought the book with cash, how can such a ruling possibly be enforced? Those having the book ahead of schedule should go ahead and read the book anyway before the approved date knowing that in doing so they take a stand for intellectual liberty.

Unless the practicioners of the dark arts have another nefarious purpose in mind such as mass manipulation or fear they might turn into a pumpkin if someone gazes upon their runes before the appointed hour, J.K Rowlings and these gnarled crones in the publishing industry have no right to complain as they will be getting the same amount of money whether these fourteen copies are sold at 12:01 am or a mere week earlier.

Another Cross-Publication

Gostudents.com just put an article of sorts about me on their website. Check it out!

http://www.gostudents.net/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ejINI5PNKpG&b=317042&ct=1158661

The Date

Yes, I did ask if I could put a picture of this handsome young man on my website... He was my date to the wedding! You don't believe it? Yeah, I'm still trying to convince myself too......

These Ankle-Twisting Antics have got to stop...

Routine. Habit. Schedule. Regularity.

What’s that?

Ever since… I can’t remember… I’ve been running completely outside of my regular routine. Y’know how some people’s lives seem to be rut-oriented? Well, I’ve been dancing in and out and all around my rut, never successfully returning to the worn path. I think I’m about to brake my ankle for all my antics.

One of the things that I like best about my school is the strict schedule: there, the challenge is breaking out of the schedule---not into it. Here, if I do not have my little routines, if I do not keep my various habits, I fall…and when I fall, I usually scrape up my limbs and face because I can’t seem to fall with grace. I’ve been trying to get myself gathered back up, but it is so hard to return to normality when your face, elbows, hands, and knees are all bloody.

I have a few things that I do when I’m in my rut to help me stay there. One thing I like to do is set my alarm across the room so that I have to get out of bed to quiet its screaming, and I only give myself one punch of the snooze button before I have to start my morning. Lately I’ve set three alarms, and they all get their snooze buttons punched for at least 45 minutes. Another thing I do is spend as little time as possible dressing and readying myself for the day (the main reason I don’t wear makeup), so that I have more time to wake up, eat breakfast, and prepare my spiritual armor. For a while now, I’ve been getting out of bed with just enough time to dress and hop in the car, still half drowsy. Though it may seem of little consequence to you, I’ve picked up a habit of carrying a water bottle around. I don’t even know where my water bottle is. If I have down-times at work, and I have to stay at the front desk, I used to work on memorizing the book of James. It’s been so long since I’ve looked at James that I can’t tell you which verse I memorized last. The first few weeks I was here, I’d come home, make dinner, and watch Wheel of Fortune and/or Jeopardy with Natalie before retiring to my room to journal and write letters. I’ve barely seen Natalie---or my journal, for that matter---in the last two weeks.

I feel like I’m running downhill… leaning forward. It’s not very easy to keep your balance that way. I’ve been trying to get some of my routine back, but I can’t seem to get back into the groove. {Ha-- I’ve lost my groove!} Tonight I am determined to sit down, stop the momentum, pick up all my little helping habits, and try to walk gracefully and calmly down that hill.

On the upside: this week’s VBS has been coordinated and masterfully led by the amazing teenagers and teenager-wranglers of First Baptist Church Hendersonville (TN). Today was their last day, and we had a handful of kids getting counseled. I don’t know the official count, but I do know that my little friend Hunter got saved today! Praise God! [I’m going to change my salvation count to 2 until I get the official count.]

Please keep those kids [and this kid] in your prayers.

Love you all!

Amanda

She'll be driving through those moutains when she goes...

Actually, I already went, and WOW are those mountains beautiful!

This weekend my family and I visited my uncle and his wonderful family in South Carolina. We had a great weekend of eating, swimming, feeding horses, dodging lightening strikes, watching Star Wars, playing with the dogs, going to Uncle Mark's installment service, and just hanging out together. One huge happy family.

This week has flown by, and I've not even once gotten online until now! I'll leave again tomorrow night to go to my dear friend's wedding. I'm going to drive four hours to another friend's apartment, stay the night, and meet up with everyone who's driving up from the South. So, guess what?? This will be my first time to go to a wedding as someone's date! I've been to many, many weddings growing up, and I didn't even know that people went to weddings as couples until probably about a year ago. How sad am I? The only thing that matters, though, is that I get to sit by one very handsome young man... one that--I'm pretty sure--likes me. *grin* now I sound not only pathetic, but very highschoolish. Oh well. That's what I get for trying to type something nice while I'm running on lackage of sleep. ;)

If we have internet in the hotel, I may try to get online one night and give you a brief update. Don't count on anything, though. :) Until I can get online again,

~Amanda

Happy Fourth!

There's gotta be a more original way to say that.... I'm just too plumb tired to think of it, so ya'll forgive me, please.

Well, mi familia came in town to whisk me away for the weekend (I may not admit this to anyone, but I really do love them more than I love anyone else I know)! We're going to visit with my uncle (Dad's brother-in-law) and his family. I've not seen them in two years. He's a pastor, and he's taking a church in SC... and his kids are seriously THE COOLEST pk's I've ever, ever known! And I'm not bragging simply because they're my cousins. Honestly.

Ok, so Blogger has **finally** put a button on my create-a-post page that will let me upload pictures. Let's try it, shall we? (and DON'T point out the awkward grammar, cakup, it's late, and I'm tired, and I know the rules, so I can break them. So :p .)

Um, yeah. It's not working: I think I have the wrong file type (it was a picture someone emailed me), and I don't feel like messing with changing it right now. I'll do that later, maybe, if we have net at the hotel.

Gotsta go pack!

Goodnight, dear friends!

Oh, and Happy Independence Day!