4.15.2009

I agree with Ingrid.

I have watched so many movies lately - it's been pretty wonderful.
Casablanca.  An Affair to Remember.  Funny Face.  The Way We Were.  Ice Castles.  Pretty in Pink.  Only You.  
Ridiculous, huh?  And there's more to come.
No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down in the dark rooms of our souls.  (Ingrid Bergman)

4.11.2009

Whatever you are.

I should have written this as soon as I got back, but I didn't.
And as I like to say, "No time like when I should have done it, a while ago!"  
Anyway, I'm home - in Oklahoma.  Right now, I'm in Duncan.  In my old house, with all its same smells, and in my room, with its same bed and blankets and pillows.  I've missed it, truly.
The plans are as follows: I'm going up to Shawnee to continue my AIM time.  Yes, that's right - I will be doing mission work in Shawnee, Oklahoma!  I know, it's hard to really imagine.  Most people define mission work (even if just subconsciously) as something that must be done on foreign soil.  SO not true!

God's people - every single person He created - need God.  We also need each other: to help, to listen, to babysit, to call, to text, to teach kids' Bible school class, to volunteer, to drink coffee with, to serve soup, to see at church, to laugh with, to call crying, to do office work, to answer the phones, to answer questions, to talk to, to hear us, to help us figure out life, to help us understand, to read with us, to help us find the right path and understand God's character more.  I am a firm believer that God created us to be in relationship with Him, and with one another - and that relationship that we have with one another takes a lot of different shapes and sizes.  You can teach someone a lot about what God is like by how you act, and how you serve, and how you live, and what you say.  We are here to help each other.

And so I am going to help whoever I can help in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

I had the same goal when I went to South Africa.  I wanted to listen, watch, hear, observe, learn, teach, serve, help.  And I do think that I did those things.  But I was also profoundly affected - I was listened to, watched, heard, observed, taught, served, helped...by both the people there and my team.  I'm sure the same thing will happen in Shawnee.  It's a give and take.  You have an impact on who you are around, and in return - you are impacted.  What a beautiful circle.

So that's the update.  I seriously, truly, honestly am going to try more to write in this.  Agh, why do I find it so hard to stay consistent with this?  I will keep trying.

If you have any questions, please, please, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't hesitate to ask me.  Post it on here.  Email me.  Call me.  Facebook me.  Send me smoke signals, a carrier pidgeon, Morse code.  Anything!  Just don't be afraid to ask, and don't take the long road and ask someone else.  I'm here.  As one of my favorite teachers once said, "There are no stupid questions - just stupid people afraid to ask."  :)

Love,
Tara.

Whatever you are, be a good one.  (Abraham Lincoln)

4.01.2009

Time.

It's time.
I'm sure that most everyone who reads this thing knows this by now, but I am no longer in South Africa.
I left on March 25th, and the reasons for that departure run deep. To put it simply, I felt like it was time to let God take me in a different direction. I needed to take a bigger leap of faith in God. It doesn't have anything to do with my teammates or my coordinators or the South African people - it's a decision based on how I felt I was serving my God and those around me. I need time to heal, time to be away, and a new place to serve. I'm still in the AIM program and I will be until graduation, in March 2010. I'm just going to serve in a different place.
And God, as always, has provided.
I am in Oklahoma now, and I will be for the next few weeks. I am hoping to see lots of people that I've missed, so I'm going to be all over the place. But I have a new cell phone number and an old email address, so if you want to contact me, it won't be hard. I'd love to hear from you and answer any questions you have.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support through this crazy journey. Where would I be without you?
See you soon!
It's time.
-Tara.

"Things change, but your ability to love remains intact."
- Reese Witherspoon.