Here are my Top Six Fields -
Durres, Albania.
Tomsk, Russia.
Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Tlalpan, Mexico.
Santa Ana, Honduras.
East Kilbride, Scotland.
I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've gotten on here...but life has just been crazy, and it's hard to remember to come here. And I really wish this was more interactive -
so comment and ask questions and come back often! Keep me motivated!
-Tara
12.01.2007
10.11.2007
Surprised and Disappointed.
Q. What has surprised you the most about being in AIM?
Q. What, if anything, has disappointed you the most since you've been in AIM?
We have the first questions! I'm really excited about this...I don't know who asked them, but those are really good questions.
Lots of things have surprised me about AIM. I've been surprised about the type of people I met - I think that before I came to AIM, I had this crazy idea that everybody here would be perfect little Christians, wonderful people who never messed up. That's completely wrong. People here - especially the staff - will flat out tell you that they are sinners, that they are wrong, that they mess up, and that they need God to forgive them more than they need anything else in the world. I've also been really surprised about myself, and how I react in certain situations. Sometimes I think I would act one way, but I don't. I've been surprised at how much I've learned in such a short time - it's wonderful. So much information...information that's so important to life. I can't believe that I didn't know it before, and I can't believe that I haven't been spending my life teaching others this awesome information. Because it's amazing, and there's a whole world of people out there who need to know. I'm constantly learning and being surprised by new things - small things, huge things, everything. It's a blessing.
But not every day is wonderful. I've had days that have been so hard I just sat in the backyard, with my legs folded up to my chest, and I just cried. It's been a struggle - learning so much about others and about myself, and about God...I'm learning new things and uncovering new things, and that's hard because that knowledge sheds light on all the dark stuff. I'm starting to see how bad the world actually is, and how much people really need to be loved.
It's true. Did you know? People really need to be loved. I was told something a few weeks ago, and it really changed how I look at people.
"A person won't listen to you if they think you don't care about them. Love them - really LOVE them - before you try to talk to them about beliefs. Don't cram Bible pages down their throats."
That's why people in America don't open the doors when you knock on them to tell them about Jesus. That's why, when you ask people how they feel about God, they automatically get defensive. That's why people are uncomfortable when people even mention prayer, or heaven, or Jesus. Because somewhere along the line, somebody claiming to love God came along and shoved the Bible at people before loving them. And they taught others to do the same.
But that's exactly the opposite of what I'm learning to do here. I'm learning to look at people through God's eyes, not through mine. I'm learning to look past their flaws, past their dirt, past their sins, past their words, past their smell, past their anger, past their hate - I'm learning to look past that all and love them. Because God looks past all of that in me, and He loves me.
I think I went off on a tangent. Sorry. But my biggest disappointment is two-fold, and both parts have to do with Christians today.
Hardly anybody is really loving anybody before teaching them about Jesus.
Hardly anybody is teaching anybody about Jesus.
Listen to this. We had a field presentation (where missionaries present information on their fields and tell us why we should come there for our AIM field time - the 18 to 24 months after our classroom time here in Lubbock) on Tomsk, Russia. They told us that in the ENTIRE country of Russia, there are, at most, 1000 Christians. A thousand. That's all. In a country that's twice the size of the United States. There are nearly double that amount in the Sunset Church of Christ congregation alone - think about how many are in Lubbock. And in Texas. And in Oklahoma. And in the whole of America.
But guess what? Nobody's going. Nobody is going to Russia, where they only have 14 missionaries. Nobody's going to Albania. Nobody's going to Ecuador. Nobody's going to Scotland. Nobody's going to Peru. Nobody's going to Africa. Nobody's even going next door.
Guess why? We're too scared. I was too scared. In the month before I came to AIM, I had a lot of questions. I doubted by decision. Nobody really knew it, except maybe my dad, but even then it probably just came out as nervousness. But I seriously doubted that I could do this.
Me? Talk to people about God? Me? Go to a foreign country, with a different language, and tell them how I feel about Jesus? Me? Go right across the street and start up a conversation with somebody about their life? Me? Can I really do that?
I didn't think I could, and I'd bet my bottom dollar that there are other people in the world that feel that way. We don't go because we're scared. Because we question. Because we doubt. Or maybe because we just don't believe. Maybe because we just don't believe in God. Maybe because we just don't believe that God is that powerful, or that He can use us.
But you know what? He can. He can, and He did, and He will. One of my teachers says something that I really like -
"God works in, through, and in spite of people."
So my biggest disappointment, I guess, is really that nobody is listening to that. Nobody is believing that the world needs help and love, and they need Him, and we have to go take Him to them. Nobody else can do it but us. Nobody else can do it but me.
And I refuse to just sit by and not do anything.
Q. What, if anything, has disappointed you the most since you've been in AIM?
We have the first questions! I'm really excited about this...I don't know who asked them, but those are really good questions.
Lots of things have surprised me about AIM. I've been surprised about the type of people I met - I think that before I came to AIM, I had this crazy idea that everybody here would be perfect little Christians, wonderful people who never messed up. That's completely wrong. People here - especially the staff - will flat out tell you that they are sinners, that they are wrong, that they mess up, and that they need God to forgive them more than they need anything else in the world. I've also been really surprised about myself, and how I react in certain situations. Sometimes I think I would act one way, but I don't. I've been surprised at how much I've learned in such a short time - it's wonderful. So much information...information that's so important to life. I can't believe that I didn't know it before, and I can't believe that I haven't been spending my life teaching others this awesome information. Because it's amazing, and there's a whole world of people out there who need to know. I'm constantly learning and being surprised by new things - small things, huge things, everything. It's a blessing.
But not every day is wonderful. I've had days that have been so hard I just sat in the backyard, with my legs folded up to my chest, and I just cried. It's been a struggle - learning so much about others and about myself, and about God...I'm learning new things and uncovering new things, and that's hard because that knowledge sheds light on all the dark stuff. I'm starting to see how bad the world actually is, and how much people really need to be loved.
It's true. Did you know? People really need to be loved. I was told something a few weeks ago, and it really changed how I look at people.
"A person won't listen to you if they think you don't care about them. Love them - really LOVE them - before you try to talk to them about beliefs. Don't cram Bible pages down their throats."
That's why people in America don't open the doors when you knock on them to tell them about Jesus. That's why, when you ask people how they feel about God, they automatically get defensive. That's why people are uncomfortable when people even mention prayer, or heaven, or Jesus. Because somewhere along the line, somebody claiming to love God came along and shoved the Bible at people before loving them. And they taught others to do the same.
But that's exactly the opposite of what I'm learning to do here. I'm learning to look at people through God's eyes, not through mine. I'm learning to look past their flaws, past their dirt, past their sins, past their words, past their smell, past their anger, past their hate - I'm learning to look past that all and love them. Because God looks past all of that in me, and He loves me.
I think I went off on a tangent. Sorry. But my biggest disappointment is two-fold, and both parts have to do with Christians today.
Hardly anybody is really loving anybody before teaching them about Jesus.
Hardly anybody is teaching anybody about Jesus.
Listen to this. We had a field presentation (where missionaries present information on their fields and tell us why we should come there for our AIM field time - the 18 to 24 months after our classroom time here in Lubbock) on Tomsk, Russia. They told us that in the ENTIRE country of Russia, there are, at most, 1000 Christians. A thousand. That's all. In a country that's twice the size of the United States. There are nearly double that amount in the Sunset Church of Christ congregation alone - think about how many are in Lubbock. And in Texas. And in Oklahoma. And in the whole of America.
But guess what? Nobody's going. Nobody is going to Russia, where they only have 14 missionaries. Nobody's going to Albania. Nobody's going to Ecuador. Nobody's going to Scotland. Nobody's going to Peru. Nobody's going to Africa. Nobody's even going next door.
Guess why? We're too scared. I was too scared. In the month before I came to AIM, I had a lot of questions. I doubted by decision. Nobody really knew it, except maybe my dad, but even then it probably just came out as nervousness. But I seriously doubted that I could do this.
Me? Talk to people about God? Me? Go to a foreign country, with a different language, and tell them how I feel about Jesus? Me? Go right across the street and start up a conversation with somebody about their life? Me? Can I really do that?
I didn't think I could, and I'd bet my bottom dollar that there are other people in the world that feel that way. We don't go because we're scared. Because we question. Because we doubt. Or maybe because we just don't believe. Maybe because we just don't believe in God. Maybe because we just don't believe that God is that powerful, or that He can use us.
But you know what? He can. He can, and He did, and He will. One of my teachers says something that I really like -
"God works in, through, and in spite of people."
So my biggest disappointment, I guess, is really that nobody is listening to that. Nobody is believing that the world needs help and love, and they need Him, and we have to go take Him to them. Nobody else can do it but us. Nobody else can do it but me.
And I refuse to just sit by and not do anything.
10.09.2007
Interactive.
This week is finals week, and it's been stressful to the max! Ugh. No good.
But it's definitely been good for me to go through all of this. I'm learning how to better manage my time, and I'm learning what NOT to do. I'm learning that it's important to work really hard, but it's also important to step back and take a break.
I am working really hard. I understand what a HUGE blessing it is to be here, and I'm so thankful to all the people it took to get me here - I don't want to let them down. I don't want to let GOD down. So I wake up every day, I go to school, and I try my hardest on every test and on every paper.
So I had an idea. I am kind of having trouble finding things to write about - I know how everything is here, but I don't know what all you know. I want to know what you want to know about my life here and my experience!
Basically, I'm asking you to post your questions. What do you want to know about what I'm going through? It'll be easier for me to understand what to write about if I know what you want to read.
And seriously, this blog is for YOU. It's for me to keep in touch with you, and for me to keep you updated on how my life is going. Because you helped get me here - you deserve to have your questions answered! Please don't hesitate to ask anything.
I can't wait to hear back from you! It'll be like an interactive blog - we'll share it. ;)
Love you guys! Miss you!
But it's definitely been good for me to go through all of this. I'm learning how to better manage my time, and I'm learning what NOT to do. I'm learning that it's important to work really hard, but it's also important to step back and take a break.
I am working really hard. I understand what a HUGE blessing it is to be here, and I'm so thankful to all the people it took to get me here - I don't want to let them down. I don't want to let GOD down. So I wake up every day, I go to school, and I try my hardest on every test and on every paper.
So I had an idea. I am kind of having trouble finding things to write about - I know how everything is here, but I don't know what all you know. I want to know what you want to know about my life here and my experience!
Basically, I'm asking you to post your questions. What do you want to know about what I'm going through? It'll be easier for me to understand what to write about if I know what you want to read.
And seriously, this blog is for YOU. It's for me to keep in touch with you, and for me to keep you updated on how my life is going. Because you helped get me here - you deserve to have your questions answered! Please don't hesitate to ask anything.
I can't wait to hear back from you! It'll be like an interactive blog - we'll share it. ;)
Love you guys! Miss you!
9.28.2007
Bye Hair!
Hey everybody! I got my hair cut! It's really short, but I like it. Hope you do too! One of the AIM girls here has her beautician's license, and so she cuts our hair for free. Yay!
I'm so sorry it's been such a long time since I've written. Life here has really picked up and gotten busy - we had midterms and some big tests and some hard assignments, so I haven't had a whole lot of time lately. But I will try to get better at writing and putting pictures on here. I know I keep saying that, but it's so hard!
I really need to go and get some homework done, but hopefully I'll get to write more later. I love you guys, and I miss you. Thank you for helping to get me here...you are a blessing.
9.16.2007
Overload.
Wow, what a busy weekend! From my birthday to Area Church to procrastinating studying, it's been crazy. I'm ready for some stability!
I never have enough time to do anything. Actually, that's not true. God gives me enough time to do things - I just don't manage it well. I really need to work on that.
I miss you guys. But I'm hanging in there. This week is going to be better.
I never have enough time to do anything. Actually, that's not true. God gives me enough time to do things - I just don't manage it well. I really need to work on that.
I miss you guys. But I'm hanging in there. This week is going to be better.
9.15.2007
What I make it.
So my birthday was good, but it was hard. It was really hard. I think it was because it was my first one away from home. I was really homesick. And I think I just had a lot of expectations for yesterday that didn't happen, so I felt let-down and sad.
But all together, when I look back on yesterday, I'll remember how loved I felt. My classmates really took care of me - they took me out to eat, made me a cake, broke curfew to get the eggs for that cake, made cupcakes, bought me cards, everything. I felt loved, cared for, cherished, and valued by people I only met a month ago. It was wonderful.
Nineteen, wow. I hope it's a good year. But then again, I know it is what I make it.
But all together, when I look back on yesterday, I'll remember how loved I felt. My classmates really took care of me - they took me out to eat, made me a cake, broke curfew to get the eggs for that cake, made cupcakes, bought me cards, everything. I felt loved, cared for, cherished, and valued by people I only met a month ago. It was wonderful.
Nineteen, wow. I hope it's a good year. But then again, I know it is what I make it.
9.14.2007
Birthday.
Today is my birthday. I am nineteen years old. How did that happen?
To my family members who were supposed to come down -
I'm sorry the plans didn't work out. I wish I could see all of you, because I miss you a lot today. And every day. But we'll work something out soon. And be reassured by the fact that I'm surrounded by people who love me a whole, whole lot.
My classmates are showing me God's love every day - especially today. It completely blows me away.
God is so good to me.
To my family members who were supposed to come down -
I'm sorry the plans didn't work out. I wish I could see all of you, because I miss you a lot today. And every day. But we'll work something out soon. And be reassured by the fact that I'm surrounded by people who love me a whole, whole lot.
My classmates are showing me God's love every day - especially today. It completely blows me away.
God is so good to me.
9.12.2007
Out.
I'm sorry it's been so long. Life has been really insane! I'm pretty much scraping by on everything - food, laundry, energy, sleep - so it's hard to find time to do anything! Most of my time goes to homework, which is getting more difficult as we speak. Yikes!
So anyway. I'm sorry for not doing better on keeping you updated - I promise, I really will find a way to get pictures up soon. And once things start to settle down, and once there are clean clothes in my closet, and once there is edible food in our pantry...then it will be easier to come on here and write blogs every day. And I really want to do that - I want you guys to be informed of what's going on here. It just gets hard sometimes.
Encouragement from home is much appreciated. Whether it's in the form of a letter, a package, a phone call, a text message, a comment, anything...I love it and it helps me. But if it's a comment, please put your name! Isn't there a way you can click "other" and then put your name? Maybe you should try it. I really like knowing who they're from.
Love you guys. I'm hanging in there, so you better do the same.
So anyway. I'm sorry for not doing better on keeping you updated - I promise, I really will find a way to get pictures up soon. And once things start to settle down, and once there are clean clothes in my closet, and once there is edible food in our pantry...then it will be easier to come on here and write blogs every day. And I really want to do that - I want you guys to be informed of what's going on here. It just gets hard sometimes.
Encouragement from home is much appreciated. Whether it's in the form of a letter, a package, a phone call, a text message, a comment, anything...I love it and it helps me. But if it's a comment, please put your name! Isn't there a way you can click "other" and then put your name? Maybe you should try it. I really like knowing who they're from.
Love you guys. I'm hanging in there, so you better do the same.
9.02.2007
California, here we come.
We leave for California in a little more than EIGHT HOURS! I am so excited!
I have so much packing left to do though, and it's already eleven o'clock. Yikes. But all the shopping is done, now I just have to find a way to cram everything into my bags!
But in other news, our Area Church trip today was awesome. I took so many pictures, and we had such an amazing time. More details later though, I promise. I have to go pack!
I love you guys, and I'll miss you. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll hear from me somehow during this next week!
Love, love, love you.
I have so much packing left to do though, and it's already eleven o'clock. Yikes. But all the shopping is done, now I just have to find a way to cram everything into my bags!
But in other news, our Area Church trip today was awesome. I took so many pictures, and we had such an amazing time. More details later though, I promise. I have to go pack!
I love you guys, and I'll miss you. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll hear from me somehow during this next week!
Love, love, love you.
How hard it is to escape from places. However carefully one goes they hold you - you leave little bits of yourself fluttering on the fences - like rags and shreds of your very life.
-Katherine Mansfield
9.01.2007
Link.
Here is the link to a video that the director made of my class so far! I hope it works!
http://www.youtube.com/hossbegone
http://www.youtube.com/hossbegone
Hello September.
Good morning everybody, and Happy September! I think today will be a really great day.
I don't have a lot of plans or anything, mostly just doing laundry and going to Walmart and getting things ready for the California trip. I have so much to do, and so many little things to buy! I hope I can get it all done.
You might be curious as to how the laundry situation is going. It's actually really awesome, because one of my roommates, Ashtin, has a great-uncle who is an elder at the Sunset Church of Christ here (that's where the Sunset International Bible Institute is, and that's where AIM is), and he and his wife have been letting us come over every Saturday to do laundry and have dinner and work on our homework. They live out in the country, about 10 minutes away from the apartments, and it's just really nice to get away from everything and have a quiet place to study. So that's where we've been doing our laundry. It usually takes about three loads total for all of our clothes, so that's not bad. After December we probably won't be able to do our laundry there anymore, since we'll have to walk everywhere we go and who knows - I might not even be in Ashtin's apartment anymore - so I'm sure sometime before then we'll all pitch in together and get them a really nice gift.
After we do laundry, we are going to Walmart to get stuff like luggage tags, earplugs, snacks for the road, etc. I need to get shampoo and conditioner and deodorant (not that I'm already out, but I might need some before too long!) and some Sharpies. Then I need to do some packing. We've been told to "pack lightly in a small bag." What does that even mean? How big is a small bag? Heehee! Most girls don't even understand that concept. My problem isn't that I have so many clothes that I want to wear - my problem is that I think, "Well, might need an extra tshirt or two just in case I spill something on this tshirt, and I'll need an extra pair of pants..." And that turns into way too much stuff in one bag! But I'm sure I'll get it figured out eventually.
Right now, my roommates are sleeping and I'm watching "Pride and Prejudice." It's one of my favorite movies ever. So romantic! I also just ate some blueberry waffles (they were frozen and not hard to make) - I figured Saturday deserved a better breakfast than the other days.
I need to start taking more pictures. I want to figure out how to put them on here so you guys can see what my apartment looks like. I'll definitely be taking pictures as we're on our trip this next week, so that's something to be looking forward to! I'm so excited to see this part of the country and to go places where I've never been before. It's going to be really awesome. Keep us in your prayers though, okay? It's a long way to go on a bus that may or may not be reliable. :)
Just one quick story and then I need to go jump in the shower. The day before yesterday was my friend Aaron's birthday, and we had a little party for him. Somebody made him a cake, and it was so good! Except, there was no milk. So I, being my father's child, came home to have a glass of milk really quick. (This was after the party disbanded - it wasn't like I left my friends to go drink milk! That would be sad!) So I got out a cup and poured the milk, and took a drink. The next thing I knew, I was saying, "WHOA! WHAT??" It was soured. Oh MAN it was nasty! It was pretty much the worst thing I have ever tasted! Looking back though, I guess I should have known it was coming. I mean, it had been in there for a while, and when I was pouring it, it did look kind of weird, and now that I think about it, it might have smelled a little strange as I was bringing the glass up to my mouth...But oh well. You live and you learn, right?
Hope that made you guys smile. Love you and miss you truckloads.
I don't have a lot of plans or anything, mostly just doing laundry and going to Walmart and getting things ready for the California trip. I have so much to do, and so many little things to buy! I hope I can get it all done.
You might be curious as to how the laundry situation is going. It's actually really awesome, because one of my roommates, Ashtin, has a great-uncle who is an elder at the Sunset Church of Christ here (that's where the Sunset International Bible Institute is, and that's where AIM is), and he and his wife have been letting us come over every Saturday to do laundry and have dinner and work on our homework. They live out in the country, about 10 minutes away from the apartments, and it's just really nice to get away from everything and have a quiet place to study. So that's where we've been doing our laundry. It usually takes about three loads total for all of our clothes, so that's not bad. After December we probably won't be able to do our laundry there anymore, since we'll have to walk everywhere we go and who knows - I might not even be in Ashtin's apartment anymore - so I'm sure sometime before then we'll all pitch in together and get them a really nice gift.
After we do laundry, we are going to Walmart to get stuff like luggage tags, earplugs, snacks for the road, etc. I need to get shampoo and conditioner and deodorant (not that I'm already out, but I might need some before too long!) and some Sharpies. Then I need to do some packing. We've been told to "pack lightly in a small bag." What does that even mean? How big is a small bag? Heehee! Most girls don't even understand that concept. My problem isn't that I have so many clothes that I want to wear - my problem is that I think, "Well, might need an extra tshirt or two just in case I spill something on this tshirt, and I'll need an extra pair of pants..." And that turns into way too much stuff in one bag! But I'm sure I'll get it figured out eventually.
Right now, my roommates are sleeping and I'm watching "Pride and Prejudice." It's one of my favorite movies ever. So romantic! I also just ate some blueberry waffles (they were frozen and not hard to make) - I figured Saturday deserved a better breakfast than the other days.
I need to start taking more pictures. I want to figure out how to put them on here so you guys can see what my apartment looks like. I'll definitely be taking pictures as we're on our trip this next week, so that's something to be looking forward to! I'm so excited to see this part of the country and to go places where I've never been before. It's going to be really awesome. Keep us in your prayers though, okay? It's a long way to go on a bus that may or may not be reliable. :)
Just one quick story and then I need to go jump in the shower. The day before yesterday was my friend Aaron's birthday, and we had a little party for him. Somebody made him a cake, and it was so good! Except, there was no milk. So I, being my father's child, came home to have a glass of milk really quick. (This was after the party disbanded - it wasn't like I left my friends to go drink milk! That would be sad!) So I got out a cup and poured the milk, and took a drink. The next thing I knew, I was saying, "WHOA! WHAT??" It was soured. Oh MAN it was nasty! It was pretty much the worst thing I have ever tasted! Looking back though, I guess I should have known it was coming. I mean, it had been in there for a while, and when I was pouring it, it did look kind of weird, and now that I think about it, it might have smelled a little strange as I was bringing the glass up to my mouth...But oh well. You live and you learn, right?
Hope that made you guys smile. Love you and miss you truckloads.
8.31.2007
For Lunch.
Here's what I have for lunch, since my Ma wants to know!
We go to the store once a week, and we usually buy three Lunchables apiece. (At the Walmart here, they're 3 for $4, a total bargain if you ask me!) I usually get the crackers and lunch meat and cheese kind. They're cheap and easy to deal with.
So I have that three times a week. The other times I have what I like to call The Plain Ole Sandwich - two pieces of turkey between two slices of wheat bread. It's plain, but the bread gets all weird and soggy if you put mustard on it and it sits for a while. That's pretty much a well-known fact! And I put two slices of turkey on it because it just adds a little more "umph" to it, if you know what I mean. It's pretty darn good if I do say so myself. You should try it, especially on Wednesdays for lunch. It'll be like we're having lunch together!
Also, I usually back some of those orange cheese crackers or some Wheat Thins or Cheez-Its. And I pack a dessert like a few Oreos or one of those oatmeal pie things. And a bottle of water to drink. It's all pretty simple, and fast, and cheap. Such is the life of a poor missionary student. :)
We go to the store once a week, and we usually buy three Lunchables apiece. (At the Walmart here, they're 3 for $4, a total bargain if you ask me!) I usually get the crackers and lunch meat and cheese kind. They're cheap and easy to deal with.
So I have that three times a week. The other times I have what I like to call The Plain Ole Sandwich - two pieces of turkey between two slices of wheat bread. It's plain, but the bread gets all weird and soggy if you put mustard on it and it sits for a while. That's pretty much a well-known fact! And I put two slices of turkey on it because it just adds a little more "umph" to it, if you know what I mean. It's pretty darn good if I do say so myself. You should try it, especially on Wednesdays for lunch. It'll be like we're having lunch together!
Also, I usually back some of those orange cheese crackers or some Wheat Thins or Cheez-Its. And I pack a dessert like a few Oreos or one of those oatmeal pie things. And a bottle of water to drink. It's all pretty simple, and fast, and cheap. Such is the life of a poor missionary student. :)
Brownbag-ing it.
Here's something else about our days -
Lunch on Wednesdays are really special. We have what's called Brownbags. We all bring our lunch and AIMers who are on the field write emails to us and tell us what they're up to, and give "shout-outs" to people they know in the class - this past Wednesday I got one from my friend Lydia, who is is Scotland. She's in the AIM class of 2005, so she'll be coming back sometime after January and she'll be graduating while we're here. It's so awesome to hear from people you know who are on the field. I know a lot of people from the class of 2005, because that's when I came to Camp Adventure, and it's neat to hear all of their stories about talking to people out on the field.
So during Brownbags, we read their letters and eat our lunches and we pray for them. It's really wonderful, because they know that they're being prayed for, and they pray for us at the same time. It's like we're sending up prayers at the exact same moment, even though there's a time change thing going on. But it's still really encouraging for everybody involved.
And that's what we do instead of Share the Word class on Wednesday. :)
Lunch on Wednesdays are really special. We have what's called Brownbags. We all bring our lunch and AIMers who are on the field write emails to us and tell us what they're up to, and give "shout-outs" to people they know in the class - this past Wednesday I got one from my friend Lydia, who is is Scotland. She's in the AIM class of 2005, so she'll be coming back sometime after January and she'll be graduating while we're here. It's so awesome to hear from people you know who are on the field. I know a lot of people from the class of 2005, because that's when I came to Camp Adventure, and it's neat to hear all of their stories about talking to people out on the field.
So during Brownbags, we read their letters and eat our lunches and we pray for them. It's really wonderful, because they know that they're being prayed for, and they pray for us at the same time. It's like we're sending up prayers at the exact same moment, even though there's a time change thing going on. But it's still really encouraging for everybody involved.
And that's what we do instead of Share the Word class on Wednesday. :)
My Classes!
Okay, it's time to talk about my classes. Here's how the general schedule goes for the day -
8:35-9:15ish - Chapel
9:15ish-Noon - Morning Class (we get a 10-minute break at 10:30)
Noon-1:00 PM - Lunch
1:00-1:50 - Share the Word Class
1:50-4:00 - Afternoon Class (we get a break at 3)
Let's tackle these one by one.
First, New Testament Message. We have this class on Monday and Wednesday mornings and it's taught by Gibby Gilbert. We're doing a personal study on James, and I think we start later on in September. We learned the New Testament books, in order and how to spell them correctly, their abbreviations, and their themes. And now we're learning the Greek alphabet - I can already write their English names (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc) and the upper and lower case. So awesome! And we're working on using an interlinear Greek/English Bible to look up the original words in Greek and then find their meanings. It's really interesting, and it's cool to know that what we're studying is the language the Bible was first written in so long ago.
Then we have Old Testament Message, taught by Ray Young, on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Ray is very lively and he asks very thought-provoking questions. We have to do a lot of outside reading for that class, obviously from the Old Testament. We've already read through Genesis outside of class, but we're just now covering the story of Abraham in class. It's slow-going, but a lot of fun and really interesting. He encourages us to read the Bible as if we've never read it before, as if we've never heard the stories. He wants us to really dig for the details and picture the stories in our heads.
And on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, we have Historical Christian Evidences with Ed Wharton. This is the hardest class! Ed is somewhere in his late 70's, but he is so intelligent and he really, really knows his Bible. I like the information that we're learning, but the way he presents it is very - difficult. It's a hard class, and we have to do a lot of homework and a LOT of studying. But it's worth it, because we are learning a lot. We had our first big test the other day, and I made a 92. There was only one person who made a 100, and just a little over half of the class passed. I'm telling you, it's REALLY HARD. (By the way, anything that's under a 70 is a failing grade, and there's no retakes or late work.) I'm not even really shooting for an A anymore - I just want to do my best, pass all the tests, get in all my work, pass the class, and absorb the material well enough to where I can put it to use. We have a test in there again sometime soon, but this time we won't get a study guide, so I definitely won't do as well. It'll be interesting. I'm pretty nervous about it, but it'll be okay. I've already made an agreement with God that I'll just put it in His hands and He'll take care of it. :)
Then after that class, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we have Life of Christ with Pat Sheaffer (he's one of the co directors of AIM). This is my favorite class. I mean, I like them all, but I look forward to this one the most. It's based out of Luke - we have Chapter Review Questions on each chapter. They aren't hard, just time-consuming. But it's completely worth it, because I'm learning more about the Bible than I ever thought possible! And classes started less than three weeks ago! Pat puts so much emotion into his class, and we really get to take a deep, deep look into who Jesus really was as a man, and what He did for us. It's amazing, and it's done a lot for me spiritually.
So those are the four main classes. And then on top of those, we have two more - Missionary Mindset and Share the Word.
Missionary Mindset, with the director Kris Smith, is on Friday mornings. We only have half-days on Fridays, so once this class is over we get to leave. That's kind of nice. This book is based in Philippians, and we're just really looking at the life of Paul and his characteristics, his life, and his mind as a missionary. Because that's what we want to be like, you know? That's what I want to be like. It's nice that we can just get together and really focus and what we're here for and what we are striving to be like - great missionaries.
Share the Word, which we have on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 1:00-1:45ish, is just a practical application of what we're learning in our regular classes. It's kind of like Missionary Mindset in that way. We're getting to learn how to write newsletters (you can look forward to getting some of those!), how to talk to teens, how to speak to large groups of people, how to have personal, one-on-one Bible studies, how to work with kids...lots of stuff! We're splitting into separate groups sometime next week I think, guys and girls, so it should be pretty exciting. I'm kind of nervous about it, but the more we do it the easier it'll get and the more I'll improve. At least, I hope that's how it goes!
8:35-9:15ish - Chapel
9:15ish-Noon - Morning Class (we get a 10-minute break at 10:30)
Noon-1:00 PM - Lunch
1:00-1:50 - Share the Word Class
1:50-4:00 - Afternoon Class (we get a break at 3)
Let's tackle these one by one.
First, New Testament Message. We have this class on Monday and Wednesday mornings and it's taught by Gibby Gilbert. We're doing a personal study on James, and I think we start later on in September. We learned the New Testament books, in order and how to spell them correctly, their abbreviations, and their themes. And now we're learning the Greek alphabet - I can already write their English names (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc) and the upper and lower case. So awesome! And we're working on using an interlinear Greek/English Bible to look up the original words in Greek and then find their meanings. It's really interesting, and it's cool to know that what we're studying is the language the Bible was first written in so long ago.
Then we have Old Testament Message, taught by Ray Young, on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Ray is very lively and he asks very thought-provoking questions. We have to do a lot of outside reading for that class, obviously from the Old Testament. We've already read through Genesis outside of class, but we're just now covering the story of Abraham in class. It's slow-going, but a lot of fun and really interesting. He encourages us to read the Bible as if we've never read it before, as if we've never heard the stories. He wants us to really dig for the details and picture the stories in our heads.
And on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, we have Historical Christian Evidences with Ed Wharton. This is the hardest class! Ed is somewhere in his late 70's, but he is so intelligent and he really, really knows his Bible. I like the information that we're learning, but the way he presents it is very - difficult. It's a hard class, and we have to do a lot of homework and a LOT of studying. But it's worth it, because we are learning a lot. We had our first big test the other day, and I made a 92. There was only one person who made a 100, and just a little over half of the class passed. I'm telling you, it's REALLY HARD. (By the way, anything that's under a 70 is a failing grade, and there's no retakes or late work.) I'm not even really shooting for an A anymore - I just want to do my best, pass all the tests, get in all my work, pass the class, and absorb the material well enough to where I can put it to use. We have a test in there again sometime soon, but this time we won't get a study guide, so I definitely won't do as well. It'll be interesting. I'm pretty nervous about it, but it'll be okay. I've already made an agreement with God that I'll just put it in His hands and He'll take care of it. :)
Then after that class, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we have Life of Christ with Pat Sheaffer (he's one of the co directors of AIM). This is my favorite class. I mean, I like them all, but I look forward to this one the most. It's based out of Luke - we have Chapter Review Questions on each chapter. They aren't hard, just time-consuming. But it's completely worth it, because I'm learning more about the Bible than I ever thought possible! And classes started less than three weeks ago! Pat puts so much emotion into his class, and we really get to take a deep, deep look into who Jesus really was as a man, and what He did for us. It's amazing, and it's done a lot for me spiritually.
So those are the four main classes. And then on top of those, we have two more - Missionary Mindset and Share the Word.
Missionary Mindset, with the director Kris Smith, is on Friday mornings. We only have half-days on Fridays, so once this class is over we get to leave. That's kind of nice. This book is based in Philippians, and we're just really looking at the life of Paul and his characteristics, his life, and his mind as a missionary. Because that's what we want to be like, you know? That's what I want to be like. It's nice that we can just get together and really focus and what we're here for and what we are striving to be like - great missionaries.
Share the Word, which we have on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 1:00-1:45ish, is just a practical application of what we're learning in our regular classes. It's kind of like Missionary Mindset in that way. We're getting to learn how to write newsletters (you can look forward to getting some of those!), how to talk to teens, how to speak to large groups of people, how to have personal, one-on-one Bible studies, how to work with kids...lots of stuff! We're splitting into separate groups sometime next week I think, guys and girls, so it should be pretty exciting. I'm kind of nervous about it, but the more we do it the easier it'll get and the more I'll improve. At least, I hope that's how it goes!
I'm sorry this is so extremely long, but I wanted to tell you about all of them in one fell swoop. Kinda like killing six birds with one stone, right? (Okay, so that's not a GREAT comparison. Heehee!) If you have any questions or if something has been confusing, just post a comment and let me know. If everything is perfectly clear and you understand it all, post a comment anyway! I love getting them and hearing input from you guys!
Miss you and love you.
8.30.2007
Test Explained!
Okay. I finally have some time to sit down and write, so let me tackle things one at a time.
First off all, the "Test" blog entry shouldn't have been so confusing! I was having some trouble getting things all set up on this site, I was confused about some things, and that was just a test to see how something looked...so that's all that was.
Okay, next. Well actually, I think I'm just going to make a separate entry about my classes. So I'm going to go do that.
First off all, the "Test" blog entry shouldn't have been so confusing! I was having some trouble getting things all set up on this site, I was confused about some things, and that was just a test to see how something looked...so that's all that was.
Okay, next. Well actually, I think I'm just going to make a separate entry about my classes. So I'm going to go do that.
8.29.2007
Waiting.
There is just so much to say. I don't have the time or energy to say it all right now, but I promise I will get there one day, and it will be soon. And it will be awesome!
So hang in there with me.
Until then, here's a great quote from one of our classes today (it's paraphrased) -
"Do you ever get tired of waiting? I do. I hate waiting for anything. But sometimes I look back and realize that I needed to wait in order for something to happen, in order for things to really turn out like they did. Do you ever think that God isn't doing something quickly enough, so then you try to "help Him out" and do it yourself? Me too. It doesn't ever work when you try that. We learn by having to wait. We need God to take things slow so that we have room to grow."
(This was said by Ray Young, my Old Testament Message teacher. He's very cool.)
More later, I promise. Love you guys.
So hang in there with me.
Until then, here's a great quote from one of our classes today (it's paraphrased) -
"Do you ever get tired of waiting? I do. I hate waiting for anything. But sometimes I look back and realize that I needed to wait in order for something to happen, in order for things to really turn out like they did. Do you ever think that God isn't doing something quickly enough, so then you try to "help Him out" and do it yourself? Me too. It doesn't ever work when you try that. We learn by having to wait. We need God to take things slow so that we have room to grow."
(This was said by Ray Young, my Old Testament Message teacher. He's very cool.)
More later, I promise. Love you guys.
8.27.2007
8.25.2007
The Beginning
Hello everybody!
Wow, isn't this all so crazy and exciting - technology is amazing! I've been working on getting this blog all nice and neat for a couple of days now, and I still haven't gotten it just right yet. So be prepared for more renovations!
I'm not even really sure of where to start. There's so much to say! I guess I could start with how I'm doing. That might just make sense. :)
I'm doing really, really well. At the moment I'm sitting on my bed, under the covers, and my roommates are asleep. This is the first opportunity we've had to sleep in since we've been here - this is the first day that we've really had nothing at all to do. It's so nice to have time to relax and not have to worry about homework or school for a couple of hours. But more about that later!
So you might be wondering why I'm awake if I could be sleeping in! I can't ever sleep in, for some reason. It's like I have this internal alarm clock that always goes off and says, "Tara, come on! Get up! There's a whole long day to live - why waste it sleeping?" So I woke up at eight. I'm probably going to go have some black coffee and a granola bar here pretty soon. That's my standard breakfast around here. Can you believe I drink black coffee? I guess that makes me a grown up now! Or it makes me an almost-nineteen-year-old who just really needs caffeine.
But I am doing really well. I'm so happy here, and it's really important that you all know that. It was really hard for me to leave you back in Oklahoma, but I know it'll make it a little easier if you know that I'm actually okay and happy and that I wouldn't trade this for anything. So please know that!
So here's what I think I might do. There's so much to tell you about - classes, the apartment, the people, the crazy stuff that's happened so far - so I think I'm going to just tackle those subjects one at a time. Stay tuned, okay? Bear with me and be patient and come back often! I'll try really hard to keep you updated on how it's going here, because it's important to me that you know.
I love you guys!
Wow, isn't this all so crazy and exciting - technology is amazing! I've been working on getting this blog all nice and neat for a couple of days now, and I still haven't gotten it just right yet. So be prepared for more renovations!
I'm not even really sure of where to start. There's so much to say! I guess I could start with how I'm doing. That might just make sense. :)
I'm doing really, really well. At the moment I'm sitting on my bed, under the covers, and my roommates are asleep. This is the first opportunity we've had to sleep in since we've been here - this is the first day that we've really had nothing at all to do. It's so nice to have time to relax and not have to worry about homework or school for a couple of hours. But more about that later!
So you might be wondering why I'm awake if I could be sleeping in! I can't ever sleep in, for some reason. It's like I have this internal alarm clock that always goes off and says, "Tara, come on! Get up! There's a whole long day to live - why waste it sleeping?" So I woke up at eight. I'm probably going to go have some black coffee and a granola bar here pretty soon. That's my standard breakfast around here. Can you believe I drink black coffee? I guess that makes me a grown up now! Or it makes me an almost-nineteen-year-old who just really needs caffeine.
But I am doing really well. I'm so happy here, and it's really important that you all know that. It was really hard for me to leave you back in Oklahoma, but I know it'll make it a little easier if you know that I'm actually okay and happy and that I wouldn't trade this for anything. So please know that!
So here's what I think I might do. There's so much to tell you about - classes, the apartment, the people, the crazy stuff that's happened so far - so I think I'm going to just tackle those subjects one at a time. Stay tuned, okay? Bear with me and be patient and come back often! I'll try really hard to keep you updated on how it's going here, because it's important to me that you know.
I love you guys!
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