I will moving to Quito, Ecuador for the summer AHHHH : ) … May 13th! I will be blogging about it at another blog for the summer if you want to follow along!  But first I have to study study study Spanish until April 21st!  So much motion… things to bring closure to, people to hug, etc. I am so thankful I have Jesus, and the promise that he does not give me anything I.. I mean WE cannot handle! His peace is blowing my mind… and I am so thankful for him for som many things !

A large amount of things have happened since my birthday, and so many more things are in the process, I do not even know where to begin. Some physical things I have been up to since the beginning of March include going on a get-outta-town-we-are-havin’-a-blast road trip with my deeeer Ella, Her novio Scott, and Nate (my novio) which included stops in Columbus, Memphis, Bar 50 Ranch, Hot Springs Arkansas, and a whirlwind of adventure. This was my first friend roadtrip, and I cannot imagine it going any better than it did! Wow- it was incredible. Fun. Funny. I learned so much about friendship, traveling, camping, hot springs, Ecuadorian BBQ, Beale Street, and more! I felt loved, and relaxed admist all the unexpected awesomeness that was happening on the back of horses, in a Bath house, and eating ribs at Aunt Leslie’s. So good. I will hold the memories from this trip with me for the longest time!

I came home to a birthday party with my family, and my grandma and Aunt, Unlcle and Sammy! It was refreshing to just hang out and be ourselves, and playing apples to apples with Grandma Franna was of the hook hilarious! I felt celebrated, and I am so thankful for my family!

Other things that have happened since this crazy “Spring Break” trip include cool stuff like World Water Week, further involvement in Net Impact, Cool stuff in Cru, Spencer Watching, and Spanish Spanish Spanish in a whole collection of ways. March brought me finally finding success and ways to practice Spanish in BG… and now I feel like the time is running out! I am going to attempt the WPT in 3 weeks from today, and therefore, must continue to study and pray and focus.

In this “gap year” that I am taking I am learning all about self- dicipline, creating your own schedule, and what its like to spend qualit time with myself. It ahs been a very eye-opening, hard time, but I would say God has been doing crazy cool things with my heart and eyes, giving me his visions and passions. So flippin’ cool! I could elaborate for hours, but for now, I will leave it at that, Lord, thank you for sustaining me and teaching me and challenging me and using me.

Finally, I am currently praying for a big decision about how to spend my summer, and a very cool opportunity has been posed before me. Nothing is certain, but the opportunity to do a ministry interniship with Inca Link is up in the air, and I am getting very excited with the crazy amounts of peace the Lord is filling me with in this idea/decision. Tuesday, the 5th, is when that will be finalized, as well as the day that I will have to say when I want to go and come back! WHAT! The Lord answers prayers! I am praying this works out if it his will, and if its not, I get the heck out of there and find what his will is!

Also, my mom just finished her last IEP of the year and MJ is about to finish his thesis! Nate got accepted (and in turn accepted their acceptance) to the Aspen Music Festival this summer in Aspen, and will be living in Colorado for 2 months this summer! How cool, boo! Lauren and Gelly and Ricky and Cru-tons went to SE asia, and I have been crooning over their experiences.

I am so blessed and have so much to be thankful for!

Sleep.

Simblings are a gift, and I would say Michael has been a complete gift to me. I am so thankful for him, and thankful we get to share our birthday today at Chipotle together!

More to come, must go for now! I love you, brother! You’re a wise, funny, enjoyable, encouraging birthday sharer!

Choices are upon me,

it’s hard.

Lord, direct me.

Nate and I celebrated our 2 years of officially being boyfriend a girlfriend … : ) …. last week by meeting up on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, the day after Valentine’s day. This is one of the photos we took, one of the snap shots of all the fun we had. One of the snap shots of the past two years that have been incredible. I am so thankful for the time I have spent learning about Nate, and being learned about by him. I used to shy away from talking about he and I, and how wonderful things really are. But I suppose that he is in fact an awesome part of my life and who I am; and who I am becoming. Nate Hein, you talented, intelligent man, I am so thankful for the joy that you bring to my life. I am thankful for the encouragment, the truth, the adventures, and the companionship. I am thankful for the endless listening ears you provide me with, with the laughs, and with the challenging you set for me. For hearing the desires of my heart and challenging me to pursue them. For keeping me grounded and making sure I know who my Creator is, and living in light of Him and the plan he has for me. For putting up with my quirks, and being a continual catalyst for more. You are a strong and courageous man, a consistent man, and a man that is fun to share all the moments with.

Your heart is beautiful, and, well, your eyes are, too .Thanks for sharing your defeats and your successes, and loving me through mine. Thanks for treating me right, and making me feel alive!

Nate and I pray to have Christ be the center of our relationship, and that we will not distract one another but instead use our love and friendship and dating relationship for the glory of our King.

The 31 days of wearing my high-necked, thick, nubby maternity dress have ceased. Valentine’s day 2011 was my final day- and I have been going non-stop since, so excuse the untimely response.

Well in the last few weeks Amy has been receiving tons of publicity, which has been way-cool to share in, and awesome for all many students and people to watch- myself particularly. Let me unpack that. Good causes come up all the time. The ways of rasing money and awareness, is also pretty consistent- walks, selling stuff, and writing letters. I often feel as though its hard to stand out admist all the tons of things out there, especially becuase so many of them are so good. Watching people take to Amy’s creativity, her humbleness, her dream big – god can do things and I can help – attitude without being pushy has been so cool to see. Watching how people want to learn and hear about good things has also been refreshing in this time of economic hardship, and this time when we are constantly hearing about negative things (such as human traffiking) geting more and more out of hand. God is frickin huge. Sometimes I forget his unmeasurable goodness and ability to destroy all this crap that surrounds my ears and eyes each day.

I have had many feelings towards the last week of wearing my dress, and many in this last week of being free from the self-inflicted time I spent in that thing. I must fill you in what they are in a time soon to come, but I thought lots about being bound to something for social pressures, what norms were, what walking through trials and even good things with community is like, how the times have changed (women couldnt wear pants forever before the last century or two in most cultures), what femininity means to me, creativity in clothing- it is self expression, about starting conversations about clothes seems so silly, and just about money and funds and sacrifice. As I said I will expound on all of these soon!

I am not sure that I have done anything by wearing this dress besides let Amy know I am proud of her…who knows if she even caught on to that.

I am certain i could and should have done more. I must reflect and learn- and realize a little effort can turn something from small to big. But hey, maybe my tiny little experiment/’sacrifice’ was supposed to be small for now and will grow into something bigger in terms of impact and success for the Kingdom later. Whatever success is.  Lord, help me see truth, process truth, and be patient without regret. You are worth it. All of it.

Here is Amy on the cover of the BGnews today:

http://bgnews.com/campus/say-yes-to-the-dress/

PS i think I know what my dream job is. lots of great conversation in the last few months- January and February- has been teaching me- challenging me- growing me. I am thankful. for this hard little descanso I have found myself in, although my Spanish has remained stagnate, my heart feels more alive than ever before. : )

Pss- Prayer requests for those that I love: Nate H. has his opera’s opening night tomorrow night! Lauren and my Gateway-bounnd friends as they need physicl health and supernatural energy to prepare for the trip and get ready for this life-changing experience!- Me and Spanish- Yikes! things like where to go and people to speak with- I have many friends going to Mexico over Spring Break for a service trip- for safety in their journey; My grandma is old- pray for the Lords peace to sweep through her mind, and for physical comfort in an uncomfortable time; and the restis just friends like MJ, Jacintha, Marie, Dreya, and Tara as they face graduation and whats to come after!

This is an article published last year this time, in the Toledo Blade.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100211/NEWS16/2110353

Here is another article from 2010, with ways to help at the bottom…

http://hubpages.com/hub/Toledo-Ohio-Third-Largest-City-for-Child-Sex-Trafficking-and-Slavery

And once again, here is the daughter project website, for ways to locally donate money, raise awareness ( like wear a dress for 31 days, or 180 days) , or come to the ground breaking ceremony held in BG later this month (Feb. 27). They are also registered at Bed bath and Beyond if you want to purchase and donate something that way!

http://thedaughterproject.org/

For the daughters!!!

April 3, 2010

El estudio en el extranjero which means Study abroad, will never be the same to me. I am currently working on what seems to be an impossible essay about study abroad, and it is by far the hardest academic challenge I have ever faced. The truth is, it should not be. But for some reason it is. I am trying to diagnose how this has become so difícil, so grueling, so hopeless.

I am learning lots about me. And hating lots about me. And letting myself down over and over again.

I do like this topic, however, and do like talking about it. I found this quote as I am researching the topic, and wanted to share it, its from William W. Hoffa, whoever that man may be!Its in response to a question about study abroad…

“All travelers are limited by the prism of their own cultural perspective. One can never be fully ethno-relativistic, nor should one try to be. But the aim of individual students and their programs should ultimately be to see and try to understand what is “foreign” on its own terms; to try to distinguish what is different and what is similar. But true education comes not just in having the foreign experience but in processing and appropriating it into one’s own realm.”

I am thankful to have encountered this, and so many other truths I am uncovering in how study abroad works as I am processing my experience and dreaming of whatever the Lord has for me next!

April 3, 2010

I started on January 15- month 3 of amy’s 6 month stretch!

I know quite a few women doing it this month with Amy Seiffert (http://www.amyseiffert.com/) , a woman who has gained y respect for so many reasons, and is wearing a gray t-shirt dress for 180 days-> ! Here’s the cause, the reason, and the heart behind all of the hooplah.

The Daughter project.

The One Dress Project is raising money for The Daughter Project. This is a beautiful organization here in Toledo (one of America’s hotspots for human trafficking) that was created to help girls recover from the trauma of human sex trafficking and to help prevent them from being trafficked again. They are rooted in God’s love.

This time for me will be to give and to learn myself, through conversation, and exploring the hard stories that exist, even in Toledo, Ohio. I am not sure how to use my voice in this time to make the biggest impact, but I suppose thats where my little mustard seed faith will come into play, along side my big mouth and my funny clothing choice options. I am excited to walk through this month with Christie M, Katie B, Sarah A, Gelly DLT, Cassy H, and  Tiffany H.

What can you do to support something you believe in, something you think is huge. With the daughter project I will not purchase clothes but instead donate money and old clothing items as part of my desire to simplify, to rid myself of distractions and to be able to enjoy what I have, materialistically, which is everything I need, thanks to Him.

This is what the daughter project says about themselves:

Yeah we just did that!

Nate mentioned he had an audition the 16th in New York City, and that he was going to drive.I asked who he was going with.. ” I dont know” he responded

It started with the MegaBus tickets I had snagged for myself to Cleveland towards the end of December- just after they released a new set of free tickets spuratticaly placed in the megabus system. I found a going on the 14th, and not knowing it was MLK Jr. Day, just though returning on Monday would be good. Part one. free. extra. no plan. good.

Highlights list to be explained but I never want to forget!

1. To be or not to be, that is thy question! We memorized this monologue in the car for his audition, and they never asked for it! It was super fun, none the less, and now he has it for next time!
2. The black dress debut- car rides!
3. No plan besides the audition left us lots of room to create all sorts of last minute decisions!
4. 7.9 miles just from Battery bark where the subway/bus dropped us, and leaving after Times Square! – we google mapped our path!
5. Nate having to pee all the time becuase he was drinking TONS so protect his throat!
6. Tony and Lilly at Gran harmony on 98 Mott St. – Dip Sum, comparing symbols, never knowing what we were eating, chicken feet, turtle necks, some pahntom brewery we didnt understand!, anime and chinese signs in the bathroom stalls, sesame ball desert things! that were aweeesome by the way and weighed a ton, 15 dollar bill total, tea pot, packed house. It was perfect!
7. Nola studios and the sweet girl that was a character in the waiting room. Nate singing awesome, me watching how opera singers and auditions work! I learned a little about the Aspen Music Festival, too.
8. At battery park we could not for the life of us get a picture with the statue of liberty in between and way far away… but our eyes got frozen open as we tried!
9. Dry boney lips curled in kiss in central park on this tiny hill with people ice skating on one side and the lights of the moon and the city on the other!
10. No kissing or germ sharing in anyway the whole time just in case I had mono germs in my system! … He could still kiss my big ol cheeks, though : )
11. Lazzaz sodas and misscommunications at the lebanese restraunt! So fun!  Next time we go to the ________ nights, perhaps Jerusalem nights on Steinway Street in Astoria Queens for supper! Crazyy place we couldnt go in b/c they were smoking shisha and Nate didnt want to breathe it!
12. Walking with our backpacks! Nate wearing his suit and dress shoes all day!
13. Walking pains. wet boots and blisters and chaffing jeans= julianne being a moper and nate being the encourager… next time, we buy the darn bus ticket!
14. Driving home was outta control. We walked around NYC for 9 hours  straight then get in the car at 10 something pm to drive all the way home!
15. Philip being awesome and watching Beyond Scared Straight with him!
16. Driving in and getting out of the lincoln tunnel, being forced 2 ways, and then accidentally being in times square… the one thing nate asked that we didnt do! aye aye aye! I was just yelling, ahhh, were in times square! Ahh! Im sorry! Oooh, look!: 0)  … Nate did great!
17. Ashley at Denny’s at 2 am who just found out she was pregnant, very different outlook on life than us! she stayed and hung with us as I ate my kids meal pizza! … COFFEE all night long!
18. getting in at 6 am and CRASHINNG!
19. Waking up later to just fall asleep everywhere we went… funny!
20. Mega bus… and end of the crazy weekend we spent together!