Things I am exited for.

I thought I would follow a post I made about the ten things I will miss from Laos with a post about the ten things I am most excited about when I return home. 

1. Family and friends

I am so excited to see my sisters and friends. Skype just isn't the same. I can't wait to just hang out and have summer.

2. My pets

I left when Henry was just a tiny little thing and now he is giant. I am excited also to meet our new addition to the family Red. And also cuddle with my fat cat. 

3. Food

Some of the few: Falafel, jamba, Subway, Coldstone, my moms potato soup and salads, breakfast food with my dad, Freddy's, Stake and Shake, Yogurtland, Noodles and Company and most of all MEXICAN food! 

4. Church

 Through I do enjoy time at church here in Laos, no matter how hard I try I get lost and can't understand. There is basically a whole other language at church and much that I don't know of. It will be so nice to be able to understand a church service and to know the songs and sing along. 

5. Cold weather

I have gotten use to the weather here and sometimes even enjoy the rain showers and hot. But in all honesty I like my snow and cold weather. I am excited for cold weather and wearing socks and jackets and scarves. It sounds silly but now that I have lived in this scorching hot climate I can't wait for the cold.

6. Colorado Mountains 

One thing I really miss is the mountains. Vientiane has no nothing and it's quite flat. So I am excited for the big Colorado mountains. I am also excited for hiking and the trees, I actually missed trees. My dad also said that we are going to Grand lake this summer which is my favorite town up in the mountain so I am excited about that!

7. School

  I am excited to be going to school. I am actually excited to study and meet new people and learn. 

8. Hot shower and a washing machine

I am excited for a hot shower and a washing machine. I have had maybe two hot showers this whole year which I mean most of the time I would rather have cold because its too hot anyway but I miss having a faucet and pressure and hot water coming out of  it. I am also excited for a washing machine my clothes have gotten a bit worn down and so I am excited to actually be able to wash my clothes. 

9. My bed

The beds here are not that horrible but just a little hard. I am excited for my soft bed. And not just that my room and the comfort of my old room.

10. My IPhone

This is bad and I shouldn't be excited but I am. I missed my IPhone and am exited to have it back. Kinda addicted but hopefully not to much. 

Fruitful future

I don't know why but I have spent so much time trying to write this. So I guess this is what if feels like? Almost 10 months away from my family and my home. I now can say many things that I wouldn't have been able to say before. I came this year searching for guidance and to see what I am going to do with my life. And I am no closer to finding it then I was ten months ago.
But one thing I am closer to is God. After all these months I now have realized that there is no point in searching and planning your future because God already has it planned for me. And this year all I was doing was accessing and analyzing everything I was feeling but not really feeling it. For almost the whole year I was just thinking about the future. And then I realized, When will I ever have these experiences again!? Stop it. And live and be in the moment.
At the beginning of year I had wrote things on my wall to remind myself to not do.

Things to remember:
-Join and be in community
-You are usable
-There is a cloud of witnesses before you
-You can do all things through God who strengthens you
-Don't be to hard on yourself and laugh
-The things you struggle with and who you are, are not the same thing
-See the good

And these things have continued to challenge me everyday.
I came with these ideas and all these goals to fulfill and those are important yes but what is more important is to live, to be, to serve and to love.
The thing that I have really taken away from this year is not the job I had or the experience of teaching. I will take away the moments where I was actually living. I tend to get hard on myself and I run back into my shell and of course this has happened this year. Instead of spending time with my family I read a book, instead of enjoying time with friends I stayed home alone, instead of staying positive I got hard on myself. Instead of leaning on God I leaned on myself.  And at those times I could have been loving and serving and living. This year I learned it is important to be to get involved to not always stay on the sidelines like I do. When I was in community, laughing and doing the spontaneous things that I never thought I would be doing, when I was serving without intentionally serving and loving even in the hard moments those were the times that mattered and that I will always remember. And the times that I leaned on myself are nothing compared to the times I trusted and was used by God. We are usable. Isn't that weird. I can be used by God. And so this year I think that is the most important thing I have learnt. We can live a life that can help change the world and we can do something more than just going to an average job. We can show love and we can serve the people of this earth and life will be so much better if we do. We can be used by God and can help heal the earth.
We had a training in Vietnam talking about serving and living out God's call. It really stuck with me.
A quote they had said also stuck out, " The act of doing something is powerful."
And I just thought about my time here in Laos and though I may not be doing much here, the act of coming and working and serving is powerful. We are doing something powerful by being and living, serving and loving in these communities.   I had been watching a video on my friends blog and it shared the verse:
“The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love.”

-	Galatians 5:6

And it's all to true for my life now and all that matters in the future. So what I will take away from this year is that I should never lean on my own and should always depend on God and not just that I should live and serve him because my life will be all the more fruitful for it.

Vietnam

Vietnam!
Sorry for my delay in posting I have been so busy this past month. Just to catch you up on these last few months. Just finished school and had vacation/training in Vietnam. These next few months I will be working around MCC teaching English a little and writing a sewing curriculm. Then my parents will be coming at the end of June! We will be going to Luang Prabang and I will be showing them around Vientiane. So exited to finally see them it's been almost 300 days!

Now to tell you about Vietnam:
We drove in a tiny little van cramped with 18 people for three whole days. It was a long trip but worth it!

We stayed with a super nice family and their house was nestled around mountains. Our first day we got to Nha Thrang at about two and then we sent to the beach and played. We got a giant mango that was about the size of my head.

On Monday we went island hopping. At the first island we snorkeled. It was amazing. I have always felt that snorkeling is something I wouldn't want to do but it was so much more fun than I thought it would be. You keep wanted to go back for more.

Lunch on the boat

The next island we went swimming.

The last island was an aquarium but we just had snacks at the restaurant there.

On Tuesday we had a training, about sharing the gospel and they talked about their program and what they were doing in Vietnam. After that we went shopping, they had a super nice mall and we had KFC!

On Wednesday we went shopping again at the street markets. After that we went to Vinpearl Amusement park. It was top notch. So nice and it felt like I was back in America. They have cable cars that take you to the Island of Vinpearl and they have rides and a water park and a light show we got to see.

Light Show

On Thursday we went back to the snorkeling island and spent some of the day there. I found some sharp coral and cut my foot but otherwise was unscathed. We then went to a crab farm and swam around. We then returned home and had a giant dinner. Crab, squid, shrimp and clams we had it all. We we're still full the next day.  On Friday we headed out on our long journey home. We made it home by late Saturday night.

Such a nice get away and time to relax from the hectic end of the school year.
Soon to be home and relaxing as well. Only 37 days left in Laos!
Will be leaving on the 17th of July and have 5 days of  re-orientation in Akron and then will be home!
Missing home and hope everyone is doing well.
Prayers for travel and easy transitions would be appreciated!