Wacky Wednesday

From Katie: The following is a collection of quotes heard in conversation and found on Twitter over the month of April. Some names have been changed for the sake of privacy. <>< Katie

Jesse [23]: How are you?
Woman [70s]: Well, I have a bad case of diarrhea and I've been on the toilet all morning, Honey. I hear you wrote a book. I'm going to write a book, too. Since it looks like neither of us are going to get married, let's get hitched.

Katie: Next time I'll just cook dinner after work.
Jennifer: Hey! I've been cooking all afternoon.
Amy: That's the problem.
Katie: We appreciate your effort even if it's only effort.

Laura: I'd like a diet virgin water on the rocks. Hold the ice.

David: Katie, you eat in the caf more than I do.
Katie: Not more just as often.
David: Oh, good. As long as we're even.

Pete Webber: I hate hockey games in libraries.

Allyson: I'm so sorry, Stacy, that we're overe here having our own conversation and you're over there slaving over the microwave.

Person One: What's a cello?
Person Two: It's like a really big violin you play on the floor.

[Allyson getting plates out of the cabinet]
Jennifer: No! I already have plates out.
Allyson: Where?
Jennifer: Over there.
Allyson: There are two.
Jennifer: I was going to get more.

Stephen: Anatomically, if you had brake lights, they'd be on your butt.

Katie: Meeting with David.
Autocorrect: Mewing with David.
Rebekah: I mewed with David and Meagan tonight.

Katie: I need to remember not to go to work tomorrow.

Lisa Whittle: Tell that person you believe in them, love them, appreciate them today. You have no idea how much they may need to hear it.

Isaac [Age 4]: If we were all rocks, we'd be mulch.

Jennifer: Allyson, are you done with this?
Allyson: That's my sandwich.
Jennifer: It's all this gross stuff.
Allyson: Those are called vegetables.

Laura: Zeke is Twatching Katie. In public even!

Anna: I wouldn't lie to you.
Josh: You did once.
Anna: Really? When?
Josh: You once said I was a good person.

Katie: High of 61. What is this? January?

Jennifer Rothschild: God is present in your present; He's not dwelling on your past or worrying about the future so you don't either. Be present where you are.

Allyson: These strawberries are Pintrest-worthy.

Katie: When I come back, I want you to have two pages written.
Jen: Are you coming back tomorrow?
[A few days later]
Jen: So, Katie, that story for class you were pushing me to write? It's not 5 pages. It's 26. And I might major in writing.

"Live in a way that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one would believe it." - Unknown

Jennifer: It's 7:30.
Katie: It's 8:00.
Allyson: Get a watch, witch.

Jesse: Have you Tweeted yet? It's been an hour. Please Tweet responsibly.

Katie: I need a horrible haircut. I mean, I need a haircut horribly.

Julie: If you bought a Lord of the Rings ring as an engagement right, you would officially be boxed in forever as a dork.

Billy Bob: I got this thought. I know that's dangerous. You're in charge of marketing--
John Boy: I think so. Somedays. In some places. Maybe not here. I am at my house.

Laura: I'll have the steak. Medium half-well done. No pink.

Friend: You have a degree in English and Spanish? You should be a music critic.

[While discussing wars]
Becca, high school freshman: This is why we need female presidents. They won't fight with each other; they'll all be jealous of each other and no one will talk rather than fighting.

Katie: I need to go shopping in your closet.
Jennifer: You can pay me too.
Katie: I'll pay you in punches.
Jennifer: I don't appreciate that. Maybe I'll just let you borrow my clothes.

Brett: Childbirth is not the most feminine moment in a woman's life.

[Laura said something in Spanish; I translated.]
Katie: Why is the dog in the car?
Laura: Why are you standing in a box?

Max Lucado: Worship is the act of magnifying God.

Jesus Worldwide: Nepal

From Katie: Over spring break my friends Beth and Jennifer went where no American has ever gone before. Literally. This week they're taking us to the hill country of Nepal. These are their stories and photos as told to me.

We went to Nepal to support missionaries Brandon and Tammy already living there and to encourage Anmol, another missionary contact. We stayed in Ti-se where Brandon and Tammy rent the top floor. It's kind of like a mini hotel.

Our first full day was spent preparing for the week-long trip to the hill country. We set out everything we intended to take and narrowed it down further and further until it could fit in a backpack. The last things we removed from our packs were shampoo and soap. We took our flutes, one change of clothes, pajamas, and basic toiletries.

We left at 6am with two people in the front of our left-side-driven jeep, three people in the middle, and three in the back. The road was rough with steep hills. We had to drive slowly to plot our route around the rocks and bumps. Sometimes it was barely wide enough for one vehicle with mountain and drop-off on either side. If another car wanted to pass, we'd look for a wide point in the road even if that involved backing up or waiting until the road cleared. We saw a lot of school children who would run up and chase the land rover or grab on to the back and ride along. The land rover had no air conditioning so we had to keep the windows rolled down until we passed another vehicle and we'd roll them up quickly because it was so dusty. The vegetation all looks dead because it's covered in dust. The ride was long but it was a great opportunity to chat with our team (all adult men) and see the beautiful countryside of Nepal.

We spent 16 hours on this road.

We took the one on the right.

Look at all of those switchbacks!

Yes, this is the road. Plot your course.

It took two days there and two days back to get to the village but it was worth it because it's an unreached people group. The motivation to go was increased by the difficulty of traveling. Who would go if we didn't?

Palden is a missionary originally from India and he goes to remove villages to share the gospel. He helped us with translating, directions, and such. (Directions: drive 16 hours until the road ends in Potale then hike for five more hours). Sometimes he gets sick when he's hiking and no one knows or can do anything about it. Pray that Palden can travel with ease and no problems.

This is the hotel we stayed at the first night on the road.

Our hotel room.

The drive took longer than we were expecting because we had to go slowly. Thankfully no one got carsick. That's the hotel we stopped at the first night. We brushed out teeth out the window. There was a plywood table for our bed. The photo above was taken from the men's room. There was no door, so we took turns holding up blankets to change. 

A town we drove by.

Isn't Nepal such a gorgeous country?

Potale (where the road ends)

The third day of our trip we ate eggs, potatoes, and beans for breakfast before driving for five more hours. The Himalayan Mountains were beautiful and gigantic! They call this the hill country but they’re bigger than any hills I’ve ever seen. After a lunch break at the hotel where we had been planning to stay, we hiked all afternoon, up and down four mountains. It was weird places to hike because of the terraced landscapes, and it was mostly steep down. It hurt! Our hands were swollen, our legs were shaking. One of our team members was 67, and he was an inspiration!

Salyan

Salyan, the village we finally made it to, was tiny with approximately 80 houses up and down the side of the mountain. We were the first Americans to ever enter this village. There is one house of believers in this area. The next house of believers is two or three hours down the mountain. The two-story house is completely made of clay and wood. The bottom floor was the church room (where the men from our team stayed) and the top floor is where the family lives. Right behind the house is the Buddhist monastery, so it’s like they’re in the shadow of the monastery. The family faces heavy verbal persecution and there are areas of the mountain where they are not allowed to travel. The people hold to very strict Tibetan Buddhist traditions because it’s the only thing they’ve ever know. When we were sharing the Gospel, we were often were met with the resistance of, “I’m Sherpa, so I’m Buddhist.” Pray for the believers there to be a light and for the unbelievers to have a yearning for Christ.

The house where we stayed.

“Namaste” is the traditional greeting between people but between believers it is “Jamasi!” When we got to Salyan, everyone was joyfully shouting “Jamasi!” It was so exciting. The family of several generations (total of 10ish people) invited us in for black tea (like hot sweet tea). It’s custom to take off your shoes when you go in, so we took ours off but it was so cold that we eventually put our socks back on. We had been expecting to sleep on the ground, but the sister offered us her room. We were hesitant to take it but it was an honor for her. It meant we got to sleep in a bed with a tiny cushion, and we were warmer since we were off of the floor, and we got privacy from the rest of the team (all adult men). The walls were made of dirt, but the sister had covered the walls with newspaper. All of the doors were short. Our first night there we asked for a small meal, so they brought us a huge bowl of boiled potatoes. We peeled them and ate them (kind of like an orange). It thunder snowed that night with lightning and everything but it was mostly gone the next day.

Bedroom.

View from the house.

Bathroom.

Our first full day in the village we did a devotion about what to expect in visiting house to house (based on the model of Luke 10). We split up into two groups. One went down the mountain and the other stayed near the believers’ house. We prayerfully walked through the village looking for a house of peace. We made small talk before sharing our story about why we were there and sharing the gospel. It was difficult because we were working through translators (who are Christian). Sometimes the translator and the people would talk and talk and talk but sum it up in one English sentence. It was also neat because we traded off who was going to share our story. It was hard and awkward because we didn’t know what to say or how to say it. They have a completely different worldview and don’t understand the way we do, so it’s kind of like talking to a 5^th grader using short sentences to be translated. At the last house I [Jennifer] was praying because I wanted a connection and to know how to build to conversation. I started talking to a boy and asked him how old he was. He was 20, so we had an instant connection and talked about school. He appreciated our coming to share God’s love. We invited him to church but he had an exam.

It’s strange to go into a complete stranger’s house and sit down with the intention of sharing the gospel with them. But it was so much fun! One older lady whose husband was out working said she wanted to follow Jesus but her husband wouldn’t allow it. This was a common response. Family is so important to them but it also hinders them from believing the gospel. If someone does believe, it would probably lead to others believing. Pray for this woman and others in her situation. Sometimes they would walk away and give us a verbal closed door. It’s hard to love them and want them to know the Savior even though they’re closed to the idea. What was encouraging was that it’s less about us bringing God to them but rather us joining God where He already is. Even though these people are in spiritual darkness, God’s still there, still working. There are believers there. Just because we’re gone doesn’t mean God’s gone. That’s the only way to have peace in leaving a house that was not receptive to the Gospel.

Pastor Norbu

Pastor Norbu had fallen off of the second story the day before we arrived and messed up his face and leg and couldn’t talk well or move but he wanted to see us before he went to the doctor for pain medication. To get him to the doctor, four people at a time had to carry the stretcher over the same path we’d just walked. We prayed for him a lot because it was already a difficult situation. We prayed that his healing would be quick and miraculous and it would show God’s power and be used as a testimony. He need stitches but thankfully his hip was not broken. He did lose a lot of blood but by the time we left Nepal he was able to talk though still weak. Please continue to pray for Pastor Norbu and his recovery and that he will continue to be a light in the darkness. His brother is a Buddhist witch doctor, and people would come to him and want to be healed, but he couldn’t heal them. Pastor Norbu would pray for them, and they’d be healed. His brother loves him but doesn’t agree with his faith.

Nepali church

In Nepal, as soon as you become a believer, you’re a leader. Brandon taught them how to make disciples, how to teach other believers, etc., and believers traveled from four hours away for this training. We took the kids out to play and take photos. Their faces were all scabbed and blistered due to the climate, and they had runny noses. I [Beth] just wanted to cover them in lotion. Some of them didn’t have pants and just sat in the dirt naked. In Nepal church is on Saturday. Women sit on one side and men on the other. They all prayed out loud at the same time, and the only instruments they had were a drum and a tambourine. They did their part then we introduced ourselves and played our flutes. One of our team members brought the message. There were kids poking their heads in the doors and the room was full of kids. They were curious about the white people, but we hope and pray they heard something.

We left on Sunday, and it was super sad but our leaving didn’t mean God was leaving. We hiked five and a half hours back up the mountain for a total climb of 3,400 feet (7 miles). We literally hiked in the clouds. We walked slowly so we didn’t have to stop as often but we still had to take frequent breaks. The flat land was monumental. That night Jennifer was feeling sick, and Beth was feeling worried and uneasy. We weren’t ourselves. We hadn’t showered in days and were just cranky; the gnats attacking our ears and eyes as we tried to journal weren’t helping either. So we said the fruits of the spirit out loud, said we’d pray for each other, and we went to sleep. In the morning we woke up in a good mood, feeling refreshed, and laughing. On Monday we drove twelve hours the rest of the way back, washing our face in a lake along the way. We finally got showers too! It was glorious! We met up with another member of our team who had been doing something different. We all ate dinner together and it included meat.

"Standing on this mountain top looking just how far we've come

knowing that with every step You are with us."

- Matt Redman, "Never Once"

On Tuesday morning we walked around the Bhouda, an area of Kathmandu with one of the world’s largest stupas and people come from all over the world to see it. There were Nepali people, Chinese people, Europeans, foreigners, storekeepers, school children in their navy uniforms, Buddhist monks in their burgundy robes. It’s a circle with shops all around it. One of their rituals is to walk around the stupa with it on their right side improves karma. There are prayer wheels to spin and offerings and all sorts of things. Since it’s a touristy area, the storekeepers spoke English, so we started conversations with them and gave out tracts of the Gospel of Mark. 

Tuesday afternoon was chill and recuperation time. That night we worshiped together with Brandon and Tammy’s team of journeymen and other supporters. We played our flutes and took hymn requests. They tended to know the first verse and the chorus and would sing really strongly but once we got to the second verse they’d fade out until we got to the chorus again. It was all good, and they really appreciate it because they don’t get to have corporate worship very often.

These flags have Buddhist scripture on them. They're everywhere. Supposedly when you walk past the you breathe in the scripture. The more you have, the more scripture you're breathing in.

On Wednesday we flew to Pokhara. Everyone says to sit on the right side so you can see the Himalayas, but it was cloudy when we landed. Pokhara is a really touristy area where there’s a heavy western influence even though there are cows everywhere. We got to meet Anmol and his wife Neta. Anmol’s grandfather was the first pastor in Nepal. They lived on the border in India and for 17 years they prayed for the doors to open for the Gospel in Nepal. In 1950 the doors opened, and in 1952 they came and started the first church in Nepal.  His grandmother is still alive and she’s 101. We got to meet her. She’d recently fallen and broken her hip, so she’s dying. [Update: She is home with the Lord as of 4-22-12]. She’s beautiful. She’s one of those people you wish you could communicate with her and hear her stories because she’s got so much wisdom. She was the first pastor’s wife in Nepal. She was so frail. Anmol would translate for us, and he’d lean right down next to her ear and yell. She’d bedridden, so she gets lonely. Anmol told us she would love it if we came and touched her, so we held her hand and touched her shoulders. It was a very spiritually filling, precious time.

The first pastor's wife in Nepal, age 101.

Anmol shared his testimony. His parents got divorced and he got on the wrong track and began using drugs, and he got Hep B and his kidneys were failing. He was dying. He had a humongous faith that God could heal him, and He did. It was a miracle! God also cured him of Hep B. Now Anmol’s ministry is to reach out to the street boys who are addicted to drugs and have that way of life. They have a daycare that meets in a garage (the size of my [Beth’s] dorm room), and there are 35-40 boys ranging in age from 7 to 17 who go there every day from 11 to 2 except Friday and Saturday. They share Bible stories, teach them other educational things, and provide them with a simple meal. A lot of the boys have blisters on their face from huffing. 

Approximately 35-40 boys meet in there for three hours daily.

We took articles of clothing, a juice box, and tooth brush and tooth paste and gave them to the boys. One of our team members has a similar testimony involving drugs, so he shared his while we were there, and we sang “Jesus Loves Me.”

Street boys learning about Jesus.

Anmol and Neta also have a home where if the boys want to change their way of life, they can live in the home and Anmol will disciple them. There are four boys living there right now, one of whom has been clean for 1.5 years which is really exciting. Anmol and Neta are renting the house, but they can’t guarantee that they’re going to have it for any amount of time, so they’re trying to raise money to get a lot. It’s going to be $50,000 just for the small area of land, and $45,000 for a three-story building that will include area for the church, a house for the boys, and living space for Anmol and his family. Anmol tries to teach them a trade and practical things, too. The boys make and sell candles, so they can make money.

Teaching some of the boys how to play flute.

We also got to encourage Anmol and Neta. Anmol’s a musician, and he’d written some songs. He’d envisioned a melody for them, so I [Beth] got my flute out. He sang and played it and I figured out the melody. Then I [Jennifer] got my flute out and he had a harmony part too. It was a special music bonding time.

God is good. All the time. (On the wall in the daycare)

Pashupati is the Hindu cremation site. There’s a river that flows through the middle of it and on either side they build up a table where they burn the bodies and when they’re done they just push the ashes into the river. The river’s really holy to them. If someone’s near death and really sick, they lay them on a tablet and set their toes into the water so their spirits will go out into the river and it helps them in their passing. We saw one man who was loitering, and we think he was sick and waiting to go lay on the board. They lay there until they die so all of the spirits will come out of them. It was really smoky. It’s supposedly such a holy place but then there are men there dressed up and painted who are smoking pot, and they take advantage of tourists. This was an emotional hard time because those people being burned didn’t know Jesus as their Savior. 

Hindus build up a pyre to burn bodies then sweep the ashes into the river.

People lay on these planks until they die.

Our very last day we did some touristy shopping and flew over Everest on our way home. Really it's just a little taller than the rest of the mountains.

Mount Everest is that higher peak.

Wacky Wednesday

Author's Note: The following is a collection of real quotations heard in conversation or taken from books over the last month. Some names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent. <>< Katie

Jennifer: EEEEEKKK! We're going to Nepal!
Katie: No, we're not. We're going to McDonald's.

Grandma: Lord love a duck!

John Boy [to Susie Ann]: That was pretty good for a woman from the North.
Katie: Ouch!
Gavin: You just lost your ghostwriter.
John Boy: No! You aren't from the North.
Katie: I'm practically from Canada.
John Boy: North isn't a place you're from, it's a way you act. You don't act like you're from the North.
Katie: I'm more offended by that because you're telling me I'm untrue to my heritage.
John Boy: No, it's a good thing.
Katie: Just take your soda and go away.
John Boy: Soda! You are from the North.
Gavin: 'Round here we cal it Pepsi.

Mom [to an empty bench]: Why are you smoking?

Katie: You are a good driver.
Nikki: Thanks, that's really affirming to me.
Katie: I know. That's why I keep saying it.
Nikki: Katie saw me when I was in my panicky driver mode. Katie, even though I don't drive the interstate back from Melia's, I know how to do it now. Correctly.
Allyson: Wait. You drove in her panties?

Mara: Down South, they panic and buy bread if the weather gets cold. Up North, we panic, buy buns, and grill out if it gets warm.

[Airport gate kept changing]
Sasha: BINGO!
Mom: There's no "A" in Bingo!
Nikki: Josh Groban, he's like a dramatic singer.

Katie: People need to come up with new encouragement.
Amber: But you're beautiful. No, wait, that's the encouragement for the pregnant not the jobless.
[Go tell a pregnant woman she's beautiful. She probably hasn't been told today].

Katie: I'm trying to talk to Jesus right now.
Stephen: Oh! Sorry!
Katie: It's ok. He forgives you.
Stephen: Oh good.
Katie: I don't.
Stephen: You need to talk to Him a bit more.

Jett: Are you putting that tramp color [eyeliner] on Katie?

Katie: This looks like an EKG.
Amy: Is that a Bible translation?

[Ricky, Garret on the couch]
Rebekah: Man, you guys should eat chocolates together.
Katie: Are you trying to get my pen working?

Grandma: Who are you talking to now?
Katie: No one. I'm making fun of you on the internet. [Twitter]
Jett: Can't we text cute boys instead?

Annie: At some point in life you're going to be acquainted with Vicodin. It's going to be awful, but you'll have to do it.

Rebekah: Don't spill on the carpet or I'll cut your head off.
Jim: You know what? I'm sick of my head anyway.

Grandma: That hurted me.
Katie: [Pointing to my ears] That hurted me too!

"Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him." -Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Jan. 23

Jett: What smells like bacon?
Mom: My bacon.

Hunter: People from my church call me all the time and leave these long messages so my voicemail fills up after three or four messages. I know they are hurting and they can just say, "Pastor call me back." Instead they go into all these details and the cell phone isn't going to talk back anyway.

Katie: Anyone want anything?
Garret: Water. No ice. No ice!
Katie: Any particular color cup?
Garret: Green if you have it.
Katie: We only have pink.
Garret: Awe man! I don't know if I even want water anymore. Don't give me pink!

Rebekah: When I lift up the couch, look and see if there's anything there.
Katie: There's nothing there.
Rebekah: I have a really good grip. Look again.

Jennifer: I'm so done with homework. I wish I could just grind my teeth! [Beat] Don't quote that because it made no sense.

Jett: Chocolate helps everything.
Christina: Cheese always makes me feel sicker.
Jett: Cheese and chocolate are not the same thing.
Christina: They both have the "Ch" sound!
Mom: That's about it. Cherries. Chimmy chungas. Try those, too.

[Dusk]
Stranger on the Street: Do you have your night-vision goggles on?
Katie: No.
SS: Good girl! [High five. Walking away] No wonder you're in college.

Katie: What should I draw? The verse talks about hospitality.
Amy: Hum... me?
Katie: I'll draw a sun.

Billy Bob: It was funny then. It just makes no sense now.
Katie: Well, I'll just laugh when you walk down the hall.
Billy Bob: [Excited] Would you!? Everyone else does! You'll be part of the crowd.

Jim: You can look up your "god" on the internet all you want, but I'm building a relationship with mine.

Mom: He [Hank the cat] has to keep an eye on you so you don't leave too.
Katie: He's using an eye-tooth rather than an eyeball.
Mom: Whatever works.

Rebekah: I'd rather sleep in Jim's bed than Wes's bed.
Katie: I'd rather sleep in neither.
Rebekah: Well, yes, that would be ideal.

Julie: I don't mind feet in the pool.
Katie: Everything's ok in the pool.
Ricky: Woah! Woah! Woah! That's not a rule of thumb.

Mom: This is what cabin-living is all about: pick up the furniture and move it where you want it.

Katie: Someone just knocked on the door.
Garret: It was Jesus. He's knocking on the door of your heart.
Katie: He's already got the key.
Garret: Maybe there's a deadbolt.
Katie: There are four, and He has those keys too.

Adam: People are like Tootsie Roll Pops, sometimes it takes a few tries to get to their soft center. This doesn't mean go around licking people! It means don't give up.

Wacky Wednesday

From Katie: The following are a collection of real conversations and quotes that happened in real life, over Facebook/Twitter, or were found in books. <>< Katie

"Worship is giving God the best that He has given you." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

John: I'm going to make another phone call. If he answers, I'm going to take it.

Neal: No matter the question, Jesus is the answer.
Katie: What's for lunch?
Stephen: Communion?

Rebekah: Katie, you're obese on the inside.

David: Anyone want anything while I'm upstairs?
Katie: I want lots of things but not that you can get upstairs.
David: If I find a job up there, I'll let you know.

Katie: Did you just say, "I'm turning my cat into an elephant?"
Rebekah: Why would I want to eat my cat?

"Never let praise go to your head. Never let criticism go to your heart." - Rick Warren

Katie: Thanks for implying I'm nobody.
Sara: No problem, Poop Brain.
Stephen: No! Righteous Holy Spirit Brain!
Katie, Sara: What?
Rebekah: I challenged Stephen that anytime he thinks about poop he has to think about holiness and righteousness.

Jim: I'm going to have to start reading your blog next month.

Jen: Ok, guys, this is what we're going to do: we're going to go buy Jennifer the exact same heater and switch them like parents do when goldfish die.
Katie: Except we have to go back in time ten years to get the exact same heater.
Alex: And we have to find ten years worth of dust to put in it.

Brett: Do you not point with your middle finger?
Garret: I do that too. Especially when I'm driving.

Kevin: God's teaching you to be content in Him.
Katie: I'm trying!
Kevin: Being content in the Lord doesn't mean you want to stay in your situation. It means He put you there for a reason and therefore it's a good place to be.

Jennifer: What time is this test tomorrow?
Allyson: Your mom.
[Lots of laughter]
Allyson: I meant to say "Nine." They kind of sound the same.

Rebekah: I'm going to toast these buns then put some of Will's apple jelly on them.
Katie: Because that doesn't sound awkward at all.

Brett: I care not about a woman's ankles!

Sara: Now we know why we don't hang out with Stephen when he's alone.

Alex: No! It boosts my self-esteem as a male to be able to fix things.
Katie: How's your self-esteem doing tonight?
Alex: Give me just a minute.
Jennifer: Ok, I give you until 8:35.
Alex: What?! I need to at least 9:00.
Jennifer: You said, "Just a minute."
Alex: Ok, give me just a half an hour.

Allyson: We can't do this to myself.

"[T]he wonderful news is that Jesus has not stopped acting and speaking. He is resurrected and at work in our world. He is not idle, nor has He developed laryngitis. He is alive and among us as our Priest to forgive us, our Prophet to teach us, our King to rule us, and our Shepherd to guide us." - Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 19

Katie: My lemonade tastes like blue cheese.

[Facebook]
Neal: Snow? Tonight? Possible. Tomorrow? Possible. Big storm Sunday? Maybe... just  maybe.
Katie: Awe, man, I'm out of milk and bread. Now I'm going to be on of those Southerners stocking up for the blizzard.
Neal: Hey, just because you are from the frozen tundra area of the US, don't be a killjoy.
Meredith: I never understood the milk and bread thing. What are you doing to do with them? Milk sandwiches?
Neal: I know, right? Milk and double stuff Oreos makes more sense.
Katie: Ok, I'll totally go buy milk, bread, and double stuffed Oreos. - Killjoy

David: If you live above the Mason-Dixon line, you're half-Canadian. If you live west of the Mississippi, you're full cowboy.

Katie: Make sure whatever comes out of the toolbox goes back in the toolbox.
Alex: Oh. I was going to put this screwdriver in the cabinet. Is that ok?
Katie: Dishwasher. Please.

"Wait for God's timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Rebekah: You need to keep taking Vitamin B6.
Katie: I already eat four meals a day. If I take that I'm going to eat the entire house!
Rebekah: It's not going to mess with your metabolism.
Katie: That's what it says!
Rebekah: It's not true; it's just what the medicine bottle says.

Jennifer: If you break it--
Alex: It won't be any more broken than it is now.

Corey: It's not sand; don't taste it!

David: Opinions are like butts: everyone has them and they all stink.
Alyssa: Nut-uh! Some people only have half-a-butt 'cuz they're Siamese. Isn't that a cat? What?

Danielle: Let's play a game. Name places you've been. Dominican Republic.
Courtland: Honduras.
Danielle: Nicaragua.
Courtland: England.
Danielle: Scotland.
Courtland: Ben's house.

Stephen: Yoga is not as fun as yogurt.

Weatherman: There were some snow flakes tonight, and we're not done. In some places there have been accumulations of over an inch. It's icy on bridges and roads and will continue to get worse overnight. It's been following consistently for the last hour. If you don't have to go out, stay home! By tomorrow afternoon we will have a high of 54.
Katie: I really love listening to Southern weathermen.
Jen: I WANT SNOW! I've never seen it!
Katie: How old are you?
Jen: Nineteen.
Jennifer: Around here if they even say the word "snow" they close school.
Jen: Why hasn't our school done that?
Katie: 'Cuz there's NO SNOW!
Jen: Yes, there is, on the TV!
Katie: Ok, let's watch Frosty and then there will be snow on the TV and they'll surely cancel school.

Isaac, 4: When someone has a broken heart it means I think they have to fix it with tape or something.

Keith: Rappers have two choices: grow up or get shot.

Rebekah: I love being domestic. It's my favorite thing to do! No, actually laughing's my favorite thing but being domestic is second.
Katie: Praising Jesus is my favorite thing to do.
Rebekah: Right. Whatever. [Beat] Don't Tweet that!
Katie: Nah, I'll save it for Wacky Wednesday.

Neal: Have you told God how you're feeling? He's a big boy. He can handle it, and He's the only one who can.

[Over the phone]
Tara: What are you doing?
Garret: I'm putting on a hoocher.
Tara: Where are you?
Garret: In Rebekah's bathroom.
[Tara said something I didn't catch]
Garret: No, I didn't say I'm wearing a hoocher; I said I'm putting one on.
[In this case, a "hoocher" was a cabinet latch]

"Once we get intimate with Jesus we are never lonely and we never lack for understanding or compassion. We can continually pour out our hearts to Him without being perceived as overly emotional and pitiful. The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to [herself] but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus is completely in control." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Jesus Worldwide: Philippines

From Katie: Summer 2010 my then-roommate Jennifer got to spend eight days in the Philippines visiting Jamsell, the child she sponsors through Compassion International. These are her photos and stories as she told them to me. Her biggest regret is not journaling more, but she can't wait to go back in a few years when Jam is older. <>< Katie

No matter how many photos or videos you see, you don't realize how real poverty is until you get there. I returned to the States asking, "Why do I have this? I don't need it." The first day we learned about how Compassion is combating poverty in Jesus' name.

On the second day we visited a church partner of Compassion's. Our team split into groups of five to visit homes and pray with families. Five people lived in the walk-in-closet-size home we visited. They had one flat futon-sized bed where all four children slept and the parents slept on the floor with no cushions and minimal blankets. Their front door was made of a cloth, a bowl served as the sink, and they had an outdoor bathroom. However, there was a plastic drawer set and in those drawers were the cherished letters from the child's sponsor.

The third day was the hardest. We visited a larger (though still small) church and child development center. We were welcomed by children chanting and singing.

Every sponsored child has a folder with all of his/her information, letters exchanged, photos, report cards, etc.

We then visited an above ground cemetery that was filled with trash and homes. People were living in a place that should be reserved for the dead. The cemetery was surrounded by a wall that also had tombs in it, then there was a walkway barely wide enough for one person before another wall. People live in the small space between the second wall and a nearby creek that regularly floods the cemetery (and homes).

Between the second wall and the creek is the home of Princess. She wants to grow up to be a nurse and be able to move her family out of the flood plain. Right now their home serves as the cemetery market. At 5'5", I had to duck in order to enter it. They have bunkbeds with a board, tarp-plastic for sheets, and a pillow. They are lucky enough to have a tv that plays movies, but they only have one movie. Their house also contains trinkets and things they've found.

We sprayed Princess's family's home for cockroaches, left, returned, and prayed for them. While we were praying a dead cockroach fell on my head. When we left the area, children followed us out, surrounded us, held up "I love you" on their hands, and chased the bus as we drove away.

On day four we visisted another church and split into groups (each containing one guy) and lived with a family for the day. My family lived in a neighborhood with houses almost on top of each other it was so hard to move.

Our family had both a fridge and a tv. They are Christians and spoke openly about God's blessings. The mom painted fingernails for a living. Each manicure costs one dollar, and she typically did four a day. She made four dollars a day. The trip leader got a mani-pedi and paid extra for it; it was soooooo appreciated!

We rode a jeepney, a WWII bus-like transportation, that costs only seven cents but most people cannot afford it. It took us to a school on the mountain just to visit. It was small and packed with people. They loved to have their pictures taken and asked for autographs.

They color live chicks and sell them in order to make money.

The Philippines is ranked fourth in the world for the number of child prosititutes. This problem comes from pimps trying to have sex with children and parents selling their children due to poverty.

Day five we spent sitting in on classes at a school. We went over Bible verses, sang, and danced. For snack we had a choice between cheese or cookies and cream ice cream. I had the cheese ice cream. The students also made a craft book about themselves, and all of the girls gave their books to me.

Cheese ice cream tastes like graham crackers.

A lot of people are jealous of the Compassion children. Compassion supports as many children as possible but parents must put them into the program.

Day six was the best day ever! *squeal* It was the day we were all waiting for because we got to meet our sponsored children! Our sponsored children and their parents were standing on the steps with their project leader (translator) when we arrived and everyone recognized each other. We went to an aquarium in Manila and a huge mall/play area. At age 6, Jamsell understands English but does not really speak it. She was very quiet, but we began bonding over a silly game, laughing, and simple math problems. When we watched a movie, Jam fell asleep in my lap.

Their teeth were rotted out which shows poverty. Jam's mom Rowena told me (in English) about their family's hardships: they live with Jam's grandparents who don't want them but they can't move out due to financial challenges. I got to pray over the family.

We ate lunch at a McDonalds-like restaurant. I gave Jamsell a backpack full of school supplies, bracelets, and gifts including a picture frame that now has our picture in it and an umbrella that had been a gift from a friend at home. When they left, Rowena and Jamsell were still using their old umbrella because they did not want to get the new one dirty. I wish I would have included a Bible in the bag.

Our last day (day seven) we visited a church where it was so hot my camera lens fogged up. The children danced and sang in English. After the farewell dinner, children shared their testimonies.

They talked about how bad childhood had been but how it was a blessing because it meant they could be sponsored. If it had not been for Compassion, many of them said they would not be Christians. They said they could not wait to grow up and sponsor children of their own.