Joy given by 41!!!!!!

Brothers are great!!!
41 is the best Brother Floor ever!!!
the guy Power Suite is the way most best!!!!
Thank all y'all for giving us a wonderful day!
Thank all y'all for blessing us!!
^_^

Safe and Sound in Amsterdam!!

I seem to remember a certain promise I made to some certain amazing roomates of mine... about updating. Well, I am safe in Amsterdam for 3 days now. I doubted my safety on my first bike ride yesterday. European bikes don't have our kind of brakes and I definitely ran into a poor dutch man. I feel so blessed to be here- though I definitely miss you all. Here at the Shelter so far I have met Dutch friends, Germans, Americans, and yesterday I went shopping with a South Korean friend of mine who has a friend who works at Handong. Small world!!!! I just got my new roomate today. She is from minnesota and is a photographer. I am excited because she is very different from me. I find that even the Americans are very different from each other. We had a fild discussion the other day in the Shelter (where we show a film, invite guests, and then try to pull out Gospel themes in a discussion afterwards). The movie was Batman begins, and it was pretty good. I was sitting next to a cool kid from CA, who doesn't shower often. He is kind of a hippie, but he loves everyone and thinks out of the box. He had been having issues with bed bugs( he thought - turned out to be chicken pox) and he turned and asked me if I would scratch his back.... Well, of course.
It's just very funny how liberal people are here. I am learning. Not necessarily changing my beliefs, but trying to see why they believe the way they do. I can be WAY too close minded and judgmental. So, that is the lesson right now. That and vanity- because I didn't bring very many clothes-at Dr. Mays suggestion. And everyone in europe dresses incredibly fashionable. But God is trying to teach me to not care so much. Good stuff.
Every night after dinner, we read something from the Bible and last night one of the managers read a portion from 2 Chron. She also talked about how the things in front of the temple were symbolic and have meaning for our lives today. One of the things that stood out to me was the bowl, I am not sure if it was for ceremonial cleansing. But it was made up of mirrors. The mirrors are normally used to reflect our own image, but there they helped point believers to focus on God. How cool is that. So, as Christians we should be pointing people to God, not ourselves. How many times do I shy away from telling it like it is (in love of course) because I am too afraid of what someone will think of me. Yuck. So that if lesson 2 that God is teaching at the moment.
Anyways. I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will be posting the exciting story of my travel here on the newspaper blog soon.
www.news-journal.com/amsterdam
ps: Laura, I am learning some German from the people around me. Yay:) Thanks for giving me a head start.

Song for a Cold Day

So, I get songs stuck in my head randomly, and here is the one for this afternoon:

Lord Have Mercy

Jesus, I've forgotten the words that You have spoken
Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim
With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom
Forgive me for my unbelief
Renew the fire again

Chorus
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me

I have built an altar where I worship things of men
I have taken journeys that have drawn me far from You
Now I am returning to Your mercies ever flowing
Pardon my transgressions
Help me love You again

I have longed to know You and Your tender mercies
Like a river of forgiveness ever flowing without end
I bow my heart before You in the goodness of Your presence
Your grace forever shining
Like a beacon in the night

- Michael W. Smith

Saturday night

I like feeling like a secret agent for a good cause. ^_^

Happy New Year!!

Welcome to 2008! ^_^


So, I've been experiencing culture shock of late......I'm not sure how that can happen in a country I've lived in my whole life.....is it just me? or do other people ever experience this?

White Christmas

We had a bit of a blizard in Kansas yesterday. It finally stopped snowing and blowing and I went out to see how deep it really was. We started the digging out process and my back hurts from all the shoveling. Fun times!

it's Christmas time in the city

Decorating the tree!! We ran out of working white lights for the tree close to the top; Rene and I had to go on a mission to find more and were able to recover the last box of plain white Christmas lights (of the more than 20 per strand variety) in all of Wal-Mart. YaY for adventures! ^_^

done, done, done, Done, DONE

I am officially done with the fall semester of my Sophomore year at LeTouneau University. I am SO ready to be DONE! Praise the Lord I'm still alive. It's really been a killer semester, but God is so good. I really think it's impossible for us to comprhend His awesome goodness. Now, I can go home and SLEEP! Yay.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?

2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,

My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear;

Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.

4 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.

5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;

In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,

And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice,

And be gracious to me and answer me.

8 When You said, " Seek My face," my heart said to You,

"Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."

9 Do not hide Your face from me,

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,

But the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,

And lead me in a level path Because of my foes.

12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,

For false witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have despaired

unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the LORD

Ok, so kind of long, but God deseves a lot of praise for how He's held me this semester!

Merry Chrismas All!!!

~Rene

I have the greatest roommates!

Drugs.

"Taste Thai... Get High."
recent observation made upon opening the envelope in the Thai noodle package that contained white powder of unknown origins. Upon closer observation, Laura proclaimed the substance to be coconut milk powder so our hopes of euphoric homework sessions were dashed.