You Like Me! You Really Like Me!

Haha. I have been flattered by requests for a new posts, my dear friends. The subject title expresses my true feelings.

So here I am. Back in the personal blogging world after several very busy weeks. Here are some recent events in a nutshell:

• Nick and I decided to go to Belize, Central America with the youth ministry this summer. The trip is from June 28 - July 8. I went on this trip for the first time three years ago (picture from 2005 shown below), and then I returned the next summer. I wasn't able to go last year and I was so sad! Highland has been going to the same village (Independence, Belize) for the last 20 years! They do a huge, famous VBS--by the end of the week, the attendance is 600+. I made friends with several families in Independence and I am really looking forward to seeing them again! The decision to go on this trip has kept Nick and me very busy. The trip cost was pretty hefty and we decided to have faith that God would provide for us. After some hard work and lots of letters sent to family and friends, we have finally raised enough more than enough support to go! We are so blown away by the generosity of people who are dear to us. The whole experience of getting ready to go on this trip has been a major faith boost for me personally. I have been so aware of the ways God is constantly providing for me/us. He is such a good Father and takes such good care of us!
  
• Speaking of hard work for our Belize trip, Nick and I hosted a yard sale with our good friend Brooke Ray. We decided to do it on a Monday and had it on a Saturday. We didn't put prices on anything--we just made it up on the spot at the sale. It was lots of work for 2 or 3 days, but it was quite a lucrative venture! Although there was a chance of rain and instead it was very blazing hot, we had to wake up at an ungodly hour, and our house was a disaster storage unit for half a week, I would do it again in a second!
  
• Speaking of more hard work, Nick and I took a trip to visit my parents in Atlanta over Memorial Day Weekend. Visiting my parents was not hard work, but the yard work we had offered to help them with (for some Belize support) was! Nick helped my dad build an arbor over the back deck and walkway, and I helped my mom throw a graduation cookout for my youngest brother and dig up monkey grass in the yard, till a new border, and plant it in the new border. This, too, was a lucrative venture!
  
• Backtracking for a moment: My last post was about the Bone Marrow Drive for Ethan Powell that I helped coordinate at Highland on Mother's Day. We were so thankful for its success! We were hoping for 100 samples that morning, and we received 250 samples!! Sadly, Ethan's health is still critical...After finding 78% leukemia in his bone marrow asperate, he is undergoing his last round of chemo for the next two weeks. This chemo treatment is intended for people ages 1-21. Ethan just turned 6 months, so it will be quite harsh for him. Please pray that the leukemia is eradicated from his body and that the chemo won't damage his organs. You can check updates at: www.ethanpowell.com. This family is so close to my heart!
  
• An exciting child story, to lighten up this post: This month has been busy as one of my best friends has been preparing for the arrival of her first baby. This arrival is more of a homecoming, as Brooke Ray and her husband Josh are adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. They left this morning to meet Sophia Yenenesh Ray. They will return to Memphis with her on June 16th. Please pray for them as they travel on this exciting journey! We all can't wait to meet little Sophie!
  
• This past weekend, Nick and I hung out with his family at a lake in Arkansas. It was great seeing them--especially our 5-month-old nephew, Beckham! We had a lot of fun playing games and visiting the Faris family.
  
• This week is Memphis Workcamp. Each year, for one week in June, close to 500 teenagers descend upon the city of Memphis and paint houses for free. Nick is leading a group this year, of which I am quite jealous. I did, however, get to sub for my dear friend Leslie Jerkins yesterday on her team (she had to work)...this was divinity, because Tuesday is the best day of Workcamp. I am probably one in five hundred workcampers that actually ENJOYS scraping paint off of houses. I really do enjoy it. So thanks, Les, for affording me that wonderful luxury. I loved every second of it!

That's about it for my as-nutshell-as-I-could-get-it update. More regular, trivial posts to follow soon.

PS: Ashley W, I should have thought of waiting it out for more comments. 12 comments is actually pathetic compared to other people. Have I lost readers due to my absence? ;)