thankful thursdays {17}

I've gone back and forth on whether or not to continue my little project in cultivating thankfulness this semester... I mean, I am sure you all are getting tired of my weekly lists. But by day 3 of my spring semester, I am already seeing that I am going to need to have consistent attitude checks and remind myself of all of the good things in this life. That being said, project: cultivate thankfulness is still open for business here on bright red cords. here's my list for the week...

making it home safely after a great trip down south
deep, honest conversations
feeling refreshed after an amazing winter break
an ordination service for a good friend
news that a friend is adopting a baby in about 4 weeks
unexpected entertainment at the airport
reuniting with the goonies
my last first day of nursing school. ever.
starting my psych nursing course... i just love it
only having 15 credit hours this semester
kickboxing with emily
shopping for school supplies
my dear friend from africa visiting me here in SLC
a fun adventure to Park City
blessings from God's word
yummy thai food

... And I am so incredibly grateful that two years ago today, I boarded a plane for Africa with tear stained eyes and a heart full of expectation. I had no idea then the magnitude that the next 5 months would hold, nor the impact that my experience would have on the rest of the course of my life. So today I am celebrating all God has done, and will continue to do, through the time I spent in Joburg (check out my blogs from that time here).

"... orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes" - David Platt

recap: fall break

what an incredible fall break...

kind of strange that it's the last of my college years!

i spent the week here in utah...
catching up with friends
working (very little of this actually)
eating sushi
trying new recipes
watching movies
playing with my sis
crafting
enjoying the fall weather
shopping
writing letters
cleaning my crazy messy room
reading (for fun)
catching up on sleep

&

taking a little blitz trip to
zion national park
highlights include:

{1} hiking angels landing
yes, i really did it! crossing #13 off the list
i was absolutely in AWE! so so beautiful!
definitely one of my all-time favorites.

{2} sleeping in my hammock

{3} enjoying the company of some amazing people

{4} rockin' the chacos

fall break, you were too good to me!
now, to leave you with a little taste of that epic hike!
{video isn't mine... found it here}

Goonies.

The concept of home is a strange thing when you're in college. This little red brick house is the closest to home I've known since I moved out of my parent's when I was 18.

Isn't it a quaint little place? It has been such a blessing to be able to live in this house - it's super close to school, it's in a fun neighborhood,and (best of all) I get to live here with
these goonies...

{Christina}

what I love about her:
her heart of gold.
her ticklishness.
the loud noises that seem to follow her (just a little clumsy).
i can tell her anything. and she gets me.
she shares my love for REI. oh, and bags. (and just about everything else too)
best impersonations. ever.
she's a marathon sleeper (it's a gift).
she's going to make a difference in this world (just watch)

{Michelle}

what i love about her:
her beautiful, poetic soul.
she makes a mean taco pie.
her gangsta dance moves.
she's going to write a rockstar children's book someday.
she's always up for an adventure.
she has an eye for beauty in simple things.
she graciously puts up with my baby jokes.
She dreams, dreams, dreams.


{Tori}

what i love about her:
her passion for... well, life.
how her nose crinkles when she smiles/laughs.
she follows her heart (probably more than anyone i've ever known).
diet coke dates & heart level chats.
she is a total goof (love that sense of humor).
her fun, girly style.
her love for dark chocolate and rearranging furniture.
she has mad film skills (watch out Hollywood).


{Carolyn}

what i love about her:
her laugh and incredible sound effects.
her little dance moves.
her delightful perspectives on life.
she says "holay" after everything.
she's brilliant (but doesn't admit it).
her grocery lists (don't ask).
she loves to "dote." (it's time for a puppy, carolyn)
she watches Enchanted over and over (and over)(and over).


This is my 5th year living with Christina, 4th with Michelle, 3rd with Tori and 1st with Carolyn. I can honestly say that in all this time, there has not been one fight. It's kind of insane how well we get along. It's a little unheard of... and I don't take that blessing lightly. I know this sounds super cheesy, but we love each other like sisters... I've experienced deeper friendship and community with these girls than any I've know in this life. Plus, we have a crazy amount of fun together. Like I said, I count myself as blessed to be able to live life with these amazing chicas. We have another year left together in Salt Lake (which we're calling the encore year... or the victory lap) and I'm determined to make the most of it. I can't even imagine "doing life" without them. It's going to be fun to see where we all land in the next 5 years - I have a feeling that we're going to find ourselves thousands of miles away from each other (which is scary), but right now, were are still here! So I'm squeezing everything I can out of the next year. Here's to a kick-butt victory lap!

Love you girls,
{xo. jarah}

p.s. Missing this roommate today. She had to go off and get married. Wasn't she a gorgeous bride? Love you Rach, things just aren't the same without you...

one last toast to 2009

For those of you who want the reader's digest version of this whole update thing, this is the post for you. At the end of every December I like to take time to journal some highlights from the year. Okay, okay... I admit this might be a little weird to read in May of 2010, but I though it would be a good overview of '09 at large. So, without further ado, here is the unedited toast to 2009 from my journal...


To dropping everything.
To living in Africa.
To the undeniable work of God's hand.
To heartbreak.
To opened eyes.
To growing up.
To never too far.
To realized dreams.
To beautiful African babies.
To lessons learned.
To reevaluating tradition.
To wise mentors.
To teammates.
To lovely little letters.
To kindred spirits.
To leaving behind pieces of your heart.
To beautiful reunions.
To (re)learning to be an American.
To hard realities.
To difficulty in ministry.
To junior high girls.
To confronting wrong.
To epic road trips.
To pen pals.
To "glory-strength."
To diet coke dates.
To being uprooted.
To relationship blunders.
To obedience.
To letting go.
To the wait.
To challenge.
To walking through a desert.
To lifelongs.
To getting in.
To unlikely friendships.
To being humbled.
To Veterans.
To wanderlust.
To fueled passion.
To desperation.
To pediatrics.
To where to next?
To my sarge.
To stolen cars being found.
To spontaneous adventures.
To success redefined.
To oceans of grace.
To broken knees being fixed.
To unexpected joys.
To an unforgettable year.

2009: I'll archive you away as a favorite forever. Mazel Tov!
{xo. jarah}

...a new set of stars...

Hey everybody! We got back from our 3-day holiday to Pilanesberg late last night. We had an amazing trip... it was so great to be able to escape the noise and busyness of Johannesburg for a couple of days. Pilanesberg is absolutely gorgeous - it's very mountainous but still has the african plain feel. I cannot justly describe how beautiful this place was. The night sky was one of my favorite scenes - the milky way is so brilliant and the constellations are all new to my eyes. Every night from about 6 p.m. on, my gaze was fixed on the sky.

We were able to see a wide variety of wildlife: zebras, giraffes, lions, elephants, kudu, impala, warthog, hartebeest, waterbuck, rhinos, wildebeest, hippos, baboons and monkeys (I'm sure I'm forgetting something...). I left feeling so blessed to have had that experience! We had an amazing trip - thank you for your prayers!

from an awed heart,

Jarah

and he became their Savior...

...in all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. (Isaiah 63:8b-9a)

Hello everybody! What an insane week this has been... our days were full of some pretty amazing experiences:

Monday (04.06)

The youth were all still on their holiday break from school, so we decided to do community outreach projects. A big group of the guys went out into the streets of Lyndhurst to pick up trash. They ended up meeting a lot of people throughout the afternoon - it was really cool to hear how excited they were that God used something as ordinary as picking up trash to reach people. The girls and I stayed back at the church and we made encouragement cards for the local police department and the staff at a nearby hospital. The things we did were very simple, but it was a really good afternoon.

Tuesday (04.07)

We took our day off to get some much needed rest. We relaxed in the morning and then went to see a movie later in the afternoon.

Wednesday (04.08)

Wednesday was probably the busiest day that I have had here. I woke up early to get ready for our ladies cell group. We finished up our Daniel study - it was such an awesome study! I feel like I learned so much from being in with that group of women.

After our Daniel study we went to the orphanage for the afternoon. I brought a big bag of beads so we could have a craft time with the kids. It was so cute to see them squeal with delight when they would finish one of their little bracelets or necklaces. They would put on their jewelry and model it for us all. Some of the younger kids had a really hard time understanding the concept that you had to hold both ends of the string so the beads wouldn't go flying off. We had a few "tragedies" accompanied by big alligator tears, but by the time we were done each child had a new treasure and they wore them proudly. Even some of the care givers at the orphanage came and joined in with the beading festivities. It was a sweet time at the orphanage...

We left straight from the orphanage to go feed the homeless with our youth in downtown Johannesburg. We got there about 6p.m. and when we walked into the church we were overwhelmed by the amount of people sleeping there. There were people in air ducts, cupboards and hallways. It was a little overwhelming at the beginning, but God gave us the grace we needed. We met as a large group to pray over our evening and then set out to deliver the food. We made five different stops throughout the night. At each stop a line would form behind the food truck and we would give each person a cup of soup and 5 pieces of bread. After the line subsided, we each took a meal and went looking for people who were too ill or weak to make it to the line. We met a lot of people and were able to sit and spend time talking with them. Tessa and I had a really good conversation with a man named Alfred. We were able to spend about a half an hour talking with him on the sidewalk. The whole time we were with him little mice were scurrying around us, but again, God gave us the grace we needed. It was a really cool experience; most of all, I enjoyed seeing our youth serve other people. Like I've said before, they are really starting to see that God had called us to be His hands and feet....

Thursday (04.09)

We woke up really early to go to Wits University (pronounced "vits") with a couple of missionaries that serve there. We spent a good part of the morning prayer walking around the campus and then we met up with some students. Later in the afternoon we went to the Christian Club's weekly meeting. It was really encouraging to see how passionate many of the students are and how God is moving on that campus. We had a really good day there and we were able to link up with a few of our youth that attend Wits.

One of the hand-on missionaries in Edenvale, Nikki, had a birthday on Thursday so we spent the evening celebrating with her!

Friday (04.10)

We went to the Good Friday service at LBC... The service was really unique - there was no sermon - instead they read many different passages about Christ and the crucifixion. We sang a lot of worship songs and then shared in the Lord's Supper. The Lord's supper truly has taken on deeper significance in my time here. It really hit me again on Friday how truly amazing it is that our God came to this earth and died for our sins so we may KNOW HIM! Wow!

Saturday (04.11)

Saturday was the first day that we did not have something going on at the church, so we were going to try to get some rest in. However, we ended up spending the day with a couple of other missionaries. We were able to go to the lion park again, I don't think I will ever get enough of playing with those baby lion cubs! And then after we went to see High School Musical on stage in Joburg. Amanda was dying to see it, so I went along.

Sunday (04.12)

What a memorable Easter! Church was really good... the interim pastor gave a really good sermon about how the gospel is not, "come to Jesus and everything will be better," but rather, "come to Jesus - life will still be full of challenges - but he will be with you!" It was really cool to hear him talk about the abundant life available to us in Christ. There were 2 baptisms... The two men that were baptized told their stories in front of the congregation. It was really amazing to hear how seriously they were taking this step in their faith - they both spoke about how when they were lifted out of the water they were making a commitment to walk with Christ in new life!

After church, Phyllis and Tad had a big Gumbo party. We helped them cook and set up to feed 25 people. They had a bunch of the missionaries here in Joburg over! It was such a good afternoon - it really felt like we were able to celebrate the day with family! I don't think I will ever forget this Easter!

We are leaving tomorrow for 6 days. We will be at a meeting, but I will try to write again as soon as I can!!!

With Love,

Jarah

"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." John 20:21

cupcakes, buttons & fingernail polish

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late post... I am short on time today, but I thought I would give a quick recap from this past week:

I was still very sick at the beginning of this week. I thought that I was snapping out of it, but my fever spiked up to 104 on Monday evening. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he told me I had a pretty severe case of tonsillitis. He put me on a strong antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory. I basically stayed flat in bed from Monday until Wednesday. I really have not experienced much homesickness, but being down sick in bed for 5 days really made me miss my momma. Phyllis took really good care of me though, she is such a blessing! I started feeling much better by Thursday and was back to my usual self by Friday.

I was so grateful that God restored my health by Friday, because we had a big sleepover at our apartment. After youth on Friday night we had 20 girls over to spend the night - it was insane! We had such a blast decorating cupcakes, making bracelets and painting fingernails. The girls had so much energy! I am pretty sure they sang and danced to Celine Dion for 2 hours straight (that's right, I said Celine Dion... ha!). We didn't get any sleep, but we had some great conversation and laughed a lot! Here are a few pics...

Tule & K.K.

The girls dancing to It's All Coming Back to Me

Tule & Nosisa polishing their fingernails

Precious & Amanda

The girls sitting around our kitchen table making bracelets

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Wishing you a joyous Easter,

Jarah

...show me how to love like you have loved me...

Happy Monday everyone! This week has been amazing. Hard, but nonetheless amazing.

Monday (3.23)

• Monday meetings with Mama Phyllis
• Half way evaluation with my "boss"
• Lunch date with Stacie (ate some yummy Indian Food)
• Sleep over with the Greenstone girls (Nikki & Amanda Holliday)

Tuesday (3.24)

• A group of about 10 of us went to Gold Reef City, a theme park in Johannesburg. We basically had the entire park to ourselves, so we got to go on the rides as many times as we wanted to. We all had such a blast together... definitely one of the most relaxed experiences I have had at an amusement park.
  
• We had a really good day off, but I think that it left us feeling tired for the rest of the week - not exactly the most restful day.

(the group getting ready to go on our mine tour)

Wednesday (3.25)

• Daniel Study
• Played with the kiddos in our apartment complex
• Did some housework, grocery shopping and watched American Idol with the Tadlocks

Thursday (3.26)

• Amanda and I got to the orphanage pretty early... They are just finishing up some construction on the new addition, so we were assigned to do the initial cleaning. We were on our hands and knees scrubbing floors from about 8am to 4:30pm... It was a ton of work, but not devoid of joy. The two of us had a great time talking and waving at the curious kids outside who wondered why we were not there to play with them. I was so exhausted by the time we left and my arms were so sore, but I am really glad we had that experience... I feel humbled, i guess you never know what to expect as a missionary, but I can say with confidence that scrubbing floors at the orphanage was one of the most profound things I have done in Africa.
• Slept over at Stacie's

Friday (3.27)

• Regional Team Meeting at Chuck and Alicia Barrett's home
• The elders at LBC decided to kick off the "holidays" at youth on friday night with a big braai. We have been praying that God would begin to unite the different generations in this church and we are really starting to see Him do it! The elders have started to get excited about investing in our youth and building relationships with them. I cannot tell you how much it spoke to the youth that these men and their wives were willing to spend Friday night serving them... Praise God for answered prayer!

Saturday & Sunday (3.28-3.29)

• I woke up on Saturday morning feeling so sick... I am pretty sure that I am getting the flu. Except for church, I stayed in bed all day Saturday and Sunday. For those of you that know my hyperactive self, i guess that says something. Please be praying for my achy body and sore throat as we have a very busy week ahead.

We are currently on a "school holiday" so the next two weeks are going to be super busy! We literally have a youth event of some kind every day... We are having 15+ girls over to spend the night at our small apartment on Friday, so you can be praying over that. Also please be praying for God to give us strength to keep up with our hectic schedule and for him to do big things in this time that we have with the youth.

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 1:24-25)

May God Bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and bring you peace,

Jarah

p.s. here are some pictures of our time at Fisher's Ridge

(trying to get a piggy back ride)

(the greenstone guys & chuck)

(view of Johannesburg)

(me, stacie & amanda)

Usithethelele Baba, Usithethelele Jesu

Usithethelele Baba, Usithethelele Jesu means, "Be merciful, Father, Be merciful, Jesus" in Zulu. We sang this in our worship time on Sunday morning. Sunday's service was the most traditional we have experienced. Amanda and I had such a fun time learning some Zulu songs and seeing the people at church get up and dance! I absolutely love to see how joyful people are in their worship. It blesses my heart.

Another incredible, heart breaking, and joy-filled week has come and gone... Things are continuing to go beautifully! Our halfway point is tomorrow (can you believe that?). Here are some highlights of this past week:

• Tuesdays adventure at the African Flee Market

• Meeting and planning with Tshepi

• Tea dates with Liz & Kenny

• Thursday at the orphanage

• Saturday morning work day at the church

• Hanging out with Nomathemba and Tricia on Saturday

I thought you would like to see some pictures of the groups I have been talking about for months now... The first picture is the group of ladies I am fortunate enough to spend every Wednesday morning with (aren't they precious). The second picture is the group that Amanda and I get to teach on Sunday mornings (they too have stolen my heart).

I am super tight on time, but I thought I would write a quick post! Love you all and miss you!

Cheers,

Jarah

Psalm 68:19-20

"Praise the Lord; Praise God our Savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. Our God is a God who saves! The sovereign Lord rescues us from death!"

our hearts ache, but we always have joy...

Happy monday! Wow, this week has been a total blur... our days were long, but good, SO good! I'll try to give a quick recap from each day:

Tuesday (03.03)

Tuesdays are our days off... Amanda and I had a sleep over with Stacie (one of the full time missionaries here). We spent the day learning how to play squash and getting some much need rest in...

Wednesday (03.04)

We had our Daniel study in the morning with our beloved ladies from the church... they have completely blown me away with their kindness and support. It is such a blessing to spend time with them every week! There is a sweet old Scottish woman that has started coming and there is not a week that goes by where she doesn't tell me, "how good it is to have a young american lass in the group." It's been beautiful to see these sweet ladies become prayer warriors for our youth.

After bible study, we took Tshepi out for lunch at the tea garden up the road from our flat (it has become a favorite lunch-date spot). We had really good conversation about God, what He's doing in her life and the vision He has given her for the youth in our church. She is really becoming a good friend! God is blessing her leadership and ministry in awesome ways. On our way back from lunch, we got a call from Nomathemba (one of the girls in our youth group). We spent the rest of the day chatting, watching movies, and making bracelets. She recently immigrated here from Zambia and really opened up to us about her life and struggles. It absolutely fills my heart with joy to be able to spend time with and love on our girls (Lord, thank you for allowing me to be here!)

Thursday (03.05)

This day was definitely the highlight of my week! We FINALLY got to go to the orphanage! Nomathemba came with Amanda and I - we were there from 8:00 in the morning to 6:00 at night. We spent the first part of the day with the "bed babies" (meaning those under 2 years). We fed them breakfast and took them outside to play on the grass. They are SO cute... we had a blast playing with them, holding them, and helping them learn to walk. They are so desperate for love and human touch. I wish I could bring each and every one of them home with me!

The second half of the day we spent with the "big kids." I think that we played duck-duck-goose for two hours. The biggest fascination of the day was my hair - I guess the kids have never seen long hair, they were playing with it ALL day! Echoing what I said about the babies, they all are looking for love and tickles and someone just to hold them. Toward the end of the day a 4 year old little girl climbed into my lap and I just rubbed her back as she fell to sleep... I wish I had words to describe what that did to my heart!

It was such an incredible, yet draining, day! I think that I will be processing the things I see at the orphanage for months to come. I cannot tell you what it does to your heart to look children with HIV/AIDS in the eyes, to hold them, to see their sweet smiles and vibrant personalities... I have seen faces behind the statistics, beautiful and bright faces, and I will never be the same. I left the orphanage feeling so full, but so broken. I don't know that one days experience has ever reached to the depths of my soul like Thursday did...

Friday (03.06)

We went to the World Wide Women's Day of Prayer with the ladies from our Wednesday Daniel study. They thought it would be a great idea to have some young faces represent Lyndhurst at this prayer meeting, so Amanda and I were volunteered. The meeting was held at a beautiful Catholic Cathedral in Maryville (about 20 minutes away from where we live). I read a passage from Romans and Amanda prayed... all in front of a very large crowd of people! It was definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I really enjoyed it. I mean, how often do you get the chance to pray with hundreds of South African women?

Youth on Friday was amazing! The kids had an energy and a spirit that I have not yet seen in them. They shared praises and prayer requests for about an hour. Tshepi gave an awesome message on Isaiah 61:1-3! Man, it was such a fun night...

(Nomathemba, Gele, and Zippho at youth)

Saturday (03.07)

My sweet teammate was really sick, so we spent the day at home... we prepared for Sunday and just hung around our flat.

Sunday (03.08)

We were gone from 8:45 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Church was great... our study is really going well! We went over to Aunt Liz and Uncle Kenny's after for our first African Braai (aka Barbecue in the states). They made SO much food for us! We had such a fun time sitting on their porch, chatting the afternoon away. They really do feel like family! We went to the evening service and then came home and crashed... What a crazy week!

Points for Prayer:

• Amanda and I have both had many sleepless nights - pray that God will give us rest and help us to sleep!

• Our work at the orphanage

• Our relationships with Liz & Kenny (and their son, Gary) as well as Yusef and Asma

• The search for a new pastor (Lyndhurst Baptist Church)

"I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all. I'll stand, my soul Lord to You surrendered. All I am is yours..." -Hillsong United

Sending my love from Africa,

Jarah

p.s. Happy Birthday, Daddy! I love you and miss you!

Isaiah 61:1-3 - The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for His own glory.

"I've been waiting for you..."

Wow, can you believe that it's March already? Time is absolutely flying by...

This week has been pretty low-key. It rained all week so most of our plans were canceled. It was really cool to see how God filled our days. We spent a lot of time with the people in our complex. We have really started to build good relationships with a young muslim couple, Yusef and Asma. They made us briyani on Sunday, it was good, but SO spicy! Amanda and I ate our way through the heaping portions with smiles on our faces. Needless to say, I have not been able to taste much today.

The kids in our apartment complex have officially discovered the girls in #11... They have been knocking on our door all week! We have had SO much fun playing with them. They never tire of playing soccer - I think we played for 6 hours on Saturday afternoon! On Sunday, Amanda and I were walking out of our flat to go to church and little Biballo was standing outside. He looked up at us with his sweet little brown eyes and said, "Where have you been? I have been waiting for you..." Here are a few pictures:

meet Biballo (he's my favorite!)

This is Carabbo and Biballo (Biballo calls acorns "coconuts")

This is Jo-Jo, he's the "bad boy" of the complex... I'm not sure that I believe that

Wish I had more time to write! Thank you for keeping me in your prayers... It's been amazing to see how God is at work here.

Love in Christ,

Jarah

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. - Isaiah 1:18

"It takes a lot of guts, but you, oh Lord, are the giver of guts... we ask for courage today"

... a direct quote from the prayer of one of the ladies in my Wednesday morning Bible study. Not exactly what I expected to hear coming from this proper, 80-year old South African woman. The earnest heart with which she asked the Lord for courage will be forever stamped on my memory...

Wow, I cannot believe another week has come and gone. I have officially been in Africa for one month... time is flying by! This week was incredible! We spent lots of time preparing for the big sleepover on Friday. Amanda and I planned a ton of activities for the girls and made about 12 dozen cookies! It felt like we were baking all week long!

I was able to have lots heart-level conversations with our youth throughout the week. It's so great to finally be at the point where we can start talking about real things and discipling these young people. I talked with one of our young men, Vollie, about the book of James for a good hour after cell group on Wednesday. I also had lots of sweet time talking with the ladies in my Wednesday morning bible study. They are all so wonderful and have really gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and at home.

The sleepover on Friday was insane! We had such an amazing time... definitely the highlight of my week. We decorated cookies, did crafts, sang and danced for hours, and watched movies. We also had some good teaching times. The theme of the evening was identity... we talked a lot about who we are in Christ versus how the world defines us. I was in a group with a couple of sweet girls. My heart absolutely broke to hear about their struggles, but it was great just to talk about about them and how God is there in whatever they're facing. I felt like I got to know a few of the girls really well! Thank you all for praying over that night!





Amanda and I spent most of Saturday just catching up on sleep (we didn't sleep at all Friday night). On Saturday evening the group of guys at Greenstone decided to make us dinner. They grilled steaks and made mashed potatoes, greenbeans & corn. It was delicious and so sweet of them to serve us girls on Valentine's day. We finished up the night with a little put-put golf. I played terribly, but we had a blast!

On another note, Amanda and I have been battling a stomach bug over the last couple of days. It is no coincidence that I started getting sick just hours before our Friday night sleepover. I slept all day yesterday and am slowly starting to feel better. I would really appreciate your prayers for speedy recovery...

Until next week,
Jarah

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
-Romans 15:13