Over Labor Day weekend, I got to go down to Regent University in Virginia Beach to visit my boyfriend, David Wood.  It was the first time I had seen him in three months, and pretty much we needed to see each other.  I got to go to his law classes with him and we went to Walmart so we could get groceries for him and for me to cook for him all weekend.  On Saturday, we took pictures around Regent then drove up to Williamsburg to meet his parents for dinner and attend a show.  Sunday morning we went to Colonial Baptist Church and saw some old friends.  I made him a big dinner of fried chicken after church and then I showed him my pictures from Africa.  That evening the stars were out so David and I went walking out in the dark under the stars.  It was such a lovely, perfect night.  We sat on a bench where we could see ahead across the green the fountain lit up and behind it the library building with light streaming out its beautiful big windows.  We sat there and enjoyed the view and praised God together.  After awhile, we got up and were walking in the green area which was where we were standing when he asked me to marry him.  So I said yes, and then it sunk in that I was engaged!  I was so happy and we couldn't stop smiling.  I just wanted to go tell everyone right away, but we took our time with each other and went over by the pond where we sat and looked at the stars and talked and praised God some more and enjoyed each other's company.  It was the most beautiful proposal ever; the scene was lovely and the fog started to rise so everything looked just like a fairyland.  I am so thankful for David!  Now we are busy planning our wedding together.






This is the view we had when he proposed to me, except it was in the dark.



we're engaged!



I'm so happy with David!  I think God couldn't have picked out a better man for me.

Today, nothing went as planned.  But that's how it is in Africa.   It's a rare event that actually happens like you plan and expect it to.  So we didn't go to Dzakpo tonight because God sent pouring rain right when we were all packed up and ready to go.  Our ministries there are all outdoors, and people just don't come to things that are held in the rain.  But I figured it's God's ministry and God's rain and He knows what He's doing, but I do wish we could have gone.  Maybe I'll get some sleep tonight.  Things are crazy here.  The road to Helekpe is impassable right now, so I'm not even sure if we're going there this weekend.

I'll be home in two weeks; I'm ready to see my family and everyone.  Robert Frost once said, "Home is where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."  If I come around after certain intervals, then people miss me and want me around.

I finished memorizing II Timothy 3, so I only have one more chapter to go.  Unfortunately, I learned half of chapter 4 in KJV this year for school and now I'm learning in ESV.

OK, a picture just for kicks:  Me with a termite mound, ten minutes after I found out I don't have malaria.

Yes, it's true.

Not only am I part of the Class of 2008,

but it is now 2008.

 

In fifteen days, it will all be over.

(three more days of classes)

 

 

and it's exciting

and scary

and sad

and overwhelming

 

 

don't even ask me what is the most important lesson I learned in the last four years or any such question

unless you have all night.

 

 

and I really, really wish I was coming back in time for Kelby's birthday.

I have been perfectly content with life lately.
No, I don't have a clue what I'll be doing next year
or what state I'll be living in,
how I'll be paying off college,
where the money is coming from,
or even what materials I'll be teaching in Africa all summer long

but when you serve the amazing God that I serve, it really doesn't seem to matter.
Hebrews talks about Abraham leaving for a city not knowing where he was going, but he stepped out in faith and followed God, because really he was looking beyond physical location to the eternal.

I recently started memorizing Ephesians.  (No, I haven't finished memorizing II Timothy yet, and no, I haven't given up on it, but I started Ephesians with a friend).  We've gotten as far as verse 6 (ok, we just started on Sunday).  Ephesians 1 is, in short, exciting.  Every other word that Paul says he sticks in "In Christ" or "By Christ" or "before Christ" or some other combination that lets us know that, we are absolutely nothing without the Lord Jesus Christ, and all that His once-for-all death has done for us is absolutely beyond comprehension.  We are blessed with every spiritual blessing, we were chosen before the foundations of the world (WOW), we were predestined for adoption, and God's glorious grace has been poured down on us.  I can't wait to get to verse 7!  Every new verse is just like WOW.

When you're spending your time meditating on things like this, then you can't help but rejoice every day in the day that the Lord has made, no matter what happens, because all you can think about is the amazing God you serve and how you can bring pleasure to His heart and honor to His name that day.

In other news, I now can eat with chopsticks
I taught on Paul and Silas in prison to my Good News Club kids yesterday
Tomorrow I will go visit with Pratikshya and some other of my more recent Nepali friends, I am hoping to present the gospel to them
Dr. Ryrie is going to be my commencement speaker (top that!), which will be, by the way, in a month from tomorrow
It's supposed to snow this weekend
in three weeks' time, I'm going to five different banquets (two down, three to go)

well, all for tonight.  Pheri vetaula!  Shuva ratri.


Some fun pictures from the weekend:



(no worries, I've known him for years, he's a good guy and not in love with me so we can have fun together)  I like the bottom picture because it makes me look thin.