Lessons

No matter how old you are, you'll always be a baby in your mother's eyes.

People spend lots of money on toys, but kids typically end up enjoying the empty boxes and tissue paper more :)

Always check your blind spots. Never assume your path is clear.

Roadtrips are far more fun when someone goes with you.

Even after being back in the U.S. for 11 months, a trip to Walmart can be sensory overload with all the choices.

Optimism > pessimism.

A smile goes a long way.

Take the time to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

Dropping a suitcase on your toe will produce a high level of pain.

The generosity of others is often overwhelming.

Not being able to say goodbye is sometimes harder than actually saying goodbye.

Packing should be considered a form of art. 

What's up Tuesday

Since I'll be a little preoccupied tomorrow, I thought I'd go ahead and do this week's What's Up Wednesday post today :)

What are you eating this week? 

I'm so looking forward to eating some yummy Senegalese food!

What are you reminiscing about?

I've been going through old pictures and "reliving" all sorts of memories :)

What are your plans for today?

I'll be running last minute errands and spending time with my mama :)

What am I loving?

Summer Break and sleeping late!!!

What have I been up to lately?

Lots of computer work at work... That's why I'm looking forward to ignoring technology for a couple weeks while I'm gone :)

What am I dreading?

Sitting on planes/in airports for long periods of time with my toe being such a lovely, painful shade of purple.

What am I working on?

...reconditioning my mind to allow me to sleep late :)

What am I excited about?

Senegal!!!

What am I reading?

I'm looking forward to spending all that free time on planes/in airports, reading (for fun), since that's something I don't often have time to do. So I'm taking a few books with me :)

What am I looking forward to next month? 

My mom and I have a couple mini road trips planned for this summer. And I'm looking forward to those :)

And lastly, in honor of this being the season for grilling... 

What's your favorite food to grill? 

I love me some grilled hamburgers! Yum :)

Senegal... I'll see you soon!

In about 36 hours,  I'll be boarding the first of three planes, heading to Dakar, Senegal. 

...and barring major delays or problems, which I'm TOTALLY PRAYING AGAINST, I'll be landing 20ish hours after that. So feel free to join me in praying :)

I'll be spending the majority my time at Dakar Academy, and the surrounding community.

Oh D.A., I've missed you...

I'll be visiting friends, helping former co-workers wrap up their school year, pack up classrooms, pack up their homes, and do anything else I can to help out. I'll be reuniting with friends, former students, and co-workers, and enjoying life back in the DA "bubble" that I've missed so much since being back in the States.

I'll also be visiting/hanging out with former missionary colleagues and exploring the area of Senegal where they've set up their life/ministry. I'll be prayerfully praying through my time there, preparing my own self for the call God placed on my life. I'll be prayerfully planning for my own full-time return (which won't be for quite a while - so don't worry Mom and current co-workers).

I'm not naming the area or the missionaries just to protect their "open doors" and safety.

I look forward to embracing Senegalese culture again. I look forward to yummy food - meat stick sandwiches, nems, and of course meals around the common bowl. 

Oh, I so can't wait for cheb...and mafe...and yassa...and... :)

I look forward to visiting the market and acting like a tourist. I look forward to walking up and down the "aisles," practicing my Wolof greetings, speaking broken French, and checking out the items for sale.

But most of all, I look forward to going back to the place that stole my heart almost 6 years ago. I look forward to just being there.

And just in case my Mom or current co-workers are reading this... I PROMISE YOU THIS... I'm not staying for good. I'm only going to be gone the 2 weeks I planned. I know you all have a secret thought (fear) that I'm going to get there and not want to leave :)

Don't worry. This is just for a visit :)

Just sayin'...

I have a lot on my mind, but not enough for a full blog post on each topic. 

So, voila! 

You get this random assortment of thoughts :)

1. Memorial Day

You know what bugs me about Memorial Day? It's how many people clearly don't know the difference between it and Veterans Day. Just sayin'... It's kind of sad. 

2. Pentecost Sunday 

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, yet many Pentecostal churches don't even acknowledge it. ...which is also kind of sad. Just sayin'...

3. Homiletics

My Homiletics class was this past Saturday. And honestly, it was the absolute best class I've taken thus far! I came away with more knowledge and understanding and appreciation of the subject than I have with any other topic. And the teacher was awesome too! Seriously y'all... Best class ever! Just sayin'...

4. Not saying goodbye is hard.

As I prepare to fly to Senegal in a couple days, I can't help but miss my Dad even more. 

I didn't realize how hard it'd be to not be able to say goodbye. Just sayin'...

5. The Duggars

Wow! Talk about a shocker! Y'all, I've always been a big fan of the Duggars. And this recent confession truly did shock me! 

But what's shocked me even more is the way the media has hypocritically attacked this family. Yes. What he did was wrong! ...bad wrong! And yes. His parents also did wrong by not reporting it immediately and not getting him (or his victims) REAL help. 

But y'all... How many celebrities have come out with shocking revelations like this (or worse) and nothing is even said about them?! The media totally picks and chooses who they want to focus on.

Josh Duggar did wrong. So did Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. But they've ackowledge that and repented of those wrongs and have asked for forgiveness. 

And after all... Every single one of us on this planet, including myself, sins. If you say you don't, then you're sinning now by lying. My point is, we all mess up from time to time. Why focus on this one family?! Just sayin'...

ABCs

I saw this ABCs thing floating around Facebook, so I thought... 

Why not?! :)

Available? Yep. Know any single Christian guys of marrying age? Send 'em my way :)

Biggest Fear? Snakes are pretty high up there. Also, there's the whole never getting married thing...

Crushing On? Wouldn't you like to know? ;) Seriously, there's no crush. Cross my heart with my hand on the Bible. But again, refer to my answer for letter A. 

Drink You Last Had? Ice Water - my new cold beverage of choice.

Easiest Person To Talk To? ma mère

Favorite Song? I know this is a cop out answer, but I honestly have too many to pick just one...

Grossest Memory? Definitely when I threw up all over my seat mate on the plane that one time. Fun times y'all. 

Home? Trick question... Quick answer would be sweet home Alabama. 

In Love With? Jesus :)

Jealous Of? People who have super confidence and seriously could not care one iota what people think of them :)

Killed? What kind of question is that?! Uh, the last thing I killed was a big huge black ant. The ones that inflict all sorts of pain on you when they bite (sting?) you.

Longing For? Some good Senegalese food. Just a few more days... I can't wait! :)

Middle Name? Elisabeth - with an S, not a Z

Number of Siblings? 1 brother

One Wish? World peace? Ha! Seriously, I'd wish for my student loans to be completely paid off!

Person You Last Called? Shoney's Restaurant to see what time they closed.

Question for America? Why can't we all just get along?

Reason to Smile? I have a lot actually, but the 2 girls who call me (aunt) Zizzie are top on my list :)

Show Last Watched? Cutthroat Kitchen

Time You Woke Up? 7:00 

Unbelievable? ...that so much hate and racism still exists today.

Violence? Often preventable and unnecessary, in my opinion.

Worst Habit? Biting my nails.

X-ray Last Had? Knee

Youngest, Oldest, Middle? I'm the oldest.

Zodiac Sign? I don't believe in that stuff. Such a waste of time!!

Just to clarify...

I've received quite a few questions since I started announcing my Senegal countdown updates. So I thought I'd answer a few of the questions here...

What's the big deal with Senegal?

For those who don't know, here's a bit of my history. Almost 10 years ago, God called me to be a missionary to Africa. I didn't know when. I didn't know where. I didn't know what I'd be doing. But I knew eventually it would happen. Fast forward to July 30, 2009. This was the day I stepped off the plane in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa for the first time. At that very moment, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was home. I loved it there! Yes, there were days that I missed sweet home Alabama, but for the majority of the time, I truly did love it! I was there for 5 years and came back to the States this past June.

If you loved it so much, why'd you come back then? 

Multiple reasons... But to save time, let's just discuss the biggest one.

That's my dad. He was quite the fighter, having fought his way back from kidney cancer, multiple heart attacks, multiple stints, multiple open heart surgeries, pancreatitis, peritonitis, a septic gall bladder, etc. But around the time I'd made the decision to take a year off from Senegal and raise more financial support, etc., my dad started getting sicker.

So I decided to put my plans for going back on hold for a few years. This way I could assist my parents, by helping out with my dad, and helping with financial support as well, since neither of my parents were able to work anymore.

So why are you going back now?

As anyone who's read my blog recently knows, my dad passed away a month ago. 

And my last day for work here in Selma is today (*insert my happy dance here*). So I saved up throughout the year and decided to go for a visit this summer.

How long will you be staying?

Only 2 weeks. Actually it's 13 days, counting travel days. So not long...

What are you going to do while you're there?

That's a good question. One I honestly don't know an exact answer to. And since I'm deciding not to make a lot of plans, that may stay my answer for a while longer... :) 

But I do know I'll be helping my former co-workers finish out their school year. I've also offered my assistance to a friend, packing for her move back to the States this summer. And I'd also like to visit some other co-workers to check out the "village" (city) where they live and get a feel for the ministry our organization is doing for the people who live there. And while I'm there, I plan to get some of my own things out of storage and bring them back home with me. And I'm sure I'll get my fill of super deliciously awesome Senegalese food. I can't wait!! :)

Are you ever planning to go back full-time? When will that be?

Yes. As for when... I'm not sure.

I know God has called me here for at least a couple more years. I need to be a wise steward of my money. Right? Well, my student loan debt is significant. Therefore, I need to keep making payments on that. Unless, of course, anyone super rich is reading this and wants to pay that big ol' bill off for me :)

But seriously, I really don't know when I'll be headed back for good. It all depends on God. All I know, is He's telling me to stay (here), so I'm staying. And whenever He tells me to go, I'll go. 

What are you most looking forward to on this trip?

I can't pick just one thing. ...seeing friends, seeing former students, the sights, the smells, Senegalese food (especially some cheb), visiting the market, visiting the new area co-workers are living/ministering, greetings in Wolof, speaking French, and on and on :)

Is it safe? What about war? Ebola? 

Yes it's safe. As of now, there is no war and no Ebola. :)

How can we, here in the States, help you?

PRAY!

Pray for safety, wisdom/guidance, nice reunions, good health, fun times, and most of all... Pray for God's will to be done and for His name to be glorified through everything I say and do!

What if we want to support Dakar Academy or the Assemblies of God Missionaries you'll be visiting/working with? How can we do that?

Email me at enichols85@gmail.com and I'll be happy to help you out.

A Dear _____ Post

I haven't done a Dear ____ post in a while, so I thought now might be a good time.

Dear Last Day with Students, You're what today is at my school. It seems like just yesterday school started and I was meeting my kiddos. Now it's time to say goodbye.

Dear Last Day for Teachers, You're tomorrow! Can I get an Amen?!

Dear This School Year, You've been tough. I'm not gonna lie. You've challenged me to be better and better. And you've confirmed what I've always said... Out of the three areas I'm trained in, Special Education is by far my most favorite!

Dear I love it!, You're how I'd describe my feelings toward my job. No lie, y'all. It may be difficult at times and include a ridiculous amount of paperwork. But I really do love it!

Dear 5th Grade Graduation, You happened yesterday. I loved getting to know so many of these kiddos this year!

Dear 6 Days, You're how many days are left 'til I fly to Senegal! Eek!! :)

Dear Packing, I'm not really looking forward to you. But alas, you're a necessary evil attached to traveling.

Dear Unexpected Day with My Mama, You're what I'll have on Monday. Yay for extra time spent with just me and her :)

Dear Dinner with the Fam, You're what I'm having tomorrow evening. It'll also be my time to say goodbye to these two cuties and their mama...

Dear Daddy, I've missed you so much this week. And as I plan this trip to Senegal, I can't help but miss you more. You were my #1 supporter, pushing/guiding me to follow the call God placed on my life...

Dear God, Thank you for the friends you've placed in my life. Friends like the ones described in this quote...