What's up Wednesday

What I'm eating today...

My mom, aunt, and I are going to the local Chinese restaurant for lunch today. Yum!

What I'm reminiscing about...

I've been missing this guy something fierce! My plan for this past weekend was to get away and ignore the world so to speak. Church services honoring fathers, Facebook posts about fathers, and so on and so forth... I knew it would be too much. So I escaped with my Mama on a mini vacation from the "typical" world around me, including Facebook. And while it helped a bit, I'd be lying if I said I didn't spend the majority of my weekend thinking about my Daddy...

And now to a less sad question :)

What I'm loving...

Oh Summer Break, I love you so.

What I've been up to...

Road trippin' with this lady :)

What I'm working on...

...using my phone less and living in the moment more :)

What I'm excited about...

...a goal I have set for myself. I'll post about it later. But I'll say this, it involves exercise, good food, and feeling better about myself :)

What I'm reading...

I've read it a couple times already. But I decided to read it again in preparations for Harper Lee's new creation coming soon...

What I'm doing this weekend...

I'm going to Florala. ...one of my most favorite places in Alabama :)

What else is new...

Not a lot... I'm enjoying spending a lot of my time with these two cuties, reading (for fun), and hanging out at home. Ah the joys of having summers off with pay :)

What I have planned for the 4th of July...

...a trip to a nearby city's park. There will be vendors, snacks, and fireworks. Fun times celebrating America's birthday.

Lessons Learned in L'Afrique

Oh Africa... 

You have taught me so much over the years. And the past (almost) 2 weeks were no different. Here are some of the lessons I learned during my visit to my "other home..."

Slow down.

Good friends can pick up right where they left off a year ago.

A hug from a child can brighten your day.

Reunions are nice.

West African mangoes are the best mangoes in the world. 

Yes. That is indeed an egg and fries in your burger.

Yes. Those are little cups of ketchup and mustard to enjoy with your pizza.

An all night long power cut is annoying.

Water cuts are also annoying.

Bucket baths may be a hassle, but end up being awesome on a really hot night with a power and water cut.

If you happen to wake up at 5 am and the water's actually on, go ahead and take a shower then. It may not be on when your alarm goes off in a few hours.

If it's really hot at night, sleep on the tile floor. It's much cooler.

It really is a small world after all.

Bug spray - Buy it. Use it.

Trust is important.

Homesickness is bound to happen eventually. It's ok. Let it run its course. 

Making a list of things that being you joy during your day is a good idea.

Most things take longer. Just accept  it.

The cool breeze coming from the ocean feels amazing!

Knowing someone on your flight is always nice.

Speaking in the native language may be difficult, but it's so worth it to 1) embrace the culture and 2) see the happiness on their faces at your effort.

Pray. Pray hard.

Be flexible.

Once Africa "invades" your heart, it never leaves. You are forever changed. The love you have for the country never leaves.

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!!