Under my umbrella

I was recently back in Oklahoma and remembered why I always used to check the weather every morning. I still check it each day here, but for a different reason. In Oklahoma you need to know whether to wear your shorts or your ski jacket. It could be 80 degrees one day and then 30 the next. One nice thing about the weather here is that it will probably only vary in temperature from day to day by a few degrees. However I still have to check the weather to determine what umbrella to bring with me that day. I carry the little umbrella every day. Then some days I have to switch to another umbrella depending on the amount of rain. Some days are rain coat days, some are medium size umbrella days and some are big umbrella days. This is a very serious situation. I is quite embarrassing if you bring the wrong umbrella. You might get funny looks because it is barely raining and you are caring an umbrella that can also work as a small boat. Or you might be soaking wet because the little umbrella may not be quite enough. Here is a picture of me and my umbrellas.

Krispy Kreme

I have eaten more Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the past 8 months than I have in a really long time. It was exciting to be able to get a good doughnut in England once moving from Turkey so it was a big deal. The past few months at work have been a little crazy. Because of this, at least twice someone has brought them in for us. These are always exciting days. Most of the Krispy Kremes here are little stands. I guess they have to be made somewhere, so last weekend we went with some friends to a real Krispy Kreme. It was a huge store compared to the ones in America. We got to watch them be made. The hot sign unfortunately wasn't on but it was still a fun trip.

Basketball Season

I used to look forward to basketball season. Sometimes I wish I never quit in high school. I still love playing. I joined a county club here in England. Our team is called the Reigate Falcons. We don't actually practice in Reigate but usually close to where I live. The ladies on my team range from age 21-43. I really enjoy playing with them. They are all very nice. Many times we are referred to as nice Reigate girls, not the posh London girls. We have training twice a week and quite a bit of games. My team is trying to decide if they will continue over the summer. I really hope so. I would miss playing with them. It has been great to be involved in the community and meet people here. We are a developing team as this is their second year as a team. We aren't very good, but we won a game a few weeks ago. It was the highlight of my week. My kit (uniform) is a bit big. For some reason they only have size Large. Here is a picture of me. I really want to get a picture of our team. Last season many pictures were taken, so I hope to get them soon.

A new concept for cloudy.

I realized in the past few days that the Oklahoma meaning for overcast and cloudy is completely different than it is here. This morning I looked at the forecast for the next 5 days and it said 'White Cloud.' This really means a cloudy overcast day. The sad thing is that I was really excited. Compared to 'Grey Cloud' which it has been for the past few weeks, white cloud feels sunny. There is really no comparison for a grey cloud in America. I guess it would be what the sky looks like during a thunderstorm except covering the entire sky and not raining. That is what it is like here most of the winter. When the weather says white cloud, which again is Oklahoma's cloudy day, it means you will see a small speck of the blue sky behind the clouds at some point in the day which is incredibly exciting when you haven't seen this for a couple of weeks. I am thankful for the white cloud days this time of year.

It does rain a lot here, but not all of the time. It is really just dark all of the time. I am so ready for Spring and Summer to see a few bits of sun and blue sky.

In your own dialect

So many people always say we need to learn the language of the people we live among. This is helpful in so many ways. It is easier to make friends and share with them if you speak their language. I knew this was important and have always heard this. It never really made complete sense until today. This morning at church we heard the message brought by an American. This is the first time I have heard an American at church in over a year. In Turkey at the international church we had a South African preacher, here the speaker is British or sometimes Irish, which is another completely different dialect. It was so sweet this morning to hear the Word in my American southern heart language. I realize that the others were English but it made a huge difference for it to be in American English. The style, pronunciation, and meaning of words is just so different. Normally I really have to concentrate to understand what the speaker is saying. It was so nice to sit and relax and soak it up and not try to translate the words. This sounds silly but just hearing Isaiah pronounced they way Americans say it was food for the soul.

One Year!

I have now lived overseas for an entire year. 9.5 more months left. It still doesn't always seem real. It seems like it was just the other day when I was filling out the applications for the job. I am so grateful for this opportunity to spend some time in another culture, 2 at that. It has been an experience of a lifetime. I have made so many memories and met so many people that will always remain dear to me. It has been very hard to be away from family and friends and normal life I knew in America. It has been a challenge to learn to travel, cook, shop, and simply live in foreign cities. So many times I have longed to move back to America and I am sure there will be more. There have been many tears of loneliness. But through all of this, Father has been with me every step of the way just as He promised. He is always faithful even when I fail. I still have so much to learn, and I am excited to see what Father has for me for the next bit of my life that I spend here. I cannot believe how much Father has shaped me and drawn me closer to Him. Thank you Father for this past year. It has truly been a blessing.