Inner City Perhaps?

Today, I had my placement very near the SouthEast border in DC. Honestly, I had heard from someone who had been there that it was a very dangerous area. But once I got down there, I was completely at rest. We took a 45 minute walk around the neighborhood with the kids, and in that time, I saw theft and domestic violence and sketchy people everywhere. But you know what, God was there. He was. And I truly and honestly think that I could teach in the inner city. I had and still have dreams about owning a home in the most beautiful town of Charlottesville, but maybe God is calling me to live in a run-down apartment in some city. I don't know. I really don't know. But I do know this. NOTHING can harm me unless God wills it. Nothing. He is Sovereign. Sure, we might get harmed. There is sin abounding in this world. And I might get fearful at times. But my GOD has the final say at to what will happen to me. His hand is stronger than the hand of sin, of Satan, and of death. Praise the Lord. Praise Him.

Psalm 91

⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

¹⁰ then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Challah bread

Is it wrong to say that I love Challah bread? I do. I love the taste of the bread that happens to be culturally and delectably rich. It's wonderful. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and snack yesterday. No joke. Joanna, thanks for bringing it this week :)

today i saw a freshman with a really ugly LL Bean backpack.

those things last forever.

that poor girl is going to have that backpack forever.

I'm Beginning to Think...

That no one except Lydia and Brittany read this blog. Which is fine. Really. As long as we have two viewers, it is worth the upkeep. Lyd and Britt, you will see that Rach has changed the format. I think I migggght like the black better. That might be just me. And even so, I'm just a contributor and I will not barge into the realm of blog decor.

Today was rather Mondayish. Accidental sleep-ins, lots of coffee, work, and school. A little girl at the CYC gave me a brief lesson on Michael Jackson and graced me with her version of ABC. She is the cutest 3 year old everrr. I know how to make mayo now. Julia Child is the best. Brielle and I went to the mall to pick up my fixed Mac. And we took one too many samples from the Cajun fast food place and Charlies subs. Did you ever notice that the people that sell the food at the Cajun fast food places are never Cajun? I'm just saying.

Tonight, everyone is studying their heads off. EVERYONE. Test season has begun. I can't do it any longer. I did much school this weekend, but a brain can only take so much. But not the brains of these household girls. They just never stop. I marvel at them. Justtt marvel. Nothing more to say, really. Rachel seems to have been keeping up with the blogging and it has much spicier content. So until next time!!!

best christian pick up line

ok. ok. ok. HILARIOUS.

i was walking from my car to a coffee shop today in downtown silver spring. i was stuck at a pedestrian crosswalk that was red and so i looked over my shoulder to see if there was a button to push to make the walk signal come on. instead of seeing a button, however, i saw a rather short, obviously foreign man, who noticed when i glanced at him. i looked away very suddenly to avoid the misconception that i had been looking at him. but, alas, i was too late.

him: "hello! you are very nice!" he said, approaching and holding a bible in his hand.

me: "um, thanks(?)"

him: "God created you and he loves you" (or something like that)

me: "amen!"

him: "aaand you TRULY are fearfully and wonderfully made!"

me: "um... amen."

him: "are you a born again christian?"

[upon closer observation, he appeared to be about 26-28 years of age]

me: "yes, i am."

him: "aah! no wonder our spirits are so in tune!"

(we walk across the street and continue walking)

me: "what church do you go to?"

him: "i go to the large ethiopian church around the corner."

me: "really? are you ethiopian? i love ethiopia! oh my gosh, i would love to visit your church!" (this was my biggest mistake)

him: "oh yes! oh yes! i would love to visit yours too! where do you go to church?"

me: "welll... it's in gaithersburg..."

him: "is it Covenant? i love Covenant! i have been there twice!"

me: "oh great... ok, well here's the coffee place, so i better be going... "

him: "oh, can i have your number... in case i... visit your church or something..?"

me: "oh... um.. sure." [it's so much easier to ignore calls than it is to reject requests... so i gave it to him]

him: "ok, well i'll call you right now. ok, there. is it ringing? you have my number"

me: "umm... what's your name?"

him: "israel... and yours?"

me: "rachel."

him: "ohh! israel and rachel! oh! oh! (meaningful laugh)... ok, goodbye!"

(you know how israel (jacob) and rachel get married in the bible... yeah. ha. )

this conversation was so funny to me on so many levels:

-first of all, can i just say that was the best and most hilarious christian pick up line EVER. you had to hear the intonation, too: "you TRULY are fearfully and wonderfully made!"

HAHA.

-second, it was very reminiscent of my recent visit to ethiopia, where i would be frequently asked to dinner or coffee by any random guy (of any age!), on the street or in a taxi bus. (it was just because i was white.... and there are hardly any white girls there... ) plus it was in the same accent. the similarity was sooo striking.

except, perhaps if this had occurred in ethiopia, he would have been calling to propose marriage, not dinner.

-third, it was just sooo RANDOM.

-fourth, the whole Israel and Rachel thing just topped it off. and his facial expression when he said it.... priceless.

-----

i walked into the coffee place and could not stop laughing while i tried to tell the people i was meeting there. i laughed a lot. oh yes, a lot. haha... oh yes.

then, ten minutes later, he left a message to asked me out to (an ethiopian) dinner, which i had to politely refuse via text message.

i got a rather dejected "Thanks." back for the "God bless you!" at the end of my text... poor guy.

and then i studied really super hard for my test on tuesday until about 12:15am. but that's not funny, so i'll stop now.

and the moral of the story is: ..... ?

IgNobel Prizes...

Are given every year to people who make lame discoveries or inventions. I just got this email from my dad and thought a couple of them were quite hilarious:

----

The 2009 Ig Nobel winners, awarded at Harvard University

Veterinary medicine: Catherine Douglas and Peter Rowlinson for showing that cows with names give more milk than unnamed cows.

Peace: Stephan Bolliger, Steffen Ross, Lars Oesterhelweg, Michael Thali and Beat Kneubuehl for investigating whether it is better to be struck over the head with a full beer bottle or with an empty beer bottle.

Economics: Executives of four Icelandic banks for showing how tiny banks can become huge banks, and then become tiny banks again.

Chemistry: Javier Morales, Miguel Apatiga and Victor Castaño for creating diamonds out of tequila.

Medicine: Donald Unger for cracking just the knuckles on his left hand for 60 years to see whether knuckle-cracking contributes to arthritis.

Physics: Katherine Whitcome, Liza Shapiro and Daniel Lieberman for figuring out why pregnant women don't tip over.

Literature: The Irish national police for issuing 50 tickets to one Prawo Jazdy, which in Polish means "driver's license."

Public health: Elena Bodnar, Raphael Lee and Sandra Marijan for inventing a brassiere than can be converted into a pair of gas masks.

---

hahaha.... quality, quality.

flashback:

to when we were laying the traps down for the mouse.....

Lauren: HOW WILL WE DISPOSE OF IT?!?!

brielle: well, A, it's dead and we put it in the trash can... B, it's alive and we put it under the neighbor's tire.

BRIELLE IS SICK.

i think the whole terrorism minor question WAS a serious question.... oh my.