This is a blog to say that I want to "blog" once more.. but more accurately.. BLOB.  I think that's how my brain is right now in life- BLOB. I walk around, regretting everything I let escape from my brain and work (ie- music, painting and or other activities I do) and I enjoy it, yet not at the same time. I am this constant war with myself,  one moment I am enjoying "me" and the next, not so much. I have so many dreams, yet so little vision on how to go about them. I just get up everyday, trying to be thankful and get through it, (which I have no real complaints, things are good) but, I am unsettled yet. Don't know if I was ever "settled" but I still search for this though it might be unattainable. I am not so unhappy as I seem, I try not to dwell here. ( I don't succeed eh?) In all this, I know God has things for me to do, and I try to find peace in Him though all this- but I am increasingly impatient and constantly think I am on the wrong track. SO- this is a few stanzas I wrote that I sing to myself- 
"I will reside, in the shadow of you wings. I will lift my voice to worship you my King". End quote. End Blob.

This is a quote from one of the boys that we worked with at the Center of Talibés in Africa. 

He spoke thru google translate, since he was "imported" from a neighboring country and speaks very little or no French or English-  I spent a lot of the time with him, for he was extremely eager to learn to read and write English, French or German; whatever he could that he thought would help him to survive as a forced student of the koran in an alien land not of his own nationality; It really touched my heart. ♥ 

This is Thierno- the young man who said this:


Thierno:  hello stephanie
Stephanie: hi Thierno!  ça va? remember all that we taught you...
And make sure to take care of eachother.
Take care of the boys.
and remember we are praying for you
Thierno: thank you for the advice, your team is the best team that the center has never received
Lots you have motivated, and you have given us the love that we needed 
Stephanie: that is just a TINY taste of the love of Jesus Christ;
we wanted to share it with you, we love you


End conversation via facebook

 

Reno, How I love thee.

        So- after nearly 7 months, we are home. I love Reno. I miss the mountain air, the beauty and, of course, my family. I have spent the last week getting re-acquainted with my room, my car, my things. I am a weirdo, so I spent it cleaning and re-organizing my stuff, which is my way of acclimating to my surroundings. It's like I go through a change of environment by literally changing my environment and its in that process I find a peace. The best thing ever was playing MY OWN bass instead of a few "loaners" with a horrible action and too heavy and yucky. Plus, I actually got to play with a band with a ... get this- a drummer! YAY! 
       Nolan went back to work yesterday and he is finding his rhythm in his work as I get our cars back in legality and try and get the rest of things going like that.  I have been to the DMV twice and have to go back again, so "yay" for that. It has been nice though, being in my car, listening to music on my big ipod that I haven't heard in 7 months and just enjoying my independence. I tried to take a bike ride, but they were all flat and I didn't want to go bad enough to fill the tires, so I guess I wasn't that motivated. 
       In all this, the Lord has really blessed us in our trip home, and there are some more things that we are going to be involved in as far as missionary work is concerned, so I will keep you posted on that.   We are praying through this next step and would appreciate your prayers on it as well because it involves YWAM (Youth With A Mission) again and we are really excited.  We are acting in faith for this and are praying for more confirmation of this next step, so if you get any words or visuals about what we are doing next, please let us know your heart's prayer. We are depending on the Lord to act and are counting on Him to lead us where he wants us, so hearing him on this is of up most importance for us.  I have confidence in that He will lead us where he wants us and I have hopes and dreams that I believe we are acting in. 

This was our last look at St Paul, France

     So- until next time my blogger friends ! Tootles!

http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html

This is a video that I "stole" from a friend off of facebook, but it's about the "power of introverts" and it is really good if you care about people and have 20 mins! Check it out!