The countdown is on!

It seems as though I have finally managed to coordinate working internet, power and actually have time to sit down and write a blog. It seems like everything and nothing has happened since I last posted.
Ogles and I have booked our tickets to Cape Town as well as our hotel room for the week (If you would still like contribute to this cause please let me know). We are so stinking excited about getting out for a bit. It will be a much needed break from life here. We didn't do a whole lot last week just the normal routine, which I am honestly okay with. Even the "normal" routine involves learning something new everyday. We're making it though. God is providing.
Last Friday was International Day here at ABC. This is a day that is in place to recognize the, over 23, different countries and cultures represented at our school. All of the kids come to school in "traditional" dress from their country. (Good luck if you're from America, Ogles and I decked out in sports gear and had a grand time!) There is a parade of countries and some entertainment including several national anthems and performance of local drummers which was excellent. (hopefully I can get some pictures posted, soonish) After that we all went back to our classrooms for a bit and then we feasted. All of the parents bring "traditional" food to share with the school. There was SO much food it was crazy! Everything was great, everyone look great and we had a lovely time. AND It RAINED! Oh the rain is a beautiful thing here! Later Friday night we went to Thanksgiving Potluck... where there was TURKEY! it was so delicious. We had a good time sharing a meal with many of the other single folks on campus and just having a good time.
Saturday we spent the day with the excellent Kyser family and enjoyed a more traditional southern Thanksgiving dinner (sans the turkey) and afterward watched White Christmas! We had so much fun we are so truly blessed to know the Kysers! They have made so many things so much easier. The rest of the weekend was pretty low key reading books watching movies... just relaxing before we were back to school on Monday.
AND SO NOW ONLY 3 WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited for it to be Christmas time. We have our decorations up and our Christmas clothes out and basically everything that I am doing in school is Christmas something or another. HOORAY!

Until next time...

"My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." Proverbs 3.1-8

I do not have a good title.

Lets see... what has happened since my last post...? Well we left off on Monday... So, Tuesday. Tuesday was a pretty average day wake up early (well less early considering the late night basketball game) and go to school. School was followed by parent conferences and a pizza night with the guys. (there was also a chop chop involved which Owen thankfully killed) Wednesday was game one of the championships so Ogles and I decided to nap that afternoon so we could stay up late and watch the game. The guys played hard but we lost. Thursday was back to school and more parent conferences and Friday was the same. Friday was the second game of the championships, another well played game but we lost putting us second. It was fun though and everyone played hard. The guys still have a few more opportunities to play before the season is completely over though.

Saturday we attempted, once again, to sleep in but our faithful friends came to sing at our windows. Clearly, by friends here I mean the men who are working to build a trench in our back yard, which is all of 5 feet from the back of our house to the wall around campus. Its okay though we've learned to just embrace them at some point one of them really did start singing and all I could do was laugh. 

Later that day some friends came over for lunch and just to hang out. I also had the opportunity to go to a wedding on Saturday for one of the girls that works at the academy. We only went for the reception, but it was fun. One of the main things they do is call up different groups of people to dance and throw money around the new couple. We arrived just as they were calling up the ABC staff, what an experience. 

After the wedding we came home and decided that ice cream was clearly in our future so we drove up the street to have ice cream and coke (no judgment please). While we were sitting around Michelle called and told us there was petrol at such-and-such a place and we should go, and so we did... only to find out that they had stopped pumping for the evening and we would could come back at 6am. Okay that was the plan. We went back home and were just sitting around when Michelle called again and send several other places where also pumping and we should go to one of them after some (much) debating we decided we should probably go. So we drove around town for a bit, but no luck. So we came home and resolved to go back out in the morning. 

Sunday... Ogles got up around... EARLY... and took some students from the college and went and managed to be car number 5 in the queue and get almost a full tank of gas! Praise the Lord!  We also had lunch with with a lovely family Sunday afternoon and then spent the rest of the day being lazy. SUNDAY was also the 100th day we have been in Malawi!!!!

Monday morning... day 101... the stomach bugs strikes! Ugh! apparently tons of people on campus came down with this rather nasty bug... and in true Aly and Ogles style we managed to catch it. Ogles was out most of Monday and I was out Monday and most of Tuesday... WEDNESDAY we recovered!  and its back to work I was so glad to be back with my students today (even if they were a bit crazy). As for the rest of the week nothing much is planned except for the LECRAE CONCERT ON SUNDAY!!!!! Ahhh! I am so stinking excited!!! You have no idea! Lecrae is coming to Africa... TO Malawi.... TO LILONGWE... Ahhh! This is so great! 

Things are still hard sometimes, I still miss home... the thought of not spending Thanksgiving with my family is tough, but I believe that God has called me here and he will provide for me as he already has time and time again. (today I got a thanksgiving card from my mom! and several other pieces of mail!!! Mail is great here by the way!) For that I am so thankful!!  I'm learning something new everyday, some things are hard some things I've learned before, but all of them are good things. 

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement! We need all we can get here! 

Until next time... 

 "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

   for his steadfast love endures forever!

 Let Israel say,
   "His steadfast love endures forever."
 Let the house of Aaron say,
   "His steadfast love endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
   "His steadfast love endures forever."

  Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
   the LORD answered me and set me free.
 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
   What can man do to me?
 The LORD is on my side as my helper;
   I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
    than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in princes." Psalm 118.1-9

Listen closely

... I realized today that I have not been listening closely for God. I have expected him to jump out at me to come through the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, but I've not been listening for the whisper.
    Last week was tough, the lack of power, Internet, fuel, water, and sleep accompanied by tense relationships and close quarters made for a really emotional week. Honestly, most of this I can deal with quite easily. Sure its an inconvenience, or just plain obnoxious, but you deal with it, you move on, no big deal. The things that really make life here difficult are my own struggles, things that make me more comfortable, things like anxiousness and worry. If I can just fret about something I'll be okay... right? NO! Praise the Lord he puts intelligent people in my life. A very wise friend said "Quit giving Satan names." What  I really wanted to say was. SHUT UP, Don't say things like that to me! Just feel sorry for me and let me have it. Thankfully another wise friend who God sent with me to Africa said, "He's right you know...." Okay guys smack me in the face one more time why doncha... Well they didn't have to God took care of that as well.
    Last Wednesday it was one year since a dear friend of mine passed away. I was reading on of the last sermons he wrote, and was encouraged and convicted even more than I had been. I am so grateful  for Christian and the live he lived. What a magnificent example his life was and has continued to be to me and many others.
    It's hard to pinpoint exactly what made last week so incredibly difficult but I'm glad its over and we can start new... a new week... a new beginning. I'll be listening closely this week for the whisper.  PRAISE THE LORD!

In other news we started off this week, Monday, by going to the guys basketball game. The team has made it into the championship playoffs (secretly I'm really confused about all of it) but Ogles and I went to the game last night and it was really great. First off I got to hold the sweetest baby in the world and just enjoy her and it was great. Second, the guys played a great game, and really close game. In the last period of the game the students started singing hymns... I promise for the next 8 minutes or so the other team did not score. It was all really excellent, and we won! so Wednesday we'll play the championship game and see what happens there. It was great!  The week is young, it's been a good week thus far fun things are happening my God is big, bigger than all of the mess that is my life some days.
Please continue to pray... Pray for Malawi its tough right now, things are crazy. Pray for ABC, for the students, teachers, staff, everything you can think of. Pray for peace, wisdom and understanding, and lastly pray for continued financial support. I feel your prayers here more than I can express and I am so grateful!

Until next time...
"And he said, 'Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.' And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind and earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sound of a low whisper...." 1 Kings 19. 11-12 (I strongly encourage reading the rest of the chapter)