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sarahmcf
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Name: Sarah
Birthday: 11/22/1981
Gender: Female
Interests: Growing closer to Jesus, mentoring youth, the Bible, music, good coffee, reading, traveling, photography, and thrift store shopping
Occupation: Other
Industry: Other
Message: message me
Member Since:
7/27/2005
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|  | Currently Watching
Hoosiers (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
By Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper, Sheb Wooley, Fern Persons, Chelcie Ross, Robert Swan, Michael O'Guinne, Wil Dewitt, John Robert Thompson, Michael Sassone, Gloria Dorson, Mike Dalzell, Skip Welker, Eric Gilliom, Robert Boyle (II), Jerry D. Petro, Sam Smiley, Tom McConnell, Dennis Farkas
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Bolivia was incredible. A mad rush of people and places and sights. We spent our first few days in Santa Cruz checking out the ministries there. We visited the local Christian high school and the Evangelical University and were able to help out some missionary friends of ours with manual labor. We sweated our way through the city with heat and humidity that was a stark contrast to the 8 inches of snow that we left in Chicago.
Our flight from Santa Cruz was delayed because of the worst weather Cochabamba has seen in 50 years. It hailed for 30 minutes and it's the summer there! We finally got on the plane at 12:30 a.m. This was the first time I ever really believed that I was going to die. The plane had turbulance the entire time and it was seriously worse than anything I've experienced. Lightening struck all around us and the wings looked like they would fall off at any time. Cory slept through a good deal of it. But after a few jerks and dips that took my breath away he woke up and saw my white knuckles gripping the seat. All I could think of was "Lost" and the fact that we were a heck of a lot higher up than they were and there would be no survivors. I'm ridiculous, I know. We did get in safely and got to the guesthouse at 2 a.m. We were at Carachipampa Christian School the next morning by 7:30 a.m. because it was the last real day of classes before exams. It was great to meet all the teachers and students who just adore Cory. We walked into chapel and all the students started cheering.
We had two receptions here which was another rush of people. I think we win for the most receptions ever. Such is the life of nomads. Friends in too many cities. The morning of our second reception I was so sick. I had horrible diarhea and a fever. Yea Bolivia. I laid in bed all day long and ate nothing but crackers. I was feeling better in the afternoon (mostly because there was nothing left in my stomach to come out) so I showered and we had our reception. They had a full program and had us up front the whole time. It was great. I was doing ok but was really thirsty. I had one glass of punch and felt ok. After the program they had food and I ate all of 3 chips. I was talking with some people and I started feeling really chilled and dizzy. I knew I had to get out. I could barely walk to our room (Cory basically carried me) and I blacked out at one point. I made it to the bed, and a pot I had conveniently put there that morning, just in time to lose all the punch and the three chips. Cory held my hair back as I puked. What a man! It was pretty incredible because he can't handle vomit. Ahh, love.
It was wonderful to meet and get to know so many people who love Cory. One of my favorite times was visiting with the Haugens. They do ministry in the campo (country) with the Quechua people. They work with children teaching them Bible stories using puppets and songs. They do leadership development for church leaders and pastors who work in the mountains. They are building a community center to provide career training for the people. I loved it. They are such wonderful people.
Cory and I spent 3 days in La Paz which is over 13,000 feet above sea level. It was amazing but I was also sicker than a dog. I thought it was just altitude sickness but later found out I had a parasite. It's a long story that involves greenish-yellow diarhea, the feeling of monkeys playing in my stomach and then stomach cramps that made me want to rip out my stomach with my bare hands and throw it on the floor. The most intense time of this was as we were flying back to Cochabamba. I came back and had to have a docter come see me. I got a rare parasite/fungus that they didn't think had hit Bolivia yet. I'm so full of this parasite they couldn't even count how many I had in the "sample." Let's just say it's been a roller coaster. After two doctors' visits, a nurse taking blood and my "sample" and a bunch of medicine, I'm completely better now.
I loved our time in Bolivia. We still are seeking God's direction as to our next step. We are planning on being in the States for at least a year but after that... Only God knows and He shows us one step at a time.
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Hello my Friends! I know I've neglected xanga like none other. Life has been so full. The wedding was absolutely amazing. It was definitely a worship service and really not about us. I love being married! The honeymoon was incredible as can be expected (except that I got hives!). I know it's ridiculous. Leave it to me. I would love to write all about all that has been happening but I don't have time. I will be MIA for awhile too because of my crazy schedule: November 11 Wedding! November 13-23 Honeymoon- Cruise in the Caribbean November 25-27 Ft. Wayne for our second reception November 28-December 2 Home in Channahon, Illinois December 3-20 Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and La Paz, Bolivia (including 2 more receptions) December 21-25 Ft. Wayne for Christmas with Cory's family December 26-27 Home to wash clothes and repack December 28-January 11 California for Christmas with my family and our last reception! I know we're ridiculous. Please pray for us as we travel and try to thrive in the midst of this craziness. If you want to see pictures from the wedding go to www.xanga.com/kennykimdotcom. You have to scroll down to his November 22 post to see them (which was also my birthday!). Our photogragher was amazing. I love you guys and hopefully we'll catch up soon. To all my BFA girls, I miss you like crazy! Kristin, Anne, Hannah, Tini and Julia were able to make it to the wedding and it was awesome to have them there! I wish the rest of my Witt girls could have made it too! | | |
| How do I express all that has happened in the last couple of months? Saying goodbye to my Wittlingen family was more difficult then I can explain. The last couple of weeks with my girls and the dorm staff were so incredible it made it even more excruciating to leave. However, I am filled with joy in knowing that we have left indelible marks on each others' lives. Through such an intense experience of living in community we have sharpened each other in our daily interactions. This year in Germany has shaped and transformed me and drawn me closer to my Lord. I continue praying for my sweet girls who are scattered all over the world and I look forward to crossing paths again.
One of my greatest memories of this last semester was leading 18 girls on a camping trip in the Sausenberg castle ruins. We hiked to the castle carrying our supplies and (heavy) wood and set up our sleeping bags so we would see the stars. For many of the girls it was the first time they had ever been camping. We talked about everything from relationships to God to school and then toasted s'mores and drank hot chocolate around the campfire. We sang worship songs together as the stars began to dot the sky. One song we sang in each of the languages of the girls and then made a chorus of all our languages together. It felt like this was a little glimpse of heaven. The next morning the rest of the dorm joined us for church in the castle. I gave a short message and the girls shared what God had taught them this last year. It was a wonderful weekend.
The last semester was jam packed with events like helping the girls get ready for the Junior Senior Banquet, teaching the girls to wrestle on mattresses in the living room, cleaning the dorm until it was spotless, awards ceremonies, finals, and graduation. There isn't much room to breathe in those last couple of weeks but each moment was so treasured.
Though leaving was painful, I was welcomed with excitement. I flew into Chicago and was greeted by my love, Cory Hooley. I flew in Monday night
and he picked me up at the airport. In the morning I had an
invitation slipped under the door to my room inviting me to a night of
dinner and dancing.
We got dressed up and he took me out to this
exquisite restaurant for dinner. Then we went out to this woodsy path
by this pretty river called the I and M Canal. When he came up in
December this was the first place I took him. It was late at night and really dark and
he led me down the path and when the path turned there were candles
surrounding a bench (that Cory had brought from home and set up
earlier) covered in a pretty white sheet. The bench has significance
too because when we were together at Christmas we were in a park on a
bench when I first told him that I would follow him anywhere. That's a
pretty big deal for someone as headstrong as me. ;) There was also
this little table with wine glasses, chocolate covered strawberries,
and an ice bucket with sparkling cider. Next to the bench was a cd
player with my favorite love songs. We slow danced to "At Last" by
Etta James (which will probably be the song for our first dance at the
wedding) then he led me over to the bench and sat me down. He got on
one knee and asked me to be his wife. Of course I said yes! We danced
for a long time and just had a wonderful evening. So, it's finally
official and I have a ring! We will be getting married November 11, 2006 in Minooka, Illinois. I appreciate your prayers as we continue to grow together and seek God for direction in our future.
Transitioning back into the States and to a former life, that is so
different than how I left it, has been difficult. But perhaps it is I
who is different. I am exhausted after the year and feel the need to
sleep and recuperate but my inner drive makes it difficult to allow
myself time for the transition. I can think of 1000 things I should be
doing and people I should be seeing. Cory, and my brother and
sister-in-law have been great in trying to help me slow down. Pray
that I will be able to process all that has gone on this last year and
unpack my mind. There are many transitions ahead and it's easy to get
overwhelmed by everything.
Thank you for your support and prayers this last year. It has meant so much to me.
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| If you get my prayer e-mails then you can skip this post because it's a
repeat. Just wanted to fill everyone else in on the trip to
Romania. But if you guys can pray for me I could really use
it. There are some really tough things happening right now in my
fiance Cory's family. Pray for wisdom as we work through
this time.
I have been outside the world of internet communication for almost 5
weeks now. The dorm’s internet completely failed a week before
Spring Break and is still down. All of our complaints about the
slow dial up service have been silenced since we have lost it all
together. In the back of my head I hear my mom’s voice reminding
me of how easy it is to not appreciate things until they are
gone. I know it’s true but I still don’t like to hear it.
All of that to say, this is the reason of my recent lack of
communication and probably continued sparseness. I have to rely
on trips into the school or to another dorm, which don’t always fit
into the schedule. So thank you for your grace!
Thank all of you who were praying for the BFA mission trip to
Romania. It was an incredible trip that truly affected the
students, staff and the people of Marga, Romania.
Our team consisted of students from a variety of different grades and
friend groups but God really brought the group together and meshed them
into a team. The students truly had servant hearts and their love
overflowed onto the people. Throughout the entire trip they
didn’t complain at all (extremely impressive) and were more than
willing to jump in before a need was even voiced. The missionary
we were working with said this was the best team he has ever had.
He was overwhelmed to the point of tears at how the team loved the
people and worked so hard on the work project.
Our mornings were consumed by work projects. We were able to
finish pouring concrete for a basketball court and we mounted the
backboard and hoop. This was very work intensive! We hauled
heavy boulders to the site to fill the area, which was partially on a
hill. This enabled us to create an even surface and thus use less
cement, which makes it cheaper. Unfortunately, I have a tendency
to overdo it with work projects. In the process of moving these
rocks I picked up a huge one and it slipped smashing my ring finger
between the rock and the rock pile. The finger was immediately
black and filled with blood. It swelled to three times its normal
size and two days later I was finally able to release the pressure by
piercing the nail with a hot needle. I have now completely lost
the nail and I've realized fully why God gave us fingernails.
Needless to say my finger is quite ugly and I just hope that the nail
will grow back in time for the wedding. ;) We also took a carutsa
(sp?), a tractor pulled Romanian cart, down to the river to shovel sand
for the cement. The basketball court looks great and we played
with the Romanian kids until after dark on the first day it was dry.
Our afternoons were filled with a Bible Club for kids. Every kid
in the village came and we about 45 kids every day (with 52 on our
final day)! Only three of which come from Christian
families. I headed up all of the crafts for the week and the kids
just devoured everything we did. Communism has left Romania in a
deteriorated state and though it is getting better the people still
have so little. It was amazing to see teenagers excited about
doing little crafts or even a coloring page. Their appreciation
and positive response to anything we did was so encouraging and
refreshing. The poverty here is staggering. We went through
neighborhoods that were worse than anything I’ve ever seen in Cabrini
or Mexico for that matter. This isn’t even the poorest part of
Romania either. Skeletons of communism loom everywhere in
hallowed out decrepit shells of factories and poorly made, utilitarian,
worn down apartment buildings. It’s such a sad place. But
the people are so loving. They embrace you immediately and just
love you even though we can’t speak a word of each other’s language.
At the end of the week many of the kids had written the team notes—some
in Romanian some in broken English—all given with hugs and shy
smiles. And then a couple of the kids came with bags of old
toys. They gave David a beat up puzzle, Jill an old stuffed
animal, me a stuffed Minnie Mouse, and the list goes on. They had
brought the few possessions they had to give to us. It’s
incredible when stories from the Bible are played out before you—the
widow’s mite was demonstrated that night. I could hardly hold
back tears. These children who have almost nothing were so
willing to give what little they had to us. How often do I hoard
and continue to collect more THINGS, without a second thought? I
even have the audacity to compare myself to others and feel poor.
This trip has begun a change within me that I want to continue to
foster. I want to develop this heart of generosity that these
children have already mastered. Like I said it was a phenomenal
trip.
Please continue to pray for the missionaries, Phil and Adinella Ness,
who are ministering to the children that no one else seems to care
for. Though there are churches within the village, none of them
reach out to the children and young people. Pray that the
children who have come to know the Lord will live their lives before
their parents and be a witness to them.
After Romania my friend Brea and I travelled to Prague and London and
then returned to ready the dorm for the girls return. We are
definitely back in the rush of the school schedule. I’m told this
section of the year passes in a blink. Pray for the girls as they
try to balance school, sports, choir and all of their activities.
Also pray for divine appointments where I will be able to dig into
deeper conversations with the girls about spiritual things.
If you’d like to see some pictures from the trip you can go to
www.bfacademy.com and click on Students then Photo Gallery then
Romania. You can also check periodically under Wittlingen for
photos from our dorm. Thank you all for your love and
support!
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| Hello Friends!
Our internet in the dorm is out so if I haven't gotten back to you lately I'm sorry. I'm also leaving for my mission trip with the team from BFA to Romania tomorrow so I don't have much time to go into details about life. Please pray for me and the students as we work and share God's love with the people of Romania.
For those of you who haven't already heard...
I'M GETTING MARRIED!
Cory and I will be married on November 11, 2006 in Minooka, Illinois. I will go into details when I return from spring break but that won't be for 2 weeks. So I hope you are all doing well and I look forward to writing more later.
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