January Book Club!

Last nite was sweet medicine for my sad, little soul. Two of my good friends from Talbot Wives Club came over for our monthly book club chat. Our book was The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett... and boy, did we critique it to the ground :) It didn't stand a chance. Ha. The final verdict on the book: a cumulative 4.5 out of 10. We felt enriched regarding our knowledge of the dark ages and enjoyed the historical accuracy. However, we could have done without the never ending backstabbing & lust scenes.. and we agreed that this book has far more references to human anatomy than we ever were in need of knowing.

But what a refreshing evening. It was so freeing to laugh and laugh and laugh with these girls. Thank you, Lord, for such good friends made so quickly out here.

Ho-Hum

I will be honest to say that I've been a bit touchy and out of sorts since we have arrived back in Southern California. Not to justify myself, but Jarod's been cranky and mildly put out as well. While having this month off from classes, he has been carrying the weight of homemaker tasks, and there's just nothing simple or easy about it. Running errands, buying groceries, carrying groceries through gates and stairs and parking garages, navigating through the city of closed roads and traffic puts one's nerves on edge. I was welcomed back from Christmas Break with a 14 hour work day on Monday.. 8 hours of Drug Intervention at Lassalette Middle School and 6 hours of folding and refolding clothes at Old Navy. I was exhausted at the end of the day and Jarod tried to cheer me up with a RedBox Rental. It was my first time to watch "Forrest Gump". I cried. A lot. It didn't really cheer me up at all. Then today, at Sparks Middle School, I had a near breakdown with 3 of my students (and no, it wasn't the kids who were breaking down, it was me). Jarod picked me up from work with In-N-Out, our 3:30pm dinner. On the drive home, we both had realized our 4 days of negativity was descending into a downward spiral. So, we made a list of all the great things about living in LA. After about 4 minutes of contemplative silence, our list began:
1)no sales tax on food
2)In-N-Out
3)boba
4)plans are never hindered by weather
5)the beach is 15 mi away
6)$13 pedicures
7)we share a hobby of biking now
8)we have made some really good friends in a very short amount of time
and 9)we live in the same state as the climbing mecca of the world, Yosemite.
Surprisingly, this little positive list has uplifted our spirits. Jarod went to RockCity tonite to climb and I am finishing my book club December read. And I made my mom's Blonde Brownies. Baking always helps me to feel settled somewhere, especially when baking a tried and true and sentimental recipe.

Although now I don't feel as miserable as I had been feeling, I am still a little ho-hum to hear that quiet Branson is having it's 3rd snow day and to think of how at this time last week, I was enjoying coffee by the fireplace with my parents, watching the peaceful snowfall ... and that now I'm back and it's 75 and sunny and sticky and crowded and cramped and overrunning with people and cars and smoggy and dirty and lonely and ugh.. I wanna go home. What's on my list again?

Back in Cali

What a fabulous trip home to the midwest. I cant describe how wonderful it was to be with my family for two whole weeks! Here are highlights from the trip:

-28 hours nonstop driving from LA to Springfield, MO
-Silver Dollar City Christmas Lights!
-FIVE different family Christmases :)
-a day in the woods in Arkansas
-a WHITE Christmas!!
-Apple Pie Concrete from Andy's
-making Mii's at Aimee's
-coffee by the fireplace with Mom & Dad
-Bourne Trilogy with Wescott's
-posing for pictures with EVERYONE in Jingle Jammies
-Nerf dart war with safety goggles
-listening to Zach's stories from the AirForce
-meeting Baby Ada & Baby Zeda & Baby Davey for the first time
-a fabulous robe from my sweet mom-in-law
-"Deal or NoEL Deal"
-Jarod using Judy's Vitamix for the first time
-Taiga making snow angels
-hitting a coyote and denting our car somewhere in between Oklahoma City & Amarillo

I am so thankful for that trip home. I miss you all!

Day 1 of the New Job

New job began today. After the fiasco of a 55 min drive to get to Lasseletta K-8 School [7 mi away] (one closed road, one gridlocked freeway, two bouts of road construction, three detours and one train), I arrived 24 minutes late. But, no worries. They weren't expecting me. So I proceeded to meet with and "sell" the TUPE (Tobacco Use Prevention Education) to the AP, who got on board and is now encouraging his Middle School teachers to get on board as well. Luckily the counselor arrived shortly and she was familiar with the TUPE Interventionist Program.. so all smoothed out quickly and I was given a room with a desk. This is good. I sent my informative letter and referral forms to the middle school teachers this afternoon, so now I can hopefully start meeting with their students after school resumes in January.

We met with our supervisor for an additional training meeting after school and the highlight was picking out our school supplies. Ha. Why do I love colored Sharpies so much?

Tomorrow I am at Sparks Middle School, and it looks like I may start meeting with students as soon as I arrive. Could be an adventure of a day!

I can't believe that we leave for the drive west the day after tomorrow! I am so very NOT ready and am just concentrating on accomplishing these new work requirements. I sort of wish that I had time to mentally anticipate our trip, but I guess I do have 28 hours in the car for that.

On that note, I am hitting the sack early tonite. Working 2 jobs back to back makes me tired and I still have to pack!

Advent Season

I truly look forward to Advent every Christmas season, and this one is nonetheless, special. We are reading through the Mosaic Bible and participating in the Christian Calendar. I look forward to our readings and candle lightings every morning.

Today, Sunday, begins the start of week 3: Active Anticipation. This verse stood out:

"And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight." II Peter 3.14

Peaceful. Am I living a peaceful life? Tranquil, calm, restful, quiet? Serene, untroubled, composed, at ease? Unworried, content?

As I am preparing to go to the Midwest in four days, it is hard to remain peaceful. I am anxious and busy and noisy and bustling and sometimes agitated. I am packing. Planning. Thinking and cleaning. Shopping and working. I don't think peace means sitting in my living room all day, sipping cocoa. (Although that would be nice :) It's my state of mind. And my state of mind is a sort of panic disarray.

Lord, I want to strive for peace. A peaceful demeanor. Keep that present.

-B

A New Blog...

Hello everyone,

Well, a few months ago I jumped back into the blogging world using a Tumblr account.. sadly, we didn't jive and I have returned to the blog I began while in South Africa. But Blogger.com is really more my style and MUCH simpler to use :)

Hooray for a Holiday Blog!

-B

March Update - Home in Missouri

Dear Friends and Family -

I am writing to let all of you know that I am back in Missouri and settling into American life. It is good to be home among my family and my friends. As I look back into the chain of events at the end of my stay in Africa, I am more and more convinced that all was the correct timing of the Lord. I have peace and confirmation that all fell together as originally intended. And, just as a reminder, the Oceans of Mercy Orphanage in Port Elizabeth was closed and the children relocated with Mama on the north side of town. My kids, among the rest of the Oceans' children, now attend public schools. Oceans', obviously, was then in no need of a preschool teacher. Before I had heard that news, my personal experience in South Africa had become too intense for my own wellbeing. I was contemplating coming home early due to the lack of personal safety and lack of community. As I see now, the timing of the closing of the orphanage and my unsettlement was perfect in the end. As difficult as it was in those final days to hug my children and tell them goodbye, I must and still trust that the Lord loves them and cares for them more than I ever could.

Thank you all so, so, so much for your prayers and packages and letters and emails during my 6 months in Africa. I treasure them all. I was quite blessed financially during my stay in South Africa. The excess money that was in my account I used towards Casa de Barnabe in Guatemala City, Guatemala. I spent 10 days at the place that nearly 165 orphans call home. It was a blessing to see an establishment that was successfully growing up healthy children. Casa de Barnabe is a large plot of land that holds a 12 room school, two soccer fields, a basketball court, a gigantic two story commons building (which in itself includes offices, the mass kitchen, the laundry, the Toddler house, the church, and four rooms for accommodating 40+ guests), 10 houses (in each there are a set of married houseparents and 10 same age, same sex orphans), a baby house (where over 20 little ones, under the age of two are loved), a woodshop, a tortilla shop, and numerous jungle gyms and swing sets. Seeing Casa de Barnabe was wonderful; a sweet taste to experience Guatemalan people loving their own orphans and showing hope to so many.

Again I am reminded of God's timing and his faithfulness; as of the last night in Guatemala City, I am engaged to be married the end of August! For those of you wanting more sappy details of the proposal, I will be happy to answer any questions :)

May God bless you all and your willing hearts to support each other in the Body. Thank you all for experiencing this journey together from the bottom of my heart.

Brooke

Ps... A few included photos:

1. The day before I left I took my class to Kragga Kamma Lion Park
2. The Baby House at Casa De Barnabe
3. Outside the Miami Airport, looking at the ring for the first time in the sun