My favorite City

I love Salt Lake city. That's all there is to it :) and I love the people here that make me call it home. I've been back since...the 9th? That sounds about right. It's been a crazy blur of things since my return here from Quebec, and then Pittsburgh. Coming back was a little overwhelming, it took awhile before the feeling of being on another planet wore off. Still, things feel a bit odd, and kinda temporary. I feel pretty confident that God's called me to be a missionary, and I'm waiting for Him to tell me what that means. ya know what? Waiting is HARD. But at the same time, I believe and know that God is going to come through for me, because He's awesome, and He doesn't leave His kids hanging. Honestly, at the same time...I'm feeling uncertain and impatient.
Kurt and Liz, the couple from my church that I live with, are awesome. I'm so thankful that God has put them in my life, not only in my life, but living with them. They're like my parents, kinda. Every night I come home and am greeted by Kurt yelling, "Abby!" Then I come into the family room and we talk about eachothers' day and watch decorating shows on HGTV. I love it. A few nights ago when I was all uncertain about what God's doing in my life, they reminded me that it's just a season, and God's using this time to draw me closer to Him and He'll come through in miraculous ways. I know it's true, because that's what I was feeling in my heart, but it's wonderful that God allows me to share my burdens with much wiser people than I...and He uses them to confirm His promises. I am very blessed at home.
At the moment, I have some crazy decisions ahead of me...and I'm waiting on God to tell me what He desires me to do. Jodi, my pastor's wife, explains it like being a waitress at a restaurant.
God is sitting at the table, I come up and ask Him, "may I take your order?" and I wait for His response. If He's taking longer than I prefer, I don't run to the kitchen and bring Him something I think He might like...I wait. I may discuss some items on the menu with Him, but ultimately, the decision is His. So yes, this is my role at the moment. Kurt thinks all this stuff going on in my life is really cool and exciting. Also, he added, it makes for some "interesting drama." We'll see how it all unfolds.
On a different note, I've been painting like crazy. The youth pastor I'm working for, is allowing me to use part of the youth room for my personal art studio! It's pretty cool, and totally from God, because I have the hardest time getting anything done when I'm at home. It's so funny...whenever I need something for my artwork...God always provides. Other day, I had just finished. a painting and I was thinking, "if only I had some tracing paper(I like to use it to cover my paintings)." I walked down the hall, and I saw a big bag, inside the bag was a whole giant tablet of tracing paper I had left there from almost a year ago :) Painting for me is still a process. I'm learning more and more that it's about enjoying the journey and not always stressing out about the results. I can be kind of a control freak. So, anyway...that's what's going on...there's alot up in the air at the moment. We'll see what happens and I'll do my best to keep you all updated, if you wouldn't mind, please keep me in your prayers. Hi Baimes!
Lotsa love!
~Abbythepeach

In the giant bathtub...

Here I am in Salt Lake City, Utah....I arrived here just a few days ago...
So, for the past month I've been with my family in Pennsylvania...and in Michigan on Bois Blanc Island for two weeks. It was really wonderful to be with all of them, especially my mom, I love her so much, she's the best ;) The island was great too. I love the fact that that place never changes much. I've been going there since I was born, and it still feels like home. So, as great as it was to spend time with my family, it was really intense and hard. Like I said before, my parents are going through some difficulties with my little brother, Ben. A lot of time was spent trying to cope with this and figuring out how to help Ben. He's really an awesome kid...and he's been through some crazy difficult things in his 9 years of life. So yes...please pray for him.
I wanted to write a nice long post about the trip the island and what not...but since I've been back in Utah so much has been going on that it's hard to focus on anything but the past week. So...I'll leave you with some pictures of the beautiful island! God blessed me with the gift of a digital camera while at my parents' house in PA (thanks mom!). Oh yes...washing one's hair in the lake makes for a real good time! :D
Love, Abby
P.S. My family rocks!

the greenhouse

Hey all...

sorry it's been so long since I've written anything, lately I feel as though I've been moving from one temporary situation to another and it's hard to settle myself down. My last couple weeks in Dunham were really special and I treasured them very much...especially the time I was able to spend with all my friends before we seperated. So, since the 5th of July, I've been with my family. My dad drove up to Dunham to pick me up and take me on the 12 hour ride "home." I spent about two weeks with my mom, dad, and little brother Ben. AH! it was so weird to be back with them in that house. I guess you could say I felt a little displaced...all of a sudden everything was different, and everything was in english. how strange. There are alot of special challenges surrounding my family...particularly involving my brother. It's was really difficult to be home and suddenly in the midst of something I didn't feel like I was ready to face. But ya know, God knows all of this...He knew where I was headed, and always provides us with His strength just in time. During our last week in DTS we talked about re-entry, and that DTS was sort of like a greenhouse- an environment where we were protected and we could grow freely in God. I feel as though I felt the effects of leaving the greenhouse almost immediately. I'm truly blessed that God led me to take some extra days in Dunham after DTS to rest...He know I would need it!

Anyway...besides that, it's been wonderful to spend this time with my family. My parents are amazing, brave, and couragous people. My brother is the coolest kid, and also, very brave.

My mom has blessed me SO much since I've been here. She's taken me shopping! hehe, it was so fun to be with her and also get new clothes...especially after wearing the same ones for 6 months. I love being with my mom...and to be girly with her. ya know, it funny. Africa caused me to appreciate something I never expected- wearing skirts! I love wearing them now, and I hated wearing them before...how funny.

It's really strange to come home -or a place I used to live, because pittsburgh isn't exactly my home- and be faced with the sort of person I was before, or at least, what I was accustomed to before. When I came back to my old room, I saw for the first time just how much stuff I had...and useless stuff at that. So many clothes, that I hadn't worn in years and would never wear again w ere piled everywhere. For some reason before, I couldn't manage to get rid of them. So, the next day, I cleaned out all of them and donated them to a thrift store. Anyway...yeah. I also had a very nice easal waiting for me to use! hooray :) I've had that for a couple years now...I thought about it alot while I was in Dunham. It's fun to paint on it... yes.

So all this to say, re-entry is a trip... and I have another sort of re-entry when I go back to Salt lake in a week. God's here with me...and it's really amazing to know that and feel that He's bringing me home...and is leading me right now, at this very moment...even if I can't see what He's doing yet. That's all for now...it's time for dinner!

Much love,

~Abby