My First Cooking Experience at MTC

I arrived home late after going to church on Saturday night and making a run to Wal-Mart to pick up those essential food items and some cleaning supplies. Since my dinner consisted of chips and yogurt, I thought I would pop in a frozen pot pie. Once I remembered we didn’t have a microwave, I fished out a cookie sheet from the box of dishes from the mission barrel. After preheating the oven Martha-Stewart style, I deftly inserted my pie. I set my timer and estimated it would be done around 12 midnight—just in time for a midnight snack. Five minutes later, the smoke alarm issued an ear-splitting shriek! After wandering through the house and ensuring that the active smoke alarm was not the one that sounds throughout the entire building, I calmly pulled the pie out of the oven. Nothing was on fire, so I quickly opened the windows. The neighbor came over to make sure I was all right, and I mumbled something about the greasy residue on the pan making a lot of smoke. It was about fifteen minutes before I had the courage to put the pie back in the oven after scrubbing off the cookie sheet and closing the doors to the bedrooms where the smoke alarms are located. Finally, at 12:45, I ate my pie and went to bed. It may be awhile before I get up the courage to pull off a Martha Stewart, but I will be sure to keep a fire extinguisher on hand!

Safe Trip and Internet!

If anyone needs help with their internet, I am now a pro! I just learned that a "modem" is the thing that plugs into your phone jack to give you internet, and without it, a "router," which gives you cordless internet, is no good. Also, there is this box thing, called a "splitter," that plugs into somewhere to keep your phone line from being static-y. Once I acquire these items, I can stop puzzling over my neighbor’s password for their encrypted wireless network, which pops up every time I try to get online. I also learned how to get locked out of my school network, which shows my schedule, homework assignments, and all school-related email. Thanks to the IT guys, I was able to get my home internet set up and now know what an "ethernet cable" is.

Praise the Lord for safe travels! I had a great time with my friend in Fort Worth, and arrived at the Missionary Training Center in Roach without any problems, in spite of the huge rainstorm on the way. It was wonderful to see such a lot of rain after so long in sunny San Antonio! In Fort Worth I was able to see Michelangelo’s first painting, the Torment of St. Anthony, at the Kimbel Art Museum. He was 12 or 13 when he painted it, and I can see why he chose that particular subject. I can just imagine a twelve-year-old boy enjoying thinking up all those ugly demons. I also saw how artistic my Assyrian ancestors were in a wall engraving and got to appreciate the fact that my head and limbs are still attached.

 Christine and I raced through the maze at the Stockyards, and we saw a genuine cattle drive down the main street.

The Japanese Gardens were gorgeous, even in the 107-degree weather and we couldn’t resist doing kung-fu poses on the yin-yang stage.

The water gardens were a slight disappointment as there was no water running due to the drought, but we made the most of it by cooling off at Jamba Juice.

Thank you Naganos for your hospitality!

Since being at MTC, I have successfully raided the mission barrel, the free food pantry, the kitchen-ware closet, and the furniture barn. I love free stuff! Wal-mart is the next stop, so I can pick up some cleaning supplies and something that I can eat as an actual meal. Living on my own is more complicated than I thought! Thankfully, my wonderful hostess, Ronda, fed me a few times, so I wouldn’t starve before I got to Wal-Mart.

My aunt and uncle and cousin, Sarah, came to see me and we had our first meal in my house! I had a great time with them and am so glad I got to see my cousin before she heads to Peru!

A New Adventure

"These all died in faith...and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth....But now they desire a better country, that is an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath perpared for them a city." Hebrews 11:13,16

Growing up I always thought of myself as a pilgrim, a wandering nomad with no permanent home. As a missionary kid in Panama, on average, we moved more than once a year during my lifetime. I have come to like moving. Not only is it a great way to get rid of excess junk and do spring cleaning, but it has loosened my grip on the material and sharpened my focus on what really matters in life. I really identify with Abraham, who was ready to get up and move at God's call. After all, we are all pilgrims and nomads on this earth.

This land is not my home,

I'm just a'passin' through.

My treasures are laid up

Somewhere beyond the blue.

I am starting this blog for a few different reasons. First, I have always wanted to start a blog, but didn't have anything to write about, and second, now I have something to write about and would like to stay in touch with my friends and family. After getting a Bachelors degree and working at home for a year, I am going to do something I have always wanted to do, and that is going to missionary training with New Tribes Mission! The program is a year and a half to two years long and is located on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Check out their website for more information about NTM: http://www.ntm.org/

I hope you all will read this periodically--I am hoping to post at least twice a month. Please comment and give me your feedback!