Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Jessica and Jessie...


I know you can hardly believe it, I am posting AGAIN today!! I can't really believe it either, except I've had two evenings where I've been home in a row and it's been heavenly. So another post is in the making...

This is my friend Jessica...the sweet gal that I met when she came to Honduras with our Belpre team a little over two years ago now. I'll be honest we were all thinking, does she know what she's getting herself into here??? Like this is a bunch of Jesus loving, lots of hugging, country folk who are going to this little tiny country with lots of impoverished people. Shame on me for ever thinking that. Let me explain just a bit...as you can tell, even though she loves me, Jessica is more the give me my space kind of girl (not so much a hugger, but she's learning through force as you can tell) and she's a New Yorker (not born and raised, but as I just spent a few days trekking the streets with her her feet have become New Yorker for sure) and I think it would be fair to say, and I think that she'd tell you, that she wasn't too sure what she thought about all this Jesus loving business either.

Ok fast forward two years to today...and Jessica is one of my dearest friends. She has latched onto Casa with both fists and all her heart and she tucks away a little book of pictures to take with her everywhere that she goes to tell people about those sweet kiddo's. She sends me emails now when I'm feeling the pressure that say things like...Jen remember that God is in control and He's right there with you through all of this...and God is using her to speak truth to me in hard times. She works like a dog building those houses, and she loves with the best of us when a little brown eyed beauty finds their way into her arms. I am honored to know her and BLESSED to call her my friend.

So a little over a week ago, Gina and her sweet momma came to visit and they wanted to see New York. I mean REALLY wanted to see New York. (What I didn't know is that even if I took them in every single store within a 10 mile radius they weren't going to wear out. This would have been great information to know ahead of time. :) ) But out of the graciousness of Jessica's heart, she offered to let 4 of us stay in her studio apartment in Manhattan for 5 days and 4 nights. When a motel in the area costs $400 a night you want to kiss the feet of one who would allow you to sleep in their very free apartment. Not to mention the fact that we got to just have time to hang out with her.

Now I can not possibly explain to you this whole saga, but because I have been made fully aware that a HUGE apology must be granted, I will fill you in on at least part of it. Jessica has a cat named Jessie, now Jessie is cute, but she makes me sneeze. ALOT!! And Jessie is cute, but she wanted to sleep with Gina's mom every night and well Gina's mom really wanted to sleep minus Jessie, so one night I got up to go to the restroom and was sneezing my head off and I saw Gina's mom hiding under her covers in the darkness all I saw was the form of a body under the sheet and then I figured it out...she's hiding from Jessie. So I thought I was doing the world a favor at least for a couple hours, I mean it was like 3 am for Pete's sake...so I "might" have in my not so wide awake moments put Jessie in my arms took her into the bathroom after I was done and closed her in there for the rest of the night. Yep might have. OK I DID...I LOCKED JESSIE IN THE BATHROOM!!!

Now you would think that the other 3 ladies that were with me would have helped me out as I was attempting to save them as well, but do you think I got any help from them, oh Heavens no. As soon as Jessica came in in the morning, Gina had already let her out of the bathroom, but she was meow-ing to beat the band I guess. So that night at dinner Jessica says to me man Jessie was going crazy when I came in this morning what in the world was wrong with her?? So this slight grin that turned into a laugh found itself on my face and...all 3 of those other ladies that I was trying to help looked right at me and said "ummmhmmmm tell her Jen." SO much for trying to help them out ever again!!

So figured maybe a public apology would do the trick!! I love you Jessica and Jessie I will never lock you in the bathroom again (well unless you jump on my bed in the middle of the night and make me want to wet myself as you pounce again)

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Shock of ALL Shockers...

I know shock of all shocks, this girl who never writes has FINALLY posted yet again. I have been traveling and fundraising for the past month or so and without fail someone in the crowd makes a point to let me know they check my blog EVERY DAY (I am so sorry for those of you who are so faithful) and then I feel this kick of guilt in my gutt, because I know I used to have so much more to write about and I was so much more diligent about doing so. So for those of you who got used to the everyday posts, I sincerely apologize. For those of you who thought ok maybe she'll slack back to once a week, hmmmm yep didn't work out either, and for those of you who have just resigned to the fact that I'm not gonna post any more than once a month, well I'm trying so hard to do better.

I am to the point that I am missing my kids something horrible, so I'm gonna make this a mommy writes to her kiddo's post. I know I know you waited for a month and this post isn't even to you, it's just not even kind is it. But...for tonight it's what my heart needs, so please bear with me. Thank you.

(Karen if you could translate this for me I would so appreciate it) Hey my little tribe, I am missing you so very very much. I have been traveling around telling our story to so many people and they are loving hearing about you and how special you are. I tell them how much I love you and how your little hearts are healing and how much we all love getting to do life together since God brought us to Casa. I will be home in 34 days...make sure that you start counting. I can't wait to see you. My life is so blessed to have you in it. I love you to the moon and back!!