My Country Makes Me Smile

Daily, I enter into my workplace with stories to share about the international students I have become friends with. Regardless as to if I have seen the students the day prior or not, they are oftentimes on my mind. I love to tell of my times with them. Each student is unique. Each one brings something different to the table of friendship. As I ramble on and on about them to my boss and coworkers, questions arise. Those that work alongside of me are just like the students themselves-curious. Days ago, I was asked what the screening process was for the students to enter the United States. I knew that they must go before the U.S. Embassy for an interview but I had no idea what questions they must be prepared to answer. Several nights ago, 2 of the students treated me to dinner (so sweet of them!). As we visited during our meal, I inquired about their entry into America. They shared with me the questions they were asked by the embassy (for those wondering, let me know and I will fill you in...only 3 questions were asked of them) & said that whether or not they passed the interview was dependent upon the mood of the one conducting the interview. While both of the students I was speaking to made it through on their first try, some of the other students were not as fortunate. After we discussed the embassy, I began my own interrogation of them. Not really...I promise. I did wonder some things though and they were kind enough to allow me to ask questions. Having met a great number of students who have siblings or other family members pursuing an education in Australia, I questioned why that was as well as why those here in America selected our nation for schooling. Without taking any time at all, one of the students quickly responded by saying that the U.S. is the greatest nation in the world and that he knew he would have more opportunities if he came to school here. I must admit, I felt prideful. I felt as though I ought to pull out an American Flag & begin to wave it and begin chanting "USA! USA! USA!" One of the other students had shared with me months ago that one of the things that impressed him most about our country was the fact that someone who was raised in poverty with nothing could one day, become one of great financial wealth and success. In his home country, such would never happen. If you were born poor, you would die poor. As the Olympics are days away from coming to an end for 2010, I've had a chance to watch a number of the competitions. Like most, I love my country and sit on the sofa watching the TV in high hopes that the Americans will bring home the gold, silver and bronze every time. Right now, we (and by "we", I mean the U.S. For some reason I feel I am a part of that "we") lead all countries in the medal count with Germany closing in behind us. Our German friend, Claudia, has been over to watch some of the Olympic Games with us & she's commented that we (again, "we" meaning America) always win the most medals and she doesn't understand why someone else can't win. I just about slapped her silly one day. I was quick to let her know that she need not be upset about our hogging all of the medals..she should be happy for us. Then again, there is absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever that flows from me when her country (or any other country for that matter) wins a medal rather than us. When we win a gold medal & our athlete stands upon the podium and our flag is raised and our anthem plays, each and every time, it is an emotional experience for me. Tears begin to spring up within and a smile comes across my face. I may not always agree with our government and like all things, it's easy to find negatives. Overall though, there is no place I'd rather be (unless God calls me elsewhere...which, some friends of mine are praying that he calls me to China to be with them) than in this....the land of the free, the home of the brave...The United States of America.

Lady Antabellum

I am not one to generally jump to get the word out about bands and/or artists, nor do I usually find an album in which I like each and every song. Lady Antebellum came onto the music scene a while ago and when I first heard them, it was while watching the Crook & Chase show on a cable TV show. I was less than impressed. The hosts of the show spoke of them being the next big upcoming group in country music and they raved about them. I could not understand why. Months after, I heard their song "Run to You" on the radio & thought it was "just OK." The more I listened to the song, the more I liked the song. In fact, I grew to love the song. Some time ago, their song "Need You Now" began to be heard on the radio and immediately, I loved it. Not recognizing their voices, I wondered who it was singing. Back in October, I ventured out to buy the CD which had that particular song. I bought a CD..not realizing that the song was not on there. However, I listened & became a fan of every single song on their debut CD. I learned that "Need You Now" was not yet out..it would not be out until January of this year. From October until January, I listened to their first CD pretty much non-stop. A friend would often ride with me & he would say, "Do you always listen to this?" No, I did not tire of it. On the day that their new CD came out, I booked it to the store to get a copy. Since I picked it up, it has been playing continually in my car as I drive. Not one song has been a disappointment to me. Below are a few of my favorite Lady Antabellum songs. If you're not familiar with the group, check out their music...they are incredible. As I said, it's very rare that I can say I like everything that a particular musician does...I can say that for this trio. I eagerly await their concert here on June 19th.

Nepal Has My Heart

Me & the Nepalese crew

Back Row: Dilesh, Smriti, Bharosa, Arpit, Ishwor, Me, Narayan and Pratik

Front Row: Parmeswor, Prasoon, Durga and Keshav

Little Brother Dilesh and his didi (big sister)

Me & Ishwor

Bharosa and myself

Me & the guys..Pratik (or The Rockstar as Haley calls him) and my Little Brother, Narayan

Me and another little brother, Keshav.

Again....me & Narayan

After meeting one Nepali last semester, I got to know other Nepalese students quickly thanks to his introducing me to many. Soon, I had built relationships with them and had grown rather fond of my new friends. As I said goodbye to some great guys (miss you guys...Rabin, Sulove, Santosh, Pankaj...and more), I have said hello to new ones. Over the course of the last few weeks, it has been a true joy to get to know the new students from Nepal. They are an amazing group. I have seen such hearts of gratitude from them as well as very caring spirits. I was nearly brought to tears this past Tuesday night when one of the students (Dilesh) asked me if he could call me "didi". I asked why he would want to do that and his response was this: "Didi means big sister in Nepali and you are my big sister." For a few weeks, he had simply referred to me as "sister". When he asked to call me "didi" that let me know that I am special to him. Dilesh likes to joke around a lot so I had to make certain that what he was telling me was true..that "didi" did indeed mean "sister." He was being honest. So, I agreed....he may now call me "didi". The same night, one of the other guys gifted me with something I had been wanting badly...a specific item from Nepal. The day prior, he had heard me speak of wishing I had one of these caps and he decided to surprise me with one. I was so excited and did not even know what to say aside from thank you. I couldn't believe he was giving his cap to me. In addition to those two, one of the other guys sat with me and we shared a heartfelt discussion in which he asked me a few questions about something and was very honest in letting me know that he cared for me. Even if they have studying to do or work to tend to, if they know that Haley or I are present at the campus, they make it a point to come say hello to us. They greet us with a hug, they leave us with a hug. The time in between is filled with laughter, love and learning. To my new friends from Nepal: I was introduced to your homeland by those that came before you. Through your loving-kindness, I am falling in love with you and your country. Meeting people like you all makes me even more anxious to one day visit Nepal. I just hope that those I encounter there will be half as great as all of you. I know you speak of all that we do for you but you've no idea what you do for us. That you are eager to see us, you call us to check on us, you miss us when we are away, you call us your sisters.....that brings such a smile to our faces. You warm my heart more than you know.

Stepping Up to the Mic

Haley, Kurtis, me & Zach singing "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"

After pondering what to get us for Christmas, my best friend Crystal decided not to give us individual presents but to instead, give us something that we could enjoy as a family. I was ecstatic when the gift was unwrapped and there before our eyes was Karaoke Revolution for the Wii. I saw no reason for us to waste time...we needed to bust it open and get to singin'. We had a blast playing that the first night. Days after, my coworkers and I were talking when one discovered there were other editions available as well. Though costly, I broke down to buy another one and my good buddy, Zach, was kind enough to contribute to the cost. We have had a number of international students in our home who have "stepped up to the mic" and performed for us and Haley and I have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves whether listening to others or singing ourselves. From Suman's singing "You're Beautiful" to Uyanga doing Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours", Claudia doing "Rehab", Zach's stellar performance of "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" there has been no shortage of laughs. However, no one can compete with Kurtis' 100% score on "Time of the Season" or "How to Save a Life." Which, two times of a perfect score is the very reason that Kurtis was declared the American Idol Winner of Karaoke. Hats off to Mr. Hoagland! I have come to learn that perhaps I don't know some songs quite as well as I thought I did too! Despite butchering some songs big time, it still is great entertainment.

M-I-Z....Z-O-U

For a number of years, Haley and I have been desperately wanting to go to a MIZZOU basketball game. However, time and circumstances never allowed us to do so. Still desiring to go, I got online and began to check on ticket availability and found some decent priced seats for the January 2nd game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Since I had that day off from work, I went ahead & ordered the tickets and let my dad and Haley both know that their tickets were a gift from me for their birthdays (my dad's birthday was New Years and Haley's is on Valentine's Day). We made the drive to Columbia on an extremely cold day and before we could go to the Hearne's Center for the game, I led dad to the Columbia Mall. We had lunch in the food court and better yet, enjoyed some Lollicup. Though uninterested in a slushee at first, after tasting mine, he decided to go ahead and order one for himself. Oh Lollicup...how I love thee! Parking for the game was an adventure as every entrance we came upon was reserved and we were unable to to park there. Finally, we found a lot and parked while we wondered if we would be in trouble for parking in that area. As we walked into the Hearnes Center, we received free t-shirts compliments of Fox Sports Midwest. Not a bad deal....cheap tickets + a shirt that equaled the cost of the tickets themselves...oh happy day! For our first basketball game, we could not have asked for a better game. The Tigers kicked some Bulldog butt!! We had an awesome time and it was good for my sister and I to be able to spend some time with our dad. Go MIZZOU!!

Ringing in 2010

Ringing in 2010

Typically, my New Years Eve's are spent with family. However, having made so many friends through ISI, my sister and I decided to host a New Years Eve Party at our home. Our guests came over and as usual, for quite some time, everyone was on a laptop doing something. Some listened to music, others talked to family and friends on their web cams, some watched TV programs online, etc. Eventually, we got around to playing a couple of board games. We looked up and saw that we were minutes away from midnight and quickly moved into the other room to count down while watching the TV to see the ball drop in Times Square. We toasted one another, hugged and celebrated the new year that we were ushered into. Many of us stared at the television wishing we were in NYC partying with the millions that were there. 2009 flew by and well...sure 2010 will also.

Glancing Back at 2009

Early 2009 brought about a period of adjustment as I still was getting used to the absence of my sister. Though Haley had been living in Nicaragua for several months when they year began, I still missed her immensely. I am forever grateful for friends from church that I grew closer to in the time that Haley was away. The first few months of the year were fairly uneventful. As much as I enjoy the winter months, I was anticipating spring for one reason and one reason only--Cardinals baseball. I managed to get tickets for me and my dad to go to opening day and it was, without a doubt, one of the most unforgettable opening days that I had ever been a part of. Snow was falling down and the temperature was quite frigid. However, even the cold could not stop us from enjoying the game. And how could I go without mentioning...my first hotdog for the baseball season. Mhmm....

Spring also brought about a great change as Pastor Bob was called to shepherd our church. Since his arrival, God has used him to speak straight to my heart week after week. Never before have I looked forward to hearing a pastor preach as much as I do with Pastor Bob. I feel so blessed to be under his leadership.

Some of my Sunday School class and me with Pastor Bob & his wife, Jana.

Never having much time to travel around and visit with friends, I found time in the spring to make the drive to Kansas City to spend the weekend with friends Ben, Shellie & their 2 kids. We had a wonderful time visiting with one another and were up into the wee hours of the morning reminiscing and laughing.

Me & Brother Ben (one of my best friends)

For sure, one of the highlights of the year was when St. Louis played host to Major League Baseball's All Star Game. Though I was not able to afford tickets to the game itself, my dad and I were able to take part in some of the festivities..such as FanFest. FanFest featured baseball memorabilia from many eras, hands-on activities, free give-aways and opportunities to get autographs from baseball greats. In addition to attending FanFest, my dad, my cousin and I went down to the stadium and sat outside to watch the HomeRun Derby on a big screen and just soak in the atmosphere. Who knows if the All Star Game will ever be played in St. Louis again during my lifetime. So, for me...just merely standing back & watching from afar was a treat.

In July, I celebrated my 30th birthday. Knowing that should I remain at home, a birthday party would probably take place, I was smart enough to book a flight out of the country. I took a week and flew to Nicaragua to visit Haley as well as to meet her fiance' for the first time ever. We had the time of our lives while I was there. I did not expect to like Nicaragua and yet, I walked away having fallen in love with the country. While there, I spent a week getting to know Haley's fiance's Cousin Luis too. When Haley was not present, Luis did a great job acting as my interpreter.

Luis & me

Having heard much about Jesus (Haley's fiance'), it was a pleasure to finally meet him. He is the real deal...a genuine nice guy with a heart and love for Jesus. Though we do not speak the same language and had a difficult time communicating with one another, we shared many laughs.

Me & Jesus. Wearing the hat he picked for me to wear at the market & we just had to have the wooden armadillo in the picture!

My 30th birthday--spent with beautiful children

My 3oth birthday was everything I hoped it would be--no big affair. We ventured out in search for a waterfall that Jesus thought he remembered and in the midst, came upon some beautiful children. The kids followed us all over the place and were eager to have their pictures taken and then rush to our side to see the image appear on the screen. We had so much fun loving on those kids--even though our time together was short.

If you have known me for any amount of time, you may gather that I am probably not the most adventurous person on the planet. If anything, I may be one of the most cautious, careful individuals around. Danger never goes with my name. Risk do not come into play with me. For me, deciding to do the zipline in Nicaragua was probably the most daring thing that I had ever done or ever may do. Surprisingly, once I jumped off the platform to "zip" down the first line, I felt no fear. There was a rush that came with doing such and I would do so again in a heartbeat.

By far the most exciting thing that took place in the year was the return of my sister to the USA. I was so happy to have Haley back at home. Yes, we talked via the webcam, through e-mails, etc. while she was away but it was not the same as having her here. Knowing that she'd been missing out on baseball, one of the first things I did was take her out to a game. It was so good to have her by my side rooting on the Cards!

At the beginning of September, Haley and I ventured out on a roadtrip-just she and I. On our way to Alabama to visit family, we stopped in Nashville to stay a night with our friends Greg & Jen. I was so glad to see them as it had been a long time since we had seen one another. I had a blast playing with their daughter Cali. Even though we had little time to visit, our time together was so sweet. Me & Cali

Thanks to facebook, some time before we went to Alabama, I reconnected with an old friend of mine named Mandy. Mandy and I were good friends through the middle school and high school years. After having not seen one another in about 12 years or so, I was delighted when Mandy and her 2 sons paid us a visit.

Mandy & myself

I had heard much about the Georgia Aquarium and some relatives had raved about it after visiting there earlier in the year. I was envious of those that had been while I longed to go. I love aquariums. My uncle gave Haley and I a huge shock when he surprised us with tickets to the aquarium. We spent a day in Atlanta looking at all the fishies in the deep blue sea and enjoyed some pasta at the Spaghetti Warehouse. T'was a special time.

Uncle Rog & I encompassed by sharks and fish.

Generally, our visits to Alabama our so quick and short that we are not allotted much time for seeing people. Haley and I were very excited to have our Cousins Emily and Tabatha come by.

After having been asked numerous times when I would come for a visit, I finally made visiting my friends Greg, Rox & their 3 children a priority. While there, Greg & Rox took me to experience something for the first time ever...a state fair. I must say, I was quite intrigued by it all. Greg was more than eager to have me try a deep fried Oreo (or maybe it was a Twinkie..what was it Greg?). I am so richly blessed by the friendship of the McGhee's..I love them dearly.

Above: Fun at the fair!

A number of years ago, I began writing and sending care packages to soldiers overseas in Iraq. Of those that were recipients, was a man named Matthew. While he was away, Matthew and I spent a fair amount of time corresponding one with another through both e-mail and snail mail. It was my hope that I would one day get to meet him face to face and thank him for his service to our nation. I finally was able to do so on my drive home from Dexter, MO. Matthew and his family do not live too far away from my friends Greg and Rox. I touched base with Matthew and the plans were made. On a Sunday afternoon, I pulled into the driveway of his home and was thrilled to meet not only him but his wife and one of his sons as well. We shared a delicious meal together (thanks to his lovely bride) and had such a sweet time of fellowship.

Big thanks to Matthew for his willingness to serve our country!

In the early fall, a friend of mine from church approached me with a flyer and asked that I pass it along to those in my Sunday School class and see if anyone would be interested in helping out. I had no idea what he was talking about. He told me he did not have to ask me to help because he already knew I would--he knew my heart. Brother Doug was absolutely right. Moments later, I looked at that piece of paper and did not even have to think about whether or not I was going to volunteer. That which he had brought to my attention was that which I had been praying for. For nearly 4 years, I had asked that God might open the door and show me some way in which I could be involved with internationals. A'las, the time had come. Towards the end of September, Haley and I began working with ISI (a ministry that reaches out to international students at universities all over the nation) as volunteers. You may be wondering what that entails? Basically, we attend meetings every Thursday evening and just hang out together. Sometimes we play games, watch movies or thought-provoking discussions. In addition, Haley and I have spent much time both one-on-one with students as well as rounding up groups for activities such as: hayrides, bonfires, game nights and pumpkin carving. I have developed such incredible relationships with so many of the students. I definitely have felt like I have been adopted into the Nepalese family though as all of the guys (I am not sure why I rarely see the girls) have welcomed me with open arms. Just as I was getting to know a few of them better, they moved outside of the state. They've only been gone a couple of weeks and yet I miss their friendly faces.

Jeremy (Missions Director at FBCH), Sulove, Rabin, Ishwor, Durga, me, Aprish and Achyut at an ISI Dinner in St. Louis.

ISI has afforded me the opportunity to meet students from so many places all over the world: Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nepal, Mongolia, China, Japan, Italy, Georgia, Paraguay, India, Iraq, Germany and more. I have found great humor in watching the African students try to adjust to the winter weather of St. Louis. I eagerly await the first big snowfall so that I may get them for a time of sledding and snowball fights!

Theo and me

For my 21st birthday, my parents gifted me with a guitar. Unfortunatley, I never took the time to learn how to actually play the instrument. I had been thinking for a long time of giving the guitar away but was unsure who to give it to. While sitting in IHOP eating a late night dinner one night, Theo expressed that he had always wanted to learn how to play the guitar but he did not have one. As Theo spoke, the wheels in my mind were turning. Haley said she knew right away what was going on in my mind. She was right. The following day, Theo was ecstatic when I gave him the guitar. Theo is yet another one of the many students that we have been blessed to have met. He is from Ghana.

In case you were unaware, Haley does some photography on the side. She thought it would be fun for us to do a photo shoot with some of the students and also allow the students to have pictures taken of themselves that could be made into a book to be sent to their families back home. Below is one of the many pictures taken at Forest Park.

L-R: Suman (Nepal), Claudia (Germany), me, Del (Mongolia), Haley

and...Kwaku from Ghana is on the ground.

Back Row: Parmeswor (Nepal), Durga (Nepal), Haley, Volter (the Ukraine), Del (Mongolia), Bold (Mongolia), Nara (Mongolia), Oyunaa (Mongolia) and Oyunaa's boyfriend.

Front Row: Suman (Nepal), me, Galyna (the Ukraine) and Bold (Mongolia)

Thanksgiving was a busy time but a blessed one. While my parents traveled to Alabama for Thanksgiving, Haley and I remained here at home and opened the doors to welcome 11 students in to spend the day with us. Our Aunt Sheryl, Uncle Arlon, Grandpa & Cousin Rob & his family were here with us as well as our Cousin Lisa & her son, Noah. We could not have done everything had it not been for all of Sheryl's help. Celebrating Thanksgiving was a new experience for the students and I think they more than enjoyed themselves. Seemed everyone loved the food (as most had seconds and some had thirds!) and they loved speaking with our family members. I think all of our family would agree that allowing the students to join us was one of the greatest things ever. Working with ISI has afforded me the opportunity to get to know people from my church that I otherwise, still may not know. I have loved meeting Bruce James (Associate Pastor/College Minsister) & Jeremy Tosh (Missions Director) and seeing their passion for people of every walk of life. One of the things Haley and I have tried to do is to invite the students to join us in taking part in activities that are traditional to our country and our holidays. We were pleased to take several to the City of St. Peters Tree Lighting Ceremony where they heard Christmas music being played and sung by area choirs. A couple of them took advantage of the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap. Everyone watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" as well. Of course, Christmas lights is a common thing here in America. Some of the students joined our family for a ride to go see lights one evening. Over this last weekend, Haley and I took a few students to Belleville, IL to the Way of Lights Park at Our Lady of the Snow. We were able to observe Christmas trees that portrayed trees throughout different eras. We had a group photo taken just as though we were one big happy family. Though none of the students expressed interest, Haley and I decided to spend the $5.00 to ride a camel. If you have not ever been on a camel and are considering riding one at some point, I will give you forewarning that they are uncomfortable. I was only on the animal for a few minutes and yet, it was long enough for me to determine that I would never venture out across the desert by way of a camel. Still, to be able to say that I rode a camel is all that really matters to me...especially since most people would never envision me doing such.

One of the biggest surprises of the year has been the friendships I've developed with a few unlikely coworkers. Though we've worked together for quite a while now, it has just been within recent months that we have started to associate with one another outside of the workplace. It has been great fun getting to know them further and share many laughs with them. I have also enjoyed watching them interact with some of the international students as they have been somewhat involved with ISI too. Everyday, they keep me laughing. I truly enjoy working alongside of them.

Me with 2/3 of my coworkers (Kurtis, me, Zach) at the ISI Thanksgiving Dinner

Overall, 2009 has been a terrific year for me. Never would have I guessed that at this time, this is where I would be...constantly busy, staying up late and hanging out with college students. The year has had it's highs and lows as every year does. In the end, I can only be thankful for all that God has carried me to and through. While my heart has not been broken, several experiences have in some small manner, bruised my heart a bit. Through the pain, God has only opened my eyes more though. For that, I'm thankful. I have experienced things that I never dreamt I would and I could not be any happier than I am now. I know with all certainty that at this time, I am right where God wants me to be. There is such peace in following that which He calls you to do. 2010 is just days away. We never know what lies ahead..sometimes, things do not go as we had planned and sometimes, things go better than we ever could plan. I look forward to continuing on in my efforts to reach out to people from around the globe and keep loving on them. I have already began saving to hopefully make a trip overseas at some point next year. Destiation is not nailed down yet but I am looking at a sight-seeing trip to Nepal or a mission trip to either Indonesia, China or Thailand. Whatever I endeavor upon, I hope that one thing will remain-the desire to share the love of Jesus with those that I encounter whether it be by my words or my actions. I am excited about being summoned to jury duty for the first time ever and look forward to hopefully being selected to a case. Anyway...I pray for each of you this Christmas season. May God richly bless you and yours in the days, weeks and year ahead. Love to you all.