oops....

I put a hole in my wall tonight... and this time not on purpose... oops! I mean really... I barely touched it and now there's a hole. This house never ceases to bewilder me. New adventures everyday! I guess now I'll be one step closer to finding out what's behind this strange blue wall (in the spare room / office). Everything about this house is strange! Today I had a plumbing fiasco. I was about to leave for work, and I hear "*flush* Bonnie, we have a problem!!!" The toilet had overflowed and was leaking through the floor again and into the basement (which is also the dining room). Argh... so I called various people and finally got ahold of Neil Baker (aka my Summit dad - heheh) and he recommended a plumber. I called him and he was out within 30 mintues. He was able to do a temporary fix, but there's a much bigger problem, and pretty much all the piping will need to be replaced. Good thing I have a "big-job" plumber coming next week, so it won't be too much to tack on this extra job. Oye... days like this I wonder what the heck I am doing! It's exciting, that's for sure. I'm learning a lot, and that's definitely cool. I'm sure that 20 years from now I'll look back and know exactly why God's teaching me these things... right now, I'm not so sure. heheh But I'm glad He knows. ;) And on that note... I'm going to bed. I have to rest up for Oxford Manor Kids Club tomorrow afternoon and then the Latino Worship Center tomorrow night!!

Buenos Noches!

Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81

news from Ms. Boisvert

Wow… so I have a lot to update you on!  A lot has been going on in the past few weeks.  The biggest thing is that I started my new job!  I still don’t have kids… they won’t start until next Wednesday, but I have quickly learned that there is A LOT more to this job than just teaching the kids! For those of you who may not know, I just started working with an organization called “Chapel Hill Training Outreach Project.”  Under that umbrella is the Head Start program, for which I am a teacher.  The coolest thing about this job, is that I really do work with a lot of people.  I’m not just a teacher stuck in a classroom with no help!  Besides having two other teachers in the classroom (who are great!) with me, there are family service coordinators (in English and Spanish), mental health services, special ed services, health and nutrition services… I’m not alone trying to help these kids!  Head Start works with the whole family and it is one of our goals to empower families to get the help they need to succeed.  I LOVE it!!  I’m also extremely blessed to have a Teacher’s Assistant who is not only good enough to be a lead herself, but is a really strong Christian!  It’s so nice to be able to be open with our beliefs and talk about faith issues whenever we want to.  We haven’t met our bilingual aid yet, but we both say that if she’s not a Christian already, she will be by the end of the year! haha :)  I also found out that the bilingual family service coordinator is a Christian, and he works in a Spanish church about an hour from here.  I am going to go visit the church on Saturday!  That’ll be an exciting first for me… I’ve been the only white kid in Zulu churches before, but never in a Spanish speaking church!  I can’t wait!! :)  At least I know how to say, “I am only learning Spanish!” haha

Not much is new with the house lately.  There’s a funny smell in the house that I just can’t figure out.  My friends say it’s fine… so maybe I just have an overactive nose or something.  I just don’t want to have a smelly house!  Hopefully the plumber will be out on Tuesday of next week, then I can get the gas hooked up… and hopefully soon I’ll also have an estimate on home repairs.  So many hopefuls!  This house is teaching me patience!  

Well, I must be getting to bed.  Ms. Boisvert needs her beauty sleep!  (That’s right… I’m Ms. Boisvert now, not Miss Bonnie! hehe)

G’night!  And thanks for checking in on me :)

thoughts from others... :)

One day I pray to be wise like these women!!

No matter how efficient, smart, or independent we happen to think ourselves to be, sooner or later we run into a "brick wall" that our intelligence or experience cannot handle for us. We can fake it, avoid it, or blunder through it. But a better solution would be to find someone who has walked that way before and has gained wisdom from experience. - Gloria Gaither

All of us need to be surrounded by people who are invited to hold us accountable and who question the questionable. - Beth Moore

Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God did not protect His own Son. He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. A lot of hammering and chiseling and purifying by fire will have to go into the process. - Elisabeth Elliot

(and lastly, the only one who trumps Elisabeth Elliot in my world...)

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. -God (in Proverbs 27:17)
(right, Mel? ;))


Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81

Yay! Today Jon went with me to Lowe's and helped me buy a lawn mower! (Ladies, it's always good to go with a guy so some salesman doesn't take advantage of you!) My lawn was in serious need of mowing. Jon had already come over once to use his weed-eater to at least tame the grass so that it wouldn't kill a lawn-mower. If I didn't do something soon, it would've needed that again, and as great as Jon is, I knew he wasn't doin' that!! So yeah... I have a lawn mower. I'm such a home owner! It was hard work mowing the whole yard (it's little, but it's a BIG hill!!!) but the work was rewarding. It looks like someone lives here now. Imagine that! :)



Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81

Detroit!

So... a few weeks ago I realized that I only had one day off between my summer job and my new job with Head Start. So what do I do? The only logical thing there is to do... I went to Detroit, Michigan!! I know it seems random, but that's where Melissa, my roommate and friend from South Africa lives now. I had to get out of NC and away from the house. I love the house! But I needed a break from it. So I emailed Melissa and within about 12 hours, the decision was made that I'd fly to Detroit in a week. I literally bought the tickets the Saturday before I left the following Friday. Though the trip kinda hurt my bank account, it was worth it. I had an awesome time hanging out with Melissa and catching up. It was fun to see the way she's decorated her apartment. Strangely, we've done a lot of the same things... and we don't even live together!! Scary... :) I can't say we did anything monumentous... other than going to IKEA on Monday before I flew back home. That was awesome! Oh, how I wish there was an IKEA store closer than 3 hours away from us here in NC! I got lots of decorating ideas though that I hope to implement here in the house. Well, I'd better get to bed... thanks for checking in on me! :)
Bonnie B.


Link to pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/bonnieb81