I am a lucky girl...

Maybe blessed would be a better word... at times I have the tendency to believe the lie that I am all alone. Sometimes when things get bad with the house I am so close to just throwing in the towel! Of course, sometimes I think that is exactly what God wants... He wants me to stop trying in my feeble efforts and trust Him fully. How can I even dare to say I am alone?!? A few years back, a pastor from another church was trying to convince me to stay at that church and he said, "churches are like families; you don't choose them, God places you into one, and knits you into it." Well, great wisdom, pastor! I knew when he said that, that the Summit was going to be my family. That was probably 4 years ago now, and The Summit is indeed my family!! Just in the things that happened today, it involved... 1)a Summit guy who sells plumbing and connected me with a guy who seems to be giving me a great deal on my sewer hook up, 2)Neil Baker, whom I borrowed a ladder from, 3)Melissa Knight (my roommate) who painted all afternoon, 4)Mark (Mel's boyfriend) who also painted and then went with me to Lowe's to pick out stuff to make a closet (he's constructing a closet!), and 5)Jon Thommarson who floored the attic for me so I can store stuff up there! Five people, and that's just one day. I am most certainly NOT alone! Thank You, Lord, for placing me into an awesome church, and knitting me into the beautiful fabric of this family. You are so good!

In other news... I HAVE A JOB!!! Yesterday (Wednesday) I was called and offered the Pre-K position at Central Elementary School. I'm so excited! I feel really good so far about the company I'll be in (Head Start) and the people I'll be working with. I think this is going to be an excellent learning time for me too. Plus, I'll be making almost $4000 more than I did at my Childcare Network job, AND I'll have benefits - FINALLY!

Well, it's late, and I must get to bed! Thanks for checking in on me!!

Bonnie B.

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

demolition!!!

Wow... and 2 closets became 1. Crazy stuff... Melissa (my soon-to-be roommate) came over tonight to bring a few things and to look at paint samples. She also brought Mark, her boyfriend over to check out these closets and see if anything could be done to make her closet bigger. Well,
turns out something could be done! My wonderful Dad left a big hammer here for my use, and it finally was put to some very good use. Mark had a great time knocking the wall down that was in between the 2 closets. Soon Melissa will have a nice big closet!

In other news, I think Sam hates me... he's been hding all day... although, I know cats, and how they are. So really I'm not offended. I just hope he's ok. He seems so scared!! And of course, he had taken refuge in one of the no longer existing closets. Poor baby! He must think his world is falling down around him - quite literally!! I hope he'll reaize soon that he's ok here.

I also had a second interview today... a second one with the same company I interviewed with a couple of weeks ago. I really like the people I'd be working for should I get this job. I have to trust God in this decision though! He knows what is best, and whether I am best fit for this job or another candidate. We shall see soon!

Oh, I found another problem! (act surprised) There seems to be a plumbing leak somewhere... ugh. At least someone from The Summit is coming tomorrow to see what needs to be done to fix that. Praise the Lord for a church full of amazing people who I can call on when there's a problem. I sure do hope I can be one of those people to someone somday!!

Well, it's way past my bedtime. Demolition was not part of the plan tonight, so I'm getting a late start to bedtime, but it's finally quiet around here. I can finally sleep!



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

Say hello to Sam

Ok... I think it's official that I am a "cat lady" now. Eish! I have 3 cats now! The newest guy is not mine... he's just my foster cat for now. His Dad, Cliff, just moved in with Chris Baker, who is allergic to cats, so Sam's moved in with me. I guess I'll have him till Chris or Cliff get married (or until they get sick of each other as roommates... whatever comes first!) He looks mad in the picture, but I think he's just scared... new home, new cats to deal with, no Cliff... sad kitty. But don't worry, Cliff, he'll be just fine.

So, after last night, I think Satan was still trying to make me miss something today. I was supposed to be at church to practise at 8am, but my alarm messed up and I woke up at 7:45!!! Yeah... 15 minutes to wake up, get dressed well enough to be infront of people, and get there in 15 minutes? No way... but I did get there in 25, and I don't think most people would've known I got ready in 10 minutes. :) I don't even know how I did it! It was awesome to sing with this amazing group of singers. I haven't sung with a small group in quite a while, and it was such a blessing to me. They all welcomed me in right away (even though I was the late one, holding them up!). God is so good to me.

A little update about the house... not much has changed, BUT... Robin, a great (and very organized) friend of mine came over after church today and helped me put things away. I was at the staring point... you know the one... where you just keep looking at all the boxes and have absolutely no clue what to do with any of them! Well, she helped me get rid of a good deal of them! I still have a lot to do before my roommate comes this coming Saturday, but we got so much done today. This house is looking more like a home every day!

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

Satan's crazy tactics...

I tell you... Satan never stops, does he?! Most of you faithful readers out there know that in South Africa (for the first year and few months anyway) I helped lead worship in various churches in various ways. When I came back home to the Summit, there was no need for one more voice! I stayed out of the choir scene till I just couldn't anymore... and finally joined the choir a couple months ago. :) Well, the choir gets a break in the Summer and a small praise team leads worship for the church on Sunday mornings. I've never asked the worship pastor to be involved on these teams because (I'll be honest) I don't want it to be a pride thing ("I can sing, let me on the team...") I'm not saying I'm all that great or anything... I just know my weaknesses! Well, this Thursday, Jason called me and asked if I'd fill in for one of the girls at the last minute. (Jason is the associate worship pastor, and we sang together in college.) Wow! What an honor and an exciting time for me! I've been listening to the music and practicing nonstop since Thursday, loving the songs and praying about the words in them. I learned long ago that it's not at all about performing, but rather worshipping, and inviting others to worship with you (thanks to Chris!). Well, the past few days I seem to have had a sign on my head that says, "please share with me your dating woes!" Uh... I don't remember putting that sign there, and to be honest, I'm not the best person to talk to about them. Maybe people apparently forget that I'm single too... and have been for quite some time. When friends complain to me that it's been a couple years since they've been in a relationship, I want to stop them there and say... um... try 25! Argh. Here's the thing that makes me mad at myself though. I should NOT get upset about stuff like this! I want to be mature and grounded so solidly in God's Word and His awesome plan for my life, that I can be there to offer Godly wisdom (rather than experiential wisdom) to my friends. I have absolutely no reason, no reason at all to complain!! :) God is blessing me over and over again here lately. He's shown me time and time again that I'm where I'm supposed to be. He's introduced me to some new people who are ministering in a neighborhood 3 minutes from my house, and I'm going to start working with them! This past week I got to love on some Hispanic kids, and they've brought me such joy! A couple of weeks ago, my pastor, JD, preached an amazing sermon on singleness. It challenged me so much to not waste a single minute of my life waiting around for some guy to show up. No way! He has called me to amazing things. I count it an honor above all honors to be called into ministry for Him. I might not know what that exact ministry is right now, but it's in me. My heart leaps at the thought of working for Him! You know what? Finding a guy with that same heart is difficult. And by golly, I'm not going to settle for someone who isn't heading in the same direction as me. :) Part of one of the songs we're singing tomorrow says, "I'm not content just to walk through my life. Giving in to the lies. Walking in compromises." And those words ring so true to me. I'm not going to walk through my life listening to the lies around me that say I should be dating. The lies of people who tell me something is wrong with a 25 year old girl who's never been in a serious relationship. God created me with a purpose and a plan. I am going to run to Him as hard and as fast as I can. God help me stand firm against the lies and the schemes of Satan. I won't let him win!!

(wow... blogging is really therapeutic!)

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

air conditioning!

Wow... I slept so well last night! Last night was the first night that I finally had air conditioning flowing into my house. I'd had the A/C on before, but it was not really getting to the house. It turns out that the duct work under the house was really messed up, so I was cooling the crawl space rather well, but not the house! Well, my Dad works for a company that deals with duct work for big companies, so he knows all about duct. So that was our big project yesterday. And it really was a BIG project! I don't know what happened under the house, but just about every possible line into the house was damaged considerably. Dad did most of the work by himself, but a few times he needed my help! It was really cool for me to be able to help him. Growing up with 2 older brothers, they were (and still are most the time!) the ones that help Dad fix things, but yesterday I was his only choice. So I got to go under the house with him and get dusty and muddy! I hope that as more project arise in this house, Dad will be able to use my help, and two things will happen... one, I'll learn more about fixing things, and two, Dad and I will get to spend more time together! Two great things!! :)

Oreo and Wallace are also finally here. I brought them back with me Sunday night. They hid for about 24 hours but this morning when I woke up, both of them were sleeping with me on my bed. They used to sleep with me in South Africa (on a twin bed!) but as my parents' house, they weren't allowed back where the bedrooms were. I think they're glad to have their roam of the whole house again! It's great to have them here with me again. I missed not having them!

Well, I have a long list of things to go shopping for. I think that list is neverending! Yay for SuperTarget! :)

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

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yay! Robin Crabtree made me a special turtle cake for my birthday. She knew I collected turtles, but didn't know why. She had no idea that turtles have a very symbolic meaning for me... they remind me that God has placed me exactly where I am, and that He has a purpose for everything that is going on right now... a timely reminder since I've lately found out more and more problems with my dear little house! The young professionals (YPs) went extreme bowling last night, and then afterwards we went to Robin and Lauren's apartment. They had decorated so beautifully! It was so much fun to celebrate my birthday with many newly acquired friends. God has been so great and faithful to me in the last year. I can't wait to see what He will do this year in my life!
Today has been a very eventful day for the house. Stephen Baker came over to put up some light fixtures. We (he) encountered some strange electrical issues, to which he kept saying, "this is so weird." Welcome to my house! :) There's now a fan and lights in both the living room as well as my bedroom! Progress! I also decided to tear down the weird bamboo looking ceiling in the living room. It's a long process since they used about 5000 staples to hold that stuff up! It's looking good though so far... I'm still not done. I'm taking a break!

Jon also came over and cleaned out my gutters. What an amazing guy! I don't know what I'd do without all my awesome friends. So all in all, it's been a great birthday! And tomorrow I get to go home and see my family, which is always lots of fun! :)

Thanks for checking in on me!

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

water water everywhere

Ok, this rain needs to STOP! At least until my gutters are cleaned out anyway. I'm about to go buy a ladder and get up on the roof myself and dig those bad boys out. They're horrible! I have plants growing in them, just to give you an idea! Anway, we've been getting rained on quite a bit the past few days, and it's taking a toll on my house. I finally bought a dehumidifier on Monday night. I hooked it up that night at about 9:30, and when I checked it out at 6:30 the next morning it was full (25 pints)! It was also full again by the time I got home last night, and then it was almost full this morning. I guarantee it'll be full again when I get home this afternoon. I don't think I knew what I was getting myself into when I bought this house. But, I wouldn't change my mind even if I'd known. I love my neighborhood! The kids bring me such joy when I come home all stressed out or down. Their precious smiles brighten any bad mood!! Well, I must go to work... and then I have an interview after work! Eish! Pray for me!! I am really nervous! God has a plan... I have to keep repeating that to myself. :)

Chow!

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

Tamales!

I don't have a lot of time to write tonight, but I had to let you all know this... my neighbors across the street (kids are Erica and Omar), brought me over some tamales tonight for dinner as a welcome! Wow! How awesome is that? They're already looking out for me. :) I'd actually never had a real tamale before, and it was really good! Hooray for wonderful neighbors!

Thanks for checking in on me...
Bonnie B.

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

Welcome to Durham...

So... someone egged my car. What in the world? Why did someone egg my car? It must have happened when my car was stationary because you can tell that the egg dripped straight down. Is that like a "welcome to the neighborhood" initiation? When my Mom came inside and asked if I knew that someone had egged my car, I was shocked! Then I didn't know whether to be mad, or to just laugh. I mean, being mad does no one any good. So I guess I'll just laugh. Oh, how I love Durham! :)





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

This old house...

I think that's going to be the new name and theme of this blog! Everytime I go to my house (I'm not living there yet), I discover a new... umm... adventure! Yesterday I went to the house because the alarm guy was coming to put in my alarm system (gotta be safe). After he left, I wandered around the kitchen and noticed wetness... as I looked closer, I noticed LOTS of wetness... as in puddles! Argh! My house is old, and moisture is something I'm going to have to get used to, but puddles of water in my kitchen are not ok. Granted, lots of places flooded yesterday due to rain, so I shouldn't be surprised that my house was one of the many. The bad thing is that there's still water under the cabnets, where I couldn't reach to get the water up. Wet wood is not a good thing! One more thing to add to the "get this fixed or fix it" list. I must keep reminding myself that God has a plan in all of this. One of these days I'm gonna know all about home repairs and dealing with old houses. But it's going to be quite an adventure turning this old house into a home!

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

kids - yay! bugs - boo!

Since I was going to Durham tonight for Bible study, I decided to load my car up with as much stuff as I possibly could and went to my house to unload it all. As I drove down Ruskin Ave. (where my house is the last one), I spotted the very typical group of kids on bikes. As soon as Erica (the girl across the street from me) spotted me, she started waving like mad. Wow, talk about making me smile!! The band of bike-riders followed my car until I stopped, and waited for me right outside my door until I got out. I seriously felt like I was back in SA driving into one of the areas where I worked. I met a few new faces tonight, one of whom wanted to come in my house and check out the place (I told her she should ask her parents first... don't want to be the weird neighbor or anything!). I also met the father of the boy from Ghana. (The boy's name is Kofe - sound like coffee with a long 'o') Then as I was chatting with him, the lady from the house across from him said hello and asked if I was their new neighbor. She didn't have much time to talk because she was on her way to her church. So many people were outside of their houses! I'm so excited about all the people I've already met in the neighborhood. But really, the kids just made my day. God has put me in such a great place! I can't wait until I can really get to know them. Hooray for kids!!

About the bugs... oh my goodness... Sunday before I left the house, I set off 4 bug bombs in strategic places. Wow. I literally don't think I've ever seen that many dead bugs (or live bugs either for that matter) in one place. I thank God for teaching me to deal with bugs in SA, because the mass of bugs I saw today would be enough to really freak out most girls! I'm glad they were dead!! Hopefully the bug bombs got them all. And hopefully those that made it out alive got the message and will carry it on to the others in the area. This house is no longer open to bugs!

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

confusion!

Oh man… I am one confused chica! I have yet to find a job for this coming school year. Today was my last teacher work day at Childcare Network in Sanford (sad!!), and Friday I begin a summer teaching position in Orange County (right beside Durham). But as for the upcoming year, no decision has been made yet. As far as I still know, Durham Public Schools Pre-K only has one opening this year, and it is going to a lady who just got her teaching licence and has been the assistant until now (fair enough). So, the district manager from Childcare Network told me that the CN in Durham has a More at Four Lead Teacher opening for this coming year. The center is about 4 miles from my house! Thing is, CN doesn’t have benefits. They offer a stipend for insurance, but it doesn’t quite cover what it costs me. Until this afternoon though, I’d decided that I’d go with CN in Durham anyway… it’s such a great place for ministry! The missionary in me is very excited. Well… I got home this afternoon and had an email from the lady who hired me for this summer job, and she was telling me that Orange County Pre-K has one vacancy for next year and that I should talk to someone as soon as I get there. Confusion time! Public school most definitely pays better and has MUCH better benefits!! But I so want to be in Durham. Durham is where God has sent me to; I’m sure of it. Orange county is not far away… so it’s not out of the question, but it’s still not Durham. I just don’t know what to do. Why can’t Durham Public Schools have one more opening and make this a lot easier for me?? I guess God’s not finished teaching me the “wait upon the Lord” lesson. :) I don’t think He ever will be! Please pray for me to make the right decision!

On another note, I was at my house in Durham cleaning yesterday, and I met the little boy next door. He’s from Ghana!! How cool… Mexico across the street, Ghana next door. It’s quite a multicultural neighborhood. I can’t even begin to doubt that God has huge plans for me there. Very exciting!

friends

I've been home for 7 months now. Crazy, isn't it? And you know what? Just in the past couple of weeks I've started making a few new friends. Right now it is almost 4am, and I just retured home from hanging out with a few of them. This has happened about 3 times now. That might not seem like much to most people, but for the past 7 months, "hanging out" with friends was something that just didn't happen for me, and oh how I have missed it! God is so good. I knew coming home that it would take time for new friendships to get started or for old ones to take on a new and current form. So I have tried to be patient, and wait on God to lead me to the right people, just as He did in South Africa. And how He has blessed me! I am so excited to be moving to Durham (as soon as my house is fixed). This hour long drive is killing me, and costing me a fortune in gas money!!

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

LUAU!

My kids are the cutest... I can't believe school will be over next week! Here are some pictures of my kids!















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

I have furniture!!!

Well... I have some furniture. But hey, some is much better than the none I had a few hours ago. Today Mom and I went all over Durham and Sanford looking for deals on furniture for my new home. Ugh... it's sobering to realize how little money you have in comparison to how much furniture costs! I did see a few things I liked, but I have a lot of rooms to fill, and when I started adding up how much it was going to cost to fill them with new furniture, I was really overwhelmed. But, I have a Mom with a good head on her shoulders, and a good strong faith in God's providence and timing, so I wasn't too bummed when I came home as furniture-less as when we left. Well, I took a look at craigslist.com to just see what people were selling (as I have made a daily habit of doing). I wasn't overly impressed at first. But a couple of minutes later there was a new post. Someone was selling a nice set of furniture for only $700. (That was about the cost of one new couch.) I emailed the guy right away to ask for pictures, and when he sent them back I was floored! It looked so nice! Long story short, my Mom and I trekked back to Durham (where it was being sold) at about 9:30 tonight to go see this furniture. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was right for my house!! And you can't beat the price. Turns out this couple also just bought a new washer and dryer and wanted to get rid of theirs, so I bought them too!! Crazy... crazy, I tell ya. But how exciting... furniture for my home! :) Wow, now I really need to go to bed. It's been a long (but amazing) weekend. I need to sleep and prepare for my kiddos! Thanks for checking in on me!

Here's what my stuff looks like...



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

As for me and my house...

…We will serve the Lord!
(Joshua 24:15)

I said I was going to write more of an update – so here it is! The biggest news is that
I’m buying a house!! Yeah, crazy isn’t it? A few months ago I was freaking out at the thought of buying a car and paying it off for 5 years, and now I have a 30 year loan – whoa! Though I have my moments of freaking out, I’m really excited. I honesty believe that God called me to Durham back in the summer of 2000 (long story) and now I’m finally getting to be there whole heartedly! I already feel like my heart is there… now I can be all there. :) I want my house to really be a place where God is made known. I will be in a neighborhood where I will be the minority (by a long shot!). From my past visits to the house, I’ve noticed a lot of Mexican and Black families. Lots of kids too! I am already praying for opportunities to share Christ with them. Getting to know people’s kids is a great way to get to know them – and kids are my thing. ;) I would like for nothing more than for my house to be a place where Bible studies take place, prayers is lifted, and discipleship is happening. I know that this house is a gift from God. Too many things have “just happened” to make all of this happen. Here’s kind of how it happened…

The week after Easter I had off because of Spring Break. Monday afternoon I started tossing the idea around in my head about buying a house. I am very opposed to paying rent because I don’t think it’s a good use of money. So I just started looking online at cheap houses. Most of the ones I could afford were in really bad neighborhoods, but there was one that was in an area I knew about. So, Tuesday evening, on my way to Bible study (which was close to where the house was), I decided to just drive by the house to check out the area. I wasn’t turned off, which was a good sign… so then I went on to Bible study. When I mentioned the house, it turned out that the owner of the house where we had Bible study had looked at that house over a year ago and really liked it, but it was much more expensive then. So, after much talking, the girls all wanted to go see the house. We piled in a car and went to go see it. When we pulled up, we saw a couple looking inside the window. (“Oh no! They’re looking at my house!”) So we drove around the block a couple times and in the process, we saw another realtor sign, and one of the girls said that the realtor was from the Summit! I wrote the number down and we went to check out the house… After Bible study, I called the realtor (Pat) immediately and after talking, we agreed to meet the very next morning (Wednesday) to go see the house. At first she didn't seem as excited about it as me, and wanted to show me a couple other options... so I obliged, but the other 2 were much more expensive. So, after much talking and talking with a bank lady to see if I could be pre-approved for a loan (and I was!), it was lunch time, and Pat had to show someone else another house. So I went to lunch with a friend, and thought about the house... I felt ready to go through with the process, but needed another set of eyes to see the inside of the house and to tell me if I was being an idiot. So I called Pat again, and she agreed to go back to the house so Chris could see it too. He definitely confirmed that this little house needs some work (ok, a lot off work!), but he also pointed out the same good things that I liked about it. So... I ended up putting in an offer that same day! The next big hurdle was getting an inspection. There was a high possibility that there could be some foundational issues, so I was really nervous going into the inspection. But the inspector was even surprised to see that the house didn’t have any huge issues going on. (Oh yeah, the house is 80 years old!!) So I am buying the house! Friday, May 26th, Bonnie Boisvert will be a first time home owner – crazy, hey!? It’s cool that I’ve been able to do a lot of networking with Summit people. My realtor, insurance guy, and lawyer are all Summiteers. :) And I will probably use Summit people to do home repairs too! There are some certain perks to being at a big church. :)

Whew… my fingers are tired. I haven’t written this much in a while! I will update in a couple days about my job hunting. Oh the fun…

Thanks for checking in on me!

Bonnie B.

My To-Do List:

I know I haven't updated in a long time! So since I don't have much time, I'll just write out my to-do list and then go back and give details soon! :)

Bonnie's To Do List:

-Pray lots!
-Call Duke Power to see if they switched my electric bill into my name
-Call Durham Sewer and Water to get that bill into my name
-Save all pennies earned to go towards my closing costs on May 26th
-Call Rob, the insurace guy (from the Summit) to talk insurance details
-Call home security people for prices
-Call the home repairs guy for an estimate
-Search ads for good used furniture
-Find a roommate
-Email the lady who kind of offered me a job next year at a Childcare Network in Durham (oh, by the way, the Childcare Network that had to go into lockdown a couple weeks ago because a crazed gunman was on the loose - ah... Durham... haha!)
-Wrap Lauryn's birthday presents!
-Have lots of fun at Lauryn's 1st birthday party :-D
-Write last 2 lesson plans for my preschoolers! :(
-Buy graduation gifts for my preschoolers
-Buy some "teacher clothes" for my summer pre-k job in a public school program
-Pray lots more!

Phew! Makes me tired just thinking about it... well, I'd better get busy! I promise to write more very soon!! And I'll add pictures. :)

Love ya-
Bonnie B.

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

a few pictures that make me smile :)

Here are a few pictures I was recently sent of one of my favorite little people!! Don't be jealous. ;) Enjoy!







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

Oh, to be interrupted!

I was catching up on some blogs that I haven't read in a while, and found a great nugget of wisdom... Just thought I'd share before going to bed!

(from Douglas Wilson's Her Hand in Marriage)

But boys must be trained to take risks, which means being confident in the midst of the unknown. As they do this on an immature level, fathers should work with them, and teach them, without destroying this masculine impetus.

Courtship reveals how necessary this masculinity is. Many modern young men approach a girl, and they are quite serious as far as their intentions go, but they are afraid of interfering with her life. "You know, she is going to graduate soon, but she wants to go to school at Notre Dame, and I don't really want to go to Notre Dame, and showing interest in her would really disrupt all her plans." But the whole point of courtship is to disrupt a young lady's plans. A godly young woman is not going to stand around waiting for marriage. Rather, she will be preparing herself for marriage. This means she will be heading in some particular direction, and not just marking time. A young man should not be afraid of disrupting, because marriage is by its very nature a disruption of her previous way of life.

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

All the little connections...

Wow - Isn't it cool when things just seem to "come together." I know I haven't updated in a while, and I know I should have! Sorry! But God has been awesome to me lately. He's truly transforming my heart. As sad as it is to say, He is changing my love for South Africa and my desire to do ministry there. Don't get me wrong, I love South Africa, and should He place me back there I will shout for joy!! But, my heart is aching to get back to Durham. My church is there... my friends are there (well, a lot of them anyway!), and I feel such a pull to be there. There is so much need for ministry in Durham. I am hoping to get a Pre-K teaching position in Durham Public Schools next year. Being a teacher anywhere is a ministry in and of itself! There aren't as many Pre-K jobs in the public schools as there are other grades, but I am trusting God that just one of them will leave so I can have her job! hehe I hope that's not mean. Actually though, just last night I was talking to our worship pastor's fiance. She just happens to be working with the Durham Pre-Ks, doing testing with the incoming kids (or something of the sorts). And she informed me that she was just working with one of the teachers who is planning on transfering to a higher grade next year!! This school is in a neighborhood that I'd love to be in. As a friend of mine put it at church today, it's a "Joburg" neighborhood! ha! (Don't take offense if you're from Joburg.) So I was telling two lady friends of mine about this job opening, and one of the ladies says that I should talk to Sheryle Metcalf. Now, I've heard her name planty of times and have seen it on the Durham Public Schools' website. She's the one who is in charge of the Pre-Ks in Durham. The next thing out of my friend's mouth was, "you should've come and sat with us today. She was sitting right by us!" What the heck?! She goes to the same church as me, and I didn't even know it. Crazy crazy crazy... I don't know if having all these little connections will help me get a job. I mean, I do still have to be a good teacher!! But I tell you what... all these little things all work together in the hands of a BIG God, and He is confirming more and more everyday that Durham is where He wants me to be in service to Him. I finally feel like a missionary again. I know I am called to a certain place. It may not be overseas, but in a sense, it's a very different culture. I'm excited, and I'm ready to go.

"Here am I, Lord. Send me!"

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