lone star..

I haven’t felt quite myself lately. I’ve been missing my friends, Amy, Heidi and Kathryn. I could be my goofy-old-self with them. it was easy. We were all goofy. We could watch zombie movies and laugh at them together. We could take goofy myspace pictures together. We could just hang out and have a good time. They all moved away at the beginning of the summer. Amy back to Ohio. Heidi and Kathryn to Washington (state). I knew that I would start really missing them about this time. You see, last year, all 3 of them were gone for the summer too. H & K were visiting family and Amy was working at a camp in MO. But everyone came back to New Haven by the fall. Well, this year they all left at the beginning of the summer and I knew that they weren’t coming back in the fall this time. But I knew that’s when I would REALLY start missing them. Well, I’ve notice that the last couple of weeks, I’ve felt a little off. With those girls, I would laugh to the point of crying, probably once a week! (which, by the way, is one of my favorite things to do!) I haven’t done that in a while. It’s been a while since I’ve watched a zombie movie; it’s not much fun by your self. Don’t get me wrong. I still have some good friends to hang out with. But it’s a little different now. My closest friend in New Haven is married. So it’s a different dynamic. I don’t go and buy a frozen pizza and ice cream and rent a cheesy zombie movie to spend the night with her. She’s allergic to dairy. Plus at the end of a work day, she may want to spend some time with her husband. Anyhoo, it’s just different. I guess I’m a little lonely and I’m definitely missing my good friends. I may see Amy by next month and I will be seeing Heidi and Kathryn in the early part of next year. I’m definitely looking forward to that.

p.s. as I went to bed last night, I was starting to feel a little better. Not so lonely.

art works...

here's my newest painting...

here is my inspiration, Josh Agle (a.k.a. Shag)...

A Day in the Life of... Kelly

Meet my new room-mates...

This is Olivia and Silas Harke. The first part of August we (YWAM staff) spent getting their family moved to their new house. The house was previously owned by YWAM but now is being bought by the Harke Family. The Harke’s are also on staff with YWAM. The house is still the dorm for the girl students of our (YWAM) current school. It’s nice to have a family in the house; it makes it feel like a home.

The month of August was quite the busy month. Besides moving the Harke’s, a wedding in New Hampshire and a trip to Vermont, I had a friend from Germany visit. Anne was a former student. The last time I had seen her was last summer. I dropped her off at the airport and I started crying as soon she left my sight. With all the students and staff that come and go through YWAM, it’s really hard to get close to everyone. There are those that you do get very close to and when they leave, you’re not sure when you may see them again. That was Anne. It was so VERY nice having her in my world again. Now it’s my turn to visit her!

Currently…
Our new DTS (Discipleship Training School) started two weeks ago. It’s a smaller group than we normally have, only 8. 4 guys and 4 dolls. My participation this school is a little different than the past. I have been a small group leader for the past 6 schools here and I have been a dorm mom for the past 3. I love being both. But it’s hard being both at the same time. When you are a small group leader you grow closer to your group, but that leaves the other girls in the house. So it’s an awkward position for the dorm mom to be in. It had already been decided that I would be the dorm mom again so I was hoping that some of the other female staff would want to lead the small groups so that I could step back and take a break. There was. So I’m just a dorm mom for this school, not including all the office work I do. :-)

Future plans...

Well, I will be working with the DTS until the end of the year. I will not be going with them on outreach because I have a different opportunity. I have been asked to join up with the team in South Africa for a few months to work with Ten Thousand Homes. www.TenThousandHomes.org It’s a not-for-profit organization that brings hope and homes to orphans affected by the AIDS pandemic in southern Africa. Many of you have heard of them through New Hope Christian Church or Jeremy and Jen Price. I worked with Jeremy and Jen in New Haven before they moved to South Africa. Jeremy had asked me back in May if I would consider coming for a few months to not only work with them but to paint as well. Paint what I see, paint what God shows me, paint to bring some of Africa back to the States. I was very intimidated at first. What if I go there and I don’t paint anything good? I haven’t had very much training, I’m mostly self-taught. But I’ve spent the last year learning how I have kept my talent, somewhat, hidden. It’s very embarrassing for me because I don’t feel adequate. God is slowing helping me grow in my confidence in the gifts that He has given me. I decided that this opportunity to go to South Africa was just the next step. I’m getting very excited now. I’ll have a chance to go to a country I’ve never been to, work with people that I know and love, and go with the purpose of painting how God reveals South Africa to me. It’s really too good to pass up! So, the plan is for me to go sometime in February of next year and I’m really looking forward to it. I am getting ready to raise funds and I would appreciate all your prayers!

I hope this newsletter finds you all well! I TRY to update my blog weekly so keep checking. Also, if you would like to be on my email list, please email me @ andimvanessa@hotmail.com As always, I GREATLY appreciate all of your support! I consider myself very lucky to have so many wonderful people in my world.

a little gift...

God is good. He knows that i wasn't having a great day. I've been looking for my address book for three days now. I'm trying to be a "good missionary" and send out my newsletter so everyone knows what going on in my world. That address book holds a LOT of addresses. So i was starting to feel a little stressed today. As i was getting ready this morning i noticed that i was running very low on my favorite Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path Body Splash. I use it everyday but i try to make it last because it's $10 a pop. That's kind of pricey for me. So i went to work(the Loft) and while i was there i started talking with a lady that lives in our community. She was on staff with us for a couple of months and she still drops by. At the end of our conversation, she mentioned that she had a bag full of lotions that she hadn't use and they were up for grabs. Well guess what i found in her bag? Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path Body Splash! woo-hoo! What a great little suprise from God! He knew i needed a little pick-me-up...

we were in a goofy mood...

So i was cleaning out my desk today and i found some lyrics that me, my dad and my brother wrote one Christmas. I don't remember what year, it was after i moved to New Haven. I remember that we were at Aunt Misty's and Uncle Rick's. It was time to take the family picture and it takes for-ev-er to get everyone settled. Me, Dad and Brady happened to be standing by each other and we started making up lyrics. i still think they're really funny...

To the tune of "Christmas Time Is Here" from the Charlie Brown Christmas:

Picture time is here

No happiness, no cheer

Fun for all
Who aren't involved
In pictures thru the years

Flash bulbs in the air
Red-eyes everywhere
Just say, "Cheese"
Or "Shoot me please,
'Cause I don't really care"

Picture time is here
No happiness, no cheer
Babies cry
And rub their eyes
While mothers dry their tears

Frozen smiles galore
This is such a bore
Eyes are closed
Kids pick their nose
I'm running for the door...

toto too?

Today I went to go see The Wizard of Oz in a local theater with my friend, Katherine. This theater plays old movies on Sunday mornings and Fri and Sat nights. It was so exciting seeing The Wizard of Oz in the theater for the first time! I LOVE that movie! I think my love and awe for tornados stem from that movie. There are so many funny lines in it that I forgot about. And I still got creped out when the witch of the east’s legs curled up under the house. Freaky. But all the characters and the music is just so great and memorable! It just made my day!

you talkin' to me?

Yeah, that's right. Robert De Niro is in New Haven filming. In fact, he's literally TWO BLOCKS away from my freaking house!! How crazy is that! Connecticut now has some great tax cut for filming movies in here. Harrison Ford was in New Haven filming the next Indiana Jones movie in July. Leonardo DiCaprio was filming in Connecticut this summer too. It's very exciting for a movie-fan like me. I'm just hoping to be an extra sometime! :-)