new friends

Allow me to introduce you all to Rachel & Teri...

both of whom (along with their 2 month old, Immanuel) have been an ENORMOUS blessing and gift this summer. :) Rachel and I met in SLA lab - learning Paraguayan Sign Language. Through this summer, the Lord has used them as a huge pillar of support in the midst of life's ups and downs, and I'm deeply thankful for them!! And... they're changing their trajectory to head towards sign language work as well (God's been directing their steps this direction over the summer... so cool to watch)!

Also... Roman & (the other) Bethany and their girls...
have been another integral part of my "SIL family." I'm head-over-heels for these girls (as previous pics may reveal). :) They live and work in Argentina with the Deaf, planning to use 3-D animation to do Bible Translation in Argentine Sign Language.

Here are Abi and I at her 4-year-old bday party last weekend.


Lesson #137 of this summer - God puts His children in spiritual families, no matter where they are.

hunkering down

Week 8 has begun, and we're all shifting gears for the final stretch. Daily homework is being replaced with massive final projects and some class lecture hours with self-study time.

Right now, I'm staring down my...
-TWO Morphology & Syntax Grammar Filing Projects (including a Grammar Sketch) in Salasaca Quichua (a language of Ecuador).
-Two-day Comprehensive Final Exam for Morphology & Syntax
-group Sociolinguistic Grad Research Experiment (15-page, single-spaced paper & class presentation) on Language Variation among ASL Users
-Comprehensive Theory Exam in Sign Language Phonetics
-other assorted class readings and journal responses

I feel surprisingly calm, which I can only attribute to unceasing waves of God's supernatural grace and the prayers of you all! To think, in less than two weeks, I'll be gone from this place. This summer has been such an incredibly stretching, challenging, affirming experience!

Important Reminder: Do not send me mail at my SIL-UND address after this Friday, JULY (thanks, mom :D) 31st!!! I will not receive it! I will be receiving all mail at my Selma, Oregon P.O. Box from there-on-out. Thank you to those of you who've faithfully sent me mail this summer (Marty! and others) - your encouragement came in the moments I needed it most!! He knows.

A pic from the SIL annual picnic last Saturday - me and Elli.

"...your Father knows what you need before you ask..." (Matt. 6:8)

Wednesday, I was talking with mom on the phone about travel plans after I'm done on August 8th, how/when to get home, expenses, and so forth. In looking ahead, it was clear I didn't have enough for my travel home and my last month of bills before I start back to work. At mom's, "Don't worry about it, God will handle it," I assured her I wasn't worried, nor even had the time to worry about it now... but would cross that bridge once all my final exams and research projects were behind me in August.

This morning, I checked my mail to find a letter from the SIL-UND Director, congratulating me on being awarded a $650.00 scholarship!!! (I applied back in April, but assumed they'd already been awarded earlier in the summer!) I'm overwhelmed! I hadn't even begun praying about those bills and upcoming expenses... but, of course, He knows all things and provides out of His abundance. It also brought blessed confirmation that this isn't "my plan," but HIS... and where He guides, He provides.

"But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." -Ps. 115:3
"For the earth is the LORD's and all it contains." -1 Cor. 10:26

how ironic

One of my Dove chocolate wrappers this week said: "Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can." Check.

O, Canada!

On Friday, July 3rd, I left the United States of America for the first time in my life. :) And I have pictures to prove it. ;)


pilot & co-pilot
passengers
getting excited!
Canada!
Manitoba Welcome Center


The only Royal Canadian Mounted Police I found

Monica, Elizabeth, and I.

July 1st was Canada Day!

sight-seeing

St. Boniface Cemetary

St. Boniface University

St. Boniface Cathedral

On the steps

Walking at the Forks

Canadian Money!!

"The Forks" in Winnipeg

I loved this sign!

The multi-cultural market was incredible! I loved all the variety of food stands, fresh produce, and clothing from around the world!

And they even had the Old Spaghetti Factory!

Some of us tried the Taiwanese Bubble Tea.

It had big tapioca beads in it. Very interesting.

Tara was our fearless guide!

One of many Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedrals

Chinatown!!

Canadian sunset

Returning home :)

God's perfect Provision

...Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide... (Gen. 22:14)

This is another truth the Lord is fleshing out in my life this summer. It is beautiful. At times very uncomfortable and challenging, but beautiful just the same.

O fear the LORD, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want. ...for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Psa. 34:9, Matt. 6:8, Php. 4:19)

Praise Him in the stretching and straining, in the tension and tears! He is molding, shaping, and accomplishing His purposes.

For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, and the plans of His heart from generation to generation. (Psa. 33:9-11)