So I've only got 8 more days until I leave for Africa! I've been in AZ for just over a week now, and my time at home has been good. I've really enjoyed spending quality time with the fam, not needing quarters to do laundry, going to siblings' volleyball games and swimming meets, depleting the family cereal supply, etc. My parents and sisters leave me home alone and car-less during the day while they're at school and work. This can get a bit lonely, but it gives me ample time for reflection and medical school applications. And Abby, the zany family Golden Doodle, keeps me company.
A while back I was blog-tagged by my friend Katie, and I'm just now responding. (in typical Marla-style!) As one who has been tagged I am supposed to post 8 random facts about myself. I am also supposed to tag 8 others to do the same, but I have always been a rather non-aggressive tag-player and so the buck stops here. Unless of course you want to be tagged, then by all means let me know and I'd be happy to oblige. (I realize the likelihood of this is very low. I mean, who ever hands him/herself over to be tagged? Unless, of course, he/she is super fast and is tired of the really really slow kid being "it." I digress.) Without further adieu, here are some little-known facts:
1. I weighed 10 lb 10 oz when I was born. My doctor referred to me as a "horse," and according to my father I had no face but rather a big wrinkle where one's face should be.
2. My parents almost named me Nina.
3. In my lifetime I have parented 9 hamsters, and the saga of their lives closely parallels a Greek tragedy. I can provide more details upon request, but the history includes inexplicable deaths, incest, inter-familial conflict and murder.
4. I am a professional balloon twister.
5. I can wiggle my ears, cross my eyes, triple-curl my tongue, do weird things with my shoulder blades and dislocate my right hip, and I have double-jointed elbows and thumbs.
6. Though I try and try, I simply cannot raise one eyebrow at a time.
7. My most embarrassing moment involved me hanging upside-down on a climbing wall 15 ft off the ground suspended only by my sweat-pants in front of a sizable crowd of strangers, my sisters and my former employer.
8. For a long time it was my life ambition to be Belle at Disneyland. In fact, the desire played a significant role in my almost attending college at ASU. In choosing to go to Penn in Philly I sacrificed the possibility of attending character auditions each March and thus retired my Disney dreams. Oh, the decisions that can change a life...
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Bangalore, India
Aug 5th - Aug 17th: two weeks in India!
Bangalore is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka and is known as the hub of India's IT industry. Bangalore has an estimated metropolitan population of 6.5 people, making it India's third-most populous city. The local native language is Kannada, though many educated residents of Bangalore also speak English and Hindi. Home to prestigious colleges and research institutions, the city has the second-highest literacy rate among the metropolitan cities in the nation. However, as a large and growing metropolis in the developing world, Bangalore continues to struggle with problems such as air pollution, traffic congestion, and crime.*
*thank you, Wikipedia
Photos:
As could have been expected in the age of digital cameras, the team collectively took hundreds of photos on this trip. I've selected some of my faves and put them in this album:
Bangalore, India
The purpose:
A missions trip with several members from my house church in Cambridge. We went to team up with two ministries in Bangalore: ACTS and PATH
The team:
From left: Khan, Matt, Robin, Preeti, me and Karen. Okay, so Khan wasn't officially part of the team. He was our driver. But since we spent apx 3-6 hours with him each day, we'll call him an honorary member.
The scenery:
Was diverse, to say the least. We visited bustling markets and remote school campuses, marble-lined palaces and garbage-lined slums.
A market on Hosur Road. These flower vendors were everywhere.
ACTS Main Campus. South of the city, about an hour from where we were staying. To get here required driving for about 20 minutes over an indescribably bumpy dirt road.
Tipu Sultan's palace in Mysore, Karnataka. Ridiculously posh.
This photo was taken in one of the slums that we visited. Because of the lack of plumbing here, these people depend on this truck to get their water supply each day. Inclement weather can be devastating.
Some reflections:
Despite being overstimulating and exhausting on every level, the trip was phenomenal. Praise the Lord, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I left Bangalore with lots to think about, and I'll share just a few reflections here:
I was overjoyed by the faith of the people we met with. So many are turning from empty idols to earnestly seek and serve the Living God, and I am humbled and thankful that the Lord would ordain that I worship Him alongside so many that embrace Him with a pure and stark reliance that I have never known. I am also broken and brought to my knees by the seemingly hopeless enslavement of so many other women, children and men who were made in the image of God and are precious in His sight. Praise the Lord, He has given us hope even in such devastating situations and reassures us by saying "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
The trip was full of memorable moments, but I'll share two of the scenarios that are the most vivid in my mind. We spent most evenings attending meetings at different ACTS churches in the slums. For me these times of the trip were the most encouraging and re-energizing. My favorite church meeting was our second one of the trip on our first Thursday evening in Bangalore. The group was made of Kannada-speaking women, most of whom had come from a Hindu background and had faced/still face severe persecution at home for their decision to follow Christ. At the end of the meeting the women came up to us one by one to greet us and at times ask us to pray over them. I was moved to tears by the sweet faith of these women and the sense of how dearly loved they each are by the Lord. I felt totally unworthy to be the one praying for them, these women who live with faith and conviction amidst a world of trial I have never experienced and can barely imagine.
My second experience to share is from our evening at the Bangalore railway station with the folks from PATH. PATH provides a shelter and community for boys working as porters at the railway station, most of whom are runaways whose families can't support them. When we went to the station I was prepared to spend time with the boys and encourage them to go to the
PATH shelter. I was not expecting to see the groups of women loitering with them. The women were not porters, they were prostitutes. Like the young men, these women were also victims to circumstance and caught in a devastating, inexorable cycle. Only there is not yet a PATH shelter equivalent for these girls. I was particularly drawn to one woman who was carrying her small son on her hip. I wanted so badly to tell her that she was loved and valued by God Almighty. That Christ willingly died with her salvation in mind. I wanted to take her with me, out of the train station and into a safe place where she and her son could escape the enslavement of poverty. I felt helpless, crippled by language barriers and lacking time and resources. I could only hold her hand, pat her son, look into her eyes and smile with sincerity. And pray. I was reminded as I left that petitioning on her behalf is a profound way to help and probably the most practical way for me under current circumstances. I was also reminded that the Lord hears the cries of the oppressed, and he cares more deeply than I can fathom. I am encouraged by the words of Psalm 10:
Bangalore is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka and is known as the hub of India's IT industry. Bangalore has an estimated metropolitan population of 6.5 people, making it India's third-most populous city. The local native language is Kannada, though many educated residents of Bangalore also speak English and Hindi. Home to prestigious colleges and research institutions, the city has the second-highest literacy rate among the metropolitan cities in the nation. However, as a large and growing metropolis in the developing world, Bangalore continues to struggle with problems such as air pollution, traffic congestion, and crime.**thank you, Wikipedia
Photos:
As could have been expected in the age of digital cameras, the team collectively took hundreds of photos on this trip. I've selected some of my faves and put them in this album:
Bangalore, IndiaThe purpose:
A missions trip with several members from my house church in Cambridge. We went to team up with two ministries in Bangalore: ACTS and PATH
The team:
From left: Khan, Matt, Robin, Preeti, me and Karen. Okay, so Khan wasn't officially part of the team. He was our driver. But since we spent apx 3-6 hours with him each day, we'll call him an honorary member.The scenery:
Was diverse, to say the least. We visited bustling markets and remote school campuses, marble-lined palaces and garbage-lined slums.
A market on Hosur Road. These flower vendors were everywhere.
ACTS Main Campus. South of the city, about an hour from where we were staying. To get here required driving for about 20 minutes over an indescribably bumpy dirt road.
Tipu Sultan's palace in Mysore, Karnataka. Ridiculously posh.
This photo was taken in one of the slums that we visited. Because of the lack of plumbing here, these people depend on this truck to get their water supply each day. Inclement weather can be devastating.
Some reflections:
"They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them."
Revelation 12:11-12
Revelation 12:11-12
Despite being overstimulating and exhausting on every level, the trip was phenomenal. Praise the Lord, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I left Bangalore with lots to think about, and I'll share just a few reflections here:
I was overjoyed by the faith of the people we met with. So many are turning from empty idols to earnestly seek and serve the Living God, and I am humbled and thankful that the Lord would ordain that I worship Him alongside so many that embrace Him with a pure and stark reliance that I have never known. I am also broken and brought to my knees by the seemingly hopeless enslavement of so many other women, children and men who were made in the image of God and are precious in His sight. Praise the Lord, He has given us hope even in such devastating situations and reassures us by saying "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
The trip was full of memorable moments, but I'll share two of the scenarios that are the most vivid in my mind. We spent most evenings attending meetings at different ACTS churches in the slums. For me these times of the trip were the most encouraging and re-energizing. My favorite church meeting was our second one of the trip on our first Thursday evening in Bangalore. The group was made of Kannada-speaking women, most of whom had come from a Hindu background and had faced/still face severe persecution at home for their decision to follow Christ. At the end of the meeting the women came up to us one by one to greet us and at times ask us to pray over them. I was moved to tears by the sweet faith of these women and the sense of how dearly loved they each are by the Lord. I felt totally unworthy to be the one praying for them, these women who live with faith and conviction amidst a world of trial I have never experienced and can barely imagine.
My second experience to share is from our evening at the Bangalore railway station with the folks from PATH. PATH provides a shelter and community for boys working as porters at the railway station, most of whom are runaways whose families can't support them. When we went to the station I was prepared to spend time with the boys and encourage them to go to the
PATH shelter. I was not expecting to see the groups of women loitering with them. The women were not porters, they were prostitutes. Like the young men, these women were also victims to circumstance and caught in a devastating, inexorable cycle. Only there is not yet a PATH shelter equivalent for these girls. I was particularly drawn to one woman who was carrying her small son on her hip. I wanted so badly to tell her that she was loved and valued by God Almighty. That Christ willingly died with her salvation in mind. I wanted to take her with me, out of the train station and into a safe place where she and her son could escape the enslavement of poverty. I felt helpless, crippled by language barriers and lacking time and resources. I could only hold her hand, pat her son, look into her eyes and smile with sincerity. And pray. I was reminded as I left that petitioning on her behalf is a profound way to help and probably the most practical way for me under current circumstances. I was also reminded that the Lord hears the cries of the oppressed, and he cares more deeply than I can fathom. I am encouraged by the words of Psalm 10:Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
"He won't call me to account?"
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you,
you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man,
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.
The LORD is king for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth,
may terrify no more.
Psalm 10:13-18
Why does he say to himself,
"He won't call me to account?"
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you,
you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man,
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.
The LORD is king for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth,
may terrify no more.
Psalm 10:13-18
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Ra Ra Road Trip!
I spent July 24th - August 2nd on a cross-country road trip with my mom and 2 sisters, Laura and Natalie. The purpose of the trip was to move all of my worldly possessions back to The Tree House and, while doing so, spend QT with the fam and see the South. In 10 days we covered 16 states, 3900 miles, and about 2 dozen cycles through Natalie's ipod. My mom, in typical supermom fashion, drove the entire way. Here is a rundown of our points of interest as well as some photo highlights:
Points of Interest:
1. Juniata County, PA. The birthplace of both Ma and Pa Stump and the residence of a majority of the Stump/Simonton ancestry. We spent a day and a half with my grandparents (Mom's side).
2. Philadelphia, PA. We spent an evening chillin with Ethan, our favorite brother.
3. Shenandoah National Park, VA. The scenery was beautiful, and Mom drove on those winding, narrow, cliff-roads with an alacrity that would have made Engineer Thad Stump proud.
4. Myrtle Beach, SC. Though we only stopped for a couple of hours, we enjoyed a much needed nap on the beach, and we got to dip our feet in the Atlantic Ocean.
5. Charlestown, SC. This town was one of our favorite stops. Admittedly, we may have been heavily influenced by the fact that we were given free pralines nearly every time we walked into a store. Beyond the free-flowing pralines, we were impressed by the well-preserved buildings and rich history of the small Southern town.
6. Savannah, GA. Savannah was also really cool, though we didn't get to spend as much time there as in Charlestown. It also had interesting, well-preserved buildings and tons of beautiful parks.
7. Montgomery, AL. Said to be the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. We stopped in Montgomery to visit the Civil Rights Museum. The museum is small but powerfully moving and definitely worth the trip. It portrays the heart-breaking, mind-numbing nature of hate crimes and propels the stories of courageous individuals who have stood against such senseless violence. In front of the museum is a waterfall displaying Martin Luther King Jr.'s quote from Amos: "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:24)
8. New Orleans, LA. We spent a morning wandering the streets of the French Quarter. Really, to me the place seemed a little depressing. Bourbon Street was dead, and sadly it didn't seem like the place would have had been any more alive had the street been filled with people. The touristy part was a bit more welcoming, but still there seemed to be this underlying cry of confusion and emptiness. I'm sure there is plenty of vibrant, beautiful life in New Orleans. I just wish we had more time there so that we could have found it.
9. Longview, TX. We made a stop to visit my very dear friend, Michelle, and her very dear husband of 8 months, Jim. While at Michelle's we crossed paths with my very dear Kate Mills and her very dear husband Justin Mills! It was super fun to catch up with them.
10. Stephenville, TX. We stopped here to visit the farm that my grandpa owns and used to travel to frequently. I would also like to point out that Stephenville is Jewel's current place of residence. Unfortunately, we didn't see her. But I think my cousin may have been in her house once.
11. The Catfish Cafe, Odessa, TX. While this was not originally intended to be a point of interest, it warrants kudos for being our only dinner option in Odessa, Texas. Due to location, I'm not sure where exactly the establishment found a lake in which to fish for catfish, but they did have a rather large and foreboding catfish statue at the restaurant entrance. And they boasted a very eclectic menu. I had hush puppies and an egg-beater omelet.
12. El Paso, TX. Really, we just slept here. But we saw Juarez, Mexico!
13. The Tree House, Gilbert, AZ. Home sweet home! We arrived at around 4:30 on August 2nd, giving me about 28 hours to unload and temporarily stash all of my worldly possessions and then pack and prepare to fly back to Boston for my friend Kristina's wedding and then to Bangalore, India!
Photo Highlights:
Natalie, Mom, Ethan, Laura and City Hall in Philly
Like all good older sisters should, Laura and I spent a significant amount of time trying to embarrass Natalie. This photo was masterfully staged. I asked Natalie to pose with me for a picture, and then on cue as Laura snapped it I dropped to one knee to propose. Nat was mortified.
In the Shenandoah Valley. Sisterly love at its finest. Nat's sign says "Virginia is for lovers."
Nat agreed to pose for the stupid-hat photo in the VA Cracker Barrel with the stipulation that she be allowed to look thoroughly disenchanted.
Some buildings in Charlestown:
The little knobby bits on the building below are "hurricane bolts." After a hurricane's high winds would disrupt the frame of the house, these tension bolts would be tightened to sort of pull the house back together again.
Mom and me in Charlestown.
Some cool bridges in the South:
At a military fort outside of Savannah. What good little soldiers.
Savannah skyline.
Civil Rights Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Quote from the book of Amos and subsequently MLK's speech, "I Have a Dream."
Points of Interest:
1. Juniata County, PA. The birthplace of both Ma and Pa Stump and the residence of a majority of the Stump/Simonton ancestry. We spent a day and a half with my grandparents (Mom's side).
2. Philadelphia, PA. We spent an evening chillin with Ethan, our favorite brother.
3. Shenandoah National Park, VA. The scenery was beautiful, and Mom drove on those winding, narrow, cliff-roads with an alacrity that would have made Engineer Thad Stump proud.
4. Myrtle Beach, SC. Though we only stopped for a couple of hours, we enjoyed a much needed nap on the beach, and we got to dip our feet in the Atlantic Ocean.
5. Charlestown, SC. This town was one of our favorite stops. Admittedly, we may have been heavily influenced by the fact that we were given free pralines nearly every time we walked into a store. Beyond the free-flowing pralines, we were impressed by the well-preserved buildings and rich history of the small Southern town.
6. Savannah, GA. Savannah was also really cool, though we didn't get to spend as much time there as in Charlestown. It also had interesting, well-preserved buildings and tons of beautiful parks.
7. Montgomery, AL. Said to be the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. We stopped in Montgomery to visit the Civil Rights Museum. The museum is small but powerfully moving and definitely worth the trip. It portrays the heart-breaking, mind-numbing nature of hate crimes and propels the stories of courageous individuals who have stood against such senseless violence. In front of the museum is a waterfall displaying Martin Luther King Jr.'s quote from Amos: "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:24)
8. New Orleans, LA. We spent a morning wandering the streets of the French Quarter. Really, to me the place seemed a little depressing. Bourbon Street was dead, and sadly it didn't seem like the place would have had been any more alive had the street been filled with people. The touristy part was a bit more welcoming, but still there seemed to be this underlying cry of confusion and emptiness. I'm sure there is plenty of vibrant, beautiful life in New Orleans. I just wish we had more time there so that we could have found it.
9. Longview, TX. We made a stop to visit my very dear friend, Michelle, and her very dear husband of 8 months, Jim. While at Michelle's we crossed paths with my very dear Kate Mills and her very dear husband Justin Mills! It was super fun to catch up with them.
10. Stephenville, TX. We stopped here to visit the farm that my grandpa owns and used to travel to frequently. I would also like to point out that Stephenville is Jewel's current place of residence. Unfortunately, we didn't see her. But I think my cousin may have been in her house once.
11. The Catfish Cafe, Odessa, TX. While this was not originally intended to be a point of interest, it warrants kudos for being our only dinner option in Odessa, Texas. Due to location, I'm not sure where exactly the establishment found a lake in which to fish for catfish, but they did have a rather large and foreboding catfish statue at the restaurant entrance. And they boasted a very eclectic menu. I had hush puppies and an egg-beater omelet.
12. El Paso, TX. Really, we just slept here. But we saw Juarez, Mexico!
13. The Tree House, Gilbert, AZ. Home sweet home! We arrived at around 4:30 on August 2nd, giving me about 28 hours to unload and temporarily stash all of my worldly possessions and then pack and prepare to fly back to Boston for my friend Kristina's wedding and then to Bangalore, India!
Photo Highlights:
Natalie, Mom, Ethan, Laura and City Hall in Philly
Like all good older sisters should, Laura and I spent a significant amount of time trying to embarrass Natalie. This photo was masterfully staged. I asked Natalie to pose with me for a picture, and then on cue as Laura snapped it I dropped to one knee to propose. Nat was mortified.
In the Shenandoah Valley. Sisterly love at its finest. Nat's sign says "Virginia is for lovers."
Nat agreed to pose for the stupid-hat photo in the VA Cracker Barrel with the stipulation that she be allowed to look thoroughly disenchanted.Some buildings in Charlestown:
The little knobby bits on the building below are "hurricane bolts." After a hurricane's high winds would disrupt the frame of the house, these tension bolts would be tightened to sort of pull the house back together again.
Mom and me in Charlestown.Some cool bridges in the South:
At a military fort outside of Savannah. What good little soldiers.
Savannah skyline.
Civil Rights Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Quote from the book of Amos and subsequently MLK's speech, "I Have a Dream."
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