Sarah: (Trying to) Stay Positive

Yesterday, I was feeling really discouraged about life. More specifically, the fact that we have been in San Diego for one week and we still don't have a place to live...

Even though our move across the country hasn't been totally smooth and easy, I can still see the Lord working in this transition. For example:

The day we left Elgin (September 22), our hitch kept scraping the ground everytime Francis would drive over a bump. So we had to stop into the shop that hooked up the trailer to our van, so that they could do something about it. While we were sitting in the waiting area, Francis expressed his fears of having to drive over the Rocky Mountains with his not so reliable van pulling 800lbs of stuff up large inclines. The man next to us asked where we heading. We told him San Diego. He looked at us with surprise and said, "Well, you know, I live there for half the year. I have a condo there in San Diego and I have an apartment here in Elgin." I did not know that. He then asked, "Do you want to know a better way to go, that'll avoid the Rockies?" Yes, yes we do. He proceeded to give us his directions and he also told us where we should stop each night. If it weren't for our hitch scrapping the ground, causing us to go into the shop, we never would have met Dave. We would have had to drive over the Rocky Mountains. And since we barely made it over the smaller Sierra Nevada mountains, I think it's safe to say that we never would have made it over those monster mountains.

Speaking of the Sierra Nevada mountains....As we were heading through Death Valley, over the mountains, Frank's van started overheating. Thankfully, I had service and was able to call my dad to ask him what we should do. We had to pull over several times and wait for 45 minutes (each time) for the engine to cool down before we could go on. Each time we pulled over, we dumped some water on the radiator to help it cool down faster. Which meant that we no longer had any drinking water and it was well over 100 degrees outside. We made it to a rest stop along the interstate where we decided to just let the van sit while we filled our cooler with water and poured it on the radiator. A couple of UPS truck drivers saw us and came over to offer their expertise. They told us there was only one more big slope to get over, they gave us a container to put water in (instead of our cooler), and they checked to see if everything was working ok under the hood. We made it over that slope and didn't have to pull over again (because of overheating).

One of my largest fears moving out here is that we don't know anyone. We have no contacts, no friends, no family in the area. No one. I was (still am) afraid that we won't make friends or find a sense of community here. On our first morning in the city, Frank received a call from his good friend, Michael. He told Francis that he was on his way to San Diego for a convention for work. Keep in mind that Michael didn't know when exactly we were moving, because we were in UG for 3 weeks, then we moved when we got back. He and Francis didn't talk once we were back from UG. So Francis tells Michael that we are in San Diego! There was lots of yelling, laughing, and wow-ing going on. We were able to spend our first few days with one our very good friends. I feel like bringing Michael to San Diego for work was God's way of welcoming us to the city.

We've been staying in a weekly hotel. There's a sink, mini-fridge, microwave, and a shower. But right around the corner from us is this little delicious and cheap Mexican restaurant. We don't eat there everyday, but it's a nice break from the pb & j, chips, and snacks that we have. And let me tell you - if you have no other reason to come visit me in San Diego, the California burrito is reason enough. Trust me.

I know in my head that the Lord has an apartment just waiting for us and a job for Francis lined up. But sometimes, I forget and become discouraged. Then I think of how faithful He has been to us up to this point and I think, "If He's done all this for us so far, I know that He is able and willing to help us now." It's only a matter of time.

On a side note, I start my new job at Gap today! Wish me luck.

Sarah: We have arrived

After packing up all of our stuff into our cars...

After traveling through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and part of California...

After sleeping in Joplin, Amarillo, and Flagstaff...

After driving 2183 miles...

After stopping 7 times for gas...

After over heating our engine and pulling over on the side of the road 11 times...

After receiving help from 3 different people...

After spending 35 hours in a car...

After breaking down in the Mojave desert...

After countless hours of praying that we make it (alive)....

Frank and I arrived in San Diego Sunday night. 

praise the lord.

Sarah's Announcement

Hello friends! Francis and I have some news! I've been waiting for a couple weeks to share it on the blog because there's still so much we need to figure out before it actually happens, but...

More specifically, the San Diego area. And we are so excited!!!! As I said before, there are still a lot of (major) details that we need to figure out (like where we're going to live and where we're going to work), but we can hardly wait for the adventure to start!

We are hoping to have (most of) the details figured out before we leave for Uganda August 28th - which only gives us one more week - yikes!! And we hope to move pretty quickly after we get back on September 15th. We are going to pack up our stuff, load our cars, and drive across the country to our new home.

This is a major time of transition for us and there's such a mix of emotions going on. We're excited, nervous, anxious, did I mention excited? We're currently researching our butts off to find jobs, housing, a good neighborhood, etc. I even found my husband reading an article titled, "How to Live Out of Your Car Safely". We're hoping that it doesn't come down to that, but if it does at least we'll know the ins and outs of living in our cars! hahaha. So needless to say, we would really appreciate you sending your prayers and positive thoughts our way! Oh, and if you know anyone in the San Diego area that can help us out, let us know--we need all the help we can get!

p.s. The picture is not of San Diego. It's actually a picture of Hanauma Bay, Hawaii from 1996 that I took when I was in first grade.

Ode to Sar

I’m stealing your format. It looked so nice.

She's beautiful (Also she totally stole that scarf from me)

Sarah is in my phone as Sarahwilleatanything Offanysurface. And it is true. I once saw Sarah drop ice cream on the ground at the Forbidden Temple in China (thousands of years old and sacred) she picked it back up and popped it in her mouth. It wasn’t like a non porous item like a gumball. It was melty ice cream, on the ground, where millions of Chinese have walked. Just saying…

 Cake on her face in China. She did not eat any of this 

off the ground. Chinese cake is Gross.

Sarah is married to a wonderful man named Francis (who does not eat things off the ground). He is from Uganda and he is a freaking talented musician. Go here. They married last August in a beautiful (handmade) wedding in Ohio. Sarah always says she wishes people knew how strange her husband is.

Sar and Francis

 

Sarah is wonderfully cynical. I love this about her. Her cynicism is like a breath of fresh air in my life. She doesn’t sugar coat things. When she tells you something it is never fake.  She is probably the most genuine person I know. I think part of Sarah’s charm is that she says the thing that everyone else is thinking. Sometimes it gets her into trouble. But I think mostly it results in her having really authentic relationships.

Sarah is from Ohio, which if you have spent any time with her at all you probably already know.  She is obsessed with all things Ohio and she hates all things Illinois (small exception for Chicago). You should message her and tell her how wonderful Illinois is. She would LOVE that.

She doesn't love you IL.

Sarah is crafty. We once spent an entire month sitting in our apartment sewing (her) and beading (me) and watching ridiculous amounts of Gilmore Girls. She is crafty in an etsy sort of way, not in a scrapbooking sort of way. Scrapbooking is like the antithesis of Sarah. Making quilts out of vintage handkerchiefs is like the essence of Sarah. Also she has excellent taste. I would love it if Sarah picked out all of my clothes. She is bohemian classy. 

Sar in my fav shirt

Sarah has been all over the world but isn’t finished traveling. She sent me this message yesterday, “I have a really big itch to travel. Like, real bad. Freaking JenlovesKev (a blog) are in Paris right now to celebrate their anniversary. I'm drooling with jealousy. My jealousy has caused me to have a stroke and now the right side of my face is numb and so the drool is dripping from my paralyzed face.” Hahahahaha. Soon she will be in Uganda with her husband to visit family! I cannot even wait.

This is her paralyzed face

Sarah facts

-          She hates sangria because of an incident in Haiti

-          She has had cake smashed in her face in China

-           One day she will be a rich photographer and will give me 10% for discovering her. Seriously.

-          She grew up with all women. This has various fun implications.

-          She likes old things. She is on a first name basis with the owner of Elgin Antique   

-          She has Amazing hair. And gets it cut by the fabulous Tracy!

-          She and I will be in Paris by the end of 2012. I predict it.

-          Soon she will be an aunt!

- Kels

Introducing Kels

This is Kels.

 

Isn’t she pretty??

Kelsey was born in New Jersey, raised in good ole Illinois. She has a crazy, loud, fun, and active family (did I mention loud?) that has kind of adopted me through our years together at Judson. They’re my family away from family. And I’m thankful for them.

Kels with her mom and dad

Kelsey likes to travel. She has been to Mexico, the Bahamas, and all around the Caribbean with her family. We have travelled together to China and Haiti. Traveling with her is s u p e r fun. Kels is all about getting out into the culture and experiencing life the way it really is in that country. She’s not too touristy. She will try anything. Did you know that Kelsey has eaten turkey testicle? Yeah, that’s no lie—it’s sick and gross—but it is not a lie.

On the Great Wall

As a general rule, Kels likes people. It would have to take a lot of negative energy and douchebaggery to make Kels not like you.

Kelsey has a boyfriend in UG. His name is Dennis. I’ve never met him, but I hear he’s one heck of a guy.

Kels and Denis

  

Kelsey is a procrastinator to the extreme. Seriously. If there were a queen of procrastination, we would all have to get down on our hands and knees at Kels’ feet and worship her daily. But the most awesome part about this talent is that everything always gets done. No matter how long she put it off, it gets done.

She doesn’t let obstacles stand in her way. If there’s a problem, she’ll figure out how to solve it or she’ll find someone else to solve it for her.

Kelsey is one of those people who you LOVE as soon as you meet her. She’s a W.O.O. (win others over) In case you’re wondering, here is the definition of a WOO: “People especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.” Yeah, that’s Kels.

Baby Kelsey. This picture has nothing

to do with anything, I just love it.

(is that chocolate or poop?)

Kels is touchy! Not in the moody kind of touchy, but in the physical kind of touchy. It’s part of the way she connects with people. If you’re sitting near her, she’ll rest her head on your shoulder. If you’re saying goodbye, she’ll kiss your cheek. If she’s laughing, she’ll stick her arm out to touch you. The list goes on.

Kels and her sister Sara

Kels is a good cook.

One of the most important things to know is that Kels loves to laugh. Her laugh is infectious, and it’s often the thing most people remember about her.

Random facts about Kels:

-She has licked the Great Wall of China

-She has a tattoo

-She has a younger sister and brother

-She’s 4 years older than me

-She’s really witty

-She is obsessed with diet coke

-She has helped deliver a baby

-She LOVES to debate people (especially her dad)

-She likes to try new things

-She believes littering is good for the Earth
-She's currently living in Uganda for about a year

-Sar