We have seen 28 different people this week for reading sessions, all with different levels of English skills. We are expecting at least five more people to start reading with us on Monday. Most of our readers come every day.
Since there are seven of us, our schedule has not been completely full, but that has given us the opportunity to help in other areas. Some of us have been helping with the Basic English class that meets in the mornings. Since the teacher is a native Spanish speaker, it helps to have native English speakers to demonstrate pronunciation.
We have also had time to encourage the evangelistic school students by learning to communicate with them (they teach us a little Spanish and we teach them a little English), singing with them, and playing ping-pong. In addition, we have worked one-on-one with a few people in beginning English. We look forward to more opportunities to help Mission Upreach next week.
Please pray for the other three members of our team, Owen and Austen Corwin, and Morgan Daniel, who are already on their way here, and will arrive in Santa Rosa tomorrow. And of course, please continue to pray for our project and the people we are encountering here.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Our Schedule
I think our lives are settling into a schedule of sorts:
At 8:15 or so we have our group devotional and then pack up and leave for the day. We walk a few blocks to the church building.
At 9:00 we have readers.
10:00-12 there is a basic English class, and most of us sit in. (I sat in the first day, but since then I have used the time to journal and blog.)
At Noon we go to the Centro Regional Evangelistico de Occidente (a school of evangelism that Mission Upreach started last year) to eat lunch with the students. They don't speak English, but we are having fun learning to communicate with them. There are four male students, ranging in age from 14 to 21.
From 1:00 to 7 we have readers, but we all have breaks at various times.
At 7:00 most days we will probably call it quits and get some dinner. Tonight, however, the kids have been invited to go and play soccer with some of the kids from church, if it's not raining. Debbie and I will probably go back to the house to cook dinner and do laundry.
At 8:15 or so we have our group devotional and then pack up and leave for the day. We walk a few blocks to the church building.
At 9:00 we have readers.
10:00-12 there is a basic English class, and most of us sit in. (I sat in the first day, but since then I have used the time to journal and blog.)
At Noon we go to the Centro Regional Evangelistico de Occidente (a school of evangelism that Mission Upreach started last year) to eat lunch with the students. They don't speak English, but we are having fun learning to communicate with them. There are four male students, ranging in age from 14 to 21.
From 1:00 to 7 we have readers, but we all have breaks at various times.
At 7:00 most days we will probably call it quits and get some dinner. Tonight, however, the kids have been invited to go and play soccer with some of the kids from church, if it's not raining. Debbie and I will probably go back to the house to cook dinner and do laundry.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Getting Started!
Sunday night we made it into Santa Rosa de Copán just as Church was getting started at the Iglesia de Cristo. Jenny, a girl in her late teens that I remember well from last year, greeted me like a long lost friend, which made me weep a little. The service was all in Spanish, but I picked up a few words here and there, enough to guess that the preacher was talking about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. I picked up a few more words in the songs (since the words were on Power Point), but even if I didn't know what I was saying I was praising God in my heart as I joined in with the Hondurans' enthusiastic voices.
After the service everyone wanted to shake our hands to greet us. There were so many familiar faces and it was such a joy to see the love they expressed to us and to each other. I'm guessing there were around 150 in attendance.
Monday morning I sat in on a basic English class led by Phil Waldron, one of the missionaries here, while some of the others shopped for groceries (we are staying in a house and have to cook some of our own meals). I enjoyed meeting the Hondurans, and it was fun to watch how enthusiastic they are to learn English. The LST team who was here before us started the basic English class, and one of their readers has been recruited to continue it starting today!
At lunchtime I met up with the rest of the group at the small men's Bible college that Mission Upreach runs, and their wonderful cook made us a delicious lunch. The Bible students were very shy, but a few allowed us to take their pictures.
After lunch we had a meeting with Phil to discuss the transition between the last LST group and ours, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening calling and e-mailing readers to confirm and schedule appointments. The readers we talked to on the phone were very eager to come and meet us and continue their sessions. We also ate delicious spaghetti made by Meridith, and spent time getting to know each other better and bonding as a team.
We are all looking forward to a day filled with beginning relationships with readers! Thank you all for your continued prayers. It is amazing to see what God is doing already.
(And I'm also happy because I got my yummy Honduran coffee and my Zambos (plantain chips).)
After the service everyone wanted to shake our hands to greet us. There were so many familiar faces and it was such a joy to see the love they expressed to us and to each other. I'm guessing there were around 150 in attendance.
Monday morning I sat in on a basic English class led by Phil Waldron, one of the missionaries here, while some of the others shopped for groceries (we are staying in a house and have to cook some of our own meals). I enjoyed meeting the Hondurans, and it was fun to watch how enthusiastic they are to learn English. The LST team who was here before us started the basic English class, and one of their readers has been recruited to continue it starting today!
At lunchtime I met up with the rest of the group at the small men's Bible college that Mission Upreach runs, and their wonderful cook made us a delicious lunch. The Bible students were very shy, but a few allowed us to take their pictures.
After lunch we had a meeting with Phil to discuss the transition between the last LST group and ours, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening calling and e-mailing readers to confirm and schedule appointments. The readers we talked to on the phone were very eager to come and meet us and continue their sessions. We also ate delicious spaghetti made by Meridith, and spent time getting to know each other better and bonding as a team.
We are all looking forward to a day filled with beginning relationships with readers! Thank you all for your continued prayers. It is amazing to see what God is doing already.
(And I'm also happy because I got my yummy Honduran coffee and my Zambos (plantain chips).)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
We're In Honduras!
We had several people brave the early morning hour to see us off yesterday! Thank you so much to the Brooks, the Waldons, the Taylors (my parents) and Frannie (my camp buddy) for showing your love by your presence and your kind words.
All our flights were on time yesterday, and the hotel shuttle was waiting at the airport in San Pedro Sula once we cleared customs. We stayed in a hotel last night, and this morning we will journey to Santa Rosa de Copán, where we will spend the next two weeks talking to people about Jesus!
Thank you so much for your continued prayers!
All our flights were on time yesterday, and the hotel shuttle was waiting at the airport in San Pedro Sula once we cleared customs. We stayed in a hotel last night, and this morning we will journey to Santa Rosa de Copán, where we will spend the next two weeks talking to people about Jesus!
Thank you so much for your continued prayers!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Leaving on a Jet Plane!
Jessica and I are leaving early tomorrow morning for Honduras! In fact, I need to get in bed. I'll try to update from Honduras. Pray for us when you think of it!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Good News!
Happy Independence Day!
We leave in just five days! With each detail that gets finalized I get more excited.
There is a Let's Start Talking group on site in Santa Rosa de Copán right now, and we are planning to take over their schedule when they leave. I heard today that they have almost FIFTY readers! It's so exciting to hear that God has brought so many people to learn about Jesus while practicing English. We've been praying for our readers for months, and this is an answer to our prayers. I can't wait to meet them!
This week will be a whirlwind of activity as we complete our final preparations and packing, review our Let's Start Talking materials to prepare for our readers, and prepare Dale and Caleb to fend for themselves for two weeks. I think I just used the word “prepare” three times! Preparation is great and definitely needed, but we also need to be sure we don't get stressed out. It's clear that God has been preparing the way for us on this project, so we need to trust that He will make sure we have everything we need.
We leave in just five days! With each detail that gets finalized I get more excited.
There is a Let's Start Talking group on site in Santa Rosa de Copán right now, and we are planning to take over their schedule when they leave. I heard today that they have almost FIFTY readers! It's so exciting to hear that God has brought so many people to learn about Jesus while practicing English. We've been praying for our readers for months, and this is an answer to our prayers. I can't wait to meet them!
This week will be a whirlwind of activity as we complete our final preparations and packing, review our Let's Start Talking materials to prepare for our readers, and prepare Dale and Caleb to fend for themselves for two weeks. I think I just used the word “prepare” three times! Preparation is great and definitely needed, but we also need to be sure we don't get stressed out. It's clear that God has been preparing the way for us on this project, so we need to trust that He will make sure we have everything we need.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Prayer List
Please pray for:
Everything Jessica and I do to bring glory to God
Our hearts to remain open to His leading
Us to be free from anxiety and be able to focus on our preparations and work
The people we will work with in Honduras, that their hearts will be open to the seeds of His Word
The missionary family in Santa Rosa, the Waldrons (Phil, Donna, Harrison, and Laura)
The teens we worked with last year—hopefully we'll be able to follow up with them
Our preparations, packing and travel to go smoothly (and that we won't forget anything!)
Our safety while traveling, including our bags
Our health and safety while we are there
The other LST team who will be there either just before us (from Washington)
Dale and Caleb, that things will go smoothly for them here at home while we are gone
Everything Jessica and I do to bring glory to God
Our hearts to remain open to His leading
Us to be free from anxiety and be able to focus on our preparations and work
The people we will work with in Honduras, that their hearts will be open to the seeds of His Word
The missionary family in Santa Rosa, the Waldrons (Phil, Donna, Harrison, and Laura)
The teens we worked with last year—hopefully we'll be able to follow up with them
Our preparations, packing and travel to go smoothly (and that we won't forget anything!)
Our safety while traveling, including our bags
Our health and safety while we are there
The other LST team who will be there either just before us (from Washington)
Dale and Caleb, that things will go smoothly for them here at home while we are gone
Our Team
Cindy (Me!)
Jessica – my daughter, who will be in tenth grade
The C's:
Owen & Debbie – the parents
Auston – a Harding University student
Meridith – will be in twelfth grade
Lizzy – will be in ninth grade
Connor – will be in sixth grade
Monica Y – an eighth grader who has already worked on three LST projects in Honduras and China
Morgan D – a Harding University student
Jessica – my daughter, who will be in tenth grade
The C's:
Owen & Debbie – the parents
Auston – a Harding University student
Meridith – will be in twelfth grade
Lizzy – will be in ninth grade
Connor – will be in sixth grade
Monica Y – an eighth grader who has already worked on three LST projects in Honduras and China
Morgan D – a Harding University student
What God Has Done So Far
June 2010
Jessica and I went to Santa Rosa de Copán on an LST Young Friends project (a version of LST for teenagers). We originally signed up for a mission trip to The Dominican Republic, but God directed us to Honduras instead!
July 2010
Jessica and I had a desire to go back to Honduras, so we began discussing various possibilities with the Waldrons.
January 2011
God had closed several doors and opened others, and over time we had come to suspect He might be guiding us to work on an LST project in Santa Rosa.
February 2011
After much prayer and agonizing over the decision, Jessica and I made the commitment to LST. We were terrified because we didn't have a team or the funds to go. We needed a team of about seven and $4400.
I began sending fund-raising letters and a prayer list as soon as I could. I actually sent the first batch during a city-paralyzing snowstorm, having to drive to a mailbox since we weren't receiving mail!
March 2011
By the beginning of March we had over half our funds raised and a team of ten! We believe God used this as a powerful confirmation that He wanted us to return to Santa Rosa on an LST team because He answered these prayers so quickly.
In late March we started our weekly LST training, which lasted about eight weeks.
April 2011
We finished our fund-raising two months ahead of schedule, thanks to God and the generosity of our family and friends!
We went to Dallas for additional LST training. We spent the weekend getting to know the other team members and learning more about the LST materials and methods.
May and June 2011
We finished our training in May and started making final preparations and plans for our trip!
We leave July 9, 2011!
Jessica and I went to Santa Rosa de Copán on an LST Young Friends project (a version of LST for teenagers). We originally signed up for a mission trip to The Dominican Republic, but God directed us to Honduras instead!
July 2010
Jessica and I had a desire to go back to Honduras, so we began discussing various possibilities with the Waldrons.
January 2011
God had closed several doors and opened others, and over time we had come to suspect He might be guiding us to work on an LST project in Santa Rosa.
February 2011
After much prayer and agonizing over the decision, Jessica and I made the commitment to LST. We were terrified because we didn't have a team or the funds to go. We needed a team of about seven and $4400.
I began sending fund-raising letters and a prayer list as soon as I could. I actually sent the first batch during a city-paralyzing snowstorm, having to drive to a mailbox since we weren't receiving mail!
March 2011
By the beginning of March we had over half our funds raised and a team of ten! We believe God used this as a powerful confirmation that He wanted us to return to Santa Rosa on an LST team because He answered these prayers so quickly.
In late March we started our weekly LST training, which lasted about eight weeks.
April 2011
We finished our fund-raising two months ahead of schedule, thanks to God and the generosity of our family and friends!
We went to Dallas for additional LST training. We spent the weekend getting to know the other team members and learning more about the LST materials and methods.
May and June 2011
We finished our training in May and started making final preparations and plans for our trip!
We leave July 9, 2011!
Basic Information About Our Mission Trip
My daughter, Jessica, and I are going to Honduras in July for a mission trip. I'm going to start a blog series about it, and hopefully I'll be able to update it while we're there.
First, the basics. Jessica and I are going to Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, which is in western Honduras in the mountains.
MAP OF HONDURAS
We are going as part of a Let's Start Talking (LST) project. We will be working with Hondurans who want to improve their English, using Bible text and questions as our catalyst for conversations.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LST
We will be in Honduras July 9th through July 23rd and will be traveling down with five other people, with three others to arrive on July 16th (ten people total).
We will be working with Mission Upreach, an organization founded by Phil & Donna Waldron in 2008 that facilitates short-term mission trips like LST projects and medical brigades, and also long-term projects like Bible classes in public schools and Bible training for adults who want to be evangelists.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MISSION UPREACH
First, the basics. Jessica and I are going to Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, which is in western Honduras in the mountains.
MAP OF HONDURAS
We are going as part of a Let's Start Talking (LST) project. We will be working with Hondurans who want to improve their English, using Bible text and questions as our catalyst for conversations.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LST
We will be in Honduras July 9th through July 23rd and will be traveling down with five other people, with three others to arrive on July 16th (ten people total).
We will be working with Mission Upreach, an organization founded by Phil & Donna Waldron in 2008 that facilitates short-term mission trips like LST projects and medical brigades, and also long-term projects like Bible classes in public schools and Bible training for adults who want to be evangelists.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MISSION UPREACH
Saturday, May 29, 2010
A Momentous Occasion
Today is a momentous occasion in our family. It is something the kids (teenage twins) have been saving for and looking forward to for over a year. Recently, they've actually been counting down the days.
They are getting cell phones.
No, they're not getting their first cell phones. They've had cell phones for over a year. Eighteen months, to be exact.
When they got their first cell phones, they were overjoyed. My daughter actually sent/received over 1100 text messages in the first THREE DAYS. They had CELL PHONES! They were truly teenagers! They were IN!
It didn't take long, however, for them to notice that some of their friends had better phones than them, with more features. We had all four gotten the free phone du jour.
Now, I have been perfectly happy with the most basic of cell phones in all my 10+ years of having them, and my husband is perfectly happy as long as he can make and receive calls, so we don't really understand this dissatisfaction. (Yes, I text, but do quite well on my number pad and think a full keyboard would just confuse me since it would be too small to actually type.)
Therefore, my philosophy with contract renewal/new equipment is that the free phone is good enough, and any upgrade will come out of their own pockets. So they have been saving and researching phones for at least six months.
So today we will go sign our lives away for another two years and my husband and I will take whatever phone they will give us. Our kids will take their money and buy better phones than ours. And I will be perfectly happy with my free phone.
Until I get to play with theirs a little bit. I already sort of want an iPhone. I blame my kids (and my co-workers).
They are getting cell phones.
No, they're not getting their first cell phones. They've had cell phones for over a year. Eighteen months, to be exact.
When they got their first cell phones, they were overjoyed. My daughter actually sent/received over 1100 text messages in the first THREE DAYS. They had CELL PHONES! They were truly teenagers! They were IN!
It didn't take long, however, for them to notice that some of their friends had better phones than them, with more features. We had all four gotten the free phone du jour.
Now, I have been perfectly happy with the most basic of cell phones in all my 10+ years of having them, and my husband is perfectly happy as long as he can make and receive calls, so we don't really understand this dissatisfaction. (Yes, I text, but do quite well on my number pad and think a full keyboard would just confuse me since it would be too small to actually type.)
Therefore, my philosophy with contract renewal/new equipment is that the free phone is good enough, and any upgrade will come out of their own pockets. So they have been saving and researching phones for at least six months.
So today we will go sign our lives away for another two years and my husband and I will take whatever phone they will give us. Our kids will take their money and buy better phones than ours. And I will be perfectly happy with my free phone.
Until I get to play with theirs a little bit. I already sort of want an iPhone. I blame my kids (and my co-workers).
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Milestone
My niece is graduating from college today (my husband's niece, technically, but I'll claim her). She will have a BS in Biology and she's going on to pharmacy school.
I remember when she was born. Hubby and I were just starting to get interested in each other, and I remember him coming to the library at college (I worked there) and telling me that he had just heard that his brother's wife had given birth to a girl.
Makes me feel nostalgic.
I remember when she was born. Hubby and I were just starting to get interested in each other, and I remember him coming to the library at college (I worked there) and telling me that he had just heard that his brother's wife had given birth to a girl.
Makes me feel nostalgic.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Today
Worked until 2:45
Took Son to apply for a job
Took Son for haircut
Came home, ate "dinner"
Sprayed oven with cleaner
Defrosted frost-free refrigerator with blow-dryer
Sent Son off to cut my parents' lawn
Sent Daughter off to birthday party
Went to Wal-Mart
Watched NCIS while doing my nails
Cleaned oven--wondered why I did my nails
Replaced lower element in oven
Checked e-mail and wrote this senseless blog
This is why I don't find much time to write or blog.
Took Son to apply for a job
Took Son for haircut
Came home, ate "dinner"
Sprayed oven with cleaner
Defrosted frost-free refrigerator with blow-dryer
Sent Son off to cut my parents' lawn
Sent Daughter off to birthday party
Went to Wal-Mart
Watched NCIS while doing my nails
Cleaned oven--wondered why I did my nails
Replaced lower element in oven
Checked e-mail and wrote this senseless blog
This is why I don't find much time to write or blog.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thoughts On "Padding"
Last night we watched "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" as a family. The one from 1979.
It's SO boring!
The movie could have easily been an hour-long television episode, complete with commercial breaks. The makers spent an unbelievable amount of time on special effects. I mean unbelievable. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. It made me say, "What on earth were they thinking???"
The plot (when you could find it among the special effects) was thin and had no tension, as if even the cast knew they were in a boring movie.
It got me to thinking about my "completed" manuscript that is suffering from neglect, needing revision/editing. I think one of the reasons I'm reluctant to dust it off and work on it is that I'm not sure if I really have enough story for a whole novel. It's too short. I've got some ideas for added scenes, but I don't want to add padding.
It seemed to me as if the Star Trek movie creators took an hour-long television episode and padded it out with special effects to make it movie-length. (According to the Wikipedia entry, that's more or less what they did.) The padding was very boring, and it made the whole movie seem boring.
I don't want to do that with my novel.
I hope I can think of something. If not, I may seriously need to shelve it and focus on one of the other four ideas competing for my attention.
It's SO boring!
The movie could have easily been an hour-long television episode, complete with commercial breaks. The makers spent an unbelievable amount of time on special effects. I mean unbelievable. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. It made me say, "What on earth were they thinking???"
The plot (when you could find it among the special effects) was thin and had no tension, as if even the cast knew they were in a boring movie.
It got me to thinking about my "completed" manuscript that is suffering from neglect, needing revision/editing. I think one of the reasons I'm reluctant to dust it off and work on it is that I'm not sure if I really have enough story for a whole novel. It's too short. I've got some ideas for added scenes, but I don't want to add padding.
It seemed to me as if the Star Trek movie creators took an hour-long television episode and padded it out with special effects to make it movie-length. (According to the Wikipedia entry, that's more or less what they did.) The padding was very boring, and it made the whole movie seem boring.
I don't want to do that with my novel.
I hope I can think of something. If not, I may seriously need to shelve it and focus on one of the other four ideas competing for my attention.
Friday, March 5, 2010
The NEW U.S. Passport!
My daughter got her passport in the mail this week. It’s pretty!
Mine from 22 years ago was just a little book with my picture and info on one page and blank pages for visas. The new ones look exactly the same on the outside down to the Navy blue, but the inside it’s completely different. I don’t have my old one to compare to because it’s off with the State Department proving I’m a U.S. citizen, but I know my old one didn’t have scenic pictures of the United States on the visa pages, or a colorful bald eagle on the page with my picture.
They say the passports now have some kind of chip in them for scanning recognition. And my friend Carrie thinks the pictures on the visa pages are printed like our money somehow so they can’t be counterfeited. But I just think they’re pretty.
And now I have the song going through my head from Captain Kangaroo, “Picture pages, picture pages, time to get your pictures pages, time to get your crayons or your pencils…”
Mine from 22 years ago was just a little book with my picture and info on one page and blank pages for visas. The new ones look exactly the same on the outside down to the Navy blue, but the inside it’s completely different. I don’t have my old one to compare to because it’s off with the State Department proving I’m a U.S. citizen, but I know my old one didn’t have scenic pictures of the United States on the visa pages, or a colorful bald eagle on the page with my picture.
They say the passports now have some kind of chip in them for scanning recognition. And my friend Carrie thinks the pictures on the visa pages are printed like our money somehow so they can’t be counterfeited. But I just think they’re pretty.
And now I have the song going through my head from Captain Kangaroo, “Picture pages, picture pages, time to get your pictures pages, time to get your crayons or your pencils…”
Saturday, February 27, 2010
One Certified Copy, Please!
I finally applied for my passport yesterday. If you read my entry from two weeks ago you might remember that I couldn’t apply with my daughter because I needed either my birth certificate or my marriage license, and that I had decided to get my birth certificate because it would be easier.
Wrong.
I downloaded the form from the appropriate state to request a certified copy of my birth certificate, filled it out, and sent it off with the required $15 check. That was two weeks ago. I haven’t heard a thing.
On a whim, I decided to also try to get a copy of my marriage license. I called the appropriate county clerk’s office to see if they could send me a form to request a certified copy of my marriage license since there wasn’t one to download online.
Clerk: What’s your husband’s name and your maiden name? And the date?
Me: (gives her the info)
Clerk: Oh yes, I see it here. How many copies do you need?
Me: Just one, I guess. How much are they?
Clerk: $1.10 each.
Me: Oh! Well, then send me two or three. Who knows when I might need them?
Clerk: How about if I send you four and bill you for two? We’ve already gotten today’s mail, but they’ll go out tomorrow.
Me: You don’t have to do that. I’ll pay for four.
Clerk: No, I’m only billing you for two.
Me: Do you need my credit card information?
Clerk: No, I’ll just bill you and you can send me a check.
Me: ….? Thank you!
I got them within the week (this was a distant state). Four copies.
I felt guilty sending them a check for only $2.20—I felt as if I owed $4.40. But as an accountant, I was afraid it would mess up their books and possibly get the clerk in trouble. And really, it’s probably a fair price for her time, four sheets of paper, and the stamp.
I was surprised that the clerk was so trusting that I’d pay. I know it isn’t very much money, not a huge loss if I didn’t pay, but that tiny bit of trust made me feel encouraged about the state of the human race.
I feel as if I need to “pay it forward.” I don’t mean that I now owe society $2.20, but that maybe I owe the people around me more friendliness, more helpfulness, and more smiles. I could hear the smile in her voice, and I’m betting those of you reading her words could sense her smile between the lines.
And if I have the opportunity to encourage someone in a small way with a small amount of money…
Wrong.
I downloaded the form from the appropriate state to request a certified copy of my birth certificate, filled it out, and sent it off with the required $15 check. That was two weeks ago. I haven’t heard a thing.
On a whim, I decided to also try to get a copy of my marriage license. I called the appropriate county clerk’s office to see if they could send me a form to request a certified copy of my marriage license since there wasn’t one to download online.
Clerk: What’s your husband’s name and your maiden name? And the date?
Me: (gives her the info)
Clerk: Oh yes, I see it here. How many copies do you need?
Me: Just one, I guess. How much are they?
Clerk: $1.10 each.
Me: Oh! Well, then send me two or three. Who knows when I might need them?
Clerk: How about if I send you four and bill you for two? We’ve already gotten today’s mail, but they’ll go out tomorrow.
Me: You don’t have to do that. I’ll pay for four.
Clerk: No, I’m only billing you for two.
Me: Do you need my credit card information?
Clerk: No, I’ll just bill you and you can send me a check.
Me: ….? Thank you!
I got them within the week (this was a distant state). Four copies.
I felt guilty sending them a check for only $2.20—I felt as if I owed $4.40. But as an accountant, I was afraid it would mess up their books and possibly get the clerk in trouble. And really, it’s probably a fair price for her time, four sheets of paper, and the stamp.
I was surprised that the clerk was so trusting that I’d pay. I know it isn’t very much money, not a huge loss if I didn’t pay, but that tiny bit of trust made me feel encouraged about the state of the human race.
I feel as if I need to “pay it forward.” I don’t mean that I now owe society $2.20, but that maybe I owe the people around me more friendliness, more helpfulness, and more smiles. I could hear the smile in her voice, and I’m betting those of you reading her words could sense her smile between the lines.
And if I have the opportunity to encourage someone in a small way with a small amount of money…
Friday, February 19, 2010
Shots and Books
I got my Hep A&B combo shot and my tetanus shot on Wednesday. My Hep arm is fine, but my tetanus arm is very sore and I've been achy and grumpy. I'm sure it will go away soon, though. Better that than actually getting tetanus.
I randomly ordered three books from Amazon. I'm not sure why--it's very unlike me to make any purchase on a whim. An agent on a blog I follow said two of her clients were on the New York Times best seller list and I thought, "I need to read more," so I clicked over and bought them. I don't even know what they're about, but obviously someone likes them. Then I was only $5 away from free shipping, so I bought the latest Vladimir Tod book for $10 to save $5 shipping. Therefore the Vladimir Tod book was only $5, really. Right?
Anyway, this is what I ordered:
"Eleventh Grade Burns (the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod)" by Heather Brewer
"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford
"Heist Socity" by Ally Carter
Anyone read them?
I also read "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. I borrowed it from the library. Powerful book. It's written in the first person, present tense, which really works for the subject matter and makes it more intense. The subject matter is actually kept from the reader for quite a while. I figured it out early on, but I don't think a "young adult" reader would catch on until they were supposed to. Anyway, both good and disturbing, and probably good for teen girls to read. Good message.
My son is wondering what on earth we will do when we run out of Star Trek DVD's?? We only have the first season of Next Generation.
I randomly ordered three books from Amazon. I'm not sure why--it's very unlike me to make any purchase on a whim. An agent on a blog I follow said two of her clients were on the New York Times best seller list and I thought, "I need to read more," so I clicked over and bought them. I don't even know what they're about, but obviously someone likes them. Then I was only $5 away from free shipping, so I bought the latest Vladimir Tod book for $10 to save $5 shipping. Therefore the Vladimir Tod book was only $5, really. Right?
Anyway, this is what I ordered:
"Eleventh Grade Burns (the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod)" by Heather Brewer
"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford
"Heist Socity" by Ally Carter
Anyone read them?
I also read "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson. I borrowed it from the library. Powerful book. It's written in the first person, present tense, which really works for the subject matter and makes it more intense. The subject matter is actually kept from the reader for quite a while. I figured it out early on, but I don't think a "young adult" reader would catch on until they were supposed to. Anyway, both good and disturbing, and probably good for teen girls to read. Good message.
My son is wondering what on earth we will do when we run out of Star Trek DVD's?? We only have the first season of Next Generation.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Applying for Passports
Yesterday we went to apply for our passports. An adult has to have proof of citizenship and proof of identity. A minor has to have proof of citizenship and some kind of certified proof of parental permission from BOTH parents.
Oddly, my daughter’s application was the easier of the two. We had her birth certificate for her proof of citizenship. For proof of parental permission my husband and I both let them take copies of our driver’s licenses (to prove we were really her parents—our names are the same on our ID as on her birth certificate) and signed the form in front of the clerk. Done. The form and the birth certificate and our driver’s license copies get sent off someplace and she’ll get a passport in 6-8 weeks.
If one parent isn’t present you have to have some kind of certified something in writing from them. It sounded easier for my husband to just take off work early and go with us. I’m sure they have that in case one parent lives in another state. I’m betting if one parent is dead you have to have a death certificate.
It was a no-go on me, however. I had my old passport (from 1988) for proof of citizenship and my license as proof of identity. The clerk said the names were different. Yes, I got married in 1989. Did I have my marriage license? No, not with me. They won’t give you a new passport without proof of name change. Did I have my birth certificate? No, I have no idea where it is, but my name on my birth certificate is the same as on my old passport. Well, that doesn’t matter. What??
What it boils down is that if I use my old passport as proof of citizenship I have to have proof of name change. If I use my birth certificate, I don’t. Weird.
So I have to come up with either a copy of my marriage license or a copy of my birth certificate. I’ve since realized that the copy I have of my marriage license is probably not a certified copy—it’s probably just a pretty copy for my picture book.
I poked around online and found out that it’s much easier to apply for a copy of my birth certificate from the state of Missouri than it is to apply for a copy of my marriage license from the state of Indiana. So I think I’ll go the birth certificate route. I’m tempted to try to get a copy of my marriage license, too, just in case I ever need it.
I guess I’m glad it’s so difficult to get a passport in the United States, for homeland security reasons or whatever. And at this point I have plenty of time.
Oddly, my daughter’s application was the easier of the two. We had her birth certificate for her proof of citizenship. For proof of parental permission my husband and I both let them take copies of our driver’s licenses (to prove we were really her parents—our names are the same on our ID as on her birth certificate) and signed the form in front of the clerk. Done. The form and the birth certificate and our driver’s license copies get sent off someplace and she’ll get a passport in 6-8 weeks.
If one parent isn’t present you have to have some kind of certified something in writing from them. It sounded easier for my husband to just take off work early and go with us. I’m sure they have that in case one parent lives in another state. I’m betting if one parent is dead you have to have a death certificate.
It was a no-go on me, however. I had my old passport (from 1988) for proof of citizenship and my license as proof of identity. The clerk said the names were different. Yes, I got married in 1989. Did I have my marriage license? No, not with me. They won’t give you a new passport without proof of name change. Did I have my birth certificate? No, I have no idea where it is, but my name on my birth certificate is the same as on my old passport. Well, that doesn’t matter. What??
What it boils down is that if I use my old passport as proof of citizenship I have to have proof of name change. If I use my birth certificate, I don’t. Weird.
So I have to come up with either a copy of my marriage license or a copy of my birth certificate. I’ve since realized that the copy I have of my marriage license is probably not a certified copy—it’s probably just a pretty copy for my picture book.
I poked around online and found out that it’s much easier to apply for a copy of my birth certificate from the state of Missouri than it is to apply for a copy of my marriage license from the state of Indiana. So I think I’ll go the birth certificate route. I’m tempted to try to get a copy of my marriage license, too, just in case I ever need it.
I guess I’m glad it’s so difficult to get a passport in the United States, for homeland security reasons or whatever. And at this point I have plenty of time.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Immunizations
My daughter and I leave on June 8th, so we have just under four months to prepare. Not enough time, as it turns out, to get the full Hepatitis A and B immunization series. At least my daughter has had them. I think. I have a call in to her doctor. As for me... well, I have time to get two, so hopefully that will be enough.
We also have to make sure our tetanus shots are current. I'm not sure about mine... maybe 1999? I'm trying to find out when I last had one, and it’s turning out to be an adventure of following my medical records around town. (Well, don’t envision any exciting car chases—so far I’ve just been using my phone.) I have a feeling I'll be getting a tetanus shot before we go.
We're also supposed to be getting immunized against typhoid. I'm pretty sure my daughter hasn't had that one. What on earth is typhoid, anyway?
Wikipedia's definition lost me after the first sentence. “The bacteria then perforate through the intestinal wall and are phagocytosed by macrophages.” I think I’ll endure the shot instead of risking perforating and phagocytosing.
I'm wondering if we should get flu shots, too. We've both had the Swine Flu, but I guess there are other types of flu floating around the world. But I wonder if the shots available now will prepare us for flu in June, or flu in the Dominican Republic?
Anyway, it looks like I’m going to feel more like a pincushion over the next four months than I did when I was pregnant. Of course, at the end of the pregnancy you have a wonderful baby (or babies, in my case) so you forget all about the ugly needles. Except I just remembered them.
I hate shots. But it’s for a good cause.
We also have to take malaria medicine while we’re there. I would like to go on the record as saying that I will combat malaria with “OFF” and mosquito netting as well as medicine! And calamine lotion, if necessary. (Well, that won’t help with malaria, only itching…)
We also have to make sure our tetanus shots are current. I'm not sure about mine... maybe 1999? I'm trying to find out when I last had one, and it’s turning out to be an adventure of following my medical records around town. (Well, don’t envision any exciting car chases—so far I’ve just been using my phone.) I have a feeling I'll be getting a tetanus shot before we go.
We're also supposed to be getting immunized against typhoid. I'm pretty sure my daughter hasn't had that one. What on earth is typhoid, anyway?
Wikipedia's definition lost me after the first sentence. “The bacteria then perforate through the intestinal wall and are phagocytosed by macrophages.” I think I’ll endure the shot instead of risking perforating and phagocytosing.
I'm wondering if we should get flu shots, too. We've both had the Swine Flu, but I guess there are other types of flu floating around the world. But I wonder if the shots available now will prepare us for flu in June, or flu in the Dominican Republic?
Anyway, it looks like I’m going to feel more like a pincushion over the next four months than I did when I was pregnant. Of course, at the end of the pregnancy you have a wonderful baby (or babies, in my case) so you forget all about the ugly needles. Except I just remembered them.
I hate shots. But it’s for a good cause.
We also have to take malaria medicine while we’re there. I would like to go on the record as saying that I will combat malaria with “OFF” and mosquito netting as well as medicine! And calamine lotion, if necessary. (Well, that won’t help with malaria, only itching…)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)