Is this when God comes in?

Yesterday I received my April finance report from the Latin America Mission. This is a monthly report where missionaries can see the income received from supporters and the amount paid from the account for salary. To make a LONG story short, I basically have a total of 4 months left before they have to starting cutting my pay big time. You see, at the beginning of the support raising process, any gifts given go into a support pool that collects until departure date. If the missionary is lacking in monthly support, they take some, bit by bit, out of that pool. Well, the pull has run dry my friends! Due to a few lost supporters as well as annual gifts that were not given this year I have lost some monthly support and my pool can no longer sustain the loss.

What does this mean for me? My up coming year in the States was meant to be a time of study leave for me to receive my certification in counseling. While I still do plan on studying, it appears I may need to find a more substantial job than just a few hours a week. Working for me has never been a problem. I have had various jobs since I could drive and generally enjoy the responsibility. But receiving my counseling certification, support raising for Aaron and I, and working 20-30 hours a week is going to prove to be very trying.

Please pray for Aaron and I as we seek out the best options for our year in the States. Thank you so much!
Zoe

Things I'll miss, things I'm ready for PART TWO

As promised, you can now find out the things I have missed the most, and the things I'm ready to experience in good ole Atlanta. I left the United States in January of 2008. This puts me at being out of the country for a near total of 1 1/2 years. This, in the scheme of things, is a fairly short amount of time. However, when it comes to certain things, 1 1/2 years seems like a lifetime! Let's see...

Things I'm ready for:
I'm ready to start getting things for my first apartment with Aaron. We'll be living in a wonderful basement apartment with two bedrooms, one bath, a private driveway, and just enough space for two love birds. The pic below is not of our apartment, but it is representing all that I'm ready for: starting a home with my sweetie!

I'm ready for the WEDDING! I'm ready to wear the white dress, to carry the flowers, to eat the cake, and to become a Mrs. More specifically, Mrs. Zoe Danielle Das! WOOHOO It has a nice ring to it wouldn't you say?

Things I miss:
I miss cable TV in English. I haven't ever been one of those tv addicts. But it will be lovely to sit down in front of the tv with my favorite snack and watch an episode of Lost or American Idol. Yay!

I miss SEASONS! Oh my goodness. Bogota has two seasons. The rainy season which stays a wet and rainy 45-55 degrees, and the dry season which stays a dry 50-60 degrees. The leaves dont' change, there is no summer, and when it rains, it POURS! Atlanta seasons, here I come!

I miss my family. It will be so wonderful to just have dinner with them, watch a movie, drive in the car, and chat. Shopping with mom, hanging out with dad, discussing books with Joe, listening to Ben talk about his car, and staying up talking with Jill. I love you family! See you soon!


DRIVING! I know I know, the Atlanta traffic can be horrible! But I have spent the better part of 1 1/2 years taking buses and taxis or relying on others to drive me from a to b. I'm ready to sit behind the wheel. Now, as of yet, I will not have my own car for the year in the States. So, below is a pic of my precious husband-to-be's car who has so graciously offered to share it with me! Thanks honey!

And again, saving the absolute best for last....I miss my Aaron!!!!!! I'm ready to see his face every day and not just hear his voice coming from my phone. I'm ready for dates and holding hands and watching movies and doing puzzles and just staring at him in wonder! Haha, we're still in the gaga stage and proud of it!

So, there ya have it folks. This wraps up my two-part blog of all the things I'll miss in Colombia and all the things I'm looking forward to in the States. Visit soon as I will be slowly wrapping up my time here in Bogota!

Things I'll miss, things I'm ready for PART ONE

Well, for those of you who were disappointed by my short blog entry last time, THIS should make up for it.

I have now been in Colombia for 9 months. During that time, I have fallen in love with certain aspects of the culture and life here. These are the things I will miss terribly when I leave in less than 2 months. They are the memories I will hold onto and the people I will keep in touch with.

I'm going to miss how inexpensive everything is here. This includes $2 manicures, $8 haircuts, $3 lunches, and $150 rent.

I'm going to miss speaking Spanish A LOT! I'm praying that I don't lose the level I have gained and that when I come back, it'll be like I never left. But this, I feel, is unlikely.

I'm going to miss my favorite restaurant, Crepes and Waffles. They serve the most unbelievably delicious food for way cheaper than you would get in the States. My mouth waters when I think of my Curry Crepe, Hindu Style or my Nutella and ice cream dessert crepe. YUM!

I'm going to miss the Ciclovia (cycle-way) where, on Sunday mornings, they shut down major streets in Bogota so that people can ride their bikes or jog through the streets that are usually wall-to-wall cars. This is where I do my long runs, and I'm going to miss it greatly!



I'm going to miss being able to walk just 6 blocks to my grocery store or the fruit and vegetable market. In the States, this generally requires the use of a car and an hour of your time.

Saving the best for last...I will definitely miss the friendships I have made, the students I mentor, and my office-mates! It will be an adjustment not seeing these wonderful faces on a daily basis. :(

Stay tuned for the next entry where you can find out all the things I'm ready for! Over a year from home can leave you longing for some of the "North American luxuries"...

Beaches, Buses, and lots of Paint Brushes

Here is a super short re-cap of the last 3 1/2 weeks...

Aaron arrived.
We hung out.

We got on a bus:

We were on the bus for a total of 47 hours (round trip):

We toured the coast for future ministry locations:


We returned to Bogota.
We painted the UCU house and did some demo:

Aaron left.
And now I'm getting back to work!