Yeah for Pictures!

This is Erin and myself at Charissa's rehersal...we're bored, can you tell?
Becky and Lydia, two former roommates, got ahold of my camera, actually I gave it to Lyd, what a mistake.
Can you say beautiful...this is the other Megan, wedding number one...for wedding number two check out Lydia's blog.
Ashley DeBardeshlehe! yep, leading a kidnapped bride out on the town for her last single night.
Loft: Jess, Lyd, Lael, Patty, Megan, Heather W., Nicole, Me

Heather N., Rochelle, Joy, Emily...and we accidentally forgot Erin (oops).

So, this is Patty and Lydia on the top and Patty, Jess, Nicole and Heather N. on the bottom, some of the fabulous girls that I lived with in college.

My Mom's a stinker

So, I walk into the house on Sunday afternoon, after an 8 1/2 hour car ride and my mom and dad are sitting there. After the normal hellos and hugs my mom says..."So, we're hosting a wedding shower on Thursday night, I volunteered you to be a host."
What the wedding overload. Apparently it isn't enough that I had to go to two weddings in one week, I also get to host a wedding shower. I think someone, somewhere just likes rubbing it in my face that I am S-I-N-G-L-E! Yes, I know, please don't remind me anymore...unless of course it's to say, "So, Meg, I know you are unattached and there is this really good looking guy who is just dying to marry you." Got it!

The DMV

So, I can now legally drive in the states...well, I could before, but there would have been a whole lot of questions had I been pulled over. I went and got my Florida driver's license today. The DMV in good ole Lakeland is crazy. I didn't have to wait as long as I expected, but well, I encountered some interesting people.
First, I think I was cursed with some family trait that makes people want to talk to you. My dad and his sisters have it too, and although they like it, I don't really care for this quality. So, I got to talk to some interesting people.
Then, there was the woman with the spanish accent, who had to be around 75 years old. Whenever the woman behind the counter asked her a question, she would say, "Hea, speak up, I can't hear you." And then when asked to read a line of letters in the little vision thingy she couldn't do it. BUT, they issued her a driver's license anyway. Doesn't it make you feel safe to think you are driving on the roads with her behind the wheel.
Also, there as a guy who was blind in one eye, had multiple DUIs and had been arrested at some point for something. When he had to have his vision checked he couldn't see half the numbers and kept on messing up. Finally, the clerk said, "good enough," and issued him a driver's license as well.
So, now that those two have their driver's licenses and are out on the road I think I'm going to become a recluse and never come out of my house...it's too dangerous.

Way Down Upon the Swanee River!

So, I'm back in Florida. I had a wonderful time in Wisconsin and Chattanooga and I finally made it to home sweet home about an hour ago. Now, to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. I'm not sure what that will be yet, but I have a few leads. We'll see.
I want to post pictures from the weddings I went to. Both brides were beautiful and I think I have a bunch of good pictures of my other friends as well...at least I hope I do.
Anyway, yeah, it's good to be home, for the time being. We'll see what happens next.

Leaving

You know, in most countries, bidding someone farewell sounds pleasant, it's somewhat lyrical - you know, Bon Voyage, Sianora, Hasta Luego, G'day. Not so in the land of Deutsch, for the deutsch speakers their farewell reminds me of something entirely different. Since I'm leaving the Black Forest and Germany tomorrow I've been thinking about this phrase (I've also had it uttered in my direction a few times in the last few days). Ah yes, when I hear the phrase "Gute Fahrt" I can't help but...wonder what the heck? While other phrases make you think of the journey to come the Germans remind you to use the restroom before leaving. Actually, for you non-deutsch sprechers out there, Gute Fahrt means good journey. But, to my American ears that's not what it sounds like. So, now that I have completely bashed the phrase and have all of you wondering why this was even posted I'll bid Adieu (see, another good word) to fair Deutschland and the green hills of Marzell and move on to...Ohio? Ugg, not looking forward to that. But eventually Florida will come!
Tschuss from Germany, Auf Wiedersehen! (Yes Mr. Stemple, shoes, our feet are the same!)

I wasn't born yesterday...or maybe, I was?

You know, P.T. Barnum once said "There's a sucker born every minute." I'm inclined to agree with him. I just spent the last short while "surfing" the internet looking for random things...mostly a job. It's interesting what you will find out there. One job ad said that if you agreed to pay their $20 membership fee you were sure to get an easy job that pays up to $50 an hour. Basically, they are advertising membership to a job search engine for $20. My question is, did someone actually pay for that, and if so did they think it through all the way before they forked over the dough? Come on, if you sign up there is a chance, a small chance that the companies they are promoting will have a job, and it says up to $50 which means $5. And, I don't think the job they are advertising is as simple and layed back as they make it out to be.
My fellow Americans, and Canadians, and other people groups of the world, I truly hope you are not suckered by some "get rich quick" scam. And if you are, let me tell you about the ocean front property I own in Montana...

this is me at a soccer game, the bathrobe isn't mine, it was just keeping me warm. 

Saturday...sheesh!

So, I posted the verses from Psalm 103 because I needed the reminder that God is in control of his kingdom. Here's what happened to me on Saturday, it's a long story so sit back, relax, and laugh your hind quarters off.
Let me preface this with a few details. Since the kids all left this weekend and many of them I will never see again, we partook of a typical BFA tradition: the last night all-nighter. So, by Saturday morning at 8 am when I left for the airport with six kids, I had only received about 2 hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. I drove the kids to the airport without mishap and then stuck around just to make sure they checked in okay and got through security. For five of my six kids the check in process was quick and painless, but for poor Michael it took forever. Michael was flying to Burkina Faso and was only allowed to take a total of 20 kilos with him in checked luggage. His suitcase was 33 kilos, 13 kilos too many. So, he started rearranging things to send a bag back to his dorm with me. He removed his Bible, his yearbook and two packages of notebook paper and then went back to weigh his bag...16 kilos. The word of God is heavy! So, he put some stuff back in and went to check it through...20.1 kilos, 100 grams over. Sorry, says the woman, it's still over weight. By this point poor Michael was a bit frustrated, so he opened his bag and handed me the first thing he saw...his shorts, I'll wear my dad's, he said. So, we think Michael is ready...not so fast, now she wants to weigh his carry on. More rearranging ensues in which we end up giving some of his stuff to two of the kids who are on the same flight as he is, who then give it back to him once they have passed through security.
We, one of my student's Rachel came along for the ride and to keep me awake, anyway, we finally say goodbye and get in the van to head back to school. As I'm driving along the autobahn I go to shift from 3rd to 4th and my hand slips and I shift into reverse instead. Sounds like a meat grinder...so stupid. Anyway, I continue driving on but I have to make a stop at a store in France before I can go home, someone asked me to look for Lime Fanta to bring to them back in the states. So, I go to the store, unsuccessfully look for the Fanta and then go out to my van to leave. Only one problem, it won't go into reverse. Rachel, the student with me get's out and tries to push, but that doesn't work. So, I have to call my dorm. It is then that I realize the cell phone that I was supposed to take with me is sitting on the counter in my dorm, right where I left it. In utter frustration I go to find a pay phone and in the process of getting out of the van I lock the keys in the car. The pay phone I find doesn't accept the number I'm trying to call and so I have to go find another pay phone. So, Rachel and I walk 2 km to another phone and then it hits me, I should have just tried a different number. Sheesh, I'm a dufus. So, we make the call to my Dorm dad, and start walking back to the store. After about an hour of waiting he shows up and we then try to jimmy the lock open. But we needed a coat hanger, so I go into the store to buy a metal coat hanger but all I end up coming up with is the metal handle to a plastic paint bucket. We rip the handle off and try to use it, but it doesn't have a big enough hook to grab the lock bar. Steve, my dorm dad, turns around to use the metal post of the cart return to bend the handle a little longer and lo and behold in the trash bin of the cart return are three metal hangers. Finally we get the car open, Steve and Rachel push it out, and I drive it to the school. We have appropriately named this the Airport run from Hell, it took 66 km round trip.
The reason for the verse is that it reminds me of something Rachel said while we were waiting to be rescued. You know Megan, God is teaching us something, we don't know what it is, and honestly, right now I don't like it very much, but it could be worse, and at least we know he loves us.
Amen Rachel, thanks for going on my adventure with me!

Truth

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits -
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
...
The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
Praise the Lord all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
~Psalm 103:1-5, 19-22

A Past Remembered

Today was graduation for our seniors here at BFA. It's kind of a bittersweet time as all graduations are. However, there is one huge difference here. For BFA seniors this isn't their hometown, for most of them their parents don't live here, or anywhere near here. So, unlike those of us who graduated in the states and still return home on occassion for holidays and summers and the like these kids don't. While our parents root us to the town they are in, these students have no such thing. Going home to visit family does not mean coming back here, and so, there isn't the chance that there will be a random group of their high school buddies all visiting family for Christmas and a spontaneous dinner out will occur.
This makes me sad. Not that I stay in touch terribly well with friends from high school, but at least I have the option of seeing them when I'm home. For these students they may see each other again, but it will take far more planning than any American high school alumni has ever put into seeing a group of friends. And, the chances are that it won't work out. Am I being a little melancholy and depressing? Well, I guess I am. I just feel bad for these kids. Graduation is an emotional enough time, but add to it the idea that you may never see your friends again and it becomes even more emotional.
I guess I also know how these kids are feeling. In a week I fly to the states, leaving BFA for good. This will no longer be home for me. While I am looking forward to the next phase God has for me, I guess I'm realizing a few truths as well.
1. I am forever changed - this place, these people, this ministry, has had a greater affect on my life than anything else ever has, even four years of college.
2. I may never be back, ever!
3. There are people here who made a huge impact in my life that I will probably never see again this side of eternity. The worst part of this is that I will never be able to express to them in words what they mean to me and how much they have taught me.
So, I feel bad for these kids...maybe its a vent for the self-pity that I am starting to feel. I don't know.
I do know that this is an incredibly long post...so I'm gonna quit.
One week I'll be stateside. Looking forward to seeing friends, dreading missing friends. What a predicament.
Tschuss!

Yeah - this is Jo (in blue) - Jo plays right defense - Jo stripped the ball from #10 - we like Jo because we don't like #10 and because Jo is just one cool and tough young lady! 

The water ride wasn't wet enough so we had a splashing fight during the lulls. It was so hot and dry on Sunday that our clothes dried out faster than we did. 

Josh, B' and Lizzie on Lizzie's first roller coaster ever. You can't tell but she's praying "Dear Jesus, Dear Jesus" over and over!