Three months since last post... and three more to go!

[Obligatory apology for not updating more often... check]  Other than my parents, not sure if anyone actually reads anyway! :)  Plus, most of these pictures are on the good ole book of faces!

So...  last post I made was in January.  It's now almost the end of April.  That's insane.  Three months til I'm back on American soil.  I don't have an exact day yet but we should know soon.  I'm not really sure how to feel about this.  I know that it's going to absolutely fly by and a part of me is super ready to get back and figure out my next steps.  But I also am completely dreading the emotional drain of goodbyes - especially since I stink at them.

Anyhow - here's just a fun picture recap of some things that have gone on!  

Birthday girl!!!  Amanda just turned 24 :)

Group picture of "our girls" at her bday celebration :)  <3

Best supervisors ever!  Could not have been more blessed to be mentored by the coolest, most hip bosses ever!  Who of you can say that you danced the Cha-cha slide and Cupid Shuffle with yours? :)

My forever partner-in-crime came to visit me!  Our first picture!

Giraffes are sooo beautiful!  Can't say that much about the rhino that tried to eat me alive, right Ashley!??

And this basically sums up our friendship!  

I hope that I'm as good of a friend to the people that He has placed in my life as they are to me!

Our girls on Easter Sunday!

I just got home a couple of days ago from visiting Istanbul, Turkey.  It may seem like I've been traveling all over creation and in some sense, I have.  I just saved literally all of my 30 vacation days until the end.  However, this takes the cake for best vacation ever.  I have come to find that vacation really is more about the people you are with than what you are doing.  Istanbul was not my top choice for a place to visit, but the fact that we had a huge group of people that I went to training in the states with made it worth it.  

Our group in front of the Blue Mosque on the first day!

On the ferry on the way home from a day of bike riding... or pushing..  wait, this is the day we don't speak of!  haha

So these guys were taking really silly pictures for so long and we were laughing so hard.  I wanted to go take pictures with them but no one would do it with me.  Then Der came up and said we should do it and that made it happen.  

"Not like this...  Like this!"  "Change places!"

So we are in the Basilica Cistern ...  and in the corner of this dark, damp underground ancient building, there stands a complete tourist trap.  Completely out of place.  Dress up like Sultans and Sultanas and take pictures.  And we fall for it.  And it was soo worth every Turkish Lira because these pictures are priceless to me.

I scored my lowest bowling score ever here...  but still a lot of fun!

If I had to choose a theme picture for the week, it would be this.  We did so much touristy stuff at the beginning of the week that by the end of the week, when we couldn't think of things to do, we would eat.  We were probably borderline gluttons.  But we come mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa.  So it's okay.  You like that convincing?

 Our last group picture taken -  Hannah was sick and Cam was with her :(

This trip was just so refreshing for me.  Of course, it was great to be able to eat amazing food.  Being in a first-world country was nice.  The company was outstanding.  But one of my favorite times was just sharing with each other the last afternoon before we all started heading out.  We sang and prayed together and it was so encouraging.  I was telling my friend Ashley when she was here that I have felt so exhausted and that we've hit a brick wall.  I'm rereading one of my favorite books and have just been reminded at what a slow-burning heart I have.  The last line of the last song we sang together says, "Capture my heart again."  

Three months.  Less than 100 days.  Let's do this!

"I have to get to the point of absolute and unquestionable relationship that takes everything exactly as it comes from Him.  God never guides us at some time in the future, but always here and now.  Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is immediate."  -Oswald Chambers