tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5438433311438169592024-03-13T04:50:40.452-07:00Adventures of a Small Town GirlColleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-91240252777653744752011-05-21T11:14:00.000-07:002011-05-21T11:58:59.670-07:00UpdateHi again friends. I realized that I left you hanging a little bit in my last post, and it has been almost 2 months... eesh! Sorry about that. The last piece of my <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2011/03/story-of-my-life-freedom.html">freedom journey</a> is going to have to remain a mystery because it involves another project that needs a lot of work (and prayer) before its unveiled. In the meantime, I wanted to let you know what I've been up to the last couple months, and where you can find me if you want to.<br /><br />Some of you who were around in this blog's early days might remember that I started a silly little blog called Soundtrack To I Do, to offer musical help to my then-engaged friends. Well I recently revamped that silly little blog, redesigned it (with the help of my amazing friend <a href="http://www.jessicavelarde.com/">Jess</a>), moved it to Wordpress, and joined a community of wedding bloggers (TWIPS) who have immensely helped the progression of the blog. I didn't expect to get QUITE so involved in a wedding blog, of all things! But I find it's a fantastic outlet for this single girl's romantic energy, and I also find, at the end of the day at my highly stressful <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/08/dangerous-minds.html">job</a>, it's downright therapeutic to disappear into a world filled with true love and happy endings.<br /><br />So, without further ado, here's where you can find me. Come say hello if you like.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.soundtracktoido.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z336/soundtracktoido/logo_1305581465.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px none; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent;" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /></div></div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-69679645885666110052011-03-23T10:05:00.000-07:002011-03-23T11:26:56.201-07:00Story Of My Life: FreedomPrevious installments in the Story of My Life series: <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-roots.html">Roots</a>, <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-salvation.html">Salvation</a>, <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-answered-prayer.html">Answered Prayer</a>, and <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2011/03/story-of-my-life-bumps-in-road.html">Bumps in The Road</a><br /><br />I left off the story in Portland, where my walk with God was vastly improving, but something was still missing. After a year in Portland, I decided to move back home. I planned to find a job and live in the Bay area, but God had other plans. I found <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/08/dangerous-minds.html">a job</a> here, which I couldn't pass on after 3 months of unemployment. Which I'm so glad about, because God had great plans for me.<br /><br /><div>I discovered that blogging might not just be a hobby, but something <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/03/ministry-of-writing.html">God wanted for me</a>. From me. As a result, I signed up for the <a href="http://therelevantconference.com/">Relevant Conference</a> in faith, not knowing how God would<a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/10/relevant-story.html">meet me there</a>. At the conference, He showed me that I needed to return to my first love, and put Him first in my life, in a way that I hadn't in a long long time. I didn't know how, but I knew He would show me. And He did. There was a book there at the conference called <a href="http://www.lifewaystores.com/lwstore/product.asp?isbn=0805464336">Praying God's Word</a>, by Beth Moore. It was not available for purchase, but I couldn't wait to get home and buy it, because I knew I <i>had</i> to read it. I didn't know how or why, but I knew it was important.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VQrfa8y2Y4w/TYo0VX_BTDI/AAAAAAAABFg/VnB8HDTvL2s/s1600/9780805464337_L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VQrfa8y2Y4w/TYo0VX_BTDI/AAAAAAAABFg/VnB8HDTvL2s/s320/9780805464337_L.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587335829526760498" /></a><br />When I got home I practically drove from the airport to the bible book store to get the book. Basically, the book is a guide for how to turn scriptures into prayers, in order to overcome sin and be transformed by God's Word. As I read it, I could literally feel the transformation in my soul. It was like chains were falling off, and my heart was finally free. <div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">The thing that people don’t like to talk about much in church is that just as real as our God is, who loves us and is always on our side, we also have a very real enemy who wants to do anything he can to destroy us. When we come to Christ, we are set free. We are no longer slaves to sin. And there is nothing the enemy can do about that freedom, he has no power over our God. So what he does instead is exactly what he is best at doing – he lies to us. As Beth Moore describes it, we are standing in our jail cells, and the doors have been flung wide open by Jesus, but our enemy is like the jailer who stands there whispering all the reasons we still belong in the cell. And too often, we listen to him. I did, for too long. But nothing can quiet the enemy like the Word of God. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The book is separated into areas that the enemy keeps us captive, or "strongholds." Idolatry, unbelief, pride, addiction, guilt, unforgiveness, depression, etc. There is an intro into each section, and then a list of scriptures which have been turned into prayers. You can pray through one section, or all of them, as needed. </p><p class="MsoNormal">What I discovered, as I prayed through the sections on idolatry an unbelief, was that I had always believed <i>in</i> God, but I didn't always <i>believe</i> God. Who He says He is, who He says I am, the things that He promises in His Word. And as I prayed through those things, and claimed them as truth, I was set free. Free to love Him fully, with abandon. Free to be loved by Him, and trust that I am safe in His hands. Free to live the life that I always wanted.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I'm sure at this point some of you are thinking that I'm strange. That's ok. (I am, actually, but that's beside the point.) I know what separation from God feels like, and I know what intimacy with Him feels like. And I know which one I choose. So it doesn't really matter to me what other people think. It matters to me that I share my story, so that if anyone is struggling with similar things, they can be encouraged that freedom is just a prayer away.</p><p class="MsoNormal">There is one more exciting piece of this story, which I will share in the next post. I just like to leave you guys hanging. :) Thanks for being with me on this crazy journey.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Have questions? Feel free to <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/p/contact.html">contact me</a>!</p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Subscribe in a reader</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-30087315152697576652011-03-11T13:10:00.000-08:002011-03-23T11:32:20.304-07:00Story of My Life: Bumps in the RoadOk, here goes nothing. Remember the story of my life that I was telling you? (If not, feel free to catch up. I shared about my <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-roots.html">roots</a>, my <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-salvation.html">salvation</a>, and an <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-answered-prayer.html">answered prayer</a>.) I stopped telling the story in exactly the same place that I always stop telling it. Because I already shared the pretty parts. The parts that make me look good, that make faith look good. Faith <i>is</i> good. But it's not easy. There are messy parts, for those of us who are human. For some reason (ahem, pride) we like to paint a pretty picture of faith, and we excuse this by saying to ourselves that if we share the ugly parts, that people might be less attracted to Jesus. That is a ridiculous excuse, because A) Jesus is perfect, and B) people love stories that make them feel less alone in their own messes! We just don't like to tell them. Because of pride.<br /><br />So, after that long winded intro, here comes the rest of the story. For a few years after I began my walk with Christ, things went smoothly. Storms and trials came and went, but I clung to Jesus during those times and my faith grew stronger. I went to college, and joined Campus Crusade, was always in at least two bible studies, and was pretty much doing everything a good Christian should.<br /><br />I'm not sure when things started to fall apart. I had a few negative experiences with some people in my life who happened to be Christians. I won't share the details, for the sake of the people involved. Looking back, they were just some bad choices made by some flawed human beings. But somehow I allowed that to draw me away from my faith. I decided that all Christians were closed-minded and judgmental, and that I didn't want to be associated with them. I decided to try faith on my own. What a tragic decision.<br /><br />I continued to go to church on Sundays, and I'm sure a lot of people didn't even notice anything had changed. Some people in my life may even be reading this right now, wondering what in the world I'm talking about. Most of the change just happened in my heart. I stopped going to bible study, or trying to have fellowship with other believers in any way. I spent the majority of my time with nonbelievers (most of whom I'm still friends with, so if you're reading this, I love you and you are still important in my life.) The problem with that is that no one was encouraging me in my faith journey, no one was keeping me accountable to my walk with God. My sister, who might have been that person, happened to get married around that time, and then moved to New York. I love and cherish my non-Christian friends, many of them have been in my life since childhood. However, it is essential for me (and every Christian, I believe) to walk through life with other believers who help them through the difficult journey of faith.<div><br /></div><div>It didn't take long before my life reflected my change of heart. I became the typical college student, studying and working during the week, and partying on weekends. I made excuses about this behavior to myself. I put on my church persona, with certain people and in certain circumstances, as easily as some put on their church clothes. I was deceitful. I've always been the "good girl," even when I wasn't. In my family, among my friends, in school, at work. Some part of me was trying to uphold that image, while the other half of me was rebelling against it with every fiber of my being. A difficult balance, to say the least. </div><div><br /></div><div>That went on for a couple of years. I became desperately heartsick for my Jesus, but I didn't know how to get back to Him. I started reading the bible again, and attempting closeness with Him. I tried to make rules and regulations for myself around drinking and going out, because I still spent all my time with people who lived that lifestyle. The rules did not hold up. I still felt unsatisfied and disconnected. I felt it was important to get away. Far away. I wanted to seek the Lord alone, with no distractions, somewhere I could start fresh. So I moved to Portland.</div><div><br /></div><div>Things went well in Portland. The distance was good. Seminary school certainly helped. Plus church, <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2009/03/captivating.html">bible study</a>, and <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2008/09/christian-social-events-are-like-piano.html">Christian friends</a>. All good things. Things I needed. And I grew a lot. I <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2009/06/precious-love.html">fell back in love</a> with my Savior. But sadly, something was still missing. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm going to leave you there, and finish the story soon, but let me assure you, there is a happy ending. I found what was missing. Stay tuned.</div><div><br /></div><div>*If you're just tuning in, you don't have to wait! The next part of the story is <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2011/03/story-of-my-life-freedom.html">here</a>.</div><div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Subscribe in a reader</a><br /></div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-43462322081663883312011-03-10T10:34:00.000-08:002011-03-10T10:48:23.951-08:00Hello AgainWell it's been awhile, hasn't it? I decided to live in the real world for awhile. And it's been grand. God has done great things in my life. I will share about the biggest things He's done in the next post.<br /><br />In addition to those things, I have moved out to Salinas, I'm living in a great house with a sweet roomie and our 4 (!) doggies. I have a church family now, and words cannot express how great a blessing that is. I am on a leadership team for a group at our church that ministers to people in their 20's. I have sweet friends who support me and help me when needed, and vice versa. I am happy.<br /><br />In terms of blogging, I have been preparing for something that God has put on my heart, which I will also share in the next post. But for now, and probably for good, Adventures of a Small Town Girl will go back to what it originally was - a space to share my thoughts, feelings, updates and adventures with the people who care to hear them. I'm not going to focus my energies on social networking and gathering followers and all the stuff that gets distracting and overwhelming. Because my blogging energies will be focused elsewhere. But I still love my little blog home in this little corner of cyberspace. And I know there are some people who still care to hear what's going on in my life. :) So the adventure continues. Just... differently.<br /><br />Thank you to those who have been here with me through the whole journey (Mom) and to those who have joined in along the way. As I write this it sounds like goodbye, but it isn't. It's just a bit of change. Maybe one of the reasons that I hate change so much is that it feels like something is ending, as we venture into the new... the unknown. Anyway, feel free to stick around, my blog is not going anywhere. But if you aren't that interested in my little life, that's ok too.<br /><br />See you all soon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-29846334401883628472010-10-26T18:06:00.000-07:002010-10-26T18:21:03.145-07:00A Relevant Story<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Finding the words to describe my experience at the </span><a href="http://therelevantconference.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Relevant conference</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> will not be easy. But the first step, as always, is </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">putting pen to pape</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">r (or in my case, fingers to keyboard) and just diving in.<br /><br />Before I left for Relevant, I had </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">completely lost my motivation</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> for blogging. My most recent posts chronicled my </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/08/haiti-heartbreak.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Haiti trip</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">, simply because I felt I owed it to those who had participated in the giveaways and raffles that I posted in order to raise money for the trip. I didn’t want to leave anyone wondering if I was a complete liar who hadn’t gone there at all, or whether I had just set up shop in Port Au Prince and not returned. In all reality, though, I don’t think anyone was </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">waiting with bated breath</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> for those posts, because I had so completely slipped off the radar of the blogosphere. And in all reality, it’s a </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">completely self-involved notion</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> to imagine that anyone is waiting with bated breath to hear what I have to say.<br /><br />I had become exhausted by all the tweeting, facebooking, reading, writing, commenting, e-mailing… and all other tasks involved with trying to be a "successful" blogger. The number of blog subscriptions pouring into my inbox became overwhelming, and I felt that I was responsible to read them all. At some point </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I basically just gave up</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> on all of it and let myself become nearly invisible in cyberland.<br /><br />So, the date was approaching… the conference that I had been so excited to attend when I bought the ticket. Back in the days </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">when blogging was a joy and not a chore</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">, and the idea of networking and fellowshipping with other Christian women bloggers left me with a feeling of exhilaration and anticipation, as opposed to an </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">onslaught of social anxiet</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">y. But I knew that God wanted me there, so I obeyed. And oh, how He blessed me for my obedience.<br /><br />I must admit, the social anxiety piece did not fade when I arrived at the conference. I was surrounded by beautiful, sweet, down to earth, and exceptionally real women, some of whose </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">hearts and voices I’ve known for months</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> from reading their blogs. I still felt overwhelmed. For those of you who met me and thought I seemed guarded, stand-offish, or, on some occasions, comatose, please excuse my bizarre behavior. Behind my glazed eyes and plastered smile was just a socially phobic introvert who was </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">overwhelmed with it all</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">, but bursting to yell out, “You are all so amazing! Can we be best friends?” And to those I genuinely got to know, thank you for sticking it out with me.<br /><br />It turns out, though, that social networking was not the reason God had me at the conference. His purpose in bringing me there was not that I meet and mingle with other women. He wanted me there to <b>meet with</b> </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Him</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">. I hope there is another Relevant conference next year, and that by that time I’ll be less overwhelmed with everything so that I can get to know many of the sweet women better. But I will be eternally blessed by the way God spoke to my heart at this year’s conference.<br /><br />It was surprising, at a blogging conference, to hear the message of making your blog less of a priority. But this was the underlying, or in some cases overriding message, of every speaker at Relevant. They <b>encouraged their captive audience</b> that their relationship with the Lord should be first priority, and for those who had them (which I’m pretty sure was everyone at the conference but me) their husbands and children should be second. If, and only if, there was <b>extra time and energy</b> beyond those two priorities, blogging could find its place.<br /><br />I do not, as you know from reading my blog or at least the last paragraph, have a husband or children. But God, through <b>the obedient vessels that were the speakers </b>at the Relevant conference, drove the point home that He should always be my priority, and He rarely is. In the past, blogging was an excuse, or in more serious terms, <b>an idol</b>. But as my excitement for it faded, other things took its place (general distractions of this life.) No matter what though, I always seem to find something to put before Him.<br /><br />In sum, what I learned at my first blogging conference had nothing to do with blogging at all. I need to <b>return my heart to my Lord</b>, and make Him my very first priority in all things.<br /><br />Additionally, I learned a ton about blogging intentionally and authentically, and over the next few months I hope to figure out how to integrate all that information and wisdom into my own blogging. On top of that, I was released from the <b>insane pressure I was putting on myself</b> to keep up with everyone and everything in the social networking world. I would love to pass on many of the lessons I learned. I also want to be more vulnerable in sharing all <b>the pieces of my own story</b>, which was another major theme at the conference. But I can’t promise anything immediate, because I have a lot of lost time to make up with my Savior. And I know that </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">HE</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> is waiting with bated breath to spend time with me.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-28348143110348567232010-10-17T16:20:00.000-07:002010-10-25T18:40:46.546-07:00Haiti: The Hope<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"Before them the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>earth shakes</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">the sky trembles,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">the sun and the moon are darkened,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and the stars no longer shine.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Lord thunders at the head of his army;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">his forces are beyond number,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and mighty are those who obey his command.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The day of the Lord is great;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>It is dreadful.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Who can endure it?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">'Even now,' declares the Lord,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">'</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>return to me with all your heart,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">with fasting and weeping and mourning.'</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Rend your heart</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and not your garments.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Return to the Lord your God,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">for he is gracious and compassionate,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">slow to anger and abounding in love,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>he relents from sending calamity</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Joel 2:10-13</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">If you'd like to, you can read the first 3 parts of my Haiti Journey here: <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/08/haiti-heartbreak.html">The Heartbreak</a>, <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/09/haiti-joy.html">The Joy</a>, and <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/10/work-that-we-did-in-haiti-was-at-school.html">The Work</a>. Now for the best way to end things, with Hope:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I was in the middle of Beth Moore's study of Esther when I went to Haiti. This was certainly no accident. In week four, she refers to several verses in Joel. These verses (above) were absolutely what I needed to read while I was there, so that I could experience hope rather than despair in light of what I was seeing and experiencing.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Beth Moore says this: "God had told his people from the time of Moses that He'd protect them and fight their battles for them as long as they worshipped Him only. If they forgot Him, He would still love them but He would not shield them. Instead, He'd use their enemies to turn His people back to Him."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I don't know whether God caused the earthquake in Haiti, but I know that He allowed it to happen. I don't know why Haiti, I certainly don't believe that the people there are any more wicked than the rest of us sinners. But I do know that God is just, loving, gracious and compassionate. And I know that He will use whatever means He needs to return our hearts to Him. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After reading these verses on my air mattress on the cement floor of a Haitian school, I was comforted. Because there is a revival happening in Haiti. Souls are returning to their father. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The next day, I heard a woman's story of her experience during the earthquake. I can't properly tell the story, nor explain how much it moved me. But what I remember most is that she told us that after the earth stopped shaking, there was a beat of silence, and then a terrible wail went up throughout the city of Port Au Prince (and the rest of the country, no doubt.) A weeping and mourning in the land, the likes of which she had never heard before and would never forget. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And with weeping and mourning, we return to Him. He relents from sending calamity, but He will. So that we can spend an eternity with Him, laughing and dancing. That is the hope, my friends.</span></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLuNH-OKZUI/AAAAAAAABE8/CNQEcVEQ1lE/s1600/Worship-service.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLuNH-OKZUI/AAAAAAAABE8/CNQEcVEQ1lE/s320/Worship-service.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529168135628416322" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-36105501871516881882010-10-09T11:58:00.000-07:002010-10-25T18:36:55.719-07:00Haiti: The Work<div>The first two parts of my Haiti Journey are here: <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/08/haiti-heartbreak.html">The Heartbreak</a> and <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/09/haiti-joy.html">The Joy</a></div><div><br /></div>The work that we did in Haiti was at a school called Gressier, which will house about 1,000 kids when it is open. Here are some pictures of the work site:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDEGSNpicI/AAAAAAAABE0/Jce2aPeGfPQ/s1600/41330_421105301687_537901687_5341522_7323746_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDEGSNpicI/AAAAAAAABE0/Jce2aPeGfPQ/s320/41330_421105301687_537901687_5341522_7323746_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526132355030944194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDvzorIAI/AAAAAAAABEs/jdtNGvyhGbo/s1600/IMG_6904.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDvzorIAI/AAAAAAAABEs/jdtNGvyhGbo/s320/IMG_6904.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526131968865673218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDZz_dl4I/AAAAAAAABEk/KK0pIix_Vjc/s1600/IMG_6906.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDZz_dl4I/AAAAAAAABEk/KK0pIix_Vjc/s320/IMG_6906.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526131591004133250" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDSJYxIQI/AAAAAAAABEc/R04TzRi40iA/s1600/IMG_6908.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDSJYxIQI/AAAAAAAABEc/R04TzRi40iA/s320/IMG_6908.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526131459308462338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDJpcA4KI/AAAAAAAABEU/bx6WRLOrrb0/s1600/IMG_6909.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDJpcA4KI/AAAAAAAABEU/bx6WRLOrrb0/s320/IMG_6909.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526131313293189282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDCMfLPrI/AAAAAAAABEM/sbg3YmikI-M/s1600/IMG_6920.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDDCMfLPrI/AAAAAAAABEM/sbg3YmikI-M/s320/IMG_6920.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526131185262739122" /><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCjnJEEGI/AAAAAAAABD0/9CX1AZocMHw/s1600/IMG_7000.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCjnJEEGI/AAAAAAAABD0/9CX1AZocMHw/s320/IMG_7000.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526130659841806434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCaeHpcNI/AAAAAAAABDs/EbZJJ3d3YwE/s1600/IMG_7007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCaeHpcNI/AAAAAAAABDs/EbZJJ3d3YwE/s320/IMG_7007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526130502801125586" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCTWMD2JI/AAAAAAAABDk/UVlrnpD0do8/s1600/IMG_7012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCTWMD2JI/AAAAAAAABDk/UVlrnpD0do8/s320/IMG_7012.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526130380413065362" /></a><div>This is the beautiful view from the back of the school:</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCTWMD2JI/AAAAAAAABDk/UVlrnpD0do8/s1600/IMG_7012.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDC1DyJbKI/AAAAAAAABEE/xh551H_nzP8/s1600/IMG_6921.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDC1DyJbKI/AAAAAAAABEE/xh551H_nzP8/s320/IMG_6921.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526130959588093090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCtxTObMI/AAAAAAAABD8/0_UfL-cP_7g/s1600/IMG_6923.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDCtxTObMI/AAAAAAAABD8/0_UfL-cP_7g/s320/IMG_6923.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526130834367474882" /><br /></a>Some of the time, we worked on clearing the classrooms of the construction rubble. Before we went in they looked like this:<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDB_AzdV5I/AAAAAAAABDU/JMgt14HPvuM/s1600/IMG_6922.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDB_AzdV5I/AAAAAAAABDU/JMgt14HPvuM/s320/IMG_6922.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526130031075350418" /></a>And after a lot of shoveling, pick-axing, and wheelbarrowing, they looked like this:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDBTz3YqzI/AAAAAAAABDM/Iqtliqn_1Hg/s1600/IMG_6924.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDBTz3YqzI/AAAAAAAABDM/Iqtliqn_1Hg/s320/IMG_6924.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526129288867785522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDBA05w5zI/AAAAAAAABC8/8htn_s-VouA/s1600/IMG_7011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDBA05w5zI/AAAAAAAABC8/8htn_s-VouA/s320/IMG_7011.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526128962728683314" /></a></div><div><br />The rest of the time we spent shoveling and sifting dirt and sand which would later be mixed to make cement.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDAwywcX8I/AAAAAAAABC0/WOTYzjcDHnQ/s1600/IMG_7022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDAwywcX8I/AAAAAAAABC0/WOTYzjcDHnQ/s320/IMG_7022.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526128687274811330" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDAX1OPq5I/AAAAAAAABCs/MYuyirq8QVY/s1600/45763_1561161594467_1398124486_31495078_4508682_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDAX1OPq5I/AAAAAAAABCs/MYuyirq8QVY/s320/45763_1561161594467_1398124486_31495078_4508682_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526128258439949202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDASXfuudI/AAAAAAAABCk/ONGMpUdmfeE/s1600/44170_1561162194482_1398124486_31495079_3598681_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLDASXfuudI/AAAAAAAABCk/ONGMpUdmfeE/s320/44170_1561162194482_1398124486_31495079_3598681_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526128164560878034" /></a>This was my "boss," Elifa (I have no idea if that's how you spell it.) His only English was "spread" (the dirt) and "Wait for me, I'll be right back." He was a bit of a perfectionist, but when I finally got it right, he was sure to let me know that he was happy with my work. ("Moi contente.")</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC-jtOu4eI/AAAAAAAABCc/CRQ0jjcUjO0/s1600/IMG_7014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC-jtOu4eI/AAAAAAAABCc/CRQ0jjcUjO0/s320/IMG_7014.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526126263429685730" /></a>We took breaks under the shade tree, to get out of the beating sun. The only problem was the fire ants that would dive bomb from the tree and bite the heck out of us. But the shade was still worth it.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC-acOsXzI/AAAAAAAABCU/pbxk_41A6Vg/s1600/IMG_6907.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC-acOsXzI/AAAAAAAABCU/pbxk_41A6Vg/s320/IMG_6907.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526126104247295794" /></a>We also spent a lot of break time with the kids who lived on the property, and the neighborhood kids who came to visit with us. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC96nsJKuI/AAAAAAAABCM/Ppmxa6rFc0o/s1600/IMG_6914.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC96nsJKuI/AAAAAAAABCM/Ppmxa6rFc0o/s320/IMG_6914.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526125557567793890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC9s2IYQHI/AAAAAAAABCE/QjtD2nHBTtA/s1600/IMG_7027.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC9s2IYQHI/AAAAAAAABCE/QjtD2nHBTtA/s320/IMG_7027.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526125320926150770" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC9mR9yxXI/AAAAAAAABB8/McRIltUbpFA/s1600/IMG_7009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC9mR9yxXI/AAAAAAAABB8/McRIltUbpFA/s320/IMG_7009.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526125208138859890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC9c0a1lFI/AAAAAAAABB0/Yze15OrywAY/s1600/IMG_6910.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC9c0a1lFI/AAAAAAAABB0/Yze15OrywAY/s320/IMG_6910.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526125045588792402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC9BiGhQVI/AAAAAAAABBs/rib57lEc7JQ/s1600/IMG_6913.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC9BiGhQVI/AAAAAAAABBs/rib57lEc7JQ/s320/IMG_6913.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526124576815268178" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC8pCBV2AI/AAAAAAAABBk/-BiQb877OYM/s1600/IMG_6917.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TLC8pCBV2AI/AAAAAAAABBk/-BiQb877OYM/s320/IMG_6917.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526124155886753794" /></a><br /></div><div>I cried the day we went to our work site to say goodbye. Even though the physical labor was the hardest I've ever worked in my life, and the heat and humidity was exhausting to work in, the time I spent on the site was my favorite part of the trip. Working side by side with the Haitian men, and trying our best to communicate despite the language barrier, but finding that by the third day, they were our friends. Seeing the progress in the school and knowing that many kids would be blessed by it. Laughing and playing with the kids, and seeing their precious faces everyday. It went by in a flash, and I was not ready to leave. But I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The last piece in the Haiti Journey is <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/10/haiti-hope.html">The Hope</a>.</div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-35349347093718899752010-09-20T14:56:00.000-07:002010-10-25T18:32:09.212-07:00Haiti: The Joy<div>Part one of my Haiti Journey: <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/08/haiti-heartbreak.html">The Heartbreak</a></div><div><br /></div><div>These are the orphans we visited. When we arrived, they were singing to us. We played with them, colored, sang, danced, and just loved on them. It was a joy and a blessing to be with them. I hope and pray that God finds earthly parents for each of them.</div><div><br /><div>I think their precious faces speak for themselves.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffvk1_p-I/AAAAAAAABBc/Qr1sGLucXkU/s1600/40931_528940158304_78300570_31272808_4829785_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffvk1_p-I/AAAAAAAABBc/Qr1sGLucXkU/s320/40931_528940158304_78300570_31272808_4829785_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519125876802824162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffr3sUiSI/AAAAAAAABBU/mbpN9orRzV0/s1600/IMG_6884.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffr3sUiSI/AAAAAAAABBU/mbpN9orRzV0/s320/IMG_6884.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519125813143046434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfflhBswAI/AAAAAAAABBM/Lzi2W3jq5WU/s1600/IMG_6833.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfflhBswAI/AAAAAAAABBM/Lzi2W3jq5WU/s320/IMG_6833.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519125703979483138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffgTmZFfI/AAAAAAAABBE/HMMzATtfoIQ/s1600/IMG_6840.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffgTmZFfI/AAAAAAAABBE/HMMzATtfoIQ/s320/IMG_6840.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519125614475941362" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffUC_UncI/AAAAAAAABA8/45uGMmlmWf4/s1600/IMG_6832.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffUC_UncI/AAAAAAAABA8/45uGMmlmWf4/s320/IMG_6832.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519125403858673090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffKjuUSzI/AAAAAAAABA0/RzdiQ7hlIRA/s1600/IMG_6850.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJffKjuUSzI/AAAAAAAABA0/RzdiQ7hlIRA/s320/IMG_6850.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519125240847026994" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfe8T29VAI/AAAAAAAABAs/Y1Mms_kd8CQ/s1600/IMG_6861.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfe8T29VAI/AAAAAAAABAs/Y1Mms_kd8CQ/s320/IMG_6861.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519124996070134786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfex8Y9MiI/AAAAAAAABAk/OjwORCQ6kfk/s1600/IMG_6851.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfex8Y9MiI/AAAAAAAABAk/OjwORCQ6kfk/s320/IMG_6851.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519124817971589666" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfepxOApJI/AAAAAAAABAc/cUQHiG9eyBg/s1600/IMG_6835.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfepxOApJI/AAAAAAAABAc/cUQHiG9eyBg/s320/IMG_6835.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519124677533934738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfefrbUHjI/AAAAAAAABAU/udRTJ8PkH_A/s1600/IMG_6854.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfefrbUHjI/AAAAAAAABAU/udRTJ8PkH_A/s320/IMG_6854.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519124504180432434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfeVI85wfI/AAAAAAAABAM/k1DFWkRiONA/s1600/IMG_6863.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfeVI85wfI/AAAAAAAABAM/k1DFWkRiONA/s320/IMG_6863.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519124323127378418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfeN9TctmI/AAAAAAAABAE/n7-hCyn-uR4/s1600/IMG_6855.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfeN9TctmI/AAAAAAAABAE/n7-hCyn-uR4/s320/IMG_6855.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519124199741634146" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfeCr3PwTI/AAAAAAAAA_8/Eoh9tSlGcd0/s1600/IMG_6841.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfeCr3PwTI/AAAAAAAAA_8/Eoh9tSlGcd0/s320/IMG_6841.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519124006081380658" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfdwQP4l6I/AAAAAAAAA_0/uuWATnQ8a0M/s1600/IMG_6866.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfdwQP4l6I/AAAAAAAAA_0/uuWATnQ8a0M/s320/IMG_6866.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519123689430882210" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfdnHxwKYI/AAAAAAAAA_s/Dhl_Yo7NWG8/s1600/IMG_6867.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfdnHxwKYI/AAAAAAAAA_s/Dhl_Yo7NWG8/s320/IMG_6867.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519123532538194306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfdei22mhI/AAAAAAAAA_k/oBNtgUmmcyk/s1600/IMG_6870.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfdei22mhI/AAAAAAAAA_k/oBNtgUmmcyk/s320/IMG_6870.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519123385188522514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfdCtD9X4I/AAAAAAAAA_c/OZ1y7eVRVvg/s1600/IMG_6868.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfdCtD9X4I/AAAAAAAAA_c/OZ1y7eVRVvg/s320/IMG_6868.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519122906891509634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfc3vInjGI/AAAAAAAAA_U/oaVEEaPBwDc/s1600/IMG_6869.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfc3vInjGI/AAAAAAAAA_U/oaVEEaPBwDc/s320/IMG_6869.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519122718469360738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfcnL2aijI/AAAAAAAAA_M/3VKZvjh1lkQ/s1600/IMG_6872.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfcnL2aijI/AAAAAAAAA_M/3VKZvjh1lkQ/s320/IMG_6872.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519122434119862834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfchIIpOqI/AAAAAAAAA_E/rWxBQXOBvfA/s1600/IMG_6880.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfchIIpOqI/AAAAAAAAA_E/rWxBQXOBvfA/s320/IMG_6880.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519122330043366050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfcIdTTRsI/AAAAAAAAA-8/T-xK4VLvbcs/s1600/IMG_6882.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfcIdTTRsI/AAAAAAAAA-8/T-xK4VLvbcs/s320/IMG_6882.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519121906228479682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfcA8jGejI/AAAAAAAAA-0/XVfes6xTZkA/s1600/IMG_6893.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TJfcA8jGejI/AAAAAAAAA-0/XVfes6xTZkA/s320/IMG_6893.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519121777177295410" /></a><br /></div></div><br /><br /><div>Here's the rest of the Haiti journey:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/10/work-that-we-did-in-haiti-was-at-school.html">The Work</a></div><div><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/10/haiti-hope.html">The Hope</a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-25917721444861708152010-08-30T18:11:00.000-07:002010-10-25T18:28:13.798-07:00Haiti: The HeartbreakI thought I had prepared myself for the things I would see and feel in Haiti. But, as it turns out, no amount of preparation could have kept me from the shock and heartbreak of seeing the conditions there. The trip was amazing, but I want to share it in the same way I experienced it - and it started by breaking my heart.<br /><br />The very first thing I experienced in Haiti was the heat - the thick, heavy, humid heat that threatens to swallow you whole. The kind of heat that causes sweat to jump out of your pores as if escaping a burning building the moment you step outside. Not what this California girl is used to. I made it through the cattle call better known as airport customs, which was located in what looked like a giant barn (except made out of cement) filled with people and bags, the aforementioned heat, and maybe two fans. Our team drove from the airport to our lodging location in a very small, brightly painted bus with hard wooden benches inside. I was lucky to have a window seat for ventilation and a better view. I will reiterate, though, that I was not prepared for the scenery that we were about to encounter on our ride.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbl6mdNH0I/AAAAAAAAA9E/dM9tREPch2E/s1600/haiti2.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514347588679966530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbl6mdNH0I/AAAAAAAAA9E/dM9tREPch2E/s320/haiti2.bmp" border="0" /></a><br />The first sight that was incredible was the sheer number of people in the city. I have spent time in a number of large cities, but I've never seen so many people in one place. There are 3 million people in Port Au Prince, and you can sure feel that when you are there. Some are sitting, some walking to and fro, and there were many crowds just standing there, facing the street as cars went by, as if they were waiting for a bus, although I'm pretty sure they weren't. There were tent cities everywhere, crowded together and going on for miles, homes for the lucky ones who have any roof at all. </p><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmjE7hzsI/AAAAAAAAA90/9ozQW1IrxUo/s1600/IMG_6789.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514348284054982338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmjE7hzsI/AAAAAAAAA90/9ozQW1IrxUo/s320/IMG_6789.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br />Everywhere I looked there was a pile of rubble, or a vacated builing with a giant crack across it, or a chunk missing from its walls. The horrific thought did cross my mind that there are undoubtedly bodies under many of those buildings, that the people have not had the time or resources to uncover.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbnH7a-5sI/AAAAAAAAA-c/lV7odQgi0Vw/s1600/IMG_6821.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514348917157717698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbnH7a-5sI/AAAAAAAAA-c/lV7odQgi0Vw/s320/IMG_6821.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbl1c7Y_FI/AAAAAAAAA88/jwvmVUrkTLg/s1600/haiti1.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514347500222872658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbl1c7Y_FI/AAAAAAAAA88/jwvmVUrkTLg/s320/haiti1.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmQOa6o7I/AAAAAAAAA9k/VDgCO7Ef5k0/s1600/haiti6.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514347960185037746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmQOa6o7I/AAAAAAAAA9k/VDgCO7Ef5k0/s320/haiti6.bmp" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div> </div><div>Even the palace, where the president lived, looked like a set from a movie about the end of the world. I can't imagine seeing our White House in such a condition.<br /></div><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbnOrowbUI/AAAAAAAAA-k/dck902xQiNw/s1600/IMG_6896.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514349033179606338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbnOrowbUI/AAAAAAAAA-k/dck902xQiNw/s320/IMG_6896.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbnVMREXTI/AAAAAAAAA-s/Y8ZjU55CNyw/s1600/IMG_6901.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514349145017834802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbnVMREXTI/AAAAAAAAA-s/Y8ZjU55CNyw/s320/IMG_6901.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />As we continued through the city, I saw people washing themselves in the street with a bottle of water and a bar of soap. There were skinny dogs running around everywhere, looking for scraps. There were also goats, chickens and pigs wandering about, that didn't appear to belong to anyone in particular. </div><div> </div><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmEJu0QKI/AAAAAAAAA9U/_9Cfwc-JMMw/s1600/haiti5.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514347752767897762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmEJu0QKI/AAAAAAAAA9U/_9Cfwc-JMMw/s320/haiti5.bmp" border="0" /></a><br />In some areas, the stench of waste and sewage was overwhelming. In others, I smelled fires burning, which were not for warmth or cooking, but for getting rid of garbage. There were piles of trash and all forms of waste everywhere. In the center of the city there is a huge area filled with plastic bottles, where it is burned, regularly filling the air with fumes and toxins. The surprising truth is that, with the exception of the rubble and building damage, Haiti was like this before the earthquake. It is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.</div><div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbnBAZ0zTI/AAAAAAAAA-U/0md5bZtmbAk/s1600/IMG_6819.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514348798235954482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbnBAZ0zTI/AAAAAAAAA-U/0md5bZtmbAk/s320/IMG_6819.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmLeWirfI/AAAAAAAAA9c/G4lTmSQqLIQ/s1600/haiti4.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514347878562311666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmLeWirfI/AAAAAAAAA9c/G4lTmSQqLIQ/s320/haiti4.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbl_UZfYQI/AAAAAAAAA9M/H3tsWXuEBro/s1600/haiti3.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514347669731893506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbl_UZfYQI/AAAAAAAAA9M/H3tsWXuEBro/s320/haiti3.bmp" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Other times, I would only smell the exhaust fumes from the many cars that seemed to all be in competition with each other on the broken road. In many places, the road was only one or two lanes, and getting through seemed to be a battle of wills among the drivers. </div><div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbm50jlyvI/AAAAAAAAA-M/Hqqed5PXqfU/s1600/IMG_6815.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514348674796604146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbm50jlyvI/AAAAAAAAA-M/Hqqed5PXqfU/s320/IMG_6815.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div></div><div> </div><div>In contrast to all the devastating sights was the most beautiful tangerine sunset. A reminder of God's grace, and His beautiful creation, amidst the mess (figurative and literal mess) that man has made.</div><div> </div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmoqoPbbI/AAAAAAAAA98/UENz4s8azNw/s1600/IMG_6795.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514348380073979314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmoqoPbbI/AAAAAAAAA98/UENz4s8azNw/s320/IMG_6795.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Once the sun had set though, dark clouds filled the sky and droplets began to fall. As the rain and the night descended, the enviornment appeared even more dire. Even though the rain was a welcome break from the intense heat, many would not have shelter from it, and most who did have shelter had only a tent. </div><br /><div>Night is the time when we go safely to the warmth and security of our homes, but these people do not have that luxury. Many gathered under tarps and prepared food to share. Mothers did what they could to shield their babies from the storm. But it remained a scene of chaos. After only minutes of rain, some parts of the road began to flood. It left me wondering what on earth will happen when monsoon season hits. It's just around the corner. </div><br /><div>Instead of names and gang signs tagged in graffiti on the walls, there were prayers and pleas; "Help Us." </div><div> </div><div><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmuvh1NSI/AAAAAAAAA-E/ITiuDoUKBeE/s1600/IMG_6804.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514348484468487458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TIbmuvh1NSI/AAAAAAAAA-E/ITiuDoUKBeE/s320/IMG_6804.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We made it to our lodging location, a large school building where around 1,000 children used to study, until the earthquake. The building was unaffected by the disaster, but the children were not. They now study outside, because they are terrified to sit in a building all day, which as far as they know, could come toppling down at any moment. If over 200,000 people disappeared from my city in a day, I certainly wouldn't recover quickly.</div><br /><div>We headed to bed that night in sober state. Still excited for what was to come, but with heavy hearts from what we had already seen. I will never forget that day as long as I live. Don't worry though, things got much more hopeful as the week progressed.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the rest of the Haiti journey:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/09/haiti-joy.html">The Joy</a></div><div><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/10/work-that-we-did-in-haiti-was-at-school.html">The Work</a></div><div><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/10/haiti-hope.html">The Hope</a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-82342786757153646562010-08-12T09:07:00.000-07:002010-08-12T09:09:47.770-07:00Gone to Haiti...... be back the 21st. With undoubtedly lots of pictures and stories to share. I'd love it if you'd pray for my trip while I'm over there. Thank you and God bless!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-73024402738838197672010-08-10T11:32:00.000-07:002010-08-10T14:20:01.409-07:00This Time Last Year... Spain Day 11: ValenciaI'm determined to finish my Spain series before I leave for Haiti. Because Lord knows I'll have a lot more pictures to share when I get back! If you're just tuning in and want to see more, you can go to <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/06/um-spain-day-9-and-10-tavernes.html">this post</a>, which has a list of the previous Spain posts. So here is our day in Valencia. I'm not going to narrate too much because we were mostly just exploring the beautiful city. Enjoy!<br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG3Ng9vzoI/AAAAAAAAA8k/0pB1XIZa9nc/s1600/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503881662438559362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG3Ng9vzoI/AAAAAAAAA8k/0pB1XIZa9nc/s320/1.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Arriving at the train station:<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG29g4AxxI/AAAAAAAAA8c/mOY64ySLP9g/s1600/2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503881387536598802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG29g4AxxI/AAAAAAAAA8c/mOY64ySLP9g/s320/2.jpg" border="0" /></a> The Bull Fighting Arena:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGirR5Ze3I/AAAAAAAAA4U/UGecCj4dgVo/s1600/IMG_5559.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503859084045679474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGirR5Ze3I/AAAAAAAAA4U/UGecCj4dgVo/s320/IMG_5559.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGlfQuA_xI/AAAAAAAAA7s/untVi5O5ae4/s1600/IMG_5397.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503862176105955090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGlfQuA_xI/AAAAAAAAA7s/untVi5O5ae4/s320/IMG_5397.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG22jOHWcI/AAAAAAAAA8U/C__ReQVenbQ/s1600/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503881267907090882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG22jOHWcI/AAAAAAAAA8U/C__ReQVenbQ/s320/3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGlZ59lc9I/AAAAAAAAA7k/vaPHcOkd6ro/s1600/IMG_5409.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503862084097897426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGlZ59lc9I/AAAAAAAAA7k/vaPHcOkd6ro/s320/IMG_5409.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGlUXUxr-I/AAAAAAAAA7c/LEnIuBKA9TQ/s1600/IMG_5417.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503861988900581346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGlUXUxr-I/AAAAAAAAA7c/LEnIuBKA9TQ/s320/IMG_5417.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG2xg-ottI/AAAAAAAAA8M/ER993uulJAk/s1600/4.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503881181405951698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG2xg-ottI/AAAAAAAAA8M/ER993uulJAk/s320/4.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGlH935llI/AAAAAAAAA7M/NYxfJGeclgQ/s1600/IMG_5434.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503861775910147666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGlH935llI/AAAAAAAAA7M/NYxfJGeclgQ/s320/IMG_5434.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Silk Exchange:<br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGk7BxJLBI/AAAAAAAAA7E/baiTyJtjR74/s1600/IMG_5436.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503861553617251346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGk7BxJLBI/AAAAAAAAA7E/baiTyJtjR74/s320/IMG_5436.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG2tGM1LMI/AAAAAAAAA8E/IdgavFN0MaA/s1600/5.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503881105498254530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG2tGM1LMI/AAAAAAAAA8E/IdgavFN0MaA/s320/5.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG2oKcWO5I/AAAAAAAAA78/CxsE5jAGHAo/s1600/6.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503881020737731474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGG2oKcWO5I/AAAAAAAAA78/CxsE5jAGHAo/s320/6.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGk0zVLsoI/AAAAAAAAA68/NA_ZxxNDf3k/s1600/IMG_5446.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503861446662664834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGk0zVLsoI/AAAAAAAAA68/NA_ZxxNDf3k/s320/IMG_5446.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkvx1RWPI/AAAAAAAAA60/C5T2vkjU7qE/s1600/IMG_5465.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503861360361036018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkvx1RWPI/AAAAAAAAA60/C5T2vkjU7qE/s320/IMG_5465.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkpWar4kI/AAAAAAAAA6s/m06epR036I0/s1600/IMG_5469.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503861249922556482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkpWar4kI/AAAAAAAAA6s/m06epR036I0/s320/IMG_5469.JPG" border="0" /></a> ***<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkeF9K46I/AAAAAAAAA6k/0VUokJbn21Y/s1600/IMG_5495.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503861056525231010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkeF9K46I/AAAAAAAAA6k/0VUokJbn21Y/s320/IMG_5495.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkRv6tm4I/AAAAAAAAA6U/Mo0cp5eAitQ/s1600/IMG_5505.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503860844450913154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkRv6tm4I/AAAAAAAAA6U/Mo0cp5eAitQ/s320/IMG_5505.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkKOeDr1I/AAAAAAAAA6M/2FU30Q6cRrM/s1600/IMG_5507.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503860715213270866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkKOeDr1I/AAAAAAAAA6M/2FU30Q6cRrM/s320/IMG_5507.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkFJ_HutI/AAAAAAAAA6E/sURhqP7Z2FQ/s1600/IMG_5517.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503860628110424786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGkFJ_HutI/AAAAAAAAA6E/sURhqP7Z2FQ/s320/IMG_5517.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGj4Q0HJ-I/AAAAAAAAA50/lBUE-zTvnfc/s1600/IMG_5520.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503860406604998626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGj4Q0HJ-I/AAAAAAAAA50/lBUE-zTvnfc/s320/IMG_5520.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjypL78pI/AAAAAAAAA5s/Ln7VMPxRF2k/s1600/IMG_5523.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503860310068163218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjypL78pI/AAAAAAAAA5s/Ln7VMPxRF2k/s320/IMG_5523.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjs7yKl0I/AAAAAAAAA5k/0Z_cThR4SHU/s1600/IMG_5527.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503860211981129538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjs7yKl0I/AAAAAAAAA5k/0Z_cThR4SHU/s320/IMG_5527.JPG" border="0" /></a>Valencia Cathedral:<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjlyhBNEI/AAAAAAAAA5c/a_jKxwm_xmk/s1600/IMG_5529.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503860089234207810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjlyhBNEI/AAAAAAAAA5c/a_jKxwm_xmk/s320/IMG_5529.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjP1KlckI/AAAAAAAAA5E/jy6ZLA9ykdU/s1600/IMG_5532.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503859711988298306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjP1KlckI/AAAAAAAAA5E/jy6ZLA9ykdU/s320/IMG_5532.JPG" border="0" /></a>A beautiful church:<br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGixWUQK2I/AAAAAAAAA4c/BEUcM9lla8c/s1600/IMG_5555.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503859188311272290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGixWUQK2I/AAAAAAAAA4c/BEUcM9lla8c/s320/IMG_5555.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjKIOsUpI/AAAAAAAAA48/6-oVnQUgRCk/s1600/IMG_5535.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503859614026584722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjKIOsUpI/AAAAAAAAA48/6-oVnQUgRCk/s320/IMG_5535.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjEfCydpI/AAAAAAAAA40/xuQbmiSJhoU/s1600/IMG_5537.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503859517071455890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGjEfCydpI/AAAAAAAAA40/xuQbmiSJhoU/s320/IMG_5537.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGi8w8E1uI/AAAAAAAAA4s/2dNRZKYwCbk/s1600/IMG_5545.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503859384436184802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGi8w8E1uI/AAAAAAAAA4s/2dNRZKYwCbk/s320/IMG_5545.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="left">We saw a wedding!</div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGi28Uw5SI/AAAAAAAAA4k/yzLc09IHxgY/s1600/IMG_5553.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503859284413310242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGi28Uw5SI/AAAAAAAAA4k/yzLc09IHxgY/s320/IMG_5553.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGHA7rTJ0NI/AAAAAAAAA8s/HObXFLPDESQ/s1600/IMG_5550.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503892351091331282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGHA7rTJ0NI/AAAAAAAAA8s/HObXFLPDESQ/s320/IMG_5550.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="left">Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències:</div><br /><br /><div align="left">(The City of Arts and Sciences)<br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGilrJh-hI/AAAAAAAAA4M/dSRPD81wTu4/s1600/IMG_5565.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503858987745016338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGilrJh-hI/AAAAAAAAA4M/dSRPD81wTu4/s320/IMG_5565.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGiXSTuQ1I/AAAAAAAAA38/a3TiZ7FgOJE/s1600/IMG_5578.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503858740558709586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGiXSTuQ1I/AAAAAAAAA38/a3TiZ7FgOJE/s320/IMG_5578.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGiQZtg9LI/AAAAAAAAA30/qK0QlPThp80/s1600/IMG_5581.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503858622286853298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGiQZtg9LI/AAAAAAAAA30/qK0QlPThp80/s320/IMG_5581.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGiJJw1hzI/AAAAAAAAA3s/n6rCOoqaJNs/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503858497746732850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGiJJw1hzI/AAAAAAAAA3s/n6rCOoqaJNs/s320/IMG_5588.JPG" border="0" /></a>Beautiful sunset:<br /></div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503858258225359874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGh7NefbAI/AAAAAAAAA3c/VOMOmRKbpWc/s320/IMG_5599.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGh1dLzocI/AAAAAAAAA3U/z0aQo4OmNi4/s1600/IMG_5600.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503858159362744770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGh1dLzocI/AAAAAAAAA3U/z0aQo4OmNi4/s320/IMG_5600.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div align="left">A park where Adriana played as a kid:</div><br /><br /><div align="left">You get to climb all over Gulliver. :)</div><div align="left"><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhvMp8pGI/AAAAAAAAA3M/x3Vojb8fuis/s1600/IMG_5602.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503858051846546530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhvMp8pGI/AAAAAAAAA3M/x3Vojb8fuis/s320/IMG_5602.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhnYIHXEI/AAAAAAAAA3E/5sFp9S3gvio/s1600/IMG_5603.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503857917486914626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhnYIHXEI/AAAAAAAAA3E/5sFp9S3gvio/s320/IMG_5603.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503857803393250002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhgvGEMtI/AAAAAAAAA28/1vLIyVAiuIM/s320/IMG_5604.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhaqYkkgI/AAAAAAAAA20/S-zAZ7LfWXU/s1600/IMG_5607.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503857699049476610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhaqYkkgI/AAAAAAAAA20/S-zAZ7LfWXU/s320/IMG_5607.JPG" border="0" /></a> The day ended when we stumbled upon a water show outside this music hall:</div><div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhTuAqkxI/AAAAAAAAA2s/0Jvox6BYSi8/s1600/IMG_5613.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503857579763864338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TGGhTuAqkxI/AAAAAAAAA2s/0Jvox6BYSi8/s320/IMG_5613.JPG" border="0" /></a>Then we took the train back to Tavernes and had some snacks with her family (her aunt could never stop feeding us) and then hit the hay. Only one day left of our trip! </div><div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-20453481301305844912010-08-06T09:18:00.001-07:002010-08-11T11:56:14.629-07:00Dangerous MindsMy life is a movie. It's called <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112792/">Dangerous Minds</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TFoG5wUFs9I/AAAAAAAAA2k/_vryjV-e6Gc/s1600/dm.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501717484077954002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TFoG5wUFs9I/AAAAAAAAA2k/_vryjV-e6Gc/s320/dm.bmp" border="0" /></a><br />Ok... so, in my dreams am I as beautiful as Michelle Pfieffer, or as creative and awesome as Louanne, her character in the film. But you get the idea. Unless you haven't seen the movie (which you should.) In which case I offer: The Freedom Writers. Take The Lead. Stand And Deliver. Mean Girls. Oh wait, that last one slipped in there, it doesn't belong. I'm talking about movies where inner city kids learn a valuable lesson from an adult in their lives, and that adult learns something from them in return.<br /><br />I rarely write about my job, because I have a confidentiality contract with the kids I work with, (as a residential counselor at a group home) and the line between sharing about my life and sharing too much about theirs can be blurry. But, I believe I have the right to free speech, and as long as I'm not sharing specific details or identifying facts about my clients, I should be safe.<br /><br />As you know, through your keen observations skills, I live in a small town. But every day, I drive over the hill to a city. It's no metropolis, but it's a city for sure. I work with teenage girls who grew up in that city. Some days I look at them in the rearview mirror of the van I drive them around in, see their hair piled high on their heads, their penciled in eyebrows and lips, the tattoos that no one stopped them from getting even though they're underage, and it's just another small reminder of how different their world is from mine.<br /><br />They grew up surrounded by poverty, crime, and gang violence. It's what they know. They've seen it all, and they are tough. On the outside anyway. Getting through the tough exterior and breaking down the walls they've built to protect themselves is the most difficult and most rewarding part of my job.<br /><br />It's the part of the movie where the toughest kid in the class breaks down in tears. The scene where the class clown, who's always telling jokes to mask his insecurity, opens up about the past. It's the end of the movie, when the kids acknowledge that their teacher/coach/mentor/counselor has actually helped them, and then they go on to have successful lives.<br /><br />My movie doesn't always end like that. The story just as often ends in tragedy... I find out after graduating our program, the girl has gotten back into drugs and ended up incarcerated. Or there is an anticlimactic turn of events... I show up to work and one of the girls is just gone. A runaway. Or the kids just move on and the story ends in mystery.<br /><br />But the moments, and sometimes days, when I'm sure that I've affected these girls in a positive way, or that the program has changed them for the better... The days when they open up to me, cry on my shoulder, ask for a hug... Or when I pick them up from school and they can't wait to tell me some good news - about their friends, their grades, anything. The moments when I catch glimpses of the childhoods they missed. Those are the days that keep me going. That's when I believe in happy endings.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AdventuresOfASmallTownGirl" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want stay in the grass with me? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-69498365995700441402010-07-30T17:54:00.000-07:002010-07-30T18:07:12.321-07:00And The Winners Are...Thank you sooo much to everyone who entered my raffles and donated to my Haiti trip!! You are so appreciated.<br /><br />Without further ado, here are the winners of the raffles:<br /><br />Blog Makeover from <a href="http://laurajanedesigns.blogspot.com/">Laura Jane Designs</a>: Megan from <a href="http://meganslovedare.blogspot.com/">It's A Love Dare</a><br />Blog Makeover from <a href="http://creativecreationsbycristin.blogspot.com/">Creative Creations By Cristin</a>: Kristina from <a href="http://katynikitachurchill.blogspot.com/">The Churchill Family and Life as We Know It</a><br />$25 Gift Certificate from <a href="http://www.obdforkids.blogspot.com/">October Belle Designs</a>: Julie from <a href="http://www.dutchbeingme.com/">Dutch Being Me</a><br />Blog Makeover from <a href="http://www.pennylanedesigns.net/">Penny Lane Designs</a>: Tami from <a href="http://www.thismomsdelight.com/">This Mom's Delight</a><br /><br />The winners were selcted using a random number generator. I will contact all of you shortly to make sure you are in contact with the appropriate designer. Congratulations! Thank you again to all who entered.Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-22834704061506699382010-07-28T18:23:00.000-07:002010-07-28T21:17:49.881-07:00Memory Lane<span style="font-size:130%;">My Blog-iversary is coming up, on August 19th. 2 years! But, I'll be in Haiti helping the earthquake victims, and therefore not able to have a virtual party. (Incidentally, the raffles for that cause are still open, please see </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/putting-fun-in-fundraising.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> to help out and enter to win big!) So... in celebration of my 2 years of blogging, I'm now going to reminisce on some of my favorite moments in my blogging history. (It conveniently intercedes with an assignment from 31 DBBB.) Join me?<br /><br />I started blogging because I moved from California to Oregon and wanted to keep my friends and family updated on my life. Recently, due to some human and divine inspiration, my blog has taken a </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/03/ministry-of-writing.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">different direction</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">.<br /><br />In the early blogging days, though, I wrote about such things as </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2008/10/me-vs-dryer.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">my battle with the dryer</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> in my new apartment, </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2008/12/snow.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">my first snowy winter</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">, and my </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2009/02/i-heart-modern-technology.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">dependence on technology</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">. I also shared a lot of the details of life in a new city, which aren't all that exciting to read two years later.<br /><br />I did start writing a bit about my faith that year... what it taught me about </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2008/09/acceptance-and-rejection.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">acceptance and rejection</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">, the </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2009/06/precious-love.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">extravagance of God's love</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">, as well as His </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2008/10/bible-is-hilarious.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">sense of humor</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">. Those posts were the most meaningful to me, and they are part of how I discovered this blogging stuff was much more than I originally thought.<br /><br />More recently, I haven't ceased to include fun and silly posts. I've blogged about my </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/06/um-spain-day-9-and-10-tavernes.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">trip to Spain</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> last summer, my </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/03/best-friend.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">best friend</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">, and the qualities I look for </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/06/152-insights-into-my-soul.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">in a man</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">. I've also told my readers about some of my </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/03/my-favorite-places.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">favorite places</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">, some of my thoughts on </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/vulnerability.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">vulnerability</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">, and 10 of my </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/10-of-my-secrets-to-working-with.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">secrets</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> to working with troubled teens.<br /><br />I've also been sharing about my faith journey in a series called Story of My Life, starting with my </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-roots.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">roots</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">, then my </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-salvation.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">salvation</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> story, and a bit about </span><a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/04/story-of-my-life-answered-prayer.html"><span style="font-size:130%;">answered prayer</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">.<br /><br />Blogging has been a journey, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Just looking back through my posts for the purpose of writing this one was a lot of fun. It changes as much as I do, if not more, but it also keeps record of all the lessons I learn along the way. Happy early Blogiversary to me. :)<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></span></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><span style="font-size:130%;">Want to read more? Subscribe!</span></a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-64259888473678434352010-07-25T20:37:00.000-07:002010-07-26T18:34:19.369-07:00Sugar, Sunshine, and Link LoveToday's 31 DBBB challenge happened to coincide well with something I've been needing to post for awhile... maybe it's cheating but who's gonna stop me? ;) I (relatively) recently received two blog awards from two fabulous bloggers! And since today's 31 DBBB challenge is to link some great blogs, I'm gonna kill two birds with one stone. Here we go!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.theblogfrog.com/757946/forum/39640/roll-call-for-the-problogger-summer-challenge-here.html"><img alt="" src="http://www.thesitsgirls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/sits_problogger_banners_badge.png" /></a></p>Over a month ago now the delightful <a href="http://sippycupmom.blogspot.com/">Sippy Cup Mom</a> gave me the <a href="http://sippycupmom.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html">Sugar Doll Award</a>! How cute is that name for a blog award?<br /><br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TE0Fc35zQZI/AAAAAAAAA2M/05Ux-8o5LjE/s1600/SugarDollAward.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498056713690104210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TE0Fc35zQZI/AAAAAAAAA2M/05Ux-8o5LjE/s320/SugarDollAward.png" border="0" /></a> I'm supposed to: thank the person who gave me the award, share 10 things about myself, and pass along the award to 10 other worthy bloggers.<br /><br />So first, 10 things about me:</p><p>1. I love to sing. Preferably loudly, in the car.<br />2. The toilet paper <em>has</em> to pull from the top, not the bottom.<br />3. I'm a helpless romantic.<br />4. I have very long thumbs. Like, kind of freakish when you pay close attention.<br />5. In 8th grade, my closet door was covered in pictures of Matt Damon.<br />6. I'm a picky eater.<br />7. I've been to 12 countries. (13 next month!)<br />8. If I were a crayon, I'd be periwinkle.<br />9. I think birds of prey are the coolest.<br />10. I'm super excited to be a mom someday. </p><p>Now I shall pass the award to some bloggy friends upon whom, were I ever to use the expression "Sugar Doll," I would bestow it.<br /><br />1. Melissa at <a href="http://mieletlait.com/">Miel et Lait</a><br />2. Julie at <a href="http://www.dutchbeingme.com/">Dutch Being Me</a><br />3. Lindsey at <a href="http://www.anewlifehartz.blogspot.com/">A New Life</a><br />4. Holley at <a href="http://holley.dayspring.com/">Heart to Heart with Holley</a><br />5. Sarah Mae at <a href="http://www.likeawarmcupofcoffee.com/home/">Like a Warm Cup Of Coffee</a><br />6. Jessica at <a href="http://www.mutheringheights.com/">Muthering Heights</a><br />7. Laura Jane at <a href="http://www.callmelaurajane.com/">Call Me Laura Jane</a><br />8. Cristin at <a href="http://thedomesticatedsavages.blogspot.com/">The Domestic Savages</a><br />9. Mirinda at <a href="http://www.obdforkids.blogspot.com/">October Belle Designs for Kids</a><br />10. Marina at <a href="http://www.pennylanedesignsblog.net/">Penny Lane Designs Blog</a><br /><br />Thank you Sippy Cup Mom! You are so appreciated! (Especially for all your twitter love.)<br /><br />And much more recently, the lovely Natalie of <a href="http://natalielovesjim.blogspot.com/">Blonde at Heart</a> gave me the <a href="http://natalielovesjim.blogspot.com/2010/07/ray-of-sunshine-in-my-day.html">Sunshine Award</a>! Thank you Natalie!! The rules for this one are to pass on the Sunshine award to 12 other blogs whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world. So for this one I'm going to share some love with other participants of the 31 DBBB challenge that I've discovered this week. I think they're pretty special!<br /></p><a href="http://rediscoveringdomesticity.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498378804482988722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 175px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TE4qZBm-2rI/AAAAAAAAA2c/nQXHZQ6CPxs/s320/award_1.jpg" border="0" /></a> 1. <a href="http://rediscoveringdomesticity.blogspot.com/">Rediscovering Domesticity</a><br />2. <a href="http://melainarae.blogspot.com/">Seeing God In It All</a><br />3. <a href="http://coloringoutsidetheline.blogspot.com/">Crayon Wrangler</a><br />4. <a href="http://geekgirlwife.com/">Geek. Girl. Wife</a><br />5. <a href="http://colleeniescouch.blogspot.com/">Colleenie's Couch</a><br />6. <a href="http://www.bethanyanna.com/">New Heart, New Life</a><br />7. <a href="http://www.snotw.com/">Scientific Nature of the Whammy</a><br />8. <a href="http://chickadeeprints.blogspot.com/">Chickadee Prints</a><br />9. <a href="http://drapes2my20s.com/">Exposing the Drapes to My 20's</a><br />10. <a href="http://travelwiththemagic.com/blog.html/">Travel with the Magic</a><br />11. <a href="http://www.reallifewithkids.com/">Real Life with Kids</a><br />12. <a href="http://www.thismomsdelight.com/">This Mom's Delight</a> (she's not actually doing 31 DBBB but she's just delightful)<br /><br />Now go visit those lovely bloggers, and be sure to share the love! And then, be sure to check out the <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/putting-fun-in-fundraising.html">raffles</a> going on over here if you haven't already!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-82232353257295176742010-07-22T18:35:00.000-07:002010-07-26T20:09:26.353-07:00Raffle: Penny Lane DesignsWelcome to Haiti Trip Fundraising Week 2! If you would like to know about the trip to Haiti that I'm raising funds for, or need a detailed explanation of how this raffle works, see <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/putting-fun-in-fundraising.html">here</a>. There will be a link back to this post so you won't get lost. :)<br /><br />If you don't want the long-winded version, here's the short: For every $1 you donate to my Haiti trip, you get one entry toward the prize below. Then just leave a comment saying you donated. That's it!<br /><br />Today's giveaway is a total blog makeover from <a href="http://www.pennylanedesigns.net/">Penny Lane Designs</a>! Marina at Penny Lane Designs is the amazing designer who beautified my blog! I can't even tell you how much I love her designs. And she truly translated exactly what I imagined and created something even better! Go check out her other amazing designs:<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.pennylanedesigns.net/"><img src="http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll261/mrs0930/pld_adbutton125_border.png" /></a></center><br /><br />The makeover includes a Custom Blog Design (Background and Header, Matching Text and Links) with 6 Sidebar Items and a Post Signature, worth $100! This is truly a steal.<br /><br />Marina designs for Blogger blogs only.<br /><br />To enter just click <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=86RBSBDT55CKL&lc=US&item_name=Haiti%20Mission%2fRelief%20Trip%C2%A4cy_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted">here</a> or on the "Donate" box on the top right and then leave your comment. This giveaway is open until 12:00 pm on Friday, July 30th. The winner will be announced that afternoon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-34429226785685271832010-07-21T17:42:00.000-07:002010-07-22T18:58:50.727-07:0010 Of My Secrets To Working With Troubled TeensIn case you're new here, or didn't know, I work with adolescent girls with mental health and substance abuse issues. Yes, it's hard (to answer your unasked question.) Some days are downright exhausting. But I love it. Why? Because I make connections with girls who have had extremely difficult lives. It gets me through each day knowing that I'm one of the few positive influences in their lives. And hopefully, some days, I make a difference. :) But getting teenagers to like you (and therefore listen to you) can be tricky. So here are some tips for those who work with (or live with) teens.<br /><br />1. <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Show no fear. I'm not kidding.</strong></span> If you are dealing with your average variety of teenager, this may not be an issue. But many kids who grew up on the streets, in poverty, or in abusive homes, have learned how to be intimidating. And they are like bees, they can smell fear. So even if you are terrified on the inside, find a way to put your game face on. Because a child cannot trust an adult who is afraid of them. Could you?<br /><br />2. <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Do not take things personally.</strong></span> They are giant balls of hormones, they can't help themselves. Mood swings just come with the territory. If they feel like they're hurting your feelings all the time, they will feel guilty. And their emotional maturity level does not process guilt well, so it generally just turns into an even worse attitude. Just remind yourself it's not you, it's them.<br /><br />3. <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Pick your battles.</span></strong> Stick to your guns when it comes to important stuff that involves their health, safety, and growth as a human being. The fact that they never remember to replace the toilet paper or they always pop their gum may not be worth an enormous power struggle.<br /><br />4. <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Use humor.</strong></span> I find sarcasm works especially well, due to the generally cynical nature of teens. This one perfectly follows #2 and #3, and here's why - if they do something that annoys/offends/upsets you, but it's in the category of "not worth the battle" - make a joke! Humor can take them out of their funk and make you both feel better. You can even make fun of them! (As long as you are actually kidding, and they know it.) I do it all the time. :P<br /><br />5. <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Be empathic.</span></strong> Remember when you were a teenager and you thought no one in the world had ever or would ever feel the way you did? A little understanding goes a long way. Especially when you're trying to get them to do something, and they are frustrated and defiant. Try saying "You feel ____ because ____." Let that soak in. Maybe talk about it a bit. There's a good chance they'll be more receptive when they feel heard.<br /><br />6. <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Be consistent.</span></strong> Do what you said you were going to do. Follow through. It sounds simple, but it can actually be challenging. Do it anyway. It's important.<br /><br />7. <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Communicate. Be honest.</strong></span> Teenagers sometimes seem like aliens, but they are human. Tell them how you are feeling, without blaming. "I feel ___ when you ___." These sentences sound dorky in theory but they are helpful when you really just want to yell and accuse. (As we all do sometimes.)<br /><br />8. <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Accept them where they're at.</span></strong> They may go through as many phases as pairs of shoes, but this is all a part of the adolescent process. One of the greatest things you can do for them is just go with it. Accept it without judgement.<br /><br />9. <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Give them space.</span></strong> A) When they are upset, let them know that you are there to listen when they're ready to talk, and then walk away. Check in periodically to make sure they know you're around, but don't hover. B) When you want something from them, tell them once. Give them a time frame to do whatever it is, and a simple, related consequence if it doesn't get done. Then leave them alone. One reminder right before the time is up could be in order. But don't nag.<br /><br />10. <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Be you. </strong></span><span style="font-size:100%;">While they're trying to figure out who they are, it helps to see adults who are comfortable in their own skin. When I first started working with teens, I tried to be cool, so they would like me. They saw right through it. Now, when I go to work every day, I'm just me. Silly, nerdy, uncool. They wouldn't admit it to my face, (or to yours) but I can tell that they respect me for being who I am. And it's a firsthand lesson on how freeing it is not to try to be someone you're not.</span><br /><br />I hope that wasn't too preachy. I'm glad I made this list so I can look back at it and remind myself on hard days. And perhaps I will add more later... hope it was helpful to someone!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-41853082311395879122010-07-21T16:35:00.001-07:002010-07-26T20:11:34.746-07:00Raffle: October Belle DesignsWelcome to Haiti Trip Fundraising Week 2!<br /><br />If you would like to know about the trip to Haiti that I'm raising funds for, or need a detailed explanation of how this raffle works, see <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/putting-fun-in-fundraising.html">here</a>. There will be a link back to this post so you won't get lost. :)<br /><br />If you don't want the long-winded version, here's the short: For every $1 you donate to my Haiti trip, you get one entry toward the prize below. Then just leave a comment saying you donated. That's it!<br /><br />Today's giveaway is a <strong>$25 gift certificate</strong> to <a href="http://www.obdforkids.blogspot.com/">October Belle Designs For Kids</a>!<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://obdforkids.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/memoriesbydesign/BlogButton.png" /></a></center><br />Mirinda from October Belle Designs creates beautiful paintings for kids' rooms. Here are some examples:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeHvBb2ytI/AAAAAAAAA1s/3q_OjH--7C4/s1600/octbel"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496511112137853650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeHvBb2ytI/AAAAAAAAA1s/3q_OjH--7C4/s320/octbel" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeHodV8cJI/AAAAAAAAA1k/GQqS8nFHjuY/s1600/octbe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496510999370166418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeHodV8cJI/AAAAAAAAA1k/GQqS8nFHjuY/s320/octbe.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeIIQnWrHI/AAAAAAAAA2E/bB-6yKPQatc/s1600/octbelle"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496511545709341810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeIIQnWrHI/AAAAAAAAA2E/bB-6yKPQatc/s320/octbelle" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeH034pyqI/AAAAAAAAA10/4d9wL_dhRu0/s1600/octbell"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496511212653496994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeH034pyqI/AAAAAAAAA10/4d9wL_dhRu0/s320/octbell" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeHiuB-dHI/AAAAAAAAA1c/B2Pz3XMbMj0/s1600/octb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496510900770600050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEeHiuB-dHI/AAAAAAAAA1c/B2Pz3XMbMj0/s320/octb.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Enter to win one for your son or daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, or friend!<br /><br /><div>To enter just click <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=86RBSBDT55CKL&lc=US&item_name=Haiti%20Mission%2fRelief%20Trip%C2%A4cy_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted">here</a> or on the "Donate" box on the top right and then leave your comment.<br /><br />Update: This giveaway is open until 12:00 pm on Friday, July 30th. The winner will be announced that afternoon.</div></div></div></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-35900144269185862932010-07-20T20:44:00.000-07:002010-07-22T18:59:34.950-07:00ProBlogger ChallengeJust to make my life more complicated (and fun!), in the midst of all this fundraising, I'm also joining The <a href="http://www.thesitsgirls.com/">SITS Girls</a> in the <a href="http://www.thesitsgirls.com/2010/07/problogger-challenge/">ProBlogger Challenge</a>, and will be trying all kinds of new blog-related things in the next 31 days.<br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.theblogfrog.com/757946/forum/39640/roll-call-for-the-problogger-summer-challenge-here.html"><img alt="" src="http://www.thesitsgirls.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/sits_problogger_banners_badge.png" /></a></p><p align="left">The first challenge (as of yesterday, because naturally I'm one day behind) was to create an Elevator Pitch, which is a description of your blog that could be stated to another person during the course of an elevator ride. So here's mine: </p><p align="left"><em>A single girl in a small town loving a big God with her whole heart. Living the adventure of walking by faith, learning from mistakes, meeting people where they're at, and loving them like crazy. Kick off your shoes and sit in the grass with me. </em></p><p align="left">Like it?</p><p align="left">If you're visiting from the challenge, please check out how you could win a blog makeover <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/raffle-laura-jane-designs.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/raffle-creative-creations-by-cristin.html">here</a>!</p><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-73109567460847962372010-07-20T18:31:00.000-07:002010-07-26T20:12:23.946-07:00Raffle: Creative Creations By CristinWelcome to Haiti Trip Fundraising Week 2!<br /><br />If you would like to know about the trip to Haiti that I'm raising funds for, or need a detailed explanation of how this raffle works, see <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/putting-fun-in-fundraising.html">here</a>. There will be a link back to this post so you won't get lost. :)<br /><br />If you don't want the long-winded version, here's the short: For every $1 you donate to my Haiti trip, you get one entry toward the prize below. Then just leave a comment saying you donated. That's it!<br /><br />Today's giveaway is a <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>total blog makeover</strong></span> from <a href="http://creativecreationsbycristin.blogspot.com/">Creative Creations By Cristin</a>! The makeover includes a Header, Sidebar Headers, Custom Navigation Bar, Custom Sidebar Header Graphics, Blog Button and Code, Custom Signature, and a Custom Background, worth $41!<br /><br />Go check out Cristin's page and see her lovely designs.<br /><br /><a href="http://creativecreationsbycristin.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496168319777146658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 192px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TEZP94YShyI/AAAAAAAAA1U/8l5qx9x1LWg/s320/ccbutton.png" border="0" /></a><br />Cristin designs for Blogger blogs only.<br /><br />To enter just click <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=86RBSBDT55CKL&lc=US&item_name=Haiti%20Mission%2fRelief%20Trip%C2%A4cy_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted">here</a> or on the "Donate" box on the top right and then leave your comment.<br /><br />Update: This giveaway is open until 12:00 pm on Friday, July 30th. The winner will be announced that afternoon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-33050747044096409882010-07-19T17:59:00.001-07:002010-07-26T20:13:26.926-07:00Raffle: Laura Jane Designs<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Welcome to Haiti Trip Fundraising Week 2!</span><br /><br />If you would like to know about the trip to Haiti that I'm raising funds for, or need a detailed explanation of how this raffle works, see <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/putting-fun-in-fundraising.html">here</a>. There will be a link back to this post so you won't get lost. :)<br /><br />If you don't want the long-winded version, here's the short: For every $1 you donate to my Haiti trip, you get one entry toward the prize below. Then just leave a comment saying you donated. That's it!<br /><br />The winner of this raffle will receive a <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">full blog makeover</span></strong> from <a href="http://laurajanedesigns.blogspot.com/">Laura Jane Designs</a>! Laura Jane creates truly beautiful blog designs. Whether you'd like a fun, funky scrapbook-y look, or are going for simple and clean with a touch of personality, Laura Jane can do it! Go check them out for yourself. I'll wait.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://laurajanedesigns.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy60/LauraJaneDesigns/27135c4c.png" border="0" /></a></center><br />Did you love them? Yeah, that's what I thought. Here's what Laura Jane is offering to you:<br /><br />The Tulip Package, worth $35, which includes: Custom Header & Background, Blog Button & Grab Box, Installation of wide 3-Column Layout, Post Divider & Signature, 5 Sidebar Titles, and a Navigation Menu Bar. A pretty great deal! (Especially you're getting it almost for free!)<br /><br />Laura Jane will not be able to start on your blog design until August 5th, but by the time I select a winner next week, that won't be too far away!<br /><br />To enter just click <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=86RBSBDT55CKL&lc=US&item_name=Haiti%20Mission%2fRelief%20Trip%C2%A4cy_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted">here</a> or on the "Donate" box on the top right and then leave your comment.<br /><br />Update: This giveaway is open until 12:00 pm on Friday, July 30th. The winner will be announced that afternoon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-56151693570519822652010-07-19T17:34:00.000-07:002010-07-27T18:59:19.433-07:00Putting The Fun In FundraisingHello everyone! Welcome to week 2 of Putting The Fun In Fundraising! Well... I just named it that right now, but it's not bad, right? In case you're new here, read this blurb about why I'm fundraising, and those who already know can skip the next paragraph. :)<br /><br />August 14<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> – 21st I’ll be going to Haiti with a missions team, through an international organization called <a href="http://www.prayingpelicanmissions.org/">Praying Pelican Missions</a>. We will not only be sharing the love of Jesus with a hurting people group, but also helping in the relief effort dealing with the devastation left by the January earthquake. We will be working in schools, churches, and orphanages. I can’t wait to be a part of God’s work in Haiti! My trip costs $600, plus over $700 for a plane ticket(!) and a suggested donation of $300 for supplies. I've raised some of that total, but have a ways to go. (And if I raise extra, it will all be donated to the cause.)<br /><br />So... my last fundraising effort on my blog did not go exactly as I had hoped. A <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">lot</span></strong> of people entered, and that was awesome and <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">so</span></strong> appreciated, but few donated. If everyone who entered the giveaways that week had donated $1, I would have raised over $220. And if I had been given $1 for every entry total, I would have raised almost $350! Which, needless to say, would have helped a lot.<br /><br />So this time we're doing a raffle, and the <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">only</span> </strong>way to enter is to donate $1 to my Haiti trip (through Pay Pal - very secure!) Every extra dollar donated adds an extra entry to the raffle that you've commented on. If you donate $5, you get 1 entry in each of the 4 giveaways, in addition to 5 entries to the one you commented on!<br /><br />I hope that explanation was not too complicated. Basically, just click <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=86RBSBDT55CKL&lc=US&item_name=Haiti%20Mission%2fRelief%20Trip%C2%A4cy_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted">here</a> or on the "Donate" box on the top right, give $1 (or more if you choose), and leave a comment saying you did. (Just one comment is good!) If you're not a blogger, leave your contact information too.<br /><br />Each of the raffles ends at 12:00 pm Pacific Time Friday, July 30th. The winner of each raffle will be announced that afternoon.<br /><br />I will put the links in this post as I add the raffles so you can read the instructions and then go back and check out each raffle. There are 3 fabulous blog designers, and one lovely home decorating designer involved in these raffles! Have fun!<br /><br />Day 1 - <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/raffle-laura-jane-designs.html">Laura Jane Designs</a><br />Day 2 - <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/raffle-creative-creations-by-cristin.html">Creative Creations By Cristin</a><br />Day 3 - <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/raffle-october-belle-designs.html">October Belle Designs</a><br />Day 4 - <a href="http://www.smalltowncolleen.com/2010/07/raffle-penny-lane-designs.html">Penny Lane Designs</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-32999750080130049962010-07-16T18:37:00.000-07:002010-07-22T19:00:29.640-07:00VulnerabilityI have been a lazy blogger lately. I think the "honeymoon phase" has ended, and some days blogging, and social networking in general, feels like a chore. However, God has been convicting my heart about this. First of all, I already have several posts written on paper that I've just been too "lazy" to transfer to the screen. You know what it really is, though? Fear of being vulerable. And in the last week, I have been gently but not so subtly reminded that I need to let it go.<br /><br />I'm currently reading an amazing book called <em>Strong Women, Soft Hearts</em>, by Paula Rinheart. Here's what she says about vulnerability:<br /><br />"The word literally means 'able to be wounded.' To be vulnerable is to voluntarily place yourself, for the sake of a larger purpose, in a situation that could bring you pain. You see something at stake... and you are willing to risk your heart in a vulnerable way."<br /><br />Paula goes on to say that writing is a great place to start. She quotes Nicole Johnson: "How else can we learn about ourselves if not by forcing our hands to tell the truth about our hearts?"<br />And C.S. Lewis: "Whenever you are fed up with life; start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills, as I have found out long ago."<br /><br />Writing has always come easily to me. <em>Sharing</em>, on the other hand, not so much. I am an introvert. I may be described as quiet, and shy. My close friends and family members know that I can talk your ear off when I get rolling, but I require a certain kind of safe space to feel comfortable enough to do so. The more public my blog becomes (which is intentional, don't get me wrong), the more nervous I feel about sharing my heart. And the more compelled I feel to do so. It's quite an inner battle.<br /><br />Paula hits it right on the head though, asking: "How much of your real life - your story - have you shared with people you care about? How often have you taken the risk to share your heart, to let yourself be known?"<br /><br />"The strength of vulnerability... that paradoxical place where you discover the strength God has placed in you by actually risking the pain you would normally run from... You step into the difficult place and find you are not blown away... You say the words you need to say. In these kinds of moments you can almost feel your soul expand."<br /><br />And, if that wasn't enough to convict me, I just started Beth Moore's Esther study, and here are her words that spoke right to my soul:<br /><br />"One of the most important parts of fulfilling our destiny will be <strong>transparency</strong>." Ok Lord, I get it.<br /><br />So I promise to get real and vulnerable with you real soon.<br /><br />But before I do that, next week I'll be hosting another week of giveaways! (Actually more like raffles to raise funds for my Haiti trip - but still exciting.) 4 chances to win a blog makeover, and one raffle involving home decoration. Come back and check it out!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-37199930084887412362010-07-06T08:14:00.000-07:002010-07-07T18:31:40.768-07:00A Glimpse Of HeavenThe smell of the Redwood trees, campfires and sunscreen.<br /><br />The sounds of the birds chirping, the creek flowing, children laughing.<br /><br />The feel of the sunshine on my face, the breeze in my hair, the ice cold stream on my feet.<br /><br />The taste of pure water after a hike, meals made on a portable stove, roasted marshmellows.<br /><br />The view of the mountains, meadows, streams.<br /><br /><strong>This is the place where magic lives in the trees; where memories are stored behind each boulder; where promise whispers in the wind. </strong><br /><br />A place where I can get perspective, and at the same time let my imagination run wild.<br /><br />The place that feels like home, but offers endless opportunites for adventure.<br /><br />A place where families and friends gather for games or stories around the campfire.<br /><br />In this place, I look out at snow-capped mountains while soaking in a pool of hot water that came bubbling right out of the ground.<br /><br />In this place, my dogs run happily with their long, pink tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths.<br /><br />In this place, my mind and body feel more alive, and yet at rest.<br /><br />In this place, my soul feels closer to God.<br /><br /><strong>This place is one of my favorites in the world. An escape, a getaway, a refuge. A glimpse of heaven.</strong><br /><br /><br /><br />Grover Hot Springs, California<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-543843331143816959.post-34767464453403767842010-06-29T07:57:00.000-07:002010-06-29T08:04:35.462-07:00Out of the Proverbial OfficeHello lovely followers! I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be gone for the rest of the week, in a place where I have no access to phones or computers. Unfortunately I'm not savvy enough to know how to get my blog to update itself, so I'll be missing for the next few days. I'm going to one of my favorite places in the world, Grover Hot Springs, California, for some good old fashioned tent camping!<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TCoKvlDXtyI/AAAAAAAAA1M/rV3X7weicnI/s1600/ghs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488210908420749090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5kotukSHtrI/TCoKvlDXtyI/AAAAAAAAA1M/rV3X7weicnI/s320/ghs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When I get back, I'll be sure to have a lot of great stuff for you guys, because I'll have lots of writing time in the great outdoors! (Plus there are some more giveaways in the works.) Don't miss me too much. ;)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/134/BDE5F6FBB25C5DB78D4DDA3195D6CAFA.png" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon32x32.png" /></a><a title="Subscribe to my feed" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/SmallTownColleen" type="application/rss+xml" rel="alternate">Want to read more? Subscribe!</a> </p>Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842522443389391740noreply@blogger.com0