Sunday, September 28, 2008

A full weekend...(and long post)

We celebrated Peter and Mike's birthdays at the Paso's on Saturday night. Sarah made Mike's favorite dish- his grandma's spaghetti and bolognese recipe. And then she made pavlova. His favorite dessert.

I attempted Peter's grandma's cinnamon rolls and banana cake with the help of Ives and Kat. It was fun trying!

 
 
 
 
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We got Peter a fire pit for the guy's backyard.

Today we went to church and then went to the beach with the Uni students. Lots of freshers came which was great- new relationships built! I rode with Anna, her cousin Emily, and their friend Mabel in Mabel's convertible. We had so much fun!
 
 

Cheeseburgers, chips (fries), and diet coke (stereotypical American meal) at the cafe by the beach for lunch! It's 10p for a packet of katsup! Ridiculous! We spent over a pound on little packets. Peter had most of them. He eats even more katsup than me.

 

Isn't it gorgeous?! Very different from the beaches I've been to in the States. No sand. Mostly rocks. Very uncomfortable to sit on...

 
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Boys will be boys. Always on an adventure looking for something new and exciting.

 

This picture reminds me of snorkeling in Hanama Bay in Hawaii with Drew, Gwen, and Joy. I think just the shape of the hill (though much smaller here) and the way the water goes into it...

 
 
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Me, Anna, Ives, and Lawrence. He's the president of CU which stands for Christian Union. In the States, there's usually numerous College Ministries to be involved with- Campus Crusade, Inner Varsity, Young Life, etc. But here at UWIC (University of Wales Institute in Cardiff- the local Uni), they have one.

 

The Gweedo Family. In Peter's interview for the GAP Team with Dan, he thought Dan pronounced his last name Guh-wee-duh. It's actually Guh-ve-duh. But, from Guh-wee-duh, we got Gweedo, and that has actually morphed into "Gweeds." This is him, his wife Kat, their son Noah, Leah (who will be 3 on Sunday!) and their miracle baby, Caitlin. She had a lot of heart problems when she was born; incredible story.

 

Anna, Gerard (which they pronounce Jair-Ah-d), and Lawrence. Gerard is from South Africa! Isn't that cool?!

 

Ben Greasely (Anna's brother) posing like a super hero. He sat next to me in the minibus on the drive back and we had great conversations about space, the universe, God's VASTNESS, His eternal-ness, our finite minds, etc. It left me more in awe of God. Growing my fear of God- who He is, His power, my utter small-ness, and yet, His care for me. Wow.

 
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The beautiful Ives.

 

This is Sarah and Romani. (I don't know if I spelled his name right.) They are getting married next August! Romani actually picked us up from the airport with Dan when we first arrived. Sarah is an incredible witness. She lives with 4 or 5 girls who are not saved, and she is constantly serving them, loving them, reaching out to them, and preaching the gospel to them. What an example she is to me. I can't wait to learn more from her. She's quickly becoming a dear friend.

 

This is Caitlin. Gweedo's youngest. How precious.

 

And sweet Leah. Ah, look at those eyes. They're gorgeous.

 
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And this is Kat, Dan's wife, and Caitlin.

 

I wanted a picture with that cute face.

 

We went to Troy's Kebabs for dinner. Not Kabobs, but Kebabs. "Bandana Man" wasn't there (apparently he's the best at making them) but they were DELISH. I had chicken- a bunch of people had lamb (I would've had lamb, but they didn't have enough...) and YUM-O. Definitely going back there again!

 
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So. I sit here on my bed typing away, copying and pasting pictures, and am THRILLED to have the day completely off tomorrow. My plans? To have a lie in until about noon. If its later, that's totally fine by me. I'm shattered. Completely knackered. Then maybe a run (they're the highlights of my week). A shower. And prepping meals. (Meghann, I've totally looked at the Menu on your calendar and stolen meal ideas from you =).

Thanks for enduring with me in this long post- I'll try to do shorter ones in the future- I know its a lot to sit down and read.

Well, it's only just dinner time on the East Coast, but it's almost midnight here. My pillow is calling!

Hope you were aware of the grace available to you today, and that you ENJOYED it to its FULLEST! G'night!

6 comments:

Vanessa said...

good to get an update. i love you.

Anonymous said...

Actually, they gave us the ketchup (note proper spelling) for free, that's why I gave you your 10p back. They would normally charge though. Btw, I ate the most cause I was going to pay 80p and you were gonna pay 10p- don't make me look like a hog.

And Dan told me his name was Gweeda, not Ga-ved-uh. So it turned from Gweeda to Gweedo, I think at Taige's initiative.

Lee and Jeannette said...

Oh dearest JJ, we love you! It sure looks like you are having fun and Wales looks amazing. Bethany and Hannah got to go to Venice this last Saturday so they are still reeling from that (I think they used your word to, "It's amazing.") We all say "amazing" now that we know you. Of course, God is the real "amazing" one. And we are so glad that you are there making a difference for God and the gospel. Keep asking God, who am I to share the love of Christ with today? What divine appointment does God have today (and don't let me miss it!)? Okay, well it's late but we love you! And can't wait till we see your sweet face in person again!

The Nilsen Nest said...

Hey Janelle! I go to Crossway with Taige, Ivy and Katherine. Just wanted to let you know I look at your blog from time to time :)It's always fun to read about the adventures you guys are having through your eyes. I'm so encouraged by your desire for the Lord! What faith you all have to do His work in Wales!
May God bless you sweetly,
Dena Nilsen

MikeHenderson said...

Hey JJ, just checking in. Good to see you update this thing frequently. Post some videos! I want to hear a Welsh accent....it's funny.

Thank you for your dedication to serving for God's glory and humbly submitting your life to it!

Ann Gillette said...

Hi Janelle,

Ivy and Sarah's mom, Ann here. I so love reading your blog. It gives me a perspective of all that my girls are involved in that I don't hear from them. Thanks for letting me have a glimpse into their lives through you. We pray daily for them and the team. I had children's ministry for the last two weeks (age 7 year olds). We are encouraging them to pray for the nations and the weeks I am on we will be sharing about GAP and ways they can pray specifically for the team. I have the picture of the team in front of Raglin castle posted in the class room. I love that you call Ivy Ives. There are a few names she would never allow me to say and that was one. It is funny to hear her called that by others.

I pray you endure the cold, but anticipate the faithful Father bringing you complete healing!

Love,
Ann