tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12141370512272025792024-02-02T09:33:57.053-08:00Junk of the HeartAlexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-49634290135499692952015-01-03T09:28:00.003-08:002015-01-06T11:12:47.170-08:00A gallery of HOPE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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HOPE Outdoor Gallery<br />
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If you find yourself in Austin, TX try and make it a point to stop by HOPE Outdoor Gallery. You'll find a large lot of land with nothing but shrubs and tall concrete walls lined parallel to each other up the slope of a steep hill. Whatever this place use to be no longer exist and in its place stands an outdoor museum of painted artwork covering the concrete walls. A place were anyone can come and leave their mark as long as they bring a can of spray paint with them. Some might call it a graffiti junk yard, but the place is magic. A mixture of large and small painted murals, that once used to stand bold and tell a loud story, covered the walls. I couldn't help but notice that much of the beautiful artwork was disappearing under the marks left by newer visitors, fighting to be noticed under the "MATTHEW WAS HERE" or "CASEY HEARTS JOHN"spray painted in amateur handwriting.<br />
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Some of the murals were harder to see underneath all of the names people layered on top. I questioned how anyone could ruin someone else's magnificent art work just to have their name on a wall; but it occurred to me how deeply we all want to be part the bigger picture in life, how most of us hope to leave something behind when we leave this earth.<br />
Maybe so many of us are connected by this, we want to leave our name and make our mark, to tell the world "hey we were here!" we want people to know that we exist and feel as much as they do.<br />
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I think the biggest marks we'll ever make are on the people we are surrounded by. We have the opportunity to love and encourage everyone we talk to; our words matter. One of my favorite authors says that words not only have shelf life but they have the ability to shape life and I am so sure of this. <br />
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HELLO 2015<br />
Saying goodbye to the absolute best year of my entire life so far, and welcoming in the new year.<br />
Its scary leaving such an incredible year behind but I get to carry all the experiences and memories and friendships with me into 2015 and that alone is exciting.Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-57867048379346836002014-10-04T09:25:00.002-07:002014-10-11T09:58:47.362-07:00Sweet Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEaeOkXVUPyHHPL3-YgQNV0zHjfOyfZGuEwK49pcuPNCwKHsU6hYa_MJRmcGbrHd2IB5fWzMrmChRdJML1P1rwbxPUPBAxP7Qw8nTGUICeq7f66BzBAaSDHbSsudHn9-d4UMVEf7lvV0/s1600/map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisEaeOkXVUPyHHPL3-YgQNV0zHjfOyfZGuEwK49pcuPNCwKHsU6hYa_MJRmcGbrHd2IB5fWzMrmChRdJML1P1rwbxPUPBAxP7Qw8nTGUICeq7f66BzBAaSDHbSsudHn9-d4UMVEf7lvV0/s1600/map.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I saw this incredible map of the world painted on wood planks at a flea market this summer and figured I could do the exact same thing myself but at a much cheaper cost. I love DYI projects, so I jumped into it without thinking much of it. Many many many hours of painting later, it turned out not too bad. Would I do it again? Probably not; I underestimated the time it would take to paint every single cove and cape this world has to offer, and the paint kept sinking into the wood. Not to mention it wasn't until later that I realized Greenland's proportion are more than a bit off. However, while painting the map with all of it little islands, I gained a new perspective. It registered that there were places I had no idea even existed prior to this project, places I couldn't name, and places I may never get to visit. There were (and still are) people and cultures that I will never know about, they existed to me as much as aliens do. It made me feel small- I think the way God intended us to feel when compared to His creation. I realized that just because I have no knowledge of these place, people, and cultures they are still important, they exist as much as I do, and we share the same spectrum of emotions. There are 7 billion people in the world, each one of us with a dream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Lately, I've been thinking about togetherness and what it is that connects us as people. I think about my own life and the friends and strangers who led me to pursue a huge dream of mine- the dream of learning more about the water crisis and learning from the people involved in the field. I was reminded that we have the same opportunity everyday to push someone closer to their dream, to run along side of others and feed them words of encouragement or to open up doors that will launch them forward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> A few days ago I was on the 10 Days website- 10 Days is a campaign through Living Water International, where college students across the country have an opportunity to shift our neighbor's circumstances by providing clear water in Ruhango, Rwanda. I've seen first hand how clean water facilitates better health and more education, which leads to improved opportunity throughout communities. While working closely with the staff of Living Water Rwanda in Ruhango last semester, I was in awe of the incredibly hard work and dedication each staff member put towards providing clean water to these communities; I wanted the world to know about them! After spending some time with different staff members, I wrote a small story on each of them in hopes to share with my friends and family- and who ever else was willing to read it- back home. Though we come from different backgrounds, cultures, and upbringings our
individual story is one of the most powerful things that connect us as human
beings. They allow us to bridge the chasm of unconventionality and break down
‘ethnic barriers.’ I've found a great love for gathering and sharing people's stories, allowing others to learn from or be impacted by a person they may
never meet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I had a dream of sharing these stories with as may people as possible; and that day I saw the staff stories had been posted on the 10Days website. I am in awe at how loving our God is. How He places people in our lives to push us and enable us to sprint after the dreams and desirers He's given us. Through my journey over the past year I've been so motivated to push others to follow their own dream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">10days.cc/about</span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-60456946794723104642014-07-05T14:36:00.001-07:002014-07-05T14:37:59.015-07:00Times Flys<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="381" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/99893591" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/99893591">Abroad: Rwanda</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user28911895">Alexia Ellesse</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">During the Spring of 2014 I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Rwanda for 5 months. I met some awesome people, ate interesting food, saw some crazy stars, and had my mind blown a handful of times. Abroad: Rwanda is a mess of a video, made just for fun to celebrate the best five months!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Song "Ends of the Earth"<br />Lord Huron</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Quote inspired by Henry Rollins</span></div>
Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-91761716290452286082014-06-07T18:14:00.000-07:002014-06-19T10:24:50.237-07:00No standing.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/97624843" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/97624843">No Standing</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user28911895">Alexia Ellesse</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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There is life in losing the fear of looking silly.<br />
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I love to dance, it's true! The silly kind though, of course.<br />
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It's been my experience that dancing makes life a heck of a lot more fun, and I wasn't about to pass that up during my time in Rwanda. During the last 5 months I've met some of the greatest people, had the opportunity to build some great relationship, and most importantly took every opportunity to dance!</div>
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The song might be a little out dated and the editing may be a little amature, but man was there joy in these times! <br />
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Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-89920463259275753922014-06-03T13:41:00.000-07:002014-07-05T14:40:15.783-07:00Bats, man!During my last week in Rwanda, I spent a few days out in Kibuye with the six other girls from the study abroad program. I had never been to Kibuye, but it turned out to be a beautiful little town right on lake Kivu with a breathtaking view of the sunset.<br />
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We decided to take a boat out to an island that was known for being home to a ridiculous number of fruit-bats, I heard somewhere around 3 million. The island looked like a huge hill just floating on the lake, covered with trees</div>
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After the boat docked on the island, our guide lead us up a steep trail towards the bats. five minutes into the hike, thousands of bats were flying over our heads. The guide continued up the trail, but I think we were so amazed by the party going on above our head that a few of us stopped for a bit to get some pictures. It was a sight! I really could have ended the journey right there, I saw the bats and they were awesome! But after realizing our guide had continued up the trail without half the group I decided to book it on up the hill. </div>
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As I reached the top of the hill I found the tour guide just kind of standing there in silence. I figured he was bumped because, by then, all of the bats had retreated back into the trees which were now below us. I wasn't too upset because I had already seen them.</div>
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As soon as the last person reached the top of the hill, our tour guide suddenly broke the silence by turning into a crazy man. Just like that he started clapping his hands and shouting and screeching. Within seconds, we were surrounded by hundreds of thousands of bats, above, below, and in between. It completely put to shame the sight we had stopped for at the bottom of the trail. </div>
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That day, while standing on top of that hill, I realized something: perspectives can teach us a ton. I think a lot of times we have these awesome experiences, we see what we came to see and we even took a couple of cool photos too. And although our tour guide continues up the path, we pack up and head back towards the boat, satisfied because for me, at times, I am far too easily pleased. </div>
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But what we experience is sometimes just a small taste of what is up the rest of the hill; and as our Guide continues to lead us on our paths He whispers to Himself <i>you think this is great, oh, you just wait! S</i>o the decision is ours, will we follow or head back to the boat?<br />
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Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-85279362973973003772014-04-28T08:50:00.001-07:002014-10-04T11:51:48.396-07:00Update<div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DyJHtOpw2xLs0mCY5VFAa8O01VvA1Z5fTiSWTGXJo9aguIVKEhXd2ZmUUBpwEequ6jBBuv3aG4vwsbkb-dPicqlhuoIoN_t3c3O3r3HUeGBap9RscJiFdnWAUsaXQn4EkTB4h_mOgAA/s640/blogger-image--640906528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DyJHtOpw2xLs0mCY5VFAa8O01VvA1Z5fTiSWTGXJo9aguIVKEhXd2ZmUUBpwEequ6jBBuv3aG4vwsbkb-dPicqlhuoIoN_t3c3O3r3HUeGBap9RscJiFdnWAUsaXQn4EkTB4h_mOgAA/s640/blogger-image--640906528.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Unlikely things start happening when we are not afraid to get skin in the game and we decide to go big.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Passion leads you to do crazy things. For me that looked like emailing a ton of strangers, flying half way across the world,and asking for an opportunity that didn't exist prior. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A little bit before getting the opportunity to hangout with LWI I had an itching question, "What is an advertising and public relations major doing trying to help people access clean water? I really don't have the knowledge or tools to actually do so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But what God brought to light was very important. while yes, it is true that I do not have the skills to physically provide or improve water access, I do have the skills to help those who are the professionals in this area. Serving those who serve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think a lot of times we have this idea in our heads that we can just come over to a country for a week, or two and make these crazy impacts on the lives of a community. And while yes that is completely true and God has no limitations, more often than not it's just not that simple. I think I'm realizing how easily problems in developing countries can be over simplified, and while there are benefits to short term solutions, it is always better to think with the end in mind. Many times solutions to big problems take numerous years to play out. And what good is it to come into a country, quickly better a situation in a week, and then leave? It's not sustainable and eventually these issues can arise again. I'm learning the importance of working with country staff, those who live there long term, some permanently. Those who speak the language or have the time to really learn or know the culture; those who are professionals in the area in which they are working. This is the very reason why I absolutely love Living Water International, and it has been a crazy joy getting to know and learn from their Rwanda staff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've learned God can still uses us even when we don't feel equipped. He doesn't put crazy desires in our hearts so that he can laugh at us when we look foolish for perusing them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He allows us to use our skills to line up with our desire.</span></div>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">.</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">With a background in journalism I was given the opportunity to work with
the field staff of LWI, and together we worked on capturing stories and report
writing. </span><!--EndFragment--></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to hangout with the LWI-Rwanda's drilling team and other staff members over the last few weeks; the work they do daily continues to blow my mind. I am getting to collect stories on the staff, community, individuals, and the difficulties encountered in the field. These stories serve as a way to connect people back home in America to Rwandans; to actually people, not just facts and statistics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've got to tell the world </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Earlier this week I was talking to a friend from back home, and during our conversation she said, "wow, what you're doing over there is so great!" And while my heart overflows with appreciation for all of the kind words I've received throughout this journey, I need you to know this: anything that I've done during my time in Rwanda should be considered as nothing in comparison to the hard work of the LWI-Rwanda staff. These people are world chargers! And what they are doing over here is truly great. I've got to tell the world!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is hard to fully put into words the dedication of the drilling team. I've had the chance to spend the last two weeks out in Ruhango with this team, and I must say I've learned more about determination during this time than I have in my twenty years of life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These are the guys who dig the deep, deep holes in the ground so that a community can have access to clean and safe water. They spend their weekdays in the villages, far from their families and homes. Their day starts around 6 am and doesn't end until the job is finished, rain or shine. Even when the sun goes down, they pitch their small green tents right where they're at and wake up the next morning to continue drilling. It is not an easy job and there are many challenges that arise during the week. The drilling rig truck is large and extremely heavy; it can easily get stuck on the small man-made dirt road, sometimes taking hours to pull the truck. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These guys continuously make sacrifices in order to help communities have clean water, in order to share the word of God, in order to give people a better hope from their future. The hard work of every staff member is truly amazing!</span></div>
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Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-13342866106560081442014-03-10T06:44:00.001-07:002014-04-14T04:41:31.163-07:00Risking Failure<div>
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If we want to continue to grow, especially in Christ, then we must continue to risk failure.</div>
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Uganda</div>
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During the six hour drive from Kampala to Gulu there was a lot of reading and staring out the window. I absolutely love looking out the window while traveling; I am not trying to let Gods incredible creations pass me by while I'm too busy taking a nap. My attention bounced back and forth from Uganda's sweet landscape to a book from the New York Times Bestsellers list; the author just so happens to have started an organization in Uganda a few years back. Some time during the trip I decided that I was going to contact the author, or at least try to, and ask him for some direction. It was a bizarre idea, a little risky asking for something from a stranger, but I had nothing to lose. Only one of two outcomes could result; he would either respond or he could not respond. This little plan could fail completely or it could not. </div>
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Last night, after finding the authors email address I began to type out my message to him. I'm a strong believer in catchy email subject titles, how else are you going to stand out in a list of numerous unread emails? I decided on titling it with a question joke, saving the punch line for email body. Risky move? Yeah probably. But that's me and if this guy had a sense of humor then there was a possibility of this email getting read. My email may have sounded a bit silly but I believed it was worth the risk.</div>
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I woke up with a unread reply from the author; I found his quick response time incredibly impressive. Turns out that he couldn't exactly point me in the direction I was looking for but he then proceeded to tell me that him and his team would be and Gulu next weekend and would be happy to meet with me. The dude seriously just one-upped me. I was simply asking for some advice, some thought, some help from a complete stranger and he pretty much said I'll do you one better. This author didn't just want to help me, he wanted to meet me.</div>
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It made me think a lot about how God works. I think there are times when we think we are taking a big risk, but in reality we're actually playing it safe. I could have told that author how I loved his book and had a lot of respect for him. I then could have emphasized how cool it would be to get the chance to meet him. But I didn't. I simply asked for some direction without really expecting a reply back. I've seen this play out specifically in my prayer life. If I'm being completely honestly with myself I can admit that in the past there were times when I sought out direction from God without really expecting a reply back, possibly thinking somewhere in the back of my mind <i>it's okay if God doesn't get back to me on this, He's a busy guy with a long list of emails</i>. I was limiting a completely limitless God. Thankfully over the last few years I've learned that God is a one-upper kind of dude when we have faith, He wants us to risk the human logic of our request, decisions, and even reasoning for His sake; He wants us to ask the crazy, outrageous, unimaginable prayers instead of beating around the bush because God is so able to blow our stinking minds, if we allow Him! It can be seen over and over again through out the bible, Gods power. And like the author, God doesn't just want to help me He wants to meet me where I'm at; He says "I want to give you direction but first come, let's figure this out together." </div>
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2 Kings 4:1-7</div>
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Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0Queen Elizabeth National Park (null)0.160675 30.075644tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-46878852306996969612014-02-28T10:28:00.001-08:002014-03-01T00:08:20.403-08:00God has restored this country<div><br></div><div>And I've seen it with my own eyes. 20 years ago the genocide against the Tutsis took place all through out Rwanda ending with a death toll of a little over a million. I have learned a lot about the genocide in the last month, more than 9th grader me ever expected to learn in my life time. I've seen the pictures, heard the testimonies, and even seen thousands of full skeletons that were dug up from the mass graves and preserved with chemicals, some even with little pieces of hair still attached to their skull. The thought is horrific, one that I can not and probably will not ever be able to truly fathom. Friends killed friends, family members killed family members and neighbors killed neighbors. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people's lives were cut too short.</div><div><br></div><div>And how does one forgive such a gruesome incident?</div><div>Many survivors of the genocide witnessed someone they knew kill their family or loved ones. And yet here they are present day living among one another; perpetrators and victims in the same villages, some even neighbors, but how? </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Forgiveness</div><div>Forgiveness such as this can only be learned through the cross. Pastors came in and taught both the survivors and perpetrators the gospel and the message of forgiveness. Little by little the both were able to come together and live as a community. No long is this country split between social groups of Hutus and Tutsis, instead the country now consist of Rwandans and the barriers have been destroyed. </div><div>God has restored this country in Love and forgiveness. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmfQY8_jK8B-xMm-r5x0KtUYQmCqCklkSKjcsyk8W6qK9XCKHrqhtmLvZEf2zvuh3vOnUpWp6_ak_46r9m_HXHj3smp6zz1beYcztrEZHtyFE9kEb7LQN-yHbHSOwArS-NPI8yBT91Xs/s640/blogger-image--2120663107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmfQY8_jK8B-xMm-r5x0KtUYQmCqCklkSKjcsyk8W6qK9XCKHrqhtmLvZEf2zvuh3vOnUpWp6_ak_46r9m_HXHj3smp6zz1beYcztrEZHtyFE9kEb7LQN-yHbHSOwArS-NPI8yBT91Xs/s640/blogger-image--2120663107.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>March Prayer Challenge</div><div>Since coming in Rwanda I have seen God answer my prayers as well as the prayers of friends over and over again, little and big. After a friend and I chatted about it, we thought it would be a great idea to keep track of these answers prayers and share them with friends and family. We would love for you to join us and here is how:</div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1. Write.<br>For the entire month of March write down your prayers in whatever fashion fits you best.<br><br>2. Record.<br>Every time you have a prayer that is answered record how and when it was answered. Even after March continue recording how He answered your prayers that you have written down.<br><br>3. Share.<br>Share, share, share! We want to encourage others and For every answered prayer share on social media whether it be Facebook, instagram, pinterest or whatever. Please hashtag #MarchPrayerChallenge<br><br>4. Thank.<br>Don't forget to say thank you the One who answered your prayer.<br><br>Somethings the Word says about prayer:<br>He hears you! - Psalm 66:20, 1 Peter 5:7<br><br><br></span></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-4161015561806902482014-02-15T01:37:00.001-08:002014-02-25T07:43:24.436-08:00This is my place<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div> I absolutely fell In Love with this place on Wednesday of last week. I can't pin point exactly what finally clicked and I can't say that it was a specific moment, but I do know that every day since then I have been falling more and more in love with the place! The people are beautiful and the scenery is something else. This week we've left Kigali and have been traveling around Rwanda. Driving around this country the last few days has really tugged at my heart a bit. One mud house after another and Jerry can after Jerry can, it was a much different site then what I've been used to seeing in Kigali. But this country is so full of beauty, and it's everywhere. They say America is Gods country but I'm not so sure how completely true that is anymore.</div><div><br></div><div>I love you, I love you, I love you, if I could just say that to every little munchkin I've driven passed in the last few days. We've been driving around Rwanda for probably a total of 6 hours in the last 2 days, passings hundreds, probably thousands of little nuggets playing, men pushing bikes decorated with Jerry cans, and women carrying some much too heavy object on their heads. There have been far too many instances where everything in me had to stop myself from yelling "stop the car" to the driver. I wanted to talk with these strangers that we were passing, logically not all of them, but these people have stories that deserve to be told and man did I want to listen, and if not I wanted to love them or maybe hug them and at the very least I just wanted to meet them. As much as I wanted to, I knew we couldn't stop; we had places to be and a strict schedule to follow.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfti1OWH4r4bfOQFTEB9v2ADLzWGV_3ykjt7Xywp_t9cZc_OPX3k7jBfm3RHaQ8fZYnxBfwgcSLA9j-xlVeHVYsp5oaUdcYx4hFgF0PZ1iN-slHExMKxYnPJeVzwQAB-_eiAt937zX-k/s640/blogger-image-1103310126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfti1OWH4r4bfOQFTEB9v2ADLzWGV_3ykjt7Xywp_t9cZc_OPX3k7jBfm3RHaQ8fZYnxBfwgcSLA9j-xlVeHVYsp5oaUdcYx4hFgF0PZ1iN-slHExMKxYnPJeVzwQAB-_eiAt937zX-k/s640/blogger-image-1103310126.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwd9gmWgesbm02ePOFCCicq9GnXC_VvMPrb9zGbwsrrbLuaVFfrS_SSI7Z4SmriWoBB7YmY1qJHwBqrWYoFqC6ZTzul_o_S7oUXGngkYCED8z4M-yZCtiWtQL6L2TOMMLBDgxdclq6cgY/s640/blogger-image--1735987731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwd9gmWgesbm02ePOFCCicq9GnXC_VvMPrb9zGbwsrrbLuaVFfrS_SSI7Z4SmriWoBB7YmY1qJHwBqrWYoFqC6ZTzul_o_S7oUXGngkYCED8z4M-yZCtiWtQL6L2TOMMLBDgxdclq6cgY/s640/blogger-image--1735987731.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAcItMLo9Myzs0eyiRzDjoOVUfDlOmzKeQp5SdP5UIxdFUB9IaIgrF3q5bajgQdhhgD7XM2y6EplINDwmLJPkrACTMpNhsghs8cgivMSA4zwdlOULUJOm21-tNNsyZeC4p3WAUuv-pso/s640/blogger-image--1177672076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAcItMLo9Myzs0eyiRzDjoOVUfDlOmzKeQp5SdP5UIxdFUB9IaIgrF3q5bajgQdhhgD7XM2y6EplINDwmLJPkrACTMpNhsghs8cgivMSA4zwdlOULUJOm21-tNNsyZeC4p3WAUuv-pso/s640/blogger-image--1177672076.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIQNcWMxKDZ2lQ4N1TP830NLBn83Nyenah8GkIjERJMf64Ps-OcQIirahODS6nOnBrMiM0L1YalKrAeO3UwR7_i3Oklab1Lmng9P7A3rbXBO6s6ZLHh3644kGHUn5dEqifx4CK5ilKiw/s640/blogger-image-936991439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIQNcWMxKDZ2lQ4N1TP830NLBn83Nyenah8GkIjERJMf64Ps-OcQIirahODS6nOnBrMiM0L1YalKrAeO3UwR7_i3Oklab1Lmng9P7A3rbXBO6s6ZLHh3644kGHUn5dEqifx4CK5ilKiw/s640/blogger-image-936991439.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEM4aicWQgg47yOPieh8Kb0RN-75S27JdD6KSs55UV21QObao9v5MEb525HRSZJoxi1fWdleKodcMiIdc0PWE1hShI5tTy_gtoz9v9R8s-IWXXUN7EkpSaPeeia9br92eY7bnx2O14i5A/s640/blogger-image-509216228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEM4aicWQgg47yOPieh8Kb0RN-75S27JdD6KSs55UV21QObao9v5MEb525HRSZJoxi1fWdleKodcMiIdc0PWE1hShI5tTy_gtoz9v9R8s-IWXXUN7EkpSaPeeia9br92eY7bnx2O14i5A/s640/blogger-image-509216228.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Having a drum lesson</div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfrTFcSLFC6Jz5sx8BXWL-EGGMxORkwvyXPvk3TVgIQar-BBzs54Lp5GJAFITrqlM_ULou2t76PnInqxHrMuJcx4odDjinzlUtViCMU-Z5bRx_LNwihcsPxWB3DNqdsVBAgDO8F5TvYg/s640/blogger-image--1369557101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfrTFcSLFC6Jz5sx8BXWL-EGGMxORkwvyXPvk3TVgIQar-BBzs54Lp5GJAFITrqlM_ULou2t76PnInqxHrMuJcx4odDjinzlUtViCMU-Z5bRx_LNwihcsPxWB3DNqdsVBAgDO8F5TvYg/s640/blogger-image--1369557101.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Meet Halley, she rocks at being a person! </div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><div><br></div>Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-74622930013376159812014-02-04T07:39:00.001-08:002014-02-04T12:42:55.370-08:00Moving On In<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Muraho (hello)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been here a whole week and boy is there culture shock! After orientation finished up on Friday we all got to meet and move in with our host families! I'd be lying if I told you that the whole transition went smoothly. With most things being very new, It will take me a few days to adjust and adapt. However, I am extremely fortunate to be with my host family and man am I thankful for them! Both the mother and father do not speak English but I am so impressed by their ability to try! There are 7 children in the family, 5 girls and 2 boys and I kid you not one of the boys is named Bill Gates, not Bill, but the full Bill Gates; he is a total sweet heart. And then there is sweet Leslie, although she doesn't speak English, her smile is enough to brighten my entire day. From the moment I arrived they have welcomed me with open arms. Once at my new home they showed me to my room and gave me a quick tour of the 4 bedroom house. I hung outside with them while they prepared dinner in the outside kitchen and waited for the older kids to get home from school. Then of course came the question of the century, "what do you like to eat?" This question easily catches me off guard because the food here is very very different from the food in America, and if you know me you know I mostly like figure foods, like pizza. (man do I miss pizza) anyways I started to list some of the foods I could think of. Among my list I mention corn on the cob and the next thing I knew I was handed a plate with an uncooked corn stalk on it. I was very thankful and took the plate. I wasn't sure what to do with it so I just held it and continued to talk. I was then told to eat it and I tried to ask if we need to cook it but was unable to communicate it so I ate it or tried too. I've had many many strange and funny things happen since arriving. The lifestyle differences makes everyday task a bit more challenging at first yet it is doable. There is no running water inside of the house, not even a sink nor is there a fridge and still they have survived their entire life without these things. From their perspective I come from a world of "machines" and I now wouldn't disagree.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Being fearful of bugs isn't really a thing here... There had been a massive and dangerous looking spider hanging from the celling for the last two days and when I pointed to it one of the cousins literally picked it up by its legs, held it in between her fingers for a couple of seconds to show me and then tossed it out the window, never killing it. Fear is obviously not a factor for her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Walking anywhere around kigali is always an adventure. It is most certainly gaurenteed that everyone will either stare, shout or sometimes even reach to touch us as we walk by due to the fact that we stick out like a sore thumb.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even with the newness of the culture I really do love it here! Although, I don't know if I can ever get used to the starring!</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Meet sweet Leslie</span></div>
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Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0Simba Boulevard de la Palx, Kigali-1.945654 30.060009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-11641907434772427232014-01-30T02:11:00.001-08:002014-01-30T02:11:38.170-08:00The first days<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>1/27/14</div><div>I'm currently sitting in the Kenya airport waiting to board my final flight of this lengthy trip. I've been traveling well over 24 hours now and I honestly cannot wait to get to kigali! I haven't even reached my final destination and I can already say that I've learned two very important lessons. 1. Paris should not be visited alone. 2. My character sinks when I'm in highly stressful foreign situations... I'm working on it. This was my first time over seas and I was traveling alone with no cell phone and a 15 minute time limit of free wifi which was the only way to contact anyone. I desperately needed to contact a few people once arriving in Paris to let them know that I had missed my flight to Amsterdam due to my previous flight being delayed. This issue had now changed the whole course of my trip including the airline, the connection country, and my final arrival time. So maybe it was all of that which lead to my minor breakdown or maybe it was the 2 hours of sleep I had gotten in the last 24 hours. Which ever it was I decided to gather my self just enough to make the 1.5 mile long trek to my new gate. I was beyond lost on how to get all of my new flight information to the right people and pretty nervous that I wouldn't be picked up at the airport once arriving to Rwanda As a sat on a bench in the Paris airport very much alone and waiting for my new flight I had a moment to remembered that we have choices in this life, and that choices are important. I can choose to be upset at my situation, scared and angered at the fact that this wasn't the plan or I can choose to quit crying, realize it is what it is and look at it as a new adventure. So of course I took the latter. And so here was another reminder that Gods plan is better, and he sometimes has a funny way of doing things. Sometimes we make plans to do things, good plans too. And yet when they don't work out as planned we can choose to get worked up and even scared or we can choose to look at it as a new adventure. God says trust me I've got you. He wants us to enjoy the journey along the way.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RJ7MSSF4kt8uc042wm7AkFCo2yHtJsXjQ21iaL_KYTjBFwT5B4pVThTpkc2lOcPG6COB_g7We9oPEY9WBUlJYUeRbNajE7XbqEyvSSPxH49FfyewrTYcY3sKY0F1y1ZhUKa37FeNo7c/s640/blogger-image-837379282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RJ7MSSF4kt8uc042wm7AkFCo2yHtJsXjQ21iaL_KYTjBFwT5B4pVThTpkc2lOcPG6COB_g7We9oPEY9WBUlJYUeRbNajE7XbqEyvSSPxH49FfyewrTYcY3sKY0F1y1ZhUKa37FeNo7c/s640/blogger-image-837379282.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>1/29/14</div><div>The day started with orientation and eventually we all went into town to buys cell phones and a sketchy Internet USB. Currently we are all staying in a big guest house that almost resembles the dorm/ motel feel but we will be moving in with our host families on Friday. I am still getting use to this place and trying to take it all in. It's lovely and the weather has been amazing so far. I haven't been anywhere where there is air conditioning but it's really not needed; it can get hot at times but it's actually quite nice! Wifi is hard to come by so contact has been difficult but it will most definitely get better. Haley and I decided to go on a walk before dinner while the remainder of the group hung back to nap and relax. Each house is gated and guarded by at least one guard, so there is a sense of safety. School had just gotten out and there were little munchkins in uniforms playing in the street. Just a few yards down from where we are staying is a huge structure where families collect their water and so of course that is exactly where I ended up. A few little ones where there and ran to us as soon as we waved. We each spoke slow and were impressed by some of their English; though there was a language barrier it didn't matter much. Eventually there was a group of 10 boys and girls around us patting our hair, touching our skin, and holding our hand. These children are so beautiful and their heart are full of so much joy.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFTRf4bQN8zvfPGFOs6vw9QEGr12-Gyu_attI4za1D8afMgQ0MFiSihnHiQiFjQaEQDRBuE3UBqOWpLslV5GE4nSX0jKE3j0frG49Jtp9orpsZ6mxgWTDCA_mUab8TodZDjN7Kegvqc0/s640/blogger-image--585513683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFTRf4bQN8zvfPGFOs6vw9QEGr12-Gyu_attI4za1D8afMgQ0MFiSihnHiQiFjQaEQDRBuE3UBqOWpLslV5GE4nSX0jKE3j0frG49Jtp9orpsZ6mxgWTDCA_mUab8TodZDjN7Kegvqc0/s640/blogger-image--585513683.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-47928102218883671032014-01-08T12:13:00.001-08:002014-01-14T09:52:24.025-08:00Freedom and Faithfulness <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> John 8:36</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God's promises set us free</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've gotten it a handful of times in the past couple of weeks-"Are you nervous about leaving?" For a little while there I wasn't too sure about how to answer that question because, well, for most of us there is always a little bit of fear in the unknown. However, I've heard and believe that living life to the fullest means living beyond the fear of the unknown. Lucky for us my man Jesus, the Son of God, does not want us to live a fearful life. Not only does He Love us with out measure but He also chooses us meaning that through Him we no longer have to live in fear and instead can live in freedom. I am sure of this because God has promised it. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Over the past couple of years I've found that God is faithful and He keeps his promises, even on the days when I humanly forget how good He truly is. But just because I forget at times doesn't mean that it isn't there, His goodness is always there. God is faithful because I am reminded that His promises have been kept all through out my life. He continues to leave reminders scattered throughout our daily lives whether it be in nature, music, new opportunities, sweet friendships, or good conversations. He's there we just need to have eyes that will see. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Joshua 23 paints an excellent picture of God and his faithfulness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"...You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed." Joshua 23:14</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Man, what truth; what a promise! One that I continue see over and over again through out my life and the lives around me. How many times can I look back in my life and point back to Gods faithfulness then, and then, and then. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Choices</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I must admit when I found out that I was going to africa I was overcome with an eye-opening realization. It's not a feeling that can easily be put into words but It was as though everything that I had ever gone through in life, any crappy situation or obstacles that I had to overcome was preparing me and ultimately leading me to this moment, the step of faith of moving to Africa for four almost 5 months. As if I was born for such a time as this, God has trusted and chosen me to be right here in this moment; and I can guess many other future God glorifying moments. We have choices in this life and we can choose to be apart of what God is doing in and through us even if it doesn't make sense right now. We have been set free, indeed, and can trust that his plan for us will one day be made evident because He is faithful.</span><br />
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<br />Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-72366403050187441352013-12-21T19:46:00.002-08:002014-01-13T09:30:28.120-08:00No sweat.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Life seems to get a bit tense around the holiday season. I believe that with all of the holiday haste and the briskness of life it is so incredibly easy to get caught up in life's trivial moments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So here is a small bit of food for thought...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is nothing more scares or profound than this very day! None of us are guaranteed one more day on earth and this truth emphasizes how immensely important it is to fill this moment, and every moment, with things that matter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Life is happening right now and it needs to be celebrated continuously.</span><br />
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Please and always take a step back from the small frustrations found through-out our weekly routines, and see that you are surrounded by opportunities which highlight just how precious, marvelous, lovely, wondrous, and magnificent life is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When you notices all of life's sweetness it becomes evident what a tremendous waste of time it is to sweat the petty stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Now go read a good book or something like that.</span><br />
<br />Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-39959808842743560122013-12-07T17:22:00.001-08:002014-01-11T15:29:57.623-08:00I Love You When You're Singing that Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you like it, talk about it: Music.</span></b></div>
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There are few things better than really good music. I'm a lover of good music and a strong believer that it is a magnificent gift from God which I continuously thank Him for. There's a certain joy that good music uproots from the soul and brings spectacular light to life's seemly mundane moments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've found that music can give us the ability to discover things about our selves tucked away in the simplicity of a single verse of a song.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although I try not to be partial, I love international bands like Frightened Rabbit, Vance Joy, of Monsters and Men, Kodaline and The Kooks, which is where 'Junk of The Heart' came from. and then there are extremely talented american bands like Vampire Weekend, Gospel Whiskey Runners, and The Oh Hellos, and much more. If you haven't heard any of these talented people's music, you should. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I find it so lovely when I get the unexpected opportunity to talk about music with new friends who have a similar taste in music, there are few things better than having a good conversation over the things that you Love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I may be a little strange about music but non the less unbothered by that fact. I think its </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">cool, the power that music has on the mind. There are songs that remind me of close friends and songs that remind me of strangers. There are songs that remind me of winter and those of summer. Song that remind me of my purpose and song that remind me to slow down, songs for dancing and songs for the gym. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> Everything about this video is good</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The second reason as to why I love music is for the dancing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Rhythm, It gets into my bones and I Love to dance, there is something so freeing about dancing and not being bothered about those who are watching. Mostly I just want to dance, and I'll take the opportunity when ever its presented to me. What a glorious way to celebrate life! Do your thing and leave it on the dance floor if you must because we are fools whether we dance or not, so we might at well dance.</span><br />
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<br />Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-75001632312951975692013-12-02T22:59:00.000-08:002013-12-18T17:31:01.469-08:00Like it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I have the handwriting of a third grade school boy but I got over that a few years back. Lately I've been thinking about people and their opinions and feelings towards just about anything. <span style="line-height: 115%;">I personally believe that the most
important thing that a person can do is to stay true to them self. If you like
something, </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>like it and make it known!</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> I've found that w</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">hen I can honestly </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">separate</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"> what I like and what I think that I like (due to what others have </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 19px;">imposed, or even just our culture</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">) I've found that there is real freedom in that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It's quite possible a lot of this thinking started with my silly little hat collect. One day during the summer I came across a 5 panel hat that looked fun. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> I liked it so I bought it. I didn't ask myself (or anyone for that matter) if I could pull it off or even if it was socially acceptable, I just knew that I liked it and so I went for it; and six months down the road I somehow ended up with 5. Trust your gut and the need to rely on the opinions of others </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">diminishes.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> We should treat a lot of life like this; if you like it, rock it, eat it, buy it, or talk about it! We do not have time to let the things that matter to us become </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">of only moderate quality.</span></span><br />
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Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1214137051227202579.post-45920156119547820562013-11-25T20:48:00.001-08:002013-12-07T17:39:50.680-08:00The Beginning <span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi there, My name is Alexia and I'm moving to Rwanda for a very short time, and so I have decided to start a blog to share some of my life. But before you decide to read on I must warn you of a few things. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Firstly, I have to inform you that I have no special nor poetical way with words; however, I have decided to take the great venture of putting my thoughts into words. Second, I'll have to sadly admit that I have no special nor professional way with photography. As much as I would love to promise mind blowing and breath taking pictures during my time abroad I am not in the business of making promises which I can not keep; but thats not to say that I wont try my very best! And lastly, although God has blessed me with many many things [and boy am I thankful] good, even legible handwriting was not one of them. And what does my pitiful hand writing have to do with this blog? I doodle. Mostly words. I have a small unlined notebook which I enjoy jotting down random thoughts, opinions, or whatever my wild mind comes up with. Like an offline, 1 viewer, 5 worded blog. Each doodle has a revelatory and mostly significant story behind it and I feel like sharing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Rwanda</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Its been a dream of mine for some time now to travel to Africa and with a lot of prayer and much effort God has opened that door for me. I've been terribly moved by the world water crisis and I have a need to do something about it during my lifetime. One in 7 people do not have access to clean water; for some people their days consist of walking 12 miles for 4 buckets of clean water. these facts stick with me. This January I'm getting the opportunity to study sustainable development during the spring semester with SIT World Learning in Kigali, Rwanda. 30% of Rwanda's population does not have access to clean and safe drinking water and I strongly believe that that number can be greatly reduced in a matter of years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Alexia Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231671408420651390noreply@blogger.com0