My bestest friend forever and ever, miss ellie mestas, left yesterday morning for a two-week missions trip to Uganda! She has such an amazing heart for orphans and missions, and has started a ministry called Etaala International She has put together a whole team of people to go on this trip. And I know God is going to do amazing things through them these next few weeks!
Please pray for safe travel (They should be somewhere in London by now?), the airlines will be able to get all their luggage to where it needs to go, for good health and energy, and that people will be able to see God's light shining through them in all that they do and say. They are going through an organization called Safewater Nexus, an awesome ministry whose goal is to provide clean drinking water, hygiene training, better medical access and safe environments for orphans and other vulnerable groups, mainly in Uganda and Haiti.
They will be giving out much needed mosquito nets, holding hygiene clinics to train people how to clean their water jugs and prepare them for NEW CLEAN WATER!
On this particular trip, they will be dedicating a new well that will be providing clean water for hundreds of people, holding fun filled game days in orphanages, volunteering in a baby orphanage, building a structure for the local Church to meet in, and so much more.
I am so excited for everyone on this trip, and can't wait to hear all their stories when they get back. And oh LORD WILLING I will be able to join them on the next trip.
http://etaala.org/blog/ and http://howwillyouchange.com/ are both blogs they will hopefully be able to log in to about their days while there.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
A Perfect Prom :)
Prom, prom, prom, prom..man I can't get enough of that word. haha. I havn't written a lot about it, and some of you already know. But I will start at the beginning.
About a year ago, mom and I came up with the idea of planning a homeschool Prom. We'd heard about other people planning homeschool proms, "banquets", and theater nights. So we thought, hey why not plan one of our own. So we talked to some of our friends and came up with the the "Prom committee".
We've then spent this past year planning, tasting, viewing, arguing, meeting, and selecting to come up with the 1st annual Carolina Capital Homeschool Prom "A Starry Night"..catchy huh? ;)
We had to start from complete scratch.
We've then spent this past year planning, tasting, viewing, arguing, meeting, and selecting to come up with the 1st annual Carolina Capital Homeschool Prom "A Starry Night"..catchy huh? ;)
We had to start from complete scratch.
First on the agenda was where in the world we were going to do it? so we started looking. we looked at a couple different venues in the area..some indoor places..some out door..some big..some small...but as soon as we saw our venue, we all were hooked line and sinker, and we all knew we were having prom there. The Sutherlan Estate is a GORGEOUS old 18th century estate. You really have to click on the link and see it for your self. It was absolutly breath taking, and one of my FAVORITE things about our prom. And I basically I want to get married there. :)
Next it was on to the Caterer and DJ. Mmm..the caterer.. this was one of my favorite parts of the planning process. Caterers mean food...and food means tastings...and tastings mean yumminess in my tumminess. :) We got to go to a lot of different resturants and caterers to taste their food while they try to convince us why their the best and why we should hire them for prom. After all the tastings, again there really wasn't any question about it. Rocky Top/1705 Prime was going to be our caterer. As for the DJ, we got acouple recomondations from different people and the sutherland, and am prettttyyy sure we ended up with the best DJ around. Brian Pate Entertainment. He apperently also does a lot of events in the area, including some of the public and private schools proms. But he was VERY good. Really good music, "lights and lazors" and smoke machiens on the dance floor, and was great at interacting with everyone and getting them to dance.
Vincent van Goghs painting "A Starry Night" was our inspiration for a theme. We had dark blue iradesent table clothes, all different shaped vases full of water with yellow tinsel/easter grass like stuff in them and water proof lights imerged in the solution. All placed on mirrors for the center piece. It looked like a sparklng stars in the middle of the table! We had TONS of star punched iluminaries. A TON. lining the walk ways and walls. The real blessing in all the decorations was the tent. We had booked a tent with the rental company when we started planning months ago. But they contacted us a week or two before the prom, to say apperently there was a wedding the next day at the sutherland, and wanted to know if we could just use the tent the wedding was using instead of having to put ours up and then break it down to put up the wedding tent all with in 24 hours. The tent the wedding was using was a BIG upgrade from our original tent, so right on that! :) The tent superly duperly helped wrap the whole vission of a starry night together perfectly!
One of the best things out of all the things that made our prom absolutly amazing and truly the best... was the benefit. Yes, benefit. We decided early that we didn't want this to be your ordinary typical prom. Why not bless someone else in the process? So as a part of the carolina capital homeschool prom 2010, we held a benefit for the Kolfe boys orphange in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia. An orphange very dear and close to the hearts of many people involved with prom. Half way through the night, Ellie got the chance to get up and talk for a couple minutes about Kolfe (which her and her parents visted for the first time when they went to Ethiopia to pick her three youngest sibilings) and have everyone watch a few minute slideshow. But the high light of the "presentation" was that were able to connect to one of the boys there, Solomon, via Skype. ( The Mestases met Solomon when they went to the orphange for the first time. Since then he has created such an amazing relationship with Mrs. Eileen and the Mestas Family through emails and skype. Mrs. Eileen was able to go to Ethiopia again last year to visit him and attend his graduation where we graduated Valedictorian of his class! He now is waiting for the last step in his process of being able to come here on a full scholarship to the College here at Southeastern Seminary. Join us all in prayer as we wait for his Visa to be excepted at the Embasssy there. As soon as it passes we will be on his way to America! You can read more about his amazing story at Mrs. Eileens blog ) Prom night most conveniently fell on Solomons 19th birthday, so via skype we 120 american teens got to sing him happy birthday and to let him know there are people out there that care and love them!. It was AWESOME. We were also able to raise $200 dollars from our collection box for the boys scholarship fund to help them go to school. We can't wait to see what we can do next year!
There were so many little things that are involved in planning an event like this, that we people don't even think of. A choice had to be made on everythinggg...like even napkins. NAPKINS! yes we thought of courses we'll have napkins..but cloth or paper? square or rectangle? what color? iy ya yi! haha choices everywhere we looked!and were all ready to jump right in, under one condition. What ever we planned had to be spectacular and like nothing anyone around here has been to or seen. ... well my friends.....MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. 
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Washington DC!
Oh my goodness! so many things have happened since the last time I wrote. I'll start with the acouple weeks ago, and make my way up to present day :)
I was surprised with a phone call three weekends ago. A phone call at 10pm on a Saturday night to be exact. It was one of my bestest friends, a miss emily, calling inviting me to go to Washington D.C. with her family for the week! They were leaving Sunday morning. Yes, as in 11 hours from the time she called. Those of you who know me, know that I do NOT like surprises, and spontanious things are fun, as long as I'm apart of the planning of the spontaniousness. haha So after I got past the freaking out, that I only had 11 hours to pack, AND get a goods night sleep, and I hadn't even made a to-do/packnig list yet! (I love lists. other wise I would get nothing done) I was able to focus a little more ;) I was all packed with in 3 hours, got 6 hours of sleep, and was at their house 9am the next morning all ready to head out...Yes, people. I think this is a new record. It took me at least 2 days to pack for boone, and that was planned, and only for a weekend!
Anywho. So we set off for Washington D.C! I loveee DC. It's my favorite city in the US, which made me even more happy about the trip :) We stayed with the Nemitz's great aunt, which was nice to be in a house instead of all of us in a hotel.
Oh the week was so much fun! My feet were like bloody pulps by the end, but that's the price you got to pay when you go on vacation with Mrs. Eve. haha, but yes, before I go into what we did each day, I want you to know, we walked everywhereee and them some more. the only time we used a car was basically to get to the house from the city and back. ok. Monday we went to the Holocaust Museum, Fords Theater (one of my favorite places we went!), The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (where they make all the paper money. Millions and Millions of dollars were convayerd in front of us..never gonna see that much money at one time again in my lifeee), Vietnam war memorial, Korean war memorial, Lincoln memorial (there were a lot of memorials..), and outside the white house. Monday was a fullll day. after leaving around 9:30am we didn't get home til almost 10pm that night. Tuesday we went to the Smithsonian museum of American History...like the biggest Museum I've ever been to I think...., Missy (emily's great aunt) met us in the park for lunch, and then we all headed over to the National Aquarium for the Parana feeding. 1st - Something with the word "National" in it's title just means it supposed to be Big! and Grand! No. This "National" aquarium was about as big as my house (one story by the way), in the basement of an office building. And the big sign that says "PRANA FEEDING TODAY!" well that's a rip off to. Cuz once you pay $10 to get yourself in, you sit and watch this small tank with about 10 parana's in it. You're sitting there expecting to see this big exciting thing of parana lashing and fighting and biting...but no. Apperently, they feed the parana's every other day to keep them happy and to keep them from turning on each other. So when they through in the tiny little pieces of meet, the fish took turns swimming to the top and sucking it whole. It was about as exciting as watching your cousin Bill feed his Gold Fish. Anywho. After the going to the "National aquarium" we went back to Fords theater to see the house Lincoln died in. Well one thing led to another and Mrs. Eve almost got in a fist fight with the National Park lady guarding the door haha.... 20 minutes later after some huffing and puffing, and pursing of the lips we were finally aloud into the house. haha. Last on the list for the day, we went to the Old Post office. This place was pretty cool too. We got to go up to the old bell tour, which is like 397542 stories high, wich took some flights of stairs and two different elevatores to get up to.
Wednesday. RAIN. Now you might think that due to the rain we might alter our plans a little. But oh no. Not with Mrs. Eve leading the pack. So we ventured off to Mt. Vernon (George Washingtons house) and then to Arlington Cemitary to watch the changing of the guards. ALL in the pouring rain. We were lucky enough to have these super cool ponchos to stay dry, and the dye in my bag ellie gave me from guatamala was lucking enough to bleed all over my pants. Hot pink dye by the way. No, but with all the rain, "super cool ponchos" and dye, it was still a blast, and gave some super funny stories to tell people. Thursday we spent the day at the National Zoo. Ok this "National" place was a little better. AND they had Pandas! I love Pandas! Then Friday evening we headed back home. The whole week was just such a blast. I had such a good time hangin out with Emily and her Family. The trip was JUST what I needed.
I was surprised with a phone call three weekends ago. A phone call at 10pm on a Saturday night to be exact. It was one of my bestest friends, a miss emily, calling inviting me to go to Washington D.C. with her family for the week! They were leaving Sunday morning. Yes, as in 11 hours from the time she called. Those of you who know me, know that I do NOT like surprises, and spontanious things are fun, as long as I'm apart of the planning of the spontaniousness. haha So after I got past the freaking out, that I only had 11 hours to pack, AND get a goods night sleep, and I hadn't even made a to-do/packnig list yet! (I love lists. other wise I would get nothing done) I was able to focus a little more ;) I was all packed with in 3 hours, got 6 hours of sleep, and was at their house 9am the next morning all ready to head out...Yes, people. I think this is a new record. It took me at least 2 days to pack for boone, and that was planned, and only for a weekend!
Anywho. So we set off for Washington D.C! I loveee DC. It's my favorite city in the US, which made me even more happy about the trip :) We stayed with the Nemitz's great aunt, which was nice to be in a house instead of all of us in a hotel.
Oh the week was so much fun! My feet were like bloody pulps by the end, but that's the price you got to pay when you go on vacation with Mrs. Eve. haha, but yes, before I go into what we did each day, I want you to know, we walked everywhereee and them some more. the only time we used a car was basically to get to the house from the city and back. ok. Monday we went to the Holocaust Museum, Fords Theater (one of my favorite places we went!), The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (where they make all the paper money. Millions and Millions of dollars were convayerd in front of us..never gonna see that much money at one time again in my lifeee), Vietnam war memorial, Korean war memorial, Lincoln memorial (there were a lot of memorials..), and outside the white house. Monday was a fullll day. after leaving around 9:30am we didn't get home til almost 10pm that night. Tuesday we went to the Smithsonian museum of American History...like the biggest Museum I've ever been to I think...., Missy (emily's great aunt) met us in the park for lunch, and then we all headed over to the National Aquarium for the Parana feeding. 1st - Something with the word "National" in it's title just means it supposed to be Big! and Grand! No. This "National" aquarium was about as big as my house (one story by the way), in the basement of an office building. And the big sign that says "PRANA FEEDING TODAY!" well that's a rip off to. Cuz once you pay $10 to get yourself in, you sit and watch this small tank with about 10 parana's in it. You're sitting there expecting to see this big exciting thing of parana lashing and fighting and biting...but no. Apperently, they feed the parana's every other day to keep them happy and to keep them from turning on each other. So when they through in the tiny little pieces of meet, the fish took turns swimming to the top and sucking it whole. It was about as exciting as watching your cousin Bill feed his Gold Fish. Anywho. After the going to the "National aquarium" we went back to Fords theater to see the house Lincoln died in. Well one thing led to another and Mrs. Eve almost got in a fist fight with the National Park lady guarding the door haha.... 20 minutes later after some huffing and puffing, and pursing of the lips we were finally aloud into the house. haha. Last on the list for the day, we went to the Old Post office. This place was pretty cool too. We got to go up to the old bell tour, which is like 397542 stories high, wich took some flights of stairs and two different elevatores to get up to.
Wednesday. RAIN. Now you might think that due to the rain we might alter our plans a little. But oh no. Not with Mrs. Eve leading the pack. So we ventured off to Mt. Vernon (George Washingtons house) and then to Arlington Cemitary to watch the changing of the guards. ALL in the pouring rain. We were lucky enough to have these super cool ponchos to stay dry, and the dye in my bag ellie gave me from guatamala was lucking enough to bleed all over my pants. Hot pink dye by the way. No, but with all the rain, "super cool ponchos" and dye, it was still a blast, and gave some super funny stories to tell people. Thursday we spent the day at the National Zoo. Ok this "National" place was a little better. AND they had Pandas! I love Pandas! Then Friday evening we headed back home. The whole week was just such a blast. I had such a good time hangin out with Emily and her Family. The trip was JUST what I needed.
Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com
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