Mhmm...

Mhmm...what to write. This will be tough. I didn't really do alot today, but I am doing lots of learning and observing.

A summary of my day: I forced my eyes open @ 7am when my alarm clock went off. However, I was extremely exhausted since trouble sleeping because of the jet lag or something. Who knows. So, in essence, I dragged my lazy bum out of bed around 8am. I got ready, had breakfast with the Kelly's and then did random things until Emma was done with school.

Around 11am (I think), Emma and I went for a swim. After that, we had lunch. After lunch, the whole fam (all five Kelly's) and me headed into town (Lebamba). Amanda helped me pick out some fabric and I got a tour of the local shops where Amanda does her grocery. Food is so ridiculously expensive. Europe does not even compare. $3 for a can of peas. Ridiculous.

So, we came home....The afternoon is a bit a blur. At some point, I painted Emma's toe-nails while talking to Amanda alot. She told me their whole story and how they got involved with STMO in Gabon. I met Dr. Thompson, who I will be working with (ok, following around) at the the hospital this week. Forrest had one of his Gabonese friends over name Japhet (really, I have no idea how to spell this). They played drums (plastic oil cans). Little Luke Thelander, the surgeon's son, came over later. Luke is hysterical. I have never laughed so much in my entire life. Zach presented me with a piece of carved bamboo that says Gabon as a souvenir...very cool!

At some point, we had dinner and then the Kelly's were off to a leadership meeting, so I "watched" the kids which involved nothing more than watchin "Journey to the Center of the Earth" with them.

Something More: What strikes me again and again is that life here is so simple. I love getting back to the basics. I am sure this is difficult for many of you to imagine since I tend to be the OCD, Type A personality. But really, I LOVE it here. I wish I could stay the whole summer. Ok, actually I would just love to trash school and move here. I love that life is simple and that their lives are completely centered around God. Why do we have such trouble finding that happy medium in the U.S.? People in the U.S. (I am guilty of this, too) are so wrapped up in themselves, their busy lives and the drama that surrounds it, that we lose our focus on God or finding God. We make ourselves so busy that we forget about God, or push him to the back burner. That is not right. What is wrong with that picture? Here, people (Americans & Gabonese) have nothing, yet they do not complain and are 100% fixed on God.

In America, we oftern hear people say they have nothing, but here nothing means nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. Children run around in underwear. Food is expensive, and thus little is to be had. Normal average families live in tin shacks that are ovens in the hot weather and leak in the ran....Not exactly the American dream. This isn't some new revelation, in my mind I knew this. But it has penetrated my heart and soul and somehow, it makes me....I don't know. I can't really put my thoughts into words yet, so you will just have to wait for that one.

So, tomorrow, I'm at the hospital. I have not idea for how long, but I have to be there around 7:30am. So Tim is going to walk me down in the AM. I'm thinking I should probably be up at 6am. That gives me exactly 7 hrs. to sleep....

Bonne nuit!

P.S. - Amanda kindly lent me her French notes. What retarded language. Beautiful, but complete nonsense. So, yeah, I'm trying hard to pick up French.