Life.

LIfe over here in Bangladesh is great right now. The sun has come out and I feel like I can finally smile without thinking. The children here are full of SO much Joy and I am just trying to soak it up as much as possible!

Ruth is a brilliant young girl with a smile that is infections.

Sheba is a silly one with her tongue always showing when she smiles.

Rebecca is sweet and tender, yet full of spunk.

Marjorie is meek and quiet and always clings to my legs.

Hanna is a pill, but always laughs and jokes.

Gabriella has eyes that sparkle.

Amelia is tiny and she always runs to me with her hands stretched up.

Mark is the cutest bundle of JOy.

These kids have changed my life. INspired me to be more. Have touched and changed my heart. THank-You GOd for this amazing experience.

Sabbath in Nepal

Me+My Bible+a Chocolate Croissant+Durbur Suqare, Nepal= a wonderful relaxing sabbath.
Jehanna and I slept in, I took a hot bath, we got ready and went out for some italian food. Then we got out our Bibles ventured to Durbur square where we read our Bibles and sang a few songs. Something that really struck me was the idols. In America some decorate their houses with an Indian feel, with Buddha as a decoration or hindu gods as art, but here these starues and icons are not just decorative startes or home decore they are icons and idols. They are their way of life, to them they are gods. IT is really a shocking experience to see these cultures and how many idols are in this society, what a central role they play in peoples everyday lives. I am SO glad I believe in my GOd. Thank-YOU God for being MY God, for giving so much protection and love and peace.

Jenny Sloop. Come to Nepal.

Temple in Durbur square

OUr pots!

3rd times the charm :)

yeah...he only helped me a little bit :)

Nepal is amazing.

Today Josiah was sick. He has been having stomach problems and has been feeling down for a good few days. SO today we had planned to go to Nagarkot, the view point of Everest, but since Josiah was sick Jehanna and I decided to have an adventure of our own. We went to the city of Bhaktapur. This is a National Heritage site and the handi-works and art central for Nepal. The art and works there are absolutly amazing.

Early this morning jehanna and I went to the bangladesh embassay for the third time, and finally were able to pick up her visa. God worked it all out, so got more then the time she needed and a multiple entry! God is so good. After that we needed to get on a local bus and start our 1 hour journey to Bhaktapur, the local bus is much cheeper, almost 1/10th the price. Going about finding this local bus was going to quite interesting...but luckly God took care of that too! When asking the reception lady at the Bangladesh embassay about finding a bus to Bhaktapur, she immediatly got on the phone, called the guard, and had him find us a bus! It was great. The bus dropped us on the our skirts of Bhaktapur and after about a 35min walk and many directions we made it the Durbur Square. It was amazing. The temples, the statues, the arts. We saw women weaving the pashminas, handmade paper, pottery painting, pottery making. jehanna and I even got to try our hand at clay modling while we made some pottery with the local people! It was So beautiful. Incense wafting throught the air, beautiful handcarved window frames, brick temples, just break taking. We spent around 4 hours just walking around visiting the various temples and sights. Jehanna and I felt very accomplished having traveled there all alone and doing so well! We were just getting ready to leave and we ran into our Christian friend that we had met a few days earlier. He once again helped us find the right bus, find where the busses were and even gave us a short ride on his motorcycle *yes all three of us, down to the bus stop! It was such an amazing day! Once Jehanna and I got back we did some shopping, ate some food, and sipped hot cocoa by an open fire in a quaint little restraunte. It was a great day. I am so thankful that it is sabbath though. I am very tired and did not sleep too well last night cause it was SO loud at our hotel. Tomorrow we are planning to go to Church, it should be another great experience. I am being safe i promise! I am so thankful for such an amazing God who takes care of me! Im praying for all of you and miss you So much. Love you, Elle

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events and memories of 2009

Finished my first year of college
Went to Hawaii with my family
Went to Turkey and Greece for School
walked in the foot steps of Paul
Became a student missionary
Ate amazing tacos at Taco nights!
harvested rice
taught Bengali children English
Went to Spain with my family
visited village schools in bangladesh
visited a lepor museum
watched my cousins grow up
made tie dye shirts in the dorm
Studdied harder than ever before
Aced general Biology
watched the super bowl at Lisas with 3D glasses
had my first year away from home
saw the play wicked with Emily
turned 19
learned how to do all my laundry in a bucket
got stopped by the police while practicing driving stick shift! LOL
Found "Elliot" road in Walla Walla
made christmas cookies for children who had never seen them before
went surfing in Hawaii!
Saw the Toldeo Cathedral
Visited Istanbul
Got re-baptized
visited and laughed with my family till my stomach hurt
Snuck into my house and scared my mom! *mom remember that?!
Over all this has been an amazing year. One of the most trying and filled year of my life. But when I look over this list, I have done some very cool things...but my favorite memories have been not the outstanding trips or adventures, but the times with the people I love. I am learning that all the trips and adventure in the world means nothing, it is the company and the relationships made on those adventures that make all the difference. Thank-you everyone for being amazing and making my life so SO full. I love you so much and cannot wait to see you all again.

2010

Well New Years was Amazing. I spent my New Years in Toledo. We walked up to the main Cathedral square and were met by a big group of people. There was a small band there and a few booths handing out "Celebration Bags." In these bags were party hats, masks, streemer, and grapes. I was so excited to find grapes in the bag. In spain the tradition is to eat one grape each stroke of midnight. This was super fun. Everyone looked as if they were playing chubby bunny: full cheeks, smiles, and laughter. I could not even finish eating all my grapes...so I promptly threw them out and then got my new years kiss :). Spain was amazing we got to see so many beautiful things, laugh so much, and make so many priceless memories. thank-you SO much mom and dad for taking me on that trip and for bringing along my boyfriend.
Now I am back to being alone...but i feel better. I still miss my family and Jon like crazy..but I am on the final count down...not just a count down to christmas..but a count down to being home with my family, friends and boyfriend. Saying bye was so hard...but saying hello is amazing.
Right now I am in Nepal. I arrived back in Bangladesh the 4th of December and was set to leave for Nepal on the 6th of December, but my ticket got changed. I was going to have to leave an hour earlier on the 6th (alone cause Jehanna and Josiah were leaving the 5th) and come back alone and have a 5 hour flight instead of a 1. I was seriously debating going...I am SO tired the thought of traveling alone to another 3rd world country was just not inviting, and I was worn out. My dad convinced me to just look into my options before I cancled...SO I went to the airport with all my luggage, with hopes of getting on the same plane as Jehanna and Josiah...God worked it all out. I am in Nepal right now. Sitting in a nice hotel for just 10.00 a night and enjoying catching up with Jehanna and Josiah. Tomorrow we plan to see some temples in Kathmandu and see about Jehannas visa. Please pray for all our safty and for our last few months here. We are all missing our family, friends and significant others...I would post pictures from Spain..BUT my MAC crashed..so right now I am on a net book from Spain that is ALL in Spainsh LOL Im hoping things work out that I can give it to Jon to sell in Argentina! LOL but that is what is new in my life. I am very excited to see Nepal, I miss my family, friends and Jon, but am very thankful for this oppertunity to be where I am and to see all that I am seeing.

I hope that you all had an amazing New Years, and that 2010 can be an amazing year for all of you. I love you all and miss you SO much. Thanks for all the prayers, love, support and encouragement. That means SO much more then you will ever know. I love you all. Elliot