celeb photo shoot

Foreigners kinda have celebrity status here. Everyone wants to talk and be friends with the bule (boo-lay). An example from last week: I went to the cell phone booth to add minutes to my phone. The way they usually do it is use one of their phones to add the minutes, so it's normal for them to ask for your number. It is not normal - nor okay, in my book - for the person to keep your number and call you repeatedly later, asking, "Can I be your friend?" Not cool, boy. Not cool.

They also love to take photos with the bule. And we're not talking just one photo with one camera. I'm meaning dozens with many different cameras (phones, really). "Just one!" "One more!" "One more, one more!" It's very weird thinking about how many random people have my photo... and about how many of those photos are on Facebook..

It's not uncommon, then, to have a friend want to hang out for the sole purpose of taking pictures together. So when I was asked if I wanted to go to the beach and take photos, I thought nothing of it. Sure, why not? I like the beach. What I didn't realize until we got there is that she had actually asked a professional photographer to come and take our photos.

To ease the awkwardness of having my photo being taken as if I were a model, I whipped out my camera and took some photos of my own. I know you're dying to see how uncomfortable I look with this random guy taking my photo, saying, "So beautiful! Like model!" (it's only because I'm an American), but these will have to do for now:

 

Awkward..

Some days, living here feels like the most natural thing in the world. Other days - okay, most days - I'm nowhere near my comfort zone. But we serve a great and gracious God. He is the one who does the work. We are merely instruments. Our job? Love Him. Die to self. Walk in his ways. Trust.

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone and live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me.

Oh Father, use my ransomed life in any way You choose.

And let my song forever be my only boast is You.

"Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among your peoples." - Ps 77:13-14

one month later

Wow, where did April go? This month has flown by... 

As time passes, life continues to become more normal. Things that once were so different and novel now seem ordinary. There are still aspects of the culture that I'm not used to - such as their very honest comments about how you look - but in general, life has just become... life. I know, so poetic, but it's true. A dear friend is coming in two weeks (!), and it'll be really neat to have fresh eyes come and see the world that's now my life. I imagine there will also be plenty of photos and stories to share as well.

To recap this past month: There's been an earthquake (though we only barely felt it here) and my first tsunami warning (no worries - no tsunami). I was reunited with Morgan and my other dear friends in my old city for too short of a week. I've started teaching a friend photography, which has been so fun. And the hunt for a house is on! Two girls are coming in June for six months, so we're looking for a place for all of us to live. This is proving to be fairly difficult, though, as I still want to be close to this part of town, but since it's near a university, most of the places for rent are one-bedroom kosts... not exactly ideal for three people. So be lifting that up.

Over the month, I've collected an assortment of photos, so here's a random peek into my life.

Walked outside one day and found this. A giant pile of rocks in the yard and some kind of grain drying in the sun.

In the kitchen...

Oh, just some fish, awaiting their fate.

Did I mention my ceiling is lime green?

D had never done a somersault before... ever. So we tried teaching her...

aaand tumble sideways. Every time.

She is quite the tree climber though.

Could she be any cuter?

 

 

 

Sometimes, I feel like I'm back in Kentucky. Sometimes.