A Few Fun Things

          There is sunshine. There is a lot of sunshine. Earlier this week you could see it on my face (because I was a tad pink)! The warmth and blue skies were things this Oregonian had nearly forgotten about.

On the first night a “herd” of us played silent Uno (because it was during the quiet hours). It added a whole new aspect to the game (and also a variety of stifled giggles).

(A “herd” refers to nine or more students of mixed gender spending time together. Ask me about “Odds-and-Evens”.)

                  My roomie and I are completely unpacked. That was a relief. It took a few extra days, but now our stuff has its places. It definitely helped with the “settling in”. We also spent some time decorating! And we got 100% on our first room check! We keep it clean! (Or rather, we clean it up well.)

                  There are three other girls who eat the same as me. (And Kelsey the Chef has made sure we have options at meals. That is a big blessing.)

                  The Joshua students are learning Hebrew! In class we are picking up some vocabulary words, and we are also memorizing a traditional prayer called “The Sh’ma”. (It’s from Deuteronomy 6). This is one of my favorite parts thus far. (By the time I return I will be able to express the passage in both Hebrew and English!!)

                  Myself, my roommate, and two boys were selected to write the first post for the Joshua Wilderness Blog! Read it here: http://joshuawilderness.org/2012/09/our-first-weekend-as-a-class/. Feel free to follow this blog, too!

                  We had “Etiquette Night”! It was an opportunity to learn how to act like gentlemen and ladies at a formal event. We were assigned to “dates” and taught the proper manners of dining. (We learned that manners are to show you value and respect the people with you. All the “rules” came back to that point.) We learned variety of ballroom dances, as well. (Our instructors were especially knowledgeable. Also, she was a Disney Princess!) Check out the photos on the Joshua website (http://gallery.joshuawilderness.org/2012-2013).

This weekend was the beginning of my work-study. I was assigned to “The Pantry” where they deal with all the fruits and vegetables! I was able to apply my skills from working at Spicer Brothers! It was a blessing and a comfortable spot for me.