The Bellybutton of September

Half-way through September already. SOOOO crazy!! I thought it might be a good time to give a practical update on my life here in Illinois.

I'm still living with the same two roommates from last year (Chrissy and Tyler) and I love them SO, so much. We still have tons of fun together, but interestingly enough, spend less time together this year. It seems that we have fallen into our own schedules, our own rhythms and have our own friends so we just move in and around each other more than interacting WITH one another. Its kinda sad. We're still living in the same room. Me, the restless one, who kind of always needs change... here I am... same roommates and same room. Who would have thought :)

I'm taking 17 credits at the moment. My classes are the following:

1. Arabic- I have a new teacher. I believe he's from Morocco because his accent is a lot harder to understand. I still enjoy class, but I miss my dear old teacher, Ola, a lot!
2. Sociocultural Anthropology- A Global Studies requirement, but quite interesting. We have lecture in this big lecture room and the professor isn't the most interesting, but my TA is really fascinating so she redeems the class every Friday. I've enjoyed anthropology tons.
3. The World Food Economy- Here we talk about food and how it fits into the global economy. We talk about food shortages, famines and food supply. I have realized that my high school economics class didn't cover enough material, because I find myself lacking most of the economic terms used in the class... but nonetheless, I enjoy this class a lot.
4. Narco-Narratives and Drug Economies- This literature class is probably my favorite this year. My teacher is married to a Colombian and enjoys comparing different works of literature. We have been looking at books written by people heavily involved in the drug trade (cocaine, mostly) and then will move on to look at stuff written by consumers and other people involved. I really enjoy our discussions.
5. Latin America to Independence- This gen ed reminds me why I hate gen eds. Our professor is not very interesting. The text book is not very interesting, and because it is 100 level class, no one cares. I was excited about the class, but day 1 changed that for me.
6. Modern Dance- Yes, I'm taking a dance class again. I love it this semester. Our teacher is fabulous. I really enjoy it a lot :) Its so much fun and its really relaxing!! I love spending this time with Chrissy twice a week as well.

I'm leading an InterVarsity small group here in Busey-Evans. We've had between 5 and 10 girls each time and have had really great discussions. I really enjoy this inductive Bible study method. Please pray for this ministry in specific.

I currently have two jobs. I still tutor at an elementary school in Champaign. I get to work with kids in smaller settings and help them catch up on things they didn't understand in class. I have been working with first graders most, and I LOVE THEM. They're so cute. I also read library books with the kids. I love this job.

My second job is really interesting and really different. I work for Mark Frobose Enterprises. Its a company similar to Rosetta Stone, but much smaller. Basically, we sit and record Spanish lessons for those interested in speaking Spanish. Its a lot of fun and a different experience. Soooo... if you wanna learn some Spanish, be sure to get a copy of Mark Frobose's Spanish lessons and you'll here me on one of the CDs :)

In addition to this I'm working with the junior high girls at Twin City Bible Church (TCBC). I'm still not sure if I'll be helping out in Sunday School or Bible Study, but I definitely hope to be involved with them.

Thanks for your prayers and support!!

Also... I've been craving some handwritten letters recently, so if you're that letter kind of person, I would LOVE hearing from you =) And I promise I'll write back! Let me know if you need my address =)