T-Shirt Poll

Ok, friends, I am buying T-shirts (1 or 2 of the following), and I need your opinion on which two are the best. Please vote for your favorite two in the poll on the side.






All fromSnorg Tees

Church and Drugs

I'm reading Philip Yancey's book Reaching for the Invisible God on the train these days. I picked up the book at Goodwill last summer on a particularly successful shopping trip in Beaverton, where Raph and I got a dress shirt and britches for him, a good pair of shoes, several books, cds, and this shirt with big red dots that I like so much:

And that's me and Barbara at a potluck two Sundays ago. The photo was taken by my good Ghanaian friend Stephen (below) who calls me "Name" since we have the same name. He just finished his studies at the Swiss Tropical Institute and heads home to Ghana and his wife this week. And that's Diana he's with, but you know her from previous pictures.

Anyway, Yancey. He shares this in his book:

I have often recalled the story of a man who came up to me after a speaking engagement and said, rather blusteringly, 'You wrote a book titled Where Is God When it Hurts, didn't you?" When I nodded yes, he continued, "Well, I don't have time to read your book. Can you tell me what it says in just a sentence or two?" (A writer loves requests like that, after spending many months on a book.) I gave it some thought and replied, "Well, I suppose I'd have to answer with another question, 'Where is the church when it hurts?'" You see, I explained, the church is God's presence on earth, and his Body. And if the church does its job--if the church shows up at the scene of disasters, visits the sick, staffs the AIDS clinics, counsels the rape victims, feeds the hungry, houses the homeless--I don't think the world will ask that question with the same urgency. They will know where God is when it hurts: in the bodies of his people, ministering to a fallen world. Indeed, our consciousness of God's presence often comes as a byproduct of other people's presence.

That's your thought of the day.

Also, for those of you I haven't told yet and who may be wondering, "gee, what does she think she's going to do with an MA in African Studies?" (and I know you all have wondered that at some point!), lately I have been learning more about issues relating to access to medicines for African countries, and finding it very interesting. I am looking for ways to build skills and knowledge that could be applied to a job in that area. I have an acquaintance who works on developing access to drugs and health infrastructure in Tanzania, and he's been sharing some resources with me to get me started. It seems like an area of work that's a good mix of regional expertise, business, and communication/liaison skills, and I think I'd like it. Plus, it's highly relevant, especially as countries and organizations continue to pursue the Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods. Access to health care is pretty fundamental.

If you're wondering why I'm writing blogs when I should be writing a Thesis, this was my warm-up writing. :)

Wheels

ah, public transportation. It has its joys and trials. I love it when the connections align and I can get where I'm going in minimal time. I love it when I am running late and can do my makeup in the restroom on the train. I think public transportation is GREAT when I'm the only person on the bus and my driver whisks me up the hill to my destination without making 10 stops along the way. I like it when the driver wakes me up just in case I wanted to get off at the station, even though he's pretty sure he knows my usual stop.

I like it a lot less, however, on Sundays after 8 when I have to walk a mile home, or at peak times when there are no seats left and 30 gradeschoolers are pushing each other and me while they throw some poor kid's hat around. Even at busy times, however, there is something nice about riding with my neighbors. This morning there was a bearded older man wearing a gigantic furry hat! And next to him, another guy had his eye glasses comically balanced just above his eyes as he read the morning news. An English lady was explaining to her daughter why perhaps some kids don't wear their coats at recess. And there are two kindergarten boys who love love love a highschool boy named Simon, and they save him a seat (always up front. That is SO elementary school!) and cheer when he gets on. They're so glad to see him that they forget to hold on as the bus pulls away and always just about fall over. Simi tries to head for the back of the bus, but he seems to like their attention too. And the whole bus smiles.

I have heard some promising feedback from IBM, and I have an interview tonight for a haushaltangestellt position doing house work and helping with twin infants. Hans says both my shoulders will stink like spit up, and he should know. How does that make you feel, Dom and Raph, that that's the FIRST thing your dad says about twin babies!?