Here I am

August 10 2006

So here I am at work.  Finding myself bored and waiting until 4:30 when I will get to leave to go see Laura and Jeremy Vince, my team leaders from Poland.  We will be going out to eat and I am so excited!  I can't wait to see them!  I've been working on my scrapbook so I hope that they will like it!


In other news, Trent made it home safely from London.  I'm glad he came back when he did because of all the terrorist activity in London right now.  It's pretty scary.  Anyway, I did get to see him in London and that was pretty awesome.  Got to see a show at the Globe Theatre and watched part of A Comedy of Errors.  We couldn't watch it all because we had gotten in so late that we couldn't eat before and needed to eat before everything closed.  So we had to eat after intermission.  The play was really good...the part that I saw of it! 


Also, I get to do two presentations on Poland before I leave.  These will both happen on Sunday.  One Sunday morning that has to tie into the sermon and one on Sunday evening that can be a few minutes longer and I think will be more general. 


Well, I guess I should get back to work....but no one is here.  We haven't had a customer in the past 20 minutes and I'm really bored but I figure I shouldn't be playing on the internet.  So later guys.  I'll be online tonight later if you want to talk.

Ahhhh....Paris

August 01 2006
So I'm in Paris!  In a few minutes we will head to the Eiffel tower.  I am NOT excited about walking up allllllll those steps.  Also, we will be heading to London tomorrow.  I get to see Trent there.  Yesterday we went to Disneyland Paris.  Space Mountain was so much better along with Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and some other stuff.  Kim, there was a whole area with a shipwreck and the skull cave thingy and caverns to walk in.  You would have loved it!  Anyway, have to be off to see the Eiffel Tower!

Paris

July 30 2006
Tomorrow is Disneyland Paris!  I am soooo excited!  Then on wednesday I get to see Trent!   I can't wait!

Prague

July 23 2006

Woohoo Prague!  We just got to Prague today after leaving from a tiny Austrian city near the border.  We also got to opportunity to look at a castle on the Czech side of the border.  It was pretty cool.  There was also a really old synagogue.  We then had to leave to get on the road to go to Prague.  We are staying in a hostel on the Baptist Seminary campus. 


Tonight we will go into the town and see what it has to offer.  Not to be biased, but my favorite city is Wroclaw.  I haven't found another city like it so far and I don't think I will.  I left part of my heart in Poland and I'm afraid I'll have to go back to get it...(wink wink). 


We will spend tomorrow in Prague and then leave the day after to drive to Berlin.  After Berlin we will fly to Rome and then hang out in Italy for a few days.  After that it will be time for Paris.  In Paris we will go to Disneyland Paris!!!  I can't wait.  Should be good times.  As most of you should know...I am a Disney fan and love the whole atmosphere of Disney.


Oh, and we just checked the weather...it is supposed to be thunderstorming all day tomorrow (our one full day in Prague) so hopefully it won't be too bad.  Either way we will survive.  I just don't want to drive back to Berlin with it thunderstorming.



Please pray for safe travel and good times!!!

Budapest

July 21 2006
Today we spent the day in Budapest, Hungary.  Today we saw two castles, a church in a cave, a local market where we ate some Hungarian food, the baths, and went to a cathedral.  It was a full today.  Tomorrow, we will be driving to Vienna, Austria where we hope to catch a train to Bratislava, Slovakia.  I hope all goes well!

Gone

July 18 2006
Well, my team is gone and my family is here.  The end of a great part of my summer and the beginning of what will hopefully be some adventures.  Already we have many fun stories. 

I got the chance to tak my parents around the square yesterday and all over Wroclaw.  My dad is amazed at how well I can get along with the locals.  He's funny.

Chris and Melis got in last night.  They ended up being like three or four hours late.  It was a problem with their reservation.

Oh, well...safe and sound.  More later.

Kids Klub

June 09 2006
Hey guys,
this week we started kids klub (VBS) in the Triangle.  Little did we
know that these kids are sweet but have behavior problems.  They can
be very mean and don't really listen to us Americans because we don't
speak Polish or very little.  This became a major obstacle, but one
the team was willing to try to overcome.  The first day wasn't too
bad, but there were some minor changes we had to make because certain
things didn't work.  This being said, we were told that these kids had
never behaved this well.  We've all been pretty proud of ourselves.
My tribe (group) was the largest topping off at like 12 or maybe 13.
Amazing.  They were very hard to handle sometimes but they really only
listened to the translators because we had no idea what they were
saying.  Not too bad.  I guess I'm just happy it really went off
without a hitch.  tomorrow we will be traveling to Olawa (pronounced
Owava) to hang out with some kids and play games and stuff like that.
Starting on Monday, we will be teaching in the public schools here in
Wroclaw (pronounces Vroh-swafv), which should be interesting.

Please pray for me because I am not sleeping well.  I am waking up
several times during the night and am not getting much rest.  Although
I get so exhausted, I can't sleep which is causing my back to hurt and
for me to have a severe lack of energy.  I'm not sure how to remedy
the problem but I'm hoping that in the days to come, it will be easier
to sleep.  Please also continue to pray for my team and the
missionaries leading us.

Children

June 05 2006
Tonight will be a quick email because we only have a few minutes on
the computer tonight, but what is really exciting is the fact that we
had our first Kids Klub (VBS) tonight.  It was really cool.  Kinda
confusing but we just had to go with the flow.  We got interupted
shortly by some older kids who wanted our sports balls so that was
scary for me at least but no confrontation really happened.  The
translator took care of it.  The kids were so loving, it was amazing
to see.  We wore Biblical constumes and the whole theme was Jerusalem.
 Kinda neat because these kids don't have any idea.  And it's so sad
because they want sooo much for any type of love because their home
life is so bad.  This isn't your normal VBS either because the kids
don't know structure and the resources are limited so kids come in and
out all the time.  One little boy, Dawid (Pronounced like David but
with a little french flair), had mud all over his hands and face and
his front two teeth were all black and he looked like he had had a
shower in days.  He smelled of urine and fecal matter but he was so
loving and sweet you couldn't help but love the boy.  This boy was so
excited to draw on some paper and get a hug by an American that
nothing else mattered that much.  Until you really see these
conditions you can't understand. You can't walk outside without
worrying your feet will be cut by glass.  It's disheartening, but the
moral of the story is that these kids just want love and that's what
we're here to do, so that's amazing to me!  So, until next time...

The Motherland

June 02 2006
So, I'm in the Motherland.  For those of you not really familiar with my lineage, that's Poland.  Pretty amazing.  By the grace of God, I got here without a hitch because I went on five flights and six airports.  26 hours.  What was really weird is that the rest of the team had 3 flights and got here a day late.  HAHAHAHA!  But they have all these fun memories that I don't have so that's kinda sad.

Moving on...I really love it here in Poland!  It's so much cheaper...on some things.  I've been amazed by everything I've seen but who cares...I'm in Poland!  The food AND candy is super awesome here and it's beautiful.  The pictures we have are amazing to say the least.  I can't believe it.  Pretty good.  I think Trent is taking all of this very well which makes me happy.  I do need to call him sometime soon.  And probably my parents too, although we never have time too.  Internet is easier to get to, I think. 

Anyway, all is well.  Pray for me because I will be working in a very bad, and potentially scary part of the city.  Thanks!

No crying...

May 24 2006
Today I got to spend the day with Trent in Lexington and it was nice.  And what was even more surprising is that I didn't cry when we had to leave.  So that was good.  Utterly surprised me.  So good day...until later...

Finally...

May 23 2006
I think I am finally done packing.  Today is the last day I have to pack.  I have to be completely done by tonight because tomorrow...will be awesome.  I get to spend the day in Lexington with the one, the only, Trent Ashcraft.  For this I am extremely excited because it will be the last day that I get to see Trent for two months.  That will be very, very sad when I have to say goodbye to him tomorrow.  In fact, that will be one of the hardest things about leaving for Poland.  I've spent a lot of time away from my parents so that will be hard...but I've gotten so used to seeing him everyday and talking to him everyday that it will be very hard to give that up. 

Ya know what else will be hard...knowing that I have something to eat.  I'm very picky and I'm not sure what I will eat but I'm sure that I can find something good to eat.  I know that I like Pierogies, cheese, and bread.  These are all staples in the Polish Society.  So I should be able to always find something good to eat...right???

If I have to unzip my suitcase, it will never get closed every again.  It is packed so tight but I have so much stuff in there.  I'm excited...I just hope that it doesn't weigh over 50Ibs.  That would be bad because then I would have to pay more money.

Random thought...I might have to take a different Bible because the one I'm using right now is really super heavy.

Training starts on Thursday.  Pray for me!

Thinking of the Future

May 20 2006
Today I went to Christy Parr and Bradley Byrum's wedding (now Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Byrum).  It made me think a little bit about what I would like my wedding to be like.  I really liked their wedding because it was simple and really down-to-earth.  There were a lot of things that I really liked and some things I would have changed.

I liked how family-friendly the atmosphere of the reception was.  The Bride and Groom toasted on Ale-8s and guests munched on cake, peanuts, mints, and M&Ms.  So simple I loved it.  I also liked the cameras on the tables for memories.  Friends from the B were serving the guests punch and Ale-8.  It was nice.

I didn't like that the Bride did not have a Father/Daughter dance nor did the Bride and Groom have their first dance as a married couple.  Now, I don't necessarily want a dance floor or tons of dancing but I already know what song I want to dance to with my Dad.

I also like that they had a slideshow fo them growing up and then together.  That was really nice.   Bradley also sang a song to Christy and that was sweet.  I think that in the ceremony, I wouldn't change anything.  I liked that they didn't really have ushers.  I liked both parents joining the Bride and Groom at the alter to give each away.  That was cool.

All in all, it was a beautiful ceremony and gave me a lot to think about...not that I'm getting married anytime soon...but every little girl thinks about her wedding day.  So it just got me thinking...

Waitin'

May 18 2006
Blah Blah Blah...waiting for Trent to get online...and packing.  Neither of which are exciting.

Exciting

May 17 2006
Today is an exciting day!  I found out that I ACED all my classes this semester!  All 18 cr. hours.  That's exciting and has never happened in my entire college career.  See...I told all of you...more stuff=better grades.  You wouldn't think that would make sense but obviously it does!  HAHAHAHHA.  Well, I'm going to continue packing for Poland so I will talk to all of you all later!

Back Home

May 14 2006
It's true, I'm back home.  Away from Morehead, which I love so much.  I miss being in beautiful Morehead with Trent and the rest of my friends.  I miss my little dorm room and the daily routines but I'm very excited about Poland.  I feel unprepared and nervous but I'm ready.  I'm ready for God to move in my life to the Polish people and to spend my summer working for Him.  It will be weird not being home this summer.  Not making money, or spending time with my Kim, but sometimes God has bigger plans for you and this is one of those times.

I'm really tired of packing and unpacking.  I packed for at least 2 or 3 days and then I have to unpack so that I can pack for Poland.  Unbelievable.  So hard to keep my mind on it when I'm so bored of doing this.  However, it looks like I don't have that much stuff to unpack, but its more than I want to. 

I need some stuff for the trip and I've got to go get that stuff.  I desperately need some new shoes and unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to find shoes and break them in.  Oh, well.  I can only do so much. 

I did realize that I have an unbelieveable amount of clothing.  How in the world did I accumulate so much?  I don't have enough room for everything.  I don't have any more room and I haven't even done any laundry.  That's not good.  I need to clean out my closet so that I can get rid of some clothes that I do not want of need.

Well, I'm going to continue unpacking so that I can hopefully run out and get some stuff later.  I need to go shopping.  So much stuff to do, and not enough time.

Trent's TOP TEN

May 11 2006
So I'm very excited to say that I have made Trent Ashcraft's TOP TEN list for the semester.  This is very prestigious and I'm very proud to have made it.  Many people at the BSU are slightly upset because they believe that he put me on there because he felt like he had to which is not correct.  I earned that spot honestly and fairly.  And not only did I make the list, I'm number one.  That's awesome.  I think to put up with Trent, I deserve to be number one.  It only makes sense.

All my school obligations are over.  I do have to work commencement and go listen to a review tomorrow but other than that, nothing else.  So I'm just taking it easy and hanging out.  I'm also trying to pack up my room.

Trent put my refrigerator in his storage unit, so that was very nice of him.  Unlike what I thought, I am bring home my tv because my new roommate will already have hers so that is good.

On a sadder note, Saturday will be my last day with Trent until August unless, by some miracle, he can come see me before I leave.  And there is no halfway point really, and I don't want to drive through Cincinnati, so I don't know what to do.  I hope I get to see him.  I am going to miss him a lot.  He truly kept me sane throughout this semester and I'm excited about next semester.  I know that I will miss him a lot over the summer but he will have a good time in London.  I hope I will be able to see him in London this summer.

Anyways, lets talk about something good for a change.  I don't want to be upset or sad.  That boy brightens my day like no other has before and he would not want me getting upset over him.  I can't wait to get home to my mommy and daddy before I have to leave for training and Poland.

Well, that's all for now.  I will talk to ya'll later.

Not good

May 09 2006
Man, bad things just keep stacking up in my life.  Not cool.

Good Day

May 07 2006
Today is a good day because it means that Trent and I have been dating officially for a whole month now.  And things are going really well with him so that's really, really exciting.  I've never been in such a happy, fulfilling relationship and so that's really cool.  Happy days. 

Oh yeah, and for those of you who have never been to a drive-in or haven't been in a long time, you guys should go....it's awesome fun!

Update

May 03 2006
So, my play went off without a hitch.  It was amazing all the innuendos that were in the play that I never realized were there.  And with a theatre dept. watching, it got even worse.  
But here is a picture of George Carter.  He was in my show and he did FABULOUS.  All the lines were said correctly and everything so that just makes me happy!  A big load off my shoulders.  Now to work on Darwin's THe Origin of Species.  Blah to that!

Dictionary

April 30 2006
Ok, for those of you who don't know...the word 'twitterpated' means (at least the definition that I know) infatuated.  Sorry for all the confusion.  You guys should watch Bambi again.  Geez!

It

April 29 2006
Yep...It's official...I'm twitterpated!  I don't think I could be more smitten with Trent.  He is amazing to me...I'm just going to miss him this summer!

Thunder

April 24 2006
Hey guys.  Thunder was this weekend and it was great times.  Trent, Mandy, Nick, Rand, Jason, Jessica, and I went to Louisville for Thunder over Louisville this weekend.  Let me start off by saying that my parents won't let anyone go hungry...ever.  It's amazing how much food we can eat in one weekend. 

On Friday, we went to play Lazer Tag after eating an entire Polish meal.  That was fun.  Lazer Tag was great because it was only us and my parents in the arena.  That's something that never happens, so that was really cool.  I got second after Rand.  I thought that was good.  My dad came in last with 70pts.  Rand had over 2,000.  Big difference.  SO that was funny.  Also introduced Trent and the gang to Disney Scene It.  That was fun because Trent got really competitive but just continued to lose throughout the weekend. 

Saturday-I got up and parked my car downtown at 6am.  I got to the parking spot at 6am.  I was sooo tired.  But thanks Mom and Dad.  Well Thunder was really fun and I even saw some people I haven't seen in a while.  After the show was over, we ran out of there and got home by 10:30.  I think that is a record.

Well, I have to go to class so I will write about the rest later.  Love Ya'll!!!

Edit

April 18 2006
Just found my keys so...crisis averted.  All is well in Erin's world again.  Woohoo.  Big weight off my shoulders.  Yay!

...

April 18 2006
Still no news on the mission keys.  Keep me in your prayers and hopefully I will not have my car stolen.  That would make my heart heart more than my eyes hurt right now from crying.

Keys

April 18 2006
I lost my keys.  Not good.  I'm not happy.  In fact, I'm about to cry...again.  Grrrr...I'm unhappy.