What’s on your mind?

I feel like I have a billion things going on right now. Work is crazy busy (and I LOVE it), school is intense and I get about one day a week to actually get to hang out with hubby. I have a lot going on needless to say, and with that, I have a lot of thoughts rolling around in my noggin. Just wanted to list a few for ya to keep you updated

• I am a very fickle person. I mean, really. So now that I am in school, I kind of don’t want to be. I have really struggled with figuring out if I have made the wrong choice, whether I really want to be a teacher or not, or if I am just wanting to give up because it is hard (most likely the last one). Right now I am definitely staying in the program. I would have wasted a lot of money and let down a lot of people if I didn’t. Let me state that again, I AM staying in the program. This is just a thought process I have been going through lately.
• I think I have told just about everybody that Tim and I plan to grow our family through adoption. I really am only interested in being pregnant once. I want to experience it, and then be done with it. Also, there are 143 BILLION orphans in the world. That number is too great to not be a part of decreasing that number, even if it is just a little. Also, I really feel that if you are a Christian, you should AT LEAST consider adoption. After all, you have been adopted into the Kingdom of God. So, with all of that said, Tim and I are praying about starting the process, and soon. I can’t tell you how excited I am. I know that it will still be about three more years before we bring home baby, but just beginning the journey is an amazing feeling. I am on the road to my child. That just makes me want to scream with joy We will first adopt from the Philippines. That is why I say the process will most likely take about three years. That is about how long it takes right now from that country, and I am prepared for that. I hope I don’t go crazy! Please be praying for us on that subject.
• Can I just say that I LOVE my husband? Because I do. Because of certain events that have happened in our lives recently, he came to me the other day and said he wanted to be proactive about having a healthy marriage. He is great and has really followed through
• Please go check out the Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center. They have an incredible ministry in Haiti. It is amazing what the Lord does through them. Right now, their funds are really low. They could use YOUR help. Please read over the blog and see what incredible things they do in Haiti and how they serve the people there. And, if you feel led, please donate to them. If you ever feel a calling to go serve the people of Haiti, they can hook you up. They love for volunteers to come and serve them.
• Loving reading the blogs of those who went on the Compassion International trip to El Salvador. If you have never considered/prayed about Compassion International’s Child Sponsorship Program (sponsors like you pay $38 (in the U.S.) to meet the physical and spiritual needs of school-aged kids) please do so NOW. You will be forever changed.
• Still keeping an open mind to serving young, possibly single mothers. It is amazing how so many opportunities have presented themselves in the past couple of weeks. I am excited to share in the near future.
• I am REALLY wanting to get more involved in serving my community. I love my church family and they present so many opportunities to do this. I am thinking the previous point will be my vehicle to achieving this. I just want to get to know the people I am basically doing life with every day and don’t even know their names. I want to get to know who they are, what makes them tick, what their passions are, what is going on in their lives.
• I have no idea when I will fit anything new into my life. I am SO busy all of the time. Any time I mention anything new to some of my close friends or Tim, they always ask when am I going to do that. Hopefully that will work itself out.
• I am HORRIBLE with time management. I am such a procrastinator. I mean, really. And what is ridiculous is I HATE that about myself, but I do nothing about it. I think I heard on Dr. Phil before that it is because I am so self-centered, which is true. I really hope I grow up in that department, and soon!
• I decided to take a break from Facebook for awhile. I did well, for one day. That evening I finally broke and got on. That was when I found out I had one friend that was pregnant and another having problems with her pregnancy. Look how much changes in that small amount of time. Needless to say, my very short break is over. Did I mention I don’t have much self-control either?

Okay, I think that is pretty much the jest of it. I am sure there is much more, but that is all I can think of for now.

new ministry?

I really feel like the Lord has placed a burden on my heart to serve single mothers who live at or below poverty level. Still praying for what steps to take and who to talk to.

If anyone has experience working with these amazing women, please let me know. I would love to chat with you. You can e-mail me at jessicatrivette[at]gmail[dot]com.

I am still here…

Summer seems to be a difficult time for everyone on keeping up with their blog. Not that anything has changed much with my schedule. I think I am kind of getting into a whole, “do I even want to blog anymore” mood. Sorry, but it is true.

I love to read blogs. But, I don’t ever feel like I have enough going on with me to blog about. Or if I do, I don’t have the energy.

But, for those who might still be reading, here is what is going on with me these days:

• I have started to learn about the whole world of Coupons from SouthernSavers.com. I have read on several other blogs how much they are saving, and I have decided I want in on that too! You should check it out!
• I start school next Wednesday! Yep, the girl who has wanted out of school most of her life is going back. And get this, I am going back to be a teacher! I am going back to become something that will always keep me in school! My teachers from elementary, middle and high school would be shocked…and confused! I am going through a 16 month program (+ student teaching) that meets once a week, at night. I am excited because everyone I have worked with so far from this school has been fantastic! And I have heard mega good (yeah, I just made that up) things about the school… so it should be great!
• I have started watching my three most favorite little boys again! I watch Daniel, Nathan and Dalton every Tuesday, and goodness I can’t get enough of those kiddos!
• Tim has hurt his back pretty bad. He has been walking around crooked. No really. He told me he feels really gross because his body is doing something that is not natural So for the past two weeks we have been laying low. I think I have rested just about as much as I can. I am ready to go out and go hiking, or something!
• We recently rearranged our living room, and I love it! I have randomly stated so many times while just sitting in the living room how much I like it. I used to think the whole deal with energy flowing  b/c of how you arrange your furniture was a bunch of bull. But it makes me so happy how we have it now. Makes me rethink some things
• There is a shortage of good movies lately to rent. I have seen a couple of good movies, but they were at the movie theater. My favorite right now in theaters is probably “The Proposal“. I am a big fan of Sandra Bullock.
• I really need to start working out. Enough said.
• I am saddened to read this… praying even harder for them.
• I am living about 5 hours away from my immediate family. My two sisters go to 8th grade and high school for the first time today. I feel like I am missing out on them growing up. And I really miss my family. Any advice from any one who has married and moved away?

And to end it all, I thought I would post a picture of my two favorite girls (Diana and Necie, my sisters):

Diana and Necie

Where are we when all of this is going on?!

Go HERE

Let’s do something about it.

Haiti Rescue Center

Please be praying for the Rescue Center in Haiti today.

Go here to find out what they are dealing with right now.

Out of the mouths of babes #1

On Sunday mornings I get the privilege to teach 3 & 4 years olds. I gotta tell you, I love this age! They are talking well now, are so curious and have not quite learned yet just what is appropriate and perhaps what is inappropriate. I have decided to start a series called: Out of the mouths of babes. I will list quotes each week from what my crazy kiddos say. To start it off…here you go:

1) One of the kids told their mom I went to Africa to see a whale (we went to Africa to see the clean water well we had raised money for).

2) little girl: This morning, I couldn’t poop.

me: I hate when that happens.

little girl: So mommy gave me a book. pause And that helped

3) little girl: “You are black today” (I was wearing a black shirt).

That’s all for now. I am sure I will have plenty more for you each week

Ethiopia: ESL training

What is ESL you might ask…

English Standard Language. That was the main thing we did while there. A lot of the people there want to learn or practice their English. We were able to work with a local church to teach people English.

Our one large team ended up splitting into two different teams. The other team had 500 people register for their classes!! We actually only had about 75 register in our group. I got to work with the more advanced group. Which kind of ranged from knowing English really well, to only knowing a little. I had a lot of fun with that group. We taught them things (while I was there, a lot more was taught after I left) about family, food and greetings. The last day I was there we practiced English just through conversation.

Tim was sick pretty much the whole time we were there. We found out after the trip that if you have a cold or sinus infection before you travel like we did, apparently you have good chances of coming down with another sinus infection. Who knew?! We didn’t. Tim had a sinus infection two weeks before we left. By the third day of being there, he came down with another. He has at least 2 to 3 of them a year, and they lay him out. He lost his voice, coughed  A LOT, had no energy and slept all of the time. He stayed at the hotel for the majority of the time. Well, he finally got better the last day we were at the church teaching English.

He got to come for one day to the classes. He helped me out. That was actually the first time he and I got to serve like that together. I loved it! He was so much better than I thought he would be. I mean, I knew he would do a good job, but he did so great! The day he helped was the day we just had conversation with the students. In the middle of the conversation, one of the guys looked at me and asked, “What is it that makes you happy all through your day?”. I said, “well, let me tell you. Jesus Christ.” We then, together, shared the Gospel with this group of college students. It was so neat. I loved every minute of it

One thing I learned about ESL training is it really matters what part of the world/country the teachers are from. I would say something, and pronounce it different from how they learned it, and they would totally not understand what I was saying. We really had to work on that one with me being a southern girl.

Ethiopia: Transportation

Transportation in Ethiopia is very similar to other 3rd world countries. We traveled mostly in buses. The roads are really bumpy and the drivers take chances I would prefer they did not. They also have little motor cabs that can fit at most 5 people (you will see a picture of it in the “Pictures” post). Pedestrians are not shown any attention by the driver. I was terrified SO many times thinking someone would be ran over. But neither the driver nor the pedestrians flinched.

Three times our bus was stopped for a routine inspection. It was almost comical though b/c a really intimidating (i.e. holding a very large gun, decked out in camo and a bandanna over their face) policeman would get on our bus, see that we were white, say, “hi”, and then get back off the bus w/o inspecting anything.

Of course, the travel was a lot different than what were accustomed to. And we did a lot of it. But it was fun getting to travel together and getting know each other.

Back in the States…

We are back in the States from our trip to Ethiopia. I promise I have some posts coming about our time spent there.

I will leave you for now with a picture. For all of you photography people, I know the lighting is horrible, but I like it

2 More Days!!

We leave Sunday! I cannot believe it is this close! We will arrive in Ethiopia Tuesday early in the morning. Guess what we will be doing immediately…visiting an orphanage. Lord give me strength!

I am going to try my hardest to post updates while on the trip. I will definitely be posting pictures when I get back!

Keep up the prayers! And THANK YOU!!!