Three Shirts, One Skirt, and a Marriage Proposal

I feel like I always begin my blog posts with an excuse as to why so much time has elapsed between this post and the last. There is really only one answer: school. I spend eight hours each day in school, I usually get home around 5:00 and then I begin my homework. This is the pattern of my life. This is why I don’t have time to blog. But nonetheless, I’m blogging now.

Speaking of school…some days are great and some days are not so great. I am much more stressed this semester with academics. Math continues to be a challenge and the homework load, in general, is a tad excessive, if you ask me. I am still a member of the student council and I’m still in jazz band. I’m also doing drama again and our play for this semester is “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” I wanted to audition for Susan, but we have a lack of guys in drama and my teacher asked me to play a male role. So, I am the professor, Father Christmas, and the witch’s general. It will be a challenge coming up with three different masculine voices, but I think I can do it. A new addition to my schedule this semester is a beginning clarinet sectional every other Monday. It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy teaching younger kids how to play the instrument I love. I am still a Young Life leader and that takes up a decent amount of my time as well. School, friend-wise, seems to be improving. It’s still not easy, but it’s definitely not as hard as last semester.

Now seems like an appropriate time to inform you of my “love interest.” (Most of you are probably aware of him already, but I want to go ahead and make an official announcement.)  Yes, I have a boyfriend. His name is Caleb Jenkins. We have been dating for five months now. He is very smart and makes excellent grades. He plays football (soccer) and also plays the trombone and guitar. He has lived in Africa for most of his life. He has been an outstanding friend to me, and has helped me a lot through these past couple of months. We a lot fun together and I’m very grateful for him.

Update on the ankle: I got my cast removed on January 24^th. I’ve been doing physical therapy since then and I have regained the range in my ankle. I am now able to start strengthening the muscles (which resemble a piece of rubber that has been railroaded by an 18-wheeler). I am using one crutch for balance/support and I’m wearing tape around my ankle. Long story short, I’m improving. I cannot even begin to express the joy of walking on two feet. I’m hoping to start P.E. again at the beginning of March.

When I wrote my last blog post I was at a pretty low state. Since then things have been looking up. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Grace Gaskill is going to make it out alive. I long to serve the Lord, to follow Him, and so Satan will gladly go out of his way to make my life as miserable as possible. He did a pretty good job of it, and if I’m not careful, he’ll bring me down again. I have been praying for God’s will in my life and I’m beginning to wonder, “What if I’m missing it?” I’ve come to the conclusion that God does not have only one will for my life, He has multiple ones. Right now His will for my life is to rely on Him, to trust, to learn patience, and endurance, to be joyful and give thanks in all circumstances, to talk to Him. As I grow older and get closer to Him, He will reveal the next part of “His will” He will lead me, direct me, and guide me.

I’m currently in the middle of enjoying a three day weekend. This weekend has been, without a doubt, the best weekend of my eleventh grade career. Yesterday my family and I went swimming…in a pool. For those of you who aren’t able get a visual image of a swimming pool in Africa, allow to me to explain. Picture a swimming pool, any one you want. There. That’s it. Swimming in Africa is no different than swimming in America. I had so much fun being in the water. It was the first physical activity that I’ve done in two months! Today I went up to my history teacher’s house to hang out for a while and bake cookies. For those of you who think hanging out with a teacher on the weekend is weird…it’s not. I also drove a tin can today. One word comes to mind: EXCITEMENT. I got to drive!! The “tin can” is just an old red jeep that we’ve been borrowing for the past couple months. It has the most finicky stick/clutch, which makes changing gears an adventure.  I also went clothes shopping today. It was the first time I’ve been shopping since I left home six and a half months ago. Where did I find these clothes? The market. The market has everything…food, tools, shoes, clothes, fabric. I got three new shirts and a skirt. (This is where the title of the post comes from.) I’ve been taking Kinyarwanda (the national language) lessons and so I was able to practice my Kinyarwanda today at the market. It was fun to bargain with them and “show-off”.  Not only did I get three shirts and a skirt, but I also got a marriage proposal. This is the third time a guy has asked me to marry him. This guy kept referring to me as his wife and he wouldn’t let go of my hand. The first time it was flattering, now it’s just annoying.

What does the future hold? I ask myself this question on a regular basis. For many months I haven’t had any idea about what to do after high school. But that has recently changed. Doing this clarinet sectional on Monday afternoons has actually revived my desire to be a music teacher. I would love to also do something drama/theatre related and I’m open to missions or whatever else God might want me to do. I really love music, I love my clarinet, and I love teaching…what better thing to do than to be a music teacher. My math teacher and I were talking one day and he told me that people seeking God’s will for their life seems to be a theme. He said that God has given everyone gifts and talents and that the best thing to do is use those gifts and talents to bring glory to Him until He tells you to do otherwise. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m going to help those beginning clarinetists become wonderful clarinetists and I’m going to be the best professor/Father Christmas/witch’s general I can be, and I’m going to write/blog and hopefully bring glory to God. He has blessed me with multiple talents and abilities and I am going to worship Him through each of those gifts.

I guess that concludes this post. Life stays at a pretty continuous pace. I’m doing my best to maintain good grades and to learn what the teachers are teaching. I’m working on rebuilding my ankle and leg. I’m striving to follow the Lord. I think about my family and friends in America on a daily basis. I miss and pray for everyone. And I’ll try not to let so much time go between this post and my next one…