Why am I not sleeping?

It's almost 4am. I got off work at 3am and as I have done a few times now, I called back home to my old job on my way to my apartment and chatted with everyone for a half hour or so. I got off so that I could go to bed, but the second I hung up was the second I woke up. I think it hit me that in just a week and a half I will see these people again! And in exactly two weeks I will be hugging and loving on the the kids that I came to love this time last year. Excitement has taken over and yet part of me knows I have more goodbyes to make...which I am never good at. So here I sit, writing a blog and watching Fox News.

Speaking of goodbyes...this past weekend Kara and I were going to Baltimore, but since she was getting sick, we decided to go out to dinner at a cute place on a Friday night. We had such a great time, but it was never far from my mind that at the end of the night, who knows when I would see this amazing girl again? I can't say enough good things about Kara, if you haven't met her, you are missing out. She is a beautiful young woman striving desperately to serve and honor God through her life. She's not perfect and stumbles like the rest of us, but she is truly repentant...not only in her heart, but her actions and words back her decisions to change what she feels isn't pleasing to the Lord. She is a great listener and an extender of grace. I just look at her sometimes and think..."it would be so nice to articulate my thoughts, ideas and emotions as clearly as she does." She is also the type of person that would be saying "no, no, no" if she were reading all of this. Plus she's got a great sense of humor! I just have to laugh that God put us both here in Philly at the same time. It was not an easy goodbye...and we decided we will meet again. Hopefully in the DR or in Atlanta.

On Saturday, Kristin and I went to dinner with her friend Mark who was in town. It was a super nice chinese place. I tried all sorts of things that I had never had before, but my favorite was the dessert which was ALL chocolate, like 6 or 7 different things that were each incredible! We spent a lot of time laughing. Mark is Chinese and was showing us pictures of the misinterpreted chinese to english translations during the Olympics. Kristin has been a good buddy here as she is a traveler too. We have a blast together and I am sure our friendship as I go south and she goes to Arizona. Eventually we'll probably end up in California for a stint there. Here is a picture of us outside "Susanna Foo"


I can't believe how fast the time has gone, but I know the time is coming to a close. God sent me here, right in the middle of Philly (not to mention during a huge election! Philly is not a fun place for a conservative individual such as myself), for a reason and he's moving me for another. I am just so thankful he has provided people along the way and that He is who He is...constant and faithful. I have lacked nothing and have more than I need.