I recently came across a blog entry that I had written the last few days I was in Benin. I meant to post it the day I left, only, if I remember correctly, the internet was down. Then I traveled and came home. Life was a roller coaster for the first few months then eventually went back to normal… whatever normal really is. After rereading the following entry and reflecting on the past year, I thought it was fitting that I should post this on the one year anniversary for my close of service (COS) with the Peace Corps. A lot of it still rings true. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of my neighbors and wonder what they are doing, or how the market was, or what the kids are up to in school, or the positive ways they influenced my life. This past year has included a whole set of new challenges and consequently new lessons learned. I am so thankful for the unexpected and divinely placed friends, people and events that have crossed my path. I hope I never forget the struggles or successes from the past three years. As a new year starts, I eagerly await the upcoming challenges, lessons, and adventures. Life is an Adventure, enjoy the ride! * June 18, 2009* Living in Benin for the past two years has taught me more about myself and life then I could have ever imagined. My time spent here has been difficult yet simplistic, sorrowful yet joyous, incredibly frustrating yet gratifying. There were days when I would have done anything to leave it all behind. Then there were days where I didn’t want them to end. All in all it has been an experience of a life time, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Through out my service I kept a piece of paper taped to my kitchen door where I write lessons I have learned. I would like to share a few of them with you all.

You control your attitude; Grace; A problem is just another challenge to solve; The cowboy way still applies; Push your comfort zone daily; Just dance; There is beauty is every situation, person and place, if you look for it you can find it; Communicate, communicate, communicate; Always think the best of people; Have patience; Pray without ceasing; Keep it simple; Ruff it; Sometimes offering help is a way of asking for help, likewise, asking for help is a away of helping others.

As for accomplishments, I can not own them all myself. If it weren’t for the support and prayers from family and friends the past two years would not have been possible. So I want to say a grand THANK YOU to everyone. Words can not express the gratitude I feel.

As I leave Benin tomorrow, this is the Benin that I will be thinking about, it is the Benin that I want to remember. My favorite time of day, here, is between 6-7pm. Around 6pm I tie up my running shoes and hit the terre rouge, just as the sun is moving toward setting. When there were clouds in the sky, they glow angelically, reflecting the sun. While I run, people start to come in from the fields after a hard day of work. As I pass them they wave and smile (sometimes making comments about la dame sportive). More often then not, school kids will run with me, keeping pace in their kacki school uniforms and bare feet. When I get back to my house there are usually half a dozen neighbor kids waiting for me to “faire le sport”(“to play sport”) with them. So we race, and do cartwheels, and stretch, and laugh! After a while the Dad’s come home signaling that play time is over and study time must begin. We all shake hands and part ways for the evening, usually to the little voice of “Emily, a demine” (“see you tomorrow”). “Emily, bonne weekend: (“have a good weekend”, even when it’s a week day). Then I just laugh, and wave bye.

It’s been ages since I last posted an update. It’s not for lack of effort, rather internet difficulties. So here it goes, the last 4 months of my life here in Benin… with a few extra wanderings through West Africa.

First, the new baby! My neighbors had a little girl just before Christmas. Urielle, is doing wonderfully and growing quickly, as babies do. Her latest "trick" is to laugh when she hears her name.

Back in February I had the opportunity to visit Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. It was a wonderful trip! The highlight of the trip, for me, was Dogon country in Mali. If you ever get the chance to visit, I would highly recommend it. It has elements of the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verdi, and the great sand dunes. And of course, you can’t beat the great food that was provided by our wonderful guide.

Before I get head of my self I should start the trip at the beginning.

We all met up in Malanville, Benin where we had a lovely candle lit dinner (the electric went out, as normal) and turned in early to make the early morning more bearable. However, that night, Meagan’s cat had other plans. Around 2:30 am her cat had kittens. We figured that was a good sign the trip would go well.

The next morning we woke up early, checked on the cats and headed out to catch a bus to Niamey, Niger. The ride was long, dusty and bumpy but we made it there in time for a late lunch and a quick trip to there incredibly nice supermarket. They had asparagus!! I haven’t seen asparagus in two years! Unfortunately it was out of our price range, but looks were for free.

The next day we visited the last giraffes of west Africa. They are beautiful, graceful creatures who let us get within a few yards to take some photos. Rock stars! And the grand mosque In talking with some others in Niamey we found out that there was recently some terrorist activities north of us, therefore we had to change our travel plans. So after some discussion, we decided to go the southern route through Burkina Faso. The next morning we were off to B.F. Let me tell you, it was a long, long day of travel!

Next stop, Severe, Mali.

Flat tire! They had it changed in a snap and we were off again.

We may look tan, but it's dirt. Lots, and lots of red dirt. It just adds to the taste of our early morning bread and coffee stop. yum!

The next morning we were met by our guide Omar, and off we went to Dogon country. I’ll let the photo’s speak for themselves.

Four very tired hikers and our tour guide. What a great trip!

After all of that it was back to Benin!

After all that travel it was back to the daily grind. March was a busy month due to the rabbit project, latrine project and the tragic death of a fellow volunteer. Kate’s death shook us all pretty hard. She was an exemplary volunteer and will be greatly missed.

With march being as it was, my parents visit couldn’t have come at a better time!

We started there trip off by visiting the park up north. Then Dassa

Where they learned a new definition of hot. Note the temp and the time of day. This is no joke.

They also participated in a HIV/AIDS prevention class.

Now I find my self in May and wonder where the time has gone. My projects are now finished! All that’s left to do is enjoy my time here with my neighbors.

Being that it is a new year, I figured there would be no better way to start it then to reflect on the good, bad, and lessons learned from last year. So here it goes, highlights (abridged version)of 2008....

My favorite ( and only) brother Russell came to visit! We had a wonderful time traipsing around Benin. Ask him about what he thought of the taxis...

For all of those who may think Uncle Sam's tax dollars are better spent elsewhere, he is my year in numbers...

1 – Girl who consistently I find will come out of the fields to run with me for a about 10 minutes on my evening runs. 2 – Grants written. 8 – Kids that stop by my house for help with their English homework. 10 - Neighbor hood kids that keep my life fun. 12 - Village health leaders my work partner and I instruct on a bi-weekly basis. 3-5 - Families each health leader is responsible for (that’s about 52 families). 17 – Number of families interested and motivated to get a latrine so to improve there health. 30 – Number of babies present at first baby weighing in Oriketo, 24 of which were in the green zone, 5 were in the yellow, and 1 was in the red 31 – Number of babies present at the most recent baby weighing, 27 babies in the green zone, 3 in the yellow, and 1 in the red (the same one, this one needs prayers because there is more going on then just malnutrition.) 30 – Girls in my in-school lunch, rabbit farming, HIV/AIDS prevention program. 10 – Boy in the same program. 19 – Rabbits to start a rabbit farm for said lunch program (although they aren’t here yet, that’s 2009).7x77 - Plans, goals, and expectations for 2009, stay tuned!

Two of my favorite stories from this year, sorry if you have heard them already...

Coming home from a baby weighing one day I had a bit of a fall and skinned my When I got back to the house the kids saw my knees and came over and looked at it with loving and concerned eyes. Then Enoch, my 5 year old neighbor, called over his mom and told her that it was necessary to take me to the back and wash my knee (which consequently is the lesson that I always seem to be teaching him when he comes home with brush burned knees, guess it sunk in!). Then Enoch looked at me and said, you can cry if you want, it’s ok. At that point I was laughing so hard I forgot the accident. Laughter truly is the best medicine.

One night you could tell we were going to have an especially beautiful sunset, so I took full advantage and went for a run. When I came home the kids were all outside playing in the sand. As customary when they see me come around the turn they line up so they too can “faire le sport” (run) with me. So in the shadow of vivid reds and purples and white light we raced and skipped and did cartwheels and laughed until their little legs were tired. As we were getting ready to walk back to our houses Jo-Jo came over to me and looked at the sky and then at me and asked, as translated, “Where is Jesus?” His brother Absalom then looked at the sky and at him and said “oh he’s up there, isn’t it beautiful?” I was awestruck. To that point, and since that point, I had never heard a Beninese person take note of the beautiful surroundings. Then here were two kids that not only took note but attributed it to God. If only we all had the eyes of children.

Memorable quotes, Well two actually...

~ "You've been halfway living your life for too long. May was saying that when it's time to die, go ahead and die, and when it's time to live, live. Don't sort-of-maybe live, but live like you're going all out, like you're not afraid" page 211 The Secret Life of Bees

~ "Tell us, if there were one thing we could do for your village, what would it be?"

"With all respect, Sahib, you have little to teach us in strength and toughness. And we don't envy you your restless spirits. Perhaps we are happier then you? But we would like our children to go to school. Of all the things you have, learning is the one we most desire for your children."

- Conversation between Sir Edmund HIllary and Urkien Sherpa, from Schoolhouse in the Clouds

What would a year be without a little entertainment.

Best book read: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin ~ A true story about a courageous man who made and continues to make a difference in Pakistan.

Best Music: Being that I have not been in the country for 2008, I'm not really sure all of what is out there. That being said, I'm pretty confident Raising Sand, by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, has got to be in the top music of 2008.

Photo Highlights:

Debra and Russell on top of one of the hills.

The view on my running trail.

This one's for you Kel!

Here's wishing you best of luck and blessings in 2009! May it be your best year yet!

Just found this in my documents. I wrote it back in August and haven't gotten around to posting it will now. oops, sorry. Here it goes...

Aug 14, 2008 Here’s one for all of you politically minded folks. A disclaimer, this entry is a bit out of the ordinary for me, don’t read too much into it, I’m just recalling a conversation. Yesterday on my way out for a walk into town I was stopped by two of my neighbors, Papa Cristal, and Papa Yesmine. Both men work for the cotton factory down the street. I’m not sure exactly what they do there, but I do know it is in the executive end of things. Anyway, as I walked by it was evident they were having an animated discussion. As soon as they saw me they stopped me and in their best English (which I’ll add is very good) asked me “Do you prefer Obama or JC?” As to not avoid any confusion with the big man himself, Jesus Christ, I said “McCain?” With this they gasped and couldn’t believe what I said. They had miss understood my correction as the answer to their question. From their response I quickly backpedaled to figure out where the miscommunication was. After I explained that I was just correcting the name JC they started in on me. “Well who do you like?” I couldn’t get my “vague, I’m not allowed to give my opinion, so not to sway political thought,” answer out before they told me their opinion. “Well, we want Obama. It has to be Obama.” With that I decided to play devil’s advocate. “Well, why? Why do you think he makes the best president for the United States?” “Because I like him, he is one of us. He is black.”

To this I asked “Is that the only reason? What about his policies?”

“Well he doesn’t like the war and he’s young.” Continuing to play devil’s advocate I said “Well McCain is old and they say, you say here, with age comes wisdom. Also he was a solider so don’t you think he knows what it’s like to be in war.” “Well McCain is old and Obama is young, you need someone who is young. Also it’s good to pull solider out of the war. As it is, only 1% comes home alive.”

“WHAT! 1% comes home alive?! So your saying that if 100 soldiers leave only 1 will come home alive?”

“Yes, that is why the war should end.” With this I tried to convince them that many, many, many more troops come home alive then just 1% but they wouldn’t have it. 50% was the highest I could get them to go and with that they were very skeptical. I have had many people confront me and ask the same question. The outcome is always the same, they want Obama to be president. Their reasoning is very much similar. Some know more about policies then others but all in all people here are holding their breath till November. This conversation and conversations like this give me much food for thought. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about how information about American elections is conveyed here, and how the Beninese view The United States. I will say, however, that if more Americans took as active of an interest in what’s going on in the world around them and then reflected it back to the states the only thing we would have to lose is the wisdom that is gained.

For your entertainment. This is Jo-jo, my two year old neighbor. One morning he came over while I was reading on my mat out front and started singing about the petite savon, small soap. The day before I had been doing my wash and he and his sister were helping me. They got into a fight about the soap. (Back home kids fight about actually doing the wash, n'est pas?) You see there was a large bar of soap and a small bar of soap. They both wanted the small bar of soap, it is easier to hold. This particular morning he was so excited to find the small bar of soap this dance and song ensued.

In other news, my grant for the rabbit farm has been approved! Yay! Now it's just working through all the paper work so I can actually get to the money and start. For those of you that are not familiar with the program, here is a brief description;

"A lunch program for disadvantaged girls exists at CEG1(high school) of Dassa (my town). The over seeing teacher approached Dassa’s volunteer (me) for aid in expanding the program.

Many of the girls come from single parent or farming households, families that generally do not meet minimum living standards. A few of the girls are orphans.

The goals of this program are to promote general health practices and to motivate at-risk girls to stay in school. The program hopes to accomplish these goals by implementing a series of activities. First, the girls will receive training in rabbit farming and financial management. These activities will provide financial resources necessary for meal and school fees. The girls will receive financial management training in order to improve their fiscal responsibility as it relates to the new earned rabbit farm income. Lastly the girls will receive Life Skills training to improve their HIV/AIDS and STI knowledge. This will provide them with the ability and power to make healthy sexual choices."

Another project in the works is helping provide latrines for a village that has none. As soon as more information is available, i'll get that up.

Guess thats all for now. Can't wait to see you all over vacation. 39 days! Not that i'm counting. :)

Last blog got such a positive reaction, here are some more "what I do" photos. Baby weighing chart. Note the child Francois is talking about is in the green. yeah!

This is how we weigh babies. This one isn't so happy about it.

Teaching one of the health leaders how to read the scale. All the people in the same fabric are the village health leaders.

His t-shirt does say what you think it does. Hatboro - Horsham soccer club. I tried to explain that I used to play on soccer team that played them, but he wasn't interested. Me on the other hand, I was almost as excited as to see an MSA shirt.Some faces from around town.

Takes a pig roast to a whole new level...

This is the Catholic church in Dassa. Who knew that for the Assumption of Mary (aug 15th) Dassa would turn into a sort of carnival town, only olive oil, and glow in the dark rosaries for sale. There were many festivities including 24 hour prayers, singing, and stations of the cross.

A little bit of home and the one plant that didn't drown with all the rain. Zinnias!

I've been getting a lot of questions about what do I actually do here, so here are a few photos.

Off to village! Once a week my work partner and I go to 1 of 2 villages (we alternate villages each week) to work with out 6 family leaders. Each leader is then in charge of 4 families from the village. They are responsible for teaching their families the weeks health lesson. We cover topics such as child and mother nutrition, malaria, first aid and so on...

Since the villages are not in walking distance we moto there. If you look close, I'm on the first moto.

These are our 6 health leaders! My work partner is in the frount in the pinkish shirt. Can you find me?

This may look like a meat scale, but it is not. This is how we weigh children (in theory) under two years of age. Most of the time the children are complacent, but every once in a while we get a pee-er. Then they all seem to pee after that. Oh the fun of baby weighing!

During my last baby weighing we weighed about 30 children. Of that 30, five were in the yellow (warning, headed to red!) and one was in the red (danger!!!). Six how ever were in the blue (chunker babies, thats a good thing!!)

Question: what are the 3 food groups in Benin?

This is a lesson on nutrition specifically amid at the families who had children in the yellow or red. After the lesson we then did a cooking demonstration of a porridge that is high in calorie and protein for the kids to eat and become healthy again. We guided the families as they planed a meal with what is available in village on a regular basis. Then the families had to go find the ingredients and prepare the meal.

Answer: The three food groups are protection (think veggies, fruit...), growth (think meats, dairy...), and the force (as they call it here) or energy (think carbs).

No this isn't a witches brew. I'm helping my neighbor make porridge. She sells it for breakfast and dinner. It's yummy!

They are laughing at me mixing the porridge. It's really not that funny..... ok, maybe it is a little.

Here is my garden! So I guess this is borderline play. It's work though to explain to my neighbors that it's ok to eat green beans with out cooking them. The green and silver basins are my laundry machine.....

Now on to my everyday life. Since we are in the rainy season right now the temps. have dropped a bit. This is Jo-Jo in a winter jacket. Some days it really does feel that cold.

Now that the kids are out of the school for the summer, they come over every day to play. They love puzzles and my rabbit (goodnight moon) book.

The domestique that lives next door. She's kind of like the nanny for the baby. She often sits out under the tree by my house and greats me with a big smile when i'm leaving or coming back to my house. It turns out she dosen't know how to read. Her French is wonderful so we can communicate. Often she will clue me in on what people are saying around me in local language.

As a year comes to a close I continue to count my blessings, work, neighbors, family and friends. Through the ups and downs I know one thing for certain. This has been quite a journey and I could not have done it without all of you! I'm excited to see what this last year here has in store.

A few updates and photos! Hope you enjoy.

In May, we celebrated the daughter of my French tutor, Cynthia's 7th birthday. She was all dressed up and looking one year older!Off in village. How 'bout them cows!

Sunday at church. The people standing up are singing a hymn. I love the colors and the drums!

This "mountain" is called the sleeping lion. Can you tell why?

And then Russell came to visit!!! No one believed me that he is my petit fiere because he's not more "petit" then me. P.S. the italics are comments from Russell.

Shadrack with Russell's hat, and a jet plane. Gotta love his smile! Everyone here loves that hat, some guy on the street even said I looked like a true African.Laundrey day in Dassa! It's a lot of work! Luckily, my neighbors had some mercy on Russell and helped him out a bit.

My neighbors. Love 'em all, they take such good care of me.

The sleeping lion, from a far.

The smelly yet beautiful baubab flower.

Playing with camera colors and the kids next door.

This little guy came out during a rain storm. I caught him in my hand but then thought twice as I didn't know if he was poisonous. Russ was kind enough to point out that unless I licked my hand, I was probably ok.

After a whiffle ball game. Baseball is a bit of a new idea, but they did great! The hardest part was explaining three strikes and you're out. We will work on that for next time. The kids also had a hard time getting the concept of running to more than one base. They would get to one and stop. It just made for more exicitment when you had 3 kids all running home at the same time because inevitably there was confusion around 3rd base.

It's never to early to teach about moto precautions. Jo-jo (the one with the helmet) loves wearing my moto helmet. We just have to make sure he doesn't fall over backwards, it's a little top heavy. I don't think the tin bowl will do much though.

Then a trip to visit the sisiters at St. Emilie's. The ladies in the blue are nurses in training. The first time I meet the sister in the front she told me she was Protestant, joking of course. Right away I knew I would like this place.

Then Russ with the group. Nice face Russ. It's just a baby.... They pulled me over and handed me a naked baby to hold. I've got to say, not a fan of naked babies.

For dinner one night I tried my hand at Chicken noodle soup. It was pretty tasty but we both agreed we were missing the secret ingredient, mom's love. I think the tiny chicken didn't help much either.

Three weeks in Dassa would be a lot, so we did some traveling. First stop a town in the North. To get there we took a bush taxi. About 5 hours into the trip it got a flat. So, they pulled over and an hour later they had a new tire and were ready to go. This taxi is packed modestly to what you normally see. There were no animals tied on to the back or moto's in the trunk or chairs tied to the top. Just a normal load of 8 people. Needless to say, there is no such thing as personal space.

Incase you can't see what is on his hat, it says "Penn State Nittany Lions." I yelled "we are..." but got no response. So, we tracked him down to take a picture. Got to love the things people wear here. May I point out that it was propbaly over 100 degrees that day and we were doing everything we could to not over heat. He had on long sleaves and a winter hat....The things people wear here blow my mind. Ive seen numerous Fargo hats and winter parkas.

Some women in the market. Everything is more colorful up north!

The following weekend we went up north, but on the other side of the country. We got to do a bit of hiking ....

and climbing in trees...This is a Baobob tree. I think it might be softer than pine. I was a good 15 feet off the ground and a knot I was hanging on broke off, luckily I was standing on a branch.

and swimming in the waterfalls... (Uncle Jim, this one's for you... what would playing in water be without a frisbee!) I almost hit everyone but Emily trying to throw that frisbee back to land.

Interesting flower! I'll leave off with this sunset, for the sun to rise on another day.

March 25

As I write this I am enjoying a grape tootsie roll pop. I had forgotten how good they are! If you are wondering where I found a tootsie pop, I’ll tell you. On the way home from a particularly frustrating morning in village, we stopped so that I could buy some bread for lunch. The vender next to the “bread lady” was the “candy man”. On his table lay a single tootsie pop, I’m pretty sure it was glowing with a bright light. I’ve never been so excited to see candy. Needless to say I bought it and am now enjoying it as I write this blog entry. This is a perfect example of things that I see that don’t quite fit. Another example would be when the other day I was at my neighbors house and their TV was on. Now keep in mind they have satellite TV of some sort. I was outside talking with some ladies and I heard a familiar song. So I popped my head around the corner to see if it was true. That couldn’t really be “The Simpson’s” that I’m hearing. But it was, only it was “The Simpson’s” in French. Never in my life did I ever imagine hearing Homer Simpson speak French. I keep telling myself, it’s not weird, it’s just different. I wonder what “different” I will see next?

On to more interesting things. I have had three girls come out to soccer practice, two Sundays in a row! That’s just enough to get a small game going, at least to get a few touchs on the ball. Man, am I rusty, but its still fun! Last Sunday after soccer, about dinner time, I heard a knock on my door. The three girls had found my house and brought me a present. A baby bird. I can’t say that I have ever been give a cadeax quite like that before. So, I got out my camara and we had fun taking pictures. Before I knew it the other neighborh kids were over, laughing and having a good time.

Safari Photos! They are pretty self explanitory. We had a wonderful time looking for the animals! Our tour guide was very nice, and he had a great sence of humor. So here you are...This one is a little hard to see, but there is a lion in the picture. If you look to the left middle you will see her!

And my favorite part! After 3 hot days looking for animals, we got go swimming in some nearby water falls!

Until next time, enjoy your wild [Africa].

A few pictures from my a near by village where my NGO will be starting a health education project.

Last week my work partner and I spent a night in the village getting to know the people and collecting information. They speak local language so my work partner did most of the talking. But it was still a memorable time. In this village there are zero latrines, everyone uses the surrounding farm fields. There are no cement houses, only beautiful mud huts.

The potato like things are ignames. Here the women are getting them ready to set them in the sun to dry. The hills in the dry and dusty season.

The girls who work at my favorite bouvette. They make a mean igname pile and are always quick with a smile!

A weekend project with another volunteer. Painting a world map on the side of a elementary school building. We did forgot countries, the map here is not the finished map.

Just in case I forgot where I was. I ran into this on my way to work one day. Oh, right... I'm not in Kansas anymore.

Yard Work, We rake our leaves. They burn their brush.

A few local recipes for your enjoyment.....

Sauce d’Arachide (Peanut Sauce)

sorry Katie, this ones not for you...

3Tbs. Oil - Palm or Peanut

½ Piment Powder (or to taste)

1 Maggi Cube (Shrimp, Chicken or Beef)

½ Cup freshly ground Peanuts or Peanut Better

1 Tsp Salt (or to taste)

½ Cup Water

½ Cup Onion (optional)

Crush peanuts with a little water. Put paste in a pot add rest of the water, oil, and maggi cube. Stir. Add piment, salt and optional other spices. Let simmer for a bit. Serve hot with igname pile or rice.

Sauce Legume (think spinache)

1 ½ cups Legume (manioc leaf, gboman, fotatay, ect)

½ tsp baking soda

2 Cups water

½ onion

½ tsp salt

½ small can tomato paste

1 tsp piment

2 small bags sesame

1 maggi cube (any flavor)

2 tsp oil

Wash leaves well, 2-3 times before using thm and set aside. Saute tomato paste, piment, and baking soda in oil for about 5 min. Add water, onion, salt, and sesame. Simmer for 15 min. then add cube and legumes. Cook for abother 5 min. and taste for doneness.

Sauce Gumbo (a.k.a. Snot sauce) (Gumbo is know as Okra in the States)

½ Kilo fresh okra, washed, stems removed

5-6 tomatoes, peeled, and chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup water

½ tsp salt

1 maggi cube

1-2 green piments pricked with a fork

Cut up okra into small pieces and place wioth tomatoes, garlic, piments, and water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Over a medium heat, let simmer, covered fro about 10-15 minutes until okra is tender. Add salt and maggi cube towards the end.

February 5

There is a store on the main road that has the name “vent du chagement” or the wind of change. I find this fitting as the winds are indeed changing right now. Mary Poppins nor the Wiched Witch of the West (I’m currently reading “Wicked”)are on the horizen, however, I think there may be some rain. Around Christmas time the winds suddenly changed bringing cool mornings, dry air, and dust. The month of Janurary was wonderful! Most mornings I woke up shivering! Granted it was only 70 degrees F, but here, that’s cold enough for a hoodie. This morning I woke up sweating and looked at the thermotor only to see 85 degrees F. There was even a faint smell of rain in the now humid air. Our last rain was well before Thanksgiving. I can’t wait for the rain to come, or the peacefulness that it brings Indeed the winds are changing!

Definition - Mini-Bear - Any small rodent that can eat more then their weight in the yummiest human food, creating anger and discord between themselves and the human race. Leading examples are mice, skunks, opossums, chipmunks, rabbits …

The mini-bears of the mousie persuasion have found me, or should I say they found my kitchen. They like to eat my tomatoes! Just as long as they stop there and don’t touch any of my other food. Is it weird to set up a bear bag (or should I say a mini-bear bag) in my house? The word for mouse here is misery, because mice cause misery, especially if I have to set up a bear bag in my house each night. There is one alternitve to a bear bag that I can think of. That is to have one of the hunters come set up traps in my house, to hunt in my house. You see the villages eat the mice. Mayeb the taste good? I think ill stick to getting used to goat, then maybe till branch out to bush rate (think R.O.U.S.) then maybe, just maybe (ok so probably never) i'll think about eating a mouse.

On to some more serious stuff….

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, did you know that 11 Million children (birth - 5 years) die each year from preventable causes. 7 out of those 10 deaths are due to pneumonia, diarrhoea, measles, malaria, and malnutrition(Facts for Life). If you are interseted in finding out more check out http://www.unicef.org/ffl/.

So all of that being said, work... what exactly am I doing here? Well, I'm getting the message out about the cause of infant deaths. My work partner and I are in the process of starting a program where we go into, rigth now, 2 different villages and id 3 men and 3 females to be our "leaders". Each leader is then responsible for 3 families. We then teach each of the leaders information about how to prevent maladies. Each leader then teaches their families. Next week I'm spending a few nights in one of the villages to observe and enjoy life in village.

Some other projects i'm working are starting up a girls soccer team and a lunch program at the high school down the street from me.

Then of course there is playing with the neighbor kids. I'm teaching, and trying to learn double dutch. Some of the jump rope rhymes are starting to come back to me "Cinderelle dressed in yella went down stairs to kiss a fella, how many kisses did she give, one, two, three....." oh anna banna and her jump rope rhymes!

And chartwheels, the kids love chartwheels. I forgot how much fun they are! At the end of the night i'm red, not from running too hard, but from the dust we kick up playing. Just being kids. My neighbors much think im crazy!

February 20

Just a few upates. Still no rain. Maybe next month? Fingers crossed! The cool air will be a nice change! And about the bush rat, well, I tryed it. It wasn't that bad. But I think i'll stick to the framage (cheese). After I finished eating the ROUS the tantie thought it would be funny to show me the cooked head of the ROUS, buck teeth and all! YUCK!

February 23

Due to techinical difficulties in Cotonou, I couldn't get this to post as planned. Hopefully it will work from Dassa, sorry there arnt any pictures. next time!

much love,

Em

Christmas update, with much more! I figured I'll start at most recent and work back. This past week we, Rural Community Health (RCH), had a training seminar. We got to stay in a super nice hotel in Ouidah. The hotel had air conditioning and they served us veggies for lunch! If you remember, Ouidah is on the beach. It was the point where people were sold into slavery. Now there is a lovely memorial to the history of the area.

This week we were lucky in the respect that we got to be in Ouidah for a national holiday. The voodoo fete (festival). People from all over come to dance and do their voodoo thing. When I say voodoo, don't think of the voodoo you see in movies, it's more like local gods that people worship. For example there is the god of thunder. He is the god of justice.

The picture below is a picture of a Celeste Christian who is saying a prayer by the ocean. The Celeste Christian church is a melange of traditional religious practices and Christianity.

Some traditional dancing at the fete. The straw hut looking thing spun in circles as it went around the big circle. The drums kept rhythm as everyone watched and cheered them on. Unfortunately, I'm not sure of the story behind the dancing.

A young boy helping move the cattle along.

One of the monuments. From the ocean looking back.

Christmas Eve! Camping didn't work out due to the dust and burning brush. We could barely see the mountains from village. So we opted for a good meal and Christmas carols at Debra's house. The picture goes me, Holley, and Debra.

Handing out candy Christmas morning. Afterwards the three of us had homemade apple dumplings!

Christmas party at my house with my NGO. It was nice to cook for people again. Although, my American cooking is a bit different then what everyone is used to.

New definition of the kids table.... (the kids to the people who work at my NGO)

You can't really tell but some of the paper starts are hanging in my living room. I made about 1000 paper stars and strung them up. Then New Years eve after all the kids were asleep, one of my neighbors helped me string them up outside for the kids. They loved it!

My Christmas tree!!

Anyone know what kind of fruit this is? Give you a clue, the green part is actually a nut. Any guesses now?

It's a cashew nut and a cashew apple. The apple part is very sweet and nothing like anything I've ever tasted. When you eat it, it gives you kind of like a cotton mouth. But its yummy!

Here are some of my neighbors...

This is Mary Clare. She is the seamstress that lives next door. Her shop is always filled with lots of colors and friendly people. She wanted me to take a picture of her looking at some of her fabric.

These are three of her boys. The one in the blue helped me out drawing some Christmas cards. The younger ones are always willing to toss the Frisbee with me. (They don't actually drive the moto. They just wanted a picture with it.)

Two of the girls that help in the shop.

Being silly for the camera. Kids will be kids!

Then there is Floria, the neighbor across the way. This is her family .... her husband Jack, daughter Christial, and sons Absalom, and Joseph. The two boys on the left are Mary Clarie's they just like the camera. They arn't being grumpy, people just don't smile for pictures.

Well that's all for now folks! Till next time!

I hope this post finds everyone well and fully recovered from Thanksgiving? Ready for Christmas? I guess about now Christmas music is all over the radio, kids are writing their wish lists for Santa, and the smell of Christmas cookies and Christmas trees is wafting through the air. Here, signs of Christmas are starting to creep up. They are very subtle though. The other day I saw a little girl carrying a Santa doll on her back like it was a baby. I hear Santa visits here as well. Better be good, I don't want any coal in my stocking this year.

The theme of this post is home.... see what you think.

The African sky. Kind of reminds me of the sky at philmont.

Welcome to my street! The following are some photos from my new home.

Our trash system. Three times a week two guys come by and pick up what ever is in the 2 red cans. I haven't figured out what happens to it after that. Ill have to investigate.

The other day there was a blizzard in my house. Only a few feet of snow though.

My bed. See dad, I am using my mosquito net! But I like to think of it as more decoration, hence the cards and paper stars. Makes things a bit more like home.

View from the top of one of the mountains. The "holes"in the rock are man made. During the "war" the women would take their corn up to the top of the mountain and grind it down into flour up there. That way they would not be shot or taken captive. Over many years of this the holes started to appear in the rock. Now they just collect water and make for great history.

Slowly, little by little I'm making friends with different people in the community. There is one lady who sells really really really good igname pile (pronounced yam) its a great Beninese meal! Anyway, one day she gave me two slices of water melon. It was sooooooo good! I was so excited I took a picture of it. Notice it even has seeds. For old times sake I spit some out in my courtyard... just to see how far they could go.

A common site. The children take care of there young siblings. Makes you wonder what children can really do.

That's all I have for now. Next post, Christmas pictures! Until then, cozy wishes to all!

I have now been at post for a little over a month, and what a month it has been. Most mornings I wake up (from the sound of the lady sweeping next door) at 6 am and think, what will should I do today? Play the 20th game of solitaire, practice juggling, clean my house... again. Then I roll out of bed, sometimes go for a run, and eat breakfast and study french... lots of french. Maybe someday I will get it down. The other morning I woke up freezing, looked at the thermometer and it was 74 degrees! I'm turning African! In a country where there seems to be no concept of time or right angles, the oranges are in fact green and even the goats stare at you, I have started to establish my first home. On any given day I can walk down the street and get a lunch of beans and rice for 150cfa. That's the equivalent of about 3 cents at home. ( I think I did the math right) It would be served to me by a teenage girl with a bright smile on her fave. It is not uncommon to see kids, especially girls selling food on the corner or working in the market. Now that the initial shock of the walking through the markets is over, I'm starting to notice other things besides the bright colors and hustle and bussel. For example, the young lady who may sell your tomatoes is actually a young mom with a baby nursing and another child at her feet. Or that the toddler in the next booth over is staring at you with wide-eyed and trembling because you may be the first "yovo" he has ever seen. As for work, they tell us our first three months here should be to practice a language (french or local) and observe the town, culture, and your work place. I will eventually be working for an NGO called ODEC. It is primarily a micro-finacning institution, but they do some health care as well. Once my french gets up to par I will be going into villages and teaching about basic hygiene and water sanitation, malaria prevention, malnutrition and the such. As November rolls around, I plan to start up an English club at the High school. There is a quote by C.S. Lewis that was given to me before I left that I keep coming back to. It says " One who has journeyed into a strange land can not remain unchanged." Some days I fight that reality, I don't want to change. But then I realize it isn't Benin that is the strange land but rather it's the future, so why fight it. We all have a future, it's part of the adventure of life. Change happens to use all. Kind of exciting isn't it? Before I ramble anymore, I'll get to the part that you all have been asking me for.... PICTURES!!! Sorry it has taken so long. Internet where I can upload photos is hard to come by. I've picked out a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

My host family! Isaac, Terese, Rose, Sophie, and Dorcas.

Rose, it was the only way I could get her to smile for the camera.

This is the way the women care EVERYTHING and they usually have a baby on there back. I'll have to work on it.

We do get rain here, well at least right now. It's the rainy season. When it rains, it pours... and the temp. drops! A girls dance group on the Aug. 1st independence day celebration. (Noli, you would have loved watching the local dance!!) A stage field trip to the special forest. Lots of fetishes, and statues and interesting cultural observations. See what you think about this one. On the beach at Oudiah. This photo was taken near the point of no return where many people were sold into slavery. Another stage field trip to Grand Popo. Yes we did actually do a lot of hard work during stage, it wasn't all fun in the sun. The beach at Grand Popo is beautiful, but the ocean is too strong to swim in. So you just watch the waves. Sorry this picture is turned funny. My very first meal at post. Mac and cheese from Aunt Brenda! Yum!!!!

My house! I have a front room, "kitchen," bedroom, WC, and shower..... and lots of windows!!!

Hiking with Debra and Hollie. Debra is super awesome post mate. She lives about 10 k away and works for an environmental NGO. This may look like the biggest corn you have ever seen but it is actually Millet.

Another turned picture. Sorry, I'll get better at this. This is the view from the top of the mountain. Pretty neat, huh?!

This is Africa...

If you have made it to the bottom of the page, thanks for sticking with me. If you have any questions, please ask! I would love to try to answer them. Even if you don't have any questions, send me an email some time, keep me updated.

Hello everyone! It has been too long since , my last post. Internet is hard to come by. ill try to update you the best i can.

Well here I am. In Benin, now what?

Currently, I'm living with a lovely family in Dogbo while I learn french and the customs of the country. I'm learning french slowly which makes for some very frustrating and funny moments. my host family is very patient with me which is encouraging.

my family is made up of my "ma ma" (who is actually the same age as me) my "pa pa," and three "sisters" ages 15, 10, and 5. My sisters are actually relatives of my host parents; I'm not quite sure how though. host patents are expecting their first child in January. very exciting! too bad I wont be there.

As for food, they feed me traditional food. That means I eat a lot of pot. What is that you ask.... well its boiled flour that makes a dough life substance. Then you use the dough to pick up different kinds of sauces. The sauce is usually made out of some kind of legume and oil. Lots of oil, everything has oil(you weren't kidding Anne!). The major food groups here are starch, and oil. My family served me a salad one night for dinner, which made me supper excited. The Salad is like nothing you will find in the states it consisted of lettuce, carrot and potato bits, hard boiled eggs and spaghetti. Dripping with oil and mayonnaise. My favorite dish so far is beans and gari with a side of pima. Gari is a root type substance and pima is spicy peppers. Yum!

Currently, I have just returned from my post visit. During training you have a few days that you go to visit the town you will be living in for the next two years. The purpose is to see your house and make sure it is ok, visit your job, and start to become comfortable with the community.

I have been posted in a medium, sized town named Djougou. My job is to work with an NGO teaching about HIV/AIDES, nutrition, and whatever else I can think of. Sounds pretty straight forward right? haha..

What a trip it has been! To get north you have to take a bus from Cotonou. To get to the bus you have to take a Zemi. That's where my story starts. We (a fellow PCT and I, as well as one of our teachers) left the hotel with ample time to get to the bus station only to find out that the bus had left early! So our teacher yells at us to stay on the Zemi. Next thing we know we are involved in a high speed Zemi chase trying to stop the bus... at 7 in the morning. All some people need to wake up is a cup of coffee. We eventually caught up to the bus, pulled them over and got on board. Thus starts the trip.

Once we got to Djougou, I got off the bus and they left me. My supervisor was there to help out. Only I cant speak french and he doesn't speak English. Throughout the course of the next 2 days I found out I don't have a house to live in (miscommunication) and my NGO isn't open yet. Luckily, I did get to talk with a PCV that lives in town and he gave me lots of insight for projects. I'm very excited to get there and start! All I have to do is keep working on the french.

Well I should get going, but before I do let me say thank you for all of the emails and letters. You guys are incredible!! I'm not sure what I would do with out you all! It has been just the encouragement I've needed to know that I have so many of you praying for me. I miss you all!!

Much love!

Em

p.s. best of luck with the start of classes!! I'll be praying for all of you.

Hello All!

I'm going to attempt a new way to post this, via email, lets see if it works.

So first update, when sending mail, make sure you write par avon and air mail on the package. Also there was a slight change to the address. It should look like this

Emily L. Faber, Peace corps volunteer

corps de la paix

B.P. 971

Cotonou, Benin

Afrique de l'Ouest

also, even if you are sending a normal letter it must by in a small padded envlope otherwise it wont make it here.

Enough of the borning stuff. Where should I start. getting to Philly to leave was quite an adventure. the morning of we found out that my backpack had a factory default rip in it that we didn't see before and i had to get a new one. so we made a quick/stressful trip to REI to get a new pack. they didnt have the same one I did so I ended up with a compleatly new pack. It actulaly worked out for the better. My new one is much nicer and bigger! I ended up gettign to staging about 5 min. before registration was closed. Few!

The next few days we spent in Philly doing paper work, getting shots, and meeting each other. there are 59 people in my staging class.

The flight here was long, but an uneventful flight. I had a slight scare at the Philly airport b/c they said that I didnt check in, even though i had and i had the tickets in my hand. It turned out that they had registered an Emily Farber and an Emily Faber.

Our accomidations in Benin are very nice. We have had lots of housekeeping things to do here. The most exiciting was Zemi training. Zemis are a cross between motorcylces and mopheads and taxies. That all equals crazy driving!!! Here you take Zemis almost everwhere you need to go. Often you see whole families riding on one. This means a toodler, man, and women with a baby tied to her back. The roads are all two lanes but there are no such things as visible lanes. It's a true deffinition of orgainized chaos. At least we get issued a helmit!

Today was my first day walking through one of the markets. There is lots of brightly colored tissue (fabric) and veggies. As you walk past each stand you are greated "Bonjour" which is sometimes hard to hear over top of the cluching chickens that are kept in large baskets on the side. If you are not intersted in veggies you can follow your nose to the nearby stand where there is rosted chicken and mutton for sale. Through out the city you smell roasting meet, sewage, and gas emmisions. Tonight I get a picture of my host family. I'm exicited to "meet" them. Tomorrow we all get droped off at our staging sites. For the next few weeks i will be craming my head with lots of french! Wish me luck!Today was my first day walking through one of the markets. There is lots of brightly colored tissue (fabric) and veggies. As you walk past each stand you are greated "Bonjour" which is sometimes hard to hear over top of the cluching chickens that are kept in large baskets on the side. If you are not intersted in veggies you can follow your nose to the nearby stand where there is rosted chicken and mutton for sale. Through out the city you smell roasting meet, sewage, and gas emmisions.

Tonight I get a picture of my host family. I'm exicited to "meet" them. Tomorrow we all get droped off at our staging sites. For the next few weeks i will be craming my head with lots of french! Wish me luck!

The misquetos arent too bad. I only have a few bites, knock on wood. Hopefully it stays that way!

Thats all i have for now, im sure ill have more to write soon. As soon as i can get to a computer again.

Much love,

Emily

Well, I guess it is time for goodbyes. I would be remiss if I did not thank all my friends and family for all of the love and support and prayers you have shown me in the last few weeks/ months. I can not thank you enough!! I love you all more then you can imagine!!

Keep my updated! And don't be a stranger! I may be a few thousand miles away, but as always, my door is always open!

My address is

Emily L. Faber, Peace Corps Volunteer

Corps de la Paix

B.P. 971

Contonou, Benin

(make sure you send letters air mail. Surface mail may make it there by the time I'm ready to come home)

I'll miss you all!!

Lots of love and bear hugs!!

They say that one thing you need to do before you graduate Penn State is to tour the bell tower. So here it is.... check it off the list.The clock from the tower, we were so close we could almost touch it!

Rebecca, Christi, Christin and I with Mt. Nittany in the background.

Noli and Jordan at Otto's Bluegrass night.

Then there was Blue and White weekend. The best way to kick it off, with a New Life semi-formal. Peg also came to visit!

The roommates all dolled up!

The whole group. I'm going to miss them!

The next day was beautiful!! There was the blue and white game at 2pm. Before hand we had a tailgate. Yummm!!!

If you will notice, the stadium is not blue and white like it normally would be. Also where the S zone should be it is a VT zone. Just a few days before was the VT tragedy. To honor VT we all dressed in maroon and orange . Our prayers still go out to all of those involved with VT. We are......VT.

Sunday Peg and I took a trip to Meyer's Dairy before she went home. Great ice cream!!

To mark the one week point of VT, there was a memorial service on the old main lawn

Spring has FINALLY come to Penn State. It has been a long winter! The flowers look great!

Here are a few pictures from Spring break. A group of 11 of us (7 guys, 4 girls) road tripped to South Carolina to spend a week backpacking the foothills trail. After spending all night in the 15 passenger van, we were more then read y to start our adventure. First step, catch a boat and cross Lake Jocassee

Once we were dropped at our "trail head" we were faced with obstacles. Our drop site wasn't actually the trail. The lake was low so the boat could not make it to the real drop site. Our option, to send a few scouts out, find the real trail and start bushwhacking up the side of a mountain. Luckily, we are all exceptional backpackers and we found the trail. We took a group picture in honor of this... or maybe it was just for SAR (search and rescue)?

Look at us go...

Pictures from our camp site the 2nd night.

One notable thing about the trail is that there are bridges everywhere! I thought this one was particularly pretty.

Spam melts!! I guess there is a first time for everything. This was my first and possibly last time eating spam. After getting past the mighty Python "spam spam spam spam......." there was the salty taste. Other then the spam, we had great trial food! Lots of GORP .... yum!

Our 2nd from last night we got washed out at our camp site. Everyones sleeping bags were drenched because our tents turned into small lakes. Luckily, one of us knew a family that had a cabin in the area. They graciously let us spend our last night in there warm, dry, cozy cabin!

At the sunshine cafe in Barvard NC. If you are ever in the area, you should stop, it's a great little cafe!

Picture of the areaBeing St. Patrick's day when we got back, the three of us stopped at Zeno's.

As I have not posted many pictures from the semester here are a few.

Out to get canyon pizza on Friday night. You should note that this is a PSU must do. Somehow, I have missed out on this, that night was my first canyon pizza of my PSU career!

The nest weekend, Lynda came to visit!!! It's great to see old friends!!

Another weekend a few of us went to the HUB to get some food, it was 11pm and we were hungry! We ended up playing "Settlers of Katan" Fun times!

When the weather is nice (it happens every now and then) it's fun to get outside! Jordan got a BBQ organized in Sunset park. Great food, great friends, great memories....

As it is now April 16th, we have only three more weeks of classes, one week of finals, one sr. week and I graduate! I'm still waiting to hear my placement for the Peace Corps. They say I wont find out till about mid May. For now, i'm saying my prayers, enjoying my friends, and making the most of my last few weeks at PSU.

Last night I took a few moments to sit outside and enjoy the night. For the first time in about a month and a half the temp. has broken out of the single digits. Sitting on the front steps I could hear the water dripping aka snow melting. I am enjoying the snow and it is sad to see it go, but i'm ready for the warmer running weather. I figured this would be a good tribute to snow in Happy Valley.

What do college students do on a snow day, you ask? do we catch up on work? No way! We play!!!

The storm started tuesday night, so at 9pm a bunch of us meet at the BJC to go sledding. It turns out that about 50 other students had the same idea. I think it is safe to say that everyone there had a memorable time!

Very first sled rides were taken...

Snow angles were made...

Journies were taken.... (he spent 2 hours cross country skiing to play with us!)

The next morning(wednesday) classes were cancled, so the roommates went for an adventure....

We found this blue foam sofa by a dumpster...

So we picked it up...

And took it back...

Roommate picture!!!

The snow provided us with many laughs a few black and blue marks but mostly great memories! I'm exicited to see what the rest of the semester has in store....

Welcome to the Cayman's! Over Christmas break I was once again given the oppurtunitiy to babysit. This year it was in the Cayman Islands. For the most part the weather was warm and sunny. It was nice to feal a little sun on my shoulders. Especally with the negative degree weather we have been having here in Happy Valley. Without the cold we wouldn't appreciate the warm.

Hope you enjoy a few of my pictures from the trip.

This was one of the Chrsitmas trees in the hotel loby. They were quite ornate. The loby/downstiars area was decorate with fresh flowers, lights and even a life size gingerbread house. The fresh flowers remined me of Easter beucase of the smell. They used a lot of white lilies and white roses. Must be the tropical flare.

The hotel had chairs like this all over the beach. When we wern't babysitting, we would grab an apple and go sit on the beach.

Sunset from our balcony.

Well, I started this entry as a study break about a week ago. But now I'm home, so I guess I should finish.

This semester has gone super fast! I feel like I was just running around in shorts moving in freshmen. Now, it's more like bundle up, brave the cold, and dash to class weaving in and out of all the students. The freshmen seem to have mastered campus. No longer do you see groups of them standing around maps trying to figure out where they are going. It's amazing to see how campus can change in just one semester.

As it is the end of the semester, I figured it would be a good time to take a moment and reflect of the events and lessons from the last few months. (I'll try to include pictures when possible) I guess the best place is to start is at the beginning. (doe-ray-me.... )

September started off in a furry. New Life continued the tradition and helped with freshmen move in. The warm and sometimes rainy weather accompanied Saturday football games, after all, what would fall in happy valley be without football! Being that I missed all of the 2005 season, I was pumped to see some good football. As classes started to intensify, so did my training. I made the goal of running the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 19th. I had great support from my friends and family. My freshmen year roommate would even do short runs with me in the morning before classes!

This semester there is a new (and some returning) cast of characters living in my apt. There are still five of us, just a different five. With each change in person comes a new perspective on life. This year we have a very awesome, international, perspective. When you open the door to the apartment, there is always a new smell. You never know what is being cooked in the kitchen. Noli, our resident Salsa dancer, convinced me to go Salsa dancing with her and her group of friends on one Wednesday night. I didn't take long before I was hooked!

Before I knew it, I had run right through September.

October was unseasonably warm, the leaves were beautiful and we were hopeful that our football team was just having a few down games. My marathon training was knocked back to 1/2 marathon training due to a knee injury. I found a few new running partners that were willing to do long runs with me. Their encouragement was great once the miles started to build up.

For Halloween, we had a pumpkin carving party at our apt. There was laughter and pumpkin goo everywhere. By the end of the night we had our front steps lined with lit pumpkins. It was quite a sight to see!

October also offered an unusual opportunity to go to a barn dance. I've never attended a barn dance so I didn't quite know what to expect. Holy moly was it fun! They had a live band and a square dance caller. I think everyone there was grinning from ear to ear. The dance was sponsored by one of the local churches. I hope they do it again in the near future! Going along with dancing, Salsa dancing on Wednesday nights continued. I'm slowly learning the steps. Maybe, someday, I'll be as good as the others out there on the dance floor. .

November was still unseasonably warm, marathon training continued and my roommates, some friends and I saved our Giant points. As November is turkey month, we decided to save our Giant points and get two free turkeys to do a pot-luck, pre-thanksgiving, get your stomachs ready thanksgiving dinner. We picked out two, twenty-two pound turkeys. Below is the turkey that I cooked. Katie did a wonderful job with the other one. We ended up with about 40 people who attended the dinner. Everyone brought mouth watering side dishes, everything from sweet potatoes bake to cheese cake. This was a meal our mom's would be proud of.

On Nov. 19th, 13,000 people and I ran anywhere from 13.1 miles to 26.2 miles. If you ever need a boost of self-esteem go run a marathon. The people of Philly are great! They encourage you along the whole way! I ran the 1/2 marathon in a bright tie-dyed T-shirt so that my family could see me. Every once in a while I would hear a random person on the side yell "Great job tie-dye! Keep it up! The best encouragers, however, were my family and friends that came to see me. Abigail, Christin and Hannah stuck out the cold to watch. Thanks guys, I’m so happy you were there!!! Below is a picture of the racecourse.

Well the months not over yet so there is still more story to write but December is here! i can't believe that tomorrow is Christmas eve. The weather has finally turned cold and then warm again. Maybe there is still hope for a white Christmas?

Anyway, back to the story. The first weekend in the month my roommates and I, as well as, a fiancé and boyfriend went to NYC for the day. The tradition of visiting the city at Christmas time started sr. year in high school. We walked around times square, Rockefeller square and went ice skating in central park. For those of you who have never gone ice skating in NYC at Christmas time, I highly recommend it! The atmosphere feels like you are in a movie. Duane popped the question and Laura said yes! Congratulations you guys, I’m very happy for you!!

The roomates!

Ice skating in central park.

Nice ring!The tree in Rockefeller center.

December is always a great time to get care packages, thanks for the finals Chocolate package! It was greatly enjoyed!

Another weekend I went caving with CRUX. The cave we went to was cave mountian cave in west va. Needless to say, I don't think I'm a fan of caves. It was a good experence, but i think i'll keep to above ground.

On our way down we found a town park filled with Christmas lights. After being in the car for a while we decided to stop and run around, I won't tell you that it was at 11:30 at night.....

After being down in the cave all day Saturday, this was the best part, light at the end of the tunnel a.k.a. FREEDOM from the cave!!

On another note, I finally turned in my Peace Corps application. Eeek! Prayers are always welcomed.

Here's hoping next semester, my last semester, will be the best one yet. Cozy wishes to you and your's over this joyous Christmas season! Best of luck in the New Year!

P.S. Mr. Morton, Maui or bust came from Denver. There was a car that had "just married" written on the window. Then below that it said "Maui or bust." We had to laugh because we were pretty sure they would bust trying to drive the car to Maui, there's just too much ocean in the way.

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came -

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

~George Cooper, "October's Party"

The leaves are falling and the air has turned from crisp to cold. Oh how I love State College in the autumn. Classes are in full swing and keeping me busy!! However, I have still found some time to enjoy the weather.

The mid-state trail on a foggy fall morning.

We have had a bit of rain here in Happy Valley. With every good rainstorm comes a rainbow! It wouldn't be fall without football!! Above, is the Rally in the Valley. This is how we get ready for big football games. In this case it was the U. of Michigan game. Joe Pa. had quite a bit to say at the rally. He had the crowd laughing the whole time.

At the U. of Michigan vs. PSU game. This was my frist ever night game. Despite valiant efforts, we didn't win. It's ok, we'll get them next time!!!

WE ARE...............

Road trip pictures! I fianlly have enough of them to do a post. I'll try to keep them in the order the best I can.

Peg and I started the trip by flying out to San Diego. There we were picked up by Silas and started the edventure.Rose gardens in San Diego.

Peg and I inside a tree in San Diego.

A rockin' jazz band jammin' out over looking the beach in La Jolla .

Watching the sun set over the Pacific for the first time, ever. And man did the sun set fast!

What can I say? Vegas Baby! Unfortunitly we didn't get to see all of the nights since we drove though the night and hit the slot machines at 6am. Peg, the birthday girl was the big winner with $1. 50. She was also the big spender shelling out $3. After Vegas we went to the Grand Caynon. This is the start of the hike. We left the south rim at 5pm. Silas has the rest of the pictures since my camara broke. We spent two nights down in the caynon. It was AMAZING!!

Sunset on the rim the night we got back from the hike.

Silas with a t-rex foot print. Or so we are told.

This is how we traveled!

Driving!

Welcome to Colorado!

A very late night supper in Durango .

Chruch in Durango. The best little chruch around!

The jerky store in Silverton. For not being a big jerky fan, this stuff was great!

Sunset in Wyoming.Late night reststop in Wyoming.

More pictures to come......

Hello there! Being that it is the first week in August, I guess iI should update some of the highlights of my summer. So her it goes, this is going to be a long one!

I started of with a mission trip to Honduras. Wow, it was amazing! Here are a few of my favorite pictures. Unfortunitly, I can't get even close to posting all of my pictures, but I would love to show them to you sometime.

There was never a shortage of kids to play with in town. Being that I don't speak any spanish, one way I could play with them was to play tic-tac-toe. Boy, did they love tic-tac-toe! We would play for hours!

Here the boys are playing with a beam of light. There was a hole in the roof of the porch and it created a sun spot.

This is Flower! She was one of my favorites!

Wesely playing with marbles.

Doing the laundry.

One day we handed out care kits. These three friends helped us a ton!!

One of the families from the Baptist church. They made us sweet bread one day. It was wonderful!!

This is Hector, he helped us build a roof for Pastor Alex.

Toward the end of the trip, we took a few days to go to the island of Roaton. I didn't think places like that actually exisited. It was unreal! Getting there was quite an adventure. It took us three buses, an hour of walking(due to a protest and closed roads) a long bus ride and a hopper plane to get there. Boy was it worth it! The above picture is of the team at sunset. Below is a picture of the beach.

After Honduras things calmed down again. I went back to work at Willow Creek Orchards. Things there are always an adventure. My offical role is to be on the register, but what does not mean much. I help sort the produce, work on displays, weed, and so on. It's a great change of pace from the rest of the year. I can't belive how much I have learned about farming and veggies and the such. Plus, the people I work with are awesome! We always have a great time! Here's a picture to get an idea of what the farm store is like.One major event this june is that Russell graduated!

Last week was work camp in Fayetville WV. We did a lot of framing work. Central had 4 sites. By the end of the week we had the foundation of one house poured, the flooring and outside walls of another house, and the inside,outside, trusses, and windows on the third and forth houses compleat. On our day off we went white water rafting on the New River. There was lots of white water and laughter on that trip. All in all it was a great week!

The WV mountians.

Alice (one of my flat mates from England) and her family happened to be in Philly on holiday. So, I got to visit with her and her wonderful family!! We walked down south street and caught up on the months since I was in Canterbury. All of her stories made me homesick for everyone in England. I miss you guys!

As there is still a month left before classes start, there will be plenty more summer pictures! Next stop.... San Diego!

Cheers! Em

Big update!! Sorry it has been forever since I have posted anything. School is busy busy busy! It is hard to belive that we are in our last week of classes! Then I have 3 finals and i'm home! Let summer begine! Anyways, here are some pictures from April.

April started with my birthday, (I think I have posted some of those pictures already though) Anyways, these are some of the BEAUTIFUL flowers that were sent to me. Thank you so much!!!

Then that weekend, was my grandma's 80th birthday party in Harrisburg. Family came in from all over! It was great!! I had been waiting for this weekend all semester. Lots of laughs were had by all!! And oh, the stories we (us cousins) were told. My family plus Aunt Anne and Grandma

The siblings

Uncle Russ and Aunt Andrea. They did most of the planning for this event. They did an AWESOME job! Thanks!

My most favorite brother! (so he is my only brother, but he is still my favorite!)

After that, the following week had sunny weather! So, I went for a hike. This is the view from the top of mt. Nittnay. About a week later the leaves started to come out.April's next big event.... EASTER! Katie, Peg and I drove home to spend the weekend with family. Unfortunitly, Laura couldn't come with us (we are all roommates, and from the same home town...go figure) so she drew us a picture of her.

This past weekend was busy!! It was blue and white weekend which means the New Life formal, the blue and white football game, and lots of fun!! It's too bad it rained all day saturday, but at least State won the game....hehe.

3 of the 4 roommates. Laura, Katie, Me

Some of the guys...

We don't have any fun ....

Alycia and I

The 4 roommates.....

At the blue and white game. Lynda was there, that is a picture of her on the phone. We all can't wait till you get home Lynda!!

The next day (sunday) was sunny, go figure... This is the Honduras 06 team. We leave for Honduras May 14. If you could pray for us and our work in Honduras we love it.Spring around campus

Clark and Peg on the lion.

Then to finish off the weekend, we hiked mt. Nittnany at sunset. Fun times!!

I guess I should get back to work now. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Lynda, Hope all is well in Norway! Student teaching going well? Gone skiing lately? Anyways, we here at APT. 2 just wanted to let you know we miss you!!! Here are some pictures for you! Much love, Katie, Peg, and Emily. P.s. Laura miss you too, we just don't have any pictures...sorry maybe next time. Celebrating my 21st B-day. Just like your picture...well not really, but close!