SO the first week of classes came and went (slowly) but i survived! it has been very humbling to have to ask for help so often and for such simingly unimportant things! I'v been in my advisors office almost everyday...i ask students, professors, etc...questions all the time "where is this building? how do i get that resource? who do i talk to?" like i said..humbling!
Im also realizing how big the committment iv made really is! the house is  going to be so fun, but there are mandatory meetings,dinners,gatherings etc...one being a weekly bible study with john perkins himself (yay!) but its at 6:30 in the morning..those of you that know me know that that is not a time that i am particularly fond of! haha! We are also required to be involved in community service, so if i cannot get involved in young life during my time here im going to volunteer at the perkins center! i have also become involved in R.U.F here at jackson, its the campus ministry (kinda like the INN for those of you who know it!) which is grrrrrreat and filled with amazing people but i am working on balancing things out so that i dont spread myself too thin....because after all my biggest goal is to be in relationship with the girls down here!

ALL THAT SAID..i want to apologize to everyone..i have not been able to be in touch like i would have hoped...it is not only just because im busy but that i want to be present in whats happening here! i dont want to spend all my time filling others in and processing things that are happening here when i havent neccesarily processed it myself! so please please know that i do love and miss everyone back home a ton and think abot you all often and i will do myself to call or check in from time to time!

HAIR HAIR HAIR

hair is a topic that comes up ALL the time here!!! if im not talkin about it with someone im sittin in class lookin around at all the different hair styles..its amazing, there is like a whole different world of hair i never knew about! so heres what you all have to do, go rent GOOD HAIR, its a documentary that chris rock made and if you watch it you will get a feel for what im livin with here in mississippi! seriously, rent it, you will learn so much!!!

back to school....SO FRICKIN EARLY!

well...mom, dad, you'll be proud, dropped my 8 o clock class cuz even after only 1 day i realized it was gonna be too early for me! haha! it was aerobic dance tho, so im bummed i wont be learnin some sweet dance moves! but i still have 17 hours, which is 6 classes, so i feel like im gonna be stayin busy! classes are fine, the worst part is when i dont have class for an hour or 2 and have to find something to do on campus..it not fun to just sit, espcecially if you dont really know anyone! (i literally got asked twice today "why are you here?" and it wasnt a question outta curiosity, i wold have gladly answered had it been....it was more of a territorial thing,which i totally get...its just not very comforting!) haha! but other than that i see familiar faces throughout the day and feel like im gonna like my classes and professors! i have health, biology,art and a race and ethnicity class mon, wed,fri and then a social problems and a statistics class tue and thur! and grandma, this is specifically for you...i feel VERY VERY safe! no issues yet and the guys in our community are very sweet and protective, always textin us girls and askin if we need rides or walkin us home etc...!!! i have to get up extra early not because im doing extra to get ready for class but because in between showering and blow drying my hair and doin my make-up and eating i have to take little breaks, lye down and turn on my fan...cool off, then get back to gettin ready! haha...it makes me laugh now but i can tell its gonna get old!!! im gonna try and take pics of the school and classes...and the girls i live with, so dont worry they're comin! miss you all!

southern hospitality!

arrived in jackson mississippi yesterday! flew out of seattle at 7-and as i got on the plane (crying, yes) i sat next to a soldier going to iraq so i realized i better suck it up! (funny how god does things like that!) only problem with sitting next to him was he talked the whole 4 hours and i had pulled an all nighter, but ya win some, ya lose some! got into Dallas and switched to a rikkity little jet, wasn't too pleased! for those of you who know me and have heard my family's near fatal plane ride know i HATE flying! but i slept the whole trip! they ended up losing my luggage..so that was really neat, but a girl from the house im living at, Kari, came to pick me up so i was very thankful that i didnt have to cab it! and i dont know how it came up, but her favorite movie is also anne of green gables which in a weird way made me feel right at home! It is very hot here, but its more than hot, its humid and sticky! but they said its been coolin down so im hopin that trend sticks! i got my bags late last night, for those of you who were worried, but my phone is doin funny things and iv lost some numbers, i am workin on gettin that sorted out! walked around campus today and i def stand out (i counted a whoppin 1 other white person! lol) and the time difference is not all that off, but the 2 hours has been kinda weird for me to get used to! saw my first cocroach today (will post pictures!) and yesterday ate catfish for the first time from this little corner store called boston-they say its the best on campus! i liked it! i can tell im gonna gain like 87 lbs while im here! im hopin i just sweat some of it out! haha! im off to go meet with some advisors about classes etc..then gettin to know people at the perkins center! ill try and keep this up-to-date...love you all!