the stefanie and the portugal

learning to blog

2008-02-15T16:30:00.002Z

yes, hello. who knows if anyone is even reading this. well, in case you are - please excuse my tardiness with making another post. but here i am again. i really will try to do at least one a week from now on, i promise.

today is going to be a random thoughts/happenings blog. here goes: i went to st. julian's at lunch today and met some new kids. that doesn't always happen so that means it was a good day. two girls put in an entry for the free trip to the service project that we're giving away (a friend of mine offered to sponsor a kid to come with us - SO AWESOME!).

also, i've had it on my brain that i want to move lately. i think i want to live really close to the school, and that neighborhood is also super close to a beach, a market, the train station...it's kind of awesome. so who knows. something to think and pray about.

i'm about to give my first club talk in portugal tonight. i feel really cool and calm about it which is wonderful. two friends (my age) are coming - emily and anniina. emily is a missionary here from the u.s. as well and anniina is my finnish dance student friend.

tomorrow i get the day off :) not sure what i'm going to do yet. possibly go into lisbon tomorrow night. we'll see.

living together

2008-01-28T22:26:00.000Z

lauren is still here. it has been an amazing week. at first, i think i saw her visit as a sort of rescue mission for her crappy situation. now i'm amazed at what this week has done for me. it has been amazing to really live with another person for the last week. she's come with me to have coffee with girls, to club, to get my car inspected. there is something so right about it. i think i've gotten a taste of the type of community god wants for us. just a little taste, but it's really sweet :) she teaches me a lot about seeing and illuminating the good in others and about being real. she also maybe "does younglife" better than anyone i know. i just love it. and i'm so grateful for her time here.

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

2008-01-22T15:03:00.000Z

what a place this is! no clouds, huge ocean, white buildings with colorful tile...it's wonderful. tomorrow i drive to porto, a city in the north of portugal, to pick up my friend lauren wallace. she's coming from germany for an impromptu visit...staying hopefully about a week. oh yeah i met a sweet american missionary named emily for coffee yesterday. she's been here for a year and a half working with portuguese teenagers as is now beginning to work with internationals. she's cool. i think we'll be friends. it's kinda fun :) i'm starting to seriously pray for unity among christians here. like real, loving unity.

welcome

2008-01-17T23:44:00.000Z

i have a blog. shwat??