Update (I’m going to Africa!!)

I did promise important updates so here ya go.

I'm going to Uganda in August! I'll be in Kampala for a few days and Jinja for a few days. (interesting fact: Jinja is the source of the Nile off of Lake Victoria) I'm going with Fount of Mercy. Through Fount I'll be working with three different orphanages in either Kampala or Jinja. My purpose in working with these organizations is to teach them basic bookkeeping and accounting skills so that they learn to have some type of accounting systems. This type of recordkeeping is necessary to obtain government grants as well as attract the attention of large aid organizations. For example, one of the organizations I will be working with was recently denied aid because they don't have accurate controls and systems in place to monitor what happens to the food/supplies/medication/clothes once they receive it. So hopefully I'll be planting a seed that is much much bigger than the eight days I'll be spending there. I'm also going to get to spend a day or two researching microfinance organizations in the area (God has literally shoved me into various situations where I've learned a lot about microfinance and have been involved in the creation of a non-profit here in Dallas over the past year). The woman we'll be travelling with in Uganda, Lori (the International Development Director at Fount), has noticed that not all of the microfinance shops in the area are legit. Many Ugandans are skeptical of the process since most of them know of someone who has been scammed. This is incredibly heartbreaking to me. Microfinance is one of the programs that has proven over the past 30 years to actually make a sustainable economic difference in developing countries and for people to be undermining this activity is disheartening. My hope is to be able to gather as much information as possible while I am there and to catalogue the different microfinance options available in Kampala and Jinja and figure out which ones are legit so that Fount can have an educated basis for recommending one organization over another when people come asking for advice. Obviously I'm very excited about that also.

I'm going with a great friend here in Dallas. Sarah and I will be together the whole trip. She is gifted with the ability to write and will be interviewing different people that Fount works with at the organizations or in the city and will be spending quality time with them to discover their "story" and put that into words. We're also going to have a stopover in Dubai on the way back and will be able to spend a day exploring there. Also very excited about that (clearly!).

In general I know that God is going to use this time to really challenge some of my preconceived notions about what it will look like to help people, work with a non-profit, devote myself to others, be halfway across the world, humble myself beyond belief, and learn what He has for me. I'm sure none of it will be what I'm expecting.

So that is my update about Africa. I'm also raising support for the trip so if you have a desire to give you can do so in one of the following ways:

• Personal check to me
  

  4120 Prescott Ave. #103
  

  Dallas, TX 75219
  

Tax Deductible Donation

• www.fountofmercy.com
  
  • Click donate
    
  • Make sure you put my name in the designation field!
    

We're getting immunized on Wednesday (eeek!) so say a little prayer for us!

it’s the warm and fuzzy time of year (thank you billy gilman)

I'm moving over to another blog to be anonymous for a while.

I'm not closing down this blog. I'm sure I'll come back from time to time to give big updates…Africa? Moving?

Merry Christmas friends!

 

King Willie

Last night Paul and I drove up to OKC (and back) to meet William King Posey. Little Will is Travis and Libby Posey's second (after big sister Ava) and Paul's second godchild. Yes, Paul is a godfather. Here are some pics of the little guy and those that already adore him.

Paul and Will

Libby and Will
Paul, Will, Travis
Will & Papa
Paul wasn't so sure about holding him just yet...
Welcome to the world Will! I can't wait to get to know you better!

i need africa more than africa needs me

I was asked by Mocha Club to write about the concept of why "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." Mocha Club is a community-based website where members can start a team a invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

If you know me well then you know that about three years ago something in my life dramatically changed. Without any specific reason why I began to feel an inescapable pull toward Africa. I've gone through different phases over the past few years ranging from feeling completely uncomfortable in our abundant culture to wanting to buy a luxury car or a house, from wanting to pick up and move to Africa to knowing that I can't afford it, from worrying about who/what/when/how can I get there to being frustrated that it has taken years and I still haven't been able to go or have a plan to go. As all of these thoughts run through my brain a million times a day in a million different ways I've really been able to rest in the peace the God has a plan for me. A plan that is bigger and better than all of the hundreds of possible scenarios I've run through my mind. I know this because recently He's been starting to open doors and form new connections that I could never have imagined. He's slowly but surely narrowing down my focus for what I specifically am gifted to do. I am fully pursuing going to Africa next summer (2009) and although at this point there are many many unknowns I will keep pursuing these opportunities until He closes all of the doors.

I need Africa more than Africa needs me because I know selfishly that giving of my time, money, knowledge, effort, prayers, hard work, education, and love will bring me a sense of fulfillment. I selfishly know that giving of myself and being obedient in that way will bring a sense of contentedness – surely not every day or minute – but overall, contentedness. I know that I will be freed of the materialistic pull of Dallas and America at least for a moment. That I won't have to daily fight against the desire to buy a new car or fill my closet and room with meaningless stuff. I will be able to impact those who I shared life and friendship with here when I go. I might find time to be silent and sit still.

I am only one person and can only make the impact of one person so while Africa maybe does need me she only needs me as much as she can need one person. However, being able to make a difference no matter how microscopic to that great continent will mean the world to me.

Share your thoughts in my comments section and even blog about it yourself if you have a strong opinion. Join in the worthwhile cause of recasting the damaging images that force pity over partnership. Come back December 1 to see what Mocha Club is doing about reforming that image.

2nd Annual Home Group Thanksgiving Potluck

We had our Second Annual Home Group Thanksgiving Potluck dinner tonight. We all contribute to the dinner and bring a friend, family member, or boyfriend. For the second year in a row I made Paul come with me and he even had a good time in spite of himself. Here are some pictures of my fabulous girls and our friends. Love you girls!

Cara and Seth

Jennifer, Brian, Amanda, and Pablo (brother)
Roxy and Kim

Erin, Matt, and Angela

There is so much to be thankful for in our lives. Be sure to spend some time this week thanking the Lord for all of the abundant blessings in your life!

friends & family (and big news!)

Isn't it fun when people fall into both the friends and family categories? I have many cousins on both sides of the family and Paul and I fall into the oldest group both times. On the Stout side of the family there are five of us older grandchildren and then there is a big gap and then a barrage of small children (who I guess aren't so small now since Laney and Pete-Ray both graduated from high school in May – geez – how did that happen??).

But I digress. Among these five older grandkids there are three boys and two girls. JonAnne is about two years (ish) older than me and a year younger than Paul. We've never lived geographically close (unless you consider 4 hours close) so we saw each other only several times a year growing up. I'd say about when I was in high school I started realizing how cool she was (I mean she is two whole years older and wiser than me) and started hanging on her every word. Unless your memory is better than mine JonAnne, I'd say probably about then is when we started becoming friends rather than just cousins and holiday playmates. I remember sitting in her new car outside of Papa & Grandmothers house and listening to Fiona Apple's first cd. Now I was never in the cool or hip music crowd growing up (couldn't have anything to do with the fact that my mom and I listened to Christmas music and musicals on records or that our family regularly had sing-alongs to barbershop quartets on road trips, could it?) but I knew JonAnne was much cooler than me and the cd sounded cool. So when I got home I bought the cd and loved it. To this day I'm a huge fan of Fiona (first album was the best though) and I'd like to say that I've converted a couple of my friends as well.

Digressed again. JonAnne and I kept in touch off and on through those next college years and she did come all the way up to Stillwater from Norman for a cousin weekend – a fun weekend that I'll always remember. Then a couple of things happened pretty fast: she met her would-be-future-husband, Papa passed away, I moved to Spain, she got married, and she moved away, I got back graduated and also moved away. Needless to say life happened and we haven't been the best about keeping in touch. It's hard and then once you haven't spoken for a long time it's hard to remember what that person does/doesn't know about your life or how much detail you should go into or if they even still care and therefore convince yourself of lots of reasons not to write or call.

It was so sweet to talk with her yesterday (email is a wonderful thing) and know that she's doing well. Family is so strange, huh? You're forced into this group of people who you may or may not have anything in common with other than blood and they expect relationships to just happen. However, it is fun with family can also be friends. I think I've been pretty blessed in this department and JonAnne is just one of those stories. So go call or write someone you've lost touch with, especially since it is around the holidays.

JonAnne – we're going to do better this time, I swear. And I'm going to come visit you in the great, cold, north. We'll run together, take pictures, talk while drinking hot chocolate, and laugh a lot. I can't wait to catch up more! Love you!

 

OK – I also have big news: I'm officially a CPA!! It's weird, but somehow I'm more excited about the paperwork going through and everything being final than I was when I found out that I passed the final part of the exam. This has been a 2 year and 4 month process and now I have a license and certificate number to be a CPA in the state of Texas! Yesssss!! Rachel got her paperwork finalized about a month ago and she's been waiting for me to get mine done to celebrate. We did have a celebratory glass of wine last night and plan to celebrate more this weekend for sure! Feel free to refer to me as Melissa Allen, CPA if you'd like. Although I'm not practicing accounting anymore (and honestly never plan to do it again) I am very excited to have worked so very hard for something and finally be able to see the fruits of that labor. And no matter what direction my career takes me it will always be an impressive part of my resume since the difficulty of the CPA exam is known far and wide. I didn't study for 17 months total for nothing!!

TWILIGHT

I (and every 13 year old girl in the country) am waiting impatiently for Friday to arrive. I may or may not have already purchased my Twilight movie tickets several weeks ago (I can't help it, I am looking forward to it THAT much). Yes, I'm going with a group of six adult women. I think the allure is in the complete impossibility of Edward and Bella's relationship, their passion, their absurdity, and ultimately their love. Also (even though I'm completely unsold on him as my beloved Edward Cullen), I think Robert Pattinson said it well in an interview that I saw of him (not that I've been watching every interview and preview I can get my hands on) - he said that reading the book is like accidentally picking up a was-never-supposed-to-be-published writing of Stephanie Meyer's fantasy. Reading the book you feel that you've stumbled across her personal and deep love.. Due to her honest writing you feel that you are Bella which, no doubt, is the reason that pre-teen through adult women have become obsessed with this series of books.

I love reading fiction and the journey a good author can take you on and I love the place Twilight takes you. A world where the worst of all creatures (vampires) still have consciences and are deciding to do what's "right". A world where any love is possible. A world where that love grips you and won't let go. A world where everyone fights for your safety. A world where the average girl is seen as exciting, desired, and beautiful.

I do know that none of these things are realistic (even the vampires, sigh) especially all of the love stuff. It doesn't happen like that and it's not that easy but I love taking breaks from reality and indulging in the fantasy that it does happen like that. And who knows? I'm not in charge - God is - and maybe this is what He has planned for me (minus the un-dead vampire part of course). I can't say He does but you can't say He doesn't!

Read it if you haven't. If you live near here I'm sure I'll go see the movie with you again and if not go see it anyway and we'll have a long phone discussion about how much we loved it. Happy reading!

I'm sure I'll have a movie review this weekend or early next week - so get excited!!

sweet girl

I enjoy Ellen's quick wit and humor and recently saw this clip on one of the blogs that I read. This girl is amazing!! My favorite part might be when she says she got to meet the Jonas Brothers and the President at the White House. Later she says it was probably more exciting meeting the President but I'm pretty sure the order of how she says she met them tells it all. She is so sweet. I want to have one just like her someday.

Regardless of your stance on gay marriage it is so sweet that she is being brought up to love everyone around her genuinely for who they are. Just like Jesus would have done. He may (and does) disagree with our actions a lot (constantly with me probably) but he does love everyone unconditionally and wholeheartedly regardless of where you come from or what you may have done and I think this girl's actions in this clip are a good picture of that. Hate gets you no where people and it is the opposite of what Jesus would do. Sometimes Christians forget that.

I’m in love

With this. It looks blue in that picture for some reason but if you look at the "on model" view you can see that it is in fact purple or plum as they say. Somehow Anthropologie recently acquired my new address…I'm not quite sure how since I've never actually purchased anything in that store since it is generally too overpriced for my taste. So I get the November catalogue last night and think that I'll just flip through it and then throw it away…bad idea, always a bad idea. I realize that this bag is not a necessity and is not in my current budget but I may start saving now to buy it. I much prefer to carry a colored bag so I don't have to change bags when I go from black to brown and my trusty green one is slowly dying a painful death and Prada is too small and can only be carried with black (don't worry everyone, Prada is on "permanent loan" from a friend and was therefore free). Mr. Green has been strong and sturdy for many years now and has served me well. It needs a worthy replacement and I think little Miss Plum might just do the trick. Let me know if anyone sees her on sale! I might try to hold out until after Christmas sales….so we'll see. I already love her though.

TGIF!! Work happy hour today after work!

hump day

It's 4:18pm. I just looked down and saw salad dressing on the front center of my shirt from lunch.

Happy Hump Day.