Fail Us Not, by 1000 Generations

Lyrics:
Failure doesn’t phase You, worry doesn’t win,
Loss doesn’t leave You afraid to start again,
Our sin doesn’t shock You,
Our shame doesn’t shame You at all

Mistakes do not move You, terror doesn’t tame,
Death doesn’t doom You to life in the grave,
Our suffering doesn’t scare You,
Our secrets won’t surprise You at all

There is nothing above You,
There is nothing beyond You,
There is nothing that You can’t do…
There is no one beside You,
There is no one that’s like You,
There is nothing that You can’t do…

Whatever will come, we’ll rise above,
You fail us not, You fail us not,
No matter the war, our hope is secure,
You fail us not, You fail us not,
You fail us not…

Hatred doesn’t hide You, evil doesn’t ail,
Despair can’t disguise You and tell You that You’ve failed,
Our doubt doesn’t daunt You,
Our darkness won’t defeat You at all

You’re bigger than the battle,
You are bigger than the battle
You are bigger than the battle has ever been

most commonly used words in my last few posts

I made this at Wordle.net

Chickens, Goats, and Raccoons OH MY!!!

I am living in a great place. And I love and appreciate my landlords very much. We've often laughed about the situation that I find myself in. The family that I rent from owns various kinds of animals including chickens, bunnies, and a goat. (They did have a raccoon in the fall. That is a story in and of itself) I have never been around so many different kinds of animals. So, you can imagine the adjustment this has been for me.
I will share a story about the goat that happened recently. One day the family's goat, Billy was just hanging out around the outside of the garage like normal. I had a girlfriend come over for a visit/walk through the neighborhood. We began walking down the long driveway only to be followed by the goat. Then, the goat started to run towards us. I was somewhat alarmed. As we approached the road, he really picked up speed and excitement. I thought, he is so excited to have all this complete freedom. I was nervous that he would be hit by a car. I hoped he would turn around and go back towards the garage, however, he just kept following us like a pet dog down the street. He started bucking/raring up. I have no idea what this meant, but I was scared. I screamed and ran to cling to my friend. Just then, the kids came running out of the house and came to rein in the goat. Just in time. Then, we went for a nice walk through the neighborhood sans the goat.

Future Blogs:

In the future look for: I still want to share some pics from my time in Romania. Also, I have a story about a raccoon that will bring a smile to your face, I'm sure.

Have a great week.

How 'Bout them Titans!!

I really thought the Bears had them, but they did it again! They won! 9-0 Undefeated!!! That's awesome. I have so enjoyed watching this team win week after week! It's been fun. I hope they have continued success!!!

Who are you rooting for??

Chickens, Goats, Raccoons...Oh My!!

I am living in a great place. And I love and appreciate my landlords very much. We've often laughed about the situation that I find myself in. The family that I rent from owns various kinds of animals including chickens, bunnies, and a goat. (They did have a raccoon in the fall. That is a story in and of itself) I have never been around so many different kinds of animals. So, you can imagine the adjustment this has been for me.
I will share a story about the goat that happened recently. One day the family's goat, Billy was just hanging out around the outside of the garage like normal. I had a girlfriend come over for a visit/walk through the neighborhood. We began walking down the long driveway only to be followed by the goat. Then, the goat started to run towards us. I was somewhat alarmed. As we approached the road, he really picked up speed and excitement. I thought, he is so excited to have all this complete freedom. I was nervous that he would be hit by a car. I hoped he would turn around and go back towards the garage, however, he just kept following us like a pet dog down the street. He started bucking/raring up. I have no idea what this meant, but I was scared. I screamed and ran to cling to my friend. Just then, the kids came running out of the house and came to rein in the goat. Just in time. Then, we went for a nice walk through the neighborhood sans the goat.

My Life Right Now

It is hard to believe that I have already been in Missouri three and half weeks. Today I am moving into my new place! I will be renting space in a basement. It is a nice place where I will have my own bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area. I am excited about the place.

Teaching is going well. I've completed my first full 3 weeks of work. I am working hard each day to get the room more ready. I am compiling test scores and data. I am staying busy and learning new things each day. I think it will be hard, but very rewarding to help kids who struggle with reading and math.

I am definitely in a time of transition. It is a busy time. I feel very unsettled both personally and professionally. Like my last post mentioned, it does feel like chaos at times. There is a pretty incredible sense of peace at the same time. I do really believe that God has me here, in His timing and for His purposes. I am choosing to trust Him each day.

To be honest, some days I would rather be at home reading, watching tv,or sleeping. Wouldn't we all? I know that God has a divine purpose for my life each day. So, instead of staying in bed, I am choosing to face each day's responsibilities one day at a time. I am in a GROWING up season. I think I finally feel like an adult. I am realizing more and more each day(even more that I did when I was in Moldova) that I am solely responsible for every area of my life. I realize this isn't some hard concept. I just feel the weight of it on my shoulders all of the sudden. I know that God is really the one(not me) in control. I know that He will provide and take care of all my needs and finances. So, I choose to not worry(I mean I will be responsible, but not excessively worry.) about my rent, the food I will eat, my car, my clothes, my job, my bills etc. I know that God will be with be and grant me the wisdom to make good choices and live a life glorifying to Him.

Whatever You're Doing

Here is a song that kind of explains what I feel about my life right now. I know that God is doing a lot of stuff, but it kind of just feels crazy to me. It's all part of God's plan, so I am trusting Him and surrendering daily.

Whatever You're Doing
by: Sanctus Real

It's time for healing time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
And all I can do is surrender

(Chorus)
Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything I surrender...
To...

(Chorus)

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This *is* something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly
Something Heavenly

It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time *to* breathe in and let everything out

Back to the Blog, Back to Missouri

Well, I have now been home for two months. WoW....how time has flown!
It is amazing to me how smooth my re-entry process has been. I haven't really struggled with being here instead of Moldova. The transition into life in the states has been smooth and God has ordained all my plans each day. I feel at peace that the decision to come home was directed by God and that His plan is for me to be stateside at this time. That being said, I did pray about whether the Lord would have me extend my assignment to another term in Moldova or elsewhere. I began praying about the next step during my time in Moldova and then continued praying once I returned to Memphis. There were many days where I was clueless as to what God was doing and where He was leading. People kept asking me, " What are your plans?" "What are you going to do now?" Until last Friday, I didn't have an answer.
Here's the most recent update on my life:
Last week, I received a call about a teaching job in MO. I received another call from the principal asking me for an interview. I travelled to MO for the interview. I was offered the job and I took the job. This is certainly the short version. I feel very much at peace about how God orchestrated the interview and everything that led up to me taking the job. I am so thankful for the prayers and advice from many friends. God is so faithful. SO, I am preparing to drive to Missouri TOMORROW. I will unpack and begin my teaching job this week! I will be teaching 5th and 6th graders. I know that there will be many challenges ahead, but I look forward to all the wonderful ways God will use things in my life to teach me more about Himself. I pray that God will be glorified in it all!

*I intend to continue to post updates and happenings in my life whether I'm in Memphis or Missouri! So, keep checking back for updates and maybe even pictures.
Thanks and God bless.

One Month in Memphis!

Today marks one month of being home for me. I cannot believe it!

My to-do-list:
(Some of things I've done during my time home so far)
spend time with family
Hold my neice
Play with my neice
Love on my neice etc.
go shopping at Walmart no less than ten times
cook
get a library card
check out books on with that card
read those books
drive
take pictures
develop pics (there are still a lot)
scrapbooking
go to church and worship in English again :)
go out to eat
go to eye doctor
get new glasses and contacts :)
make a lot of phonecalls
hopefully talk to a lot of friends and catch up
watch t.v. (and too much of it)

This is obviously just a partial listing. There is lots more to be done.
I am taking things one day at a time and trying to make the most of it.
I am in a re-entry process. This means that I am trying to readjust to the culture that I left for eleven plus months. It is a great process.

I am looking forward to whatever God has next for me. I am not quite sure where He is leading just yet, but I promise to say so when I know.
One thing is for sure. You can bet that whether I'm in Moldova, Memphis, or Missouri, I'll be blogging about my life and the ordinary or extraordinary occurances.

God bless.

6 Random Things

I've been tagged!
Good ole' Casey Chambers tagged me and now I must share some random things to the world!

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Random things most people may not know about Shauna:

1. I had cosmetic eye surgery when I was 4. I'm so thankful. It was not surgery to correct my vision, but rather to make my right eye look like it should.

2. I don't like hotdogs/corndogs, sweet potatoes, or pumpkin pie.(People tell me I'm not American).

3. I once ran into a volleyball net in high school while running laps in P.E. It scared me and I fell to the ground. The whole class came over to check on me. Many were laughing. Some fell to the floor in laughter. I didn't really know what happened. It was all so quick and ridiculous. It was embarrassing to say the least. Needless to say, I don't have an athletic bone in my body.

4. In high school, I worked at a franchise restaurant called,New York Burrito and also at a car dealership. Fun times!!

5. I sat next to BIG Jack Johnson on my flight from Amsterdam to Memphis! It was interesting!!

6. In Moldova, I fell off the curb into the road- hitting the pavement face-first. Luckily, I was fine and there wasn't a car coming!! There were however, lots of laughs from myself and my friends who witnessed the fall. I'm not very graceful!!


Well, I hope you enjoyed these random facts.

Hmmm..... now to tag some others:

Liz

Patty

Elsbeth

Sara

Justin

Joni

Air Conditioning!!!

No pictures yet. I am still trying to figure out my pictures/computer. I think I need to get a flashdrive or just upload them on someone else's computer.

So, those of us with air conditioning are blessed. I remember sitting in my hot apartment in Moldova, riding the hot trolley around town, and walking during the hot summer weather. It is these times of remembrance that I am also reminded to be thankful for the air conditioning that not everyone has.

While I am thankful, I am so COLD. I am freezing at home,in the stores, at restaurants, and in the car! I am constantly asking if I can turn off the AC. I guess I am just not used to it. Since others around me appreciate the AC, I have now trained myself to wear a jacket, pants, sweater, or carry a blanket. Whatever it takes!!

I can even sleep through the night without the AC. I even amaze myself. It can be done.

Be thankful. Be blessed. Until next time, Thanks for reading!
Shauna

In Memphis!!!

I arrived in Memphis on Monday, July 7th. It was so good to see my parents, aunt, and cousin at the airport. My cousin handed me a box of fudge rounds. OH..I WAS SO EXCITED. SO, I ate a fudge round on the way home. For my first dinner at home, I had a greasy cheeseburger, sweet heat chips, and large coke from Top's BBQ in Memphis. It was so good!!

I am enjoying time with my family, especially my niece, Montanah. I have been to Walmart a couple of times now. It wasn't as weird as I thought it would be. It seems really empty. I wonder where all the people are!!! I started a new workout routine this week. I am also cooking for mom and I. I have also been driving! It had been 11 months since I had been to Walmart or driven a car.

Last week was spent in Romania with a missions team from my home church. We had a wonderful time in Romania. I hope to tell stories and post pictures soon.

Anyways, It is good to be home!

Stay tuned for pictures.

Last Day in Moldova

My students and I at my goodbye lunch on Saturday. Aren't they cute?

I have no days left in Moldova! It seems like just yesterday that I was typing that from my home in Memphis about leaving for Moldova. Now I am packing and saying my last goodbyes. Wow. Does time fly or what??

I leave on an early morning flight tomorrow for Bucharest. (I forgot to mention in an earlier post that I opted(or was persuaded by my colleagues) to take a flight out of Chisinau, instead of the train ride. The flight is only a little over an hour, so it should be easy.

God has been so faithful to bless my time here in Moldova in unexpected ways. I am so blessed to have been afforded this opportunity to live and work in another country. My life no doubt has been changed forever. How will I ever forget all the faces, sights, sounds, and smells?? I won't. I will carry this time in Moldova with me for life. I will always have fond memories of the Moldovan friends I made, the culture experiences I tried to embrace, and the students that made it all worthwhile.

I won't miss: the crowded mini-buses, the heat (no air conditioning), or the men wearing speedos as they sunbath at the park.

However, I will miss: all of my friends, students, and co-workers, all the great food, the cheap icecream and candy, my times in worship with the Moldovan body of Christ, the walking, the easy and cheap public transportation system, and so much more!!

Thank you for reading this blog and supporting me during my time in Moldova.

What's next when I return to Memphis?
I am not sure. I am praying and looking into several opportunities. At this time I am not worried about, but rather I trust God's plans.

Will I continue this blog? I hope so. I think I will turn this into a 'Life After Moldova blog'. Still thinking that through.

God bless,
Shauna

p.s. Next time I blog, I will be stateside. Woo Hoo!

The Last 48 hours & In Less Than 9 days

I have less than 48 hours left in Moldova. On Tues. morning I will fly from Chisinau to Bucharest. I will spend almost a week in Romania before I fly out.
In less than 9 days I will be at my home in Memphis, TN!

I would appreciate your prayers as I say my last goodbyes and do my final packing. Please pray also for peace and calm as I travel.

Thank you!

Blessings,

Shauna

Saying Goodbye

I'm in the process of saying goodbye to all my friends here in Moldova.

It's hard. It's emotional. It's bittersweet. It's necessary.

I try to say proper goodbyes filled with warm thoughts, thankfulness, and well wishes, but each time, I am brought to tears.

I didn't realize how emotional the closure process would be. I think that I will continue to cry as I pack and say my goodbyes. I am not afraid of the tears though. I just wish that I was able to hold them back long enough to have a conversation. I don't get to say all that I want to say because my emotions won't let me. Hopefully, my friends understand and can sense what I am trying to say.

Today I cried while having a debriefing meeting with my mentor missionaries. We decided that I should just send them an email to tell them exactly what I want to say. The conversation with all the words I want to say is just not going to happen in person.

I started to cry while telling my landlords goodbye. My landlady, Nina did cry. It was a sad goodbye. They have been like parents to me here. They have made my apartment such a comfortable place; a place that feels like home.

I have learned so much, grown so much, experienced so much, and changed a lot here. My life the past 11 months has been here!!

This is tough stuff. I would appreciate your prayers very much.

On a lighter note,
today one of my friends was telling me goodbye and she said, "Loneliness kills." She was saying all these beautiful and encouraging words to me. She was telling me what she hopes for my future. And she said, " I hope you get married. Because loneliness kills." I have never heard it said quite like that before.

Then, I met another friend in a park to say goodbye. We walked down(not bad) and back up(the hard part) a lot of stairs. I mentioned that I would be out of breath by the time we reached the top of the stairs. My friend who is really thin and in shape said, " This is easy for me. I do this all the time. I walk everyday."
I'll be the first to admit that I am out of shape.
After some time I said, " Wow. I am out of breath. This is hard. My friend kid you not said, " This is no problem for me. You see, if I were round it would be hard for me, but it is not hard for me. HaHa. Thanks a lot. :)

Turkey pics

Turkey is beautiful!! I loved feeling the sand between my toes, looking out at the water, seeing the palm trees, and drinking cool, refreshing,fruit drinks. I didn't get off the resort premises, so I don't know what the rest of Turkey looks like! haha. I didn't swim, but I enjoyed reading and relaxing under the umbrellas! By the way, IT WAS SO HOTT!!Here are a few pics from the week.

Palm Tree
More Palm Tree
Me in Turkey! I was blinded by the light of the sun...
Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
More Mediterranean Sea

My Feet in the Sand...feels nice
Road Crossing: Be careful for turtles and squirrels
Palm Trees in Turkey (The view from the outdoor dining hall)

Updates!!!

I'm back from Turkey. I don't even know that I mentioned I was gone, but now I am back. I left June 17th and returned on the 24th. I was at an All-Eurasia retreat with fellow workers from the same organization. It was an incredible time for relaxing and meeting new people. The Mediterranean Sea is beautiful! I loved all the preaching, teaching, and worship in English. I'm glad that I had the opportunity and means to go. I am blessed.

I leave Moldova for Romania on Sunday. I will miss many wonderful people and living life in Moldova for sure. It is a bittersweet time. I am sad.

On Sunday I am taking a train to Romania to meet a team of people from my hometown/church. In Romania we will work with children. I look forward to whatever doors the Lord opens there. I am anticipating.

My dad is not coming to Moldova. My parents decided that it would be the best use of time and money for my dad to continuing working, fix my car, and clean/prepare the house/room for my return. I can't wait to see them. I love them deeply. I am thankful.

I will return home to Memphis on July 7th. When I return home, it will have been 3 weeks shy from a year being in Moldova.I am excited to see family and friends. I am estatic, but nervous.

I am busy packing, visiting with friends, and trying to get everything done by Sunday. Pray for me. I am stressed.

I will try and upload a few pictures from Turkey ASAP.

Thanks for reading and praying! Be blessed.

Shauna

(Bump) Special Prayer Request (Edited)

Special Prayer Request

Hello Dear friends!

I just wanted to mention here on my blog this simple prayer request:

I am planning to go to Romania and join a group from my home church before heading home in July. In Romania, we will work with children. I am looking forward to whatever the Lord has in store for each person on this missions trip and for the kids that we will meet and minister to. Sometime back(last summer/fall) my dad heard about this trip and wanted to be a part of it. He has been in prayer about it.

Well, when I heard about the trip, I wanted my dad to be a part of it as well. BUT, I also thought that it would be really sad for him to come all the way to Romania and not make it to Moldova(Moldovan and Romania are neighboring countries) to spend a couple of days with me. (Maybe I am selfish.:))

Then, a couple of months ago, he mentioned to me that he would like to come to Moldova to help me pack up, see Moldova, and travel with me to Romania in addition to joining the missions team in Romania.

Now, the time has come for him to purchase his ticket and he has struggled some to get all the finances together for this flight and other trip costs.

My dad and I both trust that if this is indeed God's will that He will provide all the resources and finances. So, we are waiting and trusting. We only want what God wants in this matter.

Please join us in prayer that we would be obedient and content with whatever the Lord wants concerning this circumstance and that we would have joy regardless of the outcome. Please pray that God would grant my father wisdom in figuring out what the available resources are.

Thank you for praying.

**Edited: My dad is planning to finalize his plans this week either way(to come to Moldova/Romania or not). If my dad comes to Moldova he would most likely need to fly in on June 26th, so it is critical that he purchase the tickets ASAP. Please continue to pray that the Lord grants wisdom and finances as necessary. God is in control.

Shauna

Last Day of School

We finished our school work on the first Friday of June. We didn't have our official last day of school until the following Friday though. On this last day, we exchanged gifts and I gave the girls certificates and notes. My Dutch friend, Alida came over with her students(also missionary kids)to teach my students and I about Holland. We learned many interesting things including information about: the royal family, the money, the national anthem, and so much more. It was so much fun! The girls wanted to play a soccer game: Holland vs. U.S. It worked out great because there are 3 American girls and 3 Dutch girls. They had fun,but Holland won!
Here are some pictures from our fun day:

Dina showing us what the Euro from Holland looks like.
Team Dutch singing their anthem
Team U.S. singing the anthem. I am smiling because we did a really rough job hitting the notes and remembering all the words.

Noa guarding the goal
Me with Natalie after I gave the certificates
Elissa and I
Lauren and I
Alida, Noa, Dina, and Jada singing the national anthem. I think.
Jada is singing

Sorry it took me a long time to post these pictures.