Here I am coming home from a Paraguayan fiesta hapiii at my best friend Gladys home feeling so so loved and filled with joy, but I cannot help but look back on my amazing times at Longwood University. I cannot help but think about all the professors who gave me their all to give me the best education Michelle Lam could have received. The outback Yellowstone trips that emotionally and professionally prepared me for the Peace Corps. The librarians that were so personable you felt part of their families. The cooks at the dining hall that knew your omelet preference and the list goes on.

The friends that I walked away with at Longwood will be the ones that I will be rocking back in my rocker at some old country folk home reminiscing about crazy beautiful Longwood traditions. It was only 2 years ago exactly that I had just finished my midnight supper that the professors served to us to encourage us to study up and pass OUR LAST undergraduate exams ever. They taught so much more than how to pipet .0455 into a petri dish but how to be a servant to our Nation and how to be proud to be a Lancer. I pray many blessings upon my Alma Mater tonight!!!

The high school kids served the preschoolers from Cerrito this past Monday.

We learned how to brush our teeth, share, go on a nature walk, plant seeds and go bird watching!

Enjoy!

We searched for birds!

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  - MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

I am taking this Friday off. Today, I have done nothing but catch up with my college girlfriends, aunts, uncles, sister, cousins, grandparents and a really cute puppy named Duna. We talked about everything: LIFE, wedding planning, Chik-fil-a waffles fries, cancer and so much more. I try to talk about everything with everybody, highs, lows and in betweens.
One of the hardest conversations today was with my grandmother and how she asked me what I thought about selling the house on Croatan Rd. or Dr. (Till this day I cannot get it right, but that does not matter). The house that my grandparents built together in love, friendship and the Lord was placed on the market.
My grandmother being my grandmother, hesitated to put the BIG obnoxious FOR SALE sign in the yard trying to prolong the selling process. After all, it was where they raised their family and had their “Oriental Exchange.” It’s where I slept in my room under the stair steps, where I danced with my grandfather, where I learned how to drive and drove over every driveway path light (oops!) It’s where I had my first yard sale, my lemonade stands, where I ran to the most friendly mail man to see what colleges I got into, where I stored the lawn mower that my grandfather gifted me for my birthday so that He in return would get a mowed lawn =), it’s were we fought because I wanted it one way and my grandmother another way, it’s where we forgave each other and forgot about it, it’s where I tried a whole tablespoon of vanilla even when my grandmother told me, “It’s not what it smells like!” It was home. But as people say, “Home is where the heart is”
Amen.
But I still cannot even imagine what it means to my grandmother and grandfather. It’s going to be hard for them, but as long as they have each other everything is going to be okay.

Just the other day, they put the obnoxious FOR SALE sign and on that same day a very blessed family will be buying the Blanke House.

It’s cool though that in Isaiah 46:4 God says, ” Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, i am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” HE is going to take care of my grandparents. My grandma said to me today, none of those things will matter because we will all see the Lord face to face. What an AMAZING DAY that will be!

This easter I found myself in Brasil fully surrounded by the Lords presence completely forgiven and renewed. Did I plan to be in Brazil for Easter? No, not at all.  I had my entire Holy week planned out, as it was my last one here in Paraguay for a long time, so I wanted to spend as much time as I could with my family.  On Wednesday, we made Chipa together , thursday what felt like the ENTIRE family came over and made another traditional dish.  On Good Friday, I stayed at the school because I was asked by the principle to do some English Translating. From Thursday Morning until the following Wednesday Afternoon (today) I was privileged to be the English translator to two fine well educated and worldly women who had come to the country of Paraguay with a giving heart, adventurous mind, a goal and a GRANT, the Rockefeller grant. No BIG deal. I will never forget this Easter and here is why.

I found that nothing was unstoppable for those two women. They were following their dreams. They were using their resources and taking action. They want to start up an Agriculture school and help Nigerian men and women become professionals and so something wonderful with their lives. I got dry over the past month doing the routine and not realizing that everyday here on this earth is another opportunity for me to chase my dreams. These women were determined. Fatima even mentioned to me over a meal, “Michelle, wait one day you will receive in your mail a ticket to see my school in Nigeria.”

WOW.

Happy Easter!

LA Flor, She welcomes all into her garden with a sweet smile

[caption id="attachment_666" align="aligncenter" width="367"] Caterpillars United

R[caption id="attachment_669" align="aligncenter" width="367"]<img src="http://lammichelle11.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/imgp5894.jpg?w=367" Snails that don't harm your Garden! But do read up on the African Snails that have arrived in Paraguay!

Baby Monkeys Over Our Head

The coffee bean tree
(Have not yet figured out how to harvest yet).” width=”367″ height=”490″ class=”size-large wp-image-663″ /> Cafe,
The coffee bean tree
(Have not yet figured out how to harvest yet).

Summer Sun Phenomenon

It’s my private national geographic collage of beauty captured in Paraguay! Hope you enjoyed it!

With Much Love,
Michelle

The garden is coming together as mother nature does her share of watering the garden, and growing her weeds like its her job! Everything is starting to fill out and the beds of veggies are getting ready for harvest and be replanted! Colors are vibrant as ever as we have beds of bright green lettuce, rows of carrots that put out a darker shade of green, tomatoes that are starting to put out fruit and a vegetable that I came across in a Good foods grocery in Asuncion! It is called Chayote. I would describe this to taste like a squash that has a super spring fresh taste. This veggie is normally found in asian cuisines or just fried up and eaten as a side veggie a- la- cart! It is in the shape of a pear and it’s sprout stems out of its backside growing into an intense vine!

I am excited to see how this vegetable ends up growing and maturing but in the mean time, I have been making baby hats for all the new babies being born in the Peace corps Staff and in my local neighborhood.

Life has been beautiful down here and God has been molding me without a doubt!
I want to share a well known verse with y’all that I have been learning a lot from lately!

“Love never gives up, Love never loses faith, is ALWAYS hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1Corinthians 13-7

In the movie Goodwill Hunting(Recently watched by my English class), the young boy searches high and low for one thing as He thinks that He can handle everything, until He breaks down and realizes that He just needs to accept the Love that he is given from his girlfriend, but is too scared to accept the love because he does not want to show her the real him. I feel like we too can relate to that story. How God each morning says I just want to love you no matter your garbage, or your past. I just want to be apart of your present day and your future. Just open your door and let yourself be loved!

Well, life has not changed too much but I look at that as a good thing! I hope that this letter found you and your family well! Please feel free to send along prayer request, news and updates! Have a beautiful rest of your week!

Jajotopata! (See you soon!)
Michelle

Rodrigo, Alfredo and Elias Hulling MIlk from the cow barn on Christmas Day

How, He manages to take care of all His children is far beyond me.  There are four accords of the birth of the savior of the world, each a great read but try to imagine it all in your head how it all went about.  I get goose bumps thinking about it! Here I am, waiting for the room over call, text, scream, cry that Daisy is ready to go to give birth to her baby boy.  Let me tell you folks, I am not ready for that moment, but after it being built up after 8 beautiful months of growth and care I should be a little bit ready, but I am not.  I am not ready for the trip to the hospital let alone the stay at the hospital, let alone the trip back home with baby in hand.  Mary and Joseph were kind of in that situation but with a donkey in lieu of public transportation.  And they too were young, but the like the Lord promised them that He was going to care for them more than the birds and flowers in the fields, He too will protect us and comfort us.  That is a RELIEF to have.  To know that someone bigger and better than me is going to guide us all the way to where we need to be, In his arms Resting in His PEACE.

Last night, Daisy and I stayed on the school grounds to watch over the students over Christmas vacation.  We stayed in the garden most of the morning, but then after Lunch it was dinner preparation madness. The nativity was set, a pig was killed, a goat was killed, rice salad, sopa,  birthday cake for Baby Jesus, fruit salad, and chorizo was prepared. Dinner tables were set up under the mango tree and parents from afar came to celebrate with us.  =) I was even able to escape to skype my family back home and partake in the Christmas caroling with my grandmother and grandfather,  Liz, Mimi and Julie!

It was a grand family dinner at the strike of midnight.  One would have thought it was the fourth of July! Firecrackers were going off and then after everyone doubled kissed everyone on both cheeks they sat down for a lovely dinner. Then, the kids were allowed to dance until 2:30 am. Bad decision no, we had fun and really enjoyed the Paraguayan Christmas spirit! This morning I washed the dishes with a couple of my favorite students and then made lunch together again not even thinking twice about the garden.  then we all took long naps recuperating from last night. mmm.. =) Que Gusto! “How Nice =) “

If you go to the home page of P90X you will find Henry Ford’s Quote, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, You’re RIGHT.”  I am comparing life a lot to working out lately, but it is so true, We truly do need to exercise putting our faith in the Lord and start living less in stress and more in HIM!

Merry Christmas folks back home and eat a sugar cookie or 6 for me, smell up that pine tree scent while you can cause I am gonna be home next year taking it all IN!!!!!

Love Love Love

Michelle

On a work note:

Because Bio-intensive, permaculture, sustainability and a well balanced life style is a lot of what we intend to learn, share and instill within the Paraguayan life style, I have been trying to think of ideas that I can also take back with me to the states.

For those of you that know me well, I am terrified of bee keeping, especially when they are called AFRICAN KILLER BEES.  It just sounds terrifying but being out in the garden almost everyday has practically taught me to be more tranquilo around them because they serve a huge purpose aside from just my honey cravings.  I have now graduated to helping harvest honey until the first person gets stung.  For the summer harvest my contact gifted me the bee wax.  Being apart of a sustainable cycle, the wax can be used for a number of household uses such as lip balm, soap making, preserving cheese and candles!  So, I decided to take on the candle project and it has been a true success!

How I see this, as a sustainable project is that not only are you using the honey, the wax and the candle, but also as one is burning the candle the flame is burning negative ions are being emitted. Negative ions are attracted to positive ions, which hold things such as mold and dust.  The polluted positive ions are now paired with negative ions leaving the positive ions heavy causing them to drop.  In so doing, the air is filtered and cleaned!  Happy candle making y’all!

Materiels:

~Various Glass Jars – Marmalada, café…

~Plastic Cups

~Sand

~ Newspaper

~Candle Wicks – May be found at the store where you buy Soap Making Products in ASU

~ Tape

~Clean Bee Wax

~ Cheese Cloth

~ 2 large pots (that you do not mind destroying)

~ 1 stick (for stirring)

~ A thermometer

Directions:

1.     Prepare your workspace; lay out newspapers, pots, cheesecloth, candlewicks and thermometer.

2.     Tape wicks to the bottom of each container.

3.     Melt down your wax but do not let it get hotter then 300 degrees F.

4.     Using your cheesecloth to clean any debris in wax pour wax into designated jars, plastic cups, sand (with a prepared hollow center in the middle to pour wax into).

5.     Wait for the wax to re-solidify while positioning the wick to be centered in the middle using sticks/ pencils on both sides of the wick.

6.     Light your new organic creation and have peace of mind that while you are burning your candle it is a cleaner burn and is purifying the air at the same time! All at the same time take in the sweet smell of nectar from the  flowers in the honeycomb and of course the smell of honey!

You are the light of the world. You cannot hide a city that has been built upon a mountain. Matthew 5: 14 Merry Early Christmas! – Love, Michelle