Thanksgiving Thursday

My friend Ann used to have a segment on her blog called "Thanksgiving Thursday." If my memory serves me correctly, she began Thanksgiving Thursdays in order to have a deliberate time of thanksgiving and gratefulness each week, probably in an attempt to keep her focus positive when things may not have been so easy. For the last 8 months or so, as I have been training and preparing to leave for Natal, God has showed up in the strangest places, blessed me in the most unexpected ways, and used people whom I would not have sought out to encourage me and help give me confidence when it was non-existent. With my departure 38 days away, (well, maybe. Delta cancelled my flight, so I guess it's possible we're 37 or 39 days away, depending on what ticket I get next...but I digress) I thought I should remember and share some of those blessings.

1. My mom and dad. I'm often unintelligible and irrational when I cry, and so I try to subject as few people as possible to myself when I'm in that state. My mom and dad fielded so many phone calls of panic and discouragement, and without their wisdom (missionary and parental) I don't known that I would be going, and going happily, in 38 days. I still have an email sitting in my Inbox from my dad, who, when I emailed with a joyful update on my fundraising, said "That’s wonderful. I say…you praise God and take this as one more sign that He really wants you to serve the church in Natal this next year." That was exactly what I needed to hear.

2. My friends. If you have so much as asked me "Are you excited?", then you are one of my blessings. It has meant so much to me to have friends who care enough about what I'm doing to ask simple questions. It sounds silly, I know, but even simple questions let me know you've thought about me, and who doesn't like to be thought about? I appreciate my friends who have consistently asked how my fundraising is coming along, and obviously my friends who have made the sacrifice to give me financial support. I have learned a lot about generosity through this time, and have been humbled by the conviction that I am nowhere near as generous as my friends. Nowhere near it. I'm definitely learning...

3. My friend Whitney. Do you know Whitney Mann? No? Then you're missing out. Whitney and I met last year as we were both preparing to go on our respective LST projects, mine to Brazil and her's to Thailand. We connected instantly, and since then we have had a special friendship like none I have ever had before. We both share a passion for missions, and through her encouragement and support I've learned how special it is to have friends who share the same interests and goals as you. She has become my go-to friend, the first person I want to talk to anytime something exciting happens with Natal. I know that when I call her (or Facebook her, or text her, whatever) that she will rejoice with me, understand me, and share her insight. Whitney and I are not friends by accident, and I know the Lord had special intentions for us when He got us both to go on LST in 2006. If you don't know her, meet her. She looks like this >>.

4. My doctor. Strange? Perhaps. Let me explain. I had been really concerned about how I would afford my medications while I was in Natal. I seem to have the most obscure conditions that require the most expensive of medicines (of course) that are definitely not budgeted for and would run my bank account dry. I went to a new doctor last week and talked to her about what kind of options I had for one medicine in particular that costs me $50 per month. She told me that she would give me some samples (what I was hoping for...) but that she didn't have any. Right then she got up and said "I'm going to call my drug rep right now, and if he knows what's good for him he'll get us some of those." First of all, what doctor gets up and does that right then and there? I love her. Second of all, I was praying that Brian the Drug Rep would have some good news for us. My doctor called me on Monday and said that Brian had brought her every last bit of this particular medicine he had left in the warehouse, 15 boxes' worth. Doing some quick math, that's $750 of FREE MEDICINE that she gave me, enough to get through my first 15 months in Natal. Don't tell me God isn't in the details...because God worked in my details in a way I never could have imagined.

5. My supporters. I've mentioned before that I had money come from the most random of places, but I need to mention again that I received money from the most random of places. My aunt's best friend whom I spent two hours with at Thankgiving. Friends from high school whom I lost touch with after graduation. (THANK YOU, Facebook.) My parent's friends. My friend's parents. Friends at ACU whom I never hung out with. My aunt and uncle's congregation. A mission's committee member at my church whom I have never met but who read my fundraising letter. I had no idea that so many people were willing to support missions, let alone me, and once again I need to mention how much the fundraising process has humbled me and convicted me. Thank you, if you are in this category. You are making it possible for me to go.

6. My friends in Brazil. I've copied some of the emails I have received from Natal on here before, but those are just a couple of the many encouraging notes and messages I get from the people in Natal, telling me how excited they are for me to arrive. They tell me they miss me and that I will have a lot of work to do, and how they are already recruiting readers who are excited and ready for me to come. They say "We are waiting for you," in each message they send, and that phrase alone means the world.

I could go on and on...but I'm wondering if anyone besides my mom is even going to make it this far in the list.

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to go to Natal, and I am so blessed to have such a strong support system encouraging me from home. I guess now would be a good time to let you know about the blog I will be keeping when I am in Natal, that will just be focused on reporting on the work I am doing. It's crisinbrazil.blogspot.com (for the record, I wanted to do something creative and in Portuguese, but I wanted it to be as easy as possible to remember. I didn't even spell Brasil the correct way, just for you.) It's not much now, but I hope for it to be hoppin with all kinds of pictures and stories as soon as I arrive. I'm going to try and maintain this one as well, but I'm not making any promises.

This post is so long. Sorry. Please be praying for me and the people in Natal. Bye!

Cris's Book Club Round 2

I thought I would update you on my summer reading power rankings, since in my last post I had only been given a teaser of You Shall Know Our Velocity by one of my faves, Dave Eggers. I finished YSKOV and have since read 3 more books, preparing to read another. Also, a certain Miss Brenna Schartz requested identification as to whether or not these books are fiction or non, so I'll include that in my synopses from now on. Here we go!

You Shall Know Our Velocity, Dave Eggers. (Fiction). As I said before, good ol' Dave is absolutely one of my favorite authors. He has a spectacular writing style that makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me feel like I'm besties with the characters, makes me hate the characters, makes me see human flaws, and makes me want to follow him around like a stalker, just waiting for his next book to come out (perhaps the most beneficial to him of all). The story is about two friends who spontaneously travel around the world to impoverished countries in one week, trying to find creative ways to give away thousands and thousands of inherited dollars from their third musketeer who passed away. To me it was ultimately a story of mourning, and how the death of a loved one permeates your and taints even the simplest, obscure elements of everyday life. Confused? Intrigued? I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone, because it's kind of one of those you must have the will to trudge through, but it definitely made me think. I'd say a 7 out of 10.

Creating Community, Andy Stanley & Bill Willits. (Non-fiction). This was a quick read that I read to fulfill one of my training assignments for my internship in Natal. It is written by the the Director of Small Group Life (Willits) at North Pointe Community Church in Atlanta (a church of oh, a mere 12,000), with the help of the senior pastor (Stanley) on the effectiveness of small group ministry. It's very practical and informative, particularly if you are seeking to develop small groups within your church community. Willits' passion for small group ministry is evident, and his sincere belief in its necessity and unquestionable importance is inspirational. I will definitely use what I learned as I work with the missionaries in Natal on the small group culture of the church there. 10 out of 10, if you're looking to read up on creating community through small group life. :)

Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. (Fiction). I met this book randomly in Oxford while I was perusing the racks at Borders. I was concerned I would run out of reading material on the flight home (a travesty) and so I set out to buy a book I would hopefully enjoy. As I mentioned before, I never buy books without reading them first, but with the trusted advice of my well-read friend Kathryn, who had heard it was decent, I made the buy-one-get-one-half-off purchase and then didn't read it on the plane. Last week I picked it off my bookshelf, determined to get my money's worth, and was very, very pleased with my purchase. The book details the accounts of three different characters woven together throughout the Nigerian revolutionary crisis in the 1960s: a young houseboy, a wealthy Chief's daughter, and an English researcher. Adichie paints an incredible picture of the serene, even luxurious life pre-conflict, and then the turmoil and blow to quality of life that followed. Extremely interesting, and enlightening on the fact of how little we hear about conflicts like these in Africa's recent history. I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10 for it's amazing historical information, but if you decide to read it, be warned there is some strange gratuitous sex at the end of like every chapter. It's not even graphic...it's just obscure.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. (Fiction). In the last month I referenced this book twice as one of my favorites of all time, so I decided that since I hadn't read it in about 6 years I should give it another go. Man am I glad I did. This book is even better than I remember it, and this is my third or fourth time reading it since elementary school. I am still in awe of Lee's creation of Scout, a precocious 8 year old girl whom I wish was my best friend. She paints a vivid picture of life in small-town Alabama, playing imaginitive games in the yard during the summers, going to the black church on Sunday with their housekeeper, Calpurnia, and following the rape trial of Tom Robinson from the perspective of the defense attorney's daughter. Each time I read it, I am amazed by Lee's commentary on race relations, ethics, prejudice, and social justice. Published in 1960, this piece of literature was definitely a courageous effort, and it's no wonder that librarians voted Mockingbird the best novel of the 20th century. I agree. If you haven't read it, READ IT. If you have, READ IT AGAIN. It gets better every time. 15 out of 10.

More thoughts another day on Natal. 40 days...

Brenna, I'll fiction/nonfiction the last list for you real quick:
Fiction: How We Are Hungry, Secret Life of Bees, Kite Runner, What is the What (well, it's a fictionalized biography...it's actually mostly true)
Nonfiction: Color of Water, Audacity of Hope, Reading Lolita in Tehran, What is the What, To Own a Dragon

41 Days? 41 Days!

You may notice a new little addition to "It's your world, I'm just livin' in it..." over there up in the right hand corner. I should warn you that this is going to be an entirely-about-Natal post, so if those don't interest you, you may click on now. (But I do ask, if those don't interest you, what are you doing reading this blog?) So anyway, I have added a countdown application because my departure for Natal is getting CLOSE. 41 days may not seem close, but it's gotten to the point where, in response to the question "When do you leave?" I now say "In just a little over a month..."

HOLY COW.

There's a funny feeling in my tummy right now, and I have a hunch it has to do with the fact that LST called me this morning and said my flight itinerary had been emailed and they just needed my approval to make the purchase. So I came home, looked it over, and sent back the go-ahead.

HOLY COW.

A strange little phenomenon has developed over the last couple months in my life, and it involves me not actually believing that I'm about to move out of the country for years' worth of time. Yes, Natal is all I really think about (with a few exceptions, I do love Mexican food), yes, Natal is all I really talk about (with a few exceptions, I do love Eddie Izzard), yes, when my wonderful friends ask me questions I talk their ears off about how excited I am, but in this period of waiting and preparing I have somehow managed to remove myself from the actual process of leaving. Now that the ticket is bought, I have the details to think about. Which of my clothes and possessions will make the cut and end up in the two suitcases I take? (Believe me, that's a task I have gladly been avoiding.) Will my goodbyes be agonizing or just tearful? How miserable is that 4 hour layover going to be in Atlanta when I've left Oklahoma and am waiting to board the plane for Brazil? Who will be at the airport to pick me up? (Hey, just being honest with you. According to Marisa's email, a whole bus load.) Who of my readers from last summer will I be able to reconnect with? I'll quit now...there are hundreds more.

Last week my friend Sergio emailed and asked me to write a little bio about myself for them to post in the church building. Sergio has been a tremendous encouragement to me over the last year, telling me that everyone is waiting for me and can't wait for me to arrive in Natal. He continues to let me know that there are readers who are waiting for me to come and read with them and that I am going to have a lot of work to do. I can't tell you what an encouragement Sergio has been to me, and I am so thankful for his friendship. Below is what I sent to them, along with the picture that they printed off Facebook to post as well. :)

Hi! My name is Cristina Carpenter. I am 22 years old and live in Oklahoma, a state that is located in the center of the United States. I was born in Brasilia and lived there until I was 6 years old while my parents worked as missionaries, and so my family is very excited to be able to come and visit me while I am living in Natal! In May I graduated from Abilene Christian University with a degree in Psychology. I love psychology because I like to help people understand themselves better and learn how to get along with other people. In my free time I love to read books and spend time with my friends. I am so excited to come to Natal and join God's work at Communidade de Cristo. I have already been so blessed by your love and encouragement, and I hope I will be able to bless you in the same way! The things I am most excited about in coming to Natal are becoming part of your family at Communidade, bringing people from the community to Jesus through LST, learning Portuguese, and becoming just a regular Brasileira! (Hopefully!) I am always praying for you at Communidade, and am so excited to be with you very soon! God bless you!


Well, there's lots more to say, but I'll say it another day. Maybe when we're at T minus 39 days or so...tchau!

Just an FYI

I'll write something more interesting and entertaining later, I just wanted to draw attention to a new dot that has appeared on my map over there >>. Do you see the little red dot on the far east corner of South America? The one closest to Africa? That's Natal. I don't know who is visiting me from there, (Oi! whoever you are) but I wanted to show you where my future home is located. That's all, talk to you later!

Things you may not know about me, because I haven't told you

1. There are certain words in literature that I hate. One of them is "stride" or any of its derivatives. The phrase "...and he strode over to the..." is entirely overused, and usually implies something much for forceful than the situation calls for.

2. I love papaya. Brazil better get their papaya supply ready, because I'm going to eat ALL OF IT over the next year. Every last one.

3. I have serious issues with the song "Before He Cheats," not because I hate country (which I do) and not because they play it too much on mainstream radio (which they do) and not because it gets stuck in my head far too easily (which it does), but because all the things Carrie describes doing to her cheating boyfriend is not really letting Jesus take the wheel. I find it hypocritical, Miss Underwood.

4. I love cheap reality dating shows. I have no excuses and no explanations, I just do.

5. I have the strangest dreams in the world, and I dream about all of my friends all the time. Typically this freaks them out, but trust me, it's normal. If I say to you "Hey, I dreamed about you last night..." it doesn't mean anything, so don't give me a funny look like I'm a creep. I'm not.

6. I have a cat named Scout. Her name is Scout because Scout Finch, the protagonist in To Kill a Mockingbird, is a household hero in my family. Well, half of my family.

7. I have a list of famous people I have crushes on, and most of them are on it because they are, or appear to be, intelligent. And, as was pointed out to me, about half are Brits--that wasn't planned. Here's the list: Mark Ruffalo, Brian Williams, John Krasinski, Stephen Colbert, Eddie Izzard, Dave Eggers, Nigel Barker, Gabriel Macht, Anderson Cooper, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Hugh Jackman.

8. I love CNN, and have been disappointed recently at how much entertainment news they broadcast.

9. I like it when my parents and I think the same things are funny, i.e. The Office.

10. We moved back from Brazil when I was 6 and I began kindergarten halfway through the school year. By the end of that semester, I was voted "Girl Most Wanted to Sit By." That's still my proudest achievement...

11. I find frozen custard superior to ice cream.

12. I don't drink coffee unless it is Brazilian and served in a tiny coffee cup. I call this coffee snobbery.

13. I am selling my XTerra. Do you want to buy it?

14. I often wonder what it would be like to be famous, and if/how much I would change if I were. This in no way means I wish I was famous. I don't.

15. I am shy about speaking Portuguese, because I'm scared I will have an accent. I'm gonna have to get over that one...

Seriously...wanna buy my XTerra? Let me know.

NO WORDS

That's right, folks. There is no longer a blue region on my little pie chart. Yes, it means what you think it means: THAT I HAVE RAISED 100% OF THE FUNDS NEEDED FOR MY FIRST YEAR OF WORK IN NATAL!!! If the new pie chart and the giant capital letters don't convey my excitement, how about you just call me right now and let me squeal with delight for oh, about 10 minutes, into your ear. God has been so good, and I couldn't have done it without my faithful community of friends and family supporting me all along the way. $18,000 is no amount of money to toy with, and we (yes, WE) raised it in just 7 months. Thank you so much!

(And, if you're wondering, any money that I receive now will be applied to my second year of work, so if you were planning on contributing please still do! I still need it!)

Another week of church camp come and gone, and I slept 12 hours last night because of it. I am in love with a group of about twenty 7th grade girls and can't wait until I can see them again. Many hilarious conversations were had, many hugs were given, and lots of "Oh My Gosh Cris, your hair looks SOOOOOOO good!"s were exclaimed-- and if you know me well at all, you know that that's more 7th grade girlspeak and less my hair actually looking good in 95 degree heat and exorbitant humidity. Now a few pictures to show how precious they were. I hope this is legal...

My family for the week during the photo scavenger hunt. The pictures was supposed to be of the "scariest place at camp." Boys' bathroom was the overwhelming choice. Look at how tiny and precious they are. :)

Some of the girls from my cabin. Yes, they are all 7th graders, yes, one is on her cell phone, yes, several of them are taller than me. Also, the one in the middle didn't get the memo that we weren't taking a silly picture. Poor girl.

An unflattering picture of my leg against a leg that just spent a week in Cancun. My leg is looking forward to living in Brazil...

Sidenote: I've always said I would rather die than watch The Hulk again, but I'm pretty sure I would rather die while watching The Hulk than watch Transformers again. Do with that what you will, just don't say I didn't warn you...