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yattah
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Name: Alyssa
Gender: Female
Interests: Hmmm, so many things. My interest is in life, a rich one. Rich with God, rich with people and rich with beauty.
Art in its many forms, talking to my sisters, long walks (not only on sandy beaches) especially in windy, sunny cold weather, travelling, fire places, the sound le cigal (cicada bug?) makes on hot, dry afternoons...
I love the sound of lots of people talking and laughing around the dinner table and the silence of the out doors on crisp fall afternoons.
I love cooking for people (especially italian food) and eating, eating, eating (did I mention eating?) Hehe :)
One day, I want to have a big, noisy, peaceful house (I know that doesn't make sense...) with lots of art in it, where people will come and talk and eat and find God.
The end.
Occupation: Student
Message: message me
Member Since:
1/24/2006
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I was reading Colleen's blog and got inspired  So much has gone on, I don't know where to start. This year so far has been such a learning experience and I'm learning to love it and embrace it. This summer and the first semester, I felt so confused about where God is leading. I still have not idea where he is leading but I'm beginning to trust and know that he gives his children good things. I was so encouraged by a verse that I read the other day in Psalm 16, "I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." That sounds wonderful, knowing God and his character so well that I am not shaken by my circumstances.
Guidance and counsel is so much needed right now and I keep getting impatient, wanting the answers to big question...right now God has been answering some smaller questions of mine though, which is awesome. At the beginning of the year, I had been praying about wanting to be more involved in church and possibly a ministry. A few weeks ago I was talking with Laura, one of the ladies that works in the art office. She said she saw me at church and was wondering if I wanted to help her lead her high school freshman small group. I was so surprised because I hadn't thought about it for a while but as soon as she asked it was like "YES... I know I'm supposed to do this!" I went last Monday and I love it. The girls are great and I have so many connections with a lot of them (I either know their siblings or parents). We're studying Revelations, which is really cool because that's one of the books I've never really studied.
Let's see, I also bought a car. It's a red 1993 Ford escort and it's a stick shift. That was funny...actually, it was really stressful but we'll just pretend it was funny. When I was visiting Lauren for fall break, I bought it from some friends for really cheap (which is wonderful because I have very little money). I got the title transfered, got the license plate, went to move the car, and realized that one of the back wheels was rusted into place  That was quite the surprise to say the least. Steve, one of the owners fixed it though when he got back home from work. Praise God. So, anyway, I practiced driving it all day Saturday and then drove back down to Taylor on Sunday. It was exhausting but I have a car. Plus, I feel very French because I have a small, rusty, two door, manual car...it's great I think I should name it but I haven't come up with anything yet. Although, Lauren did propose "Helga". I'm not sure if it's quite fitting....I think it might need a meeker name. Helga is very hefty and it's not a hefty car. Maybe Louise? I don't know. If anyone has any suggestions, send them my way.
Art is amazing. I love being an artist. My independent study with Larry (art prof) is going well. I love being able to come up with my own project and directing the work. I'm doing oil paintings and some mixed media for my senior show. I have many thoughts on that subject...it will probably need it's own entry.
I have much much work tonight...but life is good and everything that has to get done will get done.
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| "Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, judgement difficult."
~ Hippocrates (460-400 B.C.)
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| Life.... A lot and nothing at all has happened since my last entry. It's funny how much sense that makes...("if you think about it, really"...for all you Brian Reagan fanatics). I LOVE being off campus. The Brick House (also known as the MAMA house..Maggie, Ann, Michelle, Alyssa) pretty much rocks Besides that, classes are...hmmm...classes. I didn't realize how used to art classes I had gotten. I felt like I was going through culture shock the first few weeks of school. I have all gen. ed. or education classes which means reading, lecture, reading, lecture, test, reading, lecture....I think you get the gist. Women in American History is really good though. Extremely interesting class and great books. One of the many redeeming factors of my semester: my oil painting independent study. I'm working on my senior show and just love love painting. If it were possible, I would paint all day. Ok, enough of that.... Working at the library is amazing. I know that sounds funny but seriously, it's the absolute best place to work. I don't feel excommunicated from society (which was often the case working for the language lab) and still get to do a bit of homework (unlike at the DC). It's the best of both worlds...perfect. Ahhh, "sigh". Life is such a weird thing. Writing down the things that fill my day make it seem so simple and stupid, in a way. And then lurking in the back of my mind is always this question of "what in the world am I going to do with my life". I don't have a clue anymore. Only God knows.... | | |
| SUMMER....
Hmmm, what an incredibly fleeting thing that is. It is hard not to feel that I've gotten absolutely nothing done... well, because I pretty much haven't. I've tried though with little success.
This summer has been hard... but it has been a learning experience, which is good. It seems as though those two words (hard and good) go together a lot. I've noticed how little I've been depending on God lately and it affects everything I do and everything I am...seems I've had to learn that the hard way....again.
I'm so glad God's good. Sounds kind of trite, just saying it like that but it's as true now as it ever will be.
Anyway, I have a truck load of things to be thankful for. I've been living with Lauren this summer, gracious sister that she is  and working at Aurora in the buisness office. It isn't the most entertaining job that I will ever have (sorting mail, sending faxes, looking up accounts all day and my favorite: sending out bills...) however it does have two good points: the people are great and it is a wonderful source of income :)
Otherwise, I've been trying to start my independent study in Child and Adolescent Psychology. It's actually really facinating but it takes a little bit to get me motivated. Procrastination, anyone?
And finally, I've been working on a few applications. One is for Black Forest Academy to maybe teach or be an RA there after I graduate and the other is for TEAM because you have to go through a mission to be on staff at BFA. That's taking FOREVER (said like in The Sandlot). I very much dislike paper work but it will be worth it if I can just get it done...
So that's the work side of the summer. I've had some fun too but I have pics I want to show with that stuff. I'll do that later...
Today the weather out side was perfect. I had lunch with Sarah (art major that just graduated). We sat outside in the sun and talked for a long time.... just another thing to be thankful for...beautiful.
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| Home at last!!!
I got home last Wednesday (the 24th) and I've been
loving every moment of it. After grad Lauren and I did our usual 6
hour trek back up to Milwaukee and talked most of the way... Most of
the time we were going on and on about what we would do if we could do
everything and anything we wanted to Lauren had asked the question
first and that got us going....
The ideas ranged from owning a (absolutely beautiful, mind you) Bed
& Breakfast for people in ministry, being an artist, giving private
art lessons, living all over Europe, to cycling all over the United
States ("like Forest Gump...except he ran...."), living on a farm ("but
only for a little while....hahaha"), owning a lovely garden, or
becoming a chef and owning a restaurant, just to name a few :) Actually
how that last one came about was pretty funny:
Lauren: "I'd go to a culinary school and become a chef. Then I'd
open my own restaurant. But it would be the kind of restaurant where
you would kind of have to know me to get in. My friends would come and
I would make dishes especially for them...."
(After a few moments of silence)
Alyssa (some what confused): "Ummmm.... Why don't you just have them over for dinner?..."
We both kind of looked at eachother and then both erupted in laughter.
I'm sorry if it doesn't seem that funny to you outsiders....maybe it
was a Smith moment or sister moment but we both thought it was
HILARIOUS  That was a good trip.
We got home, I repacked and then we left for Chigago. We stayed at the
McElroys (friends of ours), had a wonderful evening and then it was off
to the Airport the next day: Chicago, Newark (NJ), Frankfort, and
finally a whole day later MARSEILLE! Mom, Bek and Olivia met me at the
Airport (Dad was at meetings in Portugal and Nico was at a friends'
house). I was sooooo relieved not to be travelling anymore.
Since then, I've mostly just been hanging out,
sleeping in, talking with mom and dad, doing art projects with Nico,
Bek and Olivia...
We went to the beach a few days ago and I got to swim in my beautiful
Mediterranean... though I have to admit, the water was pretty cold. I
got used to it after a few minutes but that was probably because my
limbs were numb
Next Thursday we'll go up to BFA in Germany and pick up Katharine from
school... yay! Her exams start this Friday and she was sick this past
week which mean that she wasn't there for all the reviews. All your
prayers would be SO much appreciated right now.
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I'm kind of switching gears now, as I didn't get to finish about my trip to Russia.
We were in an orphanage in Omophorova for most of the week. There were
supposed to be about 60-70 children but when we got there it turns out
there were only 30. We came during their vacation and half of the
children were invited to go to workers' homes. The children that stayed
were the ones that weren't wanted. I don't really think that I can
express in words what I felt when I found this out. We all felt so
blessed to be able to make it a special week for those left behind and
to show them how much Christ loves them.
Our team was split up into "ministry partners" as we called them. Each
pair of ministry partners taught a different group of children, except
for the two who did the recreation/games and my partner Jess and I who
took care of the art project.
This is Juli and some of the girls at the orphanage.
Yay for art! It was a wonderful experience to be able to teach art to
these kids. My interpreter, Lena, would translate the directions for me
and then I would go around and encourage as much as I could.
These are some of the examples of the finished product: tempra batiks
We also got to visit another children's orphanage on Wednesday (for
ages 3-6, I think). We got to play around with the children for the
evening and then they invited us back on Friday for a little concert
that the children put on. This was definitly and extraordinary
orphanage though. Jim and April (our leaders and founder of the Boaz
Project) said that it was the probably the best they had ever seen.
The children were so amazed at our digital camaras and wanted to take
pictures just so they could see themselves in the screen. We had a
blast with them.
This is Danila, a little boy that I met while there. He talked to me
and asked me questions (as you can tell in the picture). I wanted to
respond so bad but all I could do was smile and play along.
They are so beautiful.
These are some of the little girls at the program they
put on for us. They were so cute, it was enough to make you cry. I just
wanted to take them home with me.
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