feeling frozen

no, not physically since it's starting to warm up here. rather i feel frozen mentally in a state of unknowing. on march 31st i'll have to decide what to do about next school year. right now i have two basic options. option 1 is to come back to mongolia for another year. option 2 is to return to the states and move to chicago to be near my boyfriend. i am realizing that if the decision were just up to me, i would have picked 2 long ago. but i feel like i need to wait a few more days to see if there is any major movement in my elic financial account that would be Father's way of telling me to stay in mongolia. as things stand right now, i have too much of a deficit to return. even so, i've been given the 31st as a deadline, so i feel like i need to wait until then to say for sure what i'll be doing this august. Father knows what i'll be doing, and i have to seek him. Will you join me in asking for his best?

elic website update

Hello!
I have some exciting news about the ELIC website. It's recently been revamped and has two new features that might be interesting to you.
First, they've made a way that you can give a completely secure gift online. If you feel led to give to my account, here's the link:
http://www.elic.org/Content.aspx?content_id=131029&site_id=10332

Second, they've added lots of pictures from current ELIC teachers. Here's the link to the pictures of Mongolia where you'll see one of me with some other teachers on New Year's Eve. :)
http://www.elic.org/Photo.aspx?site_id=10332&photo_id=146954

I hope you are having a good week. Thanks to all of you who are lifting me up as I seek the Father's best for next school year.
Love,
Amanda

life with an infant

....or something like it.
every once in a while my cat, muji, decides that he wants to spend his night in much the same way a human infant spends the night - not sleeping. unfortunately last night was one of those nights and this morning hasn't proved any better. i went to bed just after 12 and was still awake an hour later because he was playing with something on my bed, chewing on my plants, and knocking things off the tops of my bookshelves. i finally grabbed him and pulled him in bed with me under the covers. he made his way down to my feet and sat there purring for a few minutes before making his way back out into wild freedom. it's times like that when i wish i had a bedroom instead of a one room apartment, since there is no where i can put him where he won't disturb me on nights like that. the part that is the most annoying though is that he woke up before 7 this morning in much the same mood and he's still chasing things all over the house with only intermittent breaks to come and play next to me on the bed. it's lucky for him that he's so cute or else he might have had a cold night on the balcony! :)

urgent update

i sent this email out earlier today and thought i'd also post it here for those of you who aren't on my email list.

Hello Friends,
How are you? Is spring starting to reawaken the life inside you the way it is reawakening me here in Mongolia? Today I went out without my heavy winter boots and coat and loved how much easier it was to walk without that extra weight. :)

Unfortunately, I've been carrying around some other weight on my shoulders for a while and it doesn't seem to be lightening with spring's approach. My ELIC financial account has had a large deficit for a few months now, but i just kept trying to tell myself not to worry about it. I've always had faith that if the Father wants me here in Mongolia, He'll provide everything I need in order to do the work He's called me to. It's such a privilege to serve Him here by investing in students' lives, being part of the local fellowship, and shining his light wherever I go. It would be a joy to be able to serve here again next fall, but now it's looking like that might not be a possibility.

My ELIC account has had a growing deficit throughout this school year, and I haven't focused on that very much in my communication with you. I was trusting that the Father knew about the deficit and would provide for it in his timing. It seems that the time has come now for me to specifically tell you about it. In fact, if my account balance hasn't risen significantly by March 31st, ELIC leaders and I will have to seriously look at me not being able to return to teach in August.

Please join me in lifting up my financial account and the decisions I'll have to be making in the next few weeks. Here are some specifics to lift up:
1. My account has a current deficit of close to $9,2000. This deficit needs to be much closer to $0 before March 31st if I'm able to consider coming back to Mongolia in August.

2. Next fall I'll have the opportunity to be part of a new teaching program that I'm really excited about. This program will give me the chance to invest in a whole new batch of students - secondary school English teachers. Isn't it exciting to consider that the truth and love I share with my students would then be passed on to their own students?

3. I'm seeking the Father's will and asking that He will make it very clear to me and everyone else - including you. I know He's going to provide my needs, if He wants me in Mongolia. If He's leading you to help provide some of these needs and you want to send a gift to my account, my number is Y62 and the address is:
(if you want the address, send me a message, and i'll get it to you. i don't think i should post it here on the web.)

Thanks so much for all the ways you've supported and encouraged me here. I have felt your love and care daily.
Trusting Him,
Amanda

saved by the...

lack of electricity

yesterday i had to teach two evening classes but i really wasn't feeling well. i had the beginnings of a head cold that was making me feel kind of dizzy and hitting me with random nose runniness. all i wanted was to come home early instead of teaching. just a few minutes into the first class, the electricity went out at school. we worked until it was too dark to see, and then i went home. it's it amazing how the Father takes care of me even in such an unexpected way. :)

tiny muji

MVI_0745
Originally uploaded by mongolmanda

i found this old video of muji when he was just a little kitten. he was so cute i just can't resist sharing it with you. :)