simply life

i knew that my 8.5 weeks here would fly by. i thought i was prepared for that. i wasn't. i cannot believe that i am leaving lily in 10 days. i have finally learned most of the names and broken down some of the walls that the teenage girls put up. i am so sad to leave it all behind, but i know that i must.
i have always thought of myself as being a pretty flexible person who can adapt to new places and situations. while i think that is still possibly true, that is not why i felt so at home here. i felt at ease here instantly due to the generosity and kindness of the people here. and because i think there were a lot of people praying for me...
i was talking to one of the "house dads" here yesterday about how generous everyone has been and he was amused that i had noticed. its just so typical and normal for them that they are outraged when people make a big deal out of it. he was saying how when he gets paid, (he gets paid equivalent to 340 american dollars per month) he is out of money within a couple of days because he gives it away to people who need it. he never saves and seems unfamiliar with the concept. it is just so very opposite from what i do. i have never felt so selfish before. he then started asking me how much money i made and if i was generous with it... i gave a hesitant yes (though i knew it was kind of a lie) and he started asking who i was helping with my money and how i was being generous.
while i don't believe that we are called to give away everything that we have and to become a burden to those around us, i do feel convicted by my selfishness and love of possessions. i have been really praying that God will teach me to have the right perspective and the right heart when it comes to this issue. it is a confusing thing to try to work through. i am feeling a bit frantic to figure it before i return to the hustle and bustle of northern virginia again. its just a different world here. you don't worry about 401k's, raises, promotions, degrees, resumes or student loans. its just a much simpler version of life. in some ways it is easy and in other ways it is very difficult.

anyway, here are also some pictures from the past week or so:

how i feel about having my picture taken