Howdy from Texas

Well, I made it through my semester without too many tragedies. The week after school, I had the pleasure of getting a nasty flu bug, but I got to be sick at my parent’s house with my family there to take care of me. I also had help from my dad to move everything out of my little apartment at school to store it at my parent’s house. Actually, my Hartman grandparents have graciously agreed to keep my things for me until I figure out a better place to keep it. I’m missing being in Chicago, especially now that the weather is nice and I would have some free-time to actually get out and see the city.

However, I am immensely enjoying being in San Antonio, Texas right now. It’s warm…really warm, but it’s been sunny mixed with rain and thunder storms and I’m lovin’ being down here. I’ve been spending time with my family—we have a huge crew here: my two uncles and aunts are here, so are my great uncle and aunt and my parents. Some of us are staying with my grandparents and others are staying in hotels. We’ve been spending time downtown San Antonio at the Riverwalk and some of the family hit the zoo yesterday. We’ve also been spending time at the pool when the weather has permitted it. I’m so glad that I was able to eat at my favorite restaurant twice: they have the best tortillas, queso and quesadillas…yum!

Tonight, the family will attend my grandmother’s retirement party. She has been with BSF for many years, but has officially been working for them for 10 years, the first two in England and these last eight at BSF headquarters here in San Antonio. I’m excited, since there will be a lot of people there that I’d worked with during my time at headquarters. I worked there the five years before I moved to Chicago last August. Most of the family is leaving tomorrow morning after the party to head back up to Indiana and Illinois. We have another party planned for the end of the week when my brother graduates from high school.

I have less than two weeks until I leave for Ukraine. I will leave a week from Wednesday, and there is so much to do before I leave! I am currently working on packing and creating lesson plans for the summer camps that I will be conducting. You can continue to pray for me as I prepare to leave and work out all the details of being in a foreign country for 10 weeks!! Everything has to fit in one suitcase…so we might be asking for a miracle to happen here.