New Opportunities!

I'm so excited to announce that I'm going to be volunteering for Capernaum, the Young Life program for special needs kids here in Spokane. Its going to be a complete blast. Tomorrow I meet the two leaders, Mandolyn and John (John's wife graduated from the EWU DPT program last year) and then the first meeting is this Monday. AND I think its going to be absolutely perfect because they only meet 2x a month and this way I can make sure I meet it to every meeting because it only happens twice a month and i'll have plenty of time to get stuff done on opposite weeks. The only down fall is that I'm going to have to buy a video to record a couple of episodes of 24 for the monday nights i'll be at club.

Anyways, that's it! I'm so pumped!

The Bus To Airway Heights by holly hicks

My friend Holly wrote a poem for me about my experience on the bus to Airway Heights (where James and Karen live). I must warn you... this story is kind of shocking... so if you want to read this poem aloud... maybe make sure there aren't a lot of kids around... or you might have to explain psychological disorders and drug addiction to them.

Anyways, here it goes:

The Bus to Airway Height by Holly Hicks
(based on actual events reported by Ana Thomas)

Upon the bus
One day I rode
to Karen & James'
and Fergie their toad

I sat in the front
By a mom and kid
I made a safe choice
Well, I thought I did

A voice from behind
Soon rang in my ear
A woman in black
Her ranting I hear

She raved on and on
Of time spent in jail
Her story appeared
To be quite the tale

As she walked by
Her black hood fell down
The cell phone she used
Not there to be foun'

Some girls soon replied
"Psycho Brittney Spears"
And awkward laughter
Relieved all our fears.

But once she was gone
Adventure remained
A couple meth-heads
with faces so maimed

His eyes sunken in
Her "bitter-beer face"
They staggered aboard
But stared into space

She stood with her card
But still couldn't pay
For swiping it seemed
Was too hard that day

They finally sat down
And my trip was done
The bus found my stop
And ended my fun.

The moral I'd say
Of theis po'm I wrote:
Please avoid the bus
And just take a boat.

the end.

I have to add one caveat to this poem... the "psycho britney spears" thing refers to when her hood fell down not only did she not have a phone, but her head was shaved! It was wild!

life never gets boring here in spokompton!

until another exciting adventure...
Ana

PS: if you want to know... i can also tell you a story about when there was a fight outside the bus because a guy on the bus slapped this punk kid (also on the bus) across the face for making too much noise with his cell phone. (yes, the kid was annoying... but throwing punches? lets get real...)

I'M A BOWLING PRO!

I just wanted to let you all know that last saturday we went bowling... and I bowled my first TURKEY ever... meaning I bowled 3 strikes in a row. AND THEN I beat James 158 to 154! He'll never live that one down! (ps: i'm BAN up there and James is SW)

Tenho saudades do Brasil!

Rio at night
Originally uploaded by ana.brasileira.

I'm sorry... I can't help but say that Brasil may be one of the most amazing places in the world and I want to go back so badly... even more I want to bring my friends from school there because I am in love with the place and you can't fully know me until you experience it for all its worth.

So everyone... start saving up your money because I'm starting to daydream about going and you're all invited (not to my day dream... to brasil!)

a need to focus

my brain is running everywhere. If its not about school then its about relationships, what I should plan for class activities next, how much i have to study, where i should live next year, what am i doing tonight, can i pay for it, and should i honestly run the bloomsday in a few weeks. I feel like I can't think on any one thing at any time because my brain is such a mess, and unfortunately we have a test on monday and I can't manage to focus for more than a few minutes before my brain is stolen away for other things. I feel like I need answers, but they are all elusive and God isn't the most talkative of people right now nor will I shut up about things.

i somehow need to quiet my mind and go to a place of rest...

Happy Easter!

I can't believe it has already been a month since my last blog! And here I am, Easter 2007, 1 week into spring quarter, a successful PT student as of right now. Its hard to believe its already April, hard to believe that we are 9 weeks away from having basically a third of the program under our belts. Even more unbelievable the lessons I've learned: both intellectually and emotionally, spiritually and physically.

After realizing that I wouldn't be able to spend Easter with family in Entiat, a few of us PT school folks decided to have an Easter feast of our own. Sitting around the table today I was reminded once again how very fortunate/blessed I've been this year to be surrounded by so many wonderful christians. I can't believe that God would bring such wonderful people into my life. People that I have become instantly close to, dependent on, and loved by. On the flip side though, 6 months ago I had no idea what type of blessings God would pour out upon me, now, as i'm overflowing with His goodness I become immediately sad knowing that in a year and a half we will all be split apart again.

We are picking our second clinical this quarter. People are already 'going home' in a sense, and I feel myself almost wanting to disengage, knowing that the people I have come to love so quickly will be so distant so soon. I want to live in my happy physical therapy world, where I get to see James, Kristen, Gretchen, Kevin, Ryan, Karen, Holly, and everyone else almost daily. I realized over spring break how much I love these people, and how after 3 days I miss them. How much worse will it be the end of summer 2008 when we all go our separate ways. I am going to want to be in a million places at once... and I already feel like I left part of my heart in Brasil... now I'll want to be all over the northwest too...

all in all though... how great are God's blessings, how wonderful His love, how abounding His grace, how deep His forgiving power, how little I could ever do on my own.

i love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship You, oh, my soul, rejoice. Take joy my King, in what You hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound, in Your ear.