Time has flown...it's time to move on...

Wow, can't believe it's time to leave already! Time has really flown by, where did the time go? Aah all I can say friends is, I'm so thankful! God has been so faithful and soo good to me! What on earth can I ever do to repay Him? I'll just continually give myself...everyday, in everything. Today is Christmas so Merry Christmas everyone. This will be my last post, study abroad is officially over, and I'm leaving the UK on Tuesday, headed to Zimbabwe to be with family. It's such a tremendous blessing to be able to travel from continent to continent to visit family and loved ones. It's not by power nor by might, just by His grace. When I started the semester, I had very little money after using a lot for my flights and expenses...but hey, not one day was I in need,I never lacked anything...was always well fed, and could go hang out with friends. Isn't that worth praising for friends!

This semester has been a time of growth for me. Personal growth, freedom from many chains...learning to make right choices, and most importantly, trusting God. It hasn't been easy, aaah man, it was hard at times...remember when I couldn't even lift a finger to help myself and all I could do was ask my Lord, or seek out a friend for encouragement, thank you Lord for my few, committed friends. I also got to see my brother after 10 years guys! Got to meet his family and that has been an emotional time for me. To see how happy he is, satisfied, loved, provided for, and still doing good. I'm just so grateful to God for all that. Only God can provide in such a mighty way...lift up a man from his home in order to give him a new life.I've seen a new life and wow, beyond description.

So now it's time for me to move on. Zimbabwe then back to Pomona for a new year and action-packed semester. It is well with me, and I am so excited for the heights I'm reaching in 2012. I feel it in my spirit, that I've done what my Lord sent me to do...hoping I don't cry when I say goodbye on Tuesday...I'm very bad at goodbye, but without goodbye we couldn't go forward and advance in life...

Thank you guys for following my blog, I know you don't comment, but I know you're there LOL. It's been amazing, THANK YOU GOD!!! I love you more and more.

A special dedication...to all who made my study abroad amazing!

I just finished my last exam, and now I'm working on my final paper for our Scottish History class. I just remembered how stressed I was about this class before I came to Scotland, I was meant to read two thick, boring books for the class over the summer. I tried but was unsuccessful, but it turns out the books were pleasure-reading. Relieved. It's 2am, I'm working on my paper, meanwhile my flatmate is so stressed with school and speaking to her mum about it. A thought just crossed my mind, how lucky she is to be able to call her mum at this hour and talk to her and feel understood, and have someone to lean on. Then the Lord just corrected me there, I have a Father I can call on, He neither sleeps nor slumbers, His ear is inclined to hear my prayer and my cries...He is my comforter, my best friend, my provider, He holds my destiny, He has only good things prepared for me, He is my standby and my helper, ah He won the victory for me. I am so spoiled really and just only figured this out now. I hope I can bring some comfort to my friend, but I don't know how without referring to the hope that is Jesus. Anyways, so my paper, I'm trying to change the topic because it's now boring, but Jesus says no, let your no be no and your yes be yes, do what you said you'd do, don't run away from it now when you chose it in the beginning, with all freedom with you and plenty choices available, you chose this one, stick to it. Some of us need to learn this life principle ya'll, stick to what you committed to doing, even when you don't feel like it anymore.

Tomorrow I leave Edinburgh Scotland, I just got back from having dinner earlier tonight with friends. So I wanna give a shout out to all who made my experience memorable. First, my Pomona people, you know you rock! I was afraid we wouldn't click, but we did and we had fun! Hannah you are the ever-smiling, ever-positive, social one. You make everyone feel welcome even without knowing it. Loved talking and laughing with you, and you taught me that walking fast saves time and makes you look important and purposeful, yay! Kaitlyn, your enthusiasm at life, learning and fun enticed me...you reminded me that we only have so long to live, better make the most of it, and take pictures while you're at it! Gary, oh dear Gary you are just the best. You are calm and contented, your words gentle yet powerful. Loved how just hardworking you are and how you love to walk, I'll try that out sometime in the future haha. Eric,our tall one, you are the knight in shining armor! No really Eric, I just love you, loved bumping into you, loved chatting with you, loved how when someone was saying something silly, we would totally understand and start laughing. Good times, man, you are a good man, thanks for telling me how Twilight ends ;) Alex, you are the one who knows stuff...I always felt safe and secure knowing you were there, we wouldn't get lost, and everything was well. You carry yourself ever so maturely and humbly, you really did inspire me...And last but not least, Jin!! Jin you made my life great ah man! You are the cool guy, like literally, check out all our photos, you look like the cool one, which you are. Undefeated record of arriving last at almost every outing, and still being chill and all, ahhh, you have no idea how you made me smile so many times, even now, very wide smile...you are the man!
Tom, our director, is the best director ever. He made this entire experience epic, and was like my dad away from home. Thank you Tom and Jim!!!
Hope! Church, my awesome flatmates, Helen, Edinburgh Debate, my Zim girls in Edinburgh, because of you I smile today as I look back on what has been an awesome experience. Thank you God for these people, may their lives be blessed, and their heart's desires be met by you my Lord...:)

Have we talked about FOOD?

Hmmm, now as a lover of food (who isn't really), I just have to tell ya'll about my food experience! I am very picky when it comes to food, plus I get bored of stuff really easily. So some foods I loved for a while, but it didn't last, and some are still the BEST! Okay, pay close attention now, don't say I didn't warn you, LOL!

IRON BRU- that's a specifically Scottish fizzy drink. You can only find it in Scotland and it is a-mazing. I only had it about three times but I'm sure if I had it again it would still taste the same. Viva Scottish Iron Bru! :)

Haggis- this is a Scottish dish, I only had the vegetarian one although I hear the chicken one is pretty good too. We actually had haggis as our stuffing for the turkey on Thanksgiving. It has these wheat-looking grains in it, tastes really good, you must try it for the ultimate Scottish experience. That and deep-fried mars bar. Basically a bar of chocolate coated with a special batter and deep-fried. Okay, ignore the calories and try it, it's really good!

Digestives and Cadbury chocolate drink- this was my typical snack for the first month in Scotland. Unfortunately it grew old for me, but it's pretty popular around here. If you're a chocolate lover, there are chocolate-coated digestives and they will make you smile, trust me on that one hehe.

Gregg's bakery products- I might be biased on this one since I generally love baked goods. Almost everyone loves Gregg's food. For me in particular I'd say the chicken steak pie, it's to die for omg! And the belgian bun is another one, because it has raisins in it!!! But seriously, you want to pay a visit to this bakery :)

Muller Yogurt- It's my personal favorite right now. Comes in lots and lots of exciting flavors, with a side compartment with stuff to put in the yogurt. My personal favorite is the fruit, makes you feel less guilty than other sugary stuff don't you think?

I went through a sandwich phase, but it passed. No bread please. I also went through a pasta phase, please don't give me pasta. Also a sadza (my staple food) phase- very very short I tell you, an oatmeal phase, and a chocolate peanuts phase. Very few foods have stood the test of time, congratulations to those that have...and to those that fell by the wayside, they too have contributed to the great Scottish experience.
Ah my friends, sorry I don't have many pictures of my foods, LOL, much love!

When you have faith, all things are possible!

My silence has been justified by the fact that exams have been in full swing this side of life. Indeed, they are still in full swing, I look forward to the day of my freedom, in three days time yeah! Thus said, my time in Edinburgh is coming to a close. I haven't been up to much, besides studying and taking exams...hanging out with friends, and sleeping. My clock is really messed up, I've been staying awake the entire night, going to bed about 6-8am, and waking up about 11am. It has become really difficult to study during the day, we'll see how I'm going to adjust after exams. Did I mention I'm going home? Zimbabwe yeah!!! Looking forward to it, really. There's no place like home. It hasn't taken you long I'm sure to see I have no stories haha.

I do have a lesson to share though, that when you faith, you can do anything. I mean seriously, anything. This is coming from someone who literally messed up a really important interview, but because I believed in my God of second chances,they emailed to set up a second interview, imagine that! I got into my Philosophy exam pretty much doomed to fail. I had spent the entire week studying for my Law exam because I heard it was challenging, plus it formed 100% of my grade. Two days later I sat in a Philosophy exam, closed. But I wrote and I know beyond doubt, I did well. Thank God ey. So my message to you is this: we will never be perfectly prepared, for anything. Sometimes we are not ready at all, sometimes we have very little knowledge, but if you believe, and hold on to hope, you will come through, you will make it. But if you lose faith, and tell yourself you're done, 75% of the time, you are done. Faith works, I wouldn't be here without it. Bless you. Two more posts and my study abroad is over :(
Check out pictures of Edinburgh in Christmas, and some of my friends over at Hope! Church. Bless you all and send me some prayers for this coming week, I so need them!

Winding down...not going back!

Hi lovely people...It's a brand new month! For this one in particular, I feel a certain sense of urgency, particularly to finish the things I started in January of this year. Where there is a need, there is also provision, so this month, there is power to finish, grace for completion. God knows I need that so much...

With exams in one week, and the fatigue that usually catches up with me around this time of the semester, its been a challenging time...not to mention some huge personal decisions I've had to call, after huge revelations, yeah, life is interesting. When it gets tough, I console myself by remembering that someone else wishes they had my problems...someone out there would love to be able to have so much studying to do, to be away from home and see the world on their own...so I'm thankful!

Woke up this morning to find snow on the ground, the roof, the trees, omg so excited! The first snowfall in Edinburgh this winter! It is just so beautiful, getting chilly too...

Not going back, moving ahead...everyday is a chance to better myself, perfect something...my oh my is it hard sometimes, but there's a great reward for consistency, commitment, and diligence...no matter how blurry the future may seem, and how difficult it may become to put even one foot in front of the other...going back is not an option, I'd rather stand, and wait, than go back...

Make me proud...

Hi all...it's been a while, school work, and thoughts about school work are keeping my hands pretty full. By now, all I want is to be done with this semester, and to be in my beloved country...but I have to get through exams to get there, ah well, it is well!

Just been reflecting...can you imagine the day you were born? How you were as a little kid, did you cry a lot, or were you the quiet and well-behaved little one? No-one's told me, but it's pretty obvious that I was the quiet, well-behaved little angel that everyone absolutely adored...I mean can you imagine Princess Bibi throwing tantrums? Ha ha, yess! My mum tells me of an occasion when she went to visit her mother in another mission away from ours...with baby blessing safely strapped to her back. Baby was quiet all along the journey, but as soon as we got to the house, she started screaming, crying really badly, and as mama tried to get into the house, baby would hold the door with her arms, preventing her from doing so. Sadly, mama had to turn back and leave, baby blessing won...maybe I should join Politics, such persuasiveness is in my blood lol...

Mothers are so precious...there is no love quite like a mothers love. Who would carry a child for nine months...the child whose presence in your body would cause significant changes, some which last a lifetime...yet as soon as that baby meets the eye, she loves it more than anything else in the world! Mothers are the most powerful people in the world...why? Because they influence a child's childhood...they can make it or break it...children look up to them and would do anything to please them, whether good or bad. They are the first form of love that a baby knows, mother's love. Mother's are the strong water...just as strong water moves down a river and smooths the rocks, making them round, removing all the corners and imperfections, so is a mother...They have the story of our lives...they watch from day one, and they remember...they see you as you grow, and they marvel at what great a fruit came out of their womb!

A mother's greatest prayer...is that her baby would make her proud. I can hear it in my mother's voice when she speaks to me on the phone...I can see it in her eyes when I stand on stage and speak or preach...I can sense it in her body when she hugs me...and when she talks about me to her friends, you hear the defined tone of pride-she's my baby... Sometimes we cause them grief, our mothers, sometimes we disappoint them...and on the outside they stand in strength, but on the inside, the heart weeps...

I don't want my mama to cry...I want her to rejoice! I want her to look back on the day I was born and say, "God you remembered me..." You see, we the fruits, have the power to bring something new, to our mothers...they, as the tree, are grounded and set, but we go places, and we are changed, transformed...we grow...and when we come back, glowing...imagine the look on your queen's face saying, you make me proud. Hope you make your mama, or dad...or whoever holds that place in your heart, proud for days!

Blessing is thankful...

Hi lovely people! Life has been good over here, no snow and the temperatures starting from 8degrees Celsius! Wonderful winter it has been. Sadly, I can't say the same for some of my classes. I feel like I'm being forced to regurgitate information, for example in my Law course, and I have to study these thick, heavy textbooks. Someone rescue me ha ha, with exams coming up, and dreams for Law School in mind, I bite my lip and drag myself, as is always the need, to lectures and to tutorials. 90% of success is showing up right, well in some situations, once you get there, might as well do what needs to be done.

So Thursday was thanksgiving, why not dedicate this blog to what I'm thankful for! There are so many things that we take for granted every single day, like the sun, and life even. So today, I wanna say what I'm thankful for...

I am so thankful for the life that I have...I don't deserve to live while someone else my age is gone...all the good things I have, like good health, and love...I did nothing to have, but just by God's grace I'm alive, and happy... :) sooo life, and more life!

We are so blessed to have a big family! Can you imagine I have 10 nieces and nephews! Wow wow, I'm so grateful to have those lovely children, like these two adorable ones here...the other one looks like me isn't? I'm the aunty, soo proud and so thankful, I just pray blessings upon each and every one of them!

Now wouldn't life be soo boring without friends? Yes definitely...I'm soo grateful for years, for all the people in my life I can call my friends. I know it's not always easy being someone's friend, yes I know sometimes it's a challenge being my friend too...but I'm grateful to God, and to them, that I've never woken up and found myself completely alone, there's always someone I can call, or text, or have a meal with, or walk with, or pray with...I love inspiring people and being there for people, I love being a blessing and being the unshakable pillar of strength...but that doesn't mean I don't also need encouragement, infact I think I need it more so that I can give to others what I receive...so friends, masanta- love these girls...besty, sisters, mothers, brothers, classmates, my sahwiras...I love you all, and thank you, for being my friends!

I have the most awesome adviser on Pomona's campus, yes...Professor Kuehlwein is just a gift from God...he believes in me, and he's there as a great resource, encouragement, and his family is kinda like my own family in Claremont...soo thankful for him!

And to the most awesome family...these guys are just the best...I wouldn't be me if it wasn't for them in my life...what for 5 brothers, who sometimes pretend to be evil, e.g throwing cushions at you if you smirk during a movie, or teasing you over your singing oh my...but really are such big, warm hearted men, I see them and, don't tell them I said this, they are the most loyal, humble, hardworking...loving men in our side of the world...and did you know I have a sister, yes, love her to bits...she's a woman of strength and courage, just like I'm growing to be. Thankful for my family!!!

And I'm thankful for....

My mama...a woman of character and strength. She believes in me, always has...and she taught me the greatest lesson of my life, she introduced me to Jesus...I am what I am because of this woman. God bless you mama!

Saving the best for last, unfortunately I can't put up a picture of Him, I have none :( But just look at me, and you...and you'll see the imprints of His love. My oh my, where would I be in my life without this man!!! I would be dead, figuratively and literally! Sometimes, there just isn't a good enough reason to wake up...or live, but when I think of Him, I can do all things! Who can use a person like me? Who can change a lifestory like he continually does mine...and most importantly, who will never ever fail you, never ever leave your side...? My Jesus, and I'm most thankful for the knowledge of Him, and our relationship...I pray it grows even stronger every day...

Next year I'll be saying thankful for my boyfriend!! lol, just kidding...Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays! :)

November...are we there yet?

Hi friends :) 2 weeks away from this page, and it felt like something has been missing from my lovely life! So the past few weeks have been nothing out of the ordinary, except for the fact that the pressure of exams is beginning to increase...exams are such a big deal here, unlike at Pomona where they can constitute about 20%, depending on the course, here it's 40, 60%! So this young lady here, better get her study grove back on...now!

Last week the "Pomonians" (as our History professor calls us), went to Edinburgh Castle with our director, Tom. It was a lovely day, we had sunshine can you handle! We got to see a lot of interesting things at the castle, and if anyone ever asks you, the oldest building in Edinburgh city is the Saint Margaret chapel, built in the twelfth century, I believe. Check out the pictures. Also, this weekend, my sister-in-law, who lives in Wolverhampton, came to visit with my two adorable nieces. It felt a lot like Visiting Sunday in boarding school, only there was no bringing of maputi and juice this time haha. Life is so good, can't believe it has been three years since I left High School, I still think of it sometimes though. So, I spent this weekend with my family, talked, laughed and got to be a tour-guide :) The homesickness is beginning to settle in a little. I really miss Pomona, Cali, and Abundant Living. Last full month in Edinburgh, I better make the most of it hey...

So the answer to my question, are we there yet, is no, but we're getting there. Am I at the point where I can say I am fully grounded in the word? Am I fully satisfied with my life? Am I doing everything I was called and made to be? The answer is no, I'm not there yet...but everyday, the more I look at Jesus and follow Him, the more I become like Him. The more I work, the better the results I get. Some days I wake up, get slothful and decide not to do my part-I end up hating myself afterward, but the work will still be waiting for me tomorrow. I just want to succeed, I just want to be the best me I could ever be, I want to use my talents...I want God to use me...and I want to be a blessing...I'm not there yet, but I have hope, one day, my Daddy will look at me, smile and say- yes my daughter, you are finally here :)

love and blessings to you all!