It all started when I decided I need to get out of the house. I've spent the past three days laying around the house in stretchy pants eating brownies and watching endless hours of E! There are a few movies I want to see but I'm not quite to the point where I can go see a movie by myself yet. It's coming soon though, I'm sure. So my options are pretty limited. The mall's a good place to go when you don't know what to do, plus I wanted to look at some dresses for Ruth's wedding festivities coming up next week. After trying on some not so cute but extremely overpriced dresses I began to wander through the cosmetics department at Dillard's. I saw a case for Clinique skincare and wouldn't you know it, as soon as I picked one of the cute little bags up a few more fell to the ground. Smooth. I had gotten the attention of Lou, a sales representative. She was polite, but I still felt like a loser. We started talking about the products and before you know it I was in the glorious white chair! At first she just did foundation, but then I guess she decided she liked me (aka thought she could make some money) and went on to full makeup. It was so weird. Don't get me wrong, it was really pretty and Lou is great at her job, but I normally don't wear any makeup so I kinda felt like I should be in a beauty pageant. The rest of the day I felt really self-conscious about my overly done face. But Lou and her associate Miss Dora told me it looked good and I was becoming a young lady. Ha. Ha. Ha.

This past Sunday after church I was talking to a lady I know named Pat. We did the typical meet and greet thing, she asked me how I was and what I was doing now and so on and so forth. I mentioned that I was going to be in Monahans for a year, but in July I was going to China to teach English. Well it just so happens that about a year ago, or maybe longer, a few Chinese people moved to Monahans and started a restaurant, and it also just so happens that they are neighbors with Pat. So Pat asks me if I've met Amy and Crystal, two of the girls who work at the restaurant and live next door to her. I told her I hadn't but I really wanted to. We made plans to go to the restaurant on Tuesday afternoon to have tea and she would introduce us. Tuesday came around and I got to meet Amy and Crystal and tell them I was going to China and how I wanted to start learning some Chinese before I go. They graciously offered to come over the next day after work to help me with Chinese and I could help them with English. Tuesday night they came over pretty late and we worked on some pinyin and then I helped them with some of their English vocab. Crystal took charge of my lessons and was super helpful with all my pronunciations. After about an hour of language lessons the girls went home and I wasn't sure when we would meet again. Until....

Last night after watching Law & Order CI with my parents I went to my room to read some more of The Devil Wears Prada (much better than Pride & Prejudice btw) and get ready for bed. I know, I know, my life is incredibly exciting. Well anyway, my phone rang and it was a number I didn't recognize, but I answered it anyway... I know some people have weird rules about this kinda thing, but I like to think I'm a free spirit and plus I can always just hang up. It was Crystal, and she was at my door! I'm immediately very confused and disoriented. Did we plan to meet tonight? Man, I'm glad I'm still dressed.... She had just finished working and came over to help me with Chinese again, and this time she brought her computer to show me some websites and music. After our first time meeting I wasn't sure if they just came over because they wanted to be nice or what. They both work extremely long hours and it really is a huge sacrifice of their time. So it was really cool to see her taking initiative to come over.

I am so thankful for both Amy and Crystal's time and help so far. It is so clear to me that this is the Lord's provision in my life, preparing me for the next year and probably wanting to do something here as well. Who knew that in little ole Monahans, Texas I would have my own personal Chinese tutors?