YAY! I have completed my Basic Volunteer Certification with the IRS. I just have Intermediate certification to go. I am half way through the practice exam for it. I should get it completed soon.
I am getting excited for coming home for Christmas. I was trying to get a card out to people but our house card fell through. We took a whole bunch of pictures.
Jeffrey will be here in a couple of hours. :)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
More Taxes, Shopping, and Lines
This week I began my second string of tax classes. At the end of this one I will be certified to be a Volunteer Income Tax Agent (VITA). One more one-day training on the 22nd then I should be ready. In theory anyways. :)
Sadly, the play has been canceled. I memorized 26 pages for naught but it is okay. One of the parts was cast and recast. It was just cursed or something. People kept dropping out of that part.
The Christmas Store opened today. It is where people in Overtown can come buy toys for 20% the store cost. So they can pay $10 and get presents that would have cost them $50 at the store. It empowers people in the community to buy presents for their own children. We just make it more affordable and claim no credit. All profits go to buying toys for the next year (or current year if other donations from two local churches and a few others aren't enough). Anyways, I have been doing a lot of stuff to get it ready.
Last Sunday I got to see the renovations that are going on for the Downtown Mission that I do Sunday mornings. The church is moving their homeless ministry to another building. There will not be as much room and so people are going to have to wait outside in line. However, the new people running the church also don't want them doing that where their members will be able to see them in the parking lot. I am not quite sure how all of that is going to work out.
I got a package from UPC this week. It was so wonderful to receive that love. I showed all my roommates. Whether they really wanted to see them or not. :)
I received a letter today from the Bone Marrow people. I was not a match (it was only a 1 in 12 chance). Please pray for the little boy in the hopes that someone else was a match.
Sadly, the play has been canceled. I memorized 26 pages for naught but it is okay. One of the parts was cast and recast. It was just cursed or something. People kept dropping out of that part.
The Christmas Store opened today. It is where people in Overtown can come buy toys for 20% the store cost. So they can pay $10 and get presents that would have cost them $50 at the store. It empowers people in the community to buy presents for their own children. We just make it more affordable and claim no credit. All profits go to buying toys for the next year (or current year if other donations from two local churches and a few others aren't enough). Anyways, I have been doing a lot of stuff to get it ready.
Last Sunday I got to see the renovations that are going on for the Downtown Mission that I do Sunday mornings. The church is moving their homeless ministry to another building. There will not be as much room and so people are going to have to wait outside in line. However, the new people running the church also don't want them doing that where their members will be able to see them in the parking lot. I am not quite sure how all of that is going to work out.
I got a package from UPC this week. It was so wonderful to receive that love. I showed all my roommates. Whether they really wanted to see them or not. :)
I received a letter today from the Bone Marrow people. I was not a match (it was only a 1 in 12 chance). Please pray for the little boy in the hopes that someone else was a match.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Cars and Angels
So here is the story of a car. It was a was a Lexus SUV. Now it was a very very nice car. Through its travels it found a home in front of some short term missionaries. They hoped/joked that it was a gift from God because their one community car is dying. God just wanted them to work to find the keys. God only provides so much, the rest you have to do for yourself.
Now this car was a Miami car through and through because it had a toll pass for the local toll roads. Sadly, some unthoughtful person had left Take Out in the back seat. The Lexus became lonely. Nobody ever came to drive it anymore. The interns could not find the keys to make it happy.
Three weeks pass...
A timid intern named Rachael calls the cops. The dispatcher checks the license plate number and tells her it is stolen. Then she gets a lecture for waiting three weeks before calling. Hey, the pretty Lexus was on public property and all the neighbors only speak Spanish (it parked itself in Little Havana). So the Lexus was taken away by the policewoman never to be seen again. And there was no reward money. :(
I am an Angel in the Christmas play. We hadn't rehearsed for over a week. I forgot most of my lines. That is it. Oh yeah they are doing this 24 hour prayer thing at the Lighthouse. I signed up for a couple of hours. Pray that I am able to pray that long. :)
Good luck on finals to everyone and eat a Chicago style hot dog for me!
Rachael
Now this car was a Miami car through and through because it had a toll pass for the local toll roads. Sadly, some unthoughtful person had left Take Out in the back seat. The Lexus became lonely. Nobody ever came to drive it anymore. The interns could not find the keys to make it happy.
Three weeks pass...
A timid intern named Rachael calls the cops. The dispatcher checks the license plate number and tells her it is stolen. Then she gets a lecture for waiting three weeks before calling. Hey, the pretty Lexus was on public property and all the neighbors only speak Spanish (it parked itself in Little Havana). So the Lexus was taken away by the policewoman never to be seen again. And there was no reward money. :(
I am an Angel in the Christmas play. We hadn't rehearsed for over a week. I forgot most of my lines. That is it. Oh yeah they are doing this 24 hour prayer thing at the Lighthouse. I signed up for a couple of hours. Pray that I am able to pray that long. :)
Good luck on finals to everyone and eat a Chicago style hot dog for me!
Rachael
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
One actually from today :)
Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I am not very good at this blog thing. I just posted last month reflection. Though there was a week where we didn't have any internet at all. I wrote a blog that week but by the end of the week it seemed out of date and never posted.
Update since then.
Tomorrow is my last tax class! Yay! Except that does mean that I have a final tomorrow. :(
I was contacted to be a possible bone marrow donor. I have a 1 in 12 chance of being a "perfect match" for a three year old with leukemia. I got the blood work portion done on Monday. Ever since then I can't stop thinking this child I never met and his family. I hope they find a match with me or someone else.
Our house Dog and Cat Sat for a week. It made me miss my cat. My mom says that Emma has been trying desperately to go outside. Can't wait to see her this Christmas.
I am in a Christmas play. Or at least I will be until the first rehearsal tomorrow when they realize I can't act. Anyways, it is a play with only four people. King, Shepard, Angel, and Bag Lady. That means I have a lot of lines. It is about nativity statues who come to life when nobody is watching. The Bag Lady comes by drunk and talks to them. She passes out and starts to freeze to death but not before you find out her story and the story of the birth. Each character has their own quirk. The King is obsessed with his present and is afraid that someone will steal it. The Shepard is verbally combative with the stuck up Angel. The Angel thinks her name is "Harold" (Hark the Harold Angel sings) and that she is the most important part of the nativity. (Nobody had better be thinking this character was made for me)
My Dad still has a job! Yay! He is now under a different branch of USA because the NASA contract was won by Lockheed Martin. So new building, new boss, new benefits (which are worse) but the same salary.
I am going to go back to watching How I Met Your Mother because I never have much time to watch TV (even when its on the internet) and I know some want me to keep up. :)
Update since then.
Tomorrow is my last tax class! Yay! Except that does mean that I have a final tomorrow. :(
I was contacted to be a possible bone marrow donor. I have a 1 in 12 chance of being a "perfect match" for a three year old with leukemia. I got the blood work portion done on Monday. Ever since then I can't stop thinking this child I never met and his family. I hope they find a match with me or someone else.
Our house Dog and Cat Sat for a week. It made me miss my cat. My mom says that Emma has been trying desperately to go outside. Can't wait to see her this Christmas.
I am in a Christmas play. Or at least I will be until the first rehearsal tomorrow when they realize I can't act. Anyways, it is a play with only four people. King, Shepard, Angel, and Bag Lady. That means I have a lot of lines. It is about nativity statues who come to life when nobody is watching. The Bag Lady comes by drunk and talks to them. She passes out and starts to freeze to death but not before you find out her story and the story of the birth. Each character has their own quirk. The King is obsessed with his present and is afraid that someone will steal it. The Shepard is verbally combative with the stuck up Angel. The Angel thinks her name is "Harold" (Hark the Harold Angel sings) and that she is the most important part of the nativity. (Nobody had better be thinking this character was made for me)
My Dad still has a job! Yay! He is now under a different branch of USA because the NASA contract was won by Lockheed Martin. So new building, new boss, new benefits (which are worse) but the same salary.
I am going to go back to watching How I Met Your Mother because I never have much time to watch TV (even when its on the internet) and I know some want me to keep up. :)
Another late Reflection letter
I have started tax classes. I actually find the subject fascinating and enjoy being back in “school.” I am doing really well in class and I think I will be comfortable doing over a hundred returns this next tax season. Though much of what I am learning will not apply to my clients who will not be making over a 100,000 dollars or have to worry about fringe benefits totaling too much. In addition, Sunday mornings I have taken over the chiropractor paperwork. Twice a month two different chiropractors come and provide free services for our patrons.
In addition, one of my many jobs is to print/copy job listings every week to hand out. People who come in looking for work can get a job listing with the available positions and contact information. This last Sunday, I was walking through an outside mall and someone called my name. It was a lady who I had talked to and given a job listing. She was working in the shop that she had just been hired in. Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline talks about celebrating with others in community how God is working in their lives. It was great to celebrate with someone who had been praying for a long time for this second job. Also, it is a good feeling to know that God is working through you to do good things.
I voted here in Florida. You actually bubble in the person which is a bit different than our computer system. Then you go and scan the papers through the optical scanner machine. I admit that the first time I heard that name I pictured something from Sci-Fi that would scan your eye. I am a nerd. Everybody who was anybody in the campaigns was coming to Florida. I tried to attend one of the many Obama rallies here but was unsuccessful. I waited three hours to see Hillary Clinton but it ended up getting cancelled due to a plane delay. I was 12 in line.
The CCDA conference just finished up. It is the Christian Community Development Association. It is basically a conference for Non-profit people. It was awesome (and I mean this word in the way it was originally intended) to be surrounded by all the people “doing good” in the world. I attended a workshop on helping Sexual Abuse (specifically incest) victims. It was depressing and hopeful at the same time. Almost all of the people that attended told their personal stories. Eye-opening would be the least I could say.
In Overtown this month, there was another murder of a high school student. This time the boy was continually receiving anonymous threats. When he went outside to the dumpster at his job he was shot and then burned. Please pray for the family and community.
In addition, one of my many jobs is to print/copy job listings every week to hand out. People who come in looking for work can get a job listing with the available positions and contact information. This last Sunday, I was walking through an outside mall and someone called my name. It was a lady who I had talked to and given a job listing. She was working in the shop that she had just been hired in. Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline talks about celebrating with others in community how God is working in their lives. It was great to celebrate with someone who had been praying for a long time for this second job. Also, it is a good feeling to know that God is working through you to do good things.
I voted here in Florida. You actually bubble in the person which is a bit different than our computer system. Then you go and scan the papers through the optical scanner machine. I admit that the first time I heard that name I pictured something from Sci-Fi that would scan your eye. I am a nerd. Everybody who was anybody in the campaigns was coming to Florida. I tried to attend one of the many Obama rallies here but was unsuccessful. I waited three hours to see Hillary Clinton but it ended up getting cancelled due to a plane delay. I was 12 in line.
The CCDA conference just finished up. It is the Christian Community Development Association. It is basically a conference for Non-profit people. It was awesome (and I mean this word in the way it was originally intended) to be surrounded by all the people “doing good” in the world. I attended a workshop on helping Sexual Abuse (specifically incest) victims. It was depressing and hopeful at the same time. Almost all of the people that attended told their personal stories. Eye-opening would be the least I could say.
In Overtown this month, there was another murder of a high school student. This time the boy was continually receiving anonymous threats. When he went outside to the dumpster at his job he was shot and then burned. Please pray for the family and community.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Quick one today that is actually from today
Ghost Ranch - I loved. Great people, great scenery, and great things to think about.
I am no longer a Texas resident. :( I will always be one at heart though. The upside to getting a driver's license here is that I will be a Florida voter. Go Obama! I am not sure how many ads you are getting in Texas but there are a bizillion here. Radio, billboards, tv, and anywhere else you can think of.
My work at TML is going good. Many of the homeless call me "Miss Texas." It makes me laugh every time. I am still looking for a church home in this city. I really miss UPC a lot. At church this morning there was 3 choir members (and only two could sing). There was also a Coffee Fellowship that I was excited to go to meet people. Nobody (okay one person) showed up. Everybody else left. I didn't even meet the pastor for the second time in a row. I will try again next week.
I have a staff party today that I need to get ready for. I do like the people that I am working with. They are very dedicated and love what they are doing. My supervisor is also a cool guy though a little funny at times. I rarely see him for he is always running somewhere to do something. I am told he has really grown this non-profit from a small business to what it is now. They just hired three people the week I was at orientation in New Mexico.
Kathleen- I am getting my housemates interested in How I met your Mother. We don't have CBS by the way. We only get a couple of channels in on our rabbit ears and they aren't very good.
Got to go! Love and Peace.
I am no longer a Texas resident. :( I will always be one at heart though. The upside to getting a driver's license here is that I will be a Florida voter. Go Obama! I am not sure how many ads you are getting in Texas but there are a bizillion here. Radio, billboards, tv, and anywhere else you can think of.
My work at TML is going good. Many of the homeless call me "Miss Texas." It makes me laugh every time. I am still looking for a church home in this city. I really miss UPC a lot. At church this morning there was 3 choir members (and only two could sing). There was also a Coffee Fellowship that I was excited to go to meet people. Nobody (okay one person) showed up. Everybody else left. I didn't even meet the pastor for the second time in a row. I will try again next week.
I have a staff party today that I need to get ready for. I do like the people that I am working with. They are very dedicated and love what they are doing. My supervisor is also a cool guy though a little funny at times. I rarely see him for he is always running somewhere to do something. I am told he has really grown this non-profit from a small business to what it is now. They just hired three people the week I was at orientation in New Mexico.
Kathleen- I am getting my housemates interested in How I met your Mother. We don't have CBS by the way. We only get a couple of channels in on our rabbit ears and they aren't very good.
Got to go! Love and Peace.
Ooops... This was written three weeks ago :)
Miss y’all! This week went by pretty fast for me. On Wednesday and Thursday I spent all day looking over government regulations and writing procedures for them. This means I read through stupid legal speak then had to write what our office does/will do to ensure we comply with the law. They are applying for a DCF (Dept of Children’s and Families) license from the state. What is cool is that I have only been here two weeks and my procedures are going to have to be read by all future hires. What was not cool was giving up on the American Disabilities Act and calling their hotline to talk to a lawyer who just confused me more. Did you know that a court order does not require you to hand over confidential information? You have to actually get a subpoena before you are required to.
It was one of my housemate’s b-day. We went and walked around the miracle mile. We went to an Irish Pub that was doing a comedy night. All of the comics were pretty bad. Yesterday we went to a Cuban restaurant and the food was great. However, hours later I wasn’t feeling so great.
Brisingr comes out today. Sorry Jonathan, but I am buying it. Christopher Paoloni is actually coming to Miami!!! He is only going to half a dozen cities. He is doing some kind of a reading and singing? I got so excited until I looked at the date. It is when I am at Ghost Ranch next week. I will be in New Mexico when he comes. Just my luck. Obama was here in town at UM. But by the time I heard about it, they had already run out of tickets for the general public. I did find the Obama campaign headquarters in town (it is on the miracle mile). I don’t know how I am going to vote this year. I am going to get a FL driver’s license for my job. I don’t know when though. So I will have this akward time near the election where I am not sure where I can vote.
It was one of my housemate’s b-day. We went and walked around the miracle mile. We went to an Irish Pub that was doing a comedy night. All of the comics were pretty bad. Yesterday we went to a Cuban restaurant and the food was great. However, hours later I wasn’t feeling so great.
Brisingr comes out today. Sorry Jonathan, but I am buying it. Christopher Paoloni is actually coming to Miami!!! He is only going to half a dozen cities. He is doing some kind of a reading and singing? I got so excited until I looked at the date. It is when I am at Ghost Ranch next week. I will be in New Mexico when he comes. Just my luck. Obama was here in town at UM. But by the time I heard about it, they had already run out of tickets for the general public. I did find the Obama campaign headquarters in town (it is on the miracle mile). I don’t know how I am going to vote this year. I am going to get a FL driver’s license for my job. I don’t know when though. So I will have this akward time near the election where I am not sure where I can vote.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Rapture and Puff the Magic Dragon
First off, just to let everyone know my parents are safe and fine. The house and roof are still intact. Ike knocked down a couple of our trees but they managed to land between houses and onto our back patio. The part of La Porte which is on the water (where Anderson Cooper had his people) is still off limits until Wednesday. My parent’s part of the city got back electricity this afternoon.
This weekend was interesting. I worked for a homeless ministry held at this Baptist church in Downtown. There program is really good. They give free breakfast, showers, clothing exchange, this week was chiropractic medical care, and a really nice lunch. They also do a worship service. It was all about the rapture. About what it will look like and how to be a part of it. It was all done on a DVD. Also, there was a section that was a demonstration using screws of different metals and a magnet. Oh yeah. I am serious. Furthermore (I just want to use that word), the magnetic screws all contained “Christ’s DNA.” Oh yeah. They went there. They totally screwed up biology (slight pun intended). They also showed a clip from the ending of I am Legend which I haven’t seen. Will Smith is Christ if you haven’t guessed.
A 17 year old was shot and killed this past weekend in Overtown. He was a boyfriend of one the girls that goes to TML. She came in all upset. Violence is horrible. That is all I can say about it right now.
To end on a funnier note. Another thing, was I read a curriculum called “Don’t laugh at me” which uses the song Puff the Magic Dragon. Really? How could I play that to the high schoolers.
This weekend was interesting. I worked for a homeless ministry held at this Baptist church in Downtown. There program is really good. They give free breakfast, showers, clothing exchange, this week was chiropractic medical care, and a really nice lunch. They also do a worship service. It was all about the rapture. About what it will look like and how to be a part of it. It was all done on a DVD. Also, there was a section that was a demonstration using screws of different metals and a magnet. Oh yeah. I am serious. Furthermore (I just want to use that word), the magnetic screws all contained “Christ’s DNA.” Oh yeah. They went there. They totally screwed up biology (slight pun intended). They also showed a clip from the ending of I am Legend which I haven’t seen. Will Smith is Christ if you haven’t guessed.
A 17 year old was shot and killed this past weekend in Overtown. He was a boyfriend of one the girls that goes to TML. She came in all upset. Violence is horrible. That is all I can say about it right now.
To end on a funnier note. Another thing, was I read a curriculum called “Don’t laugh at me” which uses the song Puff the Magic Dragon. Really? How could I play that to the high schoolers.
Friday, September 12, 2008
First Post - Very creative title I know
Hi Everyone!
It’s Rachael here in rainy Miami. Don’t get me wrong. I am extremely grateful that it was only rain and not a hurricane. I am writing just to let y’all know what is going on with me. I miss you very much.
I started my job on Monday and although I get to work with youth and children there is also a ton of paperwork. Grants require a lot of information and paperwork to show that you are accomplishing and documenting everything you do. I like working with the elementary kids because I can put them in time out. I tried that once with my 6th graders it didn’t really work. The High School youth definitely have issues and need to be taught manners and boundaries.
The area where I work is not the safest place. I had to sign all of these things about safety. I am also required to carry around pepper spray since I will be standing at bus stops and walking a distance. I got some tonight to start carrying with me. My first impression of Overtown (the area I work) was that of a lot of black men calling out to me and a fire dept ambulance pulling over to ask me if I knew where I was. They kept saying “are you sure?” It turns out white people get asked that a lot by police and fire officials. Interesting twist on the classic pullover.
I live near Little Havana. Everybody in my subdivision speaks Spanish. I have yet to meet someone who speaks English. They all assume because of where I am living that I speak Spanish. In Miami, people actually talk to strangers on the bus. In Austin, I only had conversations with homeless people. Here I have had so many conversations. I have been given 3 phone numbers by random guys on the bus as well though. The first time I said I had a boyfriend. The next couple of times I said I am married to the church (well that was really all the Italian guy could understand in English). It is sort of true because I am not allowed to date until after December and then my house has to approve the guy.
The people I live with are all different. I am staying in a room with Julie. She is real cool. Our schedules are off though. I don’t start work until 11 and she has to leave here at 6. That means I end up getting up really early as well.
It’s Rachael here in rainy Miami. Don’t get me wrong. I am extremely grateful that it was only rain and not a hurricane. I am writing just to let y’all know what is going on with me. I miss you very much.
I started my job on Monday and although I get to work with youth and children there is also a ton of paperwork. Grants require a lot of information and paperwork to show that you are accomplishing and documenting everything you do. I like working with the elementary kids because I can put them in time out. I tried that once with my 6th graders it didn’t really work. The High School youth definitely have issues and need to be taught manners and boundaries.
The area where I work is not the safest place. I had to sign all of these things about safety. I am also required to carry around pepper spray since I will be standing at bus stops and walking a distance. I got some tonight to start carrying with me. My first impression of Overtown (the area I work) was that of a lot of black men calling out to me and a fire dept ambulance pulling over to ask me if I knew where I was. They kept saying “are you sure?” It turns out white people get asked that a lot by police and fire officials. Interesting twist on the classic pullover.
I live near Little Havana. Everybody in my subdivision speaks Spanish. I have yet to meet someone who speaks English. They all assume because of where I am living that I speak Spanish. In Miami, people actually talk to strangers on the bus. In Austin, I only had conversations with homeless people. Here I have had so many conversations. I have been given 3 phone numbers by random guys on the bus as well though. The first time I said I had a boyfriend. The next couple of times I said I am married to the church (well that was really all the Italian guy could understand in English). It is sort of true because I am not allowed to date until after December and then my house has to approve the guy.
The people I live with are all different. I am staying in a room with Julie. She is real cool. Our schedules are off though. I don’t start work until 11 and she has to leave here at 6. That means I end up getting up really early as well.
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