City on a Hill Video

Here's the video of the City on a Hill boarding school that we will be visiting in Sudan. As you can see, the school is little but sticks and bricks, yet they're already educating some of the children. While we will not be working much on the school this trip, we will be there to encourage, pray, and live with the Didinga people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THvp3VpQ0Jg

40 Days of Health before Sudan

While contemplating how I can prepare myself physically for Sudan in a little over a month, I realized one of the biggest things that needed to change was my diet. I'm a pretty healthy eater for the most part, I don't eat fried food, rarely do I eat fast food, and I'm all around cautious about the type of food I eat. BUT, I do love to snack, and I love bread, did I also mention I have a giant sweet tooth?

Since the food we'll eat in Sudan is all natural, locally grown stuff, I decided I should change my eating habits before I go. Also, I've never traveled overseas before, and I don't want my body to be in withdrawl from diet cokes and sugar when I'm there. I want to be in the best health and shape possible. I lost a lot of weight due to my appendix surgery last year and kept all of it off for almost a year until this last spring. Because my schedule got all out of whack and I fell out of my regular running patterns, I put all the weight on pretty quickly late this spring. Even though I'm back to the weight I came into college with, my body was used to the lighter weight for a while and I really started to tell a difference.

When I began looking at diets to take on for this time, I knew I wanted to find something that would give me an eating pattern close to what I'll have in Sudan. I thought about a detox diet, but those are really costly, and when you're raising support to go on a trip, you think very differently about the money you spend personally. One diet I had actually learned about in an anatomy class I took in the fall was the Maker's Diet, it was developed by a man who suffered from Crone's disease and didn't react to any medicine. Instead, he developed his own diet, based of Old Testament eating principles, and ending up treating himself. Basically the diet gets rid of most processed foods, and trys to rid the body of your addictions to certain foods, mine being bread and carbs.

I've known a couple people to adapt this way of eating, and a lot of people swear by it. The plan also entails a lot of hygine rituals and a couple other things, but I haven't followed those yet. The diet is a 40 day plan, split into 3 phases. The first phase-14 days- which I started Friday, allows you to eat most protein, except pork, shell fish, and some specific types of fish. I can only have berries, cherries, lemons, and limes; no cow's milk products; no sugar; and no grains (my hard one!). I'm still allowed to have coffee (thankfully!), tea, and all the veggies I want. I thought this would be hard for me since I'm such a carb addict, but I've found it surprisingly easy. Even though I'm limited in my choices, I've been able to stay away from the cravings and temptations really easily. I don't snack nearly as much as I'm used to because I really don't have a lot to snack on. Also, since my breakfast is usually a veggie omlet or eggs, turkey bacon, and fruit, I stay satisfied for much longer. I've really enjoyed cooking fish like salmon and tilapia too. I never used to eat salmon but I know how good it is for you and now I really love it.

I'm also training for a triathalon at the end of July! My friend Courtney and I are going to do a women's triathalon here before I leave for Sudan and she leaves for grad school. The tri is short, just a 300m swim, 11 mile bike, and 2 mile run. But since it's a women's one, they give you ice foot baths and mimosas after :) I really feel like all of these things will prepare me well physically for our trip. The diet is less about the weight, and more about getting my body to a more natural state of food sources. It's sounds kind of hippie like, I know, but so far so good! If I can make it through birthday weekend at the Stewart's with all the cake and cookies here, I think I can make it a couple more weeks :)

My Crash-course in Parenting...

So this week I took over "parent duties" for Kimberly and Stew while they were in the hospital with new baby Karis. From Monday morning, until Wednesday afternoon, I've had the little buggers 24/7. As much as I've babysat by myself for over 8 years, this was more of a first for me. It changes quite a bit when you can't just "give" the kids back at the end of the day ;). My room mate Christel, who also lives with us, was here too, but she has class and nannys for another family during the day, so it was just me and the kiddos during that time.

Monday was a fairly easy day with them. I took them to a pottery place to make something for Karis, which was really fun, and they didn't break anything! Kimberly was scheduled to be enduced that morning so we played a waiting game all day for the news that Karis was here. At 1:50pm Karis Elizabeth Stewart was born! We spent the afternoon here and brought the kids up to see their baby sister after dinner. They did so great with her. Sally treated her like another one of her baby dolls, and Wesley Grant instantly turned into protective big brother. By the time we left to come home, they were pretty pooped and went right to bed at 8.

Sally, Wesley Grant, and new sister Karis

Tuesday, however, was a different story. Wesley Grant woke up at 6:45am, and Sally soon followed. He woke up full of energy and didn't let up all morning. I've had to learn the balance of realizing when he's just being a 3-year old boy, and when he's actually disobeying me. For the most part, when he's been a little crazy this week, it's just because he's a boy and he's stir crazy. By the time I got them in the car at 11am to take them to the hospital, I just sat in the car for a minute, I was so exhausted! I got to leave them at the hospital with Stew while I left to get lunch and go up to the office for staff meeting. Lauren Ramirez stayed at the house when the kids got back from lunch and stayed with them while they went down for naps. I came into a quiet house when I got back and just pondered the silence for a while. I was so tired but couldn't really sleep, so I just rested in my room and read until they woke up at 5. That night Wesley Grant was awesome, but Sally what the whiner. She had cut her finger a little bit and had a runny nose, the combination I think that led to her be more needy than ever. After we just sat and rocked for a while she was better, and Christel took them down the street to a neighborhood Backyard Bible Club this week while I had my girl's small group over.

Christel and Karis

When they got back, Wesley Grant was so excited to see me and "all my friends" as he said. I really felt like a parent does when their kids rush home to see them. Christel put them in the bath while we finished up in the living room, but as they finished up I began to hear Wesley Grant shouting at her. He's pulled this before with Christel, but hadn't really tested it much with me. When I walked in the bathroom, he stopped yelling and went "uh-oh," I almost laughed at him aknowledging that he was getting in trouble due to my presence, but I held off. He didn't want to get out of the tub and began splashing us and throwing things out of the tub, I knew I was in for a battle. These situations always bring me back to the countless years of child life experience and training I did at Cook Children's hospital in Fort Worth. It's funny how that stuff actually applies later on in life...He was not willing to actually do anything I asked, so I picked him up in his towel kicking and screaming and took him to his room. I just sat with him on the floor in the "restraining position" as I call it, where his back is to my chest and I just wrap my arms and legs around him so he can't move. I learned this after a summer camp I did last year with Cook's, it's one of the only ways you can restrain kids in school and it's also the most effective because the kids are so close to you it's a good transition into feeling love when they calm down. He probably fought me for a good 10 minutes, it's funny to hear some of the things he says, and his progression of words. He always says "I'm so angry!" and I really just try to speak loving words to him, and somewhat reason with him. Finally, he just shouted, "I want some water!" and like that, he was calm. He asked Christel nicely for water, put his pull-up on, and got in bed. It was like turning off a light switch.

Even though yesterday was the hardest day, it was the most rewarding. Having to actually discipline the kids, but see the fruit of that, was a really rewarding feeling. I never want to feel like I'm "controlling" them all the time, so when I have to hold Wesley down, it's usually only after he's had a serious outburst. It's funny to see how he responds to me now, I can just give him a look or come into a room and he knows he's in trouble. Being back in a family setting has shown me just how sinful in nature we are. You can't teach kids to throw a fit, they didn't see that from you, and you can't teach them to say a lot of the things they do. But we're proned to certain sins, and even from a young age they are apparent. Wesley is a passionate kid, and will someday be an incredible young man who stands up for what he believes when everyone else is sitting down. But until then, his energy and passion is unharnassed, and it's up to his parents, and for a small time this week, for me and Christel, to channel that for him. There have been times when Christel and I have just looked at each other and thrown our hands up, like "we're never having kids!" But then we get to see Wesley Grant and Sally see their baby sister for the first time, or even hold Karis ourselves, then go through so much with the kiddos at home, that it makes me value family even more. I thought I knew how to parent until this week. Not to say I'm even close to being there, but I feel like I've seen some climpses of why God has given us children, and as Stew says, it's long, long periods of frustration and chaos, mixed with small glimpses of hope and reward :)

The Last Year...

This one might take a while...

So for all of you that don't get to keep up with me on a regular basis (which is most of you :) I'm going to try to compact the last year into one blog entry. To sum up the last year of my life, I would have to say it was composed of countless "grace-filled blessings" as the Lord provided time and time again in ways I could have never imagined...

School-

I'll be a junior this August at The University of Texas-Austin, majoring in Political Communications and in the Bridging Disciplines Program for Social Inequality, Health, and Policy. The BDP is a bridge for students who want to study in an area that is not an offered major at UT, and also for students who want to gain undergraduate research experience to prepare them for grad school. I'm not sure if I'll do grad school yet, I've started to look into studying for the LSAT for law school next spring, but I really love the program. I was a member of Delta Delta Delta from my freshman year up until this last December when I made the hard decision to leave after I really felt my calling (and my finances!) was elsewhere. As much as I miss all the girls, I'm even closer to some of them now. Not to mention, the Lord used that experience to literally allow my story to be shared with the whole chapter after I left, I could not have asked for a better way to share the gospel with 200 girls. I've always enjoyed the academic side of college, and as I get more in depth in my studies, I really feel like I'm studying what I'm passionate about.

A Whole lot of Jesus-

Last summer, the Lord blessed me with a group of friends in Fort Worth that I was able to live out the gospel with all summer. I won't explain all of that story, if you read my old blogs from last summer you'll get all the good stuff :) When I came back to Austin last fall, I knew my heart was burdened to see the gospel lived out daily in my life and others. I have a huge heart for the poor and oppressed, and the Lord burdened me to fight for them here in Austin, to live with them, and experience Him in some of the darkest areas of the city. I'd been going to The Austin Stone Community Church (http://www.austinstone.org/) since my freshman year, and when I came back from doing house church in Ft. Worth all summer, I wasn't sure if a big congregation was really where God was calling me. But he was, and through some unbelievable circumstances, I was able to share my heart for missional community and living in East Austin with various members of the staff. Not only did they listen, but they took my passion to heart, and began equipping me for ministry. In the fall, I was mentored by a few people who were able to speak a lot of truth into my life, as well as wind in my sails. I was introduced to our community pastor Stew and his wife Kimberly in October and began to form an incredible relationship with them over the course of the fall and spring (more on that in a bit). When I came back from winter break, I wanted to see us but a college team in the St. John's neighborhood here (the poorest neighborhood in Austin, and my new home:) for Spring Break. What I had envisioned to be a small college urban-emersion trip, turned into being asked to put on a Spring Break Day Camp for over 100 Hispanic kids in the neighborhood. Having never even been to a VBS that I can remember, planning one in 2 months on top of being a full-time student and working an internship was quite the learning process. But once again, God provided and the week was the most amazing part of my semester. To read some of the stories from volunteers at the camp go to http://friendsofstjohns.blogspot.com/. After spring break, I came on staff at Austin Stone as the Local Missions College Intern. I literllay got to write my job description and have given an opportunity to do what I love, and get paid for it. Half of my duties rest in local missions outreach for our church, particularly here in St. John's, while the other half rest with the college ministry. As much as I was nervous about coming on staff (you hear a lot about people getting burned and turned off my church when they actually work for one) I could not be more overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for my position.

My Austin Family-

I mentioned Kimberly and Stew earlier, and this past spring I was part of their community group where we went through the world missions course called Perspectives. I honestly can't talk enough about these people, they have been one of the biggest blessings to ever walk into my life and I have never seen the gospel lived so clearly in a couple's life. Kimberly has become my "spritual momma" of sorts and has gone through a lot with me this past year. I just recently moved in with their family (Wesley Grant 3 1/2 and Sally 2) as we await the arrival of their 3rd child, Karis Elizabeth, anytime now! It's been sooo much fun to wake up to little legs and giggles running around in the morning. Sally loves all things girly, including my shoes and jewelry....

Stew and Kimberly also live in the St. John's neighborhood so it has given me the opportunity to live here sooner than I thought I would be able to. After this summer is up, I will move into another place close-by with my room mate Christel was was also in our community group and lives with the Stewart's this summer too.

Sudan
Through our community group, I met Jonathan and Lauren Ramirez who I'll be going to Sudan with this summer. Jonathan and Lauren part of what I call my "Austin Family," along with the rest of our community group. It's like having one of my sisters here in Austin with Lauren and having an older brother for the first time with Jonathan. About half of our community group will be going on this trip, which is nothing short of incredible. We're a little "traveling church" as we like to call it. While I was given the opportunity for Sudan early in the year, I was also given the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in Rwanda for an internship there. After a lot of prayer, I decided it was not my time for Rwanda yet, and I took the Austin Stone position and confirmed my heart to go to Sudan. What I love about this trip is that it is completely based on vision. We don't have a huge game-plan and we're going in to "fix" anything. We are the ones who are learning, and while the Didnga people may have nothing in terms of our American mindset, they have much more to give us than we ever could. I'm beyond excited to see how God will stir things in my heart during this time, everyone on this trip has a heart to go back long term and I really hope I get the chance to when I graduate in May 2010. The future blog entires I make will mostly be focused on the Sudan trip.

The Markovich Fam-

For those of you who don't know, my dad took a job with a small family-owned agriculture company in Lancaster, PA last May. We finally sold the Keller house in December and my mom moved there in January. They are in the heart of Amish country these days, but the town is absolutely beautiful. I got to visit them after school got out in May for a few days and fell in love with the area. While it's far from all of us girls, it's only about 90 minutes from Baltimore and D.C., and 3 hours from New York City.

Me and Mom at Rockefeller Center in NYC

Katie is still in the Dallas area and just recently made a job transition. She is looking into a few new job opportunites right now, as well as looking into going out into business on her own. I get to see her a couple times a semester and I wish I could see her more. Jen is still in KC and doing well, I got to see her last August for a wedding. It's become increasingly harder to get all 3 of us together, let alone our whole family now that we're spread all over. My mom's dad passed away in August 06 and she's spent a lot of time in Tennessee helping my aunt care for my grandmother. Dad's mom is still in the Atlanta area, and traveling more than any of us :).

Jen, Me, and Katie in August

That's about it! In a nutshell! I missed out a lot of stuff, but those are the good parts. I can't thank you all enough for your support and prayers for my trip. I've never raised support for anything before and it's been beautiful to see how God confirms your call through that as the support indeed comes in. If you would still like to contribute to our trip or join the prayer team, email me at jrmarkovich@mail.utexas.edu. I love all of you sooo very much!

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour." -Luke 1:47