This is Susan Herrington, reporting live from Athens...

Ok, not really. There's no way I'd give Susan Herrington the password to edit my blog.

Athens is great!!! The kids on the program are all real cool, and although the social environment is very different from I am used to, I like it. There are so many different kinds of people, and I have made some good friends here already. As for the city itself, I really like what I have seen. However, it is huge, and the area where I am living is really well-off compared to most of Athens. Tomorrow I am hoping to set out early and walk for most of the day. Some other girls have also expressed interest, and we are planning to see as much as we can on foot in one day. One of my apartment-mates is Greek, and this is her second semester at CYA, so she knows a lot about the city and where to go. She has been a huge help.

Everything is really different here, as can be expected. The lifestyle change ranges from the little things - like not being able to flush toilet paper - to the major differences, such as city life and an overwhelming language barrier. It's really neat, though, and I'm really looking forward to getting to know this culture and its people.

Today there was a rally/protest in front of the President's house (which is across the street from our school), and they marched (loudly) to the front of the American embassy. A Greek woman who works for CYA said that most protests take that route, since America plays a big part in resolving Greece's internal problems. So much for Europeans not liking Americans! They are really friendly toward us here, and even the older people try so hard to speak English. I hope to pick up some Greek so that I can talk to them more. But yeah, this protest had to do with the legal business hours. The Democratic Party is in office now, and they are helping to resolve the excessive regulations that have been placed on businesses by the Socialist Party. I think it's neat how Greeks call the parties by their proper names, while in America we disguise the "Socialist Party" with the term "Democratic." How misleading!

Well, I hope y'all are having a great time in the good ol' freezing USA. I'm enjoying the nice weather here! Later.

~Libby G

Song of the day: "Lord Reign in Me" - Vineyard

Christmas break is wrapping up...

Dude, I can't believe I am leaving on Wednesday! The past three weeks (and change) here in Belize have been amazing. Not only is the weather absolutely perfect, but I have also spent lots of quality time with my family. I'm really gonna miss them while I'm in Greece this semester. After this Wednesday, I won't see them until May 16th, and that seems so far away. These feelings remind me of two major events in my life: leaving my family here when was a senior in high school, and going to college for the first time. I think I've figured out how these things work... Right now I know what is about to happen, but it hasn't completely sunk in yet. The really emotional aspect won't be full-blown until Tuesday night. I'll cry then, and I'll cry again when I reluctantly leave my family here. Leaving is really the worst part. Please pray that God will give me peace, comfort me during this coming week, and that I'll know Him better because of these experiences.

In the next seven days, I will be in four different countries: Belize, the US, England, and Greece. Ok, maybe that should be three countries, since I'll only be in the London airport (for a few hours) and not the city itself, but nonetheless... This is going to be one CRAZY week. Thanks for tuning in, folks. Drop me a line at GreeneEA1@gcc.edu if you want to. Later.

~Lib Masta

Song of the day: "You Raise Me Up" - Selah

Droopy Eyelids

Late-night blogging must be a strange form of self torment. Right now I am so tired, but I don't want to sleep quite yet. So what do I do? Blog. Why? Perhaps it provides an outlet for some of my thoughts, or maybe it's just a place to document my experiences. Either way... I enjoy my little orange blog, whether or not people actually read it. :)

Well, I've been in Belize for almost three weeks, and I will return to the overcast, frozen Chagrin Falls, Ohio next week. When I'm not here, I forget all of the little things about this place that I love so much. However, it all comes back to me so quickly. I love the gentle breeze, which feels like the humid air is being poured over my skin. I love lying down on the bow of our boat, looking straight ahead and motioning for my dad to go faster as we cut through the beautiful blueish-teal water (which my mom calls "blue jello"). I love snorkeling at the reef. Oddly enough, I feel at home there amongst the endless varieties of creatures that I have known most of my life. I love the hot sun and the bright blue sky. I love to the puffy white clouds, each of which has its own unique form. I love the sound of the breeze rustling in the palm trees and the sound of the reef and waves, which I wake up to every morning.

I don't love the bugs. But unfortunately, they REALLY love me right now. This computer screen is attracting them, so I'm gonna sign off for the night. Adios peeps.

~L Gree

Song of the day: "I Know Who You Are" - Ginny Owens

Xanga rhymes with Tapanga

Carn-dogg gave me the link to her Xanga about a week ago, and I noticed the little "comments" link under her post and decided it'd be cool to leave a comment for my pal Linzeroo. Well, first of all...that is awesome. How come Blogger didn't give me the option of a "comments" link under every post? Anywho... I wrote a comment, only to find that it could not be posted unless I created a Xanga account. So I jumped through the hoop and created an account. After going through that trouble, I might as well give it a try, right? Well, I posted on my Xanga and basically said that I would never post again. It so happens, though, that Xanga provides another amazing feature that I think we Bloggers should rally for...the "currently listening to" option. For every post, you can choose any CD (or book, I think) that you are listening to. They have a huge database, and it even puts a little picture of the album cover at the top of your post. I thought that was nifty. Can I have a fancy little album cover pictures, too, Blogger?

Over and out.

~BLIBBY (Carner, that one's for you, and B-Gray too if you ever read this)

Second song of the day: "In Christ Alone" - Newsboys' version

Answered Prayer!

Wow! Many people have been praying for God to provide me with another College Year in Athens student who is a believer while I study abroad in Athens, Greece. Since last May, I have asked God for that fellowship... And He has faithfully provided!! A couple days ago, CYIA emailed information about all 120 students who will be in Athens on their program next semester. My first reaction was to look through the colleges that they attend, since I had been praying for so long. Scrolling down the list, it was clear that most of these students must be very bright, since they attend incredible schools. Then, finally, I saw "Calvin College," which is a Christian college in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was so excited! I emailed Hannah (the Calvin student), noting that I am a Christian, and she replied with equal enthusiasm and relief that God provided her with the fellowship of another believer while studying abroad. Praise God!!! He is faithful, and there is nothing better than being blessed by the Lord in such a direct way.

Thanks for praying, peeps. :) I hope everyone is enjoying break... I'll be stopping by Grove City during the first week back, so I will see many of you then! Lata gata.

~Libby (yeah, it's the real thing)

Song of the day: "What If I Stumble?" - dc Talk

2005

Christmas break in Belize sounds like such a relaxing, tranquil experience. And it has been, but so much more has happened...

Last week I experienced a huge trial. God pulled someone very close to me out of my life. At the time it was an indefinite separation, and I felt like I was mourning his death even though he was still alive. I guess it was as if our relationship had died. It was really painful for me, but God used it to open my eyes and work in my heart. The Lord pointed out to me that He is so much bigger than my situation, and I decided to follow Him instead of focusing on my own suffering. Since then, this friend started talking to me again, and God is healing both of us.

During hard times, true friends really stand out. One of my best friends from school gave me some wise advice, and the Lord really used her to comfort and heal my heart. Then there are those who just say what they think that you want to hear. And, of course, there are always those who further discourage a hurting person. An unnamed young man (who I happen to live with) was joking around and suggested that there is probably a "Libby-haters club" at Grove City, composed of 3 guys. Although he was just teasing and I knew that, his words kept coming back to me. I encourage you to be a light to those who are in pain. Speak the truth in love.

God is so cool. I love to sit back and marvel at His creation. I am listening to the soothing, yet powerful roar of the reef as I type. And that same reef is home to a huge ecosystem. Watching all those pretty little animals swim busily around the coral is so entertaining, and then at night I love to sit back and look at the stars. The sky in Belize must be really clear, because you can see TONS of stars. It's awesome.

Shout out to Carn-dogg, LMarie, Carner, or whatever weird little nicknames people give that sweet ace kid! She gets the funny person of the day award for our late-night IM conversation. Check out her new xanga at http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=LMarie4Me

Well, I'm out, y'all. Happy January 3rd. Go with God.

~Libbz

Song of the day: "Let Them Hear" - Ginny Owens