ACT Blessings

Right before we ate really delicious ribs. 

This past week, I had the opportunity to go to Belgium and Holland with my mom and dad. My mom had classes and a conference, my dad had a board meeting, and I had to take the oh-so-wonderful-and-totally-ridiculous ACT test.

Love my mom! Shopping in Amsterdam. 

I was a total wreck the week for months before the test and now I feel so unstressed and unworried. It is  an absolutely wonderful feeling to be done with it. By the time I went in to the test, I was relaxed because I knew God was with me and people were praying for me around the world. Of course, I had a huge headache by the writing part and the science was just awful, but I'm confidant I did somewhat well. Now I just wait for results.

Western Europe really is beautiful. I feel like I'm in a totally different world compared to Moldova.

Yes, I took that picture. Doesn't it look like a postcard?
And don't you love the solar panels on the house!

Look closely at the buildings...can you see how much they
tilt different ways? 

 I definitely ate way too much there. But it was all so good. Croissants, frites, Belgian waffles, lemon pastries, pain au chocolat, and stroopwafel. I definitely could not live in Western Europe and not eat too much.

      

 After my test, my mom and I had the weekend, so we went to the Netherlands to visit our good friends, the Dommerholts, who used to live in Moldova. We take any days we can get to go and visit them. We had such a wonderful time with them! On Sunday, I had a great time at their youth group. I loved seeing how it was done in a different country! The music band was awesome (about 75% of the songs were in English) and the preaching was fantastic--of course, I couldn't understand any of it, but he sounded like a really great speaker, and he had my attention.

On Monday, my mom, Noa (who was one of best friends when they lived here in Moldova), and her mom, went into Amsterdam.

We went to an antique market, which only happens on Mondays, and that was so fun! They had everything--from antique telephones to books, from converse shoes to Moldovan nesting doll ribbon!

We went into tons of "vintage," second-hand stores. They were all over the place. Some of the stores had really cool clothes, while some had stuff that I would never be caught wearing. One of the stores had a Girl Scout vest...for 20 Euros!! I should sell mine to them.

I definitely wanted this dress, but alas, I would never
spend the 80 Euros for it. 

 


We spent the day walking around Amsterdam. We enjoyed the time together with friends and had a blast seeing the sights and looking in stores.

My mother and Jeanine being totally subtle, NOT,
as I tried to take a picture of the musicians in the
background. We had already seen the 2 other
times that day in different locations! We are pretty sure
that they were following us. :D  

Loved my time with Noa! Those times are few and far
between. So glad that we are still friends. 

I loved my week in Western Europe, even though I had to go for not that great of reasons. Time with friends and with my parents is always great. I love visiting and traveling to other countries. I'm definitely glad to be back in Moldova though. So glad to see my sisters and Renée, who I've missed greatly. And the weather here isn't to bad either! Lovely barefoot, springtime weather.