Hitchhiker Travels is hitched!

The Fern Family Weekend

2009-10-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Titus and I had the same Fall Break so we met up with his siblings in Huntsville, Alabama and had a blast. We hung out, played cards, were entertained by his neice Kayley, and the boys had a scarefest- they went to see a scary movie and to a haunted house. On saturday everybody left but Ty and I. We went bowling with Joel and his wife. It was really fun getting to hangout with everyone. Here are some pictures from our trip.

My New Family

Titus and his siblings ( Joel, Kelly and Micah) went to one of the top ten Haunted Houses in America. It is an old Insane Asylum. No thank you! Courtney (Joel's wife/ my sister in law and I stayed at home and babysat. We don't do haunted houses!)

AHHH!

Courtney and I

Kaley loves her Crazy uncle Micah!! So fun.

Kaley with her aunt and uncle!

Ty being goofy!

2009-10-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I went to a scholarship banquet for Union University and I got to hear Condoleezza Rice. It was amazing!!!

These are the girls I went with!The girl next to me (on the left)Libby, sang in our wedding.

Dr. Rice!

RANDOM

2009-07-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

So I haven't blogged in a while. This post is very random with new and old pictures. Thanks everyone who came to our wedding and gave us the most wonderful presents! We are so appreciative of you!

Newly Weds!

Ty is an amazing artist. So I sneeked a picture of him sketching.

For the 4th of July Titus and I made a giant Pizza Cookie. It was delicious!

Old Pictures.... Just some old pictures I came across

My bestfriend and college roommate, Heather threw me a shower. She decorated our room so cute

Heather and I, I was really excited! This was so sweet of her!

This is a picture of the two girls that went through the student teaching abroad program I went through. They were in Costa Rica when I was in Ecuador. Aliana (red head) got married a week before we did!

Ty and I in Jackson at our favorite park, just a few days before we got engaged.

Favorite Places in Quito

2009-05-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

So I leave Quito in two days to go back to the states. I am definitely torn. I would love to see Titus, my family and friends, but on the other hand I am sad to leave Ecuador. It feels like home now. So since I am leaving I decide to post some pictures from one of my favorite spots in Quito, Old Town. I love the history and architecture of this area of town. I hope you enjoy these pictures... See y'all soon!

El Panecillo

Stainglass inside the Virgin Mary (Panecillo)

The view of the city of Quito

The Basilica (a beautiful Catholic church)

Beautiful Old Town Quito

Goodbye Beautiful Ecuador!

2009-05-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

So My last day to teach was last Friday. One of my kids asked me if I had a piece of scotch tape. I asked her what for and she said that she wanted to tape to the floor so I wouldn't leave and go back to the states. I told my cooperating teacher and she thought it was a great idea. She gave the girl a roll of masking tape. The kids surrounded me and dragged me to a chair where they tried to tape me to the wall. Bethany helped them out by bringing them toy chains. It was so funny! They were trying to hold me hostage.
See for yourself...

Cuzco the Llama

2009-05-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago I hiked to the refuge on the mountain of Cotpaxi. This mountain is about 2 hours from Quito. It is about a 13 hour hike total. Hikers can only start hiking at 12 am and then they have to be off the mountain at 2 pm because of the danger of avalanches. We only hiked about 45 minutes, but it was extremely steep. I definitely got a work out. The mountain is covered in scree so your foot slides backward every time you step. We climbed to 15,800 feet. The view was absolutely incredible and breathtaking.

Cuy Glorious Cuy...Hmmm...Tasty

2009-05-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

My friend and I went to dinner last night and we ate Cuy. This is an Ecuadorian delicacy, it's guinea pig. Here are some pictures from our adventure. If you look close you can see the cuy's whiskers. This is only half of the guinea pig. I ate the
butt.

More of my life in Quito

2009-04-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

More of beautiful Quito
I am having trouble uploading pictures on blogspot due to the internet here, but I will try again later. You can atleast read about what I have done so far. :)

Last week I went with one of my friends to Old Town Quito. This is this historic part of Quito where you can find big beautiful churches, colorful stucco buildings, and a hint of Catholic tradition. We visited the Panecillo,a giant statue of Mary which overlooks the entire city. In Ecuador they believe that there are territorial Virign Mary Spirits. The spirit in Quito has wings and is represented as the statue of Panecillo.

We also ate at a restaurant which the contestants of the Amazing Race Ecuador ate at. The place is called Pim's and it overlooks the entire city. Then we went to this beautiful Catholic church named The Basilica but we were not able to enter teh church because they were having Mass. Quito is a beautiful city.

The last two days of my Spring Break vacation I explored Quito. I took the Teleferiqo(like a ski lift except it is an enclosed glass box) up to the mountain of Pinchinca which overlooked the entire city.

This week I taught my students the letter W. They also had to take the Stanford Assessment Test and so both Kindergarten teachers provided fun activities for the students each day. In one of the classes the teacher made a theme for each day. Tuesday was bring and insect to school day, Wednesday was Pajama Day, Thursday was weather day, and the last day of the week was Wacky Friday. The studnets had a waterballoon fight at the end of the day. It was so much fun. Here are some pictures of my students.

I miss you all but I am having the time of my life here in Ecuador!

22 days til I am back in the states, 27 days til I graduate, and 48 days until I become Mrs. Fern!

Semana Santa

2009-04-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

Wow I have done so much in the two weeks I haven't posted! Two weeks ago was Semana Santa or Holy week. We had school Monday through Wednesday and then had off until the following Tuesday. MOnday through Wednesday was teacher appreciation week. Each day the students brought us something:
Monday- cards
Tuesday- Flowers
Wednesday- Chocolate

My students were so sweet they brought me gifts too, eventhough I am not there real teacher! They were precious.

On Thursday I went with two teachers from Alliance and one other student teacher to the town of Banos. We took a bus which was an experience all in its own! It only costs a dollar per hour so we only paid $4 to travel to the jungle! This town is beautiful and known for having a volcano which produces warm springs. We visited baths which were heated by the volcano. Banos also has seven beautiful waterfalls!

Day 1 (Thursday)
The first day we took a 20 KM or 12 mile bike ride.

Christy, Sarah, and I at Pastaza Valley

After the bike ride we climbed a trail to this beautiful waterfall named the Pailon del Diablo (The Devil's Pale).

We had to crawl through this tiny tunnel to make it to the top of the waterfall.

We made it! We got really wet!

Day 2 (Friday)
On Friday we went canyoning down five waterfalls! It was amazing. There were five Americans and the rest were from Norway, Switzerland, and Sweden. They were all taking gap years between highschool and college and traveling South America. How cool!

I can't believe I did this! It was such a great adventure!

The last waterfall we slid down on our butts. It was so fun!

The whole crew

At night we went to the top of the mountain overlooking the city and saw an amazing fire show!

I promise to post more pictures from my adventures to Tena, Pinchincha y exploring Old Town Quito very soon!

Mitad del Mundo

2009-04-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here are my pictures from Equator. I can not believe I was standing in two hemispheres at once!
Here are pictures from the main equator- this is the one that the french discovered.

Here is the actual equator. A few years ago scientists discovered that the equator monument was in the wrong spot and it is actuall a few hundred yards away. We went to the "real" equator and they conducted all of these experiments to prove that this is the actual Equator. This museum was amazing.

Days in Ecuador!

2009-03-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

Let it Rain, Let it Rain!

I went to grab coffee with the student teachers from Alliance Academy and two girls who are here in Ecuador for a semester on a mission trip (one of them goes to school with me)

Day at Mariscal- Downtown Ecuador we went to shop at the market

The girls

I have never seen this before! They divided the shop into little cubby holes for people to use the phone

The market

Gerilyn and a cute boy selling candy on the street

Gerilyn and me

Gerilyn loves the rain!

... and Sarah hates it!!

The countdown continues!

2009-03-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

I leave in ... 2 days!!

New fun facts about Ecuador

Population: 1,397,698 ( city ); 1,842,201 ( metropolitan area )

Average Temperature: 15.8 degrees C/ 60.5 degrees F (The weather right now is about 70 degrees)

Most precipitation: 20 cm/ 4 inches ( It rains almost every day and it is suppose to rain every day this week)

Elevation: 2811 meters/ 9223 feet ( which means it isn't as hot as you would think. The elevation and mountains keep the air cool, but because it is on the equator the sun is really powerful so protective sunscreen is a must!)

Registered taxicabs: 8,800 (Just for fun)

Quito, known as “the eternal spring”, is said to have the best weather in the world.

(I found this information at http://www.wcities.com/en/guide/fun_facts/324/guide.html)

** I am sorry if this is boring information! I am so excited about Ecuador that I thought it would be fun to post new information about it each day! WHen I am there I will post my own pictures! I can't wait!

Ecuador... Here I come!

2009-03-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

I leave in 3 days!! I leave on Thursday morning! I am so excited. The family I am living with overseas called me on Friday. It was so fun being able to talk to someone from another country! I cannot wait to meet them. I cannot wait! I will be teaching ESL to the Kindergarten classes at the Alliance Academy.
I thought You might be interested in learning where I am going and about the school I will be teaching at. I posted some intersting information below which I got from the school website- http://www.alliance.k12.ec/index.html

History
Alliance Academy International traces its origin to humble beginnings. Several young missionary couples who were concerned about the education of their children looked to God for guidance and wisdom. As a result, the school opened on November 3, 1929, in one of the rooms of the Alliance Mission House on Cuenca Street in downtown Quito.

The school remained at this location until 1939 when funds became available to purchase property. At this time land on the north end of the city in an area known as Iñaquito was purchased. The property was divided between the Alliance Academy and Christian radio station HCJB.

Since 1945 the Academy has served children from families of many different missions, embassies, and private business enterprises.

Location
The Alliance Academy International is located in Quito, Ecuador. Ecuador is situated on the Pacific coast of South America. The Andes mountains run through it, giving the country a wide variety of climates. Quito has springtime weather year-round because it is located near the equator at about 9,500 feet.

As the oldest capital city in the western hemisphere, it is endowed with a rich cultural heritage. Shopping malls, cable TV and fast food restaurants counterpoint it as a modern locale.

Ecuador has it all, not just in climate, but also in beauty. The mountains are breathtaking while the Amazon jungle contains spectacular flora and fauna. The coast offers relaxing beaches with warm waters. The Galápagos Islands belong to Ecuador and some of the most unique species in the world can be found there.

Ecuador is a country blessed with an intriguing combination of natural wonders and cultural diversity. It is an ideal setting for the Alliance Academy International.

2009-03-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

I am leaving for Quito, Ecuador in 6 DAYS!!! I am so excited and I cannot wait. I have been student teaching in Jackson for the past 7 weeks. I finish on Tuesday and then I leave on Thursday. My life has been a combination of planning for my trip, completing requirements for my major, and planning my wedding! I will be in Ecuador for about 9 and a half weeks.When I come back I will graduate 5 days later and then I get married 3 weeks later!! Wow my life is busy, but I wouldn't have it anyother way!
I didn't realize how beautiful Ecuador is!! Here are a few pictures just to show you a glimpse of where I will be living March- May.

This is the captial building in Quito.

This mountain is breathtaking!!

The city is huge!!

This is a Spanish church.

Almost Done!

2008-12-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Only six more days left of school!!!!!
So last night I was extremely nervous(hence the picture)! I had to present my capstone (senior thesis) in front of about thirty people which included professors, classmates, and friends. I was extremely nervous. It went really well!! I stayed within my time limit! Everyone seemed really interested and they asked lots of questions. The best feeling was when my advisor kept nodding his head when he liked my answers! I am so glad this is over! Only six more days left of this semester and then I student teach!! WOO HOO!

2008-12-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

When I went home for Thanksgiving we had a Family PhotoShoot. It was so fun and crazy with four children, but they did a great job! Here are a few of my favorites...
Brandy Foshe did a great job (www.foshefotos.blogspot.com)

This picture is adorable! It is my absolute favorite. Z is putting is finger in his mouth, but it looks like he is saying Shhh! So cute!

This is baby Pepper! She is so precious!

The Family
Thanksgiving was fun, but I had to write four papers in four days and I ended up with a migraine for 9 days! YUCK! Thankfully I won't have to write any papers over Christmas!

The Wedding

2008-06-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Wedding!! Joel ( Titus's brother) and Courtney( a friend of mine from school) got married in May!! Here are some pictures from their wedding. Enjoy

This is at Courtney's bridal lunch the day of the wedding.

She was crying during the ceremony. Joel is so sweet to wipe her tears!

This is a picture of the Fern boys. They are goofy!

The groosmen.

This is courtney with her new family! She is now a Fern
Rosalie, the flower girl was very entertaining! A group of us were dancing with her at the reception. We were penguins!

The beautiful wedding cake! It was so delicious.

Courtney was pointing at me and threw the bouquet directly to me... and then I was knocked on to the floor! haha Oh well, someone else got the bouquet. There is always next time! It was pretty funny though!

Adventures in Dino World

2008-05-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry these are out of order- I always forget to put the pictures in backwards. Here are pictures from my trip to Nashville to visit my roomate Alex who is interning at the state capital. My other pictures are with friends to a road trip to Indiana for an education department conference. We decided to stop at dinosaur world on the way back!!

Spring Break

2008-04-10T06:47:00.001-07:00

Barefoots Joe

2008-03-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is our new and improved student lounge! It is amazing. It is a coffee shop on our campus which we call Barefoots Joe! This is where I sit every morning sipping tea and studying. We have concerts in here aswell! The alums and administration at Union wanted to give us all a place to hangout since the commons were destroyed along with our dorm rooms and so they gave us this amazing new coffee shop!

New Dorms

2008-03-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

First of al thank you for your prayers and support! It has been such a blessing to see how people from around the United States have been praying, donating clothes, supporting through finances, and mailing us cards and letting us know that they care! THANK YOU ALL!

Here is an update on whats new at Union:

Union broke ground on NEW DORMS on Friday, February 22. Here is a news clip from http://www.uu.edu/ which tells about Unions rebuilding process.

A 10-year plan for new student housing at Union University has become a 10-month plan, as the university broke ground today on a new residence life complex that will be finished no later than the spring 2009 semester.The facility will consist of 14 buildings that will house more than 700 students when it is fully completed. Initial plans call for half of the facility to be complete by Sept. 1, providing plenty of campus housing for new students enrolling at Union in the fall.“Today in what seems almost beyond comprehension, two weeks and three days after a tornado destroyed large portions of this campus, we gather together to give thanks to God for a new beginning and the opportunity to build again,” Union President David S. Dockery said in a chapel service preceding the groundbreaking ceremony.

The plans for the new dorms is incredible!!! There will be a washer in dryer inside the norm dorms, with the bathroom in each bottom floor dorm reinforced to be a safe room, and the dorms are being built to withstand extreme winds.

The Wedding

2008-02-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

Rehearsal Dinner

Me in my bridemaid's dress

Rach and me

I was in a wedding last weekend. My friend Rachel Hunt got from high school became Mrs.Weinke on February 9th. Here are some pictures from her wedding. It was so fun. This was the first nonfamily wedding I have been in! It is so weird that my friends and I are old enough to get married!

The Aftermath

2008-02-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

This is the back of my dorm complex.

This is the back of my dorm! There is my kitchen! You can see my two roomates rooms on the left and right. One of my roomies bed is gone!

Here is the debris on the side of my dorm!

This is the back of my dorm!

Here is the front of good 'ole Dodd! My room is the one on the second floor, by the right stairs. I have lived here for almost three years.

This is my living room- It is destroyed!

Here is a random door blown from its building wedged into the sidewalk

This is the all girls complex-hurt. This complex is across from mine(seperated by a parking lot)

This is another view of Hurt, it was destroyed, to say the least

Creepy!!!

Here is Wingo, it is a dorm in Hurt Complex! The girls who lived here were trapped in the building for a little while after the tornado. Thankfully they were able to get out of the building, but they had to climb over and through the debri.

This is a small glimpse of what my campus looks like now after the tornado hit! Please keep us in your prayers! It was a devestating and traumatic event, but we are all glad to be alive!
I am soo blessed! I thought that I had lost everything in the tornado, but I had an amazing surprise when I came home. I had forgotten to pack some clothes and so I have things! God blessed me with what I needed! He is definitely a provider!! I am just amazed by how much He has been faithful over the last few days. It is very comforting how much the little things can make a person's day!

Please be praying for...

1. Students who live overseas and don't have a place to stay or a passport to get home.

2. Students who lost everything(majority of them)

3. That we will be able to return to campus by the 18th and have school

4. That God will provide housing for the students

5. For peace and comfort among the Jackson Community, students, faculty/staff, and families

Thanks I appreciate your prayers!!

DISASTER

2008-02-05T22:08:00.000-08:00

WOW! God is so amazing. Is all powerful and I definitely experienced His protected hand tonight. A tornado touched down on my college campus tonight!!! My roommates and I were in our room about to do homework. It was a normal night. Until the sirens went off and so my roommates and I ran down stairs and stayed in the room of the girls underneath us. None of us thought the tornado would actually touched down so we were talking and doing homework. When the lights flickered and then went out. We ran to the bathroom as hail hit the building. Then the windows blew out. We shut the door of the bathroom just in time. There were about sixteen girls crammed into the tiny bathroom. We crouched down to the floor and the mirror shattered into several pieces. We listened as the room shook. Immediately we reached for our phones to make sure friends were okay. Then we prayed to God and sang praise songs. We were so thankful that we were safe. The night just progressed into a foggy nightmare. Our school is destroyed and eight boys were trapped in the rubble of a building. Thankfully around 12 the students were all rescued from the building. I ask for your prayer for Union University and Jackson, TN. As well as the cities that the 45 other tornadoes caused damage too! Please pray for our school and that all the students are okay. I ask that you pray for a quick recovery of our school. Tonight God showed me how protective he is. Looking at my school people should have died, but no one did. God is so faithful and I am just so amazed and blessed to be one of his children. I am blessed that God spared not only me but my friends and fellow students.
I would really appreciate your prayer!! This definitely puts the verse, " ... do not store up treasures on earth for rust and moth destroy..." into perspective, because the 3,000 plus students at Union do not have anything except the clothes they were wearing. So I pray for the students that God will give us a peace and trust that we will be taken care of. God is incredible and amazing!!!

Back to School!

2008-01-31T12:02:00.000-08:00

I had the best time being home with my family for a month. I rarely get to see them and it was so much fun hanging out with my sisters and my mom. I am also glad to be back at school! I have missed it.
I have been volunteering at a local church with their Adult ESL program. Last night we had around ten students in the beginning class. Last semester we only had two. I am so excited that the class is growing. If you could pray for the classes to grow and expand that would be much appreciated. This is a really neat ministry. Next week I start teaching the beginning class. I am extremely nervous about teaching adults twice my age! I am sure it will be fine.
Well it is time for work, I will post more later!