Meet Hephzibah. She is the newest addition to my household, and we have spent some quality time together over the past couple of weeks. I named her carefully. Mainly because I love the name Hephzibah, but I figured that if I bestowed it on a daughter she would hate me forever -- so I gave it to a car instead. It comes from one of the loveliest verses in the Bible, Isaiah 62:4, and means "My delight is in her." Also, it always makes me laugh because of a passage from Eleanor Porter's classic book, Pollyanna.

"...I just hate [the name] 'Nancy'!"
"Oh, Nancy, what a dreadful thing to say! Why?... Well, anyhow," [Pollyanna] chuckled, "you can be glad it isn't Hephzibah."
"Hephzibah!"
"Yes. Mrs. White's name is that. Her husband calls her 'Hep,' and she doesn't like it. She says when he calls out, 'Hep -- Hep!' she feels just as if the next minute he was going to yell 'Hurrah!' And she doesn't like to be hurrahed at."

My car doesn't mind being hurrahed at. She got lots of Hep Pep talks as we travelled, especially over the mountain passes in Colorado. :-)

So, my only news as of the moment is that God amazingly blessed my drive from Maryland to Idaho. I had a bit of car trouble in Iowa, but made it to Sioux Center where I spent a few days packing my stuff and tying up all the lovely loose ends one leaves behind when one moves. It was wonderful to see friends there again and VERY sad to say goodbye since I'm not sure when I'll be back this time.

Then I departed on the journey west. Storms in Denver gave me a wonderful kick in the pants -- I wasn't sure when to leave Iowa but it looked like Wednesday the 10th would be the only clear day there for quite some time, so I had to drive out that day. Seeing Catherine, Timothy, and Rachel was a blast. Turned out that God held back the storm so that I got across the passes to Grand Junction the next day with nary a flurry of snow. I stayed there in the Sunderland family bed and breakfast which was delightful. The commentary on home improvement shows was priceless. ;-)

The next day was my second scary trip, because the storm had neatly camped out on the pass I needed to cross in Utah and I wasn't sure how the roads would be. It turned out that they were a little worse than I expected but not nearly as bad as they could have been, and I made it across that last pass with great rejoicing. If you noticed the dirt on Hephzibah, that crossing is where it's from. I know, I need to wash it off, but it's too cold here right now.

I stayed with a friend in Boise, Idaho and then spent Sunday with Hannah and Nate in Sunnyside, Washington. I also got to play in Hannah's pep band on Saturday night. I was the only flutist (the other one had forgotten her flute and couldn't find the school instrument) and also watched my first live basketball game ever. I am somewhat uncultured in the sports arena.

Monday, January 15, exactly one month since I left Zuni, I arrived home in Idaho! It is wonderful to see my family again and I am enjoying reading favorite books, skiing, and teasing my little brothers. I am also waiting to hear back from Zuni Public Schools, who have a Head Start opening for which they are considering me. I had a phone interview with them in the parking lot of a Safeway last week. ;-) I think it went pretty well, but I'm trying not to hold my breath about a job offer. I need to start looking for work around here, too, but I'm quite overwhelmed because I hardly know the area. Tomorrow I plan to get a newspaper and go through the employment section -- hopefully that will at least get me started in the right direction. And I need to look up the local school district and find out how to apply for substitute teaching.

So that's my life right now. Hope you're each doing wonderfully, and thank you to everyone who prayed me on my way. I needed those prayers more than you (or even I!) know!