2.28.2008

Tanzania

I just a really fun update from my dear, dear friend from college, Jen. Jen is an amazing person!! She is loving, compassionate, wise, fun, I could go on...We were the best of friends in college. We lived in the same dorm for two years, lead a small group together, were discipled together. We saw each other through broken hearts, random kisses and choosing husbands. She is one of those friends.

After college we headed down different paths. I got married, took a job as a nurse and settled down in Winston. She headed to NYC to persue medical school. She married her high school sweetheart. Their relationship has had some interesting twists of living and working in different places. While I felt like I was living a very generic life hers was so exciting!!

That trend continues. I am having my second child and heading back to Winston. I am mostly a stay-at-home mom. Very typical life! This is what she is up to....still living in NYC in a fellowship for infectious disease. She has an amazing heart to work with the poor, espcially the HIV population. Her husband is living in California (he has his PhD and is a professor at Fuller). Last summer, for vacation they went backpacking in South America. They have both done extensive work overseas. To top it off, they are spending 6 months together next fall in Tanzania!!! I don't even know where Tanzania is!!

Despite these many differences and the distance she is still one of my dearest friends. I would love to spend hours with her over coffee. Chat, chat, chat, make a groovy song mix (we have made a couple on TAPE, we need to get with the times and put it on the iPOD) and chat some more. I admire her so much! I am so proud of her!!

7 comments:

mama becca said...

I don't know her, but I love her! amazing!

Jeni said...

That is pretty cool! I know one thing for sure about Tanzania: some people there speak swahili. Swahili words I know: simba=lion (go figure) safari=journey, rafiki=friend, jambo=hello, watoto =children, moja= one, and all those other numbers. This is what I spend my days doing in February :) If she sends you cool pictures from Tanzania, could ya send 'em to me? Next February in kindergarten could be MUCH more interesting with visual aids :)

Saintly Nurse said...

Jen Alzos??? Somehow that doesn't surprise me! :) When you see/hear from her, please send her a big hug from me.

Miles said...

I was thinking of Jen last night as I was going through old pictures. I have a really good one of me and her at Men's Night senoir year. I think it would be challenging to keep up with her on a backpacking trip--she has SO MUCH energy.

Dawn said...

Leigh, I need Jen's email address since I'm headed to the big apple. Tell her that I'm headed her way and would love to chat sometime.

Brad said...

YAY!!! Thanks for the update on Jen :-)

And, coming from someone who is living what others might call an "exciting life", not all that glitters is golden (I'm sure Jen would agree that living across the country from her husband isn't always fun, and God knows I've posted enough recently about my own struggles in Chile!)

God provides for each of us amazingly, and he delights in how we honor him with it, be it working with AIDS orphans in Tanzania, researching & teaching about climate change in Santiago, or raising a family in Winston-Salem!

Unknown said...

I couldn't agree more with you, Brad... it's so neat to see how God uses each of us in such different ways.

Thanks to my dear, sweet friend Leigh for such a loving and overly-generous note! And HI to people I recognize on these notes: Brad, Miles, Dawn (please get in touch! We need to hang out in NYC!), and guevarafam (I'm glad for the big hug!... but who are you!?) So good to hear bits from you all...