Making New Friends...?

This summer when talking to Ella Smith (Russ&Jo's oldest daughter) about her new school that she was about to start in, she told me how she was looking forward to making new friends, sometimes she would say she was a little bit worried about it, but mostly she was excited. I would encourage her saying 'you are so good at making friends Ella, and you are a great friend to have' the smile on her face would be enormous and sometimes she would even lift herself up, you know, stand up taller with the filling of the words...(Ella is a words of affirmation girl, like me, so we totally get each other!...she's 6 years old) I remember how my parents used to say that to me or about me...how good I was at making friends. I remembered how encouraged and lifted I felt and how that was something about myself that I was proud of. It was something in me, part of me. 'My name is Lois, and I am good at making friends'...that sort of thing! So when I encouraged Ella with the same words, it was from a place of knowing how reaffirming it is to hear that and know that...especially right before you are about to enter into a new environment. (Ella Ann did especially well, since she was the only new person in her class. she is an amazing girl.)

Well, I am here, in my new environment. I am thinking about how I used to make friends...there was a reason my parents said those things about me...I was good at making friends! I would be so bold in going up to new people and introducing myself and I was usually the girl in the class who the teacher would ask to show the new people around...

But now...a different language to speak...no structured environment...how do you make friends?
this is the first time that I have been outside of a situation like school, a job with more than one other person, church...and honestly I am finding myself not as bold as I used to be!

I don't want tons of friends...I already have great ones! (THANK YOU JESUS FOR SKYPE AND JUNCTIONJ AND FACEBOOK AND EMAIL AND CELLPHONES) We would like just one or two good friends.

So...it's time to be creative in the friend-making area. time to find the little girl inside me that has no fear of rejection and knows she is good at making friends (the right friends)...Meu nome é Lois, eu sou boa em fazer amigos...

pray for me? :)

lots of love from Brazil. xx