Why me?

I am terrible with blogging. Clearly. It's been two years. But two people have convinced me to start blogging again. So Mr. Thom and Nicole this is for y'all. Maybe you'll be the only two to read it, but I hope you enjoy it.

Lately I have been really overwhelmed with questioning why God has allowed me to do the things I get to do and see the things I get to see, I just don't get it. Why me? Why Keely Williams from the tiny town of Greenfield TN? I don't think I'll ever understand it.

But there is another question that I am asked a lot, that I CAN ANSWER... which is...

WHY IN THE WORLD, do you live in a foreign country away from your friends and family, teaching foreign kids, and not making a dime... well here is my answer, people.


I can give you about 1000 different reasons why I love to do what I do, and on the other hand I could give you many very important reasons why I could move home tomorrow, if I felt like God was calling me to do that. But all answers lead to one GREAT THING.

Let's start with why I could move back home... Well right now (I wrote this last night on a 10 hour bus ride in the middle of the night) my favorite 4 people in the world are asleep at 113 Lynn Point Rd, Greenfield TN. They are the biggest reason I would leave everything that I love here, now maybe not to Gfield (sorry Daddy), but we would at least be in the same state again, (TENNESSEE IS THE BOMB). Not to mention some of my favorite people in the world live in that Tiny Town, and I am missing some of the most important events in their lives because I choose to do what I do.

Then if you head a little east about 20 minutes, you will find more people I would love to see whenever I wanted in McKenzie, Tennessee and a little more NE head up to Paris, Tennessee. Now if we would've left my house and headed South, I would've stopped in Milan, Jackson, and of course Henderson! Then onto Nashville! See most of my favorite people are centered around these parts, but also I could get in my car and make trips to Chattanooga, TN., Decatur, AL., or Searcy, AR., and I would love every second of being with those people.

Now let's talk about why in the world I live where I do. First, I have a question, why was I so LUCKY to be born to Chris and Beverly Williams, and not to be born to a young woman, who has nothing and wants nothing to do with me? (Because I am in love with kids who have this kind of luck.) Why was I so lucky? Why have I gotten to be sooooo selfish and comfortable my whole entire life? I truly believe that God does not call us to be comfortable, but in the struggles of our lives and just life in general to be comforted by HIM.
And I know some of you think I should move home, get a real job, and make money. And while I agree, in America that's a huge priority, thats how you know you have made the American dream life. But I don't live in America, and I do have a real job, maybe not one that pays too well (or at all), but a job that challenges me EVERY DAY to live for a greater purpose other that myself, and I know if I lived in America, American Keely would only be living for herself.

Now let's talk about why I REALLY do what I do. See, if you have/had met the people I work with every day, it would be clear to the reasons of why. The missionaries of Manna that I'm surrounded by every day are some of the most important people in my life. I cannot sing their praises enough. God truly has created some incredible people. They teach and are teaching me things every day, but most importantly they have showed me and are still showing me (with much struggle on my part) what it is like and how to have a relationship with God and to be truly in love with HIM. I still have forever to go, because I struggle every day and fail HIM everyday, but in my eyes Norm, Chad, Jill, Jordan, Audge, and Jeff got it down. They all are so incredible. And again I'm too lucky to be blessed by their presence and love for God. And if you have met them, you know exactly what I'm talkin' about.

Now. I don't have any kids of my own, so I don't fully understand about this special kind of love that my mama has always been talking about, but the more I'm here, the more I think I catch small glimpses of what it is. Every time my girls or a Bobitian tell me they love me, I think I feel a twinge of THAT LOVE. Instead of starting off with a baby, we all have been kind of thrown into kind of knowing what it is like to raise teenagers. A couple of nights a week, I laugh until my stomach hurts, eat so much junk food I feel like I want to puke, feel like I want to scream my head off and spank some children, all at the same time, (did I mention laugh?), but over all fall more in love with the children and teenagers here. There are times I want to run far away from my teenage girls, in the times of them leaving THEIR HAIR in my shower so it doesn't want to drain, and I HAVE TO PULL IT OUT (if you know me, you know hair makes me want to vomit, especially other peoples), or when they eat all of my food, or break my favorite coffee mug (that was 1 week old). But then there are the times that they are stealing my heart without me knowing. Making me laugh until I want to cry, falling asleep so many late nights watching movies I've seen 1000 times, or when you've taught them the best American songs you know, and you catch them singing it in their Spanish accents. THOSE ARE THE TIMES I think I feel a hint of what my mama feels for her 3.

Or every time Givens snots all over me, (now you might be having the urge to vomit), but I on the other hand fall a little bit more in love. When I walk down Bobita road, and Niña refers to me as "Gordita" (which means "a little fat")- NOW I don't love that, but I know she loves me so I'm okay with it... I guess. Not to mention we have 23 incredible students that I am privileged to teach, ohhhh who test me in so many ways, but I wouldn't trade one for anything.

And last (but definitely not least), it's awesome to have a Dominican family that you are genuinely able to call your family away from home. My Dominican mama, Milagros, takes care of Audrey and me. I seriously don't think Audge and I would survive without her. I promise she thinks of us as her own. I also know, that our moms appreciate it because of how much she loves us, and they both feel relieved because they have met her and love her as much, if not more, than we do. She is unbelievable, and if I had a chance to for all of you to meet one person, it would be her. I don't know what I would do without that little family. Again, I'm lucky.

Both of my reasons for living here and could leave if I felt called to do that, lead to the same thing- I just love people- and God has lavished so much love on me EVERY DAY, that I feel called to share my love, but especially and more importantly HIS LOVE. I wish you could come and meet all these people that God is in love with, I'm just lucky to be a tiny piece in HIS huge puzzle.

"My love for the people around me wasnt something I could muster up myself; it was God given, from the overflow of love He had lavished on me."- "Kisses From Katie"

I promise to start blogging more often.

lovelovelove,
Kee