A repost of a blog repost from Steph Yu from Jason Ma:
Interestingly, that next weekend I had an interview with a rock band called "Switchfoot" for our TV show. The band had just released their first cross over secular album called "The Beautiful Letdown". When I interviewed the lead singer Jon Foreman I asked him a simple question, "Jon, why did you guys title this new album The Beautiful Letdown?" He responded, "Jaeson, that is a good question. You see, everything in this life can let you down. Right now, the chair I am sitting in could break and fail me. In a few minutes I can go up and sing on that stage to thousands of people, but when I get off the stage my health could fail and I could lose my voice forever and never be able to sing again. I have a beautiful wife, but I could go home and find out she has been unfaithful. You see, everything in this life can fail you. Everything in this life is finite, meaning it doesn't last, but only one thing is truly infinite and will last forever. Yes, everything in this life can and will let you down, but the beautiful thing about it is this, when everything lets you down in this world it leads you to the one thing that is truly beautiful..... the unfailing love of Jesus Christ."
Friday, December 26, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Oswald Chambers
Currently I am reading from "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, which my lovely roomate - Liz - is letting me borrow since she brought it back after Thanksgiving break. I know it's a little late, but I really liked the reading for December 18th...as it it something that I can relate to, but I am constantly seeking God to be more faithful in Him and not anything else:
"Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don't ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.
The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsiblities on us. He expects no complaning on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use as He used His own Son."
"Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don't ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.
The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsiblities on us. He expects no complaning on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use as He used His own Son."
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Work, Community, and Thankfullness
"What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to HIm whether you are well or sick." -Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest
Well....I am currently in week 4 of my new job! I am working with an after school program in the downtown LA area with a group of 6th graders along with another associate teacher and my lead teacher. It's been good, challenging, and definitely a growing time altogether. I hadn't had too much work directly with a group of middle-schoolers before, but I am growing to learn their quirks and attitudes, and grow compassion for them that God desires! I have been enjoying getting to know my co-workers as well through different conversations and staff meetings and potlucks! During my first week there, I looked outside of the playground area to the outside...to the city of where this school was placed......and it was just really neat, because this is a place that I have wanted to be for so long....working at a school in the city....and here I am! Is it everything I expected it to be....I think so, that and more....and I'm growing to love being there and and open to where God is going to lead me from here! Being at the school reminds me of Manila a bit in different ways...mostly because of the limited space of the playground area, as that was 1 thing that I was concerned about while in the Philippines and my concern for the physical activity level for the people and kids there.....so I have been thinking of ideas of what physical activity can truly look like in this small play area. :)
My Servant Partners community....we are currently reading through a book called "Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community", and it talks about Christian community. It has been neat to read through and see how different aspects of what it talks about in the book have played out in my life in Christian community, and/or how they are currently playing out with my SP team and my roomates. Every day I am growing to love my roomates more and more.....and it's not because everything is peachy and great...it's because we will have things that we are struggling with together, or we are having conflict, or we are trying to meet each others' needs through our differences....and THAT is beautiful and that is what the KINGDOM OF GOD is about. I am growing more and more to be open with my roomates and share about what is going on for me....even if there are times when I may not feel like speaking up, we will encourage one another to speak what is on our mind and such. Even among our bible studies through the book of Luke, I am speaking up more when I have a question, comment, something to say about the passage, and that has been exciting for me and helpful to voacalize what is going through my head to the rest of the group.
THANKFULNESS:.....After just partaking in Thanksgiving festivities this past weekend...including my 4 day weekend....I thought I should give thanks to a lot of differnet people and things! These are definitely my praises to God as well:
-A God that loves me through all the ups and downs in my life....and holds when my hand all the time because I cannot make it alone
-A family that through all of our ups and downs has been supportive and loving to me
-Friends from high school that can always bring smiles to my face through the most simplest of joys...like playing pool and eating rootbeer floats!
-Daniel & Scott from work and SP...they have guided me so much for my new job with the after school program and I am definitely grateful for them in my life...not just for work, but for speaking about how God is moving in our lives through different areas
-My Fullerton friends who have been able to visit and I've visited them....and as they have been patient and understanding to my time limitations with SP, but out of following God and being obedient to Him
-My SP Community....from emails & facebook groups before SP officially started...to Manila with the cockroaches, rats, and skits about the SuperMall...to finding new jobs and apartments and chillen at one another's apartments....to studying the book of Luke with 13 new lens' of the bible...to sharing more deeply and openly with one another from our past and current experiences....I have been blessed and challenged with all the ups and downs of my team and look forward to what the future holds!
-My Servant Partners Supporters...to all the people have been in prayer for me since I first mentioned the words "I might become a missionary in the inner-city", and have sent money to help support my trip to the Philippines and conferences that will occur throughout the internship.
Daniel and me on our hike
Tony Berrios and me at Panda Express
Well....I am currently in week 4 of my new job! I am working with an after school program in the downtown LA area with a group of 6th graders along with another associate teacher and my lead teacher. It's been good, challenging, and definitely a growing time altogether. I hadn't had too much work directly with a group of middle-schoolers before, but I am growing to learn their quirks and attitudes, and grow compassion for them that God desires! I have been enjoying getting to know my co-workers as well through different conversations and staff meetings and potlucks! During my first week there, I looked outside of the playground area to the outside...to the city of where this school was placed......and it was just really neat, because this is a place that I have wanted to be for so long....working at a school in the city....and here I am! Is it everything I expected it to be....I think so, that and more....and I'm growing to love being there and and open to where God is going to lead me from here! Being at the school reminds me of Manila a bit in different ways...mostly because of the limited space of the playground area, as that was 1 thing that I was concerned about while in the Philippines and my concern for the physical activity level for the people and kids there.....so I have been thinking of ideas of what physical activity can truly look like in this small play area. :)
My Servant Partners community....we are currently reading through a book called "Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community", and it talks about Christian community. It has been neat to read through and see how different aspects of what it talks about in the book have played out in my life in Christian community, and/or how they are currently playing out with my SP team and my roomates. Every day I am growing to love my roomates more and more.....and it's not because everything is peachy and great...it's because we will have things that we are struggling with together, or we are having conflict, or we are trying to meet each others' needs through our differences....and THAT is beautiful and that is what the KINGDOM OF GOD is about. I am growing more and more to be open with my roomates and share about what is going on for me....even if there are times when I may not feel like speaking up, we will encourage one another to speak what is on our mind and such. Even among our bible studies through the book of Luke, I am speaking up more when I have a question, comment, something to say about the passage, and that has been exciting for me and helpful to voacalize what is going through my head to the rest of the group.
THANKFULNESS:.....After just partaking in Thanksgiving festivities this past weekend...including my 4 day weekend....I thought I should give thanks to a lot of differnet people and things! These are definitely my praises to God as well:
-A God that loves me through all the ups and downs in my life....and holds when my hand all the time because I cannot make it alone
-A family that through all of our ups and downs has been supportive and loving to me
-Friends from high school that can always bring smiles to my face through the most simplest of joys...like playing pool and eating rootbeer floats!
-Daniel & Scott from work and SP...they have guided me so much for my new job with the after school program and I am definitely grateful for them in my life...not just for work, but for speaking about how God is moving in our lives through different areas
-My Fullerton friends who have been able to visit and I've visited them....and as they have been patient and understanding to my time limitations with SP, but out of following God and being obedient to Him
-My SP Community....from emails & facebook groups before SP officially started...to Manila with the cockroaches, rats, and skits about the SuperMall...to finding new jobs and apartments and chillen at one another's apartments....to studying the book of Luke with 13 new lens' of the bible...to sharing more deeply and openly with one another from our past and current experiences....I have been blessed and challenged with all the ups and downs of my team and look forward to what the future holds!
-My Servant Partners Supporters...to all the people have been in prayer for me since I first mentioned the words "I might become a missionary in the inner-city", and have sent money to help support my trip to the Philippines and conferences that will occur throughout the internship.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
Prayer Requests:
-More opportunities to get to talk with and know our neighbors more....we did get to meet more neighbors when we delivered Thanksgiving goodies to them...so just prayer for more open doors, and for us to be bold and to be okay being awkward to getting to know our neighbors more
-Good health...it seems that right about now is the time when people might start getting sick...so just extra blessings for good health among my teammates
-Continued prayer for the rest of my teammates who are still unemployed (3) to find jobs and wisdom in their job searches
-My family....prayer for open eyes/hearts, forgiveness, grace, reconciliation, and God's love to shine through
-Patience and compassion at work with my 6th graders....to see them through the lens of God's eyes....and see them as God's children!
-Good stewardship with the $$income that I am making now
-More opportunities to get to talk with and know our neighbors more....we did get to meet more neighbors when we delivered Thanksgiving goodies to them...so just prayer for more open doors, and for us to be bold and to be okay being awkward to getting to know our neighbors more
-Good health...it seems that right about now is the time when people might start getting sick...so just extra blessings for good health among my teammates
-Continued prayer for the rest of my teammates who are still unemployed (3) to find jobs and wisdom in their job searches
-My family....prayer for open eyes/hearts, forgiveness, grace, reconciliation, and God's love to shine through
-Patience and compassion at work with my 6th graders....to see them through the lens of God's eyes....and see them as God's children!
-Good stewardship with the $$income that I am making now
Some pictures from Thanksgiving break:
Daniel and me on our hikeTony Berrios and me at Panda Express
Jen, Lati, Jessica, Tony, Heather, and me chillen at Jen's place for reminiscing memories :-DThursday, October 30, 2008
Preach the Gospel to the Poor
"People often ask, 'Were you called to minister to the poor?' We are all called to minister to the poor. Such a ministry is the logical obedience of any discipline imitating the attitudes, character, and teaching of Jesus. He commands everyone to renounce all (Luke 14:33), to give to the poor, and live simply. But we would need a special call to minister primarily to the rich or middle-class, for the focus of Christian ministry is 'good news to the poor.'"
*The above quote is taken from a book I am currently reading, called "Companion to the Poor: Christ in the Urban Slums." by Viv Grigg. When I read this, I felt that it was everything I needed to read and more....that as much as I have felt a calling from God to be in the inner-city, and that might mean possibly overseas one day....that it is not just MY calling to be among the poor...but Jesus calls EVERYBODY to be with the poor...because that is what His ministry is about. We are currently also inductively studying out of the book of Luke, and it brings light to what Jesus' ministry is about from His early days:
"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brough up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. ' And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, 'Today this scripture has been fuflilled in your hearing.'" (Luke 4:16-21)
Living in Los Angeles for the past month or so, has been quite interesting....every day has been an adventure with something always new going on....I pray a lot lot every day for the "little" things that God sees as HUGE. God cares so much for the people in Los Angeles, from those that are oppressed through homelessness, drugs and alcohol addictions, racism, unjust education systems, and many other things that are going on here. Sometimes I become so overwhelemed with learning about more and more unjust issues...but I remember that we have a God that is faithful and sees people in their needs and meets them where they are at...and He sends his people to GO and make His Kingdom here on Earth.
Here are some Praises/Prayer Requests!
PRAISES:
-God has blessed us with conversations and interactions with our neighbors
-God has blessed me with a job to work at an after school program in the downtown LA area....I will start working there once I have my clearances
-God has blessed 1/2 of our team with jobs
-God has opened my eyes to wanting to seek more what it looks like to go beyond praying, giving $, and advocating about justice issues....
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Pray that God opens more doors to talk with our neighbors and seek friendships with them
-Pray that I will really get involved with learning Spanish, since it will help me to getting to know Spanish-speaking neighbors, and it will also help me at my job
-Continue praying for jobs for the rest of my teammates
-Pray for our team as we are figuring out finances as a team....and also for my teammates that are still fundraising money for the Servant Partners internship
Here are some pictures from my birthday party a couple of weeks ago:
People at the park having a good time talking and eating
Ingyrid and me...after the cake eating contest -> She WON! :)
Kristina and me
My birthday cake...thanks Dan Hwang and family! :)
*The above quote is taken from a book I am currently reading, called "Companion to the Poor: Christ in the Urban Slums." by Viv Grigg. When I read this, I felt that it was everything I needed to read and more....that as much as I have felt a calling from God to be in the inner-city, and that might mean possibly overseas one day....that it is not just MY calling to be among the poor...but Jesus calls EVERYBODY to be with the poor...because that is what His ministry is about. We are currently also inductively studying out of the book of Luke, and it brings light to what Jesus' ministry is about from His early days:
"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brough up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. ' And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, 'Today this scripture has been fuflilled in your hearing.'" (Luke 4:16-21)
Living in Los Angeles for the past month or so, has been quite interesting....every day has been an adventure with something always new going on....I pray a lot lot every day for the "little" things that God sees as HUGE. God cares so much for the people in Los Angeles, from those that are oppressed through homelessness, drugs and alcohol addictions, racism, unjust education systems, and many other things that are going on here. Sometimes I become so overwhelemed with learning about more and more unjust issues...but I remember that we have a God that is faithful and sees people in their needs and meets them where they are at...and He sends his people to GO and make His Kingdom here on Earth.
Here are some Praises/Prayer Requests!
PRAISES:
-God has blessed us with conversations and interactions with our neighbors
-God has blessed me with a job to work at an after school program in the downtown LA area....I will start working there once I have my clearances
-God has blessed 1/2 of our team with jobs
-God has opened my eyes to wanting to seek more what it looks like to go beyond praying, giving $, and advocating about justice issues....
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Pray that God opens more doors to talk with our neighbors and seek friendships with them
-Pray that I will really get involved with learning Spanish, since it will help me to getting to know Spanish-speaking neighbors, and it will also help me at my job
-Continue praying for jobs for the rest of my teammates
-Pray for our team as we are figuring out finances as a team....and also for my teammates that are still fundraising money for the Servant Partners internship
Here are some pictures from my birthday party a couple of weeks ago:
People at the park having a good time talking and eating
Ingyrid and me...after the cake eating contest -> She WON! :)
Kristina and me
My birthday cake...thanks Dan Hwang and family! :)Thursday, October 9, 2008
To explain it all in words.....would take forever!
Wow....so much has happened this past month since I've started interning with Servant Partners....from training, to going to the Philippines, to finding an apartment, and job searching.....but God has been so faithful and so good....so I would just like to share with y'all about some of that! :)
While we were starting training for Servant Partners, we were studying from the book of Nehemiah, which was very exciting, especially since I had never really read through Nehemiah. A few things that stood out to me is that non-believers were helping to give to Nehemiah's cause of restoring the city.....and that the city should be a place where God's name dwells. I have consistently been praying while in the Philippines and back in LA that God's name would dwell in that place....whether that be through His people, His ministry, His church, and His community!
And so the Philippines....where do I begin....I think to keep it short and simple...I will share 3 stories: my most favorite experience, my most difficult experience, and a funny/random experience:
FAVORITE: So while we were in Manila, we got to visit and stay with a host family for meal times on Saturdays and stop in whenever we had a chance. My host family had the parents: Rolando and Josephine, and 4 daughters: Jena, Jenni-paz, Ruth, and Jem-Jem. These daughters were all so adorable and way cute and fun. The oldest, Jena (10) was more quiet and reserved and would not always share as much....but one night we all of a sudden bonded! I was sitting near the doorway waiting for dinner to be ready, and Jena came out and wanted to sing with me...so we started singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and then she showed me her homework for science (her favorite subjects are science and math), and then she started showing me her math homework. We talked about multiplications...and then I started to teach her about how to multiply with her 9's using the trick of your fingers, multiplying with 0, 1, and 10. It was really cool, cause once she figured it out, I was quizzing her and all....and then later she was sharing with other people and teaching them also! It was just really neat to see that Jena and I bonded over these simple things....and since then our friendship/relationship grew with one another. :)
DIFFICULT: On Sundays, we went to different churches...the 1st 2 churches were in the community area....and then on the last Sunday, we went to a huge church in Makati City (the business district), and it was difficult. This church service was all spoken in English, and even though I was sitting amongst many Filippinos, along with a Korean family near me and some Americans....I felt that it was difficult to be there. This church and the lavishness of it reminded me so much of American churches....and I think I was just not ready to go through that reverse culture shock of experiencing what American ideals are like...and how they are so different than the Philippines...and especially of being in the urban slum (poverty at the extreme) community that we were in. I felt that being in the Philippines...simplicity was something that was just the norm....and I was so eager to learn so much from the people there...but then when I went to this church....it was not that at all...and it was difficult sitting there...and the sermon was not all that great.....and it was very uncomfortable....and I started to cry while I was sitting there at church. In my head, I was thining, "is this how God wants us to glorify Him...with all of this lavishness?...how does that make sense when God wants us to come as we are to Him....and live simple lifestyles....and to give and to care and meet each others' needs and nothing more?"....all these thoughts. I still have not quite processed through my church experience, but I do know that I am currently learning more of a simplistic lifestyle and what that looks like for my own life, and how I can share that with others.....and just take other cultural aspects from the Philippines and incorporate them into my life here in the states.
FUNNY/RANDOM: So in the Philippines, Balut is a delicacy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut . Balut is a fertilized duck egg that is not fully developed...and you eat it! I kept saying that I would not eat the balut just because I had seen it before and it did not look enjoyable at all. I had seen some of my friends/teammates eat Balut one night, and was grossed out again, and kept saying I would not eat it. Then one night I was going back to my apartment that I was staying in while in the Philippines but nobody was there and I did not have a key, so I went to a nearby neighbor where some of the guys from our team were staying with their host family. No later than 5 minutes, some random guy comes through the alley way and is selling Balut. Nobody ever does that...walking through the alleys selling anything, but this guy was selling Balut. So then everybody wanted me to eat the Balut and I did not want to and kept refusing. But then Ariel (the man of the homestay house) said to me something that I will not forget: "But, you are a missionary....and you need to be flexible" And when he said those words, I knew what he was saying was true....that as following God and going into a new culture, I would need to be flexible and willing to try new things and be flexible...so it was because of what Ariel said, that I agreed to eat the Balut...and when I did, it was not that bad! I actually kind of liked it....and then I ate another Balut the following night when our whole team ate Balut together. And somehow by me eating the Balut with Ariel and Luna, it "won their hearts over" enough...that they gave a present to me when we left! :)
So yeah...those are some stories from the Philippines...but please ask me more and I would like to share! :)
BEING BACK IN LOS ANGELES!
Every day is an adventure living in LA...and that has been really fun and enjoyable :-D So....last Tuesday my roomates and I went out to look for apartments....we drove around and looked for "For Rent" signs and then followed up with phone calls....we only got a hold of 1 apartment that was a 2 bedroom place....and we were able to see that place on Tuesday, get the credit check papers, and turn them in. Then on Wednesday night we heard back from our landlord and she said that we got the place! So exciting...and so we were able to move in some of our stuff on Thursday and the rest of it on Saturday/Sunday when our team and my parents were able to come to bring the rest of our stuff. Our landlord also has been really great and making sure that we have everything taken care of and has just been such a blessing and really hospitable for us! :) Soo exciting. So we are all pretty much settled in, and then I found out that my parents will be able to bring their extra fridge for us soon, and then all we need to get is a stove/oven and a microwave. It was just really neat to see God provide so faithfully and so quickly with our apartment!
Thanks for your continue prayer requests, here are some new ones:
-We are currently all looking for jobs, so for God to be guiding us to the jobs that He wants us to have....and so that we will also start being able to have incomes to pay things
-Opportunities to get to know our neighhbors and spend time with them and bless them in the way that Jesus would if He was here
-We will be starting to inductively study out of the book Luke, and so just that will be a good time for us, productive, and a neat learning experience from this gospel of the Bible! :)
-Continually being reminded of our experience in the Philippines....and prayer for the people that we met there and how they affected us. Also, prayer for the missonaries there: Aaron and Emma and their continual ministry in the community of Botocan.
Some pictures from the Philippines:
With Dave and Regina, riding on the Jeepney
A view of the rooftops in the Botocon community
Along with Sierra, as we are eating Balut
A group/team picture in front of the church in the Botocan community :-D <3
While we were starting training for Servant Partners, we were studying from the book of Nehemiah, which was very exciting, especially since I had never really read through Nehemiah. A few things that stood out to me is that non-believers were helping to give to Nehemiah's cause of restoring the city.....and that the city should be a place where God's name dwells. I have consistently been praying while in the Philippines and back in LA that God's name would dwell in that place....whether that be through His people, His ministry, His church, and His community!
And so the Philippines....where do I begin....I think to keep it short and simple...I will share 3 stories: my most favorite experience, my most difficult experience, and a funny/random experience:
FAVORITE: So while we were in Manila, we got to visit and stay with a host family for meal times on Saturdays and stop in whenever we had a chance. My host family had the parents: Rolando and Josephine, and 4 daughters: Jena, Jenni-paz, Ruth, and Jem-Jem. These daughters were all so adorable and way cute and fun. The oldest, Jena (10) was more quiet and reserved and would not always share as much....but one night we all of a sudden bonded! I was sitting near the doorway waiting for dinner to be ready, and Jena came out and wanted to sing with me...so we started singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and then she showed me her homework for science (her favorite subjects are science and math), and then she started showing me her math homework. We talked about multiplications...and then I started to teach her about how to multiply with her 9's using the trick of your fingers, multiplying with 0, 1, and 10. It was really cool, cause once she figured it out, I was quizzing her and all....and then later she was sharing with other people and teaching them also! It was just really neat to see that Jena and I bonded over these simple things....and since then our friendship/relationship grew with one another. :)
DIFFICULT: On Sundays, we went to different churches...the 1st 2 churches were in the community area....and then on the last Sunday, we went to a huge church in Makati City (the business district), and it was difficult. This church service was all spoken in English, and even though I was sitting amongst many Filippinos, along with a Korean family near me and some Americans....I felt that it was difficult to be there. This church and the lavishness of it reminded me so much of American churches....and I think I was just not ready to go through that reverse culture shock of experiencing what American ideals are like...and how they are so different than the Philippines...and especially of being in the urban slum (poverty at the extreme) community that we were in. I felt that being in the Philippines...simplicity was something that was just the norm....and I was so eager to learn so much from the people there...but then when I went to this church....it was not that at all...and it was difficult sitting there...and the sermon was not all that great.....and it was very uncomfortable....and I started to cry while I was sitting there at church. In my head, I was thining, "is this how God wants us to glorify Him...with all of this lavishness?...how does that make sense when God wants us to come as we are to Him....and live simple lifestyles....and to give and to care and meet each others' needs and nothing more?"....all these thoughts. I still have not quite processed through my church experience, but I do know that I am currently learning more of a simplistic lifestyle and what that looks like for my own life, and how I can share that with others.....and just take other cultural aspects from the Philippines and incorporate them into my life here in the states.
FUNNY/RANDOM: So in the Philippines, Balut is a delicacy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut . Balut is a fertilized duck egg that is not fully developed...and you eat it! I kept saying that I would not eat the balut just because I had seen it before and it did not look enjoyable at all. I had seen some of my friends/teammates eat Balut one night, and was grossed out again, and kept saying I would not eat it. Then one night I was going back to my apartment that I was staying in while in the Philippines but nobody was there and I did not have a key, so I went to a nearby neighbor where some of the guys from our team were staying with their host family. No later than 5 minutes, some random guy comes through the alley way and is selling Balut. Nobody ever does that...walking through the alleys selling anything, but this guy was selling Balut. So then everybody wanted me to eat the Balut and I did not want to and kept refusing. But then Ariel (the man of the homestay house) said to me something that I will not forget: "But, you are a missionary....and you need to be flexible" And when he said those words, I knew what he was saying was true....that as following God and going into a new culture, I would need to be flexible and willing to try new things and be flexible...so it was because of what Ariel said, that I agreed to eat the Balut...and when I did, it was not that bad! I actually kind of liked it....and then I ate another Balut the following night when our whole team ate Balut together. And somehow by me eating the Balut with Ariel and Luna, it "won their hearts over" enough...that they gave a present to me when we left! :)
So yeah...those are some stories from the Philippines...but please ask me more and I would like to share! :)
BEING BACK IN LOS ANGELES!
Every day is an adventure living in LA...and that has been really fun and enjoyable :-D So....last Tuesday my roomates and I went out to look for apartments....we drove around and looked for "For Rent" signs and then followed up with phone calls....we only got a hold of 1 apartment that was a 2 bedroom place....and we were able to see that place on Tuesday, get the credit check papers, and turn them in. Then on Wednesday night we heard back from our landlord and she said that we got the place! So exciting...and so we were able to move in some of our stuff on Thursday and the rest of it on Saturday/Sunday when our team and my parents were able to come to bring the rest of our stuff. Our landlord also has been really great and making sure that we have everything taken care of and has just been such a blessing and really hospitable for us! :) Soo exciting. So we are all pretty much settled in, and then I found out that my parents will be able to bring their extra fridge for us soon, and then all we need to get is a stove/oven and a microwave. It was just really neat to see God provide so faithfully and so quickly with our apartment!
Thanks for your continue prayer requests, here are some new ones:
-We are currently all looking for jobs, so for God to be guiding us to the jobs that He wants us to have....and so that we will also start being able to have incomes to pay things
-Opportunities to get to know our neighhbors and spend time with them and bless them in the way that Jesus would if He was here
-We will be starting to inductively study out of the book Luke, and so just that will be a good time for us, productive, and a neat learning experience from this gospel of the Bible! :)
-Continually being reminded of our experience in the Philippines....and prayer for the people that we met there and how they affected us. Also, prayer for the missonaries there: Aaron and Emma and their continual ministry in the community of Botocan.
Some pictures from the Philippines:
With Dave and Regina, riding on the Jeepney
With our host family...left to right, top to bottom: Rolando, Jena, Jenni-Paz, Eric, me, Ruth, Lisa, Josephine, Jem-Jem, and Polo (cousin)
A view of the rooftops in the Botocon community Along with Sierra, as we are eating Balut A group/team picture in front of the church in the Botocan community :-D <3Thursday, August 28, 2008
Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Phillipians 4:6-7
So....I never fully grasped this passage before...until recently. I have always been a busy-body person, and so worrying and stressing about things was something of the norm. I understood that God wanted us to not worry about things...but how could I not worry about my grades, and my job, and my finances, and my family, and my friends! But recently....I have been going through a period of really just understanding what TRUSTING IN GOD means...allowing Him to take control of 'my' situations....and follow where He leads, and to just trust what He is doing. Within this past year, and following a decision to apply for Servant Partners, that was really totally God-led....I started to have all these worries and concerns....but I felt that I wanted to do SP also because of those concerns and worries...and to allow God to take control in my life and fill the gap and take care of those concerns. And God did prove Himself mightily (duh!)....He has taken care of my concerns of fundraising $$, concerns for my parents, and concerns of leaving my Fullerton IV/Newsong community (as He is already blessing me with my SP community). And even though I still do not have a job figured out or our housing situated yet....I have felt very at peace and I know that God will take care of me because He has already been taking care of me all along....I just had to take a risk of uncertainty, and trust God....what faith really is! I normally would be super stressed and freaking out because I don't have everything figured out....but as my friend Jayson said, God thrives in the realm of uncertainty...and that has been soo amazing and a blessing to experience, especially as I have seen God give me a peace in my heart about all of this!
So tomorrow (Friday, August 29th) I start orientation for Servant Partners. It has been good getting to spend time with people these past few days and hanging out and such.... and I feel that as I hang out with people that are closer to me....I get this stomach-ache feeling.....just kinda a sadness and uncertainty of when I will see them again....but God is with both my friends and me and the communication will continue! :) I still don't feel nervous yet.....maybe I'll feel nervous 5 minutes into our orientation...or as we're flying in the air on the way to the Philippines and I'm finding it difficult to fall asleep... but at this point...I still feel this calmness and peace about what I'm doing....I feel that is totally God!!!
Well...some prayer requests:
-For my sickness to fully heal.....and for all of my team while we are in the Philippines for good health
-Safe travels to and from the Philippines....and just for learning and reflection time while we are in the Philippines...and great training for what we are to be doing in our neighborhoods when we return to Los Angeles
-For God to be preparing a job for me when I return from Manila...I really want to work at a job that is close to where I'll be living...so I will have go out and search about for that...
-Housing....we still do not have our apartment yet.....so just that we will find an apartment/house quickly when we return from the Philippines...and for the friends that will be hosting us to receive great blessings upon them for their generosity!
-My parents...just for them to have more peace about the situation....and just trust that God is taking care of their daughter and keeping me safe!
Some pictures of my last week here in the OC....yeah :)
OG CSUF Intervarsity Crew!
The ladies at Erika and my going away celebration/party
Erika and me....off to Servant Partners soon!
Susan and me...in front of the cutest teahouse in Fullerton
Gwenstar and me at Lollicup....Happy Early Birthday! :-D
Tommy and me after Chipotle...yeah for Knes buddies!
Miscellaneous fun while at Lollicup...
No Jayson...you do not have blond hair
J-Hsieh and me....making weird faces is the norm...
Yep...Ashley hasn't changed... lol....got the chance to go back to Covenant and the COA, the sites I was serving with last year for LAUP....which started even more of the stirring for inner-city ministry work...that eventually led to Servant Partners!
So....I never fully grasped this passage before...until recently. I have always been a busy-body person, and so worrying and stressing about things was something of the norm. I understood that God wanted us to not worry about things...but how could I not worry about my grades, and my job, and my finances, and my family, and my friends! But recently....I have been going through a period of really just understanding what TRUSTING IN GOD means...allowing Him to take control of 'my' situations....and follow where He leads, and to just trust what He is doing. Within this past year, and following a decision to apply for Servant Partners, that was really totally God-led....I started to have all these worries and concerns....but I felt that I wanted to do SP also because of those concerns and worries...and to allow God to take control in my life and fill the gap and take care of those concerns. And God did prove Himself mightily (duh!)....He has taken care of my concerns of fundraising $$, concerns for my parents, and concerns of leaving my Fullerton IV/Newsong community (as He is already blessing me with my SP community). And even though I still do not have a job figured out or our housing situated yet....I have felt very at peace and I know that God will take care of me because He has already been taking care of me all along....I just had to take a risk of uncertainty, and trust God....what faith really is! I normally would be super stressed and freaking out because I don't have everything figured out....but as my friend Jayson said, God thrives in the realm of uncertainty...and that has been soo amazing and a blessing to experience, especially as I have seen God give me a peace in my heart about all of this!
So tomorrow (Friday, August 29th) I start orientation for Servant Partners. It has been good getting to spend time with people these past few days and hanging out and such.... and I feel that as I hang out with people that are closer to me....I get this stomach-ache feeling.....just kinda a sadness and uncertainty of when I will see them again....but God is with both my friends and me and the communication will continue! :) I still don't feel nervous yet.....maybe I'll feel nervous 5 minutes into our orientation...or as we're flying in the air on the way to the Philippines and I'm finding it difficult to fall asleep... but at this point...I still feel this calmness and peace about what I'm doing....I feel that is totally God!!!
Well...some prayer requests:
-For my sickness to fully heal.....and for all of my team while we are in the Philippines for good health
-Safe travels to and from the Philippines....and just for learning and reflection time while we are in the Philippines...and great training for what we are to be doing in our neighborhoods when we return to Los Angeles
-For God to be preparing a job for me when I return from Manila...I really want to work at a job that is close to where I'll be living...so I will have go out and search about for that...
-Housing....we still do not have our apartment yet.....so just that we will find an apartment/house quickly when we return from the Philippines...and for the friends that will be hosting us to receive great blessings upon them for their generosity!
-My parents...just for them to have more peace about the situation....and just trust that God is taking care of their daughter and keeping me safe!
Some pictures of my last week here in the OC....yeah :)
OG CSUF Intervarsity Crew!
The ladies at Erika and my going away celebration/party
Erika and me....off to Servant Partners soon!
Susan and me...in front of the cutest teahouse in Fullerton
Gwenstar and me at Lollicup....Happy Early Birthday! :-D
Tommy and me after Chipotle...yeah for Knes buddies!Miscellaneous fun while at Lollicup...No Jayson...you do not have blond hairJ-Hsieh and me....making weird faces is the norm...Yep...Ashley hasn't changed... lol....got the chance to go back to Covenant and the COA, the sites I was serving with last year for LAUP....which started even more of the stirring for inner-city ministry work...that eventually led to Servant Partners!Sunday, August 17, 2008
Weeping...
So....for those of you who know me pretty well...you know that I do not cry much. But this past Saturday....I was weeping because of something my younger brother, Daniel, sent me. He had told me a while back that he was working on a Christmas present for my brother and me but didn't really say what it was....well he emailed me with an image file attached just saying, "here's part of the present". I started to open the image in a new window....and the processing of the dial-up internet reception at my parent's house was just taking too long...I wanted to see the whole image right away...but as it started showing up...I just starting getting that feeling of wanting to cry. It is an image of a culmination of beautiful pictures of my brothers and me from when we were growing up and our many travels...all together in a collage! I began to cry....and just cry.... and then I went to my room to journal about it and I wept even more! There's this feeling of when I cry that I just get dry in the mouth and such...almost like I can't breathe....and I just cough a bit (or maybe that's cause I'm a little sick), and the tears that won't stop coming, and I get this headache pain...but only for a little bit....I hadn't experienced this kind of weeping in a while...and it all came back to me soo quickly! There were soo many memories that came to my mind through seeing those pictures: Disneyland, family reunions, our travel trailer, fighting & getting along, summer vacations, and having fun together as a family! As much as my brothers and I are all far away from each other physically/geographically, I have never felt as close to them as I have than these past week! They bring soo much light and happiness in my life and I love them so much. I recently got an email from my older brother, Joel, just saying the he misses me from when I was up in Seattle visiting him and that he hopes I can go back again and visit him and that he wants to come visit me here and meet my friends. That was soo encouraging and such a joy to read that from my brother! And then also just getting this picture from Daniel was just a blessing to receive!
So I am worried about my commitments with Servant Partners and how that will affect me getting to see them and how our relationship will be affected...but I feel that Satan is putting some of those thoughts in mind....and I just pray that God will continue to take control of our relationships with one another and keep us connected....even though we are separated by miles.
I feel that this is how God intended family relationships to be....soo good that we weep over the greatness and the love that exists among family members! I feel that weeping IS a gift from God....that it is not something to be shameful about....and that it can be used for times of difficulty in pain...but also for tears of joy when there is so much greatness that we don't know what else to do besides smile and weep, which was what I was experiencing.
Then I got to thinking about weeping....and if other mammals experience weeping and such...apparently, no other animals weep for an emotional reason... I looked it up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears#Types_of_tears
And how did God choose the emotion of crying....that salty water would leak from our eyes because we are sad or happy? There is a passage in the bible saying that "Jesus wept" and it is significant because it is the shortest verse in the New Testament....and also that it helps describe that Jesus was truly human...because He had human emotions!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_wept
So interesting what you can find on Wikipedia :)
*Here is the picture that Daniel sent me!
*Prayer Request:
-We are going to be turning in our information for our credit check soon with the apartment we are hoping to get in South LA for Servant Partners. Please be praying that everything goes smoothly...and that hopefully we can move in this weekend! :)
So I am worried about my commitments with Servant Partners and how that will affect me getting to see them and how our relationship will be affected...but I feel that Satan is putting some of those thoughts in mind....and I just pray that God will continue to take control of our relationships with one another and keep us connected....even though we are separated by miles.
I feel that this is how God intended family relationships to be....soo good that we weep over the greatness and the love that exists among family members! I feel that weeping IS a gift from God....that it is not something to be shameful about....and that it can be used for times of difficulty in pain...but also for tears of joy when there is so much greatness that we don't know what else to do besides smile and weep, which was what I was experiencing.
Then I got to thinking about weeping....and if other mammals experience weeping and such...apparently, no other animals weep for an emotional reason... I looked it up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears#Types_of_tears
And how did God choose the emotion of crying....that salty water would leak from our eyes because we are sad or happy? There is a passage in the bible saying that "Jesus wept" and it is significant because it is the shortest verse in the New Testament....and also that it helps describe that Jesus was truly human...because He had human emotions!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_wept
So interesting what you can find on Wikipedia :)
*Here is the picture that Daniel sent me!
*Prayer Request:
-We are going to be turning in our information for our credit check soon with the apartment we are hoping to get in South LA for Servant Partners. Please be praying that everything goes smoothly...and that hopefully we can move in this weekend! :)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Rain Drops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens....
I LOVE my job...I was really thinking a lot about that the other day....and as difficult as it is at times and how upset I get at the kids because they do the same thing over and over....I am reminded of God's amazing unconditional compassionate love that He just keeps loving us back....and I have to remind myself to keep loving these kids...because God has done the same for me when I mess up. I really enjoy getting to be with them and joking around and hearing their stories...sometimes they are sad and my heart just aches for them and what they're going through....and I pray that God will keep them safe and protect their families. In all my years of working with kids, I have never been moved and touched that because of the kids I work with, I wanted to have my own..... but just being with these kids and taking care of them and having to be selfless so often and just really helping them with the little and simple things and worrying about them...wow.....makes me realize how much I would love to have my own kids one day. Of course I have always wanted to have my own kids....but there's just some things that I've experienced here that allow me to want those experiences with my own kids one day even more...and I just look forward to that.
I've only got 1 1/2 weeks left working with the summer day camp....then 1 week off to really just spend time with people...and then I start orientation for Servant Partners and then we go to Manilla in the Philippines for 3 weeks!!! Yikes...life moves so fast.... but God is good :-D
Sometimes trusting that God will provide is difficult...but I have seen Him provide in my life a lot lot throughout many times in my life, but most definitely in this past year with many a things. I believe God is powerful and is Jehovah Jireh....our provider....and so I am trusting that He will provide an exact housing location that He wants my roomates and I to have soon....as well as a job that He has been preparing for me.....and to have peace about not knowing all of that right now.
Prayer Requests:
-Conversations with my roomates about our housing search situation....we would like to have our housing settled before we leave for Manilla...so just that we will find something in these next few weeks..... and that if that is not the Lord's decision to have us have a place yet, to give us peace about that
-Job Search.....I have really been slacking with this and need to revise my resumes and write up cover letters to send out...so just energy and confidence that things will go smoothly
-My Car....I might not be taking my car with me to LA....I'm still praying about this decision and will be talking more with my parents this weekend about it...it will be uncomfortable for me in many ways...but that gives me more of a reason to see that God has His hand on this thought and that He will provide again and again and again in the ways of my transportation!
-CSUF Students - They will be starting school again in a couple of weeks...so just for good conversations with students during the first 2 weeks of getting to know people, inviting them out to Intervarsity events, and getting to know people and sharing God's love and kingdom on the Fullerton campus!
-MANILLA! - I will be in Manilla, Philippines for 3 weeks! I've never been overseas..so I'm excited....pray that we will have safe travels, good health, that we will be growing and learning together as a team, and that God will be moving and showing us how to live among the poor, love, and be a community together :-D
-My Brother - Continue to have conversations....continue seeking to love him without strings...peace about difficulty conflicts in the past
Fundraising Update:
-I have raised ~$4,500 at this point and I needed to raise $4,000...so praise God! :)
Here are some lovely pictures...so enjoy:
Camp Titan Celebration Banquet Dinner :)
Shaved Ice for Mike's Going Away to Chicago!
I've only got 1 1/2 weeks left working with the summer day camp....then 1 week off to really just spend time with people...and then I start orientation for Servant Partners and then we go to Manilla in the Philippines for 3 weeks!!! Yikes...life moves so fast.... but God is good :-D
Sometimes trusting that God will provide is difficult...but I have seen Him provide in my life a lot lot throughout many times in my life, but most definitely in this past year with many a things. I believe God is powerful and is Jehovah Jireh....our provider....and so I am trusting that He will provide an exact housing location that He wants my roomates and I to have soon....as well as a job that He has been preparing for me.....and to have peace about not knowing all of that right now.
Prayer Requests:
-Conversations with my roomates about our housing search situation....we would like to have our housing settled before we leave for Manilla...so just that we will find something in these next few weeks..... and that if that is not the Lord's decision to have us have a place yet, to give us peace about that
-Job Search.....I have really been slacking with this and need to revise my resumes and write up cover letters to send out...so just energy and confidence that things will go smoothly
-My Car....I might not be taking my car with me to LA....I'm still praying about this decision and will be talking more with my parents this weekend about it...it will be uncomfortable for me in many ways...but that gives me more of a reason to see that God has His hand on this thought and that He will provide again and again and again in the ways of my transportation!
-CSUF Students - They will be starting school again in a couple of weeks...so just for good conversations with students during the first 2 weeks of getting to know people, inviting them out to Intervarsity events, and getting to know people and sharing God's love and kingdom on the Fullerton campus!
-MANILLA! - I will be in Manilla, Philippines for 3 weeks! I've never been overseas..so I'm excited....pray that we will have safe travels, good health, that we will be growing and learning together as a team, and that God will be moving and showing us how to live among the poor, love, and be a community together :-D
-My Brother - Continue to have conversations....continue seeking to love him without strings...peace about difficulty conflicts in the past
Fundraising Update:
-I have raised ~$4,500 at this point and I needed to raise $4,000...so praise God! :)
Here are some lovely pictures...so enjoy:
Camp Titan Celebration Banquet Dinner :)
Yumm....why does roadtrip food always taste soo good?! Santa Barbara :-D
Shaved Ice for Mike's Going Away to Chicago!Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Passages of Injustice....and of Hope
So I am currently reading a book titled, "A Theology As Big as the City" by Ray Bakke. It has really been a great book to read...and just learning about dynamics of the city....and inner-city ministry work :) There were 2 bible passages that they go over that really struck out to me.
Psalm 38
O Lord do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
For your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down upon me.
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful fully.
I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.
All my longings lie before you, O Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
My friends and companions avoide me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.
Those who seek my life set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they plot deception.
I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear,
like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;
I have become like a man who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
I wait for you, O Lor;
you will answer, O Lord my God.
For I said, "Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."
For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
I confess my iniquity;
I am trouble by my sin.
Many are those who are my vigorous enemies;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
Those who repay my good with evil
slander me when I pursue what is good.
O Lord, do not forsake me;
be not far from me, O my God.
Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my Savior.
In the book, it states, "Now let's title it 'The Cry of an AIDS victim.'" Think about that a bit and dwell on that.... "He is alone, suffering from the abandonment of family and friends. So he offers a very personal prayer of lament. His only hope is the Lord."
And here is the other passage that brings hope!
Isiah 65: 17-25
For behold, I create
new heavens and a new earth.
And the former things will not be
remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoince forever in
what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness.
I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and
be glad in My people;
And there will be no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
No longer will there be in it an infrant
who lives but a few days,
Or an old man who dos not live
out his days.
FOr the youth will die at the age of
one hundred.
And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred
Will be thought accursed.
They will build houses and inhabit them;
They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They will not build and another inhabit,
They will not plant and another eat;
For as the lifetime of a tree, so will
be the days of My people.
And My chosen ones will wear out
the work of their hands.
They will not labor in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord,
And their descendants with them.
It will also come to pass that before they call,
I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb will graze together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox;
and dust will be the serpent's food.
They will do no evil or harm
in all My holy mountain, says the Lord.
"Remember, this was intended to be an encouragement to urban builders on their way back to renovate Jerusalem. God reminds them (and us) that the eternal city is also under construction. We will live there forever as believers."
I also remember hearing this passage at the LAUP Reunion night, and talking about how significant it is to hear that those who build houses will be able to inhabit them. Sometimes today, the people that build the homes are not able to afford them...but what hope this passage brings to the laborers...that they will be able to live in what they build...and those who work on vineyards can eat of the fruit. God totally knew of the future and brings hope for back then when this passage was written, and in today's world! What a great God we serve.
Psalm 38
O Lord do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
For your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down upon me.
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
my bones have no soundness because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and are loathsome
because of my sinful fully.
I am bowed down and brought very low;
all day long I go about mourning.
My back is filled with searing pain;
there is no health in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;
I groan in anguish of heart.
All my longings lie before you, O Lord;
my sighing is not hidden from you.
My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
even the light has gone from my eyes.
My friends and companions avoide me because of my wounds;
my neighbors stay far away.
Those who seek my life set their traps,
those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
all day long they plot deception.
I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear,
like a mute, who cannot open his mouth;
I have become like a man who does not hear,
whose mouth can offer no reply.
I wait for you, O Lor;
you will answer, O Lord my God.
For I said, "Do not let them gloat
or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips."
For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
I confess my iniquity;
I am trouble by my sin.
Many are those who are my vigorous enemies;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
Those who repay my good with evil
slander me when I pursue what is good.
O Lord, do not forsake me;
be not far from me, O my God.
Come quickly to help me,
O Lord my Savior.
In the book, it states, "Now let's title it 'The Cry of an AIDS victim.'" Think about that a bit and dwell on that.... "He is alone, suffering from the abandonment of family and friends. So he offers a very personal prayer of lament. His only hope is the Lord."
And here is the other passage that brings hope!
Isiah 65: 17-25
For behold, I create
new heavens and a new earth.
And the former things will not be
remembered or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoince forever in
what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness.
I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and
be glad in My people;
And there will be no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
No longer will there be in it an infrant
who lives but a few days,
Or an old man who dos not live
out his days.
FOr the youth will die at the age of
one hundred.
And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred
Will be thought accursed.
They will build houses and inhabit them;
They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They will not build and another inhabit,
They will not plant and another eat;
For as the lifetime of a tree, so will
be the days of My people.
And My chosen ones will wear out
the work of their hands.
They will not labor in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord,
And their descendants with them.
It will also come to pass that before they call,
I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb will graze together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox;
and dust will be the serpent's food.
They will do no evil or harm
in all My holy mountain, says the Lord.
"Remember, this was intended to be an encouragement to urban builders on their way back to renovate Jerusalem. God reminds them (and us) that the eternal city is also under construction. We will live there forever as believers."
I also remember hearing this passage at the LAUP Reunion night, and talking about how significant it is to hear that those who build houses will be able to inhabit them. Sometimes today, the people that build the homes are not able to afford them...but what hope this passage brings to the laborers...that they will be able to live in what they build...and those who work on vineyards can eat of the fruit. God totally knew of the future and brings hope for back then when this passage was written, and in today's world! What a great God we serve.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
July thus far
So...busy life as usual...I'll try to keep it brief. I have been to 3 weddings so far, I went to Federal Way (south of Seattle) to visit my brother for a week...while I was there, I got to see my parents for 2 days, meet my brother's friends/co-workers, meet up with Cheryl Roberts, meet with Yen-Ling, and randomly bump into Katrain Wong (friends from Hesperia, CSUF/Newsong, and IV), and then have been continuing to work with the Boys and Girls Club of Cypress. While in Seattle I got to see a lot of great sites! We went to the Space Needle, the Experience Rock Music Museum, the Sci-Fi Museum, the Wing Lake Museum (Asian-American History in the Seattle area), Pioneer Square (old old town Seattle), Pikes Place Market, the 1st ever Starbucks, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, an attempt to go whale watching and only barely saw 1 whale (but we got refunded and can go back), and...got to see fireworks for 4th of July at a park that felt like it was built in the middle of the forest cause it was soo pretty and full of beautiful tall green trees! :)
I am also now living in La Habra for the rest of the summer until I move out to Los Angeles...which will be sometime in late August. I am staying with my 2nd family...the Rodriguez famiy....I have known them for a few years, going back to when we met while doing Hurricane Katrina relief in Mississippi with church. They are really great and hospitable!!!
Here's a website I would like you to look at...it's titled "How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours" http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=5326508&page=1 It's pretty intense...if you are unaware of the human trafficking (modern-day slavery) going on, please read and continue to learn more and inform people about it...build awareness...this is not something that existed years ago...people are being forced into labor and sex slavery every single day in THIS country as well as other countries throughout the world. What can we do...what can we do as citizens, as Christians, as those who care about injustices to help with this situation? Prayer, giving money, and spreading awareness sometimes do not seem like enough....let's seek God to lead us to what He is calling us to do.
http://freethekids.org/index.php Here's a link to an organization in Haiti that is seeking to help child slaves...getting them out of their situations and helping them through orphanages.
*Here are some pictures:
Kristyn, Byron, and me
Katrina Wong and me in Seattle at the Experience Rock Music Museum! Yeah for randomly bumping into each other...woo hoo!
Joel and me on top of the Space Needle
Happy 4th of July! :)
I am also now living in La Habra for the rest of the summer until I move out to Los Angeles...which will be sometime in late August. I am staying with my 2nd family...the Rodriguez famiy....I have known them for a few years, going back to when we met while doing Hurricane Katrina relief in Mississippi with church. They are really great and hospitable!!!
Here's a website I would like you to look at...it's titled "How to Buy a Child in 10 Hours" http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=5326508&page=1 It's pretty intense...if you are unaware of the human trafficking (modern-day slavery) going on, please read and continue to learn more and inform people about it...build awareness...this is not something that existed years ago...people are being forced into labor and sex slavery every single day in THIS country as well as other countries throughout the world. What can we do...what can we do as citizens, as Christians, as those who care about injustices to help with this situation? Prayer, giving money, and spreading awareness sometimes do not seem like enough....let's seek God to lead us to what He is calling us to do.
http://freethekids.org/index.php Here's a link to an organization in Haiti that is seeking to help child slaves...getting them out of their situations and helping them through orphanages.
*Here are some pictures:
Cheryl (the bride), Jen (bff since 2nd grade), and me
Kristyn, Byron, and me
Katrina Wong and me in Seattle at the Experience Rock Music Museum! Yeah for randomly bumping into each other...woo hoo!
Joel and me on top of the Space Needle
Happy 4th of July! :)Prayer Requests:
-Healings and persistance through my conversations and relationship with my older brother
-Search for housing and jobs in the LA area
-Spirt-led conversations with my co-workers
-Trusting in God
-SP team...as we are making preparations for housing, jobs, moving, getting ready to go to Manilla in the Philippines, fundraising, prayer, support from families and friends....!
*Fundraising Update with Servant Partners: I'm at about $3,000....so $1,000 left to fundraise...and I know some more $$ is coming in from different people (but it is being sent back to my hometown and I won't able to retrieve it until my parents are back from their traveling...so if you did send $$ to Hesperia, sorry, but it will have to wait a bit for me to get the checks and then send them in to be processed). I have about 1 month left to finish fundraising the full $4,000...but God has been truly faithful thus far and I know He will provide enough $$ and even more....so praise God for that!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Camp, Cypress, and Target Parking Lots
Camp Titan: was amazing :-D I had a really great time with the kids and staff and was able to take on a new role of supervising the kids and also my rescuers. It was challenging at times...but I'm glad I got more experience in this type of role. Some of the things I will miss most are all of the fun songs, the dressing up days, the random cute answers from the kids, running around the mess hall because somebody at my table didn't put a napkin on their lap, and the Camp Titan Beat clap!
Cypress: I just started working with the Boys and Girls Club in the city of Cypress. It is fun so far...although I'm losing my voice pretty quickly. It is different due to this area being a higher-income level...and I am used to working with families from a lower-income...but I know God has me in this specific place for a reason.
Target Parking Lots: Just today after work on my way in to Target, I met a homeless man named Mel. He asked for some change and I said I would get him some water when I came out. I bought some sunblock (his face was quite red....so sunblock helps!) for him, granola bars, and gatorade. Then when I came out he was talking with his friend Robert. It was soo great because Mel asked if I was Christian and when I said yes he told me about how he goes to 2 different churches...and he asked if I would pray with him. How often do you hear that? It was great.... I prayed with Robert and Mel, got to talk with them a bit, and then went over to KFC and bought them some dinner. I didn't do much....it really didn't take much time...but I know God placed me there for a reason and I felt so much of God's presence there and just that HE (GOD) was speaking through Robert with the many empowering words he had. Mel and Robert have both struggled with heroine, and are also alcoholics. Please please please be praying for them...that they will continue to go to church and seek Jesus with all their heart....and that they will become free of their addictions....and that they will start on the process to better their lives and get back into working and making things better for themselves (which they both expressed to me that they want). Also..please pray for Marty (Mel's sister) who has been having difficulty with her vision....and also for Mel's ex-wife who just passed away recently due to an overdose.... and just for his family during this time of mourning and difficulty. Please pray that God will be revealing Himself to their family and just comforting them through His love and their friends here on Earth.
Mel said that I would walk away with a story after meeting and talking with him and Robert. I feel like it's more than that, though...I feel like a piece of them is with me and just really affecting what I've been thinking about these past few hours and how much I really should be more thankful to God of the things I take for granted. When Robert prayed, "We love you, God, even though we are here on the streets...", I could hear the tears and the sniffles....and the true presence of God in the midst of our prayer circle. I need to love God a lot more in my times of difficulty, whether they are short or long term...and rely a lot more heavily on God! Gosh, I was more blessed by them than they were by the little time and food that I provided for them. Please be keeping them in your prayers!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-Obviously: Mel and Robert
-My upcoming trip to Seattle to visit my brother...travel safety and kingdom conversations with my brother
-Job search in LA for Servant Partners
-Apartment search in South Central LA for Servant Partners
-My parents...travel safety as they have been and are traveling to many places this summer
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Past 2 Weeks!
Aaah...the past 2 weeks have been busy and kinda a blur cause there was so much going on, and they have been full of being busy, being joyful :) , and also a bit of burn-out :(.
So last week on Sunday night I went to UCLA for the SPAANK Concert. It was a music event, but mostly to give awareness about astrocities that are going on in North Korea. Please read up about this information: http://spaank.wordpress.com/ , http://www.libertyinnorthkorea.blogspot.com/ , and http://www.linkglobal.org/ . I continually ask God to break my heart for what breaks his....and just learning more about injustices about things like what is going in North Korea and the injustices that exist everywhere...even here in my own backyard in the city of Fullerton where I work....I realize that this world needs so much of a hope and needs to receive love that Jesus brings and wants everybody to receive! Oh, and I also won a free shirt that night which was way awesome, because there were only 12 total of those shirts printed...woo hoo!
So yeah...that was powerful and neat. Then on Tuesday night I went with Johnny and Jayson to Brendan James perform live! http://www.myspace.com/brendanjames He is amazing, and even more amazing in person singing! So that was cool and I got to meet with him and talk to him afterwards. One of my favorite songs from him is "Hero" which gives some incite about the war that is going on...kinda from a soldier's perspective. I feel that it relates to me somewhat because 1 of my brother is in the air force and he's been to Iraq to serve 2 terms before...is currently in South Korea....and just, hearing that song makes me think of him. So yes.
Brendan and me at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles :)Saturday was the BIG day. I helped my friend Johnny Lee with the film festival for Talent One Media (TOM). http://www.talent1media.blogspot.com/ The film festival is not competitive and is to display and showcases short films from local producers/directors, and the movies relate to biblical themes. I helped work on 1 of the movies "Coffee and Pie", and so they showed that one which was pretty neat! Doug Jones (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0427964/) was 1 of the leader actors in this film, and so he came to the film fest and signed comic books and took fun pictures. Yeah. Doug is such a great humble guy, so I was really blessed to be in his presence. So along with the films, a huge part of TOM is to promote issues of social justice, and this year the focus was mostly to bring awareness to human trafficking issues (modern-day slavery). So there were a few different organizations there which was cool! :-D I'm glad that I was a part of the film fest and that we were able to have such a good turnout. Oh, and also Hope http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=22887675 performed that night along with Slum Peasants http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=358469192 which was amazing.
Doug Jones and me with a comic book of Abe Sapien from HellBoy
Picture of the AMAZING volunteer staff crew at the TOM Film Fest :-D
Yesterday was kinda a bleh day though. I really felt all of the stuff that's been going on as just being overwhelmed and just felt burnt-out....and so today I didn't feel very motivated for anything that I was doing. So sorry if I encountered you yesterday (Saturday) and I was just not with it.... I eventually finished everything that I needed to get done and was able to go bike riding with Johnny and Jayson later, which was good and fun!
I also feel that recently I've more of "doing" things for Jesus as opposed to really just sitting with Him and praying and listening to Him and being in His world daily. I definitely have been lacking in that area and feel like I need to focus on that more now. Even though I am busy...that really is no excuse. So...I need to focus on being more of Mary than Martha. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+10:38-42 :) This was moreso reemphasized today at the church message with Darryl...just talking about really hearing God and what He has to tell us...but that Satan is against us and does not want us to hear, or wants us to hear but not understand or do anything in response to what God wants for us....so I really need to be hearing God more and what He has for my life...and responding to that!
So...fundraising update...I am at $2600...which is exciting! I have met my 1st deadline of $1500 that is due June 15th...so that is good to know. I still have about ~$1500 more to fundraise, and I know that a few other people have said that they will be partnering with me. Thanks to everybody who has partnered with me so far!!! :-D
Prayer Requests:
-Alone time with God and focus on my daily devotions.
-Camp Titan...I am leaving next Saturday to spend time with some amazing kids, but they also have come from some dificult backgrounds...so really just patience and love for the kids!
-Friends in my life that are groing through difficult times
-My new job during the Summer as a Day Camp counselor for the Boys and Girls Club :-D
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Graduation
So this past Sunday was graduation from Cal State Fullerton! It was a memorable, fun, and festive day! What I really enjoyed is that I was just surrounded by all these people that I am loved by and that is a great feeling to have. I had most of my immediate family there (Dad, Mom, Daniel, and Grandma Pat), friends from elementary school/high school (Jennifer, Corazon, Heather, and Ralphie), Christy from my old church, and friends from the JAC team at my current church (Johnny, Dan, Justine, and Joe). I also got to sit next to some cool kids….next to Mark Pham, Luini, and Eric for the university ceremony…and then I got to sit next to Luini, Eric, James, and Kami for the college ceremony! It really was a great time…despite the crazy heat…lol. I also got to see 2 of my favorite Kinesiology professors and introduced them to my family and took pictures with them. There were a few other celebrations throughout the week with Intervarsity friends which was really good and had many congratulations from friends and family (THANKS!)…so yeah… Thank you everybody for sharing in my excitement and accomplishment of graduation from college! :-D
The Fam: Daniel, Mom, Dad, Grandma, and me
Elementary School/High School Friends! Jen, Cor, Ralphie, and me
Forever CC La Habra/Bay St.Louis Mississippi Buddy...and "sister"/roomate :) CHRISTY!
Newsong NOC: JAC!!! Joe, Dan, Johnny, Justine, and me
The whole gang at graduation :-D
Clay and me...my mentor, supervisor,and professor...yeah! :-D
Wiersma: my professor and mentor!
Heather and me...friends from 4th grade in elementary school...living down the street from each other, taking the bus together, and exploring the fun dirt streets of Hesperia together...and going to Fratelli's pizza for Heather's bday...lol...good times :)
Mark Pham, Luini, and me...Go College of Health and Human Development!
Kami, James, and me...yeah for Kinesiology and Dorm Buddies!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Wednesday: "More Than Enough"
So this past Wednesday was a very busy and crazy day for me, but God just kept reminding me throughout the day of the theme of "More than Enough"...that God provides for me in more ways than I imagined and need! It was amazing :)
I started off the day with about 4 hours of sleep since I had stayed up late the night before and woke up early to study for an exam that I had at 9:30. This final was the one I was worried about the most, because it was an essay final and I was worried that I just wouldn't remember all the information that I needed to take the final. I asked my friend, Bonnie, on Tuesday night to just pray for me for enough rest, energy, and a good memory. Well, when I woke up on Wednesday, I felt that I had enough sleep and that I was awake and feeling good...and then when I took my exam, I was remembering things that I hadn't even written down to study off of, but it was information that I remembered from my class lectures that was important to put down for the exam! How amazing...God provided me with more than enough information for the exam!
Then I went from my exam, was home for a little bit to eat real quick, and then off to work. I was concerned about work also because Wednesday is our long day with the kids, and the majority of the time, I am with different kids because we do rotations and lead the same activity for the different groups. Well, I got to work and was provided with more than enough of a cappuchino drink, a cookie, and oreo cheesecake! I was still doing well with my energy...until I started getting tired...and then when that happened, some of the kids helped cheer me up by showing me their pictures, and that helped boost me up...more than enough again!
Later that day I went home and got to spend some time with the roomates, which was good because I haven't gotten the chance to do that in a while, it definitely could have been more time, but it was enough at that time! I was able to get some studying done at my apartment and then later I got to spend time with my friends Johnny and Joe and got to talk with Will and Rodrigo at their house...while I tried to study...but mostly just hung out, talked, and ate some delicious food! :-D
God is soo good and it was just very evident on Wednesday that when I was concerned about lack of sleep, my final, and work...that God was saying "I will provide for you, and I will provide more than enough for you because I am taking care of you and I love you!" Realizing God's love for me through things like this just gives me goosebumps and allows me to see the amazing God that I am blessed to serve!
Well....besides that, I am officially DONE now...I just finished my last final a couple of hours ago! I am going to a bonfire tonight with Intevarsity friends (it's a tradition of ours), and then running a half-marathon tomorrow (please pray that I'll be okay with the heat and lack of training...lol), and then graduating on Sunday! Yeah...so exciting.
Also, for Servant Partners...fundraising has been going well...I am at $1,545, so I have met my 1st deadline...and I am still waiting on family and friends to be helping me out financially...thank you to all of you that have been helping provide for me financially so far! :-D
Here are some prayer requests:
-I'm currently trying to figure out a summer job since I may not be able to work for the YMCA due to lack of kids that have signed up for camp and because of my schedule of taking 2 weeks off (1 week for Camp Titan and 1 week to visit my brother in Seattle)...so please be praying that God will provide a job for me!
-Prayer for my Servant Partners class...we are all currently fundraising and establishing a prayer team to be praying for each of us individually...so just prayer for everybody in their efforts with that!
-Pray for Mynamar and China! It's crazy stuff going on there...with the cyclone and earthquake...please pray that God is providing enough aid for the people there...even in Mynamar if they are not letting people in currently...that the government leaders' hearts will be softened and allow people to help out there!
-Prayer for when I will be looking for an apartment/house with my future Servant Partners roomates....and also for when I will be looking for a job in the LA area (as I have been kinda currently looking....that God will just open the right doors for me!)
Thanks so much everybody! Take care and BLESSINGS!!! <3
Oh...and a cute picture for your enjoyment:
I started off the day with about 4 hours of sleep since I had stayed up late the night before and woke up early to study for an exam that I had at 9:30. This final was the one I was worried about the most, because it was an essay final and I was worried that I just wouldn't remember all the information that I needed to take the final. I asked my friend, Bonnie, on Tuesday night to just pray for me for enough rest, energy, and a good memory. Well, when I woke up on Wednesday, I felt that I had enough sleep and that I was awake and feeling good...and then when I took my exam, I was remembering things that I hadn't even written down to study off of, but it was information that I remembered from my class lectures that was important to put down for the exam! How amazing...God provided me with more than enough information for the exam!
Then I went from my exam, was home for a little bit to eat real quick, and then off to work. I was concerned about work also because Wednesday is our long day with the kids, and the majority of the time, I am with different kids because we do rotations and lead the same activity for the different groups. Well, I got to work and was provided with more than enough of a cappuchino drink, a cookie, and oreo cheesecake! I was still doing well with my energy...until I started getting tired...and then when that happened, some of the kids helped cheer me up by showing me their pictures, and that helped boost me up...more than enough again!
Later that day I went home and got to spend some time with the roomates, which was good because I haven't gotten the chance to do that in a while, it definitely could have been more time, but it was enough at that time! I was able to get some studying done at my apartment and then later I got to spend time with my friends Johnny and Joe and got to talk with Will and Rodrigo at their house...while I tried to study...but mostly just hung out, talked, and ate some delicious food! :-D
God is soo good and it was just very evident on Wednesday that when I was concerned about lack of sleep, my final, and work...that God was saying "I will provide for you, and I will provide more than enough for you because I am taking care of you and I love you!" Realizing God's love for me through things like this just gives me goosebumps and allows me to see the amazing God that I am blessed to serve!
Well....besides that, I am officially DONE now...I just finished my last final a couple of hours ago! I am going to a bonfire tonight with Intevarsity friends (it's a tradition of ours), and then running a half-marathon tomorrow (please pray that I'll be okay with the heat and lack of training...lol), and then graduating on Sunday! Yeah...so exciting.
Also, for Servant Partners...fundraising has been going well...I am at $1,545, so I have met my 1st deadline...and I am still waiting on family and friends to be helping me out financially...thank you to all of you that have been helping provide for me financially so far! :-D
Here are some prayer requests:
-I'm currently trying to figure out a summer job since I may not be able to work for the YMCA due to lack of kids that have signed up for camp and because of my schedule of taking 2 weeks off (1 week for Camp Titan and 1 week to visit my brother in Seattle)...so please be praying that God will provide a job for me!
-Prayer for my Servant Partners class...we are all currently fundraising and establishing a prayer team to be praying for each of us individually...so just prayer for everybody in their efforts with that!
-Pray for Mynamar and China! It's crazy stuff going on there...with the cyclone and earthquake...please pray that God is providing enough aid for the people there...even in Mynamar if they are not letting people in currently...that the government leaders' hearts will be softened and allow people to help out there!
-Prayer for when I will be looking for an apartment/house with my future Servant Partners roomates....and also for when I will be looking for a job in the LA area (as I have been kinda currently looking....that God will just open the right doors for me!)
Thanks so much everybody! Take care and BLESSINGS!!! <3
Oh...and a cute picture for your enjoyment:
Friday, May 9, 2008
Community
Intevarsity (IV) Christian Fellowship has been a place of many things for me: learning more about this amazing man named Jesus Christ and falling in love with him, meeting some crazy people who have become my best friends, many a Campus By the Sea trips at Catalina that have impacted me in many ways, listening to amazing speakers, learning about relational reconciliations and pursuing that in my own life, learning about social justice and how much God cares about compassion and love for people and figuring that out in my own life, learning more about ethnic identity and the importance of embracing one's culture as well as understanding other cultures, and really just being in the midst of great friendships and great community. I have been so blessed with this group since my freshman year...I have been in joy and I have been challenged by God's word...and I have met God in so many ways.
Even though I will be graduating college in 1 week, I know that I will continue to keep my ties and friendships that I have found through this group, because of the impact it has had on my own life. I can't wait for all of the fun upcoming Alumni gatherings....and just a chance to give back to the community that has impacted my life in so many a ways!!! :-D <3
Our usual IV PROM :-D
My IV Small Group :)
Even though I will be graduating college in 1 week, I know that I will continue to keep my ties and friendships that I have found through this group, because of the impact it has had on my own life. I can't wait for all of the fun upcoming Alumni gatherings....and just a chance to give back to the community that has impacted my life in so many a ways!!! :-D <3
Our usual IV PROM :-D
My IV Small Group :)Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Welcome! :)
Hello Everybody! :) I hope everybody is doing well! :) Well, as most of you know, I am graduating soon...it's only 2 more weeks after this week of school + finals week and then I will graduate with a major in Kinesiology and minor in Psychology! :) My graduation date is Sunday, May 18th, so if you are free that day, you are totally welcome to come to my graduation at Cal State Fullerton. It will be at @9:30ish in the morning or so, but if you are willing to wake up that morning, do come! I also am hoping to have a joint graduation party with some other close friends through Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, so I will keep everybody posted about when that will be....probably sometime the week after I graduate. :)
If you are not already aware, I will be interning with Servant Partners (SP) for a 2-year commitment starting in September of this year. You can find more information about Servant Partners at this website: www.servantpartners.org But mostly, SP is about incarnational ministry living in the inner-city, living among the urban poor and loving them the way Jesus would if He is here on Earth. I have felt a calling to be in the inner-city for a while now, and after with some wrestling and good conversations with friends and God, He brought me to apply for Servant Partners and realize that I should be doing this after I graduate. It's crazy, but I am excited for what God has in store for my life through Servant Partners and what He will be teaching me and how He will be using me for His kingdom!
So even before Servant Partners, God has been working in my life through conversations with people about Servant Partners and just sharing about how God has brought me to this place! I had hesitation from my parents at first when I told them about SP, but now that they are more accepting and supportive of my decision, and even excited for me to do something about my faith and what I believe, as opposed to just talking and doing nothing. As I have been sharing with many friends, Christians and non-Christians, they have shown enthusiasm for me and just excitement about my next step in life!
I recently was refreshed about the doubts and questions that I have gotten from people about Servant Partners. I have worried that some people may see my decision to live in the inner-city and do ministry work as a "waste" or just not something that is not worthwhile...but I was reminded of how God sees this as a beautiful thing during my Spring Break while at Catalina Island. We studied out of the book of Mark and read Mark 14:3-9. This passage really touched me; it is about when Jesus is at Simon's (the leper) house, and this woman comes and brings an alabaster of oil and pours it onto Jesus....and His disciples question it and say that it is a WASTE...but Jesus says that what she is doing is a beautiful thing...and that it is what she is able to do....so to let her do it! This touched me because sometimes the decisions that I have made to follow Jesus, most specifically recently with Servant Partners, have sometimes been seen as a waste my family members and/or friends....but Jesus is saying "this is beautiful....and I honor you for what you are doing!" And Jesus also said that that interaction with the woman is to be written in scriptures...and there is some version of this story in all 4 gospels....so this was something that was very powerful to Jesus that He wanted His people to know. So yeah...this was a great reassurance to read and understand of God's love for His people that follow Him...what some may see as a waste, Jesus sees as Beautiful! :)
Well, I have also been sending out support letters to ask for support through prayer and finances. I have heard back from some people so far, and thanks to God, I have fundraised a total of $1,o00 so far! Praise God. In times when I have sent out support letters for a few different missions, I am always surprised about how giving people's hearts are to help with finances and to commit to pray! Both prayer and finaces are hugely important to me! I will definitely keep this site updated about prayer requests, praise reports, as well as how my financial support is going. I am so grateful for those that partner with me! :-D
Just some prayer requests:
-Continual fundraising for Servant Partners for me as well as the rest of my intern class with Servant Partners
-Openness to the people that I share with about Servant Partners, that God will be moving even through their hearts as I share about God's kingdom work
-The future site that I will be at....Pasadena or South LA (I still won't know until June)
-I want to learn more Spanish....for 2 reasons: it is important to learn more for where I currently work, as many of the parents of my kids do not speak any English at all....and also, just because the area where I move to, I feel that many people will be Spanish-speaking, and so it will be important to know the language. So that God will help me learn the Spanish language and to give me persistance to learn!
That's it...thanks so much everybody and have a blessed rest of the week! :)
P.S. If you would like to receive a support letter for my work with Servant Partners, please email me at sarahstoker@gmail.com with your mailing address so that I can send it out to you. Thanks :)
If you are not already aware, I will be interning with Servant Partners (SP) for a 2-year commitment starting in September of this year. You can find more information about Servant Partners at this website: www.servantpartners.org But mostly, SP is about incarnational ministry living in the inner-city, living among the urban poor and loving them the way Jesus would if He is here on Earth. I have felt a calling to be in the inner-city for a while now, and after with some wrestling and good conversations with friends and God, He brought me to apply for Servant Partners and realize that I should be doing this after I graduate. It's crazy, but I am excited for what God has in store for my life through Servant Partners and what He will be teaching me and how He will be using me for His kingdom!
So even before Servant Partners, God has been working in my life through conversations with people about Servant Partners and just sharing about how God has brought me to this place! I had hesitation from my parents at first when I told them about SP, but now that they are more accepting and supportive of my decision, and even excited for me to do something about my faith and what I believe, as opposed to just talking and doing nothing. As I have been sharing with many friends, Christians and non-Christians, they have shown enthusiasm for me and just excitement about my next step in life!
I recently was refreshed about the doubts and questions that I have gotten from people about Servant Partners. I have worried that some people may see my decision to live in the inner-city and do ministry work as a "waste" or just not something that is not worthwhile...but I was reminded of how God sees this as a beautiful thing during my Spring Break while at Catalina Island. We studied out of the book of Mark and read Mark 14:3-9. This passage really touched me; it is about when Jesus is at Simon's (the leper) house, and this woman comes and brings an alabaster of oil and pours it onto Jesus....and His disciples question it and say that it is a WASTE...but Jesus says that what she is doing is a beautiful thing...and that it is what she is able to do....so to let her do it! This touched me because sometimes the decisions that I have made to follow Jesus, most specifically recently with Servant Partners, have sometimes been seen as a waste my family members and/or friends....but Jesus is saying "this is beautiful....and I honor you for what you are doing!" And Jesus also said that that interaction with the woman is to be written in scriptures...and there is some version of this story in all 4 gospels....so this was something that was very powerful to Jesus that He wanted His people to know. So yeah...this was a great reassurance to read and understand of God's love for His people that follow Him...what some may see as a waste, Jesus sees as Beautiful! :)
Well, I have also been sending out support letters to ask for support through prayer and finances. I have heard back from some people so far, and thanks to God, I have fundraised a total of $1,o00 so far! Praise God. In times when I have sent out support letters for a few different missions, I am always surprised about how giving people's hearts are to help with finances and to commit to pray! Both prayer and finaces are hugely important to me! I will definitely keep this site updated about prayer requests, praise reports, as well as how my financial support is going. I am so grateful for those that partner with me! :-D
Just some prayer requests:
-Continual fundraising for Servant Partners for me as well as the rest of my intern class with Servant Partners
-Openness to the people that I share with about Servant Partners, that God will be moving even through their hearts as I share about God's kingdom work
-The future site that I will be at....Pasadena or South LA (I still won't know until June)
-I want to learn more Spanish....for 2 reasons: it is important to learn more for where I currently work, as many of the parents of my kids do not speak any English at all....and also, just because the area where I move to, I feel that many people will be Spanish-speaking, and so it will be important to know the language. So that God will help me learn the Spanish language and to give me persistance to learn!
That's it...thanks so much everybody and have a blessed rest of the week! :)
P.S. If you would like to receive a support letter for my work with Servant Partners, please email me at sarahstoker@gmail.com with your mailing address so that I can send it out to you. Thanks :)
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