I laugh in the face of jetlag!

So this week I've actually been tired enough to go to bed at bedtime, and awake and ready to go when my alarm goes off in the morning...besides that no adverse time-change effects.

Take that, 9 hour time difference! I wish I always felt like this.

next steps...

*Poster in the Nea Zoi office in Athens. There are hundreds of girls trafficked from Nigeria each year into Greece.

Well, I wrote already about probably going back to Greece in June. I guess I need to back up a little and explain what happened in Thessaloniki that had me questioning why I even went to Greece in the first place. Just a warning...I don't think this is going to be very concise. :)

The conference that I went to was kind of ridiculous and frustrating. It was a Hillsong women's conference hosted by a pentecostal church in Thess called Philadelphia. I'm all for charismatic churches and ministry, but this church is on the very extreme end and lacking some major theological foundations. To the point that the pastors' 14 year old son died several years ago to cancer because they refused to seek medical treatment (just were praying for his healing). Knowing this, and knowing now that Hillsong aligns itself with Benny Hinn and the Word of Faith movement (I am cringing right now), I was fairly discouraged because these are not groups that I want to associate myself with. These were the churches that Sandie was planning to partner her organization (Lydia Today) with for the justice center and training people with the Hands That Heal curriculum in Thessaloniki. (Part of the reason Sandie wanted me working on this project in Thess is because of my theology training; she thought perhaps I could bring some "theological oversight" to them. Yikes!) Philadelphia and Hillsong wanted to keep the training really exclusive and only have it be available to the Thessaloniki churches that they are associated with. All this made me want to run in the opposite direction, and I was wondering why the heck I had come all the way there to find this stuff out!

(Hands That Heal is the new comprehensive curriculum put out by the Faith Alliance Agaist Slavery and Trafficking [FAAST], made up of the Salvation Army, World Vision, Project Rescue Int'l, and some others, to train people to care for victims of trafficking. I went through the training myself earlier this month and am now certified to teach it.)

Thankfully I ran into Sandie at Starbucks in Thessaloniki on Sunday afternoon. Talking with her I heard that she was discouraged by the conference and the groups as well. It turns out they are not really willing to listen to people who have been working in this field and want to do things their own way. Hillsong has this "now that we're here, things are going to change" and "if we don't do this, no one will" mentality, and I feel like they think they can throw a bunch of money at a problem and make it go away. Their strategy is really overlooking some of the basic issues and is not going to be successful unless they focus on laws and legislation first. They want to open this huge shelter and have the dramatic rescues of girls off the streets. The fact is, there are already shelters, and they are empty, because the laws currently make it difficult to identify trafficking victims.

Well, Sandie has decided not to work "under" them but to keep Lydia Today separate, enabling LT to offer the HTH training in several locations, rather than just Thess. I have felt all along that I would be working with Lydia Today, and since the Thessaloniki option is not working out, it's kind of back to the drawing board for Lydia as we figure out what we want to do. The next step will be the June trip, to train several teams in Cyprus, Athens, and Thess. By not taking Hillsong money for the translation and training projects, Lydia Today can distribute the material more widely, which is a good thing. It also means that we will need to raise the money to do it ourselves with Lydia.

So as far as long-term plans for myself, I feel like right now I am just waiting. Between now and June, and even in Greece in June, we will get a better idea of where we want to go with these teams we are training, and perhaps move ahead with the justice & research center concept outside of the realm of Hillsong. I feel strongly that I need to move ahead with Lydia Today right now, and wait as they are waiting to see what is on the horizon for the long haul.

So that's that...overall I am thankful I was able to go there, meet people, do the outreaches, get a feel for the cities and the pr0stitution and trafficking scenes there. I feel a lot more prepared to be thinking about the long term plans now having already been there. So I will be praying about this June trip and the funding for it and what that looks like with my current job situation.

And Thessaloniki too...

I have a lot less pics from Thess...there is just less to see I guess. It's a really pretty city and I loved being there.

This is the waterfront and the White Tower:

Along this strip there are tons of cafes and shops. Well, all over the center there are tons of cafes, shops, pastry shops, clothing stores that made me want to go shopping, squares, old churches, etc. Fun city. :) And fun girl, here is Kiki:

Around the city...

St. Sophia church:

My landmark...the government building across the street from Kiki's apartment:

Old & new...the ancient Roman agora and the modern apt. highrises:

Here is (L-R) Pepie, the Greek lawyer who works in Athens with Lydia Today on trafficking laws and legislation and advocacy for victims, and Sandie, the founder of Lydia Today who lived in Athens for 10 years and now lives in Orange County and works for the OC Human Trafficking Task Force (who I've been working with here and who I will go back with in June). And me. :)

And Kiki, again.

Ah yes, and who can forget the garbage strike (here is just a baby pile)...

Athens tourist circuit

Even though the transportation strike had a lot of negative consequences, it did allow an entire day for sight-seeing in Athens, which is a fair amount of time to hit all the major must-sees. Lots of walking, which is always good in a country like Greece where there are 6 pastry shops on every corner.

I really did not take many pictures on this trip. Somehow brothels and bar outreaches are not very conducive to photography, so most of my photos are just your average tourist sights.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus...started in the 6th centry BC, finished in AD 132 by Hadrian. He put inside a huge statue of Zeus and an almost-as-big one of himself. :) Only 15 of the columns are left standing:

(View from the Acropolis)We saw the Parliament building, Panathenaic Stadium, Hadrian's Arch, and a fish market with these delectable treats:

That is what I ate at the seafood restaurant in Thessaloniki (minus the suckers that I cut off), and this also appeared in a meal I ate at Kiki's family's house, disguised in a tasty red sauce. I didn't know what I was about to partake in until her aunt exclaimed informatively, "Octopus!" I'm sure the texture would have betrayed it in my first bite, but somehow my enjoyment of that dish was hindered by the knowledge of what I was eating.

The Acropolis is visible from almost everywhere in the city (if you can dodge the tall buildings). Below it is the ancient Roman agora (marketplace) and the big flat rock to the right of the Acropolis (not too visible in this pic) is the Areopagus (see Acts 17:16-34), where the Council of Elders of the city met, and later was the chief homicide court of Athens.

The Parthenon (I tried to climb over the rope to get a quick picture a little closer, but I got whistled at by the security people, so this is as close as I could get)Note the ancient scaffolding :)The Parthenon was a temple in Athens for almost 1000 years, later converted to a Byzantine church and then into a mosque during the Ottoman rule. The Ottomans stored gunpowder here, so it was damaged badly in the 1600s during an attack when it was hit and the gunpowder exploded (genius). When Greece reconstructed it in the 1800s, a lot of their work corroded, which caused further damage to the building. So now they are redoing it again, with new marble and hopes to restore it to its orginal state.

The Erechtheon

The "Porch of the Maidens" - The caryatids (These aren't the originals; one is in the British Museum and the rest are in the Museum of the Acropolis). They were sculpted of maidens from an ancient town, Karyae. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, built in AD 161. Still used as a concert and festival venue today.
Here's me on the Areopagus, where Paul delivered his speech about the "Unknown God"Temple of Hephaestus, in the Roman agora

Here are random shots of Athens (that's the sea off in the distance) The Monastiraki touristy area

Wow, that is enough for now!!! Got back last night and was back at work this morning...ouch.

I feel better now...

Sometimes we get answers to questions right away! After lunch at Kiki's, we walked to the center of town and met up with Sandie and Pepie, her lawyer friend who works over here, for coffee. It was really good to talk with Sandie about her impressions of the conference and next steps. She really wants me to come in June with her to teach the Hands that Heal curriculum, in Cyprus, Athens, and Thessaloniki. After talking with the Hillsong people she has decided to work WITH them, but not UNDER them. This is kind of a relief (I'll write more later about that). Lydia Today, her organization, will remain separate and begin to train people to care for trafficking victims. This way it can be distributed more and be free from the rule of Hillsong and the exclusive churches they work with. So I guess that would be a logical next step to pray about...coming back in June to help continue training people and laying groundwork for further work here. That is tangible and something I can get excited about and pray about. Yay.

Kiki says hello and invites you to come back with me in June so we can have ouzo together. :) And does anyone want to meet me in Rome this summer, since I'll be over here???

happy Easter

Hi from Thessaloniki where it is not Easter for another month. I am at Kiki's family's home for Sunday afternoon extended-family lunch. I think I have been full past stomach capacity for about three days.

Yesterday a tall stocky man asked me to take his picture (with his camera) in front of a statue of Alexander the Great on the waterfront. I did, and he said, "Where are you from?"
"Los Angeles."
"I'm from Belgrade. You bombed us."
"Umm...well. Sorry about that."
"Well, it wasn't you, so it's ok. Do you want to get a coffee?"

I think I came on this trip with high expectations and I am suffering a little disappointment from that. I have definitely gotten a good picture of life and ministry here. I spent a lot of time with Whitney, the woman who directs the Door of Life ministry here in Thess, at this ridiculous conference this weekend, and I really like her. I LOVE Thessaloniki. But I think that as far as clear direction for what might be next, I don't have that yet. If I wanted, I could definitely move to Greece, find a place to live and something to do. But at this point it would be by my own choice, not a definite sense of "calling." If I am going to move somewhere, when I have hard days I will need that assurance that God brought me there. At this point, I don't have that, for Athens or for Thess. I know when it's time, for Greece or whatever is next, I will know, so I will just continue to pray and wait and see. There are definitely opportunities here.

I have much to say about the ministry Sandie is working on, the A21 Justice Center project funded by Hillsong. Much to say about Hillsong and how NOT excited I am to affiliate myself with them after this weekend. I will say more, after I can process it more. It seems that the whole project is still in the works, and it is just a waiting game right now as the resources and staff come together.

I have been enjoying finding my way around Thessaloniki (much easier to manage than Athens!) and eating all kinds of horrible-for-me-but-so-good food. Yesterday the lady who put together the women's conference took all the pastors' wives and other ministry leaders out for lunch (somehow I got in on that) to a really nice restaurant right on the water. The weather was spectacular, the food was so good. They kept bringing out plates and more plates of food. It's Lent, so there was only seafood and other non-meat dishes. I ate a tiny bite of octopus, but I cut off the suckers.

I don't think I have gotten over the jetlag here, so I've been so tired, but staying up late with Kiki and going out to her favorite hangouts and talking and wandering the streets. :) Greek social life is like 10am to 2am. I'm so glad I got to stay with her and get some Greek flavor. Now, I am ready to come home. I have been ready for a few days. Flight is early tomorrow morning, and Kiki is threatening to keep me up all night and send me straight off to the airport. I don't think I could handle that. :)

Thessaloniki

Well, we've covered the transportation strike and the garbage strike, have I mentioned the electricity strike yet? The rolling blackouts in Thessaloniki that can trap you in the elevator and cause traffic to back up for miles when the traffic lights go out? Oh yes. (There are rumors that the garbage strike is over, yet there is a pile of garbage too big for an entire garbage truck on each street corner, so I guess they have a lot of work to do.) (P.S. there is also a gas strike.)

So, I made it to Thess. Not without a horribly frustrating and anxiety-inducing morning that I won't share about because it was not my finest moment! It became apparent that a taxi was out of the question after 20 minutes of trying to get one and my hotel being unable to get one for me after that, so I dragged my suitcase through the streets of Athens searching for a bus stop where I could board a bus #51 to the bus terminal. I made it, got to the station, got a bus to Thess, and arrived in Thess in the rain 2 hours late because of aforementioned rolling blackouts. Thankfully Kiki was there waiting for me when we finally rolled in. I have never been happier to see someone I don't know from Adam in all my life. :)

Kiki is the granddaughter of a good friend of Sandie's, she is 27 and Greek and lives here in Thess. She speaks English and Spanish so we have several avenues of communication if we can't get an idea across in one language. :) She is studying all kinds of things so that she will be able to get a job; as I have learned since being here, it is nearly impossible to get a (decent-paying) job in Greece because of laws imposed on employers and because everyone is overqualified. We stayed up late last night talking, and had a three hour lunch today with a bottle of ouzo and yummy Greek appetizers. (She later took me to the "cookie man" store and we loaded up...I am so full!) We walked by the sea this afternoon and saw the White Tower. Thessaloniki is beautiful. I am taking pictures, you will just have to wait until I get home (I stole the one above from some website, but that's pretty much what it looks like today).

Last night I went on an outreach with the Door to Life ministry. The director, Whitney, has been here with her family for 8 years. The pr0stitution scene is much smaller here than in Athens, and I think they are still kind of looking for their "in," still trying to build relationships with madames and women in bars to find where the hub of the trafficking occurs. It's here, for sure, but seems to be more undercover and difficult to find. Door to Life focuses a lot on 50+ year old women who work in bars. Every holiday they visit the brothels and give gifts to the girls and madames, but building relationships there takes time. Last night on our outreach actually they encountered one of the madames in a bar and were invited to hang out with the girls when they are not working, so it seems they are getting somewhere.

There is a center here in Thessaloniki that was started two years ago by a non-religious group for trafficking victims as sort of a transitional place for them to stay. There has never been a trafficking victim there. The problem is the Greek law that requires charges to be pressed within 11 days of an arrest (a victim who is arrested for pr0stitution has to bring charges against her trafficker within 11 days). This has not been enough time for advocates to get in the jails and establish trust with the girls so that they would even admit they have been trafficked. They are then just released again back onto the streets. It's been a frustrating wall to come against.

I am at a hotel up above Thessaloniki for this women's conference put on by Hillsong, and I still don't really know what I'm doing here. :) I felt pretty sure there was a reason I was coming to Thessaloniki but I'm not sure what that is exactly yet. If I had to make a decision right now, I would choose Athens. I loved the Nea Zoi staff there, and they are beginning research for a new day center to teach girls job skills and other skills, and get them connected with businesses as internships to give them alternatives to pr0stitution. This is right up my alley. We'll see; I am still open to whatever could be here in Thess, too.

It is just about time for Registration for this conference. I have seen Sandie running around here, so I guess I should go find her and tell her I actually made it to Greece. :) More later; there are computers and internet at this hotel, so I may find myself here frequently over the next few days. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement!

well, wish me luck...

So this transportation strike is wreaking a little more havoc than originally thought. The metro, buses, etc. were running today from 10-3, so Julie from Nea Zoi and I took the subway to the train station to get me a ticket to Thessaloniki for tomorrow. Because of the strike the past two days, the only train to Thess tomorrow is full. I had the choice to stand in the aisle for 6 hours, but was advised strongly against that (and it doesn't sound very appealing to me either). So, the train is out. Next, the bus (about a 7 hour ride). You don't buy your tickets in advance, so I need to get myself to the bus station tomorrow morning early enough to try to get on a bus (there will be the same problem with the buses, since they haven't been running the last two days, they will probably be full). So I think I am going to take a taxi to the bus station, wherever it is, early in the morning and try to get on a morning bus. If I can get to Thess, hopefully the girl I'll be staying with will be at the station to pick me up. If not, hopefully I can get up there on Friday. I am hoping to be able to go tomorrow so I can do an outreach with the Door to Life group up there tomorrow night. Whatever works, I guess.

I'm tired today, have heard some confusing things about the different organizations and people who I may be working with, and am a little overwhelmed with prospects and possibilities. Ordinarily I might be feeling more prepared to attempt to get myself and my luggage across a foreign country on my own via several different modes of transportation, following instructions like "when you get to the bus stop that looks like the one in Athens, don't get off there, get off at the next one," but right now I'm kind of wishing for a travel companion to get lost with and to kind of process everything with. Unfortunately no one here speaks spanish so when my brain automatically switches there upon hearing a foreign language, it doesn't help me. :)

Ok well, I am going to go scavenge for some food for my bus ride for tomorrow (being optimistic) and go back to my hotel. In the morning after some good sleep (again, optimism!!), I will be ready to buck up and charge ahead. :) Hopefully you don't hear from me for a few days, which will mean I made it!

welcome to Athens...

Transportation strike

Hi! I made it yesterday after something like 18 hours of travel and three flights. It was a little brutal. Arrived at the Athens airport and took an hour bus ride into the city. Thankfully I had a couple hours to sleep at the hotel before we met up with the Nea Zoi staff for evening outreach.

We did a couple different outreaches last night. First everyone split up and half went to the bars and half went to brothels. I went with the brothel group. In Athens the red light district is actually white lights, so we went to several streets that were lined with white lights above doorways, which means a girl is working there. They are old houses, and in each one there is only one girl working and one madame. Both are employed by the owner, and both get cuts (the madame doesn't own the girl). Men hang out in the living room area, and the madame and girl (when she's not working) sit in the kitchen. Every once in awhile she gets up to go show herself to the men out there to see if any of them are interested. In groups of twos we went inside and talked to the girls in the kitchen areas. Mostly Nea Zoi is just a presence in the neighborhood, offering coffee and tea and their cards in case the girls want to get out. I felt kind of useless in several, not knowing the language. In one there was a girl from Nigeria who spoke English who I was able to talk with. The brothels run 24 hours, in 3 shifts. Some of the "madames" are men, and just like the girls, they can be moved around to different brothels. First time in a brothel for me! I'm not that shockable, and it was pretty much what I was expecting, although it was a lot more impacting when the girl actually spoke English and I could communicate with her.

Later we went and did the hotel ministry. There are hundreds of Nigerian girls, 90% trafficked in, who are in this area. They are probably aged 13 or 14 to 24. Many of them are trafficked by a relative or acquaintance who misleads them a bit about exactly what they'll be doing when they get here. When they arrive they have an enormous debt to their trafficker, no papers, and no other place to go. Last night there was a bit of rain, so there were "only" 60-70 girls out on the streets. They just line the streets, going out to cars and trying to get business. The hotels actually run the business, taking the money directly from the customers. They are mostly receptive to the Nea Zoi team, and last week they actually helped one girl get out, who is currently in a shelter. We talked last night with a girl named Eve, who couldn't be more than 15 years old, who said she had only been here one week. That was hard to hear. She looked really scared and said she wasn't doing too well. We gave her the information about Nea Zoi and told her to come to the office for help, and she looked a little more hopeful. There was a murder a couple streets away and police everywhere, so that might have cut down on business for the night as well (though the police generally don't do anything).

So that's what they do here, primarily. I'm glad I got to go last night. That was the only outreach I'll be able to do here because of a transportation strike. I'm going to go out with another group in Thessaloniki Thursday night. I have heard that the brothels and the scene in Thess. is completely different. Will be interesting to see.

Transportation strike...indeed. Thankfully I'm traveling on Thursday and not today or tomorrow! All the buses and trains are shut down and people are demonstrating in the streets. A lot of our plans have been canceled or changed. There is usually a Wednesday morning outreach which has been canceled because a lot of the staff can't get into town. There is also a garbage strike, so piles and piles of trash sit on street corners waiting to be picked up. I think that one may have ended last night, because we saw some garbage trucks driving around (at midnight!) that looked like they were picking it up. It smells nice...

So today we have an unexpected free day. I'm hanging out with the guys who came in from the International Teams office in Illinois, and we are going to do the Acropolis, etc. It's warm and sunny today. We'll have to go take our pictures and eat our gyros and act like true tourists. I try to stand off at a distance when they get their big huge Athens street map out and stare and it and point in several different directions. ;) Thankfully you can see the Acropolis from almost everywhere, so it shouldn't be too hard to get there! Tomorrow is lunch with the Nea Zoi staff, making my travel plans to Thessaloniki for Thursday, and walking around the Omonia neighborhood, where I am staying and where most of the brothels and hotels and bars are.

All for now.........

It's time!

It feels like it's been a REALLY long 3 weeks since I found out about this trip!

Here is the quote of the day, courtesy of my roommate:

Kristin: "Are you packing any 'going-out' clothes?"
Me: "Well, my evening plans involve brothels, so..."

I am not taking my computer with me, so I'll update when I can (there are some computers in the Nea Zoi office in Athens, and I'll hopefully find an internet cafe in Thessaloniki).

The photo above is from the Erechtheion on the Acropolis, the temple that housed the cults of Athena, Poseidon and Erichthonius. The Caryatids in the picture are the columns for one of the porches. When Sandie used to live in Athens, she'd pass by this every day on her way to work. She says that the piece of Scripture that God gave her to help her work daily in this difficult ministry was from Psalm 144:12:

"Our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace."

Amen. :)

details...

I'm slowly getting these trip details figured out. I like logistics and details, but I can deal with the unknown, too. Which is good, since I just found out that I have a place to stay in Thessaloniki yesterday. :)

So you can be praying, here's the bones of my schedule:

Sunday am (16th) - depart LA
Monday afternoon - arrive in Athens, get settled, dinner, and pm outreach with the Athens Nea Zoi (New Life/Lost Coin) group. Staying in a hotel here.
Tuesday afternoon - tour of Omonia neighorhoods (the outreach area and "seedy" part of town), dinner with a missionary couple (?)
Wed - am outreach, lunch with Nea Zoi team, travel to Bible school
Thursday - am depart for Thessaloniki (6 hr train ride), pm - outreach with Thessaloniki Door to Life team. Staying with a Greek girl named Kiki in Thessaloniki. :) Meet up with Sandie from here (Orange County) at some point.
Friday/Saturday - Hillsong Women's Conference. Here I'll be meeting a lot of the people involved in various trafficking/outreach ministries in this city, including the people sandie is working with to open the Justice Center and shelter. There is a two year grant from Hillsong for this ministry, so this will be a time to lay a lot of the groundwork for that.
Sunday - ?? (Thessaloniki)
Monday am (24th) - depart for LA

I'm excited, freaked out, curious, etc. etc. Trusting the details of all this will work out, because I'm not that concerned with them, being more focused on long term opportunities for ministry. I've only partially recovered from last night's meltdown, and I anticipate more to come next week... :-/ How could they not in this environment that I am walking into.

Tomorrow packing, Sunday I'm outta here...

crawling out of my hole

I feel like I have been in hiding or sequestered for the last three days. I haven't been able to think about much except trafficking (couldn't tell you the topic of my counseling class I sat through last night, and was really glad that the girls in my lifegroup were talkative tonight!), and by trafficking I mean every aspect, angle, and gory detail of trafficking victims and aftercare.

An organization comprised of the Salvation Army, World Hope International, World Relief, and Project Rescue International has been working on this curriculum the past few years and finally finished it. It is to train caregivers of trafficking survivors. There is SO MUCH information, you could literally meet every week for 8 or 9 months if you wanted to cover it all. So for the last three days, we have been covering all of that curriculum and learning how to teach and facilitate this training. It's GREAT, really comprehensive...covering the definition of trafficking and the biblical framework for a response to trafficking to cultural issues in trafficking and trauma, to understanding physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of survivors (medical assessments, STDs, long term health concerns, common injuries from the violent side of the sex industry, addictions, PTSD, grief, interventions, spiritual warfare, family reunification, life skills and vocational training, etc. etc. etc.), to costs and caring for the caregiver........

Needless to say my brain is pretty much fried, and it's safe to say that everyone who was there is kind of emotionally raw at this point. We were all commiserating with each other about the various emotional responses (heard things like "I totally pigged out last night" and "I'm so angry and agitated right now"). I went for a run a few times around the university yesterday after we were done, and needed it. I had my meltdown tonight, after reading some comments to an online article. A man saying that IF trafficking even exists, there's no way it can be to a very large extent, and that mostly the stories are for the shock factor. And we should legalize pr0stitution. And "don't try and tell me that most pr0stitutes don't want to be doing what they're doing."

If you ever get a phone call from me from jail, it's most likely because I encountered someone like this in person and physically hurt him.

Why are some people total idiots???

If you think women are willingly signing up for this job, I have a "job description" for the pr0stitute that you should read. I'll send you the link. (Not going to link it here because it's kind of graphic.) The topic is a hot one because of Eliot Spitzer, and I've heard so many people this week saying we should just legalize pr0stitution, and that women should be grateful that men pay them for this, blah blah blah. It's a "woman's right" to choose to do that. Unfortunately, choices that a person makes aren't always the best thing for the person or for society. This is also not a choice made in an environment of sexual equality.

I didn't really want to get into that...oh well. :) All that to say, I'm really tired, I can actually start thinking about going to Greece now, and I really need to go to bed.

missing Easter

No, I don't have anything philosophical to say about the Easter season this time...I am actually going to be missing Easter! I'll be in Greece for our Easter, March 23. I was all ready to go to an orthodox service in Thessaloniki, even looking forward to it, until I finally clued in that the Orthodox Easter isn't until April. So I'm missing it here. And then I'll miss it there.

Sad.

This week is already crazy...a full day yesterday and it will continue. I have the "Hands that Heal" curriculum training all day Tues, Wed and Thurs this week for working with trafficking victims (learning it and then how to teach it), work on the other days, a couple papers to write, a life group to plan, and all the other regular commitments...woohoo! It's gonna be a busy one. Saturday will be my last day for running around before my flight on Sunday morning. Thankfully I just did this, so I know how to pack and all that, which ideally should save me time but most likely won't. :)

Was anyone else up until all hours last night? Silly time change...I'm a little tired this morning.

curing your chocolate addiction

In light of all the cake I scarfed down yesterday (Costco sheet cake -- so surprisingly AMAZING! I have it for my birthday every year) (no, it wasn't my birthday, it was someone else's birthday who I don't even know, someone who turned 80 the night before and left the rest of their cake in the church office, what were they thinking?!), and with Easter coming up, here are the steps to overcoming your chocolate addiction. (I actually came across an article at random last night about chocolate chemicals and how eating a small portion may actually do nothing to make the urge or craving go away, but it may actually make it WORSE. I can attest to that...)

12 steps to beat chocolate addiction

(from Martina Watts - except for the parts in italics, that's from me)

1. Admit you are powerless over chocolate mousse and that your life has become unmanageable.

2. Realize that the power chocolate wields over you is biochemical by nature but may also be the result of social conditioning. Find new friends if the old ones insist on scoffing Maltesers in front of you. (What are maltesers? How about dark chocolate covered pretzels? Or chocolate pudding? Kristin??? Janell??!?!)

3. Make a decision to change your life and consult a nutritionist to help you in your quest for a binge-free existence. You’ll also lose weight and have heaps more energy. (Or just work out more and everything will even out. A little binging is good for the soul.)

4. Analyze your cravings. Are they strongest when you are angry, stressed, happy, bored, depressed or premenstrual? Once you start, can you stop? Does a Galaxy bar make you feel better? (no, but chocolate cake does, for about a half hour, until I get a headache. And, it's funny, but I only seem to crave things when I know they are right down the hall in the kitchen waiting for me to eat them.)

5. Become aware that whatever the reason for your cravings, habitually consuming large amounts of Toblerone is unlikely to cure you. (I beg to differ.)

6. Write a list of all the people affected by your self-loathing, mood swings and plain grumpiness after indulging in your favourite pasttime. Make amends by donating your secret stash of Cadbury cream eggs to them all. (#6 - does not apply. I am really happy about my cake binge, it was WORTH IT.)

7. Keep busy until cravings subside by engaging in a physical activity of your choice. Exercise releases endorphins which counteracts stress, anxiety and depression. (What if you're sitting at your desk all day and there is chocolate there on the table in the break room? My walk around the office for "exercise" inevitably brings me straight to the goods. It's like a tractor beam.)

8. If it is late at night, go to bed instead of opening yet another packet of Rolos. Eat a banana to help you sleep. (Can't say I'm a fan of eating anything before bed and having it sit in my stomach.)

9. Do not allow chocolate in the house – in any shape, size or form. Eat small, regular, tasty meals containing protein-rich foods, wholegrains and vegetables. These balance blood sugar and improve your mood by regulating brain chemicals.

10. Wean yourself off self-destructive habits (alcohol, nicotine, junk food). The cleaner your body, the less likely you are to crave.

11. Treat yourself to aromatherapy, massage or reflexology and enjoy a session in a flotation tank to contemplate the richness of life after chocolate. Float and gloat. (Somehow a flotation tank does not connote "relaxation" to me. And really, who is cured of their desire for chocolate by having a massage?)

12. Pursue a worthwhile purpose in life. An idle mind is a chocolate factory! (Do a triathlon! It's fun, really. And think of all the chocolate you can eat when you're done!)

Surprisingly, I have a very strong urge to walk down to the kitchen right now......

yippee ki-yay

I promise I won't come home every Sunday and Thursday night and write about the college ministry (only sometimes), but tonight was our first official life group meeting and it went really well. I just spent most of tonight with my group "getting to know each other," and shared as much about myself as I could think of, because usually you can connect with most people on something. Tonight I felt like I should mention my engagement (just as part of the "story") and afterward one of the girls told me she had been engaged and wanted to talk about it. I also have one girl who I know for sure is not a believer and I'm looking forward to getting to know her as well. Yay! Afterward everyone comes back together and hangs out for about an hour, then they go off into the night as the energetic and rambunctious college students they really are...tonight (thankfully) they went over to someone's house and watched Lost, so I was excused to come home and go to bed (never got into that one). :)

P.S. I'm going to Greece in 9 days!

Pray for Jerusalem...

You may have heard about the shooting today at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem. There are at least 8 people dead and up to 35 injured. Hamas is praising the shooting and there is a lot of celebration in Gaza, calling it "God's vengeance."

Peace seems like a distant hope for this city as long as Israel is divided so strongly...

Apparently Moses was high...

I saw an article today that reports this breakthrough finding:

When Moses brought the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai, he may have been high on a hallucinogenic plant, according to a new study by an Israeli psychology professor. ...

The thunder, lightning and blaring of a trumpet which the Book of Exodus says emanated from Mount Sinai could just have been the imaginings of a people in an “altered state of awareness,” Shanon hypothesized.

Excellent! You can read the enlightening (and quite humorous) article in its entirety here.

(I think I missed out at Sinai!)

day off

How I spent most of my day today:

• Got lots of reading done for class today (although I still have a paper for tomorrow that I haven't started yet).

• Swam a mile. I knocked off 3 minutes from my previous time! I experimented with my breathing, breathing less often, and was able to swim a lot faster and more consistently.

• Had a yummy dinner with a friend.

• Did laundry.
  

It will be hard someday not having three day weekends. :)

I love girls

Yes, I know how that appears, and no, I don't mean it in any dirty or inappropriate way. What I mean is, I love girls!! I love them and want them to know they are loved and valued and that their worth isn't based on what men think of them or what the world says. Take tonight, for example, at the end of the college group service:

"Hey Kelsey--"
"Hi!"
"--are you single?? Or married or something."
"I'm single."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty eight."
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

What followed was a 25-year-old pouring out her heart for a half hour on how hard it is to be single, struggling with the thoughts of "is there something wrong with me?" and "what if I never get married?" We talked it over and prayed together and I think my heart actually broke a little bit.

I realized tonight that I am the only single female "leader." I really hope I can set a good example that it's possible to be out of college and single and HAPPY. Content. And capitalizing on this time by doing things that perhaps couldn't be done as well as a married person.

I'll just say it again, I'm so excited for this ministry! :)

more old pictures

Going through old pics on my computer (not sure how these actually GOT on my computer, since I'm pretty sure no one had digital cameras during this time and I can't say I've ever owned a scanner, but okay...) I came across these. It was so fun posting those other ones from "ten years ago" that I am deciding to share these as well. Here are my best friends from college: Kristin, Amy, & Robin...

Most of us have been in touch over the last ten years but we haven't all be together. Amy and I went to Cabo several years ago with my sister,

and Kristin and Amy and I went to Cancun a couple years ago (thanks to Amy working for Alaska Airlines!).

I've seen Kristin several times over the last few years since she has a brother down here (here's us...last year, or maybe the year before? in Pasadena)

But I want to see if we can ALL connect somehow, maybe this year. ???? Yes please?? :)