Gosh I like college students...

We FINALLY met tonight to start college life groups...except we didn't actually meet in our groups. We all hung out and went bowling! I think there are over 40 kids signed up for lifegroups. I love the format; we'll all meet together in the same place, break up into groups for awhile, and come back together at the end for food, hanging out, etc. We start that next week and we haven't even broken up the groups yet. I think that's what tonight was all about...seeing who "clicked" with whom and what natural relationships formed (and it was totally a test to see if we interacted well, I know it! I felt like my social skills were on display). A very unconventional beginning.

I'm so excited to finally start. I connected with a few of the girls tonight and it will be so fun to be meeting together and studying and discipling. I am really going to love this. :)

Of course, many of them are STILL hanging out right now...not sure how working at 8am is going to work with going to Denny's until 2am... but I'm going to attempt it every couple weeks and hope I don't have anything important to do on Friday!

I have REALLY BIG NEWS!!

I'm going to Greece -- in three and a half weeks!!! :)

It's official! Things are coming together and plans are being solidified for my trip, March 16-24. It is so crazy how it came about, and how the timing of everything fits together.

Friday I got a call from International Teams, the organization that backs the Lost Coin ministry in Athens. I had completed some paperwork with them, and they let me know that they are sending some people from their home office in Illinois to visit the team in Athens next month. It was a long shot, but did I want to join them?

I knew that Sandie, the woman I've been in contact with here, and who is planning to set up the justice center in Thessaloniki this summer, was also planning to go over there next month. What a perfect opportunity to check out her ministry as well, and see what my future work there could look like.

WELL -- turns out, the IT people and Sandie are going the exact same week! I also got some money last week that will cover a plane ticket to Greece. I'm on my way!!

I am so excited...I will spend the first several days in Athens, doing some outreaches with the Lost Coin team, meeting people, and seeing how I could possibly fit in with their ministry long term. Then I'll take a train to Thessaloniki, where I'll likely meet up with Sandie, attend (and possibly help her teach at) her conference on working with victims of trafficking (which is a little crazy, as I will have just gone through the training myself the week before I leave). I'll be able to get a better idea of what exactly is happening there. There is also another ministry similar to Lost Coin (working with pr0stitutes and trafficking victims) called Door of Life in Thessaloniki that I will probably be able to meet with -- also looking for long-term team members.

A major blessing is that the team in Athens is going to take care of everything -- transportation, lodging, food, etc., so I don't really need to worry about anything. It will be a bit of a stretch financially as I will have to take the week off work with no pay, but I'm praying that those needs will be met too.

I am SO EXCITED. Please pray with me about this opportunity and for vision for my future ministry and direction. Any of these ministries would be amazing to work with, so I am excited to see what doors open or close on this trip. I'll keep you posted...

eclipse

swim, bike, run, yippee!

Did all three this weekend, a little attempt at training I guess. Ran 6 miles on Saturday, felt like crap. Went mountain biking on Sunday afternoon, with a little more caution this time so as not to kill myself, and successfully navigated the trail. :) And today I swam, 2/3 of a mile this time, feeling pretty good. My half mile time was about 21 minutes, almost a minute faster than last week. So that's good. I hope to be improving on that in the coming months.

I'm gonna prove it this time?

I'll admit it, I listen to Christian radio sometimes. Sunday morning worship is usually ok. But then songs like this come on that make me cringe, criticize and (well, I would change the station but I keep listening, captivated, in horror) ...

I'm not saying everyone needs to have a theological education. And I can appreciate that people express their faith and their Christian walks uniquely. I can also recognize that sometimes it does feel like our faith is works based...but it's NOT. This song I heard today I have heard before, so when it came on I turned it up for Janell to listen. It's called "Whatever it takes" (an assumption on my part, but they keep singing that line over and over so it's good enough). Here is the chorus:

Whatever it takes
That's what I'll do
I'd give anything to get back to you
I know I was wrong
And I've made some mistakes
But I'm gonna do whatever it takes
YEAH-Whatever it takes

Ok. Whatever. (Whatever it takes.) Here is the part that made me want to call the radio station:

I will follow
Anywhere that you lead
For it's your will not mine
I'm gonna prove it this time

What?!?! You're going to prove it? How exactly? And what if you don't? It's like God's love is based on our performance or getting it right. Now THAT would be tragic. Then,

I'm standin' here 'cause I've got nothing to lose
I lost it all when I walked away from you
I swear this time around
I won't let you down

Oooohhhh. (I'm moaning.) That's never a good promise to make. Especially to God. Because it most certainly will be broken...

I don't want to get down on this guy for expressing his Christian struggle, but I hate hearing things like this and picturing people hearing the song, really identifying with it, and taking on that burden of having to prove themselves to God or get things exactly right in order to earn his love. Too many people struggle with feeling like that's the way it is, so to hear a song about it affirms a familiar emotional battle, but also reinforces a common theological fallacy.

I'm torn between the artist's expression and the theological implications. Not torn enough, though -- someone give me this guy's number!

In a sea of normalcy...

I am...I am...what is wrong with me? :)

classroom in Israel, pic by Jorge

This is NOT an isolated incident...pity the poor people who try to take normal pictures when I am present! :)

oh, the possibilities

Athens. Lost Coin ministry. Pr0stitution. Trafficking. (Wow, if that doesn't get some odd hits from someone's google search...) These things have been floating around my mind for the better part of a year now.

When I heard there was a woman in the area who had lived in Athens for ten years fighting trafficking there, I knew I needed to connect with her. I began asking around.

I went to a trafficking conference early last fall up in Universal City. After lunch, a woman sat across from me and began talking about Athens...with a gasp (I really did gasp, it was embarrassing), I realized it was HER.

I told her I knew about Lost Coin, I was interested in Athens, and I wanted to talk with her.

She said she couldn't believe she was sitting across the table with someone who knew of this ministry. She said since the first second she saw me she wondered to herself, "She must be Greek! She'd fit in perfectly there."

So we've been exchanging emails, chatting here and there at seminars and meetings. She has since become the administrator for the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force. I think I'm going to start helping her do presentations to high schools and colleges in the area.

Monday as I met with her she reminded me of her initial thoughts, that she just couldn't stop thinking about how well I would fit in in Greece. She is going there next month to speak at a women's conference, and her organization is about to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into the country fighting trafficking and pr0stitution laws. They are opening up a justice center for women later this summer. Before jumping ahead of herself, she asked me to write something up about my goals and passions and gifts. She is really interested in sending me there, but wants to make sure that she isn't trying to squeeze me into a hole I don't naturally fit in.

Yesterday she wrote me, "Kelsey, I meet a lot of people who say all the same things to me but there are a few that I meet and my heart recognizes something in them. It seems like you have a special call and that with time, God will make it very clear how to pursue it. I'm praying with you."

It's fun to see possibilities. It's fun to have specific opportunities to pray about. It freaks me out, too. I'm not quite ready to jump into anything yet, or to make plans or even think about making plans. Greece is a hard culture, for a single female, for Americans, and for Christians; Greek is a hard language; and who am I kidding, trafficking and pr0stitution is a HARD ministry. Who knows what I could be getting myself into. But I'm open, I'm excited, I'm waiting, and we'll see what happens. :)

a wee little tri update

I went swimming today, one mile. That is a LONG swim. 36 laps (=72 lengths). I haven't swam (swum/swimmed/gone swimming) since my last tri, last June! (There's a reason for that.) I'm not telling how long it took, because I can definitely trim some time off. Ok fine, it was 45 minutes. ... Are you done laughing? Thank you. :)

tonight...

I completed a preliminary information form for the Mission Organization that backs the Lost Coin pr0stitute ministry in Athens, Greece. Eek! I also applied for 3 jobs. Eeeeeek!

Tomorrow I have a meeting with the woman I met at a trafficking conference several months ago who lived in Athens for 10 years working on the issue and who not only has valuable connections in Athens but thinks her own organization could actually send me to work there. I am going to talk with her more about Greece (I'm hoping to visit this summer) and also about some possible volunteer ideas/training options here in Orange County. Woohoo!

Today I also went to the college group at church for the first time. This week I decided to/agreed to be the girls' small group leader and I'm really, really excited. Excited to be back in a ministry and teaching role, excited to be in people's lives, and excited to hang out with college students and pretend I'm still that young. ;)

Feels good when things (at least appear to be) moving forward.

My Secret Death Wish?

I seem to have some developed some self-destructive behavioral patterns over the last several months that may appear concerning to one who doesn't know me well. I noticed this last week, when I was talking to my old trainer James at the gym, telling him about how I hit my knee really hard in Israel and it's been kinda tender running. He asked, "Why do you hurt yourself all the time?" Then he turned to the girl he was training and proceeded to tell her my history of injuries: "She broke her rib, stabbed herself in the hand, hit her head, and now hit her knee."

Ok, so if you think I have a problem, just stop reading here, laugh at my misfortunes, and go on with your day.

Yesterday Janell and I went on our inaugural ride of 2008. The weather was gorgeous, so we couldn't stay inside. :) I haven't been mountain biking in awhile because of the hand and the rib, so it was fun to be out there again.

Near the end of the ride, I was coming down a hill, standing up, and braked for some reason (avoiding a deep rut or something?). The ground was still pretty soft from all the rain in the last few weeks, and this particular part of the trail is always in the shade under a grove of trees. I didn't have time to sit back down to recenter my body weight over my bike -- it was all over. I pretty much flipped over the handlebars and landed on the side of my head. I think I also landed on my elbow somehow, because I ended up with this huge lump:I'm pretty sure if I hadn't been wearing my helmet I could be dead. After I got home my roommate told me of someone she knew who had been in a similar accident who was paralyzed from the neck down. I've had some pretty good wrecks before...I think it comes with the territory when mountain biking (if you want to have any fun). :) But this is really the first time that I walked away with that feeling that I was saved from something really serious.

Today my head still hurts, my shoulder, hip and leg are scraped up and my elbow is still pretty swollen (everything works properly though). When I think about what could have happened it freaks me out a bit, but think of how many things we are saved from all the time.

I'm hoping my recent accident-prone behavior comes to an end pretty soon; I've had enough to last me for awhile!

10 years ago

Yesterday's post got me reminiscing...anyone remember this?

Or this?Ah, college. Can't recall if I ever learned anything (something about sociology & spanish & missions), but we had fun. :)

I was tagged

...by Kristin.

Here are the rules: Answer the questions about yourself, and at the end of the post, tag 5 people and post their names. Then leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog to get the directions.

10 Years Ago:

Ten years ago I was a freshman at Seattle Pacific University living on 5th Hill (down the hall from Kristin), with beads hanging in our doorway, meeting for “B.S.” with Kristin and Robin and Amy, in prelude to “Sticker Fun” which would follow the next year. (Is it sad that that’s the thing I remember from college?)

5 Things on my To-Do List Today:

~Go to work (I hate to bore you with the details of THAT to-do list) – I can already check this one off
~Go to the gym
~Send out resumes (shhhh!)
~Paint my toenails
~Do something entertaining, it’s Friday
(not a lot to do today…)

Things I would do if I suddenly was a billionaire:

Buy a house, pay off family and personal loans, travel and support missionaries. Then live overseas.

3 of my bad habits:

~Letting piles grow quite large on my desk
~Procrastinating
~Worrying about how other people feel too much

Places I have lived:

Bellevue & Seattle, WA
Los Angeles, Long Beach & La Habra, CA
Other countries for months at a time but that shouldn’t count as “living”

Jobs I have had:

Dairy Queen
Thompson Drugs
SPU Admissions student employee
SPU Urban Involvement Teen Shelter Coordinator
Children’s Hospital Patient Care Coordinator
Foursquare Missions International Intern
Church Admin Asst
Lots of volunteer jobs that are much more interesting

Things most people don’t know about me:

I check for spiders in my sheets every night before bed and in my towel after each shower before using it.

Ok...I tag Sharone, Jess, Janell, uh.........

Wow - who knew??

A less-mobile Bedouin village in the Sinai Desert, Egypt

A (tiny) Bedouin caravan, taken from our tour bus,

looks like it may have tourists with it

I just finished reading an article that inspired further research on trafficking in Israel. Having just been there my interest is piqued, and I discovered that Israel is a major human trafficking destination, mostly from Eastern European countries. Many women, trying to escape the harsh conditions of their homeland, think they are coming to the "Holy Land" for work and a better life. They are marched through miles and miles of the Egyptian desert (in the pic above!) and enter Israel through that low-security Eilat border on the Red Sea. Bedouins, the desert dwellers, traffic women as well.


I'm kind of shocked; as much as I've read I haven't really come across Israel as a hotspot. Apparently they were only recently removed from the U.S. State Department's black list of countries who allow trafficking by starting to prosecute some of the offenders.

In 2005, NGOs estimated that of the 200,000 foreign workers in Israel, 20% are trafficking victims. Amnesty International has estimated that there are 3,000 women in Israel involved in trafficking rings, many of whom are subject to extreme violence.

While trafficking in and through Israel is a growing problem, they are also starting to see Israeli women being trafficked abroad for the first time. The government has started to step up and put some laws in place, but this remains a large stopping point on trafficking highways as well as a final destination and a beginning point for victims.

There are pages and pages of articles and information about Israel and trafficking. I'm kind of sickened. But why not? It's everywhere else, I shouldn't be surprised. I guess being there for tourism purposes, not only do you miss out on a lot of the racial tensions that are obvious to insiders, but you miss out on the criminal patterns as well.

UGH!!!!!

jumping back in

Shared Hope International, an organization that seeks to liberate and restore women and children from sex trafficking and slavery, put out this documentary last year to raise awareness. Here is the 2-minute sneak preview. The documentary is called "Demand," and it discusses the thing that keeps the human trafficking industry in the spot for the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world: if there were no Demand, there would be no industry.



If that's not working you can watch it here. You can watch the longer 16 min. version or the full 45 min. version here.

Tonight in speaking to a local high school youth group that represents 5 high schools in the area I am hoping that at least a few of them will have their interest and passion piqued. It changes things when we realize it happens right in our own back yard, for example this Egyptian girl that was held in domestic servitude in Irvine until just recently. There are 27 billion slaves worldwide, more than at the height of the African slave trade, and probably more than 18,000 of those people are trafficked into the United States every year. 80% are women and children.

Along with Shared Hope, other organizations like Justice for Children, Polaris Project, and International Justice Mission are working hard for justice and to raise awareness. Also recently the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force has been doing a lot to try and rescue people like that girl in Irvine and rehabilitate them and prosecute the traffickers.

Being gone for a month I felt like I got a little out of touch with all this...this is me jumping back in. :) Pray for us tonight if you think of it...

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." Pr. 31:8-9

my Lenny Kravitz moment

So it could have been the view of the clouds parting and the rays of sunshine streaming down, or the sudden appearance of the snow-covered mountains against the blue sky and lower green hills in front of me that orchestrated my "moment," but it also came right at the same time that Lenny burst into his chorus that I had one of those victorious gushes of ... well, victory. I was driving, thinking about sin and struggles and things we just can't seem to overcome. Frustration and defeat often characterize this inner monologue.

Then (simultaneous to seeing the glorious cloud formation and the mountains), Lenny sang,

I'm the one who really loves ya, baby

I've been knockin' at your door

and as long as I'm livin'

I'll be waitin'

as long as I'm breathin'

I'll be there

whenever you call me

I'll be waitin'

whenever you need me

I'll be there

Ok...I know...that really doesn't have anything to do with anything. But right as I was overtaken by the view, and the words "as long as I'm living" and "as long as I'm breathing" made me realize that it's not quite time for me to roll over and die, I grasped that as long as I am alive and breathing and able to pray and fight, I'm not defeated and I have no need to be discouraged. Then I went through and stated all the truth I know about myself and who I am and looked at the mountains and the clouds again and it was a good moment. Lenny or no Lenny.

But I'm sure he had something to do with it. So thanks for humoring me.

spiritual warfare & God's will

So it turned out to be a really great game yesterday. I'm glad I woke up for that 4th quarter! We made lots of noise, and that's always fun.

I've been reading in my professor's book, 3 Crucial Questions About Spiritual Warfare. This isn't a new topic (or experience) for me, and I'm really happy to find this class offered at my fairly reformed school. :) What amazes me (and kind of frustrates me?) is how few Christians understand or take seriously the reality and importance of this issue in day-to-day life, even in America. It's not relegated to 3rd world pantheistic countries or even cults here. It's real and something we should expect if we are actively engaging in our faith, discipleship, evangelism, etc. I'm sure I'll have more to say on that later.

What I really wanted to note was a little section in which Dr. Arnold writes on the classic passage about spiritual warfare, Ephesians 6:10-20. The Christian life is a struggle, but we have been given resources for the fight. We also share in Christ's authority over the spiritual realm. Arnold says that in Ephesians 1, "Paul mentions the will of God seven times. God clearly has a plan and that plan involves us. He bestows his power on us to live according to his will and to fulfill the mission he has given to us." Above all, these seven items are part of God's will:

• getting rid of sinful thoughts and practices and acquiring virtue
• tangibly demonstrating love according to the ultimate pattern laid by Christ, who willingly sacrificed his own will for others
• coming alongside others and helping them grow in the Christian life
• using one's own giftedness to give to others in the Christian community
• creating and maintaining unity in the Christian community
• developing healthier family relationships
• spreading the good news of Christ to others

I've been meditating on these seven things and thinking about how they are playing out in my own life. Arnold writes that we should expect opposition on each of these fronts. "There is no doubt that Satan and his wicked spirits will oppose these more than anything else." He is a direct opponent of God, and "seeks to thwart any momentum toward fulfilling God's will."

Superbowl...what?

Last year this day Janell and I had our own superbowl party. We made ourselves some spinach artichoke dip, pigs in a blanket, and I forget what other party delicacies, and ate during the whole first half of the game and then napped the whole second half. Two years ago I actually watched the thing, when the Seahawks were in it (I'm a fair-weather fan).

I ran my own little 10K yesterday. I didn't have high expectations of myself since I haven't run that far since the Great Rib Incident of 2007 and after that I was in Israel for a month. But I finished the 6.2 mi and even felt good (although a little slow). If I can get out on my bike this month and start swimming again, I'll be able to decide about that olympic tri.

In the meantime, I told my friend Sharone that she could and should do a triathlon, that it's cool and fun, and that if she did one I'd do it with her...and she's thinking about it! I'm so inspiring. ;)

Now I have to go watch that football game, I guess to validate my American citizenship.

Why, I was just there!

It snowed in Israel this week. That would have been fun...but I was already cold enough. Looking at pictures of all the places we just visited now covered in white was cool.

Here's my picture:

Here it is with snow:

Here we are on the Temple Mount:

Here's a (national) snowman on the Temple Mount:

And a snowball fight on the Temple Mount:

Here's us at the Wailing Wall:

Here is a very sparse and cold and snowy Wailing Wall:

And from Dominus Flevit (I clearly thought of it first) ... mine:

And theirs:

A little crazy, too...Eilat is under high alert for Palestinian terrorist infiltration across the Israel & Egypt Red Sea Border...here:

Israeli military closes to civilian traffic a 3-5 km strip, including Highway 10, along the unfenced Egyptian border
February 1, 2008, 10:51 AM (GMT+02:00)

"Highway 10 is the main route from northern Israel to Eilat in the south. Since Wednesday, the hotels, port facilities and IDF bases in an around Eilat, at Israel’s southernmost point, have been on terror alert. Hundreds of armed Palestinian terrorists are believed at large in the vicinity of Sinai’s 220-km border with Israel, having headed south under cover of the mass Palestinian stampede out of Gaza, which Egyptian police failed to control. Some are reported heavily armed with anti-tank and anti-air weapons as well as explosives and bomb vests."

We were there only a few weeks ago. The week after we left was the destruction of the border in Gaza, and it seems only to be getting worse. :(

Apparently I'm blogged out.

That's the Sea of Galilee and an interesting fellow named Brian.

Sometimes I feel this way.

I got nothin'.

Well, ok, I have lots of things, but they don't go together, and I haven't really thought through most of them. It's not yet 8:30 and I've already eaten my morning snack, so I'd better capitalize on that energy. Let's see...

Spiritual Warfare. I am taking this class this semester. It started on Tuesday, when at the conclusion of class we watched a video of an exorcism. "Boring" it never promised to be.

Counseling. I'm taking a counseling class at a local church; it's a year-long training after which I could potentially play the role "lay counselor." Last week I learned that we have 3 trillion brain cells, and even a small bump to the head can cause us to lose 10,000 to 20,000 cells. If hit in the right place, we can forget simple things like how to tie our shoes or someone's name. It makes me wonder about the time I whacked my head in a cave in Israel and got a big goose-egg. If I had locked my keys in my car in the ignition twice in one month in the same place AFTER this happened I might have some excuse for that. But I didn't. It was before. So I have no excuse.

Trafficking. I read this book yesterday, by a 15-year-old who is an activist against modern-day slavery. It's really directed toward teens, and it's sprinkled with statistics and stories and encouragement on leadership and making a difference. I was interested because on Wednesday Janell and I are speaking to the high school group about human trafficking. I'm pretty excited; let's get the word out, y'all.

Races...? Time to start thinking about races again. Dare I mention here that I am seriously considering making this the year to do that olympic distance triathlon...we'll see. I'll decide at end of February. The sprint race is fun, and I can always fall back on that, but how cool would it be to finally do one a little longer. The issue is time for training...tune in later for more information on aches, pains, and exhaustion.

Jet Lag, Day 6

When Bobby called last night at 10:30, a number of things went through my head:

1. Where am I?
2. This is the same room I've woken up in for several nights now, WHERE AM I?
3. Where did everybody go? (The repercussions of spending 3.5 weeks with 47 people) and Where did our tour guide go? Do they know they've left me here?
4. How long have I been sleeping and why does my clock say 10:30, surely it must be 2 am...
5. I'm beginning to understand now...but where am I???

Ok it all eventually dawned on me. The scary part is that I had been asleep for less than 30 minutes, after forcing myself to watch the last half hour of What Not To Wear in bed (so I could see what the girl looked like after her big makeover) before closing my eyes.

Now to the good part...

1. You really get a lot done waking up at 5 and 6 am.
2. This morning I have been cleaning the residual suitcase-explosion effect that took over my room this week, putting away laundry, and
3. Baking muffins (felt this deserved its own number)
4. I slept until almost 8 this morning which is the best day so far. Someone told me that it takes a day for every hour that your clock was off, in which case I have 4 more days.
5. It's beautiful outside this morning, on a weekend when we are supposed to be having torrential downpours, "storm warnings," and rain that soaks your jeans from the bottom up to your knees, even when you're wearing boots. I am assured that that is still to come today, as our flash flood warnings are still in effect. The blue sky does look quite threatening, now that you mention it...
6. Why am I still numbering?
7. Did anyone else realize that we made it through the rainiest month of the year in Israel without a drop, and we come back to California and they are canceling things left and right because of weather?
8. Californians are wimps.

Happy weekend :)