moving & fire

We are moving today...but the sky looks like dusk and we are breathing in smoke. The Orange County fire (Yorba Linda & now in Brea) is really close to us (we live 5 min from Brea) and we have friends whose homes are minutes from the fire... :( all watching and waiting to see if we can help. I am sitting in my bedroom and breathing in smoke like I'm outside! We've been watching the Santa Barbara fires but somehow this one broke out this morning down here too and it's totally out of control. We just heard that it jumped the 57 freeway which is about 10 min from us. We aren't in danger at all but lots of friends live right there.

I have a ticket. A one-way ticket.

I am leaving on December 9.
I am moving out of my apartment this weekend.
I have a lot to do! :)

finally..........

Well, first of all, if you haven't read it in any of my other communication mediums (sheesh), I have been ok'ed to get a ticket to Athens!!! (If you don't get my Greece update emails, and want to [that's the key], let me know.) For now, you can read about it here, and I will elaborate later on the high levels of anxiety and stress that immediately overtook me. :)

I woke up today with great anticipation for my discussion with Jean and Sandie, and felt like I couldn't take hearing another "not yet" ... I know I would have managed and trusted if that was the answer, but it wasn't. Jean definitely wants my support to be higher, but we feel like it's ok to go ahead with the departure plans at this point. I have a few meetings in the next month with possible supporters and I'm just going to be praying hard. Blech - asking for money (or even implying that you need some) is no fun.

Wow. I am leaving in less than a month. I need some time to wrap my brain around that one...!! Relief, excitement, a little fear...lots of feelings in there!

**
Update on Nick: he is out of the ICU tonight, in a normal room, and in a little less pain today. Still has several days in the hospital ahead of him as they try and figure out what is going on...

pray for Nick

My good friend Nick Who Broke My Rib is in the ICU tonight with a cluster of blood clots in his lung. They're not sure how they got there, as he has no family history of this and he's too young for this to just happen. He's in a lot of pain and on strong painkillers and blood thinners, and they'll have to keep him there for at least 5-7 days to monitor the clots to make sure they don't travel. There's a cardiologist at this hospital who specializes in blood clots (weird for a little community hospital!); he came in to talk with Nick while I was there and he's studying his case to try and figure it out. Even after the clots dissolve, which could take 4-6 weeks, they will need to figure out why it happened so it doesn't happen again.

Nick's concerned about the expenses of spending that much time in the hospital, plus he's just out of it from the pain and drugs. :( He has lots of visitors and his family is flying in tonight from Colorado. Please pray if you think of it...

the calm before the storm

I'm sitting here in my bedroom, which looks like it does for the last time ever. I slept in my own bed last night for the last time. I'll still be in the apartment for a few more days, but today all my furniture and a lot of boxes are going into storage. Boo-hoo. So I'm sitting at my desk pretending it's a normal day, enjoying the morning, trying to ignore what this place is going to look like in a few hours!

This is depressing.

Mom's here this weekend (not the depressing part) and we are packing up the apartment. It's very sad. I am actually having a really difficult time! Maybe it's partially the unknown and the fact that I don't know what's to come, but also, we have LOVED living here and I feel like all my community and friends are here. So saying goodbye to this apartment and eventually Southern California is proving to be tough for me. Part of me wants to hang all the pictures back up and unpack the boxes and never leave. I know Kristin would be happy with that idea. :)

An Ode

We are very sad to be moving out of our apartment. And leaving each other. It is very sad. At least you didn't stay up until 4 in the morning with us laughing your head off as we made this video. :)

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a delayed rescue!!!

Part of my job with the Salvation Army was doing surveillance on websites advertising sex. (Not my favorite part of the job.) A couple of months ago I found a massage parlor in LA on craigslist advertising a new young boy that they had. A couple of us actually went inside to talk to the lady at the front desk of this place, which was in an unmarked office building with no signs, not even on the door of the suite. She denied even offering anything but foot massages, and said they had never had a boy working there, and that they never advertised online. All the while a young Thai woman sat on the floor behind the desk in revealing clothing. She didn't speak any English.

We drove by that place a lot, but once we turned the case over to ICE (immigration & customs enforcement), there was nothing we could do, since we didn't want to jeopardize the case. Frustratingly, whenever we'd check back with them, they were still "organizing" the surveillance, or putting together their team, or coordinating with LAPD, or something. I hated the fact that there could be a little boy stuck in there!!!

Well ~ months later, I have gotten some great news! Ruben texted me this morning saying ICE has just rescued this boy!! I haven't heard the "full briefing" yet, but he is 16 and from Laos. Given when the ads started showing up, he's been here for several months. I can't believe the massage parlor is still there, honestly; usually they are quick to move around, especially if they suspect any kind of investigation. So, I don't know all the details yet, but hopefully Ruben will be able to do case management for this kid through the Salvation Army. I am rejoicing today about the rescue of this kid!!!

hello?

Lindy and I had a great, albeit short, weekend. I wish she had come sooner and more often! It was even a mini vacation for me too; I barely turned on my computer and didn't ever have to be anywhere. Now I am recovering as I seem to have inherited her odd sore throat/coughing/man voice sickness that doesn't affect any other part of your body. :) I am glad she came and I'm thankful to get the time with her before I leave.

Some good news...because the dollar is doing so well right now, I could get by in Greece on what I have raised! Since it's so volatile, we want to raise the rest, but I feel like I can narrow down the time I am going to leave. By Dec. 10. I'm going to Seattle for a few weeks at the end of November, and will come back and then leave. Fingers crossed. Pray that it keeps coming, and that I can work ticket stuff out!

And, happy birthday to this kid...24 today. Hott.

Travis, ball hog ~ SPU intramurals I guess?! :)

sister's coming

I didn't know how many people were concerned for my lack of desire for coffee. Reading your comments made me seriously consider going out and getting a frappuchino immediately! But, sorry, it's going to take a lot more persuasion than that. Same with cucumbers, unfortunately. These things don't happen overnight.

Lindy is coming to visit tomorrow for the weekend, yay! She hasn't been down to visit me. EVER. It is about time and I'm really excited to have her come. :)

acquired tastes

We all have foods we don't like. As we get older, we gradually learn to like some of them, while others our palates never quite accept.

On many an extended time out of the country, I have learned to like foods that I previously couldn't stand. Two months in Costa Rica taught me to like tomatoes. I didn't have much of a choice when they were served nearly every day at the home I lived at, sliced and ready to pop in your mouth. I tolerated them as a courtesy; today I like them in all kinds of things.

After six weeks in Turkey I came back with a taste for watermelon. I still hate all the other melons ~ but having watermelon and bread EVERY DAY for breakfast didn't leave me a choice if I wanted to maintain a normal digestive system! :) Now, I enjoy watermelon on a hot day. And even on not-so-hot days.

So, now comes Greece. I have narrowed it down to two options of tastes to acquire: cucumber or coffee. I hate cucumber. Oh, but I HATE coffee. However, wandering around Athens and Thessaloniki in March, I came across this yummy looking beverage in nearly all the restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops. They were everywhere. Given my love for chocolate, I wanted to believe that it was a fabulous frothy chocolate shake or smoothie of some type. Alas, no.

.

Enter the Greek Frappe. It's coffee. Disguised as a yummy blended drink! Just the look of it is making me lean strongly toward the coffee option. Cucumber would be a very handy thing to like in any mediterranean country; I love fresh breakfasts of cucumber, tomato, feta, and some kind of flat bread (minus the cucumer, of course). At this point the jury is still out, with one strongly favored over the other, but it's anyone's game. Stay tuned... (I know you can hardly stand the suspense!)

steps in the right direction...

How quickly things can shift! In the last three days, things have changed so much that I am actually being forced to wrap my head around possibly moving to Greece very soon. Imagine that!

Sunday: I spoke at Nick's church, where a woman who is leaving soon for three months in Spain offered her house to me to housesit for as long or as short as I need it. Free housing, yes please.

Monday: Unofficially (so don't quote me yet; I haven't gotten an official statement, but going off what people have told me they sent in) I hit 80% of the funds I need before I can book my plane ticket. 80%!!! (And 70% of the desired total.) We are getting there!

Tuesday: Yesterday out of the blue I was offered a short term "job" coordinating volunteers for the One Heart Campaign. This is through the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, which is creating a short video to be shown in 1000 churches in Orange County on the national human trafficking awareness day, January 11. I had said I could volunteer my time, but now they are going to pay me to help with the marketing and distribution. It should last about 4 weeks. I can't complain about that; in fact, a much appreciated blessing!

It seems to be the encouragement I need that things are moving in the right direction. I'm thankful today, and a little wistful too, as we plan to give our 30 days notice at our beloved apartment today and make plans for the next phase of life.

We are getting there! :)

Call+Response

I forgot to mention, this movie came out this weekend! It's showing this week in LA, Orange County, Seattle, etc. (until Thursday or Friday) and next week in San Diego, Chicago, etc. Check HERE to see where it's playing and go see it!

If you haven't heard about this movie/documentary, you can watch the trailers here. I thought it was GREAT. It gives a really comprehensive overview of human trafficking, how widespread it is (27 million people in slavery worldwide), and who it affects (80% of victims are women and 50% are children). It addresses sex slavery, focusing largely on children, and also child soldiers, the form of slavery that got me into this cause in the first place. But it doesn't leave you in that "holy crap" place; I felt like it gave hope by sharing some awesome stories of what people have done and are doing, and how this can be combatted. Since I've been doing this for awhile and am past the initial shock stage (though you never get over what is going on), seeing this made me excited. People care. Lots of people are paying attention and starting to do things about it.

Go see it and learn about human trafficking and what you can do. Go see it if you love music; some amazing artists took part and the music is great too. :) 100% of the proceeds are going to the cause.

.

Call+Response is “a film that chronicles the movement by musicians and artists to both call attention to the world’s 27 million slaves…and to do something about it." San Francisco Chronicle

Doh!

My friend Nick got me 15 minutes this morning in the main service at his church, where he is the youth pastor, to talk about myself.

So, that was fun.

A few days ago he emailed me for some information because he was going to be introducing me in the service. I wrote back, gave him all that required information like studying at Talbot, working for the Salvation Army, my position with Lydia Today, etc. etc. Then, at the end of the email, just for fun, I wrote:

Uh...what else would you like to know? I am a GREAT friend, full of life and love and encouraging words. I have brought light into your life like you've never known before. You'll never be the same. I like doing triathlons and eating pinkberry frozen yogurt. I am a natural blonde but feel that people take me more seriously with dark hair. :)

Guess which part good old Nicky decided to read to his whole church this morning!? :-/

I'll never have to write a real blog again

faith wavering

Last week was a tough week. I was really hoping... praying... trusting that I would have most of my support raised by the end of September. I felt really strongly that I needed to be praying for that, and I really believed that God could do it. I had a lot of faith for it.

So when it didn't happen - in fact, there was nothing new at all on the statement I got on the 1st - I was really disappointed. And really discouraged. What am I doing?? Did I lead myself to pray for that? It seemed like I had a string of disappointing or discouraging things related to Greece, and I had a tough day. I gave myself a day to be upset about it, and decided I'd pick up the next day and keep having faith and trusting that in God's timing, I'll get there.

My faith didn't go away, and I do ultimately believe those things (and someone pointed out to me that it can take people 1-2 years to raise support, and I've raised 60% in 3 months), but I felt a little waver in my confidence last week. Earlier this week with a friend we thought of examples of people who have had so little to go on that it was so obviously God that accomplished whatever it was in their situation...one of those was Gideon in Judges 7, when God sent home almost 10,000 men from the Spring of Harod and left him 300 to fight with. (That is the picture above, Kim and I at the spring of Harod.) :)

Faith...I may never have the opportunity to develop the faith required of those Christians in countries where they are persecuted for their beliefs, or of those who have to trust for every penny or bite of food. But I have faith for this. In Romans 4, Abraham is commended for his faith. I love 4:17 which says, "He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist." I believe he is doing that with this ministry in Athens. I believe he has called me there and that he wants to work. I try not to let my faith waver when things don't happen the way I think they are supposed to.

A few verses later, about Abraham, it says, "He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Therefore, it was credited to him as righteousness" (4:20-22). Ok, hang on. He did not waver in unbelief??? This was a man who let his wife be taken from him not once, but twice, and who had a child with Hagar because his own wife was childless. To me, that seems like a little wavering in unbelief going on!

But, centuries later, it is reported that he did not waver in unbelief in God's promise. He was fully convinced that God would perform what he said he would. This tells me that God measures faith quite a bit differently than I do!

I'm still wrestling through the repercussions of that...while it feels like my faith wavers at times, ultimately I am believing that God is at work here. What does it mean to not waver in unbelief? I am fully convinced that God is going to perform what he has said he would. But I feel like I waver. I think I am truly thankful that God's idea of faith, and his grace for us in this, is different than our own. He gives us opportunities to grow our faith, he tests it, and he increases it. To us these times might feel like wavering. We question and re-examine what we thought was true. But a true belief that he is ultimately going to do what he said he'd do is what he counts as righteousness. I hope that is the kind that I have, because I really do believe that he is going to do it. :)

From the bottom of my heart...

I can tell Sharone has something really important to be doing, like work or a paper, because she keeps sending me these e-cards. They are so touching, I had to share some...

FYI, I am not recommending you visit the website; just enjoy these cards from here. :)

This one is for my mom:

It's finally coming out!

Once when I was talking about this, my brother asked me if I was tooting my own horn. Well, I guess I am. Deal with it for five minutes. :)

Many, many moons ago, you may recall, I helped Dr. Mike Wilkins with his portion of study notes for the upcoming ESV Study Bible. He covered the book of Matthew. (We all remember my affinity for that book ... curriculum ... study notes ... AAAHHH!) I basically took his commentary (the NIV Application Commentary on Matthew) and pared it down to fit as notes in this study bible. Which, by the way, is getting many accolades and good reviews! (Was that redundant?)

It was due to be published in the summer of '07, but as I've learned, even with monetary rewards for turning in work on time, these scholars are busy and have trouble with deadlines. :) (So perhaps they ought to have more grace for us seminary students...?) It is finally due out in the next couple of weeks.

I went to a luncheon at Talbot today and happened to be seated at Dr. Wilkins' table. It had been over two years, so I had to remind him who I was! (We only met in person once, after he saw some of the curriculum I had written and asked for my help with this project.) He said "it was YOU!" and thanked me again and told everyone what a great job I did. (Proud smile.) He said that the editors thought I focused on exactly the right material and were very pleased with the notes I culled. Woohoo! I hadn't had much feedback aside from his short reply emails as I sent my work in to him ("Thanks, this looks great!"), that it felt so good to finally hear that I did a good job. :)

Yay! Buy the Bible! Read Matthew and think of me. :) (That sounds horrible. Think of Jesus. Then think of me.)

plugging away...

I am speaking at a Perspectives ("on the World Christian Movement" - missions) class this week, and during the main service at a friend's church on Sunday. Yay! I need to keep finding these opportunities so I can GO!

Nov 07 ~ Had the best 3 hour breakfast at Denny's in my whole life.

Sorry I neglected that momentous occasion in my timeline below!!! It has changed my life forever. For the BEST. Without you I would have been dodging garbage swimming in the Disneyland lagoon all by myself. And I would not have anyone to share in my pumpkin yogurt obsession. Or go on imaginary punching sprees with. I would not have anyone to make me feel normal, sane, and intelligent when I am in fact near hysteria or mass confusion. Yay for you, I'm glad you remembered me from years ago (this last age) and thought maybe we could be friends again. :) (Do you have a mop? Because I think I just got sap all over the place.)