I Think I'm Homesick!!!

That's a lie. I know I'm homesick. I guess I've been trying to deny it since I've been here. Today I reached my tipping point and started downloading country music on iTunes. I rarely, if ever listen to country music, but more than anything it reminds me of my friends and family back home. So, I just downloaded almost every George Strait song I've ever heard. George has helped.

P.S. He's beautiful.

Bad Christmas Evangelism

Last year, I spent my Christmas Eve at the Red Monster(Lobster) working. I remember when I found that I had to work, I wanted to quit because that meant I was going to miss a family dinner. Then I thought it could be a good witnessing opportunity and that people may be in the Christmas spirit and tip more, I was completely wrong.

The day started off horrible because I had to drive from home for my shift. So, I wasn't excited about the possibility of spending more in gas money that I would make during my shift. Halfway back to Charleston I realized I left my cell phone. Normally I could have cared less, but I needed my phone to call and arrange when I was going to pick up a co-worker for a church service that night. She didn't have to work on Christmas Eve because she had children. Anyways after hunting down a pay phone, I was able to arrange when and where I was supposed to meet her.

She decided that she would walk to the church and I would meet her there. I arrived and couldn't find her. Eventually the service started and she still hadn't shown up. So I stood in the lobby, refusing to go in the service because I knew she would show up. 15 minutes into the service she arrived. To my surprise, it was a half Spanish, half English service. Also, during the music a lady beside us keep yelling like she was being electrically shocked. I think it would have been better if my friend had never shown up.

I learned a lot from this experience. Mainly I learned that the goal of evangelism isn't to get someone to a church service. It's easier to put sharing the gospel on the preacher, but it rest on the shoulders of all members of Christ's body. (Me and You)

After the service, I took my friend to do some last minute shopping at the only store open in North Charleston, K-Mart. It was insane. It took us a couple of hours to buy milk and eggs. As I think about it now, that is what I should have done in the beginning. I wonder what kind of impact it would have had on her if instead of asking her to go to church with me that I asked her how I could help her prepare for Christmas.

We celebrate Christmas day because we consider it that day that Jesus was born. It is the day that God gave the world its savior. I've been so guilty of seeing Christmas day as a day of receiving instead of giving. I was reading over the birth of Jesus the other day and could not help, but think about His death. Our salvation didn't come in His birth, but in His death and resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:1-5) Why don't we go crazy and celebrate Easter like we do Christmas? Whenever I have my own family, we're going to blow Easter out of the water!!!!!!!!!

Here are two quotes by St. Francis of Assisi that I really like. They really don't relate to this post, but I really like them.

"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

"It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching."

New Pictures

These are a few pictures from our festival today. I've been at a training all week and this festival was our final task. It was tons of fun but non-stop work. Somehow I was assigned to work at the face painting table. Big mistake! All of the kids wanted Spiderman painted on them. I tried really hard, but I was a horrible Spiderman artist. I did end up becoming the "heart queen." You'll be able to see one of my hearts in the pictures. Also, I'm adding a few wedding pictures. They are really blurry, but you'll be able to get a picture of what it was like.

YAY!!!! for Life!!!!

Today is my two month anniversary of being here!!!!!!!!! Today I received my first package from home!!!!!! Today we had a Christmas party and Shared the Gospel!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!

Let me go ahead and throw out a disclaimer about all of the pictures in this post. They are horrible. Either the lighting is off or the camera was crooked. Hopefully you'll still be about to enjoy the pics.

Here is a picture of the women that attended our little Christmas party. Abby prepared all of the food and organized everything. We shared the Gospel by using a candy cane.(Abby's mom sent some over a few weeks ago.) They had never seen candy canes before. It was awesome. We also gave out New Testament Bibles that they were excited about.

While we were preparing for the party, I heard a tree limb fall and then saw this:

I was so mad for many reasons. There are only like 3 trees in this city, so we don't need to be cutting any more down. Also, he was making a mess right before our party.

Later on I looked out the kitchen window and saw this guy:

This picture is crooked b/c I was discreetly trying to take the picture by hanging my arm out of my window. One little slip and game over for this guy. Eventually I saw him with his paint brush taped to a stick painting the far corner.

I've been away at a training and came back just for the party. I'll be returning in a few minutes. I'm not excited about returning to squatty potties and bucket baths. Here are a few pictures of my friends at the training:

My computer is still not charging completely. Thankfully, I am able to use it for short amounts of time.

When my training ends, I'll post about our wedding adventure.

o

KFC and Reincarnation

Yesterday I ventured out in the afternoon to do some Christmas shopping. I knew exactly what I needed, so it didn't take me long. As I was leaving, I decided to eat my dinner there b/c they have a KFC. It's not the KFC as you know it. The chicken is really spicy. I order chicken strips and my nose is running by the end of the meal. It happens every time. Also, instead of mashed potatoes or biscuits, they serve french fries. They do have ketchup. In London they serve mayonnaise with their fries at KFC. I think that's so gross, but they may think ketchup is gross.

As I was eating, one of the workers came up to me and asked for me to fill out a comment card. While I was filling out the card, I thought I saw something move under my table. I didn't immediately see what it was then the little booger moved again. There was a rat under my table! I was sitting in a booth, so he would run from one corner to the other. I immediately jumped up and got away from my booth. As usual, people were looking at me like I was crazy. I tried to explain that I saw a rat, but they acted like they didn't care. I was doing hand motions and everything, but of course the little rat wouldn't come back out. Eventually, I jumped back into the booth on my knees and grabbed my bags and the comment card.

I walked up front to hand in my halfway completed comment card and to order food for my partner. I tried to explain to the workers what I saw. I don't know if they think it's normal or if they didn't understand me. I really think that everyone just thinks rats in restaurants are normal. Our instinct is to set a trap and kill it, but here that rat may be someones deceased uncle. Their solution is to catch it in a trap and release it outside. Which doesn't solve anything b/c they find their way right back inside. Restaurants and Reincarnation is South Asia shouldn't mix well. We, foreigners, prefer all animals inside the restaurant to be the cooked ones we are being served. However, I cannot blame the managers belief in reincarnation for keeping him from hunting down the rat, b/c he does sell cooked chicken for a living.

You probably thought, I cannot believe you still ordered your partner food from there. That KFC is one of the cleanest restaurants I've been to over here. I'll continue to eat at it and I did warn my partner about the incident, but it didn't really bother her. I'm sure you may have rat siting stories that have happened to you in the U.S. or other countries.

What Do All of These Things Have in Common?

They have all been gifts from Santa that I have broken before the next Christmas!

A few days ago I was talking Jennifer, one of my bestest friends, who just bought a new MAC laptop. I told her that I wanted to buy one when I was looking to buy a new computer, but I went w/ a PC b/c #1 I couldn't afford a Mac #2 I always break nice things, so I try to avoid owning them.

Well immediately after I said goodbye to her, I stood up to get off of my bed and my laptop flew onto the floor. I forgot that I had it plugged in charging, so it jerked straight out of my hands onto the marble floor. As a result, it will no longer charge. It's heading to the shop tomorrow. Thanks goodness I live in the country that Americans call for tech support, so it's not going to be hard for me to get it fixed.

Let me give you a few other examples of why I should not be allowed to own nice things.

For the longest time I wanted a nice pair of sunglasses. I got on this kick of wanting polarized sunglasses, b/c I heard that wearing them is like having sunscreen for your eyes. I never bought them because the ones I wanted were expensive and I knew I would break them. Well last year, Santa gave them to me. Until today they remained unscratched and unbroken. I was standing in line at the post office for around 15min. which is a relatively short amount of time for S. Asia standards when I became frustrated. In my frustration, I sort of threw my head back and released a sigh. That's when it happened. They fell on the cement floor and cracked. One lens has a huge crack in the middle from one side to the other. The lens is still in tack, so I'm going to sport them as long as I can. It's sort of annoying looking out of them b/c I feel like I have an eye lash stuck in my eye. I didn't even make it a year without breaking them.

The next thing I have avoiding owning for a long time is an iPod. No matter what I'm doing, I have music playing. So when iPods came out, I wanted one so bad. Santa knowing that I break things like crazy, one year gave just a regular MP3 Player and not an iPod. During my senior year of college, I developed a little running routine. Of course, I couldn't run w/out my music. Well, one day I stepped in dog poop. That doesn't come as a shocker to many people b/c its an understatement to say I'm accident prone. Anyways, I rinsed off my shoe w/ the water hose and took my MP3 player off so I wouldn't get it wet. The next few days when I went for my runs I couldn't find my MP3 player anywhere. I eventually bought a new one. One day after a run, I was stretching on the ledge and I noticed my MP3 player sitting there. The case it was in was wet from where it had recently rained. Good news is that it still worked!!! Since then I've dropped it a few times, but it will still works. It is just that the batteries are held in place with tape. I do own an iPod now that my sister, Mary Kathryn, gave me. So far, it's lasted five months. I'm determined to make it last for my entire term.

A few other mishaps include:

I stepped on my camera in Amsterdam and broke it. That was only three months after Santa gave it too me.

I was wearing my favorite pearl ring and knocked it on the escalator in London and watched the pearl fall into one of the little crevices. If I ever fool someone into proposing to me, I would completely understand if he bought me a cubic zirconium ring from Wal-Mart.

In college I had my bicycle stolen b/c I did not lock it up. I rode it to class that morning and didn't lock it b/c a few hours later I was going to ride it again. Well when I left for my next class it wasn't there. They stole it with the lock just sitting on the handlebars.

Overall, Santa is really the one who suffers from my absentmindedness. It amazes me how they are still willing to give me nice things knowing my track record. However for the past two years, they have refused to buy me a new bicycle. That may be because A) they know I'll hurt myself on it B) it'll be stolen from me or C) I'm 23 years old and I need to start buying things for myself.

I'm sure there are tons of other things that I have broken or lost along the way, but there are the ones that come to my mind.

Anyways this may be the last post for awhile b/c I'm getting my computer fixed and next week I'll be attending a training camp thing where I doubt there is wireless internet.

The big wedding is tomorrow. I'm so excited. I bought my outfit for it today. I look hideous in it. I'll post pictures, so everyone can join in with laughter.

Momma Kim Rocks as Santa!!!

I just want to give my partner's mother a shout out. Momma Kim hooked my partner up with three boxes of gifts. I've never been so excited to see baking mixes and Christmas decorations. It was like she packed a mini Wal-Mart inside the boxes. It was insane. He's a pic. of the contents of one box.
This was my favorite gift....

A Cinnamon stick candle. I woke up one morning and my partner was burning it. I almost cried; it smelt so good and reminded me of Christmastime at home. The tree in the background was also in one of the boxes.

I really like the candles that smell like Christmas trees. Is that weird? We always have an artificial tree, but I'm pretty sure we burn candles that smell like trees. Maybe my family is the only one that does that.

My parents are sending Christmas gifts too. I heard Edgar almost had a stroke when he paid to have it shipped here. It's sad when the shipping cost more than the contents inside do. Once my partner opened her boxes, she started smelling some of the things inside that still smelt like home. I think that'll be the first thing I'll do too. You cannot imagine the smells here. You think Georgetown, SC smells bad. Overall there's a distinct smell, then you walk into pockets of grossness. It's horrible when I buy chicken and cover my nose b/c I think I'm going to start gagging. If you've ever visited here, you'll understand why I can't wait to smell what is inside of my Christmas package.

Wild Goose Chase!!!!

I feel like my life is one big, never ending wild goose chase. I want to do a million different things. A few days ago I decided after my two years here that I would like to move to New Zealand and work on a farm picking kiwis. I don't know where it comes from. Seriously that is what excites my heart. Should I get my brain checked out? Also, how awesome is this pic. It's was taken by a friend this 4th of July. A little random I know, but how appropriate for this post?

I have so many wild dreams that they don't make sense. It's impossible for them all to happen.
There's a book I like called Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. Here's a little portion of it:

"The Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit...They called Him An Geadh-Glas, or 'the Wild Goose.' Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger and an air of unpredictability surround Him. I think the Celtic Christians were onto something that institutionalized Christianity has missed out on. And I wonder if we have clipped the wings of the Wild Goose and settled for something less-much less-than what God originally intended for us...A part of us feels as if something is spiritually wrong with us when we experience circumstantial uncertainty. But that is precisely what Jesus promised us when we were born of the Spirit and start following Him(John 3:8). Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantial uncertainties also goes by another name: adventure."

John 3:8 states, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

I by no means think that obeying the Spirit results in a never ending, purposeless goose chase. I do think obedience to the Spirit can take us to places that we never could have imagined. I can think of several people in my life that have said, "I would have never thought I would be living here...but I am" or "I never thought I would marry someone like .... but I did." Those phrases always end with, "And I know that was God's plan b/c ..."

In my life, I've wasted too much time chasing geese that weren't sent from the Big Man. Picking kiwis in New Zealand!!! Seriously, what am I thinking? One of greatest lessons I've learned is that not all of my dreams are God given. I wish they were b/c they seem like so much fun, but them I remind myself of verses like these:

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then when you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 28:11-13

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

He knows what is best for me and you. Sometimes that takes us to foreign countries, or different counties. No one is better. All that matters is that it is His Spirit leading us there. From experience I know that if our plans are spurred by selfish desire, they'll fail. You may be thinking like I just thought, well what about these people who don't follow Him and still seem to be happy and successful? Then, I'm reminded of verses like these, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes...for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous." Psalm 37: 7, 17

Here's a picture of Whitney...She wanted the swan to give her a high 5.

P.S. We were invited to a wedding that is next week. I cannot wait. I hope to have some great pics that I'll share.