Waiting

It's almost midnight and I am waiting for the first batch (Hannah and Cortnee) of my college best friends!! My sweet parents are throwing me a welcome home party this weekend with my best friends and family!!!

All of us from college are finally going to be reunited...I can't wait!!! Pics to come!!!

Missing India

Lots of people ask me if I miss India. Which I always find difficult to answer. The problem is that nothing about my life in India and my life in America are the same. It's almost like when I moved to India, I went back in time and now I am coming back to the future. So unless I really stop and think and pause long enough to even think about India...it's hard to miss it. Does that make sense?

Today was a day of missing India. I got an e-mail from my roomie, Laura, in India describing the ends and out of her day and it reminded me so much of my life there. And I missed India terribly. She also shared this....

"Oh, I don't know if B & E told you, but they're planning a jal diksha (baptism) ceremony for next monday. There's several people wanting to take it!! Pretty exciting, but guess who said they wanted to? Deepa's dad!! They've talked to him once and will talk to him again, but Saddhu thinks he's genuine. When I was talking to Deepa yesterday we were talking about stories, and she was adamant in saying that she knew all the stories! She told me creation through the fall in Hindi just because! I was asking her what she thought about them, and she says they're not just stories they are true. She said it with real conviction, they are true, we know it. We all believe the stories, and in Yeshu, my mom, dad, sister, we all believe. And I asked her if she was trying to follow Jesus (or something like that) and she said yes."

Translation is that the family that I invested all my time in is ready to be dunked and their whole family has come to know Jesus!!! This made tears well up in my eyes. So today...I missed India so much my body ached. I also wrote my last newsletter...so India was on my brain today.

Here are some fun cultural things that I am experiencing....

1. I went to the grocery store in shorts. Yes, I went out in public in shorts. I am such a ho.
2. Today, I helped my mom take groceries out of the car and unload them. Is it weird that I enjoyed it?
3. I cleaned house and it actually looked clean when I finished!
4. I have voicemail on my phone. I can check them and leave them.
5. I am still freezing in my parents house...

My Dallas Road Trip

I made a whirlwind trip to Dallas pretty unexpectedly. I focused more on quality then quantity. The Lord was really faithful to work out schedules and I really enjoyed my time with everyone. Sorry if I didn't get a chance to see some of you. I had a short time and just didn't have the time I wanted to see everyone...sad. Anyone willing to make a road trip to San Antonio in the next month is more than welcome!!! Come on Down!!!

I was in a slight funk- so I didn't take hardly any pictures...what was I thinking? Here are some of the pics of what I did get.

Ben showing off his muscles for me. He melts my heart.

Tammy my cousin and sweet Kirra.

Blake and I playing Uno together and Kirra trying to steal the cards and put them in her mouth. She says my name like "Sesha".

Just a few of my favorite ladies at FBC Irving. I got to visit my home church. I didn't have enough time to really re-connect, but it was good to see people that I did.

My cousin Kiley that has TONS and TONS of personality.

Aunt Tracy, Kiley, and my Grandma.

Attention Dallas-ites

I will be gracing Dallas with my presence this weekend. I will be at FBC Irving on Sunday morning and just plan to hang out after church. Leave a comment if you want to try to hook up. Let me know!!

See some of you very very soon!!!

I bought a Purple Car!!!

On my SECOND day of being in country, I purchased myself a brand new Madza 3 2007!! I drove it off the lot with just 17 miles on it! Isn't it beautiful?! The only car I have ever driven before is a 1986 Volvo so this is quite the upgrade!

It was slightly overwhelming to purchase a vehicle with only being in country a few days. So by the end of the day I had a slight melt down. The poor sales guy, but maybe it got me a better deal...tears always work...right?

I am in LOVE with this car and can't believe it's mine!!!

My Texas Homecoming

I have been in Texas for about 48 hours now and so far my time at home has been BLISSFUL! I can't tell you how amazing it is just to be HOME! Despite the fact that arrived in really late Monday night my amazing family was faithful to show there faces at the airport with signs!! It was soo sweet.

My Grandmother, Grandfather, Daddy, friends Maritza and Lisa of my mom's, and Shanny (my mom was taking the picture and of course she was there!)

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Me and my Daddy.

It was soo fun! My sister and mom lined my driveway with red lights for "rolling out the red carpet"!! It was soo fun to drive up and see my driveway all lit up!! Isn't that too fun?! I love my family!

Here is the red carpet they rolled out for me!! Yes...they literally laid a red carpet for me!!

The first thing I ate when I got home was a roast beef, pepper jack cheese, miracle whip, and tomato sandwich! It's funny the things you miss!!

Odd culture shock things...so far...

1. I am no used to understanding everyone around me. So on the plane while I was reading, I heard about 5 different conversations that I could understand and it was driving me NUTS!!!

2. I am freezing everywhere I go. I am definitely not used to be in AC all the time.

3. I can plug things in easily! No converters! It's so simple!

4. No water heater for my shower! You just turn it on and its hot! Simple again!

More to come I am sure...My life is being so much less complicated!! Wahoo!!

Texas Bound!!!

Tomorrow morning, I am waking up, packing my bags, getting on a bus to the airport, checking in at the Inchon International airport, getting on an airplane and when I get out again...I am pretty sure I will be on American soil??!! Not India..not Thailand...yes AMERICA!!!

I can't believe it...the time has come that I am actually going to America!! Wahoo. I will leave Korea on Monday at 4:30 PM and I will arrive in San Antonio at 10:39 PM on Monday! Yes, I will be gaining time in the air somehow!! My family is pretty excited...and in shock that after two years this day has FINALLY come!!

So anyways...see you in Texas soon!!!

The Hospitality House

Amber lives in Songtan, South Korea which is in the same city at Osan Air Force Military Base. There is this great ministry supported by Cadence Ministries called the Hospitality House which is a haven for military personnel. A place where you can get free food, awesome fellowhsip, great accountability, grow through worship and through the teaching of God's Word. Amber has adopted the Hospitality House as her home fellowship and her place of Godly community. I have been blessed so much by the people there and now feel like I have family there as well. I was really really excited to be a part of this community and get a little bit of education on what all goes on within the air force. These people were great because they really wanted to know about my time in India and what God was doing. Being a part of this community was really helpful in my transition and even got to speak during their Saturday service. Thanks Hospitality House..you are a blessing!

We had a Hawaiian themed night...it was pretty fun!

These boys...i mean men are Josh and Wayne. They pretty much adopted me as their older sister- translated means they picked on me a lot! They were a lot of fun and I am honestly gonna miss them.

Amber and I!

This is Amber's super amazing running partner Sarah and her daughter Ella!! Man...this woman is such an encouragement to Amber and am thankful they have each other!!

We tried to find something Hawaiian. Don't we look kind of cute all matchy and stuff?

Me and Jim with our ukulele....

Pictures of Hanging with my Sis at Random

This week was GREAT and WONDERFUL with Amber. I went back to high school. Ok just kidding, but really...I went to school everyday this week because Amber had her in service week for school! In the morning, I would try to be productive (filling out car loans, working on my last newsletter, making a photo book, reflecting, and answering emails) and in the afternoons I would attempt to help Amber get her classroom put together. I was honestly pretty lame help, but hopefully I was good company at least!

It was great to see Amber in her fun Amber- I am a high school math teacher- mode. She is a great teacher and everyone seems to really love and respect Amber at the school. It was great to get a feel for her little community and school environment.

In the evenings, we would hang out with friends and just enjoy each other! It really has been a great week of fellowship on lots of levels. I have fallen in love with Amber's friends and community. She truly is blessed here and everyone seems to really be blessed by her!


Eating Korean meal with her other teaching staff. The chopsticks are proof we were at a restaraunt.

Fish faces. This is for you daddy.

Amber's coworkers eating Korean Style and me.

Yep...working on those chopstick skills.

Amber working on her classroom.

Me ironing the curtains that I brought her from India for her classroom.

Amber working more on her classroom.

Me sleeping in Amber's classroom while she is in meetings.

Hanging out with some of Amber's Korean friends over food.

Me eating my favorite Korean dish- Kalbi

Shopping in Seoul.

Eating at Chilli's on Osan Air Force base with the boys.

Amber and I ran into a Italian Restaraunt in Seoul.

Me with my menu at the yummy Italian Restaraunt.

Me eating at Taco Bell for the first time on Osan Military Base...then we went to see "The Bourne Ultimatum" on base.

What's the Plan Stan?

So where is Alicia right now? ha. I am in Korea still with my sister and will be here until Monday (August 20)! After I leave Korea, I am heading straight for San Antonio!! Wahoo. I arrive late on Monday night...I can't believe I am finally going HOME!!!

I will be in Virginia twice in the month of September...so I will be in and out of state. I am still trying to plan when I will actually make it to Dallas before I have to head out to California by October 1.

Please pray for me....please...please...pretty please!

1. pray for the car that I will purchase when i get home (send up extra prayers for this one). I am convinced there is the ONE out there...pray I will be lead to it!!
2. pray for rich time with family
3. pray for travels
4. pray for finances in general. I have a lot of things to pay for and not much money...I know He will provide!!

Thanks for your prayers... I NEED THEM!!

leave me a comment and your e-mail address if you want my phone number in the states!!\

5 days till I am in Texas!!

The DMZ Tour

On Saturday, I got the neat opportunity to do the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) Tour. Basically, I got the chance to cross the border and stand in North Korea. Crazy I know. I honestly didn't know anything about the relationship between North and South Korea (because ashamedly I suck at history). I just knew that North Korea was the bad communist one and South Korea was the good Korea. So I got a little much needed history lesson on the bus via history movie. Amber lives in Songtan which is the same city where Osan Air Force Base is. Amber has a lot of amazing military friends...so they hooked us up with the DMZ tour through the base. It was pretty sweet. Here are pictures.

Amber and I got to crawl through the Third Infiltration Tunnel. This is a tunnel built by the North Koreans to try to get to the South Korean border. The tunnel was discovered before they could use...so now it is a tourist attraction. We had to wear hard hats to go in.

This is Dorasan Station. It is a subway station built for the purpose of unification among North and South Korea. It still does not have any daily runs. We stopped here and got a North Korea "fake" stamp in our passport.

The guards that guard the entrance.

The train headed for North Korea...still not functioning...but ready.

I am pointing towards North Korea and Amber is pointing to South Korea.

Next we went to Joint Security Area (JSA). JSA is the only place on the demilitarized zone where North Korea and South Korea come face to face. There is a neutral area owned by the United Nations Command in the T-4 building where all peace treaties are made. I got to go in this building! yeah! Before we could go, I had to sign this piece of paper saying that basically if I died they weren't responsible. At this point, i felt very sydney bristo like or even better Jack Bauer like....i felt the slight adrenaline of feeling like i was about to be put in harms way. Luckily, I am still alive!

Me standing in front of the T-4 building...North Korea is behind me. In fact that big white building is owned by North Korea.

Me standing in North Korea. If you look at that table you see small speakers that divide the table. The side I am standing on in the North Korea side and the other side is obviously the South. While we are in this building they can hear everything that is being said and they were watching us!

Me standing like the guard. He didn't budge at all the whole time we were in that room.

The monument is where the Axe Murder Incident occurred in 1976.

The Bridge of No Return.