Tsunami

Tomorrow morning, I am heading back for Southern Cal. I have been invited to take part of Tsunami. Tsunami is an annual youth conference that is put on by the California Southern Baptist Convention. There will be around 3,000 youth attending these conferences the next three days.

The conference is taking place in Long Beach so I get to explore another part of Southern Cal that I haven't seen.

I will be leading three break out sessions on missions, sitting at an IMB booth talking with students, and I also get to talk for 5 minutes in front of all 3,000 of them and promote IMB student missions!! I am excited to be a part and speak into the lives of youth concerning missions and their individual roles.

Please keep me and these students in your prayers over the next few days. Pray that God will do a mighty work in their hearts!!

www.studentwave.com Feel free to check it out for yourself!!

My Christmas Love tank is Filled

My Christmas Love tank is officially filled. I spent Christmas Eve with my mom and we got to go see a movie. I love all the great movies that come out at Christmastime. Today we saw "The Kite Runner". I read this international best seller book a couple years ago and have been looking forward to seeing it on the big screen. It was actually really accurate with the book.

Then I came home, turned on Christmas music, and started baking! It finally feels like Christmas!

I also took the initiative and called my family in India tonight. I got to talk to my old team members (bobby, elaine, and laura) and then I called Deepa and talked to her. I wish I wasn't missing India soo much this Christmas. But I guess it's good to miss something and people you love so much. That's why Christ gave Himself so we could love people that are so different than ourselves.

I guess you just can't have the best of both worlds because I am also soo excited to get to wake up tomorrow morning and spend Christmas with my parents and sister. This is something I haven't gotten to do in a long time!! There is still nothing more precious than your family!

Merry Christmas Eve from Texas!

Christmas Reflections

I have been reflecting a lot this year about the birth of Jesus. What is the significance of this little baby entering the world? I have been reading recently in the book of Isaiah and reading what Isaiah had to say about this "baby". It says that this baby will be a "Light to the nations." Jesus will be a light to the nations!! I have been meditating on this phrase all week.

As many of you know, I spent the last two Christmases in India. A nation where the foretold birth and person of Jesus is unknown. A nation that at one time was not apart of the Old Covenant promise. But because of the birth, life, and death of our suffering servant Jesus, India is now under the covenant of his blood!

Listen to what Isaiah says,
"I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices because my Temple will be called a house of prayer FOR ALL NATIONS. For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel says, "I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel."

This time of year, I haven't been able to get the nation of India out of my mind and heart. They have been on my mind and heart because they don't even know the name of Jesus to know that he is the one who brings Good News, the one who brings Peace, and the one who brings Salvation. They don't know that the Unconditional covenant love of Jesus is for them.

I long to be in India this Christmas season. The last two years, I got to share the significance of this virgin birth to a nation has never heard the story of Jesus' birth. I would ask you to please pray for the nations...especially India this Christmas season. Pray that they would understand the covenant love of Jesus and the significance of His death for them. Pray for the workers all over the nations that they would boldly tell of JESUS...THE LIGHT TO ALL NATIONS this Christmas season.

MY thoughts on E-harmony

I have a confession to make...I am an E-harmony user. I thought if I had you guys dialogue and think about it for yourselves you would have your own thoughts and views.

I was talking to Lindsey, my roomie in India, and how we are ready to be in a relationship and the lack of men or the lack of men to step up and ask us out. So we started to joke about e-harmony and what we thought about it. Realizing that it was a way to find single like-minded men . And then I found myself filling out a profile for the fun of it. There happened to be an amazing deal going on 3 months for $30 so I signed up without really thinking it through.

So immediately afterwards, I had all these thoughts about it. Was I desperate? Is it creepy? Is it safe? Do I like being single? Have I taken singleness into my own hands? Is it really just networking? Are people going to look down on me? Am I going to be judged by others?

These are my thoughts. I agree with my "commenters" it is a great way for networking and I think very culturally appropriate. However, it still takes the same amount of wisdom and prayer to move forward as any relationships does. The only red flag I had for myself is wondering if I was taking my singleness into my own hands. I think it's a legitimate concern, but I also think God can use E-harmony.

Let me just say, that in Christian circles dating is TOO COMPLICATED. I think more guys should be asking girls out and more girls should be open minded and say yes to guys when they aske them out. It's weird being single and realizing all the "unwritten" rules about dating and not dating. What is too forward, what is being passive, and why do so many girls let guys string them along? Why can't we just be adults about it? Anyways...being single these days can be complicated.

Basically...I am OWNING e-harmony. I am a proud e-harmony user. There is nothing wrong with single, young people dating... So ask me about it, keep me accountable, and pray that I would be wise.

E-Harmony...what are your thoughts?

So...I am writing this post with the purpose of DIALOGUE. What are your thoughts on e-harmony? What do you think of those who sign up? Good idea? Bad idea? Desperate? A good networking place? I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic!! Seriously...write a big fatty comment about it.

If you are married or have a significant other...put yourself in a context of a single girl or guy that is in a stage of life to get married but having a difficult time meeting people.....

Comment away my friends....

It was ALL worth It!

I received this email tonight. It's from my English student Deepa in India. My love tank is overflowing. I inserted blue for clarity.

"We miss you so much. We always remember our moments together. We are always talking about you. My mom asks me when will you come back. Mai bahut acchi Yishu bhakt ban gyai hu. I have become a very good Yishu bhakt (Christian). From Preety(her sister) she says Hi, and she misses you very much. We are always looking at your pictures. Suchin's (her brother)marriage is fixed on February 25th. We invite you to come. Please come. From Papa (her father) he blesses you and misses you. He's like your father (he's like your indian father). "

Love,
Deepa

This makes everything hard in India COMPLETELY worth it!! Jesus is so sweet to let me be a part of their family!!

A Little Bit of Texas in California

I have spent the last 10 weeks experiencing Californian things as a Texan. But tonight the roles were definitely reversed! Just to remind you Southerners out there, BUT Chick-fil-A is totally something of the south. The west has just recently in the past couple of years been given the amazing gift of Chick-fil-A. However, I feel like they don't yet appreciate it's true value.

A group of students and I went out to dinner tonight and TWO OF THEM HAD NEVER EATEN CHICK-FIL-A! Gasp. So it was settled then and there that Chick-fil-A was where we were going. I felt so proud to share such a joy of mine. California hasn't quite caught on to this land of cows, "my pleasure", ice dreams, sweet tea, and waffle fries, but my friends, tonight I help bridge that gap. It was a beautiful warm fuzzy feeling to share my Texas love with my new California friends!! God bless Texas and God bless Chick-fil-A!!

A Blast from the Past

Today I had the "Rehrer" PRIVILEGE of spending time with my dear friend Matt Rehrer. Matt and I have been friends for about a decade now. Matt and I had the joy of sweating our summers out with inner-city peeps in our high school summers AND we traveled over the seas to the country of Moldova together! Matt has always been such a faithful and good friend over the years. I am also proud of him because he just completed 4 years of med school!! That's actually why he was here in California...he was interviewing with schools for his residency. We happened to get in touch via phone just before he passed CBU! So he just stopped in for a couple hours!! I thought I would snap a photo of him while he was in my cottage! The last time I saw him was with his wife, in Houston, right before I left for India.

As many of you know, I am loyal to the core. The older I get and the more I move around, the more I cherish and appreciate time with good friends....even if it is for a couple hours. The Lord has been really faithful to bring close friends to me...

Let me show you what I mean...

• I saw Kelly, my accountability partner in India, in South Carolina in September!!
• My college best friend Sarah was in Anaheim for a work conference (just about 1 hour away)!
• I went to College Station for a missions conference and saw another college best friend Ashley!!
• Another college best friend Alison was in San Diego for Thanksgiving!
• Then in January my India best friends are coming to see me... Jules and Lindsey!!
• And God moved me where my Dad's sister and my cousins are only a couple hours away!!

This has all happened since September!! I feel like God fills my love tank every time he brings a sweet friend my way!!

Christmas Party Introductions....

This past weekend I had the joy of celebrating the Christmas holidays by attending Christmas parties!! I LOVE Christmas parties.... yummy food, warm clothes, gift exchanges, and social interaction!! Wahoo. I'm all over it!

I took my camera and got some shots of some really important people in my life here in Riverside. Let me introduce them to YOU.


This is the ISP (international service projects) staff that I work with. Kyle is another Graduate Assistant, Kristen- my boss, me, then Jeremy the intern, and Megan another Grad Assistant.

Here is a picture of just Kristen (my boss and Director of Global of Mobilization at CBU) and I. This woman is AMAZING. She has taken me under here wing and is definitely a huge mentor in my life.

This is Sarah G and I sportin' our cute vests. She is a friend of mine from Sandals.

This is Kyle again, me, and another ISP staff...Amy! They make working in the office FUN!

I can't tell you how many students and people I have met in the last 9 weeks. It has been really fun lately to have students on campus recognize me and love on me! I have thrown myself into soo many social awkward situations and it seems like lately I have really been reaping the benefits!! I thank God for friendship!! I really am blessed by the people here in my little bubble.

Happy Merry Thanksmas!

It has been FOREVER since I have posted! I can't believe it! I have missed you...have you missed me? I am excited to get back into the blog swing of things. My camera battery has been dead for a couple months and I finally resolved the situation...yay!


It seems that I have completely missed Thanksgiving and it's already the Christmas season. So the only thing I feel I should say is Happy Merry Thanksmas!! I have not been in America for the past two years, so I find myself returning to my youth and getting super excited over Christmas lights, reindeer, Christmas music, stockings, decorated Christmas trees, and seeing Christmas proclaimed everywhere! I know that some people get tired of all the excess of everything at Christmas,but I kind of think that Jesus is worth all the hype. I mean what other holiday gets this much attention? Seriously! People all over the world are outwardly and very elaborately celebrating HIS birthday. So decorate away!! It's all for Jesus and He deserves all the bling, the lights, and the hype!!


Here are some pics from Thanksgiving...these are mainly for the fam.

Erica (my cousin) and I at Lake Casitas

Me and my Aunt Celeste (dad's sister)

Leah (my cousin) and I camping...

Uncle Thom and Aunt Celeste and their new toys!

Happy Late Thanksgiving! I really am thankful for this new season (contrary to my last Debbie Downer post)! I love my CBU family and I love my Sandals family! I love that Jesus moved me only a few hours away from blood family!! That's good networking!! He is soo faithful and I can genuinely say...that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but Riverside, California!!

I have lots of posts in my mind...so be ready for some more...yay.