Debriefing 2009

I love the New Year! I am one of those weird people out there that love goals and challenges. So it is always a chance for me to reflect on the past year, the good, the bad, and the ugly. There is something refreshing about starting new and having a clean slate. I always look forward to this post... Here is my 2008 and 2009 New Year's Post.


Here is a question I like to ask as I debrief my previous year, "What is the single best thing that happened in 2009?"


There were lots of great things that happened in 2009:

• My college pastor came to speak to So Cal to speak in chapel
• Completed my first half-marathon.
• I joined a boxing gym!
• I got a guythat was mine in 2009 (however, I didn't get him to stay ;) ).
• I led a team of college students to East Asia.
• I experienced first hand what it means to reach and work among an unreached people group and reminded clearly how ruined I am for the ordinary.
• I got to spend three weeks in Texas visiting family.
• I started working on my second masters degree.
• I helped to train, plan, equip and send over 350 college students serve overseas. Many of these gained a heart for the nations for the first time!
• I completed my first year as staff at California Baptist University.
• Deepend relationships with my two roommates who have become my family.

But I think the greatest thing that happened to me in 2009 was becoming an official member at Sandals Church. It has been a HUGE blessing to be a part of such an amazing community and people who genuinely love me. It has also been wonderful because both of my roommates go to church together and it feels like family. I had forgotten how important it is to be a part of the church, after all Christ died for the church. Sandals is not perfect, but I respect my pastor and am excited to follow his leadership.

These are some of very super Sandals people!

The Boys or our lunch crew (plus Kyle who is not pictured sadly)

My Small Group


Overall, I would say this was a good year. It definitely wasn't my favorite. It definitely had it ups and downs and disappointments, BUT God is faithful and He sustained me. I struggled this past year in my own spiritual growth. This is something that is a gaping regret of 2009. I would say that God and I went to the mattresses this year and it has been a struggle. But thankfully He is faithful when I am not. I am looking forward to that clean slate in 2010.

My 2010 New Year's Resolutions to follow...STAY TUNED!

A Dear Old Friend

Today, I was reconnected with my good friend Michael Pueppke. Mike and I first met when I was in third grade and he was one of the thirteen people that I graduated with in 2001. Recently, I found out that he was diagnosed with Leukemia. This is the second person in our graduating class to be diagnosed with cancer. Lana Beth Fisher, at the young age of 26, passed away from skin cancer three months ago. She left a beautiful legacy of faith and courage, my regret is that I never got a chance to say goodbye.

Mike and I have an interesting past. Even though there were only 13 people in our class we were not friends. I was not COOL enough back in my nerdy days of high school. He was definitely the cool kid, he always has been. After high school graduation, Mike and I went our separate ways, he went off to a state school and I headed off to Dallas Baptist University. I am not sure the depths of darkness he experienced that first year, but what I do know is that through the gracious hand of God, he sent Mike my way to attend DBU our sophomore year. God began to weave our friendship and he oddly became one of my dearest and closest friends in my college career. One of my favorite things about our friendship has always been the depth of the places we have gone in conversation. We both had a love for philosophy and a love for truth. I am not exactly sure how God used me in his life, but I always somehow knew that our friendship in college was quite intentional. We both needed something from each other and since my college days, Mike has always had a special place in my heart.

Unfortunately after college, we lost touch. I guess moving to a foreign country will do that to a friendship. Mike is now married, has a son on the way, and is working on his PhD in British Literature. Oh how time flies.

I was blessed tonight to talk to him. I am thankful for all that God is teaching him and his wife through this trial. I love to see the people of God respond to tragedy and glorify God, it is honestly the most beautiful thing on this earth.

Tonight, I am thankful for Mike's 27 years of life and how God is working in his life. I am also thankful friends of the past that still bless me today in the present!

I wish I had a picture of Mike and I in our college days, to post, but those were days before digital cameras were invented. Don't I sound old?

If anyone is interested in reading his story and his journals, you can read them here.

I'm Free

Tonight something glorious happened! I completed my last assignment for the semester which means that I am officially free from my grad school shackles for about 5 weeks! It's scary how free I feel now that I am no longer oppressed by papers, reading, and looming assignments.

My pastor today also gave a fantastic gospel presentation and reminded my of the freedom I have in Christ!

So thank you Jesus for the freedom I have in you and the small amount of school freedom I have for the next month!

ps- can you tell I am less busy based on the amounts of blogging I am doing???

YES!!!

South Asia Bound

I have some exciting news for my few readers out there that care....
I am hitting up South Asia again this summer May 25-June 15th.
This time, I get to take a team of Cal Baptist students- 7 to be exact.
I also get to lead with one my favorite students and a close friend from Sandals.
Could life get any better this summer?!

Blog world, I am going back home to the land I love so much!!
And this make my little Alicia heart so happy!

Roommate Christmas Photos

Last year on a spontaneous jaunt to Target, me and the roomies picked up the onesie footed pajamas pictured below. We thought they would be silly to take pictures in them and so we did. Soon after their debut on facebook much mockery occurred from some of our favorite people. But, we the roomies, didn't care because we LOOOVED them.

This year, we thought it would be fun to start a tradition of "Christmas Roomie Photos". We wanted this year's photos to be equally as ridiculous and cheezy. We decided to be Christmas presents. What we didn't take into account was how awesome our photographer was. And instead of being really ridiculous they turned out to be incredibly artsy and legit.

Yes, we are a bunch of Christmas presents among a bunch of Christmas trees!

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

Some youth pastors wanted to teach their students about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

Fun so they made this little diddy. I am not gonna lie, I laughed my head off along with my roomie. Please enjoy and pass along if you want to educate people on good ol' Lottie Moon.

Tweet Cloud

Yes, I am a tweeter! There is this tweet cloud that generates the main words that I use when I tweet. So here is my cloud.

And as my roomie @shortyloh says... "i guess I really am in the clouds..."

Risky

Today, I did something I have never done before.
I invested money.
We will see how this works out.
It might be the stupidist or smartest thing I have done all year.

Time
Will
Tell.

Contentment STRUGGLE

I have been struggling with contentment in my singleness.
I have no idea what God is doing with my life, yet I know He is faithful and worthy of my trust.
I know that God is training me for the next step, and I daily take another step with blind faith.
But if I were to be completely honest, I can say that I am barely hanging on by a thread.
Some days I have random freak-out moments and wonder if I will be another one of those 30 year old single females faithfully serving the Lord.
Who is going to take care of me when I am older? Will I ever have kiddoes? Will I always be relocating and making new people in my city my family? Will God ever provide a family that is mine? I know God is faithful but man I am struggling with it.
This week, I found out the man I was dating just 8 short months is now engaged. I can't help but wish that was me and wondering why it didn't work out. It's weird to think that could've been me, but God wants me to be single right now. UGH! The only thing that has kept me sane this week is praying for them and their lives together. I know that God will be glorified through their relationship because of the man my ex-boyfriend is. And honestly, I am excited for them and what God has in store for their lives. However, I can't help but question why God didn't let it finally be my turn. Why? This has been my struggle for the past 8 months. It's not that I am struggling with being with a specific person, more just positionally regarding singleness.
So here I am, 26, single, and married to my grad programs and hoping for a glimpse of what is ahead, but in a lot of ways scared that what is ahead is a lonely path because of my obedience and commitment to the Lord.
I have seen God's hand always in the decisions and paths in my life and therefore, I put my faith in him completely. I mean really this is the only thing I can do. And to be completely honest, I have seen God's hand in my singleness in that He is faithful to answer my prayers to give and take-away. So I know He is at work despite the season of life. Some days it's just hard being that 26 year old independent female and that is what is wieghing heavy on my heart this evening that I can't concentrate to do my LARGE homework assignment that is due tomorrow.

God, I long for contentment that is only in YOU. I ask that my heart would be transformed to yours and that you would take my desires and replace them with yours because you are WORTHY.

Blessed

This past week of work was CRAZY, yet filled with so much joy. We delivered acceptance letters to over 400 students at CBU inviting them to take part in our 2010 overseas teams. There was such great excitement and energy in the treehouse. I was also reminded what a huge step of faith it is for many of our students to go on overseas teams. There was a girl who I watched walk down the hall after receiving her letter, walking slowly, taking deep breaths, and preparing herself for the news if she would be selected to serve on an International Service Projects team. It was a great personal reminder of what huge steps of faith students are taking to be obedient and to share their faith. And I wonder how radically God is going to shake this girls worldview of who He is and reveal to her the heart He has for the nations He created. Her world is never going to be the same after this summer. I am constantly being challenged with the philosophy of what I do and why I do it. I currently am dedicating my life to training, equipping, mobilizing, and sending students all over the globe on short-term missions teams. Many people argue that sending short-term teams are a waste of time and resources, and the work accomplished is not always effective. Tonight, I was reminded why it IS worth it. I sat with 5 students tonight who have committed to going overseas long-term within the next two years. It was because of their short-term experience that they are going again and choosing to live a life of missional living. That is the end goal of why I do what I do. I am starting my third year of working in mobilization and have had the privilege of seeing many students go and serve.
Just to name of few....

Aimee is serving currently in South Korea teaching English
Ryan is serving in Suriname as a j-man
Brie is serving in Belgium as a j-man
Stephanie is teaching English in China
Aimee is serving in Cambodia
Jenny is serving a semester in Chile
Krista is serving in West Africa
Charlie and Corrie are teaching English in the Middle East
Aaron is serving in the Middle East
A different Aaron served in South Korea as an English teacher and recently came back after getting married (see you can serve overseas and not be stuck single!)
Kimberlee is the process to serve as a j-man and several more like her in the pipeline!!!

I will never know what kind of eternal impact these students are having for the Kingdom, but I am just thankful that in God's graciousness towards me that He let me have a role in these students' lives. I am truly blessed to be a part of such a great work in the lives of college students!! GOD IS GOOD.

Thankful

Tonight, I backed into a truck in the parking-lot. Not my most glorious moment. I am fine but my car now has a little bit more character and personality then it had before. I walked away annoyed with myself, but oddly enough pretty thankful. I was thankful for two reasons. First for the body of Christ because my friend Dave came to the rescue. Dave is my California dad who bails me out or protects me when I need a male presence. Since I met him in India over three years ago, his family has always been a blessing to me in so many ways. I also found myself really thankful for the police. This semester, I have spent a lot of time studying different countries and their infrastructure and systems. And one of the most important thing needed for a countries success as a state is for the people to feel safe and the ability to force law. I know that the US police system can be corrupt; however, I was not at all afraid to call the police. I knew that they would not ask for a bribe, that they would deliver the necessary service, and that I would be dealt with in a respectable manner. This is not true for the majority of the world. Most of the world would do everything they could to not involve the police because they are corrupt, abuse their power, and instill fear in the people. So the fact that I was relieved to know that he called the police to deal with our situation is a unique privilege I hold as an American citizen. So I walked away thankful.

Top 3% of the World

My professor kept repeating over and over again this weekend, "You are in the the top 3% of the most educated people in the WORLD because you are pursuing your masters degree." Top 3%. She always said this with so much weight and responsibility. I can't quite wrap my mind around this statistic...still processing the implications this statistic has for my life.

Behold, I Make All Things New

I just completed my first graduate class for my Intercultural Studies degree called "Organizational Systems Of Society." It is one of my top favorite 3 classes that I have had thus far in my academic career. The class was about the reality of the world in which we live and how utterly screwed up (I wish i could insert much stronger language here) the world (especially Africa) really is. It is the most depressing class, without competition, I have ever taken. We grappled with realities of the world, that as an American are not my reality, such as: human trafficking, world hunger, child soldiers, failed states, the bottom billion, conflict, war, genocide, and many other things that plague the world. I am now informed and bothered by the horrific things happening in the world that seem to have no easy or hopeful solutions. The depressing fact is that there really aren't any quick-solutions for the human family. Peace is something that is sought after but very rarely ever found. My rose-colored glasses are removed and I am left with a lot of cynicism. However, after this class, I have a new longing for REDEMPTION that ONLY Jesus Christ can provide. All day today, I was plagued by the phrase in Revelation, "I have come to make all things new..." This is the hope that I cling to tonight, that one day Jesus Christ will RESTORE and REDEEM His creation! I have a deepened understanding of the immense beauty and necessity of restoration and redemption. Christ is the only Hope for the world. My hope can be found in no other, and for HIM I give my life, my time, and my devotion.

The passage below is BEAUTIFUL and gives me hope...

Revelation 21:1-8
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death."

I hope to post more of my thoughts about this class in the upcoming weeks. I have been grappling with things such as war, the US' role in the world, and many other things that I hope to share as I begin to really process what I really did learn and take-away from this class.

Quote

I came across this quote in my church history book today. Loved it and want to share it.

To Diognetus,
"Christians are no different from the rest in their nationality, language or customs. ... They live in their own countries, but as sojourners. They fulfill all their duties as citizens, but they suffer as foreigners. They find their homeland wherever they are, but their homeland is not one particular place.... They are in the flesh, but do not live according to the flesh. They live on earth, but are citizens of heaven. They obey all laws, but they live at a level higher than that required by law. They love all, but all persecute them."
- To Diognetus 5.I-II.

Book Recommendation

If you have any interest in International Relations, I would recommend you read this little treasure. I am reading it for grad class and it has been soooo good!

Restore Me

Have you ever had relationships in your life that change? Things are no longer what they once were. The excitement and thrill and mystery of the relationship is gone. You didn't intend for the relationship to change it just happened. It is now difficult to understand where you fit into that relationship, but instead of fighting for it, you just give up and surrender to apathy. This is where I am with my walk with Christ. I miss the days of being in awe of my Savior, being absolutely enthralled by His beauty, and simply resting in my relationship with Him. When His mystery is what kept me seeking. I am in a season of life where God is present in my life but I am struggling to understand how he is at work in my everyday happenings. Some days I wonder if what I am doing is right, if what I do makes a difference, and questioning everything. I long for the joy of my salvation to be restored. For admiration and love to be found in my speech when speaking of my Savior. Jesus, I need a freshness of you to engulf my life. I want to be fully content with only your presence. Help me not to miss what you want to teach me or show me in the season of what seems to me that I am just existing without purpose. Prepare me for what's next and give me a heart of passion for your purposes, for the lost, and for your glory. Restore me.

Shocking News

I have some shocking news to share. I am giving up Starbucks. Yep. My pastor has been really challenging our congregation with stewardship and to be honest I suck at it. It is not something I have always struggled with, but right now my lack of stewardship and financial irresponsibility is sin. I am intentionally working to make some positive steps in right direction and setting up some good accountability. So I am going to work on being a good steward and it starts with the Starbucks fast. So if you see me with Starbucks, I give you permission to call me out.

New Joys

There are several things these days that are giving me great joy...
1. Sandals Church
2. My Costco membership
3. My small group at church
4. My sandals lunch crew: Samuel, Andrew, Sirleaf, Kyle, Stephen, Scarlet and the roomies.
5. Ester study
6. My graduate program- especially the noble nine.
7. Costello and Little E
8. The days where I get to leave my office and have conversations with CBU students

God thank that all good things come from YOU! Thanks for blessing me!

Running

Dear open road,

Thank you so much for the romantic first date of the "fall" season. It has been a long summer without you. You always create such a beautiful atmosphere among the mountains, citrus groves, and palm trees. The 2.5 mile run tonight was just the beginning of many more dates to come. Thank you open road for always welcoming me and never letting me down.

Your fellow runner,

Alicia

Esther

One of the things that I am most thankful in this season of my life is my roommates. Not just because because they are fun, or witty, or silly, or crazy, or awesome BUT because they love Jesus and strive to live lives that glorify God. They sharpen me. They teach me what a godly woman looks like through their actions and their desire for excellence. This year we want to do a much better job of encouraging each other and being accountable to each other to be in the Word. So we decided to all do the same study together! We decided to do the Ester 9-week study by Beth Moore! I am pretty excited about studying the same thing with the roomies and grow in depth and knowledge in the Word together!

Good-bye Summer & Reflections on East Asia

Somehow without me even knowing it or realizing it summer escaped. I start back in the treehouse (my office) bright and early Monday morning. Goodbye summer. Summertime is always really great for me because I get to step outside of my life for a couple of months and be reflective on my life. I evaluate what areas of my life need a little TLC, the things I put my time towards, and the people I need to be intentional with. I can honestly say that the spring semester and summer were some hard months for me personally (mostly because of my own selfishness). Somewhere along the way, I forgot that I was bought with a price and that I am a bond servant of Christ. I was living for myself and my own desires instead of for the glory of Christ. When Christ took things from and made it clear that His will was different than my own- instead of desiring obedience I desired my own will. I have spent this past spring semester off on the beaten path that I paved for myself which produced an apathetic lukewarm heart. I have hated who I have become.

BUT thankfully God is faithful when I am faithless! My time in East Asia was personally a really impactful time. I can't really say that I came away with this huge new insight, but rather the Holy Spirit spent three weeks reminding me of important foundational truths in my life. Truths that are foundational to who I am but were buried in apathy. This time I was finally at a place where I was ready to listen. He reminded me of my heart for obedience. The spring semester of my junior year of college God birthed in me a heart for obedience. Sometime this past semester this heart was lost in my own flesh and will. God also reminded me of my love for the Word. As a team we were able to study the books of Philippians and Colossians. We had some awesome times digging into the Word of God. There is nothing like some good meaty theology that makes my little Alicia heart get all fired up. My years in college at First Baptist Church Irving were foundational in forming in me a love for Scripture. However, I will confess that my study of the Word in the past several years has been almost non-existent. I am ashamed. I hate who I am because I am not in His word consistently. I will be changing that this semester- you can even ask me how that's going. The Holy Spirit also reminded me of my desire to be overseas. This past semester has been the first time that I have really struggled with desiring the "American dream". I want the husband, the house, and the kids that live close to their grandparents. The thought of roots and being settled sounds AMAZING. I longed this semester just to be ordinary. But this trip I was reminded, that I am "ruined for the ordinary". God has called me to a life of mobility and the extraordinary. Because of the experiences and the things I have seen I am accountable- to much is given much is expected. I have seen the faces of hopelessly lost people that are dying without the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is an unfinished task and God has called me to that task. It was refreshing to be around people in East Asia that are daily living their lives for the spread of the gospel because they too are ruined for the ordinary. My heart and desire to go to the nations has been intensified and given clearer focus.

All this to say... God is patient with me! Can I get an Amen? I am thankful for this summer and the sin that the Holy Spirit exposed in my own life and the new focus I have for this upcoming semester. My time in East Asia was refreshing and just what I needed. I know that God has been trying to teach me so many things this past semester and I am finally at a place where I am ready to listen and to be changed. Thankfully God never leaves us, but continues to pursue relationship with His children. This summer was much needed and I am sad to see it go, but also ready to put into practice all the things the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me.

God, I pray that this semester will be a semester of spiritual growth, fresh insight, and joy. Joy in serving the risen Savior in whom I am bond servant of Christ!! I pray that you would make me a woman of passion. That this passion would be an overflow of my love for Christ and for people. I pray that you would give me a desire of excellence in all things- my job, my school, and in my relationships. God please make me faithful. God intensify my heart for obedience and for Your purposes. I pray that this semester would be a semester that my love for your Word is rekindled and that Your Word would be active and real in my life. Please give me a love for your gospel and that I would be able to grasp the power of your gospel and it's ability to transform lives. Teach me how to make sharing the gospel a normal and common practice in my life. I pray that my life would be completely hidden in you. For You are worthy because You are righteous and Holy. You are worthy of ALL praise. Make me faithful.

Back in Cali

Just wanted to let you know I made it back from East Asia! Thank you to everyone who prayed for me and my team! It was truly a great trip and I hope that I will be able to blog about my trip in the upcoming weeks and let you know more specifics. I will be leaving for Glorietta, New Mexico for Collegiate Week with my staff on Sunday...the traveling never ends. But here are a few pictures to wet your appetite for more!

Please Pray for Me and My Team!

East Asia Extreme- THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!!

My team will be leaving on July 10 for East Asia for 21 days! We will be teaching English in small market towns and villages. The people we are reaching are only.25% reached. Animism is the main religion of the people and we want to see God's name glorified. Please pray that we would be courageous in sharing the gospel.

Here are some specific requests to pray daily. But we will also be posting updates periodically throughout our time at www.calbaptist.edu/isp. This is where you can get more up to date and recent requests and hear what God is doing!

Week One-
July 10- Pray for last minute preparations and rest before we get on the plane.
July 11- Pray for travel safety and for ALL of our luggage to arrive.
July 12- We arrive to our city at 11AM. Pray for an immediate unity and bond with our field workers and for our cultural adjustment.
July 13- Pray that we would be LEARNERS as we go through orientation and learn our country and city. Pray for a great love for the people we will be serving- our Z’s.
July 14- This will be our first day of teaching. Pray for effectiveness in teaching and instant relationships with our students (this can be ongoing requests as it is our main task).
July 15- Acts 26:18 “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified.”
July 16- Pray for team unity, patience and love for one another.
July 17- Pray for endurance and strength and adjustment to the humid heat.
July 18- Pray for boldness and courage to proclaim the gospel!

Week Two-
July 19- Pray that God would break the hearts of the people and make their hearts ready for the gospel. Ask that HE would also break our hearts for lostness.
July 20- Pray for great favor in the schools that we go to and with the people that we come in contact with. Pray that as we are faithful that God will grant our team and our field workers favor.
July 21- Romans 15:20-21 “And thus make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation but as it is written, ‘those who have never been told of him will see and those who have never heard will understand.”
July 22- Pray for salvation…many, many salvations!
July 23- Pray for open doors for our field workers once we leave. That the contacts we make will go beyond our 3 weeks on the field.
July 24- Pray for our team. We are in our final week- strength, endurance, unity.
July 25- Ezekiel 11:19-20 “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

Week Three
July 26- Pray for rest for our team and for us to connect and share with those we have not yet been able to. For divine opportunities to share and boldness to do it!
July 27- Pray that we would be a blessing to everyone we come in contact with and that we would be able to share with others the blessings of Christ.
July 28- Pray for perseverance, that we would keep our eyes fixed on the goal, and that we would finish strong as a team.
July 29- Pray for good goodbye’s with our new national friends and our field workers.
July 30- Pray for our team as we debrief our experiences and that God would teach us what we need to learn as we learn from this experience.
July 31- Pray for safety as we travel back. Also pray… “And he said to them, ‘the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Luke 10:23.

Texas in Pictures

My sister Shannon & I. We went to Downtown San Antonio to the Riverwalk to celebrate our birthdays. We have the same birthday...wierd...I know.

Lake LBJ- Where I spent my Fourth of July

Shannon and I on the boat...about to watch fireworks on the lake.

My silly Daddy and 2 of this 3 daughters

My awesome Aunt Peggy and my two cousins.

My mother and I.

Shannon and I outside of Texas Roadhouse- a birthday dinner tradition

My grandmother and I

Home and Family

I had the rare opportunity to go home (to my parental unit in Texas) this summer for about 3.5 weeks. I have not spent that many consecutive days with my parents since I graduated high school about 8 years ago. Needless to say it was a blessing. Family is something that is really really important to me, yet the places that God has called me to in obedience continues to lead me far away from my family. That was one the hardest parts about living in India and continues to be difficult now as I settle in California. Being in Texas these past 3.5 weeks was awesome because I got great quality time with so many members of my family. It was exciting to be an active participant of my family and not just an observer from afar. The older I get, the more I long for family and a place of belonging.

For the first time in my life, the thought of settling down in one place sounds so appealing(Especially if that involved getting to be settled near my parents where they could love on their completely hypothetical grandchildren). I have been really fighting God lately and telling Him I want my will for my life and not His. I always know it's only a matter of time before He wins, but I have been particularly stubborn this time around. However, I think God might have finally knocked me down and officially one when He spoke very clearly through a book I am reading. I came across this...

"God's call was to mobility. The first word that God spoke to Abraham was "Go..." Here he continues the theme laid down in the first command given in Genesis 1:28, repeated in Genesis 9:1 and forced upon man in Genesis 11 at Babel. God's people are to be mobile so that they may fill the whole earth. Harvey Cos makes some thought-provoking observations about mobility and its relationship to theology. 'When we seek to understand the phenomenon of mobility from a theological perspective, it is well to remember that the whole Hebrew view of God arose in the social context of nomadic, essentially homeless people... In short, when they were wandering and homeless, the Hebrews seem to have been closest to fulfilling their calling.... They key characteristic of Yahweh, the Old Testament God, are linked to his mobility. ' .... This statement highlights the fact that God is not bound to one place and will not let his people be bound to one place. The whole earth is his domain"

Whether you agree with this theology I could care less about. But what I loved about this passage in the book is that it made my somehow really abnormal life seem somewhat normal. I don't know if that makes sense, but for me I know that God has not called me to settle. I know there will be seasons of settling (like Cali right now), but ultimately I know that I always want to be in a place of mobility. That when God says go, I am ready and most importantly willing to uproot... again.

All this to say, is that I will probably never live next door to my family and get to attend every Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Fourth of July celebration. But that is part of the sacrifice and joy of obedience in my answer to say to Jesus' call "Follow Me." I treasured this past month with my family and thankful for this sweet gift.

God, I pray that you would help me keep my eyes focused on You, Your kingdom, and Your global purposes. I ask that my life would be marked by mobility as you move me to the nations here and there. Thank you for this calling in my life and I ask that days that I am not thankful for it that you would give me eternal perspective.

So this video here is random. But it's me giving a tour of my home in India. I came across it while at home. This was done the first month or two that I was in-country. It's about 15 minutes long, but its pretty entertaining and I even sing at the end which might make it worth your time. :) Please enjoy my Indian Home- which I also long to visit.

Masters of Intercultural Studies

Starting August 14, I will be an official Union University AND Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (GGBTS) graduate student! For the past year, I have been working towards my Master of Theological Studies at GGBTS. But this year, I am finally becoming a part of the Global Studies Program (GSP) which is a partnership between Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in San Fransisco, California and Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. The GSP program is a dual masters program in Intercultural Studies and Theological Studies. In simple terms, when I finish (400 years from now) I will have two masters degrees from two different universities. I am really excited about the classes I will be taking for my Masters of Intercultural Studies. I have had my eye on this degree for awhile now and am I finally getting to start it. Below is a brief description of the program (feel free to scroll down if you don't care)

• Students today face unprecedented challenges and opportunities as they prepare for professions that are increasingly global in outlook. The Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies (MAIS) is a graduate program designed to provide you with an integrated view of the knowledge and skills needed to live and work across cultures and nations.
  
• The MAIS program will:
  1. Give you a foundational knowledge of intercultural relationships while guiding you to develop a conceptual framework for understanding different, diverse approaches to knowledge and intercultural relationships.
  2. Enable you to learn how to integrate intercultural consciousness and empathy with practical skills necessary to live and work effectively between/among cultures.
  3. Teach you the critical skills necessary to evaluate new environments, situations, and information in intercultural settings.
  4. Teach you to conduct, document and apply field research. Every student is required to participate in an intercultural field research experience.
  5. Guide students to develop, communicate and implement a multicultural vision in which ethical decision-making and leadership are key.

The unique thing about me starting this program is that all my classes will be in San Fransisco (about an 8 hour drive from where I live in Riverside)! Most people that pursue this degree go to school at GGBTS' main campus in San Fransisco NOT the Southern extension where I attend. So the travel is a little bit abnormal for the typical GSP student and I am kind of considered a guinea pig to see if they would recommend this to anyone else. The phrase "Go Big or Go Home" comes to mind. The format of the Union classes are intensive weekend classes that meet from Thursday-Saturday all day. Each class meets for two separate weekends for a total of four this fall! Needless to say, there will be a lot of travel in my future! But if I am going to travel I would say that San Fransisco is an awesome place to be "stuck" learning. The GGBTS campus there is beautiful and sits right on the bay.

These are the classes I am taking this fall:
1. Intercultural Communications- San Fransisco, CA (Union Class)
2. Organizational Systems of Society- San Fransisco, CA (Union Class)
3. Survey of Christianity to 1517- Orange County, CA (GGBTS Class)

I am excited about this graduate program and where God wants to lead me in the future as I learn about being effective among different cultures and nations. Please keep me in prayers. It's always a challenge to tackle a grad program while working full-time in ministry!

New Blog Makeover- yessssssssssss!

Well friends, I finally gave my blog the makeover it has needed for about 2 years. Yes, I finally updated my links also. My roommates are happy that they finally got some link love. I changed my URL so I hope those of you who have followed me on http://namaskarsa.blogspot.com/ for the past 4 years will find me!

Leave me some comment love and I just might blog on this more often! Is leaving comments on blogs going out of style...???? Because if it is I think we should bring it back... kind of like how Justin Timberlake brought sexy back... if Justin can do it...I think Alicia can do it.

Ok I am rambling....

My Little Alicia Heart

It's funny how when you hang out with people long enough that you begin to pick up each others mannerism and phrases. So as most of you know, I coined the phrase "my (something) Alicia heart". When overjoyed I often express this by saying, "my little Alicia heart is happy" or "my roommate heart is happy" and etc... Somewhere along the way, my roommate Becka also picked up the phrase and started saying "my little teacher heart". Becka teaches high schoolers and her high schoolers have also begun to pick up this phrase. Tonight as I was staying up late with Becka as she grades her students' final essays and in one of the essays they wrote, "it hurt her little student heart" in this student's final!! Yes, friends.... I am officially influencing the world of high schoolers in Riverside with my own verbage!! I feel like a celebrity!!

What are phrases of funny things you do that others pick up?

Quality Time With Texas

Tomorrow morning I am getting on an airplane and flying to San Antonio for an eight day vacation! My fun begins the minute I get off the airplane because I am going to be greeted by 6 of my college besties! In honor of officially being done with college for four year we decided to have a reunion. Once they pick me up from SAT airport we will go for a night on the town at the Riverwalk! I am so excited to see these ladies (one is even prego now)!

This was our last night together at DBU where we created Hamaley (a build a bear that has our recorded voices in the paw and her name makes up all of our names!) I first took Hamaley to India with me and she has been passed around for the past 4 years.

And this is us the weekend after I got back from India! I have the most loyal friends who always love me enough to drive to where I am in Texas!!

After an evening of fun with the old roomies and besties I will get to celebrate my mother's 50th Birthday!! I love my mother and all of her daughters are going to be together! We are going to have a nice little barbecue birthday party filled with fun surprises!!

Then I get a whole week with the fam! I am going to give my Daddy lots of hugs (apparently he misses hugging me) and veg, and shop, and love on my family that I never see!! Bliss.

Then my cousin Chris is finally getting married!!! He just graduated from Seminary and is marrying an awesome girl!

And last but not least I get to see another one of my best friends get married...Sarah Clary! She is my ghetto friend who when I first met her thought she was too pretty and popular to be my friend. She thought I was a goody-to-shoe. And then we played basketball together on the court and she met my sass. Heh...then we were instant BFF's! She is great and I am stoked she married at my home church in college so i get to see all my FBC Irving peeps if they are at the wedding!!!

Me and Sarah.

Ok...so this post has no creativity in it whatsoever, but basically I hope you can see that I am excited to get to see and be apart of so many awesome events! For once, I don't have to watch them from a distance! God is good to give me some quality time with people I love and have laid the foundation for who I am today!! Peace out...see you in a week!

See You at the Globe

One of my favorite traditions at CBU is globe send offs.  Globe send offs are synonymous with the International Service Projects at CBU.  Before a team departs for the airport the MOB staff(office of mobilization which is my world at CBU) executes a globe send off!  It is a chance for friends, family, and significant others to come and support and send off the people they love.  I also think it's a great way to focus the team right before they head to the nations for the next 21 days.    Teams leave at the globe and return to the globe!!!

The globe, also referred to as the koogle is a favorite landmark on CBU's campus!!!  It gets a lot of action.....

Tomorrow we will be sending of Russia A & Russia B!  This means that we will have 15 teams on the field right now.  You can be reading there updates at http://calbaptist.edu/isp.  We would love to have your prayers as over 300 students go courageously to the nations!!!

 

Look at all these people praying!!  Powerful moment!

Here is me and my roommates last week sending off Sam to Southeast Asia!!  Sam is my roommates brother which means he is our brother too!!

Please PRAY FOR MY STUDENTS!!!!

Kickboxing

When I was in college, I had the opportunity to take kickboxing classes. I have always loved kickboxing and Taebo. However, it is always really hard to find a place that you can take classes and that doesn't cost a fortune. Recently, I discovered a kickboxing gym, KO Knockout, that is literally about a mile and a half from my apartment and relatively in-expensive! I single handedly convinced my roomies to join the kick-boxing gym with me! This is what I love about my kick-boxing gym...

• my sweet pink everlast gloves
• that it is a full-body work out
• it's great cardio
• there are lots of classes and variety
• you get kick things and hit things
• "Cause it got the beat that bounce and got the beat that pound"
• it is a Christian run gym and they offer bible studies and prayer!

I have really LOVED kick-boxing so far! I will say that I haven't been able to move my body this past week and my muscles hate me. However....this too shall pass.

Ode to the Spurs

To My Black and White Ballers, 

My heart is saddened by our unfortunate defeat

I was so hoping for a championship repeat

You worked so hard this season Tony

The world can see you're clearly no Phony

Fans let us not forget our Tall Tim 

Every school yard kid wants to be him

We couldn't have made it this far without Ginobili

You put up baskets that rival silly Kobe

I sat at the AT&T center and watched my homeboys win 

With home court advantage you were a definite shoe-in

As a whole it was a well-fought season

But this defeat had to happen for a reason

Let's give another Texas team a championship slot

You know that the Lone Star state will always be hot  

Since the days I first learned to drive a car

I have been consistent to watch you even from afar 

Lakers and Clippers fans are so lame

Aren't you glad us Spurs fans don't bring you shame

I need you to know I will always remain loyal 

Even if I am living on California soil  

My basketball heart will always feed your fame

Cause you BOYSZ you know YOU GOT GAME  

So it is here that I will end this flo 

With the simple words... GO SPURS GO!

Love for the Game

What does 1999, 2003, 2005 & 2007 all have in common? Yes, they are all odd numbers BUT more importantly they are the years that the Spurs have taken home the title of Champs! I am a woman of tradition so I think it would only be fitting for them to take another championship in 2009 to keep with the oddity of their wins (pun intended). Don't you agree?
This is one my most looked forwareded to times of the year... the time NBA PLAYOFFS! My homeboys, the San Antonio Spurs, have been consistently making it to the playoffs for the past decade which means I have been loyal to chant "Go Spurs Go" since the days of learning to drive.
My loyalties could have been challenged as I ventured to lands beyond San Antonio, but my devotion has only been strengthened. For example, during my college years I was surrounded by Maverick fans that insisted that just because I lived in the BIG D that I should betray my boys, but no my stubbornness and love for the Spurs shined brightly among those malicious Mavericks. Even in my years of living abroad, I was faithful to wake up at 3 AM just to watch the championship games to see my homeboys play. The worst of all however has been my recent move to Southern California where the suffocating colors of purple and gold bombard me from all sides. Even close friendships could not alter my love for the Spurs in the land of Lakers. I have worn my Spurs shirt with pride among some of the most loyal Lakers fans around. I would pride myself in being a loyal Spurs fan abroad.
So this is my annual blog shout out to my homeboys as they fight to take the championship...yet again. They are currently in Round 1 of the playoffs vs the Mavericks. They have to win the game this Tuesday or they are out of the playoffs (FROWN). Luckily the next game we have home court advantage and Spurs Fans ROCK. So I except a pretty victory on Tuesday! On that note...
GO SPURS GO!!!
This is a picture of me at the Spurs game during Christmas break!

PS. Today was the most beautiful Southern California day and I finished one of my 1o page papers...wooo.....

Logistics

Logistics (noun)- "The planning, execution and control -of the movement and placement of people and/or goods -and of the supporting activities related to such movement and placement within a system organized to achieve specific objectives."

Last summer, I lead a group of 9 CBU students to Munich, Germany on a missions trip for 3 weeks. It is humbling how well people get to know your quirks and habits when you spend all semester training together that is culminated by 24/7 time together for 21 days. One of the many quirks that I became known for was my over usage of the word 'logistics'. I love logistics which I guess was clear by my speech. As they say, out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. I heart logistics.

It is no surprise that I took on a full-time job that is 8-5 LOGISTICS!! There are days when I am buried in emails and cross-eyed from looking at too many excel spreadsheets, but at the end of the day my J heart (Myers Briggs anyone?) is happy. This week was a particularly glorious week in that I got to see a lot of semester long projects come to an end and see some great movement. It was such a great week of work and I think I might have one of the best jobs in the world.
This is what I did this week....

1. cleaned out an inbox of over 250 emails
2. finalized the plane itineraries for the last of the 31 teams going to 20 different countries this summer.
3. ordered the last of the shuttles to and from CBU for our 31 teams
4. made, completed, and handed out about 90% of the travel cards for our 300 students so there parents can leave and pick them up at the appropriate time.
5. facilitated 2 training sessions
6. handed back the last of the passports for our Russia and Uganda teams who needed visas.
7. expedited by boss' passport to quickly get a Russia visa
8. sent of lots and lots of paperwork to Sunergos, Book of Hope, and Little Lambs (paperwork is my new nemesis).
9. harassed multiple students for passport copies
10. made team budgets for our June teams
11. organized all this information in an awesome excel spreadsheet on what we like to call the "matrix"

It was a beautiful week because i have been balancing all these things all semester, but seeing that our first 18 teams leave in a week from Monday it's finally time for it all to come together. Most people probably would want to shoot themselves because of all the details and planning, but I absolutely LOVE it!

Procrastinating. This is what I am doing by blogging. I am avoiding writing a ten-page paper on a Saturday night. Can you blame me? However, I realized I haven't blogged since January 30th! But then again, how did May get here so fast?! So I am going to update you on my life picking up from the BIG RACE...

• I completed my first half-marathon and survived it enough to want to do another one! My roommate and I are thinking about running one next fall and finding a beautiful location maybe out of town. I am still running, but not nearly as much as I would like.


• I became a true Californian. I went to the beach one Saturday afternoon and went to the snowy mountains the NEXT day. Yes, this is THE perk of living in So Cal.


• I absolutely love my job! I am one of those few people in life that actually love there 8 to 5 J-O-B. Most days, I am bogged down in details, emails, excel spreadsheets, and solving problems and in doing those administrative tasks it is easy for me to forget the big pictures. It is through the logistics of my job that over 350 students have the opporutunity to be trained and serve God overseas! And man I want to give my life for the task of seeing people come to Christ. Yesterday, was one of those days at work where I was able to literally see the big picture of what God is doing through my title at "International Service Projects Coordinator." We had a commissioning service at CBU for our 31 teams that we are sending overseas (about 350 students). I was personally blessed and moved by the intimate prayer and worship time with my own team going to East Asia this summer. I still can't believe that God allows me to be a part of his work in some of the most unreached places. It baffles my small Alicia brain. I am so inadequate but He delights in my service somehow my service brings Him glory. We also put on this awesome "Night of Nations" where all the teams performed skits sharing what they were doing this summer. We had about 800 people show up and it was a reminder of the hope we get to bring to these 21 different countries this summer!! God, why do you allow me to be a part of this task?!!!


• I took four classes this semester in graduate school. I would say that they have been keeping me busy. This semester has honestly been a huge struggle for me academically. I haven't fallen in love with seminary yet. And honestly, I haven't loved my profs or classes. This is about 80% my problem not theirs. I could be honest and say that I have just been going to classes to get a piece of paper and not for the pure joy of learning. UGH. I am not sure how to get out of this funk, but this is kind of where I am.
• I spent a majority of this semester being distracted by a tall, dark, and handsome man. It's amazing how men can hijack your brain. For the past year, I have been casually getting to know and develop a friendship with a man and this semester we actually made it official. Unfortunately, all of that intentionality was in vain and it looks as though the door to that relationship is closed. I can be honest and say that I am still praying through what the purpose of all of that was and honestly might not ever know. Somewhere along the way we have made relationships so complicated, but I guess when you have two independent lives coming together along with two imperfect people you can't help but expect difficultly. Even Paul says in I Corinthians to expect trouble in relationships. But then through this relationship, I was also reminded of the beauty of God's biblical model of relationships. Even though they are complicated and messy, there is great beauty in being committed to someone- two is better than one- having a ministry partner for life! I love the idea of one day NOT having to say goodbye to someone in my life (my life for the past 4 years), someone to dream the impossible with, someone to sharpen me and keep me accountable to the Word, someone to laugh with, someone that you just enjoy being with and living life with, but most importantly someone that we can both look back at our lives together and know that we were faithful to the task and that hopefully our lives brought Christ glory. I have honestly really been struggling with the Lord with lots of questions of why... but that just reveals where my heart is...this is the first time in my life where I want my own will more than His and that scares me. So I am praying that God will continue to show me how to trust Him...God, please increase my trust in you. The best thing I would say I gained from this relationship was that I experienced my first non-dysfunctional relationship and man it was sooo fun!
• I dyed my hair almost black. It has been a fun change mostly because people say I look like a different person and because I get a lot more compliments on my tan and blue eyes...who knew? It makes me giggle. The also humorous thing is that my bangs got completely botched in the haircutting process and it has been a funny joke with me and my roommates. Lets just say they have been pinned back for the past 3 weeks and might be for a couple more!
• I have really awesome roommates. They are my family. They are there to rejoice with me in my victories, to love me when I am unlovable, to pep me up when I need it, and to be just what I need when I need it. Being single and 25 is honestly hard some days, but God has been unbelievable in sending me sisters in Christ to share life with!


• I changed churches again. I am back at Sandals and am soo excited about my choice. I really missed the people and community of Sandals. The people who make California my home all attend Sandals and I found myself needing that community again! So I am back and soo excited about joining my small group. There is an awesome small group of married couples and singles my age that all have a heart to be overseas, love living life, and have amazing hearts for the Lord. I am stoked to join this group very very soon...



• I am going home in May to see my family!! It is my mom's 50th birthday and my cousin Chris is getting married!! I can't wait to see them... I hate that they are soo far away, but it makes being together so much better!
  

6793- Surf City Marathon

The day has finally come and I will be running my Half Marathon at the Surf City Marathon! 13.1 miles here I come!! After 18 weeks of training I would say that I feel prepared and ready to tackle Sunday morning. Training for this marathon has been an enjoyable experience. I have come a long way. I remember my first long run of 4 miles that I wanted to cry because I seriously think I was the last one to finish. I felt like such a failure and that I sucked at running and at that moment in time that I sucked at life. But here I am months later and my last long run last week of 9 miles was easy and I can honestly say enjoyable. Like I said I have come a long way!! 6793 is my bib number that I will get to proudly display while running.

I am sure there is some great lesson or parallel to my life and training for this marathon, but I will save that to ponder on my nice long run on Saturday.

There is about 15-20 of us from CBU that are running (along with my roomie) on Sunday morning. So please keep us in your prayers- we would all really appreciate that!! Most of my friends are running the full 26.2 and are pretty nervous (as they should be!) Pray that our bodies will be safe and recover quickly!!

I will hopefully get to post some fun pictures after Sunday!

Plans- Do I plan to move overseas again?

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 I can't help but chuckle to myself when I read this verse. During my four years of education at Dallas Baptist University, I must have had this verse read to me literally 1,000 times! I hate it when something you love becomes common place because it loses it's meaning. However, this verse holds such amazing truth for our lives. Me being the planner that I am, this verse holds a lot of truth and hope. God put this verse in the Bible for all of us planners out there...you know who you are. Because I am a planner, it is comforting to know first of all that God has a plan and second that His plan is always prosperous and beneficial for me- if I truly submit myself to Him. I am reminded however, that His idea of success and the worlds idea of success are not one in the same.

I have a lot of people ask me if I PLAN to move overseas again one day. Such a great question... but a hard one to answer. There are days when the thought of living overseas again sounds too hard and too difficult. It literally makes me want to throw-up in my mouth. I have been there and done that and I know EXACTLY what I would be getting myself into. As I settle into my comfortable life here in Southern California, my short-lived life overseas almost seems like a dream and a little unbelievable. These days it has been easy for me to want the American dream. I was reminded of the enticing nature of the world's success while I was in Texas. I had the opportunity to visit my cousin Angela (who is only 4 weeks older than me) in Austin along with her 3 bedroom, newly painted, and beautiful house. I couldn't help but want exactly what she had- the husband, brand new car, new house, and 2 dogs (except i would want kittens). She seemed to have what everyone wants and was doing it in style. That day, all I wanted was the perfect life in America. After all, all my peers around me would think I was living a meaningful life- especially if I had a great personal ministry.

However, also while in Texas, I was reading a book called "The Heavenly Man" which is the life-story a Chinese Christian brother Yun living out the beauty and hardship of the gospel. His life is anything but glamorous, yet I found myself longing for his life. Brother Yun is one of the leading church planters in China. To this day, he lives in Germany because he is one of the most wanted criminals (for sharing the gospel) in all of China and if he returned he would be executed. This book portrays Yun's life of utter physical destitution, but the author then beautifully contrasts the depths of spiritual riches He has in Jesus Christ. His life is filled with hunger, lack of clothing, separation from his family because of being imprisoned, hiding, loneliness, despair, and inhumane treatment. But his life is also filled with God's miraculous provision, visions from the Lord, miracles, supernatural prison escapes, and most importantly a deep intimate relationship with Jesus that satisfies. He knew Jesus and felt His presence in a way that I would give my right arm for. So many times throughout reading this book, I found myself in tears because of the beauty of God's presence and provision to His people. I experienced a taste of this while living in India and have longed for it to return since moving back. Today, I LONG for the presence of Christ and ministry like I had in India. Life overseas is nothing but hardship and sacrifice. But isn't that what Jesus' life was like here on earth? The purpose of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is NOT for me to live comfortably, but to give my life for the sake and glory of Jesus Christ among all peoples.

So all of that to say this: The thought of moving overseas long-term scares the hell out of me because I know what it takes. However, living my life for myself and my own vain existence scares the hell out of me even more. I don't know exactly what God is doing in and through me right now at CBU, but I know that every future life decision I make will be filtered through a global lens: how does this job, or this education, or this or that impact the spreading of the gospel to the nations. I hope that God sends me back overseas, but I honestly don't know what His plans are for me. I am open to wherever God would have me serve. Please pray against the allurement of the things of this world, but that I would live as a true foreigner longing for my time to go home!

So here are some practical things of what I am doing to get my butt overseas until God directs me differently:
1. I am enrolling in the Global Studies program at Golden Gate in the fall. I will before pursuing a Masters in Intercultural Studies.
2. I recently gained some financial accountability and guidance to start paying down my credit card debt and eventually school loans. I don't want money to be a reason why I can't serve overseas.

I pray God allows me to go back and serve, but we will see what His plans are. I know his plans are to prosper me and to give me a hope and a future!

*I should clarify that I don't think having a husband, house, and dog is ungodly or wrong. It just can't be my life goal. I didn't want to offend anyone!