Adios

I am out. Headed home to the place where my heart....South Asia. I will be leading a team of college students with my good friend Kyle and Mical. Here is a prayer guide of how you can be praying for our team. Sorry to those I didn't get to connect with before I left.

Week One:
May 25- Pray for last minute preparations and rest before we get on the plane.
May 26- Pray for travel safety and for ALL of our luggage to arrive in-country with us.
May 27- We arrive to our city at 6 AM. We have a LONG day to stay awake and to engage. Pray for unity and close bond with our field workers and for our cultural adjustment.
May 28- Pray that we would be LEARNERS as we go through orientation and learn our country, city, and people. Pray for a great love for the people we will be serving. Pray for an adjustment to the intense heat.
May 29- We are a Bible Storying team and will be spending a lot of time learning the art of storytelling. Pray for a love for storytelling and a love for sharing stories with the people we meet.
May 30- We will be worshipping today with local believers. Pray for God to give us a love for the global church and a better understanding of Revelation 7.
May 31- Today will be our first day of teaching ESL storying. Our team will be split for the first time in our trip. Half of the team will go to one location and the other half will go to another location. Please pray for the unity of our team. Pray for immediate connections with our students. Pray for boldness to have spiritual conversations.
June 1- Pray for endurance, strength, and adjustment to the INTENSE HEAT and long days. Pray for brokenness.
June 2- Pray for unity as a team as we are spending most of the day separate from half of our group. Pray for good debriefing and team time in the mornings and evenings. Pray for our spiritual growth and to be refined.

Week Two:
June 3- 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 among the nations.
June 4- Pray for good health and perseverance. Today is our last day of teaching in this location. Pray for good closure and good conversations with our new friends as we say good-bye to the students.
June 5- We will be site-seeing in a city about three hours away. Please pray for smooth logistics, great unity between our team, hydration, and lots of laughter.
June 6- Pray for physical rest today after a long-day of site-seeing. Pray also for spiritual rest as we worship with believers.
June 7- We are in our second and final week of teaching. Pray for new relationships, strength, endurance, and unity. Pray for good health for the team. Pray for salvation for those we meet this week.
June 8- Pray for boldness to share the gospel and for the hearts of our students to be prepared for the gospel.
June 9- 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.” Pray for perseverance, that we would keep our eyes fixed on the goal, and that we would finish strong as a team.

Week Three:
June 10- 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!
June 11- Today is our last day of teaching. Pray again for good closure and good-byes and we leave the location we have been serving this week.
June 12- Pray for our team as we debrief our experiences in the next couple of days. Pray that God would teach us what we need to learn as we learn from our experiences.
June 13- Pray for good goodbye’s with our new national friends and our field workers.
June 14- 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.”
June 15- 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.

TOP: (left to right) Kyle, Brenton, Chris, Sarah, and Erik
BOTTOM: (left to right) Alicia, Mical, Nicole, and Natalie

May 25-26: Traveling
May 27-30: Orienting
May 31 – June 4: Teaching our first week of ESL Storying
June 5–6: Site-seeing and Resting
June 7-11: Teaching our second week of ESL Storying
June 12-14: Debriefing, Shopping, Resting, and saying Good-bye
June 15: My team leaves and I stay in India a few days longer.

You can read LIVE UPDATES at www.calbaptist.edu/ISP

Click on South Asia Storying Team

An Ode To Pink

My roommate Becka teaches poetry to her sophomore this time each year. Each sophomore writes their own poetry (odes, sonnets, figurative language, onomatopoeia, etc...) and makes a book. Becka chooses to do write poetry alongside her sophomores every year. Last year, I wrote an Ode to my Spurs and this year the roomies and I collectively wrote an ode to our sweatpants. Here it is in all it's glory....

PS. Amanda, I think this will make your English heart, pink heart, and VS heart happy.

Ode to PINK TM

All roomies hail to Victoria
And all her many, saucy secrets.
You make us sing gloria,
5 pairs later, and still no regrets.

Cut like a boyfriend,
Sweatpants so soft you’ve captured our love,
We salute your cotton blend,
You give us sweet TLC like from above.

All the girly colors of the rainbow,
Pink, purple, gray, and black,
You give off that sexy glow,
Cause you always cuddle back.

Like good news, we tell of your wonder
On facebook and twitter, both far and wide,
No other sweatpants could tear us asunder,
We’ll wear you this summer wherever we ride.

We’ve learned we must stagger our swagger,
Cause we wanna wear you all the time,
Hotter and better than Keysha’s Mick Jagger,
The Trifecta together, you ARE that sublime.

Corporate Prayer

Yes, you are getting two posts in one evening. Tonight I was blessed to be a part of the body of Christ working together. There is nothing more powerful to me than corporate prayer. In fact, it is the one thing in my life that is completely absent, which is slightly ridiculous because of the amazing community that I am surrounded with. However, tonight some dear friends asked for prayer for their family and for those that could to come to their house and pray. I JUMPED at the opportunity to go and was honestly just spiritually blessed to get to pray in with other believers. Man how I wish this happened on a weekly basis. I am thankful to the Cordi for asking their communit for prayer. There are some days when all I wish was that someone would offer to pray for me. Maybe I need to be more intentional to ask for it. But today, I was thankful that someone had the guts to ask for the community of God to pray together for a specific need. I am honestly an idiot in my own life for not asking of the same.

SOS

Right now, I am so stressed I can feel the rocks in my shoulders and back. I have 8 days to hold it together before I leave. And yes, I did specifically choose the words "hold it together". It's going to be a rough 8 days. I will be so thankful just to get on the plane and GO. But I am also not going to get any type of physical or spiritual rest before I go. So please pray for me.
#bitter/stressed rant

To the ends of the earth....

Acts 1:8 "...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

This picture has my mind spinning. My seniors graduated last Friday and these represented in this picture are 1/3 of the California Baptist University population that served on a missions trip during their college experience. The beauty of this picture is the physical representation of the gospel of Jesus Christ lived out among the nations. Many won't stop at graduation and will continue to be the LIGHT to a dark world.

May God continue to send workers from CBU...the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. God give us hearts of obedience to go the corners of the world proclaiming the GOOD NEWS!

***students get to where the Great Comission white stoles at graduation if they participate in an International Service Project while at CBU.

My India Heart

God has given me such a sweet reminder of my heart for India these past couple of weeks. I got the opportunity to host a dozen college girls in my apartment for an evening of Indian festivities. I ordered Indian snacks from a local Indian market, hired a henna wallah, had the Bollywood movie playing, and the chai ready. I can honestly say I haven't been in my element, as much in that moment, for longer than I can remember. I was overwhelmed with emotion getting share a place that has meant so much to me with people in my community here. I love it when people love India, the traditions, and the people.

I was however blessed when God gave me opportunity to share the gospel with "Uncle Ji" at the party. I, of course, had been engaging him in conversation, making him chai, and telling him some of my crazy stories about living in India. We engaged each other in spiritual conversation which at some point involved me sharing the FULL gospel with him. He asked about the purpose of the church, convictions, sin, heaven, and worship. I was reminded how easy it is to have spiritual conversations with Hindu's and how it easily leads to the gospel. The highlight of my evening was when I played Yeshu Bagans (Jesus worship music in Hindu style) and he went on and on about how wonderful they were and even asked for a copy!! I walked away from this evening with a huge part of my heart that had died revived with a new spark and excitement for my upcoming adventures in India again this summer and the Indian people.

God was gracious to me TODAY again in reminding me of my love for India. I went in to the shop where Uncle Ji works to get my eyebrows threaded. And the minute I walked in, Uncle Ji shook my hand and hugged me. I might also add it was a little awkward. An Indian male has never given me a frontal hug before! But it was totally the hug you would give a family member. Then he was quickly on the phone with his wife telling her I was in the shop! He soon mentioned too that He left the Yeshu Bagan CD at my apartment and that I needed to bring it ASAP because he wanted to play it in his shop. I was of course invited to come to his home and eat indian food and to bring my pictures to the shop.

I am most excited that the gospel through song will soon be playing in his shop once I give him the CD.

So today my Indian heart is full, yet again. Full because God sent me there over 5 years ago to fall in love with it's people and it's culture, but more importantly because I have the life giving gospel to share with them. I am so thankful that God connected me with this family. I pray this will be the beginning my ministry to Indians in Southern California!

May 19, 2011

This is the date of my graduation from graduate school.


Just one year and 35 days till I get hooded, but who's counting??

Parental Unit

After 2.5 years, my parents are coming to R-town! I AM STOKED. They will be here for 8 awesome and full days. I even took vacation this Thursday and Friday. I am actually using my vacation for fun and not taking graduate classes. Wahoo!

storms

Today something extraordinary happened.

I experienced a rain storm complete with thunder and lightning.

In my 2 years and 3 months of residence in California this is the FIRST rain storm that I have been apart of! I even went for a run in the rain it is so glorious.

I am truly thankful for the power of God displayed through weather.

As I write this, I am reminded of sleeping Jesus who awoke to a boat full of friends who were scared out their minds because of a crazy rain storm.

Then Jesus simply spoke and immediately the winds and the skies obeyed.

PEACE immediately followed.

The past couple of days, my soul has been in turmoil as I think about this upcoming semester. I have already determined that I CANNOT have another semester like I had last semester. It was a rough one, but last semester I trusted in my own abilities. I did it in my own strength. This semester I am praying that God would strip away my independence and give me a heart that dependent on Him FULLY. So God speak your peace into my life. If you can command the seas, then I know you can command the storm in my soul. You are trustyworthy, increase my trust.

Meanwhile, I am going to enjoy this storm by drinking coffee, snuggled under a warm blanket, listening to the water pour down and pretending that I am reading a great romance novel instead of a boring research textbook.

.

round two

Below you will find my brand-spanking new running shoes! Aren't they some hot looking asics? I personally find there to be something very attractive about running shoes. I bought them to commemorate the training of my second half-marathon. The first time I ran, I ran with the community of Lancers at CBU. This time I am running with my Sandals community. We have all decided to attend the 8:15 service (we lovingly/sarcastically call it the Sunrise service). Then we run our long runs after church! This morning we kicked off the first "long" run of 4 miles....

We will be running the La Jolla Half-marathon on April 25th...

Week one of training down....14 to go!

Another Decade down....

Another decade down..... 2000-2010

• graduated high school
• got my first boyfriend
• moved to Dallas and gained my true independence
• became a college student
• got my first professional job at Buckner
• gained an undergraduate degree in Biblical Studies and Sociology
• became a member of First Baptist Church Irving which was the beginning of my future for all things SBC
• gained a strong foundation through my church and amazing mentors like Jennifer and Amanda and Beverly
• learned ebonics while working at Wynnewood and learning how to play hood ball
• established friendship that are now life long friend
• moved overseas to India
• learned how to live, survive, and enjoy India
• traveled the world with some of my best friends in the world to Singapore, Thailand, North South Korea, Bali, Malaysia, Germany, China, Honduras, Austria, and Mexico
• moved to Sunny Southern California
• lived on a college campus for a second time
• became an employee of California Baptist University
• joined the community and life of Sandals Church
• moved in with ladies that our now my family and best friends
• started two Masters degrees
• lost a high school friend to cancer and saw another survive cancer
• discovered a new passion for collegiate ministry and mobilization
• led two teams of college students to Germany and East Asia

It is crazy to think of all the life changes that happen in a decade! 10 years from now I will be close to 36 years old!! I am excited about the joys and struggles of the next ten years! I feel like these last 10 years were crucial and foundation to who I will be in the next 10. I am guaranteed a full life in Christ. I am thankful for Christ who is enough. Here's to the next 10 years as God continues to give me a heart for obedience....oh the places I will go...

Ways to Encourage Missionaries on the Field

I received this link from one of the many field workers that I am blessed to work with. This is not my list but compiled by Mark Rogers. Having been a field worker myself, being a lover of encouragement, and wanting to be a good resourcer I wanted to post this. So enjoy.

10 Ways to Encourage a Missionary
In an effort to learn how we can best encourage missionaries, I emailed some and asked how they would most like to be served and encouraged. This list is drawn from their responses, including many direct quotes.

1. Pray for them and let them know that you are doing so frequently.

“One of the most encouraging/inspiring things we receive from people is a quick note via email to say that they are ‘thinking’ of us.”

2. Send “real mail.”

“Send a small care package. Some little fun food items that we can’t get where we serve is a good idea.”

“One idea is to send a special package before an American holiday (like Thanksgiving) filled with things that we can use to decorate for that holiday.”

“Send us a birthday card. This doesn’t have to be some long handwritten note, just a little card – maybe even printed at home.”

“Real mail is always special. Really, the thing with real mail is more than just getting some nice stuff from home (which is nice), but it seems a more tangible reminder that the people I love and miss love and miss me too and are thinking of me.”

3. Pray for the people the missionaries serve and not only for the missionaries and their families.

4. Recruit others to pray for the missionary’s area of service (city, people group, etc.) or for the missionaries themselves.

“This can be an amazing thing to have a person or group of people actively supporting the work that we are doing overseas – becoming an advocate for our city/work. It really encourages us to know that there are people going to bat for us and raising more prayer support for the work.”

“Become an arm of our work in the United States. Some ideas include handling our newsletter distribution, website hosting (i.e., hosting a virtual website for the city), logistical arrangements, or short term team orientation.”

5. Go visit them with the purpose of serving and encouraging them in their work.

“Have a group of your people come to minister to us as we are seeking to pour out our lives to others. This could be hosting a small retreat in country for our team or something similar, or coming to prayer walk the city we live in.”

6. Send them updates and pictures of you and your family (by mail or email).

“It would especially be nice to receive end of the year updates or Christmas card pics. We want to stay connected to you! We love hearing from friends and family and enjoy keeping up to date on what’s happening in your life!”

“If you have a friend overseas, stay in touch with them. Don’t let cautions about being careful with spiritual language keep you from talking about the day to day “un-spiritual” things you would talk about if you met up for lunch one day. Sometimes the least spiritual emails are the most helpful, because somehow I feel less distant when friends talk to me like they always did before I left. Share updates on family, school, work, life, sports—whatever it is that you used to talk about with them.”

7. Ask questions about their work.

“Ask not only how we are doing, but ask about our work and try to learn all you can about the people or city where we are serving.”

“I know that this has been said, but truly CARING about the work is the best way to encourage us.”

8. Continue to be a Christian friend and continue to minister to them.

“Don’t stop being the church to us when we leave. Whenever security allows, spiritual conversations are good for our hearts. Missionaries struggle with the same sinful attitudes that plague Christians everywhere. Leaving home to live among unreached peoples, may be a step of faith in the process of sanctification, but it is not a step that roots out all sin. It is likely to lead to and expose all kinds of previously unnoticed and unexpected sin. Having friends that know me, are patient with me, and expect me to be the same struggling sinner I was when I left helps me stay humble when tempted toward arrogance, and hopeful when tempted toward despair.”

“Even for us with strong member care, it is helpful to receive pastoral care from the stateside church’s pastor who many times will know the missionary personally and have the history with them to be able to invest and mentor them and their family and marriage.”

“Ask us those hard questions. Do a little pastoral counseling with us.”

“Please don’t elevate us onto some false pedestal. We are normal people too who have been forgiven much and for some reason God called to live and minister overseas.”

9. Support them financially.

“Finding out if we have any specific needs and meeting those needs is great.”

10. Seek to encourage them when they are on stateside assignment.

“Let us talk to you and your congregations, and small groups. We want to share what God has been doing and would love the opportunity to talk about it, raise awareness and hopefully gain more prayer support.”

“Invite us out to lunch or dinner. Nothing fancy is needed. Remember we’ve just been in places where we may not have been able to even enjoy a little Mexican food.”

No missionary mentioned this to me in emails, but I know it is a blessing when someone shares their summer home or cabin for a missionary family to get away and relax for a few days.

“Let us know about any good books that are must reads. Tell us about any good resources that may benefit our personal growth or ministry work: things like conferences, training for ministry/leadership, and so forth.”

Mark Rogers is a Ph.D. student in historical theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL.

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.