Thanksgiving

I am thankful for friends and family, including the ones I got to spend two beautiful Thanksgiving dinners with (lunch + dinner). I think social gatherings involving food is mmm hmmm a really good idea. It makes the holidays away from other friends and family really special. Happy late Thanksgiving to you all, especially far from me.

Crazy Love

I love these girls, and what we get to do together. We're still working our way through Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan, and last Wednesday we got to escape to the Westin to have some coffee (and tea, and coke) and read through a chapter and a half of our book. We're getting deep into God's love and what it means to have a perfect Father and how the way we love Him just doesn't seem to do it. I'm convicted weekly and pray that I can lead this study while I have so much of my own stuff I'm working through. All I can say is that God has blessed me with a great group of girls and we're growing in His love through this. I am so thankful.

K2 photo highlights

Stephanie and Erten with a coconut.

Kevin husking coconuts. He's from Iowa. This is a lot different than the corn he's used to. hehe.

 Here are some pictures from our recent retreat. I hope to write up on this but there's a lot to share, so I wanted to get some pics out there first.

Leeman and his machete. He's kept it in his backpack before.

Jihee and Teisy helping set up the Holy Graffiti room.

Yos, Sou Sou and Xyanne helping prepare dinner.

Teisy, Sarah, and Jihee having snacks in some downtime. These three blessed me so much!

Yos and Sou Sou eating the food they helped prepare. We fed about 100 people for three days.

Anne and Steve in line. Steve is one of my favorite foodies and both are mentors to me.

Leeman leading worship. God really used him this weekend.

Kenny Clark, from La Mirada, Ca was our speaker for the retreat. He lead 4 services on what it means to be adopted into the family of Christ, and following Christ into a life of sacrifice.

After dinner and night service, we had rooms open for worship, healing, counseling, creative arts, etc. This is some of the wall of the Holy Graffiti room.

Jayleen adding to the wall.

Exhausted in the morning...the guys slept in the sanctuary.

just for fun, a giant slip n slide.

Benny Luke and Charles perform a song together. Benny Luke is Marshallese but translated the song into Chuukese and played with Charles, for Shema Cafe night.

Back on Track

I have not posted in forever. I haven't contacted my church in forever. I haven't done a lot of things that uphold my end of being out here in Guam, especially with my supporters. I will humbly admit that I am stressed, dealing with some big situations, have a lot on my plate, and have just been plain busy. 

Busy- I am convicted of that word. I am even too busy for God, and I hate it.

I am slacking off in reading my Bible, and I hate it.

I am blowing off some important students because I have to go tutor, which I have to, but I don't make time for them later. I just let things go. That's not me but it's resulting from something in me.

Many a thing unmentionable.  But God is BIG. Our problems are small.

Oh, and my room is a mess.

But, let me catch you up on some GOOD things.

I have a discipleship group of 3 girls who are amazing! We're growing together in scripture and in Francis Chan's Crazy Love. We are planning a missions trip with Sarah's group, prayerfully and hopefully to the Philippines. We're also praying to go serve in Chuuk together.

Teisy, Grace, and Javrin

God is moving hugely in student's lives. I have been able to be involed in 4 things that blessed our campus:

Staff lead chapel

Shema cafe (open mic night, one student came to know God)

K2 Campus Wide 3 day retreat

 Chapel again, theme of what it means to follow Christ

I will be posting on most of these in the next few days.

Sarah and me on our way back from a hike, way back

Oh, I have a great roommate, great friends out here, and I love my work. God has blessed me immensely. I really miss my family and friends back in the mainland...and if possible, I would love to catch up with everyone I have been missing. If you can, shoot me a message. I would love to hear from you in the midst of blessings and craziness.

Updates??

I haven't sent an email update in a LONG long time. I will do it this weekend. So much has been happening out here but I need to get it organized to update y'all.

Remembering my Grandpa

This past summer, I lost my grandfather. It was in the midst of a lot of difficult little things in Guam and I  couldn't fly back for the funeral. I was hoping he would live well into his 6 month expectancy so that I could see him when I was going back the next month, but he passed about two weeks after he was diagnosed. Maybe it was longer. Time is a more difficult concept out here.

My grandpa is my dad's father. They were so close. I have great memories of my grandfather and my dad together, and it makes me think about what I would do if I lost one of my own parents. This was my first close loss, and I don't really know think I handled it. Found out via Skype...was unwillingly counseled... cried...then had a glass of Cab with some McDonalds. A glass of wine is what I do with my family, and it was enjoyed in honor or memory of him (good advice that came out of the uninvited counseling).

Anyway, I remember my grandpa from my childhood. He always had red delicious apples hanging in a basket in the garage of their home in Connecticut. He taught me a few Polish words (all I really remember is my last name and "little table"). He was always into computers, even had an iPod years before me. He was an exec for GE and I found a signed note with a picture from the recent George Bush in his home office. Who was my this man?? I don't know about his work life or successes, even though through overheard testimony he had a successful worklife, but I do know that his smile would be the reason I'd want to spend time with him. My grandpa was never tired of learning or trying new things, though he did it with wisdom. He took classes on Apple computers. He once found a recipe for potato latkes in the newspaper and was making them when I stopped by unannounced. I know that he twisted copper wire into beautiful trees that he fastened to large stones. I have one now. 

It is hard being far away from loved ones, especially knowing they aren't doing so well. I'm not going to pretend otherwise.  I do know, however, that my grandpa believed and I will see him in heaven. I have that assurance. I pray my family has that peace as well. Even though we're all so far apart, there will be one day where we will never feel that again. That's part of my assurance too. I love being where God has me, and know that He will redeem the loss and suffering I feel as I focus on him. It's ok to miss my grandpa, and its ok to look back on experiences and regrets (of course we have them..not spending enough time, etc). Those things will be used for good eventually. I have a joy in knowing that even though I didn't get to say goodbye, I will just wait years before saying hello again.

Prayer and Fasting for October

PIU did something amazing to start off October, which I was blessed by and got to be a part of. Check out Dave's blog for the story.