back

I realize it has been a bit since I’ve written anything on here.  Well, after a little hiatus, I am back.

Most noteworthy:  I went to El Salv last week during my spring break.  It was so good.  I reconnected with friends that I haven’t seen since summer and fell in love once more with this miniscule Central American country.  Spanish came even easier than it did last time.  It was great to work alongside the Stint team and to get to know them more.  As great as it was to be in El Salv with a team of 29 people from Poly, it was really strange to be there without the peeps from my summer project team.  Overall, I loved my week there, and wouldn’t have chosen to spend my money or time any other way.  The Lord has placed a special passion on my heart for the people of this country, and he whispers so gently and clearly into my heart while I am there.  Will the future hold more trips to El Slav? Only my Savior knows.  Needless to say, it was wonderful to be back.

In other news:  school is so lame.  I seriously detest it sometimes.  I used to have this passion for learning and eagerly anticipated the start of a new quarter.  I would listen to my professors in lecture, hanging on their every word, hoping that they would notice my excitement for their classes.  Now I just sit there, ho-hum, watching the seconds tick away on the clock in the back of the room, hoping the professor doesn’t notice how frequently I turn my head and look  backwards to check the time.  I had to buy two tiny (around 200 p) French texts for about $250, and I can’t even really read them (because, let’s face it…I don’t really comprehend French).  I have homework for the first time tonight, and I feel myself growing more and more apathetic towards the text.  In this case, I’m not so happy to be back.

Economics update:  back in the work force.  Double timing.  I’m starting to Nanny for two families here in SLO for just a few hours a week.  Sophia, a 3 year old whose energy is only surpassed by her immense appetite should be a handful. After watching her last night, I had a nightmare that it was my responsibility to put her to bed.  Oh dear.  Cassius, a 3 week old boy is so tiny and so sweet.  I hope I don’t break him when I hold him.  Baby got back.

Forecast: finally submitted my application to Campus Crusade today.  It’s official folks….I’m planning to intern with Crusade here in SLO after I graduate in December.  I am excited/nervous/overjoyed/anxious/shaking in my boots.  Ministry is my passion.  I just love sharing the gospel.  I just fear raising support.  All of your prayers for my heart are appreciated.  I trust a big God for big results.  I really do believe that he loves me, that he has a marvelous plan for my life, and that this plan includes joining staff with Campus Crusade.  After all of this time wandering away from his fold, making my own plans for the future; I’m following his lead as he calls me back.

I guess that’s all for now. My heart hurts today, and I’m not really sure why.  I feel like I’m being refined.  And I feel the tender touch of the Lord as he molds me into his image.  He is protecting me from what could be big time heartache, and yet I still feel the pang of loss as I surrender my plans to him each day.  It is good, hard, stressful, painful, lonely, exciting, satisfying, to be back.

back to el salv

Most of you have already heard that I will be going back to El Salvador with a team from Cal Poly over our spring break.  We are scheduled to leave late on March 20th and will be back on the 28th.  I am so excited to be going back, and even more excited to say that there is a team of close to 30 that is going!  What a blessing!  This will be somewhat of a vision trip, a way for Poly students to get their feet wet and see what ministry in El Salv looks like.  We will be working with the STINT team to share the gospel on some of the same campuses I was on this summer.

We had our first official team meeting on Friday, and I am thrilled about our team.  Jacob and Caellin will be leading the trip, and there will be several other staff members from SLO Crusade joining.  Jacob asked us to go around the circle and introduce ourselves.  We also had to use one word to describe our feelings about the trip to El Salv, and announce our favorite color.  Most used some variant of the word  ”excited” (think stoked, pumped, very excited and VERY VERY excited), which is great.  I said I was “compelled.”  I am compelled to go back.  Please be praying for this enthusiastic group!

In other news, about 2/3 of the team loves the color blue.

We were also encouraged by Caellin to go out sharing on the Cal Poly campus over the next 3 weeks, to get in the swing of campus ministry.  I appreciate your prayers for our ministry here and in Central America…I have already made plans to go out to do Soularium with a friend on mine on Tuesday!  Should be wonderful.

shooting stars.

I love meteor showers.  I mean, really love them.  I love to look up into the dark night sky and see the stars.  The blackness of the night is pierced by the brilliant light of the beautiful stars each clear winter night, but last night was extra special.  Last night, December 13, 2008, was the Geminids meteor shower.  From what I hear, it is the second biggest of the year, just behind the famed Perseid meteor shower of mid August.

Last night, I enjoyed a wonderful dinner reunion with half of the team that went on project to El Salvador this past summer.  We convened at Jacob and Caellin’s home for delicious homemade burgers (thanks Jacob!) and a perfectly constructed caesar salad made by none other than Adam S. Nixon.  It was so much fun to be able to see Sara, Kaylee, Alyssa, Adam and Kelly last night.  We laughed and reminisced as if no time has passed at all since we last saw each other in August.  I love friendships like these….they are just so natural.  After a rousing game of Bang, Jacob, Caellin, Sara, Kaylee, Kelly and myself headed out for an after dinner stroll around the Douglas’ neighborhood.  

It was the coldest night we’ve had since I’ve been here this quarter.  I love cold nights.  They make me want to snuggle up to the people I love, and believe me, that’s big for me.  Let’s just say that physical touch isn’t my cardinal love language.

Anyway, as we headed out of the house, I mentioned to my cohorts that Dec. 13th is a big night for meteors.  I second guessed my announcement as soon as I made it (why do I lack such confidence in myself?).  I then mumbled that we probably wouldn’t see many shooting stars, thanks to the amazingly bright gibbous moon that was rising in the eastern sky. Just then, a bright meteor streaked across the winter night.  It was breathtaking.  We preceded to walk up to the San Luis Obispo adult school baseball field, and turned with our backs against the bright moonlight to see what we could of the meteor shower.  I saw at least 10 shooting stars, each more beautiful than the last.  I even got to share my (very small) knowledge about meteor showers with Jacob, which was great.  

After a half hour or so of star gazing, we returned to Jacob and Caellin’s home and were reunited with Alyssa and Adam.  We played what I believe to be the funniest game of “Telephone Pictionary” that I’ve ever played.  We laughed and enjoyed good time together as members of Christ’s body.  I mean, the whole reason we ever met in the first place was because we went out into ministry.  Later that night we saw a bunch more SLO students who were spending time at Alyssa’s house.  The night was filled with fun and unexpected happy moments.  It was the merriest night of the Christmas season so far.

All in all, I just feel so loved by my Heavenly Father.  He loves me so well, so perfectly.  He whispers his love to me in the most amazing ways: through genuine community where He is glorified, through beautiful displays of the heavens that he created, through the wintery weather he sent me today.  I feel his unfailing love in the steady drum of the rain on my roof right now, and through the remembrance of the gift of his Son that he gave us.  He is Emmanuel.  He sent his Son to reunite me with him.  To reunite you with him.  He loves us each so well.  I want to overflow with thanks to Him.

¿José, can you see?

Ah, the Fourth of July.  A time for celebrating, time with family, remembering bravery and freedom, and bbq’s full of all-american fare.  Unless you’re in Central America.  Despite being thousands of miles from the land of the free and the home of the brave, we did our best to recreate the classic American July 4th experience.  After a long day of working at Evangélica, we came back to the hotel, regrouped, and headed out to a huge Chinese firework store (or as it seemed, a ticking time bomb of a store front).

We indulged in some good ol’ pyrotechnics and headed on our way to the grocery store, that we might prepare a classic North American feast for our Salvadorian hosts.  During our transport, we sang a little tune called “The Star Spangled Banner,” a classic that reminded us of our homeland, and that only professionals should sing such a ballad.

Once at Selegna’s home (around 7:30) we began our American experience.  Peter made some absolutely delicious hot wings, and we gobbled them up as Caellin worked on our desert, All-American Apple Crisp.  Unfortunately the Salvadorian hot dogs and hamburgers were not quite what we expected, but the dessert made up for it.  It was an evening full of laughs and fellowship capped by our fireworks extravaganza.  Manuel, Xavier and Jacob lit many a stunner, including many many “illegal” mortar-type fireworks that aren’t available for private use in the states.  After this, we rounded up our group, cleaned Selegna’s place the best we could and loaded the Kia minibus.  

We made it back to the Princess by about 11:30, I was in bed by midnight and out again by 5:15 to get ready for our early morning trip to Sunzal beach on our day off.  It will be an early night tonight (I hope)…