I decided to have a separate study abroad blog, because in a sense, it is an entirely new chapter in my life.
Here is the link:
http://pottsandpyramids.blogspot.com
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Living Water & The Bread of Life
Something that has been so hard while being in Nepal is the begging that goes on. My team and I have been warned so often not to buy street children or people on the street anything because either it create a swarm or that they could sell things for drug money.
It has been trying. It's hard to get used to denying people food and to feeling like you can't fix the condition that they are in. I desperately want them to have food, to be healthy, to feel safe.
I think to Jesus reply to the Samaritan woman at the well who he asks for a drink. When is confused when Jesus talks about living water. He responds with this:
"Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13).
There is also the time in which he explains to the Pharisees that he was the bread provider to the Israelites and that he is now the bread to the people; the life-giver.
When they ask for the bread he declares.
"Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'" (John 6:35).
We can't fix a thing. Though we can help with the short term needs, we are not here long to gradually help people to get better and it is too much of an epidemic for it ever to be cured. Our only hope is in Jesus and that he may fill these people.
May we pray that everyone has a divine encounter with the Living Water and Bread of Life.
It has been trying. It's hard to get used to denying people food and to feeling like you can't fix the condition that they are in. I desperately want them to have food, to be healthy, to feel safe.
I think to Jesus reply to the Samaritan woman at the well who he asks for a drink. When is confused when Jesus talks about living water. He responds with this:
"Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13).
There is also the time in which he explains to the Pharisees that he was the bread provider to the Israelites and that he is now the bread to the people; the life-giver.
When they ask for the bread he declares.
"Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'" (John 6:35).
We can't fix a thing. Though we can help with the short term needs, we are not here long to gradually help people to get better and it is too much of an epidemic for it ever to be cured. Our only hope is in Jesus and that he may fill these people.
May we pray that everyone has a divine encounter with the Living Water and Bread of Life.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The Laughter of Children
When the sounds of exhaust, car horns blaring, dogs barking, or dogs fighting become so overwhelming.
It is a good practice to listen for the sound of children playing. That is a sound that truly warms the heart.
It is a good practice to listen for the sound of children playing. That is a sound that truly warms the heart.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Nepal
It has been so interesting the journey of getting to Nepal. First, thinking that the team was going to Bangladesh. Then hearing about possibly doing both countries, and now solely working in Nepal for an entire six weeks.
I am back. I may not know why am I here. But I am back to reclaim memories that were spoiled.
To best follow my team and our journey through this country, you can go to our blog at http://teambangaldesh10.blogspot.com
Jaimasee! (victory in Christ)
I am back. I may not know why am I here. But I am back to reclaim memories that were spoiled.
To best follow my team and our journey through this country, you can go to our blog at http://teambangaldesh10.blogspot.com
Jaimasee! (victory in Christ)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Warrior Dash
This past weekend was great because I on Thursday I drove down to visit with Aubrea (best friend since first grade). We enjoyed just a lot of time of hanging out, going to the beach, going to her college group, awkwardly going to her roommate's extended family birthday party and watching "How To Train Your Dragon".
After I got back on Sunday it was time to volunteer at an event called the Warrior Dash.
I am going on a missions team to Nepal this summer (originally Team Bangladesh) and one of the fundraisers we took part in was called The Warrior Dash. It was a three mile run through a lot of obstacles and the website had them jumping over fire, crawling through mud and wearing ridiculous costumes. My team and I had a blast. Angela and Lizzee, two of my teammates are pictured on the left. Our team's job was to check in people's gear then hand it out to them after they raced.
The costumes that people wore were ridiculous. Many people had kilts, and masks. There were a ton of costumes. We saw someone dressed up from The Simpsons, Aquateen Hunger Force, people who looked freakishly like zombies, guys dressed like girls and lots and lots of loin clothes. One of the big draws for people was the free beer they got to have after the race, so I must say it was very interesting to do customer service with highly intoxicated individuals. Yet it was so fun to see people so energetic about a race. After the race especially, it was funny to see everyone drenched or covered in mud because those were the obstacles at the very end of the race.
The biggest challenge our team faced was getting 25 volunteers to show up. We only managed to get around 20 but we still received the $1000 which was such a blessing. Thanks to friends of mine like Kayti and Rachel, we all got to have a fun time and actually serve for not that long. The event ended early so we actually came home 3 hours earlier than we expected. Definitely a plus of serving as well was that we tons of free stuff too! We got a shirt, a hilarious viking helmet (as can be seen pictured), and some people managed to get free Warrior Dash mugs.
It was definitely one of the most unique serving opportunities I have ever had but a lot of fun. You should probably be expected a blog next year about how I raced in the Warrior Dash!
After I got back on Sunday it was time to volunteer at an event called the Warrior Dash.
I am going on a missions team to Nepal this summer (originally Team Bangladesh) and one of the fundraisers we took part in was called The Warrior Dash. It was a three mile run through a lot of obstacles and the website had them jumping over fire, crawling through mud and wearing ridiculous costumes. My team and I had a blast. Angela and Lizzee, two of my teammates are pictured on the left. Our team's job was to check in people's gear then hand it out to them after they raced.
The costumes that people wore were ridiculous. Many people had kilts, and masks. There were a ton of costumes. We saw someone dressed up from The Simpsons, Aquateen Hunger Force, people who looked freakishly like zombies, guys dressed like girls and lots and lots of loin clothes. One of the big draws for people was the free beer they got to have after the race, so I must say it was very interesting to do customer service with highly intoxicated individuals. Yet it was so fun to see people so energetic about a race. After the race especially, it was funny to see everyone drenched or covered in mud because those were the obstacles at the very end of the race.
The biggest challenge our team faced was getting 25 volunteers to show up. We only managed to get around 20 but we still received the $1000 which was such a blessing. Thanks to friends of mine like Kayti and Rachel, we all got to have a fun time and actually serve for not that long. The event ended early so we actually came home 3 hours earlier than we expected. Definitely a plus of serving as well was that we tons of free stuff too! We got a shirt, a hilarious viking helmet (as can be seen pictured), and some people managed to get free Warrior Dash mugs.
It was definitely one of the most unique serving opportunities I have ever had but a lot of fun. You should probably be expected a blog next year about how I raced in the Warrior Dash!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Moab, Utah
This Spring break, through my the Outdoor Adventures program that my school has to offer, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Moab, Utah to go backpacking.
Talk about adventure.
It was SO great!
I signed up for this trip because of the fact that I wanted to do something I would never think of doing beforehand. Though going home to rest would have been great, I knew that I needed to do it just to say that I can do it.
There was a group of eleven that took on the adventure through the school. Chris and Adam, two close friends that I knew were going but other than that, I barely knew anyone.
After about 3 hours we stopped in Las Vegas (I can't get away from the place it seems) and had some cheap steak and eggs in a pretty sketchy casino. This is when our group started joking that we were a youth group and that Dan the leader of the trip was our youth pastor.
Then about 9 hours later we arrived at a campsite by the Colorado river to stay for the next two nights. The first night we only had one spot reserved, so a few of the guys had to sleep outside instead of a tent. It was a pretty cold night and we woke up with frost all over our sleeping bags.
The next day we woke up and headed to the arches national park. This was really cool because we went the Delicate Arch, the arch that had been on all the Utah license plates that I had been seeing. It was beautiful, and definitely a marvel of the natural beauty that is all around us.
After that day arches was the next part of our adventure: backpacking in the Canyonlands.
We drove two hours out into the back country and began our journey. The whole week was amazing. It was great to split up the group gear between all of us and to trek around with our backpacks. Every hike we took had obstacles in our way, whether scaling large rocks, jumping gaps, walking alongside cliffs or climbing ladders. There was a lot of different obstacles to do. Nothing was too challenging, but it was a lot of fun to problem solve how to get from point A to point B with heavy packs on. Our group had a lot of time helping each other out.
Time at camp was also great. I loved sleeping in a tent even if some nights were a tad windy. I learned that ear plugs can be a sleep saver for those moments because it cuts out most of the noise. One thing that was interesting about our trek is that we ate really well. We had spaghetti, pancakes, spam melts, chicken quesadillas and a plethora of other food. We had a lot of fun times cooking, talking and relating to one another. There was also a lot of great moments to star gaze and time to slow down and journal, read, and pray.
One of my favorite days was a day hike where we went to a place called the Druid Arches. It was beautiful and amazingly huge. It was the day after a six mile with our heavy packs and we did another six miles but with a lot less weight. We arrived at the top with an amazing view of the "Needles District" which is where we were, and of course seeing this beautiful arch. Also, afterward when we got back, we had enough time to take a "solo", so we spent about three hours in solitude and it was great.
It was great to reflect on just how strong I really am. Carrying those heavy packs, our bodies were often pushed to their limits but we overcame. How many times do I think that I am not strong enough when in fact I can't see all that I can accomplish.
I am so glad that I got to explore one of the least explored places in the United States and got to prove to myself that I am strong enough.
Talk about adventure.
It was SO great!
I signed up for this trip because of the fact that I wanted to do something I would never think of doing beforehand. Though going home to rest would have been great, I knew that I needed to do it just to say that I can do it.
There was a group of eleven that took on the adventure through the school. Chris and Adam, two close friends that I knew were going but other than that, I barely knew anyone.
After about 3 hours we stopped in Las Vegas (I can't get away from the place it seems) and had some cheap steak and eggs in a pretty sketchy casino. This is when our group started joking that we were a youth group and that Dan the leader of the trip was our youth pastor.
Then about 9 hours later we arrived at a campsite by the Colorado river to stay for the next two nights. The first night we only had one spot reserved, so a few of the guys had to sleep outside instead of a tent. It was a pretty cold night and we woke up with frost all over our sleeping bags.
The next day we woke up and headed to the arches national park. This was really cool because we went the Delicate Arch, the arch that had been on all the Utah license plates that I had been seeing. It was beautiful, and definitely a marvel of the natural beauty that is all around us.
After that day arches was the next part of our adventure: backpacking in the Canyonlands.
We drove two hours out into the back country and began our journey. The whole week was amazing. It was great to split up the group gear between all of us and to trek around with our backpacks. Every hike we took had obstacles in our way, whether scaling large rocks, jumping gaps, walking alongside cliffs or climbing ladders. There was a lot of different obstacles to do. Nothing was too challenging, but it was a lot of fun to problem solve how to get from point A to point B with heavy packs on. Our group had a lot of time helping each other out.
Time at camp was also great. I loved sleeping in a tent even if some nights were a tad windy. I learned that ear plugs can be a sleep saver for those moments because it cuts out most of the noise. One thing that was interesting about our trek is that we ate really well. We had spaghetti, pancakes, spam melts, chicken quesadillas and a plethora of other food. We had a lot of fun times cooking, talking and relating to one another. There was also a lot of great moments to star gaze and time to slow down and journal, read, and pray.
One of my favorite days was a day hike where we went to a place called the Druid Arches. It was beautiful and amazingly huge. It was the day after a six mile with our heavy packs and we did another six miles but with a lot less weight. We arrived at the top with an amazing view of the "Needles District" which is where we were, and of course seeing this beautiful arch. Also, afterward when we got back, we had enough time to take a "solo", so we spent about three hours in solitude and it was great.
It was great to reflect on just how strong I really am. Carrying those heavy packs, our bodies were often pushed to their limits but we overcame. How many times do I think that I am not strong enough when in fact I can't see all that I can accomplish.
I am so glad that I got to explore one of the least explored places in the United States and got to prove to myself that I am strong enough.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Wicked Weekend
I have been dying to see Wicked ever since freshman year because so many people have been talking about how great it is.
A few friends and I talked about it and decided that we must have a wicked weekend.
We bought the tickets a few weeks beforehand and since my roommate Tyler is someone who was giving and lives in Livermore, we decided that his house was more than perfect to house for the weekend.
Since our friends Nicole and Laura Jane are both R.A.'s, we had to wait for them to finish a 5k race put on by Residence Life before we could.
After stocking up on Sonic drinks for our 6 hour car ride to Livermore for the night (Soccer moms Amanda and Rebekah pictured). We all took turns driving in a huge suburban that had a broken driver's' door and no air conditioning, and we had a lot of fun singing to the top of our lungs and telling stories.
After staying the night and staying with Tyler's wonderful family. We went to his church where his dad is the pastor. It was fun because we were dressed in our formal outfits for Wicked and the sermon was about Acts and was very interesting.
We then hopped on to the Bart, heading towards San Francisco. Once we got to San Francisco we went to eat in a cool Indian food restaurant.
Walking the streets was a little rough. The past two times I had come to San Fran before this trip was to work with the homeless and work with various organizations around it. It was a little difficult to walk around in shiny black shoes and to try and justify spending so much money on a show. It makes me think whether a lifestyle like this is something I can really enjoy.
After eating, it was time to go to the show. Although we were sitting high up in the balcony, we could still see fine. The show was awesome. The costumes, the songs, the stage design. It was all so fascinating. Since we had listened to the soundtrack on the way up, it was great to put the stage number to the song and see it come to life.
We then headed home at 7am in the morning on Monday, ready to begin our school lives again after having a wonderful, Wicked weekend.
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