Well,
today was nice. We visited The Forbideen City which I was happy to see, but was quite similar to all the Korean temples I visited. Across the square (Tiananmen Square), we visited a building which housed the body of Mao Zedong. He is kept preserved under glass. Eww is what I have to say to that. But I am not even sure if what I saw was real. My guess would be that by now, they have had to replace so much of him that what is there is all synthetic.
We also took a "talk walk" around the building. While doing that, I started to really get a heart for the Chinese people and began to see them in a new light. I hope this only increases as we travel to Urumqi.
For lunch, the team wanted to go to McDonald's of all places! I was not about to sacrifice one of my meals to the capitalistic conglomerate, so I (along with a few others who appreciate the Asian cuisine) went to the 7-eleven which had triangle kimbap (attention: Mandy, Angela, and Patrick--it was such a nice reminiscence--I know that's not a real word, but I like it--to the good ole Korean days!). I couln't have been more happy with my choice, but I think the others felt the same way about their McDonald's!
Yes, it is super cold here. I have been gradually learning how to bundle up enough to win the war against the wind.
I am sorry that I do not have money bags with which to buy you all goodies over here. I am planning to go back to the market tomorrow to get an i-pod for an amount which I will not mention here because you all would instantly become so jealous that you would refuse to ever speak to me again...and I like you all so I refuse to do that.
Thank you to all who sent me emails recently. It was so fun to come down to this dreary little internet cafe and have those messages to read. They will carry me through to the next time I am able to get to a computer. keep 'em coming!
Love you all.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Friday, December 09, 2005
nothing much
Just wanted to catch you up on what all I have been doing this week.
Yesterday was a day of lovely cleaning. I spent the entire day almost in the kitchen. When we finished cleaning I then had lunch clean up, so I was still not out of the kitchen!
But I can't complain too much because I didn't have to do any of the more difficult jobs in the kitchen. Emas (from Lithuania) takled both the walk-in fridge and freezer by himself. Good man. When he went in the freezer to clean it, he put on his hat and scarf-good preparation for outreach.
Today I have basically just slept. I have been staying up late talking to people on the base that I won't be able to see again until the week after outreach...it is nice to hang out w/ them, but sad to know that soon we will not be around them anymore.
Tonight, many of us are going out together as one last night in the city.
And this weekend is probably going to be purely packing and cleaning then hanging out in the evenings.
Yesterday was a day of lovely cleaning. I spent the entire day almost in the kitchen. When we finished cleaning I then had lunch clean up, so I was still not out of the kitchen!
But I can't complain too much because I didn't have to do any of the more difficult jobs in the kitchen. Emas (from Lithuania) takled both the walk-in fridge and freezer by himself. Good man. When he went in the freezer to clean it, he put on his hat and scarf-good preparation for outreach.
Today I have basically just slept. I have been staying up late talking to people on the base that I won't be able to see again until the week after outreach...it is nice to hang out w/ them, but sad to know that soon we will not be around them anymore.
Tonight, many of us are going out together as one last night in the city.
And this weekend is probably going to be purely packing and cleaning then hanging out in the evenings.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
WHAT IT IS
I found out today what my work duties will be during outreach.
As of Monday I will work on the team journal (which is the job I wanted), be a food manager (which I did not even list as a choice that I was interested in), and jointly oversee finances with one of our staff (which I was hoping to do...we have a tight budget and she really wanted help, but stressed that she only wanted someone who could be responsible and good with money).
I also put Intercession as a choice, but too many other people also put that (which is a good thing that so many are interested), so they stuck me with food prep. instead.
I am excited about working on the journal though. Brandi (from Idaho) will also be working on it, and we want to make it quite creative and artsy. I think it will be a smashing success.
Besides working on the journal, we are also responsible for taking notes on what the contacts assign to us for work and then also writing emails to the Amsterdam base to keep them informed on our whereabouts and what all is happening.
Tomorrow is our LAST day of classes which is incredibly hard to swallow. In the evening we will have our Love Feast which I am looking forward to. It is always nice to have several people praying a commissioning prayer over you...at least in my experience anyway.
Tonight has been insteresting around the base. People have been hanging out in the hallways in small groups just talking, or having their hair put into braids, or carving pumpkins and potatoes into artistic candle holders in the kitchen, or walking around with video cameras, or teaching/learning tricks that can be done with a zippo, or teaching/learning Spanish, Dutch, and Finnish.
So yea, the night is not yet over (it is 12:11am). I think I will be up for quite some time still. It is my last week here, so I figure I need to glean what I can from those I may never see again and sleep later...on the 3 day train ride accross China.
As of Monday I will work on the team journal (which is the job I wanted), be a food manager (which I did not even list as a choice that I was interested in), and jointly oversee finances with one of our staff (which I was hoping to do...we have a tight budget and she really wanted help, but stressed that she only wanted someone who could be responsible and good with money).
I also put Intercession as a choice, but too many other people also put that (which is a good thing that so many are interested), so they stuck me with food prep. instead.
I am excited about working on the journal though. Brandi (from Idaho) will also be working on it, and we want to make it quite creative and artsy. I think it will be a smashing success.
Besides working on the journal, we are also responsible for taking notes on what the contacts assign to us for work and then also writing emails to the Amsterdam base to keep them informed on our whereabouts and what all is happening.
Tomorrow is our LAST day of classes which is incredibly hard to swallow. In the evening we will have our Love Feast which I am looking forward to. It is always nice to have several people praying a commissioning prayer over you...at least in my experience anyway.
Tonight has been insteresting around the base. People have been hanging out in the hallways in small groups just talking, or having their hair put into braids, or carving pumpkins and potatoes into artistic candle holders in the kitchen, or walking around with video cameras, or teaching/learning tricks that can be done with a zippo, or teaching/learning Spanish, Dutch, and Finnish.
So yea, the night is not yet over (it is 12:11am). I think I will be up for quite some time still. It is my last week here, so I figure I need to glean what I can from those I may never see again and sleep later...on the 3 day train ride accross China.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Monday to Monday
This is it folks. One week left here in Amsterdam for me!
This week is Bafa Bafa. We played the game by that name today. It was originally used by the US Navy to prep. the soldiers (or sailors or whatever they are called) for cultural immersion. Our team was split up into two teams and then given a certain culture (made up). We then had to visit the other culture and try to survive. It was pretty interesting.
I am not sure what all we will be doing the rest of the week. I think each day will be different since it is not a traditional teaching week. Thursday is cleaning day or something...yea. The only thing I am wary of is packing up my room...I hate to pack up all my stuff. And I don't really like unpacking either. But such is life, eh? And I should probably get used to it as I may be doing it for the next several years.
this is all for now. later.
This week is Bafa Bafa. We played the game by that name today. It was originally used by the US Navy to prep. the soldiers (or sailors or whatever they are called) for cultural immersion. Our team was split up into two teams and then given a certain culture (made up). We then had to visit the other culture and try to survive. It was pretty interesting.
I am not sure what all we will be doing the rest of the week. I think each day will be different since it is not a traditional teaching week. Thursday is cleaning day or something...yea. The only thing I am wary of is packing up my room...I hate to pack up all my stuff. And I don't really like unpacking either. But such is life, eh? And I should probably get used to it as I may be doing it for the next several years.
this is all for now. later.
Friday, December 02, 2005
practically a Dutchy
Tonight I rode on the back of a bike for the first time. I know this really impresses all of you, so let me further explain:
The Dutch have this little flat part that sticks out over the back wheel of most of their bikes. It is to put stuff on like bags, etc...but people many times will sit back there, too. It isn't healthy for the back tire, but it is nice when not everyone has a bike to ride.
Two Dutch students were taking the train to their home towns for the weekend so Sue (Canadian) and I rode on the back of bikes to the station with them, so we could ride the bikes back. Well, for me, I had to carry a large, heavy bag of Kimberly's (Suriname/Dutch) and ride on the back for the first time EVER! You have to let the driver start riding then kind of run and hop on the back saddle style and balance there. I didn't even fall off, folks, yeah! I was so proud of myself.
On the way back, I had to hold the bike steering with one hand and hold my skirt down with the other (I also feel so Dutch by riding while wearing a skirt. They do it all the time, you just have to use one hand to make sure your skirt doesn't ride up. Well, while doing that precarious driving, I saw Sue in front of me get caught in the tram rails on the ground (it happens often if you are not riding perpendicular to the tracks. They are the "perfect" size for the bike tires to get caught in). I started laughing then the same thing happened to me! Pride before the fall right? I didn't fall, but just nearly. So Sue was then laughing at me, then it happened to her again! What fun Amsterdam is by bike!
We ended up getting back to De Poorte in one piece, and enjoying the ride back. If I just had a few more months here, I know I could master the bike riding...
I plan to spend a quiet weekend again this weekend resting before diving into all the outreach preparation. What do you all have planned? Anything special? I would love to hear, so drop a line anytime.
Nightie night. I am not actually going to bed. I am about to go watch a movie with several of the staff and students. good times!
Before I go I want to make sure I really emphasize how truly, truly grateful I am for all of your prayers. I need them so much.
God is hearing them, too. Just this morning in worship, our leader Charles (from Australia) came over to pray for me and got a really good word from God for me. Every time he gets a word, it has been DIRECTLY from the mouth of God. It was so what I needed to hear. So when you pray for God to reach me, He answers by speaking to other and me here. So please continue as the prayers will be my lifeline while I am on outreach.
Love y'all
The Dutch have this little flat part that sticks out over the back wheel of most of their bikes. It is to put stuff on like bags, etc...but people many times will sit back there, too. It isn't healthy for the back tire, but it is nice when not everyone has a bike to ride.
Two Dutch students were taking the train to their home towns for the weekend so Sue (Canadian) and I rode on the back of bikes to the station with them, so we could ride the bikes back. Well, for me, I had to carry a large, heavy bag of Kimberly's (Suriname/Dutch) and ride on the back for the first time EVER! You have to let the driver start riding then kind of run and hop on the back saddle style and balance there. I didn't even fall off, folks, yeah! I was so proud of myself.
On the way back, I had to hold the bike steering with one hand and hold my skirt down with the other (I also feel so Dutch by riding while wearing a skirt. They do it all the time, you just have to use one hand to make sure your skirt doesn't ride up. Well, while doing that precarious driving, I saw Sue in front of me get caught in the tram rails on the ground (it happens often if you are not riding perpendicular to the tracks. They are the "perfect" size for the bike tires to get caught in). I started laughing then the same thing happened to me! Pride before the fall right? I didn't fall, but just nearly. So Sue was then laughing at me, then it happened to her again! What fun Amsterdam is by bike!
We ended up getting back to De Poorte in one piece, and enjoying the ride back. If I just had a few more months here, I know I could master the bike riding...
I plan to spend a quiet weekend again this weekend resting before diving into all the outreach preparation. What do you all have planned? Anything special? I would love to hear, so drop a line anytime.
Nightie night. I am not actually going to bed. I am about to go watch a movie with several of the staff and students. good times!
Before I go I want to make sure I really emphasize how truly, truly grateful I am for all of your prayers. I need them so much.
God is hearing them, too. Just this morning in worship, our leader Charles (from Australia) came over to pray for me and got a really good word from God for me. Every time he gets a word, it has been DIRECTLY from the mouth of God. It was so what I needed to hear. So when you pray for God to reach me, He answers by speaking to other and me here. So please continue as the prayers will be my lifeline while I am on outreach.
Love y'all
communication details
hey you's guys:
I want to let you know what communication will be like while I am on outreach. The countries that I am traveling in and through are not all open to Christianity, so that means that this blog may not be too detailed. In fact, since there is all sorts of stuff about my ministry with YWAM and Christian words on this site, it would not be wise for me to be pulling up the site.
I may look into setting it up so I can email my blogs onto the site without ever having to pull it up. Otherwise, I will just mass email everyone my updates.
I will let you all know as I myself know more.
ok, that is all for now.
peace out
I want to let you know what communication will be like while I am on outreach. The countries that I am traveling in and through are not all open to Christianity, so that means that this blog may not be too detailed. In fact, since there is all sorts of stuff about my ministry with YWAM and Christian words on this site, it would not be wise for me to be pulling up the site.
I may look into setting it up so I can email my blogs onto the site without ever having to pull it up. Otherwise, I will just mass email everyone my updates.
I will let you all know as I myself know more.
ok, that is all for now.
peace out
I've been shot
shot up with vaccines that is. I got three today: typhoid, DTP, and Hep A. I should be good to go for a while now. The doctor who gave us the shots was so funny. He put out one arm straight almost like he was trying to aim a dart then took the little syringe in his other hand, walked a couple steps to my arm and-BAM- in and out faster than any shot I've ever had. And completely painless, too! Nice.
My friend Elina got one of her wisdom teeth pulled this morning. She was so scared last night she didn't even want to go to sleep. Poor girl. She is fine right now though. She hardly has any swelling and she gets to eat lots of her favorite food ever=ice cream. When she gets really tired, we all love to laugh at her because her English gets all confused with Finnish. We say she is speaking Finglish. She is kind of like that today since she is all drugged up. I love when she is all Finglish.
I bought some boots for outreach today. Sue (from Canada) and I went to the main tourist shopping street to this big sports store that is having Sinterklaus sales. We found these huge ole snow boot things. They look like the kind that you tromped around in when you were a kid=you know, tall and spongy. We were laughing so hard in the store while trying them on. Then we actually bought them! They were only 20 euros, so we couldn't pass them up. So, yea, those are my shoes for the next 3 months. I hope they are culturally sensitive because mine are bright red! I am laughing even now thinking about wearing them for 3 months. But we need to be warm! That is the most important thing.
I also bought some nice, thick ski socks to wear in them. When we are in Beijing I will buy some little Chinese slippers to wear when we are in houses and at church. I think I will also buy some house slippers to wear while in the trains. Other than that, I think I am good to go now on what I need for outreach.
have a good day amigos!
My friend Elina got one of her wisdom teeth pulled this morning. She was so scared last night she didn't even want to go to sleep. Poor girl. She is fine right now though. She hardly has any swelling and she gets to eat lots of her favorite food ever=ice cream. When she gets really tired, we all love to laugh at her because her English gets all confused with Finnish. We say she is speaking Finglish. She is kind of like that today since she is all drugged up. I love when she is all Finglish.
I bought some boots for outreach today. Sue (from Canada) and I went to the main tourist shopping street to this big sports store that is having Sinterklaus sales. We found these huge ole snow boot things. They look like the kind that you tromped around in when you were a kid=you know, tall and spongy. We were laughing so hard in the store while trying them on. Then we actually bought them! They were only 20 euros, so we couldn't pass them up. So, yea, those are my shoes for the next 3 months. I hope they are culturally sensitive because mine are bright red! I am laughing even now thinking about wearing them for 3 months. But we need to be warm! That is the most important thing.
I also bought some nice, thick ski socks to wear in them. When we are in Beijing I will buy some little Chinese slippers to wear when we are in houses and at church. I think I will also buy some house slippers to wear while in the trains. Other than that, I think I am good to go now on what I need for outreach.
have a good day amigos!
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