More than conquerors

Today we had to do a review of our core study book, called 'Global Action,' which went pretty well, considering I've just been flipping through the pages and not really paying attention to what my eyes were seeing. So I got done with the test way before anyone else, maybe because English is my first language and not theirs. With all that free time, I decided to read the entire book of Romans, and there were some things that really stuck out to me, even though I've read them many times before.

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - v 37 - 39

I was really reminded by the song 'In Christ Alone,' where the last verse goes:

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry, to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns, or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand

This is one of my favorite hymns; every time I sing this song, I always sing this last verse with all my heart and soul. I just think it's so meaningful.

Jesus is in charge of my destiny - from the moment I was born until the day I die - and I'm so glad I can trust in Him for every decision I make and for everything that happens in my life. And the assurance of His providence so much more powerful now especially since I have no idea what to do with the rest of my life after this year.

I really love the fact that the Bible says nothing in this entire universe could ever separate us from the love of God. Ever. 
Our successes and triumphs will not strengthen God's love for us.
Our failures and flaws will not diminish God's love for us.

Sometimes I really struggle to truly understand and accept the concept of God's love. It's just so overwhelming and difficult to fathom for my pea-sized human brain, because why on earth would the God of the universe, the Creator of all things, the omnipotent and omnipresent being, love such an insignificant sinner like me? I never did anything to deserve His love; quite the opposite, my words and actions have often not glorified Him. But still, nothing can or ever will change His love for me. Not my mistakes, not my achievements... nothing. That's the extent of His unconditional love and abundant grace for me.

Isn't that simply amazing?

What else can I do but stand in awe and thankfulness in the presence of this almighty God that is always incredibly faithful to me in spite of my unfaithfulness?

Pizza-making Adventures

It's been... what... 2 weeks since I first came to Perth? I think so. Not sure though. It's hard to tell because the days just pass by ridiculously quickly and it's becoming rather monotonous.

This is what I do everyday:

Wake up at the break of dawn (okay, 9am).
Go to the pizzeria.
Start making pizzas.
Sell pizzas.
Make more pizzas.
Sell more pizzas.
Make even more pizzas.
Sell even more pizzas.
Clean up.
Go home.
Help make dinner.
Wash up.
Shower.
Go online/watch a movie/watch TV.
Bug my brother. Persuade him to use face mask to remove pimples.
Sleep.

And repeat cycle the next day.

Unless I go to the office, in which case it will be:

Wake up at the break of dawn.
Go to the office.
Surf the net.
Do some data entry/filing.
Eat lunch.
Pretend to work/look busy typing on the computer.
Watch a movie while doing more data entry/accounting.
Go home.
Help make dinner.
Wash up.
Shower.
Go online/watch a movie/watch TV.
Bug my brother. Persuade him to use face mask to remove pimples. 
Sleep.

Relaxing? Boring? Happening?

Well, at least today was exciting. We worked from 9am to 9pm because Thursdays are the only days malls in Perth open late (I have no idea why they don't do it on Fridays), and so people kept coming all day to buy pizzas. Which was much appreciated, because being busy is definitely preferable to sitting down all day bored out of my mind (like on Mondays or Tuesdays, when no one apparently is in the mood to eat pizzas).

So minus the burn wounds I got from accidentally touching the blistering hot pizza pans, and my poor, throbbing sore feet, I'd say today was a good day.  
And I thank God for that.

Technology

Today, I'm thankful for the invention of technology. Although many could argue that some forms of technology have taken away our personal interaction and some aspects of our humanity, I'm glad we have televisions, computers, refrigerators, microwaves, ovens, cars, phones... Can't imagine a life without all these.

Work and Pain

Since I forgot to write up a thanksgiving yesterday, I’ll do two today.



Yesterday, I went to the Sarpino’s office to help out with the business’ bookkeeping and accounting. I sorted through messy files, entered data into the computer, wrote down a bunch of numbers, and most of all, realized I never want to be an accountant. Ever. Just thinking about data entry and numbers gives me a headache. And all those big words… About legal stuff and banking stuff and business stuff… I don’t think I could set up my own business. Too much detail that I couldn't care about. I’m just happy to be the writer and let others handle the boring side of the business.

So I’m thankful I chose the right major in college, because I never once regretted it. People always say the average person switches majors at least 5 to 7 times in college, but I never even thought about the possibility. So yes, I’m definitely glad to be holding the degree that suits me to a tee.

Today, I woke up with a familiar blinding pain in my abdomen.
Hello period, you’re right on time, every three weeks you haunt me relentlessly like a ghost.
Well, it’s okay. This time, I will try to be thankful that at least I can feel pain, and I’m not numb in the physical sense, as well as the emotional or mental sense. I think one of the scariest things that could happen to a person is to become numb… To pain, suffering, hurt, sorrow, rejection, anger, emotions. Because once you’ve reached that stage, there’s no telling what evils you’re capable of. I mean, a person who’s numb won’t feel any remorse or horror for their actions, and who knows what they’ll do then. I think that’s what happened to most of the murderers and criminals in the world. The idea of another human being hurting or suffering just doesn’t affect them anymore, and so that’s why they’re able to dish out such cruel and grotesque punishments even on innocent people.

It’s sick, really, and sometimes it makes me nauseous, hearing about all the preposterous stories about abominations going on around the world. It also sparks off a tiny bit of curiosity in me, because you really have to wonder what it was that made those people the way they are today. Was it a nightmarish childhood? An abusive parent? Being rejected all their life? There must be something significant that happened in each and every one of their lives that caused them to become to numb, because I don’t believe anyone could just wake up one day and decide to go on a killing spree. That kind of monstrous behavior takes years of shaping and molding, propelled by all kinds of pain and suffering in the person’s life.

Actually, this is kind of interesting. Maybe I should’ve been a psychologist. That was my initial idea anyway, before entering into college… Until I realized that to obtain a psychology degree one had to take several math classes, such as statistics, and so I hurriedly pushed the idea out of my brain immediately, because the trauma of going through statistics in junior college was still fresh in my mind.

But I do wish I could read people better, so I could interpret things in between the lines and understand what their words really mean. I’m a little oblivious to things sometimes. I guess it’s just my apathetic nature showing forth. And yes, I do wish I wasn’t so indifferent. A teacher once called me that in primary school – indifferent. I had to look it up in the dictionary, and when I realized it meant unconcerned and having no interest, I was tremendously indignant. But now I think she might have been right. Maybe if I were less apathetic my life would be going places already. But for now I’m just content with drifting along and doing whatever…

I wonder why I don’t have the drive and determination like some other people. Maybe it’s because I’ve grown up in a comfortable home and I’ve had things handed to me all my life. Like a good friend once said to me, ‘Blessings always reign down on your life.’ And while I laughed it off at the time, I think she was probably right, because I’ve been so blessed with good grades and wonderful opportunities all my life even though I don’t deserve any of it. So I guess I’ve been taking things for granted. Time to get off the couch and get my hands dirty.

Thankful

Yesterday I read this blog about being thankful for the little things in life everyday, and I've decided to copy it and start a daily thanksgiving post. Because I think having a spirit of gratefulness is essential in life, and I don't want to end up a bitter and miserable old lady one day.

So today I'm thankful for the new experience of learning how to make pizzas. Last week I learned how to make dough, cut it, roll it, put it into trays. I also served customers and handled the cash register. Today I crafted the pizzas, each with different ingredients, and baked them in the oven. It was kind of exhilarating, but it might get old after a while. Oh well. For now, at least, I'm enjoying making pizzas, seeing my finished products displayed in the window, and smiling at people who buy them, while I bite back the urge to point and yell, 'I made that! Yes, me! It's good, yes???'

I'm also thankful that I have food to eat at every meal, and that I have a house to live in and warm water to shower in. Because these two cute little adolescent boys came up to Sarpino's today, and asked me if they could have a pizza for free. They stared up at me with huge, doleful, puppy dog eyes, and I almost shouted, "Yes, take it! Or you know what, you can have all of them for free, you poor little cute things!!"

But I didn't, because we're running a business, not a soup kitchen, and I told them to come back later, when we're closing and when the manager (my mom) was around. My heart sank to my toes when they bowed their heads forlornly and trudged away. I hoped they would return, but they didn't, and I wish I could've given them the pizza. But then mom had already been giving them free pizzas, and doing it on a regular basis might make them dependent on freebies... and we all know in life there is no such thing as a freebie. Everything costs you something. So I guess they have to learn to work for what they want, but still... it kind of reminded me of what I read one day about this woman who didn't want kids, because "what kind of horrid person would want to bring innocent children into this evil, corrupt world of ours?" And while I agreed with her to a certain extent (because I don't want 9 months of absolute physical torture), I think kids make the world a better place.

So I was initially going to do a thanksgiving for one thing per day, but hey, there shouldn't be a limit on thankfulness, right? God knows we can all be a little more appreciative toward others.

So I'm thankful for this experience of working in Australia. Granted, it's not the most happening place in the world, and some people probably look down on me, a college graduate, working at a pizza place, but you can't please everyone. Plus life is way more fun when you travel and take up adventures, instead of going straight to a 9-5 job, holed up in a tiny cubicle, typing your life away day by day.

Anyway, I got to meet this young couple from Italy, Giulia and Enrico, from Rome and Florence respectively. They're so cool, I loved hearing about their life experiences. They had like a year in between undergraduate school and graduate school, and so they decided to travel to Australia and work while seeing the sights. Why they came to Perth, I have no idea. Well, actually I do - it's because Enrico had relatives here. But still. Of all places. (Giulia told me once they went to a pub on a SATURDAY night and it closed at MIDNIGHT!! Oh the horror!!)

So anyway, they worked at Sarpino's and explored Perth for the past few months, and they're going to travel for 2 weeks before they head back to Italy. And Giulia's going to study her Masters in Engineering in Sweden and Denmark. HOW COOL IS THAT. And they speak Italian, which makes them even cooler. haha. And Enrico took up English when he first came here, and his English speaking ability is pretty good. I'm always amazed at people who go to other countries and start picking up their native language, because I stink at languages, well except English of course. Enrico was the one who taught me how to make dough, and he was funny. He said it was a boring job and I should bring an iPod to work. He also said something along the lines of, 'I never want to see/smell another pizza ever again in my life,' which is ironic because he lives in Italy, land of pizzas.

And so I was talking to Giulia for a while, when mom came back (she takes random breaks to go shopping for 'essential stuff'), lugging a shopping cart filled to the brim with pillows and what not. Good to know that while I have been working she went shopping. And then Giulia told me she always does that.

Once she came back hauling chairs to bring back to Singapore, and when Giulia was like, 'Does Singapore not sell chairs?' Mom huffed and puffed and replied, 'Not this kind!!'
Haha. Mom cracks me up sometimes.

Oh hello, sun

Today was incredibly warm and nice out. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, the clouds were fluffy and white, the wind was blowing, and EVERYONE was outside. I swear, people here (at Taylor) are obsessed with the sun. When one little ray of sunshine peeks out or the temperature gets one degree warmer, people start wearing shorts, flip flops, and tank tops. I'm like, seriously, people, it's not that warm. I mean, it's way warmer than it was a week ago, when there was snow on the ground, but it's still in the 50s (Fahrenheit), meaning jacket and jeans weather. No more coats and boots, but still not shorts and flip flops weather yet.

I guess we're all sun-deprived here. People were out laying on the pavement (and obstructing everyone's way), sleeping on the grass, studying on the benches, playing frisbee/baseball/any kind of outdoor sport... It was a nice change not to have to brisk walk between buildings to avoid becoming numb from the cold.

We went on a walk around campus and ended up at the lake, which was so beautiful. The water was sparkling from the sun's light, and it was so nice to just sit on the grass and enjoy the breeze. I love snow and all, but Mr. Sun is definitely welcome to stay in Indiana :)

From City to Country

It was time. I stepped out of the Indiana airport, and a cool breeze swept past me as I took in my surroundings. Little did I know this was a foreshadowing of life in Indiana, where dreary wet days, bitterly frigid wind and knee-high frosty snow were the norm. Having grown up in a city that experienced year-round summers, I was in for the shock of my life when the first snow fell.

After hauling suitcases stocked with my entire wardrobe, shoe collection and lifetime supply of books, my family and I embarked on the drive to Upland, the tiny town I would call “home” for the next four years. As we sped past cars on the highway, I gazed out the window, fascinated by the small towns we passed by. I scoffed at their buildings and signs, ridiculing the humble establishments they had set up.

Since I did not make the effort to Google “life in Indiana,” the only connection I made to it was the movie character Indiana Jones. Yet, I was somehow convinced it would be similar to New York City. I entertained visions of myself living the glamorous life, sipping lattes at a classy cafe in the afternoon, and watching people stroll past, going about their day.

No doubt I was in for a rude awakening. Not only was I in foreign territory, I was also about to be immensely disappointed. As the Global Positioning System (GPS) informed us we were nearing our destination, my brows furrowed in confusion. Was not Upland supposed to be a huge metropolis, a bustling place filled with all kinds of interesting people? Why were there only farms and fields, with the occasional cow grazing next to horses? A sense of apprehension crept up on me.

The GPS must be wrong, I decided. There was no way I could live in the countryside for the next four years! But, the emotionless, computerized voice soon uttered the words I dreaded to hear: “You have reached your destination.” I gaped at my surroundings in astonishment and dismay. Most college students would be thrilled to step onto campus and plunge into their first day of orientation, but all I could think was, “There aren't any malls here!”

Where were the huge crowds? What was I supposed to do for fun? The town was like a deserted wasteland, and the only thing it seemed to possess in abundance was fields and fields of corn. My first impulse was to snatch the car keys from my dad, jump into the front seat and speed back to the airport, but then I remembered I did not know how to drive.

Simply put, my dreams were instantly crushed. Gone were the fantasies of living the glitzy, jet-setting city lifestyle. The lump in my throat kept growing as I realized this would be a challenge of monstrous proportions. It was a whole new world, one I was unfamiliar with, and quite honestly, reluctant to accept.

I longed for the hustle and bustle of the city, but I was here. I had to put an end to my complaining and welcome my new life. So I did, albeit with some hesitation. As time passed, I grew to embrace life in the countryside. Yes, Upland was as different from the city as you could get, but there was a unique and charming quality about it, something remarkable that set it apart from anything I could have imagined.

Slowly, I adapted. I battled the biting cold with my five layers of clothes, scarves and hats, I discovered the senselessness of trying to predict the ever-changing weather, I learned the benefits of making friends with people who had cars, I experienced getting lost in corn mazes, and I adapted to the smell of skunk in the car. Most of all, I appreciated the beauty of friendship, because when there was nothing to do, the alternative was spending quality time with some of the greatest people I have ever met.

On hindsight, I would have read up more on Upland before arriving. But if I had, I would have never made it to this little town and come face to face with a life changing experience. I have learned to embrace the beauty of nature, to simply sit and gaze in awe at the splendor of creation. There is a kind of peace and tranquility about the countryside, which gives me a sense of serenity I have never experienced before. City life is vastly different from country life, but both are just as amazing.

Now, when I glance out my window and see the pure blanket of snow gracefully spread out over the grass, a sense of wonder overwhelms me, and I am thankful to call Upland my home, at least for now.


-Just thought I would share a personal narrative piece I wrote for class that I'm including in my portfolio :)

Last MK spring retreat

This past week someone asked me, "Is it weird doing stuff and going to events for the last time now that you're graduating?"

I never really thought about that. I guess I've been too busy worrying about the future to appreciate living in the present. But yes, the reality of leaving my comfort zone in school and entering the real world is beginning to dawn on me. I went to my last Airband, my last Nostalgia Night, my last wing retreat, and most recently, my last international spring retreat. This sense of nostalgia is just creeping up on me without notice. It's weird to think I'll never be doing any of these things again. But, as with all things in life, I must move on.

The retreat was such a blessing from God. He knew I totally needed to go and hear what He had to say to me since it's been awhile. We had great fun laughing, playing games, cooking international food, worshiping, having our own Sunday service, and just hanging out and creating awesome memories. The seniors were a little nostalgic, and since only 7 of us female seniors went, we all roomed together in the cabin (the retreat was at Bear Lake Camp, this Christian summer camp about 2 hours away).


This is kind of what the interior of our cabins looked like. Very wooden and earthy and full of BUGS (but it's okay, because we spent most of our time in the main hall area)

This is kind of what the exterior of our cabins looked like. Surrounded by nature on all four sides and incredibly chilly since it was raining this weekend.

Oh it was so much fun - we played Apples to Apples, Things, random get-to-know-you games, table tennis, easter egg hunt, foosball... And I got to know some of the freshmen, which was cool, since I wasn't at international orientation in the fall. We made ethnic food for dinner - beef stir fry, korean bulgogi, chapati, and sour cream enchiladas. YUM.

But even though I enjoyed hanging out with these amazing people, I think the best part was definitely the sharing and hearing from God. We divided into small groups to talk about living in America, how it's different, how it affected our worldviews, how Taylor Christians are compared to Christians in other countries, etc.

We talked about how the Church in America is so divided, compared to elsewhere. Christians here are separated by denomination, beliefs, even trivial issues like church decor and structure. And if we can't even present a united front to the world as Christians, how can we expect nonbelievers to accept our faith? We also talked about Taylor being a safe, comfortable place to the extent where people took their faith for granted. We have all these activities and events to help us grow in our faith, and sometimes our act of worship for God becomes more of a responsibility than a conscious effort or a joy. And then we feel so contented in our little safe zone that we're afraid of stepping out into the secular world, so we continue on to Christian organizations and environments to work.

Something that always saddens me is how nonbelievers perceive Christians - the media loves to blow up instances of fallen Christian leadership that the public has come to see us as arrogant hypocrites. That's one of the top two reasons that prevents people from becoming Christians - the Christians themselves. And the other reason is the presence of evil and suffering in the world. But more on that later.

So I think these four years have been challenging in so many ways, emotionally and spiritually especially. But, they've also helped me grow and mature tremendously. I've learned so many things about myself, about the world, and about God. I used to be incredibly frustrated by all my Bible classes, because I didn't see the point of learning about all those trivial issues that divide us when we could just be a wholly united Church that simply believed in Jesus and His abundant love and grace. But my professor recently said something very profound, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

One way to show God our love is to love Him with our minds, and that means learning all we can about Him and understanding who He is.

And I guess I never really thought about it that way before. But I see what he means. Now that I've learned about all this history behind the Bible, I am better prepared to give a reason for the hope I have. I think I used to be somewhat of a blind follower - not that I didn't know who God was or anything, but I just wouldn't know what to say if someone asked me why I believed in God, other than 'because He's real and I experienced His presence and you just have to have faith to know what I'm talking about.' So now that we've been discussing different kinds of issues like the evidence for the Resurrection and the doctrine of the Trinity and the Incarnation, I think I've come to a better understanding about my faith. And it really has strengthened my belief in God, because there's all this tangible evidence to back it up. Not that faith isn't enough, but sometimes it's hard because it's just so abstract and intangible.

So anyway, something that one of the guys shared really resonated with me, especially since I've been fretting over the future lately. He talked about how God has already been ahead of us; He has paved the way for us, and He will guide us through our journey step by step because that is just how great His love is for us. Something along those lines. And I know these things, I've heard them hundreds of times before, but somehow just hearing him say it was very encouraging. It definitely struck a chord.

And then for our 'Sunday morning service,' we had a bit of a creative worship time. They set up stations around the hall where we could draw, paint, read a devotional book, ask for prayer, journal, or sing - all in worship of God. It was a very interesting time, I enjoyed it a lot.
A couple of verses from the books spoke to me tremendously.

Deut 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

It just reminded me of how God is my only constant in life. People may change, circumstances may change, everything may change, but God will always be faithful. And even in my journey here at Taylor - no one can completely understand or empathize with my struggles, because I'm on such a different journey from others, but ultimately, God is always with me and He is all I need.

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
Should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace

Happy thanksgiving :)

Thanksgiving Day

I really love this holiday and I wish we had it in singapore and all over the world. A day to give thanks? Why not. Everything about it is just so wonderful! And every year has been a different experience for me. From freshman year with sung ah, cartoon and faith's family in Indiana, to sophomore year with cartoon and her friends in Chicago, to junior year with hannah and katie in North Carolina (cooking our own turkey, sweet potatoes and stuffing), to senior year with faith and a bunch of strangers at a church member's house in Los Angeles :)

So we were a little apprehensive going to a stranger's house, having thanksgiving meal with a bunch of people we've never met before... but i'm so glad we went. it was a TON of fun, and it was like a breath of fresh air, so nice to be away from LAFSC and all the 'jesus-haters.' ok, so i was exaggerating, my classmates don't hate jesus, but sometimes it feels that way. how they act, the words (especially swear words) they say, the crap they feed into their minds... honestly, i don't see jesus in them. so it's been a little depressing, seeing them all claim to be jesus-followers and cursing as much as the next person.

Anyway, back to thanksgiving, everyone was SO AWESOME and so nice and friendly and welcoming, and i totally felt at home. the house was in Hollywood, and it was BEAUTIFUL, filled with comfy couches, a quaint fireplace, a gorgeous dining room... and they just moved in 2 weeks ago. it was insane. really thank God for such wonderful people that open up their house and their hearts for people like me with nowhere to go. there were a ton of people there too, about 30, and i loved meeting them and hearing their stories.

One girl came all the way from Texas about 2 months ago, she's 17, and she's here because she believes God wants her here to minister to the poor and the homeless. i was totally blown away. she doesn't even have a place to stay, and she was so passionate about God and on fire for her ministry. i definitely felt a prick of shame and a huge amount of respect for her courage and strength.
And another woman moved to LA to be a screenwriter... she's currently homeless as well, but she knows for sure this is where God wants her, and she's going to stick it out until her films get noticed. i was like... i can't imagine doing that.

But it was so awesome meeting new people and getting out of the LAFSC group. i mean, i like the people here and all, but it was a nice change.
And the food was WONDERFUL. i ate till i was stuffed. turkey, stuffing, broccoli casserole (sounds gross, but it's SO GOOD!), sweet potato casserole (my fav), salads, rolls, cheeses, tiramisu, cheesecake, pumpkin pie... oh so good :)

And we went around our table giving thanks for things in our lives, and i thanked God for family, friends and being at LA (instead of indiana). haha.

Talking about food, we tried Ethiopian food yesterday, and oh my gosh, it was delicious. it was kind of like indian, but BETTER! you eat with your hands, and there's this pancake thingy that you take and wrap around curry/meat/some kind of sauce, and you pop it into your mouth, and it's the best thing ever. haha. and we talked to our Resident Director and her husband... seriously, they are the NICEST people in the program. so sweet and wonderful, unlike most of the other professors here who come across as fake and insincere. i think they've all gotten sucked into the whole Hollywood culture, which is kinda sad, and i hope never to be as jaded and cynical about Jesus as they are.

BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING TOMORROW!!! DEALS GALORE!!!!

What is going on in this world

So. there's been a lot of discussion lately around campus about the emergent church. i personally don't even get what it is exactly, but i think it's kind of got to do with postmodernism, where people think everything is relative, and they don't wanna be subjected to the norm, and they're trying to break out of society's expectations...whatever. so from what i understand, the result of this 'emergent church' thing is many Christians leaving the church because they don't like preachiness and they think everyone's equal and that they can find God themselves. and so people are setting up 'churches' (church has become a rather broad term) in cafes, golf courses, parking lots, etc. it's really weird. they even have drive-in churches, which people claim to like because they can leave straightaway after service.

but hello?? what kind of church is that if you're only thinking about leaving throughout the entire service?? where's the fellowship and community and all that? sure you can grow in your walk with Christ alone, but how much can you really grow, and how can you keep growing without being accountable to anyone? no one's that perfect to go seek Christ alone. sure, the emergent church has its positive points like social justice and helping people and stuff, but really, we're made to be a part of a community. i personally would have probably drifted away from God like years ago if not for the support and love i found in church.
so yeah. this has been a topic of heated discussion. and although people have been voicing their disagreement with the emergent church, some do actually kind of agree with it. it's really weird. i don't know what this world is coming to.

And then reading in Historic Christian Belief (a bible class i have to re-take cuz the stupid prof failed the entire class last spring), learning about how scholars dispute the authority of the BIble, how some people think the Bible is made out of 'myths' and allegories instead of spiritual and historical truths... is just really disturbing but interesting at the same time. especially learning about general revelation, which states that everyone, even non-believers, have reason to believe in a Creator because God reveals HImself and His divine power through nature and all creation, etc, etc. so i'm pretty excited to learn more.

So thursday we put out our first issue of the Echo for the spring. things went pretty well..we have an earlier deadline, which i prefer, so we can get outta there quicker. and it was nice to see everyone so excited about the Echo on fri :) sense of accomplishment. and i turned in my form for off-campus housing!!!! hope hope HOPE we get it. Sungah, dorothy, capri and i wanna get an apartment off campus..in the awesomely new apartments. but there are only 15 spots and tons of competitions, so hope we have enough credits to get it!! otherwise, i'll apply for study abroad programs. leaving it up to you, God! haha.

Friday was Capri's bday celebration!! totally surprised her when 15 people turned up at Flattop grille unexpectedly for dinner. food was awesome, as usual. Asian stir fry!! plus cocktails and margaritas. cuz u only turn 21 once :)
and then watched 'He's just not that into you'


It was... rather lacking in morals and values, i must say. despite the all-star cast and the plot's resemblance to 'Love actually', it was kinda disappointing. there were funny parts, of course, but there were also disturbing parts and 'omg-he-did-not-just-do-that' parts. mostly disagreed with it cuz it condoned sleeping around, divorce, adultery, unfaithfulness, etc. one scene stuck out in my mind. this girl was like, so if you meet the man of your dreams, and he's married, does that mean he's off limits? and her friend was like, no, he might be your soulmate! you can't give up on love just cuz he's married! --- what kind of messed up logic is that. i don't care if you think he is your soulmate. he's married and therefore off limits completely. no questions asked. and i don't care if she's your soulmate either. your marriage might not be perfect, but you made a vow, a commitment, so please stick to it! gosh.


our group at the theater

with sungah, mimi and britni at Flattop

with sungah, barbie and carly in the theater

ok so this is a really long post, but i have something else to say!
today, sung ah and i drove to muncie, which is half an hour away, to go to Target for grocery shopping. and it was kinda weird/scary cuz we both didn't know the way, it was at night and dark, and she isn't that experienced in driving.

so we got there fine, but coming back...omg. almost got into an accident. we realized we were going the wrong way, so she made a u-turn, but it was SO dark that we didn't see the lines between the lanes, and she TURNED ONTO THE WRONG LANE. and we didn't realize it until we saw tons of bright lights coming toward us, and we realized we were on the OPPOSITE LANE! omg. total panic attack. the cars were like THIS CLOSE! and she swerved onto a huge patch of grass, we heard a loud thump, and finally we got back onto the right lane. omg. my heart almost jumped out of my chest. but she was freaking out more, and she was the driver, so i had to calm her down. but really, THANK GOD SO MUCH that 1. we saw the cars in time, 2. there was only a patch of grass separating the lanes and not some huge pavement, 3. we got back safe and sound.
no more going out at night for a while.

but yeah, thank God :)

One thing

Just one thing i have to say - i'm SO entirely glad i stayed home this j-term.

A bunch of reasons why...
-longer break, no classes!
-catching-up time with wonderful people
-Chinese New Year! finally after 2 years. pineapple tarts, hongbaos and quality time with family :)
-tons of bonding time with you know who you are :)
-DE retreat, which was really awesome especially hearing the life journeys of everyone
-amore kickboxing/new body madness (and making full use of the facilities by bringing 'guests' every so often)
-family time!
-watching movies, karaoke-ing, ice-skating, playing arcade games, shopping, eating yummy local food, prawning, clubbing, having sleepovers.... everything upland doesn't offer! haha.

actually i have more things to say. haha.
looking back on 2008, it's been a great year. maybe not so much restful since it's always crazy busy during the semester, but fun all the same. growing to love taylor has been a big plus. really learned to appreciate my family as i've realized how blessed i am because God has always been SO GOOD to me and my family!!
i thought of writing a list of things i'm grateful for in the past year, but it's tiring so maybe another day. :)

December=my fav month :)

I love december, yes I do!
I love december, how about you?

December = last week of classes, tons of holiday activities/open houses, yummy christmas cookies, break, christmas day, huge holiday sales, new year party, being home with family!
LOVE IT!

anw thank God we got back safely last night. drove for 12 hours back cuz it was rainy, foggy and there was tons of traffic. we almost ran into a truck once, but thank God Katie's such an awesome driver. i think we must've sung along to 1000 songs to keep katie awake. haha. it was such a fun road trip :)
we visited katie's church on sunday. was a nice little quaint church with really friendly people :)
and we went hiking up an intimidating mountain on sat! even though it was drizzling and the trek was kinda long and tiring, we made it to the top! where we marveled at the beautiful view. it's just so amazing how God created all this beautiful nature. makes me wonder how anyone can think that God doesn't exist.

and we got lost hiking down. hannah led us down this STEEP slope where we almost came to the EDGE of the mountain!!! it was pretty crazy. thought i was gonna die there. so we climbed back up the steep slope, slipping and falling as we went, and finally made our way back to the trail. thank God! we've termed this our 'near-death experience'! haha.
and then we tried to find the Hillbilly Hideaway, a family-style restaurant where they don't have menus and serve u anything, but it was creepily dark when we went in, and this guy with a torch chased us away and said they were closed. scary!

so we went to carter brothers. dinner was a splurge. BBQ pork, tater tots, mac&cheese, oreo/choc cake. ooh yum. we rationalized that since we exercised, we could indulge :)
and suddenly our adrenaline rush kicked in, and we couldn't stop laughing at everything! three waitresses came by to ask if we were ok, and we were laughing too hard to answer. haha. craziness!

Here's pics from our thanksgiving threesome road trip!


Our only sad photo from the beautiful Festival of Lights. There were lights forming every kind of shape! From santa to reindeer to fireworks to castles to swans in lakes to snowmen... it was simply magical driving through the park.

We climbed a mountain! It was like a 2mile hike. And boy, were we exhausted like 5 mins into it. we realized how unfit we are. haha.

I don't know when hannah took this. I was busy admiring the breath-taking view from the top of the mountain! there were trees galore.. in all kinds of wonderful colors like red, orange, green... and it was so foggy for miles.

we took turns taking each other. i love hannah's pose!

yayy for perseverance/determination and making it to the top!

i tried to look like i was falling and failed. haha.

angry macho pose. YEAH we're awesome hikers!

awwww. i had a really fun time with these girls over break :)

our 100th break. tired!

look at those steps! they go on for like forever.

we took a break like 10 mins into walking. haha.

ooh thanksgiving meal! sooo yummy.

yayy sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top!

Happy Thanksgiving!

first off, let me say, I am LOVIN' this thanksgiving break!!

so we left on tues afternoon... drove for 10 whole hours straight (with one bathroom break and a dinner break)... sang along to hundreds of songs, talked about tons of random topics, and finally... we arrived at HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA!!! awesomeness.

katie's house is soooo cool. i must admit, i absolutely LOVE american homes. at least all those that i've been to. they're ALL so... wonderful! comfy. cosy. beautiful. huge. they have fireplaces! cool-lookin kitchens! huge backyards! i SO wanna live here! it's just soooo...awesome.
so we reached at like 11pm. met katie's parents and sister. they're cool :) she has a crazy fat little dog called 'mia'. which means dog hair and spit all over the house. but oh well.

so wed we went grocery shopping. made our very own dinner - pigs in a blanket and mac&cheese straight from the box. the best. they came in spiderman shapes too :)


then we watched katie's awesome TV, which has like over 1000 awesome channels!! the best tv EVER!!! every single kind of show you could ever wanna watch is right here. this is like heaven on earth. got hooked on the marathon of Baby Borrowers, a show where teenage couples get to experience taking care of babies, then toddlers, then kids, then teens, then the elderly. was so interesting. they were pretty much immature and fighting all the time and the poor kids got neglected.


we also watched Holes, which was pretty awesome too. starring pre-puberty Shia Lebeouf :)
then we climbed into the hot tub in her backyard!! for like an hour plus. was so nice and relaxing. could've stayed there for hours.

ystdy was THANKSGIVING! TGIT! THANK GOD IT'S THANKSGIVING! haha. got up at noon and started cooking. we made an ENTIRE Thanksgiving meal! i am so proud of us. made turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (it's like mashed sweet potatoes with melted marshmallows on top. the best), corn, fruit salad, bread rolls...
yup. pretty much the best thanksgiving meal ever!!! my 3rd so far this year. haha.
my first was at a lunch my friend's church prepared, second was one my wing prepared for us and the brother wing. i love thanksgiving meals. so yummy.
then we had a DDR partay :) and hot chocolate and phase 10 by the fireplace. i love fireplaces.

and today's BLACK FRIDAY!!! the best day of the year! where shops everywhere have INSANE sales!! we were gonna get up at 7.30am to rush to the mall in a kiasu fashion, but then we all kinda slept in. till noon. haha. but everything was still there when we arrived at the mall. which was PACKED. could hardly find a parking spot. got stuff from old navy, deb, forever21, bath&body works, fye, jc penneys... and now my arms hurt from carrying the bags. haha. the mall was awesome though. filled with christmas decorations and jolly cheer :)
then we had dinner at mamma mia's! yummy italian food for cheap prices and huge portions. we'll be eating leftovers for the next few days. still have turkey and stuff from last night.
watched madagascar 2 at this cheap theatre, which really wasn't that bad. and it only cost $3. was pretty nice. it was kinda funny..but also kinda lame.


And this little creature was so adorable! :)


hopefully mountain hiking tmr..but 80% chance of rain. sigh. but overall, it's been pretty good. weather's been SO nice! t-shirt weather in dec! imagine that.
God is good, all the time! :)

Why aren't there any Thanksgiving songs?

Really. Why? I've been trying to celebrate the fact that Thanksgiving break has officially started already for me! Right now! since i've saved up all my skips for tomorrow. and i wanna listen to Thanksgiving songs so i can celebrate! but NO. there are none. so my christmas playlist has been on repeat. haha. not really complaining.

Christmas, christmas time is hereeee..
time for joy and time for cheerrrrr....

ANYWAY. North Carolina, here we come!!!!!! hannah, katie and i came up with a name for ourselves - the Thanksgiving Threesome. hahaha. CAN'T WAIT! A house all to ourselves. Food that we're gonna cook ourselves (it'll be interesting since none of us cook). Black Friday (a day of crazy sale, Sale, SALE!) No homework/classes! Far, far away from Upland!

WHAT COULD BE BETTER????????
Nothing. :)

Here's a list of what i'm thankful for this Thanksgiving:
-God's faithfulness
-Family and friends who care about me and who i love!
-Awesome relationships I have here at Taylor. been getting to know so many girls on my wing better :)
-Good academics. yayy for As and learning!
-Good weather so far. it's not that cold yet! not much snow even. thank God
-That i'm getting along really well with my roomie. we didn't know each other well at all. we just roomed together cuz my roomie was leaving and her roomie was rooming with someone else. but...thank God it's been awesome!
-Awesome american TV shows!!! ANTM just ended :( but i've found its replacement! Stylista! haha. so i'm still juggling 10 TV shows (One tree hill, Stylista, Gossip Girl, House, Prison break, Ugly betty, Grey's anatomy, Private practice... and others i'm ashamed to admit i watch. haha) and everyone's constantly amazed at that. they don't know how i have time. but it's easy, really. i just multi-task - watch and do hw at the same time. very productive! :)
-Better food in the DC this year!
-Life is just pretty darned good.

MY FIRST PUBLISHED WORK!!

AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

ok guess what???????

so i'm taking this class, Freelance Writing, at school, and the professor is super intimidating but extremely experience and well-connected. so he had us write 3 devotionals for class, and apparently he liked mine so much that he showed them all to an EDITOR of an online newspaper called The Aboite Independent!! and the editor thought they were (quote) 'marvelous' (aaahh!!)
so he wants to PUBLISH them during the next few weeks!!! isn't that INSANE?? so unexpected too!! not one, not two, but all three!! my prof just did that without telling me!!!!!!! :)
and i dun get paid for it, but hey. awesome exposure!!!! soooooo psyched! can't believe it!!!! :))))))

GOD IS SO GOOD.

on a side note, i realized i like having stuff/work to do. keeps me alive n alert n feeling useful. i should do something this summer instead of slacking around.

international orientation '08

OMG i just have to rave about the awesome new freshmen that we have!! because they really are quite...awesome!! haha. and this year there are TONS of asians!! as compared to previous years. so that's pretty exciting!!! mostly guys too! haha. 2 girls from korea..tons of guys from hongkong, (singapore. kind of), korea, japan. yayy!! and yes, other freshmen from other parts of the world too. it's been pretty fun..welcoming them yesterday..having the banquet..playing crazy games right after while we were still all dressed up..having small group. which was kinda intimidating cuz i'm a small group leader!!

but THANK GOD for my wonderful small group whom i love very much!! even though 2 of them are older than me (23 yrs old cuz they're transfers frm another school. one from HK, one from china), it went really well, and they're pretty talkative, which was so great for me. haha. one girl from korea but she lives in russia..she is like seriously, the CUTEST LITTLE THING!! hahaha. she like, bounced up to me and asked hopefully, 'are u korean??' and wasn't really that sad when i said no. another girl in my small group, from russia, kept calling me some korean name cuz she thought i looked like her korean friend. seriously! why does everyone think i'm korean?? but u know what, my new 'dream' is not to be american anymore..i wanna be korean!! ahahaha. i think they're SO cute. i mean the girls. cute little things! plus koreans are everywhere. and everyone loves koreans. so anyway yah. i really like my small group! all 5 of them!

High on life

me and my funny roomie wrapped in...unidentifiable ethnic costumes. haha

girlies on my wing! loves

watching the man repair our tire. we were pretty much high and giggly. he must've thought all international pple were weird. haha.

cartoon n me!

our band for the weekend at the youth retreat :)

at the bergwall hawaiian luau open house

capri, cartoon, me and natasha. high on shopping!

yup. our completely flat tire.

at the cookout :)

AAAHHHH!!! have i mentioned how much i love it here at taylor??? have i??? i so totally do. it's been sooo awesome this year. i wish summer wouldn't come so fast! but then i do wanna go home too. but i'll miss it here!! haha. it's so funny how taylor just grows on u. can't imagine going to college anywhere else but here :)

sooo. been super busy the last few days. as usual. wrapping up things for the end of the year..applying for new positions for next year..hopefully gonna get them. applied for coordinator of ethnic student scholarship program..news of the day editor..and maybe news editor for our sch newspaper, the echo. haha. i dont know how i became so enthu about being involved. i never was when i was in s'pore. been it's just so much more fun to be involved in stuff! :)

so last weekend was C-R-A-Z-Y! fri night had a cookout at the daudts'. yayy!! so much fun roasting hotdogs and marshmallows but not so much getting ashes in my eyes and smoke in my hair. but it was fun! made cookies and cards..hung around with people..went to amy's house and had random conversations while watching spanglish until like 1am with ben,luke,cartoon,dan, amanda,elizabeth..oh it was so crazy. haha.

so tired though. had to get up early the next morning to go shopping!!! in fort wayne. with sungah, capri, natasha and cartoon. it was SUCH an adventure! we had to go get presents for our graduating seniors :( so sungah drove a taylor car there..it was about 1hr away. and she was stressing the whole time. cuz that's just who she is. type A. but so adorable. haaha. i love my roomie! and so i gave her directions. and we made it there safe and healthy. went to flattop for lunch! it's this vietnamese (i think) stir fry restaurant. yummyness. shopped around for presents..as well as stuff for ourselves. hahaha. got cute cheap stuff at aeropostale! and old navy. yayyy. got the seniors journals, cards, starbucks personalized graduating gift mugs (sooo cute), necklaces. cuz they're all girls. haha. can't wait to give it to them!

and then..before we could leave the mall, we got a flat tire. so OMG sungah was freaking out. and this security guard just happened to be standing there RIGHT when we saw the flat tire and he was totally calm and told us to call campus safety and then drive to a parking lot and he'd change the tire for us. IT WAS SUCH A GOD THING!!! God is sooo good. He sent this guy to help us! so sungah was still freaking out but he was sooo nice and helped us change the tire in the rain while we stood around and talked to him. Thank God he was there! if not we prob wouldn't know what to do. so we got lost on the way back, and sungah passed all these stop signs without stopping, and she drove on the curb once..but other than that, we were fine. haha. crazy times. had a movie party in my room at night..watched 'disturbia'. omg. so scary. i didn't dare to go to the bathroom after that. cuz i'm just wimpy like that. haha. but i'm over it now. and then went to the youth conference outdoor worship concert. was fun. although we made it there when it was ending. haha.

sun went to youth conference chapel cuz wanted to hear the speaker. he was amazingly awesome. like seriously one of the BEST speakers i've ever heard. sooo good at connecting with the audience and bringing the msg across! i was totally engrossed in what he was saying. was a gd sermon too. about not getting angry at others just cuz they can't do things well. and i realized i do that sometimes..get mad at others cuz they don't do a good job at something, when i myself can't do it well either. does that make sense? haha. yeah. worship was good. youths running to the front and being crazy for Christ. totally reminded me of FCBC. awwww. wish it could be like this all the time. it struck me as a little hypocritical. cuz pple are always so dead during worship and then suddenly during big events like youth conference they become hyper and worship with all their might then when it's over they become dead again. why??? why can't we be crazy for God everyday?? sigh.

anw this week was crazy too. rushing to write research papers for class..preparing presentations for class..practicing for our fashion show for the event we're putting on called 'International Mosaic: Celebrating Culture', which was today. it went REALLY well! which surprised us all cuz there was sooo much tension and stress over it cuz everyone couldn't get along and all had different opinions on how it should be run. it was chaotic every single rehearsal. and i was just being myself, like guys, can't we just all get along? haha. mediator as usual. but sooooo glad lots of pple showed up and it went AWESOME!!! we had african, caribbean, hip hop dances, the gospel choir sang, pple played the drums, some pple spoke, and there was the fashion show. which i was in. ahahaha. i modelled some indonesian costume and then the japanese kimono. totally went out there and anyhow pose. was sooo fun :) my friend was like shouting, wo ai ni! cuz i taught her that and that's the only chinese she knows. haha. someone came up to me and said i have great stage presence. awwww!! :)))

i love random bonding times with girls on my wing :) sitting outside on the lawn (or what we call olson beach cuz all the girls sit on the lawn to tan)..watching one tree hill and the bachelor together..talking about random things.. :) me and dorothy wrote a song for the seniors to sing to them on senior night!! soo exciteddd. hope it makes them cry. hahaha. omg can't believe i'm only 3weeks away till summer!!! where did all the time go??? the weather is SOOO beautiful now. soooo gorgeous. i just wanna be outside all the time. i think the weather really does affect ur attitude. pple are generally happier when it's nice outside. :)

Spring break '08 is over :(

Woweee. i just had an awesome spring break. IN MIAMI!!! don't know where to start!

ok so..i was really quite reluctant n unexcited to go with 55 people to miami for a lot of reasons. i didn't really know anyone in the group and they all seemed crazy and alot of them knew each other already..wasn't really looking forward to the 2days of driving to miami..not excited about doing hard labor over break when i'm supposed to rest.

BUT...God is SO good. He really is. everything really does happen for a reason. and He put me on this trip for a reason. it was awesome!!!!

so we started off last friday morning driving 5 vans for the whole day..passed by Kentucky and arrived at Georgia late at night. stayed at a shabby community centre..was soooo tired from being stuck in the van the whole day i went straight to bed. the ride wasn't so bad..got to know the 10 other people in my van pretty well since we were all squished together for hours.

Saturday morning we cleaned up around the community centre then went to work on a house for the Fuller Centre for housing. it was really cool cause they were the ones who started Habitat for Humanity so it was awesome to meet the guy who started it all. met the family whose house we were working on..they were a black family..a mum and 2 older daughters. it was pretty touching, seeing how they were all emotional/excited that we were there to help. and it really struck me that this trip wasn't just about building houses. it turned out to be a form of ministry to others. helping homeless people have a roof over their heads. and the family was SO thankful, it really made me realize that what we were doing was really God's work.

so we got to work on the roof. i was quite freaked out cause obviously i've never done this before!! so i helped pick up debris around the house with some other girls who were afraid to go on the roof too. but after a while i got bored n was itching to go up, so i did. kinda scary at first cause obviously i had visions of me falling to my death. but it was alright..hammered nails into the wooden boards. didn't really know what i was doing..but the guys were really helpful. spent the whole afternoon working. tiring! took a nap in the evening..played around at the community centre n hung out n got to know more people..

had worship and small groups in the evening..we shared about things we were thankful for..and i was just really surprised by how everyone came together so well and worked hard n never even complained. some people even did stuff like sweeping up the leaves that they didn't have to do. it was just nice to see how everyone was so willing to do whatever they could to help out.

we were talking about how Easter Sunday was the next day..but it didn't really feel like easter. everyone was saying how they normally celebrate easter with painting easter eggs n stuff..and i kinda realized how i always put emphasis on Jesus' death on the cross and how He sacrificed so much for us..but i never really thank Him for His resurrection and His victory over death. know what i mean? like i remember His act of washing away my sins but i tend to forget the other part where He rose from the dead. which is equally as important. that just struck me and i don't know how come i never realized it before.

Sunday was EASTER!!! OMG. we had such an interesting experience we'll never forget. so we went to this little church in Plains, Georgia..where JIMMY CARTER, the 39th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES was teaching sunday school. ?!?!?!?!?!?!!!

it was a complete shock to us when we realized that. isn't that so cool???? i got to see jimmy carter! and we took group pics with him too!! although i feel sorry for him cause most of the pple in the church were visitors and they obviously only came to see him n take pics with him. i would hate to do that every sunday! plus there were Secret Service agents SWARMING the place. it felt more like a museum than a church service. this awful woman talked to us for a whole hour on what not to do when jimmy carter arrived. she became the butt of our jokes for the rest of the trip. it was like her whole life revolved around him. haha.

he was actually kinda boring in person. not as charismatic as i would have thought. and the whole service took like 3++ hours. the most boring thing EVER. but pretty hilarious. the choir was SO tone deaf. the pastor wore a creepy tie with baby heads and he was obviously trying to act like the kids love him but he was just weird. the sermon was only like 15 mins. it was really weird. everyone fell asleep at least 5 times throughout this whole ordeal. omg. such an experience.

we talked about it nonstop afterward. haha. had an Easter lunch before continuing our driving to Miami, Florida!!!! was so excited on the way there. finally reached at night and crashed at the church. all i can say is, thank God the church had air mattresses. it made our sleep sooo much better. and the guys were so nice. they gave the limited air mattresses to the girls. its times like these that i love being a girl :)

Monday was our free day!!!! went to the beach to play. sadly, it was cloudy n cold. but it was still fun. played soccer, frisbee, took walks, played in the water..got a little more tanned :) still getting to know more people. it's hard to get to know everyone cause there's like 55 of us..but i got to have some good conversations with pple. :)

got briefed by Habitat for Humanity..went to another church for dinner. they were sooo nice to make dinner for all of us! it was us Taylor pple plus 3 other groups from other universities. was cool. although the pple from the other group we worked with were....pretty darned lazy. hahaha. we were always like super excited to work, and they mostly stood around n watched us. oh well. i love our group!! we're so hyper n crazy n entertaining :)

Tuesday...first day of work!!!! worked from 7am till 3pm tues till fri. whoaa. really tiring. since miami traffic is awful, we had to get up at like 5am everyday to get ready n leave cause it takes an hour to get to anywhere in miami. hardly got any sleep this break, but it was ok.

so..mum was kinda paranoid about me going on this trip cuz construction work isn't the safest in the world, and some pple got nails stuck in their shoe, blood blisters, all kinds of injuries. and the last thing my mum wanted me to do was work on the roof. she was like, anything but that. but guess what? ironically, God had something else in mind for me. we randomly split into 5 groups to work on different houses..some pple did painting, some lay concrete/grass, some worked on the roof. and yes, my group was the one on the roof. i would've laughed if i wasn't so freaked out.

as i climbed the shaky ladder up to the roof, i was seriously terrified. the roof was like 20 times steeper than the one in Georgia!!! omg. we had 5 girls and 5 guys in our group, and the girls were all huddling together, too scared to venture anywhere. there were 2 guys working for Americorp who were helping supervise us, since we had no supervisor at our site. and they gave us the option of doing other stuff if we were uncomfortable on the roof, but i knew that wasn't an option for me. after all, i was here to challenge myself n it just wouldn't feel right if i left my group to do other stuff. so i stuck with it. and kept telling myself i'll get used to it. and I DID!!!

it was amazing. at first i totally sucked hammering nails into the tar paper cuz obviously i never touched a hammer before. but the guys were soooo encouraging n supportive. i was really touched. and i really worked hard! only took like a short break for lunch then continued working.

by the end of the day i was sore EVERYWHERE. arms sore cause hammering nails all day. fingers sore cause occasionally would hammer my fingers when i missed the nail. (but compared to others, my fingers were in great shape. a lot of people had blood blisters. thank God i was fine) back sore from bending over n hammering. knees sore from having to constantly balance and keep myself from falling to my death. it was freaky cause there were sharp pieces of wood and nails poking out from the ground surrounding the house. so if any of us fell, we would definitely be falling to our deaths. so THANK GOD we're all fine :) 

well except for this guy in our group - paul - who got his leg run over by our van in a freak accident cause they were playing a game n things just got outta control. so he had 2 broken bones n had to be rushed to the hospital. we were all scared for him. but he had SUCH a great attitude about it..he was like, thank God i've only 2 broken bones in my ankle n none in my foot..he's such a trooper. he flew home early n had surgery n now he's fine thank God. and we could really see how great the group was as we all came together to support him.

anw by the end of the trip i was so used to being on the roof..it was like our second home!! my work group was so bonded together. love it!!! everyone was so encouraging n awesome :) we were all so psyched to get on the roof every morning. it was funny to see how much we progressed. i even went all the way to the edge of the roof by the second day to hammer stuff n smear tar. i surprised even myself. was pretty cool to get outta my comfort zone n conquer my fears!! :)

 so by the end of the trip we got the roof almost done with shingles n stuff, and we painted the house..and it was pretty! yay! and my group was so awesome..we got done early on wed n sneaked off to miami beach to reward ourselves. haha. it was our little secret. i got sooo tanned! think i've never been this tan before. have like 5 different shades of color on my body from wearing different kinds of shirts everyday. got burnt on my shoulders too. miami sun is no joke!

got to try cuban food at the restaurant near where we stayed!! it was AWESOME. yummy. hung out alot with different people every night..so fun!!! went to downtown miami to this restaurant - Bubba Gump - modeled after the movie Forrest Gump. was wayy cool. everything in it was originally from the movie..and the dishes were named after stuff in the movie. wish spring break didn't have to end :(

the last day was intense! we were all called halfway through the day for a sod emergency. meaning we had to go help lay chunks of grass on the concrete. was super gross. i never knew grass came in chunks n u just lay them together like puzzle pieces! i always thought u grow them outside the house. anw..i helped move grass for a while. was super disgusting. but no one complained cause we're awesome like that :) the grass was full of fire ants, worms n other bugs that bit me. was soo glad when we got it all done. ugh. but it was just awesome to see our group come together like that n do our best even though the work was gross.

had small groups almost every night..my small group did this thing where we drew other people's names randomly n had to 'observe' them for the day to see positive stuff about them we could encourage them for. it was fun to encourage people and be encouraged. love my small group! it was pretty amazing to see how 55 of us totally bonded throughout the trip. we even had a family dinner the last day..felt like a huge, crazy family. we were fed sooo well this whole trip i totally probably gained weight. haha. although i did do hard labor everyday too. so it was a balance :)

the Habitat for Humanity staff brought us bowling to thank us for all the work we did. it felt pretty awesome to be able to be part of this whole ministry. the house i was working on was for this 20 year old girl who had two kids. so sad! and the neighborhood was kind of ghetto. there was a young girl walking around everyday in skanky clothes whom we suspected was a prostitute. and we suspected the house across from us was a drug dealer cause fancy cars kept stopping there all day for a few mins n then driving off suspiciously. it was pretty interesting.

then we drove back on sat afternoon after cleaning up..drove throughout the night nonstop and finally reached Indiana on sunday morning. super tiring man. i'm not a fan of road trips anymore. got to catch up on sleep. but felt bad for the drivers cause they had to drive so much. they were constantly stuffing themselves with candy n caffeine to keep awake. heh. went to waffle house for breakfast today.

my first experience at an all american greasy diner! had choc chip waffles n hashbrowns. was really quite greasy but good. but felt nauseated after that. first and last time there. we all came back to Taylor with mixed feelings. sad to be back for classes n cold weather. no more sun n palm trees! but glad to be back at our 'second home' and see friends again :)

so yeah! i learned so much about myself, about others, about God from this trip. glad i had the opportunity to be a part of this ministry cause it's so different from anything i've ever done. got to challenge myself physically, relationally, emotionally, spiritually..got to get out of my comfort zone..learned that i am stronger than i think i am. didn't know i was capable of sleeping on the floor, having less than 5 hours every night n still functioning, doing labor i've never done before, building relationships with people i've never met before.. i can indeed do all things through Christ who strengthens me! :)

whoa that was a long post.