I Kayaked on the Indian Ocean!
February 8, 2009
Yesterday I had the opportunity to Kayak on the Indian Ocean. It was so cool. Me and Jeff went as a double. We had the brilliant idea to bring camera with us. Jeff had an extra camera that was older that he brought. This was a good idea in theory until we had a big wave hit us as we were getting in the Kayak. Needless to say the camera is no more, but it did not die before we had the chance to take some awesome pictures of ourselves and our friends!
The water was so warm! Mom, there is no question you would have been in the water! It was a beautiful day, I got a nice tan with no sunburn! It is amazing what sunscreen can do. We were able to go shopping and go to a couple markets. It still is crazy how something can change from an extremely touristy area to a poorer area in a five minute walk.
The only bad thing was my friend Laura Jane got stung when she was in the water and had to pee on herself. Hum. Awkward… Next topic.
I had the opportunity to watch The Crossing’s 11:30 service online a few minutes ago! Everyone did awesome. The music and message were top quality. It was also awesome how they did baptism videos! God is definitely doing some incredible things in that church in spite of a bad economy!
MONKEY UPDATE: The monkeys are still horrible, but at least they run at the sight of me so I don’t have to deal with them. The girls carry sticks around because these ridiculous monkeys are chauvinist pigs and relentlessly go after the girls.
I miss you all and hope you are doing well!
Thoughts before plane flight #1
January 16, 2009
I find myself sitting and waiting for the first of many plane flights that I will be on over the next week. I just said goodbye to my family. I was trying to hold back the tears so I did not become a wreck in the airport.
It has been a crazy ride, the past few days has been packed with last minute errands and goodbyes. It is crazy that it is almost time to leave! It still has not hit me that I am leaving the country for four months, but I am sure that feeling will come soon enough.
I am definitely ready to leave Las Vegas and get back to APU. This weekend will be a lot of fun. I will be able to hang out with all of my friends from APU before I leave which will be really good.
I am applying to be an RA for the next school year. My interview is Wednesday morning, the day I leave for South Africa! It is going to be a crazy five days, but will be really good!
Last AC Group Meeting :(
December 10, 2008
Last night was the last night I had AC Group. It was an emotional time, but also a good time. Coming into Alpha I though my AC group would be a close small group, I could not have been more wrong. God gave me an amazing group with an amazing leader. It came to a close in a good way, we had our last meeting where we had our first, in a Trinity Prayer Room. We had an emotional goodbye, and sang our rap
Scott has no idea :)
Me and the AC Group during Bridges at the Golden Gate Bridge :)
one last time before we left. All 9 of the people in my group are amazing people, I am sad the group had to end. Scott, Jessi, Jessie, Jessica, Jeff, Julieanne, Amanda, Ashleigh, and Noah mean so much to me! It has been truly a blessing and an honor to share amazing experiences with them at Bridges, in group time, and in one on ones. I am thankful for the time we had and that Jeff, Amanda, and Ashleigh are coming to South Africa with me :-)
Today I had the last day of my fall 2008 semester here at APU. It feels awesome. It is finally hitting me that I have no homework to do and no tests to study for. For December it is definitely warm here in LA. I could have work shorts and a t-shirt today. I am not leaving APU until Sunday, so I have a lot of time to hang out here, move out, and say my goodbye’s!
Unexplainable Peace
December 9, 2008
South Africa. When I first heard about APU South Africa Semester at the beginning of this year, I had no desire to go. Now, here I am, I leave in a month and a half. I depart January 21 @ 10:10pm from LAX. It is crazy that it is actually happening. I have so many mixed emotions about leaving.
South Africa is going to be an extremely unique opportunity and a once and a lifetime experience. I am extremely excited to go. I know God is going to do incredible things while I am there. He is already doing amazing things as I am preparing to leave.
I have been on a journey the past couple of weeks, knowing that the end of the semester is coming and I will not be at APU for the Spring semester. This past week it really hit me hard. It was so difficult to fatham not being with the people that I have developed extremely close friendships with. I have been afraid that the friendships I have spent so much time investing in would not be here when I came back. This past week God gave me an incredible peace about this and so many other unknowns about this experience.
Wednesday was an interesting day becuase it was the final lecture in my Life and Teachings of Jesus class and the whole class has been trying to understand the historical person of Jesus, but not forgetting that he is alive and working today. There is so much about Jesus’ life that is unknown and is debated on a daily basis. I came to the conclusion that the unknown is beatiful. After thinking through this idea of the unkown being beautiful, it began to occur to me that in one aspect of my life I was embracing the unknown and in another aspect of my life absolutely fearing it. I have since tried to apply the unknown being beautiful to South Africa and God has given me an incredible peace that is unexplainable.
He has given me peace through the ways my friends are acting. I have had some great converstations (that had nothing to do with South Africa) that really showed me how much my friends care for me and that they will be excited when I come back from South Africa. I still get sad and sentimental at times about leaving for South Africa, but I have confidence and trust in God that my friendships will be here when I return.
Now I am excited and looking forward to what God is going to do in South Africa.
