Oofta

That's such a fabulous word. It expresses so much in just two syllables. :)

I have returned to Chicago. My final return as a STUDENT, granted that I finish the semester okay :) I am glad to be here. It is so different! I've moved into an apartment with two of my girl friends, right at the edge of campus. It's so pleasant to be sitting, typing this on my coffee table...with a couch behind me...a tv against the wall...a sandwich that I made in my kitchen....AH! Brilliant. It feels very fun, though a tad bit kiddish. Well guess what!? I can still be kiddish! No rulebook has it written that a 20 year old can't be a little immature every now and then ;)

One thing I love about being a student is that every semester is a new experience...a chance to BEGIN AGAIN at something. For me, a person that likes to set a goal and accomplish it, this is a great thing. I wonder how "real life" is? I fear beginning life after college and getting myself into a "stable" job or situation where there are no fresh beginnings....only big long-term goals...like retirement. I don't like the thought of retirement yet. Check back with me in 2 years and see if I say the same thing then... ;)

The idea of "ministry" continues to excite me. Though I definitely believe that the life of a Christ-follower IS ministry in whatever capacity, I am so thrilled at the prospects of full-time ministry in a setting completely dedicated to the discipleship of believers and love of the lost. What a cool thought.

In the love of the RANDOM...
At church today, pastor was giving us an example of PERSPECTIVE. He asked us to put punctuation in the following sentence:

"woman without her man is a savage"

What do you think? Please comment with your punctuation... ;)

Final Update

It took me forever to figure out how to work my printer and get these letters mailed. Sorry I'm posting this so late. :(

Just another word of thanks...I'm SO grateful for all of you that followed this trip and prayed for me before, while, and after this experience. I learned so much and hope you enjoy the few stories in this letter. I'm always available to share more, so feel free to ask. Coffee and lunch dates are definitely open :)

Blessings to you all.

I have a very strange habit...

A friend reminded me the other day of just how odd I really am. When I meet people, I subconsciously assign that person a color, animal, and fruit quality. When I think of them, they remind me of those three things.

For instance...my older sister, Amy...
Color: Red
Animal: Bunny Rabbit
Fruit: Apple

Or there's my dad, Bill...
Color: Grey
Animal: Raccoon
Fruit: Grapefruit

Clarification, when I see you, I will not automatically think to myself, "hm...this person is blue peachy mammoth," but if I'm ever asked what color a person reminds me of, I can usually answer in a few seconds.

Weird, huh? Yeah...I think so too. :P Hope that makes you laugh :)

Thoughts on books...

I like books :) when they're interesting. Surprisingly, I had a fairly good deal of time to read this summer! What fun! Here are the books I read and what I think of them...


What a wonderful surprise of a book. I picked up a hardback version of it for a dollar at a thrift store because I liked the feel of the pages. I don't recommend that method for picking out books, but in this case, it definitely worked! The story is simple yet incredibly intriguing. It's an easy read meant for people like me with a very short attention span. :) However, for people that are introspective and reflective, this also provides some excellent brain work. Wouldn't recommend it for kids or unromantic men.
A friend of mine found this little jewel at a thrift store several years ago. I didn't pick it up until this summer, and what a folly that was on my part! This was one of the best books in my library! However, I only recommend it to people that enjoy Jane Austin movies (not necessarily her writing style though). It is an easy read, full of 18th century humor and romance. You will, inevitably, begin speaking and writing using words like, "thither, hence, splendid, and dastardly" after reading this.

Wow. I was not expecting what I read in this book. It is a true story, which makes me immediately think it will either be less interesting than a fiction or it will rather neat and inspiring. Well "neat and inspiring" hardly do it credit. This story is a revolution of thinking for 2 individuals and how their lives impact each other. It is also an incredible account of God's sovereignty. I confess, I found myself sobbing in the final chapters. It touched a nerve in me that was so real and frightening at the same time. I won't explain further for fear of giving away the plot, but highly recommend this book.

Oh, how I wish I had my 11th grade English teacher explaining this one to me as I read it. Chaim Potok is a renowned author of Jewish literature. This particular book is a fiction piece about a young boy with a talent for art. His passion and addiction, if you will, for art draws him from his family and ultimately from his faith. It is a frightening book of what a "good habit" can do if gone unchecked. The elements of Jewish literature were particularly intriguing.

I am not the biggest Donald Miller fan. I read Blue Like Jazz and now this one, but though both provided some comical, real-life scenarios, I did not close the book feeling enlightened or challenged. This work is his recollection of a "find himself" road-trip he took with a good friend in his early 20s. No incredible spiritual insights or stunning moments of brilliance, but fine for the 25 Filipino pesos I paid for it. A "read-if-you-have-nothing-else-to-read" book.

Before commenting on this one, I must confess, that the remaining books have not been motivated by my own pleasure of reading or the expanse of my intellect. They are rather required for school and I am just getting ahead. The one time in my life I'm not procrastinating ;) That said, The Universe Next Door did surprise me at how logically Sire organized his thoughts. For people like myself who are ignorant in the realm of philosophy and apologetics, this is simple, well-organized, and easy to understand. I was impressed with his ability to keep such complex ideas and areas of thought to such susinct chapters. Very helpful :)

John Piper is a Moody Bible Institute favorite, but not necessarily mine. I have enjoyed a few of his works. This was not my favorite, but did provide some excellent biblical insites. I appreciated his efforts to provide a very biblical basis for missions. "Missions exists because worship does not." He seems very passionate about the need for a scriptural understanding of the position of man in relation to God and why we must be impacting the world with the gospel. A bit of a slow read...seemed a little redundant, but overall profitable.

I finished this one thinking..."hm...interesting." It is certainly a short, very clear-pointed book. Mr. Harris does not beat around the bush to communicate his opinions, but neither does he seem to cloak them with the usual courtesy most authors allow for. I found myself greatly pitying this man for his incesent need to prove or rather disprove all of Christianity's reasoning. "Many doctors are moved simply to alleviate human suffering, without any thought of God. While there is no doubt that Christian missionaries are also moved by a desire to alleviate suffering, they come to the task encumbered by a dangerous and divisive mythology. Missionaries in the developing world waste a lot of time and moeny proselytizing to the needy..." This book may irritate some, make others question their faith, or like me...pity people like Mr. Harris who can't accept anything on the basis of "faith." I do recommend it for those that are prepared for a bit of a shock.

You still have time to read before the summer's gone! Go to the library! Ready...set...GO! :)

Moving to memory...

You know how for a while after an experience, you'll use phrases like..."Well while I was in __________..." That's how it's been for the last couple weeks. I think it will be that way for a while. Please forgive me if I overuse my Philippines stories...I am trying to let things process and make a difference in my life. I hope some of the stories are encouraging to you also...





This was one of the hardest scenes for me to understand. This was the son of one of our staff members. He would spend hours at a time alone in the courtyard, rarely wearing clothes and hardly ever with supervision. The difference between our ever-constant child care in the states and the independence in the Philippines startled me. It's hard for me not to call it "neglect." Emily Bill and I had a saying for these kind of moments..."It's not wrong, it's just different." That was a hard one to swallow when it came to seeing these kids.



This girl was one of my best friends. In this picture, she had just gotten a letter and gift (the necklace) from her sponsor. she is sponsored by a girl her age in Germany. It was the most enrapturing thing to look at this girl's face when she opened that letter and read it out loud to us all. This changed my entire perspective of agencies like World Vision and Compassion Child. A child sponsorship program is so drastically different when you are with the kids. They love their sponsors...people they have never met...with such gratitude.



Emily Bill and I enjoyed being tourists when we went out of the village. Usually once a week, we tried to leave the village and go to a mall or a "normal" place where we could feel a little more at home. Starbucks, believe it or not, is very popular in the Philippines. They had at least 4 in one mall! We went there several times. This particular picture was right after Em and I went souvenir shopping (note the button on Em's shirt). She was a rich friend to have. After our many conversations, I remember always feeling so grateful that I had a sister to process situations with and get feedback. Thing I most appreciated about her: the way she prayed.



This video is of 3 of my favorite kids acting silly :) The funny thing is, though they were acting for the camera, this is almost how they were all the time. :) Adorable :)

That's all for now folks :)
Blessings.

I am, afterall, still a girl...

My "special friend," as my dear mother delights to call him, has finally returned to the states after two months in Germany. I just wanted to spotlight him, 'cause I missed him :)