Travis came up to me this past Sunday and started with, "if I don't see you..."
If you don't see me?
What do you mean, if you don't...
...ohhhh that's right. You're leaving for Bangkok in two days...
I totally didn't realize that it was time for him to leave.
All of a sudden I became emotional.
Don't know what it is.
I think it was because I didn't expect to hear that that particular morning.
Crazy.....
Travis with care package from NOC STM Thailand 2006 TeamWhoa!
What a night!
SUPREME has begun!
Actually it began lastnight at the strike of midnight as people started praying for the world as well as local ministries, global ministries, and each other.
It's good to know that there's someone(s) praying right now at this very moment. And I'm part of this movement!
How cool is that!
Tonight marked our very first night of focused prayer night as SUPREME progresses throughout the week.
Here are some pictures to mark this momentous occasion:
Mark ready-ing his heart before the night
Bo leading the worship
Whoa! We had 20 people show up for prayer & worship!
Another angle of whorship
Sisters Praying...
Bros Praying...
Just Praying...
Conference Room Transformed!
Conference Room Transformed (Angle 2)
Conference Room Transformed (Angle 3)
The Lab Transformed
Portion of S.Africa display at The Lab
The 24/5 Prayer Chart filled up!
Signup board #2 - for more prayer slots!When we set out, we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into.
After sweating up buckets of sweat, and spending two weeks in a foreign land, we've come home having laid the first 74 posts - in hopes of it someday being completed by other volunteers.
The walkway that we have start to build in Koh Yao, Thailand is complete!
Wow!
I must say that I didn't expect the project to be completed so soon!
Team LA & NOC first day of the project
Team LA & NOC erecting the first post
Completed walkway (the entrance)
The other side
People can actually walk on it!
End of the pier.Awwwgh!
Got pulled over tonight.
At the parking lot at work!!!
Suuuuuuuucks!
We have federal police officers patrolling the area. It's a security thing.
So he pulls me over because I happened to be on my cellphone while driving my car from one parking lot to another - maybe 100 yards away.
It was night time, so I'm sure the glowing diaplay on my cellphone was easy to spot.
Anyway, this guys was a jerk! (They're pretty much all jerks with an exception of two or three.)
This dude pulls me over, flashing his bright rainbow lights. Comes over to the driver side of my car and start asking for the usual (license, registration, etc. etc.)
But the tone of his voice... I knew I had an issue here.
Then he starts goin' on and on about cellphone policy while driving... and having all the correct documents at all times, etc. etc.
That jerk started pulling scare tactics - telling me how it's going to cost me anywhere in the upwards of $700 and blah, blah, blah.
Ugh!
I've had it!
I am one person who does not like to get into confrontations, but it's been a long month thusfar, and been a really stressing last two weeks!
So I just lashed at him - telling him all the crap that I didn't like about how he was handling the current situation at the time, the reasons for my missing proof of insurance (they were in the office, because I took my bag inside with me (I keep my insurance paper with me at all times) and I wasn't planning on driving my car from one parking lot to the other), and blah, blah, blah.
I really hate confrontations.
But when I'm passionate about something, I'll let the world know. And when I get so damn upset, I start to shake. And I was trembling because I was so damn upset at how this lame-0 was treating me.
In the end that jerk gave me a ticket for $125.
I'm fighting this all the way.
Federal police or not.
Now I feel terrible for letting that jerk get me so worked up. Ugh!
Oh boy.
What a week it has been...
Wed -- Frontline Core get-together went 'til 12:00am. Good times, good times. I think everyone at the get-together didn't want it to end - knowing that one of us will not be at the next get-together. and the next. and the next...
Thu -- Laura's GoodLuck&HaveFunInPhilly! dinner. Our friend Laura's moving to Philidelphia - to write another chapter of her young life. GoodLuck, Laura!
Fri -- Harrison's BelatedBirthdayParty & The Merritts' GoodLuck&HaveFunInDallas! dinner. I think we may all have stayed at Miriam's house until 11:00pm. I think. None of us wanted to leave. Cherish every minute with our friends...
Sat -- SoAfricaMissionTeamReportNight. Boo-yah!
The report night was grrreat! I felt myself gettin' emotional while watching one of their video presentations. Oh... SoAfrica... how I want to see thee...
Great times with great friends, and then some. Noone wanted to walk away from this night either.
Sat (round 2) -- Harrison'sBelatedBirthdayRound2 with some great friends at BJ's. The food? .....awww...it's aight.
But the company. Grrreat!
For the first time I got to experience what it's like when my friend Connie consumes a lil' bit of alcohol. Whoo-yi!
Not sure whether that was the alcohol or just excitement from being with friends (I'm sure that was the alcohol), but she was crrrrrrrrrrrrrazy! AND that's why we all love Connie!
Sun -- The usual crazy day at NewSong North OC - setup | service | brainstorm | hangout | meeting | goodbyes | breakdown.
Sun (round 2) -- Symphonic Orchestra at Chapman University. A wonderful friend of mine is in an orchestra! Can you believe it? Yeah, me neither.
Well, she's been invited to perform with another orchestra. I think.
And she invited me to come watch! .....err.... listen.
It was grrreat!
Sun (round 3) -- Thailand Mission Team's GreatReportNight! Celebration & Travis' HaveFunInThailandAndWatchOutForLadyBoysWhileLookingForABeautifulFutureWife! dinner.
I must say, our "Experience the Journey" (it's a report night, but we really wanted to get away from the whole "report night" feel / theme, so we called ours, "Experience the Journey") was a BIG success!
And now Travis is moving to Bangkok, Thailand to write another chapter in his young life.
Good Luck, Travis!
So, yeah.
It's been a crazy busy week!
And I was sick all week... and am still sick.
Normally I'm OK with being on the GO.
But not when I'm sick.
Crazy thing is, I was sick last week. Got better. And got sick again on Tuesday of this week. And I just can't seem to shake it off this time.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh! Hate being sick!!!
Open your eyes...
and you might see that you're surrounded by love.
NewSong North OC Short Term Mission Team Thailand has completed their "Experience the Journey" Report Evening!
And it was a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat fantabulous time!
As this writer is super duper tired, I shall take a leave of absence.
Until next time...
Me of little faith...
once again all that stress...
all that frustration...
when will I learn?
Me of little faith...
had I only faith as tiny as a mustard seed...
Me of little faith...
once again I've been blessed...
once again my eyes have seen...
yet how long will I remember?
will I be faithful...
will I put my trust in the Lord...
could I surrender...
...and pray...
The other day a friend of mine asked me, "do you have a passion?"
Oyi...
It's a tremendously great question.
And a question to which I don't have a firm answer for.
I do believe I have found something I'm passionate about.
But it's nowhere near in the form of a passion as I would describe a passion to be.
Perhaps when I figure out how to turn my passion into something tangible...
...perhaps then, will I be able to answer this question with confidence.
