Hello Fall!

The term in is full swing with homework on my to-do list as well as everything else that has been on it.

I am enjoying classes and d2 has transitioned to pre-school very well. He loves going to school and taking his backpack or as he calls it his pack-pack. And actually last week he was asking me to go to school every day. He was excited! (confession: i am actually sitting at home in complete silence, alone, to blog, when I could have picked him up. But I paid for the whole day and don’t have to pick him up till six. You know how many things I can get done with 2 hours of me time, no interruptions? Yes, blogging is one of them!)

He is getting so big!

Excited to take his pack-pack

Ok mom, lets go!

Back to my classes. I had painting in the morning, and am loving it. I will be posting stuff on here when it comes to my art. So check it out! Well...not yet... I haven’t competed anything yet.

Then I have 2 psy classes and to my pleasant surprise, Chelle is in both of them! Totally random, but loving it! I like having a friend to sit next to and chat with here and there. And we are each others Life-Lines for one of them. (its complicated so ask me and I will tell you all about that class...or maybe I will find time to blog just about that).

Jewelry is really taking off! I am loving it. I have never had a more fun job! And I get paid to play with jewelry, wear it, and hang out with girls and eat brownies.. I know you are jealous! So if you want some free jewelry, let me know, or if you want to have an amazing job like mine, let me know! I can get you the hook up! Im your girl!

D’s temp job is coming to an end (as far as we know).  It ends Oct 21st. We keep hoping for another extension, but nothing yet. So keep him/us in your prayers. God is going to provide, but your petitions are greatly appreciated. 

So life seems to be up in the air, and changing frequently. 

That pretty much sums it up!.

However, things I am excited for are:

School

Unleashing my inner artist!

Fall!

Pumpkin flavored things

And whatever God has in store for us next!

We have arrived!

ok my friends.... I know I left you hanging there.

I was having a hard time trying to figure out how I was going to finish up this trip.

Really God moved so much before I even left, I wasn’t sure what to say.

After multiple talks at church and with friends. I have come to a conclusion, but I will save that for the end.

Check out I've Got this for the 1st part of my trip.

So we get back to the airport, enjoyed are day out in Hong Kong. Or in my case..as  much a I could. Looking back, it was great to see all that we did. Props to Alyssa for hooking us up!

Alyssa and I make are way down to the lost & found. 

We walked in the door, and the lady I had left my info with kind perked up when I walked in.

She said. “We found your bag!”

I through my upper half onto the desk and exclaimed, “Praise Jesus!!”

She continues, “We found it in...how do you say.. in toilet.”

I looked at her, thinking my bag would be soaking wet, and then realized she meant that they found it in the bathroom. 

Nothing was touched, or moved. Now from my memory, I took my bag out of the bathroom. How it ended up there we are not sure, but praise Jesus for finding it and keeping it safe for me. 

All was well in the world as we heading onto our next flight!

The Stupa

We arrived in nepal late. It was very dark, and everything was shut down for the night.

We got to the place we would be staying, and hit the sack! Excited to sleep lying down, with a pillow under head.  

We were staying in Bouda, 

which is close to the Stupa.

A majority of Nepali people are Buddhist. As part of their religion, the must pray to buddha. 

They walk around the Stupa, spinning prayer wheels, keeping track of the # of times they have prayed with prayer beads.

One of many Monasteries

We spent the majority of our time going to monasteries & hindu sites.

We prayed over them, and 

as we walked from place to place. 

Half way through a trip, we had a women’s retreat. 

There are believers in nepal, just not many. I was amazed at the turn out, we had 30 or so women from around the area. It was encouraging to me, to see that God is moving in Nepal. I enjoyed teaching them, and encouraging them as the continue to live is such a lost place.

In the end, I prayed. A Lot.

I don’t remember the last time I prayed as much. And in doing so, God was able to show himself to me in ways I could have never imagined.

Women's Retreat

One of the things I enjoy most about going on a missions trip is that I know God will show himself to me.

On this trip, I saw his heart. How he loves the Nepali people and wants so much for them to turn away from their idol gods and worship him, The one true God.

God’s love is far beyond any words I could use to express. If you have not experienced it, I encourage to you seek after him. He loves you too, and wants you to turn away from whatever it is that you worship, and worship him! Allow him to change your life! 

Here are a few more photos!

Calling Home

Prayer Wheels

The Thangka....made all from sand

  

Ladies Retreat

Nepali Church

Heading Home

"I've Got This!"

My hopes were that I would post pretty soon after I returned from my trip, yet its been a month since I left, and 2 weeks since my return. I still find myself completely blanking out, and unsure where my train of thought was going, and wide awake 2 hours after I’ve decided to go to bed. 

Im hoping within the next few days or weeks, I will get to it.

As you all know, a lot of the trip for me was being processes here in the states before I even left, so that being said, God’s peace completely overwhelmed me! Even before I had left, he was telling me with every issue I brought up. “I’ve got this” 

And he really did.

Here’s that back story for this trip. Picture the 4th of July 2008, our dear friend, Jessica, was leaving for Nepal, and while at her going away shin dig, our group mentioned that we should take a trip there.

D whispered in my ear, when that trip happens, I’ll stay home with the baby, and you can go on this trip. 

My heart sang, and my head said... that will be interesting.. Im not even sure I will be able to leave my child at that point. The one that was just conceived and we had accidentally told the whole group I was pregnant bc Im not good a keeping secrets. 

So when the planning for this trip came, and the dead line to commit came, I wasn't sure how it was going to work out, but I had known for 2 years, that I was going on this trip. 

I saved my money I got for christmas to make the deposit, keep in my D was unemployed at the time, and signed up, sent support letters, and let God do his thing. 

What were my concerns:

$...although isn't this always everyones?

But more came up as D got a job.

What would we do with d2.

I continued to give them up to the Lord, and he kept telling me 

“I’ve got this”

I had nothing else to do but trust in him, and watch at it all fell into place.

Dear friends & family of mine sent in $ that I didn't expect, and the Lord game D overtime that covered the last little bit. 

The last thing that was still sitting in the back of my head was d2..what to do with him.

We had D’s sister. 

But I really wanted to keep d2’s routine and environment as close to normal as possible, which meant having someone watch him at our house. I asked the first person I could think of, and she was out of town. 

I pondered some more and then finally the Lord put her name in my head. It was a lot to ask, but I asked my dear friend Ann to and at first she game me a maybe...but it eventually became a yes. This whole time knowing that she would be the one to watch him, because God had said to me “I’ve got this”.

So that being said, I got on a plane and left my family to fend for themselves for 2 whole weeks. 

Our Team

Our parting was bitter sweet. We hugged and kissed and our team made our way toward the security line. I heard d2 in the background fuss a little and cry out.... “I wanna go with mommy”. It tugged at my heart strings, but I knew this trip was good for me, and that God was going to show me a piece of him. I was fighting back the tears, glanced over at my family and waved. Then focused on making my way through the maze they had for us just to get to the ticket checker.

Then my dear friend Beth looked me in the eyes and said, “ Do you need a moment?’

And at that...tears streamed down my face. 

I replayed sarcastically. “Now I do!”

To which Beth said...”I was tryin to be sweet!”

I smile and laughed a little and told her I knew she was. 

I glanced over where my famliy was standing..and they had gone.

So we get on a plane, Lay over in LA for 3 hours..and then get on the long flight!

I think I got a hour of sleep here and there.. maybe 3 hours total, but it was pretty bad.

We arrive in Hong Kong with a 11 hour lay over, so we plan to go out and check it out.

We go through customs, exchange money, freshen up, get a train ticket, by some water...and with all that...I realize I have lost my carrie on. Or left it somewhere.

So Beth and I try to find the lost and found....but Im pretty sure after the 3rd person we ask...that they don't call it that here.

We finally get pointed in the right place and 3 long hallways later, we find the office. 

They don't have it, so we leave my name with them and hope that when we get back to the airport that by some miracle they will have found it.

On that note.... Beth prayed for my suitcase and we exit to Hong Kong.

And I try not to let it get to me....but I put everything that I wanted for this trip in that suitcase! Through out that day I am remembering more things that are in it, that I would really like to have when we get to Nepal.   

On that Note....here our my top picks for photos from Hong Kong!

Beth....making sure she knows where the closest bath room is.

The City

Alyssa and I on the Ferry

Wishing our ferry looked like this!

Beth enjoying the sunshine!

Please mind your head!

Such a great day and its only half over!!

What a wonderful day!!

Rested on the couch this morning and listened to d2 play with is cars in the kitchen. Then We played hide and seek for the very 1st time.

It was soo cute! He counted like this.

one....

two....

three....

five....

six....

seven...

eight...

& then mumbled something that sounded like

Ready or not here I come.

(thank you word world for teaching my child how to play hide and seek!)

He was the seeker the whole time...& I got to hide. 

You all know hiding is the best part!!

But to my little one, finding me was more fun for him.

Giggles filled the house and every now and then a snort.

(thank you D for passing your snort on to our child, it is by far my most favorite thing)

I cant remember the last time I played this game, but it as soo much fun.

I had so much fun that at one point while running to hide, I wasn’t paying very good attention and ran my left shoulder blade into a corner of the house. 

(it still hurts)

On top of all the fun, d2 also had a big boy moment!

He is growing up, but this one I am soo ready for!

He peed in his frog potty for the 1st time today.

I have been putting him on his frog potty pretty much whenever he wants....he does get m&m’s so it help with him making that choice. 

So today I have been asking him to poop so I can put him down for his nap

There is nothing worse they having your child's nap interrupted because of a bowel movement. This lead to asking if he wanted to sit on the potty.

So we sat him down...and gave him a bowl of m&m’s like normal.

I really wasn't expecting too much from it. He usually just wants the m&m’s.

The all of the sudden he said... Look...its the water!

I looked in his potty and what did I find to my pleasure!!

Yes he peed in the potty! & I took pictures.

I never understood why Kate Gosselin photographed her children when the each pooped in the potty until this moment. 

(Yes I might be one of those people who photographs that moment too)

After getting a diaper on him, and what not, We cheered, spun around, and I told him how very excited I was about this. Then he helped me put it in the toilet, and flush.

(yes I photographed it all, for daddy of course)

And we Cheered some more!!

Good job little man!!

This is one of the things to do when I get back from my trip, & I feel like he might actually be ready for it!!

Getting on the Plane!!!

This friday!

I am soo very excited and nervous at the same time! Boy this time has flown by!

First, I would like to thank all of you for your support, and encouragement!

So many people have shown me the fathers love in the last few months and I am so grateful! Whether you have supported me financially, or in prayer, it all means soo much! 

With your help I have raised all but $130, but the Lord is good and has provided that in another way, by blessing D with lots of extra hours at work, adding extra money to our budgets that we were able to put toward the trip. Praise Jesus!

So now I ask you to pray! And keep me and the team in your prayers while we travel. These are the things our team has be praying for as we prepare for our trip, & we ask that you join us in that.

• Ask God to keep our travels safe & that our group will continue to get to know each other and communicate well. 

• Pray that we will be invited into homes of nationals.

• Pray for the women's retreat. That women can come & that they can take a few days off from responsibilities to attend. 

• Pray that the women will be encouraged and motivated to share in their community. 

• Pray for the man in our group as he will be meeting other male nationals during the women’s retreat. That he will be bold in sharing Jesus’s Love.

• Pray for their government, Right now they have no hope for it to improve and pray for the country. 

For those of you who don't know, We will be going to south asia.

I also ask that you pray for me personally. 

• Ask God to give me peace as I leave D & d2 for two weeks. 

      (this will be the longest I have ever be away from my little boy)

• Pray that d2 will adjust to having my dear friend Ann watch him while I am away.

       (this is also a praise bc knowing his environment wont change will             help while Im gone)

• Pray for D 

      (Two weeks as a single dad might get to him)

• Pray that I will give all this up to God, and embrace the moments while I am there, and not focus on worries of home.

Im not sure what else, but please pray as you feel lead. 

This is my verse as we go! I hope it encourages you as much as it does me.

Eph. 3: 17-19 “and I pray that you, being rooted & established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide, and long, and high, and deep is the love of christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.