Life now 8.25.14

Life now is all about summer and traveling it seems. When I first moved to Bellingham and fell in love with the place, everyone would tell me, “Just wait until summer, that’s when it gets REALLY great here.” and I believed them but I already thought it was great. Sure enough… summer up here is wonderful. Sunny days with endless amounts of outdoorsy things to do. But with that, my life has felt a little overwhelming at times with a pretty packed summer schedule.

Here’s a little overview of some fun summer things that have been happening:

/////// ANNA VISITED ///////
Anna came in July for a week and we got to do a TON of outdoor stuff as well as general catching up. We had amazing weather and took full advantage of it. I really appreciate the friendship Anna and I have and that she got to see my life here in Bellingham. I love when people can come and just jump into life and that’s exactly how Anna travels. I took time off of work for us to do fun outdoorsy stuff during the day but then she also met a lot of my friends by coming to things I do each week at night.

At Deception Pass

Sunset at the Samish Overlook

At the top of Oyster Dome

Kayaking on Lake Whatcom

On Lopez Island, Iceberg Point

After a day of biking all over Lopez Island

/////// LAKE DIABLO  ///////
Some people from work went on a kayak and camping trip at Lake Diablo. It’s such a beautiful area and the water is this cool teal color because of the way it’s fed from a dam nearby. I really wanted to kayak this summer and with the generosity and graciousness of a coworker, I’ve been able to get out on the water a few times. It was a great time to get away and soak up more of the nature around me.

At the top of where we camped

relaxing

The whole crew (mostly covered in shadows…)

The over-nighters

Kayaking the next day

/////// ATLANTA VISIT ///////
What better place to visit in the thick of August than Atlanta right? This trip was wonderful. I went down there to visit Katie and Meggie whom I met in Uganda while working with EMI. Even though I was only in Uganda for a couple months, I got really close with both of them and cherish the friendship we have. They are both down-to-earth and passionately love Christ. We got to do a little outdoorsy stuff while I was there (despite the heat) and even ran into a couple that I met and knew from my time in India! The connections just keep on coming.
Overall the trip was a time away to wrap my head around all the transition I’ve had in the last year and look forward to what God has in store for me in the future. (Probably a whole other blog post about all God taught me on this trip.)

Katie, me and Meggie

Chattanooga River

Katie schooling me on a run as usual

I love that these girls know all the best hiking spots.

/////// EXPLORING BELLINGHAM ///////
One of the best parts of living in Bellingham is that it’s a place I would go and visit so it feels like I’m on a vacation in my own city. This summer has been filled with watching lots of sunsets, going to art walks, attending weddings, picnics in the park, looking at stars, laying in the sun, and hiking. I love that most of my friends love to travel because we can connect when I talk about my time exploring new places but it also means lots of people leave for the summer. But even though friendships have been a bit scattered, I really love the close friendships I have here and the different ways that I am connected with Christian community. I sometimes get overwhelmed with the balance of being connected here and staying in touch with people I care about back in Omaha or overseas but I believe there’s grace for that seasons where are a more intentional in one place rather than another.

Me and my roommate Anna at Lost Lake

Sending Rachel (left) off before she moved to Texas with Vanessa (middle).

I loved all the time down by the water on sunny days this summer

Fun times at the Copper Hog bar and restaurant watching the USA world cup games

Vanessa and I at Snoqualmie Falls

I LOVE all the amazing sunsets I’ve been able to see over the bay this summer

Blueberry picking

/////// LOOKING TO FALL ///////
As I look ahead to my September schedule, there are some many things that get me excited. I’ll be going on a “volunteer retreat” with the Collide women’s ministry I’m volunteering with this year. I haven’t met most of the team because I decided to volunteer in the summer so I’m super excited to do life with these women and serve Bellingham in this way.
I’m also going back to Omaha, NE for a few days to meet my new little niece!!!! I love that I move and travel but the biggest sacrifice is missing events in people’s lives that you care about. It’s been hard to not be there during such an exciting time in Amy’s life but I can’t wait to see her and her new little baby! I also hope for time with friends and family.
And then after that I don’t have ANY trips planned! I know, it’s pretty crazy for me. But this also gets me excited. The thought of staying here, figuring out a rhythm to life, and investing more into this community. My work will get pretty busy this fall but I’ve found WAY more of a groove in my role there and love the team of people I get to work with. I hope by this winter, Bellingham continues to feel more and more like a home.

NYC

On the way home from India, I stopped in New York. A friend of mine, Koob, is going to seminary school out in Nyack and I thought it would be cool to visit him on the way home since I fly through Newark anyway. I know Koob from working together back in Nebraska at a church in Omaha and it’s been great to keep in touch with him over the years. Another friend, Andrew, came up from Omaha for the trip as well. Andrew and Koob are close friends and Andrew had wanted to visit Koob anyway so it all seemed to come together. It’s only been a little over a week since I was there but it’s a bit of a blur. I didn’t have too bad of jetlag but between that and “reverse culture shock”, I wasn’t exactly 100%.

When I flew in, I was greeted at the airport by Andrew and Koob (Andrew flew in the night before). It was SO nice of them to pick me up, especially since my flight got in at 5 am! I did the straight shot from Delhi so when I arrived in Newark, it was after a 14 hour plane ride. I slept ok on the plane so I wasn’t too tired but it was so surreal to be back on U.S. soil. Since I wasn’t too tired, we decided to grab some breakfast before Koob had to go to work. It was nice to just sit and catch up with the guys. We talked about how random it is that we all know each other and how our paths first crossed. Even though I complain about all the goodbyes I have to say all the time, it is so cool how God orchestrates friendships that I never would have guessed. After breakfast, Andrew and I dropped Koob off at work and headed off to a lookout point Koob had told us about (with very interesting directions). I’ve scoped out Koob’s instagram photos of Nyack so I was excited to see some pretty scenery.

Here’s a view from the lookout. Although Koob’s directions were a bit unorthodox they worked out perfectly. The view was amazing and the trees still had tons of fall-colored leaves which made Nyack even more picturesque. Seriously Koob’s town looks like it should be called Storybrook or something. It’s super cute and quaint.

At the top.

I took this on our way back from the look out. It was such a gorgeous walk with the fall leaves everywhere. Coming from Delhi, it was amazing to see so much natural beauty. I’m not used to seeing such huge amounts of sky and then adding all the richness of color everywhere… it was awesome.

After the lookout, Andrew and I headed to downtown Nyack where we stumbled upon a farmer’s market. I love farmer’s markets. It’s sort of funny after living in India because everywhere you buy fruits and vegetables is like a very scaled-down farmer’s market (and way cheaper).  (You can kind of see in the picture above that Nyack has those squished together buildings painted in fun colors just like Copenhagen!)

Once we walked around the farmer’s market we explored more of downtown Nyack and stumbled upon this little gem of a bookstore. Confession – I’m terrible at used bookstores. I mean, how is this not overwhelming for everyone? I know they’re amazing and I love old books but I’m just not good at finding those cool old books in the midst of a billion cool old books. Luckily, this sort of thing is Andrew’s sweet spot so I mostly followed him around as he did his thing.

Then we went to a random lake. We had both looked up stuff to do before we got to New York but then we sort of ended up winging it a bit once we got there. This was in an area we both thought looked cool so we just found the biggest lake on the map and GPS’d our way there. It was fun because we were the only ones there and it was so chill & quiet.

When the sun set it was so beautiful that night. I miss big sky and pretty sunsets when I live in India so it was a treat on my first day in America to watch.

The next day we headed into New York City. It was great that Koob could take the day off and show us around. Andrew and I would have been so lost if we didn’t have Koob with us.

First things first, we headed to Chinatown for lunch. I loved that Koob knew the “good spots” so we ended up eating amazing food the whole weekend!

After lunch we made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge. My first impressions of NYC were kind of funny. I’ve heard so many people talk about how crazy NYC is but compared to Delhi, it’s so chill. I think partly because the buildings are so tall it blocks out a lot of the noise and cars honk less than in Delhi. But also, there are giant sidewalks for people, where as in Delhi there’s no sidewalks, tons of cars/vehicles driving crazy, honking their horns and that’s not even taking into account the random cows, guys pulling wooden carts, and people walking everywhere. So ya, compared to that, NYC seemed chill, orderly, and clean.

On our way to the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Brooklyn Bridge.

Just a gal in the big city.

Koob, Andrew and I on the Brooklyn Bridge. I think this is one of a few pictures of all three of us. It’s always funny to see the difference between traveling with girls vs. guys. One main one is that guys aren’t super into taking pictures… so this is one of the like four pictures of all three of us together.

Look at that orderly traffic! I liked seeing the yellow taxis. Makes you instantly feel like you’re in NYC.

More fall colors! I can’t tell you how thankful I am that I made it back to the states before all the trees lost their leaves. This is one reason fall is my favorite season.

Next we went to Ground Zero and stopped in St. Paul’s Chapel. It’s a cute church near Ground Zero that acted as a relief center of sorts during 9/11. The inside of the church is full of 9/11 memorials. It was really powerful to see it all. I think seeing the pictures at the church and reading stories of firefighters who worked day and night during that time was really impactful.

And just as the sun was starting to set we saw the Statue of Liberty (from afar).

We took the subway a lot to get around the city and man, again it was great to have Koob around to navigate. It was hard not to compare the subway in NYC to the Delhi metro. The main difference is there’s no ‘Women Only” car and I’m not one of the tallest people on it.

The crowds in Times Square were probably the craziest in NYC. Again, it wasn’t too bad for me since I was very used to crowds but I don’t think the guys loved it.

I loved the energy of NYC. It’s crazy but in a good way.

That night we headed to Brooklyn to meet up with a friend of mine, Camia. Camia and I met at EMI orientation way back in August 2012. At that time we were roommates, going through a week-long orientation before we headed to our different EMI offices to volunteer for the next 5 months (I went to India, she went to Costa Rica). I had really wanted to meet up with her and am so glad we did. It was great to see Brooklyn (so cute and the buildings had lots of character to them) and talk about EMI, and life after it. She told us about this amazing little Mexican restaurant that we ended up going to that was so good and so cheap. Catching up with her was one of my highlights of the whole trip for sure. Camia is so full of joy and life and it’s obvious she’s thriving in New York. So encouraging to see.

Chilling on Camia’s roof while she got ready after work… how amazing is her view!!

Saturday we went to Central Park. We lucked out with another gorgeous day out to walk around.

More fall colors. love, love, love.

Andrew did his own thing when we went to Central Park (what better place for an introvert to recharge right?) so Koob and I hung out and found this little spot on a bridge looking down at this fountain and people walking around. It was surprisingly entertaining to just people watch for hours. NYC delivers when it comes to eclectic people to watch.

And our favorite?…. This guy. (I nicknamed him “Bubs” short for “Bubbles”). He was hilarious. He had this giant net for making bubbles but the best part was his expression on his face was like making bubbles was no big deal. He was so chill and never cracked a smile. No real crowd interaction – just made bubbles, dunked his net into the soapy water and make some more. So funny. Oh, and the kids loved this guy. He never had less than 2-3 kids running around popping bubbles he made.

After we met back up with Andrew, we walked around the city some more and saw random stuff we hadn’t made it to yet. Like Rockefeller Center.

And Radio City Music Hall.

Then we hit up the subway again to head over to Greenwich Village and poked around there a bit. Then we met up with Koob’s friend Sam in Fort Lee for some Korean food. The place we went was so good. Most of the menu was in Korean so it was nice to have Sam (Korean) there to help us out with ordering. Sam is a really great guy who goes to school with Koob. I loved hearing more about him and his story and all God is teaching him. I loved my time at Bible School in New Zealand and know that God teaches you so much when you are in an environment like that. It’s great to meet people in Koob’s world and see that he has a great group of friends here in New York.

Sunday, we went to church with Koob. He had to be there early because he was helping with sound so Andrew and I chilled in the back of the church before the service. I think Sunday morning was another highlight for me with this trip. I had been journaling a bit each day but I hadn’t really let it sink in that I really had left India. That India was “over”. I was so busy walking around New York and taking it all in that I had sort of pushed all that to the side and having time before church was huge to journal and start to process. I have a hard time letting go so it hits hard when I have to say goodbye to something that has ended. It was nice to just have the space to be sad. To grieve a bit. But to also see that the things I learned about myself and God in India will always be a part of me. India changed me in a lot of ways and that stuff doesn’t just fade away.

We headed into the city after church so I could meet up with my friend (and ex-flatmate in India) Alyssa! I had randomly saw that Alyssa was in town via instagram and I can’t tell you how grateful I was that it worked out to meet up. I lived with Alyssa the first 5 months I was in India so she knew exactly how I was feeling with leaving and all the wonderful people I was missing. She was so encouraging to me about adjusting to life in the U.S. and how God is still so evident in life here as He is in India. It was great to talk to someone who truly understood what I was processing and to hear all about how she was doing. Again, another highlight for me!

The city was really foggy on Sunday and it made the buildings look so cool and peaceful. Since we had walked around a lot that last couple days we ended up chilling at a diner near Grand Central Station (where I met up with Alyssa) and just talked for a few hours before meeting up with another friend of ours, Josh who used to live (and work) with Koob in Omaha. Again it was so encouraging to talk to Josh and hear all about what he’s doing and his heart for the church he’s working with.

And then Monday Andrew and I got on a plane and headed to Omaha. Even though I was only in New York for four days it felt like a lot longer. We did a lot (and walked a lot) and saw a lot. I really enjoyed all the conversations the three of us had and the people we were able to meet up with. I loved hanging out with Koob’s niece and nephew at this house and talking with his sister and brother-in-law. I loved how NYC was similar to Delhi in a lot of ways and made for a softer entry back to the states. I appreciated the grace Koob and Andrew showed me when I was not myself because of culture shock and/or jetlag. But most of all, I love the plan God for me. I have trusted Him with my life for over five years now and it’s amazing how much I have been able to see and experience since I did. It comes with sacrifices but it’s always worth it. And even if I can’t have all my friends live in one place it’s the biggest blessing to me that I can visit them and go on adventures with them and we pick up where we left off. And as I look ahead to unknowns, I know God’s plans will always be good and full of surprises.

My first visitor!

Lots of people say they might come visit you in India, but Carmen was the first (and only) that actually could make it work. It was so great to have her here for two weeks and that she was able to see my life here in Delhi. She got a glimpse at it all. The boring day-to-day side. The ‘India is crazy’ side. Seeing sites and getting to meet lots of my friends. It was a full two weeks with ups & downs and lots in-between. Here’s some pictures of our time together and what we saw.

Here we are at Begumpur Mosque near my house.

A look at South Delhi (my hood) from on top of Begumpur Mosque.

Another view of South Delhi.

Walking back to my house from Begumpur Mosque. I love all the layers of houses and fun colors!

At Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi.

Little-bitty Carmen in front of Humayun’s Tomb.

This is another tomb at Humayun’s Tomb. I love the shape of this building.

A graffiti wall in Hauz Khas Village, a fun hipster area in Delhi.

Another view of ruins in Hauz Khas Village, a prime place for Indian couple to come and hang out because there are so many social stigmas on guys and girls hanging out…. so it’s a bit of a make-out spot for the teenagers I think.

Following Carl and Kira in a bicycle rickshaw in Old Delhi. Since Carmen overlapped with the EMI Director’s conference she got to sight-see when some of the EMI people wanted to sight-see. Carl is EMI’s Director of Interns in Colorado Springs. It was great to have him and his wife, Kira, come and stay in the flat with us and go exploring together.

One of my favorite spots in Old Delhi is Jama Masjid. Is a huge mosque that has a tower you can go up to get an amazing view of Old Delhi in it’s full glory and chaos. Here’s one picture from the tower.

This was Carmen’s “artsy-photo” idea and I love it. It’s crazy to see SO many buildings but I guess that’s what you get when you live in a city of 23 million people.

After Jama Mosjid we went to the front of the Red Fort. It was closed on the day we went to Old Delhi but it was still fun to make our way down the crowded, chaotic streets to get a glimpse at the entrance.

We ventured to Lodi Gardens as well. I love Lodi Gardens because I have been able to run there most Saturdays (there’s a 2k track which is hard to come by in parks in Delhi). Something that has been so interesting about living in an old city like Delhi, is the mix of super old and beautiful buildings and people just doing everyday stuff. Lodi Gardens is definitely one of those places.

Another building in Lodi Gardens all lit up.

Carmen and I were also able to get out of Delhi and head up to the mountains! We went to Mussoorie for a few days and it was a great break. Carmen had gone to the Taj the day before (with interns) so she had a full couple days of train travel. Mussoorie is where the EMI office used to be so I had been up there once before and was hoping to go back before I left India.

One the crazy curvy roads. Everything is up and up and up in Mussoorie!

A small strip of shops and places to eat in Landour.

It was so nice to have greenery around and cool weather!

The place we stayed was a Tibetan hotel that has some of the most colorful paintings I have ever seen. It’s quite a sight. I had stayed there last year and liked it and it didn’t disappoint.

We did lots of other stuff too that I don’t have pictures of. I loved when Carmen could jump right in and do “everyday life stuff” with me. She came to church a couple times and to “game night” with some of my friends in Delhi. She also did stuff on her own and was pro with taking in Delhi’s culture.

One thing that I really cherished about Carmen coming to visit is all our great talks. I seriously think I averaged 3 hours of sleep a night because it was so great to stay up late talking about life. She is amazing at asking good questions and listening well. It was good to talk to her about life here because she could see and understand some of the stuff I was talking about but also give a fresh perspective. I’m grateful for her and her friendship. And that she was willing to come to India and gracious with the time she spent here with me.

The Path

While in Thailand, Anna and did a walk/hike along the coast of Koh Tao. It was a spontaneous decision to do it due to the fact our “renting bikes” plans had fell through. While brainstorming how to spend our day, we looked at our free Koh Tao guidebook and found a suggested route to take along the coast. The description was short but seemed fairly straight-forward and said there were seven beaches to see along the way. While we went along I felt like I kept seeing metaphors of the Christian life… mainly in three different ways.

///// THE GUIDEBOOK /////

Anna and I used our guidebook all the time during our hike. We were technically going backwards because we started at the place the guidebook had as the ending point but it was seemed easy enough to follow the path they laid out for us. The description of where to go was only about a paragraph long and the map we had to go off of wasn’t very detailed so we had to take our best guess when we weren’t sure where to go.

It would have been one thing if the route they listed was clearly marked or well worn but it was neither at the beginning. We did a lot of back-tracking because we would follow what looked like a trail, only to find out it led to the staff quarters for a retreat or a dead-end.

As I thought about how much we relied on this guidebook, God brought to mind how He has given us the Bible (His Word to us) so that we know how to follow Him. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps 119:105).  Our guidebook didn’t lay out the exact route step-by-step just like the Bible doesn’t give us step-by-step instructions for our life. For me personally, it can be really frustrating that there isn’t clear black & white answers for how to follow Christ. But God made each of us unique and how we each love God is going to look different. Not to say, He doesn’t give us some broader descriptions to stay in His will like loving Him with all our heart, soul and strength and loving others better than ourselves. Being humble and generous. Cultivating a relationship with Christ and yielding to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit. It’s a lot of grey.

///// COMMUNITY /////

As you’ve probably picked up on, Anna and I didn’t know where we were going most of the time. Although made it fun and more of an adventure, sometimes we would get to a crossroads and we wanted to just know for sure which way to go before heading up a hill and finding out we were going to have to turn around ten minutes later. And at those moments, somehow, we would always run into a Thai man or woman who would see our confused expressions and point us in the right direction.

I think we all value community whether or not we’re Christians but I’ve found something extra special about being friends that understand my faith. It’s the core of who I am so to share that with other people is awesome. When I first started out in Christian small groups I loved sharing with others my ups and downs. I was honest… like really honest, and totally accepted. It’s hard for me to always stay that real but you can’t get help unless you admit you need help. Just like when God would provide people to help Anna and I know where we were going, God provides people in our lives to help us and encourage us. Everyone cares more than they should about what other people think, or about looking stupid in front of others but it’s robs us of real community. Authentic relationships with people who also love Christ and are trying to figure life out as well. None of us have it together so let’s take the stupid masks off, admit we need help because we’re all a work in progress and accept and love each other where we’re at.

///// STEPS OF FAITH /////

So many times along the path, Anna and I would doubt. We would second-guess ourselves if we were going the right way and we would stop to try and figure out where to go next. It’s not bad to check that you’re going the right way, but almost every time we stopped, we could have figured it out if we would only take five more steps forward, just trusting we’ll see the small “To Town” signs.

I can do this all the time with God. I’ll feel like God is leading me in a direction, like for example to come to India, and be so confident at first only to waver when I hit the first obstacle. There are so many time if I would just trust God and keep moving forward, knowing He will show me the way, I wouldn’t spend so much time worrying, doubting and getting stressed out. I mean really if we would have had obvious and huge signs along the path in Thailand, if wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun of a day. The same is true with our relationship with God. It wouldn’t be nearly as much fun and adventurous if God just showed us in tiny steps exactly how we are suppose to live.

The unknown is scary. And the last few years God has not only waited longer than I wanted to show me my next steps but He makes it so I have no ‘plan B’. It’s either God comes through or nothing. And God “coming through” generally looks different than I expect. It’s hard to trust God when He’s working in ways that we don’t understand and when it seems like we’re totally going the wrong way but God is good and if we just persevere we WILL see Him show up and direct us along the way.

It’s not just one big step of faith that God is looking for. It’s lots and lots of little steps that lead to a lifetime of walking with Him.

Trusting Him.

And having a way better adventure than we could have expected.

Thailand Adventure

It’s hard to describe how refreshing a trip to Thailand is after living in Delhi for months. Just to breath clean air was treat enough! It was a great time away and the best part was traveling around with one of my best friends from Omaha!

Anna and me. It was such a blessing to go on an adventure with this girl!

So here was our week:

A view from my taxi as I went to the hotel from the airport. It was so weird to see the cars driving in an orderly fashion and tons and tons of skyscrapers. Not in Delhi anymore…

Our hotel was right in this market area. We didn’t stay long in Bangkok so I just wandered a bit and got some fruit from a street vendor (there might be a reoccurring mention of fruit in this post…)

On our way to the bus/ferry office to start our journey down south to the islands.

Everyone getting ready to get on the bus.

After the bus, we took a ferry to Koh Phangan island and saw this beautiful rainbow as we were walking on the pier.

Here’s our hotel in Koh Phangan. This was my first experience booking through Airbnb… and it wasn’t great. BUT that’s probably because the owners were out of town and the staff didn’t speak any English. Made for an interesting couple of days. And to be fair, they were super nice even though it was hard to communicate.

First things first… Anna and I rented a scooter! The funniest part is that neither of us have ever ridden a scooter before but after a quick lesson (in broken English) we were off! Anna was brave and learned first and I went second. Luckily for us Koh Phangan has pretty flat roads that almost no one drives on, so we could cruse around going 30 km/hr.

We drove the scooters to a nearby beach where we rented kayaks. I loved kayaking on this trip! It was fun to be out in the water and explore the nearby islands.

The next day we went on a touristy boat tour thing. Basically we took a boat to three different smaller islands. One to snorkel at, one to kayak at (and eat a yummy lunch) and the last one to hike up to a little lookout point. I think this may have been one of my favorite days of our trip.

The guy walking was our tour guide whose name might have been ‘Coffee’? Or at least that’s what it sounded like. He was awesome. I was so blessed by great customer service all week and was amazed by how much of a different that makes.

Here’s our first stop where we snorkeled. It wasn’t super clear but still fun. We didn’t have fins and I scratched my foot on some coral which wasn’t a HUGE deal but…. later when I got back to Delhi, it kind of became a bit of a saga. Anyway, it was fun to swim around and I enjoyed myself regardless. Also, I totally fell in love with the boats in Thailand. They’re all so different and colorful. As I look through my photos, I’ve noticed a TON of boat pictures!

Anna and I on the boat after snorkeling.

This was the next stop. We came to this island for lunch and kayaking. We used two-person kayaks and everyone else in our group were couples, probably on their honeymoons or something, and Anna and I totally smoked them with our sweet kayaking skills. Not that it was a competition or anything… but I’m just sayin’….

For the last stop and third island, we went to a cool lookout point (after climbing a million steps). The steps were, by far, the most vertical steps I have ever encountered but totally worth it for the view.

Me and Anna at the lookout.

The next day in Koh Phangan was full of elephant riding and zip-lining! Never a dull moment…

I love this picture. A little back story – our guide was hilarious. He didn’t really speak english, but we communicated with lots of facial expressions and acting things out. (He would be amazing at charades.) He got down to take the photo and then motioned for me to sit where he normally did on the elephant, and shortly after Anna got down behind me. It was a little daunting moving in and out of the seat when you’re on top of a huge animal and could easily fall, but it made for a great photo so who am I to question him?… Not that he would understand me anyway…

Then we fed the elephant bananas.

I love this.

So after riding elephants we went to a zip-line park of sorts. There were all these platforms that you either zip-line from or so an “obstacle course” sort of thing. It was pretty fun. One part that was funny was when a group of Israeli teenagers were asking Anna how long it took her to get to Thailand from America, and COULD NOT get over how it took her about 24 hours! Then they told their parents (who were sitting at the waiting area) and they asked me ALL about it when I walked by them. Things that wow people…

Later, when we got back to the main town in Koh Phangan, Anna and I chilled on this little beach area. We both just sat and watched the little waves come in. Later we had some great chats about God and hearing His voice and read a few of the Psalms. So nice.

For our last dinner on Koh Phangan, we randomly stumbled upon this amazing little food cart area. It was FULL of fish, meat, pad thai, and yummy fruit too! And everything was so cheap!

And then we were off the next day for another island, Koh Tao. (This is a picture of Koh Phangan from the ferry ride to Koh Tao.)

Here’s our little beach/cove area on Koh Tao. Our hotel was right on the water and in a more remote part of the island. It was great to have a day to chill on the beach and relax.

I had prayed that this vacation would be a time that God would speak to me (meaning things in the Bible would stand out to me, or I would feel Him bringing up thoughts, feelings I could process) and God totally did. It’s hard to explain hearing God’s voice/learning from Him but our “chill-on-the-beach-day” was full of that stuff for me. I felt God teaching me about how I react to circumstances and my need for His grace in those situations when I act wrongly. It was a humbling day and I still feel like I’m unpacking all that was brought to mind.

Our second day on Koh Tao was full of ‘Renting Bikes – Round 1’ and a random hike.

The next day, we headed to town to find the elusive bike rental place we had heard about. It took a lot of asking around and walking (Koh Tao is quite hilly for the record) to finally find the shop… only to find out it was closed for 10 days. Lame.

On the plus side we did walk by some delicious fruit stands. How cool looking is some of this fruit?!

When we came back into town we found a second place to rent bikes! (Most places rent scooters and motorcycles.) So we decided to come back for ‘Renting Bikes – Round 2’ the following day. That meant we needed to figure out something else fun to do that day. We looked into our trusty Koh Tao guidebook (free and so great) and found a walk/hike that took you along the coast and to seven different beaches. Sold.

The beginning of our walk.

Some pretty flowers.

One of the beaches along the way.

And another one. It was fun to see super sandy beaches right next to really rocky ones.

Yup, another one.

This is the part of the walk that got a bit more “hike” like. Partly because the trail leads you inland, and partly because the trail isn’t well marked and Anna ended up randomly walking around in the forest.

Rockin’ my EMI hat. Gotta’ represent, right?

More of the trail.

One of the many Buddhist altars we saw in Thailand.

I’m glad I got to use my new (used) camera, but man, between that and the hat, the chacos, and the backpack… I don’t think I could look any less like a tourist!

I loved our random walking adventure. I saw how God guided us and helped put people in our paths to help us when we got lost. Pretty sure I’m going to write a whole post about all God taught me after this. It also was fun to see so much of the island and take time to soak in the different scenery.

And finally, our last day was “Renting Bikes – Round 2”, and exploring a super tiny island.

The part I liked best about riding bikes was riding on a little path in town with shops on both sides (wished I had taken a picture) and riding on the beach.

We hung out on this beach with an Australian girl we met. It was crazy to see these huge storm clouds come in. It was just this line of super dark clouds… not exactly what you see in Nebraska everyday. Even though we figured it was going to rain at some point, we decided to chance it and head out to a little island not far from this beach. We rented a boat taxi (like the boat pictured above) and prayed it wouldn’t downpour.

But not before getting a little lunch… THIS IS WHY I IS THAILAND! The fruit. So much glorious fruit. I’m fairly sure I ate fruit, yogurt and muesli everyday for breakfast and lunch. (I may come back to the states and eat nothing but amazing fruit for months.)

The island we took a boat taxi to was so random. Just these two little hills connected by a sandbar. It was starting to sprinkle when we got out there but it wasn’t bad. The boat ride was a bit scary for me, which I wasn’t expecting. I think little boats aren’t my favorite thing. Guess growing up in Nebraska means not being super water-savy.

Exploring buddies!

The little path around part of the island.

So many great memories together!

And then we headed back up to Bangkok the next day. (This picture is everyone waiting to get on the ferry.) It was raining all day and I was a little worried how the weather would affect our various modes of transportation, but everything was all good and on time. The forecast before we left said it was suppose to rain everyday we were on the islands, so I’m SO grateful it only rained at night and on our last day!

And last, but CERTAINLY not least, I went to Starbucks when we got back to Bangkok! If you know me well, you know I love to visit Starbucks in different countries. And I also collect Starbucks mugs so now I can reminisce about the trip every time I drink out of my Thailand mug.

Like I said before, the trip was better than I could have hoped for. I’m grateful for friends that love to travel, like Anna, and for being so close to a beautiful country like Thailand. I think part of me was born to live near the ocean!

And as a side note – the next time I’m on a plane, it’ll be heading back to America… crazy!

McLeod Ganj

It’s almost embarrassing how late I’m blogging about my trip to McLeod Ganj. I went in late June so ya, this probably should have been posted awhile ago. But, I think August crept up on everyone so really no one is to blame.

The BEST part of this trip was who I went with. I had only been back in India for a month and already so great friends from church invited along for the trip up north. I went with three Australians (one couple and a girl my age) and I recommend traveling with Aussies any day. They’re great. And hilarious.

McLeod Ganj is up north near Dharamsala (helpful right?). Basically it’s up near the Himalayan mountains and close to China. It’s where the Dalai Lama stays so that’s what makes it a popular place to visit. It’s full of beautiful green mountains, quaint cafés, Tibetan refugees and Tibetan Buddhist monks.

A couple of monks walking down the path.

Such a common view. I LOVE all the colors of the buildings and when they’re all clumped together in the hills like this it’s so beautiful.

Not all areas in McLeod Ganj are peaceful and scenic. The streets were PACKED. Cars horns honking, people everywhere and chaos. It was by far the least favorite part for everyone on the trip.

They have the Hard Rock Cafe! haha. These little shack shops are all along the roads. I picked up a sweet fanny pack (bum bag for non-Americans) from one of the little stalls.

Our hotel. Such a funny name. Ray, the only guy on the trip, didn’t love the name. Mine and Steph’s room was bright blue and Ray and Louise’s room was bright pink. Indians love their color. But for us the price was right (which means cheap) so I think it was a win.

One of the days we walked to this waterfall. It was pretty with the prayer flags all strung up above it. People were all over. Swimming in the water, laying on the rocks and walking right up to the base of the waterfall.

Here’s me, Steph and her friend Purba (and now my friend too!). She and Steph know each other through mutual church friends but Purba lives way down south in Bangalore so it was crazy random that she was also in McLeod Ganj for work. It was SO great to hang out with her and get to know her more. I loved hanging out with both of these ladies. They are crazy smart and hilarious. Such a great combo.

Because there are so many Tibetan refugees there you see signs, stickers, posters, etc about freeing Tibet all over the place.

Um how cute are they?! Steph and I were a bit shy with taking photos of people because we both know how annoying it is when people treat you like an oddity, BUT the Tibetan ladies had a most beautiful outfits. They layer different patterns of fabric and look so classy. I love the way they treasure their culture. And ya this old guy is just precious.

Since we went during monsoon, the weather was mostly cloudy and rainy. It would sound like a bummer but I actually loved the way the fog looked and all the saturated tones.

Another day we walked to this old church, St. John of the Wilderness. It was SO interesting to me to watch people come in and look around. For me an old church isn’t shocking or anything but when I see Hindu temples or go into Buddhist temples, I don’t really understand all that I’m looking at. I go in with my “Christian church” eyes and make assumptions based on what I’ve grown up with. So it was neat to see an old church with fresh eyes. I wondered what a Hindu would think of our lack of a major statue or our God. Maybe the assumed we worshiped the stain glass since we have images on them and not statues. Or the altar in the front is where we lay our offerings for our God. And Hindu temples are decked out with lights, glitter and color so I’m sure to see a very grey and bare stone church would seem quite drab. I think it’s always good to try to see things from someone else’s point of view.

Speaking of religion, we also visited a Buddhist monastery. It’s where the Dalai Lama stays when he’s in town and fairly large in size. The picture above is of monks lighting these candles in a small room. Most of the place was open space with a smaller place full of statues of Buddhist gods and offerings that people had brought laid at the base of them. (no pictures allowed otherwise I would have posted some).

Here is a wonderful, delicious, amazing cup of Lemon Ginger Honey tea. It’s the best. Those things floating around in the cup? That’s the ginger. mmmm so good.

Another day of exploring led us to a nearby village. It only really had two things going for it. A lovely pizza place we stayed at all day (looking out at the rain on the balcony) and this sign telling monkeys not to steal. Awesome. And I don’t know if you noticed that detailed pencil drawing of the monkey. This was no ‘thrown together’ sign. It’s a work of art.

The last day we were in McLeod Ganj we had clear skies! It was only for the walk down to the car early that morning but we’d take it. The view was incredible and we actually got to finally see some Himalayan peaks! How cool do those clouds look?

Some peaks coming through the clouds.

On the way back to Delhi (we drove up) we stopped in Chandigarh for lunch and then stopped by a Rock Garden. The lunch was good… the rock garden was weird. mostly statues made out of.. you guessed it, rocks and concrete. I look a bit disheveled in this pic (I blame it on the traveling) but love that Steph and I have a picture together. Steph has really been this huge blessing in my life the last couple months. She asks me to hang out and lets me stay over when I can’t get rides home (which is often). She is hilarious and I love that we have similar humor. She loves Jesus and has taught me a lot about what that looks like here in India. She has a HUGE heart for women and I’ve also learned so much about honoring women in general and in the church. Oh and she’s Australian so she has a cool accent. So grateful for her.

I loved this trip. I loved the car ride and laughing at Ray & Steph banter or Louise getting mad at the other cars. I loved talking to and meeting Purba. I loved eating tons of cheap delicious food and having mind challenging conversations while eating. I loved walking up and down the hills with the mist and mountains in the background. I loved having time to chill. Overall it was so great to get out of Delhi. It wasn’t a perfect getaway but I loved it and am grateful to have the opportunities like this one.

Back in Delhi

I’ve been in Delhi for almost a month now. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, full of very normal day-to-day things, which is why I haven’t had much energy to blog. It’s so much easier to blog when I’ve been on a trip or had some crazy experience but when life is full of work, hanging out with friends, grocery shopping, cooking, etc, it doesn’t seem as “blog-worthy”. BUT then I remember that those little things ARE what make up life. So here’s some random bits of the last month.

// DELHI //

The first thing I noticed when I got back to Delhi (besides the smells!) is the colors. India is one of the most colorful places I’ve ever been to. From fabrics to house decor to paint colors, everything is bright and saturated. The picture above is from a market, Dili Haat, that is full of handicrafts of all sorts and in all shades of colors.

I was so curious how I would jump back into life in Delhi. I didn’t know if everything would just come back to me and I could find my way around easily or if I would have to relearn things and take lots of time to adjust. I think it did take some adjusting (especially not smiling at people as I walk down the street like in Uganda) but for the most part everything felt so familiar. Going to the market, riding the metro, working at the office all came easy. I mean, of course it’s WAY hotter here than it was when I left in January but other than that things haven’t changed much in four months.

// COMMUNITY //
The summer brings lots of transition for EMI. As I write this both the Franks and Koenigers are in the states, our office Director Matthew is on a project trip, Huberth (staff architect) is visiting his family in the northeast of India before heading to the states, and Ligy (another LTV) is also on a project trip. SOOO that leaves just me and Jonathan, our office administrator, at the office. Not only does the staff travel quite a bit in the summer but the intern program looks different too. Usually an intern comes for 4-6 months and participates in 1-2 project trips while here in Delhi. In the summer, interns come for a project trip and then stay as long as two months or as short as two weeks in Delhi. It means a lot more people in and out of the transit flat as well as saying hellos & goodbyes more often.

All that to say, a few weekends ago, Ligy and I took some of the summer interns to Humayun’s Tomb for some sight-seeing. It was fun to be the ones to show them around and kind of know the ropes of getting around Delhi.

Humayun’s Tomb. It was built before the Taj Mahal and has over 100 Mogul emperors’ tombs in it.

Me and Ligy. Right now I’m house-sitting for the Franks while they’re in the states but after that Ligy and I will be roommates. I first met Ligy at my EMI orientation in Colorado Springs last August. We were roommates for the first time then but didn’t get to see each other again until January before I left India to come home. Ligy is another long-term volunteer and has great cultural insight/experience because she is an Indian who grew up in Kuwait, just finished living in the US for 5 years and recently became a US citizen! She has been in India with EMI since January and will finish up around the same time I will this winter. We both appreciate having each other throughout all the transitions!

Me, Victoria, Ligy, Seth and Monique. Ligy went with Victoria and Monique (interns) on a project trip near the Bhutan border and then they (the interns) came back to work at the office for two weeks. Seth is an intern serving with EMI until early July and went on a project trip with Matthew down south.

Another picture of all of us in front of India gate.

It was great to get to know new people if only for a few weeks but to honest, transitional community is really hard for me. I think it’s something I talk about often because it’s surprisingly tough. You would think of all the ways living in Delhi could be hard, transitional community would play a small part but it’s not the case. I was blessed last fall with a great group of interns/friends who I was able to explore India with and I’ve continued to pray that God blesses me with friends in this next chapter. One big difference this time around is that I’ve been finding more relationships outside of EMI through my church. It’s nice because the people who I’ve been getting to know aren’t as transitional as interns and it gives me more exposure to Delhi. I’ve learned so much about the Indian culture through Ligy and some Indian friends at church as well as expats who have lived here longer than I have.

A VERY common thing after church is going to Starbucks right across the street. Usually half of Fusion church makes their way over there (which I’m sure Starbucks appreciates). Steph (far left) has become a great new friend along with Akansha (far right). The girl sitting behind me is Arie and I’ve been able to hang out with her a few times as well as some of the guys in the picture. I’m so grateful for the way people welcome me into their community and invite me to hang out! Annnddd I appreciate having a place that feels a bit like home (Starbucks).

// MY HOOD //
Back in the ol’ Malviya Nagar hood. When it comes to my neighborhood, I only really go to a few places. “Sabka Bazaar” is a tiny little grocery store super close to the flat. I go there often to get the basics. “Value Bazaar” is the next closest grocery store that has more import goods (and soy milk!). It’s on the main street so I take a shortcut to avoid all the honking cars to get there. I also shop at “Safal Veg” for my fruits and veggies. It’s like a little farmer’s market shop. I like it because I can pick my own veggies and fruits opposed to going to a stall in the market. (Probably just part of my American “let me do it my way” culture coming out.)

It might sound fairly mundane and boring… and ya, I guess it kind of is but it’s a big part of adjusting to Delhi.  Also, since you don’t have a one-stop-shop for everything AND you walk to the stores which mean you are carrying everything you buy home, shopping can take a lot of effort. Not only that but after getting all those fruits and veggies home you have to wash them in a certain chemical to kill the bacteria on them (unless you cook or peel them). But all that to say, I feel like I’ve somewhat found my groove with grocery shopping and preparing food. I love the convenience of walking to a shop around the corner and only having the choice to buy what’s in season. Things that were draining or frustrating last time around aren’t as much and I genuinely enjoy my walk to the market.

// EXPLORING //

While Veronica and Monique were still in Delhi we went walked to an old mosque near the office. The Begumpur Mosque was built in the 14th century and is mostly still standing, but has obvious effects of time with caved in walls and ceilings. We went up to the top to get some great views of south Delhi where we live.

 

 

//WORK//
The most exciting things that have taken place at the office since being here are 1. we had a glass wall installed for our conference table area and 2. we got a nice new color printer. Oh the little things.

Ivy (Matthew’s wife and a staff architect) designed the etched pattern on the glass to double as calendar we can use with dry-erase markers. I think the office definitely went up a notch in the classy scale with our new glass wall.

The much-anticipated printer. I guess it’s one of the largest purchases that this office has made. India is known for saying something will get done one day and it actually gets done a week or two after that and in true Indian fashion our printer arrived much later than expected. We thought it might come the end of May but later told it was going to come June 10th… and it arrived June 13th.

As far as my work goes, I’m mostly working on the EMI Annual Magazine. It’s great to be working with Matthew again on this project and I’m excited to be a part of the first world-wide annual magazine. Matthew continues to collect articles and photos from staff and volunteers from the offices around the world and I continue to iron out an overall layout and design theme.

I’m excited to see what the next five months bring. I hope they will be full of exploring new places, making long-lasting friendships, and continuing to grow in my relationship and with Jesus & faith in Him.

Island Adventure

David, one of the interns at the EMI East Africa office, made a great friend over the last year he has been in Uganda. David first met Ramadan at a large market downtown where Ramadan was working. And although I had heard about him, I only met him once because he fishes on an island (in Lake Victoria) for a living. When David said Ramadan had invited people to come visit him on the island and stay there for a weekend I jumped at the chance. I figured, when would I ever have a chance to do that? It ended up being me, David, Belinda (another intern) and Gerald (another Ugandan friend of David’s from the same market).

This is Gerald, Belinda and I as we head out to the island. Before we got to the boat part of our trip, we took a taxi (15-passenger van) for 1.5 hours to the port where Ramadan met us. The boat was pretty bare bones but the scenery all around us more than made up for the less than comfortable seats.

So much of the scenery I saw that weekend, reminded me of New Zealand. The little islands popping out of the water and covered in lush, saturated green trees, plants and grass. I love the tropical color tones in Ugandan scenery.

These little guys were quite curious with the boat full of “Mzungus” (the Luganda word for white people, pronounced “ma-zoon-goo). Based on what I saw of the village towns on the island, I’m guess they don’t get too many mzungus there. I didn’t really have a clue what kind of place we would be staying at when I signed up to go. I mean, of course I wasn’t expecting something glamorous but it’s fair to say I was taken back when I saw the village. It was this tiny area full of kids, animals and small shacks. It smelled of fish and smoke from little charcoal stoves. I think my eyes got really big as I took it all in and took a deep breath at the realization it was going to be a more adventurous weekend than I anticipated.

One of the first things we did, after we dropped our stuff off at Ramadan’s place, was walk around little community Ramadan lives in. The kids followed us around everywhere and you could see their curious little brains trying to figure out who we are and what we were doing at their home.

Me, Belinda, and David walking around

The fishermen working on their nets

Typical house

A guy fixing nets. This dude knew what he was doing. I couldn’t help but think about all the times fishing is mentioned in the gospels*. This kind of community would have been common back in those days. Men fishing everyday in their small boats and spending the rest of their working days fixing their nets. Ramadan told us it takes four hours to set the nets and then another 4 to bring them in. I don’t know how long it takes them to work on their nets but it didn’t look like a small job. Not to mention conveniences like running water don’t exist so things like getting water, washing dishes, and cooking take a lot longer there. It’s safe to say their everyday is very different from mine.

*I thought of when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James (son of Zebedee) and John while they were fishing. [Luke 5:1-11]. Or the parable about sorting fish after a big catch and how it’s the same when we face judgement. [Matt 13:47-50]. Or when Jesus uses 2 fish (and 5 loaves of bread) to feed the 5,000 people. [Matt 14:13-21]. And when Jesus reveals himself to some of the disciples after his resurrection while they are fishing and end up sharing a meal with them on the shore [John 21:1-13].

After walking around the village, we met some of his friends from church, Janet and Stephen. They welcomed us into their home and later walked to the top of a nearby hill to show us more of the island. Janet cooked all our meals and was always laughing and joking with us. It’s funny because she isn’t smiling in any photos I have of her (not common in Uganda) but that’s how I remember her, always smiling.

On the way to the lookout

Looking back on the village

Gerald, me and Janet at a little cove area.

The rocks on the beach here were so cool. They were so smooth and cool colors of yellow ochre, red and browns. We were picking out rocks to take home when one of the guys decided to throw a rock… which lead to another guy  throwing a rock… which lead to a full on rock throwing contest between David, Ramadan and Gerald. I made the comment that guys are guys no matter what continent you are on and the game “who can throw a rock the furthest” transcends culture.

David, Belinda and I in Janet and Stephen’s place. We would all squeeze in here when we ate. It surprised me how little space people had and yet could still make it feel so homey. Even though Janet and Stephen didn’t have much, they were so generous in their hospitality towards us. It was pretty humbling.

Ramadan in front of a house in the village.

So after the walk around the village, the walk to the lookout, and lunch we went swimming! It was pretty fun to swim in Lake Victoria. It’s not the healthiest thing to do but I didn’t put my head under that much and got some sweet meds to take just in case. Again, I don’t think too many mzungus visit the island and even fewer swim leisurely so we got some stares.

After the swim we headed to the other side of the island to watch some locals playing soccer. When we were walking the sun was low and the colors of the island were amazing! I LOVE that time of day when everything has a golden tint on it. The walk we took could have been considered a leisurely hike that people would pay to do but instead it’s just one of the many tiny and windy walking paths that people use to navigate the island that has no roads and therefore no cars.

A village on the other side of the island.  

Sunday we headed out on yet another walk… this time to church. It was about a 30 min walk from where Ramadan stays and again we took a tiny little path through other villages, grassy fields, a pineapple field, and a lush forest with tons of fruit trees (Ramadan loved quizzing people on what plant was what and rarely did we know… guess that’s what happens when your fruit comes from a grocery store).

The praise team

We walked up and down the pews to greet people when we left. We wanted to stay longer but had another full day. Ramadan wanted us to see where his family lives so the plan was to take another boat to a different port and then a motorcycle taxi to his family’s land. And we still had a 2 hour taxi ride back to Kampala to look forward to.

It definitely goes against Ugandan culture to keep to a schedule. All plans are vague and more a list of things that could get done that day but not as specific timed events. I have a hard time with that. I kept looking ahead and thinking of when we wanted to get back home to Kampala (before dark) and knowing the taxi took two hours, and having no clue how long “visiting with Ramadan’s family” would take. I didn’t want to be rude and pushy but another part of me wanted to take charge and make us get stuff done on my time-table. In the end I would mostly bug David  who would sort of remind Ramadan that we wanted to get back by dark who would just smile and tell us it would be fine… which wasn’t the reassurance I hoped for.

We had a lot more people join us on the boat ride from the island to the mainland than we did going to the island. I think people jump at the chance to go to the mainland when they can. I’m not sure how easy it would be to get a boat ride there if you wanted to randomly go one day.

This picture is funny to me because although I’m smiling, I wasn’t happy. I was uncomfortable. And crabby. It was the culmination of a lot of little discomforts that added up to me wanting to jump out of that boat just so I didn’t have to be crammed on a little wooden bench for who knows how long. I would love to say that I went to this somewhat primitive island and stayed with locals and just went with the flow, soaking up the experience with joy, but I didn’t. It was stretching for me to eat some of the dishes they prepared for us. It was stretching to have no clue what the day’s schedule held. It was stretching to feel out-of-place especially within a culture I still was getting to know. It was stretching to be in the sun most of the day.

I felt a battle within me. One part practically screaming for the comforts of my home back in Kampala and the other part hating that I felt that way because it exposed my entitlement, selfishness, and lack of contentment in all circumstances.

It was about an hour and a half boat ride but when I think back it felt like a lot longer. When we did get to shore I was embarrassed I had such a bad attitude. It showed me how much I need Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my life. If I’m not filled by Christ then I’m hopeless to find joy in all things.

I was sad to say goodbye to Janet after the boat ride. She showed me a lot in the short time I spent with her. She was always cooking, cleaning and serving us. While I complained in my head of the uncomfortable seat I had while eating, she sat on the floor and served herself last. Belinda and I stayed the night at her house and as I tossed and turned wishing I was sleeping in my bed back home, she slept on the floor. While I was a brat on the boat, she held an umbrella for more than an hour to give us shade. She showed me a life of servanthood, humility and loving others better than herself. I was sad to say goodbye to her but I don’t think I’ll ever forget the lessons her life taught me.

Here we are at Ramadan’s family home. We took bodas (motorcycle taxis) up to the house and it was a crazy ride. First, it took 45 minutes, the longest I have been on a boda before. Second, we were going up these huge hills and at one point Belinda had to get off the boda (we were both on one) so that the driver could get up a steep part. And Third, we were COVERED in dust when we finally got to Ramadan’s family’s house. It sort of looked like we all got a reddish-orange tan on the way up. I loved the ride thought because we got to see some AMAZING views of the hills around the bay.

It was fun to walk around and see his family’s land and to meet Ramadan’s siblings (pretty sure everyone in the picture are brothers and sisters!) along with his parents. I know it meant a lot to him as well.

Of course the adventure didn’t end when we went to town to catch a taxi to Kampala. Gerald and Ramadan’s brother (who was getting a ride to Kampala with us) went to the bathroom and when they came back the taxi was full. But in Uganda a taxi is never full and you can always squeeze more people on… so that’s what we did. We fit four in the back seat and four in the third row as well. It actually wasn’t bad and I think being squished together made the giant pot holes in the road more bearable. Anndd people got off soon so we sit like that too long.

All in all, I’m so grateful that I had this opportunity. I can honestly say it was one of (if not the most) craziest experiences I’ve had. I learned so much, saw so much and was shown A LOT of grace! I have a feeling God will continue to use this weekend to teach me lessons for years to come. Yeah for adventures!

Out and about

The last month has brought so many different experiences that I wanted to jot some of them down in one post. I love that I’ve been able to get into the community more here and meet so many people who work in ministry or who attend a ministry school. One nice thing about coming at the middle of the intern’s term is that I can jump right into what they are already doing. It’s so great how inviting they have been with me.

//DOORS SCHOOL//

One thing I’ve LOVED doing while here is girls Bible study at Doors School. Doors is a ministry here (http://hispicketfence.blogspot.com/) and the girls who started it, have become dear friends. They have a boys home for street boys (about 10 I think) and also this school for more elementary and middle school age kids. The girls who volunteer with Doors are great friends with the EMI interns and we all hang out at least once a week. I love laughing with them along with having great talks about faith and Jesus.

Meggie is really involved with Doors and goes to the school once a week for girls Bible study so when she asked me if I wanted to tag along, I immediately said yes! It has been so enriching to meet these beautiful girls and get to know them a bit each Friday. They memorize Bible verses like no one I have ever seen and have more sass than anyone I know. They each have a place in my heart and I know that I’ll miss them dearly when I leave.

Here’s Meggie leading a game of Simon Says. It was by far the funniest Simon Says game I have ever seen. Meggie basically was making up different dance moves, doing animal noises, and mixing in aerobics as well. It was a great time.

Here some of the girls are doing one of the dance moves Meggie was leading them to do in the game.

//BOAT RIDE//

One Friday afternoon, Meggie asked if some people wanted to go on a boat ride. It was fun to have a bit of different scenery and just make more memories with everyone. From left to right: Meggie, Jess, Uriah, Alena, Doors volunteer that I can’t remember her name, Sam, David and Katie.

A picture of the dock.

Our boat driver. Uriah, one of the interns, jumped in at one point and a bunch of people followed. I think our boat driver got such a kick out of us!

I’m going to miss the views here in Uganda.

//EMI MEETINGS//

A funny part of being the graphic designer is that I also get to play photographer at times. I’m not a good photographer but I guess I’m a few steps above the usual engineer photos (pipes, water tanks, food and sunsets) so there’s a few times where I’ll go along to meeting and project sites to get some good shots EMI can use in publications. Even though I’m not so good at the photo part, I LOVE going to meetings like this one. Here Jeff (right) is showing a ministry, Cherish, the plans for the medical clinic they are wanting to build.

Rachel (with sunglasses on her head) shared story after story of how God has orchestrated thing after thing so that this medical clinic can become a reality and EMI plays such a vital role in that. Cherish is a children’s home for kids with HIV and AIDS and also has a school for their kids along with village kids nearby. It was a blessing to hear her heart for this place and the children. It was also refreshing to hear once again, how EMI is helping others do what they do well. For Cherish that’s sharing the Gospel with kids with HIV and AIDS and be able to give the best care to those who are sick physically while meeting their spiritual needs as well.

I have so much more respect for engineers and architects after my time with EMI. It is amazing to see how much hard work and tons of hours they put into a project.

After going to the meeting at Cherish, I went with Steve, our Construction Manager to visit Yusufu’s home. Yusufu is a foremen that works with Steve on a variety of construction projects and has a unique story. He was part of the African Children’s Choir school growing up and toured all over the US and UK. He even won a grammy with the African Children’s Choir! The best part is after leaving Uganda and touring all over, He came back. He is investing in his community here and has a heart for the nation of Uganda. Steve is writing a story about him for this year’s annual magazine that I’ll be designing in India, so we went to his home to get a couple of photos for the story. It is always a blessing to visit an Ugandan’s home. I loved meeting his wife and little boy. And as always, hearing him and Steve joke around.

//WOMEN’S RETREAT//

A few weekends ago, I went on a Women’s Retreat with a church that my roommate goes to. Here’s a pic of where my room was. It was about an hour away from where I stay in Kampala at this medical place. It was amazing how peaceful it was even though it just off the main road. I loved all the green grass and trees everywhere.

The view near my room.

The retreat had a bunch of sessions on “Hearing from God” which I think is always a good thing to learn more about. God has really been breaking me down while I’m here with things concerning surrender, pride and control. It’s always hard when God cuts off the branches that aren’t bearing fruit in our lives but in His goodness it’s always so that we can be even more fruitful in our live overall. This weekend came at great timing. I had time to process all the lessons God had been teaching me the previous weeks. I had time to rest and relax which I can forget to do. And I was able to meet more people who I had great conversations with and great prayer times with. I felt so blessed to have been able to go.

//EVERYDAY WORK//

I think it’s always a bit misleading when I blog because I mostly blog about traveling, adventure or visiting locals when most of the time I’m here… in my office, at my desk. I love doing graphic design and working at the EMI East Africa office. I’ve been able to get my hands on a variety of project which I love. I also enjoy being talking with the staff, (especially the local Ugandan staff) and being encouraged and challenged by them.

I think part of me thinks overseas work should be done by directly interacting with the community. And it is but it’s also a lot like how Christians interact with their communities anywhere. I mean, I work as a professional at a job 9-5 pm like most Americans. I have an influence on my co-workers like most Americans. I see my neighbors and locals at their fruit stands, shops and motorcycle stands everyday, ok not like most Americans but we all see people in our neighborhoods each day.

I think God calls us to be lights no matter where we live. To do life with people. To get to know the people around us and love them well. I do graphic design for an Engineering Ministry, so that they can do engineering and architecture for Christian Ministries, so that they can reach children and adults who God has called them to. It’s like 4-degrees of separation from the typical overseas work but just like there are many parts in the body of Christ there are many parts to overseas work. My part is graphic design most days. It’s doing life with the people around me, whether that’s internationals or locals. It’s loving my neighbor. It’s the Church.

My Easter weekend

For Easter weekend this year, I went to Sipi Falls, about 5 hours from Kampala in Uganda. It was beautiful and wonderful to get out of the city and into the lush green landscape of Uganda. We mostly hung out at main lodge where we stayed because our room was a little hut near the stream. It was so cool. On Sunday we went for a hike to see all three of the waterfalls in the area. It was fun to do a long hike and parts of it reminded me of hiking in New Zealand.

I love waterfalls! I think I first fell in love with them in New Zealand. (We each got our own ‘hiking poles’)

It was rainy while we were there but not when we were hiking on Sunday. Here’s a cloud coming in along the path.

The views were amazing when we climbed to the top of the waterfalls. You could see for miles and miles. God is so big.

One of my favorite views of the third waterfall we saw. I love how waterfalls remind me of God’s abundance. They just gush out water, never relenting. It reminds me that Jesus has an endless amount of love and grace for me. He will never run out of resources or blessings for me. They don’t always look the way I expect but they are good because Jesus is good.

You can see a rope near the waterfall where people could repel down. We opted out for that part but if I was staying longer I totally would have done it. Can you believe how bright green everything is? Amazing.

My hiking buddies. Sarah, me, Rose, and Carey. Brittany (my roommate) decided to skip the hike since she had been to Sipi Falls three times before. Sarah and Rose are full-time staff and Carey is a long-term volunteer doing two years here. It was such a blessing for them to include me before even meeting me, in their plans for this weekend.

You can see little kids washing clothes in the water. Just another day living next to a gorgeous waterfall I guess.

This is a ladder of sorts. It was incredibly steep to up and down it and freaked some of the girls who have a fear of heights out but I mostly thought it was fun.

Carey and Rose, along with our guide coming up the ladder.

More walking.

This is when I felt like we were on a quest. When I told the girls my elaborate idea of how it looked like we were on a quest, looking for something, etc, etc… they just kind of gave me blank stares… guess the artsy-type have a weirder imagination that engineers and architects!

Our guide for the hike. He was awesome. I’m sure he thought we were crazy. He reminded me a bit of the tour guide I had at the Taj Mahal because he was always telling us the best places to take photos and offering to take some for us.

He loved telling us all about the different plants and vegetation growing all over the place.

At the top of one of the waterfalls.

Surprise! Another picture of a waterfall!

Our hut!

The girls in our hut. It was perfect because the huts come with five beds so I guess God just knew that I would be coming and would LOVE to go on an adventure my first weekend in Uganda!

When ever I see amazing natural beauty the Doxology comes to mind:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost”

A beautiful way to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! More than adventures, more than seeing amazing landscapes, more than meeting new friends, more than anything, I am thankful for Jesus. For His life full of examples and teaching, His death full of humility and sacrifice, and His resurrection full of power and abundant life. I’m thankful that I surrendered my life to follow Jesus and that by His grace, I know Him more each day.