Mondate

First of all no, that is not a typo. Monday is in fact our roomie date day. Today I spent with Hali (pronounced Hailey, not Hally) accomplishing great things. For real though, we conquer the world every Monday. It's quite impressive.

This particular Monday was spent at the park with picnic food and Owl City.

Subs from Simi Sub and chocolate coated marshmallows from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Proof of my mad skills at using timers. Forgot to focus on US, because it is always about us. Always.

More proof... I forgot to press the timer button before I clicked shoot.

Gwappi and Lolly--Our troll names for eachother.

I love my Gwappi.

Counting Crows..... or chasing them =)

Friends

It never ceases to amaze me how God has brought me to this particular place in my life and how He keeps bringing old friends back into my life to be a blessing and an encouragement right when I need it the most! I've only lived here for 2 months and I have already seen:

Kristie Haynes
Rebeca Aulie
Eric Walter
Matt Hires
and
Charlie and KT Miears

Last night Mike and I got to meet up with Charlie and KT for dinner. It was such a needed "time out" for me. I had had a 35 hour work week, which honestly wasn't too bad. But the day before I had had a 14 hour work day where nothing went as it should, so seeing old friends was a total blessing!

Provisions

Just wanted to update this tonight before I go to sleep, before I forget what this feels like. Yesterday our rent was due for the apartment, so I got online to look at my bank account to see how much money I had and if I had enough to pay it. After I wrote the check I counted up how much I would have left to live off of and it came to be around 30 dollars - Barely enough to tithe and grocery shop before my pay check finally comes around. This afternoon after I got back from work and an afternoon at the beach with my cousin, I come into the apartment to find a check on the table from a friend of my parents whom I have never met before for $200 AND a 10 dollar bill from my grandma.

It's so CRAZY how God provides so abundantly for His children right when they are need and in the CRAZIEST of ways.


"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

God is so good.

....

The girl was on her way out the door to go to class when she turned around to wish good luck to her other two roommates on their afternoon. One of them had an interview at Apple and the other was volunteering at a retirement home for the afternoon. As she turned around to address the two girls, she told the first one, "Knock 'em dead!!" She then turned to the second one and proceeded to open her mouth then quickly closed it when she realized how wrong it sounded to repeat the same phrase. Alternately, she decided to stick with the traditional, "Have a good afternoon!" while she turned and walked out the door laughing to herself.

There you have it - I'm the second girl. I joined a ministry Cornerstone has at a retirement home focusing primarily on people with Alzheimers. Predominantly, the reason why I have a heart for the elderly with Alzheimers is because of my grandmother. My Nonnie just turned 83 yesterday and for the last several months she's been working, caring for one of her closest friends that has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. Her name is Margie and she and Nonnie were best friends for over 60 years and as of this year doesn't remember her. Nonnie is my hero in many ways, but this story especially touched me and encouraged me to join in the ministry

I start this afternoon in about 15 minutes and would really appreciate prayer that God would use me there in powerful ways.

Holy Anguish

On Sunday at Cornerstone we heard an amazing sermon, I just thought I would share it with you.
It's the first one at the top, titled "Holy Anguish"

http://www.cornerstonesimi.com/special/media_player.html

Also, Francis showed this in the middle of his sermon, but apparently it doesn't come up on the podcast so watch it either before or after you watch the sermon. David Wilkerson's sermon called "A Call to Anguish"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGMG_PVaJoI


It was pretty crazy that God brought this message into my life this particular Sunday because I had been struggling with this same thing all weekend at work - In being a good example of Christ to my aunt and the other people working in her restaurant, but I was always too ashamed to bring Him into our conversation whenever I got the chance. Ultimately, God really spoke to me through Francis and David Wilkerson's video clip encouraging my heart to break more toward the unsaved knowing where they are going to spend eternity and making it more urgent to save them from that destiny.

It was really cool after church on Sunday night, a couple of friends, my brother and I all went out to a park and just prayed for a long time - that God would give us the heartache necessary to love others enough to tell them about God. A very cool thing to pray for. Hope this sermon stirs up in each one of you a love for others that is completely and supernaturally God.

Living it up

A week ago today (11-09-09) I arrived in Simi Valley, CA. So much has happened since then, I can't even believe it has been such a short time since I arrived.

• I bought myself a bed.
  
• I went grocery shopping (for myself only!!! who knew I was old/mature enough for this!?!?)
  
• I PASSED my written driving test today. WOOHHOOOOO!!!
  
• I got a job at my aunt's restaurant, the Junkyard Cafe, and I start work in 11 hours from right now. Only for 12 hours a week though. If anyone has a job Monday-Thursday, that would be wondermous for me.
  
• I ordered my brother and me a cell phone service, and 2 free phones come with it. I'll come in the mail early next week.
  
• I attended 3 different classes at EBC. But will only continue with one for this semester, a 4 hour Life of Christ class every Thursday from 6-10 pm.
• I've tasted the rhino. Here.
  
• I've bonded with my 3 roommates and the 2 neighbor guy apartments.
  
• I attended Cornerstone Church for the 2nd time ever.

• And most importantly.... I made friends. Thank you, Jesus!!

I just wanted to write everyone to let you know that I'm so thankful for your prayers, love, and support. This week went extremely smoothly for being "on my own" for the first time ever. I WILL be doing a picture update, someday soon!! I actually haven't even brought out my camera here yet, but I promise to do that sometime! =) God has been so good to me and I'm so thankful He's put me where I am at the moment, I'm loving it here!!

Home - (sort of)

Before I start this blog, I just want to ask a quick question and see how many different answers I get. What do you see on this carpet? On our vacation we all saw this carpet and all came up with completely different answers. Just wanted to hear what other people have to say!
Ok, so my family has the coolest grandma. She owns this time-share and shares it with all of her kids. Our one other vacation on her time-share was spent at an EXTREMELY nice resort in Mazatlan, Mexico. Not to brag or anything, but the president of Mexico was there at the same time in the same building as us. (To help you envision how nice this place was.)

So this year my family got to go to the Wisconsin Dells. Basically a huge waterpark town for an entire WEEK. My brother, Mike, flew out from California to be with us, Chris and Amy drove out from Minnesota to be with us, and Chad (out other, non-related brother) drove out from Michigan to be with us.

But I take the jack-pot, flying out from the Philippines to be with them.

This was the closest waterpark to us. There were exactly 3 of these just in our building. HUGE, huge, huge buildings. There was a LOT of walking around, and running down the long, endless halls and tons of swimming in the indoor pools.

The tornado. Or as we called it, the toilet.

How mid-westerners envision the ocean?

The jacuzzi in my parents' room with the two brothers.

Chris, Amy (his fiancee) and Amy's parents came over for the weekend and we got to hang out with them until they left on Monday.

Then on Tuesday, Chad came over from Michigan to spend the rest of the vacation with us - his extended family.

My poor sister. This girl has to put up with my brother, Johnny and his messy ways. He somehow managed to squeeze his ice cream cone, get ice cream ALL over his face and hands, and Bekah's face and hands.

And use up an abundance of napkins.....

And earn himself a table to himself, while Bekah moved to her own table.

While the rest of us laughed at them.

...and tried on weird cow masks.

What would a vacation in Wisconsin be without trying cheese? So we went to the cheese store to buy some squeaky cheese and play with all the souvenirs.

My dad and Chad both had birthdays that week so we celebrated with a DQ cake.

The last day of our vacation it was just the original family, my parents, me and the younger three so we just went go carting then out to Taco Bell for dinner.

This is the whole group before Chad and Mike left. What a FUN vacation!!

While we were at mini-conference last weekend, one afternoon, Belinda didn't want Neo to get dirty anymore so she got him showered and changed. We turned our backs for a second, and before we knew it, we hear splashing and giggling going on behind us, we turned around to find ......

this.

Ya can't take all the fun away from me, mom!

Girls just wanna have fun ...

Girl's night in my room

A day at the princess salon!

Ooooook, and boys obviously like to have fun too!! See?

And what's funner to a little boy than eating?

...And trying on women's shoes?

And riding "vroom vrooms"!

Such a cutie =)

Manila Highlights

Since we've spent the last (almost) 2 months living here in Manila, I've decided to show pictures of some of the things we've done since being here. Some of the things not pictured are the things we did the most of: mall trips, fun times in the guest house and shopping.

Every day we would do school, switching things around doing school in different places because it started to become very monotonous in such a small room.

Every afternoon we would do a study on something about Manila. We learned about the Quiapo church, the "Smoky Mountain", the American cemetery, Intramuros etc...

Playing cards after school

Escaping the Manila heat by going swimming!! (Aren't they adorable!?!?)

Moffits and the Merritts

Waiting for taxis - Trying to look like they are enjoying it? Or just squinting because of the sun?

... Neo too

The girls at the Quiapo church (This picture is technically illegal, I should sell it and make some serious $$)

Outside...

Waiting for a taxi outside Quiapo.

Manila traffic. Insanity

After almost 2 months of Manila we realized we still haven't ridden the train!! So we decided one day to ride it to the mall instead of taxiing. (Funny story behind this picture)

Shortly after taking this picture I lost my balance (you need both hands to take a picture with my camera) and fell into a pole with my head. But I would say it was definitely worth it =)

Neo, Josh and Matt Damon ;)

Belinda and Matt Damon's wife!!

The girlies finally got a seat near towards the end of our ride.

Chilling at starbucks in the mall where Neo would run from person to person begging for their coffees.

Those west-coast boys...

How can you resist sharing your coffee with a boy who makes this face at you? (.....You can't!)

This makes me laugh every time!!

The ghetto carousel in Trinoma

Even Neo was bored!

High-school Musical Bowling - birthday party at Megamall

Notice the bowling alley's smallest shoe size?

Father's Day family picture on the playground

Ally girl at the restaurant

The whole gang at "Cookbook" for Josh's father's day lunch.