Thankfulness

• 3 things I have learned since being in the Philippines:

1. How to live with another family besides my own
2. The beginning of being able to speak another language ... (still learning though!)
   
3. How to deal with culture shock- Ever since I can remember, I've always made fun of Americans who were freaked out about the every day things that would happen in Mexico, because I never really experienced culture shock. Before this I had only been in North American and Latin cultures, I never had to deal with it before! Now I can officially relate to those "wimpy" Americans, I finally know what they went through now!

• 3 challenges I've faced since living in the Philippines:

1. Homesickness!!!!
2. Having to do things on my own, because I don't have my parents do it for me. I've had to learn to be somewhat dependent, although I still run to my parents sometimes =)
   
3. Having to honestly give God control of my entire life, something I could never really do completely before while I was living at home in a culture I understood.
   

• 3 things I miss about Mexico:

1. Eating fruit!!!!! ...and all Mexican food in general
   
2. Playing soccer... NOT basketball.
   
3. My family and friends, and just all those familiar sites, sounds and some smells.
   

• 3 things God has been teaching me lately:

1. How ridiculously rich I am by letting me see how the rest of the world lives.
2. To make loving God then loving people my career!
   
3. To put my entire future in his hands, "...You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes"
   

• 3 things I look forward to at the moment:

1. Having a "spring break" at the end of the month for a couple of days.
   
2. Finally getting my bag my family and friends filled with goodies and sent over for me!
3. Dying someday and spending eternity worshiping Him. Nothing sounds more wonderful to me right now.
   

• Some of my favorite songs at the moment:

1. Won't Go Home Without You ...and... Makes Me Wonder ---Maroon 5
2. En Que Estrella Estará ---Nena Daconte
   
3. Lucky ---Jason Mraz ft. Colbie Caillat
4. Brand New Day ...and... I'd Rather Be With You ---Joshua Radin
5. Came To The Rescue ---Hillsong
   

• 3 things that scare me:
  

1. Becoming too attached to the people here that it will be too hard for me to leave the end of July.
   
2. The fact that I am a two day plane ride away from my family and that I won't get to see them again in a little over 4 months which at times seems like an eternity!
3. Turning 18 this summer!
   

• 3 things I love about the Philippines:

1. The people--SO friendly and welcoming! AND they loooooove to get their pictures taken... very nice for a wanna-be photographer. =)
2. The shopping is soooo cheap here!!! I will never want to shop anywhere else ever again!
3. The landscape- rich dark moist dirt, beautiful crops, chilly mountain air, beautiful green mountains and fog, fog, and more fog!! (In comparison to Mexico: brown mountains, light brown dusty dirt and no fog).
   

• Some things I'm thankful for:

1. God's love and never ending grace
2. The Moffit family who are so ridiculously good to me!
3. My own family and friends from all over the world who bless me daily with their encouraging words and notes
4. Skype, which sometimes works here =P
5. Being blessed with way more than I deserve: The fact that I got to fly half way around the world to live in Asia for 7 months at the age of 17. I have a roof over my head, an entire "apartment" to myself, and three full wonderful meals a day...

How often do we forget how much of the world lives in poverty. Really makes us re-evaluate how much we actually own and how rich we really are!


One of my favoritest verses in the Bible is Psalm 139:23-24:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"

My prayer for my life this week.