Prayer.

Lord give me the strength.

Homework.

My homework in photography this week asked me to look pictures up on my topic of Photojournalism. Here are a few pictures I really liked.

Blug.

I don't like that growing in my faith involves my brain hurting so much.

Saturday nothingness

I love starting Saturday mornings with nothing to do. Even better when roommates also have nothing to do.
Jess and I decided to bake today. We baked a plum pie. If you have never had plum pie you should as soon as possible. I made this noodle chicken thing. It was pretty good. Anyway after we were done cooking, Kara came over and we had a wonderful dinner at 3. It was wonderful.


Picture- We share a camera with our friend Jared for photography, anyway he was on the way up to get the camera and Jess and I decided to leave a picture for him.

Complementary colors

Spiced Sugar
Bayfront palm
Celadon Green

These are the colors of my room:)

1:44 a.m.

The things I think about at 1:44 in the morning.
1. How am I going to get through this week?
2. Will Fink and I find somewhere for our internship/are we allowing God to lead us to where he want us to go?
3. Should I take the position? * if I do, I will explain on here later.

I have no answers and i am left with my stomach in knots.

Trying to capture the beauty.

I spent two hours in the gullies yesterday. It amazes me how beautiful the world is. I am sad to say that this is the first time i have been out this year. Odd I am usually out more than that by this time in the year. I am in a photography class this semester. I am really enjoying it. Although most of the time I unsure how to fully use the camera, I think i am getting a few good shots. But who i am to say, I by no means really knows that what the perfect picture looks like. It was really nice to lose myself out there. Anyway here a couple ...

I like them.

I feel like...

all I have been doing for the past week has been reading. My eyes are starting to hurt.

"Absolutely I do."

My mom and I have succesfully become addicted to the office.

Ingredients for a 21st Birthday.

1. codeine-painkiller: a white crystalline drug derived from opium (really?), but milder in action, used as a painkiller and to relieve coughing. This was a gift from God. I got my Wisdom teeth out yesterday.

2. Shopping with my mother, Compete with Goodwill and a Cherry limeade.

3. Making the coolest record bowls ever.
I am serious.
Turn oven to bake at 350 and place old record onto pizza pan.
Bake for a 1 1/2 min.
Take out and place in slightly smaller bowl. push down into shape of bowl...result, Amazing.
4. sleeping a whole lot.:)

Trust me

9 down 1 to go.

my internship ends this week. In most cases being gone for 10 week people would be excited to be going home. I on the other hand am at a loss. I am happy for the break, but i will miss everyone terribly. At the beginning of the summer i was somewhat nervous. This has been the first time that I have been "on my own". I knew no one 9 weeks ago and now I feel like i am leaving my family. I wish sometimes that all of my friends lived in the same place, i know that is not possible but it is a nice thought. I have one more week of mission indy and then my parents will be picking me up taking me back to IL. This past week was my last week at Horizon house. The overall experience was wonderful. God has taught me a lot. I know i was there 20 days but i feel in that time i have become a different person. I saw the love and compassion God has for his people. Helping at Horizon house has been has helped me to see that there is something we can do to help people. The meaning of the Good Samaritan. I by no mean have been the good Samaritan but i have seen what is to be one. Giving your all to help your brother/sister in Christ. I never expected to see the fruits of my labor there. My goal was to love them as God would. But on the last day, John, one of our neighbors, came up to me and showed me his ticket stub. It showed me that he has gotten a job that we had looked up together. It amazes me how God works.

As I was thinking of this one of my favorite songs Trust Me by the fray kept playing over in my mind,

Looking for something I've never seen
Alone and I'm in between
The place that I'm from and the place that I'm in
A city I never been
I found a friend or should I say a foe
Said there's just a few things you should know
We don't want you to see we come and we go
Here today, gone tomorrow

We're only taking turns
Holding this world
It's how it's always been
When you're older you will understand

If I say who I know it just goes to show
You need me less than I need you
But take it from me we don't give sympathy
You can trust me trust nobody
But I said you and me we don't have honesty
The things we don't want to speak
I'll try to get out but I never will
This traffic is perfectly still

We're only taking turns
Holding this world
It's how it's always been
When you're older you will understand

And then again maybe you don't
And then again maybe you won't

When you're older you might understand
When you're older you might understand


The chorus is what gets to me. We have been called to help our brothers/sister with everything. And we only have one turn to do it. I just hoping that i am not messing it up.

My 4th

My fourth consisted of
A. 4 hours at the Indianapolis Art Institute.
People to look up (Last names, in order taken from my map):
1. Hardrick
2. Melchers
3.Bell
4.Homer Really like him
5.Thayer
6.Kuitca This looks red but closer it a huge map, really cool.
7.Benson
8. T.C. Steele
9. Robert Reid same name as my gpa
10. Duran
11.Colyer
13.fitton What the heck.

B. Near death experience (almost got hit by a firework)

Over all good day.

In Response,

Today marks the end of two weeks helping in the employment center. I am starting to get the hang of things around here. The first week was somewhat hard. My Job is to help the neighbors with their resume. So that means I answer a lot of questions about the computer and running back and forth trying to correct the countless grammar mistakes I did the night before. Most of the time I feel useless. That is starting to wear off though. I am starting to get to know the staff. At first they didn't really talk to me being that I was a volunteer. I am sure that they have hundreds of volunteers walk in there a year. So after the fourth day they figured out I was coming back and that I did care and was not there because I needed some hours. The work is a little much. It is not hard but it not as fun as I would like. But that is not the point of my time there. I have to say though it can be difficult. I work in the room with no windows, and starting at a computer screen all day. By the end of the day I find myself standing outside apologizing for neglecting it all day.
I am growing quite a bit. I am not sure in what ways but I know it is there. I said it before most of the time I am not much help. Sometimes though there are glimpses of what it is I am trying to do. My goal to help them get a job, most of the people I work with have no idea how to even turn a computer on. Most of the day I am telling them for the 5th time step by step where to go. I think that anywhere else I would get impatient. I have to wonder “ Is there a place that they could go to learn the basics to survive in this world that is slowly being taken over by technology?” Today I helped a man submit 4 resumes and the directions to another. My prayer is that for a moment he sees that people have not forgotten him that he does matter. This opportunity has allowed me to open my eyes and make an effort. I am continually hearing God tell me that people do matter. I just hope that I can give them what they deserve.

It is funny God works, this summer I came to learn and grow. I was not expecting a lot, but God has provided everything. He keeps reminding me that he is watching out for me and I am not along in this city. The other day I was thinking about how I wished I had a volunteer key, everything is locked and hate asking every time I need something. The other thing was my eye was burning like crazy and I wanted saline solution. Not a second later I walked into the bathroom and found a key and solution. He boggles my mind sometime. On top of that my host family is wonderful. I have nothing to offer them yet they give everything. I only wish that when the time comes that I will do the same. I feel at home here but I guess that is what God intended.

Teal tights

We just finished our first week of Mission Indy. It was great. It was a lot easier than i expected. I work with a couple of the other interns at a church in the city. I group from Neoga IL came and helped us put on a VBS. It was really cool because some of the people in the group knew where Winchester was. Small world. We also worked on the church, so i did a lot of paint scraping and painting.Oh the joy. For the VBS weeks my friend Joey and I wake up the groups with a workout every morning. The song list includes, Jump on it, ice ice baby, safety dance just to name a few. I have been here 3 weeks and so far it has been a complete blessing. It is going to be hard to say goodbye at the end of the summer. We went to see The Happening. I was very disappointed. well, i will go into more detail when i am not so tired..... here are some pictures. 1. Is a picture of the interns .2. i am the pretty pretty princess. 3. Joey and I waking people ups...yes those are teal tights.

:)

Lunchtime cinnabons make my day.

Paper marbles.

I have been blessed with an amazing team. I could not have asked for better people to work with. I was little concerned about the summer, but that is pretty much gone. Everyone here has truly been the hands and feet of God. I know this Summerr is going to be hard, but i know that it will be completely worth it. God is so good. I love our team I am having a lot of fun. The past week i have been working of some houses. Although hard work it is fun. I am getting excited about the little things like, using the many different saws and climbing scaffolding to scrape the paint of the bottom of the roof. Today some of the girl interns went over to one of leaders houses and had a craft day. We made pendents out of clay and some other fun stuff. I could go on for a while but it is 1 and i am tired.

Not so far from home.

This summer I am Intern with the group mission Indy. Mission Indy is a group that supports other missions in the in the inner city of Indianapolis, not to be confused with India. For some reason, I have had this idea in my head that it is better to serve far away from home. That in some way being half was around the world that i am making more of an impact. I am slow to learn i guess. When i learned of mission indy i was a little hesitant hoping something better would come along. Needless to say I am now a temporary resident of Indiana. This will be the first time that I have been a way from home on my own. Even in china my friends were still just right down the hall. I am learning that God is truly with me where ever I go. He is in the places that I visit and the people that i meet. God has blessed me and provided for my every need.
It is funny how God works. This past January I went with my school to Seattle. The Focus of the class was Church in the city. We learned about the role of the church. During the trip we visited many different organizations that help with basic needs of the city. This trip was only a taste of what i will doing this summer.
Mission Indy works along side other organizations to build up the church. For a part of my time I will be working with outside Church's to rebuild homes and Vacations Bible Studies for churches in the inner city. It amazes me that city's smell and sound the same. Forgive me for my lack of experience,being that i have lived in the middle of know where for most of my life. Although the smell i am speak of is foul and the sounds are loud annoying cars, it was almost comforting. At one point in the trip i closed my eyes and the sounds and smells remind me so much of Hong Kong that i was a little disappointed to open them and find that i was surround by Americans.
The other half of my internship I will be working with the organization Horizon House< Read this because it will explain it better.
I am excited for the summer and i can already see how God is changing me. so i am going to end this post with this...the group of our interns was walking down the street and a man came up to us. He was nicely dressed and there was a women with him. He asked us what we where doing, i have to say it was a bit random, I knew that we were a bit out of place but i am not sure that i would been able to just ask like he did. after we had told what we were doing, he followed by thanking us many times and telling us that they only way the city is going to change is through the youth. That it is our job to make the difference in world because no one else is going to do it for us.

Mission Indy.

I got to go on a Zip line yesterday. It was great.

I gave blood!

According to my shirt i am a hometown hero.

I think it might be better

if i leave this canvas blank.

I am working on my final for painting. I am somewhat scared to start it. I spent so much time making the canvas that i think if i painted it i might ruin it. this is will be the biggest painting i have attempted this far in my life. I hope i don't hate it after i am done.

break?

I am ready to not know what day it is.

Walkabout

The more and more i think about Walkabout the more i like it. It has taken me almost a year to come to that conclusion. Overall i think it was a good experience. Maybe next time will stop complaining about things and just enjoy life. hmm.

Easter.

I never was a huge fan of easter.It was just another day set aside for my mom to dress me up like a girl. I hated the dresses my mom would put on me, but as a kid i would do anything for that beautiful basket of goodness. It has been a couple years since last I received an easter basket, or was allowed to participate in easter egg hunt but i am ok with that. The past couple weeks i have been questioning Why is it that Easter is not more celebrated? I understand that Jesus' birth is very important but without easter this life would be useless. This is the first easter I think i have been genuinely excited about the story. I am excited for Easter, not for the candy, or the dinner with family but for the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. It is kind of funny in the sence that i have had that story shoved down my throat millions of times but this time i think i got it.

bleh..

Dance Dance.

I enjoy dance parties in my lounge.

God is good.

I had the most amazing night tonight. I went with a group of people to the City Museum. I don't know what it is but that place makes me revert to 8 years old. I went with a group of 20 but I hung out with Marisa and Kara. It was wonderful. I had so much fun. It has been sometime that I have been that happy. The past couple of weeks have been a little stressful. Tonight was a great escape from that. I forgot everything and just was. I hurt my self and laughed so hard i almost had an asthma attach. :) After the museum some of us went to Denny's. I never can decide if i want to eat breakfast or dinner. So... I had both. Keith and I split our meal together. I really enjoyed hanging out with people i don't usually get to. I am surrounded by so many wonderful people. I have been blessed with my friends. I am in awe of the blessing that have surrounded me. It really occured tonight i made me so happy to hang out. To make it all better jenny, marisa, kara and sang Brittney spears. oh the joy. anyway needless to say God is Good.

I have been cupped.

Need i say more.

impusive thoughts

Most people can point to the places they want to go. Me, i throw my arm over the map and say here..everywhere. I know that i can go wherever i want to go. have the resources to do it. I have had the desire since i was younger. The only problem is time. I want to go now. The thought overtakes me. my heart starts to beat harder and my thoughts are lost for the next three hours. Nothing can distract me more than the thought of exploring places i have never seen.I hope to go backpacking across the US next summer with Hannah and Jess; and Marisa and I talked tonight about backpacking across Europe after we graduate. I want to go so bad. I wish we were graduating tomorrow. I wish learning were a global experience. I want to study abroad. I don't care where. I have been looking at a group called Cafe 1040. That sounds wonderful but in all reality i just want to go. i dont care where i go. there is so much to see and learn and it is just sitting there. When i start to think about i feel like my body is holding me down. I love talking about it but it really stinks when i have homework. ( by the way i am avoiding homework)If it were my choice i would start planning now. I pray that God takes me every where. I feel like if i were held back i would die. I feel like there is some much out there for me to see. I love here but my heart is not here. It is the in the adventure yet to be had. If only i were rich this would not be an issue. I guess i need to learn wait on the Lord, but lord I am ready. Take me now!I don't think any homework is getting done tonight. drat.

Darn Ocean.

My class in Hong Kong is getting together for a party. I want to see them, the darn ocean is getting in my way.

Mold in the shower

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/loofahs
Loofah- a sponge consisting of the fibrous skeleton of the fruit of a loofah( or plastic)

My definition:
Loofah: The eight disgusting things hanging above my head in the shower.

Root of hate:
1. I am allergic to perfume, which means it is very difficult to find liquid soap. In turn i use bar soap. So the thought of owning a loofah is useless.

2. They trap the dirt on your body, which is good, but then you use it again allowing the dirt of yesterday to stay.

3. It is difficult to take a shower without looking up. I feel like they are staring at me.

4. Get caught in the shower curtain.

5. They are collecting in the bathroom( kinda reminds me of mold). I think they are planning an attack.I have a feeling that the water pipes are in on it as well. The speed that that water can go from extremely hot to ice cold is astonishing. I am starting to think that the bathroom in general is out to get me.

TP

Friends+ Time= prank wars 08.

Tammy and Allyson TPed my room yesterday.
They were using my room to watch TV and when i went back in, it is was white.
They left with a note stating "Prank Wars 08".
They don't know what they started.

ok.

I have been busy these past couple days. Somewhat distracted by things that need to be done. It is the beginning of second semester and I am still going. I really have not stopped going for a while now. With the start of the semester I have all these goals i want to accomplish by the end of the year. I have not really taken time to stop.
While walking to the union i looked up. I was taken aback at the beauty above me. I sat down and and stared. It has been awhile since i have really relaxed. I needed it because i have been a little peopled out. Not really taken some quality me and God time. I asked Hannah and Dan if they wanted to go later to the country.

Around 11 we went and found a nice spot in the middle of nowhere. The stars were so big. I am not sure the last time i have been out. Being there gave me such a sense of peace. I cannot tell you the number of nights i have gazed at these stars but i know that they still give the same feeling every time. That feeling that every thing is going to be ok. I love it. It was like God was standing right next to me.

One less.

Built in 1949, the world's largest Catsup Bottle stands proudly at a 170 ft. tall. It is located in Collinsville IL and is a wonderful site to see. Tonight I went shopping with Allyson and Tiff. We went to Fairview heights to the mall. On the way back we went through Collinsville. I had only seen it once on the Food network and excited to know it was so close to my home. Well tonight I saw it. I am a fan of "The Worlds Largest..." So this is one i can check off my list. :)