Home!

After endless hours of traveling, I have safely made it home. It was so nice seeing the faces of those most important to me, especially my Chloe! I am so glad to have my baby back. 

I am really excited to be back home, but it's different. I am different, so things are different. Things that were important to me before coming are less important now, and things I was passive about are now priority. I am a new creation and I love who I have become, the person I have been molded into. I cannot wait to pass on what I have learned to hungry hearts and serve with a whole new attitude. The Kingdom cannot grow without willing hearts. We are needed to grow His Kingdom. Go. Do. Serve. Change lives. 

Thank you Jesus for showing yourself to me endlessly and revealing your purpose to me. I am willing. I will go. I will do. I will serve. And I will change lives. Will you?

Day 83, heading home

     I have had some of the best memories of my life this summer. I have met some of the most incredible and influential people this summer. And have seen some of the most incredible sights this summer. 

     I am not the same person now as I was when I got here. I have learned so many things through these classes and the experiences I have had the pleasure of experiencing. My life will never, ever be the same.  But one thing remains: I serve the most incredible God in the world. He loves me and there is nothing I can do, or not do, that will make Him love me any more or any less. He is loving, faithful, merciful, forgiving, kind, gentle, generous, and His love for me is unending. My heart is full. 

    A special thank you to Steven Nicaud, the one who made all of this possible. He has given up everything to sow into our lives. He has been away from his family for 3 months, and dedicates 100% of his time pouring into ours. He is an incredible teacher and truly practices what he preaches. And I will be forever grateful for the sacrafice he has made for us. Thank youuuu! 

     And thank you Sasi, Tij, John, and James for sleeping over and seeing us off this morning! Y'all are true friends and I will never forget the amazing time we have had together this summer! Love y'all! 

Day 82, last day in Singapore

     Today was our very last day here. Very very bitter sweet. We spent the day with some other students in Sentosa, the touristy island! We met for lunch at the mall before taking the bridge to the island. We got there and visited the Merlion before heading to the beach area! It was beautiful! 

Daddy Merlion

Baby Merlion

Moved With Compassion 2013! 

     After all day on the island, we came back home to finish packing. Sasi, James, Brian, John, and Ian all came over to hang out at the house for some last minute time together. They will all sleep over and see us off in the morning! True friends! I will definitely miss each one of them! 

    Our flight leaves at 9:20am tomorrow! I am ready to be home, but will miss my life as a missionary here in Asia. 

Day 81, Graduation Day! :)

     Today was graduation day!!!! :)  Our service was great! We started with praise and worship. Then we had a member of each team that went out last week to come and share what went on. First the Philippian team went up. Then the India team. Then the Singapore team. And lastly Steven talked about our trip to Indonesia.  After that, Jenn, Tim J, and Li Dan shared one of their messages.

    Then Steven gave a quick sermon on being sent to the nations. He used my favorite missionary verse: Romans 10:13-15 "for "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And ho can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!". It was really a great message on being sent to the nations, encouraging everyone who feels called to GO!

    We ended our service with prayer. The graduates all went to the front, and we all got prayed over. Steven laid hands on us, as well as other influential church members. It was a beautiful moment. We all laid there on the ground crying as we realized that we all have such a call on our lives, and that we all have work to do for His kingdom! This life is not our own. We must live everyday completely and fully for our Father above, doing His work every single day. Matthew 22:14 "Many are called, but few are chosen". I am blessed that I am chosen, and I say 'yes' to doing His work for the rest of my life. I am excited to see where He leads me to go and what He leads me to do!

    After graduation, the graduates and friends went grab one last dinner together before saying goodbye. We had a great time. Thanks Ruth & Johnny for treating us to dinner again. They are such a blessing! They treated us to dinner the first night we met each other and now again on our last night!

Me & Sarah! My new friend!

That is our "best friends forever and ever and ever" tictac! lol

She is a missionary kid from Malaysia that came for our graduation! So sweet!

Sarah & Esther

Day 80

  Came across this sign today. Love it!

How appropriate for my summer's theme!

 

   Today we had off. I was able to sleep late and start packing for home. I have accumulated so many things in the last 3 months and am sad to have to leave so many things behind. Unfortunately, Singapore Airline's is very strict on their luggage weight and have huge fines for every kg's you go over.

Beautiful sunset sky on the way to dinner

 

     After packing and spending time with the roommates, we went out to dinner together. We went to an Indian restaurant and had naan with butter chicken. I went with the intentions of ordering just a coke and not eating since I don't usually care much for Indian food. But it was delicious!

 

 

    We decided we didn't want to go back home, so we made our way to a huge park nearby. We grabbed some ice-cream and took it over to the park to enjoy it sitting on the rocks by the water. We sat with the wave crashing at our feet overlooking the gorgeous water line. I wish we would have found this spot sooner, but never late than never! ;)

   As we were making our way back to the bus, we came across some really cool playground equipment that we don't have back in the U.S. I have never seen such cool stuff at a playground before! I don't even know what to call it all. They had ziplines from one side to the other, so we all raced each other.

    Since it was nearly midnight by the time we left the park, we decided to get a taxi to go home. We got the sweetest driver! He was also a Christian and was very interested in the program and what we were doing here. I love meeting strangers who love Jesus as much as I do!

Day 79, Sharing at Youth Night

     This morning I was able to sleep in a little. It was very nice. When I woke up, I started working on my updated sermon for tonight. I was asked to speak on my experience growing up in a household of unequally yoked parents, and tying my sermon on godly marriage into it.
    At youth, we watched Iron Man 3. Good movie. I have never been much of an Iron Man fan, but this was a good one. Then we had dinner together. Li Dan and Ruth cooked fried rice and fried noodles for us. While eating, we all played a game together since Raymond's girlfriend was new to the group. We went around the table and each person had to say 3 or 4 things about them and the people next have to repeat what everyone else before them said about themselves. So poor Delaney was last, and had to say about 15 peoples facts! It was fun though!

    Then we started our service, and I was able to share. I spoke on godly relationships and used 2 Corinthians 2:14 "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?". Though the youth aren't exactly looking for marriage yet, it is important to teach them about dating and having godly relationships when they do decide to date and get married. And of course I explained how the point of dating is to find the person you will marry, so don't be careless and date with the wrong intentions. Then I shared my story of my upbringing and the trials I saw my mom go through daily since my dad was not a Christian. I explained how I never want to experience what she went through, and how we are now equipped with knowledge so that we won't have to. The kids were very interested and several came up to me afterwards to share their similar experiences. Great kids!

 

     I am sad this was our last time together. I will miss them and pray for Anne and Ben's ministry with them. They are awesome leaders and role models for the kids to follow. I am so proud of what they are doing and am blessed to have had the opportunity to spend time with their ministry.

Day 78, sightseeing in Indonesia

    Thursday morning we woke up at 5am so we could go visit the volcano, Mount Merapi, before the clouds cover the mountain. Beautiful! Gorgeous! Stunning! It was incredible. As we got there, we loaded up in former WW2 jeeps and headed out to ride through the rocky mountain terrain on the way up to the volcano. We wore face masks to protect our lungs from the glass particles that are in the dusty soot covering the area from the volcanoes last eruption in 2010. Everywhere you look was ash, still piled up.
    We learned a lot about the volcanoes eruption. Hundreds died from the intense heat of the eruption. The ground was 1400* and the air was 400* so anyone who was not able to flee burned. So sad.

The volcano erupted at exactly 12:00, and within 4 minutes, the heat caused the clock to stop working! Fast!

 

 A boom box!

Before & After's

 

 

 

 

 

 A bunker where 2 workers hid trying to escape, however, they were cooked inside like an oven from the heat. 1400* is cooking someone for sure! Also included in the before/after pictures

After that we grabbed some lunch and tried new foods.

The most amazing tea I have ever had! With sugar crystals that melt when you pour in the hot tea.

Their hamburgers. Soybean tofu pattie between two rice patties. Very interestinggggg.....

 

 Snake fruit! 

 

Smashing coconuts to make coconut milk!

 



    Our last tourist stop was at Borobudur Temple, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Pretty incredible. This is a Buddhist temple built by monks in the 9th century. Completely carved out stones, nothing is holding binding each stone together, strategically placed. Very awesome. It even has an irrigation system built in the stones for rain water. What a sight to see.

P.S.  This trees leaves make bombs. Random fact for the day!

After that, we rushed to the airport to head back to Singapore. What a trip! God time + history lesson time = great time!