Deuteronomio

Today I didn't have bounding amounts of energy like I did yesterday; nonetheless, I did do some trekking and stayed and visited other people. Yesterday I did the bulk of visiting people and today I spent more time with those who I spent lots of time with before.

It's a mean cycle. I go to visit someone and I don't want to leave to go see someone else because I'm so enjoying being with them. I reluctantly say goodbye, and head out the door to go see someone else and when I arrive there, I'm so happy to see that person(s) that I'm glad I left and I don't want to leave and go see anyone else.

I can't even count the amount of people that I've seen in the past two days. Some of them, it's been very sweet-- we're talking and spontaneously they hug me and say-- I'm so glad to see you! But it's been very cool. Everyone thinks that I was already in Japan, but obviously I wasn't. Well-- the kids who were with me the most know the plans and everything-- but many of the acquaintances that I've made have wondered where in the world I am... quite literally.

Anyhow, tonight I got back to the house around 11pm... It was a great evening and it ended with some garnachas and lots of laughter with my old landlords.

And now I'm talking with one of the girls that I used to work with about trusting in God and a whole bunch of verses and what they mean. It's a good time for reflection and it's cool for me to participate in this-- to see how much she is understanding now and yet challenging her to dig a little deeper.

Anyhow, tomorrow is kinda a different day-- I still have to be sure to put plans to be certain-- I don't know if that made sense... I think I am meaning to say that I still have to put my ideas in order to make set plans.

PS- Today's title comes for the Spanish name for the book of Deuteronomy... which took me about 3 years to master that word.... they told me I couldn't leave Mexico until I learned that word. I told them that they had to learn how to say it in English. Funny thing is-- they still can't say it and I somehow learned it (though speaking a little bit slower). Anywho. Goodnight.

I still saw Alex Campos yesterday

Sigh. And yes, I have told EVERYONE here that I saw him yesterday.

So, last night, I got off the bus and got my suitcase out from under the bus and made my way through the station and down the hill, over a block (slightly uphill) and up part of another block. I reached up and rang the doorbell twice, like I always used to do and stood there expectantly thinking, oh, it will be good to see an Altotongüense!

Nothing.

So, I rang the doorbell again. Now they live far back in this place... It's like a series of houses (apartments, if you like), making an outline of a square, with the inside cut out and grass and even a pool (although-- really? swimming here?), though it's not that big and would be filled with a hose and not treated with chlorine, I'm pretty sure.

Still nothing.

Repeat this process for the next ten minutes, with the buzzes getting longer. I saw one of their neighbors stick her head out and look around. I felt pretty bad for them, because I could hear the buzzer outside, so I know they heard it.

Finally there came footsteps. As it turns out, they had confused the date and thought I was arriving later in the week. It's kinda dangerous to open the door at night, and even if it weren't, there are plenty of kids who go by and hit the doorbells just for fun and keep walking on.

Even though they weren't expecting me (last night, at least), I still got a warm welcome, and have continued to get warm welcomes from everyone today.

Today, I traversed through the whole city (and I feel it now) and have seen SO many people (I think more than I would have in a regular day when I lived here). From many people, even just acquaintances (think the lady at the post office), I received warm, sincere welcomes. It was nice. But it was great to go back to everyone today and see them, talk to them, find out how they're doing and what's going on with their families.

Overall, it was a most enjoyable day.

I even got tacos! The lady I'm staying with knows that I (well, everyone) love her tacos and so she pulled out the stops and made some for me today. Her daughter wants me now to come more often :)

It's so weird trekking through here, because it's like I'm home, but at the same time I don't live here anymore. It's been 5 months since I've been here and it's kinda interesting to view it all from the "outside" now that I'm not involved so much, ya know?

Anywho: 2 things I have forgotten since being here:
1- how irritating jeans wet half-way up your shins are (and the fact that they likely won't be dry for the morning)
2- how absolutely beautiful a warm shower feels at the end of a somewhat chilly day

Good night friends, I'm going to bed!!

I saw Alex Campos

Why did they even make that hour in the morning??

The last time I heard my alarm clock go off was at 3:30am, almost yesterday now. Getting up almost seemed painful, if putting my contacts in wasn't. What a long day of sitting in airports, airplanes, taxis and busses. And now, I find myself laying on my back with my knees up, typing this.

There isn't much to say but that I did get to sleep for about half the time on the flight from St. Louis to Miami (yes! Miami... flying over the city was cool; the airport was not near as nice as Dallas)... and an hour of sleep on the way to Mexico... and an hour of sleep on the 4 hour bus ride.

All in all, not too bad.

It almost seems surreal being back in Mexico... I've been so busy this last month that I haven't even had much time to think about it... but now I'm here and... I'm yawning.

So, I'll finish this later.

PS> Note this day as also the day that I will forever kick myself for: I saw Alex Campos in the airport and didn't talk to him. DOH.

The Camping Chronicle

So I bought a book for China yesterday, what did you do?

I visited Gracepoint church yesterday, and they were talking about China. The young lady who was presenting about it, a wonderful one that I happen to know, said something at the end-- We may be giving a few dollars to further the cause, but they are giving their lives to further the cause. I was like, wow. So many are! It makes a sacrifice of a few dollars (and in these days, those dollars can seem like quite a sacrifice) seem small. Not insignificant, but rather... more easily to give when you see and hear their stories.

We went camping this weekend for Labor Day. It was a full weekend with friends who accompanied us. On the way down there, we were all excited and ready to go... it seemed like the perfect weekend! The weather was perfect, the company was perfect, and we were ready to lay out in the sun... or at least the female portion of us were.

So, we got the trailer all set up and the cars unpacked and the tent set up. Dinner was cooked (pizzas on the pit! and they were good) and we hung around talking pretty loudly.

Then came the rain. Oh, it'll just pass. Well, it did pass. 14 hours later! The tent didn't even get used that evening and we all just crammed into the camper, boys sleeping on the floor and girls on the fold-out couch.

Even that turned out to be pretty funny, and the whole weekend we had a great time. There were garage sales going on in the area, so we went to some of them, and as well to Walmart (because it wouldn't be a complete camping trip without going to Walmart and the grocery store).

I suppose it doesn't sound so much like camping anymore. But, camping it was.

Anyhow, I came home early to go to church and rode back that evening with my grandma who wanted to go down and have dinner and sit by the fire. Then came home again so that I could get some stuff done today which included laundry and digging out some "Altotonga clothes".

I hope I haven't forgotten how cold it is there! I've packed layers to go and have emailed everyone to say, I'm coming! Hope to see you! Now all that is done and I just have tomorrow to go--

Tomorrow which happens to be a pretty packed day! There is small group in the morning, picking up some garage sale stuff, hanging out with a friend that I made in Japan (!), and Japanese class in the evening. Then it's get to sleep as quickly as possible because there are flights to catch at the crack of dawn.

Meanwhile, I'm going to bed. I'm tired from this long day and long mental to-do lists that I'm constantly trying to keep track of.

Buenas noches!

Writer's Cramp

So, apart from the millions of letters I wrote this week (and I do mean millions), and running for copies and to Japanese class (include studying here) and cleaning my granny-ma's house and doing my report and making phone calls and writing more letters, I had a few moments to kick back on the computer and take a few fun quizzes...

... in which I end up with Mr. Darcy out of all the Jane Austen books (of course! but, I might take Captain Wentworth as my back-up), find out I'm destined to have four children (not with Mr. Darcy), discover I'm worth 200 camels, and end up in New Jersey.

I disagree.

As you may have guessed, it's been a busy week for me. I've been preparing for a supporter event in October, preparing for a garage sale in mid September, preparing for meetings (and talking with the people over in Japan!) and all the while- realizing that I'm visiting Mexico NEXT week.

One of the cool things that I got to do this week is go over to a couple in our church's house and meet with them. He had studied Japanese and was in the marines and stationed in Okinawa some 30 years ago. So, he passed on to me first- a very cool Japanese Bible, Kanji memorization cards, a Japanese dictionary and other books for learning Japanese! I was pretty excited about it. We talked about Japan, the vision, our experiences there... it was a very enjoyable evening.

So, yes, next week I am visiting Mexico- to see everyone and how they're doing. I figure this is really one of the last times that I get to visit before I move to Japan, because after that, I don't think that I'll get to be visiting there much. The kids are pretty excited and I'm ready to see them after so long.

Pastor Debbie said something on Sunday which I've been thinking about... purity, simplicity and authenticity. Those words just sound so good, don't they? They should be the words that describe our lives... Hmm...

Anyway, I'm going to finish that report of mine so I can get busy to another full day of work tomorrow...

Shdidly

I have no idea where that title came from.

Anyhow. So this week I realized why exactly it is that people want to get on the plane sooner. Up to this point in my life, I was ignorant of it. In my opinion, I'm going to be sitting in one spot for the next 45 minutes to 15 hours, depending on the flight. Why get on as soon as possible?

BECAUSE there are the overhead-bin hoarders. Trying to move around other people's luggage to accomodate your own, while not dropping things on people's heads and not holding up the aisle is a complicated and awkward task for a short person like me. And what's more, you have to store your luggage in some other row which means you can't get off the plane quickly.

Normally, when I fly, I check the minimal amount of bags possible and take only a bookbag, which neatly fits under the seat in front of me. Everything I want and need for the flight is in that bag. Board the plane relatively last (but not so last that I have to "pardon me" my way through to get to my seat, which is always a window, by the way). On that note, if you wait too long, people CLEARLY ignore their seating assignment and take yours and pretend that it's really their seat.

However, I won't say anything unless the flight is going to be longer than 3 hours. It's not a big deal, but personally, I won't change my seat until it is clear that that person is NOT going to be boarding. Say around... 30,000 ft.

This week, I used those frequent flyer miles and flew myself to make a promised visit to some friends, who I hope will return their promised visit. Ahem. I got some needed refreshing and really enjoyed my time with these friends. We talked about different topics around the world and in Christian life and I got to put all the Japanese history skill that I've acquired to the test.

It was nice.

So, I'm still super super praying about funds for Japan. Sometimes it's so easy to take it into my control and say, ok, what else can be done? But, God has really been challenging me on various levels of relaxing and trusting Him instead of saying that I trust Him and covering all details myself under MY control.

Not so easy as it sounds. It's so easy to snag the line and run with it.

Kinda on that note- there will be a Supporter Appreciation/Interest Ice Cream Social coming up in early October. More coming out about that in the next week and a half. But, I can use your help in this. Know people who have a heart for Japan?? Invite them to come find out more and join the team! It'll be a great night!

Also coming up, though sooner-- A garage sale at K. Jordan's house with proceeds going to Japan! Plus-- be sure to check it out-- I'll have some things that I've made there.

If there's anything that you can be praying for, it's that God will awaken the hearts of those He's asking to be part of the team to reach Japan with His love.

It's coming up soon guys!

Thoughts on an August Evening

St. Louis, MO -- Oops, it's been longer than I thought since I last posted.

Mostly, I didn't think that I really had much to post about... after all, it's no longer that I climb mountains everyday. :)

However, I have had a few things that keep coming across to me. It's funny how lately every time I think of something, God sends something my way to remind me of His truths and His faithfulness.

It's not funny really... but rather, amazing. Like that song we sang this morning in church. I really thought what Demond said so fit in with everything, and what Pastor Debbie said too. It kinda confirmed for me my observations that I've been thinking about.

Last week was VBS... and on the side, I've had my neice with me for a few days. Children are funny and say the oddest things, and I really enjoy them. But what struck me the most was how kids are so simple and so basic. It's enough for them to know that Jesus loves them and keeps them safe. They have such a simple joy in that.

To me, as we get older (I hear the scoffing now), we tend to get caught up in details. We make things complicated. And while we KNOW these things that kids know, we also know a WHOLE LOT more. What about this? What about that?

That's my personality there. I tend to look at every angle of a situation and ask those questions, as well as 50 other. I propose questions/situations to myself, think through those hypothetical situations, and finally come up with the best plan possible. For me, simplification is difficult.And yet, I watched these kids and just their simple joy and natural reactions to Jesus. I watched them and thought to myself-- Janine, why do you get caught up in everything? Let it go and just be a child with Jesus.

That's a lot harder than it sounds.

Tonight, as I was typing in this address to blog, I was thinking about this whole fundraising endeavor. I know that you don't always immediately see the fruits of your efforts, it's usually as you're leaving that you see it. But I always tell God I'd like to know ahead of time, even if it's just a little, I'd appreciate it.

Next month I start the visa process, full of paperwork. Probably by October/November time it'll be processed and then I'll have 3 months to get to Japan. Which of course means that in December, I need to be operating as if I were in Japan (with funds coming in, so WIM will approve me to go). That's really NOT that far away.

Anyway, I was thinking about it, thinking- ok, what do I need to be doing? Am I being too lax? What more can I be doing? "You know, with the economy the way that it is, and so many stories of difficulties, this isn't the SMARTEST time to be trying to raise $3500 per month..."

So, I log in, and you know how when you log in, there's a new verse (which often corresponds to me) on the home page for you?

Mine today was Proverbs 16:3-- Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.Really. Really?? One of those moments that you just KNOW that it's for you. And there have been so many of those lately... which is good... I've needed it.

I've really been impressed by the beauty of God... how extraordinarily complex and gigantuous; yet how simple He deals and how personal He is. He's not an idea or a force, as many people think. He's a Father. A Friend. He has emotion like us. He loves and taught us what love is. I like that I can relate in a miniscule scale to how He feels; I can interact and react. And while I don't have the answers to all those millions of questions I have (and generally try to answer on my own), and sometimes I'm worried because I'm not sure of the best route, I know that He has the answer. I know if I just run to Him, I can get all those things relieved.

Just like a child.