upcoming

We have a couple of big youth events coming up this summer, and I'm getting really excited about it! The first one is coming up really soon in early July, and it will be a missions trip. The second big event will be summer camp in late August.

Because Eric and I work at the same place, we can't take off time together, so I'm going on the missions trip and he's heading up the camp. We've asked one of the young adults to help chaperone with him. She'll be great!

For the missions trip, we're going to be traveling all over! We'll be at a conference in Sacramento, then we'll join up with Bridgetown Ministries in Portland for an event, then we'll wrap up the trip in Yakima. It's going to be exhausting, but I'm excited too. I just hope we can get more kids signed up! :)

Summer camp is always a fun event, and the timing for this one makes it right before school starts back up, which we're hoping will get our teens pumped up and ready to start spiritual wildfires at their schools. Also, we hope that we will be able to have non-Christian students attend and hear about God. So many hopes for this summer!

Together, these events will cost about $500. If you are reading this blog and would like to bless the youth of Rainier Valley, consider helping financially. We can always add to the scholarship fund!

If you do want to contribute, please send a check (w/ youth scholarship fun in the memo line) to:

Trinity Life Center
4402 S. Graham Street
Seattle, WA 98118

Thank you!

Shtuff

Life has been crazy busy for us and those around us lately. Last week, Eric and I both shared our testimonies at TYM, and the youth attending were very receptive to what we had to say as well as being grateful that we showed them our trust in sharing some painful experiences from our pasts. God is good, and I praise him for using what the devil meant for evil to bring glory back to God. He is awesome.

Friday night, we hosted a board game night at the church for the youth, and the first wrench in our plans was the wedding that was going to happen the next day which they were already setting up for that night. We had to make some adjustments to our plans and hosted downstairs, and it was incredible how many kids showed up. I think we had around 20-25 teens show up, which is a lot for our little church, and it was a great night! We also had a couple of younger neighbor kids come in, and even though they were a lot younger than the target audience, we were hard pissed to kick them out.

Several of the teens that came don't attend church and/or believe I'm other faiths, so it was great to see them join our community even for a little while.

There have been two recent births, one from church, one from work, and both deliveries went well and babies and mothers are healthy.

My folks are sharing at TYM tomorrow about missions, and one of our girls who recently returned from a trip to Guatemala will also share about her experience. Our co-youth pastors are currently in Africa on a missions trip, so we continue to keep them in our prayers. They started in Uganda and are now in the second half of their trip in Ethiopia.

This Saturday, my mom is graduating with her MA in Missional Leadership, so that entire day is going to be pretty crazy busy, but my grandma is coming up, so that is very exciting! She had brain surgery last fall, and her recovery was slow and discouraging, so this is great news that she can still travel and is well enough now to be able to do so!

As you can see, lots going on!

spring sprang upon us (finally)

Seattle catches a lot of flak for being such a rainy city, and I've been teased about growing gills and having webbed fingers and toes all because this is where I call "home" for now. However, I would posit that there are few places more lovely than Seattle in the spring.

We have gorgeous mornings full of chilly air and bright sunshine and haunted by the smells of damp grass and soil and cherry blossoms. Add a cup of coffee to that vignette or a morning walk, and that is a picture of contentment, good sirs and madames!

During our morning commute, I look forward to seeing the bald eagle perched on a light post in the middle of the 520 bridge. S/he is huge, and the seagulls are dwarfed in comparison. I also look forward to walking around campus at work, showing my pace between buildings so I can soak up more sunshine and refill my depleted vitamin D reserves.

The days are exponentially longer--or so they seem--and I feel generally more productive now that winter has released us from its hungry clutches. Now is the time to tackle big projects, to change up habits. I've been nesting at our new place (getting close to finishing, I think!), and I'm starting to transition from chemical/toxic cleaners to natural ones. (I made natural dishwasher detergent last night!)

Spring also promises new hope. In spring, we celebrate Easter, or when Jesus died and then rose from the dead, thereby redeeming mankind and atoning for our sin. This is a big deal for me! Because of this, I can no longer be defined by my past mistakes, I find a new identity in Christ. Woo!

What is your favorite part about spring?

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

So a lot--a LOT--has happened since last I posted here. I'll just post a sort of list to make this shorter.

1. We spent the first week of January in California with my dad's family down there. Since my grandmother's surgery back in September, her entire life has been flipped upside down, and we all wanted to see her and the rest of the family down there. Highlights of our vacation:

• Jet skis on Mission Bay

• In-N-Out Burger

• Coronado Beach

• Shaw's Cove

• Knott's Berry Farm

2. I got a new job! I am no longer working at the hotel but have transitioned to a job as a day porter at a local tech company. This was considered by my former coworkers as a step down (since I am no longer in management), but there are other benefits to account for, including:

• free breakfast
• free lunch
• free coffee
• free snacks
• free access to a fitness facility
• a built in commuting buddy (Eric also works there)
• peace of mind

3. Last, but most exciting, Eric and I will be moving to Rainier Valley in Seattle to work with Trinity Life Center! We had originally applied for the youth pastor position, but things changed, and now we will be assisting with youth and Eric will be doing web/tech/media for the church.

We were formally introduced to the board and congregation on Sunday, went to our first youth service last night, and man, I love love LOVE that group of kids! They are amazing--every single one of them! They are talented and fun, and I am so excited to see God move in their lives!

This month, Eric and I will be focusing on moving into our new apartment--about half the size of our current digs--and getting to know the lead youth pastor couple and the youth group better. We will also be attending winter camp the weekend of President's Day, so we definitely have a lot on our plates.

Overall, a lot is going on, but it is all happening in incredible timing. God sure knows what he's doing!