July 18 – Crazy Life

The past days have been flying by. Bridge of Life has been busy with new changes around the corner with Roy coming in as our youth pastor. We have Shana coming in and doing our finances, we have people leaving to go else where out in the world, and we are still trying to pull the new office together. This coming weekend I have been planning a children’s event for the community and our goal is to show the love of God to these kids and families that come, and to give them the opportunity to experience church and hopefully get them connected to a church. Right now I just feel overwhelmed and keep feeling all this stress to do well, and to not let people down. I have to keep reminding my self, that this special service, this event, is not mine, it is our churches, and it isn’t an event to show how glorious I am or how good of an intern I hope to be, but an act to glorify God and to show to these families his love for them. I hope that when these families come they see something different in us, in our conversations, in our actions, and the way we treat them, I hope that they see God reflected in us and in our church. Please pray for me and the people serving this Sunday. Pray that I won’t lose my mind and that we all will be able to focus on what the real goal is!

Also please keep Ralph in your prayers. Ralph is one of the first persons that I met here; Susie and I went to his house for high tea a couple weeks ago. He is a great man and a prayer warrior for sure, but he has spinibifida. This past week due to his disability he had an infection in his leg and a blood clot in his leg. He has been in the hospital for the last four days and we don’t know how long he will be there. The good news is that the blood clot is not going to travel anywhere and also that the infection is getting better.

My uncle Mark, the one I have been telling you all about has found a match with my aunt and my uncle for a bone marrow transplant which is awesome and AMAZING NEWS!! Please continue to keep him and my grandfather in your prayers as they continue chemo.

Pray for my relationships with people here as time is going by fast and we realize just how little time is left for me to be here. Pray for my relationships at home as I am and they are impatient for me to come back. I know I have said this before, but I am so excited to come home, but also will miss this home away form home so incredibly much. The community here has made me part of their family, and I will really miss being a daily part of how they do life.

Peace,

Kristen

July 15 - Small World, Big God

Today way a day like most others but it also had an interesting twist. My world felt a little bit smaller when I encountered another student that goes to Calvin. Every Thursday the Greenhouse goes to the pool for the afternoon with the kids and I help supervise. It always is a blast and it might be one of the kids favorite things, especially on days when the temperature goes above 100 degrees (like today, 104). While we were at the pool I noticed that one of the life guards looked at lot like someone from my Spanish class, and it turned out that it was. It was so crazy, because he told me that he normally doesn’t guard at this pool, and that he is the son of the pastor of Living Stones CRC, the sister church of my church, Bridge of Life. He has known Dave and other people that go to my church for years. What really meant a lot though was when I got home and told my host family the story and mentioned the common phrase “what a small world”. Christina said something that just really touched me. She said, “you know how you were home sick and wanting to see someone from home…well there you go! Home doesn’t seem so far away now does it?” It’s so true. Knowing that some random person, from a class I took this past fall, lives in California in my neighborhood, made me feel like I am not so far away. It just made GR seem so much closer and helped me put things in a new perspective. God is so interesting in how he teaches us and shows us lessons; he continuously blesses me through the conversations or phrases I hear from people. I am amazed at his never ending love and care.

In him,

Kristen

July 14 - Sunday Fun Day

Planning, planning, planning. Stress, stress, stress.

Here it comes! In two weeks I have a childrens even at our church. Right now we have the day planned, but no one scheduled to help us make it all work…Oh Lord.

July 13 - The Wind

The past two days I was in San Francisco with, Dave his family, and their exchange student, Christina. It was absolutely amazing and yet unreal at the same time. The city was so different than any city I have even seen. I’ve been to Chicago, New York City, Denver, Miami, and Detroit. Lots of different places, but San Fransisco is completely different. We drove in over the bay bridge and you instantly see houses EVERY WHERE! There is no open space, there are highways, and buildings, and house. This city isn’t flat, but built to fit into the form of the hills of the area. There are huge up hills and down hills. I would never want a stick shift there (or a bike….or roller-skates). It was just crazy to me of the lack of space and the close proximity that the people have here. It really is an interesting place. At night the city looked so pretty. The lights of the houses covered the ground and you could see the lights illuminating the whole city, you could see the rise and falls of the hills…it was so beautiful. Monday we walked around and drove around the city. We saw so many things. The first thing that we did was walk over the Golden Gate bridge. We walked there and Back. It was a lot of fu and we saw dolphins over the edge. They we went to the cable car museum, the art institute, and Lombard St. We drove past a lot of great places (many I have in pictures, but can’t remember what they actually are). In the evening we went to Fisherman’s Warf, and Pier 39 to walk around and look at the seals! They have little docks that the seals go on, and there were many covering them while we were looking at them.

Then next day we went to the pacific ocean and looke din tide pools for sea creatures and climbed on the rocks in the water watching the tide come in. There were more seals sitting along the beach we went to and there were a lot of little baby seal pups. They were so cute; they would get out of the water by doing the worm to get on shore.

Then Susie and I took the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to meet her friend Ron, and my friend KJ to go sailing. It was a so much fun and Ron let me drive the boat for a little bit. We all had our own separate jobs while we were on the ship. WE helped put the main sail and the back sail up, we helped him pull the lines in and other things. Ron is also a pastor in the Sacramento area and is church planting. He talked to us a lot about his ministry and how he felt called to it, but also how it is going and what he has learned. One thing that Ron talked about was of sailing and our relationship with God is similar. He talked about the wind and letting go and letting God take control. So you know that the wind is there, and that in a sail boat it pulls you, but we still try so hard to control it. The same is with ministry, and our relationship with God. We try so hard to control and to be in charge, but really we need to let God move us where he will, and to respond to him. A great reminder and a fun lesson especially when we saw the difference in letting the wind take us and us trying to “control” the sail boat.

San Francisco was a great time, busy, but refreshing. It was nice taking a break from 100 degree weather and to see a new place!

Blessings,

Kristen

July 10 - Homeward Bound

A couple days ago I was talking with Susie and it caught me off guard once when she said to me “when you come back….” It hit me like a rock. This is one thing that is so hard for me; I get rooted into peoples lives quickly, and when I leave I really don’t like saying good bye. I like being with people and really being there for them. Especially with the relationships that I have built here, I think that it is going to be hard leaving this area, a place I have gotten to know so well and that I’ll leave without know whether or not I will be coming back. I don’t really like to think about it, but know only a little over three weeks are left.

In him,

Kristen

July 4 - Peter 2

In church this Sunday we talked about peter 2 and the implications that is has for us as people in a community and I think that it was something I needed to hear. Community is a word that I have heard frequently and was over used while I was a part of residence life. A great word, and is one that needs to be talked about more often. We talked bout relationship and the hard ones, the ones that really can be a pain in the ass (excuse my French). What would it look like if we treated our relationship like babies? We wouldn’t drop them, or exchange them for another baby if it was bothering us with their winning, or crying. We would continue to care for them. We also talked about how we can not grow in our faith alone. We also talked about how some people are to busy for community because they are bus-lazy, or they are afraid of getting hurt. I think that the second one is something i don’t willingly admit. I worry about letting people down, about what others think, and what their reactions could be all the time. I think that I don’t always put energy into some relationships if I feel like they have hurt me or have the potential to hurt me. I am reminded of our call to love and care for all people, not just the ones that are good friends, not just the ones who pat you on the back, but your enemies and those who may not be the best of friends. I am reminded of Gods love for us and our relationships, and that when we are hurt by others that his love is strong.

Living under Gods Influence,

Kristen

Fire-works and Mikeschair

You know i think this past week has been so crazy, but God provides with friends, family and small remindes that he is always there, always loving, and ways caring for me. We have been working a lot this week doing a fundraser for Sports 4 Life, the basketball leuge here, and with all that our church and community has been throguh in the last two weeks/two months, i feel that we are all tired and burning out. I know that this week i felt a little like i was trying hard to be helpful and feeling pulled in so many directions wether here or with people at home that it was hard knowing that in one direction or another i couldn't be completely devoted because of all that i was wanting to do.

So yesterday Coop and Marsha came to visit me and see how things are going here in Sacramento. It was a great and fun filled day that began with s tour of a lot of our neighborhood here. We ate lunch at La primavera a local mexican restaurant here and watched the Brazil and ghana game on the three big screens in the dinning room. Later we met again for a wonderful dinner at Dave and Susies house and talked well into the evening.

I don't think i felt homesick until i was confronted with people from home. Sometimes it feels like i am in a completely separate world because home and here are very different but yet i feel so comfortable in both places. Anyway so i think it will be harder now with the remainder of the summer as i got a little bit of taste of home and now go withour it again for five more weeks. I talked with my sisters for a while today and felt bad because i was getting frustrated trying to tell them how it feels beign so far away form family. Later in the evening i got an email from my family where they had made video at home showing what they were doing, the food they were making otgether and just being silly like always. it made my night so much better, that and talking with Eric who always is so encouraging to me.

Anyway my sisters boyfriend Kyle is touring with Mikeschair this summer and i was listening to thier song tonight called "Let the Waters Rise" and the lyrics really hit me! Really great song!

Don't know where to begin
Its like my world's caving in
And I try but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?

sometimes its so hard to pray
When You feel so far away
But I am willing to go
Where you want me to
God, I trust You

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

I will swim in the deep
'Cuz You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You'll never out of reach

God, You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding onto You
God Your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You

Ohhh

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You