Algunas Fotos

You must be sick of reading so much, and I don't have much time, so here's a scrapbook entry of some fun things I've been up to!



Volleyball is still such a treat. We sing as a team for the National Anthem at home games, (pretty awesome, I know).


Visiting "the (notorious) Bean" with some new Bro/Sis: Nate, Me, Sarah, Rachel & Ben :).


We accidentally stumbled upon one of the city's hidden treasures; a beautiful park outside the Art Institute.


Add this^ to the list of reasons I love going to school in Chicago: Museum FREE Days!


Inside the Chicago Field Museum, the dinosaur is named "Sue". My initial thought: really? haha!


Currently, the museum has an entire exhibit on Africa :), and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


...after some ice cream and an adventurous day with friends, I hate to admit that the darn city is growing on me.

That's all folks!

Pounding the Pavement

I've been "running" pretty regularly now since June. I started out as downright horrible, and now I'd like to argue that I'm only fairly terrible! Honestly, I am not great at pushing myself physically. I have to play mental games with myself continuously. Now beyond my personal pride issues, there will likely never be a pressing reason that I'll need to be able to run 14 miles... but it's a life goal of mine none the less.

The city poses as quite the obstacle when it comes to distance running. The busy sidewalks, the noise that competes with my motivational music, and the potential stop-light every block or so really creates for an interesting atmosphere. Therefore, I've made it a habit to run to, and then along, Lake Michigan. Lately it's been a place of extremely high traffic as many (much more conditioned) runners are training for the Chicago Marathon on 10/10/10. I recently found myself in the middle of a group of runners with numbered tags, huffing along with them until there was a grassy clearing in which a woman was collecting cups that runners had tossed aside. I took this as my out, and began to help her throw the cups away. She kindly informed me that this was the "20 Miler", a marathon preparation run. Holy cow! Maybe someday I'll be that legit? Okay, probably not... hahaha!

On a different occasion I was running through an intersection and stopped stunned in my tracks as I saw Vince Vaughn approaching. I kid you not. Now as I said, I was running; so I didn't have a camera, my phone, or even a pen and so you'll just have to take my word. It wasn't until about ten paces after he'd passed that I found myself wishing I would've at least said good morning. Hopefully I'll get another chance to interact with someone of that status. After all, I live in Chicago (which is pretty stinkin' cool).

I had a another crazy running experience this past Sunday. I ran into, (don't worry , not literally), a man from the new church I've been attending/helping-to-plant (details on this to come soon, I promise). His name is "JeDay", and he's from Niger. It was a special treat to meet him that morning as he was 6 miles from his home and I was 3 from mine. The city can seem overwhelmingly big sometimes, but moments like this balance my perspective. All this to say that running has been such an awesome way to interact with the place I live; I may need to periodically consult my legs on this one, but I think I'll press on :)

culture, culture, culture

I love to eat with my hands. I'm not going to lie. Even when I use a utensil, I sometimes find myself pushing the food onto it using my hands. I'm going to go ahead and assume a handful of you are trying to hold in a "gross!". I know, I know... I'll try to act "civil" if you eat a meal with me. However, add this to the list of reasons I so appreciate other cultures - most are unashamed to eat with their hands.

Language is also fascinating to me, (of which I'll include accents as well). I've studied a limited amount of Spanish, but I hope to someday have the time and resources to really explore some languages. The variety and creativity is as beautiful as music; playfully incorporating tones, rhythms, and all things linguistical. In fact, I wouldn't mind listening to an Australian read my class syllabi or a Nigerian reading the nutritional labels on cereal boxes - I don't need anyone to tell me that I'm not hard to please, haha.

Not only am I interested in learning what it means to talk the talk cross-culturally, but also how people walk the walk - as defined internationally. Social interactions is something I have little knowledge about in cultures other than my own. This morning I had breakfast with a friend from Southeast England. I asked him what he missed most about home. He explained that here he usually feels as though he's fighting being perceived as rude. Though we, as Americans, may be welcoming; we also hold to a certain social status in which everyone actively participates in conversation and events. It's an enjoyable emphasis, but undoubtedly overwhelming (even for me, a born-and-raised, occasionally).

I also learned of how uniquely competitive America is. Admittedly I've wrestled with this at times. I'm all about having a good time. I enjoy pushing myself and competing, but usually if what I'm participating in has lost the primarily goal of enjoyment - I'm out. My England friend was reminiscing about playing soccer back home after asking me about volleyball. He was saying they would practice one day a week for a little over and hour, and then play a game each week as well. He couldn't believe that it was status-quo for athletes here to practice multiple hours each day, year round; and train outside of their scheduled times as well. In this he shared that the game of soccer, overseas, has a sort of creativity woven into it. Players explore new things and the game stays fresh and interesting to viewers. America so emphasizes the training/conditioning/fundamental aspect of it that it seems creativity is limited by the player's fear of making a mistake.

What's better or worse? It's all debatable. The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know and haven't experienced. Is my love for studying international relations increasing? Absolutely! Am I humbled as my school and city challenge my world view to grow? Continually. What do I do with these passions and interests? I haven't a clue :). So I'll be satisfied in living as a learner; content in enjoying the complexity of human nature.

One Month Gone, Many Lessons Gained

Lesson #1: How People React To You Is All About Context.
My PCM (weekly service act) this semester rocks. I'm serving with an organization called "By The Hand" (comparable to Boys&Girls Club) in an area of Chicago known as Cabrini-Green, which is notoriously a 'recovering-projects' type neighborhood. (Well actually the city is perhaps wiping it out entirely, but that's another story). So, I was walking there (with my backpack on, eating a tuna sandwich, and drinking from a milk carton); when an officer stopped me. He gave me a sort of 'Good Afternoon Miss, are you lost?'. I responded with "anything but" and a smile. Upon walking through the door of the organization, a familiar face introduced me to her manager. He responded with some clapping, jumping, and a gleeful “You’re a God-Send!” (Lol), and then he went on to make note of my favorite cookie and tease me about how white my name is.

Lesson #2: Fresh Perspective Can Do A Soul Some Good.
I can be rather selfish when I have a lot to do. It's as if I switch into some sort of auto-pilot mode, mindlessly juggling responsibilities. Under these circumstances, any unplanned interruptions usually get disregarded, ignored, or yelled at. But this past Wednesday my dear friend was taken by ambulance to a local Emergency Department. Needless to say, I spent the day there with her, erasing eight hours of agenda in a moment's notice (willingly). My window of perspective was literally shaken and shattered as I was forced to seriously take heart as to what matters. Does it really matter if I don't finish this reading, go to this class, attend this event, be at this practice, etc, etc? I was caught in the tragedy of realizing that I had made things about obligations, lists, and responsibilities. How ridiculously unfulfilling it is to live for and focus on such temporary items. If I want to live free of hypocrisy, it has to be about relationships; obedience, love, and selflessness.

Lesson #3: People have hidden talents :).

A friend of mine (Sarah) from the Vball team can paint toenails awesomely! I just couldn't resist sharing...

Lesson #4: Never say never!

So my immensely tight schedule really limited my class options for the semester. But I wasn't ready to settle for a light load as I'm still playing a little game of catch-up credit-wise. So after a couple conversations with professors and department chairs, I get to participate in a "directed study" this semester :D. Basically, I'll receive three credits to fulfill my "Ministry Skills Elective" requirement by reading/researching and writing about stuff my heart totally beats for. I'll be reading two Catherine Hamlin books, along with a book called "Half the Sky" and one titled "Shepherding Women in Pain". WHOO, WHOO, WHOO! I more or less get to design the class under supervision of a professor. AND I recently found a ministry that serves fistula women in the Congo whose base is in Chicago! (You can bet I'm going to interview them as my class project!) I'm also taking a class this semester called 'Race, Poverty, & Social Justice' which I can already tell I'm going to LOVE (and hate). And I'm taking Philosophy as well, which just makes me sweat :P. Really each of my classes this semester should be bomb.

Lesson #5: Today's joys may be tomorrow's therapy.
As the semester drops gears to "FULL FORCE" I am ever aware of the discipline that will be asked of me. I've got a lot on my plate... much by choice, some by obligation, and a bit out of requirement. Nonetheless, I'm thrilled & filled with anticipation. There will come a time in the semester when the overwhelmed-ness that is tying knots in my stomach will question ‘what have you gotten yourself into’, and threaten ‘you can’t do this’. But as for now, I’m expectant of the opportunities and experiences to come. So I take the initiative to type it out, in case I need to come back and remind myself just what privileges and joys are tucked into each corner of my life this fall.

A Total UN-Eclipse of the Heart

Phew! So honestly, these past couple nights are really the first time I've had time & space to process the past few weeks. And quite frankly, they haven't been super easy. In fact, many aspects of "my world" have experienced a sort of paradigm shift, if they've not been flipped completely upside down.

Back in May, I began to allow myself into the darker parts of my heart as a renovation began to take place. I was unpleasantly surprised to find that I have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. I have eaten the fruit of lies. (Hosea 10:12-13). Yet as that journey began, I was also assured that I was safe. "I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” - Hosea 14:8

Admittedly however, I've felt anything but safe starting out the semester this fall. I've been challenged and surprised; relationally, vocationally, financially, academically, physically, spiritually, etc.

When I'm honest, I can confess that my biggest human character flaw is inconsistency. Too often I've suffered from a mind of fear, or been seemingly paralyzed by a hesitant heart. It's the difference between able and willing. This past summer was one during which I learned how very capable I am. In the midst of some colorful trials of mind, body, and spirit; I was shown more and more of who God says I am - who He created me to be. And now that I've walked through that, it's a new chapter of answering will I?s instead of can I?s.

As if to obliterate any potential misunderstanding, ideas like these have recurrently appeared in my life recently.
A professor of mine, Professor Craigen, was speaking in class this past week and it gave me chills. He was raising the idea that so often we sit and debate what kind of light we are, instead of just going to be one. We ask 'am I evangelical, protestant, baptist, pentacostal, etc, etc'. Are we missing the point? We want to know more and more; hear more sermons and read more books. We subscribe to podcasts and keep up on blogs. Isn't it more important that we put what we're learning into practice. He challenged us to take one idea, one thing, from each Sunday we attend church and live it, expecting nothing less than for our life and those around us to radically change.
During chapel in the first week of school, one of the speakers quoted a chinese proverb that reads something like "we spend so much time cursing the darkness instead of lighting a candle". I sit and study theology instead of going out and getting uncomfortable. I make excuses because displacing myself is messy. When the reality is we weren't meant to merely survive the world, we were meant to change it. However, that requires an uncircumstancial willingness and selflessness. I hope and pray that those qualities grow in me. I don’t want to just go through the motions of life. I know I won’t be satisfied looking back if I haven’t written a story worth reading.

So I raise my metaphorical glass to stretching myself. I've seen but a glimpse of the challenges to come, but I've also only had a mere peek at the joy to come. My own heart is becoming more and more visible to me. As my faith and trust is tested, my expectancy grows. This semester already has been, and will most likely continue to be, one that pushes me to the very edge of everything I believe, think, or know. Hello to a new chapter of learning, refining my faith, renovating my heart, deepening relationships, standing in the rain, challenging my everything, and praying unceasingly through it all.

Thanks for journeying with me.