Wednesday, November 19, 2003
I can't sleep...I'm not quite sure why. Maybe I shouldn't have been doing work right before I tried falling asleep. I kinda fell asleep for about 2 hrs but it wasn't a very deep sleep. I remember that even in that state of subconsciousness I was still thinking about CP stuff and my work brain just would not turn off.
So I'm sitting up in the futon set up for me at Dick and Carolyn Lee's (...this AirPort connection to the internet is really amazing...) on my computer blogging away and maybe checking airfare prices in a bit too. I'm so glad I got to see them again. Even though our time is short together it's been such a huge blessing. I thank God that they're so sensitive to the needs of others too. They offered to pick me up (my team's staying about half an hr away) and have me stay over, partially so that we could have more time together, but also so that I could just have some time away from the unit. This was an answer to prayer in a huge way.
The last two wks have been very difficult for me as far as having some time to myself. I feel like I've been going kind of crazy b/c we've had just a bit too much togetherness as a team ...sharing a room (the three of us) and often two of us sharing a bed as well for two wks straight now. More than that, until this evening there hasn't really been any free time to just breathe. We had a couple days back to back of going from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm w/just short breaks for meals. It just got to be too much for me. I go a little crazy when I have no solitude time until 11:00pm (--never mind play time).
I'm not here on missions for the purpose of having fun, but I do think that there should still be fun times. When we take everything-- including ourselves-- too seriously, there's bound to be a lot of tension in the air. And there has been alot of that lately.
Anyway, getting back to Dick and Carolyn...I just love them. I think they're wonderful people and they've been so caring about what my needs are at present time. And I just had such a good time talking/listening/sharing with them without having to do alot of small talk (which I personally feel is a very tedious part of my job as I meet thousands of people each tour). It's wonderful to be able to bypass all that. It's also been really special because the last time I stayed w/them was in Wales a year and a half ago. I got to experience a bit of their life w/C
OCM there and they got to experience a bit of mine there as a Covenant Player. I seem to be chasing them around the world! First I met up w/them in Wales and then in my time in Sweden, I worked w/two different Chinese churches that Dick had connection to and now, here I am back in the States again-- just like them!
Unfortunately, I keep seeming to miss Suzanne and Wing in their journeys on the east coast. I missed them by a week here at Dick and Carolyn's. I missed them by a few HOURS at Maurice and Beth's in Connecticut. I also missed Simon, Enoch, Eunice, Steven Ng, and Charice by a month. I didn't realize Charice was living in central Philadelphia. I was just their this week and I would've loved to see her. I also didn't realize that Jen Ng lives just a few blocks from where I was staying last night. It really is a small world.
I guess I'll stop cuz I'm in a really blabby mood and this blog is getting super long. I still need to write about ministry this weekend, though. It was incredible. Ok, I'll have to save that for another time! Suffice it to say I've had a whole lot of Indian curry this weekend...
So I'm sitting up in the futon set up for me at Dick and Carolyn Lee's (...this AirPort connection to the internet is really amazing...) on my computer blogging away and maybe checking airfare prices in a bit too. I'm so glad I got to see them again. Even though our time is short together it's been such a huge blessing. I thank God that they're so sensitive to the needs of others too. They offered to pick me up (my team's staying about half an hr away) and have me stay over, partially so that we could have more time together, but also so that I could just have some time away from the unit. This was an answer to prayer in a huge way.
The last two wks have been very difficult for me as far as having some time to myself. I feel like I've been going kind of crazy b/c we've had just a bit too much togetherness as a team ...sharing a room (the three of us) and often two of us sharing a bed as well for two wks straight now. More than that, until this evening there hasn't really been any free time to just breathe. We had a couple days back to back of going from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm w/just short breaks for meals. It just got to be too much for me. I go a little crazy when I have no solitude time until 11:00pm (--never mind play time).
I'm not here on missions for the purpose of having fun, but I do think that there should still be fun times. When we take everything-- including ourselves-- too seriously, there's bound to be a lot of tension in the air. And there has been alot of that lately.
Anyway, getting back to Dick and Carolyn...I just love them. I think they're wonderful people and they've been so caring about what my needs are at present time. And I just had such a good time talking/listening/sharing with them without having to do alot of small talk (which I personally feel is a very tedious part of my job as I meet thousands of people each tour). It's wonderful to be able to bypass all that. It's also been really special because the last time I stayed w/them was in Wales a year and a half ago. I got to experience a bit of their life w/C
OCM there and they got to experience a bit of mine there as a Covenant Player. I seem to be chasing them around the world! First I met up w/them in Wales and then in my time in Sweden, I worked w/two different Chinese churches that Dick had connection to and now, here I am back in the States again-- just like them!
Unfortunately, I keep seeming to miss Suzanne and Wing in their journeys on the east coast. I missed them by a week here at Dick and Carolyn's. I missed them by a few HOURS at Maurice and Beth's in Connecticut. I also missed Simon, Enoch, Eunice, Steven Ng, and Charice by a month. I didn't realize Charice was living in central Philadelphia. I was just their this week and I would've loved to see her. I also didn't realize that Jen Ng lives just a few blocks from where I was staying last night. It really is a small world.
I guess I'll stop cuz I'm in a really blabby mood and this blog is getting super long. I still need to write about ministry this weekend, though. It was incredible. Ok, I'll have to save that for another time! Suffice it to say I've had a whole lot of Indian curry this weekend...
Sunday, November 09, 2003
crazy-- but good changes...
it's been so long since i've had a chance to blog... so much has happened these past three weeks...
hannah, elijah, and baby emma went off road for the rest of this mission. it was rough but i think it was the right decision. hannah really needed the rest.
laura lee were a two -person unit for a few days but then we were joined by another covenant player from a nearby team. he (richard johnson) was such a Godsend. a refreshing cup of cool water for us during a very hectic week.
and then we were a two person unit again for just a few days. but then we drove from vermont to maryland to pick up another team member. afua smith (who i toured w/two years ago) has returned to the ministry and it was such perfect timing. she called the office just when we were in the middle of alot of drama (offstage). she's been such an incredible blessing to us.
so now, we're in week 13 of an 18-wk tour and what's really cool is that i feel like it's a new tour. i'm thankful for the time i had w/the Kings (--craziness and all--). but it's great to have a new start, too. and afua brings so much joy and excitement to the team. it's really infectious-- in a great way!
i've better get back to the team. but it's been really good to just sit here for a few minutes and put this stuff out in writing...
thanks, God for being so constant and faithful in the midst of all this craziness.
it's been so long since i've had a chance to blog... so much has happened these past three weeks...
hannah, elijah, and baby emma went off road for the rest of this mission. it was rough but i think it was the right decision. hannah really needed the rest.
laura lee were a two -person unit for a few days but then we were joined by another covenant player from a nearby team. he (richard johnson) was such a Godsend. a refreshing cup of cool water for us during a very hectic week.
and then we were a two person unit again for just a few days. but then we drove from vermont to maryland to pick up another team member. afua smith (who i toured w/two years ago) has returned to the ministry and it was such perfect timing. she called the office just when we were in the middle of alot of drama (offstage). she's been such an incredible blessing to us.
so now, we're in week 13 of an 18-wk tour and what's really cool is that i feel like it's a new tour. i'm thankful for the time i had w/the Kings (--craziness and all--). but it's great to have a new start, too. and afua brings so much joy and excitement to the team. it's really infectious-- in a great way!
i've better get back to the team. but it's been really good to just sit here for a few minutes and put this stuff out in writing...
thanks, God for being so constant and faithful in the midst of all this craziness.
