Bloom Where You are Planted

Change of Venue

2011-01-16T10:09:00.005-06:00

I woke up today to an email on my phone from Aegean Airlines notifying me that I can now check in for my flight...the one I am supposed to board tomorrow morning. Houston-->Chicago-->London-->Thessaloniki. I decided this was my cue, that it was necessary to sit and carve out some time to write, reflect, and document what God has done and is doing in my life since my arrival in the good ole' U.S.A. For starters...I am not flying anywhere tomorrow - and I'm thrilled about that. I do have a day off from the full time job I started here in Houston and plan on spending a chunk of it with the incredible guy I am dating...see, just minor [life-changing] events since the last time I wrote on here *grin*. Stick with me, I will attempt to explain...

So about 10 days before I left Australia I had an appointment with the Greek consulate in Sydney to secure my visa. Due to the unique nature of my internship arrangements with A21, I did not qualify for any of the available visas. Let's just say the Greek government officials weren't keen to acknowledge a problem such as sex trafficking taking place in their country, and out of this offense accused me of attempting to slip into Greece under some kind of humanitarian aid cover to really have a 6 month post-grad holiday. I walked out of that building knowing that a door which had appeared wide open had been SLAMMED shut. All plans, plane tickets that had been purchased, expectations - gone. Cue one of Kate's completely unbecoming meltdowns - but it never happened. It was so unlike me to remain calm when plans that I believe are solidified go off track. Ask Paul, it's UGLY. Amazing what the Holy Spirit in us can accomplish...His perfect peace was overwhelming. That my friends is nothing that can be willed or mustered up by the human flesh, it was a gift - one that was gladly accepted.

So back at square one...with the degree that I had set out to obtain initially. No leads, no plans, and for the first time in a long time - if ever - I really let myself dream. Once I could set aside my practical self in order to do this it did not take but a minute to identify where my heart was. It was as if I finally saw the picture that God had been painting all around me, piecing together the bits and pieces of my past experiences to bring me here. I was finally able, and willing, to recognize desires I never even knew where there, or maybe even suppressed to a certain extent. Less than a week after arriving home I had a job interview and offer from Catholic Charities. I am now working in the refugee department with the program that provides assistance to unaccompanied minors. Basically my job is to assist children that have been smuggled/trafficked into the States to be reunified with their families. I still can't believe it is even a job description, let alone MY job description, it just fits...

I have been home about 7 weeks now. Some days it feels like I have been home for 7 hours and others it feels more like 7 years. The transition home was harder than I had anticipated. Again, God was so gracious, days after I got home Paul arrived and we were able to spend so much time together. If there is anyone that understands transitioning between lives on different continents it is him, and he just so happens to be one of my favorite people to do nothing or anything with. Being together as a family of four for almost a full month was an invaluable Christmas present. So I did mention another person that has stepped into this precious inner circle of people in my life in such a casual and unexpected manner. I have yet to find adequate adjectives to describe him, or us, or how it even happened. Words fall short, but this gift of companionship is one that is nothing short of an absolute blessing. He adds a beautiful accent to the good that was already present in my life. Mom+Dad introduced us the day after I got home and I am so glad they did. I have reaped the benefits of all of the attractive characteristics that Mom+Dad+Paul acknowledged in him long before I came home and we even met. I'm so grateful...

A new season has begun. So many changes, but He is the same, and that my friends is more than enough.

Where from here...

2010-10-08T05:46:00.006-05:00

I've heard about human trafficking for a while now, I would venture out there and say that we all have at some point. In some ways I feel like its become a popular topic of conversation among certain crowds. Not saying by any means that is a bad thing. Maybe more time should be spent talking about issues surrounding the presence of injustice in the world rather than how much we "need" a holiday to escape from the mundane nature of our day to day existence, how much we "love" the current hit tv series, or how life would just be complete if we could lose 5-10 pounds and actually look skinny in our skinny jeans. I digress.

I have known now for months, that school (insert mocking by Aussie/U.K friends, if I call it uni I get it from home, its a lose/lose battle) was over in October and if all went as planned I would have another degree, one that I believed would better equip me to go out and DO something about this injustice. One that would help bring some legitimacy to another twenty-something that actually believes they may have the capacity to have an impact on something much bigger than themself, and convince some NGO or non-profit to take a risk and let me join their team. But I had zero clue as to what that would look like or how it could potentially play out. Zero. Nada. Zip. Couldn't even fake it if I wanted to (and at some points I desperately wanted to).

Somewhere along the line, I was introduced to this

And it shook me. I wanted to do something. I wasn't even sure if there was anything I could do, or offer. But I wanted to find out. The opportunity was presented, and I took it...

So...I'm moving. To Greece. On January 17th.

I'm so excited/nervous/anxious/happy/honored to get there and serve those women. I am going to be setting up a transition program which will provide support as they reintegrate into society.

In the midst of the journey over the past few months that has led me to this point. God really used the following verse to guide me to what I believe is the next step.

'For you were called to freedom brothers, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love - serve one another' Galatians 5:13

This freedom which I have been given which was purchased for me, is not given to me that I can wake up each day and drag chains around. It was not given to me so that I can squander it away, spending the days I'm given in pursuit of what the world claims will fulfill or complete me. It is entrusted to me, so that I can serve and love others. As I walk with these women as they are experiencing their new found freedom from modern day slavery, I really desire to learn more about what my personal freedom in Christ looks like as well.

Pray for them? Pray for me? Pray for us?

Twenty-Seven

2010-08-31T05:19:00.005-05:00

I am alive, and well, very well actually...and a little bit older than the last time I wrote. Well definitely not the last time I wrote, I do a fair amount of writing these days actually, just not on the blog, unfortunately. I turned 27 this weekend, and at some point during last week I decided that I wanted to make a list of 27 things I am grateful for in my life. The weekend was so packed with goodness that I have yet to get around to it, so without boring you with a list, just let me tell you that I was so overwhelmed with gratitude that there were multiple times both Saturday & Sunday my eyes welled up with tears and I had to choke them down so I wouldn't scare my friends. :-)

So I am about 7 weeks into a 12 week semester, my 2nd and final semester of grad school. That is just CRAZY. Crazy because it has gone so fast, crazy because that means I get to work again soon (which I am VERY excited about), crazy because that makes me want to FREEZE time because I absolutely love my life here, crazy because I have about 5 HUGE assignments that are due between now and then...need I continue? Crazy. My final assignment is due October 21st, and the million dollar question seems to be what I am doing next, to which I don't have an answer...not quite yet. I honestly don't have the time or head space to look for jobs right now. I have really wanted to spend this semester just enjoying my time here, and soaking up every moment, and I am happy to report that I have been able to do just that without wasting it away worrying what is next. I can tell you that the idea of working and using my degree makes me very excited, I have enjoyed this season as a student but really enjoy working as well so I'm excited to get back out there. That being said, I am not in any hurry to leave Australia, and I don't want to jump into a job just for the sake of having one.

Tomorrow, September 1st marks the 1st day of spring here in Sydney. My fourth season to experience in Australia. September and October are going to be pretty packed for me. If you think of it I would appreciate any prayers on my behalf. I could use a little extra dose of diligence and motivation heading into the final stretch.

Halfway...

2010-05-30T06:43:00.001-05:00

So semester 1 of 2 is done. Well, the semester isn't technically over until this Friday, but I have completed all of my papers/projects/presentations a little early because I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of visitor 1 of 3, my sweet friend Belem bright and early on Monday morning! I still can't believe that she is really coming...it will be so surreal to share my life here with people from home. Belem and I worked together at Woodview and also traveled to Africa together. We tend to laugh A LOT together, I am looking forward to making some more fun memories together. We are going to spend a week here in Sydney and then are flying up to the north coast of Australia for a few days to tour around a few of the islands and snorkel by the Great Barrier Reef. The day she leaves, MOM flies in. That is going to be such a treat for not only me, but those that are a big part of my life here to get to spend time with her. There's no one quite like her. And then last, but far from least, I will finally be reunited with my long lost sibling in July for 2 weeks and I can hardly wait. It will be almost a year since we have seen each other since he has been teaching in the middle east. TOO LONG. We are going to be volunteering together at the I-HEART expo for the annual Hillsong Conference which will be so good and then will spend the next week in the mountains that are a couple hours away. Knowing I am going to see Mom & Paul has really made me miss Dad...we are throwing around a few different options of when and what country we will meet up in.

So yeah, this semester, I lived to talk about it! Wow. There were so many moments I wondered if I would survive, or pass...without having an anxiety attack or total meltdown. I will write more about all that I learned (in and outside of my classes) now that I have time to slow down a bit and process. Hopefully will have some fun photos to post soon...

March Madness

2010-03-28T05:18:00.003-05:00

Not as in the basketball. Which I have missed...March Madness as in the month that just came and went as a blur, and I think I survived? We will see how I go with the grades...

So yes, there was (is) a strike going on at school. They don’t go on strike indefinitely like at home. The way it was explained to me (because this is a semi-normal thing here) is the union that is going on strike chooses certain days that they are going to strike and announce it ahead of time, make their demands known and then unless things change they follow through with not working on those days. Well long story short, the professors want more money so they picked 3 days this semester they won’t teach. So I miss two weeks of class (there are only 13 in the semester). Calculated out, we (international students) pay about $200 a class. More than the money, it completely jacks with the syllabus/due dates/reading assignments, everything really. It has been frustrating, but more than anything the frustrating part is them acting like they don’t have a say in the situation, “we are so sorry that this is affecting you”, um, no you aren’t you are choosing to stay at home. Its just interesting to finish up a 2 hour lecture on the issue of POVERTY and then oh yeah by the way we won't be having class next week because I WANT MORE MONEY. Anyway. Other than than I actually really do like the professors. Their crazy liberal approach to everything really challenges me and makes me think about why/what I believe. They haven’t referenced Obama’s healthcare reform as an example of anything good, right, or wonderful yet so as long as we stay away from that topic I don’t think I will blow smoke out of my ears due to anger.

Life.is.so.extremely.busy. If I am not studying, I am at work, in class, in the library, or working on a project. Those of you who know me (which I would assume would be everyone that cares enough to read this blog) know that regardless of what the task at hand is, I have a hard time drawing boundaries and not giving 110% of myself to it. Maybe a little extreme. Well surprise, surprise, here we are midway through the semester and what am I struggling with BALANCE. If I could I would switch to a part time plan and do 2 courses a semester over 2 years, but they don’t let international students go part time. I have met some of the greatest people through school, church, work, and just living here really. I hate not being able to accept invitations for dinner, beach, shopping, coffee, you name it. I don’t want to get to the end of my time here, whenever that may be and not have any meaningful relationships because I was hidden away in the library. Yet, at the same time, that was my reasoning in coming here and I want to do it well. I feel really, really, really bad everytime I have to say no. It means so much that people are so sweet to reach out and invite me to do stuff. Sooooo yeah, I need wisdom in making decisions regarding that. I feel like I have been dropping the ball here and at home relationally. Not writing/skyping/emailing as much as I would like to. ☹

Because the first 2 paragraphs are so upbeat and happy let me leave you with a happy one. The projects in school are super interesting. They are really cool about letting us choose topics we are passionate about as long as we tie them back to class and format them as assigned. So far I have been working on designing a micro-financing project in Spain for women rescued from sex-trafficking. Tomorrow I will start research on a paper about failed international aid to the Sahrawi refugees between Morocco/Algeria (I did work there a couple spring breaks ago), and then my favorite is a project comparing education programs for immigrants/refugees in Australia/U.S. Another happy note is that if we have had a conversation going something like this, “Kate I’d really like to come see you, but its just crazy expensive…” Well, tickets are only (ha) about $1000 roundtrip in June/July. So come on down. I know I sound like I would be a blast from the rest of this blog but I promise I will be much more fun during those months, because I won’t be in class at the time, so come on down, where the sun shines brighter, all words are shortened into a nickname of some sort, and there are more…um, sharks?

2010-03-02T04:58:00.004-06:00

So today was a big day. It felt like things came full circle, being that the initial prompting of my move to Sydney was in fact to attend grad school and today was my first day of classes. I kind of felt like school started last week, as I have been preparing for classes for almost a week now because we had assignments given to us ahead of time. I will be getting my Masters degree through the University of New South Wales, which is a HUGE university here in Sydney, about 40,000 students attend. It is quite different than my undergrad experience to say the least, being that OBU may have had 5,000, if that? My degree will be in social development with an emphasis on refugees/forced migration. My first semester courses are Issues in Social Development, Community Development, Politics of International Aid, and Rights Based Project Design & Evaluation. Classes tonight were great! The most exciting thing to me was probably the class sizes being small so you can get to know people and that people were from ALL OVER. I have classmates from Sudan, Nepal, Romania, Malaysia, Indonesia, England, to name a few. We did brief introductions but I can't wait to hear more of peoples stories. It should make for some interesting class discussion with so many different cultural backgrounds, work experience, life experience etc. One of the professors asked me in front of the class if I ride horses a lot at home, and she was dead serious. That is better than how the conversation normally goes..."Are you from Canada or the States? I'm from the States. Oh which part? Texas. Oh, isn't that where the fattest state in the already fat U.S? If not the obesity issue, its capital punishment, or gun laws. Maybe I will start claiming Wyoming, since I was born there, there aren't any stereotypes about Wyoming are there? Thursday we had a wine night with the professors to get to meet them and other people in our program. My professors are from Australia, England, Italy and New Zealand. I found out more about the internship programs that are available. There are opportunities to do some work on the Burma/Thailand border with refugees there, work on the Indian side of the Indian/Burma border, a project in New Delhi, India (which I have already been to), and a chance to go to the annual refugee conference at the U.N in Geneva to do some lobbying on behalf of Australia. The programs are competitive, based on grades and experience, so we will see! I will definitely apply.
I am so glad have had so much time to settle in and felt very prepared to begin school. School aside, my time here has been so incredible and so worth all the prep, uncertainty, working extra jobs, etc. Still miss Woodview, but that will never go away regardless of where I am. Such a special place in my heart. Perspective gained there radically changed my views on so many issues. If you are reading this and are one of my Woodview friends hug a 4th grader for me that was one of mine and start a political debate with Ruben on my behalf.

Welcome Home...

2010-02-16T02:19:00.005-06:00

So being that tomorrow is my 1 month anniversary in Australia, I decided that it is beyond time for an update on the blog. Between all of the great people and the friendly environment I really don’t feel far away. It is the oddest thing. The only factor that is a huge reminder and potentially frustrating at time is the ridiculous time difference. When I want to talk to people and realize it is 2 AM at home that doesn’t work out so well. I have honestly felt SO at home since the moment I arrived. I deserve a big fat F as far as photography goes so far. I just honestly haven’t been taking photos. I don’t want it to be like when I lived in Mexico (i.e take things for granted, don’t take photos, then have nothing to show for it afterwards). Maybe I will just continue to write about how amazing everything is with NO documentation and see who believes me enough to come on over and visit ☺. So I took this photo especially for you. I opened our front door, walked about 15 steps across the street and took it. This is our front yard, also known as, Maroubra Beach. I LOVE OUR HOME. It is recently renovated, clean, funky, homey, it has character, and a garden, and the cutest sunroom to study in, AND I can hear the ocean when I lay in bed and take a shower, or do anything else for that matter. I've had a blast decorating it, nesting if you will. I have the main pieces and want to decorate the rest with funky market finds. There are multiple markets on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the city. Here is another fun fact about Sydney, if people don't want something they put it out in front of their home and it is free for the taking, its AWESOME. You can find purses, fans, rugs, chairs, pots and pans, laundry hampers, bookshelves, you name it, its there, and its FREE!! My flatmates are WONDERFUL! A sweet English couple, Phil and Belle. Phil will actually be in the same grad program as me (we didn’t know that when we met to talk about me moving in, pretty crazy huh?) and Belle is a primary school teacher. I couldn’t ask for more thoughtful flatmates, I am so grateful that I get to live with them.

My time in Sydney so far has been amazing. The transition could not have gone any smoother. There have been so many precious people that have made me feel SO welcome and at home. Nikki, Beks, Lisa, Nick, Phil, Belle, among many others, thank you for the phone calls, the coffee dates, the meals, the translations on vocab I didn’t understand, rides, teaching me bus routes, furniture, text messages, flowers, cards, and for constantly asking and caring how the adjustment is going and if there is any way I can help. You made this American girl feel right at home in Australia. I will be forever grateful to each of you and I am so excited to make more fun memories together, so stoked that its only the beginning!

Besides getting all moved in my time has been spent learning the area, enjoying the beach, getting my room set up/organized, volunteering with www.i-heart.org, applying for jobs, and enjoying time with my new friends whenever they aren’t working. There is a promising lead on the job front, it is an ideal position, but will take a couple weeks to play out. As torturous as that is, it is great that God continues to provide beyond my wildest imagination, yet also stretch me to be patient and wait on His timing.

First Blog From Down Under...

2010-01-23T00:59:00.002-06:00

My trip here was unforgettable…literally. I thought a week in Africa without luggage was inconvenient and frustrating (and it was), but that was nothing compared to the experience getting here. I have to say beforehand, that even only in my first 4 days here, it was well, well, worth it.

So I left for Sydney from Houston on Saturday, January 16th, and arrived in Sydney Wednesday, January 20th. Yes, you read that right, 5 day trip. Houston to Denver was fine. I changed some of my cash over to Australian dollars which I was excited about, it started making it feel more real and less of just another trip. The delays started in Denver. When they went to shut the door of the plane the exit light didn’t come on automatically like its supposed to so they had to call maintenance to come onto the plane and fix it. I wasn’t concerned because I had a layover in San Francisco for about 5 hours so I had time to waste anyway. Dad was very thoughtful and bought me a one day pass into United’s red carpet club so I could have a nice place to relax, eat, get online etc. I made a bunch of phone calls, using my iPhone (which I have missed TERRIBLY) for the last time and then headed over to my gate a little early. I was interested to see what kind of people were going to Sydney, and I’m always up for some good airport people watching…

Once my butt hit the seat at the gate, they made an announcement. They said that there was “severe weather” between San Fran and Australia and they would not be able to take everybody because they needed the plane to be as light as possible to make it through the weather. They were offering $600 plane vouchers and a night at the Hilton to anyone willing to give up their seats and get their luggage off the plane. Since I wasn’t in an incredible rush to get to Sydney (other than I had waited over a year to go ☺) and that my family would love to be able to come see me and it is super expensive, I jumped up and was 2nd in line to talk to the guys about the possibility of staying over. They were not only willing to give me the $600 voucher but also make my original ticket open ended which saves me a few more hundred dollars being that I would have had to pay change fees whenever I decided I was going home (if I ever do ☺). So it quickly became an offer I couldn’t turn down, not to mention a 20 hour flight sounded pretty dreadful even WITHOUT a severe storm, so I was happy to get off the plane. By this time I had been traveling all day and up since 5:00 so a bed in the Hilton sounded PERFECT.

While I was waiting to reclaim my bags I met 2 Aussies and 1 Kiwi turned American that quickly became my much appreciated and super fun new friends that would make the rest of the trip a total blast in the midst of what could have been incredibly lonely and sad. We went to the hotel crashed, and made plans to get up for a nice breakfast on our hotel vouchers and spend the day in San Francisco. The plan was to be nice and tired so that we could sleep the majority of the long flight over. We had a wonderful day in the city and then went back to the airport. We had a 1 hour flight to L.A and then boarded our plane for Sydney. The time had finally arrived! I was headed down under, or so I thought. Long story short, we sat in the plane, that never moved for 3 HOURS!?!?!?!? THREE HOURS!!!!! They only made 2 announcements the entire time, the flight attendants disappeared about 45 minutes into the fiaso. The reasoning? Basically they couldn’t figure out how much fuel they had before the refueling process began. Needless to say LA over WATER to Sydney is not a flight where you want to be unsure of how much fuel you have. They finally let us off the plane at 1:00 AM, by the time we got our new hotel vouchers and got to our hotel it was 3:00 AM. We were told to be back at the airport at 9:30 Am since we just had to go through security (we didn’t get our bags back and were going to use our original boarding passes they said our flight would be at 11:00 am the next morning. The next morning we got up for another nice breakfast, this time at the Marriot on our hotel vouchers. Even though we still had the same clothes on, it was nice to feel clean from a good long shower. At breakfast an Aussie at the table next to ours let us know that our flight had been CANCELLED. We never were told why. Most people had already gone to the airport, we were so grateful that we stayed. They gave us our hotels for the rest of the day and more vouchers to eat with. We went back upstairs and slept for a while and then met back in the lobby to figure out what we were going to do in L.A. The weather was pretty crappy so we ended up taking a taxi to go buy bathing suits and spending the afternoon in the hotel hot tub that was on the roof.

We showered up, enjoyed another nice hotel meal and headed over to the airport to try, for the 3rd time to get off the ground and headed to Sydney. It was a success ☺ By this time I was SO worn out that I fell asleep probably 10 minutes after take off and I slept for about 10 hours of the flight. The flight was actually shorter from L.A than it was from San Fran, only about 14 ½ hours which sounds horrible but was actually shorter than my flight from Houston to Dubai which was 17. We received another $250 voucher, bringing my grand total to $850 and the free adjustment on my original ticket.

Landing was actually bittersweet because as much as I was excited to start my time here in Australia, I was sad to say bye to my new friends. Such beautiful people on the inside and out. I can't wait to hang with them again. Sydney is nothing short of spectactular, I will expand on that in the next blog and in all of the blogs to come I am sure :)

This is already way too long, I just wanted to give some sort of update. My internet access is limited and my iPhone is locked here. I am going to buy a blackberry tomorrow and get set up so I can text with those of you that have blackberry messenger and also have better access to email and facebook.

How Did I End Up Here??

2009-11-29T19:03:00.005-06:00

I have asked myself that exact question COUNTLESS times over the past 6 months. Where is here you ask? Here is Houston, Texas, living with my parents, working 3 part time jobs. It has been the most unexpected, weird, humbling, scary, exciting, boring, 6 months. I knew that it would be a unique time thats for sure, but NEVER imagined it would be like this. I didn't expect to be leaving a boyfriend behind, I didn't expect to struggle so much with my identity outside of being a teacher when I didn't have a class of my own to invest in, I didn't think I would love being with my parents as much as I have, and the list continues. The part I love? He knew. He knew all along. God is funny like that, I love Him all the more for it. It all started about this time, last year when the wheels started turning dreaming about where I would like to "end up". This dreaming led to the realization that most jobs that I would eventually like to have require a masters degree. I had always been open to the idea of grad school, if I found a program that I just couldn't pass up. I don't even remember how I found it, I wish I did, it would help when trying to convince people that I am not crazy, irresponsible, flaky or all of the above for picking up my life and moving across the world (literally) to Sydney, Australia. Anyway, one thing led to another, I was accepted and the rest is history. I will be getting my masters degree in the social development of refugees and forced migration from the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia. It sounds weird, lots of words, but if you know me & my heart it makes sense. I will learning how to design and implement non profit programs for refugees/immigrants, programs that will assist in their adjustment to their new country of resettlement. So here I am, ready or not, to start life in a new hemisphere in a few weeks. I really do hope that I am able to write often, and use this as a way to update people on life and what life looks like for me in Sydney. It isn't the fanciest blog in the world but I do promise lots of pictures :) I leave January 16th. The next few weeks will involve lots of quality time with people I love, some really strategic packing, and some not so fun goodbyes.

3rd Grade Team Memories

2009-06-09T19:31:00.005-05:00

This is a picture of the third grade team from this year, or last year I guess. The 2008-2009 year. Whatever. It makes me so sad that this is the only picture I have of us. It was taken at the beginning of the year...before a lot of the memories were made, and friendships were formed. There are a lot of things that I am going to miss about being at Woodview next year, but these people are one of the main things I will miss. If you know any of us, or all of us for that matter. You can testify that each of us is SO incredibly different. It worked though. It worked very well. My team mates are some of the most hard working people that I know. It was a blessing to work with people that would do whatever it takes, literally, for the best interest of our kids, and I believed that it showed, not only in our test scores but in the kids themselves. I will miss our meetings which consisted of a lot of laughter, a lot of sarcasm, a lot of discussions about politics, religion and other things that probably shouldn't be discussed at work. Let me introduce you to them (from left to right)...

Rob...oh Rob. He's one of a kind. Rob was a lawyer in his former life. He has a giant heart and is the type of guy that would do anything for you...well anything that the principal OK's first. My favorite memory concerning Rob is laughing so hard that I cried when he shared with us in a team meeting that one of his more unique students managed to overflow the toilet that is inside the bathroom INSIDE of his classroom. Upon doing so she just stood there. The only way they knew it happened is because mid lesson he saw water seeping out of the bathroom into his classroom. They had to go in and pull her out. Hilarious. The mention of this story always brightened a more challenging day at school for us.

Maria. Maria has the most gentle spirit. She is also one of the most intelligent people I have called a friend. We lucked out big time when we landed her as a long time sub my first year at Woodview and she agreed to stay on full time. Whenever the Bible references being meek as a godly characteristic I always feel like overwhelming...well I am out of luck on that one, cause that is so far from the person I am. Maria is what I think of when I think of the word meek. Not weak, meek. And very strong. Her students love her and so do I. She was so patient to deal with all of our babble and ridiculous conversations. She balanced out those of us that can't keep our mouth shut when we should. I hope we keep in touch and I also hope I can visit her family where she was born, the Canary Islands!

Ashley. I was THRILLED when I met Ashley at school. The year before had been such a struggle as far as female teammates. I really wanted a girl to have fun with on my team. God went above and beyond bringing her. She made everything this year so much fun having someone to do it with. I wasn't the only one wanting to do "cute" stuff. :) We had so much fun talking about boys, fashion, the kids of course, and everything in between. I will miss our almost daily trips to HEB for lunch, but know that we will still be friends. Besides being a great friend, Ashley has a remarkable gift for teaching and she is just getting started!

Last but not least, Ruben. Where to start. My crazy Honduran friend. I think our first meeting about sums up our friendship. I showed up to Woodview SO nervous for my interview in the summer and the first person I met was Ruben. He so gently said, so YOU are the one interviewing? you better be good, they made me go all the way home, I had to iron this shirt and put on a tie just for you! I was like who is this guy? The guy that would become my best friend at school. Our rooms were connected so we just left the doors open during the day so our kids would go back and forth. We had polar opposite approaches to how we went about teaching but our hearts are the same in the sense that we are not just there for a job from 7:00-3:00. Whatever it takes, inside or outside of school. He grew up just like the majority of our students did, and made it. He challenges me a lot on my theology, and I secretly love it, even though I hate not having all of the answers and him appearing to be "right". I will miss our discussions about anything and everything, but look forward to a lot of good laughs in the future as I have gotten to know his sweet family as well.

I know none of you will read this, but it truly was an honor to work with you this year. Thank you for all of the great memories...

I Know That You Are For Me

2009-04-06T13:10:00.002-05:00

So faithful, so constant and so true
So powerful in all You do
You fill me, You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to You

I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness
And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

So patient, so gracious, so merciful and true
So wonderful in all You do
You fill me, You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to You

Lord, I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness
And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

Lyrics by Kari Jobe

April Showers Bring May Flowers...or something like that

2009-04-05T14:58:00.002-05:00

8 more weeks of school...CRAZY!? Some days that makes me very, very sad and I want to freeze time. Others, June 3rd can't get here soon enough. We will be moving out of our apartment May 31st (that is another post for another day), but when I am living somewhere where I have access to internet I am planning to blog more often. Not because I think anyone actually reads this, but because it is so fun to look back and read at a later date...

I picked up a 2nd job at Anthropologie. I am excited...the plan is that it will be more money to add to the bank for Australia funds, but something tells me it will be hard to walk out of there with a paycheck and not new clothes/accessories...and I am more than ok with that.

I am flying up to Arkansas Thursday to spend Easter with Paul. I can't believe my baby brother graduates from college in a month. I am so proud of the person that he is and cannot wait to see what God has in store for him. I am excited to meet some of the friends that have played such a big part of his life in the most recent seasons...

A Narcissistic Return To Blogging

2009-02-01T15:30:00.012-06:00

1. I started playing the violin when I was 4 years old and quit when I was 12 in order to have more time to play sports
2. I had bacterial meningitis when I was 16 months old, they life flighted me on a leer jet from Wyoming to Denver's Children's Hospital. The doctors said if I survived I would be deaf or have severe brain damage
3. I have 2 tattoos: 1 on the arch of my foot (Isaiah 6:8 "Here am I, send me") and one on the inside of my wrist that says Faithful (a reminder of who He is, and what I am called to be in the big & small)
4. This time, next year, I will be living in Sydney, Australia
5. I will be getting my masters degree at the University of New South Wales in the social development of refugees and forced migration
6. The program is a 1 year program yet I don't feel like I will be living in the western hemisphere again anytime soon
7. Groups of people overwhelm me if there will be more than 3 or 4 people I am likely to find a reason not to go
8. I have learned more Spanish in Houston the past 2 years than I did the year that I lived in Mexico
9. I lived in 7 states before I was 21
10. If I had my way, I would wear flip flops everyday of the year
11. I have 7 holes pierced in my ears and wear earrings maybe once a month in 2 of them
12. I live in an apartment with a 42 year old from Honduras, her 14 year old daughter, and a 11, 5 & 3 year old from Guatemala who lost their Mom to cancer a little over a year ago, they are family to me
13. The people I live with have blessed me far beyond anything I have done for them
14. I am named after my Mom's Mom. She is Marie Kathryn, I am Kathryn Marie
15. I worry more about not being able to afford an international adoption more than I worry about not being able to have children naturally someday
16. We discovered that my thyroid does not work when I was 10
17. I don't wear black
18. I ALWAYS have perfume on, I put it on after I take a shower, even if I am going to sleep
19. I have worn the same perfume for about 8 years, Ralph Lauren Blue, it was discontinued last year but we found out right away and between my parents and I we stocked up on enough to last me a few more years
20. I aspire to be as low maintenance as my Mom
21. Sometime over the past couple of years I became obsessed with scarves. I hang them on a rack in my room and I almost have enough to wear a different one everyday for a month.
22. Teaching is the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done
23. I was born in Thermopolis, Wyoming
22. I started reading chapter books at the age of 4
23. I can golf
24. I prefer spending time with people 1 on 1 over any other setting
25. I have had 3 different parasites, from 3 different countries

Time Well Spent

2008-11-01T09:32:00.007-05:00

This is what my evenings look like. People are always quick to ask, how is the living situation going? These little guys bring an incredible amount of joy to my life. They are so fun, and FUNNY! I am so grateful God has allowed me to be with them the past year and a half. They truly are an extension of our family. I do miss blogging, but my nights are full of homework, projects, baths, cooking, and novelas (mexican soaps). Oops, didn't mean to type that. But yes, there is one that I try to catch nightly. We don't have internet and I can't blog from my phone so theres my excuse to why I haven't been able to write for over a month. We did have soccer games 2 times a week as well, until Edgardo had a run in with a nasty old water faucet and sliced his leg open BAD. Poor thing, soccer is his life, well that, and fighting off all of the little admirers that call the apartment for him, hopefully we can get back out there in time for playoffs...

I have found myself filling out applications and writing essays (please pray for continued direction and provision), many of which want to know who am I? What have I been doing? Where am I going? Where do I see myself in the future? Its been a love/hate relationship. I hate that I don't feel like I am a strong enough writer to portray my passion through words, I would prefer interviews. On the other hand, I love being forced to sit and think about the series of events that have brought me HERE of all places. It is amazing to look back and testify to Christ's provision, protection, provision and plan for my life. It is SO exciting to allow myself to dream BIG knowing that His plans are bigger than anything I could dream up for myself.

New Beginnings

2008-09-21T21:41:00.003-05:00

Moving into a new season, which is exciting for many reasons. The last season was unique, new for me, and painful in many ways. And I can honestly say I wouldn't change it if I could. There are attributes of our Father that I can speak of now because He proved Himself in new and very real ways in my own life, even in the midst of some dark days. I am full of hope and expectation. He has already begun to fulfill his promise of restoration and healing, and has planted new dreams in my heart.

And He who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also He said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Revelation 21:5

Trustworthy He is. And worthy of ALL of our love, and affection...

25 Years

2008-08-31T12:50:00.002-05:00

This is how many I have. This is how it is stated in Spanish. I have 25 years. 25 years that I have been given, as a gift. What have I done with my time here? I would be lying if I claimed that I was excited for this birthday to come, for a lot of shallow, worldly reasons, I was dreading it actually. Then the morning of my birthday, I woke thinking of the children I was fortunate enough to spend time with this summer in an orphanage in Kenya called Into Abba's Arms. When asked to give testimonies Sunday morning during the church service a long line of children formed quickly, they love to speak of their Father's providence and provision in their lives. It sounded something like this...

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord again!
I would like to thank God because He woke me up this morning,
many people wanted to see today, and they did not,
I am so happy that I got to have another day.

"The God who made the world and EVERYTHING in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being"
Acts 17:24-28

I LOVE this passage. So many different POWERFUL truths! He has determined the exact times through history that He would have each of us here, and exactly where we should live. This just makes my heart flood with peace and strength to walk forward in where He has placed me!

He woke me up today, and that is reason to praise Him.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord again!

Hillsong Conference 2008

2008-08-24T15:39:00.006-05:00

I am so grateful for this weekend. What an incredible opportunity to literally, spend hours in corporate worship before our Savior. In the very beginning there was a statement made that said, "The same things that separate us from Him, separate us from other people"...sin. Wow. Intimacy is so vital, on so many different levels. I am finally at a point where I can recognize this...the word still freaks me out a bit, I have issues...yes I know. One cannot love people without loving Christ first. My first and foremost calling during my time on this planet is to love Jesus Christ with every part of me. Sometimes I get way to involved with figuring out my calling beyond that, where am I called to go, which ministry am I supposed to be involved in when I get there, etc. If I do not love Christ, with every part of me, I will not be able to love people as He has called me to. I desire to be a light. Not a light for international missions, or social justice, or service projects, or humanitarian aid, but a light for the one who died for me, who redeemed me and give me the very breath to exist. THAT is my calling.

"You have shaped my heart for Your pleasure"...and that makes anything so very worth it. You tell me that no thing, or circumstance will come my way that has not come THROUGH You first. And while it may not make a lick of sense, there is purpose, and You will be glorified in my inability and weakness. This statement is not one of completion, but of an ongoing process...

Ready or not here they come tomorrow, 20 new little ones...I talk a big game about being so strict this year and laying down the law, and then I melt into this pansy of a teacher when I get around the kids and all I want to do is plan parties and trips and spoil them...so we will see how that goes.

He is Hope

2008-08-17T18:24:00.004-05:00

I had every intention to write an entry about this summer, what I saw, what I learned, what I felt, who I met, the stories I heard, and how all of that translates back to life while I am in the States. I didn't know how. So I was going to put up pictures...but that doesn't do justice. You should go, everyone should go, but that is a different post for a different day.

"Hope that promises will be kept, that a refuge will hold, that the sun will return, that seasons will change despite the weighty darkness, and all evidence to the contrary. Hope at the center of despair. The footprints left, when we look back at the most tempestuous seasons of life are purposeful, organized, significance in the chaos...evidence that we were remembered in our darkness and most vulnerable days."

Hope in light of the Truth. America is crazy, the push, and pull and drive and speed and pace of life is unbelievably demanding (and I'm not sure it is the way that God intended it to be). If I do not fall on my face daily before Him, and beg for the grace and mercy to not only survive but truly live & abide in Him, I will fail miserably. Oh how I must cling to Him, and His truth. When I start measuring myself by the worlds standards, the enemy is given way to much room to work planting seeds of doubt and discontent.

Lessons learned...I can question Him, and while He may not ever answer the specific question, He will give me peace in my soul knowing that He is God, and is sovereign in ALL things. He loves me enough to tell me no. His mercies truly ARE new every morning and are more than sufficient for what each day brings. He can and will heal in His time, in His way...for this I am grateful.

For The Orphans of Flomina & Into Abba's Arms

2008-07-27T10:57:00.005-05:00

Many will say with their mouths "Give us today our daily bread,"
but their hearts desire nothing less than excess and riches
But you know your Shepherd's voice
and believe Him at His word
when He says that he is sufficient, regardless of circumstance

"Jehovah Jireh, my provider," you say,
He has led me here, how could I doubt and think He would forsake me now?
For you, a heart of gratitude seems to be the only appropriate response

Some will look at you with eyes of pity
because your pockets are empty
but sweet brothers and sisters
you are the ones to be envied
for Christ has entrusted you with the invaluable
knowledge of Himself

You know our Savior in a way few ever will
for you recognize His hand
to be the hand that feeds you daily
He does not leave you lacking anything
Oh no, your souls have been filled
and overflow into the lives of those around you

The kingdom of heaven awaits you
May you continue to wake each day
and declare with your life
"The Lord is my chosen portion."

As you are loved, so love

Go in peace

"Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, "Who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God." Proverbs 30:8

"To You the helpless commits himself, You have been the helper of the fatherless." Psalm 10:14

James 1:27

2008-07-21T12:26:00.002-05:00

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Great Last Day In India

2008-07-15T05:09:00.006-05:00

This morning was a really neat time. Thank you for your prayers. Besides getting a little choked up at one point, everything went smooth. I am horrible when it comes to putting feelings into words. Many of you that I love so deeply have received cards, or letters, or emails because of this. I feel like I can put into written word that which is most hidden away in my heart, the things I feel strongest, the things that bring my passions to life. All that to say, I wrote a benediction last night, a prayer to read over the group as I closed. I posted it below. Based around Ephesians 5:8 "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."

My prayer is that pictures like these...of the beautiful dark brown eyes, and bright white smiles...will stay fixed in my mind. Even on the days that I would like to forget, the days when life in the States seems just too good to give up in order to go. May they be a reminder of the millions that have not heard the name of Christ. I am leaving different than I was when I came. Thank you Lord for sanctification. On to Africa...

Benediction For Chandigarh

2008-07-15T04:31:00.002-05:00

May you accept the invitation to not only meet,
but to know intimately the One who created you
The only true God, Jesus Christ
The one who died for you
Oh but He is no longer in the grave!
He is alive
And will come again

May your acknowledgment of the cross, move to an understanding of your redemption
That you would recognize the value of your soul
for you were bought with a great price

May the Truth, Jesus Christ Himself, set you free
So you may forever speak of hope found in Him alone
And testify, that indeed, His grace is sufficient

May you walk as children of the light
Reflecting Jesus, the Light of the World
In such a manner
That even in the darkest of the dark
None could deny
Jesus is the Christ, from who anything that is
good or true comes

As you are loved, so love
Go in Peace

Please Pray...

2008-07-14T09:45:00.004-05:00

Today I was asked to speak for the school assembly tomorrow! The WHOLE school, which is about 1200 kids and the staff. Opportunity? Yes! Speaker? I am not. But God spoke through a donkey, surely there is hope for me. I will be speaking on John 14:5-6 "How can we know the way?" "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." It will be at about 8 AM tomorrow morning India time, which is about 9:30 PM Monday night for ya'll. Please pray I will be invisible and the Gospel will be heard with clarity.

Phillipians 4:4

2008-07-14T03:19:00.005-05:00

These little ones blessed my heart today, more importantly, Jesus was glorified by their sweet voices proclaiming His scripture so gently. May we, as children of Christ, rejoice in Him ALWAYS, regardless of circumstance, because of who He is.

You Are Still God

2008-07-13T05:52:00.004-05:00

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, i will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir in Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

All of my life, In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

Pull The Plank Out Kate

2008-07-11T09:20:00.005-05:00

Cost of an appointment with an Indian doctor: 100 rupees
Cost of 3 different prescription Indian meds: 94 rupees
Cost of feeling better: PRICELESS

Lame. I know, but I am just so happy to feel like I am on the road to recovery! I started feeling bad Tuesday night and by Wednesday night felt horrible. But being the hardhead that I am needed to get as bad as possible before I would admit I was sick and needed help.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is exactly where I am supposed to be right now. He told me to be still, and wait, quietly. And confirmed it a hundred times over. Wait. Quietly. Still. Silently...I wasn't sure what that looked like, or meant, yet I didn't exactly try to hard to figure it out. And now I am here. When I was talking to Mom on the phone, all I could really say was I just keep asking Him what He has to reveal to me in all of this, and she replied, what did you hear back? Silence. I didn't have an answer. How many times do I lay a question before God and then not listen in the least bit for a response. WAY TOO OFTEN. What a liar that makes me, when I claim out of my mouth how I want to hear from God, yet I refuse to stop and listen. I absolutely cannot stand conversations with people that aren't actively listening. I would rather sit in silence. Really. How ironic that this has been my role lately in my relationship with the Lord, yapping away.

"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord...Let him sit alone in silence." Lamentations 3:26,28

"Indeed, none who wait for You shall be put to shame..." Psalm 25:3

Still

2008-07-10T03:19:00.002-05:00

Still He blesses those on whom He sets His love in a way that humbles them, so that all the glory may be His alone. Still He hates the sins of His people, and uses all kinds of inward and outward pains and griefs to wean their hearts from compromise and disobedience. Still He seeks the fellowship of His people, and sends them both sorrows and joys in order to detach their love from other things and attach it to Himself. Still He teaches believers to value His promised gifts by making them wait for those gifts, and compelling them to pray persistently for them, before He bestows them. So we read of God dealing with His people in the Scripture record, and so He deals with them still. His aims and principles of action remain consistent; He does not at any time act out of character. Our ways, we know, are pathetically inconstant-but not God's.

Knowing God, J.I. Packer

Weekend Events

2008-07-07T05:25:00.004-05:00

What a great weekend! Saturday we went and spent time in a village in another state, the people live in grass huts. There was an accident 2 weeks ago and 9 of the huts were burned. The people were so sad because they lost their Bibles in the accident, they said that 15 were lost. I was able to share my testimony and speak for a while. There is one lady that is the first Christian in the village and she is losing her eyesight, she is such a strong woman, it was a blessing to have the opportunity to pray with her, not only for her eyesight but for her continued growth in the Lord.

Yesterday church was awesome, the rocks won't be crying out on the Indians behalf anytime soon :) Pass the tambourine! I loved listening to their praises in Hindi...I think that will be one of my favorite parts of heaven, hearing all of the worship in the different languages...AMAZING!?!?

Last night we went and spent some time with some Nepali people. Its crazy how many different people groups are in and around here...I was stoked because I knew that I would be semi close to Nepal, (in the grand scheme of the globe) when I found out i was coming here, I don't know why, but it has always been a country on my list of maybe's, that seems so ridiculous to type, as if my list matters, we'll see where God sends me...ANYWAYS, they were beautiful people. Gentle, and kind. I don't know if they could be called refugees but they came to India because there is more opportunity here for them (can't even IMAGINE what Nepal must be like then). I seem to find myself with the people groups that have picked up and gone to a different country in hopes of something more for themselves and their families :)

Went to school today, the teachers are busy preparing their classrooms and lesson plans for the kiddos that are coming. I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET ALL OF THE KIDS!?!?! The school is so incredibly unapologetically Christian. LOVE IT! The most amazing part is that it reaches, orphans, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, all there learning about our Savior and what He did for them. They are looking for a third grade teacher for this year...interesting huh?

2008-07-05T06:12:00.000-05:00

Back to the good ole days in Guadalajara, climbing up on rooftops with my Mac to catch an internet signal. Where to start…I am SO grateful that I am living with an Indian family while I am here, my time here would just not be the same if I was in a hotel. Not to mention the family I am living with is absolutely INCREDIBLE. Pastor Nazir, his wife Sorojani and their gorgeous daughter Sanoli, have made be feel SO welcome. Sonali is awesome…she resembles what the attribute “meek” looks like in my mind, the word that I always kind of cringe at when I come to it in the Bible because it is so NOT who I am. She gave me her room, and I am so glad she is here while I am. She wants to take me for a ride on her motorcycle…I can’t think of a better place to get over my fear! Driving here is like one huge game of chicken, and everyone, and everything is invited to participate, carts, bicycles, scooters, cows, goats, you name it, its on the road. The trip was good…went smoothly, I think that my night in Dubai helped me adjust time wise. I did ok my first day but then hit a wall in the afternoon in Delhi before we got a train here to Chandigarh, I curled up on top of my bag on the floor of the train station as we waited and passed out immediately, thats probably the most I have blended in since I have been here, sleeping on the ground seemed to be the thing to do at the train station. Pastor has a small group in from Hong Kong for the weekend serving, they greeted me at the airport, and have been really fun. One of the only things I love as much as missions is spending time with people who have the same passion. The college kids make me feel old because I realize I am no longer one of “them”, but they are a blast and fun to laugh with. There is a sweet girl that is finishing up her time here and will leave Monday, she is going to become a BISON in August! How fun. It has been great reminiscing telling her all of the great things/memories I have from Shawnee and my time at OBU.

Yesterday I went with my house mom, who is also the principal at the school I will be teaching at, to order my suit that I will teach in. It is their traditional, everyday wear here. You pick the fabric and the style..I had EVERY intention of going in and coming out with a “plain” suit, a pretty green or brown color is what I had in mine, definetly a solid…well plain in English apparently translates to polka dots AND stripes in Hindi, YES, TOGETHER, and that is exactly what I walked out of there with! So...the seamstress told me I could pick it up tonight. If you are lucky I will maybe show you a picture someday…I am on a don’t ask don’t tell policy with the food…I will try whatever is put in front of me, it is just better if I don’t know what it is ☺

Yesterday after lunch I was sitting and talking with Nazir and his wife and I asked them where they met, a question that normally comes up with any couple after a while. I didn’t really understand what their response was, and they could tell I looked confused, and they repeated ARRANGED. I was like OH MY! I just kept saying, I can’t imagine, and they were DYING laughing. They thought my reaction was priceless and we went on to have a discussion on the pros/cons of arranged marriage. They couldn’t think of a couple that they knew of that went about marriage this way and are now divorced…They spoke of love as a commitment made, not a feeling. It was really interesting.

Yesterday we were working in slum #1 of the 51 in this city. We visited with about 4 different families that have converted to Christianity, we prayed with them. Then we gave testimonies and presented the gospel story to a group outside. There seems to be a mix of Hindu, Muslim and Sikhs in whatever gathering you are around, it is never just one type.

Today we spent the morning at a sewing center in a different state, one that is on the way to Pakistan. It is funded by Pastor Nazir and a Christian lady runs it. There were about 15 to 20 Hindu girls my age and they are there to learn how to be a seamstress in order to support their families. This lady then ministers to them and tells them about Jesus. It was a really neat time. We also got to spend some time with their children who were in the next room, they were adorable of course.

Forgive the scattered nature of this entry and those to come, it is hard to put everything into words when I have not yet completely processed things for myself. Thank you for your prayers. I just keep waking up and going to sleep at night thanking Him, I am so grateful to not only be here but to have the privledge to speak of Jesus Christ, what He has done in my life and what He longs to do in the lives of those yet to know Him.

2008-07-01T15:02:00.002-05:00

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."
Isaiah 61:1

Lies From The Pit

2008-06-29T21:34:00.009-05:00

Filling out the immigration forms at about 5:00 AM this morning on the plane and it hit me...I don't have an address. I have been using Mom and Dad's but they moved while I was in Argentina, so needless to say I didn't know it. This is ok. It's my life, how it has been and probably will be for a while. There was more to it for me though. It was the beginning of a day that Satan saw as a day of opportunity to ruin me, I knew that. He wanted to remind me that so much of my life is uncertain, and weird, and not normal. I am not "on track" to have the normal American house, car, family, career. Fears, worries, doubts, all are such thieves. As I began to pray through approaching these 2 days at home alone, I started to think about how many huge things can happen during times of isolation, both victories and defeats. I know that life is meant to live in community. However, there are to be times alone as well. Most days I cheer and do cartwheels over the opportunity to have these moments alone, being the introvert that I am (ISFJ for all the personality testing fans out there). For some reason, He let me know ahead of time, that I was about to head into some critical hours. I got off the plane, found the car that had been left for me, and found the place that my parents moved into that I had never seen...and was very, very, alone. That is what Satan wanted me to think. Truth vs. Lies, constantly. It is a series of decisions throughout the day...are you going to believe Christ and His truth and His promises or are you going to buy into the world and the falsehood and the empty promises. From the moment you get up til the moment you fall asleep you will be plagued by these choices. To think that we can walk in the manner that He would have us to on our own is so extremely ignorant and arrogant. Are you going to take the next blind step forward in faith? Or are you going to pack it up and go home. If you do not choose to spend time in the Word, talking with Jesus, and listening to Him talk, you will get eaten alive, end of story. Satan is good at what he does. He will lie to you, and if you do not have the Truth of Christ to compare and rule out the garbage you will buy into it. The stakes are high. Oh how we must cling to Him for, HIS wisdom.

"His divine power has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
1 Peter 1:3-4

Happy Birthday Edgardo!

2008-06-24T15:00:00.001-05:00

Estrellita,

I am so sad that I am not there today with you guys to celebrate your 11th birthday. I know that it will be a hard day without your sweet Mom there to celebrate with you this year. When I get back we are going to have a fun day together just to celebrate YOU! You have been such a great big brother to Selvin and Julie, especially this year. I am so proud of you. Maybe this will be the year that you start a relationship with the Creator that gave you those little legs that allow you to be such a stud soccer player. I love you sweet boy, you are a blessing to me and my family.

See you soon,

Kate

All Apologies

2008-06-23T09:56:00.004-05:00

What if I titled every post with a song title? That would be fun to see how long I could go. I apologize in advance for the randomness of this post. I decided this morning that I am going to start incorporating "cheers" into my everyday language. Paul has decided to incorporate "winge" into his...he picked it up from one of his Aussie buddies down here, or "mates" if you will...por ejemplo, "Kate, quit your winging." Who knew that eating eggs for breakfast was so odd? I had quite an audience this morning as I was cooking us some eggs. We have a couple from Spain in our little hostel room with us. They are funny, her accent is crazy weird. Paul and I have acquired enough inside jokes this past week to last a while...as if we needed more. I love watching people watch us, I know they think we are "together", and then I ask him to pass me a roll and he drops it from 3 feet above my plate and it lands in my food and splatters and we die laughing. I think then it becomes obvious that he is my brother. And people are like hmm, that is interesting that they treat each other like that. We are heading out tonight for another overnight bus ride over to the coast. I was stoked about going because I was told that I would see penguins, everyone else that we have talked to about it said that it is whale season which is supposed to be amazing...whatever, I want to see a real, live penguin. Then last night at the hostel the English dude we were talking to said that the whales beach themselves and FEED on the penguins!?! WHAT!!! It can't be true.

I should have packed my jump rope. Mom came back from Costa Rica with a new found passion for jump rope, and was told it was the "best workout" and obviously easy to take places. Needless to say, I chose not to pack it, and will pay for it. The goal is to NOT need 2 plane tickets to fit my rear in on the way home at the end of the summer. Its all like amazing Italian food here? Pizza, calzones, empanadas etc.

Matt Chandler and I have been spending a lot of time together via podcast...journeying through Hebrews. GOOD STUFF. Will write more about that later. Has been so great to have unlimited time to read, study, write, think, pray. I am interested to see how these past few months and all that He has revealed to me will transfer into lesson form for India...

"Faith honors God...God honors faith."

2008-06-18T10:43:00.000-05:00

Buen Dia Che

2008-06-16T17:46:00.003-05:00

Made it. Love it. The word on the street is that Argentine people are arrogant...can't blame them. There seems to be a lot to be proud of. Its so different than what I have previously known of Latin America which is fun, if Paul and I don't talk we blend in. It is chilly...but beautiful days thus far. Its no secret that I am not a fan of the cold, but I am always up for an excuse to rock a beanie or a scarf, or better yet both! Paul found the neatest hostel that I have been staying at. It is a couple blocks from his house. It is a super old house that they redid, awesome huge wood doors and windows. There is an open air rooftop place to hang out and it has a pretty sweet view. There is a sushi bar and a club below it, that comes alive at night...which is just perfect since I am such a nightowl ;) Went to the soccer game Sunday night, Argentina vs. Ecuador. The stadium was huge and full of baby blue/white flags, balloons, shirts etc. They love their country, and LOVE their soccer. Fun times. Its just such a blessing to get to spend time with Paul, life has been so intense lately, its nice to download with him and....just....be.

Headed down south Wednesday to ski for a few days. Should be quite entertaining...for us AND the people that are lucky enough to be around us while we are trying.

Happy 30th Anniversary

2008-06-10T20:55:00.009-05:00

Meet Glenn & Judy, my precious parents. If you know me, you have more than likely spent time around them at some point. I am not sure you will find more simple people. They love Christ, things of Him, and live to know more of Him daily...taking what they know to be true of Him and sharing that with those who are put in their path. Outside of those things, the details of this life are exactly that to them...details. They have this crazy gift of making anyone they meet feel so at home, so comfortable, they will see the gifts He has put inside of you and tell you about them. While they are the first people to build you up and encourage you they will also be the first people to have the hard conversations, confronting sin and challenging mediocrity and a love for things of the world. I could not be any more proud that they are my parents. I love that they do life differently than the crowd. They don't feel a need to compete for the approval of people. The wisdom, truth, encouragement, and love that have been given to me from them is invaluable and there are no words that I could write that could speak of the 24 years that they have loved me so unconditionally. I have learned so much from watching them work out their faith both in their individual lives and in their marriage. Their marriage is so full of life, love, obedience, passion, service, submission, redemption, forgiveness, humility, joy, and selflessness. Could God have put two more opposite people together? I do not think so...yet they are such a great team. For 30 years they have walked together...brought together, while they were not yet His. They have been such wonderful instruments He has used to display His grace and mercy to this broken world. Happy Anniversary, I love you dearly.

Truth For Today

2008-06-01T08:58:00.003-05:00

In Your Name
There is hope when all seems lost
There is freedom in the power of the cross
Let the world see

In Your Name
There is truth where logic fails
Understanding that makes sense of our days
You Are Worthy

Hear the song of all creation roar
We’re crying out as One
To You our God
Now show us the way of Your love
And we will come running

All for Jesus’ name
Your love displayed
We are alive in the mystery
All for sinners’ gain
Your life You gave
We’ll sing Your praise for eternity

In Your Name
There is mercy without end
Overtaking us now time and again
Let the world see

In Your Name
There is love that never fails
And the promise that Your word will prevail

Hear the song of all creation roar
We’re crying out as One
For You our God
Now show us the way of Your love
And we will come running

All for Jesus’ name
Your love displayed
We are alive in the mystery
All for sinners’ gain
Your life You gave
We’ll sing Your praise for eternity

Hallelujah...Great is Your Name

In The Mystery-Joel Houston

Buenos Dias

2008-05-26T20:33:00.005-05:00

Jose's bus arrives first, I always seem to be walking out to go to the workroom right when he gets there. He always skips into a little jog when he sees me, he gets so excited and runs to give me a hug. God squeezed an absolutely huge heart into that little stick of a body. 3rd grade has been perfect for me...their arms wrap perfectly around my waist without them having to strain to reach up and their heads nestle in the nook of my stomach right below my chest and above my belly button. I feel like I have a little head here most of the day. Because I have mostly boys normally its a sweaty head/cheek face, but I wouldn't have it any other way. William tries to come sit outside and I remind him that he is not allowed in until he has eaten breakfast. Joel shows up after breakfast and always cracks the door open to make sure I am there and there isn't a sub, smiles and then sits and waits outside til it is time for them to come in. Fran is always sleepy on Mondays...normally cause he has stayed up to some crazy hour watching a soccer game with his Dad and Uncles. I love how he loves his family. Brenda F shows up soon thereafter...normally with gum (not allowed at school) and I always am interested to hear what excuse she has dreamed up as to why she doesn't have her homework or anything else she was supposed to have, the girl is creative. Brenda M. comes and brings me either something she has made or one of her little sisters has made me. Carlos shows up with his same cute brown puma zip up, hair gelled perfectly, and enough cologne for a few grown men. These are the regulars that are there long before the bell rings at 7:15 to come in...I like letting them in a little early. I always have my music on my computer playing, especially in the morning. Sometimes I accidently sing and they get so quiet trying to listen. Some of them subconciously sing along from time to time cause they have heard the Worship songs enough to know the words. They sit and do their warm up activity while I am waking up at my desk...asking Him for the strength, wisdom, and patience to serve them as He would. Sergio comes up to my desk and grabs my Bible and has me quiz him on whatever Bible verse he learned at Church the morning before. He is the only one in his family that goes to Church, Sergio LOVES the Word of God. He just can't get enough. Edgardo, who is not technically in my class, but is mine, comes in to hang with me when he gets there until the tardy bell rings. If there was ever a day my flesh didn't want to be there, he was my encouragement. Little one has been waking up and facing each day since September 30th without his Mom or Dad.
Uriel comes running in RIGHT when the bell is ringing. Throwing back his crazy, wet hair, with some dramatic story about how his Kindergarten brother Roel that is his clone made them late. Tony always comes in a little late, his Mom's boyfriend of the week always brings them. He is always so polite...Buenos Dias Miss Holzman. Idaly is always last. She walks from her house around the corner from the school with her sweet Mom Sarah who works in the cafeteria. She always finds me to hug me before she gets her chair and gets setttled into her desk. Big smile, little giggle...the girl is all belly...I always pat it a lot.

This has been my morning every morning for about 10 months...They have made every morning such a good morning. I have 3 more of these left and I want to savor every second.

Hello, Goodbye

2008-05-23T20:44:00.004-05:00

Only a few days til' I say goodbye to these guys...

Which means its almost time for me to get to hug this piece of work...

Scattered Thoughts on Myanmar

2008-05-19T19:22:00.010-05:00

Today at about 7:15, the same time that my students wander in my room each day, one of my students arrived with a particular issue on his mind. One that I was more than happy to discuss and dedicate our morning to, because I too, can't seem to push it out of my head. After the morning announcments Joel pipes up with, "Maestra, which is worse, a cyclone or an earthquake?" It is amazing to me how broad his worldview is, concerning he has never left the Houston city limits, and getting on the highway is a rare and exciting occasion. He spends more time thinking about poverty, hunger, and injustice throughout the world more than many of the adults I know that call themselves Christians and claim to live their life by the Bible....the book which leaves no mystery as to our Christian duty to love, serve, pray for, and bear the burdens of people in situations such as these.

Pride is such a disgusting thing. It has been horrible to watch how the pride of the junta's leaders has manifested itself in absolutely ignorant decisions. Decisions resulting in thousands upon thousands of innocent people dying, people that could have possibly survived. The hope rests in the truth that the God that we serve is bigger than all of the red tape, and the restrictions, and shut doors. There are Christian workers that have been in Myanmar working long before the cyclone hit. There are also Christian workers in the surrounding countries that are being allowed in, such as India, Indonesia, Thailand etc. Please pray for them. Pray for God's favor to surround them, for supernatural strength as they work in what I can only imagine would be a very, very, overwhelming environment. Pray for the people of Myanmar...for the children that are now orphans, for the mothers and fathers mourning the loss of their children, and for the people that have been waiting over 2 weeks now for anything that they can put in their mouths, be it food or a glass of water that would provide nutrition to their feeble bodies.

A couple of weeks ago in church we talked about a holy impatience. How normally, humans are impatient in the wrong areas of life, things coming or going that we demand right now. Things that we just HAVE to have. The pastor proposed that we pray that God would give us a holy impatience for things like justice, an intolerance for sin, for the millions upon millions of people that have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that He would instill in us a holy impatience concerning the crisis in Myanmar. God has not forgotten them....neither should we.

"I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the afflicted, and executes justice for the needy..." Psalm 140:12

Hope

2008-05-15T19:45:00.009-05:00

Hope (verb): to cherish a desire with anticipation, to desire with expectation of obtainment, to expect with confidence.

I think that my personal definition of hope has always been a little...off. It never went beyond I hope we go...I hope I end up...I hope they think...I hope I don't...etc. Notice the normal context in which it is used...I, me, my, wants and desires. If Christ is truly our Hope, what does that mean? What does that look like when it is played out in our day to day lives? God sustains us by revealing Himself to us. In trusting Him, He leads us to a quiet hope. A security that is irreplaceable by any promise or guarantee that the world has to offer us. Hope means going beyond our daily experiences, both unpleasant and enjoyable, to the joy of knowing God. One cannot trust Him, unless they know Him. And one cannot place their hope in Him, if they do not have faith. We live by trusting in Him, not the benefits, happiness, or success we may experience in this life. Our hope comes from God. Does this mean that as Christ followers we have a guarantee that there is no dissapointment? Or that life is going to go exactly as we would choose for it to? Of course not. The beautiful part is that in the midst of the hardships, the trials, and the sufferings, all of which are promised to come our way, HE is our hope! He is trustworthy. His promises are true. He was, is, and will be. In the midst of all of the seasons and change, He is the constant. The promise that He has redeemed us and will continue to sanctify us to become more like Himself. The promise that He is working ALL things, the good, the bad, and the ugly, for our good. That He will continue to draw us to Himself. That he can use the most unworthy vessels to glorify Himself. When our hope is in Him, there is an unexplainable joy that comes. I believe that in order to live life with this hope in Him, one must constantly be filling their minds and hearts with His promises. Satan will plant seeds of doubt, confusion, and fear, all lies in order to throw us into a tailspin. Yet in claiming His truth, He enables us to walk with strength on the road that He has for us.

"And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it..." 1 Peter 3:15
May we be ready to take full advantage of the opportunities that are placed before us to share with those who ask why we are "ok" during hard times. How in the midst of such insecurity and uncertainty we can be so full of hope. I pray that we do not shy away, but speak boldy of our confidence that stems solely from our faith in Christ alone...He is our Hope of Glory.

"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see." Hebrews 11:1

My most recently overplayed song is "You'll Come", by Brooke Fraser of Hillsong United (do yourself a favor and buy it)...one of my favorite lines in it is, "as surely as the sun will rise, You'll come to us..." That is a truth we can cling to regardless of our surroundings. You are pursuing us, and You will return for us...that is a hope that nobody can steal from us.

Here Goes Nothing

2008-05-13T16:16:00.002-05:00

A new blog. Here are a few promises...I will write. There is this thing I do, its kind of an all or nothing thing, with everything. Sometimes a great strength, often times it is not. But I will write. I will use ellipses...WAY to much. I couldn't even tell you when they are appropriate to use in writing, but I use them all the time. I am not sure why I use them, maybe because I feel like it allows me to reserve the right to continue or modify my thought or statement in some form or fashion after it has been made. In case I change my mind. That makes me sound pretty wishy washy...

What good is a title without some explanation...Ok here goes. I feel like the meaning behind my title is a big fat lesson God has been slowly leading me through, especially this past year living in Houston. If you would have told me this time 3 years ago when I was packing up my college life in Shawmpton that I would end up here in Houston I would have laughed...a prideful, I'm too good for that, what a boring destination, I'm getting out of the States asap, type of laugh. That is hard to type. It sounds gross, and it is. Pride is gross but that in itself can be a topic for another day. The beautiful thing is that in the midst of pride, and brokenness, Christ still chooses to orchestrate each intricate detail of our life, aligning everything exactly as He would have it to bring glory to Himself in each situation. Most of you know, I have had a tattoo on my left foot for a while, of Isaiah 6:8 "here am I, send me." I love this verse, for so many reasons. Obviously with a deep passion and calling on my life to GO to the nations, I love the plea placed before Him to be the one chosen to go. I love the willingness and abandonment to surrender and volunteer where there is a need. And I love the fact that there are not parenthesis...like send me (as long as it is somewhere comfortable, and I can do something that I am decent at, and somewhere that sounds cool where people will want to visit me, etc.) There are not stipulations. He wants us without reservations. If we are truly at this place of true abandonment, we will not be as concerned as to the location where we are placed, but will be rejoicing that we have been sent out in the first place knowing that He who has called us is always faithful to fufill His promises to equip us.

I have been planted in Houston for about a year now...and He has proven Himself so faithful. While my heart still longs to be sent out...I pray that in the meantime I will not waste a day that I have been given, and will bloom where I am planted.