Around the World Adventures w/ Jesus

2008 ~ A Year of New Things

2009-01-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

My friend Eldrid told me last New Year's that 2008 signified a year of 'new things'.
The year has come and gone and I wondered if I experienced this newness now that I'm home from my travels . . .

After coming home from a year's journey around the world (2007), I didn't think
much happened in 2008. But then, I looked again and remembered; and yes, there
have been many wonderful new things in my life (see list below).

But one thing that hasn't changed is my discovery that God is faithful.
As I look back into the past year, I see God's invisible and gracious hand guiding me through the 'normality' of preparing lessons for my students, writing about my trip, and living in a small town.

Sometimes it is so hard to realize his real-time presence in my life. I feel normal. I wonder if he really is directing my life, today, and preparing things for tomorrow. Will we have fun together? Will we help people? Will he draw others to himself through my life (through him in my life)?

But when I look back over time, I see the fingerprints of the Lord, and how he is faithfully directing my life. And I realize that he is dancing with me.

My prayer for 2009 is that it would be a year of wisdom and revelation.
I would like to grow in seeing his presence real-time, so I don't have to rely on 'looking back' to find him. And I also want to bring more real-time connections of the Lord with others that I meet, so they would experience his reality and his goodness.

New thought: maybe faith is believing in the present that God is here and he is working, even when we don't see him. And looking back, that is when he becomes visible. Is it possible to see him in real-time? Real-time dramatic things are easy for me, but in real-time mundane, can I see him?

Blessings to each of you!

May you experience his presence in 2009.

Highlights from 2008:
*West Coast Tour to visit family and friends - Jan/Feb

*Home to surprise my mom for her bday - Feb

*Directed by the Lord to come settle in the land, Jeremiah 29

*Moved to Gypsum, CO, at the invitation of my youngest brother and his wife - Mar

*Wrote about my trip

*Volunteered as a rancher!
-Rode horses up on the mountain ~ glorious views! My favorite days.

*Worked as a waitress at a local restaruant

*Interviewed for a 6th grade science teaching position in Gypsum

*Offered a job for fall 2008 at Gypsum Creek Middle School

*Home for family reunion - July

*Miracle provision of a 3 credit grad course at IN Wesleyan to renew my license

*Miracle provision of money for a plane ticket to Norway to be with my dear friend before her wedding - Aug

*God shuts down the Dallas airport with a thunderstorm to enable me to get home from London for my first teacher meetings.

*He continues to take care of me each step of the journey. He is so good. He is so faithful. I am so glad to be his daughter. I love you, Daddy!

*Starting teaching after a 2 year 'retirement'. Struggle at first, but God has given me such wonderful kids and a very kind principal. I am so thankful for his provision for me to teach there this year.

*Coached volleyball for a wonderful group of 7th grade girls.

*Great Christmas break with my family. God's gift.

With anticipation for 2009 because God is good and he is faithful,

Ericka :)

West Coast Tour & Returning to Colorado

2008-06-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

After staying in Colorado with Mark and Janelle until mid-January, I took a big trip out to the West Coast using the final segments of my Around the World Ticket . . .

My friend Kay and her husband John let me park my car at their house in Denver and she took me to the airport to catch my flight. That was a HUGE blessing - and it turned out to be God's amazing fore-sight provision for me.

Originally I was only going for a few weeks - to visit my friend Amy (from the Baby House in Mozambique), who was getting her Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy at Seattle Pacific University (and see if I wanted to get my Master's in that as well). Then I was taking a train down to Redding, California, to visit my dear Norwegian friend and sister, Eldrid (whom I met when I lived in Gunnison, CO, for four months before my trip) who was attending a ministry school at Bethel Church (Bill Johnson is the pastor), and see if I wanted to go there for ministry training, and to attend a writing conference they were hosting. And then visit my cousin, Rachelle, and her husband in Seattle, before flying back to Denver.

Well, there was a mudslide in Oregon, so the Amtrak train was canceled from Washington to California. Instead, I had to take the Greyhound (my first experience on Greyhound - but I figured I was a seasoned traveler, so it would be fine. It was, and there were a lot of interesting folk on the bus). But it turned out that the bus ticket was more expensive, and I didn't have enough money to buy it. So I had to call my dad to see if I could get a loan from them for the ticket. My dad totally surprised me by saying that he and mom would give me a loan of $1000. At first I didn't want to accept it, b/c I didn't want to go in debt, but then I thought, this is a gift from God and my parents. So I used some of the money from this loan to buy my bus ticket. Well, then, b/c I had the money, I decided to make a whole "West Coast Tour" and see all of my mom's side of the family (her siblings and their kids - my aunts/uncles, cousins) who lived out there. We don't see them too much, so this could be a huge blessing if it worked. A one-person family reunion, where I come to visit you!!! :) God opened up some amazing doors to be able to see and visit with all of them. And they were all so great about welcoming me on my one month "tour".

After Redding, I took the Greyhound down to SanFransisco, where my aunt Emily and cousin Anne live in Alameda. We had fun hanging out, they treated me out to eat!, and we caught up on what was going on in our lives. Then we drove across the bay to SanFransisco to visit my cousin David and his wife Laura and their two kids. They are a great family and we had fun eating Mexican take-out and sharing stories. Then my aunt Emily sponsored me (a HUGE blessing and surprise gift that I was SO thankful for) to fly to Orange County, in Southern California, to visit my uncle Jon and his wife Pam, and my cousins Michelle, and her brother Paul and his wife Jolene and their two little kids. We had a great time - taking walks, spending late nights talking, laughing, sharing about my trip and what God taught me, and just being with them! I got a really fun hat in S.California with my aunt Pam. She is a fun lady. Then Emily sponsored me again to fly up to Pullman, Washington, to visit my cousin Julie and her husband Rob and their two kids. Julie was recovering from breast cancer, and was doing awesome!!! It was so great to see her and hear her laugh and tell stories. And great to be with Rob's family who lived nearby. On the way back to the airport, which was in Spokane, I remembered I had 2 other cousins, on my dad's side, Patty & Sue Grandos, and their families, who all lived in Spokane. I got their phone numbers, and it amazingly worked out to see them for a day before my flight!! I had lots of fun visiting Patty's school (where she teaches English as a second language) and ice skating and building castles with toy blocks w/ Aleiah, her daughter. We had some good conversations about travel and faith and family. Then, back to San Fransisco, where I traveled back up to Portland, Oregon, to visit a high school friend, Brianna Showell, and her husband Michael. They were great hosts and we had a wonderful time catching up and sharing stories and talking about God and our faith in Him.

Then I took a train up to Vancouver, British Columbia, and stayed in a hostel, and went around the city and crossed the water to hike in a park w/ a big hanging bridge, and then went snow boarding (I'm learning!) on Grouse Mountain. Then back across the border to the US and Seattle, where a really nice lady offered to take me to my cousin Rachelle's house - that was a provision from the Lord!! (I didn't have to pay a cab!) Rachelle showed me her dental office (she's a root canal surgeon!) and then the house that she and her husband were renovating beautifully on the Puget Sound. It is going to be gorgeous. I suggested we have our next Regnier family reunion there. :) We saw the solar eclipse over the Seattle skyline and Puget Sound and ate at a wonderful Turkish restaurant. It was great to see them! And they were expecting a baby!!! So the next time I see them, I'll get to see my new cousin.

And finally, back to Denver, and then, on to INDIANAPOLIS. So, it turned out to be an amazing provision from the Lord that Kay let me keep my car at her house in Denver, rather than paying $5/day at the airport... eek, that would have been super expensive. I ended up traveling the West Coast from Jan 20 - Feb 20, and then flew home to surprise my mom for her birthday, and stayed there for a month until Easter. The surprise for my mom was great. She had no idea I was coming. She thought I was still out on the West Coast. My friend Kelly picked me up at the Chicago airport, and then we drove down to Indy together (she was also visiting her family in Indy), and dropped me off at my parent's house. I was praying and hoping my observant mother wouldn't see me come up the driveway. I snuck in the back door and crept through the kitchen where I heard her talking to Craig (who had also surprised her by coming home for her birthday) and his girlfriend and her mom. They were a great distraction. I poked my head around the corner, and my mom stopped mid-sentence. Her jaw dropped and she said, "Ericka?" "Ericka?" Like she couldn't believe it was me in the doorway. She had to touch me to believe I was real. It was a good shocker!!! And then I got smothered in hugs. I was happy. I was so glad I got to come home and surprise her and be with her for her birthday. In 2007, she had turned 60, and I was traveling, so I missed that one. We had a great time together, and I ended up staying a month in Indianapolis, visiting friends, unpacking from my trip, organizing my stuff, and getting ready to move out to Colorado with Ryan and Sabrina (my youngest brother and his wife). They had invited me to come out and live with them in Gypsum, Colorado, which is right on I-70, 2 hours west of Denver, and 40 min west of Vail.

I didn't know if I wanted to go out to Colorado or use my final ticket to Chile, to finish my trip. I prayed about it a lot, asking God for wisdom and direction, to see if He had a preference. My older brother Craig called one night and asked me if I had decided where I was going to go. No, not yet. "What would you do in Chile?" "Write about my trip, maybe work as a waitress, and learn Spanish." (I had wanted to live in a Spanish-speaking country for 3 months and really learn the language.) "What would you do if you moved to Colorado?" "Write and work a little." "What do you fear about moving out to Colorado?" What kind of question was that?? What do I fear?! Well, when I thought about it, it really was a good question.

I was fearing settling. I didn't want to settle and put down roots and then not be able to go and do whatever God wanted me to go and do (go to India, work in an orphanage; go to Egypt, help coach volleyball/work w/ girls). I was free - I didn't have anything hindering me (no house, no husband, no kids, no roots to pull up - they were already up!, and my momentum was still moving after my year of traveling). How could I just "settle" in America, the land of plenty, when there were so many needs around the world? What if I got stuck there and then I would have a hard time leaving, if God did want me to move on. I'm ready, now, God!

Well, the next morning, I wanted to read from my Bible, so I grabbed it and opened it. It flipped open to Jeremiah, kind of in the middle of the Bible, and I just started reading where I opened to. "Go, [don't be afraid] settle in the land I am taking you to. Plant gardens, build relationships, build houses. Pray for the blessing of the land, so you too will be blessed. Don't be deceived by false teaching. At the end of my time for you in that land, I will bring you out of it again.... For I know the plans I have for you, to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future." (That is my paraphrase of Jeremiah 29:4-11)

When I first read it, I didn't realize what it was saying. Then I thought, wait a minute, and I went back and read it again. Was God telling me not to be afraid to go out to Colorado and settle in the land with Ryan and Sabrina for a time? And then was He promising to bring me out when my time there was complete? That was amazing to me. It hit all aspects of where I had fear. That I would be stuck - He said He would bring me out again. And that I would be missing out of a "mission" in Egypt or India... if He was saying to "Go, settle" then I wouldn't be missing out on anything, would I? I prayed about it some more, and then took that word from Jeremiah to be from Him for me and Colorado.

I've been out here since mid-March, and it has been an amazing blessing. I have been writing and compiling stories from my trip, working part time at a local restaurant, and volunteering for a local rancher. I have been riding horses over the Colorado mountains, loving the blue skies and beautiful flowers that wash over the landscape, and being a "cow girl"! I have also really enjoyed getting to know my sister-in-law, Sabrina, well. It has been a blessing to me from my brother and Sabrina, and from God, for me to be here with them.

I just accepted a 6th grade science teaching position here in Gypsum, and will start at the end of this coming August; and I will also get to coach the 7th grade volleyball team. I have had a two year "retirement" from teaching, so we'll see how it will be going back... The school is great; they have a wonderful staff, a really nice principal, and it's in a small community. The kids seem really nice; the racial mix is 50% white and 50% Hispanic. (I will miss my African American kids that I used to teach!!!) Middle school will also be a new adjustment. But a lot of people have told me they really love 6th graders because they have so much enthusiasm.

I'm looking forward to the coming year.

2008 is a year of new beginnings, new things!

My last big hurrah of the summer will be a 2 1/2 week trip to Norway. My dear Norwegian friend/sister is getting married to a great guy, and God provided me with the money to buy a ticket! It was impossible, except by Him. I prayed, asking if it would be ok for me to go, could He find a way to make some new money for me (I didn't want to borrow more from my parents). And I had no idea how that would be possible. Well, a few weeks later, I got an email from the school district out here saying that because I was a science teacher, they were giving me a one-time $1000 signing bonus!!!! I was overwhelmed. God did bring in new money that I had no idea about. And a week later, my mom sent me a check from the US gov't with $310 in it, for a tax refund!! So I had my money for a ticket, and just needed a few more hundred dollars and the whole trip would be paid for. God absolutely amazes me. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

May we keep trusting Him, calling out for Him, searching for Him, like the most precious hidden treasure.

And may we recognize Him when He answers our prayers and shows us who He is

and allow Him to draw us to His heart - to repentance and love and magnificent submission to Him.

He is the King of All Kings.

And He will return.

May He find us ready and expectant for Him, obeying and following Him,

with all of our hearts and souls and mind and strength,

and loving our neighbor as ourself.

God, only through your enabling can you make that possible. Only by the presence of Your Spirit in our lives. Only when our sins and yuckies have been washed clean by your precious, priceless blood on the cross. Only when we truly believe You, all of You, all of what You said, and we obey... then we can truly enter into your rest. (Hebrews 4,5)

God bless you, fellow travelers! May you be encouraged in your hope and faith in the God of the whole universe, the God over every tribe and nation and tongue... who is so gracious and wonderful, faithful and true. May you find Him as you seek for Him with all of your heart.

And may you love Him.

Amen.

Welcome Home! Dec 14, 2007

2008-01-25T23:24:00.000-08:00

When I got home, my brother Craig surprised me at the Lafayette train station (I flew from London to Chicago, O'Hare; and then took Amtrak down to IN) with friends and posters and flowers and sprinklers and my favorite Twix candy bar! When I saw him and my friends, I started to make excited loud noises of delight (screaming?) and gave a flurry of hugs . . .

It was quite the welcome. Craig drove me back to his house, where the next day he cut down a Christmas tree and let me decorate it. (I love to decorate for Christmas, and my brothers don't really care about it.) He made me hot chocolate w/ tons of marshmallows, I got to meet his new girlfriend Kristin, and then we drove home to Indianapolis. It was a great day. And my brother really made it special for me.

On the way, we prayed for a really good first interaction with my family, that God would continue and seal the work that He had done in my heart while I was gone, and that He would bless our reunion. God did all of that and more!

My two dear friends from high school (Kelly and Heidi) had come over to our house to surprise me, and my mom had cooked an amazing chili dinner to celebrate. Craig decorated a circular cake as a globe (complete with continents and oceans), and it was a beautiful welcome home cake.

My dad had the globe on the table with sticky tabs of all the places I was going on my trip, and he had me share my trip journey again with everyone at dinner... Chicago to Miami to Bolivia, to Chile, to New Zealand, to Australia, to India, to Hong Kong, to South Africa, to Mozambique, to Kenya, to Egypt, to Israel, to Jordan, to Spain, to Switzerland, to Italy, to Greece, to Bulgaria/Romania/Hungary (train), to Austria, thru Germany/Belgium, to London, to Chicago, to HOME! Whew. Quite the Journey, 10 1/2 months, end Jan-mid-Dec, 2007. God showed me His Faithfulness as my Heavenly Father more than I could ever have imagined. I love Him more today than I did before. He is such a good Father.

I came home the weekend I did to be able to go to my dear friend Tafrica's wedding. Because of God's faithfulness and goodness, I got on the flight from London (I almost missed it b/c of changing of tickets/reissuing them), and even with a 40 min delay on the London runway, still made it to Chicago in time to catch my train (the only one running that night) to Lafayette. I made it with 5 minutes to spare - talk about God's faithfulness. From the beginning, all the way through the middle, to the very end.

The wedding was beautiful. They had a really neat symbolic moment when they "jumped the broom" a tradition from slavery days when Africans were not allowed to get married in America, so they had their own ceremonies and that was one of the events of the marriage ceremony. I was so thankful I was able to be there with Tafrica, and to get to see some other dear friends at her wedding.

My mom threw a Coming Home Party for me, and we invited anyone who wanted to come. It was such a wonderful evening. I had friends from the neighborhood, friends from Arsenal Tech where I used to teach, friends from Church at the Crossing where I grew up, friends from Grace Church where I went after college, friends from Heritage where I went to high school, and relatives who drove an hour to come an welcome me home! It was so nice of everyone to take time to come. My dad had me share a little about my trip in front of everyone, and God gave me the words to say - about His faithfulness, and believing, really believing what He says; and some highlights from the trip. It was a great evening.

Then our family went to my Grandma and Grandpa Smiley's for Christmas, saw all the cousins, aunts and uncles - it was a great reunion. I am blessed with a really wonderful family. Afterwards, my immediate family drove out to Colorado to be with my next younger brother, Mark, and his wife, Janelle.

We went skiing in their beautiful town of Crested Butte. I stayed there to catch up with friends. Before my trip I lived in that area/Gunnison from Aug-Dec 2006. I also visited a college friend/mentor, Gretchen and her family, who lives in the Springs. It has been so wonderful to be home again and see my beloved friends and family! I praise God that I am home safe - with so many stories, and so much amazement at who God is.

Final 2 stories about coming home: When I was at my brother Craig's house, after he picked me up at the train station, I went out running the next day. I was SO excited that I was home safe. I was bubbling over with joy and amazement and YIPPEEEE!!! wonder at God's faithfulness.

"God, thank you SOOOOOOOO much for taking such amazing amazing amazing care of me for the WHOLE trip... from the very beginning, when I was "stranded" in Miami (flights were cancelled for 3 days because of a fuel strike), all the way through the middle (my lice and blisters in India, only getting sick ONCE on the whole trip in Jerusalem, protecting my stomach from all the food changes and microbes, meeting wonderful people, having a place to stay every night, having enough money all the way through to the end, and on and on and on...), and Your faithfulness to the very end (when I almost didn't make my flight home b/c they had to rewrite my entire 20 segment ticket 3 times by hand because I changed my final destination; and then the plane was delayed on the runway, but we still made it to Chicago in time to catch my train, the last one that night, to Indiana, with 5 minutes to spare!!"

They were all miracles and His provision for my trip. My heart was overflowing with JOY and Thanks!!!

But do you know what I heard? I heard a little thought, whispering, "No, thank you." Thank me? For what, God? You did everything. You opened doors, You made it happen, You provided to the very end, You were the faithful one.

"Thank you, for trusting Me."

Whoah. That was deep. There were a lot of times where I didn't feel like I was trusting Him, but I guess over all, it did take a lot of trust to step out and believe that He would be with me, the entire way. But do you know, that even those "acts of trust" were a result of His encouragement, His enabling, His help?

So even in that, He was the reason I was able to trust, when I did. His grace.

God, I want to trust you the rest of my life.

2nd Story: About my finances. Because I lived at home for 3 1/2 years before I traveled, I saved up a lot of money, paid off my college debt, and bought a used car. That time at home was a result of asking God for direction on where to live while I was teaching in Indianapolis. I wanted to move out and get my own place, but each year when I prayed about where to live, I believed that God was leading me to stay at home. The last year, I was asking Him if I could leave. "Please, God, I'm ready to have my own place." That day I heard in my heart, "One more year." "Ok, God, if You say one more year, I can do that." And do you know; that money I saved up the last year at home was the majority of the money I used for my trip. I had no idea. God is so wise and so good. God, I pray that You will help me really listen and obey You always.

I thought I would use that saved money to put a down payment on a house or pay for part of grad school. When the opportunity to travel came up, I wondered how I would pay for it. I thought I couldn't spend that money "on me"; I should give it to the poor before I did anything selfish with it. But that night as I went to bed, I heard God whisper to my heart concerning the money and the dream of this Around the World trip, "It's a gift". How generous God is! He provided for me to save it, and now He was giving it to me to spend on a personal adventure with Him!

I tried to be really good about how I spent my money on the trip, and would pray before buying anything. I felt like God was my money-manager, and I wanted His input on things. I figured He would know when I was going to run out, and how I should spend the money so I didn't.

Well, I never really heard, "Buy this" or "Don't buy that", but I kept asking Him for guidance.

I would say through my whole trip my top three worries were: 1) That my finances would last through the whole trip. 2) That I would have a safe place to stay each night / contacts in countries. 3) For my safety in general as I was traveling in taxis with strange drivers or in unfamiliar countries/cultures (especially with men).

I had a girl pray for me once, when I was in South Africa, right in the middle of my trip. She prayed and asked God to provide for me abundantly, and afterwards she said, "God is going to do it." I thought, 'Easy for you to say, you're not the one trusting Him each day for everything.' But I hoped she was right.

Well, by the time I got to London in December before my final flight home, I had $300 to my name in my account. That was it. But, at least it was something. I was amazed. I experienced a lot of hospitality in Europe, which enabled me to still have that money left. At the airport, I had to pay $250 for a change of destination fee. I thought, "Great, I still have $50! Charge away!" And they swiped my card. After arriving home and getting unpacked, I got online and saw I had a cell phone bill for the last month, and guess how much it was for? $50.

God is absolutely amazing. We coasted into home with $0 and maybe some change, exactly, after it was all over.

Who's the amazing money manager???!!! He is good.

And do you want to hear about some ice cream that He scooped on top, just for a blessing at the end of the trip? I was unpacking, and found my money belt.

Safely hidden (and forgotten) inside were some traveler's checks and some foreign currency I hadn't spent. Do you know how much it was? $500. I couldn't believe it. God is beyond amazing. He is faithful. And He is good. To the end. ALWAYS. That is His Character. And because He is God, His character doesn't change. No matter what our situation is, or where we find ourselves, HE is FAITHFUL. And HE is GOOD.

And the safety thing - yup, He did that too. Yes, I had some uncomfortable situations, but He brought me safely through all of them. And if something bad would have happened, I would still want to believe in His goodness and faithfulness, and trust that He would bring me through whatever it was.

The stories in the Bible and the testimonies of thousands of believers through the ages speak of His Great Faithfulness, no matter the circumstance. I'll bet someone in the past has gone through every situation we may have to go through, and they experienced God's faithfulness. So that gives me confidence that we can experience His same faithfulness and goodness, because He doesn't change. May we always trust and put our hope in Him, no matter what anyone says, or no matter what we feel like, or what our situation may "say". His character is His character, 100%, all the time, through all generations.

God, help us to grow deep and wide and high and long in our understanding of You, who You are and what You're about. May we have understanding and trust in You. Always. Even when it is so tough. Please help us grow in our trust and belief in You.

And if someone is really hurting right now, because they've had a really tough situation, I pray that You would minister to their heart and you would demonstrate Your loving-kindness and presence to them. May they feel your perfect peace wash over their pain and anger and hurt and sadness. And may they forgive and let go and find healing for their heart and their soul. And may You set them free to fully follow after You, with all of their hearts and souls and minds and strength. May they walk and run with You and be restored to who You have made them to be!

Glorious and in the beautiful image of Your Son. Jesus, I pray for an understanding and revelation of the Cross and what You did on it, and why it's so important for people to believe You. I pray that hardened hearts would be softened to see the humility and deep love of what You chose to do on the Cross.

And I pray that through belief, we would experience fully what You came to do - to not condemn the world, but to save the world through Your death on the cross. Heavenly Father, help us believe and to receive it for ourselves; we do not want to be separate from You any longer.

We want to walk in the fullness of what You have in Your plan for Your redeemed (made right with You) children. I want to be Your child. Thank you so much for what Jesus did on the cross for me. I believe it to cover all of my sins and bad things I've done; I'm sorry for those things; please forgive me.

Thank You for what Jesus did on the Cross for me and for the sins of the world. I believe You. I trust in You. I know my hope and my salvation are in You alone. Thank you, Father. I invite you into my life to transform me by the presence of Your Spirit. May I be sealed in You, forever, and may You daily transform me more and more like You; in the image of Your Son. Help me to grow in You. When I get discouraged, please encourage me by Your Spirit and through other people who have put their hope and trust in You. May we be a people who shine Your light into the dark places of the world, so that more people can be set free and brought into Your glorious Kingdom.

Thank you, Father. You are so good, and patient, and kind. You are full of justice and mercy.

I love you and am so thankful for who You are.

I pray this all in Jesus' Powerful Name, that is above Every Name,

Amen.

Summary of The Trip & Ps 84

2007-12-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

Summary of the BIG TRIP... AROUND THE WORLD with JESUS . . .

All of this Blog has been written as a testimony of GOD's Amazing Goodness & Faithfulness in Ericka's life and experience... traveling around the world, from Chicago to S. America, to New Zealand, to Australia, to India, to Hong Kong, to South Africa, to Mozambique, to Kenya, to England, to Egypt, to Israel, to Spain, to Switzerland, to Italy, to Greece, thur Bulgaria,Romania,Hungary, to Austria, thru Germany, to England, and back home to the U.S.

Who Ericka is: A girl who's Heavenly Dad is so proud of her (and everyone) who TRUSTS Him... so that we can take amazing adventures with Him... our Trust allows Him to work, BIG. Wow, thank you, Father, for your Grace to me, b/c many times I didn't think i could make it. But You are Faithful... and here we are, at the end, heading home tomorrow...and to continue... for the rest of my life!!! I love You, Father. Thank you for this Amazing Trip.

Began Journey: Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Journey will Finish (to be continued): Friday, December 14, 2007

Length of Time:319 Days

No. of Countries (visited or passed thru): 24

No. of Flights, Buses, Metros, Taxis, Trains: A lot, I'll have to count.

Money: God provided to the END!!!! WOW. A miracle. And a GIFT from Him.

Contacts: GOD PROVIDED IN EACH PLACE!!!! Another Miracle. As I went, He opened up doors, AMAZING doors, IN EACH PLACE. Wow. He is AMAZING.

Protection: Nothing stolen, Nothing major lost that wasn't found and even mailed to me (my plane tickets - a miracle!), Nothing happend to me bad with guys... wow. AMAZING. He protected me. MIGHTY!!!! He watched out for His girl. Wow. Thank you, ALL, for your prayers.

Health: Nothing major at all... with all the water changes, climate changes, country changes, for one year... wow. He is my PROTECTOR and HEALER. Just like He did for the Israelites - their sandels did not wear out, miraculously, for 40 years in the desert.

Biggest Lesson Learned: My Heavenly Dad is SO FAITHFUL. Wow. I CAN REALLY REALLY TRUST IN HIM. WITH MY WHOLE LIFE. 100% FAITFUL. 100% TRACK record... not 75%, not 80%, not even 99%... BUT 100% FAITHFUL. WHO IS LIKE HIM????? WOW. I am SO GLAD TO HAVE HIM AS MY TRAVEL BUDDY.

And He doesn't leave me where I am; meaning I have some junk in my life... hurts, lies i believe, things that keep me bound and captive in my heart and thoughts and mind and even soul? So that i'm not totally free... HE KNOWS THIS, He KNOWS ME COMPLETELY, and HE WANTS TO COME IN AND SET ME FREE.

BUT I HAVE TO TRUST HIM. I HAVE TO TRUST HIM, that HE IS GOOD, and that HE IS GOD; and TRUST EVERYTHING HE SAYS, COMPLETELY. Not pick and choose, as I like, but EVERYTHING HE HAS REVEALED is TRUE and WILL COME TO PASS and is TRUE OF HIM and of ME and of our WORLD.

He has the TRUE REALITY, because He is the CREATOR... who are we, that we think we have a better or more accurate reality of our world than the CREATOR? God, please give us humility before you and a deep deep trust in who you say you are, and who you say we are, what our condition is, what we need to do and believe and be about... and your view of our world... give us great confidence in YOU.

This Psalm God has given to me for this trip... He has given me strength for EACH step of the Journey... When I was overwhelmed, I cried out to Him, He heard me and answered me and rescued me.

He is GOD MOST HIGH and He is My God. I love Him and want to serve and walk with Him and TRUST HIM for my whole life.

HE IS FAITHFUL TO THE END! LET THE MESSAGE AND TRUTH OF HIM BE SPOKEN TO THE NATIONS, and MAY WE HAVE SOFT HEARTS TO BELIEVE HIM and RECEIVE HIM. HE IS SO GOOD. HIS WORD IS TRUE, WE CAN TRUST HIM, COMPLETELY, ALWAYS, FOREVER. Amen.

~Ericka

Psalm 84
For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!

2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.

8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah

9 Look upon our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.

10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
NO GOOD THING does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

12 O LORD Almighty,
BLESSED is the man [or person] who TRUSTS IN YOU.

From Biblegateway.com

(New International Version)Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

AMEN! TO THE END... He is FAITHFUL. May we put our FULL TRUST in HIM ALONE.
He is so Good.

Post 99... Last Full Day of My BIG TRIP

2007-12-13T03:59:00.000-08:00

Thursday, Dec 13, 2007... 12noon... Last full day before flying home tomorrow.
Wow. Here we are. I'm in London, at an Internet cafe, getting ready to . . .

head into the city and see the major sites... Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Globe Theatre, and some double-decker red buses. I arrived 2 days ago and have been staying with my dear sister in Jesus, Erina. (The girl I met back in New Zealand, traveling around the world with Jesus in the other direction.) It is really really great to stay with people you know and love. To be in a home, to be loved and taken care of... wow. That is a gift from our Father.
So yesterday I just hung out and spent time with my Heavenly Father, talking to Him, reading His word... Colossians 3 and Romans 8... and Hebrews 3 & 4 and James 1.

My heart has especially been drawn towards Hebrews 3 & 4 and James 1... talking about BELIEVING GOD... and then what happens when we do believe HIM. When we believe, we will enter His REST, it says in Hebrews 4. If we don't believe, and we harden our hearts, even after we have SEEN His workings, we will NOT enter His rest. And BELIEVING leads to Obedience... walking with Him, by HIS Direction. wow. i am realizing that BELIEVING HIM, TRUSTING HIM, BELIEVING HIM, is SO KEY, to peace to living in His promises, to experiencing Him, to walking with Him, to living with Him in me and thru me...

BELIEVING. We can believe a lot of things, some true things, some not true things... i know, b/c i have believed some pretty big lies, and been so yucked in my life because of believing them.

But Jesus said, You will know the Truth and the Truth will SET YOU FREE. What is the truth? Jesus also said, I AM the Way, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. Do I really believe Him? Do i believe Him for my life and for all the nations of the world and for the person in front of me?

I have to do some major confession about NOT BELIEVING. God, can you forgive me? I'm so sorry I haven't truely believed you, because if i did, it would truely bear fruit in my thoughts and my life and my actions and everything. I want to believe YOU in everything. Not just things I want to believe or am comfortable with. I want you to SET ME FREE and to totally live with you, walking with you,
TRUSTING You, Believing in You, BELIEVING YOU.

The Bible is SO KEY for our understanding... wow, really reading it, really BELIEVING it, EVERY part of it. Wow, God, let me find life with You, REST in YOU, Peace in YOU, JOY in YOU, LOVE in YOU... all these things in you. We seek for them in so many other places... but they are TRULY found in YOU ALONE. YOU are the BIG GOD, the ONLY GOD, and I want to know and love and serve you all the days of my life. I want to be a faithful proclaimer of who you are, what i have seen and experienced... Psalm 34 says, Taste and See that the LORD is Good. Yes, You are GOOD, LORD!!

And i want to believe ALL about YOU... who you say You ARE, and reject any lies about You. I want ONLY TRUTH; I really really don't want to believe lies. I love you and I trust You with my life.

So I pray for abundant blessings and great understanding and opening of eyes for each of us and for each of you... thank you for walking with me on this journey, for your encouragement and for your blessings and prayers and notes and love. You each are so precious to the Father.
May we each TRUELY KNOW and BELIEVE HIM & WHO HE IS.

Much love! Our God Has Been & Is & Will Be Faithful to the End,
(Help us, God, to be Faithful to the End...)

Your Sister and Fellow Journey-er,

ericka :)

Greece Pics in Patmos w/ Mom

2007-11-26T23:05:00.000-08:00

Mom and I rode a super-fast ferry from Kos Island north to Patmos. We could see the shoreline of Turkey as we zoomed by. Amazing to think we were on this side of the globe! Our faces made lots of G-force expressions... skin flattened on our cheeks, our lips flubbering in the wind, eyes drying out, bodies almost being blown back unless we held on to the guardrail. It was funny!! The weather was beautiful. We got off at the island of Patmos; it was hilly with lots of trees and houses on it, and there was a cross high up on the hill. Mom and I read the beginning of the book of Revelation (the last book of the Christian Bible) to get ready for our visit. Patmos was the island that John (follower of Jesus, one of Jesus' closest disciples) was imprisoned on for his faith and testimony about Jesus. While there, God gave him a Revelation, that he was told to write down... which gave words from Jesus to the churches of the day (like a progress report) and to tell people about what would happen at the "End of the Age" (when Jesus returns, the Judgement day happens, and everything else...). John wrote that we would be blessed whoever read it. And he was very serious that nothing else be added except what God revealed to him and he wrote down. So that we could know the TRUTH of what he wrote. If you haven't read Revelation yet, try it! There are 21 chapters, some of it is confusing, but just ask God to teach you what He wants to reveal and show you.

Mom and I found a clean and nice hotel up on one of the hills. It was owned by a local lady and her family. Later, we tried to find mopeds to ride (we saw them advertised) but found out it was not the right season to rent them. Too bad. We took a taxi up to the monastary that was built to commemerate the place where John received the Revelation from God.

Mom and I didn't get to go down the steps to the cave where tradition says the revelation was given, but we walked through the forest and pretended that it was near there.

We had Thanksgiving on the island. We ordered octopus, instead of turkey. It was quite the change. I can't say that I'm a fan. The octopus came out with the arms and the tentacles on the underside, and it was rubbery, like chewing a hose that had been marinated and grilled. Not that I've ever eaten a hose, but if I did, I'm sure it would taste like that.

The next day we saw a man out on the waterfront smacking and throwing down again and again a glob of something. We walked over to find out what he was doing. Guess what it was? Octopus. If that thing wasn't dead already, I'm sure it had a killer headache. The man spoke maybe 5 words of English, and I spoke maybe one word of Greek, so I used my finely developed charades skills to ask the man if he was killing the octopus. Somehow he communicated to me that he was tenderizing it. I felt like telling him that the guy who gave the restaurant the octopus we ate should have taken lessons from him.

Mom and I walked up the side of another hill to try to see the sunset. Mom really wanted to see the sunset from the mountainside, but we didn't know if we would make it in time. We prayed that we would. A little dog decided to follow us. It was really cute. And it felt like it was along to help protect us and give us some security in this unfamiliar place. We climbed the last section of the hill and came around towards the western edge. The sun was just dipping below the mountains on the other side of the island. It was a stunning coral pink and the sky was a beautiful pastel blend of rose, gold, and violet. When we walked back down the other side, God showed us his glorious moon. It was full and magnificent. Patmos was a great visit. We left that evening on an overnight trip back to the mainland. God woke us up the next morning to go up and have front row seats on the top of the huge boat to see His sunrise.

We were going to see Sara Linville in Rafina at the Greek Bible Institute, a Bible college she was attending. We knew each other from our home church, Church at the Crossing in Indianapolis.

Greece w/ Mom (Corinth, Athens, Kos)

2007-11-25T22:47:00.000-08:00

Mom and I had a great time in Greece! We both flew into Athens, and met at the airport. It was a flurry of excited cries and hugs and kisses. I hadn't seen my mom since I left home back in January. And it was November. She had come to meet me for her Thanksgiving Break. While I was waiting for her flight to arrive, I looked in my Lonely Planet that I bought from a girl for $5 - sweet!, and found a hotel in Athens we could stay at. They said there was a nice rooftop patio with a great view of the Parthenon. I called and made a reservation.

We got her luggage and headed across the skyway to the train/metro and bought two tickets to downtown Athens. On the ride there, we talked about our flights and mom's last week of school, and my time in Italy. It was so good to have my MOM there with me.

We got off of the train and walked up the stairs to the exit. My mom had extra luggage with her, because she brought some "additional supplies" for me at my request. New clothes and some candy! We came out into a big square with trees and a fountain, and asked directions to the street we needed. A few people tried to help us out. We walked past the buildings and restaurants and headed up a side street. We walked past a local Greek restaurant, and I said, "We should eat here tonight, to celebrate our first night in Greece together." We kept walking, looking for our hotel.

After some backtracking and turning more corners, we found the sign and walked in the old front doors into a small lobby with stairs that led up to a desk. There was an older man sitting there, and I introduced myself, saying I had called for a reservation earlier that evening. He gave us two keys and told us we were up on the 2nd floor. We rode an old elevator up and walked out onto a narrow floor. We found our room, nothing extravagant, plain walls, two twin beds, and a small bathroom. But just having my mom there with me made it a palace.

We put our suitcases down, and my mom showed me all that she had brought for me. It was like Christmas. I had traveled with the same clothes for the past eleven months; the same khaki zip-off safari pants, capri black quick-dry pants, three shirts - pink shortsleeve, red longsleeve; and a few things I had traded or picked up or given away along the way.

When I saw three pairs of pants - a pair of jeans, blue corduroy, and a brown khaki, I was so excited. Yes, they were mine, they were not new, but it felt like new to me! My mom had brought a change of season clothes, it was now fall time in Europe and I wouldn't be home until Christmas, so I would need some warmer things. She brought

I tried everything on and modeled it for my mom. It was like a shopping spree.

We got ready, I wore my new cute outfit, and we walked back to that small family restaurant we saw. It was so so so fun to be with my mom in Greece. We looked over the menu - lamb, shiskibobs, Greek salad (olives, fetta cheese), and plain yogurt with honey for dessert. We had a great meal. And the owner and his twin brother were so kind and pleased that we were visiting their restaurant.

The next morning, mom and I went up to the rooftop for breakfast.

Happy Thanksgiving from Greece!

2007-11-24T02:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving from Greece!!!
It has been a HUGE blessing from God to have my mom here this week with me.
He has blessed us with AMAZING weather - blue skies and sunshine, when there could easily not be. Also, He has directed each step of our journey w/ out us even being aware... making metro connections, looking up after praying for a travel agent and seeing one in a 2 inch window, agent staying open 30 min longer than normal for us to buy tickets the next EARLY morning to Kos island so that we could enjoy a full 3 days on the islands, (after visiting Athens and Corinth last weekend and monday)... enabling us to rent a car to zoom around Kos and discover beautiful beaches, enjoy the fresh wind, and see an amazingly stunning coast where waves crashed into the rocks, dancing and jumping 20 feet high!!! wow!!! Then we took a super fast (we experienced some G-forces and fought to stand at the front of the boat - it seemed like we were flying over the water!!!) BIG boat to Patmos Island... a Greek island near Turkey where John (one of Jesus' closest disciples) was sent/exiled to for his love of and teaching about his understanding that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, God with us!! It was here, back in maybe around 80 AD (?) that Jesus (in his glorified self) came to visit John and share with him some things to write down, a REVELATION, about what was to come, and a message to the current churches and to those who believed in Jesus, that He was who he claimed to be.
Here is the 1st and final (22nd) chapter from this book of what John saw and testifies...
(its a great book to read - says that you will be blessed if you read it and blessed if you hear it and take it to heart, because the time is near...)

Revelation 1 (New International Version) First Chapter

www.biblegateway.com New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
Prologue

1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Greetings and doxology

4John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits^[a] before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

One like a Son of Man

9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"^[b]dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

19"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels^[c] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Footnotes:

Revelation 1:5 Or the sevenfold Spirit
Revelation 1:13 Daniel 7:13
Revelation 1:20 Or messengers

Chapter 2-5 are really good too... read the whole book, and ask God to give you understanding and His revelation, His Truth...

Revelation 22 (New International Version) Final Chapter

The River of Life

1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 6The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."

Jesus Is Coming

7"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

8I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"

10Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

17The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

Footnotes:

Revelation 22:16 The Greek is plural. (texts taken from www.biblegateway.com)

Amen!!!

Love you guys!!! Thanks for being such a great support network, with your love and prayers on this whole journey. To the finish!!! By His strength and provision and enabling and grace and love and power and might!!!

Blessings to each of you,

ericka :)

Athens, Greece

2007-11-18T06:07:00.000-08:00

From an email to my dad... from Athens, Greece

Mom and i are here at an internet cafe, waiting out a rain storm that just came in!
we came out of the the National Archaeological Museum and bam~! dark clouds swirling, thunder, and we tried to head to the metro, but saw an internet cafe, so ducked in, just before the rain came down! its clearing up a bit now, but its good to take a break.
thanks for your email; mom says hi!
we're having FUN!!!!! went up to the acropolis, looked out over the whole city of athens, and saw the cool pillars and the ocean and it was BEAUTIFUL weather - sunny, balmy breezes, probably 55 in the sun, and the sky was all kinds of blue colors... gorgeous.
athens is quite a HUGE city, tons of cars, buildings, streets, buses (mom says, electric street cars, the buses are attached up top to wires), but it was fun to get up above and see the city sprawling out below. and to see the ruins!!
we are staying in a nice hotel last last and tonight, which is a great blessing - and we had breakfast overlooking an amazing view of the acropolis!! (the Acropolis is a hill with an ancient wall up on it, like a fort made of yellowish bricks, marble!, and has a bunch of ruins up there - the parthenon, which is a flat marble structure w/ lots of huge pillars. They're doing a lot of restoring, you can see the new white marble contrasting w/ the older yellow marble... and guess what? we found out where legos came from! The ancient Greeks invented them!!! The pillars and roofs have groove and circular "pegs" exactly like LEGOS, that "snap" into the other pieces of marble to help secure the buildings!! wow. There was also a really cool looking ampitheatre, all of MARBLE. you know how people like to have marble kitchens/counter-tops, and that is really fancy? well, here in athens, they make even some of their STREETS in marble (bricks of marble or huge slabs in the door ways, etc! amazing, huh?)
God gave us a gift of wonderful wonderful weather this morning!!!

Its really really fun to have mom here with me. Just laughing and walking around and joking and talking... and yes, its really nice.

We'll probably head to Corith tomorrow, and maybe to the islands on Tues to see what we can find!!! Its going to be a great week!!!

love,
ericka and rachel :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!!
May you all be able to take some moments to thank God for whatever.
i'm so glad to have my mom here to experience Greece with me!
Cool places are nice, but relationships, family, God... all of these are better!

Love and Blessings,
ericka (and rachel - my mom!)

"Quick" Updates; Spain, Switzerland, & Italy

2007-11-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

Hi dear friends and family!

I am in Rome tonight... heading to Athens tomorrow morning to meet my MOM for a mother/daughter Greek week!! Ha! i just came up with that up!
She's coming to spend Thanksgiving with me, and i think we're going to check out the cool stuff around Athens (like the pillars and buildings from a LONG time ago, and maybe visit some places like Corinth and Theselonica, and maybe the Island of Patmos... the 2 cities that Paul visited on his missionary journeys and he wrote letters to those people, which are now published in the Bible, and the Island is where John - Jesus' really close buddy - was inprisoned/sent to, but where God gave him the vision of Revelation, which is also in the Bible... which are ALL really good to read; you know, being up on the topics that God thinks are important to know... like our faith in Him and what's going to happen in the future...
I really am looking forward to also just relaxing with my mom on an island some where - blue blue blue waters... ahhh.
Its chilly here, definitely fall, but it is still nice. That's what's crazy... i'm in colder weather now!! i haven't been in colder weather since i was in NZ in their fall (our spring), and australia - same deal, and CapeTown for their rainy/cold time... and i just saw SNOW in switzerland for the 1st time since i left home in January!!!!! whoah. it was BEAUTIFUL!!!
reminded me of Christmas and helps me get ready for it! Then guess what? On my overnight train to Italy, there was TONS of snow, and one of the railway worker guys got a big snowball and acted like he was going to throw it at me and this other girl i was with, so we ran out and had an all-out WAR at one of the stations!! It was SO FUN!!!! i haven't had that much fun in i don't know how long... playing, running, throwing, dodging, laughing!!
Ok, back to Switzerland... so i had a great week in Spain - a couple days in Madrid with my new friend Molly and a family from her church; they became my adopted family for a few days; i even had a grandma and grandpa; and my "grandma" read molly and me a bed time story about beautiful princesses known by the King because of their LOVE for Him! :)
Then off to Barcelona to stay with a friend from my growing-up days in Indianapolis at Church at the Crossing... Eric and his beautiful wife Gina - who were really really great hosts. So gracious and kind and helpful. It was great reconnecting with Eric, meeting his new wife - she is a great girl, and having lots of wonderful conversations.
Then I took my 1st official overnight train to SWITZERLAND!!!! Which is now my new favorite country. It used to be New Zealand, and specifically the south island, near Mt. Cook and Wanaka... but now it is SWITZERLAND. Amazing. That is all i can say. Mountains soaring up at 45 degree angles, straight from the edge of a lake or a carpet of green grass or rolling hills... dark wooden chalets that look like giant ginger bread houses, deep valleys that just "nestle" in the shadow of the mountains. It is really spectacular.
I stayed at L'Abri, a christian chalet (or a chalet run by people who follow/love Jesus), and who provide a place where people, mostly in their 20s, can come and really try to hash out their questions/issues/whatever about christianity. Really interesting and some good conversations. And it was great to meet the people there. I also got to PARAGLIDE over the ALPS!!!! WHOAH!!! i was a little scared before i did it, thinking i've come this far, i really don't want to crash and break my body... that would be sad. But, it wasn't scary AT ALL. A grandma could do it. The wind picks up the parachute even before you get to the edge of anything, so you're flying before you have to jump... it picks you up!!! and then you're SOARING like a bird over this amazing valley - full of green pastures and fields and then the mountains out in front of you, wow. You sit in this seat, like you're in a johnny-jump up chair, like when you were little - did anyone else have those, where a baby bounces around, hanging from the ceiling. That sounds bad; i mean the chair is hanging from the ceiling. Anyway, you are totally secure and your feet are out dangling beneath you and you're high up, but it feels like you're just sitting... not falling. It reminded me of when my dad and uncle would take my brothers and cousins and me up in their ultralights; like hang-gliders with a seat and engine; small airplanes, really, and we would fly over my grandparents' fields in Illinois in the summer and fall. it was so fun. we would drop a parachute man from up high, and whoever was on the ground would run and try to catch it as it floated down! in memory of those days, i dropped my glove from up above, and it hit within 20 feet of where we landed!
After more adventures (went to Interlaken, a swiss resort town, and rode a train up to the "highest point in Europe"... it was COLD and snowy up there! -15!) and meeting more great people, I got on an overnight train to Venice, Italy.
That is my new favorite city!! It is like disney land!! seems almost fake, like they made it for tourists!! cute, close-together streets, shops with beautiful, colorful, lit-up displays where you can spend a million euros on anything from jackets to jewelry to sparkely masks (they have a carnival in Feb where everyone wears these masquarade masks - BEAUTIFUL, SPARKELY, creations!!) to colorful pasta! Lots of fairy land bridges that go over fairly land mint green water with story book gondolas (those long canoe like boats with the 'driver' standing up in back w/ his cool venice boat driving straw hat on)... and God provided a way for me to RIDE in one of them, for cheap!! Normally it is 120 euros for an hour, thats OVER 120 dollars, choke... but God provided one other guy and another couple to come by and they agreed to go with me, so we got to split it 4 ways... which is MUCH better and it was SO worth it!!!!!! A dream come true!!!!! Thank you, God!!! I went to a concert that night; beautiful beautiful quintet - 2 violins (amazing "singing" voices), cello, viola and bass... wow. They played Canon in D by Pachabel... i was in rapturous wonder. ahhh.
Then headed out next day for Pisa... on the western coast of Italy (mid way down the "sock") - venice is up on the east coast, towards the top. I almost missed my train - running, running with a 30 pound pack... Jesus, please hold the train!!! and on.
whew!!! (i had accidently missed getting off at my boat stop, so had to get off at the next dock along the canal... and b/c its WATER in the "streets" i couldn't run back to my stop, i had to wait for the next boat... ahhh!!!! then get my backpack out of storage, then find the right train/platform number, then run to it!!!!!

I'll have to share more of the Pisa story for later (met a great family /friends from Florida - i recognized their American accent! Did you know we all have an American accent??!!!! And we explored the streets of Pisa, looking for that leaning tower, and w/ lots of help, looking at the map, and fun times later, we found it! Its still leaning! And its a lot taller than it looks like in pictures. And its next to 2 other cool buildings that never get any recognition. A church and something else that has a cool dome shape)...

Then the Rome story; God provided a MIRACLE to get me into the sistine chapel, I was in a REALLY long long line w/ tons of people that snaked around 2 sides of the building, and we had 10 min to get in before they closed the doors for the day... God, if you want me to get in, you can do anything - thinking that it was totally IMPOSSIBLE, by natural means to get thru this line w/out His help; and i was going to be REALLY bummed to not get in; i was in Rome for only ONE day and i wanted to see Michelangelo's famous paintings, of Creation, etc. We kept getting closer and closer to the door, and i kept looking at my watch, getting ready to walk away b/c i figured it wouldn't happen... then all of a sudden, we were in, and it was just 12:30! Maybe a minute and a 1/2 later, the doors closed behind us, and all the other people had to go home. They couldn't get in. Wow. Thank you, God. We (me and this chinese friend i met, miraculously - once in venice, he was one of the guys who came on the gondola boat ride, and then a second time, "randomly" but i know it could ONLY be God to cross paths w/ people 2wice like that in the HUGE city of Rome! We both walked up to the huge line to the sistiene chapel right at the same time. whoah. It was a good time of encouraging each other in our faith in God/Jesus, and i know God had it planned out!) got to see all the paintings - Rafael, Michelangelo, and some other guys - beautiful, totally real-looking paintings and wall hangings - like carpet w/ pictures on them, detailed amazing, real-life looking pictures of scences - and mostly scenes from the Gospels (King Herod killing all the Jewish babies right when Jesus was born, in an attempt to kill him, b/c he was afraid Jesus would grow up and take over his kingdom - he had no idea!; the miracles of Jesus; the crucifixion; Jesus rising back to life, leaving the tomb victorious!; Creation of Man (the famous one, Adam/man reaching out touching God - that is beautiful... but the amazing thing, is that God is reaching out and touching us... all through history, and the most dramatic and important and amazing is the story of the Jesus and the cross). There are thousands and millions of people are walking thru here every year - i pray that they would see these paintings and not just think they are history, or folk lore, or christian teachings... but really, God's real reality story of Him reaching out to us, to each of us.
and that their hearts would be open and receiving to His reaching out to us.
He is amazing.

Goodnight you guys!!! God BLESS each of you. May you KNOW His abundant care and provision and deep deep love for you.

ericka :)

Pics: Switzerland L'Abri Adventures

2007-11-08T22:30:00.000-08:00

L'Abri (Pronounced: La'Bree) was where I found myself for a few days in Switzerland. I was so thankful to be able to stay there. It was a large chalet, with about 20 young adults (mostly from the U.S.) living there for 1-2 semesters, taking a break from life to investigate their Christian beliefs. They had responsibilities and there were full time staff living there, helping with maintenance, raising their own families, and living in near-by chalets. I had lots of fun meeting all the people who were staying there. We went on night walks and played "attack" games, where we would run ahead, hide in the woods just off the path, and then when the group came by, jump out and scare everyone. I was really good at being a stealthful Indian. :) Then on the walk back, a few of us made up a game where we were pretending to be walking through the woods during WWII, trying to avoid the Germans, and our parents had all been killed. It reminded me of a book that my dad read to us when we were young, The Silver Sword.

The students had study time every day, where they would 1) attend a lecture about a certain topic (eg; religious beliefs engaging science, or redemption) led by one of the staff 2) study for three hours on their chosen topic, taking notes, to write up a thesis about it at the end of their stay (eg; women in the church, the nature of God, the Holy Spirit and His role, etc.... basically anything that they wanted to study, that they had been confused about or had questions in their minds about). They had a really extensive library for all their topics; shelves of audio recordings of all previous lectures and rows of books on all kinds of spiritual subjects.

We went for walks to the local village, and I was so glad we did, because one night, I rode the bus up from the waterfront and the bus driver didn't understand where I wanted to get off, so we passed it. I had no idea we did, because it was dark, and I was still new here. We rode all the way to the top village, where I had been on a walk before, and remembered, kind of, how to walk back to the Chalet. I talked with the driver before getting off to check that he wasn't going back, no he wasn't this was his last stop, and then the bus parked for the night. I prayed, and got off into the dark night. I started walking back down the road, knowing that it would be about a 20 minute walk. There weren't any street lights as I got away from the town. I saw a place up ahead that reminded me of the short cut we had taken before, so I prayed about it, and started walking across the hill, away from the main road. About five minutes into my walk, I realized that it was really dark over here, and that I would have to know which turn to take, and I wasn't so sure. I prayed about it and thought, "Ericka, what's smart? What should you do?" Well, I thought, the smartest thing would be to go back to the main road and walk down it, and it would eventually wind down to the Chalet. So that's what I did. I hadn't walked 20 feet back on the main road when I heard a car coming behind me. I prayed, "God, please let them stop to pick me up." (We were in Switzerland, and I figured that in these small villages, it would be very safe to hitchhike, compared with other places I had been.) A nice black car drove around me, and then pulled into a driveway up ahead. Hmmm. Maybe they're turning around. The car stopped and a lady got out of the driver's side. "Do you need a ride?" I couldn't believe it! They were stopping for me!! I jogged over to the car, and the lady asked me where I was staying. I said, "L'Abri, its a Chalet just down the road about 5 minutes." "We can take you there." Thanking her, I got into the car. I didn't feel scared at all. This was God's personal provision for me, and I knew it. A man was driving, and I thought it was nice that the wife had gotten out to ask me, so it wouldn't scare me. I found out they were from America, and had two daughters in their early twenties, and the dad had seen me on the bus. Oh! I remembered him. I had smiled at him and a few other people as they got on the bus. He said my smile told him that I was a nice girl, and so when he saw me talking with the bus driver in the last town, and looking confused as I got off and began walking down the hill, he thought of his two daughters and how he would want others to help them if they were ever in need. So he got off and got his wife and they drove down to find me. If I would not have gotten back on that main road right when I did, they would have passed me, and I never would have received their help. God is beyond amazing at how He coordinates taking care of His children. I started to get tears in my eyes thinking about all of this. He really was my Daddy, taking care of His little girl. I thanked the couple for helping me and told them about how God was taking such good care of me through people like them. Then said a prayer for them and their two girls - praying for God's blessing for them.

I got to go paragliding over the Alps while I was in L'Abri. Again, it was an amazing provision of God. The one day that we could go, the weather was spectacular. The next day it snowed, and stayed cold until I left. I was scared at first, again thinking, what if I die? How will I pay for my medical bills? But there were three other girls and one guy going, so I thought, if they're doing it, then I can too. We rode in a red van to the site on the hill where we would fly from. Two Swiss guys were our guides. That made it much better. They would be going with us.

They spread out two huge rectangular parachutes on the grassy hill. They asked who was going first, and two people volunteered. I decided I could go at the end. They got their harnesses on, one for the customer and one for them, that were hooked to the parachute, then they started running down the hill, with the chute dragging behind. Then wind filled the chute, and it rose up above them, and all of a sudden they were flying! They floated quickly and effortlessly over the drop off and out over the trees and down into the valley below. When it was my turn, I got harnessed in, and then we started running, and then, my feet just lifted off the ground! It was amazing. (I thought we were going to have to jump off a cliff for the wind to lift us; it was much easier and less scary then that; we were on solid ground, and then the wind picked us up off the hill. I consider it to be a 1 out of 10 in terms of scary-crazy things to do. Skydiving alone was a 9 out of 10. I really think that a grandma could do paragliding, if she had someone running with her.)

We floated out over the valley; and it was like "flying in a painting" like one of my friends said. The mountains were glorious, the valley full of fields and vineyards and towns. I loved it!!!

Switzerland is my favorite country.

Pics: Switzerland, Autumn Walk

2007-11-07T22:14:00.000-08:00

I took the train from Barcelona to Switzerland; my first overnight train in Europe! It was FUN! At first the conductor put me in the wrong room, with guys, but then he realized his mistake, so I got to move down with a girl from Japan. In the middle of the night, as we were going through France, the train stopped at the border and police got on. They asked us all for our passports (which I found out was standard procedure traveling through Europe); they took them, checked them, and brought them back. This was a little difficult for me to do at first, because I heard that I should NEVER NEVER let anyone else have my passport. But I gave it to them anyway. And it came back fine. One of the girls next to us was taken off the train and questioned. I was praying for her. She was from an African country, and was working in London, and I hoped that they weren't giving her a hard time just because she was black. I wasn't sure if they had racial prejudices in Europe. About 30 minutes later they let her back on the train. She was a little shaken up. I think they thought she was an illegal alien.

We kept going through the night, and very early the next morning, the conductor announced that we were in Switzerland, and the next stop was the one I wanted. I got my backpack down from the rack. (I was sleeping on the upper bunk that folded up against the wall.) When I went out into the walkway, outside of our room, I saw one of the girls from the next door down get her stuff together too. "Are you getting off here?" I asked. "Yes, this is my home town." I was amazed. Here in this small town of Switzerland, the girl right next to me is getting off at the same place I am. God, You take such good care of me.

I told her I was going to L'Abri, a Christian house, but that I had to catch a connecting train. She knew which one it was and told me that I could come with her.

Wow.

We got off at the station, and she walked with me over to the large boards with all the train schedules on them. She started pointing to different train lines and finding which one I would need to take. "We can take the first one together, and then I'll show you what to get on next." When I looked at the schedules, I was so thankful for my new friend, because all the writing was in French, and I didn't know how to read the schedule - it didn't make sense to me.

We got on the next train, and didn't have to pay anything, or show anyone a ticket. She said that in Switzerland, people can get on and off all the time, and they just buy passes during the year. I think if I would have gotten caught without a pass, I would have shown them my Eurrail pass and hoped that covered me.

Our train ran along a huge lake, Lake Lemon, or Lake Geneva. There were mountains shooting up higher than I had ever seen before on the other side. It was a picture out of Narnia or heaven or something. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My mouth was wide open.

We crossed through about five different beautiful small villages on our way to our stop. My friend announced when we arrived, and I got my things and got off with her. She told me that I could get on the next train to where I was going in five minutes, or I could walk along the waterfront to the next village, and catch the train there.

The walk sounded like something I completely wanted to do, but I was afraid. What if I got lost, or couldn't find the village, or didn't know where the train was? Wouldn't it just be safer to get on the train now, while I could? It was another point of trust. God, can I go? Do you want to go? Yes. Then go!

I told her I would like to try the walk, so she pointed out where the path began that led down the hillside towards the next village. "Keep walking along the path until you come to the next town. The train station will be right there."

She walked with me down to where it began, and I was scared the whole time, but trying to look like I was confident. There's something about being in a totally new place that is really intimidating. There is a whole chasm of unknown that stretches out in front of me, and it is scary. What ifs fill this chasm and torment me with their bony fingers of fear.

I started to walk. This was beautiful. I found the trail marker, and it was a nice paved path that ran through the local grape vineyards. The colors were starting to turn for autumn, and I was in the midst of the most glorious scenery on the planet. Thank you, God, for letting me take this walk.

Along the way, I met a lady who was jogging, and it turned out that she was from America, and lived here in one of these small towns, and she was the 2nd born with 3 brothers, like me. It was great to meet her, and I think we were both really encouraged. She loved Jesus, too!

I made my way to the town, and found myself in the most enchanting village I had ever seen. I thought I was in Disney World. Swiss Chalets, flower boxes in windows, cobbled streets, arches to walk under, it was beautiful. Oh, I would love to live in a small town like this.

I asked a man, who spoke French, where the train station was, and he walked with me a bit to show me.

The station looked like it was straight out of Anne of Green Gables. A simple house with a bench outside, and two tracks, one going east, the other west. This was great!

A nice older lady smiled at me and helped me figure out where I wanted to go.

When the train came, she got on with me and we sat together. I didn't know any French, but we smiled a lot. I showed her pictures of my family from home. She knew a little English, which was nice.

She got off a station before me, and said goodbye, indicating that my station was the next one. The trains had an electronic voice that announced the names of the towns we were entering and which one would be coming next.

I started thinking, maybe I should just ride this train past my stop and get off at the next one and keep walking. It is so pretty here, and I think I could find my way back. Besides, the girl who helped me at first said there was a beautiful castle down by the water at one stop, and I found it on the map. It was a little past where I needed to go.

My station came, and I stayed on. I was really starting to be a true Adventurer!

At the next stop, I got off, and walked down to where the water was. I saw another paved path along the waterfront, and thought, "This is great! I LOVE being on this adventure with Jesus!" We walked together, Him and me, along the waterfront, and I was in awe of all the crimson, bright gold and orange that covered the hillside. The contrasts were spectacular.

Up ahead I saw a castle. It sat on land that jutted right out into the water, and had turrets and high walls - I thought I was in King Arthur's time. With the jagged mountains behind, it was a scene to behold.

After my date with Jesus and our wonderful walk, I headed back to the station to catch the last train to the bus stop. A nice bus driver picked me up and when I asked if I needed to pay, he waved me off, and then told me when I was to get off at the train station.

When I got off, I was walking down the street and saw a girl, who I had a thought to ask her where the train station was. She said, "Right over here; that's where I'm going." God, You are beyond amazing. Not only was she going to the train station, but she was also going in the same direction I was going. What are the chances, especially feeling prompted to talk to her?!

We got on the next train together, and she told me when I was to get off.

I got off at my station, and walked towards the exit. I asked someone where the bus station was, and they led me out and pointed me across the street to where other people were standing.

I walked over there and asked another girl which bus was going to Way-mo? (Huexmou). She said, "This one, the one we're going on." The bus came a few minutes later and I got on, and spoke to the driver, who knew a little English. I asked him how much the bus was and did he accept Euros (that I had from Spain). He did not. Hmmm. Should I go exchange my Euros? He stopped me and held up his finger to say wait a minute, did some calculations and then pulled out some of his Swiss Francs change and gave it to me, in exchange for some Euros. That was really nice of him. I paid then, in Swiss Francs.

The bus started off, and we went out of the village and up into the countryside towards the mountains. The highway led us through a wide open green valley, and then we started to climb up into the mountains. I could not stop looking out the window. I think my jaw was sore from being open, in complete awe, all the time. We were driving through scenery I had never seen an equal to, in my whole life. These mountains. Our mountains in Colorado are beautiful, but the ones in Switzerland, wow. The mountains in Colorado have a much more gradual slope, but these jutted up dramatically, towering above the valley below. I seriously thought that this has to be what it looks like in heaven.

I told the bus driver that I needed to go to a certain stop, and he nodded, and when we arrived, he stopped the bus and let me off. Merci!

I had arrived at L'Abri.

Into the Home Stretch...

2007-11-06T00:55:00.000-08:00

Its hard to believe, but I only have a month and a little left to this amazing trip.
I remember thinking when 1 month for a vacation would have seemed L--ONG to me.
But now that i´ve been traveling for 9 1/2 months (i just had to stop and count on my fingers... Feb, March, April...), it is merely the final chapter in a long book.
How do you write a final chapter? I guess you would look back over everything you´ve done so far, with some regrets, i wonder if i should have done this; but mostly just amazement at ALL that has happened. I think the BIGGEST thing as a take-home lesson for me has been The Amazing Faithfulness of God. Hmmm, maybe that could be the title of each of our life-stories, all with different sub-titles. I can see it, a whole library of books, one after another after another, lining the shelves... in as big a room as the Library of Congress in the States, or in one in the Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast... all with the titles, The Amazing Faithfulness of God; The Father ´s Grand Adventure with Ericka; or The Amazing Faithfulness of God; You Fill in the Blank with your own story...
As I´ve been traveling I´ve learned some things, things I already knew but that got more cemented in my realization... like, I prefer nature and being outdoors to cities. Or, I really like spending time getting to know people and becoming their friend and interacting, past the surface level, in their lives. I´ve also learned some new things, mostly by seeing it 1st hand, in ways that challenged how i originally thought about things... like, our world is beautiful, i love blue skies, open waters, mountains, hills, flat lands, but trash and pollution can make it really nasty, so how do we realistically, and with good results, take care of what has been entrusted to us? Or, wow, i guess i really DON´T EVER have to worry, about anything, because God said He would take care of it and He will take care of me. Now THAT´s cool. IF i can really walk in it. I BELIEVE (and have SEEN) it to be true... but it always seems that it is TESTED! Ahhggh. Well this monkey-wrench was thrown into my life, or that thing just happend, and now i´m worried and have to figure out what to do or how to respond, and my belly gets all yucky inside and my brain goes into manic overdrive to try to ¨figure it out¨or think ¨what i´m going to do¨. But its been really amazing to hear (or trust i´m hearing/perceiving) God impress in me, ¨You DO NOT need to worry, EVER. For ANY circumstance. I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.¨ Its that faithfulness of God thing. Hmmm. Sometimes i wish it was easier to over-ride my natural brain thoughts and let Him direct me more.
Ok, i´m heading out to visit Montserrat, just outside of Barcelona... i guess its a beautiful place, IN NATURE, so i think i´m going to like it! :) I took the metro all by myself yesterday, for the 1st time on this trip! Ha! That seems funny, doesn´t it; but in the amazing faithfulness of God, on this ¨solo¨adventure with Him, He has taken care of me over and over and up til now, i´ve never ridden or had to figure it out alone! But now, i get to, b/c i´m ready to...? :)
Oh yeah, i forgot to say; i´m now in EUROPE, for the last part of this journey... the final chapter of this book, but i´m sure there will be sequels... many.
(Spain now, train to Switzerland tonight, Italy next week, then Greece the week of thanksgiving... with my MOM!!! yep, she is flying out to spend the week with me!!! can you tell i´m excited? It will be a great girl-week! Then i´ll end up in the Brit Isles...)
Blessings to EACH OF YOU!!! May you see and know and realize the Amazing Faithfulness of God in your own life!!!

a hug,
ericka :)

Pics: Barcelona, Spain

2007-11-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Meeting Eric Johnson and his wife Gina, in Barcelona!

Going out to eat with them, visiting cathedrals; learning to use the Metro system for the first time on my whole trip - Thank you, Eric, for teaching me!! Great conversations with them about traveling (they are avid world travelers as well) and about God. Gina's family invited us over for dinner, and it was so nice to spend time with a local family. Gina's mom is an amazing artist. Later, I did my own adventuring to a nearby park that had famous Goudy artwork (interesting modern designs), and played my guitar up on top of a hill. I went down into the city and visited a fruit market, and walked to the Olympic park, and then walked back up all the streets to see more famous Goudy architecture. I decided that I liked nature much more than cities. So the next day I took a train out to visit some beautiful mountains north of Barcelona. There was some awesome sunshine coming over the peaks that made it spectacular. It was a great time in Barcelona, and Eric and Gina were fantastic hosts! I bought a train ticket to Switzerland (well, I used my Eurrail pass but then had to pay about $70 more for taxes and the overnight car). I spent the last evening trying to figure out where I was going to stay in Switzerand. I had emailed a bunch of people, and heard back a few things, but mostly people who couldn't host me. Eeek. God? The night before I left, I got an email from a friend of a friend, whom I met while traveling, who said I couldn't stay with her, but there was a Christian group house, started by Francis Shaffer (whom I remember wrote some books about Christian living, How Shall We Then Live, that we studied in our senior Bible class back in high school). I emailed the home and heard back that they don't usually just take travelers, but if I wanted to find out about the community and what they were doing there, I was welcome to stay. So that's what I did!

Pics: Madrid, Spain

2007-10-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

In Spain, I stayed with Molly, a friend of a friend, who graciously invited me in to her home. She didn't know me at all, but a missionary from Indiana, a little younger than me, teaching English in a Spain elementary school and working with a Missionary Alliance church in Madrid.

When we visited her school, it was the day before Halloween, which I found out is an American holiday, and the Spanish teachers were teaching all about it to their students. I thought, "Great. What a wonderful holiday to spread." But in one class, they did have an apple-dunking game that was really fun. I taught the kids how to press the apple against the bottom of the bucket to hold it there while they bit into it. They came up with dripping faces and the apple every time! I think I was helping them cheat.

Molly took me all over Madrid, showing me famous sites and buildings, and we even got to go into the Palace for FREE. God has sweet connections. When we walked in to pay, and she wasn't even going to go, because it cost too much money, but then I was going to pay for her, which was a step of faith because I didn't know if my money was going to last through the end of Europe, we met this guy who was one of the officials there, and he knew Molly from some connection! So he told us he would let us in for free and sign us up for one of the special tours, for free!! I couldn't believe it. We were walking around with a friend we met in a chocolate shop, who was another traveler. He was a from Rome, and was studying in Jerusalem. He was Jewish. I was so excited to meet him because I had just come from Israel. We ended up spending the day together, and I shared with him how amazing God was to get us on this free tour. The tour was great. I don't like to pay extra, but they give all kinds of great information and stories that I would have no idea about otherwise. We saw some beautiful tapestries and fancy table settings. It was a beautiful palace.

Molly and I got to spend a few nights at another missionary family's house in Madrid. We had so much fun with them. They became like family to me. They had their extended family come over while we were there for some holiday. It reminded me of Thanksgiving. Grandma and Grandpa were there, too, along with cousins, aunts and uncles. It was so great. We even had apple crisp, my favorite dessert! I was so blessed. I braided the girls hair and we played lots of games. It was fun to be with a family again. And then, before we went to bed, Grandma read us a story about princesses of the King, at our request. It was a precious time.

Then Molly helped me race to the train station to catch my train to Barcelona. God allowed one of the trains to be 2 minutes late, that is usually never late, so that we could get on! I was so thankful; learning more and more that I can trust Him for everything. I told that to Molly on the way to the main Madrid station. "Molly, no matter what happens, we really really can trust God. Even bad things. He is not limited in the least, but can work through, and does work through all situations, to take care of us." After I said goodbye to her, I walked around the station - it is beautiful, with huge gardens inside, some plants reaching up 50 feet to the ceiling! Then I went to catch my train, and as I was going through security, I heard my train announced. I quickly walked through the doors to get to the train, and then down to the end of the room towards my "gate" (the doors that led out to my track), and these train ladies stopped me and said I was too late. "What? The train doesn't leave for five more minutes." "Yes, but your ticket says you need to be on here five minutes before." There was no way they were letting me through. I watched helplessly, through the glass window, down to the track, where my train was sitting. That's what I needed to be on. "We're sorry. You'll have to go back to the window and buy another ticket." God, are you kidding me? I just had been telling Molly that we could trust You with anything. And now, here was a huge test. Would I trust him? To be honest, I really didn't. I thought it was a stupid mistake I made and now I would have to get out of this mess. But His hand was over me the whole time, I just didn't feel like it then.

I ended up having to buy a new ticket to Barcelona, which I found out later that I shouldn't have, but the ticket man didn't know that, or he told me wrong information. Oh well. I had my ticket. I had to borrow a cell phone to call Eric, my friend from back home who lived in Barcelona with his wife, that I would not be on this train, but the next one. He said it was no problem and that he would see me when I got there.

Tiberius, Sea of Galilee, ISRAEL

2007-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Todd and Rose Horton (and their 3 beautiful children), with Touched By Grace Ministries, were my wonderful hosts in Tiberius. (My friends from Indy, Natalie and Doug Crane, connected me with them! Thank you!!!) Tiberius is in northern Israel, right on the southwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee - which really looks like a large lake! It was so amazing to be there. To walk where Jesus walked with his followers, to visit Caparnaum (where Peter, James, and John were from - on the northern shore of the Lake); to ride a modern-day boat that was designed to look like the fisher boats during Jesus' time; to imagine Jesus walking across the Lake; to imagine him saying to the winds and the waves, "Peace, be Still!"; to see the mountainside where Jesus may have taught the Beatitudes; to go to the Jordan River at the southern shore of the Lake and swim near where Jesus was baptized and the dove came out of heaven and said, "Behold, this is My Son, with him I am well pleased"; WOW. I think that every person who loves Jesus should visit Israel and go up to the Galilee area where Jesus spent so much of his ministry time during the three years from his baptism to his death on the cross. It is a beautiful land, with a lot of lush, green fields that grow citrus fruits, olives, grapes, etc.

Todd and Rose were amazing hosts; we ate Shabbot dinner together (Friday night of Sabbath, the family eats a meal together with symbolic elements) and met some of their friends. I learned so much from them about who I am in Christ and trusting Him, and they took me around to see the sites in the area. It was such a blessing to stay with them. The Lord has provided them with a castle to live in!!! It is the home of the lady who was Todd's boss, and they are renting from her for a very good price. (It's not really a castle, but I think it looks like a palace!) The room I stayed in walked out onto a patio on the 2nd floor that looked down onto the Sea of Galilee. It was beautiful.

Thanks, Father! And thanks, Todd & Rose, for your hospitality!!

Invitation - Come to Israel

2007-10-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

Israel. I can't believe I'm here.

These are the deserts the Israelites walked through on their way to the Promised Land.

This is the wilderness that David fled through to escape the evil intentions of Saul.

This is the wilderness that Elijah prayed in and was fed by ravens.

Jesus walked through this land, bringing good news of salvation and announcing God's kingdom is near.

This is where he broke bread and fed 5,000. This is where he walked on water.

This is where he walked along the water front with his disciples and told them secrets of the Heavenly Father's heart. This is where he called the 12 disciples and sent them out to do the things he showed them, to set the captive free. This is the land where the Savior was died. This is where he rose again. This is where he will return.

This is the hill he prayed tears of blood, asking the cup to be taken from him, if it was possible.

This is where the famous kiss of betrayal was placed on his cheek.

This is where he told Peter to put away his sword and healed the bleeding ear of the one who came against him.

This is the place where God dwelt among his people, then removed his glory, but where his glory will return.

This is the place where the eyes of the LORD are.

This is the place where all nations will come to bring tribute to the King of Kings.

This is a chosen place. Set apart.

This is a place that invites you to come.

To see the heritage.

To enter the living story.

To have your faith renewed and your hope restored.

This is the place where you will connect with the God of the Universe

because his heart and his love are with man.

He delights to save us.

He loves to bring us salvation.

It cost him everything.

But for the joy of renewed relationships and eternal fellowship with his creation,

he determined the price was worth the cost.

Come to Israel.

Come see the glory of kings.

Come see the hope of the world.

Come see the nation that God reinstated in a day.

The nation where his favor forever rests.

Flights to Tel Aviv
(posted to blog: 12/23/09)
(archived as 10/17/07, to put in
proper sequence order of blog,
but actually written in 12/23/09)

JERUSALEM!

2007-10-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

The City of God's Amazing History with His People...
To Bless All Nations...

I'm in Jerusalem now, staying w/ a great husband and wife who live in a "flat" (3 bedroom apt/condo/house) that overlooks a valley that leads up the hill to JERUSALEM!!! Over to our right (as you look out to the city) is the Mt. Olives, where Jesus went out to pray before he was captured and prosecuted and executed; and then where He was taken up to heaven after He rose from the dead and gave His last directions to His Followers/Believers... its RIGHT THERE!!!
I can't tell you what it was like to drive in the taxi and see part of the WALL of Jerusalem a couple hundred yards away... like this ancient wall, like in kings/queens england time; only BEFORE that... in JESUS' time. WHOAH. that is really crazy.
I mean, this man/Son of God/Saviour/Redeemer/Messiah walked here...
walked down THIS HILL... wow. And King David lived here, reigned here; and many of the prophets; and Abraham was given his promises/covenants from God here in this land... to BLESS all nations/people thru him and his offspring; which I believe came to pass ultimately when Jesus came; he was from Abraham's family line (Mary)... and He came from the Father/His Father to teach us about His Father, bring us HIS MESSAGE, and to redeem ALL NATIONS, ALL PEOPLE's of the Earth; thru His death... So here is some reading for you, if you have time... pretty amazing stuff.
Pre-story: when i was in 7th grade i started going to a christian school. in our Bible class, our teacher asked if any of us read the Bible on our own. I kind of laughed in my mind; no, that's what church is for; a pastor reads the Bible. But our teacher gave us a challenge. He said, "I challenge you to read the Bible for 5 minutes a day for 2 weeks and see if it doesn't change your life." Hmmmm. I like challenges. And that sounds easy to do... and for quite a significant outcome. I'll try it. i did. And guess what?
It did. I found that God spoke to me while I read, things jumped out at me, like He was talking specifically to me. And when God talks to you, it definitely changes your life, especially if you listen/try to listen. Try it, see what happens. I would suggest starting in the New Testament with Mark or John... or if you really want a challenge, go for Revelation. :)
I pray that the God of the whole Universe and the smallest sub-atomic particle would speak to your heart and mind and reveal Himself and His Truth for all of mankind to you.
Amen!

Reading from Isaiah the prophet:
(these are all taken from Biblegateway.com... an online Bible)

Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression [a] and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. [b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes [c] his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life [d] and be satisfied [e] ; by his knowledge [f] my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [g] and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [h] because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Footnotes:
Isaiah 53:8 Or From arrest
Isaiah 53:8 Or away. / Yet who of his generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living / for the transgression of my people, / to whom the blow was due?
Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint Masoretic Text does not have the light of life .
Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the result of the suffering of his soul / and be satisfied
Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him
Isaiah 53:12 Or many
Isaiah 53:12 Or numerous
Taken from Biblegateway.com (where you can read from the Bible online!)

Philippians 2
Imitating Christ's Humility
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Shining as Stars
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Matthew 27
Judas Hangs Himself
1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 2They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."
5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money." 7So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. 8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."[a]
Jesus Before Pilate
11Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
12When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
15Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered.
22"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
25All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"
26Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.[b] 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus 45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,[c] lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[d]
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son[e] of God!"
55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
The Burial of Jesus
57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
65"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
Footnotes:
Matthew 27:10 See Zech. 11:12,13; Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9.
Matthew 27:35 A few late manuscripts lots that the word spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled: "They divided my garments among themselves and cast lots for my clothing" (Psalm 22:18)
Matthew 27:46 Some manuscripts Eli, Eli
Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22:1
Matthew 27:54 Or a son

Matthew 28
The Resurrection
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
The Guards' Report
11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Footnotes:
Matthew 28:19 Or into; see Acts 8:16; 19:5; Romans 6:3; 1 Cor. 1:13; 10:2 and Gal. 3:27

Acts 1
Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas 12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk[b] from the city. 13When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the believers[c] (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus— 17he was one of our number and shared in this ministry."
18(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20"For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, " 'May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,'[d] and, " 'May another take his place of leadership.'[e] 21Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection."
23So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." 26Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Footnotes:
Acts 1:5 Or in
Acts 1:12 That is, about 3/4 mile (about 1,100 meters)
Acts 1:15 Greek brothers
Acts 1:20 Psalm 69:25
Acts 1:20 Psalm 109:8

Acts 2
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine.[b]"
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17" 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'[c]
22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him: " 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 28You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'[e]
29"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,[f] that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
" 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '[g]
36"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."
40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Footnotes:
Acts 2:4 Or languages; also in verse 11
Acts 2:13 Or sweet wine
Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32
Acts 2:23 Or of those not having the law (that is, Gentiles)
Acts 2:28 Psalm 16:8-11
Acts 2:31 Or Messiah. "The Christ" (Greek) and "the Messiah" (Hebrew) both mean "the Anointed One"; also in verse 36.
Acts 2:35 Psalm 110:1

Acts 3
Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar
1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Peter Speaks to the Onlookers
11While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. 12When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
17"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ[a] would suffer. 19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.'[b]
24"Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. 25And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'[c] 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
Footnotes:
Acts 3:18 Or Messiah; also in verse 20
Acts 3:23 Deut. 18:15,18,19
Acts 3:25 Gen. 22:18; 26:4

Acts 4
Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin
1The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
5The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. 7They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.[a]'[b] 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16"What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
21After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
The Believers' Prayer
23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: " 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.[c]'[d] 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[e] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
Footnotes:
Acts 4:11 Or cornerstone
Acts 4:11 Psalm 118:22
Acts 4:26 That is, Christ or Messiah
Acts 4:26 Psalm 2:1,2
Acts 4:27 The Greek is plural.

That's all for some great words/accounts of Jesus and those who believed him as recorded by 1) a prophet hundred's of years before Jesus was born 2) a man who followed Jesus from the beginning of his ministry 3) a man who also followed Jesus from his ministry time...
To read more, go to Biblegateway.com and type Acts 5 in the search box, and you'll read even more action; or read the whole account of Jesus' life and MESSAGE in Matthew, or Mark, or Luke, or John.
Amazing Stuff. Life Altering. Really.

love and blessings to each of you!!!

ericka :)

In Israel

2007-10-11T06:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,
Today i am in Eilat! Its in Southern Israel, right by where the Red Sea comes up and touches the Israel border... Like if you hold 2 fingers up (peace), I'm at the tip of the middle finger. (fingers being the Red Sea.)
Its really sunny and dry heat HOT here... they say its cool now but in the summer its hot. Ha! I did my laundry in a sink last night, hung it up to dry (didn't even wring it out too much), and BAM, its dry by 10 am the next morning. wow.
I'm staying at a guest house called the Shelter, its run by a couple, John and Judy Pex, who have been in Israel for about 30 years, and they are really great people. They love Jesus a lot. They also wrote a book about a "life time-out" they took walking the 600 mile Israel National trail (i guess like people do our Appalachian Trail)... that goes from the northern Lebanon border all the way south to Eilat, where we are now; its called, Walk the Land.

I'm amazed at the doors God opens up and the connections He makes each step of the way. Many times it has been someone I meet along the way who hooks me up with another person to stay with... and so it goes; open door here; closed door here... i go where the doors open, and don't go where they shut.
For example, I needed a place to stay for Friday/Sat pm; the family i'm staying with in Jerusalem can't have me until Sunday... so i was like, Ok, God, i know that you will use this to allow me to be somewhere where you want me to meet people/to learn something/to be a light for you... and do you know? That's what He did. EVERY TIME. I "knocked" on a bunch of doors in the Jerusalem/Bethlehem area, but nothing really opened up, but then I find out that there are Sudanese refugees (w/ the U.N.) here in Eilat, and met volunteers who are working with them, and I can stay here at the guest house and help out with them! I am really excited about that. Esp working w/ the kids!
When i was in Cairo, I got to visit a school for sudanese refugees, and met some great people from Sudan there, who really want to help their kids get a great education, even when they've been displaced from their country b/c of the war/killing going on there. (Have you heard about the Darfur region in Sudan? I guess its been going on since 1985 and has been pretty gruesome; the amazing thing is, God LOVES these people so much, just like He loves me and you, and He wants to help them and does help them, often thru me and you and others. That's why its so good to care for and help others, b/c it is HIM helping them thru us. God, show us who we can help today, little things big things, right in front of us.) And then when i was in London for 2 days (on my way to Egypt)... the girl that God hooked me up with, Ali, has been volunteering for the past 8 months in Ethiopia/Sudan... so it was cool to meet her and here her stories.
God is amazing. I will be in Israel i think until the 27th of Oct... Jerusalem for a week, and then up to Tiberius for a week. God opened up some great doors to stay w/ 2 families in those places. Praying that i would learn all that He has for me.
He is teaching and showing me so much.
It is exciting to walk with Him. He is amazing. And i am so excited to visit the place that He gave to His people, to bless ALL the peoples of the earth!!! Such history is here... Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, King David, Isaiah, JESUS!!, Peter/the disciples, Paul, John, Mary, so many!!! It will be amazing to walk in the places here, that i've grown up reading about and hearing about...

Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers for me. I know that God is using them to BLESS this trip, and open up doors and windows. His protection and provision are GREAT. Nothing escapes His detailed knowing.

Love and Blessings from Him to each of you!!
ericka :)

ps - Thank you ALL for your birthday greetings and blessings and prayers and happy words to me!! :) so great to hear from you and get your "hugs"!!!! if i didn't get to write back, i'm sorry!! but know that i always love hearing from you!!! (sometimes its hard w/ finding internet, paying for it, etc... to find time to write back to everyone like i would like to... so just know that you are appreciated!)

Birthday Adventures!

2007-10-07T04:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me!!! :)
My brothers always would laugh at me for announcing my
own birthday, but i'm celebrating!!!! yippeeee!!!!! :)
Today, Oct. 7, 2007 is my birthday!!!! yea!!!!!
It is a beautiful day in Sharma El Sheikh, Egypt...
I took a bus from Cairo to here; right at the Red Sea,
where the 2 fingers of the Red Sea join by the Hand,
does that make sense??
So cool to be near Mt. Sinai!!!! For any of you Bible buffs,
that is the place where some major things happened...
Moses hung out here for about 40 years before heading
back to Egypt to get God's people; God spoke to him, called
him to this great "freedom task" from a burning bush near here
(i don't know if i'll get to see the bush; wouldn't that be sweet!);
and then when they traveled back thru this land (it is HOT here,
God amazingly sustained them!! and their shoes didn't wear out;
that IS something... its just lots of sand and sandy cliffs, and jagged
dramatic mountains...) God gave His BIG covenant to the people,
thru His directions of living in the 10 Commandments!!!
So tonight, I'm going to ride a camel into the desert and watch the
sunset over those dramatic mountains!!! and then Mon i'm going
to scuba in the Red Sea (supposed to be beautiful, we'll see how it
compares to the GB reef!); then Tues pm I get to climb "Moses' Mountain"
(Mt. Sinai) with a group and watch the SUNRISE!!!!
What an amazing birthday weekend!!!!
Thank you, FATHER!!! you are such a wonderful wonderful caring
loving providing in everything DAD!!!!

blessings to each of you! i pray you would know God to be a good Father
in the quiet places of your hearts. See Him, recognize Him, Thank Him,
and LOVE Him.

love and a smiles!!

ericka :)

Pics: Pyramids are Huge...

2007-09-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

In Egypt!

So i've arrived in Egypt... beautiful flight from London... got there at night; dear friend picked me up at airport!! such an amazing blessing from God. Took me to the PYRAMIDS my 1st day here!!! We rode a camel (when that camel gets up you rock crazily to the right, then to the left, or front/back - but i was sitting side-saddle, so it was right/left for me... i was wearing a skirt; i wouldn't recommend that; no skirts w/ camel rides. i was given a marriage proposal! offered 20 camels, and he said he was a good man who would be happy with lots of wives. ha!! :) i declined, in case you're wondering.
Then we went to a family meal/reunion... its ramadan here for the month, so fasting (no food/water/gum/anything) from sunrise to sunset... then you can feast! i fasted w/ them for a day; it was hard not to drink anything, esp water when we were out in the desert!) They broke their fast at 6pm with cool water!!!! a yummy grape-juice looking flower hybiscus(?) drink, and dates... then some great food.
My wish list for Egypt includes: 1) see the pyramids (check!) 2) float down the Nile like baby Moses 3) go camping out in the desert/see a sunset/starts/sunrise/ride a camel thru desert for a little to get out to where we camp... i don't know if i'm making that up/like if they have that as a tourist attraction here, but we'll see. 4) go snorkeling/scuba in the Red Sea... hmm, we'll see if i can get out there. i've heard the fish are BEAUTIFUL. 5) Go to a market and try to bargain in Arabic (ha!! i think my friends here will help me with that!!)
Egypt is kind of what i expected; hot, dry weather, sun is WARM on skin, good to have a hat!! Amazing surprise - they drive on the same side of the road as the U.S.; so i saw the steering wheel back on the left!!!! I haven't seen that since i traveled to New Zealand back in March!!! (NZ, Austral, India, HongK, S.Africa, Moz, Kenya... all drive on the other side; with steering wheels over on the right! I drove in 3 of those countries - lots of fun!!!) The buildings here are what you would maybe picture in the Middle East; square buildings, all tanish color; nice roads, crazy driving (but the driver's are talented at what they do); the pyramids are RIGHT outside of town!!! You can see them from the major highway!! Camels are better for the desert than horses (we rode in a carriage attached to a poor horse, whipped along by its 'master', even thru the sand! i felt really bad for it, we were heavy!!! it reminded me of the israelites in slavery as we drove around the pyramids). Does anyone know if the israelites built or helped build the pyramids? It says in Exodus 1:11 that "they built Pithom and Ramses
as store cities for Pharaoh." so i don't know if they built the pyramids. My egyptian friend said egyptian slaves did.
At any rate, the pyramids are HUGE, and i sure wouldn't want to build them... the stones are up to my hip, and that long, and 3 feet (or a meter) deep!!! i tried to push one. it didn't budge. :) We paid a few Egyptian pounds (1:5 ratio for US $) to go down inside of one of the big ones... that was a scary experience. I've never been clostraphobic before (i've been belly-crawling thru tight spaces in caves) but there was something different about this one... maybe the thought that there is NO OTHER OPENING inside of this thing, and that TONS AND TONS and
MORE TONS of really heavy rock are built up on top of me, and i have a nice imagination. and we walked down 90 steps at an angle in a long small tunnel; you had to bend over in half to fit, and when you reached your hands out to either side, you hit the HARD granite (?) walls.... Down Down Down you go, and the air! It gets hotter and damper and stinkier as you go; imagine going into a ski rental shop; and renting some boots... do you know that nasty mildewy smell in EVERY rental boot? That's what the WHOLE cavern smelled like. I thought, this air is so already-breathed, nasty, CO2, i'm probably going to pass out and someone will have to carry me out. God, please keep me not passed out!!! we got down to an area where you could stand up, but i had to tell myself DO NOT PANIC, KEEP BREATHING, THE AIR IS FINE, IT HAS ENOUGH OXYGEN FOR YOUR BODY to live and keep functioning!! (that's when it stinks to be a biology teacher, b/c you know about cellular respiration & why you need O2 to live) then we had to bend over again and head UP an incline this time, maybe 90 more steps and then it opened up into a big TOMB. It had the stone casket where the Pharoah was buried and was just a big, empty room. (probably 30 ft high, by 50 ft long, by 20 ft deep) I could just imagine Indiana Jones movies, or childhood book "Adventures of the Tombs of Anak" by Frank Peretti... and the thoughts of what would i do if i was stuck in here, with the door sealed off??? i don't think Magyver (how do you spell his name?) could get out of here. There's a lot of pyramid
on top of it. Sheesh.
Well, we got safely back out. Whew!!! I know you were wondering. :) And boy did breathing in that SWEET FRESH AIR sure TASTE yummy. Yes, it did taste! It was like drinking some wonderful wonderful pure sweet delightful drink!!! My whole body was happy!
Ok, that's all for the pyramids. They're really cool. And so big! Check out the picture w/ people standing next to them. See how big they are? Oh, and there's a sign on them that says, 'No climbing.' I wonder if anyone has? Like at night, or something, with a headlamp. Wouldn't that be something? Not that i would try it, i think i would be chicken, unless i was harnessed into a helicopter up above. Then, maybe i would try it. :)

Pics: Leaving Kenya; London/Spain Stopovers to Egypt

2007-09-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Final Days in Kenya...

Heading to London for 2 days,

Spain for a few hours, on my way to Egypt!

The last day in Nairobi was quite eventful. My mom (and dad) had sent a care package for my upcoming birthday!!! Well, they sent it back in Aug to Nairobi, but i still hadn't gotten it, and it was 3 days before i was leaving... after making some calls to verify that it really hadn't arrived at the right address, we (my friend Kelvin, an intern at the Nairobi chapel church where Cyrus is a pastor, and i) took the day to walk around Nairobi and find it! (by then it was the day before i was to leave!!) Praying the whole time, God, you know where this package is, and i really really really want to find it and have it in my hands when i fly out tomorrow... we went to one office, then had to walk across town to another, and there i prayed for someone to be kind to us, to help us out... i had called home, but we didn't have a tracking number, just an approx date when it was sent and approx weight... this really really nice lady, christine (that's my middle name!) took down our info, and got up, left her office and went off to try to find it in the records... totally beyond her call of duty. (the 1st lady we spoke to said she couldn't help us until we had a tracking code, which we didn't have, nor could we get in that time frame.) I prayed that God would BLESS her for helping me, and help her to find it quickly... everything was written manually, so she had to go back into books... i went up to find her and tell her more info i had just gotten from my mom, who was praying back in the States (and her student, Joshua, was also being a great help, trying to help estimate the weight of the package, based on what was in the box; it became his math exercise for the day!!! Thanks, Joshua!!) ; anyway, as i walked up to her, she pointed into the book, and I saw, Ericka Smiley.... IT HAD BEEN FOUND!!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!! I thanked Him out loud, and another lady went back to get the box; she found it!!!! I couldn't believe it. Our God, the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE! is AMAZING. that was SUCH a HUGE miracle. No tracking #, the day before the flight... 3 hours of searching... Thank YOU, God!!!
We had other great things happen that day, too, enough money left to buy souvineers, and then a locked church office, but a window was found to be open, so that i could perfectly reach in and get my 7 picture discs for my camera, so i could leave with them on the flight in the morning!!!! Amazing... all that was building up my confidence and trust in Him for what was to come...
Going to London, not having any contacts....
Before that, the last night, we had a going away party for me... it was so nice; goat meat and all!!! Thank you, dear Kenyan family. They are SO wonderful, SO hospitable.
The next morning, Winnie took me to the airport; such another huge blessing, and Kelvin came to see me off; so nice! I got on the plane and began trusting God for what He would open up in London... I had seen Him do some amazing things, but what would He do in London. As i got off the plane, not really meeting anyone who could help me, i thought, the worst would be if i had to stay the night in the airport and the next day, and maybe i can move my flight up... but i was praying for a NICE place to stay, and to easily get to and from the airport... for my flight to Egypt on Friday. In customs, the officer asked me where i was staying, i told him i didn't know. He told me that wasn't good, and he shouldn't let me in... but, go ahead an come in, but go downstairs and look up a hotel. Ok, thank you. I went downstairs, wondering what God would do... would there be an internet cafe here where i could write to some of my friends (my original plan had fallen thru before i flew, and i hadn't had time to make any new plans)... Down at the baggage claim, i saw a girl traveler who looked to be by herself, around my age... i went up to her and asked if she knew of any places to stay in London, Do you have a place to stay, she asked me. No, I said, I'm trusting that God will open something up for me. I smiled. She said, "you should stay with me!" what? i didn't know if i could trust her... but usually travelers are cool people... i walked up stairs w/ her, talking to her... she seemed really nice. She called her friend to ask if i could stay, a friend who was going to have a baby at any time!, and said, "this girl loves Jesus!" How did she know????? I didn't say Jesus... When she got off the phone she told me it would be fine, and that she was a Christian and so was the girl.... i asked her how she knew i loved Jesus, and she said, "Not many people would say, "i'm trusting God to open up a place for me." WHAT!?! God, you ARE amazing. It was like i had stepped up one step higher and you said i could jump and trust you... and i did... and YOU ARE AMAZING. We had such a fun time together; she was just coming off of 8 months of relief work w/ a christian relief organization in darfur (spelling?)... great stories of horrible stomach problems, and lots of adventure! We rode the underground together out to Kent, a beautiful GREEN part of England; reminded me of HOME!!! and I got to take a walk in the woods and see a beautiful rainbow and valley. Then they took me to the station on Friday, and I had another adventure of making it back to the Heathrow Airport, Terminal 2!!! Made it, and they put me on an earilier flight to Madrid, so i could more easily connect to my Cairo flight. God is SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. Wow. And now i'm in Egypt, friends w/ a great girl i met in Kenya, because i was on a flight from Johannesburg 1 week "late".... later than i wanted, but God knew. We really really really can trust Him. Blessings!!!

Pics: Africa Road Trips!

2007-09-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Going to Rural Kenya!

So we rented a car (which reminded me of my own car back home, but the steering wheel was on the other side); and took back to back trips... the 1st one, a day long DRIVING trip around Mt. Kenya... seriously, we were in the car for 12 hours!!!!! it was amazingly beautiful, but the next time i go, i will definitely plan some extra time to do some hiking... we just had to drive b/c we ran out of time! Our team was Susan (host mom), Winnie, Kelvin, (2 friends from church) and me! I thought the sign for the toilet was fun, and seriously, that was a 20 ft pit, hand dug!, that was the potty... i'm sure more for guys than girls, b/c i would have fallen down it, had i attempted to use the facility! :) they also had a smaller hole in the ground inside a shed, which was nice.
They grow a lot of maize up there; sorry, my african friends, i do prefer our sweet corn to the maize!!! maize tastes like lima beans on a corn cob. and i really didn't like lima beans so much growing up; i can handle them politely as an adult now, but definitely like my dear Indiana sweet corn best!! :) Those are some side markets that are along the roads - some very colorful, others more rickety looking. There's a petrol (gas) station; yes, there are gas stations in africa! My host family was laughing, one visitor was shocked to see one... but i told them most americans just have a view of Africa of starving children in grass huts with flies around their eyes... we don't see pictures of the cities or business people in suits or streets or gas stations... so we don't know. The next day, I woke up sick (sore throat and stuffy sinuses)... but we went anyway, and i'm glad... it was a wonderful 2 days in "up country"... what they call rural kenya. Susan's parents live there and they were wonderful hosts!!! amazing food and a BEAUTIFUL farm... the small house is their 29 year old son's; he built it himself, its really nice. The parents house is a really beautiful house w/ 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, and 2 front rooms. I told them i think they should have guests come out and "experience a day/week in the country"... their property is so beautiful and so is their home; do you see the neat crops? Every one was planted so nicely, so NEAT. wow. No electricity out there yet, but that's ok, we talked around lantern light and went to be around 9pm, it was wonderful. The next day we walked 15 min to church thru beautiful land, and had a PARTY in church!!!! dancing, playing drums, giving my greeting to the church, it was FUN!!!! they were all so kind; i was the only 'mazoongu' in the place (that's african for 'white girl'). (actually there's LOTS of languages in africa, and most of them know 3, if not more!!! mother tongue, ki-swahili, and English... sheesh. I'm good with English, and a little Spanish... other countries do such a good job w/ multiple languages!) That's the cool way African women carry their babies, so the don't spend $50 on a baby carrier; a piece of fabric!!! nice!! There's me w/ the whole family - can you find me?? :) And finally, the beautiful burst of light coming thru the clouds when we were driving home... that weekend was significant... i was getting really tired of traveling, saying that it felt like i was doing a mile run (like i used to run in high school track) and being on lap 3. Almost done, but not to the final lap 4 yet... and you're just TIRED... i was at month 8 of travel and i still had 3 left... great, yes, but exhausting. Well, that weekend, it felt like God pushed me to cross the line for the start of the 4th lap; the 'gun' went off (that's what they do in track) and i was filled with new energy for the final lap. That is amazing. Such a gift from Him. I think it was a combination of a few things: 1) surrendering my struggles on various issues to Him 2) enjoying the fresh outdoor country air - no city pollution/traffic/ect! 3) praying in church, God you know i'm tired, but i'm going to keep taking a step forward and seeing if you open doors... if you open them, i'll keep stepping, if you shut them, and shut all of them, i'll go home. 4) listening to the recording of the Family radio interview on the drive home, being reminded of God's faithfulness 5) Having my new friend from Egypt call me on my cell phone on my ride home, telling me she was excited i was coming to Egypt and that she was looking to help me with everything once i arrived and even pick me up from the airport!!! (Egypt up to that point was unknown... didn't have contacts before that, nothing was opening up...) And that all came because of the flight i took "late" from Joburg to Kenya!!! God is AMAZING. 6) Seeing the beautiful beautiful sun shoot thru the clouds right at that time, like God was saying, "Ericka, I see you." The God who sees. That is AMAZING. WONDERFUL. We can live and have hope because of that!!! Not only does He see, but He knows, He cares, He moves and acts on our behalf. He is such an amazing God (and DAD).

Pics: Safari!

2007-09-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Kenya Safari!

So I got to go on a 3 day safari!! It was really cool. The price at first set me off. Sheesh, couldn't i rent my own car, rent a tent, and just go??? saving about $200??? but then i thought, well, i guess i don't quite know where to go, where to camp, its not exactly like America... so i paid my money and went. It was great.
We slept in these little pup tents - like at girl scout camp (or boyscout, i guess). cement floor, army tent around you. rickety little cots, with a thin mattress... no blankets, pillows, or towels... so i'm thankful i had mine!!! it was chilly at night. but the STARS!!! WOW. What a show. God is AMAZING. He is like an artist, who brings out His BEST masterpiece and lets us watch... but when you live in the city you don't get to see the whole masterpiece, b/c our own lights dim out His... hmmm... that sounds like a lesson.
I saw about 7 shooting stars one night, it was so cool.
I wanted to go out and see the sunrise over the African plane, but our guide said very sternly, "you can not leave the camp for ANY reason." It made me want to rebel. I'm glad i didn't. The next day, after our safari drive, he stopped by a sign, 4th row down, 3rd in, basically saying "here was killed a british university man, who went out to look at the sunrise, and was mauled by an elephant." Sheesh. I didn't realize elephants could maul you. so i was thankful for my warning from my guide, and even more thankful that i didn't rebel. :)
We saw wilderbeasts (they're on Lion King, the Disney movie, when the baby Lion, simba? almost gets run over by all those migrating wilderbeasts, and where the dad dies... actually, speaking of Disney movies, they REALLY do a good job. If you never get to go to the Great Barrier Reef or on a Safari; its cool, just get the Lion King and Nemo - they really look like how the drew it in the cartoons! Well done, Disney artists!!! You did your research!! The wilderbeast migration was going on during the time i was there; saw no big stampeeds, but saw them grazing out in the fields...); Zebras (God is SO CREATIVE... i see NO evolutionary advantage to being striped bright white and black; they don't blend in at all... they're just amazingly stunning - i think God was really showing off. He's good.); Elephants from afar (i only got pictures of their poop, i didn't put it on the blog, maybe later); lots of deer-looking things and fox-looking things and funny looking birds walking around (some with really pencil-thin legs that looked like they would bend out of socket at any moment) and vultures, eating dead stuff. We actually saw a nasty, bloody, half-carcass of a wilderbeast over by a momma lion and her cubs... i'm glad they got to eat, but was also glad to not see the demise of it. On our last morning, we saw a teenage lion cub and mom tracking down a small pack of zebras - baby plus 3 adults... all the safari vans (there were always vans around, usually 10 in a pack, and the drivers communicated by radio, to let the other drivers know there was a lion over here, or pack of giraffes over there) circled in to see the pending action... our driver told us there was going to be a hunt. Are you kidding me??? Sure enough, the cub and momma were tracking in thru the brush, like cats sneaking up on a mouse... and the poor zebras, esp baby zebra... then BAM!!! baby lion springs into an all-out sprint, gaining ground fast on the zebras. They break out into a panicked gallop, with baby zebra definitely the slowest, but she's doing a good job for her size.... the lion cub is charging in, and they are about 3 feet from eachother, zebras running away in a horrible, win or DIE, game of tag... i thought baby zebra was done for. but amazingly enough, the zebras somehow pulled ahead, and lion cub, found itself out-run. Whoah. The distance b/w the 2 separated, and the lion stopped and waited for his mom. She came up, slowly and making each step count; i could only imagine the little cub knew he was going to get it... she passed within 4 feet of our van - i couldn't believe it... and went over to her son... she smacked him around a bit (have you ever seen lions do that on those nature shows? they get up on their back paws and bat around at eachother in the face)... and then they walked off together. I didn't feel too bad for them. I was happy for baby zebra. As we drove away, our driver laughed as he looked back in his rear-view mirror...
he said that some of the vans were trying to herd another zebra pack into the path of the lions so they could see another hunt!! it didn't work, but i thought that was mean! but kind of funny.
We also saw some really fat hippos lounging down by the river bank when we went on a safari walk (and that is a skull of one of them i could have been eaten by!). i almost got attacked by a monkey at lunch... he was trying to steal our food, and i tried to show him who was boss, so i told him i could step on your tail, and i did; lightly... i wasn't scared of any monkey. He REACHED OUT and WENT FOR ME!!! AHHHH!!!!!!!!!! i was really scared of that monkey! i yelped and ran over to our group, my heart was beating a million xs fast!!! i could just imagine me in a hospital from monkey rabies and have to cut my trip short. wouldn't that stink. but thankfully, God protected me from my stupidity, and the monkey didn't keep chasing after me.
The coolest thing, besides the lion hunt, was a big group of BEAUTIFUL giraffes walking right up to our van, and then keep walking on... they are GRACEFUL creatures. wow. Their legs flow in this beautiful movement, like they're swimming or dancing or something. You would think they would be gangly and ugly, but no, they were seriously the most graceful creatures i saw out there.
The final pics are of the Massi people (i hope i spelled that right)... they are one of the 42 tribes of Kenya, and their favorite color is red. All the Massi boys wear a red cape, and it is SO COOL to see this BRIGHT, FIRE RED out in the middle of a grassy expanse, with dark brown skin... i mean, the red just explodes!! it is beautiful. So i met and got to become friends w/ one of the Massi warriors, and we had a great conversation about God and His amazing creation of all the stars... he knew about Jesus, which was really cool to hear. I pray that God would draw this young guy and his family/tribe close to His heart and they would follow after Him. They did a traditionaly dances, and had a jumping contest... they are famous for jumping high to impress the ladies. :) Then we taught them how to play / throw a frisbee the next day. It was fun.
I also met a great group from Europe; Scotland, England, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland... fun to have conversations with other young travelers; and to hear their points of view... it was really nice to be with them all!!! (oh, and the last pics are of our fire; nice! and a sunrise, i did get to see, but from the van!, and a LION tooth!!!! yes, its real. The Massi boys become true warriors when they kill one of those... they protect their goats and cows from them... like David in the Bible!!! Impressive.)

Pics: Arriving in Nairobi!

2007-09-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Leaving S.Africa - Flying to Kenya

Last weekend in Johannesburg, went to Maranatha Church, met wonderful pastor, Dyrek, who is like a father/grandpa to so many people. He is a great dad... so neat to listen to him encourage the people of his church, just like a grandpa or father would - not preaching, just having a conversation with them, sharing wisdom and how to avoid pitfalls. Such a great encouragement!
There is Dezi, my dear friend from Joburg - God crossed our paths, and what an encouragement!!! She is visiting the States right now! Such a blessing to meet her!!
Kenya Airlines flight; that Monday, a week later than i thought/wanted... but do you know what? God enabled an amazing meeting
on that flight, with the S.African women's national volleyball team. They were flying to Kenya for an all-african volleyball tourney, and the invited me to come!! So i did!!! And guess what? while I was there, I met girls from the EGYPTIAN team, and one of them is who is being such an amazing friend/hostess/city guide to me right now. God is amazing. How HE KNOWS and how He connects... He really can do ANYTHING. His timing is spectacular. (the green shirts in 2nd row w/ building to right is the S.Afr team and the building they played in. It was so fun for me to watch; i rode a matatu (mini bus/van) all by myself which was fun!! the guy tried to charge me double, but thankfully i knew better!!! Vball is my favorite sport, i coached at home, so it was so great to watch these girls; they are REALLY good. Kenya's team won; they have a 38 year old STAR who jumps out of the gym and who has an 8 year old boy. Amazing!! I got to play a little too, which was great; in b/w games, during the lunch hour break - i think i did alright, i was the only white girl out there, so i figured people would be watching... i wanted to represent well!
Backing up, when i arrived, i forgot about the money for the visa, $50 US, but the lady at customs was really nice to me and let me go down to my luggage to try to find some money... she held my passport. Amazingly, the first thing i pulled out was an envelope w/ just a $50 in it. Praise GOD!!!! I got in to Kenya!!!
The Gikori family picked me up; it was great to have familiar faces greeting me with smiles and hugs at the airport in a foreign land!!
They had come to Indiana for 1 year to work at Grace Community Church, and I was in a house church group with them during that time. They were such wonderful hosts. We had lots of really really great talks and they encouraged and built up my faith. Thanks to my Kenyan family!!!
Logos Christian School is where they send their younger daughter. Its part of Nairobi Chapel Church. Great school!! Great location; the could look out on a huge green yard full of trees and grass and beautiful scenery. K-4. They're adding a grade each year. I got to help for one week. It was fun to be w/ the kids; playing out in the yard, practicing new conflict management skills my friend, Amy, taught me in Mozambique. (2 kids come whining to you with a complaint about one or the other... instead of playing referee, which i would normally do... try this: "ok, joe and jude, go over there and 1) talk to eachother about what the problem is 2) come up with a solution that both of you are happy with 3) report back to me. whoah. revolutionary. i'm not kidding, it worked. the kids went over, talked about why they were upset, came up with a solution (usually it was to say they were sorry and forgive), and then the came back to me saying it was all ok. and they went off playing again! HA!!! I don't think i will ever again play referee!! (that technique is compliments of Amy's mom, from Washington!) {as a side note, when i went into that house, i really liked it, it was big and had lots of rooms, and great windows looking out into the green valley/jungle area/with grass in the back... i'm dreaming, but one day i would maybe like to own a house like that, have LOTS of kids (visiting or staying?)... and??? i'm not sure what... school?? i don't know. its a dream perculating in my mind...}
The last pics are of downtown Nairobi - it was so cool to see tons of black people walking around, driving, riding, working, talking... seeing them ALL OVER... and knowing the whole continent was full of them!!! So great to be the minority, sometimes, although in the rural places i got LOTS of stares. But it was so neat to be in the place where all my dear brothers/sisters whom we refer to as "african american" or "black" come from... just like when i went to china, and saw the homeland/all the chinese... so cool. you see their roots. Of course we're all human, and from one descendant and ultimately from God, made in His Image, but it IS cool to see where people groups come from.
You can get a fun pedicure (feet washed, scrubbed, nails done) for a pretty nice price!! The final pics are of 1) Mo and Marcy and Kiama and Wanguy (spelling?), who were wonderful in helping me get to Nairobi - Mo helped me the whole time in making connections and encouraging me to come!! They invited me over for a really nice dinner and we had a fun time and it was so nice to have Marcy pray for me again. Blessings!! (they also came to Indiana w/ Nairobi Chapel to Grace) And finally, friends of Susan and Cyrus who helped welcome me the 1st night i arrived and sent me off again! And Anu and her beautiful baby, Gun-Gun (pronounced gune-gune); she was our neighbor and became a great friend. I have a beautiful pink sari from her!
Oh, and how could i forget!! i was asked to share about my trip on a christian radio program, called Family FM in Nairobi!!!! HA!!!!
So I did. It was really nice. And I pray an encouragement to whoever heard it. Amazingly, God had me have a blank CD in m purse (who has that??) and so i was able to get a recording of it... it encourages me, to look back over all that God has done!!!! Glory and Honor and Thanks be to HIM!!!!

God Really Is Good.

2007-09-01T01:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes its hard to understand why something happened a way that it did. God can do anything, i believe (and have seen Him do some amazing things on this trip, so i KNOW it), and esp when i think He's led me to believe He will/can do something, and then when it doesn't happen the way or in the time that i have imagined it would - God??? What happened?? Did i hear you wrong? Did i not follow you completely... in the equation of "i obey, God opens doors"...

Take this past situation with getting to Kenya.

I felt like God ASKED me what i wanted to do - stay in Mozambique, go to Joburg, go to Cape Town, or go to JoBurg to see if/that He would/could open doors for me to get to Nairobi early...
Stepping out on a limb, or actually like climbing up one more step higher on the stairs and knowing my DAD is down there to catch me, and i take a BIG leap - in the air, trusting that He will catch me.

But then i fell. What?? Why, God?? I thought??? That's not cool and that's not fair. Are you playing games with me?? I don't like that. Can i trust you again to step out on a limb or to climb up those stairs and you say, "its ok to jump"... What happened??

The doors didn't open this week like i thought. Monday - no way to fly, Tues - still working on getting ticket details, Wed - same thing, maybe some progress, going to bed, trusting God can open it up for Thurs, its going to be the day to see big things... Thurs - VERY shut door. "you have to buy your own ticket to Nairobi, the central office will not issue the ticket that you want."
what??? God????

That night I was mad. hurt. frustrated. God?? i trusted you. i stepped out. why would you do this?? it was to be for your glory. People were praying for this/for me... what do i tell them? That you didn't do it. It wouldn't have been so bad if i just made all this up and wanted God to do something for me; but in this case, i really felt like God was saying, 'I can do anything, what do you want to do? i can do it'. And then i would have to choose (that's been one of the lessons on this trip - that God allows and loves for me to choose!!!!! Not just - God, what's your "will"? WILL - that big, strong, heavy, uucky word that feels like a trap to me, with no freedom, captive... but a new understanding of will - like a co-design b/w God and me...) and He would/could do it. So i jumped. And it was scary. And then it didn't happen. what????

Here's the lesson that i felt God spoke to my heart and mind that night, after going to a church group and having people pray with me/for me... sharing my hurt/frustration...

My understanding of God and me: (how its morphed over time... and on this trip)
1) God says. I either listen and obey - and get 2 stars; or i don't listen, or listen and don't obey - and He is disappointed in me.... has changed to....
2) God asks, "what do you want to do?" i say, "really?? are you kidding??" then i think about it, think what i want to do - and say it... (travel around the world)... Then i step out and start doing the things to move in that direction... and miraculously and by HIS grace - He has made it happen.
3) God asks, "what do you want to do?" i say, "really?? are you kidding??" then i think about it, think what i want to do - and say it... Then i step out and start doing the things to move in that direction... then it didn't happen... something else happened instead.
So what's the deal? He showed me - He is like my Husband - He delights in me, and wants/desires to hear what i want to do, what my ideas are, loves them! But then, He is responsible for the big picture, and looks out over the whole scene... and then makes a decision, with my input, and it is a decision for my good and the good of the family...
(in this case - He taught me a major lesson of walking with Him thru this, for my good... that i would not have learned had the doors opened up earlier this week to go to Nairobi - which He also could have easily had happen... and He exposed/shined light on/freed me from some junk that i've been walking in, that came as a result of staying here longer...)

I had a picture of me dancing w/ Jesus... slow dance... and He asked me what I wanted to do, b/c He delighted in me. I told him, and He looked up and around, and then made the best decision for us... and He led. I'm learning to follow with love and trust. I was an angry, hurt, frustrated, mis-understanding wife... but by His goodness and grace, He communicated to my heart a new lesson of walking with Him. He is SO good. He showed me that i can really really really trust His goodness, that's His character, even when things don't go according to my understanding - even my understanding of what He said or how He should work or how a situation should turn out.

He IS amazing.

In Joburg, Maybe Leaving?

2007-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,
quick note... may get on a flight tomorrow if the Lord opens a door.
All seats are booked and there has been a lot of work that had to be done
(and still is in process) to get me on a seat to Nairobi...
i'll know tomorrow.
why is this such a big deal? well, its kind of a step of faith.
back when i was in mozambique, i found out all seats to Nairobi were booked full for another
2 weeks, so i had the choice of whether i stay there for
another week (with some ADORABLE babies), return to joburg to help at a ywam after school program in the city, return to cape town to help out there, OR to return to Jburg and
see if the Lord would open a seat to get to nairobi early... basically in faith that He can open anything, have one seat open for me on a full flight. impossible for man, possible for God.
I was asked, what do you WANT to do? Well, I'd really like to get to Nairobi earlier... so i can
have a full 3 weeks there and spend quality time w/ people there.
So then i took steps, scary ones, b/c i didn't know how it would end... and got on a bus back to Joburg and have been talking to the airlines for the past 2 days...
in the end it will save me, i hope $500, maybe $1000... b/c well, too much to explain, but it would save me. Thank you, God!!
(but in the meantime there are details the airlines have to get sorted.)
so here i sit, not knowing what is going to happen tomorrow... but encouraged by emails saying people are praying and to know that i can Trust Him.
I just felt like He asked me what I wanted to do, I told Him, and now I'm stepping out and doing the work to see if He will open a door.
Its a 1 in a million shot that it will work - b/c of information that still has to be processed tomorrow, the airlines (another company) have to agree to reprint some tickets, there has to be a seat open (and its all booked now - full), and then i have to make my connecting flight from London to Nairobi... (which may also be full) [i'm flying thru london to save the $500 - worth it to me!]
So, if you're walking with me, say a prayer that God does the miraculous tomorrow.
He can.

i'm tired now, but will be interesting to see what God does.

love to you all!!! Thanks so much for your love and your prayers and your encouragement.
it lifts me up!!!

ericka :)

Safe in Mozambique!

2007-08-16T04:24:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update - YesterdayI took a bus from Jburg up to the Mozambique border,
and with the help of some wonderful friends (whom God provided!!!) ran across
in a windstorm (blowing sand) and went to the place where we apply for visas.
(that sounds dramatic - really its what everyone was doing, we got off the bus at
the S.Africa border, and walked/ran the 400 m to the visa office on the Mozambique
side, running b/c of the wind/blowing sand!
The Lord provided AMAZINGLY - giving me verses (psalm 44, 37 i think) about His
help and provision, and then I saw it happen.
Visas were stamped and people were there to get me when the bus arrived at night...
and now i'm at a home in Matola, Mozambique (near Maputo, the capitol)... and am
staying w/ one american girl from seattle, amy, and a great guy from Moz, Luis - he
says I'm white, but i say more like a peach tone; and 2 missionaries who used to be w/
Iris and now with All Nations. We are all helping care for 10 BEAUTIFUL babies (ages 1-3)
who are orphans, but now they have family. They are beyond beautiful. And this adorable
little chubby guy (1 yr?) gave me a hug, and then another, and then another, and another when i first arrived. And I could hear God whisper thru his hug, "Thank you for coming."
:)
I have to go now, but just wanted to say that God CONTINUES to amaze me.
I felt like i was having to "put my seat belt back on" getting ready to take this trip to
Mozambique, not knowing what would happen or how it would end up, and just having to
TRUST. Well, God's track record on this trip is 100%, and I am IMPRESSED.
Love and Blessings and Hugs!

ericka :)

ps - i hit a real low right at 6 months. i just wanted to go home. uggghhh. travel more? but then somehow, i'm feeling better, and its great to be in Africa - i was crammed it, sitting on a lady's lap in their mini-van taxis here - quite the adventure!!!

Pics: Cape Town Adventures...

2007-07-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Cape Town was full of serving others, fun, laughter, long days, discovering the tip of Africa, getting to know families from the nearby communities of Ocean view, playing with kids, watching people commit their lives to the Lord through being baptized, and more playing with kids... it was a great time with the Michigan team - sad sad to say goodbye... really loved my time in South Africa.

Pics: S.Africa, passing thru JoBurg, Cape Town Intro

2007-07-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Flew into Johannesburg (Joburg) early morning... Chilly air, and I LOVED it - 1st time since N.India!! (HK was humid.) Another amazing story of provision... didn't have contacts, called a number found on ywam internet, was a Carol's cell number, she answered,
and after telling her my need of a place to sleep, and finding out when i was coming and when i was flying out - she told me i couldn't
stay at base, but that i could stay AT HER HOUSE, and that SHE WOULD PICK ME UP and DROP ME OFF at the airport. I didn't know her at all, and she didn't know me... this was absolutely amazing, and the day before i flew out. Later, people told me that what happened was NOT like Carol at all - normally she tells backpackers to find their own place to stay and transportation. I'm SO THANKFUL. wow. I want to be hospitable like Carol showed to me. Met Roxanne, who became a dear sister, works w/ YWAM in JOburg. Flew to Cape Town, picked up at airport by Cedric, wonderful man who loves God (his little boy, Ravaldo, is pictured next to me w/ glasses). Cape Town reminded me of a California beach town/city - beautiful coastal views. rainbows. Sunbursts. gorgeous artwork of the Master Artist. Stayed w/ Floyd and Sally McClung's ministry - All Nations - at joined up with a team of 20 from MICHIGAN! After the initial group-culture-shock (being back w/ Americans and being with a BIG group, rather than being solo w/ God), they quickly became my family. It was SO SO SO good to be with all of them. They loved me like i was a part of their team. Great group of people. We went site-seeing around Cape Town on a windy day; port city... My dear sis, Laurie (lots of great conversations)... those are the best team mom's!! (they cleaned up some crazy stuff & loved and cared for us all.) 2 leaders from previous week, great to meet them & see their care for others. Our team house, down in the room where lots of card games and team meetings went on. Scenery around our house. My roommates from Oklahoma (another team there) who helped tell me about the Baby House in Mozambique. Another sunset over the Atlantic.

Pics: Hong Kong! 4 Day Lay Over

2007-07-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

In Hong Kong, after receiving amazing, God-opening up doors of where to stay 20 minutes before heading to the airport!!!
(i was praying all day when we visited mom's school... got back, checked email, and THERE was an email saying I could stay
at HK YWAM base!!!!! with detailed directions, what bus to take, what to say to the taxi in Cantonese, how much it would all
cost... beautiful!!! God's provision thru this great hospitality!!) Flew in to HK, looks like a tropical island, steamy, like a July
day in Indiana; LOVED being back in China/Asia - was in China back in college, so great to return!! Street signs, lights, stores,
that's a picture of my friend, Steve Barton, from Gunnison - i didn't know he was an eye glasses model! (or maybe its his twin?)
Day 2 or 3 I asked my new friend J if he knew of any sports places around... I was getting restless and wanted to play... he took
me and his friend to the basketball courts and we took on the HK nationals! It was quite a competition. They won. But it was
a good match. We had lots of fun and made some new friends. Fat Man Shoes - we liked that sign. One of the ywam'ers, their
view from home - beautiful green hills all around. The metro - REALLY CLEAN. Everything was. Esp compared to just coming
from India. Quite a contrast. Day 3 or 4 J and friend and I went to see the night lights from up on a hill above the city... we saw
the every night 8pm light show - really cool, all the building lights lit up to music... then rode the farey across to the other side where
we took a taxi up to the top of the mountain. I was really thankful to have my friends - J spoke cantonese and manderine like a pro.
Double shots from up above... it was CROWDED up there, everyone thought it was a good idea that night to visit. Picture of metro map
of HK - great system, easy to use, nice they have Cantonese, Manderine, and ENGLISH - i was really thankful. The night I left, I didn't
know if i would have a seat on my flight - there were none available, I just had to go by faith and see if something opened up. 10 min
before the flight left for Johannesburg, South Africa... they found a seat for me... i was SO SO SO amazed at how God continued to take
care of me and provide AMAZINGLY every step of the way.

Hong Kong vs. India; A comparison of Trash and TP

2007-07-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

So I'm in HONG KONG right now... part of China as of 10 years ago. I flew in yesterday and here are some of my impressions.
1. Its really clean and really modern. I just came from India, and as much as I loved my time there, it was quite noticeable all of the trash everywhere... trash, trash, trash - on streets, in piles, near houses, behind houses, in train stations, everywhere (except where rich people lived, and near the embassies). And we saw why. People without thinking, its just what they do/part of their "learned practices", throw trash down anywhere. We were on a train and I was drinking some Chi tea in a small paper cup and had a mango juice in a box drink... when I was done, the older lady sitting next to me took both of them, and before I could stop her, just tossed it out the window, as the train sped along the tracks. I couldn't believe it. Another time, we were on a bus, and the man we were with had a whole handful of trash and he just pitched it out the window (it was paper and plastic trash - not just food). Again, amazement!!! We were at a store along the street, making a phone call, and the shop keeper brought out some kind of plastic wrapper and just threw it down into the street and walked back inside. And one final story, I had some plastic bottles I wanted to throw away (I felt bad about all the plastic we were using, but we needed to get pure water for our digestive system... it just wasn't so great for contributing to the waste problem) and asked a store owner where a trash can was. He said, Oh, don't worry about it, just throw it anywhere. And he was serious. Wow. That's how you get so much trash build up in India. Everyone does it (ok, maybe not everyone) and you have 1 billion people in that country, and everyday, if everyone drops one piece of trash, you get a billion pieces x 365 days/year = a lot of trash building up!! And you can see it (and smell it, esp near the piles... eeewww!) And the interesting thing - it was all ages of people, young, very young, middle, and old. I don't know if its the same among all economic classes of people - poor, middle, upper?? Someone will have to check that out. I know some people in India must be aware of the problem, b/c there are some signs around that say - Be Green and Clean!! But as of yet, I don't see a lot of impact... hopefully in the coming years, there will be growing awareness of the problem and working towards cleaning it up and a great solution. B/c the parts of India that didn't have trash (like in Agra, near the Taj Mahal; or up in Shimla near the Himalayas) are BEAUTIFUL... The other places are beautiful too, but just think HOW MUCH MORE if the trash wasn't there. So in contrast, Hong Kong is AMAZINGLY clean. Their streets look like they are swept, and nice trees, flowers, bushes lining everything - that I saw on the way from the airport. And the sky is nice and open, blue w/ clouds; the air doesn't smell as polluted. Hong Kong seems like its on a tropical-kind-of island... Tropical looking trees (not palm trees) on small mountains (more like hills) around the airport... NICE bus system - again, clean and nice; and the AIRPORT! wow, it was like walking into a different world. Modern, clean, modern, air conditioned, carpets new/fresh, bathrooms clean/modern, signs, helpful people everywhere (who worked at the airport to help people out)... really nice. And they had TOILET PAPER in the bathrooms. I was SO THANKFUL. Even though I appreciate that Indians are conserving on TONS of waste (remember 1 billion people x 1-3 bathroom uses/day = a lot of TP) b/c they don't use it, I do like the luxury myself!! In my science days, I learned that water is the universal solvent, so I'm sure it takes care of human wastes... but eek!! :) I'll devote another blog to using the toilet in India.

Mom's School and Last Day in Delhi

2007-07-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

I think I've said this a million times before, but its true.
And it keeps happening.
GOD OPENS DOORS. He literally has KEYS to EVERY door you could imagine,
and we've seen Him do some pretty amazing work.
And it just keeps happening. I can't explain it any other way. And by now, 5 1/2 months into my journey, I am THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED.

So our mom came to Delhi, India, back in 1964-65, and went to school at the American Embassy School for her Junior and Senior years of High School. Really cool, huh? Her dad, my grandpa, was a professor of Leisure Craft and Counseling (fun major, huh?) where they taught people basically how to have fun. (Games, family trips, community events/dances, etc... the field of study came about after the 2nd world war, when people had more time on their hands to spend with family, b/c there was more automation w/ farming, business, etc.) He got an assignment to come to India from Champaign, Illinois, where they lived and he was on staff at the University of Illinois. So the whole family (except for oldest son, Jon, who was out of the house by then) packed up and moved across the world to INDIA. Crazy. I grew up hearing stories about India, and my mom's adventures at her school. It was actually a boarding school - so she lived w/ other kids, and I think they had a house mom.
But they had LOTS of fun. :) We heard stories of them sneaking out at night and bribing the guards w/ bubble gum to get back in... and of the cute French guy who asked her to prom. We also heard about cows in the streets, and "Namastay" (polite greeting), and mom traveling by train on weekends to see her parents. And growing up, Grandma and Grandpa Regnier always had lots of cool stuff from India in their house - brass plates, pillow cases, wall hangings, etc... So needless to say, visiting India has always been something I wanted to do - to see where my mom lived for 2 years of her teenage life.
When I flew into Mumbai from Australia, I could only try to picture my mom, back when she was 17, flying in with her 3 sisters and parents, with all of their clothes and belongings - wondering what was up ahead for them. It was cool to think about.
So when we arrived in Delhi, one of THE main things I wanted to do was visit my mom's school. Mom had sent some emails to some old contacts she had, asking around if anyone from the school (her old classmates) knew of anyone still in Delhi. It turned out everyone people knew were dead, so that wasn't very helpful. :) Craig and I checked on the web for the school, b/c mom even heard that they were tearing it down... but we found out (way to go, GOOGLE!!) that it still existed and they were just under renovations. We copied down the phone number and sent an email to their Contact Us link... that was on the Monday of the day we started to try to extend my Visa; which turned out to stretch into a week!!!!! (I was naively thinking it would take maybe a full day. Ha!!) So needless to say, we didn't make it to the school that day. Because of the VISA Adventures (more stories later), we didn't get to go until Thurs of that week... the day after my Visa officially expired.
We took an autorickshaw down to where the Embassies are - southwest side of town. I was SO thankful I was an American citizen. There were literally 100's of Indians in line, trying to apply for visas - for school, or work, or travel, or moving, or who knows for what... and I could just walk past all of them through all the security (there was TONS!!! metal detectors, leave your camera and phone behind, check purses, sign in, passport check) and into the office for American citizens!!! It is SO GOOD to belong!!!! wow. I loved seeing the eagle and the flag and seeing some Americans w/ their beautiful American accent!! And they were SO NICE, compared to most of the Indian gov't officials we had been meeting.
Its a long story here, but I'll shorten this part to say that we found out how to get to the school - just a block away, and got to the gate to request to enter. But we were stopped. The guards were not allowed to let anyone in, even w/ our passports and story of our dear mother who attended here in 1965... they were sorry, but they couldn't let us in. And we found out that they weren't going to budge - they didn't want to get in trouble. We tried many different ways, trying to convince them that this was our only time in Delhi, we had travelled all this way, we were probably leaving tomorrow, and didn't know if we'd ever be back.
Nothing. Ok, God we KNOW you can open up ANYTHING. They said if we find a parent who could let us in, we could come in. It was summer break now, and everyone of leadership position was gone - just construction people.
We went back to the Embassy - and I saw a woman who looked friendly/important (i love women!! as you travel, you realize that women can be your best friends - women to women helping each other!) and I said, "Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but my brother and I....." and told her our plea. She was busy at the moment, but quickly scribbled down her office phone number and extension and her name, and said call back later today and I'll see what I can do. Praise God!!! It was a little open door!!!!
We had to leave shortly after that to get back to meet the VISA man, who said be there by 3pm. (more stories later) We called the nice lady to tell her our plans, and say we may not get to visit the school - it depends on what happens w/ the Visa - and we'll be in contact w/ you.
So we get the VISA approved that day (i hope i'm not spoiling that story - it was an AMAZING VICTORY of GOD!!!) and headed out for Shimla and the Himalayas that night (if we didn't leave then it wouldn't work for us to go - b/c it took 12 hours of bus travel... thru the night)... When we got back after that weekend in the mountains on Monday morning... I called back to the nice lady's number. A lady named Tiffany answered, and she said that our friend was not in yet, but she would get the message to her. I felt prompted to share with her what Craig and I were trying to do - and AMAZINGLY (God AMAZES ME!!!!) she said, "Oh, I'm a mom of kids who go that school..." (What?? This could be our entry pass!!!) She said she would try to get back w/ us at lunch time.
This was our last day in Delhi, I had a plane ticket to fly out of Delhi that next day to Hong Kong... we also had other little side Adventures of me trying to find out where I was going to stay in Hong Kong - an email I had sent to the YWAM base where I hoped to stay had come back to me, "failing permanently" - i hate that phrase! And I didn't know if they got my request... and I was flying the next morning!!! Jesus!!!! So I sent out a bunch of last-minute-does-anyone-know -anyone-who-lives-in-HK??? emails, and then Craig and I left to try to get into Mom's school one last time around noon...
We get down to the American Embassy, and the guards stop us. I thought they were just being butts (did I say that?) b/c the other day we had just gone right on in... but he made us call the nice lady (who wasn't there - answering machine)... and then walk down to another gate down the street. He said everyone was at lunch until 2pm. It was 1:50. It turned out that man was directed by God, but both he and we didn't know it. At the other gate, we explained our situation, and they brought us in to wait for lunch to get over. (Taking our phones and camera.) As people started to come back in - Craig tried to stop a guy to see if he could help us, b/c our friend may not be here today. We don't know who he was, but some American 45-55 year old man, who was friendly enough, but who explained to us that everything was high security, and everyone was worried about potential terrorists, and that we could be wanting to scan out the place to do something bad to it... or something. He said its probably not true, but that's what we're dealing with, and we have no way to find out if you are legitimate... so try to call the Pres of the school board, and he may be able to help you. Ok, thanks. And he walked off. (Friendly enough, but not too willing to help tons.) Just then, another lady walked in from the office side, and said, Did someone call for nice lady? (not her name) We did! Well, she's not here today, she's sick. Ohhh. (dejected.) Try another route - Well, we talked to a Tiffany this morning, who said she could maybe help us... Oh, yes, I know Tiffany, you can come back up with me to speak with her.
YES!!! We're in!!!! (This is still at the Embassy, not at the school... but doors are miraculously opening... if that woman would not have come down, and if we would not have known Tiffany's name, none of this would have happened - God is AMAZING. He can work all things!!!) We went upstairs through MORE security, but by this time I knew some of the guards - we smiled at each other. :) Its nice to know people.
Our new helper took us back to Tiffany's desk - a bunch of cubicles that could have been in any city in the States, for all we could tell, and Air Conditioned!;
and met Tiffany. She was a nice lady who's husband also worked for the Embassy, and she found out our full story, and then called over to see if her husband could walk us over. PRAISE GOD!!!!
The husband took time to come over, get us and walk us to the gate to see what he could do - he was a parent, too, but you never know. We told him our story as we walked over - seeing a lot of the Embassy buildings along the way; compounds of beautiful manicured areas - didn't seem like India to us. (But the cool thing was, he trusted us!!! And he didn't have to - who knows who we really were... but praise God for this man and his wife!!!
We got to the school gates, and the guard who was there last week when we came was there again. He saw us and smiled. The man introduced himself, with his parent/visitor badge (and by that time Craig and I also got badges, b/c we were with him)... and the guard smiled and let us IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God is AWESOME!!!!!!! (think of how many steps it took and doors to open to get us into that school.... it AMAZES me. Our God has the KEYS!!!)
So we go in, walk around, and see what MAYBE our mom saw 40 years ago... although they did a lot of renovation back in the 1970s; new buildings, etc. We walked around, in awe that we were ACTUALLY in the campus. Then we stopped by the main office and talked to some secretaries there - Indian women who told us about the renovations and that if we could come back next week, the library would be open and we could check out the old year books! So COOL. But sadly we would be gone. Oh well, we were just glad to be here. We walked around some more and then the dad w/ us said, why don't we check to see if the library is open. Ok. So we walked up to it, and saw the door propped open - what? We went inside to the cool AC (you can ALWAYS tell when there's AC, such a contrast to the HEAT outside), and a man came up to us and said, can I help you? Turns out, he just happened to come in that afternoon to get some work done, he wasn't going to, but then decided to... CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!??
Our God is GOOD. (He has SKILLS.)
He showed us where the old yearbooks were - and we found the approx right years... went to the Jr/Sr. Section... flipping through the pictures, names... and got to R... RACHEL REGNEIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I squealed out with excitement!!! There she was!!!! She is beautiful!!!! wow. I know that, but so cool to see her in the yearbook, back when she was 17-18, read her activities, sports, involvements, and then flip back to see her in the team pictures.... wow.
The guy let us photocopy the pages - so I ended up making a small yearbook for her!! Of all her senior classmates, and sports teams, and faculty.... so cool!!
I guess Ghandi's wife also came to visit and speak at her school while she was there... that's pretty neat.
We finally left, but were so amazed by God's handiwork of the Day. He seriously can do anything. Later that afternoon, we met up w/ Pastor Marlo Philip, a young guy who we had contacts w/ in Delhi (who's friend took us up to Shimla and the Himalayas that past weekend, and helped us w/ the Visa Adventure - b/c Marlo was down South visiting while we were in town). He and another friend helped Craig and I (well, really me) go shopping to get some gifts and things - they did a nice job; it was fun to watch a local go at it. They were good....
When we went to get our luggage that we had stored at the YWCA during the week, I got to check my email, and was praying and TRUSTING God to provide for me in Hong Kong. The 1st email I saw was one from the YWAM base in HK, saying that I COULD COME, and it was packed full with LOVELY directions on how to get to the base, phone numbers, what bus to ride, etc... THANK YOU, FATHER!!!! (Another open door... wham - wide open!)
Then Marlo took us to a nice Indian restaurant to finish the day - one last Indian meal (I still liked it!!); and then back to his apartment to pack for my flight... we got back at about 10pm, and I stayed up 'til 3 AM to pack and get rid of my extra stuff.... Bless Craig, God, for taking all my extra things home!!!
Marlo ended up taking me to the airport w/ Craig, we left about 3:15 am, for my 7 AM flight... there were rains that night, so we had another FLOODED encounter w/ the streets - but prayed that the car would get through. It did, God protected it / us... the taxi who came to get me (and who said he didn't want to drive me back to the airport), had wet floor of his car from the flooding - but God protected us/Marlo's car. We heard an amazing story from Marlo about his family and his dad - an alcoholic, living it up, not-present dad/husband, well-to-do-doctor... finding out about Jesus - God becoming real to him; changing his life; and then going full-time into serving God... living by faith. Dad died at 46; but the Lord has totally blessed all the kids - and they are all a tight family and serving God in amazing ways.
I said goodbye to Craig - sad to have him leave. My family member who has been with me for a month... getting used to traveling w/ each other, and understanding each other, and being blessed by one another... He prayed for me before we said goodbye - then I went into the airport (and they drove off - have to have a flight ticket to get in; and Craig stays in India for 2 more weeks)...
Had a little trouble getting in, b/c my name wasn't on the flight list, and I didn't have an updated ticket (I had changed the dates for the flight); but then found an email copy I used at the VISA place w/ new flight info!!! Went to the desk and found out that my ticket had been cancelled. But at this stage in the game, and b/c I hadn't had any sleep, I was very chill about it and knew God would work something out. He already had done a million things before this.
I was told to wait until 6 AM, and they would try to put me on the flight (it happened b/c the people/company I changed the flight dates with did not give the airlines a certain number they needed, so it got cancelled). At 6 AM, I got back in line, and they PUT ME ON THE FLIGHT!!! Praise God, with my sleepy self!!!
The flight itself was nice - great views of China below and clouds, and I got some sleep, but I was seated next to a new mother with a baby who was either very tired or sick... and was SCREAMING pretty much through the flight. I tried to help her amuse the baby and every once in a while, she fell asleep. That was nice. But it was a very cute baby.
And now I'm in Hong Kong and I'm tired of typing.... and i'll bet you're tired of reading. :) ITs been great to be here at the YWAM base - I had no trouble getting here (you still have moments of, oh buddy, i hope i got on the right bus, and got off at the right place, and God, give me a good taxi driver who will charge me an honest fare, and not kidnap me.... but other than that, it was smooth and there were some very nice people along the way who helped me! And I had a nice taxi driver.)
The past 3 days have been sleeping, eating, talking to people here (telling them what i'm doing), sleeping (i slept until 12:45 the 1st morning!!!! i couldn't believe it!!! i think my body is recouping!!!), and typing!!!! Don't you love it??!
I hope to see the city a bit, and maybe cross over to China (mainland)... and I have to work on getting my flight confirmed to Johannesburg for Saturday night. Pray for good connections there - i'll be there one night, and then fly to Cape Town on Monday morning to meet up with a ministry team.
Thanks so much for all of your prayers!!! I know God uses everyone of them to bless my trip and help lube the travel wheels!!!! :)

Love and Blessings to you all through our WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL HEAVENLY DAD!!!!

ericka :)

Pics: Northern India, Cool Weather, Horses, Trains, Trucks

2007-07-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

This is the Indian Gate in Delhi, a sign that was not obeyed, our dear friends whom we met at McDonalds (no beef!) and who took us on the metro to the Red Gate (which was closed on mondays, and it was monday, oh well, we had fun with them!), the room we stayed at in Pastor Marlo's home in Delhi, Shimla - beautiful, air conditioned (actually just naturally cooler, and SOOOOOO nice), and NATURE!!!!!, some horses we rode (although ours were much bonier, i thought we were hurting them to ride them), 2 kids we met - really cute and spoke great English!, Craig hiking thru the GREEN hills, scenery on our hike, a typical truck in India (they take pride in colorful paint jobs... and blow the horn advice is taken seriously... always a horn, or 100s of horns, blowing in India), my top floor bunk on our train from Shimla back to Delhi, a Delhi train station, Craig and I with Pastor Marlo and friend, Craig and Pastor Marlo saying GOOD BYE to me at the airport (I was flying on to Hong Kong and then S.Africa... Craig was staying another week to help w/ another mission organization), my plane to HK, my seat-mate and baby to HK, Craig and I on our hike in N.India - great day!, and repeat of the Gate.

Air Conditioning in the Himalayas!!

2007-07-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

I'm using BLUE as my color this time b/c Craig and I got to visit the Himalayas, and it was actually cool there.... temperature wise. I couldn't believe it. Whoah.
It felt like air conditioning was going, and we had to wear, get this, A JACKET.
I know, hard to believe. I was SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!
We took a bus from Delhi (the very night I got my VISA extended, after our 4 day Adventure - more later)... and that was a Trip!
Somehow I had heard that they have luxury buses for tourists; not that I needed a luxury bus; I had been on the typical Indian bus (and it was an adventure of steamy heat and lots of people, but it was fine for a day trip)... but I was thinking that's what we were getting for our overnight trip up to Shimla (an air-conditioned, nicer bus)... our friend (contact from one of our new pastor friends up in Delhi, who had been helping us ALL week w/ the VISA stuff) helped us get some cheap tickets (he was traveling w/ us) and when we got out to the bus, I started to be a bit skeptical... I guess it kind of looks luxury... some red curtains in the windows... but it looked a little bit beaten up, too... we walked around to the door, and mind you, it was very nice and cool in the night air (around midnight)... climbed up on into the HEAT WAVE. I wondered if the air would come on later after we left. As we walked back down the aisle to our seats, I looked around and saw lots of Indian people - families, guys, couples, etc... no tourists. It was dark on the bus, and hot, and sure enough there were red curtains, some falling off their rod, and grimy-but-cushioned red-vinyl seats, that looked like they could lean back. Our assigned seats were behind a man who was full-on-sprawled out, leaning back in his seat... his bare feet were up resting on the window in front of him, and he was leaned back all the way into my space... I carefully slipped into my seat... and it was amazing that I fit. Maybe there were 6 inches (ok, maybe 8) between my seat and his leaned back... I have semi-long legs (not super long, but they're there, and I can't shorten them) and they did NOT fit... so I had to angle them to the side. Thankful that my brother was next to me and not some "get fresh" "I like this situation" man. eek! (God protects!!!)
Then as we started to go, remember its now about 12:45 AM, I tried to lean my chair back, so I could rest/sleep, and one of the bus stewards NICELY opened my little sliding window next to me, so I could breathe. I was so thankful. About 20 min into the lean-back-position, I felt myself being slowing but surely pushed back up into the jaws of the seat of the man in front of me - squished b/w my seat and his, sitting straight up. And then my window started to slide shut, so that it opened more for someone else...Oh No, this is NOT going to happen; (someone was pushing me from behind; and the same person was shutting my window... it was a man, b/c this is a man dominated society and maybe he thought he could push me around)... I pushed back, and got my seat back down... but then about 5 min later, I found myself being shoved back up, little by little so I was again squished like a piece of Bologna... finally after another time of this, I whispered to Craig, "This guy is shoving me up so I can't lean back, and I'm squished; and he keep shutting my window."
ACTION!!!! I love it!!!!
Craig leaned back and faced the guy over our seats and said, "Excuse me, sir. Could you please put your knees down so that my sister can sleep. Thank you."
He said it firmly and with authority and I LOVED IT!!!!!! The man listened.
And I got to sleep, not squished like Bologna. And then Craig also put a pen down in the window ledge to jam open the window, so the man couldn't shut it any more!!! I love my brother is a physics teacher and knows these kinds of tricks. :) Halfway through the night, I woke up and we were stopped at some kind of eating/bathroom place, but we stayed on the bus, to watch our stuff.
Remember about the air conditioning? Well, there never was any. But it really was ok, once we got going - it felt like a fan was blowing fresh air in from outside once Craig did his pen trick. But when we stopped; man, watch out. The heat hits like a soupy mess of sluggish yucky eeeww. How is that for a description? I thought we were there, swimming in this heat for at least 2 hours - I think I was floating in and out of sleep, w/ some weird dreams... Craig said it was only 20 minutes. I'm sure it was longer.
We got to a bus stop at 5:30 in the morning, and it was more rural town India... still the trash was present; and cows in the streets and at the bus stop/"terminal"... (cows are everywhere here! There was even one taking a leak out in the bus parking area - I thought that was a nice touch.) We rode one more bus up into the mountains, and it was more of a normal sitting India bus (black vinyl seats, that don't move back, and windows that open).
The coolest thing about this bus was that as we drove up into the mountains, IT GOT COOLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it!!!! It was like Air Conditioning was being turned on outside and they were pumping it into the bus!!!! Praise God!!! It was also raining as we went up the mountains (tons of windy roads in the highly woody foot hills (mini-mountains) of the Himalayas... going higher and higher... i think up to 8-10,000ft?); we prayed and later God cleared out the rain for us. So BEAUTIFUL to see the mountains and clean clean air (ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and blue sky.... the mountains were layers of green steep hills (mini-mountains)... kind of like the blue mountains of the US - the layering affect you get there; but these were green. We stayed at a great hotel, good price - b/c of our friend, and it overlooked the AMAZING Himalaya foothill valley. We did a bit of sight-seeing, but just lots and lots of shops (fun to see, but gets tiring after a while); and then made plans for Saturday (next day).
Ended up hiring a taxi, and God totally provided some train tickets for us (we bought them for our return trip to Delhi for Sun pm... ran down to the tour office, got their 5 min before closing for lunch, filled out info, and got 3 tickets the day before the trip - which was a 100:1 chance, according to our friend - God is AMAZING. Otherwise, we would be on a "luxury" bus again, and I wasn't too excited about that! Thank you, Father!! You are so good.)
So in the taxi, we went further up the mountain, and saw some great sights, and then our friend convinced us to try a horse ride trip up a mountain, while he went shopping. The poor little animals!! If I knew more about horses, I probably wouldn't have ridden them... their butt bones were sticking out, and we road through some SLOP mud - seriously 3 inches deep for about 50 meters!!!! It was like a mud bath slip n slide, only DEEP mud. Our boy guide had on duck boots, and I could see why when we got to that spot. It was gross.
But part of the Adventure!! The ride itself was a funny tourist trap... we were just laughing... Here we were, 2 white people, riding up, and coming back down (on the same tour adventure) were hundreds (ok maybe only 100) of Indians - I think mostly rich Indians (clean skin, nice clothes, heavy/overweight - usually the heavy ones were the richer ones, did I really say that?) and they were all smiling at us, waving, taking pictures or videos with their cell phones. It was a trip itself!!!!
It was like being in a circus... on a supposedly "out in the wilderness" guided horse ride. FUNNY!!!!
When we got to the top, we found out we had to pay a 5 Rupee /person tax to enter the next stage... this was NOT in the price report when we signed up! Where did this money go to? We did NOT want to go to the Fun Park that was up on top, and we tried to communicate this, but the hundreds of other Indians on horses behind us were waiting for us, and we didn't speak Hindi, so we gave in and paid the dang 5 Rupees. Sheesh.
We communicated to our guide through numbers on a page that we wanted to have some time to just go for a walk and see the mountains - not go to the temple or the Fun Park (w/ go carts and ???)... We think he understood (he was a boy of about 13-14?) God led us to a really nice overlook place - away from all the crowds and music blaring from the Fun Park, and we could see out over all the mountains, when the clouds lifted. We had a really nice time there, talking and sharing. It was a gift from God. I'm so thankful that Craig got to come to India with me. It has been a huge blessing.
Later that night, back in another hotel, we had some more interesting adventures, and had to pray about wisdom and how to handle some situations. Nothing dangerous, just adventures. But the Lord showed me Proverbs 2, and it is a great word about how He will GIVE US WISDOM and guide us in the right path and protect our way. Awesome PROMISE and WORD from Him.
I'm so thankful for His active involvement with our lives.
Next day, Sunday, we headed out in another Taxi, and Craig and I got to do an AMAZING hike through 3 miles of the Himalayas (foothills)!!!! SO beautiful. I think it is one of the most beautiful mountain ranges I have hiked through - b/c of the soft green running steeply down the peaks, dotted w/ trees, and then stretches of pine... lovely. We also saw some more monkeys!!! (and cows) These monkeys were bigger, so I wondered if they would attack - we were out in the wild, you know. But they didn't. It was so cool to see MONKEYS. (They were big and grey, w/ round face, white around edge.)
After the hike we drove further down the mountain and got to stop by a river and hike along it for a bit, too. We got to sit up high along its edge, and watch the rural life down in the valley below - small farms growing corn, tomatoes, and maybe other things... really pretty.
Then we saw a beautiful sunset as we finished our drive through the Himalayas... our driver was going really speedy - I kept praying for him that he would be safe and that angels would protect us - it was nuts. Sharp turns, we had to stop 2wice, slamming on brakes to avoid collision w/ an on-coming BIG truck. Thank you, JESUS!!! (again we had to trust...!)
We ate another Indian meal at the town we arrived in to catch our train... rice and curry and chicken (they say the curry wasn't that hot - but i always think its spicey!!!! curry is like gravy for the chicken and rice... only its red color and has special spices - garlic and other things.)
We rode our beautiful train back to Delhi that night!!! Thank you, Lord!!! Getting to lie down while traveling!!!! (and not squished like bologna!!) And they had beautiful fans!!! (I'm learning you don't really need air conditioning, as long as you have cooler moving air.)
Monday morning, 6:30 AM, we arrived back in New Delhi... for the last day before I flew out to Hong Kong (Tues AM, early).
PRAISE OUR HEAVENLY DAD FOR A GREAT TRIP TO THE HIMALAYAS!!!!
(He made it happen by getting my visa extended at just the right time - one more day of delay, and we couldn't have gone...)

God is MIGHTY!!!

2007-07-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

We want to SHOUT ALOUD that GOD is AMAZING, He is VICTORIOUS.

NOTHING can stand in His Way. When His Hand Moves, NOTHING can

stop Him. He can make a WAY in ANY situation. Nothing is too difficult for

Him or beyond His scope. I PRAISE HIM for His work on our behalf here in

India.

What am I talking about?

First of all, I would never advise anyone, if they can help it, to try to get an extension on your visa in India...

My original flight out of India was for Tues of this week, visa ending on Wed...

Then I found out my next connection in South Africa couldn't receive me until a week later... so my brother and I decided to check into extending my visa for a week or so...

Little did we know what that process would entail.

wow.

We found out we go to an Indian Foreign Affairs office, not our embassy, and

the ordeal began.

You go up to a man at a desk outside in a tree-shaded

walkway and get a number. Then you go to a room, with AC (really nice in India

right now) and packed with people, standing room only. Then you wait for your

number to be called. 20-30-40min, who knows, depends on the day. Then

you sign in at the front book with the lady in the pretty blue sari, and she

asks you for your permanent address in India, to which you say you don't have

one, you just stayed the last 2 nights in the YWCA, and it was getting too expensive so you checked out this morning. Ok. Write it here. Then she gives you a slip of paper w/ a number on the top of it, and directs you to go outside and around the building to the main building, 1st floor. Ok.

You walk w/ your papers and your brother, but they stop your brother b/c he doesn't have a slip of paper w/ a number. So he goes and sits under a tree.... to wait for an hour??? (we guessed wrong... an hour was far too short.)

Then you go to what looks like the main building, w/out your brother, but with Jesus, and head upstairs, following the direction of others. After entering the room, immediately to your left, you see about 10-15 people crowded around a sari-ed lady sitting at a small desk in a corner, elbowing their way in; it looks like a teacher's worst nightmare. :) You try to be polite and wait your turn, b/c that's what you were taught to do in your culture, but quickly realize that you will never be seen by the calm lady sitting at the desk, being handed paper after paper by people who keep cutting in front of you and are crowding from all sides of the desk. So you step forward with a little more "I don't care about anyone else, I'm getting what I came for" attitude, holding your paper firmly out in front of you. And sure enough, in the next few tries, she finally takes your paper. Whew.

She writes your name and number down on a sheet of paper (interesting - no computers to be seen) and tells you to go over to desk 4. You look across the room, and see crowds of people spilling out of a back area where you think are desks, but you can't see anything. But 1st she says fill out these forms and go get photocopies of your passport and visa....

You remember seeing a copy machine downstairs, and people again crowded around it, and you're kicking yourself for not having extra copies of the things she needs. So back downstairs you go, and are happy to find only 5 people crowded around all sides of the copier. One man gets done, and another cuts in front of all of us (but really there's no line, but we were there first)... and I could see another man pushing his way in, too, and then another younger guy come around the back side for a better angle at an entrance... I was getting more heated by the moment, and it wasn't from the outside temperature. There was one lady covered in shawls from Pakistan and myself, and all these men, practicing their India-line-rules, which I'm not sure are rules at all. So I spoke up to the younger guy while RAISING MY EYEBROWS in a back-down communication style that I learned while teaching... (I've been thankful many times on this trip for things I learned/developed during my teaching days in the inner city.)... He got the message, and told the next guy, butting in line, that the Pakistan lady and I were next. There is justice.

I need to cut this short, but basically here's what happened over the next 3 days:

1. I got my copies and headed back up to desk 4, trying to politely push my way through the hordes of people in that upstairs room. I found a seat in the back corner next to a man from Afganistan. When I found out where he was from, I didn't want him to know I was from America, in case any of his family or friends had been killed by us. I found out he was there trying to get a visa extension for his brother who was really sick and in a hospital in India. I met quite a few people in that back corner and we became friends. It's amazing what kind of bonding can go on between people who share in suffering.

2. I met a college-aged guy who had been there for 3 days, trying to get a visa. He ended up helping me and my brother out a lot.

3. A girl came in right before they closed, really stressed, saying she had missed her flight 2 hours ago back to America, and her visa expired today. Could she please get it extended so she could fly out tomorrow. Little did she know the process. I tried to help her the best I could, because I had been in there all day, and "knew" some of the people. But she was really freaking out, which didn't help me too much. But finally they listened and she got her papers stamped, which was a MAJOR miracle. (Seeing as how some people were there 3 days, just to get that stamp.) But she didn't realize the stamp was just the beginning. Then you had to travel across town to another office, that would close in an hour, and push your papers and your plight through another set of men who seemed indifferent to your suffering and to actually enjoy seeing people stress out.

4. At the next office, which looked like a regular American BMV, but who would put our workers to shame for their callousness. When one of the guys behind the sign-in desk, who seriously looked like Saddam Hussein, saw me, he got up and spoke to our Indian friend, Danny, who was helping us out. While I was filling in the next set of papers, and again looking for a copy machine!, Danny came up to me and said, this guy says that you can get your visa extended in 20 minutes, if you pay him $200 US. Are you KIDDING ME??? Is this some visa cartel, where they work off BRIBES?! I felt angry and insulted just by being asked to pay someone off. That's what thieves do. I will NOT pay someone for this. I will wait. I found the copy machine, thanks but no thanks to the help of Hussein. While back there, I saw a handsome Western-looking guy, who looked like Ken meets Crocodile Dundee. I overheard him say he had lost his passport. I figured, good luck, he'll probably be here for 10 years. When we went back inside, after about 10 minutes, I noticed Dundee going straight up to the final desk, doing some transaction with the clerk, and then walking away with a nice little blue passport. Are you JOKING me? Did he seriously just buy off those guys. I couldn't believe it. But I guess I could. While there, I saw about 3 more couples or individuals, all beautiful and white, come and leave in a matter of minutes, while everyone else, not as white, had to sit and wait DAYS for these government officials to decide to look at their papers and sign their names to grant them their request. It was pitiful. I felt ashamed to be American, or to be white, or to be from a rich place... it was really unfair. All those people were just as human as those rich-ies who walked in the door, and they had just as important reasons for wanting what they wanted. But a few could pay, and the rest couldn't. But I noticed that none of the rich-ies made eye contact with the other people as they left. I don't think they could.

5. After 3 days, waiting, being told, sorry, you'll have to come back tomorrow. Are you kidding me? I just spent 8 hours in here for nothing? All you have to do is look at my paper and sign it! My visa hasn't even expired yet, but it will on Wed, and then i'll probably have to start over, because now I'm an illegal visitor. During that time, I had to change my flight, which was another fun ordeal - looking for an international telephone. But our friend, Danny, came in handy. He knew how to speak Hindi, so he asked the locals, and they directed us to a phone in a small shop down the street.

Taj Mahal and Jesus

2007-07-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

OK, this post is from me (ericka).
So we spent the night in the New Delhi train station inn, called YaTree Neevas (I probably spelled that wrong). We flew in from Kolkata... and had little mini-adventures of trying to drive thru the flooded streets in a taxi to the airport, paying 3 x as much for the fare b/c of the water, but having good a good conversation w/ the guy... then at the airport, Craig ended up paying 4,000 extra Rupees ($100) for our plane tickets - and they told him this right before we got on... didn't have any explanation, just said it was in the computer system, and they didn't give a receipt, and Craig had to pay cash... or we would miss the flight!!! What is this????
Anyway, at the train station, we tried to avoid people who were trying to take more advantage of us (giving us "help", directions, etc.)... do you get the feel of how we were feeling? Probably was more dramatic than it needed to be, but once you feel like you've been taken advantage of, then you get hyper-sensitive to it, and want to protect yourself from it/those people more.
So we spent the night (2 am arrival); it was a cheap hotel, and we were thankful for the price! We woke up the next morning - 4th of JULY!!!!! Happy Independence Day, USA!!! :) :) :) And ran to the train station, sitting down in our seats, sweaty!!, 5 min before it pulled out of the station. Thank you, Lord!
We were heading to Agra to see the Amazing Taj Mahal - one of the old and new 7 wonders of the world!!!! (Just re-voted on and announced on 7-7-07)
The train ride was nice - seeing more green country-side, and our car was air-conditioned (a plus!!); then we met a very nice business man with a taxi service in Agra; who gave us a good price for a full-day cab. We both felt much better about him - he showed us over an over he was trust-worthy and not some shady guy trying to take advantage of us. (There's the trust thing again... when you're traveling, you have to trust a lot of people!)
We drove through the streets of Agra - and it had a much smaller-town feel than Kolkata or Delhi... and we could see BLUE sky, clouds, GREEN trees and grass, and hear beautiful BIRDS singing. I was SO SO excited. Kolkata had been so dusty, with blaring bus horns all the time, traffic, big city... ahhh! Here was beautiful tranquility!!
And we saw MONKEYS!!! Not in-a-zoo monkeys, but on the street, in a park, in the trees monkeys!!! Mothers walking down the road on all 4's with baby monkey hanging down under her belly. So cute!!! (I guess they can be a nuisance to the local Indians - biting, being mean, dirty, etc... but i thought they were so interesting!!! We have squirrels, they have monkeys!!! India!!!)
When we got to the property of the Taj, we walked back to it b/c they don't let cars go, to protect it from pollution - yea, India!!!! So the whole walkway was a BEAUTIFUL park!!! Lovely clean air!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! Fresh everything - sky, grass, trees, ahhhhhh!!!!! Can you tell I loved it??? And it was the 4th of July - a special treat for us!!
We got some cool, tasty Mango juice (India has some awesome mangoes - much better than ours in the states!!); and really enjoyed sitting in the shade.
Then we walked into the courts of the Taj... (payed about $17 each)... There were really pretty courtyards, red fort-walls and amazing manicured lawns... wow - i had never seen anything like it in India. It was like the best golf course; low cut, fine, beautiful green. I was so proud of India - and no trash!!! :)
Then we walked around the corner to the opening of a BIG TALL GATE, and looking through, saw... dum, dum, dum... (drum roll) the most glorious sight of THE TAJ MAHAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow.
It was BREATH-Taking. Really. I think Craig said he was personally more impressed w/ the green of the grass / park / trees; but my favorite was definitely the Taj.
It just stands there in BEAUTY. And its in 3-D, because you're actually there. I had seen pictures before, but to ACTUALLY be there - it was something else. The whole thing is made of marble, and it is so solid and beautiful and big. WOW. We had to walk up thru some park/courtyard, about 1/2 mile, and then when you got right up to it - AMAZING, so massive!!! We had to take off our shoes, but that was fun, too, to walk barefoot on the marble of the Taj. Everything was made of marble - the stairs, the floor, the courtyard up around the Taj, the 4 pillars at the 4 corners, etc. Inside you could sing a song or lift up your voice and it would echo... Tall, vaulted ceilings, all marble, w/ fancy precious stone mosaic work... green, blue, red, orange - set in flowers and swirls; in mostly white surrounding marble.
The back side of the Taj looked out over a valley... a sweeping, lazy river; herds of water buffalo, people looking like little ants bathing or playing in the water, and lots of GREEN pastures/grass land. It was SO nice to not have any other buildings around. That was part of the specialness of the place.
The coolest thing about it (besides the fun action shots we got by the profess photo-man... crazy Americans!) was the thing I heard the Lord say to me... As we walked up the steps of the Taj, i was in AWE of the beauty of the place. It was a home built by a man for his beloved wife. I thought, WOW, God, this man built this house for his wife!!! What love - it is SO SO beautiful!!! This is amazing!!! And then I heard the Lord whisper in my mind, " You should see the place I'm making for you." Are you kidding me, Lord?????? More beautiful than the Taj???!!!!! WHOAH. That is heavy. That is whoah. But He did say that He is going to prepare a place for us, and I can't wait to see it, now that I've seen the Taj!!!! And, I want to make sure I am investing in this life in things that are of God's heart, b/c I don't want to miss out on ANYTHING in the next life... the one that goes on FOREVER. sheesh. 70-100 years, that's not much; and I would so easily trade not the best life (materially, health, etc) now, for an ETERNAL wonderful wonderful amazing life next.... You know how people give advice to invest in real estate, b/c its such a good return of your money... well, I think people should really look into investing with God and His Kingdom... that real estate is the REAL ESTATE, if you get my pun! :)

Rain Rain, Flooding in Kolkata!

2007-07-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

From Craig...

Before I left for India, my Indian friend advised me to bring some gum boots or some hip waiders. I thought that was a bit ridiculous and decided if there was really a need, I could buy them over there, but what could I possibly need knee-high boots for?! The day before we left Kolkata for New Delhi it began to rain and it continued all through the night. The next morning we awoke to standing water in the streets 3 inches to 1 1/2 ft deep, and, as deep as 3 feet in the alleys (not exaggerating!). It was crazy. Now, I didn't want to overreact like cities in the south do when they get some snow flurries and the whole town shuts down. I asked a local how bad of a flood this was. "Flood? This isn't a flood, this is just bad drainage. It will go down once it stops raining. Now if it continues to do this for days and the drains are plugged up and there is no flow, then that's a flood." We took a bus for our last goodbyes through the flood. That was pretty crazy. You could have easily water skied behind the buses... No Joke!! (We should have tried it!!!) Seriously, there were wakes created by the buses... we were praying that the bus would stall, b/c then we would have to walk in water up to our knees and how would we get back to our house? We were a ways out! But thankfully we made it safely there and back - God is good. Buses were the only mode of transportation (which have a very high axle clearance…now I know why) through certain areas of the city because the water was so deep. People were pushing their cars out of the 2ft deep waters because they had stalled out. Now keep in mind that the drainage is synomous with the sewer system… yummy!!! And the smell was nice!! But it really was fun and an ADVENTURE... India just keeps them coming!!! It is now officially MONSOON season, which means it rains a lot. And I guess b/c of all the trash, the trains get blocked up so it makes it worse for drainage... lots of flooding. It kind of looks like Venice (what I would imagine). The sad thing is when it destroys peoples' homes - when we were in Goa, 50,000 people were displaced by a big storm that came thru!!! 50,000!! That's almost as much as a stadium full of people. And I think it would happen every year, b/c each year the rains come. But I am thankful for the rain, b/c it cools the air down...

Why do we help the poor?

2007-07-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is Craig's (and Ericka's) report on Kolkata and some of our Experiences w/ the Mother Teresa Houses' of Charity...

Well, I have some catching up to do to bring you all up to speed with our adventures. Extended time at an internet connections has been sparse, hence the lack of communication.
Ericka and I are presently in New Delhi where our travels have slowed up as we wait (days) to extend Ericka's visa in India . Her contact in Africa was not able to accommodate her for another week, so we decided to spend extra time in India together.... More stories later about the whole VISA-Extending-Adventure (or Fiasco?)
So, after leaving YWAM Goa, Ericka and I stayed one week in Calcutta (British name) (Kolkata - Indian name) volunteering at Houses of Mercies. This was an interesting experience for us. Because of the publicity of Mother Teresa's work, people from all over the globe come to volunteer to help the poor and the suffering through the ministry that she started. I have never seen anything like it. People just show up on the doorstep of the convent wanting to help, go through a brief introduction course, and are assigned to 1 of the 7 different ministries around the city. There were about 40 people in our introduction class just that day alone. Some will stay and help for a few days, but others up to 6 to 8 months at a time. Some were doing it as an act of service to the Lord, some wanted to get closer to the heart of God, some were trying to find themselves, some just wanted to make the world a better place, and some just found normal life unrewarding but found meaning here.
Ericka and I were assigned to Prem Daim, which was pretty much a hospice for the sick and the dying. I have a new appreciation for those that work in similar situations. Ericka had a WHOAH, EYE-OPENING experience. [Ok, I'll jump in here, its me, ericka. So when we were coming to Mother Teresa's Houses, my prayer was, I want to know WHY we help poor people. Why should we care about those who are sick and dying? If I am not sick and dying and poor, why should I care? I have my own life to live, not to get bogged down and bothered by some people who for whatever reason can't care for themselves. (wow, did i really say that? ouch. but its a reality, sometimes I honestly feel that way or think that.) What does God think about them? What does His heart feel for them / want for them / respond to them? How does God want me to respond to them, think about them, etc? How does He want to change me/my thinking? Just so you know, that was my major prayer going into the Mother House experience.] The beginning volunteer work was more "regular"... visiting with patients, singing to people, washing a million clothes/sheets/underclothes some stained w/ accidents. At 1st, it was kind of a drag. We could be doing this kind of work back in the States. The Mother house isn't any different than other places where they do the same work... just with the famous name of Mother Teresa. But then God began to teach me.
One thing that M.T. (Mother Teresa) said was that we are to do ALL things with Great Love... So one Sunday, when I was going to stay at our home and rest... Craig was going in, so I thought, I should go with him... that day was Amazing!! God provided strength and JOY throughout the whole time - carrying buckets w/ wet wash up 64 steps, talking to other volunteers (2 Christian girls from Nebraska - great to meet them and chat! They had just graduated from high school!!! i was impressed), visiting and seeing the beautiful smiles of each person... really struck by God's INDIVIDUAL LOVE for EACH PERSON there. Even the people in the corners, who couldn't smile or talk... That was the 1st day when I experienced Real Joy in Serving.
One lady I met became my "granny". I saw her 1st in a corner bed... she was really really skinny. Knees bent up, could see her hips protruding through her thin cotton night-gown, head shaved, but beautiful face. She handed me some tin cups to take to the kitchen. I thanked her, expecting her to not understand, and only speak Bengali (language of Kolkata)... and was really surprised to hear her say, "How are you? What's your name?" What??? Usually only the really educated speak English - what would she be doing here at Prem Daim, skinny and laying in a bed? I walked over and began to talk to her, wondering if she only knew a few phrases... But no, she knew TONS. She talked w/ me about my family, what I was doing, asking me about boys :), and lots of things. We had a wonderful conversation. She said I could be her granddaughter, and she could be my granny. That blessed my heart. I told her I would love that b/c I love my grandparents and miss them! :) I played some songs for her on the guitar I bought in Chile. I'm so glad I had it. She loved it... said her pain went away when I sang. The song I played was "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus." She kept telling me over and over, You need to TRUST in Jesus. You have to TRUST Him. One day we will meet Him; but you need to Trust Him RIGHT NOW.
It was such a message from God through her to me.
One day an elderly woman was left at the door of the hospice in a condition that we would never see in the United States (at least never in my experience). She was totally emaciated, her big toe was literally rotten and falling off (Ericka said it looked like a rotten prune and you could see the bone sticking out the end), and she had a huge wound on her arm that had been untreated to the point where the flesh around it was black and reeked of dead fish and falling off exposing the muscle tissue, ligaments and bone. Inside the wound was discovered a multitude of maggots. [I couldn't believe this was a LIVING human being... her arm literally looked like a piece of raw chicken at the supermarket... wet, could see the muscle, tendons, bone... What drew me to see her was the smell - like dead, rotting animals; b/c I had never smelled a rotting human before, esp not a rotting living human. One volunteer w/ a mask on her face was pulling black chunks of FLESH off her arm... all rotten. I couldn't believe it. I thought it had to be just dirt, or mud on her arm. But it wasn't, it was her flesh. Oh God. Oh GOD.] As Ericka was helping comfort this lady, she began to black out, head swimming, pounding, pain and had to remove herself from the situation. While she sat down off to the side, she began to cry out to the Lord, "Lord, do you see her?! Do you see her suffering? Do something!" As she sat there, praying, waiting, thoughts began to come to her mind..."Ericka, Yes, I see her. She is only one. I also see the countless others who are suffering as much and more than her at this very moment; I am just showing you this one. I know and see and care about all of them." Ericka then saw a picture of Christ in a white sari (like the one that mother Teresa and the sisters wear) kneeling down in front of and tenderly caring for this woman. Ericka then opened her eyes and saw a number of women around this lady tending her needs, some holding her hands, some holding her remaining flesh from falling off her arm, some removing the dead flesh, some picking out the maggots, some holding her head and whispering blessing assurance to the lady, and other supporting those that were directly helping the woman. She then realized that they were Christ's hands caring for this lady through the heart of Christ. Somehow we have been given the responsibility to be Christ to the world, showing his love, compassion, and mercy to the least of these. Something else Ericka took away from that that is there is vast importance to sharing the burden of those suffering by being with them in their time of need. This lady was not alone in her suffering, they were with her, and through them, Christ.
[What about the people who are alone, human-wise, when they are suffering?]
So, I think God did a VERY good job of answering my question about why we help the poor, and what His heart is for them. I know He brought that woman in for me to learn some very important lessons... I see now why it is so important to serve the poor, suffering, dying, sick, least of these... they are so important to God, and we can be His extension of Love and Presence to them... and if I am ever in that situation, I would want the same thing for me. We are a body, meant to help one another, not be in isolation/Independence of each other.

I didn't have that dramatic of an experience, but I did walk away with the revelation that I can serve with the love of Christ in the same way to my "neighbors" in West Lafayette. I can't say that I feel "called" to serving in hospices, but the need is there, and there is an expression of Christ that is revealed when we help "the least of these."

Thanks for your prayers!

God bless
Craig (and Ericka)

Pics: Missionaries of Charity, Monkeys, the Taj, Cows, and Kids!

2007-07-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here are Pics from Kolkata (aka Calcutta) where Craig and I joined many other people who wanted to learn Mother Teresa's secret of serving and loving the poor...
we met some beautiful people there and tried to Love Others as We wanted to be Loved.
Lots of hugs, smiles, washing buckets of clothes by hand, feeding, talking with, singing with, and did we say smiling? Anyone can do it.
It started to RAIN in Kolkata the day we left... streets flooding up to your knees.
We headed to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, met some friends, learned Hindi on the train with 2 kids, and then went to an orphanage where we met some beautiful children.

People and Trust

2007-07-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

This blog is about people and Trust.

We learned a lot this topic on our trip in India. Some people, b/c of their references (our friends from home/others) we knew we could trust right away, and through our entire time they (and hopefully we also) maintained that trust. It felt good and safe to be able to trust people, and know they wouldn't abuse it.

Then we got away from people we knew... and so began the adventure. (And it usually involved money of some kind...)

India is known (like other developing nations) to take advantage, price-wise, of "rich foreigners". Its really sad, and some Indians themselves don't like it, but it happens. I guess it makes sense too, b/c our standard of living - paying $5 for a taxi cab may be a cheap ride and we're thankful for it in the states... but if we paid $5 for a taxi/motor-rickshaw, we would be getting majorly ripped off. And these things are important when you're traveling on a budget. And it also rubs on you b/c you know that you probably are getting ripped off, but you're not quite sure, b/c it still is a good price from our "price world". But the ripping off kind of starts to wear on you... and you find yourself getting a little bitter and wondering WHO can you trust? This guy tells me, dramatically, No, no way for that price, you're asking too little, it must be more! Then we find out later Indians would pay that lower price...

Trust is a REALLY important aspect of interacting with people. And honesty. Even when it hurts. ITs SO IMPORTANT. If you can't trust someone, you feel like you're always on edge, watching out for them to take advantage of you again; you can never relax.

Here are some examples: Whenever anyone wanted to talk to us... coming up to us on the streets, our guard immediately went up... are they trying to pick pocket us (watch your purse/pocket), are they just curious about our white skin (b/c we really do stand out), do they honestly just want a picture with us b/c we are such an oddity... or do they want to help us just to later expect payment for this service? Its so sad we had to always be ON EDGE. I just wanted to TRUST people, that they were just being nice, not trying to target us b/c we were foreigners and may have money. I don't know... I think it also had to do with it was our FIRST time in India, so we were even more vulnerable - hadn't learned the ropes yet, didn't know the language (although some kids on a train tried to teach me how to say, "You're ripping me off, I'm leaving." :)), and didn't know what reasonable prices were (even for foreigners). I know by the end of our time, we did feel more confident - and even got out of a rickshaw when the guy tried to raise the price on us. :)

Rickshaw people, people in the market selling things, kids on the street putting their hands to their mouth to motion they wanted food, kids coming up to the rickshaws when we were stopped at traffic lights asking for food or if we wanted to buy some magazine or pen, mothers coming up with their babies saying they needed milk; and just people coming up at train stations - offering to help w/ our luggage or to give us directions... all w/ a price tag? I wanted to receive their hospitality, but not if it came with an expectation of having to pay them.

But as we traveled, we learned more about how to handle things. If we felt like they were just trying to get our money, for a service (advice, carrying something, etc.) we just said no thank you and kept walking... but we didn't have to be rude. That's the other thing. They are people, too, and we don't need to be rude about how we say no. If they were just wanting a picture with us, we would just be friendly and ask where they were from, and have fun just meeting a random family on the street and humoring their request. Sometimes it felt like we were movie stars - but we really weren't. :)

For the beggars, it was a different story. Maybe I'll write a whole blog about that. But for now, lets just say that it was highly discouraged everywhere to give money... (just like in the states). So if I had crackers/cookies with me (a good thing to carry around) or a bag of apples or mangoes or something, and kids or mothers came up while we were in the rickshaw, then I would give those out. But it was good to have a quick escape route. Once one kid saw that you were giving something, it was over, and your rickshaw or taxi was soon swarmed by at least one if not 4-5 other kids, hands out, "madame, madame!" But how can I refuse kids food? If I didn't have any food, I would just keep going and say, "No, I'm sorry." One time I bought a kid some ice cream; I would have been glad if I was that kid! :) But it was hard. Hard to know - am I helping a bad habit of begging? Am I keeping these people on the street by encouraging them that they can make a survival/living off of begging rather than doing other things? Or is there situation something else, and they need the food? I don't know.

So the question of "Who can we trust?" was a big one on our trip in India. Because we were meeting people for the 1st time, we didn't have any background with them at all, didn't know their character, didn't know if they were saying one thing, then doing another.... was a constant trial for us. Having references was always good, but even then you had to be wise and pray for wisdom... but the cool thing was, God showed us Proverbs 2, which has some AWESOME words for how He will / does help us.... It says something like, "He will give us wisdom and insight and understanding; and guard our steps; and protect us from the bad people who want to take advantage of us and lead us down wrong paths." And I am SO THANKFUL for His Holy Spirit that does lead us IN ALL THINGS. The Holy Spirit knows ALL things, so can lead us WONDERFULLY. Even when we didn't feel it, or sometimes felt like we were being taken advantage of... He was still there; growing us up, teaching us, showing us the Ropes. :)

Hopefully we'll be all the more prepared the 2nd time around!! :)

Harrison Ford, The BRIDGE, and Ericka

2007-07-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

God continues to amaze me, step by step by step by step of this Journey with Him. He is CONSTANTLY providing for me, opening doors, making connections, and just WOWing me.
Its like the Indina Jones movie, where Harrison Ford is at the edge of a huge cliff, thousands of feet above a rushing river and hundreds of feet across to the other side. The bad guys are coming, and he's basically dead unless he can cross. The cool thing is, he read somewhere that if you step out in the thin air, a bridge will form, but you have to have faith. AHHHHHHHH. That is SCARY!! But with no other choice, he decides to try it. One big step, foot going out and down, down, down... and then wham. It hits something solid. Whoah. Something materialized out of thin air underneath him. He tentatively puts his weight on it, after all, this is his life, and he really doesn't want to fall 1,000's of feet to his death. Now with his full weight on this new miracle ledge, he puts his foot out again to take one more step, carefully, down, down, and wham, another solid footing is found in thin air... the bridge is indeed materializing right before his eyes; and it wasn't there before. Incredulously and then with amazed laughter and greater and greater confidence, Ford makes it across the entire chasm and ends up safely on the other side. It was a MIRACLE... but it took him stepping out to get there, and to make the bridge appear.
That's what I feel like on this trip. So often, like every day, I have no idea what is out in front of me. I have no idea what I'll do, or where I'll go, or who I'll stay with. But I'll tell you what. God is AMAZING at making that bridge appear under my feet. EVERY TIME. EVERY TIME. Wow.
And I'm so thankful for the people who think about me to pray for me. That, I know, is part of how God is working and using to bless this trip; to help open doors, provide protection, and strengthen me when I'm down, or whatever. He really is an AMAZING DAD... and you all are an amazing Family.
So I'll try to give you some stories to show you what I mean... Its so cool.

Thoughts by Craig on GOA, CALCUTTA, & Native Missionaries

2007-06-26T04:08:00.000-07:00

Written by My Brother, Craig: :) :) :)

Well Ericka and I made it safely to Calcutta last night. What took us 10hrs by train took us 1/2 hr by flight, going from Goa to Bombay (Mumbai), and then catching a connecting flight to Calcutta (Kolkata). One of Viju's friends brought my suitcase back to the airport, which was delivered his house earlier that week...so I got my luggage. It's funny what you can do without when you don't have it readily available, but it was good to get some things back :)

Some Praises to our Lord and Savior:
Internal plumbing is coming back up to speed. The past week I have done some pretty crazy things in attempts to get things flowing, including drinking liquid dish soap :)
The rash on our lips are beginning to be subside. Ericka went to a doctor that was trusted by the YWAM staff and she diagnosed it as some sort of virus. Continue to pray that this gets totally removed from our bodies!
We reached our living quarters without any problems through the chaos of Calcutta. Driving in Calcutta was pretty interesting. Lots of people, lights, billboards, shops, taxis, huge tank-like buses that put out thick exhaust, bicycle ric-shaws, dust, and honking. Ericka said that it reminded her of China. It was night, but I think we drove over the Ganges River. We found our place we are staying without any problems (thank-you Lord).
The Lord continues to provide us with connections and very understanding and gracious brothers and sisters in the body of Christ to welcome us in, house us, feed us, give us the advice from the local perspective, and love us. Pray that that continues. While in Calcutta, we are trying to volunteer with Mother Teresa, Houses of Mercies. Connects with members of the local body of Christ would be an immense blessing.

So the past week Ericka and I spent hanging out and helping with staff from YWAM in Goa. Ericka primarily was helping out between the pre-school (3 - 5 yr old) in the morning and then the after school care (7 - 10 yr old) in the afternoon. Initially it looked like I was going to be able to help out Luciano (one of the staff) with a soccer camp for some of the boys in the slums, but b/c fields weren't available that didn't happen. Soccer one thing that I have seen shared across many different cultures around the world...a great common bond if you want to a connection without using any words. I had the opportunity to shadow Vinod who ran 2 medical clinics in the slums. We stayed in the clinic some mornings during visiting hours, administered medicine, and prayed for healing for those who came with illnesses. One day Vinod took me around to do "house calls". As we weaved, ducked, and hopped our way through the narrow maze of single-roomed homes I passed many woman doing their laundry in the "alley", children carrying jugs of water from a common spigot back to their homes, and toddlers running around naked. In most place, you could walk on cement blocks that covered the open sewers, which were no more than drainage ditches. The rains helped keep thing flowing. I'm not sure how things are when it is not the rainy season. (It is common practice to remove your shoes before entering into someone's house) Anyway, we came to this one house where Vinod introduced me to the first woman to become a Christan in this particular slum. We were invited in & greeted warmly, seats were cleared away for us to sit on while they sat on the floor, and given tea and crackers. She told me part of her story of how she was kicked out of her father's house for becoming a Christian, how God has provided for her and her family, how wonderful God is, and how blessed she is to be one of His children. As Vinod translated, I sat humbled and amazed. Here was a woman whose hope was far from here, but has found joy in today in her Lord and Savior, but in a place where by my standards of living would be appalling and I would be pleading for deliverance, focusing on myself and totally blind to, and hence missing out on, all that God has blessed me with (as she had discovered). She knows God as her faithful Father, protector, and provider, and is deep appreciation and love for Him. She was telling others of the wonderful love of Jesus Christ to her friends and family in the slums, and from her witness, many have come to trust in Christ!

Vinod then took me to the outskirts of the slums, near the ocean. He said that this used to be a high traffic area for prostitution, but the government of Goa came in a couple of years ago and demolished all of the brothels. But, some of the prostitutes were returning and their pimps could be seen underneath a tin-roof awning. AIDS is a common problem in the slums, spread by the residing prostitutes, and other ways. One needle could be used as many as 100 times on different people in the government run hospitals. Another hardship that people in the slum face is that as the rainy season (monsoon) continues their homes get destroyed from waves, or high winds. One day there was a storm that had about 30-40mph winds, and we were without power and water for about 12 hours. The following morning it was reported that 57,000 people lost their homes in Goa (a small state, like Rhode Island) during that one storm. As I rode the bus that next day I saw many trees up-rooted and 8ft walls blown over. Evidently, the mortar that they use for cheap construction jobs (houses in the slums, and walls) are weakened by the rain to the point where a person could push over the building by there own strength.

Throughout the week Vinod shared his experiences with me. He was born into a very high family in the caste system (family of priests). When he trusted Christ to be his salvation, he kept it to himself for a couple of years, but then the Lord convicted him to tell his father. His father disowned him, and kicked him out of his house. His uncle came home drunk one night and pinned him down and poured acid on face for disgracing the family name. For a few years he was a math teacher, and then God called him to leave everything and go to a place where He would show him. He went through YWAM's primary health care training program (6 month training course...in no way extensive), and then moved to Goa with his wife Rica with 30 rupees (40 rupees = $1) in their pocket six year ago. There used to be a doctor on rotation that would volunteer every few days to serve in the medical clinics to diagnose and prescribe, but have since moved away. Vinod is responsible for not only raising his financial support for his own living expenses, but is also responsible for funding the medical supplies/equipment/expenses for the clinics. People that come to the clinic will pay what they can, and when they can, but they are from the slums...so 1 rupee here, 1 egg there . Dispite theses conditions, he has some tremendous testimonies of God's provisions and blessings! People come to the clinic and after application of basic medicines and prayer get healed! It turns out that many of the patients have been to the hospitals around before coming to the clinic and are not cured. Vinod says that he doesn't believe in the medicine, but he believes in Christ working through the medicine...it is Christ that heals, not my skills or the application of medications. They live in a fairly descent apartment, with simple but modest furnishing, all have which have been given to them. They continue to live by faith for their various needs. It is Vinod's hope and dream to come to the United States (when the funds for a plane ticket become available) and raise funds and recruit staff for the medical clinics. If any of you have a desire to go on a medical missions, or if you know of anyone who does, Vinod would love to welcome you!

Another thing that was changed was my understanding of the global economy. In YWAM (Youth With A Mission), the staff are encouraged to pursue and start programs that the Lord places on their hearts to minister in various ways. They are responsible to raise their own support and support for their programs. Many times, the staff go unpaid during their formidable years of their programs, putting all of their fund raising towards their program. Manoj, one of the staff, has a vision to start an AIDS / HIV clinic that helps and supports children who have been affected by AIDS (either who have it b/c of their parents, or who have been neglected b/c their parents have AIDS) from meeting their physical needs (feeding and clothing), to educating them, and sometime in the near future to creating a live-in hospice for the children that are homeless. This is a huge need in the slums, and there is presently nothing like in Goa. Manoj is in the process of initiating his program...he has recruited a staff of two other men (a lot of prayer went into that), he looking into a location that he can use as a base. As he was describing the program to me he said that his 5 year budget that he would have to raise was around 1 million rupees (which roughly translates into $30,000). When I saw that, I said, "hmm...that's not bad, especially over a course of 5 years." He said, "Are you kidding? This will take a miracle! To raise that kind of financial support in India is next to impossible!" This definitely struck me...I thought, if I budgeted wisely, I could easily fund this whole project with my "meekly" teacher's salary contributing $6,000 a year. Before, when missionaries would come to church and ask for donations, I honestly would give disgruntly, thinking, they are just coming over here to milk us for money...(confession). But our salaries can finance things that are unfathomable in other countries. This was another humbling experience.

If any of you would like to give towards either of these ministries (the medical clinic, or the childrens AIDS program) or would like more information, just let me know, ministries of the native YWAM missionaries from Goa, India. Manoj has actually put together a full 15 page explanation and plan of implimentation of this program.

God bless,
Craig
smileycraig@gmail.com

Pics: Leaving Mumbai... Hello, Goa!

2007-06-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Leaving Mumbai... Hello, Goa!

This was the house we stayed at in Mumbai (so thankful for our hosts!!), our room (when I 1st arrived, I slept there with STIFLING HEAT - that means I had a hard time breathing, but survived, and the rains came to cool things down), and the dog, Rana - nice dog. Too bad I don't have a picture of Meher, our wonderful Indian Auntie (she is FUNNY!) and Naidal (such a great help to us, and blessing, sharing so many stories of God's Faithfulness!)... Naidal was our escort to the train station; we were SO thankful for him!! Lots of new sights and smells there! Picture 100 people sleeping on a really dirty floor / benches / dark / open room... and you'll have a picture of an early morning train station in Mumbai. Naidal helped us find our car and seat - we had air conditioned accomodations (wow!!); but Craig and I both decided that next time we would prefer to travel w/ the locals because it would be more fun!! On the train, we had our own little adventure of walking through about 20 cars - like you would do if you were 10 yrs old... but we wanted to see the front!! We got lots of stares, smiles, nods, ignoring, "Hello!" along the way; but it was worth it! Also interesting - we got to watch the countryside fly past (beautiful greens, hump-back oxen leading a plow, and huts for houses)... and the door was WIDE open; no guard rail or anything!! (Definitely NOT the U.S.) I could have jumped out, but I didn't. :) We also met a neat couple in our AC compartment and taught them how to play Euchre (they picked it up really fast, and we used terms like "powerful family, big bro/little adopted bro" instead of "trump, right bower/left bower"... fun!) When we arrived in Goa (a Portuguese, tropical city/state on the west coast), a guy from YWAM (Youth With A Mission, a Christian intnernational ministry) picked us up at the train station - again, SO NICE... God provides!!! He was our Indian SMILEY honorary family member. (He's the one in the yellow shirt - Raju - he had the BEST laugh and smile!!) We've had lots of fun conversations w/ all the YWAM people (Indians, Brazillians, ages 20-40) about different cultures, how we all do things, etc. Lots of Laughs!! (The head bobbing/nodding side-to-side has been the most interesting thing for Craig and me...I think it means, Yes, or I hear you, or ???)
Another cool thing we learned: There are 3 ethnic groups in India... Darker Skinned people of the South; Lighter Skinned people of the North; and Asian/like China people of the Far NorthEast, called Naka. Both of us have REALLY enjoyed our time w/ YWAM Goa (partial staff pic in lower right) - volunteering at the preschool, me getting to teach some (lots of motions/drama/facial expressions, which I love anyway!) and Craig helping out with various maintenance projects.
Those pics of the kids are some of the cutest kids we've seen... well, i guess they've all been pretty cute. God does a nice job.
The last 2 pics are of MY LIPS!! Yes, those are my smackers! :) And they have lots of beautiful blisters on them!! Look closely, they're tiny. The docs here think its some viral infection, so we're on some meds... and I gave it to Craig. sorry. (he drank from my water bottle...) But lots of people have been praying...and us, too. Jesus can heal ANYTHING. Thanks for all your prayers, emails, and comments!!! Blessings!!!

Pics: Mumbai, India; Bandra East Community

2007-06-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

Bandra East Community Center
In Mumbai, we had the opportunity to visit a community center that serves
the beautiful people of the surrounding area (largely slums - small, close houses,
open sewage, trash everywhere, stinky, flies, BEAUTIFUL people)...
We played lots of games - Cricket!! (like baseball) a little soccer (football), and
some basketball (w/out the basket - but who needs that anyway?)... They take in street kids, have computer classes, sewing classes, classes for the older women, feed the children, and help get them in the nearby schools... where they have 70 students PER CLASS!!!! And I was complaining with 35!!!)
I was sporting my new Indian wear - like a long night gown w/ loose pants/draw string (I think so that I could have a baby in my body, if need be),
and of course the draped around scarf.
It was a fun day, and hopefully made some connections for the future...

Pics: My Big Brother!

2007-06-22T04:36:00.000-07:00

AH, Isn't This Sweet??
(This is the pic we took at 2 am, when Craig arrived in Mumbai,
after a 20+ hour flight from Chicago... I made a sign, like all the other cool people in the airport... so he could identify me among all the Indians.
Actually, it wouldn't be too hard. :) And, only 1 bag lost...)
My Big Brother Came to Travel w/ Me in India!!!
I am SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!
Meet Craig; Great guy, Lover of Jesus, Helpful,
Funny, and 3rd best brother in the world!
(i have 2 more!)

Pics: Arrival in Mumbai, India

2007-06-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

In INDIA!! (Welcome to Mumbai, India... Temperatures around 110 F!)
HOT!! (then the rains came... ahhh!) Stayed with Dr. Viju Abraham,
director of a ministry that works w/ women and children in slum-area
communities. Wonderful Indian parents to me!!! :) Motor rickshaws
(like a 3-wheel mo-ped w/ a chariot cover; COLORS like you've never seen
in the women's saree's!!! wow!! Stinky smog, trash on streets, lots of people
w/ all shades of brown skin - ranging from deep, deep brown (almost black) to
light light caramel... amazing! Lots of stares for the pale people (that would be me!)
So glad my brother is coming!! :)

Reef Scuba, Opals, Blisters, & Sydney

2007-06-06T03:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the Great Barrier Reef.
It was all under water, so you really can't see much.
When you look at the water pics - see if you can tell the different blues.
One is water, the other is coral (under water).
Lots of cool HUMONGOUS clams, beautiful fish, rough coral, and fun turtles (those big Finding Nemo ones). I had lots of fun w/ our boat crew and other passengers. We made 6 dives!!!!
Even a night one - the lights made it look like Star Wars under water w/ our light sabers. That is a picture of the boat I stayed on for a 2 day, 1 night trip. It was great - and seeing the stars at night w/ the southern cross, wow. And the sunrise.
When I got back to Cairns (pronounced CANS), I bought a beautiful opal for a ring. It was a gift from God for me. Its my birth stone. (October) I love the fire in it.
I stayed at a hostel in Cairns and doctored my foot. 6 dives and my heel had had it with my fins. It was the 1st time I used my 1st aid kit on the whole trip... 4 months, amazing.
Then I flew back to sydney and got to attend the most BEAUTIFUL symphony I have ever heard. They played Beethovan or something, and it sounded like water flowing over smooth stones. Wow. It was like I was in heaven, listening to God be the Master Conductor of the Universe. Then I got to help Tamara & Nadia celebrate God's provision of a beautiful condo to live in, located in a fun part of sydney. The next morning, I got on a train to the airport... on my way to India... and right before I left, I got an email from my brother saying that he was coming to travel with me! I couldn't believe it! It was an amazing gift from God and from my brother.

Great Barrier Reef - A Bit Like Hollywood

2007-06-06T03:53:00.000-07:00

I just got back from an overnight, 6-dive scuba adventure on the Great Barrier Reef... it was really cool.

I'm up in Cairns (pronounced Cans) on the northeast coast of Australia. From Brisbane, in the middle of the east coast, to Cairns, is like driving from Indiana to Colorado - about 22 hours. Australia is huge. I was thankful to fly instead.

Beautiful stars - and the southern cross is here, too! It looks like a kite in the sky - the 4 points of the cross; and is on the NZ and Australian flags...

I didn't get to make it to the middle of the outback - there's a big rock there, called Ayer's...
and I guess it turns a really pretty red color early in the morning when the sun comes up.

But instead of all of these things... I got to do what I really wanted to see/do -
Scuba Dive in the Great Barrier Reef!
So cool.

But you know in all reality of the place - sometimes it's like buying jeans at name brand prices,
just to say you have a certain brand... It was really cool to be in Australia and on the actual GREAT BARRIER REEF... but I think scuba-ing off the Florida Keys was just a cool.

There were beautiful fish, amazing tooth-paste colored water, huge cauliflower-looking coral and other different shapes and colors - pink, green, purple, grey. Some coral was dirty-colored from all the sand sediment.

It looked like someone dropped a bomb and there were ashes everywhere, but it really was crushed shells or coral.

Another coral waved back and forth in the current, or the current I supplied by waving my hand back and forth over it...

I saw a huge clam. When I rubbed its belly (soft, slick, beautiful iridescent-colored muscle in his 'mouth'), I think I tickled it, and it shut. That scared me. I thought my hand was about to get bit off.

I didn't see any humongous pearls inside. That would have been cool.

The sea turtles were really neat, too. Disney did a really good job with the pictures in Finding Nemo. Watch that and you'll see a lot of what is at the Reef.

But I think you'll probably get better visibility than I saw.

My title, a bit like Hollywood... on tv I think they scuba on the clearest brightest day, w/ no sediment floating around to murkey up the water. When I went out, the water was still really blue, but I was looking through haze... it wasn't as clear or sharp as Hollywood images.

But even with this realization, I am really glad to have done it and experienced being out in the LARGEST living thing to be seen from OUTER SPACE... because the coral reef is living!

Hopefully I can put up some pics of the dives...

I'm at an internet cafe in Cairns, Australia.
I need to leave to go to my hostel so I can get a room.

I fly to Sydney tomorrow morning, and then to INDIA on Friday.

Prayers are GREATLY appreciated... will be volunteering in different locations and my older brother, Craig, who may get to come? We'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Blessings!!!

Ericka :)

ps - I got to buy an opal tonight! I'm so excited. It's my birthstone (October). Really special.
I think I'm going to have it put into a ring when I get home. :) Thank you, God! My souvenir from him for Australia.

Australia, Gold Coast w/ Gunny GIrls!

2007-06-06T03:51:00.000-07:00

So here are the Gunny Girls in Australia...
Becky and Tamara - both from Gunnison, Colorado,
all of us in Sydney, Australia at the same time... amazing.
I lived in Gunny for 4 months before I traveled, but had no idea these
girls would be in australia at the same time! We had so much fun together.
Checking out Tamara's grad school, meeting her fun friends
(love you, Nadia! and Sarah from Sweden),
going SURFING!
(becky was by far the best... maybe i'll get the video's of us up on the blog)
visiting Hillsong church (not the big main one, but a satallite in Sydney)
and then, after getting back from scuba at the Great Barrier Reef,
I went to a concert at the Opera House.
It was the most beautiful music I have ever heard...
I think b/c of the acoustics of the Hall ~ it is gorgeous.

Surfing Results in email to Gunnison, CO

2007-06-06T03:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Dear Gunny family,
Just wanted to drop a quick line to say - guess where I am and who I'm hanging/hung out with?
In Sydney, Australia with Tamara Coleman (residence hall person/foundry) and Becky Sears (bio prof/younger/foundry).
It has been the coolest thing! Surfing stories below . . .

Megan and Tamara emailed me to say that T. was in Sydney... (I had forgotten)... and then found out that Becky was flying in WED of last week... and I flew in Thursday! It was so awesome! 2 people coming to Sydney at the same time, both from Gunny!! We all agreed and were really thankful for this GRAND coincidence... but we really think it was orchestrated by God, and we are blessed!

We got to re-live all our beautiful Gunnison memories and talk about all of you guys! :) :) :) (B/c that's what you do when you're away from friends and you meet up w/ people from the same place!)

So we hope you're all doing well... I think spring time would be coming... or is full-on now...
here it's autumn - and may get to winter. :)

Tamara is doing a GREAT job in her international grad school courses! I'm glad to report she is a pro and is shining like a star wherever she goes and whatever she does! So many people love her down here! Becky came here to meet up w/ another friend and help her do some research for the summer (winter) - and I'm happy to report she is a super surfer pro!

Surfing

Yes, we tried it, and here were the results: Becky - AMAZING! Seriously, I think she got up every time. Solid performance.

Tamara - next best; quite expressive in her moves, and lots of laughter... and yes, she even stood up, i think once, if not 2x... (Afterwards, she talked to an Iranian fashion model. He approached us and showed us pictures of himself on his phone.)

Finally, me... can't say that the performance was too great. I liked to ride in on the board on my belly - it seemed to be more fun! I think I did get to my feet once, but fell off soon enough! :) We will try again!

I'm going to try to put up some video footage of our attempts - they're quite humorous. so stay tuned.

Blessings to you guys! (Becky headed on this afternoon... and I'm still here. Hopefully will head north this weekend, and maybe get to scuba or snorkel in the GBR!!!! Exciting.)

Have a WONDERFUL summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love,
ericka :)

Heading to Sydney!!

2007-05-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I quickly put up collages from my last few weeks in the South Island... I am getting ready to fly to SYDNEY, Australia... tomorrow morning, if everything goes as planned! :)

It has been ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL in NEW ZEALAND!
I love it here! obviously, b/c i spent 2x as much time as originally planned... but that's ok.

God is teaching me lots of things - like SLOW DOWN when I need to . . .

enjoy where you are... and how cool He is about opening some AMAZING doors (like people i meet, and who is where when, if that makes sense.)

For example: I'm on my way now to sydney, and there just happen to be 2 great girls there from GUNNISON, COLORADO!!! (and one JUST flew in this morning - and i didn't even know she was coming!!)

So we will get to have lots of fun, have some girls nights, and check out Sydney!

Then its up to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, to do some snorkeling or scuba; and then back to sydney to fly out to INDIA around June 12... to meet up w/ my next connection.

Keep praying for great connections. God can OPEN ANY DOORS!

Blessings and love,

Ericka :)

BYE NEW ZEALAND! I WILL MISS YOU ALL! Thank you for all your care, love, friendship, and beautiful country! It has been GREAT!

Pics: Last Time in Oxford, NZ!! Goodbye Shaskeys!!

2007-05-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

I ended up staying 2 months on the S.Island of NZ. I am really glad I did. One day, when I was hiking up one of the mountains with some friends, I had a thought, "What's your hurry?" Like God was asking me why I felt like I had to keep moving, traveling on to Australia, India, etc. Well, I answered, uhh, I guess nothing. Ok. I'm not in a hurry. I don't have to be. I can just enjoy being RIGHT HERE. Hmmm. I wish I would remember that lesson. (In hindsight, God took care of timing everything just right, getting to Australia and India, and I didn't have to help Him a bit.) So I stayed with the Shaskey's on the S.Island, in their beautiful town of Oxford, right outside of Christchurch. It's where God spoke through a pastor, "restoration, God is working restoration in your life"; where God gave me my theme verse for the trip, Psalm 84, "blessed are those who have set their hearts on pilgrimage, they go from strength to strength until each appears before God in Zion"; where God gave me Song of Songs 2 for me - that springtime was coming into my life, winter was past; and where I met and lived with my dear NZ family, the Shaskey's; having many talks and prayers with Annette, my NZ mum; playing Lord of the Rings w/ my NZ lil' bro, Daniel (aka Legolis); hanging out, talking and playing sports with my NZ sis Tammy. And I got to help bring in the cows and hear the dreams of my NZ pop, Garry.

Pics: Mt. Cook,, Church of Good Shepherd, & Looking Stupid

2007-05-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Do you want to see some beautiful country? Go to the South Island of New Zealand. Seriously. Erina and I drove through a back, one-way-in, one-way-out road to Mt. Cook - which we ended up not being able to see because of clouds. Nonetheless, it was one of the prettiest drives I have ever been on, rivaling Wanaka NZ and Switzerland. Mountains, lakes, clouds, fall colors; can you do better than that? Erina and I stopped by this small church built on the waterfront, called Church of the Good Shepherd. Honestly, I don't think you need a building to have church in those surroundings. I walked behind the church and stood on the rocks overlooking the water. I decided to sing love songs to Jesus. I felt stupid at first; what if someone hears me, or watches me; will they think I'm crazy? But I really do love Jesus, and I wanted to tell Him. I closed my eyes and even raised my hands half-way (still a little timid to do the full-arm reach) and started to sing. Erina told me later that a tour bus of Korean people had come to the church and they stood behind me, raising their hands in the exact-same 1/2 way position, and quietly sang the same songs. Honestly I had no idea. But when I heard that, I was glad I decided to look stupid.

Pics: Southern Travel w/ Erina, Sunrise

2007-05-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

That's the world's largest bird. Is anyone else glad it's extinct? Found in NZ, or used to be, I should say. After saying goodbye to Melanie, our Aussie sis, Erina and I traveled around the S.Island for a week. Those pink flowers, guess what they're called? Erica. No joke.
Not exactly same spelling as my name, but close enough. I was really excited to find out a flower of me exists. I bought it and gave it to my dear host family, the Shaskey's, so they would have an Ericka forever in their backyard. Erina and I visited the penguins on the southeast side of the Island, and laughed at the road signs nearby. We wanted to see a sunrise over the pacific ocean, which we figured would be the 1st sunrise of the new day, according to the International Date Line, unless some whales saw it before us. We sat in the pre-dawn chill for at least an hour, the horizon getting violet, then light rose, then deeper rose, then orange... Erina asked me if I thought the sun was really going to come up. It was taking infinitely longer than we ever expected. Doesn't it just pop up, and you have to watch it, or you'll miss it? Obviously not. At least not when your eyes are glued to the horizon, waiting for it. But I told her, It will definitely come up. It's the sun. That's what it does. For the thousands of years that we have been spinning. But it did seem that morning it wouldn't. I wonder if that's what it's like in waiting for Jesus to come back. We get to a point where we think, Maybe He's really not going to come. But I think the answer to that is just like the sun...

Pics: Queenstown, Bungy, Travel, Dreams

2007-05-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

In NZ I met one of my twin sisters from whom I was separated at birth. Not really, but
you know how WHOAH it is to meet someone whom you think, "this person has to be me."
But they're not. But its pretty close. Well, that's what happened when I met Erina.
She doesn't really look like me, she has beautiful chocolate brown skin, and mine is more
of a peachy tone, but I'm telling you, we are twins. She happened to be traveling around the
world with Jesus in the other direction. Do a lot of people do this? And we happened to meet
at Light House church in Wanaka. She was in the last part of her trip, having come from London (if you ever get to hear a black girl talk with a British accent, it is SO COOL), traveling thru Uganda, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Her last stop was to be the U.S., so I was glad to get to send her to my friends when she drove thru Indiana. And later she told me she loved America, because of the people she met and stayed with... amazing what a little hospitality can do. Back to NZ: Erina and Ericka (doesn't it sound like we're twins?) and Melanie, another beautiful sister from Australia, drove from Wanaka to Queenstown, the famous place in all of NZ for extreme sports. It was there that I chose to do my bungee jump. The three of us had a grand time together. I was impressed with how enterprising both Erina and Melanie were. Melanie was dreaming, and pursuing a dream, of starting a make-up beauty line called Fruits of the Spirit. She had been working on it for about 5 years. Market research, manufacturers, searching for the right ingredients, wow. And she always dreamed of living in Spain, so she was going to go there to "suss it out" (which I think is Australian for check it out and see about possibilities).
Erina had a dream, birthed in S.Africa, to start a Zeen, which is a one-page magazine, that she wanted to distribute in all the underground metro systems of London. The Zeen would be full of real life stories about young people who are living out their faith in Jesus. Her dream is to inspire a new faith life in the upcoming generation in what she sees as a spiritually dying London. I was so amazed as I listened to both girls. Would they be able to do what they were dreaming? What dreams to I have?

Pics: Wanaka LightHouse

2007-05-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Do you want to go to a really beautiful place? Try Wanaka. It rivals Switzerland as my favorite place from my trip. It reminds me of heaven. Not that I've been there. But if there is a place like heaven on earth, I would nominate Wanaka. Mountains rising out of nowhere, huge lake, warm fall colors. It's nice. I stayed at Lighthouse Church. It's made up of NZ er's and US'ians who want to share with snowboarders God's amazing gift of life thru Jesus. I met some great people there. Their US church connection is in Mammoth, California. I added the chicken picture because I ate some of their eggs while I was there. Thank you, chickens.