another tribute

Have you all met Kevin yet? He's my love. I would like to take a moment and tell you some fun factoids about him:

1. He goes by the name "chinchilla."

2. He's adorable (as you can see from this photo).
3. He eats healthy food when there's junk food within arms reach (example: Me: "Hey Kev, I'm making chocolate chip pancakes, would you like one?" Kev: "Can you put blueberries in mine instead?")

4. He's an only child.

5. He's an incredible songwriter/guitarist.

6. He has run 3 marathons.

7. He's 5'5", the perfect size for ME!

8. He talks more than I do. Bless him for giving my vocals a rest!

9. He grew up in St. Paul.

10. He'd wear shoes for 50 years if I didn't buy him new ones.

11. He likes to read.

12. He's allergic to animals with hair.

13. He speaks French & Spanish!

14. He often talks to strangers--a total evangelist!

15. He sucks at ski-ball (I have yet to lose!)

16. He's addicted to Diet Coke.

17. He's a pastorman.

18. He's an awesome tennis player, and beats me everytime!

19. He puts extra fuzz on my heart.

20. He's my love.

Well, now you know 20 more things than you once did. Lucky me. Kev is picking me up from the airport when I fly home and then taking me directly to the arms of my nieces! This is the end of my tribute!

MY auntie

This one goes out to the ones I love! I just got off the phone with Presley. Apparently, she's been telling everyone "I'm going trick-or-treating with MY auntie!" And she's right! I'm so excited! 9 days to go! She asked me what I'm going to dress up as. My costume choices are quite limited. I want to dress up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, but can't afford a $40 costume right now, so I may go with the usual Batman costume and be done with it. Though, a lady from GS said she has a Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz costume that I could borrow, so that's in the running as well. I asked Presley if she had ever seen that movie. She had no idea what I was talking about. I'm getting old.

Just talking to her on the phone got me so excited to go home. I'm trying to stay focused on the things I need to get done here this week. My stomach is still feeling yucky. Nothing has stayed down today, not even water. My energy level is at a -6. I spent 3 hours in a worship planning meeting today, but I could've just as well been on another planet; all I could think about was how much work I had to get done before Sunday. I'm teaching Jacob's Well this Wednesday, and prep for that is taking way longer than I anticipated. Not to mention that I haven't even started my sermon for Sunday. My stomach hurts right now even thinking about it. I gotta work on my multi-tasking skills. Ok, no more pouting...back to work!

calm the sea

I lied. I can handle dogs barking in the night. However, I cannot handle being sick all night long. We were served some super yummy fish tacos for supper last night, they were lightly battered and fried in grease. I know full well that my tummy can only handle so much grease, so I took a few and blotted them dry with my napkin. Apparently, it didn't help. I was up 4 times during the night either going the bathroom or throwing up. So, I skipped breakfast, and eventually had to get out of bed to pack my things and load up the van.

Dave Peters had asked me to plan and lead the Sunday morning worship service for the group at Rancho La Paloma. And, I was determined to do it after all the prep work I put into it. Carol (one of the GS prayer warriors) came into my room as I was packing. She played the mom card well by urging me not to pick things up, or move too much. She forced me to drink only small sips of water, though I felt super dehydrated and wanted to chug it. She asked the women in my room to come and lay hands on me while she prayed for me. "Jesus, if you can calm a sea, then certainly you can calm Amber's stomach!" I burst out laughing. Carol rocks! So, we went and worshipped. And, I only had to make one trip to the bathroom while folks were reflecting! Carol came up to me after the service and said that during breakfast they had all prayed that I would be well enough to bring the message that God had prepared in my heart, and that if my sickness was the devil's attempt to stop me, then bring healing and words. She hugged me and said that God spoke through me to her today, and the devil certainly did not win this one. I've appreciated all the prayers, and even more importantly, hearing others share how they sensed prayer was working in their lives.

We eventually hopped in the vans. I was armed with smart water and a barf bag. A mile on a bumpy gravel road was the thing I needed most! NOT! Luckily, we stopped at a park to see some of the sweet features. My pictures in this entry are all from the park. I was thrilled to find that the Tecate people dedicated a mural to Kevin and I. Dove & Bijou! :) I eventually switched vehicles while we were waiting in line to cross the border. So, I slept most of the way home in the back of a truck. I'm home now. I'm in bed. I've been trying to convince myself that I can go to church tonight, but with my unpredictable stomach, I don't know that it's a good idea. Time to drink some more smart water and rest a little. Dang, what a day!

pato pato ganzo!

As I went to sign into my blogging account, the website automatically changed to Spanish. Yes, I'm in Mexico, but how does my computer know that? :)

For those of you who think I'm high maintenance for bringing my computer, I would like to defend myself by saying that I brought it to work on my sermon and powerpoint for a Bible Study. God bless Mexico for unexpected Wifi!

Yesterday afternoon, I was put in charge of the troops as we filled vans full of supplies, donations, and personal stuff for the trip to Mexico. 15 Good Shepherd folks gave up their weekends in an attempt to give back a little. This is a picture of Kelly and I at one of the rest areas we stopped at. With such amazing form, it's hard to believe we're not professional dancers, I know! I'm writing from Tecate, Mexico. About 3.5 hours south of Torrance. I can see CA from the retreat center. If I started walking toward the hill behind the dorm, I'd be in the United States in a matter of minutes. We're that close to the border.

I didn't sleep worth a crap last night. There was a dog within shooting distance from my window. I know this, because I debated finding a BB gun to pop it with. I'm rooming with Kelly, Karly, Yassi in this adorable little dorm room. Yassi is a marine biologist who works taking youth to and from Catalina for amazing adventures. I took this opportunity to ask her professional advice on the marine life I've been encountering. She reassured me that dolphins don't bite, but sea lions CAN bite if you try to touch them. Basically, I don't forsee myself reaching out to the yucky sea lions anytime soon, so, I guess I'm safe.

This morning we got up at 6:30, breakfast at 7, and in the vans by 8. We spent the entire day at a preschool. The men were put in charge of building an awning for the children to sit under. It took them all day to do it. The rest of us painted classrooms and eventually painted colorful murals on the outsides of the buildings. About 100 others from Tecate pitched in to paint, clean, and cook food. The women made food for us to eat for lunch. Honestly, I didn't recognize anything but the tortilla, but I was brave and tried a few things. Of course, we were the guests of honor, so we were asked to go through the line first. I hate eating before little children eat, but we sucked it up and did as they asked. After lunch it was back to mural painting. Here is one of the before and after pictures of the mural that Kelly and I helped paint.

The little preschool children and their families came and got dirty right along side us. Kelly and I got to play with a bunch of the children when we had finished painting the murals. Very few of them spoke Spanish, and eventhough I know a few phrases, we couldn't understand eachother. Though, we did manage to figure out that their version of "duck, duck, grey duck" is called "pato, pato, ganzo!" Some things are universal. Laughter, crying, hugging, even kissing! As a few of the kids left to go home, they walked up to Kelly and I and said, "beso! adios!" and then gave us kisses on the cheek. We all speak the same language when it comes to those things.

Our drive home from the preschool was about 25 minutes of holes and bumps. My eyes wanted to weep from all the poverty we witnessed on our drive alone. It reminded me so much of Africa. Little huts, dogs roaming freely, dusty streets, children playing, random shops on the side of the road, and garbage everywhere. Less than half a mile from the United States and this is what you get. It's unbelievable, really.

As I close this tonight, I thank God for all of you who care enough about me to read this blog. I thank God for a computer to communicate with, for a family who loves me, for my nieces who were fortunate enough to be born in a place where they sleep in warm and safe beds, for the wonderful love I've found in Kevin, and for being blessed to have someone like him in my life who supports me and stands beside me no matter what crazy thing I try to do next, for water I can drink out of the tap, for new friends I've met at Good Shepherd, and those we were fortunate enough to serve here today in Tecate. Besos!

emergency

3 days in a row--this surfing thing is addicting. Even despite the freezing cold water, we went back out. It was a rough day. I didn't ride a single wave. My poor knees, ankles, and arms got beat up a little more each day. Enough is enough!

Bob called an emergency supervisor meeting at Dive N' Surf, the local surf shop in Redondo Beach. It was a wet-suit emergency. After three straight days of goosebumps, I decided it was time to set aside my frugal tendencies and buy one. We picked out 4 to try on. I slipped in to the first one, no problem. Mind you, it was 80 degrees today. Surf shops do not have air conditioning. So, after a minute in a full suit (long sleeves and pants), it gets a little toasty! I was sweating like a wild hog.

Then, Bob got a call from a friend who knew someone who works at Dive N' Surf and would be willing to get us his discount. AWESOME! I was hoping for 20%, so when Bob knocked to tell me it was 50%, I freaked out!! He immediately went and grabbed a higher quality wetsuit, because now, with the discount, I could afford a better one. So, I peeled the first one off--literally, and tried putting the second one on. I couldn't. Because I was so hot, my skin was sweaty--I couldn't get it on. I was standing in this blazing hot dressing room laughing hysterically because I was stuck in a wetsuit that I couldn't get on or take off. Poor Bob waited patiently until I finally got it on. It only took about 10 minutes! :) It was a nice suit, but even with the discount, it would've been close to $200. Too much. So, instead of impulse buying it, I got a great one that at regular price was $140. So...for me, $70!! I was expecting to pay close to $150 for a wetsuit, but with all that savings, I splurged and got a pair of booties to go with it. They are so sweet. The big toe is cut out--Kevin said they look like a deer hoove. I'm thinking of sleeping in them. :) Both items are Body Glove, and get this: my wetsuit has PINK on it! Elle Woods would be so proud of me!

Fernando, the employee went right over to the shop and bought both things for me. My total bill was $108. I can't believe how lucky I got to get a full suit this time of year. For you Minnesotans reading, it'd be the equivalent of going to buy a winter jacket right now--none would be on sale because everybody wants them. So, I swung by his house to thank him with ice cream and money. Fair swapping of the goods. He's an awesome guy who has been living in CA forever. It's fun to meet folks who grew up here. Lucky ducks!

I leave for Mexico tomorrow for a weekend long mission trip in Tecate. We'll be working on a preschool by building an awning and painting the inside. I'll share many stories when I return. As for me, I'm pooped...time to call it a night! Sweet dreams all!

permanent goosebumps!

Well, it's time to break down and do it! I need to buy a full-suit for surfing. Greg Barker and I were the only fools out there in our spring suits, and my legs, toes, arms, and hands were numb by the time I got out of the water! But, as sick as it sounds: it was worth it! I stood up twice on my own. I even DROPPED IN on the first wave (which is what the real surfers do)!

No sea lions to report. (Thank you, God!) But a family of dolphins passed by us. It was the cutest thing ever! Little baby dolphins rock!

On a sad note: a member of GS suffered a massive stroke this week, and she's going to be taken off life support tomorrow. Gloria and I went up to visit her. I brought my guitar and sang a few hymns. Though she wasn't responsive, I sensed that she heard every word and was humming along quietly in her head. This is a time when the classics heal the soul, What a Friend we have in Jesus, How Great Thou Art, and Blessed Assurance. I'm thankful that God gifted me with the ability to pick up a guitar and sing. Better yet, to minister through those gifts. If not to the patient in the bed, then perhaps to those who surrounded her with love.

Well, I have leadership training tonight, a day full of meetings and prep tomorrow, and then I leave for Tecate, Mexico on Friday afternoon. Time to get busy! I love and miss you all! 2 weeks until I'm home!

FEARFULLY and wonderfully made?

Is anyone else out there scared of things? We all are, right? Ever since I got to CA, I've been on edge. You know, back in MN, the birds are bad enough. Once in a while, one will get too close to me, and I'll freak out. You'd think in the middle of a thriving metropolis, I wouldn't have this problem. WRONGO!!

Once again, this morning, we headed out to do some surfing. I saw some dolphins in the distance. No biggy. They're growing on me. All of a sudden this little animal comes up out of the water about 30 feet from my board. I assume it's a dolphin. I was wrong. All of a sudden, this big toothed sea lion comes right up next to my board. Then, it popped his head up again for a better view. I panicked. Every surfer from San Fransisco to San Diego heard me this morning as I yelped like a little hyena. I understand I'm swimming in the ocean and that there are more than the usual turtles and bullheads back home, but dang, why am I so freaked out here?

Due to the warm temperature and massive amounts of garbage cans, animals are in dumpster juice heaven here in the city: skunks, opossums, rats, squirrels, huge spiders, and the black cat who lives here and scares the living crap out of me everytime she darts around outside, holy cow, when is this going to end? I'm on edge all the time. The one thing I'd be happy to see running on the street: stray dogs! I feel like I'm living in the middle of a zoo.

On a happier note, I got to wear my new outfit today. So, I took a minute this morning to show you just how cool my "Surfing the Nations" t-shirt is. I'm home now and planning to take a quick snooze to try and get rid of my headache. 15 days until my nieces are in my arms!

burgers=super, boys=stupid

The final day of the National Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento, CA: sheet (that’s a cross between short and sweet). I’m proud to say that I got up each morning this week and swam for 45 minutes. After all the junk food we got stuck eating at the convention, it felt good to wake up and take care of myself. Since the main session didn’t start today until 11, I got a chance to hang out with Dena in our room, and talked to my sister for a while. It makes me feel so loved to hear her express how excited she is for me to come home! 16 days!

Cindi gave us all $25 gift certificates to spend in the YM store, so today I went to the Jedediah section and bought an awesome blue “Surf the Nations” t-shirt and a black hat. The shirt was part of their hope collection, where $5 of each t-shirt sale goes toward the organization who sponsors the t-shirt. As a professional surfer, I felt obligated to support the cause!

After our final session, we waited around to take some fun pictures, and I even got a quick shot with The Skit Guys. As we were getting ready to walk out, Erik Gravrock, my friend from seminary saw me run into the bathroom, so he stalked me, waited outside for me to come out so we could get a picture together! CREEPY! j/k How fun to see a familiar face in such a new place!

As we were driving home, I was put in charge of looking for potential fast food restaurants for lunch. From a distance, I could see signs for KFC, Taco Bell…but then I saw it…IN-N-OUT BURGER! Everyone in the car started screaming and cheering! My first trip to the in-n-out! So, we grabbed the camera and documented the whole experience. I ordered a cheeseburger “animal style” (which means, with grilled onions & relish are added to the burger), and a chocolate milkshake! When I mentioned to the cashier that it was my first trip, he gave me a free sticker and hooked me up with one of the sweet grill hats! He even took a picture with me! I gotta say: it was quite tasty!

I am writing this as we drive down THE-5 (Californians like to but a definite article on the front of their roads), so they never say Interstate 5, it’s always THE 5. Weirdos.

Highlights of today:
IN-N-OUT
Picture with The Skit Guys
Morning swim
Getting a full facial from Dena with her Galvanic Spa machine.
Relaxing now in the van on our way back home.

As I sit and reflect on what my emotional snapshot from the weekend would be, this would be it: last night while listening to Kendall Payne sing, she said “It was in the darkest and stormiest nights that I grew the most.” This is a reflection of my growth point. This last week, I had conversations with some long lost friends, and randomly, shared with them a deep hurt that I’m still getting over. Because I was able to share so freely, I felt God tugging me this week to just lay it to rest. Why hold on to it anymore? Because of this time of suffering, I life clay was molded to a different form, and now I’m a greater work of art because of it. Ultimately, I feel as tough God is reminding me that I need to spend time with God if I hope to reach people and gain strength to overcome my wilderness and truly serve God.

Oh, one other thing I learned: I reached the conclusion that boys are stupid. I got tormented all weekend by two "mature" church guys who tortured me with things I hated. So, lesson is: never tell people what you're afraid of, especially animals. I heard the word opossum all weekend, and even had a stuffed animal thrown at me in a gas station. Worse yet: the weekend ended with a large, not to mention LIVE iguana being hand delivered as a surprise to me. What part of LEAVE ME ALONE is so hard to understand?

shane & shane & amber

Day Three of the National Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento, CA: empowering. I headed back out to the pool this morning. The air temperature was 45 degrees—even colder than yesterday! Today was the best day by far at the convention! Guest artists today included: Starfield, Shane & Shane, Kendall Payne, Tony Campolo, Lost & Found, and The Skit guys.

I rushed to the group session this morning with much anticipation: Shane & Shane were performing! They did not disappoint! Man, they’re awesome. And what’s better: I got a picture with the two of them after the session was over!

The first session I went to this afternoon was called “Get Dramatic: Taking drama and skits to the next level in your ministry.” Four of the Good Shepherd folks went to this one and it proved to be quite entertaining. Why? Because I got to perform! This was led by the hilarious duo called The Skit Guys. They asked for two volunteers to come up, and I got picked. It was an improv skit. All they told the two of us was that our subject was integrity, and to tie it into internet use. So, we went at it. It was a blast. I got quoted for saying some incredibly stupid things. The one that got the most laughs, “by golly!” I even stopped in the skit and said to the audience: “Did I really just say ‘by golly’?” Wow, it’s amazing the ridiculous stuff that comes out of your mouth during improv. The Skit Guys were really affirming, and even wrote down a few of the one liners that I said. They thought I was funny! SUCCESS!

This afternoon, we got to go through a line and collect some awesome free items. Books, CD’s, a bandana, music downloads, shirts. Today was the day of awesome gifts. My love language was fed in the greatest way. TOKENS of love! We could even stop and write out affirmation cards. Check out the pink one I wrote for Cindi.

One of my professors from seminary, Andy Root, was presenting on relational youth ministry, so Greg Barker and I went to hear him. I had talked Andy up the whole weekend, so was hoping he’d do an awesome job to back up what I had said. When Greg and I walked out of the session he said, “He must be one of your great teachers!” Well done, Andy! He did do such an incredible job.

Tonight was packed full of talent on the stage. Some sweet escape artists, and my new favorite singer: Kendall Payne. Dang, can that girl sing! Dena bought all of us girls a copy of Kendall’s CD, so we got it signed! Then, we ran into the lead singer from Starfield (Tim), and got a picture with him! He was fascinated by my camera, so wanted to check it out! A celebrity touched my camera!! Super exciting!

Highlights of today:
Being in The Skit Guy skit
Getting a free DVD for acting
Lunch with Cindi & Dana
Personal pictures with Shane & Shane, Kendall Payne, & Tim Neufield
More free candy
My first signed CD

mechanical unicorn!

Day Two of the National Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento, CA: filling. I started the day off with a morning swim in the outdoor pool. The air temperature was 50 degrees—a wee bit chilly! The water temperature was a scorching 75 degrees. It was lovely. Guest artists today included: Starfield, Shane Claiborne, Phyllis Tickle, & Mike Pilavachi. These speakers and performers are ridiculously talented!

This weekend has been one of incredible growth and challenge for me. Shane Claiborne was an artist whose name I had heard before but didn’t know much about him. Our group went to a breakout session and listened to him talk about Grace. In his opening prayer, he said "May we become less so that you become more." I felt he tied this prayer into his message about how Christianity/church can start to look like fantasyland. Where we smile, hug, say all the right things, and forget to allow people to be broken (as we always are!) Are we encouraging others to live there too? How can we be more real so that hurting people don’t feel out of place? This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t be happy when life is going good, but more importantly, we should feel that church is a safe place to be broken. The brokenness creates cracks in our skin, and it’s through those cracks that the Holy Spirit is let in. Shane also said, "Forgive us for the mess we’ve made of this world." So true. After watching a gut-wrenching video about his trip to Iraq, I realized that we’ve got so much changing to do.

At the end of the day today, we headed over to the exhibition center, and I got to ride a mechanical unicorn. I’ve never even been on a bull, so I figured a cute little unicorn would be a good place to start! It was super fun! They tried getting me to wear a fake mustache while riding, but my vanity was more important! Yeehaw!! I rode that beast for 12 seconds! (check out the little elf man below who cannot believe I stayed on so long!) lol

Highlights of today:
Riding the mechanical unicorn
Getting a free t-shirt & stickers
Buckets of candy
15 minutes of internet access
A "nap-time" story from Kev followed by a 2 hour nap.
More Hawaiian pizza!