i've been meaning to update for quite a while...
i found that, in general, i tend to not want to write when i'm going through my downtimes. not that i've had a depressing month or anything but i did face some disappointments, including several people deciding NOT to go to China w/ me, major changes in my spring break plans, and stressful situations at work.

on the upside, one terrific woman WILL be joining me at the orphan camp, & we're having a wonderful time getting to know each other. now that my plans are getting finalized, i'm really *really* excited about going back to asia. is it simply escapism? i don't think so...i just find so much joy being overseas serving others.

& my spring break, tho it did not involve the international travel i was looking forward to, ended up being a fantastic time of friendship-building and rest. Guess where we are in the pics?

@ the fountain in front of Hoover Tower (Stanford). LR and I took a one-day trip up to the Bay Area. yup, we drove 12 hours roundtrip for a 16-hr stay (that included 8 hrs of sleep). crazy, but it did partially satisfy my traveling fix. most amazingly, we didn't turn on the radio once during the entire trip!

on a trolley in SF - my first one! it's cheesy touristy but quite fun!

@ the Getty - goregously good weather. earlier that morning, we went rollerblading at the beach.

& unlike other years, the hardest part about the end of spring break was not returning to work, it was a bit more serious this time. LR had graduated in engineering from Vtech this past May, and I had spent much of the time w/ her listening to stories about her friends and school. The Monday after was when the Vtech shootings happened... wow, it felt SO close to home.

@ church, we've been going through a series on the parables and it's made me yearn for the reality of the words: "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." i want the Kingdom to be a real part of me, how I live & make decisions, the source of my joy. and i've had to cling to the hope that it would be so for others as well. in this world so full of suffering and evil, i've had to re-examine and re-define my belief in a good God. and yes, i remain steadfast in my belief that He's good, very Good.

but enough of the serious stuff...since my last post:
- i celebrated a birthday (late 20's i am now). what a terrific couple of days surrounded by friends!
- went on a fieldtrip to the Petersen Auto Museum w/ my 4th graders.

i never before realized that cars could be sexy!

- applied for a new passport (b/c of the fiasco w/ my damaged passport last summer)
- bought 3 wedding presents (1/2 the # i'll need to buy this year!)
- & thought about some recently acquired identities:
a) small grp co-leader
b) volunteer-er
c) make-up wearer (tho still not much nor very well)
d) exerciser (haha, does once a week count?? it's better than before!)
e) missions contact for my church! (not sure what this entails and am a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities BUT i'm thrilled to be involved!)

so, some ups & downs... the good thing: i'm still being stretched, still know that God is working hard on me to make me His.