Saturday, August 26, 2006

Quickie...

Today was Hannah's welcome BBQ at the Enns' (where she will be living) and it was fabulous! We had a great turnout and just a fun evening all around. Hannah just really impressed me with her desire to get to know our students. I think it's so easy to expect people to make the effort to get to know you (when you're the new one) but she has really stepped up and made the effort with everyone that she has met so far. By doing this, I think she's going to have an amazing ministry here on top of some amazing friendships. The students really welcomed her too and I was quite suprised with how 'chatty' they were with her. It was so great to watch. God's plans are always perfect and it's so cool to see that Hannah was no doubt the one He chose to be our intern.

On a more personal note... I tried really hard to interact with Kristen and I think it paid off a bit. She's a sweet girl but has forgotten her 'first love' (Rev 2:4) and I really want to encourage her. This was the first time I've been able to have a converstaion that included more than 'Hi, how are you?' and I learned a few things about her that will allow me in the future to talk with her more easily. I also spent quite a bit of time with the Angela's, Ben, and Vania which was awesome.

Ministry tonight felt so normal, so familiar... a BBQ at a home, with lots of youth, and a game of capture the flag. I realized how much I miss the ability to minister in this way. How much I miss just having the youth over to just 'hang out' and will begin to pray that God would allow us to move into something very similar to where the Enns' live or at least a spacious flat that's more accomadating to 20 some kids. We don't get to see our students very often relax like they did this evening so it's fun to see them be themselves and to be able to connect on a deeper level.

Tomorrow Mike preaches and I'm excited to be a part of the service. Adelina, Nick and Kayla will join us again and I'm just looking forward to being with our family. I always have a hard time in the mornings to get my butt moving, especially on a Sunday, because I know it'll be a long day but I never once go to sleep without feeling blessed to have spent the day with family. And with that...

off to bed.

Happy Saturday!

Friday, August 25, 2006

She's Here!!!!

Hannah's here! I was so excited to see her come around the corner that I had to hold back tears so I didn't look like a dork. LOL We are so excited she's finally joined our family here in HK. I can only imagine the great things God has in store for her over these next nine months and I look forward to once again being an observer of this first hand.

I give her major props for the trooper she was yesterday! She arrived around 9:30 and spent the first few hours chatting with the students that met her at the airport. Once we got home... she continued to talk with us and get as settled as she possibly could in our flat. In the evening, we met some of our girls for dinner where she spent another few hours talking some more. And she did all this without napping or falling asleep at the dinner table. We treated her to the best Chinese dish EVER (Peking Duck) as well as some other Chinese foods and she was so open to trying new things. We even introduced her to several modes of transportation in one day... the airport express, a cab, the KCR and a mini-bus. Crazy... felt like our first evening with John and Sarah. We just kept going but you know what... it paid off! She slept all night which means she's on the way to overcoming jet lag.

Isabella had a terrible, terrible night and so today we didn't do much. A little grocery shopping and dinner with Adelina, Nick and Kayla. Tomorrow's her big welcome BBQ and I'm sure we'll do a bit more exploring in the next few days. It's kinda nice not to have to get out and see everything in a short amount of time. We have a full 9 months to do it! Wohoo!

As I just mentioned... we had dinner this evening with Adelina, Nick and Kayla. It was great! We continue to learn more about them and realize how well we get along for just meeting. They will be joining us again on Sunday and I'm just thrilled. But most of all... I just love that they are comfortable being themselves around us. We often find that the second we say Mike's a pastor people tend to shy away from who they truly are. But they have been great and so supportive of what he does. It's just been wonderful developing this friendship and I look forward to spending more time with them as Adelina only has a few more weeks of work! We're both hoping that the girls will teach each other a few things... Adelina hopes Isabella will teach Kayla to be a bit more agressive and I'm hoping Kayla will teach Izzy to be a bit calmer (yes... I'm a dreamer... lol) and some words. She's got quite the vocabulary for an almost 2yr old.

So overall it's been a great few days. I've really noticed God at work and it's been so cool to watch and get excited about the future. I've got some fun (scrap related) news to share within the next week or so but for now... I better hit the hay just in case we have another adventurous night.

Sorry no pictures... no patience to wait on blogger. :)

Blessings~

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

In a minute...


This is what happens when I turn my back for a minute!

It's been a fun, relaxing few days. Yesterday was a fun family day with a few goodies thrown in. Mike finally got some much needed sandals and I got a pair of converse! I'm so excited. I had like a million pairs, in a million different colors back in high-school and there's a store here that sells a HUGE variety so with Mike's encouragement, I walked away with a pair of white with red/gold stripes. I love them!

Today we took a walk and met Mike for lunch. Isabella was quite the pill on the way home. She had her plans and they didn't agree with mine. But I must say, that I quickly realized that I was in no hurry to get anywhere (except in air con to cool off... lol) and let her explore. It was cute watching her play peek-a-boo and pointing out all the boats. I put her down for a nap once we got home but again she had other plans. She didn't fuss but she didn't sleep. For an hour and a half, she played in her crib. I could hear her talking and it was so sweet but I was dying to know what she was doing.

Only one more day before Hannah arrives and we're so excited! It will be so great to see her and have her with us for the first few weeks. We're also making plans to see Adelina, Nick and Kayla again this Friday but it ultimately depends on Nick's work schedule. So we're praying hard. lol

I got my Elite Bootcamp (Billy Blanks) series in the mail today and I'm SOOO excited to try one of the workouts tomorrow. I watched the short 8 minute power workout because I was curious and wow... he covers a lot in those 8 minutes. Should be interesting.

Well.. not much to say today. Have a great Tuesday!

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Awesome God

Our day started off a bit tiring as Isabella woke up about 4:30/5ish and from that point on almost every 45 minutes. Not sure what the problem was but I think it's still her teeth. Anyway...

The day only got better as we were able to walk to church with Mike! This rarely happens and I have to say... I LOVE IT! I love walking to church as a family.

Better still... we met Adelina, Nick and Kayla at Pacific Coffee before church (and Mike was even able to join us for a few minutes). It was great to see them again and continue to get to know them. At 9:30 we headed over to church and walked into Pastor Aris leading worship. Wow... he's good! I LOVE singing and worshipping God in that way and I really felt God's presence in the service today. It was wonderful. Nick and Adelina kept Kayla with them until she became a bit talkative and so they ventured to the nursery... but Praise the Lord, Kayla was totally comfortable in there and they both came back to the service! I was so thrilled because I know Adelina wanted to be a part of the actual service. Afterwards, we introduced them to as many people as we could and spent our 'tea time' getting to know them even better. I felt like I had some really good conversations with them that allowed me to get beyond that 'surfacey' conversation stuff. They seemed to really enjoy themselves and Adelina really enjoyed Pastor Aris' singing/leading and his sermon. We're hoping they will come back next week but no matter what our goodbyes were... 'Let's make plans to get together again this week!' (and from them! we were definitely thinking it too but it feels so good to know they want to spend time with us too) I can't even tell you what an answer to pray this is for me. I've desperately been wanting to meet some new people and in particular, someone who lives closer by, with children, that I could develop a friendship with and wow... God is SOOOO good.

The day just continued to be awesome. I was able to talk with a variety of ladies at church, got to see Sumiko's baby (well pictures anyway... she was just born on Sat) and we had lunch with some of our students.

Today was one of those days where I felt confident in saying that Hong Kong was 'home.' I felt very alive, connected, loved, thankful, etc... It was just wonderful and God was clearly working in my heart.

This week is just going to be awesome! We've got some fun plans for tomorrow evening, hopefully another A,N,K playdate, and Hannah arrives on THURSDAY!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I just can't wait to see what God has in store for us this week.

Been a long time...



I'm going to cheat and use Mike's way (well kind of) of describing the past week...

Saturday: Photo Scavenger Hunt with Youth Group--Isabella and I sent them off and greeted their return. It was so fun to hear the students excitement in trying to gather all 57 photos. We had a great turnout that included several of our Jr. High students... which if you know anything about our ministry here... that's an amazing feat!

Here are the students working on the clues...

and Isabella wanted to play too.

Sunday: I was supposed to meet Adelina and Kayla today but we were unable to connect on Saturday to finalize details. And that morning my Children's Church teacher was sick and so in my running around gathering materials so that I could cover her, I forgot Adelina's number. Needless to say, she was there before church and I was there afterwards. ~bummer~ But the day was pretty good overall. We had a farewell dinner for Noel and Toby who are headed off to Texas and Canada for college at my favourite Thai restaurant and then in the evening we met Dan and Geeta for dinner at CPK. I just loving being around our HK family and Sunday's are always best for that.

Monday: We planned to hit Telford Plaza today but we didn't realize that the bus only ran in the morning and evening so we ended up returning home and just relaxing.

Tuesday: Hmmm... can't really remember this day. Oh yeah... some of the youth guys helped Mike clean up G07 (our Children's Church room that is now also our library) so Isabella and I went over to visit. There's a great bike that Isabella LOVES to ride so I let her ride and play for a few hours. It's nice to have a place to go to, where there's lots of safe space, for her to just run around and she certainly enjoyed herself. She made a new friend in Aries (our new Pastor's son) as he pushed her around on a cart. I was just so grateful for all the cleaning the boys were willing to do. Can't wait to get back into that room in Sept!

Wednesday: CLIFF DIVING! Brett has been trying to get Mike to go diving since we moved and today was the perfect day to go. VERY HOT, very humid... perfect for spending the day in the water. Once we got to the park, we had about a 1/2hr hike down to the fresh water pool. Not too bad but I wasn't thinking properly and carried Isabella in my Mayawrap instead of our hiking pack. Again, wasn't too much of a deal until the trip back. After a full day of being in the sun and swimming, you're already tired and then to have to hike back... uphill in the heat... aghh... needless to say I was pretty tired that evening. LOL

Once we arrived at the pool, I have to admit that I chickened out and didn't jump. I was disappointed in myself so if I go again, I will make more of an effort to jump. LOL Even though I didn't jump... it was a GREAT day! We had a wonderful turnout of boys and two girls. Well one girl and one fellow mom. The water was crystal clear... just BEAUTIFUL... and warm. Isabella made a few new friends who gave her watermelon and a raft to float on. After awhile Lori and I headed to the beach which was also absolutely gorgeous. Isabella ran around at the beach, chasing balls and birds and then we sat down and ate some noodles.

We all walked away a little tired and a little burnt but it was well worth it! To top of the day, Aries, our new Filipino Pastor's son, came over to watch a movie until his parents arrived home. We really want him to feel welcome in our place and loved so we were thrilled that he came over. He doesn't talk much but he's really sweet and just loves to make Isabella smile.

Here's one brave jumper...



and Isabella using chopsticks


Thursday: Lillian was to come over today while Cindy and Tim were at work but something worked out that was a little more convenient for them so we just stayed home and caught up on rest. Isabella was worn out from yesterday so she slept a bit longer than usual. In the evening, we finally got to meet Adelina, Nick and Kayla! It was awesome! Kayla will be 2 in October and she is just a sweetie. Beautiful big brown eyes and curly brown hair. We hit it off pretty easily and made plans to meet Sunday morning... YEAH!

~Meet Nick and Kayla~


Friday: We took lunch over to Pastor Ed and Sharon's new flat. Oh it's just gorgeous... I don't know what it was about the flat but I fell in love with it. We came home and had a lazy evening.

Saturday: We again relaxed at home until late afternoon. Then we went to the park and met another little girl, Lauren, who was just a few months older than Isabella. She was just as active and so they followed each other around, copying what the other was doing. It was really cute and her parents were very nice as well. They said they come to the park almost every Sunday afternoon so I'm sure we'll run into them again... well I'm sure going to try and make it happen. lol

Sunday.... Well today has been AWESOME! So awesome that I'm going to make another post about it!

Friday, August 11, 2006

Darn blogger...

this is Lillian--what a doll
Andrea Burns Seth's Charm Kit and Michelle Pearson's Flourish Brushes

here is my baby at 14 months
Andrea Burns Little Miss Me

Blogger is driving me nuts!!! I think I may look around for another blogging host that's a bit more consistent in allowing me to post photos. Somehow I managed these two but now it's not letting me do anything.

Today was pretty relaxed. Isabella woke up early but shortly there after Mike got up and let me go back to sleep. He came back to bed around 9am and I was convinced Isabella would not take a nap at that time (she hasn't for the past week and a half) but she proved me wrong. So she and I slept until 11:30!

About 4:30 we went to the park where Izzy met a little girl named Jama. They had fun following each other around and Jama's amah told me she thought Izzy was my sister! Too funny. But Isabella tired pretty quickly this trip. She loves to swing these days (well she always has but she likes the big girl swings now) and all the swings were taken so she was pretty bummed. So we headed to the church office to pick up Mike. We took a trip to the KCR station to buy some milk and eat dinner. We tried a new place and I'm so proud to say that Isabella likes CURRY! I about died when she kept begging Mike for more! I'm so thrilled that my baby loves Asian food.

Tomorrow is the youth's big photo scavenger hunt and I can't wait to see what they all think. Mike has put a lot of time into this and I think it's going to be awesome. Isabella and I will send them off and meet them at the end because we'd probably just slow them down.

I have majorly been slacking in my reading so I decided today to look at this sitefor something to challenge my thinking. This is the verse of the day:

I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

And these were the special thoughts about the verse:
Our treasure and our truth come from Scripture. Scripture is God's guidance for us on how to avoid Satan's harmful traps and to live God's blessed life. Rather than seeing God's Word as limiting, we need to see it as a gift of love and to value it more highly than riches.
Psalm 119:14

I just loved how they explained God's truth as a gift of love. I think so often we look at scripture as a set of rules, something that's just too hard to live up to. And I think sometimes that's what pushes people away from the Lord. They don't want to be told what to do or how to live and sometimes even admit that some of their ways are not right. Scripture is not meant to make our lives miserable but in reality to set us free to live as it was shared above, 'God's blessed life.' Jesus says, 'If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32 Jesus is telling us that when we are abiding in God's word, we can be set free from our sins... which can change our lives immensely. His words can help us to be joyful, loving, etc... I could go on and on... just look at the fruits of the spirit in Gal 5:22/23! These are characteristics that develop in you as you grow in your walk with Christ. Who wouldn't want to be considered a loving, joyful, patient, kind, good, etc... person?

So basically what my heart is trying to say is that God's word, His law is not a bad thing. We shouldn't look at it as a way to ruin the fun in our lives but rather look at it as a way to improve our lives. To give us purpose. I remember my life before Christ and I can honestly say, without a doubt, that I'm having way more FUN, experiencing more than I could have ever imagined, and happier more joyful than I have EVER been.

I'm so glad that I read this verse today because it reminded me that as a Christ follower, I need to be digging into God's word... looking for His guidance. Not because anyone is telling me I have to (and unfortunately I feel that sometimes we as Christ followers think of this as more of a duty rather than a fun and enjoyable way to draw closer to God) but because as I've already shared... it's a great way to learn more and grow in our relationship with Christ and as I grow... I can be set free from the sins of my life.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

MIA no longer!


Isn't she a doll baby! This is Lillian, Isabella's buddy. Her parents are fellow Youth Pastor/Wife from LA (Louisiana).


I feel like I've been gone forever. LOL I've just lacked the desire to write much but a few fun things have happened that I don't want to forget about. So anyway....

Random things:

People here in HK (I'd love to know if people elsewhere do this too!) carry umbrellas to block the sun. I completely understand but to me it just seems a bit of a nuiscence in such a crowded place. Anyway... the other morning there was a swimmer (actually swimming in the harbour) with an umbrella! How crazy is that?

Krispy Kreme is here and I got to experience it on the first day! I'm actually not a huge fan but there are no real doughnuts here in HK so this was a nice treat. The best part was... the Chinese Elvis inpersonator!

I walked another 4.5 miles! Actually I ran some of that but I did intervals so I'm not sure exactly how far I ran. I'm so stoked because my knees are still ok! My hips were a little sore as I did my tae bo kicks this morning but that's what happens when you don't stretch enough.

On Monday we decided to try the restaurant at the Harbour Plaza Hotel that is outside and overlooks the harbour. The food was incredible! I had seabirch covered in this devine sauce... oh makes my mouth water just thinking about it! I will definitely go there again. LOL

Isabella decided to help me cook this evening and whew... what a mess! LOL I was making lasagna and she insisted on eating the cheese and sauce. It was great (and I wish I could share the pic but maybe another day) to see her dig into the ricotta/mozarella mix and then lick the sauce spoon. Had to give her a bath before our guests came!


Sweet things:
We got to see Cindy and Lillian on Tuesday! It was so awesome to watch the girls giggle (and man did they giggle!) together and it was great to chat with Cindy again. And this evening they all (including Tim) came over for dinner. I just love getting together with them. They have been so helpful during our adjustment period in both life in HK, starting a family, and ministry and it's always wonderful to have someone in the same stage of life to walk through it together. They are considering a move so I ask that you pray for a miracle on Saturday! The main thing standing in their way is a lady who possibly will offer more money for rent. We need to pray hard that she's not willing to pay or just plain old doesn't like the place. I know how much this would mean for them and I want it so badly for them!

We have a number of wonderful gaurds to our building but there is one in particular who loves on Isabella like he's her own daughter. She often squeals as the lift doors open and the second he hears or sees her, he steps from behind the desk and walks over to her and picks her up. He usually takes a minute or two doing anything that will get a smile and she never leaves him disappointed. I just love watching this because I feel that Isabella misses out on not having grandparents close by but he always reminds me of a very loving grandfather when he plays with her.

Isabella can sign 'more'! Wohoo! She's learning this so quickly now. I don't think she totally understands what it means but she's getting the hang of it.

Oh this is awesome... I've mentioned a few times about wanting to start a playgroup with some ladies I met through a web-site here that is for 'raising your child in HK.' Anyway... we were again supposed to meet but the only day that was available was Sunday morning and well obviously I had other duties. So today I got an email from one of the ladies saying that she was again available on Sunday morning. I shared with her that I could do it early but that I was going to church at 9:30. She replied... that would work and maybe we'll come to church too! How awesome is that! But it gets better... she later emailed and said she was unsure of church because her daughter is active and wasn't sure how she would act. Immediately I thought... oh no she's backing out. :( So I emailed and said.. don't worry about her, there's a nursery you can leave her in or there's enough room in the back of the gym to let her play a bit while she still attended the service. I told her I keep Isabella in the nursery and that I would be there to help her. So here's the plan... we're going to meet and go to church together and then go out for coffee afterwards! I am so STOKED that I can't even acturately express my joy! Now I just need to pray that nothing changes in the next few days.

Scrap related:
I was chosen to have one of my layouts published in TheDigiChick's Dezine (magazine)! I'm so excited! My hubby (and Brian)will be famous! LOL



Okay... off to bed.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Layouts to Share

It's been a wonderful Monday! Lots of family time and walking! I figured I walked about a total of 5 miles and ran 1! It felt great. I even finished a few of those 'to finish' layouts! Yeah...

Another one of the LO's I was going to send in for the contest... a brief review of our trip to Thailand. Used Meredith Fenwick's Personality Collection and Jen Wilson's Summer Travels

Just a picture and quote that I felt went great together. Paper is from Angela Powers Aiden's Room Kit

This is Brian and Mike, our Monday night guest who returned to the states for Seminary. Used a mix of kits from TheDigiChick

Tomorrow brings normality again to Isabella and I and an exciting, mouth-watering treat for all of us... Krispy Kreme Opens! We're not sure if we'll venture out tomorrow but definitely before the weekend... so excited to have a real doughnut!

Alas... I have nothing to say. Shocker huh? LOL

Have a blessed day!

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Morning Breeze

Another early morning here but it was great! Isabella and I took about an hour walk and then played at the park for another hour before making a diaper run. I made a deal (can you really do that with a 1yr old? lol) with her that if she let me walk first, we could play at the park and she was awesome! Never complained once or whined to get out and walk herself. We walked down to the Hung Hom ferry pier and then squeezed through the fence to continue walking along the harbour. What was so great about that was there was grass (well more like weeds but that counts nowadays!) and mud! My shoes finally got dirty! Funny how your perspective on life changes. I was so excited... and I saw wild daisies!

I so wish I had my camera at the park! For most of the time we were there, we were alone but probably the last 15 minutes or so a girl and her grandfather joined us. The girl was swinging and the grandfather sat on the bricks around the tree. Isabella first decided to swing next to this little girl and then promptly got off and went over and sat right next to this man. I mean... RIGHT next to him as in touching him. It was so sweet and the man was very gracious and loving towards her. She has already taught me so much about stepping out and meeting new people and has helped me to overcome my shyness. I think I will continue to be stretched in this way the older she gets. She is definitely a people person.

Her bad sleeping habits are for sure due to teething. I see two top teeth pushing through and all evening she has been chomping on her fingers.. must be those molars. So please continue to pray for her.

Gordon McCarty visited us this evening! He's another Minnesotan and a dear friend to us. He was to arrive in HK Thursday but due to the typhoon didn't get in until last evening. So our time with him was limited but it was sweet. Made me really miss Betty Jo and the girls too.

And Tim, Cindy and Lillian are back from the states! Wohoo! We have missed seeing them but are glad they were able to introduce Lillian and see their family.

Other things.... well I actually finished a layout tonight. I've got about 10 in my 'to finish' pile so I guess I better get moving eh?


Emily Powers new For Her-Casual Kit available at www.sweetdreamsshoppe.com, Journal Tag/Tape is Andrea Burns, Love charm mine

My in-laws got us a subscription to a-Life (the Christian and Missionary Alliance magazine) and I just love it. It always has such challenging and encouraging articles and it's fun to look through and see if I recognize anyone. Anyway.. The most recent one had a lot of great articles but if I had to choose one to point out I'd say... 'Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone.' Why? Because I'm a shy person (well at least until you get to know me) and I like stability. It's hard for me to do something I'm uncomfortable with, hard to be the one to start a conversation, hard to try something I've never done before. But I know that there are times when God is telling me to do this and it's obvious that I will bedisobeying if I don't.

So this article was a great reminder that God calls me to step out and be uncomfortable. The author used the example of Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25-30/4:10-19) and how he risked his life for the sake of Christ and it made me think of all the things I have complained about in the past when it comes to ministry or just serving the Lord in general. Whether it be attending a lock-in, having to deal with students questions after you've already explained what seems like 300 times, having to give up something you want, having expectations put on me just because I'm the pastor's wife, etc... I could go on and on. I may have had those struggles but in comparison to what Epaphroditus suffered of Christ for that matter... it's minute, tiny, small, etc. Unfortunately we're human and we will have those frustrations but it made me realize that I need to get a better grasp on those 'minute' inconveniences because I think Satan can really grab a hold of those and make us bitter at the world, ministry, even at God which in turn would obviously affect our joy and ministry to others.

So in the end... I loved the sentence that was highlighted in the side column: "A desire for safety is good and natural. Yet if we must be safe at all costs, our walk with God will be hindered." And with that I realized that it's okay for me to desire what I call 'my comfort zone' but if I want to grow deeper in my relationship with God, I can't stay there. I need to step out... do those things that I'm not comfortable doing, do things that I just don't want to do and do it all with a joyful heart and attitude. And I need not be fearful because God is on my side!

Friday, August 04, 2006

It's done....

Yeah! The typhoon has passed and we can go outside again! I can't tell you how cramped I felt yesterday not being able to get out. Thankfully we had some visitors to brighten our day.

Janet, Jonathan and Rebecca Olson were a part of our congregation in Nowthen and Jonathan was in our Jr. High group the year before we moved. So when Janet decided to visit her brother they made plans to see us as well. It was so wonderful! We also got to meet her sister, sister-in-law, and niece and it was just fun to catch up. I realized how much respect I had for Janet as she shared her heart about the Nowthen situation. I can remember having a conversation with her (just weeks before we got the first phone call from HK) about trusting God's ultimate plan for our lives (we were beginning to doubt our call to missions) and walking away thinking... I really want to get to know her. I think I'll give her a call and see if she would be interested in meeting/praying together on a regular basis. But before I got around to that... the phone call came and I knew in my heart we were moving and I didn't want to make any more good friendships knowing I would probably have to say good-bye. I regret that decision now but unfortunately that's what I did.


So anyway... they brought along a few treats for us... one of which was a puppy dog for Isabella and she just adores it. She is now saying 'woo-woo' (aka woof woof) so it's so adorable to see her hug the puppy and 'woo.' The others included some Mt. Dew for Mike (can't find it here), some kitchen towels (with some great recipes on them) for me, and some books for Isabella. We didn't even know that she brought anything until they left. Talk about sneaky! But it was really sweet and thoughtful.
Today was great! We got out to the park and a bit of walking which was so refreshing for me and a great energy booster. I realize how much I struggle when I'm stuck indoors. LOL We met Mike for dinner at the Outback (too lazy to cook... actually too lazy to go to the store) and afterwards we met our youth and brought them back to our house for games. We had about 7 in attendance which is pretty darn good since a lot of them are out of the country right now! lol It was a wonderful night for me because I really felt I was able to connect with one of the girls who is a bit quieter and harder to talk with. I love having them over to our flat even though we're a bit squished and tonight was no exception.

Well... once again it's late and I need to get to bed so that's all I'll write for now. But before I go I want to ask for your prayers for 3 situations:


1. Hannah arrives in just a few weeks!!!! Please pray for her last minute preparations and all the details/stresses that go into moving overseas for a year. We are SOOO excited to have her with us!


2. Please pray for our Sr and his wife. They just found out that they will have to move out of their flat. As you have experienced with us... flat hunting is not fun but thankfully once they find something they really like... they can take it. Please pray they will find exactly what they are looking for in their price range. I know they are disappointed and a bit stressed about having to find a new place so quickly.


3. Please pray for Isabella. I don't know exactly what's going on but I'm thinking teething but she is not sleeping well. She is constantly waking at night and refuses naps during the day. Please pray that she would be able to get the rest she needs.


And finally...



It's not in the store just yet but I finished it and wanted to share the preview. Included are 9 slightly worn and distressed papers, 3 diamond stick pins, 3 diamond centered chipboard flowers, 1 metal sequined frame, 1 glitter border, 1 glitter design, 1 swirl brush, 3 glitter wordart, 1 stamped quote, 1 vellum tag, 1 butterfly patch (the inspiration for the kit) and a full upper case metal alphabet. Title... Butterfly Delight look for it soon at Liddys Loft.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

T3

There's nothing like singing your daughter to sleep. ~sigh~ She doesn't fall asleep in my arms very often any more so I must take advantage of nights like these. Every night we sing 'Jesus Loves Me' immediately before placing her in her crib and it was so sweet to watch her drift off knowing the last words she heard were... Jesus Loves You.

It's been a great few days. This morning we headed off to Tai Po for the Mom's Bible Study. We were just meeting for fun since most of the moms are still on holiday but it was so wonderful. I got to know two more of the moms and got to know Sumiko, Vivian, and Phuc even better. This is very selfish of me but I really struggled with this group at first because I didn't feel like the moms were making an effort to get to know me and here I was... the newbie. I didn't feel like I should have to be the one to step up. I'm very thankful that I have learned in the past that relationships take work and effort on both ends and that I can't expect people to come to me or I'll never have any friends. So I stepped up even more so today and left feeling like a part of the group. Now I am anxious for the regular meetings to begin. A few moms have decided to start meeting just for fun for the rest of August and so I think I will make every effort I can to be there next Wed. It takes a bit of effort as it takes about 1hr to get there but I think both Isabella and I will benefit greatly from this fellowship.

Mike called me as I stepped onto the KCR and asked if Isabella and I could handle a few more hours out. When he mentioned lunch at my favorite dumpling place I said 'of course!' LOL But really... it was lunch with our new Filippino Pastor, wife, and son and I was excited to see them. They arrived last night but due to our early morning and thier late arrival, I couldn't greet them at the airport. So anyway... I'm looking forward to spending more time with Imelda and getting to know her. Please pray for them... moving to a new culture is always a big adjustment especially when your adapting to primarily speaking your second language.

Man our day was filled with getting to know people... We had Tim over for dinner since his wife and kids are still in the UK for summer holiday. He's a very wise man and it was fun to share our opinions of life in HK.

On a side note... I found out today that my friend Vivian is the same age as me. It gave me a whole new perspective on my relationship with her. Sounds wierd I know but I struggle here because I feel so young and uneducated. lol I think it's mainly because most moms work here and I feel as though I can't relate. Yeah.. I've worked but nothing like these ladies. I'm starting to overcome these struggles as I get to know these ladies more and realize that they're normal just like me (lol) but knowing Vivian is my age just makes me so happy. I wish I could adequately explain the thoughts running through my head but alas... this is what you get. :)

Vivian has a son, Royce, who is just a sweetheart but he suffers from ecema terribly and seeing him today just broke my heart. Please say a prayer for his healing.

Oh yeah how could I forget... we are experiencing a T3 (typhoon warning) and MAN those winds are strong. I cannot imagine what an actual T8 is like or a hurricane/tornado for that matter. Our window does not latch properly and many times flew open and out went our hard work (cleaning those curtains... and yeah we lost a few of those metal things Mom and Dad... I just prayed no one was standing outside when they fell!). LOL I had to remove our inner window type things in order to reach out and shut the window and Mike had to use cable to tie it shut! Here's praying that it works and stays closed!

Well... blogger is not uploading pictures again or I'd show you some new designs and fun pictures. So off to bed I go!

Blessings~