no.123 130831 Thank you for my family

Familia

(posted on Sept. 1, 2013)

I was sick, and I'm still sick today that I had to miss church. Yesterday, my dad and I drove almost 3 hours because of traffic (usually, it takes 2 hours) to drop off my sister back for her school. And there I got sick... really sick that I was afraid to leave my sister's place. Thanks to my family, I was able to make it home! You know what I just realized? I haven't wrote a post about my family yet. Wow, I can't believe it took 123 posts to write one for my family. Although I thanked for individual members of my family, I haven't as a whole. Today, I give thanks for my family. Thank you for your love, support, and being the best family anyone could ever ask for. Thanks for taking care of me yesterday and always. Love you!

no.122 130830 Thank you for the late night's movie

Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun! 

Three nights in a row... my sister and I went out for boong-uh-bbang. Yes, only to get boonguhbbang. Mmmmmmm! It was so delicious. Too bad she's leaving for school tomorrow. Maybe it's better that way, so that we both won't eat late.

Last night, I felt like watching a romantic comedy movie. I didn't have a particular movie I wanted to see so I was just browsing on youtube to see if there was anything. I came across a Korea film called "Secretly Greatly" featuring Kim Soo Hyun. We both don't like watching a movie in the theatres, unless there is something we really want to watch. Hmm, I think the last movie I watched in the theatres was "Wreck-it Ralph", which was around last Christmas. Anyways, the movie was about North Korean spies in South Korea, Kim being one of them. Just because he was in it, my sister and I decided to watch it. Kim Soo Hyun is one of my sister's favourite Korean actors. I thought he was good looking, but never understood why people are so obsessed with him. However, after watching this movie, I too understand why people are crazy about Kim Soo Hyun. I couldn't fall asleep last night... perhaps the reason was because of Kim Soo Hyun! Haha. Anyways, I'm thankful for the late night's movie time with my sister.

no.121 130829 Thank you for the classical music

Amazingly beautiful sky yesterday!

Sometimes I wonder if I have a dark side. I mean, when it comes to classical music, I realized that I mostly enjoy listening to the minor pieces. That's my reasoning behind my dark side. Please don't laugh, because I'm being serious! For instance, I love, love, love Mozart's Symphony No.25 in G Minor. I heard this song for the first time when I was in high school, from the movie Amadeus. I just thought it was beautiful and absolutely fell in love. Throughout the piece, the key changes to major as well, but my favourite part has to be the first 50 seconds. There are other pieces by Mozart that I enjoy listening to, but Symphony No.25 in G is by far my favourite, since it is the only Mozart on my iPod.

Some other minor songs by other great composers that I'm in love with include: Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu and something more recent, Albeniz's guitar piece Asturias. Well, it doesn't mean that I don't like the pieces in a major key, because there are lots of songs that I find beautiful and love listening to. But I find these minor pieces more fascinating. I mentioned this "problem" to my sister and you know what she says? She says it's because of my blood type. I have AB blood type, and apparently we are either crazy or super smart. I just laughed when she said that. Maybe!

Whether the songs are in a minor or major key, I'm thankful for these beautiful songs.

no.120 130828 Thank you for the late night snack

My late night snack! Boong-uh-bbang and grape bubble tea

There is a new bubble tea joint in my neighbourhood that recently opened. Every time I pass by it, there is a huge lineup and I didn't want to wait so I would just go somewhere else. My sister and I attempted to try it tonight, but I could already see a long lineup from afar. I was contemplating whether we should just go back home or not, but since we were already there, we decided to look at the menu at least.

There is only one flavour I get whenever I go for a bubble tea - grape. It can be green tea, black tea, oolong tea or with milk, but it just gotta be grape. People who go for a bubble tea with me for the first time have told me  that they've never seen anyone get grape flavour. I suggest you to try it next time you go to a bubble tea shop. After quickly browsing the menu, I found out that they do have my flavour! I wasn't gonna bother waiting in the line if they didn't have grape. My sister didn't mind waiting either, so we stood in the line for about 10 minutes? Which wasn't so bad I guess.

The bubble was just okay. I've had better ones before. I don't think it's worth the wait for sure. But anyways, Sunny (my sister) wanted to check out the Korean food cart on the way home. Although I've passed by it numerous times, I never really paid attention. Plus, I don't normally eat truck foods unless I'm in Korea. The food card had one of our favourite snacks from Korea - boong-uh-bbang (fish shaped cake filled with sweet red bean paste), and they were selling it for a pretty good deal. According to my sister, the boonguhbbangs we got tonight are the best ones in Canada! I do agree with her. We munched our late night snack on the way home, reminiscing our last visit to Korea. Ever since we moved to Canada, we were only able to visit Korea in the summer. We often went out late at night to get some snack, usually something cold like ice cream. Although I have no memories of getting boonguhbbang in summer (because it's more of a winter snack since it's hot), today definitely reminded me of Korea. Oh, how I miss my motherland.

no.119 130827 Thank you for the Post Missions Syndrome

"Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You" Psalm 63:3

Post Missions Syndrome aka "PMS" - I got it bad.

It's been exactly a month since our team of seven left for Mexico (Oops, I got it wrong. We left on the 29th, not 27th!) I can't believe how fast the time is passing. Talking to a few of my team members, I realized that I'm not the only one who misses Mexico beyond emotional level. One of my team members who's been to Mexico multiple times said that I'm going through PMS. As he describes, it is the feeling you get after coming back to your regular life from a mission trip. You prepare for the mission trip for months and when you finally get there, you are excited to complete the mission. Meeting new people everyday, building a house for the needy, working with the local church, and watching children enjoy the activities you prepared, you're hyped to do God's work especially if you start seeing and hearing conversion stories. Everything is about God and for God. While you are on the mission trip, you just become so holy. As you return to your work, to school or to whatever your daily life, things may seem mundane and meaningless. You begin to think what's the purpose of living your life this way. You start to re-think about God's purpose for you.

What's more depressing is that most of us reach this kind of godliness only when we're on a mission field. Although I don't want to admit it, the reason why I'm having PMS is because I'm not passionate about God and doing His work everyday. If we are passionate about evangelism and are eager to spread God's love on a regular basis, then we shouldn't be going through PMS when we return from a mission trip. The feelings I had for the people in Mexico, I should have the exact same feeling towards the people in Toronto. Why? Because whether they are in Toronto or Guadalajara, they are all broken and lost who desperately need God. But why is it so hard to have the same heart for the people around me? Going overseas isn't the only way to do God's work. It is right in front of you! Your house, neighbourhood, school and your work place are your mission field that God places you every single day. Have you ever thought about that? Because often times I forget about this important fact. Even if I do think about it, I tend to just ignore it thinking that someone else will talk to them about God. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to Mexico or Thailand to do God's work. What I'm trying to say is that doing God's work around you is as important as going overseas. As I challenge myself to talk about Jesus as I share my stories about Mexico to my non-Christian friends, I challenge you to talk to your co-workers about Jesus this week.

Weirdly enough, I thank God for this PMS I'm going through. It's helping me realize that my passion for God was not enough.

On a side note, I keep having more than three dreams every night. When I wake up, I can't remember everything that happened but do recall parts of each dream. It's so strange! I wonder if there is a meaning to it... what is God trying to say through these dreams that I'm having?

no.118 130826 Thank you for my mom's instinct

I bought some LA galbi because my sister was craving it. I wanted to serve it for dinner tomorrow so I got all the ingredients and made the sauce. Usually, I put some Korean pear to soften the meat but I had bought the kiwis the other day. I thought, kiwi does the same thing as the pear, why not replace it? When I use pear, I use about a half so I thought it would be okay to put the same about of kiwis. So I placed one and a half kiwis with all other ingredients in my blender. After about 10 minutes since I marinated the LA galbi, I get a call from my mom and I was telling her about how I changed the recipe. Only then, I learned that I put way too much kiwi in the sauce! Apparently, it would've made the meat too tender that it would just fall apart.

I'm thankful for my mom's instinct! If she hadn't called at that time, all the galbi I made would've gone to waste. Thanks mom!

no.117 130825 Thank you for the preschool team

Thinking of the children I met in Mexico. This was exactly 3 weeks ago!

Today is the last Sunday of August, meaning it was the last day for some of the children in the preschool department. There are about 20 kids who are graduating from the preschool/kindergarten department and going to primary as of next Sunday. Last Sunday was the official graduation day but today was the last day for all the graduates. Although it's only been four months since I started serving at preschool, I guess I was attached to the kids. I teared up when I saw the children performing a short song to their parents last week. I was sad that they are leaving, but I think I was more touched to see how they are trying their best for their parents. I thought they were so adorable.

The department pastor invited all the teachers for dinner for the year-end party/farewell for two of the teachers. It was a great time of food and fellowship, because on Sundays we are usually busy with children that we never really get a chance to talk to one another.

I thank God for our team and the teachers that I'm serving with. I love serving with them and having the same mind and heart toward the children in the department. I'm especially sad that my teaching partner will be done as of next Sunday, as he wants to concentrate on his studies. Our praise leading teacher is also leaving to Germany for her school. I'll be praying for you guys, and your presence will definitely be missed!

PS. I realized that I haven't been taking photos lately... I keep posting photos from Mexico!

no.116 130824 Thank you for Your unending love

"Crazy Love" by Francis Chan

I'm in love.

I'm not sure when was the last time I had this kind of feeling. This feeling came to me last night when I was praying before going to sleep. It was getting late, plus, the video made me want to talk to God so I paused Francis Chan's sermon "Prayer as a Way of Walking in Love" and I started praying. My heart was beating fast, I was super hyper, I was eager to spend time with God, talking to Him, knowing that He wants to hear my voice. Do you know the feeling when you discover that the person that you like also liked you this whole time? The moment when he tells you that he likes you and inside you're thinking "oh my gosh, am I really hearing what I'm hearing?" so you get so excited that your heart is racing? That's the feeling I had just before, and while I was praying last night. I was overjoyed because of God. I have experience this kind of feeling for God before, but I think it's been a while since the last time I felt this way.

I went to praise night at my church today. When I first saw the poster, I felt like I needed to go to this event because I wanted to worship God with my heart. The praising part was the only thing that I was looking forward to, but I was blessed through the message by the guest speaker, as well as the Broken Bread Worship Project itself. Usually, when I hear a message about God's love for us, I think I accepted it in my head but not so much in my heart. Today was different. The Holy Spirit must've guided my heart, I truly felt God's love for me this evening.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26).

Whether they are birds or trees, God takes care of His creation. You and I are much more valuable than the birds or trees. God created us in His image and He calls us His sons and daughters. He sent His only son Jesus to die for us so that we may have eternal life! I hope you too know and feel what it means to be loved by God. If you haven't, I pray that you will one day accept God as your Lord and Saviour and have that personal relationship with God. Even at this moment, He desires a love relationship with you!

no.115 130823 Thank you for answered prayers

This was the day God answered one of my prayers. In Santa Maria, Mexico

I'm in the middle of watching Francis Chan's sermon "Prayer as a Way of Walking in Love - A Personal Journey." I was so into it that I almost forgot to write today's entry... until my daily alarm reminded me.

I got to know of Francis Chan back in 2010 when a friend of mine introduced Chan's book, "Crazy Love." Since then, I've been listening to his sermons here and there, but lately I haven't done so. For some reason, I was driven to look up his sermons on Youtube, and came across this video that I'm watching at the moment.

As I listen to Francis share how his prayers have been answered, I think about my answered prayers.  I can think of a few prayers that have been recently answered. Actually, there might be more than a few, if I'm remembering correctly. About three weeks ago, I posted an entry while I was in Mexico and I remember writing how God answered my prayer. Francis reminds us of God's sovereignty first and then talks about how we can communicate with this almighty God. Like Francis, I too think it's crazy that God answers my "stupid little prayers." How does He even bother listening to the smallest worries and concerns I have? It's just amazing to know that our God has time for both big and small problems that I have. God always hears me when I call, but you got to make sure that you come before Him with your sins first and ask Him for His forgiveness.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:14-15).

I give thanks to God for the answered prayers. Whether it's something I've been praying for a while, or it's something that I prayed once, I'm thankful for all the answered prayers. Isn't it awesome to know that God who created you and me and the universe is listening "attentively" to our prayers?

no.114 130822 Thank you for my grandma's 79th birthday

Beautiful sunset for my beautiful grandma! Happy birthday!

I sometimes listen to the Classical FM at night before going to bed. There is a show called Nocturne that starts at 11PM and I love the song that they play at the beginning and the close of the show. I remember back in highschool, the program started around 10PM but it got shifted by an hour so it starts an hour later since a few years ago. I remember tuning in exactly at 10PM just to hear the theme song I like. Here is the link to Sergei Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 2 Op.27 III Adagio. It's such a beautiful song, super romantic, so I highly recommend that you check out the link! Anyways, you won't believe what I heard on the Classical FM last night. They played Vivaldi's Autumn on the radio... I was so sad and shocked when I heard the melody because summer's not over yet!

It's my grandma's birthday today. It's her 79th birthday! For some reason, I thought she was older than that... oops. I'm thankful that she is still with us! I hate the fact that I can't be with her to celebrate this happy day, but I did talk to her on the phone. I guess that's the least I can do for her.

Happy birthday grandma! I love you!

no.113 130821 Thank you for the beach

Beautiful sky on the way back to Toronto from Centre Island.

 

My friends and I went to Centre Island beach just for fun before the summer is completely over. I applied enough sunscreen to protect myself, but it wasn't helpful at all. My arms, hands, legs and my neck are super itchy right now. I put a lot of allergy relief cream but it's not really helping. It's probably the worst it's been all summer long. It makes me wonder how I survived the sun in Mexico. Maybe it's because Guadalajara has a higher pollution index (90.34) than Toronto (25.90) as you can see in Pollution Idex by City. Whatever it was, I think it was God's grace that I survived the sun in Mexico. During the construction days, I only wore long sleeves because I was worried about the sun allergy but I also wanted to protect myself from getting cuts. When we had VBS, I was wearing a plain T-shirt so I should've been affected by the sun but I wasn't. It's really a mystery that my skin was okay. Whatever the reason was, I'm so thankful that my allergy didn't act up during the mission trip.

Apparently, I hated walking on sand when I was a baby. Weird, because I love it now!

 

On the way home, I was looking through the pictures I took in Mexico on my phone. Then I realized that today is Wednesday, and that there is a service in Guadalajara church at 6PM. So I prayed a simple prayer on the subway for Rolando's church, Dios de Pactos. As I was thinking about the Wednesday service, I checked the time and it was exactly 7PM, meaning that it's 6PM over there. What a coincidence! I know that I'm going to associate many things to what I saw and experienced in Mexico. At least for a while.

I feel like I have already shared this. If I did, I want to share this song again. The song is called "Vamos a Cantar" or "Sing, sing, sing" in English. It's one of the songs our team prepared for the mission trip. We sang it numerous times while we were in Mexico, so whenever I hear this song I think about the times we worshipped God in one voice, in Spanish! Since I got back, I purposely listen to it because I miss Mexico a lot. Pastor Rolando said he's going to remember me whenever he sings this song, so I'm going to remember him and his church too!

no.112 130820 Thank you for the best summer ever

I know I'm never alone because God is with me, wherever I go.

Since I got back from Mexico, I haven't had the chance to go for an evening walk, mostly because I was sick. I'm just coming home from my walk and I feel great!

When I go for a walk, I usually listen to my iPod and sing along. Another thing I like to do is think about my life. During my walk today, I thought about how this summer was going. I think it's safe to say that this summer is the most memorable one in my life by far, because of my first mission trip. The more I think about what I learned about God in Mexico, the more amazed I am. Last night, I was writing my journal about my experience of God's greatness on the mission trip. In particular, I want to relate my story to the part when I got sick. Getting sick was not fun at all, but now that I look back at it, I realize that it was all part of God's plan. He perfectly knew what was going on this whole time, when I was worried that I won't make it home with the team. If it wasn't for my sickness, I probably wouldn't have realized something that I should have. It's the truth that God was with me the whole time I was on the mission trip and even right at this moment. God didn't leave me alone when I got sick. He was present with me even the time I was done the ministry in Mexico and got sick. God was always with me.

Although Mexico was only for 10 days, it was the biggest event of the summer of 2013, and probably one of the biggest events in my life so far. I realize the mission trip didn't last for those short 10 days while I was in Guadalajara. It continues on even after I have left Mexico. As I try to progress everything that happened on the mission trip, God is revealing more and more about his character and vision for me. How can I not give thanks to our awesome God? I'm thankful for the best summer ever!

no.111 130819 Thank you for clearing my headache

A cute puppy on the street in Mexico. He looks so sad

Since yesterday I was having a headache. It was only a small one, so I didn't bother taking a medicine. I was hoping that it would go away in the morning but I was wrong. I ended up taking a pill for my headache.

I'm thankful that my headache is gone. I was able to go out to meet up with my friends for dinner. All of us enjoyed the nice summer breeze and a scoop of gelato. I can't believe summer's almost over. It's sad but I'm looking forward to autumn!

no.110 130818 Thank you for letting our team win the softball championship

We won, we won, we won!

If you've been following my blog, you probably know that I joined my church's softball league for the summer. I tried my best to be present at every game but it was hard - I teach at preschool so there were times where I had to go to a meeting, the day our Mexico team was leaving, and also last Sunday when I was sick from the mission trip. Other than those times, I went to every single game. It was my first time playing softball and if you know me, I'm not athletic at all. So I really didn't expect much in the beginning to be honest. After meeting my coaches and learning from them for sure helped me a lot. I actually thought I wasn't gonna be able to hit and make it to the first base. But guess what, I made it to the first base and sometimes when I was super lucky, I made it home too! That was exciting!

I made two mistakes today... I felt really bad. I should really know the rules before playing next time. But I also made it home twice, so it kind of evens out I think (I hope). Sorry team if I let you down! I'm thankful for our team's championship! It's a good feeling to win! The league itself was really fun, and on top of everything, we had an awesome team. Good job Team 3!

no.109 130817 Thank you for my life

Happy Birthday my little sis!

The surprise was, well not so much of a surprise because my dad kind of gave it away. When she walked in, she saw all the colourful fondants I have made and thought they were soaps that I brought back from Mexico (so random!). Still, my sister was surprised when she saw it. Now I can share everything on my blog - I made my sister a birthday cake. Not just any cake, but a fondant cake! It was difficult for sure as it was my first time working with fondant. I made everything from scratch. I baked two 9" chocolate cake, bought fresh pint of raspberries and pureed it to make some raspberry buttercream, and also made fondant from scratch. I did a quick research on homemade fondants, and found out that you can make fondant with marshmallows. The process was pretty simple, yet messy. All you gotta do is melt a bag of marshmallows, add a little bit of water and some shortening. Then, you add icing sugar. Lots and lots of icing sugar. Finally, you just knead everything together in a standing mixer until it becomes a dough. And you add food colouring - I had four colours so I mixed them to get the desiring colours.

Bake, make, decorate and eat!

My original plan was to make the movie "Up" cake with the balloon house because it would be super cute! But as I was working with the fondant, I realize it would be too challenging for me, especially since it is my first time. I googled fondant cakes for some inspiration and came across a design I really liked. It was something similar to my finished cake, but more pretty and had elaborate design. I copied the quilted pattern and replaced small flowers with beads. The ribbon on top had more complicated design but my fondant wasn't sturdy enough so I had to minimize its shape. In the end, I ended up with a simple ribbon and a birthday tag. When I was done, I wasn't completely satisfied because it was totally different from what I imagined it to be in the first place. But when I saw my sister's face when she saw the cake, I was happy. She really appreciated it and that's all it matters!

Anyways, I'm thankful for my life today. I was just so thankful that I woke up this morning and for the new day that God has granted me. I know it sounds so random but something that happened last night made me really appreciate life.

no.108 130816 Thank you for letting us pray

As we read "Too busy not to pray" in my life group, I'm learning about ACTS when we pray- Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. This is a good exercise when praying because it covers four important aspects as you can see. I realize I lack the first two, but I'm good with the latter two, especially the last point. Recently, I think I'm doing a pretty good job with thanksgiving part since I started my blog. But what about adoration and confession?

 

I think I struggled the most with adoration. Many times I praise God and give thanks but that's it. The last time I really adored God was in Mexico, just last week, but it happens rarely. As it is written in the book, the way I pray will change if I begin with adoration. I know it will change, because my prayers will be shaped by the way I perceive God. If I remind myself that is God good, all-knowing, sovereign, loving, faithful, righteous, compassionate (the list can go on) and that's the God I pray to, I will be more focused on God than my own problems. Another thing I lack was confession. I know I don't spend much time confessing my sins when I pray, knowing how sinful I am. Sometimes I feel like I'm numb to my own guilt because I'm so used to it. It's become a really bad habit, and I realize it's an area that I strongly need to improve on. When I pray tonight, I'm going to reflect ACTS and I'm gonna try to spend most time on the first two. I'm thankful that God always wants to hear me through prayers. I'm thankful that I can communicate with God whenever, and wherever I am. I praise God for his omnipresence.

I really enjoyed today's life group. I love that we're able to encourage one another as we spiritually grow together. I pray that through our studies on "Too busy not to pray", we will be able to become the women of prayer!

no.107 130815 Thank you for the surprise I'm working on

I've been busy all day! I'm preparing a little surprise for my sister when she comes home this Saturday. It's my first time trying this, so I hope it turns out okay! I think I'm half way done with it. I just need to work on a few things here and there and I will be done. I hope it turns out as I imagine it to be in my head. Today, I'm thankful for the surprise I'm working on! That being said, it definitely limits how much I can share here because my sister does check my blog frequently. If it turns out nice, you will find it out on Saturday!

no.106 130814 Thank you for letting my stomach be okay

It's time to make yeolmu kimchi again!

After a week of stomach problems, I finally went to a walk in clinic. I kind of knew what the doctor was going to say but I still went. She told me to take probiotics and stay away from dairy, which I am already doing. Other than that, there's nothing wrong with me. It's just that the food I ate in Mexico didn't settle in my stomach. Ahhh! I love dairy... I'm craving green tea latte and ice cream...! Well, I guess I can wait. I'm just thankful that I'm healthy and have no other problems. My throat feels funny and I'm caughing a little, but I know I'll be fine.

On my way back home, I stopped by the Korean grocery to get some yeolmu. My sister is coming back this weekend and I want to have fermented, ready-to-eat yeolmu kimchi for her. I doubled the amount that I made last time... so it better be good! This time, I allowed enough time with the salting kimchi part. Actually, it might be more than enough because I forgot that there was no garlic at home, so my dad had to get some while I was working on the sauce. So it might be over salted... I took a picture at every step this time! I'm going to try to post my recipe soon!

no.105 130813 Thank you for a friend's word of encouragement

A girl I met at the Guadalajara church drew a picture of the praise team. The singer must be me.

Is autumn here already? It feels much cooler, especially in the morning and night times. I can't go out without a cardigan. When I spoke to my mom in Korea the other day, she said it is still really hot and people are trying to save the energy so they turn off the electricity in the hallways of the government buildings. I'm not sure since when but there is a law that the temperature of the public buildings must not be lower than 26 degrees. It's sad to see summer go, but autumn is a great season too. I'm looking forward to it.

As I upload photos from Mexico on facebook, I'm hearing from friends that I haven't spoken to for a long time. Some people wonder why I went, how long I was gone for, and what I did. I'm thankful for a friend's encouragement that I received today. It's kind of embarrassing to put it word by word of what my friend told me, but my friend said something like it's nice to see how I'm living my life to glorify God. Hmmm, I'm embarrassed by it because my everyday isn't for God's glory. Yes, I do want that kind of life but it's definitely a challenge. I still have a long way to go to be a godly woman, but my friend's comment encouraged me to keep growing in God's wisdom. I pray that I can be a true woman of God.

no.104 130812 Thank you for the food

I was craving 'home-run-ball' cookies today

"Love the Lord your God

with all your heart and

with all your soul and

with all your mind and

with all your strength" 

 

Mark 12:30

I thought my stomachache disappeared but I was wrong. I'm still sick and can't eat what I want to eat. Perhaps it's a good thing that I can't eat everything I want. I realize that a lot of my everyday decisions are based on what I've experienced in Mexico. Growing up, I hardly ever finished my food. I was picky with food (I still am) and I have a small stomach so I tend to eat small portions and eat more often. Although my parents never forced me to finish my food, they taught me not to waste it. I would often hear stories of starving kids in Africa when I was a little girl. Now that I'm grown up and living in North America, I'm less reminded of the hungry people around the world. It's also so easy to waste food here in North America because we have plenty of food.

After coming back from Mexico, I think of the children in Santa Maria and the family I met in Cerro del Cuatro. Whenever I eat, I think about them - how the children didn't have enough food so they were having chips for lunch in Cerro del Cuatro, and how Rolando's church provides breakfast program every Saturday for the children in Santa Maria. It makes me appreciate what I have, and at the same time, not to waste food. It's a challenge for me to finish my meal whenever I eat out. I think I've been doing a pretty good job with trying my best not to waste food. What I'm going to try is cutting down on my junk food habits - such as chocolate, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, etc. It's going to be hard because of my sweet tooth but I'm gonna try! For my health, and although it won't be that much, I'd rather save that money for my future mission trip. Today was a failure because I asked my dad to buy me some chocolate cookies because I had a really bad craving... but I'm gonna try harder!

 

no.103 130811 Thank you for calling me to do Your work

"God is with us"

After seeing some of my team members at church really made me miss Mexico today. It's unbelievable that Mexico happened already. It really seems like a dream. It just happened way to fast. When our team was there, all of us felt like we were on the mission trip for a long time when it was only our 3rd day into the trip. I guess it means God really blessed our time there.

I found out a few of the team members are still sick or getting sick (including myself). I thought I was getting better but I was wrong. I started to feel sick again after I came back home from meeting a few of my life group girls last night. Thankfully, staying for the service wasn't hard because I prayed for strength so that I can listen to God's words.

I enjoyed the songs we sang during the service today. For some reason, the lyrics of the song called 'From the Inside Out' really spoke out to me today. It definitely reminded me of my mission trip. At one point of the trip, I saw myself so unworthy to do God's work because of my sins. For a second I thought whether it was right for me to be there. Then, God moved my heart and made me realized how amazing God is to chose someone like me to work for His glory. I am thankful that God called me to do His work as He sent me to Mexico this summer. Although I haven't completely progressed everything from Mexico, all I can say is how blessed, amazed and thankful I am.

no.102 130810 Thank you for a good day of rest

I wont forget you.

This weekend, I'm catching up with my blog and organizing my room. I have just started my last load of laundry.

Back to reality. Back to job search and other things I need to do. Slowly I will be caught up by the busyness of my own problems and my memories in mexico will fade away. However, now that I've experienced Mexico, I will always have a heart for the people of Mexico, especially for the people I've met through this mission trip. Although I don't remember everyone's name, and through time I will start to forget their faces as well. As one of the team member shared in his testimony, a piece of my heart is also left in Mexico and I will never forget what I saw and how I felt when I saw their brokenness. 

no.101 130809 Thank you for my health

At the Manzanillo beach. It was beautiful but I don't want to think about it until I'm completely better:(

 

I can't believe I missed my 100th post yesterday! I'm really upset but I was sick in bed all day. I got sick on the second last day of the mission trip and on the way home was pretty bad. I think it was the heat, stress relieved by finishing off the ministry, fatigue, and finally the food I ate at the beach. Just thinking about the beach makes me nauseous. And no more Mexican food please.

I came back from Mexico on Wednesday evening. After a nice shower, I had some of the rice porridge my dad made for me and went straight to bed around 8PM. I slept like a baby and I got up around noon the next day. Still feeling sick, I was in bed all day. I couldn't really eat in the morning but towards the afternoon, I was able to eat some fresh fruit and some jook. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep last night because I napped so much during the day. But I was wrong, I slept for another 12 hours without waking up once in the middle of the night. I guess my body really needed a good rest.

I really thought I wouldn't be able to make it home with my team. I'm so thankful that God looked after me even when I was sick. All I prayed on the way home was for God to heal me. Thankfully, except for that one time, I didn't have to use the bathroom on the airplane. I'm also thankful for my team who took care of me when I was sick. According to my dad, I looked like a homeless person when he first saw me at the airport. I lost 4 lbs, I got tanned and I was wearing baggy shirt so... I guess I get where he comes from.

One more thing I'm thankful for and I wanna celebrate today is my sister's birthday. I can't believe my baby is turning 20 today!!! Happy birthday little sis! Love you lots, and we'll celebrate when you come home next weekend!

no.100 130808 Thank you for the 100th post

Flowers by the pool at the mango farm, Manzanillo, Mexico.

(Published on Saturday, Aug. 10)

After experiencing Mexico, I am thankful more than ever. Whether it's my health, my time or my possessions - I have so much to give and share and I'm thankful to be able to do that. I'm thankful that God has provided all of me and everything I have. I'm thankful for the 100th post. Other than my time in Mexico, I was consistent with my blog so I'm really happy with what I've done so far. I hope to keep it up for the 200th and the 300th posts!

no.99 130807 Thank you for helping me get back home

(Published on Saturday, Aug. 10)

It sucks to be sick when you're away from home. I really thought I woulnd't be able to make it home with the team. I don't know what was the exact cause of my sickness but it was probably a little bit of everything. The team had just finished the last VBS ministry in Manzanillo, I was drenched in sweat as the day was hot and humid than any other day in Mexico, lack of sleep, fatigue, unable to shower the night before... and lastly the food at the beach. Just thinking about the beach in Manzanillo makes me sick. In fact, the two bottles of Manaza that I brought back in the fridge made me sick, I had to put them in the back where I can't see.

I'm really thankful I was able to come back home safe and sound. I'm certain it was God who strengthened me. All I did on this day was praying that God will heal me, going to the bathroom and drinking water.

no.98 130806 Thank you for letting us complete the ministry in Mexico

Last day of ministry in Mexico. "Dios te ama!"

Day 9

(posted on August 23, 2013)

Sad to admit it, but the last day in Mexico is here. It is our 9th day here in Mexico and after today, we will be going back home. It's hard to believe that we've only been here for 9 days, because it feels like we've been here for a month. God must've blessed everyone on our team for us to feel like the days flew by so fast.

The night at the mango farm was great. The morning was also great. I woke up early as usual, and went for a walk for some time alone with God. Then I got to chat with our team leader for a bit by the pool.

After breakfast, we got on the van for our last ministry of the trip - VBS in Manzanillo. Yes, it was from that point on where things went downhill... My stomach was feeling weird since morning but it was getting worse by the time we got to the residential area where we gathered for ministry. I couldn't wait for the VBS to be done, so I had to use the bathroom in the middle of our last ministry. I'm so sad that I missed out on our last program of the mission trip! But then... all I could think about was the bathroom. And oh yeah, I got locked in the bathroom...haha. I didn't think I was in the bathroom for that long but when I got back, our team was on the last activity of the day. At least I was able to help with the T-shirts crafts time, right? Unfortunately, due to my stomachache... I don't have many memories from the VBS in Manzanillo. I also don't have that many photos, nor I got to play with the children.

There was one more thing that was waiting for us. It was the beach! On the last day, the team goes to the beach in Manzanillo to relax before returning home. We had our last lunch there by the beach and then we had free time until dinner. I thought I was feeling better, so I ate some food. But, I was totally wrong... I used the bathroom probably 4-5 times while we were at the beach. I'm not really sure what the main problem was but I think it was a bit of everything. Well, I still got to go to the beach market to get a souvenir for my sister, and go play in the beach. I also got a chance to sit and listen to music while looking at the beautiful view in front of me, and I went for a walk on the sand where the waves tickled my toes. It's amazing that I got to do all this because things got worse on our way back to Guadalajara.

As I have mentioned before, Manzanillo was about 4 hours away from where we previously stayed in Guadalajara. I still can't believe how I was able to hold in when we were in the van. It was everything mixed - I had to use the bathroom and on top of that, I was feeling nauseous. It was pitch dark, and the bathroom was nowhere to be found in the middle of the highway. We had to drive for about 20 minutes or more to get to the nearest bathroom. It's really a miracle that we didn't have to pull over or something. It's really a miracle. All I remember doing while driving back to Guadalajara is praying that God will make me okay. Yeah... I really don't want to think about the rest of the trip. But, just to remind myself of how great God was, I will share my story with you.

When we got to the Korean church in Guadalajara, I went straight to my room and lied down. I felt bad not being able to help my team move in our stuff, but I was feeling so sick. It was around midnight when we arrived, and we had to get up in about 5 hours because our flight was early in the morning. I didn't get much sleep that night, because I kept going to the bathroom. The diarrhea wasn't the bad part. I just wanted to get rid of the nausea but I just couldn't. Then I started to think about the worst case scenarios. The thought of me not being able to go back home with the rest of the team worried me the most. So I prayed all night that by the time I get on the plane that I will get better. I prayed and prayed.

Pastor Peter woke me up in the morning that it was time to go. I quickly packed my luggage and tidied up my room a bit. Pastor Rolando came to send us off at the Korean church. I wanted to talk to him more but I absolutely had no energy. Thankfully, nothing happened on the way to the airport but as soon as I got off, I rushed to the bathroom. I was still feeling sick - both diarrhea and nausea. I didn't even say goodbye to Pastor Chang. From that point on until we got on the plane, I think I used the bathroom maybe up to 10 times. My team was so kind enough to carry my luggage and help me with check-in and everything. All I did at the airport was going to the bathroom and sitting down. Thank you everyone, especially Pastor Peter for taking care of me!

On the plane ride to Atlanta where we layed-over, I didn't have to use the bathroom. I was worried that I was going to feel sick, but thankfully nothing happened. When we got to Atlanta, we stopped at the food court for breakfast. I couldn't really eat anything because the smell coming from the food court made me nauseaos again. When we got to the gate, I was feeling a bit better and thought I could eat some fruit. Thank you my dongsengs for buying the fruit cup for me! I slept so well on our way to Toronto, and didn't wake up once nor had to use the bathroom.

What I didn't realize back then when I was sick was that God was with me the whole time. Also, it's a miracle that I came home with the team, and that as I prayed, I was okay on both returning flights. God was with me throughout the mission trip, even the time I was sick. He listened to my prayers and answered them. Oh yes, another thing I prayed about before going on the mission trip, and while I was there was that I won't get sick. I did end up getting sick, but can you believe that I got sick as soon as we got to the beach? It was when we were finished with the ministry in Manzanillo. How amazing is that? I was so thankful that I got sick after we finished everything we had planned. I would've been really mad if I got sick in the beginning or in the middle of the trip. Praise God that He didn't let that happen! Thank you so much Lord for everything You've showned me this mission trip. I am so blessed and thankful for what you have done through me, through the team and through the ministries you have already established there through Pastor Rolando's church. Thank you for breaking my heart for what breaks Yours. Thank you for letting me see a part of Your plan for Mexico. I can't explain everything I experienced and I still haven't fully progressed it, but, God, You are so good.

no.97 130805 Thank you for the beautiful night

With children of Guadalajara church. I miss you all.

(Published on August 12th)

Day 8.

We had a busy morning as we went back to Cerro del Cuatro (the top of the hill where we did the construction) to do a ministry for the seniors of the neighbourhood. At first, I felt weird being surrounded by so many seniors because I'm only used to working with the children. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to do a ministry with the seniors because our team had only prepared for the children's VBS and nothing for the seniors.

The place we gathered was pretty much at an outdoor setting. There were two brick walls on either side, topped off with some plastic banners. The back of the 'room' was a small hill made out of soil and rocks. It looked dangerous. The format of the worship was the same as any other ministries we've done so far. Started off by introducing the team, praise time, a testimony and a message. After Peter's message, we helped distributing breakfast for the seniors. Rolando's church provides food for the people in Cerro del Cuatro every week, alternating between seniors and young mothers. They also assist the people with vegetables and used clothing, as these people live on top of the hill and can't go down to do a grocery shopping. They are also too poor to support themselves. After the ministry was done, we drove up a little to visit the construction site again. Although we didn't get to see the family again, it sure was a nice to see the house for the last time. It was a bittersweet moment.

That was the end of our ministry in Guadalajara. All we have left were the two day ministry in Manzanillo and we are done in Mexico. We went back to the Korean church to quickly pack our stuff for the next destination. Manzanillo is a beach resort area, which is about four hours away from Guadalajara. It is known as the busiest port in Mexico where all the cargos come in from Asia.

After grabbing burgers to go from Burger King, we started our journey to get to Manzanillo. The scenery on the way was so beautiful. It was different compared to boring low lands after lands in Ontario. As we got closer to our destination, I could spot more palm trees. Where we got off was at someone's house, I'm not sure where we were exactly. We just stayed there until Pastor Perla came and we drove for another 15 minutes to some residential area to do a ministry. We walked from door to door and invited families to join us for our evening ministry.

The mango farm was our shelter for the night. After dinner, we all jumped in to the outdoor pool to cool off. I was hesitant to go at first because we couldn't use the shower, but it was a good decision to make because all the stickiness went away after swimming. I finally got to see Mexico's beautiful night sky that night. I saw the Milky Way and two shooting stars! I tried to spot the constellations but I could only see a few... Although it wasn't an open space as the mango trees were covering my view, I loved lying down on the bench and looking at the stars. It was an awesome date with God for sure. What a perfect way to end the long day!

no.96 130804 Thank you for the Sunday in Mexico

Centro Guadalajara

My first Sunday in Mexico. Pastor Rolando's family invited us for breakfast before the service. I think I'm getting tired of Mexican food... it's too much meat and bread. I want some fresh salad or some noodles.

 

The morning service was great. There were about 50-60 people at the church. The service started with prayers as always. As our team led the worship, the congregation joined in. I had a great time worshipping with the locals. I could sense their longing and love for God. Although I can't understand what they say, but it is amazing to know that we are praising one God. We also presented the skit we prepared for the first time. We were worried that we are under prepared and that we might screw up, but thankfully it went much better than we thought. One girl named Paula was crying because of the skit. The skit is called the 'Wounded Healer' and it shows the sacrifices Jesus made for us, including His life. I was amazed at the fact that one little skit can impact someone. I was thankful that the message was well sent out. While pastor Peter was giving out the message, I was with the children leading worship songs. We had a great time of worship through our voices and our actions!

 

After the service, we are going to Centro Guadalajara for lunch and some free time. Then, we will return to Rolando's church in the evening for their first Sunday evening service! We are all excited for it and thankful for the growth of his church.

no.95 130803 Thank you for the two VBS

A house in Cerro del Cuatro, Mexico

Hola!

I'm at a Starbucks near the Korean church. Yay for free wifi! We have some free time until the next event on our schedule.

The VBS in Guadalajara and Santa Maria are done as of today. We finished all the activities we prepared for each location. We now have VBS left in one more place which is about 4 hours away from Guadalajara and some ministries at pastor Rolando's church and the Korean church where we are staying at. We are more than a half way in to our mission trip. It seems like I was here for more than a week. Yet, I'm sad at how fast the time is passing by. I wish I can stay longer.

The children in Guadalajara and Santa Maria are really different in character. There were about 40 kids in Guadalajara, and they were calm and gentle. In Santa Maria, there were about 70 and the children are just so rowdy. The space in SM is smaller and the neighbourhood is definitely poorer than that of G. I asked God to give me the eyes and the heart of Jesus and He did. Yesterday was the first day of VBS and especially at SM, I was pretty shocked to see how he children are. At SM, I think I felt the same way as when I volunteered for the Cornerstone ministry a couple of months ago. I saw myself acting differently in the two places. I'm not gonna lie, it was harder for me to approach the children at the SM church. At the G church, I was open to give hugs and hold hands with the children but I hesitated to do the same in SM. I should have treated them the same despite the environment they are in and how poor or rich they are. It was definitely disappointing to see myself acting this way. So I thought about this last night before bed and prayed that I would be able to open up to the children in SM. And God did change my heart today. It was hard at first, but I was able to open up my heart to the children in SM. I tried my best to communicate with the children as well. I wish I can speak some Spanish so I can actually talk to them! Although language isn't the most important thing, I really want to be prepared the next time I'm on a mission trip.

In the SM church, I was glad to be a part of the Saturday feeding program. These kids don't have much food to eat, so the church has started the program for the children. Our team prepared the breakfast today. We made nutella sandwiches. It's such a simple thing yet the kids loved it. It's sad to see that they can't even afford to buy milk so what the adults in the neighbourhood went out and brought back the cheapest drink, pop (at walmart, a bottle of pop costs about 60 cents each; the bottles here are a little bit smaller than what we have in Canada). Pop is cheaper than water so Mexicans drink a lot of coke, and that's why Mexico is becoming the country with the highest obesity. Anyways, I was happy that we were able to provide something small to fill their hungry stomach.

For one of the crafts we did, we prepared T-shirt decoration. It was my suggestion so I hoped that it was a good idea. That was my first thought, but then I kept having a second thought because all we bought were T-shirts and fabric markers. So it seemed like it wouldn't be that fun. After seeing how they live especially in SM, I was thankful for God to give me such an idea. When I saw the kids today, I realized a lot of kids wore the same outfit as yesterday. These kids not only need food, but also clothes.

I'm thankful for the completion of the VBS we prepared for Guadalajara and Santa Maria! I pray for the children that they will grow up knowing God and will know of God's infinite love for them. I pray that they will accept Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. I pray for the health of the children as well. I pray that the rest of the mission trip will be done for His glory and for God alone!