no.456 140731 Thank you for letting me discover a new place to shop

One of my favourite ice snacks from childhood

As you know by now, I love making stuff, decorating, wrapping it pretty and giving it to people around me. It's my hobby and it's how I express my love to others. I was introduced to a really fun place by my preschool pastor today! We went for lunch with her two little girls and after, we stopped by this place where I can buy decorative/packaging materials for my baked goods and crafty ideas. I couldn't browse much because we were busy talking and she had to pick up the stuff she needed. However, I would definitely go back in the near future! I love discovering new places like this, but it's also dangerous because it will make me want to open my wallet… and I already have a box full of goodies at home that I could use, and I keep buying more and more when I see good deals. I better bake something good and give out if I want to go shopping at that place again. I seriously think I'd enjoy it if I were to start a cafe or a small baked good shop, and also plan and host parties… I was even thinking, on my way to meet my preschool pastor today, that I go back to Mexico and help out with the children's ministry there, and somehow start a small cafe to make money to support myself and to support the ministry. Then I can feed, teach and take care of the poor children in Santa Maria. It's something that I've been thinking about at the back of my head since last year. It's something I need to pray about more.

no.455 140730 Thank you for the meat party

Chicken wings party!

I'm not feeling so well today. Perhaps I ate too much - had some pork dish for breakfast, chicken wings for lunch, and kalbi with noodles for dinner… what a meat lover. I love meat but I think today's the first time that I had different types of meat for each meal! Although it was good at the time I ate, I feel so bloated now. But it's not just that. I feel drowsy and my nose is clogged. It could be from yesterday because it was super windy and my nose was runny the whole evening. I napped for half an hour just before dinner but I still feel tired. It's not even close to my bed time but I'm ready to sleep… I really hope I don't catch a cold or anything.

no.454 140729 Thank you for the reunion with my mentor teacher from Korea

Never again… Momofuku ice cream.

4PM, Union Station.

I've been waiting for today since the day I found out that my mentor teacher was coming to Toronto. We were planning on meeting on the platform at Union station. I got there a little earlier than the meeting time because I didn't want to keep her waiting. My heart was beating fast every time a train arrived. I looked left and right to spot my mentor teacher and a group of her friends whenever the train doors opened. I waited for about 20 minutes, and I'm pretty sure more than 10 trains passed by me. Still, there was no sign of her. Then I heard someone calling my name and it was a familiar voice. There she was! She said she's been waiting for me outside - I guess there was a little bit of a miscommunication, but I was thankful that we finally met in that crazy busy area, full of construction all over the station.

We went out, and there were four teachers waiting for me in front of Starbucks. They were also teachers who came to study English for the 4 weeks in Toronto. It's so amazing that out of all the places in North America, that she came to Canada. And out of all the places in Canada, that she came to Toronto! I knew that I was gonna see her again when I left Korea, but I didn't think I would see her in Toronto! I thought, if anything, that we would meet again the next time I visit Korea. It is incredible! I am so thankful for this opportunity to see her again here in Toronto. I'm thankful for an opportunity to treat her and serve her, because she's done so much for me when I was foreign to the school and the countryside "si-gol" life in Korea. She has two more weeks left in Toronto, and I'm probably gonna see her a couple more times while she's here. I want to make the most out of it, and spend as much time as possible with her!

no.453 140728 Thank you for the opportunity to be a tour guide

Personalized coke cans… so cool!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow because I get to see a friend who I haven't seen for a really long time. If you guessed that I'll be meeting my mentor teacher from Korea, then you've guessed it right! I got to talk to her briefly today just to sort out our schedule. All I hope is for the sky to be clear by the time we meet. Unfortunately I won't get to spend some time alone with her as she is here with other teachers from Korea. We are planning to do some outdoor activities… even if it rains, I'm sure we will enjoy our reunion!

By the way, I saw these personalized coke cans in Mexico and I was amazed and thought it was the coolest thing. I wondered why we didn't have it in Canada. I saw it in the States, well on the American Airlines and figured that America has them too, and wondered if we have in Canada. I finally saw it with my own eyes that we do have these personalized coke cans! Apparently my friend told me that we do have them in Canada but I never listened to him… oops. The cans in Canada are way better because  the names are in English and in French! I wonder how it'll work in Korea. One thing for sure, I'll never find my name on a coke can!

no.452 140727 Thank you for the familiar faces at church

Delicious cupcakes made by my talented friend

Rainy night...

This rainy night reminds me of a song. A Japanese song. This is probably the one and only Japanese song I have on my phone. He used to be my boy band obsession when I was in middle school and in high school for the longest time. It's so random but today's rain reminds me of this song, mostly because of its title "Rainy Night." Enjoy my Junsu's lovely voice!

Otherwise, I was glad to be back at church today - seeing and saying hello to familiar faces. It was great seeing the students from the Mexico team, catching up with last year's Mexico team, friends, and my little kids from the preschool department. It's weird not staying at church until 7PM. I miss my team and I miss Mexico, but I'm glad to be back at home and be with my family and friends!

no.451 140726 Thank you for helping me sleep so well

Centro Guadalajara, again!

I haven't gone outside since I came home from Mexico. All I did was sleep, eat and sleep more. Yesterday, I slept so much during the day so I figured I won't be sleepy at night but I was wrong. I slept soooooo well. After having breakfast, I fell asleep again and woke up for lunch. I did the same for dinner. As I work on my blog right now, I feel tired again and I'm ready to go to bed… it feels like I had such an unproductive day but it was much needed. I hope I will be fully recharged for tomorrow and the beginning of a new week.

no.450 140725 Thank you for my loving family

Leaving from Dallas with a beautiful sunset in the background

Got back home safe and sound after a day of travelling from Guadalajara to Toronto. We arrived a little past midnight and by the time I left the airport, it was around 2AM as the leaders needed to stay until all the kids were picked up by their parents.

When I got home, my sister greeted me and when I came out of the shower, she heated up a meal that my mom had prepared for me earlier. My sister surprises me sometimes as I didn't expect her to do this last night. Whenever I go away for a while, I know there's always dwenjang-jjigae waiting for me, because my mom knows what I like the best. I was going to ask her to make kalbi for dinner, but I found out that she already had made it before I came back. I had so much food and so much sleep. I'm thankful for the safe flight back home, a good day of rest and my loving family!

no.448 140723 Thank you for the beach day

Team Mexico 2014, Manzanillo 

Day 10

It's our last day in Mexico. Technically, the ministry part is over because today is the "fun day" where we relax at the beach. Last year, I wondered why we needed to have this beach day while we were on the mission trip. At one point, I think I even felt guilty for it. However, I understand that it was much needed and it was okay to have a day of relaxation. Even God rested on the seventh day after he finished His work. I believe the students deserved some fun at the beach for all their hard work for God's kingdom here in Mexico.

It was even hotter than last year - when I used the hand soap by the sink it was so hot I had to rinse it off as quick as possible. It was nice just sitting down at looking at the kids play in the water while listening to my playlist. I was so afraid of getting sick again like last year… but thankfully no one on the team (including myself!) got sick from the food at the beach! I'm really thankful because I didn't want anyone to suffer like I did last year.

no.447 140722 Thank you for the VBS in Manzanillo

Super adorable girl that I met in Manzanillo:)

Day 9

The last day of ministry took place in Manzanillo, which was 4-5 hours drive from the base. It is close to the beach and it was hot and humid (it feels like 40 + degrees). I was having a hard time breathing at first and it took us some time to get used to the weather. A couple of our students weren't feeling well so they had to rest for a bit. I found myself frowning at first because of the crazy weather, but when I saw the students also frowning, I forced myself to smile so that I could some how encourage the students. However, God reminded me of last year and He changed my heart to give thanks to Him even in the heat. I missed out last year's VBS in Manzanillo because of my stomachache. So my forced smile  turned into a genuine smile because I was filled with joy for the opportunity to help the team carry out the program we planned. I didn't get to see the children that I met last year but I was happy to be back in Manzanillo.

After taking a good nap in the air conditioned room in the Manzanillo church, I felt so refreshed but at the same time, I was so out of it. It took me a minute to realize where I was and why I was there. There was one more session of VBS waiting for us and that concluded the end of our mission trip! I missed the VBS because I had to get breakfast for tomorrow.

On our way to the mango farm where we were staying over, we listened and sang along to some Christian songs. The most memorable song of the mission trip would be David Crowder Band's How He Loves Us. In fact, singing in the van and listening to the students harmonize will probably be one of my favourite memories of this mission trip.

I was looking forward to the night at the mango farm as I had such a great time with God last year. It was slightly different from the last time I was here but I enjoyed my time making 13 ramyuns for the students as I listened to the "concert" outside, walking in the cactus field with the pastor Rolando, Perla and the mango farm owner, running away from a snake, looking at the twinkling fireflies, smelling a fresh cinnamon bark and spotting a shooting star. I also had some time to look at the night sky and spend time with God. Ahh, what an eventful night I had!

no.442 140717 Thank you for keeping us safe on the road to and from Zamora

Mia, Leslie and Lu!

Day 4 (written in Mexico)

The team had to rent a van to go to Michoacan for VBS which was about 3-4 hours away. And guess what happened on the road. I thought I smelled a skunk but soon after I heard a loud noise from the back and I see black pieces flying from the behind. And there it was... we had a flat tire. Well, it was more like popped tire.

I was very concerned and I wondered if it was even worth it to be driving all the way there since we weren't even half way to Michoacan. Thankfully, we had an extra tire in the van and someone pulled over and tried to help us put the tire back on. In the end, the CAA people came and fixed everything for us. It was stressful at first but we came to enjoy the time - having lunch, taking photos, and looking at the beautiful landscape in front of us. We were worried because there was another tire that looked like it was going to be torn apart but God protected us and we got to Michoacan safely!

I've never been to Zamora so I was really excited to see what it's like there. And I had a pleasant surprise! The three girls that I missed the most were there! I was kinda disappointed because I didnt see them yesterday. So I was really happy to see the cute little faces. I hope I get another chance to see them again before I leave!

no.440 140715 Thank you for the day of construction

Students hard at work on the site

Day 2 (written in Mexico)

It was a day of construction. The construction was very different from last year, as we are not building a house. We are doing foundational works, which involves a lot of breaking, digging, shoveling dirt and rocks. I was thankful and impressed by the team for all the hard work and willingness they demonstrated today. I felt bad for being absent for the most part because I had to run errands with pastor Rolando for the team. On the other hand, I got to spend some time with Rolando. I thought my Spanish was good enough for the children (I barely speak anything and its embarrassing to even say that I speak, but still I think its a big improvement from when I was here last year). But I realized the need to learn Spanish today. I gotta learn the language if I want to talk more things with Rolando. On the car rides, we had to depend on the Google translator and also use our body language. But I think we got across the main points, at least that's what I think.

In terms of construction, our team finished what was to be done in three days! Thank God for giving us the strength and the heart to do such work! Tomorrow, we will continue construction and we will be going to Rolando's church for the Wednesday service, where our team will be sharing some testimonies and perform a skit or two. Please keep our team in your prayers!

Gracias y buenas noches!

no.439 140714 Thank you for Mexico 2014

Here I go again!

Day 1 (written in Mexico)

Hola! I am here again in Mexico!

First of all, I'm thankful for the safety and health of the team during our flight. It was certainly tiring since the majority of the team stayed up overnight, including myself. Because I'm so sensitive, I had a trouble falling asleep on the plane too.

Another reason why I couldn't fall asleep was because I was marveled at the beauty of God's creation from the bird's eye view. Well in this case, it would be the plane's point of view because we were above the clouds. It was amazing looking at the different shapes of clouds and also the mountains. It was cool to see the clouds hovering on top of one mountain. I was also excited at the fact that I'm back in Mexico. I knew I'd come back at some point in my life, I just didn't know it'd be this soon! I'm just so grateful to be back here and support pastor Rolando's ministry to bring glory to God!

no.437 140712 Thank you for last shopping day for Mexico 2014

Indian before Mexico

D-2.

2 more days until Mexico 2014. Ahhh! I can't believe it's happening so soon, again! I'm really excited but at the same time, I am sad because in less than two weeks, not only the mission trip but also the team will be over. When I think about the fact that I won't see my students again, it makes me sad. I think I have the tendency to think like this - even at the retreat, I was thinking about the future, and in the future I saw myself reflecting upon the time at the retreat.

Anyways, I want to focus on what's about to happen. The mission trip hasn't even begun yet! So I'm gonna be thankful and joyful for Mexico. Well, today was the last shopping day (I sure hope!) for Mexico preparation. I think we have everything we need… I really hope we didn't forget anything!

I was sort of packing but I kinda stopped because I wasn't making any progress. I must go back and try to finish it tonight!

no.436 140711 Thank you for the helpers for VBS preparation

VBS 2014 Blast off!

A year has gone by and it's time for another VBS! Some of the teachers and helpers gathered to put up all the decorations and set-ups today. It was close to 11PM by the time we were done. We couldn't have finished it without the volunteers - including those who were at church for other things and were nice enough to help us! I feel bad that I can't help out during the actual VBS, but I'm sure it will go well without me!

no.433 140708 Thank you for the view from my room

Brazil loses to Germany big time

The night sky always knows how to make me smile. Looking at the moon from my room makes my day. Well, checking the Brazil - Germany score kind of made my day too. I was laughing at first, but as I watched the replay of the first half, I couldn't help but to feel bad for Brazil. It sucks for Brazil to have lost two of its best players for this important game, but the team is one of the best in the world. I was sort of expecting the Brazilians to lose but not this bad.

no.430 140705 Thank you for being here with me wherever I go

Congratulations C&P!

In the midst of celebrating C&P's big day, I got a chance to talk to God. Strange, but it was a good reminder that I can talk to God any time I want, and in any way I want. God is always there to listen, and I know that He loves it when I call out His name. I stepped out of the dance floor because it was getting too hot. After getting a glass of water, I thought it'd be nice to get some fresh air… and you all know what I like to do. My eyes always point up to the night sky. I saw some beautiful stars in front of me and the moment took me back to Mexico, that very night when I had an amazing date with God at the mango farm. Although it was for a short time, I enjoyed my date with God tonight. I sure hope to have the time with God again when I go back to Mexico next week!

no.429 140704 Thank you for God's colourful creation

The summer garden

I got a chance to get some fresh air and admire the beauty of God's creation. I was at a botanical garden looking at various plant and flower species. It reminded me of how detailed and creative our God is. From sizes to shapes, colours and scents, not a single flower was same as the one beside it. It reminded me of this verse from Matthew.

Look at the birds of the air; 

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, 

and your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matthew 6:26

God takes care of animals and flowers in the field. We are made in God's image and He showed His amazing love through His only son to take the cross for our sins. How much more will God take care you and me?

no.429 140703 Thank you for last year's photos

Sushi craving satisfied:)

Brainstorming VBS ideas for preschool and for Mexico, I had to go through my photo album "Mexico 2013" on my laptop. I was trying to remember what our schedule was like last year. It was so surreal looking at those photos again because I still can't believe that I was there and what's more surreal is that I am going back in less than two weeks! I'm just so curious how I would feel as I land in Guadalajara airport, as I reunite with pastor Rolando and his family, as I enter the Guadalajara church, as I worship with the church, as I see the children smile, and holding them in my arms again. I hope I get a chance to visit Cerro del Quatro to see the family and the house that our team built last year.

Also, I have a song to share with you all! It's a cover done by a sibling musician duo called "Akdong Musician" and the song is called "Eyes, nose, lips." I'm listening to it on repeat as I write my entry.

no.427 140701 Thank you for Canada day at home

It's Canada day again! I was just wondering what I did last year and my blog reminded me that I went on a cottage trip with my friends. I don't think it was as hot and humid as today though… Instead of going out with my family and friends, I decided to spend some time at home to catch up on rest and work. I was able to do some reading, work on the VBS planning, write some emails, clean my room and even start packing (sort of) for Mexico!