I got a letter...from myself!!!

I was looking through some of my old papers and just found a letter I had written to myself right after I had finished my summer in Puerto Rico working for YouthWorks. They wanted us to be reminded of what the summer did for us at a later time so they suggested we write whatever and they would send it to us in a few months. I thought it was silly at the time but after reading mine tonight I almost teared up a little!!
Youthworks was one of the most challenging, chaotic, and beautiful summers I've ever had. Just getting hired and actually deciding to go was ALL GOD. It still gives me cold chils to think of how it all happened. I'll spare the details but basically, I was scared to death and never in a million years would have imagined myself having enough guts to sign up for such a job... Anyway, I ended up getting the last position VERY last minute for a spanish speaking place doing the most AMAZING JOB EVER!!! I was the urban staff so I got to work with several volunteer organizations in the city. I worked with the homeless, drug addicts, orphans, elderly....oh I can't even begin to explain how happy I was:)
here's part of my letter!
don't sweat the small stuff, have faith in people, NEVER lose sight of GOD. Never stop getting closer to God. Don't get caught up in everyday life..the monotony. Try to be aware of how much you can grow, help and do. Love your community and have patience with people...I hope every experience I have had has changed me and I hope I'm living up to the advice I gave myself.

i'm moving!

This weekend I'm moving downtown and I'm SO excited!! There's been a few changes in my life so this can just top it off...oh how I love the feeling of starting fresh and new! All of you are welcome :) Now the only thing I need to do is decorate!

Singleness

In the past.. ohhh i'd say year or so I've been getting a lot of ...so you're still single?? kind of questions. Friends ask why, family asks when?. I love the ones that say something about expecting little ones from me by now or the ones that tell me to just settle for the guy that's not reallly for me...(insert face from picture to the left*) Thank goodness I have some awesome parents that defend me--> "she's focusing on studies right now". Haha. Now, although these comments can get a little annoying to answer all the time and not to mention embarrassing, I guesssss I don't blame them for wondering. ha. I mean I'm 23 and one of my side jobs is as a third wheel...just kiddin;) a lot of people my age here are getting married or are almost there, so it's normal to wonder.(NOT that I am talking about marriage in this blog...just a good guy)...It's not like I haven't thought of those ever daunting when and why questions and yes I do get upset about it sometimes but I am not in any rush. It'll happen when it happens. But yeah, there have been times when I feel like giving up or just settling...like there's something wrong with me and I'm expecting too much. AND then i laugh at myself for those silly thoughts.;) However, I have recently come to the conclusion and accepted that a big part of it is me. (not that they don't have any fault...ie. players,jerks,partiers,ill tempered,only want one thing kinda guys) I've been so afraid that whoever HE is will stop me from pursuing my dream. I can accept being single while doing something I love rather than being with someone that makes me regret, brings me down or that doesn't encourage me to live up to my full potential. I think that #1 God has this thing in his hands and to not worry AT ALL #2 that whoever it is will go together with my dream and what is meant for my life:) #3 that everyone has imperfections...including me...and to lighten up a little on the next one ;) and #4 even through all the duds/mister wrongs (and there have been way too many) I still believe in love and in mister right for me(not mister perfect) ha. Everything happens for a reason and this is no different. I would not be the person I am today without what I've gone through, whatever it may be...I also believe that nothing will work without God as the center so until I meet someone that believes that as well or is willing to work with that...with me. I will remain single and happy. me and my man...;)hehe
oh and I almost forgot!! I found the cutest letter some dude wrote to single ladies...it sums up what I want and how I think sometimes. http://datingadvicefromagirl.com/a-letter-for-every-single-christian-woman-who-just-wants-to-find-mr-right_1095/

Archive International

It's finally coming all together and I am incredibly excited, so there will be several more blogs about this I'm sure! Ok so I have this very talented, compassionate, and super smart friend named Mark. I met Mark while working with a youth missions organization...YouthWorks. Anyway, through YouthWorks he got a chance to help a community in Tijuana, Mexico. side note here---> Tijuana borders San Diego CA, and although only a fence seperates the two cities they look and feel very different. Tijuana has a high unemployment rate. It's a hot spot for drug traffickers and the cartel, which means it's known for crime and violence. I was talking to a friend there and he said that Tijuana is many times a place that people get stuck...people come from all over trying to cross the border and end up here. This means that every day the population of Tijuana grows...but since it's not built for such fast growth and the people either use all their money by this point or they move into underdeveloped areas, many communities that do exist lack ammenities, roads, sanitation, schools, medicine, etc. The government...well let's just say the situation has not changed dramatically.....OK so there is this cycle you find in areas like this.--> Education is not seen as super important...soooo a large group of people are illiterate and lack the knowledge that might better their lives. This alone limits so many to lives of hard labor and unemployment. There is stress, worry, a loss of hope... People start to turn towards crime and drugs, which leads to brokeness. This brokeness is seen in the person, the person's family, the community...and it continues and continues because there is no other knowledge of something better. And that's where God (through wonderful people like Mark) comes in!!!
---The cool thing about Mark was that after leaving Tijuana, Tijuana never left him. Cheesy sounding I know, but it's true. He began dreaming of starting some sort of.. something.. to help. So his dream lead to where we are now with the project. Last Christmas Mark and I went to Tijuana to discuss what the community needed and wanted...what THEY thought would help (because nothing is worse than someone coming in and TELLING people what they need). So after a week we found out the info I talked about earlier in my side note...and some more but I'm already rambling so yeeeah. Anyway,here's the plan...here is what Archive International is--> We are going to bring in libraries and soccer fields to impoverished areas (like Tijuana) Hoping to stop that cycle of brokenness...we want to teach people how to read, about God about the world about their amazing potential. The soccer fields are there to provide a safe place to play, to come together as a community (and bring them to the library..ha) aaaand I'm all about getting some little ones into shape so that's good for that too. ;) Did I mention Mark is crazy good at construction?? well he is, and he is going to build these libraries (with the help of locals and volunteers from the states). They will be "green", energy efficient, and eventually we hope to have the locals run them...something they can really have pride in and call their own. The first place is Tijuana but some day we'll get to some other communities around the world...like in Puerto Rico and Honduras!! Oh and I'm going to end (for now) with this experience we had on our visit. A church member was bringing us around the very poor area and knew a family living there so he brought us to their house. The house was sooo tiny and full of kids. They were beautiful but the whole time the mom kept apologizing for how ugly her house was and how embarrassed she was. Mark and I both felt awful for making her feel like she had to apologize...for making her feel ashamed of where she lived. We want to help people have pride in their community, confidence in themselves, and an opportunity to grow, learn, and impact the lives of others.

< (current soccer field)

dramatic cat

Franciscan Blessing

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless every single one of you with anger at injustice, oppression, and the exploitation of people so that you may work for justice and freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain and rejection and starvation and war so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you, yes you, can make a difference in this world so that you can do for Christ what others claim cannot be done. May God bless you with a heart that breaks for the things that breaks his heart. May God bless you with a divine tenderness. May God give you an ear that hears his voice. May God increase the anointing upon your life, for you have been filled with the same spirit that raised Christ from the grave. In Jesus' name we pray...Amen