Deja Vu

As part of our moving process, I've been going through all the boxes we've had stored in various closets. One such box contained a stack of papers and mementos I've been saving since childhood.

While going through it, I was shocked and delighted to come across a postcard from Germany that someone (it might have been my dad, but neither one of us remembers for sure) had given me, and for some reason I kept all these years. The back is blank, but the front has a picturesque scene that looked remarkably familiar. I ran to the computer and scrolled through the pictures from our time in Germany during the World Race in 2006.

Yep, I've been there! What are the odds?

Chateau St. Jean Photo-Blog

Following our 4th of July parade and pancake breakfast, we meandered down the road to visit the Chateau St. Jean winery in Sonoma. This winery has one of the most stunningly beautiful grounds I've ever seen (a fact not unnoticed by others, as they were preparing to host a wedding reception during our visit). I couldn't help but keep snapping pictures... I'm sure you can see why!

4th of July Photo-Blog

This past 4th of July weekend, we were fortunate enough to spend the weekend camping out in Sonoma, and decided to drive into town for the Kenwood parade and pancake breakfast. It was small town Americana at its finest! Not only were the celebrations absolutely delightful, but I got to test drive my brand new D-SLR camera for the first time.

We started the morning with a pancake breakfast hosted at this beautifully traditional old church:


Apparently, they've been doing this for 20 years and have actually built their own gi-normous pancake cooker. It's amazing!


I love these guys!


Then, we headed to the end of the block for the smallest parade we've ever seen. There wasn't a single marching band!


But, we got to see every classic car in the county (like, all five of them):




Even George got into the action! He was so popular, kids IN the parade were pointing and shouting, "Look at the chihuahua!":


And oh yes, a little proof that I was actually there!


Happy Birthday, America!

Portland Memories

It's about time for more about our trip to Portland last month!


Gary and I had never traveled up north together, and February was the perfect time to go, while we were between jobs.


We had time share points for a place in a little town called Welches, about an hour east of the city. The setting was beautiful - trees, mountains, snow... just what this California girl needed to feel like winter had arrived!


There's not much better than getting away from it all, sitting by the fire with glass of wine in hand, watching the snow fall!


My dream for this year is to go somewhere to have a white Christmas, and these few days in the snow only whetted that desire.



The other highlight of the week was spending time with our friend Melissa, and meeting her husband Keith. Melissa was another founding member of Jacob's Well, our first church back in Sacramento when we were first married. We really connected over the fact that we were three of the five in their twenties at the church at the time! She moved up north a while back, and we haven't had a chance to visit until now. She's now got a great job, a sweet husband, and a baby on the way. Congratulations, Melissa!


Melissa and Keith had fun showing us around the city; and planned some memorable outings for us including a hockey game and an elaborate dinner at a Moroccan restaurant called Marrakesh.




Other highlights were the Japanese Garden, which I've already posted about here, an amazing setting to relax and enjoy nature, and a fun place called Noun, an antique shop / artist boutique, with a station in the back selling confections by St. Cupcake. Good times.

Portland Japanese Garden

Hard to believe, just a week ago I was in Portland, enjoying this beautiful garden during a break in the rain. Here are a few of my favorite pics:

The Year in Pictures: 2008

January


When our JHers left the classroom and made a real difference in our neighbors' lives, they made "Love Your Neighbor" one of the best Sunday School classes we've ever done.

February


Oh Pizza Pucks, how I miss you. I'm so glad I got to enjoy you one last time, before the last shop that sells you closed its doors. Without you, the world seems a little sadder.

March


These five girls on my New Orleans team learned valuable lessons over the spring break mission trip about love, community, support, and prayer. They inspire me, and I am still learning from them.

April


It took us a while, but we finally found "our place" in the area: Napa Valley. Close enough for a day trip, but far enough away to feel like a whole different world. This picture is the garden at Copia (they actually use ingredients from their garden for the food in their restaurant!) I can't wait to get back!

May


We enjoyed our first camping trip with the Bonus; showing off our favorite sights in Yosemite as well as exhaustedly scrambling to the top of Yosemite Falls, one of the ten highest in the world (this pic is proof we made it to the top!).

June


We cheered on Molly as she crossed the stage at graduation. Two weeks later we cheered as she crossed a hospital room on her own two legs; praising God for the miraculous recovery from a (temporarily) paralyzing fall.

July


After 2 1/2 years of prayer, God blessed us by allowing us to bring a team back to work with our Guatemalan family in Lake Atitlan. (and yes, that's Molly right there with us!)

August


We were thrilled to join our friends the Berrys for a weekend getaway to a cabin in Lake Tahoe. One of my favorite parts of that trip was this hike down to Emerald Bay.

September


I tried my hand at wedding photography, and though I found it more challenging than expected, I really enjoyed the day. I'm so glad I could support my friends by helping them to capture special memories!

October


October saw the return of one of our favorite annual traditions: candy poker night!

November


As part of our annual 30 Hour Famine event, our students not only raised $3000 to send to World Vision, but gathered 200 pounds of food for the Monument Crisis Center, a local food bank.

December


Fellowship means celebration: here we are enjoying a Christmas party with the small group we joined last September. We've been so blessed by the friendships of these other young couples over the past three months.

As I look back over the highlights of these past twelve months, it's easy to see certain themes emerge: ministry, travel, and friends. I am so grateful to God for all the gifts and opportunities He's given me. I am thankful for the special people who have brought joy and meaning into my life. And I look ahead with wonder, with anticipation for what God will bring my way in 2009.

Sacramento, Here We Come!

After a wonderful week-long vacation with friends in Hawaii, we're doing a quick turnaround and heading back out to spend the weekend in Sacramento for the National Youth Workers Convention.

I'll be blogging from the convention, than plan to post about the Hawaii trip once we're back home, complete with pictures.

Our New Home

On the way to the house from the airport, our driver suddenly pulled off the road and asked us if we´d like to see a view of the lake. "Of course!" We walked up to the overlook, and as each person caught a view of the lake, framed by volcanoes, you could hear them gasp one after another. We couldn´t believe this amazing locale would be home for the next two weeks! (We´re actually staying in the little village you see at the foot of the volcano in this picture)

We´re now settled in and looking forward to our first day of ministry. This afternoon, we´ll be visiting with new families in the church to greet and pray with them. Later in the evening, we´ll be leading a good portion of the worship service.

I am happy to report that the entire team is in good health and good spirits. Even 25 hours of travel didn´t wipe the smiles off our faces. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Keep checking back to get team updates and pictures!

ps - God has even been answering our prayers for the weather - we didn´t get a drop the whole four hours we drove with our luggage strapped to the roof, but as soon as we got settled in to take naps, the skies opened up and poured! Today is beautiful as well! (Thanks, Joy!)

Overcoming Obstacles

by Karina, Molly, Rachelle, and Ariel

So we made it safely to Guatemala with plenty of bumps along the road. The first bump came as a shock. We were informed at the airline check-in desk in LAX that all the minors were required to have a notarized letter from the parents to leave the country. This was the exact opposite of the information Katherine had received from the State Department that said such letters were not necessary for students 16 and over with their own passport.

Thankfully, God provided us with a woman named Monica, the airline’s front desk attendant, who made it possible for us to slide through the sketchy set of rules. However, when she checked our tickets, she told us that without our luggage stickers there was no guarantee that our luggage would switch to the correct airline and make it Guatemala. After a few phone calls they were able to get the baggage numbers allowing us to not have to pick up our baggage from the domestic terminal and bring it all they way back to the international terminal to get checked in. We were so thankful for Monica´s help, we made her a quick gift, a page out of Ariel´s coloring book.

After a long layover in LAX we were finally ready to board our last flight when another set of problems occurred. Bryan Vale, who brought his guitar along, was told he would have to check in his guitar and pay an additional $100 fee. Molly luckily had enough room in her backpack to carry Bryan’s backpack inside to avoid the fee.

Everybody was finally in the boarding dock and had given their tickets to the ticket attendants when Karina was stopped and told she had not given her official ticket to the ticket attendant. She knew she had given the man everything she needed, but the woman at the counter was convinced that she had lost her ticket. Gary stayed with Karina as the rest of us boarded the plane, arguing with airline staff and trying to get things straightened out. Finally, God pulled us through and the airline lady found Karina’s ticket.

But through all the figurative and literal bumps in the road, God smoothed everything out, showing once again, He is faithful and is always in control.

Airport Worship?

by Molly, Ariel, and Rachelle

What do you do when your flight doesn’t leave for ten hours, the check in desks for the airline won’t open for another three hours, and everyone is tired and anxious? Why, you grab Bryan Vale and his guitar, some sheet music, and burst out into praise music, of course!

So, for the next two hours, that is exactly what we did. All throughout the airport terminal, echoes of “Mighty to Save”, “How Great is Our God”, and all other possible worship songs could be heard.

People, occasionally, would stop to listen, even sitting near our group to watch us praise the Lord. Though they may not have understood completely what we were doing, or even knew what the words to the song meant, they could see from our smiles and our closed eyes that there was something different about our group and the songs we sang. Not for show, but for adoration, to praise the One who created us to be unique.

This experience was not only amazing, but uplifting. It isn’t everyday that one gets to sit in an airport terminal and praise God through song. He gave us these gifts of music, and we ended up using them, by singing with a lone guitar in the middle of Los Angeles Airport.

Pastor Antonio - Video

I first met Pastor Antonio during our time in Guatemala on the 2006 World Race. Our team of five lived at his home and ministered alongside him everyday for three weeks. During this time, I was amazed by his tireless passion for sharing God's love and truth with his people, and the joy he found by serving God so whole-heartedly. I have never met anyone so devoted to living out what he believed.

When the time came to say farewell, I was excited to go serve in new places, but I have never stopped praying that I would be able to return to visit my Guatemalan family, the church we worked at, and most importantly, to bring others with me to see what God is doing there, and to join in that work. Praise God, He is answering that prayer, and three weeks from Tuesday (!) I'll be getting on a plane with my husband, mother, and five incredible students!

Pastor Antonio has also hosted other missionary groups, and one of the more recent World Race teams spent part of their time making a video about Pastor Antonio's ministry. It's delightful to see how God is blessing the congregation that begin in Jan 2006 (the month before we arrived) with only three or four families. The video gives a great description of the kind of work we'll be doing during our two weeks in Lake Atitlan.



Pastor Antonio from Sean Smith on Vimeo.

The Pilgrimage

Several of the South Africans I traveled with on the World Race in 2006 are now working with a South African organization called Global Challenge Expeditions. This group puts on several different world-race-like mission trips of various sorts.

They have put together a fascinating new program called The Pilgrimage, which is basically a study tour of biblical and church history, followed by opportunities to serve in places facing poverty and persecution.

Though most people probably don't have $10,000 and 6 months free time at their disposal, this trip looks like it would make a fascinating sabbatical for a pastor or professor.

Starting point: South Africa

Countries to be visited: Zambia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, England, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Dubai and Oman

Curriculum content:

Africa

In Ethiopia, the birthplace of the early church, you will:
-Walk along the ancient church
-Read early church history
-Visit a traditional church

In Egypt, land of the ancient pyramids, you will:
-Study the leadership of Moses
-Travel the Exodus route of the Israelites
-Read through the Pentateuch
-Understand the origin and beliefs of the Muslim faith
-Prescribed reading: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen and Veritas module 1

The Middle East

While travelling through Israel you will:
-Be fascinated by the Scriptures in its historical context
-Start to understand the complexities of the Middle East
-Read and study the life of Jesus

In Oman you will :
-Study more Old Testament History.
-Prescribed reading: Job, 1 and 2 Kings, the Prophets, One of the gospels, Actsand Veritas module 2

Europe

You will visit the ancient ruins of Turkey and Greece and:
-Follow in the footsteps of the first apostles
-Develop a desire to have a deeper understanding of Scripture

Through, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and England, you will:
-See how God has been faithful to his church through the previous centuries
-Understand the suffering many of the early believers faced
-Commit to search and carry the truth in your own generation
-Marvel at the beautiful art, buildings and history there is to discover
-Prescribed reading: Paul, Peter, John’s letters and Veritas module 3

The Far East

Be amazed by the ancient history and culture of China and:
-Be challenged by the price fellow believers pay in their desire to follow Christ
-Be inspired by the lives of fellow Christians

In Thailand you will have the opportunity to rest.

In India, among the contrasting aromas and bright colours, you will:
-Study the main religions of the world
-Face the devastating effects of poverty
-Come to a deeper understanding of God’s heart for the poor
-Partake in a local church being planted
-Serve at an orphanage
-Prescribed reading: Revelation, Ester, Hudson Taylor, The Heavenly Man and Veritas module 4

Home Again

We're back - after five nights of camping in beautiful Yosemite, we (G-Dub, Bonus, and I) have returned to civilization. The weather was gorgeous, the rivers full of melted snow, the air fresh, lightly scented with pine trees and campfires.

Our trip was defined by heavy hiking and enjoying the many waterfalls along the way. This week, I'll be putting up pictures from the more strenuous and picturesque hikes we completed.

Here's a preview:

On the road...

So, there's been a bit of a theme to this blog the past week or so... hiking, moving, going... that's only going to continue as G-Dub and I prepare to enjoy a fabulous vacation while camping in Yosemite this week along with the Bonus!

Don't know if I'll get to the internet before Saturday, but I plan to have lots to blog about when I get back!

We're going to Guatemala!

It's official...

yesterday we bought the flights for our summer mission trip to Guatemala! Yes, I've known that we were definitely going to go, but this step makes the trip more concrete in my mind; it feels more 'real' to me, and I'm more excited than ever!

Participating in the trip will be Gary and myself, my mom, and five students from our youth ministry here at Fair Oaks - Karina, Ariel, Rachelle, Molly, and Bryan.

Over the next month or so I intend to post about the location we will be ministering in and what we will be doing there. But for now, I just had to say... whooooeeeee!