change

I’ve never been a big fan of change. I’m sentimental and introverted and relational. And these things just don’t pair well with change!

Nope. I’ve never been a big fan of change. Which is why I find it humorous that a lot of my life has revolved around big life changes – my dad’s passing away, going to school in Chicago and leaving behind my family and friends in the PNW, graduating and leaving behind my family and friends in Chicago, and now… moving to Laos.

Whenever I think about this impending change the thought crosses my mind WHAT THE HE!! AM I DOING?! Cause let’s be real for a second – moving to the other side of the world where it’s 98° and humid all the time, to an unfamiliar culture where they speak a 6-tone language, leaving my family and friends (again) for a place where I know absolutely no one, forsaking the familiarities and comforts of home, selling my car and the rest of my belongings, and having to fundraise my entire being there… not the first thing I’d sign up for!

If it weren’t for the Gospel.

What am I doing? I’m being obedient to the will of God and my promise to follow Him no matter where He leads – even if it means more, big, uncomfortable change. Because the only thing unchanging… is my Savior, Jesus Christ.

from fear to faith

These past few weeks have been crazy! I’ve had hours of homework, spent a weekend in Seattle, multiple interviews and meetings, group projects, taught my Sunday school class, road-tripped through 11 states, had a fabulous time at our junior and senior banquet, and applied to be an English teacher in Asia.

Wait… What?!

Let me back up a little bit… A couple months ago, I met with my academic adviser about post graduation opportunities. I felt like I had a plan B, C, and D but no plan A. My adviser suggested I look into E.L.I.C. (an organization that uses teaching English as a creative access point into Asian countries). My first thought was Asiaaa? I don’t want to go to Asia…

Honestly, it was my first and last thought about it.

Several weeks passed by.

The weekend before spring break I was hanging out with my friend Emily (another Moody student whom I spent my internship in Athens with). We were sounding off about not knowing what to do after graduation when I remembered the opportunity my adviser had told me about with E.L.I.C. I shared this with Emily and through the course of our conversation we both had a change of heart.

Later that day we registered and from that point forward it’s been a whirlwind.

A couple days after registering, a candidate counselor from E.L.I.C. called to chat about the program and see if teaching would be a good fit for me. Unbeknownst to me, the deadline for the program had already passed. However, the counselor told me that after getting to know me a little better, because I’m a Moody student, and because of my experience overseas, she had been given authority to make special circumstances in order to make this opportunity available.

When I got off the phone I officially applied. The next week I had a 2.5 hour interview. Two days after that I took three personality tests. The next day I met in person with an E.L.I.C. representative. A couple days later E.L.I.C. contacted my references. And a couple days after that the candidate counselor called to inform me that the staff had unanimously agreed they wanted me to serve in Asia.

That call was last Thursday.

And they needed my answer by today.

It would have been so much easier had E.L.I.C. just said no. But now I have a choice. Am I going to go through the door the Lord has opened? Or am I going to say no before I even go through it?

I’ve always said I’d do anything for Jesus – whatever, wherever, whenever. But when faced with this opportunity head on am I bold enough to take the next step and follow Him?

I hope so.

Following Him would entail moving to an Asian country for two years. It means leaving behind my family, friends, and all the comforts of what I know for something completely unknown – a new setting, language, culture, job, and potentially persecution. But I have peace in knowing that there are no unknowns when it comes to Christ. He has guided me this far, beginning a good work that He will bring to completion. Although it appears overwhelmingly speedy to my flesh… God is never late, seldom early, but always on time.

And with that, I’ve made the decision to take a step of faith and walk through the door the Lord has opened – to join E.L.I.C., move to Asia, and teach English.

#boom ;)

culby x-mas… putting the CHI back in CHrIstmas

The men of Culbertson Hall’s 10th floor at Moody Bible Institute have been hard at work. For the past year they have been diligently working on a Christmas album. From their dorm floor. “Culby X-Mas” is the brainchild of junior pastoral studies major (and my good friend), Nate Edmondson. His vision was to produce a Christmas album that Moody students could share with their family and friends – free of charge. Nate says, “Christmas really only exists for one reason: to celebrate the long-awaited birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The Old Testament continually waits for a Savior, someone to cleanse the sins of the nations, establish a kingdom of justice, and reign on the throne of David forever. My hope is that after listening to this album you will be able to say, ‘This is the One we have waited for! Jesus, Lord and Savior.’”

Make sure you “like” them on Facebook and download the album via their webpage. You can also check them out on NoiseTrade and ReverbNation.

*CULBY X-MAS… putting the CHI back in CHrIstmas! Get it? It’s a Greek joke… X, the Greek letter CHI (pronounced “kee”), is the first letter in the Greek word Christos meaning Christ.

things i learned while juicing…

Have you seen the documentary Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead? If yes – good on ya, mate. If no – stop what you’re doing right now and watch it. It’s inspiring.

After watching it with my roommate, we decided we’d give it a go. And let me tell you… it’s HARD! But, I’ve learned a few things about juicing along the way and want to pass my wisdom on to you.

our first juice!

1. Do your produce shopping BEFORE you start the detox. Allie and I juiced all the fruits and vegetables we had in the house on our 2nd day so we had to go to the store to buy more. While walking around the produce section I was fine. But then I got to the end of the produce section. Do you know what is located at the end of the produce section in Dominick’s? The bakery! I looked up from my shopping cart and saw a huge case of doughnuts staring at me. I don’t even like donuts that much… but they were calling my name. Lulling me over to them. I got outta there quickly but only to pass the meat, dairy, and bread aisle on the way to the register. It was cruel.

2. Avoid walking by coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. ALL OF THEM. And especially during or near dinner time.

3. Temporarily unsubscribe from the Pioneer Woman’s food blog. Enough said…

4. Juice with a buddy! It’s more cost-effective and you can support each other along the way (and complain about how much you hate juicing).

5. Kale is POTENT – use sparingly. (And then use the leftover to make Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup when the fast is over!)

lunch date at starbucks

Have you juiced before? For how long? What was your favorite recipe? Did you solely juice or also eat fruits and veggies? I’d love to know!

the great american road trip

Several months ago my friend Max and I got this great idea to drive back to school. We called it our “great American road trip”. We decided we’d do it in 3 days (2 nights). He planned where we’d stay each night and I planned all the awesome pit-stops where we’d see wonders like the world’s largest ball of twine. You know. Really important stuff.

Last Monday the road trip began.

We pulled out of my mom and Tom’s house in Clackamas, OR (point A) at 2:45 PM (only 15 minutes later than our goal). We stopped briefly in Spokane for a stretch break and to see my friend Sagen. We continued on through Washington, Idaho, and finally got into Montana. We stayed the night with Max’s grandparents in Missoula (point B). We went to bed around midnight and when Max came to get me up at about 5:30 AM, I was already awake. I don’t think I ever fell asleep.

His grandparents were lovely and made us a delicious waffle breakfast and packed us lunches for the road. An hour later we were on the road. Have any of you ever driven through Montana? It takes forever!

It just keeps going.

And going.

And going.

After getting through Wyoming we detoured to Keystone, SD to see Mt. Rushmore. Although it was raining, the park was super cool. We didn’t get to spend much time there but I look forward to hiking around the next time I’m there. (And hopefully it won’t be raining.)

We kept heading East and soon began seeing signs for “Wall Drug” – the world’s largest drug store. Aside from being a pharmacy, it also consists of a gift shop, restaurant, and other various stores. There were probably 50 billboards on the way to Wall Drug advertising all different things – buffalo burgers, free ice water, 5¢ coffee, and even free donuts for honeymooning couples. I’d be lying if I said Max and I didn’t consider faking it. But alas, I had no ring on.

By the time we got to Wall (point C) it was dinner time and we decided we’d better stop in. To say Wall Drug was a disappointment is the understatement of the century. It was overpriced, ordinary, and had poor service. My recommen- dation? DO NOT GO TO WALL DRUG! But I still had to take my picture in front of it. After all – it was on our list of roadside attractions.

As you can tell from the above picture, the sun was already starting to set. And we still had at least 10 more hours of driving to do. Around midnight we stopped for gas and Max drank a 5-hour energy and I had some coffee. Like Montana we just kept going, and going, and going. I asked Max several times if he needed to pull over and take a break. But he never did.

After only 3 hours he says something to the affect of well that sure didn’t last 5 hours. So to keep him awake I invented awesome games. We played some name that tune and “tell-each-other-random-stories-from-our-childhood”.

This is what the sky looked like during this time. See that bright stuff in the middle of the picture? That’s called the sun. And it was rising.

Then we played another game called Convo Starter – an app made specifically for those quiet moments on a car ride. Just like it’s supposed to, every starter jolted us into a conversation. Keeping Max, and I, awake. (Example – Alaska has more coastline than the entire continental U.S. combined.)

We also played a game called “guess-the-reason-why-Lauren-picked-this-song”.

Chinese Sleep Chant by Coldplay
Dream On by Aerosmith
Your New Twin Sized Bed by Death Cab For Cutie
Tired by Adele
Bedtime by Young Man

Those were some of my song selections and I think you can guess why I picked them. Apparently I have an attitude at 5 o’clock in the morning.

And this is what the sky looked like then…

…and we were still driving.

Finally, finally, finally we got to Matt’s house (point D). And it was morning. And we had been driving for 24 hours.

Did you catch that?

We drove for 24 hours straight.

We drove. For 24 hours. Straight.

*We. Drove. For. 24 hours. Straight!!

And then crashed. Hard. Max only slept for 5 hours and got up at 11 AM. I on the other hand, got a good solid 8 hours (if you do the math that means I got up at 2 PM). Don’t judge. We hung out with Matt and his family for a bit and then got back on the road. And this time our destination was Chicago.

A quick 5 hours, and a total of 2,200 miles later, we were “home”. Chicago greeted us with traffic jams on the road, smog in the air, and profanity from the people. And I couldn’t have been happier to be back :)

*I do not recommend this method of cross-country travel. AT ALL.

a gyro a day keeps the doctor away

First of all… the word gyro is pronounced like Euro (as in the currency used by most EU countries). Not with a “g” sound like gy-row or g-euro or ger-o. Think silent “g” people! I should know – I went to Greece. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s begin! :)

There are no words to describe my time in Greece.

Except… amazing, awesome, rewarding, growing, and learning (so I guess there are words to describe my time in Greece).

The first thing people ask me is what was your favorite memory? And that’s an easy one – teaching my English class. I had never taught an English class before and honestly it had never crossed my mind to try. On Fridays the women on the team have a “personal ministry day”. Some teach classes and visit refugee homes and others spend time learning the language or volunteering with other Greek ministries. The week before I arrived my “host mother” introduced Emily to some girls who wanted to practice their English and… the class was born. I arrived just in time for the inaugural first day! We worked on verbs, pronunciation, and vocabulary. Although it was only 6 weeks long, the girls really improved their skills. And found a way into my heart.

Another question people often ask me is what was your favorite dish? Now that, is a difficult question. One that I don’t think I can answer indefinitely. The gyros, obviously, were amazing. There’s an ancient saying in Greece that translates as a gyro a day keeps the doctor away. Or maybe I just made that up to feel better about myself…

Regardless, I’ve made it my personal mission this semester to find authentic Greek gyros in the city. No, the SDR (student dining room) version doesn’t cut it.

I also loved Greek salad – minus the tomatoes. Would it be wrong for me to start saying that I have a food allergy to tomatoes? It would get people to stop harassing me about my dislike for the darn things.

Would you like tomato on your sandwich?
No thanks, I’m allergic.
Ok.

And we’d all move on and still be friends.

One day when we were cooking at the ARC someone brought up manicotti and Donna, one of the team members and queen of the kitchen, told us that it was a staple in her home growing up. Her Italian mother would make crepes to fill with the cheese mixture instead of using noodles. YUM! I begged politely asked if she would teach me her ways and Donna obliged. Believe me, once you use crepes you’ll never go back to boring noodles.

Unless you have a strange phobia of crepes. Then keep using noodles.

Since learning in Athens, I’ve made it several times at home and got rave reviews. But my family would never tell me if they didn’t like my cooking. They’re too nice. The real test will be if it stands up to hungry, ravenous, college boys who compare everything to mom’s cookin’. I can’t compare to mom’s cookin’!

But maybe the next time I make it I’ll snap some pics to show you how it’s done.

I also learned to make humus which is incredibly simple. Just don’t forget to add the tahini! Most people leave this ingredient out thinking it’s just chickpeas and seasoning. It’s not. Ask my mom.

One of the great things about staying in Athens was that when Emily and I had free time we could hop (figuratively, not literally) on the metro and within minutes be staring at the Parthenon, swimming in the sea, or exploring a museum. I’m sure this was a very different experience than my friends who did their internship in the middle of the bush in Africa. When those kids had free time I bet they slept. That’s what I’d do.

And how much sightseeing can you do in the middle of the bush in Africa anyway? I don’t think much.

Not that I have anything against the bush. I’ve been there. We’re tight.

One weekend we headed west to see ancient Corinth with some fellow teammates. I learned a lot about the Bible that I never knew before. For example, it is absolutely necessary to understand Greek mythology when reading the New Testament, especially the Gospel of John. Each of Jesus’ “I Am” statements are a direct rebuttal to the Greek gods and goddesses worshiped by many.

Demeter – Goddess of the harvest who presided over grains, the fertility of the Earth and the seasons.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” -John 6:35

Apollo – Recognized as a god of light and the sun.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” -John 8:12

Pan – God of the wild, shepherds and flocks.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me….” -John 10:11-14

Dionysus – Overseer of the grape harvest, wine making, and wine.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” -John 15:1,5

I also learned about Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. In ancient times, a person who was sick would go to the asclepeion, a healing temple, and pray to said god to get well. If he or she did in fact get better, they would commission a sculpture of the body part which was healed and display it on a pedestal somewhere in the city. In ancient Corinth hundreds of life size terracotta body parts have been recovered. These are the G-rated ones.

So now imagine the Apostle Paul writing to the church at Corinth, a city filled with dismembered body parts, these words (1 Corinthians 12:12-31):

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized byone Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

Um. Can you say goosebumps? How cool is that?!

And if you already knew this, please don’t rain on my parade. Thanks!

A couple weekends later, Emily and I took the train to Meteora (per the advice of Brent and Travis). On the edge of the small town of Kalambaka soar GIANT rock formations straight into the sky and on the tops of these bad boys are monasteries built between the 15th and 16th centuries. It is unreal. If you ever go to Greece PROMISE me you’ll go to Meteora. You won’t regret it.

photo credit - Emily Mueller

This is the view from our hotel – the main drag in town and the rocks in the background. Emily and I hiked 4 out of 6 of those suckers (and the miles and miles in between).

P.S.  If you really do visit let me know and I’ll give you a GREAT hotel recommendation. And please note that the all caps was to emphasize how great and enjoyable our hotel really was, not to be sarcastic. It’s hard to tell sometimes.

Oh. Another thing people ask me is did you learn any Greek?

Nope. Nada. Zilch.

Ok, that’s not completely true. I can say hi (yasas) but that about sums it up. I did however learn some Farsi. Yay! I can say greetings and goodbyes, count to 10, the color green is saps, knock-a-she means coloring page, cardaste is craft, and chasp means glue. Can you tell I worked with kids a lot?

So there you have it, folks! My favorite highlights from Greece bundled up into one neat, tidy, little package. (If only! This is just the tip of the iceberg.) And if you haven’t already, make sure to read my previous posts from on the field for more juicy stories and pretty pictures.

Thank you for making this mission trip/internship/crazy-learning-experience possible! It truly could not have been done without your prayers and financial support.  I’m blessed beyond words!

my favorite day

On Thursdays the women and children come in to take a shower, do their laundry, and eat a meal together. In between showering and laundry, the women sit and chat with one another and help in the kitchen while we have crafts, coloring sheets, and movies for the kids. I was with the kiddos yesterday and it may have been my favorite day at the ARC. I noticed the girls all had chipped nail polish so when they got out of the shower I gave them mini manicures. I also brought my camera in (normally I leave it at home because we’re not allowed to take pictures when the men are around) and let the kids take turns taking pictures. I probably have 1,000 pictures from yesterday alone! Maybe it was because the kids finally remembered my name, because they wanted to sit on my lap and color, or because one of them told me she loved me… but yesterday was definitely my favorite day.