As some of you may know, i have a twitter. it's a social networking blog site but the blog can only be a maximum of 180 characters(including spaces). anywayz, i use it to blurb about my day or how i feel ALL the time because i can never think of enough to make a full blog. so i posted a tweet on the 27th of December and i need to elaborate, if not for you than for myself. here's the post:
"jst got hm frm werk & had a weird night full of out-of-the-blue feelings...i have no idea what my heart is doin!?! " 10:47pm
ya, oh man i wish i could explain, better yet, i wish you could've been there. all last week just felt so weird. it totally didnt feel like Christmas. everyday i felt like i was missing something or someone. yes, i realize i wasn't with the family im usually with because since last Christmas a lot has happened and ive moved out. so this Christmas was spent mostly with the Schoenrock/Stumm family.
but thats not what it was, i didnt feel like i was out of place. i just felt like i was forgetting.my emotions were running krazi. almost everything that happened made me cry. we went and saw pop and i cried, i almost cried when i opened my cell phone, i cried leaving gram's house in Maryland...etc. it never fails...i dont cry when it makes since to cry, nnoooo why would i do that!?! i cry out of the blue, when something that doesnt matter happens.
take this for example: saturday i had to work 2-10. i went to work feeling ok, nothing bad had happened. i was actually quite excited because i picked up my glasses. then it turned sour when a co-worker of mine and i got attitudes w/ each other. then i came off of break @ 7pm and then had to take orders in drive-thru for the rest of my shift. a little bit after i started taking orders Todd & Tammi stopped by to say goodbye. they were leaving to drive back to NH.
they stopped in the parking lot by the window and yelled "goodbye, we love ya!" i heard them say that and then i had to start taking an order. idk why but i turned around after taking that order and it took all i had to stop myself from crying. it was an out-of-the-blue type of thing.
ya, i have no idea what my heart is doing...it seems like it has a mind of its own, ya know? then sunday morning at church i arrived early to type up the songs for church. little did i know that my services would actually be needed. I hadn't been there since the week before so i had no idea what to expect. i got there, typed the songs, and stayed back there for the service. @ the end of service PB(Pastor Bob) said that he couldn't end the service without making an altar call. i was in the soundbooth praying and, again, almost crying. then i walked down to the front for prayer. PB prayed for me and i stood there & prayed alone for a bit then returned back to the booth. service was about over when Lisa came back and prayed with me. She prayed some powerful stuff.
so, do you remember that feeling of forgetting or missing something?!?! ya well let's just say i think i remebered or found it! that's right ppl, Jesus. i knew i wasn't praying or spending time in the Word like i should and then on Sunday God just grabbed my heart and threw that realization in my face. now i know what i have to do and i believe that God will give me the strength to remember to do it! ;)
wow ppls, what a week! i will begin something new, again. i will post a song that i have heard and it helped me or just a song that i found to be totally awesome & real! i will post it on my playlist if it's available to do so. i hope y'all enjoy.
Song Title: I Know You're Calling
Song Artist: Jeremy Camp
Song Album: Stay
Monday, December 29, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Past/Reality
IM BACK!! ya im back to reality!! ;) i'm sorry about my last post, it truly was an outrage post. i wasn't feeling myself & i was thinking about things that were totally crazy!
this week has been a bit of a doozy. last saturday night i worked as normal, came home, went to bed & woke up at 635a on sunday morning w. a wicked stomach ache! it hit me all of a sudden. then, i woke up at exactly 735a, an hour later. i couldnt believe it, exactly an hour. i promised i would be at church by 845a so i decided to just stay up. all morning in the sound booth i was wincing in pain...it was nuts.
i left church and came home, i had work at 4p. yes people i know it was a sunday and i usually dont work but i need the money and they needed help. i got home from church at about 1p and wanted to lay down but i couldnt. idk i was sooo tired and exhausted. i was home alone and there's just something about being home alone that kind of disables me. i went to work & almost didnt make it. my legs hurt like crazy and i was nauseous and dizzy all night, oh it was such a mess. all these feelings didnt go away until monday night when i was ready for bed but i was sooo glad it was over!
this week ive been mad busy: i worked monday, tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. last weekend i worked saturday and sunday so that makes 6 days in a row! i've never done that before! ;) ok so now REALLY back to reality! ha ha psych...these are my thoughts on reality.
Reality is defined in Webster's Dictionary as this: "a real event, entity, or state of affairs." i see reality as being here & now. yes, it is the fact of being real but on so many levels. reality is the time & place in where events occur. my reality is totally a major blur. i mean the past couple weeks have been pretty hazy and emotional but today just topped it all off.
i found out that Pop was back in the ER because he hasn't been eating/drinking anything. my mom says he won't even try to take care of himself. seeing and hearing that is just depressing, especially about him. Pop is the strongest guy i know, heck, he's Pop! i know he'll make it through, he always does. i mean that's reality!
then i have to realize that Gram really might not come up for Christmas! ya, how upsetting is that?? i was told that and i almost lost it, wait, i did lose it!! Gram has come up from Maryland for Christmas every year since she moved there in 1995. Now, all of a sudden, she's not coming. Now i have to ask myself: is this the start to a new reality?? a reality where things are never gonna be the way they used to be; EVER again?!?
there's some other things going on too that i would prefer not to discuss until I fully comprehend the situation myself but i will tell you that info will come shortly. its is now 12:51a on Saturday morning & i am not even tired. i will leave you now to ponder on these thoughts. well, my thoughts.
until reality finally sets in! ;)
~Kali
this week has been a bit of a doozy. last saturday night i worked as normal, came home, went to bed & woke up at 635a on sunday morning w. a wicked stomach ache! it hit me all of a sudden. then, i woke up at exactly 735a, an hour later. i couldnt believe it, exactly an hour. i promised i would be at church by 845a so i decided to just stay up. all morning in the sound booth i was wincing in pain...it was nuts.
i left church and came home, i had work at 4p. yes people i know it was a sunday and i usually dont work but i need the money and they needed help. i got home from church at about 1p and wanted to lay down but i couldnt. idk i was sooo tired and exhausted. i was home alone and there's just something about being home alone that kind of disables me. i went to work & almost didnt make it. my legs hurt like crazy and i was nauseous and dizzy all night, oh it was such a mess. all these feelings didnt go away until monday night when i was ready for bed but i was sooo glad it was over!
this week ive been mad busy: i worked monday, tuesday, wednesday, and thursday. last weekend i worked saturday and sunday so that makes 6 days in a row! i've never done that before! ;) ok so now REALLY back to reality! ha ha psych...these are my thoughts on reality.
Reality is defined in Webster's Dictionary as this: "a real event, entity, or state of affairs." i see reality as being here & now. yes, it is the fact of being real but on so many levels. reality is the time & place in where events occur. my reality is totally a major blur. i mean the past couple weeks have been pretty hazy and emotional but today just topped it all off.
i found out that Pop was back in the ER because he hasn't been eating/drinking anything. my mom says he won't even try to take care of himself. seeing and hearing that is just depressing, especially about him. Pop is the strongest guy i know, heck, he's Pop! i know he'll make it through, he always does. i mean that's reality!
then i have to realize that Gram really might not come up for Christmas! ya, how upsetting is that?? i was told that and i almost lost it, wait, i did lose it!! Gram has come up from Maryland for Christmas every year since she moved there in 1995. Now, all of a sudden, she's not coming. Now i have to ask myself: is this the start to a new reality?? a reality where things are never gonna be the way they used to be; EVER again?!?
there's some other things going on too that i would prefer not to discuss until I fully comprehend the situation myself but i will tell you that info will come shortly. its is now 12:51a on Saturday morning & i am not even tired. i will leave you now to ponder on these thoughts. well, my thoughts.
until reality finally sets in! ;)
~Kali
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
yea...that's what i thought
this blog is about me, obviously...duh!! to be honest, i haven't really treated it that way. ive treated it like a daily news column or an advice column of sorts. yes thats all fine and dandy but according to my post last week, i gotta be real.
my status on Gchat for a couple days has been; "confused feelings are indeed confusing."
definition: "i dont know how i feel therefore im confusing myself just trying to figure it out!!"
literally, i mean come on. i understand that the human emotions are the most in depth concepts to understand but im a pretty straight forward kinda person, except for lately that is. nothing major. nobody got in trouble or passed away; its just little stuff that's been building up. ya know, the kinda stuff that we think won't make a difference later!? well guess what?...it does!! and the sad part is we don't realize it until we're at our breaking point.
my status on Gchat for a couple days has been; "confused feelings are indeed confusing."
definition: "i dont know how i feel therefore im confusing myself just trying to figure it out!!"
literally, i mean come on. i understand that the human emotions are the most in depth concepts to understand but im a pretty straight forward kinda person, except for lately that is. nothing major. nobody got in trouble or passed away; its just little stuff that's been building up. ya know, the kinda stuff that we think won't make a difference later!? well guess what?...it does!! and the sad part is we don't realize it until we're at our breaking point.
i know im not the only one that lets this happen but i just have to let it out. here's how it goes:
- Pop(grandfather) was in the hospital for Thanksgiving and now he's in a Skilled Nursing Facility(SNF)
- Gram(grandmother) is planning on not coming up from Maryland for Christmas
- my dad wants me to come up there but idk how that's gonna happen considering i dont have a car!
- im still making minimum wage @ McD's where ive been working for 2 yrs!?!?
- im supposed to take a test to get a promotion but its difficult to see that happening anytime soon because there's no training mgr.
- im still a junior in HS @ the ripe old age of 18
- i have no clue what my future looks like let alone what college imma go to
i think thats everything for right now but i feel like im bursting @ the seams. i just cant seem to find the right emotion to cover it all.
honestly, i wanna crawl under a rock like a worm and dig into the dirt and sleep for a living until some little 4 year old boy comes and digs me up to use me for bait while him and his dad go fishing. i know, i know, i know it sounds a little grim but thats how im seeing things right now.
as i feel somewhat accomplished because i have actually finished a blog in one sitting @ 1230a on a Tuesday morning, i think i can get some sleep now. oh yea did i mention its hard to do that too!?! sleep is so overrated!>! ha ha ha ya right i wish.
good nite cyber world & sweet dreams! ;)
somewhat complacent,
~Kali~
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
ROC: Real Online Christians
ok so back to ROC...Todd gave me these initials at the end of our chat and i was totally lost. he told me those were initials for something & for the life of me i couldnt figure it out! so then he slowly told me what each letter meant...Real Online Christians.
by this point of our conversation i was TOTALLY lost...i mean "Real Online Christians"...what's that mean?? then we began a mini-question & answer session; me asking a lot of the questions(it was a rough night for my brain!) i asked questions having to do w. what my basis would be. at first i thought he was edging towards how most people now adays don't know us personally but only by our online profiles. but i was on the wrong thinking pattern.
Todd then asked me the question: "do you think God wants us to be cyber...or his He kinda like old skool? you need to look into each other's eyes" he was referring to online chats, sermons, and full church services. in reply to his question & statement i made this statement: "so we're becoming disconnected while trying to connect w. God @ a convenient level?"
then it hit me...i could run far w. this, real far. then he told me that this was my generation, i agreed but then said that none of my generation reads my blog. i may be wrong but idk, i mean i dont get any feedback from any of my generation that acknowledge my blog even exists.
he agreed w. me and then said that they may not read my blog but they are indeed cyber. he noted some truths about my generation that are rather, well true. check this: Generation Y(1981-1994) are known as the "first digitals" or "echo boom." this is because we were born into the rise of the information age. we don't even "watch" the news to get the news we go online to Facebook or Myspace or even a blog to get the latest news/TRUTH. then theres Generation Z(1995-present) also known as the iGeneration because they are very young, active consumers and very connected being born into a world of digital technology. This is all very real considering that each generation is born into the most advanced technological periods in relation to their time.
here's the main point of all this explanation; you can't find the truth, the REAL truth, on facebook, myspace, blog or podcast. none of that can give you the information that you need to know or the direct contact that we, as humans, need. sure there are people in this world that would like to contradict EVERYTHING i just said because i know there are people that believe anything and everything that they read, see, or hear online is the truth and nothing but the truth.
on the other side of things, there are people that know the REAL truth and don't share it because they have an online personna. they are known online as being someone or something that they really aren't in everyday life. i admit that i say/do things online vs real life and they contradict each other but that's the whole reason i started a blog. to me, a blog is real life. whether its online or not, its kinda like laying it all out on the table.
there ya have it ppls...the blog ive been concealing for the last week or so. in closing i have 2 questions for you, my readers. Do we have to look someone in the eye to get the 'TRUTH'? my opinion: no, you just need to know the source. ive been transparent w. y'all tonight so would you be transparent w. me? does anyone else have two people behind one face?; one online and one in the real world? id like to know that im not alone here ppl! ;) hit me back
**thanks to Todd(chatting) & Wikipedia(generation info)
Just Thinkin'
ok so i was just thinkin' today that i needed to blog and i had the perfect blog in mind...and then it happened, i forgot!!! that's right ppls, I forgot.
i know it happens but i dont like it. it could happen at the worst time too. i mean come on!!! well i do have some rather exciting news...i got my bottom braces off!! i now have a retainer. which means, that i cant chew gum. i have to take it out when i brush, eat, and sleep. it feels so nice to not have any metal blocking my bottom teeth! ;)
on another note, i still have my top braces. i cant get those off until i get oral surgery. i got a tooth pulled last november and it still hasnt come in yet. so, they have to cut my gum, attach a bracket to that tooth, attach a chain to the bracket, attach that chain to the wire that holds my brackets on my top teeth. then, while they tighten my braces, they will slowly pull down this obviously forbidden tooth!!
idk but i just cant wait bcuz i've had these braces long enough! im working on another blog...its coming tonite or tomorrow but either way...its coming!! ;) i promise
i know it happens but i dont like it. it could happen at the worst time too. i mean come on!!! well i do have some rather exciting news...i got my bottom braces off!! i now have a retainer. which means, that i cant chew gum. i have to take it out when i brush, eat, and sleep. it feels so nice to not have any metal blocking my bottom teeth! ;)
on another note, i still have my top braces. i cant get those off until i get oral surgery. i got a tooth pulled last november and it still hasnt come in yet. so, they have to cut my gum, attach a bracket to that tooth, attach a chain to the bracket, attach that chain to the wire that holds my brackets on my top teeth. then, while they tighten my braces, they will slowly pull down this obviously forbidden tooth!!
idk but i just cant wait bcuz i've had these braces long enough! im working on another blog...its coming tonite or tomorrow but either way...its coming!! ;) i promise
Monday, November 17, 2008
Weekend Wrap-Up
okay so this will be a weekly thing. its gonna be a recap of how my weekend went and what kind of events occurred, if any!? i'm still gonna do blogs during the week but this will just give you an insight on what my days off are like! ;)
my weekend started early. i was done my school work for the week on friday. that was my goal considering i was going away. i went to Hershey,PA for a women's retreat. we left @ 10AM on friday morning and returned @ 330PM on saturday. theres a group of about 15-20 women from my church that go every year. this year there was 12 of us. the grand total of women @ this retreat was 3,000. that's right ppls there was actually 3,000 women in one room at one time! ;) it was an awesome time of worship, God, fellowship, & The Word!
after returning home on saturday afternoon, i had some chill time to check on web stuff. then, @ about 430PM i went to Scott & Debra's for Emma's 1st B-Day party. we know she's only one but celebrating any birthday is always fun. there was a mini-quiz that i thought i would win. i didnt but Jeremy did. the prize: a $25 gift card to Olive Garden! after the quiz we hung out for a bit then headed home...it was getting late and we had church in the morning.
we got home and sat around for a bit then, everyone went to bed. i was still up chatting on facebook. i was sooo tired but i couldnt sleep. i was up until about 2AM-230AM. thats a tad bit depressing when you know you have to get up early in the morning. i've been soo tired lately. soo tired and in a lil more pain than id like to handle. thursday night = 5 hrs...friday night = 5.5 hrs...saturday night = 7 hrs...all together this weekend i got 17.5 hrs of sleep...can you say ugh!!
on top of being tired beyone belief, my back and shoulder hurt. okay before i go any further, i want to let you know that yes, i am complaining. why?...bcuz its my blog and i can do what i want to, do what i want to...you get the picture. anywayz so my shoulder is killing me and yesterday the weirdest thing happened to my back. i was stepping over the boys' toy bin and a sharp pain shot up the middle of my back. i was debilitated for about 10 secs, it took the breath right out of me. it kinda scared me bcuz i didnt know what it was!
then, after church and the membership meeting, i was just standing there and talking to my friend Ian when it happened again. i had to walk it off so i excused myself. he wasnt sure what was goin on but i told him before i left.
speaking of church, it was pretty descent. PB hit some MAJOR points that we, as a church body, should all be aware of. he was being very transparent w. us and, to me, that's AWESOME! it always puts a smile on my face when PB is transparent or real w. us. he does it because he cares & idk how to explain it but its just soo kool. i mean come on, he listens to some of the music that we, as youth, listen to && he can talk to us and we can talk to him heart-to-heart as if we were best buds. yet, there's still that sense of superiority, ya know??
ok enough babbling...i gtg 2 bed. im sooo tired & exhausted & hurting. OMGSH i almost forgot to tell you...i get my bottom braces off tomorrow morning!! how kool is that!?!?! ok well im not sure what color im getting my retainer yet but i'll figure it out when i get there! ;)
peace out ppls
~Kali
my weekend started early. i was done my school work for the week on friday. that was my goal considering i was going away. i went to Hershey,PA for a women's retreat. we left @ 10AM on friday morning and returned @ 330PM on saturday. theres a group of about 15-20 women from my church that go every year. this year there was 12 of us. the grand total of women @ this retreat was 3,000. that's right ppls there was actually 3,000 women in one room at one time! ;) it was an awesome time of worship, God, fellowship, & The Word!
after returning home on saturday afternoon, i had some chill time to check on web stuff. then, @ about 430PM i went to Scott & Debra's for Emma's 1st B-Day party. we know she's only one but celebrating any birthday is always fun. there was a mini-quiz that i thought i would win. i didnt but Jeremy did. the prize: a $25 gift card to Olive Garden! after the quiz we hung out for a bit then headed home...it was getting late and we had church in the morning.
we got home and sat around for a bit then, everyone went to bed. i was still up chatting on facebook. i was sooo tired but i couldnt sleep. i was up until about 2AM-230AM. thats a tad bit depressing when you know you have to get up early in the morning. i've been soo tired lately. soo tired and in a lil more pain than id like to handle. thursday night = 5 hrs...friday night = 5.5 hrs...saturday night = 7 hrs...all together this weekend i got 17.5 hrs of sleep...can you say ugh!!
on top of being tired beyone belief, my back and shoulder hurt. okay before i go any further, i want to let you know that yes, i am complaining. why?...bcuz its my blog and i can do what i want to, do what i want to...you get the picture. anywayz so my shoulder is killing me and yesterday the weirdest thing happened to my back. i was stepping over the boys' toy bin and a sharp pain shot up the middle of my back. i was debilitated for about 10 secs, it took the breath right out of me. it kinda scared me bcuz i didnt know what it was!
then, after church and the membership meeting, i was just standing there and talking to my friend Ian when it happened again. i had to walk it off so i excused myself. he wasnt sure what was goin on but i told him before i left.
speaking of church, it was pretty descent. PB hit some MAJOR points that we, as a church body, should all be aware of. he was being very transparent w. us and, to me, that's AWESOME! it always puts a smile on my face when PB is transparent or real w. us. he does it because he cares & idk how to explain it but its just soo kool. i mean come on, he listens to some of the music that we, as youth, listen to && he can talk to us and we can talk to him heart-to-heart as if we were best buds. yet, there's still that sense of superiority, ya know??
ok enough babbling...i gtg 2 bed. im sooo tired & exhausted & hurting. OMGSH i almost forgot to tell you...i get my bottom braces off tomorrow morning!! how kool is that!?!?! ok well im not sure what color im getting my retainer yet but i'll figure it out when i get there! ;)
peace out ppls
~Kali
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Away
thats right...im away. im actually in Hershey, PA @ the Women's retreat w. my church. awesome stuff...well its just a quick post before i go to bed but i just wanted to let you know that i didnt forget about you all out there in blog world! ;)
i'll be back as soon as i get home. i will start posting about daily life now that im done w. my Guatemala posts.
~peace out ppls! ;)
Kali
i'll be back as soon as i get home. i will start posting about daily life now that im done w. my Guatemala posts.
~peace out ppls! ;)
Kali
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Last & Final Day: Day 8
10/25
today was rough...i mean i knew today would be the day we left & i knew it would be hard but it was harder than Tijuana....we were more connected to the people in Tijuana but here i just felt such a heart-felt connection.
here's how it went: i woke up, had breakfast, & Fontaine shared
w. us how he ended up in Guatemala w. his family...then we watched a short clip about how him and his wife adopted their son(video @ bottom of blog) -- i must admit, i started to cry then we parted & finished cleaning up. John arrived @ about 1015am so we could start packing the van. Fontaine took a picture of all of us w/John & we left.
on the way to the airport i had my music on & i was tearing up a little. then we got to the airport & went inside...i was okay after that. we got to the check-in and checked our baggage. we received our boarding passes and then had to pay an exit fee. John was with us until we went through the exit door...he hugged me & i started tearing up. then he looked @ my face & squeezed hi to make it look like a pouty face. (i was trying sooo hard NOT to cry)
i giggled & kept moving...i got my ticket checked and said "bye John!" and walked through the door to be w. PB & Lisa. then i looked @ Lisa and she hugged me and i started crying. PB asked if i was okay and i shook my head 'yes' because i couldn't talk. then we all started going down the steps & waving our final goodbyes. i was balling like a baby(i shouldnt have looked back)...we got to our gate and i was talking to Lisa @ the seats and i was telling her how leaving here is WAY different than leaving Tijuana...ugh!! just writing about it is hard.
i was looking @ my ticket and im in row 19 as i was on the other flights. i then told Lisa how i think that's my lucky #. she agreed with w. me and then i said that i'm gonna be 19 next year and she said that she was thinking that too (whoa!) then, i was on the plane before i started writing and i read my journal entry from the 19th of October. that's the day that it all came together for me. thats the day that God gave me the verse i was supposed to use in my devotional. that was it!...i dont know but for me, that's craziness.
well, we got on the plane and i started journaling. i had to cut it short because i started crying again. Batman w. George Clooney was our movie but i didnt wanna watch it. i sat in my seat and looked out the window, looked at some of George's pictures, slept, cried; yes, i was still crying.
i fell asleep before the landing and woke up when we landed. it was raining and i had my headphones on. when we landed i like jumped and looked @ Shmeil as every passenger began clapping. i asked him what happened and he told me we did a little fishtailing before we landed. i told him a warning would've been nice ;) he said he was thinking about it...oh well i guess its the thought that counts.
after we got off the plane, we went through reverse immigration, waited FOREVER for our bags and then met Inga, Kombole, and Judy K. @ the entrance. we all hopped in the van and PB drove, yet again.
we settled in the van and i put my headphones on and dozed off. we stopped @ a rest stop real quick and got right back in the van. my "anti-social" attitude, as Scott calls it, continued until we had a discussion about what we experienced. we all shared and then got home. Christina picked George, Josh, and I up. we dropped the guys off @ their places and went home. once i got settled at the house, i couldnt stop talking about the trip. Ian, Mike Lynn, Christina, and i all played Rockband until 2am and then i crashed just to get up @ 8am for church. its gonna be a big day tomorrow. we're all sharing what we experience in Guatemala.
-->gotta go now...im beat! ;)
peace,
~Kali
p.s. -- here's the link to the video of how the Greene Family adopted Kevin.
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/257443?fr=yvmtf
today was rough...i mean i knew today would be the day we left & i knew it would be hard but it was harder than Tijuana....we were more connected to the people in Tijuana but here i just felt such a heart-felt connection.
here's how it went: i woke up, had breakfast, & Fontaine shared
w. us how he ended up in Guatemala w. his family...then we watched a short clip about how him and his wife adopted their son(video @ bottom of blog) -- i must admit, i started to cry then we parted & finished cleaning up. John arrived @ about 1015am so we could start packing the van. Fontaine took a picture of all of us w/John & we left. on the way to the airport i had my music on & i was tearing up a little. then we got to the airport & went inside...i was okay after that. we got to the check-in and checked our baggage. we received our boarding passes and then had to pay an exit fee. John was with us until we went through the exit door...he hugged me & i started tearing up. then he looked @ my face & squeezed hi to make it look like a pouty face. (i was trying sooo hard NOT to cry)
i giggled & kept moving...i got my ticket checked and said "bye John!" and walked through the door to be w. PB & Lisa. then i looked @ Lisa and she hugged me and i started crying. PB asked if i was okay and i shook my head 'yes' because i couldn't talk. then we all started going down the steps & waving our final goodbyes. i was balling like a baby(i shouldnt have looked back)...we got to our gate and i was talking to Lisa @ the seats and i was telling her how leaving here is WAY different than leaving Tijuana...ugh!! just writing about it is hard.
i was looking @ my ticket and im in row 19 as i was on the other flights. i then told Lisa how i think that's my lucky #. she agreed with w. me and then i said that i'm gonna be 19 next year and she said that she was thinking that too (whoa!) then, i was on the plane before i started writing and i read my journal entry from the 19th of October. that's the day that it all came together for me. thats the day that God gave me the verse i was supposed to use in my devotional. that was it!...i dont know but for me, that's craziness.
well, we got on the plane and i started journaling. i had to cut it short because i started crying again. Batman w. George Clooney was our movie but i didnt wanna watch it. i sat in my seat and looked out the window, looked at some of George's pictures, slept, cried; yes, i was still crying.
i fell asleep before the landing and woke up when we landed. it was raining and i had my headphones on. when we landed i like jumped and looked @ Shmeil as every passenger began clapping. i asked him what happened and he told me we did a little fishtailing before we landed. i told him a warning would've been nice ;) he said he was thinking about it...oh well i guess its the thought that counts.
after we got off the plane, we went through reverse immigration, waited FOREVER for our bags and then met Inga, Kombole, and Judy K. @ the entrance. we all hopped in the van and PB drove, yet again.
we settled in the van and i put my headphones on and dozed off. we stopped @ a rest stop real quick and got right back in the van. my "anti-social" attitude, as Scott calls it, continued until we had a discussion about what we experienced. we all shared and then got home. Christina picked George, Josh, and I up. we dropped the guys off @ their places and went home. once i got settled at the house, i couldnt stop talking about the trip. Ian, Mike Lynn, Christina, and i all played Rockband until 2am and then i crashed just to get up @ 8am for church. its gonna be a big day tomorrow. we're all sharing what we experience in Guatemala.
-->gotta go now...im beat! ;)
peace,
~Kali
p.s. -- here's the link to the video of how the Greene Family adopted Kevin.
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/257443?fr=yvmtf
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Day 7
10/24
today is day 7 && the last time we'll wake up @ Agua Viva (Living Water). its the "compound" ive been speaking of the whole time. its a nice, quiet, peaceful, no-need-to-think-about-anything kinda place.
we had breakfast and were off to the mountains (a volcano) & the lake that surrounds it. we'll be getting a boat ride & that's the day...after that we will be going to Guatemala City for the night...we will be staying w. a host family from the south. i cant wait!! i LOVE southern ppls.
OMGSH!! so the volcanos & the lake were AMAZING! the lake was named Lake Atitlan & there were 3 volcanos. we took a boat out to the middle of the lake & jumped off, literally ;) we hung around and floated/swam around for a little while. then, John said it was time to go.
we got back on the boat & i asked Lisa for my glasses. she said that she couldnt see them so i just waited til we got back to the shore. we arrived @ the dock & i went to get my glasses but guess what!?!?! they werent there!! i was bummed...PB & John were helping me look considering i couldnt see anything. ;) they werent on the boat so we went & had lunch. during lunch, we sat & chatted about the week and everyone was saying how different i looked w/o glasses.then, Shmeil showed me his camera & proved that i REALLY did have my glasses on the boat...ok so i felt weird squinting @ PB, who was sitting right next to me.
then, we went shopping but first we had to drive about 25-30 minutes. we drove through the city where people were more traditional. John said we couldn't take any pictures. people crowded the streets like NYC and it was difficult to drive, unbelievable!. we finally arrived @ the spot where we were supposed to go shopping...John told us to stay in the van while he checked on the parking situation. as it turns out he was asking permission from the local A/G church (A/D en espanol) they were having their Bible school graduation at that time. the pastor said we could park inside which was pretty much a hallway but behind two locked doors.
we shopped for about an hour & i got some cool things. we were also able to buy some REALLY good chocolate. then, John took us to a coffee shop of a guy, Mike, who is from NY. he was soooo funny but dry. John had warned us not to start talking to him because we wouldnt be able to stop him. well, he started talking and saying jokes but i couldnt help myself. i was cracking up laughing!! Scott looked @ me and told me to calm down...i had to turn and face the wall so Mike didnt see me.
we left the shop and hopped in taxi's (motor bikes w/a shell) they took us back to our parking spot. the graduation was just wrapping up and it was about 2.5 hrs later. we hopped in the van and started driving. we left the shopping area @ about 4pm and had to drop John back off at his truck. PB got back in the driver's seat and we followed John back through the windy streets that we had driven the whole was to Quetzaltenango.
i fell asleep on the 2nd row seat of the van & everytime PB suddenly stopped i would jerk awake and pop up to see what was going on. the drive was about 2-3 hrs and the last time i popped up we were almost @ the host house. the first thing i asked after i woke up was if i was talking or doing anything in my sleep. Scott said i was talking but he was just joking but then someone told me i was whining! uh-oh...
we arrived @ the host house in Guatemala City and unloaded the van @ about 8pm. i was still drowsy from waking up, not to mention i couldnt see for lack of glasses ;) John showed us the way to the door and then the door opened. we were introduced to the man of the house, Fontaine. Him & his family live in this beeeaaaauuuttiifffuull!! house. we stepped inside & i was blown away. he told us where to put our stuff & then pointed us to the kitchen. he had dinner ready for us. (chili, salad, apple pie for dessert & sweet tea or coffee)
the house had about 4-5 bedrooms and like 3 bathrooms. each room had bunkbeds. there was 2 staircases that lead upstairs & in one bedroom there was a spiral staircase up to the roof. as soon as you walked up the steps to the bedrooms there was a music area, literally. a bass, acoustic guitar, keyboard, drum-set, & 3 microphones. there was also some cool posters on the wall. 100 best movie quotes & the official texting dictionary. it was neat. back downstairs there was a living room, a computer area w. a phone we could use & internet availability.
then, there was a souvenir table. it was a little side table w. some last minute souvenir knick knacks. it was based on the honor system; you take something and you leave the money in the basket. oh so nifty. then, after dinner & John left w. his wife & daughter, Abby, we all sat around and watched some college football and chatted. then, the guys started drifting off to bed which left PB, Lisa & i up watching sports info. we talked for a little bit about some random stuff...well not so random considering it was about the trip itself.
i went to bed @ about 1111pm. i layed in bed and wrote my journal entry by the light of my iPOD. Lisa was going to sleep so i told her she could turn off the light. i'm really not looking forward to leaving tomorrow. i just wish i could stay...& if i had the chance, i would come back @ the drop of a hat!!
so far, the plan is to get up @ 8am for an 830am meeting. then John's supposed to be here by 10am and breakfast is @ 9am. so as of right now, im laying in bed contemplating the fact that we are leaving Guatemala in about 12 hrs!! i cant believe it...12 hrs!!! somehow i dont wanna sleep because i know waking up will lead to us leaving...before coming upstairs i double checked w/ PB that i had to get on the plane...he said yes!! i was acutely bummed ;)
*side note* this is a direct quote from my journal before i fell asleep: "God knows my heart & why im starting to cry right now, i REALLY dont wanna leave...but that's all in God's hands...my prayer is that my life would equal God's will & that my heart would be in the right place to listen." *end side note*
well,,,im beat & i have to get up early.
peace & love ppls :)
~Kali
today is day 7 && the last time we'll wake up @ Agua Viva (Living Water). its the "compound" ive been speaking of the whole time. its a nice, quiet, peaceful, no-need-to-think-about-anything kinda place.
we had breakfast and were off to the mountains (a volcano) & the lake that surrounds it. we'll be getting a boat ride & that's the day...after that we will be going to Guatemala City for the night...we will be staying w. a host family from the south. i cant wait!! i LOVE southern ppls.
OMGSH!! so the volcanos & the lake were AMAZING! the lake was named Lake Atitlan & there were 3 volcanos. we took a boat out to the middle of the lake & jumped off, literally ;) we hung around and floated/swam around for a little while. then, John said it was time to go.
we got back on the boat & i asked Lisa for my glasses. she said that she couldnt see them so i just waited til we got back to the shore. we arrived @ the dock & i went to get my glasses but guess what!?!?! they werent there!! i was bummed...PB & John were helping me look considering i couldnt see anything. ;) they werent on the boat so we went & had lunch. during lunch, we sat & chatted about the week and everyone was saying how different i looked w/o glasses.then, Shmeil showed me his camera & proved that i REALLY did have my glasses on the boat...ok so i felt weird squinting @ PB, who was sitting right next to me.
then, we went shopping but first we had to drive about 25-30 minutes. we drove through the city where people were more traditional. John said we couldn't take any pictures. people crowded the streets like NYC and it was difficult to drive, unbelievable!. we finally arrived @ the spot where we were supposed to go shopping...John told us to stay in the van while he checked on the parking situation. as it turns out he was asking permission from the local A/G church (A/D en espanol) they were having their Bible school graduation at that time. the pastor said we could park inside which was pretty much a hallway but behind two locked doors.
we shopped for about an hour & i got some cool things. we were also able to buy some REALLY good chocolate. then, John took us to a coffee shop of a guy, Mike, who is from NY. he was soooo funny but dry. John had warned us not to start talking to him because we wouldnt be able to stop him. well, he started talking and saying jokes but i couldnt help myself. i was cracking up laughing!! Scott looked @ me and told me to calm down...i had to turn and face the wall so Mike didnt see me.
we left the shop and hopped in taxi's (motor bikes w/a shell) they took us back to our parking spot. the graduation was just wrapping up and it was about 2.5 hrs later. we hopped in the van and started driving. we left the shopping area @ about 4pm and had to drop John back off at his truck. PB got back in the driver's seat and we followed John back through the windy streets that we had driven the whole was to Quetzaltenango.
i fell asleep on the 2nd row seat of the van & everytime PB suddenly stopped i would jerk awake and pop up to see what was going on. the drive was about 2-3 hrs and the last time i popped up we were almost @ the host house. the first thing i asked after i woke up was if i was talking or doing anything in my sleep. Scott said i was talking but he was just joking but then someone told me i was whining! uh-oh...
we arrived @ the host house in Guatemala City and unloaded the van @ about 8pm. i was still drowsy from waking up, not to mention i couldnt see for lack of glasses ;) John showed us the way to the door and then the door opened. we were introduced to the man of the house, Fontaine. Him & his family live in this beeeaaaauuuttiifffuull!! house. we stepped inside & i was blown away. he told us where to put our stuff & then pointed us to the kitchen. he had dinner ready for us. (chili, salad, apple pie for dessert & sweet tea or coffee)
the house had about 4-5 bedrooms and like 3 bathrooms. each room had bunkbeds. there was 2 staircases that lead upstairs & in one bedroom there was a spiral staircase up to the roof. as soon as you walked up the steps to the bedrooms there was a music area, literally. a bass, acoustic guitar, keyboard, drum-set, & 3 microphones. there was also some cool posters on the wall. 100 best movie quotes & the official texting dictionary. it was neat. back downstairs there was a living room, a computer area w. a phone we could use & internet availability.
then, there was a souvenir table. it was a little side table w. some last minute souvenir knick knacks. it was based on the honor system; you take something and you leave the money in the basket. oh so nifty. then, after dinner & John left w. his wife & daughter, Abby, we all sat around and watched some college football and chatted. then, the guys started drifting off to bed which left PB, Lisa & i up watching sports info. we talked for a little bit about some random stuff...well not so random considering it was about the trip itself.
i went to bed @ about 1111pm. i layed in bed and wrote my journal entry by the light of my iPOD. Lisa was going to sleep so i told her she could turn off the light. i'm really not looking forward to leaving tomorrow. i just wish i could stay...& if i had the chance, i would come back @ the drop of a hat!!
so far, the plan is to get up @ 8am for an 830am meeting. then John's supposed to be here by 10am and breakfast is @ 9am. so as of right now, im laying in bed contemplating the fact that we are leaving Guatemala in about 12 hrs!! i cant believe it...12 hrs!!! somehow i dont wanna sleep because i know waking up will lead to us leaving...before coming upstairs i double checked w/ PB that i had to get on the plane...he said yes!! i was acutely bummed ;)
*side note* this is a direct quote from my journal before i fell asleep: "God knows my heart & why im starting to cry right now, i REALLY dont wanna leave...but that's all in God's hands...my prayer is that my life would equal God's will & that my heart would be in the right place to listen." *end side note*
well,,,im beat & i have to get up early.
peace & love ppls :)
~Kali
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Day 6
10/23
tomorrow we leave the compound for the last time & head to Lake Atitlan for our R&R day...then tonight we stay in Guatemala City...more on the lake & where we stayed tomorrow!
well...the Phillies won game #1 of the World Series(3-2) i was so exhausted im surprised i stayed awake although i did start dozing off by the 8th inning. i went back to our bungalow & went to bed...this morning we had devos & it was PB's turn, i took notes!! :) then we got ready to go and somebody broke one of our slatted windows w. a soccer ball (im not naming names) then Scott went to set down one of the thermos' and it broke!
work was lighter than it has been and we were done by 130pm. @ 11am we had corn that Vincente's wife made for us...they call it crazy corn. its an ear of corn w. mayo, ketchup, & hot sauce. it was soooo good, then we continued working & i was carrying H2O up from downstairs while they made cement & poured the castles.
i spent some time w. the kids after we were done & it broke my heart to leave - not like the orphanage in Tijuana though, i think that's because i know these kids have families & the kids in Mexico didnt, but it still hurt my heart to leave
John has been talking about wanting us to come back & i would LOVE that...i would also like to go back to Tijuana but i think here more & it would be neat to come w. a ministry team but, of course, that's all up to God ;)
we went to dinner & then John wanted to have a "debriefing" in the prayer tower. we did & i must say that's the best debriefing ive ever been in...John got emotional after sharing some things that he's seen throughout the week. then we all shared something that we've learned or have felt God speaking to us about & then John prayed over us & LCF
we went to the guy's place to watch game #2 of the World Series. the Phillies lost-we are now tied 1-1 in the series on a travel day w. the next 3 games @ home. hopefully we'll take Tampa down then!!
*side-note* theres just something about John where i feel connected: why?? i have no idea...throughout the whole week he's been telling me how i remind him of his daughter & he said "the only reason i dont miss her as much as i usually do is because you're here." WOW!! what kind of something is that...idk but to me it means a lot...this trip was just so AMAZING!! *end side-note*
tomorrow we leave the compound for the last time & head to Lake Atitlan for our R&R day...then tonight we stay in Guatemala City...more on the lake & where we stayed tomorrow!peace & love ppls!
~Kali
Monday, November 10, 2008
Day 5...incl. pictures!
today is the 10/22 and imma start off by saying that last night was my worst night's sleep so far...i was up once an hour starting @ 1am. i would wake up, look outside(still dark), & then check my clock. i couldnt believe it!!
today we had some work ahead of us. Josh had devos and it was good.!! what he said was very inspiring. then after devos we found out we were going to stop work early(1pm) & go to some natural hot springs. how awesome is that!? i was so excited! when i went to CA 7 yrs ago we were supposed to check out some hot springs but that got cancelled. then, John said we were going to go to the city from the Transformation video, Almolonga. i was psyched for that too!
another cool thing is that we're in Guatemala & watching the first game of the World Series...DUDE!! ok so enough of that, on w. the day. @ 1pm we came back to the bungalows to get changed for the springs. the ride was about 45 mins to and hour & that was an adventure in itself. the road was narrow but supposedly made for 2 lanes!! ya right!! i was a little nervous considering i was on the side of the truck with the cliff! i got pictures...when we arrived i couldnt believe it. we were actually IN the clouds. did i mention i got pictures??
@ the springs there was 3 different pools. cool, hot, very hot...the very hot pool was the pool closest to the rock. John said that if we touched the rock where the water was coming out of that it would scold our hands. i went into the hot pool first and then the very hot pool...i didnt go as far as some of the guys did bcuz it was so hot it turned my legs red!...ouch!!
we left the springs about and hour or so later and headed toward Almolonga. this city is the one mentioned in the "Transformation" video that we watched at church. in the video it claimed that the city was full of bars that were full all the time and the land was totally desolate. then God touched the city, its people, and the land. vegetables were oversized and the salvation rate was through the roof. watching this video and then seeing it all in person was so unreal. we saw carrots on the side of the road that were at least 3 times the size of a normal carrot. John said that carrots weren't in their prime right now so they weren't really full size!! wow! we were able to go inside of the church where the revival broke out...oh yeah, i have pictures of that too! ;) 
its sooooo hard to put into words how AMAZING!!!! today was, its actually just indescribable kind of but i got pictures & they should tell it all...we left the town and headed back to the compound...we ventured through the city-city of Quetzaltenango and saw exactly how many people there really was...& then we saw the McDonald's & they have Chips Ahoy McFlurry's---good stuff man!! oh and i forgot to mention that right after we reached the city limits (Almolonga & Quetzaltenango) i saw a sign w. my name on it! that's right ppl they know my name in Guatemala...i took a picture of that too! i translated some of the words and found out that it has something to do w. paint or painting...im not quite sure what else though.
rounding out the night w. dinner & WS game over @ the guy's bungalow...par-tay!! psych nah...well time to go.
i went to the prayer tower this morning & prayed for a bit. its so nice to be able to go in there & pray & feel God's presence...it's kind of awe-striking. (if that makes sense)
today we had some work ahead of us. Josh had devos and it was good.!! what he said was very inspiring. then after devos we found out we were going to stop work early(1pm) & go to some natural hot springs. how awesome is that!? i was so excited! when i went to CA 7 yrs ago we were supposed to check out some hot springs but that got cancelled. then, John said we were going to go to the city from the Transformation video, Almolonga. i was psyched for that too!another cool thing is that we're in Guatemala & watching the first game of the World Series...DUDE!! ok so enough of that, on w. the day. @ 1pm we came back to the bungalows to get changed for the springs. the ride was about 45 mins to and hour & that was an adventure in itself. the road was narrow but supposedly made for 2 lanes!! ya right!! i was a little nervous considering i was on the side of the truck with the cliff! i got pictures...when we arrived i couldnt believe it. we were actually IN the clouds. did i mention i got pictures??@ the springs there was 3 different pools. cool, hot, very hot...the very hot pool was the pool closest to the rock. John said that if we touched the rock where the water was coming out of that it would scold our hands. i went into the hot pool first and then the very hot pool...i didnt go as far as some of the guys did bcuz it was so hot it turned my legs red!...ouch!!we left the springs about and hour or so later and headed toward Almolonga. this city is the one mentioned in the "Transformation" video that we watched at church. in the video it claimed that the city was full of bars that were full all the time and the land was totally desolate. then God touched the city, its people, and the land. vegetables were oversized and the salvation rate was through the roof. watching this video and then seeing it all in person was so unreal. we saw carrots on the side of the road that were at least 3 times the size of a normal carrot. John said that carrots weren't in their prime right now so they weren't really full size!! wow! we were able to go inside of the church where the revival broke out...oh yeah, i have pictures of that too! ;) 
its sooooo hard to put into words how AMAZING!!!! today was, its actually just indescribable kind of but i got pictures & they should tell it all...we left the town and headed back to the compound...we ventured through the city-city of Quetzaltenango and saw exactly how many people there really was...& then we saw the McDonald's & they have Chips Ahoy McFlurry's---good stuff man!! oh and i forgot to mention that right after we reached the city limits (Almolonga & Quetzaltenango) i saw a sign w. my name on it! that's right ppl they know my name in Guatemala...i took a picture of that too! i translated some of the words and found out that it has something to do w. paint or painting...im not quite sure what else though.
rounding out the night w. dinner & WS game over @ the guy's bungalow...par-tay!! psych nah...well time to go. ttyl
~Kali
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Day 4
today is 10/21...our 4th day. it is also the day that i visited the prayer tower. when i walked in the door there was music playing. it was something extremely familiar, it was in spanish so it took me a minute to totally figure it out. it was a song by MercyMe called "I Can Only Imagine." i say that is "my" song but its just because everytime i hear it my spirit stirs. (idk if theyre the right words) then i walked upstairs to pray...what a strong beginning to the day!
Shmeil did his devo @ breakfast & it was sort of an extension to mine...surrender. it was great! we left for the worksite @ about 815am. Lisa & i worked w. the framing of the windows. we had to cut & bend more rebar because we ran out. we got 4 more done and we have 4 left until they extend the doorway frames. we wrapped up, cleaned up, & started playing futbol (soccer) w. the boys. Lisa sat & played w. the girls & smaller boys. it was soooo awesome, it kinda reminded me about the orphanage in Tijuana. sure, i will play w. the kids but its sooo hard to leave. i get so attached & i cant stand that!!
i love kids i really do...but the discipline that needs to be done is something i cant do. i know that because of how i was raised when i was little. thats my major worry, thats why i say im never having kids...im just concerned about how i'll react to certain situations.
anywayz, the ride home was good & we got ready to go out. thats when we discovered our toilet was clogged. we went out to eat & the mall to come back and find it still clogged.
*side-note* this morning John said that today is usually the day where he sees teams getting homesick & such. well, i think thats what my problem was on Day 3. i wasnt thinking about it until he said something then i started thinking about somebody i like & how i should have brought my phone so we could text. oh well, i will see him when i get home ;)*end side-note*
dinner was good, we went to the mall & it was great. just like any other mall but in spanish! we ate @ Pollo Campero (camp chicken) here it means like country chicken or hillbilly chicken...oh man it was good!! @ the mall there was a wal-mart type store. i got batteries for my speakers, V8 Splash & 2 Sobe Adrenaline drinks. my Sobe's are for tomorrow in case i lose energy ;)
one more thing before i go to bed...the devos so far have been about surrender & submission. so....that means something to me. i feel like God is showing me something or just trying to tell me to shut up & give up(me that is). He wants ALL of me, not just some of me or the part i wanna give up. surrender...totally!
-->God show me & help me do what you want<-- until l8r...peace! ~Kali
Shmeil did his devo @ breakfast & it was sort of an extension to mine...surrender. it was great! we left for the worksite @ about 815am. Lisa & i worked w. the framing of the windows. we had to cut & bend more rebar because we ran out. we got 4 more done and we have 4 left until they extend the doorway frames. we wrapped up, cleaned up, & started playing futbol (soccer) w. the boys. Lisa sat & played w. the girls & smaller boys. it was soooo awesome, it kinda reminded me about the orphanage in Tijuana. sure, i will play w. the kids but its sooo hard to leave. i get so attached & i cant stand that!!
i love kids i really do...but the discipline that needs to be done is something i cant do. i know that because of how i was raised when i was little. thats my major worry, thats why i say im never having kids...im just concerned about how i'll react to certain situations.
anywayz, the ride home was good & we got ready to go out. thats when we discovered our toilet was clogged. we went out to eat & the mall to come back and find it still clogged.
*side-note* this morning John said that today is usually the day where he sees teams getting homesick & such. well, i think thats what my problem was on Day 3. i wasnt thinking about it until he said something then i started thinking about somebody i like & how i should have brought my phone so we could text. oh well, i will see him when i get home ;)*end side-note*
dinner was good, we went to the mall & it was great. just like any other mall but in spanish! we ate @ Pollo Campero (camp chicken) here it means like country chicken or hillbilly chicken...oh man it was good!! @ the mall there was a wal-mart type store. i got batteries for my speakers, V8 Splash & 2 Sobe Adrenaline drinks. my Sobe's are for tomorrow in case i lose energy ;)
one more thing before i go to bed...the devos so far have been about surrender & submission. so....that means something to me. i feel like God is showing me something or just trying to tell me to shut up & give up(me that is). He wants ALL of me, not just some of me or the part i wanna give up. surrender...totally!
-->God show me & help me do what you want<-- until l8r...peace! ~Kali
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Day 3
day 3 was monday, 10/20. it was a full work day which meant i was up by 630a, breakfast @ 7a, and on the road by 8a. my devotion was after breakfast & i was nervous but it wasnt so bad. @ the site we met some new workers then we got to work...no sifting but i aligned the rebar for the windows. Lisa couldn't quite get the hang of it @ first(sleep deprivation), but that was okay because she was A LOT of help by cutting the wire i needed to tie the rebar together.
after i did two things for the windows i was feeling a lil discouraged. idk why but it hit me like a bull dozer!! i waas standing on a barrel so i didnt have to bend the rebar & i was sooo scared! i got down after i was done & i was actually crying...then i helped out w.some brick stuff & then did another thing but this time Vincente said i could pull them down (window framing)
we all got done a little late today so we couldn't spend time w. the kids like we had wanted to but we still had the next day. after we got to the compound, we cleaned up & dinner @ 6p then we were able to call home. i called but no answer, they didnt know the number i was calling from (John's cell)
that was okay though...for some reason i didnt wanna call but Scott told me i should...so i did. i know i will see them when i get home so it was all alright. one thing imma do before i leave is go into the prayer tower. its across the road from our place & its literally a tower, its so beautiful. i think tomorrow will be the day! tonight we go to the guys place for prayer...cant wait, last night was REALLY inspirational.
we went to PB's & we shared some things from the day. i was gonna say something but i couldnt because, well idk why. i figured my feeling of discouragement kept me from sharing...i wrote in my journal that it was okay because it wasnt the first time i've kept from sharing something just because i didn't feel right. i tried to justify it...y? idk but for the rest of the night i contemplated the thought of "what if?" what if i would have shared? what if somebody needed to hear what i had to say? what if sharing would have opened my heart? i guess i'll never know
stay tuned for day 4...tomorrow! ;)
~Kali
after i did two things for the windows i was feeling a lil discouraged. idk why but it hit me like a bull dozer!! i waas standing on a barrel so i didnt have to bend the rebar & i was sooo scared! i got down after i was done & i was actually crying...then i helped out w.some brick stuff & then did another thing but this time Vincente said i could pull them down (window framing)
we all got done a little late today so we couldn't spend time w. the kids like we had wanted to but we still had the next day. after we got to the compound, we cleaned up & dinner @ 6p then we were able to call home. i called but no answer, they didnt know the number i was calling from (John's cell)
that was okay though...for some reason i didnt wanna call but Scott told me i should...so i did. i know i will see them when i get home so it was all alright. one thing imma do before i leave is go into the prayer tower. its across the road from our place & its literally a tower, its so beautiful. i think tomorrow will be the day! tonight we go to the guys place for prayer...cant wait, last night was REALLY inspirational.
we went to PB's & we shared some things from the day. i was gonna say something but i couldnt because, well idk why. i figured my feeling of discouragement kept me from sharing...i wrote in my journal that it was okay because it wasnt the first time i've kept from sharing something just because i didn't feel right. i tried to justify it...y? idk but for the rest of the night i contemplated the thought of "what if?" what if i would have shared? what if somebody needed to hear what i had to say? what if sharing would have opened my heart? i guess i'll never know
stay tuned for day 4...tomorrow! ;)
~Kali
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Day 2: hyper-extended
day two was a nice day. we got to sleep in, go to church, and work. the sleep in part sounded REALLY good until i woke up @ 530a and then again @ 645a. it was chilly in the morning and rainy @ night but the view is unbelievable!! there's a volcano to the right after you walk out our door. personally, its nothing like i imagined it would be.
church was different. PB preached (did he ever!) very inspirational stuff...then he asked us to step up to the front so the congregation could pray for us but also so we could pray for them (connection) & that's what happened...then we sat, they took offering & then worship. i didnt recognize any of the songs & that's okay because the songs aren't what matter.
we worked for about 3 hrs and it seemed like we made some progress. we headed back to the compound & John made me slap a cow!! yep, thats right, i was sitting shotgun & he kept edging me on...elbowing me towards the window & everything. when we finally got back, we had 1 hour until dinner. i showered, changed, & headed to my stoop to write. the scenery is beautiful & the porch is a PERFECT spot to write. dinner time arrived so Lisa & i slowly walked to the hall...everyone showed up so we went inside.
dinner was good & then we headed to the guys place for reflection time (prayer & sharing)...we sang, prayed, & God was just so powerful. we spoke about some issues that ended up covering my whole devotional for the next day. before Lisa & i left i asked if i even had to do my devo because PB pretty much covered it...he said yes & i said ok.
this trip was just so eye-opening; for my devotion i didnt have any verses. i mean i knew what i was gonna speak about but i just didnt have any scriptural back up & i started journaling today & the first verse that was on the page as the PERFECT one!! alls i could say was THANK YOU JESUS!! the verse, Luke 6:38. translation, The Message. "Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing." like i said...PERFECT!
that's all for day 2...day 3 will come later tonite or tomorrow...enjoy!
~Kali
church was different. PB preached (did he ever!) very inspirational stuff...then he asked us to step up to the front so the congregation could pray for us but also so we could pray for them (connection) & that's what happened...then we sat, they took offering & then worship. i didnt recognize any of the songs & that's okay because the songs aren't what matter.
we worked for about 3 hrs and it seemed like we made some progress. we headed back to the compound & John made me slap a cow!! yep, thats right, i was sitting shotgun & he kept edging me on...elbowing me towards the window & everything. when we finally got back, we had 1 hour until dinner. i showered, changed, & headed to my stoop to write. the scenery is beautiful & the porch is a PERFECT spot to write. dinner time arrived so Lisa & i slowly walked to the hall...everyone showed up so we went inside.
dinner was good & then we headed to the guys place for reflection time (prayer & sharing)...we sang, prayed, & God was just so powerful. we spoke about some issues that ended up covering my whole devotional for the next day. before Lisa & i left i asked if i even had to do my devo because PB pretty much covered it...he said yes & i said ok.
this trip was just so eye-opening; for my devotion i didnt have any verses. i mean i knew what i was gonna speak about but i just didnt have any scriptural back up & i started journaling today & the first verse that was on the page as the PERFECT one!! alls i could say was THANK YOU JESUS!! the verse, Luke 6:38. translation, The Message. "Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing." like i said...PERFECT!
that's all for day 2...day 3 will come later tonite or tomorrow...enjoy!
~Kali
Monday, November 3, 2008
Day 2: extended
ok so yesterday in my post i mentioned an event that i said would NEVER be spoken of EVER again! that event is actually quite amusing once you think about it.
at the time of this mishap i was terrified, embarrassed, upset, and frankly just plain stupified. the mishap in question is the knocking down of a wall. yes i said knocking down of a wall and yes we were there to build walls!! ;)
as i had mentioned in my previous post John had given me the task of making grooves in the wet cement of the new walls. i was working on my 1st wall and John had showed my how to execute my task he had also told me that i could use either the ladder or a stack of blocks to reach the top. i opted to use the ladder because the blocks were too unsteady for my liking.
so here's exactly what happened: i put the ladder against the wall (no problem), i rested at the 5th rung (no problem), i started to make the grooves (no problem) and then it started; i saw the ladder slowly start to move!! yes, my initial reaction was "OH MY GOSH!!"...then i dropped my tool and started to jump off of the ladder. as soon as i took one foot off of the ladder the 6^x5<> wall collapsed!! THATS RIGHT!... collapsed!
i couldnt believe what had just happened: i had just knocked down a wall that a team of about 3 men had just built in a matter of 20 minutes. it was hard work, no doubt and the fact that i just wiped it all out was a huge disappointment. as soon as it happened i could feel my heart racing, my eyes got watery and it felt like everyone was looking at me.
i looked at John and the workers as well as the members of our team, that i could see. a look of astonishment came over John's face. i told him i was sorry, he said it was okay. i looked at the forman, vincente, i said "lo siento" (im sorry) and he said "no problemo" (no problem). George was there w. his handy camera ;) and Lisa was there for a shoulder to lean on. PB laughed it off. Scott laughed...to make me laugh. Josh just looked at me and said "only you kal." John said "now we'll teach you to lay brick and you can fix the wall!" :)...we all laughed.
that's it!...that's the event that i swore wouldn't leave Guatemala. now its on the world wide web. on the plus side, John told me they could fix it in no time and they did. George took pictures but they were lost (oops!) i wont ever forget that event...needless to say, the rest of the week went on without so much drama! ;)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Day 2
our first work day was saturday...10/18...i woke up @ about 630am because breakfast was @ 7am...they made breakfast for us @ the compound.
(^the Prayer Tower across the "street" from our Bungalow^)
we left the compound @ about 815am and made the journey to the worksite, which i must say was rather rough. the roads weren't really paved and we had to put the 4Runner into 4-Wheel drive. i totally thought that was kool, it felt like i was in a side car of a quad. we couldn't make it up the hill because it was all mud and so we had to walk but that was okay...we were there!! we were in Guatemala and still none of us could believe it!! as soon as John made his way up to the school we learned what it was we would be doing throughout the week and we started straight away
our first task, as a group, was to extend the rebar towers that already existed. cutting wire and twisting wire consumed most of the day. after we were finished John gave me the job of making grooves in the wet concrete of the new walls. midway through my first wall something happened that will not be spoken of EVER again! not even here.
after i was dismissed from my station, Lisa & i were shown how to sift sand - we had to sift so they could use the dirt to mix w. the concrete in order to make mortar...every little thing adds up to make something big!...the sifting of sand was a bit tedious, it hurt my shoulder and i kinda couldn't take too much of it. Lisa & i went back upstairs to find out what else we could do, John said we could continue to make grooves because outside of sifting sand & grooves there was really nothing else for us to do
we opted to do the grooves and finished out our day, in the rain, @ about 5pm...man did i get burnt but guess what...we didnt see a single ray of sun!?!? we got back to the compound @ about 6pm, dinner was @ 7pm and after dinner we went to the guys bungalow to watch the Rays vs. Red Sox game by the 4th inning i was dozing off and TOTALLY ready for bed! we left and went back to our place...i was laying in bed reading my Bible and i dozed off w. it on my stomach...i woke up, put it on my desk, turned my light of, my music on and CRASHED!
there it is...day two of my Guatemala experience. day three comes tomorrow...hope ur ready! ;)
~Kali
Friday, October 31, 2008
Day 1!
tonight was Halloween and yes i went out ;) i know im 18 and i may be too old but i didnt go last year so im making up for lost times!! :) this blog is not about tonight...its about the first day of my missions trip...10/16-17...im sorry if its long! ;)
i know there are two dates but theyre both pretty much the same day because we met @ LCF (church) late Thursday night(16th) @ 12am so it was pretty much Friday(17th), we met @ the church and got our things together and we were on the road by about 130am - our flight was due to leave from Newark,NJ airport @ 530a...so we arrived by 245am and were plenty early - thats good considering it was for a layover flight and if we missed it we would be in major trouble
our layover was in Houston,TX and i was so excited to finally go to Texas!! we made it to the airport and boarded our plane flawlessly. we were more than 1/2 way to Guatemala City...before the plane ride was complete we had to fill out some papers. these papers were for immigration into another country...we unboarded the plane and headed for immigration - @ the Guatemala City airport there were police dogs and something about that airport made me feel so...uptight
the team made it through security, claimed our baggage (all of it), and proceeded outside to meet John Ramos (missionary)...we waited & waited & waited...we finally called him and found out that he thought our flight was coming in later, our original flight was scheduled to arrive @ about 130pm and it ended up coming in at about 1215pm-ish...he apologized for being late and we all introduced ourselves and said it was cool because it was...we were in no rush.
we loaded our luggage and hopped in the van (PB drove) and Josh rode w. John in the Speed-The-Light truck...we followed him FOREVER!! the drive from Guatemala City to Quetzaltenango (Xela) was about 4-6 hours...on top of the initial travel time it was raining and we ran into construction which totally stopped traffic...i wouldnt really know how long we were stopped for because i slept for most of the ride ;)
when we finally arrived in Xela we were told to leave our belongings in the van because the cooks @ the place we stayed had dinner ready for us! how awesome is that?? of course we were hungry because we hadn't eaten since right after the airport (Burger King). after we ate we had "orientation" about John's expectations and what our week was going to look like...it didnt seem so bad, because it wasnt!!
John explained to us that our week was going to be full of work and fun. He told us that he wasn't going to place a goal on our week because he didn't want us to be bummed if we didn't succeed. he also mentioned that our plans are meant for failure, God's plans are never failing. John wanted us to work hard and not rush so he just said to do our best and what we accomplished is what we could do and to work at the best of our abilities.
we went to bed && awoke the next morning (saturday 19th) prepared to start our work week...that was our week in a nutshell...okay a rather large nutshell! ;) any questions about details you can ask...im totally open to suggestions!! ;)
peace out ppls! ;) :p
~Kali
(^cloud layers during descent into Guatemala City^)
i know there are two dates but theyre both pretty much the same day because we met @ LCF (church) late Thursday night(16th) @ 12am so it was pretty much Friday(17th), we met @ the church and got our things together and we were on the road by about 130am - our flight was due to leave from Newark,NJ airport @ 530a...so we arrived by 245am and were plenty early - thats good considering it was for a layover flight and if we missed it we would be in major trouble
our layover was in Houston,TX and i was so excited to finally go to Texas!! we made it to the airport and boarded our plane flawlessly. we were more than 1/2 way to Guatemala City...before the plane ride was complete we had to fill out some papers. these papers were for immigration into another country...we unboarded the plane and headed for immigration - @ the Guatemala City airport there were police dogs and something about that airport made me feel so...uptight
the team made it through security, claimed our baggage (all of it), and proceeded outside to meet John Ramos (missionary)...we waited & waited & waited...we finally called him and found out that he thought our flight was coming in later, our original flight was scheduled to arrive @ about 130pm and it ended up coming in at about 1215pm-ish...he apologized for being late and we all introduced ourselves and said it was cool because it was...we were in no rush.
we loaded our luggage and hopped in the van (PB drove) and Josh rode w. John in the Speed-The-Light truck...we followed him FOREVER!! the drive from Guatemala City to Quetzaltenango (Xela) was about 4-6 hours...on top of the initial travel time it was raining and we ran into construction which totally stopped traffic...i wouldnt really know how long we were stopped for because i slept for most of the ride ;)
when we finally arrived in Xela we were told to leave our belongings in the van because the cooks @ the place we stayed had dinner ready for us! how awesome is that?? of course we were hungry because we hadn't eaten since right after the airport (Burger King). after we ate we had "orientation" about John's expectations and what our week was going to look like...it didnt seem so bad, because it wasnt!!
John explained to us that our week was going to be full of work and fun. He told us that he wasn't going to place a goal on our week because he didn't want us to be bummed if we didn't succeed. he also mentioned that our plans are meant for failure, God's plans are never failing. John wanted us to work hard and not rush so he just said to do our best and what we accomplished is what we could do and to work at the best of our abilities.
we went to bed && awoke the next morning (saturday 19th) prepared to start our work week...that was our week in a nutshell...okay a rather large nutshell! ;) any questions about details you can ask...im totally open to suggestions!! ;)
peace out ppls! ;) :p
~Kali
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Guatemala Info...finally!
ok so its about time i get around to this...you've all probably been waiting(right?) i've been wanting to update you all but i've been blog lazy ;) starting tonight, my blog will be a running series on my mission trip Quetzaltenango, Guatemala; Xela for short. This is just the intro and my next posts will include thoughts, pictures and events that occurred in Xela (shayla).
(^"Welcome to Quetzaltenango" sign outside of Xela^)
First, I will let you know why I went to Guatemala...it was for a short-term missions trip: 1 week. we were building up the second story of a Bible school. our task at hand was to put up the walls and form the outline for the windows...the walls were made of concrete block and the outline for the windows were made of rebar and twisted wire...but i must admit, it was enjoyable.
There's just something about working hard for Jesus that's just soooo addicting...okay maybe addicting is the wrong word its---okay well i dont know what the right word is but i do know for sure that it is a TOTALLY different feeling than just working at McDonald's
ALL of last week was just so memorable but i am really glad i journaled it...i mean memories can only last so long but if you have it written down they'll last forever right? either way Guatemala will be written on my heart for years to come as will the work we did and people we met.
(^team @ Lake Atitlan^)
(^a volcano shot from our bungalow^)
WAY TO GO PHILLIES!!
our PHILLIES phinally did it!! we won the World Series last night for the first time in 28 years...tomorrow there is a parade at 12pm on Broad St. starting @ 20th & Market and ending @ the sports complex
we are planning on going and im REALLY excited. theyre expecting about 5 million people...im not sure if that would be an understatement considering the amount of hype i witnessed last night in a suburb of Philly...in Springfield, PA on Baltimore Pike there were tons of people running around and honking horns and yelling and cheering it was unbelievable.
Modell's was open & there was a line out the front door all the way to Baltimore Pike and then around the corner past FiveGuys. i took some pix and video before the camera battery died.
maybe this will be the beginning to a Philly team winning streak! ;)
here's to hoping!
~Kali
ps: Guatemala info and pix are coming soon...i've been a lil preoccupied w. work and school and stuff so i will update as soon as i can. peace!
we are planning on going and im REALLY excited. theyre expecting about 5 million people...im not sure if that would be an understatement considering the amount of hype i witnessed last night in a suburb of Philly...in Springfield, PA on Baltimore Pike there were tons of people running around and honking horns and yelling and cheering it was unbelievable.
Modell's was open & there was a line out the front door all the way to Baltimore Pike and then around the corner past FiveGuys. i took some pix and video before the camera battery died.
maybe this will be the beginning to a Philly team winning streak! ;)
here's to hoping!
~Kali
ps: Guatemala info and pix are coming soon...i've been a lil preoccupied w. work and school and stuff so i will update as soon as i can. peace!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Just The Beginning
yes...this is just the beginning. i have a blog already but not on Blogspot so i thought id check it out...some people were surprised to know that i had one. i then explained that ive had one for quite a while...xanga was where it was @...back when blogs were just becoming popular! ;) here's the link in case you were interested in checking out my previous posts...www.xanga.com/kalirox4jc
as for me right now ive decided to create a Blogspot, yes i know it seems a little comformist but its just easier in the long run...it seems that all my friends have a blogspot so its easier to just keep track of stuff that way. below is just a glimpse of what's to come.
- Guatemala Missions Trip pix and notes
- Daily Thoughts
- Concerns
- Futuristic Notions (mine ;) )
i will be back later to update you lovely ppls on the adventures that occur; not only physically but spiritually and emotionally as well.
heres to a bubbly Blogspot beginning!
~Kali
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