In n' Out

Back home for a few weeks, now it's over. I will be heading out to Amherst on Monday morning. I think this officially marks the second year, but please continue praying for the fund-raising. Thanks! I know that a lot of people who are on the missions' field are struggling with financial support, but God can provide!

The Hunt for a Car

This post is definitely edited since I did not realize how quickly things change in the consumer market during the process. I was initially looking for a car badly because I thought it was something I needed badly. I had all these questions floating in my head: How would I make appointments? How would I help out the campus if I was going to be needy? How could I learn to be responsible? These are pretty valid questions, but the real issue was my identity drawing somehow from possessing a car. And in this process of finding a car, I started seeing how it was consuming me. I am really thankful for the help I received in finding a car. Even though it was consuming me, it was really awesome spending a lot of time with my dad and a few friends doing all of this. I eventually found one, a minivan (that looks like the one below)!

The reason I am sharing all of this is because it makes me think about wanting material things in regards to the spiritual realm. I think this experience helped me see that God's existence is bigger than the things we want. I desire to possess, and God gave me much more. Relational experiences, in buying a car(?). In the same way that the whole process has been a blessing for me, I look forward to blessing others with my minivan (still nameless).

Summer Newsletter

It's Out!!! Right here:

I have put them in the mail and you should get them sometime over the next week...

Which reminds me, if you are on my email list, but are not receiving any mailings from me, please let me know so I can fix that. I am planning on sending out a newsletter quarterly as well as a couple other things. Thanks!

It's a Beautiful Morning

I just want to say thanks to everyone I have talked to within the past few weeks. Your love and care for my trip to the Philippines and time back home has been really great and encouraging. I'm surprised how my reverse culture shock has hit me this time around (in light of other trips I've been on), but your comfort has definitely helped me cope with whatever it is. Can't say that it is all sunshine and roses till forever, but Today is a beautiful morning.

And thinking about that made me think of this song:

==========

http://artists.letssingit.com

'It's a Beautiful Morning'

by The Rascals

It's a beautiful mornin' ahhh

I think I'l go outside a while

An jus' smile

Just take in some clean fresh air boy

Ain't no sense in stayin' inside

If the weather's fine an' you got the time

It's your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day

Either way

It's a beautiful mornin' ahhh

Each bird keeps singin' his own song

So long

I've got to be on my way now

Ain't no fun just hangin' around

I've got to cover ground you couldn't keep me down

It just ain't no good if the sun shines

when you're still inside

Shouldn't hide still inside

Shouldn't hide still inside shouldn't hide

Ahhhh oh shouldn't hide ah ah oh

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Reverse-culture shock is basically the coping mechanism of coming back to the familiar. It isn't that coming back to America surprises me, but I realize what I don't have when I "lose it." Everything that I had deeply come to appreciate uniquely about the Philippines is no longer with me, and I don't know what to do about that. And to note, what I didn't have in the Philippines was probably the most apparent (clean air, water, utilities, etc.). And so my natural responses has been a lot of fear and isolation. I am afraid that no one understands me, therefore I isolate myself from everyone else.

And actually this past weekend has revealed that my response is not based on something true. Though my experience is unique, we can identify together with Jesus. And that's where a lot of my encouragement has come from. We are here together. When Jesus tells us the two greatest commandments in Mark 12:29-31, it isn't a formula of pleasing God. It is an expression of how much God loves us and how we can come to know this love. It is also a directive, sage advice, to help us find our life. Fear and isolation is a common response. And it has been driving me down in discouragement. Loving God with everything we got and loving our neighbors helps us see Jesus, to see life.

I woke up today and thought about this, it was great (perhaps BEAUTIFUL!? I was intrigued to overuse that cliche).

With a deep gratitude for helping me see God,

Joel

photo taken by zking1286

A Quick Update

"Warp 7"

by BernieSpeed @ www.caedes.net

This picture pretty much describes perfectly how I feel since coming back. I kind of just feel out of place in life. Everything keeps on moving around me really fast, but here I am 'snail-ing' along life. And on top of that I'm suppose to think about fund-raising and such. Yup, that's pretty much it. Reverse culture-shock. It's pretty great. It's pretty tough.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement since I have come back. And thanks for keeping up with my blog when I was overseas - I'm glad it was pretty effective with communicating what was going on!

See you next time....

PREVIEW: summer newsletter is about to hit the presses. I'll post it when the final draft is done.

The Correct URL for Photos

https://sweetphilippines09.sugarsync.com/albums

I have fixed the link in my previous post, but this is to send out another email in case you go directly from there.

Lots of Photos

So this isn't much of an update, but our team has been uploading photos to a shared site where the full picture can be downloaded. If you want to check out the photos, here is the link to the website:

https://sweetphilippines09.sugarsync.com/albums

The albums are listed by name and a description so I think it is pretty easy to navigate. Also, please feel free to nab whichever pictures you want. Thanks. Eventually I will post some of my favorites online to give a full recap.