My first home is Los Angeles. Since August 2007, Vancouver has become my second home. And with flying between the two cities, the airports are now my third home.
Once again, I find myself sitting in the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Even the customs agent I had today remembered that I was from LA before I handed him my passport and customs form! He told me that he will soon remember my name! (For those of you who don't know... when flying from Canada to the States, U.S. customs is in the Canadian airport before even boarding the plane.)
Today, I have extra time in my third home. I was going to take the bus to the airport, which would have taken over an hour, but my landlord insisted on driving me. Therefore, it only took 20 minutes to get to the airport. Furthermore, I just checked my flight status and it seems that my flight is delayed by 34 minutes.
That gives me extra time to sit in the Alaska Airlines Boardroom before I have to get to the departure gate.
Someone told me recently that she has such a busy life that traveling by plane is the only time she gets to slow down (sitting in an airport waiting for a flight and sitting in a plane). I'm beginning to feel that way about my life too.
How ironic! Traveling is the one thing that can slow down life. Anyone else find this odd?By the way, YVR is the only airport I know of that is advertisement-free. I love it. It's so beautiful... especially the aboriginal displays that you walk past when you first arrive at the airport before going through Canadian customs.
Our team had Meeting #2 on Monday night. Once again, it was a great meeting. But my favorite part was taking photos at the end. Even though this was an unofficial part of the meeting, this is when we got to goof off a little bit and get to know each other in a more non-businesslike setting. I love that this whole team is so much fun and quick to laugh.
Here are some parts of the official meeting that I enjoyed the most:
- Kenelm shared the song "Remain" (by Starfield) with us during our opening devotional and prayer time. He shared about feeling inadequate and about learning rely on God. What a lesson we all need to keep learning!
- Derek shared his personal testimony of learning about God and seeing His blessings unfold in miraculous ways. It's awesome how God touches our minds and our hearts in just the precise ways we need Him to do so.
- Our discussion of which workshop topics to tackle and lead at the youth camp was really eye-opening about each team members. I learned a little more about each of their interests, challenges and expertise in our discussion. It was absolutely delightful.
As for new prayer requests:- We're still looking for a camp speaker for the younger track (ages 11-14). If we can't find anyone, it may be me. If it is me, it will be a scary, but wonderful, experience.
- Some of my team members have expressed worries about financial funding. I am blessed to have some very generous friends and family. I'm hoping that if I surpass the amount that I personally need, any other extra donations can go to help my team.
- Our team will be working with Calgary and UK people. Due to distance, busy schedules and unfamiliarity, we've been having problems with reaching each other. This is a bit frustrating.
Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to remember us as you pray each day.
On July 30 - August 21, I will be leading a team of five Vancouverites to England on a short-term ministry trip. Our objective is to minister to the second-generation Chinese in the UK, while helping them develop their leadership skills and strategies. While in England, we will be helping out at a youth camp and two kids' programs. For the youth camp, we are partnering with a Calgary team as well as others from the UK.
I'm very excited... and very scared. This will be my first time leading a team overseas on a ministry project. And due to many scheduling conflicts, my team has only had one official meeting so far. However, I believe God pulled this team together. They are an awesome group of individuals. We are all from different churches, but our heart to do God's will is the same. As a team, they have displayed an emotional and spiritual maturity beyond their chronological age. In the major decisions we've had to make so far, the team has been very careful in making them. I can barely express how awestruck I am by them... and how they are seeking God's guidance.
At this early stage in planning, we are still trying to figure out roles and what they entail. We are learning about each other and how to best complement each other. We're seeking prayer and financial support for the trip. We are learning from the experience of those who previously went on such a trip. We are trying to rely on God for His guidance, and working hard to following Him.
Personally, this is a huge opportunity. I am eager to learn about how God is working in the midst of the second-generation Chinese people in the UK. And I am eager to gain experience in leadership and teaching. There are definite fears and worries. There are concerns and questions. But most of all, there is hope and assurance in God because I truly believe He led me to this opportunity.
If you would like to support my team and me through prayer or financial giving, please let me know. I will send you a support letter. Please "team up" with us!
Exodus 20:8-11: Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord you God; you shall not do any work... For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
Deuteronomy 5:12,15: Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you... Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.
Mark 2:27: Then [Jesus] said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind of the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."
I recently had a heated discussion with someone about the importance of observing the sabbath— to rest physically, to renew spiritually and to revive mentally. This individual accused me of being "legalistic" like the Jews in the Bible. I left that discussion very frustrated because I really do think that the sabbath is important... not because it's a day to be lazy and watch television, but because it's a day to look forward to for purposeful rest and renewal. And I do not believe this day should be eliminated for the sake of doing more work (even if it is ministry). How can I be effective if I'm burned out? Besides, God didn't need to rest, but He did it anyway. Shouldn't we?
Any thoughts out there about this topic? Am I totally off here?
I'm sorry I cannot disclose full details and context of the aforementioned discussion because I don't want anyone to figure out with whom I was talking.
The cartoon is a little irrelevant, but I thought it was funny
Whew!
I finally made it to the airport. I waited at the bus stop this morning for nearly an hour, but the right bus never showed up. I guess the website was wrong. I am very grateful that Elaine actually answered her phone at 5:50AM, and was willing to drive me to the airport.
Assuming that my flight is not delayed too long (or canceled), I'll be at Grace and Jimmy's wedding this afternoon. I'm so excited... this is the event of the year! =D
People at school say that I'm "a total LA girl." What does that mean? Is it because I have a dark complexion (seemingly like a perpetual tan)? Do I talk like a valley girl?
In fact, some people tell me that they forget I'm even Asian because I'm "so LA." Oddly enough, it's not the first time I've been told this. People tend to be surprised that I speak Chinese at all.
How can people forget? Don't I LOOK Asian? In fact, I think I'm more "Chinesey" than most of my Chinese friends.
What do I do that makes people forget I'm Chinese? And what makes me "a total LA girl"? Any thoughts?
Today, I waited nearly one hour after church for the #22 bus to arrive. (It's supposed to arrive every 20 minutes.) And when it finally came, it was absolutely packed... claustrophobic-like standing-room only. While riding the bus, several things came to mind.
(1) If you're a youngish person who is sitting, you should give up your seat for elderly people.
(2) If there are two seats (side-by-side) available, you should sit closer to the window so that someone else can sit next to you. If you just sit in the aisle seat, you don't allow another person to sit in a perfectly empty seat.
(3) If there are available seats next to you while others are standing, you should either take a seat or make room for others to take those seats... too many standing people makes the bus feel even more crowded.
(4) There's a small plastic and metal box near the bus door that says something like, "In case of an emergency, break box and pull handle to open door." How do you break the box? It doesn't seem obvious.
I guess those were just totally random thoughts, but that is what happens when the bus is so packed that you can't even read or pull out your iPod.
My first home is Los Angeles. Since August 2007, Vancouver has become my second home. And with flying between the two cities, the airports are now my third home.
