blog virgin...

this is my first go at this. hm...so much to say, so little white space. isnt that just the story of my life?

here i am in oakland. well, walnut creek to be exact. mission year will start in approximately 54 hours at the welcome dinner at the Faith Presbyterian Church on 49th street in oakland. it's been interesting to get people's reactions here when my aunt or i tell them what i'm about to embark on. it was one thing to see the reactions of my friends and family at home, but those people aren't as up close and personal with oakland as the people here. needless to say, it hasn't been discouraging...just interesting.

i spoke with my team leader yesterday and pretty much she said the apartment is smaller than she would have imagined. i'm ok with this, especially because i dont want to jump to any sort of emotional reaction before actually seeing the place. two bedrooms for five girls, which is what i expected. i just feel like a fool for shipping so much stuff. not all just my stuff, mind you, but stuff to be shared amongst the team members. but really i should have just explained that i wouldnt be able to ship stuff because of the timing. i had to send it before i left, which was also before i found out what we actually needed. now i find out that we dont actualy really need any of it and here i am , feeling like a fool. oh well.

this was the verse of the day for sept 3/4...For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search and find my sheep. (ezekiel 34.11 nlt) "God promises to take over as shepherd of his scattered flock. When our leaders fail us, we must not despair but remember that God is in control and that he promises to one day return and care for his flock. Thus we know we can turn to him for help. He is still in control and can transform any tragic stiutation to produce good for his Kingdom. When leaders fail, remember that God is still in control of his flock." pretty darn amazing, if you ask me. i mean, amazing that we serve a sovereign God like this but also amazing is God's timing in all this. this verse coming up on the day-by-day calendar that was given to me last december, and manufactured sometime before that....and that this verse would come up exactly at the time that i and many others needed the reassurance that when tragedy strikes and when our leaders fail, God is STILL in control. and i am so glad for that. so for all the comments i could put here on the horrible-ness of the whole hurrican katrina mess, i'd rather just thank God for never once being not in control.

and on that note, i shall go for now. who knows, this may be the only post i ever write! goodnight all of you out there in blogworld...