Cambodia AND Detroit!

I have felt very strongly ever since I was in high school that I wanted to go on a mission. I have always said that I would be open to serving in some capacity and in some way in this country or outside this country. I know God has called us all to mission, Isaiah 6:8 says it best, "Here I am Lord, send me!" Jesus also called us all to missions in Matthew 28:19 when he said, "go into the world and make disciples of all nations." This year, at Water of Life, I have heard Pastor Dan talk about missions many times and he always says, "you won't grow if you don't go." Until this point in my life I haven't really had a mission laid on my heart, I've always been open to going and I always have prayed that I would get the opportunity to go on a mission, but none ever called out to me and I never felt God leading me to one.

This all changed last summer. I have been attending Water of Life regularly since last Easter 2012 (WOW, I can't believe its already been a year) and I have been mission hungry since I saw each and every mission trip get sent out this past summer. Each time a new trip was sent out they would get prayed over and each time I felt a tiny tug inside of my heart. I felt God nudging me to step out and step up to go. I had no idea how to sign up to go, but I knew when they announced the next mission trip I was going to prayerfully sign up.

At the beginning of each year Water of Life starts the meetings for their next missions trips, I was ready when I heard about the first mission meeting in February. I decided that I would go to that meeting and then begin to pray, daily. over the trip that I was to attend (I already knew that I was called to one of them, God had already placed that on my heart). At WOL they give out booklets explaining each trip and the purpose. I decided to take that booklet and begin to pray over each page and that God would show me the trip he had destined for me. Each night I would pray over it, and I began to cross out the trips that I knew didn't work with my teaching schedule. The booklet kept opening up to a Cambodia trip (I wanted to go to Africa, but that I was my desire), I kept praying and kept seeking God, but I sort of felt like I was being led to Cambodia. I decided to look online for an application and saw that the Cambodia trip was with Pure (the young adult group at our church)...I should step back and say that I have also been praying that God would connect me with some people of my own age because I've had to give up a few non-life giving friendships this year. It has been a difficult and lonely road trying to seek God without the aid of friends (but I know they were bringing me down). This was a mini confirmation to me since it seemed to fit with my prayers. That Wednesday night at bible study I told my (wonderful/God sent) friend Emily about the trip that I was feeling called toward and she freaked out, pulled the same page insert out of her purse and told me she was feeling lead to that trip too. It was wonderful to hear that we were going on the same trip!! (I am SO blessed). Emily had gotten some other confirmation as well.

I thought that was it, I was all ready to fund raise for this mission trip and to pray over it and I was READY! Well not even a week later I start getting asked if I am going to the WOW Jam in Detroit(it is an outreach we do out there every summer). More than one person asked and more than one person inquired, it was weird. I started to think, "Did I hear the wrong message? Am I supposed to go to Detroit?" What seemed like something I was so sure on I began to have doubts. One Wednesday Lisa (who is going on the trip) asked me, "Are you going to Detroit?" like I was already signed up. I told her I was going to pray about it because it was weird that I kept getting asked about it. Finally I get asked by Anna (our Upland venue pastor and the lead on the team)....I got all worked up and told her I was going to get an application, but I wasn't sure yet. I prayed and told God, "OK God, if you want me to go to both you need to supply the 600's for TWO different mission trip deposits." I filled out the application and just kept praying about it when I thought about it. I knew I didn't have 600 dollars (300 for the deposit for Cambodia and 300 for the deposit for Detroit).

Website for Detriot--http://wateroflifecc.org/wow-jam

Well, God is truly all powerful! This week I get a random deposit in my account from my school of 500 dollars. I hear God's nagging voice saying, "now you have the money....." and just like the dumb child of God I am I don't go and pay for the deposit. (no worries, I didn't spend the money), but I just left it in my account. I kept praying, even though my prayer request had already been answered. I get home from Chicago this week and my sis paid rent and put the money inside the binder near my bed right on top of the Detroit application! I finally said, "OK God I hear you!!" and turned in both deposits.

SO, I am going on TWO missions trips this summer. I am not sure how they both will be funded and I am not sure WHY he wants me on both trips, but I will be faithful in his request. I know that God has a reason for everything under the sun and I know they my destiny and (prayerfully) the destiny of others are dependent on these two trips. I am SO thankful that God would see me fit to be used for Him. I am not worthy of Him and I am not worthy of His work. My prayer is that HE will empower me and HE will gain all the glory from both trips and from my life.

If you are reading this and are a believer will you say a prayer for me? Say a prayer for both trips and say a prayer for anyone who's life needs to be touched because of these trips? Say a prayer for funding? Say a prayer for me to go boldly in the name of Christ?

Oh how I want to submit my life to Him, His goodness, and HIS plan.

Amen.

Chicago Conference-Day 4

By the last day exhaustion had set in big time! I didn't get many pictures and I don't have many fun stories to tell. I will say that we got to the convention center a little late because getting 8 people with all their luggage, checked out of the hotel, into the car, and off is always a little challenging. I was disappointed becuase the session that I wanted to attend was how you can use iPads in the classroom (and we have class carts of iPads at our school) and I didn't get in. One thing I will say about this conference is that the rooms were small it was difficult to get into classes that were "high interest." After trying to get into that class I went to my second choice (full), then my third choice (full), finally it was 20 minutes after the session had started and I meandered into one that had the door open. It was BORING! It was all about how you can use academic vocabulary with English Language Learners--our school is already doing MORE than what the class had to offer, so I did the natural thing and left. I walked around the convention center, something I hadn't had the chance to do up until that point, and got free samples and some really good internet resources from history booths. It was fun to see all the new things that the profession had to offer.

Once the morning sessions were over it was time to eat and head to the airport. We got to eat at a delicious steak house called Weber Grill, YUM! Then we headed over to the airport, I got to see it SNOW! Naturally it was the normal airport experience and we got home in what seemed like forever (since we all were tired!)

It was such a blessing to be able to learn and grow in the presence of my peers. I  got so many ideas and fun things to take back to my classroom and I feel very blessed that I was asked to attend and represent my school. It was an experience I will never forget. I am so thankful for the friendships I made there and for the content I learned. I truly believe that this conference is going to propel me to that next step in my professional educational career.

Chicago Conference-Day 3

I did SO well posting the first two days of the conference and I was super excited that I kept all the details in each day, WELL, as you can tell I am about a week late on the last two days of the conference. I still want to blog them so I am going to do each day in a separate post. They probably won't be filled with as much excitement but I still want to document it.......

Sunday started out EARLY, we didn't want to have the same problem as Saturday getting into the classes we wanted. The following picture is hilarious, it doesn't really show how many people truly in the line, but this was the Starbucks at the convention center on Sunday morning (proof that teachers are addicts of caffeine!)

 We showed up to the conference center (which was located on MLK Drive, which was cool since I teach at MLK Middle School. We said it was destiny that we were there!) I got into Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey's session and it was AMAZING! They had the best ideas and it was all about things that I want to incorporate into my classroom. I took copious notes and just soaked in their genius.

I am a nerd! This makes sense to me AND

makes me all excited. LOL

After the first session(there were two before lunch), we made our way to the General Session where we got a MAJOR treat. Maya Angelou was to be there and speak to us. I was very excited to be in the presence of someone who has touched so many lives with her talent and writing. She came out and started her speech with a slave hymn about the clouds and how when they thought nothing else could go good a rainbow peaked out of the clouds. She explained that the hymn came from Genesis and how God placed a rainbow in the sky when things for Noah looked very bleak. She then made the connection with her own life and told us about her life and how when things seems their worst God would give her a rainbow. She told us that because we are teachers we ARE somebody's rainbow. It was really beautiful. They way she speaks, it was like nothing I've ever experienced before. Her words saturate the soul.

After Maya, which was a highlight of the day and nothing really topped her! We went to two different afternoon sessions, which were also very good. Both were done by two different authors--very big in the teaching profession. Before leaving the convention center for the afternoon we stopped at a digital sign, they had them all over the center, and took our picture with the whole group. It was really cool, you could touch the sign and mess with it and it would tell you things about Chicago and stuff, but the thing we liked most was the picture feature. Following is the ONLY two pictures we took as a group. Just so ya know, my Principal, two Vice Principals, two Academic Coaches, and one Math teacher are in the picture. We had fun.

After leaving the convention center it was pizza time!! It was very delicious and our waiter was SO nice. It was the first time on the trip that we actually had some good service, don't know how Chicago rates on service, but we didn't experience much hospitality. Chicago pizza has the sauce on top, and I am a lover of sauce so naturally I LOVED the pizza.

After the pizza we walked back to the hotel and we all made our way into the random gift shop that the hotel supplies for travelers just like us. It was our last night and we needed something to prove that we had actually traveled to Illinois. Well when we were there I saw a picture of "The Bean" and I freaked out because I remembered that was on my list of must see's in Chicago. I couldn't stop talking about it and that caused my Vice Principal to look up where it was, lucky us, it was only .6 miles away. I decided that I was willing to walk it and a few others decided they wanted to come along. Let me tell you, it seems like it would be just a stupid big huge metal sculpture, but I am here to tell you it was art. I loved it and thought it was just beautiful. The way in which it reflected light made the evening feel magical. When we got there I just took it all in and thanked God that we got to see it. It was a night I won't soon forget.

And finally I will leave you with some silly pictures taken on the third day, because if you truly know me, you know I have a silly side.

 Taken in the mirror waiting on people to show up to walk to the bean.

My Principal on the left and my Academic Coach on the right. (I was laying on the couch too, but dramatically fell off)

Chicago Conference-Day 2

I woke up this morning to a dark hotel room and crisp feeling room. Once I stumbled out of bed and found the thermostat and turned it up a bit I felt a bit better. I was ready quickly(took me only about 20 minutes since my hair was already done), I headed down stairs to get a Starbucks and find everyone. Yum, I love that our hotel has a Starbucks. On the way to the conference, which is about three miles from our hotel, we got lost and turned around and then stuck in St Patrick's traffic. We missed the start of the first session and so we all sat in the convention area and mapped out the rest of the sessions we wanted to attend. I don't know if I mentioned it before but this convention is the largest in the US and has about 10,400 attendees this year---massive. The 10:00 session was a general session, meaning the whole group was to attend with a big speaker(tomorrow it is Maya Angelou). It was fun to see all the educators and professionals who are all doing what I am doing, trying to make themselves the best.

After the general session it was lunch time, we opted to walk about a half mile to Chicago's Chinatown. This was the first time this weekend that the cold got to me, up until this point I could handle the weather(even walking a few miles last night). This afternoon it was windy, bitter, and every once in a while if you paid attention you could see the flurries of snow. I have never felt that kind of frosty-ness before. I had fun and kept skipping and running to keep myself warm, not everyone has my spunk and therefore it made for some hilarious comments. I won't go into detail, but they had to do with nationality and how they don't belong in this weather. (All said in fun)

We had lunch at an authentic Dum Sum restaurant where they bring the cart of food to you, it was so authentic that we had some language barriers and if you look at the pictures below you can see how much food we ended up with, oops. It was such a fun cultural experience and I'm glad we walked the half mile to have it. The walk back was shorter, partly because I kept running and partly because we were hurrying back to get to the classes!

Upon returning to the convention center we all went to our respective classes and the learning had begun....Or so we thought....I was so excited, but when I finally found the class I wanted to take (remember 10,000 people make for tons of class rooms!) it was full. I was sad because it was a presenter that was well known and the lesson was on technology-something I am totally into. I quickly started off for my second choice--about engagement--only to find that one full too. Crushing blow! I ended up heading to get a Starbucks to placate my disappointment and sat by the next sessions class to make sure I would get a seat The next session I wanted to attend was in the main ballroom and had about 5,000 seats, go figure, seating wouldn't have been an issue. Such luck. The next two sessions were fantastic and taught about the new teaching standards (known as Common Core) and how they apply to best teaching practices. It talked about transfer and getting our students of think outside of school and to transfer their skills to other ideas, basically critical thinking strategies. It was great, I have notes and plans and ideas. I feel energized about my profession. and Middle School, and my career. It is such a great feeling, I can't wait to see what else this conference has in store and how many ideas I am going to have at the end of it. It is great to be able to step back and evaluate myself and my style and get some new ideas. I never want to stop learning and growing. I feel SO blessed to be here, it is really confirming that God placed me where he did for a reason. I am also getting to form some true educational relationships and that is wonderful too. Authentic Collaboration is one huge key to success.

Once the evening classes were over we headed back to the hotel and walked one block to try and Chicago dog (I didn't get a picture). It wasn't as fantastic as I've heard, and we are determined to try another one somewhere else to see if we can find an authentic one. (Toppings on the dog included-mustard, pickle spears, tomatoes, diced onions, and peppers) After the adventure(three of us shared one), we went to trusty Chipotle and had a wonderful, time tested, dinner. One of my colleagues and I went shopping for a bit after dinner and then it was bath and bed time!

First day success! Tomorrow after the conference schedule, we will be having traditional deep dish pizza, and checking out the downtown St Patrick's Day festivities. I am SO excited about some of the classes I will be taking tomorrow!

Check out the Chicago river(picture below). The tradition of dyeing the river green arose by accident when some plumbers used fluorescein dye to trace sources of illegal pollution discharges. The dyeing of the river is still sponsored by the local plumbers union. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlawed the use of fluorescein for this purpose, since it was shown to be harmful to the river. The present ingredients used to dye the river green today are safe for people and wildlife. Forty pounds of powdered vegetable dye are used to color the river for the celebration.

Happy St Patrick's Day EVE!

God Bless. Nite.

Oh two last things--one--we saw where the White Sox play!! (Pic below)-- AND two-- my shirt ripped when walking to dinner, I had no idea how I was that strong, I tugged on my right sleeve to bring it down from bunching up in my jacket and felt it rip! I had to tuck it back into my shirt for the rest of the evening. I'm such a hilarious dork!

Chicago Conference-Day 1

This morning started out VERY early. Our flight was to leave Ontario at 6:45 and therefore I was required to awaken at about 4:30(since I always leave packing until the last minute and I still had things to throw together this morning). I couldn't sleep well since I was super excited and when the alarm went off it seemed as if I had only been sleeping for a short amount of time. Didn't matter much to me since I was very excited for the trip. For one, I had never been to Chicago (a layover for 15 minutes doesn't really count), and I am always ready to better myself as a professional (it is a teaching conference I am attending). I arrived at the airport at about 5:15 and got through all the security check points. (Side note; I hate those stupid scanners that check your body--apparently my scan noted something in my leg and I had to be pat down--double side note; I wonder what the heck could be hidden in the leg of a pant) anyway, our plane ended up having some sort of leakage problem and we had to deplane and replane to another gate. By the time we got into the air it was about 8:15. The flight was uneventful--lots of random/fun conversation and reading.

Once arriving we quickly got our baggage and headed out of the airport! We got to our hotel and I was speechless because of its majestic beauty and history. Upon walking in I could sense the history and past. It was built in 1871 and burnt down in the great Chicago fire. It was rebuilt with 1.5 million dollars(the largest secured loan up to that date) and it was dubbed "the worlds first fire proof hotel" because it was mainly built with brick and stone-a name that was important to travelers and locals alike since the fire of 1871 was the largest and most costly of its era. The hotel is gorgeous, named The Palmer House, and is clearly defined by its ceiling and wonderful "old" architecture. Below are two pictures, one of the lobby(note the Grecian fresco style ceiling-think Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel), and the Empire Room where SO many old time celebrities performed that I won't even try to list them all(google it if you are curious). (Just a few because it is SO cool-Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Sonny/Cher)

Our first mission upon arriving was to eat, (Ms Newton, my vice principal had the fantastic idea to ask the Valet Man where to go), he lead us in a direction and off we went in the rain. It took about 7 minutes to walk to this restaurant and lucky us, it was a local joint that Al Capone ate at! I love history. I don't remember the name but it had something to do with Exchecker(I'll find it tomorrow). I had a burger, yum.

After eating we made our way back to the hotel and unpacked our baggage and took an hour to unwind. We met back up and decided to take a walk. I'll let the pictures do the talking, but it was such a gorgeous evening. The rain stopped and we just enjoyed downtown for all its beauty.

Tomorrow we wake up bright and early to head to conferences but it was nice to begin the weekend as regular tourists. This city reminds me of Pasadena mixed with San Diego with a tad of history added in.

It is beautiful and I am so grateful that God would allow me this wonderful opportunity.

(Tomorrow I will find an authentic "Chicago Dog" and Sunday will be pizza day!---also Sunday is St Patrick's Day and you can tell the city knows how to celebrate--green beer is served all weekend and every local is already wearing green all over the place, can't wait to see what Sunday will be like)

Car Update

I posted about a week ago about my car accident....so I wanted to give a little update. The kid who hit me decided to say it wasn't all his fault and that he was disputing the insurance company and their initial assessment that the accident was 100% his fault. I had to give a statement to his insurance company and for about five days I wasn't sure if I'd get my car back and have to pay my deductible or not. I picked up my car a few days ago and my insurance company is holding firm that is wasn't my fault. That means I didn't have to pay anything when I went to pick up Maddie. Yay! Praise God. He is faithful and good and he had his hand in the whole situation. I just had to trust him and his timing.

And just to finish I'll leave you with an after picture of my car.

The Windy City

I was selected to travel to Chicago for business this weekend. I get to attend a Teaching Conference and I couldn't be more excited. Currently I am sitting on the plane headed east. My goal is to blog the trip. I brought my laptop and I have my phone cord and I am ready! Get ready for some fantastic pictures and scintillating literature.

Water of Life Part I

Since I have talked a few different times about the fact that I am a christian and I go to church and God is my #1, I wanted to take a moment and give a little background about my church, how I ended up there and why it is SO important to me.

Let me start by going back to my first church. When I was a child my parents started attending a local Ontario church called Faith Community Church. I believe I was about 6 when we started going there, and I left that church when I was about 20 years old(I won't go into the details about why, they don't really matter anymore). Basically I grew up in a church where everyone knew my family, everyone knew me, and we all knew everyone else. Eventually, as things go, I grew out of this church. Being the young 20 year old that I was, I didn't want to, and didn't have any interest in, finding a new place of worship. I was in college, I was working a job, and I was pursuing other things. I won't say I walked away from God, but I didn't place him at the center of my life. I eventually ended up a Azusa Pacific University(a private christian university) to finish my BA and had to go to chapel 3 times a week (I thought that satisfied my requirement for "church"). I still had my love for Jesus, but I didn't realize that I needed more.

Fast forward to August 2011, I had been laid off from my dream job of teaching Kindergarten and was offered (or forced) into taking a job teaching Middle School (advice-don't ever tell God you will NEVER do something, I like to think he takes this as a challenge). My world was turned upside-down and I was the most alone I had ever been in my life. God told me then(in August of 2011) to go to WOL, and I told him, "NO thanks-that church is HUGE and I don't think it will ever feel like home." ----Oh Whitney, when will you ever learn!-- August 2011-April 2012 was the hardest time in my life. God took me to my knees-literally-a number of times. I cried ALL the time and I genuinely hated my job. I kept telling myself, you never studied for being a middle school teacher, it is too hard, this is the worst. Basically I had the worst attitude about everything in my life. I lived for the weekends and had anxious attacks every Sunday night. I let the devil separate me from many things and people I cared about. I felt like God wasn't answering any of my questions, and many times I felt like he didn't care. I cried out to Him to take me out of the situation, I cried out to be saved, and a few times I cried out for Him to just take my life. I didn't want to do the job, so I just figured I'd ask him to bring me out of this world and to heaven. I didn't know what to do, and I didn't know how to get myself out. God was breaking me to bring me back to Him, Oh how I am thankful for this situation now.

In April of last year my sister Haylee invited me to go to church with her, she was attending this wonderful church and she just thought I would love the worship. She was one of the few people who knew how horrible my life was (my perception), and knew that God could help. I said yes, and off to church I went (on Easter--it was the least I could do for God). Can you guess what church she was going to? Yup, WOL. WOL had just opened a new venue in Upland. The service was a bit uncomfortable and it took me a few songs to get into worship, but by the end I knew I needed to go the following week, and the week after........and this is how it gets even more divine. After service I walked out of the building only to run into my old youth pastors. They have always been there for spiritual markers in my life and it was such a comfort to see them there. God was showing me that YES this church can feel small, this church can feel like family, this church can be your home. (for reference, I think WOL has about 14,000 members)

The following week all I could think about was going back to church and praising God again. I had been given a little taste of his goodness, his grace, and I knew I needed more! No He didn't change my circumstance, but I knew this was new beginning. I knew I was going on a new journey. I had found my home, I had found my God, I had found fellowship.

God had told me to start going to church months prior, and I ignored His request and told Him no.  His request was for my benefit, it was for my destiny, it was for my help. I love how he loves me, I love how his will comes through. I am thankful that HE kept calling to me. I am thankful for my sister inviting me. I am thankful for WOL.

--This post has a few more parts to it, but here is the first installment......

Claremont Loop

 This weekend my nieces and nephew spent some time with my sis and I because my parents were out of town. Being the healthy, active person that I am I decided to take them to the local trail and have a fun afternoon hike. The above picture shows my 8 year old niece Aurora at the .5 mile marker (when she was still happy about the experience).

 It was such a blessing to be outside with them. Taking in the beautiful scenery and listening to them talk about whatever came to their mind. We searched out mile markers, we sang/danced to songs from my ipod, and we all encouraged Aurora to keep up. (her little legs didn't like the hike about 1 mile into it).

 Isaiah had such a wonderful attitude the entire hike. I love praying over this wonderful child and how he is going to become a warrior for the Lord. He gave his life to Jesus this past year and I know God has a hold on him. He is going to be a prophet, just like the Isaiah from the bible (side note--I named him!)

 Two miles in and I am STILL excited. I think I was more happy than the kids.

This is Aurora and her pouty face! She is a drama queen. One thing she did say to me on the way up(and it touched my heart) was, "Auntie, when I am all grown up I want to be like you. I want to be all educational, and workout." and I said to her, "and be involved in church?" and she replied, "yes, oh yes!" (that statement made the whining worth it!)

 When we finally made it to the top we stopped to take in the beauty and to take some pictures!

It was such a great day, with great fellowship, and I loved showing them a little piece of my world! I kept praying over them the entire day.

Crash into me.

On Monday, upon arriving home from my amazing trip to Vegas, I knew I had to quickly get all my errands done because I had evening plans (Run For God, and Crossfit). I cleaned up my apartment, unpacked my bags and hurried to my favorite neighborhood market Fresh and Easy. This parking lot is tiny, the spaces are very close together and the lanes are shortened. I always am on the extra alert because of the said reasons. Well today I was unlucky! A Civic, driven by a young gentleman (or not so gentle--man) backed out of his parking space with NO care. He ran right into my driver side door and SCARED me half to death. Needless to say, my great, relaxing, once-in-a-lifetime weekend came to a crashing halt. He was very nice apologizing to me, and I was kept my cool. I felt a spirit upon me and knew that the Holy Spirit was with me. I called my insurance, went and got my car (affectionately named Maddie) looked at, and decided to leave her at the "car hospital." I left with a rental car, and time to get to my evening plans. I am not sure what the reason for this accident was because I trust that it was for a reason, but what I do know, is that in a chaotic situation. A situation where I could have freaked out and broke down, I was calm and knew I was going to be taken care of. God had his hands in my situation and I knew every moment of the day He was protecting me.

In the midst of my "mini" crisis, I could be thankful. I was thankful that it was a mini accident. I was thankful the guy who hit me had insurance. I was thankful he was with me. I was thankful that I got my car taken care of right away. I was thankful that nothing worse happened.

Since then, the guy who hit me has tried to say I was a fault. I know I will be victorious in this situation. I know HE has this covered.

Poor Maddie the Mustang!

New do for a new decade!

I cut my hair about 2 weeks before I actually turned 30, but it was a decision I made to celebrate my birthday--for anyone who happens on this page I turned 30 on January 13! I know my special day is a few months past, but I want this blog to chronicle my life as a 30 year old and so I have to back date some of these posts!

 Looking a bit scared before leaving for the salon!

 One last picture before it gets cut off!!

 Soon to be donated to Locks of Love!

 All finished!