Day 129

Shalom! It's already October but autumn is no where to be found in Sunny Eilat, Israel. Today, I am 129 days away from home.

I am sitting at a small, air-conditioned cafe away from town center. It's quite a luxury on a hot steamy day like this. Actually it's only 35C and it's considered a good day. Last week topped 43C.

I am savoring every sip of my iced coffee, listening to Mumford & Sons, simultaneously looking at travel details, and basically just minding my own business. My heart cried out when the music came on. I nearly forgot what normality feels like. 

I have traveled 5 countries in the last couple of months living on bare minimum. It has been an amazing journey. My favorite has to be Israel so far.

A grandpa named David whose table is next to mine just offered to pay for my coffee. All the reasons why I love this country so much! I found people here very genuine. It's black or white and nothing in between-- they either love you and want to help you or they want to stone you. Just kidding. I have yet to experience the latter! Everybody I met along the way had been exceptionally nice. 

I am staying in Eilat for nearly 3 months and volunteering a Christian hostel called the Shelter. A normal work day requires morning prayer meeting, cooking breakfast for Sidney, cleaning, reception duties, bible study, and talking and sharing the gospel with guests. But it's never really just a "normal" day. Affortable hostels like the Shelter attract people of all backgrounds. Weird people, good people, creepy people, tall people, and short people. I have many stories to tell.

Pause. A third person in this cafe just offered to buy me a drink. Of course I kindly declined. I'm not used to accepting free offers. I hope that wasn't rude in this culture. I have met many kind people during my time traveling abroad but the Israelis are so far the most hospitable. I am treated as if I am doing them a huge favor by visiting their country. What an honor! Anyway, I might save those Shelter stories for next time because there are too many to tell.

Jewish New Year, also known as Rosh Shannah or the Feast of Trumpets was three days ago. John and Judy invited the volunteers to celebrate the New Year with their family. Here in Israel, a new day began when the sun set. The Rosh Shannah celebration began on Sunday evening after John gave a brief bible study and broke bread and pour wine. This symbolizes the death of Jesus which washed away our sin and more importantly the hope we have in the second coming of Christ. Shortly after dinner, we gathered around in under the succot to sing and shared our new year prayers. My prayer for the new year is to continue to walk in faith and always rejoice in the Lord!

Shannah tova! Happy New Year!

Day 5

I've settled down at Lee Abbey London. The first few days took some adjustment. But no more jet lag at last!
Today is Saturday and I planned to be out and about exploring the city. But then I woke up with a sore throat and was feeling unusually drowsy. I popped some Coltalin and followed by a brief nap. Now I thought I would just hang around the house for the rest of the afternoon and drink plenty of water.
It's easy to lose track of time. London is always gloomy. There are always thick layers of gray clouds covering the city, like a giant soft box we often used in studio photography. But the city and its people are so vibrant it cancels out any bad weather.
Lee Abbey is name of the Christian hostel I will be working at for the next three months. In the last few days, I've met so many amazing and God-loving people from all parts of the world. My roommate whom arrived yesterday is from Hungary. Her name is Luca (pronounced "Luza") and she's awesome! Others come from countries including Spain, Latvia, Russia, Korea, and Uganda. I haven't had the chance to get to know each and every person yet but I already love them so much. I pray that God will replace our self-centeredness with his love and continue to change our hearts.
I'm proud to say that I am doing an absolute great job budgeting. Since I've arrived I have only spent close to £28, which is equivalent to 40 USD,  At Lee Abbey, my meals and accommodation are covered and to top up, I get roughly £45 of pocket money per week. I was worried that I would be spending too much at first since exchange rate to British pound is high. I didn't know how realistic it was to live and travel Europe on a budget. But afraid not because God provides! I'm thankful for those who have helped me along the way. I likely won't be where I am today if it wasn't for your support.

Breathe in life, breath out graditude

Weather like this makes me want to wrap myself in a blanket, drink hot cocoa, and watch Netflix all day. I’ve been working 9 to 5 for the most part this Christmas break, which leaves me with essential no personal time. But I’ve had a good Christmas break nonetheless! I’m extremely grateful to be among families and people I love. I’m thankful for a savior who knows the depths of my heart and loves me the same! This holiday my heart aches for people who are homeless and separated from families and loved ones. I pray for the less fortunate ones who are in times of war and violence. I don’t take my blessings for granted.

This morning I managed to get out of bed early to do yoga, made breakfast, and two jars of smoothies before leaving to work. I also intentionally left my phone untouched until I arrived at the office at 9AM. My morning was quite and enjoyable. I’m even challenged to make a practice out of it!
I must say that this past few months had been particularly hard for me. I have spent more time crying in bed than I have ever before. I was mentally drained. In the process of picking up my broken pieces, I learned that it’s easy to let yourself drown, yet it takes so much strength and courage to simple take the first step and move forward. I was reminded that I need not to conquer fear on my own but rather trust in the Lord. Because He is my constant and my anchor in times of storm! Despite trying hard to keep my sanity when everything seems like go wrong, God has been so good to me this past year. I'm just so utterly thankful for the life I breathe.

2016 will be a challenging year, with college graduation and job hunting within arm's reach. I have been telling everyone I know that I can hardly wait to get out of school already! But deep inside I'm actually freaking out. Yet, I figured that 2016 is the year I stop being afraid and stop questioning if I'm good enough. And just do whatever God calls me to do.

This year will be a memorable and beautiful one. I have a good feeling about it.

A little bit of Oakland

Sand, salt, sun

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

The anchor of my soul

So when the darkness overwhelms me and the tide of life rises and swells it is well is what compels me. When faced with adversity your truth constantly reminds me that you command the seas with ease and with words you’re turning wind to breeze. It helps me to understand that we stand on solid rock not on sinking sand.