Oh, The Places You'll Go

There has just been way too much. I don't even know where to begin, what to continue with, and what to end with.

Again God is showing himself to be fully in control of my life.

I am so content and pleased to be in Aurora with amazing community. I have laughed so hard I cried, and cried so hard that I can't help but laugh. Jon's silly faces, Sarah's sweet kindness, Malka's beautiful heart, and my weird personality all combine to create a mesh of disciples. Talking about Jesus all the time, laughing at the craziest things, driving around, taking the train back from Chicago at 1 in the morning, participating in Shabbat, talking with Jr. and Sr. highers and volunteers, discussing spiritual warfare, laughing with new people who have deep stories of life, singing to John Foreman, meeting new friends and mentors, Billy Graham and J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, watching movies, staying up as late as possible, praying, living life together. This is what I want in my life. This is what Jesus wants in my life. God, let this be my life.

Oh those Jesus videos:

Jesus isn't a rock. You're all sinners. You have no hope. What in the name of me is going on here?
John, you know what you did. I just can't repeat it because I'm Jesus.

And my new love: Flight of the Conchords. Thank you Jon.

A kiss is not a contract.
Albie the racist dragon.


And so I recognize that you, God, are more powerful and wonderful and all-knowing than I could ever imagine. Which is crazy, because I imagine you very very much all those things. Thank you for your outpouring of love in my life and in the lives of those around me. Thank you for growth in hard places and growth in easy places. Thank you for kicking our butts to go into a higher gear so we can know what it truly means to be disciples. Thank you for the places we go: physically, emotionally, spiritually. And may we continue to seek your face in all circumstances. May it not be hidden, but waiting in expectation. God, you are more than we could ever even think of needing. Show us what that means. Reveal your glory and power to us. Give us the strength to follow your heart to wherever it leads us. Teach us. Grow us. Live powerfully within us. We look to you for our next steps.

And so it is...






Jamie

change of plans

Dinner with Hartong's

Betsy, Amasa and Megan

Beautiful Jamie

Jason drawing Jesus- this man is amazing...Jesus and Jason I mean... :)



In Geneva, a quaint downtown

an old radio station building turned costume shop






Umm, there have been some massive change of plans and I am pretty sure they are good and from Gd. yay! We're going to use Jon and Sarah's free stand by tickets to fly home on Saturday and when the Hanes come to southern CA, they'll drive out Jamie's car. Totally crazy. But totally perfect. We played a joke on Kim, having Jon say that we weren't going to leave until Saturday, therefore we couldn't help out VBS cause we wouldn't be in SD until monday or tuesday... all in love of course :)

Last night we had an amazing dinner community and prayer worship time with Betsy and Jason and their family and friends. Can I reiterate this enough: Gd has me and Jamie here for a specific purpose and that purpose is getting more and more clear and big.

Having an extra three days is proving to be exhausting, but awesome. Every day we have met and spent time with friends of the Hanes and every night we've been up between 2-4 am. I won't lie, they have become our good friends and sleep has become a secondary concern. Entering a new community with common faith is radical and freeing. Inside jokes, such Jon's spiritual skepticism, his obsession with Jamie's pillow involving feet and lightening being a representation of the Holy Spirit. And speaking of lightening, it is incredible here! I have never, ever seen the sky rain and sparkle as I have the last few nights.

We are all ADD and almost never have a conversation without interruption. But its home. It's family. It is soo good. I am not even exhausted when I know I should be! We are busy planning our days with laughter and food. Our goal of eating "in" has not succeeded here. But Jon's bread making abilities, Sarah's wine laugh and Jamie's OCD over feet has entertained us for this long- the Mexican food here is not bad, I should add. The thrift stores are equally amazing! And for myself, I keep talking about poop, and not meaning to at all. It's this weird thing, I think Jon put it well saying, "Malka's world revolves around her butt" ...probably a little too gross for some people (sorry Charlotte :).

I enjoy it. And I hope that our stories and our presence in this place is acceptable to the community. Apparently we've left good impressions. But who knows, we have few more days here... lol.
in love-
-Malka

family

This time is ridiculously fabulous.
I got to share with the Jr and Senior high youth about my Jewish Christian-ness and they asked a lot of hard and deep questions. We have also met and hit it off with the Hanes' mentors Betsy and Jason. They are my mentor Kim and her husband Jeremy, only in Chicago. It is nice to know their are Gdly and cool people across the U.S. On Friday night we made Shabbat dinner, including Challah, Koogle, and Matzah ball soup. It was incredible.

We have developed so many inside jokes, it is rather ridiculous.

We have not slept. And I mean- not slept. at all. Having quite an adventure to and from Chicago, seeing my brother-in-law Dan, and meeting the Hanes' friends and faith family is refreshing.


There is much stress about school stuff and super inconvenient for me that I am out of the state. Knowing the fault lies with me, is frustrating and that has definitely hindered some of my own time here and attitude.
But thankfully I am with "family" here and that is good in itself.

-Malka

Community

Wow. This trip has meant so much to me. Between John Foreman, junior and senior highers, new friends, and old mentors, this time in Chicago has been so refreshing and just...good. Even though there has been little to no sleep (seriously), that just means that we have spending more time in community, in silliness, and with our Creator. As our new friend David would say: "The more time you spend sleeping, the less time you spend living." Which I don't necessarily agree with. But on this trip that is so true.

I have seen God work in mighty ways in my time in Chicago. There have been some hard times all around, but we have had each other to wrestle with (figuratively and literally). I am so thankful for all the talks and laughs and cries and freak outs and scary faces and craziness and frustrations and community. I have been terribly missing my community back home, but this trip is so much what I need right now.

Jon and Sarah have showed me so much of Jesus. In the way we all interact, in their friends, in their giving and loving nature. They have just abundantly blessed us in our stay. I will be sad to leave. They are some of the sweetest, funniest, cutest, most fantastic people of God that I know. I have missed them greatly--even more than I thought I had. And I am so glad to be goofy with them. They are still so much the same as they always were, and yet have made improvements and grown so much in faith, community, and God.

On Shabbat, there was an amazing thunder and lightning storm. We shared the peace that comes with resting in God's power. The lightning was so amazing. The rain was so good. God's might was so readily known. And our time with each other was relevant and true and raw and beautiful. The silliness of Jon's face mixed with the amazing and freeing conversation was so unique and good. There were times of immense seriousness and times of just crazy giggling and laughter.

Father, thank you for all your peace and grace in the midst of difficult times and good times and how they mesh so much. Jesus, your power and saving presence is so much alive in me and in community. You are the ultimate saving hope. Holy Spirit, thank you for making your presence known. Enter into us as we journey with you. Your breath is in us, and you know our hearts. Turn us more and more into your people, into who you are. Teach us to love.

And so it is...




Jamie