Space Mountain

This has a lot of update information, so get ready for a ton of info...

This year Disneyland has a special promotion that lets people get into the park for free on their birthdays! Monday was my birthday, and so I took full advantage of the opportunity. My sister, Brittany, my roommate, Sarah, and I headed down to Anaheim early Monday morning. 

When we got there I was so excited to ride the rides. Space Mountain was first. We went super

 fast up and down and all around! We were going so so fast, and we could not see anything (space mountain is dark like outer-space)!! It was such a rush to be going full speed ahead and to not be able to see anything, but trusting that the ride would bring us back to where we needed to be. 

Today has been like that roller coaster. It started out so well! I met with my missions professor this morning at Starbucks, and he had such great wisdom for me. When we were there, my Theology professor walked in (note: I am a little bit afraid of my Theology professor because I get really bad grades in his classes, and I thought that he hated me). I got up some courage, and waved at him. He waved back and smiled really big. That may sound silly, but it was a huge encouragement. 

The roller coaster was going up...

After talking about missions over no coffee (I am trying to cut back) I had to run to work because I am being trained to teach the "Diaper Daredevils" class. It was a good time, and I feel confident about teaching my first class on Saturday. 

The roller coaster is getting faster...

I rushed over to the school, and walked into class. We talked about things in our lives that hinder the gospel from going foreword. This was HUGE for me. We talked about how Satan uses the culture in our generation feeds us so many lies, the main one being, "You are not good enough." 

Think about it. Every single advertisement, weather it is a commercial, magazine add, billboard, you name it, they all say the same thing: You are not good enough unless you have ______ (fill in the blank). That is a lie, and we have let our hearts be deceived.

The roller coaster just made a big turn....

I thought about why I think that my theology professor does not like me.  I am believing a lie that my insufficiencies determine my acceptance. But that is a lie. And my professor does not hate me. He even smiled at me when I gave him the chance. 

Whew, this ride is fun!

After class, I usually go to Simi High School to help coordinate the intramural sports, but we did not have it today, so I went to the student lounge to get some things done. I was working on answering an e-mail when Monique called me. She sounded frantic, and she told me that Emily is moving to Idaho in an hour! 

Emily is a girl that Monique and Karina have embraced. They are trying to show her the steadfast love of Christ, in the midst of her ever-changing and unstable home life. The girls were really struggling with the best way to show her love. It was so beautiful to watch them asking questions about how they should treat her so that their actions best represent Christ to Emily. But today Emily's mom came to pick her up from her uncle's house to take her to a boarding school in Idaho. 

It was so sad to see her leave, but not hard. I am trusting that God has done this for a reason. 

The roller coaster went down hill fast, but everything is okay. It is still way dark on this ride, and I can not see what is in front of me. I don't even know if it is going to be a drop or a turn or an uphill that comes next, but that is the way the ride is supposed to be.

Then I went back to school to meet with the Admissions lady to sign the payment papers for next semester. When I got finished with that, I called Ben back because I had missed a call from him when I was saying goodbye to Emily. 

Ben asked me if I had heard the sad news yet, and I said no. He told me that Amanda, the high school girl who works in the office at my work got in a train crash and passed away. I could barely make it through the phone call before the tears began. 

I was a mess. I was walking around the parking lot, trying to be calm. I just had to sit on the curb and pray. I know that God is using this to soften Ben's heart. 

Last night as we were laying in bed I was holding back tears and telling Emily (the roommate, not the one moving to Idaho) that I have talked so much to Ben that I do not think that words are even getting to his heart anymore. I have been praying for him to SEE the Church loving each other and loving him. I have no idea how he is going to get embraced by the Church, but perhaps through Amanda's death he will see the love of the Body of Christ. 

Please pray for the Church to love and for Ben to feel and see that love in this time of sadness. 

So, the roller coaster is still going full speed. I can not see a thing, and I have no idea what the next move will be. But I am trusting that the cart is still on the tracks and that God is guiding it.