So far after the Trek

Hi friends!

I'm been back from Bangkok for about two weeks now. For a brief overview for those who do not know, I was on IV's Global Urban Trek with Iheoma for 6 weeks in Bangkok. It was with a team of 15 students and 4 staff from across the country. We split into 4 different ministry sites (Iheoma and I were at different sites) and I lived and served with a team of 4 other girls in an urban slum leper colony.

I've largely been sitting in a lot of tensions, thinking about life for the next few months, spending time with family, entertaining my cousin's family who were here for a week, and hiding from life and the world. But! I've started to come out some and enjoyed playing ultimate with Mike Wei and Andrew Kao among others over the weekend. :)

It's been hella rough coming back. If there's a one word answer I would give to "how was it?" I would say "traumatic" (even though if I was listening to myself, I would think I'm being overdramatic, but that's really the honest answer). Both the experience there and coming back. Re-entry angst has tapered down some now but there's still unexpected triggers here and there and I suspect this will continue for quite a while. So I ask for a lot of grace from you. I also recognize a lot of ways the Lord has been so gracious to me, and I'll share some highlights.

This is my 2 year old niece. She's so cute! She was visiting when I returned. We were picking tomatoes. I spent a lot of time with preschooler's in Bangkok, so it was helpful for the transition. And I especially enjoy little kids that speak Asian languages :).

There's also been a lot of excellent food going around as so many relatives have been coming through town. I've been eating at my grandparents' houses (both sides) frequently and the food is the best! Plus then there is white rice, which is soo good. (We eat brown rice at home. sad face.) As well as going out to Chinese bakeries for bread and egg tarts, dim sum, tofu house, and Kalbi the korean taco truck. om nom nom

Hanging out with my cousins has been filled with a lot of joy and light hearted laughter and included activities like watching DBZ and Taiwan dramas, picking thousands of prunes from our stupid overproductive tree (anyone want some?? that picture is only a small portion of the harvest -_-) and 'mowing' the overgrown lawn with clippers because our lawn mower is broken (the worst!), which has shaken me out of my post-trek stupor some. And I've discovered also that speaking Chinese (or Chinglish [Chinese + English]) is extremely life giving.

At this point, I'm in a place where I would love to share about the Trek and Bangkok with you if you are interested. But only if you ask me questions about it and they are not stupid. If you are unsure what classifies as a stupid question, you can ask me before you ask it or consult anyone who has done an urban project. =) Otherwise I would greatly appreciate it if you do ask questions and continue to ask, as it helps me process and remember. And again, I ask for grace because I've discovered I'm an especially awful story teller and share-er. And because the Trek experience isn't something I can share in a nice tied up bow and be over and done with in one conversation. Thanks!

As for what is to come, I start work beginning of October with the SF SPCA (yes the animal police people on animal planet). I have like a vet tech position at the veterinary hospital that sees dogs and cats. Next month I'm going WWOOF-ing with a friend (organic farm hopping, though we probably will not hop).

Okay people who have not posted need to post! How about Mike Wei, Andrew Kao, or Tricky Bruce?

Claudia

Moving from one place to another.

Hello friends! I apologize for not posting earlier, I figured I’d let some time pass so I actually have something to post but now this is a long one so I hope you make it to the end.

I moved to Boston about four weeks ago and started working already. In terms of finding an apartment, God was really gracious to me. I felt somewhat stressed while I was in Vegas and trying to make my transition. But now I have a place with two other guys (one of them Christian), and they are really cool about living together. I don’t have many things in my room but I enjoy of what I do have: a guitar, books, my clothes, and a borrowed air mattress that I sleep on. It’s nice to have so little as it feels liberating yet can also get boring when I exhaust my discipline with guitar practicing and writing.

The primary thing I want to share in this post though, is about the church I go to. These past four years have been incredible in what God has being doing in me. But I am still a young Christian, learning what it means in every aspect of our lives. And for the past four years, I have identified as a Catholic Christian due to me loosely growing up in the church. I also have been rather negligent in learning what it means to be a Catholic Christian specifically. But the time has come for me to fully explore where God wants me to be.

Lately, I’ve been reading about the particulars of Catholic and Protestant theology to try to understand what the situation is between both church groups. In practice this looks rather odd. I have been reading books on what the wholesome Catholic belief is while attending a Protestant church. It is also a difficult thing to process, especially on my own and is largely the reason why I go to Hope Fellowship Church. So far, I have learned many things about both churches that I previously did not know and processing where I stand spiritually. The reason I have continued to attend Hope is because through mutual complicated circumstances, I have always felt a lack of a connection within the Catholic community.

I know that I fall so short of any of my efforts and need God’s mercy to help guide me in all the things I do. Hope is a wonderful church that has opened its doors in this time of transition for me. I ate lunch with one of the pastors, Dane, and shared with him my faith background and where I currently stand, both spiritually and emotionally. He is a blessing from God in praying, encouraging, and guiding me with an openness that shouldn’t have surprised me but did so anyways. Unfortunately, this discernment process is taking a toll on me. I had been unable to sleep at times and will just think about this process, as well as my job, my family, my friends, the past four years.

There is still a long road ahead of me. For the time being, I feel God’s encouragement in attending Hope. I get the sense that He means to bless me through this church and intends to grow me to share myself with them as well. It can feel difficult and lonely at times but I am so grateful in remembrance of all the ways that God shows that He has been and is always with me.

Juan

p.s. I think next time I'll post about all the other things that I have found or done in Boston :]