fire

I almost set my parents' kitchen on fire tonight. Somehow, the hot pad caught on fire when I pulled some bread out of the oven. It quickly spread around the edge of the hot pad, so I threw the bread on the stove and the hot pad on the floor. I got it out by suffocating it with a wash cloth, and all was ok. Whew.

Just watched the movie Luther. It's a good one. I never knew much about him and how much he went through to bring Christianity to the people. He must have been a passionate man.

new camera...some pictures

I got a new digital camera for Christmas! So, you get to see a few pictures of Christmas at my Gramaw's on the farm in west Texas.

We all got matching backpacks with special pockets in the front! 

My cousin and sister modeling their funny English shirts from Korea 

Gramaw and my two handsome cousins 

white christmas!

Wednesday, we left Austin and drove to Abilene. A cold front came in that day and we had snow when we got back to Abilene! I remembered how much driving in even half bad weather is not fun at all, but the snow was lovely. My cousin Audra ended up staying with us one night since she didn't want to drive in the weather and we had a fun night with her at my parents' house.

The next day, the roads had cleared out enough so Audra and I drove to Whitharral, where my Dad's family lives. I got to stay at my cousin Sarah's new house. She made a yummy dinner and I made an almost-as-yummy dessert. We had Christmas at my Gramaw's house on the farm. The snow melted away on Christmas, but that made for nice (if slushy) walking on the dirt roads after Christmas lunch. I didn't have any fun saying goodbye to my family out there. It wasn't made any better by my cousin starting to cry, then making me cry when I left!

I went to church this morning at the church I grew up going to, where my parents still grow. I hadn't been there in years, and it was good to see some people I knew there and then at lunch afterwards at a nearby barbecue restaurant. That's one of the fun things about coming back to your hometown...a lot stays the same, and there are still a lot of people I know. One friend of the family came up to say hi to me after church today and commented, "I think missions and being overseas might just be in your blood now." I guess she might be right. I sure love being back in Texas, but I can't imagine living here again yet.

Austin Christmas

I've been at my grandma's house for a few days, visiting with her and a few other Austin and Dripping Springs friends. The past few days I've been running around less and enjoying time in her neighborhood more. This morning, I took a walk after making a sweet potato casserole for dinner tonight. It's warm today. The mail carrier was wearing shorts, but I also see people in sweaters and scarves...I guess because they think it's December and that's what they're supposed to wear. I walked past little girls playing in the piles of leaves their dad had just raked together, somebody practicing on his drum set in the garage, a guy in a convertible singing along to "Jingle Bell Rock," and neighbors talking in the front yard. It's fun to enjoy the community feeling around here.

Tonight is Christmas with my mom's side of the family here in Austin. I'm taking a break from helping my grandma get the feast ready, but we seem to have it under control. My parents, sister, and brother in law are headed in from Abilene and my uncle and his family will come over tonight, too.

Sunday, I got to see everybody at church again. I had lunch with a family from church that was trying to set me up with a guy, but since it was spur of the moment, it didn't work out. That was a bit of a relief, but I was curious about what he would be like, too. Sunday night, I got to go to the Austin Trail of Lights with my favorite twin friends, then we went to eat at my favorite pizza place afterwards.

Yesterday, I got to eat at Hula Hut, probably my favorite restaurant in Austin, with a good friend from when I taught in Dripping, then later went to see a movie with another family from church. It's been a good, relaxing trip so far filled with lots of good times with friends and family, and it's only half over!

driving

I just got back to Austin so I can go to church tomorrow at my church in Dripping Springs. I love the drive from Abilene to Austin...today, I passed over Lake Brownwood with the 3 o'clock sun shining over the water, and enjoyed the golden fields alongside the long stretches of road as I listened to a book on CD from my mom. Not bad for unwinding time. I also realized I love it when good ol' boys let you pass by pulling over to the shoulder. When I passed them, I gave them the "thanks" motion by lifting my hand from the steering wheel for them to see through the rear window. They always lift their hand in response. Just a little feeling of community right there - pretty insignificant, but fun anyway.

I filled up most of my time this week by just meeting friends and spending time with family. It's been really good. It almost feels normal, but then I snap back when the cashier asks for my zip code or phone number and I give them my parents', but am tempted to give them my numbers from Korea, then realize that would be too hard to explain.

I'm looking forward to this next week! I finally get to see my sister and brother in law on Tuesday, then my cousins, aunts, uncles, and gramaw on my dad's side later this week. Yay for Christmas get togethers!

grand times in Texas

Today I'm at my friend Robin's house. Her cute boy is taking a nap and she's making white chocolate covered cranberries (my old favorite Christmas time treat!) in the kitchen while she lets me catch up on email and stuff on the computer. I've been staying in Austin with my grandma while I visit people in Dripping. Too bad I can't spend quality time with everyone, but I'm cramming in as much as I can! It feels so normal in one way, but so strange in another to be hanging out with all these people here at home. I feel like I have so much to share, but I don't think I do a very good job of sharing it. I'm pretty good at answering questions, though, as long as they're not too vague. Maybe I should keep a list of good questions that people ask me and publish a list of good questions to ask your friend who's visiting from a foreign country. Thankfully, most of my friends are so interested in hearing about stuff that they'll keep asking until they get what they want.

Tonight, I'm going to the prayer ministry team at my church. Last time when I came home, it was the highlight of my week. They were so encouraging and I felt like I left with a basketful of good stuff in the spiritual to take away with me. So, needless to say, I have high expectations of this time.

texas

I got in to Dallas yesterday morning. Culture shock began when I got through customs and began to notice that I could understand everything people were saying as I walked past people in conversations and people on cell phones. Crazy.

I rented a car and then drove to meet my friend Jacquie. We had a tasty Mexican food (yeah!) lunch together. I didn't have another friend to meet until dinner, so I went shopping - bought some jeans and shoes. I was at Target, coming out of the bathroom, and a little wide-eyed girl whose mom was changing the other baby's diaper looked at me and said, "What, you don't have any babies?" It was so funny. I told her no, and then she said, "See, my mom has babies." I said, "Yes she does!" Then the little girl pointed to the fake plant in the bathroom and said, "Is that plant real?" I told her no, then she said, "It doesn't need water? So, how do you take care of it?" It was just a great conversation we were having. Her mom was laughing and commented on how many questions her daughter asks. I then said goodbye. Funny encounters with people aren't confined to foreign countries!

I met my friends Paul and Terri at their house for dinner after driving for about a million hours in traffic. It's been nice to drive again, but I can really say after last night that public transportation is a good thing. I'm glad I don't have to drive in Seoul. Had a great visit with them. They made some enchiladas, beans, and rice! I was happy to eat Mexican food again. I drove to Denton to my cousin's house, and by this time was totally worn out. I got a lovely night's rest, though, and feel excellent today after a shower, a cup of coffee, and a cinnamon crunch bagel from Panera bread. Oh my goodness, I love fresh bagels and cream cheese in the morning!

still gotta pack

But I'm gonna write a little entry before I finish packing.

I spent today wrapping presents to take home, trying to call the always busy immigration office, and running last day errands. We had prayer tonight and two of the Korean ladies came to join us! That was good. One of them brought me a handmade scarf, rainbow colored! I love it.

Last week, one of Shannon's life groups came to my house for lunch and they brought gifts, then they saw that I had borrowed dishes to have enough to feed them with and they said they were going to bring me some things later. So, they came over the next night and brought at least three big sacks full of stuff. I inherited a colorful rug, a cute table cloth, many dishes, and a LOT of silverware. It's really good, because Laura still needed some stuff and Valerie, a new friend, needed a lot of stuff, so I was able to pass on what I couldn't use. What a blessing!

Tonight, when I got home from prayer, there was a note on my door from Valerie. Her heat still wasn't working, so we went to visit the security man and he sent someone up. The guy he sent up was the building engineer. (I didn't know we had one!) I think he'd been enjoying his evening before he got a call...he smelled like a bit of soju. He was overly helpful. He showed us how to turn on the valves to make it work, and stayed around for a while, asking for a drink and making conversation. I think he liked Valerie- he kept mentioning how pretty she was! So, that gave us something to laugh about. When he left the apartment, he said "I'm so happy!"

So, I'm leaving for Texas tomorrow. Pray about my visa with me. I think I want to try to get a student visa, but I don't know if it'll be too complicated.

Now, for the packing and some sleep! See you in Texas!

another Nouwen quote

I started on another book this weekend, but here's one more Nouwen quote. I just share it because I have a lot to learn from it.

“One day, I was sitting with Rodleigh, the leader of the troupe, in his caravan, talking about flying. He said, ‘As a flyer, I must have complete trust in my catcher. The public might think that I am the great star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be there for me with split-second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump.’
‘How does it work?’ I asked.
‘The secret,’ Rodleigh said, ‘is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. When I fly to Joe, I have to simply stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me and pull me safely over the apron behind the catchbar.’
‘You do nothing!’ I said, surprised.
‘Nothing,’ Rodleigh repeated. ‘The worst thing the flyer can do is try to catch the catcher. I am not supposed to catch Joe. It’s Joe’s task to catch me. If I grabbed Joe’s wrists, I might break them, or he might break mine, and that would be the end of both of us. A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him.’”
-Henri
Nouwen, talking about a conversation with some friends he made who were trapeze
artists in a circus

cold, comin' home

It's cold today. I haven't checked the weather, but I think a cold front blew in yesterday afternoon. Lucky for me, I tried to get on wireless in my apartment next to my window just now and it's working! I just layed out all of the presents I have accumulated through the year on my table and am about to sort through and wrap them. Fun. I'm trying to get my visa situation sorted out for when I come back, but immigration isn't answering. I should be able to get a student visa, but I'm not sure if I really want that or if I should just get a tourist visa again. Hmmn.

I've got a few errands to take care of in the next three days, then I get to leave for TEXAS on Thursday morning! I also get to Texas on Thursday morning. So strange how that works. I'll be eatin' some tasty Mexican food and seeing friends and family so soon!

Nouwen quote

I am spending my first whole day at home in a while, and it's really nice. I am realizing how short my attention span is, though. I think it's getting shorter in my old age. I have been reading, heating up leftovers for lunch, and studying Korean. After studying Korean for a while, though, I decided to come post a quote I read earlier in this biography of Henri Nouwen I just finished. It's good food for thought for me.

We, too, must move from action to ‘passion,’ from being in control to being dependent, from taking initiatives to having to wait, from living to dying. Painful and nearly impossible as this move seems to be, it is in this movement that our true fruitfulness is hidden. Our years of action are years of success and accomplishment. During these years, we do things about which we can speak with pride. But much of this success and many of these accomplishments will soon lie behind us. We might still point to them in the form of trophies, medals, or artistic products. But what is beyond our success and productivity? Fruitfulness lies beyond and that fruitfulness comes through passion, or suffering. Just as the ground can only bear fruit if broken by the plow, our own lives can only be fruitful if opened through passion. Suffering is precisely ‘undergoing’ action by others, over which we have no control.

-Henri Nouwen, in reference to John 21:18