We're going to China!

Yep! Erik and I are planning to head to China- but only for a little over a week at the end of the summer {July 19-28}. Keep reading to find out more about our trip and how you can support and pray for us ...

Towards the end of last year, I stumbled upon a video that Mary Beth Chapman had posted on Facebook. It was about the Show Hope 10,000 campaign. The video urged viewers to join others and be a member of Show Hope. The video really tugged on mine and Erik's heartstrings and we began to sponsor Show Hope. {You can watch the video here: Show Hope 10,000 Campaign}

Anyway, at the beginning of this year I heard about an opportunity for Show Hope sponsors to go on a trip to China and visit Maria's Big House of Hope. I was SO excited! I watched the video {that is below} and was very emotional thinking about the orphans in China and I was so excited about the possibility of going there. After watching the video and reading up on the trip, Erik and I felt strongly that we should go. But, there was a little problem ... We had to be back at school by the time the trip was scheduled for. But little did we know, we actually didn't. Because of the Ramadan holiday here, we actually don't have to be back to work until the end of July. When my principal told me the date we had to be back to work, I did a little joy dance because the China trip is scheduled right during the last week of our summer. SO ... we applied towards the end of November and just heard that we have been "accepted" and are officially part of the Show Hope mission team! :) Even now as I am writing this, I am so amazed at how God worked out all the details leading up this opportunity for Erik and I. God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

Below you can read some information about Show Hope and specifically about the trip we will be taking. You can also watch the video! Erik and I will be raising support to go on the trip. If you would be interested in supporting us, please write me a private message on Facebook with your address. We will be sending support letters soon. And we will of course need lots of prayer and I will do my best to update you on the process :)

About Show Hope:

"Recognizing that adoption is a perfect picture of what God has done for each of us in making us His children through Christ, ShowHOPE has been established to care for orphans by engaging the church and helping Christian families reduce the financial barriers to adoption. Psalm 68:5-6 tells us that as the Father to the fatherless, God delights in setting the lonely in families. It has been our experience that the scriptural mandate of caring for orphans, such as the one found in James 1:27, is really a wonderful invitation to experience God in a profound way by being a part of His sovereign plan for His precious children. Working from these foundational truths, ShowHOPE exists to enable children living without the love and hope of an earthly family to be adopted into "covenant homes." These families can provide not only the love and support needed for this life, but also provide a child with the knowledge of God's plan for his or her eternal life with a forever family called The Body of Christ." {taken from http://stevencurtischapman.com/about/adoption} 

About our specific trip: 

"We will spend the majority of our time at the Show Hope Special Care Center, Maria's Big House of Hope, a six-story medical care center for orphans with special needs located in Luoyang, China. Activities will include coming alongside the nannies to play and interact with the children, small work projects as needed at Maria's Big House of Hope. We will also spend time together as a team daily, growing in our understanding of our calling to care for the abandoned. In addition, we will visit various tourist sites in Beijing, go shopping, and enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine." {taken from www.showhope.org}

For more information, this is a great video to watch ... 

Oh and by the way, Erik and I will still be visiting the States from June 14ish until we go on the trip. We are SO excited about the way this opportunity has worked out and our WAY pumped about our summer! :)

Thanks for you interest in our lives and for your constant prayers.

Bye for now.

It's almost February? What?!

Seriously. I can NOT believe it is almost the end of January. It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago that Erik and I were getting settled into our new apartment. But here we are, at the end of January and already more than halfway through the year. That. Is. Crazy. Since we have gotten back from Australia, things have been extremely busy. The first week back in school grades were due, along with other things that had to be done in order to "close out" term 2 and move onto term 3. Erik has been really busy getting ready for season 2 of sports to start (which started these last 2 weeks), and he was also busy planning sports day which happened this last Thursday (January 17). After a crazy week with those things, last week ended with a lot of rain and a flood alert for the Jakarta area. We had Friday off of school and even though the surprise 3-day weekend came at a good time, we were burdened to see all of the people around us without homes or missing. Thankfully, the Kemang area where we live wasn't that flooded, but surrounding areas weren't so lucky. Here is a picture of downtown Jakarta: 

Thankfully, it doesn't look like that anymore. Even though we have definitely still had rain over the last few days, it hasn't been as bad, and we have even been blessed enough to see the sun on a few days. Even though roads have cleared up, there is still a lot that needs to be done and villages/homes that are in need. I am so glad that we work in a school with people who are willing to serve, and choose to ACT. Yesterday, some teachers got together and packed up bags of goods to take to a village/school nearby that was flooded badly. Tomorrow {Saturday} a group of us are planning to deliver the bags to them. I am excited that we are able to be a part of this and blessed to be a part of such a great school.

250 bags in under 50 minutes. Many hands makes light work :) 

Okay moving on from the flood stuff  now...
Yesterday, Erik and Chris took their basketball team out to a tournament/clinic out in Karawaci. Karawaci is an area near Jakarta where the bigger and oldest campus of SPH is. During the business that had been going on since we got back from Australia, I dropped a couple {or lots} of hints to Erik about how nice it would be to stay at a hotel out in Karawaci. We went there once last year, and it is such a nice get away, especially when we feel like we haven't spent lots of quality time together. So, Erik told me on Wednesday that we were officially going to go stay on Thursday night. I was obviously very excited, so after I helped pack bags at the school for a bit, I had a much needed coffee date with Katie, and then headed out to Karawaci to meet Erik. Even though it was rainy most of the time, we really enjoyed our one night little "get away". It definitely refreshed me and makes me feel more ready for more craziness coming up in February.

After some dinner at Burger King {we go all out} we checked into our room and enjoyed the night by the pool. 

After some time at the pool, we ordered some dessert and enjoyed American Idol :)
Room service was about $6. Can't beat that! 

This morning, we enjoyed a yummy breakfast and then because of the rain ended up just relaxing in our room, reading. 

Our Cabana. Cute little place. 

It was really exactly what we needed as we get ready for the next couple of weeks. Erik still has a lot going on with sports and he will also be leaving with some other senior school teachers and students for a trip to Malang (a city in Indonesia). February 4-8 is a week that our school is focusing on service. The older kids are taking trips for the whole week, while younger ones are taking day trips with their classroom teachers, or doing retreats, or like me, just staying at school and doing service projects/lessons. In my class, we will be raising money for Habitat for Humanity, and also being visited by a national school nearby. I am excited to help my kiddos realize how "good we have it" and to teach them about how they can serve even at a young age. So you can be praying for both of us during that week. Erik, as he goes on the trip to Malang with 30 other students, and me, as I will be in Jakarta for the week. Thankfully I'll have friends that will also be husband-less to keep me company :).
After service week, my class will be busy with Valentines Day parties, etc. Before we know it, I am sure we will turn around and it will be spring break already. Please continue to pray for our students and for Indonesia. God is good and life here is great right now. I definitely have my "I want to go home right now" and "I hate Jakarta" days, but overall, I continue to feel the peace of God in being here and even through these busy times, I feel God's presence and love. Thank for you your continued prayers - they mean so much and we definitely feel them. We love you all.

Bye for now <3