Verse and Voice

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

- John 8:31-32

When you pray, move your feet.

- African Proverb

Hmm sunshine for three months long...

summer is near.

I wish I could say that I was excited for summer, but I am not that excited. I am finding that all my friends have the same answer when we ask "Are you excited for summer?" Most of us answer, "Yes, not to have school work, but I just wish we could live here and be with each other." That is how I feel. But I need to be a big girl and accept the fact that I will be apart from my loves all summer- but see them at weddings luckily!

This summer I am nannying, taking two online classes,two weddings, a week long vaca (with no plans yet- maybe Medford to see Rach or Austin to see Em), and a week at Lake Siskiyou with the fam. That sounds pretty fun... I just need to get super pumped about it haha.

Bike rides, late night mexico food runs, tennis matches, making money, preparing for D.C., finding an internship, swimming non-stop are all part of the plans.

Alright, I am coming to grips with this.

This made me happy.

A refugee family from Nepal, resettled in New York City. This is a snap shot of their story and pictures.

Most of the time when I blog, It is often a quick thought or something that I have been chewing on for a while. Often it is something absolutely absurd and unnecessary. This week has been a time of focus and of challenging moments that the Holy Spirit has placed me in. I have been dying to get my hands on the book “The Hole in our Gospels,” by the way. I have been challenged in so many ways this week. First of all, I know I am not getting married but I keep thinking about how much money people spend on weddings and then I think of how I could do it as cheap as possible. I have been thinking about how I would be disgusted if I received too many gifts and how I would want people to donate money to something instead. When I painted my toe nails yesterday I was thinking, “Man, I better take advantage of toe nail polish now because I never know if you will be able to use it on the field.” I also have been catching myself thinking I am extremely selfish for being sad my favorite sandal breaking or that I lost one of my TOM shoes. I have seen people taking quizzes on “What dream house should I live in” on facebook and have thought “Ah- I could never.” I am not saying all of this to say I am a better person by any means. It is just I am realizing these thoughts are moving into my head more frequently than ever. I have also been trying to take the gospel seriously, as in making sure its sign, word, and deed, and have found it extremely challenging. Yet God still desires to use me. I have this dream of what the church could look like if we really did follow the bible and followed Jesus example of social issues. It would be so beautiful and so powerful. What if we all allowed the Holy Spirit to challenge us? God would do so many cool things. I am in this place where I almost feel stuck. This is random grumble.
Jesus is challenging me. A lot.

Heart and mind food to chew on.

Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Bible texts are best read with a pair of glasses made out of today's newspaper.

-Dorothee Solle,
German theologian and writer, from Justice in an Unjust World, by Karen Labacqz

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake
in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

- Psalm 46:1-3

The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

-Martin Luther King Jr.

DC and Internship excitement.

All last week I was sitting with the thought "Dang it, this World Vision Internship isn't looking too sunny." So I did something about it. I searched my brains out finding internships yesterday (for D.C.).

Here are my new top picks:
1. International Rescue Comittee
2. USCRI
3. Bread for the World

I got REALLY excited when I read this job description for IRC:

(Here are some pictures of refuggees in Sudan, San Diego, Pakistan, and Oakland)

Employment and Special Programs Internship

One of the most integral parts of resettlement is employment. It is crucial for clients to be employed to become self sufficient. The IRC’s employment program helps clients prepare for their first job in the US. The intern for the Employment and Special Programs Coordinator will provide support for programs that enable clients. The intern will also participate in and organize specialized programs to better serve clients who have been in the United States for over eight months.

Responsibilities:
• Participate and conduct information sessions, workshops, and programs to address the needs of clients
• Help Job Developer identify, cultivate, and maintain relationships/partnerships with service providers and employers.
• Maintain database of contact information
• Collect and track relevant statistics on current programs and guide development of new initiatives
• Assist clients in planning for self-sufficiency through use of family budget
• Provide job counseling and acculturation to US workplace expectations. Assist in developing resumes and cover letters
• Coordinate client’s initial transportation needs to interviews, drug tests, and worksites.
• Follow up with employers/employees after job placement. Strive to resolve problems to employer’s and employee’s satisfaction.
• Help clients access community resources that address acculturation and adaptation

Qualifications:
• An interest in international and asylum issues
• Effective communication and writing skills
• Attention to detail
• Self-motivation and initiative to follow through on projects
• Interest in working in a multi-cultural setting
• Fluency/ proficiency in a second language is desirable -- Ha, this will be an issue.
• Minimum 20 hour per week commitment

(That is really long... and that is just one of the many internships I am excited about)

When I started on my internship search I was just thinking "Hmm, where could I be offered a job or what would a good government job be?" So past that. I love development, which is still government related. I love and want to empower people who don't think they can make it. I want to make others feel welcome in the states. I want others to feel loved.

I am coming to realize I can't see myself doing anything else but humanitarian/missionary work. Which... p.s. is SOO cool/such an awesome afirmation from the Emma J. Johnson Scholarship I just received; Praise God!

I am really excited about applying for these internships, but not excited eabout asking my professors for more references (I have asked Dr. Greene for so many- bless her heart)!

Side note: I looked up how many minutes it would take me to walk to the metro, get on the metro and arrive in maryland for the IRC internship, and walk to IRC... about 30-40 min and got WAY excited. Ah.

God has my internship figured out already. And I am so thankful for that.