11 hours

I am currently writing this from the plane on which I'm trapped for the next 10 hours. But let's not get confused here...this plane is AWESOME! I mean, sure, I'm stuck in a flying piece of metal for way too long, the air is being circulated around and around and around again, the flight instructions seem to be in every language except the 2 I speak, and there are a lot of people around me with their shoes off (and I hate feet...for those of you that didn't know). 

But none of that even comes close to ruining the awesome experience of being on an A330.

This aircraft is decked out. There are 6 bathrooms, 3 aisles (pictured *kind of..I was trying to avoid looking like a stupid American that takes pictures of seats...*), incredibly attentive flight attendants, delicious meals, and even complimentary slippers and warm towels. But that's not all! There are also movies, music, a way to learn Korean before you get off the plane (granted, this would be more helpful if we were staying in Korea, but I still think its really cool that they have that!), and even a way to get phone service if you're willing to pay $12.50 per minute. Oh and did I mention that there's even great company?! There isn't a better way to travel...let alone start a missions trip! 

I feel so blessed! Thank you again to everyone who financially supported myself and the team, who have prayed and are praying for us, and who are reading this. You have blessed me so tremendously.

Seattle

We have arrived in Seattle! So we have 45 minutes of our 18 hours of flying done! This next flight will be 11 hours, then we will connect to another flight that will take 6 hours. THEN we will have arrived in the Kingdom of Cambodia! I'm sure there will be more to report on after our upcoming flight. Or maybe I should rephrase that: I'll have more to report after my first ever international flight!! We are safe and well fed thus far...thank you everyone for the prayers. God is so good!

We leave today!

Well it's finally real! I haven't gotten out of bed yet, but I haven't stopped thinking about the trip since my head hit the pillow. Numerous dreams (thankfully no nightmares) multiple prayers, and a whole lot of "am I really gonna do this?!" conversations with God later, I have come to the realization that I get on an airplane for a foreign country in 3 hours. 

As our trip progresses, I will write and add pictures so you can follow what we are doing; but more importantly, what God is doing. 

Just one more HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported me either financially and/or prayerfully. You are such a blessing in my life. I can't wait to see how God uses me in Cambodia, and you guys made a huge impact in my life through your support! 

The Diner

So this past week, I went to serve at The Diner with some people from the Eugene Church of Christ. The Diner is basically an old diner (go figure) that serves 300 homeless people a huge meal on a daily basis. So cool, right?!

So I went to serve, and wasn't really sure what to expect. I don't usually serve in an official setting; it's usually just me going under the bridge and serving either by myself or with a few other people. But I guess it shouldn't be surprising that I was touched by almost every person I came in contact with. Unfortunately, I was in the food serving line and not going around sitting in booths with people and talking to them. BUT it really made no difference. I was able to talk to people anyways.

I saw at least 3 people come through the food line wearing clothes I distinctly remember folding for the Touch Project. AKA: some of the people at this diner were at my Touch Project!!!

The one guy that really just touched me deep came through the line with a shining smile. We asked him how he was doing just as we had asked everyone else that had come through. He looked back at all 3 of us, and said he was doing okay. He then proceeded to turn to his friend behind him and say something short and choppy in a different language. They both laughed, and we must have had really weird looks on our faces, because when he turned back around he clarified. He told us that it was some indian language, and that he had said "I'm doing okay." I guess the funny part was that they had said this to each other on multiple occasions in the past. It was touching, because you could tell they had a connection, and that these two grown men were a team that supported each other and kept each other's spirits high.

After thinking "Man, I gotta blog about these guys!" they continued to tug on my heart strings. The first guy turned back around to us and said "And if you're not doing okay, you just say 'eh...ask me later!' ....you should never say that you're not doing good" SERIOUSLY?! How can this grown homeless man be so thankful and positive? He has nothing. His pride is dirtier than his clothing. He begs on street corners for spare change, because he has no other options. He is too old to get a physical labor job, and can't get nice enough clothes to get an interview for another type of job. Even if he did, he doesn't have a whole lot of schooling. The jobs this man could realistically get are not very good....and with the economy the way it is, his chances are low anyways. (I'm kind of cheating, because I have had many encounters with this man...so I have some insight about him. But this whole encounter still caught me off guard)

There is so much more I could write, but it would just turn into a rant, so I'll stop here and leave you (hopefully) wanting more ;)

Touch Project Pictures

Breakfast under the bridge

This morning was the 3rd morning this week that I went down to the Washington Jefferson Bridge to feed the homeless. There's a skate park being built under the bridge...right where the homeless have been living. So to ease the blow, and continue encouraging NCU students to serve, I've been going down to talk to, pray with, and feed people in need. 

I've met a lot of cool people in the last week, but someone today really touched my heart and pulled on it's strings. His name is Eli, and he is 26 years old. At first, he looked wary of our small group, and didn't look to excited to come over. But with the food sitting out, and 3 people smiling and greeting him, he gave in and walked over to us. When we said good morning and asked how his morning was going, he replied something like this: "It's been good. It's cold out, but I slept pretty good". After he grabbed his food, I went over to sit next to him. He looked surprised...I asked what caught him off guard, and he said "People don't get that close to me. I'm dirty" While I was trying to recover from that comment and think of something new to say, he looked at me just waiting. Since I really wasn't thinking of anything, I blurted out (I'm not kidding...I really did blurt it out. I probably sounded ridiculous) "Well...you wanna pray with me before you eat?" He said yes, so I said a quick prayer (I always feel bad praying for a long time before their meal, because they finally have food in front of them. I'm sure they don't want to wait very long to start eating). So we prayed, and we talked a little bit, and then there was a pause. I was sitting there, enjoying the chilly morning with the sun peeking past the hill, and he was busy eating. Then he looked over to me and said "I just got out of prison." In my head, I was thinking "Okay...think of something to say. Don't just let that slide. Ask what happened. No, that would be rude, don't ask. Just think of something to say!" So eventually I thought of something, and it must not have been good, because I don't remember what I even said. But it was something and that led to further conversation. Finally, I asked him what he's really in need of since he's new on the streets. He said he could really use some socks and people. He craves human contact, but no one will ever give him the time of day. He then proceeded to nudge me and look me in the eyes. We locked eyes for a few seconds, and then he said genuinely, "Thank you. So much." I didn't know what to do. I am always touched by the homeless, and I always get the chills after I talk to them. But I needed some time to process...so naturally, I stalled. I asked him if he needed a blanket, because he looked FREEZING. He said yes, so I sent Lars to my car to grab my blanket. (Let's be real...I'm lazy. I didn't want to stand up to get it!) But we kept talking, Lars came back with the blanket, and then Eli stood up and said "I'm sorry...I really don't want to leave you guys, but this blanket is warm, and I could really use some more sleep" and he left! He went about 30 yards away, laid down on the concrete, and fell asleep. 

More happened after that, but that was the most important stuff.

I'll post pictures later...but Lars is the one that took them, and he hasn't sent them to me yet.

The Touch Project

Okay, so the Touch Project is coming up this Saturday afternoon! This is what I've been working on all semester...it's a huge deal! Last year, we served about 300 homeless and low income individuals. I'm aiming for 350-400 this year! 

Students have really gotten into it this time around. We counted up about 2/3 of the donations from NCU students and the Eugene Church of Christ at the sorting party... So far, we have 123 girls/womens clothing items, 97 boys/mens clothing items, 13 pairs of shoes, a full box of toiletries (shavers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, etc), 7 purses, 62 hats, and a ton of sunglasses. 

You can see how much work it was to sort through everything...but the result made it well worth it.

So this Saturday we will have a huge BBQ, a donation station (obviously), haircuts, a shaving station, a place to get their nails painted, a foot washing station (John 13...Jesus washes his disciples feet), a games station (where people can play basketball, frisbee, volleyball, catch) and 2 kids stations (where they can color, play hopscotch, get their faces painted, etc) Then of course we will have NCU members walking around talking and sharing the gospel. There will also be some awesome music happening!

I will post  more pictures after the event! I think it will be an amazing experience for all the students that decide to show up. At least I hope so!