God's Pursuing Presence | My Drifting Humanity

Starting this week and for the next 4 weeks Campus House is having an Easter Project Bible Study. This is the first week and we read Romans 8:35-39. It talks about how nothing can separate us from the LOVE of Christ. A question that was asked in the study was:  What do I think is separating myself from God's love? -- I came up with a short list of things: being selfish, too busy, wasting time on the internet, going out to bars, not being an example of Christ, and not spreading His word.

All of these things do not get in the way from God loving me. This is pretty crazy to wrap my mind around. How could he love me after all of these mistakes I keep repeating!? I am comforted by God's grace and his love. I am trying to work on these things... I want to take more interest in others than myself, I want to take time to stop and spend time with God, I want to read the Bible more than I spend surfing the net, I want to hang out and have deep conversation than going out to the bars, I want to do everything for God, I want to be the best example of Him that I can be.

Part of the Bible study included a poem by Jaclyn Myers. Part of it stuck out to me: "nothing comes between God's pursuing presence and my drifting humanity." I just think about how God is always knocking on the door to come into our lives but we are too busy to even hear him knocking. We need to stop rushing through our lives and spend meaningful time with God.

Another question that was asked in the study was "What is God asking me to sacrifice to be more intentional about my relationship with Him?" That did not take long to answer. FACEBOOK. I spend wayyyy too much time on Facebook just looking through stuff. I want to take all that time I waste on Facebook and use it to read the Bible. Just think how much I could be learning. I want to limit myself to only going on Facebook 2 times a day instead of 24/7. I want to do this for the next 4 weeks. Maybe I can try to even go without Facebook for a full day. We shall see.

I was cleaning out the notes from my Bible and came across this...
Romans 12: Holy & Pleasing --
The essence of holiness is not new behavior, activity, or disciplines. Holiness is new affections, new desires and new motives that then lead to new behavior. | Tim Chester

Over the summer I worked at a kids summer camp. Some books recommended were My Upmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Let me know if you have read either of these and your thoughts. I am not much of a reader but I don't mind a good book once in awhile. Have a good rest of the week!

Baby Shower for Lily Rae

This past weekend I had to privelge to host a baby shower for a good friend of mine. She is having a baby girl in April and the name she picked out is Lillian Rae. She will be named Lily. There were about 35 guests at the baby shower. I had so much fun planning the shower and making the food. I think I had more fun planning it then the shower itself! I made chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Everyone raved about the cupcakes. They were delicious. I got my cupcake and frosting recipes from a blog called Glorious Treats. I also had pink chocolate chip cookies that a made from a blog recipe here. I put together a veggie tray and cheese tray. My mom made a mixed fruit recipe. I also put out pink and white chocolate covered raisins that I got from Marsh. I also made punch from a recipe here.

Vanilla & Chocolate Cupcakes - recipes here. Cupcake liners from Hobby Lobby and Marsh.

This cupcake was used with a Wilton 1M tip. You start in the center of the cupcake and pipe to the outside. See the link here. 

This stye is also used with Wilton 1M and you pipe from the outside to the inside of the cupcake. 

Display of cupcakes :)

Pink chocolate chip cookies. Recipe here.

I made several decorations as well! I made tissue pom poms from a YouTube video here. They are very easy to make! I made mine 1/4 the size of the ones in the video. Mine were much smaller than hers and worked nicely. I also decorated my mantle with pink baby clothes. I found two little egg trees at the Dollar Tree. I hung little baby ornaments from the tree. Having a baby during the spring is perfect because there are so many pastel Easter things! I put some flowers around too. Tulips and Lillies since her name is Lily.

Tissue pom pom instructions here. Plates & napkins from the Dollar Tree.

Pink onesies hanging above the mantle.

Egg trees from the Dollar Tree with baby ornaments hanging from them.

We played baby games too which was a lot of fun. We played baby bingo. Everyone got a bingo card with different baby gifts in the squares such as onesie, rattle, or bottle. As my friend opened up her gifts, guests marked off what she opened. Everyone had a different card so once they got 5 in a row they got a Bingo. Everyone had a lot of fun with that. We also played two guessing games. One was guess how many toilet paper square around the mother-to-be was. The other game was a jar full of hair clips and to guess how many clips were in the jar. We also had wishes for Lily cards which can be created here. We also had a bag where guests could write down advice for the mother-to-be. The party was a lot of fun and I hope this post gave you some inspiration for your shower!

Guessing game of due date, time, weight, length, hair color & eye color

Wishes for Lily cards that each guest filled out. Link here.

Baby Bingo - we played as the mother-to-be opened her gifts. 

Guatemala Day 7: Homeward Bound

Woke up at 4:30AM! Ate some Frosted Flakes then headed out around 5:30AM for the Guatemalan City Airport. Checked-in, went through customs and security. Got a pretty stamp in my passport! Was sandwiched between 2 Guatemalans from Guatemala to Dallas. Got a Mighty Kids Meal and candy with Jessica at the Fort Worth airport. Flew from Dallas to Chicago between Sara and Mitch. Played telephone pictionary and random questions. So fun! Landed in Chi town. Got baggage and took vans back to Purdue. Having Lewis tell stories and sing in the van... priceless. Got extra food for free from Wendy's. Nothing can describe how much this trip moved me. I am excited to see where God is taking me next. Praise God!

Psalm 86:11

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth, give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, I will glorify your name forever.

Guatemala Day 6: Day Trip to Antigua

Looking out over Antigua - wearing our TOMS shoes

Breakfast: oatmeal. Left for Antigua after breakfast. It was a bumpy 1hr 45min trip. Played euchre on the way. Got to Antigua. Went to see a lookout spot over Antigua with a cross monument. Could see the volcanoes (1 of them still is active). So cool. Drove down into the heart of Antigua which seemed to me like a combo of Istanbul, Maui and Italy. Broke up into 2 groups. Shopping group and cathedral visiting group. Joined the shopping group which Garrett led.

Went to the market to shop! Bought Dad some Guatemalan coffee (50Q), a bracelet for Mom (30Q), a magnet for my collection (20Q), and a headband (20Q). Had fun! Went to look at 3 different churches. Found ice cream on the way. Hung out in the main square. Took long bumpy bus ride back. Had Guatemalan feast (steak, potatoes, sausage, tortillas, and cookies) for dinner. Had the nightly show and tell. Then packed up to leave. Gave most all of my clothes to the school. Trying not to be so materialistic. Now everytime I think about those clothes, I think of Guatemala. And I think how some little girl is wearing them and it makes me happy :)

Lunch in Antigua

Changes to make:

• Support a Guatemalan child through Compassion 
• Less Facebook/computer time wasting
• Less shopping of random stuff I don't need
• More deep conversations
• Spend time outside
• Read the word more
• Blog more
• Talk more to family about God

Antigua (active volcano on the right)

Summary: 

Guatemala was a life-changing adventure. I have a new perspective on the world. I can see God in the eyes of the Guatemalan children and in the beauty of his creation. I need to live out my changes. Always thirsting for more of Him. This is the start of something new. I want to incorporate this into my life. Praise God for His love!

Phillipians 4:5 - Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near.

Guatemala Day 5: House Dedication

Some of the children from the village that would watch us build each day.

This was the last day on the worksite. We finished the siding, roof, windows and door. For lunch we had tortillas and cookies. The family also made us lunch to thank us for the house. They got all of us our own bottle of Pepsi and made soup. It was so neat just sitting on the side of a gorgeous mountain eating soup that this Guatemalan family made for us. Surrounded by such an awesome Campus House team and the Guatemalan family and their friends. I could just feel the presence of God all around me. In his creation and in the people. It was beautiful.

Starting the roofing

The kids were masters at weaving pine branches into little crowns and bracelets.

About half-way done with the roof - such a beautiful view! 

The family made lunch for us to show their thanks.

The chicken soup that they made for us.

We dedicated the house after lunch. It was incredible! Fifteen family members came to watch, along with plenty of neighbors watching from the mountain side. The family we dedicated the house to sang and played us a song. It was beautiful. The mom cried. I could feel the Lord's presence hovering over us. Looking around at all the beautiful Guatemalan children with their dark brown eyes, black hair and tan skin. Over-looking the mountain side. I sat next to a little Guatemalan girl during the ceremony. We talked in Spanish. She asked what grade I was in. Emily, Carlos and Kyle nailed in a sign above the house with Casas por Cristo on it. It was hard to say "adios" to our new friends. I love them and hope the best for them. I hope they have or will have the Lord as their savior. I hope to meet them all again someday in heaven.

Watching the house dedication with one of the girls from the village.

Finished house after just 4 days!

Dedicating the house to the family.

The family was very thankful for their new house! 

Nailing in a sign above the door that says "Casas por Cristo"

We traveled back to the compound. Went on a walk down the streets of Guatemala by the compound. So cool. Lots of people out. Played euchre for a bit. Paused the game for a basket ball game. Headed about ten minutes away via 2 pickups. Took about 10 people in each truck. Got to the city center of a village nearby. It looked like a carnival was going on. The basketball court we were going to play on was covered up by carnival stuff. We ended up walking around instead. Found a beautiful church. Walked in on a service! Garrett bought chocolate covered marshmellows. They looked really good.

Came back to the compound for dinner. Had show and tell. Got to share my little marble with everyone! Told everyone our favorite parts of building the house -- mine was mixing the cement. Then we all played Mafia -- long game, but fun!

Thoughts: I am glad I made another bold move and came on this trip alone. Tons of new friends and people to go to church with. Praise GOD for this opportunity. Thank you Jesus for the beautiful, kind Guatemalans. I love them and can see God in the children. 

Guatemala Day 4: Siding, Rafters & 1x4s

Joy and Myself taking a break 

Breakfast: egg burritos, pineapple, roll with jam. Finished siding, put up rafters and 1x4s for the roof. I helped with the siding and 1x4s. Used the table saw! So sweet.
Lunch: Lo Mein, tortillas, vanilla oreo cookies. Bonded with the kids today. Sang songs to each other and tossed coffee beans back and forth. They have a lot of coffee bean plants. The little Guatemalan girls had me write down my name. They also tried to get my phone number! I drew pictures of things and they would tell me the Spanish (bananas and monkey are some pictures I drew).

Putting on the siding & rafters

They also went to get their English/Spanish Dictionary to help us figure out what our majors were in Spanish. They asked me if I could draw our nation's flag. At one time when I was drawing, there were like 15 kids surrounding me. It was wonderful. They are beautiful and happy children. They are content. Said "adios amigos" to my Guatemalan friends when we had to go back to the compound.

Interior of the house

Hiked the tools up the mountain and then up the hill. Bus ride home is always eventful (passing people, other large vehicles on roads wide enough for one vehicle, bumpy roads). Showered and ate dinner: lasagna, garlic bread and steamed zucchini (the cook is great at making American meals because she cooks for an American).

Putting up rafters

Had in-depth conversations with the team about Guatemalan vs. American lifestyle.  It was really cool to hear everyone's thoughts. Had group show & tell. Played a game of euchre and lost :(

The main road through the village

Daily thoughts: 
1. Is Guatemala really in poverty? Or does it just seem like that compared to the States? 
2. The people seem happy/content... are they? 
3. They don't work/go to school... if they need something they just trade with their neighbor... why can't we live like this? 
4. I envy the Guatemalan lifestyle - I just want to enjoy God's creation and His people...


Matt 5:11

Taken right near the work site

Taken from the rooftop of the compound

Guatemala Day 3: Walls & Siding

Some of the girls from the village

Eggs & potatoes for breakfast! Along with rolls. Had to take off sides of the cement slab we poured yesterday. I scraped wood with crow bars & hammers. Then hauled wood from the top of the mountain down to the worksite by way of a congo line. Built sides of walls and interior walls and put them up on the concrete.

Floor plan of the house (16x17')

Ate lunch: spaghetti, tortillas & Chiky strawberry cookies. After lunch took measurements with Joy & Garrett for the siding. Also bonded with Guatemalan children and got a picture with them! (Some of them are scared to get their picture taken -- afraid it will take their spirit) Some of the girls I met names were: Maria, Laura & Sonya. They were so cute and happy! Also talked with the little boys that came to the worksite with us (Byron, Eder & Hosea). They were making "crowns" from pine needles. So cool! And they taught us how to make them. I made a bracelet.

Putting up the walls

Did more siding on the house. The little boys kept yelling my name Rachhhel in a creepy voice. It was funny. Left the worksite at 4pm. Came back and changed. Went to the "store" (more of a concession stand) to buy snacks. Watched the guys play bball at the compound. Ate dinner: rice, beans, steak, veggies and tortillas. Learned a little more about Casas por Cristo. Did show & tell (members of the team talk a little bit about themselves and show a random object relating to their story). Played psychiatrist and signs (group games). So fun!

Thoughts: Why do Guatemalans stare at us and not whisper about it? Why is it ok for tiny kids to run around and even go to other villages on the other side of a mountain? Kids riding on the back of our bus for a free ride. People dressed up at 5pm (tons of people) going to the cemetary? Mayan beliefs? What are they? How are they so content living off of so little? How can they do "nothing" all day? 70% of them are illiterate. Most can't even spell their own name.

Loading up the truck (had to unload/load it each day)

Had to walk up this mountain everyday to get back to the bus! 

A house near the village

Happiness: Phil 4:4-9 - Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.