Oh the places you'll go - - 1/29/09

This Winter Break was a very special one for me. I spent almost two weeks in East Asia. This was a time that I will never forget. It was a journey that started in the great BG and took me further from home then I could have ever imagined. Never in a million years did I think that a single life experience would have such an impact on me and my life. Here is a little about how the trip went.

We started out trip out on a very long journey, full of van rides, airports, and plane rides. About 36 hours after we started out we were finally in our destination. After the many grueling hours, we had arrived!! Boy were we all glad to see beds that night, especially since the next morning we were going to be starting very early with an intro game on how to get around and where things are in the city.

The first day was one that was very busy. We started off with breakfast in our hotel. It was a mix of Asian and Western cuisine It was interesting to see how we all flocked to the recognizable Western food and utensils(this would not be the case for very long). After breakfast we met with a couple of our friends and we were given a folder with a bunch of clues to places in the city. We were split into teams and off on an Amazing Race! This portion of the day was a lot of fun. It was very eye-opening to the way people live and work. It was an amazing way to see many different places in the city. When the race was over, we met at a park and then went to our friends home to hear about the week and how things would be set up, then it was off to our first official meal of local cuisine. This would be our initiation into how to use chopsticks. From then on we used chopstick for almost everything(the change mentioned before). After dinner we held an English Corner on campus. We had so much fun with this and were able to meet some amazing people who we would continue to hang out with all week![Photo]The rest of the week was full of so much fun! I spent a lot of time with the people on our team, but also with three girls that I became really close with. One day I went shopping with them! It was so much fun! We had our pictures made in a photo booth, looked at all the neat shops(well they were neat for me anyway), had some snacks, and just got to know one another. The girls were so kind and very concerned about my safety. I am sure that if I asked them for something they would have done it for me. Another day I spent with them was in their dorm. This was a very fun and eye-opening experience.

My last day with the girls we walked around campus. The campus is beautiful!! This day we talked a lot about life and what it was like to live in America and they told me about life there. We walked along a trail that ran beside a lake and on the way we stopped and sat on a bridge to talk some more. When the time came for me to leave them I was very sad. I couldn't believe that my time with them had been so short. Leaving the girls behind was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. They had made a huge impact on my life and how I thought about things.

There were lots of other things that occurred while we were there...
~Lots new foods that I have come to love!
~Ryan G. being deemed Big Blue Friend.
~Riding in taxis and buses (never in my life have I seen driving like this).
~Meeting some brothers and sister who showed me that there can be hope there.
~Tourist-y things
~Jumping pictures
~Matt clearing up to Kelsey M. that he had not been in a war ( :-D )
~Watching a football game that had been bought off itunes with some of our friends.
~Singing the WKU fight song to the owner of one of our favorite restaurants.
~I taught Sunday School with some of our friends little kids.
~I learned to pick meat out of food that I was eating (big step for me)
~The crazy restaurant guy who put some really spicy spices into some of the guys food.
~Hot Pot
~The boys adventure to Wal-mart which resulted in...3 stuffed monkeys(one for Haddon, Gavin, and Kelsey M(who was sick)), some Goldfish, A LOT of Dove chocolate, and some other things.
~Randall's stories
~ and so much more :-D

This trip was one that really impacted my life and I really learned a lot about God's will for me. He really broke my heart for the people. He taught me even though obeying your parents is important, following His will for your life is a priority. I think this was taught so that he could show me where he wants me to be. I have felt a calling to go overseas, which is something that I am praying about a lot!