VBS Lesson of the Day

Ok, so I'm working on stuff for VBS right now and I came across the Lord's Prayer in Swahili. See our church is not following the traditional VBS for this year (Ramblin Roadtrip), instead we're doing Kingdom on the Son (a safari through Africa). I was copying a packet of sheets with Swahili translations for various words. I thought I would share the Lord's Prayer with everyone because I think it's really cool to learn it in different languages.

Sala ya Bwana (SAH-lah YAH BWAH-nah)-The Lord's Prayer
Baba yetu (BAH-bah YEH-too)-Our Father
uliye mbinguni (oo-LEE-yee mm-bee-nn-GOO-nee)-which art in heaven,
jina lako litukuzwe (Jee-nah LAH-koh lee-too-KOO-zway)-Hallowed by thy name.
uflame wako uje (oo-FLAH-meh WAH-koh OO-jay)-Thy kingdom come.
mapeni yako yatimizwe (mah-PAY-nee YAH-koh yah-tee-MEE-zwee)-Thy will be done
hapa duniani (HAH-pah doo-nee-AH-nee)-in earth,
kama huko mbinguni (KAH-mah HOO-koh mm-bee-nn-GOO-nee)-as it is in heaven.
utupe leo (oo-TOO-pay LAY-oh)-Give us this day
riziki yetu (ree-ZEE-kee YAY-too)-our daily bread.
utusamehe makosa yetu (oo-too-sah-MAY-hay mah-KOH-sah YAY-too)-And forgive us our debts,
kama sisi (KAH-mah SEE-see)-as we
tunavyowasamehe (too-NAHV-yoh-wah-sah-MAY-hay)-forgive
waliotukosa (wah-lee-oh-too-KOH-sah)-our debtors.
usitutie majaribuni (oo-see-too-TEE-ah mah-jah-ree-BOO-nee)-And lead us not into temptation,
lakina utuoke na (lah-KEE-nah oo-too-OH-kay NAH)-but deliver us
yule mwovo (YOO-lay mm-WOH-voh)-from evil:
kwa kuwa uflame (KWAH KOO-wah oo-FLAH-may)-For thine is the kingdom,
ni wako na nguva (NEE WAH-koh NAH nn-GOO-vah)-and the power,
na utukufu (NAH oo-too-KOO-foo)-and the glory,
hata milele. Amin (HAH-tah mee-LAY-lay. AH-meen)-for ever. Amen.

Hard Truth

During my quite time I have been reading through and studying the minor prophets. Last week, as I was finishing up Hosea, I came across a verse that hit home for me and in my opinion for a vast number of Christians.
Hosea 13:6 says: "When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me."
How true this is. We turn to God for help and love only to turn our backs or think we can take care of things ourselves when things start going well. In times of crisis we also turn to God for guidance, but it seems most times during the good times we tend to focus on ourselves and how we are doing well. We forget to thank God for what He has done for us and continues to do; because we are not responsible for the blessings in our lives only God is. I know that I am not free of this and its definitely something I struggle with but at least I realize it now and can seek God's guidance. So I ask for your prayers as I continue to try to seek God everyday and allow Him to make me more Christlike.

One Crazy Week

Well, in the last post I gave you a break down of what we did for the weekend and now I'm gonna try to explain what a crazy week this has been. First on Monday we started working at the church. I'm working the with Children's Minister Debbie-she awesome. When we got her she took Haley and I with her to Office Depot to pick up some supplies for VBS and then we stopped at McDonald's on the way back to the office since she only had $10 on her. Debbie and I worked on VBS signs for the church because it is next month. After work (which was about 2/2:30) we went to the first Old Navy of the week at Tustin Mall. Then I went home to read.
Tuesday, went to work again and this time I went by myself cause Haley had a meeting with the youth interns. Debbie decided to go Father's Day shopping so I went with her and then we went back to Office Depot in an attempt to exchange labels. Upon returning to the office we worked on VBS mailouts. Shortly after that (around 2) Haley and I left again for another venture to another Old Navy. The first Old Navy was kind of ghetto, but the second one was nicer-it's at another mall.
On Wednesday, I went with Debbie to Fashion Island in an attempt to decide the clues for Family Fun Night on Saturday-it's a Scavenger Hunt. We got back to the office around lunch, and Debbie told Haley and I leave for the day so we called the Inland group cause we knew they had the day off. SO we drove to Riverside and went shopping at the Galleria on Tyler and Barnes and Noble. After that Haley and I had to drive home because she had youth wednesday night.
Thursday was spent finishing the clues for the scavenger hunt and then doing nothing. Oh yeah, we lived through our second earthquake, though it was the first one we felt. Let me tell ya it was a little scary and weirded me out just a bit. After work, Haley and I went on another adventure-one of finding a Walmart, since there isn't one in Irvine. There are about 3 or 4 within 20 minutes of us. We decided to go to the one in Laguna Nueva (around Laguna Beach). I've decided that California does not know what a SuperWalmart is because as of yet none of us have been able to find one. Oh well. Our host families set up a thing to where different families of the church feed us so that we can get to know other members of the church. Well, last night was our first outing to dinner-we had dinner with the Wilkinsons. We have dinner and bible study tonight with another family.
Friday-thus far we've come to work although no one is here because everyone has Friday off except for Judith (the secretary), who told us to come in even though Debbie (my boss) told Haley and I we didn't have to. So we're sitting here basically doing nothing as usual, but it's cool.
Well, that's my crazy week-exploring 4 different malls in 3 days and hunting for Old Navy's and Walmart.

Weekend in Rewind!

As of Friday the SoCal group had to say its goodbyes. After training on Friday we all left (except those with Inland Empire) to go to our host homes. I was rather sad, because we had just spent the last 7 days together growing and developing friendships, but I know that when we get together it will be amazing.
My host family is awesome. I love Irvine (it's a lot like Plano-for those that understand what Plano is like)! My family has introduced me to a lot of new things. On Saturday morning I went to breakfast with Kim(she's in 8th grade) and Mike(my host dad)-we went and had bagels. And yesterday, they took Haley and I for lunch (we had Greek food-believe me it was DELICIOUS!). Before Bible study last night, Mike, Kim, and I went to Balboa Island for frozen bananas-they were good!!
Saturday afternoon-Haley, Derrick, Kasey, Justin, and myself went to Hollywood! We walked down hollywood blvd. and after seeing the major attractions we drove to Bevelry Hills to Rodeo Drive. Saturday was a lot of fun!
Sunday was our first official day of work/church. We met a LOT of people Sunday morning and then we went to a 20s Bible Study that night. It was interesting and tons of fun. We met two people from the church who are in college-Patrick and Lauren. The Brown's(the house we were at) cooked during for all of us, we did a study of Philemon, and then we watched a movie-Best in Show. Now that was an interesting/funny movie-really random and crazy. Right before we started the movie another girl from the church(who most people didn't know) showed up with about 10 of her friends from another church. It was really funny because Michael Brown thought they were our friends from Texas and we were like we don't know them. Two of them-Rachel, the one from PCI, and her brother are from England.
Today was our first "official" day in the office. We had to be here at 9 and Debbie, the children's minister, left already at 1:30 so I have nothing to do for the rest of the day. I'm waiting on Haley to finish up whatever she's working on so we can do somemore shopping. Haley needs to get some stuff because she's going to Yosemite with the youth group in about 2 weeks.
Well, that's all for now! I miss everyone and we're praying for ya! By the way, the SoCal group has started its own blog to update everyone of what's going on out here as a group so if ya wanna know what's up the blog address is socaliinterns2005.blogspot.com

CALI

So, in case you were wondering we made it to So Cali (Southern Cali)! We arrived on Saturday and spent Saturday night on Huntington Beach as a group and then Sunday morning with had our own church service with Angie and Graham (let me tell you it was SWEET!!). After "church" we ate lunch and Angie and Graham dropped us off at Cal Baptist for the week for orientation with Inland Empire Association. Each day we go to "class" for about 8 hours and then we chill and hang out. Tuesday night we all went back to the beach and had a cook out (some of us even played in the ocean-let me tell you it was COLD, but loads of fun!). Then tonight for our last official night together we went to Downtown Disney and ate at ESPNZone so we could watch part of the basketball game. Tomorrow is our last day of orientation and in the afternoon we all split up and go to our home churches (for those of us not in the Inland Empire). I'm really excited, yet at the same time sad and scared, for the past week we have grown into a family only to be spliting up, though we get to see each other in a month. Well, its really late and i'm the only one still up so i'd better get to bed!

I miss you guys and pray you're having a wonderful summer so far!

P.S. We are trying to set up our own blog with pics and videos from each week, so ya'll can see whats happenin' in LA! I'll keep you updated!

Cali

So, we leave for Cali in less than 48 hours!!! I'm really excited!

For those that don't know, I'm spending the summer as an intern at PCI (Pacific Church of Irvine) working with the Children's minister. God has amazing things planned for the people of Cali and I only hope I will get to see a small part of His plan.

This a lot left to do before 7am on Friday, so I'm making this one really short. But I ask that all of you keep me and the 9 other people who are giving up their summer to serve God as we venture to California!

I'm going to miss everyone, but I will have my computer and my cell so you can still reach me! Love you all and can't wait to talk to you all soon!