The drive

I am only beginning to understand all the things that have happened in the last week, having the smallest of realizations, little by little. Chatting with my roommate about spring break has left me with one of these little thoughts.

I cannot believe that the 15 hours to Boise and the 15 hours back to Irvine saw absolutely no driving or car troubles at all (to my knowledge at least heh)! Sure we hit a little snow up in the mountains of Nevada, but the car didn't break down, we did not get a flat tire, we never ran out of gas, and we always had fabulous drivers (heehee).

I realized that around 4AM on Sunday morning, the 20th of March, there was a storm that hit Orange, CA. According to the roommate report, it was a pretty bad thunderstorm, enough to wake her; according to my parents, it was raining cats and dogs in San Diego later in the week as the storm moved around SoCAl. At 4AM on that Sunday morning, we were just about loading the van and driving off. There was no rain. Obviously it was dark so maybe we missed the ominous, looming clouds, but I can't help but wonder if it's all by the grace of God that we were able to leave before things got messy.

I remember praying a lot for a safe drive up because of the long hours, which meant a higher probability of something going wrong. But hey, we were able to leave a storm in the dust and that is awesome. Just want to say, yeah God, you are way cool.

So...

I know I utterly failed at blogging during the week. The one time that I did was before we actually left for Idaho, and this blog right now is getting written as BWAM is over. Sorry! Ha. But I just wanted to share some of my thoughts about BWAM because truly, it was such an amazing and special spring break.

1. The refugees
The hardworking, kind, patient refugees that we met bring a smile to my face right at this very moment as I think about them. Like everyone already mentioned, it was a bit of a challenge at first communicating with them with the language barrier. But as the week went on, they had warmed up to us and actually tried to initiate conversations with the very few English they did know (example: hilarious jokester Indra came up to me and simply said, "I'm thirsty"). What stuck out to me the most about the refugees was that most of them had only been in Boise a few months but they had learned SO MUCH in such a short amount of time. They have learned and soaked up everything they could, and I think it's because each one of them is so hard working and try with all their ability and heart that they are able to become more comfortable and successful in Boise. Another thing that stuck out to me was that despite the fact that they have gone through some pretty painful and hard times in their lives in the past, they are still filled with so much joy and gratitude. I loved seeing their smiling faces and hearing bits and pieces of their stories. This wasn't something that I necessarily learned for the first time, but just something that was reminded to me on the trip: when you hear someone's story, you inevitably become connected in an unforgettable way. So to the refugees that we met at the IRC, to the seven refugees that we met at the farm, and to Devi, the head farmer, thank you for letting us be a small part of your stories and for becoming a wonderful part of ours. Oh, side note, Devi pulled me in for a hug as I said goodbye to him, which was just the sweetest thing in the world...but the last words I said to him were, "Devi, we have a soccer ball!" as I threw him the soccer ball that Abe told us to give to them. Ugh, fail. -_- Haha.

2. Create Common Good
This organization and the people who are a part of it blow me away. I cannot believe the passion, determination, talent, and optimism that flows through the heart of CCG. I know Tara, Tyler, and a bunch of the CCG staff kept telling us throughout the week how incredible it was that each one of the seven of us seemed to be "handpicked" for this first Boise, Idaho team. But honestly, I think each one of the CCG staff was handpicked to be in the position that they currently are in. Tara, who is the head of the company, is one of the most dynamic and patient people I have ever met, and it was so wonderful just watching her shift back and forth from this professional, eloquent, determined business woman to this mom who would kiss her daughter Lucy on the head and tell her, "I'm so glad you liked your lollipop." Tyler, who was our awesome tour guide and teacher, was also meant for his position. Huge thanks to Tyler for...everything. Seriously, I can't even explain how grateful we are for him for spending the whole week with us. Create Common Good will definitely stay in my mind and prayers. I feel that just from a week of getting to know this organization and staff, I fell in love with what they do and what they stand for. More importantly, it's also how they do what they do, because I think the amount of love and faith that goes with their work is the reason they have become so successful so quickly and is the reason I admire them so ridiculously much.

3. Our host family, the Pollard's
A huge, huge thank you to Brian, Michaelle, Jessica, and Megan Pollard. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the delicious food, your hospitality and generosity, and your great conversation. It was such a treat watching "American Idol" with Brian and Michaelle, talking to Jessica about her going to college next year, and playing Mario Kart with Megan. Oh and of course thanks to their adorable dog, Bailey, for never failing to be so hyper seeing us and for jumping on us and licking us. On top of the amazing refugees and CCG staff, we also got the pleasure of getting to know this family, and for that, we were even more blessed and spoiled from this trip.

4. The team
I don't think there are enough words to describe how incredibly fun and wonderful this team is. Each one of them is so talented, hilarious, and encouraging. I learned from each of them so much, both by watching them shine with their projects and in various situations and by listening to their testimonies and what they had to say during debriefing every night. And I really think that the 16 hour drive both ways and all the time spent in that huge, white van was really a great way for all of us to bond. There were just so many laughs and memories from singing along to all types of songs (ranging from Josh Groban to Hilary Duff, I kid you not), making videos, taking pictures, making fun of each other, eating, napping, sharing stories, everything. And it was so much fun having all of our random, little adventures wherever we stopped somewhere, such as Sunnyside rest stop (without the sun), Twin Falls canyon (where we only actually saw one waterfall), Stateside Diner (with all the bloody hunting pictures), and Vegas (don't worry, we didn't stay out till 4!). Not only did God bless us with the people we met in Boise, He blessed us by giving us each other and by giving us the opportunity to get to know each other so much better. Thank you, guys, for being so awesome. And thank you for listening to my whole testimony and for always lifting each other up. I love team Boise so, so, so much!!!

OK, sorry this post is so long! There is so much more I could say about this trip, so if any of you want to hear, hit me up! Thanks to all of you for reading and for all the family and friends who have prayed for and supported us. And I guess I just want to end this by saying...

GOD IS SO AMAZING, PROVIDING, AND GOOD!!! AHHHHH, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, GOD!

Ok, that's all folks. :)

-Megan

Thinking back...

God truly just blew me away this week. Everything that I saw and experienced in this much too short week in Boise has encouraged me and reminded me of just how great the God that we serve is. I feel like everything that happened this week definitely can't be summed up in one blog post so I'll just talk about some of the MANY highlights.
- Working with Tyler, our incredibly patient, fun loving, awesome host and tour guide.
- Interacting with the refugees who, even though they had very limited English speaking skills, still made me laugh and smile and were just wonderful people to be around despite their tough past.
- "Making the bed" and "planting the seed" out on the farm and just sharing in the work with the refugees as well as being in God's absolutely beautiful creation.
- Car rides. Whether they were 15 hours or 15 minutes I feel like we were blessed to spend time together as a team in our comfy van and bond over singing awesome songs, playing Angela's homemade mad-libs or seeing certain people seriously knocked out as they slept their life away in the far back seat :)
- Cooking meals with the refugees. Not only did we get spoiled by getting to eat some ridiculously good food, but we also had a chance to break bread and learn from the Cg farm staff and experience many different cultures.
- Encouragement time. I was amazed at just how unique God made this team to be and how we each fulfilled a very different but much needed part. God is truly amazing in the way He orchestrates things to be absolutely perfect even if it seems unclear to us prior what our individual purposes might be.

Thank you so much for all of your support, prayers, and love for our team throughout this entire week. We have so many more stories to share so please feel free to ask us about it when you see us. And we'll probably be periodically updating the blog in these upcoming days/ weeks as we process through everything we've experienced. Okay. Tis all! Thanks! Bye!

Hello!

We have arrived safely in Irvine. Woot!

People of Idaho

Throughout this Missions trip to Idaho, I was constantly reminded of how important it is to meet new people. I found myself in very unique circumstances multiple times, working with refugees (from Bhutan, Congo, Eritrea, and Burma), our host family, and the youth group (Middle School and High School).

Refugees

Upon arriving in Boise, I originally thought that we would be introduced to a huge farm with many refugee workers, but to my surprise, the farm was just a small area next to and behind the church building. When we met the refugees, it was very awkward. We didn't really know what to do or what to say. We soon realized our previous knowledge of the English language basically went out the door. Thankfully our trusty guide and fearless leader, Tyler, led by example and always knew when to step in to assist us. Without him, we would have been lost and less likely to step up and talk to the workers. As the week progressed, our conversations and interactions expanded beyond simple questions and branched out to more jokes and laughter. Devi, one of the head farmers, was someone I wanted to talk to every day upon arriving at the farm. I was fascinated by his wisdom and willingness to share his knowledge. I miss him already!

Our Host Family - The Lincks

The Lincks family housed us (guys) for this past week and they were UNBELIEVABLY HOSPITABLE. Right when we walked in, we were greeted with smiles, conversation and food. Their house was cozy and beautiful. It made the trip that much better, knowing that after a hard day of work, we could come back to a HOME and sleep in a comfortable bed. Their two boys, Evan (9th grade) and Brian (6th grade), were very fun to hang out with as well! :D They are both very fun and playful. I'm so thankful that we got the opportunity to hang out with them. I really enjoyed talking to Brian...I was reminded of my want for a younger brother! Funny side note: we thought that the daughter, Kat, didn't like us because she failed to responded after I said hi to her in passing. The next night when the girls came over, she talked to us for a good 2 hours...

Youth Group

We were given the opportunity to lead the youth group at the church. Some of the kids were very interesting...while playing the ice breaker, I could tell they were all at different stages of life including "Too cool for school"...anyways...I led worship with David and I was SO THANKFUL that they sang along. AND they were pretty loud too. They were responsive to the worship, much more than I expected. Then we broke up into small groups and talked to them about why we were there. Throughout the whole night I felt like a different person and once again I was reminded of how much I love talking to younger people and investing in them. I like being an older brother and I love how I'm getting an opportunity to live that out. These kids were hyper, but it was incredible to work with them and rediscovering this side of me.

Overall, the main point is that the walls started to break down and thus began the friendships that would lead to a difficult goodbye. Over a span of 5 days, I've had the opportunity to meet many different people, some I saw daily and others only once, but nonetheless, my heart has grown attached to Idaho and the people there.

Thank you God for doing so much work in my heart in such a short time. Not only did you reveal to us the work that you're doing, you also allowed us to be a part of it, whether it was through prayer or physical work. Thank you so much for providing us with everything we needed and more. You made your presence known and we are forever grateful.

A Different Type of Mission.

As seen from the consistent number of entries that keep on appearing on our blog, we have ample time on our hands, internet access, and the like. During our debriefing, we shared about how good we've been treated on this missions trip, and how God is spoiling us so so much. Our host families are super hospitable, cooking with the refugees their ethnic food is amazing, and going to pretty bomb coffee shops in Downtown Boise (Big City Coffee; f'sho go there if you are in the area. :P).

Even though we've been eating super well, going about various activities, like visiting the IRC, helping out the refugees on the farm, helping out with the Eastwind youth group, and eating authentic foods, I think it's hard to forget that we are here on missions. Maybe not necessarily converting the people we meet that aren't believers, but continuing to love on everyone.

This morning for devotionals, we read from Titus 3:1-8. This chapter is actually one of my favorites and overlooked pretty often. The passage reads:

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."

Paul doesn't say to be good to just the poor, or just those we don't know, but to everyone. I hope that amidst all the dinners with our host families, interacting with the staff from Create Common Good, and even our team mates, we can treat others out of the abundance that we have been forgiven.

I still need a lot of time to process all that's happened, but I'm just trying to soak in every moment and go with the flow. Pray for us that we'll be able to process all that happened this week and that we can drive back safely from our midway point...which will be revealed later. ;)

Oh Boi-se.

A soft blanket of snow drapes the distant hills. A beautiful sunny day is here, ushering us on our journey home.

After such a whirlwind finish to our week, everyone can't believe we're back in the good old van. So many golden moments have yet to be documented. Delicious organic and home grown Idaho food. Hoedowns and incredibly hyper middle schoolers. Britt and Bishal. But alas.

Fare thee well, Boise. Godspeed.

Second Half Summary

Day 3: Agenda-

Wake up. Head to church. Work on our projects. Met with Abe and Angela Help make lunch. Work out on the farm. Conduct training with the refugees. Tara's home. Working on Projects. Meet the rest of the staff during a dinner party. Head over to youth group. Come home and debrief.

Wednesday was an amazing day. It was packed with a lot of thing as you can tell. However, a few things stood out to me. It was exciting to see Abe and Angela as we were able to finally see them after their one night stay at Tara's house. Tara is the Chief Experience Officer of CG and is an amazing leader of CG. We were fortunate to eat at Tara's house with the rest of the CG staff and enjoy Brent's cooking, the new Chef for the 4th part of CG "stir". Along with Brent was a refugee from Eretria, Awot, and has an amazing story about how he was taken out of a refugee camp and brought to the US. His story was on the brink of desperation as he had no funding from the US government and no job and was to be evicted from his own home. Fortunately CG, was starting a new branch of their organization called "stir", and Awot who showed tremendous potential is the story behind it all. They took him and

provided him with the needs with the help of grants and other monetary sources. Stir is a branch where they will help show refugees how to cook, and be helpful in the restaurant setting. The amazing thing about all this is that he is the face of "stir".

After dinner at Tara's home, we went to the Eastwind Church's (the church adjacent to the farm) youth group service. It was about 30 students with high energy and just loving a new thing with a few asian brother's in Christ showing up and leading the night. Thanks for Mike and David as they were able to lead worship, and the rest of the night we broke up into small groups where we were able to share with the different age levels what we have personally gone through and why we chose to come to Boise during our spring break. I was fortunate enough to listen to the high school boys share about their own passions and for them to listen to me talk about my passions. I told them how amazing God works on this trip. Before we were even assigned to the trip, and before Abe even knew. Each of us were assigned for a specific task without knowing before we even came to this trip. Whats amazing is this task suited our very own needs, from photography, to health, to design, to music, and just being flexible. God really picked each of us specifically for this trip and that is amazing. We did not plan for this, neither did CG or Abe, but only God knew. It was uplifting to share my experiences in Idaho so far, and just listen to their background story.

Day 4: Thursday our last day. Agenda-

Wake up. Head to church. Work on our projects. Head over to Cathedral of the Rockies to watch Awot cook. Head back to church to do our projects. Eat lunch. Go to IRC Graduation.

Head over to do some work at Big City Coffee. Eat dinner at the Red Feather. Go to the library to listen to Devi talk. Head home to play with the kids. Debrief.

Thursday was our last day and we wanted to make the best of it. We were able to watch Awot one of the new faces of Stir learn to cook from the Culinary Master Brent. :D It was fun watching and also learning how to cut and julienne and whatever else different vegetables.

After that learning experience we came back to Eastwind Church to get some of our projects done and to eat lunch. We ate fufus which were pretty delicious, and sat very heavily in our stomachs. After eating lunch we went to the IRC where we were able to just be a part of a graduation. This graduation were the IRC students who had completed the tasks and were given a certificate and just congratulated for being able to succeed. It was great just seeing the faces of these refugees who are working so hard to be able to fit into America just smile after learning so much. We were able to play with the kids, and just be a part of this miraculous moment. Some of them have only been in the US for 4 months and were able to communicate.

After the Graduation we were able to spend some time with Abe and Angela to just do work at Big City Coffee. Then we headed over to the Red Feather. A restaurant that actually receives food from CG. The food was amazing and at great prices too. We were able to just speak to Matt, who supervises the food that comes into the restaurant looking for locally grown and top quality. It is amazing the work that he puts into the restaurant. From composting their own garbage downstairs to making sure as many as their products is local grown or fed was in his job description. The meal was great also because we were able to just share with Tara the events that happened this week along with our expectations and goals. Tara is extremely patient and just such a hard working business woman while being a loving mother, at exactly the same time. I think it really just appreciated the work she poured into the organization and just her love for refugees and anyone who is in need was definitely present.

The night closed with us visit the Head Farmer's, Devi, speaking at a library. We were able to meet many other nepali and just people who were also interested in their culture and story. The turn out was amazing and it was great to see Devi outside of his farming setting.

This trip so far has been an amazing experience, and I know God is definitely working here to just provide for the refugees. Its crazy, to think even though we went to "Idaho". Which has a lot of white people and not too many international people, we were able to just learn so much from so many different people groups. Our projects are not yet complete, but luckily we can actually continue to do our work even when we go home. I know God has used us in ways we can't even possibly imagine, and I look forward to what this organization will continue to do.

As I am still reflecting and other members of our team, we will continue to update this blog. Even after the trip. Thanks for reading the longest post in the world.

Wheelbarrows

Did you know? Wheelbarrows only have 1 wheel, not 3 or 5. But if you didn't know, that's okay because now you know! It is 1:24am Idaho time and it is our last night in this city. I am a little sad that it is ending so soon; a ton of things happened all rapidfire and such and I suppose it's going to take a little while after BWAM is over to fully understand what exactly what we've all experienced here.

However, at this point I will just declare that the food I've eaten is ridiculously tasty, the new people I've met are astounding in more ways than one, and the people that I've known are actually way cooler than I knew them to be. Whoaaa!!

And so, I must get back to other things (like finishing my project and getting some sleep) because tomorrow will be a big exciting day involving some kind of pumpkin pancakes and hours of driving. Pray for us!

-Angela

P.S. Dear team, you guys are soooo cool, whoaaa I like you all!

GROUPIEE

old macdonald had a farm

The rest of yesterday was so action packed that we didn't even have time to blog... contrary to the previous post..

Anyway, it's been great working with the refugees while they farm, getting more and more comfortable with them. They have a joyous spirit and fun sense of humor that everyone on the team enjoys. We help them practice English by asking questions like "How long have you been in Boise?" and "How is the weather today?" Megan in particular has been our ace in terms of interacting with them. In addition, we get our hands dirty too, helping with digging compost, making farming beds and even planting lettuce seeds. It's a refreshing and rejuvenating process! I think the cold fresh air makes it so we don't even feel too tired.

Yesterday was also our get work done on projects day. In the night time though, things got quite interesting...

[Stay tuned for the next episode of BWAM Boise]

Blog Master

Because we blog so much, we just wanted to show it in action. We'll update everyone on how things are going soon. Have a beautiful day!!

P.S. The screen is actually on, we just darkened the photo so you couldn't see our top secret work.

Project Update!

One of the coolest parts of our time here have been the group projects that we have been assigned to. They are a great way for us to use our creative skillage and leave a tangible mark here at Create Common Good. As mentioned before, we have been busy making a huge map of the farm, making (85!) informational stakes detailing the different types of produce grown here, and making one-pager profiles of the different refugees here. These will be passed out at their promotional dinner parties, raising awareness and capturing the stories of how the refugees wound up in Boise.

So far, Stephanie and I have interviewed three of the refugees, and it is quite the interesting experience. They have varying levels of English ability, but no matter what we have to be careful in how we construct and phrase our questions. Their stories are fascinating. They have spent anywhere from six to 18 years of their lives in extremely cramped refugee camps where they were forbidden from taking legitimate jobs. Now in America/Boise for about a year (or less), they still have trouble finding jobs because of the language barrier. Still, it's been a job to see their upbeat nature, and patience with the language barrier. Some of these countries I had barely even heard of before, and now we get to interact with them and document their pursuit of hope and finding a better life.

Definitely a very different interview than I have ever done before.

Tournament of Champions!

Its been a few days since we've been in Idaho. Its been a blessed time as we are meeting more people and meeting many refugees. We were fortunate enough to help out a class in teaching them english. A part of the organization is to be able to allow the refugees to find jobs after leaving the organization. Part of their efforts to help them find and retain a job are mock interviews, which we practiced to be interviewers for the refugees. It was great to see refugees that have only been around for a few months speak english and so willing to learn. Its amazing to see how in any situation when something needs to be done, it can be done.

Last night, after a very packed day of planning our projects, training the refugees on the farm, cooking momos, meeting with the youth pastor, going to IRC (international rescue committee), walking around downtown, drinking coffee at Big city Coffee (yelp it), and eating delicious Baked Potatos, and of COURSE.. THE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS. We had a few extra minutes of free time, so we decided to kick some balls around with our figurines attached to metal rods.. aka FOOSBALL. David crushed Michael 10-2. :D This picture shows the result. :D

DOWNTOWN :DD

BOISE, IDAHO. DOWNTOWN :D

Encouragement from Devotional

Matthew 9:9-13

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector's booth; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he got up and followed him. Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" By when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire compassion, AND NOT SACRIFICE, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

There's SO MUCH from this text to take away but I'll stick to only a couple encouraging points (includes points from other members as well..):

1.) Simple Calling - Sometimes we think too much. We "pray" too much. OR WHATEVER. We're so afraid to MOVE because we're afraid of what's to come. We're afraid of the unknown. Whenever we get a tugging at our hearts to do something, we hesitate and then we pray. Not to say that praying is a bad thing, but for me, I've realized that I sometimes use prayer as an excuse to not move, seeking what God wants me to do or where to go, when all He desires is for me to follow him. And that could mean law, medical field, journalism, etc. Just follow. He will meet you wherever you are, just like Matthew and it's as simple as "Follow Me."

2.) God Hears Everything - Angela pointed out that it was rather amusing to see the Pharisees complaining to the disciples and not Jesus...about how their teacher was eating with the sinners. Then Jesus responded. I can't imagine how LOUD it would be in that room. There were 12 disciples, Jesus, sinners and tax collectors, and the Pharisees...a lot of people in one room and yet, Jesus heard. No matter how crazy things get in our lives, no matter how many people are praying to God all at once, God hears you amongst all the noise and He will turn to you.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

Praise the Lord for devotionals.

Fooks

We are...

CUTE. I like/love (inside joke...kind of), our team! Even though it's only been a few days, I've been learning so much about these amazing people on the team, and every moment is an adventure with them. :) Here is evidence of why we are so cute:

This is us at Big City Coffee in Downtown Boise. Tyler showed us around and we even went to the Capitol Building! (What, what?!) Coffee at this place was ah-mazing. Ever since this trip started, whenever Tyler suggests coffee, everyone, and I mean everyone, on the team turns over to look at me. However, this time around, everyone (except Nate), got a drink! What up. David and Michael really enjoyed their drinks...

That's it for tonight, folks!

Random Fact: People in Boise actually pronounce the "s" in Boise. The girls and I noticed that we say Boise with a "z".

a day without laughter is a day wasted

So according to Angela, 10 minutes of laughter a day gives you abs. Washboard abs. Therefore, I'm pretty sure we'll all be coming home with washboard abs after this trip since learning to communicate with the refugees has been quite the experience. I'm not going to lie, its been hard and not something I really prepared myself for or thought too much about coming into this trip, but the challenge has been a good one and a fun one too. Today we visited the IRC, International Rescue Committee, where we helped a few of the refugees practice their English and prepare them for work interviews. I had the privilege of talking to Nah-Kaw who had very limited English as she just moved to Boise 4 months ago. A lot of the time, I would ask her a question and she wouldn't be able to understand what I was asking so we'd go back and forth for a little bit and then just start laughing in our confusion. But laughing with her is really what encouraged me and helped me to see that even though each refugee has been through so much more than I could ever imagine, they have come to Boise with very positive outlooks on life. They have a vibrance that is contagious and I feel like being in the presence of their joy fills me up with that same joy.

And of course bonding with the girls about wheelbarrows will definitely satisfy the 10 minutes required for those washboard abs. Especially with conversations that go something like this:

Megan: "Wheelbarrows have 5 wheels."

Me: "No they have 3."

Angela: "Uhh no. They have 1."

Everyone: "ohhh. yeh."

But alas, it's time to catch some shut eye according to mama steph so I shall have to leave you with that small taste from our day, but more updates are to come! fo.sho. :)

Mission Possible :D

Headquarters: Where we work and do our thing.

Its been an amazing time. What you are looking at is the Eastwind Church which is adjacent to the farm. Most of our planning and activities are on this site as we use it as our "headquarters". So far today we've been talking and meeting the refugees, interviewing and asking them questions and helping to develop their english skills. We do not have a specific agenda, but the fact that we speak and share with them and ask them questions helps them develop their english skills.

For lunch we had momos.. :D made by our Head Farmer Devi.. well we made it too.. but his recipe. They were delicious and spicy.. kind of. The different project teams have slowly been able to do their thing. Everyone is at a different level of progress but for sure we'll have our beautiful tasks done by the end of this trip. :D

Thank God for such a beautiful day. Although it is still fairly cold and chilly, WE ACTUALLY GOT OUR NORMAL DOSE OF VITAMIN-D. :D wooot! Now our bones will be healthy!!

Lastly, although this has been mentioned before.. I just want to say that I am thankful for the family who took us in. I know its strange allowing random strangers in your house, and handing us a house key. But they have been so generous, and hospitable. Its amazing. We are truly blessed to be in these circumstances and I hope we can show our appreciation some how. Well anyway.. We got our Vitamin D in our body, our Momos in our tummy, and energy to just power on for another fantastic day. More updates to come!

And for all those on spring break, and just woke up. Good morning :D

Training picture day 1: Khada Nanda hard at work :D

Revealing Light

Good morning from Boise!

Waking up from a deep slumber in a comfortable bed (compared to the floor...) to the smell of freshly cooked breakfast in the kitchen...is priceless. Our host family, the Lincks, is incredible. They're so hospitable and their two boys are just a lovely bunch of coconuts. More on this later...

After breakfast, we proceeded outside only to discover the brisk weather as our breath was easily visible. What was only a quarter-mile walk seemed longer in the frigid weather, but the 3 burly men of Team Idaho endured the trek. It also helped to see the girls miss the drive way and have to drive past us to turn around, thus making us the first ones to arrive. Booya.

We were blessed with sunlight this morning. What a beautiful day God has blessed us with. He's slowly revealing more and more to us as our trip continues. We now get to see Idaho in a whole new light.

Praise on,

Fooks

Conversation with Host Family

Brian (son): "The fishing here isn't that good..."

*Few minutes later*

Jack (father): "The fishing here is great."

David (Chief): "That's not what Brian said..."

Jack: "Well, you just need to know how to do it right."

pwnd.

Expectations.

I just had to post this picture because it's my favorite from today. Mmm roti. ;)

Today was very eventful and informative. So much happened today, and I still can't get over the fact that we're in Idaho. It's been amazing meeting all of the staff at CCG, and hearing all the cool projects they have running. Hearing how they've been expanding and creating new programs has been so encouraging and I hope that as a team, we can exceed their expectations. Actually, I was doubting myself and about how much I can give, but after thinking about it and debriefing with the team, when was it ever about us anyway? Only by God's grace are we here and only by God's grace is He going to do crazy shenanigans through us. Today was tiring and wonderful, and I can't wait for the next few days we have with CCG! God is good!

Roti, Projects, and Refugees

After a healthy and organic breakfast with our host and main confidant Tyler, our team headed out to buy some groceries and then Create Common Good offices to get a feel for their training programs and mission statement. There we met Angie, Eileen, Tara and the rest of the awesome staff here at Cg. Check out their website at createcommongood.org!

We found out that most of the refugee staff members right now are from Bhutan, as well as Congo and Eritrea. Lunchtime was the first opportunity to interact with a few of them, including Devi, the head farmer. We enjoyed a delicious Bhutanese lunch of roti and curry that we got to help prepare. The roti made were like these donut things also similar to chinese you tiao. They were a unique taste that everyone wolfed down.

We also got to take a tour of the farm area, which is in its early stages of planting. The total area of farm is roughly 5.5 acres and boasts six types of potato and ten varieties of lettuce. The church site where our headquarters are is also beautiful with a majestic view of "Lucky Peak."

After learning more about the plight of the refugees and their home countries, we set to work on some preliminary project work. Some of the exciting tasks for the week: creating signage identifying the different vegetables (team britt and megan), creating a huge map/sign of the farm (angela and fooks), and creating one pager and half page profiles of the refugees and their stories (team david, stephanie and nate). The projects are all great opportunities to leave a tangible mark on Cg. They have a mission statement to always exceed expectations and so far everything has definitely been awesome so far. If possible, I feel like team morale has gone up even higher.

Finally, big thanks to our host families for being incredibly hospitable.

Quote of the day: "The great thing about my job is when I get bored of all my professional work behind a computer, I can go out and use my muscles, which are ample." - Tyler, our science camp counselor-esque host.

WE IN IDAHOOOOOOO!!

Welcome to Idaho! From the BOISE team.. taken Yesterday at around 6PM :D

Nevada in a Nutshell

A surrealistic image of the dessert we drove through. Thanks God.. for photoshop :D

addendum

Good to hear that team mexico has safely arrived at their location. Special thanks to them and others who sent us off earlier this morning!

ok good night forreals.

Goodnight from Boise

Well after a long drive from Irvine to Boise, we're pooped. Gotta rest up for a day full of surprises. That's all she wrote for now folks. Until next time, goodnight and sweet dreams. -Fooks ( on Davids account...sorry!)

Boise, you look good to me

Team Boise has arrived in Boise. Wahoo!

Thanks to Nate Fung for beasting it the last five hours. Praise God for getting us here safely (also Taco Bell for a $20 meal for seven).

"Yes, the hardest part is over." - Michael Fukuda

Ely, Nevada

After a long stretch of nothingness and then a frosty journey through Humboldt Forest, your friendly neighborhood Bwam team found themselves in Ely and Silver State Diner. No elk was ordered though.

Also, thank God for getting us through the one lane driving with no on-coming cars while we passed in our 12 seater van.

It is crazy seeing how different God's landscape is here. Everyone is excited to arrive in Boise.

whoa Nelly!

Location: unknown.

Departing: Sunny side rest stop.

Sun nowhere to be seen.

Snow fall sighted. Temperatures rather brisk.

Newberry-Baker?

We have made it to Nevada and our first stop near Terrible's casino. Our fearless leader Fukuda traversed the blustery conditions, braving the fierce winds with only an occasional dip into those safety ridges. What a stud.

Now for some deluxe breakfast at mickey d's.

Goodbye!

Good morning, and goodbye!

-From Team Boise 2011

P.S. We are cool! :)

T-minus 4ish hours...

OK, so we're all supposed to be sleeping right now because we're leaving for Boise, Idaho at 4 a.m! But obviously...that's not happening. Currently, Fukuda is dancing, David is playing a game on his phone, Angela is brushing her teeth, Steph is knitting, Britt is looking up songs on another laptop, and Nate is...somewhere. Can you already tell we're just gonna get into some crazy shenanigans on this trip? :)

So here are some thoughts I have pre-trip: I am just super excited and ready to see what God has in store! Last week, when we started to hear more and more about what we would be doing and who we would be meeting, I was just getting so excited that I wanted to fast forward through finals week (but then again, I always want to fast forward through finals, even if I wasn't going to BWAM). And now that finals are over (hallelujah!) and we're literally leaving in a few hours...I actually can't believe it. Still seems a little surreal. But yes, just ready and open to let God lead us wherever He wants and stir our hearts and move us in amazing, amazing ways. Let's do this! :)

OK, nap time, folks. We'll keep y'all updated.

Here We Go!

So we're counting down the hours until take-off! It seems almost surreal to me that at this same time tomorrow night we'll actually be IN Boise, Idaho preparing to start our week with Create Common Good. I'm actually kind of excited for the wonderful 15 hour drive even though I've never ridden in a car that long. ever. We'll see if I feel just as excited 8 hours in... :) But even more exciting is finally being able to meet the staff that we've heard all about and been in communication with from Create Common Good as well as see all that God has in stored for this team. I believe God is going to do great and amazing things this week and I pray that we would be able to be open to whatever the Spirit leads us to do, to be bold for Him and above all, to love. Love the people we're with, the people we meet, and the people God places into our lives this week. Here we go!!!

Thoughts Pre-Depature

Well, alright. We're not leaving for another 15 hours, but y'know what I mean. :)

Ever since Michael and I met Tara a few weeks ago, I've been super excited for what we're going to do there, and just see a glimpse of all that Create Common Good is all about. Some things are still up in the air, but we're just going to go with the flow, and not say no.

God is so impeccable with His timing, it's ridiculous. The latter half of winter quarter, I felt very weighed down by the looming thought of the future -- what my plans are for post-graduation, if my plans will even go through, and thoughts of the like. Yet, something that He's been repeating to me over and over again is to trust Him one step at a time. In life, we're never going to know where we're going to end up 5 years down the road; anything can change. Trusting God is ridiculously frightening, but that's the crazy thing about faith.

As we go forth into pretty much unknown territory, all we can do is trust Him, literally day-by-day. Please pray for our journey to Boise and that the drive will be smooth. Also, pray that we can bond together as a team and truly exemplify Christ's united body to whoever we interact with during our one week together.

We'll keep ya posted! Thanks for stopping by!

No More Finals.

As of a few hours ago, all of us are mercifully and thankfully done with finals. PTL.

In 24 hours time, we will all be meeting up to spend the night at Fukuda's before the long and treacherous drive starting early Sunday morning.

For now, pray that we can regather some of that energy and pep in our step, and also a quick recovery for anyone who is feeling a bit under the weather.

Welcome

Congrats on being one of the first to find our team blog for BWAM 2011: Boise, Idaho. We like your enthusiasm!

T minus four days until departure...