Today's TO DO list.

check list...
☑ wake up really early (like 4:30am) to say goodbye to my roommate/coworker who just moved back to America today
☑ skype with Rebekah
☑ go into the office on the most crowded bus that i've ever been on (the doors helped push me in), earlier than i've ever gone in, and on my day off (because I forgot much needed papers)
☑ walk around Macau as the city is waking up, and take pictures
☑ print said pictures!
☑ make it through 3 hours of waiting to remain a legal worker (ie: get fingerprinted.)
☑ get approved to stay 'til August 2013
☑ successfully find a particular part of town
☐ successfully find the Mexican restaurant
☑ Plan B: eat Indian food instead (delicious!) (and in the mean time made a new friend and got directions to the mexican restaurant for the future)
☑ get back on another crowded bus and made it home
☐ move my stuff from one room to another
☐ take a nap
☑ laundry
☑ dress up like a baseball player all day for halloween
☑ get registered for automated passenger clearance for the Macau systems. (ie: get fingerprinted again)
☑ shop for groceries




I think it's time to rest. But it's time to cook for supper! Ahh the predicament!

Spice up your spiritual life!

I must apologize, because I have been failing at keeping you updated as much as I would like.  My monthly newsletter will be coming out at the beginning of next month, which is very soon now that I look at it!

As you saw 2 weeks ago, I started a cooking class here at the center.  It's almost comical because something always goes wrong with the appliances.  Today, even on low heat, the pan got too hot, and the butter burned just seconds after putting it in the pan.  But--all is well that ends well!  We made enchiladas. It was SO wonderful!  Everyone loved it!  It brought back memories of my eating enchiladas in the states, and makes me miss the food back home!  I really miss the insane variety of food that we have at home.  We are so spoiled!

Enchiladas can be spicy.  (We didn't make them spicy today, but they can be).  So today's Bible Study topic attached to the cooking class was about spicing up our spiritual life.  We went to the website linked here to talk about what happens when we are spiritually bored, and we found out who is at fault.

I'll just tell you the answer--but you really should read it yourself as it is very good.  It's not the pastor's fault for giving a bad sermon.  It's not your friend's fault for not agreeing to do devotions with you.  It's not God's fault for not being more interesting (because he is extremely interesting...).  No.  It's MY fault.  It's YOUR fault.

I have felt spiritually bored before.  I sometimes feel like everything is the same ol' stuff that I hear every Sunday.  But whose fault is that?  Definitely not the preacher's.  It's my own fault.  I am not coming to the service ready to learn about what God's doing for me.  As the article says (and I am ashamed to admit) I sometimes just say "oh, great, another sermon".  I am not actually listening to the words of God.

James tells us that faith without works is dead.  That doesn't mean that we need to do works to go to heaven.  But it means that if we say we have faith, yet don't act upon it, do you think that's really faith?  Faith produces action.  We need to be active in our faith--read the bible. pray continuously.  go to devotions.  actually listen and apply what you learn on Sunday morning (or whenever you attend church!)  Try this.  The article suggests that you will no longer be bored if you actually apply what you are learning...you will be spending all of your time trying to be Christ-like.  Isn't that what God wants us to do?  In fact, isn't that the meaning of life?  To be like Christ?  We should strive for it.  We can never achieve it perfectly, but we can try.  And when we fail, Christ is right there to pick us up again.  Thanks be to God!

I don't have pictures from making enchiladas this week, but I can assure you that they were delicious :)  Maybe I will get pictures from Maggie or someone else who was taking pictures!

Until next time, God Bless!

Cockroaches and cooking...but not together.

If you are facebook friends with me, you may have heard this already via my status update.  I am sick of cockroaches.  I have one living in my bunkbed.  I am not happy with this 'roomie' situation.  The cockroaches are everywhere.  They think they own the place!  We put out traps, but it's just getting worse.  It may just be the change of climate that's happening, but still.  No fun!  I think I killed about 20 today, and about the same amount yesterday.  Granted, most were very small.  But I still count them, because they would have grown up to be quite large if left alone.  Raid has become my friend.  I deep cleaned my room today, and sprayed all of the reachable corners with raid.  I just hope it works.  I also have about 3 traps in my room (2 were there before and I added one large one).  I was talking to a friend and she suggested bay leaves, so I might pick some of those up if I find them at the store.  We'll see!

Ok onto other things.  On the 'housekeeping' issue, I have to get new lightbulbs, or I'll be in the dark very soon---only 2 out of 6 work in one fixture, and I think maybe 3/8 work in the other.  I just need to figure out what kind to get, where to get them, and what to do once I get them haha.  That will hopefully happen soon.

Today was my day off, so I cleaned.  Tomorrow it's back to work, and then either Wednesday night or Thursday morning it's off to Hong Kong!  I have a teacher's conference to go to.  I have to say--I am excited!  Should be a good time.

I ate dinner at a student's house the other day.  I met her at a cooking class, and she told me that she was the aunt of another student that I had intended to spend time with before.  So I went to dinner at their place, and it was really fun :)

Speaking of cooking class--I started a cooking class.  It was a hoot!  I really enjoyed it--we made Rice Krispy bars. (Pictures to the right).  I want to make French Toast this week.  I hope that I am able to make that last the whole period.  Plus I have to come up with a bible study topic that has to do with it--any ideas?  I'll come up with something if not, but I'll leave this one open for discussion!

Social Event!

Today we had a social event!  It was great fun :)  The Church of All Nations came from Hong Kong to help lead us in a party!  We played games and had a good time.  Here are some photos. P.S. I overheard some wonderful conversations about God--both testimonies and Q&A.  Thank God for the opportunities to share His message with the people today!

Sight-Seeing

So I went around Macau today, and here are some things that I saw!  I didn't take a picture of everything, but I took pictures of some things :)

At the Science Museum

The Fisherman's Warf

The super famous Lotus Flower!

Yes, this is a zebra themed store. LOVE IT!

A statue of..something. Either a Buddhist saint or a god. not sure.

Black Sesame...um...soup, I think.