I was made for this

This is how I have been created to live overseas

1. I love making new friends. Building community is one of my favorite things to do. Whether its organizing a blood drive or bike ride with friends, watching my favorite TV shows with old college alums, or catching up with friends over coffee, I love building and being in a community. Moving back to Fishers has taught me that. Support from a community is vital in my life. So naturally I am drawn to make or find community.

2. I love blogging and writing about my experiences. I love reading blogs and getting caught up in people’s stories.

3. I love love love making movies. Yet another way to connect with the West.

4. I live for awkward moments and adapting to a new culture is sure to be full of embarrassment.

5. I’ve gradually built up to being away for a year. First I went to college, then to France for 4 months, then California for 7 months. 1 year is the next stepping stone naturally.

The Local Market

I just looked up adventure in the dictionary and this is what it gave me

Adventure-an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

The walk of FAITH is to live according to the revelation we have received, in the midst of the mysteries we can't explain.~ Bill Johnson

*Spoiler Alert

(*Spoiler Alert: I’m moving to Korea for you non-readers)

Dear friends,

Hey y’all! Whatever season in my life you are connected to, I come to you now and say hello. This is a letter of explanation and inclusion in my life. As you may know, I’ve been living in Fishers for a little over a year now. My time in Fishers has been filled with long hours at the preschool I work at and fun times with my friends both old and new. I have cherished the different seasons in my life and the life lessons I have taken from them. Although living with my mother and brother has been an experience in itself, I am moving on to the next season in life. For those of you who know me, I have always had my site set on living internationally and teaching English as a second language. When I was at IU, this was all I could dream about, but when it came time for me to make a decision, I came back short handed. I could never make a decision of where and when I wanted to go. I could not even limit it down to a continent. For the longest time I felt so perplexed by this looming question, eventually I tried avoiding it completely. I think that there was a point where I could be swayed to go anywhere if it had the right appeal. Well, after years of asking God where and when, I have an answer to give you…

Ulsan, South Korea April 2011

It feels good to have an answer, a destination, and opportunity. So here is the situation. I will be teaching English to students from ages 8-13 at a private language institute. Here are some frequently asked questions you may have for me that I have readily prepared for you. Please scroll down to the section marked “Frequently Asked Questions”

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you know anyone from South Korea let alone Ulsan?

No, but I am good at making friends. There are 5 other English teachers at my school so they automatically have to be my friends. Right?

2. How long are you going to be there?

My contract is for a year starting in April. After that time, I will reevaluate.

3. But wait Kristen, you don’t speak Korean, do you?

Not really, but I can figure it out one way or another

4. What is Ulsan like?

It’s a bigger city, about 1.3 million people. Nowhere near as many people as Seoul. It’s on the Southeast coast of Korea, about a two hours outside of Seoul. South Korea is about the size of Indiana for a reference. From what I gather, Ulsan has some major shipyards, there’s a big Hyundai plant, and it is very mountainous.

5. Where will you live?

The school has set me up with a furnished apartment. I even have a laundry machine! Unfortunately no dryer.

I am so excited for this move. I wanted to include you all in this news, because guess what?!?! I’m taking you with me. Live this portion of my life out with me. Pray for me. Read my blog. Skype me for any reason in the world. Follow me on twitter. Watch my videos.

This is going to be new and different and I want you all there with me. And if any of you where there for my France e-mails you know that interesting stuff just happens to me.

WE ARE GOING TO ASIA!

God has just given me amazing peace about this whole situation. I am so blessed to be given this amazing adventure to embark on. And no matter how brave I can pretend to be, I still have a lot to learn about trusting God. There’s sure to be challenges, miscommunications, and times of complete frustration, but I’ve had an incredible realization, I am following where God is taking me. I’m just along for the ride and it feels so good.

So this is where I am. I’m going. Really.

Pray for my preparations, especially my work visa process, and my life left in Indiana. Come and see me or make me come and see you. Let’s talk life. Shall we?

Revolutionize Your Paradigm

My mind is struggling with this one

"Jesus came to comfort the afflicted, but He also came to afflict the comfortable.

Throughout history true followers of Christ have been revolutionaries. As the trends of society have been dictated by the herd mentality, these men and women of God have stood up and said, "Hey, wait a minute. That's not right!" They reached out their hands to people the rest of the world walked by without a glance, they spoke out when shutting up may have saved their lives, they took God places others called "God-forsaken," they picked up their crosses and followed Christ when others cried "Lord, Lord" but did nothing. And for this they were called 'Freaks.'

Proverbs 1:32 NIV tells us "the complacency of fools will destroy them."

-DC Talks, Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries

Where do you go from here? You can't let the past hold you back, the things you should of done, but see every moment as an opportunity for change, resistance to the world, and for the Gospel to live out through your life. That's what I'm trying at least.

Resolution #4 Watch more HowCast and less Hulu

We all need to have a greater thirst for knowledge after all Clay P. Bedford said,

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives."

Howcast is this channel on Youtube where they have all of these videos about how to do things like how to cook, how to get the best prices, how to do all sorts of random things. Check this video of how to get psyched!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Howcast#p/c/077B01BD8FD81051/19/RdMypre-bD4

Just Tryin' to Be Flexible

Resolution #3 Be more flexible

Check out the benefits of stretching.

1. Improved Performance, Decreased Injury Risk



2. Reduced Muscle Soreness



3. Improved Posture



4. Reduced Risk of Low Back Pain



5. Increased Blood and Nutrients to Tissues


6. Improved Muscle Coordination

7. Enhanced Enjoyment of Physical Activities


Finally putting my yoga mat to use. This is a great way to unwind or start the day for those of us who need a little tranquility in their life. Great time to pray, reflect, or think about what to blog next.

Make More Movies

Resolution #2 Make more videos.

I whipped this one up in no time. Well actually in total it took 3 months but I could spend hours making videos of the people I love. I had this whole plan of what I wanted to do. A plot and ideas. Then, when I visited Carly in Chicago and Lauren in Dallas something happened. I set the camera up and we were just ourselves. Nothing planned. I just set the tripod up and when I watched the film, it was pure magic. More videos to come.

What would a New Year be w/o Resolutions?

Well, it's no secret that I have my neglected my dear blog. Not that anyone out in the cyber world has felt a terrible loss without my sarcastic remarks and witty dance numbers. As part of the New Year I am turning over a new leaf. I will be updating my blog with a new New Year's resolution.

So Resolution #1. Blog more

The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty's all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I'm completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love

A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it's filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I'm completely satisfied

-Phil Wickham Divine Romance

I dont want to be a person that is constantly posting other people's work but this is inspiring me to know Jesus more

O Christ, He is the fountain,

The deep, sweet well of love!

The streams on earth I've tasted

More deep I'll drink above:

There to an ocean fulness

His mercy doth expand,

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Immanuel's land.

Samuel Rutherford

You are telling me who I really am

The heart of Jesus in my life right now is shown in this song

I'm Alive by Shane & Shane

You are changing me from the inside out
Something deep within is welling up in praise
You're compelling me with unfailing love
Oh to lose my life in You that I might live

Oh You loved me and love me
And You gave Yourself for me

You have resurrected my heart from the grave
hey hey hey
You have resurrected my heart from the grave
hey hey hey
I'm alive

You are telling me who I really am
I've been crucified with Christ and I no longer live
but He lives in me and the life I live
in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.

Oh Who loved me and loves me
and Who gave Himself for me

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see

This brother combo does a pretty decent job at covering this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxOsjtcUHY0

Some Good Quotes

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. -Jesus, Matthew 11:28

Submission is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get your own way -Richard Foster

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up -Thomas Edison

I took the road less traveled and that made all of the difference

-Robert Frost

God has not called me to be successful. He has called me to be faithful -Mother Teresa

The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us -Dorothy Day

No to Apathy, Yes to Passion

Just heard this powerful message at E91 and I can't help but feel this sense of urgency that Jesus died on the cross and gave me an anointing. I can't help thinking "what am I doing about it?" because this could be the last hour.

We are doing a series on the letters from John to the church in 1 John and today Daron gave this message on 1 john 2:18-27 about the coming of the antichrist.

I don't know about you but one of my hinderances to living out the Gospel is apathy (the absence of emotion or enthusiasm) . And when I step back and look at apathy it is a scary dangerous thing to carry. Apathy is opposing what God is doing. We swim in a culture that is opposed to living a life that God created for us to live. When we take a look at the lives of the disciples you get a glimpse of people that understood the affection and the love of God and were laying down their lives to expand His kingdom. I dont know about you, but I want to lose apathy and gain His passion.

and when I heard that message I got total heart change.

Anyways just thought I would share how God continues to awaken me.

Check out the message at http://e91podcasting.org/ Love, John 6

Learn from Jesus. Love in Community. Live out the gospel

^"26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. ²⁷As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." 1 John 2:26-27

Lessons in Dance

Welcome back to another segment of "Lessons in Dance"

First start off with some slammin electro music like Passion Pit or the widely loved French band Justice.

Next remember to always include a prop into your routine. For this dance, I selected a cat.

And last but certainly not least wear some ridiculously high pajama pants.

For a little extra spice throw in a mirror to catch your moves from behind.

Life Update

Many of my blog readers (cricket cricket) may be wondering what I have been up to for the past 4 months in Fishers. I'm sorry to inform you that my post California time has no all been productive. My first 2 months were pretty blah. All I did was work, sleep, hang out with my little brother, and eat. I barely made it out of the house to hangout with real live people. I really missed the glory days of my college years where I was surrounded by all of my friends and every night was an adventure. I just didn't even feel like putting myself out there in Fishers and making an effort. I had been church shopping and hadn't found anywhere that felt like home. My few joys were driving all the way down to bloomington to see all of my old college friends. After 2 wasted months of my life had past, I decide enough was enough. I wasn't growing or being challenged and I spent so much time at home that my little brother who plays video games all day started making fun of me.

Despite being an overwhelmingly huge church, I started going to East 91st church. I got connected in one of their small groups in my area. I put myself put there and met some pretty cool people. Now I get to meet and hangout with people my age who are in the same area of life as me. Through that small group I met a pretty cool girl, Erin, who introduced me to this organization called Faith, Hope, and Love. Their vision is

"Building communities of Faith, Hope and Love through facilitating active participation of local communities in improving neighborhoods and by helping those in need. We come together with one purpose: to love God and to love our neighbors."

They are pretty radical in a good way! Right now I'm in their BIblical Foundation and Training Class. We meet once a week, and my small group has the most amazing women of faith on the planet. I am being challenged, trained, and equipped to love and lead people to Jesus and it is so amazing. More to come on them later.

For a while I was second guessing myself in thinking that I had made a mistake leaving California, but I know now that God has me here for a purpose and is instilling dreams and a vision in me. This is my season of rediscovering God's glory in Indianapolis my home town none the less.