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emmybeth99
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Name: Emily
Country: United States
State: Kentucky
Metro: Louisville
Birthday: 2/21/1981
Gender: Female
Interests: Praising Jesus, missions, people, scrapbooking, travel, throwing dinner parties, learning how to play Spades better, watching the birds that visit my birdfeeder, goofing off, relaxing at home, and learning how to be a more godly woman.
Expertise: Not getting my luggage lost, solo overseas travel, Target, Ikea, living out of a suitcase, public speaking, driving a 6 person golf cart through the woods and remembering names of pretty much everyone I meet.
Occupation: Development Writer
Industry: Missions
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  emmybeth99
Member Since:
10/21/2003
 Lifetime
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| Hello from the other side of the world! Hope you all have had a great day and are going to enjoy your evening. I had a great flight over and was very blessed. I was supposed to have a middle seat of a bulkhead row. Yay for loads of leg room, boo for middle seat. When I checked in at Chicago, the lady asked if I wanted an aisle seat. I told her no thanks, but that I would love a window seat. She made a phone call and voila! Window seat was mine! When I got on the plane, I realized I had the whole row...there were very few people on my flight. I could stretch my legs out and *barely* touch the covering of the emergency slide. If I slouched, I could prop my feet up on it, which is what I did. ;) THe bad thing about that row is that the armrests don't move since that is where the TVs and lap trays are kept. So, I turned sideways and hooked my legs over the armrest with my feet in the seat next to me so I could sleep and the stewardess came and got me and took me back to a totally empty row for me to sleep. It was wonderful. I got 3 solid hours of sleep there, then one more in my normal seat. Arrival and customs was no problem--got through in 30 minutes. I validated my Japan Rail Pass, bought a bus ticket and found my way to the bus stop with only asking people at the Information Desk 4 times. I was happy. :)
Phil and Kim and Christian picked me up last night and we came back to their place. Kim made an awesome dinner of french toast, scrambled eggs, bacon (which has no fat at all here and looks a lot like thinly sliced ham) and sausage. We also had blueberries (from Delware of all places!) and these super amazing champagne grapes. With champagne grapes, you don't eat the skin. So, you pop the grape in your mouth, squeeze it to get the flesh out and then discard the skin. They are probably the sweetest grapes I've ever tasted. SO YUMMY.
My shower last night made me feel human again. The airport was incredibly hot, as was the bus to the Tokorozawa station where Phil and Kim picked me up. I was pretty gross by the time I got to their house. I managed to stay awake until 9:45, which is 7:45am in Indianapolis, so I was pretty happy. Slept really well, waking up only once. I feel refreshed and not jet lagged at all. We'll see how long that lasts. I head to the train station in just over half an hour. I'll be on a 4.5 hour train to Osaka where my good friend Elisabeth will pick me up. I do have 3 transfers of trains, so please pray that I make those without any problems. I'm leaving the suitcase here and just taking my big backpack and a duffel bag so hopefully it won't be too difficult to manage. See you from Osaka!
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| I leave in just 6 days! There's so much to do before I can go. I'm trying hard to get things together on this end so that coworkers can pitch in easily and help with my job. I have a newsletter to write, finances to take care of, and bills to set up to be paid while I'm gone. A friend is staying in my condo while I'm gone, so I also need to give her the quick rundown on things Thursday night. I head to Indy Friday, then have my 10 year high school reunion on Saturday night. Sunday is church and spending time with friends in town for the reunion and getting to bed early. My plane leaves Indianapolis at 8:33am on Monday! That means that I need to leave for the airport at 6:15. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a morning person, so this is going to be a very early day for me.
Here's how you can pray until I leave:
--For me to be diligent and efficient at work. I have more to do than I have time, so pray that I can prioritize and get everything accomplished.
--I'm very tired this week and think that my body is still recovering from the insane summer I had. Pray that I can rest very well at night and wake up refreshed.
--For me not to forget anything. I leave Friday and need to take with me everything for the trip to Asia, plus clothes for a week when I return to the States as I'm in a wedding the week I get back. I've made loads of lists, but I'm worried I'm going to forget something.
Please start praying now for the trip...good connections on flights, a chance to sleep on my flight to Tokyo, and my time with each of the missionaries. Thanks! | | |
| Man, it has been forever since I updated this thing! Life is going really well. It's been a crazy year, but God's been good. In March, I sliced open my finger the day before we moved into our new campus. Had to have surgery because I cut one tendon totally and another one half way. The next time you see me, ask to see me cool scar! I had a phenomenal surgeon and you can barely see the scar at all. It's right across my right index finger's knuckle, so the wrinkly skin helps hide it, but when I bend it, it's very visible.
This summer has been really busy for me. I was gone for 4 weeks....VBS in Seymour, IN, the North American Christian Convention here in Louisville, camp at Wolverine Christian Service Camp north of Detroit, MI, and camp at Wonder Valley Christian Camp in Salem, IN. Add to that intern training, 2 weddings that I coordinated, Homecoming for our missionaries here in Louisville, intern debriefing, and Launch for new missionaries and it's been a very full summer. I also have started a great guy named Tony. We met at camp in MI and are really enjoying getting to know each other and seeing how God is using us.
Job wise, things are going really well. I'm staying incredibly busy with doing phone interview for people who are interested in joining Team Expansion. It's great to talk with people who are excited to serve God and passionate about his people. This month, I've done 19 phone interviews!
The other big news is that I leave in 9 days for Japan and Thailand to see our missionaries there! I'm really excited to go to Asia as I've never been there. I'll be in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan and Bangkok and Bang Saen, Thailand. I leave September 7 and return September 28. I'll be updating this a lot in the next month while I'm overseas, so check back often for pictures and news!
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| I am so incredibly blessed by Sarasota Christian Church. Being here is just wonderful. They love me and remember me (even though it's been 2 years since I was here) and bless me in so many ways! On Sunday, I spoke in both services. I got to do the communion meditation in second service, which was a real treat for me. My Grandpa said he can't remember a woman ever doing the communion meditation before, so it was very special. I also used my inspiration from my favorite communion meditation of all time. Yep, I have a favorite communion meditation. How many of them do you remember? Anyhow, this is one I heard about 12 years ago, at my home church in Indianapolis. Charlie Coon did it and he talked about the TV show Cheers and how when someone you knew walked it, you raised your glass to him or her. It showed the joy you had. We all held the cup and raised our glasses to Jesus before drinking together. So, I have been waiting for 12 years to use this same idea in a communion meditation. I never watched Cheers to know enough about it to speak, so I insted used the imagery of a toast at a party. You do it to honor, celebrate and brag on the guest of honor. Jesus is our guest of honor, not only in our church services, but also in our lives. Typically at SCC, they drink as the cup is passed, so this required some special instruction. I think it went well. I know people were commenting on how different it was. I just love the idea of toasting Jesus and thanking him for giving us so much. And, I really like to drink the cup in unison because it just means more to me to do that together with my fellow believers. So, back to how SCC blesses me. At the end of 2nd service on Sunday, I had already headed out to the lobby so I'd be there at my little display when people came out. What I didn't know is that they needed me up front! I came up and they gave me a special gift of $500!!! I was so incredibly surprised. This is such a great church and I'm so blessed to have them as my supporters. Monday night, I spoke to the Young at Heart pitch-in (and Lee's Bible study) and that was a treat. Those women can COOK. YUMMY food, time with friends, making contacts with people who live in Lexington, and a great time of laughing. They also blessed me with a gift of $50. I love that group and it's so good to be a part of them every time I'm there. Today, my parents came back up to Sarasota and retrieved me. We stopped at Siesta Key Beach before the rain hit. It was cloudy and windy, but still great to walk on the sand and get some shells. Here's a few pics to make you jealous. 
It was a cool, cloudy and windy day, but still beautiful.
Pretty toes! I especially like how you can see my flip flop line. I got that on Sunday!
My hair is going crazy, but I love this picture. Yay for the beach!
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| I am so incredibly blessed by Sarasota Christian Church. Being here is just wonderful. They love me and remember me (even though it's been 2 years since I was here) and bless me in so many ways! On Sunday, I spoke in both services. I got to do the communion meditation in second service, which was a real treat for me. My Grandpa said he can't remember a woman ever doing the communion meditation before, so it was very special. I also used my inspiration from my favorite communion meditation of all time. Yep, I have a favorite communion meditation. How many of them do you remember? Anyhow, this is one I heard about 12 years ago, at my home church in Indianapolis. Charlie Coon did it and he talked about the TV show Cheers and how when someone you knew walked it, you raised your glass to him or her. It showed the joy you had. We all held the cup and raised our glasses to Jesus before drinking together. So, I have been waiting for 12 years to use this same idea in a communion meditation. I never watched Cheers to know enough about it to speak, so I insted used the imagery of a toast at a party. You do it to honor, celebrate and brag on the guest of honor. Jesus is our guest of honor, not only in our church services, but also in our lives. Typically at SCC, they drink as the cup is passed, so this required some special instruction. I think it went well. I know people were commenting on how different it was. I just love the idea of toasting Jesus and thanking him for giving us so much. And, I really like to drink the cup in unison because it just means more to me to do that together with my fellow believers. So, back to how SCC blesses me. At the end of 2nd service on Sunday, I had already headed out to the lobby so I'd be there at my little display when people came out. What I didn't know is that they needed me up front! I came up and they gave me a special gift of $500!!! I was so incredibly surprised. This is such a great church and I'm so blessed to have them as my supporters. Monday night, I spoke to the Young at Heart pitch-in (and Lee's Bible study) and that was a treat. Those women can COOK. YUMMY food, time with friends, making contacts with people who live in Lexington, and a great time of laughing. They also blessed me with a gift of $50. I love that group and it's so good to be a part of them every time I'm there. Today, my parents came back up to Sarasota and retrieved me. We stopped at Siesta Key Beach before the rain hit. It was cloudy and windy, but still great to walk on the sand and get some shells. Here's a few pics to make you jealous. | | |
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