Day 269 of 365: Sushi Raw

i'm still tired... Everyone at church could see it. i'm tired now...

After church, i had lunch with Mom at Sushi Raw, a new Japanese restaurant nearby. Check Yelp for my impression...

Didn't do much after because i was...oh, unmotivated due to the lack of energy. i just chilled and watched TV before i hit my workout. Then it was dinner and it was a late dinner. Didn't get home until quarter to 10pm.

Anyway, i'm going to bed. Hopefully, i'll have another good night's rest...

Saturday, June 26, 2010

[Make-up] Day 268 of 365: Being exhausted

i slept well despite me sleeping on the couch. It's a big change compared with sleeping bag and floor. Breakfast was free and it was good with scrambled eggs, sausages and potatoes. The checkout went smooth and not long after, we were gassing up and heading north to San Francisco. The drive was good and the kids in the back were socializing well with cards, games and singing. i didn't mind it at all and Felix did a good job keeping me up with talks.

At one point on the I-5, Ben got bored and decided to drive along side of my van and Calvin attempted a spit ball war between vehicles. Didn't work well, but that starting something in my van among my passengers. We had to make a couple of extra stops for bathroom breaks, but other than that, we got to the church safely. All the kids got picked up by their parents, who were waiting at church already.

We got back at around 7:30pm, but didn't get all the logistical stuff done, like rental van returns, until 9ish. Amos and i got back at 10pm and we were pooed. Mom made a quick supper for us and we ate, showered and went to bed.

Talk about being exhausted...

Oh, did i mentioned that Mom swapped my room with Amos? Thanks MOM!

Friday, June 25, 2010

[Make-up] Day 267 of 365: Free ones

Waking up is sore, but easy today. We had to pack up and everyone did well to do so. Everyone from every church had to help clean up the whole church and it was great to see such effort. Breakfast was simple: muffins, bananas and granola bars. No devotions today.

In the last hour, we did some shopping for YouthWorks t-shirts, got some free ones, said our good-byes and headed out. A bunch of us had to get gas, so that's what we did. We had a minor detour to Walgreen's and a major detour for Lolita's for one last Carne Asada fries stop before we headed out for Pastor Mike's place where we will stop for lunch. Well, that didn't work out immediate because i got a call from Stuart that someone left their bible at the church, so after all was ate and done, we headed back to the church to retrieved last minute stuff.

On to Pastor Mikes!....got stuck in traffic for a short while and got to Pastor Mike's safely. What a beautiful place to live in! There's a golf course literally outside of Pastor Mike's backyard! Very peaceful and quiet, warm and breezy! My perfect climate! Pastor Mike had some burgers whipped up and we had a great time playing games and relaxing.

Without staying too long, we heading out to Brea. The hardest part of the trip thus far because of all the traffic. Kids were getting antsy, leaders were frustrated and the vans held out okay. When we got to the Embassy Suites, i expected some sort of chaos, but the kids were well-behaved and respectful. Almost went to work-out, but instead, i watch "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" with Amos, Vincent, Dexter, Thomas and Calvin. Oh wait! i skipped the part about dinner! We went to the adjacent mall's food court and ate there. Walked around a little and heading back. What a day!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

[Make-up] Day 266 of 365: Foot washing

i had the hardest time getting up this morning and maybe it's because of all that running around and activeness. Breakfast was waffles and sausages! Good stuff! Devotions was on "Less Ego, More Love". Calvin was joking about how it ought to be "Less Ego, More Eggo" since we had Eggo waffles for breakfast.

Final day of the ministry sites and this morning at Cloisters, we were involved in the senior's bible study. The home's chapelin led the session and he asked us to share a testimony of how God answered our prayers. Some hymns and a short message from him and then we were on. Short and sweet for the most part. Closing the ministry, we help a senior back to their rooms and of course, i took Marion back. i could finally hear something that i understood, which was a muttered "I love you" from her. That was rather sweet!

The home had a bi-weekly BBQ and we were there at the right time! Hamburgers and hot dogs were on the menu and i found it interesting that i got a hamburger, the same thing i ate for lunch on my last ministry day from last year's San Diego mission, but it was from the Huddle, the site i worked at.

Catholic Charities was busier today and i appreciated it. They were running out of items to give out, but we were flexible enough to adapt and substitute. i think this is the hardest we've ever work this whole week and i wish we had more time.

Dinner was at Balboa park and it's another BBQ! Guess what i got myself? Another burger! i love burgers, but i can't wait for Chinese food... Well, this was a cool evening because it was relaxing and fun at the same time. A group playing volleyball made a mistake and had the ball roll down a steep hill. Matt James, one of the YouthWorks staff, courageously went to get it back. *Applause* Annie and i practiced more Frisbee and we are getting better! Our throws are more on target and catching is getting easier. Hopefully we get to play more in San Francisco.

We had some time after dinner to play some soccer and i glad we did. i miss playing soccer and i really want to ask if the Cantonese or Mandarin fellowships play often. If they do, i want in. Continuing on, i managed to score one goal (that went through Amos' feet, as the goalkeeper) and i kicked on curved ball for a corner kick. Loving it!

When we got back, a bunch of kids and leaders decided to fool around with the coolers and used them as percussion instruments. We spent a lot of time playing around and making music all night long! i got my ukulele out, but that was towards the end and Calvin was freestyling to the music i played. i love that kid!

Tonight is the last night and it's usually the most emotional because of the relationships that were made or the "Foot washing" ceremony. i got pretty emotional, but that's just me. Regardless, i felt that God moved in the group and everyone stepped up to pray for one another. Very encouraging evening. We had our reflection time after and we shared what we learned during our work days. Towards the end, Dexter and the other leaders presents Annie and i a gift and a makeshift card. i am going to miss serving, but i really doubt God will let Annie and i out for too long.

Sleep came slowly for everyone tonight, but it's okay. It's the last evening before we head out and back home.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

[Make-up] Day 265 of 365: Three times

Day three...i am getting more and more tired...waking later and later... No clean-up or breakfast prep for my crew, so we technically had a tad more time to sleep. Breakfast was better than cold cereal, though that option was still there. Oh, breakfast was breakfast burritos. Good stuff. Devotions for today focused on "Less Here, More There". i guess it meant that we need to focus ourselves away from the here mentality and go for what's out there.

Cloisters again, but very little time spent with Jimmy. I spent most of my time with Marion, an elderly that had trouble speaking and if i remember correctly, i spent time with her yesterday too. Well, Marion is a little more difficult to handle since i could understand what she wants and i always have to consult with the nurse about her specific needs. Most of my time with Marion was outside around the building where i just walk her around in her wheelchair.

Second site changed to another location, but it was still Catholic Charities in Mid-City. Same thing, but a lot less busy. Oh, wait!! The Site Director, Heather, was there at lunch and she told us that we were early and had plenty of time before CC opened up, so i took my crew to Lolita's for...CARNE ASADA FRIES!! i didn't eat much of it, but a couple of bites help calm my frustration that BEN had his fill of it THREE TIMES (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). Pheesh!

Well, dinner was pizza, but it was at my most favorite place in San Diego: Coronado island! The most flattest green field i have ever seen! We suppose to have club there, but we could get a pit for the meeting spot, so we spent a good amount of time tossing the Frisbee around (Annie is getting better and better!), playing in the beach and playing instruments. A couple of the kids lost their stuff, but what can i do about that... Oh, my crew was the dinner crew, but all we did was cut watermelons... YAY!

The usual club, church group and sleep!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

[Make-up] Day 264 of 365: Applicable study

Day two... Boy, i slept well the night before, but this morning, i can feel myself feeling tired. This morning, i had to wake up earlier because my crew was on breakfast crew. i wasn't there to make the breakfast; cold cereal again. Vincent, who was the other crew that helped out, and i went to prepare the lunch coolers and filled up the water...things...with water. Oh, did i mention the water tasted like lipstick? Don't ask how i know what lipstick taste like... i got that all week...

Anyway, devotion topic was "More Be, Less Do". What this meant was that we focus on being a Christian and not a person that just do the work. Another applicable study!

First site is at Cloisters again, but this time, my crew had an awesome opportunity to meet Jimmy McGruber, a senior from Scotland, who was going to have his grandson come pick him up the day after today. i was thrilled to have this opportunity to speak with him because he was a World War II veteran and i always wanted to talk to one. The biggest problem to this is that most of them are reaching the end of their days and i can't wait too long before i don't have another chance to speak to one.

The second site, we went to some other place. It's the Catholic Charities in Cedar. Interesting place to work at because they pack food for the homeless and needy by means of a program that gives clients a list of items that they can choose from and staff in the back pack them. i did the intake part, which involve me checking their ID's, inputting information and picking the food items. It felt like the first day of work and i had a lot of questions of what i can and cannot do.

Showers as usual and dinner was tacos. The evening activity was a Prayer Walk in San Diego downtown. i love this last year and i expected much this year, but for some reason i didn't get what i wanted. This activity involved the groups equipped with hygiene packs walking around to look for the homeless and giving these packs to them. my group met only two. One that was sleeping and another that was traumatized from previous youth groups. That was discouraging... Anyway, our group leader, Stuart, decided to walk us through the city and just pray.

Club time and church group time again! Off to bed!

Monday, June 21, 2010

[Make-up] Day 263 of 365: Work sites

Day one of the mission! Everyone woke up quick and easy! Very proud of them for doing so! My crew was assigned Building Clean-up and my crew consist of Alan, Kingston and Evelyn with two other members, Abbey and Alex, of another church. Cleaning up was easier than last year, but maybe it's because i did a little less work this time. Breakfast was simply cold cereal. Devotions was great! It's almost like BSF, which i am starting to miss... The theme for the mission was "More or Less". In other words, it's more of Jesus and less of me. For the topic for devotions, it was "More Courage, Less Fear". Pretty simple and it calls out the fears and worries that we have on our minds. More courage to step out of our comfort zone and it's quite appropriate since today is the first day of our ministry work sites.

My crew headed out to work with the seniors at the 'Cloisters on Mission Hills' nursing home. It was rather awkward and uncomfortable since the seniors were either very senile or unable to speak. It's not a bad thing because i want a ministry site that makes my crew a little more uncomfortable and wake up to the world beyond the secure walls of home. It was great when we started to help the seniors do their morning work out, which was taking floating noodles as a racket to hit a balloon and keeping it up. Lunch was packed after our morning breakfast and it was just sandwiches. Good enough for me, but i know that Alan is a little picky and wanted to eat whatever he brought. Too bad, i say. i think he needs to learn to adapt.

Second site was at a Thrifty Store that helps refugees and immigrants that don't have much to start with and gives them anything in the store for free, but only if they work for it. Well, that's not really free, but it's a good way for someone to start working. We really didn't do much, but cleaning up and organizing. We finished early and i took my crew to Wendy's for a quick refreshment before heading out for our showers. Almost took them for Carne Asada fries, but we had no time.

Showers were at the St. Vincent De Paul and that'll be where we will take showers for the rest of the week. Dinner was pasta and we had an outing to Belmont park after that. Belmont park is like the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, but it feels smaller. Pretty cool place to check out either way. Some of us got ice cream that was so worth it because of the amount we received and it was on a waffle cone too! i had a great time with this group especially when Annie is in the group! Of course, i can't walk around without Annie around me!

After the evening activity, it's Club time. Club is a time where we share encouraging things that we see during the day that God did, some worship and a short message. Church group time came after and we had a good time of sharing too.

Sleeping again was smooth!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

[Make-up] Day 262 of 365: Necessary sacrifices

Today is the day! The day of the mission trip to San Diego! i must say that i am excited, but very much nervous at the unexpected. Well, mostly excited for many things anyway, but this week would be a week full of sacrifices. Sacrifices like internet, the World Cup, Xbox...blogging! All these are necessary sacrifices for God and i'm glad that i could do this since i don't want to be attached to these things for too long. Blogging is just one of those things that i would want to keep track of, but it's not important...for the most part.

Anyway, i had Kyle, Felix and Jeffrey Lee at my home and they were quick to rise and ready themselves. Even Kristy was able to wake up with no problems. With one last hug to my Dad, we headed to the meeting place, Ben's, and gathered everyone together to pray for the journey down. Man, having 19 kids together at 6am in the morning is hard to keep down, but thankful that they were respectful for the most part.

Begin the drive! i believe that most of the kids were knocked out and that's understandable since some didn't get much sleep. Felix was my Driver Assistant and he was great to keep me up. The first stop was at Gilroy for breakfast. A simple breakfast and then we were off again and the next few 'pit stops' were for gas. Traffic wasn't too bad though the I-5 did have a little bit more traffic than usual. The walkie-talkies worked out great and the groupings helped managed the vehicles a little better. Well, nothing bad happened along the way that i could remember. It was a very smooth ride.

Skipping most of the trip and arriving at San Diego, we were greeted by the YouthWorks Site Director, Alecia, and she informed the leaders of what's going to happen. Not too long after, all other churches arrived and we did the 'meet-and-greet' though the usual shyness was apparent. Nothing wrong with that. It just needs a little more time to take that shyness away.

Before dinner started, the leaders had to figure out the crew arrangements and before we had to do that, we moved our stuff to our rooms. Amos and i played a little guitar and ukulele and a few guys from other churches came to check it out. Amos gave a quick lesson to one of them, which was cool. Dinner was Pulled Pork sandwich, but those that came later, such as i, didn't get any because it ran out. So i made a Mac-and-Cheese sandwich. Nasty, but adventurous.

Sleeping was easy. i had a great room of kids that popped into their sleeping bags immediately and slept through the night with no problems. What a day...