Being Changed by Change...

It's hard for me to believe that an entire week has passed since I've been home!

Last weekend I was cleaning out our apartments in Beijing, showing my passport to legally enter church, and eating with chopsticks.

This weekend I relaxed with my friends, freely worshiped God at my local church, and was too often found with a fork in hand (which usually had some hint of chocolate left on it... ;)

This has been quite a season of change. In a span of of five months I have finished college, lived in China for over a month, and will soon move to the San Diego area. Wow!

All of this makes me so grateful that my heavenly father "has no variation or shadow due to change" (James 1:17) How wonderful that I have such a firm foundation in Christ, that if all around me should change or even be taken away, I will always have Jesus. That truth has been a deep comfort to me during a season of so many unknowns.

And yet while I look forward in anticipation, I also look back with fond memories...

Jeff, Jason, and Nate having a little fun/going slightly mental after blowing up tons of beach balls for camp...

Bethany, Mary, and food friends ...This was quite an ordeal to find a good catering company only a few days before camp! They went all out when they were trying to impress us, lol.

Here's where it gets good...Believe it or not, this was a very entertaining night! ;)

Peter (with Abby) celebrating his birthday pancake style! :)

God is a girl?? I think there's some evangelism that still needs to take place, haha.

Coming home from our "1 hour" trip to LangFang...It really ended up being an 8 hour trip altogether! Oh, good times...

All I can say is eww!!

Maria, Glory, Sierra and I on the Great Wall. Wow, I love these girls...I hope they get adopted!!

Here's our sweet Kevin. After sending him to camp, his orphanage changed their minds and decided they wanted him back. All I have to say is that we had the biggest smiles when he was the very last child to leave camp on Friday... ;)

My friend's little sister, Mary, and I! She kept me goin' through hard times... :)

My good friends (aka nearly sisters) Becca, Christy, Bethany, Anna, and I before the guys kidnapped us for dinner on the last night!

Anna, Christy, and I at the restaurant having drinks outside on the patio! We were SO impressed!

Joey reenacting the lady from the magic show...

David are you still trying to find coconut?? ;)

Fred and Ethel arguing...yet not much reenactment needed to be done... ;)

"Just push the icon...THE ICON!!!....No, no, that picture makes me look FAT!"

The question pyramid... :)

Me and my girls on the last day. (Perilla, Alana, Mary Wei, Me, Mountain Emma, City Emma, and Yvonne.)

David, Anna, and Me.

And last but not least, three cheers to the providers of muscles and much laughter on our staff team! Nate, Jeff, David, Adam, Harry, Joey, James, Peter, and Jon, you guys are great!

Thank you Lord for being a God of FUN and Laughter!!