Arizona: 2nd full day

So here I am. Listening to some Chicane and whatever else my MP3 player decides to dish out. It's been a nice time so far. Although the aspect of an injured mom isn't so cool. I went to ride horses today and in years past she's always gone with me. It was nice to go, but I missed her.

I think I'm getting back on my usual food intake level. I think my stomache shrank in England, so it's nice to eat:-) I know I might not enjoy the holidays in years to come when my body starts to REALLY age and dislike my food choices, but for now I'm going to be happy and eat and enjoy this time with my family. The one upshot to mom's injury is that people have been SO nice from my Dad AND my Mom's churches. I think we have enough food here to last us till the next milennium.

My brother Ethan (middle one) is coming tonight. I think we're all hoping Aaron (oldest brother) pulls a surprise and show's up this weekend. I hear he has the time for it, and it's just a question of him getting a plane here from Korea.

I was riding today, and thought what a freakin amazing life I have. I didn't think I would have experienced so much of this world by this age. God is really cool and the way He's mastered this is really amazing to say the least. I've gone through some intense challenges the last two years, but here I am in Arizona and on the verge of living for who knows how long overseas. Something that I don't have the resources to do, but God has made a way and in the process has put some great people in my life as well and I can't wait to see how the next chapter unfolds.

Well, Ethan will be here soon and I should go. But even as I read back the entries of the last few months, I'm glad for all that's happened. Even in difficult moments God is active, and I wish I could see that more when I'm in those moments! Hopefully mom will be doing better by the end of this week. I want to keep praying for her but it's hard to see past myself and let God take it. I can get worried over little things that I know I shouldn't be worried about (what if she doesn't get healed? what if I get hurt or upset at God for not healing her on my timetable?) But I think I need to put all the what if's aside and just go for it. We'll see how it goes from here.

More next time!Paul

Arizona: Arrival

So...here i am "home" with the parents. It feels a bit odd to call this home, but for lack of a better word, I'm home...at least till I'm back in Bognor.

So last friday I applied for my visa. They didn't give me the visa I was aiming for, but they were very nice at the British consulate office in Chicago (I would have thought that living in Chicago would have made them brits hard nosed about letting us in to their country, but I was wrong!) and they helped me get the visa that would suit me better. So I have a one year visa that is renewable from England and post dated for 8th of January 07 to 8th of January 08.

I got back later that day to my friends place to find my dad had left me a message on my phone. About the same time my visa was processed, my mum was busy getting thrown off a horse and she ended up with a concussion, broken collar bone and two broken ribs. lovely...

Since talking with my dad on Friday about the accident, I've been praying and feeling/ hoping that God wants to heal her. I'll give more about that later...

Friday night I saw some friends at one party and before that one ended, I moved on to see family up on the north side of the city. Man I miss this town...so many memories. Friday was cool too as I found out one of my cousin's friends has a strong tie to England, and I might see some friends there next Spring! Looking forward to that!

Saturday I had worship band practice, which was nice. I don't mind playing at Bognor vineyard. I love the church, but they just need a bass player on a consistant basis:-) So it was nice to play with a full band to say the least. Saturday night there was a leaders party at my church, and it was really wonderful to see friends and to feel like I haven't been away for 3 months. And yet in the back of my mind I wondered how my friends were back in England...and that they'd be meeting for church when I'd be sleeping, and I would be at church when it's mid afternoon there...I can't tell you how it really feels to be drawn between two places, and both of which I want to be connected to 100%. I don't have any illusions that this phase will last. There will be a day when friends here move on like I have, and it may not be so easy to connect. But for now I'm doing my best at enjoying the time I have here. God's been in so much of life on both sides of the pond, and I'm glad to see people now and share some of what I've been through while the feelings of friendship are fresh.

Saturday night i ducked out of the leaders party early to see my brother and my cousion who came in to town on his way back to Penn. state. It was a short two hour visit, but it was nice. Even taking the train was sooo familliar. and nice to be in a place where I don't need a map to get around!

Sunday was very good. I saw more people, and it was a full day of activities. Two services at church then lunch at the senior pastor's house with several of the youth (explaining to them the differences of American and English culture that I've noticed so far) and how I've gotten along with the Bognor youth. There was even a broccoli fight in there as well, which was fun.
Sunday night was the worship team christmas party, which was nice to see so many faces of people who I have been honored to serve with in worship over the last six years. I opted out of the gift exchange due to the idea that I don't need any extra crap on the plane with me, thank you very much! After the party I went and had a chance to hang out with another good friend from church, and I didn't actually get back to pack my things until after midnight, and it was after 2am when I finally got to sleep!

Today I was up at 7:30am to catch a train up to the airport. Thankfully I was able to fly standby and get on an earlier flight out of Chicago. I tried to sleep on the plane, but it's always rough trying to sleep in the "economy" class...crappy seat class if you ask me...

But here I am, sitting in my parents office typing another entry to this blog thing. I prayed for my mum tonight as well...I came in to the house and she was lying on the couch (sofa) and she cried a bit when she saw me (she doesn't take too well to vicadin or codine, so she's in some pain and uses ibuprofin to help). I cried a bit cause I felt sorry for her that she couldn't get up to hug me. Her collar bone is broken through, and it's the kind of injury that there isn't much they can do for it so it's going to heal abnormally.

I told my mum that I wanted to pray for her, so Dad and I did so. Nothing happened, at least not there and then. She's still in the other room on the couch. Those of you reading this, please pray that God does heal her. I really want to see a miracle here, and I'm going to try and pray for her every day that I'm here. My hope is that she'll be back riding horses with me by Friday. How cool would that be?

My middle brother is coming in on Wednesday night, so at least 4/5th's of us will be here for the holidays this year. I'm glad to have my passport stuff sorted, and thank you all for praying about that. That was a big hurdle, and now I feel I can relax a bit.

I'll post more later. Miss you all, and God bless!
Paul

SURPRISE!!!!!

So in case you don't know by now, this brit wanna be has returned to his home for a month.
I'm home to complete the transition to England, if that makes sense. Hopefully by Saturday I'll have my Visa all sorted, and then I'm away to Arizona for 10 days over Christmas and then back to Chicago for New Years.

I knew about this trip 3 months ago and it took a lot of effort to keep it a surprise from most people here at home. My plan was to fly in Tuesday night and show up and surprise the youth at church. Maybe even have a shot at playing drums. But due to bad weather and other delays I had the joy of spending about 12 hours seated on a cramped airplane. These things happen I know, but I think just about every other traveling experience I've had where there was time for things to go wrong have gone smoothly. So it was a bit frustraiting to say the least...

But I did get to see some people when I got in, and I can't tell you how surreal it is to be home. I've been away for what felt like ages, and then to come back and feel like nothing has changed is pretty strange. I don't like the fact that I've got a list of details staring me in the face, but I do like being in a place with familliar faces and where I don't really need a map with me to get around.

I am looking forward to going back as well. I hope to feel more setttled there and ready to tackle the new year. God has been moving so much in Bognor, and I can't wait to see how the new year unfolds for the youth, the church and the cross-church relationships I'm building.

I hope to blog more here as these next few days unfold and I get around to see friends and suss out my Visa. Please do pray that the issues of my visa, and bringing more of my stuff back to England somehow gets worked out. And that above all I'll be able to chill while I'm home.
Paul