Indonesia

Recently my friends and I went to Indonesia. It was an amazing opportunity to have time to think about our past year in Asia. The time I had to think over the past 14 months and the lessons I've learned was extremely valuable. I know that I will never see certain things in the same way again and that I've learned things being in a different culture that I may not have learned for a long time had I not had this experience.

I'm amazed that God mercifully shows me again and again that He is devoted to me no matter my actions, shortcoming, failures. One of my biggest fears since I discovered life in Christ is that I would somehow mess it up - that I would either lose gratitude, grow tired or bored of His love, or do something terrible to lose His forgiveness.

My loving Dad has gently convinced me that it would be infinitely more challenging for me to ignore His voice in a dark place, even more so to do something to warrant His condemnation, than to abide in Him, even if at times it feels like I'm only hanging by a thread. It is impossible for Him to leave me - even if I am faithless, He remains faithful. I am touched as I realize how firmly He has gotten a hold of my heart and given me peace over the past few years.

The view of the other chalets from my room.

The beach (and home to thousands of crabs)

A man in a longboat.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139: 7-10