the end of week 2 updates/shout outs and blessings

Thank you to Jenn for getting on me to post an update!

Wk 1 was an intro to the organization as I attended the NFS Investigator Academy in SF.

Wk 2 Sam and I were thrown into work! On Monday we had an ALL DAY 8.5 hour meeting in HMB where we heard updates from the rest of the staff and were given our projects for the next few months. I am coordinating the Stop Paying for Slavery Tour - similar to the Backyard Abolitionist Tour that came through Ohio last year and how I got connected with this cool organization.

A brief word on that -

Jesse invited me to hear David Batstone speak a few hours before the lecture began. I had just found out that UD closed their admission process two weeks early, therefore Jordan and I would not be moving to Denver. I was upset and confused and remember talking to Jesse about WHAT'S NEXT. I remember telling him that I fully believe God has a plan for my life, and that the Denver door closed for a specific reason. When God says no, it's because there is a better yes around the corner. I was just waiting for that yes. But how long do you wait, and and what point do you start knocking on doors, and how do you know which doors to knock on? That was our conversation prior to listening to the Backyard Abolitionist Tour.

At the end of the event, David Batstone told the crowd how they could get involved -

join our cause on facebook, host a chocolate campaign, attend an academy, - or be a fellow for 6 months.

I had six months to spare.

I went home and talked to Jordan about it - requested information, applied, and a few months later we moved to Half Moon Bay, CA.

God works in mysterious ways. :)

So back to the Stop Paying for Slavery Tour (SPS) and my never ending to do list. Monday we were given new company email addresses. By Wednesday morning I had over a hundred emails. Sink or swim, right?

In addition to the SPS tour I am also coordinating our sponsorship with SoulFest 2010 which will take place in early August.

I work on website content, review contracts, create new contracts, make contacts with people across the states, coordinate a 44 city, 5 country tour, and am the point person for all things even tangentially related.

But I don't want to talk about my to do list. I want to talk about the people that have brought us so much joy in these first few weeks. The first is Sam Fagan, the other fellow. Sam is one year older than I, and from Arkansas. She loves music, food, and all kinds of activity. We are super excited to cook gourmet meals together, host pot lucks, check out new cafe's, explore the hills on foot and bike, experiment with surfing, attend Erasmus classes and check out jazz joints and music festivals in the city, and on and on and on! She is a girl who loves life and is excited to live in a new place and check out all that place has to offer. Sound like someone else you know? She loves Jesus, loves meeting new people, would give you the shirt off her back if you asked, and has a heart for trafficking victims. Needless to say, I feel very blessed to be working with such a cool girl. As soon as I figure out how, I will connect her vlog with my blog.

My second shout out is to the Caravalho's, our fabulous neighbors that live directly across from us. You might remember from an earlier post that I mentioned them. They have been praying for Jordan and I months before we arrived. They learned about our arrival through a member of their church/home group. John is a pastor of a church that meets at his house on Friday nights. They have 4 kids, three that live at home and have taken a strong liking to Tank. They love to take him on walks and play with him. Both John and Jenn are excellent cooks and love to share with us, which makes me the most grateful neighbor ever! Last weekend Jordan was over three days in a row watching football games with John, and eating their homemade french onion soup. This weekend they made us couscous and sole and we watched 24. Jordan and John have had in depth conversations about God and religion. Both John and Jenn are passionate about stopping human trafficking and are always asking me about my work. They are loving, caring, and giving - and they live right across the street! Grateful is an understatement.

They have been such a blessing to us. Running back and forth across the street reminds me of my little neighborhood in Nekemte, Ethiopia. Across from our house were the life-saving Swedes, who helped us in everything little and everything large.

Having people so close who know you and care about you gives one the sense of living in a community. I believe that we all have an innate desire to belong and to be a part of a community.

For the first time in a really long time, my days are filled with a deeper purpose and meaning. I am strategic about my time, not wanting to waste any minute, any day. There is so much to be done, and we are only here for a short time.

As always, I want to thank you for reading, thank you for your prayers and your support, your love and encouragement.