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Monday, January 10, 2011

Back Out - 2011

The first week of January, last week, saw me back on the road again! After a few nice weeks at home and with family and friends, I was actually starting to get antsy. Who am I kidding, it took about 1 day -- lie -- 1/2 a day for me to start to get antsy again:) It was actually nice to be able to get back out to work with some customers and, even more pleasurable, to be able to do so in Kansas.

What is so pleasurable about Kansas you may ask? Well - two things... My friend, Melissa, just got married last year and moved from Chicagoland to -- Kansas. ALSO - my oldest niece, Brittany, now resides in Kansas so I was able to not only see her, but stay with her. Do you know how strange it is to stay in the apartment belonging to someone that you used to babysit for? Its pretty awesome, though, to be able to call her my niece and my friend.

I was also able to stop by a church, Calvary Chapel, which is pastored by a man who once ministered in Budapest with the Campus ministry I work with every year. He and Gabor Gresz, the country director for Hungary, have written a book together about the beginning of the ministry in Hungary before and after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Its a terribly interesting book - the kind you can't put down and that really makes you think. If you're interested in getting a copy, you can either ask me about it or check out this link - http://www.covenantchapel.com/resources/publications/outrageous-promise/ I stopped by Calvary in order to pick up more books but had the pleasure of meeting Dave Robinson as well. He's an extrememly nice man and his wife was just wonderful.
Oh -- can't forget that I had some account changes one of the days so I was able to get Brittany to try out a bikram yoga class with me in the afternoon. I don't know if she liked it -- I guess you'll have to ask her... but it was great to get back in that hot room!

I got back in on Thursday and then went into the office Friday. The weekend was a little busy as my friend, Seiko, from Japan, flew into Chicago and had asked me to pick her up at the airport. She's come to attend Moody to get her masters in Biblical counselling. She's the sweetest person ever! She ended up staying the whole weekend with us. We went all around on Friday night and Saturday and shopped for all her bedding and dishes for apartment and all and then I took her down on Saturday and helped her set up her stuff. She has two roommates who hadn't arrived yet and so I told her to come home with me again so she wouldn't have to stay by herself. That way she got to come to church with me as well and see some other friends from Japan, the Fujinos, and some other people she had met before. She's starting orientation today and her classes start tomorrow. I'm praying for her right now as she's feeling really homesick and had some problems getting her internet connected so she couldn't even talk to her parents or her good friend back in Japan. I know she'll get past it, but I'm sure its so hard at first being in a new country and all (although she did do some high school and some undergrad work for a few years out in CA -- different world :)).

Back to a busy week - but at least I'm at home! I have a busy weekend coming up that I have to prepare for between a few trips to WI and to IN for work.

Enjoy some pictures from Kansas!
Out to dinner on the Plaza, downtown Kasas City. At a great little French restaurant called Chaz which is in the Raphael Hotel.
I'm trying to start the new year out right with my ever-eternal quest for the perfect cupcake! We found a darn near close one at Smallcakes in Overland Park -- they had a choclate one with pink frosting that was heaven! http://www.smallcakeskc.com/
Brittany in her big-girl apartment :) We had fun watching hulu and eating cupcakes the night before! Can't beat it!

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