Jet lag hit me really hard this overseas trip. The fact that a few of us stayed up all night the night before we left Greece probably didn't help. I was up for 48 hours straight. When I finally was able to sleep at my home in Philly I slept for 22 hours. I woke up and was all discombobulated. I felt like I was on drugs. (I don't have any experience to know what that feels like; I'm just guessing what it feels like.) I was up for 2 hours to eat some food and take a walk and then I went back to bed for another 9 hours. Crazy. My body was fighting some kind of sickness as well so that should factor into the equation. Well, I think I'm over jet lag now. Praise the Lord.

Mars Hill

Mars Hill is the location in Athens where Paul preached his famous sermon about the alter to the Unknown God found in Acts 17. I got goose-bumps as we read the passage aloud from the same place Paul stood thousands of years ago.

Kim, on the left, Kimiko, on the right are WHM missionaries who I became good friends with during the retreat in Greece. Click on the link below to read Paul's sermon to the men of Athens.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2017:15-33;&version=31

World Harvest rolled out our new mission and vision statements at the retreat. Rewriting our mission and vision statements has been a long process involving members of the board, sending center and leadership team, field directors, team leaders and missionaries. The statements came alive in Greece as the missionaries really grabbed on to them. As a mission we were united as we agreed that these statements describe what we do in our jobs and what we continue to strive towards. These statements aren't abstract but very tangible.

World Harvest Mission is a missions sending agency that has over 140 missionaries in 13 countries. We believe the motive and power for mission is the gospel of grace at work in the life of a believer. We are guided by the following mission, vision and values…

Mission Statement: Laying down our lives to proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus Christ through preaching, healing and equipping.

Vision Statement: Movements of churches empowered by grace for the world’s good and God’s glory.

Greece Sunset

I've done a lot of thinking since I returned from Greece. My mind is swirling from places I saw, missionaries I talked to, worship experience, prayer times and the emotions of reentering the USA. I'm going to post a series of details about Greece in the next few days.

Today's post is some ramblings of mine that I shared with a friend in an email yesterday. God wants us to enter the mess of life with us. I strive so hard to get my ducks in a row and to figure out my life. I think I'll have more people over when I'm in my new house; I'll start to run again when I have a running partner; I'll have my quiet time with the Lord when I know I can spend a large amount of time with Him, the list goes on and on. Our father doesn't care that we don't have our ducks in a row. He loves me right now- "Monica, who's not in control." He takes my bundle of mess and loves me. Yes, God continues to sanctify us but he loves us amidst the mess. That blows my mind!!! I'm thankful for the God we serve even though his actions towards us don't make sense.

Some of my pictures from Greece are posted on this link. I will post more pictures on flickr as I go through the 400 pictures I have on my camera. http://www.flickr.com/photos/monicatulip/