Why I love Clark-i-stan so much...

Why do I love Clark-i-stan so much?

• I am daily reminded of what the Throne of the Father will look like one day when ALL tribes, tongues and nations are together.
• I am constantly reminded how easy my life is simply because I am an American and it keeps me thankful.
• I feel the love of the Father every time I enter a home and am offered some kind of food or drink even when many barely have enough food for themselves and their families.
• I am able to offer my neighbor a ride when I pass him walking to the store (and everywhere else) and I never see him without a smile on his face... that is pure joy.
• Dirty kids run to my car almost every time I pull up and I can't wait to embrace them just as the Father embraces my filthy self.
• I don't feel judgement around most of my foreign friends.
• There is always a story to tell... and they are usually pretty funny... and real.
• Because the Father has made my heart for these people.
• I get to be part of a ch'rch plant with one of the most incredible visions of bringing ALL peoples together.
• I get to watch the Father stir hearts of those that don't know Him yet.
• I am able to share with others the stories of where my foreign friends come from and make them knowledgeable about refugees.
  

  A little bird cleaning action!

  
  
  

   And of course, some of the children around wanted to help. :)

  
  
  
                           Celebrating New Years Eve with some friends.

Welcome to "Clark-i-Stan!"

Yes, you probably thought I was never actually going to post on here again, seeing that it's been since... June. :)  Really, I am just trying to get you out of the American mindset that things should be done in a timely fashion and thinking you know when to expect something...  So, SURPRISE!  Here we go again! :)

• Second half of the summer was nuts b/c I was taking two online grad classes and preparing to move in the midst of all that into one of the Refugee Resettlement apartment complexes. Had a couple of camps to speak at during that too... blah, blah, blah. The Father completely provided me with a roommate to move to Clarkston with and she actually just came back from living in Ethio for two years as well! How incredible is that??? She was a part of my larger team there after I was and that's how we got connected. She was still gone so I was trying to get everything set up by myself and that was just nuts... and took a really long time. I paid early to try and move in before Providence (school I teach at) started b/c I knew I wouldn't have much time then and I had my two classes still going on. That was a great idea in theory... but was an absolute mess when it all went down. Basically, nothing worked in my apartment: needed new carpet b/c there was a pet there before, AC didn't work, dishwasher didn't work and there was a broken window. Yeah, that really stunk. SO I fought for several days and had already prepared to move my stuff in so most of it sat in my kitchen for a week and a half b/c I wasn't about to put it all down before they changed the carpet. Long story short, I basically lived out of my car for a week, had to sing in a wedding in Auburn AL in the middle of that, slept on the extra bed at the old house some and was going INSANE b/c my life was all over the place all while trying to finish up my two classes and start back to Providence as well. Yeah, it wasn't fun and I literally had no time... not even to get done what I needed to!
• NOW, my classes are done, I am all moved in, my roommate is moved in (and she is amazing) and I am FINALLY feeling like I am kinda caught up with everything. Clarkston is my life and I absolutely love it here. It's just such comfort to me. Got home from school yesterday (Friday) and went to visit my neighbor for a couple of hours, then came home and had about 40 kids off and on over to watch a movie at our place. It reeked like the smell of sweaty kid for a few hours after, but it was all worth it and I go to bed with a smile on my face every night now. I. Love. This. Place! Hopefully I will remember to start taking some pictures and can add a little of that excitement on here as well next time...

  Pressing on towards the goal,

  Erin

Where in the world is... Erin? :)

As I'm sitting here in a coffee shop trying to shock myself into "grad school mode," it's simply not happening because all I can think about right now is the goodness of the Father and how active and real He is in my life.  The past few days I have been thinking about starting up a blog because I want to be able to share with anyone who will listen what all He is doing in my life these days.  The only way He can receive full glory is if I share - and how much more can you share something these days than on the internet, right??  Probably anyone who knows me may understand my lack of technology and apatheticness towards it - I just love simplicity and that is something that I can do without. That is why I have labelled my phone my "E-phone" and honestly have no current desire to change that until I am absolutely forced into it. :)  I am not here to give some fancy presentation (who knows, maybe eventually I will figure out how to doll things up a bit), but I just simply want to give friends and family a glimpse of my life here in what I like to call "Clark-i-stan."

So here's a little recap of my past 5 years:
- I lived in Ethiopia for 2 years.
- Came back and did campus min for one year until the Father redirected my steps.
- Was handed a teaching job at Providence Chr. Academy teaching music where I just finished my 2nd year.  

The beautiful thing about where my job is closely located?  It's near Clarkston, GA which is the most concentrated area in the entire world for refugees with over 80 languages in one square mile - hello, nations!!  And guess who one of the leading people groups is?  That's right - Ethiopians!!  When I first journeyed this way, I purposefully did not move directly into Clarkston because I knew that this was going to be a more long-term thing for me and wanted to avoid burn-out.  I have scanned the scene for 2 years and found where I feel like the Father wants me to plant my roots - a ch plant called Reach The Nations.  You can check it out at rtnatlanta.com.   The focus of this is bringing ALL nations together in w'ship as ONE body since there is a lot of segregation among different people groups.  It is one of the hardest things I have ever been a part of but also one of the most beautiful.  Imagine trying to bridge ALL cultures and be sensitive to ALL of them at one time.  Yes, it takes an insane amount of gr'ce that I am constantly asking the Father for.  There are 3 pastors that are a part of it - an American, Ethiopian and one from Figi.

Although I am not currently on the other side of the world, my heart has not changed in the slightest for the nations.  What an amazing the story the Father has given me because now I have a very unique skill set that not many people in the area have.  And my latest news?  At the end of the summer, I will actually be moving into Clarkston into one of the refugee apartment complexes!!!!  And an even more beautiful part of this story?  The Father has graciously provided me with a roommate who is about to return from being a part of my outer team in Ethio as well.  That is what my sweet J's's does.  Not only does He give me this beautiful place to live but also gives me someone who shares the same heart and knows my experiences - and I, hers.

So there is a little recap on where I am at now and what I am doing.  And so you don't think that I am crazy - I am censoring things on here so that friends all over the world can be up to date as well no matter what country they are living in! :)

Seeking to follow where He leads,
Erin