america del sur

a few years back, i was interested in taking a few years off.  i wanted to find a vineyard some where in france to work as a vineyardist.  actually, they're called "viticulturists" (but i like vineyardist gooder.)  to show my seriousness in this endeavor, i even took a french class.  don't mess with me, i was serious!  can you imagine this guy in a vineyard?!  

the desire is still there, but the motivation fizzled away.  you think i lacked purpose and direction for my life? 

i then turned 29, went on a trip to japan and taiwan.  after which i decided to take one year off to see if God wanted me in full-time ministry.  i was then asking the Lord for a destination in south america to spend 9 - 10 months as a short-term missionary.  i contacted south america missions, met up with a missionary, and was in the process of filling out their application... but there was just no clear leading.  it was then time to head off to the ranch.  i figured these applications can be filled out in the summer while i sought after God's direction in His creation.  

being a slacker with little self control, those applications never saw the light of day.  however, i cut myself some slack... there just wasn't clear leading i told myself.  plus, wouldn't you rather guide a raft down the klamath or lead a low ropes course?  or in your spare time go squirrel hunting? 

head shot.

my grandfather passed away in late august, and i really desired to spend more time with my grandmother in taiwan.  without specific plans set in stone, taiwan was where i headed next.  i was still interested in serving the Lord as much as i could, so i checked with mr. jason wu from omf, to tag along for any ministry opportunities.  i also invited two white boys from the ranch to play in asia for a month.  after trevor & tomoko's wedding in september, i found myself in asia (hk & tw) with willis and ej, in various ministry opportunities, various funny situations and terrible living conditions for them (i still feel horrible for letting them sleep on hardwood beds).  

young school girls wanting a piece of the white man.

scooter day in chiayi.

taiwan's an entire entry in itself.  the time in taiwan for 3 months, was unbelievable.  it solidified a few convictions in my heart.  it healed a lot of how i felt about taiwan.  it drew me closer to my father and his family.  what a blessed 3 months.  my dad says i will probably never have a time like that in my life again.  hehe.  he is most likely right, but Lord willing, i'd like to prove him wrong some day.  (hi daddy!)  :P

we arrived in hk in early october, with willis & ej, and i met up with an old acquaintance - ms. lau!  over lunch, she heard of my year off and asked if i'd be interested to work for her in lima, peru.  where?  south america.  interestante.  to do what?  to manage a start-up importing company for the petroleum industry in south america.  to do what???  does the company provide housing?  yep, you'll have an ocean view apartment.  ms. lau, you know i have no experience in this area.  yep, i know.  you know i speak nada spanish.  yep, that's okay.

got it. 

*gulp*

my mind:  Lord, what is going on?!  did i want another job?  what happened to serving you full time?  why does my heart find this interesting and why am i drawn to this?  utter confusion.  while sitting on the kowloon side, looking at hk island praying and asking the Lord for direction, conviction and clarity, God didn't send a fleece to speak to me.  :( 

after 2 months of prayer, i decided to accept her proposal, with a few terms.  i was still technically employed by northrop grumman, so i was to go as a volunteer.  second, i was given a trial period of 2-3 months.  if things just weren't a good fit for her or for me, i could return to northrop grumman in may, or pursue other endeavors.

upon returning to los angeles in january, i fell sick and never thought i'd get a proper visa in time.  that came through, even when i needed more pages in my passport, cause i was out.  i was able to get plenty of hyperthyroid medicine to last me till may.  (i was to return to the states in may, cause of jack & pri's wedding, which was beautiful!!!)  i was able to pack.  and my church gave me a wonderful farewell by sending me to the airport. 

jack & pri's wedding

i arrived in lima, peru on monday, january 11, 2011.  (there sure are lots of 1s in that sentence.)  anyways, i was picked up by a mr. santiago ramirez (i think i can guess by the name as to where i'm at now...) and driven to my apartment and then to my office.  i met ana & a-zen for the first time.  a-zen decided to leave the company after three days of my arrival.  i had the runs for the following 2 months, daily.  haha.  and ppl say i lost weight, they must be seeing things!

i turned 30 9 days after arriving in lima.  by march/april of 2011, it is was clear in my heart that i was to stay beyond may.  if the Lord allows, my plan is to work here for 2-3 years.  if i am helpful to ms. lau and united america petroleum (uap), i will stay longer.  if uap is still around after 2-3 yrs, that means the Lord has guided me and provided for me.  up to 6 or 7 years, depending on where the company is, i will strongly desire to go into full-time ministry.  Lord willing to some missions organization doing specifically mobilization like mr. jason wu, or participating in some extent with missions.  maybe just to rub it in, to go back to taiwan and spend months with my father while helping out various ministries.  it'll complete a full cycle.  i will then be 36 or 37 years old.  will i be married?  will i have children?  will i only be able to last in peru for 1 year and jet?  as much as i can plan my life, He is in charge of it.  but, most importantly, i will know this ... God and i will be tight.  He will have led me through peaks and valleys, joys and pains, triumphs and failures that i will never have experienced if i stayed in my cubicle at northrop grumman.  whether there are more failures than triumphs, or more joys than pains, He will be my God and i will choose to follow Him.

please keep me in your prayers... for steadfastness and protection.  to be strong and secure in Him.  that i may gird up my loins and fight for the Lord.  and when the going gets tough, He will be my comfort and i will be strengthened by Him.   please pray for me, in terms of missing my family and friends back home.  i miss you guys dearly!  :'(



i'm 30 now, i definitely picked up a grand new adventure here in america del sur. 

the big 3.0.

i'm 30.  

crap.

need i say anything else?

what are blogs for anyway?!

its amazing how fast time goes by.  i havn't had a solid post for almost 1 year, and its been long overdue.  this blog was to keep friends posted on my life... it definitely hasn't been doing its job!  what good are blogs good for anyway?!  its bout time to get it to work for me.

my past thoughtful update was when i was at the ranch and just reflecting upon the time there.  that was right after i took a leave of absence from northrop grumman, slightly over 1 year ago.  since then, i've had 7 new girlfriends, developed the ability to share amazing hilarious stories and been able to dunk.  its been an amazing year!  haha.  although that didn't happen, i lost 2 grandparents, turned 30, and moved to south america.  its been a very rich year.  amidst the bewilderment, heartache and joy, the Lord is good, is faithful and always sovereign. 

losing both of my dearest grandparents have provided an extremely yet confusing set of emotions.  i'm glad they're gone yet i miss them.  i wish i was by their side when they left, but i wasn't.  i'd like to feel more strongly about them leaving, yet i don't.  what's wrong with me?!  haha.  but, ultimately, God decided that it was time for them to go.  i will see my grandmother in heaven, no doubt.  however, with my grandfather, i struggle with this.  he was baptized, yet, i never saw him intimately walk with the Lord.  not something i dwell too much about, a mystery that will one day be revealed.  but, more importantly, makes me think of my immediate beloved family - my mother, my sister, my father, and my two twin brothers.  i suppose moving myself down to south america doesn't really help things.  man, can you imagine the depth of meaning when Jesus said those that do the Father's will is our brother and sister?  (mat 12:46-50) and that the church is our family.  sorry church sisters, but my sister holds far greater value in my heart than you guys.  :P  how can you not when she looks like this. 

i digress, ultimately, i cherish and love my immediate family so dearly -- even with their dis-functions, oddities and annoyances.  and as a child of a divorce, i got myself two families.  double the dis-functions, oddities and annoyances?  :P  on another note, my twin brothers are adorable!  i love them so much, i don't even know why.  so family ... is important.  gotta learn to cherish them.

yes, he's spitting water at me.  haha. 

i want to continue, but i shouldn't.  being vain and conceited, i enjoy ppl reading my blog and i know if its too long and without pictures, you guys will be bored.  you guys are like me when i was 7 or 8.  i only chose books with lots of pictures and little words.  dr seuss was amazing!  (odd, but amazing).  and his books were really big.  made me feel really good finishing one of them.  so... i'll reflect and ramble a bit more on turning 30 later.

peace outside!  (james lin - this is for you)