Moving In

Nov. 8, 2016
11:30 pm
Beijing, China

Happy Election Day, my fellow Americans! I’m excited (but actually dreading) to hear the results when I wake up tomorrow. I hope you’ve all voted and that you believe you made the best decision for our country.

And while you’ve all been doing that, I’ve been shopping! Remember how I mentioned yesterday that I was thinking about going to IKEA on Wednesday? Well I ended up going today after I met up with Nayyir, Atiana, and Shay at HQ. They were already planning to go, so I tagged along. It was a day full of laughter and fun. We got to catch up on how things were going at our centers and what we’d been up to. It was great to hear everyone’s stories and to form some new great memories. We headed up to IKEA a little after noon today. After taking the train to the correct stop, we hopped into two rickshaws to ride a little further to the store. Here’s a quick video I took. Nayyir’s with me while the other girls are in the second rickshaw.

We all needed to find stuff for our apartments. Shay’s apartment came with a lot of stuff and Atiana has already been shopping many times, so they were looking for more decorative stuff and not a lot of functional items. Nayyir and I, on the other hand, we’re looking for things that we really needed. After spending a few hours there, because you never leave IKEA quickly and we ate lunch there, I walked out with a duvet and pillow cover set, a shower curtain, shower hooks, a towel, a hand towel, a bathmat, and two hanging trees (or whatever they’re called). I spent quite a bit of money, but it was all spent on things I needed.

After leaving IKEA, Shay, Nayyir, and I headed over to Walmart to grab just a couple more items. I left there with two sets of hangers, a shower curtain rod, and another pillow. We only spent another half hour or so there. Finally, I headed home. It was actually very exhausting and the trip home was extremely long. When I did get back, I set to getting my apartment put together. I actually feel like I’m home now. I know that I need to be careful about how much money I spend, especially until I get my first paycheck, but I firmly believe that everything I bought today was necessary. I know it may seem a bit silly to say that a bedspread is necessary if I have a quilt, but it is. Before, I didn’t feel connected here; it was just a place where I was staying. Now that I have some color and some personal touches, it’s actually starting to feel like a home. It also helped that I unpacked my bags. I didn’t have hangers before, so I couldn’t really move my clothes in. But now everything is in my wardrobe and I’m no longer living out of a suitcase. It feels good. It is starting to feel real.

Words to Remember: 2 Cor. 5:14-21
Challenge: Take a moment and let this passage sink in. How does it make you feel? Abba gives you a fresh start every day. Your slate is wiped clean. What does that mean to you? Today, thank Abba for His grace and constant presence. Ask Him to remind you of His presence throughout your day. Finally, find someone today to talk to about your relationship with Abba. It can be someone you want to introduce to Abba, or your child, or your spouse. Anyone! Just talk to someone about your friendship with Him.

Don’t forget to pr— for our country today as we make this huge decision.
Bless,
Kristen