Ok so this blog hasn't had a very long life...but I don't like blogspot. I haven't posted much on this but I am ready to blog again. So now that I'm feeling more dedicated to the whole thing I am going to make a change. I'm switching to wordpress and my new blog site is www.tstunz.wordpress.com
So those 2 people that actually read this...if you care come find my blog there. If not whatever I'm still going to blog :)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The 5 Browns Concert
Mom, Anna, and I went to the Clarion Friday night to see the 5 Browns play. Mom and I were excited just to walk in and see 5 gorgeous Steinway pianos all on one stage! But on top of that the concert itself was incredible!!! The thought of 5 brothers and sisters who grew up playing piano, all went to Julliard, and travel around playing piano together was very exciting. I loved every second of the concert.
I left wanting to just go home and sit down at our piano and play...and miraculously sound like them. BUT that definitely isn't happening in the near future so I guess I'll have to be content to play what I can. Hopefully someday I'll be more dedicated and have time to play more often.
And I'm not going to lie, having a Steinway piano in my house might be some incentive...hint hint :)
Anyway, here is a link to their website if you want to check them out. If you get the chance to go see them perform...GO! (and take me with you)
http://www.the5browns.com/
On a side note my last two finals of the semester are tomorrow!!! I'm not really sure how I made it through a semester with 17 hours but I did and I will be SO glad to be done with finals!!! So now I need to go study...A.K.A. listen to the 5 Browns CD and kind of skim over my notes.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
This place has my heart
In 77 days I will be in one of my favorite places in the world. Over the past couple years Kenya has become really close to my heart. I got home last summer from our mission trip with 410 Bridge and wanted nothing more than to just fly back as soon as possible.
Over the last year my heart has ached to be back in Kenya. People I connected to and love are there. I felt at home and had so many great memories. Pieces of Kenya came home with me and are constant reminders of how much I fell in love with Africa.
After I got home last summer people asked if I would go back and without hesitation the answer was yes. I just didn’t know if that trip back to Kenya would be as soon as I wanted it to be. I knew our church was going back this summer but I just wasn’t sure that I could come up with the money to go back so soon.
But…
God is good! I managed to get a job to help pay for my trip. My awesome little sister started her own business selling dog treats and gave me money she earned. Other people donated money and in the end the money all came together. And not only am I getting to go back this year but I will also get to share the experiences in Kenya with my brother and some close friends from church.
Then…
On top of all of that my friend Aubrey and I have an amazing opportunity that we couldn’t be more excited about. A couple years ago at camp in Florida Aubrey and I started sponsoring a boy named Mzungu through Compassion International. A few weeks ago we contacted Compassion and the plans have been made to meet Mzungu while we are in Nairobi. He is going to come have lunch with us on the last day of our trip and then go with us to the Giraffe Center.
Aubrey and I wanted to go to Africa to meet Mzungu the second we started sponsoring him. We thought we might go and meet him last year but up until now our plans haven’t worked out. But this year Aubrey and I will be in Africa together and we will get to meet this awesome ten year old little boy that for the past couple years we have only seen pictures of and written too. It blows my mind that for years we have written letters to a boy thousands of miles around the world but in a couple months we will see him face to face.
I also pray that I will get to see a sweet little girl named Isiki that absolutely stole my heart while I was there last year. My trip last year changed me forever, for a lot of reasons, but Isiski is one person who I will never forget and who really impacted me. It was impossible not to smile when she did. I would have been content to stay with her the whole trip. I love that little girl and I pray that I can see her again this year.
I also can’t wait to see some very special kids who live at Havilla orphanage. Two in particular named Gladys and Rahab stayed at our house for a weekend this past October. They came to Lake Jackson with a group called the Daraja Children’s Choir and they sang at our church that weekend. Many people on our team have gotten to know the kids at Havilla and we can’t wait to see them again this year while we are there.
Oh and we get to stay two nights (we only stayed one night last year) at this awesome place called Sweetwater. We stayed last year and went on a Safari and it was definitely an amazing way to end our trip. Waking up and walking outside of a tent to watch the sunrise in AFRICA and then watch the giraffes, elephants and all sorts of other animals right in front of you is awesome.
But…
In all the excitement I am also a little nervous. How do I connect with Mzungu when all I’ve done so far is write to him? What if Isiki and I don’t have that same connection that we did last year? What if Jake and I can’t make it from Singapore to Kenya without getting lost in another country?
So…
Please be praying for me and the rest of our team as we go to Kenya this summer. Pray that God uses us as he wants and that we continue to strengthen the relationship with the people of Segera and Endana that we began to build last year. Pray that we make it there safely. Pray that our team gets along and that we all have fun together.
I fully expect God to do some incredible things while we are on this trip. He did last year, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store this year!!!
Over the last year my heart has ached to be back in Kenya. People I connected to and love are there. I felt at home and had so many great memories. Pieces of Kenya came home with me and are constant reminders of how much I fell in love with Africa.
After I got home last summer people asked if I would go back and without hesitation the answer was yes. I just didn’t know if that trip back to Kenya would be as soon as I wanted it to be. I knew our church was going back this summer but I just wasn’t sure that I could come up with the money to go back so soon.
But…
God is good! I managed to get a job to help pay for my trip. My awesome little sister started her own business selling dog treats and gave me money she earned. Other people donated money and in the end the money all came together. And not only am I getting to go back this year but I will also get to share the experiences in Kenya with my brother and some close friends from church.
Then…
On top of all of that my friend Aubrey and I have an amazing opportunity that we couldn’t be more excited about. A couple years ago at camp in Florida Aubrey and I started sponsoring a boy named Mzungu through Compassion International. A few weeks ago we contacted Compassion and the plans have been made to meet Mzungu while we are in Nairobi. He is going to come have lunch with us on the last day of our trip and then go with us to the Giraffe Center.
Aubrey and I wanted to go to Africa to meet Mzungu the second we started sponsoring him. We thought we might go and meet him last year but up until now our plans haven’t worked out. But this year Aubrey and I will be in Africa together and we will get to meet this awesome ten year old little boy that for the past couple years we have only seen pictures of and written too. It blows my mind that for years we have written letters to a boy thousands of miles around the world but in a couple months we will see him face to face.
I also pray that I will get to see a sweet little girl named Isiki that absolutely stole my heart while I was there last year. My trip last year changed me forever, for a lot of reasons, but Isiski is one person who I will never forget and who really impacted me. It was impossible not to smile when she did. I would have been content to stay with her the whole trip. I love that little girl and I pray that I can see her again this year.
I also can’t wait to see some very special kids who live at Havilla orphanage. Two in particular named Gladys and Rahab stayed at our house for a weekend this past October. They came to Lake Jackson with a group called the Daraja Children’s Choir and they sang at our church that weekend. Many people on our team have gotten to know the kids at Havilla and we can’t wait to see them again this year while we are there.
Oh and we get to stay two nights (we only stayed one night last year) at this awesome place called Sweetwater. We stayed last year and went on a Safari and it was definitely an amazing way to end our trip. Waking up and walking outside of a tent to watch the sunrise in AFRICA and then watch the giraffes, elephants and all sorts of other animals right in front of you is awesome.
But…
In all the excitement I am also a little nervous. How do I connect with Mzungu when all I’ve done so far is write to him? What if Isiki and I don’t have that same connection that we did last year? What if Jake and I can’t make it from Singapore to Kenya without getting lost in another country?
So…
Please be praying for me and the rest of our team as we go to Kenya this summer. Pray that God uses us as he wants and that we continue to strengthen the relationship with the people of Segera and Endana that we began to build last year. Pray that we make it there safely. Pray that our team gets along and that we all have fun together.
I fully expect God to do some incredible things while we are on this trip. He did last year, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store this year!!!
Sweetwater Tented Camps
Giraffe Center, Nairobi
Endana Primary School
Gladys, Rahab, Me and Mercy
Havilla Orphanage+042.jpg)
Me and Isiki
Sunday, April 12, 2009
I'm going barefoot
This Thursday April 16th
One Day Without Shoes
Who doesn't want an excuse to not wear shoes for the day?!?
One Day Without Shoes
Who doesn't want an excuse to not wear shoes for the day?!?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Overthinking...
This blog has got to be one of the most neglected blogs ever. I have come up with reasons and excuses as to why but they are all in the end lame justification for not sitting down and writing something. I have made a few attempts at a few posts but I have always ended up pressing delete. The thoughts floating around in my head and the things going on in my life are beyond overwhelming right now. And every time I sit down to post it seems like a jumbled mess and uninteresting to anyone who might actually read it. But tonight I need the thoughts in my head to be words on a page and I also need a blog post so I’m just going to kill two birds with one stone.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
-Hebrews 10:36
This verse has hit me hard this week. Like I said above life is overwhelming and busy. Mine and my family’s to-do list is unbelievably long and I am starting to feel that every time we check something off 3 or 4 are added to the list. I feel completely unmotivated because I know the list is not going to stop growing. But when I sit and try to relax I stress about what I should be doing.
The over thinker in me is starting to take over and my emotions are shot. I have known my family is moving and I am going to college for some time now but I think it is just now starting to become real. My family is everything to me and not seeing them every day is going to be hard. I know I will adjust; I always do. But I also have always hated the fear of the unknown and this is a lot of unknown for me to take on at one time. On top of having to take it on pretty much by myself.
My family is moving and I am staying and as much as I hate it it’s the right thing, and God has proved this to me in the last couple days. He has shown me how much I rely on myself and my own strengths to get me through tough situations, and when I can’t handle something on my own I usually turn to the help of my family next. But when they move they aren’t going to be as easily accessible to help me anymore. And sadly it has taken all of this to realize it but I have to start relying completely and fully on God in this situation. As hard is I am starting see that God is using this situation to teach me and bring me closer to him.
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
-Psalm 121:1
I know that my family will always be there to help me in any way that they can but I am realizing that part of being an adult is handling different situations on my own. God has shown my family and me, multiple times, that we are doing that right thing and that makes this whole thing bearable, but definitely not easy. The tears have already begun and I don't know that they will stop for a while. And that flight to Dallas from Singapore is going to be one of the toughest things I do all summer and I already dread it. But I will get on that plane and move to college and start my life as an adult because that’s part of God’s plan for me. And I know that God will never leave me, and my family will always love me and those two things alone will get me through this.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
-Hebrews 10:36
This verse has hit me hard this week. Like I said above life is overwhelming and busy. Mine and my family’s to-do list is unbelievably long and I am starting to feel that every time we check something off 3 or 4 are added to the list. I feel completely unmotivated because I know the list is not going to stop growing. But when I sit and try to relax I stress about what I should be doing.
The over thinker in me is starting to take over and my emotions are shot. I have known my family is moving and I am going to college for some time now but I think it is just now starting to become real. My family is everything to me and not seeing them every day is going to be hard. I know I will adjust; I always do. But I also have always hated the fear of the unknown and this is a lot of unknown for me to take on at one time. On top of having to take it on pretty much by myself.
My family is moving and I am staying and as much as I hate it it’s the right thing, and God has proved this to me in the last couple days. He has shown me how much I rely on myself and my own strengths to get me through tough situations, and when I can’t handle something on my own I usually turn to the help of my family next. But when they move they aren’t going to be as easily accessible to help me anymore. And sadly it has taken all of this to realize it but I have to start relying completely and fully on God in this situation. As hard is I am starting see that God is using this situation to teach me and bring me closer to him.
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
-Psalm 121:1
I know that my family will always be there to help me in any way that they can but I am realizing that part of being an adult is handling different situations on my own. God has shown my family and me, multiple times, that we are doing that right thing and that makes this whole thing bearable, but definitely not easy. The tears have already begun and I don't know that they will stop for a while. And that flight to Dallas from Singapore is going to be one of the toughest things I do all summer and I already dread it. But I will get on that plane and move to college and start my life as an adult because that’s part of God’s plan for me. And I know that God will never leave me, and my family will always love me and those two things alone will get me through this.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Catching up
So blogging hasn’t happened in FOREVER…oops. But life has not been lacking chaos over the last few weeks so blogging hasn’t made the list of things to do. Anyway here is what has been going on since the last time I signed into blogger. Let’s see
1) Christmas!! It was a great Christmas I got some great gifts and loved spending it with my family. It was bitter sweet considering it was the last of its kind for a while but the changes coming up are starting to sink in and I was able to really enjoy this Christmas :)
2) I have been taking a mini-mester. I took a government class online through BC which lasts only three weeks and I get three credit hours. The class was pretty easy but I had to write nine essays in the past three weeks so it has kept me busy during my free time trying to finish up the essays. But I did finish the class today so that is a relief.
3) New Years!! I spent New Years with friends and family and had a blast. This year has had its ups and downs but overall it has been a great year! New years also made me think about the year coming up. I am sure it is going to have its up and downs also. There are going to be some really tough times but there are also going to be some really exciting times. Lots of changes are going to happen this year but I all of these changes are going to keep this new year interesting and I think it is going to be a really good year in the end.
4) I have been working. Kohl’s has taken up a lot of my time during the evenings. I usually end up working till 10 and sometimes on the weekend. So if I don’t work right after school I come home do some homework go to work, work till 10 and then come home finish up some more homework and usually don’t crash until 11:30 or 12. And then I end up waking up early for school and start all over. As exhausted as I have been it has turned out to be a pretty good job. I do have some complaints but who doesn’t have some complaints about their job and it definitely is not a bad first job.
5) We have been packing up boxes to put into storage. I hate packing up stuff and it has especially stressed me out considering I have to think about packing for three different places. I have to think about the storage room here, the storage room that I will get in Dallas, and what is going to go in my dorm room in college. It makes me want to just throw everything into the storage room in Dallas and pull it out as I need it. I REALLY DON’T LIKE PACKING :)
6) I finished my last day of high school!!!! :) I walked out of Brazoswood high school on Friday after my last full day!! I have to go back on Monday after college and take a calculus final and then I have to go back on Tuesday to take a government final and then I am officially done with high school!! It has been very exciting for me and I start my college classes on Monday so we’ll see how all that goes.
So I think that is pretty much everything important that has happened in the last few weeks…and I'm impressed if anyone made it this far into the blog. But anyway a lot is going to be going on in the next few weeks too and I’m sure I will have lots more to post about that. So hopefully I will have a little bit more time to blog from now on and I won’t have to post catch up blogs :)
1) Christmas!! It was a great Christmas I got some great gifts and loved spending it with my family. It was bitter sweet considering it was the last of its kind for a while but the changes coming up are starting to sink in and I was able to really enjoy this Christmas :)
2) I have been taking a mini-mester. I took a government class online through BC which lasts only three weeks and I get three credit hours. The class was pretty easy but I had to write nine essays in the past three weeks so it has kept me busy during my free time trying to finish up the essays. But I did finish the class today so that is a relief.
3) New Years!! I spent New Years with friends and family and had a blast. This year has had its ups and downs but overall it has been a great year! New years also made me think about the year coming up. I am sure it is going to have its up and downs also. There are going to be some really tough times but there are also going to be some really exciting times. Lots of changes are going to happen this year but I all of these changes are going to keep this new year interesting and I think it is going to be a really good year in the end.
4) I have been working. Kohl’s has taken up a lot of my time during the evenings. I usually end up working till 10 and sometimes on the weekend. So if I don’t work right after school I come home do some homework go to work, work till 10 and then come home finish up some more homework and usually don’t crash until 11:30 or 12. And then I end up waking up early for school and start all over. As exhausted as I have been it has turned out to be a pretty good job. I do have some complaints but who doesn’t have some complaints about their job and it definitely is not a bad first job.
5) We have been packing up boxes to put into storage. I hate packing up stuff and it has especially stressed me out considering I have to think about packing for three different places. I have to think about the storage room here, the storage room that I will get in Dallas, and what is going to go in my dorm room in college. It makes me want to just throw everything into the storage room in Dallas and pull it out as I need it. I REALLY DON’T LIKE PACKING :)
6) I finished my last day of high school!!!! :) I walked out of Brazoswood high school on Friday after my last full day!! I have to go back on Monday after college and take a calculus final and then I have to go back on Tuesday to take a government final and then I am officially done with high school!! It has been very exciting for me and I start my college classes on Monday so we’ll see how all that goes.
So I think that is pretty much everything important that has happened in the last few weeks…and I'm impressed if anyone made it this far into the blog. But anyway a lot is going to be going on in the next few weeks too and I’m sure I will have lots more to post about that. So hopefully I will have a little bit more time to blog from now on and I won’t have to post catch up blogs :)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I need Africa more than Africa needs me
So I found this video last week sometime and I just can’t stop watching it. This video hits really close to home for me and honestly makes me want to pack up right now and move over there. Like the video says Africa does need our partnerships and our relationships. After going to Kenya with 410 Bridge this summer I realized that that is true and the people of Africa do need our help. But I also realized that on my end of the relationship I need Africa too. Every time I saw people dancing and singing and I saw their smiling faces and heard their laughter it made me think about my attitude. If I was forced to live in the situations they live in everyday I can almost guarantee that I would not handle it with as much happiness and joy as they do. The people in Africa taught me how to love unconditionally and find joy in horrible situations. I went over to Africa thinking that I was bringing something to the people their but I left being the one who received so much.
aids. starvation. child soldiers. genocide. orphans.
These are the images that come to mind when i think of Africa.
How can I help? How can I make a difference?
I think, "I am needed here...they have so little and i have so much."
Often there is a level of suffering here that is unimaginable, but it's hard to reconcile the challenges many Africans face with the joy I see in the people.
The images spilling out of my television showed only misery, and I was fooled.
I bought into the lie that circumstances define happiness.
In places where despair should thrive, I find adults dancing and singing.
Children playing soccer with a ball tied of trash.
Relationships provide faith and joy.
My new reality...
my joy should have no regard for my circumstances.
I want what I have learned to trickle down from my head into my heart.
I no longer want to need the "next thing" to have joy.
Africa does need our efforts and partnership, but for me...
I need Africa more than Africa needs me.
Because it is Africa that has taught me that possessions in my hands will never be as valuable as peace in my heart.
https://www.mochaclub.org/mochaclub/welcome
The link above is the link to Mocha Club's website. It has more information about the organization and what they are doing. You can join mocha club and you can also get the t-shirt that you see in the video on the their website.
aids. starvation. child soldiers. genocide. orphans.
These are the images that come to mind when i think of Africa.
How can I help? How can I make a difference?
I think, "I am needed here...they have so little and i have so much."
Often there is a level of suffering here that is unimaginable, but it's hard to reconcile the challenges many Africans face with the joy I see in the people.
The images spilling out of my television showed only misery, and I was fooled.
I bought into the lie that circumstances define happiness.
In places where despair should thrive, I find adults dancing and singing.
Children playing soccer with a ball tied of trash.
Relationships provide faith and joy.
My new reality...
my joy should have no regard for my circumstances.
I want what I have learned to trickle down from my head into my heart.
I no longer want to need the "next thing" to have joy.
Africa does need our efforts and partnership, but for me...
I need Africa more than Africa needs me.
Because it is Africa that has taught me that possessions in my hands will never be as valuable as peace in my heart.
https://www.mochaclub.org/mochaclub/welcome
The link above is the link to Mocha Club's website. It has more information about the organization and what they are doing. You can join mocha club and you can also get the t-shirt that you see in the video on the their website.
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