33 days until I'm a married woman!

God is good.

No matter what I can say about life, I can say that.

I just got off the phone with my sister in Christ and bridesmaid, Tanya. It was so great to connect with her again after too long of not talking. She'll be out here with me in about a month celebrating my marriage. I can't wait! She is my link back to the WBS world that was heaven for me back in 2004 and 2005.

I've been having a constant battle with stress. Edwin had to remind me recently about having the right perspective on life. Working, doing a masters, and planning a wedding can be quite a task. Joy returned to me once I identified much of my oppressed feelings as attacks from the evil one. Knowing how to pray, I've been proclaiming peace and power in the name of Jesus!

So, the GOOD that God is doing that is SO good includes making it through the recent wildfires here in SoCal. We were one of the pockets of San Diego county that didn't get evacuated... meaning we were where a lot of evacuees came. It was a new natural disaster for this girl who has been through earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes. God was with us, and the more Edwin and I serve together the more excited we are about becoming one in marriage for the purpose of growing God's kingdom.

Our plans include a major life transition for both of us. We're going to join World Team in the spring (granted we pass assessment!) and go to the Philippines in the spring of 2009 to work with a church plant, specifically to battle prostitution and the like. We anticipate being there about 4 years. And we're both REALLY excited. We're thinking about getting our PhDs together at one of the universities there. We also want to work with college students at the many universities in the Manila area. The hope is that we can raise their awareness of the social injustices going on in their back yard, and develop in them leaders who will fight it once we leave.

Since this is our plan, I'll be transitioning out of DCPI in the early spring, so that we can focus completely on our current outreach ministries here in Oceanside while raising support to go to the Philippines. We're really looking forward to having more time to work together. So far, we make a good team.

We're looking forward to our graduation from our masters programs next year, I from Azusa Pacific University in May and he from Fuller in early fall. We're both mastering in Theology.

There's the update that Tanya prompted me to post (thanks, Tanya!).