Transition Update

Here is a copy of the email update I just sent out:

Hello everyone!

It has been a while since I have emailed. I'm sorry about that. I hope you have been checking my blog to see what I have been up to. I want to update you on what is going on in my life. I came home for my furlough in the beginning of March (which was a bit earlier than expected) and have enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Recently I started working part time at my old job. You might be wondering...is she home for good? No, I am not. I am in transition right now. I won't be going back to Tonj at this time, but hope to go back there some day. I was fortunate to spend sixteen months there and experienced great joy among the challenges. Thank you for sending me. Because you did, I was able to help the people of Tonj and represent you there. I will never forget my friends and co-workers who are still there and ask that you continue to pray with me for that ministry.

Although, my time at In Deed and Truth Ministries has come to an end, I am still called to be a missionary... somewhere. Right now I am praying about where God wants me and am just starting to investigate a few leads. While, I hope to go back to Africa within two to three months, my future is completely up in the air and I am willing to go wherever God leads.

Another question you may have is... what do I do with my donations? If you are supporting me with automatic deductions to In Deed and Truth Ministries, you can email Jeamette at jeamette@indeedandtruth.org to request it be stopped and mail them in for now. If you are mailing in your donations, you can mail them instead to:

Rancho del Rey Church

3132 Tiger Run Ct.
Suite G-105
Carlsbad, CA 92010

Be sure to put my name in the memo line so Rancho del Rey Church will know to designate to me. Your donations will still be tax deductible and you'll get a report at the end of the year. I am still in need of support as I am raising funds to get back to Africa. Once I know where I am going, I will let you know where to send your donations to support me there as your missionary.

This is a strange time for me. For someone who likes a plan, this can be very stressful! However, I have learned a bit of flexibility while in Africa that I am using now. I really need your prayers. I have no idea what is in store for my future. Please pray that God would open the right doors or connect me with the right people and show me exactly where he wants me.

Again, I am sorry for the lack of communication. I have been working on some ministry stuff since returning and I wanted to wait until I knew what was happening before sending an update. If you have any questions about this process, please don't hesitate to email me and ask. Thank you again for your continued support and prayers. I have felt loved and cared for since I have been home. I will keep you updated on what is going on so you can keep partnering with me on this. In the meantime, don't forget to check my blog as I post what it's like being a missionary home on furlough: http://www.thisisstaciesblog.blogspot.com/

Love,

Stacie

Keeping It Real

I try to keep it real with you guys whenever possible. I try to tell you my experiences as a missionary, on the field and at home. Well, here it goes... gulp....

Have you wondered why I haven't done a Weight Watchers update? That is because I fell off the wagon... big time! I joined so I wouldn't gain weight and lose the rest I needed to lose. Well, being home and back around this food again is hard! Sometimes I justify it and say, I will lose it when I go back, but I know inside I need to gain control. I just love food that is bad for me. I have craved it all for sixteen months and I am eating everyday like it's my last day here.



As a result, I have gained 25 pounds. In two months. Yes, that is actually possible. I am trying to stop the madness now. Eating right is a struggle for me and I need your help! It's not about vanity, but about self control and being healthy. Plus practically speaking, my clothes don't fit and I refuse to buy bigger sizes! You all have my permission to ask me how I am doing.

It's a new week and I will try to start eating better again. I will keep you updated on my progress.

Wild Animal Park

People from Carlsbad will understand this... "locals say Elm" and people from Oceanside will get this one "It's still Hill Street." I will always call the Wild Animal Park by it's old name. What is this safari business?

Anyway, other than the name change... I love the place. We went there on Saturday and it was another perfect weather day in San Diego County. It was neat to see all the references to Kenya. For example, when you enter, there is a sign saying "Jambo" which is Kiswahili for "hello." Also, we ate at the Mombasa Cookery. Mombasa is the name of a city on the Kenyan cost. There were several other things that made me think of Kenya...which made me miss my other home.

I had a fun time with Angie and her family. It's always fun to go there with kids and see things from their point of view. Note: skip the metamorphosis show and go to the Bubble show.

Thanks Weigels and Peytons for a great visit. No matter where we are, being around you feels like home.

Balboa Park

This week, my friend Angie was in town. Angie and I have been friends since birth and she is closer than a friend to me, more like a sister. While I was gone, she had her third child, Maddie, who I got to meet for the first time. One of the most joyful things about being home is seeing the babies whose births I missed and seeing how much bigger all the other kids are.

On Friday, we went to Balboa park. Although I have only been there a few times, I really love it there. The weather was perfect and it reminded me how wonderful San Diego is. We are so blessed to live here. We walked around for a while and went to the Natural History museum. Here is Maddie, who is in the running for the cutest baby ever, ready for a day at the park:



Here is Angie and me in front of the Japanese Friendship Garden (eagle eyes will notice we have the same tattoo):



This is at the Natural History Museum. They currently have a neat gem display with beautiful jewelry:



See what I mean...she's pretty cute!



Afterward, we had a picnic at Lindo Lake in Lakeside. Who knew Lakeside was so beautiful? (Sorry Mike!)



Ashton carried around the slingshot I brought from Kenya all day and used it to throw bread at, I mean to, the ducks.



We had a great day being out and about. I will miss San Diego when when I go home. The weather, yes, but most importantly being with people I love.

Back to Work

This week I went back to work! I am very thankful to be able to go back to work at Aloha West Insurance... even if it's only for a short time. Everyone there is so encouraging and I love being back. Most people think working in Sudan is tiring.... it is, but working here is hard too! Every day this week I have gone home exhausted and have gone to bed early. I'm not complaining... it just reminds me to be extra grateful for the people who support me in Sudan. You work hard here to allow me to serve there on your behalf and I appreciate you very much.

The Back Alley Grill

Want to try a new place for dinner (or lunch)? Try the Back Alley Grill in San Marcos. It's a really cool place with delicious food. They have a pretty patio out front, a bar inside and a horseshoe pit on the side. It's a smaller place so the service is personal and quick. Their specialty are their burgers...big patties on sour dough bread. My favorite thing on their menu are the onion rings. SO YUMMY!

Oh yeah...and my brother, Derek, is the chef! He is amazing. Try it out sometime. It's on San Marcos Boulevard by the bowling alley behind the dog wash place.





They have the cutest customers too...





Ok, I'm a little biased... they are my nieces! We went there on Saturday with my sister-in-law for dinner and it was great. 5 stars and two thumbs up!

Best Dessert Ever!

Last night I went to dinner with the Yordts and Luallens at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza. It was my first time there and it was amazing. I had really good steak tacos followed by the most amazing dessert I have ever seen - a GIANT cotton candy! I love cotton candy and was blown away by how huge it was. Amy had told me about it, but I didn't really understand how big it was until I saw it. What kind of place serves cotton candy for dessert? The best place ever!

Friends + Rock Band + Taco Salad = Fun

Tonight we had a mini redo of my going away party except this time it was to celebrate me coming home. My friends and I got together for our favorite dinner (taco salad) and Rock Band. I can play Rock Band all night. I never get bored with it. This time we ended early, around 10:00pm. Our encore performance was "I Saw Her Standing There" by the Beatles. I rocked the mike, Megan beat the drums, Timmy jammed on the guitar while Dave picked the bass. When people ask what I missed most about being home, tonight was the perfect example. Just hanging out with my friends (and family) and laughing. I want to soak it in and enjoy it as much as I can while I am here. In the words of Dorothy Gale "There is no place like home."

Palm Springs

For the past three days I had the privilege of being in Palm Springs. The Breitbarths invited me to join them on their Spring Break vacation. I had a blast. I really needed time to just relax and slow down. Since I have been home, I have pretty much been on the run from one place to the next visiting with family and friends. I'm not complaining. I know I will miss everyone when I go leave in a few months. However, I have been tired, so going to a place where all I had to do was lay around and do nothing was just what I needed.

We stayed at the Palm Canyon resort. It was a beautiful place with a great pool and an awesome slide. On Tuesday I decided to ride the slide 31 times. By lunch time I only reached 11. After we ate lunch, I thought about giving up on my goal. I rationalized saying I could combine all three days of slide riding to equal 31. Then, I talked to Ashlyn and Riley and got motivated to reach my goal. The three of us hit the slide with lots of determination and rode it 20 times in a row until we reached our goals. On our last ride, we each shouted out our final number: me - 31, Ashlyn - 35, Riley - 52!

Thanks Chris, Julie, Riley and Ashlyn for a great vacation!

Africa Harvest of Hope

Today I went with some people from church to an event organized by the Africa Harvest of Hope. They are an organization that helps orphans and widows in Tanzania. Their goal was to package 150,000 meals to send to Tanzania. Each table had a box of rice, dehydrated vegetables, soy protein and vitamin packages. We had to fill bags with a certain amount of each item. Then we weighed each bag and corrected the amount in them if necessary. Lastly we vacuum sealed the bags and packed them in a box. By the time we left, 130,000 meals had been packaged. I'm sure they reached their goal by the end of the day. We worked for four hours and the time flew by. Throughout the day, they had various worship bands playing. We had a lot of fun putting the packages together. I can't wait to do it again!