A roadtrip to Redding

San Francisco, the 1st of April 2009

So I went there, I made my way up north to Redding for the weekend. I made the decision to take off on Thursday evening, rented a car and so I was ready for some days off.

My Californian vehicle

Friday's traffic jam in San Francisco

It was so fun driving in the States. There were four lane highways and a lot of traffic. Especially when leaving cause I left at 4pm. So you can just image the traffic jam that I had to face; a weekend about to start and everybody getting off from work. Well after five hours, after enjoying all beautiful views on my way and after a quick stop at a local gas station, I finally made it to Redding. It was so nice to see familiar faces!

Redding is a city surrounded by amazing mountains and nature. A little over an hour's drive away there's a place for snowboarding at Shasta mountain but then in the city it gets really warm and you get to do other stuff. Motorcrossing is one thing that Saara and Sami like doing. Lake Shasta offers its own entertainment also. But enough with advertising the city.

Redding and its beautiful view

On Saturday after eating at In 'n Out, we started a roadtrip to see the Burney falls. The whole trip took the whole afternoon but was so worth it. Isn't God just so creative with everything around us! And that's all for us to enjoy.

"Did You rise the sun for me?
Or paint a million stars that I might
Know Your majesty?
Is Your voice upon the wind?
Is everything I've known marked
With my maker's fingerprints?"
Hillsong United

Kirsi, me, Sami, Saara and Maria,
Mount Burney behind us


If you want to see what the falls were like, you're gonna have to check out the video below.
Such a bad quality.. nothing compared to HD or Red One, the ones I'm used to.

In addition to mountains, Redding is famous for its Bethel church. I got to visit that place for a couple of times also. The atmosphere in there was so warm; everybody was really friendly and I felt so welcome there. It was such a good time for me and after the weekend I felt so blessed. I got prayed for many times by different people and was so encouraged. It was so good to hear good things from God about me after a hard week and after having even questioned a bit of my coming here to the States. I had done that even though I had a total peace in moving here and knowing that this was what God wanted for me this spring. Sometimes you just get confused about things. Even though I'm not having the feeling of being alive for this work, I'm sure of being in the right place at the moment. And I do enjoy being here, more and more every day. Some of the homeless are really amazing personalities and I like them a lot. Unlike in Finland, here all the homeless aren't drunks. In Finland we just have so much better social system that takes care of people. Here you can be on the top of your life owning a house worth of many million dollars and having a successful carrier on one day and the next day the streets become your living room. That's not only a story. I know a person here just like that and it makes me sad.

Mountains seen from the porch of Bethel church

Pastor Bill Johnson was preaching at the Bethel church on Sunday and he had some good things to preach about. One thing I really want remember later on is to learn to celebrate other's victories. As christians we're a body of Christ so that means the victories are also ours. So why wouldn't we be happy for the victories?

Another thing that spoke to me while my stay at Bethel church was to soak in God's presence. It isn't always about doing things for Him and having to say something. It is just so good to hang out with Him and to soak in His healing luxury. It is so healing and relaxing. God just wants to embrace us with His great love and let us lie on His strong arms.

It was nice to hang out with Saara and Sami and get to know this Finnish girl Kirsi. It was really nice to get to know new people as well. This one guy (he's actually from Finland too and I've seen him so many times without never gotten to know him before) invited me to come and see their dance performance on the first weekend of April. It would be so nice! So I think I might travel up there again in a month.

Eero, Saara, Sami and Kirsi having
thai-food in a park next to a local skate pool

Oh boy I miss dancing and wall climbing as well. It's only a couple of weeks since my last dance class but still. Just started jogging yesterday. I wen for a jog by the bay along Embarcadero. Itwas so good to get back to training. I cannot afford taking dace classes or going climbing but still want to keep in condition. So I have to come up with some cheaper alternatives. Last night I did sit-ups and push-ups in my room and not forgetting to mention standing on my hands by the wall. One of the homeless, an athleet and in really good condition, told me to go jogging a bit earlier than I did yesterday. He said that it's not that safe jogging by the bay after eight o'clock which was the time I was there. It's good to have homeless people looking out for me.

Near Union square,
a five minute walk from my home,
lots of fancy and expensive boutiques;
the place were all shopping is done

The Embarcadero; this is where I go jogging

Views on my jogging path

The food's so different here. They serve goodies, pantries and chips almost every day here. I try to avoid them as much as possible, otherwise I'm gonna look so different when coming back to Finland. Everybody is always laughing at me cause i put water in my cerial to low fatten the greasy milk. Hah, I'm a weird Finn :D

Yes, I've been to Sturbucks

But overall, the weekend was so great. I consider it as a gift from God. He's so pleased when people want to follow Him and surrender all dreams, future and everything for Him to take care of. He wants us to be open to Him and to what He has in store for our lives. And this is my prayer that I would learn more to let go of things and would grow more into trusting in Him with every single thing in my life. He's plans are so much bigger than what mine could ever be. I've seen Him fulfilling my dreams of which this moving to the States is only one example. He's so faithful, oh so faithful and I want to give thanks in equal measure as I've been blessed.

P.S. Robert, from now on I will use the photo razor you sent me. Thanks mate! :)