No one will ever do it again

San Francisco, the 14th of April 2009

Another week here is over an a new one's already started. The Easter week passed me by but it didn't felt like Easter until Sunday, cause I'm not used to have this kind of weather around me on Easter.

Last week I was working in the Mission Adventure team as their cook. So I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Cooking is not my favorite but it was cool to get to know all the team members better. That's something you get to do more in kitchen that in any other place.

When working in the kitchen the week schedule is a bit different from everybody else's. I got to wake up every day at 6am, even on Saturday. But I had some hours off during the day to use it for something else. Some day's I tried to hunt for a good cup of coffee with a result of one almost good cup at a local bakery place. This American coffee is just too strong for my taste. But I did like frappuccino which is a total hit in the States. But it tastes a bit like milk shake so it's not like real coffee.

Heading down to Stinson beach

On Saturday we went for a hike. First we drove all the way down to Stinson beach. That's an hour's drive away from the city. The first four miles of the hike was redwood forest and it felt like hiking on a forest of The lord of the rings. It was a good workout cause it was pretty much only uphills.

Ready for a hike?
Manni, Kristy, Laura and Hannah

The forest of the Lord of the rings

Little and bigger fiords and waterfalls
were all around

The next three miles was oak woods and meadow. It was so beautiful. We got to see many waterfalls and a lot of green plants. Felt like being in a jungle. But hey, I'm a tourist and have never seen a real jungle.

Looks like being in Switzerland

Taking a break and admiring the view

On a rock cliff almost in the end of the hike trail.
Look at the view out to the ocean.

I really enjoyed the hike though it was a lot of work. But it keeps me fit. The hike ended on the Ocean beach. I wanted to see whales and sharks but didn't. But I did see a warning sign about raddle snakes. I'm so glad that I didn't see a living one on a hiking trail. It would have scared me so bad!

Stinson beach

In the evening of Saturday we headed for Hannah and Manni's for a fondue night. It was so nice to hang out in somebody's apartment with friends cause that's what I love to do back home. This was my first time I got to do it hear so it felt like a real Saturday. I really liked it and their apartment as well. If I lived here for a longer period of time, I would love to live in a place like that.

Fondue

On Sunday I went to a church named the Journey with Dillon and her girlfriend Cherie. The place of the church was quite near to TL. I think it's a theater and in some ways it reminded me a lot of the building that Suhe used to have their Sunday services.

At the service they showed this one video they had made. It was a video to which they had been interviewed people on the streets asking about the meaning of Easter; is it still relevant today. The answers took my by surprise. Every person that we would consider as a normal wealthy person would answer something like what's the meaning of Easter, no I don't think it's relevant anymore or I think it's just about bunnies. But then there were these two men, I think they were homeless, who answer so well. They said that they've got nothing else in this world anymore and that they won't give up Jesus. The other man's words were really wise when he said that nothing in this world he's suffering from is not as bad as what Jesus went through. Jesus did all the work on the cross; He carried all our sins. No one will ever do it again. No one will ever do it again.

Is it like this in today's society? That we don't want to have anything to do with Jesus unless were on the bottom? Why is it that people don't realize needing Him even though they had their lives together and were doing well? Is it like this back home in Finland, that people don't even know the meaning of Easter anymore? If it is, we sure have a lot to do; were have a big field for us to plough.

This is a memory verse that was given to me at the church.

Then the angels spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "
I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here!
He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen.
Matthew 28:5-6

The gate of Chinatown

I got to visit Chinatown on Sunday too. I've read somewhere that the Chinatown of San Francisco is the biggest in its kind in the States. Go and figure. Well anyways it was a lot of fun. From now on I now where to do my vegetable and fruit shopping. The quality is probably not the best in the world but they sure are cheaper and eatable.

Girls doing grocery shopping in Chinatown

This continent is full of things that I've never tasted back home in Finland or at least am not used to eating. Girls that I went to Chinatown with took me this one place they had been telling me about earlier. I got to taste a mango smoothie with tabioca. Tapioca is from somewhere Asia and it is these little jelly balls among your smoothie or tea and on the bottom of your mug. You eat them at the same time when sucking in your drink with a straw. I really liked tapioca, yam.

It's tapioca time!
Savanna, me, Andrea and Kristy

It's amazing how God often speaks about the same thing through different ways and situations. I got a book at the Journey church cause I was there for the first time. So I started to read it one night. The book is about discovering a joy that's more precious than gold.

The Kingdom of heaven is
like treasure hidden in a field.
When a man found it, he hid it again,
and then in his joy went and sold
everything he had and bought that field.
Matthew 13:44

The man in this bible verse was so excited and happy about the treasure that he had found, that he was willing to sell everything he owned just to get the treasure. He had it on his mind in every action he performed after his discovery; his eyes were fixed on in getting the treasure.

The next day after reading this, we had our worship meeting and Steven, one of our staff members, spoke exactly about the same thing and pointed the same bible verse. We shouldn't be storing up treasures on earth, we should be investing on things that have eternal value. Our earthly things will either leave us while we live or we leave it when we die. Either way we will loose it, it's inevitable.

So the man in this bible verse was willing to give up everything he has and that is because he understood that he would gain something much bigger. He made short-term sacrifices to obtain a long-term reward. It cost him everything but it gained him everything that mattered. Everything.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and dust destroy, and where thieves break in
and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moth and rust do not destroy, and where
thieves do not break in and steal. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21

Greed and living a wealthy life has also been one thing that I've talked of with one homeless man that I went jogging with the other day. So I think God has been preparing me to have some wise words from His heart to share. And I know He wants to speak to me about this issue as well. His plans and understanding is just so much higher than what my human brain can ever understand. And sometimes it just amazes me to see Him working this clearly and speaking of some certain topic. It makes me smile. Everything is in control and it's so good to know that somebody much bigger than me is in charge of this all.