Home Sweet Home

I don't usually get homesick. Ever. But when I do come home, I am reminded of what a sweet place it really is. I've been home for a few days now and I have just had the best time being with family and friends.

I guess it's the simple things that I miss while I'm away. Like tonight I was just sitting around the piano with my brothers belting out to the Beatles in 3-part harmony. I wish I could do that more often. I miss taking a walk with my parents every night (even though I have to jog to keep up with them). And I've missed being close enough to go watch Taylor's sporting events and see Nathan's tap recitals (HAHA- had to throw that one in there, Nate :)

The other night I was able to go down to Campbell for the Chinese Moon Festival. I had forgotten how much I miss that place. As I was driving around campus, I was flooded with thousands of memories and I just had a huge grin on my face! Those four years of my life were so transformative and awesome. I was reunited with many friends, most of them international students that I haven't seen since I graduated. I was giddy for hours, laughing and reminiscing on the great times we had shared together. My favorite moment of the evening was when I surprised my friend Chioma. She had no idea I was in town, so I just opened her door without knocking and poked my head in. She was in her robe and was taking out her weave so there was a huge pile of hair on the floor! I tackled her and then we just burst into laughter!


In a way, I wish I lived closer to home, but I know that God has placed me where I am and He is continuing to provide for me. I really am happy to be in California, but it is so refreshing to be home.

Today my friend Natalie got married! I met Natalie in Sri Lanka four years ago and she's been my best friend ever since. We've traveled all over the world together and have shared so many crazy and unique experiences. I remember many nights in Sri Lanka when we would stay up late talking, dreaming about our future husbands. Our joke was that our toes would always wiggle out of excitement when we thought about getting married one day! I was so thrilled that Natalie's wedding day had finally come- and boy were her toes wiggling today!

Last night I stayed with her and we talked for a while until we eventually fell asleep. I said, "Natalie, do you realize this is probably the last time we will ever have a sleepover?" It was strange to think that in just 12 hours my best friend would have a new last name and her life would change drastically.

Today was full of giggles and flowers and nerves and tears and everything else that comes along with a wedding. The ceremony itself was really special and was truly a time of worship and committing their marriage to God. I am so happy for my friend. I hope one day my toes will wiggle too! Until then, I'll just be "Aunt Mary" when she starts having kiddos :)




...It's good to be home :)

First Month Happenings

I can't believe I've already been in California for over a month! I really hit the ground running when I got here August 11th and haven't really stopped since.

It's been a month of change and exciting new experiences. I've been adjusting to living in a new place, starting a new job, new friends, and am a part of a new church.

I absolutely love Mill Valley (where I live). It's just 10 minutes across the Golden Gate bridge. I'm close to the city, but far enough away that it's really calm and peaceful around here. I actually enjoy jogging here, surprisingly! It's just more inspiring when you can run along the water and see the San Francisco skyline in the distance.

I'm taking 4 seminary classes and they are going well so far. But oh my goodness...I forgot what it is like to study! I have spent so much time in the library it's ridiculous.

Perhaps the place I've gotten the most education though is at my new job as a nanny. I'm working for a family in Mill Valley with a 4.5 yr. old, a 2.5 yr. old and a 2 day old (as of today!) I'm definitely learning basic life skills that will help me both now and in the future if I'm ever a mom. Today we had a "water fun" day. Basically I let them loose with the hose on the deck and watched (from the inside!) as they soaked themselves. Dinner is always the time when milk it spit on the dog and pants are pooped in. But they really are sweet kids and I always come home with a good story!

As far as church/ministry goes, I got involved with a church plant in San Francisco called Big Fish For God. The vision of the church is to reach young adults and college students. I felt led to join this plant and help start an International student ministry. There are tons of internationals in the city, which was one of the main reasons I chose Golden Gate in the first place, so I'm pretty stoked to be involved with this ministry. I'm still praying for direction, but I know God will provide.

I know I've only been here a month, but I think God has already spoken to me pretty clearly about a couple of things and I've taken away some important lessons.

The other night I walked up to a hill on campus where you can see a good view of the city. It was really late and quiet and it was a good time for me to be alone with Jesus. I sat up there for a while in silence and tried to hear from God. Sometimes it's really hard for me to just listen to Him, but this particular night He spoke very clearly to me. It wasn't audible, but the words he spoke to me resonated deep within my heart. He said, "You love serving me more than you love me."
Ouch. As soon as I heard this from God I felt so convicted because I realized it was true. I always say, "I'm passionate about missions." or "I LOVE international people." But my primary response should be "I love JESUS!" Isn't He the reason I'm passionate about everything else?

Since I started seminary I have been BUSY busy busy. The weeks run together and schoolwork is never-ending cycle. It's a challenge to keep up a consistent quiet time, but God spoke clearly to me that it is essential to spend that daily time with him. Without it, I'm just going to go through the motions, stressing myself out, until I get a piece of paper with my degree on it. I want my seminary experience to be so much more than that. I want it to be a time of spiritual growth, fellowship with other believers, and a chance to serve my community. These things are only possible when I'm in constant conversation with Him.

I'm constantly being challenged and refined. I mess up every day, but thank goodness He is merciful, right?

Here's a picture from a few weeks ago when I walked the GG bridge with some friends.

Six days, scenic sunsets, and a starry night in Santa Barbara

North Carolina to California. Coast-to-coast. Nearly 3,000 miles.

My brothers Nathan and Taylor and I just had the adventure of a lifetime. In just six days, we explored our country from east to west. Our destination was Mill Valley, CA where I will be a student at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

Our journey began in Garner, NC, with pit stops in Nashville, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Kingman, and Santa Barbara.

Before we left, the thought of spending 50 hours in a car in only 6 days sounded completely miserable to me, but as we went along, I seemed to have no sense of time. Our days began to blend together. We listened to lots of music, had good conversations (some deep, some ridiculous), and enjoyed seeing parts of our country that were foreign to us.

We even made up our own games. One game was to try to come up with a sentence that no one has EVER said before. I wasn’t too good at it.

Taylor’s best response was: “The universe told me to put down the toilet seat.”

I don’t know if it was because we were exhausted or because we had been traveling for 15 hours that day, but that comment sent all three of us into a hysterical fit of laughter. It was unstoppable. It got so bad that my eyes were watering and I thought I may have to pull over!

We drove through 8 states and got to stop and see friends along the way. I was able to visit with friends in Nashville, Arkansas, New Mexico, and California.

The Grand Canyon was definitely a highlight of the trip. I’d say it’s exactly what I expected it to be, a GRAND canyon! It was so HUGE. It stretches wider and goes deeper than you can see. As we walked around the southern rim, I was amazed at the enormity of this wonder of the world.



Just as beautiful as the Grand Canyon were the sunsets we saw in New Mexico and Arizona. Shades of blue and bright orange blurred together over the jagged rust colored mountains. We must have said “wow” 1,000 times on this trip. There just wasn’t a word to describe the beauty of the moment.

Tonight we are in Santa Barbara, which is our last stop before we arrive in Mill Valley tomorrow evening. Santa Barbara is the closest thing I’ve seen to Hawaii on the mainland. The mountains descend into the ocean and palm trees sway along the coastline. The difference is that the weather is crisp and cool, like an October day in North Carolina.

Tonight we watched the sun set from a pier and then came back to our hotel. The courtyard has a heated pool and a fireplace. It was the perfect setting for a night like tonight. The three of us dipped our feet in the pool and lay down, gazing at the stars in the dark sky, with palm trees surrounding us.

It was silent for a while. Then Taylor voiced the thing all three of us were thinking.

“I’m afraid this might be the end of the Brunson kids.”

None of us wanted to admit it, but I guess reality is beginning to sink in as we’re nearing the end of our trip. I’ll be in California for the next two years, Nathan will graduate from college this year and probably move somewhere else, and Taylor will be heading off to college soon. Before we know it, we will start getting married and having families of our own. All of us knew that moments like tonight will now be a rarity.

As a girl who enjoys change and independence, I was surprised to feel my eyes well up with tears. It wasn’t a completely sad moment. It was more a reflection on the great experiences we have had, not only on this trip, but throughout our whole lives. I am overwhelmingly grateful to have the family that I do. A family that truly enjoys being together, yet loves me enough to let me explore and follow God’s call, even when that means being away from them.

As we continued to look up at the stars with our feet dangling in the warm water, I put my head on Taylors shoulder and smiled.

“This isn’t the end of the Brunson kids,” I thought. This is simply the beginning of another phase of our lives. It may look a little different, but we’ll always be family.

Facedown

Face on the floor. Heart beating fast. Tears flowing. Mind racing.

I often find myself in this position when I’m facing a task that is far too daunting to complete on my own.

Since I was a little girl, I’ve had an independent nature. When I was just six years old, I got on an airplane by myself and went to visit my grandparents for a week. Being on my own didn’t faze me, even as a child.

As I’ve grown and matured, that independent spirit has gone with me. I enjoy going places on my own and being put in situations where I don’t know anyone and have to find my own way.

Sometimes, though, I need a sharp reminder that I am completely incapable of doing anything on my own.

This tends to hit me right before something significant is about to take place. For example, the two summers that I worked as a counselor for Fuge camps, I had a breakdown the night before the first day of camp.

Just when I thought I was prepared and ready to lead a group of students, I was suddenly terrified at the thought. I vividly remember the night in 2008 when I was up late preparing my Bible study room for the campers that were to arrive the next day. I was shaking in fear that I would fail at my job. I kneeled down on the dirty tile floor and cried out to God to equip me for the task that was ahead of me. God truly humbled me that night and showed me that it is foolish to try to do anything apart from Him.

I’ve experienced this before I go on mission trips as well. I can be completely packed and ready to go, but if my heart is not prepared for service, I’m not prepared at all. Before I went to Sri Lanka this year, God really shook me. It was almost as if He was saying, “Just because you’ve been to Sri Lanka many times doesn’t mean that you can do this on your own. You need to trust in ME.” I needed that reminder.

Tomorrow I am embarking on another journey. I’ll be leaving my home, my family, and all that is familiar to me, and heading to Golden Gate Seminary. A few days ago, I had another “facedown” moment where I was completely humbled and cried out for God to strengthen me with His power.

As excited as I am, I definitely have some fears as well.

This is perhaps the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever had to take. At times, I second guess myself and wonder if it’s really necessary to go to the opposite end of the country where I don’t know many people. But then I’m reminded of the clear sense of direction I had when I chose which school to go to. I know that God is faithful and He will always, always provide. The key is to make sure that I’m dwelling in Him…not in myself.

So as I make this transition I want to be constantly aware of God’s greatness and my weaknesses. And when I start to think I can go through life on my own, I pray that I will once again fall facedown, desperate for God.

Summer '10: Cliff Notes Edition

I've been a bad, bad blogger.

Instead of stressing myself out by writing a novel about the past two months, I'll just give the cliff notes version.

This summer has been a whirwind of adventure, fun, and relaxation. Once I got back from Hawaii I had about six days at home before I boarded another airplane and went across the world in the opposite direction.

Destinaton: Sri Lanka.

This was my fourth trip to my beloved country and boy did it confirm how much I love that place and those dear people!

God rocked my world. I was reunited with some of my best friends and I can't remember the last time I exerienced that much joy. When I pulled up to Hikkaduwa (my favorite village)it felt like Christmas, my birthday, and my wedding day combined...that's how EXCITED I was! Tears of joy streamed down my face as I hugged Hashinka and Kasun and picked up Dineshika, who had grown up so much in the past three years!

What a blessing it was to be back. When I left this time, I had a peace and a strange feeling that my time there may never be "finished." For as long as I live, I want to make an effort to return to those people. This trip in particular I had a sense that I could definitely live there if God called me to. I feel more at home in Sri Lanka than I ever have in America. So anyways, I'm open to that possibility :)

Once those two weeks were over I spent time visiting family in Georgia, went to Centrifuge in Tennessee as a chaperone with my youth group, and spent the week after at Caswell for World Missions Week. Each of those experiences were wonderful and different.

This is the first full week I've actually been home so it's been nice to hang out with family, visit friends in the area and at Campbell, and just reflect on the recent and upcoming happenings in my life.

I miss Hawaii a lot, but at least flights from SFO to HNL are reasonable!

So now I'm home for a few weeks gearing up for the big move to.....San Francisco! This trip has completely crept up on me but now that it's so near I'm getting very excited. My brothers and I will be leaving the first week of August to drive across the country.

It'll be a looooong trip, but hopefully a fun adventure for the three of us. We'll stop along the way and see many States I've never seen before.

As excited as I am about going to Golden Gate, I don't know that I've fully comprehended how drasticly my life will change in a few weeks. I think it will be a good change. Just like Hawaii was. People keep asking me if I'm nervous about the move and I can honestly say that I'm not. I enjoy going new places, meeting new people, and being faced with new challenges. To me, change makes life more exciting and it causes me to rely on God more than I would if everything was comfortable.

So I'm ready to embrace a new phase of my life and discover more of who God has created me to become. I pray that He will mold me more and more every day to be more like Him.

Reflections from the sky...

Some of life’s happiest and saddest moments take place at airports. For me, today was one of the saddest.

I am sitting on an airplane right now, thousands of feet above the sea, and already thousands of miles away from Hawaii.

I can’t believe I’m gone. This whole week has been emotionally draining. I knew the end was coming, I just didn’t want to acknowledge it.

The word “Goodbye” began to flow off the tip of my tongue from saying it so often. Farewells are never fun for me, but these goodbyes have been some of the hardest I’ve ever had to say.

I guess it just feels so permanent.

Yeah, I’m sure I’ll come back to Hawaii often. But it will only be for a week here and there. I won’t live there. I won’t be a part of the IBF church family any more, I won’t see my friends on a daily basis. I won’t be able to drive 5 minutes and see the most breathtaking view I’ve ever seen every day.

I know that change is imminent and eventually, this year of bliss would have to come to an end.

I still feel sure that God has called me to go to seminary next year and I rest assured that He will provide new friends, a new community, and new adventures.

But part of me is nostalgic as my heart aches to turn this plane around and go right back.

I still clearly remember the day I came to Hawaii 10 months ago. I was absolutely thrilled, overflowing with energy. A brand new adventure was in front of me and I was just getting started!

Today felt like the polar opposite of that day.

The normally sunny, beautiful Hawaii was rainy and gloomy all afternoon. It only added to the sorrow I felt inside. I said goodbye to dear friends all day. With each goodbye, my heart ached more and more. Soon it was time to go to the airport. I put my bags in the car and took one last look at the place that has impacted my life so greatly and drove off, not knowing when I will return.

For the most part, I had held myself together up until this point. But after I checked in and had to say goodbye to Joy, Roger, Amy and Karlie, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Roger prayed for us and as he did, tears began to flow.

I simply couldn’t believe it was time to go. I was sad not only about parting with some of my closest friends, but I was sad that this amazing phase of my life is coming to an end.

As I waved goodbye and walked toward the security line, I was crying so hard I was embarrassingly wailing. In the process of trying to crawl under one of the security lanes, I knocked over a pole and made a scene…whoops!

We’ve been in the air about five hours now and I can’t stop thinking about the amazing people I’ve left behind. But I’m beginning to see leaving in a more positive light.

Instead of tears of sadness, my tears now come from thinking about the incredible experience I have had in the past year. I feel like I have changed in many ways. I’ve gained experience and relationships with people from all over the world; People that I really hope to visit in their countries one day.

I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to serve as a missionary in Hawaii. I could have gone straight to seminary or gotten a job that paid a decent salary. But I wouldn’t trade this year for anything.

This year I’ve been able to live on my own on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. I developed an appreciation for nature I never had before. I faced adventure and went on hikes, traveled to three neighbor islands, explored a volcano, did every type of “diving” possible! (cliff, sky and scuba), began to take better care of myself health and exercise-wise. I learned how to share my faith in a way that is not intimidating like I once thought. Overall, this year has been one of growth and maturity.

Praise God for the work He is doing in my life and for the things He has taught me in Hawaii.

This will most definitely be one of the most memorable years of my life.

The Hawaii chapter of my life may be over, but I’m looking forward to the next steps. I’ll be so happy to be reunited with my family in a few hours and with my Sri Lankan family next week. And seminary is just around the corner.

Thanks for journeying with me,
Mere

Leaving

In just a few hours, I will be leaving Hawaii.

I can't believe I just said that.

This year has been so incredibly amazing. It's hard to even describe the lessons I've learned and the newfound appreciation I have for life.

I'll write a more reflective blog soon, but I wanted to post some of the things I'm going to miss the most about Hawaii.

1. sunshine, sunshine, sunshine!

2. living within walking distance of the beach...and the mountains.

3. eating with chopsticks at all times.

4. watching episodes of F.r.i.e.n.d.s. with friends every night.

5. wearing my bathing suit at all times.

6. having friends from every continent

7. speaking pidgin (or attempting to!)

8. sunrises

9. mochi ice cream

10. shave ice...mmm

11. quiet moments at spitting caves

12. peaceful beaches

13. hiking in the most majestic mountains

14. adventure

15. my IBF family

16. being with Karlie 24/7

17. being surrounded by Asian people

18. living in the most beautiful place in the world

19. feeling so close to God just by being outside

20. the breeze, and perfect weather.

..........

the list could go on for days.

This year has been such a blessing and I'll never forget the adventures and experiences I've had here. Most importantly, the people I've come to know as family will remain my friends for a long time.

Aloha Hawaii, it's been a great year.