Hi everyone!
Thanks for taking the time stop by my blog!
A little about myself, you ask?
I'm 24 years old and currently reside in Warrenville, IL with an awesome group of friends. I went to school for baking & pastry through the Le Cordon Bleu program in Chicago. I have been working for Whole Foods Market as a pastry chef/ cake decorator for five and a half years and love it. It's true that if you can get paid to do what you love, you never have to work a day in your life. What's better than being surrounded by cookies, cakes, and chocolate all day?
Here are two of my nieces, Mia & Adi
I'm the second born of four in my family, I have one older brother and two younger sisters. My parents came from the Philippines to the United States before any of us were born. I've learned that growing up as a second generation kid has given me a mixed perspective in life. Since my parents grew up in the Philippines, I was raised with a lot of Filipino culture at home, but outside of home my life had influence from the suburban life in Illinois. I've told people that if I ever wrote a 'coming of age' book, I would title it “The Coming of Asian.” I was conflicted growing up between denying my Asian heritage or trying to remain more Asian than not. I feel that through seasons in life, I've learned more and more about myself and found a good mix as to who I am. I feel that World Race will help me learn more about my identity in Christ and change the way I see the world.
I've been walking with Christ since 2005. Prior to that I was suicidal. Progressively from about 4th grade to about mid-high school, it was not uncommon for me to feel like killing myself. I knew my parents loved me, but there was someone else in my life when growing up who did not reciprocate the same love I thought I was expressing. As a result, from an early age, my self-esteem and value slowly deteriorated. Later in middle school to early high school, I would feel closer to attempting it, but never did. I've always had some shred of hope that there was something more to life than just a miserable existence. In high school, the God I always thought existed put the right people in my life to lead me to Him. As I began to take a genuine interest in God, I was able to feel His presence and love for me; slowly but surely, thoughts of killing my self faded and never returned. After entrusting my life to the Lord, I learned that the feeling worthless and unloved were lies I bought into. I thank the Lord for the people He places in our lives and His perfect timing. Since then I've just taken on a new attitude and been enjoying who I am in Christ, and stopped worrying about what other people have told me.
The Lord has transformed me so much in the past six years since I gave Him control. I've been overcome with compassion for those who hurting and to see others lives transformed through Christ. I can no longer live life to be comfortable and complacent while there is so much work to be done for Christ's Kingdom. Where Jesus has called me, I wanna go. World Race 2011, here I come. And when I return, I'll never be the same.
This is Eh Lay Shee. She is one of the refugee kids from Thailand who come to our Wednesday night Family Night. When she founf out I would be leaving for World Race and going to Thailand, she asked if she could come. It melted my heart.
