THANKSGIVING.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for HE IS GOOD. His love endures forever!" - 1 Chron 16:34

tiny turkeys that you use to mix your coffee! brilliant. 

Thank the Lord for family, food, good heath, new babies, employment, adventure, His church, freedom, and His compassion, forgiveness, mercy, faithfulness, and never-ending love! May we approach each day with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving!

another great weekend.

As the holidays approach...the weekends keep getting busier and busier! 

 ^^ It started off with our traditional end-of-the-year-birthday-dinner with the family. Now that we're all a bit older, Mom and Dad treated us to dinner in celebration of the birthdays that fall towards the end of the year. We ate at Yanagi bistro and of course, got dessert after. Its crazy to believe that in a month or so we will go from a family of adults + one child....to a family with 3 little kids running around! I cant wait!

^^I am so THANKFUL I got to see my high school best friends this weekend. Asami and Alli were down from SF so we all got together to catch up and celebrate Alli's 23rd bday. We never cease to have a good time when we're all together...and we were joking with Asami's boyfriend Danny, "sorry Danny...it just gets kind of crazy when we're all together. No one knowns when to stop talking" hahaha. true story!  The best part is that these girls LOVE Christmas time and the countdown to our annual Christmas party begins! We have a potluck, gift exchange, and this year we're all dressing up as random Christmas themes characters..haha its going to be hilarious!

^^And Lastly, my dear friend Amie Soares (who is my twin on earth) was the photographer for Katelyn and Bradley's wedding last month and just posted a whole bunch of incredible photos on her blog!! I especially love this one of Kate and I on the dancefloor...I think it explains our relationship perfectly :) Check out AMIE'S PHOTOS HERE!!


THANKSGIVING I AM READY FOR YOU!!!

oceanside.

Today I realized that...although I loved (like really loved) being in college, there is something about postgraduate life that is really exciting and a whole new level of fun. Meeting up with friends is like a serious treat and there is almost too much to catch up on. Aka...liana how was being in colorado for 3 months? Katelyn youre married now! Nati your wedding is in 5 months. Amie youre going to Uganda and you work at lulu? Yes yes. And thats what today was...it was breakfast, coffee, catching up, gaining wisdom from eachother stories, asking for advice, being honest, throw a little rite-aid icecream in there, a sweet view of the ocean, thrift store shopping, and panera bread...and I'd call that one heck of a day. Lets just say it was good to have 4/9ths of the Nest back in action.
Post graduate life is treating us well!

ITS HAPPENING.

YES YES. ITS HAPPENING.
Hopefully you'll be getting one of these in your mailbox very soon. All credit to my incredibly talented brother-in-law Anthony for this design work! Here is the letter that comes with the card :)

            Since graduating from Azusa Pacific University this past May, I’ve been back home enjoying postgraduate life and working part-time at lululemon athletica in El Segundo. Recently, the Lord has opened a really cool door for me to walk through and I want to tell you about it!

            I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the international photojournalism intern for Krochet Kids International! Krochet Kids Intl is a company that teaches women in developing countries how to crochet as a means of breaking the cycle of poverty. Their headquarters are in Costa Mesa, CA but all of their beanies, scarves, bow ties, etc are hade made by the women they work with in Gulu, Uganda and Lima, Peru! Their vision is simply – To create sustainable economic development programs that support holistic growth of individuals and communities living in poverty. Krochet Kids believes in the people they work with, the quality of the product they are producing, and bringing about lasting and powerful change rooted in love.

            For my specific position I will be spending about 2 ½ months in Gulu, Uganda!

            I will be training at KKi headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA for a week starting January 14^th, 2014 and will be flying to Gulu shortly after. I will be living in a house with the other 4 interns and will be back home by the end of March! I am so thankful to have this opportunity to do something I love (photography), in a country with such a deep, rich culture, with an organization that is truly encompasses compassion, empowerment, love, and creativity!

            Most of the finances for this trip have already been covered, but I would really appreciate your prayers as my fellow interns and I prepare for this trip. Here are a few specific prayer requests:

-Safety in travel. Gulu is in northern Uganda, a long ways away from LA! Prayer for the team to all get there safely, and protection while we are traveling in country as well.

-For the 100 women currently working for KKi Uganda. That their diligence and hard work will properly equip them to enter the local economy, rise above poverty, and provide for their families.

-For the country of Uganda. As many of you know, Uganda has been struck with the horrible and destructive force of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony. Please pray for God’s sovereignty over this situation and the peaceful resettlement of the 800k IDPs (internally displaced person) in northern Uganda.

-Ministry. KKi’s focus is empowerment and sustainability, so please pray for the Gospel to take precedence within this community in Uganda, and for Gospel centered conversations to occur with these women as well as others who have not heard the good news of Jesus! Also, prayers for strong Biblical formation, teaching, leadership, and discipleship in Uganda.

-Children and Health. More than 50% of the population in Uganda is under the age of 15! Pray for these children, for their health, for the fight against AIDS, and for the upwards of 2 million orphans in country.

Feel free to contact me if there are any other ways you would like to support my trip, or if you have any other questions – I would LOVE to tell you more!  Please email me at faithamie@gmail.com and also check out Krochetkids.org for more of their story, mission, and products! (A really great place to buy Christmas gifts!)

Also, in preparing for the trip, as well as on the trip I will be posting photos on my blog amiefaith.blogspot.com as well as the new portfolio I’m working on, amiekomae.com so feel free to check out those two sites for updates!

Thank you so much for your love and support. I thank the Lord for your presence in my life!

WOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. 

lately i've been realizing how truly blessed I am to have some incredible friends. I guess when I went off to college I knew id make some new friends here and there...but little did I know God would set up a gnarly group of people to do life with...people who are radical and adventurous and so spirit led. People who are hospitable, hilarious, so real and raw and crazy and strangely beautiful all at the same time. Its like we were once all tiny fish in a pond together (that pond being APU) and then one day (graduation) we were released into larger waters (real world) where some of us stayed close and others swam far far away (Haiti, CO, WA). Yet theres a connection that goes deeper than being in the same pond with someone, or sitting across from them at starbucks, or going Christmas shopping with them. Theres something crazy that happens with your true friends...like you know you're both thinking of eachother and youre both praying for eachother and worried about eachother at the same exact time. And when you talk on the phone its like theres not enough time to talk all you really want to do is scream and smile and hug them! HAH. All I can say is friends are fun. and they are from Jesus. and they are the best.

PV half

Stac and I woke up early to catch this GLORIOUS sunrise and cheer on Ant and Mike as they ran the PV half marathon! Seriously such an accomplishment. Lucky for us they happened to do that crazy twin thing where they wake up wearing the same bright orange shirts making them extra easy to spot! 

look at that belly!!

It turned out to be a spectacular day for a marathon. Not too hot, not too cold..and those PV cliffs were looking mighty fine! 

 I love marathons because of the full on people watching/encouraging you get to partake in! I love seeing the variety of people running and the determination on their faces to finish! 

 A great leader always leads by example...as you can see here. I've really been working on perfecting my running form and I think I nailed it in this shot. 

There was also a 5K and a 10K which made for tiny adorable children running with their parents which melted my heart and made me want to run out and hug all of them. 

HERE....THEY...COME...sprinting to the finish! BEAT THAT LADY!

Ant and Mike are such rockstars and it was awesome being there to cheer them on!!

thanks ant!

Lucky for me, I have a very talented brother in law who has handed down his drawing tablet to me! Its called a Wacom Intuos and basically allows me to use photoshop to write graphics on the computer! WOWOWW wish I had this years ago! I'm so excited to start creating things..possibly Christmas gifts lol...and its all thanks to Ant for being so generous. Here's my first creation that took me a long time as my eyes strained on the computer screen and my hand almost broke the stylist LOL. I still have to get the technique down...but this is just the beginning!

a busy weekend.

Its november 11th already?? It's almost 2014? Did 2013 even happen? 

This weekend was a busy busy one. Caught up with old friends, played some basketball, ate good food, had training at lululemon...etc.

sat morning I had breakfast with Stac and Ant. They made the famous north high saxon sandwiches...aka bagel with cream cheese, hashbrown, and ketchup. SO SO GOOD. It will forever be the most amazingly unhealthy breakfast. Worth every bite. 

This weekend I played in the UCLA nsu co-ed tournament with some of my favorite people- my yonsei team! (This is us eating at Fathers Office after our games saturday. To be clear, thats me drinking a rootbeer lol. I couldnt hang with the big kids.) We all became family when we traveled to Japan together...8 years ago (!!!!) and have since stayed in touch and played bball together here and there. I love these people so much. For some reason, when we get together, its like a 24/7 party sharing memories of when we were weird kids, all our trips together (Japan, Hawaii, sacramento, vegas, etc). We actually did pretty well in the tournament too, we won both games on saturday but then on sunday...

...we got punked by this mean team who kept being sassy on the court and pushing us over. hahaha. I got swatted by this 7ft guy (not nice!) and steph got tackled by one of the girls on their team. Needless to say, we lost that game lol and got 2nd place. not bad for all being out of shape. Regardless of the outcome, it was so fun being with my yonsei team again and playing bball with them. These people have a very special place in my heart -they truly are family!

after playing 3 games of basketball I could barely walk up the stairs, let along move my legs. I know you think i'm exaggerating, but I am literally in a lot of pain hahahah. But, despite the fact that all i wanted to do on Sunday was lay on the couch and not move, I had to go to lululemon training since I will be working there part-time this holiday season. They hired about 19 of us and put us through the ringer - 5hrs of training! I was so tired...but I'm excited to start working there so I can wear comfy yoga pants and ULTIMATELY save money for UGANDA! (For those who do not know, I'm going to Uganda in January!) 

ok. long weekend. but a good weekend. 

some thoughts lately.

 My friend Megan showed me this hymn once when we were on a road tip. It is one of the most beautifully written verses in any song I know. I love it so much. I was reminded of it last night when I went to the Bridge (college group) with Stac to hear Ant speak. The massive, massive love of God...so much so that to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry! I love that visual. Especially in this time of disaster in the Philippines, God's love prevails in all situations.

Perspectives class on Monday...a missionary by the name of Adoniram Judson wrote a letter to his future father-in-law asking if he would allow him to marry his daughter and take her into a potentially violent mission field and he said, "can you do this for the sake of him who left his heavenly home and died for her and for you, for the sake of perishing immortal souls, for the sake of zion, and the glory of God?" - whoaa. The father said yes.

a weekend in SD

last weekend I got to visit one of my favorite people in one of my favorite places..

Natijane in SD! Russ had to be down there for business, so Jen, Hunty, and I made a 

weekend out of it. I love being their nanny haha. 

we took Hunty to the park sat. morning

there is nothing like sleeping in a bed with a 2 year old. 

on the second night of our trip, Russ and Jen went out on a date and I stayed in and watched Hunty...

we had a piece of cake to eat and he wanted to have a picnic in the corner of the room. So sure enough, we grabbed a blanket, our cake, a fork, and some water and had a picnic! haha. 

 hash hash a go go...busy place but worth it for this pancake! 

tide pools!

their cute little fam!

I loved spending the weekend with Russ Jen and Hunty man. I mean...look at that face!