volunteering is good for the stomach...i mean SOUL! good for the SOUL!

volunteering is an excellent way to feed yourself for free. and i'm pretty sure if you do it for that reason, you'll burn in hell. well, maybe that's a bit harsh...perhaps it's better to look at it like this- if you volunteer, god will bless you with lots of snacks. okay, okay, even that theology is a bit sketchy. haha. i'll stick to the facts- the volunteer life that i lead has been a perfect venue for my freegan lifestyle.

here's an example; i am the primary coordinator for "family promise" at my church, which is a program that houses people experiencing homelessness in our church space. this is our host week, and one of my duties is to go every day to "meet and greet" the guests, introduce them to the volunteers for the evening, help set up dinner, and troubleshoot any needs or problems that the guests, volunteers, or facility might have. the bonus is that i just happen to be there at dinnertime! last night i had some of the best chicken enchiladas and beef burritos that i've ever had- and anyone that knows me knows i LOVE mexican food, and that i probably eat more of it than anyone that doesn't actually live in mexico. i'm a bit of a connaisseur! there were tons of leftovers, and i even got to take some home. THANK YOU GOD! :0)

today was a really good volunteer food day, too. every monday evening i volunteer at "just food" which is a local food bank serving low income residents. NO, i didn't eat food bank food. even i wouldn't stoop low enough to eat food donated for needy folks...but the food bank had a fundraiser golf tournament today, and the director brought the left overs back for the volunteers to eat. i had a double fisted pizza and blueberry fritter dinner. yummmmmm. but wait- i'm not done! after that, i ran by a going away party for the current family promise director, which just happened to be a "make your own sundae" party. it would have been a success even if i had only visited with great people and had a delicious sundae, but the bounty didn't stop there. one of my friends told the host about my "freegan-ness", and before i left the host placed a bag full of greens and a small watermelon from her yard in my arms. i think of this as a sort of version of the home shopping club. i come empty handed, i eat food, and i leave with more. GOD PROVIDES!

there are tons of volunteer opportunities that feed you for free. at the van-go fundraiser ("what floats your boat") there was free beer and barbecue. at the humane society auction, the volunteers can eat from the snack buffet. the red cross disaster action team meetings always have food- usually pizza, but sometimes jane b. springs for mexican or barbecue (thanks jane!). the "extreme home makeover" worksite provided sandwich wraps and a really random buffet of burritos, tater tots, and breakfast sausage. are you getting the picture? :0)

of course, all of this is tongue in cheek. i volunteer for very real reasons, most of which do not include free eats. the point is, though, that the volunteer gets something from volunteering. the volunteer often gets more from volunteering than they give. i volunteer for more causes and organizations than i can count sometimes, but instead of draining me, it revitalizes me. it makes me see a side of life and a side of society that i can forget exists if i just stay in my comfy semi-corporate world and keep looking straight ahead. it helps me to realize just how much i have, and how little many others have. it also helps me get some perspective on life and has redefined my definitions of "need" and "want". it has helped me realize that i can give things up to make it possible to give more to others. it has also shown me that god knows my needs and will reward my faithfulness. he is all i need, and will put food on my table if i listen to him and follow him. my thought when i started on this road (both volunteering and doing my "freegan" lifestyle experiment) is that i would probably end up hungry and broke. truth is that i have gained a richness of experience and a richness of life that i didn't have before, and god has provided for the very thing i trusted him enough to give up. food. everywhere i turn. volunteering really is good for the stomach and soul.

i learn something new every day!

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sometimes it's all about the joy

i'll never go the distance if every minute of every day is about others. yes, i believe that my purpose in life is service to others (and god, of course), but i also know that i won't be any good to anyone else if i don't take time to recharge and do something for the other important people in my life- me, myself, and i. that is what the last 30 hours have been about.

earlier in the week i decided that i needed R&R combined with a little adventure. the weather forecast was great, so i settled on camping. i love camping and haven't been able to do it since last summer (before my neck surgery), since sleeping in a tent meant 13 minutes of sleep followed by 13 days of pain. now that i'm minus a cervical disc and have the addition of a shiny new plate and some screws in there, i thought it was high time i gave it another shot. my plan was to head home after work on friday, cram my camping gear in the back of the jeep, throw my bike on the bike rack, and go to perry lake. interestingly, this caused some shock and a little bit of horror in the girls at work, because my plan was to go camping alone. is that weird? well, i know it's weird- they told me. it seems normal to me. maybe that is a sign that i'm way too independent, but i love the idea of sitting in front of the campfire, playing my guitar (i sound way better when no one else can hear it), curling up in a warm sleeping bag on a cold night in my tent, listening to the coyotes and the critters sing to me, and then going for a ride or a hike the next day around the lake.

lucky for me, my friend blair saved me from the stigma of solo camping and the turmoil that might have caused at work. i invited him to go with me, and he invited me to the banff film festival at liberty hall. a new plan was hatched. 1. run out to the lake before the festival to set up camp. 2. head back to the festival. 3. return to the lake for our overnight. his only request was we ride out in an open jeep. lucky for us, i just happen to have a jeep! i took a few minutes before picking him up to take out the doors and all the windows.  

anyone want to guess what happened next? remember that weather forecast? yeah- it never changed. 30% chance of rain for the NEXT day, with showers in the afternoon only. what DID change was the weather. we headed toward the lake and into a black and green horizon. the wind went from 15 miles an hour to about 40 miles an hour with super nasty gusts. debris and dust was flying everywhere. the wind was pummeling the left side of my face so hard that i couldn't keep my eye open, and it was blowing drool out of my mouth and into the passenger seat (don't tell blair. pretty sure he thinks it was rain). then the rain actually started. i am also pretty sure i heard (and felt) hail. remember- i took out the windows and the doors in the jeep. let me suggest that you always have a plan B. we didn't, but made one pretty fast. we got about 2 miles from the lake and turned around. one of the things that i like about blair is that he always puts a positive spin on things. he focused on the fact that it was his very first ride in an "open" jeep, and that we didn't already have our tents set up when the rain hit. well, i have to admit that is a pretty good point. he was also pretty pumped up about "all the adventurey things we got accomplished in the last hour." i swear, he's got a little bit of cheerleader in him. the point is that he kept me smiling (granted, mostly laughing at the cheerleading). one of the most important things in life is to surround yourself with positive people. you know what happened? the night turned into a home run.

we got back to town with time to spare before the festival, since we saved so much time not setting up camp. we got to eat our chicken sandwiches in the park instead of on the fly in the car. it also allowed me time to respond to my niece morgan's text to come see her at work- and enough time to actually GO. i got a kiss and a hug and a free scone (you didn't hear that from me). we were early enough at the festival to get really good seats and the films were spectacular. they were also inspiring and made us really pumped up to do some "outdoorsy" things- so after the show, we headed back out to the lake. want to know the best part? well, i can't pick just one- but the bonus was that the storm chased off pretty much all the tent campers and we had the place to ourselves.

we set up camp like champs and lit a nice fire. the best part was our decision at midnight to put the kayaks in the water and do a full moon paddle. the cool air from the storm, combined with the warm water, made this amazing mist/fog on the surface of the lake and it was like kayaking through clouds. when we were done, we roasted marshmallows the size of our heads (and i have an enormous head!), and drank a beer. we went to bed at 4am, got up at 9a, cooked breakfast over the fire, and headed back out on the water for 5 more miles of exploring. lunch was sardines and crackers while docked at a little deserted beach area, watching the sailboats. looking back, that seems like so much. so much adventure. so much fun. so much activity. but my day wasn't over yet.

we tore down the site in under 20 minutes, and headed back to lawrence. then i rode my bike to campus for "family day" at the KU game. LMH offered 4 tickets to every employee and volunteer, along with a fully catered tailgate tent. on a whim, i invited my sister and her family. i was a little surprised that she said yes- but am so glad she did. my niece met us there with her student ticket, and my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew used the LMH tickets. we started in a huge tent filled with people that i work with, and their families (so cool). then we went to the game and i got to simultaneously spend 4 hours talking to my sister, and watch KU win. my niece leaned back into my lap every now and then, which gave me the perfect chance to stroke her hair, or give her a hug. any aunt knows, that must be what heaven's like. at 10p, i rode my bike back home in the dark, hoping my little helmet light and blinking butt would keep the drunk fans from plowing me over on the way. mission accomplished.

what did i do on friday and saturday that was worthwhile? who did i help? well, i spent quality time with my friends and family, and built relationships with those i care about the most. i helped my racing mind and restless spirit. i hung out with god and honored him by enjoying and appreciating his creation and all he has blessed us with. i pushed the limits of my body and my abilities...

...and now i am completely exhausted, with aching knees, muscle spasms in my back, a headache from lack of sleep and dehydration, and bumps and bruises that will take a week to heal.

totally worth it.


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freakin' freegan

so i've decided to become a "freegan". well, not a true freegan. i read an article awhile back about people who dig through the trash and take out other people's old food and make meals out of it for the week, essentially eliminating their food budget. that's disgusting- but i decided that this would be an excellent opportunity for me to save some serious dough (pun intended!) and sock away more money for my "mission fund". this is coming from the girl who has frequently spent up to $50 on dinner and a glass of wine at a nice restaurant- by myself! the potential savings in my world could be HUGE! the plan was to only eat foods that are free, if at all possible. sound impossible? don't be so sure...it is actually a lot easier than you'd think.


first, i went to the obvious places- my cupboards and fridge/freezer. they were crammed full of stuff that i must have thought looked tasty at SOME point, because i bought it. my first project was to eat my way through all the stuff already in my house before buying any more. this led to some delicious creations (black bean and corn salsa with jalapeno and agave nectar) and some revolting ones (bulgar wheat salad with cranberries and blue cheese crumbles. i know, right?!).


i am kind of a social bee, though, and couldn't stand the thought of spending all my meals alone in my kitchen, eating stuff out of a can. that is when the full plan hatched. i would research all the events that had refreshments, snacks, drinks, etc...and attend them. i would then fill up on as much free food as possible before going home and supplementing, if needed, with the stuff from my "stash". this has worked beautifully, for the most part. with this lifestyle, however, i am definitely at the mercy of the event planner. for instance, one wednesday evening, my meal consisted of 4 cones of kettle corn and hawaiian shaved ice. that would be thanks to the lawrence public library and their "end of summer" party. another dinner was bacon wrapped dates and red velvet cupcakes (lawrence arts center). i have gone to open houses, and ribbon cuttings, and birthday parties. i have attended housewarmings (thank you summer skeet- yours was YUMMY!), art gallery openings, and music recitals. sample day at the grocery store is like going to disneyland! i have flooded my social calendar and have met with lots of interesting people- and saved oodles of money in the process!


now for the downside. as i pulled on my favorite old jeans this evening to celebrate the beginning of the beautiful fall weather, i discovered the biggest downside. or backside. you see, the freegan diet is not the healthiest diet. i am usually the girl that bypasses processed sugar, or white flour, or anything too greasy. i lean toward fresh fruits and veggies and lean meats. i shop(ped) at the merc and the natural sections of the bigger stores. i treat my body well and try to fill it with nourishing foods to help fuel it. now i eat anything that i can get my hands on that is free. this is the part of the strategy that may need some adjusting. haha! since starting this experiment, i have taken to eating cookies, and crackers, and cake, and all sorts of things that i wouldn't have ever considered putting in my mouth before. i volunteer at a local food pantry and the other day, a box of "sugar smacks" cereal was damaged (i swear i didn't do it just so i could take it home!) and i had that for dinner, the next day's breakfast, AND lunch. seriously. sugar smacks! i might need to rethink the menu.


one really fun development is that now my friends have nicknamed me "freegan" (um...is that a compliment?) and give me food that is going bad. one friend gave me her squishy tomatoes (which i made into a wonderful bruschetta) and another pointed out her stash of expired yogurt and told me to have a ball! i am finding that expiration dates are just a guideline and that gumballs purchased in 2005 with a 2007 expiration date are still very soft and "gummy" in 2011.


this has been so educational! well- it has been a long night so i had better grab a bite to eat and head to bed. i think i have a can of sardines and some raisins calling my name from the pantry...

allow me to introduce myself...

welcome to my new blog. please don't be offended by the lack of capital letters...or my random rants. i consider them part of my charm- and hope you will too! this is entry #1, and it corresponds with my first entry into the blogosphere. i hope this is fun for me, entertaining for you, and helpful to someone. anyone. or funny. i'll settle for funny! let me introduce myself. my name is karín (pronounced kuh-RIN). blame my mother- she was born and raised in belgium. as much as i love my name now, i hated it with a passion growing up. i was a kid long before you could custom order items with any freakish spelling you desire. soooooo, i went through childhood twirling around those little metal racks of bike license plate holders, and belt buckles, and pencils, just praying for a typo that said "karin" instead of "karen". never. not once. oh, how i envied lisa with her personalized notebook and pencil set. oh wow....i digress! i am karin, and i am on a mission. i hope to be, anyway. literally. my passion is mission work, and my heart is in africa. i am on a personal mission to get to the place in my life where i can do full-time, long-term field mission work abroad. this blog is going to be about my life transformation, and the steps i take to achieve my goal. i hope you choose to follow along with me and give me encouragement and guidance on this journey. i have a feeling i am going to need it! as you'll see, i have already taken some drastic steps forward, and it seems that with every giant step forward, i take an even bigger step backward socially. i am finding that the ways of god and the ways of the heart are often in direct opposition to the ways of "the world". it is one thing to know that, and another to live it. this is going to be a wild ride!