my laptop died. this has not been my summer for technology. in addition to being just plain frustrating, this has been a severe hindrance to my blogging capabilities. I'm going to Clemson on Thursday, so ideally CCIT will be able to revive it.
This week, I worked with girls from Andrews and a couple surrounding areas. Monday was my birthday, and the week started off as quite a challenge. If I have learned anything this week, it's how much this town desperately needs Jesus, and the obligation we have as a ministry to reach out to this community. But despite a rocky start, the week ended really well.
Next week, FBC Lexington, a church I claim to be my "home church" by camp standards, is coming and I am SO EXCITED. This week is one that I have looked forward to the last three summers, seeing a taste of home and being generally encouraged by familiar faces. This will be the fifth time I have been able to work with this group when you combine summers and winter retreats, and each time is always a blast.
Last night, I got a text from one of my campers who informed me that a chaperone from the church had unexpectedly passed away. Both he and his son were supposed to come to camp on Monday. While the church's plans to come to camp haven't changed to my knowledge, I do anticipate this having a huge impact on these students' week at camp and providing an additional challenge for the staff assigned. So, if you guys are keeping up with this at all this summer, please please be in prayer for me and for the other staff I will be working with this week, that we will be able to minister well to these guys and girls and be able to encourage them through the time immediately following the death of one of their leaders.
We have three more weeks here and it's going by so fast.
Showing posts with label snowbird. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snowbird. Show all posts
7.10.2011
5.09.2011
creeping closer.
MY BEST FRIEND IS A COVERGIRL.
How sweet is that?
I miss her.
The previous two summers, I have had roughly two weeks between moving home from Clemson and packing up and heading up to camp. This year, however, Clemson shifted our semester a week forward, leaving me with only three full days in Lexington. In actuality, I have a full week, but I am choosing to cut it shorter due to graduations and spending some time in Clemson and Toccoa, but I am realizing how hectic of a week I have set myself up for. I might lose my mind.
Exactly one week from now, I will be sitting in the Coop, either listening to Brody speak or mingling with the people who will quickly become like a family before the summer ends. I am fighting to find excitement for it. That's not really strange for me, just because I am never really a fan of change, and would always be more content to stay in the current chapter instead of jumping forward. I am not doubting my call to be at Snowbird this summer; I am confident in where I am supposed to be. I'm not having second thoughts. I know there are plenty of people well-deserving of the spot on staff that I have, and I wouldn't selfishly keep a spot if I didn't want it.
I know that if you ask me a month from now, I will be loving every second of it, and will fill nearly every conversation with camp stories. But right now, I am still associating the beginning of camp with the uncomfortable number of goodbyes I will have to say in the preceding days, and right now, I would be content with that time never coming.
I am fighting to want the week between now and camp to speed up.
How sweet is that?
I miss her.
The previous two summers, I have had roughly two weeks between moving home from Clemson and packing up and heading up to camp. This year, however, Clemson shifted our semester a week forward, leaving me with only three full days in Lexington. In actuality, I have a full week, but I am choosing to cut it shorter due to graduations and spending some time in Clemson and Toccoa, but I am realizing how hectic of a week I have set myself up for. I might lose my mind.
Exactly one week from now, I will be sitting in the Coop, either listening to Brody speak or mingling with the people who will quickly become like a family before the summer ends. I am fighting to find excitement for it. That's not really strange for me, just because I am never really a fan of change, and would always be more content to stay in the current chapter instead of jumping forward. I am not doubting my call to be at Snowbird this summer; I am confident in where I am supposed to be. I'm not having second thoughts. I know there are plenty of people well-deserving of the spot on staff that I have, and I wouldn't selfishly keep a spot if I didn't want it.
I know that if you ask me a month from now, I will be loving every second of it, and will fill nearly every conversation with camp stories. But right now, I am still associating the beginning of camp with the uncomfortable number of goodbyes I will have to say in the preceding days, and right now, I would be content with that time never coming.
I am fighting to want the week between now and camp to speed up.
4.25.2011
life is like a chapter book...
(... and it would be so much more fun if it was a picture book instead!)
Today marks the beginning of the last week of classes. (I am sincerely wondering if my blogging habit will be maintained once I am done with Psychosocial and Health Promotion?) I had a MedSurg test this morning, KAPLAN this afternoon, a make-up clinical tomorrow along with a pile of paperwork to complete before then, a research critique, final skills check for SIMlab, a research final and a gerontology final, all due this week.
Ready, Set, Go.
Staff training starts approximately three weeks from NOW. While I really am excited, a lot has to happen between now and then - a lot that I am not particularly excited about. I have a to-do list that could probably match Santa Claus's. I have to do a clean sweep of my room and pack... and unpack... and repack... and re-unpack... and shuffle boxes between Clemson and Lexington and Andrews. I have to survive four daunting FINALS. Then we hit what I'm undoubtedly dreading the most - graduations and goodbyes. And while I am incredibly excited for my friends who have faithfully completed their degree or other calling here and are weeks away from spreading out all over the world, I have a certain image and premonition of how empty Clemson will feel for my senior year.
Anyone who knows me well knows that transition and I are not exactly friends. I am adaptable, I am confident in that. But the process of adaptation, the times of transition and getting used to a new environment, I don't like it. Especially now, because it feels like it's such a misplaced transition time. I'm not graduating. I'm not leaving. This is not the end of my story here. It's not a natural phase-out like graduating, or even like leaving a summer at Snowbird. But the fact that it's time for so many of the people I love to close out this chapter of life is turning it into a period of transition for me at a time where it is not a natural ending. I think it would be different if I was graduating too, if I had new and exciting things to move on to instead of another year of nursing school without a huge chunk of the community I've been blessed with at Clemson.
However, I do know it's a lot easier to focus on the negative instead of being grateful that people like Emily Clardy and Elizabeth Hughes and even Anna will be around. And that this time next year, I will be hopefully be writing about faithfully finishing out MY four years, post-graduation plans, and other things of the "new and exciting" variety. But for now, I have to wait it out, and trust how God is going to provide next year in the area of friendships and community. Next year is going to be substantially different than what I have known my first three years of college, and I think fear of the unknown is playing huge into my general attitude toward my Junior year ending.
Sometimes I think the time leading up to transition, the anticipation of change, and the subconscious fear that God is not going to provide just well in the "new" as in the familiar is almost more difficult than when it comes time to actually close the chapter.
Today marks the beginning of the last week of classes. (I am sincerely wondering if my blogging habit will be maintained once I am done with Psychosocial and Health Promotion?) I had a MedSurg test this morning, KAPLAN this afternoon, a make-up clinical tomorrow along with a pile of paperwork to complete before then, a research critique, final skills check for SIMlab, a research final and a gerontology final, all due this week.
Ready, Set, Go.
Staff training starts approximately three weeks from NOW. While I really am excited, a lot has to happen between now and then - a lot that I am not particularly excited about. I have a to-do list that could probably match Santa Claus's. I have to do a clean sweep of my room and pack... and unpack... and repack... and re-unpack... and shuffle boxes between Clemson and Lexington and Andrews. I have to survive four daunting FINALS. Then we hit what I'm undoubtedly dreading the most - graduations and goodbyes. And while I am incredibly excited for my friends who have faithfully completed their degree or other calling here and are weeks away from spreading out all over the world, I have a certain image and premonition of how empty Clemson will feel for my senior year.
Anyone who knows me well knows that transition and I are not exactly friends. I am adaptable, I am confident in that. But the process of adaptation, the times of transition and getting used to a new environment, I don't like it. Especially now, because it feels like it's such a misplaced transition time. I'm not graduating. I'm not leaving. This is not the end of my story here. It's not a natural phase-out like graduating, or even like leaving a summer at Snowbird. But the fact that it's time for so many of the people I love to close out this chapter of life is turning it into a period of transition for me at a time where it is not a natural ending. I think it would be different if I was graduating too, if I had new and exciting things to move on to instead of another year of nursing school without a huge chunk of the community I've been blessed with at Clemson.
However, I do know it's a lot easier to focus on the negative instead of being grateful that people like Emily Clardy and Elizabeth Hughes and even Anna will be around. And that this time next year, I will be hopefully be writing about faithfully finishing out MY four years, post-graduation plans, and other things of the "new and exciting" variety. But for now, I have to wait it out, and trust how God is going to provide next year in the area of friendships and community. Next year is going to be substantially different than what I have known my first three years of college, and I think fear of the unknown is playing huge into my general attitude toward my Junior year ending.
Sometimes I think the time leading up to transition, the anticipation of change, and the subconscious fear that God is not going to provide just well in the "new" as in the familiar is almost more difficult than when it comes time to actually close the chapter.
10.07.2010
retrospect
I realized that I never posted this, even though I wrote it back in August. better late than never :)
I've flipped through my camp notebook plenty of times since I've been back in civilization, each time thinking that I want to somehow take everything I said and thought and wrote and combine it into one long jumble, more for myself than anyone else. It doesn't seem real to me that I've just spent eleven weeks of my life completely removed from my normal surroundings and immersed in an environment that's such a disconnect from reality here. Kathleen and I were talking on the way home, as we passed Oconee Medical Center and saw a powerwalker that reminded us of Nate Evens, how nobody is capable of understanding a summer at Snowbird unless they've personally experienced it. I don't mean this in an overdramatic teenage girl kind of way (and by the way, I am officially free to make teenager jokes now that I have said goodbye to ninteen) but in a sincere kind of way. As much as we talk to our friends about the rodeo, and crack jokes about black hoodies, or complain about cardboard pizza, or attempt to explain Kahuna's analogies, it's simply not something that can be fully understand by people who haven't been with us every step of the way.
I'm really thankful to have people at Clemson, and close to Clemson, who have that shared experience so I don't feel as much like an island this year.
[end rabbit trail #1]
One thing I've come to learn is that I'm a processer. Sometimes I need time to mentally sort through things before I am capable of giving an adequate response to them. One weekend this summer, I went to see Toy Story 3 after having a long, serious conversation with a friend. I don't remember anything about that movie to be honest because my mind wouldn't stop arguing with itself. During camp, there is rarely an opportunity to have uninterrupted thinking time. When I was in Cola, I divided my time between unpacking/packing and trying to squeeze in quality time with a lot of people, and so I'd been continuing in the style of being busy all the time. So here I am, (only?) two weeks later, back in Clemson and finally getting a chance to catch my breath.
[false statement. "real" nursing school has started, and I'm about to start drowning again]
moral of the story: i love Snowbird. and as uncertain as I am at this point about whether or not the summer I just finished will be my last. I am thankful for every part of it, good and bad. And there was definitely a fair share of both of those moments. I know the ministry at SWO is focused on ministering to the students who come each week, but I know I haven't left either of these summers the same.
If I had to choose what I think I'm going to take away from this summer, it could be summed up in one simple but loaded word: LOVE. I wrote about it earlier in the summer, but over the last four weeks, I kept coming back to that same concept. Sometimes it takes me awhile to catch on when God is trying to teach me something. One of the passages that we unpacked in staff church over the last few weeks of camp was Romans 12.
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer"
Loving other people with the same, GENUINE love that's been shown to me is not something I'm good at. I actually don't think there are many, if any, people who can say they've truly mastered that art. But God's love isn't contingent on human attitudes or actions and i know mine is, unfortunately. I think acknowledging that is the first step to attempting to allow the love that God has shown to me to be channeled to the rest of my people in my life. For elaboration, read the note before this one.
One other point that was reiterated time after time at camp was that we may not really know how the summer shaped us until weeks or even months back in the real world. If that's the case, which I believe it is, maybe I'll revisit this in the middle of the semester. One thing that was said to me on the last day of SWO9, that I repeated to my campers almost every week this summer, and am now constantly reminding myself is that the God of Andrews, NC is the SAME God that's in Clemson, SC and to the ends of the earth. Ministry is found everywhere, not just on the busses that came to us every Monday afternoon.
I've flipped through my camp notebook plenty of times since I've been back in civilization, each time thinking that I want to somehow take everything I said and thought and wrote and combine it into one long jumble, more for myself than anyone else. It doesn't seem real to me that I've just spent eleven weeks of my life completely removed from my normal surroundings and immersed in an environment that's such a disconnect from reality here. Kathleen and I were talking on the way home, as we passed Oconee Medical Center and saw a powerwalker that reminded us of Nate Evens, how nobody is capable of understanding a summer at Snowbird unless they've personally experienced it. I don't mean this in an overdramatic teenage girl kind of way (and by the way, I am officially free to make teenager jokes now that I have said goodbye to ninteen) but in a sincere kind of way. As much as we talk to our friends about the rodeo, and crack jokes about black hoodies, or complain about cardboard pizza, or attempt to explain Kahuna's analogies, it's simply not something that can be fully understand by people who haven't been with us every step of the way.
I'm really thankful to have people at Clemson, and close to Clemson, who have that shared experience so I don't feel as much like an island this year.
[end rabbit trail #1]
One thing I've come to learn is that I'm a processer. Sometimes I need time to mentally sort through things before I am capable of giving an adequate response to them. One weekend this summer, I went to see Toy Story 3 after having a long, serious conversation with a friend. I don't remember anything about that movie to be honest because my mind wouldn't stop arguing with itself. During camp, there is rarely an opportunity to have uninterrupted thinking time. When I was in Cola, I divided my time between unpacking/packing and trying to squeeze in quality time with a lot of people, and so I'd been continuing in the style of being busy all the time. So here I am, (only?) two weeks later, back in Clemson and finally getting a chance to catch my breath.
[false statement. "real" nursing school has started, and I'm about to start drowning again]
moral of the story: i love Snowbird. and as uncertain as I am at this point about whether or not the summer I just finished will be my last. I am thankful for every part of it, good and bad. And there was definitely a fair share of both of those moments. I know the ministry at SWO is focused on ministering to the students who come each week, but I know I haven't left either of these summers the same.
If I had to choose what I think I'm going to take away from this summer, it could be summed up in one simple but loaded word: LOVE. I wrote about it earlier in the summer, but over the last four weeks, I kept coming back to that same concept. Sometimes it takes me awhile to catch on when God is trying to teach me something. One of the passages that we unpacked in staff church over the last few weeks of camp was Romans 12.
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer"
Loving other people with the same, GENUINE love that's been shown to me is not something I'm good at. I actually don't think there are many, if any, people who can say they've truly mastered that art. But God's love isn't contingent on human attitudes or actions and i know mine is, unfortunately. I think acknowledging that is the first step to attempting to allow the love that God has shown to me to be channeled to the rest of my people in my life. For elaboration, read the note before this one.
One other point that was reiterated time after time at camp was that we may not really know how the summer shaped us until weeks or even months back in the real world. If that's the case, which I believe it is, maybe I'll revisit this in the middle of the semester. One thing that was said to me on the last day of SWO9, that I repeated to my campers almost every week this summer, and am now constantly reminding myself is that the God of Andrews, NC is the SAME God that's in Clemson, SC and to the ends of the earth. Ministry is found everywhere, not just on the busses that came to us every Monday afternoon.
6.13.2010
week two
I had a group from Mississippi this week. They were a cool group and I loved it, but it was exhausting for tons of reasons. Some annoying cold/sinus junk has been making it's way around the staff, and I caught it (but thankfully not until the weekend so I can get some good sleep), I had SWOMP this week (and as much as I love SWOMP, the following day[s] aren't always fun, especially on top of sickness) and I've had some conversations and situations with both campers and staff that have really just been heavy in my thoughts this week.
One thing I'm really worried about right now is being sick, like I mentioned before. I have four individuals next week, which i'm REALLY excited about because one of the girls was one of my campers last year. I'm just worried because if I was to get/still be sick next week, I won't have any backup with my girls.
I think this week I've really just learned how thankful I need to be, and I need to be continually reminded of that. I'm thankful for a family who loves me and who has taught me to make good decisions. I'm thankful for friends who encourage me and pray for me. I'm thankful that God has protected me and kept me from tons of trouble that I could have gotten myself into at some points along the way. I'm thankful for Snowbird and the community of people I'm able to spend the summer with, and how amazing of an environment it is to grow and learn in. I'm thankful for my campers, who probably teach me more than I teach them.
The phrase "Sun Stand Still" has really been stuck in my brain all week as well. A conversation with a friend on staff made me think of a sermon series from Elevation Church that I listened to when I was closing at Coldstone with a girl I didn't like a couple years ago. About having audacious faith and not being afraid to pray for HUGE things from a God who works miracles, like making the sun literally stand still in the sky (Joshua 10). I've found myself praying for the sun to stand still in the lives of a couple people this week - current campers, past campers, staff and friends. It's a cool analogy.
On a more pathetic note, I am terrible at spider solitare. I've played 12 games in the last week (camp internet is lame) and won 0 - I'm a failure.
One thing I'm really worried about right now is being sick, like I mentioned before. I have four individuals next week, which i'm REALLY excited about because one of the girls was one of my campers last year. I'm just worried because if I was to get/still be sick next week, I won't have any backup with my girls.
I think this week I've really just learned how thankful I need to be, and I need to be continually reminded of that. I'm thankful for a family who loves me and who has taught me to make good decisions. I'm thankful for friends who encourage me and pray for me. I'm thankful that God has protected me and kept me from tons of trouble that I could have gotten myself into at some points along the way. I'm thankful for Snowbird and the community of people I'm able to spend the summer with, and how amazing of an environment it is to grow and learn in. I'm thankful for my campers, who probably teach me more than I teach them.
The phrase "Sun Stand Still" has really been stuck in my brain all week as well. A conversation with a friend on staff made me think of a sermon series from Elevation Church that I listened to when I was closing at Coldstone with a girl I didn't like a couple years ago. About having audacious faith and not being afraid to pray for HUGE things from a God who works miracles, like making the sun literally stand still in the sky (Joshua 10). I've found myself praying for the sun to stand still in the lives of a couple people this week - current campers, past campers, staff and friends. It's a cool analogy.
On a more pathetic note, I am terrible at spider solitare. I've played 12 games in the last week (camp internet is lame) and won 0 - I'm a failure.
6.06.2010
week 1!
This weekend, I'm in Clemson with three of the most amazing girls ever, so thankful that I live close enough to be able to come here for a couple days. I LOVE camp, but sometimes it's nice to be able to get away and recharge. Plus, a shower, laundry, Crosspoint and Groucho's are also in the deal which makes it even sweeter. Tonight, we went to Anderson for dinner, went with Elizabeth to get her tattoo (where I took a nice nap on the couch) and went swimming in the Berkeley pool. Such a fun night.
I really enjoyed this week. I worked with Faith Baptist, a church I recognized from last summer but had never really interacted with before, and they were great. This week was undoubtedly a crazy one, but I think it really helped a lot of the staff realize that we are GOING to have situations that are out of our control and that we're not going to make it through the summer by relying on our own strength and abilities.
I've been reading Ecclesiastes for the last three weeks. It's good stuff. It's really applicable to my mindset towards the summer in addition to just being solid truth for life in general. Solomon pretty much talks about two worldviews - looking at things from an earthly perspective and a heavenly one, and how if we're just examining life from a view "under the sun" it's inevitable that we'll fall into the trap of thinking life is nothing more than an endless cycle of repetitive routines... but if we look at it from a perspective bigger than ourselves, we can see that God is constantly working in different ways and makings things new.
That's really important to keep in mind when it comes to something like camp. It would be all to easy to get caught up in the routines of a camp week. Same schedule, same sermons, same recs, even the same meals... but that's the earthly perspective. On the other hand, we have different kids come in every week. Students with different backgrounds, different stories, and different personalities. God is working in their lives in completely different ways, and is going to both teach us and use us in drastically different ways throughout the summer... so really, it's never going to be the same.
Because I'm in Clemson, the fact that I'm in the middle of the summer and in the middle of camp doesn't really seem real right now.
I really enjoyed this week. I worked with Faith Baptist, a church I recognized from last summer but had never really interacted with before, and they were great. This week was undoubtedly a crazy one, but I think it really helped a lot of the staff realize that we are GOING to have situations that are out of our control and that we're not going to make it through the summer by relying on our own strength and abilities.
I've been reading Ecclesiastes for the last three weeks. It's good stuff. It's really applicable to my mindset towards the summer in addition to just being solid truth for life in general. Solomon pretty much talks about two worldviews - looking at things from an earthly perspective and a heavenly one, and how if we're just examining life from a view "under the sun" it's inevitable that we'll fall into the trap of thinking life is nothing more than an endless cycle of repetitive routines... but if we look at it from a perspective bigger than ourselves, we can see that God is constantly working in different ways and makings things new.
That's really important to keep in mind when it comes to something like camp. It would be all to easy to get caught up in the routines of a camp week. Same schedule, same sermons, same recs, even the same meals... but that's the earthly perspective. On the other hand, we have different kids come in every week. Students with different backgrounds, different stories, and different personalities. God is working in their lives in completely different ways, and is going to both teach us and use us in drastically different ways throughout the summer... so really, it's never going to be the same.
Because I'm in Clemson, the fact that I'm in the middle of the summer and in the middle of camp doesn't really seem real right now.
5.26.2010
so far, part II
hey internet. matthew stephens is graciously allowing me to use his laptop while he reads his novel-letter from emily clardy. i had zero motivation to go get my own laptop out of my car.
Our first campers come in less than a week. Last year, i was wondering how in the world they could have two weeks of stuff to teach us in preparation for campers, and this summer it feels like such a time crunch to get everything done! Monday we went on the river to act as dummies for the new guides and we've done a lot of various work and cleaning projects around camp, and had a few solid hours of teaching and training at night.
tonight is SKATE NIGHT. reminds me of those couple nights freshman year when we went skating in Anderson. I miss the Clemson crew a lot. I wouldn't necessarily say i'm homesick, but i think this year i have more of a home to be sick for, if that makes sense. I think having something to look forward to will make it easier to leave once the summer ends, but at the same time, i don't even want to think about that yet - staff training isn't even over!
so far, the tiredness hasn't really hit me like it has a lot of people... but I also think I did better with it last summer than a large chunk of people. Yesterday was probably the worst day so far, but last night i went to bed a little after midnight, woke up on my own at 5 this morning (over an hour before my alarm!) and have had so much energy today. God is an amazing sustainer through the summer in light of our ridiculous schedule and lack of sleep.
those of you who have sent me letters, pictures and cards - you're amazing and i love you guys a lot. Hearing that people are praying for me and my friends here is a huge encouragement.
Our first campers come in less than a week. Last year, i was wondering how in the world they could have two weeks of stuff to teach us in preparation for campers, and this summer it feels like such a time crunch to get everything done! Monday we went on the river to act as dummies for the new guides and we've done a lot of various work and cleaning projects around camp, and had a few solid hours of teaching and training at night.
tonight is SKATE NIGHT. reminds me of those couple nights freshman year when we went skating in Anderson. I miss the Clemson crew a lot. I wouldn't necessarily say i'm homesick, but i think this year i have more of a home to be sick for, if that makes sense. I think having something to look forward to will make it easier to leave once the summer ends, but at the same time, i don't even want to think about that yet - staff training isn't even over!
so far, the tiredness hasn't really hit me like it has a lot of people... but I also think I did better with it last summer than a large chunk of people. Yesterday was probably the worst day so far, but last night i went to bed a little after midnight, woke up on my own at 5 this morning (over an hour before my alarm!) and have had so much energy today. God is an amazing sustainer through the summer in light of our ridiculous schedule and lack of sleep.
those of you who have sent me letters, pictures and cards - you're amazing and i love you guys a lot. Hearing that people are praying for me and my friends here is a huge encouragement.
8.05.2009
home
So. Camp is dunzo. I'm home. (and right now, Rachel Eckard needs to get her butt back home as well, because I miss her a lot)
At this point, i can actually see the trunk of my car. People can sit in my backseat without being eaten by a pile of clothes. My internet is fast enough to not make me want to throw my laptop out the window. Normal hygiene includes taking a shower every day. I don't have to count quarters whenever I want to do laundry. Sleeping in is later than 7am. I can take a nap whenever I feel like it. I can decide to go to Walmart and be there 5 minutes later. Starbucks isn't a roadtrip in itself. It's really, really hot here, and it never rains in this city. Jack Kuenzie is staring at me from the TV screen. Also, did I mention it's hot here? hot hot hot.
Summer is over.
I expected coming home to be really, really weird. But it hasn't been so far. It doesn't really feel like I've been gone since May. I was sad the night before I left Andrews, but once Suz and I got out of the gorge, camp seemed like forever ago. I think I always get sad in anticipation of things like this, but then it never ends up being as bad as I think it will be. It's still kind of crazy to think that life goes on outside of camp. That Lexington has still been moving and changing even though I haven't been here. I should be used to that since I don't really live here anymore, but I'm not.
CVS moved. Alltel is Verizon now. They're building a new Walgreens. Walmart is rearranged (but wait--that was before the summer? Either way, it's annoying. I can't find anything). They tore down Zesto's, which used to be the old Burger King where me and Anna would make my mom take weekly trips to just so we could collect the Rugrats roller coaster toys. I hated Burger King food, by the way. I walked into Moe's yesterday and didn't know anyone working. I went to Coldstone and only knew one.
I don't even know where to start when it comes to talking about the summer. It was good. Descriptive words aren't exactly what I'm good at. I haven't talked or written too much about it, other than the whole "it-was-fun-i-went-canoeing-and-i-hung-out-with-camperes to everyone who has asked me the how-was-your-summer-because-i-haven't-seen-you-in-three-months" question, just because I honestly don't even know where to begin. But just thinking about it still makes me smile, because it was so evident that God is there and working it's crazy.
But I can't imagine having done anything better with my summer. It was definitely a learning experience, and I probably made more mistakes than I can count. But God was and still is sufficient. For the summer, and forever. That's what I've learned, above all. And that's all I need to know.
Someone told me during the last few days of SWO9 that the God of Snowbird is the same God that's in Clemson and in Columbia. I wish I remembered who said that. But they were undoubtedly right and I think that's something that's all too easy to forget as we go back into the real world where we have to seek out ministry and not just have it come to us every Monday afternoon. I wanted to tag all of you, but apparently facebook has limits for those things. dumb.
And finally.
SWO staff.
You all need to transfer to Clemson University. However, I understand this might be intimidating because some of you go to schools like Liberty that love Jesus much more than Clemson does. If Clemson is too heathen for you, transferring to North Greenville would be acceptable as well. Understood?
At this point, i can actually see the trunk of my car. People can sit in my backseat without being eaten by a pile of clothes. My internet is fast enough to not make me want to throw my laptop out the window. Normal hygiene includes taking a shower every day. I don't have to count quarters whenever I want to do laundry. Sleeping in is later than 7am. I can take a nap whenever I feel like it. I can decide to go to Walmart and be there 5 minutes later. Starbucks isn't a roadtrip in itself. It's really, really hot here, and it never rains in this city. Jack Kuenzie is staring at me from the TV screen. Also, did I mention it's hot here? hot hot hot.
Summer is over.
I expected coming home to be really, really weird. But it hasn't been so far. It doesn't really feel like I've been gone since May. I was sad the night before I left Andrews, but once Suz and I got out of the gorge, camp seemed like forever ago. I think I always get sad in anticipation of things like this, but then it never ends up being as bad as I think it will be. It's still kind of crazy to think that life goes on outside of camp. That Lexington has still been moving and changing even though I haven't been here. I should be used to that since I don't really live here anymore, but I'm not.
CVS moved. Alltel is Verizon now. They're building a new Walgreens. Walmart is rearranged (but wait--that was before the summer? Either way, it's annoying. I can't find anything). They tore down Zesto's, which used to be the old Burger King where me and Anna would make my mom take weekly trips to just so we could collect the Rugrats roller coaster toys. I hated Burger King food, by the way. I walked into Moe's yesterday and didn't know anyone working. I went to Coldstone and only knew one.
I don't even know where to start when it comes to talking about the summer. It was good. Descriptive words aren't exactly what I'm good at. I haven't talked or written too much about it, other than the whole "it-was-fun-i-went-canoeing-and-i-hung-out-with-camperes to everyone who has asked me the how-was-your-summer-because-i-haven't-seen-you-in-three-months" question, just because I honestly don't even know where to begin. But just thinking about it still makes me smile, because it was so evident that God is there and working it's crazy.
But I can't imagine having done anything better with my summer. It was definitely a learning experience, and I probably made more mistakes than I can count. But God was and still is sufficient. For the summer, and forever. That's what I've learned, above all. And that's all I need to know.
Someone told me during the last few days of SWO9 that the God of Snowbird is the same God that's in Clemson and in Columbia. I wish I remembered who said that. But they were undoubtedly right and I think that's something that's all too easy to forget as we go back into the real world where we have to seek out ministry and not just have it come to us every Monday afternoon. I wanted to tag all of you, but apparently facebook has limits for those things. dumb.
And finally.
SWO staff.
You all need to transfer to Clemson University. However, I understand this might be intimidating because some of you go to schools like Liberty that love Jesus much more than Clemson does. If Clemson is too heathen for you, transferring to North Greenville would be acceptable as well. Understood?
7.19.2009
almost over
Only two more weeks of summer to go. Actually, there’s almost a month left of summer, but I know that once I leave here, it won’t really feel like summer anymore.I really don’t feel like I’ve been here for nine weeks, but at the same time, week one, staff training, the trip here… seem like such a long time ago. The whole time I’ve been here, I haven’t wanted to leave, but in all the ups and downs of the last week, I’m starting to realize that there are still things I miss about home. And about Clemson. And while leaving the community here, and the “Little town with the Big Heart” Andrews, NC will be hard, I’m growing more ok with it as it gets closer.
It’s been such a bittersweet summer. it’s been hard but I’ve loved every minute of it. First Baptist is coming tomorrow. I’m really excited. The excitement of seeing them has been a good reminder that goes on outside of camp. My little sister has her license now, and I’ll have to remember to hide my keys when I go home. I’ve been in a consistent summer-long game of phone tag with the some of the people I love the most. I’ve almost forgotten that in the real world, most people take showers every day and don’t live out of their cars or all the other things I’ve gotten used to doing here.
Real world, I hate you but i kinda sorta miss you.
5.30.2009
staff training
I don’t really like blogging, to be honest. By the time I think to write something down, I usually don’t remember it anymore. Maybe I’ll try to change that this summer. Camp is good. I feel like that’s probably the most generalized statement ever, but it’s basically true.
At this point, there’s no question in my mind that I’m where I’m supposed to spend the summer. After months of replaying all the scenarios in my head and doubting whether or not I’d made the right choice… I think I did. Actually.. I know I did.
Yesterday was our last day of official staff training. Today and tomorrow are just kind of chill days, and we start getting campers on Monday, which is definitely going to be a new experience, but a blast at the same time. I’m excited.
my laptop battery is about to die. We’ll see if I ever update this again.
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