'Tis the Season

I hope advent has been good for you. December can get really busy and it's easy to forget to get excited about why we celebrate Christmas. I thought, for my own good really, it'd be nice to take some time to reflect on that for a minute.

For those of us who follow the teachings of Jesus, advent is a time set aside to help us get excited about what a big deal it is that God (who created the universe and everything in it) put himself in human form to walk in our shoes and show us another way to live. 

Consider, if you will, how much more you respect a boss who is willing to step down from their higher position to meet with you where you are. It's a lot easier to accept constructive criticism and critiques from someone who takes the time to understand your perspective. Especially when you see them put effort into trying to look at things from your view. A manager who does dishes with his dishwasher will gain more respect that the manager who just tells the dishwasher they are too inefficient. 

That's kind of what God did. He already knows everything, about the world and us (job 38). We humans, though, doubt his authority and like to say things like "but, God, you don't know how it feels. You've never been hungry. You've never been to jail. You've never lost a friend. You've never been tempted." God, heard us. Not only that but he knew to get through to us and save us from ourselves he would have to come down here himself and teach us. So he wrapped himself up in flesh and had the most humble beginning any human can have: He was born in the stable with the animals. The Lamb of God was swaddled in a manger where he was appropriately greeted into the world by lowly shepherds. 

He was a baby. He was a refugee. He probably got splinters. He had chores. He had siblings. He was a teenager. He got frustrated with his mom. He had friends. He was tempted. He needed to be alone sometimes. He fasted. He wept. He was betrayed by his friends. He was judged. He wrongly accused. He was doubted. He was lied to. His friend died. He was blamed and punished for things he didn't do. He experienced as much brokenness as a person could experience and even asked for a way out. Then he was killed in maybe the most painful, torturous way humans have ever come up with to kill each other. 

But then he overcame death and made it so we could get right with the Father. Now I know I'm leaking into Easter, but when you hear the opening lines to your favorite movie or book, you can't help but to get excited because you know that it just keeps getting better as the story unfolds. 

We can no longer believe the lie that God doesn't understand. He came down and lived life with us. He struggled with us. He experienced the pain. He felt the brokenness. And he showed us how to live despite it. He showed us how he intended us to be when he first created us. To love each other and to love him. 

Advent is an exciting time. We're anticipating the arrival of a savior, one who came to save us from the world and save us from ourselves. One who loves enough to pay the highest price for us. One who has already done all the work so that all we have to do is accept it. 

*That's an amazing thing, guys. We are so loved. 

Getting to celebrate the greatest present we could ever receive...that's huge! We should all be like kids on Christmas Eve who can't sleep because they know, they just know, that in the morning there will be something that they have been longing for, asking for, waiting for for what feels like forever. There's this hope that it's so close. They can almost feel it. They might not have any idea what it is, but as soon as they run downstairs in the morning they wonder how they ever lived life without this new awesome gift. We should be that excited. And unlike the presents that are often pushed aside or forgotten in the weeks after Christmas, the gift of a savior is one we can be thankful for every single day. It never gets old. You never outgrow it. It literally completes your life. 

So, friends, I feel encouraged. I hope in this week before Christmas, if you haven't been feeling it already, you're starting to fill with the anticipation that soon the waiting will be over and we will celebrate the greatest give we've ever received!

I'm lovin' it

A bridge at SIFAT modeled after what you might find in India.

Guys. I love my job. Outside of summer camp I still get to do so many things that I love and am passionate about. Things like driving over to Alabama with some sweet friends to tour a camp (SIFAT) that's doing awesome things. Or organizing ornament decorating for who knows how many people and a 14-foot tree out at the community garden. Or hanging out with youth just because we can. Or loving on and appreciating faithful volunteers because they are awesome. I even love creating the handbooks and documents we use to help train our volunteer teams and interns well and setting them up for successful ministry. It brings me joy to use the passions and experience that the Lord has gifted me with to help grow His Kingdom by facilitating a platform for relationships between people who know Jesus and people who might not.

In this season of life, I'm learning just how crucial friends are. Friends of Refugees name is no mistake. Sometimes just having someone there to love you and walk through life with you is exactly what you need. Being that person for someone else is a blessing. I've taken to telling people that on some level, my job is to be a professional friend. I'll sit and talk with you. Take you to school. Help you figure out and process the hard stuff that's going on. We will celebrate the good stuff. We'll just live life together and see where God takes us. 

Thank you so much to all of you who pour into me via texts, Facebook likes, phone calls, lunches, through prayer or any other platform. I'm so full that I'm able to be that person for others. I really couldn't do without you and find myself daily praising the Lord for the army of people behind me supporting my life here. Y'all are top notch! 

Prayer Requests:

• I sometimes just stay sick from Thanksgiving until Easter. I'd rather that not be the case. Pray that my immune system would work well and that my asthma and allergies would stay in check. 
• Along the same lines, pray that there becomes a way for us to get rid of the mold that has taken over our youth room where we do all of our after school programming. It's no good for me or the kids.  
• Time: this part of the year is crazy busy. Pray for us all that we'd be able to do what needs to be done while still having time to spend with people we love and remember what this wonderful season is all about. The most wonderful gift that the world has ever received in the form of a baby named Jesus. 

Only in Clarkston do you accidentally buy cabbage
instead of lettuce...oops

"Everybodys habs diner"

Friends.

There's a lot that is going on all the time it seems like. We bounce around from event to event and just when we feel like we are catching up with everything that's happening, five more things pop up. Recently, we've been busy people over here at Friends of Refugees. Let me break it down for you:

CCDA Conference
This past week, I had the great opportunity to join seven other FOR staff members at the Christian Community Development Association's annual conference that was held in Memphis. We packed up the vans and spent lots of quality time setting up a booth, roaming around the city looking for places to eat, connecting with other organizations from around the country, and sharing fondue with new friends.

Having fondue with Friends and having conversations about working with refugees.

The sessions and workshops at the conference were both encouraging and inspiring. It was so much fun to connect with people who have similar missions and goals from different cities and compare notes on how to overcome struggles or celebrate wins. One such friend that we made is Sarah from Ekata where refugee women in Memphis gather to create beautiful jewelry to help supplement their income, very similar to our own Refugee Sewing Society. We also connected with World Relief from many different cities and bonded over similar stories of successes and challenges of working with newly resettled refugees. Josh and I particularly had the unique opportunity to bond with Ms. Cam from the Refugee Empowerment Program in Memphis that is the only after school service available to refugees in the area. In speaking with Ms. Cam, we learned that she is an Atlanta native and fan of FOR. It was extremely humbling to hear how she talked about our organization as something that she admired and looked up. After getting the chance to pray with her and share stories about our own after school program, we all left encouraged.

Our awesome double-wide booth with our lovely staff sharing about what we do.

As great as the networking was and as enriching as the sessions and workshops were, the favorite part of the convention by staff was definitely getting a chance to know one another better as friends and not necessarily co-workers. Having dinner together and spending hours and hour together in vans was just fun. Building and strengthening the Friends of Refugees community was both needed and just a blessing.

Cracker Barrell brings everyone together!

Festivities
Tis the season for fall festivals and Christmas parties. Josh and I had the opportunity to set up a booth at our local Chick-fil-a for their Fall Festival. We recruited some kids to help us run activities and treated them to dinner after. It was really fun to get to hang out with kids and reconnect with some that I haven't seen in a while. They may net be the best workers in the world, but their silly jokes and goofy personalities make them so much fun to be around that it doesn't matter.

Working hard or hardly working? We aren't sure either. :)

There was also a garden party recently where we gathered to celebrate the birthday of someone from CNN who had worked in the Jolly Avenue Community Garden for a day and fell in love with the community. We gathered in the rain, ate good food, and took the opportunity to hang out with some families that live in the surrounding apartments. Though it was cold and wet, the fire was warm, the food was good, and the company couldn't be beat!

Friends and a bonfire make everything better.

Family Progress
Thank you so much for your prayers for the camper family that has been trying to get back on their feet. The middle schooler has been bussed to school for a week now without Josh and I having to take him and mom is continuing to practice her English in and out of class. They still have a ways to go, but they are working hard. Pray for them to continue to build their community and gain opportunities for a job and childcare for the baby. God is good!

The Elephant in the Room
There's a lot of talk about refugees these days. I don't think I can count the articles I've seen posted to Facebook or the response emails I have received from other organizations working with refugees in the community. I have seen news trucks all over Clarkston and know that many of my friends and co-workers have been flooded with questions from friends and family who just want to understand what's going on. Part of me is happy that people are seeking knowledge about refugees and that we have the opportunity to educate a lot of people about what we do. The other part of me is deeply saddened by the half-truths and misinformation that is floating around and skewing the views of people with good intentions. The fears people have about the safety of their country and families are valid and worthy of being addressed. I urge you to read Friends of Refugees response and I invite you to come and visit me at work. I'd love to sit down with you and have a conversation about the refugee resettlement process and show you around our beautiful little city. Fear is emotional and facts often don't ease fear, rather it takes an opportunity to show some courage and experience what could be. So please call me, text me, email me, Facebook me, or come visit me. I would love to share my experiences with you.

Story Time
Let's leave this on a happy note. I've had a great day today, y'all. After a morning in the office, I took the afternoon to visit a Somali family with a few of my friends who are current Missionary Training Students with Global Frontier Missions. I was instantly encouraged as I met with my friends before we left for our visit. I learned how many of the youth they are visiting on their own time that I didn't know about. Praise the Lord that people are in the community helping to care for and love these kids! Being one of just a few full-time youth workers in the area, it's such a blessing to know there's a team of people out there because we can't do it on our own. It's both humbling and encouraging.
Back to the family we went to visit. I've known them for years through summer camp and have always had a soft spot in my heart for them. For years, I have been praying for people to be able to invest in them more frequently than I can on my own and when I heard my GFM friends were at their house weekly to just hang out I almost cried. God is so good. It was so sweet to be welcomed in and to catch up with the youth that I have come to know so well. The oldest daughter made tea for us and pulled up the summer camp video from when she was a camper (my first summer interning) and we reminisced about the good old days. The younger boys tried to sign up for camp on the spot and cheered when I told them I was the Camp Director this year. Those boys can be a handful, but over time I've seen them make better and better choices, "I was really good last summer! I never even got a strike, right Ms. Emily?!" It made my heart full to be able to brag on him in front of his family and friends about what a good kid he is.
I left praising God for how good He is and thanking him for using those kids to remind me why I'm here.

I know this was a long one! Thanks for making all the way through. I appreciate you so much and pray that you would be living the abundant life too. :)

God Wins

It is becoming abundantly clear to me what abundant life can be like. Over the past week or so I have just been overwhelmed with how supportive and loving the people in my life are (and just how many of those people in blessed to have in my life). A trip to Athens to visit with old friends, some FaceTime to visit with far away friends, and quality time with new friends right here in the Atlanta area. Community is such a sweet, sweet thing.

Don't forget my family, though. Their phone calls, texts, care packages, and visits have what helped me get here in the first place. They are amazing, y'all. They keep tabs on my life better than I can and I'm so thankful for their interest and desire to be a part of what I get to do here in Clarkston. I'm well aware of others in similar jobs as mine that don't have the unconditional love and support I've received. Family, you rock. 

Updates!

Everything is holding steady. We've had so much fun with the girls group on Thursdays getting to know each other, laughing, and doing homework. Their a pretty incredible group of ladies. Our volunteers too though. We could not have such a great turnout without their help. These girls can't help but to leave the group knowing that they are loved and cared for by others. While I don't spend as much time with the boys in Tuesday's, I know there's a similar theme there. 

Never get tired of pictures of this room. It's where God comes to meet with the youth. 

I've started to come to the conclusion that the job of all the youth staff in all of Clarkston to prove to these young people that they are always loved wherever they go and whatever they do. It's a beautiful thing really. I saw evidence of this at a bonfire after Friday night youth group. It's pretty awesome when a group of adults gather together to pray about and discuss the best ways to minister to the youth in the area. It was both personally refreshing and enhancing to the Kingdom. 

Who doesn't love a good fire? 

My friends who I get to Drive around town frequently are doing really well right now. Staying in a house with another family has been a blessing for them. The 12-year-old has been granted access to stay at his school (praise the Lord) and soon a bus will take him to school. Trust me, this kid deserves some normalcy in his life. He's been a champ through the whole situation. Mom is also doing well. Staying with another family has given her the opportunity to help around the house and find other ways to serve the family hosting her. It does wonders for your dignity when you can help provide for your family even a little bit. Keep praying for them to move towards getting back on their feet. 

My view for much of the time I'm in the car.

That's about all I have for you. Except one more thing...WE GOT A $50,000 CHECK! Youth Programs applied for a grant through Chick-fil-a's True Inspiration awards and out of all the other youth programs in the nation, we won. Praise God!

I know I am a tiny person. 

Speaking of, tonight I'm going to hang out with a bunch of volunteers who have decided to put in their own pumpkin carving event for some youth. I love their intentionality. 

Praise Reports

There's been a lot of good things going here that have kept me very busy. I sometimes feel like a taxi service taking people to and from all kinds of places. Sometimes car rides are great places to talk and get to know someone more. I have found that I am very thankful for the time spent with people in my car. My job is hard to describe to people, but I just love being a friend to so many.

Camper Family
Remember back when I told you about the camper who had come across some hard times? The family was staying in a shelter and we were working to help get them back on their feet. Well, listen to this. They are now staying in the extra room at a new friend's house. The mom is practicing her English and building her confidence. On Tuesday we went with her to her child's school to discuss some issues about transportation to and from school since their move out of the shelter. She was very timid at first, but with the help of a language line and some friends by her side, you could see her feeling more and more dignified. When I picked her up for English class the next day, she was smiling and started a conversation with me for the first time. She was put together and seems to be doing much better. She asked me to come over and help her with a few things and tried so hard to speak with me when before our ride had been in mostly silence.

This family still has a long way to go, but they are showing so much progress. The middle schooler is experiencing a lot of transition which is causing a lot of stress. Pray for all of them that they would be able to settle soon and go back to being a family without having to worry so much about how they will get by.

Homework Group
Annalisa and I are having a blast with our girls. They really are the best and I wish you could all get to know each one of them. They are unique, beautiful, smart, kind girls who come together on Thursdays with friends to try and do homework knowing that it matters for their future. It's actually hard to get them to stop doing their homework before they are done. I'm blessed by my time with them each and every week.

Community
Recently I have found out hoe thankful I am for the little community I am a part of. From the McKendree 20+ group to the other FOR staff, I am constantly surrounded by great people who encourage me. My roommates and the friends I have made in Clarkston have helped this whole big post-grad life transition much more manageable. I'm so thankful for my family as well who continues to support me and help me in any way that they can. Y'all are the best!!!

Prayer Requests
As always, please continue to pray hat financial support would continue to come in. I have hit a wall recently it seems, and still need about $6,000 more to be fully funded. I hope that you will prayerfully consider becoming a monthly giver if you have not already or share my information with anyone you think might be interested in helping.

Pray for the camper family who is trying so hard to achieve the American Dream. There are many pieces that still need to fall into place and complex systems to making those things happen.

Pray for Friends of Refugees that we continue to always seek God's will first and that we would never do work outside of what he has planned for us.

Early Morning Star Wars

So I'm sitting here with my cool friend who's a sweet, kind, patient camper that should be in school. We're hanging out FOR headquarters today because his mom and baby sister are downstairs with Refugee Family Literacy. His mom is in an English class and the baby is with the other babies being taken care of so mom can learn. My camper is in middle school though, he's much older than the other kids that are hanging out downstairs in the preschool. Why is he here you ask? After the class, we're headed to the clinic to get the baby checked out and that sweet, kind, patient big brother is along to translate. It's hard to totally agree with the situation. I wish this awesome son and big brother could be in school right now getting his educational needs met at the same time as his mom. Things don't always happen as they should though. As we sit here together in what we fondly call the Couch Room, I'm thankful for a few things. I'm thankful for a Kindle with access to Netflix so there is something for us to while we hang out for a few hours. I'm thankful the mom is finally receiving services she hasn't been able to get since she first came to America almost 2 years ago. I'm thankful that though life has been hard for this little family, they cling tight to each other and love each other in a way that you don't see everyday. Middle school boys aren't necessarily known for their love of babies, but this one genuinely loves his sister so much. He plays with her and sings to her and will do anything he can to make her smile. I wish he was in school today, but I know that helping make sure his little sister feels better soon is where he needs to be right now. To be honest, I look up to this kid. His character is impeccable and his devotion to his family is admirable. At camp, he's one who always listens, always helps, and always befriends those who need someone. I'm a little happy that he gets a bit of a day off from school. There's been a lot going on with his family and I think hanging out and watching Star Wars for the morning might be a much needed break from reality.

Also, I've been enlightened about all things Star Wars during our time together. It's always good to learn new things. I taught him what the word "clone" means and blew his mind. "Every day is a school day" he tells me.

Updates
This Thursday at our after school tutoring group we had a lot of fun. The wonderful Ms. Amy shared with us some great lessons about conductors and insulators. Conductors speed things up and insulators slow things down. We applied this to real life and talked about different things that are setting up the girls for success in work and things that are holding them back. The girls were really into it and all in all it was AWESOME.

This sweet girl had an ice cream sundae for the first time this past Thursday. My job can be so fun. :)

Perspective

It's been an interesting week or so for me. I feel like I've gained a lot of perspective.

Background
A lot of people ask me how we keep up with the kids once camp is over and to be honest it's not easy.  With two Youth Programs staff members and crazy work and school schedules for volunteers, it's hard to track down every camper and keep up with them. We sure try though. Fortunately, there are a few families who help a lot. I know when that several camp families are well served and if I can't personally make it to visit them, someone else is. I am so thankful for these people and their servant hearts. Others we keep up with the after school groups. We are able to keep tabs on the family through teenagers. Other times we have to be more reactive and respond to families calling out to us. Anyway you look at it, it truly takes a village to keep up with all the families.

Story time! 

Story #1
One sweet middle school camper calls Josh out of the blue. In their conversation, Josh learns that the family is no longer living at home and that they might be living in a shelter. Not being able to get too far talking with the student, Josh spreads the word and we start a search for information on where they might be. We drive around, try to call back (the number was disconnected), and pray a lot. We finally get a call back from the family and set up a meeting with the so we can hopefully understand what's going on and see how we can support them. Please pray for us and the family as we are meeting with them Saturday.

Story #2
I'm friends with a lot of campers on social media. It keeps me accountable to living every part of my life in a way that I wouldn't mind them seeing and it helps me keep track of all of them at once. Recently, a camper posted pictures of her arm with cuts she made herself. Having friends who have struggled with cutting in the past, I know what a real problem it can be. I was encouraged to see many people rallying around her, sending messages and inviting her to talk, but knew that there was more that needed to be done. This camper happens to be very connected with one of our volunteers who is a trained counselor. What a blessing to be able to send an email about concerns over this camper and know that the next day someone who loves her and knows her well would be there to support her. It's such a comfort to me to know the body of Christ is at work here and that I don't have to care for all these youth alone. Please pray for this family and the other youth in Clarkston struggling with or without such a strong support system. 

Story #3
The after school homework group I help with has become such a blessing to my life. We've grown to about 15 girls and at least 5 volunteers who come every week. Annalisa and I were overwhelmed by the amount of interest people had in our group. After trying to work with youth within our own programs for so long, it's amazing to see all that can happen when two people come together and share their resources to work toward a common goal. We've been blown away by our girls too. We had one 7th grader write a thank you note for the wonderful Ms. Pam who has been bringing us dinner. Her sweet and kind spirit humbles everyone who comes in contact with her. She's a younger one in the group, but definitely sets an example for youth everywhere. We are also interviewing a few girls for a video to promote our program and after sitting in on two of them yesterday, I am completely blown away with how humble, wise, well spoken, and completely amazing our girls are. They left our videographer speechless and their stories about their dreams, struggles, and families is honest and powerful. We were worried about the girls not wanting to share about themselves on video, but I am confident that both girls left empowered as their resilience and hard work was put on display. I am so proud of these girls I work with. They bless me more than I could have ever imagined. Pray that we are able to empower youth and restore their dignity as they participate in our programs. 

Story #4
Our Facebook page receives a decent amount of traffic, however we do not normally receive many messages. Recently we did. It was a short message in broken English explaining that this man was a Syrian refugee in Lebanon with 5 children who was trying to find a way to educate his children and receive asylum in America. The Syrian refugee crisis has been receiving a lot of news recently. In Clarkston people have been talking about it for a long time now. I don't think it hit me how desperate these families are until I read that message. It could have been a scam. I recognize that. It also could have been real. Pray for the people currently fleeing their homes in search of refuge. 

Conclusion
After the events of this past week I am thankful for my family. I have never had to worry about ending up in a homeless shelter because I know that even if my parents were in a position where they couldn't pay the bills, we have more family and friends that could take us in. I am thankful that I don't work alone, but that there is a whole body of believers who I work alongside to achieve the same goal of seeing the Kindgom come to Clarkston. I'm thankful that the ones I serve serve me, humble me, and are already great all on their own. Last, I'm thankful for a safe place to live in a country where I am free to be who I am and I don't have to worry about someone coming after me or my family based on my political or religious beliefs, my ethnicity, or my social standing.

How was your week?

Progress

First, let me say thank you. Thank to my family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers who have been encouraging and supporting me. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by friends in the middle of the support raising process to relate to and people that are willing to try and understand. I'm blessed to go to a church that is passionate about missions and proud of my serving in Clarkston. I"m blessed to be a solid 43%! Y'all are seriously the best and I can honestly say that I couldn't do this without you.

I'm so thankful for the support and love. Y'all make this pie chart and my life in Clarkston possible!

Homework Group:
It's been really exciting to be a part of the homework groups that have picked up since school started. I had the honor of hanging out with Josh and his boys while cooking them pancakes for their dinner one Tuesday night. I also got to sit in with Scott's group where it all started. I remember going to hang out with the same group of kids when I was in high school. It's pretty cool to still be in touch with those kiddos.

The most exciting thing though is the girls group that Annalisa and I have started together. The support has been overwhelming in the form of volunteers and materials. We had a wonderful party this past week with about 25 people including, students, volunteers, and some wonderful people from the Chick-fil-a Foundation. They brought us a delicious dinner and shared some encouraging and inspiring words with the girls.

It's so great that these students in these groups are getting the chance to have so many people who care pour into their lives. What a blessing it is to be here and see so many people getting excited about serving the youth outside of Summer Camp.

This is the youth room where homework groups meet and friends are made. Homey right?

FOR at the Fox:
Other than the really awesome homework groups that are going on, there's other cool things to be excited about too. For example,a few of us got the chance to go to the Fabulous Fox for the Chick-fil-a Foundation's first ever True Inspiration awards. Three youth, with fancy new duds, and a few staff members were all dressed to the nines for the event. There was a dinner and award ceremony where non profits from around the nation were recognized and rewarded for their work with youth in the areas of leadership, education, and entrepreneurship. Friends of Refugees was not in the running this year, but we were able to do some networking and learn about what other organizations were doing. On top of that we got to meet Lecrea, which was a pretty big deal. All in all, our group had a blast. It was so much fun to get dressed up and have a special night out. It was nicer even to be around so man other people who care so much about nurturing youth to be all they can be. It's encouraging to know there's so many people out there who care.

Two lovely ladies who repped FOR well at their first visit to The Fox. 

Prayer Requests:

• Pray that the homework groups continue to grow and have a positive impact on the youth. 
• Pray that support continues to come in so I can focus on being fully here without having to worry about finances. 
• Pray for my health as I get over a nasty sinus infection.  
• Pray for the community that Kingdom of God would continue to come in Clarkston.

Call for Support

My Grandpa is a wonderful and wise man who once said, "Working for God doesn't pay very well, but your boss is awesome and the retirement benefits are out of this world!" The truth is he's not wrong. There are tons of Bible verses I could post about welcoming the foreigner, serving the widowed and the orphaned, or taking the Gospel to all the nations. I encourage you to look into those topics or check out this resource for some specific verses. I really want to focus on what Jesus tells us in Matthew 18 right now though. He says that the children are the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven and that "whoever receives one such child in my name receives me" (Matt 18:5). What I'm doing here in Clarkston, the reason that I came, was to serve these kids that the Lord already loves so much and support them in whatever way I can. I came to love them and be a face they know and recognize that can connect them and their families with resources. I came to hang out with them, listen to them, get ice cream with them. I came to provide them with opportunities to improve themselves and learn through summer camp and after school programs. I came to be a neighbor, a mentor, and a friend. I believe that the work I am doing here has eternal effects.

My official role at Friends of Refugees is as Youth Programs Staff (specifically the 2016 Camp Director!). FOR is working to raise part of what I need to live on over the next year, but I'm responsible for raising the rest. Being in this position is one that can be very scary sometimes. You put yourself in the vulnerable place of asking others for help and depend on those people to come through for you. The really cool thing about being in this position is that I have to fully depend on the Lord to provide the right people to support me. It's a humbling yet exciting state to be in. Every single donation, every dollar and every encouragement is all not just for my good, but allows for the continuation of the Lord's work with the youth here in Clarkston.

I genuinely hope you will consider supporting me with a one time or monthly financial gift. Check out my support letter, contact me for more information, and pray about it.

Thank you for reading this blog and being the awesome, supportive, people that you are. I couldn't do any of this without y'all!

When you support me, you support this one too. :)

Back to School

It's August and I'm not buying school supplies or checking on where my classes are or even trying to figure out which of my friends I can eat lunch with. I'm not looking up what time I need to catch the bus or finishing summer reading assignments I procrastinated on or buying books for school. Instead, I'm sitting in on meetings, planning programs, and hanging out with those kiddos that are still in school. So far, I'm quite enjoying my first post-grad August. There are plenty of adjustments that I'm still making, but the "real world" is treating me well so far.

Walking into the FOR office in Clarkston International Bible Church (CIBC) and be welcomed by the other staff has been really encouraging. It's also been a lot of fun to get to work more closely with people like Annalisa (who works with the youth at CIBC) in planning an after school homework group for middle and high school girls. Getting opportunities to work with a great group of people for a community I love is pretty awesome. 

Here's the break down of that after school group:

• We meet Thursdays 4:30-6:30 (boys meet on Tuesdays)
• First 30 minutes we get settled, hang out, and catch up
• Next hour we do homework or other academic activities
• The last 30 minutes we eat dinner and do a little devotion

We are hoping that besides helping girls achieve their academic goals, we will also be able to facilitate life giving relationships between leaders and students. There will be opportunities for willing girls to tell their stories and share about what it's like to be a teenaged girl living in Clarkston. Whether they are a refugee or not, each girl has unique experiences that makes her special. Finishing homework and setting academic goals is great, but the chance to mentor these girls and help them become all God created them to be is something to get really excited about!

Wish List:

• Tables and chairs (to do homework on)
• Flash cards (multiplication and division)
• A vacuum claener and/or carpet sweeper (to kep our space clean)
• combination locks (to keep our supplies safe)
• Volunteers to provide dinners (we have the rice, just need something to go with it)
• Calculators (scientific and graphing for students to borrow)

And then it was over...

At least camp is. We have officially completed out last day of camp for summer 2015. Camp season comes and goes, but there is so much in store for the next 10 months! The last week of camp is a really special one for us. We head out to Camp Westminster on Conyers for some extra fun. We climb rock walls, ride horses, swim, fish, kayak, and try out archery. The kids love getting the opportunity to stretch themselves by trying things they have never done before and our staff loves getting to take the week to lay back a little and just enjoy spending time with the kids we've come to love so much. I personally enjoyed hanging out wtih the first grade babies all week and getting to know them better. 

Just a taste of the Westminster fun.

Westminster week is also a special week because we get the chance to teach Bible stories more openly. During regular camp weeks, we are more careful about how we go about sharing the Gospel and teaching Bible stories because of the multiple cultures and religions represented at our camp. This last week, we notify parents that there will be more explicit teachings from the Bible and also tell the kids that there will be stories about Jesus. Some campers choose not to participate in the story time, but most of them do. The campers get to learn the God loves them, that He protects them, and that He forgives them. It is a really sweet time as we get the chance to talk more openly about our faith with the kids. No matter what their background is, Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist, there is value in having conversations about faith and scripture. Many of our campers had really good questions and received the stories well. 

The custest first grader fisher girl you've ever seen.

Proud first grader of his bull's eye.

How do you neatly wrap up 7 weeks of chaos and cat herding? I can say that I'm tired. Probably more than tired. Exhausted doesn't even seem strong enough of a word. So why do camp? I think one of our precious first graders summed it up best: "At camp we get to try things we've never done before. Sometimes it's scary and we're not good at it. But sometimes you find out you like something new." As a camper, my favorite part of camp was being in an environment where you could be anyone and try anything. For a week, it felt like reality was suspended and that I could try things I never would otherwise because camp is a safe bubble created to provide me with new opportunities to stretch and grow myself. As a camp co-director, I hope that our campers have that feeling at Summer Spectacular. I have also found that though my role has changed, camp is still a place for me to grow and change. I have learned about how I handle stress, my leadership style, the importance of communication, and how relationships work. It amazes me how much I learn from kids and staff every summer. 

Goofy first grader waiting for his turn on a horse.

Fearless first graders taking on the rock wall.

Saying good bye to campers and interns is never fun, but thanks to social media and my new Clarkston address, this year’s good byes were the easiest. Life in Clarkston doesn't stop here. My first stop was some R&R in Vermont (I was hoping to post this before then, but that didn’t work out). A week of clean, fresh air, fishing, and exploring with Grandmother did me good. I'm refreshed and ready to tackle what comes next. Soon, fall will be here with its cool weather, school, tutoring programs, and fundraising. Stay tuned to figure out how you can be involved to keep the camp spirit going through the school year. 

This is the Big Rock, a family landmark that every Buck has a picture with.

The end of camp is near...

and though the days are long, the sun is hot, and there's only so many times I can listen to campers ask me where their water bottle is, I don't want it to be over.
We were extremely blessed this week with some short termers from Virginia that love working refugees. They were flexible, willing to serve however they could, and our kids and staff loved them. I am so thankful for their servant hearts and for their passion for missions. It was so nice to spend our last week at the Clarkston Community Center with volunteers who were so easy to work with. Each of our teams this summer has been a blessing, but the added complications of 4 grades going to the pool and a talent show, this group deserves a shout out for their ability to flex. Thank you!
This week there were a lot of extra things going on outside of camp. Tuesday night one of our very own middle school campers and her friends helped plan and host a block party at one of the nearby apartment complexes. We had hotdogs, chips, bananas, brownies, music, games, and great company. The girls stayed after camp and went with me to Sam’s to get enough food for 300 people, pack my car full of games, and set up for the party. They invited everyone they saw and made it a great success. It was so much fun to have people who live and work in the community, apartment residents, McKendree volunteers, GFM staff and interns, the short termers from Virginia, and as many of our kids from camp that could get a ride all together in one place. I got to reconnect with old campers, catch up with some current ones, and meet parents of campers. From my perspective, I loved watching the girls fill with pride over their hard work paying off (they have been planning for a long time).
Wednesday and Thursday were busy days as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade all went to the pool. Wednesday the younger ones went and Thursday the older ones went. This threw our camp schedule way off, but our staff and volunteers are amazing and able to keep up as we continually have wrenches thrown in our plans. The kids all had a blast and we now know who can swim and who can't (valuable information before next week!).
Friday was our talent show. Our kids have been working towards this day all summer. It's always a delight to watch them strut their stuff and show off what they can do in front of their friends and family. This year was better than ever as the extremely talented Sarah and her squad of awesome volunteers hosted a great show. Sarah worked with each of the kids on their acts including some large group performances by the elementary grades. There was food from around the world, crafts for sale that our campers made, and the opportunity to share about our program with some people who came just for the show. It's so much fun to be able to share how great the kids we work with are with our friends and families as staff. Thank you to everyone who came out and made it so great. It was the perfect way to close out camp at the Clarkston Community Center.
*Sorry no pictures this week...I was sick and not on my picture taking game. Please pray that my sinus infection clears up quickly so that I can enjoy the last week of camp with the kiddos. 

Spirit Week!

Having McKendree come as a short term team is always a nice treat for me. I love being able to see how the group grown and changes over the years. This year was especially exciting as I had the experience to share with some of the newer youth how their group got to be involved in Friends of Refugees 6 years or so ago. It all started with a few of us in the then tiny Jolly Avenue Community Garden. Our first time visiting there were only a handful of plats that were just piles of dirt. We worked hard pulling weeds, spreading some worms, and getting dirty and sweaty. We also had a chance to do some home visits where we were going to see if any tenants needed help filling out work orders for their homes. I was a part of an especially lucky group that was invited inside a home for a feast where we met an entire family and got to learn about their story and how they came to America over some delicious food. As we debriefed as a group, the leader told us there was a summer camp and that they were always looking for groups to come a serve a week to help out. This was right up our ally and we gladly signed up for a week...we told our youth pastor about it later (whoops!). As we stood in the garden now, with almost 100 plots all bursting with green, it was surreal to look back on that first experience. Because of that one short day 6 years ago, I'm on staff, 2 more are interns, 20-25 youth come each summer to serve at camp, and even more come in the evenings of McKendree's camp week to help host a 3 night VBS at Clarkston UMC. What a blessing to get to now facilitate opportunities like the one I had that brought me here.

This is where it all began. You must stop but if you're in town!

This week was also Spirit Week. The first day, every Monday actually, we wear our awesome camp shirts (designed by our very own Jess Bullock). Tuesday was twin day. Wednesday was whacky sock day. Thursday was grade color day (each grade has a specific color they have been assigned and a chant they created, the two were combined to see which grade had the most spirit). Friday was a group favorite of Super Hero Day. It was so much fun to get kids, interns, and McKendree alike all excited for the day with this special week.

1st grade interns rocking twin day.

This intern/high school helper combo stole the show. 

This intern and her 1st grade twin might have been the cutest.

The week was also special because it was Cow Appreciation Day at Chickfila. At camp, we love little more than free food so we packed into our local Chickfila off of Memorial Drive with as many kids as we had cow shirts to all eat together. Like one big party, we all ate together, played together, and enjoyed some extra time with the kiddos. Don't they make cute cows?

So much free food, so little space to sit. 

Though this particular week was especially busy with camp and VBS, it was a great busy. At the end of each day I feel the kind of tired that means you accomplished something that day. I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to work hard for something I believe in and that makes a difference. 

Harvest Week

This week we were blessed with some time off from camp. We weren't just sitting around though. There was a lot to catch up on!

Our group outside of Chickfila headquarters.

Monday we deep cleaned the community center where we hold most of camp. Tuesday was filled with meetings and research one of our interns is conducting to see how we can improve parent involvement in our program (my nerdy side is really excited about this project!). Wednesday we took the High Schoolers for a tour at the Chickfila headquarters (it was really legit and the kids loved it). Thursday was more meetings about what the youth programs will look like when school starts back. Throughout the whole week we got to do one of my favorite parts of the summer...Mid-Summer Evaluations!!! The MSE consists of nothing more than about 12 questions Josh and I go through with small groups of interns. I love this time so much because on a day to day basis we don't get to check in too much with each other individually. It's so great to have an hour and half to sit down and talk about the summer, life, and how truly good God is. There is so much growth that happens in this precious time.

Mr. Josh in Mr. Cathy's office.

Friday was we took completely off. I took some time with my sister and mom to get lunch, find a wedding dress for me, bridesmaid dresses for my girls, resize my engagement ring (turns out it was a size and a half too big!), and then dinner with the family. What a productive day and great way to end a restful week. I'm feeling rested and ready to finish out the rest of the summer strong. I can't wait for my McKendree people to get here in a few days and I'm looking forward to the shenanigans we have planned for the coming week.

Spirit week, here we come!

Week 3 and 4

This past week I noticed a change as we all got better at our individual roles. Overall camp went more smoothly and there were generally less bumps and kinks than the past two weeks. We seem to have fallen into our groove. It's so nice to step back and watch camp.

Though the Lord has taught me many lessons this summer already, there are two things I've learned that stand out among the rest. 

1. The Lord always provides. 

2. The body of Christ is made of many different parts for good reason. 

Provision

I can't count how many times this summer our staff has doubted, worried, and paced over fear of not having what we need. "We need transportation." "We need hot, running water." "We need rest."  "We need to know what to do." "We need (fill in the blank)." Each and every one while we were busy worrying the Lord was at work solving the problems before they ever arose. My roommate Carrie and I have had to remind each other over and over again that the Lord's arm is not too short. I've learned to stand in amazement and simply look forward to the incredible ways the Lord provides for us. God is so good. 

Goofy kid making me smile on a tough day. 

The Body 

We hear about the how the eyes should not be jealous of the ears because each plays an important role. But sometimes when you're the pinky toe it's hard to see yourself as important as the thumb. At camp there are a lot of moving parts. It's easy to compare your role to others' and see yourself as less important. The truth is though, everyone is important. Whether you're a supporter, intern, staff member, camper, family member, or friend...each and every single person is important and plays a key role in the Kingdom coming to Clarkston. I'm thankful for all of the people that play a part in encouraging, working hands on, donating supplies, and managing the chaos. THANK YOU! 

Campers teaching Mr. Josh some new jokes. 

Update

It's been a long two weeks, but they just keep getting better and better. I love getting to spend so much time with these awesome kiddos. We've fallen into a good routine at camp and enjoy having a houseful of people over for cookie baking and movie watching after camp as well. I feel so lucky and so blessed that I get to have a job where I get to know some of the coolest kids in the world. In the past two weeks, I got to go to the pool with some 5th graders, had three groups of people over to my house to bake cookies, one group stopped by to watch a movie, and several who stopped by for dinner. There have been countless hugs and smiles, a few tears, and one sentence that I never thought I would ever have to say, "Hey, let's just stick to walking on our hands, okay."

The kid who was walking on his hands instead of his feet...and really good at it. 

I LOVE MY JOB!!!

Week 2

Update:

What a week. I feel like I say that every week...but each one is filled with its own challenges and accomplishments. We had two of our staff out of town this week and another few who were gone a day or two. We are blessed to have such a large staff this year, but we could definitely feel the difference with not having them. Each person contributes so much and even their seemingly small tasks that they help out with have a ripple effect through the whole camp. (I can't wait to have everyone there next week!)

On that note, team dynamics are important. Even when a few are missing, the willingness for all the rest to step up and share the load is impressive. Our group this year is filled with people who are true servant leaders and who love God and each other. It's really fun to be a part of leading these interns and I feel like I can never truly express to them how essential and valuable they are to camp and how thankful I am for their contributions.

To paint you a better picture: we have 3 who come earlier and leave later than all the other interns every day to transport kids to and from camp. They deal with van difficulties varying from shattered windows to kids missing the bus to no AC. They always deserve a shout out. We have a few others who take turns staying late to help make dismissal a little smoother, giving up a portion of their personal rest time for the day, and all of them have committed to loving these kids despite bad attitudes and being under appreciated by campers. These interns are seeking the Lord to learn how to best discipline kids so they can leave camp better people than when they came and handling the tougher issues like champs. They are hardworking, loving, and pure-hearted people who make camp what it is. They also encourage me, make sure Josh and I rest, and never complain about the heat.

Our campers are pretty amazing too though. They chip in and help out in more ways than we could ever expect. Coming up on a flooded blacktop this morning, the kids jumped on board grabbing brooms to make sure we had it cleared off before breakfast could be served. They took turns, encouraged each other, and even little first graders helped out. We also had some guys who took it upon themselves to fix one of the broken soccer goals. They worked hard and manufactured some pretty clever ingenuity to get the job done so that all of camp could enjoy soccer with 2 goals instead of 1. They are full (most of the time) with smiles and hugs and the most random complements  you could think of: "Miss Emily, your hands are so soft." Even though they struggle sometimes and make some bad choices, they almost always are able to turn around, forgive and accept forgiveness, shake hands, and move on. It's easy to focus on a few kids who struggle more than others, but big picture, our kids are beautiful, wonderful, and smart kids. I am so thankful for each and every one of them.

A Day in the Life of Emily:
If you're a little confused about what exactly it means to be a Summer Camp Co-Director, my day today explains it pretty well. I started the morning at 7AM setting up and cleaning the tables to get ready to serve breakfast. When the food arrived, I helped unload the food and then the breakfast crew takes over. Right after that, I start sweeping off our giant mud puddle of a blacktop only to be nicely surprised by a group of campers who came to help. I was then met by one of our bus drivers with news that one of our campers had thrown up in his van. I handed him my keys to drive to where the extra van was and continue his routes while I looked into how bad the situation was in the van. I got a text from another van driver who needed money to go get gas (quick trip gift cards are a blessing!) and passed that off to her. I was (again) nicely surprised to find a few people to help me clean the van as I get another phone call from the first driver. The extra van won't start. Awesome. He takes my car to pick up some kids while we try and quickly but effectively clean his van. The third van driver finishes early and passes of her van to the first guy who is still trying to finish his routes. Whew. Are you tried yet? So now all the kids are here and we are almost ready to dismiss to Fun Friday Activities. A quick conversation with Josh makes it clear that I am going to need to take the van to get cleaned more thoroughly during this activity time. Off I go. Vacuum the van. Wash the Van. Good enough for now time to get back to camp before the chaos we call lunch. I help get lunch set up (it's running late) and we collectively decide that we need a camp wide game fast. 4 Corners, everyone to the blacktop! We play a few rounds. We line up by grade. We practice our cheers. The food is still not quite ready. Practice a few more cheers. Sing Happy Birthday to a high school helper. Yes! Lunch is ready! Everyone gets in line and gets food. Whew. Just one more hour left. We get ready to play for free time. No one can find their water bottles. The water horse we use is causing conflicts between kiddos left and right "she sprayed me!" "he started it!" so no more of that. I'm the water monitor. Help some boys with ideas on how to best fix the soccer goals. Settle a few minor conflicts "Now say sorry and shake hands." Dismissal time already? One last (highly regulated) water break. Head to the blacktop! Head to the blacktop! Head to the blacktop...I need a recording of that. Settle a few more disputes. Now time to catch the kids before they get on the vans to make sure everyone in going to the right place. Whew. So hot. Someone offers we some water. Uh oh. I didn't breakfast or lunch...oh there's another van. Alright. It's 2. The kids are home. The Community Center is clean enough. Send addresses and phone numbers to the interns who have asked for them throughout the day. Sit and catch up with an intern for a bit. Alright. 2:30. Time to head to Chickfila for a big, cold sweet tea and meal while I update my blog. Later tonight I will go out to dinner with a few kids. Tonight, I will sleep like a rock. There's your day in the life of Summer Camp Co-Director.

PS: I still absolutely love my job.

Prayer Requests:

• We are still smoothing out a lot of bumps.  
• Interns and staff to stay encouraged and not lose hope. 
• Interns and staff get enough rest.
• Campers' attitudes are positive and they are able to make good choices. 
• The Kingdom of God is closer to Clarkston because of Summer Camp.

Rainbows and Sunshine (or not)

Camp isn't always smiles and hugs. We don't always get to see kids make a 180. It's not the kind of work where you always receive instant gratification in knowing that the children's lives are different because you spent time with them. Camp is hard. It's time consuming and hot. Kids don't always behave. Personalities clash. You're covered in dirt, sweat, other people's sweat, and bug bites. Sometimes you're disrespected. Sometimes you get lost in all the moving parts of camp and you can feel under appreciated. Sometimes the task of loving so many kids all at once seems completely impossible.

The truth is that it's a pretty improbable goal to try and change the lives of 120 kids and 25 high school helpers all on your own.

Good thing we're never alone. To be completely honest, you have to be pretty insane to work at summer camp. You work extremely hard for long hours and you get paid in smiles and hugs (which is great until rent is due). There is no product at the end that you can look at and see that the time is worth it. All you have is faith that some seeds were planted in those kids and that hopefully, one day, those seeds will take root and start to grow.

I was reminded recently of how blessed and fortunate I am to have been around the Clarkston Community long enough to see some of those seeds bear fruit. Over the years I've watched the most insolent and disrespectful campers become the strongest, most outgoing, helpful high school helpers. I've seen the development of campers from one year to another in their ability to make friends, follow rules, serve others, and learn English.

Working at camp isn't easy. It isn't always fun. Sometimes it even seems impossible, but our God is so good. He uses these two months to create change in these campers that will persist even when we aren't there. He uses the time to humble us by letting Him be the one who sees the entire transformation. He's so good that he even transforms us at the same time! He uses camp to help grow in patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, humility, love, joy, and peace. Just as much as we have an impact on the kids, they have an impact on us. And praise the Lord that they do. We all need to grow in those areas.

The world we live in is not always easy on us. We get run ragged. We are bombarded in the news by the horrible things that happen nearby and around the world. It's unfortunate and deeply saddening BUT so much of it can be used to transform us. To show us where the darkness so we can shine light into it. We can sit and stew and be mad at the world or angry with the injustice of society, or we can bring it to the Lord and watch Him turn it into something beautiful. I feel like that's what camp is like. It's hard and dirty and hot and tempers flare and people don't get along, but we give it all to Him and he takes our mistakes and our pride and our worlds intentions and turns it into something beautiful.

This is my mission field. It's not easy and I love it. 

Week One

Whew. It's been a whirlwind for sure! Week one threw everything it had at us. We dealt with camper families who were in the hospital, trying to get rid of bed bugs, mediating parent child disputes, and all while figuring out what exactly our role in camp is. Let me tell you though, our staff is amazing.

I can't say enough about how go with the flow, optimistic, smiley, and full of love for our youth that this year's staff has. Keep praying that they get the rest and recoup they need to keep serving. After a camp day from 8-1 they get just a couple hours for rest before spending a solid 3 hours in the community connecting with families each afternoon. Their schedule is intense and they have handled it beautifully. 

Our campers this year are another amazing group I want to brag on. They are beautiful, smart, sweet, sassy, FUNNY kiddos who make serving them easy. I love being greeted by smiles and hugs and touching base with kids throughout the day. 

Recently, I was talking with a girl I've known in for a while about what she wants to be when she grows up. She talked about being a doctor, engineer, police officer, and several other occupations. "I'm so smart. I see so many things that are wrong in the world and I just want topic it. I think I could fix some of those things..." To encourage her to keep that attitude and see how much self-worth she has now compared to even just last year made my whole day. 

Another little girl had chosen Bible as her fun Friday breakout activity. Half way through the first lesson she was ready to accept Jesus as her savior. A few staff pulled her aside to talk to her about her decision and then she taught us about the beauty of child-like faith. We look forward to more discipleship opportunities throughout the summer. 

There's also been a high schooler that I have known for a long time that I have gotten to get to know better in the past week. With some rough situational favored wearing him down, it's amazing to watch him still love to make others smile. He may never know the amount of hours that others that don't even know him doesn't praying for him and his family, but he praises God every day that he's alive. Providing him with meals, encouraging him to rest, and being a listening ear has been good for the both of us. My purpose here has been solidified: doing life with these youth and ministering to them through relationships. He was able to share the heavy load he was carrying and enjoy community of those who care about him. 

The week was really tough. There was a lot going on and we were still figuring out what we were supposed to be doing. BUT it's so worth it. I praise the Lord that I am so exhausted emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It means I put my all into the week and to see fruit already is huge blessing. Pray that we are able to keep rolling with the punches and able to minister by just living life alongside the people we work with.