Inconvenience

I’ve recently been convicted about inconveniencing my life for the sake of others. I know what some of you are thinking...yes, I work for Friends of Refugees.No, I don't get paid very much. Yes, we give rides to kids even though it adds at least an extra hour (or 2) to program times. Yes, I spent 2 days making four pans of food for Friendsgiving. But remember, our job is to serve. And while you know how much I love what I get to do every day, after I hit 40 hours it can be hard to keep serving. When I get a call to run an errand for a friend on my day off, when I pass someone I know is in need, when I dread working on Saturdays because I just want to sit at home and finish Gilmore Girls…that’s when I have to check myself. We don't get to clock in and out of representing Christ.

Jesus scolded his disciples many times for not understanding this exact topic. When individuals asked for special favors and healings on the spot while Jesus was on his way to a scheduled event, the disciples would try to shoo people away. But Jesus never did. He always made time. He might have been hungry or wanting a nap, but he would be there and do something. Even when you think about Jesus praying the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46), he asked the disciples to stay awake and pray…even though they had just had a huge meal and were really tired. He begged them. He woke the up and all he wanted was for them to be awake. And they couldn’t do it. I think about how many times that’s me. I know what I’m being asked, but I just don’t want to. I feel tired or maxed out.

I’m on a mission for the youth of Clarkston…but that doesn’t mean I get to exclude their parents, my neighbors, or the stranger I pass on the street.

As I sit and reflect on this recent life lesson in respect to the current advent season, I find myself with the perfect opportunity to practice living inconveniently for others. I invite you to join me as I consider saying "yes" more often than I say "no." As we are preparing for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, there's not a better way to get your heart in the right place than opening it up for others.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

 Luke 5:17-26

Be willing to let your plans change to help someone else. Be willing to carry your friend and lower them in from the roof. Be glad for inconveniences.  

Grateful

'Tis the season to be thankful. Here's my gratitude list:

1. Successful Celebration Dinner

Thank you to all the people who helped make the Celebration Dinner a memorable and impactful night. You know who you are. I so appreciate you!

I think it's easy to say that most everyone's favorite part of the night was hearing from the youth about why they are a part of Friends of Refugees. A lot said it was a place where they had friends, felt like they belonged, and were part of another family. Others said they enjoy learning about the Bible and having a safe place to talk about struggles and seek support. They also pretty unanimously agree the food is awesome. If those aren't reasons to celebrate, I don't know what is. 

2. Fall Parties

One of our previous High School Helpers reached out to a staff member to let her know that she missed her and wanted to catch up. This prompted the planning of a fall party for our High School Helper girls to reunite for a night and get together with the staff still in the area. It was great to hear them reminiscing about the summer and teaching the girls about the goodness that is a warm bowl of chili (almost none of them had eaten it before). 

During a time of sharing what we were all thankful for, I was surprised by the answer of one of the girls. She shared that she had been in a pretty bad place and was having a hard time loving herself and making friends. Sumer Camp was a place that loved her anyway and made her feel like a part of the whole. I had no idea she had been struggling so much, but to hear that just being there had healed her soul, even a little, was such a testimony to me of all the other stories of hope and encouragement that I may never know. I realize what a blessing it is to have people share what it means to them to be a part of the Friends family and I hope I continue to learn the stories of those involved.

3. Friendsgiving

We have worked long and hard to make the youth programs feel like a family. This time last year was a struggle, but we've grown together and celebrated our first ever Friendsgiving. With all the traditional favorites, staff and volunteers have worked (and cooked) to share this very American holiday with our friends.

White table cloths, candles, and flowers made the room feel extra special as students wrote what they were thankful on a banner before getting in line for Thanksgiving classics. Explaining cornbread dressing and green bean casserole was harder than I thought it would be! But sharing culture is one of my very favorite parts of my job. :)

4. Christmas is Coming

I won't say how many more weeks there are until Christmas...just know that it's coming. I love Christmas. I love traditions and gatherings and the food associated with the holiday. And I love that it's a time to give. At FOR, we make it real easy to have a great Christmas by helping some other people have a great Christmas too. I'm sure you've seen me post about the Christmas Store, but I truly hope you'll get involved. Go to this link or email christmas@friendsofrefugees.com and find a way to help spread Christmas cheer. 

5. You

I've thought long and hard about it and I finally came to a conclusion. I have the best job ever. And I wouldn't if it wasn't for people like you who support me financially, spiritually, and personally. I'm so encouraged by you getting excited about the future with me, wanting to know about updates, and caring about the wonderful people I have the honor and pleasure of working with.

Look at that tasty food from Friendsgiving!

One of the photo booth pictures from a fall festival

You're the best! 

Happy Holidays!!!

Celebration

One of the absolute most fun things about working with youth is getting to throw parties for anything that can be celebrated. Planning events for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Birthdays, or just because is just one way we create shared experiences with youth. Having common ground to stand on goes a long way in building meaningful, lasting relationships. Our homes, families, friends, and favorite foods may look really dinnerent...but we can all look forward to youth program specific traditions of celebrating everything. We can create shared memories and start conversations with "remember that one time at Friendsgiving when..."

When I was in youth group at McKendree UMC, there were some things we could always count on. We knew there would be a confirmation retreat, fall retreat, winter retreat, and summer retreat. There would be at least one option for a mission trip over summer and/or spring break, and some sort of Christmas party. As a 7th grader, you could look forward to being at the beach or mountains for your last retreat as a senior depending on if you were graduating in an even or odd year. Leadership changes happened, but these events stayed the same. They helped us form a group identity and provided stability we needed.

BUT, in Clarkston that can be hard. It's a transient town. Not only are our refugee neighbors in and out, but volunteers and leaders are even less consistent much of the time. This poses a real problem. How do we build common ground and fight for meaningful relationships if people are always coming and going? How do we maintain tradition if there are none?

The good news is that there are a lot of people who care about these things in our town. They know that if we pull our resources and focus, we can help create something really awesome for the youth.

Which brings me to tonight, the THIRD ANNUAL DODGE/DANCE/GLOW HALLOWEEN PARTY! We are expecting close to 150 people to participate in a dodleball tournament followed by our version of a rave (it involves a lot of neon, glow in the dark paint, and black lights). This is a victory to be celebrated as FOR youth, CIBC youth, Northlake Church of Christ youth, Proskuneo youth (click the link and learn how cool they are), and a few other groups all come together. We've worked hard with the help of many to prepare for this day. Decorations have been made, streamers have been hung, snacks ahve been prepared, the gym has been set up, coloring pages have be colored with highlighters to make our own black light posters...and it's finally time to bring it all together and have a really fun night with a whole lot of people.

As one who works with youth, I've learned that even the little things are worth celebrating. I hope you can celebrate with me that we have a 3rd annual event in a town searching for stability.

Look for pictures later on and find any reason to celebrate in your own life!

PS: Speaking of celebrations, we still have seats available for our 2nd annual Celebration Dinner. Please let me know if you are interested in joining. :)

Fall...

It's fall, y'all. In college, the first day of fall was just as celebrated as Christmas with the old roommates. There were decorations and special foods and let's be honest, I lived with a group of people that would celebrate anything (including fictitious people's birthdays that we made up) and sometimes I miss those days a lot.

Now fall is still one of my favorite times of years. Seriously, what's not to like. But it also looks pretty different now from back in college. At home, there is still decorations and such, but at work when the seasons change our focus changes. As it gets colder out, the focus switches from catching your breath from the summer to preparing for the next summer. There is traveling for intern recruitment, fundraising events left and right, and keeping up with the grades of a constantly growing number of teenagers. 

Interns. I can't believe it's already time to be looking for more interns. I'm still missing the ones from this past summer, it can't already be time for new ones. But it is. And while I have a few things lined up, if you know of a connection at a school, ministry, or anywhere else that may let Friends of Refugees pitch an internship, let me know! We could always use more help. 

Events. Anyone that is a part of a family knows that October-December is full of all kinds of events. You've got Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. In our world that means, glow in the dark dodgeball tournament and rave, our Celebration Dinner, Friendsgiving, and who knows how many Christmas parties. Let's spend a second on the Celebration Dinner. It's going to be really fun. There will be great food. And you are welcome to join us for this one. Let me know if you are interested in celebrating a great year in youth programs with us. 

Teenagers. They are everywhere. And I love them. They can be moody and full of sass, but when they notice your haircut, care that you missed because you were sick, or thank you for helping them with their project...it's easier to remember why this job is so awesome. Our middle school girls have jumped into volunteer opportunities with both feet. They are great. Our high school girls are working on resumes and learning how to change a tire. Our boys are making great grades and having great conversations about the Bible with their leaders. We also have an army of volunteers that love the youth and make our job so much easier. 

Thanks for your time, guys. I always appreciate your encouragement and kind words. Enjoy your fall!

Born on 3rd Base

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going to service at Georgia Tech's Wesley Foundation where Garrett is still involved in a few ways. Seeing new and familiar faces was great, but a quote from the sermon really stuck with me.

"Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple"

Barry Switzer

I love this quote. If we stick with the baseball analogy, I think it's pretty safe to say that we are all born in different places on the field. Some are born on third place and some are born in the dugout. We don't necessarily have a choice of what position we are born into, but how you use your position is what matters. If you are born on third base, you have a head start. You can either view it as a personal win that you made it to third base or as an opportunity to support your team. If you're born in the dugout, you can see yourself as unimportant or less significant when the truth is that the team needs you too. You see things from the bench that could put you ahead when it's your turn at bat. 

I guess why I liked it so much is that many times people describe the youth I get to work with as "behind" or "less fortunate" or whatever. But the truth is that for the most part, they are strong, smart, charming people of good character who are working and waiting for their chance to shine. Some of them were born in the dugout. Some were born on the bleachers just watching the game. Others were born next at bat. 

I think I'm probably one of those people who was born on the field somewhere. And a lot of the youth I work with are in the dugout or maybe not even on the team yet, but my job right now is to set things up so that when they do take the field, they get to show what they are made of. 

One of our previous campers that interned this summer told me he will take my job one day. To be honest, I love my job but it's his when he's ready. That's what we are working for. Instead of thinking highly of ourselves for our fortunate positions, we are strategically using our influence on the game to help the rest of our team get a chance to play. It's not about just me or just you. It's about all of us working together for the good of the whole. That's the only way we can win. 

Maybe I've been in Clarkston too long and have just adapted the collectivistic culture that dominates this place, but I think we could all afford to tone back the individualism at least a little bit and think about how we are part of so much more. Yes, students should strive for good grades and we should be the best we can be...and we can help our younger siblings with their homework and use our God-given gifts and talents to bless each other. 

Friends.

At Friends of Refugees we have this tagline: Join the story. It means that each person is in the middle of the story of their life. You have the chance to enter into that story and watch it unfold or even be a part of it as you step into a volunteer or staff role with FOR. You get to meet people where they are.

All this talk about joining the story has had me thinking about my own. How exactly did I get to this place? After much thinking and reflection, I think I have a lot of my own friends growing up to thank.

There was my best friend in Kindergarten who happened to be Korean. She taught me that when someone asks for a skin colored crayon, you have to give them several options. There was my other best friend all through elementary school who also had Down's Syndrome. She taught me about loyalty and what it means to stand up for your friends. There were my Indian neighbors down the street who taught me about taking my shoes off at the door, having a different set of religious beliefs, and made me fond of the smells associated with Indian food. There was my friend in third grade who was African American who in the most basic of ways began to open my eyes to the reality of white privilege and how our hair was different but both are good. And our other friend whose parents were divorced and counting all of her half and step and real siblings, she had 10 brothers and sisters. She taught me that families sometimes look different, but love can still hold them together and make it beautiful. There were my Asian friends in middle school who battled stereotypes of always making the best grades and being the best at art. My core group of friends was Chinese, Christian, Morman, Northern, and Agnostic. But we were all best friends.There were the Muslim and Hindu friends I had in high school that taught me about what they believed and asked me about what I believed. There was the time myself, a Muslim peer, and an agnostic-Hindu peer had a small group discussion in class about why believing in anything at all matters or not. Our agnostic-Hindu friend walked away from the situation amazed that a Muslim and Christian could agree on so much and be so friendly.

I always found myself surrounded by friends who, while we had things in common, were never exactly the same as me. They taught me beautiful and hard things about diversity and what it means to be a minority. They taught me about what it means to have pride in your culture, whether it was marching band or Columbia that you claimed as part of your identity. They taught me about different ways families can look and still be great families. All my friends, the ones like me and unlike me all contributed to me figuring out who I am and understanding how complicated other people and other families can be to figure out. And for that I'm thankful.

I'm so thankful for the friends I've had who have helped shape the way I see the world and how I see people. There is so much else that has shaped who I am...but there's no way I can discredit the impact friends have had on me and my life. All of those individuals joined my story and whether they meant to or not, they impacted what happened next for me.

10 Second Tidy

When I was little, bu favorite TV show in the world was The Big Comfy Couch. My friend Elisabeth and I would watch every chance we got. We would clock stretch with her, laugh at her silly adventures, and be in awe at the end of the episode when she go the whole room cleaned up in 10 seconds. I wish clean up was always that easy!

Since our half way point, time has flown. Our Admin Queen, Alana, left (setting us up for success but also leaving us all with a little more to do). We had a few interns and staff members who had to take a little time off for various reasons and I managed to catch every little cold and bug that came through camp. With that being said, I'm going to give you all the 10-second review of the second half of our summer.

It was hot.
We watered kids with a sprinkler.
Intern pool party hosted by the FOR admin team was a success!
The talent show was amazing.
It was hot.
There were lots of hugs and smiles.
There was a lot of tattling and bickering.
It felt like family.
It was hot.
Westminster was fantastic.
We love the pool.
They cried the last day of camp.
We finished.

It has been a whirlwind of a summer. The heat this year added challenges we haven't faced in past years. Our interns and staff were the perfect picks for the campers we had and I can't thank God enough for all the different groups of people that come together to make camp happen. Camp is a place where to be lame is cool, to be cool is lame, and where we all can be ourselves without having to worry too much about what other people think. That's what I love about camp. Silly walks, un-funny jokes, crazy dance moves, and that ability to peel and orange with one hand are all skills we can appreciate and celebrate together.

It's been a great summer, but now it's time to rest. As we send our interns back to where they came from and we all hit back-to-school life, pray for us. Pray for relationships to continue to grow, for us to process our experiences from the summer well, and to keep working to see the Kingdom of God grow.

After a week of vacation and sending my little sister to college, look forward to more specific stories about how much I miss camp.

Half Way!

Well...the fourth week of camp was quickly followed for a week off. In my efforts to remain unplugged and get some much-needed rest, I neglected the blog. Sorry guys. :)

Week four was pretty awesome, though. We had a short term team from Massachusetts that led a great luau for us on Friday. We had a blast that included hula dancing, leis, and water balloons. They continued the theme of being open, willing, and servant-hearted. The Lord has definitely spoiled us when it comes to our short term teams! 

Here are some brief updates from Week 4:

1. We quit the very frustrating food program we were a part of. Now God's people are feeding God's children and it's a wonderful, beautiful thing! We celebrated the big move on the same Friday as the Luau and deemed it Freedom Friday. 
2. The blacktop flooded (again) and we swept and swept and dug another trench. This one seems to be holding up well. Pray that the weather stays in our favor the second half of the summer!
3. We've had some trouble with break-ins in the concession stand (which is our headquarters). Because of damage to the lock, only my key seems to be warped in the right way to get us going every morning. Pray that we are able to continue having the ability to lock and unlock this very important door. 
4. Collectively, the kids' dance moves just keep improving. I love watching them have fun! 

Teamwork makes the dream work. 

We called it Freedom Friday and fed the kiddos
pancakes for breakfast!
Bye-bye Toastio cerial!

There was the added bonus that awesome Luau/Freedom Friday of camp in the form of some very special guests. A large chunk of my family came out for a visit. It's so great to share this part of my life with them. And what I love more than just having them there is hearing them describe camp and my job to the ones who've never been and seen before. My family is so cool. :) 

Speaking of family, Garrett and I added a member. Lily has been a wonderful addition to our home. She's a sweet, cuddly, quiet pup who is not so sure about walking canes and facial hair. She's a 2-year-old rescue from the local shelter and we seriously couldn't be happier with her! 

I mean seriously...look at those eyes!

I'll be honest. Another reason I've been avoiding this blog is because I feel like I need to have a response to the current events that have taken over our country. There's a lot to sort through when you look at all the news stories, social media posts, conversations with friends and strangers, and even sermons. I know personally I'm still processing through everything. I recently read something in Proverbs that helped me overcome my need to have a statement, though, and I'd like to give you this food for thought instead:

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opnion."

-Proverbs 18:2

I'll leave you with this video of a book we read to campers during character education. I hope you enjoy! 

Week 3

Some of you might know the parable about the Widow's Offering in Mark chapter 12. It's one I've always loved. This week, I felt like I saw it in action all around me.

First, there was the gardener who has a plot at the community center. She sits out there in the heat and works on her garden for most of the camp day almost every day. She's out there in the sun with us pulling weeds in the heat and listening to our kids play as she waters and weeds and does everything necessary for her plants to grow. As she was leaving one day, she handed one of the staff a couple of her tomatoes. "So the kids can put tomato on their sandwiches," she tells them. When we thanked her for her generosity, she looked back in her basket and gave us two more. I'm pretty sure it was all she had. "There's a lot of kids," she told us as she continued to take her supplies back to her car. I don't know this lady's name, but I know she put so much work into those tomatoes and then just let them go to help feed some kids she doesn't know. That's pretty sweet.

Then we have our high school helpers. I told you about the saving of the kitten last week. But this week, one of our high schoolers overheard one of our staff talking about having a hard time paying for her husband's surgery. This one particular high schooler has a job where she gets a decent paycheck let me know that most of what was left after she paid back her aunt for what she owed her, was going to help pay for the surgery. I know that most high schoolers would spend their money on shoes, hot cheetos, and electronics. In all honesty, I don't know what this high schooler is responsible for paying for on her own, but I know that giving the amount she wants to give in proportion to what she makes is huge. I was humbled in awe of the maturity and generosity she showed. What a big heart.

Then we have our campers. Who daily create for us (staff, volunteers, whoever) trinkets that they work so hard on. They pick flowers for us, make bracelets and necklaces. They draw us pictures and write us thank you notes. Our smart, beautiful, wonderful children find the most creative and innovative ways to give us gifts and thank us. They share their talents of being able to tell you what day of the week a date will occur on, or awesome dance moves, or the ability to create beautiful artwork. Sometimes, they just give us the precious gift of time as they teach us the right way to dance, braid our hair, or include us in their games. When a little first grader is on their way full speed to a game of ninja, a hula hoop, or four square and they stop to say good morning and give you a hug, even that is huge. They take something that is so important to them and stop thinking about it for a minute to give you their attention. How sweet and valuable is that?

I've been convicted this week. As I'm surrounded by these sweet beautiful people, some are friends, some are campers, some are volunteers, and some are strangers, I just think of how greatly blessed I am to work in this place. It's no secret that Clarkston is a place where there is all kinds of poverty, but occasionally when I look around all I see are people sharing what they have (snacks, money, time, knowledge) to help bring someone else up. I still have so much to learn, but I'm thankful for the learning process. I can confidently say that I am rich in examples of the Widow's Offering and that is something that brings me great joy.

"And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41-44

Mad Science Week!

This past week of camp had it's curve balls. Rain in the early afternoons had us going home a little earlier than usual, but there are some really great stories from the week.

Thank you!
We had a volunteer team from Perimeter Church that continued the trend of best volunteers ever from the week one group. They just fully dived into camp life. They interacted with children, got to know High School Helpers, and encouraged staff all along the way. They really bent over backwards to be helpful and their humble, servant hearts shined all week long.

One of their team leaders shared a story at the end of the week about a conversation with one of the younger Muslim boys at camp. He was insisting that all Christians are bad. The volunteer asked if he knew camp staff was Christian. He said he didn't and then changed his statement to "Christians not at camp are bad." While we need to be praying for this camper's heart, how encouraging to hear that we are showing the right example within camp. Praise God.

Story Time:
My favorite moment of the week had to do with our same little friend from the previous story. The Chick-fil-a cow had come for a visit, and in his excitement, my little friend stepped right into an ant pile. Annalisa swooped in and saved him. After his shoes were off, we found that he was fortunate to have only two little ant bites. Annalisa then washed his feet. She was so gentle, even cleaning his toenails, I couldn't help but think about Jesus washing the disciples' feet. It was a sweet, sweet moment.

I also had quite the adventure with a few of the High School Helpers this week. One of our guys found a starving kitten on the side of the road and just couldn't leave it. So naturally he brought it to camp. A few of the High School Helpers worked hard to build a box out of broken down boxes to keep the kitten safe through the camp day until one of them could take it home. As hard as they tried...the little cat was a master escape artist. Thier perseverance was impressive, though. We ended up bringing our new little friend to a neighbor and friend of camp who had some tuna to donate to the cause. After our little feline friend had a snack, we decided Annalisa's porch was the best place to keep it until it had a home...at camp it was quite the distraction...
I am happy to announce that Avalon now has a happy home with her rescuer. She's in for a long, spoiled life I'm sure.

Best Friends

Friday I was having was a rough day. It was a "got up on the wrong side of the bed and forgot my lunch" kind of day. One of my long time camper friends was just the trick to make me smile. He built a rocketship out of legos and was telling me all about it:
"It shoots magic!"
"It can headbutt its enemies!"
"It can go into hyperdrive and travel to the future!"
"AND...Ms. Emily look...IT CAN SELF-DESTRUCT!!!" *broke it into so many pieces it would never look the same again
It was just what I needed to get out of my slump. These kids that I spend every day with are crazy...but they are also creative, loving, welcoming, goofy, imaginative, and some of my favorite humans on this earth.

Lately, there has been a trend among anyone who visits camp for a few minutes or week. They all have the same thing to say. They walk onto the field and it's chaos with kids and toys everywhere...but they feel like they belong. They feel welcomed. And I could quit my job happy now. We've successfully created a space where anyone from anywhere can walk into the middle of our day and feel like a part of our mix-matched, loud, messy, hot, crazy family. Don't worry, I'm not actually quitting my job, but I am busting with pride over the shout outs campers, high schoolers, and staff receive. They are the best. I am honored to be a part of this summer with them!

Many hande makes for quick work de-flooding the blacktop

Week One: DONE!

Well, folks. We made it! the first week of Summer Spectacular 2016 happened!

You might think "happened" is a funny word to use to describe such an exciting event as the start of camp...let me explain.

Some of you might remember a few months ago when we weren't even sure we had a location to hold camp this year. There were several weeks of desperate prayers, phone calls, emails, and meetings trying to secure a location for over 100 Clarkston youth to come together with staff, interns, and volunteer teams to come together and make this program happen. As of a few weeks before camp, we had about 2.5 interns (which for the record is not enough). We even went into the first week of camp with no food provider. That means we had no help from the state in feeding all of our kids breakfast and lunch every day.

Oh, and my family lost a loved one last week. The drive to Kentucky and back to spend time with family and celebrate Roger's life is something that I wouldn't miss for anything. The lost sleep and time away from camp was worth it, though it added to the week one madness.

See what I mean by week one happened?

But let me tell you, the Lord provides! 

Not only do we have our first choice for camp location (the Clarkston Community Center field and Northlake Church of Christ) we added some indoor space from Clarkston International Bible Church so all the kid can have some inside time during the camp day. Parents have been asking us to find a way to do this for years!

We also have a team of interns that is one of the most prepared, competent, passionate, excited group of interns I can remember. All the intern teams I've worked with have been special and awesome, but something about this one let's all know for sure the Lord has big plans for them this summer. We have an intern per grade plus an extra one even to help with administrative stuff! Praise the Lord!

Not having food last week means that our wonderful food coordinator facilitated over 100 people getting two filling and nutritious meals a day. That's a feat, my friends! As my wonderful husband would say, "teamwork makes the dream work!" There were a lot of people that came together to make sure we had more than enough for campers to eat this week and the state food start next week! AND we have people willing to help supplement the meals so the kids will have more options and healthier choices.

I also found myself surrounded by the best as we celebrated Roger's life. Getting to see so much family that we normally see once a year or less just a month after the wedding was truly a blessing. And though our reason for being together was sad...I just feel blessed to be a part of such a big and loving family. All of us putting everything aside (work, school, etc.) to come together and greive and laugh and eat and catch up is just what all of us needed I think. So while we are missing Roger here on earth, we also can't help but smile knowing he's got the better end of the deal living it up in paradise with his son. Thank you so much to everyone who called, texted, facebooked, or made it possible for all of us to leave and be a family.

Story Time
I know this is really why you read my blog...so here's some cute pictures and a couple of funny stories.

One of my new little first grade friends who happens to be Muslim came running up to me the first day of camp. She jumped on me, grabbed my cross necklace, and said, "you are a Christian?" I told her that I was. She looked confused. "So you are Napoli?" "Nope, not Napoli, just American." She still looked confused and finally concluded, "You're just Christian, not Napoli..." I confirmed her statement and she ran off to play with her friends. I sometimes wish I could understand their logic...but mostly I am just entertained by these little moments.

A couple of my 2nd grade friends helped me add some beauty to camp in the
form of chalk art. I love quality time with these two!

Another new camper who is older was having a hard time obeying his intern. Instead of listening to the Character Ed story, he wanted to make paper airplanes. I asked him to return and sit with his group. He stared at his feet and didn't move. The standoff continued for a little while. After about the fifth time I asked him to sit with his group he finally looked up at me, "are you Ms. Emily?" I told him I was. He sighed and went and sat with his group. Apparently my reputation proceeds me!

This little buddy of mine never fails to make me smile.
He's the camp goofball for sure (or one of them).

Pray for us!
Week 2 will be a blast. As we all now better understand our role and are getting to know each other better pray that relationships form. Pray for opportunities to share with the camper and their families about Jesus. and Pray especially for our Muslim friends as they fast for Ramadan and continue to play hard at camp (we don't want any dehydration issues or heat stroke!).

Thanks, guys! You're the best!

May Madness?

May has quite possibly been one of the craziest months of my life.




Let's start with the first weekend in May. We threw this big party we have been planning for a year (aka a wedding). It was beautiful and perfect. I am still so thankful for all the people that made it the best day ever.

Then there was Ashville. Where Garrett and I ate all the good food and saw all the best sites (up and down Blueridge Parkway, at the Biltmore, and a state park full of waterfalls). We had the best time. It made it hard to come back to real life.

Real life started the third week in May. Interns started arriving, registration for camp was in full swing, and there was no more waiting and looking for something to do. Garrett went straight into classes and I hit the ground running in Clarkston. We also had this low-key event to attend where accepted a True Inspiration Award for empowering youth and creating young leaders. Nbd. 

The fourth week of May has been just as exciting. There was the early coming of the precious and perfect baby Cooper (making it a nice and even 2 nieces and 2 nephews). THEN we had Molly's graduation. Now there are officially no more Buck's at Collins Hill High School for the first time in over a decade. Crazy, right?

And now there's a loft full of interns laughing, eating, and learning together as hey soak up all the information we throw at them during training. Let me just tell you, this group of interns is awesome. They are positive, flexible, fun, smart, and totally ready for the summer. We are blessed.





Through all the chaos and craziness, I find myself thankful. Thankful for family who likes each other enough to hang out every weekend this month, friends who are like family, and a community of people (some who I barely know) who have been encouraging and congratulating us through it all. I got a Happy Mother's Day text from a camper, a shout out from a barista at the Coffee Truck, and the promise of free shawarma from my favorite place. All on top hundreds of conversations in passing, Facebook messages and comments from friends and family near and far, campers and their families, and even acquaintances who are just so kind.

Camp starts in less than a week! Pray for us. Stay updated via this blog, Instagram, and Facebook. It's going to be an amazing summer. :)

Planning for Perfection

You know how sometimes when you have planned for things to go a certain way (like a lesson in a classroom, or a birthday party, or a meeting with a specific agenda) and then you get to the event and nothing goes right? Not a situation where you just move on to Plan B, but not a single thing goes according to plan. No one shows up, you get rained out, and you end up with a parking ticket.

Well, that kind of day seems to happen a lot around here. We plan for 100 youth to come to an event and 5 show up. Or we plan for 15 and 80 show up. The gym catches on fire and we become nomads looking for a space to hold our programs. You have the best intentions of feeding 20 girls a healthy dinner and you end up with 6 Little Ceasars pizzas. You tell yourself you'll update your blog every other Friday and then you go a month without updating it because you get sick and life get crazy... Let's be honest, I almost left the house for work without shoes the other day...adulting is hard. 

In those moments where plans start to go off track, we've been teaching our middle and high school girls that you can have one of two perspectives. You can label it an ordeal, stress about the details, and conclude that you failed. Or you can call it an adventure, roll with the punches, cut your losses and look for a win another way. This lesson has been one that pops up over and over and over again for us here. Not just with youth programs, but everywhere. 

There is value in a good plan. Having appropriate expectations, knowing what needs to happen, and making sure you have the right space and resources to make everything come together is really important. Having a backup plan or two is also important. You just never know sometimes what could derail even the most perfectly thought out plans. 

BUT, being able to scrap those plans and move on when the situation just isn't allowing it is something to be admired in my book. Not everyone is gifted in adaptability and flying off the seat of your pants in a stressful situation. I'd argue that it takes a strong person to scrap those plans they've spent hours, days, or weeks on to make the most of what the moment has to offer.

Maybe because I've spent the past year planning for After School, Summer Camp, and a wedding my perspective on planning has changed...but there has been so many time recently when the Lord has reminded me that I am small with a limited view of the world and He is big and can see everything. His plans really are always better than mine. 

Story Time

Just last night at tutoring group we had given the girls a 5-minute warning to clean up dinner and head to the couches for Share Time. We said when this song is over I need you to have thrown away your trash and be at the couches ready to listen. I pressed play on Pandora and it was probably the slowest song on Ed Shereen radio...not the upbeat "hurry up and throw your stuff away and get over here" song that I was hoping for. But then, something beautiful happened that none of us could have planned. The volunteers started teaching the girls some ballroom dancing moves. I looked around the room and saw plates still on tables, cups all over the room, and volunteers and girls smiling, dancing, and singing along to the song. Whoever knew how to dance got the opportunity to teach a friend and the group came together in a way that all I could do was stand back and admire. 

So it took an extra 5 minutes to clean up and we were probably already behind on our schedule. But those girls and volunteers have a sweet memory that's worth much more than anything I could plan for. 

That's just a small example. But I encourage you to remember (and to remind me) that sometimes there are more important things than trying to achieve perfection. We should work hard, we should plan well, and we should stay open to the what the Lord might telling we need in the moment. Maybe we would all benefit from more dance breaks. 

On that note, the Kid President has been particularly encouraging to me lately. It doesn't really have to do with anything in this post, but it is encouraging and there is dancing. Enjoy!

Special Days

For a long as I can remember, my grandparents have done this really cool thing where they take each of their grandchildren out one at a time and let us pick everything we do that day. We got to pick where or what we ate, a big activity (like bowling or visiting the Yellow River Game Ranch), go shopping, and spend the night if we wanted. They called them Special Days because it was on those days we were special and we knew it. Cousins and siblings could choose to combine days and enjoy the day together, but often the one on one time was something we didn't want to pass up. They would come up around birthdays, the start of school, Christmas, or sometimes just because we could. As we grew up, Special Days followed us to college with care packages, a trip to the grocery store, and dinner on them. All of us love and look forward to these special times with Grandma and Grandpa because we love spending time with them and who doesn't want to feel special?

Special Days Athens Edition

Her first Pumpkin carving experience.
Oh what an experience it was!

When I got to college, I volunteered for a mentoring program called CrossTrainers. I was paired with a sassy, beautiful, hysterical 3rd grader that I spent my four years in Athens getting to know and love. Once a week, or sometimes less often, we had our own kind of Special Days together. She had my undivided attention as we played Connect 4 at Menchies (she always beat me!), made cookies and cupcakes, took countless trips to Zaxby's, and the many other adventures we went on. She taught me so much about how important intentional one-on-one time can be for a person. It was good for me and it was good for her. Our last year together was a busy one and we didn't see each other as much a we had in the past, but the times we spent together were more precious because we knew it wouldn't last forever. For whatever reason, in our last few hangout times, she let me know that everything I had been trying so desperately to tell her for the past 4 years about family and friends and her bright future she understood and was putting to practice. Watching her grow in maturity, patience, and self-control was more than I could have ever hoped for. It took everything in me not to cry tears of joy in the middle of our favorite Zaxby's as she said, "You know, you're right. I don't want to try to be popular this year. I just want to be around a few people who actually care about me instead of a lot of people who get me into trouble." There were so many times that I wasn't sure my presence in her life was making any difference. I was alright with that though. I'm not her Savior. I very selfishly prayed that God would let me see the fruit of seeds that had been planted in her life someday. I never imagined that He would be so good as to let me spend our last year together seeing the fruit of the previous three years and that she and her family would give me any sort of credit for the positive changes in her life. Special Days are so important.

Special Days Clarkston Edition 

Love catching up with this girl over dinner.

These days in Clarkston, I can't spend one-on-one time with each youth every week. There's so many of them. Every now and then, though, I get the chance to take one out for a Special Day. Most recently, was a trip to the China Buffet with a camper I've known for a very long time. Her family in particular is where I pull from when there's opportunity for a Special Day. There are five children in the home and really only one parent. The children do everything around the house as far as day to day making sure everyone is up, fed, and bathed. They are a resilient, loving, compassionate group of siblings. They don't often get one-on-one time with anyone because there are so many. In large groups the younger ones in particular are quiet and shy. As they hop in my car though they start talking and just don't stop. They'll update me on the family, school, sports, crushes, and neighbors. We'll reminisce on camp in years past and talk about the upcoming summer. Sometimes we just sit in silence. Always, we spend hours in the China Buffet (their top choice for a dinner out) after we are finished eating because they just don't want to go home yet and I don't have the heart to make them. Spending time with the oldest sister recently we were trying to remember as many summer interns as we could. She didn't remember several of them which prompted her to ask, "Why don't people who work at camp every come back for more than one summer?" I did my best to explain that interns have school and other jobs and some live really far away. Then she said, "You moved away for like 5 years and I didn't forget you because you always came to visit." I was reminded again of how important intentional investment is.

The Essence of Special Days
Considering that it's impossible to give hours of uninterrupted, intentional time to each youth in Clarkston, it seems as though we have found a way to capture the essence of that special time in our programs. Whether it be a short, yet intentional conversation in the car on the way home or making sure we celebrate birthdays, we strive to run programs that promote dignity and every youth involved feeling loved as an individual. Having amazing staff and volunteers makes this possible. But one of the youth recently gave us the highest praise I think we've ever gotten. Understand this, this particular youth used to be a apart of Summer Camp and the Friends of Refugees family, but in moves and changes in structure and leadership, this particular youth slipped between the cracks and we have only recently re-established a relationship with their family. This youth has every reason to hold bitterness towards us. What they said though was along the lines of, "A lot of times in Clarkston people only go half way. Because it's Clarkston they think things don't have to be nice. Friends of Refugees always goes all out, though. They always do things high quality which I appreciate." To receive this high praise from a youth means we must be doing something right. We do care to operate the highest program possible for the community. Knowing that our heart is recognized in that is an awesome feeling.

So thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, for teaching me about the importance of Special Days. Know that even though your youngest grandchild is a junior in high school and that we are more spread out than ever, Special Days still happen and have grown to include more people than ever. I love you!

MASH 30021

Fun fact: some of my hobbies include knitting, baking cookies, and watching M*A*S*H. I'm aware that based on this fact alone you probably wouldn't guess that I'm 22.

For those of you who don't watch M*A*S*H, you should, it's on Netflix until April. It's a show that ran for 11 seasons about a mobile army surgical hospital during the Korean War. You get to know what life at the fictional MASH 4077 was like. You get to know the doctors, the nurses, the enlisted men, the patients, the locals, and the sometimes ridiculous circumstances that surround these people who are really just trying to survive. Doctors performing meatball surgery in sub-standard conditions so the soldiers can be patched up and sent back out to fight. Everyone has to come to grips with the realities of the war they are living in and try to find a way to stay sane. They straddle the love they have for the people they are working with and the hatred they have for the situation they are in. Besides the actual war that is taking place, they are fighting to overcome the injustices around them like the locals who aren't soldiers but need medical help and the Army officials who are making decisions that are good for their career but bad for those serving on the front lines. What are the doctor's, who are stuck in the middle, supposed to do and what can they do to bring justice and peace to such a complex, foreign, serious situation of war. 

Recently I've found myself able to connect with those characters on some level. 

Here, we are fighting our own war. We are fighting for youth to get to stay youth. We're fighting for our refugee neighbors to have their own voice. We are fighting against stereotypes and societal misunderstandings. We fight for our community to be seen as a community and not a project. In my time in and around Clarkston, I have learned so many things. There might not be bombs going off left and right ...but there is a battle going on. 

Clarkston International Bible Church recently faced damages due to a fire. No one was hurt, but that part of the building cannot be used for some time yet. We relocated tutoring to a house owned by the church down the street. It was cramped, there were no computers or wifi, not enough tables, and we didn't have many of the supplies the girls count on to help get homework done. Homework was done, though. Vocab words were studies. Multiplication tables were practiced. A satire was written. Dinner was served. The girls know they are loved.

As I was taking a van load of them home, the girls were talking about their schedules for the coming week. One said she wouldn't be at school on Friday and not to come get her when she wasn't at the bus stop. She had to go with her mom to work out an issue with Medicaid (this particular girl comes from a family whose native language is so rare she is the only one in the area who can translate for her family). As I listened to these 4 middle school girls talk like adults about how frustrating the system was and how difficult it was to get everything worked out I felt a heaviness in my heart. These kids shouldn't have to worry about such big things. They shouldn't have to miss school to go and make sure that their family is getting all the services they should be getting. The should be allowed to be kids. They should have the chance to focus on learning and growing and making friends and figuring out who they are before they tackle red tape surrounding medical insurance or any other type of service. Please understand, these girls were not complaining about helping their families. They were not putting their parents down for needing them to help with translation or child care or paperwork. They are spectacular sisters, daughters, neighbors, and friends who are generally happy to do what they can to help out. 

My realization in that moment for me was a confirmation that what I am trying to do in Clarkston, along with so many others, is to give these kids a piece of their childhood back. On Thursdays, the girls know they don't have to make dinner. They don't have to babysit. They don't have to help fill out paperwork. They don't have to clean. All they have to do is work on homework and spend time with friends and people who care about them. We provide dinner. We provide and maintain the space. We let them goofy and silly and have fun because it's important to get that opportunity somewhere. 

So no, we aren't Army doctors stitching together wounded soldiers, but we are people banded together fighting for the people we work with to overcome some pretty hard situations. It's not easy. Sometimes we feel like we are crazy for trying to do the things we do. In the end, it's not our sanity or glory or reputation that we are working for, though, it's that the youth in Clarkston would have every opportunity possible to reach the potential that each one of them has. We want to see the youth be all God created them to be.

This week tutoring went much better. There was plenty of room for everyone!

Leap Day

I'm ready for a new month. This February has been longer than most because of the leap year, and though it is the shortest month of the year it has been filled with more than it's share of rough patches. There were redeeming moments. The highs were high and the lows were low. Join with me a quick round of "sunnies and rainies," as we used to do in one of my small groups, and catch you up on my month.

Rainies
(I like to get the less fun parts over with first)

February started out like any other month except the team I'm ever so grateful for was stretched thin from day 1. Spending much needed time with family, away for personal heath reasons, and recruiting for interns around the southeast left at least one person missing each week.

Let me take a break here to brag on the team. They're top notch. Not only are they a personal encouragement to me on a daily basis that I am proud to work alongside, but they are honest, loyal, loving people who put their faith into action sacrificing themselves in so many ways to glorify the Lord in this place. We pray together. We love the community together. We struggle together. We win together. I couldn't do a fraction of what I do without them. 

When even one of the people on this dynamic team of staff, volunteers, leaders, and friends is missing, we can all feel their absence and the extra weight that they usually carry. We were all pulled in so many different directions this month (for extremely valid reasons) that I think it's possible we were pushed to limits we didn't know we had. As I look back on the month, I'm proud of each of us individually and the extra hours of work and brain power and emotional support that each one of us put in to make sure that the youth of Clarkston were loved and cared for and had a place to go and be invested in every single weeknight.

On top of that, life outside of ministry didn't let up. There was the loss of loved ones, surgeries, bronchitis, sinus infections, lice, and so many other stressors weighing us down. A few of us faced loneliness, questions of faith, and wounds we thought were healed that seemed to come open again. 

In ministry, we were missing members of leadership and gaining youth participants, which is a challenging blessing. At times, we were way outnumbered and it showed. There were issues with vans, paperwork, technology, and attitudes. There was a fire at the church facility we use daily, no one was harmed but the building is facing damages that we must work around. 

Maybe you can understand why I'm so ready for a new month. A fresh start. 

Sunnies

Playing Bananagrams at the couples shower

February wasn't a complete loss. There were some pretty redeeming moments. For example, my baby sister turned 18. My brother and sister-in-law got a new precious puppy. Garrett and I had our first wedding showers and signed a lease for our first apartment together. I got to connect with some of the coolest Covenant College students on a recruiting trip and catch up with sweet Ruth, good friend and previous intern. 

After returning from the recruiting trip to Tennessee, I got to see some youth at Friday night youth group after being away for almost two weeks for various reasons. Hearing that they missed me and wanted to know where I was made me feel missed and loved. It was a sweet encouragement for me after feeling pretty low about being away from them for so long. I love them so much and care for them so much it hurts sometimes...to know they care for me too is something pretty special and makes the time away seem more worthwhile. 

I've saved a special update for last. You'll really like this story. :) 

The sweet family I've had the honor and pleasure of transporting to school and English classes is doing great. In the past several months they have come from staying in a homeless shelter, to moving in with a friend, and now the mom has found a job and they are living in their own apartment near some family friends. I've loved being a part of their story and getting to know them better. I love the extra mom advice I would get on the way to English class about how rest and lemon tea would do me a world of good when I wasn't feeling well. I loved celebrating the highs and commiserating over the lows with the family. But now, though I miss seeing them twice a week, I'm so excited for their new chapter. I'm looking forward to visiting them in their new home soon. I hope that you will join me in praying for their hopeful, fruitful, abundant future in their new home.

Final Thoughts...
"You do not know now what I am doing, but someday you will" John 13:7

While the month was a rough one, I know the Lord is using those challenges to grow us and strengthen us. Someday we may look back and be thankful for the chance to persevere and persist. Right now, I know I'm ready to get my head above water again. Keep praying for us. Keep encouraging us. Keep being there for us when we are low. Keep celebrating the wins with us when we win. I'm so thankful for all of you.

Good bye, February. 

Bring it on, March. 

Throwbacks

In the past few weeks, I’ve had some really great opportunities to reflect on the past. Join me as I take a walk down memory lane and celebrate with me how the Lord has been sovereign through it all.

Old Meets New

The first time I came to Clarkston was for a Great Day of Service McKendree UMC put together. I went with some fellow youth and our youth pastor, Joe. We spent a few hours in the garden and met some families and had a really great time. One of the Friends of Refugees staff that was hosting us shared the opportunity to come back and work at summer camp. As a small group of highly involved youth, we signed us up…and told Joe later (I’m not sorry). There was a spark from that first experience that brought me and others coming back for more.  Here I am almost 7 years later now directing the same camp I signed us up for as a youth group without permission. How cool is that?

The Karen New Year Celebration in CIBC's Gym.
It was quite the party!

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to come full circle in a way. I got to host Joe’s new youth group from his new church for a service project. I met with them at the same garden where it all began for me. It was such a blessing to catch up with Joe and have him catch up with and meet so many of the people I get to work with now. Talk about the past and present colliding, it’s a pretty cool thing! It was also incredibly helpful for us to have a group of people willing to help up clean up after the Karen New Year celebration and have them help up deep clean and organize our youth room. It took the group a few hours what would have taken a few of us all day (or more) to do, freeing us up to spend more time with families in the community. What a win!

In the Beginning…

Hanging out with Joe and his youth already had me reminiscing about my first experiences in Clarkston, so when I had the chance to catch up with Scott Kelley it was fitting. See, it’s Mission Impact Celebration week at McKendree UMC. We celebrate the different ministries and missions the church is involved in by inviting all of them to come to the church all at the same time. We will the fellowship hall with tables of information about each of the ministries for the church to see and learn about all we are involved in around the community and around the world. I’ve gone from being one who floats from table to table to gather information about what’s going on in different ministries to hosting the Friends of Refugees table. Scott and his family were hosting their table for their new ministry, The Refuge. Scott wore all kinds of hats while he worked at FOR, but he was always involved with the youth. He was the one who convinced me to intern my first summer and exemplified for me what full-time ministry in a place like Clarkston could look like.  His kids, one of which was my camper one summer, now tower over me. It was such a blessing to be able to connect with them. The example Scott and his family set for me is very much a part of why I do what I do now.

Steady Growth

My roommate Carrie is a pretty incredible person. She loves the Lord, teaching, and Clarkston. Though she doesn’t get to spend as much time doing ministry in Clarkston as she wishes, her encouragement that she gives so well and freely to me and many others works for the benefit of the community as a whole. Recently, she discovered one of her campers from two summers ago that she had an especially close relationship with lives very close to us. They started hanging out every now and then and she was excited about the opportunity to reconnect. One day, she gets a call from the camper’s dad and asks if she would be interested in tutoring his daughter twice a week. Carrie now gets to see her sweet camper twice a week. And teach her. At our house. It’s a beautiful thing! Carrie had the chance to start discipling her that first summer together, and since then the ways the Lord has brought Carrie and her camper together over the years has been really cool. Sometimes the relationship seemed dormant. Sometimes they went months without seeing each other. Sometimes it seemed like there would never be a chance for fruit. But the Lord is sovereign and has been so sweet to provide these two with a chance to reconnect in ways that minister to both of them so well.

Reflections

It blows my mind how God can so intricately weave together the events of our life to make such a big difference. Having a youth pastor who encouraged missions for the youth and having an example set for what living missionally looks like helped me very much get to where I am now. Believing in God to be faithful and entrusting relationships to Him has made two and half years of relationship an opportunity for one leader and one girl to grow closer to Him together. There are so many stories like Carrie’s that could be told about how persistence over time and being faithful has created beautiful things in people’s lives. When we only focus on results right now, we will likely be disappointed. Sometimes fruit comes quickly…or sometimes it takes 5, 10, 20+ years. In those situations where progress seems to only be 3 miles an hour, sometimes it’s hard to tell that there is progress until you realize where it all started months or years ago.

I hope you will pray with me for the sweet relationships like Carrie’s that exit around our community. Pray for opportunities to share about the great God that brought them together and for patience as we sometimes grow irked looking for fruit. Let us also thank God for the situations and people in our past that have helped us get this far. We are so lucky to have God that was and is and will be, a God who is immune to the effects of time and stays the same always. 

PS: Clarkston with a dusting of snow was quite beautiful!

2016!

Happy New Year! I hope that as we are now over a week into the new year you are holding fast to your resolutions and getting back onto your "normal" post-holiday schedule.

Holiday Updates:
We've had some really wonderful Christmas parties around Clarkston. I decorated more trees, made more ornaments, and celebrated the birth of our Savior with more people from more countries than I ever have in my entire life. It was such a blessing. I also had the true honor and pleasure of sharing American Christmas traditions of caroling, lights, gifts, nativities, and hot chocolate with some sweet families in the community who were spending their first Christmas in America with the help of an awesome mother/daughter Bible study group. Those seven seven-year-old girls and their moms brought some serious holiday joy to the families we visited.
After celebrating in the community with other's families, I think I appreciated my time at home with my family that much more.What a blessing to have most of my family living close enough together that we can see everyone over the holidays. For the family that does live farther out (love you Kentucky folks!), it's such a blessing to have the technology that keeps you always on my mind until we can be together in person again. My heart was definitely filled to overflowing this holiday season.

Jolly Ave Community Garden Tree
(decorated by the community)

Girls' Group Christmas Picture

Life Lesson:
I've recently been reading C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, I'm not finished yet but I highly recommend it. As I was  reading the other day, I came across a quote that I really wanted to share with you. So here it is:

"And all the time the joke is that the word 'Mine' in it fully possessive sense cannot be uttered by a human being about anything." pg 114

As I've said before, living off of support really has changed my perspective on life. I have come to understand more and more every day just how true it is that humans do not (and should not) own anything on their own. All I have is the Lord's. My time is not my own, my resources are not my own, and my relationships don't belong only to me. The more I let go and stop trying to own these things, the more I am blessed by them. By opening up our house for others to use as a place to fellowship, by giving freely and without expectation of something in return, and by valuing relationships with others as a gift and not something that I deserve, I have found more joy. A close friend of mine often reminds me the importance of open hands. The Lord gives and He takes away. The thought of something being taken away is a scary thought to us sometimes. But as soon as you close your hands around something, you are no longer able to accept whatever else might come your way. Since even the lessons the Lord is teaching me are not my own, I wanted to be sure and share with you what's going on in this life I get to live.

Donations for youth programs by others who understand that what they have is not their own

2016:
We are excited for all that the Lord has in store for us this year. 2015 was pretty incredible, but the cool thing about serving an infinite God is that he can always do immeasurably more than we could every imagine. That's amazing. All the wins we had last year: 17 summer camp interns, a $50,000 check for youth programs, a brand new girls' tutoring group, and so much more...it can all be topped this year.

I hope that you will pray with me that 2016 is a year where we watch the Lord outdo himself. A year where He gains more glory and His Kingdom grows bigger than it every has before.