Is it October yet?

Wow! This month has been super crazy and busy for me. Four tests face me this week and two from last week that I didn't do very well on. Last week was the busiest week of all for me. I rushed or surged as we call it at AU for a group of Lamifidel (lami) and am not an official member! I also ran for senator which wasn't much of a race anyways since I was the only person who ran for South campus. Lami I love; Senators may take a little bit more time to love because at the moment I do not love it.

Let me talk about my week of rushing! It was long and tiring filled with early morning and late nights, but totally worth it. I have always felt very strongly about not wanting to rush a social club on campus, but I had a lot of free time available this year and decided why not try it out (I can always quit if I don't like it). God could not have prepared me enough for the amazing week I had. I have met some lovely ladies and am excited to call them my lami sisters and am even more excited to get to know them better these next two years. Each girl gets a big sister and I love mine! She wants to go to Mars Hill in Seattle as I do too so I am excited as to see where that may lead to. The week was filled with deep talks and bonding, but my most favorite was burning our burden boards night. Each day we swapped our board with a sister and carried around their burden for the day and as our last late night of rush we burned them over a fire. My board said "lack of friendliness and dislike of people" and there are a lot of reasons for having those burdens and I am sure I have written about them multiple times in my blog.

Friendships have been disappointing for the last year and relationships have failed so my trust for people has gone out the window. I trust the people who are currently in my life, but when it comes to new people I am just waiting for them to disappoint me. I got to burn this burden on Saturday night and am in the process of letting it go completely which is happening a lot faster than I expected. Social clubs are a fantastic way to get involved on AU's campus and to meet new people. Sure, it may not be for everyone, but don't bash it until you try it.

Well I am off to more studying: three more tests this week. Wish me luck! Pin It

Life after Camp

It has been a crazy couple of weeks since I have left camp and been back to life in Indiana. My homecoming was a smooth transition for the most part. The hardest part was the fact that I lived in three different places in one week. Washington to home to school. It was intense which lead to me being overwhelmed and crying a little bit. However, I am getting back into my school routine of studying too much and laughing all the time. I miss Washington and everything about it. Two more years of school and then I will start making my move there. Yes, I should not be so sure about that statement, but I believe God opened a door to Washington for a reason and I am fully willing to move their in a heartbeat.

When I left for camp this summer, I was depressed and life was just awkward. I had gone through many emotional events and I just wanted to get away. Washington gave me my escape and even though it wasn't a summer of vacationing, it was a summer of discovery. I discovered myself and learned how to forgive and move on. Coming home from Washington, I found myself being content with life and having new goals for my life.

Goals

1.) Stop being afraid to try new things. Go for it and embrace the opportunity to just apply.

2.) Treat yourself. Remember to put yourself first occasionally.

3.) Cherish every moment.

4.) Find God again; don't force it, but re-discover him.

Not a ton of goals, but I think a good start to continue living my content life.

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Week 10: Bellingham, Washington

It's official! My last week in Washington is over and I am sitting at the airport trying not to cry. I have been blessed this whole summer with amazing friends, opportunities, and a loving God. I could not ask for anything more and do not regret any thing.

We spent this week with a band camp so basically we put the campers to bed and woke them up so it was a really easy week. While the kids were in band practice, we spent the day painting tons and building a new campsite for the camp. I only worked on the campsite for 2 hours because I could not handle nature this week (maybe I am still some what of a girly girl still). Instead of building, I painted tons; I even still have paint stuck in my hair that I cannot get rid of. At night, we played tons of loaded questions and spent time preparing each other for our goodbyes. Kool-aid and I also spent the week pranking each other. He froze my toothbrush, toothpaste, and toothbrush holder in water and I just died laughing. I miss all my friends here so much already and I haven't even made it on the plane yet. Yesterday, I pretty much spent the whole day crying. Saying goodbye to everyone was much more tough then I thought. Izza was the hardest seeing as we have become best friends in such a little amount of time. That girl is going to be in my wedding.

As I left this morning with my friends waving me off so early in the morning, I realized that Washington is my home. It is a home I will return to as much as possible and hopefully will call it my official home in the future. I will miss the beautiful mountains, people, and life that is created here. I cannot wait to return and be reunited with everyone again.

See you soon Washington!
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Week 9: Bellingham, Washington

This was our last regular week of camp. I had 5th and 6th grade girls and it was a pretty easy week. I had two CIT's to help me which I was so grateful for and a group of girls who never complained. I got engaged to Dundee on camp out night (no worries; it's a fake engagement) and we heard a pack of coyotes howling outside of our camp site. This week was a little rough because I'm homesick. I know I'm coming home in a week and I just long to be in my home state with family and friends. I am sad to leave here, but ready to be reconnect with my family and share all the stories I have. Once again this was a week of memories from two engagements, pranks, and tons of laughter.

I am sad to say that my time is ending here soon. This has been a summer of unbelievable experiences and a changed heart. I came to camp this summer after having a rough semester at school with my dad losing his job and tough relationships. I was emotionally tired and needed an escape and Camp Lutherwood did just that for me. It gave me a beautiful scenic landscape that I could spend hours looking at, friends that will last for a lifetime, and memories that could never be capture anywhere else. Although I miss home so much, I will miss camp just as much when I return. This has become a new home for me and a place I plan to visit as much as possible in my life. I keep getting asked whether I will return again next summer and I am not sure about that answer. There are three places I call home and each of them tug at my heart strings: Anderson, my family home, and Washington. Being at any of them creates a longing to be at another home and that is hard to deal with. I love camp and it is in God's hands as to whether or not I will return again next summer (but I will say its a likely possibility). All I can do is praise God for the path he has set out for my life. I am grateful for this experience and all that has come with it.

Indiana friends I will be home in 7 days. See you soon!
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Week 8: Bellingham, Washington

I spent this week as a CIT (counselor in training) counselor which means I hung out with high school students all week. It was a blast filled with sassiness, laughter, and ridiculousness. Kahuna shaved all his hair off, I learned how to skip a rock for the first time, and last friday I blobbed for the first time as well. I wish I could write more, but I've run out of time this weekend.

It was a blast all week so that's all you need to know! Pin It

Week 7: Lummi Island, Washington

Working at Lummi was such a rewarding week. It was long labor work filled with 6 hour painting days, but we finished two houses and the families were very grateful. I got to spend the week working with 5 other high school students. The students were great and I wish I could have spent longer getting to know them. We had deep talks about relationships and shared each others life stories. The best night of the whole week was Wednesday night. The Bob's, the family we painted houses for, made us dinner to thank us and then we went to the beach to hang out with their grand-kids. After the beach, we had campfire at their house and their great-grandmother shared her families struggles and how they found God in the midst of it. The stories were touching and truly miracles.

I wish I could go into deep detail about the week, but it is an emotional and very long week to share. This was just another week of showing me why I am supposed to be here. I cannot wait to reconnect with all of you at home and share with you the stories of friendships and fun I am creating and having here.

One thing I have learned for sure about myself here: I am terrified of snakes! A kid this week came up beside me and held it in front of me and I ran so fast and broke out into tears. I hate snakes! Pin It

Week 6: Bellingham, Washington

What a wonderful week it has been in Washington. It has been rainy, but I the sun has shined in so many ways. I spent my first week at camp as an on-site counselor and God blessed me with the greatest group of girls ever. They got a long, did not fight, and grew to become very best friends. It was a great transition for me into being on-site.

This was a confirmation camp week which means campers came with their church groups and had confirmation class for two hours a day and then spent the rest of the time with the counselors. I was very nervous for this week seeing as I am not Lutheran, but it was not a difficult week at all. We discussed how God thinks we are special in our confirmation groups and learned that there is nothing we could do to make God not love us.

My girls and I spent time laughing and growing together during challenge course and activity time. Monday night we got the chance to dress as super hero's for dinner and we looked awesome. Tuesday was a rough day, but my girls were tough and stuck through it. We spent all day at the challenge course which meant lots of hiking and then we had camp out night (even more hiking). Camp out night could have ended badly since it took Neon and I two hours to get our fire started to cook our dinner, but the girls kept great attitudes and we ended the night singing around our campfire and laughing about counselor codes. Wednesday night involved a game of Biffer which is a game where campers have to find counselor in number order so Izza and I spent the game in a canoe boat in the middle of the field representing the 7th and last counselor. We ended the last night of camp with a game of Commando. In this game, the counselor search out the campers and trying to catch them. All the campers have Cheerios which represent their life and if they get caught the counselor gets to take their life and they have to start over trying to get it from one side of the field to the other. Also on Thursday, the staff performed the "Everything (Lifehouse) Skit" for the campers and it was an awesome production.

This week was great and will be a memory for years. It was a blast to spend time with these girls and I wish I could have spent the whole summer getting to know them better. God reminded me this week why I came here (I was beginning to wonder why I came because I miss home a lot) and showed me a lot about myself I needed to know.

This was last week in Camano and this is Lyken playing frogger with a group.

Super Hero Night! Top Row L:R Super Sara, Ninja Turtle, Storm from X-Men, Ninja Turtle, Cat Woman, Uncle Fester. Bottom Row L:R Superwoman and Superman

Twin Night! Neon and I were the Dixie Chicks and sang "Goodbye Earl" when the campers chose us to sing a song during dinner.

Our Harry Potter Costumes after seeing the last and final movie.

In honor of the song of the week, Izza and I sang Goodbye Earl at dinner tonight.

P.S. Mom if your reading this. Prepare for a gigantic hug when I return home. I saw so many girls run into their moms arms today and all I could do was think of running into yours. I love and miss you! Dad you'll get a great big hug as well!

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