In Transition...

Sorry my blogging has slipped, but I have been legitimately busy....


The last weekend of May, five other volunteers and I headed up to Chicago for the weekend. We stayed with Jess's sister who lives there. Some highlights included Mary Poppins, deep-dish pizza, seeing my friend Mike from Vanderbilt (who I haven't seen in 4 years!), and 6 of us crammed in a car with no a/c! Jenna and I also visited Willow Creek on Sunday which was very refreshing. All in all, it was a quick but enjoyable trip.

The next weekend, I went to a retreat with some women from our church here in Mt. Vernon. It was at a beautiful retreat center called Cleft Rock, here in our county. The center is run by several families who are former international missionaries. I was so inspired by their faith and passion. Plus, it was a beautiful weekend to get to know some of these ladies and learn from their example while enjoying time with God. I was also able to see the Moonbow one last time at Cumberland Falls....it was awesome! We got the full arc around midnight and the conditions were perfect!!

Last week, I spent a couple of days in Wilmore, KY, for the Ichthus Festival. This is an outdoor Christian music festival (a.k.a., Christian Woodstock). CAP helps by running security as well as a shower trailer and recruitment table. We had quite a few storms which meant lots of mud and seeking cover! After one night of "camping out", I headed back to....

....the city! I went to Charlotte for Joy's wedding last weekend. I am so excited for her as she begins this new phase of her life. And the wedding and festivities were so much FUN!! It was also a great excuse to get back to Charlotte (I haven't been back since September!) and see several of my friends. It's always nice to catch up with those that have been so influential in my life. I'm very thankful for them. And I got to go to Elevation....there's no other place I'd rather worship.

On my trip back, I was able to have lunch with my sister, Angie, who is spending the summer at North Greenville Univeristy leading M-Fuge (a week-long missions experience for church youth groups). She is headed to San Francisco in the fall for seminary, so I was glad to see her once before she leaves....I probably won't see her again until Thanksgiving or Christmas. I also stopped to spend a few minutes in Knoxville and see my friend, Ginger, and her sister. She is back in the states for a few weeks before moving permanently back to El Salvador. I miss her spirit...and am excited about her coming up to the backwoods of Kentucky this weekend!

Over the next few weeks, I will be saying good-bye to several of my friends who have been a part of this experience with me. We are coming to the end of our time (I am scheduled to leave at the end of July) here with CAP. Two of my closest friends here, Kim and Kelly, are leaving within the month, and I will miss them very much! I cannot tell you about my work and experiences without including them. They both have so much faith, beauty and genuine love for other people, and I have been blessed and encouraged by their presence in my life. We are all making decisions about what to do next and, as you all know, the job market is difficult! Please pray for each of us that God would direct and open up opportunities for us over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for all your love and support!