Strangers become Friends and now Family!

In the last three days my life has changed and my summer adventures have just barely started.

We literally sat in the airport for what felt like days! It was an awesome chance to meet people and start getting to know who could possibly be in my crew. Little did I know that I met two of my crew partners while chilling in the main terminal. After hours and hours of waiting we loaded up two charter buses and headed up even higher into the mountains. We are about 8000 feet above sea level. To say the least it is way high. The air is so thin but the view makes up for it. I have never been somewhere so beautiful!! I feel so small and blessed to be here is such a place of absolute beauty!! 

Monday night rolls around and strangers are starting to become friends.We are now creating friendships that will last for a lifetime (at least a summer). At the end of the night, we finally got to find out our crews and locations. As I said earlier, two of my crew members, Casey and Emilie I met at the airport and got to know them. So I was able to know two of the people before we even knew our crew. The fourth person to our crew was a returner Melissa and she is just as awesome. I love everything about my crew so far. No, we haven't gotten into the nitty gritty, but we get along so well. We are having so much fun getting to know each other and starting out training for the summer. We are going to work so well together!!

After our crews were revealed, we were told our locations. This is where the excitement gets even more intense!! After my two weeks of training in Estes Park, Colorado. I am heading to the town of Mebank, Texas (so excited for this one. I have never been to Texas. It is going to be so hot, but I cannot wait!!) then I am off to the city of Nashville, Tennessee to help out with a Week of Hope for one week (this will be so cool, cause I have never been to a Week of Hope [it is more community service based than home repair]) after that week me and my crew will head to Chendenin, WV (we all know how WV is... :) [so excited for this too somewhere close to home!!]) and then our last Workcamp is in New Haven, Connecticut (I'm going to Yale for the summer!!) then back to Loveland, Colorado!! I am literally driving across the entire country. Total hour will be about 77...that is a lot. But it is going to be a great time with people I love and serving the world.

Now it is just the nitty gritty of training. Learning how to handle every situation possible and to also do my job the best way possible!! God has prepared me for it all. I am a little nervous but I know it is going to go great! :) I am currently loving this free time with all of these great people. I cannot explain how great it is to be here with them. They are all so great. They all are such great examples of Christians! 

I look forward to the next few weeks spending more time with these people I once called strangers and then friends and now family!!

Made it to Denver

Whoa. Is this real life? I'm sitting here in the airport with like who know how many other summer staff just hanging out. These people rock. It just hit me, what I'm getting myself into. A rocking summer!!!

No longer am I nervous, I know all of these people are so awesome! No matter who my partners are or where I am going, Christ is sending me in the right direction with the right people!!

While here I have of course taken some pictures of what we are all doing.

Tonight we find out our partners and our locations for the summer. I look forward to spend the week in Estes Park with the beautiful scenery and wonderful people.

I can't wait to let y'all know where I'll be this summer!!

Dreams are becoming a reality!

Today it hit me. I am going to be a Summer Staff Crew Manager for Group Cares at Workcamp this summer. I got my suitcases out and just stared out them, but it was the first step to getting there. So in all of my excitement. I finished my laundry today for the summer. I got my air mattress out. I went to the grocery and bought all of my toiletries. This summer is so close. I cannot believe it.

For those of you who do not know. I will be in Estes Park, Colorado for the first two weeks of my summer adventure. There we will have training. I know not what the Lord has in store for me this summer. But I know at training I will be surround by many other people  in the same boat. I will also be with the returners who are their to guide us through training as well. And there will be some wonderful Group Cares staff there too. Here are some pictures of the place we will be staying.

The following are all pictures of the surrounding area around the YMCA of the Rockies. What a gorgeous place to be. Training and growing in my faith immersed in the beauty of God's creation. 

This is the town of Estes Park. Surrounded by a gorgeous mountain range.

I cannot believe that it is this close. Five days from now. We are down to counting on one hand!! :) I am so excited. Though I am dreading to continue packing, I guess I should get back to work.

My summer is just about to begin.

There are about 6,840,507,003 in the world. Of those people I was one of a very small amount to work as a Crew Manager for Group Workcamp this summer. There is only one week until I will arrive in Colorado with about 115 other college students who were chose to serve this summer as well. I am not really sure what I am getting myself into. Today I started getting a little nervous. Last night I had a very odd dream all I remember was the checking in with our supervisor and having butterflies the size of whales in my stomach. I just realized that I am going into the best summer of my life, but I am so nervous. 

Today I plan to begin the challenge of laundry. I have a huge pile of dirty clothes that I probably will take with me for the summer. I am not sure what is too much or what is not enough. It doesn't help that I have no idea where I will be during the summer. I could be in the extreme north where it gets cool during the summer or I could be in Texas where it gets 120degrees. That might make packing difficult. I will just have to pack for every occasion. Good thing we can bring two suitcases. ;) 

I have no idea who I will be with this summer either, but I am looking forward to meeting them. I have been praying for them every once in a while. I hope they are just as excited as me. We will be working together all summer and travelling together as well. I am sure that God and Stacie have matched us up and we are going to do great this summer. 

For those who aren't aware of the inner workings of Group Workcamp. High school youth come from around the country to one city and do home repair projects on houses that are in need in the nearby area. My partners for the summer and I will be setting up the camp and making sure it runs smoothly for the youth and adults, with the help of wonderful volunteers. 

Even though I am as nervous as a pig in a bacon factory. Who knows what this summer will hold in store for me. All I know is that this summer is going to be one of the best summers ever cause I will be serving my lord in a completely new way. Yesterday at church my pastors sermon talked about how we have been so blessed and it is our duty to go back into the world and bless others. This sermon hit home with me cause that is my plan for the summer. The nerves will go away and this summer is going to rock. I searched quotes about being nervous and this one really helped me!

"One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important." ~Bertrand Russell

One week. 7 days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. 604,800 seconds. My summer is just about to begin. 

9 Days Left

We are down to the single digits. I cannot believe it! I have thought about this moment for so long. It feels like forever ago that I had started the application process to be a Summer Staff. I remember the moment I decided to fill out the application. I never thought I would come this far. The Lord has blessed me so much. I am looking forward so much  to my summer helping other serve those across America who are in need.

Actually though I am starting to get nervous. Who knows what the summer has in store for me and those who are in the same boat as I am. God has a plan for all of us. It is going to be a great summer as a Summer Staff for Group Cares.

I should probably start thinking about doing some laundry in preparation for packing. That will be interesting.

Well follow me here for all of the details on my summer. I will be updating once a week, after training and Workcamps have begun. This way you all can know how God is touching my life and the lives of others.