A Night to Remember...and laugh!

Ok, so I was suppose to do a California reflection in my off week. Yeah...not so much. I'm still very much processing California and missing everyone dearly so I think I will put that off until I return from Jamaica. I will leave you with some amusement though just so that you won't be disappointed ;)

For "A Night to Remember" in California the men on the preceptorship sent all the women on a scavenger hunt, cooked us dinner and some amazing desserts, and wrote each of the ladies a song! Mind you there were 6 guys and some 20 ladies, so they put quite a bit of work into all of this and we all appreciated it very much. They also taught us about the names of God, took us on a stroll to watch the sun set over the mountains and presented each of us with a white rose after we were serenaded. I know, aren't they awesome!?!?

Here is a video of some of the guys singing my song to me! I couldn't help but laugh the whole time :) It was doubly special for me since they took the time to write it in Spanish!

A few more pictures from A Night to Remember...

If My Life Were a Musical...

No doubt if you've spent any significant time with me I have more than likely imposed my musical tastes on you. Eagerly playing my "favorite" song for you…Needless to say I am slightly obsessed with music (some of you are smiling and/or nodding and/or rolling your eyes right now). So I've decided to summarize my feelings and growth in my walk with Jesus this summer musically! Come on, you know you are a little curious. Follow me on a musical journey :)

We'll start our journey after finals…
Tumble outta bed
And stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
Yawnin, stretchin, try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin
Out on the streets
The traffic starts jumpin
And folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
-9-5, Dolly Parton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpKAA2VxWY8

Admit it, you either already know the Dolly Parton song and are singing it in your head or you just youtubed it and are Now singing along. Seriously though, I worked a LOT after finals before I left for Costa Rica to the point where I was too exhausted to think about God and was more worried about making sure I had all my stuff ready than I was about being spiritually and emotionally ready for the roller coaster that awaited me. Trust me not the best way to start out.

Costa Rica…
Week 1:
You're everywhere I go
I am not alone
You call me as your own
To know you and be known
-Here With Me, MercyMe

Week one was great. I could definitely see that like the perfect sheppard He is, God had gone before me and prepared a place for me in Costa Rica. I had seen Him work in so many ways to even get me there that I was just pumped to be here and learn everything He wanted to teach me.

Week 2:
How patterned is my guilt
To crush the life You've built
To keep me far away from any kind of change
-Fight, Point of Grace

Week two was God showing me that I'm better off not knowing what He is planning. I was starting to get a sense of the magnitude of what He wanted to teach me and grow me this summer. My response? "I don't think so!" So the rest of Costa Rica was a lot of me distancing myself from God because I wasn't ready to deal with stuff, to go where He was asking me to.

Week 3 and 4:
I can't find the words to pray
I'm a little down today
Can you help me?
Can you hold me?
I feel like a million miles away
And I don't know what to say
Can you hear me anyway?
What I need is for you to reach out your hand
You have taught me
No matter what you'd understand
-Lord Move Or Move Me, FFH

I was discouraged by the distance from God (even though I was the one creating it) and just the lack of fellowship that I had during these weeks and I realized how grateful I am for the loving family of believers I have at home that would probably smack me if I was being this stupid at home.

Week 5:
Lord I know the only way is through this
Lord I know I need you to help me do this
Lord move in a way, that I've never seen before
Cause there's a mountain in the way and a lock on the door
I'm drifting away, waves are crashing on the shore
So Lord move (move), or move me.
-Lord Move Or Move Me, FFH

By this point I realize that it's not smart to go to California where I'm supposed to be learning how to share Christ, when I'm fighting against Him. But I also knew that I'm wasn’t strong enough to make the surrender on my own. God moved, of course and I had a rollercoaster of a last week but I needed it to break me for California.

California:
Week 1:
With all of my broken motives
All of my selfish dreams
All of my foolishness
Now I understand where it leads
I want to be in Your love
I want to be so much more
I know You're reaching out
I don't want to fight anymore
-Fight, Point of Grace

I knew what God wanted from me and FINALLY I thought, “Ya know just maybe this will be good for me.” Not that changes were immediate but I was in a place where my heart was open for God to teach me, and oh boy I had no idea.

Week 2 and 3:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
-Sweetly Broken, Jeremy Riddle

If I tried to explain everything that happened weeks 2 and 3 then this blog would be a book. I'll be more than happy to tell you all about it though :) But I have grown tremendously and I want the change to follow me home and for the rest of my life. It's not been easy but I don't think I've ever understood the chorus of this song as much as I do now.

I will go, I will go
I will go, Lord send me
To the world, To the lost
To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am
I'm clay within your hands
I will go, I will go, send me
-I Will Go, Starfield

I couldn't leave out the fact that even though I had a passion for missions before this summer that I've learned so much more of what that looks like and I want to go NOW. Lol, sadly there is that whole school thing…

Week 4:
If You say go, we will go
If You say wait, we will wait
If You say step out on the water
And they say it can't be done
We'll fix our eyes on You and we will come
-If You Say Go, Amy Nobles

I still wanna go (oh how I want to go), but I'm trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide me to where I'm suppose to go. I want to go home but at the same time I don't but I know that my mission right now is that of a student.

Coming Attractions: I will do a reflection on California sometime in my off week next week. I will be in Indy from July 22nd-July 31st and then I'm off again. I don't know how much computer access I will have in Jamaica but I will definitely update everyone afterward. Let me know if you wanna hang out while I'm home :)

In Christ ALONE :)

In Christ alone my hope is found;

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My comforter, my all in all—

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

Cali Week 2

Hello world (or world that is interested in what I'm up to any way)!

I have been the definition of busy since I've been in California so if you've been wondering why I haven't talked to you, well there it is.

Quick update between activities... (I like to number things, work with me here)

1. I'm having a great time just getting to know everyone here. It's an amazing contrast between here and Costa Rica and being surrounded by people who are just totally in love with God. Yay!

My small group. They pretty much rock :)

2. I've gotten to talk to some really interesting patients and have been pushed, in a good way, beyond what I thought I was capable of even only after a week and a few days.

3. Did I mention I love it here?

4. I miss spanish soooooooo much. Le hecho de menos :(

5. I have some pretty awesome people at home that I miss terribly. (My house church, my pi phi girls, KK, KR, Lesi...to name a few.)

6. God is teaching me a LOT this summer. I'm learning more about who He is and who I am and I love it. Not always easy but I'm very greatful for the lessons.