a vestige of thought...
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Stop #1: Pre-Tour Retreat on Asbury's Campus
I am amazed at how quickly this week has gone by! I shouldn't be so surprised, considering how packed full of training sessions, team time, spontaneous fun, and Joy's yummy cooking it has been. Here is a short overview of the week:
Monday: arrived, has first session (finishing up a study on a book we read earlier in the year)
Tuesday: Sessions on money & admissions, and a bunch of team time to prepare for Summer Chapel
Wednesday: Challange course all day. We did low ropes team building stuff in the morning and the high ropes course in the afternoon. We also did the Leap of Faith, which involved jumping off of a rediculously high, rediculously small platform and trying to ring a bell. Heights don't generally phase me much, but that made me a little nervous. I did it, though. I have pictures to prove it.
Thursday: Summer Chapel in AM. Laura (from the North team) and I spoke. I'm told it went well. I can only take their word on how well I spoke, but I can say that I enjoyed it. That afternoon all 10 of us drove into Lexington to pick out an outfit, which the college provides for us to wear while doing services and such. It took a rediculously long time for everyone to find something, and I was tired of shopping long before we finally finished, but overall it was pretty fun. Dinner was a blast. Both teams went to Bella Notte, which was amazing. I highly recommend it.
Friday: By far the best day of the week. It was really busy, with training sessions taking up pretty much every second of the day until after dinner. After team time that evening, we decided to drive into Lexington again to get ice cream and hang out at Joseph Beth books for awhile. When we got back, the boys serenated us girls, first in the hallway and then outside our window, for several hours. : ) Good times.
God has been so good this week, as always. When I got here on Monday, I didn't really want to be here at all. I missed my family and friends at home and everyone from Asbury who was not on campus. I was really nervous about the summer, and I felt really disconnected from my team, since we hadn't been together in so long. It took a while, but gradually over the course of the week God changed my heart. My team grew closer than we ever had been before, and by the time we had our commissioning service this afternoon, I felt really ready for whatever these next nine weeks will throw at me. Somehow I have peace now that God has all this under control. Mentally, I've *known* that for a long time, but I've finally realized it completely. Tomorrow we leave to spend the night in Chattanooga, TN before heading on to Florida. I don't know how regular my internet access will be, but hopefully I can post again by the end of the week.
Pictures:
Frida, Katie, and Laura with Polly the vacuum cleaner. We put Polly outside the guys' door and she had some adventures in their room before ending up headless in the hallway. Poor Polly.
The crew at the challenge course after lunch and before going to the high ropes.
Silly Ashton. :P
Grant feeding Dan at Bella Notte in the midst of our shopping trip on Thursday.
Oh Grant.
Look at those handsome South boys coming to pick us up in their fine attire.
Me and Katie, my lovely North Team prayer partner.
Monday: arrived, has first session (finishing up a study on a book we read earlier in the year)
Tuesday: Sessions on money & admissions, and a bunch of team time to prepare for Summer Chapel
Wednesday: Challange course all day. We did low ropes team building stuff in the morning and the high ropes course in the afternoon. We also did the Leap of Faith, which involved jumping off of a rediculously high, rediculously small platform and trying to ring a bell. Heights don't generally phase me much, but that made me a little nervous. I did it, though. I have pictures to prove it.
Thursday: Summer Chapel in AM. Laura (from the North team) and I spoke. I'm told it went well. I can only take their word on how well I spoke, but I can say that I enjoyed it. That afternoon all 10 of us drove into Lexington to pick out an outfit, which the college provides for us to wear while doing services and such. It took a rediculously long time for everyone to find something, and I was tired of shopping long before we finally finished, but overall it was pretty fun. Dinner was a blast. Both teams went to Bella Notte, which was amazing. I highly recommend it.
Friday: By far the best day of the week. It was really busy, with training sessions taking up pretty much every second of the day until after dinner. After team time that evening, we decided to drive into Lexington again to get ice cream and hang out at Joseph Beth books for awhile. When we got back, the boys serenated us girls, first in the hallway and then outside our window, for several hours. : ) Good times.
God has been so good this week, as always. When I got here on Monday, I didn't really want to be here at all. I missed my family and friends at home and everyone from Asbury who was not on campus. I was really nervous about the summer, and I felt really disconnected from my team, since we hadn't been together in so long. It took a while, but gradually over the course of the week God changed my heart. My team grew closer than we ever had been before, and by the time we had our commissioning service this afternoon, I felt really ready for whatever these next nine weeks will throw at me. Somehow I have peace now that God has all this under control. Mentally, I've *known* that for a long time, but I've finally realized it completely. Tomorrow we leave to spend the night in Chattanooga, TN before heading on to Florida. I don't know how regular my internet access will be, but hopefully I can post again by the end of the week.
Pictures:
Frida, Katie, and Laura with Polly the vacuum cleaner. We put Polly outside the guys' door and she had some adventures in their room before ending up headless in the hallway. Poor Polly.
The crew at the challenge course after lunch and before going to the high ropes.
Silly Ashton. :P
Grant feeding Dan at Bella Notte in the midst of our shopping trip on Thursday.
Oh Grant.
Look at those handsome South boys coming to pick us up in their fine attire.
Me and Katie, my lovely North Team prayer partner.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Back at the 'Bury
I don't have much to report at this point, but I feel like I should post something to mark the beginning of my SMT adventures. I arrived at Asbury about six hours to begin an extremely busy week of training and preparation. We're on the go from 8 in the morning until 9 at night pretty much every day we're here. More on our specific plans to come later.
I am so excited to be here, but I'm a bit in shock that my 10-week traveling stint has finally arrived. The fact that I'm still so unsure about what I'm doing has really started to unnerve me. It's so strange to be here without Sam and all my friends and to be sleeping somewhere besides 1st Glide. We're staying in Aldersgate until we leave on Sunday. Aldersgate is wonderful, but it definitely feels like I'm at summer camp or on vacation more than anything else. I'm feeling a bit homesick, and I'm missing my roomie especially at the moment.
Still, I know that this is where I'm supposed to be. I know that God is going to take care of all the details of my trip, and also of everyone that I have 'left behind' over the summer. I just keep repeating that over and over to myself. "God is love... perfect love casts out fear."
God is good. More to follow. :)
I am so excited to be here, but I'm a bit in shock that my 10-week traveling stint has finally arrived. The fact that I'm still so unsure about what I'm doing has really started to unnerve me. It's so strange to be here without Sam and all my friends and to be sleeping somewhere besides 1st Glide. We're staying in Aldersgate until we leave on Sunday. Aldersgate is wonderful, but it definitely feels like I'm at summer camp or on vacation more than anything else. I'm feeling a bit homesick, and I'm missing my roomie especially at the moment.
Still, I know that this is where I'm supposed to be. I know that God is going to take care of all the details of my trip, and also of everyone that I have 'left behind' over the summer. I just keep repeating that over and over to myself. "God is love... perfect love casts out fear."
God is good. More to follow. :)
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
W is for Wow
I could come up with a better W word, but I didn't. So there.
This morning in Chapel Joel and Lizzy (our class sponsors) announced the Unashamed class hymn: How Great the Father's Love for Us. This was my second choice (after Come Thou Fount), but overall I'm quite pleased with it. There were possibilities that I like a lot less.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
This morning in Chapel Joel and Lizzy (our class sponsors) announced the Unashamed class hymn: How Great the Father's Love for Us. This was my second choice (after Come Thou Fount), but overall I'm quite pleased with it. There were possibilities that I like a lot less.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
