Seventh

The seventh and final week of project is already upon us and I'm not quite sure how to feel about it. I'm excited to be going home, but also I'm just now getting to know some people really well, and wish that the connection would continue to grow. We only have three more days of work, one day of packing, and then we're on our way back to our respective homes.

The explosion of children at Kids' Camp was everything they told us it would be, and more. My class went from seven students to twenty-one, though the last couple days it's only been about seventeen. They're crazy, but so much fun. They make me laugh, and make me frustrated, but they are such a joy to have and to be able to see them even in the last few days making friends and being so kind to one another is enough to make the times I'm frustrated to the point of exhaustion disappear. They're the perfect thing to make you appreciate all sides of life.

This weekend was super exciting! Tim Hawkins, a comedian came to the Crusade conference, and he was so funny. I love to laugh, and having the opportunity to get away from what was happening on project and at camp to laugh with hundreds (maybe thousands) of other people was wonderful!

Saturday night, the band Tenth Avenue North played a concert at the conference, it was one of the most powerful and fun experiences this summer. They are a great band with a wonderful vision and sense of who they are, and who God is in them. I most definitely bought the CD after the concert and it's been the only thing playing on my iPod for the last couple days.

Here we go, plowing into the last three days of work. It's going to be an adventure traveling back from Colorado and transitioning back into life at home for the short time I'll be there. My sister and best friend have birthdays within two days of each other and they're right when I get back so there will be lots of celebrating to look forward to!

Grand Anticipation

So, as of today, three of the kids I've had for the last four weeks are no longer in my class, and the class will grow substantially between now and next Wednesday (I've got seven now, and will have close to twenty next week). We have a four-day weekend starting today, and then start again on Wednesday morning thirty minutes later than we have been! Oh how wonderful those extra few minutes of sleep will be!

Recently, project has been very eventful, and though tiring, it's awesome! I went camping for the first time ever last weekend, and loved it! I want to experience camping with a smaller group before going with a large group again. Some pictures from camping and our hike in Rocky Mountain National Park are below.

My first camping trip -- six person tent!

Absolutely Beautiful Scenery at RMNP!

That's probably one of the biggest things that's happened in the last few weeks, besides the gigantic Independence Day Bash that we had, that was fun. Although, I wished I could have been celebrating with my family because it was my Grandma's 90th birthday, and I wasn't able to be with them, for the first time that I could remember.

At the end of our camping trip, all of the staff members who had been directing the project's many areas: ministry teams, Bible Studies, Financial things, etc. left!!! They passed on the leadership of the project to the students and gave us responsibilities in each of the areas they had previously been leading. There's a group of 5 students that are working as directors, associate directors, and operations leadership. Then twelve students, two boys and ten girls are leading small group Bible Studies, and all the ministry teams have two co-leaders for each group working to make all the rest of our events run smoothly.

About a week before the staff members left, my Bible study leader approached me before a project training meeting and asked me if I'd be willing to lead my Bible Study group. We had our first "sans staff" small group on Monday night and I loved it! It was so great to be able to facilitate a discussion about spiritual things with girls who I feel connected with, instead of it being just a random group of strangers getting together to have awkward conversations. Even when we'd get off track, we were always able to bring it right back to what we were initially talking about. I love watching God work in that way. It's been awesome to be here and be so challenged to grow and lead. Yay!

Now it's time for a restful and fun weekend before starting back up on Wednesday!