life is old there, older than the trees

Whew. First week of camp is finished! Thirty-seven miles down the Shenandoah later I find myself with a strange PFD tan and a few bruises from jumping in and out of the canoes, but also with a smile on my face and lots of canned meat in my belly. All-in-all, a fantastic four day adventure floating from site to site camping alongside the river having packed everything we needed. "Country Road" is probably still resonating throughout the valley, having sung it multiple times a day for the past week. What better way to learn about "Keeping the Earth" (our summer curriculum) than to experience it 24/7 without the niceties of AC and bathing!

I'm currently sitting at my house in Maryland feverishly working on paperwork/fundraising for next year. To-do list in hand, I intend on tackling a good bit of it today. Wish me luck. I just received a packing list from the main Global Mission office as well--how exciting! Next years adventures are becoming more and more real. Now I just have to get all of my stuff together (hence the week off from camp). Thoughts and prayers are appreciated as I begin to transition around my time at Caroline Furnace.

A big thank you to family and friends who have been a great help and support throughout the past few months! Love you all. Congratulations again to Joel and Danielle--your wedding was a highlight of my summer for many reasons. I look forward to seeing family and friends here and there throughout the summer! For now, it's back to the grindstone of organization and getting things done! Peace to you all.

what was, and is, and is to come

Graduation wasn't just a dream? That's right--college is over. Hard to believe I won't be heading back to Williamsburg in August, but excited to see where life is taking me next. Well, I guess I know where that'll be for the next year...

First, camp for the summer! Who can resist another 3 months in the cell-phoneless land of Fort Valley, VA, where a night on the town consists of a meal at the local family restaurant "Seven Bends" and a jaunt on over to scout out rollbacks at the Walmart. ...and that's not sarcasm--if you've experienced a summer at Caroline Furnace, you'd understand how special it is to spend the summer in Shenandoah. Looking forward to monthly firehouse BINGO nights, trips to the "$5 all-you-can-grab-bag" at the thrift store in Luray, and gallivanting around Harrisonburg when we really feel like getting out and about... and that's just on the weekends! Camp itself will surely be an adventure--spending overnights on the river, camping out on the top of mountains, and trekking around camp itself. Not to mention witnessing so many campers grow in faith in the midst of God's creation! I can practically smell the sunscreen already...

After camp, (and the main reason to keep this blog up-to-date!) I'm off to Israel-Palestine for a year, participating as a Young Adult in Global Mission (YAGM, "yag-um") through Lutheran Global Missions for the year. Though I'm not certain of my exact placement quite yet, I will be serving in either Ramallah, Jerusalem, or Bethlehem. There will be 5 other YAGMs heading over to Israel-Palestine as well. We join all 43 YAGMs in Chicago on August 18th for a week of orientation before shipping out. Right now it seems so far away, but I'm sure time will fly until then!

I'm in the beginning phases of organizing myself for the year--taking care of documents and papers, getting doctors and dentists appointments figured out, and working to raise the money necessary to support my year of service (If you're interested in learning how to help support me in this process, please email me for details)! This blog will serve as a way to keep everyone state-side up-to-date with all I'm up to throughout the summer in preparation and then throughout the year. So, keep on checking-in for what's sure to be an interesting read! I appreciate all thoughts and prayers as I prepare for the summer and the year--God's peace to you all!

"The new day dawns, and I am practicing my purpose once again. It is fresh and it is fruitful if I win, but if I lose--oh, I don't know. I'll be tired but I will turn and I will go--only guessing 'til I get there then I'll know--oh, I will know." -All Will be Well by the Gabe Dixon Band