I can't believe that it's only been three weeks since arriving here in Missouri with only two bags to account for a year long stay. It feels like it's been months.
For those of you who don't know...the decision to come to Missouri was quite the roller coaster ride. I was planning on going to seminary in the beginning of the summer. God had other plans, intervening and giving me nothing but unrest until I decided to go.
So here I am, in Independence, Missouri, a long way from home, still a bit unsure why God has brought me here, but have complete peace that I am. Praise God, the peace is so worth all the worries that can come with doing something that doesn't make sense in our culture today.
It's been quite the transition, going from summer at Mount Hermon being able to make my own schedule, to having every hour planned from 7:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night. I never thought that I would consider getting up at 8am as "sleeping in". One thing is for sure, I'm learning how lazy and selfish I really am, it's a humbling thing.
So what has happened in the last three weeks??
I guess I should start by what an average day looks like:
6:00am get up and take shower
7:30 check on girls and their chores
8:00 walk to the dining hall and eat breakfast
8:30 walk to the girls to the schoolhouse
9:10 leadtime classes (sharing lifestories, discipleship, counseling, bible study)
12:30 eat lunch with the girls and staff
1:00 walk girls back to school house
break (unless we have kitchen duty)
2:30 planning meeting for the day
3:00 girls arrive back from school
3-6 could be anything from: help girls work off consequences, take girls to doctors appts, make dinner, hang out with them in the house, etc)
6:00 dinner
7:00 come back to house (depending on day: may go out with the whole house, the room, or just hang out some more)
8:00 monitor study hall
9:00 just be there :)
10:00-10:30 spent quality time with the girls that we room with
10:30+ lights out: if not on night duty (checking on the girls every 15 min) spend time with the other leadtime girls or guys
So that is a basic day...there are lots more other things that we do...including a lot of physical work, cleaning, chores, giving meds, being goofy, playing dance dance revolution, playing scavenger hunts, seeing baseball games, making music videos, going to the zoo, learning the guitar, soaking up free time at a coffee shop, meeting with mentors, driving to QT for sodas, going to church, praying, and much much more!!!
God is Faithfull!!
Things God has taught me so far:
1. I collect WAY too much STUFF....my dad said "Jenn I think you have more stuff than I do" as he was so kindly moving my things from one place to another
2. How to rest in Him, despite not having a lot of time to
3. Love requires obedience and action
4. "God does not ask us to do things that are easy to us naturally; He only asks us to do things
that we are perfectly fitted to do by His grace, and the cross will come along that line always." - Oswald Chambers
There is so much more that I've learned....that will come soon!
If you can pray for the girls here, there is a lot of healing that is needed. They've been through everything from abortion to drugs to anger and depression.
There is a spiritual battle going on here, praise God He is victorious, but pray that He will protect us from any forces outside of His love.
I feel very rich and blessed with the friends that I have and have made here.
Til next blog :)
God Bless
