Training week Part 1!

Well training week is almost half way over and campers will arrive 1 week from today! I am super exhausted (so excuse anything that makes absolutely no sense), but so very excited to begin camp! Here's a little about what's to come for me and my team this summer:

Tulane! God has opened an incredible door in that Fuge is now at Tulane. There are many reasons why this is great! First being that this is the only location presently that Fuge is at that is a secular campus. Which means, we have an incredible opportunity to minister to people on campus! Tulane has been referred to as the Harvard of the South, and many of the students are from the West coast or Northeast. I would assume that most of them don't have a relationship with the Lord and probably have some pretty strong feelings in the area of religion and God and Christianity. So please pray for opportunities for us all this summer and that we would be sensitive to the Spirit's guidance and that we would be obedient to what He calls us to do.

We also have a huge responsibility to build a good relationship with Tulane so that Fuge can continue to come back. There is an incredible need for ministry on this campus and in this city, so please pray that Tulane is overwhelmed by us in the greatest way! That they are overwhelmed by God's love and compassion and joy that they see in the lives of staff, students, and adult chaperones. I just believe that God will have us all standing with our jaws dropped at the end of the summer when we look back at the unexpected ways that He worked here at Tulane and I CAN'T WAIT!!

More to come about the city of New Orleans. Love and miss you all!

Sweet Memories!

Well the year is officially wrapping up. Grades are being turned in, awards have been given out, classrooms are being packed up, and bittersweet goodbyes are beginning. What a challenging and blessed year this has been. Call me crazy, but I never once woke up dreading to go to work (I may have dreaded waking up and getting ready...Ok I often dreaded that part) I am so glad that the Lord has given me a love for my work and His children, granted that doesn't mean everyday was full of sunshine and roses.

As I have reflected on the year, I notice that I have grown and changed in a variety of ways. Some comical, some more serious, some very unexpected. One I will share is quite funny in my opinion. If you have ever worked with young children, you may have noticed that they can be a bit whiny at times. Perfectly normal and something they will usually out grow of, and I would much rather whiny than the attitudes they begin to get as they get older. Well even though it is normal, it can get a bit tiresome. I mean you should see the littlest bumps and scratches that they are in "agony" over. I once considered myself a compassionate person, but I cannot tell you how many times I have said the following words this year: "You'll be fine" (which thankfully is usually all the reassurance they need) I also justify it in my head many times with " I am just toughening them up." But I must say I have learned that a trip to the water fountain or a bandaid can instantly end all the worry and pain. Amazing! Oh Lord I pray that You restore a compassionate heart in me for these sweet little ones' aches and pains:).

A teacher has a million things going on at once, and for a scatterbrained person like myself, this makes concentrating and remembering things a bit more challenging than the average person. But oh how I do love a challenge. One sweet girl came to me in need of a bandaid, and I told her "Yes, One second." I literally turned around for like 10 seconds, turned back around, and said "What do you need (student's name)?". To which she reminded me and also said "Man you do have a bad memory." Oh my!

The sweetest way to end my 1st year happened at our awards ceremony Friday. Our principal told everyone about my plans to work MFUGE this summer, and then he had all of my students surround me and pray. I cannot say enough how thankful I am for the school that I work at. To hear the student's precious prayers and to have the support and encouragement of my co-workers, principal, students, and their families means so much to me!

God is so very good! I cannot wait to see what great things He has in store!