Ok, so it's been a while since I updated...I'm going to do my best to remember what all has happened. Let's start with Sunday the 27th. The while family went to Busch Gardens (including Josh) and we took one of those old western pictures as a family :) it turned out reeeeally good. Then we spent the day going on rides and went to the Glory in the Gardens concert to see Johnny Diaz, Brit Nicole and Third Day. Christine was given a VIP pass to go back and meet Third Day so she was really happy!
Monday was my first day volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club in Kilmarnock. It went really well. So I am super excited about this whole thing, it's totally a God thing that I ended up there. The whole focus of this summer at the Club is teaching children to love. This alone is huge for me because that is the biggest thing that God has been working on in my heart and teaching me since January, it is essentially the reason why I am here in the first place. Another exciting thing about my first day: Mr Carter, the man who runs the Club just happened to run into Scott at Subway on his lunch break and Scott told him about me and explained to him why I am here. Mr Carter then decided to use me as an example in the talk he was already planning on having with the teens that afternoon. He was able to use my story paralleled with his to encourage the teens and in the process I learned alot about him. All the staff at the BGC are incredible and the kids are so in need of love and affection. God placed me in my own little mission field right here :) I'm positive this is where I am supposed to be.
On Tuesday i went to work with Zach and cleaned up a house to make a little money. Wednesday was my first day dogsitting Abby for Margo. That went pretty well also. It was incredibly boring, but the house is on a beautiful, quiet lake with birds everywhere and is going to be a very peaceful place fir me to relax and get away form things in the middle of my busy week. On top of that, Margo is a wonderful, godly woman and very kind. Everywhere I am working God is placing me in the path of amazing people.
Thursday and Friday I was back at BGC. Thursday I had the opportunity to chaperone a field trip for the 6-12 year olds to a place called Westmoreland State Park. It's about an hour outside of Kilmarnock on the Potomac River. The kids spent the day swimming and we spent the day cooking lunch and chasing them. The highlight of the day was when a little 6 year old boy named Cartise lost his underwear and stole another boy's who was at least twice his size. He was convinced they were his though and it took us a good 10 minutes to get him to take them off and give them back to the other boy. The kids had a blast though and I got a chance to realy talk to a couple of the older girls and to get to know the staff better. Overall a very fun day.
Yesterday was just flat out crazy. Apparently Fridays are always the worst but to top it off we were short about 5 staff members and we had a birthday party too. the gym was covered in frosting and lemonade and chasing down a runaway child was a regular event every few minutes. out in the gym there was 4 of us to 50 of them and it was INSANE. When they started to go home though and it chilled out I again had the opportunity to connect with a few of the kids and share our stories. I feel like god has already begub to use me to impact this place and I am SO excited for what is to come.
I'll try to update more often....fireworks with the family tonight, Dad and Elijah leave tomorrow morning for Boy Scout Camp...Monday off of work....Should be a good weekend :)
Love you all!