Oh Summer... You're half-way over

"Tutoring."

I hate how that seems to be my answer for every question:

- "What's your schedule look like tomorrow?"

- "What have you been up to?"

- "Why do you have to leave early?"

- "Why are you so tired?"

Oh, why am I so tired?

I've been tutoring like a mad woman for the last three weeks... and now? Now I feel like I've become a mad woman. My summer hasn't been quite the summer I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, its been an absolutely incredible summer so far... just very, very, very different than I was expecting. But let's be honest, how often do things go the way we expect??

So, back in April I was really excited about two possible jobs this summer: one with Opportunity International and one with World Vision. Either one sounded amazing. I was going to get experience working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in my home country. Really, could it get any better?

Maybe not.

Both of the jobs kind of fell through. I then thought I'd work for an English Institute teaching English at companies. Interesting experience, I thought to myself. But for a variety of reasons that didn't end up working out either.

After Deepika and Carina left, I figured I'd just start tutoring until I figured things out. And now, three weeks later, I've been tutoring on an average of five hours a day. I'm losing my mind... really, I am. However, I'm so thankful for the fact that I have jobs... and that I can make money to cover university expenses in the fall. Also, its quite a plus... but my students are fabulous. I love them all :) So it makes tutoring that much better =D

So, with all that being said...

I can't believe its almost July. Summer really is flying by!!

I'm looking forward to a trip to Prado this weekend :) Hopefully that works out!! And then... (you all can be praying about this) my family is hoping to travel to the Colombian coast to do some ministry with a poor school up in Monteria. We'd be teaching some workshops and then helping out and loving people in the slums in the afternoon :)

Ready or not... Here we goooo :)

I head to Colombia tomorrow.

Tomorrow... for three months.

Three months is just enough time for me to feel like I'm living there, not just visiting. Strange... because I've never actually spent a summer in Colombia. Ever. When I tell people that, they usually look really shocked and ask me to explain. You see, I've spent most summers of my life traveling around North America with my family, visiting supporters. We're normally in the Chicago area for a couple of weeks at a time and then we go off on random adventures to different corners of the United States. In high school, I've spent at least a month in Canada at Camp Medeba. Between my junior and senior year, I was in Uganda. And last summer I was at Medeba the whole summer.

So now, I finally get to spend a summer in Colombia. I'm so excited... and yet, I feel an unexpected nostalgia.

I won't get to experience long, summer evenings. Or lightning bugs at dusk. Or warm, sunny days and then the comforting lull of a summer night. Why these things keep popping into my head, I do not know. It'll be different spending a summer in a place where the sun sets at 6:00 pm and where the weather is always betwen 65 and 75 degrees F (18 and 23 C).

It'll be odd spending a summer working full time.
As of now, I will be working at an English Insitute as an ESL teacher for companies who want their employees to improve their English. This should only be 3-5 hours a day and then in the afternoons, I hope to work with World Vision in some kind of internship. When I'm not doing either of those, I will be helping my dad with the foundation. I'll probably be working on translating the website, so they can have an English version up as well.

It feels unreal that I'll be back in Colombia for enough time to unpack my clothes, settle in and try to feel at home again.

Well, goodbye America. I'll see you on August 12.

Frantic Panic Attacks

Exams are over.

Papers are all turned in.

The weather is great.

Summer is here.

I'm currently writing from Montreat, North Carolina. I can look out the window and see gorgeous trees and hills. Oh, the hills. How I had grown accustomed to the mid-western flatness... and how refreshing seeing hills and mountains has been.

I flew into Asheville yesterday to visit my brother for a couple of days. I only get to see him once or twice a year, so this will be the first time since January and probably the last until next January. I always love hanging out with him. He brings me so much joy; his friendship is unique and I'm constantly thankful that we have more than a friendship... God made us siblings.

We went kayaking this afternoon and as I walked down the road, carrying my kayak, I smiled and told him, "Ahh... now it feels like summer." Walking down the tree-covered road in flip flops with a kayak balancing off my shoulder, on our way to a lake... wonderful. I was determined to learn how to roll, but quite honestly, something about being attached to a boat underwater terrifies me. I panic quickly and begin to frantically flail my arms. No rolls can come about from this franticness.

We did a couple of T-rescues and then he ordered me to flip over and try a roll. My stomach tightened and I struggled to breathe well. I began stalling and I heard my voice switch into a whine quite quickly. Finally, I did it, and sure enough, I was frantically trying to get out of the boat, but was able to wait for his boat to help me out without wet-exiting. The water was freezing and I made a mental note of that, knowing I could use that as an excuse to stop soon.

He was an excellent teacher, but I was quite an awful student. After a major panic attack when I couldn't find his boat and then couldn't properly perform a T-rescue I decided to rest and later got back in the water to try a couple more times.

I still can't do a roll...

But maybe some day I will be able to :)

I'll be here 'till Tuesday and then I'm off to Colombia on Thursday...

Let the summer begin!

Cut and Paste

Half way through second semester. It feels extremely unreal-- as if I just left Colombia a couple of weeks ago. But no, eight weeks later and I'm wondering where the semester went.

This post will be fairly scattered, attempting to give a snapshot of various aspects of my life =). Think of it as cutting parts of my life apart and then pasting them all together in one blog post.

Life in America is still, well you know, life in America. I've definitely had highs and lows; I've watched my heart change and break and grow. In January I was really struggling with the fact that I was back in America-- my heart longed to be in Colombia, working with my hands and loving those who are visibly poor. February reminded me of all the ministry opportunities here: the poor in spirit. And now, now its March. God is moving and my heart skips a beat when I get a glimpse of his Spirit transforming lives.

I've been in limbo-land when it comes to Christian ministries on campus. Last semester I was involved with Cru, but for a variety of reasons I decided to look for another fellowship. After several weeks of traveling around, I've narrowed down my choice to the Navigators and InterVarsity. I've enjoyed both tremendously and have seriously been challenged in my faith through friendships I've developed there. My goal was to choose a ministry by the end of February, but that didn't happen. So maybe by the end of March?

 

Over spring break I'll be flying down to Florida to spend a week with my grandparents. I'm looking forward to this time with them, because I haven't seen them for a couple of months and rarely get more than a weekend with them when I do see them.

Summer 2011 is approaching and am I ever ready!

I'll be flying down to Colombia before the 20th of May and hope to be there until late August. I'm looking for jobs or internship opportunities with various ministries in Colombia.

Yesterday I found out that two of my friends, Deepika and Carina, will be coming to Colombia for a month this summer. Besides shrieking and giggling like crazy, I could not wipe the stupid smile off my face for a couple of hours. I'm so excited to spend this time with them and Natis in Colombia this summer.

Tyler will be coming down in July for a week or two. It will be amazing to have her see that entire sphere of my life that is so foreign to her. Chrissy will be coming if she gets a certain job in the next couple of weeks. Karissa (another good friend) might be coming as well.

Hahahaha. Needless to say, it will be quite the summer of visitors, but I am incredibly excited.