Unpacking

I love unplacking/doing laundry after camping and/or mission trips. Why? Because all i have to do is fold clothes. rarely ever are you supposed to bring something that requires closet space camping. I do not have very much closet space. or very much of a desire to hang up clothes. More about the trip tomorrow! Thanks for praying!

King City Mission Trip

As I was praying for an upcoming adventure, I realized that I hadn't told you (I don't even know who you are) about it!

On Saturday morning, Bryan and I are going with the high school group to King City, CA. We are doing a VBS for the kids there in the mornings, and in the afternoons some will be doing construction and others will be hanging out with the kids and their parents at the park.

I am pretty excited about the trip. The last time I did something like this was my sophomore year of college. I mean, having been on staff with Campus Crusade, I did my share of missions, but this is different. I don't really know any of the students going, and I don't really know what to expect. I have gotten closer with some of the female adult leaders, but not necessarily super comfortable with them (yet). So, I could really use some prayer!

memory verse in progress...

I honestly can't wait to talk to some of the spanish speaking women and children there, and hear about their lives and talk to them about God. I think working with the high school kids will present an interesting challenge and excitement as well.

We leave on Saturday, and I will come back the following Wednesday for work. Please be praying for health (I am fighting a weird cold/flu thing), energy, excitement, and the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Thanks!!!!

some of the high school kids practicing VBS skits

Subtle

I have brown boots that I got a couple years ago online for about $20. Those oh so expensive boots began to wear down this winter, and last time it rained my socks got soaking wet. I started to look for new ones, but couldn't find any that I liked that weren't insanely expensive.

Cue awesome bf.

Hey Kel, do you like these boots? Me: heck yeah.

awesome bf: well good, cause i ordered them for you.

My boots came to my house yesterday, hand delivered. Can't wait to wear them.

Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads...

Last Thursday I experienced one of the most difficult situations I hope I will ever encounter.

I am going to be vague because I must, but I will try to get the point across. I encountered twin girls, age 7 who had severe behavioral issues. Within an hour of arriving at the home, one of them began to hit, kick, scratch and pull the hair of other residents. She ran outside, into the street. She proceeded to take of all of her clothes and run around the house in just her pull-up. She then jumped on her bed, climbed of her dresser, and tried to jump and climb off of a second floor banister. Her sister and the other residents just watched while myself and our staff tried to keep her from hurting herself.

Fearing that she would eventually hurt herself, we called a mental health professional to evaluate her. The Doctor declared that she was a threat to herself and others, and that she needed to be moved to a higher level facility.

I then had the job of persuading the 7 year old child to get into the ambulance and go with the EMTs. I will spare you the heart wrenching details, mostly because I have yet to tell the story without crying. Not that there is anything wrong with tears, but my emotions are not the point of this post.

The point is, that no matter what I said, no matter what I did, nothing was going to reassure this seven year old that being buckled into an ambulance with two strangers, without her sister, or her mother, was a good idea. She screamed, and she yelled and she was scared. I would be too.

I can't seem to get the picture out of my head, especially when I am trying to sleep. (Hence the late night post) But then I think of her, and that she doesn't exactly have visions of sugar plums dancing in her head either. And I pray. I pray for her. For her sister. For their family. I pray for the plan the Lord has for all of them. I pray for the love that he has for all of us. I pray for a world that has been so overcome by sin, that a 7 year old child is wearing the effects of it.

We live in a fallen world indeed. I praise God that He has given us a Lord and Redeemer over this fallen world.

Walk on the (not so) Wild Side

Today Bry and I went to Harvey Bear County Park which is east of San Martin, just south of Morgan Hill. It was a B-E-A utiful day, and we decided to get outside and enjoy the weather.

The view

Also while we were there, I was educated on Speckle Belly Geese and Coots ( a type of bird that apparently doesn't taste very good.)

The Geese

One of the geese got separated from the rest of the gaggle (yes, a group of geese is in fact called a gaggle) which led to Bry and I's own version of BBC's Walk on the Wild Side. At any rate, it was a very nice day and great company.

I love that this place is only 15 minutes from where I live. Makes me miss camping. I love being outside, camping, being in the mountains.... its just all so relaxing.

What a Week!

Whew.... this week was full. I worked a lot, which can sometimes be a little draining. The kids that I work with are all in the Foster Care System. Most of the youth that I work with have either been abused or neglected, and that is why they are "in the system." Some have been from foster home to foster home, and have severe behavioral issues.

My job with the kids is to communicate with their schools, their social workers, their therapists and their families (where permissible) while they are staying with us at the Group Home. The kids are anywhere from ages 6-18 and stay for a varying length of time. I wish I could tell you more...but I can't. Sometimes it is just so difficult to remain encouraged. It was hard this week. Harder than it has been in awhile. There is just so much sin and corruption...and these kids.... it just brings me to the Lord even more.

This week I found a good devotional that will take me through the Bible in a year. The Word has always been the best way for me to stay encouraged. Above and beyond anything else. (sidenote: I rarely ever stay on top of things like this daily...but I am honestly going to try)

Reminder from Piper

real quick: stole this from John Piper's ministry's website (www.desiringgod.org). Its a sermon from 1998 on humility. Echoes what I was being reminded to pray about last week

James 4:13–17

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Humility agrees and is glad that God governs the beating of our hearts and our safe arrival at every destination. If we get there, God got us there. And if we don’t get there, God willed that we not get there. Humility gets down under this sovereign providence and nestles there gladly.