Beautiful Feet Boot Camp

Wow, Y'all... thanks for hangin in there with me. My life has been FULL of Beautiful Feet Boot Camp here in Oklahoma City! From 6:30am to 10:30pm I was on the go. Devotions, physical training, classes, chores, classes, homework, outreach, girls night, movie night, homework, projects... and on and on and on! BUT... lo and behold... I am to graduate tomorrow on Novemeber 18th, 2006!

Boot Camp has been great! Our class is 21 strong with the additional 8 children, and two unborn boot camp babies. :) We have survived a ropes coarse, challenges, camping adventure, Mexico, physical training, survival trip, speeches, and evaluations. 21 adults and 8 children have been approved to travel overseas! We are ready for our next assignment!

And the best news is.... I am headed to India!!!!

That's right... India here I come! My goal...(right now) is to learn Hindi. A challenge in itself! But I'm definately up for it. I still have a program that I used while I was in India last time. Hindi will become my homework now. :)

But first... home for the Holidays! I'll be flying home Monday the 20th, where I will be spending some time with my parents, my sister and her family and even my uncle Richard from California. He's flying in for Thanksgiving. After his visit comes to a close... I will be traveling to Chicago to visit my buddies at Wheaton for a few weeks. Then I hope to see my sister's new home in Wisconsin before I return home and prepare to leave for India. The holidays look to be a busy time for me... but I am looking forward to seeing my family. I've not been home since May and even then it was just for a few days.

I want to leave you with a few pictures from Boot Camp. It will give you some idea of what I was blessed to be a part of these past few months. Again thanks for hangin in there with me. Please feel free to post a comment.

I'm packin my bags again!

I leave on Saturday morning for a new adventure! My time at Link Care is winding down and I have just a few days left. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute that I have had here. I have learned so much about counseling basics and just how to come alongside someone where they are. I have met some great people, acquired some skills and enjoyed California all at the same time. Now... I'm switching gears and heading off to Choctaw, Oklahoma which is just East of Oklahoma City.

I will be starting my training for what I hope will be future overseas work. I will be a 'student' again for 5 months... learning from other seasoned overseas workers. I will learn practical lessons like how to learn a new language and different steps to take in that process. I will learn about how to work on a team and ways to best utilize the gifts of everyone present. I will grow in my understanding of cross-cultural issues and contextualization. And I will even physically gain some muscle and hopefully loose some fat through a physical training program. I will be meeting new people, learning and experiencing new things and going to new places. We will be traveling to Mexico for a few weeks to apply the skills we learn and, in a sense, practice living and working overseas.

I am truely excited and a little nervous about this next step. I am having to trust the Lord a lot in this move. Everything will be new again... Just simply meeting new people can be a stressful thing for me. I will need to make friends again and that isn't just a scary thing for little kids who move to a new school... it's scary for me too and I'm almost 28 years old! I have had to raise my financial and prayer support for this phase of my life and I am still uncertain about how much money I have and how much I am still needing. This is something that I feel that I have had to continually give over to God and trust that He is providing as he has done so faithfully in the past. I am grateful that it is stretching my faith and deepening my dependance upon him. If I could do it all on my own... than why would I need God? So I thank the Lord that I am weak... and that I can do nothing good... and nothing period... without his mercies in my life. Praise to him... the Lord Almighty... for He has been good to me and He is trustworthy in his promises to take care of our needs! I look forward to when I can write and encourage you in giving the testimony of how He came through with the finances for my training!

Until then... be in prayer for me that I will trust and believe in his promises. Pray that I will make friends quickly and easily. And pray that I will grow in my wisdom, understanding and application of the lessons and tools that I will be given in this time of training and preparation. Thanks to you all for your prayers and support!

Blessings & Peace!

Sailing in the San Fransisco Bay

I just returned from a visit with my uncle who lives in the San Fransisco Bay area. I took the Amtrak train up and back. There was a frieght train derailment on Wednesday when I left and so I had to bus it part of the way up. My uncle recently purchased a 32 ft Pearson sailboat. It is quite a nice boat and we got to go sailing a few days. Thursday we went out into the Bay for a few hours and just sailed under the Bay Bridge. Friday we headed out for an overnight. We started out with good winds and we sailed past Alcatraz Island and saw Angel Island from a distance. We sailed close to the city too, but I was making sandwiches then so didn't get to see it up close. We ended up anchoring in Richardson Bay for the evening. We saw plenty of huge freight ships and one that had come all the way from China. We saw lots of other sail boats and even some sea lions swimming around. The evening on the boat was nice and peaceful. I woke up only once when the boat was rocking from the waves. In the morning we headed further North in the Bay, past Angel island on the North side and checked out another possible anchoring spot before heading back. We got some great wind on the way back in and made some good time over the water. I admit my nervousness when the boat heeled over with the wind. I guess I just wasn't sure how far it could heel over without capsizing. It was a great time on the water and and even better time visiting with my uncle. We don't get to see each other much seeing that I live in Indiana and he in California. I was grateful to have the opportunity to come up and go sailing with him. Below are some pictures that he took of me on the boat.

More of Yosemite

Here are a few more pictures for your enjoyment!

Yosemite National Park

This is Vernal Falls. We hiked up to the top of it and the picture above is the view looking down.
My friend Rachel blessed me with her presence the first weekend of June. She decided to come out for a short visit and we went to Yosemite National Park! We saw lots of amazing things... praised the Lord a ton for his beautiful creation and even stayed overnight in a tent cabin. We saw the huge Sequoia trees, explored several different water falls, got to romp in the snow at 70 degrees and saw some amazing views. It was truely a wonderful two day adventure to Yosemite National Park. These are some pictures of our time there. The top two are of Vernal Falls, then there is the Sequoia trees one of which I am standing on. This was a tree that had been tunneled out back in the 1800's and it toppled not too many years ago as a result of heavy snow accumulation. Sequoia trees drop huge pine cones too! As you can see in one picture. The picture above of the falls is Bridalveil Falls. We got a little wet looking at that one. Notice the rainbow. :) Overall, Rachel and I had a wonderful time!

As for the other happenings in my life... I've begun the process of getting ready to go to Beautiful Feet Boot Camp hosted by Heart of God Ministries. If you haven't heard and would like more info shoot me an email or leave a comment and I'll fill you in. I've got two and half weeks left in Fresno finishing up my internship and I'm flying to Oklahoma City on the 1st of July. I'll be there as long as the finances hold up or until November... whichever comes first. :)

This week, I am excited because I get to go and see my uncle in the Bay area! We're going SAILING!!! I'm really looking forward to it. It's been a while since I've spent some time with my Uncle and so I'm looking forward to catching up with him. I also get to experience travel on the Amtrak train system out here in California. Hopefully all goes well. Well that's the scoup for now... stay in touch and drop a line anytime.

Sunny California!

I'm here! I made it out to sunny Fresno, California! We broke into the 90 degree temperatures today, I got to eat at Marie Callendars, I saw my first client with my supervisor and I got a beautiful bouquet of freshly cut roses for my apartment (from the rose bushes on the campus)! Today was a good day.

I have settled into my huge apartment, made my first grocery run and set up my office too - yep, I actually got my own office!!! Wasn't expecting that. We had our weekly chapel today and had some team meetings regarding a few of the clients here at the center. I looks as if this is going to be a very productive internship experience for me. I am so looking forward to all that I will have the opportunity to learn while I am here. The staff here are great too. They have been so welcoming and helpful to me as I am getting settled and finding my way around.

Graduation from Wheaton was great! Thanks to all of you who were able to come and celebrate with me. My time at Wheaton went by so quickly. I will miss my profs, my class cohort and my dear friends. As hard as it is to leave and start over again, there is an aspect about it that is exciting. New people to meet and new experiences to have. I am grateful to God for being there through it all. He truely has provided in huge ways, physically, emotionally and spiritually. He has never let me down and I believe that he never will. Heck I have been able to do so much and it is only because of God's grace. He made it possible for me to get a Masters Degree, He provided for my internship and He financed both! Our God is a faithful, loving and caring God. He looks out for us more than we even look out for ourselves. Thank you Lord for all that you have done and for all that you are doing!

I'm done !!!

Finnally! I'm all done!!! I finished my last paper yesterday and I took my last finally yesterday too! No more papers, no more tests, no more projects or lectures! YIPPPEEEE!!!!

I will walk through graduation this Saturday the 7th of May but I won't officially finish my degree program until after I finish my internship this summer. OH YEAH... I know what I'm going to do this summer... well at least for the first half anyway. I'll be in Fresno, California for 6 weeks working with Link Care. I will finish up there near the end of June and then... well I'm still waiting to hear about what will happen after that. Keep checking my site... and you'll know when I do. :)

So that's it! I'll have a Masters of Counseling Ministries by the end of the summer. My official completion of my program will be in August so I won't see my actual diploma until then. Thanks for hangin in there with me. I'm just taking these next few days in Wheaton to pack up my room and hang with my friends. My folks are coming for my graduation on Friday and I fly out to Fresno on Monday... I'm a busy girl!

Stay in touch... you never know what will happen next with me! :)

The Uncertainties of Life

I've never been very good with not knowing what's going to happen next. Even with an evening out with friends it's nice to know what's going on all evening before I commit to anything. Well, these past few weeks have been torture for me (not really, but they have been hard). See, I graduate on May 6th and I have to do an internship this summer between the time frame of May 8th and June 25th. I have had two different internships lined up during the coarse of this semester and both of them have fallen through. Just this past week, I had to start from square one again. :( Long story short - I still have no idea what I'm going to do this summer and it is only three weeks away!

Alas, I am managing. My friends are keeping me sane and I am reminded of the times that the Lord has provided for me in the past. This encourages me that He will be faithful to provide for me now. I am still nervous and anxious about what I'm going to have to do, how much it will cost, whether or not I'll have the funds and what I'll need to take with me, etc. I like to plan ahead and in this case, I am forced to have to wait till the last minute and trust that God has got all the details worked out - even the finances.

With all that to say... I really don't have much to update you all on - other than the fact that I still don't know what I'm doing this summer. I'm working on the possibilities and I'm still hoping that I can go to the training that I wanted to go to in Oklahoma that starts in July. My internship is my priority right now though and so as long as that can get done before then. I would appreciate your prayers for my patience and trust in God's provision. After all that He has done for me, you'd think it would be easier to trust him... but with each new thing that comes alone, I still have to fight the temptation of thinking that I can handle it on my own.
Grace and Peace to all!

Beach Bums

Here we are at the end of our few days on St. Simons Island in the south of Georgia. The three of us (Callie, Rachel and I) traveled down to South Georgia for our spring break. It was a really good break. The weather was nice enough to lay out and get some sun. We also rented bicycles and rode around the island, I played tennis with Rachel and we threw the frisbee around on the beach. It was great fun and a nice relaxing time away from school. We stopped off at Rachel's parents house in Georgia and also at my home in Indiana.

Now it's back to school... I've got some projects to work on for this week and I need to catch up on some of my readings too. One thing is for sure... the break was well worth it and much needed. I think now, I've got enough energy to finish out the semester strong. :) Now I just need to find a place to do my internship. Please lift this up for me, when you read this. I am hoping to find something that fits just right. I trust that the Lord will provide. Thanks much. I'll post some more pictures of our trip as soon as I get them developed and in digital format. Check back soon.

My Girls

Hear are my girls! These are the women who have been a huge part of my fellowship while here at Wheaton. This picture was taken after a birthday party for Yen (middle). From Left to Right we are: Becky, Me, Yen, Callie and Rachel. I am so blessed to have these women in my life. They have been such good friends. I thank God for them daily.

Internship News

I recently received news that the internship that I was hoping to attend in Cambodia over the summer will not be an option for me any longer. Apparently there are some new requirements for which I am not able to meet at this time. As a result, I am now looking for another internship site. I am hoping to do something that is closer to the line of work that I am persuing and I am looking into my different options at this time. Please be lifting this up for me. I want to be in a place were I will get some helpful experience for my future work overseas. I will need to complete my internship between early May and mid-June. I need to clock at least 150 hours of time for my degree requirements. I am trusting that something will come up soon. My program has been pretty flexible in the past for the Counseling Ministries students so I am pretty hopeful that it will all work out.

What a Weekend!

It was Sunday of this last weekend that myself and 4 other dear friends were blessed with the unique opportunity to go Ice Fishing! It was free fishing weekend on Lake Missaukee in North West Michigan. It was the first time that most of us had been ice fishing and we actually caught 4 fish!!! They were all small, but we caught one perch and 3 blue gill. It was a COLD and ICY adventure but it was fun and exciting too! It's not every day that you get the chance to go ice fishing.

My friend Rachel (the one in the middle holding the fish), who is from Georgia, drove her nice big Tahoe out on the lake. She was a little nervous about it... honestly, I was too...but we were reassured when we saw 3 big trucks exiting the lake as we were driving down. :) The ice was actually about a foot thick and we made it off the lake dry and in one piece. It was nice to have the vehicle there too cause it blocked the wind while we were fishing!














We all had a great time. Our weekend was full of adventure. On Saturday we went snow skiing at http://www.caberfaepeaks.com for most of the day. It was a FRIDGID day with high temperatures only in the single digits! We bundled up and kept ourselves relatively warm. Skiing was a lot of fun. I've not been that often and so consequently I was the one who was most often on the ground, but I still had a lot of fun. It was a nice break away from school for a few days. I'm glad to have spent it with some great friends that I have made while at Wheaton! For now, it's back to work for a few weeks until spring break the week of March 6-10.

Wheaton Counseling Ministries Studies

Well, not much new has been going on with me. I'm still plugging away at classes...

Let's see, what did I do of interest last week???? Oh, I got to interview a wonderful little girl and her mom. This was an assignment for my Child & Adolescent Development and Treatment class. Basically what I did was an 'intake interview'. It consisted of asking questions about the childs birth; developmental stages such as talking, walking and toilet training; functioning at school; relationships with parents and siblings as well as friends and strangers; behavioral patterns (normal and abnormal) and a few other items. After talking to the mom, I got to spend some play time with the girl. We talked about school and her parents. She drew me some great pictures which provided the basis for our conversation. The goal was to get an idea of her overall level of functioning in order to make a treatment plan. My interview was with a healthy child and so there will be no need for treatment. Wheeeew! Not sure I'm quite ready for that yet. :)

I got a small break today for what is called faculty development day. Not exactly sure what they are developing, but I DO appreciate some time off to catch up with my reading assignments. Let's see... I have my work done for tomorrow... and one of four chapters read for Monday. Still got a lot to do for Tuesday, 5-6 chapters to read and a write up for one class and 4 chapters to read with a critique and an essay for the other class. Then I got a quiz next Wednesday and 2 chapters to read. Really, my life isn't all that interesting right now... this is pretty much the extent of what I think about every night... "what do I have to work on next?" Wish I had something more interesting to share with you - still I figured I'd clue you all in to the excitement of Graduate school! :) Till next time... I'm pressing on... :)

Skype!

Hey All, I found this great tool! Okay, I didn't find it, someone told me about it, but it's still great! It allows you to call anywhere in the world (on your computer), granted that the other person has an account too. The best thing is - it's free!! Check it out on line at http://www.skype.com! If you decide to sign up, let me know and I'll give you my sign-on name.

Class, Class and More Class

I am officially back in school! Although I am still waiting for a few textbooks to arrive, classes are in full swing and I am busier than ever. Most of my time - surprisingly - is spent READING! I used to love reading. I guess the love comes with the option to read what you want when you want to. I don't have that option now. :( All in all, I can't complain too much. I really am excited about my classes this semester. Let's see... Monday, I have 'Counseling Challenges in Ministry' - good one. Then I have 'Child and Adolescent Development and Treatment' - a little more challenging, but still interesting. Tuesday, I have my favorite classes, 'Spiritual Direction and Care of the Soul' and 'Theological Anthropology'. Wednesday, I have 'Foundations II' - a 'required for all' class that gives us the opportunity to communicate as a department and class. I also have 'Family Systems' on Wednesday - another good one. My last class is my 'Group Therapy' that is on Friday mornings. In addition to all these classes, I am also working 9 hours at the Student Health Services on campus. Call me crazy, but this is my semester! Press on...

Christmas and the New Year have Come & Gone

Well, my break from school is almost over. I head back to Wheaton College Graduate school this week. I have some loose ends to tie before starting the spring semester. This break has been a nice rest from the craziness of school. I have just one more semester before I am done with classes and then a brief 6 week internship in the early summer. I am looking forward to this semester. My class load will be heavy and the work challenging, but I am excited to learn new things and grow in my understanding of this thing called Counseling.

Much of my time at school involves looking hard at my own life and how my experiences play into the how and why I do what I do. I must say that it is a good thing to take some time and have a hard long look at yourself, the goods, the bads, and the possible whys of who you are. I have discovered many things. The one thing I return to often is that I am a Child of HIS and that my worth is found in HIM alone and not in my abilities, personality or lack there of. This has been a great truth for me. Thank you for being a part of my life in whatever way you have been. Every person, every interaction that I have had, has made me the person that I am today and I am greatful for your contributions to my life!