Off to Honduras

After once again tackling the "wild and wonderful" forests of West Virginia, I safely made it back to Kentucky.

The night before my trip home, a huge storm hit Virginia, West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. The Weckerlein's trees suffered some damage, but thankfully their house was okay. I didn't expect the storm to cause any problems for my trip home, but boy was I wrong.

Long story short, no electricity = no way to pump gas. After searching for a gas station, with the fear of running out of gas before I found one, I waited for 45 minutes for it. West Virginia, you never cease to amaze me.

I've been home for 5 days now and head to Honduras tomorrow. No, of course I haven't started packing yet. I don't have to be at the airport until 5:45 AM. That's plenty of time. Plus, I haven't completely unpacked from DC. I've been too excited finding out and preparing for a new niece and spending time with my family and friends.


That's right, I'm going to be an aunt again and I'm super excited!

It's been 5 years since my last trip to Honduras. I'm very anxious to go back and see what God has planned for the team and me. I have been asked to prepare and teach a short lesson to go along with one of the programs that we'll be doing at the schools. I know, I'm talking to a bunch of kids, but I'm still nervous. I'm not nervous because I'm speaking in front of people, but because I want to communicate clearly and communicate the gospel.

As I said before, I will be blogging while I'm there and hopefully some of my fellow teammates will be willing to write posts as well. Thank you for all of you who have supported me and the team financially and prayerfully. They have been greatly appreciated.

Only at the Weckerlein's

There are many words I could choose to describe the Weckerlein's. 

They've been very hospitable, taken care of me while I've been sick, fed my ice cream addiction and much more. They're always entertaining and there is always something going on in the house.  I'm very thankful for their kindness, friendliness and all the laughs and good times.

I've lived here almost 5 weeks and was inspired to write this post when I found the item in the first picture below.

Honestly, I think these pictures will explain them better than I can with words. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

This is a toy that only speaks Italian. There is also a play kitchen set that speaks English, French AND Spanish. I'm not sure why the kids aren't multilingual yet.

The contraption that is on the toilet seat is a CitiKitty Cat Toilet Training Kit. Yes, it's exactly what you think it is. Martin is training Ellie and Kiwi (the cats) as well as Lola (3 year old daughter) to use the toilet. Although Lola is not expected, nor encouraged to use the toilet with the litter.

Have you ever seen the TLC show "Extreme Couponing"? Martin could be on that show. While he doesn't collect and store quite as much as those people do, he has a good stash. The Weckerlein's are definitely ready for a zombie apocalypse.

Photo taken by Julie

And these cute kids are here as well. I'm definitely going to miss these sweet smiling faces and the not so smiling faces. 

If you didn't check out Julie and Martin's blog from when I first posted the link, you really need to. Your second opportunity is HERE

Sick

That's right, less than a week left in DC and I'm sick.

I know I don't need tissues, but they're there for dramatic effect

About 2 weeks ago I started to get nauseous everyday around 11. At first I thought it might be because my lunch schedule was different and I was just hungry. I started snacking at work all day rather than sitting down and eating a lunch. Accompanied with the teasing from my fellow intern about always "grazing," it didn't seem to help.

I tried to tough it out, until my lower back started to hurt and it became painful to lay on my back. Finally, after being unable to sleep, because of the nausea and back pain, I decided I should probably see a doctor.

I sent a text to my mom saying, "Don't freak out, but I think I may have a kidney infection." Of course, she was immediately concerned and told me to see a doctor ASAP. Being the good daughter that I am, I obeyed.

After talking with a doctor and a test, she confirmed that I have a kidney infection. Thankfully she didn't see hospitalization as necessary, but told me to rest today, of course drink lots of fluids and return to work tomorrow.

It was frustrating for me to go back to the Weckerlein's with only a week left of my internship. Thankfully USCIRF was very understanding and encouraged that I rest today, as well. Because I'm going to Honduras next week, I figured it wise to rest up, because being sick in a foreign country is definitely no fun. Been there, done that and yes, I do have a t shirt.

My Last Weekend in DC

It is so hard to believe that I will be heading home a week from today. I've had awesome experiences and a blast while in DC/Virginia. The Weckerleins have been wonderful hosts and I am going to miss city life. I do miss the Bluegrass State and will be glad when Ruby (my truck) is part of my daily commute again.

I have made an effort to hit some of the touristy spots while here and have been successful for the most part.

Last Sunday, the Weckerleins, Julie's friend and I all went to Arlington Cemetery. It was Father's Day, so we saw a lot of balloons and flowers placed by children of the fallen soldiers. Talk about sobering and  being so thankful for their sacrifice.


Today was my last chance to squeeze in any DC spots that I still wanted to see and to hang out with Lyman, Katie and Allie. The only place that I was dying to go to was Georgetown Cupcakes. After waiting in a line for a bit, we tasted the famous sweet cupcakes. They were totally worth the wait.

After lunch and cupcakes we decided to walk the mall and see if anything was going on. I was excited, because I really wanted to run across the Capitol reflection pool like the scene in Forrest Gump when Jenny runs across it. I know, I'm ridiculous, but my mission was accomplished.

My Friends are Cooler Than Yours

I realize with a title like that I sound like a dramatic middle school girl and I know what they are like, because I once was one.

It's true though. Most of my friends are doing amazing things this summer and most are blogging about it too. 

Abby and Daniel are working at Yellowstone National Park. I'm not exactly sure what all they do other than hike and see lots of bears, but they look like they're having a blast while doing it. Check out Abby's blog It's the Experience.

My lovely roommate Cassie is interning with CURE in Kenya for almost 2 months this summer. She has such a big heart for serving and helping others. The pictures of the cute kids she helps heal make it worth checking out her blog Won't Turn Back. If you leave a comment, tell her I miss her.




 

My future apartmentmate Jane is traveling to London to work at the summer Olympics. She's been blogging for awhile and although she doesn't update much, I know she'll be blogging about her adventures in London. She's super sweet and one of the most encouraging people I know. Check out Jane Loves Words

Max is road tripping out westward with some hometown friends. I'm not sure the purpose in it other than just having a good time, but he's a photographer for the Air Force so his pictures are always great @TheRechCenter 






I also have friends that have gone or are going to Peru, Ecuador, Northern Ireland, Uganda, Guatemala and I don't even know where else.They are all serving in some capacity and I've enjoyed praying for them and seeing what experiences and opportunities God has given them. Lots of them are working at the Olympics and I am jealous, but I can't complain too much. I'm still loving it here in D.C.

A Girls' Night at the Outdoor FIlm Festival in the City

Yesterday was back in the office and like any Monday, I was tired and not excited about waking up at 6 A.M. I am not a morning person. My mother and roommate can attest to that. Those of you who are, you have a special gift and I envy you.

Although I was tired, I was looking forward to the evening, because Katie had invited me to go to a movie in the park with her that evening. I cleared things from my not so busy DC social life schedule and agreed to go.

Katie and I met on Saturday when we went to Eastern Market with our mutual friends Lyman and Chad. We hit it off as soon as we began browsing through the market, talking about our internships and love of all things communications oriented and social media. We may have even discussed renting an apartment together in DC after we both graduate in May.

I met Katie and her fellow intern, Allie in Chrystal City for an outdoor screening of the Wedding Singer. I know it's hard to believe, but none of us had ever seen the movie, but we all loved it. Chrystal City is hosting an outdoor film festival every Monday night at sunset in the summer, so we decided to make it a weekly outing.

The venue is a little patch of grass with 3 walls of tall office buildings, which gives it a cozy feeling. The warm breeze, the feeling of the blanket on the grass and the good company made it a great night. I'm already excited for Sweet Home Alabama next week.

New Shoes and Metro Fiasco

I was really excited about today, because it was going to be my first hearing experience on Capitol Hill, but it didn't happen exactly has planned.

A girl from the office and I agreed to meet in the building rather than going into work first. I was planning on being there a bit early so that I could save us seats. 

I was going along my normal metro route when we suddenly stopped. 

The metro stops from time to time, but we were sitting for an unusually long amount of time. Finally the conductor came on the intercom and said that a customer had gotten sick at a stop and we were to stay there until it was clear. 

I had no service and was stuck underground when I was supposed to be sitting among politicians discussing important world changing issues. I decided to get off and walk from the stop where we were. I knew it wasn't far to the mall. 

I whipped out my iPhone and typed in the building where I was to meet my coworker. It said it was a mile away, which seemed odd, but I was in a hurry so I quickly followed the directions.

As I started looking around I realized that there was a much shorter path I could have taken. When I referred back to my iPhone I realized that I was looking at driving directions, not walking directions.

I dashed past the Washington Monument, cut through the botanical gardens (which are beautiful), skipped past a bunch of Smithsonian museums and finally made it to the correct building, but not without wounds. As soon as I stopped I became very aware of the blisters on my feet and how hot and disgusting I felt from my jet black, heat conducting, suit jacket.

Once we found the correct room, there were no seats and they were not allowing people to stand. I didn't even get to go to the hearing after all.

I was really excited, because my district representative was going to be there and they were talking about issues I had been learning and studying about at USCIRF. 

We took a taxi back to the office and although I was really bummed, it was my first ever taxi ride. Being a taxi driver is something I could never do. I'm too scared to honk at people and I always let pedestrians cross instead of zooming past them and nearly running them over. 

We listened to the hearing through the web cast, which was super short and not very exciting like I hoped it would be.

So much for new shoes and a new jacket. Better luck next time.

Day 1: Adventre Awaits

It is only a little after 9 PM and I'm about to fall asleep while typing this. Today was exhausting and energizing all at the same time.

I'm officially a metro expert. Okay, so not quite an expert, but I can navigate my way around DC. Martin dropped me off at the metro station after telling me what rails to take and showing me a super useful app that shows metro routes. Being from a suburban area, public transportation is scary and just not used, so having the metro as my daily commute is exciting. Judging from the coffee chugging, half asleep people on the train, I think I was the only person excited to be on the metro this morning. I easily found the office building after getting off at the Union Station stop. I had some time to kill, so I sat in a small cafe on the bottom floor of the the office building and I drank coffee before I decided to take the trek up to the 7th floor.

After going over a lot of intro and orientation kind of things, I was sent to work on research. Now research is not my favorite, but looking up what congressmen have supported and help get enacted is really cool. It ranged from human rights resolutions to the initiation of American Cowboy day.

I considered going back to the cafe for lunch, but knew that there was just too much that I wanted to see. I decided to buy lunch from a street vendor and eat while walking around and exploring. I waded through the middle school kids in their matching bright red shirts, checked out what the street vendors had to offer and even saved a basketball from being demolished by a bus and all in high heels. 

I'm still processing all that I learned and took in today and can't exactly organize it into a coherent readable format. I promise more details will come later. I'm already loving DC and can't wait to see all the museums and American history that I miss out on in Kentucky. I'm just down the street from the capitol and may or may not have snapped this picture while crossing the street.

I have so much more I want to see and do. This is definitely going to be a fun 5 weeks.

Warm Welcomes

Today was a long day of driving though rain, mountains and worst of all ... West Virginia. I don't know what it is about West Virginia, but it's a scary place. I decided to drive straight through it rather than taking the interstate. It was beautiful, but I drove past places like "Possom Hollar Farm". Now you see why I tried not to stop?

I finally made it to the wonderful Weckerlein home. I was greeted by the sweet smiling faces of the Weckerlein girls who welcomed me home like a long lost friend. Miss C showed me her one and only onion that she is growing and so proud of as well as plucked  a baby pear off the backyard pear tree for me. She is very bright and thoughtful. She offered to wake me up with a whistle tomorrow morning. I thanked her, but said I have an alarm clock so it wouldn't be necessary. Baby Jaz is super cute and has a smile that will melt a girl's heart.

Lola is a girl after my own heart. She is the epitome of me 18 years ago. She is into everything, always on an adventure and a dare devil. She called me her best friend and asked to say goodnight to me before she went to bed. We're definitely going to be good friends.

I officially start my internship tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited. I'm nervous, but God has certainly given me a sense of peace through prayer and staying with such a hospitable family. Check out the Weckerlein blog HERE. 

All Things Work Together for My Good (Part 2)

In Janruary I wrote a post about the great opportunity I had to serve in France this summer as an internship to fulfill my international internship requirement. Then in April I wrote an update about going to the Pentagon for an internship as well as Honduras for another. Well, things have changed......again.

Some things didn't come together for the Pentagon and although I'm bummed that I will not be interning there, I still have a great opportunity in DC. My friend Chad heard about my predicament and told me that the Government Communiations Department at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom had an open communications intern position. In fear that the Pentagon might fall through, I decided to apply for the position. After emailing my resume and two phone interviews later, I was offered the position and accepted it.

I'm not exactly sure what all I will be doing, but I know they are wanting me to begin more of an online presence for them, especially in social media. Being the nerd that I am, this is something that my friend Jane and I talk about often.

Once again, God has worked out everything for his glory and for my good. It definitely wasn't the way I had planned my summer or the way I thought it would work out, but I know he has great things planned for me in DC and I'm excited to see what they will be. Don't worry, I'll be blogging while in DC.  

The End of the School Year Sentimental Post

That's right, it's the end of the school year and I'm becoming sentimental and reflective of my past three years here at Asbury.  Freshman year I was the class president, Sophomore year I was the class vice-president, this year I headed up the Special Events Committee and rocked Asbury's first all school dance.  It's been a great experience and I've collected so many memories. This time next year is going to be rough.

I'm excited to see what God has in store for me this summer. I've written down my list of summer goals and although I'm not working on solving world hunger this summer, it should be fun. I have an internship at the Pentagon and am going to Honduras. Bring on the adventure.

I still have one more year, but having friends that are just a year older than me graduating next week, I feel as though I need to figure the rest of my life out. Do I go to grad school or just find a big girl job? I'll just try to get through the summer for now. 

Internship Update

A couple of months ago I wrote a post about the great internship opportunity that I had in France for this summer and I want to update my supporters.

Sadly, that opportunity has fallen through due to my hostess becoming very ill. Thankfully God has provided me with another opportunity to go to Honduras with my church, Wellington Church.

I will help organize a team to go and aid the established medical clinic as well as host VBS programs at churches and school. I have been to Honduras twice and the last time I visited I was 16. I'm excited and thrilled to visit friends I've stayed in touch with and visit such a beautiful place again. I'm serious, check it out:

via

I will try to write posts while I'm there, but I may not have internet access. If not, I will post entries when I return. Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

One of my favorite classes this semester is French Canadian Lit. I know, it sounds awful, but the conversations we have in that class make it entertaining. For example, today my professor explained that he had a band-aid on his hand, because his cat bit him, Judas the cat. I found the name very fitting and hilarious.

Sometimes we talk about what God is doing and how he is working in our lives. Today, the best part was getting to talk about my internship in France this summer. I'm working for GO InterNational by being an ambassador of sorts. I'm partnering with several different ministries in the Paris area and seeing how GO can help.

I cannot wait to go here:

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I am so excited about this incredible opportunity that God has provided for me. I'll write more later about how he has perfectly orchestrated this internship. I could not have put together a more perfect opportunity. Prayers and support would be greatly appreciated. I will continue to blog while I'm there to keep you updated.

God is good

The End of Summer

First, I apologize for not posting anything lately. It's been a crazy busy summer that is bittersweetly (yes I just made that word up) coming to a close.

Here's a short overview of my summer:

Lots of nights hanging out at Confrontation Point with friends, playing euchre until the wee hours of the morning

Went to the rope swing on some hot summer days to jump into the muddy Kentucky river

Worshiped, served and praised God at the wonderful Ichthus Music Festival with friends and made some
 new ones

Hung out in Nashville with some friends


Helped out the wonderful people of Tuscaloosa, AL

Threw a surprise birthday party that was a great success

and had an awesome internship (I'll write a post about that later)

I'm very thankful for the summer I had, but I'm really looking forward to being back at Asbury.


God is good