Happy November! Here in Elgin we brought in the new month with a house full of friends and family! One of the BVS House traditions is to have a Halloween Party and invite people from the offices and from church and so we threw in a handful of our friends to that bunch! For our party we had a music theme and all of us girls picked different music genres to dress up as. I represented 'classical music' so I was a maestro for the evening. I wore a black dress suit complete with a bow tie and a conductors baton. My hair was done up in a crazy up-do for the night, which let me tell you was a painful process! I hardly ever do anything with my hair...it's either up, or it's down.
Other music genres represented were jazz, musicals, punk rock, rap, and disco. We asked our guests to come dressed as something musical and they sure did step up to the challenge! One of our friends came dressed as a microphone! It was amazing! It was a fun night of laughter, LOTS of food and tons of fun to say the least!
We had four friends who came into town for the weekend, mostly for the party, but also just to come and visit! On Saturday most of the housemates went into Chicago to see the musical Wicked (which was fitting because two of them dressed up as characters from Wicked for Halloween!) and had a great outing to the city. I on the other hand chose to stay at home and relax with my friend Amber and we had a fun day of our own watching movies, playing Frisbee and babysitting. Well, I guess maybe it wasn't relaxing, but it sure was fun!
As the weekend went on, it became more apparent to me just how tired I was. I worked to find a few minutes here and there to go down to my room and to just sit and 'be,' which was a good thing for me to do. To put it plain and simple: I was peopled out. It's hard work traveling from place to place and always putting on a happy face and being social all the time. Even in the homes that I was put up in while traveling, that takes work too! And then to come back to a house full of people to entertain, as happy as I was that they were all there, it was still exhausting! But I wouldn't trade it for the world!
After all the traveling I've done these past two months it is really nice to be back in the office for longer than a few days. This is my first full week in the BVS office since I started here back in September! How crazy is that!? It is also a bit overwhelming since I'm not used to being in the office...I'm not quite sure what to do with myself!
I realized something interesting this morning. I went over to talk to Dana as I do most days (yes, believe it or not, we do get work done) and she was working on a worship service and was a bit stuck on what to do with it. So I asked her what she had so far and as she was telling me my mind started to fill with ideas that she might be able to use. My realization is that I really enjoy doing that kind of creative thinking. But then again I also just love working with Dana! We both think in different ways, but it's great because together we can come up with some pretty great stuff!
Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is how I really would like to get in touch again with my degree in Environmental Science. And wouldn't you know an opportunity has come my way! I met this guy, Ryan, while playing Frisbee here and he works for the Audubon Society. Typically I don't see my Frisbee friends outside of our weekly disc times but yesterday Ryan was here in the offices because he is going to give ideas and suggestions to our grounds manager about bringing in some native vegetation on our property. So Ryan and I got to talking a bit and he was telling me about some up coming opportunities to help re-seed some areas around here to go back to the natural prairie habitat that used to cover this area entirely. So I think I'm gonna try to do some of that volunteer work on Saturdays when I'm able to and I'm really excited about that!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Good Day
It's been a good day for me.
I haven't been able to say that for awhile to say the least!
Today, I got up crazy early (4:16am to be exact) and left Elgin, IL for McPherson, KS. The getting up early was not necessarily the good part. The good part was that I was able to sleep the entire first flight from Midway to Atlanta and then doze from Atlanta to Wichita.
Oh and while I was at the airport I spent some time browsing through books which I love to do so that made me quite happy. Another part of the good day.
Then, when I landed in Wichita I had no idea who was going to be picking me up, but it was Jan Hurst whom I have known for several years now since my time in Westminster, MD, and we had a fabulous lunch at a Chinese restaurant complete with great conversation. Another excellent part of the good day.
We made it to McPherson without a problem and I was able to set up my display and the simplicity of the design and the new look I gave my temporary display made me really happy. It is inviting and open for people to come to if they choose. It's different from the other displays we've been using in the past. Somewhat simpler. I like it. And it added to my good day!
And THEN tonight I had several great phone conversations tonight with several good friends and my dad! I was able to talk to one of my best friends, Annie, whose wedding I was just in to see how she's doing now that she's Mrs. Smith to the world. And then since I was wandering around the McPherson College campus and stumbled on a mens soccer game I decided to call my dad and I was on the phone with him for 10 minutes! That's like a record! (Love you Daddy!) And then after that I called my good friend Amber and we chatted for awhile talking about plans for this upcoming weekend which was fun. Then I briefly talked with a friend from college, Chase, who I had lost touch with for awhile, so it's really great that we're reconnecting again! All of these conversations put me in a great mood! So good!
And tonight I look some time with Jan to look over some of my favorite artsy pictures that I've taken over the past few years. Not only am I proud of some of them, but they bring back many great memories! More goodness!
I just hope that I didn't use all my goodness in one day. But it is noted in the record books that today was a good day.
That is all.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Something New
So I have started trying something new to help me to relax and calm down a bit. The past three mornings while I've been getting ready I've been listening to songs and prayers from the Taize Community. I was looking through the music on my iPod and I had forgotten that those chants and songs were there. I learned about Taize last year after attending several Taize based worship services here at the office so it is a relatively new type of prayer to me.
For those of you who may not be familiar with Taize:
"Singing is one of the most essential elements of worship. Short songs, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character. Using just a few words they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God. It allows everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God, without having to fix the length of time too exactly." (www.taize.fr)
This meditative aspect is what resonates with me. Singing the same words over and over again helps to clear my mind and refreshes me. Often times the words are in a different language and typically songs are sung in a canon.
So yeah, I think this is the start of something good for me. There is a lot going on in my life these days so it's nice to have something that helps to relax and soothe me at the beginning of the day. We'll see how it goes!
For those of you who may not be familiar with Taize:
"Singing is one of the most essential elements of worship. Short songs, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character. Using just a few words they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God. It allows everyone to take part in a time of prayer together and to remain together in attentive waiting on God, without having to fix the length of time too exactly." (www.taize.fr)
This meditative aspect is what resonates with me. Singing the same words over and over again helps to clear my mind and refreshes me. Often times the words are in a different language and typically songs are sung in a canon.
So yeah, I think this is the start of something good for me. There is a lot going on in my life these days so it's nice to have something that helps to relax and soothe me at the beginning of the day. We'll see how it goes!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Forward Motion
Here I am for one of the first times in awhile sitting at home on a Saturday, just having gotten back from playing Ultimate Frisbee and wasting time before going to a dinner at church and I'm exhausted. I have no energy to be doing anything other than sitting. I don't really want to talk to anyone. When people ask me questions, I can't bring myself to answer them. I need a time to rest and rejuvenate myself and I'm not quite sure when that is going to happen. My life is always going in a forward motion and I just don't know how to make it slow down if not stop entirely.
There's never enough time to do everything that I find myself wanting to do and yet on the other hand there's never time to just stop everything. There's always a football game to try to get to or a soccer game to try to support my youth. There's church related events to go to and church itself. There is everything at work that keeps me on my toes traveling from one place to the next. There's trying to hang out with people who I haven't had time to see in months or really spend some quality time with such as my adopted family from church, or co-workers, or friends in general. There just isn't time for it all.
And it's not even as though I'm trying to make time for it all, it's just I'm really exhausted right now and while the end is in sight it isn't here yet. You'd think that I'd be able to enjoy my weekend, but instead it's been filled up with all sorts of things. Which, truth be told is probably my own fault. I'm known for packing every little thing possible into a day or into a trip as possible. I think I need to take some lessons on just being instead of trying to fit everything in possible...any suggestions?
As a random side note I have found myself cleaning my life up a little bit. Not in any serious ways really, but trying to clean up the clutter that is my life these days. You know, thinking to myself 'well I don't really need that anymore' and so I decide to get rid of it if it's possible!
There's never enough time to do everything that I find myself wanting to do and yet on the other hand there's never time to just stop everything. There's always a football game to try to get to or a soccer game to try to support my youth. There's church related events to go to and church itself. There is everything at work that keeps me on my toes traveling from one place to the next. There's trying to hang out with people who I haven't had time to see in months or really spend some quality time with such as my adopted family from church, or co-workers, or friends in general. There just isn't time for it all.
And it's not even as though I'm trying to make time for it all, it's just I'm really exhausted right now and while the end is in sight it isn't here yet. You'd think that I'd be able to enjoy my weekend, but instead it's been filled up with all sorts of things. Which, truth be told is probably my own fault. I'm known for packing every little thing possible into a day or into a trip as possible. I think I need to take some lessons on just being instead of trying to fit everything in possible...any suggestions?
As a random side note I have found myself cleaning my life up a little bit. Not in any serious ways really, but trying to clean up the clutter that is my life these days. You know, thinking to myself 'well I don't really need that anymore' and so I decide to get rid of it if it's possible!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
October
I'm sitting in my office in Elgin wondering where the time has gone and what it is that I've been doing this month! I find it hard to believe that it we are getting close to the end of yet another month. I have found myself all over the country since October began, traveling for work and for fun. This latest trip had me back in the Valley for a week followed by a few days in Boston.
Let me tell you, it was so great to be back in the Valley at home for a few days. I am really enjoying my time out here in Elgin (and everywhere else I end up!), but when I get to go home it makes me extremely happy! And to be there for the first time in three years during the fall was a real treat. A good friend of mine, Jerry, came down to visit for a few days and we were able to enjoy the beautiful weather and head up into the Skyline Drive and go hiking and enjoy the scenery for an afternoon.
The week was also spent helping one of my best friends, Annie, get ready for her wedding! It was an aboslutely beautiful day, perfect for a fall wedding. The church where the wedding was is out in the country set atop a hill with mountains in the backdrop. There were so many rich and beautiful colors, reds and oranges, in the trees and flowers. The sky was a beautiful blue with white puffy clouds. Absolutely georgous. The perfect day for a wedding.
From there I went to Boston for a Volunteers Exploring Vocation event where about 45 former volunteers were brought in to spend three days together listening to professors speak about their calling and how they life their lives. We also were led in sessions by John Bell from the Iona Community in Scotland. It was a whirlwind of a trip that has led to even more questioning than I already had. But I will say that while I am questioning my faith and what my life will bring I have come to a point where I need to 'be' for awhile and work to live my life as it is. Many of the former volunteers left our time in Boston energized with a new sense of hope. I left Boston exhausted; emotionally, physically, and mentally.
I'm beginning to think more and more about the possibility of doing a different form of service at some point. One where I will be interacting with people and creating relationships and doing a more of a hands on service than what I'm doing now. Who knows what my future might bring my way!
Let me tell you, it was so great to be back in the Valley at home for a few days. I am really enjoying my time out here in Elgin (and everywhere else I end up!), but when I get to go home it makes me extremely happy! And to be there for the first time in three years during the fall was a real treat. A good friend of mine, Jerry, came down to visit for a few days and we were able to enjoy the beautiful weather and head up into the Skyline Drive and go hiking and enjoy the scenery for an afternoon.
The week was also spent helping one of my best friends, Annie, get ready for her wedding! It was an aboslutely beautiful day, perfect for a fall wedding. The church where the wedding was is out in the country set atop a hill with mountains in the backdrop. There were so many rich and beautiful colors, reds and oranges, in the trees and flowers. The sky was a beautiful blue with white puffy clouds. Absolutely georgous. The perfect day for a wedding.
From there I went to Boston for a Volunteers Exploring Vocation event where about 45 former volunteers were brought in to spend three days together listening to professors speak about their calling and how they life their lives. We also were led in sessions by John Bell from the Iona Community in Scotland. It was a whirlwind of a trip that has led to even more questioning than I already had. But I will say that while I am questioning my faith and what my life will bring I have come to a point where I need to 'be' for awhile and work to live my life as it is. Many of the former volunteers left our time in Boston energized with a new sense of hope. I left Boston exhausted; emotionally, physically, and mentally.
I'm beginning to think more and more about the possibility of doing a different form of service at some point. One where I will be interacting with people and creating relationships and doing a more of a hands on service than what I'm doing now. Who knows what my future might bring my way!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sannu!
Okay, so I'm gonna try this again. I don't think that I'm cut out for blogging! I keep forgetting to write on this thing and when I do remember I don't have the time or energy! So here's the latest from my end...
At the beginning of the month I started my second year of service doing recruitment work for BVS and while I have no idea what I'm doing, it's going well! :)
I was in the office for a little more than a week before leaving for my first recruitment trip and now I find myself on the tail end of a two week trek. I started out by driving about 15 hours or so with Beth and Callie (two of my co-workers on the BVS team) going from Elgin, IL to New Windsor, MD in one day. Needless to say once we got to New Windsor we all slept quite well! The next day I was able to head up to Lancaster, PA to visit with my good friend Stefan before he flew back to Germany the next day. I was so thankful for that visit because I really wasn't sure if I was going to get to see him before he left! The weekend was spent visiting with two youth groups in PA, one in York and the other in Harleysville and talking with them about BVS. It was so great to reconnect with these youth because they were some of my workcampers this past summer and I love them all dearly!
From there I went to Juniata College in Huntington, PA for a few days to promote BVS and meet with students who are interested in serving at some point or another. As far as I understand it most of my traveling will be to colleges to try to recruit people who are interested in BVS. It was so great to be at Juniata, one because I'd never been there and several of my good friends went there and two, because I got to hang out with two good friends of mine while I was there.
Then it was time to head back down to New Windsor for our 60th anniversary for the Brethren Volunteer Service and it was really great to participate in that event. I got back to New Windsor on Wednesday with the intention of spending some time with the current volunteer unit orientation that is going on right now. They are truly a special group and it was so much fun to spend time with them! They have a lot to offer and I can't wait to hear their stories as they go out and start at their projects. I was able to go with them to a woman's house in PA where we learned all about what nutrients weeds have to offer us and we went on a weed walk and then drank a smoothie that was made out of various weeds and seeds. It was pretty darn good!
So then this weekend was the actual celebration and it was really awesome to have 300 or more volunteers, or supporters of BVS gathered together for a weekend. It was a relatively informal time for people to gather with friends and talk and catch up with one another. I didn't have a lot to do, but one thing I did do was to be the MC at our Saturday evening Banquet which put me way outside of my comfort zone, but it went really well and I was even able to make a few jokes as part of it! It was just such a great place to be and it is so awesome to be part of this program.
Then after the program was over my roommate from college, Justine, came up to visit me! We hadn't seen each other since we graduated from Bridgewater in 2007 which is crazy! We had a great visit and we actually left campus for awhile to go and get away so that I could focus on our visit rather than on everything else that was going on!
Now I'm in the last leg of this trip and I'm currently at Elizabethtown College for a couple days before finally heading back to Elgin. I'd never been to E-Town before and this is an absolutely beautiful campus. I find it very welcoming and open and I've enjoyed my time here so far.
I am looking forward to heading back to Elgin in a couple days but I won't be there for very long because at the end of the week I'll be heading to Manchester College for a regional youth conference as well as for my college visit there. Then after that I'll be heading home to Bridgewater for about a week! Needless to say I'm just going to keep on keepin on!
I am enjoying this job. I'm still trying to figure out what it means to me and how I'm going to work to make it my own. As of right now I've been mostly doing exactly what has been done in the past but I've got some ideas that are forming in my mind so we'll just have to wait and see what comes of that!
There are many exciting things coming up in the next few months. One of my best friends, Anne, is getting married next month and I'm so excited for her! I've also have a trip to Boston coming up and I've never been there and I'll be there towards the end of October and I think it will be beautiful at that time! Just last night I talked with my aunt about going to their house for Thanksgiving, so it sounds like I'll be heading to the Twin Cities in MN for the holiday. And THEN I'm planning on going to Nigeria for the month of February on a workcamp with the Church of the Brethren to build and to create relationships with people in Nigeria as well as others on the trip. I'm hoping to learn some Hausa before I go!
Well I think that might be it for now. There is just so much going on these days and I have so many thought in my head but I wanted to catch you all up a little bit!
Peace and Blessings to you!
At the beginning of the month I started my second year of service doing recruitment work for BVS and while I have no idea what I'm doing, it's going well! :)
I was in the office for a little more than a week before leaving for my first recruitment trip and now I find myself on the tail end of a two week trek. I started out by driving about 15 hours or so with Beth and Callie (two of my co-workers on the BVS team) going from Elgin, IL to New Windsor, MD in one day. Needless to say once we got to New Windsor we all slept quite well! The next day I was able to head up to Lancaster, PA to visit with my good friend Stefan before he flew back to Germany the next day. I was so thankful for that visit because I really wasn't sure if I was going to get to see him before he left! The weekend was spent visiting with two youth groups in PA, one in York and the other in Harleysville and talking with them about BVS. It was so great to reconnect with these youth because they were some of my workcampers this past summer and I love them all dearly!
From there I went to Juniata College in Huntington, PA for a few days to promote BVS and meet with students who are interested in serving at some point or another. As far as I understand it most of my traveling will be to colleges to try to recruit people who are interested in BVS. It was so great to be at Juniata, one because I'd never been there and several of my good friends went there and two, because I got to hang out with two good friends of mine while I was there.
Then it was time to head back down to New Windsor for our 60th anniversary for the Brethren Volunteer Service and it was really great to participate in that event. I got back to New Windsor on Wednesday with the intention of spending some time with the current volunteer unit orientation that is going on right now. They are truly a special group and it was so much fun to spend time with them! They have a lot to offer and I can't wait to hear their stories as they go out and start at their projects. I was able to go with them to a woman's house in PA where we learned all about what nutrients weeds have to offer us and we went on a weed walk and then drank a smoothie that was made out of various weeds and seeds. It was pretty darn good!
So then this weekend was the actual celebration and it was really awesome to have 300 or more volunteers, or supporters of BVS gathered together for a weekend. It was a relatively informal time for people to gather with friends and talk and catch up with one another. I didn't have a lot to do, but one thing I did do was to be the MC at our Saturday evening Banquet which put me way outside of my comfort zone, but it went really well and I was even able to make a few jokes as part of it! It was just such a great place to be and it is so awesome to be part of this program.
Then after the program was over my roommate from college, Justine, came up to visit me! We hadn't seen each other since we graduated from Bridgewater in 2007 which is crazy! We had a great visit and we actually left campus for awhile to go and get away so that I could focus on our visit rather than on everything else that was going on!
Now I'm in the last leg of this trip and I'm currently at Elizabethtown College for a couple days before finally heading back to Elgin. I'd never been to E-Town before and this is an absolutely beautiful campus. I find it very welcoming and open and I've enjoyed my time here so far.
I am looking forward to heading back to Elgin in a couple days but I won't be there for very long because at the end of the week I'll be heading to Manchester College for a regional youth conference as well as for my college visit there. Then after that I'll be heading home to Bridgewater for about a week! Needless to say I'm just going to keep on keepin on!
I am enjoying this job. I'm still trying to figure out what it means to me and how I'm going to work to make it my own. As of right now I've been mostly doing exactly what has been done in the past but I've got some ideas that are forming in my mind so we'll just have to wait and see what comes of that!
There are many exciting things coming up in the next few months. One of my best friends, Anne, is getting married next month and I'm so excited for her! I've also have a trip to Boston coming up and I've never been there and I'll be there towards the end of October and I think it will be beautiful at that time! Just last night I talked with my aunt about going to their house for Thanksgiving, so it sounds like I'll be heading to the Twin Cities in MN for the holiday. And THEN I'm planning on going to Nigeria for the month of February on a workcamp with the Church of the Brethren to build and to create relationships with people in Nigeria as well as others on the trip. I'm hoping to learn some Hausa before I go!
Well I think that might be it for now. There is just so much going on these days and I have so many thought in my head but I wanted to catch you all up a little bit!
Peace and Blessings to you!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
A Mini Vacation
Here I am in the Twin Cities in the wonderful state of Minnesota and for the past four days I've been visiting with my dad's family who live out here! My parents arrived in the Chicagoland area on Labor Day after spending almost 24 hours on the train coming out from VA. We spent some time in Elgin so that they could see where I am living and working. Both mom and dad had been to Elgin before but it had been quite awhile so it was nice for them to reconnect a bit with both the area and with various people who now live in Elgin that they knew during their time in West Africa. We took time to relax and eat lots of good food before getting on the train again to come out here.
Since we got here late Wednesday evening I've seen my grandparents and my aunts and uncles and cousins, went to a Twins baseball game, worked on my photography skills by attempting to take photos of the jewelry my aunt made, played miniature golf, visited a local conservatory and saw LOTS of plants, had a sleepover with two of my younger cousins complete with a giggle fest, went to church with my aunt and uncle, played cards, hung out with my mom and dad, and simply did the family thing.
Early tomorrow morning I'll be getting back on the train to make the eight hour train ride back to Elgin and I think I'm ready for that. It was a short visit, but I'm looking forward to getting back to my house in Elgin and I'm really excited to be there for more than a week before my next great adventure begins. Before my parents arrived I had been working really hard at making my new room my own while making it comfortable for me to live in and I think I accomplished that! Which didn't make it easy to leave it as soon as it was done!
I'm also excited to get back to my housemates and to get to spend some time with all of them since when I get home tomorrow night for the first time we will all be there together. It's a new year and many exciting things will be taking place and I'm looking forward to the new community that will form. Two housemates moved out and two moved in and we're still working to settle down and see what the year will bring. No matter what though, I think it will be great! But then again what can I say, I'm an optimist! :)
Since we got here late Wednesday evening I've seen my grandparents and my aunts and uncles and cousins, went to a Twins baseball game, worked on my photography skills by attempting to take photos of the jewelry my aunt made, played miniature golf, visited a local conservatory and saw LOTS of plants, had a sleepover with two of my younger cousins complete with a giggle fest, went to church with my aunt and uncle, played cards, hung out with my mom and dad, and simply did the family thing.
Early tomorrow morning I'll be getting back on the train to make the eight hour train ride back to Elgin and I think I'm ready for that. It was a short visit, but I'm looking forward to getting back to my house in Elgin and I'm really excited to be there for more than a week before my next great adventure begins. Before my parents arrived I had been working really hard at making my new room my own while making it comfortable for me to live in and I think I accomplished that! Which didn't make it easy to leave it as soon as it was done!
I'm also excited to get back to my housemates and to get to spend some time with all of them since when I get home tomorrow night for the first time we will all be there together. It's a new year and many exciting things will be taking place and I'm looking forward to the new community that will form. Two housemates moved out and two moved in and we're still working to settle down and see what the year will bring. No matter what though, I think it will be great! But then again what can I say, I'm an optimist! :)
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