After our last (once again, incredible) week full of incredible youth, it is time for us to say good bye.
I have been so emotional the last few days. I just couldn't imagine leaving this place. I was so happy that we had such a great group our last week here!
After insane amounts of cleaning and packing and two of us staying up until 2:30 in the morning packing the kitchen... it was finally time to leave.
We got to San Juan fairly late, probably around 10:30. After only getting 5 hours of sleep the night before, I was incredibly ready for bed. However, once we got to the city I had to track down some TSA officers and talk to them about the fact that I didn't have any photo identification (because it had been stolen a few weeks prior) and see if what I had would suffice. After that, I had to wait for my team to get back, to find out that someone had left some very important things back at the church in Arecibo. So, Jenna and I went to the hotel and tried to take as much stuff into the rooms as possible so that we wouldn't have to deal with it after we took the van back to the rental place. After getting that situated we got to the rental place, around 11:45. Once we get there we have a very small debacle where they were going to charge us a ridiculous amount because we had returned the cars in San Juan and not in Arecibo. But, we got that figured out and then had an awesome conversation with the lady that was working the counter. After getting everything figured out and fixed we were then just waiting on the bus to take us back to the airport hotel.
Apparently Jenna and I are just incredibly easy to talk to because the bus driver decided to tell us his life story and we had a wonderful conversation with him as well! We finally made it back to the hotel around 1:30 and tried to get some sleep... I got woken up around 2 because I had to switch rooms. Then had to get up at 2:30 so that I could make it to the airport by 3 so that I could talk to the security people about getting on the plane without photo ID.
FINALLY got through security (which took only 2 minutes and the website told us to prepare for an hour and a half long process...) and got to the gate and decided to try and take a short nap. I got to nap for about half an hour and it was GLORIOUS! I was pretty proud of myself because I had a ridiculous amount of stuff, mine and Adrienne's, to guard but I was so tired that I just wanted to sleep. So, being the smart guy that I am, I put everything that needed guarded on one seat and then I sat in one seat with my legs over the other seat and held some stuff to my chest so that I could sleep and still make sure that no one took anything. Worked wonderfully!
We made it to Minneapolis with little to no problems. I tried so hard to sleep on the plane... but I was just too exhausted to sleep.
We had the rest of Sunday and all of Monday for Exit Ramp. It was incredible! I loved it! I realized that I most likely have the best Area in the MidStates. With some poor decision making on my part... I had some very late nights and some pretty early mornings at Exit Ramp... oops.
The last day I stayed up until 1:30 hanging out and saying good bye to everyone and then had to be up by 4:30 to make my bus. I decided to go home by bus because it would be cheapest and I wouldn't have to deal with showing my lack of identification. I BARELY made it onto my bus. I showed up as it was leaving and thankfully it was waiting on someone else so I was in the clear.
While on the bus I was able to sleep... a little... but I missed my stop and stayed on my bus for far too long. I ended up in Kansas City. After sitting in the bus station for a while I got ridiculously bored and the fact that it was 12:00 and my bus wasn't coming until 10:30 was very daunting. So, I decided to take a walk and walked around downtown Kansas City, Missouri for a little while. I found a nice restaurant and ate there and used their Wifi for a bit.
Then when they closed at 3:30 I continued walking around to look for a grocery store with a coffee shop that the people at the restaurant told me about. While I was walking a man asked me if I was homeless (don't worry he did ask me for a dollar after he found out I wasn't homeless)... I hadn't showered in a day and a half and also hadn't shaved for about 4 or 5 days and I had a backpack and a pillowcase with my belongings in it. I was a little offended at first, but then I saw my reflection in a window and realized that I did in fact look homeless. I found the grocery store then, I just hung out there for a bit so that I could get out of the sun and the heat.
After sitting at the grocery store for a couple hours I made my way back to the bus station for the bus at 10:30. The bus at 10:30 was way full so they didn't let me on. There was another one coming at 2:30 though so... you know no big deal. Luckily I found some pretty cool people to talk to and that made the time for faster. Although, at this point I was just so tired that I wanted to die.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Overwhelmed with many things
Today was an interesting day.
I haven't updated in a while, but there has been a lot going on. We have had so many amazing you people come through our site in the last couple of weeks. I am overwhelmed with the presence of God that has been here these last few weeks.
I have been recently introduced to an AMAZING passage of scripture that I wish I would have known earlier in my life.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
This passage of scripture has helped me in incredible ways the last few weeks. Through some different challenges that I have faced these last few weeks I have found much comfort in this passage. It gives me hope that even though there are rough times and bumps in the road that I can focus my time and energy on things that are more important. I have wasted too much time and energy on things that do no matter, and on frustrations that are not important. At times it feels like what we do here can go unnoticed, or unremembered. But it gives me hope that even though we don't always see solid changes being made we are making a difference.
Tonight I was feeling overwhelmed with the presence of God in my life. Each YouthWorks worker writes a few page note to the person who will be taking over their position the following summer. At the very end we write a letter to the person. I was writing my letter and just felt a crazy amount of love for this community! I can't imagine myself anywhere else right now. I can't believe that we only have one week left in this community! I am ridiculously not ready to leave! I have met so many incredible people in this place. I am sad to leave relationships at Misión Betesda that I have made. I am sad to leave friendships with community friends here. I am sad to leave this city as a whole. I have had such a wonderful experience and I will never forget it. While writing this letter I realized how much I have grown this summer in some incredible ways! I feel like a new person. I feel confident in the person God has created me to be. I feel confident in God's calling in my life. My faith has grown tremendously and my reliance on God has also grown.
I wish that I was a better writer so that I could even begin to express the feelings that feel right now. God is amazing and I love Him. I love what he is doing in my life and what he is doing in the lives of the kids that he has brought here. I am excited to have one more weeks at this place. I can't wait to see how God will continue to work here and in the lives of the kids that will be coming here on Sunday!
I haven't updated in a while, but there has been a lot going on. We have had so many amazing you people come through our site in the last couple of weeks. I am overwhelmed with the presence of God that has been here these last few weeks.
I have been recently introduced to an AMAZING passage of scripture that I wish I would have known earlier in my life.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
This passage of scripture has helped me in incredible ways the last few weeks. Through some different challenges that I have faced these last few weeks I have found much comfort in this passage. It gives me hope that even though there are rough times and bumps in the road that I can focus my time and energy on things that are more important. I have wasted too much time and energy on things that do no matter, and on frustrations that are not important. At times it feels like what we do here can go unnoticed, or unremembered. But it gives me hope that even though we don't always see solid changes being made we are making a difference.
Tonight I was feeling overwhelmed with the presence of God in my life. Each YouthWorks worker writes a few page note to the person who will be taking over their position the following summer. At the very end we write a letter to the person. I was writing my letter and just felt a crazy amount of love for this community! I can't imagine myself anywhere else right now. I can't believe that we only have one week left in this community! I am ridiculously not ready to leave! I have met so many incredible people in this place. I am sad to leave relationships at Misión Betesda that I have made. I am sad to leave friendships with community friends here. I am sad to leave this city as a whole. I have had such a wonderful experience and I will never forget it. While writing this letter I realized how much I have grown this summer in some incredible ways! I feel like a new person. I feel confident in the person God has created me to be. I feel confident in God's calling in my life. My faith has grown tremendously and my reliance on God has also grown.
I wish that I was a better writer so that I could even begin to express the feelings that feel right now. God is amazing and I love Him. I love what he is doing in my life and what he is doing in the lives of the kids that he has brought here. I am excited to have one more weeks at this place. I can't wait to see how God will continue to work here and in the lives of the kids that will be coming here on Sunday!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
A Few Bumps In the Road
Saturday was one of the first real days off that we have gotten in the 6 weeks that we have been here. It was supposed to be a relaxing day of rest and rejuvenation and a day to not think about work. It definitely started off that way!
To begin we went to a WONDERFUL beach and had a blast swimming and playing in the waves and talking and sun bathing. It was just the best morning ever. There weren't a lot of people at the beach, which was nice because it was a Saturday.
Then, we couldn't decide what to do so we went to some caves that are here in Arecibo! We parked in the back of the parking lot because it was pretty full (bad idea), then headed back to the cave. It wasn't anything super deep or anything like that but it has the most hieroglyphics in any cave in... Puerto Rico... maybe just the area. So there are a bunch of carved hieroglyphics and they all looked like aliens! It was crazy. One was a baby in a bassinet but the other ones looked like aliens.
There is a place to get on top of the cave and look out at the ocean and it was BEAUTIFUL! Oh my goodness what a view! I loved it. There was a place to jump in the water and swim a bit too... we indulged and did that as well. :)
When we got done in the cave and swimming we went out to our van and realized that we were missing a window... and a purse, wallet, and backpack. There was glass everywhere. Someone broke our window and stole one of our community friends' purse and also my wallet and back pack. Really lame. My backpack had my license and credit cards and some cash and my passport too. Now I have to start the long process of getting all of that taken care of. Cards are cancelled but I have to wait until Tuesday to do anything with my license and I can hopefully talk to someone about my passport tomorrow. We shall see.
I was doing my best to try and look at the bright side of things, like the fact that I hadn't brought my computer or my camera. But it was difficult. I know that they are just things but a lot of what was taken had a lot of sentimental value for me. Specifically, there was a rock that I found once, while having a bad day, and it was shaped like a cross. I take/took that rock with me everywhere and it was in my backpack. I'm really sad that I don't have it anymore because it was a sort of good luck charm (even though I don't really believe in luck, haha). But then they also got my iPod. I think that was the most frustrating part. I had a really good Spanish/English dictionary (that I use all the time) on there and a list of names and descriptions for people at our ministry sites and Spanish words to remember and a bunch of little things that I had written... oh well.
Our theme for the summer is "Be Different" and Wednesday's theme is "React Different." I have been trying my best to react different and not be upset, especially because we had another theft incident at one of our evening activities this passed week where there was another an broken into and a girl's camera was stolen and she reacted wonderfully. So I feel like I have some big shoes to fill! I did get to take an impromptu road trip to San Juan with my Site Director and we had a pretty good time lol. So yes, I also learned to always put my belongings in the trunk while I am somewhere. Even if they are under a seat, people will be able to see them.
To begin we went to a WONDERFUL beach and had a blast swimming and playing in the waves and talking and sun bathing. It was just the best morning ever. There weren't a lot of people at the beach, which was nice because it was a Saturday.
Then, we couldn't decide what to do so we went to some caves that are here in Arecibo! We parked in the back of the parking lot because it was pretty full (bad idea), then headed back to the cave. It wasn't anything super deep or anything like that but it has the most hieroglyphics in any cave in... Puerto Rico... maybe just the area. So there are a bunch of carved hieroglyphics and they all looked like aliens! It was crazy. One was a baby in a bassinet but the other ones looked like aliens.
There is a place to get on top of the cave and look out at the ocean and it was BEAUTIFUL! Oh my goodness what a view! I loved it. There was a place to jump in the water and swim a bit too... we indulged and did that as well. :)
When we got done in the cave and swimming we went out to our van and realized that we were missing a window... and a purse, wallet, and backpack. There was glass everywhere. Someone broke our window and stole one of our community friends' purse and also my wallet and back pack. Really lame. My backpack had my license and credit cards and some cash and my passport too. Now I have to start the long process of getting all of that taken care of. Cards are cancelled but I have to wait until Tuesday to do anything with my license and I can hopefully talk to someone about my passport tomorrow. We shall see.
I was doing my best to try and look at the bright side of things, like the fact that I hadn't brought my computer or my camera. But it was difficult. I know that they are just things but a lot of what was taken had a lot of sentimental value for me. Specifically, there was a rock that I found once, while having a bad day, and it was shaped like a cross. I take/took that rock with me everywhere and it was in my backpack. I'm really sad that I don't have it anymore because it was a sort of good luck charm (even though I don't really believe in luck, haha). But then they also got my iPod. I think that was the most frustrating part. I had a really good Spanish/English dictionary (that I use all the time) on there and a list of names and descriptions for people at our ministry sites and Spanish words to remember and a bunch of little things that I had written... oh well.
Our theme for the summer is "Be Different" and Wednesday's theme is "React Different." I have been trying my best to react different and not be upset, especially because we had another theft incident at one of our evening activities this passed week where there was another an broken into and a girl's camera was stolen and she reacted wonderfully. So I feel like I have some big shoes to fill! I did get to take an impromptu road trip to San Juan with my Site Director and we had a pretty good time lol. So yes, I also learned to always put my belongings in the trunk while I am somewhere. Even if they are under a seat, people will be able to see them.
Monday, July 4, 2011
The 4th of July
Today was the fourth of July and yet again we have a wonderful group :)
Today was awesome because we spent the day at one of my favorite missions that we partner with! We were at Betesda. I can't remember if I have mentioned this one before but it is a rehabilitation center for men over the age of 18. The majority of them are under the age of 25, although there are some that are older. It is a rehabilitation center but it isn't just for drugs. All of the participants at some point in time in their life have made a bad decision. Because of that decision that they made they we sentenced to time in jail. Israel (the man who runs the facility) hears about the guys and meets with them and if he sees potential and truly thinks that they would benefit from his facility he petitions for them to come to Betesda. They live and work at this place. In order to raise money for everything they make cakes and other pastries and sell them! They are DELICIOUS! I just love it.
The guys don't have many opportunities to see their families so they really enjoy having YouthWorks bring groups to meet with them. It is difficult because the majority of them don't speak a lot of English and the majority of the YouthWorks participants don't speak a lot of Spanish. It is amazing however, to see how relationships build between people who can't verbally communicate. One of their favorite pass times is to play basketball with the students that come. They are ridiculously good at basketball! I love to watch and I even play sometimes. I just love it.
So today, my group was there all morning and we played basketball and I explained (in Spanish - ps I'm pretty awesome I'm not gonna lie :P) how to play KEMPS to one of the guys and a group of us played KEMPS. It was pretty fun. He would ask some questions though and I didn't know what he said and that was embarrassing. Lol. I am getting so much better (mejorando - bettering) at Spanish! I am loving it! I am getting more confident at being able to hold a decent conversation. I'm still not good by ANY means of the word but I am getting there. I surprise myself sometimes. I think that a big part of it is that I am finally getting used to the accent that Puerto Ricans have, so that helps a lot. I can't believe that we just have a little under 5 weeks left. It seems like we just got here. I love it here.
After lunch we met up with the rest of the students and went to an awesome swimming hole in the river and went swimming. It was disappointing because there were some awesome rocks that we really wanted to jump off of... but it is YouthWorks policy that you can't do anything potentially dangerous like that. Lame sauce. But we still had an amazing time! I think that the kids did too :)
After this, we went back to Betesda and had a little cook out and ate hot dogs and hamburgers and played games and talked and just had an amazing time. I love this ministry and everything that it does! I am so happy that I was able to be placed there. I'm not going there tomorrow but I will hopefully return on Wednesday haha :)
Miss and love you all!
Today was awesome because we spent the day at one of my favorite missions that we partner with! We were at Betesda. I can't remember if I have mentioned this one before but it is a rehabilitation center for men over the age of 18. The majority of them are under the age of 25, although there are some that are older. It is a rehabilitation center but it isn't just for drugs. All of the participants at some point in time in their life have made a bad decision. Because of that decision that they made they we sentenced to time in jail. Israel (the man who runs the facility) hears about the guys and meets with them and if he sees potential and truly thinks that they would benefit from his facility he petitions for them to come to Betesda. They live and work at this place. In order to raise money for everything they make cakes and other pastries and sell them! They are DELICIOUS! I just love it.
The guys don't have many opportunities to see their families so they really enjoy having YouthWorks bring groups to meet with them. It is difficult because the majority of them don't speak a lot of English and the majority of the YouthWorks participants don't speak a lot of Spanish. It is amazing however, to see how relationships build between people who can't verbally communicate. One of their favorite pass times is to play basketball with the students that come. They are ridiculously good at basketball! I love to watch and I even play sometimes. I just love it.
So today, my group was there all morning and we played basketball and I explained (in Spanish - ps I'm pretty awesome I'm not gonna lie :P) how to play KEMPS to one of the guys and a group of us played KEMPS. It was pretty fun. He would ask some questions though and I didn't know what he said and that was embarrassing. Lol. I am getting so much better (mejorando - bettering) at Spanish! I am loving it! I am getting more confident at being able to hold a decent conversation. I'm still not good by ANY means of the word but I am getting there. I surprise myself sometimes. I think that a big part of it is that I am finally getting used to the accent that Puerto Ricans have, so that helps a lot. I can't believe that we just have a little under 5 weeks left. It seems like we just got here. I love it here.
After lunch we met up with the rest of the students and went to an awesome swimming hole in the river and went swimming. It was disappointing because there were some awesome rocks that we really wanted to jump off of... but it is YouthWorks policy that you can't do anything potentially dangerous like that. Lame sauce. But we still had an amazing time! I think that the kids did too :)
After this, we went back to Betesda and had a little cook out and ate hot dogs and hamburgers and played games and talked and just had an amazing time. I love this ministry and everything that it does! I am so happy that I was able to be placed there. I'm not going there tomorrow but I will hopefully return on Wednesday haha :)
Miss and love you all!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Pranks!
This most recent group that we had was just absolutely amazing. I am going to miss them a ton!
One especially awesome thing was that they included me in a prank on one of their leaders. I was thrilled. It went well.
In payback, for their leader, I gave them a little prank of my own (insert evil laughter). We have a Puerto Rican friend who comes and helps us out some nights and gives them information about Arecibo and Puerto Rico. My team and Julio, our friend, have gotten pretty close so we like to joke around. He was coming to give his talk to the kids at the Plaza one night and I told 5 of the guys on the trip that a really cool personal greeting that you give a good friend is "nalgas," which is something that you would say to a really good friend so show that you care about them! They were so excited to use it on Julio! Little did they know that "nalgas" actually is a word for your bum. It isn't a crude word at all, just a funny one. So, when Julio came up the stairs they all waved at him as said, "HOLA!! NALGAS!" Julio gave them the weirdest look and it was just priceless. My team and I just started cracking up. The guys didn't really realize what happened so they said it again in a slightly confused tone. Then they realized that something was up and asked us what the word really meant. SO FUNNY! We got a real laugh out of it :D. I love pranks. It was especially awesome because we got to prank Julio at the same time by doing it!
I am really going to miss this group.
One especially awesome thing was that they included me in a prank on one of their leaders. I was thrilled. It went well.
In payback, for their leader, I gave them a little prank of my own (insert evil laughter). We have a Puerto Rican friend who comes and helps us out some nights and gives them information about Arecibo and Puerto Rico. My team and Julio, our friend, have gotten pretty close so we like to joke around. He was coming to give his talk to the kids at the Plaza one night and I told 5 of the guys on the trip that a really cool personal greeting that you give a good friend is "nalgas," which is something that you would say to a really good friend so show that you care about them! They were so excited to use it on Julio! Little did they know that "nalgas" actually is a word for your bum. It isn't a crude word at all, just a funny one. So, when Julio came up the stairs they all waved at him as said, "HOLA!! NALGAS!" Julio gave them the weirdest look and it was just priceless. My team and I just started cracking up. The guys didn't really realize what happened so they said it again in a slightly confused tone. Then they realized that something was up and asked us what the word really meant. SO FUNNY! We got a real laugh out of it :D. I love pranks. It was especially awesome because we got to prank Julio at the same time by doing it!
I am really going to miss this group.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Sitting at Burger King using some Wi Fi
So... here I am, on my time off. It is really weird having time off because I sometimes forget that this is really a job. This is the first time that I have had "time off" so, I don't really know what to do. I decided to come to Burger King and get on the internet because it has been a while since I have been able to do that.
I am loving this new group. It is so hard because the last group was so amazing, but this one is just splendid as well! I am hoping that every group is just as awesome :D
The cool thing about this group is that they are all from the same church. So, there are 29 people from the same church rather than 42 people from 2 churches. It completely changes the dynamics and it is interesting. I like it :)
This week I have been working at a place called Misión Betesda. It has been awesome. It is a rehab/jail alternative for adult males, the majority of who are in their late teens or early 20s. I have been the main "translator" while I have been there. That has been interesting. It hasn't been going all that well :P but today, I explained how to play horse in Spanish and I think the guy understood haha. That or he already knew how to play and was just humoring me while I was trying to explain it haha :D.
I haven't said anything quite as embarrassing as "quiere sentir" yet though so that is exciting! The guys there are really great and I have enjoyed getting to know them the little bit that I have. It is hard because of the language barrier, but they love playing basketball with the youth that come, so we have been able to get to know them through that. They are SO GOOD! Some of the things that they do are just incredible! I wish that I was better at basketball, but it has been so much fun trying haha! I am getting a little better, that or I am just playing and not caring quite as much haha :)
I am loving it here still and I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next 5 weeks!
I am loving this new group. It is so hard because the last group was so amazing, but this one is just splendid as well! I am hoping that every group is just as awesome :D
The cool thing about this group is that they are all from the same church. So, there are 29 people from the same church rather than 42 people from 2 churches. It completely changes the dynamics and it is interesting. I like it :)
This week I have been working at a place called Misión Betesda. It has been awesome. It is a rehab/jail alternative for adult males, the majority of who are in their late teens or early 20s. I have been the main "translator" while I have been there. That has been interesting. It hasn't been going all that well :P but today, I explained how to play horse in Spanish and I think the guy understood haha. That or he already knew how to play and was just humoring me while I was trying to explain it haha :D.
I haven't said anything quite as embarrassing as "quiere sentir" yet though so that is exciting! The guys there are really great and I have enjoyed getting to know them the little bit that I have. It is hard because of the language barrier, but they love playing basketball with the youth that come, so we have been able to get to know them through that. They are SO GOOD! Some of the things that they do are just incredible! I wish that I was better at basketball, but it has been so much fun trying haha! I am getting a little better, that or I am just playing and not caring quite as much haha :)
I am loving it here still and I can't wait to see what God has in store for the next 5 weeks!
This is just an example of the amazing skies that take place in Puerto Rico.
Breathtaking. Especially at sunset.
Another example of the sky at sunset.
The clouds here are just ridiculously amazing.
This is our "fun picture" haha :) I love my team (Me, Adrienne, Josh, Jenna)
We all went to a dam!
Becky (Area Director/Awesome Sauce), Julio/July (who is one of our friends from the community), Adrienne, Josh, Jenna, Me
I just had to add this one because I just now realized that Adrienne and I, and Josh and Jenna have the same exact faces... I'm not sure if this was planned...
The "good" team picture!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Day 32 of YouthWorks / Day 6 of Programming –
The groups left today. It was so sad to watch them leave! Such a great group of adult leader, students, and just everything in general! So wonderful! We did a quick clean up of the site and had a running breakfast! Then off they went. Afterwards we, as a group, finished what wasn’t cleaned and then we were able to read the notes that the students left for us, which was exciting :). Each Friday we also get an hour to “rest,” or do what ever we find to be restful. Today I found finishing some blog entries to be restful. I also took a short nap and a shower, lol.
So, now we still have SO much to do today! We need to do laundry, so shopping for the next group that is arriving on Sunday and get the site ready for them as well! I hope that we get everything done today because if we do we get to have a whole day off on Saturday!! I could really use that. I am thinking maybe a day at the beach or at the very least going somewhere with internet so that I can catch up on some facebook and e-mails.
Miss you all!
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