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| JEMS Mt. Hermon Inter High Staff |
This summer has been crazy, to say the least. I don't think there has really been a moment where I've been able to just sit and breathe and not have to worry about anything. However, this summer has been one of the most exciting and rewarding summers I can remember. Through working, helping out with the Junior High Youth Group at church, Vacation Bible School (VBS), cabin leading for JEMS Mt. Hermon at Inter High, and catching up with friends, I must say that I am looking forward to returning back to Azusa. Luckily the week before returning to the crazy world of being down at school, I'll have a nice week to relax with family in Lake Tahoe!
I thought I would take some time, as I'm sitting in the nice air conditioned library to reflect on everything that has gone on this summer. And let me tell you, it's been a crazy few months. Looking back at my last post which was at the end of May, I had just reflected on the past school year and I hadn't even really started my summer break, aside from talking about the choir tour I went on. So, here we go... if you dare continue to read on. This is my warning: THIS POST COULD END UP VERY LONG!
Weddings, Weddings, Weddings!
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| My parents and I at a wedding in May |
Well, here is something... not so new. This summer, again, is full of weddings. If anything, I believe I went to the same amount of weddings last summer that I did this year. This summer's total: 3. My cousin got married on Memorial Day Weekend and that was a beautiful wedding. I loved every part of it. Next week, is another wedding for a good family friend. I'm looking forward to that one, as well as my other cousin getting married towards the end of September. You could still call September summer, right? After all, officially Fall doesn't start until October I think? I love going to weddings. They're so happy and it's great to see two people unite together. The hardest part is always finding a dress to wear to the wedding though... I guess that's one thing that us girls will always have to deal with.
Youth Group, Church, VBS
Well, what more is to say about youth group, than the fact that it's youth group? From crazy games, to hyper junior highers, to attempting to stay up at the all-nighter (Which didn't happen... I left at 5 AM.) it's been a great time. They make me feel like I'm getting old because I can't believe that some of them are going to be starting middle school. But, what can I say? I love working with them and getting to know them. It's great seeing them first start off in youth group because I know by the time they graduate high school (Oh gosh... then I'm really going to feel old!) they will have made some great friends through it all.
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| "Sing and Play" at VBS! |
VBS this summer was great. I wasn't expecting to be as involved as I was, but it was still great. Seeing children worship God, have fun, and just being crazy is so exciting for me. What is wonderful is that all of the kids who attend, for the most part, do not even go to a church! Overall though, it was a great week, despite the fact that I went home every day feeling exhausted and then had to run straight to work! But it was a great week, and somehow, those VBS songs randomly will get stuck in my head...
JEMS Mt. Hermon Inter High
"For the Lord will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught."
Proverbs 3:26
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| The Lovely Ladies of Cabin Seven |
10 days being with an awesome staff. 7 days being with some awesome and crazy incoming 8th and 9th graders. And one AMAZING cabin full of 8 incoming 9th graders. Gosh, this year is just indescribable. So many great things happened. I got to experience my girls in my cabin becoming close with one another, being real, praying for one another, and even had one girl accept Jesus into her life! Seeing these girls really grow throughout the week was just so exciting for me. All the late nights and early mornings and not sleeping during chill out time was totally worth it, and I can't wait for next year.
Friends
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| In Santa Cruz with Shawn |
Being home has given me the opportunity to catch up with friends that I don't get to see or talk to on a regular basis. I got to have brunch with Mika before she left on her missions trip to Mexico, I got to go bowling and have some great meals and laughs with friends from church, and I got to catch up with Annie, who has practically been my sister my entire life. But the one special visit of the summer was when Shawn came up for 4 days to visit! Being able to see him after not seeing him for about a month and a half was wonderful. We got to go to Santa Cruz, Monterey, and he got to know my parents even better. It's hard to believe that the day school starts, will mark 4 months of us being together, yet we will have seen each other maybe a week and a half total.
This summer, I've also gotten to Skype with friends from school and just keep in touch with them. I think that's the greatest part about friendships. Today with all the technology, even if you don't see your friends on a regular basis, you can still keep in touch with them and know what is going on in their lives.
Upcoming
Well, in exactly 4 weeks from today, I will be moving into my apartment back down in Azusa and it's hard to believe that the year will be starting. The utilities are all set up and Bel Canto things are being taken care of. Choir Camp preparation is in full swing and it's so exciting to think that I'll be meeting a whole new group of young women and I'll be able to sing with them and minister and serve with them this year. I'm excited to meet all of them so soon! It's hard to believe that just 2 years ago, I was just starting college. I can remember very clearly everything that happened that first week and a half of Freshman year. And let me tell you, that is quite a story! But I won't go into that.
I'm excited to see how everything works out this school year. Granted, it will be a lot of work and this semester, I will need to focus a lot more and work a lot harder. But I'm excited for the challenge and to see how God is going to work in this next year! There is still a lot more things that need to get done before I can get back down to Southern California, so it will be busy. But I know that these last few weeks will go by so quickly and I won't know what happened to the time.
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Camy and I at the youth group all nighter
eating our Spam Musubi Which was falling apart |
Well, this has become much longer than I thought it would, so I better get going. For those of you who read until the end, WOW! I mainly was writing just so I could have these memories written down. But hopefully this school year, I'll be able to do a better job at doing updates.
Anyway, I hope you all have a great day, and you all get your daily dose of Vitamin D!
