I love my job!!

I know it's only the third week but still. . . I love my job! I have a lot to learn and there will be a lot of challenges ahead and yet I would not want to be doing anything else right now! I'm short on time but I wanted to give you a quick update on what this week holds so that if you're praying you can pray informed prayers! Here we go:

- I met with the prayer team leaders yesterday and was just blown away by their hearts for the Lord and their excitement for what He will do through the prayers of His children this year. Some things planned are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday prayer times on campus at 7:30 in the morning with all of the Christian groups on campus (this morning was AMAZING. . .there's nothing like praying with brothers and sisters from all walks of life!). Also, next week we are encouraging a week of prayer and fasting which will end with a "debriefing" time on Friday. . .many things will be prayed for including the salvation of students, a major outreach event happening on Oct. 8th, and our Fall Retreat on Oct. 12-14. I left our planning time together yesterday simply in awe of the fact that I get to work alongside such amazing students who love the Lord!

- I will also be coaching the Destino movement leaders within Campus Crusade that focuses on the Latino community on campus. I just found out about this role and am SO EXCITED! The leaders are holding a meeting later tonight, I'm going to stop in and connect with them. . .I'll be sure to blog more on this later!

- The first Trinity Bible study gathering is tomorrow at 8! Hannah and I spent some time this afternoon mapping out the night and praying for the Lord's will to be done. We are excited (and nervous!) to see what He has in store for tomorrow. I will be doing a short devotional (because most of the time will be spent connecting with each other and casting vision for the quarter/year) on the fact that God loves us and He has a plan and a purpose for our lives! This is the first of 4 "spiritual laws" that are shared when someone hears the Gospel from someone trained to use the "Knowing God Personally" booklet that Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade, put together. I am so thankful for the opportunity to speak of God's love for us and I pray that the Holy Spirit would use the words that come out of my mouth to reach many for Him!

- Discipleship begins this week! This quarter I will be discipling a total of 6 girls, in pairs. This will take time in preparation. . .although this week I'll be spending the majority of our hour and a half together reconnecting after summer, re-casting vision behind the heart and cost of discipleship, as well as asking the girls to self-evaluate where their strengths and weaknesses lie in terms of their development as a spiritual multiplier. Later in the week, after I have met with each of the girls, I will take the time to create a "strategic plan" for the quarter with goals and objectives based off of their strengths and areas of growth. This is challenging for me to do. . .but it also excites me because having a clear plan will keep us focused on the Lord and His will!

- Wednesday is the first night for "W8 Unplugged" - a whole new and exciting way that we are organizing our meeting every other week of the quarter (odd weeks of the quarter will be done just as we've done in the past, even weeks of the quarter will be this new set-up that I will fill you in on later!). Students will be meeting in classrooms all over campus according to the college (Engineering, Ag, Liberal Arts, etc. . .) they belong to. I'm so excited to go with my Bible study girls and see how it works!

- I'm in charge of some of the legistical details of our Fellowship Dinner (Nov 9th. . .a chance for community members to enjoy a nice meal, hear more about the ministry, and consider partnering with us financially) and by the end of this week about 600 "Save the Date" cards need to go in the mail (J.P. Moreland is coming to speak!). In order to get that to happen I am meeting with a former staff guy who's still in town as well as meeting with a woman at the brand new Marriott hotel in SLO to see if we might use their facilities rather then Embassy Suites which is where the evening was hosted in the past. This job really challenges me but I am enjoying it because it's a lot of behind the scenes work!

- There are also staff meetings and new staff trainings scheduled as well as a Crusade party on Friday night and a Bible study hangout/get to know each other on Saturday night.

All in all, it's a busy and exciting week! Though it sounds like a lot and at times is overwhelming I love remembering that this is my job. . .seeing lives change. Each of the things that I get to be a part of here is visionary and prayerfully will bring us one step closer to fulfilling the Great Commission. . .Christ will return when all have heard, that's motivation enough to work hard and serve Him faithfully! Now of course, thankfully the staff team also values time off and boundaries. . .these are things I will need to be intentional with, there's a lot of room for growth in this area as well! Okay, I'm off to my church's "Ladies Salad Supper". . .one of the favorite nights of the quarter! I made a yummy salad called "Confetti Corn Toss" to bring along - can't wait to try what everyone else brings. Have a GREAT week!

One last thing. . .if you have any questions about what I wrote (as I flew through A LOT) or simply want to know more then leave a comment and I'll blog more about that topic/thought!

Trinity Hall

Here it is, the Liberal Arts "Red Brick" dorm that I have the joy of leading a Bible study in this year. It has been so special to meet the girls living here as it brings back many memories of when I lived there MY freshmen year. . .can it really be my 5th fall in San Luis Obispo?! I have been spending a good chunk of my working hours establishing relationships and having spiritual conversations with the girls that live here. The Lord has been doing exciting things! You may remember back to WOW week and all the Freshmen Survival Kits we passed out. Well, in order for the students to receive a kit the had to fill out a survey, giving us their contact information and, through a few questions, allowing us to gauge where they might be at in their walk (or lack thereof) with the Lord. After getting all these cards and dividing them up into piles according to dorms we then sort through the cards (students, really) and classify them as "hot", "warm", or "cold" contacts. The hot and warm contacts are our priority as we enter into the dorm to meet them because they are most open about spiritual things (ranging from a student who is on fire for the Lord to a student who has a bit of curiosity about God, joining a Bible study, or hearing more about Campus Crusade). Well, Trinity Hall has 55 hot and warm contacts! In the summer I prayed that the Lord would raise up a few Christian girls to be living in the dorm. . .He certainly does abundantly more then I could ask or imagine! Hannah and I have been so blessed to meet many wonderful girls (my faith goal of having 40 evangelistic conversations will be reached soon. . .thanks to these girls!) who are so thankful and excited to hear about a Bible study that is starting up in their dorm. However, it has also been our prayer that we would be building relationships with nonchristians and that has been happening as well. We don't want to loose sight of the fact that there are many who don't know Jesus. Please pray for Laura, Kellie, Brittany and Kelsey (each are warm contacts!). . .may they hear and experience the Gospel through us and the girls who know the Lord in Trinity. What an exciting time! Hannah and I will be gathering the girls together for the first time on Tuesday night at 8 (in preparation I already made stroopwafels with some girlfriends this morning!) in the dorm room of Sarah and Shannon on the 3rd floor. We'll spend the time getting to know each other, doing an ice-breaker activity, and discussing our vision for the Bible study this quarter. We spent some time this afternoon meeting more girls and giving them all a little reminder flier about the first Bible study of the year. May the Lord's will be done!

A yummy recipe!

On Saturday night I had a bunch of fun freshmen girls over for a home-cooked meal. . .which had to include dessert of course! I thought it would be fun to post the recipe for any of you bakers out there. It's easy and it was a big hit. Maybe it'll spark the bit of motivation needed to invite some family/friends over soon!

Amazing Chocolate Cherry Dessert!

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup cold butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1 bag (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips (I put less. . .)
1 cup chopped almonds

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking cocoa. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add egg and vanilla until blended. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into greased 13 x 9 x 2 in. baking pan. Top with pie filling, chocolate chips, almonds, and reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars.

Side note: I had this dessert at a movie night that some friends hosted a while back. I didn't know the girl who brought the dessert but decided to find her on facebook and ask her for the recipe. Not only did she reply back with the recipe she also wanted to know more about Campus Crusade and our weekly meeting. Pray that she would come tonight and that I would have the chance to spot her out of a crowd and welcome her. I love how I simply wanted a recipe but that the Lord wanted to do more!

That's my King!

If you have a few minutes check out this amazing audio/video.

You will surely be encouraged to remember what a King we serve. . .only because He first served us!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsoqd_thatsmyking

Where to begin. . .

"For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:5-6).

I am so blessed to profess the name of Christ in word and deed and am so thankful for the many opportunities that I, and many others, have had to do so at Cal Poly now that school as begun for the students! After the Bible study leader training on Saturday my co-leader, Hannah, and I have had such great conversations with girls living in Trinity, the Liberal Arts dorm on campus. The Lord certainly has entrusted us with much - we have a stack of contact cards that we are still working through. It is such a joy to meet these girls and talk about spiritual things with them. So far each girl has been willing to share to some extent and has also been willing to hear to some extent. There are certainly times where I feel so inadequate and uninformed. . .but that's when I am most able to humbly rely on God and the fact that my weak words will not hinder His plan of redemption - what a good God we serve, that He would want to use broken people!

My days have been full - following up on contact cards, meetings, spreading the word about our weekly meeting on campus (we hung up posters on campus at 6AM - yes, some college students are willing to wake up that early on the first day of school - amazing!), organizing details about the Freshmen/Transfer Dinner coming up, and preparing for discipleship times that will begin next week. It's a busy time - and exhausting too at times. . .like any job that you're passionate about. . .it's hard to stop thinking/planning/dreaming.

This week has been slightly weird, for lack of a better term, as well! For the first time since I can remember I am not a student. . .and yet I am living the life of a student in disguise. On Monday I wore student clothing and a backpack yet I never set foot into the bookstore or listened to a lecture. It's really amazing how much time I devoted to school in the past and now that time is freed up for other things, namely, to do the work that the Lord has call me to!

Here are some ways to pray:
- Please pray that the Lord would begin to solidify a daily schedule for me that would serve to bring Him most glory (the right combination of work, exercise, downtime, friend time, etc. . .)
- Please pray for a supernatural ability to remember the names of the many students that I have been meeting. I would love to greet them by name the next time I see them but that's so hard to do if their name goes in one ear and out the other!
- Please pray for tonight, our first weekly meeting! We are gearing up for more then 1,000 students to come. Pray that the Lord would give us the discernment needed to reach out to students who feel lost in the crowd or who are true seekers. . .may we love them with the love of Christ. May students begin personal and vibrant relationships with the Lord tonight.
- Pray that the Lord would continue to mold me into a woman after His heart, that I would be secure in who He has made me to be, and that He would use me in whatever way He sees fit and that I would rejoice in Him alone, not in results or numbers.
- Ultimately, please pray that the Lord's will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Thank you so much for allowing me to partner with you in this year. I am able to do this work because of the Lord's generosity through you. . .thank you for holding loosely to the things of this world. It's a joy seek first the kingdom of God together!

A Faith Goal!

Yep, that's me. . .making a silly/nervous face! "Why?" you might ask. Well, at our staff meeting yesterday Deb set a faith goal before us and here it is: 40 Evangelistic Conversations in the First 4 Weeks! Wow. What constitutes an "evangelistic conversation" that will count towards the 40? Well, Deb said that it's anywhere on the spectrum from laying out the 4 spiritual laws and giving someone the opportunity to pray to receive Christ to simply allowing someone to experience the Gospel and the love of Christ in some way. A passing glance, a quick hello, or a great conversation with a friend don't count toward the goal. Bummer! :) I have to tell you that although I am a little nervous my excitement to have this goal set before me far out-weighs any nervous feelings about not knowing the "right" answers or forgetting the names (the grid pictured will help with that) of the students I met. It is a joy to talk to people about things with eternal significance and in no way does this feel like a chore. . .mainly because it is what the Lord has called us to do and there is so much freedom in that! Would you consider setting a faith goal as well? Sure, maybe 40 in the next 4 weeks is a little high for you because you won't be around 4300 freshmen :) but what about praying that the Lord would allow of 10, 20, or 30 evangelistic conversations in your sphere of influence? Let's pray that God would work through us in mighty ways. . .both at Cal Poly and Cuesta but also all over the world!

Okay, that's enough blogging for now. . .have a great couple of days! :)

"Hello, my name is Arijaan and. . .

I'm on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ in SLO!!"

I have made many phone calls this week to let girls know about where they'll be leading a Bible study and with whom. Well, let me tell you that each time I introduced myself on the phone (most of the girls I have never met before, the reality of being part of a big ministry) I got re-excited and in awe of the fact that the Lord really does give us the desires of our heart. It is still a slight shock to find myself in this position but currently I would not trade it for any other position in the world. This job challenges me, excites me, keeps me humble, and forces me to rely on God - what could be better?! Thanks again SO MUCH for allowing me to partner with you to do this work for the Lord.

I want to quickly update you on what some of my specific roles are. Some of them are still unfolding but others have been made more clear so I thought I'd at least share with you what I know! For starters:

- I will be co-leading a freshmen Bible study in Trinity, the dorm I lived in as a freshman - what a blessing to go back and reach this "target area" for Christ!

- I am planning, with a great team of students, the annual "Freshmen and Transfer Student Dinner" so that they have an opportunity to get to know each other and to get to know more about Campus Crusade and the vision behind why we do what we do.

- I will be "coaching" (guiding, instructing, encouraging, and challenging) the prayer movement student leaders, Bethany and Andrew, so that they are equipped to lead the students who want to help plan prayer events throughout the year. The Lord has really developed my heart in the area of prayer so much over my years here as a student - how special that the Lord now wants to put that to use in a unique way!

- I will be "discipling" at least 8 women leaders within the ministry. For those not familiar with the term "discipleship" it looks like pointing students to Christ by spending time in the Word, in fellowship, and in ministry with them - modeled after the way in which Christ discipled a few specific men so that they, in turn, could go out and disciple more (the concept of spiritual multiplication. . .I'll blog more on that later) thus creating a ripple effect. I LOVE discipleship and am really looking forward to starting up with them soon!

- I am helping to plan and execute the yearly "Fellowship Dinner" which we put on to help raise funds for Campus Crusade locally. Parents and other potential donors are invited to this event held in November and the fund go toward our expenses (such as sound equipment, food for an event, the cost of a speaker, etc)

- I will be given opportunities to speak at different gathering and functions

SO, that's what I know for now - more is to come! Some times it seems so daunting and impossible but other times I am reminded of the power of Christ in me and the fact that it is He who makes me strong. Also, I must remind myself that I am working with an amazing staff team (as well as tons of students!). . .not only are they my co-workers they are also family and it is a JOY to serve along side them as we do this eternal work together!

(this is a picture of the staff members and CORE student leaders. . .taken right before we headed down the mountain, all 650 turns of it!)

WOW!

Thanks for your prayers - I have great things to report! SLO Bound on Tuesday was amazing! So many students turned out to help and at least 40 stayed until the very end. . .so impressive! To give you an idea of that 2700 Freshman Survival Kits look like here's a picture:

Notice how small the students look in comparison to the mound on kits - so cool! Well, let me tell you - never before have so many people walked by me in my life! I now have a better understanding of the fact that 4300 freshmen is no small number. Praise God that enrollment has gone up this year as that simply allows us to reach out to more students! As the "wowies" were walking along the street (in a somewhat orderly fashion) we gave them surveys to full out with questions such as "Would you be interested in hearing more about beginning a personal relationship with Christ?", "Would you like to get involved in a Bible study?", and "Are you interested in hearing more about Campus Crusade for Christ?" - students could circle yes, maybe, or no. There was also a spot on the card for them to write their contact information. After this card was completed students could turn it in at our booth to get their "free stuff". The gigantic pile seemed to shrink in miraculous ways and toward the end of the day it looked like this:

Praise God! This is something that was possible by His power at work through the many hands and feet that came out to help out. . .and boy were my feet tired after that day (maybe flip-flops aren't the most supportive shoe after all :)) So, now we've begun to sort through approximately 2700 contact cards so that they will be ready to be given to the Bible study leaders after the training they (including me!) will receive on Saturday morning. We use these cards in order to begin meeting students in the dorms (and many off campus locations as 1500 freshmen have to live off campus because "there was no room in the inn"!) where we will be leading Bible studies.

Tomorrow will provide another opportunity for us to survey and get the contact info of freshmen that slipped by us earlier. From 4-7 WOW puts on a "Block Party" on campus for students to get to know the different clubs and organizations they can get involved with. Thanks for your prayers!

Ways to Pray!

I personally, and we as Campus Crusade in SLO, would LOVE your prayers on behalf of this week. . .starting now! WOW week has officially begun, meaning 4,000+ freshmen (biggest incoming freshmen class ever!) and transfer students are experiencing a week of madness and we (that includes you!) get to be a part of it! Here are some ways to pray:
- Tues (tomorrow!) is SLO bound and prayerfully we will be handing out 2,700 Freshmen Survival Kits (including a Bible, Blue Like Jazz, a DVD with a Gospel presentation, a highlighter, and a water bottle. . .all wrapped up in a great mesh laundry bag). We have never had so many FSKs to hang out before, but we've also never had such a big freshmen class before. Pray that these kits would get into the hands of thirsty and hungry students for its contents will satisfy all their needs and desires.
- Pray that both at SLO Bound and the WOW Block Party on Friday many students (I'll dream big: ALL students) would fill out contact cards letting us know if they're interested in hearing more about the Lord and ways to pursue a relationship with Him.
- Pray that we, as a staff team and involved students, would be the image of Christ for many students who are so vulnerable and uncomfortable right now. Pray that we would seek to glorify that Lord through words and actions that are submersed in the Love of Christ.
- Pray for wisdom and discernment on behalf of the staff team as we will be pairing and placing Bible Study leaders this week. . .some fun, and not so fun, phone calls will need to be made. Pray that as we do the Lord's work that we will see His will be done.
- Pray for me as I will be going back into the dorms to lead a freshmen Bible Study in Trinity (the Liberal Arts dorm, where I lived as a student). Pray for a sweet connection with my co-leader Hannah and many great opportunities to live out the Gospel there as we get to know the girls in the coming weeks.

Thank you sooooo much!

Pre-Fall Retreat

Pre-Fall Retreat is an event that happened on Saturday from 1-8. This was a time for students involved in the movement to come out and get re-ignited, re-aligned, and re-sent out to do the work of the Lord at Cal Poly and Cuesta. It was such a sweet time and something that we planned while on our retreat the past week. It's called Pre-Fall Retreat because the focus is on the 4 school weeks before we leave for our Fall Retreat (held in Ventura this year, upwards to 600 students will go). These 4 weeks (plus WOW week, which makes 5) are instrumental in reaching students, particularly freshmen and transfers, for Christ. Pre-Fall retreat got me, and about 100+ student leaders, so excited about the thousands of interactions and opportunities the Lord will give us to proclaim His name in word and deed. Here's what the actual day looked like - we started the afternoon with lots of socializing as many students had not seen each other for months (many have come back from Summer Projects and are pumped!). We then went into a time of worship and then into a time of sharing in small groups and as a whole about what the Lord did over the summer and what we're excited/nervous/trusting God for in the Fall. I got to lead the whole group during this time - fun! Then we, as a staff and CORE team, were introduced which was. . .strange. It's weird to be on the other side of things now - I'm no longer a student, it's starting to sink in. Jamey, our director, then led us in a time in the Word as well as casting vision for the coming months. After a break and a fun massive game of link tag we got back together again to hear about the vision for the first 5 weeks of the year (which we as a staff team built the framework for) and a description of the events on the calender. We then broke up into planning groups so that students could take ownership of one or more of these events. I led up the "Freshmen/Transfer Dinner" planning team. Lots of students showed up and it was neat to see it get planned out before my eyes. More on that later, it'll be the end of week 3. After dinner we closed the night off with a sweet time in prayer and worship. It was a GREAT way to meet with students a get excited about the great things the Lord has in store for the coming weeks!

Staff Retreat!

Yay, now it's time to get you all caught up on the past week! Last Sunday night (which feels like it was SO long ago because so much has happened) we, as a staff team, gathered at our director's (Jamey Pappas) house for a BBQ. It was such a nice time to connect with the staff that I knew as a student and get to know some of the new interns. Sadly, Caellin and Jacob's (a couple interning who graduated from UC Davis in June) car broke down on the way there so they had to miss out. To give you an idea of what the makeup of the staff team is: there are 5 married couples. One being the recently married Douglass' that I just mentioned. Then there's Jamey and Gretchen Pappas and their two kids, Joe and Allison Priola and their daughter (plus one more child on the way!), Dan and Deb Goodson (plus one of the way), and Kevin and Jenn Lamb (plus one on the way). Perhaps you noticed that three of the couples are expecting within the school year - what a neat time with lots of baby talk! As for the rest of the interns, Kristen Geischenslag is returning for her 2nd year, Tim Fox is interning after spending a year on STINT in East Asia (a missions trip to the region Cal Poly is partnered with), and then there's Kelly Hogan and I who are interning as well. One day I'll post a picture to put a face to all these names but for now just know that I am extremely blessed to have a work environment with co-workers that also serve as family!

On Monday we left for Silver City in the Mineral King Valley. We had to take a narrow road with 650 turns to get to the location - crazy, so thankful I don't get car sick! Silver City is a resort owned by a Christian professor at Cal Poly. . .he and his wife let us use the place (with one of the Chalets costing $400 a night. . .we used 3!) for free for the whole week - what a major blessing. We used the time well and had a busy 5 days to connect and prepare for the year. We spent a good deal of time casting vision for the year (I'll blog more on this later) and then creating path steps and tactics to reach the vision. We also paired up and placed Bible Study leaders, were told which teams we would be coaching and which Bible studies we would be leading (('ll blog more about what I've been assigned to do, just know that I'm already so excited about it!). When the CORE student leadership team (9 awesome kids!) arrived we spent a good chunk of time discussing W8 ("Wednesdays at 8". . .the name for our weekly meeting) as big changes are going into effect soon (I'll blog more on that as well!) as well as planning out the first 5 weeks of the quarter as this is an instrumental time in reaching students for Christ. We were able to enjoy many sweet times in the Word, prayer, and fellowship as well. . .our beautiful surroundings made it easy to be in awe of God and His desire to use us puny humans to relay His redemptive message. During free time I had the chance to go on a great hike with some of the staff as well as enjoy the beautiful weather by reading a book (Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, so great!) on a rock by a great creek.

So, that's just a glimpse into the past week and boy am I so excited for what lies ahead! There were many times during the week where I felt so inexperienced and unhelpful. . .and yet I know He has called me to this and is faithful to keep me humble in all things. I'm going to try to blog a couple of times tomorrow as well because I want to let you know about "Pre-Fall Retreat" which happened yesterday and was AMAZING as well as the big week that lies ahead (it's WOW week, Week of Welcome for the freshmen and transfers). . .I'll let you know ways you can be praying specifically. It's such an exciting time - thanks for reading and praying!

My first task. . .

So, I know this isn't the greatest picture but I still wanted to post it! This is Jenn's fridge after we spent 4 and a 1/2 hours planning and menu and shopping at Costco and Food4Less. Mind you, these are only the items that needed refrigeration. . .there's still a ton (maybe literally! :)) in her car! I had no idea it would be such a big job but now I know that grocerry shopping for 13-22 people is a little different then grocerry shopping for 1! Each day we will be preparing a simple breakfast (bagels, yogurt, fruit, cereal), morning snack (veggies, crackers, fruit), a simple lunch (sandwiches, chips, fruit, leftovers from the night before), an afternoon snack (trail mix, watermelon, red vines, chocolate. . .anything to keep up the energy), as well as dinner and dessert! Mon and Tues we'll be cooking for 13 and Wed through Fri we'll be cooking for 22 (because at that point the student leaders will come up). In case you're wondering what to make for dinner this week here's what we're having -

Monday: Lazanga (frozen from Costco), salad, garlic bread. . . and strawberries with biscuits for dessert

Tuesday: Corn and Chicken Chowder, corn bread. . .and freshly baked cookies (not from scratch) for dessert

Wednesday: BBQ Chicken, baked potatoes, corn on the cob. . .and I can't remember for dessert :)

Thursday: Taco bar with shredded pork, spanish rice. . .and pie for dessert

Wow, no wonder we had to buy so much! So, just a reminder - I'll be gone til Friday. . .I'll let you know what we did when I get back!

More pictures!

So, here are some more pictures. . .with captions so you know why!

While at home my mom and I went to the fabric store and I bought fun fabric to sew a new bed skirt, duvet cover, and pillows. It was a fun project that kept me busy, which I like, and I am happy with the result! It's colorful, fun, and homemade. . .which always includes little imperfections here and there, just how I like it. . .just like me! :) I still need to work on the walls. . .maybe I'll post more pics of my room when it's finished - it's fun to have my own space again!

Here I am trying to show you my new hair cut before hanging out with a girlfriend last night. Let me tell you, it's might hard for me to take a self portrait that also captures that back of my head - but I tried! It's quite short in the back and long in the front. . .so I'm still sporting the a-line cut. It's fun and easy!

You are looking at the 140 prayer letters that went out in the mail today! Whew, what a big job. . .thankfully I recruited Kristen to help address, stamp, fold, and stuff them. Now they are "signed, sealed, delivered" and many of you should be getting them in the mail soon! What a blessing it was to go through and write the addresses of each of my prayer and financial supporters - it was a great chance to pray for them and praise God for His provision! Although, for future letters I may have to figure out how to make address labels. . . I don't have the neatest handwriting and it would save a chunk of time. I promise I'll still pray as I put the labels on though. :)