Sooo....a big heap of apologies are being sent to y'all right now as I fell short of keeping up with this blog every single week. Honestly, my mind is blown that it has been a month since the first week of volunteers--I have no idea where that time went. I really enjoyed getting to Skype with some of y'all--so good to see fresh and familiar faces! In the past month, or since my last post, we've had four weeks of church groups and volunteers coming in to serve and it truly is a miracle where all of our homes stand currently in the repairing process. I will be uploading a huge link of pictures once my Volunteer Coordinator finishes labeling and sorting them (we have thousands).
God has truly been working here in Fayette County. Our families amaze me more and more everyday, with the love and appreciation they show toward our volunteers, and how much they have welcomed me and my staff into their families. For people who have so very little in terms of living conditions, I see more and more everyday what keeps them going...their love for God and for family. People here have a genuine desire to truly love and help out their neighbors, even if that means they literally give all that they have. I see very easily that this is how God wants us to live. He wants us to give until we have no more, because He is constantly filling us as long as we are letting Him. There has been an analogy of a cup that I think is very applicable to my time here in West Virginia this summer and I want to share it with y'all.
Think of your life as a cup and saucer. For some, our cups are full to the very top and not spilling over. For others, there is hardly a drop inside. So where do you see your life? Some may think the first option is the best, but in reality, neither is a healthy point to be at. For our lives, we must not be just simply full, but overflowing. Overflowing all the time...because once we stop spilling over and no longer have any source of renewal, then we will quickly fade to a droplet of that love, hope, grace, mercy and compassion. So spill out your life into others but do not forget to let others pour into you.
With that, I am off to another busy night of meeting with adult leaders, going over all of our projects and creating our hardware list for tomorrow's day. I think of y'all often and pray for y'all just as much.
Love and Peace,
Katie
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Finally in the Mountains
Hello friends---YES I am still alive, just super busy so I apologize for the delay in updating y'all on what my life has consisted of since I left Calvary.
SO...here it goes!
I packed my car up a little over two weeks ago...and when I say packed I mean stuffed with two suitcases, my guitar, laptop, goodies for my staff, and enough papers and notebooks to fill a small library. This was the first time in forever that I did not forget ANYTHING, nor did I have to turn around before I got too far from home.
Although this is my third summer on staff, the second summer as a Center Director and the seventh year I've been a part of this ministry, and yet I still had a whole bunch of butterflies in my stomach. Looking back on it, I think it was excitement and joy to be with some of the greatest college kids I know, all of which love Jesus and helping other people, and to just be able to wake up in the mountains every morning, drink some coffee and reflect on how good God is to me. When I arrived to the Porch (this is where we had training) the night before my CD training started, I was reunited with old friends and actually met a new friend who is one of the Program Managers this summer (they are in charge of different counties we serve), and everyone at training thought we had known each other forever--she's phenomenal.
The next day all of my fellow Center Directors arrived and it was a loud, laughter-filled, sweet meeting with all of us hugging, sharing stories, and sharing fears about the coming summer. I am considered an RCD (Returning Center Director) so it was very different to have everyone else look up to me with questions on construction and staff management, especially when I am one of the youngest ones there. We spent the next day and a half having team building, going to sessions and praying with one another.
After our first two days on the Porch, 120 other college-aged friends arrived on the Porch...talk about loud! It was so great though!!! We had about 20 guitars, 140 people, and a wooden porch to hold us all as we sang our favorite songs (some of which we sing during our time at Calvary!)...it was just what we all needed even with every place we had all came from. The next week and a half were full of construction sessions, staff community sessions, and how to do position training and handle volunteers. A week into training I got to go visit my county, be introduced to some of the contacts in the community and take a tour of the school I am currently living in. It was a really old school that they now use to train people to work on construction...and their practice??? Fixing and renovating the classrooms my volunteers will live in. The following day I found out my staff: Alex, Ashley, and Blaise. None of them have ever done this job before so that is a new level of growth for me. They are awesome and we've already had so much fun!
Currently we are finding homes to work on, seeing a lot of families living in really poor conditions, and getting the school ready for our first church to arrive THIS Sunday! So keep us in your prayers! Miss you all!
Verses to read: Philippians 2:1-8
I will upload pictures soon!
Love--Katie
SO...here it goes!
I packed my car up a little over two weeks ago...and when I say packed I mean stuffed with two suitcases, my guitar, laptop, goodies for my staff, and enough papers and notebooks to fill a small library. This was the first time in forever that I did not forget ANYTHING, nor did I have to turn around before I got too far from home.
Although this is my third summer on staff, the second summer as a Center Director and the seventh year I've been a part of this ministry, and yet I still had a whole bunch of butterflies in my stomach. Looking back on it, I think it was excitement and joy to be with some of the greatest college kids I know, all of which love Jesus and helping other people, and to just be able to wake up in the mountains every morning, drink some coffee and reflect on how good God is to me. When I arrived to the Porch (this is where we had training) the night before my CD training started, I was reunited with old friends and actually met a new friend who is one of the Program Managers this summer (they are in charge of different counties we serve), and everyone at training thought we had known each other forever--she's phenomenal.
The next day all of my fellow Center Directors arrived and it was a loud, laughter-filled, sweet meeting with all of us hugging, sharing stories, and sharing fears about the coming summer. I am considered an RCD (Returning Center Director) so it was very different to have everyone else look up to me with questions on construction and staff management, especially when I am one of the youngest ones there. We spent the next day and a half having team building, going to sessions and praying with one another.
After our first two days on the Porch, 120 other college-aged friends arrived on the Porch...talk about loud! It was so great though!!! We had about 20 guitars, 140 people, and a wooden porch to hold us all as we sang our favorite songs (some of which we sing during our time at Calvary!)...it was just what we all needed even with every place we had all came from. The next week and a half were full of construction sessions, staff community sessions, and how to do position training and handle volunteers. A week into training I got to go visit my county, be introduced to some of the contacts in the community and take a tour of the school I am currently living in. It was a really old school that they now use to train people to work on construction...and their practice??? Fixing and renovating the classrooms my volunteers will live in. The following day I found out my staff: Alex, Ashley, and Blaise. None of them have ever done this job before so that is a new level of growth for me. They are awesome and we've already had so much fun!
Currently we are finding homes to work on, seeing a lot of families living in really poor conditions, and getting the school ready for our first church to arrive THIS Sunday! So keep us in your prayers! Miss you all!
Verses to read: Philippians 2:1-8
I will upload pictures soon!
Love--Katie
Friday, April 26, 2013
Welcome to the Next Chapter!
Hello everyone! If you are reading this, then my efforts in creating this blog WORKED!! (You never know with technology these days). This is the first of many posts that I will be uploading throughout the summer, so here is just a refresher as to what the purpose is and what is to come.
As you all know, I am leaving from my hometown on May 15th to head to Virginia where I will be in training with 120 other college students learning construction skills, how to work on a four person staff, and how to be enthusiastic and leaders with volunteers. It is a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun--AND we get to sing songs on this huge porch (don't worry, pictures to come)...the same songs we have been working on during our youth time!
Before I head to training, I have a lot of packing, visiting with family, organizing and PRAYING to do before I go on this journey. Remember that prayer is a daily thing, and it is something that not only gives us time to talk with God, but to also allow time for Him to speak to us.
Here are some quick facts (and definitions) of my summer and some of the words I will be using a lot within my posts. I will post between 1-3 times a week, with pictures/videos/stories that have happened in the week! Feel free to comment, ask questions or say whatever you want to!
Volunteers: high school youth and their leaders who come work on homes for their mission trip for 1 week
Staff: the three other students I will be working with and in charge of this summer (you will get to meet them later)
Center Director: That is what my position is called. I am in charge of my staff, the volunteers, all of the construction projects...pretty much everything that the summer deals with!
Fayette Co., WV: This will be my home for the summer. I will be staying in an old school building and will be working with families in the area who need repairs on their homes but cannot afford it.
ASP: The nickname for Appalachia Service Project, the mission group I work for. It has been going on for almost 50 years. 32 different counties throughout the mountain region are where staffs and volunteers work on homes of families who live in poverty.
Thankful for all of you all and for being a part of this journey with me!
As you all know, I am leaving from my hometown on May 15th to head to Virginia where I will be in training with 120 other college students learning construction skills, how to work on a four person staff, and how to be enthusiastic and leaders with volunteers. It is a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun--AND we get to sing songs on this huge porch (don't worry, pictures to come)...the same songs we have been working on during our youth time!
Before I head to training, I have a lot of packing, visiting with family, organizing and PRAYING to do before I go on this journey. Remember that prayer is a daily thing, and it is something that not only gives us time to talk with God, but to also allow time for Him to speak to us.
Here are some quick facts (and definitions) of my summer and some of the words I will be using a lot within my posts. I will post between 1-3 times a week, with pictures/videos/stories that have happened in the week! Feel free to comment, ask questions or say whatever you want to!
Volunteers: high school youth and their leaders who come work on homes for their mission trip for 1 week
Staff: the three other students I will be working with and in charge of this summer (you will get to meet them later)
Center Director: That is what my position is called. I am in charge of my staff, the volunteers, all of the construction projects...pretty much everything that the summer deals with!
Fayette Co., WV: This will be my home for the summer. I will be staying in an old school building and will be working with families in the area who need repairs on their homes but cannot afford it.
ASP: The nickname for Appalachia Service Project, the mission group I work for. It has been going on for almost 50 years. 32 different counties throughout the mountain region are where staffs and volunteers work on homes of families who live in poverty.
Thankful for all of you all and for being a part of this journey with me!
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