Well, this week has been a little more occupied with events that have taken up some of my time! I never thought I'd be feeling this much longing for busy-ness. I was lucky to spend some time with Justin (YL metro director in Charlotte) and Amie this week at their house, along with Holly and Neil Gardner (Neil is on staff here too), and some Columbus high school grads that are attending Queens University. It was the first time I have felt at home with a lot of these people. It was so great. We really got ot just sit down over a great meal and chat all together.

I have sorted out my living situation from now until August and will be staying in a condo of a Young Life parent here while she closes on her house in Pennsylvania. I am there until August 9th and after that we are up in the air again.

I had the great opportunity of doing lunch with my friend Andrew, who I met at Kiawah about 6(? wow that long) years ago. Andrew and the four guys that he was at Kiawah with in the summer became fast friends for my sister, cousins and I. It was great to catch up with him and we ate at a great restaurant called Firebirds. Our server was such a nice guy and threw me a bone on the job application thing. He informed me that they were for sure hiring and gave me an optimistic nudge to apply. It was great to see Andrew and nice to know that I know one person down here prior to the 3 weeks of living here. :)

This morning I had such a great opportunity to have coffee with a Young Life committee mom. She is born and raised a Carolinian, but lived in the midwest for 18 years after getting married, only ot head back South. She is so generous and helpful, so it was great to be around her family this afternoon to babysit. I got ot hang out with her two wild and crazy sons. We had a water gun fight and then just sat out in the yard talking and playing. Her daughter heads off to Frontier tomorrow for her first week of young life camp as a high school student. My gosh I was almost at the point of tears remembering what that first year was like. It is something that I will never get back but also memories that I will never forget. There is just something about how special Young Life camp is when you are in high school. As a leader now I can't think of anything greater than experiencing camp through the eyes of someone who has never been. You can't even imagine or describe it. What a blessing this ministry is! I am so thankful God put its roots in Jim Rayburn's heart and that He has lead me to be a part of it.

Tomorrow I head out on my own to the US National Whitewater Center about an hour away. I will be participating in National Trails Day. I signed up at the REI store that I applied to work at, so I am hoping this will be a little bit of an in because many employees are participating. We are cleaning up trails for a few hours, then we get a free lunch and a free t-shirt. Later on I am babysitting for the boys again so it should be a great Saturday. Pray that I am bold in meeting friends and seek validation only in the Lord so that I can just be me!