Heading Home

Wow...where has this summer gone? I cannot believe I will be home on Tuesday. I feel like I was just packing to go to Philadelphia wondering what this crazy summer would look like and not even be able to phathom all that could happen...and I was right.

God has blessed me so much with traveling to different sites and being able to help them out. He has also given me some great friends that I will never forget, each site unique and great! I feel like I was given the best job of the summer, I got to travel, be an extra help and bless people with that, and still serve youth in the same context at each place. I couldn't have asked for a better position.

God challenged me with things that could have come up, but knew that I could do if I trusted in Him. This will be a summer I will never forget, from Philadelphia and the amazing city it is, to Birmingham and all of the history there, to finally New Orleans where I got to see some great southern hospitality and still help out with Hurricane Katrina and see how the people who live here truly love where they live.

I wouldn't trade this summer for anything else!

The summer is winding down...

Wow, there is only 2 more weeks of the summer left! Where did this summer go? Who knew I would travel this much. God had some great plans for me this summer and I am glad I got to follow Him to all of these places. He introduced me to great people who love God and some great youth!

I try not to plan a lot in the future, but I also have to be realistic and I frankly, I am nervous when I get home. I get home the 11th of August and leave home the 16th of August. In that time I have to pack my life up and get pack it into my car to move to Monessen to start my job on the 18th. I also am in a wedding on the 15th, lets just say its going to be a crazy couple of days. Hopefully when I get to Monessen and all moved in things will start to settle down (but I doubt it :P)

I found out last week that I will be in the Southeast the rest of the summer, so I booked my flight home. Its crazy to think that New Orleans could be my last stop before home. I love the staff here, they are all great. I also miss the staff from Philly and Birmingham. I know that they're doing great though, they were some solid staff!

I cannot wait to go to the Southeast exit RAMP and see some new faces and see some friends that I haven't seen in a while that are in this region. God is funny the way he brings friends together and I am excited to see who I am going to know there!

NOLA

So last Sunday I got a call and a few hours later I was on my way to New Orleans, Louisiana. I never saw that coming. They needed my help here because next weekend is the national ELCA convention, which happens every 3 years, and it is being held here in New Orleans; so they called in reinforcements. The staff here is great, I really connected with them right away. I also cannot believe that I just finished my 5th week of programing and that there is only 3 weeks left! I feel like this summer is flying by!

Wow, who would have thought I would have ended up in NOLA. God is so great and truly knows the ultimate plan. I love that all I can do this summer is trust that and know that I am going where God wants me to go.

One great thing about being here is that I might be able to see some old friends from school that have moved down here! She has recently gotten married and I was really sad to have missed her wedding, but now that I am down here I can see her. I hope I get to see some of my other friends as well that have moved down here.

Who would have guessed!

I just had my first week in Birmingham and it was great! The staff is awesome and I get along with them really well. I am so lucky to come to a staff that is so great, I couldn't be any luckier.

A funny thing happened this week. I was in the kitchen on Sunday making dinner for the groups coming and one of the things that happens when the kids arrive is that they get a tour of the building and go through the kitchen and the first group comes through and I am busy working on dinner and here, "Oh my goodness, its Brenna." I was a little confused as to why they were so excited to see me, they didn't know me (or so I thought). I look up and it's a group that was at my site last summer in Osage! It was so great to see them again. God works in mysterious ways. He totally knew I was a little nervous to start at a whole new site, not knowing the building very well yet, or even the town and that I could use a something that is familiar and he did. It was such a blessing to be able to reconnect with these kids.

All in all the first week here was great and I am excited for what God has for me here, as long as I am here. God is good :)

Birmingham, here I come!

So I got my first move of the summer! I got a call Thursday night and was on a plane Friday morning to Birmingham, AL. I spent all day on planes and in the airport and arrived in Birmingham around 6:40. It has been a crazy and long past few days, but I knew this was part of my job and am really excited to see what Birmingham is like and how I can help serve the team here!

God knew that I was getting complacent there, He knew that it was "easy" for me to stay in Philly. Plus, the Philly team is rockin' and can do great with the four of them, I am excited to hear about the rest of their summer! I am sad to leave, but excited to see all of what God has in store for me here. I am fully trusting in God this summer that He will lead me where I am suppose to go and where I can best help/fit.

If you would like to be praying for the staff here and for staying healthy and for the girl who is sick that she gets better. Also just pray that we can all get along well and that I will be a help, not a hindrance to this team.

Crazy Awesome week here in Philly

So we just had our first week as just the Philly staff and I would have to say it was one of the best Youthworks! weeks I have had. When they first came I was really nervous that I wouldn't be able to handle their crazy energy and wasn't sure I would get along with them. But as soon as I thought that God laughed at me and taught me more than the kdis will ever know in the short week I was with them. God works in such great ways.

It felt like it was just Sunday and being in the staff meeting worried and then in a blink of an eye it was Friday and we were saying goodbye to some great friends we had just made. I really think that what I learned from Greaterworks really applies to each week that I have here with Youthworks and that is if at the end of the week we haven't given our all and it doesn't hurt that they are leaving, we haven't given enough. That is exactly what Jesus did when he went into cities. I am sure it wasn't easy for him to go from place to place and not get attached to some of the people, but he didn't hold back he still gave his all.

I hope that every Thursday night and Friday morning I hurt because the group is leaving, I want to give my all, wherever I am and whatever I am doing!

Life as a Utility

So I am here in Philidelphia with the Philly Youthworks team. I am here for now, who knows when or where I will go next. It is exciting, but at the same time a little scary.

I was talking to my friend that I was on staff with last summer in Oklahoma and he said that he was excited for me to get a permanent placement and get to know my staff and community, but I would be excited to stay as utility and move around, but the only down side is that I wouldn't get close with one group of people really well to share my summer with...so its a catch 22. Whatever happens I know that God has it all planned ou for me, so I am trusting he has me everywhere and anywhere I am going to go!

I'm exciting I get to be the extra help to the staff (if I don't get placed in a position). I know how stressful it can be to have to prep a site a do your own personal stuff for your position and I can help relieve some of that stress or even during the summer with the basic day to day things that can get overwhelming. I hope that I can do that for the staff I am a utility for.

Well, off to help Philly with their site! I'll post back soon, especially if I am somewhere else!