Summer Documentation: Part Three

So this summer has flown by. This is only my third blog and we only have 25 days until we get back home. Crazy!

Lots of things have happened since the last time I wrote- We've been to six different states, set up at a bazillion different tournaments, made oodles of kids smile (and, consequently, lots of parents broke), and had lots of fun. I went to the ER for the first time- heat exaustion is no fun and IVs aren't as bad as I expected (it still hurt though). I'm so thankful for being placed on Ethan's team and for him making me take it easy and taking care of me when I didn't know what was best for myself. It showed me a lot about God's sovereignty- When I thought I was okay and fully capable of continuing as always, Ethan knew better. He didn't give in to my pleas (more like whines) to continue working, but made me rest and reccuperate, wanting the best for me when I didn't even know what that was. That's a lot like God- He always knows what's best but sometimes we try to do it our way and end up making things worse and hurting ourselves in the process. A good lesson to learn but I don't recommend going to the ER for it.

We're down from eight people on our team to seven, Lizzy went home and Ben is leaving for home this weekend. It's going to get harder without them but we'll make it happen- we always do. We really do have the best team, and I'm so thankful I was placed here with them.

We drove from Myrtle Beach, SC (probably my favorite stop so far) to Richmond, Virginia last night and arrived here about 2 am. Thankfully this is an off day, so we slept in until 1 pm. I finished all of summer classes today which calls for a big sigh of relief but also a big ol' groan since I probably failed miserably in chemistry- hardest class ever.

I've had an amazing time this summer, and while it hasn't been easy it's been a huge learning experience and I'm without a doubt a much stronger person than when we started two months ago. I miss home cooking, church, my family and friends, and shooting. My bed, my shower, and Camillia and Eric only being two miles up the road, but I know in 26 days I'm going to miss the East tour of the Baseball Youth Roadtrip Fanfest, palm trees (I already miss them and I've only been away for 24 hours), experiencing new things in new places, and taking care of people.

Thank you for your emails, texts, calls and love. Please keep praying for us!

PHOTOGRAPHS:

Summer Documentation: Part Two

So it's three weeks into this summer adventure and it is definitely an adventure. We're traveling, having fun, and most of all working our butts off. It is hard work packing and unpacking, setting up and tearing down, but I love the little kids' excitement and seeing their faces light up when they win something.

We've been in Georgia for the past couple weeks and it was so hot! The people are so friendly down south though, and even the little kids are all about saying "yes, ma'am." I love that with all of my insides.

We got to Florida early this morning (my first time in Florida) and will be in Palm Beach until Thursday when we drive to Clearwater where we will stay for the weekend before driving to Kissimmee.

We spent the biggest chunk of the day at the beach (my first time in the ocean!) and it seriously was one of the greatest moments ever. The ocean is such a visible reminder of how small we are and how big our Creator is. Ricky, Assistant Sports Editor for the Murray State News, said "It's hard to believe that on the other side of this ocean is Africa."

Then I just wanted to start swimming and make my way to Africa. But that's a terribly long swim so I decided against it.

We have a tournament tomorrow afternoon/night and it's supposed to rain but hopefully it won't because we need to do some major selling. We're working hard but sometimes people just aren't interested. That's life.

School is so hard. Chemistry especially- it's all math and numbers, two of the most difficult things for me to do. I just can't understand numbers, so this is really hard. Astronomy is easier and then online yoga is kinda ridiculous... Yeah.

God has been showing me a lot lately, some of which I'm still processing and therefore can't share yet, but He is definitely active and showing me more and more everyday how weak I am and utterly incapable without Him. My verse this week:

"I beseech you therefore, bretheren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves a living sacrafice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed to the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." -Romans 12:1-2

PHOTOGRAPHS

Kids I want to adopt:

Cummings, Georgia

The Hilton, Palm Beach. Our hotel.

The pool area at our hotel

The beach!

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand." -Psalm 139:17-18

Please keep praying for us, we need it desperately.

He Apologized? What?!

So yesterday after watching the first base umpire ruin Galarraga's perfect game I was mad. Super mad. But today I read this article, the umpire apologized to Galarraga after the game. That is practically unheard of in baseball. I'm not super mad anymore, I'm super amazed.


http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/06/detroits-armando-galarraga-3-outs-from-another-perfect-game/1

Summer Documentation: Part One

Okay, so first I’m just going to say that this will probably be a short blog but there will be lots (several) pictures at the end to give you visuals of what’s going on in our daily life.


This needs to be said: The East tour is really awesome, definitely the best team. We all mesh fairly well and have a lot of fun doing everything. I really like them all a lot.

The first couple of days were spent doing some intense training and some equally intense eating and sleeping. What we’re doing is a LOT of hard work but it is so much fun, I really enjoy every part of it, even the loading and unloading of the 35’ trailer.
We started off in Morehead, Kentucky and then went to Louisville for a tournament and now we’re enjoying several days off until our next tournament in Knoxville on Friday. We went to the Louisville Slugger Museum today and then ate at Hard Rock Café (ridiculously expensive… geeze) on Fourth Street Live before driving to Knoxville.
Note to self: Don’t drink Gatorade, or anything with sugar, before or during a road trip no matter how short the distance- my bladder just can’t take it.
Anyway, God has really been so amazing through this whole adjustment period. I love that no matter where I am or what I’m doing He is always the same. That is so awesome. The verses that God has used the most are Philippians 2:14-16-

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life."

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, please keep those prayers coming.

The group: Ben, Paige, Hunter, Lizzy, Ethan, Shana, Ricky, and me

These are the tents we set up at each tournament...

I work the Topps Attax tent and this is my little buddy Carter who became my best friend on day one in Morehead.

These are some of my buds in Louisville, they have the greatest smiles!

This is the guys filling up the truck after they ran out of gas on I-64... Funniest thing ever.

Ethan, Hunter, and Paige, and me at the Louisville Slugger Museum with a legit Johnny Bench bat.

The gang at Louisville Slugger.

Summer classes start this week... I'm nervous about time management, so please continue to pray for that. I hope you guys are having a fantastic summer and are remembering that by not complaining we are shining like stars in a crooked and depraved universe.
 
Much love,

Updates, Discoveries and Prayer Requests

Updates and discoveries...

• I'm leaving for the internship on Tuesday. 
• I'll be on the East Tour just like we prayed for! The schedule is here if you want to check it out. 12 states. 3 months. Excitement abounds.
• Packing for three months is really hard.
• My neighbor, his wife, and their grandson will be at one of the Tour stops competing. (So cool!)
• Tomorrow is my last day at work, and while the girl replacing me is fantastic, I'm going to miss the easy routine and client interaction.
• God has the best plans. This isn't really a discovery because I've known for years, but He keeps proving His sovereignty and supreme awesomeness over every detail in my life and am blessed and overwhelmed.

 Prayer Requests...

• First and foremost that God would protect us (physically, emotionally, spiritually).
• That He will use this time to minister to me and through me to others. This is a mission experience even if I'm not going to Africa.
• That I'll be placed on the East Tour. (Answered prayer!)
• A laptop with a big HD. I'll be taking three online classes this summer while we're on the tour in order to graduate from the community college and go to Murray in the fall, a laptop is a necessity. (Answered prayer!)
  
• That the people on the tour will be "good" people, and that there would be at least one true believer.
• That the online classes will go smoothly and that balance between work, school and free time will come easily.
• That God would be with my parents and help them through this time of watching their "baby" grow up and leave the home. 
• Not related to the internship but a prayer request nonetheless, that God will supply the finances for fall tuition (and every semester thereafter) at Murray. I know God wants me there so I know He will provide the means to make it happen. He never fails. (He's already doing this! Isn't He awesome?!)
• Related to that, I pray that God will grant me favor in the eyes of the people selecting the scholarships.
• Also related to finances in the fall, I pray that God would give me a good job that will work around school/newspaper. 
• An awesome roommate at Murray. 

I will praise Him if He does all this and I will praise Him if He takes me a completely different way. He has the best plans and I will trust Him with my heart, dreams, and life, come what may. He is worthy of praise despite my feelings and circumstances.

"Many are the plans in the heart of man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand."  - Proverbs 19:21

Katie's Journey

As I write this my eyes are recovering from nearly drowning in a sea of tears while reading a blog from Katie, a 21 year old who God called to Africa. Please, please, please take the time to read this blog post.

It broke my heart and healed it all at the same time.

My heart spilled...

Musical Goodness

Stop whatever you're doing (which would be reading this) and go download (for free) the Farewell album of my friends in Reset Red. They are amazingly talented and this is definitely their best project to date.

Farewell- Reset Red

Free + amazing = fantastical.