Sentada,Espera, que Deseen

It's been over a week and the office is still closed due to no a/c. I wanted to tell everyone that people in other countries can function in 92 degree weather with no air, but I don't think I have that much power in the office. We're trying to make due by keeping up via email, phone calls, starbucks meetings, but it's really difficult to do. My supervisor suggested that I email my professor and tell him about this delay and the potential delay that the hurricane season could bring. It's suppose to by a high active hurricane season. My initial response to hearing that? KA-RAP!

God is teaching me a lot on this internship and everytime I learn something I ask, "But did you REALLY have to go about it this way? couldn't it have been easier?" guess not.

There's honestly only one lesson God is teaching me here but it has SO many dynamics that almost every situation I've been in for the past month falls back on me learning.....
TO TRUST GOD!
Really, it's that basic! but I'm obviously not getting it! It's like I'm building my house on, well, not sand, cause I KNOW that's no good, but instead of the rock, I'm going for wooden pillars that hoist my house above the rock, so I'm not really touching the rock, but it's somewhere underneath me (just go with it for a second).

So these wooden pillars are things like, friends, kids, constant internet access, daily work to be done, and the idea that I need a husband to survive post college (thanks college).

God looked at the husband thing first, and sent me to a CCDA women's retreat/conference session with ELIZABETH PERKINS! Yep, that's John Perkins' daughter and I got to shake her hand! ***Note: None CDV folks- John Perkins is called the Father of Community Development. He is freakin' AMAZING!***
The session was called "Saved, Satisfied, and Single" and we talked about being single in ministry. It was so good to hear these women who are older than me talk about their experiences. the lesson learned was basically that Christ is MY first husband and I will (well, should) ALWAYS seek to serve him and please him first. Because I have this wonderful relationship with Christ, marriage is just the cherry on the cake, and that cherry has a pit and stem, but the cake is so rich. One wooden pillar burned.

The next one God took down was daily work. It has been ONE WEEK since I've been aloud back in the office to work because our freaking A/C still doesn't work! I've got cabin fever now and I'm trying to work past not being in the office with the staff who I need to talk to. The folks at FCFC are really my only relationships in Miami, so I'm missing my daily dose of socializing.
Pillar number 2, come on down!

oh, yeah, friends, kids and constant internet connection kind of boil down into my need to interact and socialize with people. If I'm a new person to you, I'm an extreme extrovert and need other people to survive. Well, I don't have internet at the house, I don't have friends in Miami (except folks in the office), and I'm going through child withdrawal. I was SO lonely on Sunday and Monday. Sunday night I went to bed at 9:30am because there was nothing better for me to do. I woke up in the morning and called my mom crying about how alone I am. She told me she was in the same place when she went into the army. She reminded me that I'm never alone and God is at my right hand and this is just His way of drawing my attention to that. "It's going to hurt!" she said. And it does, but pillar number 3,4,and 5, DOWN FOR THE COUNT!

So now my house has COLLAPSED onto the rock, and yeah, it HURT! but I've found so much peace and comfort here. God even gave me the gift of a young adults small group to attend on Tuesday nights at a local church! It was SO great! they're studying a Tim Keller book and a couple of the girls there are doing community development in Miami, another girl is my age and goes to FSU and will be a House Assitant (the same thing as an RA in Covenant terms). Oh, and My parents sent me a baby Orchid as a reminder of how loved I am. I named it Adler (and all the com. dev. majors laugh).

Things I've learned:
- She comes from a family of 7, went into the army, has survived raising 3 children, has worked in a maternity ward, nursing home, and elementary and middle school, how come I didn't realize how AWESOME my mom is until I turned 21?
- I will be the most aggressive driver in all of Chattanooga because of this summer. It's really interesting because people aren't angry drivers, they let you cut them off, and push your way into the lane.

Prayer Requests
- 2 words: AIR CONDITIONING!
- 2 more words: HURRICANE SEASON! it's suppose to be SUPER active this summer! pray them away!
- Good friendships through this small group.

Vaya con Dios!