The Week of a Lifetime

Hi friends!

Before I go off to Chicago (in less than a month!!) I wanted to write a little bit about my summer and preparation for what’s to come. I’m doing an internship this summer with K-State Research & Extension in the 4-H Youth Development office on campus in Manhattan. It’s been a great experience so far, the highlight of the summer being last week at Camp Corral!

Golden Corral sponsors this camp for military kids all over the US. This week we had 300 kids at Rock Springs 4-H Center! Needless to say, it was a little crazy. For those of you that don’t know, I LOVE camp. I grew up going to camp and worked at one in Colorado for 2 summers (Shoutout to my Highlands friends!!) So, I was super excited for this week! This time, I was in an assistant role, acting as counselor support and assisting the directors. There were 6 assistants so it was fun to have friends too!

Anywho, A lot of my time was spent covering breaks for counselors, so I supervised some individual cabins. Then I would just help supervise larger activities like at the pool and evening activities. One morning Dereck and I were cruising around in the golf cart and a counselor waved me over. She was chasing her camper around! I helped her try to keep a visual on the little girl and called for an MFLAC (Military Family Life....something....they were kind of like therapist/counselors). We were giving her space so she wouldn't freak out and lost the visual a couple of times. I mildly freaked out because the girl would get ahead of us and hide in the woods! Anyway, Loretta came and calmed her down a little and then asked if I would go walk with the girl to blow off steam. I took Kerri around and we stopped at the horse barn. As soon as she started petting them, she really opened up. She was very talkative actually! It was such a blessing to be able to walk around with her and help her to feel better. Then, that afternoon she was very clingy at the pool. I think she just was excited to finally have someone actually listen to her without making assumptions.

That's only one of many stories like that from this week. Another teary-eyed boy told me about his #1 hero, his dad, who was a wounded warrior. The slogan for Camp Corral is "The week of a lifetime!" and I was so glad that I got to experience it with everyone. I love camp for many reasons, but it was really cool to see it from a youth development perspective this time. It was also cool to see how the campers and the counselors grew from the experience!

Here's a link to a story about it (had several news crews out):

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/Camp-For-Military-Kids-Helping-Them-Cope-WIth-Stresses-215923841.html#.UedvsbsBd4s.facebook

Look at me!! You can see hundreds of more pictures if you go to the Rock Springs Facebook page! Also, check out this rockin video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSAN9wmwy8k

In other news, I’m trying to prepare for my year of service. Have a draft of letters written (which many of you will hopefully have read by the time you arrive at my blog), reading some books, praying a lot. One of the books I’m reading is called Love Does by Bob Goff. The lovely Kalli Watson (2013-2014 YAV in Northern Ireland!) recommended it to me at Discernment Event back in March. Anyway, it’s awesome. So many good stories from his life that he’s connected to the grace of God.

You know that quote “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called”? Goff talks about that in the book in a way that makes it really real to me. Just when I’m ready to freak out about moving to a huge city and getting lost downtown, these words reminded me that God will strengthen me and be with me always. Preface: The story in the chapter of Love Does is about a wedding cake getting dropped in the parking lot, and the cake gets all these rocks and stuff in it:

“He called people like me who can’t even figure out which end of a plastic bag to open His hands, He called people who trip every day His feet, and He called people who can’t figure out which way to turn a screw to tighten it or even stack a cake correctly the ones who would build a kingdom. And then, if we’re willing, He serves us up- rocks, small bits of asphalt, and all” (p. 58).

I hope that if any of you is feeling inadequate today, that these words will serve as an encouragement to you too!

"Got a job yet?"

Hello friends!

Thanks for coming to my blog. Many of you know that I just graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies & Human Services. Here's photographic proof:

Since graduation, everyone has been asking me the classic “Got a job yet?” question. I smile and say that I’m going to spend a year volunteering (I’m not ready to grow up just yet!) Anyway, in late August, I will be moving to Chicago for a year of service through the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Program.  The YAV program is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Mission Agency. I will be joining over 70 other young adults at 16 sites both here in the US and internationally. I am very excited to embark on this new adventure, and am confident that it will be life-changing in many ways.

Here is an overview of the YAV Program:

The Young Adult Volunteer Program is an opportunity for persons between the ages of 19 and 30 to explore their call to the work of Jesus Christ. This one-year program offers participants the experience of both mission service and mission learning. Each program site shares common components which enhance the experience, i.e., orientation, service, prayer and Bible study, leadership development, and an end-of-term retreat. While sharing these program elements, each site uniquely challenges the participants to explore their relationship to God, to the church, and their ministry in a broken world. Participants are challenged by the practices of intentional community living, simple lifestyle, and devotion to prayer and service. Each site’s unique form of service provides an opportunity for learning about the mission of today’s church to the world.

I will be living with other volunteers and working at two social service agencies. One of these agencies, Grace Seeds, is a nonprofit that helps alleviate hunger in their community by sharing gifts from their gardens. My other site placement is not definite at the moment, but I do know that it will be in the field of youth development; possibly coordinating an after school program. I am very excited to join these organizations in their ministries and am confident that the Lord will bless my work there.

I created this blog as a way to stay in touch- to keep you all posted on what I’m doing and what the Lord is doing through me and my team. I hope that this will be a good tool to keep everyone updated on what I’m doing and give you an idea of what you can pray for.

This upcoming year will certainly be quite an adventure, but I cannot do it alone. I hope that each of you will consider supporting me in some way. Here are a few ideas of how you can do that, but these are just a few of the possibilities.

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Your Prayers: Pray for me and the people with whom I will live and serve this year. Prayer is an incredibly powerful tool and would be very much appreciated!

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 Your interest in my year of service: I will be keeping a blog (online journal) throughout the year to reflect and inform everyone of my experience. Visit my blog at sentsc.blogspot.com.  (Good job- you’re here!!) Ask me to speak at your church when I return. I will be most willing to share how the Lord is working in Chicago!

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Your words of encouragement: Staying in touch and simply letting me know that I’m in your prayers would be very much appreciated!

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Your financial gifts: The Presbyterian Mission Agency is dedicated to this program and takes on a great financial burden to host volunteers. I am asked to raise $3,000 for my year of service, which is only a fraction of the actual cost. If you are able and willing to give financially, please send your checks to the address below. Put my name and ECO # E052053 on the memo. If you wish to give electronically, go to http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/yav/support-yavs/ and click on Chicago.

            First Presbyterian Church

            1400 N. Main

            McPherson, KS 67460

Thanks for stopping by, friends! More to come soon!

Blessings,
Clarissa