First Week

Wow...I've been in Lubbock for a whole week now!

Well I guess I will update you on what's been going on in my life.

The 3 days before I moved up to Tech I went on a retreat called Foundation Camp. This was put on by Tech students and it was just a way to get plugged in with other incoming freshmen who are seeking Christ. There were over 250 campers and it was AMAZING. It was an incredible few days and I met some really great people. The friends I've spent most of this past week with in Lubbock are the friends I met at Foundation. It was a great time of growing closer to God while building solid relationships with fellow believers! Foundation was a HUGE blessing and helped make the transition to Tech a lot easier.

However, there was one down side to Foundation camp...

We played different games while we were there, one of which was called flamingo football. In flamingo football, it was guys vs. girls and we just played football, but the guys feet were tied together. Even though their feet were tied together and had to hop around, if they got close enough to whoever had the ball, they could tackle them. One time I was running the ball and I got tackled from the side and ended up tearing my MCL and meniscus. The MCL did not completely tear, so I don't have to have surgery, but I have to wear this huge brace for 6 weeks which isn't fun. After those 6 weeks I'll go back to the doctor and see if I need to get my knee scoped for the cartilage.

Oh, but even though I got hurt, I scored the touchdown

:)

Needless to say, move-in day was not easy...

Well, actually, it was very easy for ME! I sat in my room and told my family where to put all of my stuff since I couldn't help carry anything in! haha

Now, a week later, I am almost completely settled and have my dorm almost completely set up the way I want it! One of my friends I met at Foundation and one of my friend's mom came in and helped hang stuff up on the walls since I was a little helpless, crippled girl and couldn't do it myself... haha

My roommate, Patrice, is from Allen, Texas and she is awesome! She's SO sweet!

I didn't know her before, but it's been great so far!

I've been to each of my classes once and they went well. I go from about 9am-noon every day and it's been nice having the afternoon to do whatever I need to do. I am taking 16 hours and I'm taking intro to mass communications, atmospheric science, history, intro to journalism, and contemporary math.

Last Sunday, I went with 2 of my best friends from Midland to Trinity Church and we really enjoyed it. It was a great church, but we still want to visit a lot of different churches. Tomorrow we are going to a non-denominational church called Experience Life, and we have a few more picked out that we want to try out. Because of Foundation, we've had so many different connections to different churches which is great because now we have a lot of different options!

Well that is just a little taste of my life as a college student! It's now 2:53am and I think I'm going to try to get some sleep! Yes, I blogged at nearly 3am...because that's the ONLY time I have to do this! haha

I know there are many more stories and memories to be made and can't wait to see what God has in store for me!

welcome to my mind...

well, i really have no idea who all (if anyone) will read this...so i guess i will use it kind of as a journal, or a place to vent when needed.

de·pressed (d-prst) adj.

low in spirits; filled with melancholy and despondency

I just returned from possibly the most incredible trip of my life. I spent 12 days in Kenya, Africa. I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Africa and work with kids over there. It's been a dream of mine, but I just never got the chance to go. This year, an opportunity came up and I jumped on it as fast as I could! 36 people gathered at Midland International Airport on July 17, 2009 about to embark on one of the most intense, draining, trying, yet amazing adventures of our lives. We had gone to countless meetings, trying to become prepared for what awaited us on the other side of the world. We thought we knew what was coming; we thought we knew what to expect. WE WERE WRONG. I'm not entirely sure WHAT we were expecting, but I do know that what we got was not it.

Let me start out by saying that Kenya, Africa is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been…but also one of the worst. There is such beautiful scenery and the people are wonderful, but the reality is that it IS a third world country, and a completely different lifestyle. There is so much poverty, it’s extremely dirty, and very crowded. The number of people in this small of an area is unbelievable. The people, however, are incredible. Yes, I know I only spent time with people at the orphanages, so I may be blinded to how everyone else is, but the other strangers we encountered were such a blessing as well. They were all kind, welcoming, and very helpful whenever we needed it.

The time spent at the orphanages...I can't even begin to describe it all...

There is just something about traveling to a 3rd world country on the other side of the world, going to an orphanage to bring joy to these children, see how little they have, but see how much happier they actually are than we are. I think that "something" is a slap in the face, a reality check, a very humbling experience...

These kids have no parents, have 1 or 2 pairs of clothes, very little (and extremely unappealing) food, no running water, awful diseases and sicknesses spread throughout their orphanage, and just live in down-right horrible conditions, and they are full of TRUE HAPPINESS and are genuinely content.

*REALITY CHECK: most of us have ALL of our needs met on a daily basis, and hardly ever are deprived of anything we even WANT... yet when we don't get that one tiny thing we do want, we throw a fit

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?!

I really came to understand that it's NOT about the material things we have, it's not about how much money we have or how big our house is or what kind of car we drive... after all, most people in the rest of the world don't even have their very own car...but it's about what we do with our life and how we choose to glorify GOD!

These people we spent 12 days with were happy, and loving, and absolutely PRECIOUS.

They yearn for God, they yearn for His will, they yearn for HEAVEN.

They live with HOPE. They live in a way that pleases God. They live so that one day they will receive that promise of SALVATION, and so they will see their Savior face to face.

THAT is what true love and happiness is about.

We are equal with every other person on this earth...we are no better, no worse, no different...WE ARE ALL GOD'S CHILDREN!

We are all the same because we ALL have the SAME promise of SALVATION!

Now, you may be wondering why I started this post the way I did

depressed...

it comes and goes a lot. it comes at the end of trips, at the end of summer, and after an extreme high in my life, like I just had.

It's a mixture of so many different emotions.

Exhaustion, sadness, confusion, fear...

I am exhausted...exhausted from this entire summer, physically and emotionally.

I've basically been living out of a suitcase.

I haven't been home much at all; travel, travel, travel.

My emotions have been up and down in so many different ways.

I am overwhelmed with sadness... because I have realized what a broken world we live in, because I can do all I want but I can't fix it, because several of those I love the most still don't know the unconditional love they could have from God, because I miss those I met and spent hours and even days with in Africa and I want so badly to be there with them again, because I look ahead 3 weeks to when I move to Lubbock and I know I will desperately miss my family and friends who won't be going with me...

I am left here confused...why me? why was I born here? why am I so blessed? what did I do to deserve it? what can I do to bring the Kingdom of God into others lives when I feel so broken myself? why, why, why?

I am fearful for these fourth days...what if I forget? what if I go back to the selfish attitude I had before? what if OTHERS forget? what if we get back into the routine at home and forget what we saw, what we experienced?

My mind in a mess right now.. I honestly don't know what all I wrote tonight, I just began typing and this is what the end result was

take it for what it is... and know that God is a God of power, love, FORGIVENESS, and a God who wants to know you and have a relationship with you... go find Him

Blessings -

xoxo

Steph