Well, that was unexpected...

I didn't expect to fall in love with Michigan. This funny state with its strange turn arounds, churches on every corner and odd way of surprising me every day has wiggled its way into my heart. Almost all of my expectations were wrong. I thought I would do this at my internship...I'm doing almost the opposite. I didn't know how it would be living with a new family....I feel more than at home. I didn't expect close relationships with a month to make them....I've been blessed with people that ask and pray and just love me. I expected to get enough sleep each night because there would be little to do....haven't slept a full night of sleep this entire time. I didn't expect the guys to be so forward here...let's just say I've had some interesting/slightly creepy experiences. I didn't expect to be God to show up in everything....real surprise there, he did. I didn't expect to change any diapers....I changed my first one and have continued to do so! I expected some tears....only when He has been breaking my heart. I didn't expect the time to fly....one week till home (how did that happen?). I didn't expect to miss this place but I will. Ryan (my "host dad" though he laughs every time I call him that) told me this sadness is what I get and will get with my lifestyle of "traveling". He was so sympathetic.
I am thankful that I will have a place to miss and that I haven't wished one day a way here! My close friend here took me to her house after church for lunch. There were twelve of us sitting at the table; never allowing one second of silence or a minute without laughter. She comes from a sweet, loving, large (six kids!) family and I felt perfectly at home. Before I left her mother looked me in the eye and said "If you move to Michigan, you will become part of our family". I thanked her for already welcoming me into their hearts and home but I had to admit that I had no idea what was after graduation. Africa is the plan for a while but then a job is necessary...or maybe grad school...or a trip around the world (haha...if only money wasn't real!). My life is so open right now it isn't even funny. I don't have a clue but my mind, my heart and my eyes will be wide open to see the next step in this journey. Who knows, maybe this time next year I'll be living in Michigan. The possibilities are quite endless.

Enough

God has a special way of just reaching down and touching my heart. He makes me laugh, He answers prayer and he even provides for my superficial needs. I go to bed smiling every night. I'm exhausted all the time because the house is up late talking or I'm talking with friends and family. Either way, I go to sleep happy and I wake up happy because my God is so good to me. He delights in me and to be quite honest that is all I'll ever need.

I've been struggling with humility and the reasoning why I am here. Am I here because I plan to save all the trafficked women? Or is it because I want everyone to see how good I am? (I'm not saying I'm so good but, to be quite honest, don't we all want to be viewed in the best light?) Is it to impress my bosses here? Why am I here? I was in one of the storage rooms sorting through the product and I was thinking about being appreciated, etc etc. I'm not perfect. I have human desires of wanting to be appreciated and thanked and acknowledged for things I do. I even had to be reminded by my dad last week that no job is unimportant. Every part contributes to the whole. However, what I am learning is that it does not matter if any one ever sees me or acknowledges what I do. Was it ever about them? Was it even for them? The thing is that it is never about them. It never was. People may praise me in the streets or slander me to my face but at the end of the day everything I do is for my Father. Everything I ever will do will be for Him. He will see and that will be enough.
That is what He is teaching me. He will always be enough.

A week in Review

It is simply crazy that I have been in this interesting glove-shaped state called Michigan for a week! It has flown by with little sleep and lunch-time naps. I'm learning to love this wonderful place where God has put me for only a short while. Here is what I've learned/enjoyed/hated in the last week:

• I love the family I am staying with. I feel right at home and they treat me like family.
• I've learned a little humility in some of the jobs I have been given at my internship. I didn't think filing papers was that important but my dad reminded me that "Every job is important". I'm still working on this. I really just want to be the one storming into brothels with a righteous anger, rescuing broken soul after broken soul. I know this sounds a little unrealistic but I want to be with these beautiful women. I want to show them the love they have never seen before. I want to bring them to the ultimate Healer and Protector of their souls. 
• I hate Michigan driving. Well, I hate Michigan "turn arounds". These are caused because there are one way streets that are divided by a middle section. In order to get to the other side (where the one-way street is going the way you want it to) you need to do a "turn around". There seems to never be enough room and I have hit the curb and backed up, gone in neutral, panicked and sat in the middle of the road. I am becoming a pro at waving out my window in gratitude. I drive the same route everyday, someone is bound to notice and avoid me.  Thankfully I am off the highways and mergings and all the other nonsense the GPS took me on for the first two days. I have had the privilege of seeing many areas of Michigan I didn't think I would see, just because I like to get lost every time I am in the car. I just get lost all the time; it is a grand adventure.
• I've gone with my host mom a couple of times to the Hispanic center to tutor Spanish speakers in English. It is a good review for me and they are some of the sweetest, happiest and hard-working people. A man I have been working with, Raul, works from six in the morning to six at night milking cows and then he comes to the English class to study. I love being there with them and having this experience twice a week.
• I went to my first WAR party!!! My host mom put it on and I LOVED setting up for it. Pictures will come soon!
• I have learned a lot about the products at WAR because they have had me sorting and cataloging. The jewelry is so beautiful sometimes I just have to stare at these stones I have never seen before! I took a while to sort....they probably won't want me back in that department again :)
• The organization has a big product line on "Pearls of Hope" because pearls go through so much pressure, yet they come out beautiful. That is what these women are who have gone through slavery and trafficking. They are simply beautiful.
• Being two hours away from your cousin is quite nice for frequent visits!
• At the staff meeting, the President of WAR gave us basically a devotional while mixing in the stuff we needed to know for the week. She told us to not concentrate on how big our problems are but how big our God is. He is bigger than our problems and He will carry us through. Also, she told the story of Sweetie, a baby in South America that is in an awful situation. Her mom, a prostitute, bore her and the brothel owner will not let Sweetie be touched, except beaten when she cries, so that she will not know love. That way, Sweetie will know nothing but the prostitute way of living. They have tried to save her but nothing seems to be working. They did however manage to get the cord she was tied to the bed with and replaced it with a pack and play instead. The President opened a package she had gotten in the mail and it was the cord that had tied Sweetie so she wouldn't run away. Since I was sitting closest, I was given the cord to share with those around me. It was an emotional time as we prayed for Sweetie. Just as Rahab was saved and brought into the family of God with a scarlet cord, we prayed that Sweetie too would be saved with this red cord and brought into the family of God. Please pray for her. Pray that the angels keep her happy so she won't get beat and please pray for the brothel owner and that her heart will be turned and she'll let Sweetie go from the brothel.    http://www.warinternational.org/
• I have been reminded how good God really is to me all the time and I am reminded to pray, pray, pray. For He hears us when we call and He WILL deliver. 

Please pray for Sweetie and all those who are living in slavery right now, both spiritual and physical.

The Path to Michigan

I shouldn't blog when I'm exhausted but I need to write. I need to tell about God's wonderful way of working things out!

A month ago I had it in my mind that I would be staying home for the summer. I had applied to numerous organizations and was rejected in the nicest way; they all said they would pray for me and that God would bring me to the right one. I laughed cause all I could think of was "You are the right one!" I interviewed with WAR because I wanted to see if they would even want me. They called back and said yes. It was an unpaid internship I couldn't afford (sigh of relief of staying home), nope! The stipend I applied through would work even if I interned for a month. I thought about it. I had been praying for this all semester, wasn't this the answer to my prayers? I wanted to say no because if I said yes I would be going to a place I had never been before to live with strangers and possibly be uncomfortable. I made a deal of going if I could only be in Grand Rapids for a month (maybe that would make them NOT want me!....don't even try to understand my brain), they granted it. Where would I live? How would I get there? Well, God worked all of it now and now I'm in basically my own apartment in the basement of this amazing couple's house. The bed I'm sitting on is a full sized bed (!!!) and I  have my own bathroom and walk-in closet. Not only does God answer prayer, He answers in style. He spoils me.

I bought the ticket and figured that, despite myself, God was working His plans and I was going to be His instrument. My good friend, Lauren, was married June 2nd on the Lake, looking as beautiful as ever. We didn't notice it getting late because the sun was still up. By the time we realized what time it was, my friend Matt and I, had to get on the road to meet my family at the train. Medium-story short, the GPS said we would arrive at 10:55pm. My train was scheduled to leave at 11:00pm. Caleb, Diane and my parents had already checked me in so it was all set. The GPS freaked out and I almost threw up. Matt dropped me off at 10:45pm, just in time! Thankfully the train was late so I had a longer time to be with my family. I ended up leaving at midnight for my all-night trip to Chicago. I sat next to a guy my age and wondered why he was ignoring the conductor when he asked him where he was going. He was deaf! We communicated the best we could but let's just say I didn't talk as much as I would have liked (the rest of the train was probably thankful!).

The photo doesn't do the view or the bride justice

My sister, Stephanie, and her boyfriend met me in Chicago to keep me company for my seven-hour layover. I loved seeing them and Chicago! I simply know the best people who do anything for me even if it is touring a random city just to pass the time.

Hello Chicagoooo

So glad that I got to see the cloud gate!

My girl 

Her boy

I left Chicago and arrived in Grand Rapids around 11:00pm Sunday night. One of my bosses was there to pick me up. She dropped me off at my new home for the next month and as I talked with my new "host parents" I realized how much I'm going to enjoy living with them. Exhausted and slightly dazed I went to bed, mentally preparing myself for Monday morning at WAR, so excited!

Michigan? Why not?

I'll update on to how this happened later but, in the course of the last couple weeks, I have been offered an internship in Michigan with Women at Risk, I accepted, I was given a place to stay and a car to borrow. God's will? I would say so. So excited! Keep you posted!

Check out this awesome organization I keep to spend the next month with!
http://www.warinternational.org/