Michigan summed up...in pictures

I'm back home in NY and, of course, filled with conflicting feelings. I had a home and Family in Michigan that I loved. But, I'm blessed to have a family here in NY. I spent hours with 30 plus people at a lake cottage catching up and enjoying beautiful upstate. So enough about me complaining about my many blessings.... Let me sum up Michigan and the wonderful five weeks there:

I got my pearl. To me, as I wear this pearl, it represents the tears of thousands of women, but more importantly the tears of my Father who hears them. He hears them in their distress (as he hears me) and He sees every tear that they cry. He cries for them. His heart breaks for them an He, in turn, breaks hearts to help these women and literally be His arms of protection, comfort and love. To be His hands of Healing and the drying of tears. To be Jesus with skin on. Pearls are not formed through an easy life. They are attacked by a parasite over and over again yet, through the pressure and strain, they are formed into these beautiful pearls. They survive the nightmare, become pearls of a great price and sought after diligently. 

I slept here every night. In a cloud. Enough said :)

I fell in love with this little girl...

Our favorite band is One Direction and we would watch their videos every day. And dance to them.

I went bowling with my blessing of a friend, Emily, her sister, Leah, and my suite mate/fellow family member/friend, Sarah. We had to buy socks there. It was a good investment.

All of us. 

My place, right before the sprinklers got us. I'm sure it was a nice show for the cars driving by!

I got a picture with the president of the organization, Becky McDonald. I want to be her when I grow up. Or now, whatever works. Such an amazing and godly woman!!

This is her blog: Becky McDonald

I got to fly a four person plane! Emily's brother in law is a pilot and offered to take us up. Who knew he would give me the controls and let me fly! Next step: getting my own pilot's license. I am quite serious about this.

The ultimate dashboard shot: in an airplane!!!

I was adopted by the Youngs, a beautiful family that loves both God and each other with all their hearts. I became one of them while I was there. They prayed with me before I left and just uplifted my heart every time I was with them. We celebrated the 4th with a mile walk through the woods to Lake Michigan.

Her friendship is a gift God! He knew what He was doing when he placed me in her office that allowed the door to be shut so we could talk without being reprimanded (I got her in trouble only once for talking and that was during inventory). It was in that small office we opened our hearts to each other and talked about God, our family, lessons learned, blessings, trials and everything in between (I may have through in a couple of Christian pick up lines just to see her laugh). She became my closest friend at WAR.

And for some reason I cannot add any more photos but I will just have to dedicate a post to my host family. God blessed me with them too. I thought I would have to live in the basement on a cot. Boy was I wrong. And who would have thought that I would become such close friends with them?! I was so pleasantly pleasantly surprised and grateful for the relationships I formed with my "host dad", "host mom" and two adorable "host sisters".