Hello all!
As I type up this blog, I am sitting in one of the only airconditioned room in the Ambassador Inn (where I am living this summer in Ocean City, NJ). It feels amazing. Jersey has been incredibly hot this week. A few days ago I think it reach 98 degrees with the temperature exceeding that when including the humidity etc. Whoa! Then that evening, our fan broke. FAIL. After a moment of sheer panic and terror, we (my roommates and I) stole the fan from the downstairs lobby. SUCCESS. Gotta do whatcha gotta do!
Speaking of success, I completed my first week of work at A Bella Salon & Spa. I am so thankful and blessed that I was able to secure a job within the first week of coming to project. As a receptionist, I have a myriad of things to do. I answer phones, make appointments, check people in, confirm appointments, enter data, clean pedicure stations, fold towels, make goodie bags for little girls' birthday parties... It definitely keeps me busy and the 8-hour work day flies by! Usually... if I am lucky. Lots of multi-tasking. The boss and staff are great! They love having students from Campus Crusade work for them during the summers. I am working quite a bit so it has been a challenge trying to get enough sleep while making the most of my summer here.
I am having a fantastic time! I have never experienced Christian community quite like this. With over 120 students, there is never a dull moment! Not only am I growing in my relationship with Christ but I am growing with the women here who are fantastic! Two weeks ago, we did a lot of evangelism on the boardwalk, had over 2000 spiritual conversations and saw over 200 people come to know Jesus. In just TWO WEEKS! How cool! We just finished up All For One Week which focused a lot on fellowship and community. So we had to do lots of group activities that strengthened our ability to depend on one another. For example, Thursday morning, all 120 students had to wake up with only two alarm clocks (one for guys and one for girls). Meaning we had to coordinate who would wake up first and who they would wake up and so on and so forth. Finally the week ended with the best slow-pitch softball game ever!!! It was epic!! Staff v Students.
Anyways, I wish I could write more but right now I am meeting with a girl from Loyola and we are going to start planning for Cru for next year. :) I can't wait to see how the Lord will work through us on our campus this fall!
Update soon!
Dos besos
Sarah
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Fist-Pumping in South Jersey (No I'm Not Kidding)
Wow! I feel like it has been forever since I have written on my blog and updated everyone. It may be a disappointment to you that I am not traveling throughout Europe running into crazy Aussies and eating pastries at the base of the Eiffel Tower but I will tell you this - I am experiencing what will be one of the best summers of my life. I am in Ocean City, New Jersey!! Why am I here you ask? Well, my freshman year of college at Loyola I got involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and started to really live life for the Lord, which has been fantastic! He is sooo good to me! Anyways, Campus Crusade has these summer mission trips called Summer Projects. They have international and state-side projects. So I applied last fall to be part of one this summer for about 8 weeks in Ocean City. And... here I am! I like to think of this Summer Project as more of a "practical" (if you will) missions trip. We are asked to find jobs in the community and learn to share our faith with our co-workers and people we encounter through our work. This will help me in the future because I may not be called to missions in Africa or East Asia. It is just as important to share the Gospel in your hometown as it is to share in a remote village. Also, we do a lot of different activities on the boardwalk and beach - because OC is a vacationers' town. In addition, we survey people as well about their spiritual life and what is important to them. I am here with 110 other Christian students (plus staff) and therefore it is a great place of Christian community, which I have been lacking since I was in Spain for five and a half months!
Today is the one week anniversary of my being here in Ocean City. And it hasn't been all that easy or a walk in the park. The first few days were completely overwhelming. I was thrust into a group of semester students who were right in the middle of one of the busiest weeks of project. (I came with all the quarter students because I was studying abroad). It was difficult at first to remember everyone's names and I was disappointed that I wasn't having deep conversations right away (ridiculous expectation, I know). But anyways, a few days ago I started orientation with the quarter students which has helped build relationships and feel like I belong. I have also been hanging out with the Loyola students (yay!!! represent!!!) as well as my "Action" group (which includes my three roommates and discipler) AND my "Impact" group (which includes my action group and another guys' action group). We have had a fantastic time! I have been learning so much about the Lord and how BIG He really is. But honestly, I haven't had much time this week to process stuff. So busy getting settled and all. I will be taking pictures soon so be excited! Ocean City is beautiful! The boardwalk absolutely blew my mind - it is soo much fun and there are soo many people! (You will see what I mean when I post pictures). Although I haven't found time to go to Mack and Manco's for a slice of pizza yet, I have been to Wawa numerous times for coffee, sandwiches and much more! FANTASTIC! Oh and best news of all - I found a job!!! Praise the Lord! I will be working as a receptionist at a popular hair salon in OC.
Well right now I need to get ready for the last day of orientation but I will surely update you soon with pictures and other insights into life in SoJO (south jersey haha).
Dos besos
Sarah
Today is the one week anniversary of my being here in Ocean City. And it hasn't been all that easy or a walk in the park. The first few days were completely overwhelming. I was thrust into a group of semester students who were right in the middle of one of the busiest weeks of project. (I came with all the quarter students because I was studying abroad). It was difficult at first to remember everyone's names and I was disappointed that I wasn't having deep conversations right away (ridiculous expectation, I know). But anyways, a few days ago I started orientation with the quarter students which has helped build relationships and feel like I belong. I have also been hanging out with the Loyola students (yay!!! represent!!!) as well as my "Action" group (which includes my three roommates and discipler) AND my "Impact" group (which includes my action group and another guys' action group). We have had a fantastic time! I have been learning so much about the Lord and how BIG He really is. But honestly, I haven't had much time this week to process stuff. So busy getting settled and all. I will be taking pictures soon so be excited! Ocean City is beautiful! The boardwalk absolutely blew my mind - it is soo much fun and there are soo many people! (You will see what I mean when I post pictures). Although I haven't found time to go to Mack and Manco's for a slice of pizza yet, I have been to Wawa numerous times for coffee, sandwiches and much more! FANTASTIC! Oh and best news of all - I found a job!!! Praise the Lord! I will be working as a receptionist at a popular hair salon in OC.
Well right now I need to get ready for the last day of orientation but I will surely update you soon with pictures and other insights into life in SoJO (south jersey haha).
Dos besos
Sarah
Friday, June 4, 2010
Home in the US of A
Hello from the great state of Iowa!
Yes, I am home in the United States... finally (por fin). After traveling out of a backpack for three weeks I was ready to get home to my bed and shower. Like I've said before, if I can't be in Spain, Iowa is the next best place, huh? :)
My last day in Paris turned out to be one of the best days of my trip. Why? Well, I met up with my wonderful and beautiful Aussie friends (Nicci and Jade). We had an amazing time eating a picnic lunch under the Eiffel Tower. It was delicious. A French baguette, a wheel of cheese from Holland (I think...), strawberries, pistaccios, and fudge and wine to top it off. It was nice to have some company and great conversation. Don't get me wrong, traveling alone is great and has its advantages but in Paris, you definitely need a wing-woman or two, especially when they're as fantastic as my Australian friends.
The plane ride home was a decent nine hours. I occupied my time with the movie Invictus, finishing my book and trying to take a nap (FAIL). Turns out I was up for about 48 hours altogether with only a few hours of shut-eye. Weird to be home in the States. Great to see my parents and soon friends! It was definitely a strange feeling to come home to Burlington, Iowa and see that nothing has changed. Barely. My mom has a few new decorations, there's a house on my street that is getting a facelift and construction on Roosevelt but besides that... same ol' Burlington. There is something comforting about that too. On the other hand, there is something strange about the feeling of coming home where nothing has changed and feeling like the last six months have only been a dream. Everything feels surreal especially when you are as jetlagged as I am.
Speaking of jetlag, I was up at five am this morning. Wide awake. So my dad and I went out to breakfast at the golden arches (McDonald's, of course). It was... well, McDonald's. Tasty... I guess. Today I am getting my haircut (finally!!!!!) and going to one of my favorite places in the USA - TARGET! whoop whoop! :) Yesterday my mom and I had a wonderful pedicure... finally my calluses are gone! Then we met up with mi padre at the farmer's market. I won't lie, even though it is a fresh, local farmer's market, the food will never even rival Spain and was a little disappointing. Food just tastes better in Spain. I can't even describe it. After we went to Lindo Mexico - REAL MEXICAN FOOD! oh my gosh - heavenly.
As of now, seven thirty am here, I am drinking my second cup of non-Spanish and therefore not-as-good coffee and am washing my clothes, or what little clothes are still not in pieces. My mom couldn't believe that I wore the same pair of jeans my whole 18 days traveling with the exception of wearing leggings a few days here and there. To my defense, I am European by now and jeans take up a lot of room in your backpack and are quite heavy. Since I didn't wash them or have a dryer, by the time I reached home, I could practically pull them off my hips without unbuttoning them. Needlesstosay, they are in the dryer as we speak. On high. :)
Update soon.
Dos besos
Sarah
PS I just added the pics of my recent excursion through Europe. I apologize because they are not specifically organized according to their city. The main reason being there are over 700 photos and I uploaded them all together while I was sleeping. And a few of the Paris pics are out of order. My sincerest apologies. Due your best to determine where I'm at. Lo siento.
Yes, I am home in the United States... finally (por fin). After traveling out of a backpack for three weeks I was ready to get home to my bed and shower. Like I've said before, if I can't be in Spain, Iowa is the next best place, huh? :)
My last day in Paris turned out to be one of the best days of my trip. Why? Well, I met up with my wonderful and beautiful Aussie friends (Nicci and Jade). We had an amazing time eating a picnic lunch under the Eiffel Tower. It was delicious. A French baguette, a wheel of cheese from Holland (I think...), strawberries, pistaccios, and fudge and wine to top it off. It was nice to have some company and great conversation. Don't get me wrong, traveling alone is great and has its advantages but in Paris, you definitely need a wing-woman or two, especially when they're as fantastic as my Australian friends.
The plane ride home was a decent nine hours. I occupied my time with the movie Invictus, finishing my book and trying to take a nap (FAIL). Turns out I was up for about 48 hours altogether with only a few hours of shut-eye. Weird to be home in the States. Great to see my parents and soon friends! It was definitely a strange feeling to come home to Burlington, Iowa and see that nothing has changed. Barely. My mom has a few new decorations, there's a house on my street that is getting a facelift and construction on Roosevelt but besides that... same ol' Burlington. There is something comforting about that too. On the other hand, there is something strange about the feeling of coming home where nothing has changed and feeling like the last six months have only been a dream. Everything feels surreal especially when you are as jetlagged as I am.
Speaking of jetlag, I was up at five am this morning. Wide awake. So my dad and I went out to breakfast at the golden arches (McDonald's, of course). It was... well, McDonald's. Tasty... I guess. Today I am getting my haircut (finally!!!!!) and going to one of my favorite places in the USA - TARGET! whoop whoop! :) Yesterday my mom and I had a wonderful pedicure... finally my calluses are gone! Then we met up with mi padre at the farmer's market. I won't lie, even though it is a fresh, local farmer's market, the food will never even rival Spain and was a little disappointing. Food just tastes better in Spain. I can't even describe it. After we went to Lindo Mexico - REAL MEXICAN FOOD! oh my gosh - heavenly.
As of now, seven thirty am here, I am drinking my second cup of non-Spanish and therefore not-as-good coffee and am washing my clothes, or what little clothes are still not in pieces. My mom couldn't believe that I wore the same pair of jeans my whole 18 days traveling with the exception of wearing leggings a few days here and there. To my defense, I am European by now and jeans take up a lot of room in your backpack and are quite heavy. Since I didn't wash them or have a dryer, by the time I reached home, I could practically pull them off my hips without unbuttoning them. Needlesstosay, they are in the dryer as we speak. On high. :)
Update soon.
Dos besos
Sarah
PS I just added the pics of my recent excursion through Europe. I apologize because they are not specifically organized according to their city. The main reason being there are over 700 photos and I uploaded them all together while I was sleeping. And a few of the Paris pics are out of order. My sincerest apologies. Due your best to determine where I'm at. Lo siento.
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