Hmmm...

After some thought, and a little pestering from friends and family, I decided that maybe I should blog about my summer one last time. Let me confess that while life in Montana was without its technological advances there are other reasons I didn't blog much. Truth be told, this summer was extremely hard for me. There are a lot of things that fed into that, none of which are really mentioning because time has passed, and some of those wounds have healed. I do, however, feel like there are a few things worth mentioning, especially regarding the last week, so here goes.

We received a new team member the Wednesday before our group arrived, so we had about 3 days to get him acclimated to life on the res, and help him help us get projects and work for the team lined up. So we spent those three days awkwardly getting to know each other, testing levels of sarcasm and figuring out how we work best together as a team. On Friday we made our special trip to Billings, to reconnect with humanity, as well as get groceries and miscellaneous supplies needed for our group. Now, funny story- we were driving an open bed truck filled with our groceries, etc... things were going fine when all of a sudden, a bag of the polyfill stuffing we purchased flew out of the back end of the truck. We drove several blocks before reaching a stoplight in which we as a team were debating whether or not we should go back for it. I chose to be the daring one, so I ran down the median towards the renegade bag of fluff, while my team found a place to turn around and come pick me up. It was very exciting and a little adrenaline rushing!

The next day we had a few different things that needed to be done in preparation for the group, so we decided to split up. The other two made their way to Birney, in search of what supplies were needed, as well as what work might need to be done. I decided to stay back at the house and *gasp* CLEAN! Haha- I barely do that at my own house let alone offering to do it at someone elses... Anyway, they took off and I cranked my iTunes and rocked the house, broom in hand. After a couple of hours or so, I wondered what might have happened to my cohorts, so I decided to take the chance that they had gone "into town" to pick up supplies, so I tried their cell phones. They answered and told me that they had decided to go to Sheridan, which was a town that some of the people living in Birney had told us about. It was a real treat, cell service AND a Wal-Mart! So I chatted with them for a minute about how long they'd be and what all they'd found, etc... So, after talking with them I finished up cleaning and decided that I wanted to rent a movie and go for a walk. So, I rented the movie (Book of Eli- didn't even end up watching it that night) and my "walk" turned into a 7 mile trek down the road and back. At which time, I ran into (not literally) my partners in crime on their way back from Sheridan. Oh yeah, funny story about Sheridan-- It's in WYOMING! So, sad day... I missed out on the opportunity to cross the state line, but ended up having a really great walk. The time alone was really great, and it gave me the opportunity to put everything away, the summer, all the things we still had left to do to get ready for the group, even myself, and just spend time in God's creation. Looking around at the majesty and wonder of this funny little town of Lame Deer and just revel in His glory. I even got turned around and headed back home in time to see the beautiful sunset. God really knows how to show off out there in Montana. =) Sure my feet hurt, and I got cold eventually, but that moment reminded me that I have to force myself to stop, take a breath and get away from life every once in awhile in order to really take time for my Savior. It's hard to appreciate the beauty in life if you're going 100 miles an hour- I've learned that it just passes you by.

Now we skip to the groups' arrival. We had three different churches arriving at the same time to do work in Lame Deer. One church was prepared to do the Kidz Club in Birney, and the other two churches were going to help out with miscellaneous work projects within the community. Truth is, we couldn't have asked for better groups to close out our summer. They were all great groups who worked really hard, and served their hearts out. There was one group in particular that I spent majority of the week with- they had been to the community before, in fact for the past 10 years or so they had been coming, but this year they partnered with EM. And they were great. They were flexible when things didn't always go really well, they were enthusiastic, they embraced me as a member of their group, even started referring to me with the affectionate title of "Momma Mandie". But because of having three groups, and minimal housing space, this group was located at a secondary housing site. There was hope that I'd be able to move and stay with them, but do to logistics I was unable to. So, the guy in our group stayed with the group, I stayed back at the other housing site, and then every morning, I would wake up early, drive to the other housing site, and help set out breakfast and eat with that group, while the other guy would take the truck and drive back to the Healing Tree house and do the same with the other two groups. It was crazy... and needless to say, very little sleep was had by most that week, but the time spent hanging out late at night after dinner and worship is where a lot of relationships are built. During the course of evenings we sat around a basketball court singing worship songs, sat by and watched herds of energetic teenagers run around a little church building in search of markers (ultimate spoons), played Euchre (killed it, btw, best 2 out of 3), and Auto-tuned with a friend. I also managed to make 4 trips to the local IGA in one day... talk about exciting!

All summer I didn't laugh as hard as I did in that last week and a half. I also didn't cry as much, because for the first time all summer I felt God ever present in what was going on. There were so many God-moments in that week, but also a lot of moments where Satan refused to let us forget that he was still around. We had some snags with work projects, some miscommunications, some conflicts, and of course the break-in. But all the while, God was surrounding us and caring for us, and revealing Himself to us in some truly beautiful ways.

I have one last piece of news/information for you. Something that many of you might already know, but for those of you who don't, I want you to. I'm moving to Michigan for a year. God's been answering prayers of mine in some really powerful ways, and at this point, I've been all over. 6 weeks in San Francisco, California, 3 weeks in New Orleans, Louisiana, 4 weeks in *ahem* Lame Deer, Montana, and now 12 months in St. Joe, Michigan. It's an exciting time for me. I've always wanted to travel, and while this may not be exactly what I'd wanted in "traveling" I get to spend fairly significant time in all these different places. Places I probably never would have been to on my own. And it's been great. I've made some really great friends along the way, and God's been preparing my heart for this next leg of my journey.

So, now for what I'll be doing there. I am going to be doing a year long internship with the youth ministry at First Church of God in St. Joe, Michigan. Truth be told, that's about all I know. I don't know what all God has in store for me there, but He's been planting seeds and paving the way for me to get there. And I'm pumped! And a little scared. But one night during our evening worship with the groups in Lame Deer, I shared my testimony. And I reminded myself that I need to see myself through God's eyes, and that He doesn't call the equipped or the qualified, He calls regular, old, people like me, and gives them what they need to succeed.

*yawn*

Hey ya'll. Life here on the range has been pretty quiet the last few days. We're coming to a close of week one of our break, and quite frankly we haven't done much. We made a trip into Birney and met with some of the kids and finished up painting the jungle gym. Then we made a trip into Billings, which meant cell phone reception and some internet time at Barnes and Noble. We attended a block party the church was throwing, and got to meet a team of adults and students that has also been working here in the community this week.

I'm sad to say that I don't have much else to share in the way of ministry or things I'm doing to further the kingdom, which quite frankly kind of bums me out. I know that we all have our quiet periods, and I can't help but wonder if this is time for me to be filled back up, so that when our last team comes in a week and a half, that I'll be refreshed, spiritually and emotionally rested and ready to pour into them. I'm also sad to say that I don't feel rested. From a sleep perspective I do, but from an emotional and spiritual standpoint I don't.

To be honest with you, God has felt kind of distant, and I know well enough that it usually means I'm pulling away from God, not him pulling away from me, but that doesn't make it any less hard. I know that God's calling me to do big things with my life, and thusfar I'm doing everything I can to follow him and stay within his will so I know that I'll be blessed. I listened to an interesting sermon online this week, regarding the beattitudes and how they are a progression. We start out as poor in spirit because we surrender ourselves and the things of this world to a life of following God's will, and from there we tend to mourn our loss, then we become meek- allowing ourselves and our powers and strengths to be harnessed and used by God. That's where the sermon stopped, because it was on the third beattitude, but just reading through them I can see how it does continue to progress. I also personally think that sometimes we can repeat stages. There are several things in life we have to give up and surrender, when we are at different places in our lives we are asked to surrender things, even good things.

A couple of years ago I was doing a study that included a 40 day fast. I chose to fast from secular music when the study began, mostly because I couldn't really think of anything else to give up. A few days into the study I felt like God was asking me to surrender a friendship that I was in, because I had turned this friendship into more than it should be- and in some ways allowed it to replace my relationship with Christ. I spent the next 40 days refocusing my life on Christ and becoming more committed to putting his will and desire for my life above my own. Well, that friend has kind of popped back into my mind over the past few days. And it really made me think about how that (and many other of my friendships and relationships) have turned out. The past two internships I've had have sort of been "love em and leave em" jobs- I get to hang out with, build relationships, and share life with groups of people for a week, and then they go home and continue on life as it was before- hopefully, not exactly as before, with the hope that God used me, or some experience from the week to change them. In a lot of ways many of my friendships and relationships are the same way. I have been a part of people's lives for a time, hoping that in some way I made a difference (positive, hopefully) and then we went our separate ways. It amazes me how God has used my friendships, and experiences to prepare me for a job in which I build mostly short-term relationships. I just hope that doesn't mean I'm not able to maintain a long-term relationship, but that's another topic for another blog... maybe.

Anyway. Thanks for following me in this silly little adventure I'm calling life right now. And for my random ramblings of what I think God is trying to teach me and show me over the next few weeks. All my love...

Howdy

Howdy-doody, y'all... Haha, just kidding. I don't talk like that now. But it's been quite a fight between spending three weeks in the south, and the past week in Montana. It's been such an amazing time though. My last group in NOLA was a great way to end my time there, and my first week in Montana included many adventures. Okay, here goes... (I hope I can remember them all...)

I had quite a time getting here with delayed flights, and waiting on others before our flight could take off. So, that being said, I didn't arrive to my "home" in Montana until 3AM. Which meant the majority of my first day was spent sleeping, and not seeing many sights. Once I woke up, Saturday afternoon, we got ready and went to dinner at a *gasp* CASINO! HAHA... and much to my father's dismay (just kidding) I did not play the slots. I did however, have an Indian Taco, which includes all the "taco things" just served on frybread instead of a tortilla. Frybread is kind of like a beignet only not covered in powdered sugar, is a little less sweet, and is flat like a pancake.

The group arrived on Sunday evening, and we had burgers and dogs... and guess who grilled them... MWAH! And I rocked it! They were super yummy, and I only dropped one on the ground. =) During the course of the week I was able to help cook every night. We did spaghetti (I helped make the sauce), we grilled chicken (Oh yeah, rocked that too), we made Indian tacos with homemade frybread (I did not get to help make the bread, but was advised that I would learn before I leave), and finished out the week with chili and cornbread (I didn't make the chili, but my partner in crime, made the best "everything but the kitchen sink" chili, which included everything from leftover grilled burgers, spaghetti sauce, barbecue sauce, onion, and taco seasoning- and let me just say that it was some of the best chili I've ever had!).

For our work projects, we continued work on a family's house pulling up old tile, laying down laminate, and painting their family room. We also helped to set up a camp called "Crazy Head", worked at the Boy's and Girl's Club, painted the equipment at a park in Birney, which is also where we lead our Kid's Club (aka: VBS) program.

Also during the course of this week I: killed a wasp, killed a bumble-bee, climbed through a window at our house (still have the bruises to prove that one), drove an old van with bad breaks, been eaten alive by mass amounts of mosquitoes, and got to experience God's presence on the top of a mountain.

There are these beautiful lightning storms that happen almost every night here, and as I look over and saw the sky light up with the fiery illumination of lightning behind the clouds, I couldn't help but see the God of Israel who showed his power to the recently freed Israelites with fire and thunder on the mountain of God. It was a beautiful reminder that even though I may not have cell service, God is still alive and well in the mountains of Lame Deer, Montana.