Newsletters, Kids, Baseball, and Funnel Clouds!

What a week! It has been full of challenges, storms, fun, busyness, relaxation, and learning! I don't even know where to start....

I guess I will start with telling you about my internship. This was the week of newsletters. Both at JAMLAC and Joshua Station, they were sending out their quarterly newsletters/support letters. Much of my time in the office was spent helping prepare those. I also had the opportunity to sit in on a Family Advocacy meeting. I was able to learn a little more about some of the families who are here and how the Advocates are empowering them to meet their goals.

I really enjoyed the evening activities this week. Tuesday night I went to the Women's Fellowship. A group of ladies from a local church came to hang out with the women and we all made scarves. Wednesday night was Teen Night. We took some of the kids to a local skatepark. It was fun. :) I made it down one of the (little) hills on a scooter without killing myself! :D There were also a couple of nights this week where I just went and hung out with some of the kids informally. I finally feel like I am getting to know some of them and am building relationships with them. They are amazing kids. What's really amazing about them is that they are growing and flourishing despite the difficult situations many of them have come from.

Thursday was an orientation day at Joshua Station. A couple of weeks ago we had 3 families graduate, so we now have 3 rooms to fill. On orientation day, homeless families can come, learn about the program, and fill out applications. We had over 40 people come and a couple of dozen kids! It's sad that so many people are looking for a place to live. Next week the staff will interview potential residents and then we will have a meeting to decide who will move in. You can pray that God will give the staff wisdom as they make the decision.

Classes last week were really tough, but good. On Friday we talked about lament. We watched a couple of videos and talked about the brokennes in the world. We looked at some of the Psalms and how David cried out to God. It was especially hard because on Wednesday, I found out that two little kids I knew from Alaska- ages 6 and 9- were killed in a house fire. Sometimes God does not make sense and sometimes I can't help but ask "why?" even though I know in my heart that He is in control... I guess I am learning how to lament while still trusting God.

In my Monday class we are learning about leadership. We are reading a great book called In the Name of Jesus. We have also been learning about the Ennegram and learning about our different personalities and the strengths God has given us. You can find out your type at http://www.9types.com/ if you are interested. :D I am a #2....

This weekend was fun. On Friday a bunch of us interns hung out at a cool coffee shop called Stella's. We played the game Loaded Questions. Lots of fun. :) Saturday I went to a Puerto Rican Festival with some friends in the afternoon. It was alright... kind of small and not a lot to do. In the evening we went to a Rocky's baseball game. Apparently someone donated a bunch of tickets to Mile High, so a bunch of the staff and interns got to go. It was my first professional baseball game.

Today (Sunday) was stormy. I was actually out for a walk in the rain when I was warned to get inside because we were under a tornado warning. I walked back quickly, but stopped for a second to watch a funnel cloud come down, then go back up. It was awesome, yet scary and eery. What a reminder of how utterly small and powerless we are and how amazing and powerful and worthy of fear our God is. Amazing. Tonight I had the privilege of going to church and hanging out with some awesome people from Dry Bones, an organization that reaches out to homeless teenagers. Both the volunteers and the kids/young adults they reach are awesome.

One last thing: my car is fixed! :D When I first called around about it, I was told it would cost me several hundred dollars and/or that it might be dead for good. BUT... God worked it out and the people at Joshua Station connected me with a great mechanic who was able to get a used part and fix it for very cheap! Yay! It is running great now!

So this post is ridiculouly long. Sorry! I am sure I am missing some things, though. I am so blessed to be here and am learning a lot. May God bless you wherever you are.
Love and Prayers, Britt