Hey everyone. So this was supposed to be a blog during my semester in Costa Rica and during my time on ASP summer staff (because no one actually understands what I do all summer) but I have been kind of slacking. Here I am attempting to pick it up again. I'm not promising that it will be a regular update but I will try to fill people in on what life in Appalachia is like and the amazing ways God is working in my life.
So just as a background story: I applied for summer staff early and found out before I even left for Costa Rica that I had been rehired as a returning staffer with the Appalachia Service Project (www.asphome.org). I was super excited about my job, especially as I could feel it getting closer as my time in Costa Rica slipped by (which was sad but I had something else to look forward to so it wasn't too bad). Then when Anna died I came home and was pretty much lost for awhile. I was in shock for about 2 weeks and then things started to hit me and I didn't feel like doing anything. My parents would come home from work and asked what I did that day and I would literally have to say nothing. I did absolutely nothing but sit around. And strangely enough, I was OK with that. I didn't really have a desire to do anything and I didn't know if I wanted to be on staff again this summer because it is a highly stressful and emotional job and I wasn't sure I could handle it. Then one Sunday in church Rick Abel presented me with a golden cross necklace. The family that he had worked for during their spring break trip presented them with the necklace and told them to give it to someone in the church who needed healing. This happened after Anna's accident but before anyone there knew about it. As soon as I got the necklace I knew that it was God's signal to me that Appalachia is where I am supposed to be this summer. The people of Appalachia were reaching out to me in a time of need when they didn't even know I needed help and reassurance (no one did, in fact). God knew. He knew that I needed reassurance and a guiding light in the stormiest season of my life up to this point.
As I was driving into Appalachia, I could just feel the weight lifting off my shoulders. It felt so good to be back!!! If you have never been to this area of the country, I highly suggest it. God's beauty and majesty is so apparent! Costa Rica was extremely beautiful and I loved it, but at the same time Appalachia is beautiful (in a different way) and has a special tug on my heart. The closer I got to training the more I knew that I was doing what I am supposed to be doing. Reunions with all the friends from last summer were great, and I have met a lot of new and great people. My staff this summer is absolutely amazing. I was a little nervous about how we would all mesh together when staffs were first revealed but the four of us work really well together and I love them all. Added to the fact that they are all great and interesting people is that we all want God to be the focus of our summer and keeping Him at the top of our hearts is a priority for us all, which only convinced me more that this is the place I am supposed to be this summer. This is where I can work on healing remember everyday that God is good all the time!!!
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