To Orientation I go!

I just have to say that the power of prayer and support are absolutely amazing. I had a pretty rough night…without going into the messy details let’s just say my eyes are sore from crying, I completely missed softball, lots of stupid arguments turned into a big blow out, and my car is dead, sitting in front of a house in Royal Oak. I mean like…it’s completely dead. I just got a new battery a few months ago and got a new transmission a few years ago, so our friends seem to think there is a wire problem. I don’t know what it is, but I do know it added stress to everything else already going on. I am just hoping and praying that it is not too expensive, because we were hoping for me to be able to bring it down to Detroit when I move in and for it to just last one more year. Anyways, I came home tonight from all the drama shaking and crying, I asked for prayers and hopped in the shower. God came through for me. Your prayers really helped, I was given the strength to apologize, forgive, and let go. Thank you everyone, now I can rest a little easier tonight.

Moving on…I was actually in the middle of typing this up earlier, before everything went down. So I’ll continue where I was. I am pretty much finished packing for orientation, plus I’ve got everything I need once I move into my new home all set for my parents to bring. I will be bringing a laptop with me to orientation and will have it when in my new house, but I probably won’t have much access to internet during orientation. Please text me if you need me :-)

Last night I had a hard time falling asleep- I am worried about Laurence, and then I suddenly panicked about the next few weeks. I do not like the feeling of not knowing what to expect, and that is how I feel right now. Also for someone who hated college, the idea of living with strangers makes me nervous. I keep telling myself that all of us are here for the same reason, so we shouldn’t have too many problems. The good news is that I am placed in Detroit, so if anything should go wrong, I know I have my supportive parents a ½ hour away! I think I will feel better after this week and I know more and get comfortable with everything- the one thing I keep forgetting is that this is for a YEAR, not just a week doing Habitat for Humanity.
Speaking of, for those of you who don’t know much about simple living or community living, I wanted to try and explain it. Basically, the point of this experience is not only to serve others and to gain experience in the field, but to give up a life of material possessions and worrying about things of that nature and to devote it to building relationships within the community and spiritually. I am not going to be able to travel (and if I am, it will be rare), not making much money, and will have to learn to share many belongings. I’ve heard from past volunteers that it is a little tougher than can be imagined.

Oh, so for orientation we have to bring a special item that will “symbolize you to the community – something that represents who you are, what you value, or a significant experience in your life. It will be used as part of a ritual at the beginning of the week”. I think I am going to bring my KAIROS cross, because it represents Mercy, leadership, my relationship with God, and important people in my life. If anyone else has a suggestion, though, feel free to let me know.
I don’t think I’ll have time to write again between now and my flight on Saturday morning, so I hope everyone has a fabulous week. I will be excited to update you all on everything I learn, if I can write during the week I will! If not, I’ll be back August 9th and will write once I am settled in. I love you all so very much!