Since today is the last day of February, I thought it would be good to write a review of what's happened this month.
Last month, we moved our weekly meetings, Chi Alpha Live, to a classroom on campus. We continued to meet there this month, with the exception of last Thurs. Our student leaders decided to meet at our building on the last Thurs of every month, so last week we were back at our building. Our meetings on campus have seen a lot of new people coming to see what Chi Alpha is all about. The move has been very beneficial to our ministry and our students.
Last weekend, we had our Men's and Women's Retreats. The men went to Tybee Island, GA while the ladies traveled to Destin, FL. The ladies had a beautiful house about 2 blocks from the beach, complete with a pool that was heated for swimming Fri night and Sat. We had amazing times of worship and teachings from more seasoned women throughout the weekend. Saturday afternoon, a group of us spent time laying on the beach, something that seems odd to me, coming from VA where it is still cold in Feb. The weather was gorgeous; sunny, not too hot, with a nice breeze. God moved in both the men and women and I can' wait to see how He continues to move through these students.
We've also continued our Small Group Bible Studies with our students. I have had the privileged of meeting with a group of 5 women over the course of the year and watching them grow in their love for God and one another.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Long Over-Due Update
Wow, I just realized the other day that I hadn't updated my blog in several months. Sorry 'bout that. I have several that I've started, but haven't finished or published yet.
Things are going very well here in Tallahassee. It's currently 41 degrees, with an expected low of 21 tonight...far too cold for what Florida ever should be. I am very glad I brought my winter clothes with me, as we were outside in the Student Union yesterday, in 30 degree weather.
Our students started classes on Tues., Jan. 4th. By now, most of them have their class schedules worked out and running fairly smoothly. Small group Bible studies started last week as well; we currently have 4 girls groups, 3 guys groups, and one co-ed group that meet on Monday or Tuesday nights. These small groups are very beneficial for our students because it allows them to connect with the other members as well as learn and grow in their walk with Christ.
As for the internship, we started theology classes this semester. So far, we have studied the trinity and the incarnation of Christ. Both topics were very interesting and stimulated a lot of discussion. I'm excited to continue with these theology classes and learn more about the other topics we'll cover. We also are continuing on with our book reports and on-line classes; I'm currently taking a class on the Prison Epistles, which include the books of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. I have one more class after this one to take before I'll be able to apply to become a certified minister.
We have moved our weekly meetings back on campus this semester. The move has been very beneficial for our students. The first week we were there, we had nearly 80 students. It's also been beneficial for our students who have late classes that get out around 8pm. They can still come to Chi Alpha Live after class instead of trying to drive to our building. We also have a group of students that decided to hand out flyers and let other students know about our meeting on Thursday nights about an hour before the meeting starts.
One last update, we are currently planning two mission trips: one during Spring Break to University of Alabama and the second to Nicaragua in May. At U of A, we will be working with their Chi Alpha, doing outreach on campus and planning events with them. In Nicaragua, we will be working with a missionary there, doing some work in the capital city of Managua, helping with whatever they need us to do. I'm very excited about both of these trips and can't wait to see what God is going to do!
Things are going very well here in Tallahassee. It's currently 41 degrees, with an expected low of 21 tonight...far too cold for what Florida ever should be. I am very glad I brought my winter clothes with me, as we were outside in the Student Union yesterday, in 30 degree weather.
Our students started classes on Tues., Jan. 4th. By now, most of them have their class schedules worked out and running fairly smoothly. Small group Bible studies started last week as well; we currently have 4 girls groups, 3 guys groups, and one co-ed group that meet on Monday or Tuesday nights. These small groups are very beneficial for our students because it allows them to connect with the other members as well as learn and grow in their walk with Christ.
As for the internship, we started theology classes this semester. So far, we have studied the trinity and the incarnation of Christ. Both topics were very interesting and stimulated a lot of discussion. I'm excited to continue with these theology classes and learn more about the other topics we'll cover. We also are continuing on with our book reports and on-line classes; I'm currently taking a class on the Prison Epistles, which include the books of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. I have one more class after this one to take before I'll be able to apply to become a certified minister.
We have moved our weekly meetings back on campus this semester. The move has been very beneficial for our students. The first week we were there, we had nearly 80 students. It's also been beneficial for our students who have late classes that get out around 8pm. They can still come to Chi Alpha Live after class instead of trying to drive to our building. We also have a group of students that decided to hand out flyers and let other students know about our meeting on Thursday nights about an hour before the meeting starts.
One last update, we are currently planning two mission trips: one during Spring Break to University of Alabama and the second to Nicaragua in May. At U of A, we will be working with their Chi Alpha, doing outreach on campus and planning events with them. In Nicaragua, we will be working with a missionary there, doing some work in the capital city of Managua, helping with whatever they need us to do. I'm very excited about both of these trips and can't wait to see what God is going to do!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
XA Ladies Camping Trip
I just returned from an amazing camping trip with a group of ladies from Chi Alpha. We left yesterday afternoon and drove just over 2 hours to St. Andrews Recreational Park. After arriving, we set up 7 tents before it got too dark and started chili for dinner. The students began arriving shortly after and we split the group up into 7 teams by colors. I was in the yellow tent with two students. We ate chili in Frito bags and salad for dinner around the campfire. After dinner, the teams participated in different activities, such as coming up with a team name, making a flag, making up a song, and doing a scavenger hunt with candy. We also had worship, lead by one of our students, and a devotional time with Robin; she encouraged us to invest in one another as women of God and the importance of having Godly women around us. We hung around the fire, talking and making s'mores, before going to bed.
Saturday morning, I woke up to the tent cover sliding off about 7am (central time). It made the tent a slightly cooler and a little brighter, but I dozed off for a few more minutes (til the dumpster people came to empty the dumpster close to our camp sight). My tent was in charge of preparing breakfast. We heated pre-cooked bacon over the fire, cooked eggs on a griddle, and tried heating biscuits over the fire before deciding to use the griddle. We also had quite a bit of s'more ingredients left over, so we decided to eat those for breakfast as well. We played a few more tent games before packing all of our stuff up and heading to the beach. We were able to explore the beach for a while, including the rocks that had been brought in and made into a levy. We also had a devotion with Carmen, who encouraged us to fight like a girl (using some ideas from a book with the same name and Isaiah 58:9-12). We went back to the cars for lunch and had an interesting time trying to keep the birds away as well as the bees coming after cups of soda. There were some group bonding games planned, but some students needed to leave early to get back for work/homework and a lot of them were tired. We decided to leave early and head back to Tallahassee. My car had a lot of fun driving down and back, playing games like "Would you rather," singing to one another, and laughing. I put some pictures up on my Facebook page
I am so grateful that God has blessed me with this opportunity to intern here at FSU and be able to go on trips like this. I also am grateful that He has blessed me with so many wise and wonderful women to learn so much from.
Saturday morning, I woke up to the tent cover sliding off about 7am (central time). It made the tent a slightly cooler and a little brighter, but I dozed off for a few more minutes (til the dumpster people came to empty the dumpster close to our camp sight). My tent was in charge of preparing breakfast. We heated pre-cooked bacon over the fire, cooked eggs on a griddle, and tried heating biscuits over the fire before deciding to use the griddle. We also had quite a bit of s'more ingredients left over, so we decided to eat those for breakfast as well. We played a few more tent games before packing all of our stuff up and heading to the beach. We were able to explore the beach for a while, including the rocks that had been brought in and made into a levy. We also had a devotion with Carmen, who encouraged us to fight like a girl (using some ideas from a book with the same name and Isaiah 58:9-12). We went back to the cars for lunch and had an interesting time trying to keep the birds away as well as the bees coming after cups of soda. There were some group bonding games planned, but some students needed to leave early to get back for work/homework and a lot of them were tired. We decided to leave early and head back to Tallahassee. My car had a lot of fun driving down and back, playing games like "Would you rather," singing to one another, and laughing. I put some pictures up on my Facebook page
I am so grateful that God has blessed me with this opportunity to intern here at FSU and be able to go on trips like this. I also am grateful that He has blessed me with so many wise and wonderful women to learn so much from.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
FSU Chi Alpha: September in Review
I just realized it's been quite a while since I last updated my blog. I've typed a few, but haven't had a chance to finish and publish them. Since it's been so long, I thought I would go through what happened during the month of September:
I have a few albums up on Facebook of my time here and will be updating them often. The first album is specifically for Chi Alpha events, the second is mostly personal pictures. Check the links often for new pictures!
Florida State Chi Alpha
Florida 2010-11
- Tues/Thurs Morning Prayer: We began meeting each Tues and Thurs mornings at 8am for prayer on campus. Since our intern class is so large (10 of us), we were divided into two groups. One goes Tues, one Thurs. We have a great time with the students, praying for one another, the campus, etc.
- International Coffee Hour: Every Friday, Florida State hosts a coffee hour for the international students. Again, since there are so many interns, and we don't want to overwhelm the students, two of us go each Friday. I was kinda nervous and unsure the first time I went, but I had a great time talking with two students from South Korea. I had an opportunity to learn more about their culture, country, and themselves.
- Book reports: Every three weeks, we have a book report due. During the month of September, we read the books Under Cover by John Bevere and Why You Act the Way You Do. The first book was about being under the cover of spiritual authority and the second was about the four personality types. Both were interesting books and gave me a lot of knowledge to apply now and in the future. After reading each book, we write a page (or more) book report with a summary of the book and our reaction to what we've read.
- Football game: Florida State's football team got off to a great start, winning against Samford. A few weeks later, I had the chance to attend the game against BYU. Although it was pretty hot that day, it was fun having the opportunity to watch a college football game in person (especially since I went to a college that didn't have a football team). We also watched the FSU v. Oklahoma game (FSU's only loss) on the big projection screen at the Chi Alpha building.
I have a few albums up on Facebook of my time here and will be updating them often. The first album is specifically for Chi Alpha events, the second is mostly personal pictures. Check the links often for new pictures!
Florida State Chi Alpha
Florida 2010-11
Monday, August 30, 2010
St. George Island Leadership Retreat
Last Friday through Saturday, we went on a retreat with our student leaders. After the excitement of Thursday night, Mario gave us Friday morning off to get some rest and pack. We reported to the Chi Alpha building at 12:30 to go over some last minute details and make sure we packed everything we needed for the retreat. Staff left around 2pm to head out to St. George Island; the students met and followed at 3:30.
I drove and two interns rode with me. The drive there was beautiful; most of the way, the road followed the shoreline of the St. George Bay, a bay of the Gulf of Mexico. We arrived at the Christian center, unloaded the food, and set up the dinning area. After Rhia arrived, she set up room assignments and we unloaded all of our stuff. A few of us went to the bay, took pictures, and waded in. The water was calm and warm, unlike the last time I was at the beach. We met in the dinning room to plan out the schedule for the rest of the weekend and the students began arriving. The group was broken up into different shifts to help prepare or clean up the meals and the dinner crew got started making spaghetti.
After dinner, we went to the building on the "point" for a time of worship and prayer. It was an awesome time that bonded us all together. After the prayer, we hung out, ate nachos, and played games before heading to bed.
Saturday morning, we got up and ate pancakes for breakfast. The students were given time to spend with God. Another intern and I set up the laptop and projector for the next session. After some technical difficulties, we got everything up and running. The students came in and we talked about leadership and training others. We looked at how Moses trained Joshua, but Joshua didn't train anyone to take his place and the result. We also talked about why it's important to train someone to take your place as a small group leader. We also talked about some students that are involved, but not connected with XA and ways that they can become better connected. We took a break for lunch and ate sandwiches and leftover spaghetti. I was on the clean-up crew and helped wash dishes and pack the food for the trip home. We were given a few hours off; I went to the bay for a little while and waded and looked for shells. After a little while, some of us went to the beach across the road and waded in the Gulf of Mexico. It was overcast and windy and the waves seemed a little rough, but the rain held off. We went back and had a final meeting about small groups. We broke up into our small groups and talked about what we were going to study over the course of the semester and shared any hesitations the students had about leading. The interns prayed over the group we are working with and commissioned them. We went back to our rooms to pack, make sure they were clean, and pack up the vehicles. We also walked back down to the bay and took a group picture with all the student leaders (minus Pastor Mario) and a picture with just the interns (again, minus Mario).
After we left the Christian center, most of us decided to drive down to Apalachicola, about 15 minutes away. A group of about 7 of us decided to go to the local seafood restaurant. We were able to get a table on the porch, right by the water. I got lemon-pepper grilled shrimp with corn fritters and curly fries...it was all very good. After we ate, we decided to walk along one of the main streets and look in the shops. We found only one that was open, but we had a lot of fun with the different things we found there, such as the blow fish, shark jaws, and the "oyster hunter" hats. Since it was getting late and there weren't many places open, we decided to head back to Tallahassee. We got back to the church, unloaded the food and put it away, before going to the Castrova's house for ice cream before going home.
I had a great time on the retreat getting to spend time with the student leaders and getting to know them better. I also took some pictures while we were there and put them in an album on Facebook. This is an album where I will be adding Chi Alpha pictures throughout the year. The link for the album is: Florida State Chi Alpha 2010-11.
I drove and two interns rode with me. The drive there was beautiful; most of the way, the road followed the shoreline of the St. George Bay, a bay of the Gulf of Mexico. We arrived at the Christian center, unloaded the food, and set up the dinning area. After Rhia arrived, she set up room assignments and we unloaded all of our stuff. A few of us went to the bay, took pictures, and waded in. The water was calm and warm, unlike the last time I was at the beach. We met in the dinning room to plan out the schedule for the rest of the weekend and the students began arriving. The group was broken up into different shifts to help prepare or clean up the meals and the dinner crew got started making spaghetti.
After dinner, we went to the building on the "point" for a time of worship and prayer. It was an awesome time that bonded us all together. After the prayer, we hung out, ate nachos, and played games before heading to bed.
Saturday morning, we got up and ate pancakes for breakfast. The students were given time to spend with God. Another intern and I set up the laptop and projector for the next session. After some technical difficulties, we got everything up and running. The students came in and we talked about leadership and training others. We looked at how Moses trained Joshua, but Joshua didn't train anyone to take his place and the result. We also talked about why it's important to train someone to take your place as a small group leader. We also talked about some students that are involved, but not connected with XA and ways that they can become better connected. We took a break for lunch and ate sandwiches and leftover spaghetti. I was on the clean-up crew and helped wash dishes and pack the food for the trip home. We were given a few hours off; I went to the bay for a little while and waded and looked for shells. After a little while, some of us went to the beach across the road and waded in the Gulf of Mexico. It was overcast and windy and the waves seemed a little rough, but the rain held off. We went back and had a final meeting about small groups. We broke up into our small groups and talked about what we were going to study over the course of the semester and shared any hesitations the students had about leading. The interns prayed over the group we are working with and commissioned them. We went back to our rooms to pack, make sure they were clean, and pack up the vehicles. We also walked back down to the bay and took a group picture with all the student leaders (minus Pastor Mario) and a picture with just the interns (again, minus Mario).
After we left the Christian center, most of us decided to drive down to Apalachicola, about 15 minutes away. A group of about 7 of us decided to go to the local seafood restaurant. We were able to get a table on the porch, right by the water. I got lemon-pepper grilled shrimp with corn fritters and curly fries...it was all very good. After we ate, we decided to walk along one of the main streets and look in the shops. We found only one that was open, but we had a lot of fun with the different things we found there, such as the blow fish, shark jaws, and the "oyster hunter" hats. Since it was getting late and there weren't many places open, we decided to head back to Tallahassee. We got back to the church, unloaded the food and put it away, before going to the Castrova's house for ice cream before going home.
I had a great time on the retreat getting to spend time with the student leaders and getting to know them better. I also took some pictures while we were there and put them in an album on Facebook. This is an album where I will be adding Chi Alpha pictures throughout the year. The link for the album is: Florida State Chi Alpha 2010-11.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Week Two in FL in Review
I may not be able to update every week next week when the students return, but I thought since we don't have anything going on tonight, I'd give an update on week two.
Monday, we began our regular hours at the XA building, 9am-4:30pm. We received a text from Mario Sunday night telling us to wear clothes appropriate for painting. We spent most of the day painting the living room in the parsonage. If the offices are moved to the parsonage, the living room is where the interns will probably sit and work. It was a good experience for all of us to work together to get the whole room painted properly and knowing we were improving a space we may be spending a lot of time in. Mario bought lunch for us as a way of thanking us and we sat in the living room and ate together. We did a little more cleaning, switching things from one refrigerator to another, washing dishes, cleaning light covers, and whatever else we saw needed to be done. Mario went to the hardware store to pick up new switch/outlet covers and sandpaper and sent us a text telling us to go home early. Mercy and I came back to the apartment and hung around for the remainder of the evening. I began reading a book for a book report that I received in the mail before going to bed.
Wednesday, we went over jobs that need to be done to plan the Welcome Back events. We have events going on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday that need to be planned by staff. Rhia made a list and went over it with us, asking us to volunteer for different jobs. We spent the remainder of the afternoon either working on our jobs or reading for our Berean classes or book report. We decided for everyone to meet at our house at 5:30 for dinner. Mercy and I got home and rested for a little while before we started cooking dinner. All the interns were able to come as well as one intern's wife and 3 kids. Everyone had a great time eating, talking, and laughing together.
Thursday, we met at the XA building at 8:45 and started on some cleaning and yard work. We also celebrated the addition of a 10th intern with doughnuts. The guys went outside to mow the grass and a few other jobs while the girls knocked the inside cleaning out. Since there are so many of us, we got the inside cleaning done fairly quickly. Erin C helped me update and format the website with the events we'll have next week. After the guys finished, we left for Wakulla Springs, a natural spring-fed lake-type state park. The water there is about 67 degrees and feels freezing cold. Right after we go there, it started pouring down rain, so we found a picnic shelter and ate our lunches. By the time we were done eating, it had stopped raining, so we headed to the swimming area. Some brave souls went to the jumping platform and jumped into the cold water. While we were swimming, it started to pour rain again. I went up to put my bag under the "sun-brella" so it wouldn't get soaked and my clothes and camera would stay dry. Since it wasn't a true umbrella, some of the raindrops did mist through, but it wasn't too bad. After the rain stopped, I went back out to the water for a little while. We met as a group in the lodge and Mario bought ice cream for all of us and we sat around and enjoyed our ice cream while talking and laughing with one another. As we were leaving the Wakulla Springs area, it started pouring rain again, but stopped before we got back to Tallahassee. Mercy and I came back to the apartment, where I took a short nap on the couch before the next storm hit. I heard the thunder rumbling hard enough to rattle the windows. I got a few things done around the house before heading to bed.
Friday, we met at a restaurant named Jim & Milts BBQ for breakfast. They have a breakfast special: grits, eggs, toast, and coffee for about $2.50. Nearly every Friday, the staff meets there for breakfast before going to the XA building. We went back to the XA building for a little while, then met at the parsonage for a time of prayer for next week, the events we'll be doing, and for our students. It was amazing to sit in the presence of God and feel the Holy Spirit moving among us as we prayed and worshiped. We went back down to the main building and spent the remainder of our time working on different jobs or getting reading done. We were told we could leave at 2, so Mercy and I went to two Goodwill stores in search of a bed frame. One of the other interns is getting a new mattress and asked me if I wanted to use her other one. I was able to find a headboard and side rails at the second Goodwill we stopped at. The employees there helped me load them in the Escape and we came back to the apartment. After we got back, I deflated the air mattress and swept and mopped my floor. I texted Paige to let her know I was ready to carry the mattress over whenever she was (she and another intern live across the street from Mercy and I). We got both the box springs and mattress over to my room. After I ate dinner, I called Dad and asked about how to attach the headboard to the side rails and took a trip to find a hardware store. I found an Ace Hardware and the guys that assisted me there were very nice and helpful; one of them gave me a tape measure out of his truck...he said he had too many. I got back to the apartment and cleaned the headboard and side rails so they can be put together tomorrow.
As of right now, I'm planning to spend most of Saturday around the house. I still have 3+ boxes that I need to finish going through. I brought a lot of kitchen stuff with me that I ended up not needing, so I need to find somewhere to store it until I go home again. I also want to spend some time reading and try to get ahead a little. Students move in next Wednesday, so beginning Monday, we're going to be very busy getting ready for their return. I'm getting excited and can't wait to jump right in!
Monday, we began our regular hours at the XA building, 9am-4:30pm. We received a text from Mario Sunday night telling us to wear clothes appropriate for painting. We spent most of the day painting the living room in the parsonage. If the offices are moved to the parsonage, the living room is where the interns will probably sit and work. It was a good experience for all of us to work together to get the whole room painted properly and knowing we were improving a space we may be spending a lot of time in. Mario bought lunch for us as a way of thanking us and we sat in the living room and ate together. We did a little more cleaning, switching things from one refrigerator to another, washing dishes, cleaning light covers, and whatever else we saw needed to be done. Mario went to the hardware store to pick up new switch/outlet covers and sandpaper and sent us a text telling us to go home early. Mercy and I came back to the apartment and hung around for the remainder of the evening. I began reading a book for a book report that I received in the mail before going to bed.
Wednesday, we went over jobs that need to be done to plan the Welcome Back events. We have events going on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday that need to be planned by staff. Rhia made a list and went over it with us, asking us to volunteer for different jobs. We spent the remainder of the afternoon either working on our jobs or reading for our Berean classes or book report. We decided for everyone to meet at our house at 5:30 for dinner. Mercy and I got home and rested for a little while before we started cooking dinner. All the interns were able to come as well as one intern's wife and 3 kids. Everyone had a great time eating, talking, and laughing together.
Thursday, we met at the XA building at 8:45 and started on some cleaning and yard work. We also celebrated the addition of a 10th intern with doughnuts. The guys went outside to mow the grass and a few other jobs while the girls knocked the inside cleaning out. Since there are so many of us, we got the inside cleaning done fairly quickly. Erin C helped me update and format the website with the events we'll have next week. After the guys finished, we left for Wakulla Springs, a natural spring-fed lake-type state park. The water there is about 67 degrees and feels freezing cold. Right after we go there, it started pouring down rain, so we found a picnic shelter and ate our lunches. By the time we were done eating, it had stopped raining, so we headed to the swimming area. Some brave souls went to the jumping platform and jumped into the cold water. While we were swimming, it started to pour rain again. I went up to put my bag under the "sun-brella" so it wouldn't get soaked and my clothes and camera would stay dry. Since it wasn't a true umbrella, some of the raindrops did mist through, but it wasn't too bad. After the rain stopped, I went back out to the water for a little while. We met as a group in the lodge and Mario bought ice cream for all of us and we sat around and enjoyed our ice cream while talking and laughing with one another. As we were leaving the Wakulla Springs area, it started pouring rain again, but stopped before we got back to Tallahassee. Mercy and I came back to the apartment, where I took a short nap on the couch before the next storm hit. I heard the thunder rumbling hard enough to rattle the windows. I got a few things done around the house before heading to bed.
Friday, we met at a restaurant named Jim & Milts BBQ for breakfast. They have a breakfast special: grits, eggs, toast, and coffee for about $2.50. Nearly every Friday, the staff meets there for breakfast before going to the XA building. We went back to the XA building for a little while, then met at the parsonage for a time of prayer for next week, the events we'll be doing, and for our students. It was amazing to sit in the presence of God and feel the Holy Spirit moving among us as we prayed and worshiped. We went back down to the main building and spent the remainder of our time working on different jobs or getting reading done. We were told we could leave at 2, so Mercy and I went to two Goodwill stores in search of a bed frame. One of the other interns is getting a new mattress and asked me if I wanted to use her other one. I was able to find a headboard and side rails at the second Goodwill we stopped at. The employees there helped me load them in the Escape and we came back to the apartment. After we got back, I deflated the air mattress and swept and mopped my floor. I texted Paige to let her know I was ready to carry the mattress over whenever she was (she and another intern live across the street from Mercy and I). We got both the box springs and mattress over to my room. After I ate dinner, I called Dad and asked about how to attach the headboard to the side rails and took a trip to find a hardware store. I found an Ace Hardware and the guys that assisted me there were very nice and helpful; one of them gave me a tape measure out of his truck...he said he had too many. I got back to the apartment and cleaned the headboard and side rails so they can be put together tomorrow.
As of right now, I'm planning to spend most of Saturday around the house. I still have 3+ boxes that I need to finish going through. I brought a lot of kitchen stuff with me that I ended up not needing, so I need to find somewhere to store it until I go home again. I also want to spend some time reading and try to get ahead a little. Students move in next Wednesday, so beginning Monday, we're going to be very busy getting ready for their return. I'm getting excited and can't wait to jump right in!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Week One in Review
Well, I've been in Tallahassee for almost a week. I've stayed pretty busy, along with the 8 other interns meeting, getting to know one another and the staff, and doing some cleaning around the Mosaic building (Mosaic is the name of the building FSU XA owns and the church that is also there; there's a partnership between the two I'll explain later).
Monday and Tuesday's happenings were covered in my last blog entry, so I'll start with Wed. We met at Mosaic at 10 and went over some ideas with Mario for a field day type event. We discussed possibilities, cost, location, etc of each idea and whether or not it would draw students. After we were done, some of us went out for lunch to a sandwich shop. It was nice to hang out for a little while and talk. My housemate, Mercy, and I came back to our apartment and worked on unpacking. We met two other interns, Paige and Suzi, at their apartment (across the street from ours) and went to Mario and Robin's house for dinner. Robin made some amazing chicken, rice, cheesy potatoes, and blueberry cheesecake and candy pizza (brownie with peanut butter spread on top with M&Ms, Recces, and Snickers crumbled on top). We ate and talked, then took a personality test as a group. The results were interesting and surprising for some of us. We talked about the characteristics of each personality group briefly. Mario told us what he wanted us to work Thursday and we headed back to our apartments.
Thursday, we met at Mosaic at 9:30am. Rhia went around and tried to guess each of our personalities (she was successful guessing most of them) and we laughed and joked at some of them. Rhia then told us about the cleaning schedule and process the building needs each week. She had to leave for a meeting on campus and asked if I would watch her 2 yr old son. I helped clean until he got tired of playing the drums in the sanctuary, then took him in the nursery to play with the cars. After he went down for his nap, I went back and helped clean. Because there are 9 of us, the cleaning goes so much quicker, so we went outside and started cleaning some of the brush and plants that had started growing out of control. We also got a lot of brush and leaves cleaned out of the pavilion and walkway. We met again in the sanctuary and Mario asked us to spend the last 15 minutes before we left praying. We prayed individually for a while, then came together as a group and prayed.
Friday, we met at 10am for some yard work and cleaning at the parsonage. A group of guys went outside and trimmed the shrubbery and cut the grass while another group went to the parsonage and loaded a trailer with garbage. A third group went to the sanctuary with Kyle to see how it needed to be set up for Sunday service and worked on putting it together. After we finished in the sanctuary, we went outside to help clean up the shrubbery trimmings. Mario then asked a group of us to go up to the parsonage and work on cleaning the doors, windows, clean out the fridge, and whatever else we saw needed to be done. I tackled the doors with cleaning spray to try to get the dirt and scuff marks off. After I finished that, I cleaned the bathroom and washed the fridge drawers. Pastor Mario bought lunch for us and the boys went and picked up pizzas. We met in the sancutary and ate and talked together. We cleaned and straightened up a little more before we headed out. We also made plans to meet for a movie later. Mercy and I went to a fellow interns' apartment to pick up a dresser he offered to her. She doesn't have any closets in her room and both of the portable closets she put up have fallen, so she was asking where a good place to get one would be. Tim said he had one he didn't know what to do with and she was welcome to it. It was just the right size to fit in my Escape and we brought it back to the apartment. She dusted it and rearranged her room and I helped her tape one of her portable closets so it will hopefully stay up.
Next week, we start regular hours at the office, either 8:30 or 9 til 4. I ordered a bunch of books yesterday that were assigned as book reports. We have one due every 3 weeks and one of the interns, Suzi, recommended a good website, Better World Books (www.betterworldbooks.com) to buy them from. I checked out the website and was very impressed. They sell used books at discounted prices and use the money to fund literacy programs in other countries. I ordered 5 books for about $30...not too bad considering if I bought them new, my total would have been probably twice that. I'm looking forward to reading and learning through the classes and discussions we'll be having as a group. :)
Monday and Tuesday's happenings were covered in my last blog entry, so I'll start with Wed. We met at Mosaic at 10 and went over some ideas with Mario for a field day type event. We discussed possibilities, cost, location, etc of each idea and whether or not it would draw students. After we were done, some of us went out for lunch to a sandwich shop. It was nice to hang out for a little while and talk. My housemate, Mercy, and I came back to our apartment and worked on unpacking. We met two other interns, Paige and Suzi, at their apartment (across the street from ours) and went to Mario and Robin's house for dinner. Robin made some amazing chicken, rice, cheesy potatoes, and blueberry cheesecake and candy pizza (brownie with peanut butter spread on top with M&Ms, Recces, and Snickers crumbled on top). We ate and talked, then took a personality test as a group. The results were interesting and surprising for some of us. We talked about the characteristics of each personality group briefly. Mario told us what he wanted us to work Thursday and we headed back to our apartments.
Thursday, we met at Mosaic at 9:30am. Rhia went around and tried to guess each of our personalities (she was successful guessing most of them) and we laughed and joked at some of them. Rhia then told us about the cleaning schedule and process the building needs each week. She had to leave for a meeting on campus and asked if I would watch her 2 yr old son. I helped clean until he got tired of playing the drums in the sanctuary, then took him in the nursery to play with the cars. After he went down for his nap, I went back and helped clean. Because there are 9 of us, the cleaning goes so much quicker, so we went outside and started cleaning some of the brush and plants that had started growing out of control. We also got a lot of brush and leaves cleaned out of the pavilion and walkway. We met again in the sanctuary and Mario asked us to spend the last 15 minutes before we left praying. We prayed individually for a while, then came together as a group and prayed.
Friday, we met at 10am for some yard work and cleaning at the parsonage. A group of guys went outside and trimmed the shrubbery and cut the grass while another group went to the parsonage and loaded a trailer with garbage. A third group went to the sanctuary with Kyle to see how it needed to be set up for Sunday service and worked on putting it together. After we finished in the sanctuary, we went outside to help clean up the shrubbery trimmings. Mario then asked a group of us to go up to the parsonage and work on cleaning the doors, windows, clean out the fridge, and whatever else we saw needed to be done. I tackled the doors with cleaning spray to try to get the dirt and scuff marks off. After I finished that, I cleaned the bathroom and washed the fridge drawers. Pastor Mario bought lunch for us and the boys went and picked up pizzas. We met in the sancutary and ate and talked together. We cleaned and straightened up a little more before we headed out. We also made plans to meet for a movie later. Mercy and I went to a fellow interns' apartment to pick up a dresser he offered to her. She doesn't have any closets in her room and both of the portable closets she put up have fallen, so she was asking where a good place to get one would be. Tim said he had one he didn't know what to do with and she was welcome to it. It was just the right size to fit in my Escape and we brought it back to the apartment. She dusted it and rearranged her room and I helped her tape one of her portable closets so it will hopefully stay up.
Next week, we start regular hours at the office, either 8:30 or 9 til 4. I ordered a bunch of books yesterday that were assigned as book reports. We have one due every 3 weeks and one of the interns, Suzi, recommended a good website, Better World Books (www.betterworldbooks.com) to buy them from. I checked out the website and was very impressed. They sell used books at discounted prices and use the money to fund literacy programs in other countries. I ordered 5 books for about $30...not too bad considering if I bought them new, my total would have been probably twice that. I'm looking forward to reading and learning through the classes and discussions we'll be having as a group. :)
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