Overwhelmed

The last two weeks have gone by so fast and I need to blog as a form of therapy. This could get lengthy, but here it goes.

Serena, Danbi, and I at supper before Danbi went back home. I was overwhelmed by how fast you can become good friends with someone, but then have to say good bye. Someday I hope to visit South Korea, but until then skype will have to due ;)

A trip to Ledges during finals week. Finals week was less stressful than the last, so I had a little more time to stop and reflect on what God has done the last year. I was overwhelmed by the way God intricately intertwined my life with certain people for specific lessons and some lessons that have yet to be learned. When at the bottom of the hills at Ledges I felt like I was standing in God's hand. I was so small yet so secure.

The week after finals 5 of us college students and a married couple from our church went to the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in Kentucky. Here, I was overwhelmed by the pain in the world. I was overwhelmed by information about HIV orphans, how to interact with children who have had trauma in their past, street children, human trafficking, and a WHOLE LOT more. I loved it!! This conference has forever changed me in ways that I am still learning.

I felt so blessed to have a group of people I was able to go there and experience it with. Some of my favorite quotes from the trip: "We'll talk about it later." "Sanitize it."

Lorie Me and Adrian
Jen and I

I came home for 24 hours after the summit and then embarked on a trip with 4 of my favorite people. On this trip I was overwhelmed by the love He has shown me through these 4 ladies who are very near and dear to my heart. We went to a friends graduation from high school (who will be coming to ISU next year!!) and then we went to my house. We then headed to Lanesburo, MN to do some camping and this was legit camping...like in tents, cooking outside, use the port-a-potty kind of camping. If you know me then you know this is kind of stretch, but I loved it!! There was lots of laughter, learning, and encouragement.

Anna, me, Megan, Jenny, Natalie and Nicole

Allow me to introduce to you, Tabitha. We took Tabitha, this six person bike, 10.1 miles to the neighboring town and then the 10.1 miles back for a total of 20.2. Let me point out that those engineering Tabitha probably only expected her to ridden 5 miles at time...at most. It took us 6 hours full of laughter, singing, cheering, talking (may be with different accents and thanks to Nicole different languages that are unidentifiable to the human race), and a little complaining may have come out of my mouth as I seemed to be the only one with the common sense that this trek should not be completed on a bike that looked like our dear Tabitha. There was a farmer in his tractor that was so shocked at the site of our trolley looking contraption riding down the bike path that we saw him laugh and immediately pick up his cell phone and call his wife.


So that brings me today. Today was supposed to be my catch up day. But I have spent over an hour looking at pictures and writing this. What I have learned the last few weeks is that I serve a BIG God and that He is always faithful and good. I am excited at what this summer will bring. I have a sneaking suspicion that this summer will bring more than I can possibly imagine and that my Father will do immeasurably more than I can possibly pray for.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28