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Sitting on the patio.
Breeze.
View of the lake and the mountains and the forest.
Sunshine.
Shade.
This is a beautiful day.

Adoption Day

"Pause Nights."
These occur twice a month as an opportunity for Joshua students to get out of the building, take a break from homework, and get involved in "real life".
They are a night to "pause" from Joshua.
Locals of Hume open their homes and embrace five or six students as a part of their families.

Last week we had our first Pause Night and were "adopted" into our Pause Families.

My Pause Family includes four "parents" and six students.
We had a campfire and roasted smores (and bananas!).
This will be neat; a good and healthy opportunity for us.

A Fantastic Fact, Part 2

Brett is also a photographer for Nation Geographic.
I'm learning a variety of exciting things about the people at Joshua.
Yep, there are some pretty neat ones here!

A Fantastic Fact

Brett (our coordinator) worked as a scuba diver at Sea World!

This is probably among the most exciting things I have heard; 

and I smiled for the rest of this evening.

Sea World is a most favorite place. You can ask me about it. Or better yet, you could take me there and experience the amazement for yourself.

An Addition

Hmm, what is this? A new page? Look along the "home" bar of this blog and note the additional page link, titled "Post-It Notes". I think you should check it out.

You've Got Mail

I received my first piece of postage! It was a care package; sent with love from my family.

From Wilderness, To Wilderness

"Good morning, Ladies!"

It was 4:30 am.

We were instructed to pack our bags, because we were going on an adventure; a four-day camping trip in the forest surrounding Hume.

There would be no showering, no mirrors, and minimal electricity. We would have no clocks, either; no sense of time. (That turned out to be neat and I actually really enjoyed it. The leaders would blow on a conch shell to summon us together. It was reminiscent of "Lord of the Flies", minus the savagery).

That morning we loaded into vans and were driven away from campus. We stopped at a trail off the side of the road and began an early morning prayer walk. We hiked until we reached a small campground where we stayed for the week. (It turns out, our campsite was merely a three minute walk from the Joshua building.)

Our afternoons were spent in "Group Initiatives" (team-building activities). My most impacting time was on the "High Ropes Course" where we did tasks in the trees. It was thrilling; nearly terrifying. It was an adrenaline-filled lesson in trust.
(The most entertaining GI: We ate dinner tied together at the wrists. This did require quite a bit of teamwork!)

Our evenings were spent in free time, which gave us plenty of opportunity to get to know our classmates better. (One night we were sent away from camp into the woods for solo-time to listen to the Lord. It was long and challenging, yet I was excited to be a part of it.)

Overall, our days in the wilderness were full of "stretching" opportunities.
(There were many experiences that I was eager to participate in because I never would have done them on my own.)

It was difficult. And it was also very good.

Photos: Joshua Week 1

Welcome to Joshua Wilderness Institute

Time to Study: The view from my spot

Mallory and Me: Dressed for dinner

Alli and Me: "Etiquette Night"

An Overview

Things are uncomfortable. I’m in a new place. I’m still meeting all of my classmates. I’m learning about the structure and the culture of JWI. I’m finding my way around campus. I don’t know what’s going on sometimes. It’s all kind of awkward. And I love it. Being out of my comfort zone, being somewhere where most people don’t know my name, exploring and learning- these are things that, for the most part, didn’t happen back home. This is all new. It feels refreshing. Even relieving. Unconstricting. It’s probably similar to a baby giraffe learning how to gallop; gangly and odd and uncoordinated. But it is so good. Yes, I like it here. I like it here quite a lot.

A Few Fun Things

          There is sunshine. There is a lot of sunshine. Earlier this week you could see it on my face (because I was a tad pink)! The warmth and blue skies were things this Oregonian had nearly forgotten about.

On the first night a “herd” of us played silent Uno (because it was during the quiet hours). It added a whole new aspect to the game (and also a variety of stifled giggles).

(A “herd” refers to nine or more students of mixed gender spending time together. Ask me about “Odds-and-Evens”.)

                  My roomie and I are completely unpacked. That was a relief. It took a few extra days, but now our stuff has its places. It definitely helped with the “settling in”. We also spent some time decorating! And we got 100% on our first room check! We keep it clean! (Or rather, we clean it up well.)

                  There are three other girls who eat the same as me. (And Kelsey the Chef has made sure we have options at meals. That is a big blessing.)

                  The Joshua students are learning Hebrew! In class we are picking up some vocabulary words, and we are also memorizing a traditional prayer called “The Sh’ma”. (It’s from Deuteronomy 6). This is one of my favorite parts thus far. (By the time I return I will be able to express the passage in both Hebrew and English!!)

                  Myself, my roommate, and two boys were selected to write the first post for the Joshua Wilderness Blog! Read it here: http://joshuawilderness.org/2012/09/our-first-weekend-as-a-class/. Feel free to follow this blog, too!

                  We had “Etiquette Night”! It was an opportunity to learn how to act like gentlemen and ladies at a formal event. We were assigned to “dates” and taught the proper manners of dining. (We learned that manners are to show you value and respect the people with you. All the “rules” came back to that point.) We learned variety of ballroom dances, as well. (Our instructors were especially knowledgeable. Also, she was a Disney Princess!) Check out the photos on the Joshua website (http://gallery.joshuawilderness.org/2012-2013).

This weekend was the beginning of my work-study. I was assigned to “The Pantry” where they deal with all the fruits and vegetables! I was able to apply my skills from working at Spicer Brothers! It was a blessing and a comfortable spot for me. 

A Week

Last Saturday was “Move-In Day”. A bit has happened since. We got right in to things on Monday; classes, meals,  chores, guest speaker. We are adjusting to the structure we will have for the year. We also have had plenty of “flex time” to relax and get to know each other.  (There are 56 students in the program; 28 boys and 27 other girls. The majority are from California, a few are international, and two are from Oregon City! Woopwoop!)  I am excited to see (and participate) as our community is formed.

The Road Trip

“A van is traveling between two points, A and B. If said vehicle were traveling non-stop, how long might it take to travel before reaching its destination (if ‘A’ is Oregon City and ‘B’ is Hume)?” The answer is approximately 15 hours. Hoo-rah for family road trips!!

Sept. 6:

Shopping Trips: Concluded

Packing: Over packed

Car Load: Full

Road Trip: Underway

Anxiety: Passed

Anticipation: Immense

Here we go.

Prior

The thought pressing on my mind for three days leading to my departure: Lord, I need more time.

(This proved to be false. I had the time I had. I used it.)