2 weeks left!

Well, with only 2 weeks left, it is time for my last major blog update of the summer.  I hope to get you up to speed on my last two weeks, the two weeks to come, and the details of my coming home. 

Last Session:
This last session we had another group over 40 participants.  It was an interesting blend since it was everyone's first time working with SI, and the majority of the kids' first time out of the country.  The majority of the 2 weeks was spent in the carpentry shop.  Unlike the previous outreach in which our 2 participants had no interest in working with the carpentry school, my last group of participants was all about spending each day working on our projects.  We still did a few home visits which they enjoyed, but they did get a ton done in the shop.  My participants were Christian, Arthur, and Eli.  The second week of the outreach, I had an opinionated and obstinate 65 year old lady from Louisiana join my group at carpentry because she didn't feel she could put up any longer with the kids at her site.  She took it upon herself to feed dogs in the village next to the community building.  If you want to hear some fascinating stories about good intentions not bringing helpful results to fruition, ask me about Laura someday. 

This Session:
For the first time this summer, I have an outreach with no participants at my site.  This means that I will have a much more relaxed two weeks in which I may be visiting a few other site (a school, the clinic, etc.)  I am excited for the opportunity to see what some of the other sites do on a daily basis.  I will also probably be helping Mario with a few finishing details, wrapping up some of the projects we have started and not finished, and recruiting students for the school.  The hope is that the school will continue to branch out and take off once Mario is able to focus all his attention on it and not necessarily have the students to keep busy. 

Coming Home:
I will be flying into Chicago O Hare on August 20 late at night.  Kait and Cody Raak are picking me up from the airport.  I will head from there to Holland and get settled into my apartment throughout the next week as I get ready to help lead orientation for the incoming students at WTS.  I am excited to spend the next 2 weeks here and get to see some of the other sites, but I am also ready to head back to Holland and get ready for another year.  The coming school year will be hectic with a lot of classes to get through, but I am still excited for it. 

I hope to get one more blog up in the next few days which will reflect on some of what I have been taking out of my summer on a Spiritual level, some reflections on the ups and downs of missions, and of course, pictures!

Prayer Requests:
During these last few weeks, health will be a big prayer request.  Currently, 4 of the 7 summer staff are ill (and I am one of them).
That we can all give everything we have for this last group.  We want to give them as good of an experience as the people who were here the first week of the summer had. 
For patience with me as I still have 2 weeks being isolated from any males my age.  I am surprised at how well this second half of the summer has been without having another male on summer staff, but I am starting to lose my patience with some of the attitudes/actions of the others on summer staff.