Sunday, June 29, 2008

Why I love summer...









add in some smiling faces of children and this is what makes my heart happy.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Walkie #5: a long and silly story

So at Camp Sonshine all HC's and full-time staff carry around the most obnoxious walkies so that we can report lost children, inform others of our every move and so that we can be contacted when we're on one side of camp to hike to the other side to pick up that piece of paper that one kid has and bring it back to the other side again. Because of this I have decided that walkies are better than any workout I could ever come up with on my own, but that is beside the point. This was my walkie, his name was Ken.

Now these aren't just any walkies but they are actually pretty amazing and therefore ridiculously expensive. If something were to happen to it the money to replace it comes out of your own paycheck and considering we don't make that much, that is a large chunk of your summer wages. Of course, a week after I receive "Ken" I learn that when I speak, no one can hear or understand me (not a great quality). Since this obviously was not my fault I got someone else to talk to the man in charge (cause when it comes to walkies I refuse to ever be the one to tell him something is wrong) and he got me a new one. This one worked great and life was swell...til the other day. I was standing in the bus lot trying to get a hold of someone and wondering why they were not answering and why I couldn't hear myself speaking when I walked by someone else with a walkie. After some investigation I found that my once functioning walkie was no longer. It was not functioning in the slightest, wouldn't turn on, couldn't hear or speak. My boss convinced me to just grab one that was not assigned to someone else but when I found one that battery died so Australian Clay traded walkies with me for the day (I am now on walkie #3 for the day). Dan who is the assistant to the walkie boss man decided he would try to fix my walkie before anyone found out but could not so tried to replace it also to no avail. So all day I'm freaking out cause i realize I am about to shell out $500 to play for this walkie that I can only assume I broke. But eventually boss man found out and laughed at me and said he understood and he knew that I did not break it so he gave me another. (#4 for the day and #5 for the summer) and I'm deciding not to tell him that this one doesn't always work either. :)

To sum up my story, while everyone else has had the same walkie for the last 3 weeks and will pry continue to for the summer I am on walkie #5 and hope to stay that way.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

A concert ...

A while ago I got to go and see Derek Webb and Sara Groves in concert. I've been trying to see D Webb in concert for a long while now and Sara Groves has become a favorite of mine over the last few months. Both have such honesty in their lyrics and you can just feel their hearts when listening to them so I was pumped to see them in concert and it was just as wonderful as I had imagined it would be.

But even better the whole concert was to benefit blood:water baltimore which is linked with blood:water mission, an organization that has stolen my heart in the last year. They are an organiztation dedicated to "tangibly reducing the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic while addressing the underlying issues of poverty, injustice and oppression." They build wells and medical facilities so that people with already weakened immune systems due to AIDS no longer have to drink water infested with bacteria. 311 million Africans lack access to clean drinking water and some must travel 6 miles a day just to get any kind of water. Blood:water has been doing something about it and while it seems like a problem too big to handle they've been doing it one step at a time. Amazing.

"We recognize that numbers and statistics are hard to grasp, and that sometimes a step back is necessary to conceptualize the enormity of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Yet we also know that simply standing from a distance with arms thrown in the air is not a solution. We believe in pressing inward, in building relationships and bridges with communities in Africa. We believe in hearing personal stories and walking alongside brothers and sisters who have demonstrated strength and faith in the midst of desperate and tragic situations."

It's hard for me to not want to get behind that. That is what I think Jesus looks like. I could go on for hours but long story short this is my dream "job". I want to work for these people whether it be in Africa or here in the states doing whatever is needed. For now all I can give is my money but I'm excited for the future. I want to make a difference.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

...but I'm still alive.

Last night I was a few feet away from getting struck by lightning. Granted I was in my car which is supposedly the safest place in a lightning storm but it sure does not feel that when when the lightning cracks in front of you.

...then it started to hail.

it was a fun ride home :)

::this post brought to you by the fact that I should be sleeping but am just not that tired...your welcome::

Sunday, June 1, 2008

"Hello, my name is Randi. I am CPR/First Aid certified. Can I help you?"

As of yesterday I am officially CPR/First Aid certified. If you are having a medical emergency or are unconscious call me so I can point at someone else and tell them to call 911 and then sit there and look like I'm doing something helpful. Just kidding. I really did learn much just hope to never use it.

The last week has been head counselor training for camp which means early mornings and feeling like bed at about 9. However, this week has been amazing. It's just a few of us and the full time staff and it's actually been really fun. Who knew learning about conflict, risk management and emergency drills could be so entertaining?...at times. We have one more week to go of training then the staff (including tresa and moss) show up and after a week of training for them campers arrive! I've gotta say I'm really excited. God has really shown me this week why he wants me back here. After last summer I wasn't that impressed. I wanted to go to RVR where there seemed to be passion behind what they preached. Without a long long story this week has changed all this. The program I was in last year is gonna change a lot this year and God has made it clear why he wanted me here, in a leadership position and what he wants from it. I'm so exited for this summer and yet completely terrified. It's gonna be a challenge but those usually wind up being the most exciting of experiences. This summer I'm giving it nothing I have and everything God has. I'm pumped.