An Emotional Week

This past week has been full of a lot of different emotions for me. To start off with, this was the last week for staff. They have all finished their jobs on this project and now it is up to us students to lead and finish up this project the way we want to. So last Thursday, we all found out our jobs for the remainder of project. I am co-leading the meetings team. So basically, I am in charge of planning our Monday and Thursday night meetings with my team of 8. I'm so excited for this leadership position because I know God will use it to challenge me and to draw me closer to Him. With everyone finding out their jobs, that means that there is no longer a need for staff to be here. I still cannot believe it is already time for them to leave. They have all been so awesome, encouraging, and fun to be with. Why do they have to leave???

This past Tuesday was my last D-Time with Erin. It was a super sweet time and I couldn't have asked for anything more. We went to the Starbucks by IIT's campus and had some cold coffee since it was blazing hot outside. We had some great conversations about relationships, purity, and modesty. These are just some things that I have been thinking a lot about and it was so great to get Erin's thoughts on them as an older and wiser woman of God. She really gave me some insight from her own experiences and just what she has really learned from God about these topics as she has grown in her faith. It was definitely the best talk we have had thus far and I'm so excited to see what other conversations we will have in the future (even though we'll be like a million miles apart). As part of our last D-Time together, she gave me my Vision Plan. This was the best things since I don't even know what. The Vision Plan is something that every Discipler does for their disciple. Erin did mine on this super cute stationary. She started off my Vision Plan with my strengths that she sees in me. Let me just say this was such an encouragement because I definitely do not know how people perceive me, but everything she said fit me perfectly. The one term she used for me which I had never heard was "spunky." That makes me feel so good to know that I actually do have a little spunk in my personality. It is always an encouragement to me when people tell me how they see me and the good qualities that I have. I don't think people do this enough. We don't tell other people their strengths enough, or at least I know that I don't. So the rest of my Vision Plan included some short term and long term goals and things that I need to continue to develop. Erin also included her Vision for my life as a child and follower of Christ. Everything that Erin included in my Vision Plan as a whole is so true of my life and what I strive to do with my life as I continue to follow Christ. Erin also gave me this adorable journal that was gold and orange and a purple pen all to symbolize ECU. I thought that the encouraging time was going to end with my D-Time, but it surely did not. In bible study that same day, we did 60 seconds of encouragement. So we went around in a circle and for 60 seconds showered that one person with encouraging words. It was so cool and fun and even a little embarrassing. It was awesome because we all kept going over the 60 seconds for each person. When it was my turn to be showered, something that one of the girls said really struck me. She said that I was the "mom of project" and this is kind of true. I'm always making sure everyone is OK and are being taken care of. I have to thank God for that character trait that He has instilled in me. Because God takes care of me so well, I am able to take care of others. So overall, Tuesday was completely filled with encouraging words and I loved every second of it.

So last night (Thursday) was our last night with our staff here on CSP '12. It makes me super sad that they are leaving, especially the ones that I have grown close to. I have came up with a new motto...it's not goodbyes but see ya later. I have to keep reminding myself that I WILL see these people again somehow and somewhere. It just amazes me how God allows people to get so close to one another in such a short period of time. He definitely brings people into our lives for special reasons and the people that I have been able to share life with in the last 5 weeks as been so touching to me. That I would get so close to these people and that I would want them to stay here to experience the rest of project with me.

I'm so ready to begin our new chapter of CSP '12 and see how God will use these last 5 weeks. I know He is going to do some amazing things and He is going to really challenge the heck out of us. It will be so awesome to grow closer to everyone and to really focus on our friendships and spending quality time together as well as learning so much more about our Heavenly Father and who He is.