Another Week Gone By

Good morning everyone! It is the ripe hour of 6:30 AM here in Dandridge, TN. Yep, Dandridge, TN- not Newport. Our good friend Hal Valentine and his wife, Debbie, are out camping for the 4th of July weekend and they've asked us to farm sit/ feed the animals til Sunday evening. Let me tell you, it is most fantastic. These people are a prime example of a typical Tennesseean farm- out in the middle of Nowhereton, in beautiful rolling hills (that just look AMAZING when the sun is coming up), with three dogs and horses, a dozen turkeys and cats and more chickens than you can count. And all of them but the horses roam the property freely. The only parts I dislike are 1) I forgot tennis shoes, so there isn't much protection against chicken poop- lol (but the dew felt real nice on my feet this morning) and 2) They own a Bantie (banty?) rooster that thinks he's bigger stuff than he really is and also thinks that crowing outside the front door with his ultra wimpy cock-a-doodle-do is a good idea. I told him to hush talk when I walked out the door- but really he just wanted to remind me to let his harem out of their roost because I haven't heard him since I did that.........and the dog just came in the doggy door all muddy :/ LOL

Anyways.... this week was a much better week. We had three church groups that were for the most part excellent workers and had great attitudes all week. One group had been to Newport two years ago and a couple of the youth were really excited to see how different everything was, in part because of what they did two years ago (e.g. a thrift store that was in shambles two years ago was much more organized and functional this year, and that helped them understand how much their work actually impacts the community... if that makes sense).

A couple of highlights  in the order in which they enter my mind:
- BRIAN IS VISITING THIS WEEKEND!!! We haven't seen each other in 7 weeks (I know, not a long time span for some) and it is such a blessing to have him here (and have a face-to-face conversation instead of one over the phone. lol.)

-Also! Aunt Judy and Uncle John are stopping by today and tomorrow to visit! We're going to catch up with them today and maybe drag them along to some fireworks tonight and then they're going to church with us tomorrow. :)

- The energy and attitude of this group was refreshing and made me actually enjoy what I'm doing this summer; the adult leaders were fantastic and encouraging to all of us on staff and I actually wanted to build relationships with the participants.

- We had a severe peanut allergy and a mild egg allergy (the same girl) this week, but we muddled through feeding everyone with no problems (and I learned that you can substitute applesauce for eggs).

- Taking a nap on my Wednesday afternoon breaks is a bad idea- I wake up more groggy and grumpy than before.

- The transmission on our van was going south, so we had to take it in, therefore losing the use of our biggest vehicle. Then Thursday evening, our rental car got clipped- thankfully it was still drivable and we were able to trade it for free.

- Our 5th staff member, Erin, was reassigned to another site :( She was a utility staff (basically a YouthWorks float- she went where help was needed), but she was with us for 3 weeks and we royally miss her. Where the four of us permanent staff are energetic and sometimes complainy about the way the week is going, she was gentle and often reminded us why we are here.

- Sometimes church groups really do NOT believe the same things we do- or seem to have VERY different doctrine and interpretations of the Bible (e.g. Jesus isn't the only way to heaven). I know that those groups have every right to be at YW, but it is difficult to grasp because some of those things are fundamental beliefs about God.

-The week started off with about 5 different curve balls, but instead of freaking out too much, I prayed and God delivered.

- Club and my club talks are getting A LOT better. We had mid-summer evaluations this week and my Site Director (boss) told me he's really enjoyed seeing me grow in that area. But I also learned that I really need to write things down because I forget to do them and I need to learn to communicate better. bah.

-We had a little girl come to Kid's Club this week with lice. We checked all the participants' hair and our own and so far only Brooke (our KC staff) and I have found questionable things in our hair. Don't worry, we've bought the shampoo and are continually checking our hair. It's kinda gross, but whatevs. It happens.

A few prayer requests:
- my grandpa is in the hospital and my great aunt is recovering from surgery
- The family I talked about a few weeks ago (Brittany, Skylar and Jesse) moved out of the area. They were definitely the most difficult kids to deal with and I don't miss the chaos they brought with them, but they did have a place in our hearts because they need Jesus so bad. Please keep praying for them even though they won't be coming any more.
-Austin, the kid who brought marijuana to KC, was put on a one week probation last week, and he was allowed to come back this week. He was devastated when we told him he couldn't come for a week, but this week he did so well and was so much more cooperative.
-Rest this weekend as we're coming off from this week and are preparing for next week.

Hokay, that's all for now. My body is telling me it needs more sleep and I want to squeeze in some more z's before the guys come in a few hours for breakfast (they slept back at the house in Newport, while Brooke and I managed the farm). Thank you so much for all your support and prayers! We still need them, but God is working so much in our lives and in this community!

Blessings,
~Sarah