I got to Denver last Monday, May 9 and it has been very different being back!
I'm a very comparative person (one of my weaknesses). Last time I was here, I had nothing to compare my upcoming experience to. I had never lived with people for 5 months straight, outside of my family. I knew I was getting myself into a very different, very new experience going into DTS. It was an amazing 5 months filled with new people, places, and experiences.
When I got here last Monday, I unintentionally had comparisons stacked up in my mind of people I would encounter, things I would do, a schedule I would keep, and where I would be for the next 3 months. Now here I am, a week in, and I'm again having to let the expectations fall in order for God to do what He intends.
I'm having to be vulnerable with new, different people, guarding pieces of me which I have mentally put blocks around. Different struggles are around me this time with different emotions and different challenges.
Really, this is a hard update to write, seeing as I'm not sure what to say. I have been trying to be more intentional, open, and realistic with updating y'all, yet here I sit, listening to Switchfoot, not quite sure what to say, other than it has been a very strange week. Don't get me wrong; it has been amazing to meet everyone and start building relationships and starting classes today, but it has really been a strange experience which I wasn't quite anticipating.
So that's where I'll wrap up for today. I guess it's a cliff-hanger, in a way, and yet is completely fitting, seeing as life isn't full of perfect experiences wrapped in a little bow. Today, I'm at a cliff-hanger in the middle of a season, so I will leave you with the same, and a simple encouragement to push through the tough, frustrating times. Even through hard times, God is still good. Through the circumstances, don't forget God's character and the goodness He holds in Who He is.
God bless and love from me,
Erin
Monday, May 16, 2016
Friday, May 6, 2016
Dozens of Donuts and a Hermitage Heritage
I finished my last blog post by talking about remembering where I come from when it comes to my family and my heritage. That led it to be incredibly fitting when I went to my family cabins (in Oregon) this past weekend.
A little bit of history on the cabins (to the best of my knowledge/memory):
James and Jennie Reeher moved, with their 6 kids, out to Oregon and planted a homestead in the middle of nowhere back in the late 1800's. Over the years, the land changed hands within the family and through the foresight of the kids, a "business" was formed. This allowed the following generations to collectively own parts of the area, and have a hand, as shareholders, to keep up with what happens with our family property, have cabins, and own (both emotionally and monetarily) a piece of this property set aside by my great, great, grandparents and "grand aunts and uncles" to hold for generations to come. Not many families have this kind of heritage and it is just a piece of the amazing family I come from and how thankful I am for them.
See guys? I told you I have an amazing family (stretching beyond just my immediate family)!
So, to sum up, the cabins hold a lot of history within my family, as well as a lot of memories for me. My sister got married there. I have gotten to spend countless weekends swimming in freezing cold water, eating sour grass with cousins, getting lost while hiking and listening to stories my family tells of "when I was younger..." and all that comes with those stories.
When I went down this past weekend, it was for the first time in almost 3 years. I was greeted with a rush of memories and an overwhelming gratitude for this beautiful place my family thought ahead to preserve for the future generations to come. Being there for far too short a time, made me realized through the next years, with such an uncertain future and wanting to chase so many aspects of huge dreams, I will always have a piece of home waiting for me with so much history. Whether I visit every weekend, or only make it there every few years, it will forever hold a piece of my heart.
That was last weekend. One week before leaving to go back to another land which holds a piece of my heart! Now I'm down to 3 days before I fly out. And I still haven't started packing. BUT, with meeting with dear friends, I received inspiration and a kick in the butt to do one last fundraiser. After finishing a coffee date with a friend of mine (and fellow YWAMer) I ordered more donuts than I can possibly sell on my own. In order to get the last $1,000 needed to pay off my school, I need your help. On Sunday, May 8th, I will be outside Chehalis Wal-Mart selling Krispy Kreme donuts. Come pick up a box! For only $12 for a delicious glazed dozen, you are helping me get to Denver and you get Krispy Kreme donuts without driving to Tacoma or Vancouver. So, stop by around 10 in the morning and pick up your delicious donuts to go with your post-dinner coffee!
This is it! My next update will probably be from Denver! Thank you so much for all your support and prayers. A few specific prayer requests:
Erin
A little bit of history on the cabins (to the best of my knowledge/memory):
James and Jennie Reeher moved, with their 6 kids, out to Oregon and planted a homestead in the middle of nowhere back in the late 1800's. Over the years, the land changed hands within the family and through the foresight of the kids, a "business" was formed. This allowed the following generations to collectively own parts of the area, and have a hand, as shareholders, to keep up with what happens with our family property, have cabins, and own (both emotionally and monetarily) a piece of this property set aside by my great, great, grandparents and "grand aunts and uncles" to hold for generations to come. Not many families have this kind of heritage and it is just a piece of the amazing family I come from and how thankful I am for them.
 |
| Looking up the Wilson river from the porch of the A-frame, one of the cabins built by hand by family back in the 50's. |
See guys? I told you I have an amazing family (stretching beyond just my immediate family)!
So, to sum up, the cabins hold a lot of history within my family, as well as a lot of memories for me. My sister got married there. I have gotten to spend countless weekends swimming in freezing cold water, eating sour grass with cousins, getting lost while hiking and listening to stories my family tells of "when I was younger..." and all that comes with those stories.
When I went down this past weekend, it was for the first time in almost 3 years. I was greeted with a rush of memories and an overwhelming gratitude for this beautiful place my family thought ahead to preserve for the future generations to come. Being there for far too short a time, made me realized through the next years, with such an uncertain future and wanting to chase so many aspects of huge dreams, I will always have a piece of home waiting for me with so much history. Whether I visit every weekend, or only make it there every few years, it will forever hold a piece of my heart.
That was last weekend. One week before leaving to go back to another land which holds a piece of my heart! Now I'm down to 3 days before I fly out. And I still haven't started packing. BUT, with meeting with dear friends, I received inspiration and a kick in the butt to do one last fundraiser. After finishing a coffee date with a friend of mine (and fellow YWAMer) I ordered more donuts than I can possibly sell on my own. In order to get the last $1,000 needed to pay off my school, I need your help. On Sunday, May 8th, I will be outside Chehalis Wal-Mart selling Krispy Kreme donuts. Come pick up a box! For only $12 for a delicious glazed dozen, you are helping me get to Denver and you get Krispy Kreme donuts without driving to Tacoma or Vancouver. So, stop by around 10 in the morning and pick up your delicious donuts to go with your post-dinner coffee!
This is it! My next update will probably be from Denver! Thank you so much for all your support and prayers. A few specific prayer requests:
- Packing (always the thing I put off the longest!)
- Me and my classmates as we are traveling to and arriving in Denver, starting this new season and all the changes which come with that.
- The YWAM Denver staff as they are finalizing preparations for this new term!
Erin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)