Reflection

Now that i have given you the day by day scoop I want to tell you about my feelings and reflect on my summer. In beginning to reflect I just have to first mention how blessed I am to have had the opportunities that I have had this summer. It has been amazing to travel and see so many things. I love to travel and have had a great time but there is always something to be said for sleeping in your own bed, which I have done 3 times in a month :).
Looking back on Vegas. It was a good trip, I am glad that I got to see Vegas and experience the strip and some shows. I think it was nice for Casie and I to travel together since we don't see each other often. it was a good celebration trip for both of our accomplishments. I have almost 500 pictures from that trip.
I was home all of 2 days to do laundry, unpack and repack for the next phase of my travels.
Then I was NC & SC bound. I am so fortunate to have Amanda in my life. Since she is back in North Carolina and I am in Lexington it isn't always easy to keep in touch as much as we would like to. It was good to celebrate the 4th with her family, this was the 5th year that I have been on Lake Keowee with the Thomas family. I spent the week leading up to the trip to Costa Rica helping Amanda do last minute things for the trip. Amanda is amazing at what she does; I could not imagine doing her job. All of us are called to do what we are good at and Amanda was so gifted in organizing a trip for 40 people to go out of the counry as well as how wonderful she is working with, relating to, and mentoring the youth. So July 7th rolls around, the day that I had been anticipating for several months. It was my first time to go out of the country, it was the first time I had been on a youth mission trip, and it was the first time I had gone on a trip with 39 (25 youth and 15 adults) other people and the only person I knew was Amanda. So I have to admit I went in with a little nervousness, but knew that everything would be fine. There were a couple of times that I was totally shocked by behavior and conversations among the youth, but I learned what to expect and I felt that I fit in pretty well. I met lots of wonderful people on this trip and I was amazed at the generosity of the adults of the group in including me and acting as if they had known me forever. It was a great feeling to have met and bonded with so many great people, including a few of the youth. I am so blessed and fortunate that Amanda invited me on this trip, it was an incredible experience. In addition to all of the friendships I made I was able to go to another country and use some of the gifts that God has blessed me with. I was able to use Spanish to communicate with the people in Costa Rica, including talking with the bus driver, having a wonderful conversation with the house mom of the baby at the orphanage, and even being able to thank the generous ladies who cooked for us all week. I also was blessed to be able to connect with the children at the orphanage. Taking the time to hold a baby, feed him, give him medicine, and rock him to sleep met needs of his but also it helped the house mom, this was such a blessing to me because I was able to use a gift of mine to help others. Many of the people on the trip had different gifts that they were able to use at the different places, I did not feel like I was working because I was doing something I love, which was being with children. In addition to serving others I had lots of fun along the way and had many once in a life time opportunities. Some of those opportunites include seeing the beautiful country of Cost Rica, snorkling off the coast, and being in great company,
I have so many things to be thankful for in my life and this summer has been an illustration of that.