British Accents and Blessings

I love Saturdays for many reasons. I get to sleep in, talk to people from home that I miss very much, make non-YouthWorks food (banana bread - YUMM), take a long shower, and update you on my week.
This is a longer update than normal. Sorry!

I have to tell you, I was NOT looking forward to this past week starting - at all. Monday was the 4th of July and it was a headache to work out the logistics for the day. Not only was most everything closed, but I am kinda living in the nations capitol. No big deal. There was just a lot of prep work needed to make the day go smoothly. Yuck. This far into the summer my team and I are getting good at the normal week to week schedule, so having to adjust for the holiday craziness was simply undesired.
As apprehensive as I was going into the 4th it went surprisingly smoothly. All of the prep work paid off and the youth and adult leaders were flexible with our modified schedule. Because we switched around the order of evening events we were able to go to a park after dinner to watch fireworks. It was rather anticlimactic considering I had a tree blocking my view of the show, but no participants or limbs were lost... So I call the whole day a success!

For as tired as I entered (and exit) this week, it has been the best week for me so far this summer. This week was so good because of two wonderful women God introduced me to, Juliet and Wanda. Meeting them was exactly what God knew I needed to propel me through the remaining 4 weeks of programming.
Juliet was one of the adult leaders this week. This lady is a woman after my own heart! While driving to the Wednesday night evening activity I was riding shotgun in her car. As we passed the British Embassy we started speaking to each other in British accents. We even sang "I'm so pretty" from West Side Story. It was FANTASTIC! That was a catalysis for the rest of the week! I have never laughed so hard or been so encouraged by an adult leader in my summer and a half I have worked for YouthWorks. There are really no words that can describe her and how much she has touched my life, especially via blog post. I pray to keep in contact with her throughout the rest of the summer and beyond.

I met Wanda, the 2nd God-sent women, on Tuesday when I had the opportunity to go to United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) in the afternoon with some of the participants. UCP is a place for people with CP and other developmental disabilities to go to during the day. UCP provides social activities and various therapies for the individuals they serve to help them live as full, independent, and meaningful lives as possible. Because Tuesday was the 1st day this group of YW participants had been to UCP we got the grand tour from a woman named Wanda. Wanda has CP, is confined to a motorized wheelchair, has delayed speech, and minimal fine motor skills. Despite her physical limitations she had nothing different about her. She has a degree in social work and volunteers at UCP Monday through Friday. While watching some of the YW participants and UCP clients play Wii bowling Wanda and I had an opportunity to have the most blessed conversation I have been able to be a part of this summer. Wanda was sharing her heart with me as to why she volunteers at UCP and why she likes it when the YW youth come. She spoke with such grace about how much she wants for people to see the clients at UCP as people themselves and not their disability. She spoke from the depths of her heart when she said, "They are my friends." She also spoke of how blessed she was to have the abilities she has. Her perspective on her blessings is what is continually running through my head. I have the ability to run freely, speak quickly, eat with ease, type this blog post, and SO much more. How often do I reflect on the true multitude of blessings I have? Answer: Rarely!
My reflection on God's blessings in my life was reinforces again this afternoon while I was listening to a John Piper sermon. He quoted Psalm 40:5. It reads:
"You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told."
AH, God is so cool! I can write until my fingers are numb and speak until my face is blue about what God is doing in my life and how He has blessed me and all those around me... and YET there is still more to be told. My God is SO BIG! I love it!

God is revealing so much of Himself to me. I am only beginning to process what His is doing. Thank you for your patience as a ramble and attempt to start the processing process of my summer through this blog.

Shampoo Update: I caved. I used shampoo on Friday. It feels so good to have hair without grease and baking soda build up in it. I am considering trying it again for another 2 weeks... but I haven't decided yet. Once again, just be glad you are 950+ miles away as I play hippie for the summer.

Prayer request: Steph has poison ivy. She got it while helping Noah and I fill up water balloons for a game we played with the youth on the 4th. Pray that it wouldn't spread anymore and fast healing. Thanks!

Peace and Love