Week One: Team Building

Can't believe it's almost September! The first week of my time here in Tieton (Tye-uh-tun), Washington has been fantabulous. ACTS team ten is made up of 11 young people coming from Washington state to Virginia and everywhere in-between.

For the first week of our time here, we focused on building relationships among the team members with some fun stuff like an overnight camping trip, a low ROPES course, and tubing down the Yakima River...

During our river trip, Val (director's wife), Hanna (girls' RA), and Kara jumped out of the rafts to swim at some point along the way. They were enjoying themselves in the water until we got to a rock that jutted out into the river, creating some strong current. Val and Hanna were hanging onto the boat and made it through okay, but Kara got caught in the current and pulled under the water. The current was too strong for her, but she managed to put up her head and calmly say, "Guys, I need help."

Keith (guys' RA) jumped in and pulled Kara out of the current and managed to get her to the side...somehow in the excitement, we lost a paddle and Val swam after it, but got caught in the same current that had captured Kara. Jeff (Val's husband) jumped in after Val, and Keith grabbed the boats as they floated down the current and held them until everyone could get back inside. Hanna jumped out to help Keith hold the boats and one of her toes got crushed between two rocks. All in all, it was a great bonding time for the team, and we're really thankful that Kara is still with us. :P

Highlights:

--> being reunited with Trevor and Christina, my dear friends from Romania

--> awesome scavenger hunt on a mountain = lots of great new ideas for future treasure hunts

--> being surrounded by 10 likeminded young people who are seeking the Lord with their whole hearts

changes...

can sometimes be good. But hard, too. It was wonderful to be reunited with Michelle for a few weeks, but all good times eventually come to an end...at least here on earth. :)

in case anyone's interested, I've started a new blog: www.keepyourpearls.blogspot.com. I know how frustrating it is to find help dressing oneself when all the world's gone mad...so I've been researching tips, tricks and other various secrets...in fashion, beauty and most importantly, inner beauty; that "hidden man of the heart, which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (1 Peter 3:4)

Michelle Beaty...

...is home again! And I've eaten so much junk food in my first 24 hours here it's really not funny. But I'm glad to be back and look forward to catching up with you guys!!

Text received at approximately 10:30 a.m.: "What are you doing today? -Liz"

"Nothing. What did you have in mind? -Michelle"

"Oh just maybe sitting somewhere reading or movie and dinner? -Liz"

"Sounds good. See you at 3. -Michelle"

Yep, that's how we socialize. Our Romanian friend was slightly surprised to walk into Liz's apartment and find her in the armchair engrossed in Dracula (you might as well read the story if you live 4 hours from his castle, right?) while I browsed ravenously devoured The Pilgrim's Regress.

"What are you guys doing?"

"We're hanging out. We're reading together."

I love low-pressure get-togethers.

Budapest

Buda and Pest, divided by the Danube, united by a bridge. heh.

The steeper streets--like this one--are quite an ordeal for vehicular traffic.

The opera house, about two blocks from the apartment where Liz and I stayed

The apartment. Vaulted ceilings. Unfortunately, I hadn't thought to bring a volleyball.... Here's the story: this apartment is actually the headquarters for a music ministry called Crescendo. On Tuesday night, I had gone to a Crescendo concert in Iasi, and on Friday night, I stayed in their mission headquarters in Budapest, and I had no idea until I got there that they were remotely connected.

The Parliament building shortly before the storm cloud broke.

Liz and I at Heroes' Square...at this particular moment in history, Liz had a pounding headache, there was a street-dance troupe practicing behind us, a sound check for a huge concert on my left (hence the headache?), and my fingers were stickier than they had been since I was two. Fun times.

This would be why my fingers were sticky. Hungarian yumminess, that right there. Bring your own napkins.

The airline that Liz and I flew had excellent service.

Life: The Six-Month Plan

Tonight: Christian classical music concert at the Eminescu Library. If I can find the entrance, we're in business!

This week: 3-day trip to Budapest with Liz. Bring it on!

This month: wrap things up here in Iasi and arrive back in the good ol' US of A on July 22nd.

Exactly two months from today: (Lord willing) Begin ACTS discipleship training in Yakima, WA.

And four months later, it's home again, home again!

I came across an inspiring article in No Greater Joy this morning. It has to do with a rather difficultish topic: what to do with your life as a single person. It's something I've wrestled with (a lot) and I know I'm not the only one. *grins*
I still have so much to learn!

What I want in a guy!


By: A Young Woman, June 2009 www.nogreaterjoy.org

"I am a 22-year-old girl who has met and seen my fair share of couples. I’ve traveled a good bit and lived with/helped out different families doing mission work.

These experiences have helped me figure out who I am today, and have been instrumental in showing me what I need in a husband.When I was 17, my cousins and friends, who are a few years older than I, all started getting married. So I naturally thought, “Well, I guess I should get married, too, because it seems to be the next step in life.” But the guy I would have married then and the guy I would marry now are two completely different types of men. I didn’t even know myself yet, much less what I should look for in a man.


I think, as homeschoolers, we are raised with the idea that marriage is the next important step in the school of life. I believe that attitude limits a person. I want to do something significant with my life, including learning all I have a capacity to comprehend, all for the purpose of making an eternal difference. I encourage girls to think: What are your dreams, what do you want to do, what do you want to know? Get out and do something, whether it’s starting a business, (which could include homemaking skills) or buying a piece of land. Go help out a missionary for six months. It will give you a whole new outlook on life and an appreciation for missionaries! It will grow you, give you more confidence, and help you figure out what you need in a husband. Every man is attracted to a woman who’s busy with abundant life, someone who is on the front side of making things happen.

Years ago I was chatting with a married couple who are good friends of mine, and who know me well. They helped me to figure out what I personally needed in a man. I wrote a list that day of five things I most need in a man!


1. I know that I need a Strong Leader who’s not going to let me shove him around. I want someone who is going to stand up and be the man!

2. Yet I need someone who is Open-minded, who will listen to all my crazy theories about life!

3. He needs to be Passionate, so that whatever he does, he does it with a fire under his boots!

4. I want him to be Spontaneous, full of zeal about life, and not afraid to jump into an adventure. I am a very enthusiastic person, and I love to do things on the spur of the moment. I want to marry someone I can jump on board with!

5. And I must have a man who Loves and Honors God and is already actively serving the Lord and has a deep-seated vision for life. "




We girls all have our lists, of course. I do! We should know what we want, for heaven's sake, otherwise how are we going to know it's Prince Charming or just another froggie when someone tall, dark and handsome pops in?


But I really wanted to share this article because I think she's right on. Come on, girls! Let's do something with this precious time! There's a big world out there; let's walk in the grace given to us by God. Let's be daughters of Sarah, the woman who wasn't afraid. Who can harm us, if we are followers of that which is good?

~Kirsten