Unsaid Words of Love

"Father and Daughter" 

Award winning short film by Michaël Dudok de Wit. 

Although it makes me kind of sad, I like this film. It's the story of a father who leaves his daughter and rows off into the ocean, it begins with two figures riding their bicycles, the smaller of the wheels in perfect symmetry with the larger. The father and daughter climb to the top of a hill at which point the father looking at his daughter the way only a father can, hugs his daughter before climbing down to the seashore. He cannot resist running back and holding the girl one last time before rowing off towards the distant horizon. The girl runs up and down against the skyline waving as the sun gradually sets. There is no explanation. She returns again and again to her vantage point on the cliff to peer out to sea for his return. Each return marks a passage in her life from child to adolescent, mother and eventually old woman. And still she returns to search for the father who left her, longing for his love. In the end she dies and is reunited with her father in heaven. It is a joy filled, wonderful reunion. The gap in her life that was created at the absence of her father is now completely filled with his love.

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Intern Life (pt. 3)

Wow, I can't believe I'm posting about my third week in my internship! Time is flying!

This week was all about getting ready for when programs start, which was today. I was working with the full time staff program leaders and getting familiar with the preparation process. We made binders, talked about participant groupings, the overall flow of the program and lots of other stuff. I will spend the next two weeks observing and then I will begin making my own plans and leading them myself!

This past weekend I went on a trip with work to the Superman Celebration Festival in Metropolis, Illinois. For those of you who are unaware, that's Superman's hometown. It was awesome to see how excited the participants got when they would see a super hero they really liked and how they could barely contain themselves while taking pictures with them. The bus ride to lunch was noisy with talk about who's favorite super hero was stronger than someone else's favorite super hero and which participant was actually the real Thor or Spiderman in real life, and just hadn't revealed themselves yet.

After the festival we went to a waterpark and had a great time cooling off from the 90 degree weather. Eventually after going down all the slides and chillaxing in the lazy river, everyone wound up in the wave pool and the most epic battle of good against evil began. My coworkers and I were taken hostage but luckily Aquaman, Water Spiderman, and Superman were there, we were rescued and the day was saved. I think my favorite weapon that was used was "the power of confusion." It was a great weekend and I can't wait to do it all over again this weekend when we travel to the Illinois State Special Olympic Summer Games!

Lots of people have been asking me those typical "new intern" questions. Where are you from, how do you like your internship, and what's next? Most of these questions are extremely easy to answer. The one that always trips me up though, is "what's next for you?" I never know how to answer this question because I don't have a clue where I'm going to be in the next 2 months. I am (as I ALWAYS am) working on not worrying about it and rather just keeping my eyes and heart open and waiting to see what God puts in my path next. I would love to stay in Illinois and work for FVSRA, I would love to move to Maryland for the next two or three years and get my masters, and I would love if God took me to India and served with Loving His Lambs ministry with children who are orphaned and have special needs. I cannot wait to see if any of these options come through or to see what other adventure God has in store for me.

Intern life (pt. 2)

Hola, Bloggin' buddies!

Week 2 is over and I am already a full day into week 3! What the heck? I seriously feel like I was dying of boredom on the drive from Iowa to Illinois like, 20 minutes ago. I cannot believe how incredibly fast time has flown!

I have been doing lots of training, lots of school stuff, and lots of learning. This week will be full of Day Camp orientation, where I will be talking to the staff about Therapeutic Recreation as a career and how beneficial it is. I won't be working at the Day camps but I hope to make it out there at some point to observe and see the campers! The biggest thing so far in this internship is learning the value of the little details. I have always been a "big idea" person, but never had the tools nor the knowledge of how to make it work. I am learning all the background things that go into a big idea. This meticulous process is probably one of the most valuable things I will learn during the whole 14 week internship. I am still SO excited to wake up and go to work everyday and you know, I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. :)

Ok, slight shift in topic. A friend of my mom's posted a status about one of her friends who is being led by God to MOVE to INDIA and set up a home for orphans with special needs. Yes, pack up her life in America, and literally move to India. INDIA! This is blowing my mind. She has a ministry set up there called "Loving His Lambs" were her mission is to "rescue and rehabilitate orphaned and abandoned children with special needs in Alwal, India." Can you believe that? What an adventure. This is something only God could do.

In order to make this mission a reality, she needs some help. Follow this link here to her blog and to see the list of things she is needing to get started. I know that God has led her to this place, and I know that He won't leave her side in India until He opens her life up to her next great adventure. Please, help support her so she can support these kids who as of right now, have literally nothing.

I have always been envious of people exactly like this woman. Someone who can clearly discern what God has planned for their life, jump on the opportunity, and do things like pack their bags and move to India to start a ministry from the ground up. I crave faith like that. Just earlier today I was thinking I was pretty proud of myself for moving 5 hours away from home. Pretty dull in comparison. I think it's time to get a passport.

I would also ask that you completely saturate this cause and this woman with prayer. I know I am definitely going to. I am also praying that He would use me to help in any way that I can. I don't know what God has in store for me for the next few years, heck I don't have a clue what I'm going to do in 11 weeks and 6 days when this internship is up, but I do know that God does, and that He is waiting for the exact right moment to reveal it to me.