Pleasantly surprised

Well, this summer is nothing like I thought it would be. My original reason for coming home hasn't been the primary thing on my mind lately. I got the chance to be an intern with the youth group at Gardendale. You know how you always go into a situation with all these expectations and a way of doing things? Well, it never turns out like that. But thank the Lord. My time at this church has been absolutely AMAZING. God's really stretched me in a lot of areas. A lot of times I feel like I'm alone on things, but I blame some of that on my set way of doing things. But it's about flexibility. I wanted to spread vision, but I caught some. I wanted to make a difference, but I was changed. I wanted it to be a simple summer, but it's been one of the most complex times of my life. A lot of this stuff I can't explain here, just because it's sooo complicated. But everything I thought was going to happen here, did... just in a different way than I expected. The girls I've gotten to know are the greatest! I've seen so much growth in their lives over the summer. They really opened up their lives to me, and God blessed our relationships so much. I love hanging out with them and leading them in our Bible studies. The "Youth Staff" has been ridiculously fun. Pete, Ben, Dave, Matt, and Cat are so hilarious and have encouraged me so much. The families of this church are so different than when I remember them- they're servants and they love us so much. *sigh* I am so full.