Long Awaited Update!

Hello everyone!! It's been a long time, I know, and I have no excuses except that I haven't been motivated to share for the past few months. Despite my silence, a lot has happened and I want to catch you up on it.

Since December...

Bethany Sr. High Ski Retreat
In January, I accompanied a small group of high school students from my church on a ski weekend in Winter Park/Fraser,CO. We had a great time talking, playing games, skiing, tubing, and just relaxing in general. We even had a winter campfire and toasted s'mores!

Talent Show
For our fun night in January, the USC volunteers decided we would put on a talent show. We did stupid human tricks, sang songs, danced, told jokes, and demonstrated feats of bravery and strength. It was a laugh and fun for all!


Progressive Dinner
The last Monday in January was spent connecting with another community of volunteers here in Denver, the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers (CVV). We had a progressive dinner where we had appetizers and salad at Ogden house, main course at one of the CVV houses, and dessert at another CVV house. It was really cool to get to know some other young people with a passion for service. It was also interesting to talk about commonalities and differences between our two programs. We commiserated about volunteer life and wondered why we hadn't done this earlier in our service year. We look forward to spending more time with them as the year progresses.

Super Bowl Party
On a whim, I decided to put on a Super Bowl party at 5&9. We had lots of the common SB party junk foods like chips, dip, pizza rolls, soda and beer, and a veggie tray for the health nuts. It was fun packing everyone into our little living room and watching the game and the commercials. We enjoyed each other's company and had great conversations. It was a good time to lay back, relax, and connect without an agenda.



USC Retreat Trip to Las Cruces/El Paso
In the second weekend of February, our whole community traveled (by greyhound bus) down to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, for a border immersion retreat with Border Servant Corps (BSC), our sister community in the south. The bus ride was long, but it was worth it! We learned so much about the complicated cultural, economic, political, human rights, and social justice issues surrounding immigration in our country. It was an experience that was draining and energizing at the same time. We met and became friends with a lot of the volunteers down there and we were so thankful for their hospitality and generosity. Afterwards, we looked forward to having our new BSC friends visit us in April (see below).

Dinner at the Cravens'
Near the end of February, Tammy and Dave Craven, some friends of mine from Bethany, invited us to their home in Aurora for some dinner and conversation. We had AWESOME fish tacos and drinks and played some pool. It was so nice to share my friends with my friends! I am so thankful for the support that the Bethany community has given my housemates and me throughout this year through food, donations, prayer support, and levity. I don't know what I would have done without them! Thank you, Dave and Tammy, for a lovely dinner!

Spring Break House Sitting
During spring break, I was blessed to be able to spend a week house/dog sitting for a family from Bethany. It was nice to get away from 5&9 and have some time to myself. I enjoyed watching lots of cable TV and taking Tally, the dog, for walks. I also enjoyed having Kayla visit me for dinner one night. During this time, I realized how much I have gotten used to living with several other people because I got a little lonely. I realized that I am actually a better version of myself when I'm in community than when I'm left to my own devices. I'm so thankful for my community this year and I hope to stay connected with most of them after we go our separate ways in August.

Jesi's Death (4/4/12) and trip to Twin Cities
This event is something I wish hadn't happened. My close friend, Jesi Matthew, died of a sudden illness on April 4. It was unexpected and shocking, then horribly sad and terrible, and even now it's difficult to deal with. I still can't believe she's gone. Those of you who have been with me through this time know how it has been for me, but I do have the hope and comfort of the resurrection for Jesi and all the saints that have gone before her. It's still hard to talk and think about sometimes. It was just a coincidence that the next weekend after Jesi died was Easter weekend. All the talk about death and the disciples' shock and disbelief and fear were so real to me this year, much more than any other year. When the Easter Vigil sermon was about Mary going to the tomb and not finding Jesus' body and getting so distressed, I felt that along with her. When she saw and ran and told and ran again and cried, I was wanting to do the same things. I know that I will never view the disciples' reactions to Christ's death in the same way ever again. The next weekend, I traveled to the Twin Cities to attend Jesi's memorial service. It was heart-wrenching, but necessary. One silver lining was that I was able to see some dear friends who I didn't get to see around Christmas (Two of whom are expecting new additions to their families!). Losing Jesi has made me see how much I value my dear friends and want to make sure I take advantage of any time I am blessed to have with them. It also made it necessary for me to re-connect with Todd, who I hadn't spoken to in several years. I feel like Jesi would be happy that we are becoming friends again.

BSC Visit
During the weekend of Jesi's funeral, the BSC volunteers came to Denver to visit and have an "urban immersion" experience with us. It was nice to chat with them when they arrived and I was told that they had a great time. I even heard that a few of them might join us in Denver for another year of service next year!

Travis' Dad's Illness and Death
Another tragedy that our community has experienced this spring has been the illness and passing of Travis' dad, Jim. Travis left to be with his family on Easter Sunday and has been in Iowa with them throughout the past month as his father declined in health and eventually passed away. We have been missing Travis and trying to support him as best we can with loving words and prayers. It has been different in our house without him. We feel incomplete, like we're missing a spoke in our bicycle wheel and it is harder to move without him. We hope to have Travis back soon, but we know that he needs to be with his family at this difficult time.

VEV Conference
This past weekend Kayla and I attended a conference here in Denver sponsored by the Fund for Theological Education called Volunteers Exploring Vocation (VEV). It was a gathering of about 50 volunteers from faith-based volunteer organizations all over the US (including Alaska!) who are doing the same things that USC, CVV, and BSC are doing. It was so wonderful to see so many other people who have been motivated by their faith to serve their neighbor. It was empowering, encouraging, and enriching. We shared stories about our programs and learned practices for self-care and reflection; we talked about social issues and hope; we listened and empahized with one another about what "living in solidarity" means and doesn't mean; we generally gave one another hope to keep going in our service. I look forward to keeping in touch with many of my new friends from this conference and hope that I may someday see a few of them again!

So, that's just a brief synopsis of what's been happening in the past 4 months! Wow, it's been a lot, but I know that you all have been praying and supporting my fellow volunteers and I. I am so thankful for all the blessings and sorrows these past months have brought me. They are making me who God has planned for me to be.

I'll close with the prayer of Thomas Merton, which was read at the VEV conference, and I think is apropos for all the things that have happened in the past few months and all that will happen in the near future...

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.  - Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"  (© Abbey of Gethsemani)