Mmmm... summer

Hey ladies!

Sorry I've been so late in posting - our apartment doesn't have internet and my laptop is being fixed right now so I only use the internet/computers for about 30 mins every few days or whenever I decide to hang out at a computer lab, which tends to be not super often with spring-time ann arbor as beautiful as it is! It's also been kind of nice not to have internet at our apartment (though at first it was super hard and annoying) because it makes me spend more time reading and journaling and talking to people which I really wanted to do this summer anyway. Also, if you want to talk, always feel free to call me since I will probably be way faster at responding to that than anything on the internet.

On that note, my summer thus far has been really great and truly blessed. I'm living in an apartment with Paula, Lillian and Bridgit and it's an AMAZING place, like it shouldn't even be considered college housing it's so nice. And so far the four of us have already had lots of time to get to know each other, bond, and just live our lives together as we try to honor Christ with our summers. And the hilleast boys live about 4 houses down and right behind us so we spend a lot of time doing things together with them like watching movies, soming together for special events, or our weekly family dinners. I've never lived in such a strong Christian community like this, or even really a community, and it's already been a really great experience for my life, just to know that I am surrounded by people who love me and who will be there for me, whatever I need. I can't even imagine what LT will be like, but if this is only pre-LT, it's going to be AWESOME!!

As most of you know, my job search was pretty much a complete failure for this summer - after filling out around 40 applications I heard back from all of 2 employers and neither ended up working out. In my frustration/freaking out one day I decided to pray about it and God brought up the idea of doing an internship with New Life to work on one%matters full time (unpaid volunteer of course). As I thought about it more, there were so many reasons why this would be a really great thing for my life, I decided to commit myself to working on one%matters and not making any money this summer. It was a really tough decision since a huge part of me feels the need to work and make money, but I also know that money has always been one area of my life I have pretty much refused to give up to God so I know that he will use this to teach me a lot, especially how to trust him with that (which will be really important if I do end up going on staff). Already I've felt so refreshed by doing this "job" that I love (I'm still having a hard time calling this a job since I actually enjoy doing it and that's never happened before), and by really focusing on getting one%matters ready for when I leave in December, whatever I end up doing and thinking more about this general field that I want to work in no matter what. And it's teaching me to be super frugal which is also a really good lesson to learn.

I've also been feeling really refreshed in having more time to journal and read my Bible, to the point that for pretty much the first time I look forward to it as my first choice for relaxation (besides hanging out with people). Our apartment is doing our own weekly Bible study in addition to Summer New Life Team and bible study and last week we read through Hosea which spoke to me in so many beautiful ways. If you haven't read it you totally should! It's only 14 chapters and it is all about God's unfailing love.

This weekend I'm going home to see my family which I'm actually really looking forward to. And that's about everything that's happening in my life right now. I love and miss you all! If you are ever in ann arbor, feel free to call me and you can totally come crash at our amazing apartment or I'll at least cook you a nice home-cooked meal!

love!
angie