Let me tell you...

about Sunday - I put no effort in going to church. I thought I would be fine without it. Well this summer I didn't realize just how low I've become. Sure my devotions weren't up to par and my prayer life has suffered but my praising and worshiping grew with each hike and look at the mountains and creation around me. Both my roommates have left and I have been, not totally lonely, a hermit to life around me. A shock came last weekend. The last two ACMNPers asked me if I would like to go to church with them. First thought was YES, I need it, and then I realized that we would have to drive all the way to town, I made plans for later that day what if time runs over, I don't want to put effort into looking presentable in public, etc. Finally I decided it would be good to go, so I went. I was overwhelmed. It had been so long since I've been to a corporate worship service. It had been so long since I didn't have to lead a service. I was low on my fellowship aspect of God. I had the ACMNP group but we were still pretty far away from regular fellowship, they had mostly left and we were away from Church in the sense of a building, a piano, and a pastor. We had community but towards the end of the summer it was drifting and I was empty. So going to church was a huge encouragement. Of course the atmosphere was not as awesome as being in the park and the group of people stayed in their cliques at church but the responsibility I had through out the summer was gone and I could just sit and worship without having to worry about filling others. There was also communion and a chance to connect with my Jesus and His love again. I didn't expect to be so dry when I went. I realized the true need for connection and I reflected on college and the dry spells I had there and saw a correlation between all the times in my life when church was big and I was happy to when church was a passing thought and I was struggling. Church, no matter how much I liked it or hated it, has always kept me encouraged and filled even when I went with shame, judgement, sin, or hatered within me God has used church to make me let go. Without church/community I've been distant, apathetic, and a wreck. This is another thing I've learned through this summer and have used it as a time for reflection. Thanks to all you who have dragged, invited, or drove me to church!!!! That's the first thing I thought Sunday afternoon was "Man do I miss church". Pictured: This is a sign from yellowstone telling us to be aware of where we step...

Let me tell you...

about my day yesterday - welp I wake up and think it's going to be adventurous today and awesome. So I go into work and it's snowing, icy, and cold but that's no biggie I'm excited for it to snow. Then I remembered that there are only 3 other housekeepers working today (4 in all) when there are usually 7 or so...that's nothing we got this. When the morning meeting starts I look at the lists (these are the notecards where the rooms we need to clean are written). For the past week each list has had about 7 checkouts (the rooms we have to super clean for the next visitor) and 5 stayovers (the rooms where people are staying another day). Not now...each list had 15 checkouts and 7 stayovers. That's not too bad when it was peak season we had about 10 checkouts and 7 stayovers on our lists to clean each day. Alas it was snowing and icy and cold. So all day I stayed pretty silent knowing that if I would've said anything it would've been negative because my partner, who had a really great way of just complaining with a smile and a "it's alright" after each time, wasn't into adventures for that day. So we finished what needed to be done and because I really have nothing else to do each day I like to stay at work as long as possible, also because I don't like to walk up to my room then two hours later I have to walk down to eat supper. Anyway we decided it was going to be a five o'clock day, in the snow, ice, and cold. We cleaned more rooms and around 4:30 Todd (the boss man) came to the cabins and told us to stop and head back to the laundry room. The day was over. It was quite the day and it was also a day to just stop and reflect on attitude. In reality attitude is everything - Philippians 2:5. ATTITUDE CHECK. pictured: Prim, Joe, and I at the Gros Venture RED HILLS

Mouse Stories - read at your own risk

So I have had a great chance to practice cruelty to animals this summer by catching some mice! The first time I had to deal with this was when I was called to go check on a fire alarm going off in a room. I get there and the people inside (who didn’t even care about the alarm now) just went off on how there was a mice in their room and how I need to get rid of them and that they aren’t going to pay so much money (these people also had a discount) to have mice in their room. I looked around the room for a live, scurrying around mouse…instead I found this critter with the plastic cheese in his mouth looking lifeless and curious (I think that in his last moments he thought to himself “man, this cheese is hard and tasteless”). So I tried to hurry out of the room because after that incident I just needed to go laugh it all off a while before taking the body to the dumpster. But the old lady just kept telling me how she doesn’t want mice and then I couldn’t hold it anymore…I started laughing. Appalled she looks at me and with a serious tone told me that it’s not a laughing matter. I politely told her that I know it’s not a matter to be laughing at and that I would go get some things and be back later to catch their mouse. I ran out of the room laughing thinking “WHY WAS A MOUSE IN THAT TRAP!!!! AAAAAAAA”. Incident number two happens just the next day. I’m doing regular housekeeping and I’m getting ready to dump the trash. It’s dark in the corner where the cans were and so I just pick up the cans not thinking twice…all of a sudden there was movement in the can so I look down and see it. I FREAK OUT yelling for Heather to come and see this. I sit on the bed because that just startled me and Heather takes the trashcan outside to let the thing go (she’s against killing things) and then she comes back. She goes on telling me that there was not only a live mouse but a half decomposed/eaten mouse and poop everywhere. She told me to wear gloves to clean the trashcan out. I told her I’m calling for a new trashcan. So we give the poopcan to Henry and he asks what’s inside of it and I tell him mouse poop and he was sad that we didn’t give the mice to him. Numero thres happened in the VIP room a couple weeks later. I’m helping a group clean up there because that day I was a couple minutes late and Todd just told me to do odd jobs so I got to help them. I look over, under the wood burning, because I saw a trap and now my mind is totally expecting to see a micey in them. So I see this creature bloated to about double the size. Again I start freaking out saying “REALLY…who lets the mice stay there that long???” So I tell everyone we have to pop the body before we throw it away…no one believing me they throw it in a bag and take it out. And, as I’m sitting here writing this in the housekeeping office I see a mouse scurry around the floor under my feet…

TONIGHT

So I’m night portering tonight and two of my biggest fears happened. First the golf cart dies on me as I’m driving it around to turn on porch lights. I’m driving using one foot to push and the other to punch the gas hoping it would work again. People see me doing this and helped push me to the front desk. I felt so embarrassed…but realized people are nice to people who look pathetic and helpless! Then after I grabbed another golf cart I had to throw away some garbage in the dumpster. Well as I was tossing in the bag the wooden fence (each dumpster has one to make garbage more esthetically pleasing) door closes behind me. I bang on the door, push on the door, feel around for a latch, and can’t find anything. I call on my radio for help, everyone laughing; I finally find a wire and push it open…stupid dumpster door. Ok so it was dark and I couldn’t see the wire latch. Now that my fears have happened I need to come up with different ones!

Thoughts on the Summer

It’s been four months…I have one month. People have left. The leaves are changing and it’s felt like autumn for a month now even though today is the first official day. I really lacked in my blog writing. I wonder if people really read this…I know at least 3 do…not counting my dad because the print is too small. You can’t be a Jr. Ranger at any age, only from like 5 -12, I missed that boat. If you smell poop then you are probably close to it somewhere. I have taken a total of five pictures this summer but I made friends with people who are better at taking pictures and have more expensive cameras. Learn people’s names and use them, you will make friends with people that way kind of unsuspectingly. I really like Signal Mountain, the people, the company, and the food. I have learned to plunge toilets with courage, take care of mice problems with strength, and how to take each incident with humor. I have realized urinals are stupid because guys will just pee on the floor anyway. Some companies send their laundry out to another company for them to do, we are more hard-core then that. Golf carts are super awesome to drive. Sunsets and sunrises are to amazing to pass up most of my life. Smores are SOOOO good with peanut butter or nutella. I love hiking. Climbing mountains is over rated. I think I might take a brown comforter from one of the guest rooms, they are so cool. It’s ok to spend extra money on food, especially on food you can’t pronounce. I miss Kansas sunsets. I can’t wait to ski. I can’t wait to see all my friends from home and to also visit friends I have made this summer. The real world is overrated. I’m getting dreadlocks sometime in my life. If you smell pee then you are probably close to it somewhere. I’m going to Iceland sometime in my life. Mold is over-rated. Bears like people…especially people covered in honey. Music is amazing. Hiking in the dark is exhilarating. Life’s better when you dress-up occasionally, in fine attire and in a costume. It’s amazing to know what it feels like to not be judged and just loved. It’s amazing to figure out a way to not judge and just love. Job uniforms are stupid and it’s ridiculous that I can’t wear my belts, headband, or tie-dye shirt visibly. Alone time is needed - hiking, running, driving, eating, etc. can be great experiences. Make the most of everything, especially when your boss says he’ll provide the food as long as you write down what you want!

Last Sermon

Overall the ministry I was involved with was a good experience. It started out rough but I learned tons and really realized just how big OUR God is!!! The last service happened on August 30th. After that all the ministry people were leaving to go back to school. So that morning Katelyn, Lee, and I got to stay at Signal and we did a special service where each of us talked about what we learned this summer. Below is my sermon, give or take, but it keeps hitting me that this is really the big thing God has enlightened me and shown me what I lack…………………… TITLE: Shortcutting Causes Soul Erosion - On a hike my friends and I read a sign that said “Horses must stay on the trail”. Well of course we wondered why and jokingly came up with the idea that horses knew that taking short cuts on a trail will start to cause soil erosion and lead to deaths of flowers, grasses, and scenery. As we kept hiking a thought came to me and took my attention back to the phrase “Shortcutting leads to soil erosion”. I realized that it can apply to more of life then just soil; it applies also to the soul. So I sat down and decided what things I shortcut from my life; such as waking up and running in the morning and getting exercise, eating healthy meals and not just junk, and getting good amounts of sleep there are also spiritual shortcuts like skipping on reading the Bible daily, not praying, and not fellowshipping with others or encouraging others or being encouraged. The big shortcut that I discovered from the summer is endurance and giving up and not persevering on tasks before me. As a housekeeper I have days where we clean five rooms and all of them have dishes in the sink, tons of hair in the bathtub, sheets on the floor, and rocks in the carpet. I want to just sit down and call my boss and tell him that I can’t take it anymore and that I’m done for the day. I knew if I did that my boss would think I’m not a very good worker and my co-workers would be angry about me not pulling my load. This also happens on hikes. Some hikes here in the Tetons go straight up with very few spots of even ground. By the time you get anywhere your legs are tired and your lungs hurt from the strain. While I was hiking Hanging Canyon I felt this way and I wanted to stop and turn around so bad. As we kept pushing on the view became magnificent looking at Jenny and Jackson Lake below us and gorgeous Goat’s Head and Lake of the Crags ahead of us. If I would have stopped hiking then I would not have had these amazing views and I would’ve missed the snow/ice tunnel! I realize that perseverance needs to happen in all aspects of life like the spiritual or physical ones. I don’t read the Bible or pray everyday. I don’t run or do crunches everyday. I loose sight of the ending and ongoing benefits and only see instant gratification. I loose sight of the awesome, life after death and think that right now is it. I don’t build up very much before sleeping or computer time take over what little things I did. In Romans 5:3-5 it talks about perseverance: Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Perseverance is the first things mentioned because without it the other things won’t come. If you don’t push through then your character would be wimpy and easily give up on things. You can’t be that way to follow Jesus. Some days are prime days of thinking Jesus doesn’t care; it’s easy to just give up with that thought. God makes us strong so that we can truly believe and hope that what He says is true. I’ve learned to persevere through hard days at work and on long hikes because in the end I know there’s going to be an amazing view. I learn to do things without complaining and my boss looks at me as a hard worker and I can look into a canyon and see God’s majestic beauty created for me to enjoy. So I encourage you to persevere and don’t give up. Sometimes it’s ok to be hard-headed!

Happy August!!! WOW...I can't believe those words are able to be said right now...where has the summer gone? I hear that anytime now the snow will start, September is when it starts getting cold and coats are coming out. I don't know how I feel about that yet! So this week was Halloween on the seasonal job calendar. I helped with the carnival so I got to dress up like a gypsy carnie and help with the games and set up/clean up. It was pretty fun and I'm so blessed that the Human Resources team here at Signal are so involved with entertaining the employees. We had turkey legs, corn on the cob, frozen chocolate covered bananas, funnel cakes, and SWEET TEA!!! (Kourtney we need a road trip filled with tea) Then on Friday we headed to the middle school in Jackson and played some soccer and ate some amazing Asian food. I thank God every time I eat those delicious foods from Asia! That's my favorite way to worship my Lord, by eating food! So Saturday was another day of work and also the first day all summer that I put in 8 hours...a very exciting achievement! Then Sunday I drove up to Flagg Ranch (almost to Yellowstone) and did services there with Kylee an ACMNP member from New York. When we first arrived we had no idea where to go or where to get the stuff (worship books, cross, Bibles, etc.) for worship, and we were running late. Well Kylee and I laughed all morning to try and not become bitter from the lack of information about this place. Kylee and I finally got our act together and arrived at the place right at 8. We sat and talked for about 10 minutes and then a family arrived. At first I was shocked that anyone showed but then became intrigued! This family was from Taiwan traveling from Philedelphia to San Fransico on a three month family trip. That morning when Kylee and I planned the service we decided that the songs would all start with S (Shine Jesus Shine, Sanctuary, and Shout to the Lord) not thinking anything of it. When the family arrived I was feeling a little nervous about our song selection not knowing if these Taiwanese would know them. In the back of my mind I wanted to ask them what songs they knew or which they would like to sing but I stopped myself since that looked really unprofessional making us look unprepared so I went with it and Kylee and I started the service. I soon realized my lack of faith in the body of Christ. We started Shine Jesus Shine thinking that Kylee and I would be the only ones singing but six voices started the song. We had no tempo or pitch but it was beautiful. The language barrier caused the song to go slow so through the whole thing I felt like I was taking each word and really savoring it thinking through what God is saying through the song. I was so used to the fast tempo that I usually sing that I was stopped from the ordinary and it changed my whole worship time and focus. I felt like I was actually worshiping! Kylee and I also had the same thought that American culture is so into speed and getting things done that the slow tempo for the song really made us slow down our thoughts and our hearts to really be aware of our surroundings, the meanings of the songs, and the beautiful people there also worshiping. After that song we sang Sanctuary and it was awesome to see them translating the Taiwanese version they were used to into the American words. It was awesome to see Jesus break cultural barriers through worship songs. Then I gave the message on good works using Ephesians 2:10 for the main verse. My beginning story was about when I first met my new Taiwanese friend Abby and how my good works on that day grew our friendship and how she felt comfortable around me. It was crazy to think that the only people at worship that morning were from Taiwan and my story was about Abby, making the world seem so much smaller. Then Kylee and I wrapped up the service feeling so blessed from this amazing, Godly family's presence. The four of them and the two of us worshiped that morning like there was no difference, we all love our Jesus and that was all that was needed for the best worship service I have ever attended. After that we discovered that the family is having car troubles and so I ask for prayers on their behalf for safety, provision, and a great trip experiencing another part of God's creation. I feel amazingly blessed just writing that story down, Jesus was there in so many ways yesterday! Also on Sunday Lee (another ACMNPer and close friend) went White Water Rafting down the Snake River. Which was another blessing because the Munoz's (an amazing family of friends!) came through the Tetons checking out the mountains and checking in on me for my mom...hahaha...also were in Jackson White Water Rafting. I couldn't have asked God for such great timing that he showed. After the trip down the river (with a family from St. Louis/Kansas City who had never gone before and kept me laughing the whole time) we ate some BBQ (appetizers, main meal, and Chocolate Buttermilk pie...yeah we ate everything on our plates...) and then met up with the Munozs for an amazing conversation. Then this morning my roomies and I were awoken with "Hey let's go horseback riding". We put on our jeans and headed out to ride some horses. We also discovered that the second time is not free like the first time but the second time was so much better. It's just awesome to sit back on your horse and surround yourself with nature and beauty. Better then on a hike because you can't just gaze everywhere or you might trip over a rock! After that I slept all day recuperating for another week of keeping house. That's where I'm at now, Monday evening, awake from a nap, typing my life to you, getting ready to go back to sleep!!!! :) So I ask you all now for prayers for my body. It's starting to get run down and weird things are happening (like last night I got super sick after drinking some Powerade), I ask for prayers for better health! I ask for prayer for the people getting ready to head back home after their contracts are up. That the summer will bring back amazing memories, guidance for the new season of life, and safe travels. Lots of ACMNPers are leaving this month and it's going to start getting lonely here at Signal towards the end of the month. Prayers that these relationships that were made weren't in vain and that we can continue to encourage each other as we part! Lastly prayers for the roomies that God will continue to work in our relationships and continue to draw us closer to his heart and to each other! Love to you all from Wyoming and the bears all say hi and to come bring them a picnic basket! Pictured: the carnies at the carnival! :)