Thursday March 11th 2010

Our last day at the DRM :(

We got to sleep in today which was really nice! Then we wrote letters and encouraging verses to the guys at the mission. It was cool to find a ton of verses for the guys and write them personal letters telling them how they impacted our life. Earlier in the week one of the guys had told Lindsay that he hadn't received a letter from his family in 7 years!

We got to the city kind of early so Alicia and Lindsay decided to let us explore downtown for a quick little bit. This required parallel parking our 15 passenger van between an SUV and a Fedex truck, and Alicia did it! Then we headed down to the 16th street mall and took a bunch of pictures and stuff and stopped in a sports store so some people could get souvenirs. Then we headed back, a quick but fun trip.

We all assumed we were going back to the DRM but we were soon in a random neighborhood and didn't know what we were doing. Alicia then parallel parks again in an even smaller spot! We got out and learned that we were going to the Champa house, a DRM rehabilitation center for women and their young families. They gave us a tour and showed us all of the different things that they could offer there. They had a daycare area and a school/learning area, and other cool things and then upstairs they housed all the families. Each family got an apartment style room with their own kitchen and bathroom that they could style in a way that was best for them. I believe that there were 8 families living there at the time, which is impressive because the house was not very big at all. None of the families or women seemed to be around so we couldn't talk to them or anything but from the stories it sounds like it's doing really well.

After that we headed to the DRM and were ushered into the chapel again. Nate and Nicole, another staff member who seemed to teleport to all the different DRM centers, chatted with us about our week and what we've been learning and liking and stuff, it was cool to talk to them about it since they live it everyday. They gave all of us a shirt that says "I fought hunger and homelessness at the Denver Rescue Mission" and a book called Under the Overpass written by a guy who decided to be homeless for 6 months and started his adventure at the DRM. It was so exciting to get those things because they could always remind us of our time there.

We went downstairs and laid out all of the cards for the guys so they could grab them before getting Lunch. As they got there and saw a card with their name on it, something that was truly theirs and addressed just for them, their faces all lit up and as they read them they kept thanking us and telling us how much they loved it. Such a simple thing as a letter, but with so much love it had really made a difference in their day and life.

It was amazing to see how much we had changed from the beginning of the week when we were scared to go and sit with these guys but now we fearlessly walked up sat down and struck up conversations with them. And the guys had really taken us under their wing and joked around with us and wanted to share their lives and struggles with us so we could learn. We learned a lot from them in just one week.

After eating and serving lunch Nate and Mike wanted to take us to the 16th street mall, where we'd been that morning, so we went. While we were walking a guy came up to us and asked if we had any change, we directed him towards the DRM but he said he just wanted a cup of coffee so Nate said he could walk with us and he'd buy him a cup of coffee. He walked with us for awhile and started saying things like "Jesus Christ isn't real, he's dead and never came back to life." Mike immediately spoke up and said "I'm sorry you feel that way because he is alive and he lives in me!" and just sharing the gospel with this guy. Here's Mike who at one point in life was probably close to the position that this guy is in and he's now sharing the gospel with him, that's crazy, and proof of God's work in people.

The guy walked with us for awhile but he dropped away when we got closer to the city. Nate stopped us and pointed out that alot of guys have this idea of space, that down by the DRM is acceptable space for them to be but in the main part of the city it is not. And we also discussed what is best to do when someone asks for money. There are a lot of people who will just use that money for drugs or alcohol but at the time you pass them maybe what they really need to see is God's love and by giving them money they might see that. He says that the best thing to do is probably buy them food, get them a burger or a cup of coffee, something that they can't use to buy alcohol or drugs and still shows your love for them, probably even more than just dropping a dollar for them.

Well who would've guessed, that guy came back and so we stopped at a Starbucks and got him a cup of coffee and Nate talked to him a little bit about the DRM and stuff. Nate stayed and talked with him but we needed to head back to serve dinner.

After we had served dinner to everyone our group got together and sang a couple songs for the guys. This was definitely a different expereicne than when we sang for the people in the mission, because it's probably true that a lot of these guys didn't know Jesus. Before they come to dinner they have to go to chapel but in Under the Overpass he says that the chapels often revolved around sin and how they should repent, sermons he said that often just brought him down, but the songs we chose were songs of hope and of getting a second chance and of the love of Jesus. Our group was in no way a choir but we offered a joyful noise and the people loved it. In the back we could see Matt and Mike with huge smiles on their face, Alicia said that they looked like "proud papas."

Our time with them was coming to a close. We cleaned up after the first group and another group of volunteers took over for the rest of the shifts. We didn't want to leave so we delayed, just saying good bye was hard. We decided to pray over the guys, Mike and Matt, it was very cool to share our love and pour our hearts out onto these guys, I doubt there was a dry eye in the group. Matt said how he'd changed so much and that he used to pistol whip guys and stuff but now all it takes is a sad commercial and he'll be crying.

We took a bunch of crazy pictures and then we had to leave. Someone decided we should dance all the way outside so with Matt leading we danced all the way through the cafeteria and up the stairs then took more pictures outside with the Jesus Saves sign in the background and headed across the street to our van. As we were saying our goodbyes we saw Matt leaving and heading back inside, later he told us that he was losing it and had to leave. :( Tearfully we climbed into the van and rode back home with only the stereo breaking the silence.

When we got back we talked about our experiences and what we had learned throughout the week. We also did this thing they called "the hot seat," where someone sat in a chair and then 3 people told them what they liked about them, or what they had learned, or just something encouraging. It was really sweet and cool because we had all really grown together and had shared so much in those first days.

The next day we would be leaving CCU and heading off to go backpacking so after that whole day we still had to pack and get stuff ready to leave the next morning. I don't think we went to sleep until after 2, and even then it was hard to sleep knowing we might not see some of those guys again.

Wednesday March 10th 2010

Today was a day of hard work but good fun.

Our groups split up right away so we dropped the other group off at the Crossing and then headed over to the DRM. When we got to the DRM Nate talked to us about his testimony and how he came to work at the DRM. He grew up in a Christian home and they traveled a lot and one of the palces they moved to was Moscow. While there he said it was frequent to see homeless people losing fingers and toes to the cold and just the pain and suffering of not having a home. He never got into drugs but he was an adrenaline junkie and ended up getting into some kind of bad accident that left him bedridden for 6 months. Through that he read a lot and was able to soul search and dig into God. He skipped a little into between now and then but he's been there for 2 1/2 months so far, and it's clear that he really has a heart for it and loves working with the guys.

Then Matt shared more of his testimony which was really cool. He shared a lot of what we had talked about during lunch that first day but he also shared what it was like to detox off of heroine. He says heroine unfortunately gives you the best feeling in the world and that you just long to always feel that way. He went into the neuroscience of it all and said that while he was detoxing he was always uncomfortable and was too hot and too cold at the same time and he couldn't sleep, and just on and on about how terrible of an ordeal it is. He's detoxed before but has ended up going back to it and so hopefully this time is different for him and we continue to keep him in our prayers.

We finished up all of that and headed downstairs to organize the pantry and prepare lunch. They had just gotten a couple donations so we were in charge of moving boxes of cans into the pantry and re-organizing it to fit all of the new food. Boxes of cans are not very light and it was pretty hard work getting them in there and organizing everything but now they'll be able to see all of the food that they have so they can utilize it. And it was fun to get to bond with the other girls some more while putting like 5 million cans of green beans on the shelves.

We did that all morning and then ate lunch with the PC's and got to know them some more. I ate with Ronald who was a older member that loved to talk. He was from Ohio and liked talking to us about how life has changed in Detroit and a bunch of other things. He really enjoyed us talking to him and just hanging out, I imagine that the guys don't really get to do that a whole lot.

Normally we would help serve lunch but today another group of volunteers had come in and I thought it was really cool because most of them were mentally challenged. Anyone can do anything that they want and seeing these people spreading God's love around when they often don't receive their own fair share of it was really cool!

So instead we set to work organizing bread. They receive a ton of bread from grocery stores or Panera or just donations from people so we had quite the task in front of us. We had to organize this mountain, literally, of bread into sliced, unsliced, rolls, and bagels. We had a "system" of throwing the bread at someone and telling them what it was and continuing that until we got too fast that it was just hitting them, but we didn't stop ;) One time Stef thought the bread was too hard so she hit Amber with it and Amber agreed and hit me with it, it was definitely too hard.

When we finally finished tackling all the bread Matt came up to us and showed us these chocolate Santas that he had found somewhere. The chocolate wasn't done very well on them or something cause they were creepy! He grabbed one of them and took a bit out of his head and quickly decided they were also stale and not worthy of being eaten so he did what anyone would do, grab a knife and stab their face. Funniest thing ever! And so we decided that we all needed to get in on smashing these Santas, but not before Alicia suggested that we have a photoshoot with them. So we each grabbed a Santa or Christmas tree and headed out to the street. First plan of action was to get a picture of them crossing the road; this was carefully accomplished in between red lights but we still almost got run over. Then there were pictures of them creeping in a tree, chilling on a barbed wire fence and creeping behind people.

We grabbed some big rocks and took them to the back alley, the same one that's used as a bathroom and drug dealing area, and got ready to smash them. Matt tried throwing his rock at his Santa but that didn't work very well so he grabbed a board and smashed it to pieces on top of a dumpster. We all proceeded to do the same thing while yelling at the Santas for not getting us the Barbie dream house we wanted or the pony we've been asking for since we were 4. It was a great time and all the pictures and video of the smashing are on Facebook so check 'em out.

Still running on a ton of energy we headed over to the Crossing and car danced and jammed out all the way. The other group had been cleaning the whole time and their energy seemed to be low so hopefully our high levels of craziness cheered them up, we sure had plenty to share.

We set out to finish up work on the semi and were finally able to make some headway and get it done! The change from the beginning of not being able to see half way back to now having a walkway down the middle and complete organization was really awesome and we inventoried everything so they can use more of the stuff that they have.

The other group got to work with the kids in the Reading and Writing club so we tried to find some jobs to do. They didn't really need us so we thought we would go and get some groceries but the traffic was far too heavy and we ended up just going to a mall. When I say mall I could probably say city because this place was intense! The stores were all outside and there were so many of them, and there were also little booths set up on the sidewalks and a fire pit! It was overwhelming but we didn't have time to stop so we just went to the target that was there. Well, come to find out it's a super target and we were still running on crazy amounts of energy so we had a ball there, and somehow managed to accomplish something.

We finished enjoying our craziness and then headed back to the Crossing to eat dinner. When we had first gotten there there was an older lady in a wheelchair who was admiring us from afar and smiling and laughing along with us. Me and another girl went up to her to talk but she said she had a really sore throat and couldn't talk, well I saw her again right before we left and asked her if she had gotten some tea or something for it and she just beamed and seemed so happy that I had remembered her and was checking up on her again. She was so sweet and I gave her a little hug and told her that I hoped she would start feeling better.

When we got back to CCU everyone gathered their clothes and me Mackenzie and Lacey volunteered to be in charge of doing the laundry at the laundromat. I love doing laundry, well I love the smell and sound of laundry so it was fun. We each took our bibles and our journals and just hung out. We talked about our weeks and life and different religions and faith and how some people get more focused on rules than on having a personal relationship with Christ. It was quite fun. Unfortunately it took our laundry forever to dry but they had free drying on Wednesdays so praise God for that!

We got back to CCU and instead of doing our usual devotions Alicia and Lindsay decided we needed a break and a time to just chill so they got ice cream, nachos, and the movie Baby Mama. It was cool to just hang out and bond and not be go go going the whole time.

It was a jam packed day of fun, laughter, craziness and most importantly God.

Tuesday March 9th 2010

The adventure continues!

We got to the DRM and Matt and Nate had a street tour planned for us. We walked around the neighborhood that the DRM is located in and they pointed out different areas. The area across from the DRM where a lot of people hang out was busy again, and Matt said that there was a prostitute over there and that a drug deal just went down. Matt pointed out a store where you could buy "medicinal" marijuana with a credit card and the different places that people would hang out. Nate told us that the city was trying to help out the homeless and that affordable halfway housing was built and being built in the area. He showed us the alley behind the DRM that people used for a bathroom and Matt showed us a dumpster that was there and said that after people bought their drugs from across the road they normally had used them by the time they got to the dumpster. He joked about the crack pigeons who were addicted to crack from all the little droppings that get left around the area. It was a very eye opening experience.

We got back and set to work preparing lunch again. We got to eat with some more people from the DRM but just talked casually, shooting the wind. Then it was time to serve the outside guests, and I was in charge of grabbing the trays that were full of food and giving them to the guests. It was cool to get that interaction with them and not just see them from behind the counter. I could tell that they loved the smiles and that they weren't used to getting that love. Most of them were super thankful for the food and the work that we were doing, definitely a cool experience.

We were told that we would be splitting up into two groups and a couple of us went upstair to use the bathroom. We had to walk through the chapel to get back downstairs and one of the PC's stopped us and asked if we could sing and if we would sing him a song. We asked what he wanted and so with the help of Mackenzie, one of the worship leaders at church, we started singing some songs. Slowly more and more girls from our group joined us and soon we had a full on choir going for these guys. One of the guys named Jason turned on the mics and camera and our voices and pictures were being broadcast throughout the building drawing in more of the guys. It was really cool how the songs that came to mind to sing were about second chances or about getting out of the wilderness or things like that and just hearing our voices and the message of God through our songs really brought a smile to their faces, it was really moving and Jason asked us if we would sing again sometime for the dinner guests, we agreed that that was a really good idea.

We finally split up into two groups and me and my group left the DRM not knowing where the heck we were going. We arrived at this place called the Crossing, apparently a transtional home for families and also for people who are actually in the New Life Program, so it's where the guys from the mission will end up once they get in. We found out that we would be working with the kids that lived there and also helping clean up a semi where they stored all of their supplies. We worked with Joe who really loved and believed in what he was doing. He took us out to the semi and when we looked inside we were overwhelmed with all of the chaos and un-organization, we stood there for a couple minutes trying to decide what to do. We split the semi into front middle and back with 2-3 people assigned to each area and at first we just tried to figure out where everything was and get ready of any trash we could.

We slowly put a dent into it and then Joe came out and got us to help with the reading and writing club, a time for the kids to hangout and get help with their hw. He briefed us on what we would be doing and how they want to emphasize education so all the games they had were educational, things like Uno and board games were included too because they help with counting and other basics. The kids kept peeking into the windows waiting for the time when they could come in and hangout.

A lot of the money for the program was donated by the Broncos so the room was called the Bronco Room and was decked out in Bronco gear, I thought it was really awesome that the Broncos cared for the kids and the homeless people.

At 4:30 we let the kids stampede in and they grabbed a snack and we sat down and talked a little with them. They were kinda shy and hesitant about talking with us but that changed pretty fast. For the first 30 minutes they had to read or do homework so the two kids I was hanging around grabbed a book of biblical comics and cartoons. It was really funny and I'm sure that it helped them learn about the bible and get them interested in Jesus.

The kids slowly started opening up to us and we were laughing and joking around by the time those 30 minutes were over and then the kids were allowed to go on the computer or play educational games. I ended up playing Candyland with 2 of the kids and then coloring with 2 teenagers. I think they really liked having new people to hang out with and I really liked getting to hang out with them, because who knows where they would be without this program.

We then got to eat dinner there, which was a whole different experience. Since our group was kinda big and the cafeteria wasn't very large we had to wait until most of the residents were done eating and so we didn't get to eat with really any of the people that lived there. They only serve the people that live there so they make healthier better quality food and had a ton of desserts that you could choose from. It's more of a buffet style where you have choices as to what you want to eat instead of just getting a tray full of food. It was just a very different atmosphere than the DRM.

We went back to the DRM and picked up the other half of our group and went back to CCU. We got a little break and a bunch of us ended up piling on top of our bed and just talking about our days and comparing stories and bonding, it was really great. Then we went upstairs and did devos, led by Erica. She shared her testimony and also talked about how we need to have the whole shebang when it comes to Christ, like we can have all the ingredients for puppy chow but separately they aren't as good as when they are all mixed together, just like we have to have all the "ingredients" of a relationship with Christ and we have to mix that all together to get an awesome close relationship with Christ.

To emphasize that she gave us all a little sheet of paper and told us to write down whatever was keeping us from that close personal relationship and then we passed them to her and she read them to everyone so we could see what everyone was dealing with. We did all anonymously and she asked if anyone wanted to share what theirs was and elaborate on it, we were all quiet for a while and then someone spoke up and soon everyone had shared what was holding them back. It was a really great bonding experience to share and feel what everyone else was dealing with.

We ended that with a group hug and then proceeded to have a dance party that ended when an RA came and told us to quiet down, oops.

Monday March 8th 2010

Today was filled with lots of discovery, and being pushed a little out of my comfort zone.

We woke up at 7:30 ate breakfast and headed off to the DRM. It was awesome to get to see the city and the mountains and everything around, and of course finally getting to the DRM was interesting. When we got close to the mission we noticed that there was an area outside the mission that had benches and stuff and a lot of homeless people were sitting out there or sleeping, probably hanging around until lunchtime. There wasn't anything special about the mission building itself but on the corner of it is a cross that says Jesus Saves, it was really cool looking, and like a banner of hope for all the people that go there.

We found a parking spot and after a quick prayer we headed inside wondering what we should expect. We were greeted by a friendly guy at the desk who told us we could wait in the chapel for Nate who would show us around and be our guide. Nate got there and he was not who I was really expecting, he looked to be only in his twenties and just looked like any old typical college student, but when he started talking to us you could see the passion and fire he has for Christ and for what the mission is doing.

He told us how the mission is the starting point of what they call the New Life Program and how all of the residents are Program Candidates, or PC's. The PC's enter the program and have to quit whatever they are on cold turkey and then the rehab program is based on work therapy. The PC's get up early and make breakfast and serve it to people who come in from the streets, and then throughout the day they have various chores that they have to do to help keep the mission clean and running.

He then told us about what they do for all of the people that come in from the streets. They serve three meals a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and while we were there it seemed to average about 200 people for lunch and dinner. At night they house only men and can hold 300 men in bunk beds upstairs. To get a bed the people have to come before dinner and go to chapel, then they are ushered downstairs to eat and from there they go upstairs and get their bed. They also have a clinic that provides medical care to the program candidates and also certain procedures are offered to outside guests. One of the dentists that was there says he pulls so many teeth he's lost count.

After our small tour of the building we were sent downstairs to the kitchen area to prepare and get ready for lunch. They split us up into teams, some preparing food, and others cleaning and organizing. I helped cut open packages of meat, and fries, and opening and stacking cheese slices to get ready for the philly cheese steaks we would be serving, then I sliced fruit and filled pitchers with water and ice. It went by pretty fast because there were so many of us and soon it was time for lunch.

The PC's eat first before outside guests come in so we got to eat with and get to know some of the guys. I sat with Matt who was also our supervisor. When we first met Matt we had no idea that he was in the program he acted like and seemed like he was on staff. He joked around with us about how some guy had pulled a knife on him last week and he just looked at it and said "Aww that's a cute little knife," and just a bunch of other funny stories. While we were eating he told us a little bit about himself. He grew up in a Christian home but got into drugs when he was 16, he said he did everything and started dealing to fund his expensive habit. He also got into crime, stealing cars and other stuff, "I ran the streets" he said and ended up paying the price for it by doing 9 years in prison and at one point he was facing 63 years. But once he found the DRM all that changed, he admits that he's failed and was pulled back into drugs but he's now been at the mission for 21 days and intends on staying there unless the court system decides he has to go somewhere else. He has such a personality and a servants heart it was really cool to see.

We finished eating and cleaned up and got ready for all of the people that would be coming through for lunch. I got assigned to serving and it was me, Lacey, from our group, and Ashanti, a PC, in charge of creating trays of food for the people that were coming. We had a really good assembly line going, and got to have some really good conversations with Ashanti. He was telling us that he's a recovering alcoholic and he would just talk and talk. I got a little too wrapped up in putting cheese slices on bread and didn't hear a lot of his story but I could hear the passion in his voice when he talked about Christ and all that he has learned, and how Christ has changed his life.

It was interesting to see all of the people that were there, not all were the stereotypical homeless person who was dirty and filthy, there were quite a few people in suits and nice clothing that you never would have guessed that they were homeless or unable to afford food. All of them were genuinely thankful for the food that we were giving them and you could tell that they loved the smiles and happy attitude that we brought with us.

Once everyone was fed we were in charge of clearing their trays when they were done and when everyone left we cleaned the tables and swept the cafeteria. Then we were split up again and some people painted the hallways upstairs and in the stairway and my group was in charge of scrubbing the walls in the kitchen getting them ready for painting. Oh man was that a dirty job, these walls were caked with dirt and grease and grime and only elbow power and degreaser had hopes of getting them clean. We slowly worked our way around the kitchen and at one point I had finished a wall and was heading to do another nasty section that was basically black with dirt and Ashanti looked at it and said "If I was you I would let some other girl do that section." Well I'm not one to turn down a challenge so I went at it and slowly but surely the wall turned white. Ashanti came back and said "Wow, who knew that was white under there." Mission accomplished.

Matt decided we were doing such a good job and he found a box full of candy necklaces and bracelets and gave them to all of us, thus becoming our Sugar Daddy.

After finishing up the rest of our chores we headed back to CCU, but not before running into a very interesting person. As we were getting into our van a woman walked up to us and asked if we had any change, we told her no but told her about the DRM, she didn't seem interested and suddenly started asking us math problems. You'd think that a group of college students could answer simple mathematical problems but no, we all fail at Math apparently. And she eventually gave up on us and left. When we got in the van a couple people said that they recognized her from lunch at the DRM.

A hearty dinner was followed by a wonderful rest time and then we all gathered upstairs for devos and discussion of our day, then went back to our separate rooms. I got to talk to Stef for awhile about life and how easy it was to share our faith and feelings with the girls here and the people at the DRM but that when it came to our families it was so difficult, just something that I kept thinking about the week and still, now that I'm home. We also got talking about camps and stuff when Sarah, one of our other roommates came in, they talked about sports camps and stuff that they've done and I asked if they had heard about Camp Barakel, well wouldn't you know Stef had gone there all throughout her childhood, way to work that one God. We thought that was crazy cause no one's ever heard of Barakel and here I am some girl from Virginia who came to Michigan just to go to Barakel and God put us together, he had a plan, and my idea of working at Barakel could no longer be ignored.

Sunday March 7th 2010

In the morning we went grocery shopping, as described earlier, and then we went to Dick's and Old Navy because a few people still needed some things for our trip. To get from Dick's to Old Navy we had to cross a semi-busy road and of course we decided not to use the crosswalk, so we saw a break in traffic and just ran across. We definitely were feeling the altitude from that, which became an ongoing joke of blaming everything that we didn't do very good at on the altitude. We finished our escapade and headed back to CCU (Colorado Christian University) and started making Fettucini Alfredo, mmm very tasty.

Since it was Sunday our leaders planned for us to go to a church, Denver Community Church to be specific. God strikes again and the message of the night is about our own personal wilderness and how to get out of it. It was cool because we could relate it to the wilderness that we would be encountering later in the week as we went backpacking, and we would also find deeper meaning through the people we got to work with throughout the week.

All of us agreed that we really liked the church and the message that was presented and for the rest of the night we hung out and did some devos and Lindsay, one of our leaders, shared her testimony with us which really helped us get to know her and start to open up to each other.

Before we went to bed Lindsay and Alicia, our leaders, decided to tell us a little about what we would be doing at the Denver Rescue Mission (DRM). All that they really told us was that we would be working with recovering drug addicts as well as people who were poor and homeless.

As we started getting ready for bed Stefanie, my bed buddy and the one who sparked my interest in Barakel, noticed my eye mask and her and Lindsay decided that not only was my father in the C.I.A. but my eye mask was a personal computer that I used to contact them and to recharge my batteries so therefore I was a robot.

Knowing about what we were gonna do made me kinda nervous but also super excited to get to work with these people and shower them with God's love. Lots of thinking and praying was done before finally going to sleep.

The beginning of a grand adventure!

Ok so this blog may bounce around and be everywhere but I'll try to edit it and make it so you can understand.

So not many of you that read this know, but over spring break I went to Denver, Colorado on a mission trip with my church here. It was the best week ever and I really want to share my experiences with y'all, and also reflect on them myself.

So first of all I signed up for this trip on a whim, I just felt like God really wanted me to go there, but more I felt like I really wanted to go see mountains and be around nature and everything like that. Well not only did God give me that but he gave me sooo much more than I ever would have thought.

The trip was an all girls trip, 14 girls, and we met a couple times before the trip but really I didn't know anyone. It's amazing how God can take 14 girls with very different backgrounds and personalities and turn us into a super close group of friends. You could say that we started our trip on Friday because we met at our leaders house to pack the van and get things done so we could just leave in the morning, at 5 am. We were given a strict packing list because everything we brought, all of our backpacking gear, clothes, and everything else, had to fit in a 15 passenger van, remember that there's 14 of us. Yeah, well it was only by the grace of God that all of our stuff fit into this van. Foam sleeping pads were shoved under the seats along with everyone's backpacks, clothes were rolled and stuffed into ziploc bags which were then shoved into any crevice that we could find, boots were stuffed between the backdoor and the backseat, and we sat on top of the sleeping bags, and everything else miraculously found a spot somewhere in the van. And we rode in this van for 25 hours to get to Denver.

I'm pretty used to long car rides, we always drove from Virginia to Michigan and that's about 13 hours, and it took us 18 hours when we moved here, but never have I done anything more than that and definitely never in a squished 15 passenger van. But this van ride was awesome! Being squished and forced into this close space allowed all of us bond and get to know each other a little. I struck up a conversation with one of the girls and it was really cool how God definitely but her there for me. We talked about how we were excited for whatever we were gonna do in Denver and somehow we ended up talking about camps and things like that. She works at this camp called Peak for children during the summer and a softball camp and some other things too, our conversation sparked my interest for possibly working at Camp Barakel, a camp I always went to as a kid, but more on that later.

Our leaders decided that they didn't want to tell us anything about our plans for the week so that we wouldn't have expectations that would then be broken and so that we would learn patience and to trust that they and God had a plan. So after lunch we looked around and realized that we were in the country and headed to who knows where and all we could do was trust that our leaders had a plan. Well they ended up taking us to this park, after getting lost a couple times, and told us to grab a pen and put our hiking boots on. Turns out they had planned this mini escapade to introduce us to hiking in snow and then we got to sing a couple worship songs. They then gave us a card and told us to find a quiet place and write a letter to ourselves getting out all of our fears for the week and writing down what we wanted to get out of the week. It was definitely an awesome way to start our week and get in the right mindset.

When we stopped for dinner at Wendy's it came up that my Dad worked for the government but that I didn't really know what he did, and it was decided that he must be in the C.I.A and that he was riding under our van protecting us. His name became Dale Tackman because if we gave him a lie detector test he would put a tack in his shoe to control his heart rate and therefore change the results. In a car full of 14 tired girls stories get a little crazy, and this one just kept expanding, it was quite hilarious.

Later on around 10 or something we stopped at a gas station and took our potty breaks. We ended up striking conversation with the guy who was working at the counter. He obviously was surprised that a van full of girls was getting gas at 10 at night and so we told him that we were on a spring break trip with our church and that we were headed to Denver and he was amazed that we were doing that and it just seemed to really brighten his night and he just kept joking around with us and stuff. We headed back to the van but then someone decided it would be a really good idea to throw on the cupid shuffle, so there we were 14 girls dancing to the cupid shuffle in the middle of a gas station while the clerk watched and laughed from the window. Funniest thing of the day for sure, and definitely a good break from driving.

We finally arrived in Denver at 4 am and found out that we would be staying at Colorado Christian University, which meant we would be living in these apartment style dorms with a comfy bed, cozy shower, and our own kitchen. I was fully expecting that we would probably be sleeping at a church or a hotel, definitely nothing this nice. We had 3 dorms so each had 5 people in it and wouldn't you guess I was paired with the girl that sparked my interest in Barakel, way to work that out God! We then slept until 10 the next day which was awesome because I only slept maybe an hour in the van.

So now it's Sunday March 7th and the first thing we need to do is get groceries so we have food to eat. We found King Sooper's, a really super grocery store ;) and we split up into groups to get different things that we needed for the week. It was fun and cool to see how God provided for us by giving us cheap products and coupons and even salespeople that allowed us to use a discount card to get even more savings! Hooray for that.