First Week in Redding

Hello lovely friends and family,

I have been in Redding for 8 days now. Sheesh. As I look back the week seems to have flown by but the actual days often felt like an eternity... I suppose a 14 hour work day will do that to ya. :) I know without a doubt that I will love it up here. However, this week has been hard. I feel very lonely but I have not actually been alone at all until this afternoon/right now. That fact--that I have been with people constantly--has added to the stress/anxiety I have been feeling so I think I am going to make Fridays my "Sabbath" and be alone as much as possible to pray and read and think. Any time doubts or fear have entered my mind God has reassured me that He loves me and is working all that I am doing together for my good not only for His Glory (the latter I struggle less to believe than the prior).

I have been discouraged because I have not had a lot of good conversations/conversations in general with the girls yet BUT I HAVE ONLY BEEN WITH THEM 4 DAYYYYYYS... so I understand that's a little silly. I have also been SO afraid of what the other staff think of me and am praying through that. I haven't found a church yet because I can only go on Saturdays and there are not many churches here that meet on Saturdays.

My Monday-Tuesday
7:30am--get the girls up and hang out with them until we walk to breakfast in the Dining Hall
7:55am--walk to dining hall
8:00am--girls do devos
8:30am--breakfast
9:30am--school (I either grade their work or tutor them--I really like doing both!!!)
12:30pm--Lunch
1:30--school
3:00--P.E.
4:00--chores
5:00--dorm/shower time
6:00--dinner
7:30--evening activity (girls either go to school or: monday-->watch "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"; Tuesday-->watch a documentary; Wednesday-->Bible Study)
8:30--back to dorms to settle down for the night
9:15--I am done for the day

I have 2 one-hour breaks during the day.

Sundays the girls wake up at 9 and have breakfast then church on campus (via video); hang out/watch movies the rest of the day. I have 1 one-hour break on Sundays.

Prayers: That I would find things to talk about with the girls. I would trust that God is working and that I would take the time during the day to spend time with Him. SLEEEEEP. Time alone. Find a church. Look not to my own very-apparent-inadequacies but to God and what Christ has done and is doing in and through me.


I love you! Thank you for reading! I will try to post at least once a week on Fridays.