Week 9

WELL. It is crazy to me that I have been here for 9 weeks... I am pretty homesick and have been for like a week and a half.

I started working with B3 this week and LOVED it. The girls are great and we can talk to them more openly about Jesus, which is really exciting. I am working with them this next week and I think I will be working with both the JYA/RVCA (troubled teen) program and B3 after that. I am not totally sure how that will work out though.

I took one of my friends/co-workers/roommate, Stacy to the Sacramento Airport on Thursday and then hung out in SAC all day.

The "thing" I was really struggling with last week was dating a guy. I went on a date with him before I left for Portland and then another one last night. He is really, really nice and funny and cute and likes cats and has a tattoo (hah) BUT he is a lukewarm Christian. His life goals and mine are totally different in that I want to serve God wherever He sends me and this guy wants to settle down and live "the American Dream"--I don't think he would say that exactly, but based on our conversations that's what I have understood. Whenever I have brought God up or something about faith he doesn't really respond and he said "I haven't ever really had a 'relationship' with God"... yeah... that's a no go.

I am going to meet him tonight after he gets off work and tell him I do not want to keep dating him. That is super intimidating to me... as it should be, I suppose. He seems to really like me so that stinks and is weird... But really, it was two dates it won't be that upsetting.

This whole process has been a lesson in trusting God to lead me one step at a time. I was really anxious and wanted to stop dating him before he even asked me out BUT I kept getting to know him till I felt like God was saying "no" and now I am "ending it". I am encouraged by the fact that God must have worked on my heart a LOT in the past few years because I wouldn't have listened so quickly in years past. It has also revealed how important it is to me if I get married to marry someone who loves studying the Bible and growing in his relationship with and knowledge of God. I also think I might want to live abroad for a while. Who knows? I am in Redding now. I WILL do this well.

I addressed most of the envelopes for Kelsey's wedding. That was fun! I only have a few more to go. I can't think of anything else to write... I am really homesick... did I mention that? :/