it has been quite the long while since summer, and I realize that I never wrote a blog about the things that I did throughout. I apologize for that. so, I am making up for it by writing it out now. here we go...
this summer, a lot of things happened. so many things, that in fact, I am going to forget to mention some of them. if you were a part of any of the unmentioned activities, please do not be offended. there's just not enough space to blog.
in the beginning (after God created the heavens and the earth), and all throughout my summer, I worked with arts with a mission (AWAM)'s summer performing arts camps (that I have been a part of, or working with, since I was quite a bit younger than I am now).
the first camp took place in tyler, texas. I lead the "D group" which is the highschool group. I was in charge of working with this group everyday, and was the point person for all things D group. last year was my first year leading this group in tyler. it is a lot of fun, and a lot of work, work that is well worth it.
tyler campers performing at splash kingdom water park
tyler campers praying for a man we met on our outreach to dallas
taylor and I... she was my right hand girl for the tyler and dallas camps
the third took place in chicago, illinois. chicago is my favorite city in the united states, each summer that we run our camp in chicago feels like coming home to me. I was also the D group coordinator in chicago, as well as a small group leader.
my small-group (the group we meet with daily,
to talk about how Jesus is rocking our worlds)
we always meet in the elevator. it's our thing every year
to talk about how Jesus is rocking our worlds)
we always meet in the elevator. it's our thing every year
and the fourth, in goshen, indiana (this was the first year that we (AWAM) ran a camp in goshen. it was horse and buggy central. it was so cool).
I have mentioned the camps before, and that's because I love them. I believe in the works that God has done in and through the lives of the participants in each camp, each year. if you want to know more about the camps you can "click here" and you will be taken directly to the camp portion of the AWAM website (which I designed, by the way. it's my first full website to design.) (one of the products of my spring)
along with the 4 awam camps that I worked with, I also ran a "star" musical theatre camp at the tyler civic theatre, here in tyler, obviously. and I directed the chiluns in a mini-production of the play "antshillvania"
my little "infANT" trying out her costume
this summer we had a group of youth that have participated in our camps, as well as other various awam activities, through the years join us for our summer "artreach"
this is the goshen group of volunteers
(you can also read a bit about artreaches on the awam website). artreaches are how I (and many of my friends, who are also now in full-time missions) first really got involved in missions during our summers. the goal of arts with a mission is "to raise up an army of artistic ambassadors" and that is exactly what they have done, and continue to do. I consider myself very privileged to get to be a part of awam as staff.
in between the four camps, some of these youth, as well as a group from my home church "new covenant church" (from here in tyler) joined awam and headed to joplin, missouri, where massive tornadoes tore apart a huge portion of the city, to do relief work.
our joplin group outside of "hope" highschool
the other letters of "joplin" were ripped off by the storm
but hope remains
armed with change collected by participants of our tyler camp (as well as others from around the world who heard about, and were moved to participate) as part of AWAM's "you CAN bring CHANGE" project.
during our time in joplin, we did de-construction of homes with Americorps:
mi familia sorting through the rubble of a home
art therapy with a variety of classes at a local elementary school with Art Feeds:
Jenica, with students from stapleton elementary
I was amazed by the stories of the people I encountered; by the hope that was so evident when you looked in their eyes, despite the utter devastation that surrounded so many of them. whether they had lost a home, a friend, or a family member, the resilience of their spirit was inspiring!
another thing I found inspiring during my time in joplin, was getting to reconnect with some heart-friends from my dts, the paxtons.
well, that is a bit of some bits of my summer...
here is my shout-out to my friends that moved away from tyler at the end of this summer. I love you dearly, and anxiously await the time that our paths do come together again.
first, we have regina; she moved back to California at the very end of july
lastly, we have my momma. she is only gone for 2 weeks, but she is gone all the same. she is in norway teaching at 2 different training schools. one of which is where I did my dts. please be praying for her as she shares on God's original and redemptive purpose of the arts. and that jet lag will not steal all her sleep away from her. (yesterday was her birthday)
ha det, and thanks for reading
