the month maggie learned how to surf and I became employed

SORRY HELLO YES I KNOW I'M LATE. HAPPY SEIS DE MAYO Y'ALL.

Here's my April:

April started with the 3rd annual #gloryglorytrip to celebrate the resurrection of our Lawd. For the past three easters I have driven a minimum of 20 hours to spend less than 48 hours with 35+ strangers in beautiful scenery. That weekend actually GIVES ME LIFE. My highlight this year was Saturday night when all ~60 of us gathered around the fire to worship and share about what Jesus is doing in our lives. I want to cry just thinking about how special it is. In the midst of break-ups, losing jobs, doubts, death, gratitude and joy, strangers gather and celebrate the one thing we have in common--Hope. It's a weekend that gives me a huge glimpse of what I think heaven will be like. Gourmet curry cooked over a camp stove, sharing coffee, a beautiful earth, A LOT of laughing and butthole jokes, and sharing all of it with other humans and our big good God. WHERE ALL OF THOSE GREAT THINGS FIND THEIR ORIGIN ANYWAYS. If you think there's camp curry in a world without a loving God who creates good things, I would beg to differ.

THE "GRAND CANYON"

But probably the most rewarding part of the weekend was when we stoppped at a gas station in the middle of Arizona where there were two matching flame visors in the clearance section for $5.99 each and I talked the cashier into giving me them both for $6. BOGO DEALS ALL DAY.

#ministryinvestment

The second weekend of April, Claire, Allie and I decided that we needed a Level One Retreat. So we drove up to Big Sur and found this free campsite that isn't really a campsite. We fire roasted shrimp and corn and watched the sunset over the VAST ocean. We laughed and cried and prayed and read academic articles together. Once again, HEAVEN ON EARTH Y'ALL.

The Kingdom

The third weekend of April was what I like to call Jessi's first bachelorette weekend. Me and the gals I've been meeting with every Thursday night since the beginning of time went for an overnight *~getaway~* in San Simeon. We mom walked on the beach, pizza parlored in Cambria, drank wine in hotel rooms, and hit up a karaoke bar. There was this Elvis look-a-like who ran the show that really enjoyed us. Like really enjoyed us. Too much. When you get 9 IDIOTS together in a karaoke bar we're gonna steal some hearts, ok. But the best part was the last hour unofficially turned into SPANISH HOUR. Some Mexican gentlemen asked Lillian and I to dance and it was incredibly uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time. Then I made my new friend Bernardo do a karaoke performance of "A Dios Le Pido" with me. It was my everything. The next morning we went to a coffee shop and had more gal chat. After 24 hours of celebrating each other, we all went around and shared our fears about what this next year could bring for us as we all part ways this summer. I really do believe this is what Jesus and Paul envisioned when they talked about community. A community where we can learn to love God and people AND OURSELVES while also being able to admit our fears and our questions and our frustrations and our doubts and when we REALLY MESS UP because we know that there is nothing we could say or do that would create a place of judgement or make us less worthy of God's love. I don't think I could ever thank Jesus enough times for these gals and their role in my life.

#borrowedtime

I don't really want to talk about the days in between the weekends this month. They've been painful. They mostly consist of me not doing my homework and then having to actually pep talk myself into going to class and then feeling flustered and like a big floppy sloppy idiot for the entire class period because I didn't do any of the homework. And then me coming home and eating a lot of chips and hummus and trying to work on my senior project. I'm actually ashamed to admit that to you all but DON'T WORRY because the month of May I plan on really putting on the smack down and doing my work. Because ONLY 5 WEEKS LEFT I CAN DO IT. Here's an example of how Jansen brings down the academic hammer:

competency

One week day activity I will talk about is when Alyssa, Lauren and I taught Maggie how to surf. Just a couple of sandy blonde surfer gals hitting the waves together. It was the most fulfilling work I've ever done and after Maggie rode her first wave I finally understood why Jesus Christ put me on this earth.

surfer maggie

Also in case anyone is interested in watching this sermon that was AN ACTUAL FAITH GAMECHANGER for me by my favorite pastor Mike Erre, here it is. Like seriously, everyone should watch this.
http://www.evfreefullerton.com/blog/sermons/light-and-darkness/

You wanna know what else is a gamechanger? The fact that I became an employed woman on Friday. I just committed the next 3 years of my life to full-time Young Life staff in Santa Barbara. So lol to when I said there wasn't a chance in france I wasn't moving to Latin America after I graduated. I guess that's what happens when you tell God you'll go anywhere in the world. Sometimes he'll put you just 90 minutes down the road. UGH THAT GUY. I'm so excited about this *~life decision~* that I could throw up and will be writing a longer blog post about it on another day. But just wanted to fill y'all in. Because you know, HOW COULD I LEAVE THAT OUT.

localmissionaries.com

Congrats if you made it to the end because that was just a lot of stuff about my life that probably most people wouldn't care to know. But you care. So thx 4 that. There are so many feelings/things I'm learning that I had to leave out in the interest of time that I would love to share. So hmu if you want more where this came from ;) Also walking past jasmine flowers can really turn someone's day around. Also I'm writing this post at Linnea's next to some Kenyan missionaries that I made friends with and now they're sweeping up their own mess that their kids made under the table. TRUE SERVANTS. K bye everyone.