Merry Christmas!

¹Now in those days a decree went out from ^A)">(A)Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of ^B)">(B)all ^a]">[a]the inhabited earth.

²This was the first census taken while ^b]">[b]Quirinius was governor of ^C)">(C)Syria.

³And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

⁴Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because ^D)">(D)he was of the house and family of David,

⁵in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

⁶While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

⁷And she ^E)">(E)gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And ^F)">(F)an angel of the Lord suddenly ^G)">(G)stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

¹⁰But the angel said to them, "^H)">(H)Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

¹¹for today in the city of David there has been born for you a ^I)">(I)Savior, who is ^c]">[c]^J)">(J)Christ ^K)">(K)the Lord.

¹²"^L)">(L)This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

¹³And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
¹⁴"^M)">(M)Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men ^d]">[d]^N)">(N)with whom He is pleased."

¹⁵When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

¹⁶So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

¹⁷When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹But Mary ^O)">(O)treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

²⁰The shepherds went back, ^P)">(P)glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

In the hustle and bustle of the season it is so easy and tempting to forget why we celebrate Christmas. Christmas is such a wonderful time, especially as a college student. It gives me an opportunity to spend more than a day and a half at home with my family. This Christmas is especially special since it may very well be the last Christmas I get to spend a few weeks at home with my family. Christmas traditions are so much fun with my family. We start by celebrating Christmas Eve at my grandparents with my aunt and uncle from Goldsboro. Then it's back home with my parents and my brother to watch A Christmas Story. It is by far the best Christmas movie ever. We love it and laugh the whole way through. Well, my mom hates the movie, but she watches and laughs with us. Christmas morning it's up at 7 am to open gifts at the house and then it's back to the grandparents for fried oysters for breakfast and to open a few more gifts. We come back home to straighten up (especially today, we have a house viewing tomorrow!) and rest before heading to my dad's moms to eat lunch and celebrate Christmas with his side of the family.

You can see why it's so easy to take Christ out of Christmas. Not only is my Christmas packed full of time with family but it's the shopping and busyness that occurs before Christmas. Rushing around trying to find the "perfect" gift for friends and family. I am sad to say but I can forget that the perfect gift has already been given to us in the form of a baby in a manger. Christ's birth is so amazing. We often think of Christ as this all powerful man who had the strength to persevere a crucifixion to save the world from sin. We rarely think of him as a baby. Ponder that for a second. Christ was a baby. He didn't have the comfort of being born in a warm inn room. He was born in a manger, a pig's trough. Today, if a baby was born in a manger it would be in the headlines. Take time today to be thankful of Christ's birth. If he had never been born, he would have never died.

Shootin' Guns & Drivin' Trucks

The past few weeks have been crazy. School is coming to a close, so you know that means teachers just pile on the work and cram all your due dates for the last week of classes. I had three tests last Tuesday before Thanksgiving!!! Crazy, huh? Hopefully I did well and will get my grades back tomorrow. Since I last wrote, I had my last Crusade Semi-formal. The theme was Masquerade. Alex came up and accompanied me. We had a wonderful time. We went to dinner with Mark, Kara, Brandon, & Emily at The Twisted Fork. Dinner was absolutely amazing. We then went to The Church of the Good Shepherd for the dance. They had a band this year, which was good, but it would have been nice to have more than just wedding-ish music. Here's a pic of Alex & me.


A few weeks prior to semi-formal I went home with Emily for the first time and stayed with her and her family. I wanted to practice my photography skills so she took me to Old Salem. She was amazing and let me take pictures of her. This was by far my favorite of the day. She climbed in a tree and I handed her Bible to her and told her to open it and read. This was the picture that came out and I love it.
This picture was taken with a Minolta 35 mm film camera using black and white film. I love the anticipation of waiting to have my film developed to see how the images turn out. Hopefully after Christmas, I'll have a digital SLR and I can see my images after I take them! So excited!!

I've been doing a lot of driving this semester going back and forth from Lexington, Raleigh, and home. I catch my self looking at old pack houses and tobacco farms and just wishing I had a digital camera to pull over and take some pictures and I'm really looking forward to that. I'm not real sure what sparked my interest in photography. I think it would be the fact that after having many discussion with Alex about his passion for hunting and being outdoors, I realized that I didn't have anything like that. My dad was a photographer when he was younger and has been teaching me some about film photography and letting me have his old Minoltas, which have been tons of fun to learn on. Since my dad is my favorite person ever, I figured this is something I could get into. I plan on using his old neck strap from when he did photography. It makes me so happy to think I get to use the same thing my dad used and have the same passion my dad had.

For Thanksgiving this year I spent time with both sides of the family. I had lunch with my mom's side of the family and then I spent the afternoon and evening with my dad's side of the family. It was great to see family that I haven't seen in a few months and spend some time catching up and enjoying the Holiday.

Now, for the interesting title. My boyfriend is absolutely amazing and over the past eight months (WOW! I can't believe it's been 8 months) he has taught me so much about life and myself. Alex just has something about him. He's always so positive. Surprisingly this created some interesting conversations when we first started hanging out, he had this "Utopia World" where everything is perfect and nothing is ever wrong. He is constantly encouraging me and sees the best in everything. He has taught me that there is no need to constantly worry about life and the future; what happens happens. Ce la vie. He has also taught me some tangible things. About a month ago he took me hunting for the first time. Now I know that was difficult for him because I know I was loud and yes, bored (sorry babe!). It makes me so happy when he teaches me stuff and I know I'm not the easiest person to teach things to. Last time I went to his house he took me out in the back yard and taught me how to shoot a 22. I did pretty good for my first time. Hopefully I can move up to something a bit bigger next time. Also, Alex taught me how to drive his truck which is a stick shift. I definitely stalled out the very first time, but I kept trying and eventually got the hang of it! I have to say driving up a hill is rather difficult. We were able to share quite a few laughs during our time together and I'm going to miss him this week while he is in Florida.

Sure why not?

A
- Available: no
- Age: 21
- Annoyance: Talking when someone else is talking, I think it's a teacher thing
- Animal: Dog, specifically Great Dane. I will own one someday :D

B
- Birthday: January 31
- Best Friend: Jesus
- Best feeling in the world: being in God's presence
- Blind or Deaf: blind
- Best weather: Fall
- Been on stage: yes
- Believe in Magic: Um duh, Harry Potter is my boyfriend.
- Believe in Santa: Absolutely

C
- Candy: sour patch kids
- Color: Red
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Vanilla
- Chinese/Mexican: mexican!
- Cake or pie: Funfetti
- Continent to visit: Europe, specifically Sweden
- Cheese: Yes please

D
- Day or Night: night
- Dancing in the rain: everytime

E
- Eyes: blue
- Everyone has: the ability to love
- Ever failed a class?: No, but i've come pretty close.

F
- Full name: Georgina Nicole McLawhorn
- First thoughts waking up: I don't want to get up
- Food: Salmon

G
- Greatest Fear: Not living life to the fullest
- Goals: May 15th
- Gum: any
- Get along with your parents: yes
- Good luck charm: Bible

H
- Hair Color: brown
- Height: 5'7
- Happy: for the most part
- Holiday: Christmas
- How do you want to die: i dont wanna die...i want jesus to come back

I
- Ice Cream: butter pecan
- Instrument: guitar

J
- Jewelry: wellll.....
- Job: none, Student teaching in the spring!

K
- Kids: two, deux, dos, how ever you want to say it.
- Kickboxing or karate: kickboxing
- Keep a journal: I have many

L
- Longest Car Ride: PCB, Florida
- Love: is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 corinthians 13: 4-8a)
- Letter: G
- Laughed so hard you cried: a lot

M
- Milk flavor: no preference. I usually drink 1% though
- Movie: Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman
- Motion sickness: nope
- McD’s or BK: Bojangles?

N
- Number of Siblings: 1
- Number of Piercings: 2 in each ear
- Number: 18

O
- One wish: to live a life in accordance to God's will

P
- Perfect Pizza: meat lovers
- Pepsi/Coke: pepsi

Q
- Quote: "Therefore, go and make disciples of ALL nations"


R
- Reason to cry: who says you have to have a reason?
- Reality TV: not my fave
- Radio Station: 94.7
- Roll your tongue in a circle: yeppers :D
- Ring size: 5

S
- Song: Right now? You make me Smile :D
- Salad Dressing: ranch
- Sushi: eel is my favorite
- Skipped school: me? NEVER!
- Slept outside: a couple of times
- Sing well: Yes, according to Jesus
- Sing in the shower: only if the radio is on.
- Strawberries/Blueberries: strawberries
- Starbucks: Grande White Mocha/ Grande White Mocha Frap

T
- Time for bed: hopefully before 11 most nights.
- Thunderstorms: best for cuddling
- Tattoos: I wish I had the guts

U
- Unpredictable: spontaneous?

V
- Vacation spot: Anywhere away from home. Sweden.

W
- Weakness: A man who loves the Lord.
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: Lauren Sink, no doubt.
- Who makes you laugh the most: Anyone in the Greer family.
- Wanted to be a model: when I was little.
- Where do we go when we die: to live with Jesus
- Worst Weather: cold and rainy

X
- X-Rays: not my fave

Y
-Year it is now: 2009
-Yellow: Avis

Z
- Zoo animal: ??

LAST PERSON WHO…
1. Slept in a bed beside you: Colleen
2. You went to the mall with: Alex
3. You went to dinner with: Alex
4. You talked to on the phone: Alex
5. Made you laugh: Lauren D
6. Hugged you: Lauren D
7. Said they loved you: Alex
8. You kissed: Alex
9. You spoke with: Avis
10. You cried over: Euclid (Euclidean Geometry)

The Beginnings of Fall!

I've decided that fall is definitely my favorite time of the year, at least until it becomes freezing cold and I can't feel my own face. Not much exciting has happened since I last wrote, which was way too long ago, sorry bloggers! I'll try to update you on what I can though...

Sweden Project Reunion
Back in October I got to go to Black Mountain, NC for Project Reunion. It was an opportunity for all the Midsouth international summer project teams to reconnect and reflect on the amazing weeks we spent in our various countries. It was so amazing to be able to see my project friends and spend time with them. I got to see Emily & Mindy again which was absolutely great! We got to hear from the Traveling Team about what to do next, whether it's return long-term, financially & prayerfully send others, or return short-term. Saturday we had pretty much all day to hang out with the team so most of us went and climbed a mountain. It was beautiful and well worth it to be at the top and I got to take some great pics. Sadly enough, I won't see these amazing people again until Winter Conference.

Last weekend I decided to go to Lexington for the weekend. Alex has this new job where he is traveling Tuesday through Saturday so my original plan was to just stay with his family Friday night and hang out with them on Saturday until Alex got back home. Well Emily, my roommate, invited me to just stay the night with her family and Friday afternoon we could go to Old Salem. I jumped on the idea because I had never been to Old Salem before and it would give me the opportunity to practice taking some pictures and I had a beautiful model for the evening. We took a couple of rolls of film and I got some amazing shots of Emily and Old Salem. She also grabbed a few of me. I had the ever talked about pizza and wings for dinner with her and her parents. The next morning we went to breakfast and I had amazing french toast. Then I headed to Lexington.

When I got to Lexington I spent the afternoon working on some school work and then went to the church that night for Trunk or Treat. Alex's dad picked him up and he met us there. It was so great to spend some great time with him this past weekend. Sunday we went to church and then he had planned a surprise for us for that evening. He told me to wear something comfy and I figured out that he was taking me to the drive-in movie! After he confirmed the plans, I bundled up, grabbed some blankets and we were off to the drive-in. We saw Law Abiding Citizen and Saw 6, both were very good. Monday I got to go hunting with Alex. I have a lot of work to do on my hunting skills. I'm definitely not the quietest hunter in the world, but I'm definitely willing to work out to do something that my boyfriend enjoys!

School has been crazy busy and I'm so ready for Christmas break. I'm looking forward to a break. I'm somewhat excited about the opportunity to student teach in the Spring but I'm definitely nervous about what kind of teacher I'm going to be. I know I just have to continue to trust in the Lord to get me through the next couple of months until I graduate in May!!! I'm super excited about graduation but also somewhat depressed to think about it. More to come on that later...

I hope everyone is enjoying the fall! Tomorrow is homecoming at NCSU and hopefully we can pull out a WIN!!! Next weekend is Crusade's Annual Semi-formal and Alex is coming to Raleigh to take me. I'm super excited and very appreciative. I'm truly blessed to have Alex in my life. I understand the huge sacrifice he's making this weekend by taking me to semi-formal and passing on Opening Day to spend the weekend with me. He truly is amazing.

Barn Party

This morning as I walked outside to head to the Student Health Center to get my TB test for student teaching, the only thing that brought a smile to my face was the BEAUTIFUL weather. I caught a chill when I walked out my door and I was so excited. The weather is cooling off, there's a breeze in the air, leaves are starting to change color and they are continuously falling to the ground. You know what that means, it's finally FALL and with fall comes BARN PARTY!!! This Friday is Campus Crusade's annual Barn Party. I have to tell you I am extremely excited. Not only because this is seriously my favorite event of the year, but my project roomies are coming to visit, and it's been WAY too long since I last saw them.

So what is Barn Party you ask? Barn Party is a huge event at Adcock's (I think this is right) Farm. Hundreds of students come out to enjoy grilled corn on the cob, mini corn dogs, root beer, a *non*mechanical bull, Bob the line dance caller, great music, good friends, and awesome fellowship. It's definitely bitter sweet since it's my last Barn Party, so I plan to make the most of it.

Well I have to head to class, but before I leave I was pretty excited this morning when I was crossing Hillsboro St and a man in a truck stopped to let me cross the street and I smiled and thought of Sweden.

Have a WONDERFUL Fall!!!

Single Babies

Thought this was pretty cute.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Holy Moly

Wow...it's been quite a while since I've blogged. Since I last blogged, I've moved back to Raleigh for my Senior year at NC State. I'm pretty excited about graduating in May, but the school work is intense right now as I'm sure student teaching will be as well. I've moved into my new home in Camden Crossing with Emily, Avis, and Elizabeth. I've loved living in a town house and sharing a room with Avis. I enjoy the fellowship of these Godly women and I'm really going to miss that once I graduate.

Before school started, I was visiting in Lexington with Alex and his family when my mom told me our house at the river had been hit by what they believe was a tornado while they were at dinner one night. They came home and the house was flooded and part of the roof was missing. It's been a blessing that we haven't yet sold our other house so we have somewhere to stay until we can build a new house at the river.

The House after the Storm

Inside of the House after gutting some Walls.

I also got the privilege to visit with my project roommate Emily and hear her speak at her church Fika about Sweden. It's always great to see Project friends and tell others how the Lord is moving in Sweden.

Emily & I at her Church Fika.

Since I've been in Raleigh I've been pretty busy with school, Bible Study, Crusade, and seeing Alex when I get the chance. School is definitely no fun and very busy. I'm taking 17 hours and a couple of my classes require site visits and community service hours outside of the class so it really amounts to about 20 hours each week. Bible Study is going extremely well. LD and I decided to go through the book of James this semester with the girls and so far it has been very rewarding. I'm also trying out D-Groups this year. Providence is inductively going through the Bible in a year. I've only been once and it was intense, but I know it's going to be rewarding as well.

After a very disappointing football game last Thursday against SCU, I headed to Lexington to spend the weekend with Alex and his family for Labor Day. Friday Alex & I went to an outfitters store, God's Country, and looked at kayaks. Alex got a great deal on a kayak and I got a fabulous deal on a pair of Keens and pair of Chacos! I was very excited about my purchase. Later that night we went with his friends James and Lindsey to the Comedy Zone in Winston (I think) to hear some Comedians. It was a lot of fun.

Alex and I in Lexington.

Saturday we took Alex's bike and went to his cousin's house to see their new kayaks and then we just went riding some. Saturday night we went to my first Auction! It was interesting to say the least. It was great to spend time with Alex and his parents.
Sunday we went to church and then to a cook out with his dad's side of the family. His family is so friendly and I enjoyed getting to meet them. We got to shag a little bit after coercing from his mom and dad to show his family our moves.

Alex & his new Kayak.

I'm looking forward to this weekend. Crusade is having our annual fall retreat at Camp Dixie and this year JD Greear is speaking. I'm excited about him delivering the Word and being rejuvenated for the upcoming year.

This is the Rocking Horse that stopped to rest in front of out house the first week of school.

Summertime

Second Summer Session is wrapping up in the next week, thank goodness! I'm taking Cultural Anthropology (3 papers and 3 tests) and History (2 tests and 2 papers), so needless to say, it has been a busy summer school wise. I'm so ready to be done with these classes that require so much reading, I'm so thankful that I am a math major, words and me just don't mix.

It's actually 2:00 am and I just finished studying for an anthropology test that I have tomorrow at 11 am, followed by writing an ethnic food paper for the same class...boo. I'm so thankful that in December I will be done with classes, since I'm student teaching in the Spring and graduating in May!

Sorry this is a short post, but I realized I haven't posted in a while. Hopefully I can update some more this week, but we shall see. I have a dialectic essay to write for history and take my final, plus a marriage assignment and study for my last anthropology test this week...yay...busy busy. Oh and did I mention I'm also moving this week and trying to help move Alex home...so I'm trying to do all this work before Thursday...we shall see!

Goodnight!

Life back in the States!

So it's almost been a month since I have been back in the States and it has been a busy one at that. I've spent a lot of traveling between Chocowinity, Ayden, Raleigh, and Lexington trying to spend time with family, friends, and Alex. I'm actually in Raleigh right now avoiding writing two papers and studying for a test. What better way to procrastinate than to blog about my life.

Since I've been back in the States, my worldview has definitely changed. I've been packing up my apartment getting ready to move and it kind of makes me sick to see how much stuff I have that I don't need, especially after living out of a suitcase for five weeks. Not only do I have a ton of stuff in Raleigh, but I have tons of stuff at home as well. In Sweden, I feel I had the opportunity to enjoy life. We would go for coffee and spend three hours in conversation with our friends (oh how I miss Fikas) or we would go to dinner and not feel rushed to have to get up and leave. At home, I'm constantly rushed and don't enjoy the small things that the Lord reveals to me, most of the time I completely miss the "God winks". There is so much to do in a day and not enough time to do it and I feel as if I'm missing the mark. I'm so busy that the Lord often gets pushed back and I catch myself having the mindset that I'll spend time with him later when I'm more focused on Him. What if God thought the same about me? It's a reminder of how sinful I am and how thankful I am of God's grace and love. I think now is a good time to reprioritize my life.

Being back at home has been good though. I've really been able to hang out with my friends from home that I rarely see during the school year. I've gone out to the guys' softball games and spent time with the girls as well. I'm definitely not going to want to leave them in the fall, but at the same time I'm so ready for my last year of college. I'm ready to see all my friends from school and really spend time with my Bible Study girls. It's so crazy to think that in (hopefully) ten months I will be a college graduate...scary, but I think I'm ready for that new phase of my life.

Speaking of new phases, I guess I should let the blogging world know about this wonderful guy I met: Alex. We met at the end of March and started hanging out before I left for Sweden. He has been so patient with me and really encouraged me through the support raising process and while I was in Sweden. I'm excited to be spending some time with him this summer before school starts in the fall.

Well I really should get started on all my school work that I haven't been doing!

Home Sweet Home

Wow, blogging really got away from me the last few weeks. Things in Sweden were crazy busy. The students in Uppsala were finishing classes and moving back to their homes for the summer. So we were spending a lot of time meeting with our friends.

I got to meet with Malin quite a bit towards the end of project. I miss her so much already. We met for lunch one day at Cafe Unico and then she when shopping at H&M with me. We met again the last weekend I was there and ate at a Greek Restaurant, I had a Carbonarra pasta and it was so good. She is so sweet. She bought me a pair of earrings and a big flower pin that goes in my hair. I can't wait to see her again!

We had a celebrities party for our Swedish friends to come to at Rififi's (an Italian restaurant). Not many of our friends came, but we had a really good time getting dressed up and dancing the night away. Well until 10 pm when they kicked us out. I'll post some pictures later because I'm not on my computer.

We spent a day in Helsinki, Finland for our mid-project trip. We took a two night cruise there. I didn't have the best Helsinki experience, but the cruise itself was rather interesting. LD, Emily, & I decided we wanted to go to this museum and after walking forever and a half to get there, it was closed. We got to hang around at the street market some though and I got some gifts for some family and friends.

The last weekend in Uppsala, Aaron took some of our team to visit Gamla Uppsala to see the Viking Mounds. The Viking Mounds was once an area of Pagen worship where human sacrifices were made. It was crazy seeing these huge mounds that were filled with bodies and even standing atop some of the mounds. We took some time to pray for Uppsala while we were there.

It was really sad to leave Uppsala, I definitely wasn't prepared to leave. I didn't want to leave my roommates or anyone else on the team. I had gotten used to our small living quarters and enjoyed them. The roommies and I even pushed our beds together one night.

Monday we left for debriefing in Munich, Germany. While in Germany we went to the Dachau Concentration Camp, which was really cool to see and heartbreaking at the same time. We also went to the Neuschwanstein Castle, which is the castle the Sleeping Beauty Castle is based on. I took the tour inside and it was beautiful, but everything inside is copyrighted so I couldn't take pictures.

Thursday was the day to say goodbye to Europe and my team. Before we even left Germany, I had to say goodbye to my rooms, Mindy. That wasn't fun. We also had to tell Emma and Eden bye as well. They were all traveling to various places in Europe before returning to the states. For the nine hour plane ride home I got to sit with my other rooms, Emily. We had a pretty good time. We watched Confessions of a Shopaholic and Slumdog Millionaire together. That was the longest nine hours of my life. It was so boring. We finally arrived in DC and the first thing we all did was pulled out our cell phones and called family and friends. We had a four hour layover in DC, which wasn't too bad once we went through customs and ate dinner. I was so exhausted. We arrived in DC around 6:30 pm, which was really 12:30 am Sweden time and I was pushing to stay awake so I could sleep that night. We didn't leave DC till 10 and arrived in Greensboro at like 10:45 (4:45 am Sweden time). Alex picked me up from the airport. We were excited because we got to meet everyone's friends and family. I got to meet Matt, Emily's boyfriend, and Hope, Emily's new puppy; I had already met both via Skype while on project.

Then I had the hour and a half drive to Raleigh, which was weird since I hadn't been in a car for 5 weeks. Alex had flowers and a build-a-bear waiting for me when I got home :D

Well that sums up project. Sorry for the long delay in blogging, things have been crazy since I got home. I've put some of the pictures from project on facebook, you should check them out.

If you are interested in continuing to support the ministry in Sweden, please let me know and I'll put you in contact with a member of the STINT team.

Lost Camera...Found :D

So I lost my camera yesterday. After I uploaded pictures yesterday, most of the girls decided to go to H&M and then to the river to lay out because it was GORGEOUS outside!! Well when we got to the river I went to remove my camera from my backpack and it was MIA. I didn't fret though, I just figured I left it in the room, but when we got back to the apartments, my camera was no where to be found. I wasn't the happiest person yesterday. The only thing I could think of was I remembered yanking to get my wallet out of my bag yesterday at H&M and maybe it could have fallen out. After church this morning, LD went with me to H&M and I asked the lady at the check out if they had found a camera and she called the manager and he said he would call her back. When he called her back, she asked if I could describe it, so I did, and sure enough they had my camera! Praise the Lord! I love Sweden!!! I feel that my camera would have been gone in America. Since I was in a much better mood, LD & I decided to do a little bit of shopping and I bought a swimsuit. We then went to get some sushi from Dragon Deli...sooooo good.


This is our last full week in Uppsala which means tomorrow we hit the ground running making contacts and following up with Swedes. Pray that we are bold with the gospel this week and that the Lord would prepare the Swedes hearts for His Word. I'm super excited about what the Lord is doing here in Uppsala and I hate that our time is coming to an end. Please pray that we do not get discouraged, but run hard till the very end.

Thanks to my encouragement partner! My flowers and card are beautiful!!!

Times are Tough

Dinner OTP

Emily & I

Filet of Beef & Salmon = Best dinner ever

Swedish Meatballs that I cooked

Game of Truco starting at 11:36 and ending at 2:30

Rooms learning how to play Truco

This guy was just wearing this to have "fun"

We played Mini Golf and I got a hole-in-one on this hole.

IKEA!!!!

LD & Kayla eating Swedish Meatballs...YUM!!

Kubb Champion

We have learned the art of the Swedish game Kubb. Basically it's a game the Swedes play where they try to knock down blocks with sticks. It's pretty fun. I have to say I haven't lost a game yet due to my amazing teammates: Reece & Treece. I think it's because we are all a part of the WolfPack family. This picture was taken after we won three games last night.



The weather is absolutely beautiful today. It's in the mid-sixties, but if you are in the sun it feels like the seventies. Yesterday was rainy and ugly and no fun. On days like this we typically try to go to the park by the river and do Soularium with the Swedish students.

This week I have really been learning about the Supremacy of God. We are studying Colossians while we are here and I am learning a lot from my Bible Study leaders and my teammates here on project. The Lord is teaching me so much about myself here in Sweden and it's always exciting to learn from him every day.

Wednesday I was paired up with Sam and we went to Ekonimikum. We met three guys: Christian, Christopher, and Martin. Christian did not believe in God and Christopher related everything to politics while Martin was mostly quiet. We had a very good conversation with them that lasted two hours. Many questions were asked by them and by Sam and me. Sam was able to share his testimony with them while I was able to explain how God's love for me has changed my outlook on life. I think we really got them thinking about what we said. Martin plays basketball, which is not common here in Sweden, so hopefully he'll be able to play with the guys here on our team and they can reach out to him through community. Pray that Martin will meet up to hang out with the guys.

After lunch, Jen & I had Fika with Milan, a girl we met the first day. She met us at Storkens and we just spent the afternoon in conversation getting to know each other better. One of her friends would like to meet us so hopefully we can meet back up in the next week or two.

Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers. Please keep me updated on how I can be praying for you.

Hej Doa!

I Squegy My Bathroom Floor

Here are some more pictures from Sweden

Domkrkyan at "sunset"

Roomies at the Ice Bar in Stockholm

LD & I Kissing the guard at the Palace in Stockholm

Jumping Umbrella Picture (mimicking the Soularium card) I failed on the first attempt at this and ended up with two rocks in my hand.

LD & I in front of the Domkyrkan

Pictures!!!

So my roommate is amazing and is letting me put my pictures on her computer so I can post some online! Here are a few of Uppsala and Stockholm!

View of Uppsala from the Castle

View of Domkrykan from the Castle
Bikes in the River
Girls in Stockholm
My roomies at Stockholm Nation!
(Mindy, Me, Emily)

Agape Sverige

Agape Sverige is the ministry that we are partnering with while we are here in Uppsala. They have a weekly meeting every Tuesday called Real Life.

This week we started strong doing ministry on campus. We go to the nations (which are kinda like sororities and fraternities) and grab lunch and try to meet Swedes.

Monday I went with Emma to Norrlands. We were not very successful in meeting students. Everyone was pretty much already in groups, so we couldn't really jump into a conversation. It's pretty funny, because basically we just interrupt the Swedes in the middle of their conversations and at first they have this like you are crazy what are you doing, but then we tell them we are from America and they talk to us. After eating lunch at Norrlands, we went to Ekonomikum, the business school) and did surveys on a sign the STINT team had up that was "tell me your thoughts about god". First, we met Emily & Anna. Emily strictly believed in evolution and that there is no God. Anna seemed to be questioning a lot, she thought God was a woman and didn't see how a woman could come from a man's rib. Throughout the conversation with Emily and Anna, my heart was just breaking and I really wanted to cry. They don't even talk about spiritual things with their closest friends, they don't talk about their purpose in life. It's crazy because I could walk down the street and never pass another Christian. Next we met Laura and Hanna. They were a lot more willing to talk with us about spiritual things. Jenny (STINTer I was with) walked them through the gospel. We dialogged back and forth some.

Tuesday I also didn't have much lunch conversing with a Swede, but LD and I got to meet up for Fika and we prayed over our Bible Study and our wonderful girls (We miss you ladies!!!).

Wednesday LD and I did ministry together. We went to Wayne's Coffee and met Charlotte and Maria and walked through Soularium (which here means tanning bed hehe) with them. Maria doesn't believe and God and is very private about spiritual things in her life. Charlotte believed in having faith and hope in herself. She struggled with the concept of forgiveness and how can a god be forgiving. They said they would meet up with us again for Fika, so hopefully that will work out.

Although I haven't had much luck meeting Swedes, the Lord has really been teaching me a lot about depending on him and the meaning of Success. We hear all the time about so many people trusting Christ in East Asia, but here that's not the case. We may not see anyone come to trust Christ this summer while we are here in Uppsala, but that doesn't mean we are unsuccessful. Isaiah 55:11 says "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it": God's word always produces fruit. He is here and working in Sweden. We will be successful because He sent us. Barrett (ICS staff) painted a good picture for me. If each of us on the SP team meet one Swede who is questioning and searching, that's 20 students the STINT team can pour into next year and develop and deepen relationships.

Thursday was a holiday here (Christ Ascending Day), so I spent the day doing laundry and in the Word, which was really good because I was really starting to get discouraged about not having any Fika appointments. I read Psalm 116 which is a psalm of thanksgiving. The psalmist is thanking God from delivering him from a physical death, but when I read it it became my psalm of praise and thanksgiving to God for saving me from death. After much discouragement the Lord brought to my mind the definition of successful evangelism: "Taking the initiative to share the gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God." I do not get to decide the results of my conversations with the Swedes, which allows me to rest in peace that the Lord is going ahead of me. Also Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and courageous for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." This helped to remind me that God does not leave me. He is my source of strength and courage.

Last night we went to Stockholm nation for pub night and dancing. It was so much fun. For pub night it looked like the clubs on the Hills which was pretty cool. They had couches with little tables between them and served you dinner. Then later they removed all of the couches and people started dancing. It was so fun watching the Swedes dance. I'm hoping to put some pictures up soon.

Tomorrow we are heading to Stockholm for the day. We are going to visit Vasamuseet (The Vasa Museum: a museum made from an old viking ship), Gamla Stan (Old Stockholm), and the Ice Bar (a bar made completely from ice). I'm pretty excited about visiting Stockholm! Can't wait to tell you all about it!

Prayer Requests:

Boldness in meeting Swedes.
For my team to not get discouraged.
Safe travels to Stockholm tomorrow.
Nancy on my team - she hurt her foot during the end of the semester and is having to wear a boot, that her foot can be healed because we do a LOT of walking here.
Team Unity.

Thank you so much to my supporters for helping me bring the gospel to Sweden.

Hello from Uppsala

We are finally situated in Uppsala, Sweden. It was a very long flight from Washington to Germany, but the plane was pretty cool. We had our own individual TVs that we could chose our own movie to watch. I watched Marley & Me and part of Bolt. It was an eight hour flight and I only slept about two hours. While we were in the air we experienced the time change, it's six hours later here than in NC, and at 1 am NC time, the sun was shining through the windows. Which leads me to the first big difference between Sweden and the US. The sun rises at about 4:00 AM and sets around 9:00 PM. They have very long days in Uppsala. Luckily, my room faces the west, so we do not get the sun shining in at 4 am. It's also quite a bit cooler here with no humidity. Today's high was about 64, which is perfect if you are in the sun, but if you are in the shade it isn't too warm.

In Sweden, the currency is the kroner and for every one US dollar it's about 8 kroner. So it's really weird going to a restaurant and seeing 65 as the price for a meal, at least it's helping me with my basic math.

Friday was our first day in the city. We went to the nations for lunch. There we met Milan, whose faculty (major) was English. Instead of having a major, the Swedes have a faculty, and that is the only thing they study and that's the only part of campus they are on. They do not have minors or take general ed classes or "free" electives. I hope we can meet back up with Milan this week for Fika.

Fika is a Swedish tradition. If someone agrees to Fika with you they are giving you three to four hours of there day to get coffee/drink and pastries together. These are great for developing friendships with the Swedes and discussing the gospel and other spiritual matters.

After meeting Milan, the STINT team had a scavenger hunt set up for us to get to know our way around the city. The first place my team went to was the Domkyrkan (pronounced Domshirken), which is the largest church in Scandanavia. It is huge and beautiful and sits in the center of the city. It also has two large spires and a rose window. It is so beautiful, but then again everything about this city is beautiful. Uppsala also has a river running through the middle of it and underneath one of the streets, "the walking street". This is the only street in the city that doesn't freeze over in the winter. This street is also where we find H&M, a really fun place to shop for clothes. :D

Yesterday we got moved into our permanent housing. The rooms are pretty tight and there are three of us in here. Two are on cots. Each room has a kitchenette and a shower and a bathroom. In the bathrooms, there is no division in the floor for the shower, there is just a drain and a curtain, so the shower pretty much floods the whole bathroom. Our kitchenette is in the corner and has a small sink and a two top stove piece, which will be good so I can cook some while I'm here.

This morning I had my first Fika. All the girls got up before church and went to Wayne's Coffee (the Americanized coffee house). This was the only coffee shop open at 9:30 am. Everything was so quiet, unlike in the US by 9:30 everyone is out and moving about, especially at coffee shops, but not here. I'm ready to experience real Swedish coffee, I've heard it's amazing!

For church we went to the Korskyrkan. The service was in Swedish, but we had headsets and could listen to service translated in English. It was so cool to see Swedes worshiping God. We sung praises in Swedish and it sounded so beautiful.

Tonight we have our first ministry team meetings. I'm on the community team, or fun team as we are calling it. I'm excited to help plan what we are going to do on our days off.

Tomorrow morning we dive into ministry on the campus, which I'm really excited about. I'm ready to see the Lord at work amongst our team and city of Uppsala, Sweden.

Sorry this has been all over the place, but it's a lot of thoughts.

Prayers:

Team Unity.
Boldness in our conversations with students in Uppsala.
Ministry. Students in Uppsala are very serious about their studies and exams are fixing to start, so many students will be studying a lot.
Continuing to get use to the culture in Uppsala.


Thank you so much for your support and prayers! I am having the time of my life here!

Tomorrow!

So we just finished up our briefing here in Greensboro. It has been so amazing getting to know my team and staff. Tonight we had our first team dinner at Hams. Tomorrow, we fly out of Greensboro at 2:50 pm to Washington, DC. From there we have a four hour layover before we fly to Munich, Germany. We have a two hour layover in Munich then we fly to Stockholm, Sweden. We should arrive in Stockholm around 3:00 pm Sweden time, which will be about 9:00 am eastern time. I am so excited to be finally heading to Sweden.

Here are a few prayer requests:

Team Unity. That we will all bond and develop close relationships.
Safe Travels.
That we would all adjust well to the time change.
Our staff. That the Lord will give them wisdom and knowledge.
Our team.
The Swedes: that the Lord will open their hearts to the gospel and that He will pave the way for our conversations.

My team:

Me
Lauren
Sam
Mindy (my roommate)
Emily (my roommate)
Amber
Ally
Nancy
Emma
Kayla
Donovan
Josh
Alex

Staff:
Ben
Jen
Reece
Stephanie
Jeanette
Eden

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support and I can't wait to update you on everything the Lord is doing in Uppsala!!!

Please send me any prayer requests you may have and updates on your summers! (georgina.mclawhorn@gmail.com)

Briefing

Currently I am at briefing in Greensboro. The following teams are here: Sweden, Lebanon, East Asia, and Senegal. I already love my team. The girls are so amazing. Please be praying for me. I only got 3 hours of sleep last night and I have a feeling I'm going to have a hard time sleeping for a while and I really need good rest!

Until I write again,
Georgina

Sweden Update

Well, today is the day. I leave for briefing in just a few short hours. I am so excited about this amazing opportunity and so blessed to have such amazing supporters. It is so comforting to know I have a team of supporters home praying for myself and my team. I can't wait to get to briefing and meet the rest of my team and hear about what we will be doing while in Uppsala, Sweden. My plan is to update my blog when I get the chance with what's happening while I am in Sweden!

I don't have much time since I'm leaving in an hour and haven't finished packing or getting ready (gasp!), but here are a few prayer requests:

That my team would have unity and we will all get along well.
That my team and other project teams have safe travel.
Those that we will come in contact with in Uppsala and that their hearts will be open and receptive to the gospel.
That I will continue to grow in my walk with the Lord while on project.

Please send me any prayer requests that you have! (georgina.mclawhorn@gmail.com) I would love to be praying for you while I am in Uppsala. Also send me updates on what is going on with you while I am gone!


Your Sister in Christ,

Georgina McLawhorn

Done (Just for you Colleen)

Well, this semester is officially done (hehe, Colleen you will not break me!) and I'm officially a Senior! That's pretty exciting if you ask me.

Here's a recap of the semester:

Bring in the New Year at Encounter in Greensboro with the best people in the World.
Get accepted to Sweden Summer Project.
Celebrate my 21st birthday with some great friends!
Preview Weekend in ATL! Got an idea of what an internship with Campus Crusade would look like.
Spring Break to NYC. Got to lead someone to Christ at Pratt!
Began raising support for Sweden.
Saw the Lord provide all of my support for Sweden!
Got to hang out with the most amazing girls ever.
Had the honor of co-leading the freshman (now sophomore) girls East Campus Bible Study.

All in all it was a great semester! I'm now in the process of packing and getting things together for Summer Project. I'm so excited, but can't believe that we leave in a week. Crazy!!!

Keep an eye on my blog for updates while I'm gone!!

God is SO GOOD!

So it's final week so I'm pretty much making myself stay out of the Blogging world so I can focus on my finals and finish strong! I'm hoping for a 3.0 this semester!!! It's actually possible!! YAY!!!

However, I did want to take a moment to share with my followers, as of Sunday I have received 100% of my support. I actually have over my support, which is great, I can use that money to cover personal expenses before I leave! God has definitely shown up this semester in my life and has helped me grow through this process!

It's official...I'm Sweden Bound :D

BitterSweet Endings

So today is the last day of classes. I'm actually sitting in good 'ol DH Hill waiting for class to start shortly. End of the year is always bittersweet. Many of my friends are graduating this year and are going off and getting jobs and having to grow up, which makes me pretty sad. It also makes me excited for them! They will be able to carry the gosepl to their various work fields.

I leave in 16 days for briefing for Summer Project. I am so totally excited about what the Lord is going to be doing this summer. It is amazing to see how the Lord has provided the finances in order for me to make this trip. The total cost of my project is $5,200. I am currently in need of $390 to reach 100% of my support goal. Praise the Lord!!! I'm so excited about what the Lord is going to do in my life this summer.

School has been amazing this semester. My grades are the best they have ever been. I've been on some amazing trips and met some amazing people. I am so excited about the fall semester. It will be my last semester of taking classes since I student teach in the Spring (scary thought).

Prayer Requests:

- That I would finish out the semester strong.
- That my support would come in and I would be at 100% by May 1st.
- That my focus would be on Sweden.
- Unity among my team for Sweden.
- Uppsala, Sweden and the students we will be meeting with while we are there.
- For my family to be supportive of my trip this summer.

- For others as they are raising support for summer project (Emily, LD, Sam, Brandon, Johnathan, and many more)
- For those raising support for Interning or STINT for next year (Aaron, Mark, John & Aya, Allen, and many more)

- For new and exciting things happening in my life right now :D

Stonehenge

So I am supposed to be writing my 8-10 page paper on Stonehenge right now, which I am, but I am taking a break to blog about it for a quick minute. So I'm using this book "The Magnificent Numbers of the Great Pyramid and Stonhenge" by Gaunt for my research, since it discusses mathematical concepts and how they relate to Stonehenge and The Great Pyramid. What is really cool about this book is how Gaunt also related Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid to the Bible. It's cool to see God in the creation of Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid in so many different ways. They are both great creations and astronomical in the way they are formed, but to read about how the math behind Stonehenge relates to God's word is awesome. Anyway, I found this quote and I liked it:

"Yes, Stonhenge is many things -- a standard for linear units of measure, a prophetic time device, an astronomical observatatory, a computer for the predicting of eclipses. But most of all, it is evidence for the existence of an intelligent Creator -- a Creator who planned (and carried out that plan) for the ultimate good of his hman family, through the reddeming work of Jesus Christ." Gaunt, 1985

Prayer Please.

Hey guys. I'm in need of some prayer right now. This is probably one of my busiest weeks I've had since I've been in college. Just to give you an idea:

Monday
- Bible Study
Tuesday
- Bible Study (that I have to plan)
- 2 page reflection due
- analyze 8 court cases for online class
Wednesday
- have about 2 chapters of homework to catch up on for Linear Algebra
- WSA end of the year social
Thursday
- Crusade
Friday
- a 8 page paper due on the mathematical, historical, archeological, astronomical significance of Stonehenge
- Linear Algebra test
- History of Math test

ALL WHILE
- praying for Sweden
- reading for Sweden
- Thank you notes for Sweden
- Follow-up calls for Sweden

So please be praying that I am diligent in my time management to get everything done. Also be praying that I am daily seeking the Lord and spending time with him in his Word, because I know it's by him alone that I will get through this week.

Where in the World?

I totally realize that I've been MIA to the blogging world due to 8 page papers and math tests. Currently, I am at home waiting for my mom to bring me breakfast (because she's amazing) then I'm going to work. Did I mention that I'm sick? Yea, that's no fun, especially since it's "Spring Holiday" and tonight I'm supposed to be hanging out with the girls. :D I miss them so much and can't wait to spend some time with them, maybe convert them to Twilight.

I guess I can update you on my life. Like I said before, school has been crazy busy: papers, tests, papers, test, homework, quizzes, test, papers. So most of my time has been towards all of that fun stuff.

On the support front, I am at 61 % of my support. The amount of respondents has slowed down greatly, which has gotten somewhat discouraging, but I'm still trusting the Lord to provide. It is him that put this desire on my heart to go to Sweden, and it will only be through him that the means of getting there are provided. I intend on taking some time this weekend and making some calls to see if everyone got my letters and are interested in supporting me.

Also, my roommate Emily has received all of her support to go on summer project to NYC! Praise the Lord!

Prayer Requests:

That I continue to trust in the Lord through the support raising process.
That the Lord will lead others to prayerfully and financially support me.
That I would be efficient with my time for school work and preparation for Sweden.
For my team that is traveling to Sweden and the Swedes that we will come in contact with.
That I would seek the Lord as I am entering into a new and exciting part of my life right now :D

Support Update

The thought of raising support is one of mixed emotions, especially when so many people I'm close to are raising support. It's so encouraging to hear how the Lord is providing for my friends as they are also in the process of raising support, but to be honest sometimes that can be discouraging as well. It's sometimes hard to hear money is pouring in faster for my friends than for me, but at the same time the Lord is so amazing and he is providing for my trip as well. Today my mom calls me to read off the checks I've received and who they are from. The first one she reads is from a good family friend for $500. Wow. I'm thinking that will help me meet my April 1st deadline.

As I continue in this process please be praying that my faith would stay strong and that I would fully depend on the Lord to provide for me. If he wants me there, he will get me there.

Support to Date: $1,480
Support to Go: $3,720

Also, please be praying for my friends as they are in the process of raising support as well:

Emily: NYC Tribeca Arts Track
Sam: Uppsala, Sweden
Lauren D: Uppsala, Sweden
Johnathan: Santa Cruz
Brandon: Santa Cruz
Christin: Santa Cruz
Aaron: Uppsala, Sweden (STINT)

Support Raising

This weekend I decided to come home. Finances are a little tight and dad needed some help with some houses, plus I haven't really had much a chance to spend time with my parents. I get home and go out to the office to check my mail and to my surprise I had mail! There they were. Two return envelopes I had sent out with my support letters on Monday. I was so excited that the Lord is already at work with providing the finances neccessary for me to go to Sweden this summer!

Amount Received: $350
Amount to go: $4,850

A little about Sweden

100 years ago Sweden was noted for it's extremely high percentage of people who regularly attended church and professed Biblical Christianity. Now, just a century removed, less than 5% of the country attends church, and even fewer than that (somewhere in the 1 % range) profess Christianity. It is indeed a spiritually desolate place.

Sweden's universities are the clearest indicator of the change that has taken place. Where a belief in the triune God was once preached, a secular humanist dogma of human autonomy is now presented. Once a very important nation in terms of sending missionaries around the world, it is now a country that is very apathetic to having a realtionship with God. This has left Swedish students grasping for something that will serve as an anchor in the tide of popular culture.

Despite being one of the most educated and wealthy countries on the planet; with 99% literacy and a per capita GDP of more than 20,000 US dollars; Sweden is full of students who have no hope beyond this life. They have believed the lie that all thye have to hope in is their own ability, and their own riches, and it has led them into a spiritual cul-de-sac. They are ready to hear the gospel, the good news that Jesus came to save people who can't save themselves.

While in Sweden, we desire to build relationships with the Swedish college students so they may know the true freedom that comes from knowing Christ.

Look at that Pant!

This is hilarious...

Look at that Pant

While your at it, check this one out. It's so true...

What to Eat?

Sweden Update

I realized this blog was started to keep everyone updated on my Summer Project process and I want to take some time to do that.

As of yesterday, I sent off about 95% of my support letters. That was a huge weight of my shoulders to have those in the mail. Now I am working on getting my last few addresses and sending out those letters. More importantly, I am praying and trusting the Lord to provide the finances neccessary for me to go to Uppsala this summer.

Also, I am in the process of reading and researching. I am learning about the culture and lifestyle of Sweden. I am fixing to start Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman today.

Prayer Requests:

That I would continue trusting in the Lord to provide the finances neccessary for me to go to Sweden.
That my heart would continue to develop for the people of Uppsala.
That I would find enough time to prepare for Summer Project - reading books, spending time in prayer for Sweden, etc.
That my family would be supportive and understanding.

Finally, if you or someone you know would like to support me in going to Sweden, please send me yours or their name and address to georgina.mclawhorn@gmail.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

I LOVE New York!

So, it's been a while since I've been able to blog. School has gotten crazy busy and it's only going to continue to get crazier until the end of the semester.

I had the opportunity to head to New York City for Spring Break with Campus Crusade for Christ. Our purpose was to help the Brooklyn STINT team out by meeting students on college campuses and making contacts. We went out and used Soularium (mysoularium.com) and Quest surveys as a way to initiate conversations. Soularium is a set of 50 pictures that are useful in creating spiritual dialogue. I was fortunate enough to help lead a girl I met, Sarah from Pratt Institute, to pray to receive Christ. It was so encouraging to hear how the Lord is at work in New York City through the testimonies of other student's conversations.

I am now in LOVE with New York City. I had so many misconceptions about the city and the people that live there. Everyone I met was so nice and so eager to talk to us. One day in Brooklyn, my group grabbed lunch at McDonald's and it was crazy busy, barely enough room to move around. Everyone inside was constantly saying "Excuse me, thank you, pardon me".

After nine hours in a Ford Focus with four other people (Sam, Brandon, Emily, & Avis), we finally arrive in NYC at our hostel. Driving into the city was SO stressful. There are no lanes and everyone is cutting each other off and horns are blaring everywhere. We got settled into our rooms and went downstairs to hang out in the basement where they had a pool table and couches. We had a brief meeting and pizza then our group took our first adventure on the subway towards Times Square. Times Square was lit up and so pretty. We took pictures and went to the M&M store and the Hershey store.


Sunday we spent the day at the Space for briefing and evangelism training. Monday was supposed to be our first day on campus, but we got a lot of snow the night before and public schools were cancelled for the first time since 1996, so our free day was moved from Wednesday to Monday. We decided to head to Brooklyn where we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. It was freezing but an amazing experience!! We also went to the tip of Manhatten to look at the Statue of Liberty. Next, we went to the Empire State Building. We were able to go inside and tour some of the ESB because CCC owns a college, The King's College, and it meets in the ESB. It was so cool. I felt like I was in Harry Potter, the college had a house system with points and a common room. Plus it was really cool to see the classes and stuff. For dinner, we went to Tom's Restuarant (the restuarant from Seinfeld). The food was pretty good too!



Thursday we went to Top of the Rock. I took me all week to figure out what the heck Top of the Rock was. It was really cool to get an entire view of the city. We got to take lots of pictures. Here's one of Central Park.

The rest of the week was spent on campus initiating conversations with students on college campuses. It's amazing to see what the Lord is doing in NYC and I can't wait to go back!

Happy Valentine's Day!

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."

John 15:9-17

HOTLANTA!!!

God's calling is a place where deep gladness and the word's deep hunger meet.

This weekend I was able to be apart of Preview Weekend with Campus Crusade for Christ. This was a weekend for students who are considering joining staff, interning, or going on STINT after graduation.

It started out by leaving Friday afternoon and driving six hours to Atlanta, Georgia. I traveled with Emily, Avis, and Aya. When we arrived we received our room keys and went and settled into our rooms. We met up with the guys (Mark, Brandon, Sam, and John) and went to the first seminar. The theme of the entire weekend was centered around Discovering our Calling and informing us of the opportunities offered by CCC. It was a great weekend to really think hard about my future. I've juggled with the idea of interning after graduation for about a year now, but have really been thinking hard about my future the past two months and this trip came at just the right time.

The staff at the conference were really able to answer questions that I had about joining staff after graduation. They discussed what it's like to raise support, what it looks like working with Crusade, how to talk to and tell your parents about joining staff, what are the benefits with working with Crusade, and what other areas of Crusade are there besides working on a campus.

Besides all of the seminars, it was amazing being able to spend a weekend in Atlanta! It was the first time I had ever been there, and it was crazy for my small town mind! For starters there were like eight lanes and my fellow passengers were oohing and aahing at all the sites that I am unable to see because I am trying to keep us alive and well. :) Friday night Brandon, Sam, and I taught Emily how to play spades and she did a great job! She was my partner and we beat Sam and Brandon. Saturday we were given a free afternoon. We were able to park at Underground Atlanta and walk like two miles to the Coke factory. Being the Pepsi drinker that I am, I can't say that the Coke factory was very exciting. Actually it wasn't exciting at all seeing that I had an anxiety attack after being there about forty-five minutes, yea, no fun. That subsided after getting out of the crowd. I will say the tasting room was pretty nifty. They had 64 different flavors of Coke that you could try. If you ever go there, make sure you try Beverly from Italy. After the session Saturday night, we were all pretty exhausted so we crashed and went to bed early.

Here are a few pics from Hotlanta!

The Varsity. World's LargestDrive-In Restaurant

The Underground Atlanta Parking

View of the City
Avis and the boys!