Final Semester

I can not believe that it is my final semester at Troy. This journey has seen tears, smiles, laughter, and many other emotions. I would not want it any other way or wish I was anywhere else! The memories that I have made are irreplaceable and rewarding. I have been to all of my class now and enjoying them and know that they are going to be alot of work. I only have 12 hours, but that is carrying 2 senior capstone classes that are going to be alot of work. All of the classes have around 4-5 projects or presentations most of them in groups. So we will see how that goes! The first day of classes i received a phone call that was very exciting. I received confirmation about my internship in the spring at Andrews Institute at the Baptist Medical Park! I am very excited about this and the opportunities that will come with it. This is all in God's hands as well is the rest of my future. Sometimes I try to plan my life and where I will be, but we all know that Gods plans and our plans sometimes are complete opposites. So i am glad that He is in control of my life! Rommates have been amazing! Not everyday that you get to room with one of your best friends! We have enjoyed working out together, cooking together, and watching movies all the time. I just finished meal prepping and cooking all my meals for the week, With school getting busy and being tired I decided to do this to make things easier for me and to help hold myself accountable for healthy eating!

Best friend visited on her way back to school!

Troy sunsets can be breath taking!

Our old D-group! Never a dull moment with us, wouldnt be where I am today without these two!

Roommate Bonding! Happy Hour at Sonic

Our Valentine Day gifts from Hannah last year!

As we talked today in church, We are Blessed, to be a Blessing to Others. 

A week removed

Well exactly one week ago, I packed my car and left my summer family of 200 people. It started to hit me when I finally got time to just sit back and relax and have alone time. I have tried to adjust to going to bed before 1am and its very strange not to have 5 other girls in my room and falling asleep to people talking and the lights on. I truly miss those moments and miss many of the friends that I have made. So really missing project and work and all the friendships that I made!  I am excited to get back to Troy on Sunday and start my last semester there. It is strange to think about and scary to know that I am about to be done with college and no clue what I am going to do yet. But the best part about that is that I serve a God who is in control of all of that! Sunday group of us went out on the boats for lunch and then to Sand Mountain to relax. It was a nice time. Then this week I was reunited with Katie as she is dog sitting right now. It has been good to just catch up and be back together! This morning I met my roommate from Troy and our D-group leader from last year at Navarre and did a little beach time and catching up about this past summer! It was very refreshing and great to just relax and not have to think! Then after that I went to go and make a change. I went and got my haircut! Went  short again and you can tell in the picture! Please be in prayer for me as I start my last time at Troy and as I continue to work on my internship!

Summer Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCsPiB2KchE&feature=youtu.be


Highlights from this summer!

Life Changing

A picture is worth a thousand words and I thought that is the best way to show my last few weeks. Many emotions flood my mind, and words can not describe how amazing this summer was.

Victory run in th Gulf!

The one and only Sandman, my home for 2 months

My summer family of 200! 

Marge! We working hard on our last day!

The Dream Team, Mary Slate, Matt, Stephen , myself. These are the people who made work fun and memorable. 

Whataburger crew on the Last day of work!

Jeff- Double F! My partner in crime and in ministry!

Baptisms on the Bay!

Team 1, champions in Trojan Games!

Dennis my supervisor!

I wish that I could write into words about how amazing my summer was, but words can not do justice for what happened this summer and how grateful I am that I got to be apart of it! 

Final Days.....

This time next week I will be preparing to go back home and move my apartment in Troy. I cannot believe I have been here for 2 months. This place has been home to me and over 300 other college students. My last day of work is on Friday. I am hoping that this week goes slow, but as I know when I want things to slow down usually they speed back up so this last week is gonna go super fast.  I cannot explain how blessed and fortunate I have been this summer. It has been a rewarding one for sure and also a difficult one. But I would not want to be anywhere else. This past week we had a Tacky Tourist social! It was a lot of fun! On Saturday at work it was such a chill day, our McDonald’s is not your typical one, a family by the name of Costa owns it, so we play Christian music in the lobby and it is just a fun environment, but on Saturday  one of the big bosses came and then he gave us some McDonald’s sunglasses! Then later on in the day our general manager basically put the store on hold so that we could all take a picture! It was so much fun! The picture of the Sandman is also included. Most likely this is going to be our last year living there for many different reasons. So before church we all got on our balconies and took one group picture with the Sandman. The Sandman is very dear and special to all of us here! It has been the perfect location and everything! Sad to know that we wont be here next year. After our session last night we all went back to the Sandman and decided we wanted a midnight snack so we literally pile into as little cars as possible and then head to Waffle House to eat! I am gonna miss nights like those! I am excited to get back to Troy and be with all the people I have grown close to here and for all the friendships I have made with people at Auburn and Samford! I have started to think about my future and where I need to find my internship for next spring in the Milton area. I have been very worried about it and have to just give it all over to God. Im fixing to leave my summer bubble and have to be back in the real world and Im not ready for that. So please be in prayer that God will show me where He wants me to be at in the spring and for the plans after I graduate. Pray that we will finish this last week strong and that we are rested some and just have energy! Hope all is well and can’t want to send out my final report of the summer as a whole! I love you all!

Final Stretch

What a refreshing day it has been so far, and the best part is that it is not over yet. Started the morning off with only 4 hours of sleep but it was worth it. Started my morning off with eating breakfast with one of my closest Troy friends here and then we went to the beach after that for a few hours. Followed that by smoothies and then more beach time. It was so great to just be able to catch up on things and it just be us two. The highlight of this past week was on Friday, we had our co-worker cookout at a park down the road. 8 of our co-workers showed up and we had a blast. It was fun to hang out with them outside of work and being able to interact with them in their daily life. Our co-workers were impressed with the turn out and just were amazed at the co-workers who were there and the interaction between everyone. It has just been a great week with all of the coworkers and the relationships that we have formed. On Saturday we had a social, which was Decades Prom, Sandman High! It was a blast!! We got the 90s decade and half of us were the Full House look and the others went the Fresh Prince route! It was so much fun! We had a professional photo booth and then a talent show incorporated along with Prom King/Queen! It was great. I sit here today and realize all I have left is like 14 days. I am sad, nervous, and excited for the school year. Sad to leave all the people here, the friendships that I have made I would not trade in a lifetime and hope that we stay in touch as much as we can! I am excited to get back to Troy with the community that we built here and to further Gods kingdom and glory! I will only have 4 classes this fall and then internship in the spring then I will be done. I am a little nervous about that, because I do not know where in the Milton/Pace/Pensacola area I am going to do it. I have tried to put that in the back of my mind and not worry about it till after project but it is almost here. Please pray that God will show me an opportunity of where I need to be at. Our CCP team leave on Wednesday to make their way back to the States, so please keep them in your prayers as they are traveling. May we finish this week and next week at work strong and that we keep being selfless and not selfish about the Gospel and showing Gods ultimate glory! May God continue to reveal himself to me these next few weeks and continue to grow me in many ways to reflect Him. I don’t know any other place that I would have wanted to be all summer. I am so glad that I listened to God telling me to come this summer and obeying Him. I could be doing many other things but I am not and He is showing me many fruits from being here! God is good All the time, All the time God is good!!

Mind over Matter

This summer is truly just passing by as quick as it could be! I just want to yell SLOW DOWN! God continues to amaze me each and everyday here at project! I have actually been excited to go to work everyday this past week. Part of that I think is that I changed my attitude. I went into McDonald’s thinking okay I can make this a better place, all I need to do is work hard, get the times down and keep them down and build relationships with the co-workers. Slap in the face from God, had to remind me that there was a greater purpose than me trying to get my times down or impress others with my hard work. God had to remind me that everyday I went to work was going to my mission field for Him. That my sole purpose there is to bring Him glory to and to either plant seeds or water seeds that have already been planted. I have made some great friendships and able to grow in others.  On the 4^th of July we had a social just hanging out and then watched fireworks. Our co-worker Matt came and that was a great step for him in our eyes. Not being a people person we were so excited that he came and hung out with us. The Saturday after the 4^th was record breaking sales at work. We had over $2,000 just in one hour. So it was a busy day to say the least. That night we had a session and it was on Heaven and Hell, how we will spend eternity in one of those places. Then that carried over into our small group on Sunday where we talked more in depth about hell and what all it looks like. It was a hit in the face to think about some of my co-workers who I have really enjoyed getting to know and think about them being there. It truly just breaks my heart to think about hell being a bottomless pit, where darkness just smothers everyone and then that is when people cry out to Jesus. That is when everyone in hell believes. It was just a great weekend of talks and tough questions to go along with it. On Saturday night we went to the Crab Shack to play volleyball and if you know me I am usually the one who will end up with a bruise or something along those lines. I managed to find some rocks hidden under the sand and scrape and bruise up my thigh some! After that a few of us walked back to the Sandman, just a mile and half walk on the beach. The beach is just so peaceful at night and so calm. Listening to the waves crash and just being still is just a relaxing time. Sunday morning as always was a great time at church. I absolutely love the church that we have been fortunate to attend and be apart of. They are doing a game night for us this week and just want to hang out with all of us. Sunday night I told myself I was gonna get in bed early, that was until the other project starting shooting off fireworks then threw eggs at our project and then ultimately led to a HUGE water balloon war! Only managed two times to have the cops called on us. Which was misunderstands, but lead to a 12:30am morning run to Whataburger for Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits! Two cars of us loaded down to go and come back before curfew. This weekend I was able to talk some of the Gospel to one of my coworkers and I have seen such a big change in his life these past few weeks. Just the way he talks and the way he carries himself is different from when I first met him. I am excited to see what God has instore for him. Monday for our off day my room loaded up and made the trip to Milton to take on a day of tubing in Blackwater! It was a much needed day and very well enjoyed! I think everyone enjoyed it and we are all feeling the effects of it today. I am amazed everyday at Gods grace and Love. And just so blessed to be here this summer and enjoy His plan for my life! I have gotten into a very very good texting conversation with a co-worker and myself and others are sharing the Gospel with him these next few days, so please keep us in your prayers. I have noticed a change in the way he walks and the way he is carrying himself. He actually was off for 3 weeks and decided to come back which just happened to be at the same time we started. He said that he is starting to see things from a new perspective. I started to tear up hearing him tell me this and then one of the guys from the other project told me this morning that he prayed with our co-worker. There are too many things going in the right direction for him to say that it is all a coincidence. God is setting things up one thing at a time and it has been such a humbling experience. I doubted that God would actually use me like He truly is. God will use anyone, anywhere that He wants to!