Monday, June 22, 2009

World Vision week

All for One week ended on a high note here in North Myrtle. We had the staff v. students softball game (Red Fog v. Blu Cru) which the students won by a pretty big margin. The rules varied from inning to inning, but all 94 of us had to bat at least once. We sent different people into the outfield each time, though I am pretty sure we all made it out there at some point or another. It was neat to see such a huge group of people come together, even for something so silly as a softball game. It is cool to know that we are only the second team to beat the staff ever in the nearly 40-year history of North Myrtle Beach Summer Project (last year's students were the first).

After the game on Saturday we switched gears for Sunday and brought in this week's World Vision theme with our International Dinner. As a member of the Prayer and World Vision team here I helped plan it. The goal of it is to help students understand that we are pampered here in America as far as religious freedom goes. It was interactive and forced students to think about different people and not just North Myrtle Beach.

Throughout the week then we will be highlighting our international partnerships (6 total--France, Australia, East Asia, Ghana, Latin America, and another European country). We will get to see the things people are doing there right now and what any one of us could be doing a year from now.

It is so amazing and scary to think that there is an entire world out there so far removed from what we know. I experienced that in Italy for sure, but there are even more dramatic differences in some of these places. Sometimes here in North Myrtle we are so focused on the recent high school graduates partying and living it up for the week that we forget about all the other people in all the corners of the globe.

"What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" --Romans 8:31

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Day Off :)

I am blessed with the day off today--the biggest blessing being the fact that I can finally do laundry and have some clean clothes to wear...

In other news:

We have had two creative dates since the last one I blogged about. Our second one was a "Backwards Date" which included dressing backwards and walking out to the common area (Grassy Knoll) backwards. Then the boys served us dessert first (Inside Out German Chocolate Cake), the main course next (Chicken Cordon Bleu) and appetizers last (Pizza Rolls). We finished by saying grace. Then we went to our weekly meeting in our odd outfits.

Us girls did our most recent creative date: "Breakfast for Dinner"--and served the guys pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns. Everyone had to wear pajamas and all of us girls wore our glasses and put our hair in messy buns.

Tonight is extended quiet time--two and a half hours for Bible reading, praying, meditating, beach-walking, journaling, reading, etc. It is one of my favorite nights here on Project because I get to focus on my spiritual life only and I don't feel like I need to worry about what everyone else is up to or what is going on.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

CommUnity

Each week here at NMB brings us another theme. They focus on building community, reaching out to others, etc. This week is All for One and we are working on team unity. With 94 of us it gets hard, but so far it has been good.

The staff will leave some of us clues that we have to relay to the rest of the group by word of mouth only, things hinting at a student vs. staff softball game this weekend. We had to choose certain colors and the more unified we are throughout the week the more at bats we get during the game. We also get random strikes for lack of unity.

To figure out these clues we had a semi-secret meeting on the beach last night. We didn't tell the staff about it but it is kind of hard to hide the fact that 94 kids are leaving their houses and going to the beach. We decided on colors (blue and white) that we are wearing not only for the game, but the entire week.

I am really liking this week so far. On Sunday, when they kicked it off they gave us a challenge to see who knew everyone's name and I was the only one who raised my hand. I knew everyone and now whenever I see people they know me as the name girl. I guess I have a thing for remembering names--and it helps that I do a lot of people watching from our kitchen window!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Serving & Sharing

Last Tuesday was our first official Sharing Night--we split up into groups of 2-4 on Tuesday nights to do spiritual surveys (basic questions--> What 3 words describe your life right now? What happens when we die?) and get a basic feel for where people are at as far as faith goes.

I also started work last week Thursday, and now that I am totally trained and have my own tables, I can say I really do love serving. I don't have to take any orders, which helps a lot because I can focus on making people comfortable. People down here love to talk and they all know I'm not from around here as soon as I open my mouth, which makes it even better. In the days I have worked there were no major catastrophes--the worst thing was I once refilled a guy's sweet tea with Coke--and the tips aren't bad either!

Last Saturday we had community night with everyone here; they catered in a meal for us and we went to the bowling alley for Wacky Bowling. We had to bowl on one leg or granny style or sitting down, etc. I actually bowled a 90 even with all of the weird things we did and I think the top score was about a 105. It was crazy to see 94 college kids having so much fun bowling like maniacs. They played music as well so we would have random dance parties in the middle of a frame.

Today, my day off, I got up early for a trip to the inlet with my roommates. The tide is out early in the morning, so you can walk out pretty far and watch the sunrise. There were no dolphins today, but sometimes you can see those as well. It was so beautiful.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Working Woman

The deadline to find jobs for project was today at noon, and I found one!

Yesterday I was checking websites for companies hiring and I stumbled across Ryan's Buffet, which was looking for a server. Two other girls said they had talked to the manager and were going in that afternoon to talk to him so I came along...and he gave us jobs pretty much on the spot. I think it helped that we are all on Summer Project because he knows we will be dependable (we are not allowed to quit a job once we accept). A lot of employers down here know about Summer Project kids and work hard to fit us into their employment rotation.

I will be serving fresh rolls, refilling drinks and cleaning tables for the summer...and I couldn't be more excited! I have never been a waitress before but I've always thought it would be fun. Orientation is tomorrow and I think I'll be starting Friday or Saturday.

Last night then we had our first Bible study of the summer--just my roommates and I plus our staff leader, Jen. We also did this thing where we wrote down all the lies we believed about ourselves (ie, I don't belong here, My ankles are swollen and fat) and then we crumpled them up in a bowl, took them to the beach, and burnt them. Now we have a bowl sitting on an end table labeled "The Infamous Bowl of Lies" for us to add to anytime we are feeling down about things. Each week (or whenever the bowl fills up) we will burn it. And of course we had to end the night with a beach walk.

Monday, June 1, 2009

The beginning

Last night marked the official beginning of NMB Summer Project 09. Our orientation finally over, we got to start in on what we will be doing every Sunday until August. First comes "Sunday school"--our morning time with each other. Then we go to church and enjoy the coffee and donuts provided after the service. Sunday afternoons are free for us to hang out at the beach or the park, chill in our apartments, read, etc. etc.

Then comes Sunday evenings. These are reserved first for creative date nights with each impact group (one guys' and one girls' bible study) and then for night meetings. So yesterday, our very first creative date, us ladies were treated to a picnic under the gazebo in the park by our guys' impact group. To get there, though, we first had to follow a set of clues that took us around North Myrtle Beach because "the most marvelous things in life come with certain difficulty and great patience," (according to their first clue, which led us to "the place named for a Kazaam and former LA Lakers star").

When finally made it to our destination (a cross between a gazelle, a zebra, and a Cheerio), the guys told us they wanted this to be the best date ever and gave us each a rose. What I appreciated most was them feeding us, though. Which is why we have a batch of monster cookies in our fridge waiting to be baked and brought over to them tonight. :)

job hunting

The search is still on for a job here in North Myrtle Beach. Applications have been filled and resumes handed in, but due to 1) the current economic recession and 2) the acceptance of 30 extra students to NMB Summer Project (last year there were only about 60, this year 94)...jobs are hard to find here! A lot of us are actually having troubles finding jobs, but we have been staying optimistic!