I'm alive!

The first week is over. We haven't even had orientation yet. lol Our first week was with the AFCOE to Go group. 52 lectures in 6 days. (I like to say that lol) But we were a privileged class. The first three days we had classes from Elder Ted Wilson, Jerry Page, Mark Finley, and Derek Morris. I've learned more than I can fit in my brain. Now to go over it a little slower in the next 4 months. Orientation is tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing who all is actually in our class. I've heard we have around 45, but since we were mixed in with the AFCOE to Go students we haven't all identified each other yet.

I made a new friend the day I got here. Some of you may know Samantha Clark. She and I have hit it off quite well and are so glad we are here together. I feel like I've known her forever. :) Our room numbers are one apart, but we are as far apart in the dorm as you can get because I'm in a room down stairs and she in a room on the other end up stairs. The dorm is bursting with girls. We have three to a room. The campus is beautiful! Yesterday after we got back from church Samantha went exploring. Then she came back and found me and asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I didn't feel like it, but I went anyway and as soon as she got me outside I was so glad. I have felt like my skin was crawling with all the noise in the past week. Noise when you're trying to go to sleep, noise when you wake up, noise as you drive to school, noise in the city, solid lectures all day... Oh I miss my country quiet home! So yesterday afternoon Sammy took me across the valley behind the girls  dorm and we had a good hike, saw trees we'd never seen before, saw a huge buck deer with gorgeous antlers, and an old over grown cemetery. At least we think that's what it was.There was only one stone marker. The rest were small wooden markers so if there were names they'd long since worn away. To top off our adventure Sammy came within inches of stepping on a baby Rattlesnake in the path. I'm so used to Black snakes and Garter snakes in Nebraska that it took me a second to realize what it was. It was just stretched out in the path and didn't move or rattle, but Sammy said she could see it's tongue going. We were very thankful we escaped unharmed. Ironically Pastor Doug's vespers to us last night was a message about the snake on a poll Moses made in the wilderness. He'd specifically talked about rattle snakes too.

Today was our day off. Normally we will get Fridays off, but we were still cramming classes in last Friday. It has been a good day. I took a group of girls out to run errands in Auburn. I was quite proud of my self for venturing out on my own and finding my way back.

This week we are basically getting to know each other and starting with a week of prayer. They've been stressing the need to maintain personal devotional time, something I know is a weakness of mine. But I'm hearing God calling, and by His grace I'm going to maintain my quiet time with Him this semester.

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So now it is almost the end of the second week and I'm still trying to finish this blog. All the rumors of the AFCOE schedule are true. :) So I'm going to tell you right now I probably won't be posting updates as often as I'd like. I so wish I could tell you in detail everything I'm experiencing, learning, doing...but I can't. And there are so many times that I think of one of you and wish you could hear what I'm hearing. I guess you just need to come to AFCOE! ;) *hint hint*

Amazing news!!!!! Thanks to each of you doing what you could and lifting me up in prayer, I have reached my financial goal...and exceeded it!!! I just found out today right before lunch. So one of my new friends here took me to the Weimart and got us a tub of Rice Dream and we celebrated with our friends! The great thing is now because of your generosity I am able to pass on some of the blessing to a couple of my classmates who are still struggling to raise tuition. My roommate will be one of them. She thought she had received a full scholarship here, but just found out Monday that she needs to raise $4500 in 3 weeks.

Well I must close...I have homework to do. Thank you for all that each of you have done! I am eternally grateful and so will be the souls who I will one day soon introduce to you in the kingdom. Please pray for them. I have not met them yet. We don't start knocking doors for another 2 weeks. But the preparation needs to be as filled with the Holy Spirit as the execution. Please pray that God will guide me to the right outreach partner. Please pray that I will find a good routine and not get overwhelmed with the intensity in the program. I tend to get buried easily. I want to ride on God wings this time.

Oh one more thing. I've chosen the Lay Pastoral emphasis. Not because I want to be a pastor (obviously...I'm a girl and that settles it for me). I'd wanted to do the Preaching emphasis, but they are not offering that anymore. As I prayed about the dreams God has put in my heart and the direction I feel He is leading me, I felt this emphasis would be of benefit to me as I want to be involved in ministry.

Ok now I'm really closing.... :) until next time...May He hold you in the palm of His hand, and may you have enough trials to teach you to rest there.