This is it!

Finally my last week of travel! It feels good, however travel won't let me go gracefully...

This trip I made a circle in Washington, starting in Seattle. I was there earlier so it was nice because I already knew the spots to hang out. But I heard that the college fair I was there for was in the middle of the city and parking is super expensive. So the evening before I thought I would give the bus a go. Getting there went perfectly, besides the gangster next to me continually standing up to show his friends how he was going to knock this guy out. No worries, he didn't use me as a dumbie like Seth did. He just punched into the air with vigor. I got out of the bus exactly where I wanted, found a coffee shop, did some work, got dinner and then it was time to head home. So naturally I got on the same number bus that I got off of before, bus number three. I was a local in Seattle in my mind. I waited for my stop then I notice the bus getting more and more empty until I was the only person on the bus, I was terrified. However, still wearing my brave face i just watched the sketchy houses and drug deals go by as the bus driver went to the next few stops. The bus stopped and the driver looked at me in the rear view mirror (just like in the movies when there is a really small kid by himself in the back of the bus) and said, "End of the line..."

Shoot. I asked him if he was going to go to the space needle which was right next to my hotel. He wasn't, I was on the right number, but apparently there are two different types of number three buses. This wasn't the right one. But this man gave me some grace. He knew where his bus and the bus I needed were going to cross paths and would take me there. We stopped For a few people to get on and then there it was, my beloved number three. He opened the door and said, "You better run!" I ran my heart out! I ran across a street and jumped over the hood of a taxi (not really, I was safe). I just barely caught the bus.

The whole process took about an hour, if I caught the right bus I would have been to the hotel in 5 minutes... I had a cold dinner that night. The next morning I decided to pay for parking instead of taking the bus.

Not much happened besides that. I drove over to spokane and got into a really nice hotel, it was awesome. I accidentally gave a lady my hotel room key instead of my credit card and she asked me if it was for later and if that was her tip, kinda weird.

This was my first experience with NACAC fairs. These things are nuts! There were hundreds of schools and thousands of kids. I liked it, but i just about lost all my material. Lots of kids walk by and took stuff, but there were some awesome kids there I talked to.

Then a lady came up and asked what I took out in loans, I avoided the question and she interrupted me to say, "No, how much do you have in loans, I want a number." her daughter was so embarrassed, but the lady wouldn't give it up. I told her I wasn't comfortable giving her that number and pretty much quickly ended the conversation. No matter what I said to her it just didn't seem to be happy. I watched her talk to the other counselors and it was the same thing with them.

Though travel isn't letting me go easily, it is just about over. All I have left is a 6 hour drive ahead of me. Wish me luck and I will see you tomorrow!

Beau!

Mealtime Magnificence

Today's lunch is particulary delightful. I may even have you traveling-eating-out-at-at-least-semi-fancy-places people beat. Try not to be bitter as you read this savory story of my sustenance.

Now we all know that Jared's lunches are...well, predictably bland (which is really code for practically identical daily). However, today's lunch is a little bit different. Greek food (or any other middle eastern food really) has always made me happy so I am fortunate to have that as part of my feast. And to accompany that (in case I'm also yearning for a dash of American flavor) Monterey Jack and smoked (at least I think it's smoked) turkey with horseradish.

Yes, my sandwich normally tastes delectable but today is far better. Not only is it the same wonderful wheat bread, but one side is the end of the loaf (since I got down to the last of the bread and naturally because of my personality couldn't throw the end away since it's still perfectly good bread and I have no need for disposing of it). I know, you're drooling. Try to stop for a moment. I'm not done. This particular sandwich is an even greater specialty. Aged to perfection, this is the third day it has been in the "field trip" refrigerator since I had lunch in the dining hall with visitors and core groupers the last two days.

Oh, it gets better. The third musketeer to my faithful trifecta is absent today because I used it as a snack yesterday and forgot to pack another piece of fruit/crackers. (One or the other which I'll leave to your imagination since it could've been either one. So exciting, isn't it?) But my Greek cultured dairy product and delectable deli was still in good company.

Because Sarah was down at lunch with a visitor and because everyone else is gone today, I had the added pleasure of eating in a solitary manner. My desk was grateful to have my company since I don't see him very often. The conversation was great too. We all talked about...well, it's a long story, but it was fantastic. Truly an uplifting time.

All that to say, while I feel bad saying so, it has been hard to miss you guys with all the company I've been keeping lately. I do hope you're enjoying your time out there and I can only hope you're having as much fun as I am and experiencing the cultural delights that have tickled my palette these last moments.

The Nile of blogs

Well I guess it is time for me to join the blogging party. I realize I am not the greatest writer, so if there are some oopsies... my bad.

The trip started out with one of the worst hotels I have gotten yet. One of the biggest comforts I have is the tv. However, this was stripped away from me here, every time the commercials came on a high pitch ringing came out only interrupted by what sounded like an old computer connecting with the Internet. This very quickly encouraged me to sign up for Netflix. First movie I watched was 180 degrees south, a documentary, it's good.

The town I was in only had two restaurants, a Mexican place caked in a thick layer of grease, and then Perkins, which is the long lost twin of Sharis. It was the worst town to have my phone die in because I forgot my charger in the office before I left. No worries though, I made my way to another town to spend 16 dollars on a charger!

Stuff started to look up when I got out of that thriving town. I was in a way better hotel and got my self ready for a long day of five visits. They were great visits, nothing felt better than adding to my stack of info cards. That was until the last visit of the day.

I am already pretty tired from the day, so now it was time to fake the 'happy to be there' smile! To add to everything, I was worried the car was going to be stripped. The school was in a yellow warehouse and all around were old run down houses. So as I walked out, I did as Seth would have, left one hand open, I was aware of my surroundings, puffed up my chest, and kept my head up with confidence. It worked.

I walked into the building greeted by a young couple full on making out, they only stopped to glare at me as if I interrupted the most romantic moment of their life. My hope for a good visit was gone. The secretary was wrapped in a blanket and pointed me in the direction of the counselor.

Charles, the counselor, resembled a snake. He had bright blue eyes, a pointy nose, a long braided pony tail, and to top it all off he had a very pronounced lithp (lisp). He then showed me the entire school, it didn't take long because he brought me to a balcony that overlooked a big room full of computers and about thirty students. It was mainly an online school. He wasn't very quite either, so when he talked about the school on the balcony everyone looked up at us, so I waved back awkwardly and they just continued with their work. After the great tour we went back to their conference room and he said,

"SSSSo tell me the sssselling pointsss of your ssschool, we have about five minutessss." I was a bit annoyed, but I just assumed he had a real busy day. When I left I was just happy that couple wasn't still at the door and to find my car in one piece.

As I got back to the hotel I stopped by the desk to ask them what the good restaurants were in town. I reluctantly rang the bell, they always come out super annoyed. When I did a dog jumped up on the counter in front of me, it scared me to death. The lady came running around the corner and pulled the dog off as she apologized.

The next day was an interesting mix of schools. I only had two this day. The first school was awesome, it was a small private school. The counselor was one of the nicest I have seen. The teacher made her students stop in the middle of a test so I could tell them a little bit about the school and then I stayed there for lunch. Some awesome kids came to the table. The most interested kid I thought was part of the grammar school, he was shorter than Cara...poor kid. His mom, the gym teacher brought him to the table saying, "He is very shy, he rarely talks to strangers." So I asked him what grade he was in as his mom kissed him on the head and walked away. He looked up, smiled with wide gaps between his teeth, stared for a second building up confidence, and said, "I am in seventh grade." My first thought was, "Come on, he isn't even in high school yet, it is another five or six years before he can even start applying." I expected questions like, does it rain there, or are the teachers nice.

I talked to him for a bit about the day and things he likes to do and his face lit up. He started asking question like, "do you have Greek classes? Because I want to be a preacher or a missionary and I need to know Greek, it's what a lot of the Bible was written in ya know." I told him about Greek and how Dr. Derekson (I don't think that is spelled right) helped write some of the footnotes in the Nelson Translation. He told me that was his favorite translation. This kid knew his stuff and kept me laughing with his enthusiasm. It was one of those visits that makes everything worth it because there are so many kids that would be perfect for the school and they were genuinely interested.

Now the next school was a very different story. I walk in and the counselor took this day off and forgot to tell anyone I was coming. So they took one of the lunch tables and said I could set up on it during lunch. The bell rang just as I finished and the first thing I heard was, "Geez watch out you "f***ing b****!" I looked up at the school banner and it said, "Alternative for Dropout Students." I looked over at the banner next to it with their mission statement, "To reintroduce students to academic excellence." The kids came around the corner and it was some of the roughest kids I have seen for a while. For the first time I was pretty nervous as they all walked past looking me up and down. I saw one pregnant girl and another with a baby in her arms, and one guy was wearing real handcuffs on his wrist as a bracelet.

The first girl that came up asked if we have black people at our school. Her plan was to marry a black guy with a lot of money, start a family and then once the kids get into high school she would go to college and start her career. At least she wants to be around when her kids are at home, and she actually liked that it a was a Christian school. The next kid, and last kid that came up to me and said, "My dad wants me to go to this school."

"Oh yeah, well what do you think?" I said trying to get an idea of where he stood.

"I don't know, do you have a culinary major?"

"Sorry we don't."

"Then no, I don't really want to go." Then without saying anything he just walked away.

I didn't get one card and no one cared that I was there. But these kids broke my heart.

I started to wonder what these kids went home to. Homework is probably the last of their worries. I heard more than one talking about their PO, aka parole officer. The teachers just ignored the foul language, it was clear that was the least of their worries. Other kids talked about the fight they got into the night before. One girl asked if another would go to her party. When she walked away from her friend she said, keep yourself out of jail until then. At some point I realized that about half the lunch room walked outside, they all were taking a smoke break.

How many of them were born to a single mom, how many of them still had their parents around at all? Maybe that visit was for me more than them, a wake up call maybe to see the life a lot of kids live.

Well to get out of the half sad, half scary mode, I finally did it! I went to a movie by myself! The worst part by far was buying the tickets. I was just praying I didn't see anyone from the visits, everyone looked at me like they felt bad for me. I almost wanted to assure them that I really do have friends. When people were filing in it became apparent that it was going to be tight. I ended up sitting next to this big group which I found pretty funny because I did everything I could do avoid that very situation. I saw Moneyball, it was pretty good, wait for it to come out though.

But that has been my week. I have a big church visit today. There are around 7,000 people going to that church. That is what I was told anyways.

Hope all of you are having a great day. Miss you guys!

I know I wrote this yesterday, but it took me a bit to find the blog place again and how to post it. But don't worry, nothing really worth writing about happened at the church visit or the visits today.

Ok well, still miss you guys! Hope you're having a great day!

Beau St.Peter (Tank)

Divine Providence and the Auction Mistress

Divine providence and the Auction Mistress

I haven't blogged lately because so far, nothing very interesing has happened. But the school visits have been great! I have had more students show up then what I have been used to and many good connections have been made. But still, there's been nothing to write home about...that is until the last few days.

I am convinced that funny/awkward/potentially uncomfortable situations tend to find me. I am not sure whether this is because maybe I am a little awkward myself or because I just have that kind of luck. Something that I am constantly reminded of is that God takes real good care of me. I think He remains close to me so that He can continually pick up the messes I leave behind me. What would I do without Him? 

So yesterday I went to an evening open house/fair at a school in Klamath Falls. What my research and the school counselor neglected to mention to me was that this was an alternative school. Most of these students were just trying to pass high school; going to college was probably just as appealing to them as going to the dentist. I stood at the neglected Corban table for about an hour, then said thank you, packed up, and headed toward the Corban van to start my 3+ hour journey to Roseburg. As I approached the van, I immeditely felt like something wasn't right. I was startled to find the driver side door wide open! I took a deep breath, consciously told myself to relax as I exhaled a quick prayer. I cautiously approached the vehicle, rehearsing in my head how I would defend myself if attacked. (thank goodness for those very useful Kamagra techniques!) To my relief, no one was in my car (phew). Next step, check to see if all my stuff is there. I crawled around inside the van, which is surprisingly spacious to a little person like me, double checking my belongings. I hadn't checked into a hotel yet, so all of my personal things were in there along with my Corban gear. I was amazed to find that everything was still there! For some reason I had gotten out of the van, gathered up my suitcase and display board from the back, and left the driver side door open the whole time!! It is literally the grace of God that everything was still there. It took me about an hour to get my heartbeat back down to a normal rate. This is further proof that I single-handedly keep God very busy. And He is so good. 

A few days later I was in Canyonville. Never heard of it? Me neither until last week. I arrived in town about an hour and a half before my visit started. To pass the time I decided to experience the culture this little town had to offer. canyonville literally has one main road with a diner, a school, a post office, 'Dress Fir Less', and an antique store. Here is a little tidbit about me: I do not like to get bored. When in a new place, I have to explore and make the most of my visit. That way, when asked 'what was Canyonville like?' I can give my informed opinion. Plus it keeps traveling fun. So here I went on my exploring adventure. I first stopped in at the Dress Fir Less (yes, I did. I was bored, what can I say??) I made friends with the owner, a tall woman in her mid-sixties claiming to be a a model. I got the impression that she was thrilled to have me there because I was probably 1 of 4 customers that would enter her shop that day. She pulled a white, dressy, not so affordable jacket off the rack and told me that she thought it was perfect for me. She would even give me a $2 discount! I tried it on, she talked to me about the history of her shop, and 20 minutes later I walked out the door with the not-so-affordable white jacket. I am too much of a softy apparently.

Next stop, the antique store. Even though  I don't purchase things very often from these kinds of stores, I love old things. This also added to the unique, quaint 
Iittle town experience. The owner's name was Bruce. This kind-looking older man was in his 80's (I know this because He told me). He gave me a hearty handshake and welcomed me to his store, with a proud look in his eye. I apologized for how cold my hand was and he shook his head as if it was nothing and kept a hold on my hand to keep it warm. :) He proudly told me about his 13 pieces of real estate and 5 other antique stores that he owned. He shared stories about his reputation at auctions, the way he acquired all of the things in his store. He walked around the store with me as I looked around and gave me the history of the town, his family, and his personal health problems. Then he got an excited look on his face and asked me what I was doing that next Saturday. Apparently at every auction he attends, he brings a young lady with him to help him lift and wrap purchased items "with my wife's permission", he added. I disappointedly told him that I would no longer be in the area but thanked him anyway. I can now say that I have been asked to be an 'Auction Mistress'. :) He shook my hand again and then said, 
"Thank you for listening to me." 
No matter where we find ourselves during travel season, whether at a school, a fair, or Bruce's antique store, what we do matters. There is no telling where God will put us or how He will use us that day. So keep doing what you're doing, gang! It matters. Even the little things. 

I am now headed to a lunch visit at a school somewhere outside of Corvallis. I am getting tired and starting to crave the familiarity of home, but I am beginning my last week of travel with an open heart for whatever this week holds. Whatever challenges and adventures come my way, I'm ready. 

Alaska is an interesting place really. Only in Alaska will you be greeted at the airport with gigantic stuffed murdered bears. Ironically they keep these huge beasts safe from the general public by storing them behind safety glass but allow very suspicious looking people to pick up their impressively large guns from the "oversized" baggage claim with no questions asked. These people roam free and get behind me in the line at Starbucks. I do not take any extra time ordering my beverage and consider buying theirs in case I need to get on their good side while I wait for my next flight.

Now, speaking of bears, have I mentioned that I have three irrational fears- I am afraid of spiders, sharks and yes, you guessed it- bears. Now, living in Salem, Oregon means that there is a relatively small chance that I will run into this particular fear. Spiders, well that will be another post one day. But here in Alaska, I am always on the lookout.

While I walked two blocks to Payless Rent-a-Car at 10:30pm in the frigid 37 degree weather kicking myself for checking my coat which was probably spinning round and round on the conveyer belt while I make the trek to pick up my car, I considered the possibility that I might run into a bear. I thought more about it as I approached the office and discovered it was, in fact, closed and I was now going to have to walk back to the airport. I was vulnerable once again to the beast that surely was walking around hoping to eat me or at least take a large chunk out my body which with it's shark like teeth. But in true Alaskan style there was a sign on the door with a phone number and I was feeling gutsy so I called it. Turns out in Alaska 10:30pm and 10:30am are interchangeable but he said he'd be right over before I could admit I was freezing and afraid a bear would eat me if he didn't hurry. Setting pride aside I decided to wait in-between two parked vehicles, partially for the wind breaking effect they offered and partly because I wanted a large piece of machinery between me and the suspicious looking trees to the north of me. Luckily I didn't have to wait long because about three minutes later I heard a trailer door open (you read that right) from behind the office and a fairly innocent looking middle-aged man emerge.

The Payless Rental Office was an interesting collection of Alaskan posters and magazines aimed at people who fish and people who shoot things. I was not surprised to spot a fishing pole behind the desk or the white board filled with names like "Outlaw Auto Parts" and "Hank's." I was, however, surprised to see flat screens computers. Very forward thinking, this office. Finally, keys in hand, I was sent off with one last question, "now... have you ever driven a Ford?" Assuring him that yes, I am an American and I have driven a Ford, I was off to make the short drive to Soldotna.

Exhausted and ready to shower off the airplane smells, I was ready to park my American car at my hotel. This particular location is one of my favorites because it belongs to the parent's of a friend of mine who always welcome me with a hug and huge smiles. This year there was an additional welcome- BEAR SPRAY. Apparently there has been a bear around and no one can seem to chase it off. Where are those gun bearing airport men now?! So I take my bear spray and my hug and I lug myself up the stairs. I'm thankful that I backed my car into the parking spot (let's be honest I'm not sure I am actually IN the parking spot, but this is Alaska so it's ok...) so I am a few feet closer to the door when I sprint the 10 feet to avoid getting mauled by a bear tomorrow morning. On that note... time for bed.

Eastern Oregon: Deer, Joel Osteen, and Equine Science.

So, here I am. I'm currently in the great city of Redmond, OR...but lets start at the very beginning. After listening to the Speak Now album by Taylor Swift (since I was going to be in "country land"), I entered Eastern Oregon with the excitement of a nineteen year old stuck in the dos and don'ts of love.

The first day brought some unwanted emotions. WARNING: THIS STORY IS NOT FUNNY. (If you want to pass this one, I have included where it is okay to laugh). I visited one school where I had the pleasure of talking with one student who was highly interested and is going to be a great prospect. It then turned to something a little different. One student, who was a little odd, asked me if I was a rep for a college in which I responded "yes." He then felt that this was sufficient conversation for the time being.
He then returned with another question "Do you have to be actively participating in Christianity to go there?"
I responded with an emphatic "Yes, you do."
As if I had offered him vinegar, he quickly backed away and shook his hands in front of him from left to right and said "No...thanks...no...I'm...uhm...No...I'm agnostic."
I then responded quickly with "Hey, that's alright."
This haunted me quite literally for the entire afternoon. I just said "hey, that's alright" to someone who just expressed that they were intentionally against the idea of a God. I was responding from a "counselor's" mindset as far as "hey, you don't believe in Christianity, well then that's okay...you're not the kind of student I'm recruiting." However, the "Christian" part of me just sank. I couldn't stop thinking about him. He had expressed his false beliefs and I passively breezed over it as if it were no big deal. Quite literally, this student is going to face the ultimate punishment and I didn't do anything to try and help him. I wasn't visited by any other students the entire visit and I wanted him to desperately come by again so I could talk with him about his choice to pursue agnosticism. I didn't get the chance. This turned into a long conversation with Leah where I just had to remind myself that I am not ultimately responsible for his eternal decision; however, it was a good reminder to always be ready because we are always on the mission field.
Moral of the story is "Stay alert gang! Although we are recruiting, God may have bigger plans for our travel season."

YOU MAY LAUGH OR NOT LAUGH FROM NOW ON.
Monday evening brought a funny little frustration. Of course, I happended to pick the one hotel to stay in all week that doesn't have Wifi! Oh, they do have wifi; however, it's down this week for no apparent reason. I even called the company who supplied the wifi and tried to find out the inside scoop. That is how desperate I became. If any of you know...when I travel and i have time off...I quite literally stay in my hotel room. So, for me to be proactive in finding an answer is as monumental as the Pope playing "put-put golf" or sighting "Big Foot" (whichever one you enjoy better or think is cooler). So...that means frequent trips to Starbucks and the local library. Currently, I'm in a library with a sculpture of a naked baby reading a book directly behind me. Like that could ever happen! Look if a baby doesn't realize his pants are off...there's no way he's intelligent enough to read a book!

The next day I visited one high school where I walked in and I saw roughly about fifty students walking around with the noise level fairly high. Then this man came up to me and asked if I was Jordan and I replied "On most days!" hahahahahahahahaaha....NO. I said, "Yes."
It turns out that was the counselor and he said "They're all here for you!"
I then thought "Oh my goodness...how am I going to talk to all these students and keep thier attention without a microphone?"
The beginning of your presentation is very crucial. You have to get thier respect, keep thier attention, and choose your words carefully because if you don't win them over in the first minute...it turns painful for both parties.
I am happy to say it was one of the best visits I have ever had. The students were engaged, I made them laugh frequently (no big deal...), and I talked with multiple interested students after the presentation. I ended up staying there almost 90 minutes.
All this to say...Lois and Anita...look out for a surge in applications from Crook County High...this presentation was like a J.K. Rowling and the Victor Valley presentation was nothing more than a Stepanie Meyer. Know what I'm sayin'?..."There's a storm comin'" : )

Oh my goodness. I'm in the library...remember? There's this little girl just staring at me. She's got a ton of books and she's carrying them like a butler. What do you want? What is wrong with you? Haven't you ever seen an attractive man working on a 2003 giant laptop before? Move!!! You're making me feel like Quasimoto! Seriously! Keep moving?!?! Quit pushing your glasses up with your nose and face muscles! Use your hands! That's what God gave them to you for! See your optometrist! "HEY LITTLE GIRL, QUIT STARING AT ME!" (I'm yelling this with my eyes...oh she knows what I'm sayin'...."

Anyways, back to my week. I had an awesome surprise. My beautiful, young and able wife, LEAH, the queen of Jordania, came to visit me on Tuesday and Wednesday! So I met up with Leah around six and we went to dinner. The first dinner we had was at Izzy's. I haven't been to Izzy's since I was probably like 10 years old; however, I remember thier pizza tasting like a symphony of angels. So, I roped Leah into going. If I love the pizza so much, why have I not been back? Well...a couple reasons. First, something happened with my parents and all of a sudden we never went there. I think I remember my mom saying something about people sneezing in the salad buffet, but I didn't mind...I was a kid...I had the immune system of a quail! The other thing was...there was this waiter that I still remember to this day and he had some sort of disease. I think it was alopecia and he was sort of balding at 23 (which happens), but his hair dropped into one of our waters and thus we've never been back to Izzy's till this week. Well, I'm happy to report that the pizza is as good as I remember!

The second and final dinner Leah and I shared was not very momentous; however, the car ride was. As we were driving towards the restaurant we passed two teenagers, a boy and a girl, who were pretending they were bread and they were making a sandwich; they were practicing CPR, yet neither was having trouble breathing; they were trying to not let the metaphorical sphere between thier bodies drop on the ground, yet there was no competition...do you see what I'm saying? They were going at each other like two horizontal meerkats. Thats not all though...they are literally laying directly on the sidewalk with both sets of legs laying over the curb and into the street. They were doing all of this on the sidewalk/curb of thier neigborhood and even worse...when we drove by...no flinching...no moving...just caring on with thier version of "Tangled," which would not be rated-G.
I couldn't believe it, plus I've never seen that done on a curb...but Leah...all she could say was "How does that work?","That doesn't look comfortable.", "Its cold. Why don't they wear a jacket?" etc.
So we eat our dinner and head back to the hotel without wifi if you remember. We get to the intersection and guess what...
THEY ARE STILL THERE!!!!!!!!!!
This has been over 90 minutes and they are still there. Different positions, but same story. Only this time she was sitting like he was a bull and she was entered in the PBR championships. Plus, I think he thought she was a magic lamp because uhm...he was caressing her like a genie was coming shortly...oh and by the way...still on the sidewalk...no pillow...with thier bodies stretching into the road...I wanted to honk...but I could just stare in disbelief. I went by that intersection today...and I almost half expected them to both be there.

The questions of the week is: "Do you have equine science?" It's funny how, based on the territory, you get common questions. Central California didn't care much about horses, but here...I'm afraid to say I find horses arrogant, too good for society, and awfully picky on who they decide can ride them. But, I've decided to keep my mouth shut because thier haunches have the power to make me very good friends with a chair on wheels.

One random thing that happened, is I showed up to one of my school visits and the counselor came up to me in a royal purple choir robe, with Mardi Gras beads around his neck and a unique hat. This hat was like that of the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland...except this one was covered in Chinchilla. Then another counselor was dressed similarly and the secretary the same. I found out shortly after...it was Spirit Week. Whew!

Today was the Central Oregon national fair at the Expo Center. First of all, I'm happy to say that I made friends! I met a couple counselors and we talked, plus GFU guy came and we talked a little too! I felt very connected as a counselor.
This fair was CRAZY! I literally ran out of materials within 1 hour! UP ran out of info. after 30 minutes! So, thankfully I had plenty of inquiry cards, and I hoarded a couple brochures for my visits tomorrow. It was so unbelievable. I think I got like 60 cards filled out from this one fair. It was the most successful fair I've ever been to...but next year we have to bring an entire box of brochures. I talked with some of the other counselors and they said they pack extra boxes just for this fair. There were about 2500 students that came through so it was busy! It was three hours, but it flew by. In that time though, you're bound to have some weird conversations right? Right.

Oh and the Joel Osteen thing. I watched a very interesting interview with him and Piers Morgan on Tuesday evening. Do you guys know what denomination he is? I thought he was kind of a joker...I know... I judged the book by its cover...but he did say some good things...so I shall not rest till I know who he is and where he stands!

First, one student asked me what is your "something community like". I couldn't quite hear her, so I asked "What was that?"
"What is your gay community like?"
"Oh...gay community? Well, it's not going to be very prominent at Corban. But I say that when I actually mean its kind of 'non-existent'".
"Oh...okay."
"Nice to meet you though."

Then there was this one. This girl reminded me of one of those cartoons where they have really big eyes and a small body. Like all you can see are giant eyes and glasses usually with tiny feet.
"Do you think animals go to heaven?"
Okay, this goes down as STRIKE ONE. She could be serious, but my guard is up because if she continues with these types of questions, she might just be playing with me because our table cloths says "God" and she wants to mess with me.
"Well, I think there will be animals in heaven, but, like, whether my dog will be going to heaven? I don't really know. That's a tricky question. What do you think?"
"My dog has cancer."
This could actually be real. She might be asking me because she's upset about her dog...so guard down a little bit.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that."
"Will you pray for her?" she says with no emotion.
STRIKE TWO! No real student with this problem would be so bold so quickly. Consider my guard is up again. Then she says to me...
"Will you hold my hands and pray for her?" as she stretches her hands towards me.
STRIKE THREE MISSY! No real student, or student who is looking at a four-year university, would ask me these questions in such quick concession. You've been found out. I respond,
"No, I'm sorry I wont. I will pray though."
"Okay."
Then as she leaves, she turns back and says "Don't forget to pray!"
Oh boy, did she just mock the gift of prayer? That does not sit well with me...no it does not.

And that is where I am as of now. It's Thursday night with just one more day left before I'm back in our great city of Salem!

Miss you guys...see you soon!

life back at the office

A peom for your Monday full of travels...

MONDAY AT THE OFFICE:

large trucks outside my window smashing the ground and my concentration.
gray skies.
visitors here and there, following jared around the campus.
cloudy.
my hands have blisters from where sarah and i repeatedly picked up weights at 6am.
rain.
staring at my to-do list while drinking my coffee.
a bit of sunshine?
the office smells like an old person's attic.
nope, not sunshine.
people walking to and fro trying to get to class.
gray skies.
muddy work boots, butt cracks and work trucks are my view.
cloudy.
and yet...
another day to be alive and find out why this is the day that the Lord has made... :)
so back to it...

Adventures of the new girl: week 1- laughter and credit cards

There are so many moments where laughter is a good thing. A necessity. If I have learned anything looking back on week 1 of travel season, this would be it. Let me start from the beginning...
As you all know, I flew to Sacramento on September 11th. A fact that I was less than thrilled about. I know that TSA runs a tight ship, but I could just picture my plane being the one that ends up having some kind of bad person on it. Knowing my luck, I'd probably be sitting by them. (I have quite the imagination. It did not serve me well in this case) The morning before I left, a sweet older man at my church reminded me, 'you won't be flying alone, Katy. You're in the Lord's hands.' I had no idea I'd be reminded of this throughout my travels. This was just the first of many opportunities to remind myself of that truth. So, I checked my two humungous bags, took a deep breath and looked gate 3C I wandered through the airport and evetually found 3C...it was the furthest gate out. I walked for what seemed like a mile on the outside Tarmac, with the awkwardly long display board bag hanging off my shoulder. I boarded the plane, sweating profusely, and worked my way down the aisle, moving carefully so as not to smack some poor unsuspecting person in the head. I found my seat and loaded my stuff overhead and sat down on a sticky leather seat, waiting anxiously to see who my seat buddy would be. To my surprise, a robust woman decked out in patriotic reds, whites and blues, wearing bright lip stick came my way. Her husband, whom she must've dressed, sat across the aisle from her. He was wearing an American flag t-shirt and a straw hat. In the first 5 minutes she called me 'dear' 3 times and told me all about her family. We became fast friends. She talked to me for the entire flight and when it was time to land, she gave me her phone number and made me promise that if I ever needed anything that I would call her. She even offered to have her gay son and his partner let me stay a night at their home. How nice. :) We landed safely, I made a new friend who was proud to be an American, and our plane was not hijacked. So far, so good.
I picked up my rental car, a Dodge Journey, and traveled to my hotel. Upon arrival, I was surprised, not in a good way by my 'home' for the next few nights. It was one of those rooms you lock yourself into, close the windows and don't leave til morning. Not that I was unsafe, but I was definitely not in the lap of luxury. The first two days of school visits were fairs, which allowed me to make friends with other Admissions counselors and 'get my feet wet' in the admissions travel world. The whole week was going perfectly. I had not yet run late to a visit, I was gaining confidence, and was really starting to enjoy myself. Late Thursday afternoon, I stopped for gas. Uh-oh...self pump. I had totally forgotten! I got out, inserted the pump and filled my tank. I felt very proud of myself for accomplishing this task with such ease. When it was finished I printed my receipt and drove away towards where the fair would be that evening, feeling pretty good about myself.
The next morning I left my hotel and stopped at Starbucks on my way to my school visit which was an hour and a half away. When I went to purchase my drink, I couldn't find my Corban credit card. I stepped aside, searched my bag, then felt sick to my stomach as I realized where it was...outside on top of the pump at the gas station where I had pumped my gas the day before! I had not had my card for about 20 hours! Now I had a choice: fight or flight (thank you, Seth). I took a deep breath, whispered a prayer, and got down to business. With the help of Jared, who calmly talked me through how this should be handled, I dialed the visa customer service number to track down the card. Within 10 minutes I was talking to a heavily-accented man over speaker phone explaining my predicament while being stuck in traffic on my way out of town. I pictured some stranger having the time of his time purchasing a lifetime supply of cigars and a Plane ticket to Tahiti. I was going to put a stop to that! In the end, The card was canceled and I was 10 minutes late to my school where only 1 student showed up. However, despite this frustrating start to my day, I found myself in a very odd state of calm. As I prayed, I had a confidence that God was going to take care of all the details. I later called the gas station just to see if they had seen my card. The lady told me that yes, they did have it, and it was still waiting for me if I wanted to pick it up! I will always be thankful for that good Samaritan who found it and turned it in. It was already canceled so I am without a corban credit card for the rest of my trip, but at least now I can rest knowing that there is one less bad person traveling to Tahiti. At least not on my tab. God is so good.
I cannot conclude without some details about my saturday adventure to San Francisco. Wow, what a day! Here is an outline of some highlights of this day:
-Parked in the ghetto area of town called the Tenderloin district. Oops. Don't worry, I have pepper spray just in case. Thanks, mom and dad!
-Met a nice couple from Damascus, Oregon (10 minutes from my house!) that let me cut in line and travel with them to Pier 39
-Got stopped by the 'sexy police'....what, they had a badge, it was legit! ;)
-Ate a clam chowder bread bowl on the pier, overlooking the water.
-Rode a cable car down Nobb Hill- they let me stand on the outside! I've never more felt like Judy Garland in my life. It was a true 'Meet me in St, Louis' moment. It took everything in me not to breakout into song like a musical.
-Enjoyed really rich chocolate ice cream in Ghiradelli Square
-Took a boat ride tour of San Francisco Bay. Went under the Golden Gate Bridge and past Alcatraz. Did you know that six prisoners who attempted to escape Alcatraz are still unaccounted for?? Creepy.
- Took a picture of a man painted in gold who was posing as a statue, not knowing that you have to tip them for any pictures taken. I searched my bag and found no spare change. Desperately, I offered him a stick of gum. He shook his head, puckered up, and pointed to his lips, raising one eyebrow. I laughed and said, 'no way! That's way too valuable!" he laughed and nodded. He settled with the stick of gum.

This concludes week 1 of the adventures of the new girl. I hope I have given you a clear picture of what I have experienced thus far, and a clear picture of how God is taking care of me, from the big to the small things. I am now settled into a cozy couch in the corner of a Starbucks, sipping a hot cup of coffee, reflecting on the events of this past week. I am ready for another week! Let's hope it's a little less eventful, though. Either way, I'm going to face it head on. And I bet I will be laughing.

Run This Town

Okay...so I'll try to recap my first week in California in as much detail as possible because...there have been some funny, horrific, and uncomfortable situations.

Any "rhymes with" is to protect the individual : ) Plus, don't get all bookworm on me if there are typos...now enjoy...

First things first. I fly into Fresno, drive to my hotel and arrive around 11p, so I'm pretty tired. I go to the counter to check into my room and the hotel worker is someone who has not been blessed with what the world would call "good looks." He looks like a combination of John Candy and John Goodman. If you don't know...google them. Okay..so I'm thinking "I'm going to be nice to this guy because he's going to see that good-looking people are nice too" :) (I wish I could see all your faces when you read that...) HOWEVER, he turns out to be an individual where you give him an inch and he takes a mile.
He starts out by saying the usual "S-s-sorry for the wait." (He has a tiny stutter when he gets excited)
"oh, no problem," I reply.
"I usually don't work now. I mean, I do...but not this night." Did I mention he has a lazy/glass eye?
"oh really?" (Just something you say right?)
"Yah. I have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven more people including yourself to check in tonight," which he says while his finger is pointing to the screen.
"Wow....that's a lot of people, " (again I'm just being nice)
"What's the name?"
"Uh, Lindsey. L-I-N-D-S-E-Y."
"oh, I didn't think you would be the one who was 'Lindsey'.... but that's all I'm going to say because I don't want you coming back here and punching my lights out"
- I'm flattered to hear he thinks I could take him down but...WHAT? It's my last name. Is he calling me some type of feminite by that comment?
"Okay, you've requested a king size bed with wheelchair access."
I sort of chuckle because I just booked it quickly on priceline and didn't even notice it was a handicapped room. I say "Yah, I guess so."
Someone else walks into the hotel and is behind me. They can hear everything now.
"Well, you requested it."
"Okay."
"I don't ask questions. Whatever you're in to."
WHATTT?!?!?! who says that?!?!? "Whatever I'm in to" plus there's someone behind me. I'm really annoyed right now. So I do the classic pull out my phone and start scrolling aimlessly so he can see that I'm a very busy person, I want my key, and he should stop talking to me.
He gives me the key, debriefs me on how to get to my room and I ask "What's the wireless code for Wifi?"
"I don't know the code. That's the honest truth. I knew it and then they changed it about a week ago. The person who knows the code is working tomorrow morning at 6a and they would know it. I don't really want to call her now and find out because she's working at 6a and it would be like, you know, 'suicide by management.'"
I'm thinking "I DON"T CARE. YOU CALL THEM and GET MY CODE!" But I gave him a dissatisfied look and took my stuff because I did not want to deal with this man any more.
It turned out you don't need a code for that wireless and I went to my handicapped room, which really just meant that the bathroom was big enough to hold Cher and David Anderson's personal wardrobes. Plus, the bathroom flooded any time I bathed myself because there were no bath walls to contain the water. I can't say I'll be staying at a Best Western in Idaho...

Tuesday...the only thing to mention during this day is my encounter with Timothy from CBU. So...we all know Tim for various reasons right? I decide to use the restroom before the fair which I never do and as I'm walking out, Tim walks in and we do this awkward "Whoa thing" were he says "What's up man?" and I blurt out "Hey Tim..."

Why is this a fopaw...I think you know. I know for a fact that he doesn't know my name and here's the weirdo Corban rep who knows his name. Hopefully this doesn't ruin our relationship.

Wednesday, I went to, rhymes with "Balinas", High school which was straight up ghetto. I felt like I was walking into the set of the music video "How We Do" by "Fiddy" and "the Game". Thier were latino kids who looked like they were forty and had one thing on thier mind...taking out a caucasian who appears rich because of his tie and style : ) Then I went to another High school where I met, let's call him Demitri. Demitri is a hispanic man with a very soft-spoken voice. I don't want to judge a book by its cover; however, you know when you see Kurt from Glee and you're like..."I don't wanna judge but he is definitely not asking any girls out on dates..." I got the same vibe from Demitri. Maybe it was his manerisms. Maybe it was his sweater vest. But, I was excited to meet him because he knew I was with a Christian school and I made it my job to show him a ton of respect, talk with him, look him in the eyes, and be as friendly as I could because he was great at his job and I wanted him to know that if he does practice an alternative lifestyle, he is still important, respected, and has something to offer. I felt like I was being an ambassador for Christianity and I'm hoping I helped his perception of us just a little.

Before I got to Monterey, I saw classic California. There's a skateboarder who skates into an intersection. A lexus didn't see him coming. There's an accident averted but everyone wants to chime in to set the record straight on who's fault it really is. The skateboarder yells "What the 'FANCY' are you doing?" And then he proceeds to walk towards the car.
Instead of driving away (which is what I would do), the driver rolls down his window and says, "You need to 'FANCY' watch your back or I'm going to 'FANCY' you up." The exchange a couple more 'FANCY's' and then they carry on. That is why I love the Northwest!

Oh my goodness...I nearly had a heart attack at, rhymes with Ponterey, HS. Know why? Because I LOST MY PHONE! I tore through my car, my bags, and I was through the roof in anxiety. I kept praying, praying, and praying. The counselor decided to help me which was a huge blessing too. We took two trips back to the classroom where I presented and back to the car. She actually gave me her phone to call my phone around my car to see if it's there and then God decided to let me find it, which I haven't stopped thanking Him for. It was in the counseling office. One of the counselors had it...long story.

Another funny story about "Ponterey" High is there was this boy lets call Manny. He is 15, a fresman, looks like Manny from "Modern Family", and had so many questions about Corban for me. After my visit was done, I talked with him for about 30-40 minutes about everything. Here's how it went...
"So should I go to Annapolis or Corban?"
What?!?! They're completely different! Not just college different but goal different. It's like asking should I buy a tractor or an airplane...they have different purposes.
"How are the dorms set up?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do the blueprints look like?"
But this one's the best...

"What are the 'in-sex' like?"
My mind is thinking, WHAT?!?!?! How am I going to clarify with him? Is this another type of orientation that I don't know about? And just about when I was going to clarify and try to tackle this question about morality the Holy Spirit grabbed my brain and told me..."What are the insects like?" Like Bugs! Whew! I was not ready to talk with a 15 year old about how God intended marriage and yada yada yada.
Oh...and I told him "Uhm the insects are average size."
"Good...nothing a NERF gun can't take care."
Oh...he's so adorable...still playing with NERF at 15.

On to Thursday....I drove a ton the past couple days. OH! guess what car I have? I have a Mazda3 and it's awesome! I've filled up for gas almost every day though...not really...but it feels like it. At one of my visits at a Christian school, I was meeting with a couple students and I said "at Corban, you must be a bible-believing Christian..." and the girl actually rolled her eyes, shrugged her shoulders and looked at the counselor.

Do you ever feel like when you say "you have to be a Christian to attend" it's like you just said something about the "birds and the bees." It automatically gets uncomfortable, and the students generally look down for a second, smile, and maybe even giggle. I've noticed a paralled between these subjects. Leah tells me "IT's Guilt! The feel guilty!" which she accompanies with a "MmmHmm" and finger snap much like me UPN Queen "Moesha."

My drop offs have gone well....however, they always look like I have an explosive device. Instead of being happy I brought them some cookies...they always look at me like "why are you bringing me cookies?"...but nothing a big 'ole smile can't take care of : )

Today, I almost got in an accident, but the LORD kept me safe! We were travelling at 75-80 MPH and then we suddenly stopped because there was a car facing us full of golf carts on the freeway...weird. So I slammed on my brakes and went to my right, where another car was in my blindspot so I thought I was good to go over, but the two of us sort of did a dance to avoid each other and I travelled a few feet between two lanes before I was completely stopped and no one hit each other...it was a miracle...which also reminded me it doesn't matter if I'm five minutes late. That's better than being in an accident which will make me even later.

Today, Friday, I definitely felt the love from a couple counselors...both women I might add... : ) I like to think I have quite a way with 50s and up women...they eat me up! Sort of kidding. One of them told me I was great at my job...no big deal...and then one of them said "Look at you!" when I walked in and the bantar quickly ensued. She also said that our standing display was "Cute."

Also today, when I had to kill about an hour of time...I mosied into a Blockbuster...which if you know me...can be a very dangerous thing. I'm ashamed to say...yet uber excited to say...I walked out with 7 movies!!! With an average price of $5.65 per movie! It was a steal! In case you're wondering, I bought them on Corban...I thought that's the least they could do for sending me to California :) Psyche! Just kidding! That was mainly to see if Heidi would think I was serious or if she knows me well enough to know I have impeccable responsibility traits. I know how Courtney would respond... "I feel like....maybe that's not the best use of our funds." : ) Miss you guys! Hope you have as much fun reading it as I did reliving it! Have a great weekend, can't wait to see you back in the office!

I didn't mention Cara, Beau, Callie, Katy, Jared, or Sarah in this blog and all of you are important so here's a mention of you from me to you.

Jared, thanks for being the godfather of blog. It's safe to say without your love and support I would have never used this as an emotional outlet.

I talked with Cara today. She thinks she's cool because she talked with someone who said they were in a movie. Only time will tell if this is a shining moment in her life or if it is an embarrassing moment.

I just heard back from Beau today. He's still alive, but part of my wonders if he remembered he needs to do school visits or if he's just been camping all week in Montana : ) Love you BEAU!

Callie....she always calls me "Lindsey" in emails. I'm wondering if she knows my first name.

Katy has been the best communicator on this trip. I've gotten a text from her every other day. Have fun in San Fran tomorrow!

Sarah...HI!

Oh and Jared/Sarah tell Anita/Lois hello.

Now, I'm going to eat and see if I can figure out the ipad a little more!

Yet Another "Jared" Room

I seem to have a bent
for odd hotels to rent.
I don't know how,
I'm laughing now,
so pictures I have sent.