A Few Thousand Words from Farvest Hall...

{Week #10}

Well, it's been a rough week. Let's just say it's been one for the books. Between relationships and material possessions... But instead of rehashing the negatives, let me just focus on the bright things in my life.

First of all I will be able to be with my family this year after all! We will all be gathering in Colorado Springs from the 26th of December to the first of January. I am so excited to see Zion for the first time and my other nieces and nephew again! Besides that I am so thrilled to be able to talk with my brothers and parents and sisters-in-law. It'll have been over a year since I've seen the Louisiana Miller clan. I'm so looking forward to the time with the family. Our now thirteen person group! I am so thankful for my family and am very excited just to be around them. Hopefully everyone can make it.

{This is not definite...but the way it looks things will be}

The other great big news is ...I'm only buying a one-way plane ticket. January 4th I will begin an internship in Development with Summit Ministries! This is a great opportunity for me and while I am very sad to be leaving NYC yet again... I look forward to the growth of this new time in my life. The plan right now is to continue training through mid-May - when Summit Sessions begin - and I would then move from my single room cabin into the hotel across the street {where the sessions occur} and continue working in development and also staff the eight sessions of Summit in Manitou. After that, on September fourth I will be returning to NYC and hopefully "settle down" a bit.

God has blessed my life so much and I've enjoyed my time here in Colorado. It's been very challenging and has prompted a ton of growth in me. The two weeks left will be savored. It will be hard to say goodbye to my dear friends here. Having lived with them for the past 10 weeks, they will leave a void. But I am excited to return to NYC for the month of December.

I texted my old manager last weekend and inquired as to the possibility of being re-hired. Thanks be to God he was completely excited about my return and has given me a nearly ideal schedule. Five opens a week, THANK YOU!!! And asked which two days off a week I'd like. Hallelujah. I will most likely return to work on December 2nd or 3rd... I get in at 9:45pm on the 1st. I'm terribly excited. I am so curious to see if I've changed. I mean, of course I've changed. But will it be noticeable? How have I changed? Will my co-workers notice? How about my roommate? We shall see!

A Few Thousand Words From Santa Fe...

I've Almost Won the Game of Catch-up!

November 7th, 2009

Paradise Lost. What a wonderful day. We began with pumpkin cinnamon rolls and followed them down with an invigorating political chat. Classical Literature then also delighted with Milton. It's been awhile. So much has happened. Last weekend we all went down to Santa Fe, New Mexico on Saturday morning and then spent all afternoon visiting a few of the many {250 galleries in one square mile} doing a scavenger hunt. That evening back at the hotel we debriefed and then had the night off. I went to Target with Johnny. Only a mile walk each way and so well worth it. And upon arriving at the hotel I quickly changed into appropriate attire in which to go out in Santa Fe on Halloween. With a few of my good friends we walked. We walked approximately three miles. In the chilly weather. I for the record still possess a blister won that evening. After those three miles of uneventful walking we decided to turn around. Three more miles. We were all exhausted and cold and ended up piling into Denny's and getting some warm food & drink. We saw many quite colorfully dressed individuals that night... After a night out on the town with my new friends we returned to the hotel, enjoyed the wifi and cell reception. And then called it a night, or rather morning. Much walking had made us weary.
Sunday morning, thanks to daylight savings time, I was up and about a bit earlier than was necessary. I enjoyed the continental breakfast at the hotel and relayed the events of the previous night to my comrades. Then we checked out, piled into our three 15 passenger, Summit Ministries inscribed, white vans. A short trip arrived us at the plaza in Santa Fe and we proceeded to walk to St. Francis of Assisi's Cathedral. What a beautiful exterior. Thanks to my art history education I was prepared to discover the interior of the church was even more beautiful, and it was. We were about 20 minutes early for the second mass and we all wandered off in reverent silence and found seats. Every little bit of the service enchanted me. I felt so comfortable. When I return to NYC I am considering attending mass weekly. Don't worry about it Keith. After the service, which was I should mention an ideal day to attend {All Saints Day} since the Archbishop was coming to pray at the cemetery underneath the church due to it's age and history. All the renovations on the now 400 year old structure were completed. A wholly rich experience.
After the service Evelyn & I headed off to explore and stumbled upon a wonderful gallery. I ended up getting into conversation with the gallery owner and after exchanging cards we continued on our merry way. Many charming shops later we found ourselves back at the cathedral just in time to see the Archbishop procession. After the ceremony there was an after party which Evelyn, Johnny & I all attended. What a trip. Seeing the priest in street clothes was great. After that we were about to begin the return trip home and then a few of our kind returned with some gems of books. After having already explored the three known {closed} bookstores all over town Johnny & I headed to this rather close one with speed to make the most of our last 15 minutes. What a bookstore. Quite possibly my very favorite bookstore. Suffice it to say, since my words will carry me away, I also exchanged contact information with the owner. We will be great friends. Running back to meet the group we then piled into the vans and headed back to our cloistered residence.
How was I to know the conversation on the ride home would challenge me to such a degree. It's really too winded of a tale to impart with you here but I will just say that I am certainly "staring at this fish".
The week we had Bauman. We had all missed him so. He started off on Wednesday night with a lecture upon a sentiment I just eluded to: "stare at the fish". He read us a short tale of a teacher and a student. The student wanted to study insects and his instructor gave him a fish. His arduous task was to stare at the fish. No tools or instruments other than fingers and eyes. So he examined that fish for hours and hours for three days. The moral of the story is to stare at the fish in regards to issues or problems. Free will for example is an issue I am currently grappling with and and our charge is to take our issue, and stare at it. Study, research, spend hours upon hours getting to know our "fish". It was quite a valuable lesson. The rest of the school week was filled with enjoying my roommates visitors mostly. Wendy's sister Joy, age 27 and her husband Chris came on Thursday, all day Friday, and left at noon on Saturday. They were such a blast. And that brings me to this busy couple days coming up.

November 8th 2009

Today Summit Semester, or as the church body prefers to call us: Summit Academy... Led worship. After church we had a potluck with the whole church - Thanksgiving style. After lunch Evelyn & I made passing contact with the Internet and then proceeded to procure the necessary elements for our "Farvest Hall" costumes. Pictures and explanations to follow. After that we are actually just staying in town until youth group tonight where a few of us a going to talk to the teens and lead small groups. A new experience! Evelyn, Johnny & I are leading worship for that. Lot's of music!
Well that's Sunday. Tomorrow is "Farvest Hall" our big holiday here... Intrigued? Check back next Sunday for the next installment! Have a great week everyone!

A pic from last week...

I'm slowly getting caught up!

Finally!!!

{My official blog for Summit's page. Each student writes one and this is my stab at it! }

Hello! My name is Annie and I'm here to share with you some of my experiences from this weekend here at Summit Semester 2009!

I have never had a very structured personality and if there is one thing here that is being incessantly drilled into my occasionally thick head, it is the schedule. I can't say I'm in love with it but I have learned to respect it. The part I have the highest respect for is the weekends. We have some unstructured days on the weekends... 

This weekend was fantastic! On Saturday twenty-four students and two mentors made the two-and-a-half hour drive to Mesa Verde to explore the Native American cliff dwellings. The tour guide Jeff Brown led us on an informative hour-long hike through Cliff Palace. Two of our very own were selected to assist with the tour, earning themselves junior ranger badges upon completion. Also at the end of the tour I exchanged contact information with a couple I had conversed with who were on holiday from Oxford, England. They were quite charming and their parting sentiments to me were, "We're quite friendly towards Americans, you must look us up when you're in the area." Dorothy and David, if you're reading this, know that I most definitely will look you up when I'm in the Jolly Olde.

Sunday followed our typical pattern including church at Grace and a picnic afterwards in a nearby park. Around 3:45 the last van of students returned to the lodge after our internet time. Then the mad rush for twelve of us students to prepare outside-world-worthy costumes began. For example, my best friend here Evelyn and I were an Indian and a cowboy respectively... it fits. The cause for donning costumes? Grace Church had extended to Summit an invitation to attend their high school / junior high party christened "Fall-apalooza." A quick stop at City Market to gather pumpkins for carving at the party and we were on our way. Arriving in our inconspicuous fifteen-passenger, Summit-Ministries-inscribed white van, we stormed the party. 

The house was decorated impeccably with Christian-appropriate Halloween festive trinkets. There was good food in abundance. And... Summit folk may or may not have provided the life of the party. There were occasional dance outbreaks interspersed amongst the planned festivities due to the surprisingly great background music. Starting with an icebreaker game of sharing embarrassing stories that, we were all quite impressed, one of the locals won, we then moved into the mini powdered donut-on-a-string eating contest. The locals won again. I don't want it to look like I'm emphasizing competition, but we all know that life is a game and not everyone wins.

At this point Summit kids were warmed up. Pie eating contest. Team Dano/Evelyn won first place, making Summit proud. Cookie decorating followed, allowing everyone to indulge in their wildest cookie fantasies. After a short instruction on the ways of "Thriller" we all {mostly Summit kids} danced it up to Ratatat and then the real contest began. 

A runway was formed and all those in costumes lined up and took a number. After the votes were counted, Summit had cleaned up all three categories, an unforeseen accident. Taking third twice and second once, the toga trio was funny, creative, and obnoxious. Our chauffeur Russell won most creative and our very own Mack Everly took home first place in "most obnoxious." The program being over, we then piled into our hot ride and returned to our cloistered residence.

I know all who went will forever remember that party as the epitome of church/Halloween combo party.

After we returned to Snow Wolf Lodge many students took advantage of our movie night, watching "Amazing Grace" while others turned in early. However one chose to finish off the evening, this weekend was very possibly the best we've had so far. BY A LOT.

This week...

Here's the deal. A day here feels like two or three. A week here can seem as long as a month, and yet, somehow we've already been here a month. It surely feels like I've been here longer than NYC. Yesterday was the mark of equal time spent in either location. Now I've been here longer then I've lived in NYC. Bauman is back. It's so good. He's one of the most incredible men in the world. I feel like so much has happened in the outside world. Literally seconds ago Bauman informed us that Barack Hussein Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. Wow. What songs have come out? What else is going on in the world? Some of it is of little or no import, but I also have this haunting feeling that someday...in a year or two...I'll be out at a party or something and someone will start talking about something that I will have no idea about. Oh, that happened in the three months where I dropped off the face of the planet. Right.

But then again, when else does a person GET a chance to disappear? Just last night I pulled a little disappearing act - staying and talking for a long time in an unpredictable room. So I was off the map. My roommate was looking for me, and I was nowhere to be found. I'll admit, that is pretty hard to do. To honestly disappear from everyone. The same 28 students that I live, eat, go to class with, are omnipresent. Alone time is rare time. I know I've told myself so many times, but I really don't know what I would do without my people. They honestly are keeping me sane. I don't even want to think what these months would be like without them.

Class is amazing. Bauman is pretty near God. He's funny as hell. Brilliant as Einstein. Well, he's just a baller. I honestly feel honored by the fact that he merely knows my name. He's that cool. I think he should run for president. Really.

Lately it's had me thinking. How awesome Bauman is and how he's a Christian. And I don't really know, but I think of him, and C.S. Lewis, and then Annie Laurie. What right do I have to say that they, these brilliant men, have it wrong. I know we all have our doubts and these great men probably do as well, but still. Where do I get off ever thinking I know better?

I was accused this week of having a high horse and being on it. And, maybe I am. Where do I get off?

The other thought I have been ruminating on this week is change. Have I changed? How will I know if I have? I hope I change by the end of this. Maybe I need to get off the horse. I don't know what needs to change in my life but the one thing I do know is my desire for the fear of the Lord. Maybe it all goes together. I want to be wise. Real wisdom. I seek higher knowledge. I've been reading Franny & Zooey and as I come to the end I just see how vacant some parts of me are. I want to be a fully satiated being.

I guess I'm just rambling. But, hopefully it gets me somewhere. I need to know where I want to go, and then I will know when I get there.

I'm taking the long cut I'm sure.

But in the dark it's all unclear.

I won't know when I get there.

Because I don't know where there is.

As I feel along the darkened halls.

I grasp for things familiar.

I don't know what I'm looking for,

But I hope I'll someday know.

My mind keeps running in circles.

Around the truths I know.

It's starting to slow now.

Hopefully on the answer.

Let me know when I'm getting close

Give me a hint or tell me where to go.

Give me your hand - cause in the dark

I'm all alone and lost.