A summer at home

This was by far one of the most uneventful summers I've had in a long while.

But after traveling the country and the world in 2017, I welcomed a quiet summer at home.

Mike got to go to Indiana for five days to celebrate his younger brother's 40th birthday and to help his parents get much further along on a big construction project at their home.

Juan has enjoyed spending a summer away from home with many other college students from Texas and other states while working hard at Pine Cove in Columbus, Texas. His weeks have been hard, but his weekends have been a lot of fun for him.

David got to go to camp in Winter Park, Colorado, he served on a mission trip to the Rio Grande Valley down by Mexico (in one of the hottest weeks of the year), he bought an old pick-up to work on with Mike as a fun project so he will have it to drive to school this year, and he's been working at Chick Fil-a several evenings each week.

 Winter Park, CO trip--JOURNEY HS CAMP

Church camp--Where deep spiritual transformation takes place and great friendships are born

Off to the Rio Grande Valley

Mission trips--Where students learn about putting others' needs before their own, while also building life-long friendships with those serving alongside them

 Out to the driveway

 Fun times working with Dad, learning new things, taking pride and ownership in his first vehicle

The only trip I took was an overnight stay near Pine Cove to visit with Juan, the only time our entire family was together. The rest of the summer, I just stayed home. And I loved it.

I cleaned parts of my home that I haven't touched in a long time. I organized closets, drawers, pantries, and purged a ton of stuff I just didn't need, either to the trash or to Goodwill. We repainted David's room from the deep purple he chose as a 12 year old to the patriotic colors he now loves as a 16 year old. I repainted my bathroom with the extra white paint from David's room and the gray paint from his trim. (I had aspirations of painting more of the house, but everyone else's schedules were a little too scattered for us to all work together on that, so those aspirations will wait for another opportunity.)

I re-organized my school files to get them ready to tackle second grade again--a year that I am truly looking forward to and am ready to jump back into very soon. I am eager to see the surprised look on the kids' faces when they see that I get to be their teacher for the second time now two years later, in a grade I feel much more confident in and prepared to teach than I ever did Pre-K. I see a very fun, rewarding year ahead.

I spent time with my parents, now that they're in town. Not as much as expected, but definitely more than if they were still living ten hours away. We dressed up like cows together so we could get free sandwiches at Chick Fil-a. I got to celebrate my dad's birthday with him, make a neat craft with my mom, and find some thrifty places to shop together.

Mike and I went on lots of dinner dates, and David and I watched a lot of movies at home and played tons of games together. Plus we watched the Fireworks twice!

I watched the World Cup very faithfully, right alongside of Laura, as we texted each other between two continents throughout the games, sharing tears together when Colombia lost their final match. I didn't get to visit her this year, but I felt like we still got to spend time together--something I will never take for granted.

I caught up on some long, overdue coffee dates with one of my dearest friends walking through a very similar stage of life with me right now. And we now have a new favorite coffee shop, thanks to Juan for introducing me to it right before he left for the summer.

I enjoyed Spain this year by watching pictures on Facebook from two of my friends who visited there this summer. I enjoyed Guatemala by following the Facebook and Instagram posts of the team that went, by supporting one of the students, and by praying for all of them. Watching their pictures and posts made me cherish my own memories in both places all the more. Thankful for the opportunities gifted to me a year ago.

And on Wednesday nights, I had the opportunity to lead five weeks of a women's Bible study at church called Fear and Anxiety. That alone brought me absolute joy, especially the first night. When you pray for months for God to bring just the right women to a study, and then they come pouring into the room on the first night from literally all over the metroplex--many of whom had absolutely no connection to our church, it's incredibly humbling. Women ranging from 12 years old to 80 years old. College girls craving the Word of God who googled nearby churches and just came, not even knowing we had a Bible study going on. A friend from my son's soccer team four years ago who just happened to want to get involved in a Bible study and saw a post on Facebook. A woman (a stranger) who heard me give my testimony at the Unveiled Event in May after seeing it advertised on Facebook, who left that night saying God brought her to speak directly to her through my message, and then she came back for a summer of Bible study. In May, a stranger, now, a dear friend. Another friend who unexpectedly moved back from Mexico for at least the summer and immediately joined the study. Several moms and daughters of all ages who wanted to do the study together, including my own mom. Many even invited friends and family members to come after the first night.

As of my last e-mail yesterday, we had 50 women on the roster, plus a name that was missing, along with a friend doing the study on her own because her schedule didn't allow her to come. Just like any summer Bible study, it's hard to compete with vacations, mission trips, holidays, and other summer activities and meetings. We never had all 50 women at once. Some signed up, couldn't make the first meeting, and never ended up coming. But they still got the e-mails and many even got the book. God will lead them through it on His own time. Others started out strong but fell behind, so they didn't make more than one or two sessions. I told them--go at your own pace. Let God guide you. A few others have dealt with sickness or family illness, while others had to work. We've ranged from 15-39 women on a given night, but I am praying for all 50 of them, and I know God will do something in each one of them through the study in His time.

Now for one last week to hang out with David, catch another cup of coffee/long conversation with a friend, finish up the last of our summer doctor/dental appointments, bring our Bible study to a close, perhaps visit with my parents, and continue to rest up before I head back to school in a little over a week.

All in all, for a summer spent at home, I found it quite rewarding and restful.

The gift of Pine Cove

Last fall, when Juan was supposed to be looking for an on-campus job to work at while in school, he sends me a picture of a flyer from Pine Cove Camp regarding summer jobs for 2018. He wrote, "So, I have an interview for this tomorrow. What do you think?"

It was completely out of the blue and caught me off guard. I'd heard about Pine Cove on the radio every year, but I knew nothing about it or even where it was. The flyer said he could work for the first half of the summer, the second half of the summer, or for the whole summer. We'd already told him that summers full of camp, mission trips, and vacations no longer existed for him and that he'd spend each summer working and taking extra classes as long as he was in college. So I told him he'd probably have to tell them he could work for just half of the summer so he could take a summer class, too. It was still pretty early in the fall, so summer was a long way away.

He said, "Okay, Mom. Thanks." And that was that. He had his interview the next day, said it went really well and that they'd let him know.

His roommate, Sam, also applied.

By mid-December, they'd already chosen their staff and let everyone know. Juan never heard anything back from them, even though Sam did. So he kept on applying for any summer camp position he could, some in different states all over the country, assuming at least someone else from DBU would be going, too.

Juan came home for spring break still without a summer position or plan. We said, "You need to call Pine Cove to find out if they have a place for you." He did, and they said they'd already filled all of their positions. They had him reapply, though, just in case. 

At the end of April, I sat with  my small group and shared my upcoming prayer request--for my boys to find jobs. 

Just a few days later, Juan texted me.

"Mom, I got a job!!!!"

"That's great, son. Where?"

"At Pine Cove. They called and said they had a position open in maintenance, but I have to work for the whole summer. I have to be there May 12th."

Then I looked at the calendar and realized that was only two weeks away!

He scrambled to finish the semester to the best of his ability (that's another story), while packing up his dorm room and getting ready for a summer away from home, working in a job he really didn't even understand what he'd signed up for.

(Meanwhile, David got offered a local part-time job that same week and started the following week. God sure does take us seriously when we pray.)

We had a wedding to be at on May 12th, so that posed a problem. But then Juan reminded us that Sam was going to be working at Pine Cove for the summer, too, and he had to be there on the same day. So they planned to drive down there together. We took him to Sam's house on the morning of the 12th, and that's where I found out from Sam's mom that the boys weren't allowed to have any type of electronics with them and that they would only have their phones on them from Saturdays at 1:00 till Sundays at 1:00-- only for 24 hours, once a week, all summer.

Wow. Only God knew the plans He had for Juan this summer. Taming that electronic addiction, putting him in a small, uncomfortable cabin, teaching him new skills that he'd never had a single desire to learn, working him harder than he'd ever worked before, stretching him and teaching him to rely on Christ's strength rather than his own, all while building him up spiritually, bonding him tightly with solid Christian friends from all over the country, giving him godly supervisors and mentors that believe in him and encourage him, letting him use his own spiritual gift of encouragement to others, drawing him much closer to his college roommate, and keeping him immersed in the gospel. 

As much as I've missed seeing him and talking to him more than our once-a-week phonecall, I am truly thankful and once again in awe of how God is orchestrating the events of this boy's life. With tears in my eyes, I can only say, "Thank you, God."  

 Standing in the welcoming line to guide the parents who were coming to pick up their campers, also switching on and off with others to help carry all the luggage back to their cars. (And from what he tells me, that's the hardest job of all, especially when it's for middle school girls. They sure do pack a lot!)

 While Mike, David, and I waited for his last recap meeting to get over, we had a little fun on the basketball court together. 

 Then I decided to peek in on the meeting (that I later realized we were supposed to be at).

The community in that room between the counselors and staff just blew me away.

 Along with the prayer support that exists between them all. This is how they end every single week after the campers leave before they get the next 24 hours off. 

 Juan in one of the cabins (they change cabins often, depending on the number of campers), getting his laundry to take with us. 

 Just a friendly little armadillo walking by.

 A quick pic of the cabin that I wasn't supposed to go in. Oops.

A quick pic for Laura, who's missing him, too! 

 Juan showing us his work area, along with all the tools and equipment he's using on the job. Here he is explaining the names for the tractors (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and how each tractor matches its name based on the differences in the four gospel writers.

 Sitting on Matthew, the tractor he uses the most.

 New skills he never imagined learning, especially since he calls himself a city boy.

 Now he has finally entered his dad's world. Mike was actually a little jealous of Juan's experience here.

 We stopped for a quick family "selfie" before dropping him off.

Until his friends pulled up, saw us, and offered to take a few better pics for us. :)

He quickly had to change into the blue Pine Cove shirt to get ready for his weekly meeting before the next set of campers came. I'd hoped to get a picture of him and Sam together, but it started to rain, so we had to say a quick goodbye and leave. 

 But after witnessing just an hour or two of Pine Cove and observing all God is doing in, for, and through my son there, this goodbye wasn't a hard one. The next five weeks are going to fly, and I don't want to wish a minute of them away for him. 

The director introduced himself to me and said how much they love having Juan there because he's such a hard worker and is always encouraging everyone. All I could say was how thankful I am that he is there. 

Pine Cove truly is a gift from God.