finally.

Finally.

lunch with someone my age.
someone who cares about people.
who is willing to be transparent.
thank you Lord!

What a day in the life of an intern looks like...

Here is what today looked like:

Answered emails - 5 min


worked on filling out a grant - 1 hour

Boss changed plan for a grant and had to resend emails - 5 min

Restart working on grant - 1 hour

Boss finally responded to multiple emails and then started on a new lead for a few grants - 10 min

sat and pondered - 2-3 min intervals

Met with shop director to look over advertisement - 10 min

Call Macy's - 2 min

Apply online for macy's application - 30 min

Make tomorrows to-do list - 5 min

Research new grant - 5 min

start on new grant - 10 min

get pulled into unplanned meeting - 15 min

Listen to Bob Marley while finishing up and cleaning up desk - 4 min

That was my 4 hour day.



Was today frustrating? YES
Was today tiring? YES
Was today worth not being paid? NO
Was a phone call made to my mom to complain? YES
Did I come home and immediately eat ice cream? YES
Did I then decide to take a nap instead of doing something productive? YES.
 
Addios.
 

< Cinque Terra in Italia 2009

Failures with hidden success

So I decided to go out to downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. However, Friday proved to be a FAILURE. Couldn't find ANYWHERE to park, and NO coffee or taverns I was looking for! So therefore, while on the phone with Natalie Huth, explaining my failure and my drive back to my house. So luckily I had stumbleupon.com and a German exchange student, Isabel, to hang out with late last night. So Friday's hidden success, coming home, changing into pajamas and eating ice cream.

Saturday, FAILURE in trying to locate the Eastown Bizarre Bazaar, it didn't exist. So lucky decided to explore via car the rest of downtown and DID find my first success of the day: The Bitter End. A very cute, on the more ghetto side of the downtown coffee shop. Filled with University students, good coffee, and street parking you can actually find! Then I decided why not try and find the lake. So I drove out to Holland and walked out to the beach and enjoy the COOL 62 degrees! It was heavenly. This was a success!

Then I was apparently more tired than I thought, came home and fell asleep for 2 hours. Then pizza and tv with Katye. And currently writing this post.

This week at work went really well. I actually started writing grants. So far I have written 2 Letters of Inquiry for a media grant, and created a mission statement and created the name and purpose of an entire new program at WAR that needs funding! That was probably my favorite part of the week. No news on a part time job, even though I have applied for a new job about every other day. Guess that's God's answer for right now.

Still somewhat lonely here. I still don't know anyone my own age outside of other interns who are from around here and have their friends and other jobs. But its only week 2, so know worries. Tomorrow I am actually helping out at the Schut's church. I will be signing 2 chapters from Psalms that goes along with the sermon based in Acts. So that will be interesting. But that's about all there is going on up here in Michigan. I am going to be working on grad school applications this week, and hopefully spending time with Linda Propst again and Sarah Poehler this week! I will be excited to see familiar faces.

< Jamaica 2011, 3rd time to CCCD, missing those mountains!

You must think I am stronger than I am...

So there is this song out on Christian air-waves, I don't know the title. But the Lyrics go something like: Lord, You must think I am stronger than I am for having me go through what I am going through. And I am giving up. You have to be strong enough for both of us!

This is how I have felt this week. God seems to have this plan for me that I don't think that I am strong enough for, but apparently he thinks I am ready for it. It started like this:
1. Going to Union, not knowing anyone, being lonely for quite a while
2. Working at Skyview, lonely for quite a while
3. Moving to Florence, Italy, not knowing anyone, surrounded by non Christians, lonely for quite a while
4. Moving back to Union, everyone changed, so did I. Lonely for quite a while.
5. Moving to Michigan, currently lonely.

God seems to have this pattern that I am slowly catching on to. And I think there is a reason. When I am in these transition times, lonely time, I cling to God more than any other time. I am in the Word. I am soaking up sermons left and right. I am looking for God and finding him. It is when I become comfortable, when God leads me to friends, leads me to relationship besides him, thats when I stray. Its kind of like, Hello Kate! If you stay with me through the lonely AND not lonely times, I might still send you the lonely times, but the lonely times wouldn't feel so lonely. You know what I mean. This might not be what God is thinking, but sure seems like it to me.

My Internship with Women at Risk is fine. I am learning a lot about research, myself, grants, etc.But I do it all alone. I don't have people to talk with. I don't have anyone to eat lunch with. I don't spend time with anyone after work, before work, during work. Its quite isolated. So again, I am clinging to Christ. That is the only way I made it through this week, and I am sure weeks to come.

I do love the family I am with. They are great! They give me space, they chat some with me. No pressure to be uber clean, or quite, or whatever. So thats nice, but at the same time. I also feel alone in a house full of people. So here is to hoping the next week isn't quite as lonely.

< Dublin, Ireland in October 2009