Learning From a 4-month Summer

I technically had a 4-month summer, though it seemed much shorter than that. I will summarize each month and tell you what our faithful Lord taught me in each month.

May: I flew home from school on May 1. So weird considering I'm usually in school until around June 20! May was a very long month for me as was June. I felt pretty restless most of the time since everyone back home was still in school. Summer jobs don't start the application process until June, so I had to learn the importance of more prayer versus more thinking. Ever since entering university, I finally faced a question that I didn't realized I was avoiding: "Do I really want to be a teacher with all that the job entails (I learned that you don't just teach a subject, you teach students); why or why not?" I'm still praying about a lasting career and what I should major in. I must tell you I am still on the fence about education.

June: Because of my July trip and having to go back to school early August for leadership training, the only summer job I had was babysitting. Those kids have really grown on me these past 2 years! June was probably the hardest month for me because a team from my church went to my current favorite place in the world to help with work over there with my cousins, aunt, and uncle who live there. I prayed every single day (and had a few tearful moments) they were there for my own sanity because I so badly wanted to be there helping with my family. But I knew God wanted me on a different team for duties that could lead to a potential career (more on that in July). My parents, brother, and friends finally got out of school exactly 7 long weeks after me, so the days I wasn't babysitting I wasn't alone! June is emotionally crazy for me but one of the most prayerful times of my life. I'm so thankful that Jesus extends His love and grace in our times of extra messiness! That definitely draws me closer to Him and makes Him more attractive!

July: Finally! I get to leave this country! Nothing against America, but the American lifestyle isn't quite my cup of tea. I went to Europe to teach English since I have thought about teaching English overseas as a career. I'm not really sure how to explain it but it just isn't want I want to do. This is not to say I didn't enjoy the trip, I had super fun bonding with my teammates and the locals, as well as exploring the country. I had great conversations, lots of laughter (if you know me well, you know I absolutely love laughing, but then again who doesn't?!), and great adventures that I wouldn't trade anything in the world for, thus the praying in June for my sanity about not going on the other trip worked! God is so good and so faithful! Two days after I got back from my trip I got my wisdom teeth out. Braces+wisdom teeth out=not fun! Wisdom teeth in general aren't fun, but with braces it is extra annoying! Once my mouth fully recovered a week later, I only had a week left to hangout with people before roadtripping back to AZ to leadership training at school. I was so busy every single day that week with friends but it was great fellowship.

August: Drove about 23 hours to school (not all at once!) and definitely made time for play in Cali! Leadership retreat in northern AZ was amazing, not only because we had the pleasure of playing outside without the beginning of August Phoenix heat (I personally don't think the end of August is very hot), but because college student leaders worshipped all out and I felt like I was at the gates of Heaven. So refreshing; I had missed this over the summer. All in all, God taught me the power of prayer (yes I knew about it but I truly experienced it this summer), patience about my major for it will be revealed at the perfectly right time to me, and the realness of His omniscience.