The Life of a Room Leader

Leadership Project 2013 has officially and non-officially begun! Yesterday the CO staff and leaders arrived to Project and we spent the entire afternoon until 10pm setting up the rooms. We moved out the motel beds and began building the bunk beds that we brought in. The twin bunks got new mattresses! Too bad my room has double sized bunks. But we spent some time getting to know the other leaders and worked hard and fast to get these rooms prepared for everyone. I am not on the stinky back hallway this year and I thank God so much for that because last year our room was just awful but it did teach me a lot about sacrifice and the things that really matter. This year I am on the front of the motel, Room 245! Unfortunately, the bathroom is a complete wreck right now. It is in need of extreme repair. When I arrived yesterday I jokingly laughed at the bathroom as I was checking out each room, not realizing it would soon be mine. I can't even begin to explain the state that it was in. Let's just leave it with the tub was clogged with black gunk and it may have exploded everywhere. My friend Steph also got put in a stinky situation (literally) because her room smells like straight baby poop. I slept in her room last night since I was lonely and my bathroom didn't work and I think I eventually got used to the sour smell. Eek!

Today I woke up well rested and freezing from the air conditioner but I am so thankful for air because I know what it's like to sleep in a 100 degree room. Sara and I went for a run before leader's Servant's training today. This year the staff is making a big effort to train us as servants of Christ, although the idea still applies as a leader. Servant=Leader. The meeting was really great and encouraging as almost everyone felt the same that we are incapable to be leaders and to lead all of these students this summer. We all felt unworthy and it was really reassuring to see that everyone was on the same page and that yes, we are not worthy but because of Christ, we can lead these girls. At times we all will make mistakes and screw up but we can still glorify God through our own faults. Super pumped to be here right now. I'm about to go back to the room and prepare a little for the girls! Tomorrow is the day that all of the participants arrive! Woohoo! Say some prayers, friends!

Surprises

God always seems to surprise me at just the right time. And he does know what is best and can see what is coming ahead so I trust that he has a plan. I just finished up exams yesterday and now I'm resting at home for today but I'm off to Hilton Head with some friends tomorrow for a week. I'm very thankful to be done with school and thankful for such a great year at school. A LOT of things went not as I expected but like I said, He knows what is best and so much happened this year that I didn't anticipate or weren't part of my plans but now I can see how great they truly are.

A few weeks ago we had the Leadership Project retreat in Greenville at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church which is where the CO Greenville branches out of. Usually at the retreat, everyone meets up from Lynchburg and Greenville and spend the day getting to know everyone who is going to be at Project. This is when we meet our room leaders and other disciples, find out what team we're on, plan for ADP, learn a little about the summer theme, get support training, and apply for our given jobs. However, this year a lot of the students were busy and couldn't make it and also it looks like LP is going to be a lot smaller than last year. We had regional meetings instead and just got to know some of the other people attending from the Greenville region.

A few weeks after the retreat we still hadn't found out jobs or rooming or anything. I was at a Ben Rector concert in Greenville with a lot of my friends involved with Campus Outreach, including a lot of friends from Furman. It was really cool to spend some time with girls I don't see very often. I got an email about room leader training while in Greenville and it scared me a bit because technically I wasn't a room leader. We have a new CO staff girl at PC, Rachel, who I've known for awhile because she went to PC, and she was at the concert. I asked her about the email and she said I was just getting it because it is part of the training as a leader.

The next day I was meeting with my coach and I got a call from Rachel. She asked me to be a room leader! At first I was really against it because I had been certain that God had plans for me as an LIT and I was really certain that I couldn't handle it with a job, ADP, an online class, leader training, and all the other meetings for LP. I talked to Rachel about it and I decided that I felt like God was offering me this opportunity as a challenge. It was perfect timing because I had started to doubt my decision to go to LP but when I was asked to be a room leader I felt like I had more of a purpose to be at project. So I will be leading 3 girls- one from Wofford, one from PC, and one from Randolph College. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time! Also, my team leader is my friend Sara who plays soccer with me so I'm even more excited about having her lead me all summer!

We still haven't heard about jobs yet but it should be coming very soon! I know they're planning for a lot of athletes to work at the Polo outlet because they had a really good schedule that worked well with us. There are new jobs at Bi-Lo and they added Build-a-Bear back this year so there are a lot of options! I know that God is working graciously through the CO staff to provide work for us and wherever we are placed, God has a purpose.

From L to R: Jessica, Raleigh, Me
This is from the Ben Rector concert with 2 girls from Furman who were at LP last year. Raleigh is going back again this year as a room leader!