The start of weekly updates!

It’s been a while since I have been on my blog! I am now going to update at least once a week and there should be a new post by every Friday. Feel free to hold me to that!
I will be sending out a newsletter soon so be excited! Stories of the Grand Tetons are coming your way!
AT WORK:
This past week I went through my first week of training for leading leadership training events (LTE). Each morning I was taught the content of Foundations of Leadership, then either Dan or Renee (two people in their second year of the Summit program) actually taught the content as if they were doing it for students (I role-played a student), then immediately afterwards I taught it to four or so people in the office (including the founder!). Going into the week I was pretty nervous about it, mainly because after I teach I get critiqued and given two challenges to better my teaching for the next day. It went really well and I did improve throughout the week and by the end I am now silver certified in Foundations. Being silver certified means I can teach it and may be signed up for the next one booked by a youth pastor. I’m pretty excited! I love the material I am teaching and how it impacts students’ lives and my own life!
Today I am going to be going through several of the initiatives (or games used to teach the principles) with the rest of the staff and will be learning to debrief the initiative and reinforce what I just learned how to teach. So not only do I get to play games all afternoon but I get to see how to help students practically apply leadership principles to a game and then to their own lives.

AT HOME/OUTSIDE OF WORK:
This past weekend I went to two weddings!! Friday night the daughter in my host family who is my age got married. It was beautiful and fun to see how all their planning worked out so well. Also getting to be a part of surprising Audrey as she walked out of the church and everyone released butterflies instead of blowing bubbles. I also helped out with the 16 kids who were there as well. Audrey planned a separate reception for the kids with a magician, pizza, gift bags, and kids’ shows. It was so fun to entertain the kids and to ask them about their relationship with Audrey and Wes. They were so cute and obviously adored Audrey. I had met one of the little girls two weeks before at church and she told me during the whole wedding ceremony she was asking, “When do I get to play with that nice lady from church?” So cute!
The other wedding I went to was Phil & Erin, my boss from work. I also spent time with both of them during my internship with LeaderTreks in Costa Rica two summers ago. I remember many conversations with Phil convincing him he needed to propose! It was so exciting to attend the wedding and see about 10 students who Phil had on past trips, some of whom drove all the way from Texas just to be there. It is just a testimony to the impact he has had in their lives through his ministry here at LeaderTreks. I also knew about three of the students and it was a surprise to see them and a great chance to catch up with how God is at work in their lives.
Last night I had a chance to out to eat with several people from work and one of our partners from a church in Texas. Amy was an adult leader on one of my trips in Costa Rica and someone who truly loves serving God through mentoring others. If I lived in Texas I would love to be mentored by her! She is someone who has a lot of wisdom and who listens for God’s voice. There was also a lot of stories told about LeaderTrek trips in Zambia and the death, ministry, hurt, pain there as well as the joys of being in their culture. Just hearing the stories there were so many emotions running through me, laughter, joy, pain, desire to go. It is exciting to hear about God’s work where there is little hope.
Just one more reason why I am so glad to be here!