Day 2: Colorado --> Iowa

Day two consisted of travels through Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa.  It was a beautiful drive at the start as we went through the Rockies!  A few hours later we entered Denver and from then on out, it was pretty BLAH!  It was nicer than desert, but not by much.  We did however enter a part of town that had some wonderful sunflowers! :)  I found out that running through fields of flowers is not nearly as wonderful as it seems. I was attacked by grasshoppers and crushed a locust the size of my foot (practically) and heard him crunch...needless to say, after that, I was running OUT of the flowers :( haha!

Mom and I weren't nearly as lively today because we are just starting to get tired.  It took us a hour longer than we hoped for today and we finally stopped at our hotel at 9:55 CST in a somewhat ghetto area (though still better than the first ghetto area my mom tried to take us into!  haha...good thing I didn't listen to her completely ;)


Off to bed and on to Iowa, Illinois and then Indiana, where my temporary home sweet home will be :)  Goodnight!

Day 1: California---> Colorado

We started our day at Starbucks in Apple Valley at 6am.  By the time I left...teary-eyed, from my co-workers Penny and Veronica, we grabbed gas and were on the road by 6:30.  My car was packed extremely full and I was waiting for it to completely bottom out!  But it didn't!  We took the 15 to the 70 and went through California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Colorado where we are staying the night.  Riffle Colorado to be exact. 

The drive was beautiful and consisted of off and on thunderstorms (which I LOVED)!  My mom and I had the best time just laughing (A LOT!) and reading stories about my Nana which she wrote down,  crying and even having plenty of serious conversations!  It was amazing!

I'm leaving this post short because I'm tired and have another early morning, but i'll leave you with a few quotes from todays fantastic drive:

Mom: "Well, you can always go to eschatology school on the side.."
Me: "Eschatology school? Like the study of end times?!"
Mom: "haha...no, what's that called....uh, uh...?"
Me: "Um....Cosmetology school?!....haha"

Me: "Look at the waterfall!!!!!!!!"
Mom: "Oh Crap!"
Me: ?
Mom: "I didn't mean 'Oh crap'...I meant, 'Oh WOW! Crap, where's my camera'!"

Mom: "Moving to Chicago is not as crazy as something like...climbing the Antarctica"

Me: "What is that noise? An owl in the car top carrier?.... Listen"
Mom: I think it's the music
Me: Listen...it's like, Hoo, Hoo, Hoo...
Mom: Jen, it's the wind shield wipers.

haha...most of these moments were "had-to-be-there" moments :)

Chicago!

I'm moving to CHICAGO!  AHHHhhhhh!  I can't believe I am doing something this CRAZY!   I have desired for a long time to do inner city ministry of some sorts in a big city! The opportunity has come for me to head out to Chicago and while I do not specifically have a job in a ministry yet, I am excited to move to Chicago and pursue whatever the Lord provides for me. As of now, I am going to be working with Starbucks, living in a friends apartment while they are gone, and pursing a full time ministry position in the inner city and volunteering as MUCH as possible!


(Oh, and on a side note, I just interviewed for a position as an After-school Program Director for a K-8 or teenager program in Chicago, so I ask for your prayers for that too! I am SO excited, even just for this opportunity to interview...and I know the Lord will do what he wants with it, so I'm just trying to trust him in it :)

As I finalized the plans, I thought of all the people I am going to miss SOOO much!  I am slightly scared to take this adventure and everyone and everything I know behind, BUT I am completely STOKED at the same time! :) I look forward to what the Lord has for me there and while it might seem a little crazy to be up and moving before I have any real opportunities, it's just something I need to do. So, I just wanted to let you all know since I only have a few more weeks left here. I leave for Chicago on July 30th...and should be there by the 1st.

It's so crazy to think of everything that is coming up so fast and that I have SO much to do in the mean time, but for the first time in a while, I just feel peace about going.  At times I panic about not being able to make it in Chicago or just the un-tied up ends here in Apple Valley but I know that this is the only time in my life I will have to be "crazy" so I am taking this opportunity and pray the Lord uses it to grow me and shape me into a godly woman who is constantly having to trust Him for provision! :)

I'm scared, but the more and more I realized that our life is just a short time and that the journey can be exciting if we allow ourselves the excitement, the more and more I realize that I'm going to be okay and that God's Fatherly hand is upon me.  In His providence, He will not allow anything beyond His Fatherly hand...which is such a great comfort!  I'm tired of stressing out about life and details and the little things and I just want to live for Him...and stop stressing but start trusting!  Everything happens for a reason and so I just want to go with whatever comes at me and have the strength of the Lord on my side to get me through the good, the bad and the ugly!  Excited for my journey :)  Praise Him through whom all blessings flow!

Much Love, Grace and Peace,
Jen ♥