Well I’m back! I had high hopes of keeping up on my blog this summer, but obviously that didn’t happen. My excuse? It was a crazy busy summer! Where to begin, where to begin? Well I left on Sunday, May 31st to head up to my beloved Pinebrook. It was an extremely long ride because the driver accidently went east instead of west causing us to sit in 45 minutes of traffic for about a mile of roadway. I should have seen this summer coming right?
Anyway, when I arrived the rest of the leadership team was not on grounds so I had another almost three hours all to myself to unpack. It seemed ideal at the time, get all settled in before the fun begins, but unfortunately in the long run it made things harder. And so began Leadership Orientation. Leadership Orientation is basically three weeks of practically free manual labor, with a few hours of meetings stuck in on Tuesdays. Here’s what our schedule looked like for three week, 8 o’clock ~ Staff Prayer, 8:15-12 ~ weeding/cleaning/painting/sanding, 12-1 ~ lunch. 1-4:45 more of the same. Sounds fun doesn’t it? And to be honest, a lot of it was. It just would have been more fun without the whole work aspect. The friendships were amazing. All but two of the members of the LT I’ve known for years, but even my friendship with those people grew and matured this summer. I now count most of them as some of my nearest and dearest friends. All the things we did - trips to Walmart and Salvo, pictures with Bob the Builder, Kosherland (more about that later), midnight viewings of the Disney’s Robin Hood and the 5 hour version of Pride and Prejudice, late night talks, and a trip to Boulder Field – only grew my love for theses dear people.
Here’s a little bit about them, we’ll start with the guys (I know, I know, ladies first. Deal with it.)
Edward ~ He’s my brother! What more is there to say :P Seriously though, I always enjoy seeing my brother in a leadership position; he always amazes me with how well he does.
Stephen ~ If there’s one word that could describe Stephen it’s unique. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone quite like Stephen, or ever will again! Still, he was always fun to hang out with and his fake British accent was hysterical!
Michael ~ Mike may not be the best leader in the whole world, but he’s always fun to hang out with. Plus he called me awesome so that’s cool.
Eric ~ I’ve known Eric since my first summer in 2006, but this was the first summer we got beyond just being comfortable around each other. I’m really honored to be considered his friend. He has a great desire to follow God’s will and grow in Him. Add to that, his great sense of humor and facial expressions and you’ve got one fantastic person! We had some great times, going bowling in Lehighton, going book shopping with Elizabeth in Schnecksville, and random trips to Rita’s.
Nathaniel ~ Nate and I have been great friends for the last two years. However it was great to have a relationship grow and change this summer. And he got a girlfriend, making him an all over happier person. They’re quite cute together, even if they are a bit sappy!
Now for the girls.
Alicia ~ I was very apprehensive about having Lecie on the LT this summer, not only had she never worked on staff but she’d never even been to Pinebrook. However, it turned out to work really well. I’ve never met anyone sweeter than she and I’m privileged to call her my friend. Plus she was a fantastic secret sister! I now have two fantastic tea cups to add to my collection!
Meredith ~ My fellow city dweller! Meredith and I have also known each other since 2006, but it was great to see her in a leadership position that really stretched and grew here. She was quite hard working and a great friend to all.
Rachel ~ Again, someone I’ve known since 2006. However she was always someone I envisioned as lofty and popular, one of the cool girls which I was not. Add to that her quite demeanor and it made for very little actually conversation between us. This summer all that changed. I got to see her on her own, away from her friends that overshadowed her personality and actually heard her speak, and you know what? I love her! She’s a wonderful young lady who has great leadership ability. Plus she was a great example to the girls in her relationship with her boyfriend, Nate. That’s right, what’s a summer without a little LT romance. Which reminds me, did I tell you Stephen and Lecie started dating too….. :)
Elizabeth ~ Liz and I have been really good friends since our first summer, 2006. However this summer she became more than a friend to me. She’s like a sister. It’s incredible how much I’ve grown to love her and care about her. I can share anything with her and I believe the feelings mutual! Right now I’m praying she’ll have her own little post-summer romance. If you can’t beat them, join them right?
Anyway that was Leadership Orientation in a nutshell. It’s a good thing there are some large nuts out there cause this ended up being quite long. And just think, it was only three out of 13 weeks!
The Leadership Team (Plus 6)
