Summer Plans

School has been out for a few days now, so my family and I have gotten started on our summer plans. My brother Eli is working in the galley for his summer project until he goes to the U.S with my mom. He helps out by washing dishes, peeling and cutting veggies, and cooking. I have been babysitting my brother Xavier as well as Stephen, a busy little one and a half year old. I am also helping Malachi with his summer project by teaching him his U.S states and capitals. Another thing Malachi is working on is his typing skills. My dad is working his job and filling in for his boss at the same time. My mom is, well, being a mom.

In June I will fly to North Carolina to stay with my friend Bethany for a week and a half. Then I will go to Washington State to visit my grandma and cousins. My mom and Eli will be in Washington as well. In July my mom and I will go to Texas so I can get my visa to France. Then we will go back to Washington. My mom and brother will return to the ship in mid July. I will stay in the U.S until mid August when I will go to France.

One activity I will be doing in Washington is visiting a monastery on Shaw island for two weeks. I will stay in a guest house and help the nuns on the farm. I might repair fences, feed animals, clean stalls, or even learn to make cheese!

This summer includes a lot of moving around, but I know it will be all the more fun because of all the different places and people I will visit.

Youth Group!

Last weekend we had a fun and different youth group night. We played various games involving food. First we played "Chubby Chihuahuas." Each of us had a large handful of jalapeno pepper slices. The youth leaders played a song called Roxanne. Each time we heard the word Roxanne in the song we had to put a jalapeno slice in our mouth. If you spit out your mouthful of peppers or swallowed them, you were out. Whoever was left at the end won. It turned out, there were actually three tied winners: me, Nathan, and Ethan.

Us putting the peppers in our mouths

Next we went upstairs. The youth group leaders laid on the ground below and we made their faces into ice cream sundaes by dropping ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and sprinkles down onto them.



The youth group leaders getting sprinkles poured on them

Allison, one of the youth leaders, with sauce and sprinkles on her

 

We found partners for the third game. We spread peanut butter all over our faces and our partner had to throw sprinkles at us.



Another game we played included bowls of pudding with wrapped chocolate coins in the bottom. We had to lay down with our hands behind our backs and eat all the pudding. When only the coins were left, we had to unwrap them with our mouths and eat them!

Me trying to unwrap the coin with my mouth

There was a lot of cleanup to do after the games. Then we went home to shower. Finally, we split into boys and girls and had separate movie nights. I think that it was the most interesting and fun youth night yet!

All the youth and leaders that participated

Note: The pictures in this post were not taken by me, but by another person in the youth group.

Scholarship

I got an e-mail recently saying that I have received a small scholarship from CIEE. It is not as substantial as I was hoping, but every little bit counts! I only have two more weeks of selling cookies before school gets out and the ship sails. I know that God is -and will continue- providing for me. I am getting excited for France next year. Please keep praying!