In January, one of the goals I set for 2016 was to spend time twice a month writing blogs to share here as a way to keep friends and family updated on my life, but also for me to take a break from the busyness of life every once in a while and do something I love. If you look back through the year, though, you'll see that my last blog post was February 17, exactly 2 months ago today. So, in order to catch you up quick, here is a short list of what has been going on in my life these past 2 months!
February 19-21, 2016: theRiver Winter Retreat
This year, I decided super last minute to attend theRiver Winter Retreat. I have gone on this trip every year I've been at UNI, but this year I wasn't sure if it was my place to go on a trip structured primarily for undergraduate students.
As the week went by, a lot began to frustrate me. I was having car problems, money for my missions trip was coming due, and on the way to Minnesota, I got pulled over by a city cop who gave me a ticket for speeding 8 over the limit. Simply put, I arrived at the retreat pretty frustrated with myself and with everything that was happening in life at the time.
It didn't take long for me to see why I was there, though. It turns out, a break is exactly what I needed at that point. I needed to just get away.
Over the course of the weekend, it became more and more evident that God was showing me what joy looks like. I saw people worshipping God without any hesitation. I saw people experiencing joy, not just happiness. I watched a bunch of college aged adults forgetting about their stresses and focusing in on what God was doing in their lives.
March 5, 2016: UNI Dance Marathon
The first Saturday in March has been reserved for Dance Marathon since my freshmen year at UNI and this year was no different. On March 5, I got to witness over 1,000 college students unite for a cause that I have cared about for 5 years now. I witnessed kiddos experience joy because they could forget their sickness for a day and while I may have witnessed some really bad dancing; I got to see those same bad dancers throw their worries aside and focus on something so much greater.
On March 5, 2016, I got to see UNI DM raise over $370,000 for the University of Iowa Children's Hospital, making us the second highest fundraising dance marathon program in the state of Iowa!
March 11-20, 2016: Jamaica Mission Trip
After 3 years away, I finally made it back to Kingston, Jamaica; to serve a community of people that I met back in 2013. I was excited to go back, but really nervous about what this trip would look like for me because I had a rough time on my first trip to the country. I'd share more about it, but I am planning a Jamaica recap blog to follow this one. So, stay tuned! :)
March 22, 2016: Executive Co-Director
On March 22, 2016, I interviewed for the opportunity to serve an organization I love as one of the next Executive Co-Directors for UNI Dance Marathon! I had my first interview at 5:30 p.m., my second interview at 9:30 p.m., and accepted the position at 11:00 p.m. that night! Things have moved quickly since then and my partner and I, Greta, just finished selecting our team of Directors this past week. We are both excited to have the opportunity to lead this organization over the next 12 months and can't wait to see how the UNI & Cedar Valley communities continue to live out the FTK cause this next year!
April: Listen Well
A lot has been happening in April. Between interviewing candidates for our Dance Marathon Executive Board, to interviewing student "Words of Wisdom" speakers for UNI Now, I spent over 20 hours this week just sitting and listening to people. In addition to this, my role at Scratch Cupcakery is picking up as Curbside season starts in 2 weeks. On top of it all, I'm also in the middle of conducting research on students expectations on what college is like vs. the experiences they've had at UNI.
Through all of this busyness in April, I think I'm learning what it means to listen well. From people's stories, to their problems, to their qualifications for whatever they applied for, needing to be a better listener has been a common theme among what has been going on in my life.