We'll Try Again on Monday

So, on Thursday Jenna and I had a fantastic day. We had a blast. I took her to the humane society where we played with kittens, walked puppies, and saw the big dogs. It was fun. And then I took her to my house where we played in the pool, watched a movie in the house, and did a craft. We topped it off with an ice cream run. She hugged me at the end of the day.

I went into Friday excited, thinking it would be a great day. I need to learn to not have expectations, because I think it would save me a great deal of heartache and frustration. Jenna was not in the mood to do anything but watch tv, which made for a lot of fits, tantrums, and a lot of her telling me to leave and go home. It was so discouraging after we had such a great day on Thursday.. 

But I'll go back on Monday with a smile on my face- and we will try again. 

Friday photo dump:

Shaving cream is the bomb.com

Love that grin!

My little monster 

She had to be a monster too. 

she is so cute. 

Love this little girl. 

Who knew dish soap and water could provide hours of fun?

Cousin date!

Happy 18th birthday to this kid!

Cupcakes Jenna and I made

Blessed. 

On bad days, we sometimes have ti improvise. So she watches a show on my IPAD and gets work done at the same time. 

Also. I would like to ask you all to pray for my grandpa. He was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma yesterday. I really have no idea what that is, other then it is a form of skin cancer. They found it on his neck, and he goes in for a full body scan to see if it's in other places on Monday. Please pray that they don't find it anywhere else. 

Enjoying

Right now, with Jenna, I am enjoying:

• her laughing at me when I do something stupid  (usually done to make her laugh-- I do what I want)
• clicking wars (click your tongue, it's fun) 
• the way she says "huuuh?" when I say something completely ridiculous that even I don't understand
• learning to communicate and tell the difference between "ma" and "mma" and "maa" and "mamamama". Believe me, they all mean very different things.
• the way she says "yes please" when she really wants something
• the fact that she thinks its funny to jump on my back in the pool and watch me sink. (folks, she's heavier than I am...if she decides to jump on me, I'm going down. She jumped on me today, so down I went. Good thing I can squirm myself out of her arms and swim away if need be)
• the constant battle over the tv. 
• the way she gets all shy and adorable when I tell her she looks pretty or that her hair clips look nice.
• the way she pulls Molly (her dog) in close to her and exclaims "cute, cute"

There's times working with Jenna brings me down and there are times when working with her can be really frustrating. But overall, I love working with Jenna and I am proud of myself for sticking with it- even when there were weeks when I was leaving every day in tears. The good and fun times we have make up for the bad ones, and the good times are increasing more and more and the bad ones are slowly but surely decreasing. I think these last 3 weeks are going to be really fun and I am ready to fully embrace and enjoy them.

And today, I got my first hug. 

( If you have been around people with autism, you know that's a pretty big deal. )

After a Hurricane, Comes a Rainbow

Ever heard that saying, "After a hurricane, comes a rainbow?"

Chances are you have because is a lyric in Katy Perry's song Firework, which played on the radio practically all the time last summer. It happened to come on while I was agonizing over what to title this post. It seems appropriate. 

And now that you all have that song stuck in your head (you're welcome) go and have a little dance party and sing your heart out.  And then come back and finish reading this post.

So, I feel like this week at work was a bit of a hurricane. Easily the hardest week we have had yet, I left work yesterday feeling tired, wet (Jenna spit directly in my face on Monday), helpless, and discouraged.

But this week we did have some fun times, which you will see in the pictures in a few minutes. But over all, this week was frustrating and hard. I am hoping next week goes better. That's all I'm going to say about work.

But something that really helped me get through this week was what I was getting to do today. The rainbow after the storm was coming and it was coming with sparkles, glitter, and a whole lot of giddiness. 

I have been looking forward to being able to visit with Lette for weeks and it was kind of the light at the end of the tunnel this week. It was so fantastic to be able to talk and catch up with her! Lette is such a wonderful and beautiful person, inside and out. I am blessed to be able to call her a friend!

And here is something new I am going to start doing. Friday photo dumps. 

Flying kites on the beach.

Just a girl and her kite. 

Dancing is good for everyone.

She walked up and down the beach for almost two hours. 

Jenna :)

Jacob and I after his SN dance class <3

So happy to be together!

Shaving cream is basically the best thing ever. 

Laughter is contagious. 

I will never get sick of little girl curls. 

Ice cream = joy!

Cutie

My new best friend. 

There are few things I love more then a child falling asleep on me. 

I love this little girl with all my heart!

Prayers Appreciated

Hello you all...

Tonight, I want to ask you all to pray for me in the next few days. This week work has been especially difficult and while I thought I was prepared- I wasn't. I knew this week was going to be hard because of being off last week. I knew that Jenna would probably be extra whiny and unwilling to cooperate because we were out of routine and off her schedule. I was right- but didn't know how right. This week has already pushed me in ways I didn't know I could be pushed and multiple times I have found myself in tears during the day- not just in the car when I leave. I still love working with Jenna- but it is hard, stressful, and emotionally and physically exhausting. It is good preparation though for teaching and I am learning sooo much about Jenna and special education in general. 

I think next week will be better. Jenna will be back into her routine and we will be back on our schedule. It's just making it through the next two days to get there that is going to be difficult.

I am blessed to be working with Jenna this summer. I have been given the unique opportunity to work with and love a girl who desperately longs for her world to make sense and who desperately needs to be loved. 

So tonight, I would like to ask you to pray for us this week. Pray for me to have patience. Pray for Jenna to be responsive. Pray things get back to "normal" quickly. I think we both really, really need it.

The Hide-and-Seek Dilemma (that really isn't a dilemma at all)

For those of you who sat next to me in church today, (ahem Hannah, Max) you all knew this was coming.

Let me tell you- I love sermons that get you fired up and excited about the pure awesomeness of God.

I should also tell you this blog post came directly out of something that was said in church today. And yes, right then and there I wrote out the outline for this blog. It only took about a minute. 

See?

Anyways.

We read in Genesis 3:1b-8:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”  And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said,‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

So practically since the beginning of time, man has felt the need to try to hide. Adam and Eve were ashamed of their naked bodies and what they had done and they tried to hide themselves from God, who had come to dwell with them in the garden.

There's the Hide.

God created man with a desire to be "seen", We all long to be loved. Remember how a few weeks ago I talked about seeing the invisible? We all have that desire to be affirmed, loved, cherished, celebrated, and seen. Those longings are from God- it's part of how He designed us as human beings. We were created to live openly with Him- seeing Him and being seen by Him without any fear or shame. We know from Genesis 3 that God walked openly in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and that God created man to be in fellowship with not only Him, but each other as well (Genesis 2:18).

There's the seek. 

You see the Hide-and-Seek Dilemma here?

Once sin entered the picture we were left with a yearning to be seen and known because that is how we were created, but also with the feeling that we have to hide. Maybe we feel we have to hide because:

• we are guilty and ashamed because we insert-your-reason-here
• we have been hurt, abused, laughed at, and betrayed and we are scared that it will happen again
• we are afraid of our own shortcomings and feel insignificant
• we are convinced we aren't worth anything
• it is a way for us to remain in control of what others know about us

Ultimately, we hide because of sin. 

Our own sins, the sins of others...sin is at the root of it all. 

Most of us go through life and at least attempt to hide some part of ourselves. Whether that be our habits, addictions, fears, or emotions, we try and have grown used to hiding parts of our lives from other people because we don't want them to see us for who we are. We put on a facade- we present the parts of ourselves we deem adequate or worthy of being seen. We think that if we play our cards right, no one can see what we are trying to hide and we are seen for who we want people to think we are. 

In my mind, hide-and-seek has simply become a part of how we live.

The big problem with playing hide-and-seek with our lives is that it quickly becomes lonely. There is a certain loneliness that comes from feeling like we have to hide parts of our lives that we don't want people to see. 

The comforting, yet totally terrifying, thing here?

God sees. He sees it all. And what's even more comforting? He loves us anyways. 

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence? 

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea, 

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast. 

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,” 

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

- Psalm139:7-15

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him. 

- Hebrews 4:13a

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

- John 3:16

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:37-39

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 - Romans 5:8

Let that last verse sink in for a second.

God loves us so much that He sent His only son to die a brutal death on a cross- knowing all the while that we are sinners? That we are never going to be perfect on this earth?

Woah.

And yet, we sometimes may think we can, or try to, hide from Him.

That's just silly.

Here's where the big question comes in. The sentence that was said during the sermon today that left me with this blog post.

Are we willing?

Are we willing to give over to God those things we feel we have to hide? Are we willing to give Him our fears? Our pain? Our sadness?

God loves us. He loves us even though we are sinners. He loves us even though we are going to disappoint Him. He loves us, friends. He loves us.

He loves us for who we are. He sees our inadequacies. He sees our scars. He sees our fears, our emotions, our addictions. And He loves us anyways.

And He's waiting. He's made Himself available to us. He is waiting for us to surrender to Him completely. He is waiting to hold us, comfort us, and wrap us up in His love for who we are; who He designed us to be. 

We don't have to hide from God because He already sees and knows everything we try to hide. If God already loves us for who we are, how come we are scared to let others see us for who we are?

Just something to think about. That's what I have been asking myself all day. I have been challenged greatly in the last few hours. I know personally I try hide so much. I'm beginning to realize I don't have to. No more hide-and- seek. 

I am God's. He loves me.  And that's good enough for me. 

Jenna

I haven't really told you all much about my summer job so far on this blog. To bring everyone up to speed:

I am working with a 16 year old girl named Jenna for the summer. Jenna has autism, is nonverbal, and is mentally handicapped. I work with her M-F for eight hours a day (Originally I was working 9 and a half hour days, but my hours got cut a bit).

Working with Jenna this summer has definitely not been what I thought it was going to be--which is a blessing in many ways and a struggle in others. Originally I was a little concerned I would get bored quickly- 9 and a half hours days are long days when you are with only one other person for their entirety. It's safe to say in this case I was wrong; very wrong.

Jenna definitely keeps me busy and on my toes the entire time I am there. We spend most of it doing crafts, puzzles, playing games, and working on simple things like making meals, doing laundry, and going to stores to work on things like waiting in line. 

The first 9 days were probably the hardest. The first day went great, but every day after that things seemed to be going downhill quickly. Avalanche quickly. At the end of the week I was exhausted and Jenna's mom was commenting on how tired I looked. Not exactly what I wanted to be hearing at the time.

The second week was also difficult- it seemed like the more I went the more Jenna came to dislike me and the more discouraged I became. Most of the week I left in tears. Trust me- hearing "shooo" "go home" and "go away" for hours on end gets to you after a while. 

It was the Thursday of the second week that Jenna and I experienced our first major breakthrough; and she was happy, no excited, when I got there. As soon as I walked in the door she was literally jumping up and down wanting to tell me something. 

The way Jenna and I communicate is interesting. It is a mix of sign language, what words Jenna can speak, and the words that come out of my mouth. For the most part we can now understand each other. I've learned how sounds she makes mean certain words- for example she makes a specific sound that means grandpa (but doesn't sound like grandpa at all). But that morning, she was wanting to tell me something. The trick that morning was figure out exactly what it was. Turns out she had seen a bird in the bird feeder we had made. It's the baby steps friends. Baby steps.

That day Jenna and I bonded. And since then things have been going great. That's not to say we don't have our moments because we certainly do. That's not to say Jenna doesn't occasionally tell me to go away or shoo and that's not to say that I haven't left with tears in my eyes. But- it's the little things that count:

• It's her laughing at me when I accidentally spill glue on the table
• It's her jumping up and down because she's excited to tell me something
• It's seeing the look of pure and simple joy on her face when she completes a big project- like a popsicle house
• It's hearing her mom tell me Jenna's always so excited to show her what she's made that day over and over again
• It's the progress Jenna's made in waiting in lines
• It's how she laughs when she finishes a puzzle or wins a set in a matching game

It's these little things that make all the frustrating times so incredibly worth it. 

When I worked with Jacob, laughter was a part of our routine. Jacob laughed at just about anything.

It wasn't until I started working with Jenna that I realized how amazing and wonderful it is to hear a laugh. 

Those first few days I didn't hear Jenna laugh. I didn't really realize until she did it how desperately I needed to hear it. Now, I start off the day trying to get her laughing. It makes all the difference. 

I guess this post is kind of all over the place. But if there is one thing I want you to take away from this post, it's this.

Children, teens, and adults with autism desperately long for their worlds to make sense. Our job is to love them and care for them exactly the way they are and to help them make sense of the world in whatever way they can, all the while showing them God's love.

It's life changing. 

Hellloooo friends!

I am writing to you all from my brand new (actually used) hp laptop!

Here's me taking a snapshot on my new computer! And dad, because I'm hanging out with him in his office while everyone is gone.

My laptop finally just broke. Screws started falling out- wires started appearing...it wasn't pretty and obviously wouldn't have made it through the next school year. So finally I decided the time had come to get a new computer. We found one on craigslist that was used, but a really good computer and it was really affordable. So, here I am!

And I now have a webcam that works!

Happy fourth you all!

Seeing the "Invisible"

I challenge you to look at this post as a window into what has been on my heart this week. I challenge you further to do what I did this week- see the "invisible". 

How many of you have felt invisible before? Alone? Scared and afraid? How many of you have had to go through something so emotionally draining that you felt like you were being engulfed in a massive rain storm? How many of you have felt that what God has asked you to go through is just too much to bear- even though He has proven Himself again and again? How many of you have found yourself asking God, "Are you there? Are you paying attention?

Sometimes in this life we go through momentary trials that leave us feeling as if no one in the world cares. That no one can help. That no one can see how much you are hurting. That no one can see you. 

Sometimes in the life we do things over and over again because we just want our efforts to be recognized. We are human; we all have a desire within us to be recognized, affirmed, cared for and appreciated. How many of us have felt that we go unrecognized? 

• Think about all the single moms who are doing their best to raise their kids while working full time and then spending their free time cooking, cleaning, and caring for their children and feel unappreciated.
• Think about the nurses who work insane hours to make a living who feel like their patients don't understand, or care about how much they have to do. 
• Think about the children who wander the streets feeling like no one cares about what they say or do or where they go.
• Think about the teenagers and young adults who have no idea who they are or how they fit into this big world.
• Think about the people who struggle with addictions and feel like they have to hide them because of the shame they are filled with.
• Think about the homeless people that are constantly passed up by people on the streets.
• Think about all the leaders in our community who feel like they can't show their emotions at any cost.
• Think about the mom in walmart who looks like she hasn't slept for days and whose baby is screaming at the top of his lungs
• Think about the teachers who go above and beyond to give their students a good education but are constantly being knocked down by the education systems.

These are people who desperately need to know they are seen; not just seen, but dearly loved, cared for, and appreciated. And not just dearly loved, cared for, and appreciated, but valued and celebrated by an amazing and powerful God. 

Any of this sound familiar? Or maybe for you---it's something different. The point is many of us have at some point felt discouraged, beaten down, forgotten, or invisible. For me personally- it was the years in high school that I felt invisible around my brother. It wasn't until I made a friend at church that I finally felt like someone was finally starting to see me.

Often times I wonder why I didn't realize sooner that we have an amazing, powerful, awesome God who sees us. 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6556220745_565c6c0ed7_z.jpg

How incredibly amazing is that? God SEES us. He sees our pain. He sees our frustration. He sees the things we desperately try to hide. 

Psalm 139

• He sees the single parents who are working themselves into the ground
• He sees the homeless people on the streets
• He sees the orphans in China who are wondering if they are loved
• He sees the nurses, teachers, and others who work hard to better the lives of others
• He sees the teens who are struggling to pass their classes because they are too hungry to focus.
• He sees the employees who feel used and abused
• He sees us ALL.

He sees. He cares. And He loves us. As Christians, we should be sharing that love with others.

This week I challenge you to see the invisible. See the moms in walmart with the crying babies. See the kid who goes home to a difficult home life. See the homeless on the streets. See them with God's eyes and do something.

That's what I did this past week. And it literally brought me to tears on many occasions.

• hugging the girl with Autism who finally let me into her world for a moment.
• buying formula for the mom who was a dollar short.
• stopping and talking with the older lady sitting on the bench at the park.
• Acknowledging the hard work a lady at church puts into the children's programs.
• and more.

I have felt invisible before. I have felt how amazing it feels to be noticed by someone and the even more amazing feeling when I realized GOD sees me. So see, really see, the "invisible" this week. 

And then, if you desire, tell me what God did in your heart this week. I would love to share in that with you.

Just an Update

So- in the midst of my crazy life, I have not been so good at blogging! Hopefully next week I'll get more into the swing of things!

I feel like I have much to say and very little to say all at the same time. So let's start with the basics.

I talked in my last blog about my first day with Jenna. It's probably best at this point to say our first day was the best day and each day after that got significantly worse. By the time Friday finally came around I was exhausted- mentally, physically, and emotionally. 

I'm still excited to work with Jenna. I know I am going to learn a lot because this precious young lady has a lot to teach me. But I am definitely holding fast to God's promise to replenish the weary as I get ready to go into this week. (Jeremiah 31:25)

I'll definitely write another post just about Jenna sometime in the near future, but for now I'm going to give a quick update on the rest of life as well.

As some of you know, the Sytsma family is here! They have been here for a little over a week and I am absolutely loving spending time with them! As always, Millie brings a joy to my heart that no one else can. She can make me laugh harder than just about anyone and has been such a blessing to come home to when I have had a rough day at work and just need to be loved on and hugged. 

Also this weekend Alyssa came to visit!!!!!!! It was SOO good to see and spend time with her! I am so blessed by the amazing friendships I have been able to form at Trinity. Alyssa and I took Millie and went to New Buffalo, MI on Saturday and spent the day shopping, eating ice cream, going for adventures, and playing at the beach.Then Saturday night we came back here and Alyssa and I had some quality one-on-one chatting time before curling up on the couch and watching Despicable Me with Millie. It was so good to be able to talk with her about Jenna, God, and just life in general. I am so blessed by our friendship and am so thankful God put her in my life!

These girls rock my socks. 

I. am. Blessed.

And now- I am heading to bed. I need some serious shut eye! I hope that you are all having wonderful summers so far! Love to all.

Day One- Done! First Day working with Jenna

Before I start- let me just say that few things in life make me happier than Dunkin Doughnuts Mint Chocolate Chip Iced Coffee- especially after a long 9 hours of work! 

Anyways, as the title of this post states, today was my first official day working with Jenna!! 

Last night I ended up getting pretty nervous- I don't know why but I ended up having a little bit of a freak out as I started getting ready for today. Those nerves carried over into the night and I really didn't end up getting much sleep. I think I was nervous because of a) not really knowing Jenna at all b) I felt an overwhelming pressure to impress her mom today and c) because the first day of anything is always a bit nerve wracking.

After tossing and turning all night- I finally crawled out of bed (being very careful not to step on any of the little fingers and toes of those who are sleeping on my floor) at 5:15am and rolled out the door at 5:45. I managed to not get lost and arrived promptly at 6:15am all ready to go. Jenna greeted me briefly at the door, all up, showered, dressed, and ready to go! By 6:30am Tina had hit the road and Jenna and I were left chilling in the living room.

We were both still a little groggy so for the first little bit we watched some cartoon she loves. Then around 7am I made her breakfast- she's not hard to please. She really would probably eat just about anything which is really nice. 

She took her time eating breakfast, finished her show, and we started painting!

I have come up with this rather long list of activities for Jenna to do- all of which I really think she will have fun with. Tina told me she loves painting and using her hands as long as she doesn't get them very messy. So I figured a great way to start out the day would be by doing something she loves (painting) while combining it with something else she loves (fairies). We made a fairy house!

(Something else I was told is that Jenna loves cameras-probably a good thing too ;) )

The fairy house took most of the morning- Jenna worked carefully and slowly to make sure she got every piece of wood possible. It was fun to watch her concentrate and work really hard. This was also when we had our first melt down- let's just say she DOES NOT like it when the paint colors mix together on the paper plate. It took a few minutes to calm down from that- but soon enough we were back to work and we finished the fairy house around 1pm. (We stopped for a bit so I could make her lunch). It turned out pretty darn cute!

Another pro of making the fairy house was that I was able to get an idea of how long projects like this are going to take us. I wasn't sure how quickly or slowly Jenna would work- every child is different. Jacob would have finished a project like this several hours sooner than Jenna did- but wouldn't have painted so carefully and thoroughly. 

After the fairy house was done Jenna took a break and watched some tv while I cleaned up lunch, let out Molly (their adorable lab), and set up the next thing I had planned. Jenna is your typical teenage girl- she absolutely loves jewelry, especially rings and bracelets. 

I had a ton of pony beads left over from babysitting Quinn and Dyllan this year so I brought those along today in case we finished the fairy house and Jenna felt up to making bracelets. (This week I am planning on doing mostly fun things and less of the things that they want her to be working on, just so I have time to get to know her a bit. Starting at the end of this week I plan to start introducing and doing more of the other things- all the while making sure she is having fun) Jenna was all over it; she spent lots of time picking out her beads and the cord she wanted to use. It went really really well for the first little bit- and then we had melt down #2....she dropped her bracelet and the beads went all. over. the. floor. But she calmed down and started again and she ended up with three beautiful bracelets.

Jenna and her fairy house

Other things we did:

• Puzzles! Jenna likes doing puzzles which is so good for her. We worked on puzzles for about twenty minutes- she did not want help at all. She did both of the puzzles and then ran around the kitchen dancing when she finished.

 Jenna took both of the pictures of the puzzles. It's also safe to say she DOES NOT like doing puzzles that are missing puzzle pieces. 

• Bubbles! It was so fun watching her dance around the yard popping them.
• Sidewalk Chalk- because who doesn't like sidewalk chalk? 
• Side note- ever wonder how you play with sidewalk chalk and avoid messy hands? Use a paper towel! 
• Library run! Jenna has a picture book communication system and something she kept asking for all day was to go to the library. I figured it wouldn't hurt to take her so we went while the fairy house was drying. We sat in the children's book section and read Clifford books for about a half hour before Jenna was ready to head back to the house. (the library is only about 5 minutes away)

Overall impressions from the day?

After today I feel a whole lot better about this summer. I think I really just needed to get to spend some time with Jenna to get to know her a little bit and now that I have done that I feel more at peace. Kind of like (for us Trinity education students) how when you get your aiding placement for the semester, you feel kind of nervous and wonder what your teacher and students will be like and how they will act and such. That feeling doesn't really go away until we enter the classrooms on that first day. I felt that same kind of feeling today- but now I feel really good- and excited about this summer. It's going to be really fun- but there is no doubt that it is also going to be lots of work and that there will be challenges along the way.

I think one of the biggest challenges is definitely going to be learning how to best communicate with Jenna. She only speaks about ten words total but she signs- and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to take sign language at Trinity because I would have been so lost today without it. (I also already picked up about 5 new signs ) 

Overall though- I'm just excited. This is such an incredible opportunity. I am going to be able to be Jenna's teacher this summer- but she also has so much to teach me and I'm seeing that already and I've only been there for a day. I hope that God uses me in the life of this precious young lady- and I am so excited to see how His plan for both Jenna and I this summer unravels and unfolds.