Please PRAY for the People on the Gulf Coast!

As I'm sure most of you know, hurricane Gustav is stirring in the Gulf of Mexico. It's has already taken over 80 lives and today has strengthened to a category 4 hurricane. Near the middle of the projected path is New Orleans and Mississippi also falls in its projected path. I am devastated just at the thought of ANOTHER major hurricane hitting these people who are still struggling to recover from hurricane Katrina. The third anniversary of Katrina just passed...what a way to remember it by evacuating for another one.

After this year of working on the Gulf Coast, it is all so much more personal. I know these people, I've heard their personal stories and struggles, I've seen progress and hope, but I also left a place that still has a long ways to go before it is recovered from hurricane Katrina. Please pray for these people and that by some miracle Gustav loses steam and misses them.

It also is hard for me to imagine moving on with my life and getting a job in Dallas if this storm really does hit the area I just left. How can I just sit by and not go back? We'll see...


Hurricane Gustav

Farewell Mississippi, Hello World!

I left Mississippi about a week ago. It's hard to believe the year is already over. I am ready to move on but it's always a little difficult leaving a place that I have become so attached to. I'm going to miss so many homeowners, being on the Gulf, the work I was involved in, and the cajun food. But I am ready to have a little bit more of a "normal" life that with friends, family, activities that interest me, and working 8am-5pm instead of being on call 24/7.

The next few months are going to be a whirlwind adventure! I spent last week in Dallas visiting my boyfriend, Dan, and started the apartment search there. I'm currently writing from Albuquerque, New Mexico visiting my brother and his family. My little nephew, Mason, is one and a half and is pretty adorable. I haven't seen him in nearly a year so he is like an entire different kid. Next, I'm going to a retreat in northern New Mexico for a few days with the people from the program I was with in Mississippi. After the retreat, I'm heading back to Seattle for about 3 weeks. I haven't been home to Seattle since Christmas so I'm excited to be back to visit friends and family and to have a little relief from the hot weather of the south.

But that's not all. After about 3 weeks in Seattle, I'm off to Europe with my friends Sally and Katie for 3 weeks. We are going to take a whirlwind tour of Europe from London, to Paris, to Rome, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and flying out of Amsterdam. After all of that, I'll come back to Seattle for a few days and then fly to Dallas for good. In case you didn't catch that, I'm moving to Dallas!


Rachel and I on a canoeing adventure on the Pearl River


A large gator and a pretty white bird on our canoeing adventure.


The beautiful sunrise at Pensacola Beach, FL for our year end retreat


The prayer flags we made for each other flying from a kite at sunrise