I have officially been in Portland for 8 weeks. Since August 14th, life has been NONSTOP. Sometimes I feel like I tend to be a tad bit over-dramatic, but seriously, this time I am so serious! The first few days back were full of unpacking and catching up with friends from school. Then we had our All-Leadership Retreat, which was awesome! Then we came home and had a few days of training and prepping the halls for the arrival of our students! Then we had New Student Orientation weekend which I love because I love meeting new people but it gets a bit tiring after several days. Then we had a week of school. Then our All School Retreat at Washington Family Ranch in Antelope, OR where we rested, played hard and spent time in the sun, pool and with friends. Then we had our second week of classes and then my best friend got married in Medford, OR so I spent a long weekend doing that and all that weddings entail. I came home happy but exhausted. The 6 weeks had finally caught up with me. Just when I thought I was about to get a break, I was thrown into a few intense weeks of being an RA. Sometimes I have this feeling where I think to myself, 'right now, I would love to not be an RA so I could just shut the door.' But, in the end, I am so grateful for how I got to see God work in the situation both in this students life and in mine as well. He was and is always faithful!
Through the midst of this, I kept saying, 'I just have to make it to Mid-Semester Break!' Well, God had other plans. October 4th I got sick. I was VERY sick. I had a fever of over 100 for 4 days. Had everything from vomiting to chills. From headaches to a runny nose and everything in between. I spent 4 LONG days in bed. Doing NOTHING. Trust me...I love being productive so I tried hard. I tried homework, reading, movies, music, facebook, knitting, journaling, writing notes and the list goes on and on and on. Nothing worked. Everything simply made my pain worse. So, I spent 4 days in silence. Laying still in my bed. I shuffled to the bathroom when needed but other than that, I didn't leave my bed. The first few days were very uncomfortable. I realized I don't like sitting in silence. I don't like the feeling of me doing nothing. I was getting restless but forced myself to stay put. God was giving me the rest I so desperately needed!
The last few days of my bed rest I spent time reflecting. The movie reel in my head played movie after movie of memories of Haiti. Me with my babies. Hearing them giggle. Hearing them cry. Watching them play, walk, sing and clap. I saw my students. My flirtatious students...I remembered how embarrassed I was at first, and how I got over it. I remembered my lessons I was teaching. The way my students would sing, 'Oh Be Joyful' over and over again and their beautiful voices. I remembered walking the streets. Beginning to try out my Creole. I remembered the mixed feelings of coming home. Most of all, I remembered what God taught me in Haiti.
I had the privilege of speaking in chapel on the 4th, the day I got sick. I can only thank God that I didn't get sick before this! I got to share stories of what God did in Haiti. The whole time I was preparing, I felt as if there was one message God was wanting me to share with the students...but I think He wanted me to remember that lesson myself more than the students.
I talked about what it looks like to depend on God. In the midst of Senior year it is so easy to think ahead to graduation. 7 months from today I will walk across the stage and my time at Multnomah will be finished. I have no idea what I am doing after this. Am I moving back to University Place? Maybe. Am I moving to Portland? Maybe. Am I moving somewhere else? Maybe. Will I go on to do more school? Maybe. Will I just get a job and work some? Maybe. There are so many unknowns and thoughts that I have flying through my head. This weekend of being sick, God wanted me to remember how I depended on Him in Haiti. How He put the desire in my heart. How He opened every door along the way. How He went before me, with me and behind me in Haiti. Why am I so quickly to doubt? The final lines I gave in my speech in chapel are still echoing through my head and it is giving me the hope I need to trust God.
"Do WHAT God is calling you to do, today. Be WHO God is calling you to be, today. Just trust God with the rest...You never know the kind of adventure He is waiting to take you on."
