So... it has been awhile since I updated this much-neglected blog, and I do apologize to my four followers for not writing something sooner. ISM has certainly kept me busy beyond my expectations, but I now honestly believe that God put me in this specific ministry for a reason. This month we had a "Halloween" - although for PC purposes, "fall celebration" - themed Snack n Chat, and had many international students participate by dressing in costume:
We also carved pumpkins, which proved to be a more difficult and frightening task than Amelia, Tyler, and I had planned. We "borrowed" some knives from Wesley's kitchen and ended up short, which caused one group of students to attempt using a large, Psycho-esque kind of
knife to cut out the small eyes of their pumpkin. Seriously. This knife radiated danger.
In the end, everyone got through the activity with all of their fingers and without cutting themselves: success!
Here's one of my favorite pictures, mostly because of the Pharaoh headdress:
This Snack n Chat was also the largest in the history of ISM! We had 85 people there all together, with several students from countries never before represented at our events (like Kazakhstan!).
This month we also took students on our North Georgia Trip, which consisted of time in Helen, a climb up Anaruby Falls, and a labyrinthine escapade through a corn maze. It is one of our best trips, but it is also one of our longest. Once again, I drove the Wesley van and acquired many new mountain driving skills. It was only mildly frightening. Many kudos for Courtney for acting as my navigator, aka. the one who notices when we've lost our caravan.
Here's an awesome picture of some of the funniest (and nicest) men of ISM:
They were hilarious - mostly because they thought Helen was beautiful and a lot like Europe. No disrespect to the fine Bayernische Stadt, but the streets were crowded for Oktoberfest and the sweets shoppes were barely open. Needless to say, many pictures were taken.
From Helen, we moved on to Anaruby Falls and a Subway lunch before stopping at the North GA Corn Maze for some good old-fashioned vandalism. I didn't see anyone break the path, but I think that a lot of us used openings that were not part of the maze. At least we brought in good business!
We also took a hay ride, and my group got to be in a tv advertisement for the corn maze. That may come back to haunt me one day...
Speaking of haunting, this guy followed us around the whole time:
Whatever this guy was doing, he brought up the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and that story was enough for the students around me to start taking copious amounts of pictures of his high-collared form. I took this one though.
All-in-all, we have definitely kept on our toes, and November should prove no exception. Our director at AFUMC has gone on a two-to-three week trip to the Holy Land, so the other ISM interns and I will be on our own come ISM's largest event of the year: the Thanksgiving Dinner. It is a little intimidating, but I think that between the three of us we have it set.
On a side note, I have been blown away by how the Lord has provided for me this month! I seriously thought about taking a job in order to balance my finances, but was relieved to know that the job was no longer a necessity to pay bills. I am definitely not forgoing the opportunity for employment, but it is nice to know that God notices when we need a little more than the amount currently in our bank accounts. I cannot describe how grateful I am that the Lord cares enough to think of me in this way, and I am confident that the next few months will go on without any worries about finances!
Huzzah!
Jessica
