In old Savannah, I said Savannah, the weather there is nice and warm!

Pardon me for using a throwback from Ray Charles, but the title couldn't be more appropriate for ISM's trip down to the 912. The weather was wonderful, our hosts were welcoming, and our students were enthusiastic - the trifecta of a successful trip!

Now the play-by-play: we left Athens around 3pm on Friday in the Uncle Bob and Aunt Lynn's bus, which they usually utilize for InterFACE Ministries cross-country trips departing from the southeast. The bus features bench seats that run along the sides of the bus, coupled with a few tables and a long row of beds that are stationed above the heads of the passengers. Needless to say, it is a very sociable bus, much more so than the usual row seat coach buses.

Some of our students on the bus

We arrived in Savannah around 8pm that evening, and after unloading at Skidaway Island UMC (our host church for this event), we left for the homes of our host families. The American volunteers stayed with my friend and former discipler, Mary, and her family. We had about 15 Americans on the trip, so they were very generous in feeding and housing all of us for the weekend!

The next day, we went on a trolley tour around Savannah. I always enjoy excursions like that, i.e. seated and historical fact-based activities, but I was glad to see that the international students enjoyed it as well, even if our tour guide talked a little more quickly than was probably advisable. Either way, they liked taking pictures:

My roommate Courtney and I on the trolley tour

Later that afternoon, we went to Tybee Island beach. During the course of the two hours we spent there, one student found a intact dead jellyfish and brought it out of the water for others to poke, some of our students got a little creative with some sand art, and we took lots and lots of pictures.

A part of our group on Tybee Beach

Aforementioned sand art

Jellyfish (ack.)

We spent another night with our host families and the next morning we attended Skidaway Island UMC's church service. The church was so welcoming to our students, and I am so grateful for the ways that they partner with us in Athens every year!

After we said our goodbyes, we parked on River Street and had a few hours to walk around and visit shops. Again, many pictures were taken:

One of the many large ships that came to dock in Savannah

A few American students and I standing in front of a veteran memorial off River Street

We left Savannah from River Street and reentered the Athens area around 8:30 that night. Reflecting back, I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Our leaders were very helpful and friendly to our international students, our stay was fun and restful, and most importantly, no one got hurt. Here's to more successful trips to Savannah!

So, it's been a while....

I apologize for how long it has been since I posted. So much happened in March, and I still have roughly a month left in my internship this year! It is going to be a difficult adjustment to move from working at Wesley and at my new job part-time, to transitioning exclusively to full-time work at my new job for the summer. I am very grateful that the Lord has provided me with such a great job outside of Wesley - my bosses/coworkers are great, my schedule is flexible, and I can work as often as I have time. Working there this summer will be great provision for me, and I hope to be able to continue working there after Wesley starts up again in August.

While we're on the subject of next August, it is pretty much official that I will be an ISM intern again next year. I am excited to be able to continue in the work that ISM has started, even though the ministry will look different next year. In many ways, our leadership is coming under attack as we plan for next semester, and my desire is that the Lord will provide enough students from Wesley to continue on with the ministry, despite the changes coming our way.

ISM only has a couple of events left before my internship ends on April 28th. This weekend we're traveling to Savannah, and I am pumped to see what the Lord has in store for the 27 international students coming on the trip. We will stay with a good friend (and former ISM intern) and her family, enjoy fellowship with her church, and visit Tybee beach and downtown Savannah. Many of the international students who are going on the trip are brand new to ISM events, so I look forward to getting to know them better!

We are also hosting one final Easter/Farewell-themed Snack n Chat. Though we are still deciding how that event will look, it is bittersweet to think that it will be the last Snack n Chat that I will plan with my fellow interns. Next year, one will be moving to Colorado, and the other will be exploring another ministry at Wesley. I am glad that they are pursuing new things, and I am excited to share leadership with new people. I know God will provide interns and leaders who will thrive in this ministry.

As I look back on this year so far, I am continually amazed with the ways in which the Lord has provided for ISM, as well as provided for me. It has been hard to relinquish my finances to God, and in some parts of the year I have been at the point where if He did not provide for me, I would fail. Yet not one bill has gone unpaid! God has redefined what should make me happy, and what purpose money really has in my life. He has shown me that having a roof over my head, food in my cabinets, and fuel in my car is enough, and that I do not need extra money to live joyfully. I know that the season that He has me in is a season of refining, and that my financial situation may not always be dependent on support. However, without this season of financial insecurity apart from the Lord, it would have been much harder to understand that God is my provider. If my earthly father cares for me and does not want me to go without the things I need, how much more does God understand my needs and understand my need to be provided for? It is amazing when I take the time to realize that the Lord is really for me, and I have absolutely no reason to be anxious. My Heavenly Father knows what I need before I encounter every situation and every season of life. He is my comfort and I hope that I will continue to rely on Him more and more!


Up next: Savannah post!