Harrisburg Discipleship Center

It's Thanksgiving Day. I'm at home, not 'Harrisburg home', but 'my parents' house home'. I was able to go home for a week and then I'll finish up my training learning Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) for 4 days. I lived in Harrisburg for the past 2 1/2 months with some of the most wonderful and entertaining people. We spent every weekday following a schedule from the time we ate breakfast until the time that lights went out (7:30am-10:45pm). Twice a day we'd have a session that usually focused on one of many different aspects on how to know the Lord and grow closer to Him. Some topics are 'Prayer, Fasting & Intercession', Inner Healing, Journey of Discipleship, Forgiveness, Worship, Biblical Truth, Identity in Christ, Living in a World in Need, Prophetic Ministry... you get the idea. I thought it was an amazing retreat weekend that was multiplied by 35. My prayer is so much more real now. I KNOW God hears my prayers, more than subconsciously thinking that I'm praying because that's just what you do since everyone says that's the way you communicate with God. I've become more in tune with Him. When I ask Him questions, sometimes He gives me a mental picture, sometimes a song on the radio, a person who brings up that same topic to me. I didn't used to really look or listen for it but I'm practicing. Another important spiritual thing I've been focusing on- an intimate relationship with Him. I'm learning to redirect my focus on His love and see how strong it truly is for me. Sometimes I catch myself thinking, "Wow, God really loves me more now that I'm trying to know Him." But then I have to remind myself, He will never love me any more or less. It's me who just wasn't willing to find that deep love because I was too caught up in other people or things.
About those amazing people I've been living with... I sent out a link in a previous email that you could look at my pictures on facebook but I learned that unless you have a facebook account, no one can see them. I'll put some of my favorites up.

This was the day the team leaders and staff disguised themselves
and walked around the capitol until a group would find
them and have to propose to them in order to get their signature.


This picture was taken right before dinner when the
guys had made a banquet to bless the girls.


Here's all the guys after some entertainment
and a delicious meal they planned for us.



One Sunday we hiked the Appalachian Trail.



Talent Show. Ben normally doesn't look like this.



World Awareness Day. I ate rice for all 3 meals that day.
Here's lunch. About 10 people to a bowl.



Dinner. By this point, I stopped eating before I was full.
There were many people to share with and
the taste of brown rice was getting old.



Brett's only wish was that it would snow before he left for Venezuela.
We didn't think it'd happen but we walked out
of worship on Sunday and there it was!



Cory about to pelt me.



It was such a fun/love-filled night. One by one we came in from
the snow and heard some awesome music being played in the dining room.
It was Rachel and Clara, the 2 new cooks from South Dakota.
People grabbed a warm drink, a woopie pie, and a seat next to
a dear friend. More musicians were added on
throughout the evening ending the last song with 5 instruments.



We had a secret buddy throughout all of training who
we had to sneak fun treats in their mailbox when they weren't
looking. I was Vanessa's Secret Buddy.



Here's mostly everyone hanging out, enjoying the music.



Greta, the other intern!



It was the Love Feast.
Everyone got dressed up and ate a fancy meal.
These are my awesome roommates.



Here we are again, all wearing our Cous-Cous shirts.
The training created these shirts in rememberance
of how many times we ate cous-cous every week.