New Beginnings, Ghosts and More

I realize that it has been some time since I last posted, but for good reason.

Music school finally kicked off in some official manner on Saturday. Orientation/registration happened for the students, etc. I have been working my tail off for the last weeks getting things ready, making phone calls, organizing things and such. Official lessons start NEXT week, not this coming Saturday. Why you ask? Because I, the youth band and Richard (boss) will all be in Orlando! We're playing at a conference for the United Methodist Church - they're having a conference for equipping youth leaders and the band is their music. Rock on. It's at a lovely hotel. So while we're off playing (and working).... school will be postponed. I'm quite excited! The unfortunate part is that it's looking like I'm not leaving Friday afternoon with the rest of the group. There are some younger band members that have to leave post Friday pm so i'll be waking UP at 2 am and going South by 3 am to pick them up so we can be on the road for Orlando by 4 am. My the fun we will have. My sleep schedule is going to be so messed up!

But I'm looking forward to it. :)

I have a new computer now, that I'm typing this on, so if there's an unusually high number of typos or such, please just accept them as adjustments to the new keyboard. My old one decided to sacrifice itself to the gods of laptop monitor failure, so here I am with Christmas in my lap.

The other big thing that happened this past week is that I spent 5 days at Ghost Ranch Retreat and Conference Center in Abiquiu, New Mexico. It's one of the big Presbyterian Church USA conference centers. It was very beautiful and fun. I went for the YAV orientation retreat. This was for all of the Nationally serving YAVs so I met all those serving around the country for this next year. It was 5 days of no communication with the outside world (so missing the debate totally sucked!) and forgetting to tell my mother so I had many messages like "hmm, well, I guess you're busy..." but also 5 days of really feeling connected and meeting tons of other people doing what I'm doing and so much more. Yay! Good times had by all.

I'm really enjoying my time here. Truly. And I'm learning everyday how tough living with 5 other people is, but it's really helping me learn to always think of others first. I like my housemates a lot still so when things go up or down in relationships, it's easy to remember the relationship is more important than whatever issue I/others may be having. So yay for this being a year of learning!

We talked about discernment during one of our days at Ghost Ranch and I found that a very helpful and enriching seminar. I'm hoping to put many of the things I learned into practice.

Well, I'm tired, and I'm starting to push my bedtime forward each day in prep for this weekend so I'm signing off.

Cheers!

Checklist: Week 1

Week #1 is finished. What an exciting week. First days of work, first worship team meeting, first Lighthouse Church where I helped out, etc. It has been a little stressful but a lot of fun and very rewarding. I'm getting ready to really sink my heels in.

I'm currently neglecting folding laundry and getting ready to go to bed, but I felt like writing at least a little.

Today I went to the church my aunt and uncle go to and they had a big kick off for their new church vision and things. They are called Crossbridge Church and they are a fun, funky church with a multicultural and arts based worship experience. A lot of fun. After worship there was a lunch with food from Pollo Tropicale (sp?) and then a Latin band played some great music. I went on a tour of the building (for reasons I will disclose later) and it was really an all around good experience.

Saturday was my first full day with the bands and such. It was different than it will be once the school gets going, but a load of fun. I had to go to Florida City to pick up some students. It was a new and different and long drive that I'll have to get used to.

Friday was community day and the housemates went to Sailboard Beach and we spent the day picking up trash and recycling. Then we went further to Hobie Beach and swam a bit before going home. It was a lot of fun.

Other than that, there has been more time settling into things.

Oh, and my computer is on its way out... so I am getting a new one soon. :) I'm gonna wipe Vista off tho and put XP back on. Grr Vista.

Okay, I'm tired (I work long days Saturdays and didn't sleep well last night) so I'm gonna finish with the laundry and then hit the pillow... hard.

Night all!

The Beginning.....

It's late at night and I'm finally getting around to doing this.

Things here have been crazy. Wonderful, but crazy.

Let me tell you about it.

Julie and I arrived safe and sound (but very tired) in Miami on Tuesday afternoon. We were met at the train station by Heidi and we loaded up our things and drove to the house. We dropped off our stuff, met Matt and JJ (Matt I had met before... he took some of my things down with him on his way in his car - incredibly sweet!) and all went to grab dinner before dropping me at my Uncle and Aunt's house. Dinner was great - eating subs on the end of a dock in the bay, looking out over a marina. I caught up with my Aunt and Uncle (Sally and Frank, respectively, my mother's brother and sister-in-law), had a fantastic shower (after twenty hours on the train, it was wonderful) and got some much needed sleep.

After a late breakfast out on Wednesday, Frank and Sally dropped me back off at the house (the Wesley House... where we live) and we waited for Julie and Heidi to arrive so we could all go to the airport to pick up Elizabeth and Rachael.

After we picked them up, we went to the famous Scotty's Landing for lunch. Delicious food abounded, as did discussions of the best way to steal coconuts, movies about zombies and other fun things. It was quite fun.

The Wesley House is one of two houses that the DOOR program uses here in Miami. The other house (the South House) is not being used this year as there are six of us. So guess what happened to all the furniture from the other house? It ended up in our living room.

Much of our week was putting away the furniture, painting a bedroom (a rather large task), unpacking, cleaning, driving around to everyone's sites so we could meet everyone's work placements and bosses and such, doing paperwork and reading rules, writing a covenant, making a chore chart, praying together and such. This all had to be done before Sunday at 4pm, in which our house was going to be taken over by many guests in an open house so that the bosses, board members, former DOOR volunteers and many other people could see what we're doing, how we're living, and get to know everyone.

Needless to say, I've been very, very busy. I feel quite guilty about only having called my parents once in the whole time I've been here, and never being able to call any of my friends, let alone my best friend Mattie. Time has been crazy here. So for those of you who may feel neglected... I love you! I didn't forget about you! Now that things here are settling into routines as we are all getting into work and such, things should calm down and I should have a set schedule.

Speaking of work.... it started today! I, unlike the rest of the DOOR people here this year, have a very different work placement. Most of them go to work 4 days a week (M-Th) at the same hours each day. Some work morning to afternoon like at and office or school, or some work late morning to early evening, for afterschool type things.

I, however, have none of that luxury. :)

Let me tell you about my job.

I am now, officially, the Director of the Community Music School of Miami. I also am on the worship team for Lighthouse Christian Fellowship and one of the key staff of Miami Music Ministries (which runs all of this stuff).

I am responsible for finding curriculum, writing curriculum, finding teachers and students, fundraising, grant writing, scheduling classes, private lessons, bible studies and more, networking, investigating and connecting people. And all of this is done with my mind completely on what God wants me to do. Heavy stuff.

I also will be teaching/leading drama classes: history/theory of theatre and acting classes that will evolve into rehearsals when nearing a performance of any kind.

I get to travel with the youth band (one of the many amazing ministries of the school and church and such) and help lead worship on Saturday nights. I'm already signed up to preach in October.

Most of our classes and things take place on Saturday, so Saturdays will be big, crazy busy days for me. I will work from very early in the morning to very early the next morning. Sundays, if the band is travelling, will be busy too. And most likely Mondays, I'll be heading South to a particularly poverty-stricken area of Florida to teach in and direct a satellite part of the Music School in Florida City.

So this means that Tuesdays are my day off. :)

Wednesdays and Thursdays are for phone calls, emails, grant writing, scheduling, fundraising, networking and organising.

Friday is the community day here at the house when all of us don't work and we do things together - a lot of volunteer work, a lot of fun, a lot of bonding.

Speaking of my community....

IT ROCKS! I am so happy and so blessed to be with such a wonderful group of people. I really have such huge appreciation for each of them. Rachael, Julie, Elizabeth, Matt and JJ are incredible Christians and wonderful young people and we have all really hit it off. We're all having fun and getting along well. We joke that we will have to see how things are going in six months, but I don't think I could have asked for a better group. We're all so different and yet have so much in common and so much to talk about.

So in a nutshell.... I'm pretty happy. My job will be a blast (though very difficult so please please pray for me!)

I want to really thank all of you who have been supporting me in so many ways these last few weeks. It means a ton. And of course, all the glory to God our Redeemer. For it is for GOD that I am doing all of this!

And don't worry... Ike left town. :)

Getting There - and Hurricanes!

This evening I'm boarding the train and heading off for Miami.

It's finally here!

I'm very excited about going and getting started. We have a week of orientation things and moving in, times to get to know people in the community and (if the weather holds up) a possible trip to Orlando for a concert.

Speaking of weather....


Many friends and family have been checking in on me and my "hurricane status".
First off, the house I'm living in has hurricane shutters. And secondly, there is indeed an evacuation plan for all of us.
Hurricanes, in general, are "the best" natural disaster, though I say this lightly in the wake of current events. What I mean by this is that in the case of hurricanes, you get a few days of notice. It's not instant like an earthquake, or sudden like a tornado.

Don't worry - If I'm in danger of a hurricane's path - I'll leave. The program people understand the risk and we'll be well taken care of.

But in most cases, evacuation won't be necessary. Just putting up the shutters and staying inside could make for an exciting evening! There will be plenty of flashlights and candles and other things we need.

For now, let's just pray that Hanna holds off until I'm all moved in! It could be interesting moving into the house with rain and wind.

Wish me luck this first busy week! And as always, your prayers are always appreciated.

Cheers,
Em