Ready or Not, Here I Come!

I wish I had time to really sit down and fill you in about all this stuff swimming through my brain. However, today is a busy day! I'm finishing packing and heading to Modesto to see my dad. I'll be picking up Nate and Peyton tonight so we can all go to airport together in the morning. It will be an early morning for sure. Our flights leave around 6AM! Kevin is also on our flight and Jonathan is actually flying as we speak!

I guess it finally hit me yesterday that I'm leaving. Weird how that always happens, right? Well, it's true. This is my last night sleeping at home for a long while. I'm going to miss it! I was talking to a good friend last night and she gave me some good encouragement and advice. I'm going on a mission. This is a unique time in my life where I can go all out and grow and press into the Lord. I shouldn't allow all these little worries keep me from being able to say "mission accomplished" as I fly back to California in August.

I'm jazzed to say the least! I would love to receive mail while I'm away from home so I wanted to share my address with you. I promise to do my best to respond in a timely manner!

Audrey De Soto

1301 Central Avenue

Ocean City, NJ 08226

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

1 Timothy 2:1 

One Week...

Hello friends and family!

I feel like it's been an obnoxiously long time. But here's the deal...IT'S SUMMERTIME! The last month or so, I haven't been able to use my laptop because the backlight went out. Imagine trying to complete projects and study for finals...hectic for sure. I used the school computers and got it all done. My goal is to figure something out this week. My life was just ridiculous trying to finish up school and it slipped off my priority list. However, it's back on!

Can I just say how awesome it is to be out of school? My last final was on Thursday and I've had a blast ever since. Friday, we closed the building and it was pure chaos. I was so emotionally and physically exhausted...no one was kidding when they said how draining it would be. But the good news is that I got to spend quality time with my staff even if it meant re-doing bulliten boards with Tara til 1am.

So far on my summer vacation I've enjoyed a Rivercats Game, shopping with my mom, enjoyed a church service at home, savored a late night In N Out run, slept in, attempted to sort out the chaos of the living room from all my stuff from Sac, reunited with special friends, saw Soul Surfer for the second time, and rocked my first natural wavy hair day of summer. Today is day two.

Tonight, I will be sitting in AT&T Park, surrounded by spirited fans and enjoying my last game of the summer while rooting for the best baseball team in the world. No really, we're the world champions; just in case you didn't know. GO GIANTS! 

This week ahead is already becoming filled with all sorts of stuff...but most importantly, I hope to make sure I spend quality time with my family. I promised my mom I would also organize all my stuff so that when I come back home, I can move right back into the halls.

As of right now, I am still about 600 dollars short on my support. I wanted to say thank you again to all who have already supported and ask that you prayerfully consider supporting me financially if it is something that is on your heart. Here's to the one week mark! I hope all of you are enjoying this season as much as I am. Break out those flip-flops and make some memories!

Jenkins 111

Hello everyone! Last time we talked, I was feeling overwhelmed and not quite for sure how to handle the copious amounts of to-do's on my list. Well, school is zooming by. I only have 2 weeks left of classes and then finals. As a college student, that means only 8 days left getting up surviving school days and I only have 2-3 finals this semester. I know, how could I not know exactly how many? I will have the option to take my Sign Language final depending on how well I do on the next test. So, I am hoping to only take two finals this semester! That does not mean that my finals week will be any less hectic. I will be filling my time with checking residents out of the hall. Plus, packing to head home while organizing my life to head to New Jersey. It's hard to imagine that the time is coming! I've spent 9 months with these residents and regardless of getting woken up last night at 3am due to some violating quiet hours, I'm going to miss them.

Here's some good news: my contract as an RA has been renewed! We got our new building placements on Wednesday. I'll be heading across the Res Hall Quad to join the Jenkins staff! I'll be on the first floor, in good ole room 111. Obviously, it's going to be a whole new experience but I am so incredibly excited about it! I've lived in a co-ed hall for two years but in Jenkins, I will be on a wing with all girls. Everyone says how different it is (imagine having that many females so close together for that long). I'm just stoked to have the opportunity to have another year as an RA to look forward to. So, Jenkins, here I come!

How is planning for New Jersery going you ask? I am pleased to inform you that there are only 31 days until I board a plane that will take me across the country. I have a paper chain counting down the days until project. When Maci, Allison, and I made it, there were 97 rings. Now there are only 31! I have it hanging up on my wall as a reminder of what I am working towards.

I still have about $1000 to raise to cover the cost of the project. There have been so many sweet surprises the Lord has thrown my way the past two months in regards to my financial support. I am confident that everything will be ok even if it requires a few more surprises. It's never too late to receive support! I also am thankful for all the prayerful support that you have committed to. It's awesome to know that people are excited about what I'm excited about and care about my spiritual growth.

I am duty this weekend which means I have to stay in my hall. Hopefully this equates to many productive hours of schoolwork and some not-so-productive hours with friends.  Enjoy the sunshine and please keep praying for my trip and for all the other students that are also going this summer. If you would like to support me this summer, I would love to talk to you more about it. You can email me at ald223@saclink.csus.edu

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:28

Reality Check: 48 Days!

Well hello, again. I know it's been a while but I've been feeling all sorts of overwhelmed. Nothing in particular, just the semester coming to a close and so many loose ends to tie! I'm giving up on my audiology paper for the night to bring you this short little blurb before bed. And just so you know, my paper is due tomorrow. Yup.

Regardless of how crazy and ridiculous my life feels, I know that these feelings are not always based in reality. I am thankful to have friends here that remind me of the Truth. Here's reality: I leave for Ocean City in 48 days! I'm going and it's approaching quickly. I often imagine what it's going to be like, who I'm going to meet, and how I will be different when I return to California on August 14th. But I know it's impossible to imagine! There are so many things the Lord has planned for me that are far beyond my wildest dreams. It's scary but it surely is wonderful.

Support has started to come in once again and I'm reminded that it is not in my control. Thank you so much for your consistent prayers and for faithfully supporting me financially. All of your encouragement means so much to me. I cannot wait to be done with papers, projects, and exams for a few months. Until that time, I will work diligently and watch my Savior pull this plan together. I hope that you all are having a fantastic week. Thanks for sharing this journey with me!

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. //Proverbs 17:22

We Made It Through The Rain

What a wonderful Spring Break it has been! I enjoyed laying around in sweats and yoga pants daily complete with sweatshirts and glasses. I did have my fair share of time out of the house too! I had great days with special friends and was so grateful to spend time with them. I finally got my right contacts, went to the dentist, and got a hair cut. Feelin' fresh! 

I don't mean to point out the obvious, but the weather was ridiculous this week. POURING rain. BLISTERING wind. COLD days. This may not be what I would've planned for my "perfect" break but it was certainly what I needed. In all honesty, I was anything but productive when it comes to school work and projects. But, I spent a lot of time recharging my batteries and reflecting on what is to come. Graduation is way closer than I may think and grad school is looming over my head. It's strange how life expects you to plan the next part of your life before you even finish what you're currently doing! Who knows where I'll go to grad school, when/where Ian will be deployed, how all my financial support will come in, and all of the other life questions that pop into my mind? 

Luckily, I have a Savior who is crazy about me. I am confident that He has my best interests in mind and I'm sure that all this "stuff" will be taken care of. But here's great news: I hit the $1000 mark! As of today I have seen $1070 come in. It's so awesome and I have to remind myself that although we still have a ways to go, He has got this all under control. Just like this Spring Break weather, life will clear up and it will not always be pouring rain.

I only have eight weeks til summer. Eight precious weeks left in Sac to finish what the Lord has started there with me this year. Eight precious weeks left with my residents and staff. Then, I will have one week at home before setting off for Ocean City. Hold onto your hats, it's going to be a wild ride. I can do this!

Thank you for your continuing support. Your prayers and financial support mean so much to me. If you are interested in supporting me financially this summer, I would LOVE to talk to you about it. I'm glad to see that you too survived the rain. Enjoy this time of sunshine!

"You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden." -Matthew 5:14

We Made It 

The Team

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the official team from Sac State CRU heading to Ocean City this summer. (From left to right: Jonathan, Me, Nate, Peyton, Kevin) As of today, we have all now received our acceptances. What a joy! I am so excited to spend this summer with such great friends. Please pray for us all as we prepare our hearts for the summer and as we raise financial support. Thank you so much for your generosity and your prayers. I was able to send my initial deposit in on time!

Spring Break is next week and I'm looking forward to spending some time at home. Leaving at the end of May means that I don't have a lot of time at home from the time I finish school to the day I fly to New Jersey. I hope to hang out with friends, spend time with family, and relax. Hopefully I'll receive more letters back, too! I hope that everyone is having a great week.  

I see a generation

rising up to take their place.

With selfless faith,

selfless faith.

I see a near revival

stirring as we pray and seek.

We're on our knees,

we're on our knees.

Hosanna.

                                                                                       -Hillsong United

From Frazzled to Taken Care Of.

What a great weeks it’s been!  March has  been good to me thus far and it looks like it’ll be getting even better with Spring Break only two weeks away!

I would like to share a story of yesterday morning with you. I had a hair cut appointment in Galt and was very excited about it. Plus, it would give me a chance to stop home to pick up some things. I woke up at 7:52am (snooze is not my friend) and I needed to leave by 8. I scrambled out of bed and did the least amount of things necessary to be presentable and rushed out the door. I hopped in my car, knowing that I was cutting it close. As I pulled out of the parking space, something just wasn’t right. It wasn’t obvious to me at first…but I left my car running and hopped out to take a look. And there it was: an annoying flat tire.

Bummer, right? Well, just wait. It gets better. I pulled back into the space and called my hair dresser to let her know that I would not be making it. She was understanding ; I was happy about that.  Being an adult is tough sometimes so I did what most Daddy’s girls would do: I called my dad. I was fully confident in my ability to solve the problem, but in the moment, his encouragement was just what I needed. It was 8 am and I knew none of my friends would be awake. I definitely didn’t want to wake a guy up this early on a Friday morning!!  I walked back to my building, frustrated and disappointed with how my morning had started. The custodian was there to greet me. I didn’t think it was obvious that I had a rough morning, but he asked me what was wrong and I told him I had a flat tire. He dropped what he was doing and said he could help.

The rest of the story plays out like a comedy. One thing after another kept going wrong. I couldn’t find the tools in his car. He went to his truck but his socket was too big. He called another custodian and his also didn’t fit.  But he then found the tools in a secret compartment in my trunk (who knew! ha). So they put the spare on and guess what? It was low on air. So they jumped in his truck and took it to the gas station to fill it. Apparently the first one didn’t have an air pump…so they went to another one.

In the meantime, I was sitting on the curb in the parking lot of the Res Halls. Remember how I got ready in 8 minutes? I took advantage of time zones and called friends that I thought would be up. Texting is also a great way to pass time. In the end, everything was pulled together and my Friday continued to be great! I spent the afternoon rock climbing and the evening was all about celebrating my friend’s birthday.

The lesson of the day: God takes care of all our needs. He knew I would have a flat tire. He knew it’d be early. He knew someone would be there who could help. He knew we would run into a few problems, but He provided ways around it. What a great example of the Lord’s provision and omnipresence in our lives .

This is what I know is happening with my trip to Ocean City. He knows what I need to get there. He knows exactly how this is all going to work. Each day I get a letter back, my mom calls me as she opens it. He has been so faithful this week and thank you so much for helping!  Please continue to pray with me as May 31^st approaches. Only 87 days left!