Did someone want to hear more from Me?Wednesday, March 22nd
Today mostly all I did was travel. I had planned on taking the train down as my car is telling me it is on a break from long trips. It turned out the Hiett's were needing to be in Irvine on Wednesday so I hitched a ride with them. They had to be down there by noon so we left around 7 am. I didn't have anything until dinner time so I just was along for the ride and met a friend and we hung out, she took me to run the last minute errands one always has before traveling and I got some time to work on my talk and prepare.
Thursday, MArch 23rd
Today was the day of meetings. I met with the Pacific Southwest Operations team for their staff meeting. It was great seeing how they function and getting to know everybody better. I shared how if I were a kitchen utencil I would be a spatula. I then met with different members of the Ops team for them to tell me about positions on the team that are available. I also met with the HR Director about some other options. It was a day with a lot of thinking. Who would have thought that I, Carrie Sue could work on Finance for events in our Region?? I wouldn't have thought about it, but as I think about it it seems like a good position, it isn't the only thing I would be doing, I would also be helping plan events and conferences.
I finally left the office a little before five to go meet up with Elisa as her hubby was going to take us to LAX for our flight.
Friday, MArch 24th
We flew all night and arrived in Atlanta arounf 9:30. I made friends with a guy at the car rental place and got good directions. We hadn't had breakfast or lunch so we needed some Southern food......what is better than French Toast and Fried Okra with Sweet TEa!! Only in the south.
We then drove the rest of the way to the camp in Mentone Alabama. I had been able to go to Alabama before and love the south. There is just something about being around so many ADX girls that gets me ubber hyper.
Let me tell you, I was hyper. I was excited to be there and see so many people. I had to perform the Beaver Dance and some of the girls knew it!! It was basically be high energy or crash from no sleep the night before. I still didn't know where my cabin was, so that wasn't an option.
People accused me of being a ham this weekend, who me?? Never.
SAturday, March 25
The day of Convention. I was speaking on Diamonds and the process a diamond goes through to become what we see. We go through the same process when we come to Christ. From the lump of coal we need pressure and to be cut by the master craftsman to become who He wants us to be. As women of Christ we have to allow this process to happen and grow from it. The theme of the weekend was Bling Bling and it went over really well.
We got to hear from all the chapters about how they are doing. There was a lot of business to go over and more time in the Word. I love ADX and am always praying for it, that God would guide and direct us and that we would all be at the center of His will and not our own.
Saturday was a great day. I got four ADX shirts and only spent $15. Yay!!
Sunday and Monday really run together. Apparently I had kept eveybody up talking way into the night and we didn't get to bed until after 3- Really, if there are 4 people in a room talking is it one person's fault?
On Sunday we drove back to Atlanta and stopped by the GA Tech house. Those girls are awesome and God is doing amazing things there. We then had to be back to the airport. It was off to TN. We were delayed a bit but arrived y 11 pm (2 am if we were in AL).
I think we got back to Irvine by midnight. I slept and then got on a train and headed back to Fresno. It was now Monday, the sixth day of my journey.
Enjoy a few more pics
here are some of the West Coast ADX ers
yes Kristin that is more than just bling!
The Lovely Ladies of the National Board of Alpha Delta Chi
I've got Georgia on my mindI have been a pretty busy gal. I started out by thinking it would be smart to combine going to a meeting in Irvine and flying out that night. That meeting actually turned into four meetings and almost an all day thing. I talked with several people in the Regional Office about possible positions for me there. I can work with the events team in a Finance role as well as being involved on the event planning side. There is another option on the table of being a communications person where I would work on the PR side with the media and all as well as keeping the staff in our region informed about what is going on. I also talked with our HR Director about options in general and campus ministry. I don’t know right now what I want to do. I want to lay it all on the altar and make the decision God wants me to. I don’t know if I am over complicating things and should just go with what my heart is telling me. It is hard deciding and it means leaving behind a place that I have lived for the last seven years (not that it is an option to stay here) Please just pray with me as I make this decision.
After all my meetings I headed to Elisa’s for our flight out of LAX. I never thought to change as our flight was at 10:10 pm.
Here we are at the airport
After almost no sleep and a VERY long conversation with a Mormon we arrived in Atlanta, GA. Now we went to get our car and waited for Kristin to join us. It was so good to see her. Now we had the drive to northern Alabama. “There has to be an Alabama out there somewhere” as Jan said. We stopped for breakfast/lunch at Crate and Barrel, wait, silly me it is Cracker Barrell. The silly things we say when we haven’t had sleep. I made another guy friend here (that was number 4 for me, I was on a roll!) We eventually made it to the camp and it was then that I realized how long I had been in my clothes. All the girls were starting to arrive.
Convention was such a blast. It was so great to be there with all of the girls from everywhere. The camp was amazing and we were really able to bond. I was the speaker and I think it went alright. Kristin and I lead a devotional in the evening and the girl’s worked together over some passages and that was amazing. BEfore leaving we stopped at the sigmas House
A day isn't complete without a pic taken with 12 cameras!!
After being delayed a few hours we made it back to LA and back to Irvine. I then took the train back to Fresno. All in all I was gone six days, visited four states and made over 100 new friends. These are memories I will never forget.
Now I am working on a retreat with our students this weekend. I have been asked to take the plans that were made and make the weekend happen. Please be praying for our students as they get wisdom as to what to do next weekend. May the Lord guide us as we prepare to talk.
Next weekend a group of 22 of us are going to Louisiana for a Katrina Relief trip. It is going to be a long couple of weeks, but God is in the center of it and I am excited to see what happens.
TransitionWEll, its official. I have had to be tight lipped about this area, until now. I want to share with you what we shared with our students. The ministry in Fresno is in a time of transition. There have been many times of transition where the Lord brought the people through, and this is one of those times. This is the last year Staff will be in Fresno as they have been for many years. They are trying to transition the Valley into a Catalytic team, during that transition time students will run the ministry. In the furture the prayer is for there to be a team that works with Cal. State Bakersfield, Fresno State, UC Merced and Stanaslaus State.
I am joining staff this summer and have a couple options. I have been asked to consider a position in our regional office working with events. This is something I am considering. I would have to leave being on a campus. I can also stay in campus ministry and be reassigned somewhere in our region (yes Ebeth ASU is one of the schools in our region). Prayers for this transition would be appreciated.
The response from our students was great. They are praying over what God would have them do. We have a retreat in a couple weeks where they will work out the details for next year.
This transition affects many people. There have been staff on this campus for the last 15 years and they are being moved and transitioning themselves. Please join us in prayer.
"Trust in the Lord with all (all not just some) your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all (all not just some) your ways acknowledge Him and He will
(that's a promise) direct your paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6
Tomorrow we are starting a
Greek Bible study. It isn't exactly Greek Ministry but it is something. Please keep this in your prayers, we really have no idea how many to expect or what to expect. Praying that God will move through this and get something started.
Day #2 with no coffee.I am still alive as is everyone around me. All is well!!
