You never knew I was so talented...

I can’t believe that the month of August is almost finished and gone. Coming back from the states, I thought I would still have a little time to enjoy the sunshine and the beach before things started to get moving, however, since coming back from the beautiful land of Michigan, I have hit the ground running. Most of my activities upon my return have revolved around the annual conference of Christian Associates, called Connect. This year, Connect was held in Portugal about an hour and a half north of where I live. I worked alongside my teammates to help iron out the details for the week long conference, specifically making sure that everyone had transportation from the airport to the camp and back. It was an interesting challenge trying to maneuver those logistical waters especially considering that I am pretty much awful with details. I am happy to say that Connect was a huge success.I know from my experience at least, that I left feeling very encouraged with what God is doing in Europe and strengthened even more for what God has set before me here. Yet the week was not just filled with spiritual encouragement. I was also very encouraged by all the fun we had! One night, we actually had a talent show, which if any of you know me, you will know that I revel in these little spot light activities. I, hence, volunteered to perform two of my talents. (Lets be honest: there aren’t a whole lot to choose from!) One of the talents that emerged was a duet I performed with my friend Kara. We graced the stage with a lively rendition of the rap from Fresh Prince of Bellaire! It won the crowd over as everyone was clapping and laughing as we somewhat acted out the words! And, seriously, who doesn’t love to sing along to that song! My second talent involved a spicy balancing act to the all time classic of Vanilla Ice Ice Baby! I strutted up on stage to the beat and with the help of several conveniently placed props, managed to woo the crowd by balancing larger and more awkward objects on my face, all to culminate in balancing a table precariously on my chin. The crowd seemed to love it, and me being the little attention seeker that I actually am, drank it in enjoying the benefits of being able to perform stupid human tricks!(I hope you like the video! My friend, sadly, was not able to capture the pinnacle of the routine but at least you get the idea. Be prepared to rock out as well!!) For me the talent show was definitely a highlight, but I also really enjoyed getting to know other people from the Christian Associates family, playing a little beach volleyball and spending ample time outside in pine forest where our conference was set. the time Connect had finished I was ready to dive in again to the work before me. In a couple days, I begin studying Portuguese again, planning for another short-term trip to come in October, and even playing volleyball with the team again!
It is going to be a busy September, but I am happy to find a more consistent schedule again as fall is just around the corner. Someone send me some Michigan apples and I’ll make sure to send the Portuguese sunshine every now and again! Until soon.