Why can't magic 8 balls work?

So, I'm not sure this blog will even be read anymore, but even if it isn't...at least I can write whatever!
Covenant has been great so far. As a senior, I'm trying to enjoy all of the extracurricular activities while I'm still a college student. So far, I've been able to 1. have a hall get-together/omelet making party with my hall's brother hall, Sutherland.
2. Go to a Sady Hawkins costume dance with a friend. The theme was 'Kiddo Kilter' and we went as a barrel o' monkeys (see fb pics)
3. Go to my first drive in movie with the 5 points (a guy hall two floors below us)and my hall
4. Go to Chicago with a great group of people for a Christian Community Development Association conference.

Academically: I'm enjoying my classes and love all of my professors. I have also started my SIP process (Senior Integration Paper).

so to explain the title of this blog: as a senior I have been pondering what to do with my life. Do I want to pursue a graduate degree? Can I even get into a graduate program? What do I want to do with my life? What do I actually like doing? I began to think of how easy life would be if I could just shake a magic 8 ball and let it tell me which direction to go. I've NEVER liked making up my mind. Ask anybody who really knows me and they'll confirm that. However, I suppose that if a magic 8 ball did control my life decisions life would be pretty boring and restricting. I really need to take Jesus' instructions of "Do not worry" in mind. I guess I just need to be faithful in following whatever He has planned for me.

-Anna Bacheldor-

Em's new blog...

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I decided to create a new blog for my travels in AFrica, so here is the link for those who would like to follow: http://emilyhaas.wordpress.com/

Emily

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Welcome to Covenant!

Hello my dear friends and family (if any of you are still reading this blog!) =)

I have been back at Covenant for about 5 days now (since Sunday night) preparing to be an Orientation team leader. As we prep, we've been able to assemble info packets, listen to the unfortunate candidates put on the hot seat (something I dread something fiercely), worship together, learn ice breakers to do with the new students, etc. One of the best parts of being on o-team though is participating in the o-team talent show... or as one core team member put it: the o-team smorgasbord. This show consists of our group of leaders lip syncing to various types of music, typically relaying some story on romance and break ups concerning to Covenant College. It is quite amusing to watch, fun to be in, and viewers should be ready to laugh a LOT.

After all of these long days of various activities, all of our prep time is ending tonight, for the new students arrive tomorrow! It's been great to see some returning students in the past two days (returning or new fall athletes and the discipleship coordinators). Tonight was ended with a worship time in Mills 2nd Lobby where the echo is amazing to sing with! It made me really excited for when the entire collection of Christians will be singing together with the angels praising our Lord Jesus. After singing, we all walked single file throughout the campus on a prayer walk. It was fun because I got to see all of the new name tags on the doors, but it was also very good for me because I haven't just talked to God for that long of a time in a LONG time. I love having a God who is both worthy to be praised and someone I can just talk to at the same time. We ended the prayer walk at the lookout point between Probasco and Brock (two buildings) and a few students/staff members popcorn prayed as we all stood in a circle with joined hands. Then, someone led us as we closed by singing the Doxology.
I'm so glad to be back at Covenant!

Western Heights, Knoxville, home, Rwanda, and beyond

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I've said goodbye to Knoxville, Western Heights, and Anna (for now)! Its been an incredible summer. The past 12 weeks have been full of growth, challenges, laughter, and hard work. I've grown exponentially relationally, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, community developmentally, etc. Now that it is over and I am home, I'm exhausted, but I'm getting more excited by the day for my next step: Kigali, Rwanda!


Emily

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We said goodbye to Western Heights--our home away from home for 12 weeks. We became attached to so many people here. I changed our blog picture from this WH picture to the respective countries/state that we will be in for the next 4 months.

Anna and Emily: the KGs (Knoxville Girls). What an eventful internship we had together! Thanks for all the laughs and good times Anna!

So long dear friends, but please keep reading!

Dear family and friends,

Today is my last day in Knoxville for the summer. Emily left bright and early this morning for her 10 or so hour long drive home. As you know she will be going to Africa this fall semester for 16 weeks and I will be returning to Covenant College- both our last years as undergrads. My mom flies up tonight and we will start our 11.5 hour drive home tomorrow morning.

Emily and I are going to try to continue this blog for those of you who'd still like to keep updated with us. The posts may not be very consistent, but we'd like to share our senior year with you, although in different continents for half of it.

Knoxville has been an incredible experience. I've grown personally and have learned more about the complexities of working alongside a community. The Frazers, my host family, have been the kindest and most welcoming family I could've ever asked for and have absolutely loved staying with them this summer. I hope to see them again soon, or at least keep them updated on my life. I have been blessed to have such amazing people to work with and Bill Goosie was great to work with.

It's hard to believe that the internship is basically over. I still need to go back to FBC and print off my internship work and I need to touch up some things, but after all of the worrying and researching, it's done. Coming here I didn't know what to expect and now I'm leaving with a LOT of new friends.

I'm about to start another new branch of my life, I just hope that I can continue to recognize that and enjoy every moment of it.

Prayer Requests:
1. Keep Emily and I safe in our travels
2. Pray that I will work hard my senior year, but enjoy it to the full
3. Pray for Western Heights, the Western Heights Community Alliance, and all those willing to give their lives towards the community
4. Pray that Emily and I will put our complete trust in Jesus in everything we do.

Pray for the persecuted Church

A quick blog:

The other night I had a dream that certain Christians were being persecuted in the United States. In my dream there were certain people that you knew if they came to visit you, you'd either be killed by them or they would send someone to kill you soon after the visit. At the end of my dream, although I didn't see it, I knew that some Christians who didn't convert were tortured to literal death by being cut with pizza cutters (I realize it sounds silly, but in my dream it was scary).
It took me a while after the dream to apply this to real life. I think God sent this dream to me because of my previous lack of concern and empathy for the persecuted church. I now realize that there are Christians out there today who have to fear for their lives every day. The Holy Spirit gives them strength, but I'm sure the spirit of fear can still be overwhelming at times!

Please remember with me to pray for those who are living each day not knowing whether they'll live or die for Christ. Pray that they may have Paul's mentality of "to live is Christ, to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21) and to remember Jesus' blessing: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Mat. 5:10-12)
Pray that they will be bold for Christ and that I will do the same.

-Anna-

The end is coming.

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Tomorrow I will have 2 weeks left till I leave for home--crazy!

Then, when that happens, I will have 2.5 weeks till leave for Rwanda--even crazier.

I'm starting to get more excited about Africa as the time approaches, but also more overwhelmed, which I guess is to be expected.

I've been super busy with Africa work and internship work and trying to balance it all on top of just being a friend to the people I'm around everyday.

Anna and I have a secret goal of getting 100 interviews (or listening conversations) before we leave, and right now, it looks like we might, just might, reach that mark...we should have about 97 by the end of next week. But, that just leaves us one week to try and get 3 more, so we'll see...its attainable. I'm certain of it. Maybe Anna and I will just interview each other to get 2 more. :)

Our resource directory has been coming along. I've had several spontaneous field trips to different organizations this week to interview people and get a list of all the resources and services they offer so I can put all this information into the directory so that when Anna and I leave, the directory will be as complete as we could get it so that it is ready to be used to connect, engage, and mobilize. How's that for cliche. But for real, our boss really wants it complete with all the information we can gather so that he knows what's out there for him to use to connect people to what is already offered. Because my time here is winding down, I'm running out of people to call to set up interviews and have run out of things to enter into the asset base, so this lady, who knows everyone in Knoxville I'm convinced, takes me on these outings and we just stop by different ministries, she drops the name of the person we need to say to get in, and then we end up getting an impromptu tour of the facilities, an overview of their programs, an interview on the spot, and connections and networking to help for the future...getting the Alliance name and vision out to as many people who they should be connected to as possible. Its great to be out and about everyday, but I'm falling behind on my office work now because I'm getting all this information. I'm learning about how its sometimes so much more efficient to go out with someone who knows people and the right thing to say in person instead of calling and trying to get information over the phone as a summer intern because so often people won't give you the time of day, and I don't blame them. I wouldn't talk to me either. But, when you drop in, sometimes people are so willing to show you around and talk and I get all this great information. But, I'm kind of on information overload and have so much to enter into the database, but its a good thing. I thought my work would wind down towards the end, but its kind of picking up. Its going to fly by and then it will be over and I'm sure that there will be loose ends that I won't have tied up, but I know that what Anna and I have done this summer has been helpful. I wasn't sure about it for awhile, but now I'm beginning to see the bigger picture for this Alliance and have seen my place in it this summer and am thankful for what I have learned and for how I am growing. Its probably been the toughest 10 weeks of my life, but I know that God is working.

Some prayer requests:
-Rest: sometimes I work 15+ hour days...I'm going to bed really late and getting up really early, so I'm just really tired all the time.
-Perseverance. Some days I just want to quit, because I'm tired, frustrated, or just weary.
-God's love: for me to show God's love to all those around me, both near and far.


Emily

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