Tomorrow is my last day at the U of M....


I cannot believe how quickly the past 6 weeks have gone, since I gave my notice that I'd be leaving my job at the U of M. It's actually quite unreal to me that tomorrow is my last day and that I'll be saying goodbye to so many wonderful people that I care about (see picture, it's the group at the U I work most with)! I'm in complete denial! I've been working at the U of M in my current position in the College of Continuing Education for the last 4 + years (I know that for some, this doesn't seem long at all), and due mainly to the fact that my co-workers are the bees knees, coupled with the fact that I'm a sap and also a nut for nostalgia, I'm very saddened to see my time there come to an end. In fact, I cried most of the way to my 15 minute walk to my car after leaving Wesbrook (my work building) today. Why am I admitting this? Well, I guess you just have to know how much I enjoy my friendships with my co-workers to understand. Also, I guess it's just hard leaving the place (the U of M) that feels more like home than my actual hometown! I've been at the U of M close to 9 years (with some time during this time in and out of Germany), since starting as a student as a freshman. So almost all of my adult life I've been a Minnesota Gopher!

So what would cause me to leave, you ask? Well... several months ago I was led, over a series of what I would consider, divinely inspired, serendipidious events, to an organization called YouthWorks (www.youthworks.com). YouthWorks is a Christian non-profit that organizes week-long missions trips for teens all over North America. Their mission is to show "works" of love that resemble the unconditional love Jesus Christ showed and has called us to. I have been placed at their Anchorage, Alaska site and for this, I'm absolutely elated! It's the first year they've had a site in Alaska. I will have the role as the Program Staff person, and not only will I get the opportunity to serve alongside the teens all week each week as they serve at different ministry sites, but I'll also get the privilege to be able to connect their experiences to the love and truth of the person of Jesus Christ. I cannot imagine a more perfect "line of work" than to get the opportunity to be a part of drawing people closer to the love of God! In Anchorage we will be partnering with several different minstry partners. Here is the Anchorage site description if you wish to read more (although it's a bit vague: http://www.youthworks.com/getSite.aspx?siteID=580).

I start training in Minneapolis on May 29th and fly out to Alaska on June 2nd. I will return August 9th. Then I will have a 2 week break, and then start on my next adventure: student teaching! I will be student teaching at a private school in Woodbury called New Life Academy. I'm very excited about this! Then come December 12th, when student teaching is over, the future is completely open! How fun is that?

It is unusual for me to say this, but I feel like YouthWorks is no doubt the right and perfect place for me to be this summer. Not that I don't feel like I've been in the right and perfect place up until now. But for some reason this just feels very right, and maybe this is because it is absolutely the right place for me? And possibly -- because it was a somewhat heartbreaking thing for me to leave my wonderful job and co-workers, take a major pay cut, leave Libby -- God is giving me this feeling of certainty that I am in the right place, and that I'm leaving all those things for the best reason in the world: because He has called me to it...

Well, that's it for now. I love you U of M and CCE especially... Here's to U! More later on this, since again, I am a sap!