you know you're at summit when... part one

i have a feeling there are going to be many posts like this. so here's the first.

you know you're at summit when the after-dinner conversation is all about "what is art?" is it anything that is created? the phonebook? is it anything that conveys a message? the crucifixion? is it ordered? tessellations? is it self expression? the angry carrot at Winthrop? :) is there a difference between good art and bad art? should bad art really be called art? what about movies? are good movies only movies that make you think? is there a place in art for nonsensical comedy? this conversation went for at least an hour. so much fun!!

funny story. so i just walked into the room after that convo at the honkens and i said to mish, "its only 10? it feels like midnight!" and she said, "are you used to the time difference yet?" and then i was like, "DUH it is midnight where i'm from." so the moral of the story is: i'm not used to the time difference yet. that is why i'm so exhausted even though it is only 10pm here. that and we work our behinds off every day. so since i'm so tired, i'm going to go to bed and get 10 hours of sleep :)

AHHH the high tomorrow is 56!! that means the high on pikes peak tomorrow is 29. ridiculous.

third floor fun begins

so today was full of fun. not really lol. we started on the third floor and then after lunch we got the wonderful job of putting blankets, pillows, and mattress covers on ALL the beds in the hotel. on all four floors. it was quite exciting... and so we felt like we had accomplished nothing on the third floor. but after we were done with all those linens, we went back to working on the third floor and now we feel like we accomplished something. the boys' staff lounge was the dirtiest room we have done so far! why are boys so dirty?

when we were getting ready for dinner (spaghetti) the song 24 by switchfoot came on. i have always loved that song, but these lyrics really stuck out to me this time:

I want to see miracles, see the world change

Wrestled the angel, for more than a name

For more than a feeling

For more than a cause

I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

And You're raising the dead in me

Twenty four voices

With twenty four hearts

With all of my symphonies

In twenty four parts.

I'm not copping out.

Not copping out.

Not copping out.

a second spring

just got back from the first walmart run! i got cute sticky notes so that i can leave notes for my girls in my small group on their binders. i also got some andes mints :) when we were walking back inside the hotel, we were talking about how we are experiencing our second spring of the year because the leaves are just starting to sprout here. its so brown! but green will come. it always does.

today was cleaning the fourth floor. that might sound small, but it isn't. we wiped down all of the furniture and walls and floors and baseboards and scrubbed all the bathrooms and vaccuumed all the carpets... etc. it was quite tiring but it went by fast! tomorrow is the third floor.

we met brian's girlfriend today, rachel, and she is really cool. she biked over here from focus on the family. she asked really good questions while we were cleaning together like "if you could do anything in the world, what would it be?" "if you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?" etc. they really made me think about what i want to do with my life. i feel like i get asked a lot about what i want to do after school because saying you're a math major doesn't give a clear picture of one certain job. i kinda like not knowing exactly what area of business or education i'm going to go into beacuse i am the kind of person that would go straight into that job without asking God if He wanted me to do something else.

anyway, its not even nine and i'm exhausted. so time for bed.

hail

so this morning at like 5am i was awakened by the thunder and lightning! the building literally shook from the thunder and i thought the lightning was outside my window. pretty crazy! not to mention, the sun is up by 6am every morning so i was up early today. when i looked out the window, i discovered that it had hailed last night. or snowed or something.

I was talking to Angela last night about the differences in our school and stuff cause she goes to cedarville (small christian school) in ohio. we talked about what God is doing in each place. so i told her about what is going on in clemson and she told me about this really cool ministry she's involved in that lets her "adopt a grandma." she gets to spend time with an elderly lady at least once a week and just spend time with her! i think that would be awesome. then i told her about how God revolutionized the way i look at prayer this year in NOLA and she shared this verse with me: In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. -Psalm 5:3 I think its really cool how when you pray with expectaion for God to do His will... He always does.

we finished cleaning the kitchen today! it is probably still dirty though compared to how it should be. oh well. everything is washed and dusted and mopped. woohoo! we are doing the fourth floor next.



ok time for dinner.

first real day of cleaning

so we are going to cleain from 9 to 5 for at least seven days. today was day number one! there is so much to be done, but it helps being able to take turns doing different things. we are about done with the kitchen after today. it was filthy! its amazing how much dirt blows in over the winter. lunch is each day at noon and dinner at six. i love mrs. honken's random hugs :) just as much as her cooking.

i took some pictures today... enjoy


here's the obligatory picture before i leave for the airport... thanks mom :)







this is landing in colorado springs. it is so brown here! and pike's peak still has snow on it. jen said that it snowed last week and it was 80 the day before! crazy weather.






this is the front of the hotel.








this is the dining hall. much work to be done!








top bunk! yeah baby. i love the pink they got for us :)









this is my room from last year! kathryn, i told it hello for you







this is the classroom without all of the desks out... weird








mish! one of my roomies. she goes to covanent and i heard clemson beat them in ultimate frisbee. she said when she visited clemson she thought, "what's with all the paw prints?!"






here's the top level of the classroom... and there are the desks! and a random ficus.






angela is on the right, ruthann is in the middle, and thats brian on the left. yay for cleaning the kitchen!

safe and sound

Made it safely to the rockies… and it is really weird being here before everything is set up. I mean, I am now allowed to go into the kitchen! Not only am I allowed in the kitchen, but we get to clean it. It’s like spring cleaning at the Summit Hotel.

The flights were good. I watched Enchanted on the first flight and I sat next to a little blonde girl named Ariel the second flight. She thought I was pretty funny. We talked about pets and she loved the fact I have a bird at home. When I told her it talked, she proceeded to repeat, “Hello Pickles” for the rest of the flight. I’m sure her parents will love me for that. Then when I got to the Colorado Springs Airport, Jen was there to pick me up. We got my (very heavy) luggage and came to the Hotel.

Now when I say “Hotel” I mean this amazing building built in the 1800s that is made completely of wood (no candles allowed). I’m rooming with three girls named Mish, Angela, and RuthAnn. They are pretty amazing as well. I went right to work with them cleaning the kitchen and they quickly pointed out that I have an accent. They had been working for a while when I got here, so we stopped around 5 and got ready for dinner at 6. Dinner was sooo good! Mrs. Honken cooked for us and we ate at her house. I can’t believe I get to eat her cooking for ten weeks… better start hiking up those mountains soon.

Now I’m exhausted… and its only 8pm here! But it is 10 at home and I had quite the day.

finally packed!

i am finally packed... this is a big deal for me. i am a procrastinator when it comes to many things, one of these things being packing. i had a hard time narrowing down what clothes to bring. mom made the comment that i wan't very observant of the staff the past two years because i really didn't know what to bring! but hopefully i will not be freezing. i'm not ready for weather in the 40s and 50s!

i'll try and post tomorrow during my layover in dallas and when i get to colorado so you know i made it safely. thanks for all your prayers!! i have a feeling i will be flying with an army of angels surrrounding my plane. pray that i am bold during my travels... i mean the person sitting next to me is stuck for a few hours... ;)