I wanted to write a nice long post about my mission trip to Denver (IT WAS AWESOME!) But I have to go to camp right now to counsel at Jr. High camp. Pray that that goes well, and I'll write (hopefully) when I get back!

Graduation, and then some more important stuff

Hey. Sorry I haven't posted for a while. Since my last post I graduated and did all sorts of fun stuff. It's a little sad to say goodbye to so many friends--there are so many cool people that I may never really see again. But I know my closest friends will still be there and that means a lot. I never cried, though I get a little moody thinking about it.
But anyway, last night came a big blow. My mom got a phone call at 11:30 and she got all of us in the living room so she could tell us all together. My closest friend, Emily, had been hurt while counseling at basketball camp. She hit her head on the concrete and was taken to Hallock hospital and then rushed to Grand Forks because they thought it was that bad. She was bleeding from her ears and they thought she probably had fractured her skull. This was all I knew last night, and when I heard the news I cried. I was so scared. What would I do if my best friend had brain damage, or if I completely lost her. I didn't think it would be that serious, but I really didn't know. My whole family and Jon huddled and prayed, and then we went to bed. I was doing my best to trust God with all of this, but I realized that it's kind of hard to just say, "God, whatever you're doing through this and whatever your plan is, I trust that it is good." I think that would be really hard to do if I didn't have a firm foundation of faith in God. And this event really reminded me that there are no guarantees in this life. I can't assume that things will remain as they are because life just isn't that way. I was terrified that this would be a major turning point for Emily--that something would change irreversibly. Fortunately it seems she is going to be ok. I got to go visit her in G.F. today. She has been alert through everything and seems like her normal self. Of course this will still be difficult to recover from, but I am so thankful that my dear friend is going to make it through this.
Just a couple days ago I was thinking about close calls and God's grace. 5 years ago I fell on the diving board and hurt my back, but there was nothing near a spinal injury. After Kari's surgery she had a pretty close call. Who knows how many times my family and friends could have been hurt in car accidents. And now this with Emily. It could have been nothing, or it could have been much worse. The bottom line is that God has a plan for everything. Whether we like what he does or what he allows to happen, his plan is always good. "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

So that's the news about Emily. Keep her in your prayers--hopefully no more complications will arise and she will be able to recover quickly.

So now I leave for Colorado tomorrow. 21 kids and a couple leaders on a YouthWorks! mission trip to Denver. It should be really great. After that, it's counseling at Jr. High camp, and then Bluewater family camp immediately after that. I'm so excited for all of this. If you think of me, pray for the trip (June 16-25) and Jr. High camp (June 28-July 2).