angela. grace.

2 weeks down, 2 weeks of training to go! we are now halfway through our NCCC training and by the end of next week we will find out our permanent teams and later in October we will find out our first project. there were quite a few moments today that nearly brought me to tears as the realization of this experience hit me, once again. 

the first moment was right after we completed baseline. Baseline consists of a mile 1/2 run as well as completing as many sit-ups & pushups in 2 minutes that we can. the goal of completing baseline to the best of our ability is for our own personal record so that we can track our physical progress throughout the year. after this was finished, i walked along a hill that runs along the back of campus and overlooks the mountains. The peaks of the mountains are capped with snow and absolutely gorgeous. I realized, once again, that this experience is one of a kind and THE event of my young life. Its sometimes hard to understand how I even ended up here. The entire process of applying to NCCC was kind of on a whim. I knew that I wanted to have a different experience right after I graduated but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. God led me directly to this experience and I am so thankful. 

Another moment that brought tears to my eyes today occurred just a few moments ago. We had a workshop on “healthy living” in AmeriCorps. The AmeriCorps counselor came to speak to us about depression, homesickness, etc. She then had all of our team leaders come to the front of the room to create a panel so that we could ask questions about projects and their previous experiences as Corps members before they became team leaders. One story was told that I am sure I will never forget. 

 An Americorps team had been assigned a project in the Gulf and they were coming through to gut the house and remove all the damage so that the frame would remain and remodeling the home could occur. Well, as this team was working on the home, a couple stopped by to ask them what they were doing to the home…the team explained who they were and what their project and purpose was and the couple, completely confused, quietly walked away. A week later the couple appeared again and asked them the same question…the team was a bit surprised that these people were so confused about what they were doing but they explained again what the project was. The couple then revealed that the reason they were asking, is because this was their home and they had no idea that AmeriCorps was assigned to help them. They had been staying in a shelter or some sort of housing for victims and it turned out that AmeriCorps had accidently assigned the wrong home to the team. AmeriCorps was never intended to be working on their home. The couple later revealed to the team that they were so thankful that they were helping them because they were in such distress that they had previously planned to commit suicide. They had picked out a date and were set on ending their lives because of the amount of distress they were in. 

This is such a clear picture of how God works. I am so thankful that I will be able to work for this organization for the next 9 1/2 months. I pray that I may make even a fraction of the difference in one person’s life as this team did. 

aNg