What's going on with Sheryle?

it's been a long time...

2009-02-28T18:36:00.004-07:00

i can't believe i haven't touched my blog in almost two year! we're now at West Point...i'm working with MWR as the Special Event Coordinator. i love my job, but i really miss Colorado. we also have an AWESOME dog...duke. :)

I'm married!

2007-03-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

So it's official! I'm Mrs. Sheryle Miller now! Tim is my husband, for those of you that don't know him. The wedding was absolutely perfect, and the honeymoon was a blast!

Sheryle

I'm back!!!

2006-08-25T10:55:00.000-06:00

After 3 1/2 months it's nice being back on US soil. The past few days have been sooo crazy...moving into my apt., finalizing things with the Navigators, and trying to figure out my future. The last is what I'm struggling with the most....I have no clue what God has in store for me. Please be praying with me for this.
I'm leaving today for a little roadtrip with my boyfriend, Tim. We're stopping in Iowa first to hang with his family for a few days, then off to Chicago to hang with my fam and friends.
I'll be back in CO Springs after Labor Day. The first thing I need to do is get a letter out to all you guys filling you in on the highlights of my summer.

This is a pic from when i was in the rainforests in Costa Rica.

from south to central america...

2006-08-16T14:33:00.000-06:00

leaving Argentina was so tough...there is definitely part of my heart in that country now. who knows, maybe I´ll return someday...hopefully!
on my way back to the US I took a two week "layover" in Central America...met up with my friend and future roommate, Kyra. We´ve been here for about 10 days and have had a blast! It´s been nice being able to chill...we havn´t had much down time b-c there´s soo much to do and see. Costa Rica was beautiful...now we´re in Panama where it´s been raining since the day we arrived. I´ve had a few "mishaps" since I´ve been backpacking. 1) attacked by a jelly fish on both my legs 2) attacked by about 30 mosquitos the night our hostel ran out of dorm space so we had to sleep in a tent...it was quite the experience. for $5 a night we´ve been finding rooms in hostels that have been decent, but the tent on the beach was a little much for us. 3) woke up with my left eyelid TOTALLY swollen (almost completely shut)...it was gross. this actually happened today, so I was able to experience a Panamania hospital this morning. for $3 i saw a doctor and got a prescription. if you think about it, please be praying for my eye. :)
i don´t want you all to be thinking it´s been only bad stuff that had been happening b-c we´ve had and are having an amazing time! I´ll attach some pics to give you an idea of what we´ve been doing.
I´m still trusting God for "what´s next" with my life...this is a tough one. You can be praying for that as well.

Dios Te Bendiga!
Sheryle

apology

2006-07-25T15:54:00.000-06:00

Because of an email from a "ragpicker" (as they call themselves) I have been convicted for my initial response to what I saw and experienced that day in Carcova. I'm not sure how he found me, but he did, and I'm glad he did. Joos, I need to apologize to you and ask for your forgivness for the disrespectful things I said in this blog. I tried to go back through and fix a few comments that were totally inappropriate. Thank you for sending me the link and for broadening my perspective of the cartonero movement. (http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0125/p20s01-woam.html) I will continue to pray for the villas here in Argentina, but now it will be will a clearer and more accurate perspective.

So our team joined up with another organization last week and went into the villas. the term "villa" means the slums. however, i´ve honestly never seen anything like it. i´ve seen poverty first hand in central america, but these villas are different. We went into the villas with a missionary from Peru. He is now living among the people and loving them in any way that he can. the small house that we're outside of holds a family of 12 and it's about the size of a bedroom. there are no floors...only mud and dirt...they have tin roofs, one full sized bed. they had some food on the shelves...a few pieces of french bread. it's really impossible to try and explain in words, but it was their home and they were content. the mom you can see on the left is holding her youngest of 7 kids and she's 2 months pregnent. her oldest daughter already has 2 kids of her own...i think she's 18. this is a family of believers. it was awesome hearing their story and being able to love them just by being there and listening to their story. we did bring some clothes from a church here who donates clothing to Andrea and his ministry there. there are 10,000 people who live in this one villa...the name is Carcova. it's one of 5 in Suarez (which is where we live) you see these villas everywhere though. it's the central one in our "town" b-c it's the largest. drugs and prostitution are common within the villas here. kids start using and dealing drugs at the age of 10. girls that are 12 and 13 are involved in prostitution...Andreas was telling us how his ministry reaches out to the youth, which I think is awesome because this is this is a very influential age in peoples lives. He has plans to start up a sports ministry and is in the process of cleaning up two areas that he's like to have futbol fields. All these questions started flashing thru my head...medical care, food, clean water. Where does this come from? That day was very tough. I still don´t think my mind has been able to totally wrap around what it would be like to live in a villa. We have places like this back in the States in every big city. A lot of questions come to mind when I think if different social classes...why did God place me where He did? I don't have the answer, but I trust in His soverignty. In the mean time, all I can do is love people.

me and vero

2006-07-19T18:23:00.000-06:00

keep praying for Vero...she's amazing! we´ll be hanging on Thursday and Friday night.

picture inside the villa

2006-07-19T18:19:00.000-06:00

villas in Argentina

2006-07-19T17:49:00.000-06:00

So our team joined up with another organization last week and went into the villas. the term "villa" means the slums. however, i´ve honestly never seen anything like it. i´ve seen poverty first hand in central america, but these villas are different. We went into the villas with a missionary from Peru. He is now living among the people and loving them in any way that he can. the small house that we're outside of holds a family of 12 and it's about the size of a bedroom. there are no floors...only mud and dirt...they have tin roofs, one full sized bed. they had some food on the shelves...a few pieces of french bread. it's really impossible to try and explain in words, but it was their home and they were content. the mom you can see on the left is holding her youngest of 7 kids and she's 2 months pregnent. her oldest daughter already has 2 kids of her own...i think she's 18. this is a family of believers. it was awesome hearing their story and being able to love them just by being there and listening to their story. we did bring some clothes from a church here who donates clothing to Andrea and his ministry there.
there are 10,000 people who live in this one villa...the name is Carcova. it's one of 5 in Suarez (which is where we live) you see these villas everywhere though. it's the central one in our "town" b-c it's the largest. drugs and prostitution are common within the villas here. kids start using and dealing drugs at the age of 10. girls that are 12 and 13 are involved in prostitution...Andreas was telling us how his ministry reaches out to the youth, which I think is awesome because this is this is a very influential age in peoples lives. He has plans to start up a sports ministry and is in the process of cleaning up two areas that he's like to have futbol fields.
All these questions started flashing thru my head...medical care, food, clean water. Where does this come from? That day was very tough. I still don´t think my mind has been able to totally wrap around what it would be like to live in a villa. We have places like this back in the States in every big city. A lot of questions come to mind when I think if different social classes...why did God place me where He did? I don't have the answer, but I trust in His soverignty. In the mean time, all I can do is love people.

Because of an email from a "ragpicker" (as they call themselves) I have been convicted for my initial response to what I saw and experienced that day in Carcova. I'm not sure how he found me, but he did, and I'm glad he did. Joos, I need to apologize to you and ask for your forgivness for the disrespectful things I said in this blog. I tried to go back through and fix a few comments that were totally inappropriate. Thank you for sending me the link and for broadening my perspective of the cartonero movement. (http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0125/p20s01-woam.html) I will continue to pray for the villas here in Argentina, but now it will be will a clearer and more accurate perspective.

discipling

2006-07-12T16:13:00.000-06:00

so tonight Angie and I are meeting with Vero...she's part of the Nav Bible study here in BA. Her and I have so much fun together. She speaks very little English and I speak my broken Castellano (spanish), but we somehow communicate really well! :) We're getting together to encourage her in her walk with God...it's such an amazing opportunity. The "Christian Community" is really non-existant down here, so it's really tough for believers to grow in their faith. I think about myself back in the States and how I have AMAZING friends who love the Lord, and a small group of girls that I do Bible studies and pray with...and my walk with God still is so tough. Please be praying for Angie (girl on my team), Vero, and I as we meet...that God would meet with us and give us words of encouragment for what she's going through right now in her life. It's been awesome seeing relationships form with the Argentines in just the short amount of time that we're here! I'll post of pic of us with Vero soon.

i hate limes

2006-07-03T17:43:00.000-06:00

Allison and I in Palermo park the day before she left. It is such a beautiful place! We decided to go on a paddle boat ride for only 10 pesos...$3 US. Anyways, we were saying how it'd be so romantic and were kind of laughing about it...until i got beaned in the forhead with a lime. you guys, it wasn't just a toss...these little punks (sorry mom, but they were!) WHIPPED two of them at us. one missed and the other was right on target. we were peddling under the walking bridge and there were at least 60 other boats that they could've chosen, but no, they went for the 2 American girls. There were guys video recording the entire thing. We laugh about it now, it was halarious!, but at the time I was soooooooooooooo angry.

¡adios...te extraño!

2006-07-03T17:14:00.000-06:00

you might be thinking "what a demonic looking bunny!" well, i´m not sure about that, but it's definitely strage. despite...it's the "family pet." allison and i "pet" it once, but were sooo scared when we touched it's tail that we immediately ran away from it afterwards. it's huge, and white...it has red eyes, and 2 HUGE goiters on it. thought you would enjoy the picture.

so today was such a sad day here in buenos aires. 4 of my girls left...heading back to the US. we knew this day was coming, but it didn't make things any easier for us. this morning we went to an English Institute and went into 2 classes. We got into small groups and talked about our different cultures...we asked them questions and they asked us as well. One of my groups was with Martin, who is the head of the Navs here in Argentina. He is so bold for Christ, I just love it. We were talking with 3 girls. Oh yeah, they know English really well, so it makes it sooo much easier for me to communicate. They just want to talk with North Americans so they can listen to us and "hear our accents"...that's the best way to improve their English. Anyways, Martin asked them about their faith how they live it out in their lives. Great question, b-c if they didn't have faith in anything, they could say that, or if they were buddhists they could talk about that. it totally opened up the door for me to share my story...what my faith in Jesus looks like on a day to day basis. I was so encouraged after leaving the Eng. Inst. today.
So we headed back to the chicas casa and had a time to go around and share about what each girl meant, how we saw Christ in their lives, etc. It was sooo amazing, but so sad. There were lots of tears, which is hard to believe after only 6 weeks, and lots of laughs...we were (and still are) a tight team.
I have 2 prayer requests at the moment:
1. The our team will grow closer together in this last month and that God will fill in the gaps that the other girls left with His love.
2. For the Argentines that we are meeting daily, and also the Argentines who are a part of the Nav Bible Study. That we would be examples of Jesus to them and that we would be aware of opportunities to show them His love in a pure and powerful way.

Fiesta hoy!

2006-07-01T10:39:00.000-06:00

yeah, so today we're having a going away party for the 4 girls who are leaving us. It's going to be really hard having half our team head back to the States, but the Argentine team needed a smaller team for the last half of the summer. (this has been planned from the beginning.) all of our Argentine friends are invited to come spend the afternoon, and evening (and usually early morning) with us. :) we will be making typical American dishes and they are supposed to bring something really Argentine. It will be a fun day. It's amazing how many relationships have developed in the short time we've been here. God is at work here and is using our team in so many ways...the main way is loving people. That's what Jesus did...he loved everywhere he went. It didn't matter the situation...He lived it. That is a good way to view what we're doing here...living love. Of course it might not always look pretty...we're human, but God is opening doors all over the place for us to love people right where they are. I have a lot more stories from this past week, as well as pictures. I'll try and get those up tomorrow. In the mean time, please continue to pray for our team...that we will be intentional as we go through the day interacting with people, and that we'll rely on God and not our own strength.

Thank you!
Sheryle

star-light, star-bright

2006-06-23T09:27:00.000-06:00

So our team has been torn in two...half of our crew is currently in Uraguay and the rest of us are here in BA. It´s been kind of a rough couple of days. We´ve become so "tight" as a team, that it´s so different now that we´re not all together. It´s so good though. We have our English class outreach tonight...this requires creativity and endurance. Trying to communicate in Spanish for hours and hours can really wear you out! As we go on living among the Argentines and loving them we´ve been able to connect with more people and hang out more one on one with them. I have two girls (same age as me) that I´ve really connected with: Aye, and Yani. *pronounced Ashie and Shani...b-c the y has an sh sound, remember??? Anyways, please be praying for them as I continue to spend time with them one on one.
There are only 4 girls here in BA right now. We had to move into the guys house b-c our house is being used this weekend by some other group...it´s kind of confusing. The point is that the guys house has a sweet roof top deck. 3 of us decided to sleep up there under the stars last night. It was awesome! We had lots of layers on and drug some mattresses up there to help us stay a little warmer. It was kind of an adventure! We saw 2 beautiful shooting stars...so amazing!
Today we´re heading to Ciudad Universidad...I guess it´s the closest thing to a college campus that they have here in Buenos Aires. Then we´re planning for our Eng. class, which starts around 8:30 or 9pm.

Lots more to tell, but it will have to wait until later.

Love and miss!
Sheryle (Anna)

Chipoletti debreifing

2006-06-13T17:58:00.000-06:00

so i guess the pics didn't work...hopefully they do today.

Our team met with Martin, the head Nav missionary here, and had a debreifing with him regarding our time in Chipoletti. We talked about what we learned down there, and how we saw God work...within our lives and the people we met down there. Now we are back here in BA and are ready to be used. Please pray for us...the ministry here is very different and challenging. Pray that God will open doors for us here and that we'll be used...even if it's in ways that don't match our expectations.

pictures

2006-06-12T15:24:00.000-06:00

Chipolleti

2006-06-12T14:46:00.000-06:00

Pic 1:Me and Violeta
Pic 2 & 3: World Cup Day (Argentina won!)
Pic 4: Me and my friends from the University (Celeste is the girl next to me) drinking matte. Matte = Argentina. Everywhere you go you'll see people passing the matte. Don't worry, I'll bring some back for you all to try. :)

Sorry it's been a while since I've updated my blog. A lot has happened this past week, so I'll try to remember all the details.
We left Bariloche last Saturday and headed up north about 4 hours to Chipolleti. We went to a Saturday night service that they had there. I love how they worship...it's so full of life! We spent the week hanging out at the University, with people from the church, and por supuesto (of course), our team.
The ministry at the Univeristy was really hard at first. Like I said, there isn't a Nav ministry in that part of the country yet, so we had to be proactive and creative. We prayed a lot, which is so powerful...I'm being reminded of that daily here. As a result, the Lord began to open up doors for us. A lot of us on the team were getting extremely discouraged at the beginning of the week, but on Thursday night we all had a great time at the University. I met a girl by the name of Celeste...she invited me to drink matte with some of her friends. So I went and hung with them for a couple of hours, and later that night they invited our team to this community center to learn how to tango. A couple girls were able to share their testimonies that same night in a more tranquilo (chill) setting. We invited all our new friends to our fiesto por el partido mundial (party for the world cup game) this past Saturday. You have to understand how HUGE this game was. The country of Argentina has been gearing up for this first game for months. They go CRAZY here! Anyways, Saturday came and we had a great turn out for the game. One girl that was invited by John (a guy on my team) came and her and I really connected. She didn't speak any ingles, but we hung out that whole night. Violeta was involved with gnosticism (a really popular cult here) for a couple of years, but then gave it up. She also has a friend who is a Mormon. She said religion wasn't her thing, b-c everyone thinks their religion is the truth and someone must be wrong. So she doesn't care for any of it. I didn't know any of this until after I talked with Marisol later on that night(the argentine missionary that we're working with), b-c of the language barrier. Despite all that, I was able to tell her my testimony...the little that I was able to have translated to español. She came to church the next day which was really cool. I sat with her and found a Santa Biblia (spanish Bible) for her to use during the service. I prayed a lot as I sat next to her. It's so nice knowing that it's the Lord who changes hearts and nothing that I say or do can affect that. What a relief! I introduced her to some of the girls our age at the church who are so awesome, so hopefully God will continue to work on the seeds that were planted during our time in Pategonia.
A lot more went on, but this is getting kind of long. Today we arrived back in Buenos Aires...it feels like home! It'll be nice not having to live out of my suitcase like I have been the past couple of weeks.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and emails! (and REAL mail...thanks Tim!)
I miss you all!

Sheryle

the unknown

2006-06-03T08:30:00.000-06:00

so we're leaving Bariloche today and heading a few hours north to Neuquen. The Navigators have been praying about starting up a ministry down here for 2 years, so it's really exciting (but scary at the same time) that our team is the first to go into the province of Neuquen. The unknown always seems to create mixed emotions. As I've said before, ministry here is soooo different then the US, so we've had to continually remind ourselves and eachother that it's going to have to be God who works in and through us and nothing out of our own strength. With all that said, please be praying for us these next couple of weeks...that God would cross our pathes with the right people, and that He would begin preparing our hearts, along with the hearts of those we'll be spending time with. Also that we would be open to whatever it is He has planned for our time there, that we wouldn't be closed minded when it comes to ministry, even though it might not look like the kind of ministry that we're familiar with.
Above are some pictures from our time here in Bariloche...Patagonia...the Andes Mts.

¡PATAGONIA!

2006-05-31T14:29:00.000-06:00

Castillano is the type of español they Argentines speak. It's very beautiful. The people don't ask if you speak spanish, they ask if you speak castillano (ca-sti-shano)...b-c the "ll" and "y" are pronounced with a "sh" instead of a "ya" like normal spanish. so when i say my name is sheryle it sounds like "sho shamo es sheryle"...pretty cool, huh.
anyways, we're now flying solo, in that we don't have any argentines who speak fluent spanish with us...we'll be fine though.
PATAGONIA is a place I've always wanted to visit, and I'm finally here! It is sooo beautiful...the Andes kind of remind me of the Rockies. I was hopeing to sneak in a day of snowboarding on one of our days off, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
We're all anticipating Neoquen...this is where we're going to have to really rely on God in terms of ministry. We'll be helping survey the area to see how the Navigators can fit in there and start up a ministry partnering with one of the local churchs. We'll be staying with families there...total emersion.
Please pray for our team...the ministry here is so different then other mission trips that I've been on. It's really tough, but that will force us all to rely on God and not our own knowledge and strength.

¡Ciao! ¡Ciao!
Sheryle

Bariloche

2006-05-31T14:14:00.000-06:00

Our team leaving Buenos Aires and heading South to Bariloche (19 hrs by bus) and Neoquen...we'll be there for 2 weeks.
me in bariloche in front of the montañas.

El Cento de Federal

2006-05-26T15:37:00.000-06:00

one of these is a pic of the girl's house, one is of team vellez, and the other is of this crazy ralley for the president of argentina

this first week is considered orientation...becoming familiar with our team, the people, language, culture, city. So yesterday they had a scavenger hunt for us, it was extremely creative. we were split into 2 teams and have to navigate our way around the city and solve different questions about the argentine culture in order to know where to go for our next clue. this entailed us asking random argentines on the street for help, directions, ect. we had to go to locotorious (internet cafes) for clues as well. forcing us to use the spanish that we know. we had to figure out the transportation system here which consists of trains, buses and the subway. they want us to feel comfortable getting around here, as well as talking with the argentine people. we hit all the famous sites in Buenos Aires: the presidents house (we actually saw the president himself on the roof of his house...he waved to the crowd and everyone went crazy. there were CRAZY ralleys all over the city yesterday. there were points where we could barely move. loud music. drums. dancing. they know how to do it here in AR)
The people here are amazing! They're very relational, so the ministry consists primarily of building relationship with them. Another focus of this first week is understanding their perception of a relationship with God. The missionaries have told us that ministry here is a long process because they value relationships so much...it's taking the time to share you life with people. So one thing they stressed is that it's God that changes hearts and lives and not us. We've been spending a lot of time in prayer...I've seen God work in powerful ways through prayer and am excited to see what He's going to do here in Argentina. It may be something that we might not even witness while we're here, but that's not up to us.
Tomorrow is the "day of faith"...it's going to be crazy. it's supposedly really going to test our faith...we don't have details yet, but i'll post a blog with some pics soon.

un beso por todos!
Sheryle

El Cento de Federal

2006-05-26T15:15:00.000-06:00

This first week is, for the most part, an orientation for all the students. One thing they want is for all of us to be familiar with Buanos Aires...be able to get around on the trains, buses, and subway. So yesterday they planned a "scavenger hunt" for us around el centro, downtown BA. They split us into teams: Vellez and River (two really big futbol teams here). I was on Vellaz and we won! There´s a picture of my team. They would give us a clue, we'd have to solve it and if we didn't know we'd have to ask an Argentine. They wanted us to get comfortable with using our spanish, ect. We'd have to go to locotorious (internet cafes) to check for clues...it was extremely creative! We learned a lot about the city, how to get around, and they had people from their Bible study meet us at places and we'd have to find them...having no idea what they looked like, etc. This is all part of our "orientation week," getting oriented with the city, people, language. A HUGE focus has been on how the Argentine people view God...something that's been very encouraging to me is their emphasis on how it's God who changes hearts and lives, and nothing in my own strength. They stress that because the people here are not very open to the Gospel...relationships comprise most of the ministry here. That works b-c the people are extremely relational. Everyone gets besos (kisses)...this is something i'm going to bring back to the US with me. I LOVE IT!

OK, well I better run.

un beso por todos!
Sheryle

Argentine sunrise...

2006-05-24T14:30:00.001-06:00

on our way to pick up all the college students from the airport we stopped on the highway and watched the sunrise. we also prayed for each one of the students as we sat there.
at this point we've all been together for 2 days, but it seems like we've known each other for so much longer.
i put up a pictures of the leadership team minus Martin...i have one of him and i'll put it up soon. (josh, marisol, my, darin) at least you guys can put a face with the name.
the last picture is of the girls house. it's big and cold. we use a wood burning stove to heat the place, and since it's so big and empty it never really gets warm. :) we do have mini space heaters for our rooms at night, which really helps. i love it though...it's like our little casa.
so much more to tell but i have to run. i'll try and get on here more often to update.
really quick, today was awesome. we went through this thing called the 7 steps of freedom or healing. i don't remember right now, but it's this indepth Bible study bringing up 7 areas in our lives where we ususally can use healing. marisol and i then met with each girl to talk through stuff that might have come to the surface and then we'd pray with them. i think it was soo good... it helped me get to know the girls in a more personal way.
alright, gotta run!

ciao!
sheryle

mañana...

2006-05-21T12:28:00.000-06:00

...all the students arrive. josh, darin, marisol, and i will be going to pick them up from the airport.
we went to church today, and heard martin preach. it was kind of tricky bc darin and i don't speak a ton of spanish. i caught a few words though and had a dictionary there to look new words up. it's totally draining trying to concentrate sooo hard on the spanish and communicate with people. they say it's totally normal to feel this way for the first two weeks. i don't think i've used this much brain power in a long time. :)
everyone's siestaing right now, but i'm not that tired. i'm going to walk around the city for a little while. we're in villa ballestar...pronounced totally different than what you'd think...bisha vashestar. the ll and y are pronounced with a sh instead of ya. i'm not sure how well this will translate through email, but i thought id try.
i'm goin to try and get a team picture tomorrow so i can post it on here.

miss you all!

sheryle

Buenos Dias!

2006-05-18T09:35:00.000-06:00

So I made it! I{m here in Buenos Aires, Argentina! All the punctuation on this computer is crazy...so I apologize in advance.
I met Martin, Josh, and Marisol...they{re all great! Martin oversees josh and marisol and the collegiate ministry here. He{s so funny...and laughs a lot, i love it! josh is from PA, and is my age...he{s been here for two years with the Navigators and is moving back to the States in November. Marisol is a national...she{s super cool too.
The college students all fly in on Monday...i{m looking forward to meeting them.

I don{t have any fun pictures yet, but i{ll start posting them soon!

Sheryle

Spring has arrived!

2006-04-07T15:03:00.000-06:00

I thought the weather in Chicago was crazy, but come to find out, CO's weather has a mind of it's own as well. We've had 70 degree days followed by snow storms the next. I really don't mind though...snow in April just means better snowboarding conditions!
My brother is flying in tonight for his Spring break. I'll be in classes and working/volunteering part of the time he's here, but it's always fun when Eric's in town! I think we might go camping in the sand dunes. They are on the south side of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, so i'm sure it's beautiful down there!
In terms of my summer mission trip, I've been trying to prepare for our time in South America. I'm so excited about co-leading the team! It's going to be tough at times, seeing we'll have 15 college student for 3 months in a foreign country, but I looking forward to seeing how God is going to use us.
Please pray for me as I only have one month left here in CO before leaving. I'll be coming back to the Spring when I'm finished, but I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing yet.
That's all for now!

Argentina Bound!

2006-03-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

The time is quickly approaching for me to leave for my summer mission trip! I will be co-leading a team of about 15 college students down to Buenos Aires, Argentina! We will be doing campus ministry as well as work projects in the country side. We will be going to Uraguay to help start up a new Nav ministry there...I believe there are two couples who will just be starting up this summer. I've been getting to know the students through emails...I probably won't be able to meet anyone until we leave.

Please continue to pray for me as I'm preparing to go, and also for discernment in leading these students for 3 months in South America!

Much love!
Sheryle

February Freeze

2006-02-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

*Eric (my little bro) was in town again at the beginning of the month!*****
So the temperature has been incredibly cold this week...I don't know where it came from! Last week we had a couple of days in the high 60's, and now we are hanging out somewhere around zero.
Things are going well here at Glen Eyrie. Right now everything is dusted with snow...it's soo beautiful!
The work load is piling up as we're quickly approaching the international portion of Advance. I just received all the applications for the college students going on the mission trip to Argentina. As some of you know, I'm co-leading the trip...I'm really excited about this opportunity!
My Spanish class is going well...it's hard for me to really buckle down, but I'm doing my best! Even if I improve my spanish a little bit before I leave it'll be worth it. :)
Perspective on the World Christian Movement is going great...the speakers have been AMAZING! Last week we had a guy who ministers to Muslims all over the world...he had some crazy stories about how God is working through their ministry. We have quite a bit of homework w/ that class, but it's OK...I'm learning a lot. :)

Until next time,
Sheryle

starting back

2006-01-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

(this is a sunrise outside Aspen Manor--the house I live in. isn't it beautiful!?)
Alright, we're back into the routine again here at Glen Eyrie. It was nice having a break, but now it's time to buckle down...won't be long before I head south to the beautiful country of Argentina.
These next 4 months are going to be busy, but very exciting! We are starting a Missions Perspectives course that my team will be attending every Monday night. It's 3 hours long, so I'll definitely have to hit up 7-11 for my caffeine fix before class. :)
Tomorrow night (Sunday) I start my Spanish class...I can't wait! I was going to take it at a community college, but it was too expensive. I ended up finding a class that meets at a church every Sunday night that is taught be retired missionaries from South America...how crazy is that!? Yeah, so I'm totally excited! I bought a Spanish/English dictionary, and will buy another book that they suggest for the class. Hopefully this will enable me to be more effective this summer when I'm in Argentina.
If you think about it, please be praying for my friend Arlen. He was in a skiing accident...he ran into a tree and broke his back, 7 ribs, punctured a lung, and bruised many of his internal organs (kindney, spleen, liver). He had internal bleeding, which they were able to control after he was helicopterd to a hospital in Denver. He had surgery on Thursday night and is doing well.

I'm going to try and update my blog more often then I have. If I haven't heard from you in a while please send me an email @ sheryle10@yahoo.com

much love!

2006!

2006-01-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well I can't believe it's a new year! I just got back from my Christmas break...went home to Chicago to see all my friends and family. It was sooo nice being back, however, I did miss the mountains! :)
It's hard to believe that I'm halfway through the training here in CO. I did find out that I am going to South America for the international portion of Advance--I'll be in Argentina!!! I'll be sure to keep everyone posted as I find out more details as to how I will be serving down there.

My little bro, Eric

2005-12-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

These are pics from when Eric came out to visit me over Thanksgiving. We had a BLAST! Snowboarding, snow-shoeing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hiking are only a few things that we did in the 3 1/2 days he was here!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from our first "event" with the international students from Colorado College. We took a few up Queen's Canyon to Dorothy Falls (see picture below...and turn your head sideways). There is a girl from China that I totally clicked with...Yulan is her name. She invited me over for lunch one day and made this delicious stir-fry. At CC they have block classes which means they study one subject for an entire month, which I think is a great idea. She is from a Buddhist background, which we talked about a little, but guess what her class is for this block--Reading the Bible as Literature. How amazing is that! So we've had some good conversations about the Bible, what she thinks of it, etc. She said she's never read the Bible before...that's the only text book for the class. They have to memorize all the books of the Bible and Psalm 23. God has totally been working in our ministry there. Tonight we're having a Thanksgiving dinner for all the international students here in Colorado Springs. Most have never experienced a real Thanksgiving meal before...we're also having square-dancing, which will be a cultural experience for them. I'm so excited!

OK, so these are the big horn sheep that hang out on our property. They LOVE Aspen Manor (the house I live in)...here's a picture taken from the window of my room. Sometimes they don't run away...even when you're like 2 feet from them. It's kind of cool, but kind of scary at the same time. They'll just stare at you, and I feel like they're going to charge at me or something...hasn't happen yet. :)

Face lift

2005-11-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

So the dark background was a little too much, seeing that it's getting dark outside SO much earlier now...so sad! Thought the polka-dots would brighten things up.

I have some exciting news to share with you all...we have a new director! As some of you know, Drew, our current director is getting deployed to Iraq in the beginning of December. Don is our new director...he's awesome. He's older then Drew, and has 30 plus years of over-seas missions work, which is amazing! We are all really going to miss Drew...especially his wife Debby, but we're glad that they were able to fill his shoes quickly.

That's all for now!

Pictures of Pike's Peak

2005-10-28T15:45:00.000-06:00

Hello!
Here are some pictures from our last team challenge--Pike's Peak. Just click the title and it will go to a slide show.

October

2005-10-14T10:42:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that it's the middle of October already! Time is FLYING by! The Aspen trees have already changed a from neon yellow, to bright red, to burnt orange...so beautiful! We had our first snowfall last weekend...it's getting me so excited for winter. I'm all geared up to hit the slopes...time permitting, of course. :)
This past week we had some amazing training sessions. My favorite one so far was this evangelism training workshop. It really made me think...
Anyways, there is some sad news...our director, Drew, is being deployed to Iraq December 1. We knew this would be a possibility, but didn't really think it would happen. They're currently looking for a new director of our program, so please be in prayer for Drew and his wife as he's preparing to leave for at least 9 months to serve our country. Also that God would bring the right person to take over the program.

Monday

2005-09-26T01:48:00.000-06:00

So my team worked all weekend. They way they have it set up for our program is that we all work 3 days a week, usually 8 hours a day, to help cover room and board, and in turn, lowering the amount of support we have to raise. They have us all in different departments. Some are in dining (help serve guests meals, etc.), some are in housekeeping (cleaning all the rooms), conference services (setting up and tearing down for conferences), and then there's guest services, which I'm in. I'm mainly at the concierge desk...it's great b/c I'm able to interact with guests all the time. This too is looked at as a ministry opportunity...even though it's a Christian conference center, not all the people who work here, or pass through, are necessarily Christians.
Anyways, today we had a physical training session at 8am, then at 9:30 we had a session w/ a missionary who lived in Indonesia for numerous years. We were learning/discussing the Muslim faith. It was so interesting...I'm learning SO MUCH about different cultures and religions. The point he was trying to get across this morning was that we need to present an uncluttered and uncompromised Gospel...not brining our Western ways of thinking when we're crossing over cultural boundaries. We're meeting w/ him again tomorrow morning.
This afternoon at 3:30 we have our FONM (Fundamentals of Navigators Missions) class. We have this once a week...it's an in-depth Bible study on the development of ministry when partnering w/ the local church. The main focus is breaking new ground w/ unreached people groups...going into new places and starting new ministries. Most mission efforts touch people who are easiest to reach...Revelation 7:9-10 is a great summary of what we are striving for:
"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, "Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!"
I always thought that nations meant countries, but it's really people groups. There are approximately 12,000 people groups in the world. I think Revelation paints an amazing picture...really makesk me think.
Anyways, I could go on and on about all that I'm learning, but I'll stop here.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support!

Love,
Sheryle

Advance

2005-09-22T11:24:00.000-06:00

This week we had 2 days off...yesterday and today. Monday and Tuesday were absolutely crazy! Our schedule was totally packed out, which is fine, but tiring. As most of you know, when I have free time I like to do stuff. So instead of resting and catching my breath, I decided to hike my first 14er. For those of you who don't know what those are, they're mountains that are over 14,000 feet. It was the coolest thing ever! If you click on the title (Advance) of this blog it will take you to the pictures.

Wilderness Trek

2005-09-05T12:40:00.000-06:00

It's official, I'm now a resident of the beautiful state of Colorado. My mom drove out with me and flew back last Monday. I unpacked and organized as much as I could in one day, then we were off for a week long wilderness excursion. This week was supposed to stretch up to the limits physically, mentally, and spiritually...and that it did. I can honestly say that I've never been more challenged, especially physically, in my entire life! We slept out in the open under tarps (in case it rained), we carried all of our food, stoves, and gear on our back...we were crossing over rivers and streams on logs, jumping over, under, and around HUGE boulders. It was insane, but I loved every second of it...well, except for a few. :)
We learned how to use a compass and navigate from a topographical map...the terrain was crazy. We weren't following a trial, we were literally blazing our own. As I'm sitting here I'm trying to figure out a way to best depict how intense it was in words, but I don't think it's possible.
We got back to our home, even though it doesn't feel like home yet, on Saturday. So I've been trying to settle in here, but at the same time, explore my new surroundings.
We had some classes this morning, yes, on Labor Day, and thankfully have the rest of the day off. I know that this upcoming year is going to be crazy, no more, "I can do whatever I want, whenever I want" attitude. My life is no longer my own! :) They keep us extremely busy, which will be good. I'll try to do a better job of keeping this thing updated now that I have a home.
I miss all my Chicago peeps!

Sheryle

Colorado Bound

2005-08-25T09:15:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it...tomorrow I leave for the next "phase" of my ministry. I'm off to Colorado Springs, and will be starting my program, Advance, on Monday. A quick reminder for those of you who I haven't talked to lately. Advance is a first year program with the Navigators, who have been around for years and years. The programs consists of training for the first part, all of which prepares us for the second part--leading/directing pioneering mission trips to remote parts of the world. It kicks off with a week long wilderness excursion. It's sad saying good-bye, but I am excited about what's in store for the year ahead. Thank you all for your continued prayers...please keep them coming!

CHICAGO!

2005-08-11T10:40:00.000-06:00

I'm back home now...I just love Chicago! I'm going to try and make the most of my time here, b/c it won't be long before I pack up my life and head out West. I'll be driving out to Colorado on August 26th to start up my year long mission training program with the Navigators. I'll unpack everything on the 28th and leave on the 29th for our first wilderness excursion...can't wait! I feel like my life is a whirlwind...constantly on the go. Please continue to pray for me as I transition, once again, into a new phase.

Sheryle

Last week of camps

2005-08-03T14:20:00.000-06:00

Well this is it, my last week of sports camp for the summer. I can't believe it's time to head back to Chicago. This picture is from a camp we had in Glendora, CA. This week is awesome, the churches are great. The morning church is very organized and there are lots of volunteers, which is always good. The evening church is a lot smaller and we're meeting at a park, so that makes the camps so much more laid back for some reason. So this has been the perfect "last week of camp" scenario. :)
I fly back to the city Saturday night, and cannot wait to see everyone back home. I'll have 3 weeks in Chicago before I head out West! Please continue to pray for me...I'll be starting an entirely new ministry in less than a month. The financial support has been coming in...Praise the Lord! However, there is still quite a ways to go before I reach the full amount needed.
I hope 1154 N. Wells apt. #1 is ready for me! :)

Our team building a house in the tsunami region...the mud there was like black tar, so Laurelle and I decided to put on a little war paint.

2005-07-28T14:04:00.000-06:00

This is a boat washed 2 miles inland from the tsunami...

2005-07-28T14:01:00.000-06:00

My fav boy from last week's camp...isn't he so cute!

2005-07-28T13:58:00.000-06:00

Thursday...

2005-07-28T00:36:00.000-06:00

...is a pretty important day during our week long sports camp program. This is the day we tell the kids about Jesus. Each day we share a Bible stories with them, but tomorrow we break down His death and resurrection and what that means for us. Some of these kids are young, but it's awesome seeing how they truly understand what we're telling them. So please be praying for us.
This week is, once again, flying by. We don't have much free time since we're doing two camps a day, but it's kind of nice b/c we're in a youth house this week. It's on the church property and people just hang out there. There's a room (which I'm in now) that had 5 computers w/ internet, an x-box room (I've never touched one before) w/ 3 HUGE tv's all connected...whatever that means, and the kitchen is stocked. It's nice that our whole team is able to stay together this week...saves so much time picking everyone up and dropping everyone off before and after camp. In case you guys didn't know, I'm the only one who can drive the, now hunter green, mini-van...that's one of the many responsibilities of the "head coach." Speaking of our mini-van, today after our morning camp we hop in and all we hear was this clicking...yep, totally dead. Luckily there was someone still there who drove all the way home to pick up jumper cables. It ended up starting, but you guys, our van is SOOO ghetto. It's actually kind of funny. The driver window won't go up if I forget and put it down all the way...you just have to keep holding the button up and when it feels like going up, it will. The time spans from 20 seconds to 10 minutes, so that's kind of fun. Our windshield had a little divot, which has turned into this enormous crack, almost spanning from one side to the other. Our dashboard is covered in everyone's coach name tag stickers...which just adds to it's classy look. I could go on, but this blog is getting a little lengthy.

Until next time,
Sheryle

Girls from a school in Udon Thani

2005-07-23T02:00:00.000-06:00

soccer boys

2005-07-23T01:57:00.000-06:00

So Cal

2005-07-20T00:07:00.000-06:00

So here I am in Southern California for my last 3 weeks of camps. Things are going great so far. I have 2 camps a day for the rest of the summer, so my schedule is extremely busy, but I'll get through it. Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouragement...I couldn't get through it on my own! I really miss everyone back in Chicago, so I'm really looking forward to the few weeks in August when I'll be back...can't wait!!! Right now I'm really focusing on the ministry at hand...it was so great seeing God at work over in Thailand, but I know He can do just as much here in the States. My morning camp is in Laguna Hills...right by Laguna Beach. Our night camp is up in Anaheim...that camp is so unique, b/c most kids are sponsored. Probably 80% of them couldn't afford to pay the camp fees, so the church has done fundraisers cover their costs. I LOVE working with kids who are less fortunate...there's just something about them. I have quite a few latino boys that call me "coach Shirley" b/c they can't pronounce Sheryle...it's SOOOO cute! I have one quick story that probably means nothing to you, but it totally made me smile today. So I wear my sunglasses most of the time, but when I'm not wearing them I have them hanging on the neck of my shirt, but in the back to keep them out of the way. Can you picture that? It's totally an awkward place for them, but it works for me. Today, Nathan, this cute little guy comes into camp and was like, man, I need to get my sunglasses out of my pocket...NO campers ever have sunglasses. Then he's like, "coach shirley, can you help me put these on the back of my shirt?" (just like I do). Whenever I'd put my sunglasses on, out his came. You guys are probably like, "what is she talking about." But it was honestly THE cutest thing I've ever seen! I'll try to get a picture of him at some point this week so you guys can see just how cute he is. : )
Alright, it's late, gotta run!

Love,
Sheryle

back in the US

2005-07-16T00:06:00.000-06:00

Well, we made it back from Thailand. I've been in LA for the past few days for a short time of debriefing with the other international teams. Tomorrow we head out for another camp...3 more weeks left.
I'm trying to think of where I stopped w/ my updates. So much went on in Thailand...I seriously feel like I could type for hours and I still wouldn't be able to fully express what went on over there.
We were able to do ministry in 4 totally different parts of the country...it was really amazing seeing God work in a place where Buddhism is so prevalent. I'd say 80% of the kids/people we worked with (elementary thru college age student, as well as their teachers) have never heard about Jesus before. My eyes were opened to the fact that God places a void in every single person's life that only He can fill. From the moment these kids were born, Buddha was all they knew...every school would have the kids pray to him at different times throughout the day. Watching them do this we could see that for most it was just a routine...there was no personal relationship there. It was amazing that Christ used us to bring them to an understanding of who He really is...whether we were out on the soccer field or helping them with their English. We definitely saw God work...we always hear that God is alive in this world and working in ways that we could never imagine--that's exactly what I experienced in my time over there.
I have SOOO many stories to back that up...I just hope I have the time to tell you all! Now that I'm back in the States, I should be able to get on here more regularly.

Until next time...

2005-07-07T09:13:00.000-06:00

aren't the kids here are just beautiful? it's been awesome going into the public schools here...most of the kids have never had Americans at their school. we're not only able to play sports with these kids, but we're able to share Christ openly, unlike the U.S. Buddhism is the main religion in thailand, so most of these kids are hearing about Jesus for the first time.

2005-07-07T09:12:00.000-06:00

Here were are in Rayong at the local church playing futbol w/ some of the locals.

2005-07-07T09:06:00.000-06:00

Here is one of the "memorials" we found as we were walking down the beach in Phuket.

Phuket

2005-07-04T07:06:00.000-06:00

OK, so I LOVE Phuket. It's amazing here...there's still so much need, it's crazy. I woke up early this morning and went for a run on the beach...we're staying right on the coast here, it's beautiful! What I saw this morning was so awesome, yet kind of sad. There is still quite a bit of ruble left over from the tsunami. The town we're in, Khao-Lak, is the city that had the most deaths in all of Thailand. There are refugee camps for people who are still with out homes. We're actually going to help build a house on Wednesday. Anyways, as we were running we would come across trees w/ pictures of people nailed to it and there would be crosses there, candles, etc. It's exactly what we saw on TV back in the States. It's so crazy that I'm here, in the heart of where the disaster struck. It's pretty different seeing it first hand as opposed to on the news. There are chairs laying in the middle of the beaches, medicine bottles, clothes...pretty much the people's physical belongings scattered here and there. You can see where houses used to stand...trees uprooted...I could go on and on. Today we went into two schools...it's awesome working with these kids. A huge rain storm came through when we were supposed to break into our sports sessions, so everyone ended up on the soccer field in this torrential downpour. The field was pretty much under water. Everyone was soaked to the bone...diving headers through HUGE mud puddles. Good times were definitely had by all!
We've met soo many people here in Phuket that work w/ Christian organizations...most are here for the relief effort still, so I've been able to meet tons of cool peeps.
The missionaries we're working with are awesome...they have the most amazing hearts.
Wish I could write more, but I gotta run!

Love,
Sheryle

p.s.

2005-07-02T08:21:00.000-06:00

I keep forgetting things...today we were able to work with kids from Compassion Ministries. it's like a sponsorship program where American's can "adopt" a child from Thailand and send them money every month to provide them with food, clothes, and schooling. So the church we're working with brought in about 80 kids who all have American "families" and we did a camp for them. It's really cool being able to see where the money actually goes when people in the US sponsor a child. These are all children who don't have anything, yet they all had so much fun with us today. Just seeing them laugh and smile, knowing what their lives have been like, was so great. OK, I'm done.

Sawadeeka!

2005-07-02T07:55:00.000-06:00

...THAT means HI. Kap kun ka means thank you...oops! You guys probably wouldn't have known the difference anyways, right? : ) Anyways, just wanted to clarify.
So we just got done with dinner here...Thai food is amazing, but it's totally different than the Thai food I've experienced in Chi-town. Every meal is the same...there's no difference between breakfast and dinner, it's kind of crazy. There is rice at every meal, and then some kind of mysterious meat, usually seafood. We've seen some interested things since we've been here. I've been brave and have tried most of what has been placed in front of me...it's also the "right" thing to do in this culture. By saying "no" to something offered is often considered rude. Seafood is very common here as well...seeing that we're right on the coast it makes sense.
Driving through Thailand's country side on the way to different camps, I've been able to see things that you'd see in National Geographic...it's amazing! Little tin houses in the middle of NO WHERE...their lifestyles are SOO primitive. I see it, but when I actually think about it it amazes me...that is their life! I'm here for a few weeks and I'm definitely seeing and experiencing the culture, but then I leave and go back home to the U.S. where I could have pretty much anything I need or want...that's not the case here. We often think, "oh, I feel so bad for these people" but to them, this is it, this is all they know. It's evident that they're content with what they have b/c they are always smiling and so polite...they treat us (Americans) so well. I'm not sure why, but it's been happening everywhere we go. They keep giving and giving, even if they don't have much of anything. It's been quite the challenge to look at what God has given me and what I do with it, you know.
Anyways, like I said, we're off to Bangkok tomorrow to catch our flight to Puket. We'll have a few hours to check out the city, which I'm really excited about.

Thanks again for your prayers!

Sher

Kap kun ka!

2005-07-02T01:53:00.000-06:00

...that's hello in Thai. It's awesome here you guys...I don't even know where to begin. everything is so different than the U.S. We started off at Sammuk, a boarding school where we taught english, held sports clinics, and hung out with the student. It was cool b/c back in the States the camps are for younger kids, so it was nice being with people closer to our age. They had a few Americans that taught english there that we hung out with. It is semi-frustrating seeing that I know like 2 words in Thai, but most of the older students could understand and speak some english.
I'm going to jump back to the trip over here...my team had a lay-over in the Philippines. So I decided to take them out to explore the capital, Manila. We had an awesome time there...even though it was only a few hours. We were able to walk around these " neighborhoods" that had little stands everywhere, but it was for locals...we didn't see a single tourist the whole time. I love going to places like that, b/c we're able to really experience what it's like there.
I have TONS of pics, but we're at this internet cafe...so the computers are extremely slow and we don't have much time here. I'll try and get them on here ASAP.
When we left the school (near Bangkok) we traveled to Rayong (Marty, you can chart that on the map!) here we've been working in schools that have never had Americans. The kids are adorable! I can't even begin to describe the joy on their faces...they are so precious! All of them wanted our autographs...it was crazy. Our programs are different from the US, obviously, but we use some of the same stuff. Thailand's main religion is Buddism...they are temples all over the place. However, there have been several kids who ask us why we believe in God, and it's been amazing seeing Him work in a country where Christianity pretty much doesn't exist. For me, it's been really eye opening in terms of our freedom in the US...you can ask any Thai person what they think of American, and they all say freedom. I would've never guessed, but after being here for almost a week I can see where they're coming from.
Yesturday after our time at the school we went to the beach...it was awesome. We went on a banana boat (kind of like a big tube that 5 people can sit on)...it was sooo cheap to rent a boat for an hour.
Ah, I have soo much that I want to tell you guys, but it's hard to put most of what I've experienced in words. We leave tomorrow for Puket (the city where the tsunami hit). I'm really looking forward to that...it's supposed to be beautiful there.
Please keep my team in your prayers...so far everything's going great, so let's hope that continues!

Thanks for all the emails, keep them coming! Sorry I can't write each of you back!

I love and miss you all tons!

Sheryle

p.s. you can check out www.uwthailand.com if you would like. the othe head coach has been updating that blog...I personally haven't checked it out yet, but he might have put stuff on there that Iv'e forgotten.

Thailand

2005-06-25T01:43:00.000-06:00

Well, tomorrow I leave for Thailand...can't believe it's already here! I'm extremely excited about this trip! You can click on the "Thailand" link above, and that will direct you to Uncharted Waters' blog for the Thailand trip. That blog will be updated every 3 days or so...I'll also be updating mine whenever I have the chance. The link above is uwthailand.blogspot.com. It already has a little bit of information about what we'll be doing there, so feel free to check it out.

Please be praying for myself and my team as we head out.

Pics

2005-06-24T00:50:00.000-06:00

I've already emailed these pictures to some of you, so if I have you may disregard this. These are some from my summer. All you have to do to view my pictures is click on "Pics" above. Hopfully this will work!

Lake Tahoe

2005-06-23T00:59:00.000-06:00

Hey!
So today was awesome! Not only did camp rock out, but my team and I were able to go up to Lake Tahoe this afternoon. I can honestly say that it's the most beautiful place I've seen here in the US. I have some AMAZING pics, but I still don't know how to post them on here. I'm going to try and put them on ofoto. Anyways, on our way there I was totally in awe of God...it's just so beautiful up here! Then I saw this huge black bear with her two cubs...unreal! I've never seen a bear out in the open before. I pulled quick u-turn and got a few pics of them...it was so cool you guys!
Then we got to the Lake...crystal clear blue, surrounded by snow-tipped mountains. It reminded me so much of New Zealand. So we hung out there this afternoon.
Sorry I can't write more right now...I'll just blame it on the fact that it's past mid-night and that day 4 of my third week of camps starts in less then 8 hours. Need to catch some z's...

Sacramento

2005-06-19T19:32:00.000-06:00

So we made it out to California...it's so beautiful up here. The weather is so much nicer...mid-80's. Dallas was hitting temperatures of 111 degrees! You would step outside and literally feel like you were going to melt...it was insane! The camp was amazing though...there are kids from all different backgrounds. I was with the younger kids last week, and had all these little Latino boys. They were so adorable! I wish I knew how to post pictures to this thing...haven't had the time to sit down and figure it out. So if any of you know how to, please call me and let me know.
We had our meeting yesterday for the camp this week...they are extremely excited and very well organized, so that's good. I'd appreciate your prayers for this upcoming week...especially since I'm the only Uncharted Waters coach for soccer this week. I know it will all work out, but I'm always a little nervous before day 1. Anyways, I'd love to hear from all of you!

Sher

Camp #1

2005-06-14T13:33:00.000-06:00

So this is my first official week of being THE camp director--it's just me and my team of interns. I do admit that I was slightly nervous about the whole thing, but thanks to all your encouragment and prayers things have been going great. I miss you all!

The big "D"

2005-06-10T21:38:00.000-06:00

Yep, tomorrow my team will be heading out to Dallas. Since I'm the "Head Coach," I'm the only one who can drive the white Chrysler Town & Country mini-van--watch out!
I just got done w/ my first week of camp, as well as training. This is it...there will not be anyone around to help me out if I have questions, etc. But hey, as long as I act extremely confident in my camp director position, I should be OK. : ) My interns (college student-athletes) are AWESOME: Tiffany, Jessi, Matt, and Louie. I'll be getting my cheerleader intern on Wednesday, a few days late for my upcoming camp...which initially was really bad. They were going to have me, since I'm the Head Coach, step up and learn all the cheers, routines, dances, and teach that the first two days of my camp in Dallas, but luckily I got one of my interns to do it. Whew! I did go to a few cheer sessions during training (against my will) this past week, and even though I have been known to "bust a move" every now and then, I wasn't ready for the whole "spirit fingers" that went along with it. So back to the soccer fields I went.
ANYWAYS, I'm going to sign off...hopfully the next house I stay at will have internet so I can keep you all posted.

Until then...

the reason for this "blog"

2005-06-08T00:05:00.000-06:00

I'm sure that some of you don't really want to hear what's going on with me all the time...so having this "website" gives you the option of whether or not you want an update. That way I'm not annoying everyone, but if you're semi-curious you can check it out whenever you'd like...cool, huh.

Uncharted Waters Training -- Oklahoma City, OK

2005-06-06T23:41:00.000-06:00

So I'm here in Oklahoma...on Sunday I experienced the most insane hailstorm of my life. There were hail pieces the size of golf balls...and I'm not exaggerating. Honestly, it was crazy...every vehicle in the parking lot had major hail damage. Good thing the Intrepid was back in Chi-town!
Anyways, I'm here until Saturday for training. It's been awesome so far. The days are really long, but I'm learning a lot of helpful things that I'll be needing for this summer when I'm directing these camps on my own, so it's all good. Tonight the interns (college student-athletes) found out who their head coaches were. So it was cool to get my team together for the first time. I knew who mine were since I got here, so I've been able to observe them the past few days without them knowing that I'd be their head coach (a.k.a.--camp director). I also met all the people that I will be going to Thailand with. Both teams are solid...so I'm definitely blessed in that area.
So much more to tell, but I'll save it for another day.
One last thing, if you all could please remember to say a quick prayer for my mom that'd be great. The day I flew out, my mom's appendix ruptured...they immediately performed an emergency surgery. She's now in the hospital for the next few days recovering. I've talked to her a few times and she seems to be doing OK.