Design Team

Presbyterian Youth Triennium Design Team.

Another family.

My support system.

My connections to places all over the United States.

I guess I should start as to how I got on this amazing planning team in the first place.

When I went to PYT, I had an AMAZING time..I got home, sat on my couch for a few days in shock at how amazing my experience was, and then I found out there was a planning team for it! I emailed someone, and said to wait until Spring/June for the Design Team application. So I waited. Very Impatiently. I checked the PYT website at least once a week..looking for new updates. I couldn't really talk about anything buy PYT for a while...EVERYTHING seemed to relate back to it! It's one of those things where if you just don't go...you don't understand..and if people you're talking to didn't go, they just want you to stop talking about it! So after a LONG time of PYT Page stalking, the application was FINALLY on there! So I filled it out..at first without telling my mom. (she is always apprehensive about things!) Then she found out and was fine with it. I had my 2 references, and even though my youth pastor said on the reference form that I grind my teeth, I still turned it in. I found out I was accepted when that August I got an email asking for my birthday. It was kind of an unexciting way, but I called my mom who was at Home Depot (i'm not sure why i remember this) FREAKING OUT, but i still had not received the official notice that I was accepted. So when I received the official notice, I was so excited. I didn't really know what to do. I told my PYT friends, but my other friends..well they were happy, but it just wasn't as exciting for them, because they had never been!

Our team was meant to be together. I had never connected with people so fast in my life. It was definitely a God thing. I had always taken youth conferences for granted i guess. Well maybe not that, but I never knew all the work behind it, especially with themes. After sitting in a conference room for 3 days digging through consortiums and bibles, I am SO thankful for the people who plan conferences on a regular basis! It's amazing to see and be a part of the work that goes into it. We're all so different, yet everyone is so amazing at the same time.

I now have connections to a lot of different places, so that makes me very happy. When I don't know what to do in a certain situation, or can't talk to someone about something in the location where I'm at...I call someone from Design Team, because I know that I can talk, and they'll just listen. I've made some amazing friends, and this is why Triennium seems so bittersweet. Don't get me wrong...it's pretty much one of the ONLY things I can talk about right now, but the idea of no more planning or meetings seems so weird! Luckily, I go to school in Mississippi, which means I can see a lot of people within a 6 hour drive.

I could go on...but I won't, because i've typed enough...so coming soon...design team memorable moments!

Design Team.

Best Thing Ever.

So hard to explain to non-presbyterians

and memories that will last a lifetime.

So, what is the Presbyterian Youth Triennium?

Triennium.

PYT.

Presbyterian Youth Triennium.

not PCA but PCUSA. there is a difference : )

I just can't seem to stop talking about it. In Presbyterian culture, people pretty much know the general idea of it...but explaining it to everyone else is rather difficult( especially people at my Baptist college). I am going to attempt to explain it here.

PYT happens every 3 years. I went as a youth participant in 2007 and fell in love with it. I found out there was a planning team. I looked at the website almost every day for the next 6 or 7 months. The application finally came up on the website. I applied, forgot that I applied, and then found out I was accepted and remembered I had applied. Being on the planning team has been one of the best experiences ever. (that's a whole other blog though for a different day)

Triennium is not meant for new Christians. It is pretty much assumed that the people going to it are mature in their faith. I mean, it's bad to make assumptions, but this is usually the case. People apply to go through their Presbytery. A Presbytery is a group of Presbyterian Churches in one area, it makes it easier to keep track of churches that way. This year, churches can take groups of people there.

The event usually has around 5,000 Presbyterian high school aged people from all over the USA and Canada. It is so amazing to be around this many Presbyterians at once. It is held at Purdue University in Indiana. One of the highlights of this is staying in a dorm.

The theme for this time is For Such a Time as This. From the book of Esther.

I've been talking about this event all year at school basically. Actually, it's what I relate various things to.

- people bring buttons or pins to trade with people from other areas of the country..ours this year from Oregon and Vancouver WA say Peace, Love and Salmon.

- girls go to dress to impress for the Presbyterian boys they may find there. Although, as most people know....this is not the main reason one should go to this

- people wait in line for worship for at least 45 minutes. It's THAT good!

- There are going to be over 300 construction projects going on at Purdue this summer. We're hoping someone doesn't fall in a ditch

- one time a girl didn't like the event, so she called her rich grandpa to come pick her up on his private jet

I'm on the community life team. It has to do with making people feel welcome, and dealing with dorm related things, and runaway girls that go into Frat Houses. However, I'm bringing a whistle..you know...to break up those awkward couples that hang out in corners at night : )

Sun, Pneumonia and No Job

1) The Sun came out Saturday. It was 80 degrees. finally!

2) My Pneumonia is gone. well basically. I still can't really climb up any stairs without huffing and puffing. My antibiotics gave me strange bumps, so i had to get new ones.

3) I don't have a job. This makes me mad. However, I do have Chacos now. Which makes things better. I love my Chacos. A lot.

4) Triennium is ruining my job potential. Sad, but true. People don't want to hire someone who is going to be gone for 10 days

5) I am making Salsa and Guacamole this week. Just to do something fun with my summer

my friends are home now! So summer can finally start!

Pneumonia?

I started feeling bad last Wednesday...so I figured it would go away..it didn't. I got a fever. And I freaked out. I barely ever get fevers. Then by Saturday I couldn't walk without sounding like a person who smokes way too much and having to take a break when walking. It sounded like I was hyperventilating, and it hurt after I walked around a little bit. Soooooo on Sunday I called my Dr office randomly, and somebody answered! My Dr was there, and I went in. My Diagnosis: Pneumonia. But only on the left side. I'm still confused as to how I only have it on one side, but I am so thankful for doctors, and so thankful that I only have it on one side...i don't think I could handle both sides.

My ultra peppy nurse yesterday took my stats, and said it looked a lot better then Sunday. And she said it was strange that I had it in June and not the winter.

my mom's explanation: I came from Mississippi back up to colder and rainier Oregon weather.

I sound like I smoke, and when I talk, I have to take breaks. I couldn't go to my Triennium got together, I couldn't go to my Young Life BBQ and I can't be a counselor at Suttle Lake now. I need to look on the bright side of things though...my antiobiotics are working, and that, is amazing

Old Fashioned? No. Just Respectful

I lived without one for 14 years. I was fine.

I like being cell phone free

or purposely not texting people back. It feels so freeing. Or...CALLING someone when they text me! Sometimes they get a little confused as to why I am calling them, but we all need to be a little cell phone free sometimes.

I still give out my home phone number to jobs I have applied for, and people that I don't want invading my cell phone.

at school, I make it a general rule not to carry my cell phone with me to classes, because it gives me more face to face interaction with people along the way. If I was at a large school, I don't think I could do this, but here it is nice. It is harder to leave my phone at home when I am going places at home though...because people get annoyed..so i will take it with me and turn it off.

Places you need to take your cell phone:

1) the mall if you are going with friends

2) wal-mart. I went without my phone once, and ended up searching half the store

Oregon has a law...you can't text or talk when you drive...or you get a ticket..police can pull you over for that..so I have this new habit..of glaring at people or just staring them down in a nice kind of way, on their phones. as to say "I'm better then you" but I only do this to nice looking people, because I don't want to get into a big road dispute!

My mom's friend doesn't have a cell phone still. and she is not old fashioned at all.she wears really cute clothes and drives motorcycles..she just doesn't want to be bugged. which is understandable. I respect her. a lot.

I also don't like i-phones..it is fueling people's electronic addictions more and more.

I still read the paper. shocker. i know. I have my routine. I come downstairs in the morning, read the paper and at my breakfast. I just love it. I don't like reading news online. I believe, that more people should read the paper...just because it's awesome...except if you touch it too much you get grey on you. which is never fun.

I also don't have a tivo. very un-necessary. I can sit through commercials, unlike some other people in our society : )

So...I guess I challenge everyone...to turn off their phones, or call instead of text.

btw..if you constantly text SOMEONE ELSE while I am out on a one on one time with you...I'll probably tell you to put your phone away. because THAT...is just plain rude.

I need a watch...so i have an excuse to not take my phone even more places...

Job Thoughts

I need a job.

I want to work at American Eagle

I don't know if they are hiring

I've only had 2 interviews! Sonic and Hollister

Sonic didn't like I was going to be gone for 10 days in July.

Triennium is worth is though.

definitely.

worshipping our God with 4,000 other Presbyterians that desire to be close to our Lord

well, I just need a job that will let me have time off

I didn't want to work at Sonic and be greasy this summer