And it begins...

Team Leader training begins tomorrow...wow...

I think crazy is the only word to really describe what life has been like at HDC these past few weeks. There are major renovation and construction projects in various stages of completion, and the list of things that need to happen seems to be never-ending. But for me, it has been so much fun.

Loren Rice's family arrived yesterday. Team leaders will be arriving tonight (as of now, the team leaders are Jon Landis, who was in my training last fall and I already know, and Jordan and Jeweli Ritz, which means we still need three more team leaders...). Participants will come after Commissioning, which is two Sundays from now. A lot has to happen before they get here, but with (more) hard work we will be ready for them.

I really haven't spent much time in my office this past week, and have been trying to help out Andy as much as possible. I did a lot of sanding drywall and painting, plus other various odd jobs. The new session room is looking great, but there is still work that needs to be done before the participants arrive. Until that is finished, the Upper Room or the Living Room will be used as meeting spaces. There will be more demo in the old session room as well as other projects before the offices can be moved in, all of which needs to happen sometime during the next two weeks.

It's really nice that all of us as staff already know each other. There are 4 of us volunteer staff: Jess - Training Assistant, Margaret - Hospitality Coordinator, Ben - Community Outreach Coordinator, and then me - Office Assistant and Kitchen Coordinator, and we're all sharing the role of Cook. The three other staff working here include Chris - Training Director, Jan - Center Manager, and Andy - Operations Manager. We were all here during training last year, either as participants, a team leader, or on staff.

It's crazy to think that a training is about to begin. Sometimes it feels like we're not ready for the house to be full of people again, just because of everything that has been happening around here. Us volunteer staff were just getting used to this huge house and for there to be only four of us living here. Soon, before we know it, there will be 37 people living here, plus others that will be in and out. It will be a big change, yes, but I'm excited for it, and I can't wait to see what this year will hold!

This Year...

One year at a time - I think it's the best way to live life. While looking at the whole picture is important, it's easier (at least in my mind) to focus on just a short portion at a time.

I decided on this new outlook on life during the year(ish) that I was in YES, which involved a 3 month training at HDC, and a 6 month outreach in Barcelona, Spain. Those months were amazing for me. It was an awesome opportunity to get a chance to see some of the world, and to realize that not everyone lives, believes, or functions the same way that i do. Coming back afterwards gave me a new appreciation for what I have here in the US, and I learned so many things while gone. Even now I am still discovering how my views have changed. It's fun to look back, and I have many great memories from that time.

And now for this year - I'm very excited for what I'm doing. About 2 weeks ago, I moved in the Harrisburg Discipleship Center (HDC), where I will be serving through August of 2010. I am the Office Assistant, and am also taking over some roles of the Kitchen Coordinator. So...most of these posts will probably be about the lastest happenings here at HDC. I'm not sure how often I'll be updating this blog, but hopefully it will be often enough that you get a chance to see a little bit of what I'll be up to for this year!