Bed Bug Annihilation Day

As some of you may know by now, my lovely home on Winton Street has been infested with bed bugs over the past couple months. We are not sure where they came from or how long we have had them, but we've been aware of them for the past few weeks at least. After a few attempts at using bed bug bombs and evacuating our house for a few hours, we decided to tackle the problem more intensely. Our lovely city directors, Jason and Jenni checked around to see how much an exterminator would cost, and found out it could be around $1100 for one visit. They were willing to take on this cost, but after doing some research my team decided we wanted to try to take as many steps as possible to tackle the problem ourselves at a much lower cost.

This past Saturday we experienced
Bed Bug Annihilation Day (BBAD). From 9:00 am til around midnight, all seven of us worked to declutter, clean, and spread about bed bug killing chemicals. We began early by decluttering every bedroom and beginning what would be several days of laundry (literally all of the laundry for all seven girls). We put everything into trash bags to prevent any hidden bugs from spreading. As we removed pictures and artwork from our bedroom walls, several pesky bed bugs were discovered in creative hiding places. Once everything was bagged up from our bedrooms, we wiped down all of the walls and baseboards with soapy water. We also intensely vacuumed all of our carpets, including every crevice around the edge of the carpets. We then created a recommended solution of alcohol, water, and dish soap (we called it Kool-Aid), and sprayed that over all the walls and in every corner and crevice (don't worry, we used masks and gloves!). We also used our new hand steamer to steam clean everyone's mattress. Then we sprayed the mattresses down with our Kool-Aid concoction, followed by the recommended bed bug killing dust. We had various names for this. We then wrestled every mattress into its own (hopefully) bed bug proof mattress cover. After this, we had to rearrange some  furniture so we could deep clean all of our carpets. By the time all of this was done (and I feel like I'm forgetting some crucial details such as keeping a death toll tally on the bathroom mirror, yelling with rage at any bed bugs we discovered hiding on our walls, sending out mass texts asking for prayer against the bed bugs, listening to calming meditation music, receiving a stuffed bed bug in a package from my mom, and eating ice cream floats at 10:30 pm as a reward), it was around midnight. We spent around $250 on all of the supplies and products we needed for the day, which is an incredible saving when compared to what we would have spent on an exterminator. But after 15+ hours of BBAD, we were all completely exhausted and a little bit tense. In addition to that, we are now on our third day of doing laundry. We are fortunate to have a washer and dryer in our house that we can use right now. We also cannot know for sure if the bed bugs have truly been annihilated for several weeks or even months. All we can do is wait and hope that we did everything we could.

I'm not writing all of this to gain sympathy or shock or even financial support. I personally want to remember BBAD beyond this year (okay, I think it would be hard to forget), and I want to remember some things that I learned from the experience, and I want to share these things with you all.

There is something about going through trials with people that truly brings everyone closer together. I think BBAD was a really great bonding experience for the Winton Street team. For one full day we had really great motivation to work together and push through our struggles and weaknesses to accomplish a common goal. We were all tired and frustrated and anxious, but we could help to support one another in the experience. Several girls said throughout the day, "This is truly the best way to experience bed bugs. Can you imagine dealing with this anywhere else with anyone else?" That really stands out to me. Nothing about that day should have been fun or enjoyable, but because we were all working together as a family, we could make the most of the situation and help each other through. 

This is yet another example of how life here requires me to rely fully on God in all circumstances. I am continuing to embrace the reality that my contentment and joy cannot come from anywhere besides the Holy Spirit. It doesn't make sense for me to have joy in the circumstances I find myself in. It doesn't make sense to feel content and satisfied in this lifestyle that I'm living this year. There are a lot of really challenging things happening on a regular basis. But the truth is, I really wouldn't trade any of that for anything. I think the challenges make everything so worthwhile. I am really learning how to find and treasure the good in every situation, and this is something that will carry me through the rest of my life. I am learning to be content with very little, and I am discovering what my true needs are. As people, and maybe especially as Americans, we are so good at living with excess. We prioritize so many things that are simply unnecessary to daily life and contentment.

I pray that these words would cause you to stop and think about all of the many things you have to be thankful for. Think about ways you can simplify your life to better see the good in all circumstances. Where do you find your joy?

Peace & love,

Cara

Community

Today I am grateful for the power of friendship and authentic community.

My roommate's (Abigail) birthday is Monday, and we decided that today's Sabbath would be a good time to celebrate. Carole, Abigail and I spent a big chunk of our day exploring several new things around Houston. We took advantage of a beautiful November day (seriously, it was in the 80's today) and trekked out to the Houston Arboretum. This is the most nature-y place I've experienced over the past two months! We were actually secluded and far enough from the city to not be able to see any buildings. We could still hear the faint sound of cars on the highway, but we were excited enough to be surrounded by trees, flowers, and butterflies that we didn't care about the highway noise. It was beautiful. We ended up running into another team member, and we all sat by a pond and ate our lunches and watched the fish and turtles, talking about life and our experiences in Mission Year so far. It was a beautiful, well-spent afternoon. From there, Carole and I surprised Abigail by taking her to the local SPCA so we could spend some time visiting animals (namely cats, which Abigail really loves). We had such a great time looking at each cat and dog and playing with two cats and one dog.

Now we're back at McDonald's, the closest place to our house with free wifi. Fridays are good. This day was good for resting and doing new things. It's nice when both can happen. So many of my Fridays have been spent in the same coffee shop (it's a favorite for a reason, but it feels a little boring after so many weeks in a row). It is exciting and encouraging to have good friends here that I can enjoy Sabbaths with. It is good to have friends whom I can talk to about anything and everything, and to grow and share life with.

Abundant Joy

This week I've been thinking so much about how circumstances and basic human needs so greatly affect a person's life. As I've been dealing with so many physical and environmental challenges over the past two months, I've begun to realize how important physical well-being is to a person's general demeanor and specifically to their effectiveness in ministry. People who do ministry from the comfort of wealth have a totally different understanding and approach. That's not to say they won't be effective, but I think it may require more effort and different strategies. I remember that some people accused me of choosing to do Mission Year because it would be easier than going to graduate school or getting a job. I hope that if I had conversations with those same people now they would have a change of heart and mind. This life that I'm choosing to live this year is incredibly difficult. I would argue that it is more difficult than getting and maintaining a job, because I am adopting an entirely different lifestyle this year. I don't get to go home at the end of a hard day or a challenging week. Because to go home here is to continue in the hardness. I live and breathe these challenges 24/7. At the beginning of this experience it was easy for me to resent these challenges and their inescapable nature. It was frustrating and I hated feeling trapped in this. But as time has passed, I've developed more of an appreciation for this experience and the ways I can learn and grow here. These things are unique and beautiful. The fact that I can have deep, immense joy in the midst of my struggles here is to me a clear picture of God's promises and faithfulness to me and all of humanity. I feel blessings pour out to cover all of my struggles. It makes it all worthwhile. This is not something that would probably not make logical sense to anyone who is on the outside looking in. Yet I feel it, and I have abundant hope. I have confidence that I would rather be here serving than anywhere else right now. I would rather be in this place of physical discomfort while loving and serving with an eternal perspective than living in comfort while loving with an agenda that struggles to see beyond my own nearsightedness.

I am grateful to be here, and especially grateful for the joy I have in being here. God is clearly at work in me, because I'm not capable of sustaining this kind of joy and contentment on my own, especially in these circumstances. Praise be to God, the Rock on which I stand.

I am being changed

This post is going to consist of a lot of recent thoughts. I hope they come together in some sort of organized fashion. Bear with me.

I wrote this in my journal last Wednesday, October 3rd:

Last night I was hit with so many thoughts and feelings, and I had a hard time falling asleep because my mind was racing. I think I was able to do a lot of processing about Mission Year so far and my feelings about the months to come. I think I realized part of why this is all so overwhelming. On the one hand, coming here asks us to sort of step outside of, apart from, and beyond ourselves to truly and selflessly love and serve. This is obviously an incredibly challenging task, considering how self-driven we as humans naturally are. But on the other hand, or maybe as a result of this stepping out of oneself, we are suddenly forced to stare down every harsh reality of ourselves. I am getting to know myself really well, and in a lot of ways I didn't want to face. I can no longer lie to myself about how I feel about people and circumstances. I suddenly have to be completely real in every way. This is a really intense combination of factors, and it has all happened so quickly.

Today I shared a lot of thoughts with a few of my roommates and friends from home. This experience is opening my eyes to so many realities in the world. Right now I'm not really sure how to explain all of these things in pretty words. Things seem to be fairly straightforward right now.

There is a huge divide between rich and poor. I see it more clearly here than I have anywhere else, but I realize it exists everywhere. I see this when I live, work, and worship in the Greater Third Ward and then step outside of that at any point and see extreme wealth and general oblivion to the pain of poverty. I see contempt and judgment on both sides. The poor can't understand the rich, and the rich can't understand the poor. It's interesting to be placed in a position of middle ground in a sense. Not that I am extremely wealthy, but I am realizing that I am growing both perspectives this year. This puts me in a really interesting position for the future. I am excited to continue learning in this throughout the year.

I also realized today that I am shedding a lot of judgment and criticism that I have held toward people different than myself. Many of us grow up in places where people and cultures are all very similar. We are exposed to differences occasionally, and we soak up new and exotic things when they are safe (for example, from the comfort of a movie theater or a neat vacation). How often, though, are we exposed to new things that are uncomfortable or a little bit unsafe? This may happen more for some than others, but I know that growing up in a comfortable suburb and going to a small, comfortable university prevented me from seeing others who are different than me with open eyes. Coming here, I am forced into these realities. I am able to see more clearly both the brokenness and the beauty in differences and diversity. I was unaware of how many judgments, assumptions, and criticisms I held toward those differences until I was made to face them every day. It is uncomfortable to confront those realities in my own heart and mind, but it is refreshing and renewing to feel God stripping me of those things and conforming my heart more to His. I am more able to realize the truth that He created all people in His image. I am more able to love as He does. I am more aware of my own neediness and brokenness, and therefore I am more able to pour His love out on others. It is beautiful, this growing process.

Thank you to those of you who read this, pray, and/or support me financially. Your support is so encouraging and helpful to me. I have much hope because of how much love I feel from friends and family all over the world. Please continue praying for my team and me. You can never pray too much. Pray for safety of body and mind. Pray for continued growth in my teammates and myself individually as well as as teammates. Pray for joy and energy as we push forward in the work we are doing. It is draining in every way, but so worthwhile.

If you would like to continue supporting me financially, that would also be much appreciated! I am amazed at the Lord's provision already in this endeavor. As of today, I have raised $5,662; I am almost halfway there! Our goal for our team by Thanksgiving is to be at an average of $7,000 per person. I am getting close, but support of our entire team is really important right now!

Click here to donate online; just designate my name!

Peace and love,
Cara

Blessings

When the end of the week arrives, it is hard to even know how to sum it all up in one blog post. This is my life for the next ten months, so it sometimes seems strange to talk about it like it's a big deal. But then there are people every day who tell me that this year is a big deal. People seem so amazed at what we're doing here. Why is it so unusual for people to live simply and honestly? Why is it so unusual for people to genuinely love one another? I am realizing that this ideal life is really, really difficult to live out. And it is certainly impossible to live it out perfectly. I've only been here for a month, and already I've learned so much about living intentionally with people. Real, authentic, loving relationships are so hard.

This year is all about relationships. I am living in a house with six other girls. I not only live with these girls, but I also work, cook, shop, clean, and worship with them. We are around each other almost 24/7. It's a good thing we all like each other! But of course conflict arises and we disagree on things from time to time. We were all basically strangers before we moved in together four weeks ago. We have grown close really quickly, but there is still so much unknown. The beautiful thing about living in this kind of community is that we are forced to love each other and to work through conflict immediately when it arises. There is no room to keep things hidden or to ignore problems. We are learning to be real with each other, that none of us are perfect, and that we all have much to offer one another.

Apart from the relationships with my teammates, this year is also about building relationships with people I meet every day. It is amazing how quickly and easily you meet new people when you just look. I have had more interesting and genuine conversations with strangers in the last month than I probably have ever had in my life with similar people. It is shocking to realize how easily we overlook people and opportunities to share life with other human beings on a regular basis. It's amazing how many people I meet just by walking and taking the bus everywhere. I am suddenly forced into relationships, and it's beautiful. So much more rewarding than I ever could have imagined. Like I mentioned above, I am realizing how interconnected all of humanity is. We all have so much to offer to one another. Yet we so easily hide within ourselves, afraid to offer or to receive anything.

I am learning about humility. I am discovering how to let others help me. I am losing hold of my pride in many ways. I am facing uncomfortable truths about how comfortable my life is. Living on $17.50 per week for groceries is a challenge. Seeing the horrible produce available in our local grocery store is saddening. This week I was even hit with the incredible blessing I have in knowing I am deeply loved by so many people. The fact that I can lie in my bed before I fall asleep and read encouraging and sweet letters and cards from family and friends and really know love, this is something that many people don't even get to experience. We are greatly blessed.

Week Two

These days continue to be full, and the weeks are going by slowly. Right now, I'm okay with this. Life is full here, and many exciting things are happening all the time. I am glad for the opportunity to spend the next year of my life here, and I am still eager to see how God will move and work in and around me this year!

This week was busy with real life, starting Saturday in our neighborhood. We've already established a pretty good relationship with one of our neighbors and her children. She invited us to her son's football game Saturday afternoon and even offered all seven of us a ride to the park. We arrived and discovered we were the only white people in a packed park with tons of youth football games going on all day. This was such a beautiful picture of love as this family eagerly welcomed us into their lives and culture. I'm sure we will be present at many more games in the future. The coach made a point to meet all of us, and he said he would give us all t-shirts next week! I think he was serious; community here is so sweet.

On Sunday we attended our church (City of Refuge) for the first time. This was also a really sweet experience. We are able to walk to our church, which is very nice. Everyone was eager to meet and connect with our team when we arrived. The church is very diverse in race, age, and worship style. I'm excited to get involved there this year and to meet many great people. I will keep you all updated with this progression!

Monday marked the first day of work for all of our teams! I went to The Forge for Families Monday through Thursday from 10:30 to 6:30. This week was a lot of training and orientation to what the Forge is and does, and I loved it. The staff that we're working with are really supportive and loving. It feels like a family there. We have been welcomed in eagerly, and that feels great. In the mornings we will be doing a variety of administrative tasks, and in the afternoons we will help with their after-school programs. This week I got to help with the Pre-K/Kindergarten class in the afternoons. I have grown so attached to those kiddos after only four days!

One of the things that has weighed on my hear the most this week is one of the little girls in my class. Kaitlyn is four, and she is in Pre-K at a local school, and comes to the Forge's after-school program.. She is the most precious little girl (she is the tiniest one in the class). She's small and quiet all the time. At first I just thought she was shy, but I'm beginning to be more concerned for her. I have had the chance to help her with her homework this week, and I've discovered that she is unable to recognize her name or to identify letters and numbers. When I spoke with her more, I realized she doesn't know her abc's yet. She has a hard time following directions, and sometimes it seems that she truly doesn't know what is being asked of her. She pesters other kids, but not in the typical way of a bully. My heart breaks for Kaitlyn more and more every day, and I've been praying to be able to break through with love and persistence.

This is just one story of many on my heart this week. The Lord is working in my heart, and I am learning and growing every day. Thank you all for your prayers, love, and support. You all mean so much to me. Continue praying for my week ahead, and be sure to let me know if there are any ways I can be praying for you all.

Until next week. Love to you all.

Becoming a Houstonian

It's incredible that I've been in Houston for 9 days, and with my Mission Year teammates for 7. It feels like a month has passed by since just last week. I have met so many new people who are already a huge part of my life. We have been going through a lot of training for this year that we are entering. I am grateful for the leadership that has been established in Mission Year. My City Directors, Jason and Jenni, have many years of experience in this city, and they truly exemplify what it means to live and love like Jesus. We also were privileged to hear from several Mission Year staff members this week, and it was beautiful to hear their hearts for God's Kingdom and the poor and broken people we all encounter daily in our communities. I have been so encouraged and challenged this week. I feel eager and prepared to begin this year. I'm nervous about the unknown people and circumstances that I will surely encounter, but I am so blessed to have a wonderful community to live and grow with this year.

I found out a few days before I left for Houston that I will be serving at The Forge for Families, right up the street from my new home. We've been meeting there all week for our city-wide orientation, and it's a really nice facility. My team also got to meet with the Forge's volunteer coordinator yesterday morning to discover more of what their mission is and a little bit of what we'll be doing there. I'm pumped. I'll be working there with two of my housemates Monday-Friday from 10:30-6:30. You should check out their website, but I'll just say that this place offers a ton of great programs for people in our community. I'll be helping with some of their after-school programs, and I'm very excited to see what that looks like.

My time in this coffee shop is running out quickly, and I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to get on the internet again today, so I'll share a few prayer requests in the meantime.

Pray:

• for boldness in my neighborhood, that my teammates and I would have confidence in these early days to meet our neighbors and to love them well.
• that I would learn to manage my time here with this new routine and be able to take care of myself in all aspects.
• for unity among my teammates and among all of the teams serving in Houston.
• for safety as we continue to travel around the city and in our neighborhood.

Thanks to everyone who is so supportive of me in every way. I am so eager to share this experience with you all, and I hope you're just as excited to walk with me in this adventure. I will try to update again next Friday when I can use internet!