Rufus, Edisto, and One Month To Go

warning: this will be long. go ahead and recline back with your ice cold glass of diet doctor pepper. :] it's going to be a long [and good] read.

i will start off with the visit from Rufus Lynx, the mascot for the Charlotte Bobcats. he came to visit with the kids: dancing, shooting hoops, and signing autographs. the kids really enjoyed it. Rufus would also pull some of my counselors to dance and shoot hoops with him. of course the kids chanted "Miss Aly!" when he was "surveying the counselors" in a shooting match with him. another counselor snapped a few shots of the awesome competition. he wanted me to shoot the ball from the foul line but with my back turned to the basket. i tricked him out at first [because his back was turned to me] and turned really quick to shoot it. definitely air balled it. guess that's what you get for cheating. well since i missed it, Rufus and i sat on the line to "meditate". i guess so i would make it the next time around? a second attempt [this time with no cheating] had me BARELY missing. although in the picture it looks like i made it. it's a shame i can't lie to you people. :]

camp is going really well. always a new adventure each day, but it keeps me on my toes. with 80+ kids each day, i am honestly surprised i know a majority of them by name. especially since i don't necessarily work closely with them. i will be honest and say i have yet to learn the names of my little, quiet girls who never get in trouble. the other day i was checking the kids in and when this one little girl came up to me i said "hey sweetie, is this your first day?" she gave me this look like i was an idiot and said "uhm, Miss Aly i've been here all summer." OOPS! definitely trying to pay more attention to those sweet little girls who give me no trouble. half the time i forget they are even there. i'm so busy having to discipline those typical trouble makers. here i am enjoying a day at Monkey Joe's with Vangundy & Sam. i realize this is the second time i have posted a picture of those two. making a mental note to take MORE pictures of the OTHER kids! :]

moving on. relaxed on Edisto Beach with the family for a week. enjoyed every second of it! [who wouldn't?] we were also joined by extended family from Mom's side, so it was different but a nice change. these photos will be sufficient in explaining the vaca. :] oh and sister #2 [Lindsay] got engaged! whoop! whoop!

all i did.

big family photo

shad and i beasted the kayak one morning :]

auntie dina [mom's youngest sister], me, mom, and shad

jlas :]

playing with declan

turvy twins! :]

the fam at our beach house :]

after an amazing week of R&R, it was time to get back to the grind. soon after returning from Edisto, i got the "green light" to book my one way to Denver! :D God is AWESOME and SO incredibly faithful! most of my prayer at the beach was that i would have enough money raised to be able to book my flight. He [as always] met my need and I believe He will continue to do that as i finish preparing for departure. we serve an AMAZING God! really.

less than a month. A MONTH! it is SLOWLY becoming more real to me, and i think excitement is starting to creep in. [that's a GOOD thing!] it also hit me pretty hard one night this past week that i will be away from my family for 10 months. they won't be at an "easy" reach. i can't explain the pain i had inside that night. at that moment i didn't think i could do it. i didn't think i would be strong enough. all works of the enemy trying to fill me with fear. i had to [and will CONTINUE to have to] remember that God knows what He is doing. i am praying and begging Him to move BIG time in me while i am over there. it overwhelms me thinking about what He could possibly have in store.

i hope to soon find out my finalized team and placement. i think that's when it will really begin to sink in. especially since i will be able to contact my specific team members. the entire CTF clan has been shooting emails back and forth playing "get to know you" games which has been a lot of fun. makes meeting them [whether they are on my team or not] more exciting.

$$ is still pouring in from all directions. God is so faithful! it is my prayer that He blesses all you who have given! THANK YOU!

i guess now it is time to bear the "bad news". i received confirmation that China has blocked all blog spot access. therefore i will not be able to blog from here while i am there. [major bummer, i know] i am contacting a friend who is already over there to see where [and how] i can start a new one. regardless, i will still have my email [aly.decken@elic.org] and my monthly newsletters will be sent out. i am currently putting together an email list to send weekly emails to you all as often as i am able. if you would like to be added to my list, please just shoot me an email at the above address and i will be sure to get them sent to you! :)

hope you enjoyed the update. [and ice cold diet doctor pepper, for those of you who enjoyed one]

oh and i apologize for how bad the beginning of this post looks. in the preview it looked very pretty and organized, but when it officially posted it looks like what it does. i was in no mood to fix it, so that will have to do. i promise though, it looked real pretty when i originally typed it out. :]

zai jian [goodbye]