1. sorry i didn't write last week!
2. this kid chris, at ray of hope, graduated high school last wednesday! big accomplishment!
3. i don't feel like using capital letters. sorry if you hate it.
today i was in the office and finished up transferring the information for the african children in the program (which was a big accomplishment), answered phones, 3-hole punched papers, cut photos for the child sponsorship packets, typed up a criminal record form, and pulled some original documents and made copies of them. i dressed up, just a bit, and everyone seemed to make a deal about it. but the one thing that hit me and made me stop, was when i was transferring information for this little girl named, winnie. when winnie's paperwork was first filled out, she was 6 1/2. she's an only child and lives with her mom. her mom is HIV positive and gets sick very often. when her mom is sick and in the hospital, winnie stays there and takes care of her mom. remember this was when she was 6 1/2. now she's about 8 1/2. she's probably doing the same thing. so many of those kids have stories like that, but that one stuck out today. it brought me to tears. her name is now written on my hand and it's a reminder to pray for her.
her name is winnie. pray for her and her mom.
tomorrow's another day at ray of hope. i can't wait! hope you all are doing well!
write me some letters or let me know how you're doing! just because i'm on the other side of the country, doesn't mean i don't care about you!
love, darla maxine
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
My Favorite Holiday Season
Happy Valentines Day!!!!!
Hope you all had a great day and ate a ton of chocolate and sweets!!!
 |
| My Desk. |
Today, I was in the office and turned my desk area into love land... My computer background was hearts, I had a heart lollipop, I had a vase of lovely smelling flowers, from Josh, next to me, and of course... I was dressed up for the occasion too.
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| My Valentine. |
Love you all!!!!!!!!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
First Week. (Blogging Already Failed?)
1st Week. Blogging has been a failure.
Ok. Let's see... I ended with talking about Monday.
Tuesday: I went to Ray of Hope for the first time for my two months and it was a lot of fun! I was in the office from 9- about 10:30 and learned a little bit about how different things are ran and handled there. And then from 10:30-12 I sat in the living area with some of the residents and was supposed to learn how to answer the phone and take messages and what to say if people ask certain things, but the phone never rang. I ended up just being able to hang with them and get to know a few people and start to build friendships. At 12, I was welcomed to eat lunch with them and then was sent across the street to their thrift store to learn how things work there. The heater was broken in the manager's office, so I was put on the floor to talk to customers and residents that were serving their time for the day. (Each resident at Ray of Hope has to serve at Hope Thrift for at least 2 hours a day.) I learned how to do the cash register and again had the opportunity to just hang, talk, and build relationships. I loved it. When 4 o'clock rolled around and Jo and Berta came and picked me up, I was beat.
I got back to the Ranch, it was almost dinner and time fr chapel. This chapel was a special chapel. It was commissioning. A day I NEVER thought would roll around. Erin, Brittany, and I were brought up to the front, after the teaching, and prayed for as we go on with the next stage. Erin and I are both staying in Montana and working in the office at the Ranch, at Ray of Hope, and will be cleaning a church once a week. Brittany, on the other hand, will be going with her husband to Hawaii and hopefully get plugged in with a homeless shelter there and be starting a Bible study with the Military wives. (Please continue to pray for the three of us!!!)
Wednesday: Wednesday was a bittersweet day. This was the day that Brittany left. We dropped her off and I started crying... I gave her a HUGE hug and gave her 3 Hershey kisses. After that, we went to Hope Pregnancy Center and helped them organize baby clothes.
Thursday: Again I went to Ray of Hope and was in the office in the morning and then back in the thrift store in the afternoon. I had such a great time with the residents that day. I laughed all day long and my face was in such pain when I got home from it.
Friday: In the morning, I was in the office and helped do filing and answer phones. And then in the afternoon, I helped direct the interns with cleaning and then went down to the office to clean with Erin. Friday night was an absolute bore and that continued into today...
Saturday: Today was a free day and I felt very much free. I sat around and made some valentines, did some emails, and am now updating the blog.
Tomorrow we are going to Bruce's church and then we have a town run. Next week's schedule is going to be different from this past weeks. Please keep praying for me and everyone here.
Thanks for reading!
Ok. Let's see... I ended with talking about Monday.
Tuesday: I went to Ray of Hope for the first time for my two months and it was a lot of fun! I was in the office from 9- about 10:30 and learned a little bit about how different things are ran and handled there. And then from 10:30-12 I sat in the living area with some of the residents and was supposed to learn how to answer the phone and take messages and what to say if people ask certain things, but the phone never rang. I ended up just being able to hang with them and get to know a few people and start to build friendships. At 12, I was welcomed to eat lunch with them and then was sent across the street to their thrift store to learn how things work there. The heater was broken in the manager's office, so I was put on the floor to talk to customers and residents that were serving their time for the day. (Each resident at Ray of Hope has to serve at Hope Thrift for at least 2 hours a day.) I learned how to do the cash register and again had the opportunity to just hang, talk, and build relationships. I loved it. When 4 o'clock rolled around and Jo and Berta came and picked me up, I was beat.
I got back to the Ranch, it was almost dinner and time fr chapel. This chapel was a special chapel. It was commissioning. A day I NEVER thought would roll around. Erin, Brittany, and I were brought up to the front, after the teaching, and prayed for as we go on with the next stage. Erin and I are both staying in Montana and working in the office at the Ranch, at Ray of Hope, and will be cleaning a church once a week. Brittany, on the other hand, will be going with her husband to Hawaii and hopefully get plugged in with a homeless shelter there and be starting a Bible study with the Military wives. (Please continue to pray for the three of us!!!)
Wednesday: Wednesday was a bittersweet day. This was the day that Brittany left. We dropped her off and I started crying... I gave her a HUGE hug and gave her 3 Hershey kisses. After that, we went to Hope Pregnancy Center and helped them organize baby clothes.
Thursday: Again I went to Ray of Hope and was in the office in the morning and then back in the thrift store in the afternoon. I had such a great time with the residents that day. I laughed all day long and my face was in such pain when I got home from it.
Friday: In the morning, I was in the office and helped do filing and answer phones. And then in the afternoon, I helped direct the interns with cleaning and then went down to the office to clean with Erin. Friday night was an absolute bore and that continued into today...
Saturday: Today was a free day and I felt very much free. I sat around and made some valentines, did some emails, and am now updating the blog.
Tomorrow we are going to Bruce's church and then we have a town run. Next week's schedule is going to be different from this past weeks. Please keep praying for me and everyone here.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Looking Professional.
Today was my 1st day working in the office. I decided that I would dress up and look professional. I learned how to deal with the phones and started working. First job was filing, Second job was blacking out numbers, Third job was to put stamps on envelopes, and the Fourth job of the day was my favorite! My last job was to look through photos of the children, that get sponsored in Uganda, and pick the 2 cutest photos of each child. It was seriously the best. I had such a fun time in the office. This was just day one... It's just the beginning! Tomorrow is day two, yet still just day one. I'm going to Ray of Hope!!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
New, Improved, and Content.
Hey everyone!
Here's part 2 of my life on the other side of the country!
My last day of class in on the 4th, I get commissioned on the 8th, and I am going to be doing so much around the ranch and at the homeless shelter in Kalispell called, Ray of Hope. I am so excited!
Ok... So let me tell you a little bit about what this new blog is all about.
1st: The blog name: Home.
This is my home. This is where the Lord has me. It may not always be Montana or it may be. He has me on this earth and it's a temporary home. I have many homes. But for right now, I live in a country with 308,745,538 people, a state with 974,989 people, and a town with 5032 people.
2nd: The URL name: EasyOrWorthIt.
Pastor Michael challenged us the other night at chapel and said this quote and it really stuck.
"He did not say it would be easy. He said it would be worth it." I think that kinda describes my life the last four months. It hasn't been easy... But boy o boy... It's been very much worth it!
3rd: The title of this post: New, Improved, and Content.
Well the new part makes sense, cause this is my NEW blog. This is going to be an improvement... There is going to be NO complaining whatsoever on this blog. I promise. And the content, shows that finally... After 4 months, I am content with being here and living here. This blog is going to be New, Improved, and Content.
Hope you guys enjoy this blog better than the last one. Please keep me accountable for posting and updating you all. Can't wait to be able to look back at these posts in 2 months and see how much the Lord has done in me, everything He's given me, and all the opportunities and doors He opened.
Love, Darla Maxine
Here's part 2 of my life on the other side of the country!
My last day of class in on the 4th, I get commissioned on the 8th, and I am going to be doing so much around the ranch and at the homeless shelter in Kalispell called, Ray of Hope. I am so excited!
Ok... So let me tell you a little bit about what this new blog is all about.
1st: The blog name: Home.
This is my home. This is where the Lord has me. It may not always be Montana or it may be. He has me on this earth and it's a temporary home. I have many homes. But for right now, I live in a country with 308,745,538 people, a state with 974,989 people, and a town with 5032 people.
2nd: The URL name: EasyOrWorthIt.
Pastor Michael challenged us the other night at chapel and said this quote and it really stuck.
"He did not say it would be easy. He said it would be worth it." I think that kinda describes my life the last four months. It hasn't been easy... But boy o boy... It's been very much worth it!
3rd: The title of this post: New, Improved, and Content.
Well the new part makes sense, cause this is my NEW blog. This is going to be an improvement... There is going to be NO complaining whatsoever on this blog. I promise. And the content, shows that finally... After 4 months, I am content with being here and living here. This blog is going to be New, Improved, and Content.
Hope you guys enjoy this blog better than the last one. Please keep me accountable for posting and updating you all. Can't wait to be able to look back at these posts in 2 months and see how much the Lord has done in me, everything He's given me, and all the opportunities and doors He opened.
Love, Darla Maxine
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