Earthquakes, Hurricanes, and Pentagons?

This has been one heck of a first week here at CNU. It all started with the earthquake. Yes, for all you skeptics, who believe the east coast cannot have earthquakes, prepare to be DENIED. We survived an earthquake on Tuesday! I regret to say though that I’m pretty sure I was riding my bike at the time of the earthquake and had no inclination that the ground had shook. Even if I had felt it, I probably would have thought it was the ground shaking from all the freakin’ construction going down on campus. Oh well, the news casting lady told me it happened, so I believe her. My roommates were pretty freaked out about it too when I got back to the apartment. I think the damage consisted of a Dixie cup falling over. My roommates are so cute.

Not ONLY did we have an earthquake, but hurricane Irene has forced CNU into evacuation mode. We must leave campus premises by noon tomorrow. No classes Friday or Monday! This unfortunately does mean no fall break for us due to having to make up the missed days, but we have to remember is that not many colleges have fall break as well as Thanksgiving break. I’m trying to think on the positive side.

1 “At this my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.
2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.
4 After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.
5 God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.
-Job 37:1-5

This hurricane couldn’t have come at a better time, though, because my sister is coming to pick me up! She was coming anyway because she and I have a road trip to Washington DC this weekend. Seriously, there is nothing better than a road trip with Becky Scheel and crazy loud obnoxious singing. Our uncle is retiring from the Army. Apparently it’s a big hooplah when someone retires from the military (just kidding, I know it’s a big deal), so the whole extended family is heading to DC for one big family reunion at the Pentagon! I’m very much excited about it, because not only do I love the DC area, but I love my family. Not to mention we get a VIP tour of the Pentagon. Savvy, yes?

Stay dry!

Quick Update!

Quick update! I made it to school without my head falling off. First day of classes=success. I am here and ready to learn! I wanted to give y’all my address in case any my camp friends feel so called to be pen pals with me (hint hint). Like I’ve said before, I love sending/receiving mail, so chances are if you send me a letter, you will be compensated with a homemade letter from me. I dearly miss all my camp friends already, so hearing from you will lift my aching spirit (insert Anne Shirley’s dramatic voice). As I know many of us are beginning a new year in school, I pray for not just you, but me, that Christ will be the center of everything that we do. That He will not be put on the back burner, but rather flame within us so everyone can see the light. Oh yeah. address.

Kate Scheel
James River Hall 431
1000 University Pl
Student Union Box
#3107
Newport News, VA 23606

And now I must go print out my 25 page syllabus for my Capital Punishment and Judicial Violence in Global Perspective class...this may be the death of me. (Oh, the irony.)

Move

It’s a linear concept we often overlook. When I think about movement, so many ways to move come to my mind. Worshipping the Lord, exercising, moving back to school, traveling, just “doing.” Movement is the concept that has been on my mind the past few weeks. As the summer draws to a close and I begin to think about my move back to school, I realize the shift that will begin to take place. I will be moving from a place I’ve grown to love to a place I haven’t been in four months. But no matter where I move, the Lord is ever-present and never changing. Though the world moves rapidly around me, my foundation is firm and constant. The Lord calls us to move, though, with the confidence that he is our rock, to make a difference and glorify Him through it all. In this post, I thought I would share with you about the different “moves” in my life.

One of the new ways I have learned to move is, don’t laugh, yoga.

I’ll admit, I was one of those people that used to mock and laugh at the people that practiced yoga. “Downward Dog” was never my idea of worship. I used to be self conscious about closing my eyes and letting the muscles of my face “soften around the eyes.” This summer my friend and roommate, Becky, introduced me to a new type of yoga. Contemplative Movement. Becky is a yoga instructor and outdoor-adventure-extraordinaire. She taught Contemplative Movement (the Christian version of yoga) at camp this summer and I decided to broaden my horizon and try it out. It was relaxing, strengthening, challenging, and meditative. We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words. But this is only one expression. Contemplative Prayer is considered to be a pure gift from God. It is the opening of mind and heart-our whole being- to God, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions.

The two main struggles I’ll admit to with yoga was having to wake up at 6:30 (let me tell ya.. tough.) and wandering thoughts during my time of contemplative prayer. Thoughts like, How am I doing? This peace is just great! What the heck was the name of that song I really liked? Just ordinary wanderings of the imagination. But the Lord does a good job of gently reeling me back in to the reason I’m doing contemplative movement in the first place: to glorify and worship Him through movement. I am now a proud yoga lover, not just because it makes me feel great, but because it is a newly discovered form of worship to my heavenly Father, who gave us the gift of movement.

The next “move” that has occurred while here at camp is simply physical activity. I felt very sedentary before I came to camp. Being here with all these amazing opportunities to get up and move has been awesome for me. I’ve been kayaking more times than I can count, rock climbing, practiced yoga, water skiing, hiking, cliff jumping and, I never thought I would say this, running. Scratch that, I meant jogging. Readers, if you know me at all, you know I don’t think running is the most fun form of exercise. I haven’t even run all that much since I’ve been here, but I think I’m getting that chemical in your body that makes you want to run. to move. It’s great! And I hope it stays!

The most obvious big move is the move back to school. Ah! Stress, stress, stress. A lot of unexpected things have happened this summer as far as what this coming year entails. The first big change is we’re getting a new roommate. Hannah, Alli, Kellie, Bethany, and I were going to be living in an apartment in JR this semester. We still are, but Bethany will be going to Liberty Univ. this semester. We knew there was a chance that she would leave in the future, but never expected it to be so soon. The Lord has a plan for everything, and because of that I’m very excited for Bethany. I know she had Christ in the center of her decision. The first time she told me about the news, I was a little saddened, only because I was looking forward to sharing a room with her and having late night pillow talks. It’s an adjustment I will have to live with , Bethany and I will just have to have our pillow talks over skype :)

Because Bethany will not be living with us, we have an extra spot. Honestly, I was hoping I could have some time to settle down into my room before someone else moved in, so we figured we wouldn’t make a big woop-di-do about it to housing. We found out last week, however, that we will be getting a new roommate. This means, depending on how much we “blend,” I will either be sharing a room with her or one of the other girls. It’s up in the air right now, but please keep the rooming situation in your prayers. Please pray for cohesion between us girls as this will be a new environment for us all as well as our new roommate. Since we all know each other, I can’t imagine how she feels about the “new girl.” I pray she does not feel that way as that will make for an uncomfortable atmosphere, and if you know me, I hate having people feel left out.

I’m always on the go. And so is my mind. I’ve already been thinking about what to do with my next summer. Work on a ranch in Colorado, pack fish in Alaska with my good friend Chelsea, work at an international camp overseas. The options are endless. But my summers are not. Time flies, and I’ve only got three summers left before I step into the real world of adults. But whatever I do, I’m always moving with my Father right next to me, and that gives me the confidence that “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” Adventure is out there! Just move.

Carly Chase showed this video to me and I thought I would share it with you. It's pretty legit.

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

The Civil Wars: My Father's Father

Camp + Cornuke + College

Conversations have been riveting in the first grade classroom this past week. We have been discussing such things as Justin “Beaver” and his girlfriend Selena “Mogez” (no lie, that’s what they think their names are). Several children’s guinea pigs have died, and if they had $10, they would buy and Ipod touch. Don’t worry; we talk about the Bible, too. In fact, several of the children asked Jesus into their heart the other day. You know, though, how when you were younger, you had to ask Jesus into your heart just about every week just to make sure you did it? But hey, once is all it takes and the rest are just for good measure ☺ The children have blessed me so much and I have learned much from their young, but explorative minds.

"Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:14

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:4

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6

I had the opportunity to listen to one of the chapel speakers, Bob Cornuke. He is, as best as I can explain it, Indiana Jones of the Bible. He is a former police investigator and SWAT member. He is an author, explorer, and biblical investigator with journeys including the search for Mt. Sinai, Noah’s ark, and Paul’s shipwreck. His talk was absolutely fascinating, leaving me with several moments of goosebumps. He is one of those men who leave you wanting to shout, THERE IS A GOD! His evidence is riveting and exciting. I, in fact, got to hold what is to believed to be a piece of the anchor from Paul’s shipwreck off the coast of Malta. It’s talks like these that make me want to get of my butt and travel to Saudi Arabia or Jerusalem. To walk where Jesus walked...

My sister Becky left camp yesterday to head back to Virginia. She worked at camp this past week and I can’t tell you how happy I was to see her. She loved catching up with her friends from last year and seeing the children she taught. Having my sister here for only a week reminded me of how much I freaking love my family. I already knew this, of course, but having kindred spirits such as Becky and Amy for sisters. Gosh, we’re a trio not to be trifled with. We feed off of each other’s quirkiness. I’ve loved being here at camp, but seeing my sister and talking to my parents makes me wish I had more than eight hours at home before I head off to school. Sigh, time never stops.

Only 18 more days for me here at camp. My how this summer seems to fly! Please pray for me as I am beginning to stress myself out because of the amount of time I have to prepare for school before I up and leave. I will get home, at the earliest, around 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 20, and leave for school around 6 a.m…the next day! Whew! I’m trying my utmost to not freak myself out, but I’m not being very successful at the moment. Please pray for patience, comfort, and a soothing heart during the transition from “camp” to “college.”

My lovely kindred spirits Hilary and Chelsea!

Rainy Day: English Tea and Amos Lee

I glanced out my window this morning to see an overcast sky and the ever-present possibility that there would be rain at CAMP-of-the-WOODS today. Much to everyone else’s doubt, I absolutely love rainy weather. Because I don’t have to work until 5:45, I have the whole afternoon to be nothing but lazy. Rainy days give me a reason to put on an over-sized shirt and sweats, heat up a lovely cup of tea, and listen to some of the most perfect mellow music.

I’m sitting in the lobby of Zeitfuss with a delicious cup of tea in the mug I painted in the Arts & Crafts Store at camp. The rain is falling outside the open window, making trickling pitter pats on the ground. There is a pleasant cool breeze coming through the window and Amos Lee is playing through my headphones. I LOVE RAINY DAYS.
Because Rainy Days invoke a desire to write or explore the Internet, I thought I might share my Rainy Day pleasures with you readers. These are things I crave when I hear the sound of rain and smell the precipitation coming:

o Stumble Upon. If you haven’t stumbled upon Stumble Upon yet, you are no college friend of mine.
o Amos Lee. or Avett Brothers. or Civil Wars. or Nickel Creek. Need I go on?
o Cups of Tea. Add cream and sugar, and it’s a match made in heaven.
o Psalms. I absolutely love reading scripture, especially Psalms on a rainy day. It puts me in the best moods. Who would’ve thought rainy days would lift my spirits?!
o Information Books on Ireland. My weakness. Especially if there are pictures.
o Chocolate and Cinnamon. Come on, now.
o Pride and Prejudice.
o Sweatshirt Blankets
o Mr. Darcy
o Fireplaces
o Wedding Pictures. Don’t ask why. It’s just a girl thing.
o Art Projects. Generally card making is my project of choice on days like these.

“You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.” [Psalm 68:9]

Happy Rainy Day Monday!

Pop quiz: How many times did I use the words, “Rainy Day?”

Monday's Memorable Moments; Third Edition

One week has snuck out. Another week has snuck up. I can’t believe I’ve already been here six weeks. How the days fly! Last week, Ravi Zacharias was here, so the numbers of the guests in the camp imploded. First day of CE (Christina Education) last week, forty-two 1st Graders arrived at our door! Shoot. Talk about a sea of six year-olds. Due to the shortage in teacher hands and craft projects, we had to close the doors at thirty 1st graders the rest of the week. They were all precious, specifically a little boy who stole my heart.

Andrew was adopted from South Korea when he was a baby. A smile permanently filled his face, causing his little eyes to practically disappear. Every time I saw him around camp, his little hand would wave incessantly and his smile would automatically jump from his face to mine, causing my eyes to practically disappear under my smile. My heart is forever Andrew’s.



In other news, I am so very, very…very stoked to see my shishter, Becky-boo, in less than a week! She has been praying for an opportunity to get up here to see her friends she made last year when she worked here and, of course she hoped on seeing her favorite middle sister. I’ve missed the time I’ve had with my sisters while I’ve been here, so I’m very glad I get to see her this summer! I may very well pee my pants when I see her…

Now, for the point of this post. Time for another installment of Mondays Memorable Moments.

1) Cliff Jumping. About three miles from camp lies Christine Falls, a magical spot and perfect place for cliff jumping. Chelsea, Danielle, Brea and I escaped from the camp to do a bit of cliff jumping. Next to the falls sets a rock resting 25 feet above the water. The key to jumping is landing right in the froth of the falls. As I jump, my stomach experiences what I think feels like zero gravity. When my body submerges under the froth, my hair swishes around my face as I try to figure out which way is “up.” When I emerge from the water, the current gently but swiftly ushers me to the other side of the river? Stream? Creek? Whatever. It’s a lot of fun.
2) Eating fish eyes. Yes. I went there. One day, while working in Purdy, Lance was telling us all the great things about fish heads as Brandon filleted the Salmon. Lance mentioned the fact that some people in this world actually enjoy eating the fish’s eyes. I was skeptical because I had never tried this delicacy. Brian said he would eat one if I did. Being the culinary adventurist that I am, I agreed. We steamed the fish head and scooped the eye directly out of the socket (I’m going graphic here, so bear with me). Lance suggested we dip it in soy sauce and lemon juice to reduce the fishiness of the peeper. On the count of three, Brian and I ate the eyes. There is a solid part of the eye that is best not eaten, so I spit that part out after I sucked the rest. It didn’t taste as bad with the soy and lemon, so we had to try it straight up, eating the second eye. The only way to describe the taste I succumbed to is…a concentrated fishy flavor with the consistency of Jello.
3) Hiked Chimney. On my day off, me and another staffer, Ryan, decided to tag along on one of the hikes led by the Rec staff for the guests. The hike is only about 1.7 miles up, but the rocks can be somewhat strenuous to climb. The view at the summit, although not completely breath-taking for me personally, was beautiful nonetheless. We read some scriptures at the top as we munched on our sandwiches and nutri-grain bars. The next part of the hike, we walked a little bit further to see Chimney rock. The last part of the hike was probably my favorite. Eagle Cave is a cave involving a very small entry in which you have to lie on your back and shimmy down the narrow crevasses until you enter the first big room in the cave. If you’re claustrophobic, this cave may not be the most ideal for you. I had been to Grand Caverns before, but this was nothing like it. This felt unexplored, mysterious, and awesome, even though many hikers had explored it before. Once we travelled into the chilly cave a bit more, we turned off our headlamps and listened to the silence. It was awesome. The way up was a bit more challenging since we were now climbing up the slick rocks. I felt much like Spiderman as far as my appearance climbing these rocks. Overall, the company was great, the cave was awesome, and a perfect way to spend my day off.





Happy Monday!