Sigh of Relief...

Yesterday, I had to write the first research paper of my college career (and I'm fearful in knowing there are still many, many more to come in the next couple years! Ha!). The process of writing a 10-page paper proved challenging, but not impossible for me, as I dug deep to find enough words to write about Water Privatization in Bolivia...interesting topic, huh? NOT! Anyways, I survived but not without taking pictures of my misery! As you can see, massive amounts of research exploded on my desk and floor. Luckily after 9 hours of concentration, I finally finished my paper (and it's not even due until Friday!) and can now breathe a whole lot easier! :)

A Blaze @ Blazer...

Yesterday, Brittany, Erin, and I met at Blazer for our weekly stir-fry dinner, as we do every Thursday night. This night was unlike any other, however, because there was a small fire while we were there. Brittany and I had just gotten our food (Erin and Travis were still in the stir-fry line) when all of a sudden, the fire alarm started to go off. Most people thought very little of it and continued eating, assuming it was a false alarm. Surprisingly, it appears it was actually not a false alarm as we were forced to exit the restaurant and stand outside. The funny part was that since Britt and I had just gotten our food, we took our plates outside and just ate out there (while everyone else left their plates at the table). After a few minutes, we were allowed back into the building and noticed there was a little smoke in the air, but that's the only evidence we could see of a small fire (the fire department didn't even come). After an eventful start to our meal, everyone had a nice time and enjoyed dinner...despite a "blaze" at Blazer!

That's right...eating our stir-fry outside ha!

Viva Las Vegas:

Our gang and the bus...

Hard at work...

Britt & I

Our day in the city...

Riding the bus to the Grand Canyon...

Dinner at our campsite...we were so cold!

Our crew at Plateau Point...

It's been a while since I've last written, and while I have so much schoolwork to do I wanted to take a few minutes to write about my trip while everything is still fresh in my mind!

Last week was my Spring Break and I went on a Mission Trip to Las Vegas with the Christian Student Fellowship here at school. I had so much fun and loved getting to know everyone who went on the trip (there were 45 of us total). We rode a huge double-decker bus all the way across the country (it took us 39 hours going to Vegas and 48 coming home...we got stuck in Albuquerque, New Mexico due to snow!) and I loved getting to visit new states, including Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico.

While we were on our trip, we helped several different organizations, including a place called Family Promise (my friends and I washed an 18-passenger van while some other kids refurbished old church pews) and also helped kids at an after-school program. Additionally, we got to help mentally and disabled people at a place called Opportunity Village which serves as a place where people can work on simple tasks and train for a job in the "real world." We also went to an amazing Christian church called The Crossing (if I ever move out to Vegas, that is without a doubt the church I would want to go to!) and helped at a food bank called Three Square whose goal is to serve "3 square meals a day."

Aside from helping serve the people of Las Vegas, we also got to spend a day in the city and explore all of the amazing hotels. I had a blast with my friends and loved taking tons of pictures, seeing the Bellagio fountain show, and literally running through the streets to get to the Venetian and back to the bus in time (we had to be back on our bus, the Lightrider, at 10 pm). It was also so nice to get to wear shorts and flip-flops and I loved soaking in the warm sunshine!

After spending a day in the city, we went to the Grand Canyon on Thursday and camped (a first for me!). Brittany, Erin, and I shared a little tent and just about froze to death as we slept huddled together. As crazy as it sounds, I was actually happy to wake up at 5 am after an awful night's sleep! Ha! We took a 12-mile hike at the Canyon and went to Plateau Point where we were greeted with spectacular views and could see the Colorado River at the base of the Canyon.

Once we finished our 7-hour hike, we took super fast showers and then boarded the bus to return home. After several weather-related delays, we finally got back to Lexington on Sunday at 7 pm (we were originally supposed to be back at 3 am Sunday morning). Although I may never want to ride a bus as long as l live, this Spring Break was truly amazing and I'm so grateful for our safety, the friendships and memories I made along the way, and most importantly, the positive impact we had on the people of Las Vegas in the name of our Savior!