What You've Been Waiting For (Literally, a long time!)

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Dear Followers,

Wow. I am the WORST blogger ever. I told you I would be updating every few weeks, but that obviously is NOT the case. A LOT has happened over the past two months since I last wrote. Aside from my homesickness, which is thankfully over, I have been doing decently well. I am trying to continue to trust in the Lord and do what He has called me to do-- work at the national office. Sometimes it has its trials but most days are fruitful and a learning experience. I have also been blessed to work with such amazing and caring people and who help me to keep my eye on the main prize and how we are all working together to serve the college students. It's like the verse from 1 Corinthians in how "we are many parts". The whole body can't move with pieces missing. They all have to be there together. So despite my jealousy and how I can't be on campus, I know that God is calling me to be patient and to really serve my missionaries and team directors to the best that I can.

Let me quickly sum up some of the big things that I have done since we last met.

1. TD (Team Director Summit)-- I was in charge of planning our region's TD Summit, where all the team directors from our schools got together with two executives and discussed different things regarding FOCUS, missionaries, Bible Studies, fundraising, evaluations, etc. It ended up snowing the night everyone arrived, but it was a good thing we were up in the mountains at the Mother Cabrini Shrine.

2. Preparing for Interview Weekends-- With FOCUS, there are nine interview weekends total and as the Recruitment Coordinator for my region, I have been helping out with preparing for them. Over the past two weeks, we have had two. The first "early" interview weekend was here in Denver where I was a support staff member, driving people around and entertaining the applicants. We had a total of 57 applicants for the first interview weekend, which was the MOST we've ever had in one weekend! PTL! :) One of the cool things we did for "fun" with the applicants while the interviewers did deliberations was we took them to this Xtreme Challenge Arena. It was SOO cool, filled with gladiator games and different activities. Within the first 10 minutes of being there, I got scatches and bruises, but it was totally worth it. What happened was three people at one time would sit in their own "swing-like" thing and have a tennis ball on a cord that we would have to guard. To basically win, you had to get the other two people's tennis ball and pull it off while guarding yours. You could pull hair, scratch, do anything that you could or wanted to take your opponents down. There was another game where it was "human cannonball" and one person would be on a swing and another person would stand and hold this huge bouncy ball in front of them. The person on the swing would get pushed back and then come forward to hit that person with the bouncy ball. The goal was for the person with the bouncy ball to stay put and not move. IMPOSSIBLE. Overall, it was a fun time.

3. Theology on Tap, spending time with friends-- Jason Everett, a famous Catholic chastity speaker came to Theology on Tap in the month of October and then a Catholic psychiatrist came this month. I have also been able to find lots of time to spend with new friends, co-workers, and old friends. For instance, Benedictine has a "Trek to the Rockies" every fall break, so I spent the weekend with them in Fraser, CO. It was BEAUTIFUL!

4. Regional Gathering in North Dakota-- I went to North Dakota for the first time EVER! It was so fun! The cool part was to see all the people from my region, I met some of my missionaries that I hadn't officially met, I prayed in front of the only abortion clinic left in North Dakota, AND we had a fun Halloween/All Saints party! I dressed up as Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. That weekend would have been my grandpa's 90th birthday and he had been to every state except for two (one being North Dakota), so I was glad to go to that state to celebrate in honor of my grandpa.

A lot more of little things have happened. For instance, it's snowed twice already. Once in October and then once again earlier this month. All I have to say is I am SOO glad it is sunny all the time in Colorado because unlike Kansas, it goes away after one to two days. At the National Office, also, we have been having lots of bears visiting us. One came after our big open house for some donors, and then one came after our Thanksgiving lunch work party. There have also been a TON of elk and deer around the office and in the mountains, which are very beautiful but also weird to see. Also, I went to the Denver Aquarium yesterday with my cousins, which was a TOTAL blast! We saw thousands of fish, watched a mermaid show, and fed stingrays! :) It was SOO awesome. The stingrays were slimy and huge.

Anyways, I apologize again for not being better about writing in my blog, but I am really excited to go home for Thanksgiving and spend time with my family (especially my nephew who is growing so big!) I also think I am going to be running a 5k sometime over the holiday, which I have never done before but always have wanted to.

May we remember this Thursday all the people and things that we are thankful for. May you and your families have a blessed holiday season.

Until next time,

Jolly

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