The Oglesbys' Adventure

     20's. The decade of change. The decade of finding yourself and learning to love yourself. Sounds simple right? I mean how hard can change really be? Asking those words is a dangerous move, because in fact, change is hard. Change is what creates new things and new adventures, I mean the definition of the word itself is "to make or become different." Different from what you are and different from what you have been in the past. Doesn't sound so easy now does it?     Your 20's are such an awkward stage of your life, I mean you're an adult legally, but many of us are still in college, and personally I still don't live in the "real world" per say. I mean a sorority house isn't really a real world situation, because living with 40 other girls in any other setting might be pretty difficult to explain to people. But for other people, the decade of our 20's is an awkward transitioning stage. I mean we are still trying to figure out our inter

    Who knew one month in the place that you had lived for two years could feel like forever? Who knew that coming back to the state you've called home all your life would be such a crazy adjustment? I never knew the meaning of culture shock until I came home after a summer in the mountains.     Everyone said the summer wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it. But no one said coming back to the real world would be this hard. Leaving my camp family was one of the hardest goodbyes that I have had. After spending three months with the same people, being open and vulnerable with them, and getting to know them inside and out, saying goodbye is not fun. The relationships that I made throughout the summer were some of the best ones that I've ever made and they will last a lifetime.      This summer pushed me in ways that I could not imagine. This summer showed me how to serve wholeheartedly, without complaints and without any reward coming from the act. Honestly before this s

     With a week left, my summer adventure is quickly coming to an end. This summer has been one for the books for sure and one I'll never forget.       In my last post I told y'all about my upcoming week of working with innercity kids and counseling them for a week, which was also our last week of group camp. That week was probably one of the best one's that I've had here. The beginning of the week was a little rocky because I wasn't sure how well I was going to be able to connect with these kids and get them to open up, but as the week went on all of my worries were gone. The first night we met with their youth pastor and ran through the week. At the end he told me and my co-counselor Aaron that he had been praying the whole way to camp for two counselors that would be able to help these kids and guide them closer to God and close to each other. He also told me and Aaron that he thought we were the perfect pair to do just that, which was an awesome encouragement

     The past two weeks have been crazy, so sorry for not keeping you all updated, but I promise you I am still alive. A little sore and tired but definitely still kicking.       The past couple of weeks have been filled with both behind the scenes work and actual counseling. The first week I was not a counselor, but I helped out with behind the scenes work to help group camp run smoothly. I have never cleaned and unclogged so many toilets in my entire life. It's amazing how dirty highschoolers can make a dorm in just a couple of days! I guess if teaching doesn't work out for me then I might have a calling to be a professional toilet unclogger. That week I definitely learned a whole lot of humility and patience, which is what I asked from God for the summer. Funny how he shows us things sometimes.        The week after that, this past week,  I was counseling for group camp again. Usually with group camp the church is from out of state so they come on a big bus, but my group t

     138 hours, 14 campers, 4 clogged toilets, and 1 SUPER squeaky bunk later individual camp was a success. Some of you might know, but my job here is a group camp counselor which means I work with junior high and high school kids that come with youth groups. This past week Glorieta introduced a Beta camp known as individual camp.       There are a couple of differences between the two camps. With individual camp the campers are dropped off by their parents, not a youth group, so therefore us counselors had to stay in the dorms with them the whole week. This meant being a mom, counselor and leader to 14 kids all at once. The second difference is the age of the kids. They ranged from 6-16 years old, I worked with the 10-12 year olds all week. I'm telling you being a mom to 14 preteens for a week is the best birth control you could ever ask for.       The week I spent with them was definitely a learning experience and reassured me that I picked the right age group to work with in

     Well folks, we've survived another week. This week was amazing exhausting but also amazingly rewarding. I, along with my co-counselor were in charge of a group of 16 junior high and high school students, and boy were they a handful.      At the beginning of the week they were split into different color groups, and we ended up being yellow for the week. These kids were all from different backgrounds and places in their religion. It was amazing to see how inspiring these kids could be, and how much of an impact younger kids could have on everyone around them, including me and Nate, my Co for the week.      A normal week of group camp is filled with group development games and activities, daily Bible studies, hikes, and more hikes. This past week wasn't any different. I'm sure these kids were not my biggest fans during the numerous hikes and frustrating group games, but it was amazing to see how far these kids came in just one week. From the beginning of the week to the

     Well everyone, I'm still alive. These past couple of weeks have been crazy for sure, but they have been worth it. The first week I was back I worked in the kitchen because they were shorthanded, and boy was that an eye opening experience. After waitressing for five years, kitchen duty was definitely more exhausting. Especially when you do 3 meals a day for 6 days straight and are helping to make meals for 1,500 people. It was difficult going into kitchen duty because I already felt separated from my co-counselors since I was gone for so long, and then I was separated from them again as soon as I got back. Thankfully, everyone here welcomed me with open arms and couldn't wait to hear stories from my trip.      This past week, I was actually able to work with kids by facilitating activities for a church that rented out the camp. I led hikes, facilitated zip drop and the waterfront and also worked in the coffee shop... a dream come true :). Through all of this I met some ama

Well everyone sorry it’s taken me so long to post, but it’s been a crazy couple of weeks! I made it home safe from across the pond, and back down to camp. My trip to London was absolutely amazing, there was so much to do and so many beautiful places to go. We packed almost every day full so we could see, or try to at least, everything that we wanted to. There is literally something for everyone in that city, young, old, hipster, historian, ANYONE. It was honestly overwhelming sometimes the vastness of the people there. Even in our hostel that we stayed at, there were people from all over the world. If you want to meet people from all over, a hostel is definitely the place to do it! I traveled to London as a study abroad trip which counts as an English credit towards my degree.  My favorite place was probably St. Paul’s Cathedral or the farmer’s markets that we went to while we were there. Spending 8 days over there was definitely a culture shock. Although they speak the same languag

Well everyone, my first week of camp is complete. It’s hard to believe that this week has already gone by so fast. I don’t think I’ve known the definition of the word exhaustion until I worked here, but it is a good type of exhaustion. No, this isn’t any typical exhaustion, this is exhaustion that is caused by helping people, exhaustion because we are making a difference, exhaustion because we are making memories that will last a lifetime, and exhaustion because we are preparing for a summer of unforgettable adventure and amazing Christ-like change. Leaving from my house last Sunday at 3:00 probably was not our best idea ever, but it was definitely worth it. After picking up breakfast a McDonald’s in Great Bend, Kansas, taking a quick 10 minute powernap in our car and grabbing some coffee, Zavannah and I were well on our way. Between trying to avoid sketchy gas stations, U-turns, and crazy drivers along the way, it was quite the trip. Apparently good bathrooms don’t exist in gas sta

     60 papers, 20 some books, and hundreds of hours of lost sleep later, my sophomore year of college is complete. It was for sure one of the most stressful, exhilarating, and beneficial years of my life. Not only was I thrown into the world of literature full force, but I was also thrown into a world full of big-girl decisions and tough goodbyes. This year has been an eye opener for me to help me realize who the people are who really matter, who will be there for you through thick and thin, and how crucial independence is in a world that has us dependent on so many things.      With my Sophomore year of college coming to a close, it is unreal to think that I'm halfway done with college, but even harder to believe that I will be embarking on the adventure of a lifetime this summer. For those of you who know me pretty well, it is no surprise to hear that I will be crazy busy this summer too, I mean who would want to be bored and relaxed all summer?! This summer is sure going to be