Kristie is waiting

Right now, as I type, I am waiting. I’m waiting for nothing and a whole lot of things at this moment- I mean who isn’t always waiting for something? For example, I’m waiting for my facebook page to refresh (my computer is really slow these days). I’m waiting to get tired enough to go to sleep (I really shouldn’t have had sugar after 8). I’m waiting for Tuesday night so I can see my first love in concert (Hanson). And I’m waiting for my other bloggers to post on waiting (I need some inspiration). 

Yet right now as my facebook successfully loads and I can check how many people commented on my post about this blog, I find myself at a stand still for just a second. The stand still scares me because it forces me to refocus on what awaits me next- volunteering.

Now don’t get me wrong, I can’t freaking wait to start my volunteer experience at St. Ann’s. It’s going to be an incredible experience to teach elementary school children living on the Turtle Mountain reservation in Belcourt, ND. I’m looking forward to communal living and to growing in my relationship with God. I am a little intimidated but excited to experience a completely different culture than that of my Jersey shore upbringing (no, I’m not talking about Snooky, MTV, or any reality show about New Jersey. Although you should know that I can shout just as loud as anyone on Cake Boss and I do love a good boardwalk).

I guess what scares me about what’s next is what’s going on right now. I leave for ND in about 11 days. While this is an incredible time to spend with the ones closest to me, it’s also a time that’s marked by many questions and a whole lot of disbelief. I get a lot of questions from other people, the most common having to do with why on earth I would pick North Dakota out of the other 49 states to volunteer my time (the answer has everything to do with God). And I have a lot of questions myself. Can I do this? Am I going to be a good teacher? Will I make friends? Will I miss my family, friends, and boyfriend too much? Sometimes these questions become overwhelming.

As for the disbelief, I just can’t grasp the fact that it’s almost time to start this next chapter of my life. The first time I ever thought about post-undergraduate service was sophomore year of college. Throughout the next 2 years, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I might want to do as a volunteer. By the summer before senior year, I had made my decision to only apply to volunteer organizations instead of also applying to graduate school. In November, I attended a day of discernment where I was directed to the Catholic Network of Volunteer Services. Through their website, I found St. Ann’s in February. I applied and was accepted by April. It’s July 26th now but that afternoon in early April seems like it was just yesterday.

I must admit that none of that really matters because August 7th is coming soon and I have a lot to do before then. I have clothes to buy, people to see, and many prayers to be said. But in spite of my packed 'to do' list, I must challenge and remind myself to wait just a little less. I need to stay in the present and enjoy these last 11 days until I board the plane that will take me away from here and bring me to that next chapter. I don't want to miss out on the present because I'm too concerned about the future. So I'll take the time to have coffee with friends, to go out to a movie with my boyfriend, and spend some time beating my family at Scrabble. I'll hang out with my cousins, stay over my Grandma's house, and DVR more Modern Family and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to be watched after a few hours at the beach. I'll stay focused on being focused on today and not tomorrow.

"So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself"- Matthew 6:34

Peace,

Kristie

A NETter Before He Fishes!

 Hello to all! My name is Bobby Moren and I am a Cabrini Graduate from the Class of 2008! I was a Religious Studies Major and was a founding member of the Cabrini Baseball Club. I also was very involved in the Campus Ministry program found in the Wolfington Center and was on the first Cabrini trip to go to Duran, Ecuador!

 I am here writing on this blog to share with you how my life as a Cabrini graduate is going to be taking one of the biggest turns of my entire life! The journey that I and 120 other young Catholic men and women will endure will be starting on August 19, 2010. We will be full time volunteers with an Organization known as NET Ministries (National Evangelization Teams). NET is based out of St. Paul, Minnesota and is committed to being a witness of God's love and mercy to the youth of our country! On my journey around the country in my team of 12 members, we will be Challenging young Catholics to love and embrace the life of the Church!

 Now this first blog is to simply tell you how waiting for the mission to start has been! Well, I was asked to raise money to help pay for some necessities and my monthly stipend of 100 dollars a month! We were asked to raise $4,000 but with much prayer and hard work, the Lord has blessed me in raising about $5,000 for my 9 month trip! As for the spiritual part of my waiting; it has been brutal on some days and on other days, I have been able to really see God in certain things. From about the time I accepted this volunteer position, I have been tempted many times over; and yet, through my failures and my trials, I have always been able to keep God close in my prayers and in my heart, which has led me to where I am today writing this blog!

 Before I really figured out how close I was to leaving, I thought, "I can do this by myself! It is only 6 months away and that is really not that far away!" Well, I was wrong and the beginning was tough, Fundraising was tough, praying was tough! And then one day I looked and saw that wow, 3 months has passed and my fundraising was completed! My prayers had changed from "Lord please help me" to "Thank you Lord for this awesome blessing!" Life was less tough, things began to work out for me in all aspects of life! Now today I am leaving in a few short weeks, I have made many friends with my NET brothers and sisters, and even here at home the Lord has blessed me with caring friends, family, girlfriend and a very supportive group in my youth group teens that I have been ministering to over the past couple years!

 So what is it like to be a NETter waiting? The example that comes to mind is of a fisherman! Before a fisherman goes out on the boat, he checks everything, and then, he checks it again, and then, he checks it one more time! A fisherman makes sure his nets are secure, his boat is safe, his fellow crew members are up to the task! Life before experiencing NET is one of mixed emotions of leaving my home, family, friends, and my life for 9 months! But it is also an excitement that is overwhelming to even express into words! I am giving 9 months of my life to ONLY God, by running Catholic Retreats in order to be a witness of God's Love and Mercy! I am going to be an example to thousands of teens around America of what God has called us to be in this world! So waiting has been up and down, but it has been an experience that I would never give away because it is also one of the greatest feelings I have ever felt. I will end by saying, I have made it through the preparation stages of the trip! I am ready to get on that boat and go fish with my NET!

Waiting

Our first posts will be about the period we are all currently in- the time between making the decision to commit to our organizations and actually leaving for our assignments. Waiting can be fun, challenging, exhausting, and enlightening. We hope you enjoy and can benefit from our thoughts on this topic!


Peace,
Kristie