Baton Rouge Holidays!

Wow! I can't believe that Thanksgiving has already come and passed...and the countdown for Christmas is ON!

For thanksgiving a family from my new church, Amy and Barrett Black (sofia and naomi too) invited me to head to Houston to share Thanksgiving with them and their family! I had such a wonderful time...we ended up calling her parents house Weston Lakes (the neighborhood's name) Resort. We arrived at the house on wednesday night and didn't even leave the House till saturday night...it was so much fun, with the house all full of family and children and lots of baking happening all week!

Little Sofia with her "poony" smoothie mustache

some of the Yuvancic Family...they were teaching me how to make these AMAZING nut rolls!

The school year is winding down..but RUF@LSU has their annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Party...me and another student decided to make FULL tacky outfits!

I even had a few students come over to my house to make Christmas Stained Glass cookies! These were just normal sugar cookies...but you take out the middle and fill it with jolly ranchers...they come out pretty neat!

Here are some students hard at work making their cookies at my Apartment!

Bonfire and S'mores

I don't know what it is..but sitting around a fire, roasting marshmellows and enjoying the open air always seems to bring people together. One of our freshman girls from RUF opened up her home for us to use, we had a bunch of students over at her place....it was a GREAT turn out..and LOTS of fun!

Roasting our hotdogs

The student even had FAINTING goats at her place..these are by far the coolest farm animal ever. When they get scared the goats actually faint!

One of the RUF students with her s'mores

Our BIG bonfire!

The students were trying to see who could stand in front of the fire the longest.

My cool new boots, I got them for $15 at a thrift store...fit perfectly at the bonfire!

Dinner, Concert and tailgating!

never did I think I would be saying this...but I NOW have a new found LOVE of cooking! I bought a crock-pot a few weeks ago and ABSOLUTELY love it! I even invited a few students over one night to try some home made chili and cornbread! I think they liked it....or they sure did fool me!


I also was able to see the Avett Brothers in Concert at the rivercenter in downtown BR! The brothers are VERY talented...they would switch between guitars, keyboard, drums, banjo in the middle of the song. Their style of music is folk..but with a little bit of rock..if you have not listened to them PLEASE DO...soo good!

Finally...the game LSU has been waiting for ALL season, #1 Gators vs. #4 Tigers..game of the season! RUF threw a big tailgate for the students...complete with Jumbalaya and all the finger food you could eat!Take a look at our SWEET new RUF sign!! can you see the Tiger behind it!?!

College Game day was even there! woot!

Critical Mass

"Yeah Bike" is the slogan of the critical mass bike ride I went on last night!

I'm guessing over 300 people at the last friday of each month gather at the LSU clock tower to ride bikes to a set location. The purpose of these monthly Bike Rides (which happen ALL over america in MANY cities AT the same time) is to show the city and its residence a need and concern for Bike Riders.

There were so many different types of people there, from hippie looking all the way to families with kids. It is reallly cool to see all of these people band together and ride down major roads and bring about awareness.

Here is a small part of the group of Bikers getting ready to head out!

Off WE go!

We take up the whole right lane of the road, our goal is to not let there be any gaps. Otherwise cars will get it...not good!

people wave at us...i felt like I was in a parade!

EVERYONE really looks out for each other, these bikers are doing something called "corking" where you block off traffic at intersections so that the whole parade of us bikers get through the intersection. People usually honk their horns...but when they do everyone just cheers!

we made it to our location after about an hour, we hung out here, got stuff to eat...then turned around and went back!

I think I was smiling the whole time. I absolutely LOVED this event...this group does ALOT each month like bike rides to farmers markets, scavenger hunts, bike polo, girl only bike rides, etc. I have my calendar and can NOT wait to start taking more students with me to these events!!

Habitat for Humanity

On Saturday a few students, my co-intern Jacob and I went to Habitat for Humanity just outside of Baton Rouge. There must of been 15 houses either built or being built in this one part of town, all for families that desperately need a place to live.

Getting your hands dirty, jumping in, hammering nails, working on the roof...endless amounts of work....but so much fun! We were able to do things I never thought a bunch students would be able to do! It was even great to see future homeowners out there helping build their own homes...I can't wait till we go back and help out again in October.

Some of us girls getting ready to build!!

Getting ready to install a window

Working hard and being goofy...what RUF students do best!

A group shot in front of the house we were working on.

First Two weeks!

I can't believe I have been in Baton Rouge now for TWO WEEKS! The town is great, the campus is AMAZING, and I absolutely love working with RUF! I was taught the proper way to say LSU (by saying Ella Shoe). Here are some pics!

The Parade Ground on the LSU Campus, I love having picnics here with the students!



The campus is BEAUTIFUL, the architecture is AMAZING!

This is right on the Edge of Campus, LOTS of fun shops, my new FAVORITE coffee shop Highlands coffee and our RUF office is located here!

A shot of the "quad" on campus, where alot of students hang out.

The Memorial tower, it chimes every 15 minutes and at noon it plays the LSU fight song, it is really nice to hear this ringing through out campus!

This is a CUTE coffee shop in an awesome part of town called "Spanish Town" I love how it is all locals who are takin' it easy, enjoying coffee, the beautiful weather and each others company!

I was able on Saturday morning to go to the Farmers Market with some new friends, Music filled the air as we walked around to the different booths!

God is so GOOD!

God is so gracious...even to a messed up, ready to give up, sinner as myself!

Over the past few days my support money was just not where it needed to be, I was running out of time to raise the 75% of my support that I needed and started to lose all hope that I would be leaving for Baton Rouge. I became very hard on myself and started to think that maybe God had just not called me to go work with RUF at LSU. I felt like a failure and really had given up on Saturday.

I entered Church today and even began to tell people that I think I may not be leaving for Baton Rouge and even asked people to pray as I began to find another job. UNTIL, a lady at UPC approached me and gave a more than genourous amount...only by God's grace has He brought her into my life over the past 2 years, only by God's grace is He allowing her to be able to give financially...only by God's Grace am I now leaving for LSU.....this is nothing I have done...this is all Christ's work and proof that God's kingdom will not be stopped!

Please pray as I begin to figure out living situations and prepare to leave! Please pray as I NOW begin to work with students and help show them the love of Jesus....that HE has so graciously poured out onto me so that I can pour into them!

I have been stretched so much this summer, even when I want to give up God stretches me and teaches me that I need to have more faith in what He is doing in my life.

GOD IS GOOD!