The Best Month Ever.

So where to begin. Ever since school let out, I've been basically going non-stop until now. I was home for only a week before I left for North Carolina and for Windy Gap which I called "home" for a month. I can't even put into words everything that happened in that month. If you want a full run down of what happened, just ask. But it feels wrong to put it into writing because I don't feel like I can do it justice that way. I don't feel like I came home the same person that I started as, and that is okay because that is something that I asked God to do. I took the past month to grow in my faith and to really get away from the distractions and temptations of home and to just allow God to change me into the man that he wants me to be. 

The first week we were there was so long and exhausting I was sure that the next 3 would just kill me. But after I got through the first week, I was so excited for the weeks to come. The first week, we had a Capernaum group come and they were so inspiring. Young Life Capernaum is for mentally and physically disabled kids and they go to camp at the same time as the able-bodied kids and do most of the same things, even the ropes course, zip-line, swing, slide, and Nascarts. Just seeing their leaders interact with them and watching the able-bodied campers just really start loving on them towards the end of the week, and really seeing past their disabilities was just awesome. One of our Summer Staff bosses, Coop, has cerebral palsy and throughout the month he just really opened our eyes and hearts and allowed us to see past the disability and see Gods creation that is underneath. 

At the start of week 3, one of our lifeguards, Ben, cut his foot on a rock in the lake and had to get 4 stitches. That put us down to 2 lifeguards (we're supposed to have 4, but only had 3 plus Jen who acted as a "harbor master" and could only rotate to 2 of the 4 positions) and we had our biggest group of 400 campers and the rowdiest. Well during the time when Summer Staff ate lunch, the pool was the only thing open for the kids, and I was on the stand for that hour. It was one of the hardest and most frustrating hours of life guarding that I have had in my 3 years. After I got down from the chair, I had to eat lunch out back of the dining hall b/c there wasn't any room in the dining hall for me and as I was out back, I just reached my breaking point. I was so angry and frustrated and burnt out that I just cried a bit and then prayed a lot. And after that mini-meltdown I felt calm. I later talked to Andrew one of the Summer Staff coordinators and he told me that the only way that God can change us into what He wants us to be, is if we're broken. If we're not broken then we're not really ready to change, and that when I broke down that afternoon, it was so that God can finally change me. That was one of the really defining moments of the month. I really feel more secure in my faith now and realize that we cannot do anything by ourselves and that we should turn to prayer for everything. 

The last thing that I'll mention was the night of camp. Andrew and Bethany are from Florida and have been dating for 2 years. Andrew goes to the Naval Academy in Annapolis and Bethany is still in Florida going to school. Well they both came to camp and I really got to see what a Christian couple is supposed to look like. Andrew is such a godly person and they just have the kind of relationship where you know that God is at the center of it and that they're meant to be together. I'll let Bethany tell the story from here:

"On our last night of Summer Staff at Windy Gap, a Young Life camp in North Carolina, Andrew proposed. I knew it was probably going to happen sometime this summer but knew that it would definitely not happen at camp, which was what I was secretly hoping for. I specifically remember telling a handful of people how amazing it would be if that happened at Windy Gap, but knew that he didn’t have a ring or had no way of getting one while we were there so I wasn’t expecting it. He started planning it during the first of four weeks we spent volunteering together there. He called his parents the end of week two and they shipped the ring to camp, he called my dad for permission the end of week three, and worked out all the details throughout the whole month. 

Saturday night, June 21st, after all the campers left we had an all camp meeting. He showed up late for it in the nicest clothes he brought with him. I thought that was strange and when I asked he said it was the only clean outfit he had left, which made sense. During the meeting he said that we should go for a walk up the hill, the one where we would hang out and talk every day, so we could have some quality time together before the night got crazy. I thought that was a little strange as well, because we hadn’t been told the plans for the night yet so I wondered how he knew that it would be okay for us to go off on our own and that we weren’t doing something else. I started to get suspicious when he was so persistent that I find a place to put my backpack down. After the fourth time he asked me to put my bag down I gave in and walked towards the leader’s lounge, which was where all of our bags and blankets and pillows were being stored for the night. Once I got there, I saw Laura and Kelsey, two of my dear friends from this month, and told them I thought something was up and they played it off so well. I walked away feeling so silly, like, “what if it doesn’t happen and I see them again in ten minutes, this was no big deal we really did just go on the hill and talk and I got bent out of shape for nothing. I’m going to feel like such an idiot…”

So after my wonderful friends managed not to blow it, I came back outside and met Andrew at the bottom of the hill. I was expecting it to happen then, so when we got up the hill and really did just walk around and sit and talk for a few minutes I was a little disappointed. I told him that he got my hopes up because he was acting funny and I thought he was going to propose. He was so calm cool and collected and said he could see how I would think that, he was sorry that I was disappointed, but that he really did just want to talk for a few minutes by ourselves before we hung out with the group for the night. After we were on the hill for about ten minutes (looking back I remember he looked at his watch an awful lot) we walked back down to meet everyone. I kept thinking about how silly it was for me to think he would propose then, especially since I knew he didn’t have a ring or any way of getting one (He got me good).

So, In the center of camp there is a small lake with an island in the middle of it that extends from the snack shop porch. The plan for the night was to meet there at the snack shop and get free drinks and food and just enjoy each other and have a little party. So as we are walking through camp I was wondering where everyone was and why it was so quiet, and when we got closer to the island I saw a few of our friends holding tiki torches and candles around the lake close to the stairs we were using. Then I heard Ryan Long, the musical guest for the month, singing and thought he was doing some sort of special concert for us and we were late for it. Our friend Tyler was closest to us while we were walking by and I asked him what was going on and he had the hugest smile on his face and said absolutely nothing. Andrew immediately pulled me away from him so we could keep walking towards the island. A few seconds later I saw all of our summer staff friends with tiki torches and candles spread across the entire lake. It hit me when we actually started to walk on the island and I realized what song Ryan was playing, it’s a beautiful love song called Changing Me that he wrote for his wife. It was all so wonderful and so perfect! It all happened so fast from there. When we got on the island he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and of course I said yes! He slipped the ring on my finger and then all of our great new friends rushed over to congratulate us. The fact that Ryan Long agreed to sing was incredible to me because he has been my favorite musician for six years, since the first time I heard him play at a Young Life camp. I just couldn't believe he agreed to do something so special for us...

We probably hugged 500 times in 10 minutes and after all that hugging we got the go ahead from the crowd that it was okay to “make purple” and kiss (boys are blue, girls are pink, and at Young Life camp it is stressed heavily that there’s no “purple” at camp). Ryan Long continued to play the love songs of his that Andrew requested, Changing Me, Faithful Man, and Mine (and yes, he is on i-tunes so you should download them). During Ryan’s song Mine, we went towards the edge of the island to listen and when the song was over, our good friend Ben hollered to Andrew, “who’s is she?” and he yelled right back, “Mine!” After we were done mingling on the island we actually did go into the snack shop for a party, but it was our engagement party. We were toasted with Welch’s sparkling grape juice by our friends and summer staff coordinators and had an amazing time! Then the empty glass bottle was used to store messages from everyone in (which we read tonight and they were incredibly sweet, so thank you guys!) It was such a fairytale and I couldn’t believe, and still can’t believe, that we are engaged! 

It couldn’t have been more perfect and I’m so surprised how everything came together so flawlessly.The effort and thought that went into it was so special and seriously, it couldn’t have been any better. It was the best proposal ever imaginable and I am so incredibly happy to be engaged to such a wonderful man, the love of my life, and the person I couldn’t be happier to spend the rest of my life with. I love you more than yesterday but less than tomorrow forever and always, Andrew James Lee. 

Thank you to everyone who played a part in such a special night in our lives. Earlier that day playing frisbee golf at camp, we were all sad to leave and someone said it was the worst day ever. I heard Andrew yell right away that it was the best day of his life, of course I rolled my eyes not knowing what was to come, but it really was the best day of my life up until now. We loved having everyone be such a big part of that for us. And thank you to all of our wonderful, supportive, and encouraging friends and family who have been with us all along. You guys are great! Be prepared for June of 2010. =)"

I just feel so blessed that I was able to be a part of such a beautiful proposal and cannot wait to June 2010 : )  Well thats it for now, I'm excited to see everyone again and hangout with ya'll!

Later.

The Last

Goodbye Salisbury, see you in a few.

Busy Beaver

So yesterday was good. I really enjoy Tuesdays because I don't have classes : ) I still had to wake up at 830 though for my allergy shots, but after I got them I made a list of things to do:
1)Write paper for enviro
a)Make display for paper
2) Read sociology book
3)Write sociology paper
4) Email Dr. Joyner
5) See Dr. C in his office
6) Go to Wal*Mart
7) Make cupcakes

I accomplished some of number 1, some of number 2, did number 4, 6, and 7. So overall I feel like it was a very productive day.

Today I have to finish my enviro paper, which I'm not toooooo worried about. There isn't a minimum page limit that I have to reach, just a maximum of 10 pages and I can guarantee you that I will not exceed the 10 page mark. lol. Today at 2 I have a meeting with Dr. Joyner, he is the head of the Respiratory Therapy program and I just want to talk to him about my options and just to learn more about respiratory.

So yea, there is probably more menial details that I left out, but that's because I'm hungry and have to go meet Paul and Brad for lunch.

Cheers!

RT or RN?

So first off, I'm not sick anymore! After being sick for a month and having Student Health Services tell me that there isn't anything that they can do for me, I decided to get a second opinion. I drove myself over to Salisbury Immediate Care and waited only for 15minutes before I was seen by a nurse. She took my history and vitals (B/P: 116/68 Resp: 18 P:100 SpO2: 98 Temp: 99.5) and then I waited about 5 minutes before the doctor saw me.

He looked in my ears, nose, throat and said I had a lot of thick mucus draining from my sinuses and that was irritating my throat, which in turn caused it to swell a bit thus pinching my eustachian tube, causing my ears to hurt. The doctor gave me a shot of some natural steroid that your body makes to reduce the swelling and pain in my throat and then gave me a prescription for an antibiotic which would clear up my sinuses.

I left there and tried to get my script filled at Wal*Mart, but just FYI if you're ever trying to use insurance at Wal*Mart, it won't work. They're lame.

So fast forward a few days and spring retreat was good. It was so awesome seeing people that I haven't seen in a while and getting to spend time with them : ) Despite the nasty weather, we all had a good time and I'm really glad that I went. Fast forward to the next week and I was crazy busy studying for tests and reading books and writing papers, now that I got a few of those out of the way things should be a bit better.

Friday, I went to the Orioles/Yankees game with a few friends which was a really good time! I'm apathetic when it comes to sports, but I was rooting for the O's just b/c they're our home team. But unfortunately, I didn't think about what I was wearing and wore my CRU shirt that is navy and white (Yankees colors) and proceeded to get boo'd and heckled the entire time. It was still a lot of fun to get out of Salisbury though.

So right now I should be doing one (or all) of the following things:
1) Showering
2) Reading my book for sociology
3) Returning Juno
4) Doing laundry
5) Studying for my history test that's tomorrow
6) Cleaning my room
7) Going to Wal*Mart b/c I'm out of milk and water and juice

...All of these things I hope to accomplish sometime today either before or after B-Stud.

But instead of doing the aforementioned list of activities, I'm doing research on either being a nurse, or a respiratory therapist. It scares me that up until I learned of respiratory therapy, I was so sure that I wanted to go into nursing...but now, I don't know. I know that either is a good choice, because anything in health care is a good career, but which one do I want to follow? I thought that I liked nursing because I get to take care of people, but then as I'm at the hospital more and more with H2H, I see what the nurses really do and I just don't know if it appeals to me anymore. Taking care of bed sores, wiping poopy butts, dressing wounds and taking vitals. That's mainly what I see when I'm on the floor at PRMC (or anywhere really). Do I really want to do that? I "got my feet wet" in health care through the fire department doing emergency care. Emergency care is what really appeals to me and I just don't see it in the majority of the nurses I see.

Nurses have to know a little bit about the entire body in order to get their license to practice medicine. Respiratory Therapists on the other hand, they need to know a lot about the cardio-pulmonary systems and a little about the rest of the body. Respiratory Therapists are the ones who are called upon in times of crisis and of life-or-death situations. They're the ones that intubate the patient and secure the airway before if becomes compromised. They're the ones that administer breathing treatments to the child who is having an asthma attack and can't breathe. They're the ones that are there in the first moments of life to suction and if necessary, breathe for the newborn baby. They're the ones that fly on the helicopters and ride in ambulances transporting the critically sick and wounded.

To me, Respiratory Therapists are the elite, the Navy SEALS of the medical field. The pay is lower than nurses, and they're often under appreciated until they're needed, but it just seems more "me" then nursing. I don't know, either is a good career, but I just need to pray about it more and give it over to God. I know that he'll pull my heart in the right direction and until then, I'm just going to take the prerequisites for both careers (since they're the same) and just relax.

So this is a really long post, and cheers to you if you made it this far! I'll try to keep this updated more and now that we're all caught up on my life, I'm going to try to be productive today.

~Scott

Still Sick

So yea, you guessed it...I'm STILL SICK!

My throat is on fire every time I swallow and my ears are hurting too. I went to health services but they said it was allergies and there isn't anything that they can do. :(

All I know is that I'm tired of being sick and if I don't feel better by next week I'm going to a real doctor to get real treatment.

Uggghhhhh

So I feel like I've been hit by a very large truck. Every joint on my body hurts, from the hairs on my head, to the tips of my toes. I have no clue if I have the flu, or just a killer cold. All I know is that its now been 1 week since I've been sick and its about time that I get better. The only thing that keeps me going is copious amounts of ibprofin and water.

Enough of the pity party, Laura and I are going to see Mitch preform in his school play of Beauty and the Beast tonight!! It's just a dress rehearsal because we won't be in town for the actual show nights, but it should still be fun : )

I have so many projects to do this month its insane! Basically I have something due every week of this month, and I have no weekends to do it. This weekend is North Bay, the following weekend is CRU retreat. And then I'm sure that there are other things going on too. Ugh. lol.

I need to go and read for english and probably find Sudafed.

Spring Break '08

What can I say? Spring break was one of the most amazing and rewarding things that I've ever done.

We (Brad, Kevin P, Kevin B, and me) left from Salisbury around 330 Friday afternoon and began our 21 hour journey to Florida. After a quick stop at Brad's house for him to pack and for us to eat, we roll up to College Park at 8 and get on the bus with the Jersey kids at 930. I slept from Virginia to South Carolina until we had to stop at 4am to switch drivers, and then I slept again from the driver switch to Georgia when we stopped for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. After breakfast I didn't sleep much the rest of the way. We were stuck in stand-still traffic behind an accident on the interstate somewhere in Florida. Finally we get to Panama City Beach and to the resort around 5pm, 21 hours after we left College Park and 27 hours after we initially began our journey from Salisbury.

The entire week felt like it was just one big party. We woke up every morning and had our quiet time with God, and then made our way to the morning conference where we had worship and a few speakers. We were done by 1130 most mornings and had until 1 to eat lunch and do whatever. At 1pm all 850 of us Big Breakers headed out to our respective places on the 7.8 mile stretch of beach.

The first time that we headed out on the beach to talk to people, I was a bit nervous and skeptical about how things would go. But once I saw how open college kids were to hearing what we had to say, it was really encouraging. I am so glad that I got to go out with Tim on the first day, I really got to know him and he was totally fine with me just playing wingman until I was ready to initiate the convos. Every conversation that we had on the beach through the week was amazing. Yea, we had some people who didn't want to talk to us, but we also had people who were really eager to hear what we had to say.

I'm having a really hard time summing up this week into words, it was just beyond amazing. Us Salisbury guys really got to know each other a lot better this week and were just able to fellowship together which was awesome. I can honestly say that I made 27 genuine friends this week, and they all go to UMD. The college park kids are so chill and I'm seriously going to miss all of them and I cannot wait to see them again at the spring retreat and then again later that month : )

I guess to sum it up, it was truly one of the most spiritually amazing times of my life and I came back a changed man because of it.