Steubie U pix

Two of our lovely car buddies: Jeremy and Paul

Our Earrings all match! (living proof of the fabulous outfit's!)

Some new friends we made (never decide to make new friends that are sitting at the top of the bleachers..it's really awkward climbing towards them, with them staring down at you like, "what are you freaks doing?")

Besties! <3>

Betsy, Jenny, and Bethany! enjoying the retreat :)

Peter pretending to be meditating on something holy
..but secretly catching up on the sleep he didn't get last night

Rosie and Me! BFFs and future HMDs

what is life without silly pictures?
(there are at least 4 more..the kid in front of us was staring..
which made us do even sillier faces =)

Maya and Isabel!

Rosie, Me, and Jimmy
Retreat Buddies :)

Steubenville 2010!

First things first..I have to start at the beginning of my travels, which would be Tuesday, July 22nd, the night I left home to stay at the Araya's house. Rosa and I then spent the next few days, shopping with her sister Isabel and our best friend Maya, watching thrilling episodes of Monk late into the night, desperately trying to get somewhat tan, and advising each other on which clothes to bring on our trip to Steubenville --this last one took quite a lot of time because there are so many different factors that add up to the finished product: fantastically fabulous outfits :D .

Somehow, in those 3 days of silliness, crazy schemes, laughter, and late night rendezvous we managed to grab the few hours of sleep we knew we'd need to survive the Steubenville conference. Since, this was my 3rd year, Rosie's 4th, and Isabel's 2nd, and because we all know how long it takes us to get into the car on time, we planned well in advance, packing our clothes the day before (or in Isabel's case, in the middle of the night before) and, on Thursday night, planning out who would shower when (it's quite a challenge for 3 girls with long hair and a tendency to dramatically increase the heating and water bill to each shower in one morning). Although, there were a few minor hitches (no breakfast *sigh*), we made it into the car and to Emmanuel on time..or..mostly on time.

From there we joined the rest of the youth group and split into various vehicles (ooh alliteration!). Rosa and I were forced into a car with our youth group buddies Jimmy and Paul and spent the entire ride either with Jimmy's feet in our faces (he claimed to be cramping from football camp) or listening to half a song before one of them would decide that that was enough of that song and change it. Thankfully, both Rosie and I are extremely low maintenance and easy going people (well ok, rosa is) and we managed to not only bear the ride, we enjoyed it. :) Actually, we all had a ton of fun and talked or sang or fooled around most of the way there.

Upon arriving *gasp* IN TIME FOR DINNER!!! (a very rare occurrence for our group), we ate. It was yummy and I saved my swiss cake rolls for a midnight snack. :)

Then we entered the field house and laughed and cried in turns as several really amazing speakers took the stage to welcome us and prepare us for adoration. Bob Rice was leading the music, and he was as awesome as ever. (when is the music there not awesome with Bob leading?)

Then Adoration.

Adoration at Steubenville Youth Conferences is pretty much the most incredible thing that will ever happen to anyone that attends. It's nothing like going to holy hour at home, in that you are not quietly, privately praying in an attempt to grow closer to God. In Steubenville, you practically shout out praises. You plead out loud, in song, tears, tongues, whatever way you can communicate most fully with God. And many people receive answers. Although you know Christ is truly present in the Eucharist at home. You know it here. When the priests process with the monstrance throughout the field house, people fall to their knees, some even fall prostrate on the floor, overcome by the power and love that pours forth from the Holy Spirit. Adoration is the climax of both Friday and Saturday night: the culmination of all the messages the speakers have been giving us in both talk sessions and prayer. For those truly open to hearing God speak to them --and for some who really aren't open, but whom he opens ;) -- adoration is the best part of the weekend. It's the core of what the entire conference is all about.

The rest of the time there is really fun too though. We've become accustomed to the meals (which are highly processed and the same every year) and manage to survive on zebra cakes and pizza, which the youth group leaders are kind enough to sometimes buy for us. Even the questionable hamburger and the chemicals-dyed-orange juice add a certain, shall we say, flavor to the weekend.

The other cool thing about the Steubenville conference is the amount of teens there that are really, truly in love with their faith, and not afraid to show it. Even the ones who are less demonstrative, open up completely in the crazy, friendly atmosphere. During the few moments of free time (mostly after adoration, before bed) little groups will run around campus, greeting other groups with a, "hey, where are you from?". It's this, along with the adoration, fantastic speakers (the ones this year were the best I've ever seen/heard), and great music that makes Steubenville so unique.

Finally, Sunday, it was time to go home. This may have been the happiest I've been on an end of retreat car ride home, but, then again, I'm not usually flying to California the next day. Jeremy, another one of our friends, who had met the group there, joined our car, and this time, the 5 of us really did just go crazy on the drive. Rosa and I have come to realize that the combination of a retreat high, practically no sleep for the past 3 days, and an excessive amount of sugar usually has a very.....interesting effect on us, but luckily, the boys didn't seem to mind and we sang veggie tales at the top of our lungs, made silly faces for the camera, and laughed until our stomachs hurt (or maybe that was the "hamburger" burning a hole in our intestines, who knows?). When it was over, we were all pretty dead, but with hugs and promises to carpool to youth group, we split up in the church parking lot, forever changed..ok corny, how about..strengthened by the weekend and ready to face life once again. :)

Elena
p.s. pictures next post :)

I'm Here!!!

Actually, I've been here, in California, for almost two weeks now, but, as usual, procrastinated and made myself busy with other things until finally realizing I couldn't leave you all in suspense any longer, I took pity upon this poor, neglected blog and decided to post a few pictures and tell a few stories about my life on the road. ;)

So here it goes...Be prepared! In the next few posts, I will drown you in silly pictures, grueling accounts of never ending plane rides, and long winded discourses on the controversial topic of illegal immigration. (ok..just kidding about the last one..like i have a clue about it or want to talk about anything serious on here)

In the meantime I remain, forever yours,
Elena ;)

California Here I come!!

Who knew duffle/gym bags could hold so much?

It's a skill, really. I have an entire wardrobe stuffed into various small corners of that bag, and there's still more to go in it, but I'll make it fit, because it has to.

After the Steubenville retreat this weekend I'll be on a plane to california...and the beach..and family...and being tan :)

So, altogether, what with spiritual growth, hanging out with friends, and dancing in the waves of the Pacific, this promises to be a lovely summer.

Seahorses

Swimming up through waves of green and gold
getting lost in reefs of coral
forests of mahogany and yellow
they wonder why it's always dark at the bottom of the ocean.
The water carries them gently
a lilting motion
eddying waves with foam on top
where the seahorses cannot see.
They swim down, down to the bottom
and float softly through the swaying green that ripples in the wind
the wind of the sea.
Suddenly, a light pierces the always gloomy murk.
Gently, it sends a shaft that colors all it touches with soft golden sheen.
The seahorses are surrounded and bathed in the glow.
They dance and gleam in the light
but only for a moment
the sun sinks lower in the western sky
the shaft moves farther and farther away
and then
gone
and the seahorses roam again in the darkening gloom
soon forgetting their dance and the sun
seeing only what they saw before
only now it is not enough
not the same
forever tarnished by the warmth of a moment never again repeated.

Thunder, Lightning, and Sharks

It's thunderstorming here and the streaks of lightning are both exciting and terrifying. Thunderstorms didn't use to scare me but in the last few years, for some odd reason, the clash of thunder is enough to make me cringe when I think of the possibility of being electrocuted. This is probably something we call irrational fear. I'm not afraid of electrocution itself..more the idea of it, and if I sit down and consider the chances of bing electrocuted, I'm not actually afraid of that either.

The statistic I've heard regarding shark attacks and being struck by lightning isn't very comforting either. Apparently, more people are struck by lightning every year than are attacked by sharks. This statement is meant to comfort one when going to the beach, but for some reason I usually remember it when there's a thunderstorm. During a storm, all the memories and images I have of shark attacks and people with missing limbs who survived only to return to surfing (I never did understand that girl..) come flooding back and I realize that shark attacks do happen, and obviously if they happen..so does electrocution.

Actually, I think what really made me begin to fear thunderstorms was a night last year. I went to sleep with the window open because it was a humid summer night (common to Ohio) and the rain wasn't coming in, or maybe it wasn't even raining when I went to sleep. I was awakened at about 3am by the loudest clap of thunder I've ever heard in my life. I'm not exaggerating. It woke me up, and if you know the kinds of things I sleep through --my siblings screaming bloody murder in the carseat next to me only one of many examples-- that fact would prove how loud this clap of thunder was. It was accompanied --that's right, accompanied..not proceeded by-- a blinding flash of lightning (ok, so this might be an exaggeration because I was half asleep), and a burnt smell. I don't know if it's possible to smell lightning, but I swear I smelled something burning. It was really like waking up to the end of the world, probably in part because I was groggy and not thinking straight, which is evidenced by the fact that I immediately jumped out of bed, ran to my parents' room and whispered urgently in my fathers ear, "Daddy, was the house struck by lightning?"

If I had been thinking straight, I would have realized that it would have been slightly more obvious if the house had actually been struck by lightning, but, again, I blame all this on a brain only half-awake. Whatever the reason for my actions, that memory of waking up to what seemed like a very terrifying 'end of the world' is very vivid and seems to have sparked some kind of irrational fear of thunder storms: nothing too dramatic. I'm not terrified of them and I can dance in the rain while watching lightning, but, all the same, it does make me cringe when the forked tongues slice across the sky and a loud clap of thunder splits the air, especially within a few seconds of the lightning, which, thanks to my 9th grade online science class, I now can convert to the approximate number of miles away from us that the lightning is striking.

Of course, according to this website, more people die by eletrocution from Christmas tree lights per year than by shark attacks....so maybe being struck by lightning isn't that common after all.
;)

Trust

Trust is an interesting thing, so easily given, so quickly lost. It takes about a second and a half to say the words "I trust you" and still they form bonds that promise to hold under the most intense pressure. Yet, in less than a second and a half the bonds can be shattered, discarded, and mangled beyond recognition. It's been said that a wise man trusts only those he knows he can put faith in, but never gives up his trust, even when his strength is tested by suspicions and doubts. A foolish man, on the other hand, loses his trust as easily as he gives it, and with the first signs of danger he is gone.

Trust is ironic too. When one's trust in another falters, it is likely that the other will lose trust in return. If you promise to trust even in hard times and as soon as they come, lose your trust, was it trust at all? It's a mutual bond connecting two people and if one person finds fault in it, the bond is hurt for both people.

Trust, for some, requires great effort to maintain, for others it comes as naturally as walking. Jesus, when he said that we must become like a little child to enter the kingdom of God, meant that we must trust him blindly like a child, for, like a child with its parents, we have no choice. He is our only means of safety and our only sure way to happiness. If we try to trust those we love it will gradually become more and more easy to do and improve our friendships, with those around us and also with God.

Trust is tricky and elusive, but, once caught, it brightens life and sheds beautiful light on what before was covered over in doubt and darkness.

"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy." ~Walter Anderson