Missions Trip!

I have been blessed to go on a Missions Trip with some here at school. Where do I get to go? Alaska!

Yes I am going on a Missions Trip to Alaska. I am super excited to be going. Our team is getting to know each other and we are planning great bonding activities, fire on the beach, and a shopping trip for warm weather gear.

What will be doing on the trip.

1. We will be going to Victory Bible Camp to help them out with what ever they may need us for. Shoveling snow, cooking in kitchen, and other fun tasks.

2. We will also be going into Anchorage to help out with Parachutes. Parachutes is an organization located at the Dimond Mall in Anchorage, Alaska and they are a drop-in center for teens from the ages of thirteen to eighteen.

3. We will also get to learn more about Interact Ministries and how we can pray for them. They are an organization that wants to get a culturally relevant church transforming every community in the North Pacific Crescent.

Our team would love if you could pray for us. Some prayer requests:

• Financial: that everyone could the financial support needed to pay for the trip.
• Preparation: that as we prepare for the trip all will go smoothly.
• Connecting: that we can connect as a team and just come together as we prepare.
• Safety: for when we travel to the big AK.
• General: however you feel God leading you to pray for us.

Our first payment is due this coming week, just in a few days. So if you would like to support me, you can write a check to Ecola Bible School, Memo line: Missions Trip. DO NOT PUT MY NAME ON CHECK. Please put my name a sticky not and mail it with the check. 

Mail to:

Ecola Bible School

PO Box 190

Cannon Beach, OR 97110

or you can pay with credit card over the phone call the office @ 503-436-2552. You can call Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Just let them know that you would like to support Michelle Tingstrom on her Missions Trip and that you would like to pay with your credit card. 

God Bless All.

Learning Many Things

First term almost over, what? It just can't be possible.

I am in awe that we only have two more weeks left in our first term at Ecola and in two weeks we will be heading to our homes for a month to be with family and friends for a month long Christmas Break.

I am shocked to think that I have been here for two months already, time flies when you're having a good time with wonderful people.

God has already stretched and grown me in many ways while I have been here. I have stepped out of my shell more than ever. On day one I was so out going, that the first years thought that I was a second year just because I was talking to everyone like it was no big deal, but honestly it wasn't.

He has shown me the power of prayer since I have been here. People have prayed for finances to come in so they can finish the term and they got those needs covered, along with more to pay for next term too. God has built a wonderful family of fellow believers here with the staff and students. It is just amazing how loving everyone is and how easy it is just to talk about life with everyone, every aspect of it. People have overcome great trails in their lives and its just wonderful to hear how God brought them through.

I have been humbled by many things through my time here. One example was when we took a Bible Test in week one. I thought I knew lots of things about the Bible, but I came to realize that I really know nothing. It is amazing how much I have missed. As I was growing up just like every other child, I seemed to only learn a few of the most popular stories in the Bible, not a bad thing, but there is so much more in the good book that I have yet to learn.

One class that I loved was the Life of David, it was a great class, I enjoyed hearing about David. I didn't realize how much I had missed about his life due to the fact that I never read his whole story, I just knew the bits and pieces like David and Goliath.

I have enjoyed all the classes so far and can't wait to see what the next term brings for classes.

My goal is to write a summary at the end of each week talking about the things that God has placed in my heart from the classes from that week. I wish I could have done that this term.

All is going well and as I said I am enjoying the classes along with the family that has been created here. The actvities that have been done have been wonderful. Dune Jumping, Hiking in the Ape Caves,  Hiking just around, Walks through town, Coffee Dates, Movie nights, Volleyball, Running on the beach, Fro-Yo runs, so many adventures big and small create so many fun memories.

Thankful

Thanksgiving: a time to be with friends and family, when we share all that we are thankful for, stuff our faces with turkey dinner and pumpkin dessert, play games, and start off the Christmas season.

This year was my first year away from my friends and family who I have spent Thanksgiving with my whole life. I was blessed with the chance to go to a to friends family Thanksgiving. The day was filled with laughter, and pure joy. I spent my time playing games like Identity Crisis, Monopoly and Golf, watching some Curious George with the little ones, Eating a wonderful feast put on by such a wonderful family, along with a stroll around the block to help out bellies settle.

Oh the joys of being around a family with little ones running around and just loving on them. It makes me miss home and all the families I will be visiting upon my return. It reminds me of how Thankful I am to have so many families in my church that I am connected to and able to just visit whenever my little heart needs love of children.

I was reminded of all the things I am Thankful for and how often I forget that I need to Thank God for them. I take it all for granted and God is the one who deserves all the Thanks for my family and friends back home, my health, the time I am having a Ecola, my home church, the family I am making here, my job, His creation that is all around from the ocean to the mountains and everything in between and beyond. Thank You so much for my life Lord, you have truly blessed me and I take it all for granted. You are an amazing Father and love me for who I am, You are creating me to be the Godly Woman you have planned for me to be.

Just a few Pictures of the things I am Thankful for...

 Wonderful Turkey Dinner Put On By The Church

 The Just a Hop, Skip, and Jump Away from Me

 The Glorious Mountains from Home

 My Loving Family

 My Best Friend 

Joelle, So Blessed to Have Met Her Here at Ecola

Lesson Learned

It all started when we got to the Anchorage airport on a Thursday evening around 10 pm. We were on Standby, and after we got all checked in we got to visit with at friend for a little while. Now it was time to go to our gate and only hope we get called to board the plane. 

12:30 flight is all full and ready to Depart, sad news we aren't on it. So then we wait around for the 1:30 and what do you know full and Departing and we aren't on it again. Next was the 2:30 flight same deal. Now it is nap time while we wait for the 5:30. When it is time we find out no room for us and now we get bumped to the 7:30 flight and still no luck. Well 10:30 rolls around and guess what we are finally able to get on.

Now it is off to Seattle. So on the plane we watch some R5Sons Alaska, which only made me miss my summer job that much more. Time to land in SEA. It is now 2:30 and we get the gate that would soon take us to portland, we can only hope. So we try for the 3:00 and no luck, they took us off the Standby list since we hand't been around all morning as they called our names. And then its back to the waiting game.

This time we wait for about 10 different flights leaving Seattle to go to Portland and of course those are all booked full. We were lucky to get on the 7:30 pm flight finally. We soon arrived in Portland.

Next adventure was to rent a car. We got that all figured out after about half an hour and now we are meeting Aunt and Uncle for dinner. It is now about 10 pm. After dinner we head to Grandpa's arriving around 12 am. Time to get some sleep, thankfully.

That makes for a little over 24 hours of traveling from Alaska to Portland.

So all in all my lesson learned was to not fly Standby again because it is not as easy to get on flights and just go somewhere, let alone be somewhere on time like it used to be. What will I do next time, buy a ticket.

Good Bye Lodge Life, Hello Real World

Now my summer experience is over and it is time to start a new adventure.

I can't believe I was at the Lodge for 3 1/2 months. Time sure does fly by when you are having fun, and fun is what I had this summer. The experience was great and I enjoyed every waking hour of being out there. It was a culture shock when I got home and is and even bigger one now that I am heading off to Ecola and in the Seattle Airport.

Summer Highlights:

Learning to shoot my first gun.

Going on a helicopter ride.

Horse back rides and just having the horses around on the property.

Learning to cook and bake many different meals.

Loving on all the dogs.

Surprise visit form the parents and Best Friend.

Getting to know the all the different clients that came and went.

Playing cards.

The presence of the family being there and making me feel like family.

When I arrived home I had a hard time adjusting to the noises, like trucks starting up in the drive way at 5 am thanks to a loving and working brother, and my phone on vibrate and ringing at 8:30 in the am thanks to my other two loving brothers just calling to wake me up. No more hum of the generator. It was hard to adjust at first and now that I was getting back into routine it is all changing again as I am on my way to start my next adventure at Ecola Bible School.

The good news is I may be working out at the lodge again next summer, so that means more fun adventures and another great summer. No better place to spend time in my opinion.

Surprise!

SUPRISE! Was what I got when I went down the the airstrip today.

It all started with Toshi telling me that I would be going down to get the plane when it landed in about 30 minutes to get me out of the lodge for a little bit.

So the plane landed and we head down to check out who it was and what was going on. And when we get there I look into the plane and there was a great surprise for me. I got my best friend in the co-pilot seat and my mom and dad behind her. Yes they come to visit me today at the lodge.

Hugs for all and then its back to the lodge and they get a full tour followed by lunch. It was so nice to have them come out here and see the place in person, my pictures don't do the lodge much justice.

I got to have some one on one talk with my best friend. It was wonderful. Totally made my day today. I loved it and wish they could have stayed longer and brought my brothers along too. But this was good enough to satisfy my missing them...for now.

It was sad to see them go but happy to have them stop by, I mean its not everyday that your parents and best friend come to your work to see you.

Best Friend! Ricki and I

Thanks for bringing them to see me Mr. Hughes

The First of the Season

It happened on a dark and stormy night....

Just kidding. 

So as I may have mentioned we have had a few different bears breaking into the tack shed ad feed shed, both containing horse feed. We finally set up motion cameras where we found out that the bears were coming between the hours of 12:30-3:00 am for the past month or so. Our hope was the they would keep coming around for the bow hunter that was coming the end of July. 

Well the end of July is hear and the bow hunter showed up on the 27 of July. Stevie took him out yesterday on the horses to glass for bears. They saw quite a bit of wildlife while out and about with the horses. Came back had lunch and set up a tree stand near the tack shed, hoping for the bear to be back that night. Dinner was ate by all and then nap time for Stevie and Steff (the bow hunter). They woke up and got all ready and were in the tree (Steff) and on the top of a cabin (Stevie) by 9:40. At 10:15 Stevie saw a bear come to the tack shed and check it out and didn't get in so he left.

Next thing I know my movie is over and I am starting to fall asleep and I hear this yelling. I am just a little lost. I get up to look out my windows and don't see anything. I am thinking maybe he got the bear but it couldn't be since it was only 11:00 and the bear doesn't come till later. And then I think maybe someone is hurt. After I see some of the boys run across the yard and more yelling I realize its happy yelling. I throw on my sweatshirt and go investigate myself.

Yes Steff shot the bear and it it walked about 50 yards and dropped dead. When I got to them the bear was laying in the water and dead! Now time to celebrate. First bear of the season and first one shot with a bow at Rainy Pass Lodge. The bear is 8'+ Grizzly and is a Pope and Young. 

Next task is getting the bear out of the water. Quite the show with 4-5 guys pulling him out. "1-2-3 pull" is what the guys would say with a grunts to follow as they pulled each time. Now its picture time. Spent a good 45 minutes taking pictures and then lets the move the bear again for better pictures in the morning. So the bear is moved, again. Now its off to bed for some and others stayed up till 3 am celebrating and making phone calls to family and friends to tell them of the news.

Morning comes and its breakfast time. They eat and around 11 go out to take more pictures and then the fun stuff comes and its skinning time. Finished skinning around 2 and then its lunch and nap time.

Free Time Equals Read Time

Reading, I have always liked it, but finding the time to dive into a really good book was always hard to do.

Well I have been out at the Lodge for a little over a month now and I have managed to finish six whole books and started book number seven in that amount of time.

Book One: Just The Way You Are by: Barbara Freethy. This book was a free one that I downloaded off of iTunes just to have while at the lodge if I decided that I had the time to read. It was a good book about two sisters who were brought back together when their grandma was on her death bed. Goes through the struggles of the sisters and how their life has been. One of the sisters is in the middle of a divorce and the other is trying to figure out what to do with her life.

Book Two: At First Sight by: Nicholas Sparks. I had to have a Nicholas Sparks book in the list somewhere. As I recall the book was good, but I can't really remember what went on unless I look at it and read over the summary which I am too lazy to do right now.

Book Three through Book Six: A series by Terri Blackstock called Restoration Series. The series starts with all the power going out across the world. Planes fall out of the sky, cell phones stop working, cars stop in the middle of roads, nothing works. The series follows the Brannings on their adventure throughout the outage. It is a great series and the author incorporates christainity into the story. It is wonderful how the family realizes that God is the one who caused this and He was showing them His power. They were forced to put all their trust in Him to help get them throughout the outage. The book is suspenseful and keeps you reading. During the outage there are killers on the loose and a constant battle to find them. If you like those kind of stories I say dive into this series. Denise lent me the first book and had Steve bring me the rest one day and I am so glad I read them. This series is so wonderful I really do recommend.

Book Seven: The Best of Me by: Nicholas Sparks. Of corse I have another Nicholas Sparks book to read, I can't read enough by him. Just started this book yesterday so I can't say to much about it yet.

I have managed to find time to read when I have an afternoon break or when everyone goes to bed and it's only 8 pm I have nothing better to do. I also love to read when the sun is shinning and I am on break, great time. 

My Life For the Week

This week was super busy for us. We had lots of people coming and going. And there was always plenty to do, not a moment of boardem here.

Sunday July 15- Three guests arrive. Two of which are older and both have a hard time getting around. Weather is gloomy. Cooking is easy for the the amount of people we have.
Monday July 16- Five more guest arrive. Weather is again gloomy. More people more food to cook.
Tuesday July 17- Carly and Stevie go out to Rainy Pass Lake Cabin with four of the guests. Weather lightens up and I'm in SHORTS! I also got to paint the names of the horses on my signs, in the sun. Carly is gone and Denise and I are now one less person down to help with the cooking. Saw a black bear across the lake and later that night saw a brown bear swimming across the lake, I didn't get a good look at him but one of the guests did. I get to have a few extra days of the 8:30 early shift for breakfast.
Wednesday July 18- Group arrives back from Rainy Pass Lake Cabin, Carly is back to help in the Kitchen before she leaves me again for her cousins wedding. I go on a horse back ride with Colton and three guests. Fun times and the weather was wonderful.
Thursday July 19- Fly out fishing with 5 guests and we get the boys back from town to work! The guests get back from the fishing trip and we loose Colton and Carly they go back to anchorage Colton has to go back to work and Carly is leaving me to go to her cousins wedding. We also got rid of two guests ;) they were great and it was awesome getting to know them. Weather starts to get gloomy again, blamed on Toshi since it was nice while he was gone and went back to being bad when he got back, don't worry he blames himself too.
Friday July 20- Denise and Steve take two guests and their grandson Shane to hike up Monument. While Stevie takes thee guests to go fishing a down pas the airstrip. So Michelle is left in charge of Lunch for Wilma and the fishing people and the worker boys. Fishing people didn't want to come back for lunch so Stevie took them some food and brought Maggie back so she could rest since she wasn't felling well. I handled being in charge well ;) Weather could be better.
Saturday July 21- Guests are ready to leave there bags are packed. Now we just wait to see if things clear up. The weather changes every half an hour and the guest get weathered in. We had to cancel flight and hotel reservations. Extra family of four for dinner tonight, there were out flying around and had to land due to weather made it out later on at night.
Sunday July 22- The guests are ready to leave again wait to hear from Regal to see what flight schedules are for the day, and it is all still very weather dependent. Finally we can get two planes out to get the remaining 5 guests out hoping that three of them will make their flights, there was no way two of them were going to make it. So more canceling and rebooking of flights and hotels. The first plane arrives and Carly is on it! Yippee! I got my kitchen and cleaning buddy back. The first four guest get on the plane and make out safely. The second plane lands on the airstrip 30 minutes later and there go the last guests form the week, they made it safely back to anchorage too. Dinner tonight is LEFTOVERS! Less cooking for us and its cleans out the fridge.
Monday July 23- Staff meeting, nothing important for me, Carly and Denise, just Steve and Stevie discussing what they needed to get down around the lodge. Carly and I get to cleaning, the rooms and making all the beds. Then after all is done its is time to relax and read! Weather not so good, chilly and some drizzling every now and then.

That is my week in a nut shell. Yes it was a blast. I met some interesting people and they were all so great. I love this job. I had some great experiences and wouldn't trade them for anything. My horse name tags turned out great, must go up to the coral and get a picture of them. Now it is time to relax a little before the first hunter of the season arrives in just a few days. Bow hunter to be exact, coming to get a bear, hopefully he will get the one who has been breaking in to the horse feed shed and the tac shed pretty much every night for the past month, we have reason to believe that there is more than one bear.

New Experiences

Wow its been a while. Well lets see...

We had 4th of July games on the 4th, it was the smaller version of them but we stilled played them. Two teams this year, the Hatfields vs McCoys. I was on the the McCoys and guess what we won in the end. Our team dominated in the canoe races, volleyball, horse shoes, and charades. We weren't so lucky in the Pistol or skeet shooting. My first time shooting a gun. I hit two out of five targets on both eh pistol and skeet shoot. It was a lot of fun. Since not the whole family was there for the 4th we did fireworks on the 6th when we had more guests. It was far more entertaining watching the boys shoot off the fireworks. It was too light to really see the fireworks. But it was a fun night.

We have had a bear on the propority just about every other night for the past week and half now. We have yet to see him but he keeps breaking into the meat shed where they store the horse feed. They are trying to keep him around for the bow shooter coming at the end of July.

I got to go on a helicopter ride a few days a go too. It was fun. I should have brought my camera for that, but at the time I was staying in a different place for a few nights and I had no idea where all my stuff was I just knew it was in my bags somewhere. It was a fun time in the Helicopter. We rode right up to a hanging glacier.

The other day I did some more shooting. I am getting better. It is a lot of fun and now I wonder why my brothers and dad never did much shooting with me.

We played darts the other night and I am better than everyone thought. My team won the second round and got second the first round. Yup thats right don't underestimate me.

I wish I had some pictures to show everyone. I need to get better at documenting my time out here. I should be able to snag some 4th of July pictures from Stevie. We will see.

Hope all is well for everyone back home.

I am having the time of my life out here, although the weather isn't the best its just so great to be here in this beautiful place. More adventures to come soon.

Love to all!

I haven't Fallen Off the Earth...

So I have been super busy this past week working. Sad news is I haven't been able to use the internet since its been down out here. I also can't use Facebook or upload photos because it uses too much internet and they only have a certain amount a month. They are trying really hard to get GCI out here which would mean better internet and more to use and also a real phone line not a radio party line. 

This past week I got to go on a horse back ride up to Lookout and down the back side of it. It was so much fun! Later that night we played volleyball, best two out of three. My team lost :( but we didn't loose by much. After that almost everyone jumped into the lake. I almost did but I just couldn't bring my self to doing it. Of corse I got wet anyways since I got a big hug from the girl who jumped in and then everyone decided to come up and get a big group picture with me and use me as a towel. It was all good tho. I will get in the lake this summer for sure, even if its not by choice.

The 4th of July is just around the corner. The family will be coming out expect for one boy and his wife. So it will be a fun long weekend. I am excited to play all the games and just have fun long weekend. I will keep everyone posted on what is going on, if the internet allows. I will most likely have to show pictures when I get back to better internet which won't be till October, unless GCI gets out here and gets it all hooked up. But for now I will try to post as often as I can without using to much internet. Don't want to get in trouble.

Work is Fun Out Here

Time for an update. It has been such a beautiful week. We have had sun every single day up until today. We were supposed to be getting guests today but the clouds are too low and thick. I have been busy cooking and baking everyday now. I am loving all the kitchen work...except for the early mornings of 6:30 every other morning. 

One day we took some scraps across the lake for the birds and so that we don't have to burn the food up by the horses, keeping the bears away from the horses.

 The view from the other side of the lake.

Carly, Stevie and I went in the canoe to drop off the scraps. I sat in the middle on the base of the canoe and soaked up all the water. My but was very wet.

Another day we hiked up to Lookout. What a fun hike. It was kinda like the Butte, the two florida boys thought they were gonna die. It was such a nice day for the hike. We had to take some folding chairs and a table up to the top so that they could do their horse back rides up to the top with their guests for breakfast one morning. The chairs and table stay up there all summer.

 Clay built this cross for Chase and Jena's wedding. They had a helicopter bring it up to the top. On the day of the wedding Jena and the girls rode horses to the top and it started raining on them so they had to wedding in the yard instead and the cross stays up top.

 View form Lookout

 Another View from Lookout

 Remmington and Nico

Me at the top of Lookout.

The view of the Lodge, Lake and Airstrip coming down from the top of lookout.

Another day was spent moving kitchens. We were in the main lodge the first few days waiting for the water to start working in the Cook House, once lines un froze we moved to the Cook House, now that is a process that I will get to do at the end of the season too, but back to the Main Lodge for the winter. Once we moved over we soon found out that we had no hot water, the thermocupulator was out, I guess. So we have been boiling water for dishes at every meal and when we make more dishes. Every time you turn around someone is doing dishes. 

We also had our first staff meeting the other day. I guess I was supposed to be intimidated, but it was a piece of cake. Their family is way too much like mine for me to be intimidated by anyone. We will be having meeting once a week.

Thats my update for the week and there will be more to come in the following week. Hope all is well with every else.

I am enjoying my time here and am so blessed to be here. I love every little bit of it.

The Love of Our Saviour

Lately I haven't been hungry for God, but it all started to change as I was saying my goodbyes to close friends before it was time for me to head out to the lodge. I was blessed with a friend who prayed over me which brought me to tears. Another one gave me a necklace that says 'God of Wonders...When I stumble in the darkness I will call your name by night' and the last thing that got me was when I was visiting a good friends new baby I was asked by one of her her little girls to read my keychain to her, so I did and it was the Footprints in the Sand poem, I started to get all chocked up again. Those things made me realize some important things in life.

I have come to realize how much God is always there and He is always dropping hints and trying to show you the way to go and then it's your choice if you choose the way He sets out for you. God was telling me that He missed me and that is when I also realized it was time to start reconnecting and what better place to do it than in the heart of His country at the Lodge. Which is why I started back up on my daily devotions.

What inspired me to write this post was one of my devotions I was catching up on the Devotion was entitled Enjoy Your Life-The verse that coresspodnces with it is "What ever may be your task, work at it heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the inheritance which is your reward."-Colossians 3:23-24 Then the author wrote…Jesus died so that you can enjoy abundant life, not just the days you are off work, or on vacation or when you get to go shopping or golfing-but every day of your life. He wants you to enjoy going to the grocery store. he wants you to enjoy driving the kids to school. he wants you to enjoy paying the bills. He wants you to enjoy cleaning the house or mowing the yard. You can enjoy life if you determine to do so. Say, " I am going to enjoy every aspect of my life, because Jesus died so that I could have joy unspeakable and full of glory." From Starting Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer, June 6.

Wow when I read that devotion I just thought that while I am out here I need to have joy in everything I do no matter how difficult or easy the task is. But it's true Jesus died on the cross to take away out sins so we could be forgiven, and since we are forgiven and given this life we don't deserve it we should enjoy every moment of it and give God the glory of it. These past few days of consisted of enjoying things like racking, baking, cooking, doing dishes, cleaning up outhouses, making beds, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, and even playing with dogs.

I have been so blessed by God. He has sent me out to do something for Him. Not sure what it is that He is going to have me do, but I can't wait for it to happen. I am excited to be on this mission for God and I pray God will give me confidence to speak His word in every circumstance. This is a journey He sent me on for His glory and I pray that I can do just that and Glorify Him as much as possible.

Day Numero Uno

My ride!

I'm here! So on the plane ride down we got some turbulance once really good and it made my stomach turn upside down on me but a little fresh air and I felt 100% better. It was a beautiful day out today for a flight. So clear, I know I am bragging and I have no pictures to show but I was to busy enjoying everything I didn't think about using my camera. When we landed we unloaded the plane and let me tell you it was FULL. Once we got the food into one of the many different cabins I got a half tour but then it was time for some lunch since it was already like 1 and we had landed at 11. We had some friend fly in for lunch today sat and chatted with them. Once lunch was over I got started on the cookies, but the butter was soild frozen so then as the butter unthawed I got the full tour of everything. And then back to making cookies. We kinda just hung out and all did our own little thing. I made some beds and cleaned the kitchen up but thats about all the work I really had to deal with today, now tomorrow will be another story.

Cookies!

I get my own little cabin all the myself. It is so cute and it even has its own bathroom but the water isn't hooked up yet so I can't use it an who knows when it will be, but thats ok cause there is a different one that I am using now.

 My cabin!

 The Right Side on the inside.

 The Middle on the inside.

 My Bed on the Left Side.

My bathroom that doesn't work yet...there is a shower next to the toilet just hard to take a picture of the bathroom.

 I am the only one they hired outside of family for the whole summer, but that is fine with me. This week they have two brothers coming up from Florida for about a week I guess to clean the yard up and some other odd jobs that no one else has time for. As of now it is just me Denise, Stevie and his girlfriend Carly. And we have to get everything ready for guest on Monday. We can do it no big deal just one busy day on Sunday is for sure.

So far I am getting along just fine with the family and I'm sure it will be the same when the rest of them get out here.

The Start To Something New

WOW! I can't believe the day is finally here. On this wonderful early morning I get start the adventure of a life time. I fly out to Rainy Pass Lodge at 9am. A bit early for my liking but I will take it. I have been waiting for this day for about 8 months now and about 6 of them was just waiting to here if I got hired. This week rolled around and on Monday I packed my things, Tuesday I emailed to see when I was heading out since I had not heard, Wednesday I waited for a call or email, Thursday came and I called to see what was going on, "You will be leaving tomorrow (Friday) at 3 with me," said Denise on the phone, went to bed super excited and also very late due to a FaceTime chat with a good friend, Friday came and I got woken up by a phone call at 10am not too early but I was still sleeping, "So is it ok if we move your flight to 9am tomorrow (Saturday), we have a little bit more running around to do and weather will only get better," said Steve this morning. Now the time is here and it is WAY to early for me to be awake but I am heading to Anchorage to get on a plane and start work for the summer.

I am supper excited to be leaving, but also a little bit nervous. I don't know the people other than what I have seen on TV. It will all be new to me but also a great experience and I am glad that I don't know anyone because it will make me branch out to meet new people. I can't wait to see what it all looks like in person. And I will finally be able to answer everyones questions like Are you staying in a cabin? Will you room with anyone? Who else did they hire? Don't worry I will answer them ASAP.

I'm so glad a I got a chance to see everyone before I left and I'm going to miss everyone so dearly this summer. No cell phone service, but there is internet. So we can keep in touch via Blog, FaceTime, Skype, Facebook, and if your lucky a hand written letter. Let me know what your FaceTime and/or you Skype accounts are. I would love to chat with everyone at some point in time this summer.

I love you all to pieces and am so glad that you can all keep up with my adventures through my blog.

P.S.
My FaceTime is michelle.tingstrom@hotmail.com
My Skype is michelle.tingstrom

Packing...

So the packing began. My mom helped me fit it into two bags, 3 1/2 months worth of clothes and other items into 2 bags. I would that is impressive for most girls.

 This wasn't even all of it...

But I did get it all in the duffle bag and backpack.

I am not sure when I leave  but they told me to be ready between June 12 and June 15. So this week I will be anticipating my departure to my new adventure, start to a new chapter, new home, new life, new people, new places, and many other new things. I am excited yet a little nervous. But don't worry I will keep everyone posted on my adventures out at the lodge just check in here every once in a while and get the scoop.

New Adventures, Just Beginning

I just got back from a short (left on Thursday morning and got back Sunday afternoon) but wonderful trip down to Oregon. I went to visit a school and go to a friends wedding.

When I first arrived my Aunt and Uncle picked me up and we headed straight for the shopping. Man was it an exhausting day, I had been flying all night and didn't get much sleep.

Doesn't look like much but I already starting packing it when I thought about the picture

The next we headed to Cannon Beach so that I could tour Ecola Bible School. I fell in love with the school and Cannon Beach. I now know that I will be going there for school in the fall. I can't wait!

 Main office with dorms above.

 Old Sign

 Anchorage Dorms

 Sitting center and the gym behind it.

 More dorms (1 or 2 more like this one for dorms and laundry)

 Prayer Chapel

 Sitting area that lights up with white lights at night

 Dinning Room

Chapel where class is held

On our way to go see Grandpa we stopped by the Tillamook Factory and got to try out the cheese and get some yummy ice-cream.

 Cheese!

 Yummy Ice Cream

 Me and Aunt Peggy

After the visit with Grandpa was over it was time to head back to Tillamook for a friends wedding. The Wedding was beautiful and I am so thankful that I got to go. I am also very blessed to know the couple, Matt and Kellie, I love you two dearly.

Congrats Matt and Kellie

The next morning I had an early flight back home, airport at 6:30 am... and now I am home where I get to unpack only to re-pack and head out the lodge very soon.